HEADLINES

Month: April 2022

Malik Willis To Visit Panthers, Falcons

April 5th, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

Throughout the pre-draft process, Liberty quarterback Malik Willis has established himself as one of, if not the most coveted prospects amongst this year’s class of signal-callers. As the build-up to the draft now shifts towards team meetings, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that Willis will meet with the Panthers and Falcons next week. 

Those two teams have long been involved in speculation with respect to drafting a QB this April. Carolina has Sam Darnold under contract for one more season since they picked up his fifth-year option, but general manager Scott Fitterer spoke recently about the possibility of drafting his replacement with the sixth overall pick.

“This will be interesting because the tackles will be the best players on the board. But we do need a quarterback, and at some point you have to take a shot, especially in the top 10” he said, adding that the decision to take a quarterback is complicated by the fact that this year’s class lacks a clear-cut top option.

The Falcons, a fellow runner-up to land Deshaun Watson, have questions of their own at the position. After trading away Matt Ryan, they signed Marcus Mariota to a two-year contract. The former Titan and Raider is in line to start for the first time since 2019, but he would likely provide a short-term solution at the position at best. That has made Atlanta – who holds the eighth overall pick – a prime candidate to draft their next franchise QB in April.

Schefter notes that Willis has already met with a number of other teams, including the Steelers, Saints, Giants and Titans. Given their respective current QB status and position in the draft, each of those clubs would likely have at least some interest in adding Willis as well. Overall, his will be one of the most important names to watch as the draft draws nearer.

Saints Sign DE Taco Charlton, S Justin Evans

April 4th, 2022 at 9:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints have made two additions to their defense. The team has announced the signings of defensive end Taco Charlton and safety Justin Evans. 

[RELATED: Saints Acquire First-Round Pick From Eagles]

Charlton was highly touted when he began his NFL career in 2017 with the Cowboys. He only lasted two years in Dallas, though, posting four sacks in 27 games. That led to his release in September 2019, which began the streak of current one-year stints he is now on.

The Michigan graduate joined the Dolphins after his release from Dallas, and enjoyed his best campaign there. He recorded five sacks in 10 games, but that wasn’t enough to extend his stay with the team. He next found himself in Kanas City, then Pittsburgh last year. Between those two campaigns, he totalled 2.5 sacks in 18 contests. Still only 27, Charlton could fill at least a depth role in the Saints’ edge-rush department.

Evans, meanwhile, hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2018 season. A second round pick in 2017, he dealt with injuries throughout his brief tenure in Tampa Bay. Starting 21 of 24 games, the 26-year-old made 125 tackles, adding four interceptions and eight passes defensed. If he can stay on the field, his production shows that he is capable of being an impact defender; given his time removed from the game, however, a backup role would be a more realistic expectation.

With areas of last season’s top-five scoring defense having undergone significant, these two moves will add depth for the Saints, while providing, potentially, upside at each position.

Jets Cut TE Ryan Griffin

April 4th, 2022 at 7:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Having added two notable free agents at the position, more change was likely inevitable for the Jets. It comes as little surprise, then, that the team announced on Monday the release of veteran tight end Ryan Griffin. 

The 32-year-old was a sixth-round pick of the Texans in 2013. His role developed over the course of multiple years in Houston, peaking in 2016. During that campaign, he posted career-highs in receptions (50) and yards (442). Across six seasons with the Texans, he played in 77 games (including 36 starts), registering 1,491 yards and seven touchdowns.

In July 2019, Griffin signed with the Jets, who were short on experience at the position. He remained there for three campaigns, starting 31 of 42 games. The 2020 season saw him make only nine catches, but the years before and after were in line with his standard levels of production. Overall, he totalled 70 catches for 667 yards and seven scores in the Big Apple.

Releasing Griffin (who was under contract for one more season) will save the Jets just over $3MM. Regardless of the financial implications, New York had already re-vamped the depth chart at the position this offseason. The Jets signed C.J. Uzomah as well as Tyler Conklin as two of their early moves in free agency. With those two in place, Griffin will now hit the open market for the second time in his career as he looks for his next NFL home.

Texans Seeking Second-Round Pick For Brandin Cooks, Discussing Extension

April 4th, 2022 at 6:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandin Cooks‘ contract expires at season’s end, and the oft-traded wide receiver looks to be back on familiar terrain. The Texans wide receiver is generating trade interest again, but the team is not prepared to part with its top pass catcher just to shed salary.

The Texans are receiving calls on Cooks, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Bleacher Report), noting the rebuilding team has taken multiple inquiries on the eight-year veteran. Houston acquired Cooks in 2020, and despite the team being early in a rebuild, the AFC South squad has hung onto the former Saints, Patriots and Rams weapon.

Houston, however, has discussed an extension with Cooks, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets, and is not viewed as likely to move him at this time. While Cooks appears ill-fitting on this Texans team, the franchise is developing a young quarterback in Davis Mills and lacks other proven wideouts. If the Texans do become serious about a Cooks trade, Wilson notes the team wants at least a second-round pick.

The former first-round wideout was traded in 2017, 2018 and 2020. He fetched first-round picks from the Patriots and Rams, and the Texans acquired the nomadic receiver for a second-rounder. After the ’20 season, Cooks even came out against a possible fourth trade. With the Texans having gone through back-to-back four-win seasons, the 28-year-old pass catcher may be more amenable to another move. Cooks, who was in New England during GM Nick Caserio and executive VP Jack Easterby‘s time with the AFC East franchise, is due to make $12.5MM in base salary this season.

Cooks is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Texans; he has now posted four-digit receiving slates for four teams. The speedster bounced back from a scary 2019, when he suffered multiple concussions. A concussion also forced Cooks out of Super Bowl LII. Although his history of head injuries is certainly a cause for concern, the Oregon State alum has produced everywhere he’s been. His history of production on contending teams will likely continue to generate trade rumors.

Latest On Bobby Wagner’s Free Agency Decision

April 4th, 2022 at 6:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bobby Wagner‘s Rams contract initially came in at five years and $50MM, but like most NFL deals, the actual numbers are more team-friendly. The deal is closer to a two-year, $17.5MM pact, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Ravens came in with a better two-year offer, per Rapoport, who notes Baltimore sent Wagner a two-year, $18MM proposal (Twitter link). Baltimore stepped up for Wagner, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) adding the $18MM offered was fully guaranteed. Incentives included in Wagner’s deal, and the future Hall of Fame linebacker’s desire to return home to Los Angeles, led to the Rams winning out. Wagner visited both the Rams and Ravens.

Los Angeles included $10MM fully guaranteed, with $3.5MM of that coming in 2023, Florio notes. Wagner will see that $3.5MM fully guaranteed Friday; the rest of his $11MM 2023 salary is nonguaranteed. Wagner being on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2023 league year will guarantee him a 2024 roster bonus worth $2.5MM, per Florio, who provides more clarity on the incentives that helped push Wagner to L.A. Wagner and the Rams appear to have agreed on names for said incentives, one of which can void the deal’s final three seasons.

The Agent Wagz Wally’s Wage Incentive can net the self-represented linebacker up to $2MM per year in incentives geared around playing time and achievements. The Wage Wagz’s Colony Coin Incentive (these are apparently very real) would pay out $1MM per year if Wagner is named a first-team All-Pro. Wagner’s six first-team All-Pro honors trail only Ray Lewis and Mike Singletary (seven apiece) among post-merger off-ball linebackers, but he did not earn such acclaim in 2021. The void incentive — officially the Agent Wagz Archibald Ranch Au Revoir Void — would allow Wagner to scrap the 2024-26 years if he plays 90% of the team’s defensive snaps and the Rams make the playoffs each year, Florio adds. With Wagner set to turn 34 during the 2024 season, which is the first of the contract’s three nonguaranteed years, the third incentive might not affect the Rams much.

Baltimore signed Marcus Williams to a five-year, $70MM deal and is looking for defensive line help. Wagner, 31, would have provided a boost on the Ravens’ defensive second level, but L.A. native will team with Ernest Jones with the Rams instead. Although Wagner expressed dissatisfaction with the Seahawks on the way out, he said it did not play into his decision to sign with an NFC West team.

“A lot of people think that it went into my decision, being able to play the Seahawks,” Wagner said, via the Associated Press’ Greg Beacham (on Twitter). “I don’t have that much hate in my heart. I really wanted to be happy, and I wanted to be close to home and stay on the West Coast. That was important to me. But playing the Seahawks twice a year was a cherry on top. I’ll make sure I’ll tell them. It won’t be a quiet game for me.”

Falcons, LB Rashaan Evans Agree To Deal

April 4th, 2022 at 5:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rashaan Evans‘ Falcons visit produced an accepted contract offer. The former Tennessee linebacker agreed to a one-year deal with Atlanta, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

This move will reunite Evans with Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who formerly worked as the Titans’ DC. Pees and Arthur Smith will deploy a familiar face to address the latest linebacker defection in free agency.

The Falcons lost Foyesade Oluokun last month; the breakout tackler signed with the Jaguars. This came two years after the Falcons let De’Vondre Campbell walk in free agency. Evans should be expected to line up alongside Deion Jones in Atlanta.

A 2018 first-round pick, Evans started 50 games for the Titans. He did not miss a start during the 2019 or ’20 seasons and, after a midseason IR stay last year, returned to help Tennessee secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Titans did not pick up Evans’ fifth-year option in 2021, routing him to free agency.

Evans’ Titans run ended meekly. The Titans made the former Alabama standout a healthy scratch for their divisional-round game and had used him on fewer than 40% of their snaps in Weeks 17 and 18. Evans has a 100-plus-tackle season on his resume (2019); he added 2.5 sacks that year. Evans, 26, intercepted two passes and forced a fumble in his abbreviated 2021 season. This Falcons pact represents an opportunity for the former top prospect to re-establish some momentum in a familiar defensive system.

WR DeAndre Carter Visits Bears, To Meet With Chargers

April 4th, 2022 at 4:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

DeAndre Carter played four games with the Bears in 2020. Despite the team not re-signing the wide receiver/return specialist in free agency last year, a new Chicago regime is interested.

The Bears brought Carter in for a visit Monday, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus tweets. Carter spent the past season with Washington, working as a return man and a part-time starter. The Bears are not the only team interested in the former UDFA. The Chargers are bringing him in as well, with ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson indicating (via Twitter) that meeting is set for Tuesday.

A Sacramento State alum, Carter is best known as a pro for being a returner. The 5-foot-8 talent spent last season as Washington’s primary kick and punt returner; Carter returned a kickoff for a 101-yard touchdown against Atlanta in Week 4. He returned both kicks and punts for the Texans and Eagles previously. The Bears’ previous regime used Carter sparsely; he returned four punts for Chicago in 2020. Last season, Carter caught a career-high 24 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears initially picked up Carter as a midseason waiver claim.

Chicago signed both Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown, retooling their receiving corps following Allen Robinson‘s departure. The Bolts extended Mike Williams and have Josh Palmer and Jalen Guyton as auxiliary cogs behind Williams and Keenan Allen. Their return man to end last season, Andre Roberts, is a free agent. The Bears cut former All-Pro returner Tarik Cohen last month.

Cowboys, Falcons, Packers, Texans Pursued DeVante Parker

April 4th, 2022 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots’ latest wide receiver trade sent DeVante Parker from one AFC East team to another, but at least four teams from outside the division discussed acquiring the former first-round pick.

The Packers, Falcons and Texans engaged in talks with either the Dolphins or Parker’s agent about the veteran wide receiver, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds the Cowboys resided in the mix as well (Twitter links).

Parker went to the Pats in a deal that sent the Dolphins a third-round pick, with Fowler adding talks between the rivals heated up on the pro-day circuit. The career-long Dolphin wanted to be dealt to the Patriots, per Fowler and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

Dallas’ receiver room changed in March, when the team dealt Amari Cooper to Cleveland for little compensation — at least compared to what the Cowboys parted with to acquire Cooper — and let Cedrick Wilson Jr. defect to Miami. The Dolphins’ Wilson move and their Tyreek Hill blockbuster left Parker without a certain role in Mike McDaniel‘s offense. This led to the seven-year vet going on the trade block.

Green Bay joined Dallas in dealing its No. 1 wideout in March, sending Davante Adams to Las Vegas. Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Chiefs commitment leaves the Packers with little at receiver. The Falcons have seen their receiving corps gutted over the past 10 months, to the point they do not have a No. 1- or No. 2-caliber receiver on their roster. The Texans do not have much beyond Brandin Cooks at the position. And the oft-traded wideout is going into the final year of his Rams-constructed contract.

Parker is signed through the 2023 season and is on the Patriots’ books at $5.65MM and $5.7MM for the next two years. While the 29-year-old target has not been especially consistent, he has a 1,200-yard season on his resume (2019) and carried a contract that looks quite reasonable considering where Adams and Hill took the market last month.

Saints Acquire First-Round Pick From Eagles

April 4th, 2022 at 3:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Three weeks away from the draft, the Eagles and Saints made a deal that will shake up the middle of this year’s first round while arming Philadelphia with an additional Round 1 choice in 2023.

The Eagles dealt into their first-round surplus Monday, sending the Saints their Nos. 16 and 19 overall picks in a deal that will provide them with New Orleans’ 2023 first-rounder. Philly, which entered the draft with three first-rounders from No. 15 to No. 19, now holds two first-rounders. The Saints do as well. This gives the Eagles two first-round picks in the next two drafts.

With the dust settled, here is how the full trade looks:

Eagles receive:

  • No. 18 in 2022
  • No. 101
  • No. 237
  • The Saints’ 2023 first-round pick
  • The Saints’ 2024 second-round pick

Saints receive:

  • No. 16 in 2022 (from Colts via Eagles)
  • No. 19
  • No. 194

New Orleans now has additional ammo in this year’s draft, while Philly can potentially plan for a move in a 2023 draft that is expected to feature a better crop of quarterbacks. This year’s group has not generated much buzz, at least compared to most years, and it points to the Eagles giving Jalen Hurts another audition year. The Eagles pursued Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson but did not get far in either derby. Howie Roseman‘s team, which acquired 2022 first-rounders from the Colts and Dolphins last year, can take a more methodical approach over the next two drafts rather than being the rare team to make three first-round picks in one draft.

Next year’s draft could feature Heisman winner Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson. Hurts fared decently in his first full-season audition, driving the Eagles’ No. 1-ranked rushing attack and accounting for 26 touchdowns (16 passing) and nearly 4,000 yards. This move will allow the Eagles to keep their options open, while it equips the Saints with a second first-rounder this year. Eight teams have multiple first-rounders in this month’s draft.

With the Eagles now picking at Nos. 15 and 18 in Round 1, the Saints slid up two spots from their No. 18 position. The Saints re-signed Jameis Winston on a two-year deal, but they do not exactly have their quarterback position checked off long-term. That makes this swap more interesting on New Orleans’ end. Obtaining a second first-rounder could provide a bridge to the Saints trading up again for one of this year’s top two passers, a la the Bills’ Josh Allen climb in 2018, but no member of this year’s QB class has generated considerable interest just yet.

Monday’s move does allow the opportunity for the Saints to acquire a cost-controlled starter. Their previous draft with two first-rounders — 2017, when Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk went to New Orleans — had a significant effect on the team’s trajectory.

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