HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

49ers, Browns, Raiders Put In Claims For Takk McKinley

November 11th, 2020 at 5:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals’ 2-5-1 record aided them Wednesday, with Takk McKinley now Cincinnati-bound after a waiver claim. Other suitors were ready to pounce if the Bengals did not make a claim.

The 49ers, Browns and Raiders submitted claims for McKinley, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This comes after McKinley curiously tweeted the Falcons declined trade offers for him. The Browns were one of the teams to discuss a McKinley trade with the Falcons, per SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter).

McKinley would have been thrust into the AFC playoff race had he landed in Cleveland or Las Vegas. The Browns eyed Jadeveon Clowney for months, submitting what was believed to be a strong offer for the high-profile edge rusher, but instead reworked Olivier Vernon‘s contract and ran back the Vernon-Myles Garrett tandem. McKinley would have joined ex-Falcons teammate Adrian Clayborn as an auxiliary pass rusher in Cleveland.

Although the Raiders have seen Maxx Crosby play well after arriving as a fourth-round pick, the team has not seen much production from No. 4 overall selection Clelin Ferrell. The Raiders were also in the Clowney mix. Only Crosby (five sacks) has registered more than one sack among Raiders, and the team’s nine QB drops rank 31st.

Injuries have depleted the 49ers’ once-formidable defensive line. They are without Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas for the season, and Dee Ford is not certain to return in 2020. McKinley, who recorded 13 sacks between the 2017-18 seasons, has one in four games this year. The 2017 first-round pick does have seven QB hits in abbreviated time (85 defensive snaps) this season, however.

Titans Activate Adoree’ Jackson From IR

November 11th, 2020 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans are continuing to take it slow with Adoree’ Jackson. They will take the atypical step of activating Jackson ahead of their Week 10 game but declaring him out.

Jackson is back on Tennessee’s 53-man roster, but the fourth-year cornerback will not play against the Colts on Thursday. Jackson returned to practice Oct. 21, meaning Wednesday marked the 21-day deadline for the Titans to activate the corner in order to have him participate in the 2020 season.

A knee injury cropped up just before the start of the regular season, and the Titans shelved Jackson on IR ahead of Week 1. The team will give the three-year starter at least 10 more days to work his way back. Tennessee faces Baltimore on Sunday, Nov. 22.

The 2017 first-round pick has started 39 games in 43 appearances as a pro. Tennessee picked up Jackson’s fifth-year option in May. The Titans have struggled this season defending aerial attacks; they rank 24th in pass defense DVOA. The team rearranged some pieces recently, cutting Johnathan Joseph and Vic Beasley. A Jackson return would certainly help the unit as the Titans push for their first AFC South title in 12 years.

To make room on their 53-man roster, the Titans placed cornerback Dane Cruikshank on IR.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/20

November 11th, 2020 at 4:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Tyrone Crawford
  • Claimed off waivers from Colts: DL Ron’Dell Carter

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Bengals Claim DE Takk McKinley

November 11th, 2020 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals used their high waiver priority to bring in a former first-round defensive lineman. Recently cut Falcons edge rusher Takk McKinley will head to Cincinnati after the Bengals claimed him Wednesday.

McKinley will join a Bengals team that has been without defensive ends Sam Hubbard and Carlos Dunlap; the former is on IR and the latter is now a Seahawk. With the Falcons not exercising the 2017 first-rounder’s fifth-year option, McKinley’s rookie contract expires after the 2020 season.

The Falcons dropped McKinley after not finding a taker for him in a trade. The team fined the defensive end for comments he made regarding his trade status. McKinley has 17.5 career sacks; just one of those has come during the 2020 season. The UCLA product registered 13 sacks over his first two seasons but has just 4.5 since the 2019 campaign.

Atlanta sought a fourth-round pick for McKinley but held onto him at the deadline, despite McKinley tweeting the team received offers involving fifth- and/or sixth-round picks. The Falcons tried to unload Vic Beasley in similar fashion ahead of last year’s trade deadline but retained him, and Beasley produced down the stretch. The team has now dismantled its longtime pass-rushing duo, and McKinley will have a shot to rebound ahead of a possible free agency run in 2021.

Just one Bengal — fourth-year defensive end Carl Lawson — has registered more than one sack this season. Like McKinley, Lawson is in a contract year. Hubbard has also returned to practice this week and could be activated ahead of Cincinnati’s Week 10 game. The Bengals minimized Dunlap’s role and saw him become quite vocal about the demotion, leading to a trade. They will now take a flier on another player who went public about his standing with an organization.

Shelby Harris Tests Positive For COVID-19

November 11th, 2020 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shelby Harris missed the Broncos’ Week 9 game after he landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. But the veteran defensive lineman was out due to being a high-risk close contact. This week, he will be out because he tested positive for the coronavirus, Benjamin Allbright of KOA tweets.

The Broncos placed Harris on their reserve/COVID-19 list last week. He reported to the team his wife and children tested positive for the coronavirus last week, Mike Klis of 9News reports, but he did not receive word he had also tested positive until Wednesday morning. The Broncos quarantined Harris away from his family at a hotel last week; he did not travel to Atlanta for the team’s Week 9 game. He will miss at least Denver’s Week 10 game in Las Vegas.

Broncos defensive line coach Bill Kollar is not with the team due to contact tracing, per Klis, but the longtime Denver assistant has not tested positive (Twitter link). The Broncos have seen a few assistants miss time because of the virus, with running backs coach Curtis Modkins testing positive and O-line coach Mike Munchak and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell being sidelined for periods as well. GM John Elway tested positive last week.

After catching on with the Broncos in 2017, Harris re-signed with the team this offseason. The interior defender led the NFL in passes batted down last season and has eight QB hits this year. With Harris sidelined, the Broncos will be without each of their three starting D-linemen against the Raiders. Both Jurrell Casey and Mike Purcell are on IR.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/20

November 11th, 2020 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Syracuse S Andre Cisco To Enter NFL Draft

November 11th, 2020 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

Syracuse safety Andre Cisco will turn pro and enter the 2021 NFL Draft, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Cisco, who signed with agents Andre Odom and David Mulugheta of Athletes First, could wind up as a first-round pick.

[RELATED: Latest On Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence]

Cisco burst on to the scene with seven interceptions in his freshman year, followed by five INTs in 2019. Then, in September, the preseason first-team AP All-American tore his ACL during pregame warmups when he collided with a teammate. The injury ended his season after just two games and, ultimately, capped his collegiate career.

The Long Island native has the potential to steal the show at the combine, if he’s fully recovered by then. Reportedly, Cisco has clocked a 4.33-second 40-yard-dash in the past, along with 17 bench press reps of 225 pounds. Though he’s been knocked for trying to force interceptions, Cisco’s big play ability and athleticism should bring him lots of attention in the buildup to the draft.

Also working in Cisco’s favor — a safety class that is viewed as relatively weak. He’ll be joined by Oregon’s Jevon Holland, who opted out of the 2020 season and shifted his focus towards draft prep.

Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey To Miss Time

November 11th, 2020 at 10:29am CST by Zachary Links

Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is not expected to play Sunday against the Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McCaffrey is now considered to be week-to-week with his right shoulder injury, though he’s meeting with a specialist today for a second opinion. 

Last week’s game against the Chiefs marked McCaffrey’s return to the field after he was sidelined with an ankle injury. Now, after taking a big hit from Kansas City safety Daniel Sorensen, he has a new ailment to deal with. Before that, CMC ran for 69 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and caught ten passes for 82 yards and a TD.

McCaffrey did not miss a game during his first three seasons. Even in a trying 2019 for Carolina, McCaffrey managed 1,387 rushing yards off of 287 carries, giving him an average of 4.8 yards per tote. He also caught 116 passes for 1,005 yards through the air. All combined, he notched 19 touchdowns on the year, paving the way towards his record-breaking four-year, $64MM deal in the offseason.

The 33-31 loss to KC knocked the Panthers down to 3-6 on the year, which means that the Panthers may have a tough decision to make if McCaffrey’s issue lingers.

Latest On Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence

November 11th, 2020 at 10:02am CST by Zachary Links

Clemson star Trevor Lawrence says he’s still undecided on whether to enter the 2021 NFL Draft, as ESPN.com’s David M. Hale writes. Meanwhile, NFL executives tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter that they have no doubt about Lawrence’s future plans. 

“You have a better chance of winning the Boston Marathon than he does of going back to school,” one source told Schefter.

Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney recently expressed similar sentiments, admitting that he’d “be surprised” if Lawrence, the projected No. 1 pick, returns to campus next year. For his part, Lawrence says he isn’t interested in discussing his plans any further, noting that he wants to enjoy the rest of the year and focus on his return to the field.

Clemson managed to beat Boston College without Lawrence under center but they came up short in Saturday’s thriller against Notre Dame. The good news is that Lawrence is set to return after completing the NCAA’s COVID-19 protocol.

The Jets and Jaguars are keeping a watchful eye on Lawrence, who has been hailed as a generational talent.

“I’ve honestly never seen anything like him,” one NFL quarterbacks coach told Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller this week. “You’ve seen guys with a bigger arm, and you’ve seen guys who are faster, but I’ve never seen a prospect who has every trait you need and has them at a high level.”

Dolphins Place Preston Williams On IR

November 11th, 2020 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins placed wide receiver Preston Williams on injured reserve with a foot injury. Previously, the Dolphins had Williams listed as day-to-day, but the issue is “more significant” than they initially believed, head coach Brian Flores says (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). 

Per this year’s modified IR rules, Williams will miss at least three games. Flores isn’t exactly sure when they’ll get the second-year pro back after his left foot twisted on a touchdown catch against the Cardinals. It’s also possible that Williams is dealing with a right foot injury suffered during the ensuing celebration with Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Williams broke out during his rookie season last year, catching 32 passes for 428 yards and three touchdowns in his first eight NFL games. He was on pace to become just the second first Dolphins rookie wideout to surpass 800 yards since Chris Chambers in 2001. That was up until he suffered a torn ACL, capping his first pro season in November. So far this year, Williams has registered 18 catches for 288 yards and four touchdowns.

Without Williams, the Dolphins will likely lean more on Mack Hollins and Jakeem Grant. They could also promote Antonio Callaway from the practice squad.

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