J.J. Wilcox - Pro Football Rumors

The Jets have released safety J.J. Wilcox, per a team announcement. The move will make room for the return of cornerback Rashard Robinson, who has been activated after serving his suspension.

Wilcox and the 49ers were on the one-yard line of talks this past summer before the safety bailed to ink a one-year, $1.25MM deal with the Jets. Wilcox was drawn to the Jets because of Todd Bowles and the opportunity provided by Rontez Miles‘ torn meniscus, but he didn’t do a whole lot for Gang Green during his five-week stay. After totaling just three tackles, Wilcox is being placed back on the curb.

The six-year veteran played his best football with the Cowboys after they selected him in the third-round of the 2013 draft. After four years in Dallas, he signed a free agent deal with the Bucs in 2017, but he was shipped to the Steelers before he could ever wear red and pewter in live action.

Robinson served a four-game suspension to start the season and practiced with the Jets last week on a roster exemption. The cornerback appeared in six games for the Jets last year after coming over in an October trade with the Niners.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Wilcox, Edelman

June 26th, 2018 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this month, the 49ers thought they had a deal with free agent J.J. Wilcox. However, the safety backed out of the agreement at the last minute in order to sign with the Jets. Ultimately, Wilcox says it was an easy call for him to make.

“It was a three-way decision. It was the 49ers, the Jets and my family,” Wilcox said (via NewYorkJets.com). “We came to a decision that it was best to come here. It was an opportunity that was un-turn-down-able and you’ve just got to take it.”

Wilcox indicated that the presence of head coach Todd Bowles was a significant factor in his decision. Wilcox and Bowles first became acquainted with each other during his pre-draft process. Although Bowles’ Cardinals did not draft him in 2013, Wilcox said he gained a great deal of respect for Bowles and liked the idea of playing for a former safety.

“He was a defensive-minded coach, he played the position,” Wilcox said. “When you look at that kind of stuff, you want to go to a guy that knows your position who knows how to make players into great players.”

After signing a one-year, $1.25MM deal with the Jets, Wilcox is now set to be one of the team’s top reserve safeties in the wake of Rontez Miles‘ knee injury.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Julian Edelman should learn the outcome of his appeal rather soon, but it’s hard to say exactly when that will happen, as Mike Florio of PFT writes. The Patriots wide receiver is fighting a four-game ban for a violation of the PED policy and the appeal reportedly got underway on Monday. The CBA dictates that the arbitrator must deliver a ruling within three business days of the completion of the hearing or receipt of the transcript, whichever comes later. Hypothetically, if the transcript is received by the arbitrator on Friday, June 29, a ruling could come down by Thursday, July 5. If the suspension sticks, Edelman will miss games against the Texans, Jaguars, Lions, and Dolphins.
The Jets‘ belief in Eric Tomlinson probably factored into their decision to let Austin Seferian-Jenkins walk in free agency, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. The Jets are hoping that Tomlinson’s blocking – along with the play of Jordan Leggett, Neal Sterling, and Chris Herndon – will get the job done. Tomlinson also flashed receiving skills in a limited sample last year, so he could be a factor in the passing game as well.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Rowe, Jets

June 8th, 2018 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots‘ final roster could include a sixth cornerback, as Doug Kyed of NESN.com writes. Right now, he expects the Pats to roll into the season with Stephon Gilmore, Duke Dawson, Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty, and Eric Rowe as their top five cornerbacks.

However, J.C. Jackson is also making a strong case and has been getting more reps in the starting defense than Rowe this offseason. Keion Crossen and Ryan Lewis have also looked sharp and Cyrus Jones‘ return ability should keep him in the conversation. The only corner who seems to be out of the conversation is Jomal Wiltz, an Iowa State product who spent last year on New England’s taxi squad.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

New Jets safety J.J. Wilcox can earn up to $1.25MM on his one-year contract, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. The deal includes $210K fully guaranteed, which may be more than what he had on the table with the Niners. In the wake of Rontez Miles‘ torn meniscus, Wilcox appears to be in line for an important role behind starting safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.
On Thursday, we learned that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has been suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season, pending an appeal. Here’s a look at some of the potential fallout from the news.
Six years ago today, Rob Gronkowski inked a record-setting deal with the Patriots.

J.J. Wilcox Cancels 49ers Deal, Will Join Jets

June 5th, 2018 at 4:05pm CST by Zachary Links

J.J. Wilcox had a change of heart. After agreeing to a one-year deal with the 49ers on Tuesday morning, Wilcox has agreed in principle to a deal with the Jets, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Apparently, Wilcox decided that he wants to play for Jets head coach Todd Bowles. One source tells Schefter that the safety got “stage fright” after verbally agreeing to sign with San Francisco.

Wilcox, 27, was initially set to spend the 2017 season with the Buccaneers, but they shipped him to the Steelers after signing T.J. Ward in September. He played in 12 games with Pittsburgh, but he ultimately was unable to carve out a role in the secondary or on special teams. By the end of the year, he wound up as a healthy scratch due to his tendency to commit penalties while on special teams. All in all, he finished out with 12 tackles in 12 games.

Wilcox may have an easier path to the 53-man roster in New York than he would have had with the Niners. The Jets will start Jamal Adams at free safety with fellow rising sophomore Marcus Maye at strong safety, but after that things are fairly wide open with Terrence Brooks and Doug Middleton among those looking to lock down reserve jobs.

However, penalties and minor mistakes hurt the Jets last season, including a close loss against the Panthers in November. After the defeat, the Bowles stressed the importance of playing smarter. In keeping with that theme, Wilcox will have to reign in his playing style in order to avoid more yellow flags.

“There were about two or three plays where we had gone over things countless times that we should have known better, certain guys should have known better,” Bowles said (via USA Today). “And that’s a lack of concentration from a discipline standpoint and that has to get better.”

49ers, J.J. Wilcox In Talks

June 5th, 2018 at 10:34am CST by Zachary Links

[UPDATE: Wilcox backed out of his deal with the 49ers in order to sign with the Jets.]

Safety J.J. Wilcox is signing a one-year deal with the 49ers, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

Wilcox, 27, was initially set to spend the 2017 season with the Buccaneers, but they shipped him to the Steelers after signing T.J. Ward in September. He played in 12 games with Pittsburgh, but he ultimately was unable to carve out a role in the secondary or on special teams. By the end of the year, he wound up as a healthy scratch due to his tendency to commit penalties while on special teams. All in all, he finished out with 12 tackles in 12 games.

With the Niners, he’ll try to clean up his special teams play and push to make the team as a backup to Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt. One backup safety spot is already locked up by third-round pick Tarvarius Moore, but the competition is fairly open after that.

Steelers Release S J.J. Wilcox

April 30th, 2018 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have released safety J.J. Wilcox, according to a team announcement. The move will save the team $3.125MM while leaving $675K on the cap in dead money.

Wilcox’s spot was rumored to be in jeopardy throughout the offseason due to his salary. When the Steelers selected two safeties over the weekend (and signed one UDFA safety on Sunday), that all but confirmed the buzz. At one point in time, the Steelers appeared to consider retaining Wilcox at a reduced rate, but that option is no longer on the table.

Wilcox, 27, appeared in 12 games in his first season for Pittsburgh last year. The former third round pick was initially set to play out the 2017 season with the Buccaneers, but they shipped him to the Steelers after signing T.J. Ward in September. The Bucs may be a club to keep an eye on as Wilcox looks for his next deal.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Gordon, Steelers

March 1st, 2018 at 4:12pm CST by Zachary Links

In a departure from comments made last offseason, Browns coach Hue Jackson says that he wants wide receiver Josh Gordon to be in Cleveland for a “long time.”

“Well, I think the first thing, if we tender him, which we will, that’s where he’ll be,” Jackson said (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). “But we want Josh Gordon to be a Cleveland Brown for a long time. We’ll see where that all goes, but he has to do his part in that. And we hope he will, and I’m sure he will.”

Gordon is an exclusive rights free agent, meaning that he’ll be back with the Browns on an inexpensive one-year deal. It’s not clear whether the Browns have discussed a multi-year extension with Gordon, but Jackson would be a proponent of a new contract.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

The Steelers recently reached out to safety J.J. Wilcox to express interest in a return for 2018, a source tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Steelers can save $3.125MM by cutting Wilcox with just $675K in dead money, but the Steelers have some interest in retaining him, perhaps under a reduced figure. The Steelers will also have to make a decision regarding fellow safety Mike Mitchell, who is slated to carry a $5MM cap hit.
With the Rams reportedly set to move on from wide receiver Tavon Austin, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun wonders aloud if the Ravens could bring the former Dunbar star home. The Ravens need to overhaul their receiver corps this season with a particular emphasis on speed. The team has been widely connected to Jarvis Landry, but Austin would represent a much cheaper option in every sense of the word. The Dolphins hit Landry with the $16MM+ franchise tag in February with the hope of trading him, likely for draft compensation. Austin, meanwhile, seems likely to get released outright, even though the Rams would ideally like to recoup something for him. Because of the offset language in Austin’s contract, that means he could probably be had for the league minimum or close to it.
A deeper look at the contract of Bengals tackle Bobby Hart reveals that he is not a lock to make the team’s final roster.

North Notes: Vikings, Browns, McCarron

February 15th, 2018 at 9:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Now that’s been declared an unrestricted free agent, Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron says he’s “open to everything,” according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It’s just awesome just to be free now and to hopefully get that opportunity and be able to compete somewhere,” said McCarron. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I’m just super excited.” McCarron, who won a grievance against the Bengals, will now join a free agent signal-caller class that includes Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, and Sam Bradford, among others. In what sounds like speculation, the Browns (who nearly traded for McCarron last year) and the Vikings are two team to “keep an eye on” as McCarron hits the open market, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

The Steelers rank as a bottom-three NFL club in terms of 2018 cap space, and they’ll likely clear more room by releasing defensive backs Mike Mitchell and J.J. Wilcox over the coming weeks, as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Pittsburgh can clear $5MM by cutting the 30-year-old Mitchell, and Dulac says it’s “become apparent” to the Steelers coaching staff that Mitchell can’t run as well as he used to. Wilcox, meanwhile, was a preseason trade acquisition who ended up playing only 14% of the Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps a year ago. If the Steelers do end up altering their defensive backfield, former second-round pick Sean Davis will likely transition from strong to free safety.
While Mitchell and Wilcox could be forced off the Steelers‘ roster, offensive tackle Chris Hubbard is likely to leave of his own accord, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Hubbard, 26, had only started four games during the first three years of his career, but was inserted into Pittsburgh’s lineup for 10 games in 2017. During that time, Hubbard offered league-average production, grading as the No. 40 tackle among 81 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Per Fowler, Hubbard is going to “get paid elsewhere, and the Steelers know it.”
Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman is expected to retire or be released, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Freeman, 31, inked a three-year, $12MM contract with Chicago prior to the 2016 season, but injuries and two performance-enhancing drug suspensions have limited him to just 13 games over the past two years. Without Freeman, the Bears will likely field Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkowski at inside linebacker.
Updating a previous report, former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan is indeed still running his scouting service and has not been hired full-time by the Browns, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. McCloughan is providing consulting work for multiple NFL clubs.