HEADLINES

Month: April 2018

Jalen Collins Facing Another 10-Game Ban

April 9th, 2018 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jalen Collins has not played in a regular-season game since the 2016 season, and he’s now without a team. He was reported to be facing another suspension, and now some clarity has emerged on that front.

The NFL suspended the free agent cornerback 10 games, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). This will mark the second straight season that’s involved a 10-game Collins ban.

Following the conclusion of Collins’ most recent 10-game suspension, the Falcons did not activate him and ended up waiving him. He went unclaimed in November, and this figures to decrease his chances of landing with a team in the near future. A 2015 second-round pick, Collins started eight games for the Falcons and played in 24. He started all three of Atlanta’s games in the 2016 playoffs, including Super Bowl LI.

Collins incurred a four-game suspension in 2016. Both of his previous two bans were for performance-enhancing drug use. It hasn’t been specified what caused this latest suspension, but were it for PEDs, the penalty would be longer than 10 games.

Jets Sign Kevin Minter, Charles Johnson

April 9th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets have announced some under-the-radar signings that could pay dividends this season. Linebacker Kevin Minter and wide receiver Charles Johnson have agreed to terms with the Jets, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.

Minter spent the 2017 season with the Bengals and visited the Bills last month. He’ll return to a 3-4 scheme with the Jets and reunite with Todd Bowles, who coached Minter for two seasons as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator.

Johnson did not play in 2017 but visited the Jets last month. He’s agreed to terms to join a somewhat crowded Gang Green receiving corps.

The Bengals signed Minter to start at middle linebacker, but he saw just 196 snaps in the nine games he played last season to lower his value. A seven-game starter, Minter saw a hamstring injury limit him and eventually send him to IR.

The Jets also made a splashy addition to their inside-linebacking contingent earlier this offseason in signing Avery Williamson. New York also has 2016 first-round pick Darron Lee, but he’s struggled as an NFLer thus far. Minter started all 32 regular-season games for the Cardinals from 2015-16 and entered the 2017 offseason with higher stock as a UFA. The former second-round pick may have to use this season to rebuild it.

Johnson spent last season on the Panthers’ IR after a summer injury. He signed for $2.2MM in Carolina last year after being a part-time Vikings starter. His most notable season came as a rookie in Minnesota. The Division II product posted 475 receiving yards and two touchdowns prior to the Vikings forming the Adam Thielen–Stefon Diggs pairing.

Johnson will join a Jets corps that now has Terrelle Pryor and Andre Roberts, to go along with 2017 starters Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse and second-year players ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen. Quincy Enunwa is also back from injury, so there will be a fight for receiving jobs in the coming months.

Eric Reid To Visit Bengals

April 9th, 2018 at 1:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eric Reid‘s first stretch of NFL free agency has not been a smooth process, but the veteran safety will make what is believed to be his first visit of the offseason soon.

The Bengals plan to meet with Reid, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The safety market remains in a strange spot, with players like Reid, Kenny Vaccaro and Tre Boston unsigned a month into free agency and NFL offseason programs beginning.

Reid’s unemployment has been notable because of his involvement in the Colin Kaepernick-led protests that have occurred the past two seasons. Reid acknowledged this may affect his market, but the five-year starter had not been connected to any teams thus far this offseason despite having a Pro Bowl under his belt and having graded well last season.

The 26-year-old safety has made 69 starts in his career. He bounced back from a season-ending 2016 injury to return to San Francisco’s starting lineup last season. The 49ers experimented with Reid at linebacker as well, but his primary work has come at safety since being taken in the 2013 first round.

Cincinnati has both of its 2017 starting safeties, Shawn Williams and George Iloka, under contract for this coming season. Pro Football Focus graded both as slightly above-average safeties, slotting Reid ahead of each. Rapoport reports (via Twitter) the Bengals are hoping to use more three-safety looks, having pursued Kurt Coleman earlier in free agency, and a Williams/Iloka/Reid setup would be one of the better trios in the league if Reid were to agree to terms. Rapoport adds this visit has been planned for a bit.

Andrew Luck Yet To Resume Throwing

April 9th, 2018 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

A January report indicated Andrew Luck was “very close” to resuming a throwing program. Well, as mid-April nears, he’s not there yet. Luck, though, did show up to Day 1 of Frank Reich‘s Colts program.

However, Indianapolis’ franchise player has yet to throw an NFL-sized football this offseason.

“I have not picked up The Duke and started throwing it yet,” Luck said, via Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter), about resuming throwing. “I don’t want to skip steps. I’m trusting the process I’m in now very, very much.”

Luck said (via Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, on Twitter) his return to the practice field in the fall required him to push too hard, something he “paid for” en route to IR and, eventually, Europe. Holder adds (via Twitter) Luck mentioned that his playing through injuries during the 2015 and ’16 seasons may be contributing to his current status. Holder doubts, based on Luck’s comments Monday, the seventh-year quarterback will participate in Indianapolis’ offseason program (Twitter link). Luck had hoped to partake in some of the Colts’ offseason work back in December.

The 28-year-old passer has a timetable but isn’t sharing that just yet, per Mike Chappell of Fox 59 (on Twitter). The Colts, of course, traded out of the No. 3 spot and collected high-value picks from the Jets to do so. They are not expected to draft a quarterback high, remaining committed to Luck’s recovery.

“I’ve made a lot of progress, but there’s still a bit of the road to go,” Luck said, via Chappell. “I’m very excited to be back in the building.”

Raiders, Khalil Mack Not Close On Extension

April 9th, 2018 at 12:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reggie McKenzie has long said he is targeting this offseason for a Khalil Mack extension, and that deal is expected to ensure the top Raiders talent is the NFL’s highest-paid defender. But this process has evidently encountered some turbulence.

Mack did not show for the first day of Jon Gruden‘s offseason program Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). This is out of the ordinary for Mack, who is going into his final year of his rookie contract (via the fifth-year option). And this might be contract-related.

The Raiders and Mack were discussing an extension, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets, adding the team was hoping to get this done quickly. But Gehlken reports the sides are not close on a deal. The Raiders made an offer in February, but that apparently was not a satisfactory proposal for Mack’s camp — now headed by the same agent, Joel Segal, who oversaw Trumaine Johnson playing two seasons on franchise tags.

Oakland finished up crucial contracts for Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson last offseason but, like every other team with a 2014 first-round pick who was in line for a new deal, pushed a Mack re-up to the back-burner because of the fifth-year option. Other than Mike Evans, none of the 2014 first-rounders have signed extensions yet. Mack is one of several star players among that contingent and, in a year when the cap has settled at $177MM, would be in line to not only surpass Von Miller‘s $19MM-AAV agreement (finalized in a $155MM cap year) but become the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year defender.

Since it’s just Day 1 of the offseason program, this is not considered a holdout. But with Mack having not been connected to a holdout like fellow ’14 draftees Aaron Donald or Odell Beckham Jr., it’s a situation to monitor.

Bills To Work Out Sam Darnold

April 9th, 2018 at 12:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bills representatives will travel to Los Angeles to work out Sam Darnold this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Darnold will throw for this contingent on Friday, per Rapoport. He’s a virtual certainty to go in the top five and probably in the top two, but the Bills have been widely reported to pursuing a path into the top five for the purposes of landing a quarterback.

Darnold has already visited the Browns, who have been the team most connected to him, and spent the most recent Friday working out for Broncos reps. He has a visit planned with the Giants, who are not certain to select a quarterback but are rumored to be Darnold fans to the point they wouldn’t pass on him at No. 2 if the Browns let him get there, and has a non-30 visit with the Chargers lined up.

The Bills have A.J. McCarron penciled in as their 2018 starter, but he’s viewed as a bridge passer while the Brandon Beane-run franchise targets a longer-term solution.

Checking In On 2018’s Restricted Free Agents

April 9th, 2018 at 11:31am CST by Dallas Robinson

The deadline for NFL restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with rival clubs is April 20, so RFAs have 11 more days to discuss deals with other teams. So far, only two RFAs — defensive lineman Xavier Williams and wide receiver Cameron Meredith — have inked offer sheets. The Cardinals declined to match Williams’ offer from the Chiefs, while the Bears are still mulling the terms of Meredith’s proposal from the Saints.

Other restricted free agents have also drawn varying degrees of interest. Saints wideout Willie Snead has worked out for and met with the Ravens, but hasn’t yet signed an offer sheet (Baltimore also reportedly sent a proposal to Meredith before he inked a deal with New Orleans). Bears cornerback Bryce Callahan, meanwhile, has been linked to the division-rival Vikings, but so far no offer sheet has been proferred.

In total, more than 30 restricted free agents have been tendered this offseason. Let’s take a look at where things stand with those RFAs:

Under Contract

Signed to offer sheet:

Second-round tender ($2.914MM):

Original round / right of first refusal tender ($1.907MM):

Signed extension:

Signed new one-year deal:

Unsigned

Second-round tender ($2.914MM):

Original round / right of first refusal tender ($1.907MM):

Giants C Brett Jones Signs RFA Tender

April 9th, 2018 at 10:31am CST by Dallas Robinson

Giants center Brett Jones has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, the club announced today. Jones will now be paid $2.941MM for the 2018 season.

Jones was one of 14 NFL restricted free agents to be tender at the second-round level, and he’s the sixth — following Falcons guard Ben Garland, Jaguars running back Corey Grant, Seahawks cornerback Justin Coleman, and Jets receiver Quincy Enunwa, and Steelers kicker Chris Boswell — to officially sign his tender. There was no rush for Jones to ink his tender, as RFAs have until April 20 to work out offer sheets with other clubs. However, it was always unlikely that any NFL team would have been willing to sacrifice a second-round pick in order to land Jones.

New York didn’t make an attempt to re-sign free agent Weston Richburg, meaning Jones will be the club’s starting center in 2018. He should be well-equipped for the role, as the 26-year-old started 13 games in place of the injured Richburg a season ago. Jones, who joined the Giants in 2015 after spending time in the Canadian Football League, graded as the NFL’s No. 18 center among 37 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Broncos Meet With Wyoming QB Josh Allen

April 9th, 2018 at 10:23am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos will meet with Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen on Monday, reports Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). This will mark the third time Denver has visited with Allen following summits at the Senior Bowl and the scouting combine.

Given that the Broncos hold the fifth overall pick, they could look to secure a franchise quarterback even after signing veteran Case Keenum last month. It’s not a given that one of the top four signal-callers will still be on the board at No. 5, but Denver has now met or plans to meet with Allen, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Baker Mayfield.

In addition to adding Keenum this offseason, the Broncos also traded former starter Trevor Siemian to the Vikings, leaving at least one void on the club’s quarterback depth chart. 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch is still on the roster, but he’s failed to produce despite numerous opportunities and doesn’t figure to factor into Denver’s long-term plans. Allen, or another one of the draft’s top signal-callers, would give the Broncos another option given that Keenum’s contract only runs through the 2019 campaign.

Allen is among the most divisive prospects in the 2018 draft, as the 6’5″, 230-pounder offers tantalizing physical tools but is short on results. During his final seasons at Wyoming, Allen completed only 56.3% of his passes for 1,812 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Cardinals To Meet With LB Connor Barwin

April 9th, 2018 at 9:26am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals will host free agent edge defender Connor Barwin this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

PFR ranked Barwin as a top-10 free agent pass rusher when the market opened roughly a month ago, and while he remains arguably the best edge defender still available, he’s drawn little interest thus far. The Rams reportedly expressed interest in re-signing Barwin in mid-March, but there haven’t been any developments on that front.

A robust market should have never been expected for Barwin, especially given that he’s entering his age-32 campaign and coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. While he played on 71% of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps a year ago, Barwin graded as the third-worst pass rusher in the NFL among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

If signed by Arizona, Barwin would slot in as a reserve for a defense that ranked 17th in pressure rate and 24th in adjusted sack rate in 2017. Given that NFL sack leader Chandler Jones and Markus Golden project as the Cardinals’ starting outside linebackers, Barwin could take over for Kareem Martin (who signed a three-year deal with the Giants) as Arizona’s rotational edge rusher.

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