HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Jets Place G Alex Lewis On NFI List

December 4th, 2020 at 2:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier Friday, the Jets announced starting left guard Alex Lewis would not play against the Raiders because of an organizational decision. His absence will now extend longer than two games.

Mysteriously inactive in Week 12, Lewis will now land on the Jets’ reserve/non-football illness list, according to ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. He will be out at least three games. While that is not especially critical for a Jets team sitting 0-11, Lewis’ hiatus has been a rather unusual situation.

Adam Gase confirmed he and Lewis had a discussion that preceded the O-lineman being scratched for the team’s Dolphins rematch. The fifth-year blocker does appear to be dealing with a medical problem, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating Lewis is seeking help for a non-football health issue (Twitter link). The Jets plan to pay Lewis while he resides on their NFI list. The Jets went to the NFL to determine the best way to move forward with Lewis, per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes (on Twitter).

This marks the latest odd development between the Jets and a recently acquired offensive lineman. An injury-related dustup between the team and 2019 trade acquisition Kelechi Osemele emerged midway through last season, leading to Osemele’s release and a grievance. Lewis’ issue is not on that level. The Jets have denied this is an injury-related situation, and Lewis did not indicate any hostility between he and the team, Cimini adds.

The Jets made a long-term commitment to Lewis, bringing him back on a three-year, $18.6MM deal. Though, the team could shed Lewis’ contract nearly free of charge after 2020. He is due a non-guaranteed $5.8MM base salary in 2021.

More Surgery For Texans’ Gareon Conley

December 4th, 2020 at 1:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Texans cornerback Gareon Conley will undergo additional ankle surgery, per a club announcement. With that, he’ll remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. 

It’s been a trying year for Conley, who was looking to build his case heading into free agency. After a rocky tenure in Oakland, Conley managed eleven pass breakups for Houston last year. That gave him the second-highest total on the team, just two shy of team leader Jonathan Joseph. Later, the Texans declined his $10.24MM fifth-year option, giving him the opportunity to catch up with the ever-climbing cornerback market.

Then came the ankle issues. Conley’s arthroscopic ankle surgery went bad, and he hasn’t responded to a number of supplementary treatments. The Ohio State product was trying to avoid surgery with hope of returning this year, but that ship has sailed. Now, Conley will focus on rehab as he watches the 4-7 Texans from a distance.

The Texans could really use Conley, too, since Bradley Roby will be serving a suspension for the rest of the season. Without Roby and Conley, they’re left with Vernon Hargreaves and Phillip Gaines as their top CBs.

49ers Want To Keep Richard Sherman

December 4th, 2020 at 12:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Richard Sherman is in his walk year, but 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan hopes that this won’t be the end of the line. This week, Shanahan said that the veteran cornerback is very much in the team’s plans for 2021.

[RELATED: 49ers Tried To Claim Will Parks]

“Sherm’s a guy that, personally, and I know [GM John Lynch] feels the same — we went on our team at all times,” Shanahan said (via Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com). “Sherm’s a guy that when he does get older and he does descend, he’s such a good football player, he finds a way.”

Just last week, Sherman found his way back to the lineup after missing the bulk of the year with a calf injury. After notching seven stops and an interception in his return, it’s clear that he’s still got a lot left in the tank. The Niners will probably wait until the offseason to talk contract, but Lynch has also gone on record with his affection for Sherman. The 32-year-old (33 in March) is someone he wants “on our team at all times.”

After his 2017 Achilles injury, Sherman re-emerged as a top-tier cornerback in 2019. The two sides did discuss an extension in September, but Sherman has spent the last few months focusing on rehab. Last time around, Sherman represented himself and signed a three-year, $27.2MM deal. Since then, the cornerback market has advanced considerably.

Lions May Let New Coach Pick GM

December 4th, 2020 at 10:31am CST by Zachary Links

After cleaning house last week, the Lions are set to search for a new GM and head coach. But not necessarily in that order. The Lions aren’t married to any particular structure and may allow their next head coach to help pick the GM, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. 

[RELATED: Lions Fire Bob Quinn, Matt Patricia]

The Lions expected more out of head coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn, one-time shining stars in the Patriots organization. After their fourth straight season without a playoff appearance, they’ll turn the page for yet another reboot. The good news is that they have enough talent to lure candidates, including an offense led by Matthew Stafford and Kenny Golladay, provided that the receiver can be retained.

Patricia was heralded as a defensive guru but his unit left much to be desired. The Lions are near the NFL cellar for points allowed and they weren’t much better over the last two years — Detroit finished 28th in defensive DVOA in 2018 and 2019.

Panthers Meet With Chandler Catanzaro

December 4th, 2020 at 9:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers auditioned kickers Chandler Catanzaro, Lirim Hajrullahu, and Louie Zervos on Thursday, according to the league’s transactions wire. All three could serve as insurance for current kicker Joey Slye, who just missed a 54-yarder that would have sealed the deal against the Vikings. 

Slye’s job isn’t necessarily in jeopardy. His 77.4% field goal conversion doesn’t jump off of the page, but two of his attempts were from 65+ yards out. Take those out of the equation, and he’s got a much more respectable ~83% rate. In general, the Panthers have confidence in Slye — his 8-of-11 success rate from 50+ yards last year allowed them to part ways with the talented, yet pricier, Graham Gano.

Catanzaro is the biggest name of the workout bunch, though we haven’t seen him on the field in a while. The 29-year-old’s last live action came towards the end of the 2018 season. In 2019, he hooked on with the Jets and retired soon after (we can’t blame him). This year, he had a cup of coffee with the Giants, but lost out to Gano. Catanzaro is best known for his early work with the Cardinals — he sank 87.9% of his kicks as a rookie in 2014 and 90.3% of his tries in 2015.

After the bye, Panthers will look to bounce back against the Broncos.

North Notes: Bevell, Lewis, Ravens, Browns

December 3rd, 2020 at 6:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first Lions interim head coach in 15 years, Darrell Bevell will have five games to run the team. While it should be expected the Lions go in a different direction when they make a full-time hire in 2021, Bevell said team president Rod Wood informed him he is not out of the picture for the permanent gig, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Although Bevell was a Matt Patricia hire, the former Seahawks offensive coordinator did not join the Lions until Patricia’s second season. Prior to Bevell spending seven seasons as Seattle’s OC, he oversaw the Vikings’ Brett Favre offenses and held that job for five seasons. His latest offense ranks 20th, though it has been without Kenny Golladay for a big chunk of the season.

Here is the latest from the North divisions:

  • Mike Zimmer replaced defensive coordinator George Edwards by dividing the DC duties between his son (Adam Zimmer) and Andre Patterson. But the Vikings HC wanted a more experienced hand in the room, even before Edwards’ exit. Prior to Edwards’ 2020 departure, Mike Zimmer wanted to hire his former boss — ex-Bengals HC Marvin Lewis — as a defensive assistant, Dan Pompei of The Athletic notes (subscription required). This interest came in 2019, and Zimmer sought Lewis for a part-time role, Pompei adds. Lewis ended up on Herm Edwards‘ Arizona State staff, in an advisory role, last year and is now the Sun Devils’ co-defensive coordinator.
  • Robert Griffin III indeed suffered a hamstring pull in the Ravens‘ Wednesday loss to the Steelers, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. He is not expected to practice when Baltimore reconvenes for workouts. The earliest Lamar Jackson could practice would be Sunday, which would give the Ravens starter one full practice and a Monday walkthrough in advance of a Tuesday return against the Cowboys. It is not known if Jackson will be ready by then, but he will be eligible to return after testing positive for the coronavirus on Nov. 26.
  • The Browns will not have one of their starters for a while. They placed Ronnie Harrison on IR this week, and Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes the third-year safety’s shoulder injury is expected to keep him out between four and six weeks. This is a big setback for the Browns; Pro Football Focus slots Harrison as its 12th-highest-graded safety this season. Cleveland’s secondary is already down Denzel Ward, who is rehabbing a calf strain.
  • Joe Burrow underwent surgery on his injured knee Wednesday, the Bengals announced in a brief statement. The No. 1 overall pick suffered ACL and MCL tears as well as other structural damage. He is not expected to be ready to return until around the start of next season.
  • Seeking kicker insurance in the COVID-19 era, the Packers worked out Roberto Aguayo, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes. The Packers, who have used Mason Crosby as their kicker since 2007, do not have a kicker on their practice squad currently. Aguayo has not caught on with a team since the Chargers cut him in 2018; the former second-round pick has not kicked in a game since his 2016 rookie season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/20

December 3rd, 2020 at 5:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s practice squad decisions:

Denver Broncos

  • Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Darius Kilgo

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Nick Bowers

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

  • Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list, released: TE Daniel Helm

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/20

December 3rd, 2020 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

  • Claimed off waivers from Buccaneers: LB Jack Cichy

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC Notes: Texans, Rivers, Tua, Bolles, Jets

December 3rd, 2020 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the trade deadline, Deshaun Watson revealed how much of an issue a Will Fuller trade would have caused for him. Now, the Texans quarterback does not want Week 12 to have been his final game throwing to the deep threat. Despite Fuller’s six-game PED suspension set to drag into next year, Watson wants the Texans to bring back the impending free agent.

“That’s very important,” Watson said of the Texans re-signing Fuller, via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop. “That’s definitely one guy that I’m going to be working on this last month and offseason, for sure. Will’s my brother. The whole organization knows that too. And you know, make sure that we get him back for next year, especially in this organization.”

A 2016 first-round pick, Fuller has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. He did in his contract year and was on pace to venture well into four-digit yardage territory. The 26-year-old receiver finished his shortened season with 53 receptions for 879 yards and eight touchdowns — all career-high numbers — and will be one of the top free agents in 2021. The Texans will have exclusive negotiating rights with Fuller until the legal tampering period begins in mid-March.

Here is the latest from the AFC, shifting first to Houston’s Week 13 opponent:

  • Philip Rivers has not missed a game due to injury as a pro, having made 235 straight starts since the Chargers let Drew Brees defect to the Saints in 2006. But Rivers appeared on the Colts‘ injury report this week, being reduced to a limited practice Thursday because of a toe malady. Praising Rivers’ toughness, Quenton Nelson revealed (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson and Jim Ayello) the 17th-year quarterback is playing through a “really bad” foot problem presently. Rivers said he has no concerns about being able to play in Week 13.
  • Also expecting to play Sunday: Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa. After Brian Flores said Tagovailoa was “very close” to being able to play against the Jets, the first-round passer expects to start this weekend against the Bengals, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald notes. Although Tua struggled in Denver and was benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick, Flores said the job is the rookie’s when he is medically cleared. Tagovailoa has been limited in both Miami practices this week.
  • Garett Bolles‘ belated breakout resulted in a big payday from the Broncos, who went from not picking up the once-embattled left tackle’s fifth-year option to signing him to a four-year, $68MM deal. That contract contains $38MM guaranteed and $21MM fully guaranteed over the first two years, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Although the $17MM-per-year figure places Bolles as the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid tackle, the full guarantee is more in line with his uneven performance through three-plus seasons. That number ranks 20th among tackles and comes in $43MM south of what the Ravens recently gave Ronnie Stanley in full guarantees.
  • More weirdness out of New York. Jets guard starter Alex Lewis did not play against the Dolphins last week, and Adam Gase said the absence was not injury-related. This may stem from a dustup between Lewis and Gase. The second-year Jets HC indicated the two had a “conversation” but stopped short of calling it a verbal altercation, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano notes (Twitter links). Gase did not confirm if Lewis will return in Week 13. A 2019 trade acquisition, Lewis signed a three-year deal to return to the Jets in March.

Raiders Host Spencer Ware On Visit

December 3rd, 2020 at 4:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh Jacobs has not practiced this week, putting his availability for Sunday’s Raiders-Jets game in doubt. The Raiders are looking at a longtime Chiefs running back for potential insurance.

The Raiders hosted Spencer Ware on a Thursday visit, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The free agent running back last played for Kansas City in December 2019, having re-signed with the Chiefs during their Super Bowl-winning season. Ware, 29, has not signed with anyone this year.

Jacobs is battling an ankle injury sustained during the Raiders’ blowout loss to the Falcons. Devontae Booker has worked as his immediate backup this season and would start if Jacobs could not go Sunday. Las Vegas has passing-down backs Jalen Richard and Theo Riddick on its 53-man roster as well.

The Chiefs turned to Ware after Jamaal Charles went down in 2015. Charles’ immediate successor led the 2016 team with 921 rushing yards, earning a contract extension. But the Chiefs pivoted to Kareem Hunt in 2017, after a Ware season-ending injury, and Ware signed with the Colts in 2019. While Ware played in just three games last season, he averaged 4.8 yards per carry in 2018. A shoulder injury ended Ware’s brief Chiefs stint last season.

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