2019 August - Pro Football Rumors

AFC North Notes: Burns, Young, Browns

August 18th, 2019 at 10:22am CST by Rory Parks

Steelers CB Artie Burns, a 2016 first-round pick, was widely considered to be on the club’s roster bubble this summer, and even after he earned an $800K roster bonus at the end of July, there was still some chatter that he could be sent packing. But as Mark Kaboly of The Athletic writes, Burns has quieted those rumors with a strong training camp, and he excelled in Pittsburgh’s preseason contest against the Chiefs on Saturday. He is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2020 since the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, and his contract year has gotten off to a great start. He now has a legitimate chance to be the team’s No. 3 corner.

Now for more from the AFC North:

Kaboly notes in a separate piece that the Steelers may be on the lookout for a veteran TE and/or punter on the free agent market.
Ravens slot corner Tavon Young may miss the entire 2019 campaign due to a serious neck injury, but Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic says Young is still weighing his options with respect to surgery (Twitter link). Initial reports suggested that Baltimore believes Young should get surgery, which would likely allow him to return at full-strength for the 2020 season, but Young remains undecided. If he doesn’t get surgery and allows the injury to heal on its own, he could potentially return in 2019, but if the injury doesn’t heal, he may miss some of 2020. Either way, he will almost certainly open this season on IR.
Ravens guard Marshal Yanda is dealing with an ankle/foot injury and will not play in either of the club’s remaining preseason games, as Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets. However, HC John Harbaugh expects the seven-time Pro Bowler to be ready to go for Week 1.
Garrett Gilbert played well in the Browns‘ preseason victory over the Colts on Saturday, but head coach Freddie Kitchens foreclosed any potential chatter of a QB2 battle by declaring that Drew Stanton will be the club’s backup QB (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Still, Cabot writes that Gilbert’s performance likely earned the AAF alumnus a spot on the roster.
Jaelen Strong was signed by the Browns in February, and he has played well over the past several weeks. He found the endzone in Saturday’s game, and Tony Grossi of ESPN.com suggests that the former Texans’ third-rounder is closing in on a roster spot (Twitter link).

Matt Kalil Named Texans’ Starting LT

August 18th, 2019 at 9:05am CST by Rory Parks

Earlier this month, it was reported that Matt Kalil was the frontrunner to open the season as the Texans’ starting LT. However, the fact that Roderick Johnson started in Kalil’s place in Saturday’s preseason contest led some to wonder whether there was still an open competition for the job.

Head coach Bill O’Brien unequivocally shot down that notion, telling reporters that Kalil will be Houston’s starting left tackle, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. Kalil did not practice on Thursday after getting his foot stepped on during practice on Wednesday, but O’Brien said that did not have anything to do with his decision to keep Kalil on the sidelines. Rather, the Texans’ HC said Kalil would play in the team’s third preseason contest and that he is simply trying to manage the 30-year-old’s snaps.

Indeed, Kalil missed all of last season with a knee injury and he played just two games in 2016, so it’s understandable that the Texans would want to be cautious with him. The team’s O-line was its biggest weakness in 2018, and while Houston also added tackle Tytus Howard in the first round of this year’s draft, Howard is expected to begin his pro career at left guard.

Kalil’s injury history and Howard’s status as a small school rookie make it fair to wonder whether the Texans’ offensive front will actually be improved this year, but the club appears to be confident in that regard. Their performance will go a long way in determining Houston’s 2019 fate.

No Criminal Charges For Ezekiel Elliott

August 18th, 2019 at 8:33am CST by Rory Parks

We learned back in July that Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott would not be suspended for an altercation between him and a security guard in Las Vegas in May. However, that security guard did elect to file charges against Elliott, so the running back was not completely out of the woods.

Until now. A source tells Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Elliott will not be charged in connection with the alleged assault. Hill reports that members of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department met with prosecutors at the end of July, and prosecutors determined they could not move forward with the case.

Hill adds that Elliott, who has been working out in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, as he continues to hold out for a new contract, has returned to Dallas for a “brief respite.” However, there has been no progress on a new deal between Zeke and the Cowboys, and the star RB is expected to return to Cabo shortly.

In the meantime, rookie fourth-rounder Tony Pollard continues to impress in preseason action, which may or may not give Dallas a little more leverage in their negotiations with Elliott.

Raiders Notes: Brown, Peterman, Good

August 17th, 2019 at 7:38pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ve got a new twist in the seemingly never-ending Antonio Brown saga. The last we had heard, the NFL had given the Raiders receiver the go-ahead to find a helmet of his usual model that was less than ten years old. The league had told him he would be able to play in it if he could find one less than ten years old, but they apparently changed course and told him the new helmet would still need to be tested, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Brown was able to find “several” of the Schutt AiR Advantage helmets made in the last ten years, but “earlier today, Brown was informed that the helmet failed the test,” Florio writes.

Brown has already reported back to the Raiders, so hopefully this doesn’t cause too much new drama. He had appeared to have gotten over the helmet issue, before this potential loophole came to light. Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be the final word on the helmet. The same source told Florio that “we haven’t heard the last of Brown on this issue,” so we should all buckle up. It’s hard to see what his next move would be, although he apparently has at least one more trick up his sleeve. We’ll keep you posted when we find out what it is.

Here’s more from Oakland:

Speaking of Brown, he at least seems to be headed in the right direction health-wise. Brown appears to be almost over his foot issue, and Raiders coach Jon Gruden said “I think so, yeah,” when asked earlier today if Brown would be a full participant in practice soon, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Gruden added that “he took all the reps today in our walkthrough.” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said “you can tell Antonio’s been studying because he came out and didn’t miss a beat,” and that Brown “was a part of everything we did today.” While the helmet issue doesn’t seem to be going away, it looks like Brown’s frostbitten feet won’t be a story moving forward.
There’s been a lot of talk about Oakland’s backup quarterbacks this offseason, mostly due to the infamy of Nathan Peterman. Gruden caused quite the uproar a few weeks ago when he heaped praise on Peterman, leading many to believe he had a legitimate shot to become Carr’s primary clipboard holder. That being said, Vic Tafur of The Athletic predicts he’ll end up getting cut in his new 53-man roster projection. Mike Glennon has been impressive during the preseason, so this isn’t too surprising. There’s also a chance the Raiders decide to keep three quarterbacks because of Gruden’s affinity for Peterman. Notably, Tafur also projects veteran receiver Ryan Grant and defensive tackle Justin Ellis, who just got a $15MM extension last offseason, to miss the cut.
More good injury news for the Raiders, as guard Denzelle Good has been activated off the PUP list and will return to practice, Tafur tweets. “That’s huge for us,” Gruden said. He’s not wrong, as the Raiders are very thin at guard at the moment. Gabe Jackson is currently sidelined with a knee injury and Richie Incognito is suspended for the first two games of the season, so Oakland will be without both of their starting guards in Week 1. Good started three games at guard for the Raiders last season after being claimed off waivers from the Colts. He’ll now presumably join the competition to fill in for Jackson and Incognito. The Raiders are also said to be exploring the trade market for veteran guards.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/19

August 17th, 2019 at 6:40pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Waived/injured: Mike Onuoha

Oakland Raiders

Signed: OL Cameron Hunt
Waived: WR Jordan Lasley

Philadelphia Eagles

Waived: WR Braxton Miller

Washington Redskins

Signed: LB Gary Johnson
Placed on IR: LB Myles Humphrey

Jets Sign LB Albert McClellan

August 17th, 2019 at 5:41pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

In the wake of Avery Williamson‘s unfortunate ACL tear, the Jets are making a move. The team is signing linebacker Albert McClellan, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Williamson’s injury left the Jets thin at linebacker, so this move makes some sense. McClellan spent the first nine seasons of his career with Baltimore, but was cut by the Ravens early on last season. He latched on with the Patriots and spent the last couple months of the year with New England, ultimately earning his second Super Bowl ring in the process.

McClellan has always been known as an elite special teamer, but he’s also capable of playing defense. He missed the entire 2017 campaign with an ACL tear, but he started 11 games in 2016. For his career, McClellan has appeared in 103 games and made 24 starts. He played almost exclusively on special teams for the Pats, making only four tackles in seven games.

McClellan certainly won’t be able to replace Williamson, who was supposed to be the Jets’ defensive signal-caller, by himself. But he is a decent cheap depth piece to add this late in the process, and can contribute in a pinch. That being said Williamson was Pro Football Focus’ No. 18 traditional linebacker last season, so this move doesn’t come close to making them whole.

Mike Shanahan On Broncos’ Interest, Coaching Plans

August 17th, 2019 at 4:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Shanahan revealed his side of the late-2017 discussions centered around the Broncos bringing him back as head coach. The two-time Super Bowl-winning HC said he was “close” to taking the job, had it been offered.

“I was close. I was close,” Shanahan said, via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala (subscription required). “But one thing that has to happen: You all have to be on the same page. And one thing you have to make sure of when you are a head football coach is the owner, the GM, the quarterback are all on the same page. If it doesn’t happen, the chance of you winning a Super Bowl aren’t very good.

“So, anyway, if that situation had happened, I was going to take it. If not — but anyway, I had a great conversation with John as everybody knows and it didn’t work out. Sometimes it works out for the right reasons.”

John Elway made the initial contact regarding the short-lived reunion, Jhabvala reports, and the Hall of Fame quarterback-turned-GM discussed the job — which then belonged to Vance Joseph — with his former coach. But at the time, Broncos CEO Joe Ellis informed Elway his firing Joseph after one season would have required him to conduct a thorough search — rather than earmark the job for Shanahan. The Broncos would have obviously needed to comply with the Rooney Rule as well.

As for the quarterback component of this, Kirk Cousins may or may not have been part of the equation. Conflicting reports emerged on then-free agency-bound passer following Shanahan to Denver. But the Shanahan process did not progress too far, and the Broncos made other plans. They retained Joseph for the 2018 season and signed the player Cousins wound up replacing in Minnesota, Case Keenum. They are now on another HC-QB combo in Vic Fangio and Joe Flacco.

Shanahan’s greatest coaching moments came in Denver. He helped the Broncos to two Super Bowl titles and four playoff byes. His Raiders and Redskins tenures did not go as well. The 66-year-old coach has not ruled out a return to the sidelines.

“You always miss coaching,” Shanahan said. “But it’s been five years. I made the decision a long time ago, right when I got fired. I said if I didn’t get the right job right away where we had a chance to win a Super Bowl that I was probably going to do what I’m doing, which is kind of being a dad and following (my) son and the organization and being a part of it.”

Elway did enlist Mike Shanahan’s help while securing a deal with new OC Rich Scangarello, who worked for Kyle Shanahan for two seasons. Scangarello’s offense will look somewhat similar to what the Broncos primarily ran under the elder Shanahan.

Falcons Release LB Stephone Anthony

August 17th, 2019 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Stephone Anthony‘s return trip to the NFC South proved short. The Falcons announced the former first-round pick’s release on Saturday, his departure making room on the 90-man roster for cornerback Jalen Myrick.

Atlanta added Anthony at the outset of its training camp, but he will now venture back to free agency. This continues a lengthy swoon for 2015’s No. 31 overall selection.

The former Saints draft choice spent one season as a starter and recorded the NFL’s first two-point conversion return, during a 112-tackle 2015 season. But that year was spent on a bottom-tier New Orleans defense, and the Saints opted against keeping him as a starter for long in 2016. Following the 2017 trade to Miami, Anthony still could not gain much of a foothold. Although, he did play in all 16 Dolphins games last season.

A former Jaguars backup in 2017, and a Georgia native, Myrick bounced on and off the Vikings’ practice squad last season. Minnesota waived the former seventh-round pick in April.

Giants Still Eyeing Daniel Jones Redshirt?

August 17th, 2019 at 3:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

People inside the Giants organization acknowledge the perception of Daniel Jones has changed over the summer, with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv noting the rookie’s rise has been “dizzying” to many staffers. The No. 6 overall pick has surprised most of the football community with his preseason readiness.

After a take-notice drive in his preseason debut, Jones completed 11 of 14 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown (while losing two fumbles) against the Bears on Friday. Eli Manning was 4-for-4 in limited duty. Despite Manning’s struggles in recent years and Jones’ August work, the hope remains the incumbent will play throughout 2019, per Vacchiano. The team does not believe Jones needs to be rushed.

Big Blue will not hold a quarterback competition in the near future. The belief still appears to be that Jones is not ready to usurp Manning, and Vacchiano adds the plan will be for the 16th-year starter to keep his job until at least the playoffs are out of reach. The Giants believe Manning can keep them in contention, so Dave Gettleman‘s hope to execute the “Kansas City model” — where Jones would play the Patrick Mahomes role to Manning’s Alex Smith — would be in play in this unlikely (per Las Vegas) scenario. John Mara said recently he hopes Jones “never sees the field” in 2019.

If the Giants fall out of contention, it should be expected their 22-year-old hopeful heir apparent will see the field. But for now, the organization does not look to be giving legitimate consideration to demoting its 38-year-old cornerstone.

Keenan Allen Expected To Miss Rest Of Preseason

August 17th, 2019 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

A semblance of past injury-related storm clouds are creeping onto the Chargers’ radar. Derwin James may be an IR-return candidate, and one of the contending team’s other top players will miss time as well.

Keenan Allen is expected to miss the remainder of the Bolts’ preseason slate, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reporting (via Twitter) the Pro Bowl wide receiver suffered an ankle injury in practice this week. This marks the second setback Allen has suffered during camp. The seventh-year wideout also ran into knee trouble during the Chargers’ joint practices with the Rams, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper (on Twitter).

This being the Chargers, who have lost several key players to severe early-season injuries in recent years, concern is natural. But Schefter cautions Allen’s ankle ailment is not considered serious. He is expected to be ready in time for the team’s opener against the Colts.

Allen has done well to shake the injury concerns that plagued his mid-2010s run. He missed 23 games between the 2015 and ’16 seasons, the latter instance because of a Week 1 ACL tear. With Tyrell Williams now gone, the Bolts’ receiving corps is now thinner and would be less equipped to withstand an Allen absence. But the 27-year-old standout has not missed a game over the past two seasons.