Latest On Colin Kaepernick
Talks between the Broncos and 49ers regarding quarterback Colin Kaepernick have gone dormant in recent weeks, but the door isn’t yet closed on Kaepernick ending up in Denver before next season. Even after reporting to the 49ers’ voluntary workouts earlier this month, Kaepernick still doesn’t want to continue his career with the club and the feeling is mutual from ownership, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports.
The acrimony between Kaepernick and 49ers brass is why the Broncos haven’t budged in trade talks, per La Canfora, who 
writes that Denver is holding out hope that the quarterback will reach an injury settlement with San Francisco and become a free agent. Kaepernick underwent left shoulder surgery in November and should be able to resume football activities in May.
Going forward, Kaepernick has five years left on his contract and is due a guaranteed $11.9MM in 2016. As of two weeks ago, the Broncos were reportedly hoping to push that $11.9MM number down to $7MM and have Kaepernick also take pay cuts in the other years of his deal. However, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reported then that Kaepernick’s camp was committed to either keeping the salaries intact or changing the contract to allow him to hit free agency next offseason, when his controlling team could cut him before his salary becomes guaranteed for 2017.
A resolution on the Kaepernick situation is possible before or during the upcoming draft, which is when La Canfora expects trade talks to intensify again. The 49ers hold the seventh pick and could potentially draft Kaepernick’s replacement – though both Cal’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz should be off the board by then – thus helping to usher No. 7 out of town. The Broncos are set to pick 31st and could put the notion of acquiring Kaepernick to bed by selecting a signal-caller with that choice. Otherwise, if Kaepernick isn’t a Bronco by the end of the first round, he’d look like a rather appealing option compared to Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian, Denver’s current top two QBs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Josh Gordon, Johnny Manziel
In the latest inauspicious chapter in the lives of Browns receiver Josh Gordon and free agent quarterback Johnny Manziel, someone identifying himself as Gordon was with Manziel at a rented home in Los Angeles that had incurred damage, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Further, alcohol and what appeared to be drugs were visible, rental agency owner Nicholas 
Goodwin told Cabot.
“I didn’t recognize Josh because he’s not as recognizable as Johnny,” Goodwin stated. “I sat and talked to him and said ‘how do you know these guys?’ He goes, ‘I played with Johnny over at Cleveland.’ I said, your name? He said ‘Josh Gordon.’ And I was like ‘wow, OK, I don’t know if it’s a good idea for these guys to be hanging out together.'”
While Goodwin said he didn’t witness either Gordon or Manziel engage in drug or alcohol use, he claimed to see what appeared to be cocaine on a table. Goodwin also saw substances that looked like mushrooms and marijuana when Gordon and Manziel were in the home, in which they partied from April 4-6, he said. As a result of the damage done to the home, Manziel has been served with a legal demand for nearly $32K in damages, Cabot writes.
Gordon’s troubles are particularly frustrating given that he looked like one of the premier players in football in 2013, the last time he took the field for an extended period of time. In 14 games that year, Gordon racked up 87 receptions, a jaw-dropping 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. However, various substance abuse-related suspensions have cost Gordon 29 of the Browns’ last 48 games. He missed all of the 2015 season thanks to a positive alcohol test and could also sit out the 2016 campaign after the NFL denied his petition for reinstatement this week on the heels of another failed substance test.
Gordon, who turned 25 on Wednesday, will have a chance to reapply for reinstatement Aug. 1. However, the league will keep the ban in place if his off-field behavior doesn’t do a 180. The league’s decision to not reinstate Gordon came after it collected a tainted urine sample from him in March. Both the “A” and “B” samples were flagged as diluted and came up positive for marijuana. While the actual level of marijuana was below the 35 nanograms per milliliter required for a positive test, the diluted sample is considered a positive test.
Unlike Gordon, Manziel – a 2014 first-round pick – hasn’t shown much promise on the field. Manziel’s off-field behavior has been far worse than his on-field performance, though, as his checkered history helped lead the Browns to release him over the winter and has stopped teams from pursing him as a free agent. Super agent Drew Rosenhaus, who began representing Manziel in March, announced earlier this week he would drop the 23-year-old as a client if he didn’t seek treatment for his substance abuse problems. That came after Erik Burkhardt, Manziel’s previous agent, publicly cut ties with the former Texas A&M star in early February. Rosenhaus told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he is only thinking about the QB’s well-being.
“This is a life or death situation right now,” Rosenhaus said. “This is not about football. I’m not going to stand by and watch him injure himself.”
Rosenhaus provided an update on the situation Friday, suggesting to Mike Florio on PFT Live that he doesn’t think he and Manziel are “on the same page” about the life changes the ex-Brown needs to make.
After a storied college career which included winning the Heisman Trophy in 2012, Manziel has made just eight starts in the NFL, completing 57 percent of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. It’s difficult to imagine Manziel ever setting foot on an NFL field again without a complete turnaround away from the gridiron. Unfortunately, though, an off-field about-face doesn’t appear imminent.
Zach Links contributed to this report. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Draft Rumors: Jaylon Smith, Cowboys, Broncos
Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith – once considered a sure bet to be one of the top picks in this year’s draft – is expected to sit out next season as a result of the torn ACL and MCL he suffered New Year’s Day, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Smith’s medical re-check Friday didn’t look much different than the report from the combine, when he failed multiple teams’ physicals, tweets Rapoport. The news isn’t necessarily a death knell to Smith’s career, however, as Rapoport adds that “many teams” believe he’ll return to full strength come 2017. While Smith’s first-round hopes appear dashed, he’s still a possibility for Day 2 (the second or third round), per Rapoport (via Twitter). That, however, will hinge largely on a team’s willingness to make a high-risk, high-reward selection in the early going.
Here’s more of the latest draft news:
- The Cowboys have visited with and/or worked out Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Shepard put up tremendous production last season (86 catches, 1,288 yards, 11 touchdowns) and could be a fit for the Cowboys in the second round.
- In addition to the previously reported Lions, Auburn offensive tackle Shon Coleman has visited the Buccaneers, Panthers, Patriots, Titans and Vikings, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
- Clemson second-team all-ACC linebacker B.J. Goodson has had six visits, three of which have been with the Jaguars, Broncos and Dolphins (reported earlier this week), writes Wilson.
- The Buccaneers, Cardinals, Chargers and Chiefs are all interested in Bowling Green receiver/returner Ryan Burbring, per Wilson (on Twitter).
- Arizona State guard Christian Westerman has worked out for the Bengals and Saints, he told Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, adding that he has an upcoming workout for the Broncos (Twitter link).
- The Texans are showing “steady interest” in William & Mary linebacker Luke Rhodes, Wilson writes. They also have interest in Toledo defensive lineman Orion Jones, a source told Wilson.
- Connecticut safety Junior Lee has privately worked out for both New York teams – the Giants and Jets – as well as the Colts, reports Wilson (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/16
Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- Broncos wide receiver Bennie Fowler will officially stay with the team after signing his exclusive rights tender, Ben Swanson of DenverBroncos.com writes. Fowler, undrafted out of Michigan State in 2014, took the field in all 16 of the Super Bowl champions’ regular-season games and tallied 16 receptions, 203 yards, and a touchdown. He also added a key 31-yard grab on a third-and-12 play in the Broncos’ second-round playoff win over the Steelers.
- Center Sam Brenner joined Fowler in signing his ERFA tender with the Broncos, per Swanson. The Broncos claimed Brenner off waivers in November, and he ended up on the team’s active roster for eight of its regular-season contests and its entire playoff run. Brenner was previously a member of the Dolphins, with whom he appeared in 10 games (four starts) from 2013-15.
- Bears receiver Josh Bellamy posted a picture of himself on social media signing his exclusive rights tender with the club, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Bellamy, 26, saw action in all 16 of the Bears’ games last season, started three, and totaled 19 receptions and two touchdowns.
- Packers safety Chris Banjo has signed his exclusive rights tender, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Banjo hasn’t made much of a defensive impact in his three-year career, but he is one of the Packers’ top special teamers. The 26-year-old accrued a team-best 21 special teams tackles in 16 appearances last season.
- The Browns have claimed defensive end/outside linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat off waivers from Washington, per Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Jeffcoat, an undrafted free agent in 2014, logged nine appearances (one start), an interception and a forced fumble in two years with Washington.
- The Cardinals have released running backs Marion Grice and Robert Hughes, reports Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Both players were on the Cards’ practice squad last season. Grice racked up playing time in his rookie year, 2014, amassing 22 touches (15 carries, seven receptions) and a score in Arizona. Hughes, who has seen regular-season action for three different teams since 2011, recorded eight receptions for an impressive 140 yards (17.5 yards per catch) for the 2014 Cardinals.
- Offensive tackle Tanner Hawkinson, whom the Jaguars claimed off waivers from the Eagles earlier this month, has decided to retire (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union). Hawkinson, a former Kansas Jayhawk, was the Bengals’ fifth-round selection in 2013. He appeared in six career games with Cincy and Philly.
- Lions defensive tackle Khyri Thornton has signed his exclusive rights tender, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Thornton, whom NFC North rival Green Bay took in the third round of the 2014 draft, debuted in the league last year as a member of the Lions, recording five tackles in six games.
- The Bills have announced the release of offensive tackle Tyson Chandler with a non-football injury. Chandler signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent from North Carolina State last spring.
Draft Rumors: J. Smith, Washington, Pats, Saints
If Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith gets good news on his medical re-check later this month, his chances of going in the first round of the draft will increase significantly, writes Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com. Campbell lists the Bengals, Chiefs, Packers, Texans and Vikings as potential landing spots for Smith, who is on the mend from a torn ACL and MCL that he suffered on New Year’s Day during the Fiesta Bowl. Prior to that catastrophic end to his college career, Smith was seen as a surefire first-rounder – and a high one at that – but his status has been in question since. February’s combine didn’t help matters for Smith, who reportedly failed multiple teams’ physicals.
More of the latest draft news:
- Washington is bearish on a pair of prospective first-round defensive linemen from Alabama, A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed, team sources told Campbell.
- While Washington may be down on Robinson and Reed, it has a high opinion of Ohio State receiver Michael Thomas, reportedly the top wideout on its board. In addition to Washington, Thomas is drawing interest from the Cowboys, Rams and Saints, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- Patriots head coach Bill Belichick worked out Maryland defensive back Sean Davis and then watched film with him Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones joined Davis in working out for the Patriots on Friday, a league source told Aaron Wilson of NFPost.com. The Steelers will host Jones this weekend, and he also has visits scheduled with the Bills, Ravens and Saints. He visited the Eagles earlier this week.
- Boise State defensive end/outside linebacker Kamalei Correa will visit the 49ers and Saints in the coming days, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.Net tweets.
- Earlier this evening, PFR published its first mock draft of the year. Click here to read Rob DiRe’s current first-round predictions and – as a bonus – his take on New England’s back-to-back second-rounders.
AFC Notes: Taylor, Bolts, Browns, Jags, Steelers
Agent Adisa Bakari, frustrated that the Bills haven’t extended one of his clients – quarterback Tyrod Taylor – propped up the signal-caller Thursday and took shots at other facets of the club (Twitter link). Bakari told SiriusXM NFL Radio that the Bills missed the playoffs last season because of a poor showing by their defense and a lack of discipline, not Taylor – whose performance Bakari referred to as “exceptional.” Bakari isn’t wrong – the Bills had a below-average defense and led the league in penalties in 2015, and Taylor was terrific statistically during his 14-game debut as a starter – but Buffalo doesn’t seem convinced he’s its long-term solution. Taylor is entering a contract year and the Bills have explored several QB prospects as the draft nears, so his chances of staying in their uniform for the long haul don’t look great at the moment.
More from the AFC…
- The Chargers, who are set to pick third in the draft, are showing strong interest in Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt was among the team’s representatives at Lynch’s pro day earlier this week, and the 6-foot-7 passer will visit the Bolts on Saturday, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter).
- The Browns are streamlining their personnel department under the team’s new decision-makers, and have parted ways with six scouts whose contracts were set to expire, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While the move itself isn’t unusual, especially after a front office shakeup, the timing – less than three weeks before the draft, rather than after it – is interesting.
- The Jaguars announced today in a press release that veteran cornerback Rashean Mathis, who confirmed his retirement earlier this offseason, will sign a one-day contract next Wednesday to officially retire as a Jaguar. There has been no indication that the Lions have removed Mathis from their reserve/retired list yet, so they’ll have to formally cut him loose before he can sign his ceremonial deal with Jacksonville.
- The Steelers visited with four defensive prospects Friday, hosting Javon Hargrave (DL, South Carolina State), Quinton Jefferson (DL, Maryland), Dean Lowry (DL, Northwestern) and Trae Elston (DB, Ole Miss), according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).
- Two draft hopefuls from Boise State – receiver Shane Williams-Rhodes and defensive lineman Armond Nance – will attend the Texans’ pro day on Saturday, their respective agents told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
AFC Contract Details: Crick, Kuhn, Velasco
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has the details on a few of the latest contracts to be agreed upon or signed from around the NFL. Here are the specifics:
- Jared Crick, DE (Broncos): Two years, $4MM. $1MM signing bonus. Annual $250K workout bonus (Twitter link).
- Markus Kuhn, DT (Patriots): One year, $1.2MM. $140K bonus. Bonus of $18,750 for each game Kuhn is active. $300K in playing-time incentives. $428K preseason split (Twitter link).
- Fernando Velasco, OL (Bills): One year, $965K. $80K signing bonus. $453K preseason split (Twitter link).
Draft Rumors: 49ers, Jets, Patriots, Panthers
Earlier this evening, PFR’s Rob DiRe published his first mock draft of 2016. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in this year’s NFL draft. Click here to check it out.
Here are the latest draft rumors:
- The Cowboys, 49ers, Eagles and, surprisingly, the Jets have all inquired about moving up to the No. 1 pick in the draft, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.Net reports. The Jets have the 20th selection, so it’s difficult to envision them jumping 19 spots and Tennessee dropping the same amount of places. The Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles, meanwhile, are scheduled to pick in the top eight.
- UCLA linebacker Myles Jack is paying a visit to the 49ers this weekend, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweeted earlier today Jack is a lock to be a top-seven pick.
- The Ravens think highly of USC safety Su’a Cravens and could pick him if they trade down from sixth overall to the back half of the first round, per Pauline. Cravens will visit both the Colts and Lions next week, Pauline tweets.
- German receiver Moritz Boehringer “impressed” with his sure-handedness and route-running skills at his workout Friday, Pauline reports. Representatives from the Bengals, Bills, Patriots, Broncos, Jets, Bears, Falcons, Saints and Panthers were in attendance.
- Washington State offensive lineman Joe Dahl, a possible second-day pick, has a heavy workout/visit schedule forthcoming, Pauline writes. The Jets, Patriots, Buccaneers, Eagles, 49ers, Chargers, Panthers, Ravens, Vikings and Colts are all interested in Dahl.
- The 49ers plan to visit with Georgia receiver Malcolm Mitchell, as do the Patriots and Eagles, a league source told Aaron Wilson of NFPost.com.
- Oklahoma wideout Sterling Shepard has worked out for the Panthers and Texans, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio, and added that he’ll work out for the Rams next week (Twitter link).
- Akron linebacker Jatavis Brown didn’t get an invitation to February’s combine, but he’s drawing plenty of pre-draft interest. Brown has visited with 10 teams, including the Steelers (previously reported), Rams and Chargers, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link). The Chiefs are also among those clubs, as Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reported earlier this week.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
East Notes: Cowboys, Jets, Eagles, Bills
Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey has sat atop the Cowboys’ draft board since February, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net reports. The corner-needy Cowboys have the fourth pick and seem like a good bet to choose Ramsey if he drops to their selection, but they have inquired on moving up to No. 1 via trade and could grab him there. Like Ramsey, North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz – the Cowboys’ top-rated signal-calling prospect, per Pauline – is also a possibility in the first round. The club has mixed feelings on a couple Ohio State standouts – running back Ezekiel Elliott‘s stock is high within the organization, while assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett is bearish on end Joey Bosa.
PFR’s Rob DiRe has one of these four players going to Dallas in his first mock draft of 2016. Click here to find out which of the quartet he currently thinks will end up in a Cowboys uniform.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- The retirement of D’Brickashaw Ferguson leaves the Jets in need at three of football’s most significant positions – left tackle, quarterback and pass rusher – Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. Ferguson would’ve returned for an 11th season had his $10.375MM salary remained in place, but the Jets wanted to cut that figure in half, according to Mehta, and the 32-year-old wasn’t receptive to the idea. Ferguson also worried about the possibility of the Jets releasing him prior to the season because he didn’t have any interest in signing elsewhere and relocating his family, per Mehta.
- The Eagles’ reported interest in a first-round quarterback is a smokescreen, opines CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who believes they could trade down from the eighth overall pick to acquire more selections and ultimately address needs elsewhere. Philadelphia leads the league in real dollars spent since the start of the 2015 league year ($200MM-plus), including deals given to quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel. It’s fair to say the Eagles are in win-now mode, then, and La Canfora doesn’t expect them to eschew immediate help at problem positions in order to add a top-round QB to the mix.
- With Tyrod Taylor entering a contract year, the Bills look poised to select a quarterback by the second day of the draft, as La Canfora details. The Bills are “enamored” of Ohio State’s Cardale Jones, says La Canfora, who reports that they also like Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg and Stanford’s Kevin Hogan.
- Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall won his civil trial relating to a 2012 altercation outside a Manhattan nightclub, and won’t be responsible for damages, per attorney Harvey Steinberg (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The NFL is unlikely to pursue any discipline for Marshall, since he never faced criminal charges and the incident occurred years ago.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Broncos, Seahawks, Texans, Drake
Even if they’re unable to land Colin Kaepernick, panic over the Broncos’ quarterback situation isn’t in order, opines Troy Renck of the Denver Post. As Renck writes, the defensively dominant Broncos were able to defy logic last season by winning a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler (primarily the former) combining to offer some of the NFL’s worst quarterback play. In Renck’s estimation, next season’s performance from Denver’s signal-caller(s) probably won’t be much of a downgrade, if at all, and the Broncos should still possess an elite defense. The Broncos were in the league’s basement in nearly all relevant passing stats in 2015, so Renck’s belief that they should at least tread water under center with Mark Sanchez (and/or someone else) is justifiable. It’s worth noting, though, that the defense could regress to some degree after it lost a pair of integral contributors, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan, when free agency opened last month.
Here’s more from around the NFL as we wrap up another week of the offseason:
- Acquiring Kaepernick could force cap-strapped Denver to release pricey left tackle Ryan Clady as a way to free up spending room. The tackle-needy Seahawks would seem to be a fit for Clady on paper if he becomes available, but their own lack of cap space ($7MM, which doesn’t factor in the few million dollars necessary to sign draft picks) might take them out of the running, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
- Texans three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown is progressing well from the surgery he underwent in January to repair a torn right quadriceps and expects to be ready for the regular season, per Mark Berman of FOX 26 (Twitter link). The eight-year veteran suffered the injury in Week 17 last season and missed the Texans’ playoff loss to Kansas City as a result.
- Alabama running back Kenyan Drake visited the Cowboys and Dolphins and will next head to San Francisco to meet with the 49ers, he told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure (link via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com). Drake was stuck behind the likes of Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry while with the Crimson Tide, but he averaged a lofty 6.4 yards per carry on 233 attempts and totaled 22 touchdowns (18 rushing, four receiving) during his four-year NCAA career.