Davis Webb A Potential First-Round Pick?
California quarterback Davis Webb is a candidate to be selected in the first round of next month’s draft, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who cites a “growing sense” Webb may be chosen on Day 1.
The Jets, Chiefs, and Chargers have all set up interviews with Webb, per Cole, while the Ravens and Buccaneers have also expressed interest in the 6’5″ signal-caller. A club could trade back into the first round with an eye towards drafting Webb, reports Cole, and such a move would enable a team to hold a fifth-year option on Webb. That option — for the 2021 campaign — would allow a club to retain Webb for a fifth season at a cheap rate.
While Webb has generally been considered a Day 2 pick to this point, the overall demand for quarterbacks could conceivably force him into the back end of Round 1. At present, Todd McShay of ESPN.com ranks Webb as the draft’s No. 7 QB, behind Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, Patrick Mahomes, Nathan Peterman, and Joshua Dobbs.
Webb, 22, transferred to Cal from Texas Tech after losing out on the Red Raiders’ starting job to Mahomes. In his only season with the Bears, Webb completed 61.6% of his passes for 4,295 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Nick Folk, Joe Hawley Contract Details
- Nick Folk, K (Buccaneers): One year, $1.75MM. $750K guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
- Joe Hawley, C (Buccaneers): Two years, $5.5MM. $1MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times).
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Patriots released running back Tyler Gaffney, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Gaffney has an extensive history with the Patriots but hasn’t played in a game. He spent the past three summers with the team, failing to make New England’s 53-man roster out of camp in each. He vacillated between the Pats’ active roster and practice squad last year, so if history is any indication, a reunion at could ensue at some point later this year.
- The Chargers re-signed previously non-tendered defensive end Tenny Palepoi, according to a team announcement. Palepoi missed the entire 2015 season with a foot injury but returned to action in 2016. He had 13 tackles in 13 games but wound up missing the last three contests due to a PED suspension. He still has to finish out that ban by sitting out one game in 2017.
- Another Bolts move: ERFA wide receiver Geremy Davis signed his tender.
- The Panthers announce they’ve re-signed cornerback Teddy Williams to a one-year extension. Mainly utilized in a special teams role, Williams played in only three games last year due to a knee injury. In 2015, he appeared in all 16 regular-season contests for the NFC champions.
- Long snapper Jon Condo re-signed with the Raiders. Condo’s been the Silver and Black’s long snapper since the 2007 season after breaking into the NFL with the 2005 Cowboys. Given that long snappers have a precise salary range — 14 of them earn between $1MM and $1.15MM per year — it’s fairly easy to project Condo’s next contract’s AAV. The 36-year-old is the Raiders’ second-longest-tenured player behind Sebastian Janikowski.
- Cody Parkey will have some competition with the Browns this summer. Cleveland added CFL kicker Brett Maher from the CFL. The 27-year-old hasn’t appeared in an NFL game yet. He’s kicked in Canada for the past three seasons, spending 2016 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Maher made 41 of 50 field goal tries for Hamilton. Parkey, 24, hit 20 of his 25 attempts and made 20 of 21 PATs.
- The Redskins announced the re-signing of left tackle Ty Nsekhe. Washington placed an ERFA tender on Nsekhe, who at 31 is much older than players normally involved in these transactions. Nsekhe spent the past two seasons with Washington, starting in six games in that span. Four of those starts came last season while Trent Williams was serving a substance-abuse suspension.
- After the Nick Folk signing created a stacked Buccaneers kicker depth chart, the team released John Lunsford, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Folk and Roberto Aguayo will battle for the Bucs’ kicker job, leaving Lunsford without a role.
Latest On Doug Martin, Roberto Aguayo
As Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times writes, there are a number of factors working against Martin’s return, including his injury history, the above-referenced suspension, and the fact that his salary is no longer guaranteed as a result of the suspension. Cummings believes the team would be wise to select a running back from the deep class of RBs in the 2017 draft, and if the Bucs land one of this year’s top prospects, that might spell the end of Martin’s tenure in Tampa Bay.
We heard earlier this month that the Buccaneers have “loose plans” for Doug Martin, which seemed to substantiate a prior report that the team was considering retaining their long-time running back. Martin, who will be suspended for the first three games of next season as part of a four-game ban he received in 2016 for violating the league’s PED policy, recently completed a voluntary rehab stint and met with head coach Dirk Koetter and GM Jason Licht a week before the scouting combine. Koetter and Licht both had nice things to say about Martin, but they were still vague on his future with the club.
- Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders says that the Buccaneers‘ recent signing of Nick Folk suggests that the team is prepared to move on from Roberto Aguayo, though Tampa Bay could carry two kickers next season if need be and have Aguayo serve as a kickoff specialist if he cannot beat out Folk for full-time duties. Folk recorded just 39 touchbacks in 2016, the third-worst mark in the league, though he and Aguayo averaged the same distance average on kickoffs.
Buccaneers To Sign Nick Folk
A year after trading up for kicker Roberto Aguayo and using a second-round draft pick on the ex-Florida State star, the Buccaneers may be ready to replace him. Tampa Bay has reached an agreement with free agent kicker Nick Folk, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The team announced the signing in a press release.
Folk had been on the market since the Jets released him Feb. 23, which had more to do with opening up cap room than unhappiness with his performance. The 32-year-old, after all, drilled 27 of 31 field goal attempts and connected on 24 of 26 extra points last season. After he went through four down years with the Cowboys and Jets from 2009-12, Folk converted between 81.3 and 91.7 percent of field goals in each of the past four seasons.
Given Folk’s track record, it would seemingly be rather auspicious for the Bucs if Aguayo were to beat out the veteran during the summer for the team’s kicking job. Aguayo’s preseason issues last year transferred to the regular season, in which he made only 22 of 31 field goals. At 71 percent, he ranked last among the NFL’s 31 qualified kickers in conversion rate. On the positive side, Aguayo did make 32 of 34 extra points.
Bucs Notes: Smith, Cherilus
- Interior offensive lineman Evan Smith received a $1MM roster bonus on Wednesday, a clear indication that he’ll be a member of the Buccaneers‘ 2017 roster, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times details. Smith has only started seven games over the past two seasons, and will likely remain the Bucs’ top reserve at the pivot and both guard spots after center Joe Hawley re-signed earlier today. As Auman writes, Tampa Bay’s front five is currently in flux, and a number of line combinations could be in play next year. Smith, 30, will earn a base salary of $3.5MM in 2017 while carrying a cap charge of $4.5MM.
- Interior offensive lineman Evan Smith received a $1MM roster bonus on Wednesday, a clear indication that he’ll be a member of the Buccaneers‘ 2017 roster, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times details. Smith has only started seven games over the past two seasons, and will likely remain the Bucs’ top reserve at the pivot and both guard spots after center Joe Hawley re-signed earlier today. As Auman writes, Tampa Bay’s front five is currently in flux, and a number of line combinations could be in play next year. Smith, 30, will earn a base salary of $3.5MM in 2017 while carrying a cap charge of $4.5MM.
- Although one report indicated Buccaneers offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus retired yesterday, the veteran lineman has not formally decided to hang up his cleats, as Auman tweets. However, Cherilus is not seeking a new contract and won’t participate in the free agent process. This could be a “soft retirement” for Cherlius, could simply be a matter of semantics. Cherilus, 32, has played nine NFL seasons.
Buccaneers Re-Sign C Joe Hawley
The Bucs announced that they’ve re-signed center Joe Hawley. It’s a two-year deal. 
Hawley was ranked as one of our top 15 centers on the open market heading into free agency. He’ll now return to Tampa Bay and likely continue as the starting center. Hawley has been the Bucs’ No. 1 man in the middle since 2015.
The Buccaneers did have a couple of free agent options left to survey at center if they wanted to move on from Hawley. Former Jet Nick Mangold remains on the board and ex-Bucs center Jeremy Zuttah became a late addition when the Ravens cut him on Wednesday. However, Tampa Bay did not want to lose the 28-year-old (29 in October).
As Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) notes, Hawley is the seventh free agent to re-sign with Bucs, joining Bryan Anger, William Gholston, Jacquizz Rodgers, Chris Conte, Josh Robinson and Sealver Siliga.
Gosder Cherilus To Retire
Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus is planning to retire, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cherilus is an unrestricted free agent, but he won’t participate in the free agent process, per Fowler.
Cherilus, 32, began his career as a first-round pick of the Lions in 2008. The Boston College alum was a full-time starter that season, as he would be for the next eight campaigns. After his rookie contract expired, Cherilus signed a five-year, $35MM contract with the Colts that made him the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL.
After two years in Indianapolis, Cherilus was released, his tenure with the Colts not nearly as successful as his run with Detroit. Cherilus quickly landed with the Buccaneers, and started 13 games in 2015 before becoming a reserve this past season. In 2016, Cherilus only played on about 20% of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps.
All told, Cherilus appeared in 131 games over his nine-year NFL career. Ultimately, he lived up to his draft billing, as he’s currently the 20th-most valuable member of the 2008 draft by approximate value. PFR wishes Cherilus nothing but the best as he enters retirement.
Bucs Made Push To Sign Nick Foles
The Buccaneers made a “strong push” for quarterback Nick Foles before he signed with the Eagles, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, who last week reported mutual interest between Tampa Bay and Foles. Foles ended up inking a two-year, $11MM deal with Philadelphia that includes $7MM guaranteed. The Bucs could conceivably target another veteran backup quarterback, or simply roll with Ryan Griffin, whom they tendered at the original round level as a restricted free agent.
Buccaneers Sign Garrison Sanborn
- The Buccaneers have a new long snapper, as they’ve agreed to sign Garrison Sanborn to one-year deal after working him out today, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Sanborn, 31, had appeared in 128 games for the Bills from 2009-16, but was released last week. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, recently non-tendered restricted free agent long snapper Andrew DePaola, who is recovering from an ACL tear.