AFC South Notes: Fuller, Texans, Colts, Jaguars
The reviews of Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller were largely positive coming into the draft, but some were critical of his hands and his propensity to drop passes. That’s an issue that he’s working hard to correct.
“I think drops are something we work on every day,” Texans receivers coach Sean Ryan said, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. “We talk about the fundamentals of catching the football: eye control, hand placement. It’s the same for every guy. You can trace 90 percent of those drops to those simple things.”
Earlier today, scouting expert Dave-Te Thomas profiled Fuller and other impact rookies in the Texans’ 2016 draft class. Fuller, he writes, boasted some of the best stop-and-start skills in the draft and he could put that footwork to use immediately this season.
Here’s more from the AFC South:
- The Colts’ 2016 draft class could have a long-term impact on their offensive line, Mike Chappell of CBS4 writes. For the first time since 1983, the Colts used four draft picks on offensive linemen to boost the quality of depth in that unit. Ultimately, the Colts are hopeful that they found a starter or two to develop alongside first-round center Ryan Kelly. Indianapolis’ rookie class also includes third-round Le’Raven Clark, fifth-round tackle/guard Joe Haeg, and seventh-round center Austin Blythe. The Colts formally wrapped up the signing of everyone in their draft class earlier this month when Clark gave his signature.
- UDFA tight end Stephen Anderson is also making a strong impression on the Texans, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. “He’s come out and really put in a great effort every day,” Texans tight ends coach John Perry said. “He’s held true to the Cal mantra of being a smart kid. He’s picked up things very quickly and, on top of that, he’s got great athleticism. He’s got good hands. His best trait is he continues to work at it. Here’s a kid who’s just climbed the ladder. He walked on at Cal. Now he comes in here as a free agent. He’s taken advantage of opportunities that have been presented to him. So, he’s fun to work with and I can see him continuing to get better.” Anderson is hoping to hook on at tight end in Houston behind Ryan Griffin and C.J. Fiedorowicz, as shown on the Texans’ Roster Resource page.
- The Jaguars‘ additions on defense this offseason will help their cause in trying to win the AFC South this year, ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli writes. This spring, the Jags picked up free agent defensive tackle Malik Jackson and free safety Tashaun Gipson. Jacksonville also selected cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Myles Jack in the draft and 2015 first-rounder Dante Fowler Jr. is set to finally make his debut. Still, Ganguli believes that with the Texans’ upgrade at quarterback and the Colts having a healthy Andrew Luck, it’s going to take more than that bolstered defense to win the division.
AFC East Notes: Marshall, Jets, Alonso
The Jets don’t have much in the way of team-friendly contracts, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap opines, but Brandon Marshall‘s deal is the de facto best of the bunch. Marshall came to the Jets via trade with the Bears, but the wide receiver and Gang Green hashed out a new deal as a condition of the swap. The deal wound up becoming a one-year trial as they nixed real guarantees for year two of the three-year pact. As it turns out, Marshall flourished and he now appears to be a bargain at $9.5MM in 2016.
Here’s more out of the AFC East:
- More from Fitzgerald, who linebacker David Harris‘ deal is the worst contract the Jets currently have. Harris signed a three-year, $21.5MM contract extension with the Jets in March of 2015. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald writes that comparable players would earn in the $5MM/year range with a much lower guarantee. Harris has inked two favorable deals with the Jets over the course of his career but Fitzgerald believes the buck will stop soon with the Jets releasing the veteran before the start of 2017 season. Last year, Harris graded out as the 32nd best linebacker in the NFL out of 97 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Linebacker Kiko Alonso is starting over again with the Dolphins after being traded to Miami in March and there is a lot of positive buzz surrounding him right now, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. Injuries have held Alonso back over the last couple of years, but he now seems to have his knee problems behind hm. Alonso came out firing in his rookie year in 2013 and one GM allegedly told Alonso’s agent prior to the draft that Alonso was the best linebacker prospect he had seen since Brian Bosworth.
- If Sheldon Richardson is suspended to start the year, the Jets may have to give a bigger role to defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins than they had anticipated, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. Losing Richardson to suspension is obviously not ideal, but the Jets are high on Jenkins and they see him as a younger and faster version of last year’s backups Leger Douzable and Stephen Bowen. “Jarvis is a three-down player,” coach Todd Bowles said. “He can move across the line of scrimmage. Good interior pass rusher. Has power and has some speed. We thought we upgraded there a little bit from a backup standpoint, that can come in and play.”
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Bradford, Redskins
The Eagles surprised many onlookers this offseason when they gave Sam Bradford a hefty extension while also drafted QB Carson Wentz No. 2 overall and adding free agent Chase Daniel. With two new signal callers behind the incumbent starter Bradford, are the Eagles striking fear into NFC East opponents? John Keim of ESPN.com doesn’t believe so. The Redskins respected Philly’s passing game last year, but Bradford is now in a new offense (again) and the backups aren’t necessarily going to bolster the passing game in 2016. Daniel can capably run Doug Pederson‘s offense if called upon and Wentz has star potential, but neither player makes a difference in the here and now, in Keim’s view.
Here’s more out of the NFC East:
- Right now, Mike Jones of The Washington Post only sees the Redskins carrying three running backs on the roster – Matt Jones, Chris Thompson, and Mack Brown. Even though Thompson has durability questions, coaches like him as a change-of-pace back and he figures to make the cut. If there are only three RBs on the 53-man roster, that would leave seventh-round pick Keith Marshall out after he missed a number of practices with a hamstring strain. UDFA Robert Kelley is also vying to make the cut and the Tulane product’s speed and versatility could get him over the hump.
- In a Q&A with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins claimed that he is not focused on his contract situation as he gets set to play out the 2016 season on the one-year, ~$20MM tender. While talks are described as amicable between both sides, they haven’t been terribly productive. As of this writing, the two sides are not expected to hammer out an extension before the July 15th deadline.
- The Giants have interest in Eugene Monroe, but is the tackle willing to move to the right side for Big Blue? Click here for the latest word on the veteran free agent.
- Over the weekend, PFR’s Dallas Robinson identified the Cowboys as one of seven teams that could be interested in trading for Rams quarterback Nick Foles.
NFL To Interview Peyton Manning
Late last week, the NFL made plans to interview most of the players implicated in the infamous Al Jazeera America documentary on performance enhancing drugs. That list of interviewees included currently players like Packers linebackers Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews and Steelers linebacker James Harrison as well as free agent Mike Neal. Peyton Manning was the biggest of the big names to be mentioned in the documentary, but he was not on the docket since he is no longer an active player. However, that has now changed. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy tells Mike Florio of PFT that the league office will meet with Manning. 
[RELATED: NFL To Interview Players Named In PED Doc]
While all of the other players will be interviewed roughly around the start of training camp, the exact date of Manning’s interview with the NFL is not yet known. The league still does not have the authority to force Manning into an interview, but his desire to work in an NFL front office has likely compelled him to cooperate. On top of that, as Florio notes, Manning would be in an awkward position if the accusations regarding Peppers & Co. were found to have merit while he did not consent to an interview.
Shortly after the documentary aired in December 2015, Manning went on the offensive and pronounced to the world that he would sue Al Jazeera for defamation. Months later, however, Manning backtracked from plans to bring legal action. If Manning’s lawsuit flip-flop raised eyebrows in the football world, he may have an opportunity now to silence critics by cooperating with the NFL’s investigation.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Impact Rookies: Houston Texans
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? Furthermore, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these youngsters, we enlisted the help of NFL Draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
Today, we kick off PFR’s Impact Rookie series with Dave-Te Thomas’ insight on the Houston Texans’ draft class:
First Round – Will Fuller, WR (Notre Dame, No. 21 overall)
Losing an aging Andre Johnson before the 2015 season put a lot of pressure on DeAndre Hopkins, as he was constantly being double teamed. Still, without the benefit of a quality “wing man” on the other side and even more problems at quarterback, Hopkins saw 31% of the team’s passes targeted to him, making 111 grabs that included 11 touchdowns. Johnson’s replacements were found wanting, as Nate Washington took in just 47-of- 95 targeted passes. Cecil Shorts, who recently agreed to a drastically reduced contract, caught just five balls for at least 20 yards among his 42 grabs. The addition of Fuller made Washington a roster casualty and forced Shorts to “shorten” his money to return in 2016. Fuller will not dazzle you with his slight frame, but he definitely disproved scouts who felt he was not fast with a blazing 4.32-second clocking in the 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine. He builds acceleration nicely and displays excellent balance and change of direction agility. The thing you see on film is that he has very good success on jump-ball battles (won 12-of- 14 last year), as he does a very nice job of adjusting under the ball and timing his leaps. Along with his body control, he has some of the best stop-and-start skills in this draft class.
Second Round – Nick Martin, C (Notre Dame C No. 50 overall)
Martin is a vast upgrade from the Texans’ previous snapper, Ben Jones, who is no longer with the team. He’s already formed a good bond with Brock Osweiler and should join the Colts’ first round pick, Ryan Kelly, as immediate starters at center for their respective teams. Martin’s arrival will see newly signed Jeff Allen slide into the right guard spot vacated by Brandon Brooks. Greg Mancz and Tony Bergstrom were hoping to compete for the pivot spot after Jones left, but both now vie for second unit duties.
With Chad Slade and Oday Oboushi the only bodies on the roster behind starting guards Jeff Allen and Xavier Su’a-Filo, Martin could also serve as a valuable sixth man on the O-Line, if Mancz or Bergstrom somehow manage to win the center job. Both of those veterans also have experience playing guard and when you couple that with Martin’s arrival, it seems like Slade and Oboushi may not survive training camp, especially if the team opts to keep just ten offensive linemen.
Third Round – Braxton Miller, WR (Ohio State, No. 85 overall)
Shorts, Keith Mumphery, and Jalen Strong will not only have to deal with the arrival of Fuller, one or more players from that trio could be playing elsewhere next season, thanks to third round pick Braxton Miller. The former Ohio State quarterback should take over slot receiver/H-Back duties and adds another element to the offensive game plan with his throwing arm and running ability to perform in the wildcat package.
Fourth Round – Tyler Ervin, RB (San Jose State, No 119 overall)
The Texans did not draft Ervin to be their featured back as he obviously lacks the size to carry the ball 25-30 times per game. However, the speedy ball carrier did run for 1,601 yards while displaying his 4.42 speed in 2015. He should be the ideal third-down back, as he also caught 45 balls last season. Look for the San Jose State product to spell Lamar Miller during passing situations and he could replace the duo of Shorts and Mumphery as the team’s new punt returner, as those two combined for just 7.3-yards per return.
If the team opts to keep five running backs, Miller and Ervin will nail down two spots. Fullback Jay Prosch will be challenged by Soma Vainuku, while Kenny Hilliard’s ability to play both spots could give him an advantage over Alfred Blue and Jonathan Grimes for the final spot in the backfield.
Fifth Round – K.J. Dillon, SS/FS (West Virginia, No. 159 overall)
One man’s misfortune (Karl Joseph’s injury) was another’s fortune in 2015, as Dillon took on a bigger role once his All-American teammate was lost for the 2015 season. Dillon’s ability to play both safety spots, along with starting experience as a weakside linebacker makes him the secondary’s wild card entering camp. Dillon’s physical hitting style will be a better fit at strong safety, where 2013 second rounder D.J. Swearinger never panned out.
Currently, ahead of Dillon on the depth chart are Eddie Pleasant and Kurtis Drummond, but both were castoffs signed as free agents by the Texans. If Drummond manages to emerge as the strong safety, Dillon can mount a challenge for the free safety position that is occupied by Andre Hal, a 2014 seventh-round pick. Hal led the team with four interceptions and 14 pass break-ups last year, but lacks the coverage speed to handle deep routes. Dillon could displace Hal, who would then slide into a more comfortable role in the sub packages.
If the team keeps five safeties, Dillon, Drummond and Hal should fill three spots, with Pleasant, Demps, Jets castoff Antonio Allen and 2014 seventh-rounder Lonnie Ballentine battling it out for the final two places. If Allen proves he’s recovered from a torn Achilles tendon that forced him to miss the 2015 campaign, a stating tandem of Dillon and Allen at the could be in the team’s future.
Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service which has provided insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Notes: Hightower, Collins, Edelman
Recently, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com ran down the NFL’s “best defensive triplets” and ranked the Patriots No. 10 with a trio of safety Devin McCourty, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and linebacker Jamie Collins. One knock on this talented group, however, is the injury factor as all three missed time last season.
It should also be noted that the Patriots will have to take action in order to keep this group together beyond the 2016 season as both Collins and Hightower are entering their contract years. Last year, Collins graded out as the No. 5 linebacker in the league while Hightower came in at No. 10, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. This year, Collins will earn less than $1MM on the final year of his rookie deal while Hightower will make $7.751MM, per the terms of his fifth-year option. It will take years and security to keep both players and Collins in particular is due for a monster raise.
Here’s more on the Pats:
- Even though Julian Edelman could be forced to miss the start of the Patriots’ season following his second foot surgery, Phil Perry of CSNNE.com doesn’t expect the team to place him on the PUP list, which is not good news for receivers frying to make the cut. Right now, Perry projects that the Patriots will go into 2016 with Edelman, Danny Amendola, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, Keshawn Martin, and Matthew Slater on the 53-man WR depth chart. As shown on Roster Resource, Nate Washington and Aaron Dobson are also in the mix and Perry’s roster projection has them on the outside looking in. Ditto for seventh-round pick Devin Lucien, though he could potentially be snuck onto the practice squad.
- Should the Patriots make a play for Chiefs running back Knile Davis? Ben Volin of The Boston Globe isn’t sure if the Pats are willing to trade within the AFC, but he sees Davis as someone who could potentially replace LeGarrette Blount as the team’s heavy back. Davis is expendable in KC as the team has recently inked Jamaal Charles, Spencer Ware, and Charcandrick West to contract extensions. Meanwhile, Davis holds a bit of extra value since he is in a contract year and could factor into the compensatory pick equation.
- Recently, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com also raised the name of Titans tailback Bishop Sankey as a potential trade target for New England. Sankey, a second-round pick in 2014, has yet to impress in Tennessee but he did enter the league with a decent amount of hype and it’s possible that a change of scenery could suit him well.
Pigskin Links: Raiders, QBs, Miller, Fantasy
Here at Pro Football Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NFL transactions and high-quality original analysis. Each week, we also feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our regular feature, Pigskin Links.
We’re looking for interesting reads on all things football from blogs of all sizes. While PFR is dedicated to player movement, Pigskin Links is open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest your blog post (or someone else’s) for Pigskin Links, send us an email with the link and a brief synopsis at PigskinLinks@gmail.com.
Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere:
- Wayniac Nation has some very early predictions for the 2016 Raiders.
- Last Word On Sports sized up the NFC’s quarterbacks by division.
- Bear Down Blog wonders if Von Miller could find his way to the Bears.
- NFL Spin Zone ran down five undervalued players in fantasy football.
- NFL Draft Report rated the QBs in the 2017 draft.
Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Email it to Zach or tweet it to him: @ZachLinks.
Saints Place Kyle Wilson On IR
The Saints announced that they have placed cornerback Kyle Wilson on injured reserve, ending his season before it could even begin. The nature of the injury is not yet known. In a related move, the team has signed defensive tackle C.J. Wilson. 
[RELATED: Former Saints LB Curtis Lofton Hopes To Continue Playing]
Kyle Wilson, a former first-round pick, spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Jets before heading to New Orleans for the 2015 season. While he didn’t live up to expectations in the Big Apple, Wilson played well as the Saints’ third cornerback last season, picking up 27 tackles and an interception. Pro Football Focus ranked him 47th out of 111 qualified players at the position. In March, the Saints re-signed him to a one-year, minimum salary deal.
As the Saints’ depth chart on Roster Resource shows, New Orleans doesn’t have much in the way of depth at cornerback. Aside from Wilson, the Saints will draw from a group of Delvin Breaux, P.J. Williams, Brian Dixon, Damian Swann, Keenan Lewis, Brandon Dixon, and Tony Carter. Of course, not all of those players will make the 53-man roster.
C.J. Wilson, meanwhile, is a 29-year-old defensive lineman with 78 career games under his belt, with most of that time coming as a rotational option with Packers from 2010-2013. He played in 12 contests in 2016 (eight with the Lions, four with the Raiders), and picked up nine total tackles to go along with one sack.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Broncos, Von Miller
Von Miller went dancing with the stars, but will he be running with the Broncos in 2016? Right now, it doesn’t sound like much progress has been made in contract talks between the two sides. Miller and the Broncos have not engaged in contract negotiations since early June, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter). 
[RELATED: Broncos, Emmanuel Sanders Exchange Contract Figures]
Early June was right around the time when Miller turned down a six-year, $114.5MM deal from Denver. In theory, the total value of that deal would have edged out the free agent contract signed by Ndamukong Suh, but Miller’s camp balked at the cash flow of the deal and the relatively paltry $39.8MM guaranteed in the first two years. The Broncos were said to have pulled the offer from Miller (which doesn’t mean much) while the outside linebacker claims that he will hold out if he does not get a suitable offer rather than play under the $14MM+ one-year franchise tender.
If Miller opts to sit out the 2016 season, the Broncos will only be able to use the non-exclusive franchise tag on him and will not have the exclusive franchise tag at their disposal. Furthermore, because of the holdout, the compensation for a team signing Miller would drop from two first-round picks to a first and a third. No team is eager to surrender a first- and third-round pick, of course, but that’s an easier pill to swallow and a price that at least a few teams should be willing to pay.
In a Twitter poll on Thursday, 31% of PFR readers said that Miller would be the first of four high-profile franchise-tagged players to sign a long term deal. Chiefs safety Eric Berry (29%) was a close second, followed by Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins and Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (20% each).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL To Interview Players Named In PED Doc
2:41pm: The players in question are and have been willing to submit to interviews, but things have been delayed due to the bureaucratic differences between the two sides on the scope of the interviews and other factors relevant to the process, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. The NFLPA is concerned about the precedent that these interviews could set, given the credibility issues that have been raised about the documentary. Going forward, the union is concerned that something as arbitrary as accusations of drug use via social media could lead to league examination, which is the type of thing the NFLPA does not want to invite.
12:09pm: The NFL has informed the NFLPA that league officials will show up on the first day of training camp to interview three players named in the Al-Jazeera America documentary linking them to performance enhancing drugs, according to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. 
[RELATED: NFL, NFLPA Clashing Over PED Investigation]
Packers linebackers Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews and Steelers linebacker James Harrison are all scheduled for interviews the day camps open. For Peppers and Matthews, that means interviews on July 26th. The Steelers, meanwhile, open camp on July 29th. Former Packers linebacker Mike Neal is currently without a team, but he’ll be interviewed on or before July 22nd, per the letter.
Conspicuously absent from the notice, however, is any mention of former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. However, a source tells Pelissero that the investigation into Manning’s involvement is ongoing.
Since Manning is no longer an active player, he cannot be forced to speak to the league about the accusations though, by the same token, he is free to discuss anything he wants with the league without being hindered by the NFLPA. However, Manning is reportedly hoping to hold a front office position at some point, and that could motivate him to discuss things with the NFL.
Neal, meanwhile, still wants to play football and he believes that the documentary has “heavily, heavily, heavily, heavily, heavily” influenced his extended free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.