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Deion Sanders Not Talking NFL Future; Latest On Shedeur Sanders

November 14th, 2024 at 9:19pm CST by Ben Levine

With Colorado sitting 18th in the AP Top 25 and the Buffaloes appearing to have taken a clear step forward, coach Deion Sanders has already drawn some speculation about a pivot to professional football. While that could ultimately be Sanders’ ultimate plan, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz says the coach hasn’t had any “official conversations with anyone” about heading to the NFL.

However, Schultz does seem to be keep the door open regarding a future move to the NFL, as the reporter notes that Sanders’ current focus is on winning at Colorado this season. Sanders’ NFL opportunities would be reliant on an organization’s willingness to take a chance on the divisive coach, and it’s worth noting that he still has three years remaining on his Colorado contract after this season.

Even if we assume Sanders doesn’t get an NFL job this offseason, he’ll still surely be in the news as his son, Shedeur Sanders, pushes to be an early selection in the draft. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports writes, the elder Sanders is ready to “step in” if he decides that the “wrong” organization is targeting his son. In fact, Deion’s considerable influence over Shedeur has already led to “significant apprehension” from NFL squads as they weigh the pros and cons of selecting the Colorado QB. While some executives are generally low on the prospect’s NFL future (one described Shedeur as “Tyrod Taylor 2.0″), there was also a sentiment that the player just wasn’t “worth all the extra stuff.”

Still, there will be surely be one team that takes a chance on the player’s upside, even if it means Shedeur ends up sliding down draft boards. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently noted the connections between the Sanders family and the Raiders. Deion has generally been a fan of the organization, including head coach Antonio Pierce and team president Sandra Douglass Morgan. Shedeur has also been mentored by now part-Raiders owner Tom Brady, and the prospect has been spotted visiting Las Vegas multiple times this year.

While it’s uncertain if they’d fit Deion’s lofty standards, the Giants have also been mentioned as a potential suitor for the QB prospect. Members of the organization visited the University of Colorado last month to get a first-hand look at Sanders (per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones), with assistant general manager Brandon Brown even speaking to the Colorado squad after practice.

The Sanders duo will continue to steal headlines over the next few weeks, especially if Colorado makes a push for the playoffs. For better or for worse, that won’t be the last that we hear from Deion and Shedeur, as the tandem will continue to be central characters during the NFL’s offseason.

Examining Giants’ Daniel Jones Situation

November 12th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As you may have heard, the Giants pursued a quarterback upgrade this offseason. The team made Drake Maye its primary target, sending the Patriots a strong offer (Nos. 6 and 47, along with a 2025 first-round pick) for No. 3 overall. The Pats passed on Giants and Vikings offers for the pick and centered their rebuild around Maye. The Giants then passed on selecting J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix despite spending time with all three leading up to the draft.

This always left Daniel Jones in limbo, as he has underwhelmed — for the most part — since becoming Eli Manning‘s successor. Jones’ solid yet unspectacular 2022 notwithstanding, the Giants certainly have not seen him live up to the four-year, $160MM deal they authorized just before the March 2023 deadline to apply franchise tags — which led to Saquon Barkley‘s tag and eventual exit. The domino effect here both benefited the Eagles and likely has GM Joe Schoen on a hot seat — after the Jones-over-Barkley decision affected his 2024 plan as well — despite John Mara‘s reassurances.

[RELATED: GM Joe Schoen Expects To Be Back In 2025]

Mara gave Schoen and HC Brian Daboll endorsements for both the end of this season and into 2025, but with the Giants at 2-8 and having lost to a struggling Panthers team in Germany, it is fairly safe to assume both power brokers are far from assured to be back next year. Mara had expected a “big step forward” this season.

Mara has been a bit more patient with GMs compared to HCs, giving two-time Super Bowl winner Jerry Reese the chance to hire the head coach post-Tom Coughlin (Ben McAdoo) and allowing Dave Gettleman to select two HCs (Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge). Schoen being given a quick hook would be out of character, but Daboll receiving the boot after three years would not. Daboll is the only Giants HC to see a third season since Coughlin’s exit.

As it stands, the Giants have a decision to make on Jones; a benching is already on the table. Although no more fully guaranteed money remains on Jones’ contract following this season, sixth-year quarterback has a $23MM injury guarantee for 2025. That would kick in if Jones cannot pass a physical by the start of the 2025 league year in March. This has loomed over the Giants since their Maye trade effort failed. Daboll did not open up a competition this offseason, despite some comments from Seahawks GM John Schneider indicating that was on tap, and the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy notes no known first-team reps have gone to Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito this season. Jones’ contract situation points to that changing soon.

Since the 2011 draft changed NFL roster-building, Jones is an outlier. He is the only quarterback who remained a starter with the same team in a sixth season despite not averaging more than seven yards per attempt in any of his first five. The Giants passing on long-rumored target McCarthy at No. 6 gave Jones security, as Lock has not proven a threat. New York passing on McCarthy and other QBs at 6 led Malik Nabers to the Big Apple in hopes the LSU product would ignite Jones. While Nabers has certainly flashed, Jones has continued to struggle upon returning from his ACL tear. He exited a two-INT Carolina game ranked 27th in QBR and averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt.

It appears a 2025 Jones release — long viewed as likely — is close to a near-certainty. With Jones seeing his 2021 season end early due to a neck injury that required surgery and then suffering the ACL tear two years later (after missing 2023 games with more neck trouble), the Giants run the risk of another injury triggering those guarantees and hurting their ability to build a 2025 roster. A 2015 Robert Griffin III-style bubble-wrap scenario may be imminent.

If Jones is cut after passing a physical, it would cost the Giants $22.21MM in dead money — a figure that could be spread over two years, in a post-June 1 release scenario — to move on in 2025. A $23MM sum added to that would create more challenges for the team, which would then be responsible for the second-highest dead money figure — well, depending on what the Browns do with Deshaun Watson — in NFL history.

Lock stands as the more likely player to be given the reins in a Jarrett Stidham scenario, and a benching before the Giants’ Week 12 game would give the former Broncos starter and Seahawks backup a longer runway than each of Stidham’s contract-driven outings. Stidham owns this corner right now, having been promoted by both the Raiders and Broncos to protect injury guarantees in 2022 and ’23. Both AFC West teams cut their starters — Derek Carr, Russell Wilson — weeks after elevating Stidham. A Lock promotion would undoubtedly lead to the Jones book closing in New York by March.

The Giants gave Jones a much longer runway than similar passers have received, as recent years have shown it is not uncommon for top-10 QB picks to be benched by Year 2. The team pulling the plug during Year 6 appears all but certain, and a 2025 effort to acquire a replacement brings the Daboll-Schoen regime into focus. With Jones’ fate all but sealed, the more interesting component here will be whether Schoen will be allowed to acquire the QB’s replacement.

GMs rarely receive second chances, which would create a seminal “what if?” for the veteran exec due to him doubling down on Jones — whom Mara has strongly supported in past offseasons — rather than going all out to land a potential upgrade. Schoen is running out of time to make a sales pitch, and this Jones decision will certainly play into Mara’s long-term thinking as he determines if another housecleaning is necessary.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/24

November 12th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Released: LB Cam Johnson

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

The Falcons have added a notable name to their special teams corps in Jakeem Grant. The long-time Dolphins returner has collected six ST touchdowns in his career (four via punts, two via kickoffs), and he’s even hauled in 100 catches. However, the veteran hasn’t seen the field since the 2021 campaign while spending the past few years on Cleveland’s practice squad.

With Dak Prescott done for the season, the Cowboys have added some extra QB depth. In comes old friend Will Grier, who spent the 2021 and 2022 campaigns in Dallas. The former third-round pick has since bounced around the NFL, including stops with the Bengals, Patriots, and Chargers in just 2023. Grier still only has two career appearances on his resume, both coming with the Panthers in 2019.

The Texans have added some experienced OL depth in Cameron Erving. The veteran is coming off a 2023 campaign where he started two of his three appearances for the Saints, and he barely played in 11 appearances with the Panthers in 2022. Still, the 32-year-old brings 98 games (58 starts) of experience to Houston, a factor that could be valuable down the stretch. To make room on the practice squad, the Texans moved on from cornerback Desmond King. The veteran has only seen time in one game for Houston this season, although he’s not far removed from a 2022 campaign where he started 13 games for the Texans.

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.”

[RELATED: Examining Giants’ Daniel Jones Situation]

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.

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.

Brian Daboll: Giants Not Considering Staffing Changes

November 10th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants fell to 2-8 on the year with today’s loss to the Panthers. New York will now prepare for the bye week, a logical point in the schedule for changes on the sidelines to be made.

In spite of that – coupled with the Giants’ increasingly bleak prospects for the 2024 campaign – no such moves should be expected. Head coach Brian Daboll said after the game he remains confident in the team’s incumbent personnel. A turnaround in the win-loss column remains the obvious goal for the remainder of the campaign.

“I believe we’ve got the right people,”Daboll said when asked about the possibility of any changes being under consideration (video link). “Results aren’t there yet.”

The Giants entered Week 10 last in the league with an average of just 15.4 yards per game. The team did not help its average very much in that respect with a 17-point outing against Carolina. Quarterback Daniel Jones threw a pair of interceptions while in scoring range, a key factor in today’s loss. The sixth-year passer has not developed as hoped under Daboll, and it remains to be seen if he will be retained at the end of the campaign. Replacing Jones under center could be coupled with a new approach on the sidelines and/or the front office by way of moving on from general manager Joe Schoen.

Both Daboll and Schoen – in the midst of their third year together at the helm of the Giants – recently received a vote of confidence from owner John Mara. A postseason berth was not deemed mandatory ahead of the 2024 season, but improvement on last year’s 6-11 record was expected. Reaching that goal will be difficult as things stand, and executives around the league are skeptical the Daboll/Schoen pairing is firmly safe at this point.

New York has Mike Kafka (whose tenure has seen him handle and be stripped of play-calling duties) in place as offensive coordinator along with Shane Bowen in charge of the team’s defense. The latter is in his first year on Daboll’s staff, and he has overseen a strong showing in certain categories on that side of the ball. It would come as a surprise if major changes were to be made at the coordinator level based on Daboll’s remarks, although criticism will likely continue if the Giants maintain the status quo in terms of coaches coming out of their bye. 

Giants Start Evan Neal At RT

November 10th, 2024 at 9:25am CST by Rory Parks

Evan Neal is back in the starting lineup. After playing a grand total of two snaps over the first nine games of the 2024 season, the Giants are deploying Neal at right tackle for today’s Week 10 bout against the Panthers, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com details. Jermaine Eluemunor will line up at left tackle.

New York selected Neal with the No. 7 overall pick of the 2022 draft, though his performance over his first two years in the pros did not align with his draft status. During that time, the Alabama product started 20 games and struggled mightily, finishing as the second-worst OT in the league in each season in the estimation of Pro Football Focus’ metrics.

In Week 9 of the 2023 campaign, Neal suffered what was initially believed to be a sprained ankle, but follow-up testing became necessary after he did not heal as expected. The additional examination revealed a broken foot that required surgery, and he spent the first several weeks of this year’s training camp on the PUP list. Eluemunor, who was initially signed to compete for guard duties, built some momentum for the starting RT gig in Neal’s absence, and since the Giants quickly abandoned the notion of having Neal line up at guard, the third-year blocker landed in a reserve role.

Even when left tackle Andrew Thomas was lost for the season due to a foot injury of his own, New York opted to keep Eluemunor on the right side while giving LT reps first to Joshua Ezeudu and then to recent signee Chris Hubbard (Neal has not been considered a legitimate option for game action on the blind side). But there is a reason Hubbard was available to be signed off the 49ers’ practice squad in October, and he did not play particularly well during his two-game audition with Big Blue. It therefore makes sense for a 2-7 Giants club to see if Neal can begin living up to his potential at RT. Indeed, the team did not consider trading Neal in advance of this year’s deadline. 

Although Neal is eligible for a new contract at season’s end, even an outstanding performance down the stretch of the 2024 campaign would likely not be enough for the New York front office (regardless of who is leading it) to make such a move. However, a strong showing could at least encourage the club to exercise Neal’s fifth-year option.

Carolina, another 2-7 outfit, represented a logical opponent for Neal’s first extensive 2024 work, as the Panthers’ edge defenders are not a particularly imposing group.

Giants Activate K Graham Gano

November 9th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

Graham Gano will be available to the Giants in Week 10. The veteran kicker was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a team announcement.

Gano has been out since he injured his hamstring on the opening kickoff of New York’s Week 2 game. The team operated without a healthy kicker for the rest of that contest, then turned to veteran Greg Joseph with Gano being moved to IR. Once Joseph suffered an injury of his own, the Giants relied on Jude McAtamney in his NFL debut last week.

The former Gaelic footballer converted his lone field goal try and connected on his only extra point attempt as well. While McAtameny also recorded four touchbacks on five kickoffs, the Giants will of course prefer to keep him on the practice squad with Gano back in the fold. The latter was limited to eight games by a knee injury last year, so this season’s missed time has become increasingly notable for team and player. Both parties will hope Gano can remain healthy through the remainder of the campaign.

The 37-year-old has generally been a consistent producer in the kicking game for the Giants since his arrival in 2020. Gano only connected on 11 of his 17 field goal tries last year before undergoing season-ending surgery, a stark contrast to his accuracy in his previous New York campaigns. Returning to his previous form would be welcomed by Gano and the Giants, a team averaging a league-low 15.4 points per game.

The Florida State product landed an extension last September, and he is on the books through 2026 as a result. This season is the last one of that pact which includes guaranteed salary, and the team would see cap savings by moving on as early as this spring. Gano’s performance beginning tomorrow in Munich will go a long way in ensuring his Giants future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/24

November 9th, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Elevated: LB Curtis Bolton, WR Isaiah Hodgins

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Spector will miss at least the next four games as a result of the Bills’ move. He has remained a mainstay on special teams this year, having also done so in 2022 and ’23. The former seventh-rounder has made three starts on defense, however, so his absence will be felt moving forward. Linebacker has been a position hit hard by injuries this season, and Buffalo’s depth at the second level will now be tested even further.

Wattenberg had his 21-day practice window opened by the Broncos earlier this week, paving the way for today’s activation. The 27-year-old operated as the team’s starting center prior to going down after having won a summer competition for the gig with Alex Forsyth. Forsyth handled first-team duties over the past four games, drawing a superior PFF evaluation and therefore potentially playing his way into an extended look atop the depth chart. At a minimum, having Wattenberg back will give Denver – a team with three IR activations left – depth up front.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/7/24

November 7th, 2024 at 5:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Logue will lose his roster spot after the Bills signed both Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips on Wednesday. Both vets landed on Buffalo’s active roster. A sixth-round Falcons draftee this year, Logue had caught on with the Bills last month; Buffalo signed the rookie off Atlanta’s practice squad. Logue played 36 defensive snaps with the Bills.

Joseph, who has been with four teams since 2024 began, will head back into free agency. The length of his injury settlement will determine how quickly he can join a team. The three-year Vikings kicker signed with the Packers in free agency and landed with the Lions’ practice squad shortly after not making Green Bay’s 53-man roster. The Giants had signed Joseph off the Detroit taxi squad after Graham Gano‘s injury. Gano is in the IR-return window now, and New York used former Irish Gaelic footballer Jude McAtamney against Washington last week. McAtamney is back on the Giants’ practice squad.

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