HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Giants Sign Kenny Wiggins

November 3rd, 2020 at 11:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have signed guard Kenny Wiggins, per a club announcement. Wiggins will provide the Giants with extra reinforcements following Will Hernandez‘s placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

[RELATED: Giants Place Hernandez On COVID-19 List]

Wiggins was in the midst of his third season with the Lions before he was dropped from the roster in late October. The veteran started ten games for Detroit in 2018 and worked in a three-guard rotation with Joe Dahl and Graham Glasgow in 2019, seeing time on 41% of Detroit’s offensive snaps. This season, however, Wiggins did not factor into the team’s work up front. He played just one offensive snap in four games, with most of his work coming on special teams.

Fifth-round pick Shane Lemieux started at left guard in Hernandez’s place last night against the Buccaneers. He’ll likely be first-string against Washington this Sunday, with Wiggins waiting in the wings.

The Giants, who recently shipped linebacker Markus Golden to the Cardinals, still have a few hours left to entertain trades.

Broncos GM John Elway Tests Positive For COVID-19

November 3rd, 2020 at 11:41am CST by Zachary Links

Broncos GM John Elway and CEO Joe Ellis have tested positive for COVID-19, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Both execs believe they contracted the virus outside of the team facility and they’ll now stay away from the building, per protocols. The Broncos have since confirmed the news via press release:

[RELATED: Packers’ AJ Dillon Tests Positive For COVID-19]

“[Ellis and Elway ]were informed this morning they tested positive for COVID-19. After not feeling 100 percent on Sunday morning, Joe promptly reported his symptoms to our medical team and watched Sunday’s game at home as a precaution. He continued to work from home on Monday before receiving a positive test result this morning.

John immediately left UCHealth Training Center on Monday morning after experiencing minor symptoms that he quickly brought to the attention of our medical staff. Other than mild symptoms, both Joe and John are doing well. They will continue to work from home in self-isolation and participate in virtual meetings while their health is monitored.

“Based on a review of contact tracing data with the league, we are confident these cases originated independently outside team facilities. There were minimal close contacts identified for each (no players or coaches), and those individuals have been notified.”

The Broncos have had a few recent cases, including defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and offensive line coach Mike Munchak. Right guard Graham Glasgow also tested positive on Thursday. So far, contact tracing has indicated that the coronavirus has not spread any further in the organization.

Elway wasn’t in attendance for the Broncos’ 31-30 win over the Chargers, and he won’t be on hand as they prepare for the Falcons this week. Elway can still work the phones between now and 4pm ET/3pm CT to explore potential trades, but the 3-4 Broncos aren’t expected to make any major moves.

Patriots Set High Asking Price For Stephon Gilmore

November 3rd, 2020 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots want a first round pick and a player in exchange for star cornerback Stephon Gilmore, according to rival GMs who spoke with ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter). Teams have until 4pm ET/3pm CT on Tuesday afternoon to try and pry him loose. 

[RELATED: Patriots DT Beau Allen Won’t Play In 2020]

Rumors have been swirling about the Patriots and their possible willingness to trade the 2019 AP Defensive Player of the Year. But, from the sound of it, the Patriots aren’t overly eager to part with him.

Gilmore is under club control through 2021 and will be seeking a lucrative extension. At the time of signing, Gilmore’s five-year, $65MM deal ($31MM guaranteed) made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Since then, the market has shifted dramatically. Earlier this year, as Gilmore’s average annual salary slotted him outside the top 10 for CBs, the Patriots moved some money around to give him a ~$5MM “pay raise”.

This offseason, it’ll take much more than that to keep Gilmore for the long haul. The Patriots recognize that, which is why they’re willing to take calls on the star corner between now and the buzzer. Plenty of contenders would love to add Gilmore and would be willing to give him a new deal in the offseason, but it’ll cost ’em significant draft capital.

Raiders’ Tanner Muse Done For Year

November 3rd, 2020 at 9:28am CST by Zachary Links

Tanner Muse‘s NFL debut will have to wait until next year. On Tuesday, the Raiders’ rookie linebacker underwent toe surgery that will shut him down for the season (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).

The Raiders drafted Muse in the third round to supplement their LB additions in free agency. Unfortunately, Muse’s toe injury held him back all throughout the summer. The Raiders still see a bright future for the 6’2, 230-pound defender, especially given his redshirt senior showing. In 2019, Muse was first-team All-ACC as he registered 73 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and a team-high four interceptions.

Muse isn’t the only Raiders rookie to be hampered by injury. First-round cornerback Damon Arnette (broken wrist) and third-round receiver Bryan Edwards (ankle) have missed four straight games. Both players could return in time to face the Chargers, but Muse will be watching as he recuperates.

The Raiders’ defense managed to hold the Browns to just six points on Sunday, paving the way to a low-scoring victory for a 4-3 record. A win over the Chargers on Sunday would help keep the Raiders in the Chiefs’ orbit, though their most likely path to the postseason would be as a Wild Card team.

Jerry Jones: Cowboys Won’t Trade Aldon Smith

November 3rd, 2020 at 8:55am CST by Zachary Links

Aldon Smith isn’t going anywhere, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says (Twitter link via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas News). Jones, while confirming reports of the Seahawks’ inquiry, stressed that he’s not interested in moving the defensive lineman. 

Smith has been one of the few bright spots on Dallas’ D, leading the way with four sacks. His one-year, $2MM deal has proven to be a tremendous value, and the Cowboys will be happy to double that amount if Smith achieves the necessary sack incentives. If anything, it sounds like the Cowboys will be looking to extend their deal with the former All-Pro.

The Cowboys have already addressed the D-Line with two trades this week, bringing Texans nose tackle Eli Ankou to Dallas and shipping out defensive end Everson Griffen. They won’t go for a hat trick by moving Smith before today’s deadline, nor do they anticipate making any more deals. With that said, Jones won’t rule out the possibility of making a trade before 4pm ET/3pm CT.

At 2-6, some have wondered if the Cowboys should seize the opportunity to rebuild. Or, at least, retool their roster. Then again, thanks to the state of the NFC East, the Cowboys are not totally out of playoff contention.

Jets Notes: Darnold, 2017 Draft, Gase, Maye

November 2nd, 2020 at 7:58pm CST by Ben Levine

Some rare good news for the Jets. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that quarterback Sam Darnold‘s precautionary MRI of his right shoulder only showed a “reaggravation.” The 23-year-old will attempt to work through the injury and won’t be sidelined.

Darnold initially suffered the shoulder injury during the Jets’ Week 4 loss to the Broncos, and that forced Joe Flacco into the lineup for Week 5. Darnold returned under center for the past two games, but he’s only completed 56.6-percent of his passes for 253 yards and two interceptions. Prior to the injury, Darnold completed 59.42-percent of his passes for 792 yards, three scores, and four interceptions.

Darnold has missed eight games through his three NFL seasons. If he’s forced to miss more time, the team could either turn to Flacco, third-stringer James Morgan, or practice squad signal-caller Mike White.

Some more notes out of the Big Apple:

  • Prior to the Jets loss to the Chiefs yesterday, ESPN’s Rich Cimini gave the “inside story” of why the organization passed on future MVP and champion Patrick Mahomes during the 2017 draft. There were a variety of reasons that went into the decision: the Jets had already invested in Josh McCown as their bridge quarterback, there was still some optimism that Christian Hackenberg could work out, former GM Mike Maccagnan already had his eye on the 2018 quarterbacks class (including Darnold), and the organization was much more infatuated with their eventual pick, safety Jamal Adams. Still, prior to the draft, Mahomes thought he could end up in New York. “I definitely thought there was interest there,” Mahomes said. “Whenever you go on those visits, you know they’re pretty interested in doing their due diligence. I definitely thought there was interest there.”
  • While we’ve heard a similar sentiment throughout the past few weeks, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reiterates that the Jets aren’t expected to fire head coach Adam Gase midseason. “They really don’t want to do it,” a source told Vacchiano. “They may have to, at some point. But they know a midseason coaching change doesn’t change their situation. I think they’re going to hold off as long as they can.” Vacchiano provided a variety of reasons why it makes sense for the Jets to hold on to Gase, including the fact that the head coach serves as a “lightning rod” while distracting from general manager Joe Douglas‘ shaky first season with the organization.
  • Safety Marcus Maye‘s rookie contract is set to come to an end, and Cimini believes he could be eyeing a contract that will pay him around $7MM per season. As a result, Cimini reports that rival teams believe the 27-year-old could be had as part of the team’s fire sale. The reporter had a similar sentiment about Bradley McDougald, although the impending free agent safety has since landed on IR.
  • In the same article, Cimini passes along an anecdote from 2018, when the Jets “boxed” out the QB-needy Bills by moving from No. 6 to No. 3 in a deal with the Colts. The move allowed the Jets to select Darnold, who was Buffalo’s top-rated QB. In fact, the Bills were so displeased with the deal, they refused to negotiate with Indy for the remainder of the draft. Buffalo ended up trading up from No. 11 to No. 7, and they proceeded to select Josh Allen.

Jaguars To Start QB Jake Luton This Weekend

November 2nd, 2020 at 6:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Jake Luton will likely be under center for the Jaguars this weekend. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the rookie quarterback is expected to start against the Texans on Sunday. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds (on Twitter) that Luton will get starter reps at practice this week.

We learned last week that Jaguars starting quarterback Gardner Minshew had been diagnosed with multiple fractures in his right thumb (in addition to a strained ligament). Minshew reportedly suffered the injury in early October and had played through the pain, and staffers only learned of the injury last week. Following the revelation, the team decided to sideline their starter.

The decision to start Luton comes as a bit of a surprise. The team is also rostering veteran Mike Glennon, who has bounced between the practice squad and active roster this season. The 30-year-old has 22 career starts under his belt, although he’s only attempted a combined 31 passes over the past two-plus seasons.

So, the team will instead turn to Luton, a sixth-round rookie out of Oregon State. Luton had a breakout season for the Beavers in 2019, completing 62-percent of his passes for 2,714 yards, 28 touchdowns, and three interceptions. We heard last week that the Jaguars coaching staff was impressed with the rookie, and considering the team is currently 1-6, it makes a bit of sense to see what they’ve got in the 24-year-old.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/2/20

November 2nd, 2020 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

Tennessee Titans

Falcons DE Takkarist McKinley Says He Won’t Be Traded

November 2nd, 2020 at 5:14pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons aren’t trading Takkarist McKinley…according to Takkarist McKinley. The defensive end took to Twitter this evening and said he’ll be staying in Atlanta.

“The Atlanta Falcons aren’t trading me,” McKinley tweeted. “They have declined a handful of offers.”

Of course, this could mean nothing, and the Falcons front office may currently be rolling their eyes as they continue to field calls for the defensive end. Alternatively, McKinley could also be passing along information he’s received firsthand from the front office (of course, we’d be wary of even taking that at face value).

If true, this will be a change of course from what we heard a few days ago. Last Wednesday, there were reports that the Falcons had discussed offers for the former first-rounder, and some teams were convinced he’d be dealt prior to tomorrow’s trade deadline.

Instead, it’s sounding like the 25-year-old will stick in Atlanta, at least for the time being. After declining his fifth-year option this past offseason, there’s a good chance the two sides go their separate ways in 2021. After all, McKinley has generally disappointed since being selected with the No. 26 pick in the 2017 draft.

While he combined for 13 sacks through his first two seasons in the league (not including a pair of playoff sacks during his rookie campaign), the defensive end managed only 3.5 sacks in 2019. He’s compiled only eight tackles and one sack in four games this season, and he hasn’t played more than 40-percent of his team’s defensive snaps since Week 1.

Lions Work Out Mohamed Sanu

November 2nd, 2020 at 4:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions will audition Mohamed Sanu on Monday afternoon (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). Sanu could provide depth for the Lions i the wake of with Kenny Golladay’s hip injury. 

Sanu has bounced around quite a bit lately. The veteran underwhelmed in his eight regular season games (six starts) with the Patriots last year, hauling in 26 receptions (on 47 targets) for 207 yards and one score. He was also invisible during New England’s playoff loss to the Titans as he caught just one pass for eleven yards.

The Patriots dropped Sanu in the fall to save money, leading him to a reunion with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. That was short-lived — Sanu was let go in early October just as Deebo Samuel and Richie James returned to action.

Sanu isn’t the player he once was, but he still represents a solid midseason boost for a Lions team that could use an extra set of hands. Golladay is Detroit’s No. 1 receiver, and his skills were on full display recently in back-to-back 105 yard games. At minimum, he’ll be out for this Sunday against the Vikings. And, from the sound of it, he’ll need additional time to recover too.

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