2020 March - Pro Football Rumors

Jaguars Not Actively Shopping Nick Foles, Receiving Interest

March 4th, 2020 at 3:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard a couple of days ago that the Jaguars were looking to ship out Nick Foles, but that might not be entirely accurate. While they are going to listen in trade talks, Jacksonville is “not shopping” Foles, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter video link).

However, Garafolo does caution that the quarterback could still certainly be traded. He also reports that multiple teams have reached out to the Jaguars and expressed interest in Foles. The previous report indicated that the Jags would have a tough time finding a taker for Foles’ contract and might have to add something to sweeten the deal like in the infamous Brock Osweiler trade, but Garafolo says that Jacksonville will need to receive compensation from a team to move him.

Those are obviously conflicting sentiments about Foles’ trade value, and as always the truth could lie somewhere in between. No matter what a deal would look like, it’s notable that teams are reaching out. Garafolo notes that Foles is currently slated to compete with Gardner Minshew to be the team’s starting quarterback, and he speculates that Foles himself would welcome a fresh start.

Foles will count for more than $22MM against the cap next season, and a team would have to take a $12.5MM cap hit if they wanted to move on from him after 2020. Foles obviously wants to be a starter, but that might be prove to be tough. It’s an unusually crowded year on the veteran quarterback market, and plenty of guys will be ahead of him in line to find new homes. He’s also perhaps too high profile and too expensive for any team to want him as a backup, so it’ll be very interesting to see what happens here.

Chris Smith To Visit Bengals

March 4th, 2020 at 2:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Chris Smith is starting to generate a good amount of interest. The free agent defensive lineman is visiting the Bengals today after meeting with the Panthers yesterday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). We heard last week that Smith was feeling better and was ready to resume his career after the tragic death of his girlfriend and mother of his child in a car accident, and things are starting to heat up for him.

As Schefter points out there is plenty of familiarity here, as the Arkansas product spent the 2017 season in Cincinnati. He was solid in a rotational role, racking up 26 tackles and three sacks. The strong play earned him a three-year deal with the Browns the following offseason. He returned to play for Cleveland briefly after his girlfriend’s death, but was waived shortly after and it’s unclear if he asked to be.

Since he didn’t finish the season on an NFL roster, Smith doesn’t have to wait for free agency to open and is eligible to sign right away. Originally drafted in the fifth-round by the Jaguars back in 2014, Smith just turned 28 last month. It sure seems like he will be scooped up by someone sooner rather than later.

Latest On Tom Brady, 49ers

March 4th, 2020 at 1:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Tom Brady rumor mill has been buzzing with drips of news and gobs of speculation. Some of that theorizing has led some to connect the dots between the Patriots’ legendary passer and the NFC champs. However, at this time, there are no indications that the 49ers are interested in replacing Jimmy Garoppolo with Brady, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Fresh off of a Super Bowl appearance, the 49ers are pretty happy with Jimmy G, as Rapoport notes. RapSheet doesn’t feel that the possibility can be ruled out, but at this point, there hasn’t been much to substantiate the talk.

Brady has done an excellent job of keeping things on the hush so far, given the circumstances. That’s one of the many traits that he’s learned from longtime coach Bill Belichick (the Pats, predictably, have also kept things quiet, outside of recent word that they are still in regular contact with the quarterback). At this point, it’s tough to predict how things might play out. The Chargers, Titans, and Raiders all profile as logical destinations for the league’s biggest star. The Colts and Giants, it seems, are not in the mix. Right now, it sounds like we can put the Niners into that second group.

On the surface, it’d be a logical match. If the Niners had Brady under center in February, it’s possible that they would be the champs. For Brady, signing with the Niners would put him in a major market with a ready-to-win defense. The Niners pondered the possibility of luring Brady away from the Patriots two years ago, too – when that didn’t happen, they traded for his backup instead.

Right now, it just doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Based on what we’re hearing (or, the lack of what insiders are hearing, concretely), the 49ers seem comfortable enough with Garoppolo as their quarterback moving forward.

Muhammad Wilkerson Arrested For DUI

March 4th, 2020 at 12:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson has been arrested for driving while intoxicated, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. New Jersey police say he was found with marijuana and drug paraphernalia as well, and he’s facing charges for all of it.

This, unfortunately, isn’t Wilkerson’s first DUI. He was arrested for DUI last offseason too and he never wound up signing with a team. This latest arrest will likely result in a suspension from the NFL and could prove to keep him out of the league once again.

Wilkerson last played with the Packers in 2018 in a season that was shortened by an ankle injury. Despite that, teams had interest in the defensive lineman from a football perspective.

Before that, Wilkerson spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Jets. On his rookie deal, Wilkerson played at a high level. The Jets inked him to a whopping five-year, $86MM extension in 2016, but he never lived up to that deal. The Temple product clashed with coaches and team officials on a routine basis, leading Gang Green to cut ties.

Between the injuries, incidents, and drama, Wilkerson never got back to his old form. In 2015, he tallied 12 sacks and earned a spot in the Pro Bowl. Now, it’s not clear if he’ll ever get a shot at redemption in the NFL.

Jared Veldheer To Continue Playing

March 4th, 2020 at 11:39am CST by Zachary Links

Jared Veldheer already retired from the NFL once. His next retirement can wait. The Packers free agent plans to continue playing in 2020, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Veldheer’s first exit from the game didn’t stick. In May of last year, he walked away from the NFL shortly after signing with the Patriots. But, in late November, the Pats granted his request to be released from the retired list. The Packers swooped in to claim him, and he went on to suit up for them in a pair of games.

Multiple teams inquired about Veldheer at the combine, Schefter hears, so it sounds like he’ll have a decent market waiting for him in a couple of weeks. Interested clubs will want to take a close look at his hip, however – he cited that lingering injury as the main reason for his abrupt and short-lived retirement last year.

Veldheer may be past his prime, but he did start 12 games for the Broncos in 2018. And, up until last year, he was a starter for almost every season since 2010.

Veldheer has appeared in 120 career games with 113 starts throughout his career. After starting out with the Raiders for his first four years, the third-round pick suited up for the Cardinals and Broncos before hooking on with the Packers in 2019.

Bucs Monitoring Ryan Tannehill

March 4th, 2020 at 9:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers are monitoring soon-to-be free agent Ryan Tannehill, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Teams are not permitted to talk to pending FAs until the legal tampering period begins, but Tannehill is among the quarterbacks on their radar.

“March 16, we’ll have a lot more clarity,” general manager Jason Licht said recently. “You hear things on the street, but you just wait for the dominoes to fall a little bit and you’re prepared for every scenario.”

A refresher on the 2020 NFL offseason calendar: March 16 is the start of the “legal tampering” period in which teams are allowed to engage in conversations with free agents before they officially become available on March 18, when the league year begins (Of course, teams tend to chat with agents well before those dates to get a sense for where the market stands).

The March 12th deadline to franchise tag players will also be a factor for the Bucs as they consider Tannehill as a potential replacement for Jameis Winston. The Titans are aiming to lock up Tannehill before that date and use the tag on running back Derrick Henry. There’s mutual interest in a new deal between Tannehill and Tennessee, but nothing is certain around this time of year.

As previously reported, Laine also notes that the Bucs are also keeping tabs on Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, and Teddy Bridgewater. Few expect Brady to land in Tampa and there’s increasing chatter about Rivers going to the Colts. Even if those two aren’t on the table, Bridgewater would be an intriguing pickup for the Bucs, should they choose to part with Winston.

Bills Promote Leslie Frazier

March 4th, 2020 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday morning, the Bills promoted Leslie Frazier from defensive coordinator to defensive coordinator/assistant head coach. The new title likely comes with a pay bump for the veteran coach, who has guided a very effective defense in recent years.

“Upon taking the job in Buffalo, it was important to me to add a coach with previous head coaching experience like Leslie,” head coach Sean McDermott said in a press release. “His fingerprints are all over our operation and I’m extremely grateful for all the years we have worked together. Leslie’s impact on our team is felt every day through his guidance, wisdom, and his genuine care for people. He is a great example to everyone within our organization.”

The Bills’ D has ranked top 5 in the league for the past two seasons. Last year, they placed third in the league overall and second in points surrendered. They were also top 10 in first downs allowed, third down defense, sacks, and total takeaways, something they had not done as a franchise since 1999. For his part, Frazier says he’s excited about the new title.

“It definitely highlights that my role here goes beyond just being the defensive coordinator,” said Frazier. “What message it sends to owners I’m not all together sure, but it helps illuminate what my role is here in Buffalo.”

Texans To Re-Sign LS Jon Weeks

March 4th, 2020 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

In a couple of weeks (get it?), the Texans will re-sign their longtime long snapper. The team has agreed to a new deal with Jon Weeks that will be formalized at the start of the league year, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Weeks holds the Texans’ consecutive game streak with 160 straight appearances – he hasn’t missed work since joining the club in 2010. The Baylor product was not selected when he declared for the 2008 NFL Draft, but he kept with it and, eventually, found his home.

The 34-year-old is coming off of a four-year, $3.9MM extension he signed back in 2015. Terms of the new deal are not yet known, but the new pact might be long enough to secure him through the rest of his playing days.

Mike Adams Retires From NFL

March 4th, 2020 at 8:34am CST by Zachary Links

Mike Adams is calling it a career. On Wednesday morning, the former Pro Bowl safety announced his retirement on NFL Network (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero).

Adams leaves the sport after 16 seasons and 228 games played. The 38-year-old suited up for the 49ers, Browns, Broncos, Colts, Panthers, and, most recently, the Texans, over the course of his career. In 2014 and 2015, his first two seasons in Indy, he stepped into the limelight with back-to-back Pro Bowl nods. Remarkably, he did it in his age 33 and 34 seasons.

Eventually, Father Time caught up with Adams. After spending two seasons as a Panthers starter with snaps at both safety spots, the Panthers allowed him to walk following the 2018 season.

Adams’ 228 games played ranks him third all-time among NFL safeties, slotting him ahead of John Lynch, Brian Dawkins, and other football legends. We here at PFR wish Adams the best in retirement.

Alex Boone Wants To Resume Playing Career

March 3rd, 2020 at 9:40pm CST by Rory Parks

Former 49ers, Vikings, and Cardinals guard Alex Boone wants to resume his NFL playing career, as the soon-to-be 33-year-old announced on Minnesota sports talk station SKOR North (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). Boone has been working with the station recently, but he hopes to get back on the field.

Boone carved out a nice career for himself, especially considering he entered the league as a UDFA in 2009. Though he spent all of 2009 on the 49ers’ practice squad and appeared in just one game in 2010, he became San Francisco’s full-time starter at left guard in 2012, which ended in a Super Bowl appearance.

The Ohio State product was generally regarded as an above-average starter during his 49ers’ tenure, and he parlayed that success into a four-year, $26.8MM deal ($10MM guaranteed) with the Vikings in March 2016. But after a so-so year first season with Minnesota, the Vikes asked Boone to take a paycut and released him when he refused. He reportedly showed up to training camp out of shape, which certainly didn’t help matters.

He subsequently hooked on with the Cardinals and started 13 games for Arizona, and that was the last NFL action he saw. It’s unclear if there was any interest in him after his one-year stint in the desert.

It’s also unclear if there will be any interest now that he is almost 33 and is even further removed from his best years in San Francisco. There is always a need for experienced O-line depth, so it’s not inconceivable he could get some looks from a team that suffers an injury or two in training camp, but it still seems like something of a long shot.

Boone, though, is working on getting back to his playing weight in the hopes of getting a call.