HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Buccaneers Host Richard Sherman

September 28th, 2021 at 10:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers are meeting with Richard Sherman (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). This marks Sherman’s first free agent visit of the season, though he has interest from multiple contenders (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 

Sherman, a five-time Pro Bowler, could join the Bucs in time for this week’s matchup against the Patriots. He’d go a long way towards filling in for the Bucs’ litany of injuries in the secondary. So far, they’re down Sean Murphy-Bunting (elbow), Jamel Dean (knee), and Carlton Davis (abdomen; ribs). Dean should return sometime soon, but he probably won’t be ready for Week 4.

Sherman made headlines for all the wrong reasons this summer, but he has reportedly received counseling since his July arrest. Meanwhile, his former employers — the 49ers and Seahawks — have both expressed interest in recent months. Ultimately, the defending champs could come away with the former Legion of Boom leader, who is reportedly back to the weight of his salad days.

The 33-year-old turned in a so-so 2018 for the Niners, rebounded for a strong 2019, and lost much of 2020 to injury. Even though he’s no longer in his prime, Sherman could provide a big and timely boost for the Bucs.

Jaguars Designate WR Tavon Austin For Return

September 27th, 2021 at 9:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Tavon Austin‘s debut with the Jaguars could be imminent. The veteran wideout was designated for return from IR today, the team announced.

This move will start a three-week clock. Austin can be activated to the active roster at any point over the next 21 days. If he isn’t activated within that time, Austin will be ineligible to play this year (although this would most likely be avoided by his release).

Austin joined the Jaguars in early August, and the team showed that they intended to keep him around when he survived final cuts. The team subsequently put him on short-term IR due to a quad injury, leading to today’s move.

The veteran hasn’t come close to matching the production from his days with the Rams. Over the past four years, Austin has seen time in 41 games (nine starts), collecting 756 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns on 110 touches. This included a 2020 campaign when he had only five catches for 20 yards in four games with the Packers.

Jacksonville has a talented grouping of receivers in DJ Chark. Marvin Jones, and Laviska Shenault, but Austin would provide another savvy target for Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars already prepared for Austin’s return when they moved on from practice squad receiver Phillip Dorsett today.

Patriots Extend LB Raekwon McMillan

September 27th, 2021 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Raekwon McMillan won’t see the field this season, but the Patriots linebacker still got a deal for next year. New England has signed McMillan to a one-year extension, keeping the player with the team through at least the 2022 campaign, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

McMillan joined the Patriots this offseason, and it sounded like he was going to carve out a role on the team’s defense (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Twitter). However, he suffered a torn ACL during training camp that knocked him out of action for the entire 2021 season. The 25-year-old will still have a year to pick up the team’s playbook, and he’ll be able to compete for a spot on next year’s roster.

McMillan was a second-round pick back in 2017, but his rookie season was wiped out thanks to a torn ACL. He was relatively productive in two healthy seasons with the Dolphins, collecting 177 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.

He was traded to the Raiders prior to the 2020 season, and he finished his lone season in Vegas with 27 tackles and one forced fumble in 16 games (four starts).

Broncos WR KJ Hamler Done For Season

September 27th, 2021 at 6:13pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos have lost another wideout. KJ Hamler suffered a torn ACL yesterday and will miss the rest of the season, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

Hamler suffered the injury during the second quarter of yesterday’s win over the Jets. The wideout leaped for a Teddy Bridgewater pass before landing awkwardly. Hamler suffered additional damage to his knee during the play, per ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. The receiver will inevitably land on IR and miss the rest of the campaign.

The 2020 second-round pick finished his rookie campaign with 421 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in 13 games (four starts). The 22-year-old was looking to build off those numbers in 2021, especially following the injury to fellow wideout Jerry Jeudy. Through the first three games of this season, Hamler hauled in five catches for 74 yards.

The Broncos could be looking for some reinforcement at the position with two top wideouts out of the lineup. Courtland Sutton (who’s coming off his own injury) leads a depth chart that also features Tim Patrick and Diontae Spencer.

Buccaneers WR Scotty Miller To Miss “Significant Amount Of Time”

September 27th, 2021 at 5:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Scotty Miller will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The Buccaneers wideout is set to miss “a significant amount of time,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Miller is still awaiting test results that will determine how long he’ll be out, but an IR stint seems likely.

Head coach Bruce Arians referred to the injury as “severe turf toe” earlier today, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine (via Twitter). Standard “turf toe” could lead to a one-month absence or a season-ending injury. During this past year’s playoffs, Patrick Mahomes dealt with a turf toe injury that ultimately required offseason surgery. In other words, the timeline could be variable, but at the very least, Miller will probably be sidelined for at least the next four weeks.

The 2019 sixth-round pick has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers, and he made a name for himself in 2020 with Tom Brady under center. The wideout finished the year with 33 receptions for 501 yards and three scores, and he added another four receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown in the playoffs.

After appearing in only 20 snaps through the first two weeks of the season, Miller got into a season-high 32 snaps last night and hauled in his first two catches of the season.

Chiefs To Sign Josh Gordon

September 27th, 2021 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs are set to sign newly reinstated wide receiver Josh Gordon (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The former All-Pro will be joining Kansas City’s practice squad, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The goal is for Gordon to get up to speed before getting elevated to the active roster.

Gordon last played for the Seahawks, where he had seven catches for 139 yards across five games. Before that, he registered 60 grabs for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns for the Patriots between 2018 and 2019. Gordon played in just 17 games for New England between those years — a common theme for Gordon between his off-the-field issues and constant suspensions. Technically speaking, his last pro football action came in the Fan Controlled Football League, alongside ex-teammate Johnny Manziel.

The Chiefs will likely part ways with one of their lower-tier receivers to make room. As of this writing, Gordon gives KC seven WRs in Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle, Marcus Kemp, and Daurice Fountain.

Gordon, 30, has not played a full season since his 2012 rookie year. Still, we all remember his superstar potential as a young player — his 14-game 2013 campaign still sits sixth on the NFL’s receiving yards-per-game list (117.6). Before long, the Chiefs will add him to their world-class offense and find out whether he’s still got some juice left.

Patriots’ James White Out Indefinitely

September 27th, 2021 at 3:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Patriots running back James White has been diagnosed with a subluxation of the hip (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The injury will shelve him indefinitely so, at minimum, he’ll be placed on the short-term injured reserve list. 

White, 29, was quickly forced out of Sunday’s loss to the Saints. Through three games (really, two games), the veteran has 12 catches for 94 yards plus ten carries for 38 yards and one score. After registering 25 touchdown catches for New England between 2014-2020, White was expected to see an increase in touches throughout the year. Now, everything’s up in the air for the pass-catching back.

White has only taken the field for the Patriots since entering the league as a fourth-round pick. More than just a valuable third-down tailback, he’s also a longstanding team captain. After tallying 994 all-purpose yards in 2019, he saw less time in 2020. Still, White had 49 grabs for 375 yards and a touchdown to lead all Pats RBs in receiving.

The Pats are now left with four running backs on the 53-man roster: Damien Harris, J.J. Taylor, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson, and Brandon Bolden.

Jaguars Drop Phillip Dorsett

September 27th, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars have released wide receiver Phillip Dorsett from their practice squad (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). The 28-year-old could potentially return after some roster jockeying, but it’s not clear if that’s in the cards.

[RELATED: Jaguars Trade CJ Henderson To Panthers]

Dorsett joined the Jags in the spring but he did not make it through final cuts. Despite his on-and-off relationship with Urban Meyer & Co., Dorsett still offers an impressive resume including two trips to the Super Bowl and a ring from in SB LIII with the Patriots. The veteran only hauled in 73 receptions for 881 yards and eight touchdowns in 45 games for New England, but he still offers special teams upside.

To date, 2016 stands as Dorsett’s most productive year. In 15 games with a career-high seven starts, Dorsett caught 33 receptions for 528 yards and a pair of TDs with the Colts.

Saints’ Terron Armstead To Miss Time

September 27th, 2021 at 2:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints left tackle Terron Armstead will miss several weeks with an elbow injury (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Armstead will likely land on the injured reserve list, but it’s not believed to be a season-ender. 

The injury forced Armstead to exit early from Sunday’s victory over the Patriots. It’s somewhat familiar territory for the 30-year-old — he’s never played a full 16-game slate as a pro.

Armstead has been with the Saints for his entire pro career. He’s served as New Orleans’ starting left tackle for the last eight seasons, performing as one of the best left tackles in the league. Armstead earned a Pro Bowl nod for his work last year, his third straight accolade.

In the meantime, the Saints will use James Hurst in Armstead’s stead. They’ll also keep their fingers crossed for center Erik McCoy, who has not played since the season opener.

Armstead is currently on course for free agency next spring, where he’d be one of the top players available. The Saints would ideally like to keep him, but they’d have to top Trent Williams‘ megadeal while the rest of the league bids with an increased cap of about $210MM.

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