Bengals Wrap Draft Class
The Bengals wrapped up their 10-man 2019 draft class today by signing third-round draft choice (No. 72 overall) Germaine Pratt. Pratt will earn just over $4MM over the life of his four-year deal and will pocket a signing bonus of a little more than $1MM.
Pratt, an NC State product, spent five seasons with the Wolfpack due to a 2016 redshirt season. He led the team in tackles (104) last year and earned First Team All-ACC honors. Cincinnati parted ways with Vontaze Burfict this offseason, and it does not appear that the club will re-sign former starter Vincent Rey, so linebacker was a clear need. Pratt, who has strong coverage skills in addition to his tackling abilities, should have a chance to contribute right away.
Here’s the full rundown of the Bengals’ class, courtesy of PFR’s tracker:
- 1-11: Jonah Williams, T (Alabama): Signed
- 2-52: Drew Sample, TE (Washington): Signed
- 3-72: Germaine Pratt, LB (North Carolina State): Signed
- 4-104: Ryan Finley, QB (North Carolina State): Signed
- 4-125: Renell Wren, DT (Arizona State): Signed
- 4-136: Michael Jordan, OL (Ohio State): Signed
- 6-182: Trayveon Williams, RB (Texas A&M): Signed
- 6-210: Deshaun Davis, LB (Auburn): Signed
- 6-211: Rodney Anderson, RB (Oklahoma): Signed
- 7-223: Jordan Brown, CB (South Dakota State): Signed
The Bengals recently received devastating news on Jonah Williams, who is likely to miss the entire 2019 season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder. Given that Sample may need some time to develop as a receiver, it looks like Pratt has a chance to be the Bengals’ most impactful rookie this year.
Extension Candidate: Bobby Wagner
Bobby Wagner has one year left on his current contract with the Seahawks, and the two sides have begun extension talks. It’s unclear how much progress has been made, but with Wagner (understandably) aiming to break the $17MM/year payout that C.J. Mosley landed from the Jets this offseason, there may be some bumps in the road.
For what it’s worth, Robert Mays of The Ringer believes that the two sides will come to terms before the season begins. After all, the Seahawks are projected to have more than $75MM in cap space in 2020, and though they will be paying a ton of money to Russell Wilson for the foreseeable future and also want to extend Jarran Reed, they will be able to fit Wagner, one of the game’s best defensive players, on their books. As Mays notes, head coach Pete Carroll said back in March that, “Bobby’s going to be a Seahawk.”
Wagner attended this month’s minicamp but did not participate in team drills, and he has stated that he will continue to remain on the sidelines until he gets a new deal. And assuming he does get his wish this year, that deal could hit nine figures. Although the general consensus is that the Jets overpaid for Mosley, his five-year, $85MM pact has set the floor for Wagner, and Wagner is much more accomplished. He is a five-time Pro Bowler, four-time First Team All-Pro, and is a bonafide tackling machine, having averaged 140 tackles per year since he entered the league in 2012. The advanced metrics love him just as much as the raw numbers, as Pro Football Focus graded Wagner as the best off-ball linebacker in the league last season.
Wagner has always excelled against the run, and his coverage abilities now rival his run-stopping talents. And while some teams have devalued the inside linebacker role over the past few years, the league’s best quarterbacks exploit the middle of the field to great effect, which makes players like Wagner all the more valuable.
Indeed, Mays suggests that Wagner, who is representing himself, should shoot for a contract that pays him like one of the league’s best 4-3 defensive ends, because he has a similar impact on opposing offenses despite not being a pass rusher. That would mean a $100MM+ deal with an AAV of over $20MM and close to $50MM guaranteed at signing. And considering Wagner’s importance to the team, his place in franchise history, and his relative youth — the birthday boy turned 29 today — that sounds like a pretty reasonable guess.
The Seahawks, who surely don’t want to go to $20MM per year on Wagner’s next contract, could hold firm at whatever price they’ve set and try to put the franchise tag on Wagner next year (which is projected to carry a $16.8MM value). But going that route could lead to an ugly, Earl Thomas-esque battle, and it may be worth a couple million dollars to avoid that.
The guess here is that Wagner gets his contract at some point this summer and that he comes in just shy of the $100MM mark with a five-year, $95MM pact that includes roughly $45MM in fully-guaranteed money.
FA DL Malik McDowell Facing Criminal Charges
Things are not looking good for free agent defensive lineman Malik McDowell. McDowell, who was selected by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2017 draft, is facing charges of assault, resisting arrest, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com writes. McDowell appeared in Oakland County (Mich.) Circuit Court on Thursday, and Mike Martindale of the Detroit News reports that Judge Michael Warren was less than pleased when he learned that McDowell had traveled out of state without Warren’s permission and that he missed a routine alcohol test. Warren ordered McDowell to return for a hearing next Wednesday, at which time his bond may be revoked.
The charges stem from a February arrest, and the police report indicates that McDowell was pulled over after speeding, spinning out, and driving recklessly. The report also says that McDowell, who pulled into a gas station, smelled strongly of intoxicants and that he refused to show the officer his driver’s license. McDowell repeatedly asked for a “supervisor,” and then he exited his car and began walking into the gas station. The officer tried to arrest McDowell at that point, but McDowell began actively fighting the officer, who was unable to subdue McDowell with a Taser. A second officer arrived at the scene to assist, and both officers say that McDowell attempted to grab their guns during the struggle.
But wait, there’s more. In addition to that disturbing incident, Martindale says that McDowell faces a separate charge, which was filed in April, of receiving and concealing a $74K pickup truck that McDowell says he bought on the street for $3K.
Seattle had high hopes for the Michigan State product when it used 2017’s No. 35 overall pick on him, but he suffered a head injury in an ATV accident several months after the draft and has not been back on the field since. The Seahawks waived McDowell in March, and they are now suing him to recover nearly $800K in signing bonus money. Between the injury and the criminal charges, McDowell’s path back to professional football looks very difficult indeed.
He did try out for the Cowboys shortly after he was cut by Seattle, but Dallas was unable to give him a clean bill of health. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, says that McDowell has been medically cleared by independent doctors, and McDowell himself says he is ready to play, but the odds of him having that opportunity look even bleaker now.
Release Candidate: Artie Burns
The Steelers surprised their fair share of draft pundits when they selected Artie Burns in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, and Burns has not done much to prove his doubters wrong over his first three seasons in the league. His strongest season was his rookie campaign, when he notched three interceptions despite starting just nine games.
He could not build on that performance, though, and he struggled with coverage in 2017 and lost his starting job in 2018, appearing primarily on special teams in the second half of the season. Pittsburgh has not had great success in drafting quality corners in recent history, and as of right now, Burns looks like another example of those difficulties.
The Steelers’ decision to not exercise Burns’ 2020 option was something of a no-brainer, given that it would have been worth just shy of $10MM and would have been guaranteed for injury. And earlier this month, Ed Bouchette of The Athletic opined that the club may cut Burns before it’s required to pay him an $800K roster bonus on the first day of training camp.
However, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic suggested just a few days ago that if the Steelers haven’t cut Burns yet, they are likely to keep him around this year. Kaboly did note his belief that 2019 would be Burns’ last hurrah in Pittsburgh.
But just by looking at the financials, it would seem that Bouchette’s take on the situation may be more accurate. If the Steelers cut Burns prior to training camp, they would not only save the $800K roster bonus, but they would also create roughly $1.8MM of cap space. That is not an insignificant amount for Pittsburgh, which currently has just over $1MM of cap room. Although the team has wrapped up its 2019 draft class, it will certainly need to create more space at some point just to conduct regular business during the season, and their already small amount of space will become even smaller when the Rule of 51 is no longer applicable.
And while it may not seem wise to cut a young former first-rounder who plays a premium position just to save some cap space, the Steelers bolstered their CB corps with free agent Steven Nelson and third-round draft choice Justin Layne. The club is also higher on Mike Hilton and Cam Sutton than it is on Burns, and Joe Haden serves as the team’s No. 1 corner. So Burns is at best the sixth corner on the depth chart, which makes him a fringe player that could be cut at any time.
If he is still on the roster by the time he is due the $800K bonus, then the Steelers clearly will give him one more chance. But it would not be surprising to see him searching for a new team before training camp.
5 Key NFL Stories: 6/16/19 – 6/23/19
Saints, Michael Thomas talking contract. The Saints and their star wideout have begun preliminary contract negotiations, but it’s unclear how much progress has been made. Thomas, who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2020, is scheduled to make just $1.15MM in base pay this year, but assuming he and New Orleans come to terms, he will likely shoot to the top of the wide receiver market. That means he can expect a deal paying him at least $18MM per year with at least $41MM or so in fully guaranteed money. And the Saints appear to be eyeing that $18MM figure, whereas Thomas and his camp are shooting for an AAV of $22MM. Thomas’ original demand was apparently even higher than that, as we learned that he recently lowered his asking price to $22MM/year. There is still a gap to bridge, though the two sides hope to have this situation resolved by the time training camp opens next month.
Falcons, Julio Jones also talking contract. One of the reasons for the holdup in the Saints/Thomas negotiations may be the fact that the division-rival Falcons and their own star receiver are discussing a new deal. Jones is 30 and is under club control through the 2020 season, but he has been lobbying for more money since last offseason. And although teams are generally loathe to rework a contract that has two years or more left on it, Atlanta appears willing to make an exception for Jones. Whichever of Jones or Thomas ends up signing a contract first will probably become the highest-paid wideout in league history until the other one signs. Like Thomas and the Saints, Jones and the Falcons are hoping to put pen to paper before the start of training camp.
Alex Smith still wants to play. Until this week, we hadn’t heard much about Smith since January, when it was reported that Smith was likely to miss the entire 2019 season. Given the extensive nature of his horrific leg injury and the infection it caused, that news was not a big surprise. But Smith, 35, is walking again after spending four months in a wheelchair following his series of leg injuries, he has been able to play golf, and he is throwing passes at the Redskins’ facility. Right now, he is not thinking retirement and hopes to resume his playing career. A return to the field would probably represent the greatest accomplishment in Smith’s career, but he is up to the challenge. He acknowledges, though, that his comeback attempt will be quite lengthy and arduous.
John Elway not interested in owning Broncos. There have been plenty of rumors that, if the trustees of the Pat Bowlen Trust determine it’s in the best interests of the team to be sold rather than passed on to one of Bowlen’s children, franchise icon Elway could be the key figure in an ownership group that purchases the club. Those rumors picked up again in the wake of Bowlen’s passing, but Elway, who has served as the Broncos’ GM since 2011 and who won two Super Bowls with the club during a Hall-of-Fame career, summarily shot down those rumors this week. Elway said, “No. 1, I don’t have the money. I wish I did. I wish that wasn’t an issue. I’m happy with where I am. I’m proud to work for the organization and the opportunity they provide and so we’ll continue to work our tail off.”
Josh McCown calls it a career. McCown will largely be remembered for his high-character, intense work ethic and his willingness to help groom younger quarterbacks, but that’s not exactly a bad thing (especially considering he earned nearly $50MM over the course of his 17-year career). McCown announced his retirement this week, and he exits the league having posted a 23-53 career record as a starting quarterback. That’s not what he had in mind when the Cardinals selected him in the third round of the 2002 draft, but he did enjoy a few memorable moments on the field and will immediately become an NFL analyst for ESPN, though at least one team was interested in signing him as a backup/mentor.
AFC Notes: Ngakoue, Jets, Board
After passing along a few NFC items earlier tonight, let’s round out the evening with some news and notes from the AFC:
- Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue skipped minicamp as part of his push for a new contract, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com expects the Maryland product’s efforts to pay off. Speaking to Phillip Hellman of the Florida Times-Union, Fitzgerald says Ngakoue will land a deal with an AAV of at least $21MM and total guarantees of at least $65MM. That would put Ngakoue, who is entering the last year of his rookie contract, at the top of the DE market, but the 24-year-old sack artist has a strong case for that type of payday.
- New Jets GM Joe Douglas was hired after all of the big free agency bucks were spent, but Matt Stypulkoski of NJ.com looks at the assets Douglas will have at his disposal in 2020. Gang Green is expected to have roughly $46MM in cap room, just 17th-most in the league, though Stypulkoski examines a few ways for the club to easily create more space. He names guard Kelechi Osemele and linebacker Avery Williamson as potential cap casualties next offseason.
- Now that C.J. Mosley is in New York, the Ravens have a void at inside linebacker, and 2018 UDFA Chris Board could fill it. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic says Board has shot up the team’s depth chart and has a legitimate shot at opening the season as Baltimore’s weak-side ‘backer.
- Now that Christian Covington is in Dallas, the Texans expect third-year DE Carlos Watkins to have a significantly increased role in 2019, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. The 2017 fourth-rounder played in just four games last year, but he is 13 pounds lighter, and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver said he has “sky-high” expectations for Watkins.
NFC Notes: Leftwich, Nkemdiche, Seahawks
Not long after the Buccaneers hired Bruce Arians as their head coach in January, we learned that Arians’ new OC, Byron Leftwich, would be calling the team’s offensive plays and that Arians considered Leftwich a rising star in the coaching ranks. And as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports, Arians’ confidence in Leftwich is such that Arians himself is not even in Jameis Winston‘s quarterbacks meeting rooms — despite Arians’ reputation as a quarterback whisperer — and Leftwich is running those meetings. This is a critical campaign for Winston, who is playing under his fifth-year option, and therefore something of a crossroads for the franchise itself. Leftwich has a lot on his plate for a young coach, but Arians clearly believes he is up to the task.
Now for more from the NFC:
- Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic believes that the Cardinals will cut Robert Nkemdiche before he plays another snap for the club. The former first-round pick was recently arrested for driving on a suspended license, and police found a credit card case that had a white powdery residue consistent with cocaine inside. Somers says that police decided not to test the case and elected to simply destroy it instead, but it’s still not a good look for Nkemdiche. The fact that the defensive lineman is still recovering from a knee injury and is due a $400K roster bonus if he is still on the club on the fifth day of training camp could complicate matters, but Somers still expects Nkemdiche to be gone sooner rather than later.
- Seahawks OT Jamarco Jones, a fifth-round draft choice in 2018, did not see any regular season action during his rookie campaign, as he suffered an ankle injury in the preseason opener that put him on the shelf for the whole year. Still, he flashed potential last training camp, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times expects him to make the club as a backup tackle. And, with George Fant and Germain Ifedi eligible for free agency in 2020, Jones could position himself nicely for a starting role next year.
- Condotta also expects the Seahawks to continue exploring pass rush options and secondary help.
- We heard earlier today that the Lions are exploring a deal with free agent DT Domata Peko.
Eagles CB Cre’Von LeBlanc On Roster Bubble
Eagles cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc was a pleasant surprise for the Eagles down the stretch last season, starting four games (plus a postseason contest) and providing generally strong play in the slot. Considering Philadelphia plucked LeBlanc off the waiver wire in November, the club couldn’t have asked for much more.
However, LeBlanc is not a lock to make the team, as Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia suggests. Even with Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills absent, LeBlanc has been relegated to the second team and is currently the sixth CB on the depth chart, which puts him firmly on the roster bubble.
Part of the reason for LeBlanc’s demotion has been the emergence of second-year player Avonte Maddox. Zangaro notes that Maddox, whom Pro Football Focus graded as a middling-at-best performer in his rookie campaign, has excelled both in the slot and outside the numbers and is making a case for significant playing time. He did start nine games last season, and the 2018 fourth-rounder appears to have made some strides.
Of course, given the recent injury histories of Darby, Mills, and Sidney Jones, LeBlanc still stands a very good chance of seeing the field. But if the unit remains healthy, he could be looking for a new club this summer. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2020, so if he can earn playing time somewhere and build on his 2018 performance, he could be in for a nice payday.
Ravens WR Marquise Brown May Not Be Ready For Training Camp
Ravens rookie wide receiver and first-round draft pick Marquise Brown may not be ready for the start of training camp, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes. Back in May, we learned that training camp was the target for Brown, who is recovering from a Lisfranc injury, but now that seems to be in doubt.
As with most first-round picks, the hope is that Brown will be able to contribute right away, but he is especially important to Baltimore’s offense this year. Prior to the draft, the only truly established wideout that the Ravens were rostering was slot receiver Willie Snead, and though the club will rely heavily on the ground game and its talented tight end group, Brown and third-round draft pick Miles Boykin will be instrumental in the development of second-year QB Lamar Jackson.
Brown is undeniably explosive, and his strong route-running and hands complement his breathtaking speed. However, the Lisfranc ailment and his skinny frame are cause for concern, especially since his debut keeps getting pushed back (before the draft, it was believed he would be ready for minicamp).
The good news is that Brown has not had any setbacks, per head coach John Harbaugh. But until he gets on the field and is showing no ill-effects from his injury, Ravens fans will be antsy.
Gerald McCoy Voices Displeasure With Buccaneers
Shortly after former Buccaneers DT Gerald McCoy agreed to a deal with the Panthers, we heard that his decision to stay in the NFC South rather than sign with the Browns or Ravens — the two other teams that were heavily pursuing him — was based primarily upon the camaraderie he saw during his visit to Carolina, along with his reservations about the cities of Cleveland and Baltimore. Although there was speculation that the chance to exact revenge on his old team two times a season may have had some impact on his choice, it seems that opportunity was more important to McCoy than was previously believed.
Appearing on FS1’s “The Undisputed” (h/t ESPN.com), McCoy unequivocally voiced his displeasure with the Tampa Bay organization. First, McCoy said that the club’s decision to give new signee (and McCoy replacement) Ndamukong Suh No. 93, McCoy’s old number, did not sit well with him. McCoy said, “It may seem like it’s just a number, but it’s bigger than that. It’s respect. That was a big part of the separation between me and Tampa, period, was the respect they showed to me all offseason. It just wasn’t there.”
As McCoy makes clear, the jersey number situation was emblematic of what he perceived to be a general lack of appreciation for his work for, and dedication to, a generally mediocre outfit. He added, “I’m one of the best players to ever play in the organization. I’m going to say it — usually I wouldn’t, but I’m going to say it. It kind of shows the respect and how they feel about me.”
The Bucs knew for some time that they were going to part ways with McCoy, and after they were unable to find a willing trade partner, they ultimately made the decision to release him. Even so, the fact that he did not receive any communication from the team’s coaching staff — including new HC Bruce Arians — while he was still under contract was quite frustrating to McCoy. He said, “I spoke to more people in Baltimore’s, Cleveland’s and Carolina’s staff than I spoke to the Bucs all offseason, and that’s a fact.”
Although the Panthers and Bucs both seem content with the former First Team All-Pros they have added to their defensive lines this offseason, McCoy’s candid remarks will add a layer of interest to this year’s divisional bouts between the two clubs.