2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Draft Rumors: Darnold, Giants, Chubb

March 22nd, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Wednesday’s rainy weather in Southern California isn’t ideal for local residents, but it may have done a favor for quarterback Sam Darnold at USC’s pro day, as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. The early word from Darnold’s audition indicates that he looked “very, very good” despite the conditions. That could be a major plus for Darnold as he looks to separate himself from other top quarterbacks like Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, and UCLA’s Josh Rosen. Rosen also threw in inclement weather at UCLA’s pro day earlier this month and threw well, despite heavy gusts of wind.

Here’s more NFL Draft news:

The Giants already had a private workout with North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb and he’ll visit the facility in a few weeks, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Giants need a defensive end after trading Jason Pierre-Paul to the Buccaneers, opening up the possibility of taking Chubb at No. 2 overall.
The Texans hosted a private workout yesterday for Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, Rapoport tweets. Jackson, is expected to come off the board in the first two rounds, would not be an obvious fit for Houston, but they want to be “prepared for any and all scenarios on draft week,” Rapoport says. However, if Jackson falls, he could be an interesting insurance policy for them in the unlikely event that Deshaun Watson is not ready for the start of the season.
During the University of San Diego’s pro day, former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel auditioned for the NFL scouts in attendance and reportedly put on a good show.

Michigan’s Maurice Hurst Cleared To Play

March 22nd, 2018 at 1:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Good news for Michigan standout Maurice Hurst. The potential first round defensive tackle has been cleared by cardiologists at both the University of Michigan and Harvard to resume playing football, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. He’ll do a full workout for teams at Michigan’s pro day on Friday.

Hurst was found to have a heart condition during the draft combine, cutting his week in Indianapolis short. Reportedly, Hurst’s condition is similar to that of former Lions and Saints defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who missed all of 2017 as a result of his medical issues.

Hurst could have been drafted early on in 2017, but he opted to stay in school for another year. That extra year with the Wolverines helped his draft stock from a football perspective, but interested teams will be taking an extra close look at his medical records.

In 2017, Hurst tallied 59 tackles, including 13 tackles for a loss, and 5.5 sacks. In his final three seasons with the Wolverines, he racked up a total of 13.5 sacks.

Chiefs To Sign RB Damien Williams

March 22nd, 2018 at 1:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs are signing running back Damien Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal for $1.5MM. Williams recently had shoulder surgery and will miss most of the offseason, but the team hopes that he’ll be available for training camp, according to Rapoport.

The Chiefs will start Kareem Hunt at running back and they hope to have Spencer Ware as the No. 2 RB behind him. But, Williams himself is coming off of preseason surgery to repair a torn PCL and a damaged LCL. Williams will serve as insurance for Ware, but the possibility exists that neither player will be at full strength to start the year.

Williams has spent the last four seasons in the league with the Dolphins, where he was used predominantly as a pass catcher, Williams has 85 receptions for 733 yards and six touchdowns to his credit with just 133 carries for 477 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Falcons Re-Sign Derrick Shelby

March 22nd, 2018 at 1:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have re-signed defensive end Derrick Shelby, according to agent David Canter (on Twitter). He returns on a one-year deal.

The Falcons released Shelby earlier this month in a move that saved them $3.25MM against the cap with $2.5MM left in dead money. He’s back with the team less than three weeks later, but on a cheaper deal.

Shelby was a starter right out of the gate in Dan Quinn’s defense after signing a four-year, $18MM contract with Atlanta in 2016. However, his first season with the Falcons was cut short by injury. last year, he appeared in all 16 games with 14 starts and managed just one sack while also playing on the interior.

The Falcons’ defensive front hasn’t changed much in Shelby’s 19 days away from the team. Atlanta lost Adrian Clayborn to the Patriots and Dontari Poe to the Panthers in free agency, but they have yet to add any new defensive linemen.

Johnny Manziel Works Out For NFL Teams

March 22nd, 2018 at 12:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Johnny Manziel showed his stuff in a Thursday morning audition at the University of San Diego, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). There were a dozen NFL teams in attendance and multiple people on hand tell Schefter that Manziel looked solid, despite some light rain.

Manziel is set to participate in the Spring League, which begins on April 7. His overall goal, of course, is to land an NFL contract and he is reportedly willing to accept a practice squad deal with no guaranteed money to prove that he belongs in the league.

The former Browns quarterback and Texas A&M star says that he has his substance abuse problems under control and claims that he has now rededicated himself to football. He has not played in the NFL since the 2015 season, so he has a lot to prove.

In eight career starts for Cleveland, Manziel completed just 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards with a 1:1 touchdown/interception ratio.

Jets, Browns To Meet With E.J. Gaines

March 22nd, 2018 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets and Browns have plans to meet with free agent cornerback E.J. Gaines, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. He’ll visit the Jets on Thursday and the Browns on Friday.

Gaines met with the Cardinals last week, but left Arizona without a deal. Prior to that, he drew some interest from the Texans, but they seem pretty set at cornerback after adding Aaron Colvin and re-signing Johnathan Joseph.

Gaines, 26, appeared in 11 games for the Bills last year after coming over in the Sammy Watkins trade. He finished out as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 12 ranked cornerback and placed ninth in Football Outsiders’ success rate. Before the start of free agency, we ranked Gaines as the fourth-best corner on the market and the No. 18 free agent overall. It’s somewhat surprising to see him still on the board at this stage.

The Bills have not ruled out re-signing Gaines, but the addition of Vontae Davis probably means they’ll be moving on.

Chiefs Meet With WR Kendall Wright

March 22nd, 2018 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Wide receiver Kendall Wright will visit with the Chiefs on Thursday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets. Wright spent last season with the Bears.

Wright could help the Chiefs replace slot receiver Albert Wilson, who departed in free agency to sign a three-year, $24MM deal with the Dolphins. Wilson is three years Wright’s junior and may have more potential, but Wright is coming off of a stronger season, at least, in terms of stats. Wright caught 59 passes for 614 yards and one touchdown, giving him his strongest stat line since 2014.

We ranked Wright as the 15th best available wide receiver heading into free agency, but his market has been slow to develop. Now that the bigger names are off of the board, Wright may find a home.

The Chiefs lost Wilson, but they upgraded their WR group by signing Sammy Watkins to a hefty multi-year deal. They’ll also return with Tyreek Hill, who racked up nearly 1,200 receiving yards in 2017 en route to a second Pro Bowl appearance.

Dolphins To Meet With QB Brock Osweiler

March 22nd, 2018 at 11:54am CST by Zachary Links

We have a Brock Osweiler sighting. The quarterback will meet with the Dolphins on Thursday, according to SiriusXM’s Craig Mish (Twitter link). The news has been confirmed by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Osweiler’s trip to Miami marks his first free agent visit of the offseason. One has to imagine that his history with coach Adam Gase is playing a role here as the two worked together in Denver.

We ranked Osweiler as one of the 15 best quarterbacks available in free agency this year, but that was due mostly to his solid showing with the Broncos in 2015 when he filled in for Peyton Manning. His monster free agent deal with the Texans in the following year was a bust and he did very little in his four starts with the Broncos last season.

The Dolphins re-signed David Fales to serve as one backup to Ryan Tannehill, but neither he nor Brandon Doughty is assured a spot on the final roster. Osweiler could serve as the No. 2 QB on the depth chart, though he’d have to battle it out with Matt Moore if he is re-signed.

Vikings To Sign OL Tom Compton

March 22nd, 2018 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are set to sign offensive lineman Tom Compton, according to Alex Marvez of The Sporting News. The deal is contingent on him passing a physical.

Compton, 29 in May, is a native of Rosemount, a suburb of Minneapolis. After 71 career games, he finally gets an opportunity to play for his hometown team.

Compton mostly worked as a reserve during his first five NFL seasons, starting in just 11 of 44 appearances with the Redskins and Falcons. Last year, he wound up starting in five of eleven contests for the Bears. Although he has previous experience at tackle, he played mostly on the inside in 2017.

The veteran will likely take on a reserve role with the Vikings, though he may get a chance to compete for a starting job on the interior. The Vikings are still waiting to find out if Joe Berger will return.

Cowboys Sign WR Deonte Thompson

March 22nd, 2018 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have signed wide receiver Deonte Thompson, agent David Canter tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He gets a one-year, $2.5MM deal with a $1MM signing bonus.

Thompson met with the Cowboys on Thursday and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. He joins a wide receiver group that is in serious flux from the top to bottom. The Cowboys are expected to ask Dez Bryant to take a pay cut, but they have yet to do so, which makes his future a bit murky. Meanwhile, Terrance Williams flopped last year and Brice Butler continues to float in free agent limbo.

Thompson spent time with the Bills and Bears last year. Between the two clubs, he turned in the best season of his career with 38 grabs for 555 yards and two touchdowns. At the age of 29, he appears to be coming into his own. The Broncos and the incumbent Bills also expressed interest in signing him this month.

The Cowboys may continue to shop for wide receivers. Allen Hurns met with Dallas yesterday and they have also shown interest in Dontrelle Inman and Justin Hunter.