2020 March - Pro Football Rumors

Browns To Sign Austin Hooper

March 16th, 2020 at 11:41am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have reached agreement with Austin Hooper, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The deal will make Hooper the league’s highest paid tight end of all time. Hooper has also personally confirmed that the Browns are likely to land him (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).

“I’m definitely leaning Cleveland. Unless something comes up unexpected, then no question Cleveland is the leader,” Hooper said.

Once finalized, the deal will pay Hooper $42MM over four years, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. The pact includes $18.5MM fully guaranteed at signing with $23MM locked in through the first two years. The average annual value of $10.5MM makes Hooper the league’s best compensated TE in NFL history, putting him ahead of Jimmy Graham. Graham, before he was cut, was on a deal that paid him $10MM per annum.

Hooper has drawn interest from just about everyone in recent weeks and, unlike the incumbent Falcons, they had enough available cap room to swing a deal. The deal, for now, is a (teleconferenced) handshake. On Wednesday, the two sides can make things official when the 2020 league year officially begins.

In 13 games for Atlanta in 2019, the two-time Pro Bowler set career-highs in catches (75), receiving yards (787), and touchdowns (six). In Cleveland, Hooper would provide Baker Mayfield with yet another explosive offensive weapon. Last year, despite all of their immense talent, the Browns were unable to capitalize.

This year, things could be different under their new regime, and their aerial attack could be more dangerous than ever. Meanwhile, the Browns will keep their fingers crossed for the swift and full recoveries of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, both of whom are coming off of surgery. If they’re good to go, opposing defenses will have their hands full with Hooper, OBJ, Landry, and David Njoku, who would likely line up in two tight end sets with the team’s new high-priced addition.

Patriots TE Ben Watson Retires

March 16th, 2020 at 11:38am CST by Sam Robinson

For the second straight year, Ben Watson announced his retirement. The Patriots tight end will step away from the game, he announced Monday in a lengthy post (on Twitter). The expectation was for the two-stint Patriot to again retire, and Watson confirmed as such Monday.

Watson previously retired after his 2018 Saints season but backtracked on that, joining the Patriots in their effort to replace Rob Gronkowski. In doing so, Watson became the first pure tight end to play past his 39th birthday.

The 2004 first-round pick caught 17 passes for 173 yards last season. For his career, he will end up with a 547/6,058/44 line. Watson is one of just 20 tight ends to surpass 6,000 yards. The 16-year veteran sits 20th on the all-time receiving list at this position. Watson ended his career having played for the Patirots, Browns, Saints and Ravens.

While Watson will once again retire, he remains a part of the NFLPA’s executive committee. He was voted to stay on in his post last week.

CB Rumors: Harris, Bills, Jones, Dolphins, Trufant, Jets

March 16th, 2020 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

The latest on key cornerbacks from around the NFL:

The Jets remain zeroed in on James Bradberry, but they’re also in the hunt for a second free agent cornerback. That search could lead them to Desmond Trufant, Connor Hughes of The Athletic tweets. Trufant will be cut loose by at Atlanta this week.
The Dolphins are among the clubs that have discussed impending Dallas free agent Byron Jones, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. You can add Miami to the list of previously reported suitors for Jones, which includes the Jets, Raiders, and Eagles.
More from Anderson (via Twitter), who notes that the Bills are now in on veteran Chris Harris. They join the Cowboys, Bills, Jets, Raiders, and other clubs in search of the experienced secondary help that Harris would provide.

Raiders, Redskins, Seahawks Interested In Damarious Randall

March 16th, 2020 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

Damarious Randall views the Raiders, Redskins, and Seahawks as the most compelling suitors for his services, ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter) hears. The Browns safety is set to reach free agency on Wednesday and is currently in talks with teams as the “legal tampering” period gets underway.

Randall, 28 in August, was limited to just eleven games last year. Still, he notched 2.5 sacks – the first sacks of his pro career – while logging 61 total tackles and six passes defensed. Over the course of five years with the Packers and Browns, he’s appeared in 65 games with 56 starts and come away with 14 interceptions in that span.

For what it’s worth, Randall clashed with head coach Freddie Kitchens at times in 2019. However, he was far from the only player to butt heads with Kitchens, who has since been fired and replaced with Kevin Stefanski.

Tom Brady Market Down To Patriots, Buccaneers, Chargers?

March 16th, 2020 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

The tampering window has opened, and Tom Brady‘s options are narrowed. The Patriots legend is down to the Buccaneers, Chargers or a Pats return, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Several teams were linked to the 42-year-old superstar, but the 49ers and Raiders balked and the Titans — perhaps the most closely linked suitor — ended up extending Ryan Tannehill.

The Patriots also extended Devin McCourty and used their franchise tag on guard Joe Thuney, tying up funds going into the tampering period. Brady’s contract will void once the new league year starts at 3pm CT Wednesday. While the new CBA will allow the Pats to spread Brady’s $13.5MM cap hit out through 2021, the future Hall of Famer not re-signing by Wednesday afternoon will make matters tougher for the perennial power.

Both the Bucs and Bolts have the Pats outflanked in cap space, and each team has extensive skill-position weaponry under contract. The Chargers also took Hunter Henry, a potential Patriots target, off the market. Still, the exits of the 49ers and Titans figure to help the Patriots in their efforts to keep the all-time great. New England has also surfaced as a potential buyer in deals for wideouts or tight ends.

49ers, Arik Armstead Nearing Deal

March 16th, 2020 at 11:04am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers and Arik Armstead are on the verge of a brand new deal, Mike Florio of PFT (via Twitter) hears. That agreement is expected “very very soon,” he adds.

Many labeled Armstead as a bust early on, but he silenced critics with his performance in 2019. Pro Football Focus pegged the former first-rounder as the sixth-best edge defender out of 107 qualified players in the category. Meanwhile, Jadeveon Clowney ranked 20th, Shaquil Barrett ranked 25th, and Yannick Ngakoue ranked 36th. Barrett led the league with 19.5 sacks while Armstead recorded “just” ten sacks, but he had more quarterback hurries, which is perhaps a better indicator of sacks to come.

Some may say that Armstead is something of a one-hit wonder, dismissing his 2019 season as a well-timed burst before free agency. However, the talent has been there all along, and the Niners are confident that he’ll continue to build on that performance. It’s worth noting that Armstead has generated a hurry on over 9.2% of his pass-rush snaps over his career – none of the aforementioned players have topped 7.8%.

Along with Nick Bosa and Dee Ford, Armstead has helped to turn one of the Niners’ biggest weaknesses into the team’s greatest strength. With a new deal, SF will aim to keep that momentum going.

Vikings To Place Franchise Tag On Anthony Harris

March 16th, 2020 at 10:55am CST by Sam Robinson

Monday morning’s tag mania continues. A 13th team will use its tag. Less than ten minutes before the deadline, the Vikings will deploy their tag on safety Anthony Harris, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It will cost the Vikings $11.4MM to use this tag.

Harris was not viewed as a tag candidate, instead being set for free agency as one of the market’s top defenders. Now, he’ll be tethered to Minnesota’s payroll. The Vikings’ cuts of Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph, and their Kirk Cousins extension, helped create cap space to make a Harris tag possible.

Harris and Justin Simmons were the consensus top two options at the safety position, but the Broncos whittled that down recently by applying the franchise tag to their star in the secondary. Harris, a proven vet, has ranked among the league’s best safeties in his time with the Vikings. Understandably, the Vikes didn’t want to let him get away.

According to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus, Harris has been a top-five safety in each of the last two years. Between 2018 and 2019, he’s totaled nine interceptions, 17 passes defended, and 106 tackles.

Jets To Ramp Up Graham Glasgow Pursuit

March 16th, 2020 at 10:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are expected to “ramp up” their pursuit of Graham Glasgow, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic (on Twitter). They have little choice at this point – Patriots offensive lineman Joe Thuney was believed to be their top target, but he has been yanked from the open market after the Patriots used the franchise tag on him.

The Lions, meanwhile, are poised to let the interior lineman walk.

“I’m bummed that I’m not able to stay cause I love Michigan and I love the Detroit area,” Glasgow said recently. “But you don’t play football forever, so I think that being able to go somewhere else and make some money is an exciting thing.”

Glasgow spent five years in college at Michigan and then the first four years of his pro career in Detroit, but a relocation is in his future. The Jets, who are desperate to protect Sam Darnold and open up holes for Le’Veon Bell, could be the team to back up a Brinks truck for him.

Glasgow has been a starter for the bulk of his career. A third-round pick in 2016, Glasgow has started at least 15 games in each of the past three campaigns. He’s also versatile, with experience at both center and right guard.

In 2019, Glasgow graded out as one of the better interior protectors in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

Patriots Tag Joe Thuney

March 16th, 2020 at 10:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots will use the franchise tag on offensive lineman Joe Thuney, as agent Mike McCartney tweets. It’s a stunning move – few expected the Patriots to cuff Thuney given their tight cap situation and reluctance to spend on their own free agents.

The tag does not guarantee that the Patriots will keep Thuney. Instead, this could be step one towards a tag-and-trade scenario. The left guard is a four-year starter who has never missed a game. He also just turned 27 in November – other clubs would love to have an elite interior protector in his prime.

It’s important to note that the franchise tag is the same for all offensive linemen, meaning that Thuney is now slated to make $14.8MM for the 2020 season. That’s the kind of compensation that goes to top offensive tackles. Then again, the guard market is rapidly rising – former Giants draft bust Ereck Flowers, for example, could be in line for an incomprehensibly lucrative pay day. Better options, like Redskins standout Brandon Scherff, have already been spoken for.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are working to keep franchise star Tom Brady in New England. The Titans, thought to be one of his biggest potential suitors, exited the sweepstakes by extending Ryan Tannehill. The Niners, meanwhile, are likely to stand pat with his one-time backup Jimmy Garoppolo.

NFL Draft Still Set For April 23

March 16th, 2020 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL will proceed with the 2020 draft on April 23-25, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. However, the league has 86’d public events in Las Vegas and is exploring “innovative ways for how the process will be conducted,” Garafolo hears. The league has since confirmed the measure via press release.

“This decision reflects our foremost priority – the health and safety of all fans and citizens,” said Roger Goodell in a statement. “While this outcome is disappointing both to the NFL and to the Las Vegas community, we look forward to partnering with the Raiders, the City of Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a future NFL Draft as well as evaluating other opportunities for other major NFL events in Las Vegas in the future, including the Super Bowl.”

Even without fans involved, it’s hard to imagine the league conducting the draft in its traditional fashion with thousands of executives, league officials, and players gathering in one place. Instead, the most likely outcome – we imagine – would see the entire process take place remotely via video conferencing.

Already, the NFL has moved to cancel pre-draft visits. The entire sporting world has taken similar steps, with a few exceptions. The UFC is one outlier – they still plan to hold their scheduled events over the next few weeks, with an eye on using their own Apex training center (also in Las Vegas) for at least some of them. The Nevada State Athletic Commission may block those plans, leaving the last North American sport to consider Native American reservations and other alternatives, if they stay the course.