2020 March - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys, TE Blake Jarwin Discussing Deal

March 2nd, 2020 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys are not eager to see Blake Jarwin get away via restricted free agency and will take some precautions to ensure the fourth-year tight end stays in Dallas next season.

Jarwin is expected to receive a second-round RFA tender, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. The Cowboys also met with Jarwin’s agent at the Combine and discussed an extension.

A UDFA find in 2017, Jarwin has 58 receptions for 672 yards over the past two seasons. He operated behind Jason Witten in 2019, but Mike McCarthy may have bigger plans for the young target. This also represents the latest sign Witten will need to relocate to play a 17th season.

On a second-round tender, Jarwin would be in line to earn approximately $3.3MM next season. That would be a substantial raise from the league minimum, which he made for three seasons. Witten has said he is not planning another retirement just yet and would be prepared to leave Dallas if necessary. The sight of the future Hall of Fame tight end in another uniform appears imminent.

FA Notes: Clowney, Harris, Hooper, Saints

March 2nd, 2020 at 4:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jadeveon Clowney has drawn interest from other teams — the Colts and Giants among them — but the Seahawks remain interested in bringing him back. However, they may not be ready to pay top dollar for the former No. 1 overall pick. The Seahawks are trying to extend Clowney before he hits free agency March 18, but Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com report the franchise is unlikely to compete with a true top-market price (ESPN+ link). If the bidding goes into the $18-$20MM-per-year range, which it almost certainly will given other teams’ franchise tags keeping edge players off the market, the Seahawks are not expected to go there. This would mean the Seahawks will have lost two standout edge rushers in two years, after trading Frank Clark to the Chiefs. Seattle, which did not see much from first-round defensive end L.J. Collier last season, is set to carry more than $44MM in cap space.

Both the Colts and Titans are interested and are not afraid of Clowney’s asking price, per Fowler and Graziano. A new entry in the Clowney sweepstakes, Tennessee could use edge help but seemingly has key issues to sort out involving Ryan Tannehill (or a replacement) and Derrick Henry first.

Here is the latest from the free agency market, shifting to one of this era’s top cornerbacks:

Chris Harris appears set to have a busy legal tampering period. The four-time Pro Bowl cornerback has drawn interest from the Cowboys, Jets, Lions, Raiders and Texans, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. The final holdover from the Broncos’ dominant Super Bowl-winning secondary, Harris both expressed a desire to finish his career in Denver and hit the market for the first time. While the Broncos have not ruled out another extension for the 30-year-old cornerback, Harris expects to be elsewhere in 2020. Harris met with at least 24 teams at the Combine, including the Cowboys, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). A Cowboys fit would be interesting, with the team set to lose Byron Jones. The Broncos are one of the teams targeting Jones.
In Demario Davis, the Saints already have a 30-something entrenched as a starting linebacker. However, New Orleans is interested in Patriots free agent Jamie Collins, Larry Holder of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Collins, 30, enjoyed a bounce-back season back in New England, after he did not justify his then-off-ball-‘backer-record deal in Cleveland. The Saints have A.J. Klein as a free agent-to-be and can save $8MM by releasing Kiko Alonso.
While the Saints were willing to let Kenny Vaccaro walk two years ago, they want to retain Vonn Bell, Holder adds. It would be at a price, however. Considering the Saints added promising safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in the fourth round last year and have Marcus Williams as an extension candidate, their Bell price point may be low.
The tight end landscape could look strange by the time George Kittle‘s negotiations ramp up. Austin Hooper is expected to become the league’s highest-paid tight end — by a considerable margin — in free agency, Graziano and Fowler note. A 2016 third-round pick, Hooper has made the Pro Bowl twice but has only one 700-yard season on his resume. However, the Falcons tight end was on pace for nearly 1,000 yards before a midseason hamstring injury. The Falcons will let Hooper test the market, and with this draft not deep at tight end, the market will likely be robust. The Bears, Packers and Redskins are interested.
Phillip Lindsay has exploded out of the blocks to start his career, becoming the first UDFA to start his NFL run with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. But backfield mate Royce Freeman, a Broncos 2018 third-round pick, has underwhelmed. The Broncos may be eyeing an upgrade, with Mike Klis of 9News tweeting the team is exploring veteran backs on the market. With teams potentially skittish about big deals for backs, after some recent ones backfired, some bigger-name backs may be available at reasonable rates.

Latest On Drew Brees, Saints

March 2nd, 2020 at 3:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints’ future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback has forged a much simpler offseason path than the Patriots’. With Tom Brady uncertain to come back to New England, thus hitting the Pats with dead money via the void-years tactic the franchise used last summer, fellow free agent Drew Brees will return to the Saints and looks set to help them out on the latter front.

Brees plans to re-sign with the Saints before the March 18 start of the new league year, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com report (ESPN+ link). This would help the Saints, who used void years to create cap space on Brees’ most recent deal. No extension talks have transpired yet, but the sides will certainly huddle up soon.

If Brees does not agree to a new Saints pact by 3pm CT March 18, the Saints would be hit with $5.4MM in dead money on their 2020 cap sheet. New Orleans finalizing a Brees extension before then would keep a $10.8MM cap charge on its 2021 books but leave Brees dead money out of the 2020 equation. The Saints, per usual, reside near the bottom in available funds. They hold just more than $9MM in cap space.

Before pledging to return to the Saints, the 41-year-old quarterback said for weeks he would not entertain offers from other teams. Brees operated this way in 2018, when he received a two-year, $60MM offer from the Cardinals. We heard at the time Brees bypassed a better offer — which indicated all $60MM was guaranteed — to continue his New Orleans run. The Cards are now believed to have submitted said offer, which would have made Brees the NFL’s highest-paid player at the time.

The league’s all-time passing leader ignored Arizona’s interest, Graziano and Fowler add, in order to stay in a winning situation. The Cardinals instead signed Sam Bradford that year, before drafting Josh Rosen.

No known outside interest has come Brees’ way this year, but that is probably because the 19-year veteran let it be known early he would stay in New Orleans. Brees’ two-year backup, Teddy Bridgewater, has received interest and is expected to relocate.

Panthers Shopping G Trai Turner?

March 2nd, 2020 at 2:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Cam Newton‘s Panthers status is still uncertain, longtime Carolina stalwarts Luke Kuechly and Greg Olsen are out of the picture. And another sign the Panthers are rebuilding may come on the trade market.

The Panthers are shopping five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Carolina extended Turner in 2017, and despite going into his seventh season, the former third-round pick will only be 27 by Week 1.

Turner would almost certainly bring back value for the Panthers, who have paid all the guaranteed money left in the acclaimed blocker’s contract. The Panthers prioritized Turner over Andrew Norwell — whom they let walk in 2018 — and the former’s four-year, $45MM pact looks somewhat team-friendly now that the guard market is likely set to move past the $15MM-per-year benchmark.

Carolina is now likely to lose James Bradberry as well, and is unlikely to bring back Dontari Poe. the franchise’s $34MM-plus in cap space ranks on the lower end entering free agency. A Turner departure would also make matters more difficult for Christian McCaffrey and Newton, if the injury-prone quarterback is indeed back.

But the Panthers are believed to be high on potential 2021 early-entry quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. Gutting this year’s team and adding draft capital would be a clear way to help move into position to land one of those passers.

Broncos, Eagles, Lions In Play For Byron Jones

March 2nd, 2020 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys prioritizing Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper over Byron Jones will soon make the cornerback quite the coveted commodity on the market. More potential destinations have emerged.

After the Raiders’ reported interest, Jones will be in the mix for another AFC West team. The Broncos are expected to make a run at Jones, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post, with Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com noting (ESPN+ link) that the Eagles and Lions join the Broncos as “strong possibilities” for Jones.

Denver outflanks both Detroit and Philadelphia in cap space, sitting in the top 10 at $70MM-plus, and has a major need at corner. Four-time Pro Bowler Chris Harris is a free agent-to-be, and the odds currently lean toward the final holdover from Denver’s Super Bowl champion secondary leaving after nine seasons. The Broncos are a rumored Darius Slay suitor, with Fowler and Graziano adding the team wants to make a strong effort to improve at corner. Beyond Harris, the Broncos struggled throughout 2019 to find capable outside cover men.

Detroit and Philly hold $47MM and $41MM in cap space, respectively. The Lions have far more invested at corner, with Slay in a contract year and Justin Coleman attached to a $9MM-AAV deal. The Eagles have barely $6MM committed to the position in total, with Ronald Darby on track for free agency.

The bidding for Jones will likely escalate to the point the 27-year-old defender exits free agency as the league’s highest-paid corner — perhaps by a substantial margin. The cornerback market has barely budged over the past half-decade; Xavien Howard‘s $15.1MM extension barely topped Josh Norman‘s 2016 deal. Jones, however, is viewed as this market’s top corner, and a deal north of $17MM annually would not be surprising.

Redskins Plan To Franchise Brandon Scherff

March 2nd, 2020 at 1:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

No team has used a franchise tag on a guard since 2011. The 2020 Redskins appear ready to take this rarely traversed route. They intend to tag Brandon Scherff, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com tweets.

A weekend report pointed to the Redskins being ready to deploy their tag for this purpose, with the Ron Rivera regime ready to do whatever it takes to retain the Pro Bowl blocker. The Redskins drafted Scherff in the 2015 first round and watched the former Iowa tackle make three Pro Bowls as a guard.

Washington has $61MM-plus in cap space, so a tag would not be burdensome. However, all offensive linemen are grouped together under the tag format. Scherff would receive an approximate $15MM salary under the tag. Logan Mankins was the last guard tagged, and the Patriots extended him later that summer.

Faced with the prospect of losing both Scherff and Trent Williams, the Redskins have put the prospect of keeping both into play. While Williams wants a raise or a trade, Rivera has reopened communication lines damaged by since-fired team president Bruce Allen. The Redskins resumed contract talks with Scherff, one of Allen’s best draft picks, after months without dialogue.

The No. 5 overall pick five years ago, Scherff has become one of the NFL’s top guards. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 10 guard in 2019, before going down with a season-ending injury in December. Scherff has dealt with injury issues recently, missing 13 games between the 2018-19 seasons. But he made the 2016, ’17 and ’19 Pro Bowl rosters, and with Joe Thuney being linked to a guard-record deal, Washington’s 28-year-old standout blocker would be in line for a monster deal if allowed to hit the open market.

Bucs Interested In Teddy Bridgewater?

March 2nd, 2020 at 12:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Caught in the middle of this unusual quarterback market, the Buccaneers still have a major decision to make. Shaquil Barrett has been mentioned as the player likely to receive Tampa Bay’s franchise tag, leaving Jameis Winston in limbo. And another quarterback has surfaced as a potential target.

The Bucs, who have been linked to a Philip Rivers pursuit, are being connected to Teddy Bridgewater. They were the team most closely tied to a Bridgewater run at the Combine, per Larry Holder of The Athletic (on Twitter), with one GM mentioning (via Mike Sando of The Athletic, subscription required) the Bucs are indeed interested in the former Vikings starter and two-year Saints backup.

This would be a significant course change for the Bucs, who have started Winston in 70 games since using the No. 1 overall pick in 2015 on him. But the former Heisman winner has not overcome his interception habit, throwing 30 INTs last season.

Tampa Bay may well prioritize Rivers over Winston, who could well hit the market if the Bucs use their franchise tag on Barrett, and GM Jason Licht confirmed the Bucs are investigating other quarterbacks. That would be an interesting turn of events for a quarterback who threw for 5,109 yards — a career-high by over 1,000 — and 33 touchdowns in 2019.

Bridgewater helped the Saints to a 5-0 record last season and has begun to generate interest, with Peter King of NBC Sports noting a market for the 2014 first-round pick has begun to form. Teams are viewing the 27-year-old passer as a starter, though he’s obviously overshadowed on this market by Rivers and Tom Brady. The Saints are not expected to bring back Bridgewater.

Bridgewater and Winston displayed widely contrasting styles last season as well, with the former ranking last in Next Gen Stats’ average intended air yards metric (6.2) and third from the bottom in average completed air yards (4.6) in 2019. Winston was second in both metrics (10.5, 8.2). Bridgewater threw nine touchdown passes and two INTs last season. He threw 14 TDs in both 2014 and ’15, before 2016 injuries sidetracked his career.

Latest On NFL’s CBA Talks

March 2nd, 2020 at 11:09am CST by Zachary Links

The CBA talks are progressing, but we’re not yet ready for the final vote. Attorneys for both sides will huddle up on Monday in a follow-up to their 9-hour meeting on Sunday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. They’ll review the proposed CBA before it’s finally sent to players for a union-wide election. Once the CBA is sent off for the NFLPA vote, the process will likely take two or two-and-a-half weeks to complete, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets.

The latest iteration of the deal would see the players’ share of revenue increase from 48% to 48.8%, provided that the league secures a 120% increase in TV broadcast deals, Mike Florio of PFT (Twitter link) hears. If the TV deals only see a 60% bump in TV revenue, the players’ share would go up to 48.5%. The 60% increase seems likely, Florio hears. A 120% bump, meanwhile, may be something of a stretch goal.

The proposed CBA would call for less in the way of player suspensions and fines in general, though the DUI policy would be expanded, Florio hears. Moving forward, a DUI would result in a three-game ban. That’s probably a trade-off that players are willing to make, but we won’t know for sure until everything is signed, sealed, and delivered.

Colts, Giants Won’t Pursue Tom Brady?

March 2nd, 2020 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts and Giants have been connected to Tom Brady in recent weeks, but Albert Breer of The MMQB has been told “pretty emphatically” that neither club will pursue the future Hall of Famer.

There was talk that the Colts (along with the Chargers and Raiders) huddled up with Brady at the combine, but we heard recently that those rumblings were not true (at least, when it comes to the Colts). Many have speculated that the Colts would make an aggressive push for Brady – they are less than committed to Jacoby Brissett under center and Brady would give them the star QB they’ve craved since Andrew Luck‘s surprise retirement. Based on what Breer is hearing, the Colts would rather go in a younger direction while spreading their ample cap space.

That’s not to say the Colts aren’t big-game hunting at QB. There’s mutual interest between Indy and longtime Chargers star Philip Rivers. Rivers, 38, has history with Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni and the Colts would offer the eight-time Pro Bowler an opportunity to win in his twilight years. The Redskins and Buccaneers may also make a play for Rivers, so the Colts will be evaluating all of their options in the coming weeks.

Back to Brady – no one is counting out a new deal with the Patriots, though there’s increasing chatter that he’s looking to move on from the only NFL team he’s ever known. If he parts ways with the Pats, the Chargers, Titans, and Raiders may be among his most likely destinations.

Panthers Expected To Decline Dontari Poe’s Option

March 2nd, 2020 at 9:17am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers are expected to decline Dontari Poe’s $9.8MM option for 2020, sources tell Jourdan Rodrigue and Joseph Person of The Athletic. With that, the nose tackle is now on course for free agency later this month.

Poe managed four sacks from the interior last year and played well, but he’s also coming up on his 30th birthday in August and recovering from quadriceps surgery. The Panthers, who are in the midst of a rebuild, seem intent on overhauling their defensive line, and Poe is not part of their plan.

Seven defensive linemen are ticketed for the open market and, according to Rodrigue and Person, the only DL they want to retain is Mario Addison, assuming he’d be willing to sign a short-term and team-friendly deal. Gerald McCoy, Bruce Irvin, and Vernon Butler are among the other Panthers linemen that will be changing unis in 2020.

The unit will look drastically different in 2020, though Kawann Short will return after losing much of 2019 to rotator cuff surgery. With Poe out of the picture, they’re on the hunt for a starting nose tackle. That search that could draw them to Auburn’s Derrick Brown or South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw, as Person and Rodrigue write.