HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Terron Armstead Confirms Positive COVID-19 Test

November 28th, 2020 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Taysom Hill will not have his most accomplished blocker in front of him Sunday in Denver. Terron Armstead confirmed reports he has tested positive for COVID-19 (Twitter link).

Armstead learned of his positive test Saturday morning, putting him in line to next week’s game against the Falcons as well. The Saints will be without their starting left tackle and quarterback for a bit. They are already without left guard starter Andrus Peat.

A full-time Saints starter since his second season (2014), the former third-round pick has become one of the league’s best O-linemen. Armstead has served as a vital component of Alvin Kamara‘s breakthrough, making the past two Pro Bowls as the longest-tenured member of New Orleans’ high-end O-line.

James Hurst stands to be the next man up. The former Ravens starter has served as the Saints’ swing tackle this season, starting twice in place of standout right tackle Ryan Ramczyk.

Colts, DT Grover Stewart Agree On Extension

November 28th, 2020 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Months after authorizing a monster extension for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, the Colts have identified another D-tackle they want to keep long-term.

They agreed to an extension with contract-year interior lineman Grover Stewart on Saturday, Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star reports. It’s a three-year, $30.75MM deal.

Stewart has started alongside Buckner this season and has been a Colts first-stringer since last year. He was one of GM Chris Ballard‘s first draft picks, going to Indianapolis in the 2017 fourth round. The Colts now have Stewart and Buckner signed through at least 2023. Upon being acquired from San Francisco, Buckner signed a four-year, $84MM deal in March.

The Colts have used Stewart, 27, at nose tackle this season. While that is not a statistically friendly role, Stewart has made 36 tackles (four for loss) and grades as a top-40 interior defender this season — per Pro Football Focus. He has helped the Colts become a top-five defense. Indianapolis’ defense ranks third against the run and fourth against the pass, taking a major step forward after a down 2019.

Ballard and Co. have made Stewart a key priority; he is the first of the Ballard-era defensive draftees to receive a major extension. Others, like Darius Leonard, will follow. But for now, the Colts have taken care of a player that has helped make Leonard’s dominance possible.

Patriots Place OL Isaiah Wynn, RB Rex Burkhead On IR

November 28th, 2020 at 12:43pm CST by Ben Levine

A trio of Patriots players landed on injured reserve today. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that New England has placed running back Rex Burkhead, left tackle Isaiah Wynn, and nose tackle Carl Davis on IR.

The Burkhead move isn’t overly surprising; the veteran RB suffered a torn ACL last weekend, ending his season. Now in his fourth year with New England, the veteran was having another solid season as a change-of-pace back. Through 10 games, the 30-year-old collected 274 yards and three touchdowns on 67 carries. He had another 25 receptions for 192 yards and three scores.

While the Patriots will surely miss Burkhead’s veteran presence, the team does have a number of options at running back. Damien Harris has emerged as a solid option in the running game, and Cam Newton can still turn to pass-catcher James White. The team is also rostering former first rounder Sony Michel, who could return this weekend after having been sidelined since Week 3.

Wynn, a 2018 first-rounder, was limited to only eight games through his first two seasons in the NFL. However, in 2020, he’s emerged as one of New England’s best offensive lineman, and he’s shown versatility by playing both offensive tackle and offensive guard. The 24-year-old suffered a knee injury during last weekend’s loss to the Texans, but the lineman could theoretically return before the season is over.

Davis, 28, joined the Patriots after being signed off the Jaguars practice squad in October. The defensive lineman has seen time in three games for New England this season, collecting three tackles. He’s appeared in 39 career games (13 starts) with the Patriots, Ravens, Browns, Jaguars, and Colts.

Ravens Sign WR Dez Bryant To 53-Man Roster

November 28th, 2020 at 11:37am CST by Ben Levine

After having been promoted twice, Dez Bryant will no longer have to ride the Ravens’ practice squad shuttle. The veteran wideout announced on Twitter that he’s been signed to Baltimore’s active roster.

The 32-year-old joined the Ravens practice squad in late October. He was promoted for Baltimore’s Week 9 win over the Colts, but he only played a pair of snaps. He saw much more playing time when he was promoted for the Ravens’ Week 11 loss to the Titans, hauling in four catches for 28 yards while appearing in 54 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.

Along with tight end Mark Andrews, receivers Marquise Brown and Willie Snead will continue to lead Baltimore’s inconsistent receiving corps. However, Bryant could continue seeing a role ahead of the likes of Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche.

“We’ll just keep working, and we’ll see where that leads moving forward,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said last week (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). “I don’t think there’s any real timeline right now, but I do think that if Dez keeps progressing, he will definitely become a factor in what we do.”

Bryant missed all of the 2018 and 2019 seasons, so despite having three 1,000-yard seasons (plus a pair of 800-plus-yard campaigns) on his resume, the veteran had to settle for a practice squad deal in 2020. While there certainly wasn’t much risk for either side, the move has clearly worked out for both the player and the organization.

This Date In Transactions History: Giants Bench Eli Manning

November 28th, 2020 at 10:24am CST by Ben Levine

Three years ago today, it was looking like Eli Manning‘s career with the Giants was coming to an end. On November 28, 2017, the organization announced that they’d be benching the future Hall of Famer for Geno Smith (we know, we know…this isn’t actually a transaction, but it’s not everyday an organization releases a press release regarding a BENCHING).

“Geno will start this week,” said then-head coach Ben McAdoo. “Over the last five games, we will take a look at Geno, and we will also give Davis [Webb] an opportunity.”

While the move certainly came as a surprise, there was some merit to the decision. It was already a lost season for the Giants, as the team was out of the playoff picture with a 2-9 record. The organization apparently thought it was useful to evaluate their younger options as they looked ahead to the 2018 campaign.

On the flip side, there were also plenty of reasons to stick with the Manning. His illustrious resume included a 210-game starting streak, the then-second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history (behind Brett Favre (and since passed by Philip Rivers)). The Giants gave Manning the option to still start the upcoming games, but the veteran said it was “pointless” and disingenuous to start a game that he wouldn’t finish. Further, it wasn’t like the quarterback had even bad that bad during the 2017 campaign. Despite the team’s record, Manning had still completed 62.5-percent of his passes for 2,411 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions through the first 11 games…and that was with major injuries to wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall.

The move was instantly criticized around the NFL. Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said he was “very upset” by the decision, and many pundits suspected the move came from higher-ups like Jerry Reese and John Mara. Naturally, there were also a number of articles pertaining to trade theories, with the Jaguars, Broncos, and Cardinals listed as potential suitors.

How did the move work out? Not great. The Giants lost by seven to the Raiders with Smith under center. The former second-rounder did manage to complete 61.7-percent of his passes for 212 yards and one score, and he added 13 yards on the ground. However, he also had a fair of key fumbles that could have changed the Giants’ fortunes.

Days following the loss, McAdoo was fired, and interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo reinserted Manning back into the lineup. Manning proceeded to start the rest of the Giants games that season, and he started all 16 of their games in 2018. Manning’s career would ultimately come to an end following the 2019 campaign…but still, that was two years later than what many thought on this date in 2017.

Chiefs Cut S Tedric Thompson

November 28th, 2020 at 9:02am CST by Ben Levine

Tedric Thompson‘s stint with the Chiefs has come to an end. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero of NFL.com’s reports (via Twitter) that Kansas City is cutting the safety. The team will elevate practice squad wideout Marcus Kemp to the active roster to take the open roster spot, via Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter).

Thompson, a fourth-round pick in 2017, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Seahawks. He started 16 games for Seattle between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, collecting 76 tackles and three interceptions. However, a shoulder injury limited him to only six games in 2019, and he was released by the Seahawks back in March.

He ultimately landed with the Chiefs, where he’s served mostly in a rotational role. He’s fallen down the depth chart in recent weeks; since Week 5, he’s only played 22 defensive snaps, and he’s been a healthy scratch for the past two games. Thompson’s stint with the Chiefs will end with him having compiled 13 tackles in eight games.

Kemp has spent most of the past four seasons with the Chiefs organization. The 2017 undrafted free agent out of Hawaii has seen time in 24 career games, including seven this season. The 25-year-old has eight career tackles and a pair of catches on his resume.

Trent Brown Set To Return To Practice

November 27th, 2020 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trent Brown has played just 73 offensive snaps in his second Raiders season, but the Pro Bowl right tackle may be on the verge of suiting up again.

The sixth-year blocker is set to resuming practicing next week, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets. An injury initially sidelined Brown, but coronavirus complications have shelved the mammoth offensive lineman for the past several weeks.

Brown, whose positive COVID-19 test led to the rest of the Raiders starting O-line missing a full week of practice in Week 7, was on the verge of returning from his bout with the virus in Week 8 against the Browns. But an IV mishap led to the 380-pound lineman being hospitalized. Brown passed out at the hospital, according to Tafur (subscription required).

It is not certain what exactly transpired with Brown in Cleveland, but he wound up back on Las Vegas’ reserve/COVID-19 list days later. Brown has missed most of this season, and Tafur cautions that he is believed to be two or three weeks away from playing in a game again. Though, it is certainly a positive development Brown is on track to practice soon.

The NFLPA is looking into the Brown IV incident, Tafur adds, but no grievance has surfaced. Brown is in the second season of a four-year, $66MM contract — a tackle-record deal at the time of signing. The Raiders have been without he and former Pro Bowl guard Richie Incognito for most of the season, with the latter requiring foot surgery after going down in September. Las Vegas’ rushing attack still ranks seventh, but the group would obviously stand to improve with Brown anchoring its right edge.

Ravens, Steelers Place 3 Players On Reserve/COVID-19 List

November 27th, 2020 at 5:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:52pm: While a sixth straight day did produce a Ravens positive coronavirus test, just one player’s test came back positive Friday. Practice squad offensive lineman Will Holden tested positive, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Holden will become the 15th player on Baltimore’s reserve/COVID-19 list. This will continue to be the NFL situation to monitor over the next few days.

3:28pm: The Ravens and Steelers each moved three players to their respective reserve/COVID-19 lists Friday. This comes shortly after the NFL pushed the AFC North’s top rivalry back to Tuesday night.

Stephon Tuitt, defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs and offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins are now on the Steelers’ virus list, while the Ravens moved fullback Patrick Ricard, long snapper Morgan Cox and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike to theirs. Lamar Jackson also landed on Baltimore’s COVID list. The reigning MVP tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday; Ricard confirmed (via Twitter) he tested positive as well.

For the Ravens, this increases their COVID list to 14 players — including key cogs Jackson, Ricard, Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, Matt Skura, Pernell McPhee, Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins. This concerning number resulted in the NFL moving the Ravens-Steelers rematch for a second time. The 7pm Tuesday slot, however, represents conceivably the final Week 12 window for this game. Another delay would test the NFL in a way previous virus issues have not.

It is not known if Tuitt tested positive. If he did not, he could still play Tuesday. Depending on when the standout defensive lineman’s last contact with a COVID-19-positive person occurred, he could still be activated in time for the Steelers’ Tuesday game. With the NFL moving Week 13’s Ravens-Cowboys game to Monday, Dec. 7, Jackson could be activated. Had the NFL kept that game on Thursday — which it will if the Steelers-Ravens tilt cannot be played Tuesday — Jackson would have been ineligible to return for that contest.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/27/20

November 27th, 2020 at 5:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s practice squad moves:

Denver Broncos

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/27/20

November 27th, 2020 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Diontae Spencer; Spencer tested positive for the coronavirus.

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

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