HEADLINES

Saints Place CB Paulson Adebo On IR

October 22nd, 2024 at 9:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints officially placed cornerback Paulson Adebo on injured reserve, ending his 2024 season after breaking his femur last week, per New Orleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.

Adebo was carted off early in the second quarter of New Orleans’ Week 7 loss to the Broncos on Thursday night, requiring season-ending surgery. The former second-round pick is expected to recover in time for training camp in 2025, though his status in a contract year means a potential free agency navigation while rehabbing from his injury.

Adebo’s injury is yet another setback for a Saints team that has dropped their last five games after starting the year 2-0. Leading receiver Rashid Shaheed is out for the season after meniscus surgery, and Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy has yet to return from injured reserve after hurting his groin in September.

Adebo was on pace for career-highs in tackles, interceptions, and passes defended before his injury. That will assist his case in free agency as he attempts to capitalize on a significant jump in the cornerback market this offseason. This is also the first major injury of his career, as Adebo played in 52 of the Saints’ 58 games since he was drafted, with 51 starts.

Second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry took over for Adebo against the Broncos and is expected to replace him in the starting lineup opposite Marshon Lattimore moving forward. With Alontae Taylor starting in the slot, the Saints only have one more cornerback on their active roster: undrafted rookie Rico Payton. In the short-term, Shemar Jean-Charles will likely be in line for elevations from the practice squad, and potentially a promotion to the active roster. New Orleans will need to find more cornerback depth for the rest of the year, especially if they move Lattimore, a potential trade target, at the deadline.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/24

October 22nd, 2024 at 8:26pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

The Ravens finally activated Maulet to the 53-man roster at the very end of his 21-day return window. The veteran slot cornerback underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the preseason, but dealt with a minor hamstring injury upon his return to practice. To make room, Baltimore waived Ross, a special teams starter, likely hoping to add him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers. Maulet’s return could not be coming at a better time for a Ravens pass defense that was already struggling before starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey left Monday night’s victory over the Buccaneers with an injury.

 

The Panthers signed Gill off the Lions’ practice squad and Harris off the Dolphins’ practice squad to fortify their defense on Tuesday. They also released Haynes and waived Wooten and Smith as part of an overhaul of their weak front seven.

 

The Giants signed Watts from their practice squad to strengthen the interior of their defensive line while waiving Basham, a former Bills second-round pick who arrived in New York via trade in August 2023. Giants general manager Joe Schoen was the assistant GM in Buffalo when Basham was drafted, while Giants head coach Brian Daboll was the Bills’ offensive coordinator. Schoen traded a sixth-round pick in exchange for Basham and a seventh-rounder from the Bills just before the 2023 regular season, but Basham did not record a single sack in 13 games as a Giant.

Buccaneers Waive P Jake Camarda

October 22nd, 2024 at 7:51pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Buccaneers have waived punter Jake Camarda, a 2022 fifth-round pick who failed to live up to expectations in his first three seasons.

Camarda played in Tampa Bay’s first four games this season, averaging just 36.5 net yards per punt, the second-lowest in the NFL. The Buccaneers then turned to former Bears punter Trenton Gill, elevating him from the practice squad for their last three games. After Monday night’s loss to the Ravens, Gil was all out of elevations, forcing Tampa Bay to promote him to the 53-man roster if they wanted him to continue punting duties.

Camarda was a highly-touted punting prospect out of the University of Georgia, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors and was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award given out to the best punter in college football. Camarda was the second punter drafted in 2022, selected with the 133rd overall pick in the fourth round just three spots after the Ravens drafted Penn State punter Jordan Stout.

The former Bulldog did not struggle with power in the NFL, ranking fifth in gross yards per punt in each of his first two seasons. However, his 41.4 net yards per punt in 2022 and 41.2 in 2023 ranked 12th and 20th, respectively, indicating an issue with his ability to minimize return yardage.

Those numbers dropped precipitously in 2024, with Camarda averaging just 45.3 gross yards per punt, the fourth-lowest in the league. Gill, however, ranks dead-last with 41.3 gross yards per punt, though his 38.3 net yards per punt exceeds Camarda’s.

Camarda leaves the Buccaneers as the franchise’s leading punter at 49.0 gross yards per punt, per The Athletic’s Greg Auman.

Tua Tagovailoa Not Considering Retirement

October 22nd, 2024 at 6:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a 2022 season in which he suffered two confirmed concussions and most likely three head injuries, Tua Tagovailoa considered retirement. The Dolphins quarterback’s latest concussion brought calls for him to revisit that effort, but that has not taken place.

Indicating he has been symptom-free since the day after his Week 2 concussion, Tagovailoa said he did not consider retirement following the Bills matchup and has spoken with “several” neurologists about his recovery. Players rarely land on IR due to concussions, illustrating the concern the Dolphins have for their centerpiece player. Week 8 marks Tagovailoa’s first chance to come back, and signs are pointing to a return — one that would give Miami a way out of its Tua-less quagmire and invite more concerns about his long-term health.

Adding to potential worries about the left-hander’s future, he will not wear a Guardian Cap upon returning. A handful of players have exercised the right to wear the practice caps during games, which the NFL began permitting this year. Most have resisted, and Tua is now among the majority despite his history with concussions.

Mike McDaniel said (via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) the call to move Tagovailoa to IR came at the advice of medical personnel. That alone should trip alarms, but we heard early during the fifth-year passer’s recovery a return was expected this season. The Dolphins have a significant issue on their hands, with the offense’s struggles in the starter’s absence — to the point the team has ground to make up for a playoff return — persisting regardless of which backup option the team used. Balancing this with Tagovailoa’s long-term health will be a line McDaniel and Co. will need to continue walking.

Tagovailoa said he spent time throwing during his IR stay, indicating (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) he has done so for around a month. That would cover most of the time he has been out. The recently extended passer admitted frustration with being placed on IR, and SI.com’s Albert Breer expects him to return Sunday.

Retirement would have largely scuttled the massive extension Tagovailoa signed in July. In order to stay on track to secure the money from his four-year, $212.4MM extension ($167.2MM split between full and injury guarantees), the Alabama alum will need to keep playing. A retirement after passing a Dolphins physical would change the game, and it does not appear that will be on the table for the now-highly paid QB.

Of course, the Dolphins will be navigating concerns about Tua protection for the foreseeable future — perhaps for his entire Miami stay. This calls into question the team’s decision to make their starter part of the NFL’s $50MM-AAV club. Then again, Tagovailoa has run McDaniel’s offense effectively for two seasons. The Dolphins redeploying their starter will stand to reignite an offense that has slunk to last place in scoring and 22nd in total offense. Miami ranked second in scoring and led the league in yardage during the 2023 season, one in which Tua played 17 games and placed himself in position for the lucrative payday.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/22/24

October 22nd, 2024 at 5:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: S Erick Hallet

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Prince played under Brian Callahan in Cincinnati but has only played two games over the past two seasons. A six-game starter with the Dolphins and Bengals, Prince missed all of the 2020 season due to a COVID-19 opt-out and then all of the 2022 season due to injury.

The Vikings cut Tonyan from their 53-man roster earlier today, but because the NFC North mainstay is a vested veteran, he did not need to clear waivers before joining Minnesota’s practice squad. With T.J. Hockenson on the way back, Tonyan profiles as insurance.

This is a third chance for Marshall. The Panthers waived him after three seasons. No team claimed the former second-round pick, with Joe Brady‘s Bills passing. The 49ers took a flier soon after but released him last week.

Trade Rumors: Chiefs, Cooper, Browns, Jefferson, Bills, Eagles

October 22nd, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reminding of the 2010s Patriots, the Chiefs have continued to pile up wins lacking in style points. They are the NFL’s lone unbeaten, though the two-time reigning Super Bowl champs’ plus-43 point differential — thanks to four one-score wins — is tied for seventh in the NFL. Kansas City has lost Rashee Rice for the season, and Marquise Brown is out for at least the full regular season. The team also lost JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday; the recently re-signed veteran aggravated a hamstring injury and will miss at least Week 8, Andy Reid said.

While the Chiefs do have an all-time great at tight end in Travis Kelce, albeit a 35-year-old version of the TE/podcast host/actor, they have not seen first-rounder Xavier Worthy develop into a consistent option. The team has used Mecole Hardman more, with Justin Watson and Skyy Moore reprised their 2023 roles as regulars Sunday due to the injuries. Although Kansas City keeps getting by — thanks largely to a stout defense — SI.com’s Albert Breer points to the team still being interested in adding a wideout.

The Chiefs have been linked to DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk recently but have not made a move. It will be interesting to see if an AFC team would be willing to help them construct a better threepeat bid. NFCer Cooper Kupp, however, is available — albeit for a second-round pick. With the deadline moved back a week (to Nov. 5) this year, here is more from the trade market:

  • Amari Cooper relocated to Buffalo last week, with the Browns — after having not extended the reliable veteran this offseason — dealing him to the Bills in a pick-swap trade headlined by a 2025 third-rounder. The Browns were planning to hang onto Cooper until closer to the deadline, according to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. In addition to Buffalo, two other teams were in on the former top-five pick, per Cabot, who adds the other suitors did not match the Bills’ aggression. Cooper did not expect to be dealt, and the Browns did not anticipate the Bills showing such strong interest. The 30-year-old pass catcher caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in his Bills debut.
  • The Bills are not shutting the door on making another move to bolster their enduring Super Bowl quest. Bills GM Brandon Beane said during a Pat McAfee Show interview that Josh Allen‘s presence, despite the team’s cost-cutting moves this offseason, continues to keep the club “all in” toward a Super Bowl push. The eighth-year GM is open to more deals, though The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia indicates a lower-profile trade — potentially for a backup offensive lineman — could be the Cooper encore. Beane added the Browns showing cold feet on Cooper would have prompted the team to keep looking at receiver. Cooper’s presence rounds out Buffalo’s receiving corps, which has seen improvement from Khalil Shakir and some recent growth from rookie Keon Coleman.
  • Another Browns player drawing trade interest: veteran D-lineman Quinton Jefferson. Teams have asked about the recent free agent signing, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes. A productive but nomadic player, Jefferson has played for five teams over the past five years. The former Seahawks draftee has operated as a Browns backup, playing in five games and registering one sack. The Browns used void years to drop Jefferson’s cap hit to $1.2MM (on a one-year, $4MM deal), giving an acquiring team a minimal prorated sum to take on in the event of a trade. The Browns should be expected to move other pieces not essential to their 2025-and-beyond plans, but Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward are viewed as off the table.
  • The Eagles received a bounce-back effort from their pass rush Sunday, preying on Andrew Thomas‘ absence to sack Giants quarterbacks eight times. Jalen Carter and off-ball linebacker Nakobe Dean led the way with two apiece. Defensive ends accounted for the other four, but the edge group has started slowly. Big-ticket FA signing Bryce Huff has 1.5 sacks and just three QB hits in six games. Going into Week 7, Breer added the Eagles — rarely shy about trade talks under Howie Roseman — may be a team to monitor regarding a pass-rushing addition.

Commanders Waive LB Jamin Davis

October 22nd, 2024 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders’ new regime cut a host of Ron Rivera draftees after training camp. The Adam Peters-Dan Quinn duo is making a higher-profile move weeks later.

Jamin Davis, a 2021 first-round pick, received his walking papers Tuesday. Washington waived the fourth-year linebacker. Not yet a vested veteran, Davis can be claimed within the next 24 hours. The Commanders declined Davis’ $14.48MM fifth-year option in May and made multiple key moves at linebacker in free agency.

Under Quinn, Davis has seen his defensive snap share plummet from 86% down to 30%. Washington, which signed Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu in March, has used Davis strictly as a backup this season. He has been a healthy scratch twice, including in Week 6. Davis played 16 defensive snaps in Washington’s rout of Carolina on Sunday. Barring a return on a practice squad deal, the Kentucky alum appears done in Washington.

Davis, 25, was not alone among ILBs in seeing his option declined recently. The Ravens passed on Patrick Queen‘s last year, with fellow 2024 free agent signees Jordyn Brooks and Kenneth Murray seeing theirs declined as well. Davis being cut before becoming an unrestricted free agent naturally dings his stock, which had already trended downward since he came off the 2021 draft board 19th overall.

Although Davis bounced back from a bad rookie year by posting 104 tackles and three sacks in 2022 (before an 89-tackle, three-sack 2023 season), he was drafted to play in Jack Del Rio‘s defense. Davis did not see much of a look from Quinn, who brought in a host of his former players this offseason. Wagner is among them, and Luvu, while having no experience under Quinn, was one of the top free agent LBs available in free agency.

Davis, however, logged edge reps this offseason and has seen time in that role as well. Pro Football Focus even rates the recent hybrid performer, albeit on a limited snap count, inside the top 40 at the position. A team taking on his first-round salary might be a stretch, a claim should not be considered entirely out of the question. Davis’ recent versatility may help that cause — even if it did not help his Commanders standing.

The Commanders will eat a bit of dead money by cutting Davis, though his fully guaranteed rookie contract has seen most of the money paid out. The former high-end prospect will look to reestablish some momentum elsewhere — be it via waiver claim or a free agent signing at a lower rate.

Buccaneers Not Expected To Place Mike Evans On IR; WR To Miss Time

October 22nd, 2024 at 2:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Monday night did not go well for the Buccaneers, who are now facing an immediate future without both their long-running wide receivers. Chris Godwin is set to undergo ankle surgery, and Mike Evans likely needs time off as well.

While not in jeopardy of missing the rest of the season like his longtime sidekick, Evans is expected to miss time. Entering the game with a hamstring injury, Evans aggravated it during Tampa Bay’s loss to Baltimore. The Bucs are not planning to place Evans on IR, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud, but he should be considered likely to miss three games.

[RELATED: Bucs Place CB Jamel Dean On IR]

Todd Bowles has since said he does not expect Evans back until after the bye, even while the third-year Tampa Bay HC labeled the injury “moderate.” Bucs’ bye comes in Week 11. This would give Evans a month off without needing to miss the required four games.

Evans, 31, has proven remarkably durable during his career; he has missed more than two games in a season on just one occasion (2019). Even then, the impact wideout only missed three games. With Godwin also out, the Bucs will face a considerable challenge after a solid start to the season. Godwin sustained a dislocated ankle Monday night and is set for surgery; he is not expected back this season. While that deals a blow to the Bucs, they would be in rarely explored territory if both Evans and Godwin were out.

For the most part, the Bucs have been able to rely on at least one of these two since Godwin moved into the starting lineup during the 2019 season. Both Evans and Godwin did miss the 2019 season’s final two games, and Godwin’s ACL tear in Week 15 of the 2021 season preceded Evans’ one-game absence in Week 16 that year. The team still had Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski at that point, however. Brown’s final completed game as a Buccaneer involved neither Evans nor Godwin. Beyond that, one member of the Bucs’ homegrown pair has been available.

Evans missed two practices last week and logged a limited session to close out the Bucs’ Ravens preparation stretch, but he did not make it through the Baltimore contest. This calls into question the team’s risk management, as hamstring injuries are known to linger. The Bucs face the Falcons, Chiefs and 49ers over the next three weeks. The Atlanta matchup will be critical, as Tampa Bay lost a recent shootout to the Falcons and the rivals are tied atop the NFC South at 4-3.

Evans, 31, re-signed on a frontloaded two-year, $41MM deal just before free agency. While Godwin was off to the better start in sitting second in the NFL in receiving yardage, Evans is still playing well. Last year’s receiving TDs leader stands atop the NFL, with six, this season. Evans has caught 26 passes for 335 yards. Evans is famously 10-for-10 in 1,000-yard seasons. While that is not the NFL record for 1,000-yard slates, no one is close to Evans in terms of four-digit seasons out of the gate. This will hinder a quest for No. 11.

The absences of he and Godwin will certainly present a challenge for Baker Mayfield, who has started well after re-signing on a three-year, $100MM deal a day before the legal tampering period opened. The Bucs used a third-round pick on Jalen McMillan and have 2023 sixth-rounder Trey Palmer as a depth piece as well. Ex-Mayfield college teammate Sterling Shepard, however, leads all non-Evans and Godwin Bucs wideouts with 93 receiving yards. Shepard, who did not factor into the 2023 Giants’ offense prominently, will soon be in for a throwback role.

Rams Designate Puka Nacua For Return

October 22nd, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Puka Nacua continues to make his way back from the knee injury that has defined his second NFL season. The Rams wide receiver made a big step toward a return Tuesday.

The Rams have Nacua back at practice, with the team announcing he has been designated for return. The rookie-year standout now has 21 days to be activated. Of course, this comes as the Rams look into trading Cooper Kupp. But Nacua, who is signed through 2026, remains a key part of the team’s future.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

After seeing Nacua’s breakout begin while Kupp was on the mend with a hamstring injury, the Rams have been without both their top guns in the passing game for most of this slate. Nacua aggravated a knee injury sustained during training camp. He made it back for Week 1 but went down in that Lions matchup with a PCL sprain. A recent report (from ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler) indicated the Rams were targeting November for a Nacua return. This would point to a lengthier ramp-up period.

The Rams continue their season Thursday against the Vikings; they are unlikely to have Nacua available, and Kupp’s status will be a key storyline to monitor ahead of that contest. Los Angeles rebuffed Kupp trade inquiries last season, but at 2-4 and having seen Kupp battle injury issues since signing his second extension, the team is gauging the market for the former All-Pro. A trade coming to fruition would cut short the Kupp-Nacua partnership, which showed promise last season.

A fifth-round gem, Nacua set a rookie record with 1,486 receiving yards while adding six touchdowns during a 105-catch season. The BYU product played in every Rams game last season, displaying a physical style that paired well with Kupp’s finesse game in the slot. Nacua, 23, will be expected to reprise his role as a top Matthew Stafford target. There will be no debating Nacua’s place in the Rams’ WR hierarchy if they move on from Kupp before the November 5 deadline.

Nacua and Kupp played 12 games together last season. None of the contests involved both receivers clearing 100 yards, but the two combined for eight 100-yard efforts during their time together. It does not seem like the Rams are committed to moving Kupp, but if they receive a strong enough offer, the team will be looking for a receiver to complement Nacua. The latter’s health the rest of the way stands to shape how the Rams approach this position in the offseason as well.

Cardinals’ Dennis Gardeck Tears ACL

October 22nd, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Working his way up from primary special-teamer to defensive regular, Dennis Gardeck had found a role in Jonathan Gannon‘s defense. But the veteran’s progress will stop as a result of the injury he sustained Monday night.

Gardeck left the Cardinals’ Week 7 matchup, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports the seventh-year vet sustained a torn ACL. The edge rusher is in the final season of a three-year, $10MM contact.

Although Gardeck had worked as a special-teamer in Vance Joseph‘s defense, Gannon and DC Nick Rallis — as the team cut costs to start a rebuild — moved him into a regular rush role. The effort produced a team-high six sacks last season, and Gardeck had tallied a Cards-leading three early in this campaign. Gardeck has also forced a fumble and intercepted a pass for the 3-4 team.

While Gardeck did well to land the $10MM deal as a special-teamer, this setback could be a crusher as he attempted to make his case for better terms ahead of free agency. The former UDFA turned 30 this year and could have continued building a case for a starter-level contract. With the tear occurring near the midseason point, Gardeck’s value will undoubtedly take a hit.

The Cardinals used Gardeck as a three-game starter, giving him a 45% snap share on defense. He logged a 46% defensive snap rate under Gannon last season. The Cardinals have also been without BJ Ojulari this season; the 2023 second-rounder is out for the year. That will make the Gardeck injury tougher to overcome. Arizona still has former first-round pick Zaven Collins on the edge, but none of the team’s non-Gardeck OLBs have tallied a sack this season. A defense already ranking in the bottom quartile in points and yards allowed will continue an uphill battle.

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