2021 June - Pro Football Rumors

Month: June 2021

Former Broncos OL Ja’Wuan James Files Grievance

June 7th, 2021 at 8:27am CST by Zachary Links

Offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James has filed a grievance against the Broncos (via PFT). The offensive lineman is seeking to recover $10MM of his 2021 salary, plus $5MM in 2022 salary.

James’ 2021 pay was guaranteed for skill and injury while $5MM of his ’22 salary was guaranteed for injury. The Broncos say they owe James nothing, because his workout injury happened outside of the team facility. James, meanwhile, contends that he was working out in a fashion that was “specifically authorized” by the club. Furthermore, he was working out with other Broncos teammates. And, on top of all of that, James claims that the Broncos’ facilities were not in compliance with Colorado’s COVID-19 safety guidelines.

In the filing, James’ attorneys noted a May 5 NFL memo which noted that workout injuries outside of facilities “specifically or as specifically authorized by his club are considered ‘football-related injuries.’” The Broncos placed James on the reserve/non-football injury list two days later. And, on May 14, the Broncos cut James.

In response, the Broncos will likely argue that his non-facility workout was strictly voluntary. And, as a result, they’re not responsible.

Cowboys’ La’el Collins ‘Ready To Rock’ After Missing 2020

June 6th, 2021 at 9:34pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Cowboys’ offensive line declined sharply in 2020 due to injuries, and a large part of that was La’el Collins missing the entire season after undergoing hip surgery.

Fortunately it seems like his recovery has been going smoothly, and the starting tackle recently pulled back the curtain on that process and what led to the surgery for Jonny Auping of the team’s official site. “It was something that had been lingering for a while,” Collins revealed of his hip issues. “I couldn’t get down to what was going on. I kept working on it and it came down to the point where something had to be done.”

“It was tough,” he continued. “I kept going back and forth with myself. If I had to get the surgery done I was going to have to miss the season. It wasn’t something I was looking forward to at all. But it was something that had to be done. Now, I feel good. And I’m ready to rock.”

“To be honest with you, I’m just starting to feel like myself,” Collins said before adding that “all the hard work is definitely paying off.” The big fella said he’s doing pretty much everything at OTAs, although the team is being cautious and limiting him when he competes directly against defenders.

Before missing all of 2020 Collins had been quite reliable, starting at least 15 games in each of the previous three seasons. An UDFA out of LSU in 2015, Collins turned into a great find for the Cowboys.

He signed a five-year, $50MM extension with the team just before the start of the 2019 season. In an effort to ensure his health moving forward, Collins also said he’s lost some weight. Auping writes that “he currently weighs 313 pounds, which would be the lowest he’s ever played at.”

He was listed at 323 last season. No matter what weight he’s playing at, his return will be a big boost for Dak Prescott as he makes a comeback of his own.

AFC Notes: Browns, Fisher, Broncos, Fleming

June 6th, 2021 at 8:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Browns made some front office hires recently, and for one spot they simply plucked a player off their roster. Cleveland has hired Anthony Fabiano as a scouting assistant, the team announced in a release alongside a bunch of other names. Fabiano is a 2016 UDFA from Harvard, who spent the past handful of years bouncing around the bottom of various teams’ rosters as an offensive lineman.

He started a game for the Browns as a rookie in 2016, and then started another for the Colts in 2017. All told, he spent at least a bit of time with nine different teams. He was signed by the Browns back in January right as their season was about to end, and didn’t appear in a game. Given his Ivy League education, it’s not too surprising he had an easy time transitioning to the front office.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

It was initially reported that Eric Fisher‘s one-year deal with the Colts would pay him $9.4MM in 2021, but it turns out it’s a bit less than that. Fisher’s 2021 compensation will actually be $8.38MM, veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson tweets. It’s only $6MM guaranteed. It includes a $4MM signing bonus, a $2MM guaranteed salary, and then $2.38MM in per game active roster bonuses. Wilson also notes that it’s technically a two-year pact with 2022 automatically voiding for cap purposes.
Fisher isn’t the only AFC offensive lineman we have new contract details on. Cameron Fleming signed with the Broncos last month as further right tackle insurance after the Ja’Wuan James season-ending injury, and it was initially just reported as a one-year deal worth “up to” $3.67MM. Turns out it’s a one-year deal with a base value of only $1.67MM, with $1MM in guarantees, John Clayton of DenverFan.com writes. That would seem to indicate Fleming has $2MM in incentives available for this season. The Broncos have also signed Bobby Massie, so they have some options opposite Garett Bolles.

CFL WR/TE Jevon Cottoy To Work Out For 49ers, Others Interested

June 6th, 2021 at 6:09pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

A CFL player is starting to build some serious NFL buzz. WR/TE Jevon Cottoy will work out for the 49ers this coming week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets.

Pelissero reports that Cottoy has already worked out for the Texans, Raiders, Patriots, and Saints, adding that there’s “significant interest” in him. As Pelissero points out, he’s got good size at 6’5 and 230 pounds. Unlike many players who attempt to make the jump from the CFL to the NFL, Cottoy isn’t a former American player who wasn’t able to make it in the pros right out of college.

Cottoy grew up in Calgary and rose through the football ranks entirely in Canada. He’s still only 24 and has just one year of CFL experience under his belt, in 2019. The 2020 CFL season was canceled due to COVID-19.

Kyle Shanahan loves to get creative on offense, and the team has brought in other hybrid players before like RB/WR Jalen Hurd and versatile fullback Kyle Juszczyk, so San Francisco’s interest isn’t too surprising. It sounds like the odds are better than not that Cottoy will end up signing somewhere.

Titans GM Jon Robinson On Julio Jones Trade

June 6th, 2021 at 4:38pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

A truly blockbuster NFL trade went down this morning, and we’re continuing to cover all the Julio Jones fallout. Most recently, Titans GM Jon Robinson spoke to the media to address his team’s new shiny acquisition. The following nuggets come courtesy of Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site on Twitter.

Interestingly, Robinson revealed the Titans have been in pursuit of the former Falcons star for a while. Robinson said Tennessee had been going back and forth with Atlanta for a few weeks, but things really picked up yesterday.

It sounds like some financial shuffling is about to take place, as Robinson said the Titans plan to restructure a contract or contracts to fit Jones’ big deal on their books.

Robinson emphasized that he spoke to current players on the team, and they were all enthusiastic about the prospect of adding Jones. He also added that he consulted with Nick Saban, Jones’ college coach at Alabama, who spoke very highly of him.

For Titans fans wondering about other potential additions to the offense, Robinson said the team is continuing to monitor the tight end market after losing Jonnu Smith in free agency.

After letting Smith and Corey Davis walk, it initially looked like Tennessee was going to have a pretty underwhelming group of pass-catchers outside of A.J. Brown, but Ryan Tannehill can’t complain anymore.

Chiefs Weren’t In Julio Jones Mix

June 6th, 2021 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs were “never truly in” the Julio Jones sweepstakes, according to Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter). Like every team in the league, the Chiefs would have loved to have him, but it just didn’t make sense financially. Instead, Jones is en route to the Titans, who landed him on Sunday morning.

The Titans shipped a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick to the Falcons for Jones. Meanwhile, the Falcons also sent their 2023 sixth-round pick to the Titans in the swap. That’s a far cry from the Falcons’ initial ask of a first-round pick, but that was the best they could do given Jones’ age (32) and contract.

The veteran is owed a $15.3MM base salary for 2021 and still has some guaranteed dollars for 2022. That would have been tough to swing for the Chiefs, who have less than $8MM to work with heading into ’21.

Needless to say, the Chiefs are already well-set on offense with Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Mecole Hardman in the fold. Jones would have been one heck of a replacement for Sammy Watkins, but it would have come at a great expense.

“If I could play alongside Julio Jones, that would be amazing,” Hill said recently (via FOX 4). “I used to be in high school when he was doing his thing at Alabama and I’ve been a fan ever since.”

The Chiefs have other plans for those dollars, including a 2022 extension for Orlando Brown. Meanwhile, Jones is said to be aiming for a new deal of his own.

The Ravens — who could have teamed Jones with Watkins — reached a similar conclusion, backing out of talks last week. Ditto for the Seahawks, who already traded their 2022 first-round pick for star safety Jamal Adams. The 49ers and Rams also had varying degrees of interest in the multiple-time Pro Bowler, but the Titans ultimately topped every other offer.

Falcons Trade Julio Jones To Titans

June 6th, 2021 at 10:51am CST by Rory Parks

The Julio Jones saga has reached a conclusion. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Falcons have agreed to trade Jones to the Titans in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick (Twitter link). Atlanta will also get the Titans’ fourth-round pick in 2023, though it will need to send its 2023 sixth-round choice to Tennessee. Both clubs subsequently announced the trade.

Once it became clear that Jones was going to be dealt, Tennessee always seemed like one of the most logical landing spots. The club lost WR Corey Davis and TE Jonnu Smith in free agency, and while the Titans’ offense will continue to flow through running back Derrick Henry, it seemed imperative for GM Jon Robinson to add another pass catcher.

Now, Jones will team with A.J. Brown to form a potentially dynamic 1-2 punch at the wide receiver position. And the Titans will not have to give up a ton to make that a reality. Though the Falcons were said to have an offer in hand that included a first-round pick, subsequent reports expressed skepticism that Atlanta would be able to get that type of compensation unless the hypothetical first-rounder was part of a pick-swap, similar to the return that the Ravens received from the Chiefs in the Orlando Brown Jr. trade.

Jones’ age (32) and sizable contract limited the Falcons’ leverage, as did the fact that Atlanta’s dire cap situation — the club had $446K in cap space before the trade and has yet to sign its draft picks — essentially compelled the team to rid itself of Jones’ salary. Plus, the seven-time Pro Bowler is coming off an injury-marred 2020 campaign in which he appeared in only nine games.

However, the Falcons were able to convince the Titans to assume the entirety of Jones’ contract. As Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, Atlanta is not absorbing any of Jones’ $15.3MM base salary for 2021, so Robinson will have some work to do to get Jones on the books. That could include a new contract for the newest Titan, which was rumored as a possibility last week. Indeed, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports that Jones and the Titans are presently discussing contract alterations (Twitter link).

Robinson could also approach quarterback Ryan Tannehill about a restructure. We heard just two days ago that Tannehill and the team had not discussed such a possibility, but it seems that the QB would be receptive to a reworked contract that converts some of his base salary into a signing bonus, especially since it would help facilitate Jones’ arrival.

Assuming he’s fully healthy, Jones should fit nicely into the Titans’ play-action-heavy offense. As Brown’s primary foil, he could thrive on in-breaking routes, and he still has enough straight-line speed to keep defenses honest. His presence makes Tennessee’s aerial attack a formidable one, though the club will have to demonstrate a marked improvement on the defensive side of the ball to have a legitimate chance at a title.

For the Falcons, this move represents the end of an era. One of the greatest receivers of his generation, Jones now holds franchise records in receptions (848) and receiving yards (12,896), and his 60 receiving TDs trail only Roddy White‘s 63. Those receiving yards currently rank 20th on the NFL’s all-time list, but Jones could catapult into the top-5 with several solid seasons in Tennessee.

Atlanta opted against drafting a successor for aging QB Matt Ryan, instead using its No. 4 selection on Florida TE Kyle Pitts, presumably in the hopes of making one final run at glory with Ryan under center. Between Pitts and Calvin Ridley, Ryan will still have several quality receiving options at his disposal, but losing Jones will put a major damper on any hopes the Falcons had for competing in 2021.

Dianna Russini of ESPN.com first reported that the Falcons and Titans were expected to finalize a trade that would send Jones to Tennessee within the next 24-48 hours (Twitter link). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com added (via Twitter) that the two clubs were still discussing whether the trade package would include a second- and fifth-rounder going back to Atlanta, or if the Falcons would get a second-rounder and swap other picks with the Titans.

FB Dan Vitale To Retire

June 6th, 2021 at 10:39am CST by Rory Parks

Fullback Dan Vitale is ending his playing career. In a post to his LinkedIn page (via NESN’s Doug Kyed on Twitter), Vitale said, “I feel like my body is just ready to move on. I’m looking for a new role and would appreciate your support.”

Vitale, 27, entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2016. He did not survive final cutdowns following his first career training camp, but he ended up back on Tampa’s taxi squad. The Browns poached him off the p-squad in October 2016, and over the 2016-17 campaigns, Vitale would appear in 24 games (nine starts) for Cleveland.

The Northwestern product caught on with the Packers’ practice squad in October 2018. He spent two seasons in Green Bay, playing in 20 games (five starts) for the Pack. His 2019 season with the club saw him post career highs in offensive snaps (170), catches (seven), and receiving yards (97). He also registered the only carry of his career, a three-yard tote.

Obviously, he was known more for his blocking and special teams acumen, and he signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in March 2020. The Pats knew that longtime stalwart James Develin was about to retire, and given the club’s usage of fullbacks and Develin’s impending departure, it seemed Vitale had found a good landing spot.

But he opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, and the Patriots cut him last month. Instead of trying to play for another NFL club, he will now turn his attention to other endeavors.

In his LinkedIn post, Vitale noted that he graduated from Northwestern with an economics degree, and that he minored in business institutions and integrated marketing communications.

We at PFR wish Vitale the best in the next stage of his life.

Titans To Acquire Tight End?

June 6th, 2021 at 10:03am CST by Rory Parks

The Titans lost tight end Jonnu Smith to the Patriots in free agency, and they have not done much to replace him. The club re-signed both Anthony Firkser and Geoff Swaim, and at present, those two reside at the top of Tennessee’s TE depth chart.

Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website believes that the Titans will make another addition to their tight end group, though he does not speculate as to who that addition might be. He does not believe that a reunion with old friend Delanie Walker, who recently auditioned for the 49ers, is in the cards.

Although Firkser is officially a tight end, he spent most of his time in 2020 lined up as a slot receiver, reeling in 39 catches for 387 yards (both career highs) and a touchdown. Still, the Titans do love to have two TEs on the field at once, so look for him and Swaim to get considerable playing time, with Firkser perhaps being moved around the formation to create favorable matchups.

As such, it makes sense that the club would look to add another TE, since the next man up behind Firkser and Swaim is 2020 UDFA Jared Pinkney, who spent most of his rookie campaign on the Falcons’ taxi squad. Pinkney did have a successful collegiate career at Vanderbilt and might have been a Day 2 draft pick if he had turned pro in 2019, but his return to college hurt his stock, which led to his being undrafted last year. He will likely need some more seasoning before he becomes a reliable player at the professional level.

At this point in the offseason, there are not many quality free agents available. Tyler Eifert and Trey Burton may be the most notable FAs if Tennessee is, in fact, interested in making an addition. Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz could also be on the move, either via trade or release.

Of course, the Titans continue to be connected to a trade for Falcons star wideout Julio Jones.

Many NFL Players Hesitant To Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

June 6th, 2021 at 8:55am CST by Rory Parks

Although there are no official numbers from the NFL, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe hears that the league is generally struggling to get its players vaccinated against COVID-19. Two agents that represent several dozen players between them believe less than half of the league has gotten a vaccine, and longtime agent David Canter — who represents around four dozen players — said, “Man oh man, it’s been hard to get my clients to get vaccinated. Guys are going to do what they’re going to do. They’ve never been guys who are going to kowtow to whatever the public or whatever coach wants them to do, unless their job is on the line.”

Of course, players’ jobs could be on the line if they don’t get the vaccine, even if teams aren’t allowed to say so. Bills GM Brandon Beane said last month that he would release players who refused to get vaccinated, which led to considerable backlash from the league and the union. A week ago, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott acknowledged his concern that more of his players hadn’t yet gotten their shots.

Obviously, this is not an issue that’s limited to Orchard Park. And while NFL players, like everyone else, are entitled to make whatever decision they believe is in their best interests, the realities of their employment do make the issue inherently more complex for them. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com recently laid out the differences in protocols for players who have been vaccinated versus those who have not (Twitter link). Notably, players without the vaccine are subject to daily testing and physical distancing requirements, and if they have been exposed to the virus, they must be quarantined.

Consider a situation like the one that recently unfolded at a Browns practice, wherein several unvaccinated Cleveland players had to be sent home from the facility because they were high-risk close contacts. We saw several games in 2020 that featured clubs that were shorthanded because a number of their players were on the COVID-19 list, and teams certainly will want to do whatever possible to make sure that doesn’t happen again in 2021.

Stars and other core players aren’t going to be in danger of getting cut, but players on the fringes of a roster could be if they don’t get the vaccine. After all, if a roster decision comes down to a vaccinated player versus an unvaccinated one, a team will probably choose the player that isn’t always at risk of missing time. Officially, a player can’t get cut for their vaccination decision, but unofficially, it seems bound to happen, and it could be difficult for the NFLPA to win a grievance on that player’s behalf.

Volin says that the league and union continue to negotiate the threshold at which COVID protocols can be dropped completely, and that one potential number is 85%. In other words, if 85% of a team’s players are fully vaccinated, that team would no longer have to worry about the protocols.

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