HEADLINES

Month: March 2018

Patriots Re-Sign Matt Slater

March 20th, 2018 at 4:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have re-signed special teams ace Matthew Slater, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal for the former All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. 

Last week, Slater met with the Steelers, but it was widely expected that he would return to New England. Slater, 33 in September, has played his entire 10-year career with the Pats.

Last year, the gunner re-signed with Bill Belichick & Co. on a one-year, $1.8MM deal. The new pact should keep him in place through the 2019 season.

He’ll return to the Patriots along with Nate Ebner, another special teams specialist who re-upped with New England earlier this month.

Colts Sign OL Matt Slauson

March 20th, 2018 at 4:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have signed offensive lineman Matt Slauson, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $3MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. 

Slauson, 32, started seven games at left guard the Chargers before he was sidelined in October with a biceps injury. He also offers previous experience at center and could be an option in the middle should Ryan Kelly miss time again.

Free agent Jack Mewhort continues to float in free agent limbo and it’s not clear if he’ll be retained. If he is brought back into the fold, the Colts could have the two veterans compete in camp to see who will start at one guard spot opposite of Joe Haeg. Last season, Jeremy Vujnovich started all 16 games at left guard, but he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ worst qualified player at the position.

The Lions met with Slauson last week, but he’s headed to Indianapolis instead.

49ers Sign G Jonathan Cooper

March 20th, 2018 at 4:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have signed guard Jonathan Cooper, according to a team press release. It’s a one-year deal for the former Cowboys lineman. 

“Having started 27 games in four NFL seasons, Jonathan brings great experience to the interior of our offensive line,” said GM John Lynch in a press release. “We look forward to him competing for a starting job at guard, while also bringing a veteran presence to our locker room. Jonathan is a welcome addition to our team.”

Cooper was selected No. 7 overall by the Cardinals in the 2013 draft. At UNC, Cooper was a three-time All-ACC player and earned a First-Team All-American selection in his senior year. Things did not go according to plan at the next level, however, and he has since spent time with the Patriots, Browns, and Cowboys. He had a bounce back year in Dallas, however, as he started each of the Cowboys’ final 13 games at left guard.

Cooper graded out as the No. 35 guard in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Last year, Laken Tomlinson was the only full-time guard on the Niners to place higher.

Seahawks To Sign OL D.J. Fluker

March 20th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with former Giants offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, sources tell Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter links).

Fluker, a former first-round pick, appeared in nine games with six starts for the Giants in 2017. He was ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 56 ranked player at the position, placing him as a low-end starter/high-end backup. He earned much better grades during his first two seasons in the league as a tackle with the Chargers.

Last year, the Seahawks’ offensive line surrendered 209 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, as their zone blocking scheme netted them very little on outside zone runs. Seattle hopes that Fluker will help bolster a unit that has been a weak spot for multiple seasons.

Fluker also met with the Colts before signing with Seattle.

Raiders To Meet With Ndamukong Suh

March 20th, 2018 at 3:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Ndamukong Suh’s free agent tour continues. On Wednesday, he’ll meet with the Raiders, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

[RELATED: Raiders’ Depth Chart]

Suh recently visited with the Titans, Saints, and Rams, but has yet to sign with any team. New head coach Jon Gruden is quickly restaffing his team with veterans and the 31-year-old Suh would be a huge pickup for his defensive line.

The Raiders watched defensive end Denico Autry leave in free agency to join the Colts, but they did re-sign interior lineman Justin Ellis to hold down one of their tackle spots. New defensive coordinator Paul Guenther has traditionally run a 4-3 defense, so Suh and Ellis would likely start together, but he has said that he would be open to installing a 3-4 scheme if it worked better for the team’s personnel.

As it stands, the Raiders project to start Khalil Mack, Eddie Vanderdoes, Ellis, and Mario Edwards on the line with Bruce Irvin, free agent pickup Tahir Whitehead, and Cory James at linebacker. The front seven could use some fortification in the draft, but they can cross defensive tackle off of their list of needs in the early rounds by signing Suh.

Alliance Of American Football To Launch In 2019

March 20th, 2018 at 3:13pm CST by Zachary Links

WWE boss Vince McMahon is planning to re-launch the XFL in 2020, but he’ll have some serious competition in his bid to become the nation’s top competitor to the NFL. Charlie Ebersol, who directed a documentary on the XFL last year, has founded the Alliance of American Football, a league that will debut on Feb. 9, 2019. 

Unlike the XFL, Ebersol’s league already has a television deal in place. The league’s first game and championship games will air on CBS, while the CBS Sports Network will carry one game per week. Other games will be available via the AAF’s app.

The league, which will host its first game one week after Super Bowl LIII, will have a 10-week season and 50-man rosters. The players will be cast from the NFL’s scraps, meaning that it can be a way for those on the fringes of the league to showcase themselves for 90-man roster spots in the NFL.

Former NFL GM Bill Polian and Steelers safety Troy Polamalu are involved in the operations side while former NFL players Hines Ward and Justin Tuck will serve as advisors. Charlie’s father, famed television producer and former XFL partner Dick Ebersol will also serve on the advisory board.

Many football leagues have come and gone over the years, but the younger Ebersol says that he is taking a long-term approach.

“I think where businesses like this fail is that they expect to have ludicrous and unrealistic ticket and media deal projections in Year 1,” Ebersol said. “Our investors here understand that it’s a seven- to 10-year plan.”

NFC South Rumors: Saints, Brees, Robinson

March 20th, 2018 at 1:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Drew Brees is back with the Saints on a two-year, $50MM deal that is arguably under market for what he provides. However, a deeper look at his contract shows some additional value. There is language in Brees’ deal that prevents the team from using the franchise tag on him after the 2019 season, according to Nick Underhill of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter).

This is familiar territory for the two parties. Brees’ previous deal also prohibited the Saints from using the tag on him, which forced New Orleans to negotiate a fresh contract with him this offseason.

Brees will be 41 in 2020 and there’s no guarantee that he’ll still be an elite QB or even willing to continue playing, But, if he is still at the top of his game, the Saints will have a little less leverage to work with.

Here’s more from the NFC South:

AFC East Rumors: Bills, Boldin, Jets, Pats

March 20th, 2018 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have not contacted the Browns about trading for the No. 1 overall pick, a source tells Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

The Bills moved up to the No. 12 selection in the Cordy Glenn trade with Cincinnati and they also hold the No. 22 overall pick in the draft, fueling speculation that they could vault into the top five to select their quarterback of the future. However, it’s hard to imagine the Browns trading down from No. 1 and passing up a chance to get their favorite QB, despite GM John Dorsey‘s proclamation that he is open to a deal. The Bills are effectively blocked from moving up to No. 3 after the Jets acquired that pick from the Colts, so one has to wonder if the Bills will look to engage the Giants for the No. 2 pick. Then again, the Giants also seem unlikely to move down given their need for a successor to Eli Manning or a playmaker like Saquon Barkley.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Anquan Boldin says he hasn’t thought about whether he could play again, but he’s confident that he could pick up where he left off. “Definitely,” Boldin said (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun). “If I wanted to, I know I could.” Boldin was released from the Bills‘ reserve/retired list last week, fueling speculation that he could return to the field. Boldin will turn 38 in October, which is well past the expiration date for a wide receiver. He also averaged just 8.7 yards per reception in 2016, his last NFL season.
  • Jets linebacker Dylan Donahue is facing even more legal trouble. In addition to his recent DWI arrest after crashing into a bus while going the wrong way in the Lincoln Tunnel, Donahue is facing a drunken driving charge in Montana, according to ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Donahue is one of several Jets players with legal issues and one has to imagine that his roster spot is in jeopardy.
  • The Patriots are among the teams interested in former Bills wide receiver/special teams ace Marcus Easley now that he’s back to full health, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The Giants also have interest, per Wilson.

Vikings Re-Sign K Kai Forbath

March 20th, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Kicker Kai Forbath is re-signing with the Vikings, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 

Forbath earned just $775K in 2017 and will see a pay bump on his new contract after turning in one of the best seasons of his career. Last year, he converted 32 of his 38 field goal attempts and he nailed 34 of his 39 extra point tries. In 2016, he made all 15 of his FG tries for Minnesota across seven games.

With Forbath back in the fold, the Dolphins are left as the only team in the NFL without a kicker.

In other Vikings news, Minnesota landed defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson last week. Richardson’s deal includes an $8MM base salary and $3MM more in available incentives.

NFL Draft Rumors: Chubb, Bucs, Steelers

March 20th, 2018 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Long considered to be a top-three pick, Bradley Chubb might be sliding down mock drafts after the Jets traded with the Colts to get to No. 3 in the upcoming NFL Draft. The move, which could signal a run on quarterbacks early in the draft, isn’t slowing down the N.C. State pass rusher, however.

According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who spoke with Chubb’s agent, the top defensive end in the rookie class already has meetings scheduled with five teams between Sunday night and Monday before his pro day. All of those teams currently are slated to pick in the top seven spots in the draft.

Florio also spoke with longtime assistant coach Jim Washburn, who praised the defensive end as a potential perennial double-digit sack producer if he ends up in the right system. “If I was the team in need I would be very, very careful on passing on him,” Washburn said.

The flurry of moves could push down one of the top talents in the draft past the top five and to a team like the Buccaneers at pick No. 7. The move would be a steal for Tampa Bay, who is already locked in to Jameis Winston as the team’s franchise quarterback and ranked dead last in the NFL in sacks a year ago.

Regardless where he goes, Chubb is slated to be an impact performer from the moment he steps on the field.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Earlier in the week, the Steelers signed linebacker Jon Bostic to a two-year deal to potentially replace Ryan Shazier, who is recovering from a devastating injury in 2017. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, however, tweets the former Colts linebacker is merely just a seat warmer for whoever the team drafts in the first two rounds. One of those players who could be available is Boise State’s Leighton Vander Esch, who Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller projected to Pittsburgh in his latest mock draft. On Vander Esch, Miller writes: “Boise State’s Leighton Vander Esch is a 6’4″, 256-pound linebacker with good speed (4.65 in the 40) who possesses the ability to take on tailbacks in run support, the speed to pursue on the edge and the instincts to cover pass-catchers over the middle.”
  • The Browns signed one of this year’s top free agent running backs in Carlos Hyde, but they have not ruled out selecting Penn State star Saquon Barkley.
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