2021 August - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins To Keep Jakeem Grant

August 31st, 2021 at 2:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins explored trades involving wide receiver Jakeem Grant, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Instead, he’ll stay on board with a restructured deal.

Through 14 games last year, Grant posted 36 catches for 373 yards and one touchdown. He also made an impact in the return game. He led the league with 330 punt return yards and an average of 11.4 yards per attempt, up until his high-ankle sprain in December. His finest work came against the Rams in November when Grant’s return-turned-TD boosted Miami to a 28-17 win.

In addition to Grant, the Dolphins currently have Will Fuller, DeVante Parker, rookie first-rounder Jaylen Waddle, and veteran Albert Wilson atop the WR depth chart.

Ravens Cut Chris Smith

August 31st, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are releasing Chris Smith (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The defensive end joined the team on a one-year deal just last month, but he was unable to make the team’s final cut to 53.

Smith has previously spent time with the Bengals and Browns over the past few years. Baltimore was set to be the next stop on his AFC North tour, after he bested former No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan and Shilique Calhoun in a workout.

Smith, an Arkansas product, first entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Jaguars back in 2014.He played sparingly in Jacksonville, then was traded to Cincy before the 2017 season. He played solid in a rotational role, notching three sacks, four tackles for loss, and two passes defended. That earned him a three-year contract from the Browns, although he was cut after a season and a half. Smith spent 2020 bouncing between the Raiders’ practice squad and varsity roster.

All in all, the 29-year-old has 68 career games to his credit for the Jags, Browns, Bengals, and Raiders. Despite the experience, he’s yet to see a ton of playing time. To date, he has never posted more than 26 tackles in a single season.

Raiders Cut Karl Joseph

August 31st, 2021 at 2:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are releasing Karl Joseph (Twitter link via Vincent Bonsignore of the Review Journal). The safety returned to the Raiders earlier this year, but it proved to be a short-lived reunion.

“I never wanted to leave,” Joseph said earlier this year. “This is my home. I was drafted here. I feel like I was born to be a Raider.”

Joseph would’ve still been a Raider in 2020 if the team hadn’t declined his fifth-year option. The 2016 first-rounder spent last year with the Browns and started eight of 14 games. He finished with his worst ever Pro Football Focus assessment. PFF viewed Joseph as better during his Raiders seasons and slotted him outside the top 70 safeties in 2020. The 27-year-old (28 in September) made 67 tackles, intercepted a pass and recovered two fumbles with Cleveland. He also added a playoff interception in Kansas City.

“It felt like the right decision was to come back and help finish what I started here and be a part of that,” Joseph said back in April. “All the pieces are there. I think we’re ready to win. So whatever I’m going to need to do to help us win, that’s what I am going to do.”

Joseph won’t get that opportunity. Instead, he could be en route to his third pro team.

49ers To Release Travis Benjamin

August 31st, 2021 at 2:10pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Another familiar veteran has found himself on the chopping block. The 49ers are cutting receiver Travis Benjamin, a source told veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

Benjamin sustained a concussion during the team’s preseason finale, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News tweets, so maybe that had something to do with the decision. After Richie James Jr went down with a knee injury, the initial thought from many was that Benjamin would be in line to take over as punt returner, potentially saving him from being a cutdown casualty.

Apparently not so, as Kyle Shanahan has other plans for the team’s return game. A fourth-round pick out of Miami in 2012, Benjamin began his career with the Browns. He had a breakout 2015 campaign when he racked up 966 yards and five touchdowns. After his rookie deal ran out, he earned a four-year $24MM deal from the Chargers.

He put up some decent numbers in his first two years with the Chargers, but fell off after that. Benjamin signed a one-year deal with the 49ers last offseason, but opted out of the 2020 campaign. He does have a solid history with punt returns, with four career return touchdowns on 109 tries.

Lions QB Tim Boyle To Miss Time

August 31st, 2021 at 2:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions’ quarterback group will take a hit ahead of the regular season’s outset. Recently acquired backup Tim Boyle is set to miss time due to thumb surgery, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

Stationed as Jared Goff‘s backup, Boyle is set to be out nearly two months. In order for Boyle to practice this season and back up Goff upon recovering, the Lions will need to carry him onto their 53-man roster.

Detroit signed Boyle earlier this year. He spent the past two seasons as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup in Green Bay, but Jordan Love moved up a spot on the Pack’s depth chart this offseason. The Packers non-tendered Boyle as a restricted free agent as a result.

Third-year passer David Blough is the only other quarterback on Detroit’s roster, so the rebuilding team may make a move here. However, Goff has proven largely durable during his five-year career. Goff did not miss a start due to injury until late last season, when a thumb surgery sidelined him.

Jaguars Cut WR Phillip Dorsett

August 31st, 2021 at 2:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars are releasing Phillip Dorsett (Twitter link via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com). As a vested veteran, the wide receiver will be free to sign with any club.

The ex-Patriots receiver made two trips to the Super Bowl (including a victory in Super Bowl LIII) during his time in New England. However, he struggled to climb the depth chart, as he hauled in only 73 total receptions for 881 yards and eight touchdowns in 45 games for the Patriots. Last spring, he hooked on with the Seahawks, but lost the year to injury. The Jaguars picked him this past spring, but he couldn’t crack the WR depth chart.

To date, 2016 stands as Dorsett’s most productive year. In 15 games with a career-high 7 starts, Dorsett caught 33 receptions for 528 yards and a pair of touchdowns with the Colts. He’ll look for work as the Jags move forward with D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, and Laviska Shenault as their top WRs.

Chargers To Cut Michael Badgley

August 31st, 2021 at 1:48pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Money Badger era in Los Angeles is over. The Chargers are cutting kicker Michael Badgley, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

It appears that Tristan Vizcaino has won the competition to be Los Angeles’ starting kicker this season. A 2018 UDFA from Miami, Badgley had a lot of success as a rookie after he was signed by the Chargers midway through the year, and it initially looked like they’d found a diamond in the rough. He quickly became a fan favorite while making 15/16 field goals, including a 59-yarder.

In 2019 he missed eight games with an injury, and regressed a bit when on the field. This past season, he regressed a lot more. He struggled the whole season, making only 24 of 33 field goal attempts and 36 of 39 extra points. He missed some crucial kicks, including one at the end of regulation that would’ve given the Chargers a huge win over the Saints early in the season on Monday Night Football.

They went on to lose in overtime. Vizcaino was also a 2018 UDFA and he’s spent a lot of time on offseason rosters, but has only ever kicked in one regular season game. That came last year with the 49ers, when he made all three field goal attempts and both extra points.

Ravens To Trade OL Ben Bredeson To Giants

August 31st, 2021 at 1:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second straight day, the Giants are acquiring a former Big Ten offensive lineman from an AFC North team. Tuesday’s move: trading for Ravens second-year blocker Ben Bredeson, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Even after the Giants acquired Billy Price (Ohio State) from the Bengals, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano noted the team was searching for more help up front. Big Blue will give Bredeson a shot. The teams will swap picks in this deal, per Schefter (on Twitter). The Ravens will receive a 2022 fourth-round pick for Bredeson and will send a 2022 fifth-rounder and a 2023 seventh to the Giants, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

A Michigan product who went in the 2020 fourth round, Bredeson played in 10 games for the Ravens last season. With the Ravens signing ex-Giants guard Kevin Zeitler, their guard group is a bit deeper than it was a season ago. The Giants have struggled up front during training camp and the preseason slate, and they now have a second new interior blocker to help the cause.

Bredeson was a four-year starter at left guard for the Wolverines and should be in line to back up Will Hernandez and Shane Lemieux with the Giants. Three years remain on Bredeson’s rookie contract; Price’s deal runs through 2021.

This marks the third Ravens trade in the past five days. Evidently pleased with its depth, Baltimore sent rookie cornerback Shaun Wade to the Patriots and dealt center Greg Mancz to the Dolphins.

Colts To Cut Brett Hundley

August 31st, 2021 at 1:30pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Colts clearly aren’t too concerned about Carson Wentz‘s foot, or his vaccination status. Indianapolis is waiving fellow quarterback Brett Hundley, a source told Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).

The move comes even after sixth-round rookie Sam Ehlinger suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for at least the early part of the season, so they must really not be concerned. It also suggests the team is pretty comfortable with 2020 fourth-round pick Jacob Eason, since he’ll be the only other healthy quarterback behind Wentz on the initial 53-man roster.

This suggests that Wentz’s foot will be all healed up and ready to go by Week 1. After Wentz’s injury originally had a harsher prognosis, the team signed Hundley just to give them some semblance of a veteran presence. A fifth-round pick of the Packers out of UCLA back in 2015, Hundley had some serious buzz around him for a while after some strong preseason performances.

But when he was forced to start nine games in 2017 in place of an injured Aaron Rodgers, he fell flat on his face, ruining his stock. He spent the past few seasons as a backup with the Seahawks and Cardinals. Considering he was unsigned until the last day of July, his phone won’t be ringing off the hook now that he’s a free agent again.

Eagles To Waive WR Travis Fulgham

August 31st, 2021 at 1:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

For an Eagles receiving corps decimated by injury last season, Travis Fulgham played a big role. But the team did not see enough this year to carry the young pass catcher onto its 53-man roster.

The Eagles are waiving Fulgham, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. While the former sixth-round pick could end up on Philadelphia’s practice squad, he will be an interesting name on the waiver wire. Fulgham is attached to an $850K base salary for this season. He will be a restricted free agent in 2022.

With Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson and Jalen Reagor down for a stretch last season, Fulgham stepped up. He caught a game-winning touchdown pass to help the depleted Eagles past the 49ers and ended his season with 38 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to last season, however, Fulgham had never caught a pass as a pro.

Philly has since made some moves at receiver, most notably drafting DeVonta Smith in the first round. The team still has Reagor, its 2020 first-round pick, along with J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (Round 2, 2019) and 2020 sixth-round pick Quez Watkins.