Roman Harper Mulling Future
It does not appear as if free agent safety Roman Harper has generated any interest on the open market, but the 34-year-old says that he is still mulling his NFL future and is in no rush to make a decision as to whether he wants to retire or continue playing. Harper said, per Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune, “[a]s a family, we haven’t really decided on it yet, so one good thing is that I have time. I’m in no hurry to make a decision.”
Harper, whom the Saints selected in the second round of the 2006 draft, made a name for himself as a hard hitter and proficient tackler, which helped to mitigate his struggles in coverage. He spent his first eight seasons in New Orleans before signing with the division-rival Panthers in 2014, and he was fairly productive in his second and final season in Carolina in 2015, as he started all 19 of the team’s games (playoffs included) that season while grading 53rd out of 89 qualifying safeties per Pro Football Focus.
However, his return to New Orleans last season was less than triumphant, as he started just four games and posted a career-low 22 tackles. But with the start of the regular season still over three months away, there is still time for an opportunity to present itself. Meanwhile, Harper is enjoying the freedom that not being under contract at this point in the season has afforded him, as he has had the opportunity to attend the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp and travel.
Given that the Saints drafted safety Marcus Williams this year and signed Rafael Bush in free agency, it does not appear as if Harper will be suiting up for New Orleans in 2017. Saints head coach Sean Payton, though, did try to recruit Harper to join him on the sidelines as a coach, though Harper is unsure if coaching is in the cards for him. He said, “[c]oaching, I just don’t know. I’ve given so much time to this game already. I definitely need to decompress when I do say I’m done and get away from it for a little while before I really make that decision on where my next chapter is.”
AFC Rumors: Steelers, Jets, C. Kelly
Steelers star RB Le’Veon Bell has yet to sign his franchise tender, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if the club would consider rescinding the tender, just as the Panthers did with Josh Norman last year. The closer we get to training camp, the more difficult it would be for Bell land a contract on the open market that pays him even $10MM in 2017, much less the $12.1MM he stands to receive under the franchise tender, and if Pittsburgh were to rescind the tender late in the summer, Bell’s financial prospects would only worsen. In the meantime, the Steelers’ other backs will get ample opportunity to prove their worth, and Florio speculates that Pittsburgh could decide to save millions by severing ties with Bell if its other options could combine to approximate Bell’s production.
But given that the rest of the Steelers’ RB corps features the likes of Knile Davis, Fitzgerald Toussaint, and rookie James Conner, that notion seems almost laughable. Even if the Steelers were considering rescinding the tender, it’s not surprising that there have been no reports about it, as such decisions are made and executed swiftly to avoid the possibility that the player will catch wind of it and pounce on the tender. Nonetheless, if Bell is not lined up behind Ben Roethlisberger on Week 1 (assuming he’s not injured or suspended), it would be the surprise of the season.
Now for more from the AFC:
- Speaking of Davis, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Arkansas product, whom the Steelers signed as a free agent this offseason, has a good chance of landing the team’s No. 3 RB spot behind Bell and Conner. Third-string backs have been important players for Pittsburgh in recent years, and Davis’ experience returning kickoffs could give him the edge over Toussaint.
- New Jets OC John Morton, unlike his predecessor, Chan Gailey, utilizes two-back sets, and the only fullbacks currently on New York’s roster are the unproven Julian Howsare and undrafted rookie Anthony Firkser. As such, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com believes the team could add a fullback like Zach Line, whom the team expressed interest in earlier this offseason, in the near future.
- Darryl Slater of NJ.com says Jets QB Christian Hackenberg has shown some progress in OTAs, though he is still struggling with accuracy and turnovers. If the team can get him some game action, and if he flashes some potential, Slater believes the Jets may refrain from drafting a QB in 2018. If not, look for Gang Green to use another early selection on a signal-caller next year.
- Broncos rookie QB Chad Kelly, this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, is close to getting back on the field, as Mike Klis of 9News.com writes. Kelly is coming off an injury to his right throwing wrist and his second ACL operation on his right knee, and while the Ole Miss product likely wouldn’t have been a factor in Denver’s QB competition this year anyway, he could have a legitimate chance at the job in 2018 or 2019.
- Texans rookie Deante’ Gray, who signed with the club as a UDFA last month and who has a chance of cracking the back end of Houston’s WR corps, is expected to be out until training camp with a Grade 2 partially torn hamstring, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes.
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union compares the career trajectory of Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith, who is entering his contract year, with that of Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey, who recently signed a four-year, $38MM extension with Cleveland. The two players, who were both drafted in 2014, have similar numbers through this point in their careers, so O’Halloran suggests that Kirksey’s deal will be a good foundation for a new Smith contract if the Jags are open to extending Smith before the season starts.
NFC Rumors: DGB, E. Thomas, H. Smith
Dorial Green-Beckham, whom the Eagles acquired in a mid-August trade last year, believes Philadelphia has not seen him at his best. After all, he had to learn a new offense on the fly after the trade, and then he had to adjust to a new starting quarterback a few weeks later. But as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, DGB has an uphill battle just to make the team, let alone make a major impact. The Eagles signed Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in free agency, they spent mid-round draft choices on Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson, and Jordan Matthews looks to remain with the club after being the subject of offseason trade rumors. All five of those players are roster locks, which means that Green-Beckham will battle former first-round selection Nelson Agholor — whom the Eagles have more of a commitment to from a salary and draft standpoint — for the final wide receiver spot. So, barring injury or a transcendent training camp, DGB’s days in Philadelphia could be numbered.
Now for more from the NFC:
- Steve Wyche of NFL.com reports that Seahawks safety Earl Thomas is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken left left leg, and head coach Pete Carroll has no doubts that Thomas will be at full speed in training camp. WR Tyler Lockett, who is also recovering from a broken leg, is not as far along as Thomas, but Carroll indicated that Locket is still “on schedule.”
- The Giants signed D.J. Fluker this offseason to help bolster an offensive line that was a major weakness last season. Fluker, whom the Chargers drafted as a tackle, shifted inside to guard over the past couple of seasons, but it was expected that he could at least compete for the Giants’ right tackle job this summer. But the Associated Press reports that Bobby Hart has manned right tackle during OTAs, which has relegated Fluker to John Jerry‘s backup at right guard.
- The Lions recently signed former division-rival Matt Asiata to complement their running back corps, but barring an injury, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press does not see Asiata making the team. Birkett expects Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington to be the Lions’ running backs, in that order, and he does not believe there is room for a fifth RB, even without a fullback.
- Vikings star safety Harrison Smith says his ankle is fully healed and is now a non-issue, per the Associated Press.
- Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune reports that Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is expected to return to Minnesota today, to visit his eye doctors tomorrow, and if all goes well, he will be coaching OTAs on Tuesday (Twitter links).
Andrew Luck Still On Track For Week 1
We have not heard much about Andrew Luck‘s recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, which is probably a good thing for Colts fans. Although the procedure itself was something of a surprise, given that club owner Jim Irsay had insisted during the 2016 season that Luck wouldn’t need surgery on the right shoulder injury that has bothered him the past two years, Luck was expected to be fully recovered by the start of training camp.
Mike Wells of ESPN.com says Luck is still on track to start the Colts’ Week 1 contest against the Rams, though he did not indicate whether the star signal-caller would be ready for camp. Wells simply wrote, “The Colts report to training camp at the end of July. It’ll be interesting to see if Luck is at the point by then where he can practice.”
The team itself has not provided any meaningful updates on Luck’s status. When asked about Luck during a May 31 exchange with the media, head coach Chuck Pagano said that Luck is “[d]oing great. I’ve got to give you the same thing. He’s doing well rehabbing every single day. He’s a coach out there on the field. He’s in the meetings. He’s doing everything but obviously taking snaps, but he’s taking every one of them from a mental standpoint.”
As Pagano suggested, Luck has been a regular at the Colts’ facility, but it is unclear what exactly his training regimen entails. Wells, though, surmises that no news is good news, and he fully expects to see Luck under center when the regular season rolls around.
After inking a record extension last summer, Luck completed 63.5 percent of passes, threw 31 touchdowns against 13 interceptions and piled up 4,240 yards in 15 games in 2016. Those numbers represented a significant revival for the 27-year-old Stanford product, who struggled mightily during a seven-game, injury-plagued 2015. If Luck is healthy in 2017, the Colts should reasonably expect to challenge for a playoff berth.
East Rumors: Jets, Pats, Switzer
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com recently expounded on last week’s discussion of the Jets‘ QB battle, and while he does not believe the team’s insistence that it will be an open competition is a charade, he does reaffirm his (and everyone’s) belief that Josh McCown is the heavy favorite to open the season under center. But in his latest post, Cimini goes into a little more detail as to how he believes the next few months will play out. He believes that, by the end of minicamp in mid-June, McCown will be the clear-cut front-runner and Christian Hackenberg will be the No. 2. When training camp opens, head coach Todd Bowles will remove Bryce Petty from the starting competition, as it’s hard enough to have a competition among two quarterbacks, much less three. Cimini also believes Hackenberg will get plenty of action in the team’s first two preseason games, but that Bowles, with his job on the line, will ultimately give the job to McCown, though Hackenberg will get the nod at some point this year.
Now for more from the league’s east divisions:
- The Jets picked up tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins after he was waived by the Buccaneers last September, and while he posted only 10 catches in seven games for New York last season, the team believes the light has finally come on for the former second-round pick. As Cimini writes, ASJ has dropped 25 pounds, he was a diligent participant in the offseason conditioning program, and his performance has caught everyone’s eye at OTAs. Now that the Jets have an offensive coordinator who utilizes the tight end as a pass catcher, ASJ is a dark horse candidate for a breakout season, especially as he enters his contract year.
- Mike Reiss’ of ESPN.com reports that Andrew Hawkins‘ one-year deal with the Patriots is a minimum salary benefit pact, meaning his base salary will be $900K, his bonus won’t exceed $80K, and his salary cap charge won’t be more than $695K. Reiss says that Hawkins passed up more lucrative opportunities with other clubs because New England was his top choice.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe applauds the Patriots‘ recent decision to add a healthy incentive package to Rob Gronkowski‘s current contract even though they had no need to do so, as he believes it’s simply smart business to keep Gronk healthy and motivated. Volin does wonder, though, whether the incentives will compel Gronkowski to push himself more than he otherwise would throughout the regular season, thereby reducing his effectiveness when the playoffs roll around.
- Ryan Switzer, whom the Cowboys selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft, took first-team reps as the slot receiver during the first week of OTAs, as Cole Beasley was held out due to hamstring soreness. But as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes, the Cowboys have big plans for Switzer even when Beasley returns, and they are working on packages for both to be on the field at the same time. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said of Switzer, “He’s a classic slot receiver. He has a similar game [to Beasley], but he has his own things. We would really like those two guys to be able to complement each other and run real similar route trees. He complements Beasley and also gives us some big-time needed depth at that position.”
Joseph Fauria Attempting Comeback
Tight end Joseph Fauria would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the recent league decision to liberalize rules governing post-touchdown celebrations. The problem is that he’s unemployed and has not appeared in an NFL game since 2014.
Fauria signed with Detroit as a UDFA in 2013, and the 6-7 UCLA product hauled in 18 catches that year, seven of which went for touchdowns. He punctuated his scores with various dances and antics, which turned him into something of a brief Internet sensation. Unfortunately, he followed up his surprisingly productive rookie campaign with a disappointing and injury-shortened 2014 that saw him catch just six passes for 74 yards (though one of them was a touchdown reception).
His size, athleticism, and unexpected agility were not appealing enough for an NFL team to put him on the field in 2015. He was cut by Detroit prior to the start of the regular season that year, and while he had stints with the Patriots’ and Cardinals’ taxi squads in the subsequent months, he never suited up for either club. He then sat out all of 2016.
Now, as Alex Marvez of SportingNews.com writes, Fauria is attempting to make a comeback. Fauria, 27, says, “I’m trying my best. Last year didn’t go as planned. I didn’t get any tryouts, but I have my head on straight now. I’m in good shape. I’m ready to go. I just want one more chance.” Fauria also admits that, while former Lions head coach Jim Schwartz ultimately warmed up to his touchdown celebrations, Schwartz’s successor, Jim Caldwell, did not, and team ownership was also unhappy about Fauria’s demonstrations. It’s difficult to say whether that displeasure contributed to the end of Fauria’s tenure with the Lions, but it certainly didn’t help.
Checking In On Top FAs Still Available
Last week, we checked in on the top cornerbacks still available and discussed the latest news as to each of those players. Today, we’ll check in on three more big-name free agents who are still without a 2017 employer (Darrelle Revis would be included in this post, but in addition to last week’s cornerback article, we also discussed Revis’ market in two separate posts this past week).
We start with Perry Riley, who quietly put together a very nice season with the Raiders in 2016, ranking as the 15th-best linebacker in the league according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. In 11 games for Oakland — he did not sign with the club until October — he posted 48 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection. Riley spent the first six years of his career with the Redskins, and he was a solid starter for much of that time. Now 29, it is a bit surprising that we have not heard more reports on Riley, as only the Raiders have expressed any public interest in his services. We heard prior to free agency that the Raiders were trying to get a new deal done with Riley, and just last week we learned that negotiations between the two sides progressed reasonably well. However, Riley and the Raiders could not come to terms, and while the team is still in the market for a middle linebacker, it sounds as if it is prepared to move on. The guess here, though, is that Riley will ultimately return to the Raiders, as the club’s middle linebacker position is arguably its weakest. The Raiders signed Jelani Jenkins this offseason, and they also drafted Wake Forest’s Marquel Lee in the fifth round of this year’s draft, but they can hardly expect either of them to be difference-makers (Jenkins, in fact, graded out as the worst full-time linebacker in the league last season per PFF and will likely only appear in sub-packages). As such, a reunion with Riley just makes too much sense.
Outside of Riley, Ryan Clady is the only member of our 2017 list of top 50 free agents to remain unsigned, and like Riley, Clady has not generated a great deal of interest on the open market. The Seahawks are the only team to have publicly reached out to Clady, and while the 30-year-old tackle (31 in September) visited Seattle in March, he left town without a contract. At his peak, Clady was one of the premier left tackles in the game, but injuries have derailed the career of the four-time Pro Bowler, as he has appeared in just 27 of a possible 64 regular-season games since 2013. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Broncos before signing with the Jets last season, but he played in only nine games (eight starts) for Gang Green before suffering a season-ending rotator cuff injury, and the club ultimately decided not to exercise his 2017 option. While no one can rely on him to serve as a starting-caliber left tackle for a full season at this point, it’s hard to imagine his not getting a chance to crack another tackle rotation this summer. Outside of the Seahawks, the Ravens may be a potential landing spot, as Baltimore lost starting right tackle Ricky Wagner this offseason and may prefer to keep guards Alex Lewis and Marshal Yanda on the interior of the line.
Speaking of the Ravens, Baltimore has been connected to another former Jet, Nick Mangold, this offseason. In addition to a potential right tackle vacancy, the Ravens also have a hole at center, and Mangold could represent a quality stopgap solution in that regard. The two sides met early last month, and the Ravens — unlike some other teams, who believe Mangold’s health makes him better-suited to a guard spot at this stage of his career — are comfortable with Mangold’s medicals, but compensation appears to be the obstacle at this point. Assuming Mangold is healthy, he would be a perfect fit in Baltimore. The team is apparently comfortable playing Lewis at right tackle, but signing Mangold would allow John Urschel, Ryan Jensen, and rookie Nico Siragusa to compete for the starting left guard spot and create solid depth throughout the rest of the rotation. Should the Ravens fail to sign a right tackle and/or a center, three of their starting offensive linemen would be mid-round draft choices with little to no track record at the professional level. Mangold has also drawn interest from the Giants, but with Weston Richburg entrenched at center, and with Justin Pugh and John Jerry on either side of him, it’s unclear how Mangold would fit in with Big Blue.
East Rumors: Brady, Eagles, Hackenberg
Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com says Tom Brady will have to address his wife’s recent comments about his alleged concussions at some point soon. It appears that, if Brady has suffered concussions, he never told the Patriots, so the club will not face discipline for failing to note his concussions on injury reports. Interestingly, Brady’s agent, Don Yee, recently said that Brady “was not diagnosed” with a concussion last year, which is quite different than saying he did not actually suffer one.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe makes the common sense point that Brady has of course suffered a few concussions over the course of his 17-year career, and that he, like many before him, has simply done whatever he can to conceal them from his team, both out of a sense of pride and out of a desire to not miss any time.
Now for more from the league’s east divisions:
- Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com looks at the Eagles‘ 2018 salary cap situation, and while the team is currently projected to have limited cap room again, there are plenty of options to free up some space. For instance, the club is likely to release Jason Peters, and may even consider releasing Brandon Graham if Derek Barnett and Vinny Curry do well in 2017.
- The Eagles‘ recent signing of LeGarrette Blount will likely force UDFA Corey Clement, who had a real chance of cracking the 53-man roster as the club’s resident big-body back, to the taxi squad, as Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com writes. Zangaro predicts the club will carry four backs on their roster heading into 2017, including Blount, Wendell Smallwood, Darren Sproles, and Donnel Pumphrey. We learned yesterday that Philadelphia was interested in drafting both Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook, but that the price to move up in Rounds 1-2 to be in range to select them was too steep.
- The Jets‘ QB competition will be the story to watch at the team’s OTAs over the next several weeks, though Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, like most other writers, believes it would be a surprise if Josh McCown is not the team’s Week 1 starter. Head coach Todd Bowles wants to identify a presumptive starter before training camp in order to give that player the majority of first-team reps in camp, and McCown is likely to prevail over the untested youngsters Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, Cimini is especially bearish on Hackenberg, who does not fit OC John Morton‘s West Coast offense.
- James Kratch of NJ.com looks at some of the Giants‘ high-profile players who are entering their contract years and what their long-term outlook with the club looks like. Kratch says an extension for Justin Pugh will not happen, and that Big Blue is either going to have to pony up big bucks for a multi-year deal next offseason or else slap Pugh with the franchise tag. Kratch believes an extension is slightly more likely for Weston Richburg, but that it is still a remote possibility, and if Richburg returns to form in 2017, he could set himself up for an Alex Mack-level payday.
South Rumors: Fournette, Albert, Vaccaro
Leonard Fournette recently inked his rookie deal with the Jaguars, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, Fournette is the only 2017 top-10 draft choice under contract to entirely avoid offset language. Executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin is apparently unconcerned about being on the hook for the full amount of Fournette’s rookie contract if Fournette should be cut within the first four years of his contract, or maybe he is just confident that Fournette will not fizzle out that quickly. This is in keeping with Jacksonville’s standard operating procedure, as the Jags have not included offset language for former top-5 picks Blake Bortles, Dante Fowler, Luke Joeckel, and Jalen Ramsey.
- The Jaguars recently touched base with left tackle Branden Albert, who continues to stay away from the team as he pushes for a new contract. Albert still has roughly a month before he can be fined for his absence, but Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders believes he is only hurting himself. The club drafted Cam Robinson in the second round of this year’s draft and has already stated that he will compete for the starting LT position, and given Robinson’s upside, there’s reason to think that he could win it. As such, Cummings does not believe that Albert will hold out of training camp.
- David Grunfeld of the Times-Picayune believes the Saints should let Kenny Vaccaro play out the 2017 season, his contract year, and then determine whether or not to give him a big-money deal or put the franchise tag on him in advance of free agency next offseason. The club has two former second-rounders, Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell, who could theoretically replace much of Vaccaro’s production at a fraction of the cost.
- We heard several months ago that the Buccaneers could be preparing to move on from Roberto Aguayo, and as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk (citing PewterReport.com) writes, Aguayo is ready for his competition with newly-signed Nick Folk. Said Aguayo, “It is motivation. When I was in college there would be walk-on kids come in and I didn’t know who they were or if they were good or whatever. But whoever they were, it was always a competition for me. Just seeing someone else out there trying to compete. I like it.”
- We learned yesterday that Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff is confident the team will reach a long-term pact with RB Devonta Freeman.
Checking In On The Cornerback Market
As the league has grown increasingly pass-happy, and as the rules have evolved in a way that favors quarterbacks and wideouts, the importance of the cornerback position has never been higher. Over the course of the offseason, we ranked the best available free agents at each position, and five of our top ten corners remain unsigned. Of course, after the initial wave of free agency is over, teams generally turn their attention to the draft and will circle back to the free agent pool if necessary over the summer months.
The group of cornerbacks still available is headlined by Darrelle Revis, whose performance fell off a cliff last season and who was released by the Jets earlier this year. Almost three weeks ago, we heard that two unidentified teams were interested in Revis, but neither club was willing to pay him more than the $6MM he’s earning from the Jets. Because Revis’ deal with New York contained offset language, if he signs for $6MM or less, his new club would essentially be getting his services for free, which certainly would not sit well with the prideful Revis. The two teams that expressed interest in Revis were not optimistic that they would sign him, but it’s difficult to imagine Revis sitting out 2017 entirely. He’s bound to get a job somewhere, and perhaps he will ultimately return to the Patriots, as was speculated back in March.
The next player on our list, Brandon Flowers, was let go by the Chargers several days before the start of free agency in a cost-cutting move. Flowers, 31, signed a four-year deal with the Bolts prior to the 2015 season, a deal that included $20.5MM in guaranteed money. That contract was a reward for his strong 2014 campaign in San Diego, when he collected 52 tackles, 10 passes defended, and three interceptions. He did not reach that level of play in the following two seasons, though he played in only six games last year due to a concussion. He has always been a fundamentally-sound corner, so even if he has lost a step or two, he could still be a useful part of someone’s DB rotation. The Steelers checked in on him soon after his release, and the two sides could reconvene in the coming months.
Like all of the players in this post, Alterraun Verner did not reach the end of his last contract before becoming a free agent. The Bucs released Verner in February, and immediately thereafter, Verner himself said that four or five teams had reached out to him. That may be true, but there have been no independent reports of interest in Verner since his release. The UCLA product has been quite durable during his seven-year career, but he saw his playing time wane dramatically over the past two seasons. He started just three games in 2016, tying a career low, and only appeared in 22.8% of Tampa Bay’s defensive plays. Still just 28, Verner will not command the same type of money he did when he inked a four-year, $25.5MM pact with the Bucs in 2014, but he never seemed to play to his potential in Tampa Bay, and it’s possible that a change of scenery could reinvigorate him.
There have been no reports of interest in former Packer Sam Shields since he was released by Green Bay earlier this year. Sadly, Shields suffered his second concussion in a nine-month span during the Packers’ Week 1 contest in 2016, and he never made it back to the field last season. He is only 29 and is immensely talented, but it does not appear as if the league has much confidence in his ability to rebound from his concussion issues. He previously stated that he has no intention of retiring, so hopefully he can convince someone to take a chance on his upside, even if it’s on a one-year pact for the veteran minimum.
Tramon Williams is the oldest of this group of corners, and at age 34, it’s fair to wonder what he has left in the tank He played in only 12 games (seven starts) for the Browns last season, and he finished 2016 with 36 tackles, five passes defended, and one interception – his lowest totals since 2007. Plus, Pro Football Focus’ metrics graded him as just the 73rd-best corner out of 111 qualified players. He was very good for a very long time for the Packers, but while he may be able to hang on for another year or two, his playing career appears just about over.