2022 June - Pro Football Rumors

Month: June 2022

Latest On Patriots’ N’Keal Harry

June 5th, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Given the returning players at the receiver position in New England, along with newcomers DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton, much has been talked about regarding what future N’Keal Harry has on the team, if any. As noted by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, a position change could be in order for him to remain on the roster.

An important return to the practice field is upcoming, as the team’s mandatory minicamp begins next week. That will mark Harry’s first work with the team since the end of the season, as he has been absent from the voluntary portion of offseason activities. During that time, his agent has reportedly been working on facilitating a trade out of New England.

The final first round pick of the 2019 draft, Harry hasn’t lived up to the expectations he has faced during his NFL tenure. His best season came in 2020, when he posted 33 receptions for 309 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Last year, though, after New England brought in Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor in free agency, he started just four contests and played less than half of the team’s offensive snaps. Despite his lackluster production, there were teams reported to be interested in trading for him.

Doing so would involve a degree of risk of course, but since the Patriots – as expected – declined Harry’s fifth-year option, an acquiring team would only be adding him for one season. Improving his statistical production during the upcoming campaign would be crucial for the 24-year-old heading into free agency. There could still be a path for him to make the Patriots out of training camp, though.

Reiss writes that converting from receiver to tight end might be the Arizona State alum’s “best chance” to catch on to the end of the roster. If he were able to do that, he would still find stiff competition for playing time in the form of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, to whom New England doled out lucrative contracts last offseason. Harry could find himself third on the depth chart, however, as 2020 third-rounders Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene have had similarly disappointing careers to date.

How Harry performs next week – and, perhaps more importantly, where he lines up in practice – will therefore be a key storyline to watch in New England.

NFL Concludes Interview Process With Deshaun Watson

June 5th, 2022 at 1:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

With questions still swirling around the NFL’s investigation into Deshaun Watson, another important point in the process has been reached. The league has concluded its interviews with the Browns quarterback, as detailed by Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today.

According to Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, the NFL has conducted a “hell of a detailed investigation” in the wake of 23 lawsuits filed against him alleging sexual misconduct. Hardin added that the league – which met with the 26-year-old on two separate occasions – interviewed him for “a total of four days”.

This latest update comes not long after commissioner Roger Goodell said the league was nearing the conclusion of its investigation, which is unrelated to the ongoing civil litigation Watson is facing. With the interview process complete, attention will now turn to the disciplinary decision the league will make, which could include a fine, suspension, and additional punishment in the future pending the result of the civil trials.

“I don’t want to extoll on how detailed their investigation has been in case when they make their mind up that we seriously object – which I think there may be a very good possibility of that – but we just don’t know” Hardin said. He and his team, along with Watson himself, have maintained that the Pro Bowler has done nothing illegal, which is the conclusion two grand juries have come to with respect to criminal charges.

The civil cases are still bound for trial at this point, though it has long been known that none of them will go to court during the upcoming NFL season. By the time that process begins, the league will have handed down its discipline, but, in the absence of settlement agreements being reached, it will remain a major talking point for the Browns’ franchise signal-caller.

Contract Details: Alexander, Moreau

June 5th, 2022 at 11:50am CST by Rory Parks

Here are the details on several recently-signed contracts:

Jaire Alexander, CB (Packers): Four years, $84MM. $30MM signing bonus (previously reported). Base salary of $1.076MM in 2022 creates manageable cap charge of $7.076MM. Base salaries remain modest in 2023-24 ($1.2MM and $6.65MM), but roster bonuses ($11.45MM due on third day of 2023 league year, $8MM due on third day of 2024 league year) are significant. Cap charge increases to $20MM in 2023. Base salaries increase to $16.15MM in 2025 and $18.15MM in 2026. Each year from 2023-26 includes weekly roster bonuses of up to $650K, workout bonuses of $700K, and $250K Pro Bowl escalator (Twitter thread via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
Fabian Moreau, CB (Texans): One year, $2MM. $1MM guaranteed ($350K signing bonus, $650K of $1.4MM salary). Up to $250K in weekly roster bonuses. $500K in available incentives (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network).

Latest On Giants OLB Oshane Ximines

June 5th, 2022 at 11:21am CST by Rory Parks

Typically, a regime change is not good news for a struggling former draft choice, as a team’s new power brokers do not necessarily have the same attachment to that player as their predecessors. But as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes, Giants OLB Oshane Ximines is an exception to that rule.

Under former head coach Joe Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Ximines was used in a rotational role for the first seven games of the 2021 season, averaging roughly 23 snaps per game. In a Week 8 matchup against the Chiefs, Ximines’ offsides penalty negated a fourth quarter interception that may have cost the Giants the game, and in the final nine games of the season, Ximines was a healthy scratch six times and played just one defensive snap.

In Dunleavy’s opinion, Ximines — the first Old Dominion player to ever be selected in the NFL draft — would have been cut if New York had elected to retain Judge. Of course, the team fired Judge, Graham left to take the defensive coordinator post with the Raiders, and the new Big Blue HC/DC tandem of Brian Daboll and Don “Wink” Martindale is prepared to give Ximines a clean slate.

“You want to try to do it your way, be true to yourself, give the guys opportunities to be themselves, let them either get with the program or not get with the program,” Daboll said. “Sometimes it’s hard as a coach not to have any preconceived notions about players, staff, whoever it may be, because it’s such a small group. But I think everybody should be afforded that opportunity.”

This will actually be the second staff overhaul that Ximines has weathered. He was drafted in the third round in 2019, when Pat Shurmur was head coach and James Bettcher was operating as defensive coordinator, and in his rookie campaign, he showed a fair amount of promise. In 16 games (two starts) in 2019, he posted 4.5 sacks and 25 pressures. He started three of the first four games of the 2020 season — the first year of the Judge era — but a shoulder injury ended that year prematurely. In 2021, he could not return to the form he showed as a rookie before being benched.

The Giants have invested considerable draft capital into their pass rushing contingent since Ximines turned pro, adding Azeez Ojulari and Elerson Smith in the second and fourth round, respectively, in 2021, and selecting Kayvon Thibodeaux with the No. 5 overall pick of this year’s draft. The team also signed Jihad Ward in March and is still rostering 2021 sixth-rounder Quincy Roche, who was claimed off waivers from the Steelers before the 2021 regular season got underway. Roche would go on to appear in 14 games (three starts) for New York last season, generating 2.5 sacks.

So, clean slate or not, Ximines will have his work cut out for him as he seeks to carve out a meaningful role in his platform year. Still, Martindale’s aggressive, blitz-happy approach could allow him to find some success and reestablish his value.

“There is going to be a lot of opportunity to share the cake, so I’m excited to see how it goes,” Ximines said. “There is a looser leash on you. You can just go create pressure, and that’s always fun.”

Latest On Patriots LT Isaiah Wynn

June 5th, 2022 at 10:43am CST by Rory Parks

June 5: Wynn is indeed expected to be present at the Patriots’ mandatory minicamp, which opens on June 7, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic (Twitter link). Howe tweets that Wynn’s absence was not related to a desire to be dealt.

May 29: Patriots left tackle Isaiah Wynn was absent for the team’s voluntary OTAs last week, and that has led Mike Reiss of ESPN.com to wonder if the club might consider an O-line shakeup. Trent Brown, who agreed to a two-year contract in March and who is currently penciled in at right tackle, took the LT reps in Wynn’s absence.

Though missing a series of voluntary May practices may not be significant for a more established player, one would think that a player in Wynn’s situation would want to take every opportunity to continue developing his game. For one, the Georgia product is eligible for free agency at the end of the season, and if he turns in a strong performance in 2022, he could set himself up for a massive payday in 2023.

Second, 2021 was the first time that Wynn had appeared in more than 10 games in a season. He missed his entire rookie campaign in 2018 due to a preseason Achilles tear, and a toe injury in 2019 and a knee ailment in 2020 limited him to a total of 18 games across those two seasons. Last year, he suited up for 16 contests, and while Pro Football Focus assigned him a strong overall grade of 74.9, Reiss suggests that New England might be regretting exercising his fifth-year option for 2022, which includes a fully-guaranteed $10.4MM salary.

Perhaps Wynn skipped OTAs because he does not believe his hold on the LT job is truly in jeopardy and because he wants to limit his exposure to another injury whenever possible. However, his decision opened the door for Brown — who parlayed a strong performance at left tackle for the Pats in 2018 into a lucrative free agent contract with the Raiders the following year — to begin building chemistry with first-round rookie Cole Strange, the club’s presumptive left guard.

Justin Herron, the 2020 sixth-rounder who has started 10 games for the Pats during his first two years in the league due to injuries to Wynn and Brown (among others), took over RT duties during OTAs. Brown himself appeared in just 14 games over the 2020-21 seasons, so the swing tackle role is an especially important one in Foxborough at the moment.

Given recent history, there is a good chance that Wynn, Brown, and Herron will all see time as Mac Jones‘ blindside blocker in 2022. Wynn, though, has the most upside and perhaps the most to gain, and he will begin his quest for a top-of-the-market deal — and perhaps to reestablish himself as the unquestioned starter at LT — when mandatory minicamp opens in June.

Broncos LB Jonas Griffith Taking First-Team Reps

June 5th, 2022 at 9:58am CST by Rory Parks

Broncos inside linebacker Jonas Griffith, who signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in April 2020, was waived before the start of the regular season that year. He had a brief stint with the Colts’ taxi squad in October 2020 and rejoined the Niners as a member of their p-squad after being cut by Indianapolis, and though he did not play a regular season snap, he did enough in practice to earn a reserve/futures deal from San Francisco in January 2021.

Broncos GM George Paton, who was in search of LB depth and who apparently saw something in Griffith’s preseason tape in 2021, swung a minor trade for the Indiana State product just before the 2021 campaign got underway. Griffith was used exclusively on special teams to start the season and suffered a hamstring injury that cost him four games, so he did not take a defensive snap until Week 14. Once he got on the field as a defender, though, he made an impact.

In his last five games (four starts), Griffith compiled 45 tackles, including four for loss, and as Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post notes, the 25-year-old ‘backer missed just one tackle and was also credited with 5.5. run “stuffs.” Though the sample size was small, the 69.1 overall grade that Pro Football Focus assigned to Griffith was encouraging as well.

Perhaps that explains the Broncos’ approach to the inside linebacker position this offseason. Denver re-signed starter Josey Jewell and added former Eagle Alex Singleton in March, but the size of Singleton’s contract (one-year, $1.115MM) suggests that he is not necessarily viewed as an every-down contributor. Meanwhile, 2021 third-rounder Baron Browning has been moved to outside linebacker, players like Alexander Johnson, Kenny Young, and Micah Kiser were not retained, and the team did not draft an ILB.

Per O’Halloran, Griffith has lined up alongside Jewell with the first-stringers during the OTAs that were open to the media, and he is currently ahead of Singleton on the unofficial depth chart. Even if Griffith holds onto that spot, however, there will still be opportunities for Singleton and other players like Justin Strnad and Barrington Wade, as most of Griffith’s snaps are expected to come in the Broncos’ base 3-4 package. That makes sense given his run-stopping abilities, though the fact that he has some fluidity and moves well suggests that he could be in line for an even larger role if he continues to impress.

Griffith admitted that it’s a “relief” that Denver has not yet done more to address its ILB corps, but he also knows his job is far from secure at this point. “You still have to do the job,” Griffith said. “That’s been my approach since being in the NFL. They can bring anybody in at any moment. … I don’t think anything is solidified. Every day is an opportunity to show this coaching staff what I can do.”

Griffith was retained for the 2022 season via the exclusive rights free agent tender and will earn $825K this year. As a former UDFA, he will be extension-eligible at season’s end, so he has plenty of motivation to fend off his competitors.

Vikings Offered Contract To Dede Westbrook

June 5th, 2022 at 8:22am CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings auditioned wide receiver Dede Westbrook earlier this week, and the club was prepared to sign him following his showcase. Per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter), Minnesota extended an offer to Westbrook, but the 28-year-old wideout did not immediately accept it, as he wanted to consider his other options.

As such, the Vikings pivoted to Albert Wilson, who worked out for the club alongside Westbrook and who signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract for $1.12MM (the veteran minimum). Wilson now slots in behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn on Minnesota’s WR depth chart, and he will attempt to rejuvenate a career that has stalled since he signed a notable free agent contract with the Dolphins during the 2018 offseason.

At the time of Westbrook’s workout with the Vikings, it was reported that he did indeed have interest from other teams, though it is unclear who those teams are. It is understandable that he did not pounce at the opportunity to fight for snaps as Minnesota’s WR4 with recent Day 3 selections like Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Jalen Nailor, but at this point, he may have to settle for a similar opportunity elsewhere and hope that a strong training camp/preseason showing earns him a larger role.

A fourth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2017, Westbrook earned a significant target share across the 2018-19 seasons. He was targeted 101 times and caught 66 passes in both of those campaigns, and while his yards-per-reception rate of 10.4 over that time was nothing special, he appeared to be emerging as something of a reliable pass-catcher who could perhaps become more than that in a more productive offense. He was also a dynamic punt returner in 2018, taking back 19 punts for 266 yards (14.0 yards per return) and a score.

In 2020, the final year of his rookie contract, he slipped down the Jacksonville depth chart and appeared in just two games. That season was also cut short by a Week 7 ACL tear, and he settled for a modest one-year contract with the Vikings last July. He did generate a fair amount of open market interest during the second and third waves of free agency last offseason, but in his first year in Minnesota, he caught just 10 passes for 68 yards. As the Vikes’ primary punt returner, his 8.3 yards-per-return rate was solid enough, but obviously a far cry from his best work with the Jags.

Despite his recent underwhelming history, he is young enough and has enough of a track record to land a new gig. It sounds as if that will be happening at some point within the next few weeks.

Free Agent Stock Watch: DT Larry Ogunjobi

June 4th, 2022 at 11:03pm CST by Ely Allen

We were very close to not having to write this Stock Watch. In mid-March, free agent defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi signed a deal to join new head coach Matt Eberflus and new general manager Ryan Poles in Chicago. A failed physical led the Bears to call off the agreement, returning Ogunjobi to free agency.

“As I said before, Larry Ogunjobi embodies everything we are looking for in a Bear,” Poles said in a statement. “He is a special person and player. During the league’s negotiating window earlier this week, we agreed to terms with him, subject to him passing a physical here. After a standard and thorough physical and medical review with Larry yesterday afternoon, our medical team deemed him to have failed his physical and, therefore, unfortunately, we are not signing him today. This is difficult and it is emotional for everyone involved, but ultimately is what is in the best interest of protecting the Chicago Bears.”

Ogunjobi’s second free agent deal was set to earn $40.5MM over three years. He would have been entitled to a guaranteed $26.35MM at signing. Compared to his one-year, $6.2MM deal with Cincinnati last year, Ogunjobi was set for a substantial raise. Now, the 28-year-old is back on the market, searching for his next home.

Ogunjobi was a third-round pick out of Charlotte in 2017, getting drafted by the Browns. As a rookie, Ogunjobi was a rotational player. He played in 14 games, earning one start. Ogunjobi recorded 32 tackles, 1.0 sack, and 4.0 tackles for loss as a rookie.

He was named a starter on the line in his sophomore season and held down the job for the rest of his rookie deal, only missing two regular season games over his three years as a Browns’ starter. His second and third seasons were nearly identical. In each year, he recorded 5.5 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss. His stats dropped a little bit during his last year in Cleveland, but over his last three seasons with the Browns, he totaled 148 tackles, 13.5 sacks, and 25.0 tackles for loss.

Ogunjobi signed with the Bengals last offseason on the one-year deal mentioned above. Ogunjobi got back to his normal ways with his best season to date. He recorded 49 tackles, but added 7.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss. Ogunjobi set himself up to be a premier, young pass-rushing defensive tackle.

Unfortunately, Ogunjobi was injured during the Bengals’ Wildcard victory over the Raiders. The foot injury would require surgery, ending Ogunjobi’s season with the Bengals. It was reported shortly after his contract with the Bears was cancelled that the failed physical stemmed from that injured foot. Poles offered that the failed deal would have prevented them from adding other free agents during the legal tampering period, as well, so the failed physical became a non-starter.

Regardless, the Bears set a clear market for the defensive tackle heading into his sixth NFL season. A three-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $13.5MM is a nod to the accomplishments of Ogunjobi’s young career, but maybe includes a knock for injury. The deal would have given him the tenth-highest AAV in the league. Besides outliers like three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, who is on a six-year deal, and expert run-stopper Brandon Williams, who just finished a five-year deal with the Ravens, most of the top defensive tackles in the league are signing three- to four-year deals.

Who lands Ogunjobi, then? Atlanta could certainly use a playmaker in the middle of the defensive line. Many thought they would make a move for UConn’s Travis Jones, who ended up going to Baltimore in the 2022 NFL Draft. Giving Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees Ogunjobi to pair with Grady Jarrett could do wonders for that defense. Similarly, the Saints would be more than happy to put Ogunjobi alongside David Onyemata. Shy Tuttle is currently set to start next to Onyemata, and Ogunjobi would be a big upgrade in production.

Ogunjobi visited the Jets in early May, but no deal was reached. You probably can’t rule out the Bears, though. Despite the unfortunate outcome, there was enough of a connection that the two reached a deal initially. The Bears did sign Justin Jones to fill their tackle role, but if Ogunjobi is able to pass a physical with the team, he would represent a substantial upgrade over Jones.

Whoever does decide to reach a deal with Ogunjobi, a similar contract to the Bears’ offer should be expected. Ogunjobi should expect a three- or four-year contract from $12MM-$15MM per year. The once-failed physical may take a chunk out of his guaranteed money, but Ogunjobi should still be looking forward to a big payday once he signs the dotted line.

NFL Staff Notes: Eagles, Warren, Bears, Chiefs

June 4th, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Ely Allen

This weekend, the Eagles announced several title changes and new hires in their personnel and operations departments. Philadelphia lost six staffers this offseason.

Some of the Eagles’ corresponding moves we haven’t yet covered are as follows. Former-senior director of football transactions Bryce Johnston was promoted to vice president of football transactions and strategic planning. Former-assistant of analytics James Gilman was promoted to director of football analytics. Former-senior pro scout Jeff Scott was promoted to director of football operations. Former-football analytics coordinator Jon Liu was promoted to assistant director of football analytics. Former assistant strength and conditioning coach Patrick McDowell moved departments to become the player development assistant/scout. Pro scout Ameena Soliman was promoted to director of personnel operations/pro scout. Former-college scout (Northeast area) Matt Holland was promoted to senior college/pro scout.

The following are new hires announced by the Eagles that we haven’t covered. In operations, Zach Drapkin was hired as a quantitative analyst. In scouting, Jarrod Kilburn was hired as a college/pro scout.

Here are a few other staff notes from around the NFL, starting with the freshly-named Commanders:

According to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, legendary tight end and current-senior pro scout Don Warren will retire this week. Warren won three Super Bowls during his 14 seasons as a player in Washington. 13 years after his retirement from playing, Warren returned to Washington as a scout. After five years in that role, Warren joined the Panthers as a scout, where he stayed for ten years. Warren returned to Washington for the final two years of his career in 2020.
The Bears have hired the Chiefs’ senior data scientist, Krithi Chandrakasan, away from Kansas City to assume the role of director of football analytics in Chicago. To fill Chandrakasan’s now-vacant role, the Chiefs hired Marc Richards in the role of football research analyst, all according to ESPN’s Seth Walder. Walder adds that Richards was a part of the winning team in the 2021 Big Data Bowl. The Big Data Bowl is an annual analytics competition for college students and professionals in the league. The contest challenges participants to spur innovations in the ever-evolving world of NFL advanced analytics.

Latest On Texans’ Running Backs Room

June 4th, 2022 at 7:12pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans finished the 2021 NFL season ranked dead-last in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and rushing yards per carry. Houston has made some moves to address the position and the room will look fairly different at camp this summer.

Last year saw four Texans’ running backs start games. Three of those running backs are no longer on the roster. Mark Ingram returned to New Orleans midway through last season, Phillip Lindsay signed this offseason with the Colts, and David Johnson hit the free agent market and has yet to sign with a new team. While losing three players who started games may sound significant, the three backs combined last year to rush for only 652 yards and 2 touchdowns while averaging only 3.12 yards per carry.

Houston returns their leading rusher last year, Rex Burkhead. Burkhead, who turns 32 next month, racked up the highest rushing total of his career last year in his ninth season, totaling 427 yards on the ground. Burkhead has been a third-down type of running back throughout his career, recording more receiving yards than rushing in tw0 of his nine years. The Texans also return Royce Freeman, who was claimed off waivers in early-November last year.

To address the struggling run-game, Houston made two big moves. The first move they made was to sign free agent running back Marlon Mack in the weeks leading up to the Draft. Mack spent five seasons in Indianapolis, starting as a backup to Frank Gore. Once Gore left in free agency, Mack took the starting job and, despite missing six games in the next two years, was 92 yards away from two-consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. In 2020, a torn Achilles in Week 1 ended Mack’s season and opened the door for then-rookie Jonathan Taylor to take the reins. Taylor quickly took over, finishing second in Offensive Player of the Year voting last year. In his final year with the Colts, Mack took a backseat to Taylor and Nyheim Hines as he was only active in six games.

The second move Houston made was drafting Florida running back Dameon Pierce in the fourth-round of the Draft. Pierce had the best year of his career in his senior season while splitting carries with Malik Davis and Nay’quan Wright. Pierce only rushed for 574 yards in his final season as a Gator, but his physical playing-style led to him leading the team with 16 touchdowns from scrimmage, 13 of those being on the ground.

So who is taking the lead for Houston next season? According to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, the Texans will have a committee-approach at running back this year. They have built a room that holds quite a few skill sets necessary for a successful position group. Mack is expected to take the lead back role, as he’s the only one with experience and success in that role. Although Mack runs with the same physical, attacking style as Pierce, Pierce’s presence should allow Mack a bit of a reprieve in those short-yardage and goal-line situations. Burkhead should be able to return to his role as a receiving, third-down back. Freeman has experience spelling starters as a reliable backup, and can continue to do so in any role asked of him. Houston also brought in former-Jaguar Dare Ogunbowale who has plenty of experience as a backup, as well. They also roster Darius Anderson, who will likely serve as a camp body this summer.

With Mack, Pierce, and Burkhead, Houston has specialists for three different situations. If they need or want more bodies on the 53-man roster, Freeman, Ogunbowale, and the young Anderson can compete for that fourth slot. The improvements needed for the run-game need to come from several areas: offensive line make-up, success in the passing-game to take pressure off, down-field blocking from receivers and tight ends, etc. The first-step, though, is to have players who can run, and Houston has drastically renovated their running backs room in an attempt to get out of the basement of rushing offenses.

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