Minor NFL Transactions: 4/8/18
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Waived: CB Desmond Lawrence
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: OL Jake Brendel (ERFA)
Giants Schedule Pre-Draft Visits With QBs, RB Saquon Barkley
The Giants plan to meet with the draft’s top four quarterbacks — USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, and Wyoming’s Josh Allen — next week, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, New York will also used one of its 30 allotted pre-draft visits on Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, tweets Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Provided the Browns select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, the Giants will have their choice of three signal-callers, Barkley, offensive lineman Quenton Nelson, or edge rusher Bradley Chubb with the second pick. While New York intends to deploy veteran Eli Manning as its starting quarterback once again in 2018, the club could use this opportunity to find its passer of the future.
But Barkley would likely give the Giants a better chance to win in the near-term, as Big Blue’s running back depth chart is currently uninspiring. At present, New York has veteran Jonathan Stewart, plus recent draft picks Wayne Gallman and Paul Perkins, at running back, but Barkley would immediately take over as the club’s starter if drafted.
Jets WR Quincy Enunwa Signs RFA Tender
Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Enunwa will now be paid $2.914MM for the 2018 season.
Enunwa was one of 14 NFL restricted free agents to be tender at the second-round level, and he’s the fourth — following Falcons guard Ben Garland, Jaguars running back Corey Grant, and Seahawks cornerback Justin Coleman — to officially sign his tender. There was no rush for Enunwa to ink his tender, as RFAs have until April 20 to work out offer sheets with other clubs. However, it was always unlikely that any NFL team would have been willing to sacrifice a second-round pick in order to land Enunwa.
A second-round pick is a steep price for any restricted free agent, but even more so for Enunwa given his recent health issues. Enunwa, 25, is coming off neck surgery for a bulging disc, and while Schefter reports the fourth-year wideout is experiencing full range of motion, no club was likely to take a risk on Enunwa while giving up a second-rounder.
That’s not to say Enunwa isn’t talented, as the former sixth-round pick broke out for 58 receptions, 857 yards, and four touchdowns in 2016 before missing all of last season. If healthy, he’ll be part of a Jets wide receiver depth chart that includes two new additions in Terrelle Pryor and Andre Roberts, plus holdovers Jermaine Kearse, Robby Anderson, Chad Hansen, and ArDarius Stewart, among others.
Ravens Sign QB Robert Griffin III
The Ravens have signed quarterback Robert Griffin III to a one-year deal, the club announced today. It’s a $1MM deal with a small signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Baltimore has reportedly had interest in Griffin for some time, as the team nearly signed the former No. 2 overall pick last season. Griffin also turned down an offer from the Cardinals, and eventually sat out the entirety of the 2017 campaign. The Ravens recently brought in Griffin for a workout, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, and a subsequent visit led to a deal that was hammered out on Tuesday night.
RG3, of course, was at one time among the most dynamic talents in the NFL. As a Redskins rookie in 2012, Griffin posted 3,200 passing yards and 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions, and added another 815 yards and seven scores on the ground. That performance helped Washington to a postseason berth and led to Griffin being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Injuries and ineffectiveness took a toll on Griffin over the next two seasons, however, and the Redskins ultimately benched him in favor of Kirk Cousins. Washington declined to allow Griffin to see the field at all in 2015, as a serious injury would have triggered an expensive guarantee on his fifth-year option. A two-year, $15MM deal brought RG3 to the Browns in 2016, but health issues limited him once again, and he appeared in just five games before being released last spring.
Griffin is now slotted in as the Ravens’ backup quarterback behind starter Joe Flacco, and his addition almost surely means Baltimore will not re-sign former No. 2 signal-caller Ryan Mallett. Flacco has been extremely durable during his decade-long career, so there’s no guarantee that Griffin will see any action during the regular season.
Titans To Host WR Michael Campanaro
The Titans are expected to meet with free agent wide receiver Michael Campanaro, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
Tennessee is searching for a new slot receiver, as 2017 slot man Eric Decker is currently a free agent. The Titans are also expected to host Jordan Matthews, and while he and Campanaro are very different receivers, they’ve both spent most of their time inside. At present, Tennessee’s wideout depth chart is topped by Rishard Matthews and 2017 first-rounder Corey Davis, with Taywan Taylor, Tajae Sharpe, Darius Jennings, and Zach Pascal in reserve.
Campanaro, 27, had managed only 12 total receptions during his first three years in the league, but topped that total alone with the Ravens in 2017. Not only did Campanaro post 19 receptions for 173 yards, but he served as Baltimore’s primary punt returner, averaging 10.8 yards per return while adding one touchdown. The Titans, for their part, used first-round rookie Adoree’ Jackson as a punt returner last season, but it’s possible Campanaro could take over that role if Tennessee wants to give Jackson a breather.
The Titans have been speaking with Campanaro’s agent for several weeks, but they aren’t the only club with interest in the wideout, per Zrebiec (Twitter link). The Ravens are still open to re-signing Campanaro, while “a few” other unidentified teams have also checked in, according to the Baltimore Sun scribe.
Patriots Will Not Trade TE Rob Gronkowski
After trading wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Rams on Tuesday, the Patriots will not be dealing tight end Rob Gronkowski, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). In fact, New England has not held any talks regarding a possible Gronkowski trade, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Earlier this week, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reported that several clubs were planning to call the Patriots and inquire on Gronkowski’s availability. That could still happen, of course, but it doesn’t sound as though New England has any interest in or motivation to trade their All Pro tight end.
Despite February rumors that Gronkowski could choose to retire this offseason, most subsequent reports have indicated the 28-year-old All Pro intends to return in 2018. Gronkowski has reportedly been working out at Tom Brady‘s Sports Therapy Center, and Rapoport reported Monday that nothing has changed in terms of Gronk’s status. Indeed, there may never be a formal announcement from Gronkowski — he may simply show up for offseason workouts and continue his career.
Gronkowski, of course, is still a dominant player when healthy. In 2017, Gronk was on the field for 14 games, and managed 69 receptions, 1,084 yards, and eight touchdowns, all of which placed him within the top-five among tight ends. He’s signed through the 2019 campaign, with base salaries of $8MM and $9MM over the next two respective seasons.
Bills Sign DE Terrence Fede
The Bills have signed free agent defensive end Terrence Fede, the club announced today. It’s a one-year deal, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
Buffalo already has a good deal of depth on the edge, as the team signed former Redskins pass rusher Trent Murphy earlier this offseason, adding him to a rotation that also includes Jerry Hughes and Shaq Lawson. Fede, then, isn’t likely to see much time as a rotational option, but the Bills should be familiar with what they’re getting. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald notes (Twitter link), former Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey drafted Fede in 2014, and now works in Buffalo’s scouting department.
While Fede has never started a contest during his four-year career, the 26-year-old does offer 51 games of reserve experience. In 2017, Fede played on just 16% of Miami’s defensive snaps, but saw action on a whopping 75% of the club’s special teams snaps. In total, Fede — a former seventh-round pick — managed seven tackles and one fumble recovery a season ago.
Reaction To Brandin Cooks Trade
A year after acquiring him from the Saints, the Patriots shipped wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round pick to the Rams in exchange for first- and sixth-round picks. Let’s take a look at some of the reaction to and fallout from the blockbuster deal:
- Before trading him to Los Angeles, the Patriots engaged in extension talks with Cooks, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, those discussions stalled as the two sides were simply too far apart. Cooks is scheduled to earn $8.459MM in 2018 under the terms of his fifth-year option, but he’s likely looking for at least $14MM annually on a new deal. The Rams, for their part, have reportedly already expressed interest in extending Cooks’ contract, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that Los Angeles is “intent” on doing so. Florio, however, indicates there is as of yet no timeline for a long-term pact to get done.
- The Rams and Patriots had discussed a possible Cooks trade for more than a month, well before Los Angeles ever contacted the Giants regarding fellow wideout Odell Beckham Jr., according to Schefter (Twitter link). Los Angeles preferred Cooks, and the price tag — New York is reportedly looking for at least two first-round picks in exchange for OBJ — likely played a role in that stance. Talks between the Patriots and Rams heated up on Monday when head coaches Bill Belichick and Sean McVay worked at the same coaching clinic, and those talks ultimately led to a trade on Tuesday, per Schefter (Twitter link).
- Los Angeles finally acquired Cooks on Tuesday after attempting to land him from the Saints last year, as Rams general manager Les Snead tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com. The Rams did not hold a first-round pick a season ago while the Patriots did, allowing New England to make the better offer for Cooks. Los Angeles, meanwhile, discussed a deal involving then-franchise-tagged cornerback Trumaine Johnson, but the talks never gained traction. For what it’s worth, the Rams actually tried to trade Johnson twice in 2017: once for Cooks, and once in exchange for a second-round pick, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- The Patriots never viewed Cooks as a true No. 1 wide receiver, per Rapoport (Twitter link), and quarterback Tom Brady is “not sad” about the trade. While Cooks topped 1,000 yards receiving in his lone New England campaign, he wasn’t a perfect fit for the Patriots’ offense, says Rapoport. Theoretically, New England could shift back to a more horizontal offense based around incumbent receivers Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan now that Cooks is no longer in town.
- Although the Rams have now eschewed a hypothetical Beckham trade in favor of acquiring Cooks, the “frenzy” surrounding the mercurial Giants receiver doesn’t figure to subside, as Ralph Vacchiano of SNY writes. Still, a Beckham deal remains “highly unlikely,” as Los Angeles’ payment for Cooks doesn’t come anywhere close to what New York would want in exchange for Beckham.
Dolphins Put In Claim For TE Clive Walford
The Jets were awarded former Raiders tight end Clive Walford off waivers on Monday, but another AFC East club was also interested. The Dolphins put in a waiver claim for Walford, and were in fact the only other club to have done so, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Offseason waivers claims are awarded in the same order as the NFL draft, so the Jets were able to use their higher priority in order to land Walford. Miami is clearly on the lookout for a new tight end after cutting ties with veteran Julius Thomas earlier this year, and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald recently reported the Dolphins are prepared to explore the trade market at the position. At present, Miami’s tight end depth chart is headlined by A.J. Derby, MarQueis Gray, and Thomas Duarte.
Walford would have given the Dolphins a youthful option that also has experience, as the former third-round pick is still only 26 years old but has 44 games under his belt. Although he averaged 30 receptions, 344 yards, and three touchdowns during his first two years in Oakland, Walford cratered with only nine catches and 80 yards a season ago.
Robby Anderson Has Felony Charge Dropped
Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson has had felony charges stemming from a January arrest dropped, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com. However, Anderson is also still facing a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving from that same incident.
Anderson, 24, was originally hit with nine charges after being arrested and threatening to sexually assault the wife of the arresting officer, but the three felonies — second-degree felony harm to a public servant or family, third-degree felony fleeing/eluding police while lights/siren active and third-degree felony speeding — have been dropped.
Unfortunately, Anderson is also facing felony charges from a separate episode, as he was arrested last May after getting into a fight at a Miami music festival. Anderson is looking at charges of felony resisting arrest with violence and obstruction of police for that incident. Of course, the NFL could (and likely will) choose to impose a suspension on Anderson, regardless of the legal outcome of any of his cases.
Anderson enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Jets in 2017, registering 63 receptions for 941 yards and seven touchdowns in his second seasons in the league. A big-play threat, Anderson recorded six of his seven scoring grabs from more than 20 yards away from the goal line. New York has seemingly hedged against a possible Anderson ban by inking fellow pass-catchers Terrelle Pryor and Andre Roberts this offseason.