Extra Points: Ravens, WRs, Colts, Banogu, Giants
The Ravens could potentially trade for a wide receiver before the start of the regular season, but there aren’t exactly a bevy of top-end pass-catchers on the trade block, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes. Baltimore used its first- and third-round picks on wideouts Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin, respectively, adding them to a depth chart that already includes Willie Snead, Seth Roberts, Michael Floyd, and others. Given that the Ravens parted ways with both Michael Crabtree and John Brown earlier this offseason, they could be looking for extra depth, but it seems unlikely they’ll be able to land a true No. 1 wide receiver via trade.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Colts are moving second-round pick Ben Banogu to defensive end, according to Kevin Bowen of 1010 The Fan. Banogu played defensive end at TCU, but as Bowen writes, Banogu spent his collegiate career as a stand-up edge rusher, whereas he’ll be in a three-point stance in Indianapolis. “Can he do different things and put him in different spots?” said defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. “No question he can do that. But let’s get his feet on solid ground at one spot and then kind of develop him from there.” Justin Houston and Jabaal Sheard are locked in as the Colts’ starting defensive ends, so Banogu will compete with 2018 second-rounder Kemoko Turay for reserve playing time.
- The Giants‘ offensive lines in 2016 and 2017 were billed as among the NFL’s worst, but as Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com points out, many members of those front fives still have jobs around the league, and some are penciled in as starters. Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg are on expensive deals in Arizona and San Francisco, respectively, while Ereck Flowers is projected as a starting guard for Washington. Bobby Hart is the Bengals’ top right tackle, while guard John Jerry — who was out of the NFL in 2018 — could now start for Cincinnati following a season-ending injury to rookie tackle Jonah Williams.
- In case you missed it, the Ravens today worked out former Bengals linebacker Vincent Rey.
PFR Glossary: Physically Unable To Perform List
When training camp rolls around next month, you might start hearing about players being placed on the PUP list. While the PUP list (sadly) isn’t a collection of which players are bringing their favorite canines to practice, it does have an important meaning for the NFL season.
PUP stands for physically unable to perform, and the PUP list is similar in fashion to injured reserve. It denotes which players aren’t healthy enough to practice during training camp. But there is one important distinction regarding PUP that can often get confusing.
Players who can’t start training camp due to an injury are initially placed on Active/PUP. This is a minor designation, and one that we at PFR typically won’t even cover. A player on Active/PUP isn’t able to practice until he’s medically cleared. Once he gains that clearance, he’s free to hit the practice field and is removed from the PUP list.
If a player begins training camp on Active/PUP and never gets healthy enough to practice throughout camp and into the preseason, he’s likely to be placed on Reserve/PUP. This is the more common PUP designation, and one that we will cover. Being placed on Reserve/PUP forces a player to miss the first six weeks of the regular season, so it’s a fairly serious option. After those six weeks are up, the team has a three-week window in which in must either activate the player, place him on injured reserve, or release him.
A few things to remember:
- A player can’t practice and then be placed on a PUP list. If Patrick Mahomes takes part in only a single day of training camp before suffering an injury that will knock him out for the first six weeks of the regular season, the Chiefs wouldn’t be allowed to move him to PUP.
- Similarly, if a player is on Active/PUP, gets healthy enough to practice, and then gets hurt again during camp, his team is out of luck. He won’t be able to go back on the Active/PUP list or be placed on the Reserve/PUP list.
- Any player on either PUP list does not count toward his team’s 53-man roster.
In short, you typically don’t need to fret if your favorite player is placed on Active/PUP. The majority of players on Active/PUP are there for precautionary reasons and will soon be allowed to participate in practice sessions. But if that player sticks on Active/PUP throughout the preseason and is then shifted to Reserve/PUP, buckle in for a minimum absence of six weeks.
Note: This is a PFR Glossary entry. Our glossary posts explain specific rules relating to free agency, trades, or other aspects of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
2019 NFL Free Agents
Pro Football Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2019 NFL free agents is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2018 season. The player’s 2019 age is in parentheses. Players are generally sorted by the position at which they played most in ’18, or the position at which their most recent team listed them.
Players who are currently on an NFL roster but don’t have a contract for 2019 are listed below, along with a few other notable free agents who aren’t on a roster at the moment.
Players eligible for restricted free agency are marked with (R), while franchise and transition players will be marked with (F) and (T) respectively. Exclusive rights free agents are not included. All other free agents are assumed to be unrestricted.
If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us. For instant free agent updates, be sure to follow us on Twitter @pfrumors.
Updated 8-28-19 (1:03pm CT)
Quarterbacks
Matt Cassel (37)
Connor Cook (26)
David Fales (28)
Landry Jones (30)
Brock Osweiler (28)
Brandon Weeden (35)
Running Backs
Jay Ajayi (26)
Kapri Bibbs (26)
LeGarrette Blount (32)
Alex Collins (25)
Benny Cunningham (29)
D’Onta Foreman (23)
Jeremy Hill (26)
Chris Ivory (31)
Rob Kelley (27)
Daniel Lasco (26)
Stevan Ridley (30)
Robert Turbin (29)
Fozzy Whittaker (30)
Shaun Wilson (23)
Zach Zenner (28)
Fullbacks
Derrick Coleman (28)
Jalston Fowler (29)
Tre Madden (26)
Wide Receivers
Kelvin Benjamin (28)
Dez Bryant (30)
Martavis Bryant (27)
Leonte Carroo (25)
Sammie Coates (26)
Bruce Ellington (28)
Pierre Garcon (33)
Rashad Greene (26)
Maurice Harris (26)
Darrius Heyward-Bey (32)
Andre Holmes (31)
Justin Hunter (28)
Brandon LaFell (31)
Roger Lewis (25)
Ricardo Louis (25)
Brandon Marshall (35)
Rod Streater (31)
Mike Wallace (33)
Kevin White (27)
Nick Williams (28)
Terrance Williams (30)
Read more
How The Cardinals Have Used Their No. 1 Waiver Priority
Since late December, when the Cardinals took over the top spot on the NFL’s waiver priority list due to their league-worst record, Arizona has had its pick of the NFL’s freely available talent. In that time, general manager Steve Keim has acquired five players via the waiver wire, many of whom have significant NFL experience.
Let’s take a look at the players the Cardinals have picked up on waivers over the past seven months and examine how each might contribute in 2019:
Pharoh Cooper, WR: Claimed from Rams on 12/19/18
The Cardinals may have gained some valuable intel from Cooper after claiming him in advance of their Week 16 matchup against the Rams, but Arizona also likely had Cooper’s potential 209 contributions in mind. A fourth-round pick out of South Carolina in 2016, Cooper earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017 as a return man. That season, the 24-year-old handled 66 combined kick and punt returns, and led the NFL in yards per kickoff return (27.4). The Cardinals now have a bevy of wide receivers on their depth chart after adding draft picks Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler to holdovers Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, so Cooper is unlikely to see the field as an offensive player. But he’ll compete to become Arizona’s top return man, a role that he should be able to win.
D.J. Swearinger, S: Claimed from Redskins on 12/25/18
Sometimes you can go home again. The Cardinals brought in Swearinger — who previously played in Arizona from 2015-16 — via a Christmas Day waiver claim after the veteran defensive back was cut by the Redskins for criticizing Washington’s coaching staff and play-calling decisions. Still just 27 years old and due less than $4.5MM in 2019, Swearinger was unsurprisingly a popular name on the waiver wire, as both the Raiders and Packers attempted to claim him. Viewed as one of the more physically imposing defensive backs in the league, Swearinger graded out as the NFL’s No. 13 safety a year ago, per Pro Football Focus. He’ll start alongside Budda Baker in a now Patrick Peterson-less (at least, for six games) Arizona secondary.
Tanner Vallejo, LB: Claimed from Browns on 2/5/19
Like Cooper, Vallejo is likely ticketed for a special teams-only role in 2019. Over the past two seasons with the Bills and Browns, Vallejo played only 158 total defensive snaps but appeared on more than 500 special teams snaps. In both campaigns, he finished top-three on his club in special teams plays. The Cardinals were actually relatively successful on special teams last year, ranking as a top-12 unit in both kickoffs and punts, but Vallejo will give the club more depth. Speaking of depth, Arizona doesn’t have a ton of serviceable options behind projected starting ‘backers Haason Reddick and Jordan Hicks, so a scenario exists where Vallejo sees meaningful playing time on defense.
Pita Taumoepenu, LB: Claimed from 49ers on 5/9/19
A sixth-round pick in the 2017 draft, Taumoepenu has only played in six games (21 defensive snaps, 69 special teams snaps) over two seasons. Now 25 years old, Taumoepenu will have to compete for time on special teams, as he’s unlikely to see the field as a pass-rusher behind Terrell Suggs and Brooks Reed.
Desmond Harrison, T: Claimed from Browns on 6/6/19
The Browns cut Harrison earlier this month after he reportedly missed team meetings, but the Cardinals were willing to take a chance on his talent. Harrison joined Cleveland as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and subsequently started eight games, and while his overall marks from PFF weren’t stellar, he ranked 32nd among tackles in pure pass-blocking grade (min. 50% snap percentage). He was hurt by his run-blocking limitations and his 11 penalties, the latter of which ranked ninth-most among tackles. Harrison will open the season behind starting Arizona tackles D.J. Humphries and Marcus Gilbert, but given that those two have only played a combined 26 games (out of a possible 64) over the past two seasons, Harrison stands a decent chance to make it onto the field.
26 NFL Draft Picks Remain Unsigned
Roughly 10% of this year’s draft picks have yet to sign their rookie contracts, as shown in PFR’s tracker. So far, 228 of this year’s 254 selections have inked their deals.
Here’s the complete breakdown, sorted by round:
First Round (10)
- 49ers, 1-2: Nick Bosa, DE (Ohio State)
- Jets, 1-3: Quinnen Williams, DT (Alabama)
- Raiders, 1-4: Clelin Ferrell, DE (Clemson)
- Buccaneers, 1-5: Devin White, LB (LSU)
- Giants, 1-6: Daniel Jones, QB (Duke)
- Panthers, 1-16: Brian Burns, DE (Florida State)
- Giants, 1-17: Dexter Lawrence, DT (Clemson)
- Raiders, 1-24: Josh Jacobs, RB (Alabama)
- Raiders, 1-27: Johnathan Abram, S (Mississippi State)
- Giants, 1-30: Deandre Baker, CB (Georgia)
Second Round (5)
- 49ers, 2-36: Deebo Samuel, WR (South Carolina)
- Panthers, 2-37: Greg Little, T (Ole Miss)
- Raiders, 2-40: Trayvon Mullen, CB (Clemson)
- Broncos, 2-41: Dalton Risner, T (Kansas State)
- Broncos, 2-42: Drew Lock, QB (Missouri)
Third Round (9)
- Bengals, 3-72: Germaine Pratt, LB (North Carolina State)
- Dolphins, 3-78: Michael Deiter, G (Wisconsin)
- Colts, 3-89: Bobby Okereke, LB (Stanford)
- Chargers, 3-91: Trey Pipkins, T (Sioux Falls)
- Jets, 3-92: Chuma Edoga, T (USC)
- Ravens, 3-93: Miles Boykin, WR (Notre Dame)
- Buccaneers, 3-94: Jamel Dean, CB (Auburn)
- Giants, 3-95: Oshane Ximines, LB (Old Dominion)
- Bills, 3-96: Dawson Knox, TE (Ole Miss)
Sixth Round (1)
- Bears, 6-205: Duke Shelley, CB (Kansas State)
Seventh Round (1)
- Vikings, 7-250: Austin Cutting, LS (Air Force)
As expected, the first round (10) and third round (9) lead the way in stragglers. First-round picks tend to have the most leverage, which means agents will often haggle on issues such as offset language. Third-round negotiations also tend to drag since there is wiggle room when it comes to base salaries.201
Browns Notes: Kitchens, Monken, Mayfield, Johnson
New Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens hired former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken for the same role this offseason, but Monken’s transition has reportedly not gone well, according to Mike Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link). In turn, Kitchens has been forced to play a larger than expected role in “spearheading” Cleveland’s offense, per Silver. Kitchens had already been planning to call offensive plays in 2019, so it’s unclear what the issue regarding Monken might be. Speculatively, it’s possible Monken’s Air Raid background hasn’t meshed well with the offense that Kitchens is installing for the Browns.
Here’s more from Cleveland:
- More from Silver, who indicates several Browns veterans weren’t pleased quarterback Baker Mayfield publicly criticized running back Duke Johnson, who is still asking for a trade out of Cleveland. Regarding Johnson, Mayfield said (among other things) “you’re either on this train or you’re not, it’s moving.” An unwritten NFL rule typically dictates that players don’t comment on teammates’ contractual situations, and it sounds like Mayfield was made aware of that concept. Per Silver, Mayfield and the Browns players who disagreed with his comments have “hashed things out.”
- The Browns tried to claim cornerback Montrel Meander off waivers from the Raiders before the Jets beat them to the punch, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (Twitter link). Meander spent most of the 2018 campaign on Cleveland’s practice squad, and will now join former Browns/current Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in New York.
- In case you missed it, the Browns last week added a former Raiders executive to their front office.
Patriots, Texans Could Ultimately Agree To Deal For Nick Caserio?
The Patriots on Wednesday filed tampering charges against the Texans, who are pursuing New England director of player personnel Nick Caserio for their open general manager position. Speculation arose that the Patriots could accept draft pick compensation in exchange for Caserio, and that indeed may be the ultimate resolution to this saga.
A source with “knowledge of the dynamics and personalities involved” believes Houston will ultimately send a draft choice (or perhaps multiple draft choices) to New England in order to land Caserio, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The reasoning here is that if Caserio truly wants to leave the Patriots but isn’t allowed to defect, operations in New England could become “awkward.”
As John McClain of the Houston Chronicle indicated yesterday, the Texans are willing to give Caserio full control of their 53-man roster, and are open to putting that stipulation in writing. However, the NFL may need to determine whether Caserio is considered a “high level employee,” which would prevent him from leaving the Patriots even for a perceived promotion.
New Texans vice president of player development Jack Easterby — a former Patriots staffer — is in the middle of the controversy, as New England reportedly believes he discussed Houston’s GM job with Caserio at the Patriots’ Super Bowl ring ceremony last week. But as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reported earlier today, Easterby and Caserio share the same agent, which could help the Texans deflect charges of tampering.
Poll: Which New Head Coach Will Experience Most 2019 Success?
Coaching staff turnover was abundant this offseason, but most of that change occurred at the assistant level: while there were 28 instances of alteration among offensive and defensive coordinators, only eight new head coaches will be leading teams in 2019, a number that fits in nicely with yearly averages. Naturally, most of these eight new HCs are taking over clubs that are in something of a rebuilding phase, as no club that made the postseason in 2018 decided to make a change at the top.
With that in mind, we’d like to ask PFR readers which new head coach will experience the most success during the upcoming campaign? While we aren’t solely asking about record (the Dolphins could win five games and consider that a success, for example), we’re looking mostly at wins and losses.
Here’s a refresher on the NFL’s new head coaches:
- Arizona Cardinals: Hired Kliff Kingsbury to replace Steve Wilks.
- Cincinnati Bengals: Hired Zac Taylor to replace Marvin Lewis.
- Cleveland Browns: Hired Freddie Kitchens to replace Hue Jackson / Gregg Williams(interim).
- Denver Broncos: Hired Vic Fangio to replace Vance Joseph.
- Green Bay Packers: Hired Matt LaFleur to replace Mike McCarthy / Joe Philbin (interim).
- Miami Dolphins: Hired Brian Flores to replace Adam Gase.
- New York Jets: Hired Adam Gase to replace Todd Bowles.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Hired Bruce Arians to replace Dirk Koetter.
In the AFC, Taylor will not only lead an extremely young coaching staff in Cincinnati, but hope bringing the Rams’ offense to the Queen City leads to positive results. Kitchens and the Browns will enter the 2019 season with extremely high expectations, and he has the benefit of experienced coordinators — Todd Monken and Steve Wilks — on each side of the ball. In South Beach, Flores will attempt to change the Dolphins’ culture as the club embarks on a potentially multi-season rebuild. Miami’s prior coach, Gase, is now in New York where he’ll be tasked with developing second-year quarterback Sam Darnold.
Moving to the NFC, Kingsbury is probably the most intriguing NFL head coaching hire in several years, and all eyes will be on the desert as he meshes his Air Raid offense with No. 1 overall selection Kyler Murray. LaFleur comes to Green Bay with only one season of play-calling experience under his belt, but Packers fans won’t be happy with a step back while Aaron Rodgers is still under center. And in Tampa Bay, Arians will add his “no risk it, no biscuit” mantra to an offense that already loved to throw deep in 2018.
So, who do you like? Which of these coaches will post the most successful season in 2018? (Link for app users).
Todd McShay To Remain At ESPN; Champ Kelly Likely To Join Jets?
Todd McShay will remain in his role as an ESPN draft analyst rather than continue to pursue a front office position with the Jets, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly — who interviewed for the Jets’ GM position before it went to Joe Douglas — is a candidate to join Gang Green in a different capacity and indeed is likely to be hired, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com and Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter links). 
McShay, who first joined ESPN in 2006, interviewed for a job with the Jets last week. While he’s never worked in an NFL front office, McShay was a college teammate of Douglas. McShay was the scout team quarterback at the University of Richmond where Douglas was an offensive lineman. Given his high on-air profile, McShay was likely searching for a either a large salary or a critical title with New York.
Kelly also enjoys a prior relationship with Douglas, having worked with both him and new Jets head coach Adam Gase with the Bears. A Kentucky alum, Kelly has also spent time with the Broncos during his front office career. He was one of four candidates to interview for the Jets’ GM job, joining Douglas, the Saints’ Terry Fontenot, and the Seahawks’ Scott Fitterer.
Bears Sign Third-Round RB David Montgomery
The Bears have reached an agreement with third-round running back David Montgomery, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Chicago traded up to acquire Montgomery, sending three picks (including a 2020 fourth-rounder) to New England in exchange for the 73rd overall selection. The Bears didn’t have a first- or second-round pick in the 2019 draft as a result of the Khalil Mack trade and a 2018 draft-day swap with (again with the Patriots), so Montgomery represented the club’s first selection.
Having already shipped Jordan Howard to the Eagles, the Bears were searching for another back to team with free agent signee Mike Davis and holdover Tarik Cohen. Howard handled roughly 58% of Chicago’s running back snaps and 55% of the team’s rushing attempts a season ago, and head coach Matt Nagy will now be tasked with divvying up touches among three backs.
Montgomery (5’10”, 222 pounds) topped 1,100 yards rushing in each of his final two seasons at Iowa State. While he didn’t produce elite athletic testing results at the combine, Montgomery finished the 2018 campaign with the most missed tackles forced (99) of any collegiate running back, as Ben Cooper of Pro Football Focus writes.
Chiacgo’s lone unsigned 2019 draft pick is now sixth-round cornerback Duke Shelley. Here’s the club’s draft class in full:
- 3-73: David Montgomery, RB (Iowa State)
- 4-126: Riley Ridley, WR (Georgia)
- 6-205: Duke Shelley, CB (Kansas State)
- 7-222: Kerrith Whyte Jr., RB (Florida Atlantic)
- 7-238: Stephen Denmark, CB (Valdosta State)