2018 September - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Practice Squad Salaries, Anthem, Vikings, Browns

September 7th, 2018 at 8:24pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The standard practice squad salary is $7,600 a week, but players in high demand around the league often get much more than that, sometimes approaching what their salary would’ve been if they had made the 53-man roster.

Seahawks seventh round quarterback Alex McGough didn’t make the team after Seattle traded for Brett Hundley, but he’ll be making $28K a week according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Although the Broncos wanted De’Angelo Henderson back on their practice squad after cutting him, the Jets offered him $30K a week to steal him away according to Mike Klis of 9News. Lastly, the Vikings paid offered $20K per week to poach tight end Cole Hikutini from the 49ers according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.

Here’s more from around the league:

“Moderate NFL owners are interested in a potential agreement” to waive discipline for players who protest the anthem if the players union will officially endorse standing for the anthem according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post. It’s unclear how close any such agreement might be, but it’s an interesting development.
Speaking of the Vikings, the team worked out a slew of players today, with wide receivers Breshad Perriman, Aldrick Robinson and Teo Redding, and offensive linemen Hroniss Grasu, Wesley Johnson, and Bryan Witzmann all coming in for workouts according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN (Twitter link). Minnesota has dealt with a ton of offensive line injuries, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them add one of these guys.
The Browns finally ended the mystery of who would replace Joe Thomas at left tackle today when they announced it would be undrafted rookie Desmond Harrison protecting Tyrod Taylor’s blindside per Nate Ulrich of the Akron-Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Harrison was always a talented player, but went undrafted because of off-the-field concerns.

NFC Notes: Seahawks, Cardinals, Falcons, Cowboys

September 7th, 2018 at 7:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

A growing rift in the Seahawks’ locker room over the team’s treatment of Russell Wilson was the catalyst for the trade or release of many Seahawks veterans this offseason, according to an explosive report from Robert Klemko of SI.com. The story, which is well worth a read, details how Richard Sherman and other Seahawks defenders objected to coach Pete Carrol’s alleged preferential treatment of Wilson.

The story also describes how many former Seahawks players think the rift was responsible for the team getting rid of veterans like Sherman, Michael Bennett, Jeremy Lane etc., and rebuilding the team around Wilson. It’s an unwelcome distraction for Seattle just days before their season opener, and it will be very interesting to see how Carrol and Wilson respond.

Here’s more from the NFC:

2016 first round pick Corey Coleman never fit in with the Browns. Released after just two injury plagued seasons, the young speedy receiver is now looking for a new home and visited with the Cardinals today a source told Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). The Cardinals are a bit thin at receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald, so this could be a good landing spot for both sides.
The Falcons lost starting safety Keanu Neal for the season during last night’s opener with a torn ACL, but his absence might not be as devastating as some had thought. Even before last night’s game, rookie fifth round safety Damontae Kazee had “emerged as the versatile swing safety type that’s incredibly valuable in today’s NFL” during training camp according to Albert Breer of SI.com. The coaching staff apparently loves Kazee, so the loss of Neal isn’t as disastrous as it might’ve seemed.
Cowboys guard Travis Frederick hasn’t been placed on injured reserve “but he continues to have some numbness in both arms” according to Todd Archer of ESPN. It’s a situation far more important than football, and Frederick acknowledged to Archer he has no idea when he’ll be back on the field.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/18

September 7th, 2018 at 6:13pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Waived from injured reserve: WR Tevaun Smith

Minnesota Vikings

Waived from injured reserve: OL Josh Andrews, RB Mack Brown, DB Craig James

New England Patriots

Waived from injured reserve: TE Will Tye

New York Giants

Waived from injured reserve: S Darian Thompson

Philadelphia Eagles

Waived: S Tre Sullivan

Seattle Seahawks

Waived: CB Simeon Thomas
Waived from injured reserve: CB Byron Maxwell, LB Erik Walden, QB Austin Davis

Lions Work Out Paxton Lynch

September 7th, 2018 at 4:57pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Paxton Lynch‘s post-Broncos tour continued as he visited today with the Lions, a source told Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).

Lynch, a former first round pick, quickly fell out of favor in Denver and ultimately found himself out of a job when he was outplayed by 2017 seventh-rounder Chad Kelly during the preseason. Many teams still see something interesting in Lynch’s potential, and several clubs have been rumored to be interested.

Detroit would be an interesting landing spot for Lynch, as they cut their younger developmental option Jake Rudock recently at final cuts. Although they brought Ruddock back on the practice squad, they currently only have the aging Matt Cassel behind Matthew Stafford on the roster.

Lynch could slide in behind Cassel and be developed to be Stafford’s backup of the future. Lynch recently visited the Bills and has a few other tryouts scheduled, but it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to sign with the Lions. Either way, he shouldn’t be unemployed much longer.

NFL Suspends WR Max McCaffrey

September 7th, 2018 at 4:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Wide receiver Max McCaffrey will miss the first four games of the season with a suspension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

McCaffrey, the brother of Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, was cut by the 49ers last week. The suspension explains “why he’s still free” Rapoport notes. Despite being only 24-years-old, McCaffrey has already reached journeyman status, spending time with six different teams during his brief time in the league.

McCaffrey signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent after finishing his college career at Duke, but was released before the start of the 2016 season. He then was signed by the Packers, spending time on both their practice squad and active roster. In 2017, he was with the Saints, Jaguars, and Packers again before the 49ers were impressed enough with him to sign him to a two-year deal off the Packers’ practice squad.

McCaffrey’s suspension very likely played a role in his release by San Francisco, as did a foot injury he’s still recovering from. It’s unclear what the suspension is for, although it seems likely it’s due to a substance abuse policy violation. He should latch on somewhere after his suspension is completed.

AFC East Rumors: Gronk, Dolphins, Jets

September 7th, 2018 at 3:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rob Gronkowski‘s contract has come up in several news cycles in recent years, the all-world tight end still being attached to a deal he signed back in 2012. But the future Hall of Fame Patriots pass-catcher said he wasn’t agonizing over the team adjusting his deal, which it did for the second straight year via incentive package. Gronk did sit out the voluntary portion of New England’s offseason program and considered retirement, but he says the drama’s in the past as he prepares for his ninth NFL season.

“It didn’t weigh on me at all,” Gronkowski said of his near-offseason-long negotiations with the Pats (via NESN.com). “Everything’s always in the works. Nothing’s just going to happen in a day, something like that. It’s in the past now. It happened last week, so it’s go time now.”

Gronkowski also said had he not been satisfied with his situation, he would have followed Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack‘s footsteps.

“I’m super satisfied with my situation,” Gronkowski said. “If I wasn’t, I would try to pull a move like they did. It works out. You get rewarded for holding out. But I’m not frustrated at all or anything. I’m super satisfied and just ready to go.”

The Patriots will need Gronkowski plenty while Julian Edelman sits and a thin receiving corps attempts to become a reliable source for Tom Brady targets. Here’s the latest from the Pats’ rivals:

The Dolphins submitted an unsuccessful waiver claim for a Bills cut, linebacker Tanner Vallejo, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. Vallejo ended up in Cleveland because of the Browns’ top waiver priority position, one they’ve used frequently over the past week. Miami also wanted to keep two of their own cuts — running back Buddy Howell and tackle Eric Smith — but saw the former land with the Texans via waiver claim and the latter end up choosing to sign with the Patriots’ practice squad instead of the Dolphins’.
Dolphins skepticism is rampant around the NFL-following world going into this season, with Miami sitting as one of Las Vegas’ longest-odds Super Bowl propositions, but one reason the team believes it will improve from a disappointing 2017 is its offensive line. The Dolphins believe Laremy Tunsil is set for a “monster” season and that Daniel Kilgore has filled in nicely for Mike Pouncey — as both a leader and a player, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald notes. Kilgore and Josh Sitton are now in place on a Miami front that’s endured questions about its interior line — be it Pouncey’s health or guards’ underwhelming performance — for years.
Shifting back to practice squad gets, the Jets paid a premium for two of their 10 taxi-squadders. Defensive end Bronson Kaufusi and running back De’Angelo Henderson will make four times as much as league-minimum practice squad players will, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reporting (via Twitter) Kaufusi will earn $32K per week and Henderson will receive $30K per week. The practice squad minimum for 2018 is just less than $8K weekly. The Broncos liked what they saw from Henderson in the 2017 preseason, but the 2017 sixth-round pick did not see much game action behind C.J. Anderson, Jamaal Charles and Devontae Booker. Additions of Royce Freeman and UDFA Phillip Lindsay routed Henderson out of Denver this year.
The Jets have one of the league’s least established tight end situations, but the team is high on rookie Chris Herndon, Albert Breer of SI.com writes. A fourth-round pick, Herndon’s caught the Jets’ eye as both a receiver and blocker and is a player the team believes will be a long-term cog. Jordan Leggett, a 2017 fifth-rounder, resides as the Jets’ other primary tight end candidate after Austin Seferian-Jenkins‘ defection to the Jaguars.

Injury Notes: Berry, Giants, Titans, Falcons

September 7th, 2018 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Some teams will be opening their seasons without key defenders. Here’s the latest from the Week 1 injury front:

The nagging heel issue Eric Berry‘s been dealing with will likely keep him out of Week 1. Andy Reid (via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com, on Twitter) does not expect his All-Pro safety to be available when the Chiefs play arguably their toughest AFC West game of the season — a road tilt against the Chargers. Berry’s been held out of practice this week. He missed the Chiefs’ final 15 games of last season with an Achilles tear, his second severe NFL injury. Berry’s right heel’s plagued him in recent weeks, and was also an issue in Kansas City’s 2017 training camp; the ninth-year safety tore his left Achilles’ tendon in Week 1 of last season. He hasn’t practice since August 11. Eric Murray and the recently reacquired Ron Parker are K.C.’s likely safety starters, per Teicher.
Suffering a high ankle sprain in practice late last month, Olivier Vernon will not be available for the Giants on Sunday. Vernon will miss New York’s Week 1 game against Jacksonville, Pat Shurmur said (via SNY.tv’s Ralph Vacchiano). This will pose a problem for the Giants’ pass rush, which is now without Jason Pierre-Paul. This could push rookie Lorenzo Carter into Big Blue’s lineup Sunday, per Matt Lombardo of NJ.com, who adds the Georgia-developed edge defender may play plenty regardless of his first-string status.
The Titans will be missing some key players but may also have one back sooner than expected. Derrick Morgan‘s meniscus issue hasn’t stopped him from practicing this week, and the ninth-year edge player practiced fully on Thursday to put him in line to start Sunday. However, the Titans will begin their season without Jack Conklin, Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry, Jim Wyatt of Titansonline.com tweets. Evans and Landry were Tennessee’s top two 2018 draft picks.
Keanu Neal‘s Week 1 injury (an ACL tear) proved to be the biggest health news thus far on Friday, and the Falcons may not seek an outside replacement. Damontae Kazee is likely the next man up for the Falcons, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, rather than Atlanta going after former Dan Quinn charge Earl Thomas or UFA Eric Reid.
Joey Bosa may miss Week 1 as well, and the Chargers‘ dynamic pass rusher was spotted in a walking boot on Friday, Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Bosa will be out for Sunday’s game, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Bosa missed the preseason with a foot injury, but Wang notes (on Twitter) that ailment healed and that the third-year defensive end is week-to-week because of a different malady on that same foot. While the Bolts have maybe the NFL’s best edge-rushing tandem in Bosa and Melvin Ingram, they aren’t especially deep at that position.
Jesse James will start at tight end for the Steelers on Sunday against the Browns. Vance McDonald will miss Pittsburgh’s opener, per Steelers.com’s Missi Matthews (Twitter link). A foot injury shelved McDonald during the preseason, halting the tight end’s offseason momentum as he prepares for his second Steelers season.

Falcons S Keanu Neal Suffers Torn ACL

September 7th, 2018 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Keanu Neal‘s injury during Thursday night’s season-opening game proved to be significant. The Falcons safety is now out for the season after being diagnosed with a torn ACL, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

The third-year defender left the Falcons’ Week 1 loss to the Eagles, and he’ll now spend the rest of the 2018 season rehabbing his left knee post-surgery. This is a key blow to a talented Falcons secondary.

The Falcons did not expect this diagnosis, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), ordering an MRI as a precaution. They’re now down a top young talent. The team announced Neal is done for the year.

The youngest player in a starting secondary that now features each of its other cogs signed long-term, the 23-year-old Neal emerged as a Day 1 starter after being a 2016 first-round pick. He earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2017 after making 113 tackles and forcing three fumbles. Neal’s forced eight fumbles in his career and has two 100-tackle seasons under his belt.

Atlanta has second-year man Damontae Kazee and recent trade acquisition Jordan Richards slotted as safety backups.

If the team wants to look for outside help, the obvious top candidate is Eric Reid. But he’s currently involved in a collusion grievance against the league after teams shied away from him in free agency this offseason. However, the stakes are high for the 2018 Falcons. Might that prompt them to reach out to arguably the top free agent available? Dan Quinn also coached Earl Thomas during his days as Seahawks DC, and Thomas has let it be known he remains at odds with his team, despite ending his holdout earlier this week.

The Falcons are now 0-1 in a key season for the franchise, with Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta and the team standing as one of the top contenders in a loaded NFC. This is obviously a tough development to start the year.

In other Falcons injury news, however, Devonta Freeman did not sustain a serious knee injury Thursday night, Rapoport adds. He’s expected to be fine going forward.

Bears, NT Eddie Goldman Agree On Extension

September 7th, 2018 at 12:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after authorizing the richest defensive contract in NFL history, the Bears are locking down another key defender.

The Bears and nose tackle Eddie Goldman agreed on a four-year extension worth more than $42MM Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The 24-year-old lineman will receive $25MM guaranteed as a result of this re-up, Rapoport reports.

A former second-round pick, Goldman was entering his contract year. Two days before the Bears begin their 2018 season, they now have another defensive lineman signed long-term. They took care of Akiem Hicks last year and now have four of their front-seven bastions signed to long-term deals, with Danny Trevathan and now Khalil Mack in the fold on veteran deals — one of which standing out a bit more than the other.

Goldman won’t be paid close to what Mack is, but the fourth-year starter is now one of the highest-paid nose tackles in the game.

Among pure 3-4 nose players, Goldman’s $10.5MM-AAV-plus agreement now is in line to sit second among this position. And among those extended long-term, Goldman’s deal now leads the pack. Ndamukong Suh is making $14MM this season, but the Rams gave him a one-year deal. Goldman’s now set to collect the most guaranteed money among nose tackles, his $25MM haul surpassing Damon Harrison‘s $20MM guarantee.

The Florida State alum started 15 games for Vic Fangio’s improved defense in 2017, bouncing back from a 2016 season-ending injury. He’ll join Hicks and Jonathan Bullard as first-unit linemen when the Bears face the Packers on Sunday night and will now do so knowing his long-term future will be in Chicago.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Bosa, Raiders

September 7th, 2018 at 11:51am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers could be without star defensive end Joey Bosa on Sunday as he deals with an ongoing foot issue, head coach Anthony Lynn told reporters, including Jack Wang of the Orange County Register. “It’s a possibility that he might not be with us,” Lynn said. “You know, we’re hopeful, but it’s possible…Foot injuries, they take on all the body weight.” Bosa hasn’t fully practiced in over a month, and Los Angeles likely doesn’t want to risk the health of its best defensive player, even though it’ll be facing a divisional opponent in the Chiefs. The Chargers, who will also be missing suspended defensive tackle Corey Liuget, would deploy second-year pro Isaac Rochell in Bosa’s stead, while Chris Landrum and second-round rookie Uchenna Nwosu could also see snaps.

Here’s more from the AFC West:

Perhaps unsurprisingly given Bosa’s health issues, the Chargers were one of four teams that placed a waiver claim on former Lions defensive end Anthony Zettel, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. The Packers, Vikings, and Browns (the latter of which had the No. 1 waiver priority and thus landed the ex-Detroit pass-rusher) also put in claims for Zettel, per Yates. Zettel is only 26 years old and started all 16 games for the Lions a season ago, so his release was certainly unexpected. Pro Football Focus graded Zettel as a top-50 edge defender in 2018, and he posted 6.5 sacks. A sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft, Zettel is under contract through 2019.
Franchise icon Antonio Gates will earn $2.5MM on his new one-year deal with the Chargers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Gates will receive a $1MM signing bonus, and Pelissero previously reported the contract contains a few “reachable” incentives. Los Angeles had previously indicated Gates would not be re-signed for a 16th season, but after fellow tight end Hunter Henry went down with a torn ACL, the Chargers decided to bring Gates back into the fold. Gates is now 38 years old and posted only 316 receiving yards in 2017, but he’s still arguably an upgrade to Los Angeles’ tight end depth chart.
More from Pelissero, who reports the Raiders gave wide receiver Brandon LaFell $1.75MM on his one-year deal, including $835K guaranteed. As was the case with Gates, LaFell’s base salary would have become fully guaranteed in Week 1 anyway given that he’s a vested veteran, so the specific amount of guarantees at signing aren’t all that critical. LaFell’s contract also contains incentives that are apparently “likely to be earned” (and thus count against Oakland’s salary cap), as his cap charge for the year is ~$2.313MM. He’ll compete to be the Raiders’ fourth receiver behind Amari Cooper, Jordy Nelson, and Seth Roberts.