Category: Latest News

Trae Waynes thrilled about reunion with Mackensie Alexander on Bengals

Two former Vikings are now teammates on the Bengals.

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The Cincinnati Bengals spurred a reunion of former teammates this offseason in free agency by bringing aboard cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings.

Waynes, as seen in the social media post below, was thrilled about the reunion.

Waynes, a first-round pick by the Mike Zimmer-led Vikings in 2015, was the first to agree to sign with the Bengals after a $42 million offer sheet went out. Alexander, a second-round pick by those Vikings in 2016, signed a prove-it deal.

With Waynes on the outside and Alexander in the slot, Cincinnati has some instant chemistry between two of its top corners. Based on their play style in the past, they also have sure tacklers against the run and guys who don’t get penalized often.

View this post on Instagram

That's MY DAWG!!! #whodey

A post shared by Trae Waynes (@trae.26) on

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Report: Titans to sign LB Nick Dzubnar to 1-year deal

The Titans are signing LB Nick Dzubnar.

The Tennessee Titans are adding a linebacker in free agency who is really considered a “special teams ace.”

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Titans are going to sign Nick Dzubnar to a one-year deal.

This move could mean the end of linebacker Daren Bates in Nashville, as Dzubnar plays the same position and is also a special teams contributor. Nothing has been confirmed on that front, though.

Dzubnar has spent all five of his NFL seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He went undrafted out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.

In 2019, the 28-year-old didn’t play a single snap on defense, so he was exclusively a special teams player. He recorded eight tackles (three solo) in 16 games.

And, because spelling of his name will undoubtedly cause some confusion on how to say it, according to Pro Football Reference, it’s pronounced “duh-ZOOB-nar.”

 

Ravens re-sign DB Anthony Levine Sr. to 1-year deal

The Baltimore Ravens are bringing back a key contributor on defense and special teams in defensive back Anthony Levine for the 2020 season.

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The Baltimore Ravens are all about bringing back their own players. At the same time Baltimore re-signed cornerback Jimmy Smith on a one-year deal, the Ravens also re-signed defensive back Anthony Levine Sr. on a one-year deal, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec and ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

While Levine might not be well known outside of Baltimore, he’s been a key piece of the puzzle for the Ravens for years. Levine has played all over the defense, usually labeled as a safety but sliding down to linebacker in a few packages. He’s also a special teams ace, logging an impressive 2404 special teams snaps over the last seven years (343 snaps per year on average).

The move to re-sign Levine helps fill a big need for Baltimore as experienced safety depth and adds back to the secondary a major contributor from last year’s fourth-ranked unit. As the Ravens typically do at this time of free agency, they seem to be filling as many of their immediate needs as possible with low-cost options. That will allow them to enter the 2020 NFL Draft and grab the players that are highest on their board rather than having to potentially reach for prospects that fit pressing needs.

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Ravens re-signing CB Jimmy Smith to 1-year deal worth up to $6 million

The Baltimore Ravens are bringing back a player they love in cornerback Jimmy Smith, adding to their already stellar secondary.

The Baltimore Ravens have been transparent about their desire to re-sign cornerback Jimmy Smith this offseason. And now they’ve pulled it off. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and the team’s Twitter account, the Ravens are re-signing Smith to a one-year contract worth up to $6 million.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, general manager Eric DeCosta said he wanted to re-sign Smith but expected him to evaluate his options on the open market. That’s exactly what Smith did and for a while it looked as though he would get offers well out of Baltimore’s price range. However, recent deals for cornerbacks apparently lowered the cost enough to get a deal done.

When healthy, Smith has been a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback for the Ravens. The problem there is Smith hasn’t been able to stay healthy throughout his career. Over just the last four years, Smith has missed 20 games due to injuries and suspensions. Still, he’s been productive over that time as well, snagging six interceptions (returning one for a touchdown), defensing 48 passes, and securing a fumble recovery (returned for a touchdown).

Though Smith missed seven games last season, he allowed just 28-of-50 passes to be completed his way (56%) for 329 yards and no touchdowns. Quarterbacks posted a paltry 67.8 passer rating when targeting Smith in 2019.

While Smith might be beyond his starting days, especially with Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey in front of him on the depth chart, the Ravens love having experienced depth at cornerback. Smith provides Baltimore the level of continuity and experience they appreciate in the secondary while potentially being able to finish out his career with the same team that drafted him.

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Marcus Mariota’s contract details with Raiders revealed

Marcus Mariota’s contract details with the Raiders have been revealed.

Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders — and now we know for how much.

According to Mike Garafalo of NFL Network, Mariota is set to make a pretty nice chunk of change, as his contract with the Raiders will pay him $17.6 million over two years, with $7.5 million being guaranteed in the first year.

Here’s a bit more info on some of the incentives in Mariota’s deal that could bring up the value big time if he becomes a starter.

Granted, the base salary isn’t as much as Mariota made in 2020 (it was upwards of $20 million) but with all of those incentives thrown in there, he stands to make a decent buck if all goes well.

There are many out there who believe the Raiders’ current starter, Derek Carr, is vulnerable, which gives Mariota a chance to gain a starting job at some point in 2020 if Carr falters.

There’s no question this was a move made to push Carr, and the host of incentives in Mariota’s deal only furthers that notion.

It also helps that both Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock were big fans of the Oregon product when he was coming out of college, so both won’t hesitate to pull the trigger on putting him in.

Report: Ex-Titans RB Dion Lewis agrees to terms with Giants

Dion Lewis is reportedly going to the Giants.

Former Tennessee Titans running back Dion Lewis has agreed to terms with the New York Giants.

This comes from ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

The Titans signed Lewis back in 2018 to a four-year deal, but after two mediocre to bad seasons with Tennessee, the team released him earlier this month.

Lewis’ best season came in 2018 when he was heavily involved in the offense, totaling 917 yards (517 rushing) and two total touchdowns.

In 2019, Lewis was phased out almost completely with the Titans finally handing over the reins of the rushing attack to Derrick Henry, who went on to lead the league in rushing.

Even in limited action, Lewis was not good. He only averaged 3.9 yards per rush and 6.6 yards per reception, and he saw his fair share of struggles with drops. To be fair, though, the Titans’ screen game wasn’t very good for much of the season, no matter who was getting thrown the ball.

Potential NFL draft changes alter likely beginning of Joe Burrow-Bengals era

Changes to the NFL draft could make things interesting.

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Changes to the 2020 NFL Draft will alter what Cincinnati Bengals fans envisioned when the team likely calls Joe Burrow’s name with the first overall pick.

Instead of an event on the Las Vegas strip featuring boats at the Bellagio’s famed fountains, the festivities will happen from a live studio setting, according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. The April 23-25 event will be broadcast from a studio setting, Farmer reported, with cuts to individual team headquarters for picks.

In other words, Las Vegas is off. There’s no Burrow on a boat, walking a red carpet and donning a Bengals hat in front of a live crowd. Because the NFL doesn’t know what travel restrictions will be in place by the time the event rolls around, top prospects like Burrow might not end up involved at all.

These changes in strange times won’t spoil the viewing experience for those watching from home. It’s unfortunate for those who planned to attend, of course, but the event will still be memorable in its own unique way.

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Did Titans’ Amani Hooker hint at a larger role in 2020?

Was Amani Hooker’s Instagram post a hint at a larger role coming in 2020?

With it looking increasingly likely that the Tennessee Titans won’t be bringing Logan Ryan back in 2020, it begs the question: who will replace him at slot corner next season?

While we can talk about free-agent options or even those in the draft, the first name that comes to my mind in this conversation is Amani Hooker, the Titans’ 2019 fourth-round pick.

He was labeled as a safety coming out of college, but do we really believe he was drafted to play that position when the Titans have Kenny Vaccaro and Kevin Byard locked up and playing nearly 100 percent of snaps every game?

Of course not.

The real reason general manager Jon Robinson likely drafted Hooker is because the Iowa product was an elite slot corner in college, per Pro Football Focus.

Robinson taking Hooker might have been the writing on the wall then that Ryan wouldn’t be back past 2019.

Take this for what it’s worth, but Hooker made a post on Instagram on Sunday with the caption “in due time”, which could be foreshadowing an increased role next season.

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In due time🛸💨

A post shared by Amani Hooker (@amanihooker37) on

There will be plenty of people out there who will be a bit apprehensive about a second-year player taking over for Ryan, who was undoubtedly a valued member of this defense last season.

However, Ryan wasn’t exactly great in coverage, as he allowed more passing yards than any cornerback in the NFL. He permitted a 66 percent completion rate when targeted.

Adding to that, Ryan isn’t exactly fleet of foot, which is increasingly important against speedy receivers in today’s NFL.

Hooker gives the Titans an upgrade in the speed department, and he could provide just as good — and quite possibly better — play in coverage for much cheaper. Ryan is looking for at least $10 million annually, while Hooker will make just $858,370 in his second season.

In due time, Hooker might make us forget all about the Titans letting Ryan walk in free agency.

Report: Joe Flacco ‘is not a consideration’ for Titans as backup QB

The Titans are not looking at Joe Flacco as backup quarterback.

It remains to be seen if the Tennessee Titans will settle on Logan Woodside as the backup quarterback for 2020 or if the team will go outside the organization to find one.

One signal-caller who recently became available is former Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco, who might not be the most attractive name but does have a ton of experience.

However, according to Terry McCormick of Titan Insider, the Titans are not considering Flacco for their backup quarterback role.

There are still some solid options out there for the Titans to pursue if they choose, and they would be wise to explore those options.

Woodside has never played a single regular season snap, and while the coaching staff seems to be a fan of him, there’s no telling if he’d be able to keep the Titans afloat if Ryan Tannehill were to go down to injury.

And that should be a concern for Tennessee, as Tannehill has a lengthy injury history that warrants the team considering every means necessary to make sure he has a solid quarterback behind him.

At the very least, Tennessee should bring someone in to compete with Woodside and let the best man win. The Titans are in a win-now position and can’t afford to simply rest on Woodside without looking at other alternatives, whether that be Flacco or someone else.

If any team knows just how important it is to have a good backup waiting in the wings as an insurance policy after last season, it’s the Titans.

Andy Dalton’s contract looks like the thing holding back Bengals in trade talks

The Bengals might not get much for Andy Dalton in a trade.

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It is beginning to look like the Cincinnati Bengals won’t be able to find a trade partner for Andy Dalton.

The idea sounds good — unload Dalton for some sort of return while freeing up his $17.7 million cap hit just as the Joe Burrow era begins.

Easier said than done.

And now there’s this from NBC Sports’ Peter King:

6. I think I keep hearing no one will trade for Andy Dalton and pay him $17 million this year in the last year of his deal. If he’s on the street, Dalton at $7 million for a year in New England makes the most sense to me. Hard to see Dalton going unloved, but he fits New England either short or long-term the best. I still expect the Patriots, after signing Brian Hoyer on Sunday, to look into signing a veteran.

Not that anyone needed inside sources to see this coming.

We’ve written repeatedly the better-than-usual quarterback carousel this offseason came at a horrible time for the Bengals. The free-agent class alone had Tom Brady and Philip Rivers, never mind Teddy Bridgewater and others.

Needy teams that missed out on those guys like Chicago went out and traded for Nick Foles instead. New England is reportedly not interested in Dalton at all.

There are many factors at play here. The contract is certainly one of them. Dalton perhaps isn’t as highly regarded as some would think, especially compared to someone with potential upside like Bridgewater. It’s also worth asking what the Bengals want in return for him.

Regardless of the precise factors, it all continues to point at the Bengals cutting Dalton without any return via trade. It’s nice to have the cap space — but it’ll linger as a “what if?” item if it happens.

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