HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Trent Williams Unconcerned About Fines, Still Wants Trade

August 4th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Rory Parks

As of right now, it doesn’t appear that LT Trent Williams has any intention of returning to the Redskins, though Washington still wants its seven-time Pro Bowler back. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (citing Les Carpenter of the Washington Post), the Redskins hope that the $40K of daily fines that Williams is accumulating by staying away from the team will convince the 31-year-old to change his mind and end his holdout.

But a source tells Florio that “Williams doesn’t care” about being fined. Williams believes that the Redskins will never be able to collect the fines if he never plays for them again, as there will be no game checks from which the fines could be deducted. Plus, while Washington could also go after Williams for the $1.62MM of unearned signing bonus that has yet to be paid out, the team would lose that right if it trades Williams.

Williams still wants a trade, and he is apparently going to continue forcing the issue until he gets it. Head coach Jay Gruden said he seriously doubts that the Redskins are currently looking to deal Williams, though he concedes that he doesn’t know how to convince Williams to come back (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Gruden said, “I do not have an understanding of what it would take to get [him] back. If I did, he’d be back here.”

We heard at the end of last month that if the Redskins were to trade Williams, it would not happen until closer to the start of the regular season. The team could also cut him, but at the moment, it looks like Washington will continue to let Williams sit without taking any action, including opening talks about a new contract.

We recently looked at four potential partners for the Redskins if they do ultimately choose to trade their former first-round pick.

Latest On Dolphins’ QB Competition

August 4th, 2019 at 9:54am CST by Rory Parks

Less than a week ago, we learned that Ryan Fitzpatrick was decisively winning the Dolphins’ starting quarterback competition. Now, though, the race has tightened considerably, and Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald says that Josh Rosen may find himself at the top of the depth chart when the team returns to practice Monday.

Beasley notes that Rosen has shown improvement over the past week, while Fitzpatrick has stumbled a bit. On Saturday, Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions and nearly threw a third, and after the second pick, head coach Brian Flores sent in Rosen to work with the first-team offense, which has not happened often. Rosen responded by engineering a touchdown drive that included several excellent throws.

Flores, who was the one who declared Fitzpatrick the frontrunner on Tuesday, walked back his comments a bit on Saturday. He said, “I know I said [Fitzpatrick] was leading the way the other day, but let’s be clear there’s still a lot competition and a lot of time left. Today is a big day to showcase the improvement guys have made.”

When asked specifically about Rosen, Flores added, “[h]e’s made some improvement really across the board. It’s things a lot of people don’t see. Better footwork, better mechanics in the pocket, better decision-making.”

The Dolphins would probably like to see Rosen take the reins, as he was a first-round draft choice last year and has a legitimate chance of becoming the team’s QB of the future. Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, is in the twilight of his career and is almost certainly not going to be a part of the next competitive Miami team.

So as we head into the first week of preseason games, the race is suddenly too close to call.

Texans Waive D’Onta Foreman

August 4th, 2019 at 8:54am CST by Rory Parks

The Texans have waived running back D’Onta Foreman, as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter). This is obviously a disappointing result for Foreman and for Houston, who once believed that the Texas product — the 89th overall pick of the 2017 draft — had the potential to become the club’s No. 1 back.

Obviously, that never materialized, thanks in large part to an Achilles tear Foreman suffered in the second half of his rookie campaign. He had played sparingly to that point, but he showed some promise, racking up 327 yards on 78 carries (good for 4.2 YPC) and two touchdowns. He also caught six passes for another 83 yards.

But he tore his Achilles on a 34-yard touchdown run in Week 11 and spent the rest of 2017 on IR. He spent most of 2018 on the PUP list and was finally activated in December, but he carried the ball only seven times for -1 yard.

He appears to be completely healthy now, but the Texans were not happy with his work habits, and head coach Bill O’Brien was clearly less than enamored with Foreman. A reporter recently asked O’Brien about the third RB spot on the team’s roster — the reporter assumed, fairly, that Lamar Miller and Foreman were locks for the first two spots — and O’Brien replied, “who’re the first two?” (Twitter link via McClain). O’Brien then acknowledged that Miller was the starter while the backup competition was wide open.

The Texans may look to add another RB in the coming days, but for right now, the other backs on the roster are Josh Ferguson, Buddy Howell, and Taiwan Jones, along with several UDFAs. It’s not a particularly inspiring bunch, which makes the decision to waive Foreman even more telling. McClain notes in a separate tweet that the Texans will not become a potential landing spot for disgruntled Chargers back Melvin Gordon, as the club is focused on adding a backup for Miller.

It would not be surprising to see a team put in a waiver claim on Foreman, but even if he clears waivers, he should have another opportunity soon.

In a corresponding move, the Texans have signed LB Gimel President.

Yannick Ngakoue Reports To Camp

August 4th, 2019 at 8:17am CST by Rory Parks

Jaguars star defender Yannick Ngakoue still doesn’t have a new contract, but he reported to camp Sunday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. He needed to report by Tuesday in order for 2019 to count as an accrued season towards free agency, and the 24-year-old pass rusher did not want to miss that deadline. He is now eligible for unrestricted free agency next year.

The last report concerning negotiations between Ngakoue and Jacksonville indicated that the club had offered a short-term extension to the Maryland product, which Ngakoue declined. It is currently unclear how close the two sides are to getting something done, but Ngakoue indicated that talks are not active. He said, “I don’t want to keep talking about the deal. Like I said they had a chance to sign me for a long-term deal and it didn’t get done” (Twitter link via James Palmer of the NFL Network).

However, Ngakoue’s return does restore a key piece to one of the league’s best defensive lines, a unit that includes players like four-time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell and promising rookie Josh Allen. With 29.5 sacks, 70 QB hits, and no missed games over the last three years, Ngakoue has emerged as one of the best young pass-rushers in the league, and if the Jags are to return to contention this season, he will likely be a big reason for it.

Luckily, the 2016 third-round draft choice apparently doesn’t need any time to knock the rust off. Head coach Doug Marrone said that Ngakoue has passed his conditioning test and will immediately be a full participant in practice (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com).

The team has officially removed Ngakoue from the Reserve/Did Not Report list and has waived Fish Smithson in a corresponding move.

Extra Points: Kalil, Cardinals, Giants, Bucs

August 3rd, 2019 at 9:12pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Ryan Kalil‘s decision to come out of retirement and sign with the Jets was a shock to everybody around the league, but it wasn’t that sudden for him. The center decided that last season would be his last after battling injuries, but by March he was already feeling the itch to play football again, he told Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. He started lifting weights then, and was working out fully by May, so he won’t be coming in completely cold. His weight had dropped all the way down to 260 pounds, but he’s already back up to 297.

Cimini also reports that the Jets reached out to Kalil before camp even started, so it sounds like this comeback has been in the works for a little while. Kalil has often been one of the league’s better centers, and his presence will be a huge boost to New York’s offensive line and Sam Darnold’s development. He hasn’t been slacking off during his time away from the game, so it sounds like Kalil will easily be ready to man the pivot for the Jets come Week 1.

Here’s more from around the league on Hall of Fame induction night.

  • Things haven’t gone too smoothly for Cardinals linebacker Haason Reddick during his first couple of years in the league. The 13th overall pick of the 2017 draft has had his position changed multiple times, and is in his third defensive system in three years. He also apparently hasn’t been fully healthy, as he recently underwent “minor surgery,” according to Mike Jurecki of the team’s official site (Twitter link). We don’t have many details on the injury, but Reddick said he’d be ready for the opener. There were rumors last year that Reddick was on the trade block, and we’ve heard recently 2019 will be a pivotal year in determining his future with the team. The Temple product has been moved back to inside linebacker for this season.
  • The Giants conducted a minor workout, bringing in cornerback DeJuan Neal for a visit, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Neal is an undrafted rookie from D-II school Shepherd University, and the fact that he hasn’t already latched on somewhere tells you all you need to know.
  • The Buccaneers added to their staff, hiring Dave Hamilton as director of performance science, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hamilton had been working at Penn State, and Auman notes that he’ll be “helping team’s focus on innovation in optimal preparation/health for their players.”

Eagles LB Kamu Grugier-Hill To Miss Regular Season Time

August 3rd, 2019 at 7:18pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Eagles had terrible injury luck on defense last year, and it looks like those issues could be popping up again. They’ve been a bit banged up in the secondary, and now linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill has a Grade 3 MCL sprain, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).

As Garafolo notes, Grugier-Hill is a projected starter for the team, so this is a big blow. Garafolo writes that Grugier-Hill will “likely miss some regular-season time but should be back relatively early” in the season. It sounds like it could’ve been worse, although the Eagles will probably have to go the first few games without him. The Eagles had high hopes for him in 2019, and Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP tweets that he “was having an outstanding training camp.”

Grugier-Hill appeared in all 16 games for the Eagles last year, making ten starts. He finished with 45 tackles, a sack, an interception, and two passes defended. He was originally drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round back in 2016. He was waived by New England at final cuts, and claimed by the Eagles before the Pats could stash him on the practice squad.

He’s turned into a very nice find for Philly, and hopefully he can get back out there before too long. The Northern Illinois product is heading into the final year of his contract, so this is an especially pivotal year for him. Free agent signing Zach Brown will be even more important while Grugier-Hill is sidelined.

Spencer Ware Still Plans To Play In 2019, Wants Injury Settlement

August 3rd, 2019 at 6:04pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It initially looked like Spencer Ware‘s season was over, but it turns out that might not be the case. Ware was moved by Indianapolis from the active/PUP list to the reserve/PUP list yesterday, which means he’s ineligible to play for the Colts in 2019. 

However, he can still play for another team if he is able to come to an agreement with Indy. To that end, Ware plans on seeking an injury settlement that will allow him to play for a different team this season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapsheet also has additional details on Ware’s injury. Originally the Colts expected it to be a very minor issue, but obviously it turned out to be something more serious. Rapoport writes that the LSU product is having ankle surgery that will sideline him for the next 5-6 weeks.

For what it’s worth, Ware himself tweeted the following: “I am NOT done for season! When things happen you have to adjust and treat accordingly.I’m going to play THIS YEAR,so there are things that need to be done before that happens that’ll put me in the best case scenario.MINOR,MINOR, MINOR setback because of timing.”

Ware had a breakout 2016 campaign when he became the Chiefs’ starting running back, rushing for 921 yards and adding another 447 through the air. He was slated to again carry the load in 2017, but missed the entire season due to a knee injury he suffered in the preseason. When he returned last year he wasn’t used nearly as much, although he remained pretty effective. In 13 games for Kansas City last season, he carried the ball 51 times for 246 yards (4.8 YPC), and had 20 receptions for another 224 yards. Even with his injury history, Ware should be able to resurface with another team when he’s fully healthy.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/19

August 3rd, 2019 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: TE Zach Conque
  • Waived/injured: TE Billy Brown

New York Giants

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Seattle Seahawks

AFC West Notes: Brown, Broncos, Chiefs

August 3rd, 2019 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Antonio Brown has not done much in Raiders training camp, beginning it on their active/NFI list and having missed almost all of his new team’s sessions thus far. An offseason foot problem, one recently labeled “very minor” has shelved the 31-year-old superstar. Brown is now set to visit a foot specialist on Saturday, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets. Jon Gruden said Friday he’s disappointed Brown has not been able to do much in camp, and while The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones tweets Brown is only dealing with foot blisters, a specialist visit is not a great sign to start Brown’s Oakland tenure. Frustration is mounting on both sides, but this is still being viewed a minor malady, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken (Twitter links). Brown has missed six of seven Raider camp workouts and has not participated in a full session yet.

Here is the latest from the AFC West, shifting first to the Broncos’ most recent skill-position addition:

  • Theo Riddick ended up choosing the Broncos as his second NFL team. In an era that has seen running back value plunge considerably, Riddick did relatively well. His Broncos deal is for one year and $2.5MM, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. With a $1MM guarantee, it’s a good bet Riddick will join Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman in Denver’s Week 1 backfield. Incentives being met would spike this pact’s value to $3.3MM, Klis adds. The Broncos were fairly well-stocked at running back, though injuries have sidelined both Lindsay and Freeman for stretches to start their careers. Riddick would also stand to help the Broncos in the slot.
  • Continuing on the subject of Broncos roles, it is Bradley Chubb, not Von Miller, who is stationed in the Khalil Mack outside linebacker position in Vic Fangio‘s defense, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com tweets. While likely to be viewed as Denver’s No. 2 pass rusher throughout Miller’s prime, Chubb is coming off a 12-sack rookie season.
  • The Chiefs are moving cornerback Tremon Smith to running back, as B.J. Kissel of the team’s official website tweets. Smith only played 82 defensive snaps as a rookie, serving primarily as a kick returner. The 2018 sixth-round pick joins Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde, 2018 UDFA Darrel Williams and 2019 sixth-rounder Darwin Thompson. Given Smith’s work as a return man, he seems a fairly safe bet to make his way back to Kansas City’s 53-man roster.

Texans’ Tytus Howard To Open At Guard

August 3rd, 2019 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans deployed one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines last season and are likely to return multiple starters from the group that yielded 62 an NFL-most sacks. But the team looks to be planning on getting a key addition into the lineup in an unexpected fashion.

Tytus Howard is the frontrunner to open the season as Houston’s starting left guard, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes. A first-round tackle out of Alabama State, Howard would replace 2018 starter Senio Kelemete if this plan ends up coming to fruition. Recent signing Matt Kalil is in place as the team’s left tackle, Wilson adds.

Although Howard was viewed as a bit of a reach as a first-rounder, the Texans — despite firing GM Brian Gaine, who oversaw this year’s draft — clearly believe the former high school quarterback has a chance to play immediately. Gaine said after the draft the college tackle could play both guard positions, and Bill O’Brien‘s staff is testing that stance.

Additionally, the Texans are considering second-round guard Max Scharping as a Week 1 starter on the right side. But Wilson adds 2018 starter Zach Fulton is firmly in the mix to keep his job to start this season. Seantrel Henderson, who re-signed after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 1, is expected to start at right tackle.

Deshaun Watson took the most sacks any NFL passer has since Jon Kitna in 2006. The Texans were quiet in free agency on this front, despite entering the marketplace with more than $80MM in cap space. They added the oft-maligned Kalil and used first- and second-round picks on a Division I-FCS tackle (Howard) and mid-major guard (Scharping, out of Northern Illinois). All three additions could be Week 1 starters, doing so after 2018’s batch of newcomers frequently failed to protect Watson.

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