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Thomas Rawls To Visit Jets

March 28th, 2018 at 5:38pm CST by Micah Powell

Former Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls is set to visit the Jets on Thursday, a source told Brian Costello of the New York (Twitter link). 

At the outset of the period, Rawls was not tendered by the Seahawks as a restricted free agent.

The visit marks the second stop in free agency for the third-year running back, who also met with the Chiefs earlier this month. The Jets have recently added former Browns running back Isaiah Crowell to their backfield, pairing him with Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire.

Undrafted coming out of Central Michigan in 2015, Rawls enjoyed a strong start to his career as a fill-in for Marshawn Lynch, posting 830 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games as a rookie. That season he also led the league in yards per attempts with 5.6. He has yet to replicate that success, however, gaining just 506 yards in 21 games over the last two seasons. In 2017, he featured in a revolving-door backfield in Seattle with Eddie Lacy, Chris Carson and J.D. McKissic.

NFL Approves Rule Changes For 2018

March 27th, 2018 at 12:25pm CST by Zachary Links

At this week’s owners’ meetings, the NFL moved to ratify several proposed changes to on- and off-field rules. Here’s the full rundown:

Playing Rules Changes:

  1. By Competition Committee; Makes permanent the playing rule that changes the spot of the next snap after a touchback resulting from a free kick to the 25-yard line.
  2. By Competition Committee; Changes standard for a catch.
  1. By Competition Committee; Authorizes the designated member of the Officiating department to instruct on-field game officials to disqualify a player for a flagrant non-football act when a foul for that act is called on the field.

Approved 2018 Bylaws Summary

  1. By Competition Committee; Makes permanent the liberalization of rules for timing, testing, and administering physical examinations to draft-eligible players at a club’s facility.
  1.  By Buffalo; For one year only, amends Article XVII, Section 17.4 to liberalize the rule for reacquisition of a player assigned via waivers.

3. By Denver; Amends Article XVII, Section 17.16 to permit clubs to trade players from Reserve/Injured.

4. By Minnesota; Amends Article XVIII, Section 18.1 to replace the 10-day postseason claiming period with a 24-hour period.

The change to this year’s catch rule, naturally, has garnered the most attention given the number of controversies around iffy catches last season. The new language means that the “survive the ground” verbiage will not survive in the new league year.

From a transactions standpoint, the rule change to allow players to be traded from the injured reserve list is an interesting one. Many deals have been scuttled in the past due to this restriction, but this adjustment could result in even more NFL trades going forward.

Conspicuously absent from the list is the “Josh McDaniels rule” that would have allowed assistants to be hired while their teams are still in the postseason. That proposal has been tabled until May, according to NFL.com’s Judy Battista (on Twitter).

Ravens Notes: Crabtree, Ryan Grant, Free Agency

March 16th, 2018 at 8:54pm CST by Micah Powell

Baltimore made a big splash in free agency on Friday, signing veteran receiver Michael Crabtree a day after his release from the Raiders. The move potentially gives the team a go-to, possession receiver that it hasn’t had in a number of years.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said as much after the completion of the three-year deal worth up to $21MM. According to the Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec (Twitter link): “Michael has played very well against the Ravens, so we know firsthand the attributes he brings to the game. He is a smart, tough, physical receiver who battles for the ball.”

Newsome remembers well, as Crabtree has topped 80 yards in three out of four regular-season meetings with the Ravens and has posted five touchdowns. That included a three-score outing vs. the typically stingy defense in 2016.

Known for utilizing his big arm early in his career, quarterback Joe Flacco has worked closer to the line of scrimmage in recent years and has posted at least a 64% completion rate in each season in 2015. That is likely to continue with a reliable option like Crabtree joining the hold.

Here’s more from Baltimore:

  • Despite signing both John Brown and Crabtree, Newsome hasn’t ruled out a return to the fold for Mike Wallace and Michael Campanaro, ESPN’s Jamison Hensley tweets. According to Hensley, the team has been in contact with both receivers.
  • Newsome said the team would have pursued Crabtree regardless if the team signed Ryan Grant or not,” Zrebiec tweets. The team voided a contract with the former Redskins wideout after he failed a physical.
  • Sticking with Grant, Newsome said via Zrebiec on Twitter: “I did not get the results of Ryan’s physical until about 4 o’clock yesterday.” He said the team consulted with many doctors around the country. “It’s not a football decision. It’s a medical decision that I had no control over.”
  • Before news of the Crabtree signing hit, Newsome said the team could add two or three more quality football players, Zrebiec tweets. Recently, Pro Football Rumors listed Baltimore’s top three offseason needs and named adding receiver help, beefing up the pass rush and fortifying the secondary as the team’s top goals. It checked No. 1 off the board with the Crabtree move.

Extra Points: Seahawks, Nelson, Browns

March 15th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are in the mix to sign Jordy Nelson, but it’s not a done deal just yet. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) cautions not to count out the Seahawks in the Nelson chase, given John Schneider‘s history with the wide receiver.

In 2008, the Packers traded back with the Jets in the second round in order to select Nelson. Schneider was a big reason for that deal as he advocated for Nelson in the war room. Now, Schneider is at the helm in Seattle with a very real chance at signing the veteran.

The Saints, reportedly, are also pushing to sign Nelson.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Browns GM John Dorsey said he released cornerback Jason McCourty because he wasn’t sure he’d make the roster and, given his veteran status, wanted to give him a chance to catch on with another team (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon). McCourty had a solid bounce back year with the Browns, so it’s surprising to hear that Dorsey wasn’t sure if McCourty would quality for the 53-man roster. In any event, he figures to have a ripe market.
  • Meanwhile, Browns coach Hue Jackson confirmed that Tyrod Taylor is the Browns starting quarterback for 2018. “He’s going to be the starting quarterback. There is no competition,” Jackson said (Twitter link via NFL.com’s James Palmer). The Browns hold the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks in this year’s draft and one of those selections will almost certainly be used on a QB. Whoever that rookie is, apparently, will be learning from the bench at the outset.
  • The Raiders were a close second for Johnathan Joseph before he agreed to re-sign with the Texans, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Joseph re-upped with Houston on Thursday with a two-year deal.
  • The Eagles and Giants are showing interest in Bears free agent punter Pat O’Donnell, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Receiver Notes: Landry, Dez, A-Rob, Evans

March 10th, 2018 at 10:06pm CST by Micah Powell

No players have dominated the news more in the last two days than Jarvis Landry and Richard Sherman. On Friday, the Browns kicked off their trading spree by landing the Dolphins wideout in a deal for draft picks. Earlier in the day, Sherman was released from the Seahawks and then signed with the division-rival 49ers Saturday Night.

The two possibly could have been connected on the transaction wire earlier in the 2017 season if a blockbuster deal would have gone through. That’s according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who tweets that Seattle rejected a potential Landry-for-Sherman swap in 2017.

At the time of the proposed deal, presumably before the trade deadline, Sherman was healthy and the Seahawks were looking to advance to the postseason for the sixth consecutive. Trading away a key member of the secondary and an influential figure in the locker room doesn’t appear to make much sense.

Regardless, it is interesting both teams were looking to move on from their respective stars as early as October.

Here’s more receivers making news:

  • Before both of those deals went down, Mike Evans grabbed headlines by signing a five-year deal with the Buccaneers worth $82.5 MM. Breaking down the details, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry tweets the Bucs will $5 MM of salary cap space in 2018 and he now takes up $18.25 MM of cap room.
  • During a chat with the Dallas Morning News on Friday, Matt Mosley said his gut feeling is that Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant will be back in 2018. He said that could change if the team lands a receiver in the first round. Alabama’s Calvin Ridley, among others, could be on the board when the Cowboys pick at No. 19.
  • Though they didn’t place the franchise tag on him, the Jaguars do in fact like Allen Robinson and would like to have him back at the right price, general manager Dave Caldwell told Pro Football Talk. “At some point in time, just like other free agents, we’ve walked away. We don’t want to do that with Allen because he’s ours. We’ll see. We have a lot of options on the table with that.”

Extra Points: Lions, Ebron, Ravens, Bailey

March 9th, 2018 at 2:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions met with tight end Eric Ebron on Thursday to discuss his future, Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. Team officials let him know that they are are open to dealing him and didn’t not guarantee that he’ll be back with the team for 2018.

Ebron, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 draft, has had an up-and-down career in Detroit. On the plus side, he had less issues with dropped passes in 2017 than in years past.

There’s reason to believe that Ebron, who doesn’t turn 25 until April, can grow from here. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 57 catches for 642 yards and it’s possible that a change of scenery can help him reach the next level.

Here’s more from around the NFL on a busy Friday:

Latest On 2018 Salary Cap

February 25th, 2018 at 6:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

A few figures about the 2018 NFL salary cap have emerged over the past few months. Now that the date a universal number will lock in as the new salary ceiling, a more specific figure has surfaced.

The 2018 cap will exceed $178MM and may come in north of $179MM, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. If the cap settles north of $179MM, it would mark a record increase in the cap era.

This report comes after a December estimation the cap would fall between $174-$178MM. A January report pegged the new cap as potentially being higher than $180MM, and this one doesn’t necessarily refute that. But this marks the most specific range to date about the ’18 cap. The NFL and NFLPA decided on a $167MM cap last year, and the new number will emerge soon.

Here’s what the league’s salary cap has looked like over the last few years:

  • 2013: $123MM
  • 2014: $133MM
  • 2015: $143.28MM
  • 2016: $155.27MM
  • 2017: $167MM

Florio notes that despite a decline in ratings, the NFL will likely see continued growth in future spending allotments. A growth in the cost of the Thursday Night Football package — from $450MM annually to at least $550MM — illustrates the commodity the league remains.

Chad O’Shea A Candidate To Be Next Patriots OC?

January 29th, 2018 at 7:03pm CST by Micah Powell

With the departure of Josh McDaniels to Indianapolis imminent, the team will be in search of its first offensive coordinator since McDaniels took the job in 2012. In a piece detailing the transition Tom Brady will have to make, NBC Sports’ Tom E. Curran writes that receivers coach Chad O’Shea is a potential candidate to assume the role. Chad O'Shea (vertical)

If the team decides to go the in-house route, O’Shea appears to be the obvious candidate. A former college quarterback, O’Shea has served as an assistant or coach since 2003 with the last eight seasons coming with New England. He also currently serves as the team’s red zone coordinator, so his hands are all over the offense.

O’Shea also has previous, albeit limited, game-calling experience. He assumed the role in New England’s final preseason game against the Giants, a 40-38 loss. In the game, third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns.

Under O’Shea’s direction, Wes Welker and Julian Edelman both cracked 100 catches in a season. In 2017, Brandin Cooks recorded his third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign in his first season with the Patriots, and Danny Amendola registered 61 receptions.

 

2018 Salary Cap Could Exceed $180MM?

January 18th, 2018 at 8:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s salary cap has risen dramatically over the past five years, with the 2016-17 increase nearly doubling as the biggest since the cap was implemented.

In December, a report emerged indicating the 2018 cap would likely fall between $174.2MM and $178.1MM. It it ends up within that range would, that would not top the growth of this past year — when the cap vaulted from $155.27MM to $167MM — but it would still be in line with recent spikes.

But Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears the cap may be set to move past the $180MM mark. That $13MM-plus increase would mean the highest climb in the cap era. Here’s what the salary cap has looked like over the past five years:

  • 2013: $123MM
  • 2014: $133MM
  • 2015: $143.28MM
  • 2016: $155.27MM
  • 2017: $167MM

In the years prior to 2013, the cap stagnated, with the 2009 salary ceiling of $123MM matching the 2013 cap number. But the expected growth will benefit the next group of free agents. Although Florio notes teams are ready to spend on the next crop of UFAs, he categorizes the upcoming class as not being particularly enticing. He adds the number of franchise-tagged performers could well rise.

Coaching Rumors: Cardinals, Bears, Bengals

January 6th, 2018 at 6:59pm CST by Zachary Links

After the Titans’ exciting victory over the Chiefs, one has to imagine that coach Mike Mularkey is off the hot seat. Still, there are a number of head coaching vacancies left around the league.

Here are the latest coaching rumors from around the NFL:

  • Mike Munchak‘s interview with the Cardinals will take place on Sunday, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • If hired by the Bears, John DeFilippo would be be willing to retain Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator, Peter Schrager of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears. The Bears want Fangio back, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter) adds, but other teams and head coaching candidates are interested in bringing him on staff.
  • Linebackers coach Jim Haslett will remain on the Bengals‘ defensive staff, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter). However, Jacob Burney (defensive line) will not be returning, Alex Marvez of The Sporting News tweets.
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