2019 November - Pro Football Rumors

Titans Place Delanie Walker On IR, Sign K Ryan Santoso

November 27th, 2019 at 12:31pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Titans made a pair of roster moves Wednesday. Tennessee is placing tight end Delanie Walker on injured reserve, and signing kicker Ryan Santoso to take his place on the roster, the team announced.

Walker started the season as the Titans’ starting tight end once again, but the 35-year-old was hampered by the ankle that he had surgery on last year. A severe ankle injury cost him all but one game last season, and with the injuries piling up it’s possible this is the end of the road for the longtime veteran. He’ll finish 2019 having played in seven games, with 21 catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

Walker has been playing in the league for 14 seasons, and has been with the Titans since 2013. He had at least 800 yards for four straight seasons from 2014 through 2017. He’s under contract for next season, but the Titans can get out of it pretty easily if they want to. He signed a two-year, $17MM extension with $10.5MM guaranteed before last season.

In his absence the team will continue to lean on Jonnu Smith, a third-year player who has flashed a lot of promise. Tennessee also added Santoso, but regular kicker Ryan Succop isn’t going anywhere. The team intends to carry two kickers for now, writes Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site. Santoso is a Minnesota alum who has never kicked in a regular season game. It appears that he’s going to be tasked with handling kickoffs, while Succop continues to kick field goals.

Panthers Sign Stacy McGee and Woodrow Hamilton

November 27th, 2019 at 11:58am CST by Marc Delucchi

The Panthers made a flurry of roster moves on Wednesday morning. Carolina officially moved defensive tackle Dontari Poe and guard Greg Van Roten to the injured reserve and signed defensive linemen Stacy McGee and Woodrow Hamilton, according to Joe Person of The Athletic.

The move to injured reserve was expected for Poe after it was reported earlier this week that he had to undergo surgery for a torn quad. Van Roten, however, left Sunday’s game against the Saints with a toe injury and the severity was not yet known. Now, both are officially out for the season.

McGee is the more well-known of the two new additions. A six-year veteran, McGee played the first four seasons of his career with the Raiders where he served as a swingman, playing nearly every position along the defensive line. After his tenure in Oakland, Washington signed him to a two-year contract that spanned the 2017-18 seasons. Over his career, McGee has appeared in 75 games (29 starts), recorded 116 tackles, and 4 sacks.

Hamilton has bounced between a number of NFL organizations and has appeared in two games since turning pro in 2016. While he does not come with McGee’s resume, he also signed a futures/reserve contract with the Panthers in December of 2018 and was with the organization until final roster cuts on August 30th. His familiarity should help him quickly integrate himself into the rotation.

Practice Notes: Eagles, Jets, Cardinals

November 27th, 2019 at 11:24am CST by Marc Delucchi

The Eagles got positive news on the injury front regarding three of their biggest weapons Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport. Wide receivers Alshon Jeffery (ankle) and Nelson Agholor (knee) are full participants in practice today and running back Jordan Howard (shoulder), while not yet back to practice, is “trending the right way.”

All three players missed Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, Jeffery and Howard have not played since November 3rd. Philadelphia’s offense has struggled mightily in recent weeks. Most of the blame has fallen on the shoulders of quarterback Carson Wentz, but it would surely help their signalcaller to have some more weapons.

Here’s some more notes on practice status around the league:

Jets head coach Adam Gase told reporters he expects cornerback Darryl Roberts is expected to return after missing two games with a calf injury, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. Right tackle Chuma Edoga will not practice today and left tackle Kelvin Beachum will be limited as well. The Jets are in the midst of a three-game win streak in hopes to rebound from what looked like a lost season.
While Cardinals offensive tackle Jordan Mills was designated for return from the injured reserve earlier today, cornerback Robert Alford, though, will not be joining his teammate, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Alford, a six-year veteran, fractured his tibia prior to the season and was placed on injured reserve with the possibility to return. However, per Urban, that possibility is no longer an option.

Cardinals Designate Jordan Mills To Return From IR

November 27th, 2019 at 10:31am CST by Marc Delucchi

The Cardinals designated offensive tackle Jordan Mills to return from the injured reserve on Tuesday, according to Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. Arizona has been without their starting right tackle since Week 4.

Mills was signed in Week 2 after the team’s starting right tackle Marcus Gilbert suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Justin Murray got the first crack at Gilbert’s spot along the offensive line, but Arizona shifted to Mills after a week. However, in Week 4, Mills was touch-and-go with a knee injury and was only able to play sparingly. After the game the team placed him on injured reserve, returning Murray to the starting lineup.

A seven-year veteran, Mills is one of the most experienced blockers along the Cardinals offensive line. Since entering the league in 2013, Mills has started 84 games at right tackle, including all of the Bills 48 regular-season games from 2016-2018. While he has never been considered an elite player, he has been a consistent option.

The young Cardinals have had a productive first season under head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Rookie quarterback Kyler Murray has led a top-ten offense without much help along the offensive line. Mills, who is eligible to return in Week 14, could help improve the unit. Now that Mills has been designated for return, he will get to practice for up to 21 days before the team must place him back on the 53-man roster or return him to IR for the rest of the season.

Jason Garrett Must Win Super Bowl To Keep Job

November 27th, 2019 at 9:38am CST by Marc Delucchi

Sources close to the Cowboys say head coach Jason Garrett must win the Super Bowl this season to retain his job, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. Freeman notes that Garrett has survived the hot seat many times before, but claims in this instance, “the rumors feel different.”

Just this morning, Dallas owner Jerry Jones intimated the same sentiment to Good Morning Football, but given Jones’ maverick history, reading into any one quote can be misleading. However, Freeman’s report confirms Garrett faces an ultimatum to reach a level he has never reached in his tenure as head coach.

Garrett holds a 83-64 overall record in his ten years as head coach in Dallas, but his 2-3 playoff record, which includes zero Super Bowl appearances remains the largest indictment on his record. His more recent refusal to integrate statistical analysis into his decision making has garnered large outside criticism, especially after he decided to kick a field goal during the Cowboys 13-9 loss to the Patriots on Sunday.

Freeman reports that executives around the league believe Jones has begun to focus on two candidates to eventually replace Garrett: former Utah, Florida, and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Both candidates come with certain levels of risk. Meyer has never coached at the professional level and left Ohio State amidst off-field controversy. McDaniels’ was last the Broncos head coach, but was fired after a generally unsuccessful tenure. Of course, Garrett does appear to have a path to retaining his position: reaching the league’s pinnacle.

Coaching Notes: Belichick, Packers, Garrett

November 27th, 2019 at 9:15am CST by Marc Delucchi

Ben Volin of The Boston Globe dives into the tape of the Patriots 13-9 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday to explore the ways New England shutdown one of the most prolific offenses in football. Pats head coach Bill Belichick has long been one of the best defensive minds in football and Dallas tight end Jason Witten explained how Sunday’s scheme caused problems,“Even though it’s cover 0, it’s really not. When you think cover 0, you think all-out pressure and man-to-man [coverage]. But they’re dropping out to play whole help, so they have help coming inside. As receivers and quarterbacks, it puts a lot of pressure on you.”

The Pats defense may be one of the most aggressive units in the NFL, but that aggressiveness does not come with the greater risk we have come to expect. Volin notes that while New England has the tenth highest blitz rate in the league, their creative defensive scheme, which includes intricate decoys, limits an opponents ability to take advantage.

The Packers have one of the younger assistant coaching staffs in football under rookie head coach Matt LaFleur, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Tom Silverstein and LeRoy Butler of the Milwaukee Sentinel debate whether that could explain the inability for such a talented unit to really dominate opponents and get shutdown by the 49ers this past week. Silverstein opines that a more experienced staff might be better equipped to scheme their team advantages.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones once again offered strong public comments surrounding Dallas head coach Jason Garrett. This morning on Good Morning Football, Jones was asked about Garrett and responded, “I don’t have to win the Super Bowl in business every year. I can come in 6th and have a hell of a year. But in this business, you gotta come in first. I want Jason to get it done.” While the statement does not say anything definitively, it does suggest a certain level of ultimatum for his head coach: win the Super Bowl or else.

CB Tre Roberson Drawing Substantial Interest

November 27th, 2019 at 8:31am CST by Marc Delucchi

One player on the Calgary Stampeders has drawn the attention of NFL scouts from a number of teams. Cornerback Tre Roberson is drawing interest from more than ten different teams and is expected to return to the NFL in 2020, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Roberson, who played quarterback in college for Indiana and Illinois State, was last with an NFL team in September of 2017 when the Vikings waived him from their practice squad. He did receive a workout with the Colts, but never signed a contract. The Stampeders brought the corner north prior to the 2018 CFL season when he emerged as one of the best defensive players in the league. Over the past two years, Roberson has started every game for Calgary, who won the 2018 Grey Cup, recorded 95 tackles, and 10 interceptions.

At 27 years old, Roberson may appear to be close to a finished product, but there is an added element to his status as a prospect. Since he played quarterback for the entirety of his football career until he turned pro, Roberson has only been playing defense for the previous three years. The Indianapolis native has already shown an impressive ability to pick up the new trade and may very well have the intangibles necessary to take further steps in his development.

Obviously, many teams are in need of help in their secondaries, and Roberson presents an intriguing combination of proven talent and prospect potential for front offices. Roberson will also not be subject to team’s compensatory draft pick formula, further adding to his potential value as a buy-low candidate.

Lions Work Out Two QBs

November 26th, 2019 at 9:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Lions’ quarterbacks are both ailing, so the team brought in a pair of signal-callers for auditions today. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that Detroit worked out Joe Callahan and Taryn Christion.

Callahan, 26, has spent time with six organizations (not including two stints with the Packers) since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016. The Wesley (DE) product appeared in a single game for the Packers during the 2017 season, completing five of his seven pass attempts for 11 yards. Callahan was waived by the Ravens at the end of the 2019 preseason, and he was later selected by the Seattle Dragons during the XFL Draft.

Christion, an undrafted rookie out of South Dakota State, spent the preseason with the Cowboys. He actually had a solid outing during the team’s preseason finale vs. the Buccaneers, completing 11 of his 17 attempts for 142 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The 22-year-old spent time on the Steelers practice squad earlier this season.

The Lions have a short week, as the team will be playing in their annual Thanksgiving contest. It’s uncertain if Matthew Stafford will return this season from a back injury, and fill-in Jeff Driskel is currently dealing with his own hamstring injury. Otherwise, the Lions are only rostering third-stringer David Blough. We learned yesterday that the Lions were hunting for some quarterback help, as the XFL blocked the Lions from signing quarterback Josh Johnson.