HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Russell Okung Injury Severity Not Yet Known

June 11th, 2019 at 9:41pm CST by Micah Powell

Chargers left tackle Russell Okung did not practice Tuesday due to an undisclosed injury, head coach Anthony Lynn said (Tweet via ESPN’s Eric Williams). When asked if the injury could potentially be longterm, Lynn responded with an ominous, “We don’t know yet.” 

That type of response will not help Chargers fans rest easy. A two-time Pro Bowl left tackle, Okung, 31, is entering his third season with a Chargers team that many expect to contend with the Chiefs for the AFC West crown in 2019.

With Okung out of practice, the Chargers shifted Sam Tevi to left tackle and Trent Scott played right tackle. The team did spend a third-round pick in April’s draft on Trey Pipkens, a 6-foot-6 tackle from little-known Sioux Falls.

Okung posted a grade of 78.4 on Pro Football Focus, making him the No. 11-ranked tackle in the NFL. In his time with the Chargers, Okung has missed just two games, one of which came due to a groin injury in 2018. In his first season with the Chargers, the team allowed the fewest sacks in the league (18) and ranked just outside the top 10 in sacks allowed the following season.

Okung is entering the third year of a four-year deal that will pay him $13MM in each of the next two seasons.

Raiders Notes: Hard Knocks, Incognito, Moreau

June 11th, 2019 at 9:06pm CST by Micah Powell

The Raiders will be the team featured in the HBO documentary series Hard Knocks in 2019, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Oakland was selected over other eligible teams that included the 49ers, Lions, Giants and Redskins.

When asked about the prospect of Hard Knocks being a part of training camp in March, Raiders owner Mark Davis voiced his displeasure by joking he’d rather fire head coach Jon Gruden than have the show follow them around. That tune was reversed in a statement on Tuesday, in which Davis said, “Everybody wants to be a Raider. Now they’ll find out what it takes to become one.”

The Raiders seemed like an obvious choice for the show thanks to the multitude of storylines surround the team this offseason. First, there is the team’s upcoming move to Las Vegas which will make this the last training camp as the Oakland Raiders. Second, there is the big-name addition of receiver Antonio Brown, who mades headlines throughout the offseason with his feud with his former team the Steelers. Throw in the recent signings of Richie Incognito, who’s had multiple run-ins with teammates and the authorities, and linebacker Vontaze Burfict, voted the league’s dirtiest player, add to the long list of made-for-TV characters.

The show, which has run for 13 seasons with HBO, will premiere in August.

Here’s more from the Raiders:

  • Speaking of Incognito, the veteran guard has received plenty of work with the first team as left guard Denzelle Good has not been on the field for minicamp, the Las Vegas Review Journal’s Michael Gehlken tweets. Gehlken notes the left guard appears doubtful too see action before training camp begins.
  • Fourth-round pick Foster Moreau will have a chance to compete for “serious playing time” when training camp arrives, the Oakland Tribune’s Jerry McDonald tweets. The athletic tight end from LSU will be competing with Darren Waller for playing time at the tight end position.

Julio Jones, Rest Of Falcons In Camp

June 11th, 2019 at 8:10pm CST by Micah Powell

Led by star receiver Julio Jones, all players who did not attend Falcons OTAs arrived for the first day on minicamp, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets. 

That list includes the recently franchise-tagged Grady Jarrett, defensive end Vic Beasley and linebacker Deion Jones.

In addition to arriving for mandatory minicamp, Julio Jones is not worried about his contract and is sure a new deal will get done, ESPN’s Vaughn McClure writes.

“The situation will get handled. It’s just a matter of time when they’re going to do it. Mr. Blank has spoken, so what more do I need to say or talk about?” Jones said.

McClure notes that in addition to a reworked deal for the pass-catcher, the Falcons also hope to sign Jarrett and Deion Jones to extensions. In addition to Julio not worried about his deal getting done, Falcons owner Arthur Blank sounds just as confident.

“I’m not worried about getting the deals done. I’m speaking on behalf of Atlanta and Atlanta fans. [General manager] Thomas [Dimitroff] is working hard to get them done. Coach [Dan] Quinn is supportive, as well. It will happen. It’s just a matter of when,” Blank said.

Though he did arrive at the three-day minicamp, Julio will not be participating due to a foot injury. Jones is coming off his fifth consecutive 1,400-yard campaign and led the league with 1,677 receiving yards in 2018.

Eagles Notes: Jenkins, Wentz, Staff

June 11th, 2019 at 7:37pm CST by Micah Powell

Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins did not report to team OTAs earlier this offseason in the hopes of renegotiating his contract. At the first day of minicamp on Tuesday, the veteran defender opened up about his desire for a new deal and said that both sides are still talking, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane tweets.

Though he wants to rework his current deal, Jenkins said he did not consider skipping minicamp, citing his relationship with owner Jeffrey Lurie and the need to be with his teammates as motivating factors for showing up.

Jenkins is under club control through 2020 thanks to a four-year, $35MM extension he signed three years ago, but after the safety market famously stagnated in 2018, it came back in 2019. Jenkins is now the 10th-highest-paid safety in the NFL in terms of total value, full guarantee, and per-year average.

“I’m happy whenever any other player gets paid,” Jenkins said, as tweeted by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Zach Berman. “You start to look at where you are and evaluate your position, just like anybody in any job. If you feel like you’re the best at what you do and there are other people out there making more than you, you want to renegotiate your contract make sure you’re getting the value you should be. Any business and any businessperson should think like that. I think any player should think like that.

As McLane notes, Jenkins and Lurie have a solid relationship and talks are ongoing, which should signal that a new deal could be in the offing before the start of the season.

Here’s more from Philadelphia:

  • After an injury-plagued 2018 campaign, the Eagles decided to shake up their medical staff in 2019, McLane writes. The team parted way with its head physician and internist, Stephen Stache, and hired Arsh Dhanota to be the chief medical officer. Stache was in the position for just one season and the team saw a 57-percent increase in player injuries from the 2018 campaign.
  • Among the pros of Carson Wentz‘s new deal with the Eagles include the annual cap hit and his future potential, 94WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks writes. In his pros-and-cons list, Parks notes that his current average between $26 and 27MM a year would rank ninth among all quarterbacks, a significant value for the potential of the signal-caller, which is a top-five passer. The obvious con is the risk involved with a deal for a player riddled with injuries through his first three seasons in the league.

Packers GM On Josh Jones Situation

June 11th, 2019 at 6:42pm CST by Rory Parks

Packers safety Josh Jones skipped OTAs in the hopes of forcing a trade out of Green Bay, but he did report to mandatory minicamp, which opened today, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. However, Jones has not changed his mind about wanting out.

Jones said that he reported for mandatory minicamp because it’s mandatory (and he would be subject to fines if he skipped). He added, “I’m also a part of the Green Bay Packers, so that’s why I came.”

GM Brian Gutekunst said the 2017 second-rounder did not practice today because of a hamstring injury, but Demovsky speculates that the Packers simply don’t want to risk Jones getting hurt and jeopardizing their chances of trading or cutting him. Gutekunst added that what he decides to do with Jones will not be impacted by Jones’ wishes. Gutekunst said, “I think it’s more about what our team desire is, and right now we’re kind of working through that. But he’s a very talented player. He’s shown that on the field at the times. We’ll go along and see where it goes.”

Despite his status as a recent high draft choice, Jones has not yet emerged as a full-time starter. He started the team’s final four games last year, but that was primarily due to an injury sustained by Kentrell Brice. Jones finished the 2018 campaign with 55 tackles, one sack, and two passes defended in 13 games (five starts). Pro Football Focus ended up ranking Jones 70th among 93 eligible safeties.

The Packers invested heavily on the safety position this offseason. The team inked former Bears safety Adrian Amos to a four-year, $36MM deal, and later traded up in the first round of April’s draft to select Maryland safety Darnell Savage Jr..

Chargers, Melvin Gordon In Preliminary Contract Talks

June 11th, 2019 at 6:12pm CST by Rory Parks

Chargers RB Melvin Gordon is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and he indicated that his agent has had preliminary talks with the team about a long-term deal, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes.

Gordon, who is due a modest $5.61MM this year under his fifth-year option, obviously wants a new, more lucrative contract. While he did not sound like someone who is contemplating a holdout, he did not rule out the possibility either. He said, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want a deal done. But that’s not going to stop me from coming out here and doing what I need to do. We’re going to see. I would like to go out there and have it done. We’re talking right now, and that’s kind of where I’m going to leave it.”

We examined Gordon’s case for an extension back in March. At the time, we noted that GM Tom Telesco is open to considering an extension for Gordon, but that Telesco did not offer a timetable for getting a deal done.

Gordon does not have eye-popping YPC numbers in his career (he has averaged 4.0 yards per carry over his four professional seasons), but he did manage 5.1 yards per tote in 2018. He is also a major weapon as a receiver, compiling over 400 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons. He has 28 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving scores in his career, and he was a key part of the Chargers’ return to the postseason last year.

As a result, the Wisconsin product stands to cash in and will surely be paid at the high end of the running back market. Todd Gurley is currently the pacesetter with an average annual value of $14.375MM and $45MM in guarantees, while Le’Veon Bell recently landed a $13.125MM/year pact. The Cardinals’ David Johnson is now working under a $13MM/year deal that includes $32MM in guarantees.

Head coach Anthony Lynn offered the following: “Melvin Gordon is extremely important to us. When he’s out here on the field, he works his tail off. He’s gotten better every year that I’ve been here. I think he’s headed in the right direction. If he just goes out and keeps doing what he’s been doing, that contract stuff will take care of itself.”

Latest On Seahawks LB Mychal Kendricks

June 11th, 2019 at 5:45pm CST by Rory Parks

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said he expects linebacker Mychal Kendricks to be available this season, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. That is perhaps unsurprising given that Seattle signed Kendricks to a one-year, $4.5MM deal in March, but in light of Kendricks’ legal situation, Carroll’s remarks are still noteworthy. Carroll added that Kendricks himself is optimistic about a favorable resolution to his criminal case (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com).

Kendricks was supposed to face sentencing for insider trading in April, but his sentencing date keeps getting pushed back, and the new date is currently unknown. John P. Gilbert of FieldGulls.com observes that Kendricks’ co-defendant, Damilare Sonoiki — whose sentencing is scheduled for July 15 — petitioned the court for permission to travel in May so that he could seek employment. And as Gilbert points out, it would be curious if Sonoiki filed that petition in search of two-month employment prior to a court appearance that could theoretically send him to jail for a significant stretch, so it sounds as if Sonoiki believes he can avoid prison time entirely.

Since Sonoiki and Kendricks both pleaded guilty to the same crimes, it stands to reason that if Sonoiki can avoid jail time, Kendricks can, too. Kendricks was said to be facing 30 to 37 months in prison.

Carroll could not offer any further comment, but he would obviously love to have a talented LB like Kendricks in the fold. Kendricks made his Seahawks debut — following a post-arrest release from the Browns — in Week 2 of the 2018 season against the Bears, but after some back-and-forth with the league, he was hit with an eight-game suspension in October. His 2018 season ended with 20 tackles and two sacks over the course of four games.

Chargers Sign First-Round Pick Jerry Tillery

June 11th, 2019 at 4:55pm CST by Rory Parks

The Chargers have signed 2019 first-round draft choice Jerry Tillery, per a team announcement. In accordance with his slot, Tillery will receive a four-year, $11.4MM deal with a $6.3MM signing bonus.

The Bolts had just three defensive tackles on the roster going into the 2019 draft, so Tillery, a 6-6, 300-pound DT from Notre Dame, filled an obvious need. Plus, GM Tom Telesco said Tillery was the only player left on his board with a first-round grade by the time the Chargers were on the clock with the No. 28 overall pick (h/t Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com).

Los Angeles would continue to add front-seven talent in the draft after the Tillery selection, but Tillery’s ability to generate an interior pass rush is particularly appealing given that it could open up even more opportunities for Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Tillery did suffer a torn labrum in his shoulder during his final collegiate season, which ultimately required surgery, but he is still expected to be ready for training camp.

In his final year with the Fighting Irish, Tillery registered seven sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss. He also had a strong showing at the combine, including the best SPARQ score (a measurement of overall athleticism) of any defensive linemen.

With Tillery in the fold, only second-rounder Nasir Adderly and third-rounder Trey Pipkins remain unsigned from the Chargers’ 2019 draft class.

Latest On Texans’ GM Search

June 11th, 2019 at 4:25pm CST by Rory Parks

The Texans have requested permission to interview Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio for their vacant GM job, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, the team has not requested an interview with New England director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort. Houston was interested in speaking with Caserio and Ossenfort in connection with its GM job last year, but as of right now, the club seems to be focusing its efforts on Caserio.

As we learned yesterday, the Patriots can deny the Texans’ request to interview Caserio (or any other exec) if the Houston job does not entail sufficient decision-making authority. And assuming Caserio is interested enough in the Texans’ gig to have an interview, and assuming New England is intent on keeping its present front office intact, the Patriots could argue that the position would not offer such authority. If there is a disagreement between the two clubs, it would be up to commissioner Roger Goodell or his designee to resolve the matter.

The league could either allow Caserio to leave New England if he so chooses, require him to stay, or compel the Texans to compensate the Patriots in some fashion if they elect to hire Caserio. Presumably, we will have word on the Pats’ decision soon, which will add a great deal of clarity to this situation.

The Texans have already interviewed Ray Farmer and plan to interview Martin Mayhew for the GM position. It is unclear who their fallback plan is if they cannot land Caserio.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/11/19

June 11th, 2019 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

New York Jets

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

  • Signed: WR Montay Crockett
  • Signed: CB Isaiah Langley
  • Waived: CB Makinton Dorleant
  • Waived: CB Montrel Meander

Washington Redskins

  • Signed: DB Ashton Lampkin
  • Waived: LB DeMarquis Gates
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