HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

6 Key NFL Stories: 8/6/17 – 8/13/17

August 13th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Jay Cutler to the Dolphins. After starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill went down with another ACL injury, Miami turned to former Adam Gase pupil Jay Cutler, luring the veteran signal-caller out of retirement with a one-year, $10MM deal. Cutler was the Dolphins’ primary target from the get-go, but he wasn’t the only candidate discussed, as Miami also talked about Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III, Teddy Bridgewater, and others. Tannehill, meanwhile, is fully expected to be ready for the 2018 season.Sammy Watkins (vertical)

Buffalo takes over the trade market. The Bills are squarely looking towards the future, as they shipped out two of their best players last week in exchange for lesser players plus draft picks. First, Buffalo sent wide receiver Sammy Watkins and a sixth-round choice to the Rams for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a second-rounder. Then, the Bills dealt cornerback Ronald Darby to the Eagles in exchange for wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a third-round pick. Buffalo now earns two selections in the first, second, and third round of the 2018 draft.

Zeke finally gets a resolution. The NFL officially brought the hammer down on Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, suspending him for six games as punishment for his involvement in a domestic violence episode. The ban, which is lengthier than most expected, reportedly made Cowboys owner Jerry Jones “furious,” and Elliott is expected to appeal the suspension (he has until Wednesday to do so). Elliott is also not ruling out using the court system to fight the penalty.

Falcons extend their running back. Atlanta finally reached a long-term deal with running Devonta Freeman, extending him through the 2022 campaign. The new five-year pact is worth $41.25MM, which means Freeman is now the NFL’s highest-paid running back in a multi-year pact (Le’Veon Bell is earning north of $12MM on the one-year franchise tag). Freeman, 25, received more than $18MM in full guarantees, and will now attempt to top 1,500 total yards for the third consecutive season.Branden Albert (vertical)

The Branden Albert saga is over. Finally fed up with his antics, the Jaguars officially released left tackle Branden Albert from the reserve/retired list last week. Jacksonville acquired Albert from the Dolphins in the spring, but won’t have to sacrifice a pick now that Albert won’t make the roster. Albert, who un-retired last week and attempted to report to camp, is now a free agent and can sign immediately. The Jaguars will move forward with rookie Cam Robinson on Blake Bortles‘ blindside.

The trials and tribulations of Roberto Aguayo. Just 16 months after trading up in the second round to acquire him, the Buccaneers waived kicker Roberto Aguayo after only one NFL season. Aguayo, who will arguably go down as one of the NFL’s worst draft picks, converted only 71% of his field goal attempts during his rookie season. Luckily for Tampa Bay, the Bears claimed Aguayo today, relieving the Bucs of $428K in guaranteed money owed to Aguayo.

Ravens Interested In Jeremy Zuttah

August 13th, 2017 at 3:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens traded Jeremy Zuttah to the 49ers this offseason, but now that he’s a free agent again, Baltimore has interest in re-signing the veteran center, according to Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), who reports talks between the Ravens and Zuttah are “heating up.”Jeremy Zuttah (Vertical)

The injury bug has struck the Ravens at multiple spots along their roster, and the interior of the club’s offensive line has not been spared. Alex Lewis and Nico Siragusa are both sidelined for the entirety of the 2017 season with injuries, while John Urschel opted to retire at the age of 26. As such, Baltimore is now projected to start James Hurst and Ryan Jensen alongside All Pro right guard Marshal Yanda.

Zuttah, whom was sent to San Francisco in exchange for a swap of sixth-round draft choices, could offer improvement at center, and would likely come at a cheap price, which is essential for a Ravens team that ranks dead last in available cap space. In 2016, the 31-year-old Zuttah played nearly every offensive snap for Baltimore, grading as the NFL’s No. 13 center in the process, per Pro Football Focus. If Zuttah is re-signed, the Ravens would likely shift Jensen to left guard, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.

Of course, Zuttah isn’t the only interior lineman who might appear on Baltimore’s radar. The Ravens met with former Jets center Nick Mangold in April, while other available free agents include Austin Pasztor, Orlando Franklin, and Tre’ Jackson.

Bears Claim Roberto Aguayo

August 13th, 2017 at 3:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have claimed kicker Roberto Aguayo off waivers from the Buccaneers, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Roberto Aguayo (vertical)

While claiming a kicker would typically carry little financial risk, that’s not the case for Chicago given that Aguayo was a second-round pick in 2016. Roughly two-thirds of Aguayo’s 2017 base salary is guaranteed, meaning the Bears will now be on the hook for $428K if they cut the former Florida State Seminole.

Connor Barth is the incumbent kicker standing in Aguayo’s way, and his contact contains guaranteed money as well ($155K worth), meaning the Bears will be absorbing dead money no matter which kicker they ultimately choose. Barth converted only 78% of his field goals in 2016 (including 1-of-3 from 50+ yards), but did make all but one of his extra points.

Aguayo, of course, posted even worse numbers during his rookie campaign in 2016, leading to his release on Saturday. Aguayo made only 22-of-31 field goal attempts last year (71%) and missed two extra points. That performance, combined with his struggles in camp and the preseason, was enough for Tampa Bay to thrown in the towel, despite having traded up in the draft to select him a year ago.

Jaguars Sign LB Andrew Gachkar

August 13th, 2017 at 2:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars have signed free agent linebacker Andrew Gachkar, the club announced today. In a related move, Jacksonville has waived/injured linebacker Justin Horton.Andrew Gachkar (Vertical)

After finishing 23rd in special teams DVOA a season ago, the Jaguars are seemingly attempting to improve that ranking in 2017. In addition to hiring Joe DeCamillis as its new special teams coordinator, Jacksonville has signed a number of free agents whose primarily responsibility will come on fourth down. Audie Cole, Jeron Johnson, and Stanley Jean-Baptiste all fit that mold, and Gachkar joins them as a special teams-first player.

Gackhar, 28, has appeared in 95 career games but boasts only nine starts. Last season, Gackhar wrapped up a two-year stint with the Cowboys, and played in all 16 games but played only 75 defensive snaps. The former seventh-round draft pick was still highly involved, however, as he saw action on nearly 70% of Dallas’ special teams plays.

Even if he makes the Jaguars roster, Gackhar wouldn’t be counted on to play in the Jaguars’ defense, as the team has already bit up a good deal of positional depth this year. In addition to starters Telvin Smith, Myles Jack, and Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville has Cole, Josh McNary, Lerentee McCray, and fifth-round rookie Blair Brown on its depth chart.

Before signing with the Jaguars, Gachkar had met with both the Patriots and Bills.

Panthers Want To Extend OL Andrew Norwell

August 13th, 2017 at 1:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Having already agreed to a long-term deal with right guard Trai Turner last month, the Panthers are now aiming to extend left guard Andrew Norwell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). However, general manager Marty Hurney says the club isn’t in ongoing negotiations with Norwell, tweets Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer.Andrew Norwell (Vertical)

Norwell, 25, recently indicated to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that he’d prefer to remain in Carolina for the long haul, and has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus with that goal in mind. A restricted free agent, Norwell was tendered at the second-round level this offseason, meaning he’ll earn $2.746MM in 2017.

If he reaches unrestricted free agency next spring, Norwell could conceivably collect nearly four times that amount annually, as the guard market has recently exploded. Kevin Zeitler, Turner, Gabe Jackson, and Joel Bitonio have all signed long-term pacts with an annual value north of $10MM in the past six months, meaning Norwell will have a clear threshold in mind.

Turner, for his part, received $45MM on a four-year deal that includes $15.797MM in fully guaranteed money. It’s unclear if Norwell will be able to surpass either of those barriers: while he’s been a more consistent player as of late (No. 11 guard in 2016 versus Turner’s No. 39 ranking, per Pro Football Focus), he’s also nearly two years older than his interior line counterpart.

If the Panthers can’t strike an agreement with Norwell, the franchise tag will not be an option in 2018. Because the offensive linemen tender amount includes tackles, it’s projected cost (in excess of $15MM) isn’t palatable for a guard.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/17

August 13th, 2017 at 1:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

  • Claimed off waivers: DL Shaneil Jenkins
  • Waived/injured: TE Beau Sandland

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

  • Waived: OL Richard Levy

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

NFC Notes: Bucs, Norwell, Cowboys

August 13th, 2017 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Buccaneers nickel corner Jude Adjei-Barimah will have surgery to repair the patellar fracture in his right knee and will be placed on IR, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. When we first learned of the injury, we heard that it could sideline Adjei-Barimah for roughly four months, meaning he would miss most of the 2017 campaign. Stroud’s report suggests that the 25-year-old DB will in fact miss the entire season.

In other bad news for the Bucs, linebacker Devante Bond, who was expected to open the season as the starting strongside linebacker, has a sprained PCL in his right knee, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Bond could still be ready for Week 1, but it may be four to six weeks before he plays again. Meanwhile, Laine adds that QB Ryan Griffin has a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder that will take a few weeks to heal. The team is not expected to sign another quarterback, which means that Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely win the backup job.

Now let’s take a look at a few more NFC rumors:

  • Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com tweets that the Buccaneers are expected to bring in another kicker in the wake of Roberto Aguayo‘s dismissal, but the new signing will be used for camp/preseason reps. That suggests that Nick Folk, and not a new acquisition, will be the team’s starting kicker.
  • Panthers guard Andrew Norwell is playing under a one-year RFA tender worth $2.75MM this year, but he hopes to get a long-term deal before the end of the season, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Norwell graded out as the league’s No. 11 guard in 2016, per Pro Football Focus, and has started 29 games over the past two seasons, firmly entrenching himself at left guard opposite Trai Turner. Turner, of course, recently received a lucrative extension from Carolina, and Norwell wants in on the action. He has even hired Turner’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to help him get paid.
  • Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliot has until Wednesday to appeal his six-game suspension, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that Elliott will likely file the necessary paperwork on Tuesday.
  • Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers was hugely impressive in Dallas’ preseason game against the Rams last night, posting four catches and a touchdown. That builds upon the solid showing he had in the team’s first preseason matchup last week, and it is clear that he is the most explosive tight end on the roster. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Gathers has come a long way in a short time — the Cowboys selected Gathers, a collegiate basketball player, in the sixth round of the 2016 draft — and makes the fairly obvious point that Gathers has a legitimate shot to make the team.
  • The Redskins are very thin at outside linebacker following Trent Murphy‘s season-ending ACL tear, so they are moving ILB Pete Robertson outside to give themselves another pass-rusher, as Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post writes. Robertson, a UDFA in 2016 who has yet to play a regular season snap, did lead the Big 12 with 13 sacks as an outside linebacker for Texas Tech in 2014.

AFC East Notes: Brissett, Ajayi, Bills

August 13th, 2017 at 10:35am CST by Rory Parks

We heard last week that Jacoby Brissett‘s place on the Patriots‘ roster may not be safe, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe doubled down on that report this week. Volin reiterated that Brissett’s performance in the spring and in training camp has left much to be desired, and he says it is fair to wonder whether the Patriots refused to deal Jimmy Garoppolo because they believe Garoppolo represents their future, or because they have no faith in Brissett should Tom Brady be forced to miss time (in truth, it is surely some combination of the two). In any event, Volin opines that New England may have to keep Garoppolo next year, even if that means putting the franchise tag on him (at an estimated $25-26MM cost). After all, the team will still be loaded with talent and should be a championship contender in 2018, but a Brady injury could waste all of that talent if the No. 2 QB cannot adequately replace him.

Now for more from the AFC East:

  • Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi is still in concussion protocol, but he did practice today and the team is excited about his progress, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Ajayai left practice early with a trainer, but that was due to a hydration issue, Jackson notes.
  • Dolphins second-round draft choice Raekwon McMillan, who was expected to see significant time at middle linebacker this season, tore his ACL while playing on the punt coverage team in Miami’s first preseason tilt Thursday night. He will now miss his entire rookie season, and head coach Adam Gase has been predictably criticized for using a player of McMillan’s importance on special teams. Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders believes such criticism is unwarranted, writing that a head coach cannot field kickoff, kickoff return, punt coverage, and punt return teams without playing first- or second-year guys. Likewise, you cannot expect those players to perform well on special teams in the regular season if they do not see live action in the preseason.
  • Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News offers his take on which wide receivers will make the Bills‘ roster after the team dealt Sammy Watkins and acquired Jordan Matthews. Skurski says Matthews, Zay Jones, and Anquan Boldin will make the club, which is a given, and he adds that Rod Streater is likely to earn a spot due to his excellent camp. Skurski says he currently projects Andre Holmes and Brandon Tate to round out the WR corps, but the fact that cutting Holmes could help the team land a high compensatory draft choice next season certainly works against him. If Holmes should be cut, Walter Powell could find himself on the 53-man come Week 1.
  • Christian Hackenberg played fairly well in the Jets‘ first preseason game last night, thereby creating more fodder for Gang Green’s starting QB discussion. But as Laura Albanese of Newsday writes, there are other competitions worth watching. For instance, the battle for the team’s starting center position is tighter than originally anticipated, as Jonotthan Harrison is putting pressure on presumed starter Wesley Johnson. Likewise, Albanese writes that Brent Qvale and Brandon Shell appear to be neck-and-neck in their race for the Jets’ right tackle job.

Latest On Jamaal Charles

August 13th, 2017 at 9:04am CST by Rory Parks

It was said earlier this offseason that Broncos RB Jamaal Charles may only have a 50-50 chance to make Denver’s roster, and no one seems to know when he will make his preseason debut. He did not participate in the team’s first preseason matchup Thursday night, and head coach Vance Joseph said, “I’m not sure yet,” when asked if Charles would play against the 49ers next Saturday, as Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post writes.

Jamaal Charles (Vertical)

If Charles did not have a history of injury problems, his not participating in any preseason games would not be a big deal. After all, he is entering his tenth professional season and his track record of production (when healthy) speaks for itself. But he has undergone multiple knee surgeries over the past several years, and he has seen limited practice time this offseason as he continues to recover.

That reality, combined with Charles’ fairly modest contract, helped generate the earlier reports that Charles’ roster status was up in the air. But the fact that Joseph said several weeks ago that the team would continue to proceed cautiously with Charles even though he was fully cleared from a medical standpoint indicated that Charles was going to make the club, and as Kosmider reports, his full-team repetitions have been elevated during the past week. Devontae Booker‘s recent injury has also given Charles a little job security.

Nonetheless, Joseph did say that he would “probably” need to see Charles participate in a preseason game before he makes a final decision. While it currently seems as if Charles has a good chance to make the team and be a significant contributor to boot, it’s fair to wonder if injuries and age have caught up with him, especially given that his game is predicated on speed and elusiveness.

For his part, Charles said he has had no setbacks, even though he has made a concerted effort to test his knee as much as possible. He said, “I don’t think I have to prove anything. People know what I can do. I feel confident. Whatever Coach Vance and the trainers say, that’s their direction. I’m just out here every day just getting healthy and getting my craft ready and preparing to play whenever.”

NFC Rumors: Watkins, Elliott, Eagles

August 12th, 2017 at 8:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sammy Watkins addressed his contract situation for the first time as a Rams employee on Saturday. Rams GM Les Snead said Friday he hopes to sign the recent trade acquisition to an extension and avoid a one-and-done scenario for the former first-round pick. But it doesn’t sound like Watkins is especially anxious to discuss a new deal just yet. The former Bills No. 1 target may be willing to take his chances he can enhance his stock this season.

“I gotta handle my business and control what I can control. If I go out there and have a year that I’m expecting to have, then we can talk contract,” Watkins said, via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. “But I still gotta go out there and do my job and let those guys handle the paperwork, contracts, numbers.”

Watkins is a free agent after this season. Plenty of dominoes could fall to rearrange the marketplace between now and free agency, though. Joining Watkins as walk-year receivers are DeAndre Hopkins, Jarvis Landry, Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor, Jordan Matthews, Allen Robinson and Davante Adams. Extensions for players in this group will affect the others. But Watkins is also coming off an injury-plagued season, so the 24-year-old pass-catcher staying healthy is probably his top obstacle in the path of a possible eight-figure-per-year deal. On that front, Watkins said (per Gonzalez, on Twitter) his foot is “100 percent healthy.”

Here’s the latest from the NFC:

  • The advisors who played a key role in the Ezekiel Elliott investigation did not recommend a specific suspension to Roger Goodell, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports. The commissioner handed out the six-game ban to the Cowboys running back in accordance with the December 2014 adjustment to the personal conduct policy that mandated a minimum six-game suspension for domestic violence. While Josh Brown managed to receive only a one-game ban for his alleged domestic-abuse incidents, the NFL followed its revised protocols in the Elliott case.
  • One off-field allegation appears to be in Elliott’s past, however. The accusation from a man who said Elliott broke his nose at a bar in July is closed, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said (via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, on Twitter). McCarthy added the caveat of new evidence potentially prompting the league to revisit the matter, but for now, it’s closed. Local authorities closed this investigation shortly after the alleged incident occurred, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointing out the victim could not be located.
  • Carson Wentz did not appear to be pleased by the Eagles trading Matthews to the Bills. The second-year quarterback met with Howie Roseman just before news of the trade broke. “I spoke with Howie shortly before it was news. He told me is was already done,” Wentz said, per Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. “He obviously knew how I felt with Jordan being one of my best friends. On the personal side it’s tough. He knew that, he was prepared for that and I told him that.” Matthews has been Philadelphia’s most reliable receiver over the past two seasons, leading Philly wideouts in receiving yards by comfortable margins in each. Shorr-Parks adds in a separate piece the Eagles will regret this trade. Of the players the Eagles are projected to start now, only Nelson Agholor is controlled past 2017. Shorr-Parks notes Jeffery’s injury history, Torrey Smith‘s rough 2016 season and the uncertainty surrounding Agholor don’t provide much certainty for this corps.
  • The draft choice the Eagles will receive in the Matthews/Ronald Darby swap is not a conditional third-rounder, as it was initially reported on the NFL transaction wire. The Eagles will send the Bills their third-round pick in 2018, Jeff McLane of Philly.com tweets.
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