2020 September - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Work Out RB Lamar Miller

September 14th, 2020 at 4:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts are bringing Lamar Miller in for an audition, per the NFL’s transactions wire. Fellow running backs Darius Jackson and Benny LeMay will also show their stuff as Indy looks to replace Marlon Mack.

Mack tore his Achilles midway through the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Jaguars. It was a tough blow for the Colts, who got a preview of things to come after Mack managed 26 yards off of four carries, plus another 30 yards through the air. On the plus side, the Colts have Nyheim Hines at the ready, plus second-round rookie Jonathan Taylor.

Miller, who offers tons of starting experience, would fortify their RB group even further. In 2018 – his last healthy season – Miller notched 973 rushing yards, averaged 4.6 yards per carry, and five rushing touchdowns. He also added 25 catches, 163 receiving yards, and one TD through the air for good measure en route to a Pro Bowl nod. The Bills recently met with Miller, but the veteran left Buffalo without a deal.

Jaguars Promote Sidney Jones

September 14th, 2020 at 3:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars are calling up cornerback Sidney Jones from their practice squad, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Jones will take the place of defensive back Jarrod Wilson, who suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday’s win over the Colts.

Jones was on track to be a first-round pick in 2017 before an Achilles tear at Washington’s pro day. The Eagles nabbed him at No. 43 overall, but he’s been less than 100% healthy ever since. On Labor Day Weekend, the Eagles cut him from the roster, leading him to Jacksonville.

Jones started 30 games during his career as a Huskie. In 2016 – his final year on campus – he registered 39 tackles, two interceptions, six passes defensed in 14 games.

Now, he’ll try to put it all together for the Jaguars. Jones & Co. will look to start the year 2-0 on Sunday when they take on the Titans in Tennessee.

Browns Place David Njoku On IR

September 14th, 2020 at 3:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have placed tight end David Njoku on the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. The good news is that Njoku is expected to miss only three weeks with a with a sprained MCL, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Njoku reeled in three catches for 50 yards before exiting Sunday’s loss to the Ravens. His one-yard touchdown catch represented their only score in the 38-6 drumming. The Browns will now lean even more on No. 1 TE Austin Hooper, with support from fourth-round rookie Harrison Bryant and Stephen Carlson.

Njoku missed more than half of the 2019 season with a broken wrist. Now, he’s out for at least the next few games against the Bengals, the Washington Football Team, and the Cowboys. He’ll be eligible to return on Oct. 11, when the Browns face the Colts in Cleveland.

The 24-year-old requested a trade in July, only to rescind it in early August. With a backseat to Hooper, Njoku is under contract through 2021, with manageable salaries of $1.76MM this season and $6MM next year. When he returns, he’ll look to get back to the form he exhibited in 2018 when he tallied 56 grabs for 639 yards and four scores.

Packers’ Lane Taylor Done For Year

September 14th, 2020 at 3:09pm CST by Zachary Links

That’s a wrap on Lane Taylor‘s season. On Monday, the Packers placed the right guard on IR with a right knee injury.

It’s especially unfortunate for Taylor, who lost his 2019 season to a biceps tear. This year, he reclaimed his starting RG job, only to exit midway through the season opener. Taylor was playing on a reworked contract — originally set to earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $3.8MM, he agreed to earn just $1.5MM, with a $100K signing bonus. Before the revision, Taylor was viewed as a likely release candidate.

The former undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State started 45 games for the Packers between 2016 and 2018. After this year, he’ll be eligible for free agency.

After their 43-34 win over the Vikings, the Packers will turn their attention to the Lions on Sunday afternoon. Interior swingman Lucas Patrick is next in line to start and the club will likely add another blocker in support.

Cowboys’ Blake Jarwin Done For Year

September 14th, 2020 at 12:44pm CST by Zachary Links

As expected, Cowboys tight end Blake Jarwin has been diagnosed with an ACL tear (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). On the plus side, the MRI showed a “clean tear” for the 26-year-old with no other major issues in his right knee.

[RELATED: Cowboys Place LVE On IR]

The Cowboys re-upped Jarwin on a three-year, $24.25MM extension back in March so he won’t have to worry about marketing himself to teams after a lost season. In 2019, Jarwin reeled in 31 catches for 365 yards (both career highs) and three touchdowns. Between ’18 and ’19, Jarwin has totaled 58 receptions for 678 receiving yards and six scores.

With Jason Witten out of the picture, the Cowboys are left thin at the position. Blake Bell, a blocking tight end who signed a cheap deal back in March, and 2018 fourth-rounder Dalton Schultz are the next two guys up. Neither has topped 186 yards in their respective pro careers.

It stands to reason that the Cowboys will explore some of the available out-of-house options that remain on the market. Delanie Walker, a 36-year-old vet with ample experience, headlines the current crop of free agent TEs. Other available notables include Charles Clay and Clive Walford.

Browns Promote K Cody Parkey

September 14th, 2020 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have called Cody Parkey up from the practice squad, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Parkey, presumably, will replace kicker Austin Seibert who had a rough outing on Sunday.

This marks a return to Cleveland’s active roster for Parkey, who kicked in 14 Browns games in 2016. Parkey, a 2014 Pro Bowler with the Eagles, made 80% of his field goals that year.

The Browns watched Seibert miss a 41-yard field goal try and an extra point in their 38-6 blowout loss to the Ravens. His two kickoff tries left much to be desired, as well. The Browns used a fifth-round pick on the Oklahoma product just one year ago, but they’re leaving nothing to chance as they try to turn things around in 2020. As a rookie, Seibert nailed 86.2% of his field goal tries and was perfect inside of the 40. His XP completion rate was spotty, however – the youngster missed five of his 35 attempts.

The Browns and Parkey will try to get to .500 on Thursday night when they face the Bengals in Cincinnati.

Cowboys To Place Leighton Vander Esch On IR

September 14th, 2020 at 12:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch suffered a broken collarbone in Sunday’s loss to the Rams (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The Cowboys will place LVE on IR, though he’ll be able to return after 6-8 weeks.

Vander Esch went down in the first quarter of Sunday’s game, after notching three stops to open up the 2020 season. This is, unfortunately, familiar territory for the third-year ‘backer. Last year, a neck injury sidelined Vander Esch for seven games.

The Cowboys were – and still are – banking on big plays from Vander Esch, who earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie. In 2018, the Boise State product racked up 140 tackles and two interceptions. This year, new Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy planned to have the 24-year-old manage the defense from the inside of the linebacker formation. Now, Joe Thomas figures to step into his ILB role, with veteran Justin March serving as his primary backup.

Per the league’s modified IR rules, Vander Esch will be eligible to return after three weeks. However, his fractured collarbone will require a longer stint on the sidelines. It’s a tough break for the Cowboys, who have also placed veteran linebacker Sean Lee on IR.

Colts’ Marlon Mack Suffers Torn Achilles

September 14th, 2020 at 10:18am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts’ fears have been confirmed. On Monday morning, doctors diagnosed running back Marlon Mack with a torn Achilles (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Mack will be placed on injured reserve and shut down for the remainder of the season.

Mack went down in the middle of the Jaguars’ 27-20 upset win over the Colts. His game – and his season – came to an end after four carries for 26 yards plus three grabs for 30 yards. For Mack, it’s devastating for obvious reasons, but also for contractual reasons. The tailback is in his walk year and he was aiming for a big payday in the spring.

Last year, Mack went off for a career-high 1,091 yards despite missing a pair of games. The Colts, meanwhile, didn’t engage in serious extension talks before the start of the season. Instead, they drafted Jonathan Taylor in the second round, an indication that they were already thinking about going younger/cheaper. Taylor and Nyheim Hines figure to lead the way for Indy’s backfield moving forward while Mack concentrates on rehab.

Philip Rivers and his new-look backfield will try to get in the win column on Sunday when they face the Vikings.

Duke Johnson To Miss Time

September 14th, 2020 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans will be without Duke Johnson for at least a little while. The running back is considered “week-to-week” with an ankle sprain suffered in Thursday night’s loss to the Chiefs, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Johnson is unlikely to suit up against the Ravens, but he could be good to go for Week 3 vs. the Steelers. The Texans will monitor his progress in the interim and likely lean even more on new starter David Johnson. The former Cardinals star seems like he’s up to the challenge after notching 109 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in the season opener. If things drag longer than expected, the Texans could call up former Seahawks notable C.J. Prosise from the taxi squad.

Johnson exited Thursday night’s contest after just five carries. In the long run, the expectation is that Johnson will serve as a pass-catching complement to Houston’s other D. Johnson. Duke Johnson managed 4.9 yards per carry in his first season with the Texans to go along with 44 catches for 410 yards. It was an admittedly small sample size, but the soon-to-be 27-year-old showed that he can be a real contributor in the backfield.

In other Texans news, we recently learned that Bill O’Brien explored a reunion with edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Ultimately, the Titans beat out the Texans, Jaguars, Ravens, Saints, and other interested clubs for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Cowboys Fear TE Blake Jarwin Has Torn ACL

September 13th, 2020 at 9:59pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There have already been a few season-ending injuries on this first Sunday of NFL football, and now it looks like we’ve got another one. The Cowboys fear tight end Blake Jarwin has a torn ACL, a source told Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).

Teams’ field tests for ACL injuries are extremely accurate, so if that’s the initial impression then it’s almost certainly the case. Jarwin was the subject of seemingly endless hype this offseason, as the team envisioned a breakout year for him on the heels of Jason Witten‘s departure.

He signed a three-year extension worth $24.25MM back in March, and ended up making it just one game into that pact before likely being lost for the year. An undrafted success story in 2017, Jarwin had 365 yards and three touchdowns on 31 catches last year.

With Witten now in Las Vegas and Jarwin on the shelf for the foreseeable future, the Cowboys are now suddenly thin at tight end. Blake Bell, a blocking tight end who signed a cheap deal back in March, and 2018 fourth-rounder Dalton Schultz are the next two guys up. Neither has topped 186 yards in their respective pro careers. It’s a tough blow for an offense that was widely expected to be one of the best in the league.