2022 April - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Rooney Rule, Booth, CFL, USFL

April 2nd, 2022 at 4:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL made more adjustments to the Rooney Rule this week. Teams must go into the season with a minority coach or a woman on their offensive staff, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com notes. This can include a woman of any race, and the NFL also will include women among Rooney Rule requirements going forward. Teams must interview at least two external minority candidates for head coach, coordinator and GM roles; women are now included in this pool. Clubs, however, will not be required to interview female staffers for these positions. The female or minority staffer hired as part of this offense-based initiative must work closely with their respective team’s head coach, Seifert adds, and their respective salaries will be paid via a leaguewide fund. The NFL has a league-record 17 minority defensive coordinators currently, with two teams employing co-DC setups, but 27 of the league’s 31 offensive coordinators (the Patriots do not currently have a staffer in this role) are white.

Here is the latest from around pro football:

Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth looms as a first-round prospect, but he will not be ready for his team’s offseason activities. The incoming rookie defender underwent sports hernia surgery, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. While Booth (Scouts Inc.’s No. 30 overall prospect) is expected to be ready for training camp, it will be a bit before he is healthy.
De’Anthony Thomas joined Oregon draft hopefuls in working out at the school’s pro day Friday, with Schefter adding the former Chiefs wide receiver/return man is aiming to make a comeback (Twitter link). A six-year NFL veteran, Thomas has not played since 2019. He was among the first to opt out due to COVID-19 concerns ahead of the 2020 season. The Oregon alum is currently on the British Columbia Lions’ roster in the Canadian Football League, signing with the team in February.
Staying in the CFL, Martavis Bryant will receive another chance north of the border. The former Steelers and Raiders wide receiver who battled suspensions in the NFL signed with the CFL’s Edmonton Elks, who are taking a flier on the talented pass catcher despite his refusal to report to the Toronto Argonauts’ training camp in 2021. The Argos held Bryant’s rights last year, but he is now in Edmonton. Bryant last played in the NFL in 2018, catching 19 passes for 266 yards with the Raiders. Bryant posted two 600-plus-yard receiving seasons in Pittsburgh but was suspended three times during his NFL career for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
Another spring league will launch this month, with the rebooted USFL beginning play April 16. The latest spring effort’s contracts are structured in a way that will make it a bit more difficult for the XFL to acquire players when its latest relaunch occurs in 2023. The USFL gave its players one-year contracts with team options for 2023, per Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal (via Mike Florio of PFT). None of the recent spring leagues — from the Alliance of American Football (2019) to XFL 2.0 (2020) — finished their respective seasons, so the matter of USFLers’ 2023 contracts is not exactly a front-burner item just yet. Some notable players — like Paxton Lynch, De’Vante Bausby, Kyle Lauletta and other ex-NFLers — are part of this centralized (in Birmingham, Ala.) USFL.

Jets, Ravens Meet With Kayvon Thibodeaux; DE’s Stock Still Dropping?

April 2nd, 2022 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kayvon Thibodeaux has gone from potential No. 1 overall pick to a player who has generated considerable scrutiny during the pre-draft process. The Oregon edge rusher may now fall out of the top 10.

The three-year Ducks defensive end is expected to be drafted outside the top five, per ESPN.com’s Matt Miller, who adds a drop out of the top 10 would not shock (ESPN+ link). A half-dozen scouts informed Miller Thibodeaux did not impress in Combine interviews with their respective teams, which echoes a report last month indicating a draft tumble might ensue for the talented sack artist.

Effort level has come up regarding Thibodeaux’s status as a prospect among front office personnel and scouts, Miller adds. Thibodeaux recorded three sacks in seven Oregon games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, one that saw other NFL-bound Ducks opt out. Last season, Thibodeaux suffered a sprained ankle in September and finished with seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Certainly not poor numbers, but Thibodeaux’s junior-year production has not offset the concerns about his motor and attitude.

The Jets, who hold two top-10 picks, met with Thibodeaux this week, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Tony Pauline tweets. So did the Ravens, who hold the No. 14 overall choice. All 32 teams had staffers in Eugene, Ore., for Thibodeaux’s pro day this week, Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy tweets. Lions GM Brad Holmes joined six other Detroit staffers there, with Nagy adding the Lions and Seahawks each sent seven representatives to the pro day. Thibodeaux, whom Scouts Inc. grades as this year’s seventh-best prospect, is the only Ducks player expected to go in Round 1.

The Lions have a need on the edge, but Georgia’s Travon Walker has generated some buzz to be drafted ahead of Thibodeaux. Rising after a strong Combine showing, Walker has been linked to the Jaguars at No. 1 overall. That would make Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson a natural fit in Detroit. Thibodeaux looms and stands to have plenty of motivation going into his rookie season, but he may have to wait a bit to hear his name called.

Lions To Pick Up T.J. Hockenson’s Fifth-Year Option

April 2nd, 2022 at 2:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Drafted during the Bob Quinn regime, T.J. Hockenson remains a key part of the Lions’ future under GM Brad Holmes‘ stewardship. The team plans to pick up the former top-10 pick’s fifth-year option.

As a one-time Pro Bowl selection at tight end, Hockenson will command a $9.39MM salary on his 2023 option. The Lions are only using the option as a placeholder, however, eyeing an extension for the veteran pass catcher, Holmes said (via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett).

One of a few Iowa-produced tight ends stationed in the NFC, joining George Kittle and Noah Fant, Hockenson followed Eric Ebron as a top-10 Lions tight end choice. Hockenson earned his Pro Bowl nod in 2020, when he caught 67 passes for 723 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-foot-5 target played all 16 games that season. Injuries have limited him to 12 apiece in his first and third years, respectively. An ankle injury sidelined the former No. 8 overall choice in December 2019, and thumb surgery shelved him in December of last year. Hockenson still operated as Jared Goff‘s top target in 2021; he averaged a career-high 48.6 yards per game.

The deals the Patriots gave Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry last year come in at $12.5MM per year, with Dallas Goedert signing a $14.25MM-AAV extension late last year. Neither Kittle nor Travis Kelce‘s deals check in much higher — at $15MM and $14.3MM per year, respectively — so Hockenson will be positioned to be among the highest-paid tight ends in the game. With Goff’s contract unlikely to be on the Lions’ payroll long-term, they will have cash to dole out to other key players in the near future.

Detroit figures to lean on Hockenson again in 2022, though Amon-Ra St. Brown and D.J. Chark should factor in heavily in the team’s passing attack. Holding the Nos. 32 and 34 picks this month, the Lions could certainly add a big name to their receiving corps in the draft as well.

Dolphins Trade DeVante Parker To Patriots

April 2nd, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are sending DeVante Parker to the Patriots (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Once finalized, the trade will see Parker and a 2022 fifth-round pick go to the Patriots in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick.

Bill Belichick & Co. have done plenty of scouting on Parker, a longtime staple of their AFC East rival. While his career has been up-and-down, his raw talent is undeniable. He’ll provide the Pats with more veteran support in their WR unit, joining a group that also includes Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, N’Keal Harry, Ty Montgomery, Kristian Wilkerson, and Malcolm Perry.

The Dolphins recent acquisition of Tyreek Hill left Parker without a clearly defined role. In turn, Parker’s camp asked the Dolphins to help him find a better landing spot.

“I am truly grateful to the Dolphins and to coach Belichick and [owner] Bob Kraft in their efforts to make this happen,” said Parker’s agent, Jimmy Gould. (Twitter link via Rapoport).

The Dolphins, meanwhile, have bolstered their already impressive stockpile of draft ammo. Even after the Hill blockbuster, they still have two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and, now, two third-round picks in next year’s draft.

The Patriots will assume the balance of Parker’s contract – a $5.65MM base salary in 2022 (with $500K in per-game bonuses) and $5.7MM in 2013 (also with $500K in per-game roster bonuses). However, he’s not owed any guaranteed money, so the Patriots can cut ties whenever they’d like. As Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets, New England was very thorough in its search for a wide receiver, and even had exploratory talks with Odell Beckham Jr. The Pats were also interested in OBJ after he was cut by the Browns in November.

Parker, a 2015 first-round pick, showed serious promise in 2019 with 72 catches, 1,202 yards, and nine touchdowns that year. He hasn’t done nearly as much since, especially following the emergence of Jaylen Waddle last year. In 2021, Parker finished with just 40 grabs for 515 yards and two TDs.

Saints To Sign Jaleel Johnson

April 2nd, 2022 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

Jaleel Johnson is headed to New Orleans (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). On Saturday, the former Texans and Vikings defensive tackle agreed to a one-year deal with the Saints, adding serious bulk to the rebuilding club.

Johnson, 28 in July, spend the first four years of his career in Minnesota, where he appeared in 53 games for 20 starts. He hooked on with the Texans last year, seeing time in 12 games as a reserve.

While he’s not a household name, Johnson has carved out a role as a serviceable run-stuffer. Listed at 6’3″, 316 pounds, he’s also managed to get to the quarterback on occasion. In 2019, for example, he notched 3.5 sacks from the interior of the Vikings’ line.

The Saints front office is putting in work this weekend, having also re-upped safety P.J. Williams on a one-year deal.

Saints To Re-Sign P.J. Williams

April 2nd, 2022 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

P.J. Williams is back. On Saturday, the Saints agreed to a brand-new one-year deal with their veteran defensive back (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).

Williams has never been a Pro Football Focus darling, but the Saints are fans of his work. This marks his third straight one-year re-up and yet another chance for him to improve his leverage. Last time around, Williams scored a fully guaranteed one-year, $2.3MM deal, up from his $2MM pact in 2020.

The Saints drafted him in the third-round back in 2015, and he’s been with the team ever since. A torn hamstring cost him his entire rookie season, and a serious head injury limited him to only two games in 2016. Fortunately, he’s been able to play in at least 14 games in each of the past five seasons. He’s not a world beater, but he is versatile with extensive experience at both safety and cornerback.

As Williams returns, the Saints will also welcome a new defender in ex-Texans defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson.

Latest On Ravens’ Pernell McPhee, Jimmy Smith

April 2nd, 2022 at 11:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens roster is still taking shape and John Harbaugh isn’t sure whether two of his veteran defenders will return. When asked about the status of edge rusher Pernell McPhee and cornerback Jimmy Smith, the head coach couldn’t say whether they’d stick in Baltimore, head elsewhere, or even retire.

“I have (talked to them), but I think it’s for them to say what their plans are. I’ll leave that to them,” Harbaugh said (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic).

No matter what McPhee does, it’s likely that the Ravens will be reworking their edge group. Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser could be on his way out after a year of porous pass coverage capped by a torn Achilles. Fellow pass rusher Justin Houston is also a free agent, which means that the Ravens are likely to prioritize the position in the draft.

Smith, 34 in July, has spent his entire career in Baltimore. Since 2011, he’s suited up for 128 games with 90 starts, registering 14 interceptions, three sacks, and 374 career tackles. While he’s been a staple of the secondary, his production has clearly slipped with time. He’s also earned more than enough money to walk away, so it’s possible that he’ll move on to new endeavors this offseason.

Both players are out of contract and free to sign anywhere, but we’ve haven’t heard much about either vet in recent weeks.

Browns Won’t Push Deshaun Watson To Settle Suits

April 2nd, 2022 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

Deshaun Watson has a brand new team, but he still has 22 civil lawsuits to face. While other interested clubs wanted Watson to settle those suits before a potential trade, the Browns will not push him to do the same, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes.

“That’s up to them,’’ owner Jimmy Haslam said. “He feels very strongly that he did nothing wrong. We have confidence in Deshaun and his legal team. They’ll make good decisions.”

That’s been the position of Watson’s camp too — the quarterback maintains that his overall innocence and refuses to settle. The Browns — who have furnished Watson with a fully guaranteed $230MM contract — are on board with that plan.

In the meantime, the NFL will hold off on any possible suspension. The league office wants to avoid a situation where they levy a suspension, then have to adjust it later based on new information. Still, their own investigation continues – at least ten of the 22 women have filed suit against Watson have spoken with NFL officials.

Watson’s contract calls for just $1MM in base pay this year, which would limit any fines imposed against him. Most of Watson’s 2022 money has already been delivered / placed in escrow by way of his signing bonus.

While the Browns wait to see how that all shakes out, they’ll work to find a suitable trade for former starter Baker Mayfield.

Latest On Browns, Baker Mayfield

April 2nd, 2022 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

Now that the Browns have Deshaun Watson, they’re ready to move on from Baker Mayfield. Trading him, however, could be easier said than done. This week at the league meetings, Browns GM Andrew Berry told reporters that there’s a scenario in which Mayfield remains on the team in 2022.

“We feel like we have three good [quarterbacks], and a lot of teams are still looking for one guy, so you don’t mind being deep here,” Berry said (via ESPN.com). “Quarterbacks are valuable. Baker’s a good player and you can’t have enough good players on your roster. … So, we don’t really feel pressed to rush into anything that’s suboptimal.”

Teams likely have concerns about Mayfield’s injured left shoulder — a likely culprit in his down 2021. There’s also his contract, one that carries a fully-guaranteed $18.858MM this year. Meanwhile, interested clubs know that the Browns aren’t really looking to hang on to Mayfield as Watson’s backup, given the former first-round pick’s base salary and unwillingness to play second fiddle.

It’s unlikely that Mayfield will show for the Browns’ voluntary offseason program on April 19, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, but he could potentially be there for mandatory minicamp from June 14-16. Effectively, it’ll be a move by Mayfield to prevent a breach of contract.

It’s possible that the Browns could swing a trade sometime around draft weekend. In the meantime, Mayfield is busy throwing to a group of non-Browns players, including Cole Beasley, Danny Amendola, and Alex Bachman.

This Date In Transactions History: Cardinals Trade For Carson Palmer

April 2nd, 2022 at 9:31am CST by Sam Robinson

In the years between Kurt Warner‘s retirement and Bruce Arians‘ 2013 Arizona arrival, the Cardinals experienced persistent issues at quarterback. A few months into Arians’ tenure, the franchise made a move to stabilize that position.

Nine years ago today, the Cardinals acquired Carson Palmer from the Raiders. In the second Palmer trade in less than two years, the Raiders were not able to fetch what the Bengals did in 2011. On April 2, 2013, the Cards sent a 2013 sixth-round pick and a conditional seventh-rounder in 2014 for Palmer. Arizona immediately extended the then-33-year-old passer, signing him for two years and $16MM. That would not be the last Cardinals contract Palmer signed.

Palmer spent eight seasons with the Bengals, essentially redshirting as a rookie before starting from 2004-10. However, the former Heisman winner grew impatient with the Bengals’ conservative offseasons and staged a brief retirement that lasted well into the 2011 season. The Raiders ended the Palmer-Bengals stalemate by sending a 2012 first-round pick and a 2013 second-rounder to Cincinnati in October 2011. Those picks became Dre Kirkpatrick and Giovani Bernard. While Palmer mostly stayed healthy in Oakland, the Raiders went just 8-16 during the Pro Bowler’s starts in silver and black.

The USC product threw for 4,018 yards, with 22 touchdown passes compared to 14 interceptions in 2012, but went 4-11 as a starter that season. Oakland parted ways with Hue Jackson, their head coach in 2011, and hired Dennis Allen in 2012. The Raiders made an unusual pivot in 2013, using Terrelle Pryor as their primary starting QB — with Matt McGloin mixing in — but acquired Derek Carr in the 2014 second round. Interestingly, the conditional seventh-round pick the Raiders acquired in the Palmer deal turned into defensive lineman Shelby Harris, who played eight games in Oakland before catching on as a regular in Denver.

The Cardinals, who went 5-11 in 2012 and had used John Skelton as their primary post-Warner QB, improved immediately. Palmer started 16 games and guided Arizona to a 10-6 record in 2013. He went 6-0 as Arizona’s starter in 2014, but the second ACL tear of his career harpooned a talented Cardinals squad — one that also lost backup Drew Stanton and ended up starting Ryan Lindley in its wild-card playoff outing. In 2015, Palmer rebounded and finished second in the MVP voting. The then-35-year-old quarterback threw a Cards-record 35 touchdown passes and led the NFL with 8.7 yards per attempt, guiding the team to a 13-3 record and an overtime playoff victory over the Packers.

Injuries ended up limiting Palmer again in 2017, and he retired shortly after that season. This came after Palmer signed a three-year, $49.5MM contract — in 2014, days before his second ACL tear as a pro — and a one-year, $24.4MM extension in 2016. While the Cardinals traded up for Josh Rosen months after Palmer’s exit, they reversed course a year later and drafted Kyler Murray first overall.