49ers’ Robbie Gould To Skip Minicamp
49ers’ kicker Robbie Gould will not attend the team’s mandatory minicamp, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Gould’s situation is different than most, however, as he has not yet signed his franchise tag. 
The saga between the Niners and their kicker has been going on for some time. Gould was slapped with the franchise tag earlier this offseason with the understanding that the two sides would eventually agree to an extension. However, a new deal still hasn’t materialized, much to the dismay of the kicker.
“The bottom line is, I’m unsure if I want to play there anymore,” Gould said earlier this year. “At this point, I have to do what’s best for me and my family back home.”
Later, Gould’s agent indicated that if Gould were to report at all, he would not show up before the club’s season opener. GM John Lynch has said that he wants to sign Gould to a multiyear deal, but there apparently has been much progress on that front.
At one point, the Niners expressed interest in Stephen Gostkowski before he re-signed with the Patriots, so they’ve at least contemplated a future without Gould. They may have to scour the open market again if the standoff continues.
Jaguars’ Yannick Ngakoue To Skip Minicamp
The Jaguars will not have Yannick Ngakoue as they begin their mandatory minicamp. On Monday, the defensive end announced that he will stay at home in hopes of getting a better deal. 
“I will not be attending minicamp as my contract has not been resolved,” Ngakoue said. “I remain committed to Jacksonville, the fans and my teammates. My hope is to be with Jacksonville for years to come.”
Ngakoue reported to the Jaguars for the start of the club’s voluntary workouts in May but stopped showing up after a few days. Now, the 24-year-old is showing that he is serious about his desire for a new deal by absorbing nearly $90K in fines.
Ngakoue is entering a contract year and is set to make just $2.025MM, making him criminally underpaid given his production. Over the last three years, Ngakoue has racked up 29.5 sacks, and he wants to be compensated as one of the best young DEs in the NFL.
The going rate for quality young edge rushers continues to skyrocket. Earlier this offseason, Frank Clark inked a five-year, $105MM deal with the Chiefs after coming over from the Seahawks. Days prior to that, Demarcus Lawrence signed a similar deal to remain with the Cowboys.
Broncos Sign Rookie Dre’Mont Jones
The Broncos signed defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones to his four-year rookie deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The third-round pick will receive a $4.188MM contract that includes a $1.066MM signing bonus. 
Jones was eligible to enter the 2018 draft, but opted for another season at Ohio State for additional seasoning. Entering this year’s draft, many pegged Jones as a potential first-round selection, but size and strength concerns contributed to a drop in stock between December and April. On draft week, Jones still appeared on target for the second round, but he fell to the third where the Broncos pounced.
While some evaluators are skittish about whether Jones can be a difference-maker at the next level, John Elway & Co. do not seem concerned. Jones is coming off of his best statistical season to date after notching 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss for the Buckeyes.
With Jones signed, the Broncos are left with just two unsigned rookies in tackle Dalton Risner and quarterback Drew Lock.
Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins Reports To Team
Eagles’ safety Malcolm Jenkins reported for his team physical this week and will be in attendance for the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Furthermore, Schefter hears that Jenkins is excited to be with his teammates and is focused on the 2019 season as an Eagle. 
Jenkins skipped out on OTAs in an apparent effort to get his contract reworked. It’s not yet clear whether the Eagles will meet his demands, however, since his deal doesn’t expire until the end of the 2020 season. The veteran’s $8.75MM average annual salary still ranks in the top-10 at the position, though the 31-year-old recognizes that this may be his last shot at a pay bump.
Despite a down year for the safety market in 2018, things have advanced at the position. Jenkins’ per-year salary of $8.75MM is only 63% of the $14MM average for Landon Collins and Tyrann Mathieu, who both inked new deals earlier this year. Jenkins is older than both players, but it would be difficult for Philadelphia to argue that he is only 63% as valuable.
While Jenkins might not have enough leverage for a pay bump, his importance to the club could result in an extension to take him through at least the 2021 season.
Lions Waive QB Connor Cook
The Lions’ search for a backup quarterback continues. On Monday, the club released former Michigan State QB and NFL journeyman Connor Cook, according to a team announcement. He was replaced by QB David Fales, who has also had multiple stops throughout the NFL. 
Cook, 26, entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Raiders in 2016. he saw time in just one game as a rookie and has not taken a regular season snap since. He has, however, had practice squad/futures stints with the Panthers, Bengals, and Lions. His next deal could bring him to his fifth team in four years.
Cook was thought to have a chance at the No. 2 QB role behind starter Matthew Stafford, but his release leaves Tom Savage as the favorite. Meanwhile, Fales will look to make his case.
In related moves, the club also signed offensive lineman Luke Bowanko and released safety David Jones.
Jets To Interview Todd McShay, Phil Savage
The Jets are set to speak with ESPN analyst Todd McShay and former Browns GM Phil Savage this week about roles in the front office, according to ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). Both men have ties to new GM Joe Douglas and could be fits for the revamped evaluations department. 
Savage has served as both a coach and an executive during his long football career. After a decade with the Ravens, he moved on to the Browns and ascended to the role of GM. In the 2007 draft, he selected team pillar Joe Thomas No. 3 overall, but also traded up to select Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn, who turned into yet another quarterback flop for Cleveland. He was fired in 2008, and eventually moved on to the Eagles. While he didn’t overlap with Douglas in Philly, the two men worked together while in Baltimore.
McShay and Douglas, meanwhile, were college teammates. McShay was the scout team quarterback at the University of Richmond where Douglas was an offensive lineman. Given McShay’s high profile (and presumably large salary) at ESPN, it’ll probably take a major title to lure the draft analyst away from TV.
Interestingly, McShay is not the first media member to be connected to a Jets front office position. Earlier this offseason, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was reportedly being considered for a job, though he declined the opportunity. There was also talk of NFL Network’s Peter Schrager having some level of involvement in the Jets’ GM search, though he denied those reports.
Saints To Sign Kayvon Webster
The Saints have agreed to sign cornerback Kayvon Webster, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Exact terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely a low-cost one-year contract for the 28-year-old and New Orleans. 
The Saints auditioned several cornerbacks last week and apparently liked what Webster brought to the table. Barring injury to one of the team’s other corners, Webster probably won’t be in line for serious playing time. Marshon Lattimore, Eli Apple, Patrick Robinson, and P.J. Williams all rank ahead of him on the depth chart, though he could carve out a role on special teams.
Webster garnered some hype as a backup in Denver, but injuries spoiled what could have been his true coming out party with the Rams. Instead of taking off in old friend Wade Phillips‘ system, his season ended after just eleven games. Last year, he latched on with the Texans, but he was limited to just two games thanks to multiple injuries and two IR stints.
This Date In Transactions History: Issac Bruce
On this date in 2010, the 49ers shipped Issac Bruce to the Rams. However, this wasn’t an ordinary trade. The deal was facilitated in order to allow Bruce, 37 at the time, to retire with his original franchise. 
Bruce started his career with the Rams in 1994, the team’s final season in Los Angeles. The second-round pick played sparingly as a rookie, but he broke out as an NFL sophomore in St. Louis with 119 catches, 1,781 yards, and 13 touchdowns, all of which went down as his career bests. In his 14 illustrious years with the Rams, Bruce amassed four Pro Bowl trips and eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in eight different seasons.
“Sixteen years was enough for me,” Bruce said at his farewell press conference. “I think a lot was done. But that second training camp practice (in two-a-days) may have played a part in it. I was ready to move on and do something else other than playing football.”
After so many productive seasons in the NFL, Bruce had little left to prove. Bruce was the leading wide receiver in the Rams’ “Greatest Show On Turf” Super Bowl-winning season and left the team as its all-time receiving leader with 14,109 yards. His second act with the Niners was not quite as flashy with 835 yards in his first SF season and 264 yards in his 2009 finale.
“The two years I was away, I kept tabs on this organization,” Bruce said. “I played against this organization, I played against its players. The funny thing is I found myself encouraging them when things didn’t look bright for them. I looked down and saw myself in a different colored uniform. It was honestly just to me personally — it just wasn’t right.”
So, with the trade, Bruce returned back to the Rams and became the last member of the Rams’ first Los Angeles run to hang ’em up. Later, his No. 80 jersey was retired by the team.
Bruce was denied entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the third time in 2019, but he remains a candidate for induction down the road.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Wrap Entire Draft Class
And just like that, the Rams’ entire draft class has been signed. After inking three of their rookies on Friday morning, the Rams following up by signing third-round running back Darrell Henderson, third-round cornerback David Long, third-round tackle Bobby Evans, fourth-round defensive tackle Greg Gaines, and fifth-round tackle David Edwards. 
Second-round safety Taylor Rapp was the highest-selected player in the Rams’ rookie class, but most of the attention is on Henderson, who rushed for 1,909 yards and 22 touchdowns on just 214 carries last year. His 8.9 yards per rush was no fluke, as he posted the exact same average as a sophomore in 2017. Henderson could see a decent amount of work behind star Todd Gurley and he’ll really be in the limelight if Gurley’s knee issues remerge in 2019.
Here’s the full rundown of the Rams’ draft class:
- 2-61: Taylor Rapp, S (Washington)
- 3-70: Darrell Henderson, RB (Memphis)
- 3-79: David Long, CB (Michigan)
- 3-97: Bobby Evans, T (Oklahoma)
- 4-134: Greg Gaines, DT (Washington)
- 5-169: David Edwards, T (Wisconsin)
- 7-243: Nick Scott, S (Penn State)
- 7-251: Dakota Allen, LB (Texas Tech)
Rams Sign Second-Round Pick Taylor Rapp
In recent years, the Rams have been the last team to start signing their incoming rookies. On Friday, they finally put a dent in their draft class by signing second-round safety Taylor Rapp as well as seventh-round picks Nick Scott and Dakota Allen. 
Rapp, a University of Washington product, notched 59 tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks, two interceptions, and three fumble recoveries last season. In his first year with the Rams, he’s expected to support starters Eric Weddle and John Johnson.
Rapp profiled as one of the best open-field tackling safeties in this year’s class and has a strong football IQ for a player of his age. After he opened his collegiate career with four interceptions but saw that number tail off with time, it’ll be interesting to see if he has a nose for the ball at the pro level.
With Rapp, Scott, and Allen signed, the Rams are left with five unsigned rookies to go, as shown in PFR’s tracker.