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Multiple Teams Interested In Jason McCourty

April 17th, 2021 at 6:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason McCourty’s recent visit with the Giants went well, according to sources who spoke with ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). However, there are other teams in the mix, so it’s unlikely that the cornerback will put pen to paper straight away.

McCourty huddled up with former Patriots coach Joe Judge earlier this week. The deal wouldn’t just be a reunion — it’d be a homecoming for the Rutgers product, allowing him to play about an hour north of New Brunswick. McCourty spent the past three seasons with the Patriots, alongside his twin brother Devin.

The 33-year-old (34 in August) spent his 13th season in New Jersey, supporting James Bradberry, Adoree’ Jackson, and defensive back Logan Ryan. Then again, McCourty played on 65% of the Pats’ defensive snaps last year and started eleven games, so he may prefer a team that’ll give him more time on the field.

McCourty has 18 career interceptions and three defensive touchdowns to his credit. But, last year, Pro Football Focus ranked him outside of the top 75 at his position — a significant drop from 2018 (No. 6) and 2019 (No. 18).

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Bengals Targeting Ja’Marr Chase?

April 17th, 2021 at 6:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals are “targeting” wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Dragon of The Enquirer hears (Twitter link). With the No. 5 overall pick, the Bengals may be able to reunite the LSU star with his old quarterback, Joe Burrow.

Cincinnati has invested a first- or second-round pick in the wide receiver position in three of the past five years. Still, they’re moving ahead without A.J. Green and John Ross, so Chase would be a welcome addition to the offense. Meanwhile, Burrow has reportedly stumped for a reunion with Chase, who went off for 84 catches, 1,780 yards, and 20 touchdowns last time they played together in 2019.

The Bengals figure to have lots of options available at No. 5 — particularly if the Falcons draft a quarterback at No. 4. In a worst-case scenario, only one of this year’s top non-QBs will be there for the taking. In a best-case scenario, Chase, Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts will all be available. From the latest rumblings, it sounds like Chase would be their choice.

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Colts To Re-Sign CB T.J. Carrie

April 17th, 2021 at 5:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

After two visits elsewhere, T.J. Carrie will opt to stay in Indianapolis. The Colts are re-signing the veteran cornerback, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth more than $2MM, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).

Carrie, who initially signed with the Colts last year, visited the Saints and Bills over the past three weeks. Carrie’s Buffalo trip occurred this week, and Fowler adds the Bills made a push to sign Carrie. Rather than joining a fourth team, however, Carrie will follow Xavier Rhodes in re-signing with the Colts.

While Carrie played in 15 games last season, he saw a reduced snap rate. After playing more than 60% of his team’s snaps from 2017-19, the former seventh-round pick saw action on just 38% of Indianapolis’ defensive plays in 2020. The Colts stand to bring back their top four corners from last season, with Rhodes and Carrie pledging to stay on one-year accords, slot corner Kenny Moore signed long-term and Rock Ya-Sin still on his rookie deal.

Originally a Raiders draftee in 2014, Carrie spent the 2018 and ’19 seasons with the Browns. While he saw more time in Cleveland, Carrie intercepted a career-high two passes with the Colts and took one back for a touchdown. Pro Football Focus graded Carrie as a top-40 corner and was incredibly high on the seven-year vet’s run-game presence. PFF graded Carrie as the league’s top run-defending corner.

The 30-year-old defender will reprise his role in an experienced cornerback corps, though with both Carrie and Rhodes north of 30, the Colts still profile as a team that could add at this spot early in the draft.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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49ers, Ravens, Saints To Skip Offseason Workouts

April 17th, 2021 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The list of teams preparing to move ahead with a virtual offseason program has nearly reached 20. The 49ers, Ravens and Saints joined the brigade Saturday, voicing support of the NFLPA’s call to boycott voluntary workouts.

Teams can begin onsite offseason work Monday, though on-field work cannot begin until May 17. The 49ers’ statement indicated many players will not attend (on Twitter); the Ravens and Saints’ statements did not include this language (Twitter links). John Harbaugh said a second straight year with a virtual offseason would be a “colossal mistake,” via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley (on Twitter), but the Ravens will proceed in this direction anyway.

Saturday’s three teams (so far) announcing they will not show for the start of the voluntary offseason program makes 19 franchises not expected to attend workouts. However, some players on the first team to stand with the NFLPA — the Broncos — will attend their program, and others are on the fence.

It will be interesting to see if other teams who have seen players vow to stay away see some in their ranks report to workouts. Phase 2 of the offseason program will include a rookie minicamp, which will feature draftees and UDFAs vying to take some veterans’ jobs. The NFL and NFLPA have not reached a resolution on the offseason format, despite the league unilaterally releasing a schedule, but the sides still have some time until on-field work commences. Until then, the NFL will see some teams report to workouts and others stay home.

Here are the teams that are planning to begin a virtual offseason Monday:

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Broncos To Attend Trey Lance’s Second Pro Day

April 17th, 2021 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ahead of a critical draft decision, the Broncos plan to keep looking into quarterbacks who could potentially be available when they go on the clock at No. 9.

Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is expected to attend Trey Lance‘s second pro day, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The second-year Denver OC attended Justin Fields‘ second workout last week. Lance’s second pro day is set for Monday.

Broncos GM George Paton was at Lance’s first pro day, which occurred more than a month ago, but did not attend Fields’ second. Shurmur and Broncos director of pro personnel A.J. Durso trekked to Columbus for that workout. The Broncos will join the 49ers and Falcons, with select other teams likely set to attend the North Dakota State-hosted event as well, at Lance’s workout Monday.

Shurmur was not in Denver when the team drafted Drew Lock and saw the 2019 second-round pick tie for the league INT lead despite only finishing 12 games. The Broncos have been linked to both Lance and Fields in mock drafts, with quarterback being the team’s runaway top need. Paton has said the Broncos will add to their quarterback room, but they are not certain to do so via the draft.

Denver has added two starters to a promising defense this offseason, signing Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller, and has an intriguing array of skill-position targets on offense. But the franchise has started an NFL-high 10 quarterbacks since Peyton Manning‘s 2016 retirement, holding back ascension efforts in that span.

If nothing else, they represent a team that could take a quarterback. That could induce another franchise to trade in front of the Broncos or perhaps offer them an enticing trade package to pass on addressing their need at No. 9. Washington and Chicago are on this radar, and New England may well be. Washington is believed to be high on Lance but perhaps not so big on trading into the top five for him. Moving ahead of the Broncos could then be key in this pursuit.

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Texans Submit Offer To OL Nick Easton

April 17th, 2021 at 3:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite being a frequent starter, veteran offensive lineman Nick Easton is a street free agent for the second time. The former Vikings and Saints blocker continues to weigh his options, but he may have an option of signing with the Texans.

The rebuilding team has been busy this offseason, and Easton received a Texans offer, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Easton visited Houston earlier this offseason, and Tomasson notes the team’s proposal is reasonable. Easton was previously attached to a four-year, $22.5MM Saints deal, but they released him in February.

Interest came from a few teams. At least four franchises reached out to the interior lineman, including the Bengals, whom Easton met with in late March. A 2015 UDFA out of Harvard, Easton has 32 career starts under his belt. He worked as a Vikings starter at center and guard in 2016 and ’17 but missed all of 2018 due to injury, leading to his Vikings exit. Easton started 15 games at guard for the Saints over the past two seasons.

With the Texans agreeing to terms with Lane Taylor on Thursday, this offer may no longer be on the table. That said, Taylor has played in just three games over the past two seasons and qualifies as a flier at this point in his career. Houston has also added center Justin Britt, who did not play in 2020, and former Chargers interior lineman Cole Toner this offseason. But the Texans still need help up front.

At 28 and with considerable experience, Easton may be willing to wait for a better offer. That could come after the draft, depending on how certain O-line-needy teams proceed.

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Some Broncos Players To Attend Workouts

April 17th, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos became the first team to take NFLPA president J.C. Tretter up on a proposed boycott of the voluntary offseason program. But some within the team’s ranks do intend to report.

Third-year guard Dalton Risner has trained at the team’s facility this offseason and plans to be there Monday, when the Broncos’ offseason program is set to begin.

“I’ve stayed quiet through this whole process, but yeah, I’m showing up Monday,” Risner said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “I know there’s some other guys who are showing up as well. I’ve been at the facility all offseason. … If there wasn’t an offseason bonus, it wouldn’t matter. I’m coming off my second year. I have a lot of work to do. I want a second contract with the Broncos. I have a lot to prove. I respect my teammates’ decision; I really do. I love all my teammates. But for me personally, I was already in there, and I wanted to continue to work out there.”

Denver’s other starting guard, Graham Glasgow, also plans on reporting at some point. The 2020 free agency addition has a $100K workout bonus tied to his offseason attendance and said he will report when necessary to collect that. Risner and Drew Lock have $75K workout bonuses this year. Von Miller has a $500K workout bonus in the final year of his contract. Several other Broncos are undecided on attending, Klis tweets, and union rep Brandon McManus indicated multiple team calls have taken place since the NFL announced its offseason schedule.

The NFL and NFLPA have not agreed on terms for this year’s offseason. Citing COVID-19 concerns, the latter has pushed for a fully virtual program for a second straight year. While just more than half the league’s teams have released statements indicating all or many of their players will not report, some teams — like the Chiefs, who have 21 players who can collect workout-based incentives — have not. This is set to create an unusual imbalance, and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has advised players with workout bonuses to report.

No on-field work can take place until May 17, when Phase 2 of the offseason program begins. How teams’ respective attendance figures look will be interesting.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Falcons To Attend Trey Lance’s Second Pro Day

April 17th, 2021 at 12:15pm CST by Ben Levine

While it isn’t a foregone conclusion that the Falcons will select a quarterback with the fourth-overall pick, they’re still making sure that they’re evaluating the top signal-callers. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the Falcons will be sending personnel to Trey Lance‘s second pro day on Monday at North Dakota State.

The Falcons were also in attendance at Lance’s first pro day, but as Pelissero notes, the organization will be sending three different coaches and/or scouts this time around. The organization did something similar with Justin Fields’ pro days, assuring that they get as many eyes on the prospects as possible.

With Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson presumed to be the first two selections in the draft, the drama will really pick up with the 49ers at No. 3. Reports indicate that San Francisco is leaning toward Mac Jones, which would leave the Falcons with one of Lance or Fields to choose from. Of course, the team could also opt for another position, and Pelissero notes that the front office continues to receive calls on their selection.

Lance will re-take the field ten days before the draft, and we’ve learned that at least the 49ers will be in attendance. There were also reports from earlier this week that Washington “loves” the North Dakota State product, so it’s reasonable to expect them to attend the pro day as they pursue a trade up from No. 19. Lance offers plenty of potential, as demonstrated in his 2019 season. That year, Lance went off for 28 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 1,100 yards on the ground.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Seahawks Had Interest In WR Marquise Goodwin

April 17th, 2021 at 11:56am CST by Ben Levine

Before he ended up joining the Bears, wideout Marquise Goodwin received some interest from one of his former team’s top rivals. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks were interested in adding the veteran receiver.

Following a four-year stint with the Bills to start his career, Goodwin put his name on the map once he joined the 49ers. He had a breakout season in 2017, hauling in 56 receptions for 962 yards and two touchdowns. The receiver’s production dropped off in 2018 and 2019, and after getting traded to the Eagles last offseason, Goodwin opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns.

The Seahawks are plenty familiar with the 30-year-old; Goodwin has played in five career games against the Niners’ division rival, hauling in 12 catches for 154 yards. Had Goodwin joined Seattle, he would have had to battle for reps behind starters D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, although Fowler notes that the Seahawks are content rolling with Freddie Swain as that “complementary piece.” The 2020 sixth-rounder hauled in a pair of touchdowns during his rookie campaign.

Instead of joining Seattle, Goodwin ultimately joined the Bears. We learned yesterday that the veteran inked a one-year deal with Chicago.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Aaron Donald Accuser Retracts Assault Allegations

April 17th, 2021 at 9:50am CST by Ben Levine

Aaron Donald is off the hook. Following reports from earlier this week that the star defensive lineman was facing assault allegations, the victim’s attorney told a Pittsburgh television station that his client, De’Vincent Spriggs, mistook his attacker(s) for Donald (via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry). Spriggs (via his attorney) released an apology to the Defensive Player of the Year.

Yesterday, Donald’s attorney vehemently denied the assault claims, noting that Spriggs swung a bottle at Donald before other individuals stepped in. The attorney added that they have five witness accounts that would corroborate that story, and video footage showed that Donald ultimately helped pull people away from the victim.

“Aaron actually runs over to [Spriggs’] aid and starts pulling people off of this guy,” White said. “He’s trying to get these kids off Spriggs. He gets at least two or three people off of Spriggs, and at that point in time, somebody grabs Aaron and says, ‘This is not a good situation, let’s get the heck out of here.'”

Spriggs’ attorney initially said that his client accidentally bumped into Donald inside a nightclub, leading to an argument. Donald reportedly confronted Spriggs and began punching and kicking him outside the venue, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Mick Stinelli. Spriggs, who admitted to throwing a bottle of alcohol at some point during the proceedings, required hospitalization. He suffered a broken eye socket, a broken nose, a concussion, and required 16 stitches. The initial reports indicated that Spriggs intended to press charges against the superstar Rams defensive lineman.

While the Rams and the NFL will presumably do their own investigations, this revelation would seemingly hush any whispers of punishment for the lineman. The six-time All-Pro has missed just two games in his seven seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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