Cameron Brate To Be Ready By Training Camp
In January, Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip. In an interview this week, the veteran pass catcher told Scott Reynolds of PewterReport.com he expects to be ready for training camp. 
Brate suffered the injury during the 2017 season but elected to not have surgery in hopes that it would heal on its own. It did not, and the tight end was hampered throughout the 2018 campaign. It showed in his production, as Brate produced just 30 grabs for 289 yards following back-to-back seasons with at least 48 receptions and 575 yards.
Even with the injury, Brate still was a prime performer in the red zone, snagging six touchdowns. It marked the third consecutive campaign the tight end logged at least six scoring grabs.
Though he elected to not have surgery originally, it was thought O.J. Howard would shoulder a larger load throughout the 2018 season. Unfortunately, the second-year tight end was placed on season-ending IR late in November after suffering foot and ankle injuries.
Both of those tight end’s returns will help Jameis Winston in a year that Tampa Bay will be breaking in new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich
Draft Rumors: Raiders, Texans, Broncos, Falcons
The Raiders were busy in the 2018 NFL Draft and it looks like that could be the case again in 2019, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken writes.
Holding three first-round picks and four in the first 35 selections, the Raiders have more than enough ammo needed to move up for a player they like or trade down to stockpile picks. Both scenarios seem like possibilities according to general manager Mike Mayock.
“Regardless of the scenario, we have to be ready to pick at four and be excited about a player,” Mayock said Thursday in a predraft news conference. “Right now, we might move up, and we might move back. Who knows? We won’t know until draft night. But if we’re ‘stuck’ at four, we have to be ready to go, and that’s a hell of a lot easier than worrying about all the permutations (of which players might be available) at 24, 27 and 35.”
In that same news conference, the first-year general manager noted that his preference would be to trade down and gather more picks to address the team’s deficiencies, NBC Sports’ Scott Bair writes.
Whether they move up or down, the Raiders will undoubtedly be one of the team’s to watch when the NFL Draft kicks off on April 25.
Here’s more draft news from around the league:
- Ole Miss wide receiver A.J. Brown had a private workout with the Texans, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Texans is just one of the handful of teams the slot receiver plans to visit, with the Packers, Colts, Patriots, Eagles, Giants, Redskins and Bills also on the list, according to NFL Network’s James Palmer (Twitter link). Houston already has a deep receiver corps with DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller V and Keke Coutee, but the latter two have been repeatedly hampered with injuries.
- The Broncos do not appear interested in Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen if he’s made available, Palmer tweets. He notes that things like asking price can change, but Denver appears more set with going with the newly acquired Joe Flacco or taking a quarterback in the upcoming draft.
- The Falcons will be focusing on the line in the upcoming draft, ESPN’s Vaughn McClure writes. Owner Arthur Blank said as much, commenting they need to get younger on the offensive line and that defensive line is an area of need. Atlanta owns the 14th pick and have shown heavy interest in Oklahoma lineman Cody Ford. –
Patrick Chung To Sign Extension With Patriots
Veteran safety Patrick Chung has agreed to terms on a one-year extension with the Patriots, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. This deal will keep the veteran safety in New England through the 2021 campaign. 
Chung signed a similar extension with the team during the 2018 offseason, keeping him with the team through the 2020 campaign. The safety has spent nine of his 10 seasons with the Patriots, appearing in five Super Bowls with the team.
The 31-year-old will keep a level of stability on a Patriots defense that has undergone several changes since they won the Super Bowl in February. Gone are several coaches, including defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who took the head coaching gig with the Dolphins shortly after the victory over the Rams. In fact, the team doesn’t have a defensive coordinator at the moment after Greg Schiano unexpectedly decided to not take the job.
In Super Bowl LIII, Chung suffered a broken arm in the third quarter of the team’s 13-3 victory over the Rams. A few days later, he underwent surgery to repair the injury. He was also set to undergo another procedure this offseason, one on his shoulder. The pair of procedures are expected to keep him out through Organized Team Activities, but he should be good to go for training camp.
In 2018, the longtime Patriots safety played in 15 games and started 14, registering one interception and 84 tackles. Still operating at a high level, he rated as the No. 30 safety according to Pro Football Focus, with an above-average grade of 72.7.
Latest On Reuben Foster
On Friday, it was announced former 49ers and current Redskins linebacker Reuben Foster would not be suspended in connection with his recent domestic violence accusation. 
Foster has spoken multiple times and met with Roger Goodell, and the NFL has viewed the video from the hotel of the alleged incident, the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The video was provided to the NFL by law enforcement and the NFL decided that the Personal Conduct Policy was not violated in the incident.
Following up the league’s statement, the former first-round pick issued his own statement through the team:
“I appreciate the support I have received from the league, my team, and my union to help me succeed,” Foster said in a statement from the team. “I want to thank Commissioner [Roger] Goodell for the time that he has spent with me and for his understanding of me as a person. I accept the NFL’s decision and want to say that I am truly sorry for my past actions and the people who may have been hurt by them. Going forward, I will follow the plan outlined for me and work hard to earn back the trust of my teammates, the NFL, NFL fans, and the community. I know that my success is all up to me, and I am committed to not letting you down.”
Redskins team president Bruce Allen also issued a statement, JP Finlay tweets:
“We have been very clear with Reuben that his past does not have to determine his future — but the responsibility is squarely on him to change.”
Bears Sign AAF Kicker Elliott Fry
On Friday, the Bears signed kicker Elliott Fry to a three-year contract, Larry Mayer of the ChicagoBears.com writes.
A former walk-on at the University of South Carolina, Fry recently played with the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football league, which recently suspended operations. He was a steady leg with the Apollos, converting all 14 of his attempts, with a long of 44 yards.
The Bears notably had issues with their kicking game in 2018. Those issues all culminated in the NFC Wild Card round, when Cody Parkey missed a 43-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining that would have given the Bears the lead on the Eagles.
Fry becomes the third kicker the team has signed this offseason, joining Redford Jones (reserve/future contract) and Chris Blewitt.
Tre Boston Still Awaiting Deal
Though most of the high-profile free agents have found homes, Tre Boston is not one of them. Not surprisingly, the safety is not happy about that fact, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. 
Responding to a Pro Football Focus tweet that showed Boston as one of the top defenders in the NFC West, the safety wondered what there is left to do to get teams to notice.
“Doesn’t mean much but Stats are beyond there! OBVIOUSLY!! The Players see it, the Fans see it, and are starting to question what’s going on. I like it, keep asking question. You’ll see what’s really up. 2 Prove It Deals…. What’s left to prove? Lol Bout to jump on Offense. Lol”
Those two “prove-it deals” he mentions are the one-year deals he took with the Chargers (2017) and Cardinals (2018) looking to land a long-term deal. Despite performing at a level that should’ve netted him that deal, Boston has been left out in the cold.
He’s not the only one, as several other free agents like Ndamukong Suh, are still awaiting teams due to compensatory picks being attached to their signing, ESPN’s Dan Graziano tweets. Those players will have that pick stripped in May, when most will begin to find homes.
XFL Not Bound By NFL Draft Eligibility Rules
The XFL won’t compete with the NFL for players, but the league could still gain high-end talent by not being obligated to follow the NFL’s draft-eligibility rules, CEO Oliver Luck told ESPN’s Outside the Lines (Tweet by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). 
The NFL’s draft rules are well known, as any player who wants to put his name in the pool must be at least three years removed from high school. By not adhering to the long-held practice, the upstart league could be an option for any notable freshman or true sophomore who doesn’t want to wait.
It’s hard to fathom a top quarterback testing the waters, but a high-profile running back trying it out to make the most out of a relatively short professional shelf life is much more feasible. It will definitely be an interesting caveat to watch in the coming years.
In more XFL news, WWE chairman Vince McMahon sold more than three million shares of WWE stock in March with the intention to use the proceeds to fund the new football league, Sports Illustrated’s Dan Gartland writes. The sale netted McMahon just under $272MM.
Obviously, with that type of investment, McMahon is not worried about the failures of the AAF, which recently suspended operations. In response to the league’s folding, the XFL issued a statement (Via Pro Football Talk):
“We have said all along the success or failure of other leagues will have no impact on our ability to deliver high-quality, fast-paced, professional football,” the league owned and operating by Vince McMahon said, via Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal. “The XFL is well-funded, we have time before kick-off to execute our business plan, and we will soon announce a national broadcast and cable TV schedule that makes it easy for fans to find our games consistently every weekend when we launch next February. There is no doubt that avid football fans want more and we’re excited to get going in 2020.”
Demarcus Lawrence Contract Details
On Friday, defensive end Demarcus Lawrence and the Cowboys agreed to a five-year deal worth $105MM, making the defensive lineman one of the highest-paid defenders in the league. 
That deal will include plenty in guaranteed money, according to The MMQB’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). Breer broke the deal down like this:
- 2019: $25MM to sign, $4.6MM roster bonus due on May 1, and $1.5MM base salary.
- 2020: $16.9MM base that is fully guaranteed.
- 2021: $17MM base with an injury guarantee that converts to a full guarantee in March 2020.
- 2022: $19MM base salary.
- 2023: $21MM base salary.
That’s $48MM fully guaranteed, but it is practically $65MM as the team would have to cut him after just one season to avoid paying that extra $17MM. It was reported recently Lawrence was seeking $22.5MM annually, and while he didn’t get that figure, he got close, with an average annual value of $21MM.
The Cowboys reportedly offered Lawrence an AAV of $17MM at the NFL Combine, which his camp countered with at least $20MM, The Athletic’s Calvin Watkins writes. Following the owners meeting, the Cowboys increased their offered to $20MM, but Lawrence’s agent, David Canter, pushed for $22.5MM. Dallas also reportedly originally offered Lawrence a six-year deal, but moved it down to five before the sides agreed on a price tag.
Now that he has signed his deal, Lawrence will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum. That procedure will take place on Wednesday, which will prevent complete dislocation, Ed Werder tweets. If dislocation happened, Lawrence would be looking at an IR stay, Werder hears.
With the new deal, the Cowboys gained an extra $10MM in cap space, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill tweets. Now that Lawrence’s deal is out of the way, the Cowboys are eyeing new contracts for several players, including Dak Prescott.
In Watkins’ piece, he notes the Cowboys are monitoring talks between Seattle and Russell Wilson before engaging with Prescott about a new deal. Regardless how that deal unfolds, Prescott is a near lock to sign a $100MM-plus contract with Dallas sometime soon.
Redskins A Front-Runner For Josh Rosen
If the Cardinals decide to trade second-year quarterback Josh Rosen, expect the Redskins to be at the front of the line for his services, NBC Sports’ JP Finlay writes. 
Siting ESPN’s Todd McShay, who said he keeps hearing the Redskins from league sources, Finlay notes that Washington appears to be the front-runner for the UCLA product but will not include its first-round pick in 2019 in a deal.
Between Alex Smith (34), Colt McCoy (32) and Case Keenum (31), the Redskins would appear to make sense as a team in need of a young quarterback to build around. While the team has another four years committed to Smith, who broke his leg in 2018, it remains to be seen when he will return to the field. Though the newly acquired Keenum will compete with McCoy for the starting job, both have served most of their careers as backup signal-caller and would appear to not serve as a road block to Rosen, should a deal get done.
Though that first-round pick is off the table, Finlay says that a package of picks spread out over two seasons is firmly in play. With four selection in the first three rounds, Washington has plenty of ammo needed to make a deal work.
In addition to the Redskins, Rosen has been linked heavily with the Giants, Chargers and Patriots in recent days.
Bill Belichick Could Become Patriots DC
Thursday began with the news that Patriots defensive coordinator Greg Schiano would be stepping down from the post. Later in the day, news trickled out that head coach Bill Belichick could assume a larger role with the defense or even take over the role of defensive coordinator, ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes. 
Following their victory in Super Bowl LIII, the Patriots saw a mass exodus from their defensive coaching staff, which included former defensive coordinator Brian Flores take the head-coaching gig in Miami and a number of assistants leaving. Schiano, highly trusted by Belichick, was expected to help the transition, but his abrupt departure puts the Pats in a tough situation.
Reiss notes Belichick assuming defensive coordinator duties is the most likely of scenarios but is not the only one. Another possibility is a “Hail Mary” call to former defensive line coach Brendan Daly, who left to become the Chiefs run-game coordinator. Considering his family’s roots in K.C. area, however, it could be a tough sell.
Another potential candidate would be Bret Bielema, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin tweets. Volin mentions that Bielema, the former University of Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach and current defensive consultant with the Pats, thought he was getting the job earlier this year.
Belichick, of course, is no slouch as a defensive coordinator. With the Giants, he won a pair of Super Bowls under head coach Bill Parcells while running the defense. As the head coach of the Patriots, Belichick has always played a large role on the defensive side of the ball, except in 2009 when he contributed largely to the offense following Josh McDaniels‘ departure to Denver.