Month: April 2018

Odell Beckham Jr. To Report To Giants

In the midst of trade talk, in the wake of a video that could get him into some hot water, and coming off a 2017 season largely ruined by an ankle injury, Odell Beckham Jr. will be at the Giants’ facility tomorrow for the first day of the team’s offseason conditioning program, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson (via Twitter). Per Anderson, Beckham wants to “check in, work out in the gym, and meet with some people.”

Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com says that Beckham, who is scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to New Jersey later today, wants to make a goodwill gesture. Big Blue is trying to reshape its culture under new head coach Pat Shurmur and new GM Dave Gettleman, and Beckham’s presence will allow the team to take a look at his ankle and will allow him to show that he is buying in to the team’s culture. Shurmur said last month that he expected the star wideout to be present for the offseason program, which is voluntary and which Beckham was not present for last year.

It is in Beckham’s best interests, of course, to be a good soldier at this point. Even after the disappointment of 2017, he could still land a massive contract with up to $60MM in guaranteed money, but the team has never entered into serious negotiations with him. Now, as he is set to play out the 2018 season under the fifth-year option of his rookie contract (for a “modest” $8.5MM), it’s time for the Giants to make a decision about Beckham’s long-term future in New York.

We heard yesterday that the Giants are unlikely to trade the former first-round pick unless they are blown away by an offer, and it is clear they want to keep him in the fold. But they want to see him grow up a bit, and perhaps his attendance at the offseason program is one way of showing his willingness to do that. However, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Beckham is mostly reporting tomorrow for a medical check, and that he will not be back for “a long while” without a new contract in hand. Similarly, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv tweets that it is unknown how long Beckham will stay. We will have to wait and see, then, what Beckham’s intentions are.

Draft Notes: Nelson, Evans, Patriots

The 2018 draft class is considered to be one of the deepest in recent memory with respect to quarterback talent, and the quarterbacks are understandably dominating draft-related stories. But there are plenty of other collegiate players with the potential to dominate at the next level, so let’s round up a few non-QB draft notes:

  • Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com believes there is a “decent” chance that the Giants trade down from their No. 2 overall selection, and if they do, he believes Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson would be the target. Nelson is widely-regarded as the safest bet in the draft.
  • Because there is so much QB talent in the draft, as many as six signal-callers could be taken before New England’s No. 23 overall pick rolls around. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com observes, that could allow the Patriots to land the type of player it rarely gets the chance to select, as they are typically picking at the end of the first round. Reiss suggests that Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans could be the team’s target, as he would provide much-needed speed at the LB position.
  • Alabama DT Da’Ron Payne, an excellent run-stuffer who has the skills to become a quality pass-rusher as well, will meet with the Bengals tomorrow, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union thinks the Jaguars need another TE who can threaten the middle of the field to take attention off their outside receivers, and he believes Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews would be a good fit for Jacksonville’s No. 29 overall selection.
  • Florida DT Taven Bryan has been generating a lot of buzz lately, per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, who tweets that the Gator could be a top-25 pick. Miller suggests the Falcons, who are working out another DT in N.C. State’s B.J. Hill, could be a fit.
  • Miller tweets that three offensive tackles are considered locks for Round 1: Texas’ Connor Williams, Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey, and UCLA’s Kolton Miller.
  • UCF’s Mike Hughes has a great deal of upside and is the No. 15 overall prospect in Daniel Jermiah’s most recent Top 50 rankings. However, Miller believes that, because of Hughes’ off-field concerns, he could be the fourth or fifth CB off the board (Twitter link).
  • There are four linebackers expected to be taken in the first round, per Miller (via Twitter): Evans, Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds, Boise State’s Leighton Vander Esch, and Georgia’s Roquan Smith. Miller says Edmunds’ stock is rising rapidly and that he should be a top-10 selection.

Ravens Made Offer To Cam Meredtih

The Ravens have made a concerted effort to revamp their receiving corps this offseason, and to that end, they extended an offer to Bears’ restricted free agent Cameron Meredith, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Meredith, however, ultimately decided to sign an offer sheet with the Saints, and Chicago has until Wednesday to either match the offer sheet or let Meredith depart for New Orleans without receiving any draft compensation.

The offer sheet is a two-year, $9.6MM pact ($5.4MM guaranteed), and while Hensley does not give the specifics of Baltimore’s offer, he does indicate that the Ravens’ small amount of cap room limited their ability to potentially bring Meredith into the fold. The Ravens’ salary cap situation also kept them out of the market for the top free agent wideouts this offseason, though the team has done well to acquire Michael Crabtree and John Brown.

Meredith would have been a nice complement to Crabtree and Brown, and we heard at the end of last month that Baltimore was higher on Meredith than other players the team has recently brought in for a visit (Willie Snead and Michael Floyd). But Snead, a restricted free agent of the Saints, would represent a solid option as a slot receiver, and the Ravens may ultimately circle back to him. After all, he will probably cost less than Meredith, and it seems unlikely that New Orleans would match an offer sheet (particularly if the Saints wind up with Meredith).

Even if they do acquire another receiver like Snead in free agency, the Ravens should target a WR and a pass-catching TE in the early rounds of the draft.

Aldon Smith Arrested

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Aldon Smith, who had a bench warrant issued for him at the end of March for failing to appear at a hearing — and who was arrested just a week before for violating a protective order stemming from a domestic violence incident — was arrested again on Friday. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via TMZ), Smith’s most recent arrest was due to his violating the terms of his electronic monitoring (he currently wears a GPS and a device that measures alcohol in his sweat, though it is unclear which of those devices triggered the arrest).

Bail has been set at $500K, and another hearing is set for April 11. He currently remains incarcerated, according to San Francisco County Jail records, and in addition to the underlying domestic violence charges, he is now facing three separate contempt of court charges. The TMZ report also indicated that Smith’s fiance, Shawna McKnight, has decided to end her relationship with Smith.

It was already almost a foregone conclusion that Smith, the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft, would never suit up in the NFL again after the Raiders released him a month ago. But in just 59 career regular season games, he posted 47.5 sacks (to go along with 5.5 sacks in eight postseason contests), so he was certainly on pace to be an all-time great pass-rusher. Now one just has to hope he can get his post-football life on track.

He has not seen the field since November 15, 2015, which will likely go down as his last NFL game.

Latest On Russell Wilson’s Future In Seattle

We recently heard that the Seahawks could explore a new deal with quarterback Russell Wilson next offseason, and that such a contract could carry an AAV of $30MM. However, even if the two sides do ultimately come to terms, the negotiations are not expected to be pretty.

Several weeks ago, Seattle GM John Schneider attended the pro day for Wyoming signal-caller Josh Allen — one of the top QB prospects in this year’s draft — and as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (citing a segment from the NFL Network’s Jim Trotter) writes, Wilson’s camp wanted to know why. Indeed, agent Mark Rodgers or someone on his team called the Seahawks and asked “if there is anything we need to know.”

While Wilson, who is under club control through 2019, will remain under center for Seattle in 2018, Condotta writes that both sides have sent an “opening salvo” in what he believes will be contentious contract discussions. The club is letting it be known that it is exploring quarterback options — even though there is virtually no chance it could land Allen even if it wanted to — and Wilson’s camp is letting it be known that it is taking note.

The last negotiations between player and team were hardly smooth, and the way they unfolded suggested that anything was possible down the road. And, for the first time in Wilson’s career, the Seahawks have made significant changes to their offensive coaching staff, and one of the reasons for those changes was to get more out of Wilson. As such, Wilson’s future in Seattle will largely hinge on what happens this season. If all goes well, then it will be easier for the two sides to commit to each other for the foreseeable future. If not, then both parties will be exploring alternatives.

The Chargers, who have not needed to look for a QB for a long time, are meeting with the top signal-callers in the 2018 rookie class, and Trotter mentioned the Bolts as a potential trade partner for the Seahawks if they try to deal Wilson. Wilson, who typically spends much of his offseason in SoCal, would likely be amenable to that scenario, per Condotta.

Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says the most likely outcome is another long-term deal between Wilson and the Seahawks, but he, like Condotta, expects the road to that deal to be a bumpy one.

Josh Allen To Visit Jets?

Will Josh Allen visit the Jets at their Florham Park facility, or won’t he? There are conflicting reports on that front, as we heard from Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com earlier this week that Allen would indeed be making the trek to New Jersey, but last night Rich Cimini of ESPN.com suggested that would not be the case.

However, Mehta tweeted this morning that Allen will, in fact, meet with the Jets at Florham Park, so we still do not really know if the two sides will summit again. The Jets did recently go to Wyoming to have a private workout with Allen, so it could be that they have enough intel on the signal-caller to make an informed decision. After all, as of last season, the Jets were believed to have done more work on Allen than any other club.

At the very least, New York may not be considering Sam Darnold as strongly as Allen, Baker Mayfield, and Josh Rosen. The Jets are not planning to meet privately with the USC product, either at their facility or elsewhere. They did attend Darnold’s Pro Day, and GM Mike Maccagnan was in attendance when Darnold’s Trojans battled Rosen’s Bruins in November, but they may not view him as highly as the other three top prospects (though they could just believe Darnold will be off the board by the time they are on the clock with the No. 3 overall selection and do not want to waste their time).

And although the Jets do plan to meet with Rosen, there has been more buzz connecting Gang Green to Mayfield and Allen than the UCLA QB. Mayfield is slated to meet with the Giants today and tomorrow before heading off for his visit with the Jets immediately thereafter.

Extra Points: Manziel, Saints, Broncos, Webster

Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel kicked off his comeback efforts today in Texas, playing two quarters in the Spring League. NFL teams took notice, with at least eight teams sending representatives, according to Yahoo’s Charles Robinson (Twitter link).

Robinson also noted that at least 17 NFL teams have caught a glimpse of Manziel this week as he ramped up activities. Though it is a long way from the NFL, the appearance marked Manziel’s first on a professional field since December 2015.

Manziel’s overall goal, of course, is to land an NFL contract and he is reportedly willing to accept a practice squad deal with no guaranteed money to prove that he belongs in the league. If he can not catch on with a team, the Heisman Trophy winner has not ruled out a move to the CFL.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • After the trade of Aqib Talib, the Broncos could use a little depth at the cornerback spot. According to Denver 7 ABC’s Troy Renck, former Denver defensive back Kayvon Webster be interested in returning to the team (Twitter link). Renck notes the Broncos are more likely to see what their options are in the draft before bringing back Webster, who played four seasons in Denver before spending time with the Rams in 2017.
  • The Lions have an opening at tight end after the departure of Eric Ebron to the Colts. The team thinks 2017 rookie Michael Roberts could fill that role, Tim Twentyman of detroitlions.com writes. Roberts only caught four passes during his first season in the league, but the fourth-round pick does offer intriguing upside. As a senior at Toledo, he hauled in a whopping 16 touchdowns.
  • In February, Michigan defensive tackle and potential first-round pick Maurice Hurst was not allowed to participate in the NFL Combine after doctors discovered a heart condition. He was not later needed for a medical recheck, a common practice in the NFL, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. A recheck is only needed when further imaging or examination is deemed necessary.

 

Poll: What Should Giants Do At No. 2?

With the Browns likely to take a quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft later this month, the attention is now firmly on what the Giants will do with the very next pick.

Just a year ago, the team entered the 2017 season as one of the favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LII. With the acquisition of veteran pass catcher Brandon Marshall and the core of its standout defense in tact, the team seemed destined to at least challenge for a playoff spot. That, of course, was not the case. Marshall and Odell Beckham Jr. suffered season-ending injuries, the defense was not what was expected and the team stumbled to an almost unthinkable 3-13 finish.

Down the stretch, the team even benched longtime quarterback Eli Manning to get a look at Geno Smith. That move seemed to mark the end of Manning’s time in New York, but he is now set to return for his 15th season in the Big Apple. Which puts the team in an interesting spot.

With the No. 2 pick in a draft full of quarterback prospects and a 37-year-old signal-caller at the helm, the logical move would be to snap up a Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen or Baker Mayfield with the pick at let them learn behind a two-time Super Bowl winner.

But the team is hoping that last season was an aberration, and with a new general manager in the fold in Dave Gettleman, the Giants could be looking for a quick rebound in 2018. If that is the route, the team could pounce on Penn State running back Saquon Barkley at No. 2, similar to how the Cowboys took Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4 in 2016, and field a formidable offense. 

With the Giants moving to a 3-4 defense in 2018, the team traded longtime defensive end and unlikely scheme fit Jason Pierre-Paul to Tampa Bay in the offseason. That seemed to signal a move toward N.C. State pass rusher and near-unanimous top defensive player in the draft Bradley Chubb being the target. Chubb himself is more suited for the 4-3, however, and might not reach his full potential in the scheme.

New York could also look to protect Manning with Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, heralded by most draft pundits as a can’t-miss prospect. If that route came to fruition, Nelson could be the target if the team decided to trade back with another quarterback-hungry team craving the No. 2 spot.

So, what do you think? Should the Giants go after one of the top quarterbacks, take arguably the top player in the draft in Barkley, add a dynamic defender in Chubb, fortify their offensive line with Nelson or stockpile assets with a trade down? Take PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!

NFC East Notes: Giants, Jeffery, Redskins

Moving to a 3-4 defense, the Giants traded Jason Pierre-Paul to a team that uses a 4-3 scheme. But the Giants do not view Bradley Chubb‘s seemingly superior fit for a 4-3 look as a deal-breaker. New Giants DC James Bettcher doesn’t believe Chubb having played only in a 4-3 setup as enough of a deterrent for the team to automatically pass on him. However, Chubb is 6-foot-4 and 269 pounds, a large frame for an outside ‘backer.

Look at Markus Golden who came out of college in Missouri as a 4-3 defensive end who had his hand in the ground,” Bettcher said, via Tom Rock of Newsday. “Comes out and two years later has double-digit sacks in this scheme. You talk about Chandler Jones who was in New England as a 4-3 defensive end and came to this scheme. It’s just like anything else, there are new things you have to learn, but it’s still playing football. It’s still rushing off the edge.”

Of course, the Giants aren’t exactly going to say Chubb is out of the question for their scheme, since the N.C. State talent could entice a pass rush-seeking team to trade up. The perceived gap between Chubb and the rest of the edge-rushing class could create a market for the Giants’ No. 2 pick that goes beyond the quarterback position. But Bettcher at least is playing the part of a coach who does not believe that Chubb’s run as a 4-3 end will be too much of a deterrent for his 3-4 approach. Chubb visited the Giants on Thursday.

Here’s more out of the Big Apple, along with a couple of other NFC East cities.

  • A team that’s largely regarded linebacker as a second- or third-tier position for many years, the Giants have now committed a staggering amount to that position compared to how it was represented on the 2017 payroll. Former first-round pick Alec Ogletree, and his $10.5MM-per-year deal that ranks third among all off-ball ‘backers, is now in the fold. And, somewhat quietly, the Giants added outside linebacker Kareem Martin for $5MM per year. Last season’s Giants did not have close to that capital allocated to any of its linebackers. Big Blue’s linebacker spending is also spiking considerably as well because of Olivier Vernon‘s relocation to outside ‘backer, Rock writes. Vernon’s $17MM-AAV figure is second only to Von Miller at this position.
  • Out until at least training camp because of rotator cuff surgery, Alshon Jeffery was confronted with the possibility of this surgery occurring last summer and nullifying his 2017 season. Having just signed a one-year Eagles deal and eyeing a big payday, Jeffery did not think that arrangement was going to work for him. “I was like, ‘No, there’s no way you’re going to do that,” Jeffery said (via Les Bowen of Philly.com) of a 2017 surgery. “We got to figure out another situation.'” Despite playing through a significant shoulder malady, Jeffery caught 57 passes for 789 yards and nine touchdowns. He added three more TDs in the playoffs.
  • It’s not out of the question that 2018 is Josh Norman‘s last year with the Redskins, Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington writes. Although the Redskins would still have $6MM in dead money if they were to release Norman after this season, they’d create $8.5MM in cap space. Norman’s 2019 cap figure is $14.5MM. He remains the league’s highest-paid cornerback despite two free agency periods having passed since his Washington agreement. While it’s fairly early to navigate against the 2019 cap, Washington is projected to hold the second-lowest amount of cap space next year.

AFC Notes: Browns, Allen, Ravens, Broncos

Quarterbacks have justifiably dominated draft-centric Browns conversations this offseason, but Joe Thomas‘ retirement has left a hole the franchise hasn’t had to worry about since the Romeo Crennel regime. And as of now, the Browns have shifted Shon Coleman from right to left tackle, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com notes. With Chris Hubbard having been signed to play right tackle, the 6-foot-6 Coleman — a 2016 third-round pick who started all 16 games at right tackle last season — Coleman finds himself with either an opportunity to replace a legend or on the verge of being demoted. An anonymous NFL exec, per Pluto, does not believe John Dorsey will go into training camp with Coleman stationed atop the Browns’ depth chart at left tackle. Pro Football Focus preferred Coleman’s pass-blocking work to his ability to open running lanes, bestowing a middling overall grade upon the young blocker, but Coleman’s 14 penalties were the most among tackles last year.

Thomas replacement Spencer Drango, a 2016 fifth-rounder, gave up 11 sacks — most in the league in 2017. The exec floated the idea of the Browns trading down from No. 4 and selecting a tackle, but the team holds the Nos. 33 and 35 overall picks that could be used on a tackle without sacrificing prime first-round real estate.

Here’s the latest from the AFC:

  • Contrary to a previous report, the Jets do not have a Josh Allen visit scheduled, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. However, Gang Green brass did trek to Wyoming this week to observe a private workout. The Jets have been linked to Allen for months, and several team officials “love” the 6-foot-5 quarterback’s skill set. Allen has also been connected to the Browns and is among the four passers visiting the Giants next week.
  • As he did for Texans owner Bob McNair‘s deposition in his collusion lawsuit, Colin Kaepernick attended those of Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. The Ravens duo’s depositions have been completed. The team was linked to Kaepernick in 2017 but did not end up signing him. Conflicting reports came out over the past several months regarding Harbaugh’s interest in Kaepernick, who led two of Jim Harbaugh‘s best 49ers teams. The Ravens signed Robert Griffin III, who also did not play football in 2017, this week.
  • The Broncos cut ties with Britton Colquitt before the 2016 season because his salary was escalating out of the franchise’s comfort zone, but now they’ve landed Marquette King. He will make $2MM per year on average. King also confirmed there was a bit of a revenge measure associated with his signing with perhaps the Raiders’ biggest rivals. “I just wanted to find the best place that I thought I would fit,” King said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “I think there is somewhat of a revenge factor in there, too.” King punted for Dennis Allen– and Jack Del Rio-coached teams from 2012-17, but unlike the former Denver defensive coordinators, new Oakland HC Jon Gruden wasn’t a fan of the punter’s personality. King said the Broncos did not ask him to tame down his antics.
  • Expect the Broncos to try and get what they can for incumbent punter Riley Dixon, Klis notes. The Syracuse product selected in the seventh round in 2016 has two years remaining on his rookie deal, but being a punter coming off a down season, it’s possible the Broncos may simply have to waive Dixon. Klis observes a trend in Denver ditching or demoting core members of its 2017 special teams units, which struggled. ST coordinator Brock Olivo was fired after one season, Dixon has now been replaced and ex-UDFAs have been brought in to compete with Brandon McManus and long snapper Casey Kreiter.