Bills Hire Brian Gaine Away From Texans
The Bills have hired Brian Gaine away from the Texans. Buffalo announced that Gaine is coming aboard as the new VP of Player Personnel.
The move will sting for the Texans as Gaine was one of GM Rick Smith‘s top assistants. At the same time, Gaine has received serious consideration for GM jobs in the past, including the Bills during this cycle, so they have been bracing for this day. Brandon Beane, the newly appointed GM in Buffalo, says he is excited to work with Gaine as a talent evaluator.
“It’s generally a pretty lateral move, but Brian was excited about building this and starting this,” Beane said in a press release. “I think partnering with me and [assistant G.M. Joe Schoen] was attractive. I know Brian and who he is to the core and trust that he’s going to be a big time asset.”
Because this was something of a “lateral move,” as Beane phrased it, the Texans were not contractually obligated to let Gaine out of his contract. However, he has family in New York and he preferred the opportunity in Buffalo to what he had in front of him in Houston.
The Bills, 49ers, Eagles, Bears, and Jets all interviewed Gaine for GM openings in recent years. Even though he’ll be joining up with Beane’s operation for 2017, we can probably expect him to get some GM attention next offseason if things go well.
Redskins Cut CB Tharold Simon
The Redskins announced that they have released cornerback Tharold Simon. In related news, the team signed tight end Manasseh Garner and undrafted free agent cornerback Tevin Homer. The Redskins also waived linebacker Khairi Fortt and tight end Wes Saxton. 
Simon, 26, first made a name for himself as a rookie in 2014 with the Seahawks. In that season, he saw time in ten games and even made five starts. However, he was limited to just one game in 2015 and his 2016 deal with the Cardinals did not work out as planned. Last year, Simon appeared in nine games with Arizona but barely made a dent on the stat sheet with just five tackles.
The Redskins beefed up the secondary through the draft this year by selecting cornerback Fabian Moreau (third round), safety Montae Nicholson (fourth round), safety Josh Harvey-Clemons (seventh round), and safety Joshua Holsey (seventh round).
Falcons Sign QB Matt Simms
The Falcons have signed quarterback Matt Simms, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. To make room, the team waived wide receiver Garrett Scantling.
Simms, the son of former NFL great Phil Simms, appeared in a handful of games for the Jets between 2013 and 2014. He also had a previous stint with the Falcons as well as the Bills, but those unions did not result in live action. The quarterback, who turns 29 in September, currently represents the fourth QB on the Falcons’ depth chart with Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, and UDFA Alek Torgersen slotted ahead of him.
Scantling, a University of Georgia product, is a former decathlete. The Falcons were hoping to channel his raw ability into football talent, but he’s apparently not there just yet.
Seahawks Considering Kaepernick, RG3
The Seahawks are looking to add some competition behind starter Russell Wilson and that could lead them to sign a high-profile signal caller. When asked about the possibility of signing Colin Kaepernick or Robert Griffin III on Monday, Carroll said they are monitoring both players. 
[RELATED: Eddie Lacy Makes Weight In First Seahawks Check]
“We’re looking at everybody. We really are,” Carroll said (via ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia). “We’ve been tracking everything that’s going on, and we’ve got cap and roster issues and stuff like that that we’re still trying to manage properly. But quite frankly, yes, we are looking at all those guys.”
As it stands, Trevone Boykin is slated to be Wilson’s primary backup, but his March arrest probably has the team considering other options. Jake Heaps and UDFA Skyler Howard are also on the roster, but both lack NFL experience.
With today’s statement from Carroll, the Seahawks become the first known team to express any level of interest in Kaepernick or Griffin. Kaepernick, it seems, hasn’t found much of a market because of his controversial political views. Griffin, meanwhile, was lobbying for a chance with the Jets earlier this offseason but that interest was not reciprocated.
A case can be made that Kaepernick had something of a bounce back season in 2016 when he threw for 16 touchdowns against four interceptions and finished second among QBs in rushing yards with 468. When it comes to Griffin, no one really knows what to make of him after he missed all but five games in 2016. In that limited sample with the Browns, Griffin went 1-4 with two TDs against three picks and a poor 59.2% completion rate. We haven’t seen Griffin turn in anything close to a real season since 2014 and he hasn’t been able to reprise his outstanding 2012 rookie season.
NFC West Rumors: Lacy, Seahawks, Rams
There were rumblings earlier this offseason about Eddie Lacy‘s conditioning, but the running back made weight on his first scheduled weigh-in of the offseason, per his agents (on Twitter). By weighing in at 253 pounds (under the 255-pound requirement), the Seahawks running back will earn a $55K bonus on his free agent deal. From here on out, he’ll weigh in every month from now through the end of the calendar year and make $55K by coming in under the max. To cash in on all of these weight-driven incentives, he’ll need to weigh 250 in June, July and August and 245 from September through December.
Lacy reportedly weighed in at 267 pounds during one of his free agent visits and while that hasn’t been confirmed by the player, the Seahawks apparently felt a need to keep him on track throughout the year. Lacy signed with Seattle this offseason on a one-year, $5.5MM deal with $3MM fully guaranteed. If Lacy can keep the extra weight off while moving the chains, he’ll could be in line for a more lucrative deal next spring.
Here’s more out of the NFC West:
- Cardinals coach Bruce Arians believes that Blaine Gabbert can get a “fresh start” with the Cardinals, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. Gabbert, a former first-round pick, is 9-31 in his NFL career as a starter. Arians argues that a lack of stability has hurt his progress. In six seasons, Gabbert has played for seven head coaches and six different offensive coordinators on two teams. He’ll now try to make things work with a third team after signing with the Cardinals this month.
- The Rams want Tavon Austin to play a DeSean Jackson-type role in the new offense, as Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com writes. Austin is facing a critical year as the team can cut him loose next year with just $5MM in dead money. The Rams gave him a fat four-year, $42MM extension just weeks before the start of the 2016 season, but he’ll have to show something to the new staff if he wants to play out that contract.
- The 49ers tried to trade into the middle of the first round to select Reuben Foster. Luckily for them, Foster continued to slip and SF managed to get him with a late first round pick acquired during the draft.
East Rumors: Brady, Patriots, Bills, Taylor
Recently, Tom Brady was asked if he is annoyed that Bill Belichick hasn’t traded Jimmy Garoppolo and his non-answer might raise some eyebrows.
“When you’re a member of a team sport, the best guy plays,” the Patriots quarterback told Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com. “So I always want to make sure I’m the best guy, and I give our team a great chance to win. But if you’re ever not [the best guy], part of being a great teammate is letting the other guy do that, as well. Competition is what has always driven me. I’ve never been one that was hand selected, to be this particular player. … In high school, college, professionally, I think the greater the competition, the more that it really allows me to dig deep and bring the best out of me.”
Of course, this is a far cry from Brady saying that he’s peeved at the team for not trading the backup QB, but he didn’t shoot the notion down when given the opportunity either. The Patriots were at least mulling a Garoppolo trade at some point this offseason, but it seems that they set an extremely high asking price because they ultimately did not want to part with him.
Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East:
- In an interview on Monday, Bills GM Brandon Beane said Tyrod Taylor will probably be the team’s starting QB, but he cautioned that he’s “not in business of handing out jobs on May the 15th,” (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak).
- Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas cleared a giant hurdle this weekend when the team declined to sign veteran Travis Coons after a weekend tryout. “I try not to focus on the competition,” Rosas told James Kratch of NJ.com. “I just try to focus on how I can improve myself and be the best specialist I can be.” For now, Rosas stands as the only kicker on the team’s roster.
- The Jets auditioned running back Stevan Ridley last week.
Q&A With Bills’ McDermott, Beane
The Bills are in the midst of a 17-season playoff drought, but the new regime is hopeful that things will be turning around fast. New head coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane have some history together thanks to their time with the Panthers and the duo is ready to change the culture in Buffalo. During a conference call with Peter King of The MMQB, both men discussed their shared past and the future of the franchise. Here’s a look at some of the highlights:
Is Buffalo’s quarterback of the future on the roster now?
McDermott: He is, in Tyrod Taylor. And then when you look at the competition we have behind him. We’ve drafted Nathan Peterman, we’ve added T.J. Yates, and then Cardale Jones in the draft a year ago. I’m not sure there is a team out there that has the depth that we do at the quarterback position. So we feel good about that. We’re anxious to see how Tyrod develops in his third year as a starter in a new system, a system that he has some familiarity with in terms of [new Buffalo offensive coordinator] Rick Dennison’s system in Baltimore a few years back with Gary Kubiak. 
Beane: We have open competition everywhere. Obviously it is a quarterback league, but with Tyrod … He has some tools, his speed, he is tough to game-plan for. He has some strengths and he is still a young starter in this league. It is going to be a competition for every position, to let them fight it out and earn the right to start on this team.
[RELATED: Bills Name Joe Schoen Assistant GM]
How do you both feel about being tied at the hip?
Beane: That was part of the attraction of the job. There were a lot of attractions, but I don’t have to get to know the guy I am going to be working side by side with personally, away from the office. I already know that. I have that box checked. I know that this guy is going to have my back, and he knows I am going to have his back. And that’s a huge thing in this business. We know how important it is to trust each other. It’s so funny when people ask, Who’s got control? Who has the 53-man roster? Honestly, we don’t care about it. We are going to make decisions together and we are going to talk about everything that affects the roster, the staff, and that is what’s exciting. You don’t get that everywhere. You read about dysfunction in various organizations, and that is part of the reason I am here. I did not want to leave Carolina for something I was unsure of. This seemed like as sure a thing as there can be in the NFL, to partner up with Sean.
McDermott: Sometimes you get a chance and you have to take it. I wanted him to know that there is a soft landing on this side because of his familiarity with me. If we are tied at the hip, there is no one I would rather be tied at the hip with than Brandon.
Why should a Bills fan believe in you both?
Beane: We have to keep the same mindset we’ve had our whole career. Keep our head down, work on ourselves, learn our strengths, learn our weaknesses, and then obviously know our division. And then one of the first things you want to do for success is win your division. We feel bad for the city of Buffalo. These fans have had to endure a 17-year deal, but we’re focused on being part of the solution with the whole organization to get it right.
Chargers Release G Orlando Franklin
The Chargers have released offensive lineman Orlando Franklin, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). After drafting two guards, the Bolts apparently felt that Franklin was too pricey to keep. The Chargers will save $3MM against the cap by releasing Franklin, but they are still on the hook for $3.5MM in guaranteed cash.
[RELATED: Chargers Sign S Tre Boston]
Franklin, 29, came to the Chargers as a free agent prior to the 2015 season. The veteran had three seasons to go on his five-year, $35.5MM pact but his release doesn’t come as a huge surprise after two lackluster seasons. In 2015, he missed six games due to injury. Last year, he appeared in every regular season contest, but he graded out as one of the seven worst qualified guards in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Chargers are now committing to a youth movement on the offensive line with draft picks Forrest Lamp (second round) and Dan Feeney (third round) set to take on prominent roles. Los Angeles is also expected to find a starting spot for offensive lineman Max Tuerk who missed his entire rookie season.
Jaguars Cut Louis Nix, Akeem Davis
The Jaguars announced they have signed defensive tackle Kelvin Maurice and safety Jarrod Harper. To make room on the roster, the Jaguars cut safety Akeem Davis and defensive tackle Louis Nix. 
Maurice and Harper were tryout players at the Jaguars’ rookie minicamp over the weekend. Maurice, a Nebraska product, became a full-time starter for the first time in his final season on campus. He finished out 2016 with 39 total tackles and four sacks, a performance that earned him some attention from at least one NFL team. Harper, meanwhile, is a defensive back out of West Virginia. Both players stood out in a group of 39 tryout players vying to make the 90-man roster.
Nix, 26 in July, appeared in four games for the Giants in 2015. The well-traveled defensive tackle spent time on the Jaguars’ practice squad last year but couldn’t pass muster with the team this time around. Davis, 27, got the bulk of his NFL experience with the Redskins in 2014 when he appeared in 13 games. After suiting up for three different clubs in 2015, the safety appeared in two games for the Jaguars last season.
Saints’ Max Unger To Be Ready For Week 1?
It now sounds like Max Unger might not miss the start of the season after all. Saints head coach Sean Payton said yesterday that he expects Unger to return to the field in early August with the hope of suiting up for the ever important third preseason game (via Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune). This jives with a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk earlier this week, who wrote that the Saints expected their starting center to be back in action in time for the preseason.
[RELATED: 10 Centers The Saints Could Pursue]
Last Monday, a report indicated that Unger could miss the start of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a lingering foot injury. While the PUP list was mentioned as a possibility, it now sounds like he should be ready to go in Week 1. If that’s the case, then the Saints might not have to look into trading for a quality center after all.
It is fair to wonder why the Saints waited until May to have Unger undergo surgery, but Payton says the medical staff hoped rest after the regular season would work. However, the team noticed at the start of the offseason workout program in April that the problem needed further evaluation.
In 2016, Unger graded out as the No. 11 center in the NFL, per the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. Unger, who came to New Orleans in the Jimmy Graham deal with the Seahawks, has two Pro Bowl nods and a First-Team All-Pro selection on his resume. Teope says Senio Kelemete will likely take the bulk of Unger’s reps at center while Unger is sidelined.