HEADLINES

Month: April 2018

Latest On Aldon Smith

April 11th, 2018 at 5:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent edge rusher Aldon Smith was arrested yet again last week, and the details on his latest are episode are extremely troubling, as Evan Sernoffsky of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (all Twitter links).

Smith had a blood alcohol level of .40 when he went to the San Francisco sheriff’s office on Friday, a range which is typically associated with the “onset of coma, likelihood of death,” per Sernoffsky. After being taken into custody, Smith appeared in court today, and is likely to remain in jail until at least Friday. At that point, Smith will likely be transferred to a rehab facility.

Smith, of course, has been no stranger to off-field incidents since being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft, and a recent domestic violence altercation was just the latest in a string of troubling incidents. The Raiders quickly released Smith following that episode earlier this month, and it’s becoming obvious that Smith will never play in the NFL again.

While his disturbing behavior will likely keep him off NFL rosters, Smith was once an excellent talent. During his first two seasons in the league, Smith posted an astounding 33.5 sacks, and even managed to put up 8.5 sacks during an abbreviated 2013 campaign.

Dolphins To Host Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield

April 11th, 2018 at 5:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen will have a Top 30 visit with the Dolphins on Thursday and Friday, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. The Dolphins will also meet with Oklahoma signal caller Baker Mayfield on Thursday.

The Broncos, who hold the No. 5 overall pick, recently became the latest team to meet with Allen. Opinions are split on the 6’5″, 230-pounder, but he is almost universally regarded as one of the four best QB prospects in this year’s draft.

Mayfield, also a member of this year’s big four along with Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen, has also proven to be a divisive prospect. The Oklahoma product has been knocked for potential character issues and his lack of size, but his on-field performance has been strong as a whole.

Currently slated to pick at No. 11, the Dolphins and head coach Adam Gase have been heavily linked to this year’s quarterback prospects. Miami, of course, deployed Jay Cutler as its starting signal-caller in 2017 after Ryan Tannehill went down with a knee injury. Tannehill should be available for the upcoming campaign, but the Dolphins still seem interested in adding a potential upgrade.

NFL Draft Rumors: Patriots, Key, 49ers

April 11th, 2018 at 4:09pm CST by Zachary Links

After losing Nate Solder in free agency, the Patriots are on the lookout for offensive tackle help. With that in mind, the Patriots hosted Texas tackle Connor Williams on a visit on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Thanks to the Brandin Cooks trade earlier this offseason, the Pats are armed with two picks late in the first round. Williams could be available when the Pats are called to the podium at No. 23, though the league-wide need for tackles could result in the 6’6″ lineman going higher.

Here’s the latest batch of NFL draft news:

  • LSU outside linebacker/defensive end Arden Key worked out for the 49ers on Wednesday and will move on to the Raiders on Thursday, Rapoport tweets.
  • South Dakota State tight end Dallas Goedert, who could be the first tight end to come off of the board, visited the Dolphins on Wednesday, Rapoport tweets. Miami is reportedly high on him, but he has also met with the Seahawks, Chargers, and Lions, according to Rapoport. As previously reported, the Vikings met with Goedert last week.
  • Cornerback Isaiah Oliver has had workouts/visits with the Eagles, Falcons, Bears, Texans, 49ers, Cardinals, Panthers, Patriots, Saints, Broncos, and Cowboys, sources tell Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Miller personally believes that he would be a great fit for Arizona. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has Oliver ranked as the 36th best prospect in this year’s draft and it would be no surprise to see him go in the first round.
  • Georgia running back Nick Chubb will visit with the Buccaneers on Wednesday, according to Josh Norris of NBC Sports (on Twitter). Chubb has been lauded for his power and ability to run on the inside and figures to be a second round pick.
  • The Lions hosted Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson for a visit on Tuesday, Rapoport tweets. Johnson was recently bumped from Jeremiah’s top 50 but should still garner consideration in the second round.

Cowboys, Dez Bryant To Meet On Friday

April 11th, 2018 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Finally, the Cowboys’ saga with Dez Bryant could be coming to a close. The two parties are set to meet on Friday, a source tells 105.3 The Fan. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) has confirmed the news.

Bryant is slated to earn a base salary of $12.5MM this season, which is more than they are comfortable with given his performance as of late. Ideally, Dallas would like to keep him at a smaller number, but they can afford to walk from negotiations after adding both Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson this offseason. The Cowboys also have have Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley on the roster and the team could further bolster the group in the draft.

If Bryant doesn’t agree to the Cowboys’ revised offer, he’ll find a ripe market for his services. However, Bryant is unlikely to command anything close to the five-year, $70MM extension he signed with the Cowboys prior to the 2016 season. The 29-year-old hasn’t topped 1,000 yards since the 2014 season and last year marked the first season that Bryant was able to stay healthy for all 16 games since ’14. Also, many of the teams that were in search of an impact wide receiver in March have already found their answers in free agency.

Giants Unlikely To Trade Odell Beckham Jr.

April 11th, 2018 at 2:35pm CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like Odell Beckham Jr. will be staying put. Teams around the league no longer believe the Giants are going to be trading the wide receiver either before or during the NFL draft, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Earlier this offseason, teams believed there was a real chance the Giants would trade the young superstar. 

Beckham reported to the G-Men recently for voluntary activities and the team now believes that he is fully on board with the new regime, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. OBJ’s ankle has also progressed well, so he should be on track for another monster season in 2018.

Meanwhile, not everyone is sold that Beckham will be staying in New York. The Giants could still be persuaded to move OBJ, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY hears, though their asking price could be a barrier to a deal. The Rams are no longer in the mix for OBJ after acquiring Brandin Cooks from the Patriots, but he speculates that a team such as the 49ers could put together a strong offer. Other teams will be wary of Beckham’s desire for a new $100MM+ contract, but the Niners have the cap room to accommodate any such deal and also possess the draft capital to make an enticing offer to the Giants.

The Patriots, in theory, also have the firepower to put together a package for Beckham, but they are not interested in such a move.

Saints To Sign Cameron Meredith

April 11th, 2018 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears have chosen to not match Cameron Meredith‘s offer sheet with the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Meredith will now join Drew Brees & Co. in New Orleans on a two-year deal.

The Saints inked the restricted free agent to an offer sheet late last week, which triggered a five-day window for the Bears to match. Because Meredith was tendered at the lowest level, the Bears will not receive draft pick compensation.

The Bears, apparently, were skittish about Meredith’s medical situation. The receiver is coming off of a torn ACL and MCL, so there is a bit of risk in the signing for the Saints. However, if he is healthy, this will likely prove to be a brilliant value add for New Orleans.

The Saints now project to start Mike Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr., and Meredith at wide receiver. With Mark Ingram in the backfield, tight end stands as the Saints’ last major need at a skill position. Currently, the Saints have Josh Hill, Coby Fleener, Benjamin Watson, and Michael Hoomanawanui in their TE group. None of those players offer the same upside as, say, Jimmy Graham, whom the Saints tried to sign in March.

The presence of Saints wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson played a big role in Meredith’s relocation to Louisiana. Johnson worked with Meredith in Chicago and fought for him to make the Bears’ final cut in the summer of 2016. Meredith rewarded his confidence by catching 66 passes for 888 yards in just ten starts.

Meredith will now play on a two-year $9.6MM deal with $5.4MM guaranteed. With incentives, the deal could be worth as much as $12.6MM.

[RELATED: Saints Depth Chart]

Seahawks To Sign CB Dontae Johnson

April 11th, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks are signing cornerback Dontae Johnson, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Johnson becomes the first significant free agent addition at cornerback for the Seahawks this year following an offseason of upheaval all around. 

The Seahawks retained corner Justin Coleman this offseason via the second-round tender, but they’re looking to bolster the group after parting ways with Richard Sherman. Needless to say, Johnson is not a one-for-one replacement for Sherman (who is now with Johnson’s former team), but he will provide depth in an area of need.

Johnson started all 16 games for the Niners last year, but he didn’t necessarily play up to that billing. The 26-year-old ranked near the bottom of Football Outsiders’ yards allowed per pass and success rate. Meanwhile, he graded out as the fourth worst qualified corner in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, as he placed 118th out of 121 possible players.

For now, the Seahawks project to start Justin Coleman and Shaquill Griffin at cornerback. Neiko Thorpe, Deandre Elliott, and Alex Carter are also slated to return as reserves.

Saints Host Lamar Jackson

April 11th, 2018 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints hosted former Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson for a visit on Tuesday, sources tell Nick Underhill of The Advocate. The Jackson meeting counts for one of the Saints’ “Top 30” visits.

Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi attended Louisville’s pro day recently and apparently came away impressed by the mobile QB. The Saints are obviously well set at the QB position, but they could consider Jackson as an future heir to Drew Brees.

“I like him. I like him. He’™s athletic. He’s got a magic smile to him. He’s a leader,” head coach Sean Payton recently said. “œWith Lamar, you feel it in the room, and you can tell he can lead. … He’s a special guy. You just have to be around him, interview him, and you can see why he was successful.”

Jackson offers a radically different skill set than Brees, but that doesn’t seem to bother the Saints.

“The trick for a team that takes a quarterback at any point to become or to compete to become a starter, one of our jobs is to look closely at what are the things that player does best,” Payton said. “If he’s your quarterback, you start looking closely at what he did well at Louisville, and you build that way. We’re never wanting to just take any of these players … and enter the game and view them just as Drew entered the game. They’re different athletes.”

Dolphins To Sign LB Terence Garvin

April 11th, 2018 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are signing former Seahawks and Redskins linebacker Terence Garvin, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Garvin started in three games last year, but he has made his name as a special teams standout. 

Garvin, 28, entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia in 2013 and spent the first three years of his career with the Steelers. He then went on to play for the Redskins in 2016 and the Seahawks in 2017.

Last year, Garvin saw the most defensive playtime (18%) of his career in 2017 due to injuries. All in all, he tallied nine tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 15 games for Seattle.

Garvin will serve as a reserve for the Dolphins while their search for a third starting linebacker continues.

Contract Details: Lions, Cassel, Titans

April 11th, 2018 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

Contract

  • Matt Cassel‘s deal with the Lions is for the veteran’s minimum with $350K in guarantees, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News (on Twitter). So, even though there are guarantees, it’s not enough to suggest that the team is moving on from backup Jake Rudock. Rudock has a $630K salary with no guarantees, but they could conceivably roll with him over Cassel if he looks better this summer.
  • Bennie Logan‘s one-year deal with the Titans has $3.75MM guaranteed, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. As previously reported, Logan can earn up to $5MM through incentives.
  • Tackle Ben Ijalana‘s one-year deal with Jets is worth $2.5MM, Rich Cimini of ESPN tweets. The total guarantee is $500K, via his signing bonus. Ijalana does not project to start for the Jets, but the team clearly values him more than the average backup.
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