New York Notes: Darnold, Giants, Sanders
Before the legal tampering period kicked off, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com said it was more likely than not that the Jets would trade Sam Darnold, assuming that BYU QB Zach Wilson — whom the Jets would select with the No. 2 overall pick to replace Darnold — “checks the important boxes during the pre-draft process.” Cimini said at the time that there was a market for Darnold, and he named Washington, the Bears, the Seahawks, the Texans, and the 49ers as potential landing spots.
But since then, WFT signed Ryan Fitzpatrick and Chicago acquired Andy Dalton. Obviously, neither of those QBs are long-term answers, but they do at least obviate an immediate need for a signal-caller. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are moving forward with Russell Wilson, Houston may be unable to trade incumbent QB Deshaun Watson in light of the sexual abuse allegations that have been levied against him, and it’s unclear how actively San Francisco is pursuing an upgrade over Jimmy Garoppolo. As such, the Jets might not be able to trade Darnold, and it will be interesting to see if that will impact the team’s decision with respect to Zach Wilson (or any other rookie passer).
Now for more out of the Empire State:
- In less exciting Jets news, the team is still looking into free agent kickers and wants to find a starting-caliber corner, as Cimini writes. The CB need will probably be filled in the draft; Cimini does not expect the club to pursue Richard Sherman, despite the obvious Sherman-Robert Saleh connection.
- It might go without saying, but when the Giants agreed to a three-year, $63MM pact with DL Leonard Williams a few days ago, Williams agreed to drop his grievance concerning his 2020 franchise tag, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Williams was tagged as a defensive tackle but believed he should have received a defensive end tag, and if he had prevailed, his tag number for 2021 would have jumped to $21.4MM. Since he got a $21MM AAV on his extension, things worked out just fine for him in the end.
- Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Williams — who is clearly not afraid to bet on himself — pushed for a shorter contract so that he can hit the open market again before he turns 30. Duggan says the Giants have explored restructures for 2020 signees James Bradberry and Blake Martinez, something the club may need to really push for now that it has agreed to a big-money deal for WR Kenny Golladay.
- The Giants signed veteran TE Kyle Rudolph earlier this week, but his addition does not impact Evan Engram‘s status with the team, a source tells Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Engram will play out the 2021 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal and hopes for a strong platform performance after struggling a bit in 2020.
- These days, instead of being forced to reach out to agents to convince their clients to play in western New York, agents are the ones calling the Bills, as Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News writes. Head coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane have created a winning club and a positive culture, and players around the league are taking notice and now see Buffalo as an attractive destination. While the Bills didn’t have a ton of cap space heading into this year’s free agent cycle — or many major holes to fill — they did bring in WR Emmanuel Sanders, whom they had targeted for several years. Sanders is a prime example of the changing feelings towards Buffalo, saying “[w]ho wouldn’t want to be part of it?” (via John Wawrow of the Associated Press).
Latest On Allegations Against Deshaun Watson
As of March 18, Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee had filed three lawsuits against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on behalf of three massage therapists alleging inappropriate conduct and sexual assault. Now, Buzbee has filed a total of seven suits, and as Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com writes, at least five more will be on the way.
No criminal charges or complaints have been filed against Watson, but according to Barshop, Buzbee is pushing to change that. The attorney plans to submit affidavits and evidence concerning the alleged misconduct to the Houston Police Department and the Houston DA on Monday morning, and he will also request that a grand jury consider the evidence.
Obviously, that is part of Buzbee’s effort to increase his leverage in his civil suits, and the fact that he is submitting affidavits and evidence to the DA’s office does not mean that the DA will believe those materials represent probable cause to initiate criminal proceedings. Still, it’s clear that this matter is not going away, and Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, says a response is forthcoming.
“I’m extremely proud to represent Deshaun Watson and wholly stand behind him against what we believe are meritless allegations,” Hardin said. “However, we will wait to comment in detail until we’ve completed our review of the numerous, evolving allegations from Mr. Buzbee. We will respond next week and ask you to keep an open mind until we do so.” (Twitter link via Mark Berman of FOX 26).
Up until the suits were filed, Watson had been all over the headlines for football-related reasons. He and the Texans were playing a game of chicken over the three-time Pro Bowler’s trade demand, and on March 19 — even after the seventh lawsuit — Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported that several clubs remained interested in swinging a trade for Watson. That includes the Eagles, whose interest had not been reported previously.
“We need to know more facts before making a firm decision on a trade, but, yes, we’re still interested,” said one NFL executive. “How could you not be interested in Deshaun Watson possibly being your quarterback? The guy is an incredible talent.”
Said another exec, “[w]hat Deshaun Watson has been accused of obviously doesn’t match up at all with what we’ve heard and know about him as a really great person, but you can’t ignore these serious allegations. What that means is making sure you’re doing your homework and making sure you have all the facts before you get heavily involved in trade negotiations. There’s the NFL investigation, the court stuff and you have to let it all play out and make an informed decision. Yes, we’re still very interested in Deshaun Watson. What he has done on the field checks every box for quarterback play.”
If these allegations are not resolved in Watson’s favor in short order, you can expect that interested teams will stop their pursuit of the Texans’ signal-caller.
Bengals Sign DL Larry Ogunjobi
Larry Ogunjobi is staying in the AFC North. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that the defensive lineman, who spent the first four years of his career with the Browns, is heading to the Bengals on a one-year deal (Twitter link).
This represents yet another defensive acquisition for Cincinnati, which has added a pair of cornerbacks — Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie — and defensive end Trey Hendrickson over the past several days. The Bengals have tangled with Ogunjobi two times per season since he entered the league as a third-round draft choice in 2017, and they were apparently impressed.
They also got him for less of a commitment than many expected. As of late January, Spotrac pegged Ogunjobi’s market value at three years and roughly $28MM, and as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wrote at the time, the Browns were not going to be involved in the bidding if it got to that point. But Ogunjobi, as many players have done, elected to take a one-year pact with the hopes of hitting the market again in 2022, when the salary cap should dramatically increase.
Pro Football Focus was not high on Ogunjobi’s work in 2020, grading him as the 105th-best interior defender out of 125 qualifiers. But he has been a full-time starter since 2018 and has shown some ability to generate interior pass rush (14.5 career sacks) while holding up against the run. Just 26, he still might not have hit his ceiling, and his presence could allow the Bengals to part with stalwart Geno Atkins.
Atkins, who will turn 33 later this month, has been rumored as a cap casualty after an injury-marred 2020 season. His release would free up $9.5MM of cap room.
Patriots To Sign Kyle Van Noy
After one season with the division-rival Dolphins, Kyle Van Noy is heading back to Foxborough. The Patriots are signing the soon-to-be 30-year-old linebacker, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says that it will be a two-year pact worth up to $13.2MM (Twitter link).
A second-round pick of the Lions in 2014, Van Noy saw very little playing time until he was traded to the Pats in 2016. From 2017-19, the BYU product served as a full-time starter for New England and became a well-respected leader in the team’s locker room.
In his walk year in 2019, Van Noy had 56 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles as an integral part of a Patriots defense that was putting up historic numbers for much of that season. He parlayed that success into a four-year, $51MM contract with the Dolphins one year and one day ago, but he did not make it to a second season in South Beach. After failing to find a trade partner — not surprising given that Van Noy was due a $12.75MM salary in 2021 — Miami cut him last week.
Pro Football Focus’ metrics considered Van Noy the 26th-best linebacker out of 83 qualifiers in 2020, and his highest score came in the pass rush category. While he has never posted double-digit sacks, he can make opposing QBs uncomfortable, and he is good enough against the run to be a solid three-down ‘backer. His locker room presence is an added benefit, and New England can deploy him in a variety of roles.
The Patriots, of course, have stolen headlines over the legal tampering period and into the first day of the new league year, putting their ample amount of cap space to work by acquiring high-profile talents on both sides of the ball. It can certainly be argued that the team overpaid for a couple of those players, but Bill Belichick & Co. are clearly taking their absence from the playoffs in 2020 as a personal affront. Van Noy, along with fellow new additions Matt Judon and Davon Godchaux, should be a big boost to the club’s front seven.
Riley Reiff To Visit Bengals
The Bengals entered free agency with glaring holes along the offensive line, but they spent the past couple of days bolstering their defense. They may now be shifting gears, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that former Vikings left tackle Riley Reiff will take a visit with Cincinnati (Twitter link).
Reiff, who was released by Minnesota last week, has never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, but he has been a mostly solid starter since he entered the league as a first-round pick of the Lions in 2012. There was some chatter in recent seasons that he could be shifted inside to guard, but that never materialized.
The Bengals, though, have Jonah Williams penciled in at LT. So if Reiff signs with Cincinnati, he could end up at right tackle or, theoretically, at one of the guard positions.
We heard back in January that the Bengals could spend big on the O-line this offseason, which would be a major departure from their standard operating procedure. But it makes sense, as the club needs to protect quarterback Joe Burrow at all costs, a point that was driven home in brutal fashion when Burrow suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 11 of the 2020 season. Reiff might not be a world beater, but he is a major upgrade over what the Bengals trotted out last year, and if the club can sign him and acquire another quality blocker or two in the draft and/or free agency, Burrow will surely be a happy man.
The young signal-caller would also be delighted if the team adds another top-flight receiver to his cadre of weapons. The Bengals have an offer out to WR Kenny Golladay, who, along with Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, would create a rather fearsome trio of pass catchers..
Vikings Sign CB Patrick Peterson
Patrick Peterson is moving on from Arizona. The Vikings have agreed to a one-year, $10MM deal with the decorated cornerback, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter).
Now 30 (31 in July), Peterson is one of the most accomplished defenders in Cardinals history and is a member of the Hall of Fame’s All-Decade team for the 2010s. He is not, however, the player he once was. He was hit with a six-game PED suspension to start the 2019 campaign, and after Pro Football Focus graded Peterson fifth among corners in 2018, he slipped to 41st in ’19 and 83rd in ’20. Quarterbacks throwing in Peterson’s direction last season collectively completed passes at a 67% clip — nearly 10 points higher than they did in 2018.
But he did pick off three passes in 2020, to go along with eight passes defensed. He has also been tremendously durable throughout his 10-year career, as the only games he has missed were due to the aforementioned suspension.
He joins a young CB room that had been fronted by a trio of recent early-round picks. Unlike Peterson, 2018 first-rounder Mike Hughes has not been able to stay healthy and has only suited up for 24 of a possible 48 regular season games in his pro career, while 2020 first-rounder Jeff Gladney struggled a bit in his rookie campaign. Cameron Dantzler, a third-round choice last year, played reasonably well as a rookie, but the group definitely needed a veteran influence like Peterson, an eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro.
Minnesota did have an offer out to Mackensie Alexander, but the Peterson signing could foreclose the possibility of an Alexander-Vikings reunion.
Cowboys Re-Sign Jourdan Lewis
The Cowboys are bringing back cornerback Jourdan Lewis, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Lewis’ new contract will be for three years and and is worth up to $16.5MM, including $8MM in guarantees.
Lewis started a career-high 13 games in 2020 after struggling a bit for playing time with Kris Richard in charge of the DBs from 2018-19. However, that doesn’t mean that he performed well, as he graded out as one of the worst corners in the league according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics. He was frequently beaten by opposing receivers, and some believe that the Cowboys would do well to shift him over to safety.
After all, he has demonstrated solid ball skills and playmaking ability, with four interceptions, four fumble recoveries, six sacks, and a defensive score over his four-year career. And the one area in which PFF considered him an above-average performer was pass rushing.
Whether or not Dallas serious entertains the notion of changing Lewis’ position remains to be seen, but obviously the club has seen enough upside to keep him around for another several seasons. After losing Chidobe Awuzie to the Bengals, the Cowboys made sure to keep another homegrown DB from the 2017 draft in the building.
Ravens Acquire TE Josh Oliver From Jaguars
The Jaguars have agreed to trade tight end Josh Oliver to the Ravens in exchange for a conditional draft pick, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter).
Jacksonville selected Oliver in the third round of the 2019 draft, so the club had reasonably high hopes for him. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to shake the injury bug. He got his first start as a pro in Week 11 of the 2019 campaign, but he sustained small fractures in his back during that game and missed the rest of the season. Then, last August, he underwent surgery on a broken bone in his foot and missed all of 2020.
So the San Jose State product has played a grand total of four games in his NFL career and has three catches to his credit. Still, he turns 24 in just a few days and is controllable through 2022, and his size, athleticism, and upside make him an intriguing buy-low candidate for the Ravens.
Baltimore relies heavily on its tight ends, so even with Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle ahead of him on the depth chart, Oliver should have some opportunities in the Ravens’ offense. Boyle has developed a reputation as one of the best blocking TEs in the game, but he has also become a reliable target for quarterback Lamar Jackson, and his presence was sorely missed when a knee injury knocked him out for the season in November. So, if nothing else, Oliver will be worthwhile depth.
Panthers To Sign Morgan Fox
The Panthers are signing defensive lineman Morgan Fox, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB (via Twitter). Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network adds that it will be a two-year, $8.1MM deal, with $7MM guaranteed (Twitter link).
Fox, 26, joined the Rams as a UDFA in 2016. His entire 2018 campaign was wiped out by an ACL tear, but in 2017, 2019, and 2020, he worked as a situational pass rusher and performed reasonably well in that role.
He saved his best for 2020, appearing in 39% of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps and recording six sacks, both career highs. He will join the newly-signed Haason Reddick as part of Carolina’s revamped pass rush.
The Panthers finished in the bottom fourth of the league in 2020 with just 29 team sacks, and Reddick and Fox should help push that number higher this season.
Mike Boone Won’t Re-Sign With Vikings
Though the Vikings wanted to keep RB Mike Boone in the fold, it seems they will be unable to do so. Per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter), Boone is prepared to sign elsewhere.
Minnesota non-tendered Boone this afternoon, thereby making him an unrestricted free agent. The club had hoped that it would be able to re-sign the former UDFA to a contract worth less money than an RFA tender, but Boone is seeking greener pastures.
It’s hard to blame him. The Vikings have Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison ahead of Boone on the depth chart, so he would have again been relegated to the team’s RB3 post. He has done well in that role, with a 5.3 YPC average and four TDs over his first three pro seasons, but he has only managed 71 career carries (including just 11 last year).
Per Tomasson, Boone is looking for a team that will give him a chance to be an RB2. He may have to wait until the dust settles on the first wave of free agency, but he should get that opportunity.