2021 June - Pro Football Rumors

Frank Gore Not Planning To Sign Until Training Camp; Retirement On Table

June 3rd, 2021 at 5:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

While a handful of running backs have lasted long enough to play a 16th season, none ventured into Year 17. Should a team sign Frank Gore, he would be in position to become the first.

The ageless back hinted earlier this year another season was on his radar. Now, it sounds like Gore definitely wants to come back. He does not, however, plan to sign until training camps begin.

“I talked to a couple teams, but my agent told me not to put any teams’ names out there. I kind of want to wait to training camp,” Gore said during an interview with KNBR’s Murph and Mac. “I want to wait to see if it’s the right situation for me. But if I don’t like the situation, I’ll say forget it and I’ll retire.”

The 38-year-old back, who is currently training in Miami, no longer wants to join a team without Super Bowl aspirations. Although he was with the Bills when they ventured to the playoffs in 2019, Gore has played in one playoff game since he left San Francisco. Last season, Gore gained 653 yards for the 2-14 Jets.

An injury during camp could open the door for Gore to help a contending team. He certainly is no longer in prime form, but the 16-year veteran has proven to be a dependable runner (three missed games in the past 10 years) and has amassed at least 575 rushing yards in every season of his career. The Jets used Gore a bit more frequently than the Bills did, but he carved out steady roles in Buffalo and Miami, allowing him to climb into the No. 3 spot on the all-time rushing list.

“I know that I can still play the game; I know I can help a team,” Gore said. “But it’s also got to be the right situation that I feel that I can be on a team that could go to the playoffs and get a chance to probably go to the Super Bowl.”

The 49ers, whom Gore indicated an interest in rejoining earlier this year, are already down Jeff Wilson for several months. But they drafted multiple backs, including Trey Sermon in Round 3. Gore said he remains interested in a San Francisco return but acknowledged the rookies may impede such a signing. A Dolphins reunion would make sense, even though Adam Gase is long gone from Miami, with the team not adding to its Myles Gaskin–Malcolm Brown depth chart until Round 7. The Seahawks also lost Carlos Hyde this offseason and have Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny coming off injury-limited seasons.

Multiple fullbacks (Tony Richardson, Lorenzo Neal) have played at age 38 in the modern NFL; Richardson made it to 39 in his 16th season (2010). Marcus Allen is the only pure running back to join Gore in playing a 16th season since the merger. At 16,000 rushing yards, Gore is 726 behind Walter Payton for second on the all-time list.

Titans Sign DT Abry Jones

June 3rd, 2021 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Abry Jones‘ eight-year Jacksonville stay is over, but he stands to see his former team this season. The veteran defensive tackle agreed to terms with the Titans on Thursday.

Entering last season as the Jaguars’ longest-tenured player, Jones ran into injury trouble and played in just five games. The Titans are shuttling in multiple D-linemen, with Trevon Coley also joining the team. Jones brings a much longer track record as a starter.

Although he was not asked to be a key pass rusher, Jones was part of the Jags’ “Sacksonville” defensive front throughout its brief run. A UDFA out of Georgia in 2013, Jones started 15 games for the AFC South champion Jags team in 2017 and served as a key contributor in Jacksonville from 2014-20. The Jags ranked as a top-five defense in 2017 and ’18 but lost their way in 2019 and fell off a cliff last season. With the franchise changing regimes, Jones will move on as well.

This will be the veteran nose tackle’s age-30 season. Jones and Coley represent competition for Tennessee’s incumbents. An ankle malady sidelined Jones for most of the 2020 season, but he played at least 15 games in each of the previous six years.

To make room on their roster, the Titans cut defensive linemen Jullian Taylor and Daylon Mack. The Titans signed Taylor in February, but the former 49ers defensive tackle missed all of the 2020 season. He suffered a severe knee injury late in the 2019 campaign; the 49ers cut him midway through last season. Mack also did not see any time in 2020 but spent time on multiple practice squads.

Bears Plan To Start Andy Dalton In Week 1

June 3rd, 2021 at 4:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

While early June is generally far too early for these sort of proclamations, the Bears continue to throw support behind their stopgap quarterback. Despite Chicago’s quarterback plans changing in late April, the team intends to honor a promise it made in March.

The Justin Fields draft choice notwithstanding, the Bears plan to keep the promise of starting Andy Dalton in Week 1, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. The Bears will play the Rams in Los Angeles in Week 1, opening the Sunday Night Football slate.

First-round quarterbacks generally take over quickly as rookies. The Bears did not waste much time giving the keys to Mitchell Trubisky four years ago, with the one-year North Carolina starter usurping free agency addition Mike Glennon by Week 5. This year, Bears GM Ryan Pace pledged Dalton — signed to a one-year, $10MM deal — would be the team’s starter. Of course, the team’s depth chart consisted of Dalton and Nick Foles at that point. Fields certainly throws a wrench into a lengthy Dalton stay atop the depth chart.

Matt Nagy said after the Fields pick he would like the Bears to use the Chiefs’ most recent QB-transition model, when Alex Smith started throughout Patrick Mahomes‘ rookie year. Nagy was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator that season. Comparing Fields and Mahomes is unwarranted at this point, but it would be surprising if the Ohio State standout remained on the bench for too long. The Kansas City model is quite rare, despite teams hoping to follow suit. Pace and Nagy entered the draft on scorching-hot seats. Their trade-up for Fields may have bought them some time, but the high-end prospect will almost certainly play early.

Only four quarterbacks chosen in Round 1 since 2011 — when that year’s CBA changed first-rounders’ earnings and timelines — did not become a primary starter in Year 1: Mahomes, Jake Locker (2011), Johnny Manziel (2014) and Paxton Lynch (2016). All but Locker started at least one game as rookies. The 27 other first-round QBs from 2011-20 started at least six games, with 22 of those starting at least 10. Although Dalton has nine-plus seasons as a starter and is reuniting with Bears OC Bill Lazor, recent history shows the 33-year-old passer does not figure to be long for the Bears’ QB1 post.

Bills Sign First-Round DE Gregory Rousseau

June 3rd, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills used first- and second-round picks on defensive ends this year. Both are now under contract. Gregory Rousseau signed his rookie deal Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Selected 30th overall, Rousseau will receive $11.367MM guaranteed. The Miami alum will be expected to help a Bills team that featured no pass rusher surpass five sacks in 2020. The Rousseau pick preceded Buffalo selecting Wake Forest’s Boogie Basham in Round 2. Basham signed his rookie deal last month. Rousseau’s rookie deal, unlike Basham’s, can run through 2025 (via the fifth-year option).

Both Rousseau and Hurricanes rusher Jaelan Phillips went off the board, to AFC East teams, in Round 1. The Dolphins took Phillips ahead of the Bills’ selection. Rousseau had Phillips one-upped after his most recent college season, 2019, when he posted 15.5 sacks and forced two fumbles. But Rousseau opted out of his junior season and did not generate momentum during the pre-draft process.

Buffalo will bet on his breakout sophomore season being a better indicator of his potential. Rousseau did not record a sack as a freshman in 2018, playing in only one game, and ranked 48th among this year’s prospects, per Scouts Inc. The 6-foot-6 edge defender played in just 14 games at Miami. This certainly increases the risk of the Bills’ pick.

The defending AFC East champions, however, now have a wealth of notable defensive ends on their roster. Rousseau and Basham join 2020 second-round pick A.J. Epenesa and returning starters Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison.

Raiders Sign S Roderic Teamer

June 3rd, 2021 at 3:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

New Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will reunite with another of his former Chargers troops. The Raiders agreed to terms with safety Roderic Teamer on Thursday.

Set to follow ex-Bolts teammate Casey Hayward in Las Vegas, Teamer will join the Raiders after a stint with the Colts. The former UDFA caught on with Indianapolis via reserve/futures contract in January but ended up being waived shortly after the draft. Teamer’s Raiders deal is for one year and $780K, veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson tweets.

Teamer was with the Chargers for just one season, with a violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy sidetracking his tenure in Los Angeles. The Tulane product, however, worked as a starter for the Bolts as a rookie. Depleted at safety in 2019, the Chargers used Teamer as a six-game starter. He made 40 tackles, registered a sack and intercepted a pass during that stay. The Chargers cut Teamer in August 2020, following the news of his four-game suspension.

The Raiders have been busy in their secondary this offseason. At safety alone, the team has added second-round pick Trevon Moehrig, fourth-rounder Tyree Gillespie and reunited with 2016 first-round pick Karl Joseph. A special teams role may be the Raiders’ objective with Teamer (no pun intended).

Titans To Sign DT Trevon Coley

June 3rd, 2021 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former Browns defensive tackle starter Trevon Coley‘s journey around the NFL will continue to a second AFC South team. The Titans agreed to terms with the veteran defender Thursday, according to his agency (via Twitter).

This will be Coley’s seventh NFL team. While the former UDFA has only seen action with three of those squads, he has spent time with the Ravens, Browns, Washington, Colts, Cardinals and Jets in a five-year career.

Coley, 26, likely represents a depth addition at this point of his career. The 6-foot-1 lineman played 68 defensive snaps for the Colts in 2019 and logged 192 for the Cardinals. Arizona, however, deployed Coley as a starter in two games — when the team was battling extensive injury trouble on its defensive front.

In Cleveland, Coley worked alongside Larry Ogunjobi as a D-tackle starter from 2017-18. He registered 2.5 sacks during his Browns stay; one of those was a safety, in 2018. The Browns, who signed Sheldon Richardson in 2019, cut Coley just ahead of the ’19 season.

Tennessee lost longtime starter DaQuan Jones in free agency but added Denico Autry and used a fourth-round pick on Pitt D-lineman Rashad Weaver. Coley will likely attempt to fill in behind the Titans’ first-stringers come training camp.

Latest On Lions, Todd Gurley

June 3rd, 2021 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Todd Gurley left his Lions visit without a deal, but head coach Dan Campbell says the one-time superstar is still in consideration (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Meanwhile, Campbell says the Lions’ interest in Gurley is not a reflection on any of the team’s current running backs.

“Look, we have interest in Todd. We do. We’re talking with him and his agent. But just because we have interest in him that does not affect our feeling and our thoughts on both (D’Andre Swift) and (Jamaal Williams). It does not.”

We already know that Swift agrees with that assessment — he’s been vocal about his desire to play with Gurley, a fellow Georgia alum. And, even if the Lions add Gurley to the roster, they can’t necessarily count on his health, given his recent history.

Gurley was a two-time All-Pro for the Rams, racking up 40 all-purpose touchdowns between 2017 and 2018. But, due to knee trouble, he posted just 3.8 yards per tote and 6.7 yards per catch in 2019. Last year, he was held to just 3.5 yards per carry with the Falcons while adding 25 grabs for 164 yards.

Ultimately, Gurley profiles as a potential low-risk, high-reward signing for the Lions. And, if things don’t work out, Gurley still has several months to find his next NFL home.

Giants Sign Kadarius Toney

June 3rd, 2021 at 1:26pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have inked first-round receiver Kadarius Toney, per a club announcement. The Florida product will earn $13.7MM on his four-year deal. Of course, as a first-round pick, the Giants will also hold a team option for a fifth season down the road.

The Giants were initially set to pick at No. 11, but they traded their way back to No. 20 to take Toney instead. The move continued the Giants streak of taking an offensive player in the first round – they’ve done so in each of the last five years.

After playing quarterback in high school, it took some time for Toney to find his role on Florida’s offense. He played in mostly a backup role through his first three seasons in college, but he finally had a breakout campaign in 2020. He finished out with 1,145 total yards from scrimmage and eleven touchdowns — mostly through the air, but also with a decent number of carries. With 70 grabs for 984 yards, he averaged an efficient 14.1 yards per catch. That caught the attention of evaluators everywhere, including GM Dave Gettleman.

Toney projects to be a slot receiver in the NFL, but his Swiss Army Knife profile offers him an even greater upside. He’ll have time to learn, too, given the presence of newcomer Kenny Golladay plus John Ross, Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, and Dante Pettis.

Eagles Sign DeVonta Smith

June 3rd, 2021 at 1:19pm CST by Zachary Links

DeVonta Smith is officially in the flock. On Thursday, the Eagles formally signed the first-round wide receiver to his first NFL contract.

Per the terms of his No. 10 overall slot slot, Smith will earn $20.1MM over the course of his four-year deal, including a $12MM signing bonus. The Eagles are happy to pay it, especially after trading up to the No. 10 pick to snag the Alabama star. Now, he’ll reunite with his one-time teammate Jalen Hurts, who went on to play at Oklahoma. His presence should help Hurts, who may have to compete for his No. 1 job.

Smith broke onto the scene following a standout junior campaign, but he took it to another level in 2020. The wideout finished the year with 24 touchdowns, 1,862 yards from scrimmage, and the Heisman Trophy (plus many more awards). He was universally viewed as one of the three best WRs in this year’s class — somewhere behind Ja’Marr Chase and neck-and-neck with teammate Jaylen Waddle. While Waddle is known for his high-end speed, Smith has drawn rave reviews for his soft hands, intangibles, and ability to win 50/50 balls.

A dislocated finger (including torn ligaments) led to some brief concern leading up to the draft, but that shouldn’t slow Smith as he gears up for his first year in the pros.

Cardinals Sign CB Darqueze Dennard

June 3rd, 2021 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have signed cornerback Darqueze Dennard, per a club announcement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that it’s a one-year contract.

Dennard spent the early part of his career with the Bengals. The former first-round pick initially agreed to join the Jaguars in late March on a three-year, $13.5MM deal. However, that fell through due to complications with his knee injury. He then hooked on with the Falcons, where he appeared in eight games with six starts.

The Cardinals have been on the lookout for cornerback help. Currently, they count Malcolm Butler, Robert Alford, and Byron Murphy among their CB vets, plus newly drafted rookies Marco Wilson and Tay Gowan.

Injuries have slowed Dennard over the years but, when he’s healthy, he’s shown to be a solid slot option. In his last year with the Bengals (2019), Pro Football Focus graded Dennard as its No. 21 overall corner, during which he played 495 snaps. All in all, he’s played in 85 games throughout his career, including 30 starts.