HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/17

July 28th, 2017 at 8:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Friday’s minor moves…

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: OL Drew Iddings

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Waived: QB Eli Jenkins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

  • Signed: LS Andrew East

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Cowboys To Sign Luke McCown

July 28th, 2017 at 8:03pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cowboys have agreed to a one-year contract with quarterback Luke McCown, according to his agent, Mike McCartney (Twitter link).

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The season-ending surgery that Zac Dysert underwent earlier this week put the Cowboys in the market for another signal-caller, but it seemed they were searching for a developmental player. At 36, McCown certainly doesn’t qualify, but the Texas native will at least provide the club with an experienced option behind Dak Prescott and Kellen Moore. Before picking up McCown, Dallas was down to undrafted rookie Cooper Rush as its third option under center.

The brother of Jets starter Josh McCown, whom the Cowboys have courted in the past, Luke McCown entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Browns in 2004. Since then, he has also spent time with the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Saints and Falcons. He has totaled 62 appearances and 10 starts, the most recent of which came with New Orleans in 2015. All told, McCown has completed 216 of 356 passes (60.7 percent), averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and thrown nine touchdowns against 15 interceptions.

Donald Penn Seeking Top 10 LT Money

July 28th, 2017 at 7:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Currently 21st among left tackles in yearly contract value, the Raiders’ Donald Penn is holding out in hopes of landing a raise. Now, thanks to retired linebacker and current NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest, there’s some clarity on Penn’s demands.

Donald Penn

Penn spoke to McGinest about his asking price, and McGinest relayed (via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, on Twitter) that the lineman “wants to be paid in the top 10. He’s not looking to be the top paid.”

To break into the top 10 among left tackles in annual pay, Penn would need upward of the $11.25MM per season that the Rams’ Andrew Whitworth is earning on the three-year pact he signed in free agency. Penn, 34, is a year younger than Whitworth, and there’s a strong case to be made that the former deserves similar money. Like Whitworth, who has appeared in 168 of a possible 176 regular-season games and been extremely effective in the process, Penn has been an eminently durable stalwart.

An injury kept Penn out of the Raiders’ wild-card round loss to the Texans last January, but he otherwise hasn’t missed a game since entering the league with the Buccaneers in 2007. That was also the only year Penn hasn’t started in all 16 contests, as he served as a reserve in four of them. Dating back to his second year, Penn has started 156 consecutive games. He has also consistently earned quality grades from Pro Football Focus, which ranked his performance 12th among 76 qualified tackles in 2016.

“(Penn) just wants the respect for what he’s done on the field,” explained McGinest. “Stop looking at his age, look at his production”

Age isn’t on Penn’s side, as McGinest implied, but it’s hard to find a problem with his on-field output. With the Raiders and their high-octane offense aiming for a Super Bowl this year, general manager Reggie McKenzie may look to find common ground with Penn and appease one of the team’s premier linemen. Penn, guards Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson and center Rodney Hudson are among the best players in the league at their positions, and the Raiders surely want that alignment in place for all 16 games this season.

Ben Roethlisberger Could Retire After 2017

July 28th, 2017 at 7:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Steelers and their fans should savor the 2017 season because it could prove to be the end of the line for Ben Roethlisberger. The future Hall of Fame quarterback told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette that he may retire after the season. Roethlisberger also revealed that his wife wants him to call it a career sooner than later.

Ben Roethlisberger

“I feel if I commit to anything past right now, I’m cheating now,” he said. “I’m looking forward to this season, and I’m going to give it everything I have and afterwards we’ll sit down and do some [thinking] again.”

The 35-year-old Roethlisberger mulled retirement after last season, so it’s not surprising that it’s on the table for 2018. Interestingly, though, it seems a recent study heavily linking football players to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is influencing the 14th-year man’s thinking.

Roethlisberger noted that “being healthy” and “being able to play catch with my kids,” are important, adding, “I feel good mentally, I know this new study that came out that 90 percent [of NFL] players’ brains who were studied had CTE.”

The study actually found CTE in 99 percent of deceased NFL players’ brains that were donated to scientific research, which played a part in former Ravens center John Urschel‘s decision to hang up his cleats Thursday at the age of 26.

If Roethlisberger joins Urschel in retirement next year, it would mark the end of a fruitful era of Steelers football. Since using a first-round pick on Roethlisberger in 2004, the Steelers have made nine trips to the playoffs and racked up three Super Bowl appearances, two of which ended with them raising the Lombardi Trophy. Roethlisberger has been the driving force behind that success, and he’s now coming off a season in which he earned his fifth Pro Bowl nod. Overall, he appeared in 14 games for the 11-win club last year and threw 29 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. The Steelers made it to their fifth AFC title game of Roethlisberger’s tenure, but the Patriots vanquished them, 36-17.

Rams’ Aaron Donald To Hold Out

July 28th, 2017 at 7:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rams players were required to check in for training camp by Friday at 11am Pacific time, but star defensive tackle Aaron Donald is a no-show, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Donald will hold out with the goal of landing a lucrative extension, reports Alden Gonzlez of ESPN.com.

Aaron Donald (vertical) “He’s a great player,” said head coach Sean McVay. “We knew this was a potential possibility for us, and we’re constantly going through trying to get a solution to this.”

Los Angeles had indeed discussed a new deal for Donald, but “little progress” has been made in negotiations, per Rapoport. Asking price is almost assuredly an issue in talks, but the Rams’ level of team control over Donald means the club has little incentive to rush discussions. Donald is under contract through 2018 at a total cost of roughly $10MM thanks to the fifth-year option, and the Rams can then deploy the franchise tag in 2019.

That’s not to presume that Donald hasn’t outplayed his contact, a fact with which the Rams agree. Donald, 26, has been absolutely dominant since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A two-time All-Pro, Donald has managed 28 sacks during his three years in the NFL, an astonishing total for a defensive tackle. Donald, who played 828 snaps a season ago, graded as the league’s No. 1 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus, which awarded him a 99.0 mark for his pass-rushing prowess.

Donald is slated to earn $1.802MM in 2017 before his salary rises to $6.892MM in 2018.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Bolts, Fins, Ravens

July 28th, 2017 at 6:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Broncos quarterback Chad Kelly will likely spend his rookie season on injured reserve, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post (Twitter link), who indicates 2017 will be something of a redshirt campaign for Kelly. This year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Kelly is currently on the non-football injury list after undergoing wrist surgery in April. With Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch set to act as Denver’s top two quarterbacks, Kelly wouldn’t have played a role this season anyway, so the Broncos would rather not waste a roster spot. Denver will have to wait until final cutdowns to move Kelly to IR, or else risk losing him to waivers.

More from the AFC:

  • Chargers first-round wide receiver Mike Williams said last weekend that he expects to avoid surgery on his ailing back. The Bolts are also optimistic that will be the case, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, who notes that Mike Williams will likely begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. That wouldn’t necessarily rule out the ex-Clemson star for regular-season action, however, as the team’s hope is that he’ll be able to return during camp to work his way back in time for Week 1. General manager Tom Telesco revealed that the wideout has “been responding well” to treatment.
  • Alterraun Verner‘s one-year deal with the Dolphins is a minimum salary benefit pact and doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. As such, Verner will earn $900K if earns a spot on Miami’s roster, but will only count for $615K against the club’s salary cap. The veteran defensive back is expected to be given “every opportunity” to displace Bobby McCain as the Dolphins’ slot corner, per Jackson, but it’s also possible that Verner will fail to make the squad at all. In 2016, Verner appeared in all 16 games for Tampa Bay but played on only 22.8% of the team’s defensive snaps.
  • Even after signing veteran Bobby Rainey earlier this week, the Ravens may not be done adding running back help, opines Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Baltimore’s running game was already among the league’s worst in 2016, ranking 24th in DVOA and 25th in yards, and is now without Kenneth Dixon, who will miss the season after undergoing meniscus surgery. Terrance West, Danny Woodhead, Lorenzo Taliaferro, and Rainey are still on the roster, but the Ravens could consider free agent signings or trades as search for another back, per Hensley, who tosses out Ryan Mathews, Alfred Morris, Matt Jones, and Carlos Hyde as potential options.
  • Texans receiver Deante’ Gray has suffered a torn ACL, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. It has been a short but injury-marred career for Gray, an undrafted rookie who suffered a torn hamstring in the spring. Although he’s a Houston native, the ex-TCU Horned Frog was already facing long odds of making the Texans’ roster before his injury issues arose, given that he joined the team on a paltry $2K bonus.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

Broncos’ Shane Ray Out 6-8 Weeks

July 28th, 2017 at 5:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos have lost pass rusher Shane Ray for six to eight weeks on account of a torn ligament in his left wrist, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post was among those to report (on Twitter). Ray will undergo surgery Saturday.

Shane Ray

The 24-year-old Ray is the second notable Broncos linebacker to land on the shelf, joining Shaquil Barrett, who has been dealing with a hip injury since the spring. Having to go without Ray will be a bigger blow to the Broncos’ defense than Barrett’s absence, though, as the former emerged as one of the team’s top rushing threats last season.

As a second-year pro, Ray broke out with 48 tackles and eight sacks across 16 games (eight starts) and 664 snaps. Only two Broncos linebackers – Von Miller and Todd Davis – saw more action than Ray, who ranked an above-average 45th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualified edge defenders.

Now that they’re facing the prospect of going without both Ray and Barrett to begin the regular season, Broncos general manager John Elway and head coach Vance Joseph will consider adding outside help at linebacker, tweets Jhabvala. The best edge-rushing options remaining in free agency include Dwight Freeney, Mario Williams, Paul Kruger and Trent Cole, as PFR’s Dallas Robinson wrote last month. It’s possible the Broncos would have had interest in Erik Walden, who posted 11 sacks last year with the Colts, but they missed out on him when he signed with the Titans on Thursday.

Thanks to both the injuries to Ray and Barrett and the retirement of DeMarcus Ware, the Broncos are down to the untested Vontarrius Dora opposite Miller, as Roster Resource shows. Dora went undrafted out of Louisiana Tech last year and only played in one of Denver’s games.

Raiders, Gareon Conley Agree To Deal

July 28th, 2017 at 5:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Raiders and first-round cornerback Gareon Conley have agreed to a deal, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link).

Gareon Conley

Conley took longer than you’d expect the 24th overall pick to sign, largely because of his troubling off-field situation. The ex-Ohio State star was accused of sexual assault prior to the draft. Conley has maintained his innocence throughout the process, but a grand jury hasn’t yet weighed in on the matter. The Raiders, for their part, cleared Conley of any wrongdoing months ago as part of their own investigation, though they still took a sizable risk in drafting him.

Ironically, before the accusation cropped up, Conley was regarded as one of the safest prospects in this year’s class. The 6-foot, 195-pounder had a terrific career as a member of the Buckeyes, with whom he played extensively over the previous three years. Conley, who racked up a personal-best four interceptions last season, compares favorably to excellent Broncos corner Aqib Talib, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com,

Now that Conley’s under contract, the Raiders are left to hope he’ll be exonerated and contribute to a defense that also added second-round safety Obi Melifonwu in the draft. Those two are the newcomers in a secondary that also boasts Sean Smith, David Amerson, Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph.

Conley’s deal leaves Titans first-round wide receiver Corey Davis, the fifth selection, as the only unsigned player in the 2017 rookie class.

Daimion Stafford Mulling Retirement

July 28th, 2017 at 5:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Steelers safety Daimion Stafford is considering retirement, head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Friday (Twitter link via Mark Kaboly of DKPittsburghSports.com).

Daimion Stafford (Vertical)

The 26-year-old Stafford is the same age as former Ravens center John Urschel, who surprisingly elected to hang up his cleats Thursday. Urschel’s decision came thanks in part to an alarming medical study showing that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was found in 99 percent of deceased NFL players’ brains that were donated to scientific research, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. It’s unknown, however, if the study is affecting Stafford’s thought process.

If he does walk away from football, Stafford will do so without ever having played a down for the Steelers. He signed with Pittsburgh in May after spending the first four years of his career in Tennessee, where he only started in eight of 62 appearances. Stafford saw an uptick in playing time last year, though, as he logged a career-best six starts and combined for 855 snaps (614 on defense, 221 on special teams). He accumulated 51 tackles, an interception and a sack along the way.

Stafford will function as a reserve with the Steelers if he continues his career, accompanying Robert Golden and Jordan Dangerfield as depth behind starting safeties Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis.

Pernell McPhee Undergoes Knee Surgery

July 28th, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Friday, head coach John Fox told reporters, including Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Fox called the surgery a “cleanup” and didn’t offer a timeline for a return for McPhee, who began training camp on the physically unable to perform list with an “irregularity” in his left knee (Twitter links).

Pernell McPhee (vertical)

While it’s unclear if McPhee will miss any regular-season time, it’s obviously alarming that both knees are troubling the 28-year-old – especially considering his history. McPhee underwent two right knee procedures while with the Ravens in 2012, and he missed the Bears’ first six games last year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. To his credit, McPhee returned to rack up four sacks in nine games as a part-time player and earn respectable marks from Pro Football Focus.

Even though he sat out nearly half of last season, only three Bears – Willie Young, Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks – finished with more sacks than McPhee. Having to go without him for an extended period in 2017 would be a blow, then, though Chicago still has a more-than-capable starting linebacking corps with Young and Floyd flanking Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. The Bears’ reserves looks good, too, as they added the experienced Dan Skuta in free agency, re-signed Sam Acho and, unless they make him a cap casualty by Week 1, are getting Lamarr Houston back from the torn ACL he suffered last season.

McPhee’s place on the Bears’ roster seems more secure than Houston’s, though the team’s cap would also benefit from the former’s release. Ridding itself of McPhee would save Chicago $6.325MM (against $1.5MM in dead money) this season. Ideally, though, this latest knee issue will be a minor one and McPhee – whom the Bears signed to a five-year, $38.75MM deal in free agency two years ago – will be a key contributor to their pass rush in 2017.

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