HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Lions Work Out QB Trevor Siemian

August 14th, 2020 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trevor Siemian did not make it out of September healthy last season, but the veteran quarterback has resurfaced on the free agent radar. The Lions worked out the former Broncos starter, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

This marks the first Siemian-related news since he was deemed fully healthy in March. While the 28-year-old passer had recovered from the severe ankle injury he suffered in Week 2 of last season, free agents were not permitted to work out for teams until this week.

The Lions, who went 0-8 without Matthew Stafford last year, already made a notable investment at quarterback this offseason. They signed Chase Daniel to a multiyear deal. A Siemian addition would seemingly address Detroit’s third-string quarterback spot. Siemian has not worked as a third-stringer since his 2015 rookie year, when he played behind Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler in Denver.

A former seventh-round pick, Siemian was the Broncos’ primary starter from 2016-17. After a surprisingly productive 2016 slate, during which he threw 18 touchdown passes compared to 10 interceptions, he did not fare as well in 2017. The Broncos traded Siemian in 2018, and he spent a year as Kirk Cousins‘ backup in Minnesota. He suffered the ankle malady in Week 2 of last season, playing for a mono-stricken Sam Darnold with the Jets.

The Lions still have David Blough on their roster, rounding out their veteran-laden QB room. Blough started five games for the Lions last season, being summoned to action after Stafford and Jeff Driskel suffered injuries. The Lions traded for Blough, a UDFA passer out of Purdue, just before last season. Driskel has since signed with the Broncos.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Newton, Bills

August 14th, 2020 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Dolphins for just 18 games, Minkah Fitzpatrick elaborated on the difference of opinion he had with his second NFL head coach. Brian Flores, per Fitzpatrick, preferred he play a hybrid strong safety/linebacker role and only tried him as a deep safety in one practice last summer. This only came after Fitzpatrick asked Flores to see more time in coverage, Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report notes. After the Dolphins’ Week 1 blowout loss to the Ravens, in which Fitzpatrick was used more in coverage — albeit after limited practice time as a deep safety in Flores’ scheme — the 2018 first-round pick asked for a trade. Flores, Dunne adds, attempted to convince Fitzpatrick he was a key part of Miami’s future. That did not end up working. The Dolphins traded Fitzpatrick to the Steelers, with whom he became an All-Pro, for a first-round pick that turned into tackle Austin Jackson.

“We had a difference of opinion in my skill set and what he thought I could do and what I thought I could do,” Fitzpatrick said, via Dunne. “It was going to get tough for me to show something to somebody they were choosing not to see. They didn’t give me the opportunity to show it, even though I had film that showed it. The losing and all that stuff? If I was put in the right position and we’re losing — because of decisions people made upstairs — it is what it is. I can only control how I play. That didn’t affect me at all. It was just a fact that I was being used the wrong way.”

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • Shoulder and foot injuries helped lead Cam Newton out of Charlotte after nine seasons. But the former MVP quarterback said he is “full go” as he begins practices with the Patriots, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston notes. Newton, 31, sounded more cautiously optimistic about staying fully healthy, Perry writes, after being injured for much of the past three seasons. But going into the padded portion of New England’s training camp, Tom Brady‘s likely successor said he feels “amazing.”
  • Since Dolphins players reported to camp, Xavien Howard has landed on both the active/PUP list and the reserve/COVID-19 list. Howard underwent knee surgery in December. While Howard was running at the team’s facility this summer, per ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe, he does not figure to see much practice time before Week 1. This makes the standout corner’s availability for the Dolphins’ opener against the Patriots uncertain.
  • Another Dolphin uncertain for Week 1: Preston Williams. The Dolphins are easing their UDFA success story back into action after his ACL tear, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes, adding that Williams’ Week 1 status is in doubt. Williams went down in Week 8 last season, ending a strong start to his career. He caught 32 passes for 428 yards. With Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns opting out, Williams will be critical to Miami’s passing attack.
  • Formerly a key Bills wide receiver, Robert Foster now appears on the verge of being cut or traded. The third-year Bills wideout will need a strong camp to make the team, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Buffalo drafted Gabriel Davis in Round 4, and the rookie will join the recently re-signed Isaiah McKenzie as a backup to the team’s Stefon Diggs–John Brown–Cole Beasley starter trio. After Foster averaged 20 yards per catch as a rookie — in a 27-reception, 541-yard, three-TD season — he caught just three passes in 13 games last season.

Vikings To Work Out S Jahleel Addae

August 14th, 2020 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Safety is a spot where the retooled Vikings possess both talent and continuity, with Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris back. But the team is still seeking depth.

The Vikings are set to work out Jahleel Addae, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A longtime Chargers starter, Addae spent last season as a rotational player with the Texans. This will be Addae’s age-30 season. The Texans passed on bringing him back in free agency, instead signing former Chiefs and Browns safety Eric Murray.

Despite Addae starting just three games last season — the fewest since his rookie year — he played 48% of Houston’s snaps. For his career, Addae has started 59 games since becoming a Bolts UDFA success story. Last season, he intercepted a career-high two passes and recorded 45 tackles.

Minnesota has seen extensive turnover in its secondary this year, cutting Xavier Rhodes and seeing three other DBs — Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander and Jayron Kearse — defect in free agency. The Vikings may be eyeing an additional veteran presence to work in a secondary that will feature first-round rookie Jeff Gladney and potentially multiple other first-year DBs playing key roles.

At safety, the Vikings’ depth consists of two Day 3 picks — sixth-rounder Josh Metellus and seventh-rounder Brian Cole. The COVID-19-transformed NFL landscape stands to make it difficult for rookies this year, so veterans like Addae may well benefit.

49ers To Sign Tavon Austin

August 14th, 2020 at 12:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have signed wide receivers Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Both players will look to make the final cut as insurance for Deebo Samuel. Terms of the deals are not yet known, but they’re likely for the veteran minimum with little in the way of guarantees. 

Austin was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2013, but he has yet to justify his draft status. At the age of 30, it seems unlikely to happen now. Still, coaches continue to be tantalized by his speed. Austin, in theory, could contribute as a receiver, rusher, and returner.

Over seven injury-laden years in the NFL, Austin has caught 215 passes while averaging less than yards per catch. He did average more than 15 yards per grab over the last two seasons with the Cowboys, but that was in a super small sample size of 21 receptions. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan could get creative with Austin – as Sean McVay did in L.A. – and try him in a variety of spots.

Nelson posted back-to-back 500-yard seasons with the Cardinals in 2016 and 2017, but his offensive role has dwindled since then. In 2019, he had four grabs in 15 games for the Raiders.

Falcons Sign Luke Stocker

August 14th, 2020 at 11:24am CST by Rory Parks

Free agent tight end Luke Stocker is expected to rejoin the Falcons, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Stocker took a visit with the club earlier this week.

The 32-year-old spent the first 6+ years of his career with the Bucs, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. During that time, he played under Dirk Koetter, the former Tampa head coach who became the Falcons’ offensive coordinator in 2019, which may be what brought Stocker to Atlanta on a two-year deal last offseason.

But the Falcons released Stocker in March, right before the team completed a trade with the Ravens for fellow TE Hayden Hurst. Hurst sits atop the team’s depth chart now that Austin Hooper has moved on to the Browns, but aside from the Hurst deal, Atlanta did not do much to add to the tight end position, so it circled back to a familiar face.

Stocker has always been more of a blocker than a receiver, and he has also spent time at fullback. He caught just eight passes for 53 yards last year, and with Hurst slated to get the targets that went Hooper’s way, it’s unlikely that he will see much of an uptick in the receiving game. But he provides experience and depth that the Falcons are lacking at tight end, so it’s a good fit for both sides.

Chiefs Sign Travis Kelce To Extension

August 14th, 2020 at 10:05am CST by Rory Parks

Hours after the 49ers and tight end George Kittle agreed to a record-breaking extension, the Chiefs agreed to a new deal with their own stud TE, Travis Kelce. It’s a four-year, $57.25MM deal with $28MM guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). On Friday morning, the Chiefs officially announced Kelce’s new contract.

Kelce was already under club control through 2021, and the extension will be added onto that pact, keeping the five-time Pro Bowler with Kansas City through 2025, his age-36 season. He will not take home any new money this year, as Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, but he will be due a sizable guaranteed roster bonus early next year. The Chiefs, of course, authorized a historic ten-year contract for QB Patrick Mahomes just last month, so the league’s premier QB-TE combo will have a chance to bring home several more Lombardi Trophies before their time together is up.

Selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 draft, Kelce began to make his mark in his sophomore campaign, recording 67 catches for 862 yards and five scores. He followed that up with a similarly productive 2015 season, which culminated in his first Pro Bowl appearance. KC rewarded him with a five-year, $46MM extension that today’s deal builds on, and that’s when Kelce really took off.

He has recorded four consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards, the first tight end to ever accomplish that feat, and he has earned two First Team All-Pro nods during that time. He and Mahomes have been nothing short of dominant, and with Kelce creating mismatches down the seams and over the middle, speed merchants like wide receiver Tyreek Hill have had even more room to run.

Though the Chiefs suffered a difficult loss in the AFC Championship Game following the 2018 season, they won it all last year, with Kelce catching 19 balls for 207 yards and four TDs in the team’s three-game postseason jaunt through the Super Bowl. If they go back-to-back in 2020, as many are predicting, Kelce will be a big reason why.

The Cincinnati product did not quite match Kittle’s $15MM AAV, but he is also four years older than Kittle, is not called upon to block as much, and has already earned a boatload of money in his playing career. At this point, he is just trying to add more to his Hall of Fame resume, and he is in a great spot to do just that.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported that Kelce and the Chiefs were on the verge of a long-term accord (Twitter link).

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Rams, 49ers

August 13th, 2020 at 6:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks waived undrafted free agent rookie cornerback Kemah Siverand earlier this week after he attempted to sneak a woman into Seattle’s team hotel, a violation of COVID-19 protocols, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Siverand reportedly tried to disguise the woman as a Seahawks player by having her dress in Seattle apparel, per Pelissero. While the situation could be viewed with levity in normal circumstances, Siverand’s decision — and subsequent release — reinforce how seriously NFL teams are (and should be) taking the prospect of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

  • Robert Woods has become of the NFL’s most consistent wideouts since joining the Rams in 2017, and with two years remaining on his current contract, it’s possible he could be looking for a new deal. The 28-year-old had “talks early on” this year and is now looking to “get paid,” as Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times writes. Woods, who has topped 85 receptions and 1,110 yards in each of the past two seasons, is only earning $6.8MM annually. He’s due to count for $8.175MM on the Rams’ 2020 cap.
  • After serving as a consultant last season, Chris Foerster has been hired as the 49ers‘ assistant offensive line coach, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports. Foerster, of course, resigned as the Dolphins’ OL coach in 2017 after a video surfaced showing him snorting a white substance. The 58-year-old, who was San Francisco’s offensive line coach in 2015, has been sober since that time, per Chan, who adds Foerster signed a two-year deal with the 49ers this time around.
  • The 49ers are searching for defensive tackle depth, and free agent Marcell Dareus is a “name to watch,” tweets Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio. San Francisco traded away DeForest Buckner during the offseason, and while the team replaced him with first-round pick Javon Kinlaw, it could still use depth. Dareus, the No. 3 overall pick in 2011, spent most of the past three years with the Jaguars. He missed most of last season with a core muscle injury, and Jacksonville subsequently declined his 2020 option.
  • Wide receiver Aleva Hifo is scheduled to work out for the Cardinals, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Hifo signed with the Chiefs after going undrafted earlier this year, but was cut in July.

Domata Peko Has Turned Down Offers

August 13th, 2020 at 6:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent defensive tackle Domata Peko has turned down offers from several clubs, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds Peko is focused on locating the “right fit, city, and chance to win.”

Peliserro reported in late July that Peko was interested in continuing his career and had garnered interest from multiple teams. Entering what would be his 15th NFL season, Peko wants to remain in the NFL despite the current COVID-19 climate, and it appears he’ll have the chance to do so.

Now 35 years old, Peko has 208 games of NFL experience under his belt. Largely a run-stuffer, Peko could offer a veteran presence on many defensive lines even if he’s only asked to play on early, obvious run downs.

After 11 years with the Bengals, Peko spent 2017-18 with the Broncos before latching on with the Ravens last November. He appeared in seven games and made three starts for Baltimore in the regular season while racking up 14 tackles.

Lions Work Out C.J. Prosise

August 13th, 2020 at 5:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent running C.J. Prosise was among the group of players that worked out for the Lions today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Prosise, 26, worked with Detroit offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell in Seattle from 2016-17, so he presumably has a grasp of the offense Bevell is deploying with the Lions. That could prove to be especially important in this COVID-shortened offseason when meeting and practice time is at a minimum.

The Lions don’t have a dire need for running back depth at the moment. Rookie D’Andre Swift and incumbent Kerryon Johnson will serve as the club’s top two options, while Bo Scarbrough is available in reserve. Johnson has missed plenty of time due to injury in his short career, though, so Prosise could become an emergency option.

The Seahawks drafted Prosise in the third round of the 2016 draft but were never able to find a regular role for him in their offense. In four seasons in Seattle, Prosise never topped more than 30 carries or 20 receptions. Last year, he played 123 offensive snaps but handled only 33 total touches.

Per the NFL’s transaction wire, Detroit also worked out running backs Troymaine Pope and Jonathan Williams, cornerbacks Brian Allen and Dominique Hatfield, center Erik Magnuson, and linebacker Avery Moss.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/20

August 13th, 2020 at 4:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Houston Texans

  • Waived: T David Steinmetz

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Waived: LB DeMarquis Gates

New England Patriots

  • Placed on reserve/retired list: C Dustin Woodward
  • Waived: DE Nick Coe

New York Giants

  • Claimed off waivers (from Jaguars): WR C.J. Board

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

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