2018 September - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens To Re-Sign LB Albert McClellan

September 17th, 2018 at 9:41am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens are expected to re-sign linebacker Albert McClellan, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Baltimore needs help at the second level after starting middle linebacker C.J. Mosley was carted off the field with a bone bruise near his knee on Thursday night. While Mosley isn’t expected to face a long-term absence, it’s unclear exactly how long he’ll be out. With Mosley sidelined, the Ravens moved Patrick Onwuasor to middle linebacker and deployed rookie Kenny Young on the weak side.

McClellan, 32, offers plenty of experience with the Ravens, as he’d been with the club since 2011 before being released at final cutdowns. While he’s primarily served on special teams, McClellan has been called on to play defensive snaps in the past. In both 2012, and 2016, McClellan started 11 games as an injury replacement. Overall, McClellan has appeared in 90 games and managed 98 tackles.

Rams To Sign K Sam Ficken

September 17th, 2018 at 9:36am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams are expected to sign kicker Sam Ficken to fill in for Greg Zuerlein, who injured his groin during warmups on Sunday, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Ficken, 25, is quite familiar with Los Angeles, as he took over for an injured Zuerlein at the tail end of the 2017 regular season and into the playoffs. He converted two-of-three field goals and four-of-five extra points during in two regular season contests before making both field goal attempts during the Rams’ postseason loss. Ficken was with the Rams during the summer but was waived during final cutdowns.

Zuerlein, of course, is one of the NFL’s best kickers, and earned both first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2017. He ranked third last season with a 95% field goal conversion rate, and made six-of-seven attempts from 50+ yards. Per Garafolo, it’s currently unclear how long Zuerlein will be sidelined, but the Rams don’t intend to place him on injured reserve, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Browns Expected To Replace K Zane Gonzalez

September 17th, 2018 at 9:03am CST by Dallas Robinson

Zane Gonzalez had a performance to forget against the Saints on Sunday, so the Browns are now auditioning free agent kickers Blair Walsh and Cairo Santos, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) was the first to report Cleveland was expected to change kickers.

Gonzalez was dreadful in Week 2, as he missed two field goals, including a 53-yarder that would have sent the game to overtime, and two extra points, including one that would have given the Browns a one-point lead with less than 90 seconds remaining. Cleveland, of course, was searching for its first victory since the 2016 season. A seventh-round pick in 2017, Gonzalez converted 75% of his field goal attempts and 25-of-26 of his extra points during his rookie campaign.

Both Walsh and Santos come with their own problems. Walsh has dealt with accuracy issues throughout his career, and was cut by the Seahawks after hitting only 72.4% of his field goals in 2017. Santos has historically been the better kicker, but he’s dealt with a nagging groin injury for more than a year.

One name who has yet to be linked to the Browns is veteran Dan Bailey, who was released by the Cowboys at final cutdowns. Per Darren Wolfson of KSTP (Twitter link), Bailey has recently turned down offers from four clubs as he waits for the “right opportunity,” one that may include suiting up for a contender.

Eagles WR Mike Wallace Possibly Done For Season?

September 17th, 2018 at 8:47am CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles wideout Mike Wallace is out indefinitely after suffering an ankle injury during Week 2, and could potentially miss the remainder of the season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) was the first to report Wallace is dealing with a serious ankle issue.

Philadelphia could ill afford another blow to its wide receiver depth, as the club is already without Mack Hollins — who was placed on injured reserve earlier this month — and Alshon Jeffery, who is still working his way back from shoulder surgery. Jeffery indicated on September 7 that he was still multiple weeks away from returning to the field.

Nelson Agholor now leads a wide receiver contingent that also includes Kamar Aiken, DeAndre Carter, and Shelton Gibson, so the Eagles could look to add another pass-catcher in the near future. Markus Wheaton, who was with Philadelphia during the summer, is one obvious solution, while other available free agents include Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin, Breshad Perriman, Kenny Britt, Kendall Wright, and Jordan Matthews. Cleveland’s Josh Gordon is also available via trade, but there’s been no indication the Eagles have inquired on the Browns receiver.

Wallace, 32, inked a one-year, $1.915MM deal with the Eagles this spring in order to replace Torrey Smith as the club’s deep threat. After posting 52 receptions for 748 yards and four touchdowns with the Ravens in 2017, Wallace managed just three targets and zero catches for Philadelphia before going down.

Jaguars LT Cam Robinson Has Torn ACL

September 17th, 2018 at 8:36am CST by Dallas Robinson

Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson suffered a torn ACL against the Patriots and will miss the remainder of the season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Jacksonville is now 2-0 after defeating New England on Sunday, but the club’s path to the postseason will get a bit tougher with Robinson in tow. Given that the Jaguars rely so heavily on their rushing attack, losing any starting offensive lineman for a significant period of time would present a challenge.

With Robinson out, the Jaguars will turn to fifth-year pro Josh Wells to fill in on Blake Bortles‘ blindside. Wells, 27, has appeared in 34 games during his career, including 15 a year ago. He made four starts in 2017, filling in at both tackle spots while playing on roughly 44% of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps.

While Jacksonville could theoretically look to the free agent market for reinforcements, there simply aren’t many high-quality offensive tackles readily available. At present, the list of free agent tackles includes middling-to-poor options such as Will Beatty, Cyrus Kouandjio, Austin Pasztor, Rees Odhiambo, and Don Barclay.

Robinson, 22, was the Jaguars’ second-round pick in 2017, and started 15 games during his rookie campaign. He was part of an offensive line that also included free agent acquisition Andrew Nowell at left guard, plus center Brandon Linder, right guard A.J. Cann, and right tackle Jermey Parnell.

Browns Expected To Trade Josh Gordon Today

September 17th, 2018 at 8:23am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns are expected to trade wide receiver Josh Gordon today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who adds Cleveland could conceivably receive a conditional pick that could ultimately become a mid-round selection.

Eight-to-ten clubs have contacted the Browns regarding Gordon’s availability, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link), and some teams are reportedly “adamant” that their interest in Gordon be made public. 49ers general manager John Lynch admits he’s reached out to Cleveland about Gordon, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area writes, while the Jets have some interest but are unlikely to acquire Gordon, reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are not in the running for Gordon, tweets Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.

Gordon, of course, has dealt with numerous off-field issues during his career, but it doesn’t appear as though he’s suffered any sort of relapse to precipitate the Browns moving on from him. Instead, Cleveland has developed “trust issues” with its 27-year-old pass-catcher, who reportedly injured his hamstring during a recent photo shoot. Indeed, part of rival clubs’ analysis on Gordon will include how long it will take him to recover from said injury.

Any team that acquires Gordon will take on the remainder of his $790K base salary for the 2018 season. Gordon, whose contract has tolled multiple times during his career, will become a restricted free agent at the end of the year.

2018 Season Likely To Be Reggie McKenzie’s Last With Raiders

September 16th, 2018 at 9:49pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

When Jon Gruden took over as coach of the Oakland Raiders, the writing was on the wall for GM Reggie McKenzie. Now there’s more confirmation the two sides will be heading for a split, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports there is virtually no chance McKenzie is back in 2019.

Sources told La Canfora it’s a “near certainty” that there are “new decision-makers in place in Oakland well before the 2019 draft.” The final nail in the coffin appeared to be the decision to trade away Khalil Mack. Comments made by both Gruden and McKenzie following the trade made clear that it was Gruden’s imperative to deal the defensive end.

Gruden has been remaking the team in his vision ever since he became coach, and while nothing has been formally announced, it’s been clear for a while that McKenzie’s power has been reduced. Gruden will likely begin to bring in his own front office people shortly after the season ends.

It will be a critical and potentially era-defining offseason for Gruden in 2019. He’ll be doing it essentially all on his own and will receive all the credit, and the blame, for whatever transpires. What he does with the picks acquired in the Mack trade will determine how the trade, and his decision making, are viewed down the line. McKenzie, a fairly well respected executive, should land on his feet with another organization sooner rather than later after he’s eventually cut loose.

5 Key NFL Stories: 9/9/18 – 9/16/18

September 16th, 2018 at 8:34pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Browns cut ties with Gordon. What seemingly almost happened so many times over the past few years finally happened when the Browns announced they would move on from Josh Gordon. Gordon arriving late to the team facility was the final straw, and there were apparently rumors of a relapse within the organization. Cleveland appears likely to trade the uber-talented wideout in the next couple of days.

Kendricks to Seattle. One of the most unexpected developments of the summer was when Mychal Kendricks was arrested and charged with insider trading. The Browns promptly released him, and it was widely assumed that Kendricks wouldn’t be playing again this year. That all changed when the Seahawks suffered a string of injuries in their linebacking corp. They signed Kendricks this week despite the fact that he’s facing a suspension that will likely sideline him for a while.

Mixon to have knee surgery. The big injury news of the week was that Bengals running back Joe Mixon would need to undergo knee surgery. He had been having a breakout season as Cincinnati’s featured back, but will now be sidelined for the next 2-4 weeks. It’s a big blow to the Bengals’ suddenly dynamic offense, as Mixon was a large part of their 2-0 start.

Freeman out multiple weeks. Mixon isn’t the only star running back set to miss significant time due to a knee injury, as Falcons running back Devonta Freeman will also miss 2-4 weeks. Atlanta initially said Freeman’s injury wasn’t serious, but apparently the prognosis worsened in the days following their Week 1 game. Freeman has a history of knee injuries, so it’s a concerning development.

Oakland signs Hankins, re-signs Bryant. The Raiders made a pair of moves, bringing in defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and re-signing receiver Martavis Bryant. Bizarrely, the Raiders traded a third round pick for Bryant, then released him when they found out he was facing a year-long suspension, then re-signed him this week. Like Kendricks, he’s appealing his suspension, but will likely only play for a little while before he’s forced to serve his ban. Hankins had been one of the biggest name free agents left out there, and finally signed with the Raiders due to injuries on their defensive line. He reportedly got $2MM to sign, the highest of any recent veteran signing.

Kenny Britt To Visit Patriots, Could Re-Sign

September 16th, 2018 at 7:22pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

New England continues to cycle through options at receiver, and now Kenny Britt might be back on the table according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Rapsheet reports that Britt will visit the Patriots and work out for the team on Monday. He writes that “if all goes well and his hamstring is healthy, he could sign in New England.” It would be an interesting development for a player who was just cut by the Patriots back in August.

New England just recently cut Bennie Fowler, so Britt could slide into his spot on the roster while the team awaits the return of Julian Edelman from suspension. Britt’s release a couple of weeks before cutdown day was a surprise, as he was expected to take on a larger role in the Patriots’ depleted receiving corp. Britt signed with the Patriots late last season and was often a gameday inactive, catching two passes for 23 yards across three games.

Britt has proven he can be a productive receiver in the league, but has often clashed with coaching staffs. He didn’t get along well with management in Cleveland, and was released by the Browns just nine games into a four-year $32.5MM contract. Just two seasons ago, he put up 1,002 yards and five touchdowns with the Rams, so maybe he’ll be able to pull of a career resurgence in New England, assuming he re-signs.

CB Vontae Davis Retires

September 16th, 2018 at 6:05pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

A bizarre situation has unfolded in Buffalo as cornerback Vontae Davis has decided to retire. Davis reportedly pulled himself out of the game at halftime of the Bills’ loss to the Chargers and didn’t return to the game. He then released a statement announcing his retirement. You can read his full statement here.

While he said this isn’t how he “pictured retiring from the NFL” he said he had to make the decision because he was no longer physically capable of it. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN (Twitter link)., Davis changed into street clothes and left the stadium at halftime.

It’s a situation pretty much without precedent in the NFL. Davis’ teammate Lorenzo Alexander called it “completely disrespectful” and said he’d never seen anything like it. It’s another rough headline for a Bills situation that has been disastrous thus far. They’ve lost both their games by multiple scores and had to bench their starting quarterback, Nathan Peterman, after just one game.

The Bills signed Davis back in February and reportedly gave him $3.5MM guaranteed. They’ll almost certainly look to recover most of that money and should be successful. If this is really the end for Davis, he’ll finish his ten-year NFL career with 22 interceptions and 106 passes defended. The 2009 first round pick was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Colts.