2017 May - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos Reach Out To TE Gary Barnidge

May 22nd, 2017 at 11:19am CST by Zachary Links

Gary Barnidge left his early May visit with the Bills without a contract and roughly three weeks later he remains on the open market. Things could be picking up for the tight end, however. Barnidge tells SiriusXM (Twitter link) that he has heard from some of his old coaches that are now with the Broncos.

The Broncos added a big name at tight end when they selected Michigan’s Jake Butt in the fifth round. However, he has torn an ACL in each knee with the latest one happening during the Orange Bowl this past January. While Butt recuperates, the Broncos project to go into September with Virgil Green, Jeff Heuerman, and A.J. Derby as their top three tight ends. Barnidge could be added to the mix to help push Derby and/or Henry Krieger-Coble for the final TE spot on the 53-man roster.

Around the time of his visit to Buffalo, it was also reported that meetings with the Jaguars and Panthers could be on the docket. Barnidge confirmed that he has heard from the Jaguars, but it’s not immediately clear whether the Panthers still have interest.

Barnidge’s earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2015 as he hauled in 79 receptions and 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. Last year, he caught 55 passes for 612 yards and two touchdowns for the Browns.

Redskins Rumors: Cousins, Doctson

May 22nd, 2017 at 11:04am CST by Zachary Links

Redskins president Bruce Allen says the team has maintained a dialogue with Kirk Cousins‘ agent (Twitter link via Josh Keim of ESPN.com). Allen said he remains optimistic they can reach a long-term deal.

The Redskins have been publicly telling everyone that things are pointing in the right direction with Cousins, but it seems like the two sides are still oceans apart on a potential extension. Earlier this year, the Redskins proposed a five-year deal worth $20MM annually, but Cousins rejected that in favor of playing out the season on his one-year, $24MM repeat franchise tender. If the Redskins were to franchise tag him for a third consecutive season, he’d make a whopping $34MM in 2018, so an average annual value of $20MM won’t be enough for him to give up his chance at free agency.

The deadline for franchise tagged players to sign extensions is on July 15th. It’s possible that the deadline will spur action, but if it does not, then the Redskins will have to wait until after the season has concluded to restart talks.

Here’s more out of D.C.:

Allen said he’s met with a dozen people about a front office job in Washington (Twitter link via Keim). He went on to say that he’d like to add two or three people to the front office in some capacity. The Redskins do not intend to hire a new GM, so it sounds like they’ll simply reorganize the front office with the addition of some new faces. Presumably, it will be Allen and owner Dan Snyder calling the shots.
Redskins coach Jay Gruden says that wide receiver Josh Doctson will be participating in full during OTAs. The TCU product played in only two games last year thanks to an Achilles injury.
The Redskins will not be relocating any of their outside linebackers to defensive end before camp starts.

NFL Will Not Punish Darrelle Revis

May 22nd, 2017 at 10:26am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL will not discipline Darrelle Revis for his alleged role in a skirmish earlier this year, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. Revis was once facing felony assault charges, but a Pittsburgh judge dismissed those charges in March.

Revis, 31, was arrested following a street fight in which two men were knocked out. Initially, he was looking at two felony counts of aggravated assault, one felony count of robbery, one felony charge of conspiracy, and a misdemeanor count of terroristic threats. Later, a childhood friend of Revis’ took responsibility for just about everything that took place and that exonerated the cornerback.

Recently we learned that two unidentified teams were interested in Revis, but neither club was willing to fork over more than the $6MM he’s slated to earn from the Jets. Because of the offset language in his deal, Revis would effectively be playing for free if he signs for less than that sum in 2017.

It still seems unlikely that a team will agree to sign Revis for upwards of $6MM, but he could see increased interest from clubs now that they know that he will be eligible to play in Week 1.

Over the weekend, PFR’s Rory Parks checked in on Revis and other big-name cornerbacks still on the open market.

Jaguars Work Out LB Sam Barrington

May 22nd, 2017 at 9:05am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars worked out linebacker Sam Barrington last Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Barrington went to high school at nearby Terry Parker High, so this would mark a homecoming for the veteran.

Barrington spent the first three years of his career with the Packers but was waived before last year’s 53-man cut, leading him to the Packers. The Chiefs claimed him off waivers, but he did not record an official statistic in his two games there and was quickly cut. In November, he signed with the Saints and finished out the year there.

The Jaguars have been kicking the tires on veteran LB help by meeting with Gerald Hodges as well as Mike Morgan. Jacksonville also worked out a notable name in cornerback Alterraun Verner. This week, they’ll host wide receiver Victor Cruz on a visit.

Giants Meet With DE Devin Taylor

May 22nd, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

Former Lions defensive end Devin Taylor is visiting the Giants today, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This marks Taylor’s first known visit since free agency kicked off more than two months ago.

Last year, Taylor started in all 16 regular season games for the first time in his career. The former fourth-round pick had 4.5 sacks and 28 total tackles on the year, but the advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus portrayed him as the second-worst qualified edge defender in the NFL. For what it’s worth, in the prior year, Taylor had 7.0 sacks and an overall score of 68.5 – a significantly better showing than his 39.1 mark in ’16.

Taylor is not a starting-caliber player at this point in his career and that suits the Giants just fine as they arguably have the league’s most fearsome DE duo in Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon. There are a number of reserve DEs under contract behind them including Romeo Okwara, fifth-round rookie Avery Moss, and Owa Odighizuwa, but there has been some chatter this offseason about Odighizuwa stepping away from football. Right now, it seems like Odighizuwa will play, but if he has a change of heart, someone like Taylor could serve as an insurance policy.

Jaguars Meet With OL Orlando Franklin

May 22nd, 2017 at 8:49am CST by Zachary Links

Orlando Franklin is a free agent after getting released one week ago by the Chargers and he’s now looking for a new home. Today, he’s meeting with the Jaguars, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Franklin, 29, came to the Chargers as a free agent prior to the 2015 season, but things did not go according to plan. In his first year with San Diego, Franklin was sidelined for six games. Last year, he had a perfect attendance record in the regular season, but he was one of the seven worst qualified guards in the NFL, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus.

In Franklin’s first three NFL seasons, he started at right tackle for the Broncos and it wasn’t until his final year in Denver that he switched to left guard. The Jaguars might not have a starting position available for Franklin, but they could theoretically use him as a swingman to help fill in off the bench. Jacksonville already has three versatile O-Line reserves who seem likely to make the final roster in Patrick Omameh (G/T), Earl Watford (G/T), and Luke Bowanko (C/T). Adding Franklin could give the Jags one of the most flexible offensive line groups in the NFL.

Speaking of the Jaguars’ offensive line, the team finally touched base with Branden Albert. It remains to be seen whether they can get the veteran in the building before mandatory camp begins.

Bills Meet With LB Gerald Hodges

May 22nd, 2017 at 8:39am CST by Zachary Links

Before the month is out, Gerald Hodges just might visit every team in the AFC. Today, the linebacker is meeting with the Bills, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Earlier this month, the 26-year-old visited the Jets, Colts, Patriots, and Jaguars. He also met with the Chiefs and Seahawks back in March. For one reason or another, the free agent is still without a deal for 2017.

The Bills’ linebacker group has already gone through some changes this year after the departures of Zach Brown and Lerentee McCray in free agency. The Bills project to start Reggie Ragland and Lorenzo Alexander at the OLB spots with Preston Brown in the middle, but the group behind them is looking a little thin. Ramon Humber and rookies Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo figure to primarily pitch in as reserve OLBs, leaving them without a proven depth option for MLB. Hodges offers experience on the inside, so that’s presumably where he would factor in.

Hodges recorded 80 total tackles, three sacks, and two picks in 15 games (12 starts) with San Francisco last year.

Panthers, Saints Eyeing Marvin Bracy

May 21st, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Both the Panthers and Saints are interested in Olympic sprinter Marvin Bracy as a wide receiver prospect, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Bracy, 23, was a 100-meter Olympian at the Rio Games and is a former United States 60-meter dash champion. He spent a year on the Florida State football team as a redshirt before leaving the program to focus on track. As such, Bracy hasn’t played football since 2012, although he was an All-American in high school.

At 5’9″, Bracy doesn’t offer elite size, but he’s considered a “great raw talent” as a wideout, per Cole. Currently dealing with a groin injury, Bracy has already tried out for the Panthers at their rookie minicamp earlier this month.

5 Key Stories: 5/14/17 – 5/21/17

May 21st, 2017 at 7:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ryan Fitzpatrick lands in Tampa Bay. After struggling through a dreadful season with the Jets in 2016, Fitzpatrick was going to be hard-pressed to find a starting job on the open market. Instead, the 34-year-old signed with the Buccaneers, with whom he’ll be a clear backup to starter Jameis Winston. Fitzpatrick will earn $3MM on a one-year deal with the Bucs, but has a chance to bring in as much as $5MM.

Seattle interested in Colin Kaepernick. The Buccaneers didn’t consider Kaepernick before inking Fitzpatrick, but the Seahawks are eyeing the 29-year-old signal-caller, whom they prefer to fellow free agent Robert Griffin III. Kaepernick would seemingly be a solid fit behind Russell Wilson, who wouldn’t have any qualms about Seattle signing the former 49ers QB. The Cowboys, meanwhile, aren’t considered a fit for Kaepernick.

Eagles sign a Blount force. Despite the Patriots placing a May 9 tender on free agent LeGarrette Blount, the veteran running back has found a new home in Philadelphia. Blount, 30, will take in $1.25MM in base salary and can earn another $1.55MM via incentives. Both the Giants and Cardinals reportedly made offers to Blount before he signed with the Birds. With Blount in town, Ryan Mathews‘ roster spot is now tenuous (at best).

Jason McCourty signs with a rebuilding club. Instead of heading to contender after being cut loose by the Titans, McCourty latched on with the Browns last week, signing a two-year deal worth $6MM ($2MM guaranteed). At age-29, McCourty will be an elder statesman on a Cleveland team in the midst of a rebuild. The Patriots also had interest in McCourty, and that link was apparently mutual.

Steelers release Ladarius Green after one year. Although Green was effective when on the field in Pittsburgh (16.9 yards per catch), he simply couldn’t overcome his health issues — concussions and an ankle issue — in order to contribute on a consistent basis. The Steelers cut bait on Green just one season into a four-year, $20MM deal, a move that leaves them north of $3.5MM in dead money. Green, still only 26 years old, has no plans to retire.

Dolphins Not Interested In Nick Mangold

May 21st, 2017 at 6:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Dolphins lack an experienced backup behind injury-risk center Mike Pouncey, Miami has no plans to sign free agent Nick Mangold “at this time,” reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

Pouncey has dealt with nagging hip injuries in recent years, and while he doesn’t believe the issue to be career-threatening, he did miss 11 games during the 2016 campaign. As such, the Dolphins need a solid replacement plan in the event that Pouncey goes down. At present, Anthony Steen, Kraig Urbik, and Ted Larsen would compete for time at the pivot in the event of a Pouncey injury, while Isaac Asiata and Jake Brendel could also factor in on the interior.

Mangold, 33, has been linked to the Giants and Ravens since being released by the Jets earlier this year. Baltimore, specifically, is engaged in something of a “holding pattern” with Mangold at the moment.