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Dolphins Claim LB Tyrel Dodson

November 12th, 2024 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Seahawks disbanded their linebacking duo assembled in free agency, both discarded players are now in the AFC. Not long after Jerome Baker ended up with the Titans, the Dolphins have added Tyrel Dodson.

Mike McDaniel confirmed the team claimed the former Bills linebacker. Dodson is signed to a one-year, $2.25MM deal, giving the Dolphins just more than $1MM in base salary owed.

The Dolphins are quite familiar with Dodson, as he spent four seasons with the Bills. He now arrives months after the team released Baker. Miami signed ex-Seattle first-rounder Jordyn Brooks following its Baker release. Dodson, who helped replace Brooks with the Seahawks, is now en route to Florida.

Dodson started all nine games for the Seahawks, who cut him not long after acquiring Ernest Jones via trade from the Titans. Dodson worked as a part-time Bills performer during his first three seasons but became a regular last year, as the division champs lost Matt Milano for most of the season. Dodson received high marks from Pro Football Focus for his 2023 showing; this season, PFF has him ranked 36th among off-ball LBs.

A former UDFA in his age-26 season, Dodson led the Seahawks with 71 tackles — just three shy of his 17-game total with the Bills last season. The Dolphins will also pick up a player who learned Mike Macdonald‘s scheme this year. That proves relevant with the Dolphins also hiring a former Ravens assistant (Anthony Weaver) as DC. Baker also landed with a team running the Baltimore defense, with Dennard Wilson installed as Tennessee’s DC.

The Dolphins are flooded with veterans on their defensive second level. In addition to Brooks, the Fins have David Long, Anthony Walker and Duke Riley at the position. Dodson is heading into a crowded mix, and it will be interesting to see if he can make it back to a first-string role with his new team. Dodson has started 19 games over the past two seasons, doing so after logging just five over his first three.

Giants GM Joe Schoen Expects To Be Back In 2025

November 12th, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Losers of five straight, the Giants have not won a game since John Mara issued a vote of confidence in the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime. Mara offered support for the decision-makers to stay throughout this season and said he did not anticipate a change in 2025. Some around the league are skeptical of this pledge.

At 2-8, this Giants team is probably testing the owner’s patience. When asked about his future in New York, Schoen said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) he does expect to be back next year. The third-year GM indicated he discusses plans with ownership regularly.

“We have a really good relationship with ownership,” Schoen said, via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. “… There’s confidence in the plan and where we’re going.”

Arriving after a stay as the Bills’ assistant GM, Schoen helped the Giants to a surprise playoff berth in 2022. Not much has gone right since, with the team’s front office boss taking heat due to his offseason decisions — calls magnified due to the Giants being the Hard Knocks franchise’s maiden-voyage offseason project. Both Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney are having All-Pro-caliber years. Both players hit the open market in March, as the Giants passed on a second Barkley franchise tag and did not opt to use the transition tag on McKinney.

Windfalls awaited both players, as Schoen poured resources into the offensive line (via middle-class contracts for Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor). team’s pass rush by trading for Brian Burns and extending him at a rate then second only to Nick Bosa among edge rushers. The ex-Panthers rusher’s Carolina play did not warrant such a commitment, one that now sits third at the position after Josh Hines-Allen signed a Jaguars re-up, but Burns had maximized his leverage.

Schoen has also run into scrutiny for his draft record. The team has seen 2022 No. 7 overall pick Evan Neal careen toward bust status, beginning the season as a healthy scratch after a two-season struggle at right tackle. The Giants have also not seen 2023 first-round cornerback Deonte Banks live up to expectations. Multiple warnings about a lack of effort preceded a benching against the Steelers. The Giants also stood pat at the trade deadline, not accepting any offers for contract-year cogs Darius Slayton or Azeez Ojulari — both Dave Gettleman draftees. Gettleman acquisitions — Barkley, McKinney and All-Pros Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas — have been the Giants’ top players during Schoen’s run thus far.

Daniel Jones remains the player still most closely associated with this regime. Schoen made Jones the first QB to see his option declined only to be subsequently re-signed by that team. Jones has not come close to living up to the four-year, $160MM extension — a deal that effectively led Barkley to Philadelphia — and now may be in danger of being benched so the Giants can ensure a $23MM injury guarantee for 2025 does not kick in.

When asked whether the injury guarantee would play into the club’s thinking on Jones, Schoen confirmed evaluations are ongoing but did not indicate a contract issue would drive a benching. Though, it should not exactly be expected a GM would confirm a contract matter is behind a demotion. That said, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan expects a Jones demotion to take place before the Giants’ Week 12 game.

If Schoen is to be the point man behind identifying a Jones successor next year, the Giants may need to show notable improvement down the stretch. Mara gave Gettleman four-plus seasons as GM, allowing him to hire two HCs despite no playoff berths occurring on his watch. That bodes well for Schoen, though Daboll’s future may be less secure. The 2022 Coach of the Year is the first Giants HC asked back for a third season since Tom Coughlin. Recent history points to Daboll being under more pressure than Schoen, despite the duo’s strong ties dating back to their Buffalo tenures.

NFL Aiming For Eight International Games In 2025; Australia A Future Priority

November 12th, 2024 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s latest international slate wrapped via the Giants-Panthers Germany matchup, and the days of five games on foreign soil per season appear to have ended with that contest as well. As greater ambitions are on the NFL’s agenda down the line, the league has a near-future aim to reach its current maximum for non-American contests.

Roger Goodell told the NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe the league is looking to play eight foreign games in 2025. That is the maximum number currently allowed. Given the veteran commissioner’s sway, it is probably a good bet half the league’s teams — or nearly half, depending on the Jaguars’ plans — will be playing a game outside the country next season.

Goodell wants another Brazil game scheduled and is looking for a 2025 Mexico date as well. The league is set to debut in Spain next season, and Goodell expressed hope for a 2025 Ireland game. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones indicates an Ireland game will be on tap for the ’25 season. Dublin has been rumored as a potential site for a bit, and it appears an announcement pertaining to an expansion into that country is in the works.

Next season will feature the London contests, with Germany again set to receive a game. Specifically, Berlin is a target. Goodell said (via The Associated Press) the NFL is working “very hard” on bringing a game to Berlin. The NFL’s previous Germany forays have included games in Frankfurt and Munich.

A December 2023 vote led to the trail clearing for seasons including eight international games. While the slate is at eight, an Australia debut should probably be expected. A game down under in 2026 is in play, Jones adds, noting the NFL — beyond its London base — has devoted its most international resources to Australia. The continent has come up regarding an NFL game previously as well, with Jones adding the prospect of Pro Bowl Games being played there is also on the table.

Olympics buffs who recall the Sydney and Tokyo Games will remember the difficulties a time difference of this sort presents. Australia is 16 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone now and 14 hours ahead in September, creating challenges. While some teams have chosen not to take their bye week after a London game, clubs would almost be forced to do so following an Australia assignment. With eight foreign games more likely than not to be on the 2025 and ’26 schedules, the NFL may not be able to offer byes to every team coming off games in Europe. That will be an interesting subplot to follow, as competitive balance will soon be an issue if/once international games cover nearly half the league.

The NFL has conducted site visits to Melbourne and Sydney, Jones adds, pointing to one of these cities being selected for the 2026 Australia introduction. France, Sweden, Italy and Abu Dhabi have come up as possible future sites, though none is mentioned as a candidate to host a 2025 game. Goodell brought up a 16-game international slate, a prospect that would level the playing field. That may not be coming in the near future, but NFL fans should prepare for it down the line.

Panthers Activate Adam Thielen From IR

November 12th, 2024 at 11:21am CST by Sam Robinson

Adam Thielen‘s 21-day activation window was set to close Wednesday. As a result, Carolina will indeed move the veteran wide receiver back onto its 53-man roster.

The Panthers officially activated Thielen from IR, burning one of their IR-return moves in order to have the 34-year-old pass catcher back in the fold. Had the team passed on doing so, Thielen would have spent the rest of the season on IR. The three-time 1,000-yard receiver has worked his way back from a hamstring injury.

Having not played since Week 3, Thielen has missed much of his second Panthers season. The team had turned to Andy Dalton before the Raiders game that featured Thielen’s injury but has since traded Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo and then turned back to Bryce Young. While rumblings of the team giving Dalton another chance emerged following the thumb injury he sustained in a car accident, Young has guided the team to back-to-back wins.

It would stand to reason, based on the investment the Panthers made in the former Heisman winner, the younger passer would remain at the controls. Thielen is now back in the picture to help Young develop. The longtime Vikings starter arrived, via a three-year deal worth $25MM, to help Young develop last year. He was about the only positive component on the 2023 Panthers’ offense, which faceplanted during Frank Reich and Thomas Brown‘s stewardship. Thielen still picked up his third 1,000-yard season and entered this year with a fully guaranteed salary.

As could be expected given Thielen’s age and Carolina’s place during this rebuild, the 12th-year wideout came up in trade rumors. Thielen was mentioned along with Johnson and Mingo as trade candidates, with a move to a contender believed to be a development the second-year Panther would appreciate. Prior to acquiring Mike Williams, the Steelers showed interest. No trade happened, and Thielen is now positioned to work with first-rounder Xavier Legette and rookie UDFA Jalen Coker as Carolina’s top receivers.

It is possible Thielen could still be cut, in an effort to send him to a contending team, but he would hit the waiver wire if dropped since the trade deadline has passed. A team would be responsible for just less than $2MM in the event of a Thielen claim. For now, the possession target — who had displayed frustration about the state of the team’s passing attack in September — remains a Panther ahead of the team’s Week 12 matchup with the Chiefs.

The Panthers cut wideout-turned-tight end Jordan Matthews once again to clear a roster spot for Thielen. The former WR starter is in his second season with the Panthers.

Patriots Prioritized Keeping Jonathan Jones, Received Calls On Kyle Dugger

November 12th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Sam Robinson

With David Andrews out for the season, just one regular starter from the Patriots’ Super Bowl years remains in their lineup. Jonathan Jones is playing out his third contract with the team, doing so as a starting cornerback.

Now 31, Jones once teamed with the likes of Stephon Gilmore and the McCourty brothers for the previous Super Bowl-winning Pats squad. While Gilmore was only part of one Pats Super Bowl-winning team, Jones served as a regular for the 2016 and ’18 squads. As the Patriots play out the string in their first post-Bill Belichick season, they held onto the ninth-year veteran at the trade deadline.

Jones came up as a trade chip late last month, but it was reported the Pats were not interested in moving him. Jones effectively confirmed this by indicating front office boss Eliot Wolf (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss) informed him before the trade deadline he would not be moved. This locks in Jones to playing out a two-year, $19MM deal in New England.

As the Pats passed on re-signing Gilmore, trading the former Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, they found room for Jones. The latter re-signed as a free agent in 2023. Under Belichick, the Patriots were certainly not known for overpaying aging players. But the team had kept Devin McCourty and Dont’a Hightower in the fold while turning to other vets on middle-class contracts. Jones followed in those standouts’ footsteps, but as Wolf’s regime handed out a bevy of contracts to keep Belichick-era talent this offseason, the versatile cornerback was not among them. Jones is heading back toward free agency.

The former UDFA has settled in as an outside corner opposite ascending talent Christian Gonzalez. Pro Football Focus ranks the former Super Bowl-era slot performer 43rd among corners. It will be interesting to see if the Patriots eye another short-term deal with Jones in 2025, as his age will limit his market to a degree. They hold exclusive negotiating rights with Jones until the legal tampering period.

For now, Jones is helping a defense support a Drake Maye-led attack. Kyle Dugger joins him in that regard, but his name also came up at last week’s deadline. Calls came in on the fifth-year safety, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. As could be expected given the team’s offseason investment in Dugger, it does not appear serious talks took place.

Unlike the Giants with Xavier McKinney, the Pats did keep Dugger off the market by applying the transition tag. This provided a bridge to an extension agreed upon not long after. Dugger, 28, is attached to a four-year, $58MM deal that includes a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary ($9.75MM). Considering the dead money that would have come from trading Jones now (upwards of $16MM), it certainly is not surprising no serious Dugger trade rumors emerged.

Each of New England’s five DB regulars arrived under Belichick, with nearly the team’s entire defense consisting of additions from the fired HC/de facto GM’s time at the helm. Davon Godchaux also came up in trade talks, but the recently extended defender remains. The Pats did trade Matt Judon this summer and Josh Uche (to the Chiefs) at the deadline, so they will enter the offseason with a need on the edge. Jones’ impending free agency will require a decision at corner, though Dugger’s status ensures some safety stability moving forward.

Matt Eberflus: Bears Evaluating Lineup, Coaching Changes

November 11th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

After the Bears’ Week 10 loss, a new round of questions emerged about offensive changes being made. Head coach Matt Eberflus left the door open to Shane Waldron losing play-calling responsibilities, although a final decision on that front has yet to be made.

“There will be changes, adjustments being made,” Eberflus said when speaking to the media on Monday (via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic). “I’m not going to disclose those right now. I’m not at that point in the process.”

Earlier in the day, Eberflus indicated 24 t0 48 hours will transpire before any changes are formalized (h/t ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). The status of Waldron is a central talking point in this process, and Eberflus has altered course from previous weeks by repeatedly not taking the opportunity to endorse his offensive coordinator. Chicago scored 36 points in Week 5, and another 35 the following game. In three contests since, the team has totaled only 27 points.

Waldron’s first NFL stint took place from 2008-09, and he returned to the pro ranks in 2016. After a single season in Washington, he worked on the Rams’ staff for four years. That was followed by a three-year run as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, one in which Seattle finished ninth in scoring in 2022 and quarterback Geno Smith played his way into franchise quarterback status. Expectations were high for Caleb Williams‘ arrival this year with Waldron replacing Luke Getsy, but things have not gone according to plan.

Williams has topped 200 passing yards four times this season, but he has also posted a sub-54% completion percentage in four games (including each of the past three). This year’s No. 1 pick has been sacked a league-leading 38 times, an illustration in part of his own learning curve and also of the numerous injuries Chicago has dealt with up front. That figure nevertheless reflects poorly on the offense as a whole, a unit which has struggled to find consistency under Waldron.

To little surprise, Eberflus confirmed Williams will remain atop the depth chart moving forward. The 22-year-old’s development is the Bears’ top priority for 2024, although competing for a postseason berth will still be feasible if offensive improvement can take place. Chicago sits 24th in scoring through 10 weeks, but with a 4-5 record the team is still in touching distance of a wild-card berth. As Eberflus navigates a potentially uncertain future regarding his own job security, his decisions over the coming days will be interesting to see.

Cooper Rush To Remain Cowboys’ Starter; Team To Make QB Addition

November 11th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Both Cooper Rush and Trey Lance saw time yesterday in the Cowboys’ blowout loss. It remained uncertain in the wake of that contest who would get the nod as Dak Prescott‘s immediate replacement moving forward, but that question has now been answered.

Head coach Mike McCarthy announced on Monday that Rush will serve as Dallas’ starter for Week 11. The veteran has made 31 appearances and seven starts during the regular season, all with the Cowboys. Given that level of experience and familiarity with the team’s offense, it comes as little surprise Rush will remain atop the depth chart for at least one more week.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old struggled on Sunday, amassing only 45 passing yards and fumbling twice. Lance saw 15 snaps during the second half, adding to the turnovers as well with one of his six pass attempts being intercepted. No obvious candidate is thus available to handle QB1 duties with Prescott out of the picture (likely for the remainder of the campaign).

McCarthy added the team will be making an addition at the quarterback spot in light of Prescott’s hamstring injury. Healthy depth will be targeted with that move as the team looks to find answers on offense. Dallas ranks 22nd in scoring with an average of 19.7 points per game, and with the league’s second-worst rushing attack the team does not have the option of leaning heavily on the ground game. Rush will be able to help his market value with a string of starts, given his status as a pending free agent; the same also holds true of Lance, whose action yesterday marked his first regular season time as a Cowboy.

Dallas has a record of 3-6 on the year, and the struggles witnessed with Prescott at the helm suggested a postseason berth would be challenging to attain. The Cowboys will move forward with their incumbent options under center, with Rush in line to start for at least the upcoming contest against the Texans. Further decisions at the position will be dictated by an evaluation of that game.

Daboll: Giants Evaluating Everything During Bye Week, Including QB

November 11th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Giants have won just two of their 10 games this season, tied with the Jaguars for the worst winning percentage in the NFL.

“No one is happy with the results and where we’re at,” said head coach Brian Daboll on Monday, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

Daboll refused to confirm that Daniel Jones would remain the Giants’ starting quarterback, only saying that the team was “evaluating things” heading into their bye week, according to Raanan. In past weeks, Daboll has firmly backed Jones when asked about his starting status, but his non-answer on Monday suggests that New York could be contemplating a change under center.

Daboll additionally indicated that he would be in communication with the Giants’ ownership regarding any potential decision to bench Jones, who is in the second year of a four-year, $160MM extension signed during the 2023 offseason. A benching would accelerate speculation that the Giants plan to move on from Jones after this season. An offseason release with a post-June 1 designation would save New York $30.5MM against the salary cap in 2025 and $47.5MM in 2026, with $11.1MM dead cap hits in both years, per OverTheCap.

If the Giants were to bench Jones, they would turn to either Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito. Lock is currently listed as Jones’ backup on the unofficial depth chart, but DeVito started six games last year after Jones’ season-ending ACL tear.

Jones has completed just 63.3% of his passes this year with an average of just 6.1 yards per attempt, the fifth-lowest in the NFL this year. His struggles have hindered the offense as a whole; the Giants will finish Week 10 as the lowest-scoring team in the NFL this year with just 15.6 points per game. At 2-8, their playoff hopes have virtually disappeared, forcing the franchise to consider major changes ahead of another rebuilding offseason.

Seahawks’ Abraham Lucas Expected To Debut In Week 11

November 11th, 2024 at 8:57pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks are expecting to have right tackle Abraham Lucas back in the starting lineup for their Week 11 matchup with the 49ers.

Head coach Mike Macdonald said that it is a “realistic expectation” that Lucas would make his season debut next Sunday, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Lucas started the 2024 on the Physically Unable to Perform list while recovering from offseason knee surgery. He first injured his knee in Week 1 last year and did not play again until Week 13. Lucas then started Seattle’s next five games before leaving Week 17 with a recurrence of the same injury that required corrective surgery and a lengthy rehab process.

Seattle relied on Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan to replace Lucas in 2023, but both players struggled in their starts. The Seahawks signed George Fant in the offseason to fill in at right tackle during Lucas’ recovery, but he could be in line for his second stint on injured reserve this season after re-injuring his knee last week, per Henderson. Fant first landed on IR in September, forcing Forsythe to step into starting duties for a second year in a row with Curhan now in Chicago.

Lucas’ extended absence has negatively impacted Geno Smith‘s pass protection this season. The Seahawks allowed 38 sacks in 2023, the 10th-fewest in the NFL, but have already allowed 28 sacks in nine games this year, the 10th-most in the league. A successful return from Lucas would help Seattle stay in contention for the NFC West crown.