HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Dolphins Give Minkah Fitzpatrick Permission To Seek Trade

September 13th, 2019 at 9:31am CST by cwcrouse

Minkah Fitzpatrick has received permission from the Dolphins to seek a trade, multiple sources tell Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com.

Fitzpatrick, who projected to be a cornerback/safety coming into the league, is unhappy with how the organization making him play multiple positions on defense. During training camp, Fitzpatrick’s mother tweeted that he was being used incorrectly and Fitzpatrick confirmed that he agreed with her assessment.

“She feels very strongly. She’s not wrong,” Fitzpatrick said. “Coach has asked me to do something right now. I got to do what they ask me to do. If we have to have some discussions in the future, we’ll have those discussions.

“I’m not 215 pounds, 220 pounds. So playing in the box isn’t best suited for me, but that’s what Coach is asking me to do.”

The Dolphins are not actively shopping Fitzpatrick, according to Mortensen. If a deal gets done, it’ll be on Fitzpatrick’s camp to find a suitor. Fitzpatrick’s agent, Joel Segal, has been in contact with several teams and Miami’s asking price appears to be high, as it involves a first-round pick.

Mortensen spoke with a personnel man from a rival team who said it would be surprising if the Dolphins netted a first-rounder for Fitzpatrick. The source was high on Fitzpatrick’s skills, though the pessimism had to do with the 22-year-old’s projected position. He told Mortensen that Fitzpatrick was an “ideal slot corner who can cover, blitz off the edge, [is] intelligent, a good tackler and a good special-teams player.” Another rival GM told Mortensen that Miami is being unrealistic about what their players will get in trades after coming away with two first-rounders in the Laremy Tunsil deal.

The former No. 11 overall pick is expected to play against the Patriots this week.

Neither Patriots Nor Raiders Were Aware Of Antonio Brown’s Civil Lawsuit

September 13th, 2019 at 9:03am CST by cwcrouse

The Patriots were unaware that Antonio Brown was involved in the civil lawsuit, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. The Raiders, who released Brown last weekend, were also not aware of the allegations.

Brown and his accuser, Britney Taylor, were in discussions about the allegations over the past few months but agreed their conversations would remain confidential until Taylor filed the civil lawsuit. Fowler writes that this is common practice in settlement talks.

Fowler hears that players are not obligated to notify teams of civil matters before signing a free agent contract. However, once a case rises to a criminal matter, then there is more onus on the player.

Taylor is scheduled to meet with the NFL next week. The league is contemplating whether or not to place Brown on the commissioner’s exempt list. Such as move would keep Brown off the field but allow him to collect his salary.

A decision isn’t expect to be made before New England’s game in Miami and the Patriots are preparing to have Brown on the field.

Notable NFL Practice Squad Salaries

September 12th, 2019 at 9:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Playing on an NFL practice squad isn’t a bad gig. You work with a club’s 53-man roster every week, have a good chance to get called up if/when injuries strike, and collect a solid paycheck ($8K per week minimum). And for some practice squaders, the pay can get even better.

While all practice squad salaries count towards the salary cap, there’s no restriction on how much a team can pay a practice squad player. When a club desperately wants to retain a player but can’t fit him on its 53, they’ll often bump up his salary in an effort to keep him around. Here’s a look at several players who are earning much more than the NFL’s $8K per week standard, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link):

The 49ers clearly have no problem with spending a little extra on practice squad players, as both Lee and Harris are earning at least $22K more than the league PS minimum. Lee’s been with San Francisco since 2017 and started five games for the club last season, but the 49ers’ front seven depth is keeping him on the taxi squad for now. Harris, too, was a part-time starter for San Francisco in 2018.

The quarterbacks on the list are also interesting. Rypien has been deemed Broncos’ offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello‘s “project” and could be called up to the active roster at some point given that Denver is only carrying two quarterbacks in Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen (rookie second-rounder Drew Lock is on injured reserve). And the rebuilding Dolphins seem intent on hanging onto Rudock, who spent the first three seasons of his career with the Lions.

Dolphins Re-Sign Tank Carradine

September 12th, 2019 at 8:45pm CST by PFR Staff

In a series of corresponding moves, the Dolphins announced earlier this morning that they had signed defensive end Tank Carradine and placed defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter on injured reserve.

Carradine was part of the Dolphins’ final cuts back in August after he started three of four preseason games and registered only a single tackle. The former 49ers 2013 second-round draft pick has failed to live up to his draft status thus far, totaling 77 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 45 career games. Since Carradine was released before Week 1, the Dolphins were not required to guarantee his salary of $880K for the 2019 season.

Ledbetter, an undrafted free agent from Georgia, signed with the Dolphins back in May, and started for the organization in last week’s ugly loss against the Ravens. Ledbetter played well in the contest, however, making four tackles and registering half a sack, while playing 66% of the team’s defensive snaps.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/19

September 12th, 2019 at 8:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

  • Claimed off waivers: TE J.P. Holtz
  • Waived: DL Abdullah Anderson

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

  • Promoted from practice squad: CB Nate Meadors
  • Released from injured reserve: DE Ade Aruna

AFC West Notes: Bolts, Gates, Rivers, Chiefs

September 12th, 2019 at 7:31pm CST by PFR Staff

Despite losing Hunter Henry to yet another serious injury, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn did not seem optimistic on a potential reunion with Antonio Gates, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN. “I have not been in contact with Antonio,” Lynn said. “I’m not sure what his situation is.”

After Henry’s injury last year, Gates was brought back to the only organization he’s ever known, serving mostly in a backup role. Appearing in all 16 games for the Chargers, Gates totaled 28 receptions for 333 yards, with only two touchdowns.

In the interim, the Chargers seem content with expanding the roles of tight ends Virgil Green and Sean Culkin while Henry recovers from his injury. Green is coming off a lackluster 2018 campaign, where he hauled in 19 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown, while appearing in all 16 games for the Chargers. Despite this, he is expected to start, with Culkin serving in a back up role.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • For the second straight day, wide receiver Mike Williams was absent from Chargers practice, and is not looking good for Sunday’s game against the Lions, according to Eric D. Williams. Lynn has been concerned about the knee of Mike Williams, and another missed practice tomorrow would not bode well for his chances of suiting up this weekend.
  • On the most recent edition of the RapSheet + Friends Podcast, quarterback Philip Rivers spoke with NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport about a number of topics, including his current contract. “I really just feel at peace about that. Tom [Telesco] and I had really good conversations throughout the last couple months. I think it’s sincere, the both of us, really desire I’m still a Charger in 2020,” Rivers told Rapoport. “I think that sincerity will make it all work out. Had it worked out before the regular season got started, I’d have been fine with it, but it didn’t. Shoot, hey let’s just wait and it kinda worked best for both sides to do that. I really feel good about it. I’m in a good place.” Rivers is in the final year of a four-year, $83.25 million contract extension he signed in August 2015.
  • In an effort to create cap space, Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher‘s contract was restructured, which included the conversion of his $9.54MM base salary to a fully guaranteed roster bonus that will be prorated from 2019 to 2021, dropping his 2019 cap hit to about $6.4MM, according to Yahoo Sports’ Terez A. Paylor. Paylor also reports that linebacker Anthony Hitchens‘ restructure, which included the conversion of $5.6MM of his base salary to a fully guaranteed roster bonus that will also be prorated from 2019 to 2022, created roughly $4.2MM in cap room.

Dolphins OT Julien Davenport To Miss Time

September 12th, 2019 at 6:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Acquired by the Dolphins in the Laremy Tunsil trade, offensive tackle Julien Davenport is going to miss time with his new club. Davenport suffered a hyperextended knee and small crack in his tibia during practice and will be sidelined for several weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Davenport may be placed on injured reserve, but he’d be a contender to return later this season.

Neither Davenport nor Miami left tackle Jesse Davis played particularly well in the Dolphins’ embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Ravens, as Pro Football Focus graded both linemen as bottom-10 tackles. Now, with Davenport out, the Dolphins will rely on recently-signed journeyman J’Marcus Webb to take over on the right side.

Davenport, a fourth-round pick of the Texans in the 2017 draft, started 19 games for Houston over his first two seasons in the NFL. He was packaged alongside two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and defensive back Johnson Bademosi in the deal that sent Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, and fourth- and sixth-round selections to the Texans.

The Dolphins aren’t necessarily attempting to compete, and their offensive line is among the weakest areas on a bare-bones roster. In Week 1, the unit ranked dead last in adjusted line yards and 19th in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/12/19

September 12th, 2019 at 5:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad updates:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: DL Abdullah Anderson
  • Released: LB James Vaughters

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

  • Signed: TE Donald Parham

AFC East Notes: Bell, Bills, Cannon, Dolphins

September 12th, 2019 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

At last, a piece of good news for the Jets. It appears Le’Veon Bell‘s MRI came back clean, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweeting the exam showed no tears or notable damage in Bell’s injured shoulder. Bell played every Jets offensive snap Sunday, and Jets doctors felt the veteran running back would need more than just a couple days’ rest to surmount this shoulder setback. But this MRI looks to be a good sign for his availability Monday night against the Browns. Should Bell play, he will be taking handoffs from Trevor Siemian. Sam Darnold is out with mono.

Let’s look at the latest from the other AFC East teams:

  • Marcus Cannon left Sunday night’s Patriots win because of a shoulder injury and may miss time. New England’s starting right tackle underwent tests this week, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who adds this injury is not believed to be a long-term setback. Cannon is practicing on a limited basis. Guard Joe Thuney moved to right tackle against the Steelers, but Reiss adds swing tackle Korey Cunningham may draw that assignment against the Dolphins (Twitter links). Cunningham was inactive in Week 1. The Pats just signed Marshall Newhouse as well, pointing to a possible Cannon absence in Miami.
  • Teams have been monitoring the Dolphins‘ situation regarding trades, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes GMs have been calling Chris Grier about potential deals. The Dolphins have traded Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, Ryan Tannehill and Robert Quinn this year. However, there is not much left in terms of trade assets on the roster, at least among players the Dolphins would be willing to deal.
  • Bills linebacker Tyrel Dodson drew a six-game suspension Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Dodson, a rookie UDFA who has resided on the commissioner’s exempt list, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge in May.

Raiders Audition T.J. McDonald, Other DBs

September 12th, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the many veterans the Dolphins either traded, released or let walk in free agency this year, T.J. McDonald has drawn interest from another AFC team. The Raiders put McDonald through a Thursday workout, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

McDonald and fellow defensive backs Kentrell Brice, Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Juston Burris participated in the audition. Additionally, Marcus Cooper and Coty Sensabaugh were part of this extensive audition, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The Raiders lost first-round safety Johnathan Abram to a severe shoulder injury, which is expected to end his rookie season after one game, and saw cornerback Gareon Conley stretchered off the field in a scary scene Monday. Conley, however, avoided a serious injury and may have a chance to play in Week 2.

A 28-year-old safety who came into the league with the 2013 Rams, McDonald has started all 75 games in which he’s played. This included 14 starts for the 2018 Dolphins. The Dolphins ate nearly $5MM in dead money by cutting McDonald in August.

The Buccaneers signed Brice in March but cut him earlier this month. Brice started 10 games at safety for the Packers last season. A three-year cornerback veteran, Boddy-Calhoun played in 43 games (22 starts) for the Browns from 2016-18. Burris suited up for 38 with the Jets and Browns from 2016-18. Sensabaugh and Cooper are much older, having begun their careers in 2012 and ’13, respectively. Sensabaugh started in 10 Steelers games last season; Cooper was buried on the Bears’ 2018 depth chart and didn’t see too much action later that season as a Lion.

Load More Posts