Browns WR Antonio Callaway Cited For Marijuana Possession
Rookie Browns receiver Antonio Callaway was cited for marijuana possession early Sunday morning, according to Tony Grossi of ESPN.com.
Callaway allegedly failed to yield to oncoming traffic near Strongsville, Ohio and was subsequently pulled over by police at 2:59am. Officers found “a small amount” of marijuana under Callway’s driver seat, which will only result in a minor misdemeanor thanks to Ohio law.
For his part, Callaway says he recently had his car shipped from Florida to Ohio and wasn’t aware there was marijuana in the vehicle, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Callaway is also facing a citation for a driving on a suspended license.
Although Callaway seems unlikely to face any serious legal consequences as the result of his citation, he could be subject to an NFL-imposed suspension, either during the upcoming season or in 2019. It’s worth noting that Callaway tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine in April, and had previously been charged with felonies related to a credit card scam that resulted in his suspension from Florida’s football team.
The Browns traded up in the draft in order to select Callaway with the 105th overall pick, and he’d just been promoted into the club’s starting lineup following the trade of fellow wideout Corey Coleman. Cleveland can ill afford any more depletions to its wide receiver corps, as Josh Gordon is currently away from the team as he deals with off-field issues of his own.
AFC East Notes: Pats, Decker, Bills, Fins, Jets
The Patriots signed veteran wideout Eric Decker to a one-year deal last week, but New England actually had its eyes on Decker as early as the 2010 draft, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explains. Decker was “squarely in [the Patriots’] sights” at pick No. 90 in that draft, but the Minnesota product ended up going off the board three picks earlier to the Broncos, who at that time were lead by now-New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. After recording 54 receptions for 563 yards a season ago, Decker has effectively replaced Jordan Matthews as the Patriots’ slot receiver, at least until Julian Edelman returns from suspension. Decker received only $75K in guaranteed money, however, so he’s far from a roster lock in New England.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- Bills receiver Zay Jones has been activated off the active/non-football injury list, but was wearing a red contact jersey during his first day back at practice, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WKBW. Jones underwent knee surgery in May and missed Buffalo’s offseason program, but the club has expressed hope that Jones — who was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft — will be ready for the regular season. After an offseason which included not only an operation but a bizarre arrest, the Bills have been adamant that Jones won’t be handed a starting spot. Buffalo’s wideout depth chart is among the worst in the league, though, so it will be surprising if Jones isn’t lining up opposite Kelvin Benjamin as the Bills’ No. 2 pass-catcher.
- After being traded from the Saints to the Dolphins last season, linebacker Stephone Anthony appears set to open the 2018 campaign as a starting outside linebacker, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald writes. Anthony has disappointed in four NFL seasons after being chosen as a first-round pick, and the Dolphins subsequently declined his fifth-year option for the 2019 season. That would have paid Anthony nearly $10MM next year, but as Fernandez details, Miami could conceivably extend Anthony if he succeeds this season.
- Veteran Thomas Rawls is now a legitimate candidate for the Jets‘ third running back job after Elijah McGuire suffered a broken foot, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. McGuire is expected to be sidelined for three-to-six weeks, so Rawls is now competing with Trenton Cannon and George Atkinson for the right to play behind Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell. Rawls, of course, was a revelation in limited duty during the 2015 season, averaging 5.6 yards per carry on 147 rushes. In the years since, however, Rawls has been beset by injuries, and wasn’t tendered as a Seahawks restricted free agent earlier this year.
- The Jets recently expanded their analytics department by hiring former scout Brian Shields as a senior manager of football research, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. That’s a new role within the New York front office, per Cimini, who indicates general manager Mike Maccagnan is becoming more open to the use of analytics in the NFL.
Saints To Release WR Brandon Coleman
The Saints will release wide receiver Brandon Coleman with a failed physical designation, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Coleman had been sidelined by an unspecified injury in recent weeks, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
New Orleans declined to tender Coleman as a restricted free agent earlier this year, failing to bring him back on an original round tender that would have cost $1.9MM. Instead, the Saints re-signed Coleman in April to a deal that had a maximum value of $1MM.
Exactly how often Coleman was to contribute during the upcoming season had been unclear, as the Saints improved their wide receiving corps over the offseason. New Orleans landed Cameron Meredith after inking the former Bear to a restricted offer sheet, one which Chicago declined to match. He’ll likely act as the Saints’ slot receiver between Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr., so Coleman was — at best — the club’s fourth wideout.
Coleman, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers in 2014, has never been all that productive while catching passes from Drew Brees. His target share and overall reception total decreased in each of his three full seasons with the Saints, and he was never able to top 30 receptions or 500 receiving yards during his tenure wit the team.
But there are reasons to be somewhat optimistic about Coleman’s future, and his large stature is one of them. Coleman stands 6’6″ and 225 pounds, meaning he nearly has the frame of a tight end. That size hasn’t contributed to production out of the slot thus far, but Coleman is still only 26 years old. Coleman also fared well in Football Outsiders’ DYAR, which measures value over a replacement-level player — among the 71 wideouts with fewer than 50 receptions in 2017, Coleman ranked a respectable 13th in DYAR.
5 Key NFL Stories: 7/29/18 – 8/5/18
Vikings extend Stefon Diggs. Diggs is just the latest would-be free agent to receive a new deal from Minnesota, joining the likes of defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebacker Eric Kendricks. After averaging 67 receptions, 824 yards, and five touchdowns over his first three NFL seasons, Diggs received a five-year, $72MM extension that contains $16.907MM in full guarantees, including a $15MM signing bonus. On an annual basis, Diggs is now the NFL’s ninth-highest-paid wideout, and his new deal makes fellow receiver Adam Thielen‘s three-year, $19.246MM pact look especially affordable.
Safeties get signed. Kenny Vaccaro finally landed a contract last week, although it unfortunately took a season-ending injury to fellow defensive back Johnathan Cyprien for a deal to get done. The Titans searched for safety help after losing Cyprien to a torn ACL, and Vaccaro led a workout session that also included Mike Mitchell, Lardarius Webb, and Steven Terrell. Former 49ers safety Eric Reid was also supposed to audition for Tennessee, but a delayed flight forced him to cancel his Titans visit. Vaccaro, meanwhile, inked a one-year contract and will presumably start opposite Kevin Byard in Tennessee’s secondary. He wasn’t the only safety who found a new deal last week, as veteran Corey Graham re-upped with the Eagles.
Patriots make a change at wide receiver. Jordan Matthews has been considered something near a lock for New England’s 53-man roster, but an injury forced him off the squad. Indeed, while there was initially some confusion as to whether Matthews was released or placed on injured reserve, the Patriots later announced that he’d officially been cut. In his stead, New England signed former Bronco/Jet/Titan Eric Decker, who figures to see action in the slot, at least until Julian Edelman returns from suspension.
Packers lose a defender. Green Bay got bad news last week, as the club learned starting linebacker Jake Ryan will miss the 2018 campaign with a torn ACL. Ryan, who had started 27 games over three seasons after the Packers selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, was expected to play inside next to Blake Martinez. After Ryan went down, Green Bay reportedly considered adding a veteran such as NaVorro Bowman, but no appear set to give youngsters like third-round rookie Oren Burks more playing time.
Brandon LaFell hits free agency. The Bengals rarely release veterans before their contracts expire (they currently have the fourth-least dead money in the league), but LaFell was standing in the way of younger and cheaper options on Cincinnati’s wide receiver depth chart. With LaFell out of the picture, the Bengals have moved 2017 No. 9 overall pick John Ross into the starting lineup opposite A.J. Green, while Tyler Boyd will man the slot. Josh Malone, Auden Tate, and Cody Core are among the other Cincinnati pass-catchers vying for opportunities.
Extra Points: Patriots, 49ers, Raiders, Jets
Although Eric Decker‘s one-year contract with the Patriots has a base value of $1.9MM, the veteran wideout received only $75K in guaranteed money, all in the form of signing bonus, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Decker can earn $2.1MM in total by maxing out bonuses and incentives, but New England won’t have a financial reason not cut him at the end of camp. However, Decker could prove valuable on a Patriots’ depth chart that is not only down Julian Edelman (suspension) for four games, but just lost Jordan Matthews via release. Decker, 31, posted 54 receptions for 563 yards and one touchdown during his lone season with the Titans in 2017.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The 49ers are exhibiting “growing concern” about guard Joshua Garnett‘s right knee injury, per a report from the Associated Press. Garnett, a first-round pick in the 2016 draft, missed the entire 2017 campaign after having surgery on the same knee, so the issue is doubly concerning. After Garnett reportedly banged knees with a teammate in late July, he was expected to return to practice this week, but his presence has been delayed. Garnett is competing for time at right guard — the only open spot on San Francisco’s offensive line — with Jonathan Cooper and Michael Person.
- After being arrested in April as a member of the Eagles, now Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley plead guilty in to DUI, carrying firearms in public, and resisting arrest, reports Vic Tafur of the Athletic (Twitter link). Worley was sentenced to three days in jail and two years of probation, and his legal issues are now resolved. As such, Worley could be forced to serve a suspension during the 2018 season, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Worley was traded to Philadelphia in exchange for wide receiver Torrey Smith earlier this year, but the Eagles cut him the day he was arrested.
- Speaking of legal problems, Jets linebacker Dylan Donahue plead guilty to a Montana DUI charge earlier this week, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Donahue was sentenced to three months in jail, but that punishment was suspended upon payment of $1K fine. The second-year defender also plead guilty to a DWI charge in New York earlier this year. Donahue, who rarely played during his rookie campaign, will likely face a NFL-imposed suspension this year.
- The Bears worked out free agent interior offensive lineman Alex Officer, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Officer went undrafted out of Pittsburgh earlier this year but landed a deal with the Raiders in May. He was waived just two weeks into his Oakland tenure, and has been sitting on the open market since. Per Wilson, Officer conducted a solid workout, but Chicago isn’t aiming to sign him immediately.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Redskins, Cowboys
Although Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz wasn’t placed on the physically unable to perform list to start training camp, Philadelphia’s plan for its signal-caller — who tore his ACL in December — isn’t exactly clear, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer details. Wentz participated in last Sunday’s workout in a limited fashion, and then wasn’t involved in on-field activities for the remainder of the week. Although both Wentz and the Eagles have maintained the third-year pro hasn’t suffered any setbacks, Philadelphia will need to balance its attempts to get Wentz ready with the requirement of preparing backup Nick Foles in the event Wentz isn’t ready for Week 1.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Cornerback Josh Norman‘s future with the Redskins hinges on a number of factors, as John Keim of ESPN.com explains in his latest mailbag. Washington had added depth to its defensive backfield recently, and if Quinton Dunbar or 2017 third-rounder Fabian Moreau proves capable of starting this season, the Redskins could move on from Norman, who inked a five-year, $75MM deal in 2016. Financials, then, play another role in Norman’s fate in the nation’s capital. After counting for a massive $20MM on the Redskins’ salary cap in 2017, Norman’s charge will decrease to roughly $17MM this year and $14,5MM in 2019. Washington would save $8.5MM by cutting Norman before June of 2019, and $11.5MM by designating him a post-June 1 release.
- Tavon Austin has been a jack-of-all-trades for the Cowboys since he was acquired via trade during the draft, but there’s one area of his game that hasn’t yet been utilized. “All the things you see me doing out here is pretty much what I’ll be doing,” Austin said, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I ain’t touched the backfield yet, but hopefully, eventually if they need me back there, I’ll be back there too.” Dallas picked up Austin, a disappointing former first-round pick, from Los Angeles in exchange for a sixth-round pick, and he’s now expected to be the club’s primary punt returner.
- The Giants are experimenting by using longtime cornerback William Gay at safety, writes Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com. Gay, who spent most of his time at corner over an 11-year career mostly spent in Pittsburgh, would give New York another option alongside Landon Collins and Darian Thompson. Gay, 33, saw a bit of action as a linebacker/safety with the Steelers, and also has experience in the slot, so a move to safety shouldn’t be all too challenging.
Poll: Which 2017 First Place Team Is Likeliest To Miss Playoffs In 2018?
In 2017, four first-place teams from the previous season did not earn postseason berths. Those clubs — the Texans, Cowboys, Packers, and Seahawks — all missed the playoffs for different reasons. Injuries, poor luck, off-field issues, and plain old regression to the mean all contributed in certain instances, and 2018 doesn’t figure to be any different for the 2017 first-place teams.
We’ve already asked PFR readers which 2017 last place team is likeliest to make the postseason in 2018 (the 49ers were the top choice, with the Texans following closely behind). Today, we’ll flip that question: which 2017 first place club is going to miss the playoffs during the upcoming campaign?
Let’s take an overview of the teams:
New England Patriots
With Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in tow, the Patriots have won at least 12 games for eight consecutive seasons, and earned playoff berths in 14 of the past 15 years. Despite some roster turnover, that streak doesn’t figure to end in 2018. Not only is the AFC weak overall, but the AFC East in particular isn’t going to offer much competition for New England. New faces such as running back Sony Michel, offensive tackles Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown, defensive lineman Danny Shelton and Adrian Clayborn, and cornerback Jason McCourty should help keep the Patriots’ postseason streak alive.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are rolling it back, as the club won’t have many changes on either offense or defense. The only new factor on the offensive side of the ball figures to be rookie wideout James Washington, who will replace Martavis Bryant as Pittsburgh’s deep threat. On defense, linebacker Jon Bostic takes over for the injured Ryan Shazier, while Morgan Burnett and Terrell Edmunds will form an all-new safety tandem. Competition from within the AFC North might be improved, especially if the Browns don’t play like a winless team again in 2018.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Over the course of the 2017 season, the Jaguars posted the second-highest DVOA variance of any NFL club, meaning their performance wasn’t consistent from week-to-week. Now that they’ve brought back quarterback Blake Bortles, that doesn’t figure to change. In a passing league, Jacksonville will commit to winning via the run game and defensive dominance, and those two areas of the game aren’t nearly as correlated to win as passing offense.
Kansas City Chiefs
For what it’s worth, the Chiefs finished with the worst DVOA of any first-place team in 2017, and DVOA — Football Outsiders’ efficiency metric — is better at predicting future records than a team’s actual win-loss record. Kansas City is now deploying a new quarterback in 2017 first-round pick Patrick Mahomes, and as Warren Sharp detailed on Thursday, the Chiefs and Mahomes will need to limit their turnovers in order to have success in 2018. Everyone’s favorite sleeper — the Chargers — also reside in the AFC West, while Denver and Oakland also have legitimate postseason hopes.
Philadelphia Eagles
Unlike a postmortem, which helps explain why things happened after the fact, a premortem examines potential crises before they actually occur. Let’s take a premortem approach to a hypothetically-flawed 2018 Eagles roster: Carson Wentz doesn’t recover quickly from his ACL tear and his replacement, Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, looks more like the Rams version of himself. Philadelphia’s defensive line ages quickly and can’t match its 2017 dominance, and the Eagles’ defensive back depth chart — which is relying on young players like Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas — can’t hold up. And head coach Doug Pederson‘s aggressiveness, which led him to go for it on fourth downs a league-leading 29 times in 2017, backfires.
Minnesota Vikings
Two words: Aaron Rodgers. Sure, the Vikings were among the most complete teams in the league last season, and have since added both Kirk Cousins and Sheldon Richardson to an already-stacked roster. But the return of Rodgers from injury surely strikes fear in the hearts of Minnesota fans, and we haven’t even mentioned the improvements made by the NFC North’s other two clubs, the Bears and Lions.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints undoubtedly have a lot going for them in 2018: a future Hall of Famer in quarterback Drew Brees, dynamic rushing and receiving weapons, and an up-and-coming defense that will add veterans Kurt Coleman and Demario Davis in addition to rookie defensive end Marcus Davenport. The real problem for New Orleans is the strength of the NFC South. Both the Falcons and Panthers made the playoffs in 2017 and figure to be in contention again, so there’s always a chance the Saints slip out of the postseason picture due to their intra-division competition.
Los Angeles Rams
For all the offseason hype regarding the Rams, there are still quite a few questions about the club’s roster construction? Will LA’s offensive line — fronted by aging veterans Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan — hold up? How long will All-World defender Aaron Donald continue his holdout? Can Brandin Cooks improve upon Sammy Watkins‘ performance as the Rams’ X receiver? And who exactly will be rushing the passer from outside linebacker in Wade Phillips‘ 3-4 scheme?
So, what do you think? Which 2017 first place team is likeliest to miss the playoffs in 2018? Vote below!
Browns Open To Extending QB Tyrod Taylor
Despite using the first overall pick on quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Browns are open to extending the contract of fellow signal-caller Tyrod Taylor, who is entering the final year of his current deal, as general manager John Dorsey explained to Kevin Clark of The Ringer.
“I just want to see Tyrod do what he’s done in the past,” Dorsey said. “He’s a natural born leader. He’s had an excellent camp so far. I want to see it unfold. There may come a point here where I call his representatives in October and say, ‘Let’s strike something up.’”
Cleveland has been adamant that Taylor will open the 2018 campaign as the club’s starting quarterback, but Mayfield is clearly viewed as the franchise’s long-term option under center. When asked if being forced to extend Taylor would cast doubt on Mayfield’s future, Dorsey answered “Nah, let’s deal with it when it happens.”
Taylor, who turned 29 years old on Friday, would surely be searching for starting quarterback money on any extension. He’s currently set to collect $16MM in total from the Browns during the upcoming season, and it’s difficult to imagine Cleveland paying two passers double-digit annual salaries, even though Mayfield’s earnings will be suppressed by the NFL’s rookie slotting system.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/18
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers: DE Eddy Wilson
- Signed: CB C.J. Goodwin, OL Cory Helms, WR Kayaune Ross
- Placed on injured reserve: OL Rod Taylor (story)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Trey Williams
- Waived: T Bryce Johnson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Brian Brown
- Waived: WR Dom Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers: DE James Hearns
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived/injured: LB Garrett Sickels
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Aaron Lacombe
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Ricky Ali’ifua
- Waived: C Marcus Henry, DE Eddy Wilson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Jason Thompson
Seahawks Notes: Thomas, Brown, Allen
Although Seahawks safety Earl Thomas today penned an essay in the Players’ Tribune regarding his ongoing holdout, the veteran’s piece hasn’t exactly changed the facts of the situation at hand, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Not only have no new negotiations taken place, but no club has sent a viable trade offer for Thomas. Thomas, of course, is seeking either a new contract or a trade, but the Seahawks don’t seem particularly inclined to work out a fresh contract. Trade talks, meanwhile, have mostly been centered around the Cowboys, but nothing has yet come to fruition. Thomas, 29, is entering the final year of his current contract, during which he’s scheduled to collect a base salary of $8.5MM.
Here’s more from Seattle:
- As noted above, the Seahawks aren’t likely to renegotiate Thomas’ pact any time soon, and that’s in part due to team owner Paul Allen, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Allen “doesn’t get emotional or worried” about potential holdouts, per Florio, and that was evident during Seattle’s talks with safety Kam Chancellor in 2015. The Seahawks didn’t move an inch at that time, and Thomas’ holdout isn’t expected to result in a new deal this time around. Thomas, it seems, is willing to play hardball in order to land the contract he feels he deserves, but the Seahawks might be open to doing just the same.
- More details are now available on left tackle Duane Brown‘s three-year extension with the Seahawks, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports the veteran offensive lineman received a signing bonus of $8MM and a full guarantee of $16MM. Brown only gets $1.75MM of his 2019 salary guaranteed for injury, but it becomes fully guaranteed after the Super Bowl, meaning Seattle will need to make a quick decision on Brown’s future. Even if the Seahawks do cut Brown next spring, they’d be forced to carry $7.75MM in dead cap.
- In case you missed it, Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin is dealing with a knee injury that could keep him sidelined for most of the preseason, although his availability for Week 1 of the regular season doesn’t seem to be in peril.