2021 August - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens’ Rashod Bateman To Miss Time

August 10th, 2021 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rashod Bateman missed a few Ravens practices last week and is set to miss several more after going down during Tuesday’s workout. The first-round wide receiver is set to be out a while as a result, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

A soft-tissue leg injury caused Bateman to limp off a Ravens practice field today, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link). While Bateman is not expected to miss “a crazy length of time,” per Garafolo, the Ravens should prepare to be without their rookie wideout for a stretch.

The Minnesota product previously missed time due to a groin issue, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes. Altogether, this will force Bateman to enter his rookie season after missing extensive reps. The second first-round receiver the Ravens have taken in the past three years, Bateman is expected to play a major role as a rookie.

Key Ravens passing-game principals have run into a few issues during camp. In addition to Lamar Jackson‘s second COVID-19-induced absence, Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin have been down for more than a week due to hamstring maladies. Even though John Harbaugh indicated Brown’s absence is precautionary, Zrebiec adds the third-year deep threat has needed more recovery time than the team anticipated.

Eagles’ Andre Dillard To Miss Time

August 10th, 2021 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aiming to win the Eagles’ left tackle job after missing all of last season, Andre Dillard will be sidelined for another stretch. The third-year offensive lineman suffered a knee sprain recently and is now week-to-week, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

A 2019 first-round pick, Dillard is vying for Philadelphia’s left tackle gig against 2018 seventh-rounder Jordan Mailata. The latter will see increased reps going forward.

Dillard missed the 2020 season due to a biceps injury, and he did not operate as a primary starter as a rookie. While Dillard played in all 16 Eagles games in 2019, he started four in what was deemed a developmental year on team that still featured a Jason Peters–Lane Johnson tackle duo. With Peters gone, Dillard has a chance to solidify a starting job. But this development stands to benefit Mailata; the ex-rugby player could well move into the Eagles’ lineup opposite Johnson. Mailata served as Peters’ primary injury replacement last season, starting 10 games despite not playing at all from 2018-19.

It is not yet known if Dillard will miss regular-season time, but he probably will not see much action during the Eagles’ preseason slate. The Eagles do not have to decide on Dillard’s fifth-year option until May of next year, but the Washington State product has done little to justify such an investment. This season will be critical to establishing his long-term outlook in Philly.

Bengals, Jessie Bates Not Progressing On Extension

August 10th, 2021 at 1:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the NFL’s best young safeties, Jessie Bates is going into a contract year. The former second-round pick expressed interest in signing a Bengals extension earlier this summer, but the sides are not currently on track to hammer one out.

Bates and the Bengals are not progressing on a deal, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), who adds the sides are not expected to reach an agreement at this time. While four weeks remain until the regular season begins, this situation has become one to monitor.

The Bengals have used their training camp and preseason stretches to reach extension agreements with core players in recent years — from A.J. Green to Carlos Dunlap to Geno Atkins to Joe Mixon. The team just extended defensive end Sam Hubbard, who joined Bates as a 2018 draftee. Bates certainly profiles as a fellow extension candidate and can aim for a deal north of $14MM annually. Jamal Adams is poised to reset the safety market; others at the position will be observing what his Seahawks talks produce.

The 24-year-old defender changed agents in 2020, preparing for negotiations once he became eligible for a new deal after his third season. Bates is coming off a strong third season, one that put him on the radar for a possible top-market safety pact. Pro Football Focus rated the Wake Forest product No. 1 overall at the safety position in 2020, when Bates intercepted three passes and eclipsed the 100-tackle barrier for the third straight season.

Cincinnati would have the franchise tag to place on Bates in 2022, should these talks fail to produce a deal. The Jets and Saints took this route with safeties Marcus Maye and Marcus Williams, respectively, this year. The Bengals balked at tagging defenders William Jackson or Carl Lawson this year, moving instead to let them walk and replace them in free agency. It would surprise if the team allowed Bates to test the market next year, but he remains attached to his rookie contract without much momentum to change that arrangement at this point.

Lions Sign K Zane Gonzalez

August 10th, 2021 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

After losing longtime kicker Matt Prater to the Cardinals in free agency, the Lions have added Arizona’s previous kicker. Zane Gonzalez agreed to a one-year deal with the Lions on Tuesday, according to his agency (Twitter link).

Detroit used Prater as its kicker from 2014-20, but he left for Arizona in March. The Lions signed former Bengals specialist Randy Bullock, but they have now added some veteran competition.

Gonzalez, 26, kicked for the Cardinals from 2018-20, catching on in the desert after the Browns cut him early in the 2018 season. The former seventh-round Browns pick fared well in 2019, making more than 86% of his field goal tries. Last season, Gonzalez was less effective (73%) and played a role in the Cards’ late-season swoon. He missed a 45-yard field goal in a three-point loss to the Patriots and saw another game-tying try — a 49-yarder — fall short of the uprights in a three-point loss to the Dolphins.

Bullock, 31, is a nine-year veteran who spent the past four years as the Bengals’ kicker. To make room for Gonzalez on their roster, the Lions are waiving kicker Matthew Wright, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

Cowboys Take Amari Cooper Off PUP List

August 10th, 2021 at 11:44am CST by Sam Robinson

Amari Cooper will have the green light to return to practice. The Cowboys took their highly paid wide receiver off the PUP list Tuesday, after he passed his physical, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

The seventh-year veteran has run into multiple bouts of ankle trouble this offseason. He underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery in January and, after experiencing an issue again in early June, was shut down. Cooper is not yet 100%, per Gehlken (on Twitter), but Tuesday’s transaction paves the way for a return by Week 1.

Cooper, 27, has not missed a game since joining the Cowboys via midseason trade in 2018. This ankle issue will be something to monitor, but the former top-five pick is set to return to Dallas’ workouts soon and take his place alongside Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb.

This season will be pivotal for Cooper, who is in the second year of a five-year, $100MM contract. The Cowboys can get out of this deal fairly easily after the season, and the team is likely planning to make a decision between Cooper and Gallup as a long-term piece in the 2022 offseason. Cooper has posted back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons with the Cowboys, doing so in 2020 despite Dak Prescott missing most of the season.

Saints CB Patrick Robinson To Retire

August 10th, 2021 at 11:25am CST by Sam Robinson

Patrick Robinson will stop short of playing a 12th NFL season. Midway through training camp, the veteran cornerback has told the Saints he plans to retire, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Robinson, 33, was going into the final year of his contract.

Like Malcolm Jenkins, Robinson entered the NFL as a Saints first-round pick who ended up playing a major role on the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl-winning team. Both DBs migrated back to New Orleans. While Jenkins continued to see steady time in his second Saints stint, Robinson became a part-timer. His exit will nonetheless strip the Saints of another veteran corner. The team released previous starter Janoris Jenkins earlier this year.

Robinson saw considerably more time during his first Saints go-round, playing five seasons with the team to start the 2010s. The 2010 first-rounder then made his way to the Chargers and Colts in consecutive years, before landing with the Eagles on one-year contract — his third straight — in 2017.

Robinson manned the slot in Philadelphia and joined Jenkins in helping the team upset the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. The 5-foot-11 defender finished his age-30 season with four interceptions and graded as the league’s No. 6 overall cornerback that season, per Pro Football Focus. He added a pick-six in the Eagles’ NFC championship game rout against the Vikings.

The veteran parlayed that standout season into a four-year, $20MM deal to return to New Orleans. However, a broken ankle three games into the 2018 season sidetracked Robinson’s return. Although the Saints kept him on their roster in 2019 and 2020, Robinson topped out at just a 24% snap rate — in 2020 — during his second New Orleans tenure. He was a healthy scratch in the Saints’ divisional-round loss to the Buccaneers. The 11-year vet wraps his career with 16 interceptions — including a 99-yard pick-six in 2012 — and 83 passes defensed in 123 games.

The Saints have been on the lookout for cornerback help this offseason, attempting to trade up for Jaycee Horn or Patrick Surtain II and now being linked to Jaguars 2020 first-rounder C.J. Henderson. Robinson’s retirement underscores the team’s need at the position.

Patriots’ Hunter Henry To Miss Time?

August 10th, 2021 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots tight end Hunter Henry is expected to miss “a couple of weeks” as he nurses a shoulder injury (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Fortunately, Schefter hears it’s not especially serious, so Henry hopes to be ready in time for Week 1.

Henry inked a three-year, $37.5MM deal with the Patriots in March. The pact included $25MM in full guarantees, proof that the Pats are confident in his long-term health. However, if he misses time, the Patriots still have fellow newcomer Jonnu Smith to lead the way.

Henry missed the entire 2018 campaign with a torn ACL. He’s played at least 12 games in his other four seasons, he also never played a full 16 while with the Chargers. In 2020, Henry hauled in 60 catches for 613 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games.

Smith, meanwhile, is set to earn a whopping $50MM over the next four years with $31.25MM guaranteed. The former Titan enjoyed his best year yet in 2020, posting 41 grabs for 448 yards and eight touchdowns.

Deshaun Watson Out For Texans’ Preseason Opener

August 10th, 2021 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

Texans GM Nick Caserio told SportsRadio 610 that he does not expect Deshaun Watson to travel with the team to Green Bay this weekend (Twitter link). So, at minimum, Watson won’t face the Packers to start the preseason. Beyond that, it’s unclear if the Texans will actually put Watson on the field.

Caserio says that both he and head coach David Culley have had multiple conversations with Watson over the last week, but declined to provide much in the way of additional info (Twitter link). Any other talk concerning Watson, he says, is “speculation.” That includes the latest batch of conflicting info — longtime team insider John McClain hears that Watson has played his final down in Houston. Meanwhile, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports hears that the Texans haven’t ruled out some type of arrangement to keep him this year and trade him in 2022, a la Aaron Rodgers.

The Panthers and “several” other teams are said to be keeping tabs on Watson, even though he could be parked on the commissioner’s exempt list at any moment. Right now, it doesn’t sound like the Texans are entertaining calls on their one-time franchise face or backing down from their surprisingly steep asking price — five high draft picks plus quality veterans.

Jets Claim G David Moore

August 10th, 2021 at 9:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets snagged David Moore off the waiver wire, but they weren’t the only club interested in the rookie guard. The Bears, Browns, and Raiders also submitted claims for him (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com), but the Jets won out due to their higher priority.

Moore was projected as a Round 4 or 5 prospect but wound up going undrafted. After that, he was one of the most coveted UDFAs in the NFL. The Panthers picked him up, but didn’t have room for him. Earlier this week, Moore was waived along with defensive end Austin Larkin (injured). To replace them on the roster, the Panthers added defensive end Kendall Donnerson and defensive back LaDarius Wiley.

Moore made some noise at Grambling over the course of three years, including two years as a full-time starter. He then opted out of the 2020 season, which may have slowed his momentum. Still, his Senior Bowl opponents voted him as the game’s top offensive lineman and teams still haven’t forgotten about that performance.

He’ll have an opportunity to showcase himself with the Jets who just placed Alex Lewis on the exempt/left squad list. If Moore makes the final cut, he’ll support starting guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and Greg Roten.

To make room for Moore, the Jets dropped fellow UDFA OL Teton Saltes.

Dolphins Looking To Trade For OT?

August 9th, 2021 at 9:52pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

With right around a month to go until the start of the season, it appears the Dolphins aren’t quite happy with their offensive line. Miami is “searching for some offensive tackle depth and is willing to make a trade” for one, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic hears (Twitter link).

Austin Jackson is locked in as the starting left tackle, but there’s some uncertainty opposite him. The team drafted Liam Eichenberg in the second-round of this past draft, but it appears he’s set to kick inside and play guard to start his pro career. As of right now the starter at right tackle would be Jesse Davis, a 2015 UDFA who has been a middling starter for them the past few seasons.

Perhaps the bigger worry is that they have very little beyond them should Jackson or Davis go down, so it’s possible they’re only looking for a veteran swing tackle. It’s unclear who exactly would be available now in a trade. If they wanted to make a bigger splash they should’ve done it earlier in the offseason, when guys like Orlando Brown Jr. were available.

Miami opted not to do much to address the position in free agency. Notably, they passed on Oregon tackle Penei Sewell with the sixth pick in the draft, taking Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle while Sewell went seventh to the Lions.m