HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Lions DT D.J. Reader To Play In Week 2

September 13th, 2024 at 3:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

D.J. Reader is set to make his Lions debut during Week 2. Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed on Friday that the veteran defensive tackle will be available on Sunday.

[RELATED: Lions Begin Extension Talks With Alim McNeill]

Signs pointed in that direction recently, so it comes as no surprise Reader will make his Lions debut against the Buccaneers. The 30-year-old missed considerable time during training camp while rehabbing the torn quad which ended his 2023 campaign. Reader was activated from the reserve/PUP list in late August, though, removing the need for him to miss the first month of the season with a PUP designation during roster cuts.

Reader practiced on a limited basis last week, but it came as no surprise he and the team opted for a cautious approach. The former Texan and Bengal was a full participant this week, and he is therefore in line to handle a notable workload along the defensive interior. Reader is confident he has recovered in full after a lengthy rehab process.

“Feel really good about where I’m at,” he said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “Mentally, a lot tougher than I was just going through it. It’s just, it’s one of those injuries… It can really get you down and have you fighting that wall for a while… I’ve got a good group of people around me, good spirits and just been able to really work through.”

During his time in Cincinnati, Reader remained a full-time starter and served as an effective run stopper. He is expected to translate that early-down success to the Motor City while playing on a two-year contract. That pact carries a maximum value of $27.25MM, but only $7.4MM of that figure is fully guaranteed. Much of Reader’s future with the Lions beyond 2024 will thus depend on his ability to return to his previous form over the coming months as he aims to play a key role on one of the NFC’s presumed contenders.

Rams LG Steve Avila Undergoes MCL Surgery

September 13th, 2024 at 2:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

An MCL sprain suffered in Week 1 made Steve Avila a candidate for injured reserve. The second-year offensive lineman was indeed moved to IR on Wednesday as part of the Rams’ injury-related moves.

Avila will miss at least the next four weeks as a result, but he underwent surgery to help his recovery. The 24-year-old’s procedure took place yesterday, head coach Sean McVay said. The plan behind that move, he added, was accelerating Avila’s healing process, and his recovery timeline will be watched closely as the Rams move forward with a shorthanded O-line.

Left tackle Joe Noteboom is also on injured reserve, although replacing him may be a matter of simply inserting Alaric Jackson into the starting lineup as early as Week 3. Jackson was hit with a two-game suspension to begin the season due to a personal conduct policy violation. Along the interior, how the Rams proceed in Avila’s absence will depend in large part on where Jonah Jackson lines up.

Added in free agency on a three-year, $51MM deal, Jackson played at guard during his Lions tenure. Avila’s success at left guard as a rookie prompted the team to keep him there, though, and use Jackson at center. Changes to that arrangement will likely be needed now that Avila is out of the picture for the time being. The TCU product’s absence will be acutely felt given the nature of his rookie campaign, during which he logged over 1,100 snaps and ranked 35th amongst qualifying guards in terms of PFF grade.

In other news along the O-line, McVay added that he expects right tackle Rob Havenstein to be available for Week 2. Having him in place would lead to Warren McClendon taking on left tackle duties in the wake of Noteboom’s injury, he added (h/t Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic). McVay also said right guard Kevin Dotson should be be to suit up on Sunday, a positive sign for the Rams’ offensive interior. That unit will nevertheless be without Avila for the foreseeable future, and his success in rehab following surgery will be worth monitoring.

Patriots QB Drake Maye Seeing Partial First-Team Reps

September 13th, 2024 at 1:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

During the season, members of a team’s starting offense or defense typically see all-but exclusive time with the first-team units in practice. In the case of the Patriots, though, quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye are splitting work with the starting offense.

“It’s not a secret, we have a quarterback in the wings that needs to continue to develop,” head coach Jerod Mayo said on Friday (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “Normally, the starter gets, let’s say, 95% of the reps. This is a little bit different. I guess the struggle is, ‘How do you get your starting quarterback prepared for the game and also continue to develop the guy in the background, which is Drake?’ And so it is like a 70-30 split.”

Brissett was added in free agency on a one-year deal, but it was widely assumed at the time New England would select a quarterback in the draft. Indeed, as part of the process of replacing Mac Jones, the team turned aside trade interest for the No. 3 pick and drafted Maye. Brissett entered training camp atop the depth chart, but Maye impressed during practice and the preseason to the point Mayo acknowledged the North Carolina product had been the better passer.

Nevertheless, it came as no surprise when Brissett was named the Patriots’ starter to begin the campaign. The 31-year-old is a veteran of 49 starts – including Sunday’s upset win over the Bengals – and Maye was seen as a prospect in need of development time compared to many of his classmates. It is still considered a matter of time for a QB change to take place at some point in 2024, though, which explains Mayo’s unusual approach to divvying up practice reps.

“We were very thoughtful. When we talked about having a developmental plan for Drake, that’s part of it,” Mayo added. “I’ve tried not to get too deep into what that plan actually looks like, but he still takes reps with the starters and does a good job on the [scout] team as well. He’s doing a good job, and you can see his confidence continuing to grow.”

One of five head coaches taking on that role for the first time in 2024, Mayo’s debut New England campaign will be measured in large part by Maye’s development once he takes over the starting gig. The fact he is continuing to take reps with the first-team offense is another indication Maye could be tapped for the QB1 role relatively soon, although Brissett’s play in the meantime will of course be a determining factor in that regard.

Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes Undergoes Thumb Surgery

September 13th, 2024 at 11:45am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 13: Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed on Friday Forbes will not be placed on IR. As a result, he will be able to return to the field in relatively short order.

SEPTEMBER 12: Emmanuel Forbes is set to miss time early in his second NFL season. The Commanders corner will undergo thumb surgery tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Forbes sustained a torn UCL in Week 1, and instead of playing through the nagging ailment he will take the surgery route to address it. The 2023 first-rounder faced expectations for a notable step forward this season, so this news obviously represents a setback. No firm timeline is in place for his recovery, although ESPN’s John Keim notes injured reserve may not be needed in this case.

Placing Forbes on IR would guarantee at least a four-game absence, but taking a week-to-week approach could allow him to return to action quicker. How the operation plays out will of course be a determining factor in whether or not the Commanders will move Forbes to IR. Missing the 23-year-old for any period of time will leave Washington without a contributor in the secondary, though.

After a stellar college career in terms of ball production, Forbes entered the league with high expectations. The Mississippi State product only logged a 50% snap share as a rookie, however, and when on the field he struggled in coverage. Forbes allowed three touchdowns and a 103 passer rating as the nearest defender last year, albeit one during which the Commanders struggled across the board defensively to close out the campaign in particular. In Week 1, he gave up completions on all three of his targets.

Forbes did manage 11 pass deflections in 14 games as a rookie, flashing playmaking potential which could allow him to live up to his draft status over time. The 6-0, 180-pounder will still no doubt face questions about his size when back on the field, and his ability to develop will be a key storyline for the Commanders as they rebuild under head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters.

With Forbes sidelined, Washington will move forward with Benjamin St-Juste as a starter on the perimeter along with third-round second-round rookie Mike Sainristil in place as the top slot option. Veteran Michael Davis – who split first-team reps with Forbes during the spring – is a candidate to step into a defensive role. Davis played exclusively on special teams in his Commanders debut while Noah Igbinoghene handled rotational defensive duties. One of Davis or Igbinoghene should be in line for an increased workload while Forbes recovers.

Dak Prescott Was Likely To Up Price If Cowboys Negotiated In-Season

September 12th, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys completed a rare instance of an extension being finalized the morning of Week 1 Sunday. While the other teams who completed pre-Week 1 extensions hammered them out in the days leading up to their respective openers, the Cowboys were still negotiating the morning of their Browns matchup.

A Saturday report suggested a small chance existed the Cowboys could come to terms with their ninth-year quarterback, but they ended up doing so just before noon CT — around four hours before their Browns tilt. As the Cowboys and Dak’s agent negotiated before COO Stephen Jones left for Cleveland, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano indicates the team was motivated by the soft deadline Week 1 brought.

Prescott, 30, had said he was OK continuing talks into the season; though, he seemed less thrilled about the prospect when he broached it again late last month. Had Prescott begun a contract year, he was likely to keep upping his price as free agency would have loomed closer and closer as the season progressed, per Graziano. Considering where the Cowboys ended up, it is understandable they were leery of where the numbers could go if their staredown with the QB dragged into the fall.

These negotiations ended with Prescott becoming the NFL’s first $60MM-per-year player, representing remarkable growth on a market that stood at $30MM (Matt Ryan‘s second Falcons extension) barely six years ago. Dak’s $60MM AAV checks in $5MM north of where the market’s ceiling previously resided, but the likes of Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love did not possess the leverage Prescott did.

The Cowboys again bent on term length (four years), as they did for Prescott in 2021 and CeeDee Lamb this year, and again gave their quarterback no-trade and no-tag clauses. Not that a no-tag clause would have mattered much, as no player has received a third tag in nearly 20 years — since the 2006 CBA made doing so punitive — but the Cowboys showed the results of negotiating without leverage.

Still, they were able to keep Prescott away from free agency. Guaranteed money brought the final stage of these talks, Graziano adds, and Dak indeed secured more in guarantees than Deshaun Watson did on a five-year deal. That said, Watson — for now, at least — is tied to $230MM fully guaranteed; Prescott’s $231MM number represents the total guarantee. Though, the Cowboys will have a difficult time escaping this contract due to the above-referenced clauses and the financial penalties that come via the guarantee structure.

Dallas gave Prescott $129MM guaranteed at signing. That is not a top-market number, as it checks in seventh among QBs. But Prescott, as should be expected, secured a player-friendly cash flow. His 2024 and 2025 base salaries are guaranteed at signing, and Graziano adds the $40MM 2026 base salary shifts from guaranteed for injury to a full guarantee in March 2025. That same structure applies for Prescott’s $45MM 2027 base, which locks in as of March 2026. Prescott is due $55MM in 2028 base salary; $17MM of that amount will become fully guaranteed in March 2027. Dak’s one-, two-, three- and four-year cash flows lead the NFL, SI.com’s Andrew Brandt tweets.

No-tag and no-trade clauses being present in Prescott’s 2021 extension (4/160), coupled with his previous 2024 cap number ($55.13MM) and potential 2025 dead money penalty if not extended by March ($40.13MM), made it a lock he would secure whopping terms from the Cowboys if he agreed to avoid testing free agency.

This extension includes four void years, with the Cowboys having the option of restructuring the deal down the road as well, but still includes a high 2024 cap number. Dak’s extension dropped his cap hit by less than $11MM, with the new ’24 number settling at $44.61MM. With the Browns restructuring Watson’s deal a second time, the Rams reworking Matthew Stafford‘s contract and the Cowboys paying Prescott, Kyler Murray‘s $49.12MM leads all players and represents the highest single-player cap hit in NFL history.

This nixes what would have been a historic free agency sweepstakes and ties Prescott to the Cowboys through 2028. This will put Dak in line to become the longest-tenured QB1 in team history, surpassing Troy Aikman‘s 12-season run.

Jets Still In Communication With Haason Reddick; Latest On Trade Prospect

September 12th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets continue to wait on Haason Reddick, but no signs this holdout will end soon are present. Reddick’s grudge against his new team persists, even as his fines have surpassed $5MM.

Although Robert Saleh has said he has not spoken to Reddick since training camp began, SNY’s Connor Hughes does confirm the edge rusher’s agent remains in talks with GM Joe Douglas. Seemingly representing progress, Hughes does well to ensure that is not the case by confirming both sides are still entrenched in their summer stances on this matter. A weekend report indeed indicated Reddick is “willing to die on this sword.”, and Hughes reported late last month some believe the former Cardinals, Panthers and Eagles starter is geared up to skip the season.

[RELATED: Jets GM Addresses Reddick’s Holdout]

Not wanting to negotiate an extension for a player who has not reported, the Jets were also not believed to be overly interested in paying Reddick due to his age (30 this month). Contract sweeteners emerged as a potential solution in this messy situation, but Reddick is believed to essentially view the Jets as having reneged on their word by refusing to revisit extension talks after a low-ball offer emerged before the trade was finalized. Hence, the standoff.

Teams around the league are obviously monitoring this situation, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds some view a trade as the escape route the Jets will eventually take. When Reddick requested a trade during the preseason, the Jets shot down the notion they would comply. While some anonymous execs may predict this will be how the saga ends in New York, the Jets would take a loss here due to being unlikely to recoup whey they gave up — a 2026 conditional third-rounder — in the March deal with the Eagles.

A team interested in trading for Reddick would almost definitely need to have a deal ready. Holdouts preceding trades have produced delayed resolutions, as the cases of Trent Williams and Duane Brown remind. Washington traded Williams to San Francisco in 2020, after he sat out the 2019 season, and the decorated tackle played out his existing contract before cashing in as a 2021 free agent. Brown held out in 2017, and the Texans traded him to the Seahawks. The tackle did not sign a Seattle extension until the 2018 offseason.

This type of conclusion may work for Matt Judon and the Falcons, but Reddick appears intent on cashing in. He has yet to earn a top-market edge rusher salary, having seen the Panthers provide a prove-it deal in 2021 — after the Cardinals used him as an off-ball linebacker for multiple seasons — and the Eagles hand over a three-year, $45MM pact.

Reddick remains attached to that pact. The former first-rounder will be unlikely to fetch true top-market money due to age and perhaps this holdout, but with 51.5 sacks since 2020 (the fourth-most this decade), he would remain a coveted commodity in a second 2024 trade.

Residing on the Jets’ reserve/did not report list, Reddick has seen his 2024 salary ($14.25MM) become nonguaranteed due to not being on an active roster when vested veterans’ salaries locked in last weekend. Reddick will lose $791K for each game missed, but The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt notes the Jets will not gain cap space for Reddick missed games. They are also missing out on quality production, but with Reddick not practicing with the team, it is debatable how well he would fare if immediately inserted into Saleh’s system.

Justin Fields Expected To Start In Week 2; Russell Wilson Positioned As Steelers’ Starter When Healthy

September 12th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers played it safe with Russell Wilson‘s calf injury in Week 1, turning the offense over to Justin Fields at quarterback. The latter is in line to start once again, although he has ground to make up in terms of moving to the top of the depth chart.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports Fields is expected to get the start for Pittsburgh’s Week 2 matchup against the Broncos. That comes as no surprise given head coach Mike Tomlin‘s remarks from earlier in the week. Tomlin confirmed the team is proceeding with the expectation Fields will again get the nod as Wilson attempts to ramp up his participation in practice.

Fields – acquired via trade from the Bears in the offseason shortly after Wilson was signed – did not have an impactful statistical showing in Pittsburgh’s win over the Falcons to begin the campaign. The 25-year-old totaled only 156 passing yards, but he added 57 rushing yards and did not commit any turnovers. Six field goals were sufficient for the Steelers to win on Sunday, but team and player will be hoping for a better showing on Fields’ part if he plays again against the Broncos.

Wilson’s recovery after aggravating the calf injury which cost him training camp time will still be worth watching closely, however. The nine-time Pro Bowler was tapped as Pittsburgh’s starter after an offseason in which neither passer stood out against the other. As Graziano’s colleague Jeremy Fowler adds, Wilson is still likely to assume QB1 duties once he returns to full health. That also matches what Tomlin said earlier this week when addressing the quarterback situation.

As pending free agents, both Wilson and Fields are in a unique situation for 2024. The Steelers completely rebuilt their QB room during the spring while moving on from 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett. Wilson’s command of the offense, Fowler notes, is one of the factors which has given him an edge to date as the projected starter. Fields gained support during training camp and the preseason, however, so he could gain further momentum with a strong showing against Denver provided Wilson remains sidelined.

Practice over the coming days will no doubt offer more clarity on how Pittsburgh will proceed under center against the Broncos, and it would be surprising if the team attempted to rush Wilson back into action in short order. The 35-year-old should still be expected to take the field at some point relatively soon, though.

Raiders Notes: Meyers, Brady, Edge Rush

September 12th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers wound up retaining Brandon Aiyuk on a four-year, $120MM extension after extensive talks with outside teams about a trade. Had they ended up dealing the second-team All-Pro to the Steelers, acquiring an experienced wideout to replace him would have become a priority.

One of San Francisco’s known targets in that respect was Courtland Sutton. The Broncos turned aside interest in a trade which would have sent Sutton to the Bay Area, but they were not the only team in the AFC West to receive an offer concerning a veteran wideout. The 49ers “approached” the Raiders about Jakobi Meyers, Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.

Talks on the Meyers front proved to be very short-lived, however, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. In the end, Aiyuk deciding to remain in San Francisco ended the need for any further WR pursuit on the part of the 49ers. Meyers, 27, recorded 807 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns during his debut Raiders campaign last season. With two years remaining on his pact, expectations are high for another strong year in 2024. The former Patriot would have stepped into a starting role in an Aiyuk-less 49ers receiver room, but it comes as no surprise a trade was not seriously considered by Raiders GM Tom Telesco.

Here are some other notes out of Las Vegas:

  • Tom Brady‘s ownership stake in the team is still not official, but other NFL owners have kept it in mind during the start of his broadcasting career. Brady faces many restrictions in his gig as FOX’s lead color commentator owing to the fact he is set to be a part of Mark Davis‘ ownership group. As Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes, the seven-time Super Bowl winner was present for Vegas’ final practice during the 2023 season. That may have raised additional questions about how hands-on he will be once his stake is finalized, and it helps explain the steps taken to eliminate Brady’s access to other teams during his broadcasting tenure.
  • With Malcolm Koonce set to miss significant time (if not the entire season), it was particularly problematic when fellow defensive end Tyree Wilson suffered a knee sprain in Week 1. The latter avoided the worst-case scenario, but he could still miss time. The Raiders have since worked out K’Lavon Chaisson and added him on a practice squad deal; the former Jags first-rounder could provide depth, but more moves could be coming. Head coach Antonio Pierce confirmed (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) Telesco is still looking into defensive end additions. Vegas has over $28MM in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if a veteran like Yannick Ngakoue or Carl Lawson is pursued.
  • Defensive lineman Jonah Laulu was one of the players let go by the Colts during roster cutdowns, and the Raiders claimed him off waivers. The seventh-round rookie was a prospect the Raiders wanted to select in the draft, Pierce said (via Tafur’s colleague Tashan Reed). Laulu began his college career at Hawaii before transferring to Oklahoma. He flashed potential with the Sooners while catching Pierce’s attention in the process, and he will now look to carve out a role in Vegas.

Hall Of Fame LB Joe Schmidt Dies At 92

September 12th, 2024 at 7:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Former Lions linebacker and head coach Joe Schmidt passed away yesterday, the team announced. The Hall of Famer was 92.

Schmidt was selected in the seventh round of the 1953 draft, and he immediately became a standout contributor. The following season saw him earn the first of 10 consecutive Pro Bowl invitations – tied for a franchise record – and Schmidt also began a string of All-Pro honors during that span. He collected a first- or second-team nod every campaign from 1954-62. A key figure in his team’s success, Schmidt helped lead the Lions to two NFL championships (1953 and ’57) and earned a place on the 1950s All-Decade team.

An inaugural member of the Lions’ ring of honor, Schmidt continued his decorated tenure in the Motor City by serving as the team’s head coach from 1967-72. During the final four years of that spell, Detroit posted a winning record before the Pitt alum ended his second football career.

In 1973, Schmidt was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Regarded as the greatest defender in Lions history, he is credited as one of the pioneers for middle linebackers operating as the quarterback of the defense with his style of play.

“Joe Schmidt had the heart of a Lion, which made it appropriate that he was also the heart of our team,” a statement from owner Martha Firestone Ford reads. “Joe was a key part of our championship seasons and continued to be an important part of our organization until his passing. Joe made his home in Detroit and carried his success from the field into our community. I am saddened to hear of his passing, but I have nothing but fond memories of the person he was. I share my deepest condolences with Marilyn and his children.”

Across 159 combined regular and postseason games, Schmidt collected 27 total interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries (including a league-leading eight in 1955) during his career. His No. 56 is retired by the Lions, and he is a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time team.

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