2018 April - Pro Football Rumors

Lions Agree To Sign Matt Cassel

April 4th, 2018 at 3:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Cassel will join a seventh NFL team, reaching an agreement to sign with the Lions, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report ( Twitter link).

The Bob Quinn– and Matt Patricia-run team will bring in a veteran to work behind Matthew Stafford. Both were with the Patriots when Cassel worked behind Tom Brady during the 2000s.

Released by the Titans last month, Cassel is entering his age-36 season. He has not been a regular starter since his days with the Chiefs. But he did make several starts with the Vikings and Cowboys before becoming Marcus Mariota‘s backup and serving in that role the past two years.

The Lions have 2016 sixth-round pick Jake Rudock on their roster. Rudock was drawing trade interest last year and has worked behind Stafford over the past two years. Cassel is going into his 14th NFL season. He’s made 81 starts, with his teams going 36-45 in those, and is a career 59 percent passer with 104 touchdown tosses and 81 interceptions.

Patriots To Sign TE Troy Niklas

April 4th, 2018 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Troy Niklas‘ recent visit to New England will produce a contract. The Patriots are planning to sign the former Cardinals tight end, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, adding this is a one-year agreement.

Niklas will join a tight end corps that is expected to still house Rob Gronkowski, along with Dwayne Allen, but Gronk has yet to officially declare he will be back next season. Reports have indicated he will return, however.

A 2014 Cardinals second-round pick, Niklas has just 19 career receptions for 203 yards. Interestingly, Pro Football Focus was much fonder of his 2017 receiving skills than when he attempted to block during running plays, grading Niklas as the second-worst run-blocking tight end in football last season. PFF, though, viewed him as a much better run-blocking presence in previous years.

Niklas has battled injuries throughout his career, twice playing in seven or fewer games in a season. He suited up for 15 last year, however.

The Patriots’ acquisition of Allen did not pay immediate dividends, but there is now another option on the team — and one that likely will come at a low cost.

Chargers Meeting With Top QBs In Draft

April 4th, 2018 at 2:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers have not needed to worry about a starting quarterback for most of this century, and Philip Rivers has not given indications he’s eyeing near-future retirement. But the team is going to continue to look at passing prospects.

Having already been linked to a Josh Rosen meeting, the Chargers have already met with — or are planning to visit with — the top five quarterbacks in this draft. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), the Bolts are planning visits for Rosen and Sam Darnold, which won’t count toward their 30 prospect summits because they are Los Angeles-based.

Los Angeles, per Rapoport (on Twitter), also recently worked out or met with the other three — Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson. But quarterback meetings took place between Bolts brass and recent drafts’ higher-end passing prospects in the past, only for the Rivers-Kellen Clemens setup to remain in place for years. Now, the Chargers are going with Geno Smith behind Rivers. With only Cardale Jones also in the picture, the team does not have an obvious succession plan.

But the Chargers aren’t exactly in position to select one of the top four passers, and Jackson and Rivers possess wildly disparate skill sets. And with the 36-year-old Rivers possibly set to play out his through-2019 contract and pursue another extension, it’s possible these visits will continue the recent pattern. The Chargers hold the No. 17 pick in the first round.

Giants Expected To Sign William Gay

April 4th, 2018 at 2:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants are on the verge of adding more help to their cornerback corps, a group that endured constant tumult last season.

William Gay is visiting the Giants on Thursday, and it looks like the sides have agreed on terms in advance of it, with former Gay teammate Bryant McFadden, now at CBS Sports, reporting (on Twitter) only a pending physical stands in the way of the longtime Steelers corner joining the Giants. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv also reports this deal is expected to happen.

Big Blue stands to return Janoris Jenkins and as of now is moving forward with Eli Apple in the fold. The Giants, though, cut Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie last month. Each of these players was suspended for a game last season.

Gay is entering his age-33 season. He played 10 years in Pittsburgh and started 102 games. He’s played 11 NFL seasons, with a 2012 layover in Arizona sandwiched between lengthy Pittsburgh runs. The Steelers released their longest-tenured defender last month. He had lost his starting spot but remained incredibly durable. Since arriving in western Pennsylvania in 2007, Gay had never missed a game.

Vacchiano notes the Giants had hoped to keep the player who replaced Gay in Pittsburgh, Ross Cockrell, but he signed with the Panthers. The New York-based reporter expects Gay to step in and become the Giants’ third corner.

Another of Gay’s former teammates, Deshea Townsend, is now the Giants’ assistant defensive backs coach. Townsend described Apple as having “God-given ability most people don’t have,” and both he and new DC James Bettcher are willing to work with the 2016 first-rounder. The team appears set to bring in some veteran leadership as well.

Jets Divided On Rookie QB Class

April 4th, 2018 at 1:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2018 draft will bring one of the more unique quarterback pools in memory, with four passers likely going in the top 10 and possibly all coming off the board in the top five. Only with less than a month until the draft, the pecking order remains wildly uncertain.

One team with a decision to make will be the Jets, and they’re divided about this quarterback class at the current juncture, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. They are not the only team going through the deliberation process, with the Browns — who are visiting with all four of the top prospects this week — finalizing their preference as well.

But Gang Green surrendered a bounty of picks to move up to the No. 3 spot, so some pressure is on Mike Maccagnan to get this pick right. Mehta notes that when the team made the move from No. 6 to No. 3, Baker Mayfield lagged behind the three other high-profile passers. Now, there’s been plenty of buzz about the Jets being ready to pull the trigger on the Oklahoma product.

Several Jets officials “love” Josh Allen‘s skill set, and the team has been connected to the Wyoming signal-caller since before its draft standing was established. The Jets were believed to have done the most work on Allen as of last season. Others in the organization, per Mehta, aren’t certain the Mountain West quarterback is right for New York.

Mayfield’s intangibles continue to impress many Jets officials, but his 6-foot frame and smaller hands are providing concerns, Mehta writes, adding that Mayfield’s footwork has even drawn scrutiny for some. Others point to his dominance in college — 70.8 completion percentage from 2016-17 — as reasons the footwork won’t be an issue. A consensus of sorts, though, points to the Jets preferring Sam Darnold over Mayfield. Although, Darnold is not expected to make it past both the Browns and Giants. Execs expect the Giants, who are not certain to take a quarterback, to pull the trigger on Darnold if the Browns go with Allen.

Additionally, Mehta notes the Patriots are fans of Mayfield. And after their Brandin Cooks trade, they have a major additional resource — the Rams’ No. 23 overall pick — to attempt a possible trade-up to acquire a quarterback. Said passer, investment-wise, would be the franchise’s most significant effort to appoint a Tom Brady successor. Mehta adds the Bills remain in hot pursuit of a trade into the franchise-quarterback sector of the draft. And Buffalo’s stockpile of picks may be enough to outflank the Patriots, whom Mehta does not expect to be able to strike a deal with the Giants for the No. 2 selection.

Falcons Re-Sign Kemal Ishmael

April 4th, 2018 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second straight offseason, the Falcons and Kemal Ishmael have agreed to terms on a one-year deal. The team announced Wednesday the safety will remain in the fold.

A seventh-round pick in 2013, Ishmael has played his entire career with the Falcons. He saw action in all 16 regular-season games last season, representing depth.

The 25-year-old defender saw action at both safety and linebacker last season, playing 126 defensive snaps. A Falcons/Ishmael reunion was rumored late last month and the organization clearly likes what the the former Central Florida defender brings to the table.

Ishmael’s 12 special teams tackles were tied for 12th last season and second among Falcons. He’s now in line to continue working in this capacity in 2018. Atlanta placed a second-round RFA tender on Ricardo Allen and has Keanu Neal signed as its other starting safety. The team is currently light on backup linebackers, an area that will likely be addressed in the draft, however.

Giants Schedule Pre-Draft Visits With QBs, RB Saquon Barkley

April 4th, 2018 at 11:42am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants plan to meet with the draft’s top four quarterbacks — USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, and Wyoming’s Josh Allen — next week, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, New York will also used one of its 30 allotted pre-draft visits on Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, tweets Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Provided the Browns select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, the Giants will have their choice of three signal-callers, Barkley, offensive lineman Quenton Nelson, or edge rusher Bradley Chubb with the second pick. While New York intends to deploy veteran Eli Manning as its starting quarterback once again in 2018, the club could use this opportunity to find its passer of the future.

But Barkley would likely give the Giants a better chance to win in the near-term, as Big Blue’s running back depth chart is currently uninspiring. At present, New York has veteran Jonathan Stewart, plus recent draft picks Wayne Gallman and Paul Perkins, at running back, but Barkley would immediately take over as the club’s starter if drafted.

Jets WR Quincy Enunwa Signs RFA Tender

April 4th, 2018 at 11:14am CST by Dallas Robinson

Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Enunwa will now be paid $2.914MM for the 2018 season.

Enunwa was one of 14 NFL restricted free agents to be tender at the second-round level, and he’s the fourth — following Falcons guard Ben Garland, Jaguars running back Corey Grant, and Seahawks cornerback Justin Coleman — to officially sign his tender. There was no rush for Enunwa 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 Enunwa.

A second-round pick is a steep price for any restricted free agent, but even more so for Enunwa given his recent health issues. Enunwa, 25, is coming off neck surgery for a bulging disc, and while Schefter reports the fourth-year wideout is experiencing full range of motion, no club was likely to take a risk on Enunwa while giving up a second-rounder.

That’s not to say Enunwa isn’t talented, as the former sixth-round pick broke out for 58 receptions, 857 yards, and four touchdowns in 2016 before missing all of last season. If healthy, he’ll be part of a Jets wide receiver depth chart that includes two new additions in Terrelle Pryor and Andre Roberts, plus holdovers Jermaine Kearse, Robby Anderson, Chad Hansen, and ArDarius Stewart, among others.

Ravens Sign QB Robert Griffin III

April 4th, 2018 at 10:49am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens have signed quarterback Robert Griffin III to a one-year deal, the club announced today. It’s a $1MM deal with a small signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Baltimore has reportedly had interest in Griffin for some time, as the team nearly signed the former No. 2 overall pick last season. Griffin also turned down an offer from the Cardinals, and eventually sat out the entirety of the 2017 campaign. The Ravens recently brought in Griffin for a workout, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, and a subsequent visit led to a deal that was hammered out on Tuesday night.

RG3, of course, was at one time among the most dynamic talents in the NFL. As a Redskins rookie in 2012, Griffin posted 3,200 passing yards and 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions, and added another 815 yards and seven scores on the ground. That performance helped Washington to a postseason berth and led to Griffin being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Injuries and ineffectiveness took a toll on Griffin over the next two seasons, however, and the Redskins ultimately benched him in favor of Kirk Cousins. Washington declined to allow Griffin to see the field at all in 2015, as a serious injury would have triggered an expensive guarantee on his fifth-year option. A two-year, $15MM deal brought RG3 to the Browns in 2016, but health issues limited him once again, and he appeared in just five games before being released last spring.

Griffin is now slotted in as the Ravens’ backup quarterback behind starter Joe Flacco, and his addition almost surely means Baltimore will not re-sign former No. 2 signal-caller Ryan Mallett. Flacco has been extremely durable during his decade-long career, so there’s no guarantee that Griffin will see any action during the regular season.

Titans To Host WR Michael Campanaro

April 4th, 2018 at 10:36am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans are expected to meet with free agent wide receiver Michael Campanaro, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).

Tennessee is searching for a new slot receiver, as 2017 slot man Eric Decker is currently a free agent. The Titans are also expected to host Jordan Matthews, and while he and Campanaro are very different receivers, they’ve both spent most of their time inside. At present, Tennessee’s wideout depth chart is topped by Rishard Matthews and 2017 first-rounder Corey Davis, with Taywan Taylor, Tajae Sharpe, Darius Jennings, and Zach Pascal in reserve.

Campanaro, 27, had managed only 12 total receptions during his first three years in the league, but topped that total alone with the Ravens in 2017. Not only did Campanaro post 19 receptions for 173 yards, but he served as Baltimore’s primary punt returner, averaging 10.8 yards per return while adding one touchdown. The Titans, for their part, used first-round rookie Adoree’ Jackson as a punt returner last season, but it’s possible Campanaro could take over that role if Tennessee wants to give Jackson a breather.

The Titans have been speaking with Campanaro’s agent for several weeks, but they aren’t the only club with interest in the wideout, per Zrebiec (Twitter link). The Ravens are still open to re-signing Campanaro, while “a few” other unidentified teams have also checked in, according to the Baltimore Sun scribe.