2017 August - Pro Football Rumors

Redskins’ Hall To Start Year On PUP List

August 24th, 2017 at 3:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins will start the year without the services of DeAngelo Hall. The safety says he’ll be on the PUP list to begin the season.

“Dr. [James] Andrews doesn’t think I’m quite ready. I’m gonna take his advice,” Hall told JP Finlay of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link).

Hall, 33, suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 of the 2016 season and is still working to get back to full strength. After taking a pay cut in June, his spot on the roster is likely still secure. The veteran will be taking in a $2.3MM base salary rather than the $4.25MM non-guaranteed base salary he was originally slated to receive.

Hall appeared in just 17 of 48 possible regular season games over the past three seasons. The Redskins expect that he’ll be ready to go when eligible to come off of the PUP list this fall, but if not, they do have some safety nets in place. The versatile Su’a Cravens is expected to play at safety more than at linebacker and the team also added free agent D.J. Swearinger as a free agent. Fourth round pick Montae Nicholson will also be competing for time and could see significant reps if he is not too raw.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/17

August 24th, 2017 at 2:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

The Steelers waived cornerback Antonio Crawford just one day after signing him. Crawford was a college teammate of Pittsburgh corner Artie Burns at the University of Miami, before transferring to West Virginia. The reasons for Crawford’s quick in-and-out are not clear, but the culprit is often a failed physical in cases like these.
The Giants signed safety Tim Scott, who was waived by Washington last week. Scott was not on an NFL roster last year but he did start 45 of 50 games in his time at the University of North Carolina.
The Saints waived waived wide receiver Xavier Rush and fullback John Robinson-Woodgett. Rush, a Tulane product, leaves the Saints after less than two weeks with the team. Some were surprised by his release given the way he had performed in practice. Robinson-Woodgett will try to make a late push as a reserve fullback, but he faces long odds of making the cut on September 2.
The Cardinals waived cornerback Daniel Gray. He originally joined the team on June 6 as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Utah State.

Broncos, Donald Stephenson Rework Deal

August 24th, 2017 at 12:39pm CST by Zachary Links

It appears that Donald Stephenson has improved his chances of making the Broncos’ roster. The tackle has agreed to a restructured deal, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter). Meanwhile, his $4MM salary for 2018 has been erased, Mike Klis of 9News writes.

Full details of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely that the revised contract will carry a smaller overall cap number, making him a stronger option to play behind starting left tackle Garett Bolles and right tackle addition Menelik Watson. The new pact will benefit Stephenson too, as the guaranteed portion of his deal has gone from $2MM to $2.5MM. He’ll also receive $750K for playing in 50% of the team’s snaps and another $750K if he reaches 70%.

This marks the second time this offseason that Stephenson has agreed to rework his deal. Originally on a three-year, $14MM deal, Stephenson modified the deal in March to lower his 2017 salary.

The veteran started 12 games at right tackle for Denver but graded out as the second-worst tackle in the league among qualifying players, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. He was responsible for three sacks and 11 penalties.

Jets Looking At Ex-Giants OT Will Beatty

August 24th, 2017 at 11:29am CST by Zachary Links

Former Giants tackle Will Beatty is working out for the Jets on Thursday, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Garafolo adds that Beatty is a “name to watch for teams with tackle needs in the near future,” so it sounds like he might have a bit of a free agent tour lined up for himself.

Beatty was one of the league’s more effective left tackles in 2014, grading as a positive contributor as both a run- and pass-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF ranked him 14th overall out of 84 qualified players at the position.

Unfortunately, a pectoral injury cost Beatty the entire 2015 season. And, in 2016, Beatty wound up appearing in only six games.

If Beatty is healthy, he may get an offer to serve as a reserve option behind projected starters Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell. Alternatively, the 32-year-old may look for a better opportunity to secure a second Super Bowl ring.

Latest On Colin Kaepernick

August 24th, 2017 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

If the league office really wants Colin Kaepernick to be employed, they have ways to make a team sign him, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Florio points to the league’s efforts to get Michael Sam, the league’s first openly gay draft pick, on to a practice squad three years ago. Ultimately, after making a number of calls, the Cowboys agreed to give Sam a gig.

The NFL has been known to make wink-wink deals with teams when they want to get something done, and the league could encourage a team to sign Kaepernick by promising a future chance to host the Super Bowl or an exemption from having to do HBO’s Hard Knocks or something similar. But, with the season opener rapidly closing in, it remains to be seen whether commissioner Roger Goodell will pull some strings to get Kaepernick a contract.

Here’s the latest on No. 7:

Mike Sando of ESPN.com spoke with a number of coaches and talent evaluators to try and get some insight on the Kaepernick situation. Multiple people indicated that they are unsure about Kaepernick’s commitment to football since they have not heard from him directly. “Everyone else is worried about him working, but I never hear him say how much he wants to work,” this voter said. “That hits a chord. People want to hear, ‘I want to work in the league, I want to work for you, I want to do this more than anything.’ It’s like with Tim Tebow — he’d rather be on the outside switching sports than be relegated to the [third team] and getting 20 percent of the reps.” Some also indicated that a similarly talented player playing a different position would have been signed by now. Kaepernick is left waiting, some say, because teams expect leadership from quarterbacks and there is fear that his personal agenda could come ahead of the team’s overall purpose.
There was a sizable rally outside of NFL headquarters this week in support of Kaepernick, but the commissioner informed the “United We Stand” coalition that he could not meet at this time (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson). Although the group was unable to have an audience with Goodell, the rally did succeed in generating a great deal of media attention. The buzz generated from the rally may put some additional pressure on the league office to find Kaepernick a team for 2017.
The NFLPA has been in contact with Kaepernick’s reps.

Cowboys Notes: Elliott, Moore, Rush

August 24th, 2017 at 9:46am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the Cowboys:

A delayed suspension for Ezekiel Elliott is not out of the question, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Elliott could turn to the court system for a preliminary injunction, like former Vikings Pat Williams and Kevin Williams once did, which would bar the league from suspending him until the case ends. The Cowboys star might not be able to get his ban overturned in court, but there’s a chance that he could push the suspension to the 2018 season, if he goes that route. Elliott has indicated that he will sue the NFL if necessary, but he will first go through the league’s appeal process to see if he can have his six-game suspension overturned or reduced.
Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan says he won’t rule out Cooper Rush for the team’s backup quarterback role just because of his lack of experience, as Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes. Linehan also has a longstanding relationship with Kellen Moore, but he says that will not be a factor either. Rush has yet to take a snap in a real NFL game, but he has completed 69% of his passes in three preseason games with four touchdowns and no interceptions. His emergence could impact the Cowboys’ final 53-man roster as Dallas may look to carry three QBs. Dallas could try to sneak Rush through waivers and on to the practice squad, but that’s a dicey proposition after his strong showing in the exhibition games.
It’s possible that last year’s Josh Brown saga could impact Elliott in his appeal.

North Notes: Osweiler, Trubisky, Carey

August 23rd, 2017 at 9:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from the North:

With DeShone Kizer likely to open the season as the Browns’ starting quarterback, the probable runner-up in the competition, Brock Osweiler, is now on the trade block. The problem is that the Browns are unlikely to find a taker for him, even though they’re willing to eat around $10MM of his $16MM salary if the right offer comes along, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. The Browns wanted at least a third-round pick for Osweiler when they were shopping him in March, according to Cabot, which is a preposterous asking price when you consider the struggles he had in Houston last season. While Cleveland did give up a fourth-rounder to acquire Osweiler from the Texans, it also received a second- and sixth-rounder just to take on his bloated contract. Regarding the possibility of the Browns flipping the 26-year-old before Week 1, an NFL personnel executive told Cabot, “Good luck with that.”
The Bears will give rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky some first-team reps in their preseason game against the Titans on Sunday, which is the latest sign that the second overall pick will emerge as their starter sometime this year, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune writes. Trubisky’s preseason play has easily trumped free agent signing Mike Glennon‘s (granted, the former has faced lesser competition thus far), but the job still belongs to the veteran, according to head coach John Fox. “Right now, Mike Glennon is the starter,” Fox said. “He’s going to start preseason (Game) 3, which is a pretty good indicator where you start the (regular) season. I’ll leave it at that.”
Bears running back Ka’Deem Carey underwent wrist surgery and will miss approximately six weeks, Fox told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and other reporters on Wednesday (Twitter link). Carey, who’s behind Jordan Howard and Kendall Langford on the Bears’ depth chart, has totaled just 111 carries since they chose him in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He averaged 3.9 yards on 32 attempts last season.

Redskins, Steelers Swap Dashaun Phillips, Lucas Crowley

August 23rd, 2017 at 9:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Washington has traded cornerback Dashaun Phillips to Pittsburgh for center Lucas Crowley, James Palmer of NFL Network tweets. The Redskins would have cut Phillips had they not found a taker for him, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter), as the 26-year-old was on the outside of the team’s cornerback battle.

Phillips spent the first two years of his career in Washington, where he totaled 11 appearances and eight tackles. He picked up the first two starts of his career last season and ended up amassing 207 snaps (147 on defense, 60 on special teams) in five games. Phillips will now vie for a role in a Pittsburgh corner corps that features Artie Burns, William Gay, Coty Sensabaugh and Ross Cockrell as its most established members.

Crowley, an undrafted rookie, is already on his third team since May. The former North Carolina Tar Heel originally signed with the Cardinals, who cut him July 22, and then latched on with the Steelers just two weeks ago. While he hardly seems like a lock to make the Redskins, it could help Crowley’s cause that starting center Spencer Long underwent minor knee surgery this week. Washington’s top option behind Long is another rookie, sixth-round pick Chase Roullier.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/17

August 23rd, 2017 at 8:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wednesday’s minor moves…

Cleveland Browns

Signed: DB Christian Bryant

Detroit Lions

Claimed: DT Caushaud Lyons (via Rams)
Cut: TE Andrew Price

Houston Texans

Signed: OLB Mike Catapano
Waived/Injured: WR Devin Street

Indianapolis Colts

Signed: ILB Darnell Sankey
Waived/Injured: CB Tevin Mitchel

New York Jets

Signed: RB Jahad Thomas
Released: RB Jordan Todman

Oakland Raiders

Cut: DE Jimmy Bean

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed: CB Antonio Crawford
Cut: RB Brandon Brown-Dukes

AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Bengals

August 23rd, 2017 at 7:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills head coach Sean McDermott admitted it’s a “fair question” as to whether Buffalo would have traded Sammy Watkins had they known fellow wide receiver Anquan Boldin would soon retire, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (multiple links). Although McDermott referred to the two transactions as “separate entities,” Boldin announced his retirement just four days after the Bills shipped Watkins to the Rams for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a second-round selection. Of course, Buffalo also acquired pass-catcher Jordan Matthews on the same day it traded Watkins, and the Bills are “always” examining upgrades at wide receiver, per McDermott.

More from Buffalo and two other AFC cities:

The season-ending injury to cornerback Tony Lippett will have consequences for the Dolphins not only for the upcoming season, but for the 2018 campaign, argues Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Lippett, a collegiate wide receiver, had taken a massive leap as a defensive back in 2016, playing nearly three-quarters of Miami’s defensive snaps. While Lippett’s development may have allowed the Dolphins to release Byron Maxwell next spring (clearing his $10MM cap charge), the club may not have that option given the uncertainty surrounding Lippett’s health.
Reporters peppered Bills linebacker Reggie Ragland with questions on Tuesday about whether he’s a trade candidate, according to Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News. As one would expect, Ragland suggested that he’s not worried about rumors and noted that he’s “got to keep getting better,” though it’s nonetheless an open question as to whether he’s a fit in the Bills’ defense. The Bills chose Ragland in the second round of the 2016 draft after a costly trade up, but he missed his rookie season with a torn ACL and is now under the thumb of a new administration in Buffalo. The Doug Whaley–Rex Ryan duo responsible for the Ragland pick is gone, as is the Bills’ previous 3-4 scheme. Ragland has languished in a third-team role in Buffalo’s 4-3 alignment this preseason under Ryan’s replacement, McDermott, leading Pro Football Rumors’ Dallas Robinson to observe last week that the ex-Alabama star could be in another uniform soon.
Bengals cornerback Adam Jones‘ one-game suspension is now official, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. The 33-year-old’s ban, which the league handed down in July, came after he was charged with three misdemeanors and a felony stemming from a January arrest. Jones was able to avoid jail time and a lengthy suspension after pleading guilty to a lesser offense. He’ll miss the Bengals’ season opener against AFC North rival Baltimore.

Dallas Robinson and Connor Byrne contributed to this post.