Impact Rookies: Minnesota Vikings
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
There hasn’t been much turnover in Minnesota as just two starting positions seem to be changing from the first unit that completed the 2015 season. That might not be a good thing on offense, where the Vikings ranked 31st in the league in passing yardage (183.0 ypg) and touchdown passes (14), even though Teddy Bridgewater did try to keep his passes out of the hands of the opposition, tying for the fifth-lowest mark in the NFL by tossing just nine interceptions.
With a well-fortified running game, led by Adrian Peterson, with solid understudies in Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon, the Vikes rolled to the tune of 138.2 yards per game on the ground (fourth in the NFL), finding the end zone on eighteen of their carries. The front wall was an obvious problem for the team, failing to protect their young quarterback, tying for seventh-worst in the league by allowing 43 sacks in 2015.
The team shuffled bodies up front and also saw former right tackle Phil Loadbolt retire. Former 49ers guard Alex Boone takes over on the left side, with Brandon Fusco shifting to right guard. Fusco struggled last season, perhaps from the effects from a September concussion, but he has missed a good portion of camp this year, forcing projected starting center, the ever versatile Joe Berger, to slide over to right guard.
John Sullivan, who dealt with his own injury issues after 2014, takes over at center, with Berger at guard. Meanwhile, 2015 right tackle T.J. Clemmings appears heading for the bench with former Cincinnati first rounder Andre Smith taking over that position. Bridgewater could receive added blocking protection this season, if the coaches can figure a way to get 2016 strong-man, tight end David Morgan, more opportunities to be on the field.
Underrated fourth round left tackle, Western Michigan’s Willie Beavers is a work in progress, but intrigued the coaching staff at the Senior Bowl and will be given time to develop. However, if former 2012 first round pick Matt Kalil does not turn around the slide in his career, Beavers might have to be pressed into action before he is ready for prime time.
Morgan has been dominant throughout camp as a blocker, but after pulling in 45 passes last season at Texas-San Antonio, he’s hoping to prove to the staff that he is a valid three-down player. If they are convinced he is the total package, it could cut into 2015 fifth round Mycole Pruitt’s playing time behind starter Kyle Rudolph, who has had injury issues in the past.
Stefon Diggs proved to be a fifth round find at split end last season and his continued emergence makes 2013 first round bust, Cordarrelle Patterson, a possible roster casualty, if he does not start applying himself. The arrival of first round Ole Miss standout Laquon Treadwell, promises to take away most of Patterson’s chances to impress, as the rookie is likely to push Charles Johnson to the second unit at flanker before the year ends.
First Round – Laquon Treadwell, WR (Ole Miss, No. 23 overall)
Coming out of Crete-Monee (Ill.) High School, Treadwell was a highly sought-after five-star recruit who escaped the grasp of Big Ten Conference teams in his own backyard. He was the consensus top-rated receiver during his prep senior year after leading his team to the state title by catching 81 passes for 1,424 yards and sixteen touchdowns while playing all three receiver positions. He proved to be dangerous out of the backfield, scoring seven times on reverses and he showed why he had gained so much knowledge avoiding cornerbacks, as he also had defensive starting experience, posting 56 tackles with six interceptions in 2012. 
Treadwell is an aggressive route runner, using his size and strength to power through arm tackles. He does a nice job of sinking his pads and changing direction working underneath and has that deceptive second gear to head north after catching the ball in the seam. He has loose hips to spin away from contact after the catch, but not enough to execute a pirouette and leave defenders grabbing at air. He is especially effective with his plant-and-drive on crossing and out routes. He has a good array of head fakes to sell the route and keeps his hands active to get to the ball on comebacks (see 2015 Memphis, LSU and Oklahoma State games). He has the eyes to see when the quarterback is in trouble, showing urgency coming back to help there. He is most effective when going for the ball on step back throws. He runs at a proper pad level and it is very rare to see him round some coming out of his breaks, as he has the footwork and balance to recover when trying to get in and out of his cuts.
This kid has exceptional hands, along with a large radius that allows him to go outside his framework to reach for the ball in stride. He has the ability to adjust and scoop up the low throws with ease. He has the hand strength to win battles with arm tackles or to defeat jam, showing nice “fire in his belly” to compete for extra yards after the catch. He is not the type that you will see double-catching or letting the ball absorb into his body, as he has great confidence in his large mitts to look the ball in.
Although he did not go as high in the draft as once anticipated, Treadwell can be a big difference maker for the Vikings right from the jump.
Continue reading about the Vikings’ rookie class..
Latest On Bills’ Manny Lawson
On Tuesday, the Bills got a double whammy of bad news when it was learned that defensive tackle Marcell Dareus was hit with a four-game suspension and defensive end Manny Lawson has a looming one-game ban for an alleged domestic violence incident. After a repeat violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, Dareus’ suspension is rather cut-and-dry. That’s not quite the case with Lawson, however, who says he is not sure why he is being suspended by the league. 
[RELATED: Bills Still On Hook For Marcell Dareus’ Guarantees?]
On Wednesday, Lawson told reporters (including Mike Rodak of ESPN.com) that he doesn’t know where the suspension is coming from. Lawson vowed to “get to the bottom of it,” though he has not heard back from the league office as of this writing.
We should know more about the allegations against Lawson in the coming days. As with most punishments, the NFLPA can be expected to fight back against the league office and, if it is truly without merit like the linebacker says, it’s possible that his suspension could be overturned.
Over the last three seasons, Lawson has appeared in all but one regular season game for the Bills. In 2015, Lawson appeared in every contest and started 14 games, racking up 45 tackles, 1 sack, and 5 pass deflections.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Latest On Saints’ Sheldon Rankins
Coach Sean Payton confirmed that Sheldon Rankins‘ injury is not season-ending, Jeff Duncan of The Times Picayune tweets. Still, he said it is too early to speculate on how the team will handle his injury with regards to the roster. 
[RELATED: Saints’ Sheldon Rankins Suffers Broken Fibula]
The early tests indicated that Rankins suffered a broken fibula. If that’s the case, the believe is that Rankins is a candidate for the IR-DTR list, which would allow for a mid-season return (or, in Rankins’ case, a mid-season debut). Payton would not speak to whether Rankins would be slotted for the IR-DTR, but that should be the resolution for the first-round pick if he is to be sidelined for a significant amount of time. The early word is that the defensive lineman out of Louisville is likely to be sidelined for about six to eight weeks.
Rankins’ absence could spark the Saints to look into defensive line help on the open market. On Tuesday, Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com suggested that Cullen Jenkins, Henry Melton, C.J. Mosley, and Sammie Lee Hill could be players worth consideration. Randy Starks could also be an intriguing name for New Orleans.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On NFL’s PED Investigation
A representative for Steelers linebacker James Harrison told Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) that his client has never “denied an attempt for an interview” and said he “would be open to it,” though the NFLPA is handling the case. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Harrison himself intimated that he is allowing the union to take the lead on the matter, though he also had personal objections to the interviews. When asked why he wouldn’t opt to just get the process over with, Harrison responded: 
“If that’s the case, then somebody could come out and say James Harrison is a pedophile. They are going to suspend me, put me under investigation for being a pedophile just because somebody said it? I’m not going to answer questions for every little thing some Tom, Dick and Harry comes up with (via Chuck Schilken the Los Angeles Times).
Meanwhile, Harrison was asked to take a random PED test on Tuesday, one day after the league threatened to suspend him and the three other players implicated in the Al Jazeera documentary if they do not consent to interviews. In a Facebook video, Harrison expressed doubt that the test was in fact “random.”
The league says that Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Mike Neal, and Harrison will face suspensions if they do not submit to an interview by next Friday. As the NFLPA locks heads with the NFL, the union’s only option may be to file a lawsuit, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. The union – fearful of setting a dangerous precedent – has told those players not to consent to the interviews. The PED policy states that the NFL may impose discipline if it has “credible evidence” of a violation. The NFLPA argues that the unwittingly recorded bragging of Indiana-based pharmacist Charles Sly does not qualify as “credible,” but the commissioner’s office does not agree.
While it seems like the players are facing union pressure not to talk to Roger Goodell, NFLPA president Eric Winston says that each player will ultimately choose their own course of action.
“We’ve spent the last few days advising our players and letting them know in a completely honest and open way exactly what their options are, what they want to do,” Winston told Florio. “Each case is different, each guy is different. Each guy might want to do different things so no matter what we’re going fight for them like crazy like we always do, and we’re going go and have our players’ backs. That’s what we’re all about and that’s all we can do and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Panthers To Work Out Will Beatty
10:13am: Beatty is also on the Cardinals’ radar, Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (on Twitter) hears.
9:22am: Will Beatty will work out for the Panthers today, according to a source who spoke with Newsday’s Tom Rock. Beatty already has an offer from the Jaguars in hand, but he is apparently checking out other options first. 
The Jaguars recently worked out Beatty and the Eagles are also said to have him on their radar as they brace for Lane Johnson‘s ten-game suspension. Still, Rock hears that a reunion with the Giants remains unlikely.
Beatty, 31, is hoping to sign with a team that will give him a starting job, the source said. The Panthers have Michael Oher to start at left tackle, but the team may not be inspired by Daryl Williams and Mike Remmers on the right side. Williams hasn’t pushed Remmers like they hoped he would and Beatty could be a more attractive option.
The veteran missed the entire 2015 campaign after tearing his pectoral, and was released by New York following the season. Still, Beatty missed only one game in the three seasons prior to 2015 and he is said to be fully healthy. PFR ranked Beatty as one of the best offensive free agents still on the board earlier this year. Since that time, five of the six players listed ahead of Beatty have found new deals.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles’ Andrew Gardner Accepts Pay Cut
Eagles offensive lineman Andrew Gardner took a pay cut in order to stay with the team. Gardner was originally slated to make $1.2MM in 2016, but he’ll now get the veteran’s minimum of $760K instead, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In exchange for accepting the pay reduction, Gardner will get $300K added to his 2018 incentives. 
Gardner, 30, was signed by the Eagles prior to the 2014 season to serve as a backup, but wound up appearing in every regular season game, including eight starts. Last summer, Gardner won the open competition for the teams’ starting right guard job and went on to ink an extension just prior to the start of the season. Unfortunately, just a few games into the new deal, he sustained a foot injury that sidelined him for the entire season.
As shown on Roster Resource, Gardner has been bumped from the starting job at right guard by the addition of free agent Brandon Brooks. Gardner now finds himself in reserve alongside center/guard Stefen Wisniewski and center Barrett Jones. Without taking the pay cut, Gardner may have been bumped from the roster all together.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cowboys (Again) Rule Out Greg Hardy
The Cowboys front seven has been decimated in recent weeks thanks to off-the-field issues. Linebacker Rolando McClain – once viewed as a great comeback story – is reportedly battling an addiction to codeine cough syrup and has been handed a ten-game suspension. Defensive lineman Randy Gregory is in a treatment facility and could be suspended for 10-14 games if his longshot appeal is not successful. Also, star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will be suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Notes: Frederick, Hanna]
So, what will the Cowboys do to help fill the void? Could they be desperate enough to tackle this rash of suspensions by welcoming back troubled defensive end Greg Hardy?
“I don’t see that happening. We certainly had that experiment, and unfortunately it didn’t work out,” Cowboys VP Stephen Jones told Mike Florio of PFT. “We’ve moved on and we think we’ve got some good football players on our defensive line that should only get better. They’re young. I’m certainly not naive, I know we don’t have proven production on that defensive line as we sit here today, but I do think we have some good athletes that are only going to get better.”
Jones did say the Cowboys would keep their “eyes peeled” with regards to adding a veteran to their defensive line. However, that lineman will not be Hardy.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus claims there is “substantial” interest in his client, though the Jaguars are the only team to have auditioned him so far.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bengals’ Andrew Billings Out For Season
TUESDAY, 7:09pm: Billings will in fact miss the entire 2016 season, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
MONDAY, 12:14pm: Bengals rookie defensive tackle Andrew Billings underwent knee surgery today for a torn meniscus and is out indefinitely, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The injury could rule Billings out for the entire 2016 season. 
As shown on Roster Resource, the Bengals were planning on using Billings as their primary backup at nose tackle behind Domata Peko. Former Raider Pat Sims now presumably moves up a spot on the depth chart and the team could also look out-of-house for defensive line help as defensive tackle Brandon Thompson recovers from his knee injury.
In July, scouting expert Dave-Te Thomas told PFR that Billings was poised to make a big impact for Cincinnati this season:
Lightning may have struck the Bengals twice at the nose guard position. Back in 2010, a stout interior defender was not regarded as highly by general managers as their scouts. As luck would have it, the Bengals took a chance in the fourth round that year and found Geno Atkins. Now, six years later, they might have found the player who could replace Peko at nose tackle, perhaps as early as next year. If Billings proves to be starter material in training camp, the front office might be comfortable with letting Peko go elsewhere after this season.
The Bengals haven’t had the best of luck with their 2016 rookie class. Earlier this month, first-round cornerback William Jackson III suffered a torn pectoral muscle that could cost him a big chunk of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Texans signed defensive end Alex Carrington and waived/injured fullback Soma Vainuku, according to a team press release. Carrington was a third-round pick of Buffalo in 2010.
- The Lions have waived tight end Ben McCord, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes.
- The Colts announced that they have waived wide receiver Josh Boyce. Boyce, a former 2013 fourth-round pick of New England, managed just nine catches for his old team. At TCU, he was the program’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (22). Indianapolis also announced that it has waived wide receiver Andre Debose and replaced him with fellow WR Andrew Opoku. Opoku, a converted linebacker, had four receptions at Delaware.
- Nose tackle Chris Mayes, an undrafted rookie from Georgia, suffered a foot injury early in practice on Monday and was waived/injured by the Falcons on Tuesday, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Mayes, who was listed as the fourth-string nose tackle on the depth chart, was unlikely to make the team.
- The Dolphins announced that they have waived/injured defensive end Farrington Huguenin.
- Bills linebacker IK Enemkpali (torn ACL) cleared waivers today and has reverted to their injured reserve, per a club announcement.
- The Seahawks announced the release of cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste in order to clear a roster spot for the newly-signed Tony McDaniel.
- The Raiders announced that they have signed free agent tight end Jake McGee.
- The Cowboys placed tackle Cameron Bradfield (knee) on injured reserve and waived/injured defensive tackle Gerald Dixon (pectoral). Dallas has also signed wide receiver Richard Mullaney, who worked out for the club earlier today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Bills Still On Hook For Marcell Dareus’ Guarantees?
Earlier today, the Bills were dealt a big blow when they learned that Marcell Dareus has been slapped with a four-game suspension by the NFL for another substance abuse policy violation. Typically, that punishment also results in players losing the rights to all previously guaranteed money under the terms of the contract. For Dareus, that won’t quite be the case. 
Dareus’ four-game suspension will cost him $1.505MM in total forfeiture (signing bonus and option bonus). His guarantee in 2016 will void, but the rest of his guarantees will not be affected because very rare language limits the voiding of guarantees to the year he commits the breach, a league source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. In short – Dareus will get banged for 2016, but the guaranteed cash he is set to receive through 2021 as a part of his six-year, $95.1MM deal will remain untouched. Given that Dareus does have some off-the-field history, one has to wonder why the Bills would consent to such an unusual clause.
In an afternoon press release, the Bills did not hide their frustrations with the star defensive tackle:
“We are very disappointed Marcell chose to put himself first, before his teammates, coaches and the rest of the organization through his recent actions. From ownership down we have made it clear his behavior is unacceptable. We will continue to take the necessary steps to work with him in order that he adheres to the policies set forth by our league. As an organization, we will move forward with our preparations for the start of the 2016 NFL season in Baltimore on September 11.”
Dareus will be forced to sit out games against the Ravens, Jets, Cardinals, and Patriots before returning to the Bills’ active roster on Monday, October 3.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.