Aaron Rodgers Wants Packers To Reacquire Randall Cobb?
Add another tributary to this stream of Monday Packers news. Aaron Rodgers is on the cusp of rejoining the team, and he may well want one of his former pass catchers back as well.
Rodgers wants Randall Cobb back in Green Bay, according to veteran broadcaster Trey Wingo and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (Twitter links). With the Packers willing to go to great lengths to appease the reigning MVP, the prospect of a Cobb return via trade certainly does not sound crazy.
The Texans have Cobb signed to a three-year, $27MM contract, but since-canned GM Bill O’Brien authorized that deal. And Houston acquired slot Anthony Miller from Chicago over the weekend, adding another new piece to the team’s skill-position corps. Cobb’s through-2022 contract includes a base salary of $8.25MM in 2021. Cobb will turn 31 next month, which does making him somewhat ill-fitting amid a Texans rebuild.
Green Bay, however, used a Day 2 draft pick on a wide receiver for the first time in six years in April, selecting Clemson’s Amari Rodgers in the third round. The Packers signed the 5-foot-9 target over the weekend. The ex-Trevor Lawrence weapon is expected to work in the slot as a pro, which would create an interesting overlap with Cobb’s skill set. The Packers also return Davante Adams complements Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard, with Devin Funchess attempting to return after having played one game over the past two seasons. Cobb also left Green Bay before Matt LaFleur installed his system, providing another hiccup here.
Cobb played eight seasons with the Packers, totaling 41 receiving touchdowns and more than 5,500 yards. After giving Cobb a $10MM-per-year extension in 2015, the Packers let him walk in 2019. Cobb signed with the Cowboys and outproduced the contingent the Packers hoped would fill the void, amassing 828 receiving yards in that season. While Valdes-Scantling and Lazard made bigger contributions in 2020 — a season in which an injury limited Cobb to 10 games — the Packers are clearly loading up for what may well be one last run with their franchise centerpiece. Given the news emerging Monday, it would certainly not shock to see the team part with a late-round pick to further satisfy their 17th-year quarterback.
Texans Listening To Deshaun Watson Offers; QB’s Criminal Investigation Intensifies
With their training camp less than 24 hours away, the Texans are set to navigate a complex situation with their star quarterback. Deshaun Watson is expected to show for Houston’s Tuesday workout, but a criminal investigation and trade rumblings engulf the Pro Bowl passer.
Texans brass spent months denying Watson was available, but Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report they are now willing to listen to offers for him (video link). Despite Watson’s legal entanglement, the Texans are asking for a historic return. They want three first-round picks and change for the 25-year-old standout, Pelissero notes.
The Texans and Watson met Monday, and while the summit was cordial, Rapoport indicates the fifth-year QB reaffirmed his trade stance. Under normal circumstances, Watson would bring back a bounty for the Texans and provide plenty of ammo to ignite their rebuild. Teams like the Broncos, Eagles, Panthers and Dolphins and perhaps select others loom as prospective suitors, and certain interested franchises have spent time examining Watson’s legal situation, per NFL.com. Watson has a no-trade clause. He was mentioned as interested in the Broncos, Dolphins and 49ers this offseason, but the talented quarterback likely has hurdles to clear before he gets his wish to leave Houston.
Watson’s legal drama clouds the trade environment, and the Houston Police Department’s investigation into his alleged sexual assault and sexual misconduct has seen some developments. Ten women have now spoken to police in this investigation, according to defense attorney Rusty Hardin (via ESPN.com’s John Barr). Eight of those accusers are part of the 22-woman contingent who have filed civil suit against Watson. Nearly half of the 22 women involved in the civil matter have spoken with the NFL, per Tony Buzbee, the lawyer representing them. No depositions have been scheduled, and, further complicating this investigation, Watson is not set to be deposed in the civil suit until February 2022.
Hardin’s team has cooperated with this investigation, but the NFL has yet to interview Watson. This would represent a key step before a Watson placement on the Commissioner’s Exempt list occurs. As of now, however, such a move does not appear to be on the front-burner. Although that could certainly change if the criminal investigation gains more steam, the Texans are now set to have a quarterback in camp entangled in a multifront legal battle and one who has no interest in playing for them again.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Marcus Henry
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Emmanuel Ellerbee, OL Jason Spriggs
- Cut: RB Tony Brooks-James
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Reece Horn
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Kyron Brown
Denver Broncos
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Jamar Johnson, CB Kary Vincent
Houston Texans
- Placed on PUP list: OL Marcus Cannon, OL Lane Taylor
- Cut: LS Mitchell Fraboni
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: DT Rob Windsor (out for year)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LS James Winchester
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: P Corliss Waitman
- Cut: K Dominik Eberle
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Tutu Atwell
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
- Cut with injury settlement: TE Jibri Blount
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on PUP list: K Riley Patterson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Kendall Donnerson
- Placed on PUP list: WR Michael Thomas
- Placed on NFI list: OL Derrick Kelly
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Eddie Yarbrough
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Darece Roberson
- Cut: CB Saivion Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DB Chris Cooper
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Kyle Peko, Anthony Rush,
- Cut: DL Bruce Hector
Deshaun Watson To Report To Training Camp
Deshaun Watson will report to training camp. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com observes, Texans quarterbacks are reporting to the team today, and Watson will be with his fellow signal-callers (Twitter link).
Watson, of course, is embroiled in civil litigation thanks to the sexual misconduct and sexual assault lawsuits that 22 different women have filed against him, but it’s presently unclear if Watson and the plaintiffs are close to a settlement. And, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets, no criminal charges are imminent either. So even though there was a belief that the NFL would step in and park Watson on the Commissioner’s Exempt list if and when he reported to camp, Garafolo believes the league will simply monitor the situation for now.
Another veteran NFL reporter, Josina Anderson, has the same understanding. Anderson’s sources say the league will wait for official findings from Texas authorities before taking any action of its own (Twitter link).
Despite the maelstrom of controversy surrounding him, Watson remains adamant that he wants out of Houston (though as ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets, no rival clubs have asked Watson to waive his no-trade clause as of yet). However, since holding out of training camp would subject him to unwaivable $50K daily fines, it was expected that the three-time Pro Bowler would show up as required.
This is a unique and complicated situation for rookie head coach David Culley and rookie GM Nick Caserio. Having commissioner Roger Goodell step in and declare Watson temporarily ineligible would help to bring a little normalcy to training camp, but it doesn’t sound as if that will be happening (at least not before practices begin). So Culley will be tasked with handling the Watson matter while also trying to get free agent acquisition Tyrod Taylor and top draft choice Davis Mills ready to go for the start of the season.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com hears that the Texans have moved on from Watson and are prepared to go forward with Taylor and Mills, unless Watson’s presence at the team facilities somehow leads to a reconciliation (Twitter link).
Bears Trade Anthony Miller To Texans
The NFL dead period is officially over, and things are heating up as training camps open. The Bears have agreed to trade receiver Anthony Miller to the Texans, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Here are the details of the deal, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter):
Texans Receive
- Anthony Miller
- 2022 seventh-round pick
Bears Receive
- 2022 fifth-round pick
A divorce between Miller and Chicago has seemed likely most of this year, and now it’s official. Back in March we heard the team was shopping him, and about a month later it was reported the Bears had held trade talks with a number of teams. The 51st overall pick of the 2018 draft, Miller has flashed lots of potential at times but was a big disappointment in 2020.
The emergence of rookie Darnell Mooney last year made Miller expendable in Chicago. It never really kept him off the field, but Miller dealt with significant shoulder issues in both 2018 and 2019. His rookie season he caught seven touchdowns, and he had 656 yards as a sophomore. But he took a step back last season, only finishing with 49 catches for 485 yards despite playing all 16 games.
From the Texans’ perspective, it makes a lot of sense. They’re almost certainly entering a rebuilding year in 2021, so it can’t hurt to take a look at a young player entering the final season of his rookie deal. Miller has shown some promise in the past, and Houston has a pretty uninspiring receiving group outside of Brandin Cooks after letting Will Fuller walk in free agency.
“A Couple Of Teams” Interested In FA DB Michael Thomas
Veteran defensive back Michael Thomas was limited to only nine games in 2020 thanks to a pectoral injury, but the former Pro Bowler told Aaron Wilson that he’s been fully cleared by Dr. James Andrews.
“I feel amazing,” Thomas said (via Wilson on Twitter). “The pec is feeling good, my body feels healthy. Texans, whoever, come get me. My agent told me a couple of teams have been poking around. I would love to go back with the Texans. We’ll see.”
Thomas inked a one-year deal with Houston this past offseason, and he collected 16 tackles in nine games before suffering a torn pectoral in late November. The defensive back later underwent season-ending surgery, but it sounds like the 31-year-old is now fully recovered. Teams searching for secondary and/or special teams depth would surely consider adding the veteran to their depth chart.
The 2012 undrafted free agent out of Stanford has put together a very solid NFL career. Following a stint with the 49ers to kick off his professional career, Thomas ended up spending five seasons with the Dolphins, starting 25 of his 56 games. He got a two-year deal from the Giants prior to the 2018 campaign, and he earned his lone Pro Bowl nod that season after compiling 59 tackles, one sack, and two picks.
2021 Cap Space For All 32 NFL Teams
There are still plenty of quality free agents left on the board as we look ahead to training camp. Cornerback Steven Nelson, tackle Russell Okung, and longtime Legion of Boom leader Richard Sherman headline the list, along with accomplished edge rushers like Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram, and Olivier Vernon. That list will only grow larger, of course, as more teams shed veterans to redirect their funds elsewhere.
With that in mind, here’s a look at every NFL team’s cap situation, starting with the league-leading Jaguars:
- Jacksonville Jaguars — $32.7MM
- Denver Broncos — $28.9MM
- New York Jets — $28.5MM
- Cleveland Browns — $20.6MM
- Los Angeles Chargers — $19.9MM
- Detroit Lions — $17.9MM
- San Francisco 49ers — $17.8MM
- Cincinnati Bengals — $17.4MM
- Washington Football Team — $16.7MM
- Indianapolis Colts— $14.3MM
- Carolina Panthers— $14.3MM
- Minnesota Vikings — $13.5MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers — $13.1MM
- New England Patriots — $13.1MM
- New Orleans Saints — $11.4MM
- Arizona Cardinals — $11.3MM
- Buffalo Bills — $10.5MM
- Baltimore Ravens — $8.8MM
- Atlanta Falcons — $8.6MM
- Seattle Seahawks — $8.3MM
- Tennessee Titans — $8.3MM
- Kansas City Chiefs — $7.9MM
- Los Angeles Rams — $7MM
- Chicago Bears — $6MM
- Dallas Cowboys — $6MM
- Miami Dolphins — $5.3MM
- Green Bay Packers — $5MM
- Houston Texans — $5MM
- Las Vegas Raiders — $3.3MM
- Philadelphia Eagles — $3.2MM
- New York Giants — $2.4MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — $489K
Mark Ingram Could Be ‘Odd Man Out’ W/ Texans RBs?
Mark Ingram signed a one-year deal worth “up to” $3MM with the Texans back in March, but he’s apparently not guaranteed to make the team.
Houston has been busy beefing up their running backs room, and they just signed Rex Burkhead last month. It’s now “unlikely” that the team will keep all of Ingram, Burkhead, David Johnson, and Phillip Lindsay, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com writes. Since she notes the Texans just restructured Johnson’s contract this offseason which gave him more guaranteed money for 2021, Barshop says he’ll “probably make the team”
That could make Ingram the “odd man out.” Ingram got a $500K signing bonus from Houston, but it sounds like they might end up eating that. Lindsay is only 26 and has shown plenty of flashes with the Broncos, so his spot on a rebuilding team that needs younger guys should be assured.
That likely means Ingram and Burkhead will be battling it out for one roster spot, so either way it seems as if one well-known veteran will be getting the axe. Ingram will turn 32 in December and had a down year last season, but was a Pro Bowler as recently as 2019.
He spent the first eight years of his career with the Saints before ending up in Baltimore for the last two. Burkhead turned 31 last week and spent the past four seasons in a part-time role with the Patriots.
Texans DL Brandon Dunn Feels “100 Percent”
A fractured hip forced Brandon Dunn to miss the final three games of the 2020 campaign, but the Texans defensive lineman is confident that he’s now 100-percent healthy.
“It’s been a long journey…and I’ve handled it and basically taken care of it the whole offseason,” Dunn said to Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 (via Twitter). “Due to COVID and everything, it’s not an injury during a normal year…there really weren’t any days off.
“I feel 100 percent now, and I’m ready to compete.”
The former undrafted free agent out of Louisville has been with the Texans since 2015, and he’s had a consistent spot in the middle of Houston’s defensive line since 2017. Dunn has started 37 games for the Texans over the past four seasons, collecting nine QB hits and eight tackles for loss. He started a career-high 13 games this past season, finishing with 26 tackles, three QB hits, and one fumble recovery.
Dunn inked a three-year, $12MM extension with the Texans during the 2020 offseason, so there’s a good chance he’ll be sticking around Houston for the foreseeable future. However, Dunn is also one of the few players from the previous regime, and the front office has made it clear that they’re willing to move on from anyone. While the 28-year-old sounds confident in his ability to get back on the field, he’ll have to show it to secure his roster spot.
Demaryius Thomas Announces Retirement
Although Demaryius Thomas did not play last season, the Pro Bowl wide receiver said during the 2020 offseason he did not intend to retire. The decorated pass catcher has changed his mind a year later.
Thomas announced Monday he will walk away after a 10-year career (video link). The former first-round pick played for the Broncos, Texans, and Jets — with a short stopover with the Patriots — from 2010-19. While the 33-year-old receiver donned four uniforms, he will be remembered primarily for his work in Denver.
Despite coming out of a run-heavy system at Georgia Tech, the 6-foot-3 wideout became one of the NFL’s top receivers in the 2010s. Thomas made four Pro Bowls while with the Broncos and operated as the team’s No. 1 receiver throughout Peyton Manning‘s time in Denver. Thomas reeled off five straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2012-16, and that period doubled as the second-highest peak in Broncos franchise history.
Shortly after trading Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins, the Broncos drafted Thomas in the 2010 first round. Injuries slowed the big-bodied target to start his career, but he did not miss a game for six full seasons after starting the 2011 slate late because of an offseason Achilles tear. Thomas proved essential for Denver’s unorthodox Tim Tebow-directed attack in 2011, and his 80-yard walk-off touchdown — to cap a 204-yard performance — against the Steelers in the wild-card round doubles as one of this era’s signature plays.
Following Manning’s 2012 arrival, Thomas played a centerpiece role for a Broncos team that earned three No. 1 seeds in four years. He teamed with Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas on a talented pass-catching corps in 2013, when the Manning-piloted offense set the NFL single-season scoring record (606 points) en route to Super Bowl XLVIII. Thomas led that team in receiving and caught a career-high 14 touchdown passes. In 2014, he posted a career-most 1,619 yards. This drove the Broncos to give him a five-year, $70MM extension — which occurred within minutes of Dez Bryant‘s identical deal at the 2015 franchise tag deadline. That season, which featured a noticeable Manning decline, Thomas’ 1,304 receiving yards paced the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos.
Thomas played four seasons on that deal, finishing it out in Houston. The Broncos ended Thomas’ eight-plus-year tenure at the 2018 trade deadline, sending him to the Texans. Later that season, Thomas suffered another Achilles tear — which preceded his release from Houston. Thomas finished his career with former Broncos OC Adam Gase, playing an auxiliary role for the 2019 Jets. Thomas’ 9,055 receiving yards and 60 touchdown receptions rank second in Broncos history — behind only Rod Smith.