NFL Draft Rumors: Patriots, Key, 49ers
After losing Nate Solder in free agency, the Patriots are on the lookout for offensive tackle help. With that in mind, the Patriots hosted Texas tackle Connor Williams on a visit on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Thanks to the Brandin Cooks trade earlier this offseason, the Pats are armed with two picks late in the first round. Williams could be available when the Pats are called to the podium at No. 23, though the league-wide need for tackles could result in the 6’6″ lineman going higher.
Here’s the latest batch of NFL draft news:
- LSU outside linebacker/defensive end Arden Key worked out for the 49ers on Wednesday and will move on to the Raiders on Thursday, Rapoport tweets.
- South Dakota State tight end Dallas Goedert, who could be the first tight end to come off of the board, visited the Dolphins on Wednesday, Rapoport tweets. Miami is reportedly high on him, but he has also met with the Seahawks, Chargers, and Lions, according to Rapoport. As previously reported, the Vikings met with Goedert last week.
- Cornerback Isaiah Oliver has had workouts/visits with the Eagles, Falcons, Bears, Texans, 49ers, Cardinals, Panthers, Patriots, Saints, Broncos, and Cowboys, sources tell Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Miller personally believes that he would be a great fit for Arizona. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has Oliver ranked as the 36th best prospect in this year’s draft and it would be no surprise to see him go in the first round.
- Georgia running back Nick Chubb will visit with the Buccaneers on Wednesday, according to Josh Norris of NBC Sports (on Twitter). Chubb has been lauded for his power and ability to run on the inside and figures to be a second round pick.
- The Lions hosted Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson for a visit on Tuesday, Rapoport tweets. Johnson was recently bumped from Jeremiah’s top 50 but should still garner consideration in the second round.
Raiders Notes: King, Mack, Draft
The Raiders recently released Marquette King following what was described as a personality clash between the veteran punter and new Oakland head coach Jon Gruden, but King says he’s perfectly capable of toning down his act if need be. “You can’t judge me by what you see on TV or social media, and sadly, a lot of people do that,” King tells Jim Trotter of NFL.com. “If those things were an issue, just sit down and tell me. I can be a zombie if you want me to. But everybody knows what they sign up for when they get into professional sports. You know there are going to be ups and downs, and you’ve got to be able to handle them regardless of the situation, with professionalism and a positive attitude.” King has since signed a thee-year pact with the Broncos, and is clearly relishing the opportunity to play against the Raiders twice per season from here on out.
- Although the Raiders are reportedly not close to an extension with star pass rusher Khalil Mack, the club expects to reach an agreement before the 2018 campaign gets underway, tweets Trotter. Mack failed to report for the first day of voluntary workouts on Tuesday, but no one inside the Oakland organization is panicking, per Trotter. The fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Mack has averaged 12 sacks per year over the past three seasons and is likely looking for an annual salary in the $20MM range. Mack, 27, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and is scheduled to earn a base salary of $13.836MM thanks to his fifth-year option.
- Several rival teams have told Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com that the Raiders are open to dealing the No. 10 overall selection, and a trade could become all the more likely if a quarterback prospect is still on the board when Oakland’s turn comes. While the draft’s top four signal-callers may well be gone by pick No. 10, second-tier passers such as Lamar Jackson and/or Mason Rudolph could still be available (one AFC executive thinks both will be selected in the top-20, per La Canfora). At that point, the Raiders — who are already set with Derek Carr under center — could collect extra draft capital by moving back a few slots.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/10/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: DE Martin Ifedi
Detroit Lions
- Placed on the Reserve/Retired List: OT Emmett Cleary
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: LS Andrew East
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/9/18
Here are today’s minor moves.
Detroit Lions
- Signed RFA tender: WR T.J. Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on Reserve/Retired list: WR Rodney Adams
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Tim Wright
Oakland Raiders
- Signed ERFA tender: LB Shilique Calhoun
- Signed ERFA tender: LB James Cowser
- Signed ERFA tender: S Erik Harris
- Signed ERFA tender: OL Denver Kirkland
- Signed ERFA tender: K Giorgio Tavecchio
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OL Joseph Cheek
- Signed: OL Larson Graham
- Signed: OL Parker Collins
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Victor Ochi
Washington Redskins
- Waived: QB Stephen Morris
Raiders, Khalil Mack Not Close On Extension
Reggie McKenzie has long said he is targeting this offseason for a Khalil Mack extension, and that deal is expected to ensure the top Raiders talent is the NFL’s highest-paid defender. But this process has evidently encountered some turbulence.
Mack did not show for the first day of Jon Gruden‘s offseason program Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). This is out of the ordinary for Mack, who is going into his final year of his rookie contract (via the fifth-year option). And this might be contract-related.
The Raiders and Mack were discussing an extension, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets, adding the team was hoping to get this done quickly. But Gehlken reports the sides are not close on a deal. The Raiders made an offer in February, but that apparently was not a satisfactory proposal for Mack’s camp — now headed by the same agent, Joel Segal, who oversaw Trumaine Johnson playing two seasons on franchise tags.
Oakland finished up crucial contracts for Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson last offseason but, like every other team with a 2014 first-round pick who was in line for a new deal, pushed a Mack re-up to the back-burner because of the fifth-year option. Other than Mike Evans, none of the 2014 first-rounders have signed extensions yet. Mack is one of several star players among that contingent and, in a year when the cap has settled at $177MM, would be in line to not only surpass Von Miller‘s $19MM-AAV agreement (finalized in a $155MM cap year) but become the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year defender.
Since it’s just Day 1 of the offseason program, this is not considered a holdout. But with Mack having not been connected to a holdout like fellow ’14 draftees Aaron Donald or Odell Beckham Jr., it’s a situation to monitor.
Raiders Sign DE Armonty Bryant
The Raiders have announced the signing of free-agent defensive end Armonty Bryant, who last appeared in five games for the Lions in 2016. Bryant became the Raiders’ second free-agent addition to their defense Friday, also signed cornerback Senquez Golson.
Bryant, 27, had three sacks, four tackles and forced a fumble in his time with the Lions, his only season with the team. They released him after he was suspended for the first four games of the 2017 season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy and he didn’t appear in a game last season.
The terms of Bryant’s deal have yet to be reported. He had a career-high 5 1/2 sacks while playing in 14 games in 2015 with the Browns, who drafted him in the seventh round of the 2013 draft out of East Central (Okla.).
Bryant is the Raider’ second addition to their defensive line via free agency. The team also signed former 49ers defensive end Tank Carradine to a one-year deal.
Khalil Mack and Mario Edwards Jr. are slated to start at defensive end for the Raiders. They also have Jihad Ward, James Cowser, Fadol Brown and Joby Saint Fleur on the roster at defensive end, along with Bryant and Carradine.
Raiders Sign CB Senquez Golson
The Raiders continued to add to their secondary this offseason by signing free-agent cornerback Senquez Golson, per a team release. The terms of the deal have yet to be reported.
The Steelers made Golson a second-round pick in 2015 but he never played a down in his career with them. He spent the first two years of his career on injured reserve. He suffered another injury in the 2017 preseason and was waived by the Steelers. He was signed to the Buccaneers’ practice squad but was released shortly after and has yet to appear in a regular-season game.
The Raiders have been busy adding pieces to their secondary this offseason. They signed cornerback Rashaan Melvin to a one-year, $5.5MM deal, safety Marcus Gilchrist to a one-year, $4MM deal, cornerback Leon Hall to a one-year, $1.01MM deal, cornerback Shareece Wright to a one-year, $1.01MM deal and re-signed Reggie Nelson to a one-year deal.
Melvin and Gareon Conley are projected to start at cornerback, with Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph projected to start at safety. The team parted ways with cornerbacks David Amerson and Sean Smith earlier this offseason.
Giants Had Interest In Marquette King
Marquette King signed with the Broncos, but not before hearing from some other interested teams. The Giants were among the clubs to reach out to the former Raiders punter, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). 
Ultimately, the Giants were unwilling to match or exceed the Broncos’ offer. King’s contract is a two-year, $4MM deal with an option that can take him into a third year at an additional $2MM, which would give him $6MM in total. If King is a First-Team All-Pro in 2019, his 2020 salary will escalate from $2MM to $3MM, boosting the total value of the pact to $7MM. It’s worth noting that despite King’s notoriety, he has never before earned a First-Team All-Pro nod. The closest he ever came in that regard was a Second-Team All-Pro selection in 2016.
King’s previous deal with the Raiders had him as the fifth-highest paid punter in the league at an average rate of $3.3MM/year. His new deal puts him in the middle of the pack at $2MM/year, so this is ostensibly a bargain signing for the Broncos.
The Vikings also expressed interest in King before he agreed to terms with Denver.
Raiders Eyeing Rookie Punters
- The Raiders were already looking at punter options before releasing Marquette King. Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets that special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia “privately worked out” Texas punter Michael Dickson and Alabama punter JK Scott.
[SOURCE LINK]
Broncos To Sign Marquette King
Things are moving quickly for the Broncos and punter Marquette King. Denver is expected to sign him to a three-year deal, a source tells Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). The contract is worth $7MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The base value of King’s deal is worth just $2MM, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post tweets, so he’ll have to hit certain incentives in order to realize the full $7MM potential value of his deal.
King was released by the Raiders late last week without much warning. Apparently, new head coach Jon Gruden was not a fan of King’s outspoken personality, but that did not dissuade other contenders from expressing interest in him. The Vikings quickly got in contact with King and it did not take long for the Broncos to get down to brass tacks with his agent.
King is perhaps the league’s best known punter thanks to his persona and is also among the very best in terms of performance. The Broncos have revamped their special teams unit this offseason and the addition of King is the latest, and perhaps most impactful, shakeup.
In 2017, King’s 47.4 yards per punt average was the sixth-highest in the NFL and his net average of 42.7 per try placed him third, behind only Brett Kern (Titans) and Johnny Hekker (Rams).
With King on board, the Broncos will likely shop incumbent punter Riley Dixon.