Panthers Mulling Christian McCaffrey Extension
The Panthers have internally discussed a new long-term deal for star running back Christian McCaffrey, GM Marty Hurney says (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s David Newton).
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“Obviously, we’ve had internal discussions. Everybody knows what we think of Christian as a player. Other than that I can’t really say any more,” Hurney said.
McCaffrey is heading into the final year of his rookie deal, though the Panthers still hold a fifth-year option on him for the 2021 season. It’s no secret that the Panthers want to keep CMC for the long haul, but they don’t necessarily have to rush things, either.
The Panthers will have to weigh CMC’s performance and massive potential against the past perils of running back contracts. In the summer of 2018, the Rams handed Todd Gurley a four-year, $60MM deal to make him the highest-paid RB in the NFL. At the time, Gurley was fresh off of winning the league’s Offensive Player of the Year trophy. Less than two years later, the Rams released him outright. That’s just the latest example of a high-priced RB deal going south and no tailback is immune from the risk of injury – that includes McCaffrey.
CMC, who won’t turn 24 until June, earned his first career Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections in 2019. Even though the Panthers struggled on the whole, he managed 1,387 rushing yards off of 287 carries, good for an average of 4.8 yards per tote. And, for good measure, he added another 116 catches for 1,005 yards receiving. All together, he scored 19 touchdowns on the year.
Jaguars Re-Sign Carl Davis
The Jaguars announced that they’ll bring back Carl Davis for another year. However, the defensive tackle will not be available for the first month of the season thanks to his four-game ban. 
Davis violated the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy, resulting in a suspension to start the year. Naturally, that inhibited Davis’ market as he talked with clubs in March.
The 2015 third-round pick spent his first three seasons with the Ravens, tallying 30 tackles, half-a-sack, and three passes defended in 28 games (12 starts). His 2016 season was derailed by a knee injury, and he was limited down the stretch of the 2017 campaign with a hamstring issue.
After being released by the Ravens before the 2018 campaign, he hooked on with the Browns. Despite re-signing with the squad the following offseason, he was released by Cleveland following the 2019 preseason. He ultimately appeared in three total games for the Colts and Jaguars last year, collecting a single tackle.
Falcons Announce Todd Gurley Deal
Weeks after the deal was reported, the Falcons announced that they have agreed to terms with Todd Gurley. However, Gurley has yet to take/pass his physical, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Given Gurley’s medical history, that’s more than just a formality. Gurley hasn’t looked the same since his late-2018 knee injury – last year, the two-time All-Pro averaged just 3.8 yards per carry for the Rams and just 6.7 yards per reception. Before that, Gurley managed 40 all-purpose touchdowns between 2017 and 2018 while averaging 4.8 yards per tote.
Still, there’s a virtual handshake deal in place. Gurley is set to earn $11MM in total this year, with $7.5MM coming from the Rams, $6MM on the Falcons’ books, and an offset of $2.5MM. With that, Gurley will be one of the three highest-compensated running backs in the NFL.
In Atlanta, Gurley will replace the recently released Devonta Freeman. The University of Georgia product will be backstopped by Ito Smith and Brian Hill in his homecoming.
No one’s exactly sure what to expect from Gurley after his shaky season, but he stayed largely healthy in 2019 and he’ll have another year of recovery under his belt. If Gurley returns to his old form, or even 80% of it, the Falcons could have one of the most dangerous offenses in the league.
NFL Draft To Be “Fully Virtual”
On Monday, the NFL informed clubs that this year’s draft will be conducted with a “fully virtual format.” The memo from commissioner Roger Goodell lays out some of the basics for what will be the most unique NFL Draft in league history.
[RELATED: FIU QB James Morgan Drawing Interest]
The draft, which is still set to commence on April 23rd through April 25th, will go on with club personnel operating separately from their homes. Early on, there was some thought to executives gathering in their respective war rooms, but that possibility has been ruled out with more and more shelter-in-place orders throughout the United States.
“We have made this decision for several reasons,” the memo states. “All clubs will not have access to their facilities, which is contrary to the fundamental equity principle that all clubs operate in a consistent and fair way. Moreover, we want all NFL personnel to comply with the government directives and to model safe and appropriate health practices. Our staff will carry out its responsibilities in the same way, operating in separate locations outside of our offices.”
Meanwhile, this year’s draft evaluation process is tricky, especially when it comes to prospects with past medical trouble. Coaches, GMs, and other executives will be flying blind when it comes to many players, though some have gone through voluntary exams conducted by the league. Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, for example, had a recheck recently and reportedly passed with flying colors.
Antonio Brown Hires Agent
Antonio Brown has hired new representation as he looks to make his NFL return. The free agent wide receiver has hired agent Ed Wasielewski of EMG Sports, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. 
[RELATED: Antonio Brown Facing Three Criminal Charges]
Wasielewski will have the unenviable task of trying to talk teams into signing the controversial wide receiver as he remains in league limbo. Just last week, Brown’s list of legal trouble grew even longer – he’s now facing three formal charges stemming from an alleged January assault. The timetable for Florida authorities to dig into the matter is unclear given the current climate and the NFL has bigger fish to fry before finally resolving Brown’s status.
There was lots of talk about Brown reuniting with Tom Brady in Tampa, but GM Jason Licht says that won’t be happening.
“We feel like there’s a lot of teams that are struggling to find one really good receiver. And we have two really outstanding receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin,” Licht said recently. “Right now, there is only so much money that can go around. There are no plans to sign any other receiver at this time.
“Antonio is somebody that Bruce has come out and had some words about, and Bruce knows him better than all of us. So right now, I would just say that we’re focused on other areas of our team.”
Ditto for head coach Bruce Arians. “Yeah,” Arians said. “It’s not going to happen.”
Despite his seven Pro Bowl nods and 11,000+ career receiving yards, Brown is going to be a tough sell for any team at this juncture.
Poll: Where Will Jadeveon Clowney Sign?
It’s April and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is still without an NFL team. The former No. 1 overall pick isn’t coming off of a banner year, but he plays a premium position and has 32 career sacks to his credit. So, what gives? 
Of course, his price tag is his biggest blocker. Clowney came into the offseason seeking a deal worth $20MM per year. Recently, he backed down from that position, though the incumbent Seahawks are believed to be offering between $13-$15MM per annum, which is still probably less than he’s willing to accept.
A reunion still seems possible, but Clowney’s camp is working to find a better deal in the interim. Late last week, the Browns entered the sweepstakes and some league officials believe that they have the strongest interest of any suitor. The Browns have tons of cap room – about $43MM – and they might be willing to use some of it to swap Olivier Vernon for Clowney. Of course, that might be easier said than done, since the Browns would still have to find a team willing to take on the rest of Vernon’s contract, which is set to pay him $15.25MM.
The Jets could use Clowney’s edge rushing ability, but they’ve been taking a conservative approach to free agency after whiffing on their preferred targets in March. The Titans have also been linked to him, thanks to Clowney’s relationship with head coach Mike Vrabel from their Houston days, but they’re less inclined to spend on the pass rush after committing $9MM to outside linebacker Vic Beasley.
Other teams have been connected to Clowney, like the Giants, Colts, and Dolphins, though their pass rush needs have already been addressed. The Eagles remain an interesting landing spot for him from a football perspective, and they have breathing room to work with for right now, but their 2021 situation could complicate things. In theory, Philly could still land Clowney if he is willing to accept a one-year deal. The Ravens – with less than $11MM in cap space for the current year – seem less likely to sign him. For the sake of casting a wide net, we’ll include all of those teams in our poll.
Where do you think Clowney will sign? Cast your vote in the poll below (link for app users) and back up your pick in the comments.
Eagles Notes: Draft, Ngakoue, LB
The Eagles could use some help at wide receiver. Fortunately for them, this year’s draft is positively loaded with talent at the position. Unfortunately for them, they’ll have 20 teams picking ahead of them in the first round and a run on WRs could leave them without their preferred targets (whoever they may be) by the time they step to the virtual podium.
If that’s the case, Eliot Shorr-Parks of WIP has some thoughts on who they could pivot to. Their best bet, he says, would be Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, who tallied 17.5 sacks and 37 hurries over the last two seasons. He was also a stout defender against the run with 34.5 tackles for a loss over that same span. There are a lot of mixed opinions on Gross-Matos and his ability to adjust to the pro game, but the potential is there and it might be too strong for Howie Roseman to pass up.
Other candidates in Shorr-Parks’ view include LSU safety Grant Delpit, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson, LSU linebacker Patrick Queen, and Iowa defensive end A.J.Epenesa.
Here’s more on the Birds:
- More from Shorr-Parks, who explores the possibility of a trade for Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. The Eagles now have close to $30MM in cap space, but their future cap crunch could rule out the possibility of another big-ticket contract in 2021. In ’21, the Eagles are projected to be $25MM over the cap. Roseman, well aware of the situation, hasn’t signed any free agents to expensive long-term deals except for Darius Slay and Javon Hargrave. The Eagles will surely add committments for ’21 and beyond between now and the start of this season, but it’s a longshot that they’ll trade for someone like Ngakoue and give him a deal commensurate with his performance and age.
- Historically, the Eagles have not prioritized the linebacker position. Still, they’re looking pretty bare at the group even by their standards, as Zach Berman of The Athletic notes. As of this writing, the depth chart features Nate Gerry, T.J. Edwards, Jatavis Brown, Duke Riley, and Alex Singleton. They haven’t drafted a linebacker in the top four rounds since 2015, but Berman expects that to change this year as they look to fortify the position.
Gerald Hodges To Return To NFL
Gerald Hodges has decided that he wants to play in 2020, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Hodges first decided to hang ’em up exactly one year ago today and has not been on the field since the 2018 season. 
It’s worth noting that Hodges also waffled on his plans in May of last year. But, even after saying that he wanted to retake the field, he was unable to find a deal for the 2019 campaign.
Hodges, 29, has been an NFL journeyman since entering the league as a fourth round pick of the Vikings in 2013. During the 2015 season, the Vikings shipped him to the 49ers. He went on to have a career year in San Francisco in 2016. After notching career-highs in stops (83) and sacks (three), Hodges hooked on with the Saints, but did not record an official statistic in his eleven games there. In 2018, he joined the Cardinals and had a productive 55-tackle season.
For his career, Hodges has earned more than $5MM from four teams across six seasons.
Michael Brockers Re-Signs With Rams; Ravens Deal Nixed
APRIL 4, 3:03pm: Brockers’ deal with the Rams is now official. This marks his third contract with the team that drafted him.
MARCH 27, 1:48pm: Brockers’ three-year deal carries a base value of $24MM and could be worth up to $31.5MM via incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A good chunk of the incentive package – $4.5MM – is based on realistic playing time milestones that he should bank, so long as he stays healthy. Brockers, as Rapoport notes, has not missed a game in the last three years.
MARCH 27, 9:24am: Michael Brockers isn’t going to the Ravens after all. On Friday, the Ravens announced that the deal is off. Then, Brockers did a U-Turn – he’ll return to the Rams on a three-year deal worth up to $31.5MM, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
It’s a similar deal to his would-be Ravens contract, which was reported to be worth $30MM over the course of three years. However, it’s worth noting that the Ravens were set to give him $21MM fully guaranteed and the locked-in dollar amount of Brockers’ new Rams deal is not yet known.
Brockers was set to join forces with newcomer Calais Campbell and incumbent interior force Brandon Williams in Baltimore. Then, earlier this week, the Ravens got skittish about his medical situation. Unable to examine him with their own team doctors due to the coronavirus epidemic, they had Brockers examined by an outside doctor. The exam raised potential issues with Brockers’ ankle, the same one he injured late last year.
Even though he doesn’t have gaudy sack totals, Brockers has been a solid defender against the run for L.A. For the Rams, it’s a significant item crossed off their to-do list. The Ravens, meanwhile, are in a bit of a tough spot. Before deciding on Brockers, the Ravens were in the mix for Ndamukong Suh and other notable D-Lineman, but Suh and most of this year’s impact free agents are already spoken for.
Chiefs Haven’t Made Offer To Chris Jones
The Chiefs have yet to make a contract offer offer to franchise-tagged defensive tackle Chris Jones, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The two sides have had talks, but nothing has been put on the table just yet.
By putting the franchise tag on Jones, the Chiefs have him tendered on a one-year, $16.1MM deal. Meanwhile, he’s been pushing for a longer and more lucrative commitment – one that’s worth upwards of $20MM per year. From here, the two sides have until July 15th to work out a long-term deal and, ideally, that’s what the Chiefs want to do, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) believes. Of course, it’ll come down to numbers, but Schefter’s sense is that the Chiefs are not looking to trade him.
The Chiefs’ have limited flexibility to work with, given the other stars already on the books for 2020 and beyond. They did carve out a little bit of space by revising Sammy Watkins‘ contract, but that only left them with about $5MM in breathing room.
Last year, Jones held out from the Chiefs in hopes of getting the deal he wanted. Now that he’s coming off of his first Pro Bowl campaign, you can expect his camp to crank things up a notch.
“It’s like a mix of emotions,” Jones said after he was tagged this year. “Because you figure, you know, after four years, you do everything the right way, within the team way, you try to stay under the line, out of trouble, and be a good citizen for a team and for the city, you expect to be rewarded….It’s like, ‘Man, what else you want me to do?’”
Jones, who won’t turn 26 into July, wants to get paid one way or another.