2020 September - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Name Cam Newton Starting QB

September 3rd, 2020 at 3:05pm CST by Rory Parks

No surprises here, but the Patriots have named Cam Newton their starting quarterback, as Jim McBride of the Boston Globe was first to report. Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald adds that Newton has been voted a team captain (Twitter link).

For a long time after Tom Brady‘s abdication, New England insisted that it was comfortable moving forward with second-year pro Jarrett Stidham as its starting signal-caller. But the team managed to sign Newton for peanuts at the end of June, and as soon as that happened, the 2015 MVP became the odds-on favorite to succeed Brady as the Patriots’ QB1.

Newton has undergone three surgeries since the beginning of the 2017 offseason — two shoulder procedures and a foot operation — and he has missed 16 of the last 18 games. His 2019 season was almost completely wiped out by injury, but he looked like his usual brilliant self through the first 12 weeks of the 2018 campaign, and he ended that year having completed a career-best 67.9% of his throws for 3,395 yards, 24 TDs, and 13 picks. He also showed that he can still make plays with his feet – he tallied 488 rushing yards and four scores on 101 carries.

The most recent reports out of training camp suggested that Newton has not been perfect in practices, but he has been plenty good enough to beat out Stidham — who has been dealing with a hip injury — and Brian Hoyer. And he clearly has ingratiated himself with his new teammates, as evidenced by his captaincy.

Things will feel very different in Foxborough this year without Brady, but between Newton and the Pats’ defense, New England may not be ready to give up its stranglehold on the AFC East just yet.

49ers Place Tavon Austin On IR

September 3rd, 2020 at 2:42pm CST by Rory Parks

It’s a bad year to be a 49ers wide receiver. Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports that Tavon Austin, whom San Francisco signed last month due to injuries to other wideouts, is headed to IR with a knee injury (Twitter link). Austin was signed on the same day as J.J. Nelson, who was recently placed on IR as well.

It’s an especially tough break for Austin, who was performing well in training camp and who may have been a valuable chess piece in head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s offense. Deebo Samuel appears unlikely to be available at the start of the season, first-round rookie Brandon Aiyuk‘s hamstring injury makes his status uncertain, and Jalen Hurd will miss the entire campaign due to an ACL tear, so Austin may actually have been in line for a sizable role.

The good news for the Niners is that Richie James has been activated from the NFI list. James had been dealing with a broken wrist, but it appears that he is on track for Week 1. He has served as the club’s primary return specialist over the last two seasons, and with Austin out of the picture, it seems likely that he will reprise that role in 2020.

The 49ers, though, could still use some depth at WR, and one wonders if the recently-released Mohamed Sanu could spark GM John Lynch‘s interest. As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes, Lynch did not rule out a potential Sanu signing when asked about it this afternoon. Sanu played for Shanahan in Atlanta in 2016, when the latter was working as the Falcons’ OC.

Jaguars Trade S Ronnie Harrison To Browns

September 3rd, 2020 at 2:13pm CST by Rory Parks

2:13pm: The Jaguars have indeed traded Harrison to the Browns, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). In exchange, Jacksonville will receive a fifth-round choice, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Cleveland recently lost rookie safety Grant Delpit for the season due to an Achilles tear, so the team has been connected to players like Logan Ryan and Earl Thomas in recent days. Instead, the Browns opted for a younger player who entered the league in 2018 as one of the best-regarded safety prospects and who has likely not yet hit his ceiling. Harrison may bump Andrew Sendejo out of the starting lineup and will look to team with Karl Joseph in Cleveland’s defensive backfield.

The Jags, meanwhile, continue to stockpile picks. They already have two first-rounders, two second-rounders, and two fourth-rounders in 2021, and now they will have two fifth-round choices as well. If they want to move up the board for a top QB prospect in 2021, they will probably be able to.

1:35pm: The Jaguars have done plenty of unloading this offseason, trading players like Yannick Ngakoue, Calais Campbell, and A.J. Bouye while waiving former No. 4 overall pick Leonard Fournette. And according to NFL features writer Tyler Dunne, Jacksonville is also preparing to deal safety Ronnie Harrison (Twitter link).

Given where Jacksonville is in its rebuild — and given Ngakoue’s determination to get away from the Jaguars as quickly as possible — the earlier trades made plenty of sense, as they involved shedding the contracts of veterans who were unlikely to be on the next competitive Jaguars team in exchange for draft capital. Harrison, though, was a third-round pick in the 2018 draft and started all 14 of the games in which he appeared last season.

Per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, Harrison was the league’s 65th-best safety out of 83 qualified players in 2019, and PFF was especially harsh in assessing his run defense. Though he did score well in pass coverage, the Jags apparently aren’t fond enough of his play to keep him around for his third professional season. Instead, the team may look to fifth-round rookie Daniel Thomas to play a big role right away.

At this time, it’s unclear who the Jags’ trading partner might be. Teams like the Ravens and Browns make sense given their recent turmoil at the safety position, and Jacksonville and Baltimore already did some business earlier this year in consummating the Campbell trade.

Last season, Harrison recorded 71 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions. Despite his middling PFF marks, he certainly looks like a player with plenty of upside, so it’s interesting to hear that the Jags are looking to move on.

Titans Frustrated With Jadeveon Clowney

September 3rd, 2020 at 1:05pm CST by Rory Parks

A recent report indicated that the Ravens may be the frontrunners for free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, but the Titans — who, unlike the Ravens, actually offered Clowney a contract earlier this year — continue to lurk.

Tennessee GM Jon Robinson said back in July that he was still monitoring the Clowney situation, but he wanted to get the former No. 1 overall pick in the Titans’ facility for a physical. So while Robinson may have been willing to bring Clowney in on a fairly low-risk deal without a medical examination, he needs to be assured that Clowney is in good health if he is going to authorize a significant contract.

However, it seems that Clowney has been hard to pin down. In an interview with 102.5 The Game this morning, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports said that the Titans are frustrated with the “lack of engagement” on Clowney’s part (h/t Joe Rexrode of The Athletic on Twitter). Tennessee still wants to bring him in for a physical, but for reasons that are presently unclear, Clowney — who has posted videos to social media suggesting that he is fully healthy — appears reluctant.

Robinson goes on to say that the Titans or Seahawks, not the Ravens, will be the team to land Clowney. In either case, he will sign a contract worth around $12MM per year, a far cry from the $20MM that he was shooting for at the outset of free agency.

The Titans have always looked like a good fit given the presence of head coach Mike Vrabel — the Texans’ LB coach and defensive coordinator during Clowney’s first four years in Houston — and given the club’s need for another pass rusher. The team did take a flier on Vic Beasley and will return Harold Landry, who posted nine sacks in a promising sophomore effort in 2019, but Clowney could provide a major boost to the Titans’ defensive front.

Dolphins QB Josh Rosen Drawing Trade Interest

September 3rd, 2020 at 11:31am CST by Rory Parks

Could Josh Rosen be on the move again? For the second time this offseason, a report has surfaced indicating that the Dolphins are receiving calls from clubs with interest in dealing for the 23-year-old signal-caller, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com noting this morning that Miami has fielded trade inquiries in recent days (Twitter link).

Back in May, Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk published a similar report, but that was before the Dolphins had gotten a chance to see No. 5 overall pick Tua Tagovailoa in action. Tagovailoa looks healthy and appears primed to take over for Ryan Fitzpatrick at some point this season, so Rosen could be on his way out.

Of course, having three QBs that are familiar with their club’s offense could be invaluable in this COVID-impacted season, so the Dolphins will have to weigh that reality against whatever trade offers come their way. Miami gave up a second-rounder to acquire Rosen last offseason, but it’s unlikely the team would be able to recoup that value in another trade. The UCLA product has gone 3-13 as a starter, completing 54.8% of his passes for 2,845 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions.

On the other hand, he has been unfortunate to begin his pro career with the 2018 Cardinals and 2019 Dolphins, outfits that boasted minimal talent on the offensive side of the ball. So there is still hope that Rosen, whom Arizona selected with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2018 draft, could live up to his pedigree.

Seahawks Re-Sign Josh Gordon

September 3rd, 2020 at 10:20am CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks are re-signing talented but troubled wideout Josh Gordon, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com was first to report (Twitter link). Gordon was hit with an indefinite suspension in December for violating the league’s policies on performance-enhancing substances and substances of abuse, but he applied for reinstatement in June. According to Fowler, that process is going well, so Gordon may be cleared for a return soon (Twitter link).

Most NFL fans are familiar with Gordon’s saga at this point. The December ban marked Gordon’s sixth suspension since he entered the league as a supplemental draft choice in 2012, and he missed the entire 2014-15 campaigns due to violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.

Teams continue to be intrigued by his undeniable talent, but he is getting farther and farther away from his tremendous 2013 season with the Browns, when he piled up 87 catches for a league-best 1,646 yards and nine TDs. The Patriots acquired him from Cleveland in September of 2018, and he produced pretty well for New England that year, tallying 40 catches for 720 yards and three scores during 11 regular season games. But in what would become something of a Christmas tradition, Gordon was suspended indefinitely in December 2018 for another substance abuse violation.

He was reinstated last August and returned to the Pats, who had placed an original-round RFA tender on him to secure his services. New England placed him on IR in October due to a knee injury and waived him about a week later. The Seahawks subsequently claimed him off waivers.

Gordon, 29, showed flashes of his old self in Seattle, and prior to his latest suspension, he expressed his desire to return to the Seahawks. The ‘Hawks reciprocated that interest in July, and Gordon has been working out in the Seattle area in the hopes of getting a call.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Gordon’s contract is a one-year pact that can be worth a little over $1MM (Twitter link). That’s a low-risk, high-reward flier for the Seahawks, who recently re-signed Paul Richardson to add to a solid WR corps that also includes Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.

Buccaneers Sign RB Leonard Fournette

September 3rd, 2020 at 9:46am CST by Rory Parks

The Bucs got their man. Shortly after it was reported that Tampa was pursuing former Jacksonville RB Leonard Fournette, the Bucs agreed to terms with the 2017 first-rounder, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Grant Gordon of NFL.com).

It will be a one-year deal worth up to $3.5MM. Fournette will take home a base salary of $2MM and will have the chance to earn an extra $1.5MM in incentives based on rushing yards and playing time. Plus, since Fournette’s deal with the Jags did not include offset language, he could still pocket the $4.2MM that he was due to earn this year prior to being waived by Jacksonville if he wins his grievance against his former club.

Tampa was said to be interested in Fournette earlier this year and reportedly engaged in trade talks with Jacksonville. Ultimately, the Bucs were able to acquire him without sacrificing any draft capital, but their RB room has become pretty crowded. In addition to incumbent Ronald Jones, Tampa added Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Raymond Calais in the draft and signed veteran LeSean McCoy in July.

Prior to the Fournette signing, the team continued to tout Jones as its RB1, but Fournette is clearly the better back, even if he hasn’t quite lived up to his status as a former No. 4 overall pick. And since McCoy was signed for the veteran minimum, some have speculated that the Bucs could release him, though Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says that Shady remains in the team’s plans (Twitter link). Fournette did pick up 76 receptions out of the backfield last year, but he may see most of his work on first and second downs while McCoy becomes a third-down/passing game complement.

Fournette added 265 carries for 1,152 yards in 2019, good for a career-high 4.3 yards-per-carry average. He now has a prime opportunity to truly break out in what is shaping up to be a prolific offense.

Titans Sign Stephen Gostkowski

September 3rd, 2020 at 8:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have signed four-time Pro Bowler Stephen Gostkowski, per a club announcement. To make room, they’ve waived incumbent kicker Greg Joseph.

Gostkowski, the Patriots’ all-time leading scorer, lost his 2019 season to a labrum tear. Now, the 36-year-old is healthy, and ready to begin the next chapter of his career.

The Titans have been concerned about their kicking situation for some time. Last year, the Titans effectively went to the conference championship game in spite of their kickers. Four kickers combined to go just 8-of-18 on field goal tries – Joseph attempted just one FG, and made it, in the playoffs. Before this week’s shuffle, the Titans’ only other in-house option was UDFA Tucker McCann.

McCann may still get a chance to compete with Gostkowski, but it stands to reason that the veteran will be the team’s one and only kicker when the season starts. With 28 playoff games and 39 postseason field goals under his belt, Gostkowski fits the bill for the Titans, who are looking to take another leap forward in 2020.

Buccaneers Pursuing RB Leonard Fournette

September 2nd, 2020 at 5:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s add another team to the list of potential Leonard Fournette suitors. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the Buccaneers are among the teams “making a push” for the running back. Albert Breer of TheMMQB is hearing similar things, with the reporter tweeting that Tampa Bay has “emerged as a serious suitor” for Fournette.

The Buccaneers’ offense has received a major makeover this offseason, with Tom Brady, LeSean McCoy, and Rob Gronkowski joining wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. However, thanks to the team’s lavish spending, the front office doesn’t have a whole lot of financial flexibility; Greg Auman of The Athletic estimates on Twitter that the Bucs could only offer Fournette around $1.9MM without having to make another move.

While Tampa Bay may have added McCoy, the team has continued to tout Ronald Jones as their starter. The former second-rounder had a breakout campaign in 2019, finishing with 724 rushing yards and six scores on 172 carries. Of course, that production doesn’t hold a candle to Fournette, who finished last season with 1,152 rushing yards on 265 carries. He also added 76 receptions for 522 yards.

The 25-year-old was waived by the Jaguars earlier this week, and we’re naturally hearing about potential suitors. Earlier today, we heard that the Patriots could be a fit for the running back. Meanwhile, the Bears reportedly won’t pursue the former fourth-overall pick.

Patriots Release Mohamed Sanu

September 2nd, 2020 at 5:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Mohamed Sanu‘s stint with the Patriots has already come to an end. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that New England has released the veteran wideout.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise; it was less than a year ago that the Patriots sent a second-rounder to Atlanta for the receiver. However, the 31-year-old underwhelmed during his eight regular season games (six starts) with New England, hauling in 26 receptions (on 47 targets) for 207 yards and one score. He was also invisible during the Patriots’ playoff loss to the Titans, as he caught a single 11-yard pass.

Sanu landed on PUP to start camp in early August, and reports have indicated that he’s been a step slow throughout the month. Ultimately, the Patriots decided to just move on from the veteran, clearing the team $6.5MM in cap space.

There are plenty of receiver-needy teams throughout the NFL, so it shouldn’t take Sanu very long to find another gig. Plus, he’s only a season removed from a 2018 campaign where he finished with a career-high 838 receiving yards to go along with 66 receptions and four touchdowns.

While the Patriots offense was already going to look a whole lot different in 2020 with Cam Newton at the helm, it was still assumed that Sanu would lead the depth chart along with Julian Edelman. Now, the team will see what they can get from former first-rounder N’Keal Harry, as well as the likes of Damiere Byrd, Gunner Olszewski, and Devin Ross.