Patriots Host Demaryius Thomas, T.J. Yeldon
The Patriots hosted wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and running back T.J. Yeldon on Wednesday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
New England would make sense as a potential landing spot for Thomas on a number of levels. The 31-year-old pass-catcher was originally drafted by then-Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, who is now the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. The Pats reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Thomas from Denver before he was dealt to Houston, and New England needs offensive help given the loss of Rob Gronkowski and Cordarrelle Patterson, the potential loss of free agent Chris Hogan, and the uncertain status of Josh Gordon.
While Thomas would give the Patriots another option on their wide receiver depth chart, he’s certainly not the threat he once was. While splitting time between Denver and Houston in 2018, Thomas posted only 59 receptions for 677 yards, his lowest totals since 2011 (before he was a full-time starter).
Thomas tore his Achilles in December, and it’s not clear when he’ll be able to return to the field. Additionally, he was taken into police custody after being involved in a car accident in February. There’s been no new information on Thomas’ legal status recently, but each of these factors will likely make him an affordable potential signing for the Patriots.
Like Thomas, Yeldon hasn’t drawn any other known free agent interest since the market opened in mid-March. After starting for the Jaguars during his first two years in the NFL, Yeldon became a backup after Jacksonville drafted Leonard Fournette in 2017. Yeldon has averaged only four yards per carry since entering the league, but he’s been a consistent weapon in the passing game, averaging about 43 receptions per season. Football Outsiders ranked him among its top-20 most efficient pass-catching running backs in 2018.
Patriots To Sign TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins
The Patriots have agreed to sign tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins to a one-year deal, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. 
The pact is worth the veteran minimum salary, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds ASJ chose New England over the Seahawks. Seferian-Jenkins received a $50K signing bonus and can earn another $40K in additional bonuses, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
New England is facing the overwhelming task of replacing All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, who retired late last month. Seferian-Jenkins, clearly, isn’t Gronk, but he’ll give the Patriots another option on a tight end depth chart that also includes Jacob Hollister, Stephen Anderson, Ryan Izzo, and free agent addition Matt LaCosse.
A former second-round pick, Seferian-Jenkins floundered until joining the Jets midway through the 2016 campaign. In 2017, ASJ started 10 games for New York, posting 50 receptions for 357 yards (both career-highs) and three touchdowns. That performance earned him a two-year $10MM deal with the Jaguars.
Seferian-Jenkins’ season with Jacksonville wasn’t a success, as he appeared in only five games before landing on injured reserve. ASJ posted only 11 total receptions and ranked as one of the NFL’s least efficient tight ends, per Football Outsiders. On the positive side, Pro Football Focus did grade Seferian-Jenkins as a top-11 run-blocker at his position.
Given the low level of the Patriots’ contractual commitment, signing Seferian-Jenkins shouldn’t rule out another tight end addition in New England. Several draft prospects — including Iowa’s Noah Fant and Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr. — have been popularly mocked to the Patriots.
Draft Rumors: Redskins, Bills, Jets, Eagles
Duke quarterback Daniel Jones will meet with the Redskins today and tomorrow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Washington will also sit down with Northwestern signal-caller Clayton Thorson on Wednesday, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, adding that fellow quarterbacks Drew Lock (Missouri) and Jarrett Stidham (Auburn) have already visited with the Redskins. Washington is looking at nearly all the top QB prospects, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the status of Alex Smith‘s knee injury. Smith isn’t expected to play in 2019, and while the Redskins have already acquired veteran Case Keenum, the club is searching for a long-term option to place under center.
Here’s more on the 2019 NFL draft:
- The Bills are hosting Ole Miss wide receiver A.J. Brown Wednesday, while Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen‘s meeting with Buffalo will occur on Thursday, per Rapoport (Twitter link). Although the Bills invested in pass-catching help during free agency, adding both John Brown and Cole Beasley on multi-year deals to a depth chart that already included Zay Jones and Robert Foster, the team is still in need of receivers. Brown (6’1″, 225) posted at least 75 receptions, 1,250 yards, and six touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. Allen, meanwhile, isn’t likely to be available for Buffalo at No. 9 overall, but the club could potentially trade up given that it owns the sixth-most draft capital.
- Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams is meeting with the Jets, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Gang Green ranked dead last in Football Outsiders‘ run-blocking metric in 2018 (and 18th in pass-blocking), but so far the club has only addressed its offensive line by acquiring guard Kelechi Osemele from the Raiders. New York’s tackle situation has remained unchanged, with Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell projected to start on the left and right sides, respectively. Williams is expected to come off the board early in Round 1.
- The Bengals met with Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite last week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The pre-draft process has not been kind to Polite, who had been viewed as a potential first-round selection. Polite performed poorly during athletic testing, while his interviews with clubs were also widely panned. Additionally, Polite is battling currently battling through hamstring injuries. Cincinnati has edge depth with Carlos Dunlap, Carl Lawson, Sam Hubbard, and Kerry Wynn in tow, but Polite would give the team another option.
- TCU defensive end L.J. Collier is meeting with the Lions, Eagles, and Seahawks, per Rapoport (Twitter link), who adds Collier is “quietly pushing” to become a first-round pick. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com currently ranks Collier as the No. 45 prospect, noting that while he isn’t an “elite bender,” Collier has the ability to play both inside and on the edge. In his senior season with TCU, Collier posted six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in 11 games.
- Penn State running back Miles Sanders has been vaulting up draft boards (he currently ranks one spot behind Collier at No. 46 on Jeremiah’s list), and he has a busy schedule ahead of him. Sanders is scheduled to work out for/meet with the Bears, Eagles, Steelers, Ravens, Bills, Cowboys, Falcons, Titans, Bengals, Panthers, Buccaneers, and Colts. In 2018, Sanders’ only season as a starter, he posted 1,274 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 220 attempts.
Bears To Work Out K Caleb Sturgis
Veteran kicker Caleb Sturgis will audition for the Bears today as part of a workout session that also includes Alliance of American Football alums Younghoe Koo and Nick Rose, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Sturgis, 29, has six NFL seasons and 150 field goal attempts under his belt. After playing for the Dolphins and Eagles during the first five years of his career, Sturgis entered the 2018 campaign as the Chargers’ kicker. However, he only converted 9-of-13 field goal attempts in Los Angeles before being sidelined by a strained quad. The Chargers opted to stick with replacement Michael Badgley once Sturgis regained his health, and released the latter in November.
Although Sturgis worked out for the Panthers, Jaguars, and Seahawks after being cut by Los Angeles, he never caught on with another club. Chicago is searching for a new kicker after cutting veteran Cody Parkey following a dismal debut campaign; at present, the only placekickers on the Bears’ roster are Chris Blewitt and Redford Jones, neither of whom have any NFL experience.
Giants To Re-Sign WR Russell Shepard
The Giants have agreed to re-sign wide receiver Russell Shepard, as he indicated himself in an Instagram post.
Shepard, 28, spent the first five years of his career in the NFC South, playing for the Buccaneers and Panthers before inking a one-year deal with the Giants last offseason. The former undrafted free agent had never been much of an offensive force, as he’d reached career highs in receptions (23) and yards (341) during the 2016 campaign. Shepard’s first season in New York wasn’t much different, as he posted just 10 catches for 188 yards and two scores.
Shepard could potentially contribute to an Odell Beckham-less Giants receiving corps in 2019, but it’s more likely he makes his impact on special teams. He played 58.5% of Big Blue’s special teams snaps last year, managing four tackles and helping New York’s ST unit rise from 32nd to 3rd in Football Outsiders’ special teams rankings. As Jordan Rannan of ESPN.com tweets, Shepard was also considered a solid veteran presence in the Giants’ locker room.
Last year, Shepard’s one-year deal with the Giants had a base value of $1.25MM and contained roughly $750K in incentives. Details of his new pact haven’t been announced, but Shepard likely inked a similar accord.
5 Key NFL Stories: 3/31/19 – 4/7/19
Cowboys sign DeMarcus Lawrence to extension. Roughly a week after reports surfaced that Lawrence had increased his asking price, the franchise-tagged defensive end agreed to a five-year, $105MM deal to stay in Dallas. Lawrence had been set to earn $20.572MM on his second consecutive franchise tender, but he’ll now average $21MM for the next five seasons, an AAV that places him second among all defensive players (behind only Khalil Mack). The former second-round pick received a $25MM signing bonus, $48MM fully guaranteed, and $65MM in practical guarantees.
Russell Wilson gives Seahawks contract deadline. Wilson is entering the final season of his current deal, and he’s set an April 15 deadline for extension talks. While it’s not entirely clear what will happen if that date comes and goes with no new pact in place, Wilson could choose to shut down negotiations until after the 2019 season. Seattle wasn’t blindsided by the deadline, as Wilson conveyed his intentions to the club in January. As of earlier today, the Seahawks reportedly aren’t close to an extension with their star quarterback.
Trade alert! The Chiefs and Browns last week consummated the 13th trade of the NFL offseason, with Cleveland sending defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah to Kansas City in exchange for safety Eric Murray. Ogbah had been on the trade block ever since the Browns acquired fellow edge rusher Olivier Vernon, and he’ll now head to the Chiefs to complete his rookie contract. Murray has a chance at starting in Cleveland, but he’ll likely have to compete with recent free agent addition Morgan Burnett.
AAF shuts down operations. The Alliance of American Football last week closed up shop midway through its inaugural campaign, with majority league owner Tom Dundon shutting down the organization against the wishes of founders Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian. AAF alums are now free to sign contracts with NFL teams, and ex-Orlando Apollos cornerback became the first AAF veteran to land an NFL contract by signing with the Chiefs.
Josh Sitton hangs up his cleats. Sitton, who is most known for his time with the Packers but also played for the Bears and Dolphins, announced his retirement after 11 NFL seasons. The 32-year-old earned one first-team All-Pro berth and four Pro Bowl nods at guard, and will end his career with more than $50MM in earnings. Sitton is the fourth former Packers Pro Bowler to retire this offseason, joining fellow guard T.J. Lang, receiver Jordy Nelson and fullback John Kuhn.
PFR Originals: 3/31/19 – 4/7/19
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Three weeks into the free agent period, starting-caliber defensive players are still available on the open market. I asked PFR readers which free agent defender is the best, and most respondents (41%) voted for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Safety Eric Berry came in second with roughly 15% of the vote.
- Speaking of available players, remember that you can always use PFR to track 2019 NFL Free Agents.
- With the draft right around the corner, make sure to bookmark PFR’s 2019 NFL draft content:
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/7/18
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: OL Rashaad Coward (exclusive rights free agent)
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: WR Jake Kumerow (ERFA)
Vikings To Sign QB Sean Mannion
The Vikings have agreed to sign backup quarterback Sean Mannion, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’s a one-year deal for Mannion, tweets Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune, and it’s worth up to $900K, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link).
Having lost 2018 backup Trevor Siemian to the Jets, Minnesota was searching for a signal-caller to play behind Kirk Cousins. Mannion met with the club last week, as did former Dolphins passer David Fales.
A third-round pick of the Rams in the 2015 draft, Mannion has only attempted 53 passes during his four-year NFL career. His most significant action came in Week 17 of the 2017 campaign, when he started a meaningless game against the 49ers. In Mannion’s only pro start, he completed 20 of 34 passes for 134 yards.
Mannion was replaced in Los Angeles by former Jaguars starter Blake Bortles, and hadn’t been linked to any other clubs in free agency. Despite his inexperience, Mannion is the favorite for No. 2 duties in Minnesota, although he could face competition for 2017 undrafted free agent Kyle Sloter.
Cousins has proven extremely durable throughout his career, so Mannion may not get the opportunity to see much action for the Vikings. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2015, Cousins has started 64 consecutive games.
Draft Rumors: Quinnen, Taylor, Jacobs
Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is meeting with the Cardinals today, and is scheduled to sit down with the Jets and Giants in two weeks, according to Ian Rapoport and Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (Twitter links). While most observers believe Arizona will ultimately use the No. 1 overall selection on Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, Rapoport indicates both Williams and Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa are still in consideration for the top pick. The Jets and Giants present more realistic landing spots for Williams, who is viewed as the best interior prospect available. He’s also met with the Raiders and 49ers, each of whom hold top-five picks.
Here’s more on the draft:
- The Falcons are working out Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor on Thursday, tweets Rapoport. Along with Alabama’s Jonah Williams, Taylor is considered one of the top tackle prospects on the board in 2019. Taylor, who didn’t work out at the combine due to injury, has also met with the Jaguars. Atlanta, for their part, released right tackle Ryan Schraeder earlier this year and extended Ty Sambrailo, who figures to enter the season as the Falcons’ starter on the right side. Taylor would be a luxury choice for Atlanta, who hold the 14th overall selection.
- Alabama running back Josh Jacobs visited the Ravens today, reports Josh Norris of Rotoworld (Twitter link). Viewed as the best running back available in the draft, Jacobs could be on the board when Baltimore picks late in the first round. While Jacobs isn’t an elite athlete, he’s considered a true three-down back who could help immediately. The Ravens, of course, signed veteran Mark Ingram to pair with Gus Edwards, so running back isn’t necessarily their most obvious area of need.
- The Rams hosted Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite on Wednesday, tweets Norris. The pre-draft process has not been kind to Polite, who had been viewed as a potential first-round selection. Polite performed poorly during athletic testing, while his interviews with clubs were also widely panned. Additionally, Polite is battling currently battling through hamstring injuries. Los Angeles re-signed pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. and also added Clay Matthews, but given that a club can never have too many defensive ends/linebackers, Polite could be in consideration.
- Kansas State offensive tackle Dalton Risner met with the Broncos on Thursday, per Norris (Twitter link). Denver invested a 2017 first-round pick in Garett Bolles and made Ja’Wuan James the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle this offseason, but Risner could slide to guard if selected by the Broncos. Indeed, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com’s best comparison for Risner is Bears interior lineman Cody Whitehair.
- The Seahawks will visit with Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry before the draft, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Harry (6’4″, 213) managed at least 70 receptions, 1,200 yards, and eight touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. He should be available when Seattle makes its first-round pick at No. 21, and could reinforce a Seahawks receiving corps that already includes Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin.