HEADLINES

Month: June 2017

AFC Notes: Broncos, Browns, Fins, Jets

June 1st, 2017 at 9:14pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Broncos second-year safety Will Parks is facing two misdemeanor charges stemming from a March 31 arrest, reports Mike Klis of 9News. Parks, charged with harassment and non-violent domestic violence, has a court date in Brighton, Colo., on June 30. His ex-girlfriend told police that Parks started making threats against her because he believed she stole his social security card, birth certificate, football rings and football jerseys. Parks claims he never threatened her, but she nonetheless filed a restraining order against him. The Broncos knew about Parks’ arrest before it became public knowledge, the team informed Klis. “We became aware of the issue involving Will Parks immediately after it occurred in April,” stated the club. “It was promptly reported to the league office and we are continuing to monitor the matter.” The NFL is currently determining whether Parks violated its personal conduct policy, tweets Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.

More from the AFC:

  • Browns quarterback Brock Osweiler has emerged as a serious candidate to start Week 1 because he has exceeded head coach Hue Jackson‘s expectations since joining the team via trade in March, relays Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Osweiler’s performance last year in Houston was ugly, and he even came with behind-the-scenes concerns that led to wariness from Jackson. But Osweiler “has been outstanding in our building, and that’s what’s most important,” noted Jackson, who has teamed with quarterbacks coach David Lee to help tighten up the 6-foot-8, 235-pounder’s delivery. “I told him this yesterday — I went back and watched a little bit of film of him from last year, and he looks much better right now,” said Jackson. “He’s more compact. He’s throwing the ball with a lot more velocity. He’s doing a lot of good things.”
  • The Dolphins and wide receiver Jarvis Landry have discussed a contract extension, but the talks haven’t gotten serious, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. “We’ve talked back and forth but there’s nothing really going on,” said Landry. “We’re just really focusing on right now today.” Landry has no plans to hold out as he enters the last year of his rookie contract, per the Miami Herald’s Adam H. Beasley, who expects him to sign a deal worth upward of $12MM per annum at some point. As Beasley notes, no NFLer has caught more passes in his first three years in the league than Landry, who hauled in 288 from 2014-16.
  • The Jets traded safety Calvin Pryor to Cleveland on Thursday in part because they wanted him out of their locker room, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. There was a belief within the organization that Pryor “had an inflated opinion of himself” and didn’t buy into head coach Todd Bowles‘ program, per Cimini.

Draft Pick Signings: 6/1/17

June 1st, 2017 at 8:22pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest NFL rookies to put pen to paper on their first contracts:

  • The Saints signed their two third-round picks, linebacker Alex Anzalone (pick No. 76) and defensive end Trey Hendrickson (No. 103), as well as sixth-round DE Al-Quadin Muhammad (No. 196) on Thursday (via Anzalone’s Twitter account and Herbie Teope of NOLA.com). Thanks in part to shoulder injuries, Anzalone didn’t pick up significant playing time at Florida until last season, when he totaled 53 tackles and three sacks. Despite his relatively modest output with the Gators, Anzalone has the talent to be a three-down starter in the pros, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. Hendrickson, meanwhile, was quite productive at Florida Atlantic, where he tallied 41 tackles for loss and 29.5 sacks from 2013-16. Most of the damage came over the previous two years, as Hendrickson combined for 30 TFL and 23 sacks in that span. Muhammad, yet another prospect who played his college ball at a Florida-based institution (Miami), is coming off a troubled tenure with the Hurricanes. He missed all of 2014 on account of a suspension stemming from an altercation and then incurred yet another ban last year, one that led to his dismissal from Miami, for a violation of NCAA rules. The last time Muhammad took the field, in 2015, he put up 54 tackles (8.5 for loss) and five sacks.
  • The Packers have signed fourth-round running back Jamaal Williams (No. 134), leaving only one of their 10 picks – third-round defensive tackle Montravius Adams – without a contract. Williams, the first of three running backs the Packers drafted this year, was a two-time 1,200-yard rusher at BYU. He finished his Cougars tenure with a career year in 2016, amassing 1,375 rushing yards (with a 5.9 yards-per-carry average) and 12 touchdowns in 10 games.

NFC Notes: Redskins, Bears, Lions

June 1st, 2017 at 7:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Running back Matt Jones, who’s not in the Redskins’ plans, would like the team to trade or cut him, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. For now, the Redskins have no plans to cut the two-year veteran, according to Keim, though he notes that teams around the NFL ultimately expect that to happen. Although he averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per carry on 99 attempts last season, the fumble-prone Jones is now at the bottom of Washington’s backfield depth chart.

More from two other NFC cities:

  • Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith suffered a thumb ligament injury Thursday that will keep him out until training camp, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s the second OTA casualty for Chicago, joining quarterback Mark Sanchez, who suffered a knee injury earlier this week. Meredith is clearly the more important player for the Bears, having posted 66 receptions, 888 yards and four touchdowns as a second-year man in 2016.
  • The Bears’ newest receiver, Victor Cruz, can earn up $4MM on his one-year contract, relays Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cruz’s deal includes a $500K signing bonus, $500K in per-game roster bonuses and a chance to rake in $2MM in incentives.
  • The Lions are done deploying a fullback, head coach Jim Caldwell revealed Wednesday (via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press). Caldwell’s announcement came a day after the Lions waived fullback Michael Burton, who only played 95 offensive snaps last season. “The reason why Burton’s no longer here is because that position as you’d call it (designated as a) fullback, is not part of how we function,” Caldwell said. “We find a way to get done with other positions, tight end and things of that nature.”
  • As a guest on “The Carriker Chronicles” podcast, Lions starting running back Ameer Abdullah opened up about the foot injury that ended his season in Week 2 last year. “I ended up tearing my Lisfranc the second game of the season against the Tennessee Titans, separating my foot, so that was a bummer for me,” Abdullah told former NFLer Adam Carriker (per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). “But I’m shaking back good now. It’s helped me understand my body more, so I’m a lot more penciled in on what I need to do as far as recovery, make sure I’m [doing all the] right things for my body to make sure I’m ready for this 2017 season.”

Jets Sign Shamarko Thomas

June 1st, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets have announced the signing of defensive back Shamarko Thomas. Additionally, the club has waived linebacker Jevaris Jones.

Shamarko Thomas

Primarily a strong safety, Thomas spent the first four years of his career with the Steelers, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He started in two of 14 appearances as a rookie, but he came off the bench in the rest of his games (34) with the team from 2014-16.

Thomas has just 30 career tackles (none last year) and is coming off a season in which he played only five defensive snaps in eight games. The 26-year-old was a bigger part of Pittsburgh’s special teams unit in 2016, playing 126 snaps, and will likely function in an ST role if he makes a Jets club that has no shortage of defensive backs on hand.

Jones, who played his college ball at Division II Shorter University, signed with the Jets on May 9 but didn’t even last a month with the team.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/17

June 1st, 2017 at 6:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A slew of minor moves to kick off June…

  • The Giants have signed wide receiver Jerome Lane, an undrafted rookie from Akron. He is the son of former Pitt basketball star Jerome Lane, whose backboard-shattering dunk in 1988 led to Bill Raftery’s famous “Send it in, Jerome!” call. The younger Jerome Lane was a standout college athlete in his own right, as he hauled in 101 receptions (on 17.8 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns with the Zips from 2015-16.
  • The Browns have signed running back Terrence Magee and waived fellow RB Darius Jackson with an injury designation for his knee. Magee combined for five carries with Baltimore and Seahawks from 2015-16. Jackson didn’t see any action as an undrafted rookie in 2016, but the former Eastern Michigan standout generated some interest after the Cowboys cut him in December. Along with the Browns, who plucked Jackson off waivers, the Eagles, Giants and 49ers put in claims.
  • The Chiefs have signed a pair of players – tight end Orson Charles and safety Damariay Drew – and waived receiver Jamari Staples and safety Devin Chappell. The 26-year-old Charles is the most notable member of the group, having combined for 31 games and nine catches with Cincinnati and Detroit across the 2012, ’13 and ’16 seasons. Drew went undrafted this year out of Cal, while Staples (Louisville) and Chappell (Oregon State) also went unpicked this spring.
  • The Bills have added cornerback Greg Mabin and cut defensive back Jonathan Dowling. Mabin, undrafted from Iowa, spent some time with the Buccaneers earlier this spring. Dowling, who has been in and out of the Buffalo organization since 2015, hasn’t appeared in a game since 2014, when the then-Raider played in seven contests.
  • The Giants have waived corner SaQwan Edwards and re-signed fellow corner Nigel Tribune, tweets Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Edwards, a 2015 undrafted free agent who hasn’t yet played a regular-season game, only spent two-plus weeks with the Giants after they added him in mid-May. Tribune, undrafted from Iowa State, first signed with Big Blue on May 11.

Eagles Sign Derek Barnett

June 1st, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Eagles have signed their first-round pick, defensive end Derek Barnett, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). As the 14th selection, Barnett’s four-year contract is worth upward of $12.85MM, including a $7.49MM signing bonus.

Derek Barnett (Vertical)

Barnett starred in all three of his years at Tennessee, where he notched 52 tackles for loss and 32 sacks. Last season was his best, though, as Barnett made 19 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and took down opposing quarterbacks 13 times en route to first-team all-SEC honors. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com likens the 6-foot-3, 259-pound Barnett to Packers pass rusher Nick Perry, who posted 11 sacks in 2016.

With Barnett under contract, the Eagles have locked up all eight of their draft picks. Here’s a refresher on their other selections:

Tavon Young Suffers Torn ACL

June 1st, 2017 at 4:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Ravens cornerback Tavon Young suffered a torn ACL in practice on Thursday, costing the team a notable defender well before the start of the season, reports Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.

Tavon Young

A fourth-round pick last year, Young became a key part of the Ravens as a rookie, appearing in all 16 of their games (11 starts) and finishing fifth among their defenders in snaps (832). The former Temple Owl hardly looked out of place during those snaps, either, ranking an impressive 26th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 111 qualified corners. Young also racked up 50 tackles, two interceptions and eight passes defensed.

The loss of Young is the latest significant change to the Ravens’ secondary in advance of the upcoming season. The team added name-brand newcomers in fellow cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Marlon Humphrey, a first-round pick, as well as big-money safety Tony Jefferson. Those three figured to join Young, among others, as integral pieces of the Ravens’ defensive backfield in 2017, but Young now looks likely to miss most or all of the season. His role as Baltimore’s nickel corner will go to either Lardarius Webb or Maurice Canady, according to Hensley.

Packers Release Jake Schum

June 1st, 2017 at 4:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Packers have released punter Jake Schum and signed undrafted free agent wide receiver Colby Pearson, according to a team announcement.

Jake Schum

The 2016 campaign was the only one in Green Bay for Schum, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Browns in 2012 but didn’t see regular-season action until 2015 with the Buccaneers.

Schum, 28, joined the Packers last August via waivers, and he went on to appear in all 16 of their regular-season games and finish 27th in both yards per punt and punts inside the 20, and 24th in net average. All told, Football Outsiders gave the Packers’ special teams unit roughly league-average grades last year in the punting department. That evidently didn’t suffice for Green Bay, whose lone punter is undrafted rookie Justin Vogel, formerly with Miami.

The 6-foot, 210-pound Pearson racked up 76 catches and eight touchdowns at BYU, where he appeared in 30 games from 2014-16. He totaled career highs in receptions (38), yards (384) and scores (four) last season.

49ers To Audition Elvis Dumervil

June 1st, 2017 at 4:13pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent linebacker Elvis Dumervil will work out for the 49ers within the next couple days, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.

Elvis Dumervil

Although Dumervil’s among the most accomplished pass rushers in the NFL, the 33-year-old didn’t generate any reported interest between the Ravens releasing him March 8 and the 49ers deciding to bring him in for a workout. Injuries limited Dumervil to eight games in 2016, his fourth and final year in Baltimore, but he still totaled three sacks, two forced fumbles, and drew a strong pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus.

Prior to last season, Dumervil hadn’t missed more than two games in a campaign since his rookie year, 2006, when he sat out three as a member of the Broncos. Notably, Dumervil was a teammate of then-safety and now-49ers general manager John Lynch in his first two seasons. Between Denver and Baltimore, Dumervil racked up 99 sacks – including a personal- and league-high 17 in 2009 – 23 forced fumbles and five Pro Bowl nods over 10 seasons.

In San Francisco, Dumervil would play the role of a Leo linebacker, notes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). The 49ers didn’t address the position with a high selection during the draft, and in-house Leo candidate Aaron Lynch has battled weight problems in recent months. Dumervil, it seems, would provide more of a sure thing and add a pass-rushing threat to a team that finished a below-average 19th in the league in sacks in 2016.

49ers Sign CB Will Davis

June 1st, 2017 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have signed cornerback Will Davis, according to a team announcement. To make room, the team has waived wide receiver Rashad Ross. Will Davis (vertical)

Davis has suffered two ACL tears over the course of his career. The first happened in 2014 as a member of the Dolphins and his second ACL tear went down in 2015, just weeks after the Ravens acquired him via trade. All in all, he has only 20 games to his credit over four seasons, thanks in part to the injury. We have not seen Davis on the field since November of last year when the Ravens cut him loose.

Ross originally signed with the Niners on a Reserve/Future back in January. He will be free to sign with any team unless he is claimed in the next 24 hours.

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