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Pats, S Brenden Schooler Agree To Extension

October 11th, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

A key member of the Patriots’ special teams unit is set to remain in place for years to come. Brenden Schooler agreed to an extension on Friday, per his agency.

As noted by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, this will be a three-year, $9MM pact. $3.6MM is guaranteed, and incentives bring the maximum value of the contract to $10.5MM. Schooler is now on the books through the 2027 season.

This marks a considerable raise for Schooler compared to his previous AAV of $858K. The Oregon and Texas product was on track to hit restricted free agency this offseason. A tender decision has now been avoided with a long-term commitment, however.

Schooler joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and he managed to make 16 appearances as a rookie. He has remained a regular ever since, but the two snaps he logged last year represent his only playing time on defense. A heavy special teams workload (between 77% and 89% each campaign) has allowed Schooler to carve out an important role, though, and that will remain the case moving forward.

Of course, the Patriots had one of league’s top special teams aces in Matthew Slater throughout his decorated 16-year career. The 10-time Pro Bowler retired this offseason, creating a notable vacancy for New England’s third phase unit. Schooler, 27, has maintained a key role in that department in 2024, and the Pats currently rank third in the league in special teams DVOA.

Now, he will continue to be counted on as an anchor in that department with Slater having transitioned to an advisory role. The Patriots entered today with ample cap space, and their spending power ranks among the league’s highest in future seasons. Absorbing this pact will not be a problem as a result, and expectations will remain high on special teams with Schooler landing a new deal.

Cardinals Open DL Darius Robinson’s Practice Window

October 11th, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 11: Robinson experienced discomfort with his calf during Thursday’s practice, Gannon said. As a result, he will not be activated in time for Week 6. Plenty of time will remain for Arizona to being Robinson into the fold before his 21-day activation clock expires.

OCTOBER 7: Darius Robinson was sidelined for the Cardinals’ first five games of the season, but he could be close to suiting up. The first-round rookie had his practice window opened on Monday, per Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.

[RELATED: G Will Hernandez Suffers Season-Ending Knee Injury]

Robinson suffered a calf injury in August, threatening his Week 1 availability. To little surprise, Arizona elected to designate him for return from injured reserve ahead of the roster cutdown deadline. Teams were permitted to do so with two players in 2024 as part of an IR rule tweak, and the Cardinals took that route with Robinson as well as O-lineman Christian Jones.

During a five-year run at Missouri, Robinson primarily worked along the defensive interior. During the 2023 campaign, however, he played on the edge and enjoyed success in a pass-rushing role. The 23-year-old racked up 8.5 sacks (a major jump compared to his previous career high of 3.5) along with 14 tackles for loss. That production put him in the first-round conversation, and Arizona selected him at No. 27.

Robinson’s addition came about as the Cardinals sought to bolster their pass rush. That unit suffered a notable blow before the regular season even started when BJ Ojulari suffered an ACL tear, shutting him down for the campaign. Especially with Ojulari out of the picture, Robinson could find himself logging at least a notable rotational role once he is activated.

Today’s move opens gives Arizona 21 days to officially bring Robinson onto the active roster. One of the team’s eight IR activations was already used when he was designated for return, which also applies to Jones. The latter practiced last week, though he has yet to be activated. A move on that front for he and Robinson should be expected to take place relatively soon.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/24

October 10th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s taxi squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Uzomah is a veteran of 106 games stemming from his seven-year run in Cincinnati followed by two years with the Jets. The 31-year-old has topped 400 receiving yards in a season only twice, but he has remained a consistent depth option in the passing game. He will aim to provide a rotational contribution behind Dallas Goedert in Philadelphia.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/24

October 10th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s minor moves, including elevations for the opening game of Week 6:

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Signed (off Raiders’ practice squad): C Ben Brown

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

QB P.J. Walker Lands CFL Deal

October 10th, 2024 at 6:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

P.J. Walker briefly spent time with the Seahawks this summer, but he did not land a roster spot. Now, the journeyman quarterback has turned his attention north of the border.

Walker signed with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders this week, per a team announcement. The 29-year-old has experience outside the NFL, having played with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks in 2020, but this will be his first endeavor in Canada. Walker is open to any future NFL offers, but for the time being his attention will be turned to a potential starting role in Calgary.

“As long as the opportunities presented themselves in the NFL, I was always going to take those opportunities and — not saying they still can’t present themselves — but I really do want to play, I really do want to go out there and try to help the team win and contribute as much as I can,” Walker said (via John Hodge of 3 Down Nation). “I think that took a lot of the decision-making for me to come down here.”

The Temple product reunited with Matt Rhule by joining the Panthers in 2020 after the XFL folded. He made 15 appearances and seven starts across his three years in Carolina, throwing more than twice as many interceptions as touchdowns. Walker made a pair of starts last year with the Browns but his touchdown-to-interception ratio (1:5) remained poor. He is now positioned to have a brief audition period with Calgary in a bid to boost his value in either league.

The Toronto Argonauts originally held Walker’s negotiating rights and made a contract offer, Hodge reports. That was turned down given the presence of Chad Kelly, Toronto’s starter and reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player. Stampeders head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson said Calgary recently traded for Walker’s rights, setting up this signing as a potential commitment beyond the current campaign.

Three weeks remain in the CFL’s regular season, and the 4-10-1 Stampeders have been eliminated from playoff contention. Jake Maier – who entered the year as the team’s starter but who has been benched on multiple occasions – is a pending free agent, meaning a 2025 roster spot could be available to Walker if he impresses over the coming weeks. The former UDFA is currently on Calgary’s practice squad, and Dickinson did not make any assurances with respect to playing time once he acclimates to his new team. If Walker does manage to see the field, though, he could play his way into a gig for next season.

Broncos Designate CB Damarri Mathis, RB Audric Estime For Return

October 10th, 2024 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 10: Tomasson notes Estime should be activated in time for Week 6 as long as he does not encounter any setbacks over the next few days. His presence would again provide a depth option in the backfield as Denver looks for a fourth straight win on Sunday.

OCTOBER 9: As the Broncos have strung together a three-game win streak, reinforcements are on their way back. Both cornerback Damarri Mathis and running back Audric Estime returned to practice Wednesday, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson and KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

These are two different transactions, despite both players’ 21-day return windows being the same. The Broncos used one of their newly allowed preseason return designations on Mathis. The third-year corner already counts toward Denver’s eight in-season activations. Injured in Week 1, Estime does not. Once the rookie is activated, the Broncos’ count will drop from seven to six.

Trade interest came in for Mathis late this summer, but the high ankle sprain he sustained in Denver’s preseason finale cooled any talk of a swap. The Broncos, despite Sean Payton not being in place as HC when Mathis was drafted (Round 4, 2022), wanted to hold onto the former starter anyway.

Though, Mathis’ route back to the team’s starting lineup is currently closed. Riley Moss has seized the boundary gig opposite Patrick Surtain. Pro Football Focus rates Moss, a 2023 third-round pick who played mostly special teams as a rookie, as the league’s No. 7 overall corner. The Iowa alum has started all five Broncos games, forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass early in his second season.

Mathis returning would, however, supply depth for a Broncos secondary that also has an established slot starter (Ja’Quan McMillian). Mathis won the Broncos’ CB2 job out of training camp last year, having kept it after being the team’s Ronald Darby replacement in 2022. Denver, however, benched Mathis for Fabian Moreau early last season (Moreau is now with the Vikings). While the Pittsburgh product was relegated to ST duty after that October 2023 demotion, he has made 17 career starts. Mathis would join free agency pickup Levi Wallace as the Broncos’ top backup corners.

A fifth-round pick, Estime saw brief offensive action against the Seahawks in the Broncos’ opener but went down with an ankle malady. The Broncos have seen improvement from Javonte Williams in recent weeks, and Jaleel McLaughlin operates as the starter’s top complementary piece. Denver, however, recently placed Tyler Badie on IR. That stands to open a spot for Estime once he is ready to return. Rookie UDFA Blake Watson resides as the team’s current No. 3 running back.

Bears Open Practice Window For DE Jacob Martin

October 9th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bears are set to add some veteran depth to their pass rushing attack in a couple weeks after opening the 21-day practice window for defensive end Jacob Martin, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The opening of the window will give Martin three weeks to make his return to the active roster.

Martin opened the season on injured reserve with a toe injury. Thanks to new rules dictating NFL roster spots, teams were allowed to place two players on IR before the roster cut deadline and designate them to be able to return during the season. Before this rule change, any players placed on IR before the deadline would be lost for the season. Martin was one of Chicago’s two designations alongside offensive tackle Larry Borom.

After missing the first four games, both players were eligible to return to practice and the active roster, but it appears Borom and Martin each needed a bit more time. Borom’s window still has not been opened.

In his seventh NFL season, Martin is hoping to debut soon for the sixth team of his NFL career. Originally a sixth-round pick for the Seahawks out of Temple, Martin has also spent time with the Texans, Jets, Broncos, and Colts. His time in Seattle and Houston was the most productive of his career. Traded to the Texans after a three-sack rookie campaign, Martin collected 10.5 sacks in three years in Houston. He spent the final year of his rookie deal finally emerging as a full-time starter. Since then, he’s bounced around in minor roles.

Now that his practice window has been opened, Martin has 21 days to be activated from IR onto the active roster. If he’s unable to return to the 53-man roster after those three weeks, Martin will be relegated back to season-ending IR, unable to return in the 2024 NFL season. The Bears will hope to add him and bolster a group currently led by Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker.

Jaguars Place KR/PR Devin Duvernay On IR

October 9th, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars watched former All-Pro and Pro Bowl return man Jamal Agnew depart in free agency this offseason after a few injury-nagged seasons with the team. They signed his replacement, former Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay, a couple years after All-Pro and Pro Bowl seasons of his own. Unfortunately, it seems that the signing did not solve the team’s injury issues at the position as Duvernay has now been placed on injured reserve.

Duvernay will miss at least the next four games nursing a hamstring injury that he suffered in Jacksonville’s Week 5 win over the Colts. Duvernay has played in all five games this year for the Jaguars, only once playing double-digit snaps on offense. His use on offense has been as a gadget player. In fact, Duvernay has more rushing production (3 carries, 10 yards) than receiving (1 target, 1 reception, -1 yard).

Much like his last season in Baltimore, Duvernay’s main usage has come on special teams. As the new primary return man for the Jaguars, Duvernay has averaged 20.0 yards per kick return, up from 19.3 last year. His 11.6 yards per punt return are tied for third in the NFL with his replacement in Baltimore, Deonte Harty. This past weekend saw his most productive punt return performance. He returned a season-high three punts, including one return for 53 yards.

Replacing Duvernay as the new primary returner will likely be Parker Washington. The reserve receiver served as the injury replacement for Agnew last year, returning 12 punts and two kickoffs. Wide receiver Christian Kirk will likely be the second option on punt returns; he had two returns for Jacksonville last year and has 57 in his career. Backup running backs Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson could be put back with Washington on kickoffs. They might even be the primary pair back there as they combined to return 11 kickoffs last year.

Hamstring injuries can be nagging, so Duvernay likely won’t be rushed back. If he’s able to heal quickly, he’ll be able to return in time for a Week 10 matchup with the Vikings. If he still requires more time after becoming eligible to return, the team’s bye week comes two weeks later. A seven-week absence utilizing that bye week would set him up for a December 1 return against the division-rival Texans.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/24

October 9th, 2024 at 7:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Designated for return from reserve/PUP list: CB DJ Ivey

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Free Agents

The Browns are set to start working Hurst and Diabate back to the active roster in practice. 17 of Hurst’s 18 starts came in his first three years in the NFL back from 2018-20, but he did line up as a starter in his lone game with the Browns this year prior to being placed on injured reserve.

Carpenter and Smith are set to miss their next six games due to the suspension levied by the NFL. Carpenter’s suspension is likely linked to the December arrest last year that saw him released from Pittsburgh’s practice squad. The purpose for Smith’s suspension isn’t as clear, but he also got arrested in 2022 on drugs and weapons charges.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/24

October 9th, 2024 at 6:48pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

Wilson is a former collegiate basketball player who played for two years apiece at Idaho and Oregon State. He transitioned to football, transferring to Washington State for three years, appearing in 12 games in 2022 at right and left tackle. He then played in 13 basketball games for the Cougars before transferring to Minnesota and transitioning back to basketball for his final year of collegiate eligibility.

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