Latest On Packers OT Bryan Bulaga
Given that he ended the 2017 season on injured reserve, Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga wasn’t considered a lock to earn a spot on Green Bay’s roster for the upcoming campaign. However, Bulaga’s recovery has reportedly been “impressive,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and the 29-year-old offensive lineman is no longer on the Packers’ roster bubble.
Bulaga has been no stranger to poor injury luck during his NFL career, and his 2017 ACL tear was the second of his pro tenure (he missed the entire 2013 season with same injury). Indeed, Bulaga has only appeared in all 16 games twice during his eight-year run: once during his rookie year in 2010, and again in 2016. Due roughly $8MM in cap charges in each of the next two seasons, Bulaga could have also been viewed as a potential cap casualty, as Green Bay would save more than $6MM in both 2017 and 2018 by cutting him now.
At his best, Bulaga is one of the league’s top right tackles. A former first-round pick, Bulaga received top-seven tackle grades from Pro Football Focus in both 2014 and 2016. And while he slipped to No. 39 in PFF’s rankings a season ago, a multitude of injuries — even before the campaign-ending ACL tear — likely contributed to Bulaga’s ineffective play.
Although Bulaga is currently on the active/physically unable to perform list, he’s expected to be ready for Week 1. If he’s not available at any point during the season, the Packers would turn to veteran Byron Bell, Jason Spriggs, or Kyle Murphy to play right tackle.
Packers Considered LB NaVorro Bowman
After losing linebacker Jake Ryan for the season due to a torn ACL, the Packers considered NaVorro Bowman and a host of other veteran linebackers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). However, it appears Green Bay will hold off on signing a new linebacker for the time being.
Bowman spent the entire 2017 campaign in the Bay Area, but split his time between two clubs thanks to a midseason trade that sent him from the 49ers to the Raiders. The 30-year-old Bowman hasn’t garnered much interest since the free agent market opened in March, although the Raiders have expressed a desire to re-sign him despite adding other veteran ‘backers such as Derrick Johnson, Tahir Whitehead, and Emmanuel Lamur during the offseason.
The Packers are keeping a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Mike Pettine, so Bowman would likely be comfortable in a scheme he’s played for most of his career. But Green Bay instead wants to give its younger players a chance to play, per Pelissero. Rookie third-round pick Oren Burks looks like a clear candidate to receive playing time next to Blake Martinez, while Pelissero indicates Ahmad Thomas (whom the Packers picked up last November) is also an internal favorite.
If Green Bay does end up looking at other free agent linebackers (instead of Bowman), a few options might stand out. Gerald Hodges is familiar with a 3-4 system (and recently took a visit with the Cardinals), Karlos Dansby played under Pettine with the Browns, and Lawrence Timmons offers 140 starts worth of experience.
Latest On Bears LB Roquan Smith’s Holdout
The Bears are no longer fighting first-round linebacker Roquan Smith on contract language that would void his guaranteed money were he to be suspended under the NFL’s new helmet contact rule, according to David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
However, Smith — the final rookie without a contract in place — is not attending Chicago’s training camp as his agents are still reticent about certain language in the Bears’ proposed pact, per Haugh. Smith’s agents want him protected in the event he’s suspended for an event that’s considered “outside the realm of a football play”: a late hit, for instance. The Bears aren’t willing to begin a new contractual precedent by including such language, although a team source tells Waugh that disinclination has nothing to do with Smith’s character.
Chicago has reportedly been adamant that it wouldn’t attempt to void Smith’s future guarantees over a “football play,” per Haugh. As evidence, the club has provided its reaction to linebacker Danny Trevathan‘s illegal hit on Packers wideout Davante Adams in 2017. After that incident, the Bears never made any attempt to recoup money from Trevathan or void his remaining guaranteed money.
Per Haugh, only eight teams have acceded to rookie demands of language that would protect their guarantees in the event of a helmet-related suspension. However, just four clubs have allowed the protection that Smith wants, so it’s unlikely the Bears want to create a new precedent given that most of the NFL has not given in.
Titans To Host S Eric Reid
The Titans aren’t leaving any stone unturned as they search for Johnathan Cyprien‘s replacement at safety. Tennessee will meet with former 49ers defensive back Eric Reid on Friday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said earlier today that his club would consider Reid after losing Cyprien to a torn ACL, so Reid’s visit doesn’t come as a total surprise. In addition to Reid, Tennessee will take a look at fellow safeties Kenny Vaccaro, Lardarius Webb, and Mike Mitchell. As Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com speculates (via Twitter), the Titans could conceivably sign two defensive backs following tomorrow’s tryouts, especially given that backup Kendrick Lewis is also battling an injury.
Reid, of course, hasn’t had much success garnering interest this offseason, and that’s likely due to his intention to signal protest during the national anthem. He met with the Bengals earlier this year, but subsequently filed a collusion grievance after Cincinnati reportedly asked him to end his protests.
Reid, 26, was something of a playmaker during his first two NFL campaigns, as he posted seven total interceptions from 2013-14. While he hasn’t kept up that rate of turnover creation, Reid is still a solid starter, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 30 safety a year ago.
Chiefs Tried To Trade For Hitchens In 2017
The Chiefs signed former Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens to a five-year contract this offseason, but Kansas City had made attempts to acquire Hitchens previously. According to Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star, the Chiefs actually tried to trade for Hitchens during the summer of 2017.
The Cowboys declined to deal Hitchens — originally a fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft — and he went on to play on 500 or more defensive snaps for the fourth consecutive season. In total, 2017 marked one of the best campaigns of Hitchens’ career, as he appeared in 12 games (all starts) and posted 55 tackles, two passes defensed, and one forced fumble, all while grading as the NFL’s No. 18 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.
“We’re sitting there on the free-agency board, and the guy that we made our first call to back in August about his availability, he’s a free agent,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach told Worthy. “We knew we were going to go in a different direction with Derrick [Johnson]. It just made sense. We spent a lot of time on him with the work we did back in August. Here we’ve come full circle now. Now, we’re right back where we originally started, which is pursuing Anthony Hitchens.”
Hitchens, 26, ultimately landed a five-year, $45MM deal with the Chiefs that makes him the league’s seventh-highest paid inside linebacker on an annual basis. That pact also contains $21.29MM in fully guaranteed money, second to only Luke Kuechly among inside ‘backers. During the upcoming campaign, Hitchens will collect a base salary of $790K and count for $3.6MM against Kansas City’s salary cap before his cap charge nearly triples in 2019.
With the Chiefs, Hitchens will start next to Reggie Ragland — whom Kansas City acquired from the Bills last year — in defensive coordinator Bob Sutton‘s 3-4 scheme. Johnson, whom the Chiefs opted not to re-sign after he spent 13 seasons with the club, was regularly playing more than 800 defensive snaps per year, so Hitchens will need to increase his playtime percentage as he transitions to a new team.
Packers, Aaron Rodgers Making Progress On Extension
The Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have made “noticeable progress” during their negotiations for a long-term extension, and Green Bay reportedly is optimistic that Rodgers will have a new deal in place by the time the 2018 regular season gets underway, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).
Green Bay has apparently been setting Week 1 as a potential deadline for Rodgers talks for awhile, as previous reports have also indicated a similar timeline. But Rapoport’s signal of progress is certainly an improvement over recent reports — such as the one issued by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk in late July — which said Rodgers and the Packers were still far apart in negotiations.
Any stalls in talks can likely be blamed on the structure of the pact, as Rodgers is believed to prefer a contract that doesn’t lock him into a number long-term. The two-time MVP would like more control over his future and may prefer a deal that includes one big payout before a series of player options. The Packers, however, are attempting to lock up Rodgers via a “bland and traditional” long-term extension.
“As far as setting a trend or breaking down things, it’s great for the game and its players, for sure, when Kirk (Cousins) does a deal like he did,” Rodgers recently said of Cousins’ fully guaranteed Vikings deal. “The reality is, there’s not many teams that would do that, first of all. And there aren’t many teams that would do it for more than three years. So at some point, there are going to be contracts that will continue to extend that, and there’s been guys who’ve done it over the years, who’ve done monumental things, whether it’s Reggie White in free agency, that make a difference for the next generation. That’s something you can have as part of your legacy.”
Rodgers, 34, is currently signed through the 2019 season, with cap charges north of $20MM in each of the next two campaigns. On an annual average basis, though, Rodgers’ $22MM/year now ranks just 10th among quarterbacks, behind the likes of Joe Flacco, Alex Smith, and Derek Carr, among others.
Browns Haven’t Scheduled Dez Bryant Visit
While the Browns and wide receiver Dez Bryant reportedly have “mutual interest”, Cleveland has not yet scheduled a meeting with the veteran pass-catcher, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Indeed, the Browns only have a “modicum of interest” in Bryant, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, adding that Cleveland has not yet officially reached out to the ex-Cowboys wideout. If Bryant ultimately does sign with the Browns, he’d likely need to ink a one-year deal that would not be lucrative, per La Canfora, who indicates Bryant isn’t a “natural fit” for the Cleveland roster.
The Browns have interest in Bryant due to fellow receiver Josh Gordon‘s ongoing absence, and it’s presently unclear if and when Gordon will be returning to the club. However, if Cleveland’s interest is as lukewarm as reports suggest, Bryant could conceivably hold off on signing a new contract until later this year. Some teams will surely face injuries at the wide receiver position, which could create more openings for Bryant around the league.
While a number of teams — including the Packers and Cardinals — have been tangentially linked to Bryant since he was released by the Cowboys, no clubs aside from the Ravens and Browns have been directly interested in the former first-round pick. In fact, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com has reported many teams are unwilling to consider Bryant even at the minimum salary. Bryant had been expected to land a new deal inJuly, so the clock is now ticking on the veteran wideout.
Bryant, 29, certainly comes with risk, as he hasn’t topped 1,000 yards receiving since 2014, while his 12.1 yards per reception in 2017 was the lowest average of his career. But he can still post up opposing defensive backs near the end zone, and would be a tantalizing option for most quarterbacks. Recently, Bryant has expressed interest in signing with the 49ers, while Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report indicated that league insiders’ “best guess” is that Bryant will land with San Francisco.
Terrance Williams Has Charge Dismissed
A public intoxication charge against Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams has been dismissed, as the veteran pass-catcher’s attorney announced in a statement.
“Mr. Williams faced only a single charge, a Class C Misdemeanor of Public Intoxication,” the statement reads. “The maximum punishment for a Class C Misdemeanor in Texas is fine only. This is the same level charge as a speeding ticket. Mr. Williams’ [case] has now been dismissed following the completion of a state-mandated Alcohol Awareness Education course.
Additionally, any damage caused by Mr. Williams’ vehicle has been settled with the City of Frisco as well as any labor utilized by the city to fix any damage. The Frisco Police Department has reported that no additional charges are pending nor forthcoming.”
In May, Williams was arrested after allegedly crashing his vehicle into a light pole and subsequently leaving the scene of the crime. Notably, Williams first accused Vikings wide receiver and former teammate Kendall Wright of driving the car, but later retracted those claims. While it appears Williams escaped without ever formally being charged with leaving the scene, he was facing a public intoxication charge until today.
While no legal case will be brought against Williams, it’s possible that he’ll still face a suspension from the NFL. The league holds the ability to ban any player for off-field conduct, even if formal charges are never filed. A suspension seems unlikely given that Williams completed a diversion course, and any ban would almost surely come in 2019, not during the upcoming season.
Latest On Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin
Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin is expected to miss most, if not all, of the preseason as he deals with a knee injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Seattle expects Baldwin to be available to the start of the regular season.
Baldwin is a veteran receiver, so the preseason isn’t a necessity as he prepares for the start of the 2018 campaign. However, it’s not clear at present exactly what type of knee issue is ailing Baldwin. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said the club would take precautions in order to preserve Baldwin’s health.
“We’re gonna give him a couple weeks here before we bring him back out to make sure that we’ve ramped him back up properly,” Carroll said. “He came into camp a little bit off and we just want to make sure that we take care of him. We know exactly what’s going on. He’s doing some special treatments to make sure that we’re taking care of him, and we want to bring him back into shape so we can really get him ready for the long haul.”
If Baldwin is lost for any significant amount of time, the Seahawks’ wide receiver depth chart doesn’t provide much in the way of reinforcements. Perpetual breakout candidate Tyler Lockett would become Seattle’s default No. 1 wideout, while veteran Brandon Marshall could also have a greater chance of making the team’s 53-man roster. Other Seahawks pass-catchers include free agent acquisition Jaron Brown, 2017 third-rounder Amara Darboh, and Marcus Johnson, among others.
5 Key NFL Stories: 7/22/18 – 7/29/18
Todd Gurley resets the running back market. The Rams still haven’t extended All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, but they have locked up parts of their offensive core. After inking receiver Brandin Cooks to a new deal earlier this month, Los Angeles signed Gurley to a four-year extension that will keep him in southern California through 2023. The deal is worth $57.5MM in total, and Gurley’s new average annual value of $14.375MM is the new league-high for a running back on a multi-year pact. Gurley’s deal will now surely affect negotiations for other running backs such as David Johnson, Le’Veon Bell, and Ezekiel Elliott, each of whom will hit free agency within the next few years.
Offensive tackles get paid. Three left tackles — the Titans’ Taylor Lewan, the Falcons’ Jake Matthews, and the Seahawks’ Duane Brown — each received new five-year contracts last week, and both deals should help propel the offensive tackle market forward. Lewan, notably, will collect an average salary of $16MM annually, a new high-water mark for tackles (Nate Solder got $15.5MM/year from the Giants this offseason). Although Lewan had skipped minicamp, he reported for Tennessee’s training camp last week, which may have sped up negotiations.
Julio Jones get a raise. Although talks looked on the verge of a breakdown at one point, the Falcons finally relented and agreed to bump up Jones’ compensation for the 2018 campaign. Jones, who had not reported for many of Atlanta’s offseason activities and was threatening to skip training camp, received a $4.4MM signing bonus. The reworking will give Jones more money for the upcoming campaign, but won’t overly affect the Falcons’ books for years to come. Jones, 29, is signed through the 2020 season.
Chargers’ bad luck continues. The Chargers just can’t seem to get away from the injury bug, and cornerback Jason Verrett has been especially afflicted. Verrett, who missed most of the 2016 and 2017 seasons with knee injuries, will be sidelined for the entire 2018 campaign after tearing his Achilles during a conditioning drill. A former first-round pick, Verrett will have only played in 25 of a possible 80 games by the time the 2018 season is over. Verrett will reach free agency next spring, and his injury issues will almost assuredly affect his next contract.
A safety gets signed! There was finally movement in the safety market last week, as the Cardinals signed Tre Boston to a one-year deal. The pact is worth just $1.5MM, and Boston can max out at $3MM overall. It’s a cheap contract for a 26-year-old defensive back coming off the best season of his career, but safeties have had an especially difficult time getting signed this offseason. Eric Reid (whose status may be affected by his national anthem protest stance) and Kenny Vaccaro are among the best back end defenders still available.