HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins Uncertain For Week 1?

July 18th, 2022 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The makeup of the Ravens’ run game will depend on J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards finishing up their respective rehab efforts after ACL tears nixed their 2021 seasons. Some disagreement on the former’s path emerged Monday.

The prospect of the Ravens holding Dobbins out in Week 1 and perhaps sitting him for multiple September contests is likely to be in play, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Dobbins disagreed with Rapoport’s situational assessment, indicating he will “damn sure” be ready for Baltimore’s opener (Twitter link).

Dobbins also cast doubt about whether he would even begin training camp on the Ravens’ active/PUP list, though that appears a near-certainty. Players are generally bullish on their recoveries, and by the time the Ravens suit up for Week 1, it will have been over a year since Dobbins’ injury. While Rapoport did not characterize Dobbins’ rehab as off-schedule, he noted a potential delay to his season would stem from this being a “serious, complex injury.”

Dobbins tore an ACL and damaged his left LCL and meniscus, and Rapoport notes the Ravens want to make sure their starting back is 100% when he returns. Caution is understandable here, and John Harbaugh expressed some uncertainty on the Ohio State product’s status last month. The Ravens saw the outcome when Ronnie Stanley came back too soon, playing in last year’s opener before missing the season’s final 16 games.

Free agency addition Mike Davis represents some insurance for Dobbins and Edwards, and the Ravens also added sixth-round running back Tyler Badie (Missouri). But they are again prepared to base their backfield around Dobbins and Edwards, making the conclusions to the two rehab efforts crucial for the run-oriented team. There looks to be less doubt about Edwards’ Week 1 availability, Rapoport adds. The veteran back is expected to be ready to go in time for the regular season. Both Dobbins and Edwards are signed through 2023.

Rodney Hudson To Return To Cards In 2022

July 18th, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following Rodney Hudson‘s minicamp absence, speculation ensued about the Cardinals’ future at center. But the former Pro Bowler is planning to return for a second season with the team.

Hudson plans to play in 2022, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who adds the veteran snapper is expected to report for Cardinals training camp next week (Twitter link). The Cardinals have essentially confirmed this (on Twitter). Given Hudson’s talent level, this should be a big boost for the Cardinals.

The team acquired Hudson from Las Vegas last year and extended him on a three-year deal worth $30MM. While Hudson — a three-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders — is one of seven centers attached to eight-figure-per-year contracts, he is the league’s seventh-highest-paid snapper. Money may or may not have led to the uncertainty surrounding Hudson’s 2022 status, but the Cardinals will have their most decorated offensive lineman back at work soon.

Hudson’s deal runs through 2023 and features a $10MM cap spike from 2021, when the 33-year-old blocker was on the Cards’ payroll at $2.86MM, to this year ($12.61MM cap figure). The Cardinals guaranteed Hudson $10.9MM at signing, though $16MM of this contract is guaranteed for injury. The former Chiefs third-round pick missed five games last season, joining Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins as vital Cards offensive cogs to miss extended stretches, but was back in uniform for the team’s final three games.

The Cards had Justin Pugh taking center reps during their offseason program, potentially as a contingency plan. Pugh has spent extensive time at both guard and tackle in the NFL, but center marked new territory for the ex-first-rounder. Hudson returning will keep Pugh at guard, bolstering Arizona’s front overall. The team also returns veteran tackles D.J. Humphries and Kelvin Beachum.

Receiving Pro Bowl nods in 2016, ’17 and ’19, Hudson is now on his fourth NFL contract. The Raiders signed him away from the Chiefs in 2015 and extended him in 2019. Amid an O-line overhaul last year, the Raiders were set to make Hudson a cap casualty. But the Cardinals swooped in with a trade offer, agreeing to send a 2021 third-round pick for Hudson and a seventh-rounder. They extended him soon after.

Pro Football Focus rated Hudson near the bottom of its center performance list last season, slotting him 31st. But the 12th-year veteran still represents a key player for a Cardinals team that is working on a Murray extension. Another offseason crisis appears to be averted.

Rams DT Bobby Brown Draws Six-Game PED Suspension

July 18th, 2022 at 2:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams stand to lose one of their defensive linemen for a chunk of the season. The NFL hit second-year defender Bobby Brown with a six-game suspension Monday for violating its performance-enhancing substance policy, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com tweets.

A 2021 fourth-round pick, Brown played in 10 games for the Rams as a rookie. The team lost Sebastian Joseph-Day in free agency, pointing to a better opportunity for Brown in 2022. The chance for the Texas A&M product to carve out a bigger role will likely be on hold for a while.

Brown played just 22 defensive snaps last season and was inactive for Super Bowl LVI, but the Rams did not draft any defensive linemen this year and did not make any notable pickups to address the position. A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines are expected to start alongside Aaron Donald up front for the defending Super Bowl champions, but Brown is positioned as depth. The Rams, who were without Joseph-Day for much of last season, will have to adjust again — though, the adjustment will not have to be as significant.

Brown, 22 in August, used a solid 2020 junior season in College Station to improve his draft stock. He registered 5.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in 2020. Rams took Brown 117th overall last year; his rookie contract runs through the 2024 season.

Giants Sign Round 2 WR Wan’Dale Robinson, Round 4 S Dane Belton To Wrap Draft Class

July 18th, 2022 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants will not go into training camp with any unsigned rookies. They became the latest team to round out their draft class deals Monday, signing both second-round wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and fourth-round safety Dane Belton.

Chosen in what became a gray area, thanks to the guarantees in the No. 37 overall pick Jalen Pitre and No. 44 choice John Metchie‘s Texans contracts earlier this offseason, Robinson represents the latest early-second-round pick to sign. Eleven second-rounders remain unsigned. This year’s No. 43 overall choice will vie for playing time in a crowded Giants wideout situation.

[RELATED: Assessing Giants’ Offseason Decisions]

Although Big Blue’s receiver setup is currently jampacked, Robinson profiles as the safest bet to stay with the team into the mid-2020s. The Giants roster Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Darius Slayton. But Robinson is the only member of this intriguing wideout quintet to be brought in by the Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll regime. Slayton has become a trade candidate, while Shepard restructured his deal to stay for a seventh season. The longest-tenured Giant is now set to be a 2023 free agent. Golladay underwhelmed after signing a four-year, $72MM deal in 2021, and unavailability has been Toney’s defining NFL trait thus far.

Robinson zoomed onto the second-round radar after a 104-catch, 1,334-yard, seven-touchdown 2021 season at Kentucky. The 5-foot-8 slot player had been a Wildcats contributor during his underclassman years, but 2021 brought a breakthrough. Even without the Giants’ offseason injury issues at receiver and Slayton’s potential preseason departure, Robinson should be expected to have a steady role as a rookie. Both he and Belton are now signed through 2025.

The Giants are less situated at safety, giving Belton an interesting opportunity. The team cut Logan Ryan and allowed Jabrill Peppers to sign with the Patriots this offseason, leaving some uncertainty opposite Xavier McKinney. Julian Love is tentatively expected to start alongside the former second-round pick, but Belton — a first-team All-Big Ten player last season — will have a say in that plan during camp. As a junior at Iowa, Belton intercepted five passes in 2021. That tally tied for the second-most in the conference last season.

Here is how the Giants’ draft class looks ahead of camp:

Round 1: No. 5 Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE (Oregon) (signed)
Round 1: No. 7 (from Bears) Evan Neal, OT (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2: No. 43 (from Falcons) Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Kentucky) (signed)
Round 3: No. 67 Joshua Ezeudu, G (North Carolina) (signed)
Round 3: No. 81 (from Dolphins) Cor’Dale Flott, CB (LSU) (signed)
Round 4: No. 112 (from Bears) Daniel Bellinger, TE (San Diego State) (signed)
Round 4: No. 114 (from Falcons) Dane Belton, S (Iowa) (signed)
Round 5: No. 146 (from Jets) Micah McFadden, LB (Indiana) (signed)
Round 5: No. 147 D.J. Davidson, DT (Arizona State) (signed)
Round 5: No. 173 (from Chiefs through Ravens) Marcus McKethan, OG (North Carolina) (signed)
Round 6: No. 182 Darrian Beavers, LB (Cincinnati) (signed)

NFLPA, Deshaun Watson Preparing To Sue NFL; Latest On QB’s Chances To Play In 2022

July 18th, 2022 at 12:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Deflategate and Ezekiel Elliott dramas showed NFL suspensions do not necessarily provide off-field sagas’ final acts. Deshaun Watson and the NFLPA appear prepared to extend an already-lengthy matter to court, if the NFL’s goal of a full-season suspension becomes reality.

A full-season ban would prompt the Browns quarterback and the union to sue the NFL, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com tweets. Despite no ruling having been made yet, Robinson notes the two parties currently at odds with the NFL have already made plans to sue.

This lawsuit would occur if disciplinary officer Sue Robinson bans Watson for a full season or if the NFL overturns her ruling and pushes through a full-year suspension. After 24 women sued Watson for alleged sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault — during a process that led to the Texans settling with 30 women in connection with their former quarterback’s off-field behavior — the league has long been rumored to push for a punishment that keeps the new Cleveland QB off the field for a full season. Positioned to oversee the appeal process, Roger Goodell can ensure this happens. If this journey heads down that path, another NFL legal drama looks like it will commence.

Neither Elliott nor Tom Brady ended up seeing their suspensions vacated, though each stalled their respective punishments. Brady played the entire 2015 season but ended up serving a four-game ban in 2016. An injunction allowed Elliott to play after initially being suspended in 2017, but a notable back-and-forth with the NFL in court led to the Cowboys running back serving his six-game suspension that year. Watson would also face an uphill battle, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who notes the latest CBA negotiating a clear policy — an independent arbitrator ahead of a Goodell-overseen appeal, a procedure put in place via the 2020 CBA — would work against Watson in court.

These lawsuit plans may be tested. Would Watson still take the league to court if he is suspended for much of the 2022 campaign, but not all of it? Some around the league believe Watson will play in 2022, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes. As for when the next step here (the appeal stage) will take place, Charles Robinson adds Sue Robinson’s decision could drag into Browns training camp (Twitter link). This would move the appeal stage into the preseason and potentially up against the start of the regular season. If Watson is suspended for much or all of the 2022 slate, the Browns are planning to add another quarterback. But this to-be-determined passer would back up Jacoby Brissett, not replace him as the starter.

WR Ryan Switzer Retires

July 18th, 2022 at 11:03am CST by Adam La Rose

After two years spent off the field, journeyman wideout Ryan Switzer is ending his NFL career. The 27-year-old confirmed his retirement today on Twitter. 

“Unfortunately, in light of a recent injury, I feel I’m no longer able to meet the physical demands of the game,” his retirement message states. Switzer last saw playing time in 2019, his second year spent with the Steelers. Over the course of that 25-game stretch, he made 44 catches for 280 yards while playing a depth role on offense. Prior to that, in 2017, he played sparingly for the Cowboys.

Switzer is best known, of course, for his work in the return game. He totalled nearly 1,400 yards on kick returns (averaging just under 22 yards per runback), adding his lone special teams touchdown on a punt return.

The UNC alum – who holds the rare distinction of being traded twice in the same offseason, in 2018 – signed a reserve deal with the Browns last January, but didn’t make any appearances with them. There was still interest in him this offseason as well, as he visited the Panthers in April. The fact that he was unable to land a deal speaks to the extent of his injury troubles, which have ended his career prematurely.

“Although my playing days are over,” Switzer adds, “I’m looking forward to using the knowledge and experience I’ve accumulated to help the next generation of players through coaching.” With a second act already in mind, he can now turn his attention to a football career spent on the sidelines.

Latest On Falcons’ CB Competition

July 18th, 2022 at 10:08am CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons are eyeing a defensive turnaround in 2022, after the unit ranked near the bottom of the league in almost every major category last season. To achieve that, the team will lean heavily on its secondary. 

The CB room will once again be led by A.J. Terrell. The former first-rounder earned Second-Team All-Pro honors last season, after posting three interceptions and 16 pass deflections. He is set to anchor the Falcons’ backend on the perimeter, where he will likely be joined by Casey Heyward. The veteran signed a two-year deal in free agency to provide Atlanta with a veteran presence in the secondary.

In the slot, however, things are less certain. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that the favorite to start in that spot remains Isaiah Oliver, who has taken on a large workload on the inside since the end of the 2020 season. The past campaign was cut short by a torn ACL, limiting him to four games played and putting his availability at the start of 2022 in question.

Despite the injury, Oliver was given a one-year deal to stay in Atlanta. That could end up paying off for both sides, as the 25-year-old is on track with his recovery. “I essentially get, like, a redo,” he said earlier this month. “I get that year over again, being in the same system with the same team and the same guys.”

Ledbetter names Darren Hall among the “several” players Oliver will be competing with for the starting slot job. The 2021 fourth-rounder registered one start out of the 14 games he played in last season, totalling 27 tackles in a limited defensive role. Overall, the competition for the third CB position will be one to watch during training camp, as the Falcons look to take a much-needed step forward defensively.

Titans’ Treylon Burks Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp

July 18th, 2022 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of eyes are on rookie receiver Treylon Burks heading into the 2022 season, due to the inevitable links between himself and A.J. Brown. Things haven’t gotten off to the best of starts so far in Burks’ young career, though. 

Asthma problems cost the Arkansas alum practice time during OTAs, then a separate, unspecified issue led to him missing all of the Titans’ minicamp. That raised questions about Burks’ weight and conditioning, but the team stressed that he was still making progress in getting acclimated to the NFL and specifics of their playbook. He should be able to see the field later this month.

WRs coach Rob Moore has “no doubt” that Burks will be available at the start of training camp, as noted by ESPN’s Turron Davenport. That would of course be a welcomed development, since he is in line to start right away for a Titans team which no longer features Brown or Julio Jones. Robert Woods will also play a large role in the team’s passing game, though he is recovering from a torn ACL. Development will therefore be critical for Burks in both the short and long term, as the Titans look to repeat last season’s success.

Given his track record as one of the SEC’s most productive – and most unique – talents, Burks was understandably one of the top wideouts taken in the draft. His run-after-catch ability will likely be his calling card in the early portion of his NFL career in particular, but fine-tuning the rest of his skillset will of course be crucial in the build-up to the season.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time and everything else will take care of itself,” Burks said. “Everybody is going to have setbacks. It’s just how you come back and attack it.” The progress he makes in the coming weeks could go a long way to dictating his own, and Tennessee’s, success in a campaign once again filled with significant expectations.

Latest On Tampa Bay’s Cornerbacks Room

July 17th, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Buccaneers allowed depth players Richard Sherman and Pierre Desir to walk in free agency this offseason, but held onto their most important free agent cornerback when they re-signed Carlton Davis to a three-year, $45MM contract. Besides the departures of Sherman and Desir, and the rookie depth additions that counteract them, the room looks quite the same as it did last season. If the position group can stay healthy, how does the depth chart play out with most of last year’s contributors returning? Let’s take a look. 

Davis is the only for sure starter at cornerback for Tampa Bay. He’s been a consistent starter since getting drafted in the second round in 2018, but really broke out in his second year of NFL football. After a rookie season that saw him break up only 4 passes, Davis exploded in coverage recording 19, 18, and 11 passes defensed in each year after. Davis has six interceptions in his first four seasons (four in 2020, alone), but his 52 total passes defensed says plenty about his ability to make plays on the ball. He’ll enter the season as the team’s No. 1 cornerback, with questions surrounding who will be No. 2.

Jamel Dean is likely the top prospect to start opposite Davis in base formations. He or his competition for that second spot, Sean Murphy-Bunting, would still see plenty of the field as the third cornerback, as the Buccaneers primarily utilize a nickel defense, but, when utilizing only four defensive backs, Dean is currently the favorite to be on the field. Not only are they competing for a spot atop the depth chart, but, considering both were members of Tampa Bay’s 2019 draft class, they will also be striving to earn a new payday like Davis’ in their contract years.

Dean didn’t enter the 2021 NFL season as a starter, but, after an elbow injury sent Murphy-Bunting to injured reserve, Dean took over and made the most of his opportunity. Dean has consistently missed at least two games every season with injury, but, considering the extended time Davis and Murphy-Bunting missed last season, two games doesn’t seem so bad. With 33 passes defensed, Dean has shown the ability in coverage to stay close and make plays on the ball. The biggest downside to his game is that Dean hasn’t quite been able to convert those plays into turnovers, only totaling five interceptions over three seasons. Dean possesses ideal size and speed for the position and was even graded one slot above Davis last season according to Pro Football Focus’ position rankings (subscription required).

Murphy-Bunting was drafted one round earlier than Dean and, so far, his opportunities have reflected that. Last year was the first that saw Murphy-Bunting miss time due to injury, but that doesn’t make Dean’s impressive showing in his absence any less inimical to Murphy-Bunting’s starting role. The injury last season really limited Murphy-Bunting, as PFF graded him out as the 90th cornerback in the NFL, compared to Dean and Davis’s 20th and 21st, respectively. Murphy-Bunting has shown the player he can be when healthy, though, and if that version of him shows up for competition, he may find his way back into a solidified starting role. As a rookie, Murphy-Bunting showed off his ball skills with three interceptions. While he only has one pick in the next two regular seasons, he was able to reel in an interception in three-straight playoff games in 2020. Which version of Murphy-Bunting the Buccaneers get this season will largely affect the starting roles, but, as mentioned above, Tampa Bay’s nickel defense should allow plenty of snaps for both Dean and Murphy-Bunting.

Now Tampa Bay does have another option. If either Dean or Murphy-Bunting struggle coming into the season, the Buccaneers could move Logan Ryan, whom they signed in the offseason to fill in the free safety role left vacant by Jordan Whitehead‘s departure, back to his natural position of cornerback. Ryan hasn’t played cornerback since 2019, but he serves as a more-than-qualified “break glass in case of emergency” option.

Behind the top three corners, Tampa Bay returns Ross Cockrell, Dee Delaney, and Rashard Robinson. Cockrell is a journeyman cornerback with plenty of starting experience with his past teams. He and Delaney filled in a bit as starters when Davis and Murphy-Bunting were out last year, but, over the course of the season, Cockrell proved the most effective backup cornerback. Delaney made the most of his defensive opportunities getting an interception and two passes defensed in five games of extended action on defense. Delaney is a core special teamer, though, and really only serves as a depth piece on defense. Similarly, though Robinson has starting experience from his time in San Francisco, he mainly served as a reserve cornerback last year in Tampa Bay.

Rookie fifth-round pick Zyon McCollum and undrafted rookies Kyler McMichael and Don Gardner round out the roster for Tampa Bay at cornerback. They may be able to fight their way onto the 53-man roster by proving their worth on special teams, but McCollum is probably the only rookie here who may find his way into the cornerback rotation as a depth piece.

Tampa Bay’s nickel look should field, essentially, four cornerbacks, with Davis, Dean, Murphy-Bunting, and Ryan all surrounding starting strong safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Dean and Murphy-Bunting will compete throughout the preseason to determine who stays on the field in base formations. Cockrell and Delaney will likely continue their role as key backups. Robinson may find himself competing with McCollum for a roster spot, with McMichael and Gardner attempting to beat the odds. The Buccaneers know they can achieve success with this roster of cornerbacks, based on its similarities to last season, but just how they choose to employ their corners will determine how much success they can achieve.

NFC West Rumors: Wagner, Walker, Eskridge, Lenoir

July 17th, 2022 at 7:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Seattle made headlines earlier this year when they made the decision to release career-Seahawk Bobby Wagner. The 32-year-old linebacker may have seen the writing on the wall after the team traded away quarterback Russell Wilson, but, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, Wagner didn’t want to leave Seattle.

The Seahawks released their star linebacker in order to avoid his $20.35MM cap hit in the 2022 NFL season. Wagner understood that but, reportedly, wanted to stick around. The sting of having to leave his home of the last ten years was softened a bit by two factors: the unfortunate way that the franchise handled the news and the eventual conclusion that he would return to his old home of California.

Wagner claimed he heard the news from “so many other people” and had to reach out to head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider to confirm. Carroll and Schneider have since admitted that they regret the way the news was handled.

On returning home, Wagner said, “I didn’t want to leave Seattle. But if I was going to leave Seattle, home was the next-best thing for me and so being able to be home, like I’m at peace with the situation.”

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC West, starting with a couple out of Wagner’s former home in Washington:

  • Seattle utilized a second-round pick to bring in one of the draft’s top running back prospects, Kenneth Walker III, and they don’t intend to let that use of draft capital sit on the bench. For a number of reasons, Walker figures to factor heavily into the Seahawks’ running backs rotation in 2022, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson. With Wilson’s departure, and the lack of a star quarterback to step in for him, Seattle will likely rely a little more heavily on the run game. If incumbent starter Chris Carson‘s health keeps him from returning to the field (or even the roster), the team will have to lean on Rashaad Penny. Penny has missed time with injury, too, though, and, whether Penny “misses more times and/or…the Seahawks manage his touches to prevent overwork,” Walker should benefit from increased opportunities to contribute.
  • The Seahawks are set to return their top-three receivers from last year in Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, and Freddie Swain. According to Henderson, though, second-year receiver D’Wayne Eskridge could be the X-factor in Seattle’s receivers room next season. The former second-round pick has had a slow start to his career due to a number of injuries. His rookie season was marred by a toe injury and concussion, and Carroll has opined about time he missed this offseason with hamstring issues. If Eskridge can get healthy and show the talent that made him a second-round pick, he can combine with Lockett and Metcalf to provide a strong receiving corps for quarterbacks Drew Lock and Geno Smith.
  • We’ve talked a couple of times now about the 49ers’ position battle at nickel cornerback. Multiple sources have pinned Darqueze Dennard against rookie fifth-round pick Samuel Womack for the starting job with the possibility that starting outside corner Emmanuel Moseley may slide inside on nickel-formations if Dennard or Womack fail to seize the role. Someone we haven’t mentioned, though, who can’t be ruled out, is last year’s fifth-round pick Deommodore Lenoir, according to Cam Inman of The Mercury News. When he was drafted, many viewed Lenoir as the “heir apparent” to K’Waun Williams, who left for Denver in free agency this offseason, creating the vacant nickel position up for grabs now. Currently, Dennard, Womack, or Moseley are still the favorites to win the job, but Lenoir still has the potential to swoop in and take the crown he was drafted to grow into.
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