HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

NFC East Rumors: Redskins, Cowboys, Giants

June 5th, 2019 at 8:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Essentially ruled out for 2019 before the Redskins selected Dwayne Haskins in the first round, Alex Smith will be set for at least one more surgery. The 35-year-old quarterback must wear an external fixator on his broken leg for at least another month, Jay Gruden said (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter). Smith was initially spotted equipped with this apparatus nearly five months ago. Its removal will mean another operation. The 14-year veteran underwent upwards of six procedures on his injury leg, and it is obviously uncertain the quarterback will play again. Smith is under Redskins contract through the 2022 season.

Moving to another Redskins cog with a cloudy future with the team, here is the latest news out of the NFC East:

  • Trent Williams is believed to want out of Washington. Earlier this year, Williams had a tumor (or a similar growth) removed from his head. The 10th-year left tackle has expressed hard feelings toward the Redskins for their handling of this matter, but he is not staying away from the team only because of hard feelings. Gruden said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk) his longest-tenured player would not be able to practice anyway because of the recovery from the aforementioned operation. Williams rehabbed a damaged kneecap throughout the 2018 offseason and is entering his age-31 season.
  • Three Kubiaks have now left the Broncos. After Gary Kubiak and his son Klint joined the Vikings’ staff, Klein Kubiak will become a Cowboys scout, according to Neil Stratton of Inside The League (on Twitter). The youngest of the coaching Kubiaks confirmed he will be Dallas-bound (Twitter link). Klein Kubiak spent five years with the Broncos. He will join the Cowboys after the organization lost area scout Jim Abrams to the Raiders.
  • The Giants added three new members to their scouting staff. They brought in 16-year Notre Dame staffer Chad Klunder to become their scouting coordinator, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY tweets. Big Blue also hired former Jets pro personnel director and Lions pro scouting director Brendan Prophett as an area scout and added Corey Lockett to their scouting department. Additionally, the Giants promoted six-year pro scout Tim McDonnell to assistant director of player personnel, per Vacchiano (on Twitter).

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/5/19

June 5th, 2019 at 7:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Philadelphia Eagles

Latest On Falcons’ Extension Candidates

June 5th, 2019 at 6:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a second straight offseason, the subject of Julio Jones‘ contract has been a key offseason Falcons talking point. But next week, the All-Pro wide receiver will be with the team when it conducts its minicamp.

Dan Quinn confirmed (via The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz, on Twitter) the ninth-year receiver will show for minicamp, which begins June 11. So will fourth-year defensive end Vic Beasley. It is not yet certain if franchise-tagged defensive tackle Grady Jarrett will join them, though Quinn anticipates he will. Skipping mandatory minicamp would cost the trio nearly $90K each.

Regardless of the statuses of Jones, Jarrett and fellow extension candidate Deion Jones, the Falcons expect to re-sign all three. He did not specify a plan for Beasley, who joined the group in staying away from Falcons OTAs.

“We have a salary cap. We have limits that we have to think about not only today but tomorrow, and we have to balance all that off,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “But these are three great young men that we care deeply about, both personally and professionally. They are going to be Falcons for life.

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

A new deal for Jones has been rumored for weeks now, and it will almost certainly make the 30-year-old receiver the league’s new highest-paid player at the position. Two seasons remain on the five-year, $71.25MM extension he signed in 2015. Jarrett is tethered to a $15.2MM franchise tag. Jones would have the most to gain by signing an extension before the season. The former second-round pick’s rookie deal pays him just $1.45MM. The Falcons picked up Beasley’s fifth-year option (worth $12.8MM) last year.

The Falcons, though, are light on cap space ($6.5MM, the fifth-lowest figure at the moment), so it will take some work to fulfill Blank’s vision.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Patriots, Mayo, Bills

June 5th, 2019 at 5:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

While it is not known when the Jets will make their GM decision, they do appear to be done interviewing candidates. The four executives the Jets spoke to — Joe Douglas (Eagles), Scott Fitterer (Seahawks), Champ Kelly (Bears) and Terry Fontenot (Saints) — remain in contention, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets (video link) the team has since discussed salary expectations with the candidates. These follow-up talks occurred Tuesday night, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The favorite since this process started, Douglas has not done anything to remove himself from that perch, but Fitterer has gained steam after a strong interview, Rapoport adds.

These meetings may have also been for the benefit of the candidates, with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweeting multiple interviewees are concerned about the Jets’ atypical ownership situation. CEO Christopher Johnson is working in brother Woody Johnson‘s place, with the latter having accepted an ambassador position with the Trump administration. Woody Johnson will sign off on this GM pick, Mehta adds.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • A Patriots contingency plan for if presumptive left tackle Isaiah Wynn is not ready: perhaps Joe Thuney sliding over one spot. The Patriots’ fourth-year left guard worked with their first-string offense at left tackle Wednesday, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe (subscription required). Brian Schwenke and Ted Karras have been rotating at left guard during Pats minicamp. A 2016 third-round pick, Thuney has started every game at left guard since entering the league. Wynn, a 2018 first-rounder who tore his Achilles’ tendon during camp last year, is not yet ready for team drills.
  • Bill Belichick is expected to call Patriots defensive plays this season, but the team is using minicamp to try out some other possibilities. First-year full-time assistant Jerod Mayo was calling Pats plays for a second straight day at minicamp, according to Howe. The Patriots hired their former linebacker as assistant inside ‘backers coach this offseason, and Howe adds the 33-year-old calling plays during the season is now a “serious possibility.”
  • Quinnen Williams sustained a calf injury recently and will be limited for the rest of Jets minicamp, Adam Gase said (via Mehta), calling it a scare. However, the No. 3 overall pick is expected to resume full work when the team, interestingly, holds another OTA session next week.
  • Former Buccaneers seventh-round pick Stevie Tu’ikolovatu worked out for the Bills on Wednesday, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. The former USC defensive tackle has not played since being drafted, with injuries keeping him off the field.
  • One of the Dolphins‘ 18 priority free agent signings hit the waiver wire Tuesday. The Dolphins parted ways with cornerback Tyler Horton (Boise State) via left-squad designation, veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer notes (on Twitter).

Colts Meet With Darian Stewart

June 5th, 2019 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent safety Darian Stewart met with the Colts this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This comes on the heels of a workout for Johnathan Cyprien, so it appears the Colts are in the market for help in the secondary. 

Third-year safety Malik Hooker is working his way back from ACL and MCL tears while fellow safety Clayton Geathers is still rehabbing his surgically-repaired knee. At minimum, Stewart could give the Colts some practice field depth. At maximum, the former Pro Bowler could be a tremendous value addition.

The Broncos released Stewart in March in order to save roughly $3.6MM against the cap. Prior to that, the veteran started in nearly all of his 58 games for the Broncos and recorded a forced fumble and a sack in the team’s Super Bowl 50 victory.

Stewart saw some time at cornerback and free safety in ’17, but he played mostly at strong safety last year. He graded out as just the No. 77 ranked safety in the NFL in 2018, according to Pro Football Focus. His 59.6 overall score was a massive step back from his first two seasons in Denver, which included a Pro Bowl nod in 2016.

Falcons Host Allen Bailey

June 5th, 2019 at 1:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent Allen Bailey met with the Falcons on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The defensive lineman previously visited the Patriots, Panthers, and Seahawks, but left each meeting without a deal. 

Bailey, a third-round pick in 2011, has spent his entire career to date with the Chiefs. In late March, we heard that the Chiefs were still open to a Bailey return, but it’s not clear if that’s still the case after they used a third-round pick on defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.

Bailey has been a starter for most of his career, including 13 regular season starts and two playoff starts last season. He finished out the year with 38 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles in the regular season while recording five tackles in the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game loss to the Patriots.

The Falcons have some past experience with ex-Chiefs linemen, including Dontari Poe and Tyson Jackson.

Browns Release OT Desmond Harrison

June 5th, 2019 at 1:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have waived tackle Desmond Harrison, according to a team announcement. Harrison joined the Browns as an undrafted free agent last year and went on to start eight games at left tackle, so his release comes as a surprise. 

Harrison was released because he was late and even missing appointments with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. And, when addressing reporters, head coach Freddie Kitchens explained that Harrison missed the start of the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. Given his talent and inexpensive contract, there’s a high probability of Harrison being claimed off waivers in the next 24 hours.

Harrison, 25, opened the 2018 season as the starter at left tackle before Greg Robinson took over in the second half of the season. This year, Harrison was expected to be a key sub, but the 6’6″ lineman will try to make it work elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Browns will likely turn to Kendall Lamm as their first tackle off of the bench.

Redskins’ Trent Williams Wants Out

June 5th, 2019 at 11:56am CST by Zachary Links

Typically, player holdouts stem from a desire to secure a new contract. That’s not the case for Redskins left tackle Trent Williams, however. The veteran has told teammates that he has demanded a trade or release due to their handling of his recent medical situation, according to sources who spoke with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Furthermore, Williams has vowed to not play for the Redskins, meaning that this saga could drag on if he is not traded this summer. 

Earlier this year, Williams had a tumor (or a similar growth) removed from his head. Fortunately, Williams is now healthy and is expected to be able to play this season. However, for reasons that are currently unclear, the situation caused friction between the lifelong Redskin and the organization.

For now, Williams is under contract with the Redskins for another two years and is owed $24MM between now and the end of the 2020 season. Despite his injuries, that deal borders on being team-friendly, so there could be a ripe market for the soon-to-be 31-year-old.

Latest On Colts LB Bobby Okereke

June 5th, 2019 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

In 2015, a Stanford student told school administrators that she was sexually assaulted by a player on the football team at a fraternity party. The case made national news, though neither the accuser nor the alleged perpetrator were identified. On Wednesday morning, Colts GM Chris Ballard told beat reporters that the player in question was linebacker Bobby Okereke, the club’s third-round pick in the 2019 draft (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of the The Athletic). 

Okereke was not charged in connection to the alleged incident and he personally informed the Colts of the matter prior to the draft, according to Ballard. The GM added that the Colts investigate the incident and reviewed the documents from the Title IX case. Because there were no charges filed or disciplinary action against the Stanford product, the Colts went ahead with the selection.

Ballard also cited Okereke’s otherwise clean record as one of the reasons for drafting him. The Colts did not interview the accuser beforehand because Ballard did not feel that was necessary given the other information gathered by the team.

The linebacker reportedly impressed during voluntary workouts in May and is expected to compete with Anthony Walker for the club’s starting MIKE spot.

Saints Host Prince Charles Iworah

June 5th, 2019 at 9:54am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are hosting cornerback Prince Charles Iworah on a visit, a source tells NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The former 49ers draft pick has appeared in just one NFL game, but offers intriguing tools. 

Coming out of Western Kentucky, Iworah posted a 4.32-second 40-yard-dash with a 38.5-inch vertical leap. He has just one NFL appearance to his credit from his 2016 season, but talent evaluators remain curious about his upside.

The Saints are using Wednesday’s practice to kick the tires on several cornerbacks to fortify their depth chart. Former Broncos notable Kayvon Webster and ex-Steeler Coty Sensabaugh are also on hand to show their stuff.

Load More Posts