HEADLINES

Month: April 2022

Buccaneers To Sign S Keanu Neal

April 6th, 2022 at 3:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a year back in Dan Quinn‘s system, Keanu Neal will return to the NFC South. The veteran defender is signing with the Buccaneers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Neal moved to linebacker during his year with the Cowboys, but the longtime Falcons safety has switched back to his initial NFL position. That appears to be where Todd Bowles sees him. Despite being a seventh-year veteran, Neal is 26. He stands to give the Bucs another veteran presence in a safety group that added Logan Ryan this offseason.

Although Neal was on a Cowboys team that housed Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith entering last season, he played 61% of Dallas’ defensive snaps. The Cowboys cut Smith and used Parsons as a pass rusher frequently, helping lead to Neal’s snap rate despite just five starts. Neal registered 72 tackles (four for loss) in 14 games last season. The Cowboys re-signed Vander Esch last month.

A central Florida native and former Florida Gator, Neal spent five years with the Falcons after coming into the NFL as a top-20 pick. He has been more valuable as a tackler than a cover man, but the ex-Super Bowl starter has a Pro Bowl on his resume (2017). Neal has also bounced back from two injury-nullified seasons, having played just four games from 2018-19. He made at least 100 tackles in his other three Falcons seasons.

The Bucs lost starter Jordan Whitehead in free agency but now have two veterans joining Antoine Winfield Jr. at safety. Both Ryan and Neal have notable histories at other positions, with the former being a cornerback for years to start his career. It will be interesting to see how the Bucs deploy their new arrivals next season.

Whitney Mercilus Retires

April 6th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

After 10 years in the NFL, Whitney Mercilus is calling it a career. The pass rusher announced his retirement today on Instagram. 

“I’ve decided I’m hanging up the cleats” he said. “I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life.” 

The 31-year-old spent a decade in Houston after the Texans selected him in the first round of the 2012 Draft. During most of that span, he was an integral part of the team’s defense, pairing with J.J. Watt as their most consistent and effective pass rushers. The year which sticks out the most statistically is 2015; in that campaign, he posted 12 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

Mercilus’ time in Houston coincided with the team’s most successful years. He was a member of five division-winning squads (out of six in franchise history, which remain the only ones to qualify for the postseason). While the team never made it past the Divisional round of the playoffs, the Illinois alum played a consistent role throughout his tenure in the Lone Star State. Overall, he totalled 57 sacks in 134 games with Houston, along with another seven in eight postseason contests.

He saw his playing time reduced in 2021, however. As the team transitioned to the likes of Jonathan Greenard and Jacob Martin, Mercilus was released. That led to his mid-season signing by the Packers, who were looking for pass rush help in the absence of Za’Darius Smith. A biceps tear limited his time in green and gold to just four games, however.

Ultimately, Mercilus will be remembered as one of the top players in Texans’ history; his retirement announcement indicated that he will now focus more time on family and his foundation.

Falcons Sign Germain Ifedi

April 6th, 2022 at 12:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after visiting the Falcons, offensive linemen Germain Ifedi has indeed joined the team. Atlanta announced on Wednesday that they have signed the veteran to a one-year contract. 

Ifedi met with the Falcons less than two weeks ago, so this move doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The 27-year-old was a first-round pick of the Seahawks in 2016. In four seasons there, he started all 60 games he appeared in. He manned both the right guard and right tackle spots, but never graded out well in terms of PFF ratings.

Ifedi then signed with the Bears two years ago. The first of his campaigns in the Windy City saw his best performance to date, as he played every snap and earned a PFF grade of 65. Availability became a problem for the first time in his career in 2021, however; a knee injury helped limit him to seven starts and nine games played. Just like in Seattle, Ifedi spent time at both guard and tackle.

By signing in Atlanta, the Texas A&M alum becomes the fifth ex-Bear to join the Falcons. The team’s starters at the RG and RT spots – Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary, respectively – are each under contract for one more season. Ifedi could, at a minimum, provide experienced depth at each position for the 2022 campaign and perhaps earn himself an extended stay with his play there.

Patriots Rework Deatrich Wise’s Deal

April 6th, 2022 at 10:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have converted $2.85MM of defensive lineman Deatrich Wise’s base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). The adjustment will carve out $1.9MM in additional salary cap room for the Patriots. 

[RELATED: Patriots Trade For D. Parker]

The move will allow the Pats to absorb the salary of wide receiver DeVante Parker, who came from the Dolphins — along with a 2022 fifth-round pick — in exchange for a 2023 third-round choice. Parker’s deal calls for a $5.65MM base salary in 2022 and $5.7MM in 2013, though there’s zero guarantees remaining on his deal. For the Pats, it’s a thrifty WR upgrade after missing out on more ambitious targets like Odell Beckham Jr.

Wise Jr., 28, has blossomed into a quality edge player who can also moonlight at defensive tackle. Last year, the 2017 fourth-round pick was rewarded with a four-year, $22MM deal. This revision probably won’t impact his bottom line much, but it will give the Patriots the flexibility they need in 2022.

Before the move, the Patriots were near the bottom of the league in available cap space. They’re still in the cap cellar, but they’ll likely restructure other veterans in the coming weeks to clear up the books.

Wise finished 41 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble last year while starting in nine of his 16 games played.

49ers Host Marcus Johnson, Malik Turner

April 6th, 2022 at 8:43am CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday, the 49ers met with free agent wide receivers Marcus Johnson and Malik Turner (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network). There’s no deal just yet, but both players could be considered for spots on SF’s 90-man offseason roster.

[RELATED: Frank Gore To Retire]

Turner, fresh off of a recent meeting with the rival Cardinals, first entered the league in 2018 as an undrafted free agent with the Seahawks. He saw time in 21 games for Seattle between 2018 and 2019, followed by 20 games with the Cowboys (2020 and 2021). He’s spent the bulk of his time on special teams, though he’s notched 29 receptions for 414 yards and four touchdowns over the course of his career.

It’s a similar story for Johnson, who has 51 catches, 839 receiving yards, and three touchdowns to his credit across five seasons with the Eagles, Colts, and Titans. Although his sample size is limited, Johnson has shown that he can be a real deep threat. He’s averaged 16.5 yards per catch as a pro, including 2020 when he posted 18.2 ypc for the Colts.

In other team news, longtime 49ers legend Frank Gore finally decided to call it a career on Sunday. Gore, 39 in May, leaves the game with exactly 16,000 regular season yards and a career 4.3 yards per carry average.

Bills Extend Stefon Diggs

April 6th, 2022 at 8:09am CST by Zachary Links

Stefon Diggs is staying put. On Wednesday morning, the Bills wide receiver agreed to a brand new four-year, $96MM deal that could be worth more through incentives (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 

[RELATED: Bills Re-Sign McKenzie]

Diggs was previously on the five-year, $72MM deal he signed with the Vikings in 2018. That deal gave him an average annual value of $14.4MM per season. Since then, however, the market has advanced quite a bit and Diggs has stepped his game up. Since arriving in Buffalo in 2020, Diggs has notched 230 receptions for 2,760 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Since Diggs still has two years to go on his old contract, this new deal will keep him in Western New York through 2027. While he’s slotted 21st among all NFL players in AAV right now, the new money average vaults him much higher, in the same space as Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill. From GM Brandon Beane‘s perspective, it’s a worthwhile investment.

“He’s all in on winning and, sure, everybody wants to be paid but he wants to be on a winning team,” Beane said. “I think he’s been the best version of himself. So I don’t see that being an issue.”

Diggs, 28, has notched four straight 1,000-yard seasons, including 2020 when he finished with 127 grabs for 1,535 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year, he kept up the good work with 103 catches for 1,225 yards and ten TDs.

As an added bonus for the Bills, the new deal will lower Diggs’ 2022 cap number by over $6MM, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

QB Josh Dobbs Visited Ravens, Patriots

April 5th, 2022 at 10:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Josh Dobbs is generating some interest around the league. The quarterback tried out for the Ravens yesterday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets that Dobbs also had an audition with the Patriots.

Dobbs entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee in 2017. He spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Steelers, and after spending most of the 2019 campaign in Jacksonville, he returned to Pittsburgh for 2020 and 2021.

Dobbs ultimately saw time in six games for the Steelers, completing 10 of his 17 pass attempts for 45 yards and one interception. He also added 31 rushing yards on six carries. After re-signing with the organization last offseason, the QB ended up spending the entire 2021 campaign on injured reserve.

The Ravens are currently rostering only two QBs in Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley, so Dobbs would provide some depth at the position. In New England, Mac Jones has a pair of backups in Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham, so Dobbs would have more of an uphill battle to make the Patriots roster.

Latest On TE Rob Gronkowski

April 5th, 2022 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

While Tom Brady will be back for another season with the Buccaneers, it’s uncertain if his tight end will stick around. Speaking to TMZ Sports, Rob Gronkowski said he was unsure if he’ll play in 2022.

“Right now, I’m not ready to get back out on that field,” Gronkowski said (via ESPN.com). “I’m not ready to commit to the game of football right now.”

“Even in your 30s, I mean, you just can’t just slack it and just be 50% all-in, then you’re going to get caught off with the game and it’s going to just spit you right out. You’ve got to be fully dedicated. I’m not ready to do that yet, I’m not going to sign a contract if I’m not fully ready.”

Gronk has obviously flirted with retirement in the past, sitting out the entire 2019 season. He reunited with Brady in Tampa Bay for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but the tight end has refused to commit to a 2022 campaign. Brady’s retirement and unretirement has fueled talks that Gronkowski could give it one last go, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if the player just decides to hang up his cleats.

Despite only appearing in only 12 games, Gronkowski managed to top his 2020 numbers this past year, finishing with 55 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns. With O.J. Howard heading to Buffalo, Cameron Brate currently leads the depth chart at tight end.

While the 32-year-old didn’t want to discuss his own future, he was more than eager to speak about Brady’s offseason. The tight end admitted that he wasn’t surprised when Brady announced that he was in fact returning for another season in 2022.

“I knew he was going to come back, but I didn’t think he was going to come back this year, to tell you the truth,” he said. “I thought he was going to come back in a year, spend some time with his family.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/5/22

April 5th, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Panthers Eyeing Ikem Ekwonu, Charles Cross

April 5th, 2022 at 6:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Scott Fitterer identified a pivotal quarterback-or-left tackle decision with the Panthers’ first-round pick (No. 6 overall). With Carolina lacking second- or third-round choices, its first-round decision looms rather large.

The Panthers have identified tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cross as prime candidates for the sixth pick, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Ekwonu might not be there at 6; Cross has a better shot at remaining on the board by the time Carolina’s selection surfaces. If the Panthers take the tackle that remains on the board, it will likely mean three tackles go in the top six while also amplifying Carolina’s quarterback need.

This is prime smokescreen season, and the Panthers passing on a quarterback there leaves a potentially bleak reality for a team with a coach on the hot seat. Carolina is doing extensive quarterback prep, with six QBs — Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, Matt Corral, Desmond Ridder, Sam Howell and Bailey Zappe — being included in the team’s 30 allotted prospect visits.

The Panthers cannot be viewed as being out on QBs, though Pauline writes the team’s top two preferences are Cross (Mississippi State) and Ekwonu (NC State). If Ekwonu goes in the top five, as expected, Pauline adds the expectation around the league is the Panthers selecting Cross at 6. The Giants, who hold the No. 5 overall pick, are doing considerable homework on Cross. Ekwonu grades as Scouts Inc.’s No. 2 overall prospect; Cross sits 15th. The Giants were eyeing DeVonta Smith in last year’s first round but saw the Eagles leapfrog them for the 2020 Heisman winner. This Carolina Cross interest could induce New York, which has a glaring need at right tackle, to use the first of its two top-10 picks on a lineman.

Carolina has needed a left tackle for ages, deploying different primary blockers at this spot since Jordan Gross‘ 2014 retirement. The team’s 2021 solution, journeyman Cameron Erving, remains under contract. But Fitterer indicated left tackle is firmly under consideration in Round 1, noting the left tackles out-grade this class’ top quarterbacks.

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