NFC Notes: Eagles, Saints, Redskins, Rams
The Eagles reportedly have interest in a reunion with free agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, but their lack of cap space (around $5MM) is likely to stand in the way, writes David Murphy of Philly.com. Plus, with other proven pass-catching options in Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz, the Eagles don’t need Maclin as much as other teams that are chasing him. Therefore, Philadelphia won’t have the motivation to get into a bidding war for Maclin and use what little spending room it has left on him, reasons Murphy.
Elsewhere around the NFC…
- The Saints had interest in pass rusher Elvis Dumervil before he signed with the 49ers on Monday, reports Nick Underhill of the Advocate (on Twitter). It took the 33-year-old Dumervil nearly three months to find a new home after the Ravens released him in March, but San Francisco was the only team to bring him in for a workout. Dumervil potentially could’ve helped a New Orleans club whose defense finished just 27th in sacks last season.
- A pay cut for Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall is seemingly inevitable, suggests Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com. The Redskins would like to knock $2MM to $3MM off the 33-year-old’s salary, per Tandler. Hall’s currently set to make $4.25MM, which is high for someone who has appeared in just 17 of 48 regular-season games dating back to 2014 and could begin 2017 on the physically unable to perform list.
- Although Rams pass rusher Connor Barwin‘s took a one-year deal earlier in the offseason, his goal is to play through the 2020 campaign. “Yeah, I think I want to play 12 years,” he told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. “This will be nine, so I think I have four more. I’d like to do three stints of four – Houston, Philly and L.A.” Barwin played under new Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips with the Texans from 2011-12, and the 30-year-old expects their reunion to prolong his career. “I loved playing for Wade [while with the Texans in 2011-12], just in general,” said Barwin. “But I think playing in this system will be good for me to keep playing for a couple more years, because it takes advantage of what I do well. It allows me to still play every single snap. Play first down, second down, rush the passer on third down, but be able to cover guys when I need to — tight ends, running backs, that sort of thing.
Tramaine Brock Charged With Felony Domestic Violence
Free agent cornerback Tramaine Brock was charged Tuesday with felony domestic violence and misdemeanor child endangerment stemming from an April arrest, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office accused Brock of punching his girlfriend in the face and attempting to strangle her multiple times, including when she was holding their 1-year-old child, and he could face up to five years in prison.
Brock is expected to plead not guilty, per Barrows, but it’s clear his NFL career is in serious jeopardy. Almost immediately after Brock’s arrest, the 49ers released the corner, thereby ending his seven-year tenure with the franchise.
In discussing the choice to cut ties with the 28-year-old Brock, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said: “We spent the day trying to figure out all the information as much as you can. You never do get all of it, but there was enough there that we felt it was a decision we had to make and move on from (Brock).”
While the 49ers weren’t willing to continue with Brock on the heels of his arrest, other teams were reportedly “keeping tabs” on him after he reached free agency. Given his strong play in the past, including 31 starts and four interceptions from 2015-16, there were rumblings that Brock would be in line for a contract worth $10MM-plus per year if he were to escape charges. That didn’t happen, though, and it’s now possible Brock has played his last down in the league.
Chiefs Sign Tanoh Kpassagnon
The Chiefs have signed one of their top draft picks, second-round defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). As the 59th overall selection, Kpassagnon’s four-year deal is worth $4.32MM and includes a $1.28MM signing bonus.
Kpassagnon played the previous four years at Villanova, where he broke out in 2015 with 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. He logged even better production last year – 21.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks – en route to first-team All-America honors. While his sack numbers with the Wildcats were gaudy, the 6-foot-7, 289-pound Kpassagnon is “raw” and “lacks natural pass rush talent,” according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
With Kpassagnon under contract, the Chiefs have signed five of their six picks. Kansas City’s lone straggler is the most important member of its 2017 class, first-round quarterback Patrick Mahomes, for whom it traded up 17 spots to land at No. 10. That bold move came at a high price for the Chiefs, who sent their 2018 first-rounder and a third-round pick this year to Buffalo.
AFC Rumors: Garoppolo, Jets, Lynch, Ravens
Contract-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo indicated Tuesday that he would be open to discussing an extension with the Patriots, relays Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. “I’d entertain any possibility,” said Garoppolo. “I’m really not thinking about too much right now. There’s just so much going on with OTAs and training camp is right around the corner. That’s where my focus is, and we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, I guess.” Unsurprisingly, Garoppolo added that he’s not satisfied holding a clipboard, saying: “Obviously I want to play. That’s the competitor in me. I think everyone out here wants to play. And we come out here and compete every day for that opportunity. If you go out there and earn it, it’s yours.”
With Tom Brady entrenched under center, there’s no path to immediate playing time in New England for Garoppolo, though the former is in a race against time as he goes into his age-40 season. While the Patriots would like to keep Garoppolo and have him eventually take over for Brady, preventing him from hitting free agency next offseason might not be realistic if Brady‘s excellence continues. There’s no indication an extension is coming, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com suggests the Patriots should take a proactive approach and offer the signal-caller a one-year, $24MM extension now. If Garoppolo were to accept it, the Pats would be able to spread the money over the next two seasons. Otherwise, should the team place the franchise tag on Garoppolo next year, it would potentially have a backup QB occupying $24MM in cap space.
More from the AFC:
- The Jets are going to release linebacker David Harris, but they did try to get the 10-year veteran to take a pay cut before deciding to part with him, reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Harris’ camp is unhappy with the Jets, though, because there were no negotiations about a reduction in pay before the offseason began in earnest, tweets Garafolo. Agents Brian Mackler and Jim Ivler told Garafolo they’re “very disappointed in the timing of this event and the decision. The Jets could’ve done this prior to free agency instead of waiting three months, especially for a player who has exhibited nothing but loyalty and class for 10 years.” It doesn’t seem as if Harris will go without a job for long, as he is already drawing interest from other teams, Mackler informed SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
- The Raiders’ forthcoming move to Las Vegas inspired Marshawn Lynch to come out of retirement and join the franchise as its time in Oakland nears an end, the running back told media on Tuesday (Twitter links via SiriusXM NFL Radio and Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). Lynch, an Oakland native, expressed regret that “a lot of Oakland kids won’t have the opportunity to see their idols play football anymore.” The Raiders are down to their final two or three years in Oakland and will head to Vegas in 2020. Lynch won’t make that trek, it seems, as he’s already 31 and only under contract through next season.
- The Ravens could be the next destination for soon-to-be former Jets wide receiver Eric Decker, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). For now, the receiver-needy Ravens are scheduled to meet with free agent wideout Jeremy Maclin on Wednesday, but he’s currently in Buffalo and won’t make it to Baltimore if the Bills are able to close the deal tonight.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/6/17
Tuesday’s minor NFL transactions:
- The Bills have added wide receiver Rashad Ross and cut fellow wideout Kolby Listenbee with a waived/non-football injury designation. Buffalo is already the seventh team for Ross, who went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2013. A veteran of 22 regular-season games, Ross has never caught a pass, though he has returned 34 kicks and run one back for a touchdown. Listenbee went to the Bills last year as a sixth-round pick, but the ex-TCU target didn’t participate in any of their games.
- The Saints have waived linebacker Travis Feeney with an injury designation, tweets Nick Underhill of the Advocate. New Orleans plucked Feeney off the Steelers’ practice squad last December, but the then-rookie sixth-rounder from Washington didn’t see action with either team.
- The Cardinals have announced three signings – linebacker Alex Bazzie, cornerback Daniel Gray and Chris Hubert – and the waiving of linebacker Mikey Bart. Bazzie is now on his third team dating back May 1, as both the Colts and Panthers cut the ex-Canadian Football League player last month. Gray went undrafted from Utah State and tried out for the Cardinals afterward, but he wasn’t able to earn a roster spot then. He’s a cousin of Cardinals quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich, notes Brandon Judd of the Deseret News. Hubert has had multiple go-arounds with Arizona since it first signed him undrafted out of Fayetteville State last year. And Bart lasted just over two weeks with the Cardinals, who signed the UDFA from North Carolina on May 17.
- The Ravens announced that they’ve signed tight end Ryan Malleck and cut cornerback Carlos Davis. Malleck, undrafted from Virginia Tech in 2016, previously spent time with the Giants and Steelers. Davis hooked on with the Ravens last month as an undrafted free agent, but he suffered an injury early in OTAs.
- The Titans have waived/injured cornerback John Green and signed free agent receiver Mekale McKay. Green had a short stay with the Titans, who signed the undrafted ex-UConn defender in May. McKay, undrafted from Cincinnati a year ago, was previously with the Colts, Jaguars and Broncos.
- The Broncos have signed guard Christopher Muller, who’s joining his second team since going undrafted last month. Muller, formerly with Rutgers, had a brief stint with the Colts.
Jets To Trade Or Release Eric Decker
The Jets have told wide receiver Eric Decker that they will either trade or release him this week, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
The departure of Decker will continue a significant offseason shakeup for the Jets, who previously released a slew of notable veterans in receiver Brandon Marshall, center Nick Mangold, cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebacker David Harris, among others. Like those four, Decker is in his 30s (he just turned 30 in March), meaning he doesn’t fit into the Jets’ youth movement. He’s also coming off an injury-shortened season, one in which he missed the Jets’ final 13 games after undergoing hip surgery and an operation to repair his partially torn rotator cuff.
For now, Decker has two years remaining on the five-year, $36.25MM contract the ex-Bronco signed with the Jets in March 2014. Decker, a 2010 third-round pick who broke out in Denver from 2012-13, carried his strong production from the Mile High City to New York in his first two years with the Jets. The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder combined for 154 catches, 1,989 yards and 17 touchdowns (including 12 in 2015) over 28 games during those seasons. And before injuries derailed him last September, Decker again looked on track for a big year, catching nine passes for a whopping 194 yards and two scores.
By trading or releasing Decker, the Jets will save $7.5MM in cap space in each of the next two seasons. His exit will leave the Jets with Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson and two 2017 draft picks (third-rounder ArDarius Stewart and fourth-rounder Chad Hansen) as their top receivers entering the upcoming season. Decker, meanwhile, will join fellow accomplished veteran wideouts Jeremy Maclin, Anquan Boldin, Eddie Royal and Steve Johnson on the open market if the Jets don’t find a taker for him via trade.
Taylor Decker Could Miss Start Of Season
The Lions might have to begin the 2017 campaign without left tackle Taylor Decker, head coach Jim Caldwell told Kyle Meinke of MLive.com and other media on Tuesday. Decker underwent shoulder surgery Monday as a result of an injury he suffered during organized team activities, and he’ll be out until at least training camp and potentially into the regular season.
“Anytime that you’ve had surgery, you just don’t know details (about) how long it actually takes,” Caldwell stated. “Like I said, we’ll update you in the fall.”
Decker, whom the Lions chose 16th overall in last year’s draft, emerged as a 16-game starter during his rookie season. The former Ohio State stalwart carried his strong play with the Buckeyes to Detroit, ranking 23rd in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 78 qualified tackles. More impressively, perhaps, Decker joined quarterback Matthew Stafford as the Lions’ only players to participate in all 1,037 of their offensive snaps.
When he’s ready to return, the 23-year-old Decker will rejoin a remade offensive line that, earlier this offseason, lost guard Larry Warford and tackle Riley Reiff and replaced them with big-money signings T.J. Lang and Ricky Wagner. Those two will make up the right side of the Lions’ O-line when Decker’s healthy. But Wagner could shift to the left with Decker out, per Caldwell, or the team could use another in-house option in Cornelius Lucas or Joe Dahl. Caldwell also didn’t rule out the possibility of adding a tackle from outside the organization. That could put free agents such as Ryan Clady, Austin Pasztor and King Dunlap, among others, in play for the Decker-less Lions.
AFC Notes: Broncos, Browns, Fins, Jets
Broncos second-year safety Will Parks is facing two misdemeanor charges stemming from a March 31 arrest, reports Mike Klis of 9News. Parks, charged with harassment and non-violent domestic violence, has a court date in Brighton, Colo., on June 30. His ex-girlfriend told police that Parks started making threats against her because he believed she stole his social security card, birth certificate, football rings and football jerseys. Parks claims he never threatened her, but she nonetheless filed a restraining order against him. The Broncos knew about Parks’ arrest before it became public knowledge, the team informed Klis. “We became aware of the issue involving Will Parks immediately after it occurred in April,” stated the club. “It was promptly reported to the league office and we are continuing to monitor the matter.” The NFL is currently determining whether Parks violated its personal conduct policy, tweets Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.
More from the AFC:
- Browns quarterback Brock Osweiler has emerged as a serious candidate to start Week 1 because he has exceeded head coach Hue Jackson‘s expectations since joining the team via trade in March, relays Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Osweiler’s performance last year in Houston was ugly, and he even came with behind-the-scenes concerns that led to wariness from Jackson. But Osweiler “has been outstanding in our building, and that’s what’s most important,” noted Jackson, who has teamed with quarterbacks coach David Lee to help tighten up the 6-foot-8, 235-pounder’s delivery. “I told him this yesterday — I went back and watched a little bit of film of him from last year, and he looks much better right now,” said Jackson. “He’s more compact. He’s throwing the ball with a lot more velocity. He’s doing a lot of good things.”
- The Dolphins and wide receiver Jarvis Landry have discussed a contract extension, but the talks haven’t gotten serious, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. “We’ve talked back and forth but there’s nothing really going on,” said Landry. “We’re just really focusing on right now today.” Landry has no plans to hold out as he enters the last year of his rookie contract, per the Miami Herald’s Adam H. Beasley, who expects him to sign a deal worth upward of $12MM per annum at some point. As Beasley notes, no NFLer has caught more passes in his first three years in the league than Landry, who hauled in 288 from 2014-16.
- The Jets traded safety Calvin Pryor to Cleveland on Thursday in part because they wanted him out of their locker room, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. There was a belief within the organization that Pryor “had an inflated opinion of himself” and didn’t buy into head coach Todd Bowles‘ program, per Cimini.
Draft Pick Signings: 6/1/17
The latest NFL rookies to put pen to paper on their first contracts:
- The Saints signed their two third-round picks, linebacker Alex Anzalone (pick No. 76) and defensive end Trey Hendrickson (No. 103), as well as sixth-round DE Al-Quadin Muhammad (No. 196) on Thursday (via Anzalone’s Twitter account and Herbie Teope of NOLA.com). Thanks in part to shoulder injuries, Anzalone didn’t pick up significant playing time at Florida until last season, when he totaled 53 tackles and three sacks. Despite his relatively modest output with the Gators, Anzalone has the talent to be a three-down starter in the pros, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. Hendrickson, meanwhile, was quite productive at Florida Atlantic, where he tallied 41 tackles for loss and 29.5 sacks from 2013-16. Most of the damage came over the previous two years, as Hendrickson combined for 30 TFL and 23 sacks in that span. Muhammad, yet another prospect who played his college ball at a Florida-based institution (Miami), is coming off a troubled tenure with the Hurricanes. He missed all of 2014 on account of a suspension stemming from an altercation and then incurred yet another ban last year, one that led to his dismissal from Miami, for a violation of NCAA rules. The last time Muhammad took the field, in 2015, he put up 54 tackles (8.5 for loss) and five sacks.
- The Packers have signed fourth-round running back Jamaal Williams (No. 134), leaving only one of their 10 picks – third-round defensive tackle Montravius Adams – without a contract. Williams, the first of three running backs the Packers drafted this year, was a two-time 1,200-yard rusher at BYU. He finished his Cougars tenure with a career year in 2016, amassing 1,375 rushing yards (with a 5.9 yards-per-carry average) and 12 touchdowns in 10 games.
NFC Notes: Redskins, Bears, Lions
Running back Matt Jones, who’s not in the Redskins’ plans, would like the team to trade or cut him, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. For now, the Redskins have no plans to cut the two-year veteran, according to Keim, though he notes that teams around the NFL ultimately expect that to happen. Although he averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per carry on 99 attempts last season, the fumble-prone Jones is now at the bottom of Washington’s backfield depth chart.
More from two other NFC cities:
- Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith suffered a thumb ligament injury Thursday that will keep him out until training camp, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s the second OTA casualty for Chicago, joining quarterback Mark Sanchez, who suffered a knee injury earlier this week. Meredith is clearly the more important player for the Bears, having posted 66 receptions, 888 yards and four touchdowns as a second-year man in 2016.
- The Bears’ newest receiver, Victor Cruz, can earn up $4MM on his one-year contract, relays Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cruz’s deal includes a $500K signing bonus, $500K in per-game roster bonuses and a chance to rake in $2MM in incentives.
- The Lions are done deploying a fullback, head coach Jim Caldwell revealed Wednesday (via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press). Caldwell’s announcement came a day after the Lions waived fullback Michael Burton, who only played 95 offensive snaps last season. “The reason why Burton’s no longer here is because that position as you’d call it (designated as a) fullback, is not part of how we function,” Caldwell said. “We find a way to get done with other positions, tight end and things of that nature.”
- As a guest on “The Carriker Chronicles” podcast, Lions starting running back Ameer Abdullah opened up about the foot injury that ended his season in Week 2 last year. “I ended up tearing my Lisfranc the second game of the season against the Tennessee Titans, separating my foot, so that was a bummer for me,” Abdullah told former NFLer Adam Carriker (per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). “But I’m shaking back good now. It’s helped me understand my body more, so I’m a lot more penciled in on what I need to do as far as recovery, make sure I’m [doing all the] right things for my body to make sure I’m ready for this 2017 season.”