Kirk Cousins Wants To Earn Long-Term Deal
Safety Antrel Rolle is on the open market and he tells SiriusXM (audio link) that he would like to return to the Giants.
“I’ve never hidden it. New York is where the heart is. New York is where I feel comfortable,” Rolle said (transcript via PFT). “New York is a place where I would love to play. You know, there’s a difference playing for an organization, you know, you’re there to play and to win, and you’re there because that’s where your contract is. And there’s a difference in playing where your heart is. I would absolutely be open to the situation if it presents itself. Obviously it would have to make sense for both [sides]. The New York Giants, I think it would definitely make sense for both myself and the team. But let’s see what happens.”
The Giants added third-round pick Darian Thompson to the safety mix, but there is no slam-dunk starter at the free safety position. Still, as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, a reunion between Rolle and Big Blue seems unlikely.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:
- Despite the gas-mask/bong video that surfaced on draft night, Dolphins first-round choice Laremy Tunsil will avoid entering Stage 1 of the NFL’s substance-abuse program, a source tells James Walker of ESPN.com.
- While many speculated that Tunsil’s stepfather was behind the shocking draft day leak, Tunsil’s attorney, Steve Farese, says that’s not the case. “Initially, that would be the low-hanging fruit,” Farese said on SiriusXM (audio link; transcription via PFT). “Now I’ve drifted away from those thoughts and don’t believe he had anything to do with it.” The Dolphins believe Tunsil’s former financial advisor was responsible for the leak, according to a source who spoke with Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter).
- Jets GM Mike Maccagnan “all but confirmed” that he explored trading up for Tunsil last Thursday, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Per Cimini, Maccagnan also didn’t rule out the possibility of keeping cornerback Dee Milliner on the roster beyond 2016 if he plays well this year, even after turning down his 2017 option today.
- Before the Titans shipped the No. 1 overall pick to the Rams, the Jets inquired about trading up for the No. 1 pick in order to draft Jared Goff, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). It was previously reported that the Jets explored trading up to the top two, but it wasn’t clear which QB they were targeting.
- Kirk Cousins believes “there’s a chance” that a long-term deal could be hammered out with Washington between now and the July 15th deadline, but he tells 106.7 The Fan that he’s also comfortable with playing the year out. “If they feel like they have enough information and want to make that call right now, then great,” Cousins said. “But I think the ball’s in their court and I will react accordingly to whatever decision they make… I am totally comfortable playing more football, and frankly if I don’t play well next season, I don’t deserve to be back. I don’t deserve a long-term deal. So I want to go out and earn it, and prove myself, and if I need to prove myself again, that’s fine. I’ll go see if I can do that.”
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Washington Releases Seven Players
Today’s minor moves:
- The Patriots released cornerback Rashaan Melvin and linebacker James Vaughters, according to Christopher Price of WEEI (on Twitter).
- The Seahawks have signed quarterback Jake Heaps, as ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia writes. The signing of the 25-year-old now gives Seattle three QBs on the roster.
- The Browns released linebacker Scott Solomon, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Solomon was a restricted free agent this offseason, one that Cleveland re-signed less than a month ago. Solomon was slated to earn $1.671MM in 2016.
- The Lions announced the signing of linebacker Zaviar Gooden. Gooden joins the Lions after spending the 2013-14 seasons with Tennessee, where he appeared in 24 games (three starts).
- The Eagles (on Twitter) announced the release of safety Jerome Couplin. Ditto for wide receiver Freddie Martino (link).
- Washington announced that defensive linemen Christo Bilukidi, Anthony Johnson, and Kamal Johnson, linebackers Desmond Bishop and Derrick Mathews, wide receiver LaRon Byrd, and cornerback Al Louis-Jean have all been released.
- The Broncos cut safety Ryan Murphy and punter Will Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Murphy has the unfortunate distinction of having been sent home from the Super Bowl.
- The Bears cut defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith, Wilson tweets.
- The Cardinals cut cornerback Kevin White and center Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, Wilson tweets.
Washington Releases Chris Culliver
After adding standout cornerback Josh Norman in free agency and selecting Virginia Tech corner Kendall Fuller on day two of the draft, Washington has parted ways with one of its incumbents at the position. According to GM Scot McCloughan (via Twitter), the team has released veteran cornerback Chris Culliver.
Culliver, 27, signed a four-year, $32MM contract with Washington just over a year ago, ultimately playing out just one season of that deal. Although Culliver’s agreement with the club called for $16MM in full guarantees, including an $8MM guaranteed salary for 2016, that guarantee was voided when the cornerback was suspended one game for a 2014 incident.
In 2014, his final season with the 49ers, Culliver limited opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of 50.7% and a 66.5 passer rating when they threw into his coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF’s grades placed Culliver as the 14th-best cornerback out of 108 qualified players. In 2015, however, Culliver started six games for Washington, tallying 16 tackles and one pass deflection. He was placed on injured reserve in November after tearing his ACL.
Releasing Culliver will save Washington $8MM in cash for 2016, and will open up $5.5MM in cap space, reducing his charge from $9.25MM to $3.75MM.
As a vested veteran, Culliver will be free to sign with any team upon being released, without first having to pass through waivers. Per Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic (Twitter links), McCoughan didn’t close the door on the possibility of Culliver returning to Washington at a reduced rate, but that sounds unlikely.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Andre Roberts, Chris Culliver Could Be Released Shortly
Afters weeks of anxious buildup, the 2016 NFL draft is now over, but we’ll still be discussing the fallout from the draft years down the line. Let’s take a look at some of that fallout right now, along with a couple of other notes:
- The draft has come and gone, and Colin Kaepernick is still a 49er. As Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle writes, the 49ers‘ actions during the draft–i.e. waiting until the sixth round to pick up raw signal-caller Jeff Driskel, instead of drafting a more pro-ready prospect in the early rounds as many pundits anticipated–suggest that one of Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert will be the team’s starter in 2016. And, since Kaepernick’s most likely suitors drafted quarterbacks of their own, it looks like we can finally put the Kaepernick rumors on ice for a little while.
- We learned last night that the Eagles have not had any contact with Sam Bradford since Bradford requested a trade, and head coach Doug Pederson–who is installing a new offense that projected backup quarterback Chase Daniel is very familiar with–admitted that Bradford is losing valuable time, as Kevin Patra of NFL.com writes. Philadelphia continues to insist that Bradford is the starter, but that could change if he misses significant offseason time. When Pederson was asked at what point Bradford loses the role of presumptive starter, Pederson said, “I think it depends on when he does come back and how fast we can catch him up and put him in that situation and see where he’s at, at that time.”
- Washington was widely lauded for its selection of TCU wideout Josh Doctson in the first round of the draft, but, as anticipated, his arrival probably means the end of Andre Roberts‘ tenure in the nation’s capital, as Mike Jones of The Washington Post writes. Likewise, Jones writes that the addition of Virginia Tech corner Kendall Fuller could allow the team to release Chris Culliver, whose health status is still uncertain after his ACL surgery and who is due an $8MM salary–with a $9.25MM cap number–in 2016.
- During his post-draft press conference Saturday night, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie declined to tip his hand as to whether the club will pick up D.J. Hayden‘s fifth-year option, but as Jimmy Durkin of The Bay Area News Group points out, the team will almost certainly decline the $8.03MM option, thereby allowing Hayden to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2016 season. Durkin admits it was somewhat surprising that Oakland did not draft a corner over the past couple of days, as the Raiders are still thin at the position even after signing Sean Smith. The Raiders’ approach suggests that they expect Hayden to provide quality depth as a fourth corner, but he will have to prove himself in a big way in 2016 to remain with the club (and to remain in the league, for that matter).
- Most GMs like to say that they do not reach for need during the draft and that they will select the best player available, regardless of position. As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman admitted last night that he adapted his strategy to make sure the team could adequately fill out its defensive back depth chart after the Josh Norman saga that ended when Norman signed with Washington. To that end, Carolina drafted three corners–James Bradberry, Daryl Worley, and Zack Sanchez–that looked like reaches to many fans. Gettleman insisted, though, that he did not reach, but he had to focus on corners to prevent a “position disaster.”
- Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times expected the Buccaneers to draft one defensive end and one tackle, and while Tampa Bay did draft a DE (Noah Spence), the team did not grab a DT. As such, Auman expects the club to sign a DT before training camp opens (Twitter link).
- Former Panthers offensive lineman Edmund Kugbila, whom Carolina selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft but who has yet to play a single professional snap due to various injuries, has been medically cleared to play and has several visits lined up, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Chargers Sign 20 Undrafted Free Agents
The Chargers have become the first club to announce its list of undrafted rookie free agent signings. San Diego has signed the following 20 UDFAs:
- Mike Bercovici, QB, Arizona State
- Terrell Chestnut, CB, West Virginia
- Kenneth Farrow, RB, Houston
- Tyler Johnstone, T, Oregon
- Sebastian Johansson, G, Marshall
- Jamaal Jones, WR, Montana
- Chris Landrum, LB, Jacksonville State
- Mike McQueen, G, Ohio ($5K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Adrian McDonald, S, Houston
- Tyler Marcordes, LB, Georgia Tech
- Spencer Pulley, C, Vanderbilt
- Shaq Petteway, LB, West Virginia
- Zeth Ramsay, T, Colorado Mesa
- Deandre Reaves, WR, Marshall
- Jay Rome, TE, Georgia (ultimately signed instead with Steelers)
- Larry Scott, CB, Oregon State
- Chris Swain, RB, Navy
- Dominique Williams, WR, Washington State
- Trevor Williams, CB, Penn State
- Carlos Wray, DE, Duke
Washington Trades No. 158 Pick To Jets
The Jets acquired the No. 158 pick from Washington in exchange for a 2017 fourth-round selection, Master Tefatsion of the Washington Post tweets. Gang Green chose South Carolina tackle Brandon Shell with the pick.
New York did not have a fifth-round choice after it sent the No. 157 selection to the Broncos for Ryan Clady earlier this month. With the draft’s ensuing choice, the Jets brought in a player who could serve as the succession plan post-Clady. The former 2008 No. 1 pick’s contract expires after the 2017 season.
The Jets had yet to address their offensive front during the draft after entering the weekend relatively thin on long-term options up front. Breno Giacomini resides as the incumbent right tackle, and although the team re-signed Ben Ijalana earlier this offseason, he’s a career backup who barely played during his time with the Jets after backing up iron man D’Brickashaw Ferguson.
A 6-foot-6, 328-pound tackle, Brandon Shell started for four seasons for the Gamecocks and is the great nephew of Raiders Hall of Fame tackle and ensuing coach Art Shell.
Saints Acquire 120th Pick From Washington
The Saints have found a way into the fourth round, as Mike Jones of The Washington Post reports (via Twitter) that the team has acquired the 120th pick from Washington. Jones reports that Washington will receive pick No. 152 and a 2017 fifth-rounder in return. The Saints will use the pick on University of Manitoba (Canada) defensive tackle David Onyemata.
Hailing from Nigeria, Onyemata was considered a fifth- or sixth-round pick by NFL.com. The 6-4, 300-pound lineman finished this past season with 50 tackles, five sacks, and 7.5 tackles for a loss. His performance earned him the J.P. Metras Trophy for the best down lineman in CIS. These are especially impressive accolades when you consider that Onyemata started playing football in 2011.
Draft Rumors: Jets, Cravens, Pats, Ravens
The Jets’ second-round selection of Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg won’t affect their pursuit of free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick, general manager Mike Maccagnan said Friday (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post). Maccagnan added that he wouldn’t rule out carrying four QBs if the team does re-sign Fitzpatrick, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Fitzpatrick, who reportedly hasn’t had meaningful contract discussions with the Jets in weeks, would be at the helm of a signal-calling corps that also includes Hackenberg, Geno Smith and Bryce Petty.
Here’s the latest on the draft with the second day in the books:
- USC linebacker Su’a Cravens said he was surprised to end up with Washington, which took him 53rd overall. He expected to land with the Patriots, who picked 60th (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic).
- The Ravens tried unsuccessfully to get back into the second round after selecting Boise State edge defender Kamalei Correa at No. 42, GM Ozzie Newsome told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- Had the Giants not taken Boise State safety Darian Thompson with the 71st pick, the Bears would’ve scooped him up at No. 72, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (on Twitter).
- The Eagles considered moving back from 79th overall – where they selected Oregon State center Isaac Seumalo – but they became uncomfortable as names were sliding off the board and decided to stay put, reports Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Texans Acquire No. 21 Pick From Washington
The Texans have acquired the No. 21 pick from Houston, according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). Houston will sacrifice a 2017 sixth-rounder to move from No. 22 to No. 21, adds Farmer. The Texans will use the pick to draft Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Because the Texans moved up just one spot, it’s fair to wonder if another club in the 20s — like the Vikings or the Bengals — was also trying to move up in the hopes of selecting Fuller. Fuller is a speed threat, so he could be a nice compliment in a Houston offense that already has a great-route runner in DeAndre Hopkins and a veteran slot option in Cecil Shorts.
The Texans have added several new elements to their offense over the past few months, including quarterback Brock Osweiler, running back Lamar Miller, and offensive lineman Jeff Allen.
Draft Rumors: Lawson, Tunsil, Cravens, Fins
New Bills edge rusher Shaq Lawson will need to undergo shoulder surgery at some point, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The operation will knock Lawson out of action for four-to-six months, so Lawson will likely wait until after the season to undergo the surgery.
More draft rumors…
- Washington is hearing interest from clubs who want to move up to No. 21, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The club hasn’t heard yet heard an offer that will entice them to move back.
- A report earlier tonight suggested that the Cowboys could trade back into the first round while targeting a quarterback, but David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) hears that’s unlikely. Dallas will likely stay in place at No. 34 and take a defensive player.
- Laremy Tunsil was the No. 2 player on the Dolphins‘ board, general manager Chris Grier tells Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter links). Grier also says the video that caused Tunsil to slip down the board is two years old. Meanwhile, Tunsil’s stepfather — who is currently suing the former Ole Miss tackle — has denied to TMZ that he hacked his son’s account or leaked the video.
- The Falcons drafted one safety/linebacker at No. 17 in Keanu Neal, but they apparently considered another hybrid-type player in Su’a Cravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.