Giants’ Corey Coleman Done For Year
More bad news for the Giants. On the same day that Sterling Shepard suffered a fractured thumb, fellow wide receiver Corey Coleman went down with a torn ACL, according to a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Sterling Shepard Fractures Thumb]
Coleman, of course, will be unable to play this season. The Giants will soon place him on injured reserve, making it all official.
Coleman technically returned to the Giants on a one-year, $720K deal this offseason, though it was some creative accounting. As a former first round pick, his ’19 salary was already guaranteed, so the Browns are paying the remainder of his $2.025MM paycheck.
This was, potentially, going to be a big year for Coleman. The Giants also tacked on $1.7MM in incentives to his new deal and there was quiet belief that he could break out after the departure of Odell Beckham Jr.
Without Coleman, there will be even more pressure on Golden Tate to perform. Ditto for Shepard, though his Week 1 status is presently uncertain.
Saints, Michael Thomas Nearing Deal
The Saints and Michael Thomas are “close” to getting a deal done, Mike Florio of PFT hears. It’s still not a done deal, but Florio expects a five-year extension worth either $19MM or $20MM per season. 
There might not be much left to debate in terms of overall value, but as with any NFL deal, the two sides are probably still haggling over guarantees, bonuses, and the all-important cash flow. In the interim, Thomas will reportedly continue to stay away from training camp.
At one point in time, Thomas was reportedly pushing for $22MM per year, which would have blown the contracts of Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Brown out of the water. Thomas’ reduced ask should be more palatable for the Saints, who are still in a tricky cap situation thanks in large part to Drew Brees‘ contract.
Still only 26, Thomas is one of the best young wide receivers in the NFL. Last year, he led the league with 125 catches while recording 1,405 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Reportedly, fellow NFC South star Julio Jones is also on the cusp of a new extension. His brand new deal with the Falcons could become official before the end of business on Friday.
Dolphins To Sign WR Allen Hurns
The Dolphins have signed wide receiver Allen Hurns, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). When finalized, it’ll be a one-year, $3MM deal for the veteran. 
The Cowboys released Hurns earlier this week when he declined to accept a pay cut. The Cowboys were reportedly interested in bringing him back on a cheaper deal, but he’ll be taking his talents to South Beach instead.
With the Dolphins, Hurns profiles as a strong depth option behind the likes of Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, DeVante Parker, and Jakeem Grant. Meanwhile, his arrival may put Brice Butler – another former Cowboy – on the bubble.
When Hurns was younger, and healthy, he was among the most promising receivers in the NFL. The former undrafted free agent began his career with 51 catches for 677 yards and six scores for the Jaguars in 2014. In 2015, he set career highs with 64 grabs for 1,031 yards and ten touchdowns. In that campaign, he averaged an impressive 16.1 yards per reception.
Since then, Hurns has been sidetracked by injuries. He hasn’t topped 40 catches for 500 yards in the last three campaigns and was used sparingly in Dallas last season.
While there is a decent about of receiver talent in Miami, there’s an opportunity for Hurns to break through and shine with a rebuilding club. With a strong year, the 27-year-old (28 in November) could put himself back in the hunt for big money deals.
Steelers’ Mike Hilton Signs ERFA Deal
Steelers slot cornerback Mike Hilton has been vocal about wanting a long-term deal. He doesn’t have one, just yet, but he did sign his exclusive rights free agent tender.
Hilton lacks leverage and opted against holding out from camp in order to get his way. Still only 25, Hilton may be willing to bet on himself as he plays out a one-year, $645K deal.
“I want to show the team I want to be here and want to be a part of this organization,” Hilton said earlier this summer. “… As players, you feel like of course you want to earn more. Hopefully things work out in the long run, but if not, I’ll do my best to go out there and help this team win.”
The two sides have talked, so a deal could still be on the horizon.
Jets Sign Quinnen Williams
There are officially no stragglers left. Shortly after the 49ers inked draft picks Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel, the Jets announced the signing of No. 3 overall pick Quinnen Williams.
Williams, a defensive tackle out of Alabama, did not report to training camp with his fellow Jets rookies because of issues related to his signing bonus payout structure. Ultimately, it was a difference of $100K that prevented the Jets from signing Williams sooner.
The Jets and Williams reached a compromise on that matter, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears. The defensive lineman will have a 25% signing bonus deferment to Year Two, but he’ll get the other 75% at signing. With that out of the way, Williams should be on the field with the Jets on Friday.
Here’s the full rundown of the Jets’ draft:
- 1-3: Quinnen Williams, DT (Alabama): Signed
- 3-68: Jachai Polite, LB (Florida): Signed
- 3-92: Chuma Edoga, T (USC): Signed
- 4-121: Trevon Wesco, TE (West Virginia): Signed
- 5-157: Blake Cashman, LB (Minnesota): Signed
- 6-196: Blessuan Austin. CB (Rutgers): Signed
49ers Sign Nick Bosa
Done deal. On Thursday, the 49ers reached agreement with No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The club also inked second-round pick Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver out of South Carolina.
With that, the 49ers have avoided unnecessary drama and another Bosa holdout in the NFL. Per the terms of his slot, the Ohio State defensive end will earn $33.55MM over the course of his four-year deal. After that, the Niners will hold a fifth-year option on his deal, since Bosa is a first-round pick.
Bosa might have been one of the safest best bets in this draft. The 49ers have not had an edge rusher record a seven sacks in a season since Aldon Smith in 2013, but they now have a strong pass rush featuring Bosa, Dee Ford and three first-round interior rushers in Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas.
Here’s the full rundown of the Niners’ draft, via PFR’s tracker:
- 1-2: Nick Bosa, DE (Ohio State)
- 2-36: Deebo Samuel, WR (South Carolina)
- 3-67: Jalen Hurd, WR (Baylor): Signed
- 4-110: Mitch Wishnowsky, P (Utah): Signed
- 5-148: Dre Greenlaw, LB (Arkansas): Signed
- 6-176: Kaden Smith, TE (Stanford): Signed
- 6-183: Justin Skule, T (Vanderbilt): Signed
- 6-198: Tim Harris, CB (Virginia): Signed
Saints Sign LB Josh Martin
The Saints have signed linebacker Josh Martin, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Martin, 27, spent most of last year on injured reserve with the Jets after suffering a concussion in Week Four. He has also spent time with the Chiefs, Bucs, and Colts.
Martin was placed on IR in early October after suffering his second concussion in five weeks. After he missed eight weeks of action, the Jets had the option of bringing him back, but chose to keep him sidelined once they were clearly out of playoff contention. In theory, the Jets’ lackluster pass rush could have used him.
Martin profiles as a depth option and special teams player for New Orleans.
Browns Meet With Mike Daniels
The Browns are set to meet with free agent Mike Daniels, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Daniels is a logical fit for Cleveland given their Packers connections, but the defensive tackle plans to travel to meet with another team on Friday, Mike Florio of PFT (Twitter link) hears. 
The Browns’ front office, spearheaded by GM John Dorsey, drafted Daniels in Green Bay. The Browns also tried to sign defensive tackle Gerald McCoy before he opted for the Panthers, so there’s a clear need and fit for the veteran in Cleveland.
The Packers released Daniels earlier this week after failing to trade him. In an interview with WBAY, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst indicated that a deal was close, but couldn’t be completed.
“There’s a few factors involved in that. Mike was rehabbing from a foot injury suffered during the season and I think also there was some — quite frankly there was some trade conversations going on and those kind of came apart the last couple of weeks here and that was part of it,” Gutekunst said.
Steelers Sign Mike Tomlin To Extension
Mike Tomlin isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. On Thursday, the Steelers extended their head coach through the 2021 season, per a team announcement. 
“I am very appreciative of this contract extension and opportunity and want to thank Art Rooney II and everyone in the organization for the support in my first 12 seasons,” Tomlin said. “We have a goal of winning the organization’s seventh Super Bowl championship, and I couldn’t be more excited about this upcoming season.”
The Steelers pride themselves on consistency and have had only three head coaches since 1969. There was some speculation about Tomlin’s job security after the Steelers missed the playoffs last year, but the team clearly has confidence in him as a leader.
This season may prove to be Tomlin’s most challenging yet – he’ll look to get the Steelers back into contention without the services of superstars Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.
Saints’ Michael Thomas To Skip Camp
Michael Thomas has not arrived at Saints training camp and won’t attend until the two sides agree on a new deal, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’s a surprising stance from the wide receiver, particularly since he is an enthusiastic player in scrimmage. 
The Saints and Thomas also seem to be rather close on terms. Last month, Thomas lowered his demand to $22MM/year. Then, this week, we learned that the Saints offered him something with an average annual value of $18-$19MM. Still, he’s looking to push the pace and is willing to potentially absorb fines in order to get the deal that he wants.
The former second-round pick leads the league in receptions (321) over the past three seasons and ranks fifth in yards (3,787) since the start of the 2016 season. Thomas’ 1,405 receiving yards last season broke the Saints’ single-season record.
For now, the 26-year-old Thomas is slated for free agency after the final year of his rookie contract. Without a new deal, he’ll earn just $1.148MM in 2019.