2022 December - Pro Football Rumors

Month: December 2024

Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch Expected To Return This Season

December 24th, 2022 at 3:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys will be without a key defender for today’s crucial game against the Eagles, but their linebacking corps should be healthier in the near future. Leighton Vander Esch is inactive for Week 16, though his latest injury is not expected to be season-ending.

The veteran exited Dallas’ loss to Jacksonville last Sunday, leading to concerns about another potential neck injury. That issue cost him significant time in 2019, but the diagnosis is more encouraging this time around. Vander Esch is dealing with a shoulder stinger, and his neck is entirely unaffected (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).

As a result, the 26-year-old is not facing a season-ending absence as he has previously. That is a significant development for the Cowboys, given his importance to their defense. Vander Esch has seen his snap share rise to 79% in 2022, following two straight seasons of decline in that regard. He had played – and started – every contest this year prior to today’s absence. The former first-rounder has totaled a team-leading 90 tackles on the year, the second-highest mark of his career behind only his Pro Bowl rookie campaign.

His play against the run in particular earned Vander Esch interest in a new deal from the Cowboys this past offseason. Dallas had declined his fifth-year option, allowing him to hit free agency for the first time in his career. The Boise State product re-signed on a one-year, $2MM contract to remain with the team. He has proven to be worth that investment this season, serving as an effective role player on a Cowboys defense which ranks eighth in yards allowed and seventh in points against entering today’s action.

While defensive coordinator Dan Quinn stated (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, on Twitter) that Vander Esch will return at some point this season, it remains unclear when that time will come. A loss today would clinch the NFC East title for the Eagles, leaving the final two games of the season a matter of positioning amongst the conference’s other Wild Card teams for the Cowboys. Assuming he is healthy for the beginning of the postseason, at least, though, Vander Esch will once again have an important role to play in January.

Jags LT Cam Robinson Out For Season

December 24th, 2022 at 2:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 24: Removing doubt about Robinson’s availability later this season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that he will undergo surgery to repair the torn meniscus. As a result, he will go on IR and begin the three- to four-month recovery process. That timeline should allow him to be at full health in time for the beginning of the 2023 campaign.

DECEMBER 19: The Jaguars continued their push for a playoff spot during yesterday’s comeback win over the Cowboys, but their offensive line will be shorthanded moving forward. When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Doug Pederson said that left tackle Cam Robinson has a meniscus injury and will “probably” miss the remainder of the season (video link).

Robinson’s ACL is intact, Pederson added, after he was injured during yesterday’s game. Still, the news is substantial for Jacksonville, given his importance to their offensive front. Robinson had once again been a full-time starter on the blindside this season, as he has since being drafted by the Jaguars in 2017. Pederson praised his level of play this year, which has yielded a PFF grade of 67.2, the second-highest of his career.

The Alabama product has never been considered a top-tier left tackle, but the Jaguars placed the franchise tag on him for the second time this offseason. That would have locked him into a one-year salary of $16.6MM, but it became clear not long after that decision was made that a multi-year deal was in the works. In April, the 27-year-old signed a three-year, $54MM extension.

That move represented one of many made over the course of the spring aimed at upgrading the Jaguars’ offense, including big-ticket free agent deals handed out to guard Brandon Scherff and wideout Christian Kirk. They have helped the team rank 10th in both passing and rushing yards per game, and seventh in total offense. That, in turn, has allowed the Jaguars to win three of their last four games and, at 6-8, move to within one game of the Titans for the AFC South lead.

With Robinson sidelined for, presumably, the remainder of the regular season at a minimum, Walker Little is expected to take over at left tackle. The 2021 second-rounder has operated as a swing tackle this season, seeing only 51 offensive snaps to date. That would allow Jawaan Taylor to remain in place at right tackle, as the team tries to overcome Robinson’s loss in the closing stages of the campaign.

Jets To Move On From Zach Wilson This Offseason?

December 24th, 2022 at 1:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Week 16 marked the latest underwhelming performance by the Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, and it has invited further speculation that his days in New York are numbered. Reporting from earlier today points to a parting of ways in the near future.

According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, the Jets can be expected to move on from the former No. 2 overall pick this offseason (video link). That would represent a disastrous end to his tenure in the Big Apple given his draft stock, but not much of a surprise considering his struggles in 2022 in particular. Wilson made his second consecutive start on Thursday, a game in which he totaled 92 scoreless passing yards on 9-of-18 passing with an interception.

That performance led to Chris Streveler taking over under center for the remainder of the game. Glazer notes that Wilson’s confidence was shot before the contest, and it took a significant hit after what transpired in the Jets’ loss to the Jaguars. The game dropped New York to 7-8 on the season, and leaves them with a long road back into the postseason after an encouraging start to the campaign.

2022 began, of course, with veteran Joe Flacco operating as the starter for the first three weeks as Wilson recovered from knee surgery. The latter has not taken the Year 2 jump many were expecting after his promising college career at BYU and a number of moves the team made this past offseason which provided upgrades at the skill positions and along the offensive line. The unit has seen more success with Mike White at the helm, but his fractured ribs necessitated the return to Wilson – something head coach Robert Saleh had previously stated would take place at some point. Glazer adds that White will start next week if he is able to do so.

Wilson, 23, still has two years remaining on his rookie contract – with the potential of a fifth-year option being tacked on next spring. His scheduled cap hits for 2023 and 2024 are $9.5MM and $11.1MM, respectively. While that would make him a highly cost-effective starter for any potential acquiring team, the far more likely scenario would be a change of scenery resulting in time spent as a backup.

Should Wilson be traded away, New York would also need to begin yet another search for a long-term quarterback. 2018 first-rounder Sam Darnold was tapped for that role, but the deal sending him to Carolina opened the door for Wilson to be drafted. Another trade sending a high-profile signal-caller elsewhere would mark a significant blow to the prospects for a franchise which has otherwise shown signs of improvement this year.

Latest On Kliff Kingsbury’s Future With Cardinals

December 24th, 2022 at 12:36pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals are about to miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons under Kliff Kingsbury, leading to natural questions about the head coach’s future in Arizona. Multiple team sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Josh Weinfuss that they could see a path where owner Michael Bidwill will give his head coach another year at the helm, “due in part to injuries ravaging the roster and a personnel department in flux.”

On the flip side, Fowler and Weinfuss detail an increasingly ugly situation in the locker room, especially between Kingsbury and star quarterback Kyler Murray. While the QB was recently lost for the season with a torn ACL, the relationship between the duo had “grown increasingly distant” throughout the 2022 campaign, with Kingsbury described as “extremely frustrated” with his signal caller. In particular, the HC was wary of Murray’s “negativity” and his ability to influence others in the building.

The Murray-Kingsbury dynamic dates back a decade when the coach tried to recruit the QB out of high school. However, the two have gone periods this season without interaction, with one source saying the relationship seems “particularly bad this year.” As a result, passing game coordinator Cam Turner was forced to serve as a buffer between the two prior to Murray’s injury.

While sources say the relationship between Kingsbury and Bidwill hasn’t been without tension, the owner still may be willing to give his head coach the benefit of the doubt. Sources said Kingsbury hasn’t necessarily been given the resources to succeed, and the constant offensive injuries has left the head coach “miserable” since he can’t run his preferred system.

“He knows that it’s not a situation that lends itself to him being happy and successful and at his best for that organization, which he wants to be,” a source said. “They won’t let him. They won’t let him be great.”

A source told ESPN that Kingsbury wanted to fire offensive line coach/run game coordinator Sean Kugler long before he was dismissed for an incident in Mexico City. While the coach had already “lost opportunities to contribute to offensive planning,” it was believed that Bidwill didn’t want to fire Kugler and eat his contract, with Kingsbury supporters pointing to this anecdote as proof of the coach’s limited control in Arizona.

On the flip side, while the owner still meets with the head coach before and after games, the organization generally holds Kingsbury responsible for the W/L record. Ultimately, the Cardinals are 28-34-1 in Kingsbury’s three-plus seasons with the organization, with only a single playoff loss to show for their efforts. Kingsbury still has five years left on his contract, and the organization inked Murray to a $230MM extension prior to the 2022 campaign.

Jaguars Fear Achilles Tear For DL Dawuane Smoot

December 24th, 2022 at 11:30am CST by Sam Robinson

SATURDAY, 11:30am: Smoot has confirmed that he suffered a torn Achilles and is out for the season, per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco on Twitter.

“I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to finish the season on the field alongside my brothers as we fight for a postseason berth,” Smoot wrote on Instagram, “but I’m proud of the work we have done as a team to put ourselves in a position to play meaningful football at this point in the season. I plan to be there for my teammates and support them as we works towards finishing strong.”

FRIDAY, 10:30am: A Jaguars defensive line regular for the past six seasons, Dawuane Smoot may not have the chance to finish out what has become an intriguing year for the team.

The Jags fear the rotational pass rusher suffered a torn Achilles during their win over the Jets on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Smoot, 27, is months away from free agency.

The longest-tenured member of Jacksonville’s defense, Smoot has been with the team since being a 2017 third-round pick. With most of his contributions coming for struggling squads, the Illinois product has been one of the more under-the-radar D-line producers in recent years. This is the fourth consecutive season in which Smoot has totaled at least five sacks. He is sitting on five after 15 games; it does not appear that number will balloon further.

Breaking into the NFL as a reserve on the team’s “Sacksonville” defense that nearly keyed a Super Bowl berth in 2017, Smoot has mostly been a rotational defender. Despite playing for three defensive coordinators over the past three years, results have emerged. The 6-foot-3 edge defender has 22.5 sacks over the past four seasons. He totaled 33 quarterback hits from 2020-21. For a Jags team that has emerged as the favorite to win the AFC South, Smoot’s production is right in stride with recent years. He has 12 QB hits this season, including two in the team’s overtime win over the Cowboys.

Smoot signed a two-year, $10MM contract to stay with the Jags during Urban Meyer‘s brief run. This injury stands to affect his 2023 market, unfortunately. The Jags still have a fairly deep edge corps featuring Josh Allen, Travon Walker, Arden Key and K’Lavon Chaisson, but Pro Football Focus rates Smoot just outside the top 40 at the position. That grade places him just behind Allen and Key.

Thursday looks to mark the second straight game in which Jacksonville has lost a key lineman. The team is likely down left tackle Cam Robinson for the rest of the season.

Sean Payton, Vic Fangio Looking To “Join Forces In 2023”

December 24th, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Sean Payton is already preparing for a potential NFL return. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the former Saints head coach is starting to put together his potential staff, with Vic Fangio a strong possibility to be defensive coordinator.

Payton has been working as a television analyst since he stepped away from his Saints head coaching gig at the end of the 2021 campaign. Once the 2022 campaign ends, Payton is expected to attract interest from between five and seven organizations, sources told Schefter.

As Schefter notes, Fangio’s services are expected to be even more in demand that Payton’s, “[b]ut in an ideal world, Payton and Fangio would like to join forces in 2023, and provide a team with the offensive and defensive mindsets they would need to form a top coaching duo.” Fangio went 19-30 in three seasons as Denver’s head coach before getting canned at the end of the 2021 campaign. The 64-year-old previously served as defensive coordinator with the Bears, 49ers, Texans, Colts and Panthers, and he’s served as a defensive consultant in Philly this season.

Following the 2021 season, Payton announced that he’d be stepping down as New Orleans’ head coach. Payton ultimately logged 15 seasons with the Saints, going 152-89 and earning nine playoff appearances.

“I really enjoy the current job I have,” Payton said earlier this year. “But I think relative to coaching, though, I know that I want to coach again and it’s not really been a secret. But I wanna find the right spot. And as Tom alluded to, you know, it’s still about the people. Because when it’s all done and it’s quiet, I don’t think it’s the money or the crowd cheers or the trophies or any of that other stuff. I think it’s about the journey with the people that you really enjoy. . . . So we’ll kind of see what happens. But sooner than later though, in fairness to that question. I think that, you know, if not this year, hopefully next year.”

Of course, as Schefter points out, any team that’s interested in Payton would have to pay up for his services. This sentiment doesn’t only apply to a future contract; rather, a suitor would have to send compensation to New Orleans since Payton still has two years remaining on his Saints contract. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football polled several former and current GMs to get an understanding of potential compensation. Many executives believes New Orleans would be able to get a first-round pick for the coach, but they doubt the Saints will be able to get the same haul the Raiders got for Jon Gruden back in the day (two firsts, two seconds). Either way, suitors will have to reach out to the Saints before they reach out to Payton, meaning there’s a good chance GM Mickey Loomis will require an agreement on compensation before granting an interview.

Latest On Titans QB Ryan Tannehill

December 24th, 2022 at 9:03am CST by Ben Levine

Ryan Tannehill‘s season may not be over after all. The Titans quarterback underwent surgery on his ankle this week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. While the QB is a “long shot” to play again this year, the veteran is doing everything in his power to return to the field. However, a league source told Schefter that Tannehill isn’t expected to appear again during the regular season (Twitter link).

Tannehill suffered a right ankle injury during last weekend’s loss to the Chargers. While the veteran QB only missed one series, he dealt with significant pain after returning to the game. Tannehill suffered an injury to the same ankle earlier this season, forcing him to miss a pair of games.

The QB has already been ruled out for this weekend, with third-round rookie Malik Willis taking over under center. Considering the severity of Tannehill’s injury, it was assumed the young QB would remain the signal-caller for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs (assuming Tennessee makes it that far). However, today’s report hints that the veteran will try to return at some point over the next three weeks or for the first round of the postseason. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport writes that Tannehill is specifically eyeing a return for a potentially crucial Week 18 showdown against the Jaguars.

“We are never going to question his toughness or his willingness to get back and help us win,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said last weekend (via Schefter).

Rapoport provides more details on Tannehill’s recent surgery, noting that the QB underwent a tightrope surgical procedure on his injured ankle. The recovery time for the procedure can vary, but Rapoport says the best-case scenario has a player returning in about three weeks. As the reporter notes, it’s a bit telling that Tannehill has gone under the knife but hasn’t been placed on IR, an indication that the organization is hoping he’ll be back at some point within the next four weeks.

The Titans would surely prefer their veteran QB under center against the Cowboys and Jaguars, but it’s not like he was doing a whole lot to help their playoff chances. While Tennessee currently sits atop the AFC South, they’ve dropped four straight, with Tannehill throwing three touchdowns vs. two interceptions over that stretch.

Browns To Extend RT Jack Conklin

December 23rd, 2022 at 11:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

This is turning into quite the morning for high-profile offensive line moves. Barely an hour after the Packers locked down Elgton Jenkins, the Browns agreed to a deal that will keep Jack Conklin off the market.

The Browns and Conklin agreed on a four-year, $60MM extension Friday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Conklin’s deal includes $31MM fully guaranteed. Conklin, who arrived in Cleveland as a free agent in 2020, was set for free agency again in March. The Browns, as they have done at other O-line positions in the recent past, will prevent that from happening.

Like Jenkins, Conklin spent this offseason recovering from a major knee injury. The patella tendon tear Conklin suffered in November 2021 sidelined the former first-round pick until Week 3 of this season, but Cleveland’s right tackle has played in every game since that debut. After locking in guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, the Browns will keep another upper-echelon blocker.

Conklin only made his way to Cleveland after the Titans passed on his fifth-year option and a free agency accord. Tennessee drafted Conklin in the 2016 first round; he was the first player recently fired GM Jon Robinson chose. While Conklin earned All-Pro honors as a rookie, he suffered a torn ACL in 2018. The following May, the Titans did not pick up his option. After he played a major role in the first of Derrick Henry‘s two rushing titles (during the 2019 season), the Titans — who had both Henry and Ryan Tannehill as free agents in 2020 — let him hit the market. That ended up being the Browns’ gain, and Friday’s extension will set up Conklin for a long-term Ohio stay.

Armed with extensive cap space in 2020, the Browns used a chunk of it to land Conklin on a three-year, $42MM pact. The short-term deal allowed the Michigan State product a chance to hit the market again before turning 30. Finishing up his age-28 season, Conklin ended up using that three-year accord to his advantage and will become the rare player to sign three lucrative deals in his 20s.

Although this $15MM-per-year extension does not place Conklin among the top five wage-earners at his position, the $31MM fully guaranteed sits fourth among right-siders. For AAV, Conklin’s deal checks in sixth at the position. The 2023 O-line free agent market is now considerably worse, with Jenkins and Conklin off the board. Conklin had said recently he wanted to finish his career in Cleveland.

Coming off the severe injury, Conklin sits just inside Pro Football Focus’ top 40 at tackle. PFF gave him top-20 assessments from 2019-21, and it stands to reason Conklin will be in better form as more time passes from the patella tendon setback. PFF rates the Browns’ O-line eighth overall, though the team’s center issues have dinged the unit a bit. The team will not have to worry about right tackle for the foreseeable future.

The Browns were unable to stay in the thick of the playoff race during Deshaun Watson‘s suspension, and the highly paid quarterback has not shown much of his Texans form since returning from the 11-game ban (and 17-game paid absence last year). But Nick Chubb booked a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl this week. The star running back has rushed for 1,252 yards and matched his career high in touchdowns (12) already. The Browns cut center J.C. Tretter this year, leading to his retirement, but have prioritized extensions for their O-line finds. Bitonio and Teller are signed through 2025, and left tackle Jedrick Wills‘ rookie deal — based on how the Browns handle his fifth-year option — can run through 2024. Conklin is now signed through 2026.

Texans Activate S Grayland Arnold, Place WR Nico Collins On IR

December 23rd, 2022 at 9:28pm CST by Ely Allen

Today, the Texans used their final allowed activation from the injured lists to return backup safety Grayland Arnold to the active roster from injured reserve, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26. Making room on the active roster, Houston placed second-year wide receiver Nico Collins on IR.

Arnold originally signed as an undrafted free agent to Philadelphia in 2020, making his NFL debut as a rookie with the Eagles. After appearing in four games only playing on special teams, Arnold finally appeared on an NFL defense in Week 16 of his rookie season and followed it up with his first and only career start. The next year, Arnold failed to make the team’s final 53-man roster and was released from the practice squad days before the regular season. Arnold signed with the Texans shortly after, spending most of the season on the practice squad. Since joining Houston last season, Arnold has appeared in nine games, almost exclusively on special teams.

The loss of Collins should really hurt an already struggling Houston offense. In his sophomore season, Collins was building off of a strong rookie year. After catching 33 balls for 446 yards and a touchdown last season, Collins had just surpassed his rookie numbers, racking up 37 receptions for 481 yards and two touchdowns this season. He’s been Houston’s No. 2 wide receiver all season, with increased responsibility in the four games missed by the team’s leading receiver Brandin Cooks.

With some doubting that Cooks will return at all this year, the Texans could go the rest of the season without Cooks and Collins. With rookie second-round pick John Metchie already out for the year, this would leave the Texans with a receiving corps composed of Chris Moore, Phillip Dorsett, and Amari Rodgers for the final few games of the season. The team did add receiver Malik Turner to their practice squad today, perhaps in anticipation for the extended absences in their receivers room.

Ravens Waive LB Josh Bynes

December 23rd, 2022 at 8:14pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens have once again parted ways with veteran linebacker Josh Bynes, according to Field Yates of ESPN, releasing the 33-year-old today. The loss is not a significant one to the Ravens defense considering Bynes has been inactive since October.

Bynes was introduced to the NFL as an undrafted free agent in Baltimore back in 2011. In his second season with the team, Bynes was elevated to the active roster from the practice squad following an injury to Ray Lewis but remained a backup behind starters Dannell Ellerbe and Jameel McClain. An eventual injury to McClain would grant Bynes his first career starts near the end of the regular season. Bynes would go on to make the final tackle of the Ravens’ Super XLVII victory.

Bynes was named a season starter in the following year after Lewis’s retirement, but he would eventually lose the starting job to McClain and would be placed back on the practice squad following the drafting of C.J. Mosley in 2014. Bynes was signed off Baltimore’s practice squad by the Lions and would eventually become a starter in Detroit, as well, finishing second on the team in 2015 with 82 total tackles.

After his time with the Lions, a short stay in Arizona would be followed with a second stint in Baltimore. He would follow that with his best career season in Cincinnati in 2020, when he would finish third on the team with a career-high 99 total tackles. Bynes would spend the 2021 preseason in Carolina before getting cut in final roster decisions. Now a journeyman, Bynes would return to Baltimore for a third time, finally getting an opportunity as a full-time starter. After a strong 2021 season, the Ravens re-signed Bynes to one-year deal for this season. A quadriceps injury in a Week 7 win over the Browns would take him out of the lineup and keep him inactive for the next seven games.

Luckily for Baltimore, its in-season addition of linebacker Roquan Smith helped ease the team’s loss of Bynes. Having operated for so long without Bynes at this point, his dismissal from the roster shouldn’t require much of an adjustment. Starters Smith and Patrick Queen are still backed up by Malik Harrison and special teamers Kristian Welch and Del’Shawn Phillips.

In an additional couple of roster moves, the Ravens have promoted quarterback Anthony Brown and wide receiver Andy Isabella from the practice squad as standard gameday elevations against the Falcons tomorrow. With star passer Lamar Jackson inactive for tomorrow’s contest, Brown will be elevated to perform backup duties behind fill-in starter Tyler Huntley. Isabella is making his Ravens debut and should provide depth to a receiving corps that currently shows Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and Tylan Wallace all on injured reserve. Huntley will be passing to the likes of Demarcus Robinson, DeSean Jackson, newly re-acquired Sammy Watkins, James Proche, and Isabella.

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