HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Saints’ Kwon Alexander Done For Year

December 26th, 2020 at 12:08am CST by Zachary Links

Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander tore his Achilles in Friday’s win over the Vikings, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. While the Saints will march towards the playoffs as the NFC South champs, Alexander will be held out on the injured reserve list. 

[RELATED: Saints Place WR Michael Thomas On IR]

The Saints ruled Alexander out for the game moments after the fateful play, an early indication that he was dealing with something serious. The veteran registered three tackles before he was forced out, leaving his season tally at 27 stops, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in seven games with New Orleans.

Alexander was traded from San Francisco to New Orleans in November. The deal fortified the Saints’ front seven and lightened the books a bit for the Niners. The Saints are now responsible for the last two seasons on his original four-year, $54MM deal, though the remainder is non-guaranteed.

Unfortunately, this is familiar territory for Alexander. But, unlike last year’s torn pec injury, this one won’t allow for a super-human recovery.

Seahawks To Keep Josh Gordon On Roster

December 25th, 2020 at 1:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks won’t have Josh Gordon on the field this week, but head coach Pete Carroll says they will continue to keep him on the roster for the time being (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times). Gordon was on the cusp of reinstatement before it was all 86’d by the league office earlier this week. 

Gordon reportedly suffered a setback in his battle with substance abuse. Carroll declined to provide details on what happened, though he noted that Gordon is “frustrated” by the situation. The Seahawks, for their part, are undoubtedly disappointed, but they won’t give up on the ultra-talented wide receiver.

Despite Gordon’s latest indefinite ban — the ninth suspension of his career — the Seahawks re-signed him on a one-year deal in September. And, with word of his reinstatement, they were eager to see him serve as the No. 3 receiver behind D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Instead, they’ll continue to use David Moore as one of their top targets, with support from rookie Freddie Swain.

The Seahawks continue to be intrigued by his undeniable talent, but he is getting farther and farther away from his tremendous 2013 with the Browns. That was Gordon’s signature season with 87 catches for an NFL-leading 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. Then, for the next two years, Gordon was out of football. Even with all the stops and starts, Gordon continued to flash. When he joined the Patriots in 2018, he managed 40 grabs for 720 yards and three TDs in just eleven games. Then, in December of that year, he was hit with yet another indefinite suspension.

The Seahawks, sans Gordon, will face the Rams on Sunday afternoon.

Lions Release Jonathan Williams

December 25th, 2020 at 12:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Jonathan Williams‘ time in Detroit has come to an end. On Friday, the Lions released the running back to make room for the return of defensive end Everson Griffen.

[RELATED: Lions To Interview Brad Holmes]

Williams joined the Lions back in August and got dropped in early September, but found a home on their practice squad. After a brief cup of coffee in Washington, he circled back to the Lions in late October and saw time in five games as a reserve.

Sitting behind Adrian Peterson, rookie D’Andre Swift, and Kerryon Johnson, there weren’t a ton of opportunities for Williams. He leaves Detroit with just one carry in his five games.

The former fifth-round pick of the Bills has traveled the league throughout his five-year career. To date, his best season came with the Colts, when he notched 235 yards and one score on 49 carries. Most of that production came in a two-week span when Williams ran for 220 combined yards against the Jaguars and Texans.

Giants Sign Logan Ryan To Extension

December 25th, 2020 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s an especially Merry Christmas for Logan Ryan. On Friday morning, the Giants agreed to a three-year, $31MM extension with the veteran safety, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

The deal includes $20MM in guarantees, assuring that Ryan will be a part of the team’s plans beyond 2021. It’s not immediately clear how much of that $20MM figure is guaranteed at signing, but a good portion of that sum should be locked in for Year One.

Ryan, 30 in February, hooked on with the Giants just before the start of the season. His history with head coach Joe Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham helped to bring him to New York, but his talent and versatility were the real drivers.

The one-year, $7.5MM deal paid off for the G-Men, and they’re now rewarding him with the $10MM/year figure that he had been seeking throughout the offseason. In 2019, Ryan led all NFL corners last season with 113 tackles. He graded as one of the league’s top slot defenders, per Pro Football Focus, but ultimately had to make the switch to safety.

It hasn’t been a banner year for the Giants on the whole, but Ryan has been solid throughout. Through 14 games, the Rutgers product has 83 stops, one interception, one sack, three forced fumbles, and nine passes defensed to his credit. Now, he has security with a contract that could take him all the way to the end of his career.

Buccaneers To Sign Drew Stanton

December 24th, 2020 at 4:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers are set to sign quarterback Drew Stanton to the practice squad, as Peter Schrager of NFL.com tweets. Stanton played under head coach Bruce Arians with the Cardinals, so he’ll provide a mix of familiarity and insurance somewhere behind Tom Brady. 

Stanton, 36, first entered the league in 2007 as a second-round pick of the Lions. He hasn’t quite lived up to his Michigan State hype, but he has been a practice field fave for many coaches around the league. All in all, he has 38 career appearances to his credit, including 17 starts.

His last live action came in 2017 on Arians’ Cardinals team, but he’s been in the NFL orbit over the last few years. Stanton’s two-year Browns contract in 2018 didn’t lead to any snaps, but he did find himself in the news as a part of last year’s Freddie Kitchens drama. Stanton — the third-string QB — was rumored to have a significant hand in the team’s game plan. That didn’t sit well with star Odell Beckham Jr., offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and many others in the locker room.

Of course, Stanton isn’t expected to siphon offensive control from Arians or Brady, who will be aiming to clinch a playoff berth on Saturday against the Lions.

Bills Release WR Jake Kumerow

December 24th, 2020 at 4:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have released Jake Kumerow, per a club announcement. The move comes just days after Kumerow scored his first touchdown reception against the Broncos.

Kumerow has shifted around the Bills’ roster this year with most of his playing time coming as a special teams player. His latest promotion was prompted by John Brown‘s ankle injury — now, Brown is nearly ready to return, so Buffalo had to find room for him somewhere. Kumerow could still circle back to the Bills, though the team has to wait 24 hours to see if any other team puts a claim on him.

You can expect teams to consider claiming Kumerow, who offers a decent amount of pro experience. Before he hooked on with the Bills, Kumerow registered 20 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns with the Packers from 2018-2019.

Lions To Interview Rams’ Brad Holmes

December 24th, 2020 at 4:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions will interview Rams director of college scouting Brad Holmes for their GM job, as Lindsay Thiry of ESPN.com tweets. The Lions are at least the second team to show interest in Holmes as the Falcons are also planning to meet with him.

[RELATED: Falcons Show Interest In Holmes]

Holmes first joined the Rams 18 years ago and joined them for the move from St. Louis to Los Angeles. He’s been in his current role for the last eight years, forging an impressive career after his playing days at North Carolina A&T. Holmes — who has been stationed out of Atlanta to scout ACC and SEC talent — may have to do some winter clothes shopping if he relocates to Detroit.

Already, the Lions have interviewed ex-Texans GM Rick Smith, former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff, former Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, and ESPN analyst/longtime NFC East exec Louis Riddick. The next GM should have some say in the team’s head coaching vacancy, which currently belongs to interim HC Darrell Bevell (not to be confused with interim interim HC, Robert Prince).

Lions’ Robert Prince To Serve As Interim Interim HC

December 24th, 2020 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions, technically speaking, are on to their third head coach of 2020. Wide receivers coach Robert Prince will man the sidelines on Saturday while interim head coach Darrell Bevell watches from afar, per the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

Bevell and nearly all of the Lions’ defensive staff were classified as close contacts to a COVID-positive assistant, putting the team in uncharted waters on a short week. Four other coaches will be keeping their distance too. The shuffle will see quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan call plays for the first time in his career. For his part, Prince previously served as Boise State’s offensive coordinator. He joined the Lions in 2014 under the Jim Caldwell administration and he stands as the team’s longest-tenured assistant.

While the Bucs make their playoff push, the Lions won’t be playing for much. If the season ended today, they’d be in line for the No. 11 overall pick.

In other Lions news, future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson says he wants to continue his career in 2021. So far this year, the 35-year-old has averaged 3.7 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns.

Patriots’ Devin McCourty To Return In 2021

December 24th, 2020 at 9:18am CST by Zachary Links

Retirement can wait for Devin McCourty. The Patriots safety first pondered walking away two years ago, but that’s not a consideration as he looks ahead to 2021.

“I’m still enjoying football,” McCourty said (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com). “I plan on playing next year. Just trying to finish out these two games the best way I can, and then when the offseason hits, evaluate and all that stuff. But still feel pretty healthy and love going out there and competing.”

McCourty re-upped with the Pats last year on a two-year, $23MM deal. The final season of that pact will pay an $8MM base salary, including $4MM guaranteed if he’s on the roster on March 20. The 33-year-old has little left to prove, but the end of the Patriots’ AFC East title streak may have reignited his fire.

The former Rutgers star first entered the league as a first-round pick of the Patriots back in 2010. He’s been with them ever since, capturing three Super Bowls along the way. He’s also been an incredibly consistent presence on the field, starting at least 14 games in all eleven of his pro seasons.

Throughout his career, McCourty has always ranged from good to great, and he racked up five interceptions in 2019, his most since 2012. This year, with two games to go, he has two interceptions, including his October pick six against the Niners.

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