2019 August - Pro Football Rumors

Jaguars Activate Cam Robinson From PUP

August 12th, 2019 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars have activated Cam Robinson from the active/PUP list, according to a team announcement. It’s a surprisingly pleasant development after a weekend in which head coach Doug Marrone said Cam Robinson couldn’t seem to “get over the hump” in his knee recovery and that the Jaguars needed to “start preparing to play without” him.

In a radio interview, Marrone previously indicated that Robinson might not be ready for Week 1. His status for the opener remains murky, but it appears that he is at least trending in the right direction. Robinson will now look to pick up where he left off as a starter on the Jags’ O-Line.

In 2016, the Alabama product won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best college interior lineman. Then, in 2017, the Jaguars used a second-round pick to select Robinson. Since then, Robinson has appeared in just 18 of a possible 32 regular season games.

Players who can’t start training camp due to an injury are initially placed on Active/PUP. This is a minor designation and effectively means that the player cannot practice until medically cleared. Now cleared, Robinson is free to hit the practice field.

Rishard Matthews Retires From NFL

August 12th, 2019 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

This is the end of the line for longtime NFL wide receiver Rishard Matthews. On Monday, the veteran announced his retirement from football.

“It was cool being a professional football player and getting to play a kids game for work,” Matthews wrote on Instagram. “I will always be a fan of the best sport in the world but for me that kids game no longer exist [sic].”

Matthews, a Dolphins seventh-round pick in 2012, spent four years with Miami before moving on to the Titans. After making some noise with the Fins in 2015, he enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Titans in ’16, leading the team in receptions (65), yards (945) and receiving touchdowns. He once again paced Tennessee the following campaign before being released in 2018.

Matthews leave the game with 230 receptions for 3,160 yards and 21 touchdowns.

NFL, NFLPA Set To Meet Aug 19

August 12th, 2019 at 12:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL and the players’ union will meet again on Monday, Aug 19 for another full bargaining session, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. In the interim, there will be staff meetings scheduled for this week to discuss some secondary issues.

Unsurprisingly, Pelissero hears that the No. 1 topic to be discussed will be the overall revenue split between the league and its players. Recently, we heard that the two sides are far apart on a revenue split. In light of that, a new deal is not expected to be in place by the owners’ unofficial pre-Week 1 target date. Meanwhile, the owners have backed off the goal of having the next collective bargaining agreement in place by then.

There are a myriad of issues to be discussed beyond that, including the owners’ hope that the players – in a roundabout way – will contribute money towards stadium projects and relocations.

As it stands, the current CBA expires after the 2020 season. Without a new CBA in place, we could be headed towards an eventual labor stoppage.

Lions Release CB Marcus Cooper

August 12th, 2019 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions announced that cornerback Marcus Cooper has been released. To take his place, the club has signed fellow CB Jamar Summers.

Cooper arrived in Detroit via waiver claim in November and re-signed with the team in March. He didn’t play much with the Bears early on in 2018, but he did suit up for four games with the Lions. The 29-year-old defender has made 28 starts in a six-season career, having intercepted seven passes. All of those picks came during his two most prominent years as a corner — 2013 in Kansas City and 2016 in Arizona.

Summers, meanwhile, was in the now-defunct AAF before a short stint with the Dolphins. He’ll now push to make the Lions’ 53-man cut.

NFL Fires Warning To Raiders’ Antonio Brown

August 12th, 2019 at 11:07am CST by Zachary Links

It doesn’t sound like the NFL will cave on their helmet battle with Raiders star Antonio Brown. The NFL’s public relations czar sent out a reminder on social media that players cannot practice or play in games with equipment that’s not approved (Twitter link). Furthermore, if a player in that scenario does not play or practice, said player (read: Brown) will be in breach of his contract and will not get paid.

The NFL’s policy mandates that every helmet used must be certified by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOSCAE). The NOSCAE does not certify equipment that is older than ten years, which means that Brown’s favorite helmet is not kosher in the eyes of the league.

Brown, meanwhile, has threatened to retire if he is not permitted to play with the helmet that he has used throughout his career. For their part, the Raiders expect Brown to report to the club soon. And, over the weekend, Jon Gruden offered some public support for the mercurial wide receiver.

Buccaneers Work Out S Marcus Gilchrist

August 12th, 2019 at 10:20am CST by Zachary Links

Former Texans and Raiders safety Marcus Gilchrist will visit and work out for the Bucs on Monday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Gilchrist may be able to provide some veteran help late in training camp and make a push for the final cut.

Last year, Gilchrist joined the Raiders on a one-year, $4MM with $3.85MM guaranteed. This time around, Gilchrist didn’t find as strong of a market for his services and may be looking at a lower-cost deal, if he draws an offer from Tampa Bay.

In 2018, Gilchrist started in all 16 of the Raiders’ regular season games and finished out with 58 tackles, six passes defensed, and three interceptions. For his work, Pro Football Focus gave him a weak 54.5 overall score, placing him as just the No. 86 safety in the NFL out of 95 qualified players.

Falcons Trade TE Eric Saubert To Patriots

August 12th, 2019 at 9:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have yet another tight end. On Monday, the Falcons shipped Eric Saubert to the Pats in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Saubert, a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, has just five catches to his credit over the last two seasons. However, he’s known for his blocking ability and has been a special teams regular for the Falcons. Last year, Saubert appeared in 66% of the club’s special teams plays, and he could fill a similar role with New England.

It’s also possible that bigger things could be in store for Saubert as he joins the Rob Gronkowski-less Patriots. The Pats will be without Ben Watson, their would-be Gronk replacement, for the first four weeks of the season, so there’s a clear opportunity for Saubert to make the cut and see the field.

For the Pats, it’s an extremely low-cost opportunity to bolster a weakened position. Sitting dead last in waiver priority, they might not have landed the third-year pro out of Drake if they waited for him to be released.

49ers To Sign Sam Young

August 12th, 2019 at 8:53am CST by Zachary Links

Former Dolphins offensive tackle Sam Young will sign with the 49ers on Monday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Niners just lost fellow tackle Shon Coleman to injured reserve, so Young should be able to step in and fill a major need for the team.

Young spent the last three seasons with the Dolphins and has also played for the Bills and Jaguars. Over the years, the 2010 Cowboys sixth-round pick has appeared in 88 games with 21 starts in those contests. Prior to joining Miami, Young also drew attention from the Saints, Jets, and Bills.

The 49ers project to start Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey on the outside of the line with sixth-round rookie Justin Skule, Willie Beavers, Najee Toran, and Ross Reynolds also in the mix for reserve roles.

AFC Notes: Collins, Broncos, Raiders, Finley

August 11th, 2019 at 8:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jamie Collins held the distinction of being the highest-paid off-ball linebacker for nearly two years. His new deal with the Patriots is less glamorous. Escalators exist in Collins’ one-year, $2MM contract, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com broke them down Sunday. If the eighth-year linebacker plays 50% of the Pats’ 2019 snaps, he will obtain an additional $250K. A 60% snap clearance will mean another $250K. This goes up in 10% increments until the 80% mark, when the incentives increase but also venture into not-likely-to-be-earned territory. Should Collins wind up in the Pro Bowl, he would earn an additional $500K. Collins was making $12.5MM per year on his Browns deal.

Here’s the latest from the AFC, moving westward:

It should be expected that Drew Lock is the Broncos‘ backup quarterback once the regular season begins, even after a shaky preseason start. But the Broncos also moved rookie UDFA Brett Rypien into position to challenge Kevin Hogan‘s roster spot. The nephew of former Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien received the third-team reps ahead of Hogan in practice Sunday, Mike Klis of 9News notes. Lock took the second-team snaps. Hogan served as Case Keenum‘s backup last year, after Chad Kelly‘s departure. Rypien could conceivably be a practice squad stash, but Klis views the Broncos as giving him every opportunity to unseat Hogan.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Broncos made a move to address their depleted inside linebacker corps. Third-year safety Jamal Carter is now an inside linebacker, with Vic Fangio indicating (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, on Twitter) Carter sought this switch. “I’ve been wanting to play this since high school and college,’’ Carter said, via Klis. “I like being in the trenches. I’m a physical specimen. I don’t like being too deep away from arms and contact. It’s going to fit me.” Todd Davis, Josey Jewell and Joe Jones are out with injuries presently. Carter, a 2017 UDFA out of Miami, missed all of last season due to injury and is on Denver’s roster bubble.
Set to use Andy Dalton as their starting quarterback for a ninth season, the Bengals did draft another passer this year. Their Ryan Finley fourth-round investment has gone well as the offseason has progressed, and The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (subscription required) views a Bengals final roster that only includes Dalton and Finley at quarterback. This would mean Cincinnati cutting Jeff Driskel, who was needed for five starts after Dalton’s IR trip last year. A 2016 sixth-round pick, Driskel posted a 31.6 QBR in his 2018 work.
The Raiders placed cornerback D.J. Killings on IR on Sunday, doing so because he tore a pectoral muscle in the team’s preseason opener Saturday. Killings, a third-year UDFA, will undergo surgery, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.

Raiders To Explore Guard Trade Market

August 11th, 2019 at 7:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders will be without their longest-tenured offensive lineman for around two months. They appear set to look at outside options in the interim.

Gabe Jackson‘s knee injury will mean Oakland goes into this season without either of the guard starters it deployed primarily for the past three seasons, with the team having already traded Kelechi Osemele to New York in March. Already set to be without Richie Incognito for two weeks because of a suspension, the Raiders are expected to explore the guard trade market, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.

Incognito arrived shortly after the draft, with Jon Gruden advocating for another guard to replace Osemele instead of the team’s in-house options. At right guard presently, depth signing Jordan Devey will receive the first shot at replacing Jackson, Gruden said (via Gehlken, on Twitter). Devey has started just four games over the past three seasons, each coming as a member of the Chiefs.

Fourth-year UDFA Denver Kirkland is also in that mix; Denzelle Good remains on the team’s active/PUP list. Jackson hurt his knee during practice this week. The Raiders have more than $18MM in cap space, but with Jackson and Incognito potentially set to debut together by October, it would be interesting to see them give up too much to acquire a stopgap guard.

Still attached to the $10MM-AAV deal he signed in 2017, Jackson has started 72 games for the Raiders since arriving as a 2014 third-round pick. He finished last season on IR and would be a candidate for an IR-return player to start this season, but that would only be the case if the Raiders believed his timetable would involve a return closer to November rather than October.