HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Cinci’s Desmond Ridder Declares For Draft

January 8th, 2022 at 8:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Quarterback Desmond Ridder said goodbye to his home of the past 5 years with a video posted to his Twitter account last night. While it seems obvious that a red-shirt senior is headed to the 2022 NFL Draft, because of the COVID-shortened season, Ridder had the option to return for a sixth year.

In an early mock draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay had Ridder as the fourth quarterback off the board and the 19th overall pick in the first round. The Kentucky native isn’t considered a consensus first-round pick, but he is consistently ranked as one of the 6 quarterbacks in the top-tier with Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh), Matt Corral (Mississippi), Sam Howell (North Carolina), Malik Willis (Liberty), and Carson Strong (Nevada).

As a three-star recruit out of St. Xavier in Louisville, Ridder chose Cincinnati over Eastern Kentucky and went on to amass a starting record for the Bearcats of 44-6. Ridder and his teammates did what most assumed was impossible when they became the first Group of 5 program to qualify for the 2022 College Football Playoff.

Ridder and cornerback Ahmad Gardner are striving to become the first Bearcats taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since defensive lineman Bob Bell was taken 21st overall in 1971. Regardless, Ridder has certainly made a name for himself as the University of Cincinnati’s winningest quarterback of all time, ranking 3rd overall in the statistic for all college football with his 44 wins trailing only Boise State’s Kellen Moore (50) and Texas’s Colt McCoy (45).

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/8/22

January 8th, 2022 at 6:52pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s updates for the reserve/COVID-19 and practice squad/COVID-19 lists:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Football Team

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/8/22

January 8th, 2022 at 6:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/8/22

January 8th, 2022 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Jim Harbaugh On Raiders’ Radar

January 8th, 2022 at 4:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

During Jim Harbaugh‘s final days as 49ers head coach, the Raiders placed him atop their list. Harbaugh ended up trekking to Michigan, leading Jack Del Rio to Oakland, during that 2015 offseason. Seven years later, the Raiders may be back in the Harbaugh mix.

The Raiders and Harbaugh have been connected for a few weeks now, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (video link) that the current Wolverines HC is expected to be interested in becoming the next Raiders leader. While this should be taken with a grain of salt, since Harbaugh surfaces in NFL coaching rumors annually, the longtime HC did begin his coaching career with the Raiders.

Prior to becoming a successful college head coach, the former NFL quarterback was Oakland’s QBs coach from 2002-03. That ’02 season ended with Rich Gannon winning MVP honors and the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. Following the ’03 season, Harbaugh became head coach at the University of San Diego. That led to his Stanford gig and re-emergence on the NFL radar. Harbaugh, 58, has not exactly been off the NFL grid since returning to his alma mater, but there could be more smoke here.

Ahead of Harbaugh’s initial Michigan agreement, the Raiders offered more money and were prepared to make him the NFL’s highest-paid HC. Initially given an $8MM-per-year contract at Michigan, Harbaugh saw his salary slashed to $4MM as part of an incentive-laden deal last year. While Harbaugh said publicly the contract adjustment was “no big deal,” Breer adds, understandably, the veteran coach was not pleased with the pay cut. Harbaugh only accepted Michigan’s latest offer after exploring an NFL return with the Jets and Chargers last year.

After Michigan beat Ohio State for the first time in Harbaugh’s tenure, the seventh-year Wolverines HC led the team to the College Football Playoff for the first time. Georgia dispatched the Big Ten program easily in the semifinals. This coming after Michigan went 2-4 in 2020’s pandemic-truncated season, however, represented tremendous growth for the Wolverines.

The Raiders did not join the Jaguars in going through early HC interviews, with Breer adding the team sticking with interim coach Rich Bisaccia is not out of the question. The Raiders have a chance to clinch their first playoff berth in five years Sunday.

Jets Cut DE Shaq Lawson

January 8th, 2022 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Added as an 11th-hour replacement for the injured Carl Lawson, Shaq Lawson will not finish the season with the Jets. The Jets are cutting ties with the veteran defensive end.

While Shaq Lawson has not been especially productive this season, he does have extensive experience as a key pass-rushing weapon. Because Lawson is being jettisoned after the trade deadline, he will head to waivers. Should Lawson be claimed, he will not be eligible to play in the playoffs. If no team claims him, however, the sixth-year pass rusher could still play for another team in the postseason as a free agent signing.

The Jets will save $9MM in cap space because of this move. That can be rolled over to their 2022 budget. Gang Green is now projected to possess more than $55MM in 2022 cap space, though many moves will take place between now and when free agency opens in March.

A former Bills and Dolphins starter, Lawson was traded twice this year. The Texans acquired him from the Dolphins, and the rebuilding team sent the veteran edge defender to the Jets late this summer. The former first-round pick has just one sack in 14 games this season. Saturday’s transaction will give Lawson a chance to be with four teams over the past year.

The former Clemson standout registered 6.5 sacks in his 2019 contract year with the Bills, catching the attention of the Dolphins in free agency. Miami signed Lawson to a three-year, $30MM deal in March 2020. The Texans reworked that contract last year. Lawson is signed through 2022; that deal carries an $8.9MM base salary next season.

Cowboys Activate Blake Jarwin From IR

January 8th, 2022 at 2:59pm CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY: Jarwin will make his return against the Eagles. The Cowboys activated the veteran tight end off IR. Jarwin has not played since Week 8.

TUESDAY: The Cowboys designated Blake Jarwin for return from the injured reserve list (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). With that, the tight end will return to practice today with an eye on returning for the playoffs. 

Thanks to a nagging hip injury, Jarwin hasn’t played since Halloween. Before that, he ranked among the better run-blocking tight ends, per Pro Football Focus. The Cowboys have been getting by with ex-Washington cog Jeremy Sprinkle and second-year UDFA Sean McKeon, but Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard will be glad to have Jarwin back in the fold.

The Cowboys re-upped Jarwin on a three-year, $24.25MM extension in March of 2020, so he remains under contract through 2023. Now, the Cowboys are just hoping that he can stay healthy and reprise his career 2019. That year, he reeled in 31 catches for 365 yards (both career bests) plus three receiving touchdowns.

There’s no word on Jarwin’s availability for Week 18, but it’s unlikely that they’ll rush him on to the field for the season finale. At 11-5, the Cowboys have already sealed their playoff berth and clinched the NFC East.

Vikings Expected To Fire Mike Zimmer, Retain GM Rick Spielman

January 8th, 2022 at 2:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

On thin ice for much of this season, Mike Zimmer is not expected to receive a ninth year as Vikings head coach. Minnesota is expected to move on from its longtime HC after Week 18, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports.

This situation was headed toward this conclusion for a bit now, with the Vikings’ past two losses likely sealing the defensive-minded coach’s fate. Ownership nearly canned Zimmer after the Vikes’ run to the divisional round in 2019, so it was going to be tough for the 65-year-old HC to withstand back-to-back losing seasons.

While the Vikings have made the playoffs three times under Zimmer, his abrasive style has worn on the team, La Canfora adds. The team’s two Kirk Cousins contracts have not produced the desired results, with the high-priced quarterback set to finish 1-for-4 in playoff berths under Zimmer. The Vikings advanced to the postseason in 2015 with Teddy Bridgewater at the controls and reached the 2017 NFC championship game with Case Keenum. Zimmer’s defenses were in better shape during those seasons; injuries limited the Vikings’ defensive capabilities over the past two years.

A longtime defensive coordinator, Zimmer had the Vikings perched as a top-10 scoring defense from 2015-19. Over the past two seasons, however, the team has fallen off that pace. Going into Week 18, Minnesota ranks 25th in points allowed and 31st in total defense. The 7-9 squad has been without Danielle Hunter for most of this season and lost Everson Griffen in November. Hunter missed all of last season as well. Zimmer would likely be a strong DC candidate elsewhere if/once the Vikings pull the trigger on firing him.

GM Rick Spielman‘s status is less certain, but he should be expected to return. Spielman has been with the Vikings since 2006, lasting through the Brad Childress, Leslie Frazier and Zimmer tenures. Although the Vikings could start fresh with a new GM, Albert Breer of SI.com notes Spielman is expected to remain with the team — be it in his current role or in another executive position. La Canfora also hears Spielman is not viewed as a chopping-block candidate. Spielman, 59, could be in position to select the next Vikings GM, in a scenario similar to how the Broncos transitioned from John Elway in that post last year.

Latest On Titans’ Backfield Situation

January 8th, 2022 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although a Derrick Henry return in Week 18 surfaced as a possibility weeks ago, the Titans will remain cautious with the two-time reigning rushing champion.

Tennessee will not activate Henry from IR on Saturday, keeping him shelved until the playoffs. The Titans designated Henry for return this week, giving them options moving forward. Henry’s ramp-up period can last up until before the AFC championship game, should the Titans’ season extend that far. But the team has long been preparing to have its top weapon ready to go before that point.

Henry has been out since suffering a Jones fracture in his foot in Week 8. The Titans initially struggled to pick up the pieces, and they moved on from Adrian Peterson fairly quickly. However, the AFC South champs have since seen D’Onta Foreman — also a midseason pickup following Henry’s injury — begin to establish himself as a starter. Foreman has notched three 100-yard games over his past five. Should Henry indeed return to action in the playoffs, Foreman would stand to be a key off-the-bench performer.

For now, however, the Titans are reshuffling their backfield. One of the early candidates to replace Henry, Jeremy McNichols, is no longer on the roster. The Titans waived the veteran backup Saturday and promoted Jordan Wilkins from their practice squad. A former Colts fifth-round pick, Wilkins caught on with the Titans after a midseason Indianapolis exit. He joins Dontrell Hilliard alongside Foreman on Tennessee’s active roster.

Wilkins topped 5.5 yards per carry in each of his first two seasons, playing behind Marlon Mack, and eclipsed 300 rushing yards in each of his first three. Now rostering the NFL’s rushing leader in Jonathan Taylor, the Colts dropped Wilkins this season. A former Buccaneers fifth-round pick who also spent time with the Colts, McNichols has been with the Titans for the past two seasons. He is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry this year, on 41 totes, and saw Foreman take over the backfield down the stretch.

The Titans also promoted defensive linemen Da’Shawn Hand and Kevin Strong on Saturday. The team has a chance to clinch home-field advantage for the first time since 2008 Sunday. A win over the Texans would secure Tennessee the AFC’s No. 1 seed. This would obviously be beneficial for both the Titans and Henry. The Chiefs would recapture the conference’s top slot with a win over the Broncos today and a subsequent Titans loss.

Colts Activate WR Parris Campbell From IR

January 8th, 2022 at 12:12pm CST by Ben Levine

With the Colts focused on a potential postseason run, they’ll be welcoming back a member of their offense. The team announced today that they’ve activated wideout Parris Campbell from injured reserve. The team has also promoted cornerback Anthony Chesley, safety Will Redmond, and defensive tackle Chris Williams from the practice squad.

A former second-round pick, Campbell has spent most of this season rehabbing from foot surgery. The Colts’ would-be slot receiver sustained the injury in Week 6, but it looks like he could meet the rehab timetable initially provided. Before that point of the season, the 24-year-old had appeared in five games (three starts), hauling in 10 receptions for 162 yards and one touchdown.

Campbell missed nine games as a rookie and was absent for 14 last season. He suffered a knee injury in September 2020 that knocked him out of his sophomore NFL campaign. While Campbell recovered from that PCL issue this offseason, he has missed nine more games due to the foot problem. The good news is that Campbell will have a healthy offseason for the first time in a while (assuming he makes it through the rest of the year unscathed).

Redmond, 28, joined the Colts in mid-December. He’s seen time in two games for Indy, with all 22 of his snaps coming on special teams. Chesley, a former undrafted free agent out of Coastal Carolina, has seen time in eight games for the Colts this season, collecting three tackles and one fumble recovery. Williams went undrafted out of Wagner in 2020 and has spent the past two years with the Colts organization, collecting two tackles in seven games this season.

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