2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins Work Out K Blair Walsh

March 26th, 2018 at 8:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are the last remaining team in the NFL without a kicker, but they could be getting closer to finding their man. Miami tried out free agent kicker Blair Walsh, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Walsh spent 2017 as the Seahawks’ kicker, but connected on just 72.4% of his tries. The Dolphins, meanwhile, employed Cody Parkey, who sank 91.3% of his attempts. Now that Parkey has signed with the Bears, the Dolphins are rummaging through the remaining options.

Walsh excelled right out of the gate with the Vikings in 2012, earning Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors with a league-leading 35 made field goals on 38 attempts. He had a similarly strong showing for Minnesota again in 2015, but he was axed by the Vikes in November of 2016 after some costly misses.

The Dolphins could also find their next kicker in the draft. Reportedly, Miami is considering New Mexico’s Jason Sanders, Miami’s Michael Badgley Auburn’s Daniel Carlson, and Florida’s Eddy Pineiro.

Patriots’ Josh McDaniels Discusses Colts Flip Flop

March 26th, 2018 at 7:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Josh McDaniels turned down his second chance to become an NFL head coach this year when he left the Colts at the altar. Nearly two months later, the Patriots offensive coordinator opened up about what took place and the circumstances that led him to staying put in New England. Here’s a look at the highlights of his chat with Jim McBride of the Boston Globe:

On why he remained with the Patriots:

“I wasn’t 100 percent sure what the future was. I just hadn’t had any clarity on that. So, where did I fit in? Where there any plans? I just didn’t have much clarity on what my role was here moving forward. Once I heard from Robert and Bill on that Tuesday, it just gave me reason to pause and consider this whole situation. The opportunity to stay here and work for who I think is the greatest owner in sports and the best head football coach in the history of our game, to work with the best quarterback that has ever played . . . Look, I’m privileged to have the opportunity to do that and when they kind of crystallized that — ‘Hey, here’s what we see going forward and here’s how we would like you to fit into it’ — it gave me a reason to stop and say, ‘all right, what’s the best decision for me?’ And certainly it was difficult. But I made the decision on my own, nobody pushed me into it.”

On Colts GM Chris Ballard:

“Chris was tremendous the whole entire time. He’s an incredible human being. He’s great at what he does. He’s going to be successful. It was difficult. I had a friendship with him — I still do . . . He’s a guy that I have a lot of respect for and admiration for. He was a big reason why I was interested in that job in the first place. It was as difficult a decision as I’ve ever made professionally. He handled it extremely well, he was a complete professional about it.

On his would-be Indy assistants:

“I spoke to all of them that night right away, shortly after I talked to Chris. They were professionals. Like I said, it wasn’t easy for anybody. I apologized to them if it put them in an awkward position. They’re all there [in Indianapolis], which I’m very happy about. They have great opportunities, they’re great coaches, they’re great people, and I’m happy that it worked out for them in that regard. Again, it was never my intention to go into this and put anybody in an awkward position or do any harm to anybody or do anything to hurt anybody’s career. That certainly wasn’t a part of my thought process. I just felt like, once I knew the whole picture and I had the opportunity to make a decision, it was tough but I feel like I made the right one.’’

On speculation that his family persuaded him not to relocate:

“My family was ready to go to Indianapolis because at that point that was the decision I had made. So, this isn’t a thing where I’m telling you, ‘I couldn’t move and all that’ — that’s not the case. If that were the case I wouldn’t interview. They’re very supportive. My wife’s incredible, my kids are great. Do they love New England? Absolutely . . . And have we been blessed to be part of this organization? No doubt. But I’d say in the long run, this coaching profession is kind of crazy. And they know that. And at some point, if I have to move or if we end up moving, they understand that’s part of the situation and they were ready to do that.’’

Brice Butler To Meet With Four Teams

March 26th, 2018 at 6:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Brice Butler‘s market is starting to heat up. In the next two weeks, the Cowboys free agent wide receiver Brice Butler will visit with the Seahawks, Bears, Jaguars, and Cardinals (Twitter link via Jane Slater of NFL.com).

The 28-year-old has been vocal about wanting the opportunity to do more in 2018. Last year, Butler finished out with just 15 catches for 317 yards and three touchdowns. After the season, he opined that he could have outperformed teammate Dez Bryant if he had the same number of targets.

“100 percent,” said Butler. “Because I’m ready. It’s my time, I’ve been there for three years. I feel like me and Dak [Prescott] have a really good relationship. We work on routes. There’s times that we might not have completed a square-out throw in practice, and we’re taking that time out in practice to actually work on it. So I think that’s why when you saw us in the game, he tried to come to me, and most of the times we produced.“

Bryant underwhelmed for Dallas last year, but still had 69 receptions for 838 yards and six TDs. For now, Bryant remains part of the Cowboys’ plan with Butler likely moving on following the addition of Allen Hurns.

“With Dallas, the situation has to be right for me to go back,” Butler said earlier this year. “I have to be a starter. If I’m not starting, I’m not going back,” Butler said.

Wherever Butler lands, he’ll be in for a pay raise. Butler earned just $1.1MM on a one year deal in 2017.

Bills Rumors: Draft, Beane, Jones

March 26th, 2018 at 6:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills GM Brandon Beane addressed reporters on Monday morning and discussed the team’s mindset heading into the draft as well as the status of wide receiver Zay Jones. Here’s a look at the highlights:

When asked if he would give up a first-round pick in 2019 to trade up in the 2018 draft, Beane said, “If it makes us a lot better, and if it’s a player that would be worthy of that, yes. We’ll do anything we can to make our roster better. I’m not locked in that I would or I wouldn’t. It would have to make sense and be a player that we really felt strongly about to do that,” (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
Don’t expect an intra-divisional trade between the Jets and Bills. At least, that’s what Beane says. “I don’t think [No.] 3 would be available if we were ever going to move up. I’m sure the Jets are happy there. Again, we’re just focused on 12. I don’t know the motivation for their move. You would have to ask them. Our focus is on 12 right now, and all the other picks we have, we’re excited about what we’re going to be able to get done,” (Twitter link via Rodak).
Beane said Zay Jones’ future with the Bills will not be by his bizarre incident from earlier this month (Twitter link via Rodak). In a strange event caught on camera, Jones was fully naked and acting erratically while his brother —Cayleb Jones of the Vikings — attempted to restrain him. Eventually, Jones kicked a hole through a glass window in Cayleb’s girlfriend’s apartment. The receiver was arrested, but the Los Angeles district attorney does not plan to file vandalism charges.

Rams Sign Ndamukong Suh

March 26th, 2018 at 5:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rams have agreed to sign Ndamukong Suh, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year, $14MM deal for the defensive tackle. The team has also confirmed the deal via press release.

“We are excited have Ndamukong as a part of the Los Angeles Rams,” general manager Les Snead said in a statement. “He’s been an outstanding player in this league and we are looking forward to him being a part of our defense.”

Suh has long been regarded as one of the game’s best interior pass rushers. Now, he is slated to join defensive tackle Aaron Donald and defensive lineman Michael Brockers on the front line of Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme. Then again, given their aggressiveness in recent weeks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams listen to trade offers for Brockers rather than moving him permanently to the outside. Brockers is slated to carry an $11MM cap charge this season and the Rams could perhaps use that extra flexibility and draft capital to add an impact wide receiver.

After being released by the Dolphins earlier this month, at least five teams got in on the chase for Suh, including the Titans, Saints, and Jets. The Jets reportedly more money that everyone else but, in the end, he took a little bit less to play in sunny Los Angeles with a chance to win a Super Bowl ring. Suh was also scheduled to meet with Jon Gruden‘s Raiders, but that visit was called off.

Suh has racked up 51.5 sacks and four forced fumbles over the course of his career. The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro has also been remarkably durable, missing only two games in eight years.

Suh also hasn’t slowed much with age. He is now 31 years old, but he still managed 20.5 pressures and and 4.5 sacks from the interior last year while grading as the league’s No. 5 defensive tackle in 2017, per Pro Football Focus. Last season, Suh played on 883 snaps for Miami, the second-most of any defensive tackle in the league.

[RELATED: Rams Depth Chart]

Giants Aren’t Shopping Odell Beckham Jr.

March 26th, 2018 at 5:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite some rumors to the contrary, it sounds like Odell Beckham Jr. is staying put. The Giants are not shopping the wide receiver, according to a source who spoke with Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (on Twitter).

On Monday, a report from the New York Daily News indicated that there have been trade talks between the Giants and the Rams regarding Beckham Jr.. However, the Giants know that they are better off with a healthy OBJ and a trade “probably won’t happen,” the source tells Jones.

The 25-year-old (26 in November) lost most of this past season to injury, but outside of that, he has been nothing short of spectacular. In 2016, OBJ had 101 catches for 1,367 yards and ten touchdowns en route to his third career Pro Bowl selection. Beckham Jr. is reportedly considering a holdout if he does get a contract extension, but the Giants plan on working things out with him in one fashion or another rather than trading him.

The Rams have already shaken things up on the defensive side by adding Ndamukong Suh, trading for cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib and signing corner Sam Shields. They also completed one trade with the Giants already when they shipped linebacker Alec Ogletree out east. The Rams have Dave Gettleman’s number saved, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll be pulling off a second deal to land one of the game’s most dynamic playmakers.

Contract Details: Richardson, Fluker, Pats

March 26th, 2018 at 5:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Some details on recent free agent deals:

Sheldon Richardson, DT (Vikings): One year, $7MM deal. $7.8MM guaranteed ($5.8MM base + $2MM signing bonus). $200K workout bonus. Incentives up to $3MM, but categorized as Not Likely To Be Earned (NLBTE) for cap purposes (Twitter link via Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune).
D.J. Fluker, OL (Seahawks): One year, $1.5MM deal. $300K guaranteed. Cap charge of $1.37MM (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com).
Marquis Flowers, LB (Patriots): One year, $2.55MM deal. $1.05MM base salary. $200K signing bonus. Up to $400K in roster bonuses plus $50K workout bonus. Incentives package: $100K for playing 30% of the defensive snaps, $300K for 40%, $550K for 50%, and $800K for 60% (In 2017, Flowers played 26 percent of the defensive snaps) (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).

Jets Called Browns About No. 1 Pick

March 26th, 2018 at 4:26pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets moved up to the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, but not before aiming for the top selection on the board. Jets GM Mike Maccagnan says that he called the Browns about potentially acquiring the No. 1 pick as a part of due diligence (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini).

Meanwhile, Maccagnan did not call the Giants about potentially landing the second overall pick. Reading between the lines, it seems that the Jets were unwilling to surrender next year’s first round pick to the Browns and had extra reservations about making such a deal with the rival Giants.

It is widely believed that the Jets are targeting a quarterback with the third pick, but it’s not clear which one(s) they are eyeing. In theory, they could open up their options by trading up again with the Giants at No. 2, but it seems unlikely that they’ll go down that road since they did not engage with them before pulling off the Colts deal.

Dolphins Host LB Terence Garvin

March 26th, 2018 at 3:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins have met with free agent linebacker Terence Garvin, according to veteran reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).

Garvin, 28, originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia in 2013. After spending three years with the Steelers, Garvin has played for the Redskins and Seahawks over the past two seasons. Primarily a special teams maven, Garvin saw the most defensive playtime (18%) of his career in 2017, as injuries forced him into starting duty with Seattle. Garvin managed nine tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 15 games (three starts) for the Seahawks.

Miami, for its part, is currently projected to start Kiko Alonso and 2017 second-round pick Raekwon McMillan in nickel packages, with Stephone Anthony, Mike Hull, and Chase Allen in reserve. Garvin would likely spend most of his time with the Dolphins on special teams, where Miami last season ranked 12th in DVOA, per Football Outsiders.

Saints Meet With WR Cameron Meredith

March 26th, 2018 at 3:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints met with Bears restricted free agent wideout Cameron Meredith on Saturday, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Chicago tendered Meredith at the original round level, meaning the Saints — or any other club that signs Meredith to an offer sheet — wouldn’t be required to give the Bears draft pick compensation if Chicago opts not to match an offer sheet. New Orleans is now the third club to take a visit with Meredith, joining the Colts and Ravens.

Meredith is coming off a torn ACL, so his free agent visits are likely involving medical checks. But if his knee is clean, Meredith could be a bargain addition for an interested team. In 2016, the now-25-year-old Meredith posted 66 receptions for 888 yards and four touchdowns. Given that he tore his ACL last September, Meredith should conceivably be ready for the start of the 2018 campaign, or at least soon thereafter.

The Saints, for their part, don’t have much depth behind starters Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. New Orleans tendered Willie Snead at the original round level (and has witnessed him take a visit with the Ravens), while the team non-tendered Brandon Coleman. Meredith could theoretically replace Snead as the Saints’ slot receiver, and provide depth alongside Tommylee Lewis, Austin Carr, and Paul Turner.