HEADLINES

Month: June 2017

Community Tailgate: Where Will Eric Decker Play In 2017?

June 11th, 2017 at 10:19am CST by Rory Parks

Two talented wide receivers in Jeremy Maclin and Eric Decker are up for grabs, making receiver-needy clubs around the league smack their lips in anticipation. Given that Maclin is a free agent, has visited two clubs, and has been hypothetically linked to others, it’s a little easier to project where he might wind up, and yesterday, we asked our readers to weigh in on that very topic (which you can still do).

Eric Decker (Vertical)

Decker, though, is still under contract with the Jets, which makes it a little more difficult to guess where he will be playing in 2017. New York and Baltimore have engaged in trade discussions concerning Decker, but it is unclear where the two teams stand at this point. It could be that the Ravens, who are one of the two teams that Maclin has visited, prefer Maclin and are waiting on him to make a decision. If he should choose to sign somewhere other than Baltimore, the Ravens could pursue a Decker swap with a little more urgency (although the Ravens would need to restructure Decker’s contract or release/restructure one of their own players in order to fit Decker under the salary cap).

The Jets, too, are probably waiting on Maclin to make a decision, because when Maclin is off the table, Decker becomes the undisputed top wideout available, thereby increasing New York’s leverage in trade talks (although Rich Cimini of ESPN.com believes the Jets are unlikely to get more than a late-round draft choice for Decker regardless of what happens with Maclin).

Decker, a 2010 third-round pick who broke out in Denver from 2012-13, carried his strong production from the Mile High City to New York in his first two years with the Jets. The 6-3, 206-pounder combined for 154 catches, 1,989 yards and 17 touchdowns (including 12 in 2015) over 28 games during those seasons. And before injuries derailed him last September, Decker again looked on track for a big year, catching nine passes for a whopping 194 yards and two scores.

His physical presence, strong hands, and red-zone capabilities would make him an excellent complement to Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman in an otherwise thin receiving corps in Baltimore, and the Lions were also mentioned as a possible destination for Decker last week (although that was more speculation than anything else). Outside of those two clubs, though, we have not heard who else might be interested in Decker’s services.

So we will put the question to you. Where do you think Decker will wind up this year, and why? Let us know in the comment section below.

East Notes: Revis, Jets, Giants

June 11th, 2017 at 9:18am CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have a fair amount of cap space, but they are reportedly uninterested in adding Darrelle Revis to their defensive backfield. That doesn’t mean, however, that certain Dallas players don’t want to see Revis in silver-and-blue in the fall. Star wideout Dez Bryant tweeted Revis yesterday afternoon, saying, “Dallas?…I promise you are going to love what we got going on around here..your attitude fits our culture…waiting…..” While the Cowboys are doubtlessly pleased to see that Bryant is happy in Dallas, Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk confirms the earlier report that the team is unlikely to sign Revis. The Cowboys signed Nolan Carroll and drafted three corners this offseason, and they have chosen to build through the draft in recent years rather than sign expensive free agents.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

  • Rich Cimini of ESPN.com has a number of Jets-related notes this morning, and he observes that, outside of this year’s No. 6 overall selection, Jamal Adams, the player who has really stood out in the team’s OTAs is fellow rookie safety Marcus Maye. Maye, a second-round choice, impressed the organization with his ability to digest the defense and limit his mental mistakes on the practice field, leading New York to believe it could have an excellent safety tandem on its hands.
  • Cimini also believes that the Jets are making a mistake by parting ways with Eric Decker. He says young quarterbacks like Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty need a reliable wide receiver to help their development, and without Decker, New York really does not have such a player. Cimini also says that, if Jeremy Maclin signs somewhere other than Baltimore, the Jets’ leverage in Decker trade talks with the Ravens would of course increase, though he does not expect the Jets to get anything higher than a late-round draft choice for Decker regardless of what happens with Maclin.
  • Cimini also notes that there is “nothing cooking” on the Sheldon Richardson trade front, and that the Jets are prepared to go into the season with him and are hoping he can boost his value in advance of the trade deadline.
  • We have heard a lot about a potential long-term deal for Giants receiver Odell Beckham lately, but James Kratch of NJ.com, like many other writers, believes the most likely outcome is that OBJ plays out the 2017 season on his modest $1.8MM salary and that the two sides begin discussing a multi-year extension after the season.
  • In the same piece, Kratch says the Giants really like second-year kicker Aldrick Rosas, who has been exceedingly impressive in offseason practices, and that it is unlikely Big Blue adds a veteran kicker at this point.
  • Eagles rookie Nate Gerry‘s conversion to linebacker is going well, as Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com writes. The Nebraska product has put on about 16 pounds over the past month in his effort to go from hard-hitting collegiate safety to professional linebacker, and he will have the opportunity to get significant playing time in an unsettled linebacker unit in Philadelphia.

Poll: Where Will Jeremy Maclin Sign?

June 10th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Just two years ago, Jeremy Maclin was a coveted UFA after putting together a dominant 2014 season with the Eagles. After two years as the Chiefs’ No. 1 wide receiver, Maclin is a rare June free agent in his prime with upper-echelon credentials at his position.

He’s made multiple trips to the Eastern Time Zone this week, visiting the Bills and Ravens. Both summits lasted for two days, and each concluded with the wideout still unattached. So, where will Maclin end up? It’s clear he has options, but will the former Pro Bowler have to make a large financial sacrifice since many teams’ wideout plans have formed and funds are lower?

The Chiefs made the strange decision to release him after June 1 despite the ability to designate the 29-year-old pass-catcher as a post-June 1 cut prior to that date. Maclin went through some of Kansas City’s OTAs, and although he did not have a good 2016 season, the wideout posted 1,000-yard slates in both 2014 and ’15 and had three years left on a five-year, $55MM deal. The Chiefs moving on from Maclin depletes their wideout situation, leaving the explosive but raw Tyreek Hill and a host of auxiliary-type players in the defending AFC West champions’ receiving stable.

Maclin is coming off a season where a groin injury prevented him from playing in four games and affected his ability in others. He finished with just 536 receiving yards — by far a career-low mark. His penultimate Eagles season (2013) did not end up occurring due to an offseason ACL tear. And Maclin sprained his ankle in the Chiefs’ wild-card win over the Texans in January 2016. So, injuries are part of the equation.

But several teams figure to be interested in signing him despite the late juncture of the release.

The Bills use the league’s most run-centric attack but don’t have much for long-term wideouts on the books after declining Sammy Watkins‘ fifth-year option and seeing Robert Woods defect to the Rams. Both LeSean McCoy and Tyrod Taylor spoke out about a desire to see Maclin come to western New York, and the Bills being Maclin’s first visit obviously puts them in the race. But this is not an offense that features the kind of receiving opportunities Maclin could conceivably have elsewhere, and Buffalo used a second-round pick on Zay Jones.

Baltimore would seem in dire need of another receiver. Both Steve Smith and Kamar Aiken are no longer in the picture, and the team did not draft a wideout or sign an outside free agent. The Ravens, though, have even less cap space than the Bills do — at $6.9MM compared to Buffalo’s $12.6MM. With Mike Wallace and injury-prone Breshad Perriman fronting the group, the Ravens could use the ninth-year player.

ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported the Eagles had interest, and the fit would make some sense given Maclin’s history with Doug Pederson in Philadelphia and Kansas City. But Pederson shot down that rumor to some degree by saying the team has no interest “at this time.” Despite Philly signing Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, the team doesn’t have its receiving corps lined up long-term. Jeffery is due for free agency again in 2018, and Smith’s contract has two option years after 2017. Jordan Matthews is also an ’18 UFA.

Other teams could have openings. The Redskins lost both DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon but have Terrelle Pryor and a recovering Josh Doctson. The Lions were connected to Anquan Boldin earlier this offseason but already have two well-paid wideouts on the books, with Marvin Jones making $8MM annually and Golden Tate earning $6.2MM per year. The Browns, Rams and 49ers have needs here, but if Maclin is keen on joining another winning team right away, these aren’t the best fits.

Which team do you think will be Maclin’s third NFL employer? Will the McCoy recruitment pay off and give the Bills another weapon, or will the Ravens’ need at the position force the team to make a play here? Will the Eagles end up backtracking and consider Maclin for what would then become a star-studded 2017 corps? And what sleeper teams are out there? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.

OL Notes: Colts, Peters, Giants, Falcons

June 10th, 2017 at 7:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jim Irsay is generally unafraid to make bold statements, and the longtime Colts owner made another recently by proclaiming the team’s embattled offensive line as “fixed.” Andrew Luck took the second-most hits of any quarterback last season at 128 despite missing a game due to a concussion. The team also allowed the fifth-most sacks with 46. Luck missed nine games in 2015 with a shoulder injury and absorbed plenty of hits before that season-ending malady. And the Colts did not make any big additions this offseason, former Titans starter Brian Schwenke‘s one-year deal notwithstanding.

“Let me say this: The offensive line is fixed,” Irsay said, via Mike Wells of ESPN.com. “I’m telling you guys, the offensive line is fixed. The reason I’ll tell you it’s fixed is because (former Colts offensive line coach) Howard Mudd told me it’s fixed. If Howard Mudd tells you it’s fixed, trust me, it’s fixed.”

The Colts do return an entrenched left side of the line in Anthony Castonzo, Jack Mewhort and Ryan Kelly. Wells projects Joe Haeg to start at right guard and Le’Raven Clark to man right tackle. Irsay added the team may be ready to run more in 2017. Indianapolis did add fourth-round running back Marlon Mack and UFA Christine Michael to join Frank Gore. The Colts ranked 16th with 25.6 rushing attempts per game last season.

“We’ve worked hard to bring in the right type of players (on the offensive line),” Irsay said. “We’re ready to run the football and protect Andrew.”

Here’s the latest news on some other offensive lines, moving first to the Eagles’.

  • Jason Peters did not attend the Eagles‘ OTA sessions but will be back for minicamp, Bob Ford of Philly.com notes. Lane Johnson worked at left tackle in the 35-year-old’s stead. Peters will be back with the team despite the Eagles approaching him about a paycut in February and the sides not agreeing on one. Ford notes Johnson is expected to slide over to the left side after Peters’ Philadelphia tenure concludes.
  • The Giants‘ tackle situation is not as enviable, but a consensus appears to be forming. Big Blue seems to agree with the Chargers’ coaching staffs of the past two years. D.J. Fluker did not play right tackle during OTAs, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes, focusing strictly on guard duty. Even after Bobby Hart was absent during the team’s final OTA sessions, sixth-round rookie Adam Bisnowaty took first-team reps instead of Fluker on the right edge, Raanan writes. Fluker played right tackle during his first two seasons in San Diego, but the Giants are going with Hart — a 2015 seventh-round pick — right now. This means Fluker may have a tougher time auditioning, barring injury, for a long-term contract with the Giants re-signing holdover right guard John Jerry. Fluker is signed to a one-year deal.
  • Ben Garland may be ready to stick on one side of the ball this season and will probably see time in consecutive seasons for the first time in his career. Used on defense as well during the Falcons‘ NFC championship season, Garland will battle Wes Schweitzer for the right guard job vacated by Chris Chester, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Schweitzer was a sixth-round pick last year who did not suit up as a rookie. Ledbetter notes the 29-year-old Garland may have a slight upper hand going into minicamp. Garland’s previous opportunity to vie for a starting job ended quickly, with the 2015 Broncos bringing in Evan Mathis midway through training camp after Garland worked with Denver’s first-stringers at that camp’s outset. Garland, though, played in all 19 Falcons games last season after spending most of the ’15 season on Atlanta’s practice squad.

Cap Outlook Prompts Select Agents, NFLPA Brass To Suggest Revamped Contracts

June 10th, 2017 at 6:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

With players like Derek Carr, Odell Beckham and Aaron Donald either set to become their respective position’s highest-paid player this year or reside in position to do so in due time, select agents and NFLPA personnel are suggesting a change in how big-money deals are structured.

The NFL’s salary cap made its highest year-to-year leap between 2016 and 2017, with the payroll ceiling rising from $155.27MM to $167MM. And that could continue once the 2020s begin. A new CBA could intensify these cap spikes, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears (Twitter link) agents and union personnel are suggesting young players on the verge of landmark contracts tie their deals to the salary cap instead of signing deals that feature set wages when it’s unknown what future years’ caps will be.

Using Carr and Beckham as examples, with their new deals almost certainly to lock them up through some years after a new CBA is negotiated, Cole points out the anticipated cap growth is causing some early preparations (Twitter link). Deals that would be for a percentage of a team’s cap would certainly be more player-friendly, but they are not yet a reality. Nothing has emerged on whether or not agents engaged in negotiations are taking a hard line on this.

Cole (on Twitter) and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk note Darrelle Revis‘ camp tried this angle in 2010 with the Jets, while Kirk Cousins‘ representatives did so with the Redskins last year. Revis did not get a Jets extension before the 2011 CBA kicked in and was traded to the Buccaneers, who extended him in 2013.

Florio writes such a drastic shift would need to come from a player who possesses maximum leverage, envisioning a franchise-level quarterback hitting free agency as such a scenario that would induce a team to agree to this. He also writes that the NFL’s management council is believed to have urged teams against allowing this provision to come to fruition.

Florio uses Aaron Rodgers‘ 2013 extension as an example of how this setup would have greatly benefited the perennial MVP candidate. Rodgers will make $20.3MM this year. If a cap percentage-based agreement was in place with the Packers, Florio writes Rodgers would have made $29.72MM this year — at 17.6 percent of Green Bay’s cap, which the extension represented in 2013.

AFC North Notes: Osweiler, Steelers, Ravens

June 10th, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns and Texans’ historic trade did send a second-round pick to Cleveland, but Brock Osweiler remains on the payroll after the team tried to trade him for more draft picks. This leaves Osweiler in an uncertain place despite the sixth-year quarterback working with the Browns at OTAs. However, one NFL executive believes the team will still find a way to unload Osweiler.

“I think they still will flip him,” the anonymous exec said, via Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider link). “I think they are going to pay even more of his salary where he is only, say, a $2MM player, and then they will trade him for something. This is Plan B. Plan A was to take his salary down to $8MM and trade him right away. Plan C is that he is on their team or they just outright cut him. That could very much happen.”

This exec paints a grim portrait of Osweiler’s future in northeast Ohio. The Browns have been impressed with their unique trade acquisition so far, and Osweiler is competing for the starting job with Cody Kessler and DeShone Kizer. But Cleveland still was keen on unloading the 26-year-old passer, and taking on plenty of Osweiler’s $16MM salary to do it. The Browns have been unable to do so yet but have more than $60MM in cap space, so a prospective deal wouldn’t be out of the question this year. But one could well depend on a team’s injury situation at quarterback come training camp, along with the portion of the quarterback’s salary the Browns would agree to pay and what kind of draft compensation they now want.

Here’s the latest coming out of the AFC North as minicamps approach.

  • In the same Sando piece, an NFL personnel director questioned the Steelers‘ hesitance at trying to keep up with the Patriots this offseason. Perhaps the top AFC challenger to New England, Pittsburgh did not make moves in free agency or on the trade market, calling this anonymous exec to question the franchise’s traditional, build-from-within approach. “Pittsburgh never seems to make the big impact move,” the exec said. “They seem to just keep trying to get guys who fit into their locker room or fit into their scheme. It is almost like they are a little bit of plug-and-play and not really willing to stretch out and put themselves out there.” The Steelers did add wideout weaponry but did so through the draft (second-rounder JuJu Smith-Schuster) and via Martavis Bryant‘s reinstatement. Otherwise, the team is similar to its 2016 edition.
  • The costs to keep the trio of Le’Veon Bell, Stephon Tuitt and Alejandro Villanueva could cost the Steelers well north of $100MM collectively, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. The Pittsburgh-based reporter slots Bell’s deal as the highest priority, Tuitt’s as the player who wouldn’t need to be re-signed right away, and Villanueva as the wild card in this equation in being an ERFA that could hold out after a months-long negotiation. The Steelers have the July 15 franchise tag deadline with Bell but could let Tuitt’s talks slip into August, Fowler notes. The fourth-year defensive end is under contract at $1.47MM for 2017 before his rookie deal expires. Tuitt wants to stay in Pittsburgh but will be a costly cog to retain. The Steelers possess $16.3MM in cap space.
  • The Ravens are shifting to a more power-based run scheme under new offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris, according to the Baltimore Sun’s Edward Lee. Baltimore used zone principles under Juan Castillo, who is now working as the Bills’ O-line coach.

Golden Tate Addresses Contract Status

June 10th, 2017 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier this week, Golden Tate quoted a Pro Football Focus tweet about his unmatched tackle-avoiding track record since joining the Lions and used it as a platform to suggest an extension. At a charity softball game Saturday, the eighth-year wide receiver clarified his stance.

First, Tate lobbed a brief response to reporters about his salary before returning to the softball field. After being asked if he’s underpaid, Tate shot back, “Yep,” per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. The NFL’s leader in yards after catch with 1,831 since he moved to Detroit in 2014, Tate explained he’s not demanding a new deal now but is eyeing one.

“Just saw my buddy (Julian Edelman) get extended and that’s obviously the goal,” Tate said of Edelman, who was entering the final year of his Patriots contract. “I have this season and next season until I can really think about it but it wasn’t nothing malicious or mean hinting at it. I mean, I’m hinting at it in a few years, of course. I’ve still got time.”

Tate signed a five-year deal worth $31MM in 2014 and has delivered for the Lions, recording the first two 1,000-yard seasons of his career and leading the Lions in receptions over the past three seasons. He joined the Lions as their No. 2 wideout, and Calvin Johnson‘s salary understandably dwarfed his. But Marvin Jones‘ now does as well after the former Bengals No. 2 wide receiver signed for five years and $40MM. The 28-year-old Tate stands to take up $8.3MM and $9.3MM of the Lions’ 2017 and ’18 salary caps, respectively, if an extension is not reached.

On the heels of three straight 90-catch seasons, Tate is now the 26th-highest-paid receiver in football. his $6.25MM AAV mark is well behind Jones’ $8MM-per-year average. The cap’s continued climb also resulted in players like Mohamed Sanu, Kenny Stills and Robert Woods (zero combined 1,000-yard slates) sign for more money annually.

But Tate insists he’s thinking long-term with his extension references and doesn’t sound like he’s going to be seeking one in 2017, which would be interesting given that he’s under team control for multiple years. Despite being brought in before the Bob Quinn regime took over, Tate wants to stay in Detroit long-term.

“I would love to stay here as long as you guys accept me and want me here,” Tate said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “Like I said, I’m having fun, we’re starting to win games and that’s important. So hopefully Bob Quinn and (team president) Rod Wood and (Jim) Caldwell and Jim Bob (Cooter) want me around, and I’ll stay around as long as they’ll have me.

“I think if, collectively if we win games and I do my part, I hope there’s talks. But we’ll see. It’s a long way away as far as I’m concerned.”

AFC East Notes: Jets, Hoyer, Patriots, Bills

June 10th, 2017 at 2:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Several quarterbacks appeared on the Jets‘ radar this offseason, one that moved the team into rebuilding territory. But Josh McCown arrived after the team made a “competitive offer” to another recent part-time starter. The Jets submitted a contract proposal to Brian Hoyer, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, but he was not keen on a pact with the team despite his desire for a starting job. Instead, the veteran wanted to reunite with Kyle Shanahan with the 49ers. This was the second straight year the Jets showed offseason interest in Hoyer, who is now affiliated with his fourth team in four years. The 31-year-old passer visited the Jets in April 2016 before signing with the Bears later that month. Hoyer signed with San Francisco for two years and $12MM, $9.85MM fully guaranteed at signing. That package beats the Jets’ eventual deal for McCown, but the 38-year-old presumptive New York starter still received $6MM fully guaranteed for 2017 in a pact that includes incentives as well.

Here’s the latest from New York and other AFC East cities.

  • Also showing interest in Mike Glennon, Jay Cutler and Chase Daniel, the Jets wanted a “cheap, but experienced” game manager, per Cimini. McCown checked the boxes for the Jets, profiling as a classic stopgap quarterback who won’t cause trouble if/when he’s benched for Christian Hackenberg or Bryce Petty. This blueprint for the 2017 quarterback may have been part of the reason Gang Green and Cutler couldn’t line up a visit prior to the quarterback’s retirement.
  • The Patriots‘ refusal to trade Jimmy Garoppolo — and the possibility that a quarterback franchise tag that could be worth around $24MM in 2018 — creates the appearance of a quarterback controversy, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com notes (video link). Tom Brady will almost certainly be the quarterback this season as long as he’s healthy, but the situation becomes murkier after 2017 when Garoppolo’s contract expires and Brady moves closer to his 41st birthday. Curran also notes the Patriots need more intel on Garoppolo before tagging him, which could be difficult if Brady stays healthy. The backup’s Deflategate audition lasting six quarters instead of 16 leaves an incomplete grade as far as durability goes, Curran notes.
  • Jeremy Maclin participated in a two-day visit with the Bills earlier this week, and Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News believes the recently released wideout will end up in Buffalo if he’s willing to accept a short-term, incentive-laden deal. It’s unknown if Maclin, who was a No. 1 wideout for two years with the Chiefs, would be willing to do that. The 29-year-old pass-catcher has drawn interest from at least two teams, with the Ravens hosting him on a visit this week as well, and would profile as a fit on others too. The Bills have $12.6MM in cap space. Carucci notes the Bills don’t figure to be willing to pay Maclin big money given his injury history, and that the receiver profiles as a one- or two-year solution.

Extra Points: Seahawks, Villanueva, Jaguars

June 10th, 2017 at 12:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks made several changes to their offensive line this summer, adding free agents Luke Joeckel and Oday Aboushi and drafting second-rounder Ethan Pocic. While offensive line coach Tom Cable is generally bullish about this unit prior to training camp, he was especially happy with the organization’s offseason additions.

“I’d like to get to camp, but I’m the most excited coach on the staff right now,” Cable told ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia. “That’s what I’ve told coach [Pete Carroll] and John [Schneider, Seahawks general manager]. I appreciate them putting this together in a year’s time and doing a fantastic job. Our personnel guys nailed this, so it’s just a matter of getting them in the right spots and going and playing ball.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFL…

  • Following news that Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman had been holding a grudge against both quarterback Russell Wilson and Carroll over the past two seasons, the veteran was quick to dismiss the story. “He asked a few questions to a few cowardly people,” Sherman said of USA Today writer Seth Wickersham (via, ironically, Liz Mathews of USA Today). “And I’ll be calling you cowards if you’re afraid to put your name on it. If you have a comment, if you’ve got something to say, you’ve got something to ask or something and you’re not willing to put your name on it, you’re kind of a coward. But maybe they’re not cowards and maybe these people never existed. Because who knows? You don’t even have to exist. You don’t have to prove anything in this world anymore…And that’s what I mean when I say there are a lot of TMZ-like media going on because guys like this — nobody is going to ever question him if they come to find out, hey, he could have fabricated this whole story and, I mean, outside of him saying there was an interaction at practice, none of the rest of it was true. But heck, what did he have to lose? I think it’s really unfortunate that’s it’s come to that.”
  • Left tackle Alejandro Villanueva is currently without a contract ahead of the Steelers upcoming mandatory minicamp. When asked by ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler whether he’ll be in attendance, the 28-year-old indicated that he might be willing to hold out. “I’m obviously trying to be a Steeler but it’s something that my agent and the front office will work to sort out,” said Villanueva. The former Army standout didn’t sign his ERFA tender this offseason, although he did ink a waiver/agreement that allowed him to participate in OTAs.
  • Jaguars safety Peyton Thompson has been cut six times during his career, including twice by Jacksonville. However, considering the injuries to the team’s secondary, Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com believes the 26-year-old finally has a chance to earn a more significant defensive role. The former undrafted free agent has played in 30 games for the Jaguars over the past two seasons, compiling 27 tackles.

Saints Shopping RB Travaris Cadet

June 10th, 2017 at 10:48am CST by Ben Levine

Travaris Cadet may have re-signed with the Saints this offseason, but it’s sounding like the running back may not be sticking in New Orleans long term. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), the Saints are currently “exploring trade scenarios” for the veteran prior to training camp.

Travaris Cadet (vertical)The Appalachian State product has spent the majority of his five-year career with the Saints. He played the first three seasons of his career in New Orleans, where he contributed mostly in the passing and return game. 2014 was arguably his most productive campaign, as Cadet finished that season with 38 receptions for 296 yards.

The running back had brief stints with the Patriots and 49ers before returning to the Saints in late 2015. This past season, Cadet appeared in 15 games (one start), hauling in 40 catches for 281 yards and four touchdowns. He ended up re-signing with the organization this past offseason.

The Saints are loaded at running back, so it would have been an up-hill battle for Cadet to make the roster, anyway. The 28-year-old will be competing with Alvin Kamara, Daniel Lasco, and Marcus Murphy for carries behind Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram.

Cadet was reportedly choosing between the Saints, Jets, and Bills during the offseason. New Orleans might be able to find a trade partner in one of those two squads, although it’s uncertain if New York or Buffalo still have interest.

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