Latest On Tyreek Hill
Yesterday we heard that Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill was being investigated for an alleged battery of a minor. Details were and are still light on the situation, but we do have a few more notes on the case.
The incident occurred at Hill’s home, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic (Twitter link). The initial report from Brooke Pryor and Steve Vockrodt of the Kansas City Star has been updated to report that the victim in the case is Hill’s son, and that his injuries included a broken arm. This apparently wasn’t the first instance of trouble at Hill’s home.
On March 5th, officers were called to Hill’s home to investigate a difference incident of “child abuse or neglect,” according to , , and
The fact that the cops had to be called to Hill’s home just ten days prior to this news breaking about the second incident does not bode well for the young wideout. Hill, of course, fell to the fifth round of the draft back in 2016 because of his arrest for domestic violence while he was at Oklahoma State. That arrest in college could come back into play here, and make a potential suspension from the league even lengthier, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
Florio writes that the previous arrest, which Hill was not punished by the league for since it took place before he was drafted, could be an “aggravating factor” that would allow the league to impose a tougher than usual suspension. Florio floats the possibility that the league could ban him altogether.
Less than two weeks ago we heard that the Chiefs were negotiating an extension with Hill, but this incident has surely killed those talks. Hill is heading into the final year of his rookie deal in 2019, and it seems to be very much an open question now as to whether or not he’ll ever play another game for the Chiefs. We should know a lot more soon.
Patriots, Steelers Interested in Golden Tate
The Steelers and Patriots are both looking for receivers, and they might have their sights set on the same big name. Pittsburgh and New England both have interest in free agent Golden Tate, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Steelers were reportedly in on Tyrell Williams before he signed with the Raiders, and recently added Donte Moncrief while re-signing Eli Rogers. The Patriots are also sniffing around the available wideouts, bringing in Bruce Ellington and Maurice Harris for visits. The Steelers, of course, are looking to replace Antonio Brown while New England faces some uncertainty with their pass-catchers as well.
It’s anyone’s guess if Josh Gordon will be able to play next season, and Rob Gronkowski‘s status is still very much up in the air. Tate split his time between Detroit and Philadelphia last year after a trade deadline deal sent him from the Lions to the Eagles. He didn’t have a terrible season by any means, but he didn’t fit in quite as well as the Eagles had hoped after he joined the team.
In total, he caught 74 passes for 795 yards and four touchdowns. It was the first time he failed to crack 800 yards since the 2012 season, his first year as a starter. The ex-Seahawk is still only 30, and is one of the biggest names still on the market. The fact that he’s available after the first wave of free agency could suggest he isn’t getting the type of offers that he wants.
The Lions traded him because they didn’t want to pay him, and he’s surely seeking a massive pay day. A 1,000 yard receiver as recently as 2017, Tate would be a big addition for either team. He wouldn’t quite replace Brown, but he’d form an enviable one/two duo with JuJu Smith-Schuster in Pittsburgh.
Cowboys To Sign DL Christian Covington
Christian Covington is staying in the state of Texas. The former Texans defensive lineman is signing with the Cowboys, a source told Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link).
Per Caplan, it’s a one-year deal. No word on the terms yet, but it’s a significant signing for Dallas. A sixth round pick of Houston back in 2015, Covington had a career year last season. In a rotational role, Covington racked up 3.5 sacks in just 12 games last season. He earned above average marks from Pro Football Focus during his time on the field.
He played just under 25% of the defensive snaps in Houston last season, so his production is notable. Covington has struggled a bit with injuries the past couple of seasons, as he played in only seven games in 2017. He’ll be joining a talented Dallas defensive front that took a big step forward last season.
With Randy Gregory suspended again and David Irving appearing to walk away from the game, there should be some playing time open on Dallas’ defensive line next year. Covington played his college ball at Rice, so he’s been in the Texas area for a long time now.
Bucs’ Beau Allen Takes Pay Cut
The Buccaneers are clearing up a little cap space. Defensive tackle Beau Allen took a $1MM pay cut, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Pelissero writes that the new agreement will further guarantee what’s left of his salary “solidify his spot on the roster” in exchange for taking the pay cut. In a follow up tweet, Pelissero notes that the $4MM remaining for this year is now fully guaranteed. He’ll also have the opportunity to earn the $1MM back through incentives.
In addition, the final year of his contract, which was supposed to run through the 2020 season, has been removed, meaning Allen will hit the open market next offseason. Tampa Bay has some of the least cap space in the league, so moves like this are crucial for them if they want to have a chance at signing anybody.
They inked Allen, formerly of the Eagles, to a three-year $15MM deal last March. In fourteen games and eight starts last season, Allen had 20 tackles while working as a run-stuffer eating up blocks. He had previously spent the first four years of his career in Philadelphia, after entering the league as a seventh round pick in 2014.
Shaquil Barrett To Visit Bengals
The Bengals are looking for pass-rushing help. Cincinnati is hosting outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett on a visit later today, a source told Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. 
Barrett is testing the open market for the first time since entering the league as an undrafted free agent back in 2014. He signed with the Broncs originally, and has spent the last five years in Denver. The last we heard was that the Broncos “have had good conversations” with Barrett’s agent, so it certainly seems like he isn’t ruling out a return to Denver.
But Barrett has made it clear he’s looking for more playing time, and he might be able to find it in Cincinnati. At the end of last season, Barrett publicly declared he wanted to be a full-time starter in 2019.
“I want to start. I want to be a guy somewhere. I don’t want to just be a role player,” Barrett said. “I can’t do it. … Reserve role is done for me, unless that’s the only role I got after this year. But that’s not what I’m looking for going into free agency,” Barrett said at the time.
Barrett spent his rookie season on the Broncos’ practice squad, then burst onto the scene in 2015 with 5.5 sacks. He hasn’t been able to replicate that production since, mostly due to lack of playing time, but the Broncos thought highly enough of him to put a second round tender on him last offseason. With the Broncos’ staple of pass-rushers, Barrett was never going to be an every down player in Denver. Last year Barrett played right around 25% of the defensive snaps, and was also a key player on special teams.
Saints Restructure Drew Brees’ Contract
The Saints are clearing up some cap space. New Orleans is restructuring Drew Brees‘ contract to give them some added flexibility in free agency, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Pelissero writes that the procedural move will clear up $10.8MM in cap space. Pelissero notes that the Saints needed to free up some immediate cash as they attempt to re-sign Teddy Bridgewater and prepare to host tight end Jared Cook. Pelissero also notes that it’s not going to effect Brees’ compensation, as he’ll still be due $23MM cash in 2019.
Instead, New Orleans just appears to be deferring a cap hit to the future. In a follow-up tweet, Pelissero explains that Brees’ contract is set to void after this season, and that the Saints will be left with $21.3MM in dead money, whether Brees returns for the 2020 season or not. Before this restructure, it was going to be $10.5MM in dead money.
It’s a big hit to take next season, but the Saints have move to makes. Bridgewater is having second thoughts about re-signing with the Saints, and met with the Dolphins yesterday. He appears to be leveraging the Dolphins to get more money from the Saints, and it’s working if this restructure is any indication. If the Saints are serious about signing Cook he isn’t going to come cheaply, which also helps explain this move.
Steelers Re-Sign WR Eli Rogers
The Steelers are keeping one of their own. Pittsburgh is re-signing receiver Eli Rogers, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link).
Per Florio, it’s a one-year deal for Rogers. It’s the latest move the Steelers are making to try and help replace Antonio Brown. The team also signed former Colts and Jaguars receiver Donte Moncrief to a two-year deal earlier. This news comes after the Steelers’ failed pursuit of Tyrell Williams. Rogers was an undrafted free agent in 2015, and missed his entire rookie season with an injury.
He came out of nowhere and had a breakout season in 2016, catching 48 passes for 594 yards and three touchdowns in just 13 games. It was a promising debut, but he took a pretty big step backwards the next season when he had just 149 yards and 18 catches. Then in the playoffs, he suffered a torn ACL. The ACL took a long time to recover from, and Rogers didn’t end up making it back until Week 15 of last year.
He did get pretty involved in the offense at the end of the year, catching seven passes for 57 yards in Week 17, which could be a good sign for him moving forward. The Steelers will have JuJu Smith-Schuster as their undisputed number one receiver next year, but after him the situation is up in the air. Rogers, Moncrief, and second-year player James Washington will all be competing for targets behind Smith-Schuster, and any one of them could break out.
Steelers To Sign Donte Moncrief
The Steelers are beginning the process of replacing Antonio Brown. Pittsburgh has agreed to terms with wide receiver Donte Moncreif, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Schefter reports that it’ll be a two-year deal for Moncrief, although we don’t have the terms yet. The Steelers pursued fellow receiver Tyrell Williams, but didn’t end up winning that bidding war, so they settled for Moncrief. JuJu Smith-Schuster will slide in as the team’s new number one receiver after the Brown trade, but Pittsburgh has been looking for ways to fill out the corp around him.
Moncrief comes to the Steelers from Jacksonville after spending last year with the Jaguars. He had spent the first four years of his career with the Colts. The Jets were apparently interested in signing Moncrief, so the Steelers weren’t alone in their pursuit. Last year, Moncrief reeled in 48 passes for 668 yards and three touchdowns.
It wasn’t a terrible season, but wasn’t his most productive either. In 2016 he caught seven touchdowns in just nine games and the year before that had 733 yards and six touchdowns. His one year deal with the Jaguars last cycle had a base salary of $7MM, and it’ll be interesting to see what the 2014 third round pick landed here.
Contract Details: Joyner, Titans, Rams, Hart
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts from around the NFL. Twitter links courtesy of Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, unless otherwise noted.
- Lamarcus Joyner, S (Raiders): Four years, $42MM. $16.7MM in full guarantees — all due next week, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Adam Humphries, WR (Titans): Four years, $36MM. 2019 salary of $12.5MM fully guaranteed. Beyond that, it’s a pay-as-you-go structure for Tennessee. Humphries is due base salaries of $7.5MM in 2020, $7.25MM in ’21 and $8.75MM in ’22, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter).
- Dante Fowler Jr., OLB (Rams): One year, $12MM fully guaranteed. Another $2MM is available through incentives (Twitter link).
- Bobby Hart, T (Bengals): Three years, $16.15MM. $7.4MM is coming Hart’s way in the first year of the deal. With incentives and escalators, the deal can reach a max value of $21.15MM (Twitter link).
- Shamar Stephen, DT (Vikings): Three years, $12.45MM. Stephen gets $5MM in the first year of the pact (Twitter link).
Falcons Restructure Matt Ryan’s Contract
Khalil Mack wasn’t the only superstar to get his contract restructured today. The Falcons are tweaking Matt Ryan‘s deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Yates writes the Falcons created $7MM in cap space by converting $8.75M of Ryan’s base salary into a signing bonus. It’s a win-win for both sides, as Ryan will get more money upfront while the team will get to spread the cap charge out over the course of the rest of his contract. Ryan signed a massive five-year extension with the team last May.
The Falcons had previously had the least cap space in the entire league according to Overthecap.com’s estimations, so this was a desperately needed move. The Falcons have been pretty quiet this offseason, and the only moves they’ve made this month have been franchise-tagging defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and extending backup quarterback Matt Schaub.
The Falcons have more flexibility now, so it’s safe to assume they’re looking to add a piece or two. 2019 will be a critical year for Atlanta after they fired almost all of their assistants after last season. If they don’t progress in 2019, head coach Dan Quinn could find himself out of a job.