Good News For Browns DB Howard Wilson
It turns out that the injury to Browns defensive back Howard Wilson is not as bad as initially feared. His partially fractured kneecap was initially believed to be a season-ender, but a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) that he’ll need only three or four months to recover. With that in mind, there’s a chance that he could suit up for the Browns midseason.
The Browns selected Wilson in the fourth round and he was widely projected to play a key role as a reserve corner. Shortly after he went down, the Browns rushed to sign veteran cornerback Jason McCourty. When considering that Wilson is going to still be out for a while and the Browns did not make any other major changes to the CB group, the McCourty signing still looks like a prudent move.
Wilson has now suffered two serious knee issues in the past three years. In his sophomore season at Houston, he suffered a torn ACL. In 2016, Wilson bounced back as he appeared in 12 games and registered 54 tackles with five interceptions.
Jaguars Touch Base With Branden Albert
There has been communication this week between the Jaguars and left tackle Branden Albert, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (on Twitter). This is a positive development since head coach Doug Marrone, as of one week ago, had not spoken to the lineman.
“I just want to know so when you ask me, I can answer it or when [Coughlin or Caldwell] asks, I can answer them,” Marrone said on May 13. “They ask me, ‘Have you talked to him? Is he going to come? Is he going to play?’ I don’t know. I’ve been in situations where I’ve had a player on the [franchise] tag and they would say, ‘Hey, I’m not signing the tag, I’m not going to [show up], but I’m going to be working out and training.’ … You just want to know where everyone is at and that’s all I was expecting [from Albert].”
Albert still has roughly a month before he can be fined for his absence, but the lack of dialogue between Jacksonville and the offseason pickup is noteworthy. After Albert was traded to the Jaguars this offseason, free agent tackles like Matt Kalil, Riley Reiff and Russell Okung cashed in on the open market, and that likely led Albert to push for a better contract. The Jaguars reportedly are unwilling to renegotiate his deal.
As it stands, Albert has two years to go with cap numbers of $8.9MM in 2017 and $9.6MM in 2018. There is no guaranteed cash in either season.
Bills Sign Rookie CB Tre’Davious White
The Bills have signed first-round pick Tre’Davious White, according to a team announcement. Per the terms of his slot, his four-year deal will be worth $10.1MM, including a $5.48MM signing bonus. As a first-round pick, the Bills will also reserve the right to tack a fifth year on to his contract down the line.
The Bills entered the draft with the No. 10 pick but moved down to the No. 27 pick after the Chiefs offered up their No. 27 overall pick, a third-round pick, and their 2018 first-round selection. With that No. 27 pick, the Bills selected White, a player that they hope can immediately step into a primetime role.
Buffalo allowed Stephon Gilmore to leave in free agency this year and the release of slot specialist Nickell Robey-Coleman thinned things out further. Now, White and 2015 draft pick Ronald Darby project as the starting corners with something of a ragtag bunch behind them.
In his final year at LSU, White had 35 total tackles (including four tackles for a loss) and two interceptions. The rap on White is that he’s not an overly aggressive tackler, though his coverage skills should allow him to succeed at the next level.
Colts Sign First-Round Pick Malik Hooker
The Colts have signed first-round pick Malik Hooker. As dictated by his slot, he’ll get a four-year, $12.6MM deal with a $7.304MM signing bonus.
Hooker did not participate in the Colts‘ rookie minicamp earlier this month and will likely be held out until training camp. The No. 15 overall pick underwent surgeries in January to repair a torn labrum and address a hernia issue, so the Colts will be taking the safe approach with him.
Heading into the draft, Hooker was viewed as a potential top ten pick despite the health concerns. In his final year at Ohio State, Hooker racked up 74 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, and an eye-popping seven interceptions. Some talent evaluators preferred Hooker to LSU safety Jamal Adams who went nine picks earlier to the Jets.
Hooker wasn’t the fastest defensive back in this year’s class, but his natural instincts propelled him to the top of many draft boards. Some have knocked his lack of starting experience – 2016 was his only year as a full-year starter – but his potential is evident.
“[He’s] still so raw and you see him making all of those plays. He’s a player who will come in and look bad his first year and then be an all-pro by his third year. I think that’s his arc. No short-cut for experience,” one AFC personnel director told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
AFC West Notes: Chiefs, Smith, Mahomes
The Chiefs gave Alex Smith a heads-up before drafting Patrick Mahomes, but the veteran is realistic about what the rookie’s presence means for him.
“I think [the Chiefs are] committed to me [only] through this year,” Smith said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher). “That’s just the nature of it. If you don’t go out there and perform, I mean, coach [Andy] Reid and [quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy] are very honest. You’ve got to go out there and do your deal. We all have to. Whether or not we drafted Patrick, it doesn’t change that, right? If you’re not good enough and didn’t get it done, you’re not going to be around long. That’s just our culture. I know it. That’s the nature of the position.”
Smith is under contract for two more seasons, but KC can drop him next year and save $17MM versus just $3.6MM in dead money. If Mahomes gets an opportunity this year and performs well, it’s conceivable that Smith won’t be around to see the scheduled end of his contract.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- The Chiefs are hiring former Packers Assistant Director of Pro Personnel Tim Terry to be their new Director of Pro Personnel, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terry was started with the Packers in 2004 and ascended to Assistant Director of Pro Personnel in 2008. After roughly 13 years in Green Bay, he’s going from the NFC North to the AFC West and getting a promotion.
- Tre Boston was moved to sign with the Chargers after a chance meeting with a random man, as ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes. “I crossed two lanes to get to the gas station. I pump my gas. After I pump my gas, I put my wallet in my car. After I put my wallet in my car, there’s a guy with three kids and he asked me for a little bit of change, or if I had a dollar or two,” the safety explained. “I gave him a $20. So he tells me thank you so much, and that God put me in his life for a reason. And in my mind I’m saying you’re here for a reason, too. So in my mind I’m saying should I ask him, ‘L.A. or Buffalo.’ And before I could ask him, my man told me, ‘Thank you so much. There aren’t too many people like you in this world, God’s children. My name’s Mike Daniels, but people call me L.A.'” Pittsburgh also reportedly expressed interest in signing Boston, but it sounds like the Bills were the real runners-up for his services.
- Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like we’ll see Aldon Smith suiting up for the Raiders anytime soon.
Steelers Cut LS Greg Warren
Long snapper Greg Warren won’t be playing for the Steelers this season and it sounds like he won’t be playing for any other NFL team either. In a press release announcing that Warren has been cut with a failed physical, Warren indicated that he’ll be staying out of football in 2017.
“I had full intentions of playing this upcoming season, but in light of new information I’ve recently received from my doctors relating to a past injury, it has been determined that trying to compete in the 2017 season may be a risk to my long-term health,” Warren said. “After discussing this with the Steelers, we have decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to release me at this point.”
The 35-year-old (36 in the fall) had been the team’s long snapper since 2005 and played in 180 career games. Now that he is taking the year off, sixth-round pick Colin Holba figures to step into his role.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Graham, Giants
There’s no reason that the Eagles would re-open negotiations with Brandon Graham unless they are just looking to do a solid for him, though that could open a pandora’s box of future requests from other players, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Graham has outperformed his contract, but he still has two years to go on the deal and he has already made it clear that he will not be a summer holdout. In theory, the Eagles could shift some 2018 dollars into this year, but they’re already pretty tight against the cap. The Eagles could also guarantee some money that Graham was going to earn anyway, but that probably won’t do much to make him happy. At this point, Fitzgerald concludes that Graham’s best bet will be to crush it in 2017 and convince Philly’s front office to give him a lucrative extension next offseason that will allow him to retire with the Eagles.
Here’s more out of the NFC East:
- The Giants are all-in on Paul Perkins after their lowball offer to LeGarrette Blount, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan writes. There was mutual interest between the Giants and Blount, but Raanan hears that the G-Men only came to the table with a minimum-salary offer. Ultimately, it seems that the Giants were only willing to add a power back if one would come to them on an exceptionally cheap deal. That didn’t materialize, so Perkins now projects as the starter with Orleans Darkwa and rookie Wayne Gallman as insurance. Shane Vereen, meanwhile, figues to be the passing-down back with Shaun Draughn as a potential failsafe in that facet of the game.
- Redskins coach Jay Gruden believes that outside linebacker Junior Galette should be able to join the team by the end of July, as Nona Princiotti of The Washington Times writes. “He’s running and lifting, all that stuff right now,” Gruden said. “We’ll probably keep him out of the team stuff for OTAs but hopefully he’ll be full go at training camp.” Galette signed with the Redskins prior to the 2015 season but he has yet to play a down for D.C. The pass rusher tore his left Achilles tendon two summers ago and tore his right Achilles last year.
- The signing of Blount will likely lead the Eagles to release Ryan Mathews.
Extra Points: Vikes, Bills, Cardinals, Patriots
Although his house arrest doesn’t end for another month, newly-signed Vikings wide receiver Michael Floyd will report to Minnesota on Friday after having his confinement transferred from Arizona, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter links). Floyd was able to secure the transfer because of his change in employment status, but he’ll still need to return to his residence when he’s not training with the Vikings, reports Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Floyd pleaded guilty to extreme DUI in February.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Bills have hired Malik Boyd as their new director of pro personnel, the club announced today. General manager Brandon Beane has worked quickly to revamp Buffalo’s front office, as he’s hired former Texans executive Brian Gaine and former Dolphins staffer Joe Schoen this week. Boyd, meanwhile, has worked for the Cardinals for the past 12 years, and spent the past three season as Arizona’s assistant director of pro scouting. He’s also spent time with the Colts, had a three-year career as an NFL defensive back.
- In addition to carrying the sickle cell trait, Cardinals wide receiver John Brown was also dealing with a cyst on his spine in 2016, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Brown has since had the cyst drained, and now says he feels “normal” again, per Weinfuss. Brown, 27, posted the worst season of his three-year career in 2016, as he managed only 39 receptions for 517 yards and two touchdowns. With Floyd now out of the picture, Brown figures to slide into Arizona’s starting lineup full-time, and with his health concerns hopefully behind him, could come closer to his 2015 production (1,000+ yards receiving and seven scores). Brown is slated to earn $1.797MM in 2017 before becoming an unrestricted free agent next spring.
- The Patriots worked out wide receiver Reggie Diggs on Wednesday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Diggs, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Richmond in 2016, landed with Washington last year but spent the entirety of his rookie season on injured reserve. The Redskins waived Diggs earlier this month, and his visit with New England is the first known interest he’s drawn. The Patriots, of course, already have a well-stocked wide receiver depth chart, and auditioned veteran pass-catcher Andrew Hawkins earlier today.
- The Saints signed former Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas on Monday, but Thomas probably won’t be under center in New Orleans, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Thomas was listed as a defensive back on the Saints’ roster, and could also play wide receiver, per Triplett. At the Senior Bowl, Thomas played defensive back and kick returner, and worked out as a defensive back, wideout, return man, and quarterback at his Pro Day. Thomas, who stands 5’9″, 185 pounds, ran a 40-yard dash in the 4.3-4.4 second range, so he clearly has the speed required to make a position change.
Texans Expected To Hire Jimmy Raye III
The Texans will likely hire former Colts executive Jimmy Raye III to replace Brian Gaine as director of player personnel, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link).
Raye, who had worked with Indianapolis since 2013, served as the Colts’ interim general manager following the firing of Ryan Grigson and preceding the hiring of Chris Ballard. While he was at one point considered the favorite for the GM position, Raye was forced out of a job after Ballard was added. Raye was a candidate for the 49ers’ general manager gig in 2017, and in the running for the Titans’ top job in 2016.
Replacing Gaine could be a tall task, as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reported yesterday that Gaine was an integral part of Houston’s front office. Gaine reportedly served as a liaison between the Texans’ management and coaching staff, a critical role in an organization where decision-makers haven’t always “been on the same page.”
Falcons Hosting OL Andrew Gardner
The Falcons are hosting free agent offensive lineman Andrew Gardner today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Falcons Meet With DT Sean Lissemore]
Atlanta failed to land a high-profile guard during the free agent period to replace the retired Chris Chester, so the club is now seemingly throwing several possible solutions against the wall to see what sticks. Internal option Ben Garland is a candidate to take over at right guard, while the Falcons also spent a fourth-round pick on Oregon State product Sean Harlow. Additionally, Atlanta signed former Bears interior lineman Cornelius Edison on Wednesday, and he could conceivably be in the running for a starting gig.
Gardner, 31, has bounced around since entering the league in 2009, and most recently spent time with the 49ers at the tail end of last season. His most notable experience, however, came with the Eagles, for whom Gardner started 11 games from 2014-15.