Bengals Could Draft Quarterback Early?
The Bengals have a big offseason ahead of them. It’s the first year of the Zac Taylor era after the team finally fired Marvin Lewis after 16 seasons. Cincinnati has Andy Dalton at quarterback, but they might not be sold on him as the longterm answer. As such, the Bengals could very realistically use their first round pick on a quarterback, according to a panel on NFL Network (video Twitter link).
Bengals owner Mike Brown recently said the team wasn’t in any rush to extend Dalton and indicated the TCU product would need to prove himself this season, so this isn’t too surprising. Last week we heard that Dalton, who ended last year on injured reserve after undergoing thumb surgery, would be fully healthy for the offseason program.
On the panel, Mike Garafolo said he talked to other teams picking near the Bengals, and stated “other teams are watching them saying ‘that is a potential landing spot for a quarterback.'” Garafolo points out that quarterback needy teams like the Dolphins and Redskins pick after the Bengals, and there’s a good chance they’ll need to jump ahead of Cincinnati if they want a signal-caller.
One interesting nugget that could bode well for Dalton is that the only top quarterback the Bengals have brought into their building for a visit is N.C. State’s Ryan Finley, according to Ian Rapoport. Finley “has a shot at being a second rounder,” Rapoport says, but isn’t a realistic option for the Bengals with the 11th overall pick. The Bengals could draft Finley sometime on Day 2 and let him be the backup initially without having a quarterback controversy on their hands.
That being said, that doesn’t mean the Bengals won’t draft a passer who they haven’t hosted on an official visit. Rapsheet notes that the team “spent some time” with Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins around his pro day, and he could be a target if he slips to them. Thanks to having five sixth round picks, the Bengals own 11 picks overall in the upcoming draft, and they will be one of the more interesting teams to monitor in Nashville.
‘Belief In Some Circles’ Raiders Could Draft Kyler Murray?
The conventional wisdom the past couple of months has been that the Cardinals will take Kyler Murray with the first overall pick. But nobody knows their true intentions, and they could just as easily take Nick Bosa or Quinnen Williams with the top pick. If they do pass on Murray, it’ll set off an interesting chain reaction.
This past week, we heard that some teams were beginning to prepare for some of the top quarterbacks to start slipping in the draft if the Cardinals do pass on Murray. If Arizona drafts Murray, it could create a frenzy for teams to move up and get one of the next top available passers like Dwayne Haskins or Drew Lock. But if they don’t take Murray, teams could be more content to wait and everybody could end up sliding.
That being said, don’t expect Murray to fall too far. “There’s a belief in some circles” that the Raiders will be “tempted” to take Murray if he’s still available when they pick fourth overall, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Coach Jon Gruden and new GM Mike Mayock haven’t exactly been committal when asked about Derek Carr this offseason, so this isn’t too shocking.
Gruden and Mayock have both insisted they view Carr as a franchise quarterback, but have also said they’re willing to upgrade the position if the opportunity comes along. Thanks to the Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper trades, the Raiders have plenty of draft ammo. They have three picks in the first round, and could easily execute a trade up for Murray if that’s what it ended up requiring.
At this point it would still be a surprise if it happens, but it’s worth noting. The team has already worked out Murray, as well as Haskins. Gruden has been playing coy with the Carr situation, and it’s unclear how he truly feels about the Raiders’ quarterback of the past five seasons. Fortunately, with the draft just days away, we should know more soon.
49ers’ Joe Staley Undecided On Retirement, Playing In 2020
Joe Staley has had an accomplished career. The offensive tackle has made six Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams during his 12 seasons in the league, all with the 49ers. Staley, 34, is heading into his 13th year in the league, and is apparently undecided about a 14th year.
Staley, who is heading into the final year of his contract, hasn’t had any conversations with 49ers brass about a new deal and hasn’t decided about playing beyond this year, according to Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. The longest-tenured member of the 49ers, Staley got a pay raise from the team last April in a gesture of good will.
“I still love the game, still feel like I can play at a high level. Still feel like I’m valued on the football team. I know it’s my last year under contract, but I’m not worried about that. I’m just going to go out there and try and do everything I can to help us win games with this team,” Staley said.
In Biderman’s piece, Staley also talks about mentoring fellow offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, the 49ers’ first round pick last year. Staley referred to McGlinchey, the ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft, as his “little brother”, which is surely a welcome sign for 49ers fans. San Francisco went through a chaotic period a few years ago, changing coaches seemingly every season, before things finally settled down with Kyle Shanahan. Last year, Staley revealed for the first time that he considered retirement amidst all the dysfunction in the organization.
Staley had another strong season last year, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best tackle in the NFL, so the 49ers would surely welcome him back if he wants to play in 2020. For now though, San Francisco needs Staley to help keep Jimmy Garoppolo upright. Garoppolo is coming off a torn ACL, and the 49ers need him to stay healthy if they want to be competitive in 2019.
A first round pick all the way back in 2007, Staley is a 49ers legend and is of massive importance to the team. He’s set to make just over $8MM in 2019, which is a steal for the team. Given that he’s considered it in the past, retirement seems like a real possibility following this season.
Seahawks ‘Considering’ Frank Clark Trade, Want First Round Pick For Him
Ever since the Seahawks locked up Russell Wilson with his record-setting deal, everybody’s attention has turned toward pass-rusher Frank Clark. The dynamic defensive end was franchise-tagged by Seattle, and is seeking a longterm deal of his own.
The Seahawk have insisted they want to sign Clark to a new deal, and head coach Pete Carroll has said he’ll be with the team in 2019. Despite that trade rumors have continued to swirl, and we heard yesterday that several teams were interested. Seattle is apparently open to the idea, as they are “still considering” trading Clark, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. A source told Schefter that “in return, the Seahawks would want any package to include at least a first-round pick in next week’s NFL draft.”
That’s not an unreasonable ask, but it’s possible no teams will be willing to meet that price. We heard in early March that Clark and the Seahawks were progressing on a new deal, but things appear to have fallen apart since then. Previous reports indicated the Seahawks were reluctant to move Clark, but Schefter’s report makes it sound like they’re much more open to the idea.
The Seahawks have a league-low four picks in the 2019 draft. Trading Clark would be a surefire way to replenish their stockpile and get some extra picks. Seattle’s general manager John Schneider did insist recently that Wilson’s new deal won’t effect negotiations or impact their willingness to spend big money on Clark. It’s possible the Seahawks weren’t happy with the 21MM-AAV deal that DeMarcus Lawrence got from the Cowboys. Now that Lawrence has reset the market, Clark is likely seeking to top that.
When Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said yesterday that several teams were interested, he also said the matter would “definitely” be resolved before the draft. So if Clark is still a member of the team a week from now, you can expect him to be with the Seahawks in 2019. Last season Clark had 13 sacks, three forced fumbles, two passes defended, and an interception.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Jets, Draft
Another day, more drama with the Raiders. With only six days to go until the draft, a major stir was caused when Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted that Raiders coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock “sent their scouts home for the weekend and they are not expected to return by draft time. The belief is they don’t know who to trust and wanted to clear the room.” The tweet, of course, sparked a lot of panic among Raider fans and allegations of dysfunction within the organization. While Rapoport’s initial tweet was a little vague, it appears not to be as bad as it first seemed.
Albert Breer of SI.com tweeted in response that the “expectation has been that much of the scouting department would be turned over post-draft,” so this apparently wasn’t anything too sudden. Mayock was brought on to replace old GM Reggie McKenzie, and it’s not surprising that he would want to bring in his own guys. Teams usually wait until after the draft though, and the fact the Raiders are making this sudden move suggests there’s a level of paranoia in the building.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- We’ve heard murmurs for a while now that the Jets could consider trading down from the third overall pick, and we now have more confirmation of that. Multiple sources told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY that the Jets are “determined” to trade down from their top pick. One source told Vacchiano that Jets GM Mike Maccagnan is looking to “recoup the second-round pick he gave up last year when the Jets moved up in the draft to get quarterback Sam Darnold.” The Jets already have their franchise quarterback in Darnold, so it makes sense why they’d be looking to move down and stockpile extra picks. Maccagnan had indicated he was open to the idea of moving down in the past, but this is the most concrete confirmation we’ve gotten of that.
- Speaking of the Jets, don’t expect them to be in on Seahawks pass-rusher Frank Clark if he really is being shopped, according to Richi Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cimini writes that the Jets did have interest in Clark at the start of free agency, but that a trade “seems unlikely under the current circumstances.” The Jets are desperate for pass-rush help, as Cimini points out they haven’t had a player with double-digit sacks since 2015, but it sounds like they won’t be getting it through a trade. If the Jets don’t trade down from the third spot, they’re very likely to draft an edge rusher, like Josh Allen from Kentucky or Nick Bosa from Ohio State if he fell to them.
- In case you missed it, Browns general manager John Dorsey dished on his team’s offseason.
Draft Notes: Giants, QBs, Broncos, Tillery, Dolphins, Savage, Bryce Love
The Giants have been one of the most heavily scrutinized teams leading up to the 2019 NFL Draft. Many observers thought they were going to take a quarterback with the second overall pick, but they passed on signal-callers like Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen to take Saquon Barkley. After Eli Manning had another disappointing season, it seemed like his time as New York’s quarterback was coming to an end, and that the Giants would almost certainly take on early this year. Instead, the Giants have more or less doubled down. They’ve already declared Manning will be the starter in 2019, and they’re reportedly even open to him starting in 2020 and beyond. As the draft got closer, the idea of the Giants passing on a quarterback began to pick up more and more steam.
But now we’re finally getting some pushback on that, and momentum appears to be heading the other way with the draft less than a week away. “Several smart people around the NFL are convinced” the Giants will use the sixth overall pick on a passer, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network hears (Twitter link). We heard yesterday that the Giants are doing their homework on West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, who could be a target on Day 2. Overall, the Giants have done a pretty good job keeping us all in the dark about their intentions, and we won’t know for sure what they’re doing until draft day.
Here’s more draft buzz from around the league with just six days until the draft kicks off:
- “One of Broncos final pre-draft visits was with Notre Dame DE Jerry Tillery,” a source told Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link). Many analysts are very high on Tillery’s upside, and he’s currently projected by most to go sometime in the second round. Tillery played defensive tackle at Notre Dame, and could fit nicely as an end in Denver’s 3-4 defense. Last year with the Fighting Irish, Tillery had 8.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. With Von Miller and Bradley Chubb already in place, the Broncos would have a very talented pass-rush if they added someone like Tillery.
- The “odds remain in favor of the Dolphins addressing their defensive line with their first-round choice,” writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. A lot of Dolphins fans have been hoping Miami would take a quarterback with the 13th pick, but the team appears set to punt on the position for now and take a bigger swing at it in 2020. The Dolphins appear set to roll with Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter for the duration of the 2019 season, and as much as they want to deny it, are tanking.
- Darnell Savage Jr., the Maryland safety, has been shooting up draft boards. Savage has had a meteoric rise, and could go as high as the late first round. He’s been busy recently, visiting with the “Cardinals, Bucs, Steelers, Colts, Seahawks, Lions, Titans, Falcons, Chargers, Rams, Patriots, Panthers, Browns, Eagles and Steelers,” according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link). Last season, Savage had 52 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss, and had four interceptions.
- If he had left after his junior season, Stanford running back Bryce Love likely would’ve been an early draft pick. The 2017 Heisman runner-up opted to return to school for his senior year, and ended up tearing his ACL last season. Love’s stock took a hit, and it could be tumbling even further. Teams are very concerned that his knee, the same one where the ACL was torn, remains very stiff, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Love attended the combine’s recent medical re-check, and some teams are apparently concerned he might not get back to 100 percent. Pelissero does note that the stiffness is an issue that can be treated, and it could require another surgery. Here’s to hoping Love makes a full recovery.
Jeff Fisher Talked To XFL?
Buckle up everybody, Jeff Fisher could be back on a sideline soon. A mini Twitter controversy erupted when Fisher himself chimed in to refute a report that he says jumped the gun. It all started when Jason La Canfora tweeted he was “hearing Jeff Fisher is in line to coach Houston of the XFL.”
Fisher then responded with a tweet of his own, saying “false news that I am headed to XFL Houston. Maybe get better sources?” La Canfora stood by his reporting, saying in a second tweet that Fisher “absolutely talked to XFL about the Houston opening, he remains their top choice for that job and the job is still vacant.”
Fisher had previously been consulting for the now-defunct Alliance of American Football, so he clearly is open to the idea of working with an alternative pro league. Fisher has been the butt of many jokes from NFL fans, and has struggled to get back into the league since the Rams fired him toward the end of the 2016 season. Recently, Fisher indicated he would only come back to be a head coach and wasn’t interested in being a coordinator.
At 173-165-1 for his career, Fisher has the 12th-most wins in NFL history. That being said, Fisher hasn’t taken a team to the playoffs since the 2008 season when he was with the Titans. He’s also explored broadcasting opportunities the past couple of seasons, and was rumored to be joining FOX last July. Fisher specifically said “XFL Houston” in his tweet, so it’s possible he’s hinting that he could be joining the XFL in a different city.
In other XFL news, the league has hired Jonathan Hayes to coach its St. Louis franchise, according to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. The St. Louis team will play in the same stadium the Rams used to play in, so Hayes will be coaching in Fisher’s old stomping grounds. Hayes spent the past 16 seasons on Marvin Lewis’ staff coaching the tight ends with the Bengals, but was swept out when Lewis was fired after this past season.
Falcons Sign DT Ra’Shede Hageman
Ra’Shede Hageman is back in the NFL, and right back where it all started. Hageman is signing with the Falcons, the team that drafted him in the second round back in 2014, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP TV (Twitter link). It’s a one-year deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Hageman met with the Falcons last week, so we knew they were interested in a reunion. He’s been out of the league for a couple of years now but drew some legit interest, as the Vikings apparently kicked the tires. Hageman was the 37th overall pick of the 2014 draft, and his career got off to a decent start. But following a domestic violence incident, Hageman was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list in September of 2017 and released not long after.
He was ultimately suspended by the league for six games. He spent the entire 2017 season out of football, and drew interest from the Patriots and Seahawks last offseason but didn’t sign. He was then arrested for a DWI last June. At the time we heard of the Vikings’ interest, the former Minnesota Gopher talked about the need to prove he’d changed off the field.
“It’s been one heck of a two years sitting out and just watching my fellow teammates play, but it’s definitely a learning experience,” Hageman said. “The whole process is just getting back in everybody’s ear (with NFL teams) about me staying out of trouble. You can’t beat around the bush. They obviously want to see consistency with me. I’m letting everybody know that my past is my past.”
Hageman was hit with a two-game suspension for his DWI arrest, so he won’t be eligible to play for the first two games of the 2019 season. He appeared in 44 games with 16 starts during his three years in Atlanta.
Complete 2019 NFL International Pathway Program
Moritz Boehringer is back in the NFL. The German tight end, who became the first European player ever to be drafted without playing American college football back in 2016, has been allocated to the Bengals as part of the league’s international pathway program, per Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com.
Boehringer’s assignment to the Bengals completes this year’s program. Each season, teams in two divisions get a roster exemption to develop a player from another country. The player can be the 91st man on offseason rosters, and can be an 11th player on practice squads during the regular season. Boehringer was drafted by the Vikings, but spent his rookie season on the practice squad without ever appearing in a game. He came into the league as a receiver, but has since transitioned to tight end. He was with the Bengals as part of this program last year, and will be back in Cincy in 2019.
Here’s a list of the rest of the players selected to participate:
Baltimore Ravens
- FB Christopher Ezeala
Buffalo Bills
- RB Christian Wade
Cleveland Browns
- DB Tigie Sankoh
Miami Dolphins
- DT Durval Neto
New England Patriots
- TE/FB Jakob Johnson
New York Jets
- RB/WR/KR Valentine Holmes
Pittsburgh Steelers
- TE Christian Scotland-Williamson
The AFC North participated last year, but this year the AFC East is taking the place of the NFC South. Notably, Efe Obada was a participant in the program with the Panthers last year, and he went on to make Carolina’s 53-man roster last season. He was re-signed this offseason.
Each of the players assigned to the AFC North were with those teams last year. Scotland-Williamson is a former rugby player, while Boehringer, Sankoh, and Ezeala all played American football overseas before making the leap.
All of the AFC East players are new to the program. Given the Patriots’ track record of finding hidden gems, Johnson will likely end up leading the league in receiving yards at some point. Johnson was signed from the German football league. Neto was playing football in Brazil before being added to the Dolphins. Wade and Holmes are both former prominent rugby players.
Extra Points: Goff, Rams, AAF, Ryan, CFL
It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride for Jared Goff these past few years. The first overall pick back in 2016, a lot of people wrote him off as a bust after his disastrous rookie season. But Goff came alive once he was paired with head coach Sean McVay, and has now made the Pro Bowl each of the last two seasons. This past season, the Rams made it all the way to the Super Bowl but Goff had a terrible performance in the big game. There’s been a lot of debate the past couple of years about how much of Goff’s improvement was due to his own natural development versus how much of it was due to McVay’s coaching.
As such, there have been some rumors that the Rams aren’t completely sold on Goff as the longterm answer. McVay openly stating last month that the team wasn’t in any rush to extend Goff did nothing to quiet those rumors. But during a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen show, McVay pushed back on that perception, saying Goff doesn’t have to prove he’s “the man.” “I think he’s already the man. I think he’s had a lot of moments,” McVay said. “His teammates believe in him, his coaches believe in him. I think it’s just continuing to do what you do at a higher level. It’s ‘can I continue to make great decisions? Can I continue to make throws with accuracy and anticipation?’ I think the thing that was great about him really from the first year we were together to last year is the ownership. We talk about the quarterback being an extension of the coaching staff and I think he did that.”
McVay made it clear he’s happy with Goff’s progression, and tried to extinguish any talk about the team potentially moving on down the line. It would be a major surprise if anything other than Goff getting a huge extension happens.
Here’s more from around the football universe:
- We have some more fallout from the demise of the AAF. Daryl Johnston, the former Cowboys fullback and commentator, was the general manage of the San Antonio Commanders, and now he’s dishing on what went down. Johnston said during a recent appearance on ESPN Radio that he and others were “misled” by the league’s founders about the financial stability of the startup, per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. “There were several people who took jobs with the Alliance because they were told they had two years, and they’re in a very difficult spot now at this stage. This was something that caught me totally by surprise,” Johnston said. Johnston also said there are multiple San Antonio businesses who have so far been stiffed on payments they’re owed, and that Bill Polian called him out of the blue on the day the league ceased operations and told him to immediately shutdown practice.
- As much as Johnston might want to put the chapter behind him, it might not be that simple for him. In a follow-up to that piece, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that Johnston could now become a “key witness” in the multiple lawsuits that have been filed against the league. Florio writes that Johnston’s comments seemed to confirm the crux of the lawsuits, that the league’s founders lied about their financial standing. This surely isn’t the last we’ve heard of this process.
- Free agent punter Jon Ryan might be getting back into professional football, but not in the NFL. The Seahawks’ punter for ten years from 2008-2017, Ryan had a workout with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL this past week, according to Rod Pedersen, the team’s announcer (Twitter link). Ryan was released by Seattle last August and signed with the Bills, but couldn’t crack Buffalo’s roster.