HEADLINES

Month: June 2018

Patriots Discussed Gronk Trade

June 13th, 2018 at 11:03am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots owner Robert Kraft says last week’s trade buzz surrounding Rob Gronkowski was nothing but “hogwash.” However, it sounds like the Patriots did explore trading the tight end earlier in the offseason. The Pats were calling other teams about a possible Gronkowski trade as recently as three days before the draft, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. 

Incidentally, Gronkowski decided against retirement just two days before the draft, so one can’t help but wonder if the two events were related. It’s not clear how close the Patriots were to trading Gronkowski in the spring, or what they were seeking, but the notion of trading the tight end has at least been considered in New England.

In 2017, Gronk was on the field for 14 games, and managed 69 receptions, 1,084 yards, and eight touchdowns, all of which placed him within the top five among tight ends. When healthy, he is the most fearsome offensive weapon at his position and among the most dynamic talents in the game.

Gronk, who is signed through the 2019 campaign, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $8MM in 2018. New England has reportedly been working on “tweaking” his deal, but nothing has been agreed upon just yet.

Colts Try Out Keenan Lewis, Jacquies Smith

June 13th, 2018 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have eight tryout players on hand this week, including cornerback Keenan Lewis and defensive end Jacquies Smith (Twitter link via George Bremer of The Herald Bulletin). Wide receiver Paul McRoberts, cornerback Juante Baldwin, running back Jordan Huff, safety Tim Scott, defensive end Evan Panfil, and defensive end Christian French are also among those looking to hook on in Indy. 

Lewis, 32, has not played since the 2015 season when he suffered a leg injury. In 2016, the Saints released him as he was slow to recover from a hip malady. He nearly rejoined the Steelers in 2017, but a medical red flag kept him from signing. Pittsburgh doctors reportedly found that Lewis had undergone a “failed surgery” and he filed a grievance against the Saints this year to recoup some of his lost salary.

Lewis, a 2009 third-round pick of the Steelers, spent the first four seasons of his career in Pittsburgh. After serving as a reserve through his first few seasons, he started all 16 games for the Steelers in 2012, compiling 71 tackles and one forced fumble. He ended up signing a five-year, $26.3MM deal with New Orleans during the 2013 offseason, and he started all 32 games for the Saints in 2013 and 2014. However, he suited up just six times in 2015.

Smith, 28, established himself as a serviceable edge rusher for the Bucs (13.5 sacks from 2014-15) before a torn ACL ended his 2016 campaign after only one game. After working his way back to full health, Smith had played in his first contest of the year during Week 4 last year, but saw action on only seven snaps. Smith wound up signing with the Lions during their bye week in 2017, but did not play in any games for them. A second stint with Detroit later in the year resulted in two appearances for Smith, but he recorded only one tackle.

Seahawks Hire Ryan Grigson

June 13th, 2018 at 10:11am CST by Zachary Links

Former Colts GM Ryan Grigson is back in the NFL. The Seahawks have hired him to join their front office, according to an announcement from his agent.

[RELATED: Cowboys “Holding Out Hope” Of Acquiring Earl Thomas?]

Grigson, 46, was the Colts’ GM for five years until he was fired after the 2016 season. Outside of landing Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Coby Fleener, and Dwayne Allen his first draft, the rest of Grigson’s draft record was rather spotty. Meanwhile, his trade of a first-round pick for Browns draft bust Trent Richardson in 2013 probably stands as his most infamous move.

Grigson hooked on with the Browns in 2017, but he was let go by John Dorsey‘s regime. It’s not immediately clear what he’ll be doing in Seattle under GM John Schneider, but it’s likely to be scouting-focused. Officially, Grigson will serve as a consultant, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (Twitter link) hears.

Cardinals Likely To Add Free Agents Before Season?

June 12th, 2018 at 9:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals are likely to make a free agent addition before the 2018 season begins, as general manager Steve Keim noted on 98.7 FM Tuesday (story via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).

“I can’t forecast what we’re going to do, but we’ll certainly stay active and continue to look at a number of different positions and players out there on the market,” Keim said. “We’ve done that year in and year out and had some success with some of those guys later on. It’s constantly a fluid deal for us. We will continue to look at the market and gauge where the money goes with certain players. And be aggressive, trying to improve this roster.

“Probably a signing that not many expected, or late in the process that we’ve had success with,” Keim added when asked what type of addition to expect. “Generally they are a guy who we talked to through free agency and the summer, whether it is a Jermaine Gresham, whether it is a Tramon Williams, John Abraham, guys that for whatever reason, whether it is injuries, whether it is financial, things that have changed that these football players are ready to get off the couch and go.”

As Urban indicates, the Cardinals have recently met with two high-profile free agent defensive backs in corner Bashaud Breeland and safety Jamar Taylor, but didn’t reach an agreement with either. Arizona will reportedly re-evaluate Breeland — whose original three-year, $24MM deal with the Panthers was nullified due to a failed physical — later this summer. Boston, meanwhile, has taken other visits, but is part of a safety crop which never got off the ground in free agency.

After signing their entire draft class, the Cardinals still have nearly $16MM in available cap space, per Over the Cap, so the club should have ample funds to deploy on veteran free agents in the coming weeks.

Jets In “No Rush” To Extend DT Leonard Williams

June 12th, 2018 at 8:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets are in “no rush” to extend the contract of defensive tackle Leonard Williams, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.

Because he is a former first-round pick, Williams is under Jets control through the 2019 campaign thanks to his fifth-year option. Williams, 23, is scheduled to earn nearly $3MM in base salary for the upcoming season before seeing his pay balloon to $14.2MM in 2019. Given his contract structure, Williams isn’t an immediate priority for New York, and Williams has indicated he’s not concerned about his next deal.

However, Williams does seem to have some sort of monetary goal in mind. When asked if he wants to become the league’s highest-paid defensive lineman, Williams hedged with his answer. “It’s one of my goals to be one of the best players, one of the best defensive linemen,” Williams said, per Cimini. “When that comes, then I think the money comes with it.”

Williams has completed three NFL seasons, meaning he is now eligible for an extension. The former sixth overall selection, Williams earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2016 and graded as the No. 21 interior defender in 2017, per Pro Football Focus. He’s appeared in all 48 possible games during his career, and last season posted two sacks and 22 tackles in 16 starts.

Thus far, no member of the 2015 draft class has inked an extension.

Saints Notes: Ingram, Davenport, Koo

June 12th, 2018 at 8:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Running back Mark Ingram is back at Saints practice after skipping organized team activities in May, tweets Nick Underhill of the Advocate. Ingram’s presence doesn’t come as a surprise, as he indicated late last month that he’d been in attendance for mandatory minicamp. A free agent at the end of the 2018 season, Ingram will begin the campaign by serving a four-game performance-enhancing drug suspension. New Orleans figures to hand a full workload to second-year running back Alvin Kamara, although the club is scheduled to audition veteran runners Jamaal Charles and Terrance West this week.

Here’s more on the Saints:

  • Rookie defensive end Marcus Davenport will undergo thumb surgery on a minor injury, but is expected to return in time for training camp, as Underhill writes in a full piece. Davenport will wait until after minicamp to have the operation, so he’s unlikely to miss any practice sessions. The Saints sacrificed a great deal of draft capital in order to land Davenport, trading two first-round selections and a fifth-rounder for the right to move up to pick No. 14. While Davenport’s injury seems negligible, New Orleans should have enough defensive end depth if he does end up missing significant action, as Alex Okafor (recovering from his own injury), Trey Hendrickson, and George Johnson, among others, are available.
  • In addition to Charles and West, the Saints plan to work out a number of players during their minicamp, including kicker Younghoe Koo (Twitter link via Larry Holder of NOLA.com); wide receiver Kevin Snead, tight end Jack Tabb, punter Jonathan Hernandez, and offensive lineman Trevor Darling (Twitter links via Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com); and wide receiver Josh Smith (Twitter link via Underhill). Of the group, Koo is the only member with NFL experience, as he spent four games as the Chargers’ kicker in 2017 before being waived.
  • In case you missed it, the Saints were one of five teams to use a post-June 1 release designation, meaning they were able to free up $3MM in cap space on June 1 as a result of tight end Coby Fleener‘s release.

Bengals, DE Carlos Dunlap Making Progress On Extension

June 12th, 2018 at 7:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bengals have made progress on a contract extension for Carlos Dunlap, as the veteran defensive end told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.

Dunlap staged something of a short-lived holdout by failing to attend organized team activities earlier this year, but Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis said Dunlap’s absence was “not a big deal.” Dunlap has since reported, and claims his missed practice sessions were not contract-related. Instead, Dunlap said he simply preferred to work out in Florida, although he did sacrifice a $300K bonus by doing so.

“All the comments and everything talking about the reasons for me not being here obviously hit home a little bit because they painted me to be a selfish guy, which was not my objective,” Dunlap said, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “My goal was to make sure I was in the best shape for when football starts so that I can be there for my team for the long haul.”

The Bengals have two high-profile defensive linemen entering contract seasons, as both Dunlap and defensive tackle Geno Atkins‘ deals expire after the 2018 campaign. While Cincinnati may view Atkins as a priority, Dunlap also needs a new pact, as the six-year, $40MM extension he signed in 2013 is now coming to a close. Dunlap, 29, will earn a base salary of $7MM for the upcoming season.

Dunlap is still an excellent player, as he’s averaged 10 sacks over the past three years and graded as the NFL’s No. 23 edge defender in 2017, per Pro Football Focus. But the Bengals have invested heavily in defensive ends in recent drafts, picking up Carl Lawson, Jordan Willis, and — most recently — Sam Hubbard.

Jets Audition DL Courtney Upshaw, WR Kamar Aiken

June 12th, 2018 at 6:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets are working out defensive lineman Courtney Upshaw and wide receiver Kamar Aiken, reports Calvin Watkins of Newsday (Twitter links).

Upshaw, 28, entered the league as an outside linebacker, but has since morphed into a defensive end/tackle hybrid (the same role he’d likely play in the Jets’ 3-4 scheme). After joining the Falcons in 2016, Upshaw recorded 23 tackles, one forced fumble, and a half-sack in 13 appearances (five starts). Last year, Upshaw had nine total tackles and one sack and played on just 226 snaps. His only known interest this year came from the Eagles, who met with him in early May.

Aiken, like Upshaw, posted a disappointing 2017 campaign: instead of running with the Colts’ second wide receiver job, Aiken managed only 155 receptions and 133 yards in 15 games (seven starts). His last meaningful production came in 2015, when the former undrafted free agent put up nearly 1,000 yards with the Ravens. In New York, he’d compete for time on a crowded wideout depth chart that also includes Terrelle Pryor, Jermaine Kearse, Robby Anderson, and Quincy Enunwa.

Latest On Colts QB Andrew Luck

June 12th, 2018 at 5:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has still not thrown a regulation-size football since October — while he resumed throwing today, Luck tossed a high school football during practice, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

This isn’t the first time Luck has used smaller-sized football as part of his rehabilitation process, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, who notes Luck previously threw kiddie-sized footballs in April. Luck, who missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with a shoulder injury, will be on a scaled-back schedule during training camp, per Holder, although Schefter reports Luck won’t have any physical limitations.

The story of Luck’s rehab, of course, is filled with stops and starts, and Colts management maintained at various points in 2017 that Luck was in no danger of missing the season. So while it’s fair to take today’s news with a grain of salt, Luck himself does appear to have a more optimistic view of his own health than he’d held previously. “Absolutely,” Luck said when asked if he’ll be ready for Week 1, tweets Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. “No knock on wood. I believe it in my bones.”

When healthy, Luck is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL: he posted more than 70 combined touchdowns in 2014 and 2016, and the 28-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler. But Luck was limited to only seven total games in 2015 and 2017, and it’s fair to wonder whether his shoulder will hold up for a full season.

Load More Posts