HEADLINES

Month: March 2018

Titans Host LB Keenan Robinson

March 22nd, 2018 at 8:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans have met with linebacker Keenan Robinson, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Robinson, 28, would fill a Tennessee void at linebacker that was created when former starter Avery Williamson signed with the Jets last week. A 13-game starter in 2013, Robinson has see his playing time reduced since that campaign, and a quad injury limited him to only six contests last season.

But he’s an experienced veteran with special teams capabilities, and would allow the Titans to bump 2017 fifth-rounder Jayon Brown into a reserve role. If signed, Robinson would join a Tennessee inside linebacker group that includes Brown, Wesley Woodyard, Nate Palmer, and Daren Bates.

Jets Nearing Deal With WR Terrelle Pryor

March 22nd, 2018 at 7:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets are close to a deal with free agent wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Wednesday that Pryor was choosing between New York and Seattle.

Despite his disaster of a 2017 campaign, Pryor could be in line for a starting role with Gang Green. Jermaine Kearse is locked in as one of the Jets’ top-two wideouts, but Robby Anderson has been arrested twice in the past calendar year and could theoretically be facing a league-imposed suspension. New York used three wideouts on 63% of its offensive plays a season ago, so Pryor will likely see a good deal of action as part of a depth chart that also includes Chad Hansen, ArDarius Stewart, and a rehabbing Quincy Enunwa, among others.

Pryor, of course, was anything but successful in 2017 after inking a one-year deal with the Redskins. Before landing on injured reserve in November, Pryor managed only 20 receptions, 240 yards, and one reception in nine games (two starts). Expected to serve as something close to Washington’s No. 1 receiver, Pryor was instead outplayed by Jamison Crowder, Ryan Grant, and Josh Doctson, and the Redskins didn’t seem to have any interest in retaining him.

Cleveland saw the best of Pryor in 2016, as put up an astounding 77/1,007/4 line during his first full season as a wideout. The Browns, who reportedly attempted to trade for Pryor during the 2017 season., were also in Pryor, while the Rams also expressed some level of interest, but — like Cleveland — never set up a visit.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/18

March 22nd, 2018 at 7:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Rams

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ravens Interested In WR Allen Hurns

March 22nd, 2018 at 7:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens are among the teams with interest in free agent receiver Allen Hurns, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Hurns certainly isn’t wanting for a market after being released by the Jaguars earlier this week. He’s already met with both the Cowboys and Jets, while the Browns, Bears, Bills, Saints, Texans, Raiders, and Panthers have all reportedly reached out to Hurns. Dallas hasn’t stopped its pursuit of Hurns even after reaching a deal with Deonte Thompson earlier toady, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Hurns is only 26 years old, but he hasn’t had much success since the 2015 campaign. During that season, Hurns served as the Jaguars’ No. 2 receiver behind Allen Robinson and posted a 64/1,031/10 line. Since then, Hurns’ role in the Jacksonville offense has been drastically scaled back, while injuries have also limited him. He failed to top 500 yards receiving in either 2016 or 2017.

Baltimore, meanwhile, has already reached agreements with wideouts Michael Crabtree and John Brown, but the club doesn’t seem to be ending its search for receivers. Since Wednesday, the Ravens have met with restricted free agent pass-catchers Willie Snead and Cameron Meredith, neither of whom would require a sacrifice of draft pick compensation.

Bears Re-Sign DB/ST Sherrick McManis

March 22nd, 2018 at 6:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have reached a two-year deal with cornerback/special-teamer Sherrick McManis, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

While McManis is technically listed as a defensive back, he almost never plays on the defensive side of the ball. Instead, the 30-year-old spends most of his time on special teams, an area where the Bears ranked 23rd in DVOA a season ago.

In 2017, McManis saw only 31 defensive snaps, but played on nearly 80% of Chicago’s special teams plays. In total, McManis managed only one tackle in 13 games, but Eric Eager of Pro Football Focus called him one of the league’s best special-teamers at midseason, noting his ability to play both gunner and vice.

13 Teams Watched Johnny Manziel At USD Pro Day

March 22nd, 2018 at 6:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel threw passes at Thursday’s University of San Diego pro day, and 14 NFL clubs were on hand to watch him perform, reports Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The Bears, Browns, Chargers, Giants, Chiefs, Jets, Patriots, Raiders, Titans, Lions, Jaguars, Panthers and Buccaneers, were all present at today’s workout, per Williams. Of course, those clubs weren’t necessarily in town just to see Manziel, as USD had its own prospects on the field.

Manziel was thought to be interested in working out a deal to play in the Canadian Football League during the 2018 campaign, and was in fact offered a contract by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in January. However, Manziel and his team reportedly weren’t pleased with the terms of the pact, and he’s now scheduled to play in the upcoming Spring League. The former first-round pick is reportedly amenable to a minimum salary or a practice squad slot.

Manziel is still only 25 years old, but he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former Heisman trophy winner completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Titans To Sign OL Kevin Pamphile

March 22nd, 2018 at 5:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans have reached a one-year deal with offensive lineman Kevin Pamphile, reports Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Pamphile, 27, has been a full-time starter over the past two seasons, and last year played 70% of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps, third among Buccaneers offensive linemen. Additionally, while Pamphile is typically a guard, he does offer the ability to play all five positions along the offensive line.

That versatility could be attractive to the Titans, as Pamphile could fill in at tackle or center if a need arises. Indeed, it’s possible Tennessee views Pamphile as a temporary replacement for right tackle Jack Conklin, who suffered a torn ACL in January and could be sidelined for the start of the regular season. At guard, Pamphile’s natural position, the Titans appear set with the recently re-signed Josh Kline in addition to Quinton Spain, who was tendered at the original round level as a restricted free agent.

Before landing with Tennessee, Pamphile also received preliminary interest from the Vikings, but never set up a visit with Minnesota.

Browns Meet With QB Drew Stanton

March 22nd, 2018 at 5:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have met with free agent quarterback Drew Stanton, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While Stanton didn’t actually venture to Cleveland, he did “run into” the Browns’ decision-makers on the West Coast, so the club reported the conversation as a visit, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Cleveland has already added one quarterback to their roster this offseason, as the club acquired Tyrod Taylor from the Bills in exchange for a third-round pick. Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan comprise the remainder of the Browns’ signal-caller depth chart, and general manager John Dorsey & Co. are fully expected to select a quarterback with one of their two top-five draft picks.

Stanton, 33, hasn’t generated any other known interest on the open market, and that’s perhaps unsurprising given his recent track record. In five starts with the Cardinals in 2017, Stanton completed just 49.7% of his passes for 894 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. Among the 40 quarterbacks with at least 150 attempts last season, Stanton finished 37th in passer rating and 38th in adjusted net yards per attempt.

While the top tier of free agent quarterbacks came off the board fairly quickly, there are still a number of backup types available. Aside from Stanton, the list of No. 2 passers on the market includes Blaine Gabbert, Derek Anderson, Brock Osweiler, Matt Moore, and Geno Smith.

Packers Host WR Jordan Matthews

March 22nd, 2018 at 5:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers will visit with free agent wideout Jordan Matthews on Thursday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

While Green Bay could certainly be in the market for a new wide receiver after parting ways with franchise icon Jordy Nelson earlier this month, Matthews would seem to be a curious fit on paper. Matthews has experienced most of his NFL success in the slot, but that area of the field is spoken for by Randall Cobb in Green Bay. Unless the Packers have plans to move on from Cobb, Matthews might be redundant.

That’s not to say Matthews isn’t a talented player, although 2017 was not his best showing. Matthews, who has also met with the Cardinals, wasn’t able to stay healthy last season, and ultimately manged only 25 receptions in 10 games for Buffalo. The 25-year-old has said he’s now healthy after dealing with knee and ankle injuries, but clubs will certainly have questions about his physical status.

At his best, Matthews was productive for the Eagles from 2014-16. In those three campaigns, Matthews averaged 75 receptions for 891 yards and six touchdowns. But Philadelphia — in need of a cornerback — opted to trade him to the Bills last spring in exchange for cornerback Ronald Darby.

Eagles To Sign WR Mike Wallace

March 22nd, 2018 at 5:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace, according to Peter Schrager of NFL.com (Twitter link). The pact is worth $2.5MM and contains incentives, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and the maximum value of the contract is $4MM, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

In Wallace, Philadelphia has found a replacement for Torrey Smith, whom the club dealt to the Panthers in exchange for cornerback Daryl Worley earlier this month. Not only does Wallace represent an upgrade over Smith, but he’s also cheaper, as Smith was scheduled to earn a $5MM base salary in 2018. That level of savings is critical for the Eagles, who are among the most cap-strapped teams in the NFL.

Wallace, 32, will now join the fifth club of his pro career after spending the past two seasons with the Ravens. In 15 games (14 starts) in 2017, Wallace hauled in 52 receptions for 748 yards and four touchdowns. While those numbers were a bit lower than his career averages, Wallace managed 72 catches and 1,000+ yards just one year prior.

With the Eagles, Wallace will now join an offense that not only boasts a more talented quarterback than do the Ravens, but a more enviable offensive corps in total. Wallace will catch passes from MVP contender Carson Wentz, and he’ll be surrounded by skill position players such as Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz, Mack Hollins, Jay Ajayi, and Corey Clement.

Baltimore, for its part, reportedly didn’t publicly rule out a reunion with Wallace, but their free agent machinations said otherwise. Not only did the Ravens sign both John Brown and Michael Crabtree, but they’ve met with restricted free agents Cameron Meredith and Willie Snead in recent days.

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