Redskins Could Move On From Jordan Reed After 2018
There’s been a lot of discussion about which Jets players could get cut, but one name not frequently mentioned has been wide receiver Jermaine Kearse. Still, Kearse apparently isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Post. Mehta writes that since Kearse’s $5MM salary is non-guaranteed, he could be cut “if other pass catchers impress in training camp and the preseason.”
While Mehta describes Kearse as someone who was a “positive influence” in 2017 who helped “change the culture in the locker room”, the Jets may still decide they want to get a longer look at some of their younger guys in a year they aren’t likely to compete for a playoff spot anyway. Mehta notes that Kearse’s $5.5MM cap charge is greater than the next four receivers on the depth chart’s put together. Kearse is welcoming the challenge, saying he’s “not going to make it easy” for any of the young players to step up and force him off the roster.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Redskins could move on from Jordan Reed after this season, according to Rich Tandler of NBCSports Washington. Reed was one of the best tight ends in the game for a while, but injuries have derailed his career the past couple years. The guaranteed money in his contract is up after this year and if he can’t prove he can stay healthy in 2018, the team “might not have any choice but to let him go” next offseason writes Tandler.
- Titans rookie Jordan Veasy has a real shot at making the team, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. The undrafted receiver from Cal has reportedly “caught the ball well in practices” and “proven to be a pretty savvy route runner” this offseason.
- Another undrafted free agent with a good chance of making his team’s roster is Ravens wide receiver Janarion Grant, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Mink writes that Grant has impressed as a kick returner this offseason and has real shot at sticking as the Ravens’ primary returner after Michael Campanaro left in free agency.
Brandon Scherff In Line For Big Extension
With Zack Martin recently signing a six-year, $84MM contract ($40MM guaranteed) with the Cowboys, Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post says Redskins guard Brandon Scherff is line for a big extension. The lineman has already earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods during his two seasons in the NFL, and he was rated as one of the best guards in the league per Pro Football Focus. Furthermore, with the organization looking to protect their investment in quarterback Alex Smith, it only makes sense to lock in their offensive line.
Fortunately for Scherff, it sounds like the team is more than willing to keep him around.
“His work ethic is off the charts,” said offensive line coach Bill Callahan. “He’s a guy that continually challenges you as a coach and every day wants to get better, wants to know specifically what he needs to work on to improve. We go over that list continually.
“He’s a guy that you just love to coach because you tell him one time and he gets it and he’s got it. You can do a lot of different things with him because he has that type of versatility and that type of adaptability as well.”
Scherff is set to earn $705K in 2018, but that will be bumped to $12.525MM in 2019 when the Redskins presumably pick up his fifth-year option.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…
- Jay Ajayi is expected to sit atop the Eagles depth chart next season, but Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia says that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll have have 20-plus carries per game. Rather, the writer expects Ajayi to collect less than 200 total carries on the season, especially when you consider the team’s depth at the position and Ajayi’s persistent knee issues. Acquired in a trade with the Dolphins midseason, the running back ultimately appeared in seven games (one start) for the Eagles in 2017, compiling 408 rushing yards and one score on 70 carries. He also collected 42 carries in the playoffs, including a nine-carry, 57-yard performance in the Super Bowl.
- After being released by the Panthers in February, safety Kurt Coleman quickly signed a three-year deal with the Saints that contained more than $6MM in guaranteed money. It sounds like the organization had high hopes when they signed the defensive back to the contract, as Larry Holder of NOLA.com says Coleman could end up replacing Vonn Bell in the starting lineup. The 30-year-old played in 12 games for Carolina last season, compiling 76 tackles and three passes defended. On the flip side, Bell, 23, was plenty productive last year, finishing with 83 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
- We learned yesterday that Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham is facing a one-game suspension.
Derrius Gice Expected To Be Redskins' Starting RB
If rookie Derrius Guice isn’t the Redskins‘ starting running back in Week 1, consider Washington’s backfield a surprise, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Guice was expected to be selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, but off-field concerns ultimately forced him into Day 2. While he’s never been involved in any legal trouble, Guice has been labeled as “immature,” and his pre-draft visit with the Eagles was reportedly the worst such meeting Philadelphia had ever taken with a prospect. All that aside, Guice has landed in an intriguing spot, and should easily be able to beat out the likes of Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine for early-down work in the nation’s capital. Passing downs still belongs to Chris Thompson, who registered 54 catches in 2017 before going down with fractured fibula.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Bears running back Tarik Cohen managed 53 receptions during his rookie season in 2017, and his role could grow even larger during his sophomore NFL campaign, as Cohen told The Jim Rome Show that Chicago’s new offensive staff has been lining him up all over the field. “It’s similar to some of the stuff I did in college,” Cohen said, according to Madeline Kinney of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I feel like like if I can take the football, he (new head coach Matt Nagy) also wants me to take the football, too. So how many plays he has me at — I’ve been everywhere. It’s been crazy.” For what it’s worth, Nagy has reportedly already indicated Jordan Howard will be the Bears’ “main guy” in the backfield, as he well should be after posting 1,000+ yard rushing seasons in each of his first two NFL seasons. But Nagy and new offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich will likely deploy Cohen as a satellite back, as he’s far more capable in the passing game than is Howard.
- 2017 second-round pick Raekwon McMillan was pegged to become the Dolphins‘ starting middle linebacker in his rookie campaign, but a torn ACL ended his first NFL season before it began. Still, Miami brass — including defensive coordinator Matt Burke — still views McMillan as an important part of the club’s defense going forward, as Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post writes. “We had high hopes for him last year,” Burke said. “Nothing he’s done since then has discouraged that. … He’s been really in-tune, been really sharp. He’s got all the leadership skills and things that we look for, especially at that position. He’s worked his ass off to get better. He’s rehabbed. He’s in here every day. He hasn’t shown any limitations so far, which has been encouraging. Hopefully he’s a big piece for us.” The Dolphins cut veteran ‘backer Lawrence Timmons earlier this year, so McMillan appears set to play as an every-down linebacker alongside Kiko Alonso. McMillan, an Ohio State product, participated in Miami’s organized team activity sessions in May, a good sign of his progress.
- Approximately six teams were vying to sign undrafted running back Akrum Wadley earlier this year, but the Iowa product ultimately landed with the Titans, where he now could land a spot on the club’s opening 53-man roster, writes Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. Tennessee only made four selections in the 2018 draft, necessitating its large — 22-man — undrafted free agent class. Wadley was part of that crop, and now he’s one of only five backs on the team, joining Dion Lewis, Derrick Henry, David Fluellen, and fellow UDFA Dalyn Dawkins. As such, it’s entirely possible Wadley could beat out Fluellen for the Titans’ third running back job, although he’ll likely need to flash on special teams to do so. Wadley topped 1,000 yards rushing in each of his two final collegiate seasons, and totaled 64 receptions during those years.
- Offensive tackle Kyle Murphy showed well in three games as a Packers‘ starter in 2017, but he’s now attempting to come back from a foot injury that cost him the remainder of the season, as Mike Spofford of Packers.com details. Murphy, a 2016 sixth-round pick, was fully cleared for minicamp, and now could have a legitimate chance to start on the right side of Green Bay’s front five. Bryan Bulaga, the Packers’ nominal right tackle, is once again dealing with injuries of his own, and if he’s not medically cleared, right tackle will turn into a competition between Murphy, former second-rounder Jason Spriggs, and veteran addition Byron Bell. As a unit, Green Bay’s offensive line ranked fifth in run-blocking but just 28th in pass-blocking, per Football Outsiders.
Redskins Hope To Fill Grant's Shoes
The Cowboys are hoping to learn about the fate of Randy Gregory around the start of training camp, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. Gregory recently met with NFL officials in New York, but things have been quiet on that front over the last couple of weeks.
Dallas could use some clarity on the makeup of its defensive line, particularly as David Irving faces a four-game suspension for a violation of the substance abuse policy. It’s highly unlikely that Gregory would be plugged into the starting lineup, but he would be a useful reserve behind starters DeMarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford if he is allowed to play.
Here’s more from the East divisions:
- The Redskins won’t necessarily miss wide receiver Terrelle Pryor after his disappointing 2017 season, but they will have to make up for the departure of Ryan Grant. Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington believes that newcomer Paul Richardson can easily top Pryor’s 240 receiving yards, but exceeding Grant’s 573 yards receiving may be a challenge. Ultimately, he expects one of the team’s backup wide receivers to step up while Josh Doctson improves across the board. All in all, he anticipates a wide receiver group that is somewhat more productive than last year, even as they catch passes from a new quarterback.
- This is a make or break year for Jets offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. Beachum has two years to go on the three-year, $24MM deal he inked in 2017, but the Jets can cut him after this season and save $8MM in cap space versus just $1.5MM in dead money. If he wants to stick in New Jersey, he’ll have to step his game up. Last year, Pro Football Focus ranked Beachum as its 35th best tackle. He did well in pass protection (18th), but he placed just 71st in run blocking.
- Will Giants running back Saquon Barkley make the biggest impact of any top ten pick this year? Click here to cast your vote.
Poll: Which NFC East Team Had The Best Offseason?
Over the past couple weeks, we’ve asked you which teams from the AFC North, AFC East, AFC West, NFC West, and NFC North had the best offseasons. Today we’ll be looking at the offseason each team from the NFC East had, another division with a lot of moving parts.
The Redskins may have had the most tumultuous past couple months of any team in the division. Their years long drama with Kirk Cousins finally culminated in the team trading for Alex Smith and allowing Cousins to walk in free agency. Coach Jay Gruden has been adamant that there will be no downgrade from Cousins to Smith, and that the team is very high on Smith. Washington’s receiving corp will look quite different, with Terrelle Pryor and Ryan Grant gone, and Paul Richardson brought in from Seattle in their place. They added defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne with the 13th overall pick to help shore up their run defense and selected running back Derrius Guice in the second round. Guice was viewed by most as a first round talent who fell into the Redskins’ laps due to off-field concerns. They also signed cornerback Orlando Scandrick and linebacker Pernell McPhee in free agency, and will return several key players from injury, like defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. It was an offseason of change for the Redskins, and the team will have to hope Smith can carry over his play from last season when he was the best of his career.
The Giants’ 2017 season went off the rails fast. After a playoff appearance in 2016, the team started the year 0-4, which quickly led to infighting. Both head coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese, replacing them with Pat Shurmur and Dave Gettleman respectively. The team ultimately passed on taking a successor to Eli Manning with the number two overall pick, instead taking running back Saquon Barkley and signing the veteran Jonathan Stewart to be his backup. The team made Nate Solder the highest paid tackle in football, signing him away from the Patriots to help bolster their offensive line, and area of weakness the past few seasons. They also drafted guard Will Hernandez 34th overall to help along the interior. While the team has announced they plan on riding Manning for the foreseeable future, they did take the intriguing small-school quarterback Kyle Lauletta in the draft. They traded Jason Pierre-Paul to the Buccaneers in March, leaving a hole at pass-rusher. Overall, the Giants 2018 season will depend on how much Manning can bounce back from his poor 2017. If Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. can both return to form, the Giants could sneak back into the playoffs.
The Cowboys didn’t add many major pieces this offseason. The biggest storyline surrounding the team was the release of Dez Bryant. The Cowboys were apparently fed up with Bryant’s antics and his on-field production no longer justified keeping him around. They signed Allen Hurns from the Jaguars to replace him and step in as their new number one receiver. Dak Prescott‘s receiving options will look a lot different next year as they also lost Jason Witten to retirement and Brice Butler in free agency. They drafted linebacker Leighton Vander Esch in the first round to strengthen the defense. Other than their pass-catchers, the 2018 Cowboys will look fairly similar to last year’s underachieving squad. They’ll have Ezekiel Elliott for the full season after he was suspended for part of last year, and will look to recapture the magic of their 13-3 2016 season.
The Eagles went into the offseason riding high off their Super Bowl victory. They lost several players, but moved quickly to replace them all. When defensive linemen Vinny Curry and Beau Allen left in free agency, they promptly traded for Michael Bennett and signed Haloti Ngata. They lost offensive coordinator Frank Reich who took the Colts’ head coaching job and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo who left to become the Vikings’ offensive coordinator. LeGarrette Blount left to sign with the Lions, but the Eagles have a deep running back depth chart still. The team rewarded Super Bowl hero Nick Foles with some extra incentives in his contract, although he still could possibly be dealt at a future point. They re-signed linebacker Nigel Bradham and added Corey Nelson and Paul Worrilow in free agency to further strengthen the linebacking corp. The biggest storyline for the defending champions this summer will continue to be the progress of Carson Wentz as he rehabs from a torn ACL. If Wentz is healthy, with all the pieces added to the defense this spring, the Eagles should be able to compete for another Super Bowl in 2018.
Which NFC East Team Had The Best Offseason?
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New York Giants 34% (510)
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Philadelphia Eagles 30% (451)
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Washington Redskins 20% (298)
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Dallas Cowboys 16% (236)
Total votes: 1,495
Latest On DB Brandon Bryant
Mississippi State defensive back Brandon Bryant is making his case to NFL scouts in advance of the NFL’s supplemental draft. On Monday, 40 scouts from the Rams, Browns, Falcons, Jets, Giants, 49ers, Redskins, Colts, Steelers, Saints, Jaguars, Texans, Raiders, and Ravens watched Bryant audition, Chase Goodbread of NFL.com tweets. 
There may have been even more clubs on hand to watch Bryant work out, according to Tony Pauline of Draft Insider (on Twitter). Pauline hears there were “about 20 teams on hand” and he hears his 40-yard-dash times ranged from the high 4.3’s to the low 4.4’s. He also conducted five separate one-on-one meetings on Sunday.
Bryant established himself as one of the top safeties in the SEC in his time with the Bulldogs. Across three years, Bryant compiled 157 tackles and five interceptions in 37 games. This year, after Mississippi State hired Joe Moorhead as their new head coach, Bryant announced he was going pro.
This year’s supplemental draft will take place on July 11. Other entrants include former Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal and Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander.
This Date In Transactions History: Redskins Sign Terry Crews
On this date in 1995, the Redskins signed linebacker Terry Crews. Yes, that Terry Crews. 
Crews, a 6’3″, 245-pound linebacker, was a standout at Western Michigan. The Los Angeles Rams took note and selected Crews with the No. 281 pick and he appeared in six games as a rookie in 1991. He later found his way to the Chargers, appearing in ten games for them in ’93. His next NFL opportunity came with the Redskins, who inked him in the summer of 1995.
Like his previous stints with the Rams and Chargers, Crews’ run with the Redskins was rather unremarkable. He recorded only one solo tackle and one assisted tackle in that ’95 season, though he did stick on the roster for the full season and dressed for all 16 games.
This would not be Crews’ last NFL contract. Later, he signed on with the rival Eagles, but quickly realized that football wasn’t for him.
“For two weeks, I stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street from Veterans Stadium. I just remember it was Christmas Day. It was the saddest thing ever, that Holiday Inn. I was eating old sausage and two little pancakes. It was so sad,” Crews said (via Philly.com). “I was missing my family. We lost the game to the 49ers – it was a playoff game. I just thought, I don’t want to do this anymore. The excitement wasn’t there.”
Crews didn’t find excitement or millions in the NFL, but he found a different path to fulfillment and riches. The 2002 comedy “Friday After Next” launched Crews into a lucrative acting career that included roles in several hit movies, including football comedy “The Longest Yard.” We won’t list his full IMDb here, but you get the point – Crews hit it big, just not on the gridiron.
Crews’ time with the Redskins wasn’t notable move from a football perspective, nor was his short-lived trip through Philadelphia. But Crews’ struggles throughout his NFL career made him appreciate the success that he discovered later in life.
“I was the name at the end of the roster,” said Crews, reflecting on his former life as a professional football player. “It wasn’t until after I became famous that people noticed I played in the NFL. I kind of snuck in!“
This Date In Transactions History: Bengals Cut Terrelle Pryor
On this date in 2015, the Bengals released quarterback Terrelle Pryor. After four unremarkable years in the NFL, the move didn’t mean much at the time. However, the release changed the trajectory of the former Ohio State star’s career. 
The late Al Davis brought Pryor into the league after selecting him in the third round of the 2011 supplemental draft. Pryor didn’t play much in his first two seasons and struggled on the whole in 2013, although there were some impressive moments. Pryor was traded to the Seahawks in 2014, but was cut prior to Week 1 and wound up sitting out of football altogether that year. In January of 2015, the Chiefs signed Pryor, but released him in May. The Bengals scooped him up, but cut him from the roster five weeks later on June 18, 2015.
Clearly, Pryor’s athleticism could not carry him at the quarterback position in the NFL, but he was reluctant to give up on his lifelong dream. Prior to signing with the Bengals, Pryor declared, “If I can’t play quarterback, I can’t play football.” But, after his release from the Bengals, agent Drew Rosenhaus informed teams that Pryor was willing to line up as a wide receiver.
Ohio’s other team – the Browns – moved quickly to claim Pryor off of waivers. Pryor mostly sat on the bench in 2015 as Josh McCown‘s backup, but the Browns shifted him to wide receiver prior to the 2016 offseason. The Browns were optimistic about what the 6’4″, 228-pound athlete could do at his new position, but few expected him to finish the season with 77 catches for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns.
Pryor parlayed his huge season into a one-year, $6MM free agent deal with the Redskins, but he was held back by an ankle injury and did little in D.C. This offseason, the Jets decided to take a moderate gamble on Pryor by signing him to a one-year, $4.5MM contract with $2MM guaranteed.
Pryor is still battling an ankle injury and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether he’ll be able to replicate his ’16 production with Gang Green. But, Pryor has earned far more in the NFL than anyone expected he would back in 2015, which is something to be proud of regardless of how things shake out from here.
Williams Also Had 'Slight' Microfractrue Surgery
Trent Williams is on schedule to participate in Redskins training camp, as expected after a surgery that was slated to erase his offseason. While the official name for the operation the ninth-year left tackle underwent is a tibial tubercle osteotomy, Peter Hailey of NBC Sports Washington notes doctors performed a “slight” microfracture surgery as well. The TTO procedure repaired Williams’ damaged kneecap. However, microfracture surgery is among the most difficult to surmount for athletes and could be worth monitoring as the soon-to-be 30-year-old blocker returns to full-contact work. Nevertheless, Williams has been working toward a camp re-emergence and fully expects to be ready by the time Washington’s roster reconvenes late next month.
Here’s the latest from the east, moving to another recent surgically altered starter.
- The Jets were without one of their starting safeties during minicamp. Marcus Maye underwent ankle surgery this offseason. He is targeting a training camp return, per Calvin Watkins of Newsday. Maye started alongside Jamal Adams throughout last season. Third-year UDFA Doug Middleton, who missed all of last season with a torn pectoral muscle, took the first-team reps in Maye’s place.
- Lorenzo Alexander is not a lock to make the Bills‘ 53-man roster, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News notes. Two years removed from a 12.5-sack season, one that secured him a two-year contract, the 35-year-old linebacker is unlikely to be a starter in 2018, per Skurski. Alexander started 11 of Buffalo’s 16 games last season, doing so in a 4-3 defense after he thrived in the 2016 Bills’ 3-4 look. Skurski notes rookie Tremaine Edmunds and 2017 fifth-rounder Matt Milano are the frontrunners to be the Bills’ three-down ‘backers.
- Despite playing only half of last season, one halted by a PED suspension and subsequent Jets release, Jeremy Kerley appears to be a lock to not only make the Bills but play a key role, Skurski writes. The veteran slot receiver is entrenched alongside Kelvin Benjamin and Zay Jones among Buffalo’s top three, in Skurski’s view. Kerley, 29, finished as the 49ers’ leading receiver in 2016 before signing a San Francisco extension. The 49ers then cut him before last season.
- On the subject of wide receiver battles, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com expects ArDarius Stewart to be given another chance with the Jets (Twitter link) in camp. The third-round pick out of Alabama caught just six passes as a rookie, and the Jets signed Terrelle Pryor and now have Quincy Enunwa healthy. And 2017 fourth-rounder Chad Hansen has fared well this offseason. Nevertheless, Mike Maccagnan using that third-round choice on Stewart likely keeps him safe for at least another training camp, per Cimini.
- One of the bigger free agency defections the Patriots have had to deal with in a while, Nate Solder‘s departure to the Giants leaves what looks like a two-man battle for his left tackle spot, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston notes. Trent Brown took the lion’s share of the first-team reps during offseason work, with first-rounder Isaiah Wynn lining up at left guard more. However, left guard starter Joe Thuney is currently absent. Once he returns, Perry points out Brown and Wynn are likely set to compete for one spot. The other would become a swing backup, with Marcus Cannon now back at right tackle.
Redskins Wrap Up Draft Class
The Redskins now have their entire 2018 draft class is under contract. On Thursday, the team announced the signing of third-round tackle third-round tackle Geron Christian, bringing their last straggler into the fold.
The Louisville product was selected with the No. 74 overall pick. Per the terms of his slot, he’ll earn roughly $3.4MM over the course of his four-year rookie deal.
Christian made a name for himself as one of Lamar Jackson’s most trusted protectors in college. At the pro level, he’ll be utilized as a tackle on both sides.
“We will keep him at the swing tackle,” said Redskins head coach Jay Gruden in April. “You know, what we went through at tackle last year was catastrophic with all the injuries and still a lot of these guys are recovering from their injuries. Trent is recovering still, Morgan [Moses] is still recovering, Ty [Nsekhe] is still recovering, we have T.J. [Clemmings] still recovering. So we need depth at tackle….He’s one of the best pass blocking tackles in this draft in my opinion.”
Here’s the complete rundown of the Redskins’ 2018 draft class:
- 1-13: Da’Ron Payne, DT (Alabama)
- 2-59: Derrius Guice, RB (LSU)
- 3-74: Geron Christian, OL (Louisville)
- 4-109: Troy Apke, S (Penn State)
- 5-163: Tim Settle, DT (Virginia Tech)
- 6-197: Shaun Dion Hamilton, LB (Alabama)
- 7-241: Greg Stroman, CB (Virginia Tech)
- 7-256: Trey Quinn, WR (SMU)