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Will Hill

Giants Waive Will Hill

June 2nd, 2014 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of the announcement that he’ll be suspended for the first six games of the 2014 season, Will Hill has been waived by the Giants, the club announced today in a press release. Several reports, including one from Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News last week, suggested that Hill’s stint with the Giants would likely come to an end after his latest transgression.

Hill, 24, started 10 of the 12 games he appeared in for the Giants last season, and played well, compiling 77 tackles and creating a handful of turnovers (two INTs, two forced fumbles, one recovery). Pro Football Focus’ grades ranked Hill as the league’s second-best safety in 2013, behind only Devin McCourty (subscription required), but off-field issues and character red flags have always loomed over his on-field performance.

The latest suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy is Hill’s third, and while it prompted the Giants to cut ties with him, that doesn’t mean another team won’t take a flier. Even though Hill won’t be eligible to appear in more than 10 regular-season games in 2014, his minimum salary contract ($570K) is affordable, and wouldn’t come with any long-term risk. We should find out within the next 24-48 hours whether or not Hill passes through waivers and becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Will Hill Suspended Six Games

May 30th, 2014 at 5:39pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Giants announced safety Will Hill has lost his appeal and been suspended six games by the NFL for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. The 24-year-old safety started 10-of-12 games played last season, and tallied 77 tackles, two passes defended, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. In fact, he was one of the best safeties in football, according to Pro Football Focus, whose grades amounted to a 15.7 overall rating, which ranked ahead of veterans such as T.J. Ward, Eric Berry, Eric Weddle and Earl Thomas.

Trouble has long followed Hill, however, dating back to his days at Florida, where he earned the reputation as a headache thanks to inconsistent play, multiple suspensions, marijuana use and a lewd Twitter account. Despite possessing obvious talent, Hill’s substantial character red flags knocked him off draft boards in 2011. He went undrafted and spent time in the Arena Football League before the Giants took a flier on him in 2012.

By the summer of 2013, Hill had been suspended twice for violating the league’s substance abuse policy (Adderall and marijuana, according to Hill). In December, Hill was arrested on a warrant for outstanding child-support payments. And this April, he failed a drug test, leading to his third suspension.

The flurry of transgressions and consequent punishment appears to signal the end of his Giants career, according to the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano, who tweets the team is “likely done” with Hill.

NFC Mailbags: Giants, Panthers, 49ers, Saints

May 3rd, 2014 at 11:10am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday and that means a fresh batch of mailbags from ESPN’s NFL writers. Let’s take a look at some notes from the NFC…

  • The Giants‘ need for a tight end does not offset their need on the offensive line, writes Dan Graziano. The team added four lineman in free agency, but Graziano believes the team needs to “address the problem in a meaningful, sustainable, long-term way.”
  • Graziano guesses that Giants safety Will Hill will be suspended and subsequently cut. General Manager Jerry Reese said that the team would wait out the appeal process.
  • Taking into account the uncertain future of Greg Hardy, Charles Johnson‘s age and Frank Alexander‘s four-game suspension, the Panthers should select a defensive end in the first round, opines David Newton. Wide receiver and offensive tackle may be the popular picks, but Newton sees value at those positions in the second and third round.
  • Newton projects a longterm deal between the Panthers and Hardy would be in the four-year range, worth $13MM to $15MM a season.
  • The signing of Brandon Lloyd shouldn’t affect the 49ers‘ draft plans at the position, writes Bill Williamson. Anquan Boldin is getting older and Michael Crabtree is entering the final season of his contract, so the position is still a need.
  • Mike Triplett can see the Saints drafting center’s Marcus Martin or Weston Richburg in the first round. The writer attributes Sean Payton‘s history of not selecting offensive lineman in the first round to “happenstance.”
  • Triplett believes the Saints still have interest in Jonathan Goodwin. Triplett adds that the veteran could be a fallback plan if the team’s doesn’t land a center in the early rounds.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Giants, Packers, Saints

April 26th, 2014 at 10:15am CST by Matt Feminis

In an attempt to narrow down the wide range of players the Eagles could select at No. 22, Philly.com’s Jeff McLane focuses on 11 prospects who could pique the team’s interest and be available. Three receivers top the list.

In other NFC news and notes. . .

  • We know the Giants are “livid” at Will Hill over his most recent transgression, but in a mailbag piece, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano writes the team doesn’t know whether Hill will be suspended (because he can appeal), doesn’t know how long the suspension will be or if he’ll be released. “As for a replacement,” writes Graziano, “Stevie Brown was slated to be a starting safety for the Giants this time last year, and assuming he’s fully recovered from his ACL surgery in time for the season, they’d just make him the starter opposite Antrel Rolle.”
  • “The most important Giants player on the defensive side of the ball is Jason Pierre-Paul,” opines Paul Schwartz in the New York Post. “And no one is a close second.” After a breakout season in 2011 with 16.5 sacks, Pierre-Paul “got derailed by physical issues and, perhaps, motivational lapses.” The 25-year-old pass rusher is making his optimism for the upcoming season known, however, saying he’s healthy, in better shape (reportedly a lean 270) and ready for a leadership role. Perhaps most important, he’s motivated entering the final year of his rookie deal knowing he stands to make a fortune if he shows improved production, consistency, durability and stability.
  • Free agent defensive linemen Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly, who started 16 and eight games, respectively, for the Packers last season, remain on the team’s radar. However, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky describes their situation as a “holding pattern,” saying the Packers “will wait to see what comes of the draft and then reassess their needs.”
  • “The last time the Saints promoted two less-experienced starters into their starting o-line (Zach Strief and Brian De La Puente in 2011), they wound up setting the NFL record for yards gained in a season,” writes ESPN’s Mike Triplett. Three years later, the team is preparing for another pair of second-year players to step into starting roles: left tackle Terron Armstead and center Tim Lelito.
  • The 49ers have done their homework on San Jose State quarterback prospect David Fales, seeing him live during the season and working him out at the team’s pro day for local prospects. Head coach Jim Harbaugh thinks Fales is a top-five QB in the draft, according to ESPN’s Bill Williamson.

NFC Notes: Will Hill, Julio Jones, Vikings

April 22nd, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up several NFC West notes earlier this morning, but there are plenty more items to pass along from around the rest of the conference. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….

  • Giants safety Will Hill is facing another drug-related suspension and plans to appeal the results in hopes of avoiding a lengthy absence. However, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes, Hill is likely “done” with the Giants regardless of the appeal’s outcome, since the club is “livid” at the 24-year-old’s continued drug issues.
  • Speaking to reporters today, including ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link), Falcons head coach Mike Smith indicated Julio Jones “is going to be an Atlanta Falcon for a long, long, long time.” Smith didn’t specifically address Jones’ fifth-year option, but I imagine the only way that won’t be exercised is if Atlanta reaches a longer-term agreement with Jones before the May 3 deadline.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds offensive tackle Greg Robinson to the list of prospects visiting the Falcons this week.
  • A source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that Blake Bortles won’t be visiting or working out for the Vikings. It’s hard to know how to interpret the report — if it’s Bortles’ decision, he may be confident he’ll be drafted before the Vikings pick at No. 8. If it’s Minnesota’s decision, perhaps the team simply knows all it needs to after watching Bortles and meeting with him at his Pro Day.
  • Speaking of Vikings quarterbacks, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, with the help of cap expert Joel Corry, explains why the club’s decision on Christian Ponder‘s fifth-year option isn’t as simple as it may seem on the surface.
  • We heard yesterday that Kareem Martin has visited the Vikings, and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says the Cowboys and Panthers will also be hosting the UNC defensive end.
  • The Lions invited five tryout players to minicamp, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter): Kevin Matthews (C), Sherman Carter (G), Josh Jenkins (G), Cordaro Howard (T), and Jordan Thompson (TE).

Bears’ Mills Tops Performance-Based Pay List

March 24th, 2014 at 6:59pm CST by Matt Feminis

Bears rookie right tackle Jordan Mills, whose base salary was $495k last season, will receive approximately $318k from the performance-based pay pool, more than any other player in the league. Created in order to reward players who make the least and play the most, the performance-based league pool is $3.46MM per team. Each team’s performance-based pay leader can be found here, courtesy of USA Today.

Mills, a fifth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, started all 16 games for the Bears. However, his starts were more a reflection of the team’s lack of options, as Mills rated as one of the league’s worst starters, ranking last in pass protection (-32.5 rating) and hurries allowed (62). Other notables (dollar figures rounded):