2020 March - Pro Football Rumors

Christian Kirksey To Visit Raiders

March 11th, 2020 at 12:55pm CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders have plenty of holes in their linebacker corps, and the expectation is that they will turn to both free agency and the draft to fill those holes. Las Vegas is already starting on the free agency route, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports that the club will meet with veteran LB Christian Kirksey today (Twitter link).

Kirksey, 27, was released by the Browns just yesterday. We subsequently heard that he had three visits lined up, but we did not know the details of those visits. Now, we know that the Raiders are the first stop on his tour.

Kirksey played in 73 games and started 54 times over the course of six years in Cleveland. After his first four years of perfect attendance, the injury bug derailed him a bit. In 2018, he was held back by a hamstring injury, and last year, a torn pectoral muscle shut him down after just two games.

In addition to the injury issues, the 2014 third-rounder’s performance started to suffer not long after he signed a four-year, $38MM extension in May 2017. He finished the 2016 season with a whopping 148 tackles and was Pro Football Focus’ 22nd-best LB, but prior to being shut down in 2018, he graded out as one of the league’s ten worst ‘backers.

Still, he is not too far removed from high-end production, and his fit in Las Vegas is obvious. The Raiders released Tahir Whitehead on Monday, and recent reports have indicated that Marquel Lee is likely the only linebacker who will return next season.

Texans Will Allow CB Johnathan Joseph To Hit Free Agency

March 11th, 2020 at 12:34pm CST by Rory Parks

The Texans will allow veteran CB Johnathan Joseph to reach free agency, per a team announcement. The announcement noted that the two sides mutually agreed to this course of action.

Joseph, a 2006 first-round pick of the Bengals, spent the first five years of his career with Cincinnati before signing a five-year, $48.75MM with the Texans prior to the 2011 season (a transaction that today’s announcement said was possibly the most celebrated free agent signing in franchise history). Joseph earned a Pro Bowl nod in both of his first two seasons in Houston, and he went on to appear in 133 games (128 starts) with the team.

After the expiration of the five-year contract, Joseph signed two two-year deals to remain with the Texans. In 2018, he turned in one of the better seasons of his career, notching 58 tackles, two interceptions, and a touchdown en route to a top-10 ranking in Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. That performance led Houston to reward Joseph with a raise, but he was not nearly as effective in 2019.

Nonetheless, even cornerbacks on the back nine of their careers can still attract plenty of attention on the open market, especially those with track records like Joseph’s. And Mark Berman of Fox 26 hears that Joseph, 35, could still return to the Texans after he has seen what other teams have to offer (Twitter link).

But in the meantime, Houston will search for an upgrade. The Texans were interested in trading for Broncos CB Chris Harris prior to the 2019 deadline, and Troy Renck of Denver7 says the team is again showing strong interest in Harris — who is now eligible for free agency — this offseason (Twitter link).

In a career that has spanned exactly 200 regular season contests, Joseph has accumulated 755 tackles, 194 passes defensed, and a healthy seven pick-sixes. He has earned over $80MM between the Bengals and Texans.

Dolphins To Release S Reshad Jones

March 11th, 2020 at 11:08am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins are releasing safety Reshad Jones, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (Twitter link). The move will become official when the new league year opens on March 18.

Miami’s decision is not exactly surprising. Jones, 32, made the Pro Bowl in 2017, but he has dealt with a number of injuries over the past few seasons, and he suited up for just four games in 2019. The Dolphins plan to deploy Bobby McCain and Eric Rowe at the safety positions in 2020, and the three-year, $18MM extension that Rowe signed with the team in December made a Jones return a questionable proposition at best.

While a reworked contract for Jones was reportedly under consideration, and though the 2010 fifth-rounder expressed back in September that he would like to remain with Miami for the long haul, it always seemed more likely that the Dolphins would cut bait. The team was in trade talks with Pittsburgh at the start of the 2019 campaign, but after an injury-marred season, no one was going to trade for Jones and his $11.5MM salary this offseason.

Still, he should garner plenty of interest on the open market. The Cowboys have been in need of a high-caliber safety for a few years now, and the Browns and Raiders could also be fits. Jones is unlikely to make anywhere close to the $11.5MM he would have earned with Miami, though he may be able to land a fairly lucrative multi-year pact. The Dolphins, meanwhile, will incur a big dead money charge by releasing Jones but will still clear about $5.3MM from their books, leaving the team with close to $100MM of cap space (if a new CBA is agreed to, the team could designate Jones as a post-June 1 cut and spread the dead cap hit over the next two seasons).

Jones was the longest-tenured Dolphin, and he leaves the team with 776 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, 55 passes defensed, 21 interceptions, and six total touchdowns in 128 games (113 starts).

Rob Gronkowski Nearing Deal With WWE

March 11th, 2020 at 10:31am CST by Rory Parks

Retired Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is nearing a deal with WWE, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com. Raimondi cites a report from FS1’s WWE Backstage Program, which said that Gronk could appear on WWE SmackDown as early as March 20.

Otherwise, the role that WWE has in mind for Gronkowski is unclear. The 30-year-old future Hall of Famer was involved in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 in 2017, but said he did not see himself as a full-time wrestler. He spoke over the summer about taking part in “one crazy match” in five years or so, but perhaps he has changed his mind in the regard.

After all, when asked over the course of the 2019 season about a possible return to football, Gronkowski’s answers varied wildly. One minute he said he had shut the door on that chapter of his life, and the next he was hemming and hawing about keeping that door open. Though injuries and the ability to walk away from the NFL on the heels of a Super Bowl win helped contribute to his retirement decision, it has never felt like a certainty that he would stay retired.

And it’s also unlikely that his pending role with WWE, regardless of what it is, would prevent him from returning to the gridiron if he chooses to do so. He would certainly attract plenty of interest, because despite the early retirement, he finished his career in the top-10 in terms of receiving yards and touchdowns for a tight end. His blocking abilities, which were just as much a part of the Patriots’ steamroller offenses as his receiving acumen, have led some to consider him the greatest TE of all time.

In his career, Gronk earned over $50MM from the Patriots and took home three Super Bowl rings. His accomplishments and his gregarious personality will probably keep him in high demand for any number of on-camera roles for the foreseeable future.

Latest On Bears’ OLB Leonard Floyd

March 11th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Rory Parks

We heard back in December that the Bears could part ways with outside linebacker and former first-round pick Leonard Floyd this offseason. Last May, Chicago exercised Floyd’s fifth-year option, which would keep him under contract through the 2020 campaign at a salary of $13.2MM, but as of right now, that salary is guaranteed for injury only. As such, the Bears could cut Floyd and obtain $13.2MM of cap space.

However, they would need to do that soon, because the salary becomes fully guaranteed when the new league year begins on March 18. And as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes, some believe that GM Ryan Pace will indeed release Floyd within the week.

Floyd has by no means been a bad player, and he has been a full-time starter since his rookie campaign. But after posting seven sacks in 12 games in 2016, those numbers have tailed off considerably. He has accrued just 11.5 sacks in the last three seasons, and Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics pegged him as just the 53rd-best edge defender in 2019. He managed 27 QB hurries in 2019 after 30.5 in 2018, but he has not yet been able to convert those hurries into sacks on a regular basis.

“He’s close in a lot of areas when you look at the pressures and those things,” Pace said. “He just needs to finish a little better on the quarterback.” While acknowledging that the team would like to see more sack production out of Floyd, Pace did say that Floyd’s versatility and his coverage abilities make him an asset.

Still, $13.2MM is a lot for a solid but replaceable player, especially since the Bears don’t have a ton of cap room to work with. While the top edge rushers who would otherwise be eligible for free agency are likely to remain with their current teams, players like Kyle Van Noy and Vic Beasley could be available, and Pace could also turn to the draft.

A Floyd trade or paycut is unlikely, according to Biggs.

Broncos To Pursue Amari Cooper?

March 11th, 2020 at 8:50am CST by Rory Parks

The Broncos’ need for receiving help is no secret. After Emmanuel Sanders was sent to the 49ers in a trade deadline deal last season, the club got very little production behind Pro Bowler Courtland Sutton. And with the promising but unproven Noah Fant at the top of the tight end depth cart, Denver is looking to add to young QB Drew Lock‘s aerial options.

To that end, Troy Renck of Denver7 expects the Broncos to pursue wide receiver Amari Cooper, assuming he hits the open market. Cooper would undoubtedly be the top wideout up for grabs, and as such, he can be expected to pull down around $20MM per year. That’s a hefty investment for a player who has not always looked like a true WR1, but his presence would be a major lift for Lock and the Denver offense.

In 2019, Cooper notched 79 catches for 1,189 yards and eight scores, and his peripherals backed up those raw stats. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the tenth-best receiver in the game last year, which culminated in the Alabama product’s fourth Pro Bowl nod.

However, it would be surprising if the Cowboys let Cooper get away. Recent reports have indicated that Dallas is ramping up talks with Cooper’s reps, and a franchise tag or transition tag remains a possibility, depending on what happens with the pending CBA vote and the Cowboys’ negotiations with Dak Prescott.

Denver has plenty of cap space to work with (about $75MM), but Renck does not expect the team to go after Jets receiver Robby Anderson if Cooper comes off the board. Anderson is widely viewed as the consolation prize for WR-needy teams who are unable to land Cooper, but Renck’s sources have said Denver has little interest in the big-play receiver. Instead, the team could turn its attention to the draft, which is historically deep at WR.

Extra Points: Bennett, NFLPA, Cap, Kirksey

March 10th, 2020 at 9:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Michael Bennett went through a nomadic late-2010s stretch after the Seahawks traded him in 2018, he remained productive. The veteran defensive lineman has registered 15.5 sacks over the past two seasons and is a free agent for the first time since 2013. Bennett, who signed with the Seahawks in 2013, would like to return to the team to which he’s most linked. Asked if he would want to play for the Seahawks again, the 34-year-old defender said “hard yes.” Bennett, though, has not yet committed to playing a 12th NFL season.

“I would love to end my career in Seattle,” Bennett said, via Joe Fann of NBC Sports Northwest. “It’s not up to you, though. It’s up to the team.”

The Seahawks gave Bennett two contracts, including a three-year, $31.5MM extension in 2016. That contract was set to run through 2020, but after the Eagles and Patriots traded him, Bennett and the Cowboys restructured the deal to direct him toward free agency this year. Seattle has most of its pass rushers — including Jadeveon Clowney and Jarran Reed — as impending free agents, so the franchise will have critical decisions to make in the next week and change.

Here is the latest from around the league, moving first to the reconfigured NFLPA:

Russell Okung has enjoyed an eventful March, being traded from the Chargers to the Panthers and filing an unfair labor practice charge at the NFLPA staff. As for Okung’s status with the union, he will no longer be part of the NFLPA’s executive committee, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Okung dropped his bid for NFLPA president, throwing support behind Michael Thomas in a race that went to Browns center J.C. Tretter. Both of the players Tretter beat out for the job — Thomas and linebacker Sam Acho — will stay on as executive committee members.
Calais Campbell, Malcolm Jenkins and Wesley Woodyard will replace Mark Herzlich, Zak DeOssie and Adam Vinatieri on the executive committee. They will join Tretter, Acho, Thomas, Richard Sherman, Ben Watson, Alex Mack, Lorenzo Alexander and Thomas Morstead on the 11-man committee, the union announced.
Rumblings about the salary cap rising to around $230MM by 2021 have surfaced, but the 2020 cap will not move too far from the previously estimated $200MM amount. If the players approve the CBA proposal, the highest the cap would surge to in 2020 would be $206MM, per Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic (subscription required). While the salary ceiling could climb significantly by 2023, if the league’s TV negotiations go well, those spikes will not come until at least 2021.
Christian Kirksey may have a chance to land on his feet before free agency. Recently released by the Browns, the veteran linebacker has three visits scheduled, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Kirksey’s travel itinerary is not yet known, but the 27-year-old defender’s first visit is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
The Texans will take a look at a notable wide receiver soon. They will work out former Broncos rotational cog Jordan Taylor, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes. Taylor has not played since the 2017 season. He spent 2018 on the Broncos’ PUP list, and though he caught on with the Vikings last year, the 28-year-old target did not see game action.

AFC North Notes: Williams, Ravens, Steelers

March 10th, 2020 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns are once again in on a Trent Williams pursuit, but they were persistent in their efforts to acquire the Pro Bowl tackle last year. Previous GM John Dorsey called the Redskins every week about their disgruntled left tackle, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. However, the then-Bruce Allen-led front office gave Dorsey a flat no each time, per Breer. Even Baker Mayfield, like Williams an Oklahoma alum, communicated with Williams about a trade, Breer adds. Dorsey was believed to have offered a second-round pick to Washington for Williams, who ended up skipping all of last season, but the Redskins were holding out for a first. Daniel Snyder fired Allen at season’s end. Now, the Ron Rivera-run Washington front office appears willing to accept compensation less than a first-rounder for Williams. The Browns will not bring back Greg Robinson, and right tackle Chris Hubbard may be a cap-casualty candidate.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

Matt Skura‘s season ended after 11 games, with the Ravens‘ top center going down with ACL, MCL and PCL tears on a Monday night in Los Angeles. Skura also dislocated a kneecap. It will understandably be a while before the fourth-year offensive lineman resurfaces, but Skura said during an appearance on Sirius XM Radio (via Alex Marvez, on Twitter) he expects to resume running in a few weeks and expressed optimism about being ready for training camp. One season remains on Skura’s rookie contract, so this rehab effort will certainly be key toward Skura securing his payday.
Kelechi Osemele left Baltimore when his rookie contract expired, signing a then-guard-record deal with the Raiders in free agency. Osemele played four seasons on that five-year contract but saw an injury (and subsequent grievance) end his Jets run early last year. With Osemele a free agent, Mike Garafolo notes he could be a name to watch as a replacement for the retiring Marshal Yanda (video link). Osemele, 30, underwent shoulder surgery last year and has battled injuries in recent seasons, but Garafolo adds the former All-Pro guard wants to continue playing and is expected to be ready well before Week 1. A former Ravens Round 2 pick, Osemele started 51 games at guard and tackle with Baltimore.
Both Ramon Foster and Mark Barron could be Steelers cap casualties, Ed Bouchette of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Foster re-signed to stay in Pittsburgh last year and has started 145 games at guard with the Steelers since 2009. A cut would save the cap-strapped Steelers $4MM. The Rams released Barron last year; he caught on with the Steelers and started nine games. Pittsburgh still has Vince Williams under contract and would save $5.25MM by dropping Barron.

Seahawks Promote Austin Davis To QBs Coach

March 10th, 2020 at 7:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of Russell Wilson‘s former backups will become his position coach. The Seahawks are promoting Austin Davis to quarterbacks coach, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.

Davis joined Seattle’s staff last year, spending the 2019 season as an offensive assistant. This will mark a notable rise for the 30-year-old ex-quarterback, who is six months younger than Wilson. Davis had drawn interest from other teams, per Breer, so the Seahawks will elevate him.

The Seahawks will promote their former QBs coach, Dave Canales, to passing-game coordinator, Breer adds. So while Canales will certainly still have significant input, Davis’ influence will grow.

Canales, 38, has been with the Seahawks throughout Pete Carroll‘s tenure, coaching Seattle’s wideouts from 2010-17 and overseeing the QB group for the past two seasons.

Davis was on an NFL roster as recently as last year, when the Titans cut him. He spent over a year with the Seahawks, who signed him in 2017. His most notable NFL work came with the Rams, with whom he started eight games in 2014. But like fellow former backup quarterback Kellen Moore in Dallas, Davis’ star is on the rise as a coach.

Titans Prioritizing Ryan Tannehill Deal?

March 10th, 2020 at 6:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Probably the non-Patriots team most closely linked to Tom Brady, the Titans may be aiming to run it back with the formula that carried them to the AFC championship game.

The Titans area focused on extending Ryan Tannehill, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting the sides continue to negotiate a deal (video link). Tannehill would like to stay with the Titans, per Rapoport.

Tannehill talks have picked back up since the Combine, Rapoport adds, but the sides have been talking since before the regular season concluded. The Titans now have four extra days to try and hammer out a deal, with the NFL moving the franchise-transition tag deadline back to March 16 after previously moving it to the 12th.

Recently, the Titans were trying to extend Tannehill and hope the CBA will not be ratified. That would allow them to use their franchise and transition tags on Jack Conklin and Derrick Henry, respectively. This remains a complex process for the resurgent team. Tennessee currently holds just more than $50MM in cap space.

Last week, a report emerged indicating the Titans were bullish on luring Brady away from the Patriots. But Tannehill talks have unfolded during this will-they/won’t-they Brady pursuit. While no door appears closed on Brady, the Titans may be intent on bringing back his longtime AFC East rival. This would certainly narrow the Brady sweepstakes, potentially helping the Patriots’ chances of retaining the all-time great.