HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Vikings Hosted OL Roderick Johnson

August 25th, 2021 at 9:56pm CST by Ben Levine

After getting cut by the Texans last week, Roderick Johnson has earned his first work out since becoming a free agent. The veteran offensive lineman auditioned for the Vikings today, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Johnson, a fifth-round pick by the Browns in 2017, had spent the majority of his career in Houston. After getting into only one game through his first two years in the NFL, the lineman saw a larger role in both 2019 and 2020. Johnson got into 28 games (with six starts) through those two seasons, including a 2020 campaign where he appeared in 245 offensive snaps.

The 25-year-old re-signed with the Texans this offseason, collecting $350K in fully guaranteed cash. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier this month, and he earned his walking papers after getting activated.

Vikings first-round pick Christian Darrisaw is sidelined after undergoing a second surgery on his groin, keeping him off the field indefinitely. Minnesota also recently let go of offensive tackle Evin Ksiezarczyk, so it makes sense that the front office is in the market for some reinforcement at the position.

Raiders Worked Out LB Patrick Onwuasor

August 25th, 2021 at 9:33pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders were apparently motivated to add a linebacker today. Before they acquired Denzel Perryman from the Panthers, the Raiders worked out veteran linebacker Patrick Onwuasor, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Panthers Trade LB Denzel Perryman To Raiders]

The former undrafted free agent out of Portland State turned into a reliable starter for the Ravens. Onwuasor ultimately spent four seasons in Baltimore, collecting 234 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles in 58 games (32 starts). The 28-year-old joined the Jets during the 2020 offseason, but he landed on IR in early September. He was activated two months later before getting placed on IR once again, ending his season.

Onwuasor ended up getting into only one game for the Jets in 2020, appearing on eight special teams snaps without recording a tackle.

Las Vegas could be without Nicholas Morrow for the foreseeable future, and backup linebacker Javin White is also dealing with an injury. Thanks in part to that depleted depth, the Raiders acquired Perryman earlier this evening from Carolina. That trade would presumably take the Raiders out of the running for Onwuasor, although the team could look to bring in multiple players as they try to replace Morrow’s production.

Panthers Trade LB Denzel Perryman To Raiders

August 25th, 2021 at 7:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Denzel Perryman is heading west again. The Raiders and Panthers agreed to a deal Wednesday night that will send the veteran linebacker to Las Vegas, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Panthers have announced the trade.

The former Chargers starter will return to the AFC West in a pick-swap trade, with the Panthers receiving a sixth-round pick and the Raiders acquiring Perryman and a seventh-rounder, per Schefter (on Twitter). This will represent another fresh-start attempt for Perryman and give the Raiders some help on their suddenly weakened defensive second level.

Carolina signed Perryman to a two-year, $6MM deal, guaranteeing the former second-round pick $2.99MM. The 28-year-old defender is due to earn base salaries of $990K and $1MM on this contract. The Panthers had seen Jermaine Carter perform well enough during training camp to anoint him as a starter alongside Shaq Thompson. Carter becoming Carolina’s starting middle linebacker left Perryman in limbo, a familiar position for the formerly supplanted Bolts starting inside ‘backer.

Las Vegas is currently down starter Nicholas Morrow, and Jon Gruden said the fifth-year Raider may be out a while. Backup Raiders linebacker Javin White is also on the mend, amplifying a need here. Perryman, however, has also battled injuries this year. He missed time at Panthers training camp due to a hip injury and is battling foot trouble after at teammate stepped on one of his feet this week, Joe Person of The Athletic notes (subscription required).

A bonus for Perryman’s hopes of stabilizing his career: this move will reunite him with former Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, whom the Raiders hired this year. Perryman, who will follow longtime Charger teammate Casey Hayward to Vegas, showed promise early in his career with the Bolts, recording 16 tackles for loss over his first two seasons. Injuries intervened over the next two seasons, but he later signed an extension to stay in Los Angeles. Despite the six-year vet’s playing time dwindling on that second Bolts deal — down to 31% of L.A.’s defensive snaps last season — Perryman graded as one of Pro Football Focus’ top run-defending linebackers in 2020.

49ers, Colts Were Also On Matthew Stafford’s Destination List

August 25th, 2021 at 6:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams paying up for Matthew Stafford led to numerous quarterback dominoes falling this offseason. Stafford is close to debuting with the Rams, who are among the NFC frontrunners, but he would have been fine being traded to two other teams earlier this year.

After Stafford asked the Lions to trade him in January, he listed the 49ers and Colts — in that order — behind the Rams on his destination wish list, according to Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com. Both teams entered the sweepstakes, with Kyle Shanahan confirming the 49ers’ interest, but neither’s offer approached the Rams’ proposal of two future first-rounders and change.

The Colts discussed Stafford with the Lions but were a bit leery about the 33-year-old passer’s long-term trajectory. They are not believed to have offered their 2021 first-round pick for the 12-year veteran. Indianapolis ended up sending Philadelphia a 2021 third-rounder and a 2022 pick that could well become a first for Carson Wentz. The 49ers were not believed to have been one of the six-plus teams to submit offers for Stafford, though Shanahan studied the QB while he was on the trade block and expressed disappointment upon learning the Rams acquired him. San Francisco then traded two future firsts and change to move up to No. 3 overall for Trey Lance.

Stafford also said there were teams he wanted to avoid. The Patriots are believed to be one, and Wickersham adds the Panthers were another. Carolina did offer its first-round pick — No. 8 overall — along with Teddy Bridgewater and a fifth-rounder. Carolina’s involvement here eventually led to Bridgewater being traded to another unsuccessful Stafford suitor — Denver — and Sam Darnold going to the Panthers. The Rams acquiring Stafford also led Washington, which offered its first-round pick as well, to move elsewhere. The Lions-Rams deal certainly served as the 2021 offseason’s pivot point.

Although Stafford did not have a no-trade clause, the Lions accommodated him after a lengthy January meeting when he asked to be dealt. Stafford initially went to Lions ownership about the trade request, Wickersham adds, noting that the team execs in that meeting were surprised but understood the veteran passer’s position as another rebuild approached.

Giants Activate Kyle Rudolph From PUP List

August 25th, 2021 at 5:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyle Rudolph passed his physical Wednesday and will move toward a Week 1 return. The veteran tight end is now off the Giants’ active/PUP list.

The offseason acquisition spent nearly a month on the Giants’ PUP list due to the foot surgery he underwent in March. That operation briefly clouded Rudolph’s agreement to join the Giants, but the sides ended up following through with the initial deal.

It remains uncertain if Rudolph will be ready to play for his new team when its season begins Sept. 12. The 11th-year veteran, however, is not noticeably behind schedule. He said earlier this summer missing training camp was in play but has continued to keep Week 1 as the goal.

Rudolph, 31, suffered a foot injury last season — one that caused him to miss his first game action since 2014 — and Giants doctors discovered a Lisfranc issue during his physical in March. Lisfranc injuries can be difficult to shake, so it will be interesting to see if Rudolph can avoid any additional setbacks.

He committed to the Giants on a two-year, $12MM deal, joining the likes of Kenny Golladay, John Ross and first-round pick Kadarius Toney as new weapons for Daniel Jones. Rudolph will be expected to work in tandem with Evan Engram, who is going into a contract year.

Patriots To Trade Sony Michel To Rams

August 25th, 2021 at 5:14pm CST by Zachary Links

5:14pm: The teams have agreed to a revised trade. The Rams are sending the Patriots a 2022 sixth-round pick and a 2023 fourth-rounder for Michel, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue tweets. This certainly makes for a less complicated trade package, and the Rams could end up netting a compensatory pick — depending on Michel’s potential free agency path next year.

8:53am: The Patriots have agreed to trade running back Sony Michel to the Rams in exchange for two late-round conditional draft picks (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The Patriots will get a fifth-rounder and sixth-rounder that combines and converts to a fourth-rounder when/if the Rams get a fourth-round compensatory pick (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 

In essence, it’s Michel — a former-first round pick — in exchange for a fourth round selection. As New England’s 2018 first-rounder (No. 31 overall), Michel showed promise in his rookie year. He collected 981 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in 13 regular season games, and he added another six scores during the Patriots’ run to a championship. Michel’s overall stats went up a bit in 2019 thanks to him appearing in three more games, but his yards per carry dropped from 4.5 (2018) to 3.7 (2019). Michel spent much of the 2020 campaign on the IR and COVID list, finishing with a career-low 563 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.

The Patriots declined his fifth-year option, so he’s on course for free agency in 2022. Now, the Rams get Michel — who is still only 26 years old — in a prove-it year. It’s hard to see Michel as a three-down back in the NFL, but the Rams see ample upside here, especially with Cam Akers sidelined for the year.

The Pats, meanwhile, will move forward with 2019 third-rounder Damien Harris as their starter, James White as their pass-catching specialist, and new rookie Rhamondre Stevenson in support. J.J. Taylor and veteran special teams player Brandon Bolden are also vying for time and the Patriots weren’t going to carry more than five RBs.

Michel will earn $1.79MM this year as he looks to reinvent himself in Los Angeles. For now, he’ll likely slot in behind Darrell Henderson Jr. as the Rams’ RB1 with support from youngster Xavier Jones and rookie Jake Funk.

Jets To Hire Matt Cavanaugh As Assistant

August 25th, 2021 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Cavanaugh is back for a second stint with the Jets. The team’s former quarterbacks coach will return as a senior offensive assistant, according to ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini.

The longtime NFL assistant was last with the Jets from 2009-12, when he oversaw Mark Sanchez‘s initial development. Cavanaugh will now provide some experience for the Jets’ new offensive staff, which is set to groom No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson.

This hire comes in an emergency circumstance. The Jets sought an experienced coach, per Cimini, to fill the void that emerged when Greg Knapp died from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident July 22. The Jets hired Knapp to be their passing-game coordinator this year. Now, Cavanaugh will provide assistance to new OC Mike LaFleur.

Cavanaugh, 64, began his NFL coaching career back in 1994. He served as offensive coordinator for three franchises — the Bears, Ravens and Washington — and last worked on Jay Gruden‘s staff in Washington two years ago. Cavanaugh’s Ravens OC stint, from 1999-2004, overlapped with Jets GM Joe Douglas‘ Baltimore stay. Douglas began as a Ravens scout in 2000.

The Jets have a first-time NFL play-caller (LaFleur) and a first-time quarterbacks coach (Rob Calabrese) on Robert Saleh‘s first staff. Cavanaugh, a former NFL backup QB, has 22 years’ experience on an NFL sideline.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/21

August 25th, 2021 at 4:07pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals 

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Nate Hall

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: LB Nate Evans
  • Waived: DL Frederick Smith Jr.

Los Angeles Rams

  • Waived: LS Steven Wirtel

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Marvin Hall

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

TE Luke Willson Announces Retirement

August 25th, 2021 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Luke Willson worked out for the Seahawks on Monday and signed to rejoin the team Tuesday. The Seahawks released him a day later, and the veteran tight end has subsequently announced his retirement.

Willson will wrap his career after eight seasons. He revealed Wednesday, via Twitter, he dealt with a heart issue this offseason — a severe pericardial effusion, which is a fluid buildup around the heart — that required a lengthy hospital stay. After one day back with the Seahawks, the 31-year-old veteran reversed course and called it quits. The Seahawks released Willson after he informed the team of his retirement plans Tuesday night, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets.

A fifth-round Seahawks pick in 2013, Willson played in 96 games (counting playoffs) for the team. While not known as a pure receiving tight end, Willson caught 11 TD passes during his first Seattle stint. The Rice alum added a playoff touchdown as well, scoring from 25 yards out in the Seahawks’ divisional-round win over the Panthers in 2014. Willson totaled four catches for 68 yards in that 31-17 Seattle win. A week later, Willson’s two-point conversion grab helped the Seahawks erase a 16-point second-half deficit against the Packers en route to Super Bowl XLIX.

The Seahawks are currently down Colby Parkinson, who suffered a foot fracture for the second straight year, but have Gerald Everett and holdover Will Dissly at the position. Willson was to provide depth, a role he played in 2019 and at the end of last season.

Willson caught on with the Lions in 2018 and joined the Raiders in 2019, receiving some Hard Knocks screen time. After the Raiders released him, he wound up back with the Seahawks. After a Ravens deal in 2020 also led to a release, he ended up playing his final games as a member of the Seahawks last season.

Packers Place Devin Funchess On IR

August 25th, 2021 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

It does not look like Devin Funchess‘ Packers career will end up leading to any regular-season games. For the second straight year, the veteran wide receiver will not play for Green Bay.

The Packers placed Funchess on IR Wednesday. This move will end his season. While an injury settlement would allow Funchess to catch on with another team and play in 2021, Wednesday’s transaction will prevent him from suiting up for the Packers this year.

Funchess has not played since Week 1 of the 2019 season. An injury landed him on the Colts’ IR list that year. He then opted out of the 2020 season. The former Panthers draftee was set vying for a role in a now-crowded Packers receiving corps but suffered an injury during a Packers-Jets joint practice last week. Funchess did play in Green Bay’s preseason opener, showing some promise with a six-catch, 70-yard outing. It will be interesting to see if he lands elsewhere later this year.

The 27-year-old wideout signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Packers in 2020. That deal tolled to 2021 after Funchess’ opt-out. That contract represented the highest-profile receiver move of the Packers’ scrutinized 2020 offseason, which brought Jordan Love to town but no other wideouts of note. A year later, however, young pass catchers Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have more experience and are set to reprise their supporting-cast roles. The Packers also traded for Randall Cobb and drafted Clemson’s Amari Rodgers in Round 3. Funchess accepted a pay cut earlier this offseason.

A former second-round pick, Funchess broke out during Carolina’s 2017 playoff season. The 6-foot-4 receiver caught 63 passes for 840 yards and eight touchdowns. Beyond that year, however, the Michigan product has not surpassed 550 yards in a season. While the Colts and Packers gave him one-year contracts, Funchess has seen his career stall since leaving the Panthers.

Additionally, the Packers signed defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson and cornerback Stephen Denmark. They waived wide receiver Chris Blair as well.

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