HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

NFC North Notes: Packers, Rodgers, Vikings

August 5th, 2020 at 6:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a quick spin around the NFC North:

  • Appearing on a recent episode of “10 Questions with Kyle Brandt,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers confirmed he was surprised Green Bay didn’t select a wide receiver in the 2020 draft, and also admitted he’s likely to be traded in the future due to the Packers’ addition of first-round signal-caller Jordan Love (Twitter link via Kevin Clark of The Ringer). The entire clip is well-worth a watch, as Rodgers doesn’t indicate any anger at the Love pick — instead, he comes off as pragmatic and realistic regarding his future in Green Bay. The Packers could most likely move on from Rodgers — whether via trade or release — after the 2021 season.
  • Incumbent Vikings left tackle Riley Reiff is likely to stay put on the blindside, so second-round pick Ezra Cleveland has been working at guard, offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak told reporters, including Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cleveland, who played tackle at Boise State, hasn’t seen much action at guard, but it’s possible he could compete with Pat Elflein and Dru Samia for a starting role at either left or right guard. Minnesota ranked in the top-half of the league in Football Outsiders‘ offensive line metrics in 2019.
  • Packers kicker Mason Crosby and tight end Jace Sternberger, as well as Bears defensive tackle John Jenkins, were among the NFL players recently placed on the COVID reserve list, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/20

August 5th, 2020 at 6:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

  • Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DB D.J. Reed

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cardinals Sign Kentrell Brice, Two Others

August 5th, 2020 at 5:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals are expected to sign safety Kentrell Brice to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Brice needs to pass a physical and a COVID-19 test before officially signing a pact.

Brice joined the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and appeared in 36 games over the next three seasons, including 10 starts in 2018. Since then, the 25-year-old has struggled to find playing time, but he’s been with the Buccaneers, Bears, and even had a short stint with the XFL’s Seattle Dragons.

The Cardinals already boast Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, and Deionte Thompson atop their safety depth chart, so Brice will likely compete with fellow veteran Chris Banjo for special teams/reserve duty. Brice played nearly 300 special teams snaps back in 2016.

Arizona is also signing wide receiver Andre Patton and guard Koda Martin, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link), respectively.

Lions’ Russell Bodine Opts Out

August 5th, 2020 at 4:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Lions center Russell Bodine has become the 60th NFL player to opt out of the 2020 campaign, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Bodine, 28, signed a futures deal with Detroit during the offseason and could have competed for a reserve interior line spot behind starters Joe Dahl, Frank Ragnow, and Jonah Jackson. Instead, he’ll sit out the season due to COVID-19.

If Bodine has an existing condition that places him in a high-risk category, he’ll receive a $350K stipend that won’t need to be returned. If he’s simply opting out voluntarily, Bodine will get a $150K advance that would be recouped in 2021.

A fourth-round pick by the Bengals in 2014, Bodine started 64 consecutive games for Cincinnati before entering free agency in 2018. He appeared in 10 games for the Bills in 2018, but didn’t play an NFL snap last year.

2020 NFL Opt Out Tracker

August 5th, 2020 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Per an agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, players with COVID-19 health concerns can opt out of the 2020 season. Initially, the deadline was believed to be Tuesday, August 4. Talks between the league and the union have pushed it to August 6.

Chiefs guard and medical school graduate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was the first player to officially opt out. Scores of players followed.

Here’s the rundown, so far:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • T Brad Seaton

Tennessee Titans

  • OL Anthony McKinney

Washington Football Team

Free agents

Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman Opts Out, Declares For 2021 NFL Draft

August 5th, 2020 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although each of the Power 5 conferences announced plans for adjusted seasons, the college football landscape remains uncertain. Some lower-level conferences have tabled their seasons. The University of Connecticut canceled its slate.

A season set to be defined by the COVID-19 pandemic will force NFL prospects to make difficult decisions. A potential first-round talent made one. Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman opted out of the 2020 season. He has declared for the 2021 draft.

“In light of the uncertainty around health and safety in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have to set my wishes aside for the wellness of my family, community and beyond,” Bateman said. “Because of this, I have decided to opt out of the 2020 college football season and I will be taking the next steps in my journey by declaring for the 2021 NFL draft.”

Bateman will only have played two college seasons, but the 2018 recruit will be eligible for the draft due to being out of high school for three years. The Golden Gophers wideout caught 60 passes for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He rates 19th on Todd McShay’s early big board for 2021. The 2021 class could include other standout receivers — like LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase or Alabama holdovers Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle — but the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Bateman figures to factor into the first-round mix.

Coming shortly after Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley‘s choice, Bateman’s opt-out decision may impact other players expected to go early in the 2021 draft.

Bills Adjust Stefon Diggs’ Contract

August 5th, 2020 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Four years remain on Stefon Diggs‘ contract, and the extension the former Vikings wideout agreed to in 2018 now profiles as a Bills-friendly deal. Buffalo, however, worked out an agreement that will pay Diggs more in 2020.

The Bills adjusted Diggs’ contract, with the main change being a $3.3MM 2020 bump, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Diggs will also see his 2021 guarantee spike by $7.7MM, with Garafolo adding that number now sits at $11MM. In tweaking Diggs’ deal, the Bills also decreased the contract’s 2022 and ’23 cash payouts by $3MM.

This restructure was not a Bills decision to help convince Diggs not to opt out this season, Garafolo adds (via Twitter), noting it came to pass in March shortly after Buffalo acquired Diggs from Minnesota.

Diggs said Wednesday he is not demanding a new deal from the Bills, indicating there is “no rush” on that at this point, per the Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski (on Twitter). It should be expected the Bills and Diggs will agree to a new contract at some point, but this adjustment may help delay that. The Bills saw $5.25MM in additional cap room open up after defensive tackle Star Lotulelei‘s opt-out decision.

The Vikings signed Diggs to a five-year, $72MM extension in July 2018. However, Diggs’ $14.4MM-per-year salary now ranks 13th among receivers. The Bills acquired Diggs for a trade package headlined by a first-round pick. Given the importance Diggs will play in the development of Buffalo franchise centerpiece Josh Allen, the sides will presumably huddle up about an extension in the not-too-distant future. For now, though, the Bills have their new No. 1 wide receiver locked up through 2023 on a manageable contract.

Free Agency Notes: Ansah, Nkemdiche, Webb

August 5th, 2020 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the 49ers opted to sign Dion Jordan, the other top-five 2013 draft pick they hosted on a recent visit received good news. Ziggy Ansah passed his 49ers physical, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The former Lions and Seahawks defensive end has battled injuries in recent years, including a shoulder malady during his 2019 season in Seattle. However, Ansah is currently at 280 pounds and healthy. Although the former Pro Bowler is entering his age-31 season and has not contributed much statistically since his 12-sack 2017, his improved health should generate interest from other teams in the near future.

Here is the latest from the free agent market:

  • Former Cardinals first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche is aiming to return to the league. He has spoken with multiple teams, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. The one-time No. 1 recruit in the country did not pan out in Arizona or Miami, ballooning to 345 pounds during a thus-far unproductive career. But Garafolo adds Nkemdiche is back down to 315 and has told teams he is healthy. The Dolphins waived Nkemdiche in November.
  • Prior to the Falcons‘ agreement with ex-Bengals cornerback Darqueze Dennard, they were interested in one of his former Cincinnati teammates. Atlanta was monitoring B.W. Webb, per ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (on Twitter). Webb started 12 Bengals games last season and was productive as a Giants slot cornerback in 2018. Now 30, Webb has the historically unusual distinction of playing for a different team in each of his six NFL seasons. The former Cowboys fourth-round pick has played with Dallas, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, New Orleans, the Giants and Cincinnati.
  • Free agent tight end Geoff Swaim took a physical for the Texans recently, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Teams are permitted to give physicals to free agents if they are serious about signing them. Swaim, however, remains unsigned days after this physical occurred. Swaim spent the first five seasons of his career with the Cowboys and Jaguars. He ended the past two seasons on IR.
  • Defensive tackle Darius Kilgo has been fully cleared from the quadriceps injury he suffered last season, Rapoport tweets. A 2015 Broncos draft choice, Kilgo suffered the injury while with the Lions last year. He has not played in a regular-season game since suiting up for the 2018 Titans.

Raiders To Release RB Jeremy Hill

August 5th, 2020 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Less than a week after agreeing to terms with Jeremy Hill, the Raiders are moving on. They are releasing the former Bengals starting running back, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets.

Hill has not played in a game since Week 1 of the 2018 season. The Raiders’ running back room will return to its previous setup. This move also comes shortly after the team removed offseason addition Devontae Booker from its reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Raiders’ backfield depth chart consists of Josh Jacobs, Jalen Richard, Rod Smith and Booker. Hill may well have been insurance in case Booker was sidelined for an extensive period. As a vested veteran, Hill will not have to pass through waivers.

A former Bengals second-round pick, Hill signed with the Patriots after an injury-marred 2017 season. He suffered an ACL tear in Week 1 of the 2018 slate and was out of football last season.

While Hill is still just 27, he is running out of chances. The LSU product worked out for the Lions and Titans last season but went unsigned. Hill amassed 29 touchdowns in his first three seasons and eclipsed 1,100 rushing yards as a rookie. He has not, however, cleared 4.0 yards per carry since his 2014 debut campaign.

Latest On Titans’ Vic Beasley

August 5th, 2020 at 12:59pm CST by Zachary Links

In March, the Titans signed Vic Beasley to fortify their edge rush. In August, they’re just hoping to see him sometime soon. Beasley has yet to report, and the team hasn’t had “a lot of conversation with him,” head coach Mike Vrabel says (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the team website). 

Beasley has been MIA throughout the offseason and he didn’t speak with anyone from the team until late last month. His absence, GM Jon Robinson says, is unexcused. The team hasn’t offered much clarity on Beasley’s situation and neither has his camp.

A former first-round pick of the Falcons, Beasley broke out in 2016, his second NFL season. He managed 15.5 sacks that year, but things cooled off after that – he notched five sacks in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Beasley finished out with eight sacks, though that number was bolstered by a disproportionately strong home stretch.

Beasley is under contract for this year only. His one-year, $9.5MM deal is fully guaranteed, however. The Titans signed the former top-10 pick to fill a need opposite Harold Landry, who largely represented their only strong edge presence last season. If Beasley ends up a no-show, that would be quite the development. It would also seemingly strengthen Tennessee’s motivation to chase Jadeveon Clowney. The Titans have been on the fringe of that situation for months.

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