HEADLINES

Month: March 2020

LB Kenneth Murray To Meet With 15 Teams

March 11th, 2020 at 8:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Kenneth Murray is a popular man. The Oklahoma linebacker told NFL.com’s James Palmer that he’s set to meet with 15 teams in the coming weeks (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com).

Murray revealed that he’ll start his workout circuit with the Texans on March 18th before having visits “back-to-back-to-back.” The Ravens, Raiders, Cowboys and Cardinals are among the teams that the linebacker is expected to meet with.

After earning a second-team All-Big 12 nod in 2018, Murray got first-team recognition following a standout 2019 campaign. The junior finished the season with 102 tackles, four sacks, and four passes defended.

Murray is in contention to be the second linebacker off the board after Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, and he could be selected as early as midway through the first round. He didn’t participate in Oklahoma’s pro day today after having tweaked his hamstring during the 40-yard dash at the Combine. Fortunately, he told Palmer that he’s almost back to full health.

“The hamstring is doing good,” Murray told Palmer. “I’ll be fully healthy in a couple of days.”

Latest On Texans Free Agents

March 11th, 2020 at 6:51pm CST by Ben Levine

The Texans have a number of notable players hitting free agency, but it sounds like the front office has made re-signing Bradley Roby a priority. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that Houston will “do what they can” to keep many of their free agents, a grouping that’s “especially” led by the 28-year-old cornerback.

Roby inked a one-year, $10MM deal with the Texans last offseason, but he was limited to only 10 games (10 starts) during his first season in Houston. Roby finished the campaign having compiled 38 tackles, eight passes defended, two interceptions (including a pick-six), and one forced fumble.

On the other side of the ball, it sounds like the organization is hoping to retain veteran running back Carlos Hyde. However, as Wilson passes along, Hyde declined a contract offer from the organization and is set to hit free agency. The 29-year-old started 14 games and had his first career 1,000-yard season in 2019. Fellow running back Lamar Miller, who was sidelined with a torn ACL last year, will also be heading to free agency.

Wilson passes along updates on a number of other Texans free agents. The organization is hoping to re-sign running back/special teamer Taiwan Jones and linebackers Tyrell Adams, Dylan Cole and Barkevious Mingo. On the flip side, the organization isn’t expected to bring back safety Jahleel Addae.

Packers To Cut Jimmy Graham

March 11th, 2020 at 5:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers will release Jimmy Graham on Thursday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The release will be formally processed on Thursday, sending the tight end into free agency immediately.

This has been the expected move for some time. Despite Graham’s many career accomplishments, the Packers had little reason to keep him and his $11.6MM cap hit. By dropping Graham, the Packers will save $6MM against $3.6MM in dead money.

Graham was one of the league’s most dominant tight ends for a long stretch. In his first eight seasons – spent with the Saints and Seahawks – Graham earned five Pro Bowl nominations. In 2013, one of his seasons ever, Graham was also named a First-Team All-Pro after notching 86 catches for 1,215 yards and a league-leading 16 touchdowns.

After that, he inked a three-year, $30MM deal with the Packers, but he couldn’t match his previous production. In 2018, he finished out with a 5/636/2 line. Last year, he had just 38 catches for 447 yards and three TDs. It was his lowest output since his rookie season back in 2010, and it was a reminder that Father Time catches up with everyone – even the game’s greats.

While Graham won’t have an issue finding another gig, he’ll be joining a relatively deep free agent class that’s led by Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry. It’s worth noting that fellow veteran Greg Olsen got $5.5MM guaranteed from the Seahawks.

Jets Release S Blake Countess

March 11th, 2020 at 4:15pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Jets are moving on from Blake Countess. New York has released the reserve safety, they announced in a press release Wednesday afternoon.

Originally drafted by the Eagles in the sixth-round back in 2016, he was waived at final cuts during his rookie season. He latched on with the Rams, and was soon promoted to the active roster after initially signing with the practice squad. He slowly carved out a role for himself, and became an important player during the Rams’ breakout 2017 season. He played over 15 percent of the defensive snaps that year in a rotational role, notching 25 tackles and an interception.

He also was one of their most utilized players on special teams. In 2018 he appeared in all 16 games for the Rams, starting one, and again being a core special-teamer. Los Angeles tendered him a contract as a restricted free agent, but ended up releasing him later last offseason after he refused to take a pay cut from his projected $2MM salary. He caught on with the Jets in October, and appeared in six games for them. Only 26, the Auburn product should be able to latch on elsewhere and attempt to crack a different team’s 53.

DB T.J. Carrie To Visit Seahawks

March 11th, 2020 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Free agent defensive back T.J. Carrie will visit with the Seahawks this week, per NFL insider Adam Caplan (via Twitter). The Browns released Carrie as part of a roster purge last month.

Carrie, who will turn 30 in July, joined the Browns on a four-year deal in 2018 after turning in a strong contract year as the Raiders’ slot cornerback. Over the past two seasons, he’s appeared in every possible game and started in 14 of those contests. Last year, he notched 52 tackles and one interception, but he was unable to get into a rhythm, and his coverage was nowhere near his best work in Oakland.

But he was strong in coverage in his first year in Cleveland, and he may be able to return to form with a new club. Seattle typically used three linebackers in nickel packages last season, with LB Mychal Kendricks serving as the de facto nickel corner. So adding Carrie — who also has some experience on the outside and at safety — to serve as the primary slot defender would likely be a boost to the entire secondary.

By the end of the season, 2019 fifth-rounder Ugo Amadi had usurped Kendricks at nickel, and head coach Pete Carroll recently said that the job was Amadi’s to lose (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). However, Carroll did couch his statement by saying that the team would continue to add competition for the role, and Carrie would be a well-established competitor.

Buccaneers “All In” On Tom Brady

March 11th, 2020 at 2:36pm CST by Rory Parks

The Buccaneers are “going all in” on legendary signal-caller Tom Brady, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay, of course, has been connected to Brady in recent rumors, but it was difficult to determine how serious the team’s interest was. Apparently, it’s very serious.

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians has generally been non-committal towards incumbent passer Jameis Winston, who, like Brady, is eligible for free agency. Stroud says Arians wants to move on from Winston, and GM Jason Licht is willing to defer to his head coach.

Licht and Arians certainly have plenty to offer Brady. The club is among the league leaders in cap space and will have plenty of money to lure Brady to sunny, family-friendly Tampa while giving him a two- or three-year deal. The Bucs also have a dynamic pair of receivers and a talented (if uncertain) tight end, and they plan to add the type of pass-catching back that Brady covets. They also plan to draft an offensive tackle to shore up his protection, and Stroud says they will probably add a receiver from the immensely deep class of collegiate wideouts.

The Bucs will also allow Brady to take charge of the offense, and the fact that Florida has no state income tax will only help the team’s push. The defense also looks like a unit on the rise, so if you squint hard enough, you can see Tampa Bay as a contender with Brady under center.

If Brady chooses to sign elsewhere, Stroud says the Bucs’ fallback options are Teddy Bridgewater and Philip Rivers, in that order. Failing that, a reunion with Winston could still be in play, but that is sounding increasingly like a worst-case scenario for the Bucs.

Cowboys Increase Offer To Dak Prescott

March 11th, 2020 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

March 11: There is no “new” contract offer to Prescott, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link). While the Cowboys’ latest offer does indeed represent an increase over the $33MM/year proposal they put forth in the early stages of the 2019 season, the revised offer was made around the time of this year’s combine and is now several weeks old. That suggests that the offer has not gained any traction and that there is still a large gap to bridge.

And the gap may not just be money-related. Rapoport, echoing reports we’ve heard previously, says that Prescott is likely targeting a four-year deal so he can get back to free agency sooner, while the Cowboys would prefer a longer arrangement.

March 9: Barely 72 hours remain until Thursday’s deadline for teams to designate franchise and transition players. The Cowboys are on the clock, and they are reigniting a push to extend Dak Prescott.

The Cowboys have submitted a new proposal to Prescott, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Terms are not clear, but Archer notes that Prescott turned down Dallas’ $33MM-per-year offer and that this one is likely in the Aaron Rodgers–Jared Goff range. It is indeed an increased offer, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).

Both Rodgers and Goff are at $33.5MM in AAV, so this Cowboys offer may not be substantially more than the $33MM-AAV one they made last season. Prescott is believed to be seeking a deal on the Russell Wilson level; the Seahawks quarterback earns $35MM on average.

Dallas has offered Prescott $105MM guaranteed. While that is not the guarantee at signing, it would land fourth among quarterbacks. Prescott, however, has some additional leverage now. The Cowboys have just three days left with the franchise or transition tag to use on Amari Cooper. They have met with both Prescott and Cooper’s agents twice since the Combine, but if the CBA is ratified this week, teams can only use one tag. Cooper, then, would be in line to negotiate with other teams when the legal tampering period opens March 16.

The looming TV deals, should this CBA be finalized, are also expected to produce bigger cap spikes. Prescott’s camp may not be eager to do a deal before more of the NFL’s 2020s financial landscape becomes clear. If the Cowboys cannot get a deal done with Prescott by March 12, they are prepared to use the exclusive franchise tag on him. If the sides cannot agree on terms by July 15, Prescott would play the season on that $31MM-plus number.

Patriots Hire Exec Eliot Wolf

March 11th, 2020 at 1:50pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots have hired longtime exec Eliot Wolf as a consultant, per Albert Breer of SI.com (via Twitter). Wolf most recently worked with the Seahawks, whom he assisted in the run-up to the scouting combine.

Of course, it wasn’t that long ago that Wolf, son of Hall of Fame GM Ron Wolf, was viewed as one of the most viable candidates on the GM market. The younger Wolf began his front office career as a pro personnel assistant with the Packers in 2004, and while being Ron Wolf’s son may have helped him get his foot in the door, Eliot quickly began to forge his own path. By 2012, he became Green Bay’s director of pro personnel, and two years later he was the team’s director of pro football operations.

During the latter stages of his Green Bay tenure, he began to be linked to various GM jobs, and he took several GM interviews, including one with the Packers. But the Packers chose to promote Brian Gutekunst to their general manager post instead of Wolf in January 2018, and Wolf elected to sign on with the Browns as assistant GM under John Dorsey.

Dorsey’s run in Cleveland came to an unceremonious end after the 2019 season, and the Browns reportedly considered elevating Wolf to the top job, but the two sides ultimately elected to part ways. Now, Wolf will team up with Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio and de facto GM Bill Belichick to try and get the Pats back to the Super Bowl. New England is at an organizational crossroads due to the uncertain status of QB Tom Brady, so this year’s free agency period and draft will be especially critical.

Still only 37 (38 on March 21), Wolf could position himself well for another crack at a GM post should he have success with the Patriots.

Vikings Rumors: Cook, Colquitt, Jones

March 11th, 2020 at 1:20pm CST by Rory Parks

Like many teams with a top-flight running back, the Vikings are in a bit of a quandary when it comes to a potential extension for Dalvin Cook. Cook has been susceptible to injury throughout his young career, but after a breakout 2019 that saw him rack up 1,135 yards and 13 TDs for the run-first Minnesota offense, we heard that the team would explore an extension for him this offseason.

Cook, 24, is now eligible for a new contract since he has three years of service time, and the $1.3MM he is due to make in 2020 — the last year of his rookie deal — is a pittance relative to his value. Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com details the pros and cons of a Cook re-up, but it sounds like GM Rick Spielman wants to keep the 2017 second-rounder in the fold for the long haul.

“Right now, we have so much ahead of us and a lot of decisions to make before free agency begins and the new league year begins, and then we look at the draft once we settle down and everything,” Spielman said. “But I consider Dalvin as one of those core group of players that we definitely want to try to keep.”

Negotiations could get complicated, but expect the Vikings to start talking with Cook’s reps not long after the draft.

Now for more out of Minnesota:

  • Punter Britton Colquitt expects to re-sign with the Vikings, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Colquitt turned in a strong performance in 2019, his first year with Minnesota, and the Vikes — who have deployed four punters in the past four seasons — are seeking stability. It sounds as if the two sides are close on a three-year deal that would pay Colquitt between $2-3MM per season.
  • The Vikings are interested in re-signing right tackle Rashod Hill, per Cronin (via Twitter). Hill, a former UDFA, is eligible for unrestricted free agency, but Minnesota values his contributions as a swing tackle and his abilities in pass protection. It will be interesting to see if a RT-needy team on a budget takes a flier on Hill as a potential starter.
  • The Vikings also want to keep center Brett Jones, as Tomasson tweets. Jones started 13 games as recently as 2017, when he was a member of the Giants, and Minnesota acquired him via trade with New York in August 2018. He started the first three games of the 2018 season but was displaced by Pat Elflein, who was returning from injury, and when the Vikings selected Garrett Bradbury in the first round of the 2019 draft, Jones was again relegated to a reserve role. He was actually cut in September to make room for Josh Doctson, and though he re-signed shortly thereafter, he appeared in just two games and was ultimately put on IR. Per Tomasson, Jones wants to test the market in search of a shot at a starting job.
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