2017 June - Pro Football Rumors

Reaction To Jeremy Maclin’s Release

June 3rd, 2017 at 9:09am CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs surprised the NFL when they released veteran wideout Jeremy Maclin last night. Coach Andy Reid, who worked with the receiver in both Kansas City and Philadelphia, acknowledged that it wasn’t an easy move to make.

“These decisions are never easy, especially with a player like Jeremy who I’ve grown close with on and off the football field over the years,” Reid said (via Terez A. Paylor of KansasCity.com). “I have a lot of respect for the way he goes about his business and how he handles himself as a professional. I wish him the best of luck moving forward.”

Maclin finished his Kansas City tenure with 27 games played between two NFL seasons. The wideout hauled in 131 total catches for 1,624 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Let’s check out some more reactions from around the league…

We took a look at the cap implications for 2017, but Paylor explores how the release impacts the Chiefs in the future. The team will be stuck with $4.8MM in dead money in 2018, although the release still results in $8.6MM in total savings.
Paylor notes that with the move, the organization should now have more than enough money to sign all of their draft picks. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon and running back Kareem Hunt all remain unsigned.
The Chiefs took a considerable risk by waiting until yesterday to release Maclin, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Thanks to the post-June 1st designation, there was financial incentive to waiting. However, the team allowed Maclin to participate in five OTA sessions, and they would have been on the hook for $10MM had Maclin suffered a season-ending injury during that time.
Should the Eagles pursue a reunion with Maclin? Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com is under the impression that they should. The organization did add Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith this offseason, but the writer believes the offense could still use some reinforcement. The Eagles don’t have a whole lot of cap room at the moment, so Shorr-Parks wonders whether Maclin would be willing to take a discount to return to Philadelphia.
The Ravens are a “perfect landing spot” for Maclin, writes ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. Joe Flacco could certainly use another target, especially following the injury to pass-catching tight end Dennis Pitta. Similar to the Eagles, Baltimore doesn’t have much cap space, so they wouldn’t be able to engage in a bidding war for the receiver. However, if Maclin is looking to slot atop the depth chart for a potential contender, then the Ravens should be considered.

Seahawks, Colin Kaepernick Were Apart On Money

June 2nd, 2017 at 9:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Seahawks did have interest in free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the two parties’ inability to come to an agreement was based on money, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Reports earlier this offseason indicated Kaepernick might be searching for a salary “befitting a high-end backup quarterback or a low-end starter,” and that type of pay might not be palatable for the Seahawks, who are already paying Russell Wilson nearly $22MM per year. But Seattle clearly had sincere interest in Kaepernick, who remains the top quarterback available on the free agent market.

“Colin has been a fantastic football player and he’s going to continue to be,” said head coach Pete Carroll, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “At this time we didn’t do anything with it but we know where he is and who he is and we had a chance to understand him much moreso. He’s a starter in this league and I can’t imagine — we have a starter. But he’s a starter in this league and I can’t imagine somebody won’t give him a chance to play.’’

For now, the Seahawks will forge on with only Trevone Boykin and Jake Heaps behind Wilson. Of the pair, only Boykin boasts any NFL experience (18 passing attempts), but the second-year pro has already been in legal hot water this offseason.

Chiefs Tried To Trade Jeremy Maclin

June 2nd, 2017 at 9:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs “dabbled” in trade negotiations to evaluate interest in wide receiver Jeremy Maclin before releasing him, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

That Kansas City wasn’t able to find any takers is rather unsurprising, as any club that acquired Maclin would have been responsible for his 2017 base salary of $9.75MM. While that figure isn’t guaranteed, it wouldn’t have made sense for another team to give up assets for Maclin unless it was prepared to pay his salary. With Maclin now a free agent, any club with interest can now add Maclin without sacrificing draft capital (and perhaps at a cheaper salary).

The Chiefs didn’t ask Maclin to accept a paycut before cutting him, reports Garafolo. Additionally, it’s unclear why Kansas City didn’t release Maclin near the start of the new league year in March. Given that the Chiefs could have designated him as a post-June 1 cut, the financial ramifications would have been the same. Such a move would have allowed Maclin to hit the free agent market much earlier, however.

Maclin will receive a prorated portion of the $250K workout bonus he was due, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.

Texans Working Out WR Javontee Herndon

June 2nd, 2017 at 8:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans worked out free agent wide receiver Javontee Herndon today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Herndon, 23, had spent most of his career on the Chargers’ practice squad, but saw action in eight games on the club’s active roster in 2015, during which time posted 195 yards on 24 receptions. Additionally, Herndon was a factor on special teams, averaging 7.4 yards per punt return and 22.4 yards per kick return. After suffering a knee injury last August, however, Herndon was placed on injured reserve and spent the entire season on the sidelines.

While Herndon would likely have trouble seeing regular offensive snaps given that Houston’s depth chart is led by DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and Braxton Miller, he could help out as a returner. The Texans ranked dead last in special teams DVOA a season ago, and lost 8.3 points on kick returns. If signed, Herndon would likely compete with Tyler Ervin — a 2016 fourth-round pick who was Houston’s primary return man last year — for playing time.

The Texans signed wide receiver Dres Anderson earlier today, so it’s unclear if the club is still interested in adding another pass-catcher such as Herndon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/2/17

June 2nd, 2017 at 8:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

The Cowboys have signed center Ross Burbank and waived wide receiver Quincy McDuffie, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Per Archer, Dallas head coach Jason Garrett said earlier this week the Cowboys were in need of offensive line depth, and they’ve now added another front five player in Burbank, who was originally an undrafted free agent in 2016. He’s spent the past year with the Raiders and Seahawks, but doesn’t have any NFL experience. McDuffie, meanwhile, had signed a reserve/futures deal with the Cowboys in January.
The Giants announced that they’ve waived/injured wide receiver Jalen Williams, who has since cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve. Williams, a UMass product, signed with New York as an undrafted free agent just over a month ago. During his senior collegiate season, Williams posted 27 receptions, 520 yards, and six touchdowns. Now that he’s cleared waivers, Williams could conceivably be let go with an injury settlement, a transaction that would allow him to become a free agent.
The Falcons have signed wide receiver Marvin Hall and waived offensive lineman Robert Leff, the club announced today. Hall, a 2016 undrafted free agent, has spent time with Oakland and Arizona during his NFL tenure, but was waived by the Cardinals last month. He’s now part of a deep Atlanta wideout unit that includes Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Taylor Gabriel, and others. Leff, meanwhile, was a UDFA in this year’s draft.
The Chargers announced that they’ve waived cornerback Michael Lee in order to create a roster spot for newly-signed draft pick Dan Feeney. Lee, 25, spent the majority of the 2016 campaign on Los Angeles’ practice squad, and had signed a reserve/futures contract in January.

Cardinals Waive QB Zac Dysert

June 2nd, 2017 at 7:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals have waived quarterback Zac Dysert and safeties Drico Johnson and Cyril Noland-Lewis, the club announced today.

Dysert, 26, has bounced around the league since entering the NFL as a seventh-round draft choice in 2013, and the Cardinals were the sixth club he’s been with during his four-year career. Arizona promoted him to the active roster last December in order to prevent losing him to Miami, but Dysert still has yet to take a snap in a regular season contest. Given that the Cardinals tendered him as an exclusive rights free agent earlier this year, Dysert had been scheduled to earn a minimum salary in 2017.

Arizona’s recent signing of free agent quarterback Blaine Gabbert signified that at least Cardinals signal-caller was likely to lose his roster spot, and Arizona seemingly Trevor Knight, a Texas A&M product who signed with the Cards as an UDFA, over Dysert. Gabbert and Knight will compete for snaps behind starter Carson Palmer and backup Drew Stanton.

Chiefs Release WR Jeremy Maclin

June 2nd, 2017 at 6:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In a rather surprising move, the Chiefs announced that they’ve released wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

“I’d like to thank Jeremy for his effort and dedication the past two seasons,” general manager John Dorsey said. “I have great respect for all players, which makes decisions like these very difficult, but we felt it was in the best interest of our club moving forward to part ways at this time. We wish Jeremy the best as he continues his career.”

Maclin, 29, posted a down season in 2016, missing four games with a groin injury and registering career-lows in both receptions and receiving yards. Additionally, Kansas City is tight on cap space, with just over $2MM available in funds at the moment. Maclin’s release will help alleviate the Chiefs’ fiscal situation, as the club will clear $10MM in cap room while assuming $2.4MM in dead money.

Even given those factors, the release of Maclin comes as a shock, as the veteran wideout was set to act as the Chiefs’ No. 1 pass-catcher in 2017. Signed to hefty contract just two years ago, Maclin had success during his first campaign with Kansas City in 2016, managing 87 catches for more than 1,000 yards and eight scores.

Without Maclin in the fold, the Chiefs’ wide receiving corps is extremely short on experience. Tyreek Hill was a revelation during his rookie season last year, but he acted as more of a gadget player than as a true No. 1 wide receiver. While Kansas City boasts an excellent tight end in Travis Kelce, the club’s other receivers are Chris Conley, rookie Jehu Chesson, De’Anthony Thomas, Demarcus Robinson, and Kenny Cook.

Maclin now becomes the clear top option among the free agent wide receiver class, as he joins the likes of Anquan Boldin, Steve Johnson, Eddie Royal, and Marquess Wilson on the open market.

Chargers Sign Third-Round OL Dan Feeney

June 2nd, 2017 at 6:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers have agreed to terms with third-round guard Dan Feeney, meaning the club has now locked up every member of its 2017 draft class.

Feeney, an Indiana product, was the second guard chosen by Los Angeles in last month’s draft, following second-round Western Kentucky alum Forrest Lamp. Clearly, the Chargers are attempting to revamp an offensive line that ranked in the bottom-third of NFL clubs in both adjusted sack rate and adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders. Veteran guard Orlando Franklin was released two weeks ago, meaning both Feeney and Lamp are likely to have starting jobs come Week 1.

Here’s an overview of the Chargers’ 2017 rookie class:

1-7: Mike Williams, WR (Clemson)
2-38: Forrest Lamp, OL (Western Kentucky)
3-71: Dan Feeney, OL (Indiana)
4-113: Rayshawn Jenkins, S (Miami)
5-151: Desmond King, DB (Iowa)
6-190: Sam Tevi, T (Utah)
7-225: Isaac Rochell, DT (Notre Dame)

Ravens TE Dennis Pitta Has Dislocated Hip

June 2nd, 2017 at 5:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As had been the fear, Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta has once again dislocated his hip, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Pitta will likely undergo surgery at some point, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

When news initially broke of Pitta’s injury earlier today, Schefter reported that if Pitta had indeed dislocated his hip for the third time in four years, the veteran tight end’s career was likely finished. Now that the severity of the injury has been identified, it’s unclear if Pitta will make a quick decision regarding his playing status, or perhaps take some (deserved) time to evaluate his future.

Pitta, 32 this month, led all tight ends in receptions last season, while he also posted a career-high in receiving yards. Having agreed to a paycut earlier this year, Pittta is now slated to carry $5.2MM cap numbers in each of the next two seasons.

Texans To Sign LB Sio Moore

June 2nd, 2017 at 5:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans have agreed to sign linebacker Sio Moore and wide receiver Dres Anderson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Houston waived linebacker Max Bullough and wideout Keith Mumphery earlier today, so the club has now made a two-for-two replacement transaction. Moore is the more notable addition, as the 27-year-old has four years and 47 games worth of NFL experience under his belt. 2016 was an especially nomadic campaign for Moore, as he spent time with three clubs — the Colts, Cardinals, and Chiefs — while posting 60 tackles and grading as the league’s No. 40 linebacker in nine games, per Pro Football Focus.

While the Texans have a solid starting linebacker crew of Whitney Mercilus, Brian Cushing, Benardrick McKinney, and rookie Zach Cunningham, Moore will be able to offer the club depth. He’s familiar with playing in a 3-4 scheme, as all three clubs that employed him a season ago run that front, and he’s capable of playing both inside and outside ‘backer.

Anderson, meanwhile, is a Utah product who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Though he’s been a member of both the 49ers and Bears (he was waived by Chicago last month), Anderson is yet to appear in an NFL game.