HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Vikings Waive Jaylen Twyman 

July 26th, 2021 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have waived rookie defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman, per a club announcement. The move will make room for new wide receiver Dede Westbrook, who agreed to a deal over the weekend. Twyman will revert to the non-football injury list if he clears waivers.

Twyman was shot four times in Washington D.C. earlier this summer. Fortunately, the Pitt product is expected to make a full recovery, but the incident will keep him off the field for the time being. No surgery was required, but his “superficial, exit wounds” prompted the Vikings to put him on the non-football injury list.

“He walked himself into the hospital. He was an innocent bystander in a car — wrong place, wrong time,” agent Drew Rosenhaus said. “They did X rays, there are no broken bones, no ligament damage. I spoke to his father, he’s going to be OK. And I informed the Vikings of everything that is going on and how he is.”

The Vikings drafted Twyman in the sixth round at No. 199 overall. In his two years at Pitt, the 21-year-old notched 57 tackles and eleven sacks.

Bears Place Tarik Cohen On PUP

July 25th, 2021 at 5:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears announced that they have placed Tarik Cohen on the Physically Unable to Perform list. It’s a sign that the running back may be behind schedule as he looks to recover from last year’s ACL injury. 

At this rate, it doesn’t sound like the Bears should expect to have Cohen for Week 1. Cohen, who turns 26 on Monday, has spent his entire career in Chicago. That includes his 2018, a season with 1,169 yards from scrimmage, eight touchdowns, and tons of highlights as a returner. He led the league with 411 punt return yards in ’18, capturing All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods.

Things haven’t been quite the same since. Cohen started a career-high 11 games in 2019, but he was limited to just 669 yards from scrimmage. Last year he limited by the ACL, but he ceded the top job to David Montgomery before the injury even happened.

Cohen is still an important part of the Bears’ offense, so they want him on the field and healthy ASAP. Beyond that, there are also some financial considerations — it’s been less than a year since he signed his three-year, $17.25MM extension.

If Cohen misses time, the Bears will open the year with Damien Williams, Ryan Nall, Artavis Pierce, and rookies Khalil Herbert and CJ Marable behind Montgomery.

Titans Sign John Simon

July 25th, 2021 at 4:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have signed outside linebacker John Simon, per a club announcement. Fellow pass rusher Tuzar Skipper has been cut in a corresponding move.

Simon has been with the Patriots for the last three years. In 2020, he started in all 16 games and registered 53 stops with two sacks. All in all, he’s got 97 appearances and 52 career starts to his credit for the Ravens, Texans, Colts, and Patriots.

Simon is perhaps best known for the three-year, $14MM deal he signed with the Colts in 2017. That deal didn’t make it to Year Two, but he’s quietly put together a solid career in the NFL. Few know Simon’s ability better than Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who’s coached the veteran at two different stops.

Skipper, meanwhile, will go to the waiver wire. Teams will have 24 hours to enter claims on him before he reaches unfettered free agency.

Bengals, Sam Hubbard Agree To Extension

July 25th, 2021 at 2:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals and Sam Hubbard have reached agreement on a four-year, $40MM extension (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Hubbard has been of the few bright spots in the Bengals’ front seven. Now, they’ve got him locked up for years to come.

Hubbard has split time at defensive end and linebacker, racking up 177 tackles and 16.5 sacks since his 2018 debut. Over the last three seasons, he’s proven to be one heck of a third round find. The Bengals hope for similar results from this year’s crop of mid-round linemen — Joseph Ossai, Cameron Sample, and Tyler Shelvin. But, even if they all don’t pan out, they’ll have the 26-year-old leading the charge for years to come.

The bulk of Hubbard’s 16.5 career sacks came in his first two pro seasons. Last year, he had just two, thanks in part to a mid-year elbow injury. The Bengals are counting on him more than ever now that Carl Lawson (5.5 sacks in 2020) has moved on to the Jets.

This year, the Ohio State product will be joined by a number of new faces, including ex-Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson. As a first-time full-time starter, Hendrickson notched 25 QB hits, and 13.5 sacks. Between Hendrickson and continued improvement Hubbard, the Bengals are expecting much better results than last year when they finished one of the worst pass rush units in the NFL.

Eagles Sign CB Steven Nelson

July 25th, 2021 at 2:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have signed cornerback Steven Nelson to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. Nelson’s one-year deal will furnish him with $2.5MM in base salary with the chance to make up to $4.125MM with incentives (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). To make room on the roster, the Eagles have released defensive tackle William Henry. 

 

The Steelers released Nelson way back on March 23rd. Ever since, he’s been fielding interest from roughly half the league. Fourteen different teams reportedly reached out to him, including the Texans, Bears, Bengals, and Bills. Ultimately, the Eagles came away with the veteran.

Nelson was originally drafted by the Chiefs in the third-round in 2015. After a four-interception 2018 season for Kansas City, he signed a three-year, $25.5MM pact with Pittsburgh. He’s started 30 games for the Steelers over the last two seasons. And, in 2020, he notched nine passes defended and two interceptions.

Nelson has been a solid starter, and has received strong marks from Pro Football Focus. In fact over the last two years, PFF has him graded as the NFL’s 11th-best cornerback. Now, the 28-year-old will look to boost the Birds’ secondary, likely starting opposite of Darius Slay. The duo will be supported by rookie Zech McPhearson with slot support from natural nickel Avonte Maddox.

Chandler Jones Requested Trade

July 25th, 2021 at 12:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals star pass rusher Chandler Jones requested a trade this offseason, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Jones is said to be unhappy with his contract situation — which has apparently been the case for a while now — and while the club expects him to report to camp, it remains a situation worth monitoring. 

Jones flirted with a holdout during minicamp in June, putting pressure on the front office for a new pact. Still, his decision took many by surprise, given his track record of showing up to practice and participating in all of the offseason’s voluntary work. Jones, 31, is currently set to enter the final year of his contract. As it stands, he’s scheduled to make $15.5MM. Given his age, he won’t beat Joey Bosa‘s five-year, $135MM re-up, but a shorter deal in the $20MM AAV neighborhood would make sense.

The Cardinals do not want to trade Jones, Fowler hears. Still, the three-time Pro Bowler is sending a clear message — he won’t be a happy camper unless the team pays him what he’s worth.

After acquiring him from the Patriots in 2016, the Cardinals gave Jones a five-year, $82.5MM deal in 2017. During his first four seasons in Arizona, Jones didn’t miss a game while averaging 15 sacks per season. He appeared in the first five games of 2020, collecting 11 tackles, one sack, and seven QB hits. However, a torn bicep forced him to miss the rest of the season. That didn’t help his leverage, but he’s doing a good job to try and recoup some of it this summer.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Browns Will Not Trade Kareem Hunt

July 25th, 2021 at 12:00pm CST by Rory Parks

The Browns are once again a popular pick to make a deep postseason run, and their talent at running back is one of many reasons why. The depth chart is topped by Nick Chubb, who has earned two Pro Bowl nods in three professional seasons and whose 5.2 YPC average underscores his excellence. Behind Chubb, of course, is Kareem Hunt, a similarly capable runner who is also a force in the passing game.

When the Rams lost Cam Akers to an Achilles tear last week, there was chatter that LA could look to the free agent or trade markets to replace him. While the Rams have indicated they are comfortable with their in-house options, Hunt would profile as an intriguing trade target for any RB-needy team given the Browns’ depth (Cleveland is also rostering third-year pro D’Ernest Johnson, who has played well in limited snaps, and sixth-round rookie Demetric Felton).

Hunt’s trade appeal is heightened by the fact that he is tied to eminently reasonable base salaries of $1.3MM and $1.35MM over the next two seasons. However, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (subscription required) writes that the Browns have no interest in trading Hunt.

As Cabot observes, the Browns did not suffer much of a drop-off at all when Hunt replaced an injured Chubb for a few games in 2020, and she expects the club to continue to expand Hunt’s role. Thanks to Hunt’s receiving prowess, he and Chubb could appear on the field together a great deal this season, which will only make a potentially explosive offense even more dynamic. So regardless of whatever injuries or underperformance rival clubs might experience this summer, Hunt will not be made available.

In other Browns news, Cabot reports that no players will open training camp on the PUP list. Players like Odell Beckham, Grant Delpit, and Greedy Williams are all coming off major injuries, but they will be ready to hit the field with their teammates right away (though the Browns will continue to be cautious, of course).

Aaron Rodgers Seeking $90MM Guaranteed Over Two Years

July 25th, 2021 at 10:52am CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier this week that the Packers offered Aaron Rodgers a two-year extension that would have made him the highest-paid player in NFL history. That report, from ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, was light on details, and as our Zachary Links suggested at the time, it’s difficult to know exactly what kind of money Rodgers was really turning down.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk offers a little more context. While Florio does not know the details of the Packers’ reported offer, he does shed some light on what Rodgers is looking for. According to Florio’s sources, Rodgers wants $90MM in guaranteed money over a two-year period. The $45MM average annual value would put him on an even footing with the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, but more importantly, Green Bay would have to structure the deal in such a way that it would have no choice but to keep Rodgers through at least 2022 and perhaps through 2023.

As it currently stands, Rodgers is signed through 2023, but the Packers could theoretically cut him next offseason and save $22.7MM against the cap. They’d be left with $17.2MM in dead money, but that wouldn’t cripple them cap-wise, especially since the cap is set to increase next year. Jordan Love, with multiple years to go on his original rookie deal, would be significantly cheaper.

Although it has been said at various points throughout this saga that Rodgers is not necessarily motivated by money, the money that he’s reportedly seeking would be one way to achieve his goal of leaving Green Bay when he’s ready to leave, and not when the Packers deem Love to be ready to take the reins.

Between Rodgers and Davante Adams, the Packers are dealing with a lot of disgruntled star power. That is not a good place for any team to be in on the cusp of training camp, but especially a team that has a roster capable of contending for a title.

Deshaun Watson To Report To Training Camp

July 25th, 2021 at 9:25am CST by Rory Parks

Deshaun Watson will report to training camp. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com observes, Texans quarterbacks are reporting to the team today, and Watson will be with his fellow signal-callers (Twitter link).

Watson, of course, is embroiled in civil litigation thanks to the sexual misconduct and sexual assault lawsuits that 22 different women have filed against him, but it’s presently unclear if Watson and the plaintiffs are close to a settlement. And, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets, no criminal charges are imminent either. So even though there was a belief that the NFL would step in and park Watson on the Commissioner’s Exempt list if and when he reported to camp, Garafolo believes the league will simply monitor the situation for now.

Another veteran NFL reporter, Josina Anderson, has the same understanding. Anderson’s sources say the league will wait for official findings from Texas authorities before taking any action of its own (Twitter link).

Despite the maelstrom of controversy surrounding him, Watson remains adamant that he wants out of Houston (though as ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets, no rival clubs have asked Watson to waive his no-trade clause as of yet). However, since holding out of training camp would subject him to unwaivable $50K daily fines, it was expected that the three-time Pro Bowler would show up as required. 

This is a unique and complicated situation for rookie head coach David Culley and rookie GM Nick Caserio. Having commissioner Roger Goodell step in and declare Watson temporarily ineligible would help to bring a little normalcy to training camp, but it doesn’t sound as if that will be happening (at least not before practices begin). So Culley will be tasked with handling the Watson matter while also trying to get free agent acquisition Tyrod Taylor and top draft choice Davis Mills ready to go for the start of the season.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com hears that the Texans have moved on from Watson and are prepared to go forward with Taylor and Mills, unless Watson’s presence at the team facilities somehow leads to a reconciliation (Twitter link).

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