2018 August - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals Reinstate GM Steve Keim

August 22nd, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Steve Keim has been reinstated as the GM of the Cardinals, according to a team announcement. Keim was put on the sidelines for five weeks following a DUI arrest earlier this summer.

During the suspension, Keim was barred from contact with the team and prohibited from entering the team facility. In addition to the ban, Keim was fined $200K, which was subsequently donated to the Arizona chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. While away from the club, the Cardinals mandated that he complete counseling, evaluation, and a DUI education course.

“We in the NFL are all held to a higher standard,” team president Michael Bidwill said in July at the time of the suspension. “We know what the standards are, we know what the laws are. … I told (Steve) there were going to be consequences…On a personal level I care about Steve a lot, but I have to do my job. It was important I do it, and for me, it was important that he know I’m not messing around.”

49ers To Sign DT Chris Jones

August 22nd, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are bringing back defensive tackle Chris Jones, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jones played in six games (all starts) for the Niners in 2016 but lost the 2017 season to injury.

After undergoing hip and groin surgeries, Jones is said to be fully healthy. And, now that Cedric Thornton is stepping away from football, he’ll have a chance to be a contributor. He’ll join Earl Mitchell, DeForest Buckner, D.J. Jones, and Sheldon Day on the team’s defensive tackle depth chart.

When healthy, Jones has proven that he can be a productive player. In his first two seasons with the Patriots, Jones put up a combined nine sacks and 88 tackles.

Jones, not to be confused with the Chiefs defensive tackle of the same name, turned 28 in July.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Keim, Seahawks

August 22nd, 2018 at 1:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals‘ five-week suspension of GM Steve Keim ended on Wednesday, but he was nowhere to be found during Arizona’s morning practice, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic tweets. Keim is almost always in attendance for practices, so this may be a sign that he has not been fully reinstated just yet.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

The Seahawks are trying George Fant at right tackle and allowing him to compete with 2016 first-round pick Germain Ifedi, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets. Ifedi led the NFL in penalties last season and struggled in the team’s preseason game on Saturday. Fant started at left tackle as a UDFA in 2016 before tearing his ACL last summer, so the Seahawks have reason to believe that he can be a first-stringer on the other side. Ultimately, one has to wonder if the Seahawks could consider going out-of-house again for a tackle as they did by acquiring Duane Brown last year.
Erik Walden‘s deal with the Seahawks is worth $1.105MM and includes just $50K guaranteed, a source tells Henderson (on Twitter). The low guarantee means that the veteran pass rusher is far from a lock to make the Week 1 roster, though it is an area of weakness for Seattle. With the minimum salary benefit, Walden’s contract only counts for $720K against the cap.
The Rams have decided against signing Junior Galette, which may improve the Seahawks‘ odds of landing him.

Charles Johnson Announces Retirement

August 22nd, 2018 at 11:34am CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday, former Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson announced his retirement from the NFL. We heard rumblings that Johnson would retire this year, but those plans were not formalized until now.

Johnson was long considered to be one of the better pass rushers in the league. Selected by the Panthers in the third round of the 2007 draft, Johnson showed flashes of promise during his first three years in the pros and broke out when he was given the chance to be a full-time starter in 2010. During the 2010 season, Johnson put up 11.5 sacks and secured a six-year, $72MM extension from Carolina the following offseason.

He mostly lived up to that payday over the early stages of the contract, as he posted 32.5 sacks during the 2011-13 seasons. He added 8.5 sacks in the 2014 campaign and, although he missed some of the 2015 season due to injury, he notched three sacks during the Panthers’ playoff run that year, including one in Super Bowl 50.

Things changed in 2017, however, after Johnson underwent back surgery. He failed to produce a sack in eleven games, and he was hit with a PED suspension in December. After the Panthers cut him earlier this year, there was no reported interest in the 32-year-old.

“Once you have back surgery, I don’t care who you are, it’s a beast to get back,” Johnson said. “My body was just… I haven’t worked out since this winter. I tried to get motivated to work out, and my body said, ‘We’re not working out right now.’ It was about that time.”

Johnson leaves the game after spending eleven season with the Panthers and registering 67.5 sacks. We wish him the best in retirement.

Chiefs Release RB Charcandrick West

August 22nd, 2018 at 11:18am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have released running back Charcandrick West, according to a team announcement. West missed most of camp because of a concussion, so the move does not come as a shock.

West battled with Spencer Ware for the team’s backup role behind Kareem Hunt this summer. He didn’t see a ton of playing time last year, but he led the Chiefs in rushing in 2015, so the team was hopeful about what he could do in camp.

West had one year to go on the three-year, $4.2MM contract he inked in 2016. In 2018, he was slated to count for $2.036MM against the cap, but the Chiefs will save $1.7MM by cutting him with just $333K left in dead money.

Last year, West carried the ball just 18 times for 72 yards. He was more involved in the passing game, however, with 27 catches for 150 yards. West’s best season came in 2015 when he filled in for an injured Jamaal Charles and averaged 4.0 yards per carry.

Jets To Release K Cairo Santos

August 22nd, 2018 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets will release kicker Cairo Santos on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The move was expected after the Jets claimed Jason Myers off waivers to join Taylor Bertolet on the depth chart.

Santos is dealing with a groin problem, which has been a recurring issue for him throughout his career. The Jets were high on Santos when they signed him in March, but as one source told Schefter, the Jets “just haven’t been able to see enough of him.”

Last year, he missed most of training camp with the Chiefs due to his chronic groin injury and he later aggravated the injury in Week 3. He signed with the Bears after his release, but the same problem landed him on IR.

The Jets also auditioned Kai Forbath on Wednesday, so they might not be done shuffling kickers.

Vikings Sign S George Iloka

August 22nd, 2018 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

It’s a done deal. On Wednesday, the Vikings announced the signing of safety George Iloka.

Iloka was released by the Bengals earlier this week, a move that seemingly came out of nowhere. While Cincinnati preferred to go with younger players in the secondary, plenty of other clubs expressed interest in the hard-hitting veteran. The Cowboys and Raiders both discussed signing Iloka, but he was ultimately drawn to Minnesota in order to reunite with coach Mike Zimmer.

Zimmer was Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator for Iloka’s first two seasons before Zimmer went to Minnesota in 2014. When Iloka became a starter in 2013 under Zimmer, the Bengals’ D ranked third in yards allowed per game (305.5) and tied for fifth in points allowed per game (19.1). His relationship with Zimmer nearly led him to sign with the Vikings as a free agent in 2016.

“If I was going there, I was going because of Zim,” Iloka told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press back in ’16. “I know what type of locker room he has there just by the type of coach he is.’’

The Vikings missed out on Iloka, but they did manage to re-sign strong safety Andrew Sendejo to a reasonably priced four-year, $16MM deal. Now, Iloka may take Sendejo’s place in the starting lineup.

This has been a tremendous offseason for the Vikings’ defense, and the team as a whole. In the last six moths, the club has signed quarterback Kirk Cousins, defensive lineman Sheldon Richardon, and now Iloka. They’ve also managed to extend key players such as defensive end Danielle Hunter, linebacker Eric Kendricks, and wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The last major item on the agenda is an extension with linebacker Anthony Barr, who says he badly wants to stay with the Vikings beyond the final year of his current deal.

Iloka has 76 career starts to his credit with nine career interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Vikings To Meet With George Iloka

August 22nd, 2018 at 8:02am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings will meet with free agent safety George Iloka on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). They also hear that a deal is likely to happen, which would make one of the league’s best defenses even better.

Iloka and head coach Mike Zimmer have a relationship dating back to their days with the Bengals. If signed, Iloka may move from free safety to strong safety and supplant Andrew Sendejo in the starting lineup. With a starting safety tandem of Harrison Smith and Iloka and cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mike Hughes, the Vikings’ secondary would be especially tough for opposing quarterbacks.

Iloka, a 2012 fifth-round choice out of Boise State, was a fixture in the Bengals’ starting lineup for years. He has been quite durable as well, as he has played in 76 of a possible 80 regular season games and all three of the team’s playoff contests since 2013. Iloka isn’t an interception magnet, but he is a hard-hitting safety who can cover well in the middle of the field.

Last year, Iloka finished out with 79 total tackles and one interception. That was his second season at free safety after spending 2013-2015 at the strong safety position.

Bucs LT Donovan Smith Out 2-4 Weeks

August 21st, 2018 at 10:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith suffered a sprained knee during practice and is projected to miss two-to-four weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Tampa Bay’s regular season kicks off in just under three weeks, so Smith may indeed miss game action depending on his recovery time. That’s not good news for the Buccaneers, who will open the campaign not only without starting quarterback Jameis Winston (who will be serving a thee-game suspension), but three difficult opponents in the Saints, Eagles, and Steelers.

Smith, 25, has started 48 consecutive games since being selected 34th overall in the 2015 draft. Pro Football Focus has consistently graded Smith as a middling option: last season, PFF ranked the Penn State as the No. 45 tackle among 79 qualifiers.

Third-year pro Leonard Wester who’s played fewer than 90 snaps in his career, is currently Smith’s top backup at left tackle, and would take over if Smith is forced to miss time. The Buccaneers’ offensive line ranked 16th in Football Outsiders’ run- and pass-blocking metrics, and has since added free agent center Ryan Jensen and third-round right guard Alex Cappa.

Panthers OT Matt Kalil Undergoes Knee Scope

August 21st, 2018 at 9:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Panthers left tackle Matt Kalil is week-to-week after undergoing a knee scope, according to David Newton of ESPN.com. Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) first reported Kalil would seek a second opinion on his knee from renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

Kalil, 29, has been durable for most of his NFL tenure: while he missed 14 games with a hip injury in 2016, he’s played in all 16 games in every other season of his career. His current knee injury been hampering him during training camp, and given his week-to-week diagnosis, it’s unclear if Kalil will be available for the start of the regular season.

Carolina can ill afford to lose any more offensive linemen. After allowing left guard Andrew Norwell to defect in free agency, the Panthers saw right tackle Daryl Williams go down with a torn MCL and dislocated knee cap in July. While Carolina is hoping Williams can return in the second half of the season, that’s far from a guarantee. Meanwhile, veteran Amini Silatolu — who had been winning the battle to replace Norwell at left guard — underwent surgery for a torn meniscus earlier this month.

With three projected offensive line starters sidelined, the Panthers are going to be forced to reshuffle their front five. 2017 second-rounder Taylor Moton was already scheduled to play right tackle in relief of Williams, but he could now be forced to move to the blindside. That would open yet another hole at right tackle, where journeyman Blaine Clausell would presumably step in.

Carolina could conceivably look to the open market for reinforcements, but the list of available tackles is slim. Currently, the top options include Chris Clark, Will Beatty, Bryce Harris, and Chris Hairston, while Menelik Watson will soon join them when he’s released by the Broncos.