2019 August - Pro Football Rumors

Lions Release RB Zach Zenner

August 27th, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have released veteran running back Zach Zenner, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). By releasing Zenner, the Lions will save the bulk of his scheduled one-year, $805K salary, though they’ll be in the hole for the $250K guarantee on his deal.

Zenner enjoyed the best season of his career in 2016 when he ran for 334 yards and four touchdowns off of 88 carries. He also added 18 catches for 196 yards. All of those numbers stand as career highs for the former UDFA out of South Dakota State.

Last year, Zenner played a much smaller role with 55 carries for 265 yards and three touchdowns. However, his yards per carry average of 4.8 yards per tote was strong and represents a career high (albeit, one with a limited sample size).

The Lions will use Kerryon Johnson as their main running back with C.J. Anderson and Ty Johnson in support. Running backs Mark Thompson and Justin Stockton are also on the roster, for now.

Before he re-upped with Detroit earlier this year, the Vikings expressed interest in the Eagan, Minn., native, so that’s one potential landing spot to watch.

Eagles’ DeSean Jackson To Miss Time?

August 27th, 2019 at 3:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson fractured his ring finger and has been told that he will need 3-4 weeks to recover, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. The Eagles’ season begins in less than two weeks, so DJax could potentially miss time.

However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that the team is not concerned about the injury, which is to Jackson’s left (non-dominant) ring finger, and that Jackson is not expected to miss any game action (Twitter link). Tim McManus of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Jackson will see a hand specialist Wednesday as a precaution, but the Eagles are confident in his Week 1 availability.

Nothing is settled yet on Jackson’s status and it’s conceivable that he could try to play before he is fully healed. Tomorrow, Jackson will try out a custom-made splint, which could give him some indication as to whether he can play through the injury.

The Eagles acquired Jackson via trade with the Buccaneers in March and promptly gave him a new three-year, $27MM deal with $13MM guaranteed. They say that speed fades with time, but Jackson remains one of the league’s most potent deep threats.

After being selected in the second round of the 2008 draft, Jackson played his first six NFL seasons with the Eagles. He earned three Pro Bowls during his tenure in Philly, including a 2013 campaign where he finished with nine touchdowns and a career-high 1,332 receiving yards.

Dolphins Won’t Give Up Laremy Tunsil In Jadeveon Clowney Trade

August 27th, 2019 at 3:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are interested in Jadeveon Clowney, but they’ll only go so far to get him. The Dolphins are unwilling to part with offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in any potential trade with the Texans, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) hears.

That could be a potential roadblock for the Dolphins in their pursuit of Clowney, since the Texans are in need of offensive tackle help. But, as Wilson notes, the Texans could also use assistance at running back after losing Lamar Miller to a season-ending injury. If the Dolphins are willing to discuss tailbacks like Kalen Ballage, that could give them ammo in a Clowney deal.

Clowney, still only 26, has 29 career sacks despite playing in just 60 of 80 possible career games. Most of those missed games came in his rookie season and he has missed just three games in the last three years.

49ers Cut Former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith

August 27th, 2019 at 3:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are releasing linebacker Malcolm Smith, sources tell Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). After two seasons with the Niners, he is now free to sign with any team.

The one-time Super Bowl MVP took a pay cut in the offseason after two injury plagued seasons with the 49ers. Smith isn’t the same player that he once was, but he could hold appeal for teams in need of experience in the front seven.

Smith joined the Niners prior to the 2017 season, but his first year was washed out by a torn pectoral muscle. Then, in 2018, he registered just 35 tackles and one pass defensed in 12 games (five starts). His Pro Football Focus grade of 63.4 was an improvement over his 2015 and 2016 showings with the Raiders, but that placed him as the 53rd best linebacker in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Smith cut saves the Niners just $1.34MM against $4.2MM in dead money.

Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney Wants Trade To Seahawks Or Eagles

August 27th, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Jadeveon Clowney wants the Texans to trade him, and he has a couple of destinations in mind. The standout edge rusher views the Seahawks and Eagles as his preferred destinations, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) hears.

Meanwhile, Clowney has also met in person with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and other members of Miami’s brass, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Wilson hears the same thing, though he notes that the Dolphins are not his first-choice destination. On the flipside, the Dolphins would be open to working out a lucrative extension with Clowney, once he’s eligible.

As an unsigned franchise player, Clowney does have some leverage in this matter. The Texans have been unwilling to commit to him for the last few offseasons and he might have enough juice to force a trade to the Seahawks, Eagles, or another contender.

The Texans, ideally, would like to keep Clowney, though they’ve previously set an asking price. In the spring, it was believed that Clowney could be had for a second-round pick (Twitter link via Albert Breer of The MMQB).

After firing his agent on Tuesday afternoon, it appears that Clowney is serious about landing the long-term deal he desires.

Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney Fires Agent

August 27th, 2019 at 2:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Texans star Jadeveon Clowney fired longtime agent Bus Cook, sources tell Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Clowney was unhappy with the way talks were going with the team and, presumably, will seek new representation to take over.

The franchise tag extension deadline has already passed, so it’s too late for Clowney to ink a long-term deal before the start of the season. However, his future will once again be a topic of discussion after the 2019 season. And, in the interim, Clowney can negotiate off of his one-year, $15.967MM tender.

Clowney filed the termination letter for Cook over five days ago, the NFL.com duo hears, so he’s already eligible to sign with a new agent. Clowney’s next agent will try to get the edge rusher out of a scenario in which he is franchise tagged for a second straight season and re-upped on a one-year team option for a third straight season.

Vikings Cut CB Bene Benwikere

August 27th, 2019 at 1:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have released cornerback Bene Benwikere and wide receiver Jordan Taylor, according to a team announcement. By releasing both players, the club has made at least a little headway in advance of Saturday’s 53-man deadline.

Benwikere exits just as cornerback Mike Hughes returns from the PUP list. Previously, the former Panther had at least some shot of making the final cut.

Taylor, meanwhile, leaves after roughly five months with the Vikings. Prior to that, he spent four years with the Broncos. Taylor didn’t make as much noise as he wanted to this preseason – his exhibition stat line will cease after three receptions for 24 yards.

Even without Taylor, it’s still a crowded field for receivers looking to make the cut behind top targets Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Chad Beebe. Laquon Treadwell, Dillon Mitchell, Olabisi Johnson, Brandon Zylstra, Jeff Badet, Davion Davis, and Alexander Hollins are all fighting for two – or perhaps three – places on the Week 1 roster.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Dolphins, Rosen, Bills

August 27th, 2019 at 1:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets‘ talent search is underway, as ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes. GM Joe Douglas and his staff have been studying preseason tape from around the NFL and Cimini expects Gang Green to take advantage of having No. 3 waiver priority this weekend.

Their key needs, at this point, have been well documented – The Jets badly need help at cornerback and outside linebacker. However, they could also target wide receivers, kickers, kickoff/punt returners, and tackles with experience to provide depth up front.

While the Jets continue to do their homework, here’s more from the AFC East:

Speaking of the Jets‘ kicking situation, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes some good news for Taylor Bertolet. With his conversions from 48 and 56 yards out on Saturday night, the kicker just might have saved his job. It was a big game for the 26-year-old, who missed two extra point tries in the previous game against the Falcons.
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores says the quarterback competition between Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick remains open (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald). Fitzpatrick and Rosen traded off starts in the first three games of the preseason, with each player having their moments.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott says wide receiver Robert Foster has been working through a toe injury that he suffered in the spring (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic). So far, Foster has looked sharp in practice, so he’s still likely to make the roster.

Saints To Activate Sheldon Rankins

August 27th, 2019 at 1:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints will activate defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins from the PUP list, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This is encouraging news for the Saints as they look to get their standout defender back on the field following an Achilles tear.

Just four weeks ago, it was believed that Rankins would begin the season on the PUP list, which would have ruled him out for the first six games of the year. Instead, the door now appears open to Rankins suiting up sooner.

In the short term, the Saints are still a little thin up front. It still seems unlikely that Rankins will play in Week 1 and David Onyemata will also miss the opener against the Texans thanks to his one-game suspension. For now, Mario Edwards Jr. will start at defensive tackle while newcomer Malcom Brown offers support.

Rob Gronkowski On Retirement, Possible Return

August 27th, 2019 at 11:11am CST by Zachary Links

Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski made waves on Tuesday morning when he publicly hinted at a potential return to football. Things turned emotional during Gronk’s promotional presser, and he gave some further insight into his decision to retire and what might draw him back to the NFL.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights, via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss.

On his physical condition:

“Physically, I could play right now.”

On why he retired:

“I want to be clear to my fans. I needed to recover. I was not in a good place. Football was bringing me down, and I didn’t like it. I was losing that joy in life.”

On when he knew he would retire:

“I got done with [Super Bowl LIII] and I could barely walk. I slept five minutes that night. I couldn’t even think. I was in tears in my bed after a Super Bowl victory. It didn’t make that much sense to me. And then, for four weeks, I couldn’t even sleep for more than 20 minutes a night. I was like, ‘Damn, this sucks.’ It didn’t feel good. It was one of the biggest, deepest thigh bruises I’ve ever gotten.”

On the thought process behind his retirement:

“It’s a purpose to have passion in my life, to have joy in my life. And then to inspire optimal health within myself, I need to do that in order to get to a peak and then I can bring it to other people. Because I know [in] the NFL, players are dealing with that kind of stuff, they’re dealing with pain. I was. And I needed to walk away because I needed to do what was best for myself.”