2022 April - Pro Football Rumors

Commanders Cut CB D.J. Hayden

April 8th, 2022 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former first-round pick D.J. Hayden played in one game with Washington last season and stayed on via a reserve/futures contract in January, but the Commanders are cutting ties with the veteran cornerback.

Washington released Hayden on Friday. While Hayden has bounced around during his nine-year career, he carved out steady roles for his original team (the Raiders) and worked as a Jaguars slot corner for three seasons.

The Jags gave Hayden a three-year, $19MM deal in 2018, signing the former top-15 pick after his year in Detroit. Hayden helped the 2018 Jags stay near the top tier defensively, playing 72% of their defensive snaps alongside Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. That talented Jacksonville group steadily splintered, and Hayden saw a 2020 injury wrap his career with the team. After spending time on the workout circuit, Hayden caught on with Washington in 2021.

The Commanders have used Kendall Fuller both outside and in the slot since reacquiring him in 2020, and the team used a third-round pick on Benjamin St-Juste last year.

Eagles Sign WR Devon Allen

April 8th, 2022 at 4:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

A two-time Olympic finalist in the 110-meter hurdles, Devon Allen will give football another try. The Eagles signed the U.S. track and field standout Friday, providing Allen an opportunity to resume a career that has been on hold for a while.

Allen last played football in 2016, when he suited up at Oregon, but was far better on the track and elected to turn pro in that sport. The former Marcus Mariota target has been a mainstay in the 110 hurdles for the past six years, but he totaled 684 receiving yards and scored seven touchdowns as a freshman with the Ducks — on a 2014 team that played for a national championship. Allen, 27, ventured back to his alma mater last week to participate in the Ducks’ pro day and clocked a 4.35-second 40-yard dash.

“It’s now or never because I don’t want to get too old,” Allen said last week. “I don’t want to turn 30, 31, and then try and get into the NFL. I know the skill gap is still there from college to the NFL, but I think when I did play college and when I did play at a pretty good level, I would consider myself talented enough to play in the NFL.”

Although Allen has three U.S. national hurdle titles on his resume, he narrowly missed the Olympic podium in 2016 (fifth) and 2021 (fourth) and has seen Grant Holloway usurp him as Team USA’s top high hurdler. Allen entered the professional track ranks after an ACL tear ended his Oregon football run in 2016.

This signing is closer to a flier than a legitimate attempt for the Eagles to upgrade at receiver, but the team has been patient this offseason. Philadelphia has added Zach Pascal but pursued bigger names — from Allen Robinson to Christian Kirk to DeVante Parker — in free agency. The team has two first-round picks in the upcoming draft but has used first-rounders on wideouts in each of the past two years.

Latest On OBJ’s Recovery, Free Agency

April 8th, 2022 at 4:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Odell Beckham Jr. is progressing well after sustaining his second ACL tear in a 15-month span, but the former Pro Bowler is not expected to be available to start the 2022 season, Tyler Dragon of USA Today tweets.

This injury has undoubtedly cooled the veteran wide receiver’s market. The Rams are still a possibility for Beckham, per Dragon, who notes multiple teams are still interested. As other teams fill their receiver needs with less injury-prone talents, OBJ remains a free agent.

The 29-year-old receiver being set to miss the start of next season should not surprise. The 2021 season held the NFL’s first mid-February Super Bowl, and roughly seven months stand between the night of Beckham’s latest tear and Week 1. OBJ was not ready for Week 1 following his 2020 tear, which occurred in early November. While the reserve/PUP list may be where this heads, shelving Beckham for six weeks to start the season, it is too early for such predictions.

The Rams make sense for OBJ to a degree, having traded Robert Woods to the Titans. The defending champions have been in talks with Beckham and were linked to being near a re-signing in March. Allen Robinson has since signed with the Rams, and Van Jefferson could conceivably be the team’s other starter alongside Cooper Kupp. The Patriots looked into Beckham as well, but their trade for DeVante Parker reduces the chances of a partnership.

Browns To Re-Sign S Ronnie Harrison

April 8th, 2022 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Browns have highly paid safety John Johnson and former second-round pick Grant Delpit under contract through 2023, they are re-signing another key member of this position group.

Ronnie Harrison is rejoining the team on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This will be Harrison’s third year in Cleveland. The Browns initially acquired Harrison in a 2020 trade with the Jaguars and have used him steadily since doing so.

Even with Johnson added in free agency and Delpit back after a rookie-year-nullifying injury, Harrison saw his snap rate increase in 2021. The Alabama alum played 75% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps last season, bettering Delpit’s snap rate alongside Johnson. The Browns used their three top safeties frequently, and it appears that will be the plan again in 2022.

Harrison made 58 tackles and intercepted a pass in his second Browns season. The former third-round pick missed five games in 2021. Harrison’s passer rating when targeted did balloon from 81.2 in 2020 to 113.0 last season, and he was charged with giving up a whopping six touchdowns — five more than he ceded in any previous season. Pro Football Focus graded Delpit as the slightly superior defender in 2021, but Harrison certainly brings considerable experience and is only entering his age-25 season.

Ravens To Re-Sign LB Josh Bynes

April 8th, 2022 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

After seeing Bobby Wagner sign with the Rams, the Ravens are bringing back one of their own at linebacker. Josh Bynes will return to Baltimore, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.

Bynes agreed to a one-year deal Friday. This will continue Bynes’ third stint in Baltimore, which acquired him as a UDFA in 2011 and brought him back in 2019. After a year in Cincinnati in 2020, Bynes returned to the Ravens and started 12 games last season.

Baltimore deployed Bynes and Patrick Queen as its primary off-ball linebackers last season, using the former on 61% of their defensive snaps. Bynes played far more regularly than 2020 third-rounder Malik Harrison and, despite going into his age-33 season, will have a chance to reprise his role in 2022.

Last season, Bynes made 76 tackles (six for loss) and registered two sacks in 2021. The Auburn alum has played with four teams, also seeing time with the Cardinals and Lions, but the Ravens have been his most frequent NFL employer.

The Ravens offered Wagner a deal that included $18MM fully guaranteed in the first two years, but the Rams convinced the Los Angeles native to return home. Bynes returning may not mean Baltimore is done at inside linebacker, but this could allow the Ravens to allocate their top remaining offseason resources to other areas.

Colts, S Rodney McLeod Finalizing Deal

April 8th, 2022 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

After six seasons with the Eagles, Rodney McLeod is preparing to relocate. The former Super Bowl starter is finalizing a deal with the Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Eagles re-signed Anthony Harris earlier this offseason and went through a virtual visit with Tyrann Mathieu this week. McLeod, a nine-year starter with the Rams and Eagles, will join a Colts secondary that encountered significant injury issues last season.

McLeod is entering his age-32 season. This will mark the veteran’s fourth NFL contract. The Eagles initially signed the UDFA success story in 2016 and kept him around, via a pay-cut agreement, to form a longtime McLeod-Malcolm Jenkins partnership. While McLeod played under former Colts defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon in Philadelphia last season, Indianapolis hired a new defensive coordinator this year (Gus Bradley). This McLeod agreement comes days after the Colts added veteran safety/special-teamer Armani Watts.

One of the more experienced free agents available, McLeod has made 123 starts during his 10-year career. He has intercepted 16 career passes and forced 11 fumbles. The ex-Virginia Cavalier has bounced back from multiple major injuries as a pro as well, returning from a 2018 MCL tear and a 2020 ACL tear. McLeod’s completion percentage as the nearest defender in coverage did spike following his latest post-injury re-emergence, rising from 48% in 2020 to 71%. Though, these figures are a bit less indicative for safeties than they are for cornerbacks.

Indianapolis has its Week 1 starter pair from last season — Julian Blackmon and Khari Willis — under contract. Blackmon is coming off an Achilles tear, while Willis missed six games last season and battled injuries in 2020 as well. Andrew Sendejo worked as a fill-in last season; the 12-year veteran remains in free agency.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/8/22

April 8th, 2022 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Atlanta Falcons

Signed: CB Mike Ford

Cincinnati Bengals

Re-Signed: TE Mitchell Wilcox

Dallas Cowboys

Signed: RB Ryan Nall

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed: WR/KR DeAndre Carter

New York Giants

Signed: OT Roy Mbaeteka

Dolphins To Sign P Thomas Morstead

April 8th, 2022 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have signed punter Thomas Morstead, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). This comes just 48 hours after the veteran’s audition in South Beach.

Morstead made his name with the Saints, enjoying a 12-year run that included a Pro Bowl nod in 2012. However, the 36-year-old was dropped in the middle of the Saints’ numbers crunch.

Morstead first entered the league as a 2009 fifth-round draft pick. After earning a ring as a rookie, he signed multiple extensions to stay in New Orleans through 2020. His He caught on with the Jets in mid-September, replacing the injured Braden Mann. But, with Mann eventually designated for return, Morstead’s services were no longer needed in New York and he was cut.

The veteran averaged 48.2 yards per punt with the Jets, his best average since 2016. His spent the second half of the season with the Falcons, where he averaged 46.1 yards on his 22 punts.

The accomplished punter is now in line to replace Michael Palardy, who is out of contract.

Ravens, Melvin Gordon In Talks

April 8th, 2022 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are in contract talks with Melvin Gordon (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If all goes well, the former Broncos running back wind up being a part of Baltimore’s revamped group.

Gordon, who turns 29 next week, recently changed agents, going from Fletcher Smith and Damarius Bilbo to Brian Murphy and Joe Panos of Athletes First. Recently, it was reported that Gordon was likely in line for a one-year deal worth roughly $2.5MM. That’d be a big drop-off from his two-year, $16MM deal with Denver, but the market is rarely kind to “older” running backs.

Gordon stands as one of the best free agent RBs remaining, especially since he’s posted more than 1,100 all-purpose yards in each of his last two seasons. He’s also scored exactly ten touchdowns in each of those Broncos campaigns.

The Broncos could conceivably bring him back into the fold, though they’ve got rising second-year pro Javonte Williams, and he’s ready to take on a larger role.

“I have been wanting to come back. I would love to win championship in Denver. I made a lot of great relationships with the guys. I feel like we have a really good team. To leave a talented team and go somewhere else would suck,” Gordon said in March. “It’s a job unfinished, and we need to finish the job. I talked with [GM] George [Paton]. We spoke on it. He told me he thinks highly of me. I really like the way he runs things and does things.”

Right now, it seems more likely that Gordon will join up with the Ravens, who wound up leaning on Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray for much of 2021.

Dolphins Work Out Reuben Foster

April 8th, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are auditioning linebacker Reuben Foster (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). Foster is now healthy — per Jackson’s sources — and eager to mount another comeback.

Foster has history with new Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, dating back to their 2018 season together with the Niners. The former first-round pick has missed the last three seasons following multiple knee injuries and surgeries, but he could offer serious upside if he’s truly healthy.

Foster has hardly been seen since he was released by the Niners roughly four years ago. Washington shocked the world by claiming him off of waivers, but he never saw the field in D.C. Foster suffered an ACL tear in 2019, further pushing his career off course. He also spent 2020 on IR. Between the suspensions and injuries, the 28-year-old has played just 16 total games as a pro.

In those 16 games for the Niners, Foster registered 101 tackles and two passes defensed.