HEADLINES

Month: April 2018

Latest On Jets’ QB Decision

April 14th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Giants and Broncos provide unique variables in the top five, the Browns and Jets are essentially committed to drafting a quarterback. And the latter’s preference hierarchy appears to have evolved since the start of the pre-draft process.

When the Jets traded up from No. 6 to No. 3, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv notes the common line of thinking was there was “no way” Sam Darnold would potentially be available to them. Now, the Jets are planning to visit with Darnold after previously holding off on doing so.

Mike Maccagnan said he’d be open to trading up, but Vacchiano hears the Browns are not expected to be interested in a trade at No. 1 and the Giants — despite being in a different conference — “absolutely” won’t accommodate the Jets in a high-stakes trade like this. While the Giants have been linked to Darnold for a bit now, the Jets would probably take the USC-developed passer if he fell to No. 3, per Vacchiano.

At this research period’s outset, the Jets held Josh Rosen in higher regard than they did Baker Mayfield. Now, Vacchiano notes the team has warmed up to the Oklahoma statistical dynamo and points out the buzz has the Jets favoring Mayfield over Rosen.

Plenty of indications in recent weeks support the Jets being thorough about Mayfield, while Rosen has probably been the least discussed quarterback out of the big four. Vacchiano writes the Jets have still spent plenty of time studying Rosen, the building momentum surrounding Mayfield notwithstanding. They visited with the UCLA alum this week. However, if the Jets do end up choosing Rosen over Mayfield, this will qualify as an incredibly successful smokescreen operation.

Extra Points: Smith, Manziel, Rams

April 14th, 2018 at 12:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

  • Former Raiders and 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith is “being transferred to an inpatient substance abuse treatment center as he awaits his next court date” (via ESPN.com). Smith was arrested last week after violating the conditions of his monitoring. The “order for Smith to remain in custody in rehab” is indefinite, according to a spokesman for the San Francisco district attorney’s office. Last month, Smith pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges following a March incident. The Raiders still released the trouble defender soon after the initial arrest.
  • The CFL could provide quarterback Johnny Manziel with a path back to the NFL, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that the transition wouldn’t be immediate. A source told the reporter that the CFL won’t “soften” the rule that requires a two-year commitment from their players, meaning if Manziel joined the league, he wouldn’t be able to sign with an NFL team until at least 2020. Florio writes that the quarterback could shift his focus to the Alliance of American Football, a spring league that is set to launch in 2019.
  • In an interview with TheRams.com, recently-acquired cornerback Aqib Talib explained why he wanted to be traded to the Rams. “Well, I’m in the later half of my career and I just wanted to be comfortable,” Talib said. “Wherever I went, I wanted to be comfortable and there was no time in the NFL where I was more comfortable playing football than with Wade Phillips. He’€™s like a guru at putting guys in position to succeed. So if I was going to go somewhere I wanted to be comfortable and I’€™m definitely comfortable here in L.A.”
  • The Rams are already working on a new deal with Aaron Donald, and general manager Les Snead acknowledged that the defensive tackle will ultimately make more than new teammate Ndamukong Suh. “The nice thing about Ndamukong,” Snead said during an appearance on The MMQB Podcast with Peter King (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com), “at age 31 and somebody who’s been the highest-paid defensive player in football, winning was very important in this phase of his career…He’s well aware that when you can partner, be beside someone who is on the verge of being the highest-paid defensive player in football, then that’s a really good thing. I guess you’d say two is better than one.”

AFC Notes: Patriots, Amendola, Broncos, Browns

April 14th, 2018 at 11:49am CST by Ben Levine

Similar to many draft pundits, Bill Belichick is also participating in his own mock drafts. Yesterday, the Patriots head coach provided some insight into the organization’s draft preparation to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.

“Sometimes we do that, yeah,” Belichick said about mock drafts. “I’d say sometimes it just sparks a conversation. We might internally say, ‘OK, how about Player A and Player B? Player B and Player C?’ And if you did a mock draft where kind of each [staffer] has a team and, ‘OK, it’s your turn. You pick this.’ And now you look at the board, it’s our turn to pick, and ‘Gee, here’s a scenario we hadn’t really thought about. We hadn’t really pictured that this guy would be there.’ So that can kind of stimulate some [conversation].”

Belichick also explained the risks of not evaluating many of the potential prospects.

“Again, it’s just an exercise to, I’d say, just kind of complete the process of preparation,” he explained. “That’s the way it is on draft day, too. A lot of times you’re sitting there looking at players that I thought this player would be there and he’s long gone, or I didn’t think this player would be there and he’s still there…If you haven’t done enough work on the player and he’s still there but you really don’t know the player as well as you should because you thought he wouldn’t be there, then that puts you in a little bit of a dilemma.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes out of the AFC…

  • Wide receiver Danny Amendola told ESPN’s Mike Reiss that the Patriots‘ offer didn’t come close to the two-year, $12MM ($8.25MM guaranteed) deal he took with the Dolphins. “I came in with an open mind,” Amendola said. “I understand Bill runs a tight ship, and he hasn’t been known to pay his players, really. I understood that I gave money back to him so I could play for him and play for my teammates and fulfill my side of the contract, and at the end of the day, I had faith that he was going to give me an opportunity to stay. When free agency broke, I came to the realization that he wasn’t going to really come close to any of the other offers I had. I had to make a decision for my family and go down to Miami and continue my career there.”
  • The Broncos claimed C.J. Smith from the Browns yesterday, and Mike Klis of 9News in Denver writes that the team has had interest in the cornerback for some time. The organization had been eyeing Smith since his days at North Dakota State, and they expressed interest in him when he wasn’t selected during the 2016 draft. The 24-year-old initially joined the Eagles before signing with the Browns’ practice squad.
  • The Browns have named Larry Jackson as their new head of strength and conditioning, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Jackson had previously served as Texas A&M’s director of football sports performance, and he also served as the school’s NFL liaison. He’ll be replacing Adam Beard, who will stick around the organization in an advisory role. The Browns have also added Dale Jones and Monty Gibson as assistants, and they’ve retained Evan Marcus and Josh Christovich.

Bills Host DT Tenny Palepoi

April 14th, 2018 at 10:02am CST by Ben Levine

The Bills hosted defensive tackle Tenny Palepoi on a free agent visit yesterday, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). This is the first reported visit for the 27-year-old.

The 2014 undrafted free agent out of Utah had spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers organization. He missed the 2015 season after fracturing his foot, but he otherwise hasn’t missed a regular season game due to injury (he missed four games between 2016 and 2017 due to a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs). Palepoi had his most productive season in 2017, compiling 24 tackles and one sack in 15 games. The lineman didn’t play enough snaps to earn a spot on Pro Football Focus‘ positional rankings, but his score would have landed outside the top-100 among interior defenders.

If the free agent were to join the Bills, it’d be a reunion of sorts for the defender. As Yates notes, Palepoi played with new Bills defensive tackle Star Lotulelei when the two were in college. Palepoi would certainly have competition for playing time, as Buffalo is also rostering defensive tackles Kyle Williams, former third-rounder Adolphus Washington, and Rickey Hatley.

Latest On Dez Bryant

April 14th, 2018 at 9:08am CST by Ben Levine

There are four teams that “some believe could show varying levels of interest” in wideout Dez Bryant, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). This grouping includes the Cardinals, Ravens, Bills, and Packers.

The reporter notes that Arizona’s main issue is related to money, as the team is sitting with little cap room. Kent Somers of AZCentral Sports echoes that sentiment (via Twitter), saying the Cardinals won’t pursue Bryant unless he’s willing to take a lesser contract. On the flip side, Schefter observes that the Ravens still have plenty of space, even after having signed receiver Michael Crabtree. Meanwhile, the Packers could be looking for a big-play wideout to replace Jordy Nelson, while the Bills could be looking for a dynamic receiver to pair with Kelvin Benjamin.

The three-time Pro Bowler was released by Dallas yesterday. No teams have definitively been connected to the 29-year-old, although Bryant indicated that he’d like to play for one of the Cowboys’ NFC East foes.

Let’s take a look at some other notes pertaining to the NFL’s newest star free agent…

  • ESPN’s Mike Triplett believes the Saints could be a “dark horse contender” for Bryant. New Orleans has focused on improving their receiving core, but they missed out on offseason targets like Nelson and tight end Jimmy Graham. The Saints aren’t armed with a lot of salary cap space, so they’re presumably in a similar situation to the Cardinals. However, there’s no denying that Bryant would provide Drew Brees with another impressive target.
  • Bryant was under the impression that some of his teammates and coaches had it out for him, and he believes the lack of support ultimately played a role in his release. “I’m not here to bash anybody, but they know, man,” Bryant told Jane Slater of NFL Network (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). “They know. They know. The way this whole situation got handled, I felt like I asked some of them to be a man about some of the situations a long time ago, and they couldn’t…I won’t put no names out, but they know, and I want them to know on this air I know. I’ll shoot them a text message and let them know. Little do they know is they can wear that ‘C’ [for captain] all they want to, but in that locker room, they know who they run and they talk to. They know who they communicate with. Everybody know where the real love is at, and I’m not throwing anybody under the bus, but that’s the difference between me and them.” Williams notes that last season’s captains were Jason Witten, Dak Prescott, Dan Bailey, Tyrone Crawford, Sean Lee and Orlando Scandrick.
  • Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer attributes Bryant’s release to “his falling production and “fiery” personality.” As the reporter notes, the “cracks in the relationship” started earlier this offseason, when Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones criticized the receiver’s sideline outbursts. When you couple the attitude with a drop in production, Archer says organizations will have “a difficult time looking the other way.”

Draft Rumors: Jones, Michel, Jets, Tackles

April 13th, 2018 at 9:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ronald Jones ranks as the No. 20 overall prospect on NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s big board, but the USC running back has apparently not helped his cause much this offseason. A poor showing at the Trojans’ pro day last month drew scrutiny from some evaulators around the league, Jeremiah said (via Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune). The draft expert notes Jones’ stock has taken a bit of a hit. He does not project Jones (1,550 rushing yards last season, 20 total touchdowns) to be a first-round pick but does envision a bit of a sleeper making it into Day 1. Jones visited the Broncos this week and could be an option when their Round 2 pick (No. 37) arrives.

Jeremiah expects Sony Michel to be the third running back selected in the first round later this month, following Saquon Barkley and Derrius Guice. Some NFL teams are likening the Georgia back to Alvin Kamara, per Jeremiah. The speed complement to Nick Chubb with the Bulldogs, Michel posted two 1,000-yard rushing seasons — the latest a 1,227-yard showing that came with an incredible 7.9 yards per carry — and looks to be entering the first-round conversation.

Here’s the latest on this year’s draft class.

  • Baker Mayfield‘s strong offseason notwithstanding, the Heisman Trophy recipient is still viewed as somewhat of a polarizing prospect because of his past. But Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes the quarterback presented himself well during meetings with Jets brass this week. Cimini rates Mayfield as the second-best fit for the Jets at No. 3, behind Sam Darnold.
  • Teams in need of tackles should temper expectations about this year’s class, Jeremiah said. Following a draft that saw its first tackle (Garett Bolles) go off the board at No. 20, Jeremiah said tackle is one of this year’s weakest positions, along with edge rusher. He does not view any of this year’s tackle prospects as being worth a top-20 pick.
  • Having now seen multiple starting offensive linemen retire this offseason, the Bills may have a dilemma going into the draft. The team has long been rumored to be targeting a top-five pick in the draft, but Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes that the team — with the Jets and the Browns essentially locked in on QBs at Nos. 1 and 3 — would have to target the Giants’ No. 2 pick to have much certainty on one of its top choices still being there to draft. Rodak opines the Bills, who have seen Eric Wood and Richie Incognito announce intentions to retire, may be better off standing pat and bolstering their depth chart at other positions. Of course, the Bills have only A.J. McCarron in place at this point and would be gambling without making a serious investment in the position this month.
  • The Josh Allen-to-Cleveland buzz should be taken seriously, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com writes. Noting John Dorsey‘s decision to supply the Chiefs with raw talent Patrick Mahomes when a more productive Deshaun Watson was on the board, and the then-Kansas City GM’s decision to select higher-upside Eric Fisher over a more proven Luke Joeckel, should give Browns fans an inclination the gifted Wyoming talent with some statistical red flags could be the team’s No. 1 overall pick.

Saints Rumors: Meredith, Coleman, Snead

April 13th, 2018 at 7:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Now that Cameron Meredith is in the fold with the Saints, he still must complete a lengthy rehab process. The wide receiver saw his 2017 season erased because of ACL and MCL tears in his left knee, and he’s not planning to partake in New Orleans’ offseason program. Meredith’s goal is to return by training camp.

“I see myself being 100 percent for at least the season,” Meredith said during a radio interview on ESPN Chicago (via The Advocate’s Nick Underhill). “Training camp is my goal, and I don’t see any reason why I can’t accomplish that. I haven’t had any setbacks. I don’t think anyone had that as a major concern.”

Meredith received multiple offers in restricted free agency, so multiple medical staffs gave teams the go-ahead here. The now-25-year-old wideout fared well for the 2016 Bears, posting 888 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He’ll walk into what’s been the league’s most consistently productive aerial attack over the past 12 seasons and is in line to serve as an auxiliary option for Drew Brees.

Here’s the latest out of New Orleans.

  • Meredith opted for the Saints in part because they have former Bears wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson on staff. Now in his second stint as Saints wideouts instructor, Johnson served as the Bears’ WRs coach in 2016 before moving on to New Orleans last year. “C.J. was a big part of my success in Chicago,” Meredith said Friday, via Amos Morale III of NOLA.com. “And getting to rejoin him in New Orleans… (we’ll) get back right were we left off.”
  • The Meredith deal likely impacts other recent Brees weapons. A supporting-cast cog with the Saints the past three seasons, Brandon Coleman is now unlikely to return to the Saints and will have to find a gig elsewhere, Larry Holder of NOLA.com notes. New Orleans did not tender Coleman, now a UFA, but did offer an original-round tender to Willie Snead. A more consistent producer than Meredith after two 890-plus-yard seasons with the Saints, Snead saw his production dip dramatically last season (eight catches, 92 yards). Negotiating an extension last offseason, Snead has instead seen his stock drop. He worked out for the Ravens, who preferred Meredith, but has not been connected to another team yet in free agency. He has until April 20 to sign another team’s offer sheet. Holder wonders if the Saints retract their original-round tender ($1.9MM) now that Meredith’s under contract.
  • The Saints signed offensive lineman Gabe Ikard to a reserve/futures contract in January, but Ikard has opted to retire, per Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. Ikard finished last season on the Saints’ practice squad. He last played in two games for the Bills in 2016. The 27-year-old Oklahoma alum is now hosting a drive-time radio show in Oklahoma City.
  • Andrus Peat is now under Saints control through the 2019 season. The team exercised the three-year starter’s fifth-year option.

Chargers Waive RB Kenneth Farrow

April 13th, 2018 at 6:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kenneth Farrow spent two seasons with the Chargers, the first as a backup to Melvin Gordon and the second on injured reserve.

Three days from beginning their offseason program, the Bolts waived the running back, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). The Chargers waived Farrow in September with an injury designation, and he ended up on their IR list. He’ll now revert to waivers.

Wilson notes Farrow, who suffered a shoulder injury last year, is now healthy and has been training in Houston. The third-year back is a University of Houston product. Farrow started two games for the 2016 Chargers and played in 13. He totaled 262 yards from scrimmage, most of which coming after a late-season Gordon injury created an opportunity for playing time.

Los Angeles’ current contingent behind Gordon consists of former UDFAs Austin Ekeler and Russell Hansbrough, so it should be expected the team will target a running back in the draft.

Bryant Would Have Been Open To Pay Cut

April 13th, 2018 at 6:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys dominated the Friday NFL news cycle by releasing Dez Bryant and doing so without offering the acclaimed wide receiver a chance to stay with the team at a reduced rate. That move may have been amendable to Bryant, despite the receiver’s previous comments not appearing to indicate as such.

A first-time free agent, Bryant said in an interview with the NFL Network’s Jane Slater (Twitter link) he would have accepted a pay cut if the Cowboys offered. Dallas did not offer to keep Bryant on a lesser salary. The 29-year-old wideout expected the team to propose a pay cut. While it’s unclear how much of a salary reduction Bryant would have accepted, the Cowboys weren’t interested and made the odd decision to release their all-time leader in touchdown receptions more than a month into free agency.

As part of the five-year, $70MM extension he signed just before the 2015 franchise tag deadline, Bryant was scheduled to make $12.5MM in base salary and comprise $16.5MM of Dallas’ cap this season.

The juncture of this cut came largely because Jerry Jones has long had an affinity for the mercurial pass-catcher, and it took convincing for the team’s top decision-maker to sign off on a release, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link).

“Jerry Jones, he loved me to death, and I loved him too,” Bryant told Slater. “I honestly believe in my heart that this was a hard decision for him. But when it’s five, six guys at a table against one guy, you got to do it.”

Bryant is not making it a secret he’d like to join one of the Cowboys’ top rivals, but ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen reports (on Twitter) a landing in Philadelphia, Washington or New York does not look especially promising at the moment. The Redskins are not believed to be interested in the ninth-year player.

“Being in the division is a huge possibility it’s something that I want,” Bryant said in the interview (Twitter link). “It’s personal. I’m tired of being the scapegoat and I’m going to keep proving that on and off the field.”

It will obviously be more difficult for Bryant to command the type of money he could have had the Cowboys made this move a month ago, but he’s likely to generate some interest soon.

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