HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Browns Activate C Ethan Pocic From IR

December 23rd, 2022 at 6:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Browns are getting their offensive line back to full health after activating starting center Ethan Pocic from injured reserve. Pocic will return back to play after sitting out the required four games before returning from IR.

Upon his rookie contract expiring, the Seahawks’ former starting center signed a one-year contract with the team that drafted him in the second round in the 2017 NFL Draft. After that fifth year in Seattle, Pocic signed a one-year deal joining the Browns. Pocic became the team’s starting center and started every game until a knee injury sidelined him only two plays into the Browns matchup with the Bills back in November.

With Pocic out for the rest of that game, the Browns called on backup center Hjalte Froholdt to finish the contest. Froholdt would be depended on to start the next four games with Pocic on IR, as well. Now that Pocic has returned to the active roster, Froholdt will go back to his role as the first interior lineman off the bench for Cleveland.

It’s a big piece for the Browns to be adding back to their offensive line. Pocic has made significant strides during his time in Cleveland. After five fairly average years in Seattle where, at his best, Pocic ranked 15th out of 39 graded centers in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Pocic is having a career year in Cleveland. Out of 39 graded centers this season, Pocic has graded out as the third-best in the league, combing his fourth-best 84.1 run blocking grade and his 17-ranked pass blocking grade. Pocic’s return will be a significant boost for quarterback Deshaun Watson, running back Nick Chubb, and the rest of the Browns offense.

To make room for Pocic on the active roster, the Browns have waived veteran reserve center Greg Mancz, who was signed to the roster when Pocic first got injured. Unrelated to the injury news, the Browns have also promoted linebacker Tae Davis as a standard gameday elevation for tomorrow’s matchup with the Saints. Davis will be playing in his third contest of the season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/22

December 23rd, 2022 at 5:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves heading into the NFL’s largest slate of Saturday games of the season:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

  • Promoted from practice squad: G Kyle Hinton

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Suspends Jets WRs Coach Miles Austin For Violating Gambling Policy

December 23rd, 2022 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Jets’ passing game wades through rough waters, the team will be without its wide receivers coach for a time. The NFL is suspending Miles Austin for violating its gambling policy, Adam Schefter and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweet.

Austin, who did not coach against the Jaguars last night, is not believed to have bet on NFL games. Instead, the former NFL wideout bet on other sports, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes, adding that such action is an NFL personnel violation (Twitter link).

This suspension will be for at least a year, per Schefter and Cimini (on Twitter). The NFL has come down hard on gambling policy violators. Calvin Ridley is currently serving a year-long suspension for betting on NFL games. That came nearly three years after defensive back Josh Shaw was hit with a year-long suspension for doing the same. It is not know how frequently Austin bet on other leagues’ games or how much he wagered, but the league — which has loosened its stance on gambling dollars in recent years — is again cracking down on this activity by its employees.

Austin’s attorney confirms gambling on non-NFL professional sports and table games occurred, indicating (via KPRC’s Aaron Wilson, on Twitter) his client made bets legally from a mobile device and that no betting on NFL games took place. The young coach has cooperated fully with the NFL’s investigation, per his lawyer. Austin is appealing the ban.

Austin, 38, has been with the Jets for two seasons. Austin played 10 NFL seasons, eight of which with the Cowboys. He is now the subject of a Festivus-afternoon news dump. The Jets hired Austin two years after he served as a 49ers quality control coach during Robert Saleh‘s San Francisco stay. The Jets have multiple highly drafted young receivers, in Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore. Unless Austin’s appeal is successful, the team will need to find a new mentor for its pass catchers, who have already played with four quarterbacks this season.

49ers Activate DT Javon Kinlaw From IR

December 23rd, 2022 at 3:37pm CST by Ben Levine

DECEMBER 23: Kinlaw is back on San Francisco’s active roster. The team has one IR activation remaining. It is expected to be used on running back Elijah Mitchell, who is out until January with his second MCL sprain of the season. San Francisco waived linebacker Curtis Robinson, one of its previous IR-return activations, to make room on its roster.

DECEMBER 22: The 49ers will soon be getting some reinforcement. Coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters (including Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury via Twitter) that he expects defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to be activated for Saturday’s game the Commanders. GM John Lynch also expressed optimism that Kinlaw will be able to return from his lingering knee issues.

“He’s practiced really well, and everything’s holding up really well,” Lynch told KNBR’s Markus Boucher and Marcus Thompson today (h/t to 49ersWebzone.com). “Now, we’ve got to all kind of put our heads together, the medical folks, our health and performance staff, the doctors, and then our coaching staff and front office, and just talk about the best plan for him.

“It’s something that we’re in constant conversation [about], but it’s also fluid. You have to constantly monitor and think, What’s the best thing for Javon? What’s the best thing for our team? I think that stands for this week as well. But I do know it was a really welcome sight to have him out there. I know he’s very encouraged about how he feels.”

A torn ACL limited Kinlaw to only four games in 2021, but he managed to return from the injury in time for the 2022 regular season. The defensive lineman started three games for San Francisco before suffering more knee issues, leading to his placement on injured reserve.

The 2020 first-round pick earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors after finishing with 33 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He’s been limited to only seven games over the past two years, collecting 10 tackles. The 49ers defensive line has lost Hassan Ridgeway and Kevin Givens to injuries recently, but the team will get some extra bulk with the return of Kinlaw and Arik Armstead.

Titans Place G Nate Davis On IR, Activate LB Zach Cunningham

December 23rd, 2022 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Already ruled out for Saturday’s pivotal AFC South matchup against the Texans, Nate Davis may now be done for the season. The Titans placed their starting right guard on IR on Friday.

This transaction will sideline Davis until the divisional round. Given the Titans’ recent performance and their latest injury news, it is a good bet Davis is done for the season. The Titans have placed three O-linemen — Davis, center Ben Jones, tackle Dillon Radunz — on IR this week. An ankle injury will shut down Davis.

[RELATED: Ryan Tannehill Likely Done For Season]

Tennessee did activate linebacker starter Zach Cunningham from IR, but the team will face Houston with numerous starters out of action. The Titans (7-7) are now just a half-game up on the Jaguars, who now control their own destiny in the division race.

One of Pro Football Focus’ top 20 guards this season, Davis is playing on an expiring contract. The fourth-year blocker will be Tennessee’s top 2023 free agent-to-be. Davis, 26, has been a key piece for the Titans since they drafted him in the 2019 third round. The Charlotte alum was a starter on both the Titan O-lines that helped Derrick Henry to rushing titles, and he stayed healthy for most of Tennessee’s injury-riddled run to the AFC’s No. 1 seed last season.

With Elgton Jenkins off the market, Davis’ price could rise. Next year’s guard market is not particularly deep, and with Jenkins having signed a four-year Packers extension, Davis will probably be the top prize. The Broncos’ Dalton Risner and Cowboys’ Connor McGovern will also generate extensive interest, but PFF has rated Davis as a top-25 guard in each of the past three seasons. As far back as the 2021 offseason, Davis has been rumored to be a coveted commodity on the market. His final two rookie-contract years have not changed that status.

The Titans’ exclusive negotiating rights with Davis run up until March’s legal tampering period. Because all O-linemen are grouped together under the franchise tag formula, guards are rarely tagged. It would cost the Titans roughly $18MM to cuff Davis with the tag. It is possible Davis has played his final down with Tennessee, as a new GM’s arrival will add a major wrinkle into the franchise’s upcoming offseason, but the team will surely place a high priority on Davis negotiations. While the Titans’ A.J. Brown trade came to define their 2022 offseason, the period did include a Harold Landry deal — after the franchise tag deadline had passed.

A 2021 waiver claim from the Texans, Cunningham has been out since Week 9 with an elbow injury. Cunningham coming back will help the Titans’ defense, but veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky points out (via Twitter) 19 players who dressed for the team in Week 1 will not be in uniform Saturday. This comes a season after the Titans used an NFL-record 91 players. The Titans have one IR activation remaining; they also promoted offensive lineman Xavier Newman from their practice squad.

Cowboys DE Sam Williams To Miss Week 16 After Car Accident

December 23rd, 2022 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cowboys second-round pick Sam Williams was involved in a car accident Thursday in Plano, Texas, according to WFAA’s Alex Cruz. As a result of injuries from the accident, the rookie defensive end will miss the Cowboys’ Week 16 game against the Eagles, the team announced.

Williams suffered a concussion and a neck strain in the accident, according to the Cowboys. His black Corvette collided with a vehicle that “didn’t appear to yield to oncoming traffic,” Cruz adds. The driver of the other vehicle, a 71-year-old man, is not believed to have suffered serious injuries, either.

Both drivers were hospitalized briefly, but Williams indicated (via Twitter) both he and the other driver are OK. Williams, 23, had the right of way, but police are investigating if the speed at which he was driving contributed to the accident. No alcohol or drugs are suspected to be a factor, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News notes.

The Cowboys added the Ole Miss alum to their injury report Friday; he remains on the team’s active roster. Playing as a rotational rusher, Williams has three sacks, eight tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits this season. He has also forced a fumble and recovered three more.

While the Cowboys use veterans DeMarcus Lawrence, Micah Parsons and Dorance Armstrong ahead of Williams, the young edge rusher has played a steady role this season. He has played between 16 and 24 defensive snaps in each of Dallas’ past six games. Pro Football Focus rates Williams 44th out of 123 qualified edge rushers this season.

Rob Gronkowski Discussed Second Unretirement With Buccaneers

December 23rd, 2022 at 1:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

When Rob Gronkowski retired for a second time, many suspected the June transaction would also lead to another temporary step away from football. The future Hall of Fame tight end made an effort to postpone his Canton timeline again recently.

Gronkowski, 33, contacted the Buccaneers about unretiring last month, and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports the team and the two-year Buccaneer engaged in several conversations about a potential return. The Bucs both gave Gronk an option of returning on the active roster or the practice squad, the latter in the increasingly popular ramp-up scenario, per Stroud.

While the 11-year veteran said he had been working out on his own and cited boredom with not playing football — a prediction that was not too difficult to make given his past — he will remain retired at this point. Gronk had said in July he was done, and a September report also indicated he was staying retired. Now? The door appears slightly ajar to another return.

“It was more of a conversation than anything else,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said, via Stroud. “Usually, when you have to think about playing, you probably don’t want to play. When it’s just a discussion, I didn’t think much of it at the time.”

The Bucs’ offense could certainly use all the help available. It has dropped from second in scoring in 2021 to 28th this year, falling from 30.1 points per game to 17.6. Tom Brady‘s QBR has plummeted outside the top 20, this coming after he led the league in touchdown passes and passing yards last season — en route to second-team All-Pro honors. Brady’s QBR figure is his worst in the 17-season QBR era, and his timing with wideouts — particularly Mike Evans — has been off.

Tampa Bay has not effectively replaced Gronkowski, who totaled 802 receiving yards — his most since 2017 — last season. Gronk’s first unretirement, which keyed a 2020 trade with the Patriots, played a significant role in the Bucs claiming their second Super Bowl title two years ago. Injury issues led to his 2019 exit, and the four-time All-Pro pass catcher did miss five games due to injuries — fractured ribs and a punctured lung — last season. The All-Decade performer remained one of the league’s best tight ends, however, and has proven impossible to replace.

Although longtime Bucs tight end Cameron Brate remains on the roster, a scary concussion scene paused his season. Brate has been limited to nine games. Rookie Cade Otton leads Bucs tight ends with 357 receiving yards. Brady’s QBR dipped during Gronk’s first retirement as well, and while Evans and Chris Godwin helped reinvigorate the all-time great, Brady’s longtime go-to weapon played a lead role in doing so as well.

News of Gronk’s unretirement attempt does come not long after he said Brady’s best place next season may be with him at FOX. Should Brady retire, he has a 10-year FOX agreement waiting for him. This latest Gronk-NFL connection, however, keeps the door on his own career. Gronk has said at points he only wishes to team up with Brady, though he was connected to the Bengals and Bills this offseason. With the 23rd-year veteran open to playing in 2023 and unlikely to re-sign with the Bucs if he does decide to stay in the NFL, Gronk — even ahead of what would be his age-34 season — could be an interesting variable in 2023’s free agent market.

Colts To Start Nick Foles In Week 16

December 23rd, 2022 at 12:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 23: Ryan will be demoted from starter to third-stringer, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder tweets, noting coaching staff meetings led to this two-spot depth chart drop. The bubble-wrap scenario in which Ryan is sidelined to protect against an injury that would affect the Colts’ 2023 cap sheet appears back in play, with The Athletic’s Zak Keefer adding Ryan is unlikely to play again this season (Twitter link). Saturday did not let this previously rumored plan come to pass in November, reinstating Ryan as the starter over Ehlinger, but it looks like the Colts — after four straight losses — will protect against a Ryan injury now.

DECEMBER 21: For a second straight year, Nick Foles will make his first start of the season in Week 16. A year after a Bears one-off, the former Super Bowl MVP will move into the Colts’ starting lineup.

Jeff Saturday announced Wednesday that Foles will take the reins in the team’s Monday-night matchup against the Chargers. This will be Foles’ first start since that December 2021 cameo against the Seahawks. Following Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger, Foles will be Indianapolis’ third starting QB this season, and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets the plan is for the 11th-year veteran to finish the campaign as Indy’s starter. This will be the sixth team for which Foles has started, following points with the Eagles, Rams, Chiefs, Jaguars and Bears.

The Colts acquired Foles, 33, this offseason, shortly after the Bears released him. Despite his status as the Super Bowl LII MVP who also helped the Eagles to the following year’s divisional round, Foles has not been able to establish himself as a starter in the years since. He lost his job to Gardner Minshew during the 2019 season, after signing a lucrative free agency deal with the Jaguars, and did not keep the Bears gig — which he commandeered from Mitch Trubisky early in the 2020 season — during the team’s push to the playoffs that season. After the Bears signed Andy Dalton and drafted Justin Fields, Foles drifted off the radar and spent most of last season as a QB3.

Frank Reich indicating he had wanted the Colts to acquire Foles for years, but the 6-foot-6 passer has largely gone through another off-radar slate. Foles worked as Ryan’s backup to start the season, but as Jim Irsay backed Ehlinger, the second-year arm replaced Foles as Ryan’s backup. When the Colts pulled the plug on Ryan earlier this year, Ehligner got the call. Reich was not believed to be on board with an Ehlinger start, having preferred to go with Foles in the event of a Ryan benching. With both Ryan and Ehlinger having struggled, Saturday will turn to Foles.

It is difficult to project Foles’ capabilities here. He signed a two-year, $6.2MM deal to rejoin Reich, his former offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. The Colts fired Reich last month and installed assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier as their new play-caller. Foles has not taken any first-team Colts reps since training camp and has made one start since Trubisky regained the Bears job in November 2020. Foles’ start last December did go fairly well. The Bears upset the Seahawks, and despite making a start for the first time in over a year and doing so for a downtrodden team in a snow game, Foles completed 24 of 35 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown.

This could be it for Ryan with the Colts. Saturday gave the 15th-year veteran his job back upon taking the interim HC position, and although the offseason trade acquisition led the Colts to a win over the Raiders, the team has lost four straight — including a historic defeat in Minnesota. Indianapolis blowing an NFL-record 33-point lead in an overtime loss could well be Ryan’s final NFL start. He is signed through 2023, but the Colts should not be expected to keep the former MVP for his age-38 season. Ryan is due a guaranteed $12MM in 2023 but could collect $7.2MM more if he is unable to pass a physical by Day 3 of the league year. It should be expected Ryan will be off Indy’s roster by that point.

Rams Expected To Shut Down Aaron Donald

December 23rd, 2022 at 12:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Never missing a game due to injury during his first eight NFL seasons, Aaron Donald is almost certain to miss six during this campaign. The Rams are likely to shut down the all-time great, who is battling a high ankle sprain.

Sean McVay ruled out Donald for the team’s Christmas Day game against the Broncos and said it is unlikely the seven-time All-Pro suits up again this season. Donald will join Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp among the high-profile Rams likely to be shelved for the rest of the season.

[RELATED: Stafford Does Not Intend To Retire]

Donald did make the Pro Bowl — er, the set of activities that now comprise that event — this week, making him 9-for-9 in such achievements. Only eight other players in NFL history — Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Franco Harris, Merlin Olsen, Mel Renfro, Barry Sanders, Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas and future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas — have accomplished that feat. But this will still end as a disappointing season for Donald, who has two years remaining on his landmark extension.

This will wrap Donald’s age-31 season with just five sacks — his career-low tally by four — and 11 QB hits, which is also a career-low total. The Rams bet a lot on Donald, Stafford and Kupp this offseason, signing them to three- (Donald, Kupp) or four-year (Stafford) extensions. While the early returns were not good, it can be safely assumed on the Donald front the team will receive a reasonably good return on its investment. The Pitt alum is the best defensive player of his era and, as evidenced by Super Bowl LVI, displayed the capability at 30 of taking over games on the highest of stages.

The Rams gave Donald a three-year, $95MM deal in June, doing so after he repeatedly mentioned retirement. While that was partially aimed at getting the Rams to pay him in line with his monstrous production, after a few edge rushers had surpassed his 2018 deal, the nine-year veteran did send the team a retirement letter this offseason. He is tied to a $26MM cap number next season. The Rams guaranteed Donald’s 2023 money, but his 2024 cash is nonguaranteed. The sides will be able to huddle up after next season, placing more emphasis on the likes of Stafford and Kupp turning in healthy seasons to capitalize on the back end of Donald’s prime.

Panthers Place CB Justin Layne On Reserve/Did Not Report List

December 23rd, 2022 at 10:24am CST by Sam Robinson

Justin Layne has been part of a few transactions this season. Despite never carving out a regular role as a starter, the former Steelers third-round pick has been claimed on waivers three times this year. A rarer transaction emerged following the third claim.

The Panthers picked up Layne on waivers this week, but Joe Person of The Athletic tweets the team placed the fourth-year cornerback on the reserve/did not report list Friday. Layne has been with the Steelers, Giants and Bears since training camp.

Pittsburgh waived Layne after three seasons, severing ties with the career backup and special-teamer on cutdown day in August. The Giants picked up his rookie contract and used him almost exclusively as a special-teamer in seven games. After Big Blue waived Layne in mid-November, the Bears claimed him. Layne, 24, suited up in two games with Chicago and played exclusively on special teams.

Carolina claimed Layne on Tuesday. Though his contract runs through season’s end, the Michigan State product did not show for Panthers work. He does not count toward the Panthers’ 53-man roster or their cap. Carolina’s roster sits at 51 as of Friday.

The Cleveland native has never started an NFL game but began his run as a regularly used special-teamer as a rookie. The 6-foot-2 role player saw action on at least 50% of the Steelers’ special teams plays in 2020 and ’21.

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