HEADLINES

Raiders Bench QB Gardner Minshew

October 6th, 2024 at 10:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Gardner Minshew received the backing of Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce earlier in the season, but a quarterback change has indeed been made partway through the team’s Week 5 matchup.

Minshew began the game completing 12 of 17 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown. He threw an interception when the Raiders were close to scoring a touchdown, however, with Broncos corner Patrick Surtain returning it 100 yards for a Denver score. Minshew then tossed another pick late in the third quarter, and Vegas’ next possession had Aidan O’Connell in at quarterback. He completed 10 of his 20 passing attempts for 94 yards and an interception of his own as the Raiders fell to the Broncos, 34-18.

Pierce declined to name a Week 6 start immediately after the loss, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, but the mid-game switch indicates that a long-term change at quarterback is under consideration.

O’Connell had an encouraging finish to his rookie season in 2023, having been inserted into the lineup once Pierce was promoted to head coach on an interim basis. O’Connell received praise from the head coach during the offseason, but the Raiders gave Minshew a two-year, $25MM pact in free agency to serve as a bridge starter mentoring a rookie or a veteran capable of handling full-time starting duties. Neither passer ran away with the QB1 gig this summer, and it was Minshew who got the nod for the beginning of the campaign.

Through Vegas’ first four contests, the 28-year-old completed a career-high 70.7% of his passes. That resulted in an average of only 219 yards per game, though, and Minshew threw as many touchdowns (three) as interceptions. Struggling in the turnover department today – something which was a factor in him landing the starter’s role in the first place – has exacerbated the ongoing questions about Minshew’s status atop the depth chart. For a brief stretch, at least, O’Connell will get the opportunity to lead the Raiders’ offense.

Of course, that unit does not have All-Pro wideout Davante Adams in place for time being, and a trade sending him elsewhere could be finalized in the coming days. The likes of first-round rookie tight end Brock Bowers and veteran receiver Jakobi Meyers will handle the build of Vegas’ pass-catching work provided Adams does end up being dealt ahead of the trade deadline. With or without him, a strong showing by O’Connell, 26, could allow him to take over as the starter moving forward.

The Purdue product is attached to his rookie contract through the 2026 campaign, while Minshew’s deal includes $3.16MM guaranteed for next year. Both signal-callers should remain in the fold regardless of how the rest of this season plays out, but an extended O’Connell evaluation period could now be in store.

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Saints, Dennis

October 6th, 2024 at 10:11pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Bryce Young may have entered the game in place of Andy Dalton during the Panthers‘ Week 5 loss to the Bears, but head coach Dave Canales told media that Dalton would remain the team’s starting quarterback moving forward.

Canales explained that the quarterback change was more about limiting Dalton’s exposure behind an injured Carolina offensive line than it was about giving Young another opportunity to earn the starting gig, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. The Panthers lost starting center Austin Corbett and starting right tackle Taylor Moton to injuries during Sunday’s loss, forcing Canales to prioritize Dalton’s health with Carolina trailing by four possessions.

“We had a couple of injuries on the offensive line and wanting to get [Young] in there, get some live reps,” Canales said. “It was something where I wanted to get Andy out of there and just give Bryce an opportunity to continue some football in there while we had time.”

Canales confirmed that Dalton would start for the Panthers in Week 6, though it’s worth noting that he made a similar declaration about Young’s job safety after the former No. 1 overall pick struggled in Week 2 against the Chargers. Canales declined to offer any insight on the Panthers’ long-term plans for Young, and though his history as a quarterback-friendly coach suggests he could still get the best out of his young signal-caller, rumblings about a 2025 trade have surfaced. The Panthers rebuffed four trade inquiries already.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • The Saints ruled tight end Taysom Hill out of their Monday night matchup with the Chiefs due to a rib injury. Hill missed the Saints’ Week 3 matchup against the Eagles with a chest injury, but returned to full practice participation the following week. He then sustained fractured ribs against the Falcons in Week 4, sidelining him for Week 5 and potentially beyond. Dennis Allen (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell) declined to say how may ribs Hill fractured. Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson will take on a bigger role in New Orleans’ offense with Hill sidelined, but his versatility will be difficult for offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to replace. He may have to take some Hill-focused plays out of his playbook entirely with his unique offensive weapon absent from the lineup.
  • The Saints‘ offense stunned the NFL with its explosive start to the year, dropping 91 points on their first two opponents before cooling off in Weeks 3 and 4. Head coach Dennis Allen worked with Kubiak to simplify the offense for Derek Carr after years of complexity became ingrained in New Orleans’ system under Sean Payton and Drew Brees. Carr is making fewer adjustments at the line of scrimmage, while Kubiak has dialed up play action at a league-leading frequency.
  • Second-year Buccaneers linebacker SirVocea Dennis is not expected to return from injured reserve anytime soon, per Greg Auman of The Athletic. Dennis injured his shoulder over the summer but played in Tampa Bay’s first three games before leaving in Week 4 after aggravating the issue. The Buccaneers placed Dennis on IR on October 1, sidelining him through at least Week 8. Tampa Bay has relied on K.J. Britt to take on Dennis’ vacated snaps after the duo began the year splitting time on the field alongside veteran Lavonte David.
  • The Falcons restructured the contract of veteran defensive tackle David Onyemata recently, per ESPN’s Field Yates, creating $4.85MM of cap space. Onyemata remains tied to the three-year, $35MM deal he signed in March 2023. This update balloons the DT’s 2025 cap number to $16.93MM. For 2024, however, Atlanta now has just under $10MM in cap space, ranking 20th in the NFL.

Dolphins S Jevon Holland Expected To Miss Time

October 6th, 2024 at 8:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

As the Dolphins stopped their losing skid in games Tua Tagovailoa did not finish, another of their top players sustained an injury that is expected to sideline him for a bit.

Safety Jevon Holland suffered a broken bone in his hand in Sunday’s win over the Patriots, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It is not yet known if IR will be in play here, but the Dolphins are readying to play without their top safety.

Holland’s left hand was in a cast following the game, with some discussion of surgery between he and his teammates, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. An extended absence by the star safety would be a significant blow to a Miami defense that entered Week 4 allowing just 162.5 passing yards per game, the fifth-lowest in the NFL.

The Dolphins also played their Week 5 game without their other starting safety, Jordan Poyer, who missed his first game of the season due to a shin injury. Elijah Campbell is listed as Holland’s backup on the Dolphins’ depth chart, but he started just two games across his first four NFL seasons. Mike McDaniel could instead turn to veteran Marcus Maye, who signed with Miami in June. Maye has 77 starts across his eight year career, though he has played just 25% of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps this season.

Holland is also in the final year of his rookie contract, so his broken bone could impact his upcoming negotiations with the Dolphins. The two sides had yet to make progress on extension talks entering the season, and Holland’s injury may throw another wrench into this matter.

The former second-round pick was active for every game in his first two NFL seasons before a concussion sidelined him in Week 8 last year. A knee malady held him out from Weeks 12 to 15 in 2023 and recurred in Week 18 to keep him out of the Dolphins’ wild-card loss to the Chiefs. Holland will be looking to capitalize on the recent boom in safety salaries, so a smooth recovery will be important to ensure that Miami (or a free agency suitor) will be getting its money’s worth.

49ers’ Jake Moody Suffers High Ankle Sprain

October 6th, 2024 at 8:32pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jake Moody was carted off the field after attempting a tackle on a kickoff return in the first half, sidelining him for the remainder of the game. He was replaced by punter Mitch Wishnowsky, who converted a 26-yard field goal before halftime but did not attempt a kick in the second half. This hindered the 49ers in a narrow loss to the Cardinals.

San Francisco’s kicker suffered a high ankle sprain during Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. This injury is to Moody’s right kicking leg and introduces a scenario in which the 49ers will need to add a kicker. Moody is expected to miss multiple games, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.

Moody’s injury certainly impacted Kyle Shanahan‘s decision-making as the 49ers attempted to hold onto a 23-10 halftime lead. The 49ers tried to convert for a fourth-and-23 from the Cardinals’ 27-yard line in the third quarter instead of sending Wishnowsky out for a 44-yard field goal attempt. Brock Purdy‘s pass fell incomplete, and the Cardinals took advantage of the opportunity with a touchdown drive that cut the lead to three points.

Moody was wearing a walking boot following the game, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The second-year kicker told media in the locker room that he would get an MRI to determine the severity of his injury. Chosen in Round 3 last year, the Michigan alum played in every 49ers game as a rookie.

“It rolled underneath me, spun a little farther than it should. Nothing’s broken thankfully,” said Moody, via KNBR. 

With a visit to Seattle on Thursday night ahead, the 49ers will need to move quickly to evaluate their kicking situation and sign a stop-gap replacement for Moody if needed. Shanahan pointed to a replacement coming in.

“They’ll work on that stuff right away,” said Shanahan in his postgame press conference. “We’ll get them in as fast as possible, and pick the best guy we can.”

The Cardinals faced a kicker crisis of their own this week with veteran Matt Prater dealing with a left knee injury. Arizona signed ex-Patriots kicker Chad Ryland to its practice squad on Wednesday and elevated him for Sunday’s game. Ryland made three of his four field goal attempts against the 49ers, including a 35-yard game-winner with 1:37 remaining in the fourth quarter. Prater remains on the Cardinals’ 53-man roster, with the team going with two kickers for the time being. The 49ers will need to weigh Moody’s recovery timetable with other roster needs, as a Moody IR move would sideline him for four games.

Raiders’ Davante Adams Likely To Recover In Time For Week 6; Latest On Trade Market

October 6th, 2024 at 6:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 6: Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Press-Gazette confirms the Steelers are among the teams which have called about Adams’ availability. As he notes, though, it remains to be seen how much interest Adams would have in heading to Pittsburgh and committing to the necessary contract adjustments for a deal to become feasible. Adams does not have a no-trade clause or other official leverage in determining his destination, meaning the Steelers remain in play as a suitor; whether they become a serious contender to swing a trade remains to be seen, though.

OCTOBER 5: Davante Adams will not play on Sunday as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. That process has doubled as the intensification of his trade market, with several suitors being linked to an agreement with the Raiders.

Vegas is insisting on a trade price of a second-round pick and more to move on from the All-Pro wideout. Retaining some of his salary could take place to make that possible, but Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson writes multiple league executives view that price as “exorbitant.” Even with a lesser financial acquisition cost, teams could be hard-pressed to part with signficant draft capital for player whose non-guaranteed salaries in 2025 and ’26 would essentially make him a rental, something a number of suitors view him as.

A long-term commitment in Adams would, on the other hand, especially make sense if it were to come from the Jets or Saints. Those teams have long been at the top of the list of teams mentioned as landing spots for the 31-year-old, whose preference would be to reunite with Aaron Rodgers. A deal sending him to New Orleans and thus reconnecting him with Derek Carr and receivers coach Keith Williams is also on the radar, though, and Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports Adams has “concerns” about Rodgers’ willingness to remain with New York beyond 2024 (subscription required).

While several reports still tap the Jets as the frontrunner in this case, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds the Saints have been the most aggressive suitor to date. New Orleans does not have the necessary cap space to swing an Adams acquisition, and the team is (as per usual) on track to require several cuts and restructures to attain compliance next offseason. Taking on Adams’ contract now and in the future would be a challenge, though bringing him into the fold could prove to be highly impactful in the NFC South race.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, to little surprise, the Raiders’ preference would be to avoid retaining any portion of Adams’ outstanding base salary (roughly $13.5MM at this point). That could limit the number of suitors unless the asking price in terms of draft compensation were to come down, but many are still in contention as things stand. The Commanders may be among them, but even if not the Steelers, Ravens and Bills have made inquiries as well. Russini adds Pittsburgh – connected to non-Adams trade targets as well – is making an “aggressive” offer, although no deal with any team is considered imminent.

As for Baltimore and Buffalo, Robinson notes a second-rounder is too high of an asking price for a deal to receive serious consideration. The Ravens, per Schefter, have not been in contact with the Raiders for several days. The Cowboys will be without Brandin Cooks for at least four games, but the team has made it clear fitting Adams into its financial planning would be a tall order. 49ers general manager John Lynch‘s latest comments on a potential pursuit of the six-time Pro Bowler, meanwhile, suggested San Francisco is an unlikely destination. The same may well be true of the Chiefs, but they are positioned to test the Raiders’ stance on taking the best offer given their need for a receiver.

Rapoport’s piece notes Adams is likely to be healed in time for Week 6. Trade talks should heat up in the coming days, he and Schefter add, so further developments on this ever-evolving front can be expected. November 5 looms as the trade deadline, and as such the Raiders can still afford to be patient while attempting to cultivate the best market possible over the near future.

Colts G Will Fries To Undergo Leg Surgery

October 6th, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

Will Fries was carted off the field during the Colts’ Week 5 loss to the Jaguars. A long-term absence is in store for the fourth-year guard as a result.

Fries is set to undergo surgery tonight in a Jacksonville hospital, as noted by Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star. No immediate prognosis is in place, but the severity of the ailment – a tibia fracture in his right leg – is clear. A move to injured reserve should be expected, and it will be interesting to see if Fries will be able to return at some point late in the year.

The 26-year-old’s absence (regardless of how long it winds up being) will be acutely felt up front for the Colts. Fries made only three appearances during his rookie season, but he made nine starts the following year and took on a permanent first-team role in 2023. Last year resulted in another career-best PFF grade, and he landed the 32nd-best evaluation for guards.

Through the early portion of the current campaign, Fries has exceled in the ground game in particular. The former seventh-rounder entered Week 5 as PFF’s second-highest rated guard, and continuing that strong play would have been key for him individually and the Colts as a team. As a pending free agent, today’s injury threatens to hinder Fries’ market value on a second Indianapolis contract – something which could be challenging to afford given the investment already made in fellow guard Quenton Nelson – or one sending him to a new team.

The Colts were already without center Ryan Kelly for Sunday’s contest, and losing Fries thrust another inexperienced blocker into the mix. Dalton Tucker, an undrafted rookie, took over at right guard in place of the Penn State product, and he could occupy a starting role for the foreseeable future. The outcome of Fries’ surgery and his prognosis will be worth watching for closely.

Tom Gores To Purchase Minority Share Of Chargers

October 6th, 2024 at 4:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Dean Spanos is set to remain the Chargers’ controlling owner, but his siblings will soon have their respective shares in the team bought out. A deal is in place for Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores to buy a 27% stake in the franchise, as detailed by ESPN’s Kris Rhim and Michael Rothenstein.

That share encompasses the 24% stake owned by Dea Spanos Berberian as well as the 1% shares which cover part of Dean’s share as well as the other Spanos siblings, Michael and Alexis Spanos Ruhl. The transaction – which is expected to be on the agenda during the October league meeting – still needs to be approved by the league’s owners. Provided it does, it will bring to an end legal issues which have taken place over the past several years related to the Bolts’ ownership situation.

Spanos Berberian filed multiple lawsuits dating back to 2021 in an attempt to force Dean to sell the franchise. Those suits (which cited increasing family debt as a reason to sell) drew angst among the rest of the family, although Dean had pledged in a letter two years earlier to retain an investment bank which would assist in a sale following the 2024 campaign. That will not be taking place, but a notable cash infusion is set to be received. Spanos Berberian’s suits, per the report, will be dropped as a condition of this agreement.

No details on the valuation of the Chargers is known at this point as it pertains to this agreement, but even a non-controlling share figures to check in at a massive figure given how NFL franchises have exploded in value recently. The most recent example of that trend is the sale of the Commanders, which led to Josh Harris spending $6.05 billion to purchase the team last summer.

Notably, the deal is set to be finalized not long after the NFL’s recent decision to allow private equity firms to buy minority stakes in franchises. That move brought the league in line with other North American pro sports operations, and Gores bought out Platinum Equity’s share in the Pistons in 2015 when he took over full control of that organization. Platinum Equity will not be involved in this transaction, however, per the ESPN report; Gores will individually become a minority owner.

Alex Spanos bought the then-San Diego Chargers in in 1984, and Dean took over one decade later. The latter’s tenure has, of course, primarily been defined by the franchise’s move to Los Angeles in addition to the legal battle involving his siblings. Those will be put to rest once the sale is ratified, though, and Spanos will be positioned to remain the controlling owner for the foreseeable future.

Odell Beckham Jr. Addresses Knee Surgery, Dolphins Deal

October 6th, 2024 at 3:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Odell Beckham Jr. was activated from the PUP list in time to make his Dolphins debut in Week 5. A knee injury prevented him from being healthy at the start of the campaign, something the veteran wideout recently expounded on.

“[After last] season, there was a lot going on in my life, personal life, businesses, all of that, that just kind of had me in a place where football wasn’t exactly a priority,” Beckham said (via Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network). “So football wasn’t exactly the first and foremost thing on my mind.

“Then I had to have a small clean up of the knee and just kind of going through that free agency process. You know, my agent and I went back and forth, whether we do it right after the season or we wait until free agency happens and I just feel like I waited too late.”

Indeed, it took until May for a deal between Beckham and the Dolphins to be worked out. That one-year pact has a value of $3MM, a reflection of what he is expected to produce with his latest team. The 31-year-old posted a 35-565-3 touchdown statline during his single campaign with the Ravens last year, and he is slated to handle WR3 duties in Miami behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. As Beasley notes, the Dolphins were on board with the timing of Beckham’s procedure knowing he would likely miss time at the start of the season. That allowed the former Rams Super Bowl winner to proceed with his Miami pact rather than continuing to wait out free agency.

Of course, the team’s offense is dealing with the absence of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the time being, and efficient passing attacks have not been present since his latest concussion. Beckham could help in that department once he returns to game shape after an offseason spent rehabbing from the surgery. Details on his recovery were scarce through the summer, with Miami electing to take a cautious approach which makes sense given the three-time Pro Bowler’s history of knee injuries.

A healthy slate the rest of the way on Beckham’s part would be welcomed for Miami’s offense as the team looks to build off Sunday’s win over the Patriots. That game brought the Dolphins’ record to 2-3, but improvement on offense will be needed moving forward. If Beckham can provide it, he could have a more traditional free agent process during the spring.

Bears’ Teven Jenkins Still Aiming For Extension; Nate Davis Likely To Be Cut?

October 6th, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

The guard position could see multiple changes for the Bears this offseason. Teven Jenkins is a pending free agent, while Nate Davis‘ pact does not include guaranteed money after the 2024 campaign.

Jenkins was eligible for an extension this offseason, and he attempted to start negotiations on a second contract. That effort was unsuccessful, though, which left the summer as a period for the 26-year-old to turn his attention on preparing for the 2024 campaign. A new commitment could still be worked out, but that may not be the case until after Chicago’s Week 7 bye.

Attempts on the part of Jenkins and his camp to agree to a new deal date back to the end of the 2023 season, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. After a poor rookie season spent as a right tackle, the former second-rounder found success by moving inside to guard and in doing so demonstrated his potential as an extension candidate. Jenkins drew favorable PFF evaluations in 2022 and ’23, although his early showings this season have not been graded as well.

The guard market has seen positive movement in recent years, and four players at that spot are now attached to an AAV of $20MM or more. Jenkins will not approach that mark on a new deal, but a raise would be in store if he and the Bears were to engage in serious negotiations for a second contract. Regardless of if that takes place, though, Davis’ future in the Windy City appears to be on shaky ground.

The former Titan inked a three-year, $30MM deal in free agency but did not live up to expectations last season. Davis was limited to 11 games and earned the second-lowest PFF grade of his career. His evaluation through the current season has not been encouraging either, and a release next offseason (before or after June 1) would produce $9.5MM in cap savings while only generating a $2MM dead money charge. As Biggs notes, it would come as no surprise if Davis were to be let go this spring.

That would create one vacancy for a starting guard spot, but of course that number could jump to two if Jenkins were allowed to depart in free agency. Without any contract talks taking place for now, plenty is left to be determined over the coming weeks up front for the Bears. The team’s offensive line – a unit which, Biggs adds, could see Ryan Bates activated from injured reserve after the bye – will certainly be worth watching closely as the campaign continues.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Resumes On-Field Work

October 6th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Ely Allen

October 6: According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the bilateral tendinitis is not regarded as a pressing concern, as the issue is mostly concentrated in just one of McCaffrey’s legs. CMC did indeed take part in on-field work this week, and he did not experience any setbacks with either his Achilles or his calf ailments.

There is still a chance that McCaffrey will return to game action for the 49ers’ Week 7 tilt with the Chiefs on October 20, provided that his recovery continues to go smoothly. It still seems that the Week 8 contest against the Cowboys or Week 10 matchup with the Bucs are more likely return dates — San Francisco has a Week 9 bye — but the fact that Week 7 is even in play is obviously good news.

October 4: Last we heard, NFL media was circulating good news coming off of Christian McCaffrey‘s medical trip to Germany, where he sought treatment for the Achilles tendinitis that has held him out of the season thus far. Reports claimed that McCaffrey would start running on hard ground this past week and that he was expected back by November. The next day, though, head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that some updates were maybe not as optimistic, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Specifically, Shanahan confirmed reports that McCaffrey’s is dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinitis, meaning that the injury is affecting both of the running back’s lower limbs. In the quote, Shanahan hypothesizes that the injury manifested in one leg and that, due to compensating to stay off of that leg, it developed in the other leg as a result.

After being placed on injured reserve just before their Week 2 contest, McCaffrey still will be required to sit out one more game before he’s even eligible to return from IR, but no one seems to anticipate that early of a return. The reason for the extended recovery period is that the 49ers’ plan has been to give McCaffrey time simply to rest before returning for rehabilitation.

“We’ll try the ramp-up,” general manager John Lynch told the media, “and God willing, the thing has quieted down, and we can build him back up in a really smart and thoughtful way.”

While everyone seems to be saying all the right things at times, the air of uncertainty casts a shroud of doubt on the situation. Once McCaffrey reports back to practice, we’ll finally have some eyes on the situation and some expectations to come along with it. Until then, though, McCaffrey’s situation remains as cloudy as ever.

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