Sean Lee To Start In 2019
Thanks in large part to his injury troubles, Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee has been surpassed on the team’s depth chart by Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith. There was speculation earlier this year that Lee could retire, but he did not want to call it quits just yet, so he indicated back in February that he would return in 2019 (albeit with a significant pay cut).
The thought was that Lee would serve as a backup to Vander Esch and Smith this season, but as Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes, Lee’s role will be larger than initially anticipated. Although Lee will indeed spell Vander Esch at weakside linebacker and Smith at middle linebacker from time to time, Hill says that Lee will see his name in the starting lineup as Dallas’ strongside ‘backer. Lee will replace Damien Wilson, who signed with the Chiefs in March.
But while it’s a starting job, Lee is still unlikely to see a ton of playing time. Strongside linebackers typically play on running downs, and Wilson took part in only 27.93% of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps last year. If Lee also sees some action at the weakside and middle linebacker spots, he may see a higher percentage of snaps than that, but nowhere near the burn that Smith and Vander Esch get.
And that makes sense, as Lee is still effective when he’s on the field, and his instincts are still first-rate, but if Dallas wants to take advantage of those tools, it will have to keep him fresh and healthy. As he enters his age-33 season, the 2016 First Team All-Pro still figures to be an important piece of the Cowboys’ defense, just not as important as he once was.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/5/19
Here are today’s minor moves. We’ll update this list throughout the day:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: K Cole Hedlund, DT Sterling Shippy, LB Tre Thomas, CB Shakial Taylor
- Waived: Clayton Hatfield, CB Chris Rayford, DE Anthony Winbush
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Tenny Adewusi (UDFA/Delaware), P Ryan Anderson (UDFA/Rutgers), DE Alex Jenkins
- Placed on IR: Nate Harvey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Austin Walter
Latest On Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill
Although Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that the criminal case against star receiver Tyreek Hill has been reopened, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports that district attorney Stephen Howe has not confirmed that one way or another (video link). Pelissero says that he received an email from Howe indicating that the Johnson County District Attorney’s office has no comment at this time.
Meanwhile, Angie Ricono of KCTV 5 reports that, shortly before Hill’s son was removed from the custody of Hill and fiance Crystal Espinal, Hill called 911 and advised that Espinal was passed out. Hill was living in a hotel at the time due to a no-contact order with the couple’s son, but an alarm was tripped inside Espinal’s home and, through cameras installed in the home, Hill was able to see her on the floor and their son walking around unattended. It is unclear why Espinal was passed out, and the phone call itself is now a part of the ongoing criminal investigation, so it has not been made available to the media.
And the outcome of that criminal investigation is going to be what decides Hill’s NFL future. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports spoke with a number of high-ranking executives from different teams who all expressed their belief that, barring a prosecution revealing guilt, Hill will be on a team in the future (Twitter thread). He is still under contract with the Chiefs, though he is presently banned from team activities.
Even if Kansas City ultimately cuts Hill, one club that won’t be signing him is the Browns. Robinson’s sources say that Cleveland GM John Dorsey has exhausted his political capital in terms of bringing in players with DV in their past, and that he is likely to steer clear of Hill. Robinson adds that, if Hill ever does get a long-term contract offer, it will either have limited guarantees or include a number of mechanisms to claw back money already paid out.
The NFL’s investigation is also ongoing, and the league has yet to comment on the latest developments in this saga.
Malcolm Jenkins Absent From Eagles Workouts
Malcolm Jenkins has been absent from Eagles workouts this offseason, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Although the workouts are voluntary, it is uncharacteristic for Jenkins to miss them, so McLane posits that Jenkins could be angling for a new contract.
Jenkins is under club control through 2020 thanks to a four-year, $35MM extension he signed three years ago, but after the safety market famously stagnated in 2018, it came back with a vengeance in 2019. Jenkins is now the 10th-highest-paid safety in the NFL in terms of total value, full guarantee, and per-year average.
And while McLane concedes that Jenkins’ contract may accurately reflect his standing in the league’s safety hierarchy, he also notes that Jenkins’ per-year salary of $8.75MM is only 63% of the $14MM average for Landon Collins and Tyrann Mathieu, who both inked new deals this offseason. Though Jenkins, 31, is older than Collins and Mathieu, it would be difficult for Philadelphia to argue that he is only 63% as valuable.
Despite his age, Jenkins is about as durable as they come, his work ethic is among the best on the team, and he is still playing at a high level. The Eagles typically don’t add new money to a contract that has multiple years left, but McLane believes the team should be willing to make an exception for a player as important to its success as Jenkins.
Jenkins, though, may be content with the addition of incentives to his current deal, or perhaps with a restructure like the one he agreed to last year that gave him more guaranteed money upfront. It is difficult to know at this point, because Jenkins and his representation have declined comment, and the Eagles don’t comment on a player missing non-mandatory training.
If Jenkins is still a no-show for the team’ OTAs in a couple of weeks, that would give us a better indication of Jenkins’ mindset.
No Contract Talks Between Bobby Wagner, Seahawks?
We heard at the end of March that linebacker Bobby Wagner and the Seahawks had started negotiations on a new contract. Wagner’s long-term future in Seattle was complicated by whether the team would have to commit significant cap room to Frank Clark, but now that Clark has been traded to Kansas City, the thought was that the Seahawks would shift their focus to getting a deal done with Wagner, who is eligible for free agency at the end of the 2019 season.
However, contrary to those earlier reports, Wagner himself says that he and the Seahawks have not yet started contract talks (Twitter link via Omar Ruiz of the NFL Network). There is still plenty of time to work something out, even if substantive discussions haven’t yet taken place, but if what Wagner is saying is true, that could mean that Seattle is not going to break its budget to keep Wagner in the fold.
After all, the Seahawks are now paying Russell Wilson at a historical rate, so GM John Schneider, who ended up with 11 picks in the 2019 draft when he was originally slated to have just four, needs to focus on acquiring as much cheap labor as possible. Paying a top-of-the-market price for a middle linebacker who turns 29 in June may not be the best allocation of resources, no matter how good that middle linebacker is.
And the free agent contract that C.J. Mosley recently signed with the Jets could have dashed Seattle’s hopes to keep Wagner. Mosley is now getting paid $17MM per year, and he is only two years younger than Wagner. Plus, Wagner is generally a better player, so it stands to reason that Wagner, who is handling the negotiations himself, would aim to match or exceed Mosley’s new pact.
If the Seahawks can keep Wagner for something that more closely resembles Luke Kuechly‘s $12.4MM-per-year deal, then perhaps the two sides can reach an accord. But if Wagner is determined to be paid Mosley money, then he could find himself on a new team in 2020.
Wagner told Ruiz, “I want to retire a Seahawk, but I understand it’s a business. I’m preparing like this is my last year as a Seahawk. If it is, I want to make sure I go out with a bang and make sure I give the city something to remember.”
Giants Sign 13 UDFAs
The Giants announced that they have signed the following undrafted free agents in advance of tomorrow’s rookie minicamp:
- Paul Adams, OT (Missouri)
- Jake Carlock, DB (LIU Post)
- C.J. Conrad, TE (Kentucky)
- Eric Dungey, QB (Syracuse)
- Jeremiah Harris, DE (Eastern Michigan)
- Nate Harvey, DE (East Carolina)
- Jon Hilliman, RB (Rutgers)
- Mark McLaurin, DB (Mississippi State) ($20K guaranteed base salary and $10K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter)
- James O’Hagan, C (Buffalo)
- Josiah Tauaefa, LB (UTSA) ($95K guaranteed base salary and $15K signing bonus, per Wilson on Twitter)
- Jacob Thieneman, DB (Purdue)
- Alex Wesley, WR (Northern Colorado)
- Reggie White Jr., WR (Monmouth)
Cue the quarterback controversy, as Dungey could be coming for Daniel Jones‘ job. Well, probably not, but Dungey was in high demand after the draft was over, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Dungey had offers from about five clubs, but a telephone call between the former Orange signal-caller and New York head coach Pat Shurmur helped seal the deal. Dungey could theoretically stick as the third QB if Big Blue goes in that direction, and his athleticism will certainly help his case for a roster spot, as he could contribute on special teams and/or as a gadget player. Dungey passed for 9,340 yards with 58 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in his four seasons at Syracuse, but he also rushed for 1,993 yards and 35 touchdowns.
The Giants addressed their flagging pass rush to some degree in the draft by selecting Old Dominion defensive end Oshane Ximines in the third round, and they may have uncovered a gem in Harvey, a converted running back. Harvey had 14.5 sacks last year and was named the AAC’s Defensive Player of the Year.
As evidenced by the large amount of guaranteed money they’re giving him, the Giants think highly of Tauaefa, a tackling machine who is capable of making plays behind the line of scrimmage and who posted over 100 tackles in two of his three collegiate seasons. And after adding three DBs in the draft, Big Blue added three more via UDFA signings, further underscoring its commitment to improving its defensive backfield.
Bucs’ Jason Pierre-Paul Involved In Car Accident
Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was involved in a single-car accident early Thursday morning, which TMZ first reported. The team has since confirmed the news.
Luckily, it appears that JPP was not seriously hurt. He did, however, seek medical attention at a South Florida-area hospital, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com writes. GM Jason Licht issued the following statement:
“We have been informed that Jason was involved in a one-car accident early this morning in South Florida in which he was not cited. We know that he was evaluated at a local hospital and has since been released. Our immediate concern is for the safety and well-being of Jason and his passenger. We have been in contact with Jason and will be getting him further evaluated by our medical staff in the near future.”
As Licht notes, Pierre-Paul did not receive a citation, and TMZ indicates that he wasn’t speeding or otherwise engaged in any wrongdoing. It was simply an accident.
This sounds like it will have a much happier ending than JPP’s last offseason incident, in which a fireworks accident ultimately led to the amputation of his right index finger.
As Greg Auman of The Athletic observes, this is becoming sort of a Buccaneers family tradition (Twitter links). Last spring, LB Kendell Beckwith was involved in a car accident that forced him to miss the entire 2018 campaign and that has put his career in jeopardy. The year before, RB Doug Martin was in a car accident, though he did not sustain any serious injuries as a result.
Pierre-Paul posted 12.5 sacks for Tampa Bay last season, his first with the Bucs, and he will be counted on to spearhead the club’s pass rush again in 2019. Laine notes that JPP has not been in Tampa for the Bucs’ offseason program, opting to spend time with family instead, just as he did last year.
Ben Roethlisberger To Continue Playing Beyond 2021?
The Steelers recently inked quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a lucrative contract extension that will keep him under club control through 2021. At the time, GM Kevin Colbert said that the contract would likely be Big Ben’s last.
That jibed with the sentiments that Colbert expressed earlier this year when he first indicated that he was exploring a new deal for his star quarterback. But now he’s suggesting that he would be open to keeping Roethlisberger around in 2022 — which would be Roethlisberger’s age-40 season — and beyond.
Colbert said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk), “I know [Roethlisberger] doesn’t have an expiration date. We just felt that [the extension] was a foreseeable future that we were able to do, and he was agreeable to. But I’m sure that he doesn’t have an expiration date. I know that he’s still very competitive. He still wants to do this at a high level.”
Of course, Tom Brady will be 42 before the season starts, Drew Brees will play his age-40 season this year, and Peyton Manning was almost 40 when he played his last game. Although those future Hall-of-Famers have not absorbed as many hits as Roethlisberger throughout their careers, they have shown that geriatric signal-callers have plenty to offer.
Colbert added, “What [Roethlisberger] wants is more Super Bowls. And he wants to continue to try to win, and we’re gonna support that. And that was a big part of why we were willing to do what we did, and now it’s our job to help him help us get there.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/19
Here are today’s minor moves, which feature several recognizable signal-callers:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Ryan Winslow
- Waived: K Cole Murphy
Chicago Bears
- Waived: OL Dejon Allen, Willie Beavers, WR Cyril Grayson
Denver Broncos
- Waived: QB Garrett Grayson, WR Chad Hansen
Detroit Lions
- Signed: NT Darius Kilgo
- Released: RB Kerwynn Williams
- Waived: OL Jarron Jones
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Josh Carraway
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Jawill Davis
New York Jets
- Claimed: QB Luke Falk
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: S Delvon Randall (signed as UDFA with partially-guaranteed contract on May 1)
Patriots Sign LB Shilique Calhoun
The Patriots have signed linebacker Shilique Calhoun, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. In a corresponding move, the club has cut offensive tackle Ryker Mathews.
Calhoun was selected by the Raiders in the third round of the 2016 draft, but he never started a game for Oakland. In fact, he was waived during final cutdowns in September 2017, went unclaimed, and was subsequently re-signed to the Raiders’ practice squad. He ended up playing in nine games in 2017 and seven games last year, but he has been more of a special teams contributor than anything else. He was non-tendered by Oakland last month.
As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk observes, Calhoun is the first player with NFL experience added to New England’s linebacking corps this offseason. He will likely compete for a rotational role on defense and for a spot on the Pats’ special teams unit.
For his career, Calhoun has 23 tackles and a half-sack.