Month: September 2024

Patriots’ Jason McCourty Restructures Deal

Jason McCourty represents a versatile part of the Patriots’ secondary, having added safety work to his usual cornerback preparation responsibilities during the preseason. He made another change just before the start of the regular season as well.

The Patriots and McCourty agreed to a restructured deal that will see the veteran defender’s base salary drop but his 2018 cap number increase. McCourty will trim his 2018 base from $2.375MM to $1.6MM in exchange for up to $1MM in playing-time incentives and $400K in per-game roster bonuses, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

McCourty’s playing-time incentives are broken up into $200K increments. Seeing 40 percent of New England’s defensive snaps will net the 10th-year veteran $200K, while playing in half of the Pats’ snaps will net McCourty an additional $200K. Sixty percent, 70 percent and 80 percent represent the ensuing benchmarks, with 80 percent meaning McCourty — who played six snaps in Week 1 — would collect $1MM total of this incentive package.

A $150K increase to McCourty’s roster bonus also comes as part of this adjustment, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. McCourty’s cap number will because of this restructure, with Volin noting (via Twitter) the 31-year-old defensive back’s number now represents $3.382MM after previously residing at $2.975MM on the Patriots’ cap sheet.

New England lost second-round pick Duke Dawson to an injury that relegated him to IR, opening possible snaps for McCourty. But he’s a backup for the time being, despite having started 104 career games and being a full-time first-stringer from 2011-17.

Panthers’ Greg Olsen Fractures Foot

For the second straight season, Greg Olsen‘s going to miss time because of a foot fracture. The Panthers confirmed the Pro Bowl tight end’s exit from Sunday’s win was because of another fractured foot.

Olsen will be evaluated on a monthly basis. It appears the Panthers are preparing for the veteran pass-catcher to miss extensive time. An IR stay was required because of a similar occurrence in 2017. It’s the same right foot Olsen broke last season.

The team announced no plans are in place for Olsen to undergo surgery, but he’s almost certainly out for the foreseeable future nonetheless. Olsen missed nine games last season as a result of his foot injury; a similar absence appears likely for Cam Newton‘s top target.

This throws a wrench into the Panthers’ plans. They signed the 33-year-old tight end to a two-year extension this offseason. And Carolina does not have the depth at this position that existed on its 2017 roster. Ed Dickson defected as a free agent. Former waiver claim Chris Manhertz and fourth-round rookie Ian Thomas, an Indiana product, comprise the Panthers’ backup contingent.

The Panthers also revealed Daryl Williams will undergo knee surgery, and the Charlotte Observers’ Jourdan Rodrigue tweets it’s the same knee the right tackle injured during training camp. Although, it’s a different injury. Williams damaged his MCL and dislocated his patella during camp. Rodrigue notes Williams had an MRI done Monday morning and sought a second opinion before deciding to undergo surgery. It’s unclear precisely what the contract-year blocker is dealing with now.

An IR decision looms for the Panthers, with two players seemingly posing as candidates. Though, that’s not a choice the Panthers would want to make after Week 1, when other injuries could surely occur down the line. But Williams does appear headed there, per Rodrigue (on Twitter). The current line of thinking, though, points to Olsen avoiding the injured list. Of course, Williams was believed to be an IR candidate after his last knee injury only to avoid it and play in Week 1.

It’s unclear how long he will be out, but Amini Silatolu looks to be the next man up, per ESPN.com’s David Newton, who adds Thomas will get the first crack at replacing Olsen as the Panthers’ tight end starter. While Silatolu will get a look, the Panthers are expected to be on the lookout for tackle help, Newton adds.

Extra Points: Anthem, Kaepernick, Bell

There’s been a lot of talk about the league’s new anthem policy. There was massive controversy earlier this year when it was announced that teams could discipline players, including possibly with suspension, for not standing for the anthem.

It was then reported earlier this week that “moderate” NFL owners were looking for a compromise where discipline would be waived for kneeling players if the players union officially endorsed standing for the anthem. That will apparently not be happening anytime this year, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports there will be no agreement between the two sides on a new anthem policy this season. Schefter notes that “the new policy is going to be no policy” adding that “too many people have stances too strong to figure out a compromise.”

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Speaking of the anthem, Albert Breer of SI.com writes that there’s been a “wink-wink agreement to drag the talks out a little” between the players and owners in order to “give the “do nothing” solution a test drive.” It’s in line with Schefter’s reporting, and makes sense considering the league just wants the issue to go away at this point.
  • Relatedly, league sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that the trial for Colin Kaepernicks’s collusion lawsuit against the league is going to take place at some point before the regular season is over. La Canfora also notes that Kaepernick hasn’t given up on a return to the NFL, and is continuing to work out to stay in playing shape.
  • In the same article, Breer writes that he doesn’t think Le’Veon Bell’s continued absence is smart, noting “most NFL people I talk to aren’t so sure there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow waiting for him.” Breer lists a number of factors, including his age, suspension and injury history, and recent antics as reasons why he doesn’t think Bell will land the payday he’s expecting this offseason.

Redskins Re-Sign WR Brian Quick

He wasn’t gone long. Wide receiver Brian Quick is re-signing with the Redskins according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).

The veteran wideout was released by Washington at final cuts. It appears to have been partially a procedural move to ensure that Quick, a vested veteran, wouldn’t have his full contract guaranteed at the Week 1 deadline. The team clearly had him number one on their list of players to call when an injury occurred. Two of the team’s reserve receivers suffered injuries in yesterday’s game. Quick’s contract will now only be partially guaranteed since he signed after Week 1.

Quick, who spent the first five years of his career with the Rams after being taken with the 33rd overall pick in 2012, appeared in 11 games for the Redskins last season. He caught just six passes for 76 yards. The year before that in 2016, he caught 41 balls for 564 yards and three touchdowns in Los Angeles.

The Redskins have a crowded receiving depth chart with Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, and Paul Richardson all firmly entrenched in their roles, so it’s unlikely Quick sees too much playing time.

Patriots Sign Receivers Corey Coleman, Bennie Fowler

The Patriots are adding some help to their depleted receiving corp, signing Corey Coleman according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). They are also adding receiver Bennie Fowler, Field Yates posted in a follow up tweet

Coleman, a first round pick of the Browns back in 2016, had been looking for a new home since the Bills released him at final cuts. The Browns had traded him to Buffalo earlier this offseason for a conditional seventh round pick.

Coleman was always high on talent, but fell out of favor quickly with the coaching staff and new front office regime in Cleveland. The speedster flashed at times, but struggled with hand injuries during both of his seasons with the Browns. He only had a couple of weeks to practice with the Bills, and couldn’t make an impression quick enough to crack the team even on a squad with one of the league’s weakest receiving corps.

The Patriots are very thing at wide receiver, with few proven options behind Chris Hogan while they await Julian Edelman’s return from suspension. It’s a smart, no risk move for New England who will get a chance to develop the first round talent. He’ll slide in behind Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarelle Patterson on the depth chart for now.

Fowler came into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Broncos in 2014. He signed with the Bears in April, but didn’t make their initial 53-man roster.

Extra Points: Mack, Rams, Rodgers, Luck

We previously heard that the Rams had made a bid on Khalil Mack, but the Raiders rejected the offer because the picks were going to be too low. Tonight, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported (via Twitter) that Los Angeles ultimately offered Oakland a first- and third-round pick.

However, the Rams didn’t see much of a future with Mack, especially after handing Aaron Donald a lucrative $135MM extension. Schefter notes that the team would have turned around and traded the impending free agent (presumably after he inked his franchise tag) this offseason. The team was trying to go “all in” on the upcoming campaign, with the hope that they could pair Mack with Donald, Ndamukong Suh and Michael Brockers.

Instead, Mack was dealt to the Bears, who then signed the pass rusher to a six-year, $141 million deal. The 27-year-old had a big game in his debut with Chicago, collecting three tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pick-six.

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

  • Raiders coach Jon Gruden sat down to discuss the Mack trade with ESPN’s Lisa Salters, noting that the star player “obviously” didn’t want to be in Oakland. “Obviously, Khalil Mack didn’t want to play here,” Gruden said (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “That’s what’s being missed here. He was under contract, Lisa. He was under contract. He never showed up for an OTA, never showed up for a training camp and it was obvious he wasn’t going to show up for the season. Don’t forget that. We have to get ready to play and I want players that want to be here, that want to help us put this thing back in high gear.”
  • Aaron Rodgers sat out three series during last night’s contest before leading the Packers to a comeback victory over the Bears. While the quarterback may have tossed three second-half touchdowns, he’s not a sure-thing for next weekend’s game against the Vikings. Head coach Mike McCarthy didn’t give any indications as to whether the team would start Rodgers or backup DeShone Kizer on Sunday. “We do have some information and no decision has been made,” McCarthy said (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). “We’re still collecting all the information.” NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Rodgers is pushing to play, and the team will continue to monitor the swelling in his knee as the week goes on.
  • We learned earlier today that Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson was going to miss several weeks as he recovered from a concussion. Fortunately, it sounds like reinforcement is around the corner, as coach Bill O’Brien told ESPN’s Sarah Barshop that cornerback Kayvon Webster is trending in the right direction as he recovers from an Achilles injury (Twitter links). However, the defensive back won’t be ready for next week, and the team will consider moving safety Kareem Jackson to cornerback as they deal with the injuries.
  • In an interview with Rapoport, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck discussed a “previously secret injury” to his right shoulder that he suffered while snowboarding. The injury occurred after Luck had suffered a labrum tear in 2015, and the quarterback ended up hurting his AC joint in his throwing shoulder during the snowboarding accident. For what it’s worth, Luck is convinced that the indiscretion didn’t do anything to slow his eventual rehab from labrum surgery. “I’ve seen more doctors than I can count on two hands over the past two or three years,” Luck said, “and the consensus — unanimous — is that the AC is not an issue, nor did it have an effect. The labrum is an issue.”

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/10/18

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Philadelphia Eagles

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/10/18

Here are today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Bills Sign DE Nate Orchard

The Bills have already filled Adolphus Washington‘s roster spot. ESPN’s Mike Rodak tweets that the team has signed defensive end Nate Orchard. It’s a one-year deal for the 25-year-old.

After spending three seasons with the Browns, the 2015 second-round pick was released by the team earlier this month. The Utah product was plenty productive during his rookie campaign, compiling 36 tackles and three sacks in 15 games (11 starts). Orchard was limited to only three games in 2016 after suffering an ankle injury, and he settled into more of a reserve role in 2017. He ultimately finished last season with 25 tackles and two sacks in 16 games (one start).

The Bills are relatively thin at defensive end, but it’s uncertain if Orchard will be able to crack the top-three. It’s more likely that he competes with Eddie Yarbrough for snaps behind Trent Murphy, Jerry Hughes, and Shaq Lawson (who suffered a hamstring injury during yesterday’s loss).

The Bills opened up a roster spot earlier this evening by waiving Washington, a former third-rounder.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/10/18

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans 

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans