Deshaun Watson To Report To Training Camp
Deshaun Watson will report to training camp. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com observes, Texans quarterbacks are reporting to the team today, and Watson will be with his fellow signal-callers (Twitter link).
Watson, of course, is embroiled in civil litigation thanks to the sexual misconduct and sexual assault lawsuits that 22 different women have filed against him, but it’s presently unclear if Watson and the plaintiffs are close to a settlement. And, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets, no criminal charges are imminent either. So even though there was a belief that the NFL would step in and park Watson on the Commissioner’s Exempt list if and when he reported to camp, Garafolo believes the league will simply monitor the situation for now.
Another veteran NFL reporter, Josina Anderson, has the same understanding. Anderson’s sources say the league will wait for official findings from Texas authorities before taking any action of its own (Twitter link).
Despite the maelstrom of controversy surrounding him, Watson remains adamant that he wants out of Houston (though as ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets, no rival clubs have asked Watson to waive his no-trade clause as of yet). However, since holding out of training camp would subject him to unwaivable $50K daily fines, it was expected that the three-time Pro Bowler would show up as required.
This is a unique and complicated situation for rookie head coach David Culley and rookie GM Nick Caserio. Having commissioner Roger Goodell step in and declare Watson temporarily ineligible would help to bring a little normalcy to training camp, but it doesn’t sound as if that will be happening (at least not before practices begin). So Culley will be tasked with handling the Watson matter while also trying to get free agent acquisition Tyrod Taylor and top draft choice Davis Mills ready to go for the start of the season.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com hears that the Texans have moved on from Watson and are prepared to go forward with Taylor and Mills, unless Watson’s presence at the team facilities somehow leads to a reconciliation (Twitter link).
Saints To Sign Brian Poole
The Saints are adding a veteran cornerback to their roster. No, it’s not Richard Sherman or Xavien Howard, but it’s still a player who should be expected to make a significant impact. According to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, New Orleans will sign Brian Poole to a one-year deal tomorrow (Twitter link).
Poole signed with the division-rival Falcons as a UDFA in 2016, and despite his undrafted status, he served as the club’s primary nickel corner over his three seasons in Atlanta. The Falcons opted not to tender him as a restricted free agent following the 2018 campaign, and the fact that Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics graded him as the No. 81 cornerback in the NFL out of 110 qualified players that season justified the decision. He also ranked as bottom-three corner in success rate, per Football Outsiders’ charting data.
But the Florida product hooked on with the Jets shortly after being non-tendered by the Falcons, and he elevated his game with Gang Green. Operating primarily as a slot defender, just as he did in Atlanta, Poole allowed a 71.6 passer rating in 2019 and a 64.7 rating in 2020. PFF gave him strong coverage grades in both seasons.
The thought has been that the Saints would be looking for an outside corner to line up opposite Marshon Lattimore and to serve as a replacement for cap casualty Janoris Jenkins, but as Poole’s experience has mostly been at nickel, he does not fill that void. If New Orleans does not make any other additions, perhaps Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who has generally played well in the slot, will be added to the mix for the team’s CB2 role.
Poole’s 2020 season was cut short due to shoulder and knee injuries. Given that, and in light of his extended stay on the open market — this is the first reported interest in him this offseason — his contract with the Saints is almost certainly light on guaranteed dollars. He does have some chops, though, so a strong showing in 2021 may lead to a lucrative multi-year pact.
Saints To Pursue Xavien Howard If Dolphins Make Him Available For Trade
The Saints have been linked to free agent cornerback Richard Sherman throughout this offseason, but Sherman’s recent legal troubles have probably severed that link, at least for the time being. Still, New Orleans would probably like another quality corner to line up opposite Marshon Lattimore, and GM Mickey Loomis could have his eye on one of the best DBs in the league.
According to Jeff Duncan of The Athletic (via Twitter), the Saints will be heavily involved in the bidding for Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard should Miami make Howard available via trade. Howard has four years remaining on his current contract, so the Dolphins are understandably reluctant to rework it, but Howard is said to be dug in on his desire for a new deal. If player and team cannot find some common ground, Howard could be on the move, despite the blow that would deal to Miami’s hopes of contention in 2021.
Though the five-year, $75MM pact Howard signed with the ‘Fins in 2019 made him the highest-paid corner in the league at the time, his $15MM AAV is now the sixth-highest mark in football. And on the heels of a terrific 2020 season in which he led the league with 10 interceptions and graded out as the second-best CB in the NFL per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, Howard is trying to strike while the iron is hot.
Howard is attached to a $12MM salary for 2021, so the Saints, who have about $10MM of cap space, would need to carve out some room to accommodate a Howard acquisition (unless Miami kicks in some cash). But financial constraints never seem to be much of an issue for Loomis, who, along with vice president of football administration Khai Harley, continues to manipulate the cap in new and creative ways.
Obviously, Howard’s desire for a market-topping contract wouldn’t change if he ends up in New Orleans, so Loomis would also need to be prepared to pony up a $20MM/year deal in addition to premium draft capital. Such a maneuver could lead to a Lattimore departure in 2022, but at least for one season, the Saints would boast perhaps the top CB duo in football.
Although the Dolphins still have leverage over Howard given the amount of time left on his contract and the hefty fines that the CBA imposes for training camp holdouts, veteran NFL reporter Michael Silver says trade chatter is swirling around the 28-year-old (Twitter link). Silver adds that Howard is unlikely to get the new deal he wants from Miami, and that there are several teams in win-now mode that are considering a trade. He does not specifically name the Saints as one such club, though New Orleans does profile as a win-now outfit.
With training camp fast approaching, there should be more clarity on Howard’s future fairly soon.
Bucs’ Jaydon Mickens Facing Two Gun Charges
Tampa Bay return specialist Jaydon Mickens is facing two misdemeanor gun charges as a result of his arrest earlier this year. According to TMZ Sports, Mickens was pulled over on March 5 because the tint on his vehicle was too dark, and during the stop, police observed a gun inside the car.
Prosecutors are moving forward with the case, and both charges carry a maximum of one year in jail. Even if he doesn’t ultimately face that type of criminal penalty, Mickens could certainly be subject to league discipline.
Mickens, 27, signed with the Raiders as a UDFA in 2016. He joined the Jaguars in 2017 and established himself as a quality punt returner, taking back 27 punts for 287 yards and a score. After an injury-shortened campaign in 2018, he was non-tendered by Jacksonville, and he spent most of 2019 looking for a job before landing a spot on the Bucs’ taxi squad late in the year.
Then, in 2020, he became Tampa’s primary return man, handling 21 punts and 24 kick returns between the regular season and playoffs. But he was not especially dynamic, and fourth-round rookie Jaelon Darden is a legitimate threat to his roster spot.
Taysom Hill Favorite To Open Season As Saints’ Starting QB?
Mike Triplett of ESPN.com wrote several weeks ago that Jameis Winston may have the edge over Taysom Hill in this summer’s battle to be the Saints’ starting quarterback. Triplett pointed to Winston’s first-round pedigree, experience, and upside, though he noted that the former Buccaneer would need to clean up the turnover and accuracy issues that led to his exit from Tampa Bay.
However, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe hears that Hill, not Winston, could have the upper hand. Citing league sources, Volin says that Hill’s abilities as a dual-threat talent might compel head coach Sean Payton to open the year with Hill under center. If Hill should falter, it would be easy enough to insert Winston and install a more traditional offense.
Unlike Triplett, Volin is not a Saints beat, but both writers make valid points. In 2020, Winston’s first in New Orleans, it was Hill who got the nod during Drew Brees’ injury-related absence, and he acquitted himself nicely. He went 3-1 as a starter and, over that four-game stretch, he threw for four touchdowns against two interceptions while completing 72% of his passes. He also rushed for four TDs and maintained a YPC average of about 5.4.
On the other hand, Winston, 27, is over three years younger, and he has started 70 games in his career as opposed to Hill’s four starts. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 draft has also shown plenty of flashes of elite ability, but again, he could never quite shake the turnover bug. In his last season with the Bucs in 2019, he threw an incredible 30 interceptions.
Both Winston and Hill are signed through 2021. In a little more than a week, they will begin their battle for the Saints’ starting job this season, and, perhaps, for a lucrative multi-year contract starting in 2022.
LB Anthony Chickillo Retires
Former Steelers and Broncos linebacker Anthony Chickillo is calling it a career. The 28-year-old announced his retirement via Instagram earlier today.
Chickillo entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Steelers in 2015. Over five years in Pittsburgh, he played in 65 games, primarily as a rotational defender and as a key special teams contributor.
After a quality platform campaign in 2018, during which he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 40th-best edge defender out of 103 qualifiers, Chickillo drew free agent interest from the Patriots but elected to re-up with the Steelers on a two-year, $8MM contract. However, a foot injury and an assault arrest — on charges that were later dropped — marred his 2019 season, and the Steelers cut him last March.
Chickillo hooked on with the Saints several months later, but he did not survive final cutdowns and was ultimately signed to New Orleans’ practice squad. The Broncos poached him from there and he went on to appear in 11 games for Denver in 2020, with his snaps almost equally divided between defense (164) and special teams (147).
The Miami product ends his playing career with 108 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and roughly $7.5MM in career earnings. We at PFR wish Chickillo the best in the next chapter of his life.
Eight Second-Rounders, 27 Third-Rounders Still Unsigned
Even though there hasn’t been much drama in rookie contract negotiations since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement was passed, there are always a few stragglers when it comes to getting rookie deals signed. As of the time of this writing, eight 2021 second-rounders (including the top six picks of the second round) are still unsigned, and 27 third-rounders have yet to put pen to paper.
An NFL executive (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post) offers a refresher on why this is the case. He reminds us that most second-round choices now have the second year of their rookie deals guaranteed, and those players are pushing for more guarantees in the third year of their contracts. So, if the first pick of the second round has 90% of his third year guaranteed, the second pick of the round might get an 85% guarantee, and so on. That helps explain why, after the top six selections of the round, there are only two unsigned draftees.
The third round is the opposite. The first 12 third-rounders (pick nos. 65-76) are signed, whereas only two players selected with the nos. 77-105 picks are under contract. That is because, starting in the third round, teams don’t have to pay their rookies the full 25% yearly salary increase the CBA permits. The players’ agents, of course, are negotiating to get their clients as close to that 25% figure as possible, but as the executive notes, most of these discussions are revolving around a few thousand dollars at this point.
Every player drafted from rounds 4-7 is under contract, and there are still six unsigned first-rounders. Here’s the list of second- and third-round players who are still waiting to sign on the dotted line with several weeks left until training camp opens.
Round 2
33) Jacksonville Jaguars: Tyson Campbell, CB (Georgia)
34) New York Jets: Elijah Moore, WR (Ole Miss)
35) Denver Broncos (from Falcons): Javonte Williams, RB (North Carolina)
36) Miami Dolphins (from Texans): Jevon Holland, S (Oregon)
37) Philadelphia Eagles: Landon Dickerson, C (Alabama)
38) New England Patriots (from Bengals): DT Christian Barmore (Alabama)
42) Miami Dolphins (from Giants): Liam Eichenberg, OT (Notre Dame)
45) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Vikings): Walker Little, OT (Stanford)
Round 3
77) Los Angeles Chargers: Josh Palmer, WR (Tennessee)
78) Minnesota Vikings: Chazz Surratt, LB (North Carolina)
79) Las Vegas Raiders (from Cardinals): Malcolm Koonce, DE (Buffalo)
80) Las Vegas Raiders: Divine Deablo, S (Virginia Tech)
81) Miami Dolphins: Hunter Long, TE (Boston College)
83) Carolina Panthers (from Bears): Tommy Tremble, TE (Notre Dame)
84) Dallas Cowboys (from Eagles via Colts): Chauncey Golston, DE (Iowa)
85) Green Bay Packers (from Titans): Amari Rodgers, WR (Clemson)
86) Minnesota Vikings (from Seahawks via Jets): Wyatt Davis, G (Ohio State)
87) Pittsburgh Steelers: Kendrick Green, C (Illinois)
88) San Francisco 49ers (from Rams): Trey Sermon, RB (Ohio State)
90) Minnesota Vikings (from Ravens): Patrick Jones II, DE (Pittsburgh)
91) Cleveland Browns (from Saints): Anthony Schwartz, WR (Auburn)
92) Tennessee Titans (from Packers): Monty Rice, LB (Georgia)
93) Buffalo Bills: Spencer Brown, OT (Northern Iowa)
94) Baltimore Ravens (from Chiefs): Ben Cleveland, G (Georgia)
95) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Robert Hainsey, OL (Notre Dame)
96) New England Patriots (compensatory pick): Ronnie Perkins, DE (Oklahoma)
97) Los Angeles Chargers (compensatory pick): Tre’ McKitty, TE (Georgia)
98) Denver Broncos (compensatory pick, from Saints): Quinn Meinerz, G (Wisconsin-Whitewater)
99) Dallas Cowboys (compensatory pick): Nahshon Wright, CB (Oregon State)
100) Tennessee Titans (compensatory pick): Elijah Molden, CB (Washington)
101) Detroit Lions (from Rams, compensatory pick): Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB (Syracuse)
102) San Francisco 49ers (compensatory pick): Ambry Thomas, CB (Michigan)
103) Los Angeles Rams (compensatory pick): Ernest Jones, LB (South Carolina)
104) Baltimore Ravens (compensatory pick): Brandon Stephens, CB (SMU)
105) Denver Broncos (compensatory pick, from Saints), Baron Browning, LB (Ohio State)
Falcons Release Barkevious Mingo
In light of Barkevious Mingo’s arrest on the charge of “indecency with a child–sexual contact,” the Falcons have elected to release the veteran linebacker. In a statement announcing the move, the team said, “After being made aware today of allegations involving Barkevious Mingo and gathering information on the matter, the Atlanta Falcons have terminated his contract.”
We now have a few more details on the matter, courtesy of Jon Wertheim of SI.com. Wertheim reports that the alleged incident took place during the Fourth of July weekend in 2019, when Mingo treated a teenage family member and the boy’s friend (also a teenager) to a trip to an amusement park and a go-kart complex. Mingo also took the boys to dinner at a local steakhouse and paid for an online shopping spree at Nike.com.
The boys spent the evening of July 4, 2019, at the hotel where Mingo was staying. The alleged victim said the boys were supposed to sleep in a different room from Mingo, but at around 3am, he woke up to find Mingo lying in bed with him. At this point, we will direct you to Wertheim’s article for the rest of the details, which are disturbing.
The alleged victim’s mother filed a complaint with police in January 2021, and the investigation — which included a search warrant for Nike’s sales records — culminated in a felony charge against Mingo. The No. 6 overall pick of the 2013 draft faces up to 20 years in prison.
Mingo’s attorney, Lukas Garcia, issued the following statement: “At this stage, our side has very limited information. What we do know is these allegations are from over two years ago and are completely untrue. Mr. Mingo is the victim of a false claim, and we believe this is motivated by money or some other ulterior motive.”
Extension Candidate: Wyatt Teller
Just before the start of the 2019 season, the Browns acquired guard Wyatt Teller from Buffalo. The Bills had selected Teller in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, but they deemed him expendable just a year later. Cleveland was in need of offensive line depth, so for the fairly modest price of a fifth- and sixth-round draft pick, the John Dorsey-led Browns acquired the Virginia Tech product, who in 2020 emerged from relative obscurity to become the best guard in the league per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. Dorsey might be gone, but he did leave the Browns with a few lovely parting gifts.
With three years of service time under his belt, Teller is now extension-eligible, and we recently heard that current GM Andrew Berry has a new contract for the 26-year-old on the agenda. Of course, long-term deals for quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb, and cornerback Denzel Ward are also on the docket, so it’s uncertain when (or even if) a Teller deal might get done.
As with virtually all big-money contracts, as Teller’s promises to be, there are a couple of issues that need to be resolved. For one, Teller was not particularly impressive in 2019, his first year in Cleveland. To be fair, the offense as a whole underperformed under the stewardship of since-deposed head coach Freddie Kitchens, so Teller’s excellence in new HC Kevin Stefanski’s wide-zone scheme is probably a better indicator of how he will fare moving forward.
Another potential sticking point is the fact that, as good as he was in 2020, Teller missed five full contests and most of a sixth due to injury. Berry & Co. might want to see Teller sustain a certain level of performance for at least a full season’s worth of games before authorizing a massive extension (which is also rumored to be the front office’s mindset with respect to Mayfield). It is also fair to wonder whether the presence of center J.C. Tretter (PFF’s second-best pivot in 2020) to Teller’s left and right tackle Jack Conklin (PFF’s 10th-best tackle) to his right makes Teller look better than he actually is.
As of today, Spotrac estimates Teller’s market value to be roughly $12MM per year. That would position him as the fifth-highest-paid guard in football, behind Joe Thuney, Brandon Brooks, Zack Martin, and Andrew Norwell. For purposes of this exercise, we’re excluding Washington’s Brandon Scherff, who is presently attached to his second franchise tender and whose $18MM+ salary for 2021 might be a bit of an outlier. However, if Scherff and the WFT were to agree to an extension, it would almost certainly come with an AAV at least as high as Thuney’s $16MM, thereby making Teller’s estimated market value of $12MM/year the sixth-highest mark in the league.
In light of the above-referenced concerns, Berry could, with a straight face, offer a four-year deal to Teller worth around $48MM and including about $30MM in practical guarantees. But if Teller is anything like his quarterback, he will be willing to bet on himself and will demand something that puts him closer to the top of the guard market.
And it would not be surprising to see the Browns go there. After all, though Mayfield may be good enough to bring a championship to Cleveland with the right pieces around him, he does not appear to be the type of passer that can overcome the deficiencies of a weak O-line. Right now, the Browns have arguably the best offensive front in the league, and Berry would surely be loathe to let one of that unit’s best assets walk away. That is especially true when considering how a good line can make the two-headed rushing tandem of Chubb and Kareem Hunt even more imposing than it already is, and given that Teller is especially adept at run-blocking.
Just yesterday, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirmed that the Browns will try to extend Teller, although she did not offer any indication that contract talks had advanced particularly far. With so many other high-profile talents in line for lucrative extensions, it’s hard to determine exactly how Berry is triaging the situation, but Teller is certainly a player that other clubs are hoping makes it to free agency in 2022.
No Timetable For Bud Dupree’s Return
The Titans were among the worst teams in the league in terms of pressuring opposing quarterbacks in 2020, and to address those concerns, the team made an aggressive push for former Steelers edge defender Bud Dupree. Dupree ultimately signed a five-year, $82MM pact with Tennessee, a deal that included $34MM in guaranteed money and that raised a few eyebrows throughout the league.
After all, Dupree suffered an ACL tear in December that cut short his 2020 campaign and left his status for the upcoming season a little uncertain. Obviously, the Titans would not have made the kind of commitment they did if they were overly concerned about his prognosis, but we haven’t heard much news of any kind since he put pen to paper.
In an interview on the NFL Network today (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk), Dupree discussed the work he’s putting in, but he was unable to say when he might join his new teammates on the field.
“Just training hard every day right now, man,” he said. “ACL recovery, rehab, I mean, it’s been one of the most progress [sic] things I have dealt with so far. Each week you see different levels of progress. You see different things change in your body. So I’m working hard to be back as soon as I can, but that’s up to the coaching staff at the end of the day, like when they want me to be on the field and how comfortable they feel with me coming off the injury.”
Prior to the ACL tear, Dupree posted eight sacks in just 11 games, putting him on pace to match the 11.5 sacks he accumulated over a full season of work in 2019. Pro Football Focus assigned him a mediocre 60.2 overall grade last year, but he scored a much higher 77.7 mark in his 2019 breakout, which positioned him as the 23rd-best edge defender out of 104 qualifiers. If the Titans can get a little more out of their pass rush this season — and a healthy Dupree will go a long way towards that goal — they will be a threat to make a deep postseason run.