AFC Notes: Hopkins, Big Ben, Colts, Chiefs
Both the Texans and No. 1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would like to reach a long-term deal this summer, and odds are that it will happen, suggests John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Hopkins, due to make $7.9MM as a fifth-year option player this season, became all the more important to the Texans’ cause for 2017 after No. 2 receiver Will Fuller suffered a broken collarbone Wednesday. Fuller’s multi-month absence could mean even more opportunities for Hopkins, who easily led the Texans in both targets and receptions in each of the previous two seasons. Despite having to catch passes from middling or worse quarterbacks throughout his career, Hopkins has a history of terrific production. Thanks to his output thus far, the 25-year-old looks poised to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts in the coming weeks.
More from the AFC:
- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is keeping all options on the table beyond 2017, including retirement and playing a few more years. “I hope (to play multiple future seasons), but I’m only going to focus on this year,” Roethlisberger revealed Wednesday (via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review). Whether the 35-year-old sticks around will depend somewhat on how much of a beating his offensive line allows him to take this season. “If those guys up front are playing as well as they have been playing, getting sacked (a career-low) 17 times in (2016) — it might keep me around a little longer,” he said.
- With 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett and free agent signing Kamar Aiken, the Colts have a pair of notable receivers behind starters T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief. However, the unheralded Chester Rogers has emerged as Indy’s likely No. 3 wideout, according to Kevin Bowen of the team’s website. As an undrafted rookie last year, Rogers accrued 34 targets and 19 catches in 14 games (two starts), and he averaged 14.4 yards per catch. Both Dorsett and Aiken bettered Rogers’ counting stats in 2016, but the second-year man has nonetheless turned into a “virtual 12th starter for the Colts,” writes Bowen.
- Defensive tackle Roy Miller‘s contract with the Chiefs is a one-year, $1.4MM pact that could be worth up to $2.5MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The deal includes $300K in guarantees.
Talks Between Vikes, Linval Joseph “Ongoing”
The Vikings handed lucrative contract extensions to a pair of defensive linchpins in end Everson Griffen and cornerback Xavier Rhodes last week. Next on the docket is nose tackle Linval Joseph, who has talked about an extension with the team, reports Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Discussions between the two sides are “ongoing,” per Tomasson, who adds that Joseph wants a deal similar to the four-year, $57.9MM accord the Vikings gave Griffen.
A Griffen-esque payday for Joseph would make him the seventh D-tackle to secure a contract worth upward of $14MM per year, notes Tomasson. Such a deal would put Joseph in company with Ndamukong Suh, Fletcher Cox, Kawann Short, Marcell Dareus, Calais Campbell and Malik Jackson. Joseph hasn’t posted the lofty sack numbers of anyone in that sextet, having tallied 16.5 during his seven-year career, though he did tie a personal best with four last season. The adept run-stuffer also piled up 77 tackles and three forced fumbles during a 16-start 2016, the third such season of his career, and ranked an excellent 14th in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 125 qualified interior defensive linemen.
As great as Joseph has been for the Vikings since they signed the ex-Giant as a free agent prior to the 2014 season, inking him to a new deal isn’t something they absolutely have to do right now. Joseph, 28, still has two seasons remaining on his five-year, $31.25 million contract, and he doesn’t seem to regard securing an extension as a must.
“Whatever happens, happens,’’ Joseph told Tomasson. “If it’s time, it’s time (to get an extension). If not, I’m going to keep grinding.’’
In the event Minnesota does lock up Joseph soon, it’ll be the fourth time the franchise has awarded a big-money deal to a defender in the past year-plus. In June 2016, well before Griffen and Rhodes got their contracts, the Vikings extended safety Harrison Smith. Those three and Joseph are part of an enviable core of defenders that helped Minnesota’s ‘D’ finish toward the top of the NFL in yardage (third), scoring (sixth) and DVOA (eighth) in 2016.
Saints Could Re-Sign Orlando Franklin
The Saints released guard Orlando Franklin on Tuesday, less than a week after they signed him last Thursday. It turns out a knee injury may have been behind New Orleans’ decision to quickly cut ties with Franklin.
“The second day, he had some soreness in his knee,” head coach Sean Payton told reporters, including NOLA.com’s Herbie Teope, who notes that Franklin underwent knee surgery in January.
Payton later suggested the Saints could re-sign a healthy Franklin, saying: “I think one of the big things with us being down on the offensive line — and I’m not saying it’s not going to work out with him possibly later for us — but we needed healthy bodies.”
Health is indeed an issue along New Orleans’ offensive line, where stalwarts Terron Armstead (left tackle) and Max Unger (center) are nursing injuries. If the Saints do bring back Franklin to compete for a job when his condition improves, it wouldn’t be the first time an offensive lineman has yo-yoed between their organization and unemployment. New Orleans has signed and released Khalif Barnes on numerous occasions dating back to last season. For the moment, Barnes is on the Saints’ roster as a reserve tackle.
Franklin also worked as a second-teamer during his few practices with the Saints in training camp, which represented new territory for the longtime starter. The 29-year-old started in all 89 appearances with the Broncos and Chargers from 2011-16, but he didn’t turn in a No. 1-caliber performance in San Diego last season. Pro Football Focus ranked Franklin an ugly 65th among 75 qualified guards in 2016, and he then went without a team between his release from the Chargers in mid-May and his short-lived union with the Saints. Franklin drew interest from the Jaguars and Jets in recent months, but it doesn’t seem as if he’ll land anywhere again until he progresses physically.
“I think he’s still trying to get strength back in that knee,” Payton said.
Latest On Raiders’ Donald Penn
Raiders left tackle Donald Penn is holding out as he seeks a raise that would make him one of the NFL’s 10 highest-paid players at his position. Commenting on Penn’s status Tuesday, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie suggested to reporters that the lineman’s wish definitely won’t come true if he doesn’t report to training camp.
“We don’t talk contracts unless a guy is here,” said McKenzie, via Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group.
Penn, 34, is halfway into the two-year, $14MM contract the Raiders gave the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder upon re-signing him in March 2016. With age serving as the only real check against Penn, it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve more money. Few tackles are able to mix durability and excellence like Penn, who has never missed a regular-season game during his 10-year career and has typically earned high marks as a blocker. Penn posted his ninth straight 16-start campaign in 2016, when his performance graded 12th among 76 qualified tackles at Pro Football Focus.
To this point, the Raiders have not fined Penn any money for missing camp, according to McDonald. They’re allowed to dock him $40K per day as long as he holds out, and doing so could hasten Penn’s return. Still, that’s a relatively meager amount compared to Penn’s $5.8MM salary for 2017, and he’d nearly double that sum by breaking into the top 10 in pay among left tackles. At $11.25MM per year, the Rams’ Andrew Whitworth is 10th in annual value.
With Penn away, the Raiders have turned to Marshall Newhouse on the blindside and used Vadal Alexander at right tackle, and two rookies – fourth-round pick David Sharpe and seventh-rounder Jylan Ware – are in reserve. The only member of the group with substantial NFL experience is Newhouse, who joined the Raiders in free agency after combining for 86 appearances and 56 starts as a Packer, Bengal and Giant from 2011-16. Nobody would confuse him for Penn, though, given that Newhouse hasn’t played a 16-game season since 2012 and most recently ranked a below-average 50th among tackles at PFF last year. Alexander earned an even worse grade over nine games (five starts) and 305 snaps as a rookie in 2016.
Given that the Raiders’ outlook at tackle without Penn looks somewhat bleak, McKenzie unsurprisingly indicated that the Super Bowl hopefuls want him back.
“Donald’s my guy. Ever since he stepped in, after we lost (Jared Veldheer), I told him he’s my guy,” said McKenzie. “That’s not going to change. I’d love to have him, and if you guys go down to L.A. and drive him up I’d appreciate it. We want to focus on the young guys practicing now, get these guys some reps and we’re just going to keep moving. We’ve got to practice.”
Chargers’ Forrest Lamp Suffers Torn ACL
Chargers guard Forrest Lamp suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during practice on Wednesday, per a team announcement. The rookie second-round pick will miss the season as a result. Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported the news (Twitter link).
With Lamp and rookie wide receiver Mike Williams dealing with significant injuries, the Chargers are in real danger of not having either of their top two picks this season. Williams, the Chargers’ first-rounder, is dealing with a back problem that head coach Anthony Lynn recently admitted could keep him out for the year. Lamp’s issue will take the 38th overall selection out of play for 2017. It also continues a string of horrible injury-related luck for the Chargers, who placed a whopping 27 players on IR during a five-win 2016 campaign.
Lamp, formerly with Western Kentucky, looked like a potential first-rounder leading up to the draft. After landing with the Chargers early in Round 2, he seemed poised to serve as an immediate starter at right guard on a line that Football Outsiders ranked among the NFL’s worst last season. Los Angeles does have several interior O-line options on hand even without Lamp, as Roster Resource shows, though losing the rookie still counts as a notable setback.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/17
Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:
- The Seahawks waived long snapper Nolan Frese, who appeared in all 16 of their regular-season games a year ago. An ankle injury kept the then-rookie out of action for the Seahawks’ two playoff contests, and Tyler Ott took over in Frese’s stead. Ott will again grab the reins with Frese out of the picture.
- The Jaguars added running back Tyler Gaffney, who’s on his third club since Carolina used a sixth-round pick on him in 2014. The ex-Stanford rusher hadn’t caught on anywhere since New England cut him in March, which wasn’t the first time the Patriots parted with him. Gaffney was with the Pats in each of the previous three summers, though he failed to crack their season-opening roster in any of those years. He vacillated between the Pats’ active roster and practice squad last season.
- The Panthers signed cornerback Devonte Johnson and waived wide receiver Cameron Posey. Johnson signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in May 2016, and the former Weber State corner went on to spend time on their practice squad last year. He then had a brief stint with the Steelers this offseason. Posey, meanwhile, had only been a Panther since mid-June. He joined them as an undrafted free agent from Purdue.
- The Buccaneers signed wide receiver Shaq Hill and waived recently added rookie wideout Jhajuan Seales. Hill was a Texan for a short period during the spring, when he signed with them as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Washington. Seales will now look for his third team since going undrafted from Oklahoma State. He initially signed with the Bears, who cut him, and then hooked on with the Bucs this past weekend. The union proved to be fleeting.
- The Colts signed offensive tackle and Arturo Uzdavinis and waived fellow OT Jerry Ugokwe. Uzdavinis is up to his sixth club since he went undrafted from Tulane a year ago, having previously been with the Texans, Bears, Jaguars, Lions and Vikings. Ugokwe’s time with the Colts is up after nearly three months. The undrafted rookie from William & Mary inked a deal with them May 4.
- The Eagles cut cornerback Randall Goforth after reaching an injury settlement. Goforth, a rookie UDFA from UCLA, suffered a season-ending ACL tear last week.
Texans’ Will Fuller Out 2-3 Months
The broken collarbone Texans wide receiver Will Fuller suffered Wednesday will require surgery and a two- to three-month absence, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
The injury to Fuller will deprive Houston’s Tom Savage-led passing attack of its No. 2 wideout until sometime in the fall, leaving the team with Braxton Miller and Jaelen Strong as its second and third options. Miller and Strong combined for just 29 catches last season, though, while fourth and fifth receivers Wendall Williams and Dres Anderson have a total of four NFL grabs between them.
Having lost Fuller for a while, the Texans could scour the open market to bolster the position, with Anquan Boldin, Vincent Jackson and Steve Johnson among the league’s most established free agent receivers. Of course, more options will come available in the next few weeks as cuts occur, and the Texans may not feel any urgency to add a proven receiver with the strong tight end duo of C.J. Fiedorowicz and Ryan Griffin on hand as weapons.
The speedy Fuller, whom the Texans selected 21st overall last year, emerged as the club’s top receiver opposite the superb DeAndre Hopkins as a rookie. The ex-Notre Dame star, 21, finished second to Hopkins in targets (92) and yards (635), tied for second in touchdowns (two) and fourth in receptions (47). Fuller’s 13.5 yards-per-catch average paced all full-time Texans targets, beating out Hopkins’ 12.2.
Bills To Sign Taiwan Jones
The Bills have agreed to a deal with running back Taiwan Jones, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
The 29-year-old Jones came available when the Raiders released him last Thursday, thus ending a lengthy tenure in Oakland. Jones entered the NFL as the Raiders’ fourth-round pick in 2011 and went on to appear in 66 regular-season games with the club over the first six years of his career. He wasn’t much of a factor on offense as a Raider, with whom he totaled only 44 rushes and 17 catches, but Jones was an important cog on special teams. He was seventh among Raiders in special teams snaps just last year (241), and he’s only two seasons removed from leading the AFC in kick return yards (829).
In Buffalo, Jones will join LeSean McCoy, Jonathan Williams, Mike Tolbert and Joe Banyard as the team’s contingent at running back. Jones’ history indicates that if he’s going to make the Bills, he’ll do it as a special teamer. The Bills’ special teams unit was among the league’s worst last year, according to Football Outsiders.
Falcons’ Devin Fuller Tears ACL
Falcons wide receiver/return man Devin Fuller suffered a torn ACL on Friday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Fuller has now succumbed to season-ending injuries in back-to-back summers.
Atlanta’s seventh-round pick in 2016, the speedy Fuller won’t have an opportunity to make his NFL debut until 2018 – if he plays in the league at all. The former UCLA Bruin cracked the eventual NFC champions’ roster a year ago, but they placed him on injured reserve before Week 1 with a shoulder issue.
While Fuller’s latest injury is an awful development for the 23-year-old, it doesn’t necessarily change the calculus for the high-flying Falcons. Fuller was on the low end of a depth chart that includes the inimitable Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, free agent pickup Andre Roberts and Justin Hardy.
Alec Ogletree Extension “In The Works”
The Rams’ best player, defensive tackle Aaron Donald, is holding out as he seeks a new contract, but the news isn’t all bad: The team is working to lock up one of its other top defenders, linebacker Alec Ogletree.
“I still don’t have a deal yet but it’s in the works,” Ogletree told Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). “When it happens, it happens. It will get done eventually.”
The Rams have had interest in awarding a new deal to Ogletree since at least February 2016, and their extensive team control over him is likely a key reason why it hasn’t happened. That control is running out, though, as Ogletree is now in his fifth-year option season (at an $8.37MM salary). As such, the Rams are in danger of losing the 2013 first-round pick to free agency next winter.
Ogletree’s exit would cost Los Angeles one of its go-to guys, someone who started in all 16 games in 2016 and was the only one of its defenders to play all 1,090 of the unit’s snaps. In the process, the ex-Georgia Bulldog piled up impressive counting stats (136 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble), though Pro Football Focus ranked his performance a lackluster 56th among 86 qualified linebackers.
With the exception of his rookie season, PFF has typically assigned unfavorable marks to Ogletree. Nevertheless, aside from missing 12 games with a broken fibula in 2015, Ogletree is someone on whom the Rams have been able to rely. The 25-year-old has three 16-start, 100-tackle campaigns, 11 forced fumbles and five INTs under his belt, and the team apparently doesn’t want to let that type of production get away.