HEADLINES

Month: April 2018

Bills Place Richie Incognito On Reserve/Retired List

April 12th, 2018 at 11:11am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have placed Richie Incognito on the reserve/retired list. Things can always change, but this is a sign that Incognito will be following through on his decision to walk away from football. 

On Tuesday morning, Incognito indicated that the Bills could talk him out of retirement if they were to rework his contract. Hours later, he told a different reporter that he would be retiring for health reasons and a pay raise would not be enough to change his mind.

After three straight Pro Bowl seasons, Incognito agreed to take a pay cut for the 2018 season. Weeks later, he fired his agents on Twitter. Apparently, Incognito is not interested in returning, even if the Bills are willing to restore his original deal.

Incognito leaves the game months before his 35th birthday in July. Aside from the bullying scandal in Miami, Incognito had an excellent career as a whole. In eleven seasons with the Rams, Bills, and Dolphins, Incognito earned four Pro Bowl selections and reguarly ranked as one of the best players at his position.

Texans Release OT Derek Newton

April 12th, 2018 at 10:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans have informed right tackle Derek Newton that he is being released, Mike Jones of USA Today tweets. His business with Houston isn’t necessarily finished, however, as he’ll be filing a grievance to recoup his roster bonus. 

Per the terms of his deal, Newton was due to receive a $500K roster bonus from the team on April 1. For now, Houston is refusing to pay that out, even though a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews ruled that he could take part in next week’s workouts.

Newton started in all 16 games for Houston in in 2013, 2014, and 2015 before tearing both patellar tendons in 2016 and missing all of 2017. Newton wasn’t rated favorably by Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) during his first two years as a starter, but his stats improved as he turned a corner in 2014. He was PFF’s top-ranked right tackle in run blocking in 2014 and went on to crack the top-25 in pass blocking in 2015.

From 2012-2016, Newton played on 4,473 snaps for the Texans. That was good for the second-most in Houston over that span, second only to left tackle Duane Brown.

Browns Sign Jarvis Landry To Extension

April 12th, 2018 at 10:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns and wide receiver Jarvis Landry are close to finalizing a long-term deal, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. The new pact will give Landry an average annual value of more than $15MM per year.

Landry signed the contract on Friday night.

In total, the deal is worth $75.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. sources say. He adds that the deal includes a whopping $47MM guaranteed, but it’s unclear whether that represents the full guarantee at signing.

Originally, Landry was set to play out the 2018 season on his one-year, ~$16MM franchise tender. However, the Browns traded for Landry with the idea that they would hammer out a long-term deal with his camp. The Dolphins did not want to pay Landry like a top-flight receiver, but GM John Dorsey believes that he is deserving of a mega-deal even though he plays from the slot.

The monster pact should spell good news for Odell Beckham Jr. Between this contract and the mega-contract given to Bucs star Mike Evans, OBJ has favorable comps to make his case for a $90MM+ deal that would make him the league’s highest-paid receiver. Landry now boasts the fifth-highest average annual value of any wide receiver in the NFL. The only receivers with a higher AAV than Landry are Antonio Brown, Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, and Sammy Watkins.

Over the last four seasons, Landry hauled in 400 passes for 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns for Miami. He finished the 2017 season with 987 receiving yards – nearly giving him a third straight 1,000-yard campaign – and had a career-high nine receiving touchdowns. However, critics are quick to point out that his yards per catch average dipped to a career low 8.8 per reception.

The Browns now possess a lethal 1-2 at wide receiver in Landry and Josh Gordon, which should give quarterback Tyrod Taylor a chance to shine. Former first round pick Corey Coleman is also in the mix and the Browns are hoping that he can take a step forward with a more talented QB throwing to him. Of course, the Browns are expected to take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, so it’s not a given that Taylor will be under center for the entire year.

Dolphins Meet With Kenny Vaccaro

April 12th, 2018 at 9:45am CST by Zachary Links

Kenny Vaccaro will visit the Dolphins on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This marks Vaccaro’s first known visit of the offseason. 

With the ability to play both safety and slot cornerback, we had Vaccaro ranked as one of the best safeties in this year’s free agent crop. Unfortunately, the market has sagged for that entire position group. Many of this year’s top safeties had to settle for inexpensive deals and a some remain unemployed, including Vaccaro, Tre Boston, and Eric Reid.

Evaluations of Vaccaro’s ability may differ. A first-round pick in 2013, Vaccarro has turned in three exemplary seasons and two lousy years. In 2017, Pro Football Focus rated Vaccaro as the single-worst safety in the league among 87 qualifiers. But, given his draft pedigree and his ability to man the slot, Vaccaro was still expected to land a quality deal.

The Dolphins project to start T.J. McDonald and Reshad Jones at safety, so Vaccaro would be looking at a bench role in Miami.

South Notes: Titans, Hubbard, Bucs, Saints

April 11th, 2018 at 9:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard is scheduled to meet with the Titans this week, tweets Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports. During his final season with the Buckeyes, the 6’5″, 265-pound Hubbard posted seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, and is widely viewed as a late-first- or early-second-round selection. While Hubbard reportedly ran a disappointing 4.96-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, his three-cone time places him in the 96th percentile among defensive ends, and he ranks 15th among 2018’s edge rushing prospects in SPARQ, a composite score that measures athleticism. Tennessee ranked 12th in pressure rate a season ago, but could be searching for a young edge rusher to play behind starters Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions:

  • The Buccaneers are hosting LSU cornerback Donte Jackson on Wednesday, according to Josh Norris of Rotoworld (Twitter link). Even after re-signing veteran Brent Grimes, Tampa Bay is still on the lookout for additional defensive backs after not only ranking 31st in pass defense DVOA, but giving up a ton of big plays in the passing game. Last season, the Buccaneers allowed allowed 57 completions of at least 20 yards, which was third-most in the league. A three-year starter, Jackson “may be the fastest player in this year’s draft,” as Lance Zierlein of NFL.com writes, adding Jackson offers “plus body control to handle tight or off coverage.”
  • Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander visited the Titans today, reports Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com (Twitter link). Tennessee has invested heavily its in secondary over the past two years, adding free agents such as Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan while expending a first-round pick on Adoree’ Jackson. Alexander would give the club yet another option, and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com — who ranks Alexander as the draft’s 16th-best prospect — says the ex-Cardinal is “rarely out of position” and has “elite ball awareness.”
  • Fullback Zach Line‘s new two-year deal with the Saints is worth $2.2MM, per Nick Underhill of the Advocate (Twitter link). Line will collect a $200K signing bonus, which is the only guaranteed portion of the contract. New Orleans signed Line to replace the injured John Kuhn last October, and the 27-year-old went on to play on 16.3% of the Saints’ offensive snaps (12th among NFL fullbacks) and 27.6% of the club’s special teams snaps.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Packers, Patricia

April 11th, 2018 at 9:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions are expected to once again use a rotation at running back instead of committing to one starter, head coach Matt Patricia told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I think for us it all about competition, but when we get into the gameplan mode and we actually have our team and we are working against a particular opponent, then it becomes into a matchup situation,” said Patricia, who is familiar with deploying a running back stable after working for the Patriots until this spring. Detroit signed veteran LeGarrette Blount to a one-year deal last month, adding him to a crop that also includes Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner, and Dwayne Washington, and Birkett reports the club is expected to select another running back in the upcoming draft.

Here’s more out of the NFC North:

  • Packers wideout Trevor Davis was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday after making a joke about carrying a bomb, according to a report from TMZ Sports. Davis was reportedly checking in when he facetiously asked his girlfriend if she remembered to “pack the explosives,” a question which unsurprisingly wasn’t met with laughter by airport staff. The 24-year-old Davis was subsequently arrested and charged with a misdemeanor of making a bomb threat, and is now facing a May 3 court date, per Tom Schad of USA Today. Davis, a fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft, will compete to earn a spot on the back end of Green Bay’s wide receiver depth chart.
  • Although Lions general manager Bob Quinn kept former head coach Jim Caldwell in place from 2016-17, Quinn had been eyeing Patricia for some time, as Birkett writes in a separate piece. “I had heard about Matt from Bob for two years before we had the chance to meet and as I think I told him recently, I think he undersold him, and he was selling him,” team president Rod Wood said. “So I think the relationship is strong, the language they speak, the trust. The ability I think to build the team through kind of one long-term vision of what we’re going to be about…” Quinn and Patricia overlapped in New England from 2004-15, and both are now signed through 2022 in Detroit.
  • In case you missed it, the Bears declined to match a two-year, $9.6MM offer sheet for wide receiver Cameron Meredith and thus lost him to the Saints. Because Chicago only tendered Meredith at the original round level, the club won’t receive any compensation as Meredith heads to New Orleans. The Bears had the option of tendering Meredith at the second-round level at a cost of $2.914MM, only ~$1MM more than the original round price of $1.907MM.

East Notes: Giants, Collins, Pats, Dolphins

April 11th, 2018 at 8:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Landon Collins fractured his arm last December, and the injury is not healing as well as the Giants safety had hoped, reprots Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter links). As such, Collins is now considering another operation to further repair the break. Luckily, a procedure to plate the break would only recover a six-to-eight week recovery period, meaning Collins would likely be available for training camp, per Garafolo, who cautions that while surgery is expected, no final decision has been made. Collins, who earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl berth in 2017, is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • After missing the entirety of his rookie season due to a torn ACL, Patriots edge rusher Derek Rivers has not suffered any setbacks, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. As should be expected, New England will likely use caution as Rivers reintegrates into football, and the club likely won’t feel the need to push Rivers during offseason activities. But it appears that the third-round pick from Youngstown State will be ready for the start of the 2018 campaign, says Reiss. Heading into last year’s draft, Rivers was viewed as something of a project, a high-motor player who may need time to develop. The Patriots could certainly use help on the edge after finishing just 30th in pressure rate last year, and Rivers could conceivably get a chance at playing time if healthy.
  • Although the Dolphins have already signed veteran Frank Gore to pair with incumbent Kenyan Drake, the club will be open to selecting another running back in the draft, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Indeed, Miami has been attempting to schedule a pre-draft visit with San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny, but finding an open date has been difficult given that Penny has already set up many meetings with other teams. Penny (5’11”, 220) rushed for a whopping 2,248 yards in 2018, averaging 7.8 yards per carry while scoring 23 touchdowns on the ground.
  • The New York media market could play a factor in the Giants‘ decision on whether to use the No. 2 overall pick on quarterback, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines. If Big Blue drafts a signal-caller, fans and reporters alike will likely be clamoring for that passer to be inserted into the starting lineup if Eli Manning falters. While that doesn’t necessarily mean the Giants shouldn’t consider a quarterback, they should only do so if general manager Dave Gettleman & Co. have no doubts about the prospect, argues Florio. Sitting at No. 2, New York will have their choice of three of Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield, and Josh Allen (provided Cleveland uses the first overall pick on a quarterback, as expected).

Chiefs Meet With OT Cornelius Lucas

April 11th, 2018 at 6:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs have met with free agent offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Lucas, 26, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and spent three seasons with the Lions before playing for the Rams in 2017. He’s never been a full-time starter, and his playing time has decreased in every campaign since his rookie year. Lucas appeared in 30 games and made six starts from 2014-15, and even played 448 offensive snaps during his first season in the NFL. In 2017, however, Lucas appeared in only a single contest for Los Angeles and saw action on just 65 snaps, all of which came in a meaningless Week 17 game.

Lucas played his college ball at Kansas State, so signing with the Chiefs would represent something of a homecoming. Kansas City already has two rock-solid tackle starters in Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, but Lucas would compete with Jordan Devey, Cameron Erving, and Andrew Wylie to serve as a backup.

Rams Rework Johnny Hekker’s Contract

April 11th, 2018 at 6:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams have restructured the contract of punter Johnny Hekker, as Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).

Los Angeles had been the most cap-strapped team in the league, and remain so even after reworking Hekker’s contract. By converting $1.21MM of Hekker’s 2018 base salary into a signing bonus, the Rams created $968K in cap space. However, the move only barely brings Los Angeles into cap compliance, as the club now has just ~$337K worth of cap room, per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

In order to reduce Hekker’s 2018 cap charge, the Rams used a simple restructure. Hekker will now earn the veteran’s minimum base salary during the upcoming campaign, and his cap number will increase by $242K from 2019-22. It’s a negligible sum for most teams, but the Rams don’t have any room to spare after making expensive additions such as defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and wide receiver Brandin Cooks over the past month.

Hekker, 28, is considered the best punter in the NFL, as he’s been named first-team All-Pro in four of the past five seasons. In 2018, Hekker ranked second with a net punting average of 44.3 yards, while Los Angeles finished third in points created via its punt team, per Football Outsiders.

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