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NFC Notes: Redskins, Cowboys, Eagles

October 28th, 2017 at 10:07am CST by Ben Levine

The Redskins placed linebacker Mason Foster on the injured reserve yesterday, and the veteran certainly isn’t happy with the move. In a series of tweets earlier this morning, Foster noted that he had been “done dirty” by the organization.

“All I know is [former GM] Scot [McCloughan] wouldn’t have done me like that,” Foster wrote (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “I have played 3 weeks with a completely torn labrum. Lay everything on the line for someone just to have that same person slap you in the face. Business is business tho right. They don’t care about us.”

As the writer notes, Foster is set to be a free agent following the season, and it sounds like the veteran could be looking for a new home. In five games this season, the former third-rounder compiled 31 tackles. 0.5 sacks, and one interception.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

  • The Cowboys promoted tight end Blake Jarwin from the practice squad earlier this week. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes that part of the organization’s motivation for making the move had to do with the interest Jarwin was garnering from around the NFL, particularly from the Eagles.
  • The Eagles may be in the hunt for some offensive line help, but Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com warns (via Twitter) that the team might not want to acquire an expensive player. After all, the writer believes the team is focused on rolling their current cap space over to the offseason, and trading for a pricey lineman could compromise that future financial flexibility.
  • Dan Bailey may be out for a while. Cowboys Director of Player Personnel Stephen Jones told Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram that the veteran kicker is expected to miss at least four games (Twitter link). The 29-year-old was perfect on field goal and extra point attempts this season.
  • Speaking of kickers, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has details on Matt Prater‘s three-year extension with the Lions. The deal includes a $3.6MM signing bonus and $5MM in guaranteed money, raising his 2017 cap hit to $5.225MM. The contract hits a $2.7MM base salary in 2020.

Reactions To Marcell Dareus Trade

October 28th, 2017 at 9:11am CST by Ben Levine

The Bills traded defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to the Jaguars yesterday for a 2018 sixth-round pick (which could ultimately turn into a fifth-rounder). The player’s contract was much too expensive for the Bills to tolerate, and most pundits were impressed with the team’s ability to shed the money. We’ve compiled the majority of those reactions below…

  • Bills general manager Brandon Beane referred to Dareus as a question mark, citing the player’s high salary and previous suspensions.“He’s not a bad person at the end of the day,” Beane said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak). “I wish him the best, and I know Sean [McDermott] does and the whole organization does… I give Marcell [Dareus] a lot of credit. I thought he made huge strides as of late. But we thought this was a good move for us going forward. But it is also a fresh start for him.”
  • According to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter), Beane wasn’t actively shopping Dareus. Instead, the general manager claimed that the Jaguars had reached out to the Bills. Ultimately, Buffalo decided it was a good deal for the organization and pulled the trigger.
  • More from Beane (via Buscaglia on Twitter): “Anytime you pay a guy double digit APY’s, you have to make sure they fit your team as a player and a person…He’s definitely a guy we would have talked about after the season, ‘How does he fit, moving forward.'”
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com refers to the trade as a “cap savings bonanza” for the Bills, noting that the organization has done an admirable job of fixing their “broken salary cap.” While the team will be stuck with $14.2MM in dead money next season, this scenario is more appealing than cutting him following the current campaign. Meanwhile, the Jaguars had more financial flexibility, allowing them to inherit most of the contract without compromising their future.

Extra Points: Texans, Dolphins, Alonso, Kaep

October 27th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A number of Texans players — including wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and running back D’Onta Foreman — left practice today following franchise owner Bob McNair‘s comments in an ESPN The Magazine article, in which he compared national anthem protests to “inmates running the prison,” according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. Some of the players who left practice ultimately returned, but the Houston coaching staff had to convince the team not to stage a full-scale walkout. Head coach Bill O’Brien — who says he is “100% behind” his players — later staged a 90-minute meeting in which players could engage in “candid conversation,” per Barshop. Left tackle Duane Brown called the comments “ignorant” and “embarrassing,” and said “the situation’s not over,” an indication further protests or other repercussions could be coming.

Here’s more from around the league:

NFL Workout Updates: 10/27/17

October 27th, 2017 at 9:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates:

Buffalo Bills

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Bills Won’t Release Anquan Boldin

October 27th, 2017 at 7:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills have no intention of releasing wide receiver Anquan Boldin from his contract, but could still trade the veteran wideout per his request, as general manager Brandon Beane told reporters, including Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link).Anquan Boldin

[RELATED: Bills Trade Marcell Dareus To Jaguars]

Boldin, 37, signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal with Buffalo earlier this year, but retired in August after the club traded away wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. However, Boldin now wants to make a comeback and would like to be traded or have the Bills release his rights. Beane told reporters that he “doesn’t expect much” in terms of trade offers for Boldin, which could mean the longtime NFL wideout could stay put through Tuesday’s trade deadline.

While Beane has not personally spoken with Boldin, the GM said Boldin would prefer to play closer to his Florida residence, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Additionally, Beane wouldn’t rule out Boldin returning to the Bills, who have surprised with a 4-2 record and coincidentally boast one of the league’s worst wide receiving corps.

In 2016, Boldin appeared in all 16 games for the Lions, and managed 67 receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns. While the yardage total was the lowest of Boldin’s career, his eight scores were the most he’s posted since 2008. Boldin, a three-time Pro Bowler, played on 80% of Detroit’s offensive snaps as the club’s third receiver behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.

Pats Could Still Re-Sign CB Malcolm Butler

October 27th, 2017 at 7:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although reports near the beginning of the season indicated cornerback Malcolm Butler would likely leave the Patriots following the 2017 campaign, there is in fact mutual contractual interest between New England and the former Super Bowl hero, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. However, negotiations aren’t expected to take place until the season concludes.Malcolm Butler (vertical)

Butler, of course, was reportedly dangled in trade talks all offseason, and also had a restricted free agent dalliance with the Saints that ultimately led nowhere. He’s now teaming with free agent acquisition Stephon Gilmore in a surprisingly poor secondary, and that hefty investment in Gilmore (five years, $65MM) could lead to Butler going elsewhere.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported earlier this year that the Patriots were “done” negotiating with Butler, although that could have meant the club wouldn’t rekindle talks until the offseason. Butler looks the like the best cornerback scheduled to enter the 2018 free agent market (other options include Vontae Davis and Trumaine Johnson), and New England would be entitled to a compensatory selection — likely in the third round — if Butler signs with another club.

The franchise tag could conceivably be an option, but Rapoport indicated the Patriots had no interest in using that tender on Butler in 2018. Next year’s cornerback tag will likely be worth north of $15MM, meaning New England would be investing a significant amount of money in its defensive backfield. Butler is currently earning just $3.91MM this season under his restricted free agent tender.

Butler, 27, struggled earlier this year, but he’s settled in and returned to his typical levels of production. He’s played on 95% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps, and grades as the NFL’s No. 22 cornerback through seven games, per Pro Football Focus. While he’s managed two interceptions on the season, Butler ranks just 57th among 63 qualifiers in Football Outsiders’ success rate.

Jaguars To Acquire DT Marcell Dareus

October 27th, 2017 at 6:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars have agreed to acquire defensive tackle Marcell Dareus from the Bills, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Buffalo will receive a 2018 sixth-round pick that change to a fifth-round pick based if Dareus sticks on Jacksonville’s roster for the rest of the season and the Jaguars make the playoffs, per Schefter and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).Marcell Dareus

Dareus had long been thought to be available on the trade market, as the new Buffalo regime — including general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott — didn’t believe Dareus’ immense talent was worth his reported motivational lapses. Indeed, the Bills attempted to trade Dareus this offseason, but weren’t able to find a match.

The inability to Dareus until this point was likely due to his massive contract, a six-year, $95.1MM extension that he inked in 2015. It’s incredibly surprising the Bills were able to convince the Jaguars to take on the remaining portions of Dareus’ deal, which includes the rest of his guaranteed $9.75MM base salary this season and a $7.35MM guarantee in 2018. Dareus is also set to earn non-guaranteed base salaries of $8.335MM, $12.335MM, and $12.4MM from 2019-21, with $2MM available in roster bonuses during those three seasons.

Jacksonville can afford Dareus’ contract in 2017, as it still has more than $37MM in reserves, but his 2018 salary will eat into the club’s $13MM worth of cap space next season. Buffalo, meanwhile, is relieving itself of a hefty financial obligation, but will still be forced to eat part of Dareus’ deal. The rest of his prorated bonus money — $14.2MM in total — will accelerate onto the Bills’ salary cap in 2018.

Dareus, who now reunites with former Bills/current Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, will join an already stacked defense that leads the league in DVOA. While the unit is excellent, it does rank dead last in run defense DVOA, an area Dareus should help improve. Jacksonville now fields a defensive line that includes Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, and Dante Fowler Jr.

Dareus, 27, clearly has immense talent, as evidenced both by his draft pedigree (No. 3 overall in 2011) and his prior NFL production, so if Marrone and the rest of Jacksonville’s staff can motivate him, Dareus could prove to be steal. He’s only played 138 defensive snaps on the season, but Dareus has graded as the NFL’s No. 37 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. The Alabama product is three years removed from his best overall year, a 2014 campaign which saw him manage 10 sacks from the defensive tackle position.

DE Damontre Moore Visits Seahawks

October 27th, 2017 at 4:49pm CST by Ben Levine

It might not take that long for free agent Damontre Moore to find a new gig. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the defensive end visited the Seahawks today.

Damontre Moore (vertical)Moore, who had joined the Cowboys during the offseason, was released by the organization earlier this week. The 25-year-old’s tenure in Dallas certainly wasn’t memorable, as he sat out a pair of games due to suspension before compiling only five tackles in three games. The 2013 third-round pick had showed some promise early in his career, including a 2014 campaign with the Giants when he tallied 32 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Moore has bounced around the league since, and he’s only made seven appearances over the past two years.

The Seahawks are still in the hunt for defensive line help, even after signing Dwight Freeney earlier this week. Our own Dallas Robinson explained the unit’s struggles this season, and those problems have only been made worse following the season-ending injury to Cliff Avril (as well as Michael Bennett‘s reoccurring plantar fasciitis issues). Veteran names like Paul Kruger, Mario Williams, and Armonty Bryant are other options that are currently on the market.

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