Seahawks Willing To Trade Jimmy Graham?
Texans LT Duane Brown is expected to suit up for Houston for the first time this season as the club takes on the Seahawks in Seattle today. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, though, today might be Brown’s last day in a Texans uniform.
Per Rapoport (Twitter links), the Seahawks are continuing their attempts to acquire a veteran left tackle, and Seattle and Houston have engaged in talks involving Brown. Brown, of course, has held out all season to express his dissatisfaction over his current contract, and he has only reported to the team in order to accrue a year of service time; if he missed any more game action, he would not receive any credit for the 2017 season and would remain under club control for two more years instead of being eligible for free agency at the end of the 2018 campaign.
Seattle, though, is pretty strapped for cap space, and as Rapoport points out, if the Seahawks were to trade for a left tackle like Brown — they are also interested in the Bills’ Cordy Glenn and the Colts’ Anthony Castonzo — they would need to cut or trade other players to remain under the salary cap. One player who could be moved is TE Jimmy Graham, who is earning $7.9MM in base salary this year and who is counting for $10MM against the cap. Rapoport says Seattle would be willing to move Graham if such a move would allow them to acquire a left tackle.
However, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll strong denied that Graham would be available before Tuesday’s deadline, calling any reports to that effect “total bull—-“, as Michael Silver of NFL.com tweets. Similarly, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) has been told Seattle has no plans to trade Graham.
Graham, 30, is averaging a career-low 9.6 yards per catch through six games this season, which comes on the heels of an excellent 2016 season, his best in Seattle. The Seahawks continue to believe Graham is a critical part of the offense, but they feel acquiring a quality left tackle is more important.
For what it’s worth, Rapoport says it is unlikely that the Seahawks and Texans agree to a one-for-one swap involving Brown and Graham, but it could be a possibility (Twitter link). Houston, however, is probably more interested in acquiring draft capital than a 30-year-old tight end on an expiring contract.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Bills will fill Marcell Dareus‘ roster spot with running back Joe Banyard, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. Banyard will return to Buffalo’s 53-man roster after being released last week. This is the running back/special-teamer’s sixth NFL season.
- The Broncos waived wide receiver Hunter Sharp and promoted linebacker Kevin Snyder from their practice squad, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post tweets. Denver promoted Sharp last week when it was set to operate without Emmanuel Sanders and Isaiah McKenzie, but McKenzie is set to return and Sanders has a questionable designation. The Broncos signed Snyder to a reserve/futures deal in January, and he’s back despite the team having waived him with an injury designation in September.
- Center Cornelius Edison will rise from the Vikings‘ practice squad to their active roster, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson (on Twitter). Minnesota will be playing without Jeremiah Sirles on Sunday, and starting guard Nick Easton is questionable after missing last week with a calf injury. Edison played in six games with the Bears last season.
- The Redskins officially placed linebacker Mason Foster on injured reserve and waived running back Mack Brown, the club announced today. The dual transactions will create roster space for Washington’s two newest offensive lineman, Orlando Franklin and Arie Kouandjio.
Reactions To Marcell Dareus Trade
The Bills traded defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to the Jaguars yesterday for a 2018 sixth-round pick (which could ultimately turn into a fifth-rounder). The player’s contract was much too expensive for the Bills to tolerate, and most pundits were impressed with the team’s ability to shed the money. We’ve compiled the majority of those reactions below…
- Bills general manager Brandon Beane referred to Dareus as a question mark, citing the player’s high salary and previous suspensions.“He’s not a bad person at the end of the day,” Beane said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak). “I wish him the best, and I know Sean [McDermott] does and the whole organization does… I give Marcell [Dareus] a lot of credit. I thought he made huge strides as of late. But we thought this was a good move for us going forward. But it is also a fresh start for him.”
- According to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter), Beane wasn’t actively shopping Dareus. Instead, the general manager claimed that the Jaguars had reached out to the Bills. Ultimately, Buffalo decided it was a good deal for the organization and pulled the trigger.
- More from Beane (via Buscaglia on Twitter): “Anytime you pay a guy double digit APY’s, you have to make sure they fit your team as a player and a person…He’s definitely a guy we would have talked about after the season, ‘How does he fit, moving forward.'”
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com refers to the trade as a “cap savings bonanza” for the Bills, noting that the organization has done an admirable job of fixing their “broken salary cap.” While the team will be stuck with $14.2MM in dead money next season, this scenario is more appealing than cutting him following the current campaign. Meanwhile, the Jaguars had more financial flexibility, allowing them to inherit most of the contract without compromising their future.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/27/17
Today’s workout updates:
Buffalo Bills
- RB Marcus Murphy, Dare Ogunbowale, Jhurell Pressley, Jahad Thomas, Marquez Williams; CB Marcus Burley, Will Davis, Trevin Wade (Twitter link via Howard Balzer)
Los Angeles Chargers
- K Andrew Franks, Younghoe Koo, Jason Myers (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com)
New England Patriots
- DT Deandre Coleman (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Giants
- DE Ryan Delaire (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
San Francisco 49ers
- P Jeff Locke (link via Balzer)
Bills Won’t Release Anquan Boldin
The Bills have no intention of releasing wide receiver Anquan Boldin from his contract, but could still trade the veteran wideout per his request, as general manager Brandon Beane told reporters, including Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Bills Trade Marcell Dareus To Jaguars]
Boldin, 37, signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal with Buffalo earlier this year, but retired in August after the club traded away wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. However, Boldin now wants to make a comeback and would like to be traded or have the Bills release his rights. Beane told reporters that he “doesn’t expect much” in terms of trade offers for Boldin, which could mean the longtime NFL wideout could stay put through Tuesday’s trade deadline.
While Beane has not personally spoken with Boldin, the GM said Boldin would prefer to play closer to his Florida residence, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Additionally, Beane wouldn’t rule out Boldin returning to the Bills, who have surprised with a 4-2 record and coincidentally boast one of the league’s worst wide receiving corps.
In 2016, Boldin appeared in all 16 games for the Lions, and managed 67 receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns. While the yardage total was the lowest of Boldin’s career, his eight scores were the most he’s posted since 2008. Boldin, a three-time Pro Bowler, played on 80% of Detroit’s offensive snaps as the club’s third receiver behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.
Jaguars To Acquire DT Marcell Dareus
The Jaguars have agreed to acquire defensive tackle Marcell Dareus from the Bills, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Buffalo will receive a 2018 sixth-round pick that change to a fifth-round pick based if Dareus sticks on Jacksonville’s roster for the rest of the season and the Jaguars make the playoffs, per Schefter and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).
Dareus had long been thought to be available on the trade market, as the new Buffalo regime — including general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott — didn’t believe Dareus’ immense talent was worth his reported motivational lapses. Indeed, the Bills attempted to trade Dareus this offseason, but weren’t able to find a match.
The inability to Dareus until this point was likely due to his massive contract, a six-year, $95.1MM extension that he inked in 2015. It’s incredibly surprising the Bills were able to convince the Jaguars to take on the remaining portions of Dareus’ deal, which includes the rest of his guaranteed $9.75MM base salary this season and a $7.35MM guarantee in 2018. Dareus is also set to earn non-guaranteed base salaries of $8.335MM, $12.335MM, and $12.4MM from 2019-21, with $2MM available in roster bonuses during those three seasons.
Jacksonville can afford Dareus’ contract in 2017, as it still has more than $37MM in reserves, but his 2018 salary will eat into the club’s $13MM worth of cap space next season. Buffalo, meanwhile, is relieving itself of a hefty financial obligation, but will still be forced to eat part of Dareus’ deal. The rest of his prorated bonus money — $14.2MM in total — will accelerate onto the Bills’ salary cap in 2018.
Dareus, who now reunites with former Bills/current Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, will join an already stacked defense that leads the league in DVOA. While the unit is excellent, it does rank dead last in run defense DVOA, an area Dareus should help improve. Jacksonville now fields a defensive line that includes Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, and Dante Fowler Jr.
Dareus, 27, clearly has immense talent, as evidenced both by his draft pedigree (No. 3 overall in 2011) and his prior NFL production, so if Marrone and the rest of Jacksonville’s staff can motivate him, Dareus could prove to be steal. He’s only played 138 defensive snaps on the season, but Dareus has graded as the NFL’s No. 37 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. The Alabama product is three years removed from his best overall year, a 2014 campaign which saw him manage 10 sacks from the defensive tackle position.
Anquan Boldin Interested In Playing Again; Bills Open To Trade
Anquan Boldin retired during the Bills’ preseason slate after a brief stay in Buffalo and ruled out a late-season return previously, but the veteran wide receiver looks to have changed his mind to some degree. He’s interested in playing again, and the Bills are open to trading his rights.
The Bills gave Boldin’s agent, Tom Condon, permission to seek a trade. Brandon Beane wrote Condon a letter (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com) Thursday granting him permission to pursue a Boldin trade.
Beane notes in the letter a factor here could be proximity to Boldin’s family. A report emerged over the summer Boldin was looking to play closer to his home in Florida, and while no reported interest is known from the Dolphins, Buccaneers or Jaguars, Beane including this language in his letter adds weight to Boldin being interested in moving south for a possible return. The Florida State alum has never played for a southeastern-based NFL team.
This letter prohibits Boldin from discussing a new contract with another team and does not give the would-be 15th-year veteran permission to make visits. It also notes the Bills’ offer for Boldin’s camp to find a trade partner expires on the Halloween trade deadline. It doesn’t sound like Beane is too interested in relinquishing Boldin’s rights and letting him sign with another team as a UFA.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/2017
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed off waivers: CB Lafayette Pitts
- Waived: CB Tony McRae
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted to active roster: TE Matt Lengel
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Jelani Jenkins
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Orson Charles
New England Patriots
- Promoted to active roster: LB Trevor Reilly
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Neal Sterling
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Xavier Coleman
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted to active roster: RB Elijah Hood
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: T Taylor Hart (two-year deal)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Deji Olatoye
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Tony Bergstrom
- Waived: DT A.J. Francis
Hawks, Bills Discussed Cordy Glenn Trade
As part of their ongoing search for offensive line help, the Seahawks approached the Bills about left tackle Cordy Glenn, but those talks “fizzled,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
Glenn returned to Buffalo’s lineup on Sunday having been sidelined by injuries since Week 2, and despite some questions as to whether Glenn would regain his starting job over rookie Dion Dawkins, Glenn did indeed play a large role in the Bills’ victory (85% of offensive snaps). But Buffalo clearly is pleased with Dawkins’ production thus far, creating an opportunity to possibly move Glenn.
General manager Brandon Beane isn’t afraid to deal veteran assets, as evidenced by his preseason trades of wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. And the Bills probably wouldn’t mind getting Glenn’s contract off their books as they retool their roster in the mold of head coach Sean McDermott over the next few years. An acquiring club would take on the rest of Glenn’s $9MM salary for 2017, plus base salaries of $9.25MM, $7.25MM, and $7.25MM over the next three seasons (Glenn also has $2MM roster bonuses in each year).
Like Beane, Seattle general manager John Schneider has shown a willingness to trade, and he recently said the Seahawks are “constantly in talks” with other teams regarding possible swaps. Seattle’s front five once again ranks as one of the NFL’s least productive, and several of the club’s projected starters — George Fant, Luke Joeckel — are now sidelined with injuries. Rees Odhiambo, the Seahawks’ current blinside protector, has graded as the league’s worst tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
Other options to help the depleted Seattle line have been discussed. The Seahawks reportedly focused on disgruntled Texans offensive tackle Duane Brown in recent weeks, but Brown has since ended his holdout and Houston may not have any inclination to deal their best offensive lineman during a competitive season. Free agent Branden Albert, meanwhile, turned down Seattle’s contract offer last week and is still on the open market.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/24/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Buffalo Bills
- WR Rod Streater; TE Jason Croom (link)
Carolina Panthers
- Ks Roberto Aguayo, Mike Meyer, Younghoe Koo (link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com)
Dallas Cowboys
- LS Trent Gow (link)
Detroit Lions
- WR Jake Kumerow (link)
Green Bay Packers
- FB Joe Kerridge; DL Paul Boyette, Casey Sayles; CBs Jeremy Boykins, Jarnor Jones; S Orion Stewart (Twitter links)
Houston Texans
- DEs Sterling Bailey, Patrick Gamble; DT Mike Purcell; LBs Akeem Ayers, Jelani Jenkins (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- WRs Anthony Nash, Francis Owusu, Domonique Young; DE Armonty Bryant; CB Jeremy Boykins (link)
New Orleans Saints
- RBs Malcolm Johnson, Marquez Williams; OL Jake Eldrenkamp, Storm Norton, Nate Theaker (link)
Oakland Raiders
- QB Joel Stave; WRs Devin Lucien, Jordan Payton; TEs Brandon Barnes, Eric Wallace; LBs Jeremy Cash, Jayson DiManche, Jason Thompson; CB Jarnor Jones; DBs Jordan Moore, James Sample, Orion Stewart (Twitter links)