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Author: Zachary Links

NFL Suspends Patriots WR Julian Edelman

By | at June 7, 2018 12:48 pm

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substances policy, league sources tell Field Yates and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The suspension is now under appeal. 

Edelman, 32, missed all of the 2017 season with a torn ACL. Barring a successful appeal, he’ll have to wait a bit longer to make his return to the field.

Winning an appeal for a PED suspension is tough, but it’s not unprecedented. In 2012, cornerback Richard Sherman made his case and had his four-game ban overturned.

Over the past four seasons, Edelman has averaged 133 targets, 89 receptions, 956 yards, and five touchdowns per year. He was a major part of the Super Bowl-winning squad in 2016, hauling in 98 catches for a career-high 1,106 yards. He was also a force in the postseason, collecting another 21 catches for 342 yards and one touchdown during the Patriots’ three-game run.

The good news for the Patriots is they have a number of options at wide receiver beyond Edelman. The team figures to lean on Chris Hogan, Kenny Britt, Jordan Matthews, and Phillip Dorsett more heavily to start the year while return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson could also see some snaps on offense. Edelman’s ban could improve the odds of others such as sixth-round pick Braxton Berrios, Malcolm Mitchell, and Riley McCarron as they push to make the final cut. Still, this is a definite setback for the Patriots, who already saw Danny Amendola sign with the rival Dolphins.

Edelman is under contract with the club for one more year, per the terms of the two-year, $11MM extension he signed in 2017. If the suspension holds up, he’ll lose out on more than $470K in base pay while missing games against the Texans, Jaguars, Lions, and Dolphins.

25 comments New England Patriots Newsstand

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Owens, Giants

By | at June 7, 2018 12:32 pm

Terrell Owens will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, but he announced on Thursday that he won’t be attending his own induction ceremony. Not one to follow convention, Owens also insists that he can still play in the NFL at the age of 44. In an appearance on FS1, Owens said that he could be a contributor for the Cowboys this year, if called upon.

“Yeah,” Owens said when asked if he could catch 30-40 passes for Dallas (transcription via the Dallas News). “And put them in a situation to get into the playoffs and the opportunity to win a championship? Absolutely.”

Ten years ago, the Cowboys rewarded Owens with a four-year, $34MM extension. It’s unlikely that Dallas will give him a call this offseason, though questions persist about their wide receiver group following the departure of Dez Bryant.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • The Redskins‘ wide receiver is very fluid behind starters Josh Doctson, Jamison Crowder, and Paul Richardson, as Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington writes. Maurice Harris, rookie Trey Quinn, Robert Davis, or Brian Quick could end up as the team’s No. 4 receiver and none of them are assured a place on the final 53-man roster. The Redskins are expected to keep six wide receivers in total, so at least one of those players will miss the cut on Sept. 1.
  • There’s a chance the Redskins will employ a fullback this season, coach Jay Gruden says (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com). So far in practice, Elijah Wellman has been operating as the team’s top FB. Niles Paul previously saw reps at fullback, but he is now with the Jaguars.
  • The Giants have hired Mark Koncz as their director of player personnel, a source tells Darin Gantt of PFT. Koncz, who previously served as the pro personnel director in Carolina under Dave Gettleman, was hired on a temporary basis earlier this year. Now, he has a permanent role in the front office.
7 comments Dallas Cowboys New York Giants Washington Commanders

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

By | at June 7, 2018 11:29 am

By now, you probably know that you can follow Pro Football Rumors on Facebook, Twitter, or via an RSS reader to ensure that you receive all of our updates, 365 days a year. If you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NFL team, PFR has you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 32 teams.

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

1 comment Uncategorized

Latest On Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

By | at June 7, 2018 10:26 am

Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has yet to show for OTAs, but his absence is apparently not related to his contract. Clinton-Dix has been away from the team due to personal reasons, Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin reports (on Twitter), and he will be with the team during the mandatory minicamp. 

At first, it seemed that Clinton-Dix might have been angling for a better deal. The 2016 Pro Bowler is entering his walk year and is slated to earn $5.96MM. After playing out the fifth-year option season, he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Clinton-Dix has yet to miss a game in his four-year career, and has started every game in each of the last three seasons. He enjoyed his best season in 2016, when he earned Second Team All-Pro honors after snagging a team-best five interceptions. Though he logged three picks in 2017, the Packers also allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns and ranked in the bottom ten in passing yards allowed.

Last year, Clinton-Dix graded out as the No. 40 ranked safety in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. His 79.1 overall score put him ahead of notables such as George Iloka, Bradley McDougald, Malik Hooker, and Morgan Burnett. Though it was a decent year, the advanced metrics indicate that he had better efforts in 2015 and ’16.

Dix will return as the Packers’ starting free safety this year with 2017 second-round pick Josh Jones at strong safety. They’ll be flanked first-round cornerback Jaire Alexander and free agent addition Tramon Williams.

0 comments Green Bay Packers

Lions’ Nick Bawden Done For Year?

By | at June 6, 2018 4:25 pm

The Lions fear rookie that rookie fullback Nick Bawden suffered a torn ACL in practice on Wednesday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) said. Right now, it looks like the seventh-round pick’s season is over and it is expected that he will be placed on injured reserve in the coming days. 

It’s an unfortunate loss for the Lions, but have another fullback option in ex-linebacker Nick Bellore. The Central Michigan product re-signed with the Lions on a one-year, $1MM deal ($90K guaranteed) this offseason and recognizes that the switch to fullback represents his best shot at making the cut.

“There’s a lot of carryover,” Bellore said this week (via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News). “You’re kind of in the same attacking position. The only difference is you’re not moving backwards – or at least I hope not. It’s mostly kind of mirroring what linebackers do. It’s not the easiest transition. I’m learning, day by day, offensive terminology and all that stuff. It takes time, but I’ve got great coaches.”

Bellore practiced as a fullback while with the Jets from 2011-14, but never saw live action in that role. Last year, Detroit used him on 13 offensive snaps.

Unless the Lions sign another fullback or eliminate the position entirely, Bellore profiles as the lead blocker for a running back group headlined by LeGarrette Blount, rookie Kerryon Johnson, Theo Riddick, and Ameer Abdullah.

1 comment Detroit Lions Transactions

Richie Incognito Still Hopes To Play In 2018

By | at June 6, 2018 3:13 pm

After a strange couple of months, former Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito says he still hopes to play in the NFL this year. Two weeks after being placed on psychiatric hold by Florida police, Incognito says he remains focused on resuming his career. 

Incognito hit the free agent market last month when he was released by the Bills. The lineman, who has already flip-flopped on the possibility of retiring this year, will have some explaining to do to NFL teams. Two weeks ago, police placed Incognito in a mental hospital after he reportedly toss weights at a Florida gym and told officers the government is spying on him.

On the field, Incognito has been nothing short of stellar in recent years. The veteran has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl trips and, from a talent perspective, profiles as the best interior lineman on the open market today. It remains to be seen whether clubs will give Incognito what is essentially his second chance following the Dolphins bullying scandal of 2013.

Last year, Incognito graded out as the 12th best guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. He ranked seventh amongst all guards in 2016 and second in ’15, making him the Bills’ top-rated offensive lineman of the last three years.

10 comments Buffalo Bills

Dolphins Sign Three Draft Picks

By | at June 6, 2018 2:47 pm

The Dolphins announced the signings of three draft picks on Wednesday. Third-round linebacker Jerome Baker, fourth-round tight end Durham Smythe, and fourth-round running back Kalen Ballage have inked their deals, leaving second-round tight end Mike Gesicki as the last straggler in the team’s eight-man class. 

Baker was Ohio State’s leading tackler last year as he registered 72 stops in total. He also had eight tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks in his final year on campus. As shown on Roster Resource, Baker projects to be one of the team’s first linebackers off of the bench behind starters Kiko Alonso, Raekwon McMillan, and Chase Allen. Some evaluators feel that Baker is too small to play linebacker at the pro level, but Alonso doesn’t seem concerned about the 6’1″, 229-pound prospect.

“Nowadays it’s all about, ‘Can you run?’” Alonso said recently (via Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post). “You see what linebacker position is nowadays. It’s getting smaller and smaller.”

Smythe, a Notre Dame product, put himself on the NFL radar with his blocking ability. He figures to do the dirty work while fellow rookie Gesicki figures to play a bigger role in the passing game.

Ballage, a tall running back at 6’3″, averaged 4.4 yards per carry while at Arizona State. He’ll likely serve as the Dolphins’ No. 3 running back this year behind Kenyan Drake and veteran Frank Gore.

1 comment Durham Smythe Miami Dolphins Transactions

20% Of Draft Picks Remain Unsigned

By | at June 6, 2018 2:01 pm

Roughly 20% of this year’s draft picks have yet to sign their rookie contracts, as shown in PFR’s tracker. So far, 213 of this year’s 256 selections have inked their deals.

Here’s the complete breakdown, sorted by round:

First Round (17)

Second Round (5)

Third Round (10)

Fourth Round (2)

  • Rams, 4-111: Brian Allen, C (Michigan State)
  • Rams, 4-135: John Franklin-Myers, DE (Stephen F. Austin)

Fifth Round (3)

Sixth Round (4)

Seventh Round (2)

As expected, the first round (17) and third round (10) lead the way in stragglers. First round picks tend to have the most leverage, which means that agents will often haggle on issues such as offset language. The third round negotiations also tend to drag since there is wiggle room when it comes to base salaries.

2 comments 2018 NFL Draft PFR Originals

49ers Re-Sign S Antone Exum

By | at June 6, 2018 12:56 pm

One day after J.J. Wilcox backed out of a one-year deal, the 49ers are moving on. On Wednesday, the Niners announced that they have re-signed safety Antone Exum. 

[RELATED: 49ers’ Reuben Foster Pleads No Contest To Rifle Charge]

Exum played in two games with the 49ers late last season after joining the club in November. The former sixth-round pick of Vikings registered three tackles in limited action. In his three years with Minnesota, Exum appeared in 27 games (two starts) and recorded 19 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble on defense.

Exum will push to make the Niners’ final cut as one of the backups to Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt. One backup safety spot is already spoken for thanks to the presence of third-round pick Tarvarius Moore, but the competition is fairly open after that. If Exum can display his special teams skills this summer, the odds may be in his favor.

0 comments San Francisco 49ers Transactions
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