HEADLINES

Author: Dallas Robinson

Seahawks Interested In Carlos Hyde

May 20th, 2020 at 4:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Devonta Freeman isn’t the only veteran back on the mind of the Seahawks’ decision-makers. Carlos Hyde has also drawn the interest of Seattle, tweets Mike Silver of NFL.com.

Hyde will be turn 30 years old during the 2020 NFL campaign, but he’s still generated interest on the open market despite his age. That’s perhaps unsurprising given that the former Ohio State Buckeye is coming off the best statistical season of his career. After being traded to the Texans last fall, Hyde surpassed 1,000 yards on the ground for Houston while scoring eight total touchdowns.

The Texans reportedly offered Hyde a multi-year extension of unknown value near the start of the offseason, but he rejected the proposal in favor of reaching the open market. In addition to the Seahawks, the Eagles have also discussed the possibility of signing Hyde.

Seattle boasts Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, and rookie Deejay Dallas in its run-heavy backfield, but Penny may not be ready for the start of training camp after suffering a knee injury last season. The Seahawks have also discussed a reunion with Marshawn Lynch.

Packers Sign 15 Undrafted Free Agents

April 30th, 2020 at 12:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers have become the latest team to bring in a class of undrafted free agents. Green Bay announced that it’s agreed to terms with the following UDFAs:

As you may have heard, the Packers didn’t select a wide receiver at any point during the 2020 draft. Instead, Stewart will represent the only collegiate wideout added to Green Bay’s roster. In his senior season, the 6’2″, 216-pound Stewart posted 49 receptions for 697 yards and two touchdowns. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com praised Stewart’s size and willingness to block, but noted the ex-Spartan’s “catch technique may need to be stripped and rebuilt.”

Bears To Sign Ted Ginn Jr.

April 30th, 2020 at 12:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have agreed to a one-year deal with veteran wideout Ted Ginn Jr., according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Ginn, 35, indicated earlier this month that he didn’t plan to retire. A return to New Orleans never seemed likely after the Saints signed Emmanuel Sanders, but Ginn has now landed in Chicago where the Bears were in need of another pass-catcher.

While the Bears have Allen Robinson at one outside receiver position, and Anthony Miller in the slot, they were looking for a speed option to compete with Javon Wims for their third receiver role. Ginn has played between 55-65% of his club’s offensive snaps in recent seasons, and he figures to settle in at that rate Chicago in 2020.

Last season, Ginn caught 30 passes for 421 yards and two touchdowns. While he was once a prolific return man, Ginn hasn’t played a special teams role in the past few years. That shouldn’t be an issue in Chicago, where the Bears already employ Cordarrelle Patterson.

Panthers To Sign Michael Schofield

April 30th, 2020 at 12:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers have reached agreement on a one-year deal with offensive lineman Michael Schofield, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

A third-round pick of the Broncos in 2014, Schofield spent three seasons in Denver before latching on with the division rival Chargers via a waiver claim. Schofield became a full-time starter for Los Angeles in 2018, and went on to start 32 consecutive games.

Although he was drafted as a tackle, Schofield now plays guard, and that’s an area of need in Carolina. The Panthers traded Trai Turner to the Chargers earlier this year in exchange for tackle Russell Okung, and while they’ve already added free agent John Miller to play on the right side, Carolina could use help on the left, where Dennis Daley is currently projected to start.

Schofield’s last deal with the Chargers paid him $2.5MM annually on a two-year term. After two seasons as a full-time starter, it shouldn’t be a surprise if he sees a pay bump as he moves to the Panthers.

Redskins To Decline Reuben Foster’s Option

April 30th, 2020 at 11:41am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins will decline their 2021 fifth-year option on linebacker Reuben Foster, according to Les Carpenter of the Washington Post (Twitter link).

Washington’s decision isn’t much of a surprise, as there’s no clear indication that Foster will be able to play the 2020 season. Foster suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and LCL in his first practice as a Redskin in May 2019, and while he’s seen recent improvements, he’s also dealt with nerve damage, so his health status is up in the air.

Foster’s 2021 option would have been guaranteed for injury, meaning the Redskins wouldn’t have been able to cut him after the 2020 season if he was dealing with medical question marks. Clearly, Washington didn’t to take that risk.

One of the NFL’s most talented linebackers, Foster was cut by the 49ers in November 2018 following multiple arrests and domestic violence accusations. The Redskins surprisingly claimed him off waivers, and while he was initially placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, Foster was soon reinstated.

Chargers To Exercise Mike Williams’ 2021 Option

April 30th, 2020 at 10:54am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers will exercise their 2021 fifth-year option on wide receiver Mike Williams, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link).

Because Williams was a top-10 pick in the 2017 draft, his fifth-year option salary will be equal to that of the 2020 transition tag number for wideouts. That figure comes out $15.68MM, so Williams will see quite an increase over his 2019 cap charge of $6.374MM.

Williams’ fifth-year option will be guaranteed for injury only, so the Chargers will have the option to release him at the end of the 2020 campaign, provided he’s not dealing with medical questions. Starting in 2022, fifth-year options will become fully guaranteed, but Williams is part of the last draft class without that level of financial protection.

After barely contributing as a rookie, Williams posted 43 receptions for 664 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2018. While his receiving yardage (barely) cleared the 1,000-yard threshold in 2019, Williams was hit by touchdown regression, and only found the end zone twice.

Depending on how Los Angeles handles’ its quarterback situation, Williams will be catching passes from either Tyrod Taylor or first-round pick Justin Herbert in 2020. He’ll be part of a pass-catching group that also includes Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, and Austin Ekeler.

Chargers Hire Pep Hamilton As QBs Coach

April 30th, 2020 at 10:12am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers are hiring Pep Hamilton as their new quarterbacks coach, a source tells Daniel Popper of The Athletic.

Hamilton’s most recent gig came as the head coach and general manager of the XFL’s DC Defenders, but he also boasts ample NFL experience. He served in a variety of offensive roles for the Jets, 49ers, and Bears before joining the Colts as offensive coordinator in 2013. In Indianapolis, Hamilton coached quarterback Andrew Luck, who he’d also led as Stanford’s OC from 2011-12.

The 45-year-old Hamilton spent 2016 with the Browns before reuniting with Jim Harbaugh at Michigan for two seasons. He took over the Defenders earlier this year, but that role ended when the XFL ended its operations in early April. The Chargers actually tried to hire Hamilton a few months ago, but weren’t able to due to his XFL employment, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

In Los Angeles, Hamilton will team with holdover offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to develop No. 6 overall pick Justin Herbert. While veteran Tyrod Taylor may begin the 2020 campaign as the Chargers’ starting quarterback, Herbert will surely be under center at some point.

Patriots, Jaguars Interested In Andy Dalton

April 30th, 2020 at 9:42am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots and Jaguars are among the teams with interest in former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, a source tells Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).

The news of Dalton’s release in Cincinnati only came to light this morning, but it appears the veteran signal-caller already has suitors. No team stepped up to trade for Dalton and his $17.7MM base salary, but he shouldn’t want for interest now that he’s available at, presumably, a much lower financial cost.

New England, for its part, only has 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham and free agent addition Brian Hoyer in its quarterback room. Stidham is in line to replace Tom Brady, but it would make sense for the club to add more competition. Head coach Bill Belichick recently said the Patriots’ decision not to draft a passer in the 2020 draft was “not by design,” so it doesn’t appear New England has ruled out bringing in another quarterback.

In Jacksonville, Gardner Minshew will fully take the reins as the Jaguars’ starter in 2020, but Dalton could push the 2019 sixth-rounder if signed. Dalton did some of his best work in Cincinnati under offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, who now holds the same title in Jacksonville.

Indeed, the Bengals did shop Dalton to the Jaguars on more than one occasion, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link), but Jacksonville didn’t express much interest. Of course, Dalton’s salary may have played a role in the Jaguars’ view, and they could be eyeing Dalton now that he’s available for a cheaper price.

Bengals To Release Andy Dalton

April 30th, 2020 at 8:11am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bengals are releasing veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dalton asked the Bengals to release him, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.

Dalton had been on the trade block for the entirety of the offseason, as Cincinnati knew it would be replacing the nine-year starter with No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, whom the Bengals officially drafted last week. While the Bengals discussed a Dalton deal with the Bears in February (and may have spoken with other clubs), they were never able to unload the 32-year-old in exchange for draft capital.

Although Dalton indicated earlier this month that a “scenario” existed in which he’d return to Cincinnati, it never seemed likely that the Bengals would carry his $17.7MM salary for 2020. And that salary likely halted any potential trade talks, as well. The Bengals could have — and may — offered to pay down some of Dalton’s salary before trading him, but that may not have been enticing enough to other clubs to facilitate a deal.

Now that he’s on the free agent market, Dalton enters an NFL landscape without many starting quarterback jobs available. Looking around the league, the two teams that still may have somewhat open quarterback competitions are the Jaguars (who employ one of Dalton’s former offensive coordinators in Jay Gruden) and the Patriots. Of course, other veterans such as Cam Newton and Joe Flacco are also still available and could compete for those same roles.

A second-round pick in the 2011 draft, Dalton led the Bengals to five consecutive playoff appearances to begin his career. However, Cincinnati never won a postseason game in any of those five seasons, and the club hasn’t returned to the playoffs since. In 2015, Dalton was playing at a near-MVP level before fracturing his thumb in a December game against the Steelers, but he didn’t match that pace in any of the next four years.

For the Bengals, releasing Dalton not only affirms Burrow’s position as the club’s Week 1 starter, but gives them $17.7MM in additional cap space. The free agent market is largely picked over at this point, but Cincinnati now has extra cash on hand for extensions for A.J. Green and/or Joe Mixon.

NFL Draft Rumors: Vikings, Jags, Redskins

April 24th, 2020 at 3:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings have “done a lot of work on” Boise State offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link), but Minnesota may have to move up in Round 2 in order to land him. Per Wolfson, the Vikings may need to get ahead of the Jaguars at No. 42 if they want to grab Cleveland. Minnesota’s second-round pick doesn’t come until No. 58 overall, so general manager Rick Spielman would need to work some magic in order to move up. Luckily, the Vikings have 12 picks remaining in the draft that could be used as trade ammunition.

Here’s more on the 2020 draft:

  • Speaking of the Vikings and offensive tackles, the ideas of Minnesota acquiring Redskins tackle Trent Williams and moving up in Round 2 aren’t mutually exclusive, as Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune tweets. Washington wants draft capital it can use this year, and while the club has been asking for a second-round pick, the Redskins could also accept a combination of selections that add up to the value of a second-rounder, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Minnesota could use any number of those aforementioned 12 remaining picks in order to patch together an offer for Williams.
  • Two clubs were attempting to move into the Buccaneers‘ No. 14 slot in order to land Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs, which prompted Tampa Bay to move up one spot into No. 13 and take Wirfs for themselves, reports Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Presumably, the Bucs figured teams moving to No. 14 would also be trying to move to No. 13, which was held by San Francisco. Instead, Tampa Bay shipped a fourth-round pick to the 49ers and added Tom Brady‘s new right tackle.
  • When the Raiders‘ first came on the clock at No. 12, the club’s initial discussions involved offensive tackles, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Oakland’s interest in tackles is a little puzzling, as it already has 2018 first-rounder Kolton Miller on the left side and the high-priced Trent Brown on the right. Eventually, the Raiders settled on Alabama wideout Henry Ruggs.
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