HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Chargers Rumors: RT, Davis, Palmer

July 30th, 2022 at 3:40pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chargers offensive line is almost perfectly set for the regular season. They return the left-side trio of tackle Rashawn Slater, guard Matt Feiler, and center Corey Linsley, who were all very impressive in the same roles last year. They used their first-round pick this year to fill the right guard spot with rookie guard Zion Johnson out of Boston College. 

The right tackle position is currently a battle between last year’s starter Storm Norton and reserve lineman Trey Pipkins III. Norton has vastly outperformed his undrafted status, but does leave something to be desired at the position. The Chargers are really hoping, though, that Pipkins will live up to his third-round draft stock from three years ago, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic.

Pipkins spent the offseason working out with Duke Manyweather, who works with offensive lineman in Dallas. Los Angeles will hope that Pipkins will be able to make the leap and take over the starting right tackle job to fill in their ideal offensive line. If not, they will likely rely again on Norton and focus any blocking help directly to that side of the line.

Here are a few other notes on position battles the Chargers face going into the preseason, according to Popper:

  • Cornerback Michael Davis is heading into his sixth year with the Chargers. After spending his first season and a half as a rotational cornerback in the Chargers defense, Davis took hold of a starting job and didn’t relinquish it. Not until this preseason, that is. With the free agent additions of Bryce Callahan and J.C. Jackson, Davis is facing some serious competition for his starting job. As training camp begins, it appears the Chargers have been running with Jackson and Asante Samuel Jr. on the first-team with Callahan coming in as the first option for nickel packages. It’s great news for the Chargers depth at cornerback, but tough for Davis who hasn’t been a backup since 2018.
  • With wide receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen set to return as quarterback Justin Herbert‘s top two receiving options, the question rises of who comes in as the third receiver. Los Angeles didn’t make any moves to acquire a new receiving threat this offseason, mainly due to the belief they hold that Josh Palmer will make a significant leap in his second NFL season. As a rookie, Palmer caught 33 balls (third-best for receivers on the team) for 353 yards (fourth-best for receivers on the team). The Chargers will continue to use running back Austin Ekeler‘s receiving abilities in the passing game and, after losing Jared Cook to free agency, they brought in Gerald Everett to start at tight end. But they hope to see Palmer really step up as a wide out so that they can terrorize opposing defenses with a three-headed monster of a receiving corps.

NFL Injury Updates: Woods, Patrick, Adams, Stingley

July 30th, 2022 at 2:17pm CST by Ely Allen

With Tennessee trading wide receiver A.J. Brown during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft in order to select Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks, the Titans will now look to former Bills and Rams wide receiver Robert Woods to serve as the team’s No. 1 receiving option. This puts lots of pressure on Woods as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in practice last November. 

While Woods was acquired for a sixth-round pick and Burks was acquired with a first (via the Brown-trade), Woods nine years as a starter and veteran experience places him atop the depth chart over the rookie, Burks, for now. Woods had been experiencing a run of the best football of his career over the last four years. Since 2018, Woods has recorded season receiving totals of 1,219 yards, 1,134 yards, and 936 yards, all higher than any totals from his first five years in the league. He also reached six receiving touchdowns twice in that span, setting new career highs there, as well. At a pace of 61.78 receiving yards per game before his injury last year, Woods was set for his third 1,000-yard season in four years, and, with five total touchdowns, was on pace to set a new career high in scoring, as well.

The good news is that Woods has been full-go at Titans camp so far this month, according to Ben Arthur of The Tennessean. Not only is Woods out there taking live reps at practice, but he’s using the off-periods to work with quarterback Ryan Tannehill on timing and chemistry.

“It’s strong enough. It’s repaired. It’s healed,” Woods said in regards to his knee. “So my mentality going out here and practicing is push it and go. You almost want to like push it to the limit and see what you can do and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NFL this preseason, starting with an update out of the Windy City:

  • It appears that Bears center Lucas Patrick will require surgery on his right hand, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The former Packer is expected to start for new Chicago offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as he did during their time together in Green Bay. While surgery will take him out of the lineup for a few weeks, the hope is that, by treating it this early in training camp, Patrick will be able to possibly return before the season opener.
  • While it was originally expected that Seahawks safety Jamal Adams would miss time while dealing with previous hand injuries, further reports reveal that he is expected to return to practice soon, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Adams has been dealing with finger injuries for quite some time and, recently, broke a finger when it got stuck in a helmet during practice. Any surgery that may be required will be pushed to the offseason and, for now, he will return to the field “with a club and a special cast for games.”
  • The Texans’ No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., is attempting to bounce back from nagging injuries that limited him to only 10 games of action in his final two years of college. Houston was impressed enough with his freshman year numbers of six interceptions and 21 passes defensed to make him the first cornerback off the board from an impressive group of defensive backs. They also are hoping his injury woes have ended as head coach Lovie Smith said he expects the 21-year-old to be ready for the regular season opener, according to Mark Berman of Fox Sports.

Contract Details: Godchaux, Reiff, Alexander

July 30th, 2022 at 12:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Some recent deals and extensions have been signed around the NFL. We’ve provided some updates on those contracts below:

  • Davon Godchaux, DT (Patriots): Two-year, $20.8MM extension, including $17.85MM guaranteed. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), Godchaux got a $10.5MM signing bonus, and he’ll have a base salary worth $1.5MM in 2022. The extension reduced the defensive lineman’s cap hit from $10.25MM to $8.75MM.
  • Riley Reiff, OT (Bears): One-year deal worth a maximum amount of $12.5MM ($10MM likely to be earned). Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Bears structured Reiff’s contract in such a way that it will count for just $3MM against the cap next season. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune provides more details on Twitter, noting that the lineman will earn a $3MM base salary, and he’ll earn another $4.5MM if he’s on the field for 10% of his team’s offense snaps. There are also incentives tied to offensive categories and a playoff appearance.
  • Kwon Alexander, LB (Jets): One-year deal. Contract is worth $1.12MM with a $152K signing bonus, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic (on Twitter). His cap hit will be around that $1.12MM mark for the 2022 campaign.

49ers DT Maurice Hurst Tore Biceps, Expected To Miss Season

July 30th, 2022 at 11:27am CST by Ben Levine

Maurice Hurst‘s bad luck with the 49ers continues. The defensive tackle tore his biceps during practice on Friday and will have to undergo surgery, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (on Twitter). The injury will likely sideline Hurst for the entire 2022 season, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Hurst was a fifth-round pick by the Raiders in 2018, and he ended up spending three seasons with the organization. After collecting 31 tackles and four sacks in 13 games (10 starts) as a rookie, Hurst only started seven games and compiled four more sacks in his final two seasons with the Raiders.

The 27-year-old caught on with San Francisco last offseason. Hurst started the season on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain during the preseason. He returned for a pair of games before nursing a calf injury the rest of the way. Hurst re-signed with the 49ers in March, inking a veteran salary exception worth a bit more than $1MM. The team later released and re-signed the defensive tackle to save a chunk of cash.

Heading into training camp, defensive tackle looked like an area of strength for the 49ers. Now, the team is down three players at the position. Besides Hurst, Hassan Ridgeway is dealing with a quad injury and is out of practice, while Arik Armstead‘s sprained knee will sideline him for a few weeks. Fortunately, Javon Kinlaw will return to practice after recovering from a knee sprain, but as Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets, the former first-round pick will be on a “pitch count” for at least the next few practices.

Cowboys WR Michael Gallup Unlikely For Week 1

July 30th, 2022 at 10:16am CST by Ben Levine

As expected, Michael Gallup won’t be ready for the start of the regular season. Speaking to reporters, the Cowboys wideout said he’s still recovering from his ACL injury and said Week 1 isn’t a realistic return date.

“We got a little ways to go,” Gallup said (via Ed Werder on Twitter). “It’s gotta get a little bit stronger. … I’m ready to get back out there and help the team win.”

Gallup missed the first chunk of the 2021 season as he recovered from a calf injury. He ended up getting into nine games (eight starts) following his return to the field, hauling in 35 receptions for 445 yards and two touchdowns. Then, in Week 17, Gallup suffered a torn ACL, changing his plans for the offseason and the start of the 2022 season.

Despite the injury, the Cowboys were eager to pay the wideout, handing him a five-year, $62.5MM extension. Thanks to that new contract, there should be less pressure for Gallup to return to the field and prove his worth. Instead, he can assure he returns to full health with the goal of being a productive receiver for all five years of his extension.

Gallup predictably started training camp on PUP, but reports out of Dallas indicate that he’s looking good on the sideline. Head coach Mike McCarthy also gave a glowing review of the wideout, noting that the receiver “has not missed a target yet” and “hasn’t had a setback” (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News on Twitter). Assuming Gallup indeed misses at least Week 1, the Cowboys could turn to the likes of James Washington, T.J. Vasher, Noah Brown, and third-round rookie Jalen Tolbert to play opposite CeeDee Lamb.

Latest On Jessie Bates, Bengals Extensions

July 30th, 2022 at 9:45am CST by Ben Levine

The Bengals didn’t sign Jessie Bates prior to the extension deadline, and despite having little leverage to avoid playing on the franchise tag in 2022, the safety is still away from the team as training camp starts. Speaking to reporters, Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin acknowledged that the two sides “just didn’t come together” on a new deal and there are “no hard feelings” (via ESPN’s Ben Baby on Twitter).

[RELATED: Jessie Bates Absent From Training Camps]

Predictably, Tobin revealed that the front office would be willing to resume negotiations with Bates following the upcoming season. Bates has not yet signed his tender — which means that he cannot be fined for skipping training camp — but he will either need to sign it at some point or sit out the entire 2022 campaign, which seems highly unlikely. The most likely route sees Bates return to the field for the 2022 season and then hit unrestricted free agent next offseason. For what it’s worth, a trade isn’t expected.

Meanwhile, the Bengals front office will soon have to shift focus to extending their franchise quarterback. Speaking to reporters, team president Mike Brown made it clear that the Bengals want to keep Joe Burrow long-term.

“I can tell you that we couldn’t be happier with Joe Burrow,” Brown said (via Baby). “He’s everything you would wish for, especially for a quarterback in Cincinnati. Our whole focus is going to be on keeping him here.”

Burrow is entering the third year of his rookie contract, meaning there’s still plenty of time to negotiate a new pact. As Baby notes, the Bengals will also have to figure out how to proceed with an extension for wide receiver Tee Higgins, although Brown was clear that QB is the team’s priority.

“Right now, our obvious, most important issue will be with our quarterback,” Brown said. “It’s not quite ready or ripe yet, but it’s right down the track. We see the train coming.”

Ravens OLB David Ojabo Last Unsigned Rookie

July 29th, 2022 at 9:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens are reportedly the only team in the NFL who have yet to wrap up their rookie draft class signings. The lone holdout, Michigan outside linebacker David Ojabo, is the last unsigned rookie selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, with the contract disagreement surrounding Ojabo’s third-year guarantee percentage, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

This is a bit of a new issue as, last year, Ojabo’s draft slot didn’t receive any third-year guarantee, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. This year has seen a difference of approach in the second round, though. The first five picks of the second round this year have received contracts that fully guaranteed the second and third years of their rookie deals. The first three picks of the second round even had some of the fourth year of their contracts guaranteed, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. After those first five picks, the next ten picks (excluding Ojabo) have the second year of their rookie deals guaranteed with a percentage of their third year guaranteed.

There are two factors of the situation that make it difficult for Ojabo and the Ravens to negotiate. The first is that, while picks 38-47 of the draft all have guaranteed third-year money, there is a huge drop off in the guaranteed amount for the pick before Ojabo and the pick after Ojabo. The player selected just before Ojabo at 44th overall is John Metchie III, who received $800,000 (55.61%) of his third year guaranteed, following the descending trend from the 38th pick, Arnold Ebiketie ($1.36MM), down to the 43rd pick, Wan’Dale Robinson ($876,508). The pick immediately after Ojabo at 46th overall is Joshua Paschal, whose guaranteed third-year money dropped dramatically to $275,000 (22.02%).

The extreme contrast from Metchie to Paschal gives far too much wiggle room for Baltimore and Ojabo to disagree on. Ojabo, likely, will want guaranteed third-year money closer to what Metchie is receiving based on being picked just after him. The Ravens’ argument will point to the fact that he plays the same position as Paschal, and it will probably hinge on the second factor that makes it a difficult negotiation, as well: Ojabo’s injury.

Ojabo was trending towards being a first-round pick for much of the pre-draft process before tearing his Achilles tendon at Michigan’s Pro Day. The severity and timing of the injury make it unlikely that Ojabo will be able to make much of an impact as a rookie. Achilles injuries have affected long-term status less and less in the NFL lately, but it can still be a bargaining chip for Baltimore in terms of how much money they choose to guarantee. Ojabo can also try to flip it by pointing out what his draft stock would’ve been without injury.

At this point, it’s hard to make any predictions, but it’s pretty clear where the separation is coming from. The Ravens no doubt want to come to terms with Ojabo, who will eventually be meeting last year’s first round pick, Odafe Oweh, at the quarterback for years to come. But, after being bitten hard by the injury bug last year, it’s easy to see why Baltimore may be uneasy to guarantee payment to a player currently recovering from a serious injury. It will certainly be interesting to see how the situation is resolved.

NFL Workouts: 7/29/22

July 29th, 2022 at 9:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Here’s a list of minor players who visited or worked out for an NFL team today:

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

Howard had recently also worked out for the Saints, along with Bo Scarbrough, according to Nick Underhill at New Orleans Football Network. Howard has bounced between Philadelphia and Miami with limited success since averaging 1,123 rushing yards per season and totaling 24 rushing touchdowns in his first three seasons with the Bears. Injuries and limited productivity have really hurt Howard’s success over the past three years.

Cardinals Add Defensive Line Depth For Camp

July 29th, 2022 at 8:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Arizona brought in some veteran bodies on the defensive line for camp this preseason. The team made the announcement on their website that they have signed Antwaun Woods and Christian Ringo. 

The Cardinals felt the need to bring in some experienced players at the position due to the high rotation-rate and youth at the position. With J.J. Watt likely to see little playing time in the preseason going into his 12th NFL season, Arizona’s defensive line is riddled with young players like Rashard Lawrence (23), Zach Allen (24), Cameron Thomas (22), Leki Fotu (23), Kingsley Keke (25), Michael Dogbe (26), and Jonathan Ledbetter (24). Woods (29) and Ringo (30) can add some of the experience and leadership that is missing with Watt (33) on the sideline.

Woods came into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Titans. After only making one appearance in two years in Tennessee, Woods was released with an injury settlement before signing a two-year contract with Dallas. Woods immediately became a starter in the Cowboys defense as a 1-technique defensive tackle. Woods would start 32 games for the Cowboys over the next three years, losing some playing time to injuries and some starts in the third year to free agent addition Dontari Poe. When the Cowboys drafted three defensive lineman in the 2021 NFL Draft, Woods was waived. Woods signed with the Colts for last year but spent most of the season on the practice squad or injured.

Ringo doesn’t nearly have the starting experience Woods does, but has lots of experience learning new systems. Since being drafted by the Packers in 2015, Ringo has spent time with the Bengals, Lions, Cowboys, and Saints, not to mention a short stint in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before the season was canceled due to COVID-19. This is technically a reunion, as Ringo’s month-and-a-half stint with the Cowboys overlapped with Woods’ tenure in Dallas. Up until last year, Ringo’s career had been that of a rotational reserve, but, after signing with the Saints for the 2021 season, Ringo earned his first four starts and appeared in a career-high 14 games.

Both players are 300+ lb. interior lineman who will take some preseason snaps off of the shoulders of players that Arizona would like to keep fresh going into the regular season. If they show flashes of their most productive NFL stretches, they could find their way onto the final 53-man roster and contribute to the Cardinals’ 2022 season.

In order to make room for Woods and Ringo on the roster, Arizona released tight end David Wells and defensive end Matt Dickerson. Wells had appeared in three games (one start) last year for the Cardinals and Dickerson hasn’t played since he was with the Titans in the 2020 season.

Former Cowboys S Kavon Frazier Retires

July 29th, 2022 at 6:51pm CST by Ely Allen

After a year in which he only played eight special teams snaps, free agent safety Kavon Frazier is retiring from the NFL in order to pursue his interests in business. The announcement was posted to his Twitter account this evening. 

Frazier’s retirement comes after only six years in the league. A three-year starter at Central Michigan, Frazier was picked by the Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He made an immediate impact as a rookie on special teams. He continued to be a core special teamer later into his time in Dallas, but started to earn some snaps as a backup safety, as well. When starter Xavier Woods was injured to start the 2018 season, Frazier earned the first two starts of his career. Overall with the Cowboys, Frazier totaled 67 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, a sack, a quarterback hit, a forced fumble, and a pass defensed.

Frazier’s final year in Dallas saw him placed on injured reserve after four games with a pectoral injury. When Dallas didn’t re-sign him, Frazier signed with the Dolphins. He appeared in 15 games for Miami, primarily on special teams. He signed with the Bengals in the following offseason but was released before the season began. In December of last year, Frazier signed to the Raiders’ practice squad, playing his eight snaps in a Week 16 game against the Broncos. He signed a reserve/future contract with Las Vegas, but was released just under two months later.

In his announcement, Frazier expresses his desires to excel as an entrepreneur. He cites how he started a business called Built 4 It Athletics when he was recovering from his pectoral injury and acquired another business called APEC this past January. He has an interest in “starting an investment firm called Athlete Investment Academy,” which he plans to use “to change the stigma around athletes and their financial issues.”

Frazier is surely retiring from football at a young age, but the 27-year-old has many plans post-football for his family and career. He is driving to make sure that, when it’s all said and done, he won’t be identified solely by his time in the NFL. Good luck to him on all his future endeavors.

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