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RB Leonard Fournette Addresses Bills Deal, Free Agent Interest

November 4th, 2023 at 9:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

Leonard Fournette will have to wait at least one week to make his Bills debut, but he has already spoken about the deal sending him to Buffalo to close out the season. The veteran back recently touched on his lengthy free agent process, which included suitors other than his new team.

“I had a couple teams reach out to me,” Fournette said, via Nick Wojton of BillsWire. “But I really wanted to do what’s best for me, a fresh start out here in Buffalo. I have a lot left in the tank to play, it was all about the right opportunity.”

The 28-year-old joined the Bills’ practice squad this week, but as is the case with many veterans, he is expected to soon see time as a least a gameday elevation to the active roster. Fournette will look to earn a workload behind lead back James Cook in conjunction with fellow veteran Latavius Murray. Damien Harris currently finds himself on IR, so a depth role should be attainable for Fournette in the short term at a minimum.

It came as no surprise that the 28-year-old finalized a deal with Buffalo, given Harris’ absence and their previously-arranged visit. That was ultimately canceled, but Bills general manager Brandon Beane confirmed when speaking to the media after the agreement that the sides remained in contact. Now that a deal is in place, it will be interesting to see how much Fournette is used down the stretch and thus the degree to which he can help his free agent value ahead of 2024.

The Super Bowl winner averaged exactly 4.0 yards per carry with both the Jaguars and Buccaneers during his three-year stints with each franchise, serving as a focal point of Tampa Bay’s offense in the postseason during the team’s title run. However, Fournette received little interest during the offseason (one in which the RB position as a whole saw its finanal valuation continue to decline) after his Buccaneers release, having to wait deep into the campaign to find a deal. While his remarks indicate that was partially by choice, he will no doubt need to produce at a notable level in the coming weeks to generate a larger market for his services in the spring.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/4/23

November 4th, 2023 at 3:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves and gameday callups for Week 9:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

  • Elevated: QB Dresser Winn

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

With Kyler Murray not being activated from injured reserve this week, the Cardinals are heading into Week 9 with Clayton Tune as the only quarterback on their active roster. Driskel will be called up for the week as a standard gameday elevation to back up Tune.

With Matthew Stafford listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, the Rams are adding some depth at the quarterback position. Dresser Winn had a breakout 2022 campaign at UT Martin, tossing 18 touchdowns while adding another three scores on the ground. He joined the Rams as an UDFA but was cut at the end of the preseason. He had a brief stint in the Canadian Football League before rejoining the Rams practice squad earlier this week. If Stafford can’t go, Brett Rypien will get the call under center for the Rams.

Peters will be elevated for the second straight week in Seattle. The 41-year-old, playing in his 19th NFL season, split snaps with right tackle Stone Forsythe last week against Cleveland.

NFL Restructures: Dawkins, Sanders, Byard

November 3rd, 2023 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are a few details on recent contract restructures around the NFL:

  • Last week, the Bills and left tackle Dion Dawkins agreed to a restructured deal to help create some cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Buffalo converted $5.18MM of Dawkins’ 2023 base salary into a signing bonus, clearing up $3.9MM of cap space.
  • The Dolphins restructured the contract of kicker Jason Sanders earlier this month, per Jason Fitzgerald of overthecap.com. While the specifics have not yet been reported, Sanders’ cap hit in 2023 will be lessened from $3.7MM to $2.4MM.
  • Yates reported another restructure this week, with the Eagles restructuring the contract of newly acquired safety Kevin Byard. The team converted $888,750 of Byard’s 2023 salary into a bonus in order to clear $711K of cap space.

Bills Place CB Kaiir Elam On IR, Sign DT Linval Joseph

November 2nd, 2023 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

After coming up in trade rumors, Kaiir Elam will now be sidelined for an extended stretch. The Bills corner has been placed on injured reserve, per a team announcement.

As a result of the move, Elam will be required to miss at least the next four games. An ankle injury is the cause of the former first-rounder’s absence, though he has been a healthy scratch at multiple points this season. That lack of Year 2 development led to a report from last week indicating Elam was on the trade block. However, general manager Brandon Beane made it clear after this week’s trade deadline that no consideration was given to moving on from the 22-year-old.

Buffalo acquired veteran Rasul Douglas from the Packers on Tuesday, accomplishing the team’s goal of finding help in the secondary in the wake of Tre’Davious White‘s Achilles tear. Beane confirmed (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic) that White’s injury prompted a search for a CB addition. That included a roughly week-long negotiating period with Green Bay over the Douglas swap, and the latter will no doubt have a large role in Buffalo upon arrival. Bringing back Elam will use up one of the team’s seven remaining IR activations.

To fill the open roster spot created by Elam being sidelined, the Bills have signed defensive tackle Linval Joseph. The 35-year-old signed with the Eagles last November, and he helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl while serving in a depth capacity (38% snap share). Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports Joseph’s one-year pact has a maximum value of $3.72MM.

The two-time Pro Bowler has logged 179 games across his time with the Giants, Vikings, Chargers and Eagles. He will meet Buffalo’s stated intention of making an addition along the defensive interior while using up a portion of the team’s remaining spending power. The Bills entered Thursday with $3.64MM in cap space, so the base value of Joseph’s deal will drop the figure to an extent. If he can provide a rotational presence for a banged-up defense down the stretch, though, his addition will prove to be worthwhile.

2023 NFL Trades

October 31st, 2023 at 10:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2023 NFL trading period is now over. Dozens of trades — some in the roster-reshaping mold, others executed for depth purposes — ended up coming to pass. Since the NFL moved its trade deadline from Week 6 to Week 8 in 2012, trades have gradually become a more important part of the league’s roster builds.

An argument can be made the NFL should move its deadline deeper into the season, as the MLB, NBA and NHL deadlines come after the midpoint. The NFL moving to a 17-game/18-week slate in 2021, after 43 years at 16 games, also factors into this line of thinking. For now, the league will still force its buyers and sellers to assess their teams fully by Week 8.

To gauge the value of the moves teams have made, here are the trades completed across the league in 2023. (Note: only trades involving veteran players, as opposed to draft-weekend deals only involving picks, are listed here.)

January 31

The Saints chose defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at No. 29 overall

March 9

March 10

  • Bears send Panthers No. 1 overall pick in exchange for No. 9, No. 61, a 2024 first-rounder and 2025 second

The Panthers chose Bryce Young first overall; the Bears traded down from No. 9 to No. 19, drafting tackle Darnell Wright. Trading up from No. 61 to No. 56, Chicago chose cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

March 12

The Rams selected outside linebacker Byron Young at No. 77 overall

March 13

New England selected defensive back Isaiah Bolden at No. 245

March 14

Houston used the No. 230 pick in a package to trade up for center Juice Scruggs in Round 2; Tampa Bay packaged No. 179 to move up for guard Cody Mauch in Round 2

At No. 100, the Raiders drafted wide receiver Tre Tucker

The Colts selected running back Evan Hull at No. 176

March 20

The Texans used No. 161 to trade up for wide receiver Tank Dell

March 22

The Jets included No. 42 in the picks package sent to the Packers for Aaron Rodgers; the Browns chose wide receiver Cedric Tillman at No. 74

March 25

April 11

The Lions packaged No. 159 to move up for defensive back Brian Branch in Round 2

April 18

The Rams agreed to pay $5MM of Robinson’s 2023 salary. At No. 234, the Rams chose cornerback Jason Taylor II; at 251, the Steelers selected offensive lineman Spencer Anderson.

April 24

  • Packers send QB Aaron Rodgers, Nos. 15, 170 to Jets for Nos. 13, 42, 207, conditional 2024 second-round pick

Rodgers needed to play 65% of the Jets’ 2023 offensive snaps for the 2024 pick to become a first-rounder; his Week 1 Achilles tear will prevent that from happening. At No. 13, the Packers chose pass rusher Lukas Van Ness; at 15, the Jets took defensive end Will McDonald. At Nos. 42 and 207, Green Bay respectively chose tight end Luke Musgrave and kicker Anders Carlson. The Jets moved down from No. 170, picking up an additional seventh-round pick. 

April 29

At No. 219, the Lions chose wide receiver Antoine Green; at 249, the Eagles selected defensive tackle Moro Ojomo

The Saints chose wide receiver A.T. Perry at No. 195; the Broncos selected center Alex Forsyth at 257

May 12

May 25

July 19

  • Jets move WR Denzel Mims, 2025 seventh-round pick to Lions for conditional 2025 sixth-rounder

Mims needed to make the Lions’ 53-man roster for the pick to convey. With the Lions cutting Mims with an injury settlement in August, the Jets will not end up receiving a pick in this trade.

August 24

August 25

August 27

August 28

August 29

September 20

Akers must tally more than 500 yards from scrimmage to meet the conditional requirement

October 4

October 6

The Broncos agreed to pay all but the prorated veteran minimum of Gregory’s 2023 base salary

October 10

October 18

October 23

October 30

Giants agreed to pay all but the prorated veteran minimum on Williams’ remaining $10MM in base salary

Street must play in at least six games as a Falcon to meet the conditional requirement

October 31

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/31/23

October 31st, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad transactions in the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Bears Not Expected To Trade CB Jaylon Johnson

October 31st, 2023 at 2:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

On a day when the Bears have made one major addition, they do not appear poised to subtract significantly from their roster. Chicago is expected to retain cornerback Jaylon Johnson, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

[RELATED: Bears Acquire Montez Sweat From Commanders]

Johnson’s already-murky future with the Bears saw a notable development earlier today when he was given permission to seek a trade. To no surprise, interest in the 24-year-old picked up with the 49ers and Bills among the team conducting trade talks on a potential Johnson swap. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes that the Bears put a high price on Johnson, which has no doubt limited how willing contenders have been to acquire him.

The former second-rounder is in a contract year, and his financial status is at the heart of the uncertainty surrounding his tenure in the Windy City. Johnson recently indicated that talks on an extension were set to pick up, but no serious ground appears to have been gained in that regard. Any acquiring team would have needed to hand out a lucrative new pact upon his arrival, or used the franchise tag on him. The latter move would carry a cost of roughly $19.5MM in 2024. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports no in-season extension talks will be held in the wake of a trade not materializing.

Johnson and his camp may very well have used the past few hours to gauge his market with respect to his value on a second contract. No serious suitors emerging could be a sign he is not viewed as being worth a CB1-level investment, though the depth in which a potential trade was discussed is not currently known. On that point, the Bills made an “aggressive attempt” for the Utah alum, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. For the time being, Johnson – who has remained an anchor of the Bears’ secondary and recorded a pair of interceptions and four pass deflections this year – can continue his fourth season in Chicago knowing he will close out the campaign there ahead of what will no doubt be an interesting offseason in his case.

Packers To Send CB Rasul Douglas To Bills

October 31st, 2023 at 2:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mentioned as team pursuing cornerback help, the Bills will acquire it in the form of Rasul Douglas. The Packers are sending their Jaire Alexander sidekick to Buffalo, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

The Bills have lost No. 1 corner Tre’Davious White for the season, after an early-October Achilles tear, and have not seen much from 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam. While Elam remains on Buffalo’s roster — after trade rumors swirled last week — the team will have a veteran boundary corner en route to help the cause. The Bills are sending the Packers a third-round pick in exchange for Douglas and a fifth, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets. These are each 2024 draft choices, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.

Green Bay re-signed Douglas to a three-year, $21MM deal during last year’s free agency period, doing so after the 2021 waiver claim showed quality form to help that Packers edition earn another No. 1 seed. With the Packers (2-5) no longer near that point in their first post-Aaron Rodgers season, they will sell at the deadline. This would give Eric Stokes a starting spot to return to, but the 2021 first-round pick is on IR. Rumors of Douglas moving to safety were unfounded, and the latter opened the season as the outside starter opposite Alexander.

This will not be a difficult contract for the Bills to absorb this season. The Packers restructured Douglas’ deal previously, leaving a prorated $1.1MM in base salary coming to the Bills’ cap sheet. Douglas is due $6.25MM in nonguaranteed money next year.

On the field, Douglas will be expected to step in as a starter at some point. The Bills have used former sixth- and seventh-rounders — Christian Benford and Dane Jackson — as their primary outside cover men since White’s injury. Elam has not shown enough growth, and he will have a tougher road to late-season playing time now.

Buffalo pursued Chicago contract-year standout Jaylon Johnson, after the Bears granted him permission to seek a trade. The team made what is believed to be an aggressive effort to pry him from the Windy City, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets, but the Bears rebuffed all Johnson inquiries today. Chicago holding onto Johnson led to Buffalo finding its upgrade on another NFC North roster. The Bears were seeking a big return for Johnson; the Bills will make a midlevel move for Douglas, who is in his age-29 season.

Douglas intercepted nine passes between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, doing so despite playing different positions. After successfully replacing Alexander in 2021, Douglas moved to the slot to accommodate the highly paid defender’s return last year. That effort did not go well, but the Packers moved him back outside after Stokes’ midseason injury last year. Douglas and Alexander began this season as Green Bay’s perimeter corners, with Keisean Nixon inside. The Bills have Taron Johnson entrenched in the slot, which stands to allow Douglas to see boundary reps soon.

Pro Football Focus slots Douglas 18th overall among corners this season; he has one interception and six pass breakups. The Bills are in a crucial year, as Von Miller is now 34 and Stefon Diggs turns 30 next month. They also have rental pass rusher Leonard Floyd (31) on a one-year deal. A 2017 Eagles third-round pick who contributed to the team’s Super Bowl LII-winning season as a rookie, Douglas will be in position to help a Bills defense that ranks 14th in DVOA. With games against the Bengals, Chiefs, Eagles, Cowboys and Dolphins still on the schedule, the Bills were probably wise to at least upgrade at one defensive spot. The team will still not be at full strength for those games, with Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones out indefinitely.

Bills, 49ers Discussing Jaylon Johnson With Bears

October 31st, 2023 at 10:14am CST by Sam Robinson

Jaylon Johnson‘s request to be traded has produced multiple interested buyers. The Bills and 49ers are in discussions with the Bears about acquiring the contract-year cornerback, ESPN’s Ed Werder reports.

It is not known if these are the only two teams in on the ascending cover man, but Buffalo and San Francisco have each been previously linked to seeking CB assistance. Johnson would be poised to step in as a starter for either team, with the Bills in particular — seeing as they have lost Tre’Davious White at the position and Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones elsewhere on defense — being a team in need.

The Bills have not seen their 2022 first-round cornerback investment — Kaiir Elam — take off. The Florida alum could not wrest a starting job away from 2022 sixth-rounder Christian Benford, and White’s Achilles tear has not led to regular playing time this season. Benford and Dane Jackson stand as Buffalo’s starting outside corners, with Taron Johnson still manning the slot. Elam has come up in trades, with the Bills seemingly already admitting a misstep in the 2022 draft.

With Von Miller in his age-34 season and Stefon Diggs turning 30 next month, the Bills have a fair amount of urgency to capitalize on their strong roster this season. The White, Milano and Jones injuries have understandably hindered the three-time reigning AFC East champions’ defense. Today marks the Bills’ best opportunity to upgrade; the trade deadline looms in less than five hours.

Despite returning the corners from a No. 1-ranked defense, the 49ers have struggled in recent weeks. Both the Vikings and Bengals bested the 49ers’ secondary, with Minnesota doing so without Justin Jefferson, in upset wins. The 49ers have allowed more than 400 yards in back-to-back games. While Pro Football Focus ranks Charvarius Ward as a top-20 corner, Deommodore Lenoir sits outside the top 50. Some among the 49ers also liked Johnson in the 2020 draft, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner.

The 49ers also bring some urgency, having lost the past two NFC championship games. The Seahawks have since passed the 49ers in the NFC West race, with Kyle Shanahan‘s team slipping to 4-3. The 49ers also hold the most cap space in the NFL. While that will not matter much in a pursuit of Johnson, who is in the final year of a second-round rookie contract, San Francisco does have some ammo other teams do not if upgrades are truly sought today.

PFF’s No. 3 overall corner this season, Johnson has gone from angling for a Bears extension in the offseason to discussing a deal last week to being granted permission to find a trade partner. The Bears will undoubtedly seek a strong return to move the former second-round pick, as they would be in position to net a mid-round compensatory choice if Johnson leaves in free agency. The Bears have not been shy about dealing Ryan Pace-era defensive bastions, having moved Roquan Smith, Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack under second-year GM Ryan Poles.

Both Werder and CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson note the Cowboys are not believed to be in this late-forming derby. After Jerry Jones indicated a satisfaction with the team he has assembled, Anderson adds the price for Johnson is believed to be dissuading the Cowboys from making a genuine push. Dallas has been without Trevon Diggs for a few weeks now, with the All-Pro corner suffering an ACL tear in practice.

Bills To Sign RB Leonard Fournette

October 30th, 2023 at 12:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a seven-plus-month stay in free agency, Leonard Fournette has found a new home. The former top-five pick agreed to terms with the Bills on Monday, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets.

Fournette will join a Bills team that recently placed Damien Harris on IR. While this will be a practice squad deal for the former Jaguars and Buccaneers back, it would certainly not surprise if Fournette suited up soon. Teams continually use the P-squad as a bridge to bring veterans onto active rosters, and Schultz indicates that will be the plan here.

This agreement comes after an interesting news cycle, one that featured a report indicating the Bills planned to meet with Fournette and another confirming no such visit took place. Nevertheless, the Bills had the seventh-year back on their radar. Fournette will join a backfield housing James Cook and Latavius Murray.

He of two 1,000-yard seasons in Jacksonville and a key role in Tampa, Fournette profiles as an interesting piece for the Buffalo offense. The Bills had added Harris on a one-year, $1.77MM accord in March. But the neck injury he sustained in Week 6 changed the team’s plans. Harris had worked as a Cook complementary piece, taking handoffs near the goal line at points. Murray has been a between-the-tackles supporting-caster as well, and the Bills have rolled with a Cook-Murray tandem since the Harris injury. It is unclear if Harris will return this season, but the Bills have insurance going forward.

When the Bucs released Fournette in February, it was described as a mutual separation. But Fournette languished in free agency for much of the year and did not land a deal until midseason. The LSU product worked out for the Patriots and was on the Colts’ radar during their period with both Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss out of the picture. No deals commenced; both teams brought in other backs. Fournette, 28, should at least be fresh after taking half the season off. He also has not topped 200 carries in a season since his final Jaguars slate (2019).

Choosing Fournette over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in 2017, the Jaguars did benefit from the power runner in the late 2010s. Fournette drove a Jags offense down Allen Robinson to the AFC championship game, but a falling out transpired that led to a summer 2020 release. The Bucs used Fournette primarily as a backup during the 2020 regular season, but the “Playoff Lenny” moniker soon took hold, with the free agency pickup totaling 448 scrimmage yards in four Bucs postseason efforts that year. Fournette supplanted Jones as the Bucs’ starter and held that job for two more seasons.

After a productive 2021, the Bucs gave Fournette a three-year, $21MM deal in March 2022. This mirrored the contract the Cardinals handed James Conner. While the latter remains attached to those terms, Fournette had to settle for a P-squad pact that will turn into veteran-minimum money if/once he lands on Buffalo’s active roster. The Bucs guaranteed Fournette $9MM at signing, and he earned $27MM fully guaranteed on his Jags rookie deal. Hitting free agency during a brutal time for the RB position, Fournette will now attempt to re-establish his value as a Bills role player.

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