HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Buccaneers Waive CB M.J. Stewart

August 6th, 2020 at 4:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers are parting ways with a recent high draft choice. Tampa Bay is waiving cornerback M.J. Stewart, whom the club selected with the 53rd overall pick in the 2018 draft, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Stewart was named second-team All-ACC during his final season at North Carolina, and he was expected to be a valuable long-term contributor to a Tampa Bay secondary that desperately needed reinforcements. But injuries continually kept Stewart off the field — a foot problem cost him six games during his rookie campaign, and he missed five more games in 2019 while dealing with a knee issue.

Still, Stewart is still only 25 years old and has played 614 snaps over the past two seasons. Thanks to his second-round pedigree and his rookie contract, it’s entirely possible Stewart could be claimed off waivers, or if not, at least find a new club in the near future.

Falcons Expected To Re-Sign J.J. Wilcox

August 6th, 2020 at 4:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons are expected to re-sign free agent safety J.J. Wilcox, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). It will be a one-year deal, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Wilcox will first need to pass both a physical and a COVID-19 test. 

Wilcox, 29, originally signed with Atlanta last spring, but a torn ACL prematurely ended his season in July. Presumably, he’s know healthy enough to resume play in 2020. A third-round pick in the 2013 draft, Wilcox began his career with the Cowboys (appearing in 58 games over four years), but has since bounced around the league, spending time with the Buccaneers, Steelers, Jets, and Colts.

Atlanta is already three-deep at safety with Ricardo Allen, Keanu Neal, and Damontae Kazee, so Wilcox will likely be viewed as depth. However, he boasts enough experience that he could be called into action due to injuries on the Falcons’ depth chart.

Texans Host LB Brandon Marshall On Visit

August 6th, 2020 at 3:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Free agency stalled for many players when the NFL put the kibosh on visits for months amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But the outset of training camps has begun to produce some action for mid-level targets.

Former Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall is visiting the Texans, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This marks the first Marshall-related news this offseason. He has not played in a regular-season game since his five-plus season Denver tenure ended after the 2018 slate.

Marshall, 30, was a key player for one of this century’s defining defenses. He started all 19 games the 2015 Super Bowl champion Broncos played and was a five-season starter in Denver. In the 2016 offseason, Marshall signed an $8MM-per-year extension to stay in Denver. However, injuries plagued the veteran linebacker for much of that deal. The Broncos released Marshall in 2019.

While Marshall’s 2019 Raiders stay did not work out, with an injury ending that brief partnership, the Texans have shown interest at multiple junctures. They worked out Marshall last season. A Houston pact would surely mean Marshall would compete for a depth spot behind starters Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham.

Dolphins Meet With WRs Chester Rogers, Ricardo Louis

August 6th, 2020 at 3:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two members of the Dolphins’ receiving corps (Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson) opted out of the 2020 season. Another (Preston Williams) is not certain to be ready by Week 1.

The Dolphins are picking up the pieces. They are hosting former Colts wideout Chester Rogers and one of their recent cuts, Ricardo Louis, on a visit, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

A former Browns rotational cog, Louis was a Dolphins cut less than two weeks ago. But Miami’s equation has changed, potentially opening the door for a Louis comeback effort. He has not played in a regular-season game since 2017.

Rogers has delivered more in the way of production, playing in 53 games for Indianapolis from 2016-19. The former UDFA caught 53 passes for 485 yards and two touchdowns in Andrew Luck‘s final season, which featured the Colts making a surprise divisional-round run.

Rogers, however, is coming off a season in which he suffered a knee fracture in December. Both receivers are expected to be given physicals, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter), so Rogers’ examination figures to be critical.

Jets WR Josh Doctson Opts Out

August 6th, 2020 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

A late opt-out: Jets wide receiver Josh Doctson. The former first-round pick notified his new team he will opt out, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

Doctson signed with the Jets in February as a street free agent, doing so after the Vikings cut him during the 2019 season. The former Washington first-rounder’s bounce-back opportunity will have to wait until 2021.

Doctson’s one-year Jets pact will toll to 2021, though it is certainly not a lock he will be in Gang Green’s plans for the ’21 regular season. As a Viking in 2019, Doctson suffered a leg injury in September but was one of Minnesota’s IR-return designations. He did not, however, make any catches for the Vikings.

While Doctson did not deliver on Washington’s investment, he did post multiple 500-plus-yard seasons from 2017-18 and profiled as a somewhat interesting candidate to factor into the Jets’ wideout mix this season. Instead, he will join C.J. Mosley and offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi in opting out.

Top LB Prospect Micah Parsons To Opt Out, Enter 2021 Draft

August 6th, 2020 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2021 first round may not feature too many highlight reels from the 2020 season. Another first-round prospect will opt out, with Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons announcing (Instagram link) he will not play this season.

Parsons will enter the 2021 NFL draft. He is expected to be a surefire first-round pick. The two-year Nittany Lions contributor rates as the No. 6 overall prospect on Todd McShay’s initial list. While Joe Burrow illustrated how much draft stocks can change in a season, Parsons appears a safe bet to be selected in next year’s first round.

Despite working as an off-ball ‘backer, Parsons registered 14 tackles for loss and five sacks as a sophomore last season. The 245-pound defender also forced four fumbles in his second college campaign.

A previous trend saw first-round-caliber players choosing not to play in bowl games. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the equation and forced players to factor in draft-stock damage ahead of their final college seasons.

The list of opt-outs so far: Parsons, Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman and Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau. There will almost certainly be more players who choose to bypass the coronavirus-altered 2020 season to prepare for the draft.

Miami DE Gregory Rousseau Opts Out

August 6th, 2020 at 2:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2021 NFL draft may feature a player with one season of college experience. Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau informed coach Manny Diaz he is opting out of the 2020 season, per Susan Miller Degnan of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).

Rousseau broke out last season and landed on the draft radar. He registered 15.5 sacks — tied for the third-most in ACC single-season history — and a conference-best 19.5 tackles for loss. Technically, Rousseau saw action as a true freshman but not enough to use up a year of eligibility. As a result, he stands to go from his redshirt-freshman season to the NFL draft — in all likelihood.

The 6-foot-7 pass rusher would be eligible for the draft, due to being out of high school for three seasons. ESPN’s Todd McShay rated the Miami talent as his top edge defender prospect, with Rousseau coming in at No. 13 overall.

After Virginia Tech cornerback prospect Caleb Farley opted out, others are following suit. While the NFL season will be defined by the coronavirus, the pandemic is wreaking greater havoc at the college level. The Power 5 conferences have all changed their schedules, with lower-level football leagues either postponing or cancelling seasons. It will certainly not be a surprise if more first-round prospects pass on playing this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/20

August 6th, 2020 at 2:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Waived: Aca’Cedric Ware

Jaguars’ Rashaan Melvin Opts Out

August 6th, 2020 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars cornerback Rashaan Melvin has opted out of the 2020 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With three hours to go before the NFL’s deadline, more than 60 players have opted out.

Melvin, a veteran who has spent time with eight different teams, joined the Jaguars in free agency after spending 2019 with the Lions. His one-year deal – worth $2.25MM – will toll in 2021.

The former UDFA started 12 games for Detroit last year. In Jacksonville, he was set to start opposite of D.J. Hayden in the club’s new-look secondary. With Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye playing elsewhere, the Jaguars will need first-round pick C.J. Henderson to get up to speed fast.

Melvin’s best season came with the Colts in 2017 and some weren’t sold on the Jaguars’ signing of him in March. Still, they’ll be worse off without him, and they only have a matter of weeks to explore out-of-house options.

Chiefs Rookie Lucas Niang To Opt Out

August 6th, 2020 at 9:09am CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs offensive tackle Lucas Niang will opt out of the 2020 season, according to a source who spoke with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). With hours to go before the deadline, the third-round pick becomes the 61st player to make the call.

[RELATED: PFR’s 2020 Opt Out Tracker]

It’s yet another blow to the Chiefs’ offensive line, following guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s opt out decision. As of this writing, the Chiefs are down three players in total between Niang, LDT, and running back Damien Williams.

Niang was set to support starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. The TCU product is green, but the Chiefs saw big potential for the 6’6″, 315-pound lineman. Heading into his senior year, Niang was widely projected as a first-round pick, but a torn labrum brought his final collegiate campaign to an early end. In turn, his stock tumbled, bringing the Chiefs a potential mid-round steal.

For the full list of opt out decisions around the NFL, check out PFR’s 2020 Opt Out Tracker.

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