Tag: Bama in the NFL

Julio Jones will not be traded despite rumors

Rumors have recently surfaced surrounding Flacons star receiver Julio Jones. Amidst this hectic NFL offseason, these rumors are false.

Rumors were swirling throughout social media of a blockbuster trade that could happen before the start of the weekend centered around former Alabama legend Julio Jones.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweeted a report that the rumors of a potential trade between the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles that would land star wide receiver Jones in Philly were false.

Julio Jones is a staple within the Falcons franchise and, while there has been a rocky history between him and the organization, he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

His $66 million dollar contract runs through the 2023 season and it appears that he’ll be staying put in Atlanta until then, possibly longer.

There have been plenty of major trades and signings throughout this 2020 NFL offseason, one of which directly impacts Jones.

One of the league’s top running backs, Todd Gurley, was released by his original team, the Los Angeles Rams, and decided to sign onto the Falcons.

Georgia is not a new place for him as he spent his college days at the University of Georgia.

The 2019 Falcons were unimpressive which led to fans beginning to turn on their quarterback Matt Ryan. Gurley offers a new look for the Atlanta offense that could be the spark they need to make their way back to the top.

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Josh Jacobs stands up for teammate Derek Carr on Twitter

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs responds to a critical tweet about Derek Carr, as some fans look to move on.

Former Alabama star running back Josh Jacobs had quite the rookie season in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, such a good season that many football fans were upset when he wasn’t named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

While playing for the Crimson Tide, Jacobs was often seen as a quiet player who put his focus on getting the job done on the field. Since playing on a professional level, he has been more vocal on social media, done commercials and even had the opportunity to tell his story.

The former Alabama running back took to Twitter to send out the message “Hella disappointed” — which was seemingly about the passing of the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement.

And to make matters more interesting, over 500 players did not even vote.

The timing of this tweet makes sense when seeing several retweets Jacobs had around that same time. That, however, did not stop fans from speculating and poking fun at the team’s veteran quarterback Derek Carr.

One Twitter user makes it clear that he’s not the biggest fan of the Raiders franchise signal caller. In fact, there is a sizable portion of the Raiders fanbase who believe it is time to move on.

Jacobs, because of the type of person he’s proven to be, stepped in to defend the quarterback he shares a backfield with.

Jacobs responding by telling the fan to “stop disrespecting that man” tells us that he’s supportive of Carr’s role in the soon-to-be Las Vegas Raiders.

Heading into Year Two of his NFL career, there are a lot of people who are excited to see how Jacobs can add onto an already impressive resume.

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Mack Wilson earns NFL’s second-highest rookie performance bonus

Mack Wilson’s rookie season performance was more than enough to earn him a hefty bonus worth $416k.

Former Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson was criticized by many for deciding to forgo his senior season with the Crimson Tide to enter the 2019 NFL Draft, now a key member of Cleveland’s defense, he has proven his doubters wrong.

After being drafted No. 155 overall but the Cleveland Browns, Wilson had an uphill battle to make his on-field appearances. He performed well during the preseason and earned his way into a starting role.

Now, with veteran members leaving the Browns in free agency ahead of the 2020 NFL season, Wilson is set to be one of the top pieces on the defensive side of the ball in his sophomore season.

In his rookie year Wilson played in all 16 regular season games, while impressively starting in 14, where he tallied 82 total tackles, seven pass deflections, an interception and four tackles for loss.

These numbers were enough for Wilson to earn his rookie performance bonus.

Wilson showed that he’s not the only one happy about the hefty bonus – his bank account is too!

Wilson is poised to continue on with his high-level performance in year No. 2 in an even bigger role.

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Amari Cooper to test free agency, likely re-sign with Cowboys

Amari Cooper will be able to hear offers from other teams after not being franchised tagged by the Cowboys, likely he Weill re-sign.

With the Dallas Cowboys announcing that the team’s franchise tag will be used on free agent quarterback Dak Prescott, former Alabama star receiver Amari Cooper will get a chance to test the market during the free agency period.

As David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reported, though Cooper was not tagged, they are working with him on a long-term deal to keep him with the Cowboys.

Cooper hasn’t been shy about his feelings on staying in Dallas.

Earlier this month, Cooper told 105.3 The Fan, a local Dallas radio station, that he would like to “be a Dallas Cowboy for life.”

Those are some strong words, but is his longing to remain in Dallas for the rest of his career valued over money?

Teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins have been connected to Cooper, both of which are in need of wide receiver help. However, it appears that his price tag may be too high for what they’re looking to spend.

Bleacher Report’s Keegan Pope explained that Cooper’s expected contract value should put him between $15 million-20 million per year. As Pope points out, this would put the receiver in the top-five for highest paid wide receivers in the NFL.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is infamous for his inability to shy away from paying players big money. Cooper made an immediate impact on the team after he was traded from Oakland for a 2019 first-round pick.

It’s almost certain that Cooper will stay in Dallas and make it his long-term home, but nothing is for sure until pen is put to paper.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on Amari Cooper’s journey through free agency!

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Kenyan Drake wipes Instagram ahead of free agency

Former Alabama star running back Kenyan Drake has had an interesting few years in the NFL, he’s now set to enter free agency with a sizable price tag after proving his worth with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. Players tend to either be extremely …

Former Alabama star running back Kenyan Drake has had an interesting few years in the NFL, he’s now set to enter free agency with a sizable price tag after proving his worth with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019.

Players tend to either be extremely open about the process or closed off, Drake has seemingly chosen to be very private during the 2020 offseason.

He has deleted all of his Instagram posts except for one video from early Mar that shows him training with the caption “Dreams don’t work unless you do.”

Now you may be asking yourself “what does this mean?” Well, I wish I had the answer to that.

This could mean Drake is choosing to delete photos of himself with his prior teams, the Cardinals and Miami Dolphins, in order to start anew as he looks to sign with a new team in the 2020 season.

However, that seems like a reach.

Odds are Drake is just cleaning his social media, as we all should do from time to time and wants to transform his feed.

We’ll never know. And frankly, it will lead you down an endless rabbit hole if you think about it too much.

What he do know, however, is that Drake’s performance in his eight games with Arizona left a lasting impression on the franchise. So much so that they are targeting him in this offseason to re-sign and be their lead back over the incumbent starter, David Johnson.

The Cardinals General Manager, Steve Keim, was very open about his desire to bring back Drake for the years ahead.

Drake had seemed to fit in perfectly with Kyler Murray and the Arizona offense, it appears like he has found a long-term home with them.

Maybe his Instagram tells a story of a player looking to forget his past and move on, or maybe it’s just an NFL star cleaning his feed. We’ll never know.

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Derrick Henry could get the most money from Miami Dolphins

Former Alabama Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry is on the free agent market heading into the 2020 season, and while many believe he’ll return to the only team he’s ever known, there’s a chance he takes his talents to South Beach and earn a …

Former Alabama Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry is on the free agent market heading into the 2020 season, and while many believe he’ll return to the only team he’s ever known, there’s a chance he takes his talents to South Beach and earn a solid amount from the Dolphins.

In the 2019 NFL season Henry was the Titans’ main source of offensive production, beside rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown.

Their season ended with a loss in the AFC Championship game against the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. While their season ended without a ring to commemorate it, Henry will remember it as his best season to-date.

The former second-round pick posted 1,540 yards off of 303 carries for 16 touchdowns on the ground and added two more in the air. This dominant season is what’s propelling Henry’s value on the free agent market.

The star running back has not hidden his opinions on staying with the Titans. While in meeting with the ‘Good Morning Football’ crew, Henry stated “I definitely want to stay in Tennessee.”

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

While this may seem like it’s a done deal that he won’t be packing up to play elsewhere, let’s keep in mind that this is ultimately his job. A job in which salaries differ in terms of tens of millions of dollars.

Sure there are other aspects that are important to consider, but money is the ultimate motivator.

The future of the Titans is still uncertain, rumors of Antoni Brown making an NFL comeback has had Tennessee’s name thrown around, as well as Tom Brady continuing his illustrious with the Titans.

However, one team that could offer him a healthy salary and a good shot with young talent on both sides of the ball would be the Miami Dolphins.

With Miami releasing plenty of players over the offseason and trading even more for draft capital, the Dolphins over over $90 million in cap space.

Miami does have a lot of needs to address, so that large amount could be spread thin trying to fix each of those issues. However, many can be solved through the draft or less expensive options in free agency.

It’s looking like they’ll be able to draft their future quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft, whether it’s Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa is to be determined. They still have two more draft picks in the first round to address other needs.

Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Henry should be a top priority for the Dolphins as they have had a hard time in recent years trying to draft their franchise running back. He is a proven elite player in the NFL and would likely thrive in just about any system.

How much would Miami be willing to pay and would Henry be willing to move back to his home state of Florida? these are questions that will soon be answered as He’d likely want to establish his presence long before the start of the 2020 NFL regular season.

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Mack Wilson shows how ready he is for 2020 starting role

Browns linebacker Joe Schobert is set to leave Cleveland during the 2020 offseason free agency period, this not only leaves a hole in the defense, but it removes the only man ahead of Mack Wilson on the depth chart. In Wilson’s rookie season with …

Browns linebacker Joe Schobert is set to leave Cleveland during the 2020 offseason free agency period, this not only leaves a hole in the defense, but it removes the only man ahead of Mack Wilson on the depth chart.

In Wilson’s rookie season with the Browns he played in all 16 games while starting 14, recorded 82 total tackles, had seven pass deflections, an interception and a lone forced fumble.

With Schobert prepared to leave, Cleveland now turns to the Alabama product to step up.

A Browns fan took to Twitter to ask his followers if they thought Wilson was ready for the position. However, Wilson took it upon himself to answer the question.

(If you’re not too fond of foul language, now is the right time to turn away)

There is no official word yet as to if Wilson will be the replacement for Schobert, but he seems ready and the fans are behind him.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you update on his role in Cleveland!

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CBS Sports lists top landing spots for Derrick Henry

Former Alabama Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry made quite a name for himself in the 2019 season, a contract year, and he could potentially be hitting free agency, assuming the Tennessee Titans don’t tag him. Henry had a career season in …

Former Alabama Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry made quite a name for himself in the 2019 season, a contract year, and he could potentially be hitting free agency, assuming the Tennessee Titans don’t tag him.

Henry had a career season in 2019, leading his team all the way to the AFC Championship. In total, he tallied 1,540 yards off of 303 caries for 16 touchdowns and an average of 102.7 yards per game, almost over 40 yards more than his previous career high.

These impressive numbers mean that Henry will look to get a contract that pays accordingly.

Jordan Dajani with CBS Sports listed five likely landing spots for Henry:

5. Houston Texans

4. Los Angeles Chargers

3. Miami Dolphins

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1. Tennessee Titans

Dajani didn’t offer a detailed explanation behind why these teams would be a good fit for Henry and the rationale behind the ranking. However, it seems interesting as some teams on the list, like the Chargers, don’t seem to be in the market for a running back.

Others may be in need of a new leader in the backfield, but haven’t prioritized finding one leading into free agency.

Henry’s combination of size, speed and strength make him a running back unlike any other in the league and it’s likely that his contract will be a big one.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Bama in the FL and free agency.

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What’s next for former Alabama WR Cam Sims?

Cam Sims time with the Alabama football program came to a close following the 2017 season. He would then go on to be an undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft. The two-time CFP National Champion with the Crimson Tide found himself in a …

Cam Sims time with the Alabama football program came to a close following the 2017 season. He would then go on to be an undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft.

The two-time CFP National Champion with the Crimson Tide found himself in a position to compete, not for a starting role with the team, but for a job.

The Washington Redskins picked him up and he has been with the team for two seasons now, though it has come with minimal playing time.

Sims had three targets in 2019 with the team, but was only able to reel in two of them for an underwhelming 27 yards.

Now, heading into the 2020 regular season, Washington is getting things started with a fresh head coach in Ron Rivera, a young Dwayne Haskins and a slew of talented receivers.

It may be a difficult challenge for Sims to compete with names like Trey Quinn, Kelvin Harmon and Terry McLaurin.

However he may not even get the opportunity to earn a spot.

Redskins.com’s Zach Selby states that Washington can “do whatever they want with Sims.”

The post goes on to explain that the team and the offense won’t really be affected by Sims’ presence or absence.

In my opinion, Sims could be a very important piece to maintaining offensive production with an extremely young team. His drive and determination to persevere, as he’s shown through his journey to the NFL, could make everybody around him better.

He just might shock the coaching staff and earn a spot on the field come Week 1.

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Arizona Cardinals GM speaks on Kenyan Drake’s free agency

After being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2016, following an impressive career at Alabama, running back Kenyan Drake struggled to find his groove and be a nationally recognized offensive weapon. That is until he was traded to the Arizona …

After being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2016, following an impressive career at Alabama, running back Kenyan Drake struggled to find his groove and be a nationally recognized offensive weapon.

That is until he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, a contract year for the Crimson Tide product.

Having only played eight games with Arizona, he put up numbers that had the Cardinals fanbase rallied around him.

He managed to tally up 643 yards off of 123 carries for eight touchdowns on the ground. Drake was also able to help in the passing game by reeling in 28 receptions for 171 yards.

As previously mentioned, Drake is set to be a free agent heading into the 2020 NFL regular season, and he has proven that he can be an effective lead back for a franchise, if given the right opportunities.

Drake took over the Cardinals starting running back position from David Johnson, who at one point took the league by storm. However, due to injuries, Johnson has not seen much of the field.

Arizona’s General Manager, Steve Keim, spoke on Drake’s free agency and the role he would have should he sign with his team.

“The guy who is under contract, and the guy who earns it,” Keim said during an extended interview on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Keim is stating that whoever is on the team will have to earn the spot, nothing is guaranteed or promised to neither Johnson nor Drake.

Johnson is set to earn $10 million from the team in 2020 alone, some have speculated that the Cardinals will cut him in order to save some money and just stick with Drake in the backfield.

“Cutting him is not an option,” Keim said. “Not only the cap hit, but you’re still paying him the cash as well, and it wouldn’t be responsible for me or the organization for me to do that.”

It seems universally accepted that if Drake signs back with the Cardinals for 2020 he will be the starter, which Keim hinted towards when speaking on Johnson’s role if that is the case:
“If David Johnson isn’t the starter, he still has a significant role,” Keim said.
There are now rumors of the team being open to trading their once-star David Johnson, as Keim declined to comment on the possibility.
Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things ‘Bama in the NFL’ and any free-agency signings with former Alabama stars.
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