2019 October - Pro Football Rumors

Trade Notes: Chargers, Gordon, Howard

October 28th, 2019 at 5:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Some league officials have linked the Lions and Bills to Chargers star running back Melvin Gordon (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). Both clubs could be in the market for running back help and both would make ample sense for Gordon – if the Bolts are willing to lower their asking price a bit.

The Chargers haven’t been too keen on moving Gordon, despite the drama-filled offseason and holdout that ventured into the regular season. It’s possible that he could be pried loose for the right price, however, since he’ll be out-of-contract following the 2019 season.

Through four games played, Gordon hasn’t looked like his old self: he’s got just 2.5 yards per carry, plus two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving). Last year, in 12 contests, Gordon averaged 5.1 yards per tote with 14 TDs in total.

Here’s more from around the NFL as we gear up for trade deadline day:

The Dolphins are getting calls about cornerback Xavien Howard, Albert Breer of The MMQB reports. Howard says he’s not seeking a trade, and the Dolphins would do well to keep the 26-year-old for future seasons, but that’s not keeping other clubs from inquiring. Thanks to the five-year extension he inked with Miami in the offseason, Howard is under contract through the 2024 season.
Interest in Broncos cornerback Chris Harris seems to have cooled a bit, due in part to the asking price, Troy Renck of Denver7 hears. The Eagles and Texans were among the clubs with serious interest, but the Eagles’ D has turned things around and the Texans seem to have already address their CB needs. Meanwhile, the Broncos are paper thin at cornerback, so Renck senses that they won’t consider moving him for less than a third-round choice. Harris, meanwhile, wants to finish out 2019 in Denver, where he and his wife are expecting their fourth child.
In case you missed it: The Redskins are now open to trading Trent Williams.

Eagles Pursuing Lions’ Darius Slay

October 28th, 2019 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions have received calls on Darius Slay, and Albert Breer of SI.com reports they have made the veteran cornerback available. A team in a similar NFC position is pursuing him.

Having finished second in the Jalen Ramsey sweepstakes, and having pursued Chris Harris, the Eagles are “working hard” on a Slay trade, Chris Mortensen said during a SportsCenter appearance (via SI.com). However, the Lions are setting a “very, very high” price.

In hopes of landing a third Lions contract, Slay held out from the team’s offseason program. He was unsuccessful in his extension pursuit and reported to training camp on time. Detroit extended its other offseason holdout, Damon Harrison, during camp. But nothing has emerged on the prospect of another Slay re-up.

The Lions extended Slay in 2016 to a four-year, $50.2MM deal. Unlike Harris, he has another year remaining on his contract. Coupled with Detroit’s standing in the NFC playoff picture, that will allow the Lions to hold out for a strong offer. However, after the Lions traded Quandre Diggs to the Seahawks last week, Slay said he would not object to being traded himself. Slay, 28, is due a $10MM 2020 base salary.

Slay is a two-time Pro Bowler who grades as Pro Football Focus’ No. 52 corner this season. He picked off eight passes in 2016. The Eagles have struggled against the pass this season but have Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills back in action. Howie Roseman did not address this position over the offseason, but the rumors connecting Philadelphia to Ramsey and Harris point to the team recognizing a need remains. With another report indicating an Eagles splash move may be coming, the possibility of a cornerback being added to the roster certainly exists.

Redskins’ Derrius Guice Returns To Practice

October 28th, 2019 at 4:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Redskins running back Derrius Guice returned to the practice field on Monday. With that, the Redskins are hoping that he’ll be able to take the field for Week 11, when they take on the Jets.

Guice underwent knee surgery earlier this year and landed on IR for a second-straight season. All along, the Redskins planned to bring Guice back from IR using one of their two allotted slots, and that’s exactly what they’ll do, barring any setbacks.

The 2018 second-round pick suffered multiple setbacks in his recovery from last year’s knee injury, so his latest one was a major source of frustration. Despite it all, Guice has kept up the fight, with an eye on fulfilling his enormous potential.

Without Guice, the Redskins have turned to Adrian Peterson, who turned in yet another solid performance on Thursday night against the Vikings. Facing his former friends, Peterson ran for 76 yards off of 14 carries, good for 5.43 yards per tote. Over the last three games, Peterson has averaged 4.82 yards per carry, which isn’t too shabby for a 34-year-old that has been counted out on multiple occasions. Still, the Redskins know that their backfield will be even better with Guice on hand.

Redskins Shopping Josh Norman

October 28th, 2019 at 3:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Redskins finally seem ready to discuss Trent Williams, they are also eager to see if a taker for Josh Norman‘s contract emerges. Washington has called teams about the veteran cornerback, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Obstacles stand in the way of a possible deal, however. Norman is due nearly $6MM over the rest of 2019 and has battled hand and thigh injuries, missing Week 7. Norman played last week against the Vikings, however. The former Panthers All-Pro also has not lived up to the $15MM-AAV contract he signed in 2016.

Pro Football Focus grades Norman as its No. 98 overall corner (out of 112 full-timers), further sliding him down the cornerback hierarchy. Norman will turn 32 in December and is signed through the 2020 season. It would cost Washington just $3MM in dead money to release Norman in the offseason, and the move would save the franchise $12.3MM.

This marks the latest Norman trade rumor; a report last week indicated the eighth-year defender was being floated around. With the Redskins sitting at 1-7 through the first half, it makes sense for the team to consider dealing veterans not part of the long-term picture.

Cardinals Place D.J. Foster On IR

October 28th, 2019 at 3:34pm CST by Zachary Links

D.J. Foster‘s season could be over. At minimum, he’ll be out for the next eight weeks.

On Monday, the Cardinals placed the running back on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. The move comes on the heels of their Monday morning trade for running back Kenyan Drake, so they’re already adequately prepared for Foster’s absence.

Foster, of course, isn’t the only injured Cardinals RB. Chase Edmonds just went down with a hamstring injury of his own and star David Johnson is dealing with an ankle injury. This all amounts to Drake, fresh off the plane from Miami, being penciled in as the main ball-carrier for Thursday night’s game against the 49ers. He’ll be backed by the Cardinals’ revamped group, featuring Zach Zenner and Alfred Morris.

Foster, who has primarily contributed on special teams, returned eight kickoffs for 184 yards in the first six games of the year.

Dolphins Activate DE Robert Nkemdiche

October 28th, 2019 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Robert Nkemdiche‘s second chance could begin Monday night. The Dolphins activated the former first-round pick from their PUP list.

Nkemdiche suffered an ACL last season and reported to Cardinals camp in less-than-ideal shape. The Cardinals cut him, and the Dolphins took a flier. The interior defender returned to practice earlier this month.

The former No. 1 overall high school recruit will join a Dolphins front that has just seven sacks this season. Nkemdiche recorded 4.5 sacks last season, though it should be noted he did not register any between the 2016-17 slates. The Ole Miss product profiles as a defensive tackle in the Dolphins’ 4-3 scheme.

The Dolphins will now have four first-round picks on their defensive front, with Nkemdiche joining Christian Wilkins and 2017 Round 1 selections Charles Harris and Taco Charlton.

Redskins Open To Trading Trent Williams

October 28th, 2019 at 2:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Better late than never. The Redskins are now open to trading Trent Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The asking price: a first-round pick, according to Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter).

Williams has been vocal about his desire to get out of D.C. since the offseason, but the Redskins refused to deal him. Now, with 24 hours to go before the trade deadline, they’re at least listening to offers. They’ve begun the process of looking at potential suitors, Rapoport hears, which means that a deal could come together before the buzzer.

Washington has informed teams it has a second-rounder on the table from an unknown team, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. With the team moving off its stance of trading Williams in the offseason at the 11th hour, it certainly seems like the 10th-year blocker will have a new home soon.

The Redskins’ asking price is currently unknown, but they could probably command a decent return given the dearth of quality tackles across the league. If Williams is healthy, he’d automatically represent a colossal upgrade to any front five in the NFL.

The Browns’ pursuit of Williams has been well-documented and they would be a logical partner for Bruce Allen & Co. The Patriots would also make ample sense, though they recently gave up a second-round pick for wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. It’s not clear whether the Pats would be willing to cough up more to land Williams, but it stands to reason that they’ll at least consider it.

Williams, for his part, is planning to show up for work by Week 10 in order for 2019 to count as an accrued season. Whether he’s healthy enough to play by then is a separate matter.

Buccaneers Open To Trading O.J. Howard?

October 28th, 2019 at 2:52pm CST by Zachary Links

O.J. Howard might be on the block, after all. The Buccaneers would be willing to part with the athletic tight end for a “substantial offer,” Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears.

Multiple teams have inquired on Howard in recent weeks, even as the Buccaneers told the world that he was not available. With ~24 hours to go before the October trade deadline, the Bucs may be willing to move him to a contender in need of a playmaker.

For the most part, Howard hasn’t been used all that much in Bruce Arians‘ offense. Through six games, Howard has just 13 grabs for 176 yards and zero scores. Last year, in ten games (eight starts), Howard managed 34 catches for 565 yards and five TDs. Arians might not have lots of ideas for Howard, but plenty of other teams would love to add a tight end of his caliber with deep threat potential.

The Patriots are said to be interested in the former first-round pick, though they also have other tight end targets in mind, such as Bengals notable Tyler Eifert. Howard would represent a younger option – he won’t turn 25 until November.

Eagles Acquire Genard Avery From Browns

October 28th, 2019 at 2:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles and Browns agreed on a pre-deadline deal, with second-year defensive end/linebacker Genard Avery set to head from Cleveland to Philadelphia. The Eagles announced the trade, which will send a 2021 fourth-round draft pick to the Browns.

Cleveland used a fifth-round pick in 2018 on Avery and gave him five starts last season. The Memphis product also spent time at linebacker during his Ohio stay, potentially providing the Eagles with some versatility. Avery played a more prominent role on the 2018 Browns, registering 4.5 sacks and 40 tackles. This season, he has one solo tackle and has played a combined five defensive snaps.

Avery has only been active in two Browns games this season. He played three snaps against the Patriots. Avery asked the Browns for a trade, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports, adding John Dorsey did not want to part with him so soon. This marks the second in-season trade of a Dorsey 2018 pick, with the Browns having sent second-rounder Austin Corbett to the Rams earlier this month.

Vinny Curry and Josh Sweat reside as the Eagles’ backup defensive ends, with Daeshon Hall and fourth-round rookie Shareef Miller residing on Philadelphia’s 53-man roster. Avery’s rookie deal runs through the 2021 season.

East Notes: Eagles, Haskins, Jets, Giants

October 28th, 2019 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Giants both buying and hoping to sell at this year’s deadline, after making their first trade with the Jets, here’s the latest from the NFC East with barely 24 hours remaining for 2019 trade talks:

Now that the Eagles are back at .500, they are considering being buyers before Tuesday afternoon’s trade deadline. After their double-digit win in Buffalo, the Eagles could be in play for “something fun” before this year’s deadline, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Eagles have been linked to cornerbacks, being the Jalen Ramsey silver medalists, and may be in need at wide receiver. Although, Doug Pederson said DeSean Jackson is expected to practice this week.
Adrian Peterson may or may not have directly addressed Dwayne Haskins‘ performance issues with the rookie quarterback, with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reporting the veteran Redskins running back told Haskins after Thursday night’s loss to study the playbook more thoroughly (video link). While not denying he went to Haskins directly, Peterson addressed the matter on Twitter by saying he believes in the first-round prospect. In two relief appearances, Haskins has thrown no touchdown passes and four interceptions this season.
The conditional 2021 fifth-rounder the Giants dealt to the Jets for Leonard Williams would become a fourth-rounder if the G-Men extend Williams before free agency, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes. While the Giants may have a wink-wink agreement in place with Williams, in order to sign him after the start of the 2020 league year to preserve that fourth-round pick, that’s far from certain — especially for a player who has struggled in recent years.
While the Giants acquired Williams, they are also looking unload Janoris Jenkins and Alec Ogletree.