HEADLINES

Year: 2024

FA DE Aldon Smith Arrested

December 7th, 2021 at 10:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Aldon Smith is in trouble once again. According to a report from TMZ.com, the former Pro Bowler was arrested on Monday and booked on a felony charge of DUI causing injury.

According to the report, records show that Smith was booked into a Northern California jail on Monday evening. The 32-year-old’s bail was set at $50K, and he’s scheduled for a court hearing on Wednesday.

The former first-round pick battled legal issues (including multiple DUI arrests) during his first NFL run and during his ensuing four-plus-year hiatus. The Cowboys ended Smith’s exile from the NFL in 2020, and the defensive end finished the season with 48 tackles and five sacks in 16 starts. He caught on with the Seahawks back in April, but that signing was followed by another arrest, this time on a second-degree battery charge.

Seattle ended up cutting Smith in August, and he’s remained a free agent since that time. The player has been arrested twice since his reinstatement from the NFL, and while he seemed to be on the right track in 2020, his NFL future is once again in doubt.

NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Darnold, Cowboys

December 7th, 2021 at 10:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Imagine a loaded Buccaneers offense with…Jonathan Taylor at running back. It could have been a possibility, as the Buccaneers had their eye on the Wisconsin product during the 2020 draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Bucs were armed with the No. 14 heading into that draft, and Taylor was on the “short list” of players the organization was considering with that selection. The team ended up with their preferred prospect, offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, and they traded up to No. 13 to make sure they got the lineman. However, if Wirfs was off the board at that point in the draft, then Tampa Bay likely would have pivoted to Taylor, who didn’t hear his name come off the board until midway through the second round.

“I loved him,” Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said recently (via Schefter). “He could do it all, and it was just a matter of time — playing behind that offensive line — that he was going to be the force that he is.”

Taylor has obviously had a standout season with the Colts, leading the league with 1,348 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns (naturally, he’s also leading the NFL with 1,684 yards from scrimmage and 18 total scores). Of course, things have worked out fine for the Buccaneers. Wirfs has started all 28 of his career games, while the duo of Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones were more than capable during Tampa Bay’s 2020 Super Bowl run.

Some more notes out of the NFC…

  • Sam Darnold seems to be out of the picture in Carolina, but the Panthers still owe the quarterback $18.8MM in guaranteed money in 2022. The team already paid Denver $7MM to inherit Teddy Bridgewater, leaving the organization with $17MM in dead cap. As a result, Joseph Person of The Athletic believes Darnold will stick around as a high-priced backup vs. being involved in a salary dump. Person specifically cites a 2017 trade where the Texans attached a second-round pick to Brock Osweiler to dump his salary on Cleveland; league sources tell the reporter that “an Osweiler-type trade involving Darnold is unlikely.”
  • Cowboys senior defensive assistant George Edwards is a candidate for the head coaching job at his alma mater, Duke University, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). Edwards was a four-year player for Duke, and he served as an assistant on the Duke staff way back in 1996. He’s had a long coaching career since that time, including a recent six-year stint as the Vikings defensive coordinator. Edwards has been a senior defensive assistant with the Cowboys since 2020. Duke parted ways with David Cutcliffe last month.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com recently tweeted the 10 highest salary cap hits for 2022, and the top three spots all belong to the NFC. Falcons QB Matt Ryan and his $48.7MM cap hit leads the way, following by Packers QB Aaron Rodgers at $46.1MM and Vikings QB Kirk Cousins at $45MM. Other NFC players on the list include Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (sixth, $37MM), Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (ninth, $34.5MM), and Lions QB Jared Goff (10th, $31.2MM).

Bills Waive OL Bobby Hart

December 7th, 2021 at 8:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Bobby Hart‘s stint with the Bills has already come to an end. After joining Buffalo late last month, the team waived the veteran offensive lineman today, per Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).

Hart has managed to stick in the NFL for seven seasons despite being selected in the seventh round of the 2015 draft. The lineman started 21 games for the Giants between 2015 and 2017. He later started 45 games (out of 46 appearances) for the Bengals between 2018 and 2020.

The Bengals dropped Hart in March and he’s been making the rounds ever since, spending time with the practice squads of the Bills and Dolphins. The Titans also picked him up for a bit, using him in three games this year. He joined the Bills when Spencer Brown was placed on reserve/COVID-19 list, and it always sounded like his stint in Buffalo was going to be temporary. Ultimately, Hart’s time with the Bills ended without him appearing in a game.

To fill the open spot on the roster, the Bills activated offensive tackle Tommy Doyle off the reserve/COVID-19 list (via Wilson on Twitter). The rookie fifth-round pick out of Miami (OH) has seen time in six games this season, although he’s only played on 15 offensive snaps.

LB Will Compton To Sign With Raiders

December 7th, 2021 at 5:25pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Will Compton has found his next gig. The free agent linebacker announced on Twitter that he’s signing with the Raiders.

We learned earlier today that the 32-year-old was generating interest from multiple teams and a signing was imminent. Compton — the co-host of Barstool Sports’ “Bussin’ With The Boys,” — has yet to play in 2021, but now he’ll have an opportunity to revive his career in Las Vegas. The team is currently dealing with minor injuries throughout their linebackers depth chart, and that includes starters Denzel Perryman and Cory Littleton. As a result, Compton could have an opportunity to contribute ASAP.

The linebacker played for the Raiders during the 2019 season, collecting 41 tackles in nine games (four starts). In 2020, he returned to the Titans for his second stint in Nashville, collecting 18 stops across 12 appearances.

Compton has appeared in 90 games over the course of his NFL career, including 40 starts. His most significant action came early in his career with Washington. From 2013 through 2017, he started in 33 of his 57 games. Compton’s on-field career has tailed off somewhat since a Lisfranc injury capped his ’17 early.

Saints Waive Kenny Stills

December 7th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have released wide receiver Kenny Stills and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, per the league’s transactions wire. Meanwhile, the Saints have re-signed wide receiver Kevin White to their practice squad.

Stills, 29, has been on and off the Saints roster this year. So far this season, he’s got five catches for 64 yards across ten games. Of course, that’s a far cry from his early work in New Orleans, which included 931 yards in 2014, his second year as a pro.

It’s a bit of a surprise that the Saints would be bailing on receivers at this point. We learned yesterday that Deonte Harris would miss the next three games while serving a suspension, and former All-Pro Michael Thomas has already been ruled out for the season. Tre’Quan Smith also missed time due to injury, and New Orleans hasn’t played with Alvin Kamara since Week 9.

Roach joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2020, and he collected 16 tackles in nine games as a rook. This year, he’s started two of his six games while compiling seven tackles and one interception. The 23-year-old has only appeared in one game for New Orleans since Week 5. After recently spending time on IR, the defensive tackle was designated to return earlier this week.

White, the seventh-overall pick in the 2015 draft, battled injuries throughout his Bears tenure and later caught on with the Cardinals and 49ers. He managed to get into three games with San Francisco last season without recording a reception, and he ended up getting cut by the squad in August. He ultimately caught on with New Orleans, and he ended up seeing time in five games (one start) for his new squad. The 29-year-old contributed one 38-yard reception during his time with the Saints, and he ultimately saw more special teams snaps than offensive snaps. He was cut by the team last week.

Will Compton Drawing Interest

December 7th, 2021 at 2:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Will Compton is drawing interest from multiple teams and could sign a deal as soon as today, according to a source who spoke with Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Compton — the co-host of Barstool Sports’ “Bussin’ With The Boys,” — has yet to play in 2021.

[RELATED: Titans Designate J. Jones For Return]

Compton, 32, has appeared in 90 games over the course of his NFL career, including 40 starts. In 2020, he returned to the Titans for his second stint in Nashville, collecting 18 stops across 12 appearances. His most significant action came early in his career with Washington. From 2013 through 2017, he started in 33 of his 57 games. Compton’s on-field career has tailed off somewhat since a Lisfranc injury capped his ’17 early.

In other Titans-related news, Julio Jones has been designated for return from injured reserve. Jones, on his way back from a hamstring injury, has 21 catches for 336 yards so far this year. The legendary wide receiver could come back as soon as this Sunday to face the Jaguars.

WFT’s Ryan Fitzpatrick Done For Year

December 7th, 2021 at 1:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s season is over. The Washington Football Team quarterback will have arthroscopic surgery on his hip, officially capping his 2021 campaign (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 

[RELATED: Latest On WFT’s Logan Thomas]

Fitzpatrick played in just one game before suffering a hip subluxation in the season opener against the Chargers. In total, his season lasted less than 30 minutes.

This could be the end of the line for the 39-year-old passer, who has to focus on basic mobility before even thinking about football conditioning. He’ll also be out of contract in March, after the expiration of his one-year, $10 million deal. If this is the end of Fitzpatrick’s NFL career, he’ll leave the game with 166 career appearances (147 starts) and a ton of memorable moments to trump his lifetime 59-87-1 record.

Without FitzMagic, Washington has installed Taylor Heinicke as the starter. Heinicke hasn’t dazzled, but he does have WFT at the .500 mark and in the playoff conversation. They’ll look to gain ground on Sunday when they host the division-leading Cowboys.

Minor NFL Transactions:  12/7/21

December 7th, 2021 at 12:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

New York Jets

Washington Football Team

Purdue DE George Karlaftis Enters NFL Draft

December 7th, 2021 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis will enter the 2022 NFL Draft, according to head coach Jeff Brohm (via Tom Dienhart of Gold and Black). This was the expected move as Karlaftis is regarded as one of the best edge rushers in this year’s class.

[RELATED: Oregon DE Thibodeaux Declaring For NFL Draft]

“They will not be coming back to play next year,” Brohm said over the weekend. “They will be moving on.”

Mel Kiper of ESPN currently has Karlaftis ranked 21st on his Big Board. He’s registered just 4.5 sacks this season, but the 6’4″, 270-pounder has consistently brought the pressure. As a frosh in 2019, his only other full season, he registered 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. In 2020, a positive COVID-19 test limited him to just three games.

Karlaftis will be joined by wide receiver David Bell, a potential Day 2 pick. Bell set new collegiate career-highs this year with 93 catches for 1,286 yards and six touchdowns.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/7/21

December 7th, 2021 at 8:42am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

New York Giants

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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