Saints’ Carl Granderson Sentenced To Jail
Saints rookie defensive end Carl Granderson has been sentenced to six months in jail, according to The Casper Star-Tribune. Initially, Granderson was set to serve a year of probation, but a Wyoming judge went against the plea deal reached by prosecutors and Granderson’s attorney. 
The Saints signed Granderson as an undrafted free agent despite his pending trial, but this sentence will completely rule him out for the 2019 season. It’s likely that Granderson will be released soon, with another player replacing him on the 90-man roster.
The Wyoming product is a talented player who almost certainly would’ve been drafted if not for his legal situation. Many analysts gave Granderson a mid-round grade and the Saints gave him a hefty $85K to sign this offseason.
Release Candidate: Redskins OL Ereck Flowers
With little in the way of options at the tackle position, are the Redskins really in a position to release a former first-round pick who just celebrated his 25th birthday? The short answer is no, but it’s still possible that Ereck Flowers could wind up out of work between now and September. 
The film on Flowers is not inspiring – he failed to protect Eli Manning in New York despite being given three full seasons as the team’s starter. When things fizzled with the Giants, Flowers reunited with Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville and didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his seven games as the team’s starting tackle.
With a need at guard, the Redskins inked Flowers to a one-year, $3.2MM deal to help shore up the interior. Later, their plans for Flowers were interrupted when Trent Williams pushed for a relocation, forcing Flowers to take reps at tackle in practice.
To recap: The Redskins are thin on the offensive line, Flowers is guaranteed $1.5MM for the year, and they may need someone other than Williams to hold down the most important spot on the front five. Still, Flowers hasn’t inspired much confidence since leaving the University of Miami and the left guard spot that he was supposed to fill could be occupied by fourth-round rookie Wes Martin.
Flowers could turn things around in training camp and show the Redskins that he is deserving of a major role up front. Or, if Flowers continues his so-so spring play, he could wind up on the chopping block. If Flowers doesn’t cut the mustard, the Redskins may release him to save $1.7MM and look to the trade market for veteran help.
Broncos Notes: Sanders, Sutton, Cravens
The Broncos didn’t do much to address their need at wide receiver this offseason, putting a good deal of pressure on the team’s incumbents, as Mike Klis of 9News writes. After addressing the quarterback, cornerback, and offensive line needs, the Broncos must count on the health of Emmanuel Sanders and the continued rise of Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, and Tim Patrick.
You can pretty much jot down those four names in pen – Sanders, Sutton, Hamilton, and Patrick project to be the club’s top four receivers, and Patrick could be poised for a big leap forward after leading the club in receiving yards through the final four games of the regular season.
Beyond that quartet, the Nos. 5 and 6 slots are wide open, in Klis’ view. Converted cornerback Brendan Langley could emerge as one of those players, just two years after being drafted to play on defense.
Here’s more from Denver:
- The roster crunch at Dove Valley could lead to some surprise cuts and breakout stars, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic writes. Possible under-the-radar gems include wide receiver Trinity Benson, outside linebacker Aaron Wallace, and tight end Troy Fumagalli, who impressed in the spring despite being out of action since December 2017. Meanwhile, notables such as safety Su’a Cravens and defensive end DeMarcus Walker could be on the roster bubble. Cravens was expected to fill the void left by the T.J. Ward, but the former second round pick was held back by knee surgery last season. Cravens must redeem himself in practice after an injury-marred 2018 that ended with three healthy scratches.
- Recently, we examined Walker’s status as a release candidate.
- Sanders’ status for the start of the 2019 season is up in the air, which may place increased importance on the club’s supporting receivers.
Chargers’ Melvin Gordon Could Miss Games
The saga between the Chargers and running back Melvin Gordon could drag on for a while. There’s a “strong possibility” Gordon could sit out into the regular season unless he gets a new market-value deal, agent Damarius Bilbo tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). For what it’s worth, Bilbo did soften the threat a bit. 
[RELATED: Chargers’ Melvin Gordon Threatens Holdout; Trade Demand]
“But we want to focus on getting something done before training camp,” Bilbo said. “There’s a long way to go to Week 1.”
If Gordon’s holdout extends to the regular season, he’ll lose out on roughly $330K per week, representing 1/17th of his $5.6MM salary. Staying away from the club could reinforce his importance to the Chargers’ offense, though there’s a risk of backup Austin Ekeler shining in his absence. Last year, Ekeler was a revelation for the Chargers as well as points-per-reception fantasy football players – he finished out with 5.2 yards per carry on a limited sample and 39 catches for 404 yards out of the backfield.
Chargers’ Melvin Gordon Threatens Holdout; Trade Demand
Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has informed the team that unless he receives a new contract, he will not report to training camp and he will demand a trade, agent Fletcher Smith tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Gordon has been pushing for a new deal, but this is a previously unforeseen development for the Los Angeles star. 
Gordon, one of the league’s premier running backs, has already built up quite the odometer at the age of 26. With more than 1,000 carries on his resume, the former first-round pick is looking to cash in as he enters his contract year. For now, Gordon is slated to count for a $5.6MM cap figure before (potentially) reaching free agency after the 2019 season.
The Chargers, in theory, hold the leverage. After ’19 – Gordon’s fifth-year option season – the Bolts can assign the franchise tag to Gordon for the 2020 season, once more for 2021, and theoretically do it for a third time in 2022, though the rate for a third tag would be a cap killer. With his threat of a holdout and possible trade demand, Gordon might be able to even things out.
For Gordon, a new deal would mean a significant pay bump, as well as fiscal certainty. The running back position is especially dangerous and every player in the league is eager for guarantees with a new collective bargaining agreement on the horizon.
We examined Gordon’s case for an extension back in March. At the time, we noted that GM Tom Telesco is open to considering an extension for Gordon, but that Telesco did not offer a timetable for getting a deal done.
Gordon does not have eye-popping YPC numbers in his career (he has averaged 4.0 yards per carry over his four professional seasons), but he did manage 5.1 yards per tote in 2018. He is also a major weapon as a receiver, compiling over 400 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons. He has 28 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving scores in his career, and he was a key part of the Chargers’ return to the postseason last year.
As a result, the Wisconsin product stands to cash in and will surely be paid at the high end of the running back market. Todd Gurley is currently the pacesetter with an average annual value of $14.375MM and $45MM in guarantees, while Le’Veon Bell recently landed a $13.125MM/year pact. The Cardinals’ David Johnson is now working under a $13MM/year deal that includes $32MM in guarantees.
Since 2016, Gordon has been at the top of the RB heap. Over the last three seasons, he has 28 rushing touchdowns (second most in the NFL), ten receiving touchdowns (fourth-most amongst running backs), and 38 touchdowns from scrimmage (second-most in the NFL).
Hue Jackson Wants Another Opportunity
Things didn’t go Hue Jackson‘s way in Cleveland, but he’s eager for a shot at redemption. In an interview with WFNZ 102.5 FM, the former Browns head coach said that he wants another crack at running an NFL team. 
“Oh, yeah, I mean I think I can,” Jackson said. “I mean, just because the situation in Cleveland [did not work out] doesn’t mean that you can’t coach. There’s a lot of great coaches who came before me that coached there and went on and did great things. Sometimes, the situation is different.”
At one point in time, Jackson was regarded as one of the NFL’s best offensive minds. After a .500 season with the Raiders, however, Jackson’s stock plummeted with a 3-36-1 record across two-and-a-half tumultuous seasons with the Browns. The Browns, obviously, placed much of the blame on Jackson’s shoulders. Jackson, naturally, sees things differently.
“I think if people dig in and really take the time to look at the overall situation there, maybe they would understand it more,” said the 53-year-old. “At the same time, I understand what narrative gets put out there, that’s what people know. Hopefully, people will think back to the times when I’ve put myself in that position. I had to be doing something right. To go back and be a coordinator again or be a head coach, I do believe it’s in my future. I’ve just got to go work through the process and see where it goes.”
Jackson is currently without employment, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him hook on as an assistant or consultant between now and the start of the season.
Texans Won’t Hire GM For 2019
For now, the Texans’ GM job will remain vacant, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Rather than hiring a GM for 2019, the Texans will divvy up the responsibilities among Matt Bazirgan, James Liipfert, Chris Olsen and Jack Easterby.
The Texans fired Brian Gaine earlier this summer in an attempt to quickly replace him with Patriots executive Nick Caserio. The Patriots blocked the move and accused Easterby of tampering with the under-contract employee at the Pats’ ring ceremony.
The inclusion of Easterby in the Texans’ upper management is noteworthy and a bit surprising. Easterby previously served as the Patriots’ chaplain before earning the title of Executive Vice President of Team Development in Houston. Now, it appears that he is wielding more influence than ever.
It has been widely speculated that the Texans are simply biding their time until Caserio’s contract with New England expires. Still, there’s a long way to go between now and the 2020 offseason and things can always change.
49ers’ Robbie Gould Mulling Holdout
When the 49ers convene for training camp later this month, kicker Robbie Gould might not be on hand, as Cam Inman of the Mercury News writes. Gould continues to push for a trade and offered no assurance that he’ll join his teammates if he doesn’t get his way in the next couple of weeks. 
“I’m not going to commit to making any decision right now,” said Gould while at a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada.
The Gould/Niners saga has been going on for some time. For a while, the kicker pushed for a return to the Bears. The 49ers, however, did not blink, and subsequently hit him with the $5MM franchise tender. Gould continues to say that he will not sign the tender with the implication being that he will not be a happy camper in SF unless he is given a lucrative multi-year deal.
“I don’t really have a plan right now,” Gould said. “Obvious there is a deadline and I don’t have to make any decisions anytime soon. … The deadline to sign a long-term contract is Monday, and the rest of that (potential holdout) is up to me.”
Gould’s other options consist of skipping training camp, waiting until Week 1 to start his $5MM deal, waiting as late as Week 10 to earn a prorated salary, or sitting out the entire season, a la Le’Veon Bell.
Publicly, the Niners continue to say that they are focused on hammering out a long-term deal for Gould.
NFL Suspends Buccaneers CB Ryan Smith
Buccaneers cornerback Ryan Smith has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2019 regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. Smith will be eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games, but will not begin regular season action until September 30, following the team’s Week 4 game against the Rams. 
“We are disappointed that Ryan will be unavailable for the first four games of the season,” GM Jason Licht said in a statement. “We do extensive training and education for our players regarding the league’s polices, but ultimately each individual is responsible for what they put in their bodies.”
The ban could have a major impact on Smith’s future with the club. After earning a proven performance escalator last year, Smith is slated to earn a $2MM base salary in 2019. But, if the Bucs cut him, they’ll be on the hook for just $148K in dead money, resulting from his original rookie signing bonus.
The 2016 fourth-round pick has started 16 games over the last two seasons, but he was on shaky ground even before the suspension. After taking corners in the second and third round of this year’s draft, the Buccaneers could be poised to move on from him and allocate his slated salary elsewhere.
Jaguars To Sign WR Marcus Simms
Marcus Simms went unselected in Wednesday’s supplemental draft, but he does have an NFL deal. The former West Virginia wide receiver has agreed to sign with the Jaguars, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). 
Simms was viewed as the second-best talent in this year’s second-chance draft, behind Washington State safety Jalen Thompson, who was the only player taken in the fifth round when the Cardinals called his name (or, more accurately, emailed his name to the NFL’s offices.) Some off-the-field issues interrupted his run in West Virginia, but Simms flashed some potential over the last two seasons.
Between 2017 and 2018, Simms reeled in 81 passes for 1,362 yards and seven touchdowns. He also contributed as a kickoff and punt returner, which should help his cause as he tries to stick at the pro level.
Now, Simms will focus on trying to make the Jags’ 53-man cut, joining Keelan Cole, Chris Conley, Marqise Lee, Dede Westbrook, Terrelle Pryor, and others on the WR depth chart.