HEADLINES

Month: April 2018

Jets Pick Up Leonard Williams’ Fifth-Year Option

April 21st, 2018 at 8:25am CST by Ben Levine

It’s official. The New York Jets announced this morning (via Twitter) that they’ve picked up defensive lineman Leonard Williams‘ fifth-year option. We heard earlier this month that the organization would pick up the option before the May 3rd deadline.

Williams was already under contract for an affordable $2.975MM in 2018, but as our own Zach Links pointed out, it’s uncertain what kind of money he’ll be making in 2019. After all, the 23-year-old has spent time at defensive end and defensive tackle, so he could realistically be listed at either position.

The fifth-year option for former top-10 picks is similar to the transition tag, so Williams’ 2019 salary will be based on the top-10 salaries at his respective position. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com believes that Williams’ salary could come in around $14.2MM. Regardless, his listed 2019 salary might soon be irrelevant, as the two sides could still agree to a long-term extension.

The former first-rounder out of USC hasn’t missed a game since entering the league in 2015. After compiling seven sacks en route to a Pro Bowl birth in 2016, Williams’ numbers took a bit of a hit in 2017. The lineman ultimately finished the campaign with 47 tackles and two sacks in 16 games, both career-lows. However, Williams still graded out as a top-25 defensive tackle last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Latest On Giants’ No. 2 Pick

April 20th, 2018 at 9:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Round 1 looms in six days, Saquon Barkley has surged to the center of the Giants’ radar screen. While that interest is real, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, this shouldn’t be viewed as a surefire pick.

There are some at Giants headquarters who think passing on a possible franchise quarterback “would be nuts,” per Vacchiano, who adds Sam Darnold likely remains the quarterback Big Blue would target (if he’s available). The Giants do not appear to be interested in Baker Mayfield or Josh Allen, and Vacchiano adds the team doesn’t seem to be as sure about this quarterback class as the one 14 years ago that produced their current starter.

Josh Rosen‘s stock may have taken a slight hit compared to where he was at the end of his final UCLA season, but one source informed Vacchiano he should not be ruled out of a New York selection. He was believed by some to be the favorite here early in the pre-draft process. A report earlier this month indicated the Giants were down on Rosen, but we are in peak smokescreen time.

Barkley is likely the No. 1 player on the Giants’ board, Vacchiano notes, adding that the team appears to prefer him to Bradley Chubb and may just view the Penn State sensation as an too much of a talent to pass up, regardless of positional value. ESPN’s Todd McShay has heard immense Barkley praise coming out of New York lately, and PFR readers’ early consensus is Barkley will be Big Apple-bound.

While the Giants are high on Chubb and Quenton Nelson, Vacchiano writes these two are likelier fits if they trade down, pointing to the Notre Dame guard in particular in a trade-down scenario. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reported Nelson was a top-three player on New York’s board and a target if the team trades down. If the Giants were to move down and target Chubb, they probably wouldn’t be able to drop too far. Any trade-down move, though, may be less likely than the franchise just picking its preferred prospect.

“Why would we (trade down) and pass on either the best quarterback or best player on our board?” one Giants source told Vacchiano.

This is the highest pick the Giants have held since 1981, when they landed Lawrence Taylor, and Dave Gettleman has repeatedly said he would like a “gold jacket” player with his first pick as GM.

Broncos Notes: Keenum, Harris, Draft, Dixon

April 20th, 2018 at 7:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mock drafts have gone in numerous directions regarding the Broncos‘ No. 5 overall pick, and it’s possible the team could make yet another big investment at the position. But if they do, Case Keenum will not be ceding the reins anytime soon. John Elway confirmed that if the Broncos do select a quarterback at No. 5 overall the recently signed quarterback would be the unquestioned first-stringer.

“Case is our starter,’’ Elway said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “We’ll cross that road when we get there. Every situation for young quarterbacks is different. I think it’s different in today’s world, and the fact that it depends on what kind of football team those guys step onto.”

The 2016 Eagles thrust Carson Wentz into duty from the start because they traded Sam Bradford, whereas the 2017 Bears allowed Mike Glennon four starts before turning to Mitch Trubisky. It can be expected Keenum will have a longer leash, if the Broncos opt to bypass a top-tier non-QB.

Here’s the latest out of Denver:

  • The Broncos have gotten All-Pro work from Chris Harris for No. 2 cornerback money over the past three seasons. They’ve agreed to incentivize the eighth-year corner’s deal, and Klis details what that will entail. Harris was a first-team All-Pro in 2016 and a second-teamer in Denver’s Super Bowl season; should he land on one of those two teams this year, he’ll earn $500K. Harris can collect $200K for a two-interception season, and if he reaches five picks, Klis reports that bumps up to $500K. Harris has intercepted two passes in each of the past three seasons. Interestingly, the Broncos’ win total will impact their top corner as well. Klis reports Harris playing 65 percent of Denver’s snaps and the team winning six games will mean a $300K bonus, with a 75 percent snap season and eight Bronco wins meaning that spikes to $600K. Harris, who has an $8.5MM base salary in 2018, has been a full-time player for the past six seasons. If Denver returns to the playoffs, the soon-to-be 29-year-old DB earns $300K.
  • Prior to their trade earlier tonight, the Broncos and Giants had been circling each other about a deal for Riley Dixon for a bit now, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Klis reports (via Twitter) Vance Joseph told the incumbent punter the day the team signed Marquette King he would be moved. Multiple teams were interested in the third-year specialist, per Klis.
  • Elway appears to have evolved on his affinity for cannon-armed QBs. The addition of Keenum, who does not have an upper-echelon arm the way Paxton Lynch does, marked a change of pace for a GM that’s targeted tall passers with strong arms. “I was a lot more six or seven years ago, but then we had Peyton (Manning), right?’’ Elway said, via Klis. “Peyton was more of the cerebral type. I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been doing this job as far as what certain quarterbacks have success with.”
  • However, the GM that traded Tim Tebow after a memorable season doesn’t regard it as a must to have a mobile quarterback. “The bottom line is that I believe the one thing is that you got to be able to win from the pocket,” the eighth-year exec said. “You can win games, but you can’t win championships unless you have the ability to win it from the pocket. Then if you can get out and move around and create, and do those types of things then that’s an added bonus.” While the Broncos have been connected to Baker Mayfield, an earlier report indicated they were high on Josh Rosen — the least mobile of the top four QBs in this class.

Giants Not Interested In Dez Bryant?

April 20th, 2018 at 6:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having been a free agent for a week now, Dez Bryant is still interested in landing with a team that is scheduled to play the Cowboys twice this season. But an NFC East avenue has yet to emerge.

The Giants are the latest to hold off on making Bryant’s revenge dream a reality. Big Blue is not “at this point in time vying for his services,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via PFT’s Charean Williams). Bryant praised the Giants’ setup recently, expressing interest in being installed in the team’s skill-position arrangement.

New York would now make for an interesting destination, having just released Brandon Marshall, and Bryant posted a video of him working out with Odell Beckham Jr. While a Beckham/Bryant setup would be an incredible attempt by one team to corner the wide receiver headline market, that might not be in the cards.

The Giants are not going to take a wide receiver at No. 2 overall, assuming they keep the pick, and may opt to address other needs in the second round as well. But having only signed former second-rounder-turned-special-teamer Cody Latimer this offseason, the Giants figure to add a wideout to mix via the draft or free agency at some point in the near future.

The Ravens are the only team thus far that is believed to have confirmed interest in Bryant, who will turn 30 this season.

Giants To Acquire Riley Dixon From Broncos

April 20th, 2018 at 6:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ Marquette King signing made Riley Dixon expendable, and it looks like the team has found a taker for the third-year punter’s services.

Dixon looks to be on his way back to the east coast, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (via Twitter) the Giants are in the process of finalizing a trade for the specialist. Dixon’s been the Broncos’ primary punter for the past two seasons and has two years remaining on his rookie deal.

The Giants will send a conditional 2019 seventh-round pick to the Broncos for Dixon, Rapoport tweets, adding this trade is now finalized.

Brad Wing served as Big Blue’s punter for the past four seasons, but the team cut him in March.

Denver turned to Dixon in 2016 after selecting him in the seventh round, and the younger player beat out longtime punter Britton Colquitt for the job. Dixon is a New York native and played his college ball at Syracuse.

The 24-year-old Dixon finished his two Broncos seasons with averages of 45.7 and 45.6 yards per punt. Playing in less friendly punting confines, Wing concluded his 2017 season with a 44.1 yards per punt; that ranked 26th among punters last year. Both players had two punts blocked last year, the only two such instances of their respective careers.

This trade going through would mark the second time since 2015 that the Giants and Broncos agreed on terms of a specialty trade. New York shipped Brandon McManus to Denver in 2015, and he’s been the Broncos’ kicker since.

Josh Allen Visited Cardinals

April 20th, 2018 at 6:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the draft less than a week away, visit season has concluded. But Josh Allen said in a recent interview he’d visited seven teams — one more than previously reported. During an appearance on the Pro Football Talk PM Podcast (via ArizonaSports.com’s Mike Jurecki, on Twitter), Allen revealed he visited the Cardinals.

Allen confirmed his previously reported itinerary of meetings with the Browns, Giants, Jets, Broncos, Dolphins and Bills. Holding the No. 15 selection, the Cardinals pick lowest of any team that hosted the Wyoming passer. However, they lack a long-term answer at quarterback.

The Cardinals also met with Baker Mayfield during the visit window but are not believed to have brought in Josh Rosen, who may be set to be the fourth quarterback chosen in this draft and thus at a juncture where the Cardinals would be in reasonable trade range to acquire him. Allen, conversely, has a decent chance of being the No. 1 overall pick. At this point, it could be assumed it would take more trade ammo to move up to land Allen than it would for Rosen.

Arizona signed Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon in March while also submitting April waiver claims for Brandon Doughty and Alek Torgersen. None of these players figure to be in the long-term starter mix, however.

South Rumors: Jaguars, Hooker, Texans

April 20th, 2018 at 5:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars would have an interesting setup for Lamar Jackson, employing a recently extended starting quarterback but a long-scrutinized player whose long-term future with the team remains in doubt. Tom Coughlin said Friday the Louisville prospect was an “outstanding young man” and an “extremely talented athlete.” But Dave Caldwell said the team that pulls the trigger on Jackson would have to be ready to adjust its offense to accommodate the dual-threat talent.

“He’s a rare athlete,” Caldwell said, via Phillip Heilman of the Florida Times-Union. “As a quarterback, he’s a good player. He won a lot of games at that position. [Drafting him] depends what your scheme is, what you want to do and how you want to play and how he fits. I can’t say he’s the prototypical pocket passer, but you can win games with a guy like him.”

Jacksonville holds the draft’s No. 29 overall pick and has not conducted a workout with Jackson, who may now be a full-fledged top-20 prospect.

Here’s the latest from the South divisions:

  • Caldwell did not give an indication on which way he was leaning with regards to picking up Dante Fowler‘s fifth-year option. The Jacksonville GM said the team had not made a decision. Earlier today, Fowler’s price became clear. It will cost the Jaguars a massive sum ($14.2MM) to keep Fowler on their books for 2019 on his rookie contract.
  • On the subject of AFC South pass rushers, Brian Gaine is optimistic the Texans will extend Jadeveon Clowney this offseason. But Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports no deal is particularly close at this point. Clowney, Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack figure to see the others members of this trio’s deals affect theirs, and Von Miller may become the fourth-highest-paid defender by the time this offseason is over.
  • Gaine does not plan to deviate from Rick Smith‘s philosophy of setting the offseason as the window for extension agreements. John McClane of the Houston Chronicle notes the first-year Houston GM wants to finalize re-ups before the regular season. Clowney and Benardrick McKinney‘s proceedings will put this approach to the test this year.
  • Malik Hooker joined his Colts teammates for the start of their offseason program earlier this month but said (via Matt Taylor of Colts.com) he’s “not 100 percent by any means” as he recovers from a severe knee injury. Colts.com’s Andrew Walker writes training camp isn’t a certainty for the 2017 first-rounder, who went down in late October of last year with a torn ACL and MCL.
  • Former Broncos and Bears linebacker Lamin Barrow was driving the car at the time of the accident that ended with Buccaneers ‘backer Kendell Beckwith fracturing an ankle, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. Barrow and Beckwith were LSU teammates. The crash occurred at around 1 a.m., April 12. The vehicle veered off a road and crashed into a gate, per Laine. Although authorities said Barrow did not show signs of impairment, he was given a citation for driving with a suspended license.

Raiders, Amari Cooper Begin Talks

April 20th, 2018 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have until May 3 to exercise Amari Cooper‘s fifth-year option, a decision that is nothing short of a no-brainer. Ideally, however, the Raiders would like to lock up the star wide receiver for the long haul. Discussions on a new contract appear to be underway. 

“We’ve been in contact with his agent,” McKenzie said (via PFT). “I don’t want to put anything out there, don’t want to put the cart before the horse so to speak, but we like Amari.”

The fifth-year option for Cooper would cost the Raiders $13.924MM in 2019, but a new multi-year deal would have to provide Cooper with more than that on an average annual basis. The high-priced deals signed by this year’s free agent receivers, as well as the mega-extension for Bucs wideout Mike Evans, will only boost Cooper’s leverage in talks.

Coooper, who doesn’t turn 24 until June, has more than 2,900 receiving yards over the past three years. He positioned himself as one of the league’s best receivers right out of the gate as a rookie when he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2015. He earned Pro Bowl honors once again in 2016 when he caught 83 passes for 1,153 yards and five scores.

Cooper’s numbers were less impressive last year, but he’ll look to get back on track under new head coach Jon Gruden. Opposing defenses will be paying some attention to new WR2 Jordy Nelson, though it’s debatable as to whether he is a bigger threat to teams than former teammate Michael Crabtree.

Eagles Rework Nick Foles’ Contract

April 20th, 2018 at 3:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The reigning Super Bowl MVP has himself a new contract. Quarterback Nick Foles and the Eagles have struck agreement on a revised deal, sources tell Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). 

Foles’ new deal includes a mutual option for the 2019 season, giving Foles the opportunity to reach free agency next spring. Originally, Foles was slated to reach the free agency market after the 2018 campaign. The new deal gives him a $2MM signing bonus and several millions in incentives if he’s the starter and hits certain benchmarks, a source tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

The new pact is about giving him extra compensation in light of his postseason performance and not a reflection of the team’s feeling on Wentz’s recovery, according to Garafolo. The Eagles remain confident that Wentz will be back at 100% this season.

With Wentz on the mend, trade rumors surrounding Foles swirled this offseason. The Eagles, who value Foles and want to have a quality backstop in the event of another Wentz injury, placed a remarkably high price tag on the veteran. Reportedly, the Eagles were seeking more than the first-round pick and fourth-round pick they received from the Vikings in the Sam Bradford deal.

Recent comments from Foles indicated that he would like the opportunity to be a starter again, but the new deal is a reasonable compromise for the QB.

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