Dallas Robinson | Pro Football Rumors

Jets, 49ers, Ravens Have Met With CeeDee Lamb

April 13th, 2020 at 11:27am CST by Dallas Robinson

Speaking on Instagram Live, Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb confirmed that he’s held virtual pre-draft meetings with the Jets, 49ers, and Ravens (Twitter link via @TheSFNiners).

NFL clubs, of course, are not permitted to meet with prospects in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. Lamb is widely expected to be one of the top three wideouts off the board along with Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs after posting at least 1,100 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons at Oklahoma.

Baltimore holds the 28th selection in the first round and doesn’t seem to have much of a chance of landing Lamb, but New York and San Francisco — picking 11th and 13th — are squarely in contention for the talented receiver. The Jets lost Robby Anderson in free agency, but replaced him with Breshad Perriman, and also have Jamison Crowder, Quincy Enunwa, and Josh Doctson on their roster.

The 49ers, meanwhile, weren’t able to re-sign veteran pass-catcher Emmanuel Sanders, who landed a two-year deal with the Saints. 2019 second-round pick Deebo Samuel currently projects as San Francisco’s No. 1 wideout, with Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor, Marquise Goodwin, and Dante Pettis in reserve. The 49ers received the No. 13 pick from the Colts in exchange for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, and they also hold their own selection at No. 31 overall.

Steelers Sign WR Saeed Blacknall

April 13th, 2020 at 10:28am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers announced that they’ve agreed to terms with wide receiver Saeed Blacknall, who formerly suited up for the XFL’s Los Angeles Wildcats.

Pittsburgh has shown a proclivity to sign former XFLers, and Blacknall becomes the sixth member of the now-closed league to land with the Steelers. Blacknall joins defensive end Dewayne Hendrix, linebacker Christian Kuntz, offensive tackle Jarron Jones, safety Tyree Kinnel, and defensive tackle Cavon Walker as XFL alums on Pittsburgh’s roster.

Blacknall, 24, latched on with the Raiders in 2018 after going undrafted out of Penn State. He bounced on and off Oakland’s practice squad during his rookie season, but did manage one regular season appearance on the club’s active roster.

In 2019, Blacknall spent time with the Dolphins and Cardinals, but didn’t see any game action. He was drafted by the Wildcats in November and appeared in three of the team’s five games, catching four passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Former NFL QB Tarvaris Jackson Passes Away

April 13th, 2020 at 9:15am CST by Dallas Robinson

Former NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson tragically passed away following a car accident in Alabama on Sunday night, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Jackson was 36 years old.

A second-round pick in the 2006 draft, Jackson made 36 appearances for the Vikings over five seasons, including 12 starts in 2007. He signed with the Seahawks in 2011 and served as Seattle’s full-time starter for that entire campaign. Following a season as a reserve in Buffalo in 2012, Jackson returned to the Seahawks and backed up Russell Wilson for three years.

All told, Jackson made 34 NFL starts and completed 59.6% of his passes for 7,263 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions. He earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Seahawks in 2013. In 2018, Jackson accepted a role as a graduate assistant at Alabama State, his alma mater, before becoming Tennessee State’s quarterbacks coach in 2019.

PFR extends its deepest condolences to Jackson’s family and friends.

Stephen Gostkowski Doesn’t Plan To Retire

April 9th, 2020 at 10:40am CST by Dallas Robinson

After spending the majority of the 2019 season on injured reserve before being released by the Patriots last month, veteran kicker Stephen Gostkowski isn’t ready to retire just yet. Appearing on Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots Talk Podcast, Gostkowski indicated he’ll attempt to continue his career in 2020.

“I’m not ready to just hang it up,” Gostkowski said. “I’m gonna try to play. It’s going to be tough to show teams what I can do right now or work out or do a physical, but I’m not too worried about it. I’m not concerned. I kind of take things day by day.

I feel good. I’m starting to feel better. I’m trying to keep getting in better and better shape and I’ve probably done more so far this year as I would heading into a normal season so I feel like I’m ahead of where I usually am and I have nothing but time.”

Of course, Gotskowski’s free agent options are hindered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Any interested clubs would surely first want take a look at Gostkowksi’s medical records after a torn labrum in his left hip led to season-ending surgery a season ago. With a physical examination nearly impossible at the moment, Gostkowski may have to wait to land with another team.

A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All Pro, Gostkowski stands as one of this era’s best kickers. The former fourth-round pick’s 87.4% career field goal success rate ranks fifth in NFL history, and his 39 career playoff field goals rank behind only Adam Vinatieri’s 56 in postseason history.

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta On 2020 Draft

April 9th, 2020 at 9:32am CST by Dallas Robinson

Fresh off a 14-2 campaign in 2019, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is now set to conduct his second draft as Baltimore’s top front office decision-maker. Holding the 28th pick in the first round, the Ravens could go in any number of directions to supplement an already talented roster.

Let’s take a look at the highlights of a draft-centric conference call DeCosta held with reporters earlier this morning:

The 2020 draft is thought to contain one of the best wide receiver classes in recent memory, so much so that DeCosta believes Baltimore could find an immediate contributor as late as the fifth round, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter links). Unsurprisingly, DeCosta expects Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb to be off the board by the time the Ravens pick in Round 1, and Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs will probably also be gone. But Baltimore could have a choice between options like Justin Jefferson (LSU), Tee Higgins (Clemson), Denzel Mims (Baylor), or Laviska Shenault (Colorado) at the end of the first round. DeCosta and the Ravens selected two wideouts — Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin — in the top three rounds of the 2019 draft.
Don’t expect the Ravens to attempt a move back up the board. “In general, trading up is dangerous,” DeCosta said, per Zrebiec (Twitter links). “It’s a little bit risky. I’d like to have 10, 12, 14 picks in every draft all things being equal.” Baltimore currently owns nine selections. If DeCosta wants to move that total into the double digits, he’d need to be trading back instead of up. Indeed, DeCosta said he would only consider a trade up for an “elite player.”
The Ravens depleted their tight end depth a bit by trading 2018 first-rounder Hayden Hurst to the Falcons, and DeCosta said it would be “foolish” for Baltimore not to consider adding another tight end at some point in the draft, tweets Zrebiec. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman runs a tight end-friendly scheme, but the Ravens currently only have three options on their roster: Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle, and Charles Scarff.
Baltimore may also consider adding talent in front of quarterback Lamar Jackson. “Offensive line is something we definitely want to address in this draft,” said DeCosta, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “We see some talent in all the rounds. It would be great if a guy in the first round that we thought was a really good player fell to us.” Given the presence of Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown, the Ravens don’t necessarily need immediate help at tackle, but DeCosta feels all the projected first-round tackles have the capacity to move inside to guard (where Baltimore does need help), as Zrebiec tweets.

Latest On 2020 NFL Draft Format

April 8th, 2020 at 10:55am CST by Dallas Robinson

Due to ongoing shelter-in-place orders around the United States, the 2020 NFL draft will be conducted in an entirely virtual manner. Front office executives and scouts won’t be allowed to congregate at team facilities, meaning general managers and personnel directors will be making selections from the privacy of their own homes.

As anyone who has ever participated in a fantasy football draft can attest, unforeseen technical issues have the possibility to threaten the entire endeavor. As such, the NFL considered implementing some sort of “timeout” system that would have alleviated concerns about technical problems, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link). While the league doesn’t seem to be putting any formal process into place, the NFL will be flexible if a decision-maker has a “genuine technical breakdown,” a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Other safeguards are also in place, as Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes. The NFL will have an ongoing conference call throughout the entirety of the draft, so if a general manager loses internet access, he could simply announce his pick to the league via phone. Teams can also send in their selections via email, per Graziano.

Additionally, the league plans to hold a complete dry run of the draft before the actual event takes place, as Tom Pelissero reported on NFL Network (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Presumably, that exercise will help team officials clear up any questions they may have about technology or the draft’s format.

For those of us watching at home, the presentation of the draft will be a bit different than in recent years. ESPN and NFL Network typically produce their own broadcasts of the draft, but because the NFL Network’s studios in California and New Jersey remain closed, the two networks will run a joint presentation, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

Tom Brady On Free Agency, Leaving The Patriots, And Joining The Bucs

April 8th, 2020 at 9:42am CST by Dallas Robinson

In a wide-ranging two-hour interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM Radio, new Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady discussed his first foray into free agency, his decision to leave the Patriots, his journey to Tampa Bay, and his future in the NFL. Let’s take a look at the highlights from Brady’s sit-down with the King of All Media:

Brady said he had a strong feeling he’d leave New England before the beginning of the 2019 NFL season, as James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. “I don’t think there was a final, final decision until it happened,” Brady said. “But I would say I probably knew before the start of last season. I knew that, it was just, our time, you know, our time was coming to an end.” Brady signed a renegotiated contract in August 2019 that prevented the Patriots from franchise tagging him in 2020, so the tea leaves regarding a possible departure were in place.
Brady indicated he heard from “a lot” of interested teams when he reached free agency, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. However, Brady said he wrote down a list of 20 factors that would play into his decision, including location, wide receiver talent, and coaching, per Palmer (Twitter link), which helped lead him to the Buccaneers.
While leaving the franchise he played for his entire career couldn’t have been an easy decision, Brady said he wasn’t concerned about tarnishing his NFL legacy. “I never cared about legacy,” Brady said, per Greg Auman of the The Athletic (Twitter link). “I could give a s— about … that’s not me, that’s not my personality. Why would I choose a different place? It was time. I had accomplished everything I could with an incredible organization.”
Although he’s now entering uncharted territory as a mid-40s NFL quarterback, Brady doesn’t seem to be considering retirement any time in the immediate future. “You don’t tell a musician to stop singing, you don’t tell a great painter to stop painting at 42,” Brady said, per Auman (Twitter link). Brady, of course, inked a fully guaranteed two-year contract with Tampa Bay that will take him through his age-44 season.
Despite reports of friction between Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, the future Hall of Fame quarterback said he doesn’t hold any resentment towards the future Hall of Fame coach, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com tweets. “No absolutely not,” Brady said. “To have him allowed me to be the best I can be. So I’m grateful for that. And I very much believe he feels the same about me…”

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Ebron, Browns

April 2nd, 2020 at 7:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a quick spin around the AFC North:

New Steelers tight end Eric Ebron said he still isn’t fully recovered from the ankle injury that forced him to injured reserve as a member of the Colts in 2019, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Ebron hasn’t been able to meet with the Steelers’ medical staff, but an independent doctor did examine his ankle, and Pittsburgh has officially announced its two-year, $12MM deal with the 26-year-old. Ebron, who says he decided to sign with the Steelers largely due to the presence of Ben Roethlisberger, had a public spat with the Colts when he decided to shut things down last November. Now, he’s expected to serve as one of Roethlisberger’s top offensive weapons while splitting time with fellow tight end Vance McDonald.
After releasing veteran Mark Barron last month, the Steelers now need to find another inside linebacker to play opposite 2019 first-rounder Devin Bush, as Mark Kaboly of The Athletic writes. Vince Williams remains on Pittsburgh’s roster, and general manager Kevin Colbert says he’s “comfortable” with Williams as a starter (as he was in 2017-18 before losing snaps to Barron last season). Sources tell Kaboly the Steelers aren’t interested in Deone Bucannon, who remains on the free agent market, but the club could spend a draft pick on another ‘backer.
Free agent addition Jack Conklin is the Browns‘ best offensive tackle by a wide margin, but that doesn’t mean they’ll try to play him on Baker Mayfield‘s blindside in 2020, head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, via conference call on Thursday. Conklin, who inked a three-year $42MM deal with Cleveland after spending four seasons in Tennessee, has played right tackle for nearly all of his career (he’s lined up at left tackle just 68 times since entering the NFL). The Browns are reportedly open to considering Trent Williams (via trade) or free agent Jason Peters at left tackle, but the club could also target the position in the draft, where it holds the 10th overall pick.

Latest On Laremy Tunsil

April 2nd, 2020 at 7:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Appearing on NFL Live earlier today, Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil unsurprisingly confirmed that’s aiming to become the NFL’s top-paid offensive lineman if and when he reaches a long-term deal with Houston.

“I’m not going to talk numbers, as I’m going to keep that between me and the club,” Tunsil said, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. “I am looking to be the highest-paid lineman, of course. I worked my butt off to be in that position and hopefully we can make that happen.”

Tunsil didn’t want to talk specific figures, but numbers have been reported. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle recently indicated the Texans are willing to make Tunsil the league’s highest-paid lineman and have offered an annual salary of $18.5MM, $500K more per year than the Eagles’ Lane Johnson collects.

Tunsil is reportedly looking to top $18.5MM annually, but it’s unclear just how much more he’s searching for. A $20MM/year pact would represent a significant increase in the offensive tackle market, but given that Houston sacrificed two first-round picks and a second-rounder to land Tunsil from the Dolphins last offseason, the 25-year-old holds all the leverage in talks.

The 13th overall selection in the 2016 draft, Tunsil will earn $10.35MM in 2019, the final year of his rookie pact. The Texans could conceivably retain him through 2021 by deploying consecutive franchise tags, but an extension seems far more likely.

NFL Contract Details: Lions, Seahawks, Vikings, Jets, Broncos

April 2nd, 2020 at 7:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed NFL deals:

Tony McRae, CB (Lions): One year, $1MM. $200K guaranteed. $100K signing bonus (Twitter link via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News).
Phillip Dorsett, WR (Seahawks): One year, $1.048MM. $138K guaranteed. Qualifies as veteran minimum salary benefit deal (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com).
Ameer Abdullah, RB (Vikings): One year, $910K. $45K signing bonus. $45K roster bonus. Qualifiers as veteran minimum salary benefit deal (Twitter link via Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune).
Anthony Zettel, DE (Vikings): One year, $910K. $45K signing bonus. $45K roster bonus. Qualifiers as veteran minimum salary benefit deal (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press).
Joseph Jones, LB (Broncos): One year, $825K. No guaranteed money (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News).
Bennett Jackson, DB (Jets): One year, $725K. $100K guaranteed. $50K signing bonus (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com).