HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

NFC Notes: Panthers, Seahawks, Packers

September 27th, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Eric Reid‘s one-year deal with the Panthers has a base value of $1MM, but he can earn an additional $900K via other means, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Reid could collect the extra cash via playtime incentives, Pro Bowl incentives, or per-game roster bonuses. Carolina needed extra defensive backs after recently losing Da’Norris Searcy, and Reid should immediately step into the club’s starting lineup opposite Mike Adams. Reid, of course, has protested police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem, but that issue reportedly didn’t come up during his meeting with the Panthers.

Here’s more on Reid and the rest of the NFC:

  • The 49ers reportedly offered Reid a contract before he signed with the Panthers, and they weren’t the only NFC West club to do so. The Seahawks also discussed a deal with Reid, per Jim Trotter of NFL.com (Twitter link), and were the first team to offer Reid a pact. Seattle negotiated with Reid while fellow safety Earl Thomas was holding out, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports (via Twitter) the offer was pulled after Thomas reported. Per Condotta, Seattle and Reid couldn’t agree on a salary.
  • Doug Baldwin returned to Seahawks practice on Wednesday for the first time since going down with an MCL injury in the club’s Week 1 game, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While Baldwin hasn’t yet been given clearance to play in Week 4, he says he’s “chomping at the bit” to return to action, tweets Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio KJR. Baldwin’s return would be an obvious boon to a Seattle offense that has given more snaps to Brandon Marshall and Jaron Brown.
  • Buccaneers safety Chris Conte was the victim of a vicious stiff arm from Steelers tight end Vance McDonald on Monday night, but the veteran defensive back was actually playing through a torn PCL, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Conte was placed on injured reserve earlier this week, but given that his recovery timeline is just six weeks, it’s conceivable he could return later this season. Tampa Bay will rely on fourth-round rookie Jordan Whitehead at safety for the time being.
  • Cornerback Bashaud Breeland originally inked a three-year, $24MM deal with the Panthers this offseason, but after a freak injury resulted in a failed physical, the veteran defensive back was forced to take quite a pay cut on his one-year deal with the Packers. Breeland signed a minimum salary benefit pact, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes, so he’ll collect a base salary of $790K plus a $90K bonus. However, under the rules of the MSB, Breeland will only count against Green Bay’s salary cap at the rate of a second-year player ($630K).

NFL Workout Updates: 9/27/18

September 27th, 2018 at 9:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Panthers TE Greg Olsen “Way Ahead Of The Curve” In Recovery

September 27th, 2018 at 8:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Panthers tight end Greg Olsen says his recovery from a fractured foot is progressing extremely well, according to David Newton of ESPN.com.

“Yeah, I’m way ahead of the curve,” Olsen said. “Last year at two weeks I was laying in my bed in a cast. I couldn’t do anything. I’m way ahead of the curve from that standpoint. It’s just a matter of seeing each week how your foot responds and just try to add a little more, a little more. What that time frame is, we’re optimistic. Hopefully, it’s sooner rather than later.”

Nearly every report since Olsen broke his foot in the season opener has indicated the positive nature of his recovery. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported in early September that Olsen would return in a “few weeks,” while Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicated Olsen was facing a four-to-five week timeline. Either way, it doesn’t appear Olsen will be absent for anywhere near the nine games he missed in 2017, when he suffered the same foot injury.

Olsen, who in April signed an extension through 2020, has been among the league’s best tight ends since joining the Panthers via trade in 2011. From 2014-16, Olsen earn Pro Bowl honors while topping 75 receptions and 1,000 yards in each campaign.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/27/18

September 27th, 2018 at 7:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad updates:

Chicago Bears

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Released: CB Jeff Richards

Tom Savage To Eventually Sign With 49ers?

September 27th, 2018 at 7:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the 49ers don’t plan to sign a quarterback this week after losing starter Jimmy Garoppolo to a torn ACL, veteran Tom Savage appears to be the favorite to eventually land in San Francisco, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Savage was part of a signal-caller contingent that worked out for the 49ers this week, as he joined Landry Jones, EJ Manuel, Kellen Clemens, T.J. Yates, Matt Simms, and Kyle Allen in auditioning for San Francisco. But the 49ers can’t afford to use an extra roster spot on quarterback this week, per Garafolo, so the club will hold off on adding a passer for now. Nick Mullens, a 2017 undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss, was promoted from San Francisco’s practice squad to serve as depth behind new starter C.J. Beathard.

Savage, 28, inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Saints earlier this year, and appeared to be the favorite to serve as Drew Brees‘ top backup. However, Savage was deemed expendable after New Orleans acquired fellow quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from the Jets, and Savage was subsequently released. A fourth-round pick in 2014, Savage appeared in 13 games and made nine starts over four seasons with the Texans.

TNF Notes: Vikings, Cook, Rams, Peters

September 27th, 2018 at 6:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at a few notes on the Vikings and Rams before tonight’s tilt:

  • Running back Dalvin Cook didn’t play in Week 3 when the Vikings lost to the Bills, but he’s expected to suit up tonight, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Cook is dealing with a hamstring injury, and Minnesota coaches plan to use caution by examining his during pre-game warmups. After taking part in today’s walkthrough, Cook will be on a pitch count against the Rams. That means backup Latavius Murray, who filled in for Cook last week, could see work against Los Angeles’ vaunted defensive line. Cook, of course, suffered a torn ACL and missed the majority of his rookie campaign in 2017, but did average 4.8 yards per carry before going down.
  • Cook isn’t the only injured player who will be active for tonight’s contest, as Rams cornerback Marcus Peters will be avaialable despite reports he would miss time with a calf strain, tweets Steve Wyche of NFL.com. Peters was expected to miss two-to-four weeks, a devastating loss especially given that fellow Los Angeles defensive back Aqib Talib was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. Instead, Peters will take the field, giving the Rams at least some hope of stopping Vikings wideouts Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Like Cook, Peters could conceivably be on a snap limit, meaning Los Angeles will need to count on reserves like Sam Shields and Troy Hill.
  • After a bizarre weekend, Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen will unsurprisingly be inactive for tonight’s game. He spent today finishing a mental health evaluation, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds Griffen is expected to speak publicly about his situation in the near future. Police were called to Minneapolis hotel Saturday following reports Griffen was threatening to assault staff members, and Griffen later reportedly behaved erratically outside teammate Trae Waynes‘ home.

Broncos’ Jake Butt Done For Year

September 27th, 2018 at 4:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Jake Butt suffered a torn left ACL during Thursday’s walkthrough practice, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). Butt is done for the year and will be placed on injured reserve. 

It’s a crushing blow for Butt, who tore his right ACL twice while at Michigan. Through three games, Butt was making an impact, and had eight catches for 85 yards. He’ll now have to wait until September of next year to build on his progress.

Butt was the 145th overall pick in the 2017 draft, but offers far more upside than your average fifth-rounder. Before his second torn ACL suffered in the Orange Bowl, Butt had a chance to parlay back-to-back strong seasons into becoming a first- or second-round pick. Butt combined for 97 receptions and seven touchdowns during his final two years with the Wolverines and earned first-team All-America honors in each season.

Without Butt, top tight end Jeff Heuerman and backup Matt LaCosse will be relied on a bit more heavily. Fifth-round pick Troy Fumagalli is on IR with an abdominal injury, so the Broncos may look to sign another tight end this week.

Titans Won’t Rule Out Dez Bryant Signing

September 27th, 2018 at 1:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans are down a wide receiver after granting Rishard Matthews‘ request for a release, and that vacancy could potentially lead them to Dez Bryant. When asked about the free agent, GM Jon Robinson told reporters that he is “looking at all players to see who fits on this football team.” However, he cautioned that the club probably won’t add another wide receiver immediately (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the team website). 

Bryant is still out of work as we near October, and other clubs with wide receiver needs have more or less dismissed the idea of signing him. Recently, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated that the team will not be adding Bryant, despite Doug Baldwin‘s partial MCL tear.

Bryant, who doesn’t turn 30 until November, has hinted at wanting to join the Patriots or Redskins, but neither team seems interested. The Redskins didn’t reach out despite some injuries to their receiver group and the Patriots are already busy getting Josh Gordon up to speed on the playbook.

Matthews amassed nearly 1,000 yards receiving for the Titans in 2016, so Bryant, one of the league’s best receivers from 2012-2014, could be of use. Still, the Titans may want to focus on getting their offense to click on the whole while properly utilizing Corey Davis, a promising young talent who has yet to find the end zone in his 14 NFL games.

Seahawks To Release Dontae Johnson

September 27th, 2018 at 1:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks will release cornerback Dontae Johnson from injured reserve today, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Johnson was slated to start for Seattle, but a minor injury landed him on IR just prior to the season opener.

Johnson is now healthy, Pelissero hears, so he should be ready to join any club in need of cornerback help right away. Johnson started in all 16 games for the 49ers last year, so there should be a fair amount of interest in his services.

In 2017, Johnson finished with career-highs in tackles (77) and passes defended (seven). Pro Football Focus wasn’t all that fond of his performance, however, ranking him 118th among 121 eligible cornerbacks.

Johnson was expected to start at outside cornerback alongside Shaquill Griffin and slot specialist Justin Coleman, but the Seahawks have used Tre Flowers in his stead.

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