Jamaal Charles Retires From NFL
Jamaal Charles is calling it a career. The running back will sign a one-day contract in order to officially leave the game as a member of the Chiefs, according to 610 Sports Radio (Twitter link). 
Way back in October, Charles indicated that he was likely done with football. But, days later, he auditioned for the Ravens, leaving some question as to whether he would follow through on retirement. Months later, Charles has arrived at a decision – he’s done for good.
In his prime, Charles was one of the NFL’s most electrifying running backs. When he was young, healthy, and a member of the Chiefs, he had some brilliant seasons, including a 2010 campaign in which he ran for 1,467 yards and averaged 6.4 yards per carry. Unfortunately, time is not kind to running backs, and he has not topped 1,000 yards since the 2014 season due to aging and injuries.
The Chiefs’ all-time rushing leader attempted to reignite his career with the Broncos in 2017 and again with the Jaguars in 2018. He wasn’t the same player, but it’s worth noting that he managed a 4.3 yards per carry average with Denver in a limited sample size of 69 attempts.
Charles will leave the game at the age of 32, presumably with enough money to do whatever he wants. We here at PFR wish Charles the best in retirement.
Dave Gettleman On Josh Allen, Daniel Jones, Eli Manning
Roger Goodell uttering the name “Daniel Jones” served as perhaps the most shocking moment of the draft, and the decision that led to the commissioner reading that card did not come easy for the Giants.
Dave Gettleman had another name in mind, in the event the Giants felt their short-term need at defensive end was too great to ignore at No. 6. The second-year Giants GM said (via NBC Sports’ Peter King) the decision to bypass Josh Allen for Jones was “agonizing.”
“I agonized over that,” Gettleman said. “I agonized. Before the draft, we discussed that thoroughly as a group — first last Friday, then again Wednesday. Obviously we had great regard for Josh Allen. But the one thing I have learned is you don’t fool around with a quarterback. If he’s your guy, you take him.”
Gettleman said post-draft he knew of two teams that would have taken Jones before the Giants’ No. 17 pick. The Jaguars snapped up Allen at No. 7, doing so despite not expecting the Kentucky edge rusher to be there. Jacksonville was expecting to make a decision between T.J. Hockenson and Jonah Williams, with Albert Breer of SI.com noting Hockenson was the Jags’ likely pick had the Giants gone with Allen as many expected. After the Jags’ Allen pivot, the Lions took Hockenson at No. 8.
The Giants have possessed three top-six picks since 2004, the first of those leading to Eli Manning and the second producing Saquon Barkley. Gettleman did not indicate last year he had any kind of debate between choosing Barkley or Sam Darnold. A year later, the Giants GM said his team might not have another near-future chance to grab a top quarterback prospect without sacrificing plenty in a trade, helping lead the Giants to Jones this year.
“There are no guarantees. So the bottom line is, if you believe this kid can get you to the promised land, why wait?” Gettleman said, via Breer. “You have to have confidence in what you’re doing. You’re drafting players. The team will be better. Now, what happens next year? What if you don’t take him this year, and next year you’re picking 22? You’re going to have to move heaven and earth. This is the closest we’re going to get. It made the most sense.”
The Giants did not leave Manning in the dark about the Jones decision. He called the Giants’ 16th-year quarterback while on the clock at No. 6. Gettleman said Manning could potentially be Big Blue’s starter for multiple additional seasons.
“I was on the phone with Eli. I told him, ‘You’re our quarterback, let’s go,'” Gettleman said, via Breer. “And by the way, we’re drafting the Jones kid, and your job is to be the best quarterback you can be and help us win. It’s his responsibility to crawl up your fanny and learn.”
New York attempted to trade up to land Denver’s pick at No. 10, but the Broncos went with the Steelers’ proposal instead, King reports. It’s possible the Giants wanted to trade up to land Rashan Gary or Brian Burns, whom the Packers and Panthers respectively selected. The Giants selected defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence at No. 17.
Jaguars Sign 21 Undrafted Free Agents
The Jaguars have become the third NFL team — joining the Steelers and Chargers — to announced their crop of undrafted free agent signings following the conclusion of the 2019 draft. Jacksonville agreed to terms with the following 21 UDFAs:
- Shane Bowman, DL (Washington)
- Tyre Brady, WR (Marshall)
- Khairi Clark, DT (Florida)
- Michael Colubiale, WR (UCF)
- Joe Giles-Harris, LB (Duke)
- Donnell Greene, OL (Minnesota)
- Tae Hayes, DB (Appalachian State)
- Raphael Leonard, WR (Southern Illinois)
- Carson Meier, TE (Oklahoma)
- Picasso Nelson Jr., CB (Southern Mississippi)
- Jeff Smith, WR (Boston College)
- Saivion Smith, CB (Alabama)
- Dredrick Snelson Jr., WR (UCF)
- Bunchy Stallings, OL (Kentucky)
- Marquez Stanford, CB (Murray State)
- Connor Strachan, LB (Boston College)
- Michael Walker, WR (Boston College)
- Brandon Watson, CB (Michigan)
- Papi White, WR (Ohio)
- Andrew Williams, DT (Auburn)
- Andrew Wingard, S (Wyoming)
- Zedrick Woods, S (Ole Miss)
- Roderick Young, DT (North Texas)
Saivion Smith, in particular, is an interesting addition for the Jaguars, as he’d been mentioned as a possible third-round pick earlier this year. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com pegged Smith as a Round 4 or 5 selection, noting the Alabama product’s ability as a press-man corner but cautioning that he must improve his consistency. Simth could compete for snaps behind incumbent Jacksonville corners Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, and D.J. Hayden.
Latest On Telvin Smith, Jaguars
Last week, reports surfaced that Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith could be on the trade block. Smith, along with star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, ruffled the feathers of executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin when they failed to report to the team for voluntary workouts (which, in turn, compelled a number of football writers to remind Coughlin of the definition of “voluntary”).
The trade rumors intensified when the Jags selected Murray State linebacker Quincy Williams in the third round of the draft on Friday, and GM Dave Caldwell did not do much to quash the rumblings in his post-draft interview. Although Caldwell said that he did not receive any trade calls on Smith during the draft, he was cryptic when asked whether Smith would remain with the club in 2019.
“We’ll see,” Caldwell said. “I don’t want to get into hypotheticals” (via John Oesher of Jaguars.com on Twitter).
Coughlin, though, was quite clear that he expects Smith to stay with Jacksonville. He said, “Telvin Smith is a linebacker on our football team. We fully expect him to be here. That’s all there is to it. If you know something else, tell me.”
In response to the reports that Smith might be available via trade, Coughlin added, “What reports? Not that I know of.”
Smith would certainly be quite attractive to teams that still find themselves in need of a quality linebacker. The 2014 fifth-round pick just turned 28 and is a capable defender against the pass and the run. He’s also something of a playmaker, having recorded at least two interceptions in each of the past three seasons, and he has three career touchdowns.
Smith has been a full-time starter for the Jags since November of his rookie campaign. He is under club control through 2021 thanks to the four-year, $44MM extension he signed in October 2017.
Jaguars Trade No. 236 To Seahawks
Finishing up their trade-heavy draft, the Seahawks moved back into the seventh round via a deal with the Jaguars.
The Jags sent the Seahawks pick No. 236 and will receive a sixth-round pick in 2020 in doing so. With their new selection, the Seahawks took wide receiver John Ursua.
A 5-foot-10 wideout out of Hawaii, Ursua enjoyed a productive career. He totaled more than 2,600 yards in three seasons at Hawaii, peaking with an 89-reception, 1,343-yard, 16-touchdown 2018 season. Interestingly, Ursua left school early to turn pro.
The Seahawks have now drafted three wide receivers — Ursua, D.K. Metcalf and Wake Forest’s Gary Jennings — after it became known Doug Baldwin may not be able to continue his career. Additionally, the Seahawks drafted 11 players despite coming into the weekend with four picks.
Draft Notes: Bills, Jaguars, Bengals
The Bills selected Oklahoma offensive tackle Cody Ford in the second round, but it sounds like the team was willing to take him even earlier. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Buffalo tried to trade back into the first round in order to draft Ford. Ultimately, the price proved to be “too rich.”
As we mentioned, the Bills still managed to land Ford at No. 38. The leaves the Bills with 14 offensive lineman on their current roster, so the team will surely have some intriguing competitions come training camp. The team has added five free agent linemen this offseason in Mitch Morse, Spencer Long, Ty Nsekhe, Jon Feliciano, and LaAdrian Waddle.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…
- Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor was expected to be a top-10 pick, but he ended up falling to the Jaguars at No. 35. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Taylor fell because of medical concerns, as teams were wary of the Florida product’s meniscus issue. Fortunately, Rapoport says the issue isn’t “structural.”
- The Jaguars shocked most pundits when they selected Murray State linebacker Quincy Williams in the third round last night. As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com points out, Williams (who is the brother of third-overall pick Quinnen Williams) wasn’t among the 400 players scouted by NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, nor was he on the list of 730 prospects compiled by The Athletics’ Arif Hasan. The linebacker wasn’t invited to the Combine and Murray State didn’t have a Pro Day, leading Williams to assume he was going to go undrafted. “For me coming from a small school and didn’t get a combine invite, yeah, I kind of did,” Williams said. “Then I had to go to Pro Day somewhere else, so most people thought I was a safety or a smaller linebacker, so yeah it was a thought in my mind. But then I know my abilities, and I believe in myself.”
- The Bengals used the 11th-overall pick on Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams, leading some to wonder what would happen with Cordy Glenn. As Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer points out (on Twitter), the veteran has started every snap of his career at left tackle, but he may be forced to move to right tackle or left guard. Furthermore, he gave up the most pressures and earned the worst Pro Football Focus grade of his career in 2018. Dehner ultimately wonders if a position change could rejuvenate the 29-year-old’s career.
Raiders Trade No. 35 Pick To Jaguars
The Jaguars made the first trade of Friday night, moving up into the No. 35 overall slot. The Raiders, as GM Mike Mayock said they were considering, traded out of the slot.
Oakland will receive the No. 38 overall pick and No. 109 (a fourth-rounder). Jacksonville selected tackle Jawaan Taylor. The Jags will acquire fifth- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 140 and 235) in this deal.
Taylor was mocked by some to the Jaguars in the first round, so while the Florida blocker endured a bit of a tumble, the team adding a first-round-caliber lineman — in the view of some — in Round 2 represents solid value.
The Jags cut right tackle Jermey Parnell this offseason; left tackle Cam Robinson is coming off a season-ending ACL tear. While Jacksonville added Cedric Ogbuehi and Leonard Wester, Taylor should be considered a strong candidate to be an early-season starter.
Jaguars Host Corey Liuget
Former Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget visited the Jaguars today, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Liuget, who was released by the Bolts in February after spending the first eight years of his professional career with the club, has also met with the Giants and Seahawks.
Liuget was a fixture on the Chargers’ D-line until last season, which went about as poorly as possible for him. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 campaign for violating the league’s PED policy, and he played in only six games (three starts) before tearing his quadriceps in late November. For the season, Liuget compiled five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while earning a 66.9 grade from Pro Football Focus, a mark that would have ranked him as a middling defensive tackle if he had enough snaps to qualify.
Liuget signed a five-year, $58.5MM extension with the Chargers in June 2015, a deal that included $30MM in guaranteed money. But he did not really live up to that contract, and now the 29-year-old will likely need to settle for a one-year pact to reestablish his value.
Obviously, he has garnered a reasonable amount of interest on the open market, and the Chargers were also said to be amenable to a reunion. The Jags do not have a glaring need in the middle of their defensive front, but Liuget could team with Abry Jones and Marcell Dareus to form a fairly solid rotation.
Telvin Smith Garnering Trade Interest, Not On Trade Block Yet
- In a separate piece, Breer writes that rival clubs are monitoring Jaguars LB Telvin Smith and Broncos CB Chris Harris Jr. as potential trade targets, though neither player is on the trade block just yet.
Draft Notes: Packers, Dillard, White, Fins
Midway through a rather notable offseason, given the recent behind-the-curtain look at their previous power structure, the Packers are investigating some high-end quarterback prospects. They are obviously set at sports’ marquee position, but with Aaron Rodgers set to turn 36 by season’s end, Green Bay is at a similar point compared to when it last made a major quarterback investment. The Packers will host Drew Lock on a visit Tuesday, Terez Paylor of Yahoo.com reports (on Twitter). They also tried to set up a summit with Daniel Jones, but the parties’ schedules did not line up, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter). The Packers took Rodgers when Brett Favre was 36 and sat him for three years. While Green Bay pulling the trigger on a passer would be rather surprising, especially given Rodgers’ contract status, the team does have two first-round picks this year.
Here is the latest from the draft world, staying on the subject of quarterbacks:
- Lock will also meet with the Chargers, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com (on Twitter). Teams have ramped up their signal-caller-related preparation, in the event Kyler Murray does not go No. 1, according to Robinson, who notes some teams believe this year’s passers could slide a bit should Murray not be the Cardinals’ choice atop the draft. Some modest steam picked up on this notion earlier Monday.
- The Dolphins, who already met with Jones, will head to the Duke campus to work out the former Blue Devil starter, Rapoport reports (on Twitter). Teams only have a few more days to host prospects on “30” visits but can still work them out after that deadline passes. Miami will also host Michigan linebacker Devin Bush and Florida tackle Jawaan Taylor, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
- Devin White‘s stock has risen during the pre-draft process, to the point he may be the rare off-ball linebacker to be picked in the top five. One of the teams holding such a selection, the Raiders, brought in White for a visit, Rapoport tweets. The Buccaneers, who hold pick No. 5, have been closely connected to the LSU ‘backer. The Raiders have the No. 4 overall pick. Oakland, which also holds the Nos. 24 and 27 selections, will meet with tight end Noah Fant, on Monday as well, Rapoport tweets. The Raiders lost their starting tight end of the past two seasons, Jared Cook, in free agency.
- For weeks, the Jets have been viewed as a team that would love to trade down. They are meeting with a prospect Tuesday that would support the fact this is a consideration. Ed Oliver will visit the Jets, per Schefter (on Twitter). While the defensive tackle is a surefire first-round talent, he has not been mocked as a player who would be a consideration at No. 3 overall.
- The Titans are visiting with defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, per Rapoport (on Twitter). This is the Notre Dame-developed defender’s second known visit, the first having come with the Saints recently. Tillery remains in rehab after surgery to repair a torn shoulder labrum.
- Not much has surfaced about which teams are researching an Andre Dillard pick. That has changed. The Washington State tackle prospect is visiting the Falcons on Monday and will meet with the Chargers later this week, Schefter tweets. Additionally, Schefter adds the first-round offensive line hopeful has already visited or worked out for a host of teams — the Giants, Jets, Dolphins, Ravens, Titans, Panthers, Vikings, Jaguars, Bills, Texans, Bengals, Packers, Redskins.