2019 August - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Re-Sign De’Anthony Thomas

August 20th, 2019 at 12:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have signed wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas, according to a press release. In a related move, the Chiefs waived fellow wideout Davon Grayson.

Thomas spent the last five years with the Chiefs, but his 2018 season was brought to a screeching halt after he broke his leg. Then, in January, an arrest for marijuana possession hurt his free agency stock. Before all of that, Thomas saw time both as a returner and receiver for KC.

On Tuesday morning, the Chiefs facilitated another reunion by signing guard Jeff Allen.

Cardinals’ Hakeem Butler Done For Year?

August 20th, 2019 at 12:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals could be down a wide receiver this season. Fourth-round pick Hakeem Butler is a candidate for injured reserve after suffering an avulsion fracture in his hand, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Butler has missed the last two practices with the injury and the initial word is that he would be out for the remainder of the preseason. After further testing, it now appears that his season is in jeopardy.

The Cardinals invested a good deal in their WR group by drafting Andy Isabella in the second round, KeeSean Johnson in the sixth round, and Butler in the fourth. Assuming those two rooks make the cut, the Cardinals could be set with a top five including them plus Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, and Kevin White. Other notables such as Damiere Byrd and Pharoh Cooper are also pushing to make the 53-man roster.

Lions Sign Jordan Lasley

August 20th, 2019 at 11:04am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have signed free agent wide receiver Jordan Lasley, according to a press release. To make room, they’ve released running back Justin Stockton.

It’s yet another NFL stop for Lasley, who has been on three teams in the last three weeks. He was a fifth-round pick of the Ravens in 2018, but was waived earlier this summer. On August 1, he was claimed by the Raiders, then waived on Aug. 18. Now he’s with the Lions, where he’ll push to make the final cut at the last minute.

The Lions recently met with fellow wide receiver Dontrelle Inman, but he’s likely out of their plans now. On Tuesday, Inman moved on to meet with the Jets.

Jets To Meet With Dontrelle Inman

August 20th, 2019 at 10:59am CST by Zachary Links

Dontrelle Inman‘s free agency tour continues. The wide receiver will meet with the Jets on Tuesday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Inman was cut by the Patriots earlier this month after requesting his release. He met with the Lions soon after, but the club opted to sign Jordan Lasley instead.

The Jets are pretty well set at the top of their WR depth chart with Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, and Jamison Crowder occupying the top spots, but there’s room for improvement beyond that. Currently, Deontay Burnett, Greg Dortch, Josh Bellamy, and Deonte Thompson are among the names vying for the last two – or maybe three – places on the roster.

After joining the Colts in the middle of the 2018 season, Inman hauled in 28 receptions for 304 yards and three touchdowns. His best season, which featured 810 yards and four TDs, came with the 2016 Chargers.

Chiefs Sign Jeff Allen

August 20th, 2019 at 8:37am CST by Zachary Links

Marcus Kemp‘s season ended before it could even start. The Chiefs wide receiver is done for the year after suffering ACL and MCL tears, according to Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star. To take his place on the roster, the club signed guard Jeff Allen to a one-year deal.

Kemp was in the midst of a strong preseason and had a real shot at making the 53-man roster as a wide receiver. The former UDFA out of Hawaii appeared in all 16 games last season, plus two playoff contests, and notched his first NFL catch. Unfortunately, he’ll be sidelined after a low hit from Steelers safety Sean Davis in preseason action.

Allen, meanwhile, is on board for his third stint with Kansas City. He has 66 career starts to his credit, including four last season.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Garoppolo, 49ers, Vikings

August 19th, 2019 at 9:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Falcons first-round offensive lineman Kaleb McGary is set to resume on-field activities after undergoing a cardiac ablation procedure at the beginning of the preseason. After the lineman missed his team’s first three preseason games, coach Dan Quinn made it clear that they’ll bring the rookie along slowly.

“The first part is, like today, participating in the walkthrough,” Quinn told Will McFadden of the team’s website. “And then he’ll get a good bit of the field work with Marty [Lauzon] and the athletic performance staff. And then once that’s good, we’ll be out a couple of weeks, make sure the conditioning is right. And then back into individual [drills], and then you get back into team [drills]. So we really stay strict to the policy we put into place for the guys to return to it. We just don’t back off of it, especially if you’ve been out for, in his case, two weeks.

“It’s a good sign that he had such a good report. But, like all players, we’re going to do the right thing and make sure nothing comes up.”

McFadden notes that the rookie was working with the second team during the early parts of preseason, but he was expected to emerge as the Falcons’ starting right tackle.

Some more notes from around the NFC:

Jimmy Garoppolo is coming off a torn ACL that shelved him for the 2018 campaign, but the 49ers organization is optimistic about his return. “I think what’s important, all the time, is you look at the totality of a camp and I think he’s had a really good camp, I really do,” general manager John Lynch said, via Jennifer Lee Chan of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “I think the best thing for all of us is that is, I get hesitant and reluctant to say it, but is his recovery from his knee has been flawless.” The quarterback struggled during his preseason debut this evening, completing one of his six passes and tossing an interception.
49ers tight end Garrett Celek is currently on the PUP, and Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com writes that the 31-year-old will be sidelined “well into the regular season” as he recovers from back surgery. Celek appeared in 15 games last season, hauling in five receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer explained some of his logic as he settles on a 53-man roster. “I don’t know that we’re real deep in the secondary,” Zimmer said (via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter). “So that might lend itself (to an extra LB). May keep an extra defensive lineman, less in the secondary and maybe keep one less running back. It all will work out.” When it comes to special teams, Tomasson believes the organization will ultimately opt for kicker Dan Bailey and punter Kaare Vedvik.

Antonio Brown Files Grievance Against NFL

August 19th, 2019 at 8:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Antonio Brown may have reported to Raiders practice today, but the drama is far from over. Pro Football Talk reports (via Twitter) that the star wideout has filed a second grievance against the NFL for their unwillingness to let him wear his desired helmet. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the grievance will be heard on “an expedited basis.”

Specifically, Brown is upset that the league won’t let him wear any “Schutt AiR Advantage helmet less than 10 years old.” Rapoport tweets that the receiver believes “he should be afforded the same right provided to other NFL players to have a 1-year grace period to phase out his helmet in 2019 season.” Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that the NFL allowed Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to play last season with a helmet that wasn’t deemed safe.

The 31-year-old’s first grievance against the NFL ended with an arbitrator ruling against the wideout. As our own Zach Links detailed, Brown’s preferred helmet is too old to be re-certified, and this means the helmet is not sanctioned by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. Brown had previously threatened to retire if the league would not let him wear his preferred headgear.

Brown showed up at the Raiders’ facility Monday morning and was in attendance for the daily team meeting. The wideout has put the Raiders through the ringer in recent weeks. A cryotherapy mishap left the wide receiver with a foot injury, which was believed to have been the cause of his training camp absence. Instead, the no-show was attributed to the helmet dispute.

Cardinals Worked Out DT Clinton McDonald

August 19th, 2019 at 7:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Clinton McDonald isn’t looking to hang up his cleats just yet. The veteran defensive tackle worked out for the Cardinals today, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). However, the two sides “could not agree to terms.” Schefter notes that the 32-year-old wants to continue playing.

The 2009 seventh-rounder spent the first two years of his career with the Bengals organization before getting traded to Seattle in 2011. He developed into a reliable rotation lineman for the Seahawks, and he compiled 35 tackles and 5.5 sacks during the team’s 2013 run to the Super Bowl.

He ended up earning a somewhat lucrative four-year deal with the Buccaneers following that season, and he managed to get another two-year deal with Denver last offseason. However, he was released by the Broncos following the preseason, and he proceeded to play in 15 games for the Raiders in 2018.

The Cardinals have moved on from a handful of defensive lineman over the past few months. Former first-rounder Robert Nkemdiche and free-agent addition Darius Philon were both released following their respective arrests.

Patriots Notes: Edelman, Hoyer, Punter

August 19th, 2019 at 7:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Over the past 10 years, there have only been two occasions where the Patriots have carried three quarterbacks. With Tom Brady and rookie fourth-rounder Jarrett Stidham being locks to make the team, Brian Hoyer understandably finds himself on the roster bubble.

“You can’t really worry about that. My approach is to just be the best I can be, and I think that will be good enough,” Hoyer told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “It’s not something I’m really concerned with. If anything, I’m trying to push the guy ahead of me, and I love being in that room with him. We have such a healthy competition on a daily basis, and I know that’s made me that much better since I’ve come back.”

After spending the first three years of his career with the Patriots, Hoyer returned to New England following the Jimmy Garoppolo trade in 2017. Reiss notes that the 33-year-old has been “very sharp” over the past few weeks, which could end up validating his spot on the roster.

Let’s check out some more notes out of New England…

Patriots wideout Julian Edelman has passed his physical and been removed from the non-football injury list, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). The veteran suffered a thumb injury in late-July that ultimately sidelined him for about three weeks. It’s been a busy few days for the Pats’ wide receiver corps. Embattled wideout Josh Gordon was reinstated from suspension on Friday, and he was subsequently placed on the team’s active/NFI list. To make room on the roster, the organization moved on from Dontrelle Inman.
The Patriots are set to release veteran punter Ryan Allen, but it sounds like they might not be ready to hand over the keys to rookie Jake Bailey. Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com tweets that the Patriots made a claim for punter Johnny Townsend, who was waived by the Raiders last week. The Giants ended up claiming the 2018 fifth-rounder.
While the Patriots tight end depth chart is still a question mark, Nick Underhill of The Athletic writes that the team’s offense is trending upwards. Last week, the team was running out the likes of Braxton Berrios and Gunner Olszewski with their first-team offense. Several days later, the team’s depth chart has been revamped. It goes beyond the return of Edelman and Gordon, as the team has potentially found some worthy targets in undrafted wideout Jakobi Meyers and third-round running back Damien Harris. Add that pair to Phillip Dorsett and first-rounder N’Keal Harry (as well as running backs James White, Sony Michel, and Rex Burkhead), and there’s plenty of reason for optimism in New England.

Patriots To Release P Ryan Allen

August 19th, 2019 at 5:53pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots are switching punters. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports (via Twitter) that the team will be releasing veteran Ryan Allen. The news was first reported by Jim McBride of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). This makes rookie Jake Bailey the team’s new starting punter.

Allen joined New England as a 2013 undrafted free agent out of Louisiana Tech, and he proceeded to play in every game for the Patriots during his six-year stint. The 29-year-old won three Super Bowls during his time with New England, including a Super Bowl LIII performance where he placed three of his five punts inside the 20.

Despite his standout performance during the Super Bowl, Allen inked a modest one-year extension with New England this past offseason. The veteran reportedly turned down multiyear offers, as he was looking to boost his value in time for next offseason. Allen will now have to find that one-year, prove-it deal elsewhere.

The team will now turn to Bailey, a fifth-round pick out of Stanford. The 22-year-old has garnered a pair of punt attempts this preseason, averaging 49.5-yards per punt. For comparison’s sake, Allen averaged 43.8 yards on his five punts. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets, this will be the first time in Bill Belichick’s 20 seasons with New England where he’s opted for a righty punter.