2021 September - Pro Football Rumors

Browns’ Jarvis Landry To Miss Time

September 20th, 2021 at 12:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns will be without Jarvis Landry for a little while. The wide receiver has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and will be week-to-week, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

Landry went down with a knee injury during the Browns’ opening drive on Sunday and did not return. The Browns still went on to win 31-21, thanks in part to Tyrod Taylor‘s early exit. Still, credit goes to the Browns’ offense, which managed to find pay dirt in each quarter.

The Browns will be without Landry when they face the Bears on Sunday. They may or may not also be without Odell Beckham Jr. — he’s yet to play this year as he recovers from knee surgery. Rashard Higgins, who replaced Landry in the lineup, figures to pick up more of Baker Mayfield‘s targets. Preseason standout Davion Davis — now eligible to return from suspension — could also be called upon to fill in.

There’s no word yet on whether the Browns will park Landry on short-term injured reserve to open up a roster spot. But, given the week-to-week nature of the injury, it might make sense for them to leave him on the 53-man roster.

Texans Won’t Play Deshaun Watson

September 20th, 2021 at 10:26am CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here. Despite Tyrod Taylor‘s injury, head coach David Culley says the Texans will not play Deshaun Watson this week (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

Rookie Davis Mills will start on Thursday night when the Texans take on the Panthers. Taylor could be out for more than just one week, of course, but the Texans are awaiting word from doctors on his timeline. Without Taylor, the Browns beat the Texans 31-21. Mills finished the day going 8-of-18 for 102 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Taylor, meanwhile, completed 10 of 11 passes for 125 yards and one TD before he was forced to the sideline.

After the game, Culley declined to say whether Watson could wind up on the 53-man roster. In theory, Watson could be activated as the clipboard holder, but it’d be a shock to see him take the field given the Texans’ stance thus far. To our knowledge, the Texans’ position has not changed — they are willing to trade Watson if another team is willing to forfeit a massive haul of draft picks with zero conditions attached. Otherwise, GM Nick Caserio is ready to pay Watson to not play in 2021 and reevaluate things next year.

Jaguars’ James O’Shaughnessy To Miss Time

September 20th, 2021 at 10:14am CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars tight end James O’Shaughnessy will miss 3-to-4 weeks with an ankle sprain (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus). That timeline could make him a candidate for the short-term injured reserve list, but the Jags will wait for more on his condition before making any decisions.

It’s unfortunate timing for O’Shaughnessy, who has been a bright spot through two trying weeks for the Jaguars. In Week 1, the veteran caught six passes for 48 yards, good for second on the team in catches. Then, on Sunday, he had an early 24-yard grab against the Broncos before being forced out. The Broncos went on to beat the Jaguars 23-13, putting Urban Meyer & Co. at 0-2.

For now, the Jaguars will be left with Chris Manhertz, Jacob Hollister, and fifth-round pick Luke Farrell as their tight ends. They may move to promote Matt Sokol — a former Chargers reserve — from their 16-man practice squad this week.

The winless Jags will face the 2-0 Cardinals in Jacksonville on Sunday.

Raiders To Cut Nevin Lawson

September 20th, 2021 at 10:05am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders will release cornerback Nevin Lawson today in order to fill other areas of need (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If Lawson goes unclaimed, the Raiders will try to bring him back to the practice squad.

Lawson, who began his career with the Lions, joined up with the Raiders in 2019. He didn’t have the best debut year. If he had enough snaps to qualify, his 60.8 overall score from Pro Football Focus would have placed him somewhere around the No. 70 CB mark. Still, the Raiders stuck with him and got better results in 2020. Last year, he started in nine of his 14 games and registered 61 tackles, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and one sack.

The 30-year-old was gearing up to return in Week 3, following his two-game suspension. Rather than activating him, they’ll pad out the rest of their badly-bruised roster. In recent days, the Raiders have watched guard Denzelle Good, running back Josh Jacobs, quarterback Marcus Mariota, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, and other key players head to the trainer’s room.

The Raiders, without Lawson, will try to stay undefeated on Sunday when they face the Dolphins in Vegas.

Latest On Colts’ Carson Wentz

September 20th, 2021 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

Colts quarterback Carson Wentz is dealing injuries to both of his ankles (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Wentz will undergo tests today to learn more, but this doesn’t bode well for his future availability.

Wentz was forced out in the fourth quarter against the Rams on Sunday. That’s when his right ankle twisted underneath Aaron Donald.

“He rolled it up pretty bad,” Colts coach Frank Reich said (via ESPN.com). “I had a sense when he walked off the field. It didn’t look good. Sometimes if you go back in right away when it’s still warm you can maybe gut out a few more plays. The longer we were off the field, it stiffened up and he tried, but there was no chance.”

Now, we know that Wentz’s left ankle is also in bad shape. Second-year quarterback Jacob Eason — who stepped in and went on to lob an interception — will likely start for the Colts in Week 3 and possibly longer.

“Felt it right away. Tried to tape it up and do everything I could to finish the game,” Wentz said. “I’ve sprained my ankle probably 100 times since I was a kid. This one I just couldn’t play on it.”

The Colts, now at 0-2, badly need to get in the win column. They’ll likely be without Wentz on Sunday when they face the Titans in Nashville. After that, they’ve got two more road games before they return home to Indy.

Tyrod Taylor Suffers Hamstring Injury

September 19th, 2021 at 8:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor was forced out of Sunday’s game early with a hamstring injury. Tomorrow’s MRI will give a fuller picture, but the QB has already been ruled out of Thursday night’s contest against the Panthers. (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

Taylor was replaced by rookie Davis Mills as the Browns went on to win 31-21. It’ll be Mills once again on Thursday night, making his first ever NFL start. When speaking with reporters, head coach David Culley declined to say whether Deshaun Watson could wind up on the 53-man roster for Week 3. But, based on the way things have been going, we’d be shocked to see Watson activated for Thursday night.

Mills, a third-round pick, finished the day going 8-of-18 for 102 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Taylor, before his early exit, completed 10 of 11 throws for 125 yards and one TD.

The Texans will head into Thursday night with a 1-1 record, thanks to their Week 1 victory over the Jaguars.

Falcons To Cut Punter Cameron Nizialek

September 19th, 2021 at 7:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons will waive punter Cameron Nizialek, as Jeff Schultz of The Athletic tweets. This comes hours after a brutal day for the youngster against the Buccaneers.

Nizialek shanked two of his punts on Sunday. The latter of the two came in the fourth quarter when the Falcons were down by just three. Nizialek’s 33-yard punt quickly turned into a Tampa touchdown and the three-point deficit turned into a 48-25 rout.

Nizialek, a Virginia native, spent time in the Alliance of American Football before making the NFL rounds in 2019. He should be back on the workout circuit again, especially since he offers the ability to serve as both a punter and an emergency kicker. For now, he’s waiving a resume with just ten punt attempts for Atlanta.

Torn Achilles For Eagles’ Brandon Graham?

September 19th, 2021 at 4:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles believe that defensive end Brandon Graham has suffered a torn Achilles (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). He’ll undergo additional testing tomorrow to confirm, but team doctors are pretty sure about this one.

Graham was forced out of Sunday’s game against the Niners and the Eagles went on to lose 17-11. Even though they can turn to accomplished veteran Ryan Kerrigan and Josh Sweat, it’s still a bad blow to the Eagles’ pass rush.

“Terrible. He’s one of the best humans, best guys I’ve played with. He’s the heartbeat of this team,” longtime teammate Lane Johnson said (Twitter link via Josh Tolentino of the Philadelphia Inquirer).

Graham, who’s been with the Eagles since 2010, inked a three-year, $40MM extension with the Birds in 2019. He delivered some of his best work last year, notching eight sacks and 46 stops en route to his first — and long overdue — Pro Bowl nod. Unfortunately, his Achilles tear will effectively wipe out his 2021 season. And, after this year, he’ll be out of contract.

The Eagles are also awaiting word on Brandon Brooks‘ chest injury. The early word is that it’s a torn pec (Twitter link via RapSheet), but the guard’s availability will hinge on the severity of the tear. If it’s only a partial tear, the Eagles could see him back on the field before the season is through.

Cowboys Move Micah Parsons To DE

September 19th, 2021 at 12:08pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys could not resist selecting Micah Parsons with the No. 12 overall pick of the 2021 draft, despite their existing depth at linebacker. Parsons was widely regarded as the best off-ball LB in this year’s class, but recent losses along Dallas’ D-line have forced the team to move its top draft choice to DE, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes.

The club’s top pass rusher, DeMarcus Lawrence, will be sidelined for the next six to eight weeks due to a broken foot, and fellow DE Randy Gregory has found himself on the reserve/COVID-19 list, leading to an immediate need for reinforcements. Luckily, one of Parsons’ key attributes is his ability to get after opposing quarterbacks, and the Cowboys trained him as a designated pass rusher during offseason workouts.

Depending on how long Parsons remains at defensive end, and how successful he is in his new role, the transition could theoretically impact Dallas’ future plans. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is eligible for free agency following the 2021 campaign since the Cowboys declined his fifth-year option, and Gregory is also in his platform year. Dallas does not plan to entertain extension talks with either player during the season. Plus, free agent acquisition Keanu Neal is being deployed as a linebacker, and LB Jaylon Smith is signed though 2025, though the Cowboys could get out of his contract after this season if they choose.

In short, there are a lot of ways Dallas could go with respect to its front seven. Obviously, the expectation is that Parsons will eventually move back to the position that he was drafted to play, but a successful stint as a DE could change things and will only enhance his value.

In related news, Terence Steele is expected to get the nod at right tackle while La’el Collins is serving his five-game suspension (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com).

Eric Bieniemy On USC’s HC Radar?

September 19th, 2021 at 11:39am CST by Sam Robinson

USC fired head coach Clay Helton after two games, ending his six-plus-year tenure. The Trojans may look to a high-profile NFL coordinator to fill the vacancy.

NFL sources believe Eric Bieniemy will be a candidate for the job, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, adding that this particular position is one of the only college gigs for which the Chiefs offensive coordinator will consider leaving the NFL.

Bieniemy has been with the Chiefs since Andy Reid’s 2013 Kansas City arrival, but he coached at the college level prior to moving to Missouri. The fourth-year Chiefs OC also went to high school in the Los Angeles area.

An interesting subplot has factored into Bieniemy’s accomplished OC run. Thought to be a slam-dunk hire in both the 2020 and ’21 offseasons, the 52-year-old assistant has failed to land a head coaching job. Taking over as Kansas City’s OC from Matt Nagy, who followed Doug Pederson in being hired for an HC post, Bieniemy has been in this role throughout Patrick Mahomes‘ dominant run as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback.

While it would make sense for Bieniemy to stay in arguably the NFL’s top coordinator situation and continue to pursue a top job at the sport’s highest level, USC is certainly a high-end college gig. Bieniemy is not the Chiefs’ primary play-caller, which has affected his perception at the NFL level, but working with Reid and Mahomes essentially ensures he will have a vital role on a top-tier NFL offense. It would seemingly take a monster offer to convince the veteran coordinator to leave these friendly confines.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, citing sources close to Bieniemy, reports that Bieniemy would indeed be interested in the USC opening. Of course, if the school wants to find its next coach by Thanksgiving for recruiting reasons, Bieiemy would presumably not be a realistic target. And, as could be expected, Bieniemy has downplayed his connection to the job.

“[I]f USC reached out to me right now, my answer would be I am preparing for this team to play against the Baltimore Ravens,” Bieniemy said (via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk). “And that’s how I roll, you guys know that. I am where my feet are, OK? My job is to make sure we’re ready to play a complete, sound, 60-minute football game where we can come out and win the game.”

Bieniemy is a Colorado alum but has experience coaching in Los Angeles, having been UCLA’s running backs coach in the 2000s. His top college role to date was as his alma mater’s offensive coordinator from 2011-12. A sign Bieniemy will be tough to pry from Kansas City: he withdrew his name from consideration for the Colorado HC job last year.