2024 August - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Broncos, RB Samaje Perine To Part Ways; Team Engaged In Trade Talks

August 26th, 2024 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Samaje Perine will not return to the Broncos. The team added multiple backs this offseason, and its primary passing-down option from 2023 is no longer part of the plan.

While it may come down to Denver releasing Perine, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the team is engaged in talks around a trade. It looks like the Broncos will try to collect an asset for the veteran back, who made notable contributions as an outlet option behind Javonte Williams last season.

Denver gave Perine a two-year, $7.5MM deal in 2023, and the former Bengals backup played behind Williams while operating as a key Russell Wilson target. But the team drafted Audric Estime in Round 5 this year. UDFA Blake Watson also drew attention this summer. Estime, Williams and 2023 UDFA standout Jaleel McLaughlin are almost definitely Denver’s top three backs, with Watson a potential practice squad option. With Sean Payton indicating the team is keeping its three quarterbacks, at least one extra cut is coming somewhere.

The Bengals have come up as a rumored trade suitor at multiple junctures this year. The team moved on from Joe Mixon, whom Perine backed up for three-plus seasons, and has Chase Brown and UFA addition Zack Moss atop its depth chart. Perine would stand to fall back in as a passing-down option, if Cincinnati is indeed interested in reacquiring him.

Perine will turn 29 next month, but his lighter career workload (605 touches) has kept him a viable option. He should land somewhere soon. The former Washington draftee totaled a career-high 455 receiving yards last season, which featured some key late-game work as a low-wattage Broncos offense strung together multiple game-winning drives during a five-game win streak. But Perine entered camp competing for a job. Williams fared better this summer and is locked into a gig in his contract year.

The Broncos have until 3pm CT Tuesday to move Perine, who is a vested veteran and would bypass the waiver process. The Bengals could opt to wait on that rather than part with an asset, but it would depend on if any other suitors are out there.

Lions To Release WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

August 26th, 2024 at 3:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh Reynolds‘ free agency exit created some questions about the Lions’ No. 3 wide receiver spot, with Jameson Williams expected to play a bigger role this season. Donovan Peoples-Jones loomed as a contender, but he will fall well short of winning the gig.

The Lions, who traded for Peoples-Jones last year, are planning to release him, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz tweets. Peoples-Jones had loomed on Detroit’s roster bubble, per the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett, and he will pass straight to free agency as a vested veteran.

Detroit re-signed Peoples-Jones this offseason (one year, $1.3MM) but only guaranteed the former Cleveland sixth-rounder $125K. The latter figure will turn into a small dead money hit for the Lions, who were unable to coax much from the Michigan alum. In eight games last season, Peoples-Jones caught only five passes for 58 yards.

A Detroit native, Peoples-Jones became a solid option for a multiyear period in Cleveland. After a 597-yard 2021 season, he played well during the 2022 slate by racking up 839 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. The Browns added Elijah Moore via trade in 2023, and Peoples-Jones’ production declined. He only caught eight passes during his Browns contract year, and Cleveland moved on by collecting a 2025 sixth-round pick at the deadline.

While the Browns’ receiving corps changed from its Odell Beckham Jr.–Jarvis Landry makeup to an Amari Cooper-fronted group during Peoples-Jones’ tenure, the Lions are not making many changes this offseason. Amon-Ra St. Brown signed a monster extension, and the team is ready to see if Williams can finally take a step forward as a No. 2 option. The team has veteran Kalif Raymond as a lead WR3 candidate, though Dan Campbell said early in camp the Lions were in need of someone to step up as the clear-cut WR3.

Raymond appears the best bet to fill that role, Birkett adds, but the Lions have some questions beyond that. While Peoples-Jones would be eligible to return as a practice squad option, no indications have emerged that will be in play for the Lions.

Rams Have Communicated With Teams Over Ernest Jones Trade

August 26th, 2024 at 2:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

It was learned on Sunday that Rams linebacker Ernest Jones‘ camp has been given permission to find a trade partner. The pending free agent did not ask to be moved, something head coach Sean McVay expanded on further when speaking to the media on Monday.

“We never said that he requested a trade. We’ve had communication with his representation and I’m going to leave that in house for now,” McVay confirmed (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith). “We’re just working through some different things and we’re just going to take it a day at a time… We had communication with his representation, there’s been some dialogue with teams, and that’s where it’s at.”

Teams regularly allow the agents of extension-eligible players to explore the market when negotiations stall out. Jones is a key component of the Rams’ defense, though, so McVay’s admission that trade talks with outside teams have already taken place is noteworthy. One year remains on the 24-year-old’s rookie contract, and any interested parties would likely have an extension worked out upon acquiring him.

Jones – whom The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue notes was absent from Monday’s practice (subscription required) – has upped his market value considerably given his play over the course of his three seasons in the league. The former third-rounder has taken on an increased workload each year, operating as a full-time starter and team captain in 2023. Jones racked up 145 tackles and 4.5 sacks last season, making him a logical extension candidate.

General manager Les Snead made it clear in March, however, that no long-term deal would be worked out during the 2024 offseason. Rodrigue’s latest update on the matter states rather definitively that Jones will be play out the final year of his deal if he is to remain in Los Angeles for at least one more year. A trade taking place between now and Week 1 would, of course, change that financial outlook.

As Rodrigue adds, undrafted rookie Omar Speights has impressed this offseason, and Snead confirmed he will make Los Angeles’ opening roster. The emergence of at least a depth LB contributor could make Jones easier to move from the Rams’ perspective, but the market he generates on a trade and/or an accompanying extension will remain worth watching closely.

Broncos To Waive P Trenton Gill

August 26th, 2024 at 2:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trenton Gill impressed in the Broncos’ punter-friendly confines, but he did not do enough to win the team’s punting competition. Riley Dixon has prevailed, which will lead to a roster move.

Denver is waiving Gill, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. The Broncos become the second team this year to cut Gill. The Bears did so after drafting Tory Taylor in the fourth round.

The Bears’ punter from 2022-23, Gill fared well during the preseason. He led the NFL with a 53.6-yard preseason average, but the Broncos will hold onto Dixon’s two-year contract. Dixon did not have any guarantees remaining on his deal; it would have cost the Broncos only $300K to release the more experienced option.

Dixon, who turned 31 on Saturday, was part of the Broncos’ 2016 draft class but was eventually traded to the Giants to clear a spot for Marquette King. The King deal did not lead to a long-term partnership, and the Broncos could not settle on a punter in the years that followed. Dixon punted for the Giants for four years and then served as the Rams’ punter in 2022, eventually coming back to Denver during Sean Payton‘s first season at the helm.

Gill averaged more than 46 yards per punt in each of his two Bears seasons; Dixon came in at 46.3 last season. Gill placed 26.3% of his punts inside the 20-yard line last year, while Dixon’s inside-the-20 number checked in at 34.2%. Gill is not yet a vested veteran, so a team considering a punter move could look to the former Chicago seventh-round pick via waivers.

Vikings To Place G Dalton Risner On IR

August 26th, 2024 at 2:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings will be shorthanded along the offensive line to begin the season. Veteran guard Dalton Risner is set to land on injured reserve, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

As a result of the move, Risner will be unavailable for the first four weeks of the campaign. The 29-year-old made 15 appearances in 2023, his first in Minnesota. That stretch included 11 starts, so being without him for a notable stretch will deal a blow to the team’s O-line.

Risner had a lengthy free agent spell last offseason, landing a one-year pact from the Vikings. He had been angling for a long-term commitment again this spring, but his first-team role did not generate as large of a market as he expected. In the end, the Kansas State product inked a one-year, $2.41MM contract to again compete for a starting gig with the Vikings.

Blake Brandel was the other top option in the training camp competition for the left guard role. Today’s news means he will take on first-team duties at least until Risner returns to full health. The time at which that takes place will be key for the former Broncos draftee, since playing time incentives are present in his contract. His 2025 market value will take a hit in the wake of his absence, but for now attention will be placed on a return to the field.

Center Garrett Bradbury and right tackle Brian O’Neill remain in place as full-time starters up front for Minnesota, and left tackle Christian Darrisaw landed a big-ticket extension this offseason. That trio is set to be joined by Ed Ingram at right guard in 2024, having served as a first-team option during each of his first two seasons in the league. The left guard spot could see competition once Risner is back in the fold, but that will not take place until at least Week 5.

Seahawks’ Uchenna Nwosu Out Multiple Weeks, Becomes IR Candidate

August 26th, 2024 at 2:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

An Uchenna Nwosu injury last season wounded the Seahawks’ edge rush. It looks like Mike Macdonald will need to adjust early in his tenure, with the team’s highest-paid edge defender set to miss time once again.

Nwosu suffered a knee injury in Seattle’s preseason finale, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates he is expected to miss multiple weeks. Nwosu is an IR candidate, Rapoport adds. He would miss at least four games if placed on IR, though the Seahawks do have more flexibility here than they would have enjoyed a season ago.

The 2022 free agency addition went down on a Wyatt Teller cut block against the Browns. Nwosu suffered an MCL sprain, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who indicates he faces a two- to six-week recovery timetable. This would make an IR stint sensible. This is a bad break for Nwosu, who missed the second half of last season with a pectoral injury. Impressing during camp in Macdonald’s scheme, Nwosu may now face a best-case scenario of returning in Week 5.

Seattle could go week-to-week with its $15MM-per-year pass rusher. That would take up a roster spot and force the team to declare the seventh-year veteran out until he is ready to go. That would not be the biggest inconvenience, especially if Nwosu is deemed in range to return in September, but the NFL gave teams more flexibility this offseason. A rule tweak will allow teams to place up to two players on IR before setting their 53-man rosters Tuesday. If Nwosu is moved to IR before the 3pm CT deadline, he will immediately count toward the team’s eight-activation limit.

This development stands to prevent the Seahawks from pairing their top edge rusher with a D-line that includes Leonard Williams, Dre’Mont Jones and first-round pick Byron Murphy. Nwosu did not have a chance to play with Williams last year, as the high-priced D-lineman was acquired days after he went down. The Seahawks still have promising third-year cog Boye Mafe, 2023 second-rounder Derick Hall and the recently acquired Trevis Gipson. The team, which had traded Darrell Taylor shortly before Nwosu’s injury, added Gipson in the wake of the setback.

Justin Fields Has ‘Real Support’ In Steelers Building

August 26th, 2024 at 2:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Breaking from the norm, two quarterback situations remain unsettled following the preseason schedule. The Patriots are considering moving Drake Maye into their lineup early, while the Steelers are determining if Justin Fields has passed Russell Wilson. It certainly appears the younger Pittsburgh passer has made this a difficult decision.

The Steelers are taking more time before announcing their starter, with Mike Tomlin going so far as to say this week of practice will play a potentially deciding role in who lands the job. Wilson’s rocky Broncos tenure made the team’s proclamations about him being the clear frontrunner a bit odd, and Fields indeed has closed the gap.

Wilson is still viewed as the more likely Week 1 starter, but Fields lurks — to the point it would be easy to see the younger passer usurping the veteran early in the season. The 2021 first-round pick has real support in the building, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. The Steelers acquired Fields for just a conditional sixth-round pick — a return much lower than initially expected — and while they are not planning to negotiate with either quarterback until season’s end, rumors about the team circling back about a post-2024 future with the 25-year-old arm surfaced this offseason.

Of course, immediate reports out of Pittsburgh both said Fields would not seriously challenge Wilson and that the team was interested in a post-2024 partnership with the former Super Bowl winner as well. Wilson has since missed time with a calf injury. The 13th-year veteran is full-go now, but he has not created enough distance from Fields to be considered safe just yet. This trajectory would stand to give Wilson a short leash should he end up winning the job.

Viewing Fields as having lost confidence from his inconsistent Bears tenure, the Steelers changed his footwork this offseason. The Arthur Smith-led effort shifted Fields to the dropback mechanics he used at Ohio State, Breer adds. In the preseason, Fields went 19-for-27 for 199 yards. Playing in two preseason games, Wilson was 10 of 12 for 73 yards. Both struggled to move the offense in Pittsburgh’s second preseason game, but Wilson led a TD drive in the team’s finale. Fields did not lead any scoring drives against Detroit this past weekend.

If Wilson holds off Fields, this will still be a situation to monitor and represent new territory for the potential Hall of Famer. Despite Wilson’s inconsistency in Denver, he was never in any real danger of being benched for performance reasons. He certainly will be this year, and Fields holds a decent chance of winning the job from the start. This would put the former Seahawks star’s career at a crossroads, whereas Fields seems to have upped his stock with the organization in recent weeks.

Patriots HC Jerod Mayo: Drake Maye Has ‘Outplayed’ Jacoby Brissett

August 26th, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots concluded the 2024 preseason on Sunday night, with both Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye seeing time under center. As a final decision on the team’s Week 1 starting quarterback is contemplated, the rookie’s performance this summer has made this a closer call than it seemed to be at the start of training camp.

“This is a true competition, and I would say at this current point, Drake has outplayed Jacoby,” head coach Jerod Mayo said during a Monday appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show (h/t ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “Now in saying that, we have to take in the full body of work, going all the way back to the spring and beginning of training camp… It starts in practice and also in the game, where Drake has played better.

“There are multiple factors that have to go into this decision. One is the total body of work, whether we’re talking about the spring or the entirety of training camp. And I would also say, oftentimes we forget about the overall experience that a guy like Jacoby has, which will also be weighted in the decision we have to make in the near future.”

Selected third overall April’s draft – after the Patriots turned down trade offers from the Giants and Vikings – Maye has long been known to be the team’s long-term plan at quarterback. The North Carolina product was one of the younger passers in his draft class, though, and his underwhelming play in 2023 led many to label him a candidate for a developmental rookie season. With Brissett in place on a one-year deal, redshirting Maye is certainly an option for Mayo and Co. Veteran reporter Josina Anderson notes the 31-year-old is viewed as the better option to begin the season by some in the Patriots’ organization.

To little surprise, Brissett entered training camp atop the depth chart. His summer performances have not impressed, however, and Mayo’s confirmation that Maye has outplayed him comes after the first-time head coach publicly left the door open to a change in the pecking order. With three preseason contests to evaluate (along with practice showings), the fact that Maye has made up ground adds further intrigue to this situation.

Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix have already earned the QB1 title for their respective teams. Maye could become the fourth rookie to see the field in Week 1, and a decision should be made in the coming days on whether he or Brissett will get the nod. A cautions approach would still not come as a surprise, but Mayo’s sentiment points to Maye having a strong chance to secure the starting gig right away.

Buccaneers To Release WR Sterling Shepard

August 26th, 2024 at 12:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sterling Shepard‘s reunion with Baker Mayfield is on hold. The Buccaneers are releasing the veteran wide receiver, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This is unlikely to be the end of the line for the injury-prone wide receiver, however.

As a vested veteran, Shepard will pass straight to free agency. The Bucs have an emergency role in mind for the longtime Giant, with Rapoport adding the team is holding a practice squad spot. Shepard, who played with Mayfield at Oklahoma, could join the team’s P-squad Wednesday.

Shepard, 31, signed with the Bucs in June, doing so after his 2023 Giants season featured few opportunities. The Giants brought Shepard back after another major injury — an Achilles tear sustained midway through the 2022 season — but used him as a backup. Even that overstates how much Shepard played in his eighth Giants season. Shepard logged just 142 offensive snaps in 15 games last season, catching 10 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.

Tampa Bay will run back its Mike Evans–Chris Godwin tandem for an eighth season, re-signing the perennial 1,000-yard receiver just before free agency. The team also returns 2023 draftee Trey Palmer and used a third-round pick on Washington’s Jalen McMillan. Shepard will join Rakim Jarrett in being left off the 53-man roster; the second-year receiver is expected to be placed on IR to open the year.

Formerly an Odell Beckham Jr. sidekick in New York, Shepard received an extension and logged several more seasons after the team traded the once-dynamic wideout. Shepard has not topped 700 receiving yards in a season since 2018, though he did reach 656 in 2020. The veteran slot player teamed with Mayfield in 2015 at Oklahoma and was in communication with his former college quarterback this offseason, leading to this Bucs agreement.

Shepard will soon be tied to a lower-cost deal with Tampa Bay, should he want to accept a deal to join a P-squad. This would be a first for the former second-round pick, but given his injury history (35 missed games since 2019), a Tampa taxi squad stay might be his only option to remain in the NFL.

Titans LB Chance Campbell Suffers Torn ACL

August 26th, 2024 at 12:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chance Campbell had his preseason end prematurely on Sunday, and he will now be sidelined for the campaign as well. The third-year linebacker suffered an ACL tear, head coach Brian Callahan said on Monday.

Campbell was drafted in the sixth round in 2022, but his first regular season action came last season. He made four appearances in 2023, playing only five defensive snaps. Most of his usage came on special teams, and his injury will deal a blow to Tennessee’s third phase units.

The 24-year-old was in the mix for a roster spot with the Titans, a team which lost Azeez Al-Shaair in free agency. That departure was followed by the signing of Kenneth Murray, who will be counted on to occupy a starting role with his new team. Tennessee also has Luke Gifford, Jack Gibbens, JoJo Domann along with rookies Cedric Gray and James Williams in the fold at the LB spot.

Campbell has one year remaining on his rookie contract, and his limited usage to date would make it no surprise if he were to find himself as a free agent either after being released in the near future or being let go next offseason. His market value would not be high in any case, but for the time being his attention will turn to rehab. With nearly $23MM in cap space, the Titans certainly have the room needed to make a linebacker addition if one is deemed necessary.

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