Browns Eyeing WR Brandin Cooks
The Browns have considered pairing their new quarterback with his former wideout. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns have “contemplated” trading for Texans receiver Brandin Cooks.
[RELATED: Texans Seeking Second-Round Pick For Brandin Cooks]
Per Cabot, the Browns are “one of the multiple teams” to express interest in the veteran wide receiver. However, a trade between Cleveland and Houston is considered unlikely.
We previously heard that Cooks was on the trading block, and the Texans are reportedly seeking a second-round pick in return. The Browns already gave up a boatload of draft picks to acquire Deshaun Watson from the Texans, and if Cleveland’s front office is focused on keeping their few remaining picks, then Houston’s ask might price the Browns out of the Cooks sweepstakes. Further, Cook’s impending free agency next offseason means he could realistically be a one-year rental.
Of course, the asking price and the flight risk could still be worth it for a squad that’s looking to make a run in the postseason. Cooks is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Texans; he has now posted four-digit receiving slates for four teams. The Browns have already acquired Amari Cooper this offseason, but their other receivers (including Donovan Peoples-Jones, Jakeem Grant, Anthony Schwartz, and Ja’Marcus Bradley) are unproven.
QB Josh Dobbs Visited Ravens, Patriots
Josh Dobbs is generating some interest around the league. The quarterback tried out for the Ravens yesterday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets that Dobbs also had an audition with the Patriots.
Dobbs entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee in 2017. He spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Steelers, and after spending most of the 2019 campaign in Jacksonville, he returned to Pittsburgh for 2020 and 2021.
Dobbs ultimately saw time in six games for the Steelers, completing 10 of his 17 pass attempts for 45 yards and one interception. He also added 31 rushing yards on six carries. After re-signing with the organization last offseason, the QB ended up spending the entire 2021 campaign on injured reserve.
The Ravens are currently rostering only two QBs in Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley, so Dobbs would provide some depth at the position. In New England, Mac Jones has a pair of backups in Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham, so Dobbs would have more of an uphill battle to make the Patriots roster.
Latest On TE Rob Gronkowski
While Tom Brady will be back for another season with the Buccaneers, it’s uncertain if his tight end will stick around. Speaking to TMZ Sports, Rob Gronkowski said he was unsure if he’ll play in 2022.
“Right now, I’m not ready to get back out on that field,” Gronkowski said (via ESPN.com). “I’m not ready to commit to the game of football right now.”
“Even in your 30s, I mean, you just can’t just slack it and just be 50% all-in, then you’re going to get caught off with the game and it’s going to just spit you right out. You’ve got to be fully dedicated. I’m not ready to do that yet, I’m not going to sign a contract if I’m not fully ready.”
Gronk has obviously flirted with retirement in the past, sitting out the entire 2019 season. He reunited with Brady in Tampa Bay for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but the tight end has refused to commit to a 2022 campaign. Brady’s retirement and unretirement has fueled talks that Gronkowski could give it one last go, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if the player just decides to hang up his cleats.
Despite only appearing in only 12 games, Gronkowski managed to top his 2020 numbers this past year, finishing with 55 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns. With O.J. Howard heading to Buffalo, Cameron Brate currently leads the depth chart at tight end.
While the 32-year-old didn’t want to discuss his own future, he was more than eager to speak about Brady’s offseason. The tight end admitted that he wasn’t surprised when Brady announced that he was in fact returning for another season in 2022.
“I knew he was going to come back, but I didn’t think he was going to come back this year, to tell you the truth,” he said. “I thought he was going to come back in a year, spend some time with his family.”
Giants Could Extend CB James Bradberry
Throughout the offseason, it has sounded like the Giants and James Bradberry were heading toward a divorce. However, if the Giants are unable to find a trade partner, they could reverse course and extended their star cornerback instead. Per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, GM Joe Schoen has expressed a willingness to extend Bradberry “as a last resort.”
Why a last resort? The Giants aren’t trading Bradberry because of reduced play or anything. Rather, the cornerback is set to count for $21.8MM against the cap, and the Giants could save $12.1MM in space by trading the player. The pricey cap hit is the Giants’ primary motivation for exploring a trade, but it sounds like Schoen will clear up some cap space one way or the other.
An extension would decrease Bradberry’s cap hit in 2022…but it would dig into future space, something Schoen and the Giants front office has tried to avoid. The Giants continue to seek a third-round pick for the cornerback, and it will be interesting to see if a team is willing to bite on a trade as the draft approaches. The Chiefs were recently connected to Bradberry.
Despite a down year in 2021, Bradberry should still hold interest for cornerback-needy teams. He’s not too far removed from a Pro Bowl appearance in 2020, when he posted the lowest passer rating of any CB in the league, per PFF. This past season, the 28-year-old finished with 47 tackles and four interceptions.
Latest On Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
With the QB carousel mostly complete, it seems pretty clear that Jalen Hurts will be under center for the Eagles next season. However, when asked about the quarterback position, owner Jeffrey Lurie didn’t necessarily give a ringing endorsement. While Lurie told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the organization believes in Hurts because of his intangibles, he never mentioned Hurts’ on-field skills. The owner also asked “who knows what the future holds, right?”…which is something an owner with a franchise QB probably wouldn’t say.
We heard that the Eagles had done extensive research on Deshaun Watson, and McLane writes that the organization kicked the tires on Russell Wilson. However, the two QBs refused to waive their no-trade clauses to land in Philly, taking the Eagles out of the conversation. Still, these pursuits illustrate that the front office would certainly consider an upgrade at QB.
Some pundits have even suggested that Philly could look toward the draft for a signal-caller. McLane previously expressed doubt in this scenario, with the writer believing the Eagles could move one of their three first-round picks with eyes on QBs in the 2023 draft.
Hurts finished this past season with 3,144 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air, but also 784 yards and 10 majors on the ground – both of which ranked first in the league among quarterbacks. The 23-year-old injured his left ankle late in the season, casuing him to miss the following game. While that was his only injury-related absence, it affected his mobility throughout the latter stages of the campaign. We learned in February that Hurts was going to undergo surgery.
Cardinals Host WR Malik Turner
The Cardinals receivers corps is questionable at best, so the team is looking to add some reinforcement. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Cardinals hosted wideout Malik Turner today.
The former undrafted free agent spent the past two seasons in Dallas, seeing time in 20 games. All of his offensive production came in 14 games this past year, when he collected 149 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 12 touches. Turner also had a consistent role on special teams.
The receiver spent the first two seasons of his career in Seattle, collecting 265 yards and one touchdown. He also got into one playoff game for the Seahawks, dropping a critical pass in a loss to the Packers. In an ironic twist, Turner had a brief stint with the Packers organization the following season.
DeAndre Hopkins remains atop the depth chart, but he was limited to only 10 games and 572 receiving yards last season. With Christian Kirk out of the picture, the team will need one of their other receivers to step up. The team is rostering the likes of Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch, Antoine Wesley, and Andy Isabella.
Jets, Giants Eyeing CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner
It sounds like the two New York teams could be eyeing the best cornerback in the draft. According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, both the Giants and Jets have “strong interest” in Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Both organizations will host the cornerback on a top-30 pre-draft visit.
The Giants and Jets were present for Gardner’s Pro Day last week, with the Giants going as far as to take the cornerback out for dinner. The two organizations also met with the player at the NFL scouting combine earlier this month. Of course, the Jets and Giants aren’t the only teams to show interest in Sauce; per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com, the Eagles, Lions, and Seahawks will also host the player on a top-30 visit.
Gardner is one of the draft’s top prospects, and for good reason. Standing at 6-foot-3, the cornerback ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, and after allowing only 6.6 yards per reception last season, he earned consensus All-American and conference Defensive Player of the Year. In 33 games with Cincinnati, the cornerback had nine interceptions.
As Vacchiano notes, many believe Sauce won’t get past the Giants at No. 7. That means there’s little chance that he falls to the Jets at No. 10, so the team may need to use pick No. 4 if they hope to roster the best cornerback in the draft.
Bears Sign DB Dane Cruikshank
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Titans, Dane Cruikshank is moving to Chicago. The Bears have signed the defensive back, according to the player’s agent (h/t Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com).
Cruikshank was a fifth-round pick out of Arizona in 2018. The defensive back played mostly a special teams role through his first two seasons in the NFL, appearing in 28 total games. His 2020 campaign was mostly wiped out thanks to a pair of injured reserve stints, limiting him to only a pair of appearances.
The 26-year-old took a clear step forward in 2021, setting career-highs across the board while appearing in about half of his team’s defensive snaps. In 14 games (four starts), Cruikshank collected 43 tackles and one forced fumble.
Assuming Cruikshank slots in as a safety, he’ll be joining a depth chart that currently features Eddie Jackson, DeAndre Houston-Carson, and Michael Joseph.
Buccaneers Giving HC Todd Bowles New Five-Year Contract
Following the sudden news that Todd Bowles will be taking over as the Buccaneers head coach, we’re learning that the former defensive coordinator got a new contract. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Buccaners are ripping up the final two years of Bowles’ contract and replacing it with a new five-year pact.
[RELATED: Bruce Arians Stepping Down As Buccaneers HC]
Bowles joined the Buccaneers as defensive coordinator in 2019, and following two strong seasons with the organization, he earned a new three-year deal last August. The new extension was finalized earlier today (per Schefter).
We learned earlier this evening that Bruce Arians was stepping down as Tampa Bay’s head coach and would be transitioning to a front office role. Following the news, Bowles released a statement thanking the Glazer family for the opportunity.
“I am appreciative of the Glazer family and Jason Licht for having faith in me to take on this role, and to Coach Arians for his support and guidance over the past four decades,” said Bowles (via the team’s website). “Tampa has become home for my family, and we are excited to remain part of this community for years to come. As an organization, we have all the pieces in place to continue the winning standard that has been established here in recent years. I am eager to get started with our players, coaching staff, and front office in preparation for the 2022 season.”
Bowles’ previous stint as a head coach didn’t go so well. He spent four seasons as the Jets head coach, including a first season where the Jets finished 10-6. However, New York collected only 14 total wins over the next three seasons, leading to his ousting. After taking over as the Buccaneers defensive coordinator, the team has ranked among the best defenses in all of football.
Bruce Arians Stepping Down As Buccaneers HC; Todd Bowles To Take Over Role
Bruce Arians‘ stint on the sidelines has come to an end. Peter King of Football Morning in America reports that the Buccaneers head coach is stepping down and will take a front office role with the organization. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will take over in Arians’ place. The Buccaneers have announced the move, adding that Arians will take on the role of “Senior Football Consultant.”
“[S]uccession has always been huge for me,” Arians told King. “With the organization in probably the best shape it’s been in its history, with Tom Brady coming back … I’d rather see Todd in position to be successful and not have to take some [crappy] job. I’m probably retiring next year anyway, in February. So, I control the narrative right now. I don’t control it next February because [if] Brady gets hurt, we go 10-7, and it’s an open interview for the job … I got 31 [coaches and their] families that depend on me. My wife is big on not letting all those families down.”
Arians also admitted that he considered retiring following the Buccaneers Super Bowl-winning 2020 season. Now, with Bowles still with the organization and Brady returning for another season (despite a brief retirement), Arians thought this was the appropriate time to step away from the sideline. As Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times tweets, Brady’s return helped “cement” Arians’ decision, as he wanted to hand over a championship-caliber team to his defensive coordinator. Arians said that his decision wasn’t health-related.
“It hit me after the Super Bowl,” Arians told King. “I thought really hard about going out on top. Then it was like, nah, let’s go for two. [The 2021 season] was a grind with all the injuries but still winning and getting to where we got. Immediately after, two to three weeks afterwards [I thought] … if I quit, my coaches get fired. I couldn’t do it then.
“Tom was kind of the key. When Tom decided to come back … and all of these guys back now, it’s the perfect timing for me just to go into the front office and still have the relationships that I love.”
While Arians is saying all of the right things, it may be tough for some to take these statements at face value. Before Brady reversed his retirement decision, there were reports that the QB and his head coach didn’t see eye to eye regarding the offensive game plan. Citing those issues, some pundits were stunned when Brady decided to return to Tampa Bay for another season. While we’ll never know one way or the other, it’s easy to wonder if Brady’s return was connected to Arians’ “decision” to step down. As King notes, today’s news will “increase the influence of offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and Brady on game plans and play-calling,” so the future Hall of Fame QB will get his way, after all.
Arians, who will turn 70 in October, will finish his coaching career with a 80-48 record, including a 6-3 postseason record. Four of those playoff victories came during that Super Bowl season in 2020. Arians also had stints as the offensive coordinator with the Browns, Steelers, and Colts.
There were previous rumblings that Arians wanted Bowles to take over as head coach, but the accomplished defensive coordinator still flirted with head coaching vacancies around the NFL. Following an up-and-down stint as the Jets head coach, Bowlers was hired as the defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay in 2019. He has helped turned the Buccaneers’ defensive line into one of the best in the NFL. The Bucs ranked first in rushing yards allowed in both 2019 and 2020, and the defense has been top-10 in points allowed since the beginning of the 2020 season.
Today’s move will now open a hole at defensive coordinator. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). the likely scenario is that inside linebackers coach Larry Foote and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers will split defensive coordinator duties.