2017 August - Pro Football Rumors

Jaguars Release Branden Albert

August 11th, 2017 at 2:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars’ Branden Albert saga is officially over. The team announced on Friday that he has been released.

The Jaguars acquired Albert via trade from the Dolphins earlier this year. The tackle stayed away from the team for much of the offseason as he tried to talk the Jags into revising his contract. When the Jaguars refused to play ball, Albert took his and went home. Days later, Albert flip-flopped and asked to rejoin the team, but the Jaguars responded by placing him on the reserve/retired list, keeping him off the roster.

If Albert is still serious about playing football, he can now sign with any team of his choosing. He might not be able to deliver the kind of Pro Bowl caliber football that he used to, but he would still hold interest for teams with needs on the offensive line.

In 2016, Albert missed one-quarter of the season due to injury and registered a career-worst 42.2 overall score on Pro Football Focus. He’s been well above average in other seasons, however, including his 2013 and 2015 campaigns which resulted in Pro Bowl nods.

Albert was scheduled to earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $8.875MM this season. If he wants to continue playing, he might have to do it at a lower price point. At the same time, he should be able to get some amount of guaranteed cash for the 2017 season.

Ezekiel Elliott To Appeal Suspension

August 11th, 2017 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Ezekiel Elliott is not going down without a fight. The Cowboys running back says he will appeal his six-game suspension.

Elliott’s representatives released the following statement on Friday afternoon:

We just learned of the NFL’s decision to suspend Mr. Elliott for six games for allegedly engaging in ‘physical force’ against the accuser. Mr. Elliott and his team of representatives are extremely disappointed with the NFL’s decision.

Our offices have been engaged in this matter since last July and have worked hand in hand with the Columbus Prosecutor’s office as well as the NFL with their respective investigations. Accordingly, we are fully aware of the full body of evidence that exists in connection with this matter.

The NFL’s findings are replete with factual inaccuracies and erroneous conclusions and it ‘cherry picks’ so called evidence to support its conclusion while ignoring other critical evidence.

For example, both the Columbus Prosecutor’s office as well as the NFL investigators expressly concluded and conveyed to our office (and others) that the accuser was lying about an alleged July 22, 2016 incident whereby she accused Mr. Elliott of pulling her out of her car and assaulting her. An allegation that was ultimately undermined by her own friend’s affidavit which stated that no such assault occurred. The affidavit also outlined the accuser’s plan to orchestrate a story to police to in order to corroborate her false allegation of assault. In addition, the NFL’s own medical experts concluded that many of her injuries predated the week in question and likely occurred during a period of time when Mr. Elliott was not in contact with the accuser. During the upcoming weeks and through the appeal a slew of additional credible and controverting evidence will come to light.

Elliott’s battle may not stop at the league office. The running back is willing to take his appeal through the legal system, if necessary, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) hears.

If Elliott does not have the suspension overturned or reduced, he will be out of action until the team’s Week 8 tilt against the Redskins on October 29th.

Broncos DE Billy Winn Done For Year

August 11th, 2017 at 2:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Broncos DE Billy Winn has suffered a torn ACL last night, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Broncos braced themselves for the bad news when Winn was carted off of the field in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Bears.

Winn was set to serve as Denver’s primary backup nose tackle behind Domata Peko. After he joined up with the Broncos last year, he proved to be a reliable, though unspectacular, reserve option. The 28-year-old appeared in all 16 regular season games (two starts) and played on roughly 30% of the Broncos’ defensive snaps. In that span, Winn had 19 tackles and one fumble recovery while grading as the league’s No. 97 interior defender among 127 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Losing Winn is not ideal, but the Broncos can turn to free agent addition Zach Kerr and Kyle Peko (cousin of Domata) for support in the middle.

Redskins’ Trent Murphy Done For Year

August 11th, 2017 at 1:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins received some bad news on Friday morning. Outside linebacker Trent Murphy suffered a season-ending torn ACL, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). He also has a torn MCL, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), meaning that his rehab process will become more complicated.

Washington was already preparing for life without Murphy through the first month of the season thanks to his four-game ban for performance-enhancing drugs. Now they’ll have to get by without the 26-year-old for the entire season.

Losing Murphy is a tough blow for the Redskins, but on the plus side, Junior Galette has looked productive and largely healthy throughout training camp. Galette has not seen live action since 2014, but he had 10.0 sacks and 45 tackles in that campaign. Galette can slide into Murphy’s previous supersub role while Ryan Kerrigan and rookie Ryan Anderson project to start at the top OLB spots.

Murphy is coming off of the most productive season of his career as he notched 46 tackles and a career-high 9.0 sacks.

Rams To Keep Tavon Austin

August 11th, 2017 at 1:24pm CST by Zachary Links

In theory, the Rams’ blockbuster trade for Sammy Watkins could have enabled them to flip wide receiver Tavon Austin to another team in a separate trade. Apparently, that’s not in the cards. The Rams are not shopping Austin, multiple sources tell Mike Florio of PFT, and they do not intend to. The belief in L.A. is that they will be better off with as many offensive weapons as possible.

Austin has yet to live up to his status as a former No. 8 overall pick in the draft, but he could thrive as opposing defenses focus their game plans on Watkins. At least, that’s what the Rams are hoping for as he plays out the four-year, $42MM extension inked just before the start of the 2016 season.

In 2016, Austin had 58 catches for 509 yards, averaging out to just 8.8 yards per grab. He has only one season – his rookie campaign – in which he averaged double digits per catch.

The Rams have Watkins, Robert Woods, and Austin as their top three receivers heading into the season. With that trio plus athletic rookie tight end Gerald Everett, Jared Goff will have lots of weapons to work with.

Bills Acquire WR Jordan Matthews

August 11th, 2017 at 12:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills have announced their second major trade of the day, as they’ve acquired wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-round pick from the Eagles in exchange for cornerback Ronald Darby.

Matthews, 26, will presumably step into the void left by Sammy Watkins, whom Buffalo shipped to the Rams earlier today. However, Matthews isn’t the outside receiver that is Watkins, as Matthews has spent the majority of his career in the slot. In fact, he’s a relatively similar player to veteran pass-catcher Anquan Boldin, whom the Bills also now employ. Matthews has been a productive offensive weapon through his three-year career, averaging 75 receptions, nearly 900 yards, and six touchdowns per season.

Of course, Matthews’ contract status also plays a role in this trade, and was likely a key factor in the Eagles trading him away. Matthews is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and now that Philadelphia has Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholor, and Mack Hollins in tow, the club had made no effort towards extending Matthews’ contract. Buffalo, on the other hand, should be expected to work towards a multi-year agreement with Matthews, as the franchise tag is too expensive for a slot receiver.

By dealing Matthews, the Eagles have finally acquired a young, experienced cornerback, the defensive item their roster has been craving most. Philadelphia ranked second in DVOA against the pass in 2016, but that was largely due to its excellent pass rush. While the Eagles added Sidney Jones in the second round of the draft, he may not be ready to play immediately as he returns from injury. Before Darby came aboard, Philadelphia’s top defensive back options included a lackluster cast of Patrick Robinson, Ron Brooks, Jalen Mills, and Rasul Douglas.

The Bills are instituting a new defensive scheme under head coach Sean McDermott, so it’s possible Buffalo didn’t view Darby as a fit. But the former second-round pick has been productive through two NFL campaigns, although his Pro Football Focus graded tumbled from 85.9 to 62.7 (68th among corners) in 2016. Darby is eminently affordable, as he’s under team control for two more seasons with base salaries hovering around $1MM each year.

Through each of their trades executed today, the Bills have acquired a vast amount of 2018 draft pick capital. Buffalo already owned two first-round picks next year as a result of the Patrick Mahomes draft day deal, and now has received an additional second- and third-round selection for next season.

Bills Trade Sammy Watkins To Rams

August 11th, 2017 at 11:59am CST by Dallas Robinson

In a blockbuster trade, the Bills have sent wide receiver Sammy Watkins and a 2018 sixth-round pick to the Rams in exchange for for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second-round pick, Buffalo announced.

Los Angeles headed into the 2017 offseason with the goal of adding offensive weapons around second-year quarterback Jared Goff, and — when healthy — Watkins is a top-flight NFL wideout. After averaging 62 receptions for more than 1,000 and six touchdowns during his first two pro seasons, Watkins dealt with nagging injuries in 2016, and only managed 28 catches in eight appearances.

That lack of availability led Buffalo to decline its 2018 fifth-year option for Watkins, which would have paid him north of $13MM. As such, the Rams are acquiring Watkins as he enters his contract season, though they’ll certainly have options through which to retain him. The franchise tag will be on the table, and would allow Los Angeles to keep Watkins through at least 2018. Alternatively, the Rams could work out an extension with Watkins, something that’s presumably an ideal solution given the draft capital the club just sacrificed.

Watkins will now reunite with his former Bills teammate Robert Woods, who agreed to a free agent contract with the Rams this spring. Los Angeles also used several draft choices to upgrade a passing offense that ranked dead last in DVOA a season ago, selecting wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds while also adding tight end Gerald Everett in the second round.

Acquiring Watkins came at a price, however, as the Rams are not only giving up a 2018 second-round pick (a choice that, given the Rams’ current roster talent, could be a top-40 selection) but a young cornerback in Gaines. Gaines, 25, was a solid defender during his rookie campaign in 2014, missed the entirety of 2015 with an injury, and then struggled in 2016, grading as a bottom-four NFL corner, according to Pro Football Focus. Like Watkins, Gaines is entering the final year of his contract, during which he’ll earn $1.797MM.

For the Bills, this trade meshes with another deal struck by the club today in which Buffalo acquired wide receiver Jordan Matthews and sent cornerback Ronald Darby to the Eagles. Matthews, presumably, will be asked to replicate some form of Watkins’ production, while Gaines will be counted to start in place of Darby.

Ezekiel Elliott Gets Six Game Suspension

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

The NFL has brought the hammer down on Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys running back is being suspended for six games, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Elliott is expected to appeal the decision and he has three business days to do so. The NFL has since confirmed the ban and NFL.com has obtained a copy of the league’s letter to Elliott detailing the decision.

If the appeal is unsuccessful, Elliott will be out of action through Week 7 since the Cowboys have a Week 6 bye. Elliott therefore would not make his regular season debut until Week 8 against the Redskins on October 29th.

On Friday morning, Schefter cautioned that the personal conduct policy could enable the NFL to suspend Elliott for up to six games. It’s a shocking outcome considering the previous belief that Elliott would only be suspended for one or two games, if suspended at all. All throughout the process, Elliott has maintained his innocence and owner Jerry Jones has insisted that no physical violence took place. The league, apparently, does not agree with that assessment.

“I have reviewed everything, and there is absolutely nothing — not one thing — that had anything to do with domestic violence,” Jones said recently.

Meanwhile, NFL investigators determined that Elliott did use physical force against girlfriend Tiffany Thompson. Although there was “conflicting testimonial evidence” with regards to what transpired, the photographs of her injuries left no doubt about whether Elliott struck her, the league says.

If the suspension is upheld, Elliott will lose out on $8.15MM+ in salary guarantees from the 2017 through 2019 seasons. Elliott will also have to repay the Cowboys a portion of his signing bonus, on top of missing out on six game checks. For Elliott, that means giving up nearly $240K per missed game, which comes out to approximately $1.44MM.

Latest On Ezekiel Elliott

August 11th, 2017 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

UPDATE: Elliott has indeed been suspended for six games.

We’re inching closer to a ruling on Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. When the verdict comes in, the Cowboys might not be very happy with the outcome. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes that under the terms of NFL personal conduct policy, Elliott could be facing potential six-game suspension for allegations of physical violence.

Several national NFL reporters noted the possibility of a six-game ban on Friday morning and that could indicate a much lengthier suspension than initially anticipated. This could also be an effort by the league office to brace fans for a middle-of-the-road outcome in which Elliott gets, say, a three-game suspension. We won’t know anything for sure until official word comes from 345 Park Avenue, but the Friday morning rumblings are not promising for the Cowboys.

Needless to say, a suspension of any length would put the Cowboys’ offense at a severe disadvantage. Elliott, 22, ran for a league-leading 1,631 yards off of 322 carries last year with 15 touchdowns. He supplemented that incredible stat line with 32 catches for 363 yards and one score.

Dolphins’ Raekwon McMillan Tears ACL

August 11th, 2017 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins believe that linebacker Raekwon McMillan has torn the ACL in his right knee, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets. MRI results on Friday morning confirmed the injury.

The Dolphins had big hopes for McMillan after he topped 100 tackles in each of his last two seasons. After Koa Misi landed on IR, Miami planned to use McMillan as its starting middle linebacker with Lawrence Timmons and Kiko Alonso at the outside spots.

Of course, the full-on ACL tear automatically rules out McMillan for the entire season. If that’s the case, the Dolphins can be expected to look into signing a free agent linebacker or two.

Notable inside linebackers on the market include Perry Riley, Rey Maualuga, and Daryl Washington. Meanwhile, Arthur Brown and O’Brien Schofield are among the 4-3 outside linebackers without teams. If the Dolphins aren’t crazy about the current crop of options, they could wait until the 53-man deadline approaches to see who else may come available.