Former Jets QB Christian Hackenberg Switches To Baseball
In 2016, scouts were enamored with Christian Hackenberg‘s size and arm strength. The Jets’ second-round pick didn’t pan out in the NFL, so he says he’s moving on to baseball as a pitcher (Twitter link via John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia).
[RELATED: Jamal Adams Frustrated With Jets]
“I just want to compete, man,” Hackenberg said. “I’ve kind of had my trials and tribulations with the NFL, and had success and had that roller-coaster ride. At the end of the day, I’m sitting here at 25…I feel like I’ve got a lot left in the tank.”
Hackenberg left Penn State as their all-time leader in passing yards (8,457) and touchdowns (48) in just three years on campus. He completed just 53.5% of his throws in his final season, but that didn’t deter Jets GM Mike Maccagnan, who reached for him at No. 51 overall.
Hackenberg never saw the field in his two seasons with the Jets, who traded him to the Raiders. The QB lasted less than a month with the Raiders; ditto for his time with the Eagles, which amounted to a cup of coffee. His last NFL stop was a practice squad run with the Bengals, who dropped him in November of 2018. Hackenberg’s career ended without attempting a live action throw.
Hackenberg, a relief pitcher in high school, throws a 90-mph fastball, according to agent Noel LaMontagne (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). In a limited sample size, Hackenberg struggled with accuracy on the diamond, just as he did on the gridiron. Pitching in relief, the 6’4″ athlete posted a 7.36 ERA with 40 walks and five HBPs in 25 2/3 innings.
Hackenberg served as the starting quarterback of the AAF’s Memphis Express last year, up until the league dissolved.
Seahawks Notes: Hyde, Dunbar, Clowney
Here’s a quick look at the latest from Seattle:
- Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll believes that new running back Carlos Hyde will be ready to go for Week 1 (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Hyde’s camp is similarly optimistic after the veteran went under the knife to fix a torn labrum. After a rash of injuries at the position, the Seahawks are counting on the 1,000-yard rusher to stay healthy this year. For his part, Carroll says that Hyde’s presence will allow the team to gradually ease Rashaad Penny back into things.
- Carroll told reporters that Quinton Dunbar has rejoined the Seahawks for virtual offseason meetings (Twitter link via Condotta). Beyond that, Carroll offered no comment on Dunbar’s ongoing situation. Dunbar is facing four charges in connection with an alleged armed robbery in Florida. His alleged accomplice, cornerback Deandre Baker, has been kept away from offseason activities by the Giants.
- The chatter of a potential reunion between the Seahawks and Jadeveon Clowney continues, but Brady Henderson of ESPN.com gets the sense that the club is only focused on low-cost additions at this time. Earlier this year, the Seahawks reportedly put a one-year, $15MM offer on the table for the defensive end, but it seems that offer is no longer valid. The Browns saw their offer rebuffed recently and the Titans say that there hasn’t been much movement on the Clowney front.
Jamal Adams Frustrated With Jets
Despite all of the kind words from GM Joe Douglas, all is not well between the Jets and star safety Jamal Adams. As the Browns discuss a new deal with Myles Garrett, Adams finds himself frustrated with the lack of momentum in his own contract talks. 
[RELATED: C.J. Mosley Cleared For Football Activities]
“Well deserved [Myles Garrett],” Adams wrote on Instagram (h/t Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, via Twitter). “I can’t even get my first proposal that they said they would send over in January. I was called ‘selfish’…A lot of talk, no action.”
Adams, 25 in November, has been pushing for a deal that would top Eddie Jackson‘s recent deal with the Bears – a four-year, $58.4MM contract that leads NFL safeties in average yearly salary. If he can’t get that, Adams is reportedly open to a trade. The Jets have dangled Adams in the past, but their asking price warded off everyone. Effectively, Douglas has maintained that old business adage – “Don’t tell them no, tell them how much it will cost.” At this point, the Jets have publicly and privately indicated that they will not deal their best defensive player.
“[Adams] was a big reason I was excited about coming here,” Douglas said earlier this year. “I feel this guy is a core player. The main goal that I’m trying to do right now is to surround him with like-minded players, because we know Jamal is a dog.”
For now, Adams is slated earn $7.1MM in 2020 and $9.86MM in 2021, via the fifth-year option. After that, the Jets could theoretically keep him with the franchise tag, but it’s clear that Adams wouldn’t cooperate in that scenario.
Latest On Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown found himself back in the news cycle this week and, according to his camp, he could land an NFL deal in the near future. In a statement provided to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link), Brown’s attorney said that the wide receiver’s no contest plea should clear the way for his return to football.
[RELATED: Antonio Brown Hints At Impending NFL Deal]
“With this matter now resolved and behind him, Mr. Brown looks forward to continuing his cooperation with the NFL and resuming his phenomenal professional career,” attorney Carson Hancock said. “He has achieved so much throughout his life from both a personal and professional standpoint, and will continue to do so.”
Brown was facing one felony charge and two misdemeanor charges for his January incident with a delivery driver. The driver said that a verbal dispute over payment turned physical when Brown assaulted him. Hancock believes that it should have been resolved as a civil matter, but also felt that the no contest plea was Brown’s quickest path back to the field.
Brown, meanwhile, hinted at a deal being in the works with an NFL team in an Instagram post on Friday. In the interest of equal time: We’ve been here before with Brown. Brown’s former rep Drew Rosenhaus routinely claimed that Brown was receiving lots of NFL interest even as lawsuits, charges, and troubling social media posts emerged on a near-weekly basis. Eventually, Rosenhaus parted ways with Brown, leading the longtime Steelers star to a new agent.
Brown, 32 in July, has caught 841 passes for 11,253 yards over the course of his ten-year career, which includes seven Pro Bowl appearances. Despite all of the red flags, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson have publicly advocated for their respective teams to sign him.
Jaguars Sign Tyler Davis
The Jaguars officially signed sixth-round tight end Tyler Davis on Friday night, per the league’s official transactions wire. Even with Davis in the fold, the Jaguars still have lots of paperwork ahead of them. The Jaguars have signed only two players in their 12-man draft class, as shown in PFR’s 2020 NFL Draft tracker.
Davis began his collegiate career as a quarterback at Connecticut. He finished his college days as a tight end at Georgia Tech, where he tallied 17 catches for 248 yards and a touchdown last year. Across all four seasons, Davis recorded 64 receptions for 648 yards and eight TDs.
Davis impressed at the combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds at his pro day. At the combine, only Albert Okwuegbunam posted a faster time (4.49 seconds) and he went much earlier on Day 3 (Broncos; fourth round, No. 118 overall). Well-regarded by coaches as a natural leader, Davis will push to make the Jags’ roster as a supporting cast member behind Tyler Eifert.
Here’s a rundown of the Jaguars’ full class, via PFR’s tracker:
1-9: C.J. Henderson, CB (Florida)
1-20: K’Lavon Chaisson, DE (LSU)
2-42: Laviska Shenault, WR (Colorado)
3-73: Davon Hamilton, DT (Ohio State)
4-116: Ben Bartch, OT (St. John’s (MN))
4-137: Josiah Scott, CB (Michigan State)
4-140: Shaquille Quarterman, ILB (Miami): Signed
5-157: Daniel Thomas, S (Auburn)
5-165: Collin Thomas, WR (Texas)
6-189: Jake Luton, QB (Oregon State)
6-206: Tyler Davis, TE (Georgia Tech): Signed
7-223: Chris Claybrooks, CB (Memphis)
Antonio Brown Hints At Impending NFL Deal
In an early morning Instagram post, Antonio Brown teased an impending deal with his fourth-NFL team. “Big 4X soon,” Brown wrote, beneath a picture of him in each of his previous uniforms with the Steelers, Raiders, and Patriots. 
Naturally, this update from Brown needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The wide receiver is still awaiting clearance from the league office as he faces multiple Personal Conduct Policy violations. The NFL could clear Brown to play in 2020, but it would be a shock if he did not have to serve a lengthy suspension.
Even with all the troubling news about Brown over the past year, he remains one of the league’s most intriguing talents. In recent months, Lamar Jackson and some of his teammates have publicly petitioned for the Ravens to sign AB. Meanwhile, GM Eric DeCosta hasn’t ruled him out. He’s also left the door open to a big splash signing this summer.
“Do we feel the urgency? We probably feel that with every position,” the GM said. “We want to be the best we can be at every position. This happens to be a wide receiver class with a lot of really good players. If we’re on the clock and we think that guy is the best player, we’ll probably pick him. Hopefully we can build our offense to the point where we can say, ‘Hey, we’re un-defendable.’”
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson also says that he would “love” to play with AB, who would give the Seahawks another imposing weapon alongside featuring Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, and Greg Olsen. If AB is truly on the brink of an NFL return, it could be with one of those two contenders.
Browns, Myles Garrett Begin Contract Talks
Contract talks are underway between the Browns and Myles Garrett, sources tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Browns don’t necessarily have to rush things since Garrett still has two years left on his rookie deal. However, if they’re able to lock up Garrett this summer, they could save a couple of dollars and avoid an even larger spike in the edge rusher market next year. 
[RELATED: Browns Offered Jadeveon Clowney $12MM/Year?]
Even though it was a trying season for the Browns, the former No. 1 overall pick was phenomenal last year – ten games, ten sacks. Of course, he didn’t get a chance to top his previous watermark of 13.5 sacks from the year prior. Garrett was banned from the field for his role in the ugly brawl against the Steelers, capping his season in the fall and his career sack total at 30.5 sacks, for the time being.
Now reinstated, Garrett is in position to dominate once again. And, at the moment, Garrett’s value might be somewhat depressed by the time he’s missed throughout his career. Between the delayed start to his rookie year and last year’s suspension, Garrett has appeared in just 37 regular season games over the past three years.
Still, Garrett is poised to become the league’s new financial kingpin at defensive end. Currently, Khalil Mack leads the way with an average fo $23.5MM per year, with DeMarcus Lawrence of the Cowboys ($21MM/year) and Frank Clark of the Chiefs ($20.8MM/year) closely trailing. Meanwhile, the Browns will also have to leave enough room to take care of other stars down the road, including quarterback Baker Mayfield, cornerback Denzel Ward, and running back Nick Chubb. Fortunately, they have plenty of cap space to work with right now. And, even if they allocate some of those dollars towards Jadeveon Clowney, they can offset the expense by shedding Olivier Vernon‘s non-guaranteed salary.
This Date In Transactions History: Chargers’ Keenan Allen Signs $45MM Extension
Four years ago today, Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen scored a seismic pay bump. After months of negotiations, the former third-round pick agreed to a four-year add-on worth $45MM with nearly $21MM fully guaranteed at signing. Before that, Allen was playing on his rookie deal – a four-year pact worth just $2.8MM in total. 
[RELATED: Make-Or-Break Year: Titans WR Corey Davis]
Few could dispute Allen’s value to the Bolts. As a rookie in 2013, Allen eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving and scored eight touchdowns. He back down to earth in 2014, but he was on pace for the best season of his career – 67 receptions and 725 yards through only eight games, before a lacerated kidney forced him off the field. With a clean bill of health for 2016, and his 25th birthday still on the horizon, the Chargers were happy to lock Allen down for several years.
Allen’s $11MM+ average annual salary put him in the top ten at his position at the time, appropriately slotting him ahead of Jaguars receiver Allen Hurns, who had just inked a four-year, $40MM deal. From the Chargers perspective, it was a short-term cap saver – it would have cost the team $15MM to keep him for an extra year via the franchise tag.
Unfortunately, Allen’s 2016 did not go according to plan as he suffered an ACL tear in the first half of the team’s very first game. But, after that, it was mostly smooth sailing – Allen went off for nearly 1,400 yards in 2017, giving him his first of three consecutive Pro Bowl nods.
Allen is once again set to enter his walk year as his four-year extension wraps up. And, once again, he’s in position for a pay raise.
Steelers’ OT Matt Feiler Signs Tender
Steelers offensive tackle Matt Feiler has signed his one-year restricted free agent tender, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Steelers cuffed Feiler at the second-round level earlier this year to ward away other teams. 
Per the terms of the tender, Feiler is now set to earn $3.27MM this year. If another club signed him to an offer sheet and the Steelers declined to match, that club would have had to forfeit a second-round pick. As good as Feiler is, that was too high of a price tag for other teams.
Feiler, 28 in July, came into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Texans. His time in Houston aside, he’s pretty much spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. Feiler cracked the starting lineup in 2018 and, last year, he was first-string for all 16 of the Steelers’ games. For his work, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 20th best tackle in the entire league out of 80 qualified players.
With a repeat performance, Feiler could be in line for a much bigger pay bump in 2021.
AFC West Notes: Chiefs, Mahomes, Raiders, Broncos
Patrick Mahomes could be the NFL’s first $200MM player if he takes full advantage of his leverage, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes. However, Corry suggests that the Chiefs star should be less fixated on that figure and more focused on a similarly lucrative three-year extension. With a shorter deal, the quarterback could land an even bigger payday, thanks to the expected rise in revenue from the addition of a 17th regular season game.
There’s also been lots of chatter about a clause in the later years of Mahomes’ deal that would tie his contract to the salary cap as it escalates. It doesn’t seem out of the question for the NFL’s brightest star, but Corry isn’t sure if the Chiefs will be willing to set a radically new precedent in the game.
The salary cap percentage clause would be a game-changer, but I’d imagine that it’s in the realm of possibility for Mahomes, especially after Kirk Cousins secured a fully-guaranteed deal with the Vikings.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- Raiders newcomer Nick Kwiatkoski will play middle linebacker in the Raiders 4-3 scheme, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports. Kwiatkoski played on the inside of the Bears’ 3-4 layout and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther believes that he can be the team’s field general at the position. Kwiatkoski – signed for three years thanks to his $21MM deal – will be joined by fellow free agent addition Cory Littleton.
- Raiders rookie Lynn Bowden Jr. had his home searched by the DEA this week, but his agency says that the running back was not arrested or charged afterwards (via Tashan Reed of The Athletic). Barring league discipline, the Raiders plan to open the year with Bowden as one of their supporting tailbacks behind starter Josh Jacobs. Devontae Booker, Jalen Richard, and Rod Smith are also on hand. On the field, Bowden has impressed – he ran for nearly 1,500 yards at Kentucky last year with an eye-popping average of 7.9 yards per carry.
- After the departure of safety Will Parks, Broncos defensive back Alijah Holder says he’s ready to step up for whatever role he’s assigned. “I’m a quick learner and wherever they put me, I’m going to learn the position,” Holder said (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post). “In dime, I feel I could take on that role. In practice last year, I played dime and nickel so I’m pretty familiar with most of the stuff. I really would love the chance to play dime if [defensive coordinator Vic Fangio] if goes that way.”