Rams To Host Blake Bortles
The Rams will meet with quarterback Blake Bortles on Monday, according to Mike Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Bortles, if signed by Los Angeles, would certainly test the theory that Rams head coach Sean McVay can make any quarterback successful. Current Jared Goff backup Sean Mannion is unrestricted free agent, so the club is in need of a new No. 2. Bortles, who was released earlier this week after the Jaguars signed Nick Foles, could fit the bill.
The third overall selection in the 2014 draft, Bortles hasn’t come close to living up to his draft status. Since Bortles entered the NFL, 17 quarterbacks have attempted at least 2,000 passes: among those signal-callers, Bortles ranks dead last in adjusted net yards per attempt, quarterback rating, and interception rate, and is second-to-last in touchdown rate.
Given his track record, Bortles should come relatively cheap. The Jaguars, though, are surely hoping he earns significant backup money with his next club. Bortles still had guaranteed salary remaining on his Jacksonville deal, but thanks to offset language, the Jags will receive a cap credit equal to the amount of Bortles’ next base salary (up to $6.5MM).
Bortles has never worked with McVay, but the two do have a tangential connection. Greg Olson was Bortles’ Jacksonville offensive coordinator from 2015-16 before taking over as the Rams’ quarterbacks coach under McVay in 2017. Olson left for Oakland after one year in Los Angeles, but it’s fair to assume he’s given McVay a Bortles scouting report.
Texans, Vikes Interested In Ryan Schraeder
Both the Texans and Vikings have expressed interest in free agent offensive tackle Ryan Schraeder, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Schraeder was released by the Falcons earlier this week.
Houston fielded one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines in 2018, but the club hasn’t yet been linked to any free agent tackles. Last season, the Texans not only gave up the most sacks in the league (62), but ranked 27th in adjusted line yards, Football Outsiders’ run-blocking metric. Schraeder would presumably displace incumbent Texans right tackle Seantrel Henderson if signed.
Minnesota, meanwhile, wasn’t quite as poor as Houston: the Vikings’ front five gave up only 40 sacks (ninth in the NFL), but finished 23rd in ALY. The Vikings haven’t yet decided on an offensive line configuration for 2019, but reports have suggested they could shift Riley Reiff from left tackle to left guard and move 2019 second-round pick Brian O’Neill to the blindside. That would theoretically open right tackle for Schraeder.
A former undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State, Schraeder latched on with the Falcons in 2013 and proceeded to start 73 games over the next six years. He signed a five-year, $31.5MM extension in 2016, but only completed a portion of that contract. Schraeder lost his starting right tackle job to Ty Sambrailo at the end of the 2018 campaign; Sambrailo was subsequently extended by Atlanta.
Ravens Sign CB Justin Bethel
The Ravens announced that they’ve signed cornerback/special teamer Justin Bethel to a two-year contract. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) first reported Baltimore as nearing a deal with Bethel.
Bethel has been a starting cornerback in the past, as he played at least 25% of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps in each season from 2015-17. But he’s struggled in that capacity, and is known primarily for his work on special teams. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro as a special teamer, Bethel played zero defensive snaps for the Falcons in 2018 but saw action on two-thirds of Atlanta’s ST snaps.
Bethel will have little opportunity to play defense in a Baltimore secondary that ranks as one of the league’s best (especially after adding Earl Thomas), but the Ravens have always placed a strong emphasis on special teams play. Bethel will play under new ST coordinator Chris Horton, who replaced longtime Ravens special teams coach Jerry Rosburg earlier today.
Chargers Extended Tom Telesco In 2018
The Chargers quietly agreed to a multi-year extension with general manger Tom Telesco at the end of the 2018 season, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Telesco’s prior contact was due to expire at the end of this year.
Telesco, 46, was named the Chargers’ GM in advance of the 2013 campaign. Since then, he’s guided the club to two playoff appearances, first during his debut season and again this past year. Telesco is now on his second head coach, having fired Mike McCoy and hired Anthony Lynn during the 2017 offseason.
Telesco began his career in minor roles with the Bills and Panthers, but spent the bulk of his pre-Chargers time with the Colts, serving in a variety of roles including director of pro scouting and director of player personnel. He’s built a solid Los Angeles roster, but could need to address several areas — including finding quarterback Philip Rivers‘ heir — in the near future.
Packers Sign WR Geronimo Allison To New One-Year Deal
Packers wideout Geronimo Allison drew enough interest as a restricted free agent that Green Bay has decided to sign him to a new one-year deal, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSports.com.
Whereas Allison’s RFA tender wouldn’t have come with any financial guarantees, Allison’s new contact will contained guaranteed money, per La Canfora. Additionally, it will have a greater base value than the $2.025MM original round tender that Allison received earlier this week, and will contain incentives.
Allison, 25, managed 20 receptions in four games last season before being placed on injured reserve with hamstring and groin issues. Despite his limited track record, Allison could be in for an expanded role next year, playing as Green Bay’s No. 3 receiver behind Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Panthers Meet With OL Jermon Bushrod
The Panthers hosted free agent offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod on Friday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While he left without a contract, Bushrod isn’t off the table for Carolina, tweets Joe Person of The Athletic.
Bushrod, 34, is one of 18 players from the 2007 draft still active in the NFL. After starting his career with the Saints, Bushrod spent time with the Bears and Dolphins before returning to New Orleans in 2018. He made six starts and 11 total appearances last season, filling in at left tackle for the injured Terron Armstead. Pro Football Focus assigned Bushrod sub-par grades, ranking him as the league’s No. 59 tackle among 80 qualifiers.
Carolina has made several changes to its offensive line this week, adding free agent center Matt Paradis and re-signing right tackle Daryl Williams while releasing left tackle Matt Kalil. With Taylor Moton scheduled to replace Kalil on the blindside and Trai Turner installed at right guard, the only roles for Bushrod would be at left guard or as a reserve.
49ers Extend RB Raheem Mostert
The 49ers and running back Raheem Mostert have agreed to a new three-year deal, as Mostert’s agent Brent Tessler tweets.
San Francisco earlier this week tendered Mostert as a restricted free agent, assigning him an original round tender that would have only given the club the right of first refusal if Mostert landed an offer sheet from another club. That tender — worth $2.025MM — wouldn’t have come with any guaranteed money. As of yet, it’s unclear if Mostert’s extension replaces his tender and locks him in through 2021, or is in addition to his tender and thus will keep him in the Bay Area through 2022.
The 49ers, of course, made a push for Le’Veon Bell earlier this week before signing former Falcons running back Tevin Coleman, crowding a running back depth chart that already had a few options. Jerick McKinnon, who signed a hefty free agent deal with San Francisco last offseason, is still on the roster, as is Matt Breida, who excelled after McKinnon went down with a torn ACL prior to the regular season.
As Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets, Mostert will be active on gamedays due to his special teams contributions. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan recently said he’s never activated four running backs for a contest, meaning one of Coleman, McKinnon, or Breida either won’t be active, or won’t be on the 49ers roster (unless Shanahan changes his plans, that is).
Mostert, 26, spent time with six other NFL franchises before landing in San Francisco in 2016. In 2018, he posted 34 carries for 261 yards and one touchdown, and also played 60% of the 49ers’ special teams snaps.
Chiefs To Host CB Darqueze Dennard
The Chiefs are planning to meet with free agent cornerback Darqueze Dennard this weekend, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Dennard, a first-round pick of the Bengals in 2014, has experienced an extremely quiet market despite other slot corners receiving deals around the NFL. In fact, his trek to Kansas City will mark the first known interest Dennard has drawn this offseason. Cincinnati, for its part, had been willing to re-sign Dennard at around $8.5MM annually, but the club’s stance may have changed after it signed fellow slot defender B.W. Webb on Thursday.
The Bengals are often reticent to field young players during the early portions of their respective careers, and that was never more evident that in Dennard’s case, as the former Michigan State Spartan played fewer than 600 defensive snaps in his first three pro seasons.
Dennard became Cincinnati’s full-time slot corner in 2017, and saw action on roughly three-quarters of the Bengals’ snaps in each of the past two years. Football Outsiders ranked Dennard 29th among 85 qualifiers in yards allowed per pass attempt in 2018 but just 49th in success rate, while Pro Football Focus graded Dennard as the league’s No. 52 CB.
Kansas City is searching for defensive back help after losing starter Steven Nelson to the Steelers earlier this week. The Chiefs met with Ronald Darby during the opening hours of the free agent period, but he’s since returned to Philadelphia on a one-year deal.
Texans Work Out Jake Fisher
Jake Fisher — who is attempting a conversion from offensive tackle to tight end — tried out for the Texans today, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It’s unclear at what position Houston worked Fisher today, but the club could use help at both tackle and tight end. The Texans fielded one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines in 2018, giving up a league-leading 62 sacks while ranking 27th in adjusted line yards. But Houston’s tight end room is just as uninspiring, as its led by options such as Ryan Griffin and Jordan Akins.
Fisher reportedly had dropped to 285 pounds as of earlier this month, and if that’s the case, he won’t have the size for tackle and is probably trying out as a tight end. While any sort of position change is difficult, Fisher does come with prior tight end experience, as he was an acclaimed TE in high school.
A second-round pick of the Bengals in the 2015 draft, Fisher has been limited by injuries and ineffectiveness during his career. Over four years in Cincinnati, Fisher appeared in 48 games but made only 12 starts despite the Bengals’ severe need for competent offensive tackle play.
Latest On Dolphins DE Robert Quinn
Robert Quinn was thought to be a surefire candidate for release heading into the offseason, but the veteran defensive end remains on the Dolphins’ roster. In fact, Miami will Quinn a $1.1MM roster bonus Friday, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
The Dolphins have held trade talks regarding Quinn, and they may still have every intention of dealing him. By taking care of Quinn’s roster bonus, Miami has now reduced the commitment an acquiring club would take on by picking up Quinn. As Beasley notes, any team that trades for Quinn is now only responsible for his base salary of roughly $11.8MM.
That figure still may be too expensive for interested clubs, but Quinn is still a relatively effective player. While he finished with only 6.5 sacks in 2018, Quinn tied for 20th among defensive ends with 24 quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, assigned Quinn the 19th-highest pass-rush grade among 103 qualifying DEs. And although he’s been in the NFL since 2011, Quinn is still only entering his age-29 campaign.
As Beasley writes, it’s unclear where the Dolphins go from here. If they can’t generate any trade interest in Quinn and end up cutting him, they’ve essentially wasted $1.1MM for no reason. It’s possible Quinn remains on the Miami roster for the entire season, but he’d been an odd fit on a club that’s going into a hard rebuild.