2020 August - Pro Football Rumors

Jaguars GM: No Yannick Ngakoue Deal Imminent

August 20th, 2020 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Hold the phone. Contrary to a recent report, the Jaguars are not close to trading Yannick Ngakoue, according to GM Dave Caldwell (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of SiriusXM).

Earlier this week, the Jaguars were said to be on the verge of a trade that would grant Ngakoue’s long-standing wish. Last night, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero cast some doubt on the likelihood of a deal, noting that the Jaguars’ asking price remains high. A second-round pick, he says, would not get the job done. Instead, the Jaguars would want a second-rounder “and change”.

Ngakoue still wants out, and he recently hired a new agent to help facilitate a trade. Still, there’s reason to believe that Ngakoue will ultimately cave and suit up for the Jaguars in 2020. He did, at long last, make contact with Caldwell, and he doesn’t have a lot of great options if the Jags continue to stand firm. Ngakoue will lose out on more than $1MM per week if he takes his holdout into the regular season, and he’ll have to report by Week 10 in order to earn an accrued season towards free agency.

It’s hard to see any team – even the ever-aggressive Raiders – coughing up more than a second-round pick for a rental. With the franchise tender extension deadline in the rear-view mirror, teams cannot engage in contract talks with the defensive end until after the 2020 season. Even then, an Ngakoue extension would be a pricey proposition.

Browns’ Kevin Johnson Suffers Liver Laceration

August 20th, 2020 at 12:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns cornerback Kevin Johnson was rushed to the hospital after suffering a liver laceration, per a club announcement. Johnson will remain under observation for at least another day.

Johnson joined the Browns on a one-year, $3.5MM deal earlier this year. So far, he’s been drawing rave reviews in camp, but the Browns may have to find CB3/nickelback support elsewhere while Johnson heals up. There’s no word yet on Johnson’s potential timetable for recovery.

The Texans backed out of Johnson’s fifth-year option in 2019, leading him to the Bills. The 2015 first-round pick played in all 16 games as a role player in Buffalo’s secondary, notching 36 tackles and five passes defensed.

Johnson managed to stay healthy last year while contributing as a reserve, a welcome change from his injury-filled Houston tenure. The 28-year-old missed ten games in 2016 and 15 games in 2018, the latter due to a severe concussion.

Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams will feature as the Browns’ top corners. As they await word on Johnson, they’ll also keep their fingers crossed for linebacker Mack Wilson, who may be done for the year with a hyperextended left knee.

Washington Works Out Joshua Garnett

August 20th, 2020 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

Washington worked out several offensive linemen this week, including guard Joshua Garnett, per the league’s official rundown. Tackles Brady Aiello, Dino Boyd, Dieugot Joseph, and David Steinmetz also showed their stuff for the Washington Football Team.

The Niners took Garnett No. 28 overall in 2016, but he never lived up to his pre-draft hype. The Stanford product started in 11 of his 15 games as a rookie, but failed to impress. Then, knee surgery wiped out his 2017 season and he played in just seven games as a reserve in 2018. The Niners cut him before 2019, and his ensuing workout tour didn’t result in a contract. The Lions picked Garnett up in February, but they dropped him last week as they work towards final cuts.

Steinmetz has been similarly dogged by injuries. His 2019 was wiped out by a broken ankle. The Texans dropped him recently, making him a free agent.

In other Washington Football Team news, the club has activated quarterback Alex Smith. The QB will participate in full-pad work and he could see the field this year if likely starter Dwayne Haskins falters.

Jaguars Seeking “More” Than Second-Round Pick For Yannick Ngakoue

August 19th, 2020 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars are reportedly close to a deal that would send Yannick Ngakoue elsewhere and possibly net the team a second-round pick in return. Apparently, that wouldn’t be quite enough. The Jaguars want “more” than a second-round pick, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

A second-rounder “and change,” could be enough to sway Jacksonville, rival teams tell Pelissero, though he hasn’t heard of any imminent deals. The Raiders could be one possible destination for Ngakoue, who would bolster a pass rush currently headlined by Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby. The Jets – who were previously said to be disinterested – are still mulling the possibility, according to Mike Lombardi of The Athletic. The Seahawks may also make some sense for the 25-year-old, and they made a similar late-summer move for Jadeveon Clowney last year.

Ngakoue says he’s through with the Jaguars and he has hired a new agent to help speed up trade talks. On the field, the Jaguars have been happy with the Maryland product – he’s got 37.5 sacks to his credit across four seasons. Off the field, he’s engaged in Twitter spats with team ownership while disparaging the front office publicly. For now, he’s set to play out the 2020 season on his one-year, $17.88MM tender.

49ers To Sign Johnathan Cyprien

August 19th, 2020 at 8:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have agreed to sign safety Johnathan Cyprien, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but it’s likely a one-year pact for the veteran’s minimum.

Cyprien originally entered the league as a second-round pick of the Jaguars back in 2013. After four years as a full-time starter in Jacksonville, he signed with the Titans in 2017. He missed six games with a hamstring injury that year, but started the other ten. In 2018, a torn ACL cost him the entire season.

Last August, the veteran hooked on with the Eagles. But, before the end of September, he was shipped to the Falcons for linebacker Duke Riley. One week later, he was placed on IR after just five total games played.

Injuries have derailed Cyprien repeatedly over the last three years, but he’s still only 30. With experience and the ability to deliver crushing hits, he could carve out a role as a reserve in SF. He’ll make his case for a spot behind Jaquiski Tartt and Jimmie Ward over the next few weeks.

Giants’ Cody Core Tears Achilles

August 19th, 2020 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants will be without one of their core special-teamers this season. Cody Core suffered a torn Achilles in practice Tuesday, the Giants announced.

Core proved to be an essential piece of New York’s special teams last season, and the Giants re-signed him to a two-year, $4MM deal in March. He will need to wait until 2021 to make an impact while on that deal. Core led the Giants with six special teams tackles in 2019.

A former Bengals sixth-round pick, Core has spent most of his career on special teams. He has 33 career catches in four seasons. The Bengals cut Core last year, but he landed with the Giants via waiver claim.

Cardinals Plan To Sign CB Ken Crawley

August 19th, 2020 at 5:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Robert Alford‘s second consecutive season-ending injury will move the Cardinals to add a replacement. They are expected to sign Ken Crawley, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Raiders released Crawley on Tuesday, but the torn pectoral muscle Alford suffered will open the door for the ex-Saint starter. While Crawley did not see as much time in 2019, when he played with the Saints and Dolphins, the veteran cornerback started 23 games with New Orleans from 2016-18.

Crawley, 27, was a full-time starter on the 2017 Saints squad that returned to the playoffs. He registered 54 tackles and 17 passes defensed that season. While the Saints tendered Crawley as an RFA in 2019, they waived him during the season. The Dolphins claimed him and used him as a starter in two games.

Arizona may again have a void opposite Patrick Peterson, which has been the case for most of the Pro Bowl corner’s career. The Cards drafted Byron Murphy in Round 2 last year, but he is coming off a shaky rookie season. They are thin beyond those two. More experienced than all Cardinal corners save for Peterson, Crawley stands to enter the mix for a roster spot with Arizona.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/20

August 19th, 2020 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.

Buffalo Bills

Signed: P Lachlan Edwards
Waived: K/P Kaare Vedvik

Chicago Bears

Signed: WR Rodney Adams

Detroit Lions

Re-signed: WR Chris Lacy

Green Bay Packers

Waived: T Travis Bruffy, WR Travis Fulgham

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed: S Adrian Colbert, WR Marcus Kemp

New Orleans Saints

Waived/injured: DB Tino Ellis

San Francisco 49ers

Signed: LB/S: Evan Foster

Tennessee Titans

Signed: WR Krishawn Hogan, RB Marcus Marshall
Waived: RB Dalyn Dawkins, TE Parker Hesse, WR Kyle Williams

Patriots Try Out DT Xavier Williams

August 19th, 2020 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former Chiefs and Cardinals defensive tackle Xavier Williams headed east for a workout. The Patriots brought in the veteran lineman for a mid-camp audition, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

The Patriots are currently down Beau Allen, an offseason acquisition who has missed each of the team’s practices this week. Williams would add to a Pats line that lost Danny Shelton this offseason.

A Northern Iowa product, Williams spent the past two seasons with the Chiefs. The 28-year-old defender collected a Super Bowl ring last season, returning from IR late in the season to play in two of the Chiefs’ playoff games. A high ankle sprain sidelined Williams for much of 2019.

The former UDFA caught on with the Cardinals in 2015. He signed a restricted free agent offer sheet with the Chiefs in 2018, which the Cards refused to match, and played 36% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps that season.

Browns Work Out Folk, Parkey, Others

August 19th, 2020 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns may be holding a kicker competition. They brought in Nick Folk, Kai Forbath, Cody Parkey and Matthew McCrane for workouts Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Austin Seibert resides as Cleveland’s incumbent kicker. He kicked for the Browns last season, going 25-for-29. The ex-Oklahoma Sooner did miss five extra points, however, and may be on the verge of a training camp battle.

Cleveland has not seen much continuity at kicker lately. The team has changed kickers in each of the past four years, with Zane Gonzalez and Greg Joseph enjoying one-season stays. Seibert beat out Joseph last summer.

Folk has the most experience of the tryout legs, having kicked in the NFL since 2007. The 35-year-old specialist kicked in seven Patriots games last season. Parkey, whose “double doink” miss in a 2018 wild-card game set off rampant Bears kicker uncertainty, resurfaced in three Titans games last season. He made 3 of 3 field goals during that stay. Both Folk and Parkey made Pro Bowls as rookies — in 2007 and ’14, respectively.

Forbath was also part of the Pats’ post-Stephen Gostkowski kicker shuffle; he also kicked in three Cowboys games in 2019. McCrane did not play last season but kicked in four games as a rookie in 2018.