HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Ravens Won’t Rule Out Antonio Brown

July 30th, 2020 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

Maybe Lamar Jackson will get his wish after all. When asked about the possibility of signing Antonio Brown, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that he’s willing to “look at any and every player” and Brown is “no exception,” (Twitter link via Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network). Then, in reference to Brown’s murky status with the league office, Harbaugh addressed the obvious.

[RELATED: Ravens’ Jackson Still Pushing For Antonio Brown]

“I don’t think he’s available right now,” said the coach.

Jackson and Marquise Brown (AB’s cousin) would love to welcome Brown to Baltimore. Ditto for Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson. The NFL, it seems, is less than interested in bringing the controversial wide receiver back to the game. Brown’s investigation has dragged on for months and the league office has yet to provide his camp with meaningful status updates.

Brown, of course, has given the NFL a whole lot to sift through. Between the ugly allegations, legal entanglements, social media outbursts, retirements, and un-retirements, it’s hard to make sense of his situation.

The 32-year-old has tallied 841 receptions for 11,253 yards over the course of his career, which includes seven Pro Bowl appearances. At this moment, he’s aiming for a return in 2020, despite previous concerns about the health “risk [being] greater than the reward.”

Matt Jones Drawing NFL Interest

July 30th, 2020 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

It’s been a few years since we’ve seen Matt Jones in the NFL, but he hasn’t given up hope of a return. He also has some reason to believe – the running back has chatted with multiple teams as the season draws near, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).

As Garafolo points out, Jones’ odds could be helped by the growing list of players opting out of the 2020 season. Every team that loses a running back, in theory, is a potential landing spot for the former Colts and [Washington Football Team] rusher.

Jones played for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL, up until the league’s midseason cancellation. He was named to the all-league team at the halfway point, behind a decent 3.9 yards per carry average. Of course, it all came on a minimal sample size – 80 carries for 314 yards, plus a 25-yard touchdown catch.

Jones, 27, came into the league as a third round pick with Washington. For a time, he was their top rusher, and he showed promise in short bursts. Eventually, he slipped down the depth chart and he was jettisoned from the roster in 2017. He then moved on to the Colts, swaying between the practice squad and active roster. In his limited time with the Colts’ varsity squad, he averaged less than three yards per carry.

Jones’ last NFL deal came with the Eagles in 2018, but he did not make their final cut.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/20

July 29th, 2020 at 4:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Teams continue to make moves as players report to training camps, with many opting to pare their rosters from 90 to 80 players well before the mid-August deadline. Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

  • Waived/injured: CB Tre Roberson

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Chiefs RB Damien Williams Opts Out

July 29th, 2020 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs will lose another starter from their Super Bowl champion team to an opt-out decision. Damien Williams informed the team he will not play this season.

This news follows longtime Kansas City guard starter Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s decision, which preceded several players’ choices to bypass 2020 amid COVID-19 concerns. Williams became the Chiefs’ starting running back shortly after the team waived Kareem Hunt in 2018. He was again set for a key role this season.

Williams, 28, delivered an inconsistent regular season; the Chiefs ranked 23rd in rushing offense. But the former Dolphins backup again produced in the playoffs. Williams scored six playoff touchdowns and had the best non-Patrick Mahomes claim to the Super Bowl LIV MVP award after totaling 133 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. He scored four TDs in the 2018 postseason.

Kansas City, however, has some interesting options in its backfield. First-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire will now be on track to start this season. The LSU product was one of college football’s most difficult tackling assignments last season and will join a high-powered Chiefs offense — one now in need of a starting running back. Edwards-Helaire is the only running back an Andy Reid-led team has selected in Round 1 during the future Hall of Fame coach’s 21 years as a head coach. The Chiefs also have young backs Darwin Thompson and Darrel Williams as options beyond Edwards-Helaire.

Williams’ contract ran through 2020. He was to make $1.85MM in base salary this season on a deal that will now toll to 2021.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Guice, Giants

July 29th, 2020 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles will be without Lane Johnson for a while. They placed their Pro Bowl right tackle on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday. Teams are not permitted to disclose whether a player tested positive or if he was placed on the list for other reasons, but Johnson tweets he did indeed test positive for COVID-19. The eighth-year right tackle will be on the shelf for a bit because of the roster designation. The reserve/COVID-19 designation is for players who have tested positive for the coronavirus or are in quarantine for potential exposure. Players must pass three coronavirus tests to return to action. Fellow tackle Jordan Mailata and linebacker Nathan Gerry also landed on Philadelphia’s reserve/COVID list.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • Ahead of what could be a make-or-break season, Washington running back Derrius Guice is healthy again. The third-year player tweeted that he has been fully cleared for participation in football activities. Guice missed all of 2018 with an ACL tear and encountered multiple bouts of knee trouble last season as well. The former second-round pick has played in five of a possible 32 regular-season games and now will attempt to carve out a role for a new Washington regime.
  • Although rookies have come in at slot deals since 2011, the Eagles sweetened their second-round quarterback’s deal a bit. Jalen Hurts‘ four-year, $6.02MM rookie contract includes a $75K workout bonus in 2022 and a $100K workout bump in 2023, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Broncos included workout bonuses in 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock‘s contract.
  • The Giants and Leonard Williams were not close on a long-term deal, and an NFL executive believes Big Blue overpaid the sixth-year defensive lineman on the $16.1MM franchise tag, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes. Williams has an interesting trait of almost sacking quarterbacks, ranking 12th in QB hits (101) since 2015 but 84th in sacks in that span. As a result of the pricey tag, which makes Williams the Giants’ highest-paid player this season, an agent told Raanan that the team raised Williams’ asking price. Despite registering a half-sack in 15 games last season, Williams sought an $18-$20MM-per-year deal.
  • Ten-year veteran defensive lineman Ziggy Hood is moving into the coaching ranks. The former defensive tackle will be a Washington coaching intern this season, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Hood, 33, played in Washington from 2016-18.

Bengals Expected To Sign QB Brandon Allen

July 29th, 2020 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandon Allen is expected to have a new team soon. The journeyman backup quarterback will take a physical and a COVID-19 test for the Bengals this weekend, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Assuming those check out, Allen is expected to sign with the team, Pelissero adds. Although Allen spent the 2019 season with the Broncos, seeing his first NFL action, he has a history with Bengals HC Zac Taylor. He spent nearly two seasons as a Rams backup. Taylor was with Los Angeles from 2017-18, serving as the Rams’ QBs coach in 2018.

Allen would join 2019 draftee Ryan Finley behind No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, who will be Cincinnati’s starter this season. The Bengals released Andy Dalton earlier this year.

Despite being a 2016 draftee (by the Jaguars in Round 6), Allen did not make his regular-season debut until last season. The Broncos called upon their waiver claim to start in November, with the former Arkansas passer serving as a bridge between injured passers Joe Flacco and Drew Lock. Allen won his first game, throwing two touchdown passes against the Browns, and threw for 240 yards in a narrow loss in Minnesota the following week. For the season, however, Allen completed just 46% of his passes.

Latest On Titans, Vic Beasley

July 29th, 2020 at 2:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans placed 2020 free agent acquisition Vic Beasley on their reserve/did not report list Tuesday. A day later, the veteran defensive end remains away from the team’s training camp.

Beasley has not announced an opt-out decision, and no communication explaining his absence has taken place, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Titans began COVID-19 testing Tuesday.

Tennessee gave the former top-10 pick a fully guaranteed $9.5MM on a one-year deal to play opposite Harold Landry this season. While the team has been in the Jadeveon Clowney market for months, to some degree, Beasley is expected to play a key role for his new team.

With Clowney still a free agent, Beasley’s situation could represent a key domino in that months-long saga. The 2016 All-Pro experienced inconsistency with the Falcons, but he played well down the stretch last season — after the Falcons could not find a trade partner — and finished with eight sacks.

Giants LT Nate Solder Opts Out

July 29th, 2020 at 2:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Giants left tackle Nate Solder has announced he is opting out of the 2020 season. The former Patriots blocker cited family concerns in doing so (Twitter link). Solder, who overcame testicular cancer during his NFL career, has a son battling cancer.

This was set to be Solder’s third season with the Giants, who were to slot No. 4 overall pick Andrew Thomas‘ at right tackle. This announcement may change the organization’s plans. Solder qualifies as a high-risk opt-out player. He will receive a $350K stipend for the 2020 season.

The Giants signed Solder to a then-record four-year, $62MM deal in 2018. That deal now runs through the 2022 season, with Solder’s $9.9MM base salary and $19.5MM cap number tolling to 2021.

He was the centerpiece of then-new GM Dave Gettleman‘s offensive line overhaul. While the 6-foot-8 veteran has not delivered on that contract, his opt out will leave the Giants shorthanded at one of the game’s most pivotal positions. Solder, 32, has started all 32 games since signing his Giants pact.

Big Blue drafted Thomas as a Solder heir apparent, but after letting 2019 right tackle stopgap Mike Remmers leave in free agency, the team was planning on a Solder-Thomas setup. This may force the team to begin Thomas at left tackle early and move March addition Cameron Fleming into the starting lineup. The Giants had the former Patriots and Cowboys tackle on track for a swing-man role. Fleming has started 18 games in his six-year career. New York also used a third-round pick on tackle Matt Peart, but even before the coronavirus wiped out onsite offseason workouts, the UConn product was viewed as more of a developmental player.

Were the Giants to look to the market to find a left tackle stopgap, Cordy Glenn remains unsigned. Jason Peters re-signed with the Eagles after months in free agency, and Kelvin Beachum reached a recent deal with the Cardinals. Donald Penn and longtime Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson also remain free agents.

Giants’ Markus Golden To Sign Tender

July 29th, 2020 at 2:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Giants edge rusher Markus Golden will sign his tender and report to the team, according to Art Stapleton of The Record (on Twitter). When he arrives, Golden will go through the first round of COVID-19 protocols and get to work once he’s given the green light.

Golden registered 10 sacks in a bounce-back 2019 season, but the game tape and advanced metrics told a slightly different story. With only 26 pressures, many evaluators felt that his sack totals were something of a fluke. Golden aimed for a lucrative multiyear deal, but the Giants instead tethered him with a rarely used UFA tender. When Golden wasn’t able to scare up another offer, he chose to take his time. Now, he’ll return to the G-Men and earn $4.125MM in 2020.

Last year, the Giants finished near the bottom in pass-defense DVOA. In a perfect world, they probably would have liked to upgrade from Golden, but they did not engage heavily with this year’s top edge rushers. Instead of adding one of the still-available options – a list that includes Jadeveon Clowney, Everson Griffen, and Jabaal Sheard – the Giants seem ready to enter Week 1 with Golden, longtime Packers backup Kyler Fackrell, and a young group of DEs to bring the blitz.

Because Golden’s 10th and final sack last season triggered a $1MM incentive, he made more money in 2019 than his 2020 tender will pay. This sets up a strange “prove it again” season for the former Cardinals second-round pick. But with the Giants curiously doing little to augment their edge-rushing situation this year, Golden is again in line to be the team’s top pass rusher. This will be Golden’s age-29 campaign.

49ers, John Lynch Agree To Extension

July 29th, 2020 at 1:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have agreed to a multi-year extension with John Lynch, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The new deal will keep the GM in SF for the next five seasons. The two sides will hash out the language in the coming days before Lynch formally inks his second contract with the club. 

[RELATED: Latest On 49ers, George Kittle]

Lynch’s add-on will take him through 2024, to exactly match head coach Kyle Shanahan. The Niners went out-of-the-box in 2017 when they hired Lynch and signed him to a six-year deal, one that was set to expire after 2023. Vikings assistant GM George Paton and Cardinals VP of player personnel Terry McDonough were also in the mix during that cycle, but the 49ers were floored by Lynch’s presentation.

Early on, some believed that Shanahan would be the one calling the shots on the roster. Instead, the two have worked cohesively to form one of the NFC’s strongest contenders. Lynch may have lacked previous high-level front office experience, but he’s made up for it with aggressive moves and first-hand, field-level knowledge. Last year, Lynch’s squad nearly captured a sixth Super Bowl ring for the franchise. They’re a popular pick yet again in 2020, and it’s not hard to see why.

Lynch’s hire feels like it was just yesterday, but he’s far from the freshest face in the GM club. By our count, the longtime safety is one of the 20 longest tenured GMs in the league.

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