Bengals Targeting Ja’Marr Chase?
The Bengals are “targeting” wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Dragon of The Enquirer hears (Twitter link). With the No. 5 overall pick, the Bengals may be able to reunite the LSU star with his old quarterback, Joe Burrow.
[RELATED: Bengals Release Giovani Bernard]
Cincinnati has invested a first- or second-round pick in the wide receiver position in three of the past five years. Still, they’re moving ahead without A.J. Green and John Ross, so Chase would be a welcome addition to the offense. Meanwhile, Burrow has reportedly stumped for a reunion with Chase, who went off for 84 catches, 1,780 yards, and 20 touchdowns last time they played together in 2019.
The Bengals figure to have lots of options available at No. 5 — particularly if the Falcons draft a quarterback at No. 4. In a worst-case scenario, only one of this year’s top non-QBs will be there for the taking. In a best-case scenario, Chase, Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts will all be available. From the latest rumblings, it sounds like Chase would be their choice.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/16/21
Today’s minor moves:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: DL Dakota Allen
New England Patriots
- Waived: C Dustin Woodard
Washington Football Team
- Waived: CB DeMarkus Acy
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Hoping For NFL Return
Over the past week, veteran cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been linked to a coaching job at his alma mater Tennessee State. DRC has interest in joining Eddie George‘s staff, but he hasn’t given up on the idea of playing, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
Rodgers-Cromartie has post-draft workouts scheduled, RapSheet hears, so he’d only pursue a coaching opportunity if he’s unable to land a deal. The 35-year-old (36 in April) announced his retirement midway through the 2018 season, but he returned to join up with the Washington Football Team in 2019. He only got into a pair of games (one start) for the WFT, compiling seven tackles. His season ended in September when he tore a ligament in his ankle — we haven’t seen him on the field since.
All in all, Rodgers-Cromartie has 162 regular season games to his credit across parts of 12 NFL seasons. The 2008 first-round pick has also made a pair of Pro Bowls during his career. He’s no longer an elite cornerback, but he could appeal to teams in need of veteran support — especially clubs that miss out on their targeted prospects in the draft.
Patriots’ J.C. Jackson Signs Offer Sheet
Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson has signed his second-round tender (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of The Athletic). The second-round tender will keep Jackson in the fold for 2021 at a salary of $3.4MM. 
The Patriots waited until the last minute to cuff Jackson, opting for the second-round tender instead of the pricier $4.8MM first-round tender. The gamble seems to have paid off, as Jackson did not sign an offer sheet elsewhere. Jackson’s decision to sign does not necessarily mean he’ll be in New England this fall, however — the Pats could still flip him, as they did with Malcolm Butler a few years ago.
Jackson performed as one of the league’s better corners in 2020. Playing on 84 percent of the Patriots’ snaps, he intercepted a whopping nine passes, good for No. 2 in the NFL. He also notched 14 passes defensed with three fumble recoveries. Not bad for a former UDFA. His ballhawking skills were also on display in 2018 and 2019, as he notched a combined five interceptions.
Even after the Patriots’ spending spree, there could be room to lock up Jackson for the long term. But, if they don’t, the Maryland product could fetch a sizable haul via trade.
Bills’ Trey Adams Retires
Bills tackle Trey Adams has retired from the NFL, per a post on his Instagram page. Once a highly-touted prospect, Adams has spent more time on the trainer’s table than the football field.
“Thank you football for everything,” Adams wrote. “I have put much thought into this decision and it is time for me to retire from the game that has given me so much…I will always be a [University of Washington] dawg! And thank you to the Buffalo Bills for believing in me. And to every teammate I’ve had, Thank you for being my brothers and I will never forget the long practices, conditioning and locker room talk. Love you boys.”
The UW product suffered a torn ACL in 2017 and missed much of 2018 with back trouble. Before that, Adams earned a first-team All-Pac-12 nod and second-team All-American honors in 2016. When he turned pro last year, the 6’7″, 304-pound blocker went undrafted and landed on the Bills’ practice squad.
The Bills won’t have Adams in camp, but they will have a few new blockers to consider for their Week 1 roster, including former Chargers lineman Forrest Lamp.
Texans GM On Deshaun Watson’s Future
In a Friday chat with reporters, Texans GM Nick Caserio declined to delve into the lawsuits against Deshaun Watson or the trade talk surrounding him. With respect to “the legal process,” Caserio explained that his focus is on the Texans’ offseason program and the upcoming draft. 
[RELATED: Five Watson Accusers Have Spoken With Police]
“If you want to speculate, you should probably go buy Bitcoin,” Caserio said when asked about the QB’s future in Houston (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).
We’re not entirely sure about cryptocurrency, but, right now, it doesn’t seem likely that the Texans and Watson will be moving forward together. Before the slew of suits, Watson had been demanding a trade for months. Now, it makes even less sense for the Texans to keep the embattled quarterback.
One of the civil suits against Texans QB Deshaun Watson has been dropped, but another lawsuit has been filed, bringing the plaintiff count back to 22. Meanwhile, five of Tony Buzbee’s clients have spoken to police, raising the possibility of criminal charges.
Oregon’s Penei Sewell Training At Both LT, RT
Oregon’s Penei Sewell is already regarded as the best tackle in this year’s draft. Still, versatility is critical for today’s offensive linemen. To market himself to teams with left tackles already in place, Sewell has also been training at right tackle (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
[RELATED: Latest On Bengals’ Draft Plans]
Sewell projects as a top ten pick and, in all likelihood, a Week 1 starter. Still, he’s hoping to appeal to teams that may already have an older left tackle in place. That way, a team could draft him and play him at RT in his rookie year before shifting him to LT down the road.
The draft is expected to start with three quarterbacks coming off the board, giving the Falcons a chance to snag Sewell at No. 4 overall. Sewell would be a solid and safe choice, though they could opt for a young quarterback or a dynamic playmaker instead (i.e. Florida’s Kyle Pitts or LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase). If the Falcons pass on him, the Bengals will have Sewell on the table at No. 5 overall. They already have Jonah Williams on the left side, but Sewell is willing to man the right tackle position.
Sewell opted out of the 2020 season, but he is still regarded as one of the top prospects in the ’21 class. The 6’6″, 330-pound prospect did not allow a single sack in 2019 while surrendering just seven quarterback pressures.
Texans Sign DL DeMarcus Walker
Defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker took to Instagram to announce that he has signed with the Texans. The former second round pick will fight for an uptick in playing time after spending the last four years as a rotational player for the Broncos. 
[RELATED: Texans Add Lane Taylor]
Walker has spent some time at outside linebacker, but he’s done his best work as a 3-4 defensive end. Last year, he notched 4.5 sacks, giving him 8.5 combined over the past two seasons. He saw time on 35% of the Broncos’ snaps last year, but the Broncos chose to replace him with former Viking Shamar Stephen this offseason. Meanwhile, Shelby Harris has been re-upped to reprise his role on the line.
Walker will be joined by ex-Broncos teammate Phillip Lindsay in Houston, plus a host of other defensive newcomers like Derek Rivers and Maliek Collins. For his career, Walker has appeared in 36 games (five starts), notching 51 tackles, 10.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Falcons Release Ito Smith
The Falcons have released running back Ito Smith, per a club announcement. It’s a surprising move, given the Falcons’ so-so collection of RBs. 
[RELATED: Falcons To Sign Cordarrelle Patterson]
Smith, a 2018 fourth-round pick, has spent all three of his NFL seasons to date with the Falcons. In total, he’s logged 175 carries for 689 yards and 55 catches for 314 yards with six all-purpose touchdowns. His penchant for game-changing plays put him on the radar as a rookie and he had considerable buzz after averaging 6.4 yards per tote on a limited sample. Then, an early-season injury slowed his momentum in 2019. He returned last year to take 63 carries for 268 yards (4.3 ypc) and one rushing TD, plus 17 grabs for 75 yards and three receiving TDs.
Despite his solid work as a reserve, new head coach Arthur Smith has other plans in mind. Recent signee Mike Davis figures to take on a leading role in the backfield with support from Qadree Ollison, Tony Brooks-James, and fullback Keith Smith. There’s still work to be done in that area, so the Falcons will likely target zone scheme-friendly running backs early in the draft.
Releasing Smith will save the Falcons $920K against the cap with $155K in dead money.
Texans To Sign Lane Taylor
Former Packers guard Lane Taylor will join the Texans on a one-year deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Taylor will reunite with his old offensive line coach in Green Bay James Campen as he works his way back from a torn ACL. 
[RELATED: Latest On Deshaun Watson]
Taylor, 31, has missed 29 games over the past two seasons due to bicep tears and knee trouble. He’s now seven months removed from ACL surgery though, and RapSheet hears that he should be ready in time for training camp this summer. The 49ers, who hosted Taylor in March, and Texans are looking into his status late in the rehab process.
Before all of that, Taylor became the Packers’ starting left guard, following the release of Josh Sitton. In 2016, he grading out as the league’s No. 41 guard out of 72 qualifiers. Then, in the fall of 2017, the Packers rewarded him with a three-year, $16.5MM extension.
Taylor will take the roster spot of offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel, who was dropped earlier this week and quickly claimed by the Washington Football Team.