HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Texans To Add RB Marlon Mack To P-Squad

August 31st, 2022 at 10:50am CST by Sam Robinson

Marlon Mack will stay with the Texans. Despite being released Tuesday as the team cut its roster down to 53 players, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets the veteran running back is returning on a practice squad deal.

One of several veteran backs to arrive in Houston during Nick Caserio‘s GM tenure, Mack being moved off the team’s active roster was undoubtedly a step back in his quest to show he can still be an NFL starter. But the Texans will keep the sixth-year veteran around as insurance.

[RELATED: Assessing Texans’ 2022 Offseason]

Part of a 2017 running back draft class that has enticed teams to buck the trend against valuing backs — as the eight-figure-per-year deals for Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones, Alvin Kamara and Joe Mixon have shown — Mack saw his path toward a Colts extension or higher-end free agency pact stonewalled by a September 2020 Achilles tear. With Jonathan Taylor emerging in Indianapolis last season, Mack — who re-signed with the Colts on a one-year, $2MM deal in 2021 — his predecessor did not see the field much. That led him out of Indiana this offseason.

The Texans also gave Mack a one-year, $2MM deal, but they cut bait on it before the regular season began. Mack now sits behind fourth-round rookie Dameon Pierce and veterans Rex Burkhead, Royce Freeman and Dare Ogunbowale.

The Texans keeping four backs stands to provide more hurdles for Mack. The former Colts 1,100-yard rusher is almost two years removed from the Achilles injury, but that injury has proven to be a considerable impediment for running backs. A 2017 fourth-round pick, Mack is going into his age-26 season.

Darren Waller Targeting Raiders Extension ‘Soon’

August 31st, 2022 at 10:32am CST by Sam Robinson

Although the prospect of the Raiders tabling an extension to 2023 surfaced during the offseason, Darren Waller is now with Drew Rosenhaus. The powerful agent said the plan is to hammer out a deal as soon as possible, via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

After leaving Klutch Sports recently, Waller signed with Rosenhaus on Wednesday. This notable representation switch could push this matter to a front-burner item for the Raiders, who have already done a few big-ticket extensions this offseason. Waller’s current contract has been out of step with his value for a while; the Pro Bowl tight end appears to be taking action.

A $16MM-per-year contract has been floated during Waller’s talks with the Raiders, though extension conversations are not believed to have progressed too far. Two years remain on Waller’s current contract, one that has — in terms of AAV — dropped to 17th among tight ends. The veteran pass catcher is tied to $6.25MM base salaries in 2022 and 2023.

Despite changing regimes this offseason, the Raiders paid Derek Carr, Hunter Renfrow and Maxx Crosby. Renfrow is now tied to a $16MM-per-year deal — more than double Waller’s $7.6MM-AAV accord. Waller signed his deal back in 2019, when he was in the process of crafting a belated breakout after substance-abuse issues nearly derailed his career. But the tight end market has changed considerably since then, with George Kittle and Travis Kelce pushing it past $14MM on average. Kittle’s $15MM-per-year deal tops the market.

It is understandable why Waller would not want to wait until 2023 for a new deal to come to pass. After trading away Amari Cooper and seeing their Antonio Brown deal combust before the mercurial superstar played a game in Oakland, the Raiders relied on Waller for years. The Jon Gruden-era reclamation project rewarded the team by producing back-to-back 1,100-yard receiving seasons — a feat few tight ends in NFL history have accomplished. Far less acclaimed tight ends have passed him on the market, with David Njoku‘s $13.7MM-AAV Browns deal being the most glaring example.

Waller will also turn 30 in September and is coming off a season in which an ankle injury forced him to miss extensive time down the stretch. With Waller dealing with a hamstring malady now, the Raiders could also exercise caution and force him to prove his value in a new offense. It will be interesting to see how the parties proceed here, as this now appears to be an issue that will not wait until 2023.

Lions To Waive QB David Blough, Plan To Sign QB Nate Sudfeld

August 31st, 2022 at 9:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Currently, Jared Goff is flying solo at quarterback for the Lions. The team made the call to waive backup David Blough on Wednesday morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Detroit’s new plan centers around Nate Sudfeld, whom NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds is expected to sign and be Goff’s new backup (Twitter link).

The Lions engaged in trade discussions with the 49ers, but the teams could not come to terms. After the 49ers decided to move on and give their third-string job to Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy, Sudfeld is now free to sign with the Lions.

As for Blough, who has been with the Lions since 2019, the team would like the Hard Knocks cast member to stay on as a practice squad arm, Schefter tweets. The former Purdue quarterback initially signed with the Browns as a UDFA but became a Lion via a late-summer trade three years ago. After making five starts as a rookie, Blough spent part of the 2020 season on Detroit’s practice squad. He was on the team’s active roster last season.

Sudfeld, 28, will join his fourth NFL team soon. While he has never made an NFL start in six seasons, the Indiana product’s cameo in Week 17 of the 2020 season — when he replaced Jalen Hurts late in a pivotal (though not for the Eagles) season finale — became rather controversial. Sudfeld has attempted 37 career passes, completing 25 of them (at 5.1 yards per attempt, however).

The former Washington UDFA spent much of his career as a Philadelphia third-stringer, who did rise to the position of Nick Foles‘ backup during consecutive Eagles playoff runs. Sudfeld landed in San Francisco last year. Jimmy Garoppolo‘s decision to accept the 49ers’ pay-cut offer changed the 49ers’ depth chart, pushing Purdy down to No. 3. Sudfeld could not secure that gig but looks to be moving to a No. 2 role soon.

Panthers To Sign K Eddy Pineiro

August 31st, 2022 at 8:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Eddy Pineiro became a player to monitor early in the Panthers’ kicker search, having been with the Bears during new Carolina special teams coordinator Chris Tabor‘s tenure. The Panthers are indeed going in this direction.

Pineiro, 26, is signing with Carolina on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. He will fill in for the injured Zane Gonzalez. While it was not certain at the time Gonzalez’s groin injury would cost him all of the 2022 season, the Panthers placed the veteran kicker on IR Tuesday. Gonzalez, who kicked for the Panthers for much of last season, is out of the picture for the team until 2023.

The Bears’ ST coordinator throughout Matt Nagy‘s four-year tenure, Tabor landed with the Panthers this offseason. His Pineiro past stems from the young specialist being tabbed as the franchise’s post-“double doink” option at the position — after a much-discussed kicker competition — in 2019. Pineiro kicked in all 16 Bears games that season, though he was not retained for the 2020 slate. Most recently, Pineiro wound up with the Jets, kicking in five games last season.

Greg Zuerlein beat out Pineiro for the Jets’ kicking job in training camp, but Gonzalez worked out for the Panthers — along with fellow ex-Jet Matt Ammendola, former Jaguar Matthew Wright and others — on Monday. During his one full season as an NFL kicker, Pineiro made 23 of 28 field goals — in one of the NFL’s least friendly kicking environments — and was 27-for-29 on extra points. Last season, the ex-Florida Gator was 8-for-8 on field goals and 9-for-10 on PATs.

Gonzalez signed a two-year, $4.5MM deal ($2MM guaranteed) to stay in Carolina this offseason. Although Pineiro will likely be attached to a league-minimum deal, the Panthers will soon be responsible for two kicker salaries. They entered Wednesday with the league’s third-most cap space, at just under $20MM, however.

Bengals To Meet With TE O.J. Howard; Deal Expected

August 31st, 2022 at 8:17am CST by Sam Robinson

O.J. Howard may move from one AFC contender to another. Less than 24 hours after being a Bills cut, the former first-round tight end is visiting the Bengals, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Should Howard’s physical check out, Rapoport adds Cincinnati is expected to add him to its 53-man roster. The Bengals lost C.J. Uzomah this offseason; Howard, 27, could end up helping fill the void.

The one-year, $3.5MM deal Howard signed with the Bills translated to a fairly quick release. The Bills were using the former Buccaneers pass catcher deep into preseason games, and it became apparent the would-be Josh Allen target was not guaranteed a roster spot. As a vested veteran, Howard can pick his destination before most of the players who were Tuesday cuts. It appears he has done so, preparing to link up with Joe Burrow.

While the Bengals do not have many holes across their roster, the defending AFC champions did lose Uzomah. They replaced him with Hayden Hurst. The ex-Ravens first-rounder approached 600 receiving yards in his first Falcons year, but Kyle Pitts‘ arrival led to fewer receiving chances in 2021. Despite showing intermittent promise with the Bucs — mostly from 2017-19 — Howard is nowhere near Pitts’ level as a receiver. The 6-foot-6 target would provide an interesting complementary presence alongside Hurst, however.

Neither Howard nor Hurst topped 300 receiving yards in 2021; the Alabama product has not eclipsed 200 through the air since 2019. While a crowded tight end room featuring arguably the greatest player in the position’s history can be partially blamed for Howard falling out of favor in Tampa Bay, Howard’s Bucs star was dimming before Rob Gronkowski‘s arrival. The Bengals still look prepared to provide a third chance for the former top-20 pick.

Eagles Acquire DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson From Saints

August 30th, 2022 at 11:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints are trading one of their top defensive backs to the Eagles. C.J. Gardner-Johnson is heading to Philadelphia, according to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The teams have since announced the deal.

Gardner-Johnson, who has played both safety and patrolled the slot for the Saints, staged a hold-in effort earlier in camp as he angled for an extension. Talks broke down, and the Saints are bailing on the talented defender.

It did not take too much in the way of compensation for this trade to go down. The Eagles are sending a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth to the Saints for Gardner-Johnson and a 2025 seventh, Pelissero tweets. The 2024 sixth will be the lower of the Eagles’ two selections in that round.

The Eagles actually see Gardner-Johnson as a safety, Pelissero tweets. He will pair with Marcus Epps, who finished a strong training camp, at the position. A report earlier this month indicated the Eagles could acquire a safety, but Gardner-Johnson has largely excelled in the slot prior to this trade.

This will make for an interesting transition for the fourth-year veteran, especially coming in a contract year. Safety, however, as the Jamal Adams, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James deals have shown, has proven to be a more lucrative position than slot corner.

Tuesday’s deal also marks the third splash trade for the Eagles this offseason; the Saints have now been involved in two of those moves. This trade comes after the move to acquire A.J. Brown and the deal to land a future first-rounder from the Saints. No word about a potential Gardner-Johnson extension has come down. The Eagles could wait here, but Jalen Hurts‘ rookie contract also offers some flexibility. The team also has no notable cash tied to the safety position, having just released Anthony Harris.

While Pro Football Focus has rated Gardner-Johnson outside the top 50 at cornerback in each of the past two years, he carved out a regular role amongst a veteran Saints DB corps. The former fourth-round pick has also become known for his ability to rile up opposition — both opponents and teammates, considering Michael Thomas‘ 2020 team-imposed suspension came after he threw a punch at Gardner-Johnson. It will be interesting to see how he fares in Philly.

The Saints have assembled a deep secondary in recent years, and NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan tweets rookie Alontae Taylor is one of the players — along with Bradley Roby and former slot P.J. Williams — who have worked inside replacing Gardner-Johnson during camp. The team also already has a big-ticket cornerback deal (Marshon Lattimore) in a secondary that also now includes Tyrann Mathieu‘s $9MM-AAV deal.

Vikings Move Down To 53

August 30th, 2022 at 11:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the Vikings finalized their initial 53-man roster Tuesday:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Beyond the previously covered quarterback situation, the Watts departure is Minnesota’s most notable cut. The 2019 sixth-round pick started nine games last season, moving into the lineup after Michael Pierce‘s injury. The Vikings cut Pierce this offseason, though Watts did not profile as a pure nose tackle. He was also drafted to play in a different scheme.

Minnesota hired a new DC this offseason (Ed Donatell), and the team acquired former Texans second-round defensive tackle pick Ross Blacklock on Tuesday. The Vikes had also added veteran Jonathan Bullard this offseason. These moves appear to have affected Watts’ status, as does the Vikings keeping only six D-linemen. They retained 10 after 2021’s cutdown day. Some of the changes can be attributed to classification, with edge defenders classified as outside linebackers in 3-4 sets. Watts also carried a $2.5MM cap charge, allowing Minnesota to save some decent money.

The Davis cut represents a quick bailout on a 2021 third-round pick. One of two guard Davises the Vikes shipped out Tuesday (along with Jesse, whom they traded to the Steelers), Wyatt — an Ohio State alum — played in six games last season and did not log an offensive snap. In addition to drafting Ed Ingram in the second round this year, the Vikings signed veteran interior linemen Chris Reed and Austin Schlottmann.

Eagles Finalize 53-Man Roster

August 30th, 2022 at 10:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the Eagles reached the 53-man limit Tuesday:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR:

The Eagles added two veteran receivers this offseason, with one of them (A.J. Brown) bumping Jalen Reagor down the depth chart. Zach Pascal, who has played for Nick Sirianni previously (in Indianapolis), may also be a factor. But the Eagles, despite their moves at receiver and offseason trade rumors that engulfed Reagor, still have the 2020 first-round pick rostered. The TCU product is also coming off a solid preseason.

Howie Roseman said the Eagles, who have two QBs on their active roster, are planning to add a third — either a practice squad arm or a legit third-stringer — soon, and The Athletic’s Zach Berman and Bo Wulf note running back remains on the radar. The team kept three — Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell — but Sanders has been dealing with a hamstring injury.

Philadelphia’s receiver setup and a long football layoff did not leave much room for Allen, who has a rather notable career on which to fall back. A two-time U.S. Olympian in the 110-meter hurdles, Allen came to Eagles training camp after a controversial false-start infraction denied the medal favorite the opportunity to vie for gold on his home track at the World Track and Field Championships. The Oregon alum, whose 12.84-second time at a meet this summer is the third-fastest clocking ever in the 110 hurdles, caught a deep touchdown during the preseason but may well move back to his primary sport soon.

Ward became needed during the Eagles’ injury-plagued receiver seasons of 2019 and ’20; he caught 53 passes in the latter campaign. The ex-college QB was not used as much last season, catching seven balls in 17 games. The Eagles kept three rookie UDFAs (cornerback Josh Jobe, safety Reed Blankenship and offensive lineman Josh Sills).

Seahawks Make Final Cuts, Hope To Re-Sign CB Justin Coleman

August 30th, 2022 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joining the rest of the NFL, the Seahawks made their round of cuts Tuesday. Here is how the NFC West squad reached the 53-man max:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR:

After agreeing to return to Seattle this offseason, Coleman worked as the team’s starting nickel during the preseason. The veteran slot’s second Seattle stint may not be through, despite being released. Pete Carroll pointed to Coleman being brought back. Roster moves after trims to 53 frequently result in vested vets returning; Coleman certainly appears in the team’s plans.

“Justin is a really good football player and hopefully this isn’t where we’re done with him,” Carroll said, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta.

Coleman, who played for the Seahawks in 2017-18, returned to the Pacific Northwest on a one-year deal with just $153K guaranteed. He has been expected to man the slot alongside starters Sidney Jones and Artie Burns. Jones, however, has run into more injury trouble. The former Washington Huskies standout did not play in the Seahawks’ preseason slate, and Carroll confirmed the team’s top corner is still dealing with the effects of a concussion sustained Aug. 3. The team has not ruled out Jones playing in its opener, but a short-term IR stint may also be on tap.

A former first-round talent who suffered a pre-draft injury that dropped him to Round 2 in 2017, Jones found his footing again after being traded to Seattle in 2021. He started 11 games for the Seahawks, who then lost a starting corner in free agency for the second straight offseason (D.J. Reed, Jets). In addition to Jones, Carroll said cornerback John Reid is dealing with an injury. After aggravating a groin injury in the Seahawks’ preseason finale, the third-year defender may also be a short-term IR candidate

While Coleman was in Detroit and Miami, Blair spent some time at nickel. But the former second-round pick saw knee injuries end his past two seasons. He was unable to gain traction as a safety during camp, with Condotta adding the Seahawks had stopped using him in the slot. The Seahawks kept rookie UDFA Joey Blount as a fifth safety instead. The Seahawks listed Arcega-Whiteside, obtained in a trade for DB Ugo Amadi this month, as a receiver. The Eagles had tried the disappointing draftee at tight end this offseason.

Titans Set 53-Man Roster

August 30th, 2022 at 9:56pm CST by Ben Levine

The Titans have trimmed down their roster to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

The Titans will open up at least one roster spot on Wednesday. Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com writes that wide receiver Racey McMath is expected to land on short-term injured reserve. McMath sustained a hip injury during Tennessee’s preseason finale, and he’ll be sidelined for at least four weeks while sitting on IR. Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Treylon Burks, and Kyle Philips currently make up the Titans’ WR room, so there’s a chance one of the four wide receivers who were waived today (Dez Fitzpatrick, Cody Hollister, Mason Kinsey, Reggie Roberson) will end up back with the team.

Logan Woodside could also land back on the Titans practice squad after the team opted to keep only two QBs on their active roster (Ryan Tannehill, rookie Malik Willis). Woodside has seen time in 11 games for Tennessee over the past two years, completing one of his three pass attempts (he did break out a sweet 18-yard run, though).

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