HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Latest On Texans C Justin Britt

September 17th, 2022 at 11:07am CST by Ben Levine

Justin Britt will miss Sunday’s game due to personal reasons. The Texans center will be away from the team through the weekend, according to Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com. Britt was absent from practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

The veteran offensive lineman is “working through personal issues related to football as he contemplates his options,” per Wilson. Coach Lovie Smith refused to elaborate on the absence, but Wilson notes that Britt previously expressed disappointment in his own performance during Week 1. He got into 100 percent of his team’s snaps against the Colts, committing one false start penalty. He finished Week 1 with PFF’s second-lowest grade among centers, although he did score positively for his pass-blocking. At 31 years old and with more than 100 career games (including playoffs) under his belt, it’s not too hard to read between the lines of this report and infer that Britt may be contemplating his playing future.

After spending the first six seasons of his career with the Seahawks, Britt joined the Texans last offseason. He started each of his 11 games during his first season in Houston, missing a handful of contests thanks to a knee injury.

With Britt out of the lineup, Scott Quessenberry will step into the starting lineup against the Broncos. The team also has Jimmy Morrissey on the practice squad, and guard Justin McCray has past experience playing center.

“It’s just the next-man-up mentality,” Quessenberry said (per Wilson). “Always prepare like you’re the starter and like you’re going to play every snap of the game. Be ready for the unexpected. Just going to go out there and play hard-nosed football and try to finish every play and play hard and play to the whistle and give everything I’ve got for the four other guys out there. It feels good. I’ve played in this league before and this won’t be the last time I play in this league.”

This Date In Transactions History: Browns Trade WR Josh Gordon To Patriots

September 17th, 2022 at 9:38am CST by Ben Levine

On this date in 2018, the Josh Gordon saga ended in Cleveland. Following six-plus years of controversy, the Browns shipped the embattled wideout to the Patriots for a fifth-round pick.

A second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft, Gordon quickly made a name for himself in Cleveland. Following a productive rookie campaign, the receiver exploded in 2013. Despite missing the first two games for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, Gordon finished the year with 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns, earning him first-team All-Pro honors.

Gordon was slapped with another suspension prior to the 2014 campaign, but the ban was reduced to 10 games and the receiver proceeded to average about 61 yards per game in his five appearances. The NFL laid down the hammer the following offseason, suspending Gordon for the entire 2015 campaign. He was set to return after sitting out the first four games of the 2016 campaign, but he ended up stepping away from the NFL for the entire season.

He was finally reinstated late during the 2017 campaign, and after spending two years away from the game, Gordon finished with 335 receiving yards in five contests. There was hope that he’d emerge as a main piece in Cleveland’s offense for the 2018 campaign, but he quickly found himself in the dog house. While the organization publicly stated they were frustrated with Gordon’s hamstring injury, some in the Browns’ organization reportedly believed Gordon slipped in his recovery program, and it was his rampant off-field issues that finally prompted the Browns to cut the cord.

The Browns later indicated that they were prepared to cut the wideout, but a trade market naturally developed. Cleveland preferred to send Gordon to the NFC, with Dallas, Washington, and San Francisco emerging as potential suitors. While the Browns were seeking a sixth-round pick, New England ponied by a fifth rounder and acquired the receiver on September 17, 2018.

It was a low-risk move for a Patriots team that had previously gambled on reclamation projects, and it was assumed the wideout would have the shortest of leashes with Bill Belichick in charge. From an on-field perspective, the Patriots were in desperate need of receivers. With Julian Edelman sitting out the first four games due to a suspension, Tom Brady was eyeing Chris Hogan and Phillip Dorsett as his top wideouts. Gordon immediately came in and produced, finishing with 40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns.

Gordon once again stepped away from the NFL towards the end of that season, with the NFL later revealing that he was facing an indefinite ban for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement. The Patriots proceeded to move on and win the Super Bowl without Gordon’s services.

The wideout returned for the 2019 season, and he started each of the Patriots first six games, collecting 20 receptions for 287 yards and one touchdown. A knee injury landed him on IR, and the Patriots ended up cutting bait with him in October. He later caught on with the Seahawks, but he hauled in only seven receptions in five games before getting hit with his fifth career suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Gordon sat out the entire 2020 campaign before reemerging with the Chiefs last year, where he got into 12 games. He signed with the Titans practice squad earlier this month.

There was hope that Gordon may be able to revive his career in New England. While the receiver showed that he could still be productive when he was on the field, he also continued to prove that he couldn’t be counted on from an off-field perspective. Four years later, the 31-year-old is currently fighting to keep his career alive.

49ers Extend P Mitch Wishnowsky

September 16th, 2022 at 8:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers may be facing long-term questions at the quarterback position, but a key member of their special teams unit will remain in the fold for the foreseeable future. The team announced on Friday that they have extended punter Mitch Wishnowsky on a four-year deal. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that the contract will pay him just under $3MM annually and has a maximum value of $13MM. 

A fourth-rounder in 2019, Wishnowsky has one year remaining on his rookie contract. This new pact will not only represent a sizable increase in compensation relative to his 2022 pay, it could make him the second highest-paid punter in the NFL if it reaches the $3.25MM-per-year mark, behind only Seattle’s Michael Dickson.

The 30-year-old Australian has yet to miss a game so far in his career, and has been consistent across his three seasons in the league. His busiest campaign came in 2020, when he punted 66 times for an average of 46.9 yards, his personal watermark in that regard to date. In addition to punting, Wishnowsky has also handled kickoff duties, doing so 219 times in the regular season.

The Utah alum will now be on the books through the 2026 season, giving San Francisco some long-term stability at one of their specialist positions. Both kicker Robbie Gould and long snapper Taybor Pepper are set to hit free agency at the end of the year; the former’s age (40) in particular could leave his future in doubt. The latter, meanwhile, has just begun his third season in the Bay Area after making appearances with the Packers and Dolphins previously.

In what should be far better conditions than he had to face during the 49ers’ Week 1 loss in Chicago, Wishnowsky will look to help get his team back on track when they host the Seahawks on Sunday knowing that his long-term future is secure.

Lions C Frank Ragnow Sidelined For Week 2

September 16th, 2022 at 7:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions’ highly-regarded offensive line has taken another notable hit. Starting center Frank Ragnow will miss the team’s second game of the season, as noted by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. 

[RELATED: Lions G Vaitai Undergoes Back Surgery]

Groin and, more notably, toe injuries are the cause for the Pro Bowler’s absence. Birkett notes that Ragnow played through the ailments last week against the Eagles, but that the toe issue is on the same foot which caused him to undergo season-ending surgery last year.

That injury limited him to just four games in 2021, the first season after signing a then-historic extension which briefly made him the NFL’s highest-paid center. The former first-rounder has been a full-time starter since his rookie season, and played a key role in the Lions’ offensive line emerging as one of the best in the NFL. Any extended absence would deal a significant blow to the unit, which is already shorthanded.

The Lions have been without fellow starter Halapoulivaati Vaitai since the start of the year, so they will have only three-fifths of their best projected o-line against the Commanders. Just as he did after Ragnow’s injury last season, Evan Brown will step in at center. His play in 2021 – one sack allowed en route to an overall PFF grade of 66.8 – fell well short of Ragnow’s caliber of play, but, if repeated, could at least provide stability at the position.

Between the injuries up front, and the potential for top running back D’Andre Swift to sit out (or least play a more limited role) due to an ankle issue, head coach Dan Campbell admitted that the team’s offensive approach will need to be altered.

“[The injuries change] what we do a little bit, just the style that we need to play,” he said. “You just, we’ll have to shift the burden a little bit other places or the load to other places on our team, which is OK. That’s what we got to do. That’s what we’re charged with.”

Whether with a run-heavy approach or a more pass-oriented attack utilizing the team’s upgraded pass-catching corps, the Lions will look to move to 1-1 on Sunday, with the hopes that Ragnow will be sidelined for far less time than he was last year.

Broncos WR KJ Hamler Out For Week 2

September 16th, 2022 at 6:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

After the position was seen as a strength entering the season, the Broncos’ situation at wide receiver is being tested early in the campaign. KJ Hamler will miss Denver’s Week 2 game against the Texans, reports NFL Network’s James Palmer (Twitter link). 

The 23-year-old will sit out as he continues to deal with lingering pain stemming from the knee and hip surgeries he underwent last year. As Palmer notes, “it took a lot” just for Hamler to be available for the Broncos’ regular season opener in Seattle. He played 40 snaps in that contest, his first action since Week 3 of the 2021 campaign.

“Part of the maintenance,” head coach Nathaniel Hackett said, via 9News’ Mike Klis, when asked about Hamler missing the entire week of practice. “We want to make sure we get him to [play] as many games as we possibly can.”

A second-rounder in 2020, Hamler has been limited to just 17 games so far in his NFL career. His receptions (35) and yardage (455) totals fall short of what he and the team would have expected given his college production, though his yards-per-catch average of 13.0 demonstrates the vertical speed he was drafted to provide. Expectations are high in 2022, just as they are for the rest of Denver’s skill-position corps, given the presence of Russell Wilson at quarterback.

With Hamler’s availability set to fluctuate from one game to the next, the loss of fellow wideout Tim Patrick to an ACL tear leaves Denver much thinner at the position than they were entering training camp. Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy will likely see an increase in targets, but Tyrie Cleveland along with rookies Montrell Washington and Jerry Virgil are among the options to step into a starting slot role. The inexperienced trio will likely be in and out of the rotation as the team continues managing Hamler’s situation.

“It’s such a unique deal what happened to him,” Hackett added. “He’s been doing some great things, been getting some great reps, did good last game. We just want to be sure we got him for the whole season.”

Justin Herbert Avoids Serious Injury

September 16th, 2022 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

After laboring through the final minutes of the Chargers’ Thursday game, Justin Herbert underwent a series of tests. The scans did not reveal an injury that will force the star quarterback to miss much time, if any at all.

Brandon Staley said Herbert sustained a rib cartilage fracture and called his starting QB “day-to-day.” Herbert should have a decent chance of playing in the Bolts’ Week 3 game, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

While Staley noted (via Bridget Condon of NFL.com, on Twitter) this is a better outcome than a rib fracture, a fracture of any kind should not exactly be dismissed as a non-issue for the third-year passer. Herbert at one point passed on running for an easy first down as he winced in pain near the end of the Chargers’ Kansas City tilt. Of course, he then threw a strike to DeAndre Carter to set up the Chargers near the Chiefs’ goal line.

A series of rib fractures shut down Drew Brees for a stretch in 2020, but the then-Saints quarterback also suffered a collapsed lung. That set of injuries caused Brees to miss five games that season. Herbert does have a longer stretch to ramp up for Week 3 — a Chargers-Jaguars matchup — but Thursday’s visuals were obviously concerning.

This is certainly a pivotal year for the Chargers, who have missed the playoffs in two of the three seasons in which Herbert must be attached to a rookie contract. The Bolts aggressively upgraded their roster this offseason, adding the likes of Khalil Mack, J.C. Jackson, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Kyle Van Noy and Bryce Callahan on defense. Herbert remains the centerpiece of Tom Telesco‘s plan. The former No. 6 overall pick becomes extension-eligible in 2023, though he can be kept on his rookie deal through 2024 via the fifth-year option. Most teams have opted for pre-Year 4 extensions with star quarterbacks, so this season could be Herbert’s last on that rookie deal.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Golden, 49ers

September 16th, 2022 at 3:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

While much of the Seahawks–Russell Wilson drama should be expected to recede in the coming weeks, now that the Broncos’ Seattle date has come and gone, the decorated quarterback and his former team will still be connected in the years to come. One of the recent discussion points involving Wilson centered around previous times the Seahawks explored trading him. Wilson confirmed recently he knew about multiple trade talks the Seahawks engaged in during his 10-year run.

“Definitely they tried to, a couple different times, to try and see what was out there,’’ Wilson said of Seattle trade talks (via 9News’ Mike Klis). “It’s part of the business and it’s part of being a professional and everything else. ‘Upset’ is probably the wrong word. I believe in my talent and who I am.”

Wilson, who threw for 340 yards and a touchdown in a Seattle return that became overshadowed by Nathaniel Hackett‘s strange final-minute field goal strategy, was asked specifically about Seahawks-Browns talks in 2018. The Seahawks were linked to attempting to trade their perennial Pro Bowl QB to the Browns for the No. 1 overall pick. A 2020 report indicated the Seahawks wanted both the Browns’ Nos. 1 and 4 picks in 2018 (which turned into Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward), but those conversations were more conceptual in nature. Nevertheless, the Seahawks’ trade discussions involving Wilson led to the no-trade clause in his 2019 extension. QB trades were less prevalent in 2018 compared to their frequency today; a Wilson move at that point would have been far more shocking than it was in 2022.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Rashaad Penny received the bulk of the carries for the Seahawks in their upset win over the Broncos, but the team’s rookie back will make his debut this week. Ken Walker will return after missing weeks due to a hernia surgery. Pete Carroll confirmed the second-round pick will be active against the 49ers, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta (on Twitter). Penny, a 2018 first-round pick who showed his best form at the end of last season, is signed to a one-year deal. Walker’s rookie contract runs through 2025.
  • The Cardinals gave Markus Golden a short extension, a one-year bump that runs through 2023. The veteran edge rusher’s deal maxes out at $6.5MM. A sack-based incentive package worth $2MM is included in that total. Golden can earn $250K for reaching six sacks and another $250K for totaling eight, Howard Balzer of SI.com tweets. If Golden registers 10 sacks, he will collect a $500K bonus. A 12-sack season would mean an additional $1MM. Golden, 31, should have a reasonable chance of acquiring some additional cash. He has three double-digit sack seasons as a pro, his most recent coming in 2021 (11). Of course, Arizona’s pass-rushing situation looks a bit different now, seeing that All-Pro Chandler Jones signed with the Raiders.
  • Elijah Mitchell‘s MCL sprain and IR trip will change the 49ers‘ backfield equation. After being inactive in Week 1, third-round rookie Tyrion Davis-Price will suit up against the Seahawks. Kyle Shanahan said the back end of his backfield committee, one that will be fronted by Jeff Wilson, will be a hot-hand situation between Davis-Price and rookie UDFA Jordan Mason. The latter’s special teams ability and Davis-Price’s early issues in pass protection led to him being inactive against the Bears, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News notes. Although Davis-Price has the highest draft pedigree of San Francisco’s current backs, the 49ers bailing on third-rounder Trey Sermon after one season shows Shanahan is unafraid to prioritize lower-level investments at this position.

Titans Add Takk McKinley To Practice Squad

September 16th, 2022 at 3:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dealt a tough blow with Harold Landry‘s injury, the Titans are adding a piece to their edge-rushing equation ahead of Week 2. Takkarist McKinley is joining Tennessee’s practice squad.

A former first-round pick, McKinley has been on the radar for a bit now. The Cardinals and Cowboys hosted McKinley on visits during training camp. McKinley, 26, is attempting to bounce back after a December Achilles tear ended his Browns campaign.

While McKinley’s stock has fallen since his early NFL days, he does bring a high draft pedigree (26th overall in 2017) and considerable experience (60 games, 27 starts). The former Falcons draftee has 20 career sacks, though 13 of those came between the 2017 and ’18 seasons.

Landry’s loss left the Titans without their top edge defender. Although the team has rising star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons anchoring its pass rush, Landry has been Tennessee’s top sack artist for years. Bud Dupree is now in place in that role, with supporting casters Rashad Weaver — a 2021 fourth-rounder — and Olasunkanmi Adeniyi rounding out the rotation. Adeniyi started alongside Dupree in Week 1, but Weaver accumulated two sacks in a rotational role.

Despite McKinley’s sack totals dropping in recent years, the UCLA product has continued to generate interest. The 2020 season showed that. After attempting to trade McKinley ahead of that year’s deadline, the Falcons waived him. Claims kept coming in for McKinley, who saw the Bengals, 49ers and Raiders take a look. After failing physicals with Cincinnati and San Francisco, McKinley did catch on in Las Vegas. However, a November groin injury ended his Raiders tenure without any game action.

The Browns signed him in 2021 and used him in 11 games. McKinley notched 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble with Cleveland, working mostly as a rotational player behind Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. To clear room on their 16-man practice squad, the Titans promoted defensive back Chris Jackson to their 53-man roster.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin Could Miss Weeks

September 16th, 2022 at 2:49pm CST by Ely Allen

SEPTEMBER 16: As expected, Godwin is out for the Bucs’ Week 2 game. Smith is doubtful to suit up against the Saints. Wells would start in Smith’s place if he is unable to go, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com notes.

SEPTEMBER 12: Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin‘s return from injury has hit another snag, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Godwin’s most recent injury is not considered to be major, but the 26-year-old is still expected to “be sidelined a few weeks.” 

Godwin’s 2021 season ended too early after he suffered a torn ACL and sprained MCL in a Week 15 loss to the Saints. He made an impressively quick recovery to return in time for the Buccaneers’ season opener, but his comeback season hit a bit of a hurdle in just the first half of play in 2022.

Godwin had to awkwardly contort his body to catch a low pass in the second quarter last night. When getting up off the sideline, Godwin came up with a limp. Luckily for Godwin, it appears the injury is not an extension of his knee issues from before. Unluckily for Godwin, the hamstring injury still may delay a full comeback for another week or so.

Tampa Bay planned for this possibility, signing Julio Jones to a one-year, $6MM deal and former Falcons wide receiver Russell Gage to a three-year, $30MM contract in the offseason. Adding those two alongside star receiver Mike Evans sets the Buccaneers up for success in the passing game, especially with holdovers Breshad Perriman, Scotty Miller, and Jaelon Darden lurking further down the depth chart.

The Buccaneers also saw left tackle Donovan Smith leave the game and not return to the field after injuring his arm. Smith reportedly suffered a hyperextended elbow on his right arm, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Head coach Todd Bowles told the media that the length of Smith’s absence “will be a pain tolerance issue.”

It appears that, until Smith can tolerate playing with the pain, the Buccaneers will have to add him to their growing list of injured lineman, joining Aaron Stinnie and Ryan Jensen. For any time he misses, Tampa Bay will rely on backups Josh Wells, Fred Johnson, and Brandon Walton.

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