2019 August - Pro Football Rumors

Bucs’ Vita Vea Out 6-8 Weeks

August 9th, 2019 at 3:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers defensive tackle Tevita Tuli’aki’ono Tuipulotu Mosese Va’hae Fehoko Faletau Vea (also known as Vita Vea) has a sprained LCL that could sideline him 6-to-8 weeks, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Still, the good news is that Vea is said to already be making progress, so the Bucs are not ready to rule him out for the season opener against the 49ers on Sept. 8.

Vea, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2018 draft, notched three sacks and 28 total tackles last season from the interior. This year, the Bucs are expecting big things from him, especially after he had a productive training camp up until the LCL sprain.

Vea has been here before – he missed all of training camp and the first three games of the 2018 season due to a strained calf. Once he’s back, he should form a strong 1-2 duo with new addition Ndamukong Suh.

Latest On Raiders’ Antonio Brown

August 9th, 2019 at 2:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown has filed a grievance against the NFL to be permitted to wear his preferred helmet, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. There was some recent scuttlebutt that Brown was skipping Raiders camp in response to the cryotherapy treatment that damaged his foot. Rather, it seems that Brown is staying away as he fights the league for his right to wear the headgear that he wants.

It’s yet another strange twist for Brown, who spent the 2018 season clashing with teammates, coaches, and executives in Pittsburgh. The former Steelers star could be primed for big things in Oakland, but he’s presently in a holding pattern.

On the helmet front – Brown is expected to have a hearing in the coming days, and an arbitrator will decide whether or not he gets to wear the helmet he wants. Meanwhile, Brown continues to meet with specialists to solve his foot issue.

The Raiders are “aware and supportive of Antonio Brown, but [have] no further comment,” the team told Schefter.

Download The Trade Rumors App Today!

August 9th, 2019 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

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NFL Suspends Browns’ Antonio Callaway

August 9th, 2019 at 1:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has suspended Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway for violating the league’s policy and program on substances of abuse. He’ll miss the first four games of the season, leaving the Browns without one of their most intriguing weapons until mid-October.

“I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a mistake and I own that,” Callaway said in a statement. “I have taken steps to make myself better and I appreciate the Browns standing by me and supporting me during this time. I know there’s nothing I can say to regain trust; it will all be about my actions.”

Callaway has been talking a big game all offseason, and the Browns were excited to see what he could do in his sophomore season. The 2018 fourth-round pick hauled in 43 passes for 586 yards and five touchdowns last year and seemed to have a strong rapport with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Unfortunately, his off-the-field issues date back to college and have reared themselves once again.

“We’re disappointed in Antonio,” Browns GM John Dorsey said in a press release. “Freddie and I have had a direct conversation with him about where we stand. He understands our expectations of him. We will continue to support him as long as he remains committed to taking advantage of the resources made available to him by our club and the league to help him become the best version of himself as a person first and foremost.”

Eagles QB Nate Sudfeld Suffers Injury

August 9th, 2019 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld underwent surgery on Friday morning for a broken bone above his left wrist, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) hears. The QB is expected to be out for six weeks, creative some uncertainty for the Eagles as they head into the season.

In light of Carson Wentz‘s own injury history, the No. 2 QB spot in Philly is an important one. Sudfeld was being counted upon as a quality safety net, but the club will be be forced to turn to the well-traveled Cody Kessler or potentially, undrafted rookie Clayton Thorson, if Sudfeld misses regular season games (then again, after Thorson’s awful performance last night in Sudfeld’s absence, he might not be long for the team.)

After signing his restricted free agent tender in April, Sudfeld is set to earn $3.095MM for the season. A 2016 sixth-round pick of the Redskins, the QB joined the Eagles via waiver claim in 2017. In two seasons with Philadelphia, the 25-year-old (26 in October) has appeared in four games, including playoff contests.

Sudfeld got an extended look during the 2017 regular season finale, completing 19 of his 23 pass attempts for 134 passing yards. Last season, however, he managed only two pass attempts.

Pro Football Rumors Seeking Part-Time Writers

August 9th, 2019 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

We’re looking to add part-time contributors to the Pro Football Rumors Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis. Applicants must meet ALL of the following criteria:

Exceptional knowledge of all 32 NFL teams, with no discernible bias.
Knowledge of the salary cap and transaction-related concepts.
At least some college education.
Extensive writing experience, with professional experience and a background in journalism both strongly preferred.
Keen understanding of journalistic principles, ethics and procedures. Completion of basic college-level journalism classes is strongly preferred.
Attention to detail — absolutely no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names.
Ability to follow the site’s style and tone.
Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need someone who can balance quick writing with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers or links to other relevant articles.
Ability to use an RSS feed reader. Ability to use Twitter. Both of these are crucial.
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Flexibility. You must be available to work on short notice.

If you’re interested, email pfrapplications@gmail.com by August 12 (11:00pm central time) and take a couple of paragraphs to explain why you qualify and stand out. Many will apply, so unfortunately we cannot respond to every applicant.

Broncos TE Austin Fort Done For Season

August 9th, 2019 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

Broncos’ undrafted free agent tight end Austin Fort suffered a torn ACL in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Seahawks, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Of course, it’s a season ending injury, so Fort will have to wait until at least 2020 to make his true NFL debut.

Prior to the injury, Fort was impressing in training camp and was pushing hard for playing time on the roster. The Wyoming product was even getting time as a first-stringer in practice due to injuries.

Fort suffered the ACL tear after catching a beautiful 29-yard pass from fellow rookie Drew Lock. He went down quickly without contact and doctors confirmed the team’s worst fears soon after.

Fort’s injury leaves the Broncos thin at tight end. As it stands, Troy Fumagalli and Moral Stephens are the only healthy tight ends behind Jeff Heuerman and Noah Fant. Heuerman, meanwhile, is dealing with a shoulder issue.

West Rumors: 49ers, Seahawks, Broncos

August 8th, 2019 at 7:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

It’s been a long offseason for the 49ers, who have seen numerous key players deal with injuries throughout the spring and summer. Add more to the list of San Francisco talents set to miss the preseason. Jerick McKinnon and Weston Richburg are both unlikely to play until Week 1. Given $18MM guaranteed, McKinnon is still dealing with knee trouble after missing all of last season with an ACL tear. The sixth-year running back received a platelet-rich plasma injection on his knee and is expected to miss the 49ers’ August slate, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com notes. The team activated him from the PUP list Tuesday, but Kyle Shanahan said his prized 2018 offseason signing experienced significant soreness after going through individual drills the past two days. Richburg, who remains on the active/PUP list after a January knee surgery, is being targeted a Week 1 return. So are Nick Bosa and Jason Verrett. The 49ers hope Dee Ford, who received a PRP injection on his injured knee, can play by the team’s dress-rehearsal preseason game.

Here’s the latest West news from outside of San Francisco:

With the Seahawks in desperate need of available pass rushers come Week 1, more blitz opportunities may be on tap. Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks (should he be on the field) are in position to be used more as rushers. “If we can play really good D, it’s going to be because of Bobby and K.J. and Mychal and the guys in the linebacker spot. We’re going to utilize them as much as we can to be a factor in all aspects, run and pass [defense],” Pete Carroll said, via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. “Those guys are really good pass defenders, and they love coming off the edge too. We’ll plan on using those guys a lot.” After Frank Clark‘s departure, the Seahawks have Ziggy Ansah and L.J. Collier injured. Jarran Reed incurred a six-game suspension. Wright has not collected a sack since 2016, when he had four. Wagner had 4.5 that year but recorded 2.5 since.
Theo Riddick will earn a $2MM 2019 base salary with the Broncos, and $750K of it is fully guaranteed, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Another $250K will be available in per-game roster bonuses. Overall, Riddick signed for $2.5MM with $1MM guaranteed. This makes it a near-certainty Riddick will appear on the Broncos’ 53-man roster in September.
The Broncos are already down Todd Davis for multiple weeks; they will be without one of his top backups for longer than that. Joe Jones suffered a triceps injury this week, and a second opinion delivered more clarity on the inside linebacker’s timeline. Jones will be out between six and eight weeks, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets. But he will not need surgery, which could increase his chances of making the Broncos. If Jones hits IR before the Broncos finalize their 53-man unit, the special-teamer will be ineligible to return for them this season.
Returning 2018 fifth-round pick Johnny Townsend would seemingly be in line to keep his job as the Raiders‘ punter, but Jon Gruden said rookie UDFA A.J. Cole has put himself in the conversation to unseat the incumbent, per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (on Twitter). Cole would be an option to handle Raiders kickoffs as well.

Lions’ Jermaine Kearse Breaks Leg, Suffers Ankle Damage

August 8th, 2019 at 7:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

On his first drive as a Lion, Jermaine Kearse suffered severe injuries. The recently signed wide receiver sustained a broken leg and ankle damage, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Kearse was blocking on a run play, and a defender rolled into him. The veteran wideout signed a minimum-salary Lions pact earlier this summer. He required an air cast after the injury, per the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers (on Twitter).

This news could obviously mean Kearse’s Lions tenure will be brief. Detroit returns Marvin Jones from injury and has emerging talent Kenny Golladay. The team added Danny Amendola on a one-year deal as well this offseason. The Lions drafted Travis Fulgam in Round 6 and signed return man Tommylee Lewis this year, too.

Kearse, 29, spent the past two seasons with the Jets. After an 810-yard Gang Green debut season, the former Seahawks UDFA find posted just 371 last season. The Lions marked his only known workout. For a player to be eligible to come off IR during the season, he must be carried through to the 53-man roster. If the Lions place Kearse on IR before then, he cannot play for them this season.

Shane Ray On Ravens’ Roster Bubble?

August 8th, 2019 at 7:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brought in along with Pernell McPhee after the draft, Shane Ray does not have a comfortable path to the Ravens’ 53-man roster. The former first-round pick is squarely on Baltimore’s bubble.

Ray is behind five other Raven edge defenders at present, with Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic noting (subscription required) the four-year Broncos cog will need a strong preseason to make the team.

The fifth-year pass rusher has flashed in practice, but Zreibec notes McPhee is ahead of him among the veteran contingent. So are 2017 second- and third-round picks Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams With the Ravens unlikely to keep six edge defenders, Ray has his work cut out for him entering the team’s preseason slate.

The Ravens added Ray shortly after May’s compensatory deadline and gave him a $1.2MM deal with $200K guaranteed. But vying with McPhee and recent Ravens Day 2 picks, with Matt Judon and rookie Jaylon Ferguson locks to make the team, made this an uncertain proposition from the start.

While he was a rotational presence on Denver’s Super Bowl champion team and registered eight sacks in 2016, Ray has not lived up to his first-round billing yet. He finished his Broncos tenure on a shaky note, being a healthy scratch at the conclusion of last season.