2019 August - Pro Football Rumors

Steelers WR Coach Darryl Drake Passes Away

August 11th, 2019 at 10:58am CST by Rory Parks

Steelers WR coach Darryl Drake passed away this morning, the team announced. He was 62.

Drake, who played wide receiver at the collegiate level for Western Kentucky from 1975-78, never played a regular season snap in the NFL. However, he returned to his alma mater in 1983 as a graduate assistant, which kicked off a 36-year coaching career.

He got his first shot at an NFL coaching job in 2004, when he served as the wide receivers coach for the Bears. He held that position through the 2012 season before moving on the Cardinals. He worked as Arizona’s WR coach from 2013-17 and was hired in the same capacity by the Steelers last year, beating out team icon Hines Ward for the job.

Pittsburgh did not disclose a cause of death, though the team did cancel practice Sunday. Team president Art Rooney II issued the following statement:

“We are at a loss for words following Darryl Drake’s passing this morning. Darryl had such an impact on the players he coached and everyone he worked with throughout his entire career. He was a passionate coach and had a tremendous spirit toward life, his family, his faith and the game of football. Our prayers and thoughts are with his wife, Sheila, his three daughters, his grandchildren and entire family during this difficult time.”

Head coach Mike Tomlin released his own statement:

“Darryl was a close friend and had a tremendous impact on my coaching career. He was an amazing husband, father and grandfather, and it is difficult to put into words the grief our entire team is going through right now. Darryl loved the game of football and every player he ever coached. We will use our faith to guide us and help his family throughout the difficult time.”

We at PFR offer our condolences to Drake’s family and friends.

Broncos RB Theo Riddick Out 6-8 Weeks

August 11th, 2019 at 10:39am CST by Rory Parks

New Broncos RB Theo Riddick suffered a slight shoulder fracture during the team’s preseason game against the Seahawks on Thursday, as Mike Klis of 9News.com reports. Riddick will be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

Luckily, the injury will not require surgery, and Riddick should return no later than Week 5. There was some chatter recently that Devontae Booker could become a trade candidate in the wake of the Riddick signing, but given Riddick’s injury, Denver will almost certainly hang on to Booker, an experienced third-down back.

The injuries are starting to pile up a bit for the Broncos. We learned Friday that fullback Andy Janovich will also miss the next six to eight weeks, and special teams standout Joe Jones will be sidelined for a while as well.

Riddick, who is best-known for his receiving ability out of the backfield, was expected to serve as a strong complement to starter Phillip Lindsay. He may still play an important role for the Broncos this year, but the team will have to rely more heavily on Booker and Royce Freeman for the first several weeks of the season.

Dak Prescott Turns Down $30MM/Year Offer?

August 11th, 2019 at 10:11am CST by Rory Parks

Throughout much of the summer, we have heard that the Cowboys have not made much progress in contract talks with their top extension-eligible players. However, a report from earlier this week suggested that Dallas had a decent shot at reaching long-term pacts with wide receiver Amari Cooper and quarterback Dak Prescott before Week 1.

But if what Michael Lombardi of The Athletic hears is accurate, the optimism surrounding the Prescott negotiations may not be entirely well-founded. Per Lombardi’s sources, Prescott has turned down an offer that features an average annual value of $30MM (Twitter link). Recent reports have suggested that the Cowboys’ offer to Prescott would pay him like a top-5 QB, and Matt Ryan‘s AAV of $30MM is currently the fifth-highest in the league.

Of course, the real issue is how much guaranteed money the Cowboys are offering Prescott, and it seems unlikely that the team is anywhere close to the $94.5MM in full guarantees that the Falcons gave Ryan. So while Lombardi may be right to call Prescott “nuts” for turning down a $30MM/year proposal, we would need more details before assessing his decision one way or another.

We explored Prescott’s case for a new deal back in June. The two-time Pro Bowler is far from a perfect passer, but he has piloted his team to two playoff berths in his first three seasons in the league, and given the current climate, $30MM/year is right around his fair market value.

Jon Gruden Defends Antonio Brown

August 11th, 2019 at 9:36am CST by Rory Parks

We heard Friday that new Raiders receiver Antonio Brown is expected to rejoin the team shortly, a report that came on the heels of a great deal of Brown-related drama this week. We learned that the foot injury that has been plaguing Brown stemmed from a cryogenic chamber mishap, and we also learned that Brown has been staying away from team practices after being barred from wearing the helmet that he has used throughout his career.

After Oakland’s preseason victory over the Rams last night, head coach Jon Gruden was predictably asked a series of questions about Brown’s status, and Gruden was 100% supportive of his enigmatic superstar. He said (via Grant Gordon of NFL.com), “[w]e’re gonna support him. And whatever his decision is, we’ll stand by it. But we’re confident he’s going to be a huge factor for the Raiders for years to come.”

Gruden also indicated that the foot injury, which was said to be a result of Brown’s failure to wear proper footwear when he underwent cryogenic therapy, was not actually AB’s fault. Gruden said, “I don’t know what anybody’s writing or anybody thinks, but this foot injury wasn’t his fault. This was a total accident. It really wasn’t his fault and it’s a serious injury. I know some people are smarting at it, but it’s really not a laughing matter. The guy was hurt. He’s innocent, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

With respect to the helmet issue, Gruden added, “the helmet thing is a personal matter to him. He has a strong feeling about what he’s worn on his head and we’re supporting him. We understand the league’s position as well, so we’re in a tough spot. And we hope Antonio is back here soon, because he’s exciting to be around. I’m excited. I got some plays for him, I hope we can start calling them.”

A ruling on Brown’s grievance against the league is expected to be issued soon, but if Brown is forced to wear a different helmet, he will try to hold the league liable for any head injury he may suffer, as a source with knowledge of the hearing tells Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic. The source said, “I think it’ll be interesting if the NFL forces Antonio to wear a different helmet. And he does play and he doesn’t retire as some people have reported he will do. And then he suffers a really severe injury. I’d hate to be the NFL. Because now you’ve forced him into wearing a different type of helmet. And I think at that point, though, the liability will be dramatic.”

Of course, the NFL wants Brown to play in a helmet that is believed to be more resistant to head injuries than the one he has always worn, so it seems that the league would have a strong argument if Brown was made to switch and suffered a head injury. On the surface, it sounds like it would be difficult for Brown to prove that the change was a proximate cause of any injury he may sustain.

Nonetheless, Brown is pulling out all the stops to get what he wants, and Gruden and Raiders fans will just have to continue to hope that he shows up soon.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the team could force the issue by sending Brown the notorious five-day letter (which, as the name implies, would require Brown to return within five days of the letter). If he doesn’t return, the Raiders would be able to shut him down for the season and absolve themselves of any obligation to pay him, but given Gruden’s comments, it does not sound as if Oakland is preparing to take such an aggressive stance at this point.

Bills Sign DE Sam Acho, Release OG Vlad Ducasse

August 11th, 2019 at 8:56am CST by Rory Parks

The Bills have signed defensive end Sam Acho and have released guard Vlad Ducasse, the team announced. Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic observes that Ducasse was running with the third-stringers when all of Buffalo’s O-linemen were healthy, so he was clearly not going to make the team (Twitter link). As a veteran and former starter, the club likely wanted to give him a chance to catch on elsewhere.

Indeed, Ducasse started 21 games for the Bills over the past two seasons, but he did not fare particularly well in either campaign. Buffalo made the O-line a primary focus this offseason, and the former second-round pick of the Jets slid down the depth chart as a result. Although he has never been a top performer, another club will likely bring him in to serve as experienced depth.

Acho, meanwhile, missed most of 2018 with a pectoral injury. In 2017, he started 12 games and played on 60% of the Bears’ defensive snaps, posting 27 tackles, three sacks, and one pass defensed. Last year, he had just two tackles across four games.

After recording seven sacks in his rookie campaign in Arizona in 2011, Acho has never been able to replicate that success. He will attempt to make the Bills as a situational pass rusher after Buffalo traded Eli Harold earlier this week.

Jets K Chandler Catanzaro Retires

August 11th, 2019 at 8:35am CST by Rory Parks

Jets K Chandler Catanzaro, 28, has retired, according to a team announcement. To take his place on the roster, the club has signed K Taylor Bertolet.

Catanzaro’s job was clearly in jeopardy after he missed a pair of extra points in the Jets’ preseason opener. It was reported yesterday that New York would be bringing in kickers Blair Walsh and Chris Blewitt for tryouts, and the Jets are said to still be interested in Ravens’ kicker Kaare Vedvik, who also caught their eye last summer.

In addition to his difficulties in the first preseason game, Catanzaro had apparently struggled in camp as well. Perhaps he saw the writing on the wall and elected to leave the game on his terms rather than being cut.

Catanzaro, a Clemson product, signed with the Cardinals as a UDFA in 2014 and won Arizona’s kicking competition that year. His first two seasons in the league were quite promising, as he nailed 87.9% of his kicks in his rookie campaign and 90.3% in 2015. But his success rate dipped to 75% in 2016, and he signed with the Jets in March 2017. He experienced something of a bounceback in his first stint with Gang Green, converting 83.3% of his kicks and all of his PATs, and he signed a three-year deal with the Buccaneers last offseason. Tampa Bay released him after he missed two field goals in a loss to the Redskins last November — he ultimately made just 73.3% of his kicks with the Bucs — and he caught on with the Panthers for the last few games of the season.

The Jets saw Jason Myers turn in a Pro Bowl effort last year, but they lost Myers to free agency in March and hoped that Catanzaro would be an adequate replacement. Obviously, that did not turn out to be the case, though as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets, the Jets could at least recoup Catanzaro’s $500K signing bonus if they so choose.

Bertolet was with the Jets last summer and performed well, but he has no regular season experience.

Trent Taylor Undergoes Foot Surgery

August 10th, 2019 at 9:21pm CST by Micah Powell

49ers wide receiver Trent Taylor underwent surgery on a broken foot on Friday and is expected to miss the early part of the regular season, NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco writes.

Though an official timetable has not been announced, the Niners are hoping the pass-catcher will not miss more than a few games at the beginning of the season. That’s a big blow for the Niners, as Taylor was expected to be the team’s top option from the slot.

A fifth-round selection from Louisiana Tech in 2017, Taylor flashed potential as a rookie by logging 43 receptions for 430 yards. He showcased a strong connection with Jimmy Garoppolo down the stretch, logging 19 catches for 226 yards after the Niners acquired the quarterback from New England.

After undergoing offseason back surgery in 2018, Taylor struggled in his second campaign, tallying just 26 receptions for 215 yards in 14 games.

After Marquise Goodwin, the team features plenty of promising, if unproven performers at the receiver position, including Dante Pettis, Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd, who tallied a touchdown catch in his preseason debut on Saturday night.

Johnson, Goedert To Miss Rest Of Preseason

August 10th, 2019 at 8:56pm CST by Micah Powell

Eagles tackle Lane Johnson and tight end Dallas Goedert are expected to miss the rest of the preseason with injuries, Reuben Frank of NBC Sports writes.

Johnson, the two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle, didn’t play in the Eagles’ preseason opener vs. the Titans but is listed with a knee injury on the team’s report. Frank adds that it isn’t a serious concern and if the season opener vs. the Redskins was this week, Johnson would likely be on the field.

Goedert, the second-year tight end, did participate in Thursday’s game against the Titans and logged three catches for 50 yards on just 12 snaps. During that run, however, he also suffered a calf injury. Like Johnson, though, Goedert isn’t expected to miss any time in the regular season.

Both players figure to feature prominently in 2019, as the Eagles enter the campaign as one of the favorites in the NFC to contend for a spot in Super Bowl LIV. Johnson has appeared in 15 games in each of the last two seasons, during which he emerged as one of the league’s top all-around linemen. Though he plays behind star Zach Ertz, Goedert impressed as a rookie in 2018, logging 33 catches for 334 yards and four touchdowns.

The Eagles suffered another injury on Thursday, when backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld broke a bone in his left wrist. He underwent surgery on Friday and is expected to be out for at least six weeks.

Bills Place CB E.J. Gaines On IR

August 10th, 2019 at 7:49pm CST by Micah Powell

Bills cornerback E.J. Gaines has been placed on injured reserve due to a groin injury, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets.

Gaines sustained the injury in practice and was expected to miss a few weeks initially. Following the IR designation, he will now not be eligible to return until after Week 8.

A sixth-round selection by the Rams in 2014, Gaines spent two seasons with the team before being dealt to the Bills in 2017 in the same deal that sent Sammy Watkins the other way. He played one season with the Bills before signing a one-year deal with the Browns for 2018. Following an injury-shortened campaign, the cornerback returned to the Bills for 2019 on a one-year, $3.6MM contract.

Plagued by injuries in recent years, Gaines is coming off his one season with the Browns in which he appeared in six games, including two starts, but was lost for the season after suffering two concussions in a month’s time.

After placing Gaines on IR, the Bills brought in veteran cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, who is familiar with head coach Sean McDermott from their time with the Panthers.

Bills To Sign CB Captain Munnerlyn

August 10th, 2019 at 6:52pm CST by Micah Powell

The Bills are expected to sign veteran cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets.

A 10-year veteran, Munnerlyn has spent seven of those seasons, including the last two, in Carolina. Before his latest stint with the Panthers, Munnerlyn played under the direction of current Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator from 2011-16.

Following E.J. Gaines‘ placement on IR, the Bills had an open spot in the secondary. They tabbed the veteran to fill a leadership role for a young secondary.

A consistent starter between Carolina and Minnesota from 2011-14, Munnerlyn has taken on a backup role in recent campaigns. In 2018, he appeared in all 16 games, starting five, and registered one interception and nine passes defensed. In his 10-year career, Munnerlyn has logged 12 interceptions, five of which he has returned for scores.