Saints Add Two Offensive Linemen
The Saints are adding to their offensive line. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans has re-signed offensive lineman Will Clapp. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the team has also signed center Christian Montano to a one-year deal.
Clapp joined the Saints as a seventh-round pick in 2018, and he’s spent time alternating between the active roster and practice squad over the past three seasons. After appearing in a career-high 14 games (with three starts) in 2019, Clapp appeared in eight games this past year. He collected only 62 offensive snaps and 41 special teams snaps, and he was responsible for only a single penalty.
Montano went undrafted last year following a standout career at both Brown University and Tulane University. He spent most of the preseason with the Steelers, but he was let go by the organization prior to the regular season.
The Saints offensive line is already set to look a bit different next season following the release of Nick Easton. Without a whole lot of financial flexibility, the Saints are going to be depending on young players like Adam Trautman and Zack Baun to protect either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill.
Raiders Hosted CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson
Blidi Wreh-Wilson could be heading back to the AFC. The Raiders hosted the veteran cornerback on a visit today, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Raiders Sign CB Rasul Douglas]
Following a standout career at UConn, Wreh-Wilson was a third-round pick by the Titans back in 2013. He spent three seasons in Tennessee, including a 2014 campaign that proved to a be a career season. During that sophomore season, Wreh-Wilson finished with 57 tackles, one interception, and 10 passes defended. Following a 2015 campaign that saw him appear in only 10 games, Wreh-Wilson was let go by the Titans at the end of the 2016 preseason.
Wreh-Wilson eventually caught on with the Falcons during their 2016 run to the Super Bowl, appearing in a single regular season game. He ended up spending the next four seasons with Atlanta, appearing in 40 games between the 2017 and 2020 seasons. He also got into a pair of playoff games during the 2017 season.
Las Vegas will begin the season shorthanded at corner, with the recently re-signed Nevin Lawson set for another two-game suspension. The team added Rasul Douglas yesterday, and they signed former first-round pick Karl Joseph earlier this offseason.
Cowboys Receiving Calls On No. 10 Pick
It’s been quiet on the Cowboys trade front, but chatter is starting to pick up. During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones revealed that the team has started to receive hits on the No. 10 pick.
[RELATED: Dolphins Considering Trading Down Again]
“It’s really just starting to pick up,” Jones said (via Jon Machota of The Athletic on Twitter). “We’re starting to get a few calls.”
Teams are always sniffing around at deals in anticipation of the draft, so this tidbit of news isn’t necessarily shocking nor telling. However, Dallas could see the pick become a hot commodity if any one of Mac Jones, Trey Lance, or Justin Fields falls to the 10th-overall pick. The Cowboys have mostly held on to their first-round picks in recent years; the last time the team moved back in the first round was 2013 (the team also traded their 2019 first-rounder in a 2018 trade for Amari Cooper).
Of course, the Cowboys could also just keep the draft pick and fill one of their key needs, whether it be cornerback, offensive tackle, or safety. We heard earlier this month that Jerry Jones was “infatuated” with tight end Kyle Pitts, but Dallas would surely need to make a trade up the draft in order to acquire the highly touted prospect.
Tom Brady Hoping To Be Ready By June Minicamp
Despite going under the knife this offseason, Tom Brady is hoping he’ll be able to participate in his standard training this offseason. Speaking to ESPN’s Jenna Laine, the veteran quarterback revealed that he’s recovering from his knee surgery and is hopeful that he’ll be a full participant at mandatory June minicamp.
“Yeah, I hope so. I hope so. I feel pretty good, and I push myself pretty hard,” Brady said. “I feel pretty good. I don’t know if I could go this week, but we’ll see how things play out. It’s a long time between now and the beginning of the season, and just be smart about all these different things that we have to do and fulfill; but we all take a lot of pride in being ready to go, and I’m sure we will be.”
“It’s good, it’s good. It’s good progress. It’s rehab. None of that is fun, but looking forward to getting back to real training and stuff, which is hopefully here pretty soon. … I’m cool with it. It’s just part of what you deal with. Things come up. You deal with them the best way you can, with the best opportunity to improve. I’m definitely feeling a lot better than I did six or seven weeks ago.”
This is a somewhat notable development; while GM Jason Licht previously revealed that Brady was recovering quickly, it sounded unlikely that the quarterback would be a full-go during 7-on-7 work in June.
It’s notable when any quarterback has a knee procedure, much less an iconic quarterback who will be 44 at the start of the next season. Still, no one within the organization seems to be all that concerned. We previously learned that the procedure had been planned for a while, and Licht had described the surgery as “minor.”
The Buccaneers still haven’t added a definitive backup quarterback this offseason, although the sentiment is that they’re expected to re-sign Blaine Gabbert.
Dolphins Re-Sign DB Nik Needham
The Dolphins are re-signing their final exclusive rights free agent. Miami has agreed to terms with cornerback Nik Needham, reports veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (via Twitter).
Needham has been one of the Dolphins’ better hidden gems in recent years. Needham went undrafted out of UTEP in 2019, and after catching on with Miami during the offseason, he was cut by the team at the end of the preseason. He subsequently joined the Dolphins practice squad, and he was promoted to the active roster in early October. He proceeded to start 11 of his 12 games that season, collecting 54 tackles, 11 passes defended, and a pair of interceptions.
Despite the addition of Byron Jones last offseason, Needham still managed to contribute in a lesser role this past season. While he started only six of his 16 games, he still finished the year with 58 tackles and two picks.
The Dolphins had previously retained their other two ERFAs: linebacker Calvin Munson and cornerback Jamal Perry. Quarterback Jake Rudock was also set to become an ERFA, but the Dolphins declined to place a tender on the player.
Dolphins To Sign OL D.J. Fluker
D.J. Fluker is joining the Dolphins. The offense lineman is set to sign with Miami, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Following a four-year stint with the Chargers to start his career, the former first-round pick has bounced around the NFL recently. He spent the 2020 campaign with the Ravens, where he started in eight of his 16 games. He also played in a pair of playoff games for Baltimore, appearing in at least 40-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in those two games.
Fluker has shown plenty of versatility throughout his career, spending time at right tackle, left tackle, and right guard. The 30-year-old’s ability to play multiple positions should provide him with plenty of opportunities for snaps in Miami, even if he isn’t the definitive starter at any one position.
Meanwhile, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald opines (on Twitter) that this signing makes the Dolphins’ chances of selecting a lineman in the first round “even more remote.” The Dolphins haven’t necessarily been busy adding to their offensive line this offseason; they signed veteran Matt Skura and re-signed backup Adam Pankey.
Falcons To Attend Trey Lance’s Second Pro Day
While it isn’t a foregone conclusion that the Falcons will select a quarterback with the fourth-overall pick, they’re still making sure that they’re evaluating the top signal-callers. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the Falcons will be sending personnel to Trey Lance‘s second pro day on Monday at North Dakota State.
[RELATED: Who Will Falcons Draft At No. 4?]
The Falcons were also in attendance at Lance’s first pro day, but as Pelissero notes, the organization will be sending three different coaches and/or scouts this time around. The organization did something similar with Justin Fields’ pro days, assuring that they get as many eyes on the prospects as possible.
With Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson presumed to be the first two selections in the draft, the drama will really pick up with the 49ers at No. 3. Reports indicate that San Francisco is leaning toward Mac Jones, which would leave the Falcons with one of Lance or Fields to choose from. Of course, the team could also opt for another position, and Pelissero notes that the front office continues to receive calls on their selection.
Lance will re-take the field ten days before the draft, and we’ve learned that at least the 49ers will be in attendance. There were also reports from earlier this week that Washington “loves” the North Dakota State product, so it’s reasonable to expect them to attend the pro day as they pursue a trade up from No. 19. Lance offers plenty of potential, as demonstrated in his 2019 season. That year, Lance went off for 28 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 1,100 yards on the ground.
Seahawks Had Interest In WR Marquise Goodwin
Before he ended up joining the Bears, wideout Marquise Goodwin received some interest from one of his former team’s top rivals. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks were interested in adding the veteran receiver.
Following a four-year stint with the Bills to start his career, Goodwin put his name on the map once he joined the 49ers. He had a breakout season in 2017, hauling in 56 receptions for 962 yards and two touchdowns. The receiver’s production dropped off in 2018 and 2019, and after getting traded to the Eagles last offseason, Goodwin opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns.
The Seahawks are plenty familiar with the 30-year-old; Goodwin has played in five career games against the Niners’ division rival, hauling in 12 catches for 154 yards. Had Goodwin joined Seattle, he would have had to battle for reps behind starters D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, although Fowler notes that the Seahawks are content rolling with Freddie Swain as that “complementary piece.” The 2020 sixth-rounder hauled in a pair of touchdowns during his rookie campaign.
Instead of joining Seattle, Goodwin ultimately joined the Bears. We learned yesterday that the veteran inked a one-year deal with Chicago.
Aaron Donald Accuser Retracts Assault Allegations
Aaron Donald is off the hook. Following reports from earlier this week that the star defensive lineman was facing assault allegations, the victim’s attorney told a Pittsburgh television station that his client, De’Vincent Spriggs, mistook his attacker(s) for Donald (via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry). Spriggs (via his attorney) released an apology to the Defensive Player of the Year.
Yesterday, Donald’s attorney vehemently denied the assault claims, noting that Spriggs swung a bottle at Donald before other individuals stepped in. The attorney added that they have five witness accounts that would corroborate that story, and video footage showed that Donald ultimately helped pull people away from the victim.
“Aaron actually runs over to [Spriggs’] aid and starts pulling people off of this guy,” White said. “He’s trying to get these kids off Spriggs. He gets at least two or three people off of Spriggs, and at that point in time, somebody grabs Aaron and says, ‘This is not a good situation, let’s get the heck out of here.'”
Spriggs’ attorney initially said that his client accidentally bumped into Donald inside a nightclub, leading to an argument. Donald reportedly confronted Spriggs and began punching and kicking him outside the venue, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Mick Stinelli. Spriggs, who admitted to throwing a bottle of alcohol at some point during the proceedings, required hospitalization. He suffered a broken eye socket, a broken nose, a concussion, and required 16 stitches. The initial reports indicated that Spriggs intended to press charges against the superstar Rams defensive lineman.
While the Rams and the NFL will presumably do their own investigations, this revelation would seemingly hush any whispers of punishment for the lineman. The six-time All-Pro has missed just two games in his seven seasons.
Giants Could Still Consider WR In First Round
While the Giants have been busy adding to their wideout corps this offseason, that doesn’t mean they won’t add to the position via the draft. In fact, they could consider selecting a wide receiver with their first-round pick (No. 11 overall). Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes that the Giants spending spree at the position “does not preclude the Giants from taking a wide receiver in the first round of this draft.”
The team made one of the biggest splashes in free agency by adding Kenny Golladay on a lucrative $72MM deal, and they signed speedy wideout John Ross, as well. This duo will join a core that features 2020 starters Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, as well as intriguing young options like C.J. Board and Dante Pettis. In other words, Daniel Jones should have plenty of targets to throw to next season, and co-owner John Mara previously seemed to imply that the team’s free agent success means the organization won’t be as tempted to add a wideout during the draft.
“It also takes pressure off of us going into the draft,” Mara told Schwartz when discussing the Golladay signing. “We don’t have to take a receiver in Round 1 or Round 2, we can sit there and just take the best player available when it comes to our spot. I think that’s another reason why it was so important to us.’’
Still, as Schwartz writes, the Giants will certainly be intrigued by a receiver depending on who’s on the board when it’s their time to make a selection. Specifically, the reporter points to the Alabama duo of DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle; if either player is available at No. 11, Scwartz opines that the Giants “might be enticed to take the plunge.” Alternatively, the team could look to the second day of the draft to add another player at the position, with the writer pointing to prospects like Kadarius Toney, Amari Rodgers, and Rondale Moore.