Jadeveon Clowney Won’t Report To Texans’ Offseason Program, Deal Not Close
We just got word that Chris Harris Jr. will be skipping the Broncos’ minicamp this week, and now we have news that another defensive star will be staying away from his team. 
Texans pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney will skip the team’s offseason program, sources told Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Wilson also writes that “no deal is in sight or expected anytime soon for Clowney.” Houston franchise tagged Clowney at the beginning of last month, and we haven’t heard much since. Many observers have said the deal Demarcus Lawrence just got from the Cowboys is a good sign for Clowney, but there has been little progress between the two sides.
Clowney is supposed to make $15.44MM in 2019 under the tag, but wants a longterm deal. The former first overall pick from South Carolina had a productive year last year, racking up nine sacks in 15 games. He’s also a difference-maker in the run game, and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ tenth-best edge defender last season.
Under NFL rules, the two sides have until July 15th to negotiate an extension. If they can’t come to an agreement by then, Clowney must play the 2019 season under the tag, or sit it out like Le’Veon Bell did. Clowney, who struggled with injury issues earlier in his career, has been able to stay healthy the past few seasons. He’s seeking top-of-the market money, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Texans decide to play this. Fellow pass-rusher Frank Clark is still waiting for a new deal from the Seahawks, and whichever one signs first could have a ripple effect on the other.
Broncos’ Chris Harris Jr. To Skip Minicamp
Chris Harris Jr. is continuing to let his unhappiness be known. The star cornerback will not report to the Broncos’ minicamp this week, according to Mike Klis of Denver 9News.
Klis writes that Harris is looking “to send a message he wants his contract reworked.” Harris also skipped the team’s voluntary offseason workouts earlier this month so this isn’t a huge surprise, but this is more significant. Since the team has a new coach in Vic Fangio, they’re allowed to hold this early minicamp and have actual practices, which is much different from the conditioning workouts he had previously missed.
It shows that Harris isn’t missing around, and is an indication he could be prepared to extend his holdout into this summer. Despite the absences, Harris told Klis in an interview that it isn’t going to impact his play. “I’m ready,’’ Harris said. “This is easily going to be my best year this year.” Harris is heading into the final year of his contract, and is set to make $7.9MM in 2019.
The four-time Pro Bowler feels he’s underpaid, and wants a longterm commitment from the team especially since he’s being asked to do more after the departure of Aqib Talib last offseason. Although we heard in early March that there had been “very productive” talks between the two sides, Klis reports that “there have been no negotiations since Harris decided two weeks ago to stay away from the team.” This will be a situation to monitor as the offseason progresses.
5 Key NFL Stories: 4/7/19 – 4/14/19
Vikings sign Adam Thielen to extension. Thielen has been one of the best stories in the NFL the past few seasons, and he cashed in with a major extension that’ll pay him $64MM over four years. It can be worth up to $73MM and includes $35MM in guaranteed money. An undrafted free agent back in 2013, Thielen barely played his first few seasons in the league. He’s since become one of the best receivers in the league, with back to back seasons with at least 1,276 receiving yards. Thielen still had two years remaining on his previous deal, so he’ll be under Minnesota’s control for the next six seasons.
No suspension for Reuben Foster. The Redskins finally caught a break, as the league announced there would be no suspension for linebacker Reuben Foster. Foster was cut by the 49ers after being arrested for his latest domestic violence incident, and claimed by Washington. Charges were ultimately dropped, and the league’s investigation concluded he didn’t do anything wrong. If Foster can stay healthy and stay out of trouble, the former first round pick will provide a big boost for the Redskins’ defense next season.
Giants extend Sterling Shepard. Thielen wasn’t the only receiver to get a new deal this week. The Giants locked up Shepard with a four-year extension worth $41MM. Shepard is coming off a career year where he had 66 receptions for 872 yards and four touchdowns, but the sum he got was still a bit larger than most people were expecting. There was some talk that the Giants considered trading Shepard, but they ultimately decided to make him the focal point of their passing game with Odell Beckham Jr. no longer in the picture. New York will be counting on Shepard to do a lot more next season.
Patriots re-sign Stephen Gostkowski. Gostkowski and the Patriots had a bit of a stalemate, as the longtime New England kicker was a free agent for a lot longer than most expected. But the two sides finally got on the same page, agreeing to a new two-year deal. Soon after, word came out that Gostkowski was getting $8.5MM over the two years. Gostkowski has been one of the league’s more reliable kickers for a while now, but the Pats played hardball with him. He apparently drew some interest from the 49ers, but ultimately ended up back home.
Panthers sign Chris Hogan. Hogan didn’t land the deal he likely imagined he would’ve a year or two ago. He ended up signing with Carolina, getting just $2MM for a one-year pact. The former Patriots standout has struggled with injuries and inconsistency the past couple of seasons, but is still very talented. He could prove to be a nice pickup for a Panthers team that had a very young receiving corp. In 2016, Hogan led the league with 17.9 yards per reception, and he has plenty of big game experience. Free agency had mostly died down by this point, and Hogan was one of the biggest names left available.
Andy Dalton To Be Fully Healthy For Offseason Program
The Bengals are heading into a transitional year. After a very disappointing 2018 season, the Bengals finally moved on from longtime coach Marvin Lewis. To replace him, they hired 35-year-old whizkid Zac Taylor away from the Rams.
Part of the reason 2018 was so disappointing was because of the season-ending injury quarterback Andy Dalton suffered. Fortunately for Cincinnati, Dalton is fully recovered from his thumb surgery and will be a full-go when OTA practices start, according to Geoff Hobson of the team’s official site. There were murmurs earlier this offseason that the team could look to move on from Dalton and go younger at the position, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. That being said, owner Mike Brown made it clear the team wasn’t in a rush to extend him recently.
“I think it’s a good year for (Dalton) to show like he can, like we think he will. After he re-establishes himself we would want to get together with him and see if we can extend it. I think Andy is a good player and that he will rebound off last year. He was hurt. We lost so many other pieces. It fell apart, but if he’s healthy and we stay healthy enough, I have confidence in him,” Brown said, issuing a slightly less than ringing endorsement.
Dalton was having a decent enough season before going down, but unfortunately he hasn’t been anything better than decent the past few years. Even though the team has publicly proclaimed confidence in him, it still wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bengals draft a quarterback early later this month.
The Bengals’ offense completely collapsed once Jeff Driskel took over following the injury, which at least showed the Bengals’ struggles weren’t all about Dalton. He wasn’t the only high profile Bengal to have their season cut short with an injury, as star receiver A.J. Green was limited to just nine games. Green struggled with a toe injury all year and was hurt a lot in 2016 as well, but Brown said at the same time he made his comments on Dalton that the team wanted to extend Green. Hobson writes that he expects the Bengals “to ease Green along” this offseason, whereas Dalton should be a full-go for practices.
If Dalton doesn’t make major strides under Taylor, it’s highly possible if not probable that the team will move on next offseason. One thing that’s helped him stick this far has been his reasonable contract. Dalton has two years left on his deal with a total of $33.5MM owed to him. It’s a pivotal year for Dalton, and the fact that he’ll be fully healthy to begin picking up the new system is a very positive development.
PFR Originals 4/7/19 – 4/14/19
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Yesterday, I asked readers which offensive free agent was the best left available. The pickings are relatively slim, but there are still some decent options left. Some of the biggest names still on the market include Demaryius Thomas, Michael Crabtree, and Jay Ajayi. Ajayi is currently leading the poll with 27.8% of the vote.
- Speaking of available players, remember that you can always use PFR to track 2019 NFL Free Agents.
- With the draft right around the corner, make sure to bookmark PFR’s 2019 NFL draft content:
Extra Points: CBA, Eagles, Texans
There’s been a lot of talk about the CBA recently, and the potential for a work stoppage when it expires after the 2020 season. We just heard that the owners and players held their first negotiating meetings, and now we have more details on what exactly went down. A handful of owners and members of the NFLPA’s executive committee met for “roughly five hours,” earlier this week, Albert Breer of SI.com was told. Breer describes it as a big deal and writes that it “shouldn’t have flown under the radar.” As Breer points out, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith had said a couple of years ago that a lockout when the CBA expired was a “virtual certainty,” so the fact that they’re having positive conversations this far out is a huge development.
Breer notes that the owners were the ones who initiated this meeting, which is a big departure from when the owners decided to opt out of the CBA years in advance last time around. Overall, Breer describes the meeting as a “good start.” There’s still a long way to go, and the threat of a work stoppage is still a very real possibility, but things don’t seem nearly as dire as they once did. Breer points to the rapidly increasing cap as one thing that may help pacify players in negotiations.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills was arrested for his role in a fight earlier today. The team has now issued their response, saying “the Philadelphia Eagles are aware of the situation involving defensive back Jalen Mills and are continuing to gather more information,” adding that “no further comments will be provided at this time.” It’s a fairly standard statement. Mills was hurt for half of last season, but started all eight games he was active for, so it would be a big loss for Philly if he were to miss any time with a suspension.
- The Texans desperately need offensive line help, as Deshaun Watson was running for his life again last year. To that end, they’re doing their research on this year’s top offensive line prospects. The team brought in Washington offensive tackle Kaleb McGary for a visit today, a source told Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). McGary could go as high as the first round, but could also be a target for the Texans with either of their two second round picks if he slips a little bit.
- DeMarcus Lawrence was able to get over $20MM annually on his contract extension, and that deal could have a ripple effect across the league. In a recent piece, former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analysts Joel Corry took a look at how Lawrence’s new pact will effect the rest of the big name pass-rushers waiting to get paid. Dee Ford recently settled for a little less, but Lawrence’s deal has now reset the market yet again. Lawrence’s deal “undoes any damage Dee Ford’s may have to the market for highly productive pass rushers in line for new contracts, primarily Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark and Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney,” Corry writes. Corry also writes that Yannick Ngakoue of the Jaguars and Chris Jones of the Chiefs could join them as defensive linemen making $20MM+ annually, saying that those four’s agents “will likely view Lawrence’s deal as the salary floor for their clients.”
Falcons To Host OT Ulrick John On Visit
The first couple of waves of free agency are over, and most teams are now waiting until after the draft has passed to continue digging around the market. But the Falcons are staying active, signing defensive tackle Tyeler Davison earlier today.
They’re also apparently looking for some offensive line help, as the team will host tackle Ulrick John on a visit Monday, a source told Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). John signed with the Patriots last April, but ended up spending the entire season on injured reserve, although he did win a Super Bowl with the team. Before that he spent most of the 2017 season with the Packers, appearing in five games.
He saw the most significant action of his career in 2016 with the Cardinals, when he started three games at right tackle. The Georgia State product entered the league as a seventh round pick of the Colts back in 2014. He also spent parts of the 2015 season with the Dolphins. John has reached full journeyman status, but evaluators keep seeing enough in him to have him stick around.
Ryan Schraeder started most of last season at right tackle for the Falcons, but the team doesn’t seem like they’re planning on re-signing him. Atlanta could start Ty Sambrailo next year, or they could seek to address the position in the draft. If they sign John, it’ll almost certainly be as depth and not to start.
Falcons To Sign Tyeler Davison
One of the top remaining defenders is off the market. The Falcons are signing defensive tackle Tyeler Davison, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
It’ll be a one-year deal, Rapoport notes. The Falcons’ run defense struggled mightily last season, and they’re clearly hoping Davison will help with that. The Falcons already have one of the league’s best defensive tackles in Grady Jarrett, so anything Davison provides will be a bonus. Davison comes from the division rival Saints after spending the first four years of his career in New Orleans.
Davison started 43 games for the Saints the past three seasons, so this is a significant move. Last season, Davison had 23 tackle, two sacks, and one forced fumble in 14 games. He played about 41 percent of the defensive snaps. A Fresno State product, Davison was drafted in the fifth round back in 2015. He received average marks from Pro Football Focus, grading out as their 83rd-best defensive lineman. The Saints signed defensive tackle Malcom Brown away from the Patriots at the beginning of free agency, so the writing was on the wall that they’d be moving on from Davison.
POLL: Best Available Offensive Free Agent?
Last week, we asked readers who the best available defensive free agent was. Today, we’ll be looking at the best available offensive players. Most of the remaining talent left in the free agent pool is on the defensive side of the ball, but there are still some serviceable options on offense.
All the top quarterbacks are gone, but there are still some decent players left at some skill positions and along the offensive line. This late in the process, many teams will wait until after the draft to see what needs they still have unfilled. Another key date remaining in free agency is May 7th. After that date, signings no longer will count against teams in the compensatory pick formula, so more teams will re-enter the market then for bigger signings.
With that in mind, here are the top remaining offensive free agents:
Demaryius Thomas, WR
Thomas would’ve likely been signed long ago, but his free agency has been complicated by both a devastating injury and an ongoing legal situation. After being traded from the Broncos to the Texans last year, Thomas tore his Achilles. He was then arrested and charged with vehicular assault, which could result in discipline from the league. New England was interested in trading for Thomas at the deadline, and they’re apparently still intrigued. Earlier this week, the Patriots hosted Thomas for a visit. It’s unclear if Thomas will be ready for Week 1, or if he’s facing a suspension. But he’s still only 31, and has remained a very productive receiver when on the field. He had 59 catches for 677 yards and five touchdowns in less than 15 full games last year. The year before that he had 949 yards and five touchdowns, which was his first time not having at least 1,000 yards since the 2011 season. Thomas has been declining, but he could still be a very nice piece for a contending team.
Andy Levitre, G
Levitre is an interesting case. Originally a second round pick of the Bills back in 2009, Levitre was one of the league’s better guards the past handful of seasons. He always received strong marks from Pro Football Focus, but his career was derailed by injuries the past couple of season while playing with the Falcons. Levitre was a 16-game starter each of his first eight seasons in the league, but then went down with a triceps injury after 13 games in 2017. Last season he appeared in just two games before landing on injured reserve with another triceps injury. The Falcons appears set to move on, and we haven’t heard of much interest for him yet. Levitre is 33 now, but indicated recently he isn’t planning on retiring. Levitre has started all 143 games in his career, and should resurface somewhere soon.
Michael Crabtree, WR
Crabtree is another high profile receiver still looking for a new home. Crabtree signed with Baltimore last offseason hoping to revitalize his career, and ended up starting all 16 games. Unfortunately for him, the Ravens transitioned to a very run-heavy offense with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, so he couldn’t play quite as large of a role as he would’ve hoped. He had a solid season given the circumstances, catching 54 passes for 607 yards and three touchdowns. In his previous three seasons in Oakland, he had at least eight touchdowns each year, and had over 1,000 yards in 2016. Crabtree has looked like virtually the same player he has for a while now, so it’s not clear why he hasn’t been scooped up yet. It’s possible he’s demanding too much money, as we haven’t heard much about him since the Ravens cut him in late February.
Donald Penn, OT
Penn is yet another player who had his 2018 season cut short due to injury. The Raiders released Penn on March 16th, ending a five-year run in Oakland. He indicated at the time that he wasn’t going to be retiring. Penn is going to turn 36 later this month, and was making too much money for the Raiders. We heard a few weeks back that the Texans were interested in Penn, but nothing has materialized yet. He was one of the league’s better tackles as recently as 2017, when he made the Pro Bowl, and is presumably still capable of playing at a high level. He only appeared in four games last year because of his groin injury. Penn should be getting plenty of calls from teams still in need of offensive line help after the draft.
Jermon Bushrod, OL
Sensing a trend yet? While many of the top remaining defensive players are defensive linemen, many of the top players left on this side of the ball are offensive linemen. Bushrod was the Dolphins’ starter at right guard in 2016 and 2017, and started six games at tackle for the Saints last season. Bushrod has the versatility to play both inside and out, so it’s a little surprising he’s still on the market. ProFootballTalk rated Bushrod as their 82nd-best free agent heading into the offseason, and he’s one of very few in their top-100 who haven’t been signed yet. Bushrod has been around for a while, and was New Orleans’ starting left tackle for their Super Bowl XLIV win. He’s 34 now, but still capable of playing at a fairly high level at several different spots along the offensive line.
Jay Ajayi, RB
At this time last year, it would’ve been pretty surprising to think that Ajayi still wouldn’t be signed. After being traded from the Dolphins to Eagles in 2017, Ajayi had a great second half of the year for Philly and helped them win a Super Bowl. But his injury issues resurfaced this past season and he ended up appearing in just four games. Even super-agent Drew Rosenhaus hasn’t been able to get him a gig yet, although he has been drawing some interest. The Eagles are apparently still potentially interested in re-signing him, and he also had a visit with the Colts last month, who could still sign him down the line. In seven games with the Eagles in 2017, Ajayi averaged 5.8 yards per carry and was electric. If he can shake the injury bug and keep his knees healthy, he could still start for a team.
So what do you think? Which of these players is the best offensive player still available on the free agent market? If it’s none of the above, let us know in the comments! Other big names like T.J. Yeldon, Jermaine Kearse, and Jared Veldheer are still out there. (Link for app users).
Vikings To Sign WR Jordan Taylor
A day after locking up Adam Thielen with a huge extension, the Vikings are making a much more under the radar move at the wide receiver position. Minnesota is signing Jordan Taylor, a source told Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Per Wilson, it’s a one-year deal for Taylor. Taylor visited with the Vikings on Monday, and they apparently liked what they saw. He comes to Minnesota from Denver, where he spent the first four years of his career. An undrafted free agent from Rice, Taylor signed with the Broncos back in 2015. He spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad, but made a big impact in his second year. In 2016 he appeared in all 16 games, catching 16 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns while also contributing on special teams.
Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweeted that the Seahawks “had also shown interest” in the wideout. In 2017 Taylor missed some time with injury, catching 13 passes for 142 yards in ten games and two starts. Nicknamed ‘Sunshine’, Taylor became a fan favorite during his time in Denver. He missed the entire 2018 season while recovering from hip surgery, but is apparently healthy now. He’s likely to be little more than a depth piece in Minnesota, assuming he makes the team.
We heard recently the team wasn’t going to be bringing back Aldrick Robinson and was looking for other options, so perhaps Taylor could fill his role. Robinson had 17 receptions for 231 yards and five scores last year.