2020 November - Pro Football Rumors

Robbery Charges Against DeAndre Baker Dropped

November 16th, 2020 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The four armed robbery charges against DeAndre Baker have been dropped, per an announcement from Florida prosecutors. Meanwhile, the attorney for three of Baker’s accusers has been arrested on extortion charges (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post).

Laywer William Dean represented three of Baker’s accusers — all of whom recanted their statements last week. There was a fourth accuser who wasn’t represented by Dean, and he did not appear for a hearing in October. Reportedly, Dean tried to pry as much as $1.5M from Baker in exchange for his clients changing their statements.

A quick refresher: Baker was alleged to have robbed a party at gunpoint in May. Originally, Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar was charged as his accomplice, but the Broward State Attorney’s office declined to pursue charges against him. The story has only gotten stranger from there, including payoff allegations against attorney Michael Grieco, who was once representing Dunbar. The charges against Dunbar have since been dropped.

The Giants kept their distance from Baker throughout the process before formally waiving him in September. He is now a full-fledged free agent and free to sign with any club, though he could still be subject to fines or suspensions from the league office.

Latest On Panthers’ Teddy Bridgewater, Christian McCaffrey

November 16th, 2020 at 9:31am CST by Zachary Links

Teddy Bridgewater‘s knee injury scared everyone on Sunday. Fortunately, the Panthers quarterback did not suffer any structural damage, as ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen tweets.

Bridgewater is dealing with some soreness and swelling, so the Panthers will monitor his condition from here. Given his history, you can expect the team to err on the side of caution, though Bridgewater hurt his right knee, not the left knee that was torn up in 2016. If Bridgewater is ruled out for this week, XFL star P.J. Walker will step in to start against the Lions.

Bridgewater inked a three-year, $60MM+ deal with the Panthers this year to replace Cam Newton under center. The rebuilding effort, led by new head coach Matt Rhule, has yielded a 3-7 record, including yesterday’s 46-23 loss to the Bucs. For his part, Bridgewater has completed 72.1% of his throws, which would represent a new single season watermark. All in all, he’s registered 2,552 passing yards in his ten games with 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

Meanwhile, the Panthers aren’t expecting to have star running back Christian McCaffrey against the Lions either (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). McCaffrey has appeared in just three games this year thanks to an ankle injury and his latest shoulder malady. In total, he has taken 59 carries for 225 yards and five rushing TDs, plus 17 catches for 149 yards and one score through the air.

Saints’ Drew Brees To Miss Time

November 16th, 2020 at 9:19am CST by Zachary Links

Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffered a rib contusion on Sunday against the 49ers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll undergo an MRI to check for cartilage damage, but the Saints are already bracing for Brees to miss time.

Brees took a big hit late in the first half and initially stayed in the game before telling Sean Payton at halftime that he wouldn’t be able to continue. Interestingly, the injury report indicated that Brees had suffered a shoulder injury — a sign that he’s dealing with multiple ailments, rather than just the ribs. Jameis Winston filled in for Brees after he was forced out, completing 6-10 passes for 63 yards.

Winston may be in line to start for the Saints this week, when they face the Falcons. Of course, Taysom Hill is also on the depth chart, giving Payton a couple of possible options to start.

Historically, Brees has always found a way to play through the pain. Over the course of his 20-year career, he’s missed just six games — mostly due to the thumb ligament tear he suffered last year. In his stead, Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 as the Saints’ starter. If Brees misses an extended stretch, there could be a real opportunity for Winston to reassert himself in similar fashion. Bridgewater later parlayed his performance into a three-year Panthers deal worth $63MM, with a whopping $40MM guaranteed in the first two years.

Ravens’ Nick Boyle Done For Year

November 16th, 2020 at 8:56am CST by Zachary Links

Ravens tight end Nick Boyle will be out for the year after suffering a gruesome knee injury on Sunday night, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). The severity of the injury was immediately apparent as Boyle’s left leg bent in the wrong direction.

“It’s hard to really quantify what Nick does for us as an offense and as a team,” said Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley). “He’s a person that people gravitate towards. For me, he’s meant a ton to me, and it sucks. It sucks for him; he’s worked so hard to get to where he’s at.”

“Everyone in this locker room loves him to death, and he’s one of the most loved people on this team. We’re going to miss him dearly. We know he has our backs, and we have his. It’s just sad. It’s sad to see.”

Boyle has never been one to light up the stat sheet, but his blocking prowess has made him an integral part of the Ravens’ offense. Last year, he set new career highs with 31 catches for 321 yards and two scores. Through nine games this year, he caught 14 balls from Lamar Jackson for 113 yards and two TDs. The advanced metrics have underscored Boyle’s importance to the team, however — he often places in the top 30 at his position, even though he’s rarely targeted.

The Ravens could call on one of their practice squad tight ends — Xavier Grimble or Sean Culkin — to replace Boyle on the active roster.

Injury Updates: Bridgewater, Panthers, Brees, Saints, Edelman, Patriots

November 15th, 2020 at 8:59pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Fortunately today looks like a (relatively) clean Sunday in terms of NFL injuries. We’re still tracking a couple of important quarterbacks though, and we’ve got a few updates to offer as the Week 10 slate winds down:

All eyes are on Teddy Bridgewater and the Panthers now after Bridgewater suffered a knee injury during Carolina’s loss to Tampa Bay. Bridgewater underwent an MRI immediately after the game, somewhat of a departure from a usual Monday MRI, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. While the team clearly wanted to rush him in, fortunately the “initial word” on the injury is that “it’s not serious,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Rapsheet adds that a source told him they’re not even ruling Bridgewater out for next week yet. More good news is, as Mortensen points out, the injury is to his right knee which is not the one that was completely torn up during his devastating 2016 injury. All that being said, it sounds like there’s a good chance that former XFL star P.J. Walker gets one or more starts under center for Carolina. They’ll play the Lions next week.
Bridgewater wasn’t the only NFC South passer to get banged up, as Drew Brees didn’t play the second half of the Saints’ win over the 49ers due to a rib injury. Brees took a big hit late in the first half and initially stayed in the game before telling Sean Payton at halftime that he wouldn’t be able to continue. Speaking to the media after the game Brees was vague, and described his injury as an “accumulative thing,” via Jeff Nowak of NOLA.com (Twitter video link). He’s been listed on the injury report with a shoulder injury, and Brees made it sound like the issue is a combination of things rather than one specific ailment. It’ll be very interesting to monitor this situation going forward, and to see if Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill would become the starter if he has to miss time. Winston filled in on Sunday, completing 6/10 passes for 63 yards.
The Patriots have been widely criticized for the lack of weapons they’ve provided Cam Newton, but fortunately help could be on the way soon. Julian Edelman, sidelined since undergoing a knee procedure a couple of weeks ago, seems to be recovering well. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com heard some “optimism from those close” to Edelman, who said he’s been moving well in recent on-field work. It’s too early to say for sure, but it sounds from Reiss’ blurb that Edelman has a real chance to return in Week 11 when first eligible against the Texans.

Andrew Whitworth Has Torn MCL & PCL

November 15th, 2020 at 7:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It looks like the Rams will be without one of their leaders moving forward. Veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth‘s initial tests on his injured knee showed a torn MCL and PCL, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports tweets.

Fortunately, Whitworth told Glazer that it looks like his ACL was spared. Still, it’s a significant injury that is surely going to sideline him for some time, and potentially the rest of the season. These field exams are very accurate, so Whitworth’s ACL is almost certainly in tact. Still at his age, any injury this serious could spell the beginning of the end. He’s one of the oldest non-quarterbacks you’ll ever see play effectively, as Big Whit is set to turn 39 next month.

The stud offensive lineman has flirted with retirement each of the past couple offseasons, but has always chosen to come back. A second-round pick back in 2006, he spent the first 11 years of his illustrious career with the Bengals before signing with Los Angeles in 2017. He’s made four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams, including a first-team selection in that 2017 season.

As the anchor of Sean McVay’s O-line, he’s been a huge part of the Rams’ offensive success over the past few years. 2018 third-round pick Joseph Noteboom, who’s primarily a guard and was just activated off IR, filled in for Whitworth during the Rams’ win over the Seahawks after he went down. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we have more details on how long he’ll be on the shelf.

AFC Notes: Jets, Douglas, Darnold, Anderson, Ballentine, Texans, Ravens, Patriots, Lance

November 15th, 2020 at 6:11pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Jets still haven’t won a game, and it’s being treated by many like a foregone conclusion they’ll draft Trevor Lawrence if they get the first overall pick. But at least publicly, the team is still making it sound like they believe in Sam Darnold long-term. Speaking to the media recently, GM Joe Douglas indicated he doesn’t think Darnold is the problem. “I certainly haven’t done a good enough job of surrounding Sam with the weapons he needed last year or this year,” Douglas said, via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. “I’m looking at what I can do better moving forward in terms of making sure that we have the right skill and the right protection for him.”

Interestingly, Vacchiano writes that Douglas “expressed regret” about misreading the contract market for receiver Robby Anderson this past offseason. The Jets, of course, let Anderson walk to the Panthers back in March, and apparently Douglas thought he was going to get a bigger deal. Vacchiano writes that Douglas made “it sound like he would’ve been interested if he knew Anderson would only command $10 million per year.” That probably won’t satisfy New York fans. The cupboard has been pretty bare, with Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman operating as their top two wideouts when healthy.

Here’s more from the AFC:

The Jets just got cornerback Corey Ballentine off waivers from the Giants, and they weren’t the only AFC teams interested. The Ravens and Texans also put in claims for the young corner, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The Texans are toward the top of the waiver wire themselves, but they couldn’t beat out the winless Jets. Ballentine was drafted in the sixth-round by the Giants in 2019. He started two games as a rookie and the first two games of this season before quickly falling out of favor with Joe Judge’s staff.
The Patriots look to be in the midst of a rebuilding year, which is a big disappointment after they got off to a 2-1 start with Cam Newton. If Newton doesn’t show enough down the stretch to get brought back in 2021, all eyes will turn to what Bill Belichick does in the draft. The Pats could be picking toward the top of the first-round for the first time in many years, providing them with a rare opportunity. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe recently took a look at the quarterback market for 2021, and NFL Network Daniel Jeremiah thought North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance makes a lot of sense for the Patriots. “I think Lance would be an incredible fit,” he said. “Big, strong, athletic, and smart. He has been in a complex system with a lot of responsibility on his plate. His competitiveness and toughness would be appreciated by Bill Belichick.” Lance is regarded by many as the third-best quarterback in this draft class behind Lawrence and Justin Fields.

Giants Extend Graham Gano

November 15th, 2020 at 4:48pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

On the heels of David Bakhtiari‘s extension, we’ve got another one to pass along. Although it’s not nearly as large, kicker Graham Gano is getting an extension that runs through the 2023 season from the Giants, the team announced Sunday.

Gano signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Giants back in August that was set to expire at the end of the season. He’ll now get three additional years tacked on. Those three years will come with $14MM in new money, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Of that, $9MM is guaranteed, so the Giants are tied to Gano for a whlie. He’s been on fire recently, and has an active streak of 20 consecutive field goals going.

An UDFA in 2009, Gano spent his first couple of seasons as Washington’s kicker before signing with Carolina in 2012. He held down the Panthers’ job for the next seven seasons, making the Pro Bowl in 2017. He missed all of last season with a knee injury, and the Panthers cut him back in July.

Packers Extend David Bakhtiari

November 15th, 2020 at 3:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Packers made a major move before their Week 10 date with the Jaguars. Green Bay locked up left tackle David Bakhtiari with a four-year extension, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link). He had previously been set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

The deal is worth up to $105.5MM in new money, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The base value is $23MM per year, Rapoport adds, which makes him the new highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. Widely considered one of the best tackles in the league, Bakhtiari made his return on Sunday from a chest injury that cost him a few games. This is certainly a nice welcome-back gift.

A fourth-round pick back in 2013, he turned into a steal for Green Bay. The Colorado product became a full-time starter as a rookie, and he’s been protecting Aaron Rodgers‘ blindside ever since. He’s been pretty durable, starting all 16 games in five of his seven full seasons and never missing more than four in one year.

An All-Pro in each of the past four seasons, Bakhtiari only turned 29 in September. As such, he should still be in the prime of his career when this new pact expires. Laremy Tunsil became the highest-paid offensive lineman and first to eclipse $20MM annually back in March, and now Bakhtiari has blown past those numbers.

He’s pretty much in quarterback-money territory now. Rapoport later posted a follow-up tweet saying he’ll get a whopping $30MM signing bonus, with $62.8MM coming his way before the end of the 2022 campaign. Since 2017 Bakhtiari is first in the league in pass block win rate among tackles, according to a tweet from Seth Walder of ESPN.com.

Vikings OL Dru Samia Tests Positive For COVID-19

November 15th, 2020 at 12:40pm CST by Rory Parks

Vikings offensive lineman Dru Samia has tested positive for COVID-19, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Contact tracing is being performed, and Samia and anyone deemed a high-risk contact will not be permitted to travel with the team for tomorrow night’s game against the Bears.

Samia, a 2019 fourth-rounder, started four games for Minnesota earlier this year before returning to a reserve role. But the Vikings just released Pat Elflein and now find themselves without their top backup at guard. Plus, there is a good chance that there will indeed be high-risk contacts given the nature of O-line/D-line play.

Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com suggests that Brett Jones, who is currently on the practice squad, and Oli Udoh could find themselves in the O-line mix if any of Samia’s fellow blockers are deemed high-risk contacts or if the team should suffer an injury during tomorrow’s game. Cronin also expects the Vikes to promote Aviante Collins from the practice squad (Twitter link).

We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.