2022 April - Pro Football Rumors

Month: April 2022

Rob Walton Frontrunner To Buy Broncos

April 20th, 2022 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The list of prospective Broncos owners has narrowed to five, according to Troy Renck of Denver7. An NFL-record bid should be expected here, and the winning price is set to smash the previous mark David Tepper set four years ago when he bought the Panthers for $2.275 billion.

Rob Walton is believed to have submitted an opening bid of more than $4 billion, according to Josh Kosman of the New York Post. A Walmart heir worth more than $70 billion, Walton, 77, is the favorite to acquire the AFC West franchise, per Kosman and Renck (Twitter link). The highest bid must be accepted, with the sale then going to a league vote.

The Broncos are only accepting bids north of $4 billion at this point, with Kosman adding the price is expected to be between $4.5-$5 billion. Even a $4 billion price would exceed the cost for any American sports franchise by a wide margin. The Brooklyn Nets were sold for $3.3 billion, representing the current high-water mark. The prospective buyer list has been narrowed to five, Renck adds. New Jersey Devils owner and Philadelphia 76ers managing partner Josh Harris remains in the running, with Lakers and Dodgers investor Todd Boehly heading a third ownership group that remains in contention, according to Sportico.

The Broncos went on the market in February; they are set to begin hosting candidates by early May, Renck adds. Team CEO Joe Ellis has said he wants a new owner in place before the 2022 season starts. Both John Elway and Peyton Manning have been linked to interest in being part of separate ownership groups. The latest reports have not mentioned either Hall of Famer, but Ellis said at the owners meetings the two are not out of the mix altogether.

“They’ve inquired is what I would tell you,” Ellis said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “Certainly, I think either one would be well-accepted by a group if a group or a potential owner would want to include them in the group. We’ll see where that shakes out.”

Seahawks Meet With DE Mario Addison

April 20th, 2022 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner moves have overshadowed everything else Seahawks-related this offseason, the team has swapped out several front-seven pieces. The Seahawks remain in search of help up front.

Seattle acquired Shelby Harris in the Wilson trade, signed edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu and reunited with hybrid rusher Quinton Jefferson. The Seahawks are looking into another veteran, hosting Mario Addison on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

A defensive end with 11 years’ experience, Addison spent the past two seasons with the Bills. This Seattle visit marks the 34-year-old rusher’s first connection to a team this offseason. The Bills revamped their defensive line this offseason as well, with the Von Miller deal heading up that effort. This left Addison and Jerry Hughes out of the picture.

Addison recorded 12 sacks with the Bills, including seven last season despite shifting to a bench role, and has 67 in his career. He recorded at least nine sacks in each season from 2016-19 with the Panthers, who employed the former UDFA for nearly eight seasons.

Moving to a defense featuring more 3-4 looks, the Seahawks do not have their top two sackers from last season — Carlos Dunlap and Rasheem Green — rostered. They cut Dunlap, Benson Mayowa and Kerry Hyder this offseason, with Nwosu set to anchor the team’s new-look edge corps.

Jets Re-Sign DE Vinny Curry

April 20th, 2022 at 3:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Vinny Curry suffering a late-summer health issue that prevented him from playing for the Jets last season, the parties are reuniting. The Jets re-signed the veteran defensive end Wednesday, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus tweets.

The former Eagles and Buccaneers defender dealt with a number of complications stemming from blood clots and a recent spleen removal, leading to the Jets placing him on their non-football injury list in August. The team released Curry from its NFI list shortly before the season ended, but the sides will try to make it work again in 2022.

Curry (34 in June) played eight seasons with the Eagles from 2012-20 — sandwiched by a 2018 Bucs partnership — and served as either a starter or key rotational cog. He totaled eight sacks and 22 quarterback hits over his final two Eagles seasons but signed with the Jets on a one-year, $1.3MM deal in 2021. It will be interesting to see if Curry can complete his comeback from the issues he battled last year.

The Jets played without their big-ticket pass rusher addition last year and saw no edge rusher accumulate more than two sacks. Carl Lawson is expected to lead Gang Green’s edge crew this season, with Curry in a potential supporting role. But it is likely the team will add a major piece to its defensive line in the draft. Kayvon Thibodeaux is on the Jets’ radar.

49ers Not Expected To Trade Deebo Samuel

April 20th, 2022 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Preparing to start the Trey Lance era, the 49ers are — as of now, at least — not planning to deal away their most versatile weapon. Deebo Samuel‘s trade request is not expected to lead to a deal, with The Athletic’s Connor Hughes noting the 49ers have “zero intention” of parting ways with the All-Pro weapon (Twitter link).

Employing former 49ers assistant Mike LaFleur as their offensive coordinator and having not exactly kept a secret they are chasing wide receivers, the Jets do not expect Samuel to be dealt — unless a team submits a monster offer — according to USA Today’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). Gang Green has monitored Samuel’s market, along with D.K. Metcalf‘s, after striking out on wideouts earlier this offseason. No deal is imminent, though NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show this trade request occurred weeks ago (video link).

The Jets have two top-10 picks, a low-cost quarterback and staffers familiar with Samuel’s talents; they would make sense as perhaps the lead suitor here. They were prepared to pay Tyreek Hill a top-market contract. Samuel, 26, is two years younger and coming off his first All-Pro campaign. A team parting with a stronger offer than what it took for the Dolphins to acquire Hill would likely be necessary here, Hughes adds.

The 49ers have eyed a Samuel extension for a while now, with John Lynch indicating in February such a deal has been budgeted. Removing Samuel from the 49ers’ first Lance-directed offense would create an immense challenge for Kyle Shanahan. San Francisco has Lance tied to a rookie deal, opening the door for Samuel and Nick Bosa re-ups. This regime did trade DeForest Buckner after intending to extend him, but Samuel has proven essential at a thinner position for the 49ers compared to their defensive line surplus at the time of the Buckner deal.

Samuel’s hesitancy about a 49ers extension does involve his increased usage as a running back, Pelissero adds. The 49ers gave the physical receiver 59 carries last season, tying Tavon Austin‘s 2017 output for the most by a wide receiver since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Samuel is the only player in NFL history to compile 1,400-plus receiving yards and 300-plus rushing yards in a season. Although Samuel averaged 6.2 yards per carry, concerns about wear and tear are understandable here. This is an issue the other teams with contract-year wideouts do not have to navigate and one of the more intriguing wrinkles affecting a player’s long-term future with a team to surface in a while.

Browns Sign Isaac Rochell, Javon Wims

April 20th, 2022 at 1:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns have made a depth addition on each side of the ball. The team announced Wednesday the signings of defensive end Isaac Rochell and receiver Javon Wims.

Rochell, who will turn 27 later this week, began his career with the Chargers. In four years there, he rarely started, but played a notable role in the team’s defensive front. His best season came in 2018, when he registered 29 tackles and five of his 9.5 career sacks.

His play earned him a deal from the Colts last offseason. The value of the one-year contract outweighed what the Chargers could have paid to keep him, but his production points to letting him leave having been the right decision. In 12 games, Rochell totalled 17 tackles and no sacks. Now, he will join a Browns team which just recently signed Stephen Weatherly.

Wims, 27, is also joining a new team for the second time in his career. A seventh-round pick of the Bears in 2018, he started seven of 33 games in Chicago. He recorded 18 receptions and 186 yards in 2019, but made just 10 total catches in his other two campaigns. After being waived by the Bears, he spent 2021 on the Raiders’ practice squad.

These deals likely won’t have any significant effect on Cleveland’s cap space, meaning that reunions with the likes of Jadeveon Clowney and Jarvis Landry are still possible. In any event, these two represent depth at key positions for a team looking to seriously contend in the AFC in 2022.

Latest On Panthers, Sam Darnold

April 20th, 2022 at 12:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Just over one week from the start of the draft, the Panthers remain one of the teams most connected with selecting a quarterback. When speaking to the media yesterday, though, new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo stated (at least temporarily) that the team already has its No. 1 signal-caller.

As noted by ESPN’s David Newton, McAdoo was quick to affirm Sam Darnold‘s status as the team’s starter, including his presence as a factor in taking his new role. Moments later, however, he clarified that “the way it is in the building right now, Sam is our starting quarterback”. The Panthers currently only have Darnold and P.J. Walker on the roster, but should have their pick of this year’s class with the sixth-overall selection.

Knowing that, McAdoo quickly added, “announcing the starting quarterback here I just put my foot in my mouth. That wasn’t something I should have said.” Carolina represents one of the most intriguing and important teams in next week’s draft, given their position on the board and dual need for an offensive tackle and (at least in the eyes of many) a quarterback with a higher ceiling than Darnold.

In his first season after being traded by the Jets, the 24-year-old completed less than 60% of his passes and threw more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (nine). Not surprisingly, then, the Panthers have done extensive work on the draft’s top QBs, leading many to expect them to select either Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis with their top pick. Failing that, they could be involved in the remaining trade market; they were recently reported to have the inside track to acquire Baker Mayfield, for instance.

This time of year, of course, is rife with public statements being overvalued or misinterpreted. Still, McAdoo’s remarks add even more intrigue to the team’s ultimate draft decision, which will have a sizeable domino effect on not only the Panthers but the rest of the QB board.

49ers’ Deebo Samuel Requests Trade

April 20th, 2022 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

Deebo Samuel wants out. On Wednesday, the wide receiver said that he has asked the 49ers for a trade (Twitter link via Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com).

[RELATED: Jets Eyeing D. Samuel?]

Samuel declined to go into specifics, but this may have something to do with his contract. Samuel has reportedly asked the Niners for something in the range of $25MM/year, which would make him one of the highest-paid WRs in the league.

Samuel made his request known last week, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). “Money is not at the root,” of his issues with the team, per RapSheet (on Twitter) — Samuel is also upset about how he has been used in the Niners’ offense.

The speculation around Samuel has been building for weeks, especially after he removed all mentions of the 49ers across social media. Meanwhile, the Niners’ multiple offers to Samuel have not yielded much progress. Samuel’s reported ask for ~$25MM/year deal would vault him ahead of other recent WR deals including those for D.J. Moore, Chris Godwin, and Mike Williams.

The South Carolina product has held up his end of the bargain so far, notching 167 catches for 2,598 yards and ten touchdowns across the last three seasons. He’s also done damage out of the backfield, notching 550 rushing yards and eleven TDs on the ground.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a team that wouldn’t want to add Samuel, particularly after his Pro Bowl / All-Pro campaign. In just 13 games last year, Samuel racked up 869 receiving yards and averaged nearly 14 yards per catch. He also took 59 carries for 365 yards and eight touchdowns, positioning him as one of the most dynamic offensive talents in the game today.

NFL Draft Rumors: Howell, McDuffie, Texans, Eagles

April 20th, 2022 at 11:04am CST by Zachary Links

Scouts aren’t wild about this year’s crop of quarterbacks, but North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell tells Albert Breer of SI that he’s not bothered by the negativity.

“We all hear it,” Howell said. “I don’t really take it personally. People are going to say what they believe, and that’s what they get paid to do. Whether they’re right or wrong, it doesn’t really matter. I can speak for myself, I truly could care less what anyone says about me. They try to judge all these draft guys before the draft every single year, and then they go in the league and they’re either going to play well or they’re not.”

“And they’re going to guess, and 50% of the time they’re going to be right, and 50% they’re probably going to be wrong.”

On that note, here’s the latest buzz from Breer as we head into the 2022 NFL Draft:

Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie has impressed throughout the pre-draft process, Breer hears. From coach and scout meetings to his 4.4-second 40-yard-dash, McDuffie seems to have slotted himself as the No. 3 CB in this year’s crop, behind Cincinnati’s Sauce Gardner and LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr.
Texans head coach Lovie Smith has been vocal about his desire to remain his cornerback group and the rest of the league is taking him at his word. Smith, known for running the Tampa 2 defense, may push his club to pounce on a top-end CB with at either No. 3 or No. 13 overall.
The Eagles have prioritized wide receivers in each of the last two drafts, but rival scouts and evaluators aren’t ruling out the possibility of Howie Roseman going for three in a row. This year’s WR class is headlined by the likes of Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Alabama’s Jameson Williams, Georgia’s George Pickens, and USC’s Drake London.

This Date In Transactions History: Tim Tebow Joins The Eagles

April 20th, 2022 at 8:35am CST by Zachary Links

On April 20th, 2015, quarterback Tim Tebow joined Eagles. At the time, this was presumed to be the two-time BCS national champion’s last chance in the NFL.

Tebow inked a one-year deal, seemingly settling for a backup gig in Philly. It was a reminder of how far the former first-rounder had fallen in only a few years’ time. In 2011, Tebow appeared in 14 games (11 starts) for the Broncos, completing 126 of his 271 pass attempts (46.5% completion percentage) for 1,729 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six picks. He also added 660 rushing yards and six scores on 122 carries. The Florida product also appeared in two playoff games that season, including a dramatic overtime win over the Steelers.

However, after Denver inked Peyton Manning to a contract prior to the 2012 season, Tebow was traded to the Jets. The quarterback ended up making 12 appearances (two starts) for New York that year. While he only attempted eight pass attempts, he did compile 102 rushing yards on 32 carries. His season ended prematurely after he suffered two broken ribs.

Tebow was released by the Jets following that season, and he caught on with the Patriots during the 2013 preseason. Ultimately, New England let him go prior to the regular season, and Tebow transitioned to a broadcasting gig. However, on this date, he received a new NFL opportunity.

When the Eagles signed Tebow, they were hoping he’d compete with Matt Barkley to be the team’s third-string signal-caller behind Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez. Tebow ended up getting action in all four of Philly’s preseason games, completing 21 of his 36 attempts for 286 yards, two scores, and one pick. He also added another 82 rushing yards. However, after nearly two years away from football, Tebow was clearly a step behind the other signal-callers on the Eagles’ depth chart, and the team released him prior to the regular season.

Tebow later moved on to a new sport and joined the Mets’ farm system before retiring from baseball in February of 2021. That wasn’t a wrap on his playing career, however. In 2021, old pal Urban Meyer signed Tebow to the Jaguars’ 90-man roster as a tight end. Tebow was released midway through the preseason, bringing his pro football career to an end — we think.

Buccaneers, Tom Brady Haven’t Discussed Extension

April 19th, 2022 at 11:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Tom Brady is locked in as the Buccaneers quarterback in 2022, but it remains to be seen if he’ll stick around for 2023.

There were recent whispers that Brady considered joining the Dolphins as both a minority owner and their starting quarterback. While it sounds like Brady’s committed to Tampa Bay for the upcoming campaign, his pending free agency has naturally led to speculation about whether he could eventually continue his career elsewhere.

When speaking with reporters today, general manager Jason Licht said he hasn’t had any discussions with Brady about an extension, and he hasn’t talk with the quarterback about Miami’s pursuit.

“No, we haven’t had those discussions,” said Licht (via ESPN’s Jenna Laine). “The only discussions I’ve had, we’ve had, with Tom has been, he came back and we’re excited about this year and we’re excited to get going.”

And what did the executive make of the recent chatter connecting Brady to the Dolphins?

“I make of it — chatter, just like you said,” Licht said. “We’re focused on putting our team together here with the draft, and we’re all excited, we’re all in lockstep here — Tom, Todd [Bowles], myself, Byron [Leftwich], the entire coaching staff — on this season.”

Of course, we wouldn’t expect Licht to say anything about the Dolphins’ reported pursuit of Brady. However, it is notable that the two sides haven’t discussed an extension. Brady will be 45 by the start of the next season, and after having flirted with retirement this offseason, the quarterback’s lame-duck contract could just be an indication that he’ll hang it up following next season. However, if you adjust that tinfoil hat a bit, you could argue that the future Hall of Famer’s one-year contract provides the Dolphins with another path to pursue him in 2023.

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