2021 September - Pro Football Rumors

Jets S Marcus Maye To Miss Time

September 29th, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another blow will strike the Jets in the form of their top safety’s availability. Marcus Maye will miss time, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who notes an ankle injury will sideline the franchise-tagged safety for multiple weeks (Twitter link).

With a three- to four-week recovery timetable in play for Maye, an IR stay would not surprise. This injury news surfaced despite Maye not missing a snap thus far this season.

This is obviously a key year for Maye, who was one of a few safeties given the franchise tag this past offseason. A better market is expected in 2022, when the salary cap is on track to spike toward nearly $210MM. His long-term future with the Jets remains uncertain, but for the time being, the fifth-year defender will be sidelined. Maye’s agent, who spoke of the veteran’s contentious extension talks this offseason, tweeted his client should be healthy by the trade deadline, which is Nov. 2.

The Jets are already playing without top offensive and defensive talents, with left tackle Mekhi Becton on short-term IR and defensive end Carl Lawson out for the season. Maye’s loss knocks will strip the struggling team of one of its other top performers, creating a steeper uphill battle in Robert Saleh‘s first season.

Bears Designate Danny Trevathan For Return

September 29th, 2021 at 2:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears have designated linebacker Danny Trevathan to return from the injured reserve list. The Bears now have 21 days to either move him to the active roster or shut him down for the remainder of the season.

Trevathan will likely return sooner rather than later. The tenth-year vet missed time with a knee injury during training camp, but this was always viewed as a short-term injury.

The Bears did their best to brace for Trevathan’s absence, rostering plenty of inside linebackers on their 53-man roster. Still, they’d like to have the 31-year-old defensive anchor return ASAP. The 1-2 Bears coughed up a combined 60 points in their losses to the Rams and the Browns.

Trevathan has been a starter for the Bears since signing with them in 2016. The former Broncos sixth-round pick and two-time Super Bowl starter has battled multiple significant injuries since ’16, but turned in a full slate with 113 stops last year to help lift the Bears to the playoffs. The Bears have Trevathan signed through 2022, thanks to the three-year contract he inked last year.

Giants Add Isaiah Wilson To Practice Squad

September 29th, 2021 at 12:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are signing former Titans first-rounder Isaiah Wilson to the practice squad (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Despite his turbulent Tennessee tenure, the offensive tackle could be a tremendous value addition for the G-Men.

Wilson auditioned for the Giants on Tuesday and showed enough to earn a spot on the 16-man taxi squad. Of course, the NFL had higher hopes for him last year when the Titans made him the No. 29 overall pick in the draft.

The Titans traded Wilson to the Dolphins after a four-snap rookie season. Then, he ran into extensive off-field trouble as a rookie and encountered more this year, with a January arrest involving a high-speed chase leading the Dolphins to cut bait as well.

The Giants could certainly use Wilson’s help up front with Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux are out for the season. If Wilson impresses in practice, he might be able to support former Georgia teammate Andrew Thomas and veteran Nate Solder on the outside.

Latest On Ravens’ Ronnie Stanley

September 29th, 2021 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Ronnie Stanley could return in a matter of weeks. The Ravens left tackle will likely avoid surgery on his injured ankle as he continues his rehab protocol (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

The All-Pro blocker returned from a previous ankle surgery only to be ruled out for Weeks 2 and 3. Stanley was outstanding in 2019, his last healthy year, earning First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Since then, he’s played in a total of seven regular season games (six last year, one this year).

In his stead, the Ravens have deployed Alejandro Villanueva at left tackle with Patrick Mekari manning the right side. Despite the absence of Stanley and several other key players, things have mostly worked out for the Ravens this year. After dropping the season opener to the Raiders, the Ravens have rebounded with back-to-back wins over the Chiefs and Lions.

Meanwhile, they’re also on the verge of getting wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin back in the lineup. Both players returned to practice on Wednesday, starting a 21-day window for their potential return.

Ravens Designate Rashod Bateman, Miles Boykin For Return

September 29th, 2021 at 10:10am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have designated wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin for return from injured reserve. Both players will now be able to practice with the team as they prepare to retake the field.

Bateman underwent groin surgery in August and was forced to begin the year on IR. One of several stellar WRs in the 2020 class, Bateman registered 1,219 yards and eleven touchdowns in 2019, his last full season at Minnesota. The Ravens selected him with the No. 27 in this past year’s draft.

Up until this year, Boykin hadn’t missed a game as a pro. The 2019 third-rounder started 24 games over his first two seasons, hauling in 32 receptions for 464 yards and seven touchdowns.

With Bateman and Boykin on IR, the Ravens have been working with five wideouts: Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, James Proche, Devin Duvernay, and Tylan Wallace. Now they’re close to getting some reinforcements as they prepare for the Broncos in Week 4.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/29/21

September 29th, 2021 at 9:37am CST by Zachary Links

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

Arizona Cardinals

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Doctson

Philadelphia Eagles

Promoted: OL Sua Opeta

Seattle Seahawks

Designated to return: OT Cedric Ogbuehi

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Placed on IR: Scott Miller

Colts Worked Out CB D.J. Hayden

September 28th, 2021 at 10:24pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts are eyeing some cornerbacks. The team worked out D.J. Hayden and Grant Haley today, according to Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).

Hayden hasn’t lived up to his 12th-overall selection in the 2013 draft, but to his credit, he’s put together an eight-year career. The veteran spent the past three seasons in Jacksonville, but he bounced on and off injured reserve in 2020 while dealing with a hamstring injury. The 31-year-old ultimately saw time in five games during his final season in Jacksonville, collecting 18 tackles.

Hayden didn’t end up catching on with a team this offseason. He auditioned for the Bears last week, his first reported visit of the season.

Haley went undrafted out of Penn State in 2018, but he still saw time in 25 games through his first two seasons in the NFL, collecting 76 tackles with the Giants. He spent much of the 2020 season with the Saints, although he only saw time in one game. He was cut by New Orleans in late August.

Patriots Work Out Four Running Backs

September 28th, 2021 at 8:52pm CST by Ben Levine

With James White sidelined indefinitely, the Patriots are eyeing some free agent running backs. The team worked out Ito Smith, Ryquell Armstead, Dontrell Hilliard, and Artavis Pierce today, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Smith has the most experience among the four, seeing time in 35 games in three seasons with the Falcons. This included a 2020 campaign where he finished with 343 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. The 26-year-old caught on with the Vikings this offseason but was let go before the regular season.

Armstead got into 16 games as a rookie with the Jaguars in 2019, finishing with 252 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. He sat out the 2020 season while dealing with issues from COVID-19, and after getting claimed by the Giants in May, he was waived by his new team in June. Pierce, a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Oregon State, saw time in five games with the Bears last season, rushing for 34 yards and one touchdown on six carries. Hilliard, 26, saw time in 30 games for the Browns in two-plus seasons with the organization.

White suffered a hip injury during Sunday’s loss to the Saints, and the veteran will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The team is already rostering four other RBs in Damien Harris, J.J. Taylor, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson, and special teamer Brandon Bolden.

The Patriots didn’t only audition running backs today. The team also took a look at defensive backs D.J. Daniel and Stephen Denmark and wideout Anthony Johnson.

Titans Place Two Linebackers On IR

September 28th, 2021 at 7:17pm CST by Ben Levine

A pair of Titans linebackers are heading to the IR. The team placed Rashad Weaver and Derick Roberson on injured reserve today, reports Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com.

Weaver, a fourth-round rookie, suffered a leg injury during Sunday’s win over the Colts. Per McCormick, the linebacker was seen leaving the stadium on crutches, and it’s believed the player suffered a broken leg. If that’s the case, Weaver’s season has likely come to an end.

After seeing a bit of time on special teams in Week 2, Weaver saw a more significant role on defense on Sunday. The rookie finished the game having compiled two tackles.

Weaver’s increase in playing time was partly attributed to Roberson, who was inactive on Sunday due to a knee injury. The linebacker saw time on 31 snaps during Week 1, collecting three tackles. He didn’t see the field over the past two weeks, and now he’ll have to sit out an additional three weeks thanks to his placement on IR.

The team has already started to add some depth at the position. Earlier today, the Titans added linebacker Sharif Finch to their practice squad.

NFL Waiver Priority For Week 4

September 28th, 2021 at 6:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Starting today, the NFL’s waiver claim order will be reflective of 2021 records, rather than 2020, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. As is the case with the NFL Draft, the order of priority is inverted based on win/loss record.

In cases of ties – and there are many at this stage of the season – they are broken by the cumulative record of the team’s previous opponents. For example, the Jaguars and Jets’ (0-3) opponents have a combined record of 7-2; they have priority over the Colts and Lions, whose opponents have a combined record of 6-3. If two teams with the same record, and same opponent record, happen to claim the same player (as would be the case with the Jaguars/Jets, Colts/Lions, and so on), the dispute is settled with a coin toss.

With that in mind, here’s the full rundown of every team’s current waiver priority as we get set for Week 4:

T-1. Jaguars
T-1. Jets
T-3. Colts
T-3. Lions
5. Giants
T-6. Bears
T-6. Steelers
T-8: Chiefs
T-8: Dolphins
T-8: Vikings
T-11: Eagles
T-11: Texans
13: Washington Football Team
T-14: Falcons
T-14: Patriots
T-14: Seahawks
T-17: Buccaneers
T-17: Saints
19: Cowboys
T-20: Chargers
T-20: Packers
T-20: Ravens
T-20: Titans
T-24: 49ers
T-24: Bills
T-24: Bengals
T-24: Browns
28: Raiders
T-29: Cardinals
T-29: Panthers
T-29: Rams
32: Broncos