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Bucs’ Jude Adjei-Barimah Suffers Injury

August 10th, 2017 at 3:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah has suffered a patellar fracture in his right knee, a league source tells Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. The injury could sideline him for roughly four months, a timetable that would keep him out of action for most of the season. "<strong

[RELATED: Buccaneers Sign Marqueston Huff]

This isn’t Adjei-Barimah’s first rodeo when it comes to the injury. He also suffered a patellar fracture in the same knee late last season and he spent a chunk of this offseason rehabbing from it.

Adjei-Barimah was hoping to reprise his role as the team’s starting nickel cornerback in 2017. The Bucs will now have to look elsewhere for help at the increasingly important position.

The 25-year-old appeared in ten games for the Bucs last season, missing six due to a combination of injury and suspension. He finished out with 22 tackles and two sacks.

Although he’s more of a safety and a special teams player, the recent signing of Marqueston Huff may help the Bucs’ overall defensive back depth while Adjei-Barimah is out.

Latest On Bengals’ A.J. McCarron

August 10th, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

When the Bengals started receiving trade interest in backup quarterback A.J. McCarron this offseason, coach Marvin Lewis went on record as saying the team would not be trading him. It appears they are pretty serious about that position. The Bengals were offered a second round pick for the QB earlier this offseason, Albert Breer of The MMQB hears, but they still said no. A.J. McCarron (vertical)

The Bengals feel that even if they trade McCarron for a draft pick, they’ll still have to replace him by using another draft pick. The Bengals also know first hand that McCarron can be a capable fill-in if Andy Dalton suffers an injury and misses time. McCarron, 26 in September, filled in for Dalton to close out the 2015 regular season. From weeks 13 through 16, McCarron completed 66.1% of his passes with six touchdowns and two interceptions before suffering a left wrist injury. The right-handed QB returned to action in the playoffs as the Bengals lost a close contest to the Steelers.

There’s also this: because McCarron spent most of his rookie year on the non-football injury list, he’ll be a restricted free agent after the season instead of an unrestricted free agent. The Bengals will have the ability to keep him on the cheap for the next two seasons for next to nothing while top backups in the league earn $4-5MM. This year, McCarron carries a cap number of $735K.

In April, after Lewis downplayed the trade talk, it was reported that the Bengals were seeking a first round choice for McCarron. The same could still be true today. The Bengals may not be inclined to move the Alabama product, but everyone has a price and it’s hard to say no to a top-32 pick for a No. 2 QB.

Wisconsin LB Jack Cichy Suffers ACL Tear

August 10th, 2017 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

Wisconsin linebacker Jack Cichy will miss the entire 2017 season with a torn ACL, the program announced in a press release. Cichy is considered to be one of the most talented college linebackers in the country and, before the injury, he was viewed as a likely first round pick in the 2018 draft. Jack Cichy (vertical)

“You hate it for Jack,” coach Paul Chryst said. “You only get so many chances to play this game and you never want to see a guy miss any of those opportunities. He’s one of the leaders of our team and I know he’ll be a big part of what we do moving forward this season.”

Cichy already did a redshirt year, so he’ll need a special medical waiver if he wants to return to campus for the 2018 season. If he doesn’t go that route or he doesn’t get approval from the NCAA, he’ll have to try his luck in the 2018 NFL Draft while surrounded by question marks and a lack of recent game film.

The 6’2″, 223-pound athlete came to the Badgers as an undersized scrapper. Although he began his college career as a walk-on, he turned out to be a star for the Badgers and served as a team captain.

Last year, he had 60 tackles and seven tackles for a loss before a torn pectoral muscle cost him the second half of the season.

Giants Cut Mykkele Thompson

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

The Giants waived/injured defensive back Mykkele Thompson. To take his place on the 90-man roster, the team signed rookie linebacker Jimmy Herman. Mykkele Thompson (vertical)

Thompson was a fifth round pick in the 2015 draft, but he has been held back by injuries over the last three years. The defensive back suffered a torn Achilles as a rookie, ending his season before it even started. When he made his debut in Week 2 of the 2006 season, he suffered a knee injury that eventually took him out of action for the full year. This summer, a quad injury slowed him down as the G-Men looked to move him from safety to cornerback.

The Giants were hoping that Thompson could make the 53-man cut as a corner this offseason, but he wasn’t doing much to separate himself from the pack even before the injury. As of this writing, the Giants seem likely to keep Michael Hunter as a reserve corner while Donte Deayon and Valentino Blake battle it out for one final CB spot. Janoris Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Eli Apple will serve as the team’s primary corners.

Ravens, Jimmy Smith Restructure Deal

August 10th, 2017 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens and cornerback Jimmy Smith have agreed to a restructuring of his deal that will open up some cap room for the team. Smith will now have $7.725MM of his $8.5MM base salary converted into a signing bonus, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The adjustment will create $5.15MM in cap space for Baltimore. Jimmy Smith

[RELATED: Austin Howard Hasn’t Practiced With Ravens]

After suffering a rash of injuries this offseason, the Ravens likely wanted the extra breathing room so that they could explore reinforcements. For example, if Joe Flacco‘s back does not improve and Ryan Mallett continues to struggle in practice, the Ravens may want to look into adding a free agent quarterback. The Ravens may also want to look into tight end depth in the wake of Crockett Gillmore‘s injury (which followed Dennis Pitta‘s injury/release) and they could still use some offensive line help even after adding Austin Howard to the mix.

Smith also restructured his contract last offseason, so this marks the second time that he has adjusted his four-year, $48MM extension since signing it in 2015. Last year, the cornerback’s season ended in mid-December after he suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Patriots. In 11 games, the 29-year-old racked up 32 tackles and four passes defended.

The defensive back joined the Ravens as a first-round pick in 2011, and he’s started each of his 51 games over the past four seasons. This year, he returns as a starter alongside free agent addition Brandon Carr.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Luck, Landry, Bell

August 9th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A recent report from a Denver radio station indicating that the Broncos are trying to trade for Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron is “150% false,” a source tells Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter). Denver GM John Elway also took to Twitter to firmly deny the story. The Broncos seem content to roll into the season with either Paxton Lynch or Trevor Siemian as the starter. Meanwhile, the asking price on McCarron has been outlandish in the past. The Bengals were said to be seeking a first round pick for him earlier this offseason.

More from the AFC:

  • “All indications” are that Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will avoid opening the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, GM Chris Ballard informed Tom Pelissero of NFL.com on Wednesday (Twitter link). This isn’t the first time Ballard has expressed confidence on this issue, though a report last week suggested Luck’s shoulder could force him to begin the season on the PUP list. Either way, it’s up in the air whether Luck will play Indianapolis’ Week 1 tilt against the Rams, per Ballard.
  • The Dolphins and contract-year wide receiver Jarvis Landry still haven’t engaged in serious extension negotiations, and there’s a good chance he won’t get a new deal this year, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. By signing Jay Cutler, the Dolphins subtracted $10MM in carryover money from next year’s cap. That figure could increase to $13MM if Cutler hits his incentives this season. Cutler’s presence will make it more difficult for the Dolphins to lock up Landry, then, as will the fact that the wideout is under investigation for battery. Landry’s off-field situation doesn’t faze the Dolphins, suggests Salguero, though he nonetheless points out that it would be wiser to extend the slot target if and when he’s cleared of wrongdoing.
  • The Steelers expect running back Le’Veon Bell to end his holdout just before the regular season starts, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In the meantime, the franchise-tagged star isn’t helping himself by staying away from training camp, GM Kevin Colbert told Bouchette. “Really, a holdout does not benefit him in any way,’’ Colbert said. “So, again, I hope that he sees the benefits of being here and comes in here sooner than later.” Because Bell hasn’t signed his $12.12MM franchise tender, the Steelers can’t fine him for any missed practices or preseason games. Bell’s already set to miss their first preseason contest Friday, but Bouchette notes that head coach Mike Tomlin probably wouldn’t have played him anyway. In the unlikely event Bell’s holdout lasts into the regular season, Pittsburgh will be able to dock him one-17th of his $12.12MM salary (about $713K) for each week missed.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Levy, Freeman, Elliott

August 9th, 2017 at 7:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent linebacker DeAndre Levy has filed an injury grievance against his former team, the Lions, but head coach Jim Caldwell told reporters on Wednesday that the club handled his March release properly. “We followed everything by the rules,” Caldwell said, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “We did exactly what we were supposed to do. That’s probably all I have to say on that. I don’t know the details of all these discussions and those kinds of things.” It was a no-brainer for the Lions to release Levy, whose career is in jeopardy after back-to-back injury-marred years, but his contention is that they acted in bad faith upon passing him on a physical when he wasn’t healthy. In doing so, the Lions avoided having to pay Levy the $1.75MM injury guarantee in his contract. By ridding themselves of Levy, the Lions jettisoned a player whose social justice work rubbed some in the organization the wrong way, per Birkett. It’s unclear what certain members of the franchise objected to specifically, but Levy did question the NFL on CTE and speak out in support of Colin Kaepernick‘s activism last year.

More from the NFC:

  • With the five-year, $41.25MM extension that the Falcons announced Tuesday, Devonta Freeman became the NFL’s highest-paid running back on a long-term deal. While it’s a nice contract for Freeman, it’s the latest sign that paydays aren’t what they used to be for backs, observes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Contracts at the position have stagnated over the past several years, argues Fitzgerald, who notes that 12 pacts that RBs signed between 2003-07 were worth more than Freeman’s on a yearly basis when adjusting for inflation.
  • Speaking of running backs, the NFL won’t announce whether it’s going to suspend the Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott until at least Thursday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. The league has been investigating Elliott for over a year on account of domestic violence allegations and other behavioral issues, and the slow process has frustrated both the reigning first-team All-Pro and the Cowboys.
  • The Giants worked out offensive lineman Connor Bozick on Wednesday, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. However, the signing of Corin Brooks means the Giants are likely to pass on Bozick, an undrafted rookie from Delaware. Bozick spent a little over a week with Detroit during the spring. He hasn’t caught on with another team since then.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/17

August 9th, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:

  • The Colts have signed running back George Winn and two receivers, Valdez Showers and Brian Riley. The team cut receivers Tevaun Smith and Chris Biggs, both of whom were waived/injured, in corresponding moves. Winn had been out of work since the Giants waived him May 1. He’s best known for his work in Detroit, where he appeared in 19 games from 2014-15 and picked up 74 yards on 23 carries. The only other player in this group with pro experience is Smith, who played in two games with the Colts last year as an undrafted rookie. A Toronto native, Smith was actually a high pick in the Canadian Football League a year ago, going eighth overall to the Edmonton Eskimos, who still hold his rights.
  • The Chiefs have waived receiver Corey Washington, ending his stint with the team after less than two weeks. Washington signed with the Chiefs on July 31, two-plus months after the Bills waived him in early May. The 25-year-old’s only NFL action came back in 2014 as a member of the Giants, with whom he caught five passes in 14 games.
  • The Giants have signed offensive lineman Corin Brooks and waived/injured fellow O-lineman Jessamen Dunker. Both players went undrafted this year, with Brooks (Texas-Permian Basin) initially catching on with Kansas City in May and Dunker (Tennessee State) landing with the Giants around the same time.
  • The Bengals have signed punter Will Monday and waived/injured receiver Jake Kumerow. Monday has also spent time with the Steelers and Chiefs since he went undrafted from Duke in 2016. Kumerow caught on with the Bengals back in 2015, when he went undrafted out of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game.
  • The Seahawks have re-signed safety Jordan Simone, an undrafted rookie from Arizona State whom they waived Monday, and added defensive lineman Greg Milhouse. The 23-year-old Milhouse went undrafted out of Campbell last year and had a short stint with the Giants.
  • The Saints have waived/injured second-year receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert, tweets Joel A. Erickson of the Advocate. Taking his place will be fellow wideout De’Quan Hampton, an undrafted rookie from USC, per Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com (Twitter link).

Martavis Bryant Gets Preseason Clearance

August 9th, 2017 at 6:17pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant has taken a step toward full reinstatement. The NFL cleared him Wednesday to participate in preseason action, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert announced (Twitter link via James Palmer of NFL Network).

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“Martavis Bryant has been informed by the NFL that he is now permitted to participate in all preseason activities, including practices and games,” said Colbert. “He will continue to be evaluated as to his readiness to participate in regular-season activities under the terms of his conditional reinstatement.”

The league suspended Bryant for all of last season for repeated violations of its substance abuse policy, finally granting him conditional reinstatement in April. The league decreed that Bryant would need to arrange “clinical resources” in Pittsburgh before suiting up for preseason practices or games, which he has done, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

If Bryant gets through the next few weeks without any off-field setbacks, the league figures to grant him full reinstatement in time for the regular season. The return of Bryant would give the Steelers’ Antonio Brown-led receiving corps yet another high-end weapon. While Bryant, 25, has only appeared in 21 of a possible 48 regular-season games, the 6-foot-4, 211-pounder has already amassed 76 receptions, 1,314 yards (17.3 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns during his career.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Amend Brandon Graham’s Deal

August 9th, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham is underpaid relative to his production, he elected not to hold out this year. Now, the Eagles have given him an opportunity to rake in more money on his current deal, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Graham, who’s halfway through the four-year, $26.5MM contract he signed with the Eagles in 2015, will have a chance to earn $1.5MM in incentives over the next two seasons.

Brandon Graham (vertical)

On top of his $6.5MM base salary this year, Graham will make $250K if he tallies more than seven but fewer than nine sacks. Exceeding nine sacks would mean an additional $250K for Graham. However, even if Graham totals fewer than nine sacks, he’ll pile up $250K with either a Pro Bowl trip on the original ballot or first- or second-team All-Pro honors.

Graham went second-team All-Pro last season, but it’s worth noting that the 29-year-old has never hit the seven-sack mark in an individual campaign. His personal best (6.5) came in 2015. But getting to seven or eight sacks in 2017 would increase his $6.5MM base salary for 2018 by $250K, while nine to 11 would bump it up by $500K. Twelve or more, which could be especially unrealistic for a player who combined for that many from 2015-16, would give him a $750K raise. A Pro Bowl nod shouldn’t be out of reach, however, and earning a trip this season would up Graham’s ’18 salary by $250K.

A seven-year veteran, Graham is fresh off the first 16-start campaign of his career, and while his traditional numbers were solid in 2016 and in the preceding years, he has stood out more in the eyes of the advanced stats crowd. Graham ranked as Pro Football Focus’ second-best edge defender among 110 qualifiers last year, and the outlet has typically assigned him excellent grades.

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