2022 April - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Sign S Armani Watts

April 5th, 2022 at 5:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts added some depth to their secondary Tuesday. They reached an agreement with safety Armani Watts, per Jim Irsay (on Twitter).

A former fourth-round pick, Watts worked primarily as a special-teamer in four seasons with the Chiefs. The Texas A&M product missed just one Chiefs game over the past three seasons, playing at least 70% of Kansas City’s special teams plays in each of the past two.

Watts stands to replace George Odum as a Colts backup safety and steady special-teamer. Odum signed with the 49ers earlier this offseason. Odum, who started seven games at safety last season, earned All-Pro acclaim as a special-teamer in 2020. Watts, 26, made nine tackles during the Chiefs’ three-game playoff run last season.

The Colts have Julian Blackmon and Khari Willis positioned as their safety starters. The former is coming off a torn Achilles, magnifying Indianapolis’ safety depth. The Colts used Andrew Sendejo as a 10-game starter last season; the 12-year veteran is a free agent.

Kansas City is retooling on its back end, having let Watts and longtime contributor Daniel Sorensen walk in free agency. The Chiefs are likely to separate from Tyrann Mathieu as well, having signed Justin Reid early in free agency. Juan Thornhill is going into a contract year.

WR Draft Notes: Commanders, Cowboys, Bucs, Saints, Jets

April 5th, 2022 at 4:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of two Ohio State wide receivers expected to become first-round picks later this month, Chris Olave will tour two NFC East teams’ facilities this week. The Cowboys are hosting Olave on a visit Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud pass catcher will also meet with the Commanders on Thursday, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Olave and Terry McLaurin were teammates in 2018, Olave’s freshman year, and Breer adds the wideouts are close. Having traded for Carson Wentz, the Commanders (pick No. 11) are in need of a complementary pass catcher alongside McLaurin. They have not chosen a first-round wideout since Josh Doctson in 2016. The Cowboys (No. 24) have pulled the trigger on a first-round wideout recently — CeeDee Lamb in 2020 — but Jerry Jones based the Amari Cooper trade on resource allocation, and Dallas adding a low-cost wideout alongside Lamb and the rehabbing Michael Gallup would make sense. Though, the Cowboys are interested in offensive linemen as well.

Here is the latest from the wide receiver draft landscape:

Also ranked as a first-round prospect, Arkansas’ Treylon Burks is meeting with a few teams this week. The Cowboys hosted the 225-pound playmaker Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, adding that the Buccaneers will meet with Burks later this week. The Saints are also hosted the 6-foot-2 target last week, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. It would surprise if the Bucs (No. 27) went wideout in Round 1, given their Mike Evans–Chris Godwin–Russell Gage setup, but the team could use a cheap building block due to employing three eight-figure-per-year wideouts. The Saints (Nos. 16, 19) are rather desperate for receiving help, with Michael Thomas having run into significant injury trouble over the past two years. New Orleans now has two first-round picks, putting wideout squarely in play.
Also holding two first-round selections, the Jets have met with this draft’s top-graded wideout (per Scouts Inc.). Checking in as the No. 6 overall prospect, Garrett Wilson visited the Jets on Monday, Schefter adds (on Twitter). Wilson and Olave formed a top-end duo last season, with the former leading the Buckeyes with 1,058 receiving yards. The Jets have the Nos. 4 and 10 picks and have been linked to receivers throughout the offseason.
The tallest of this year’s elite receiver prospects will hold a late pro day. Drake London pushed his pro day to April 15 due to a hamstring issue, Rapoport tweets. The 6-foot-3 USC product ranks as Scouts Inc.’s No. 9 overall prospect.
John Metchie checks in as a second-round prospect, but teams are still doing work on the Alabama contributor. The Commanders are using a “30” visit on Metchie on Friday, Breer adds. The former DeVonta Smith/Jaylen Waddle sidekick joins Crimson Tide first-round prospect Jameson Williams in coming off a major injury. A December ACL tear damaged Metchie’s draft stock.

Chiefs To Sign DT Taylor Stallworth

April 5th, 2022 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nontendered as a restricted free agent last month, Taylor Stallworth found a new home Tuesday. The Chiefs are signing the young defensive tackle, according to his agent (on Twitter).

Stallworth agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Kansas City, which will be his third NFL team. Beginning his career with the Saints in 2018, the 26-year-old defensive lineman spent the past two seasons as a rotational D-lineman with the Colts.

While Stallworth made just two starts for Indianapolis, he worked as a consistent part of the team’s D-line group. The South Carolina product missed just one game as a Colt and played at least 25% of the team’s defensive snaps in each season. Last season, Stallworth finished with a 33% defensive snap rate and tallied a career-high three sacks. The 12 quarterback hits Stallworth accumulated in 2021 were 10 more than he’d compiled in his career to that point.

The Chiefs have questions on the edge, but their defensive tackle situation features more known commodities. All-Pro Chris Jones and nose tackle starter Derrick Nnadi return, with the latter being re-signed last month. The Chiefs also roster backup D-tackle Khalen Saunders, who played 31% of the team’s defensive snaps last season. The AFC West champs lost Jarran Reed in free agency; Reed is now a Packer.

Rams Sign P Riley Dixon

April 5th, 2022 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams parted ways with one of the most decorated special-teamers in NFL history this offseason, cutting Johnny Hekker. They have tabbed a replacement for the four-time All-Pro.

Former Broncos and Giants punter Riley Dixon agreed to terms with the Rams on Tuesday, according to a team announcement. It is a one-year deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Dixon is a six-year veteran who has not missed a game since entering the NFL as a seventh-round pick in 2016.

Dixon surfaced this offseason as one of the cuts made by the Giants’ new regime. He punted in New York for the past four seasons, signing an extension to stay on with Big Blue. The Giants released Dixon five days before the Rams axed Hekker. The latter has since made his way to the Panthers, while Dixon will receive an opportunity with a third NFL team. The Broncos traded Dixon to the Giants in 2018.

Dixon, 28, averaged just more than 44 yards per punt in his final two Giants seasons. Despite beginning his career with two seasons in Denver’s thin air, Dixon posted his best average in New Jersey’s less friendly punting environment. He notched a 46.1-yard average in 2019. Hekker was attached to a high salary (on the punter spectrum) and finished with a 44.2-yard average last season.

Panthers To Meet With Kenny Pickett, Four Other Quarterbacks

April 5th, 2022 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers will use next week to gather intel on the top quarterbacks from this draft class. In addition to their Malik Willis meeting, the Panthers will visit with Kenny Pickett and use four of their other top-30 prospect visits on QBs.

Pickett will join Matt Corral (Ole Miss), Sam Howell (North Carolina), Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati) and Bailey Zappe (Western Kentucky) on “30” visits, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. These meetings will take place between Monday and Wednesday of next week in Charlotte.

Missing out on Deshaun Watson, Carolina has veteran options still. But the team has not expressed interest in Jimmy Garoppolo and is not believed to want Baker Mayfield. The team’s interest for a veteran could change, but Sam Darnold is under contract on an $18.9MM fifth-year option. An additional veteran would create an expensive QB room, and second-year GM Scott Fitterer discussed the benefits of having a rookie-deal quarterback on the payroll recently.

While Pickett — a former Matt Rhule Temple recruit who decommitted after Rhule’s Baylor departure — would require Carolina’s first-round pick, the rest of this crop is not on the top-10 radar. But the Panthers traded away their second- and third-round picks last year — in deals for Darnold and C.J. Henderson. This limits the team’s options, barring a trade-down effort in Round 1. As for the prospect of Pickett at No. 6, the Panthers were linked to the Pittsburgh passer after the Senior Bowl.

Scouts Inc. ranks Corral and Ridder as the Nos. 34 and 36 overall prospects, respectively, while slotting Howell 50th. Zappe, who played in a pass-crazed system in his only Division I season and broke Joe Burrow‘s touchdown pass record by compiling 62 for the Hilltoppers, profiles as a Day 3 prospect, ranking 139th.

Titans Not Fielding Trade Calls On A.J. Brown

April 5th, 2022 at 1:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this offseason, the Titans made it clear they saw signing wideout A.J. Brown to a new contract as a top priority. Despite his name being included in trade speculation, that remains the case, as reported by ESPN’s Dianna Russini (Twitter link).

As she states, the Titans “are not shopping or taking calls on” Brown, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract. The 24-year-old was one of several noteworthy WRs taken in the second round in 2019, and has established himself as the Titans’ No. 1 at the position. He already has two 1,000-yard seasons and a Pro Bowl appearance to his name.

It came as no surprise, then, when general manager Jon Robinson turned his attention to an extension for Brown following the one given to edge rusher Harold Landry. “A.J. is a Titan, and we want to keep A.J. a Titan” he said, aiming at a new deal “whenever that manifests itself”.

In the short time which has elapsed since those “very, very preliminary” contract talks started, it doesn’t appear as though any significant inroads have been made. At the latest, the two parties have until next offseason to get a new deal done; by that time, though, the likes of Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf and Terry McLaurin could all have second contracts of their own.

Of those three, Metcalf has been the most involved with respect to trade talk, but Seattle intends to retain Brown’s former Ole Miss teammate. If Tennessee does the same, teams in need of help in the pass-catching department will need to look elsewhere.

Saints To Release Blake Bortles

April 5th, 2022 at 12:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the top two spots on the quarterback depth chart accounted for, the Saints will be moving on from Blake Bortles. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports (on Twitter) that the veteran has asked for his release, and that the team will accommodate him.

The 29-year-old signed with the Saints in December when New Orleans desperately needed help at the position. With Jameis Winston injured and both Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian unavailable due to COVID-19, he provided the team with an experienced backup behind Ian Book. He didn’t see any game action in New Orleans, however, which continued an ongoing trend in that regard.

Bortles has bounced around to the Rams, Broncos, Packers and – most recently – Saints over the course of the last three years. He’s only been on the field for 11 snaps during that span, though. His last meaningful playing time came during his five years with the Jaguars. That span included a trip to the AFC title game in 2017, but was otherwise underwhelming, especially considering his draft status.

New Orleans re-signed Winston to be their starter once again, but also added veteran Andy Dalton to be the backup. With those two on the roster (along with Hill, though the team doesn’t view him as a QB moving forward), the former third overall pick will now look to catch on with another new team.

Darrel Williams Visits Cardinals

April 5th, 2022 at 11:51am CST by Adam La Rose

With room on the roster for another running back, the Cardinals are exploring one of the top remaining free agent options at the position. Arizona hosted Darrel Williams on a visit, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link).

Williams, who will turn 27 later this month, had been with the Chiefs for the past four seasons. His role was relatively minor in the first three of those years, but he had a breakout campaign in 2021. Playing nearly half of the team’s offensive snaps (by far a career high), he turned 144 carries into 558 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He added 47 catches for 452 yards and another two scores in the passing game.

Given that production, it didn’t come as a surprise that Williams was going to test the open market. With other free agent priorities and a difficult cap situation (at least, before trading away Tyreek Hill), Kansas City didn’t have much of a chance to retain him at the kind of rate he will likely be seeking.

Still in need of a tailback to split time with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs added Ronald Jones last month. With Williams’ old position now filled, the LSU alum still has any number of potential destinations. Arizona would be a logical one, since the Cardinals lost Chase Edmonds to the Dolphins in free agency. Williams could step into a high-end backup role behind James Conner, who had a resurgent season in 2021.

The Cardinals currently rank near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space. Between that, and the fact that some would point to WR as a more glaring need in the absence of Christian Kirk, Williams could still look elsewhere. If he does end up in the desert, though, he would provide productive depth for the team’s offense.

Browns Re-Sign K Chase McLaughlin

April 5th, 2022 at 10:51am CST by Adam La Rose

For the second day in a row, the Browns have made a move with respect to their special teams. The team announced on Tuesday that they have re-signed kicker Chase McLaughlin.

[RELATED: Browns Sign P Bojorquez]

McLaughlin originally entered the league when he signed with the Bills as a UDFA in 2019. He actually made his debut with the Colts, however, spending four games in Indianapolis. That was followed by another four contests with the Chargers, and three with the 49ers to end a busy rookie campaign.

The soon-to-be 26-year-old then found himself kicking for two new teams in 2020. He was with the Jaguars for three games, and the Jets for one more that year. Between his five stops prior to Cleveland, he made 22 of 28 field goal attempts, good for a success rate of 78.6%.

In Cleveland (who was awarded the Illinois alum off waivers), McLaughlin spent a full season with one team for the first time in the pros. He had a down year compared to his career averages, though, making 15 of 21 field goals (71.4%). He did, on the other hand, make all four of his kicks from beyond 50 yards, and only missed one of 37 extra point attempts.

With McLaughlin back in the fold, the Browns’ kicking unit appears set. They already have long snapper Charley Hughlett under contract for one more season, and added punter Corey Bojorquez yesterday.

Tyrann Mathieu To Visit Saints

April 5th, 2022 at 9:47am CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top free agents left on the market is making his first visit. Safety Tyrann Mathieu will meet with the Saints, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

The fact that Mathieu is sitting down with the Saints comes as little surprise. He is a native of New Orleans, and played for LSU in college. The team also finds itself undergoing change at the safety position, with Marcus Williams signing in Baltimore and Malcolm Jenkins retiring. In response, the Saints have added Marcus Maye, but they still have a need on the back end.

Mathieu, 29, maintained his high level of play during his three years in Kansas City. He made 213 tackles with the Chiefs, adding 13 interceptions. His time there also saw him win his lone Super Bowl title, and add to his Pro Bowl and All-Pro totals in each campaign. His pedigree in terms of statistical achievements, not to mention his positional versatility and leadership qualities, would make him a sizeable addition to New Orleans or any other interested team.

Rapoport adds that there is “nothing imminent” at this point with respect to any contract offers from the Saints. New Orleans is in an unusually flexible position from a salary cap perspective, though, so they should be able to afford Mathieu on a short- or medium-term deal. His addition, if it were to take place, would represent not only a homecoming and a significant need being filled by the Saints, but it would also remove one of the biggest names from the list of those still available.