2021 August - Pro Football Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/21

August 12th, 2021 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB James Conner, TE Darrell Daniels, DL Leki Fotu, DB Charles Washington; the four were deemed high-risk close contacts

Detroit Lions

Reverted to IR: RB Michael Warren

Green Bay Packers

Signed: CB Dominique Martin
Waived/injured: LB Randy Ramsey

Indianapolis Colts

Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Gary Jennings

New Orleans Saints

Claimed (from Giants): DL R.J. McIntosh
Reverted to IR: WR Jalen McCleskey

New York Jets

Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Brendon White

San Francisco 49ers

Signed: DL Eddie Vanderdoes

Seattle Seahawks

Re-signed: WR Darece Roberson
Waived: CB Bryan Mills

Tennessee Titans

Signed: LB Reggie Floyd
Waived: WR Kalija Lipscomb
Waived/injured: OL Adam Coon

Saints, Michael Thomas Working To Resolve Issues

August 12th, 2021 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Continuing his downward trajectory from last season, Michael Thomas is expected to miss a chunk of the Saints’ 2021 campaign due to a late-offseason ankle surgery. The All-Pro wide receiver then sent out a tweet seemingly aimed at the Saints’ reaction to his medical decision, adding smoke to this simmering situation.

But cooler heads may prevail here. Thomas and Sean Payton met recently to discuss comments each made about this situation, according to Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson. Prior to Thomas’ tweet, Payton said he would have preferred his top wideout undergo surgery earlier this year in order to be ready for the season. The issue of Thomas ignoring Saints calls this offseason surely came up as well.

Both parties do not want this situation to escalate further, Robinson adds. This would be good news for the Saints, who are moving from one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history to a far less certain option under center. A Thomas trade would carry a significant dead-money charge as well.

Although other teams have moved past dead-money bloodbaths to separate from players — as in the cases of the Steelers (Antonio Brown), Rams (Jared Goff) and Eagles (Carson Wentz) — the Saints have depended on Thomas as their top target for years. They moved on from Emmanuel Sanders this offseason and do not have much behind Thomas in the way of reliable weaponry. Separating from the two-time All-Pro would leave Jameis Winston and/or Taysom Hill at an extreme disadvantage upon taking over for Drew Brees.

Thomas’ trade value has plummeted as well. Since he shattered the NFL single-season reception record, with 149 in 2019, the Ohio State product has run into injury issues on multiple fronts and was suspended for a game for fighting with teammate Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The past year has affected Thomas’ standing around the league, with two GMs expressing to Robinson a belief the receiver’s trade value has fallen to the point no first-round pick could be attached in a deal without protections. Another GM, however, added that a healthy Thomas would bring back a package of a first-round pick and change, which would be similar to the haul Stefon Diggs fetched last year. Since Thomas is not currently healthy, this is a moot point.

Patrick Peterson Addresses Cardinals Exit

August 12th, 2021 at 3:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Patrick Peterson joined the Vikings on a one-year, $8MM deal on the second day of this year’s legal tampering period. This agreement, however, came after discussions with the Cardinals and a few other NFC teams.

The Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles each discussed deals with the former All-Pro cornerback, Dan Pompei of The Athletic reports (subscription required), noting Dallas and San Francisco made early pushes to add the veteran. This came after Peterson’s talks with the Cardinals ceased.

The 31-year-old corner said Cardinals GM Steve Keim communicated to him at his 2020 exit interview a desire for him to stay in Arizona, and Peterson said the Cards continued to tell him they wanted him back in February. Michael Bidwill said as much publicly at that point, but that is the last we heard on a Peterson return to the desert. That appears to be the last Peterson heard on the topic as well.

“I was just frustrated and upset at how upper management handled the situation,” Peterson said, via Pompei. “You tell me one thing, then when it’s time to talk, you turn your shoulder on me like it’s cold shoulder. I’ve been in this league a long time. Thirty years old. Grown man. Talk to me like a grown man, not like a child or your side piece.”

Peterson’s Vikings pact came to be after he instructed his agent to call Mike Zimmer, per Pompei. The All-Decade defender, like many around the league who agreed to one-year deals, hopes to cash in when the cap spikes in 2022. Peterson said Keim did reach out after news of his Vikings agreement surfaced, but the irked cornerback did not respond to the GM’s text message.

“I’m willing to bet on myself for this season knowing the salary cap is going to go back up, and I can have opportunities to come back to the table and get more than what I got this year,” Peterson said.

It is unlikely the other NFC teams pursuing Peterson were offering too much, given his recent play. The Cowboys ended up drafting corners in the second and third rounds, while the 49ers did not make a notable outside hire here this year. The Eagles waited a while but signed Steven Nelson on a low-cost deal. An agreement with Titans cap casualty Malcolm Butler became the Cardinals’ main post-Peterson cornerback move.

Peterson’s string of Pro Bowls stopped at eight, with a six-game PED suspension in 2019 stalling his momentum. The LSU product’s coverage numbers dropped noticeably from 2018 to 2019, and Pro Football Focus graded him 83rd among corners in 2020. Peterson will attempt to re-route his career in Minnesota.

Seahawks Dug In On Jamal Adams Offer

August 12th, 2021 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two-plus weeks into training camp, Jamal Adams remains an unsigned spectator at Seahawks practice. The two sides have been negotiating, but the talks have not moved in a bit. More clarity has emerged on this situation.

The Seahawks have offered Adams a four-year, $70MM deal, according to Adam Jude and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, who add that this extension would include $38MM guaranteed. This offer satisfies the team’s desire to keep Bobby Wagner as its highest-paid defender while making Adams the NFL’s highest-paid safety by more than $2MM per year, but it has not moved the fifth-year safety to sign.

Adams’ camp and the team were part by $4MM per year coming into training camp, per Jude and Condotta, but progress emerged last week that brought this saga close to a compromise. This $17.5MM AAV looks to have satisfied Adams, but his side countered with a proposal that included $40MM guaranteed and bonus money paid out in the deal’s first three years. The team wants Adams’ bonus divvied out over the length of the four-year contract. While bending on these two issues would not seem a major ask of the Seahawks, they are not budging.

No negotiations have taken place since Friday, according to the Seattle Times. Since acquiring the former Jets top-10 pick last summer, the Seahawks had pinpointed this time window to extend Adams. But the process has hit a snag. Both Adams and left tackle Duane Brown are staging hold-ins ahead of contract-year seasons. Pete Carroll has yet to confirm contract talks are ongoing with Brown, with the Seahawks devoting their extension attention to Adams at this point. But this has proven to be a difficult task to check off.

Landon Collins‘ 2019 extension leads the safety position with $44MM guaranteed. That includes injury guarantees. No safety has been guaranteed more than $32.1MM at signing, with the Broncos’ Justin Simmons leading the way there ($32.1MM) and in AAV ($15.25MM). Adams has sought a deal well north of Simmons’ pact, while the Seahawks have stuck to a price range. If the sides have bridged that gap, a deal should not be too far away. However, both parties are evidently willing to wait for the other to blink at this point.

Christian Darrisaw Undergoes Core Surgery

August 12th, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings continue to be without their first-round pick and hopeful left tackle starter, and the wait will continue. Christian Darrisaw underwent his second core muscle surgery of the year Wednesday.

Darrisaw met with the same specialist who performed his initial 2021 surgery, per KSTP’s Darren Wolfson (on Twitter), and had what NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero classifies as a minor procedure. The Vikings remain hopeful Darrisaw will be ready for Week 1 (Twitter link).

Those hopes may be a bit optimistic, with Darrisaw having yet to practice fully with the Vikings since being taken 23rd overall in April. The Virginia Tech product attempted to address this issue ahead of the draft, with a January surgery, but the problem has persisted. Although Darrisaw has participated somewhat in Minnesota’s training camp, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com notes those reps have only come in walkthroughs with the second-team offense. While Darrisaw may well make it back early in the season, this nagging injury has deprived him of critical work ahead of his rookie year.

Minnesota has used veteran Rashod Hill as its first-string left tackle instead, with 2020 second-round pick Ezra Cleveland — a left tackle at Boise State — still at guard. Hill has been with the Vikings for five seasons, working as a spot starter. He has started just two games over the past two seasons. Hill re-signed with the Vikings this offseason.

49ers Place Tony Jefferson On IR

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

Tony Jefferson‘s season is over. On Thursday, the 49ers placed the veteran safety on injured reserve due to groin and hamstring issues.

Jefferson hasn’t played since 2019, when he tore his ACL. Then, the pandemic slowed his rehab, keeping him off the field throughout 2020. Under normal circumstances, Jefferson would have been mostly healed by April.

“I was really getting into a groove with my workouts and my rehab,” Jefferson said in April. “Now, I’m waiting two or three weeks just to get a medicine ball.”

After spending the early part of his career with the Cardinals, Jefferson inked a four-year, $34MM contract with the Ravens in 2017. He started in all 35 of his games for Baltimore from 2017-2019, but the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus weren’t fond of his five-game 2019 season. The Ravens released Jefferson in February of 2020, but he wasn’t healthy enough to land a deal until this summer when the Niners added him on a one-year pact.

Jefferson was gearing up to support free safety Jimmie Ward and strong safety Jaquiski Tartt. Instead, he’ll have to rest, recover, and maybe even consider life beyond football. His snaps will be absorbed by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who agreed to terms on Wednesday.

To take his place on the roster, the 49ers have signed defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes. The 26-year-old (27 in October) is hoping to see his first live action since 2019, when he appeared in three games for the Texans.

Surgery For Ravens’ Rashod Bateman

August 12th, 2021 at 11:56am CST by Zachary Links

Rashod Bateman will undergo groin surgery this week, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (Twitter link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). The exact timeline isn’t clear, but the wide receiver will be “back sometime in September.” That likely means that the Ravens will be without Bateman for the season opener, at minimum.

Bateman suffered a significant pull in practice, a tough blow for a Ravens offense that lacks depth at wide receiver. The Ravens believe that Bateman — the No. 27 overall pick in this year’s draft — will make a difference in Lamar Jackson‘s passing game. But, first, they have to get him healthy.

The Ravens did add veteran Sammy Watkins to the fold this year and they still have Marquise Brown to lead the way. However, Brown is dinged up with a hamstring injury of his own — ditto for Miles Boykin.

Bateman, one of several stellar WRs in the 2020 class, registered 1,219 yards and eleven touchdowns in 2019, his last full season at Minnesota.

Lions Cut Quinton Dunbar

August 12th, 2021 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have released cornerback Quinton Dunbar, per a club announcement. In a related move, they’ve added running back Craig Reynolds to the 90-man roster.

Dunbar joined the Lions in April on a one-year contract. However, it was a veteran salary benefit deal with a modest signing bonus of just $137.5K, so the Lions won’t be on the hook for much.

Dunbar — once entangled in a bizarre legal situation with friend Deandre Baker — was traded from Washington to Seattle last year. Injuries cut his season short, but the Seahawks and Cardinals still showed interest in him as a free agent. The young corner was set to join forces with Jeff Okudah, helping to replace Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman. Now, Dunbar could now wind up on his fourth team in three years.

Dunbar broke through in 2019, rating as one of Pro Football Focus’ top corners and nabbing four interceptions. He held opposing quarterbacks to a 61.2 passer rating that year, but saw just six games in 2020 thanks to knee surgery.

To date, the ex-UF Gator has 31 starts to his credit across six seasons.

Bucs Sign Earl Watford

August 12th, 2021 at 9:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have signed guard Earl Watford. He’ll take the spot of defensive tackle Sam Renner, who has been waived to make room on the roster.

Watford was with the Bucs throughout 2019 season, starting in four of his 15 appearances. He’s a favorite of Bruce Arians, having played in 43 games (21 starts) for him in Arizona from 2014-2017. Now in his third stint with the Bucs, Watford will provide depth in the wake of several OL injuries. The team is currently practicing without Robert Hainsey, Donell Stanley, Josh Wells, and Chidi Okeke, as Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets.

“[Watford] can walk in any play four positions for us,” Arians said earlier this year “Guys that have been in this system for a while, veteran players – when you lose a guy, you try to look for veteran players rather than young guys who might not be ready.”

Jets Not Looking To Move On From Denzel Mims?

August 11th, 2021 at 8:06pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Got news for Jets fans, as we finally have a positive update to pass along on young receiver Denzel Mims. First we heard that he was falling behind on the depth chart in training camp, and then there were rumblings late last week that he might not be long for the team.

Apparently, the concerns have been overblown. The Jets “are not looking to trade or cut” Mims, sources tell Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com. New York drafted Mims in the second-round just last year, so it always would’ve been surprising if he had actually been on his way out. His stock apparently hasn’t taken much of a tumble league-wide, as a source told Pauline that “if the Jets want to trade or cut Mims, 31 teams in the league would line up for him.”

Additionally, Pauline has some more details on why Mims fell behind this offseason. Apparently he lost a ton of weight after having a bad reaction to antibiotics he was put on for food poisoning. That unfortunately left him “unable to participate in the offseason program properly.” Sources told Pauline that led him to fall behind on the installation of the new coaching staff’s offense.

Pauline says Mims is still a favorite of GM Joe Douglas, which will go a long way toward keeping him around. The Baylor product was limited to nine games as a rookie by a hamstring injury, but he was reasonably productive in those nine contests, finishing with 23 catches for 357 yards.

It sounds like Mims isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but he’ll still have his work cut out for him to get on the field. The Jets currently have at least free agent signees Corey Davis and Keelan Cole, veteran Jamison Crowder, and rookie Elijah Moore ahead of him in the pecking order.