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Matt Skura

Dolphins To Sign C Jonotthan Harrison, C Matt Skura

December 13th, 2023 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the wake of Connor Williams‘ ACL tear, Mike McDaniel said the Dolphins would consider outside options. The AFC East leaders will act on that, signing two experienced centers.

The Dolphins are adding Jonotthan Harrison to their active roster and signing Matt Skura to the practice squad. Harrison will take Williams’ roster spot; the Dolphins placed their two-year starting pivot on IR.

The structure of this two-center plan is a bit unusual, considering Skura started eight Rams games last season and Harrison has not played in a regular-season game since 2019. But both will head to Miami as emergency depth options. The Dolphins are preparing to slide Liam Eichenberg from guard to center, where the third-year lineman played in place of an injured Williams in Week 4.

Harrison, 32, has 42 career starts on his resume. Skura, 30, has 73. Both have bounced around over the past few seasons, but the most notable centers available either announced plans to retire recently or were linked to considering it.

Last seeing action with the Jets in 2019, Harrison has journeyed the Eastern Time Zone since. Starting 10 games for the 2019 Jets, Harrison has since joined the Bills, Giants and Falcons. After spending much of last season on Atlanta’s practice squad, Harrison went to camp with the team this summer. The Falcons cut Harrison in August; he has been out of football since. Harrison is best known for his time in Indianapolis and New York. He started 23 games for the Colts and 19 for the Jets.

Skura, who joined a battered Rams O-line during the 2022 season, would seem a more likely candidate to contribute. But he will join Miami’s P-squad. The Ravens used Skura as a four-year starter, deploying him at guard and center. A modest market awaited the former UDFA in free agency, leading him to the Giants in 2021. It took until late September of last year for Skura to land a gig. As injuries decimated the Rams’ front, Skura stepped in and started eight games. Pro Football Focus graded Skura as an adequate pass blocker last season but maligned his run-blocking performance.

The Dolphins, who let backup Michael Deiter walk in free agency, still have Lester Cotton as an interior backup option. But Skura and Harrison are now part of the contingency plan.

Rams Place G David Edwards On IR

October 11th, 2022 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams’ offensive line continues to struggle, with availability issues plaguing the defending champions up front. They will lose another starter for an extended stretch.

Left guard David Edwards is now on injured reserve. The fourth-year veteran landed in concussion protocol ahead of the Rams’ Week 4 game against the 49ers, missing that contest. After returning against the Cowboys on Sunday, Edwards left the game early and returned to the protocol. He will now miss at least four games.

Concussions are obviously concerning on every level, but a player being forced to miss five games because of one represents less explored territory. This news comes after the Patriots placed Brian Hoyer on IR after his entrance into concussion protocol. The NFL has enhanced its protocols in light of the Tua Tagovailoa saga.

Edwards, who is in a contract year, has been a Rams starter since his rookie season. A former fifth-round pick out of Wisconsin, Edwards has started 45 games as a pro. He started all 21 Rams contests last season and, after the team lost Austin Corbett in free agency, entered this season as a key piece for a retooling Rams O-line that lost left tackle Andrew Whitworth to retirement.

The Rams have dealt with rampant issues on their interior O-line, losing both starters and backups to injuries early this season. These issues have led to Matthew Stafford taking an NFL-most 21 sacks and the Rams’ run game scuffling during a 2-3 start.

Between third-round rookie Logan Bruss‘ ACL and MCL tears during training camp and this Edwards development, the Rams placed two other interior O-linemen — guard/center Coleman Shelton and backup guard Tremayne Anchrum — on the injured list. Center Brian Allen has been out since suffering a knee injury in Week 1. Allen, however, has remained on Los Angeles’ active roster. Shelton and Allen are expected to return this season. Bobby Evans, chosen two rounds ahead of Edwards in the 2019 draft, replaced him in Week 4. He will likely get the call against the Panthers this week.

To replace Edwards on their 53-man roster, the Rams promoted veteran Matt Skura. The former Ravens and Giants blocker makes for an interesting addition. He has made 65 career starts since 2017. The Ravens used Skura as a four-year starter, at center and guard, but did not retain him as a 2021 free agent. The Dolphins signed Skura to a one-year, $1.75MM deal but cut him before last season began. Skura wound up with the Giants and made 14 starts for a depleted New York unit. He joins Oday Aboushi (47 career starts) as veteran backup options for the Rams. Aboushi has played only on special teams for the Rams this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/8/22

October 8th, 2022 at 5:42pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the roster moves for today, leading into gameday tomorrow. Reminder that gameday elevations will revert to the practice squad after this weekend’s games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/22

September 21st, 2022 at 6:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

  • Signed: OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

AFC North Rumors: Ravens, Jackson, Browns, Steelers

February 5th, 2022 at 9:35pm CST by Ely Allen

Ravens’ general manager Eric DeCosta‘s end-of-season press conference touched on a number of subjects, including the contract extension negotiations with star quarterback Lamar Jackson. While The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec does note that head coach John Harbaugh and DeCosta make it seem as if the deal is imminent, it isn’t guaranteed that Jackson signs an extension before the start of the 2022 NFL season.

“I would say that we’re working at Lamar’s pace. He’s comfortable with where we are right now,” DeCosta stated. He did call negotiations “unusual” with Jackson essentially acting as his own agent. There doesn’t seem to be any rush to get a deal done, though. DeCosta acknowledged that the Ravens are fine with Jackson playing on his fifth-year option, and Jackson seems more focused on the team’s unfinished business after being the AFC’s number one-seed in 2020 but failing to make it to a Super Bowl yet.

Here are a few more notes on the AFC North, starting with another item out of Charm City:

  • DeCosta spoke a bit, as well, about the team’s plan to focus on offensive line this offseason. One of the things that they fear they’ll need to address is the free agency of center Bradley Bozeman. Bozeman moved from guard to center after Matt Skura signed with the Dolphins in free agency last year, and they’re afraid Bozeman’s play has priced him out of Maryland. Baltimore saw Ryan Jensen leave to become the highest paid center in football in 2018, so they’re certainly used to replacing centers. They currently have utility lineman Patrick Mekari, who has started games at all three offensive line positions throughout his young Ravens’ career, and who signed an extension late in the season.
  • Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller became close friends as they rehabbed together in Colorado Springs last offseason, dreaming about eventually playing together. According to George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal, Beckham made it clear that if they were to make it a reality, it couldn’t be in orange and brown. Miller informed Thomas that Beckham told him straight up, “Don’t come to Cleveland.” In the end, Miller was traded to the Rams and, following a nasty separation from the Browns, Beckham signed to join him in Los Angeles. The pair are now set to play in Super Bowl LVI against a team Beckham knows all too well from his time in the AFC North.
  • With longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retiring last week, head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert represented Pittsburgh at Senior Bowl practices this week. Despite the quarterback group leaving much to be desired through some injury concerns and bad weather, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus reports that buzz around the event is that the Steelers like Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. Willis has shown the best combination of athleticism and arm strength at practices this week and a source informed Kyed that he’s impressed in interviews, as well. The Steelers currently hold the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and could easily see Willis fall to them, as he’s been seen as a borderline first round pick since declaring. They could also risk potentially missing out on him and trade back later in the first round or early in the second and try to maximize need and value.

Giants Promote Matt Skura 

September 16th, 2021 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have promoted offensive lineman Matt Skura to the 53-man roster (Twitter link via agent David Canter). Skura will be eligible to play tonight against the Washington Football Team, providing depth in the wake of Shane Lemieux‘s knee injury.

Lemieux, the starting left guard, was replaced by Ben Bredeson last week. Nick Gates could also step in at LG if former Bengals first rounder Billy Price is shifted to the middle. In any scenario, Skura offers some upside as a supporting cast member.

Skura spent four seasons as a Ravens starter, working at center and guard. He operated as Baltimore’s starting center for most of Lamar Jackson‘s tenure, helping the team to historic rushing totals. The Giants added him to their taxi squad earlier this month after he was dropped by the Dolphins.

Skura, 27, comes with 51 games of starting experience and a serious medical file. The veteran started 16 games for the Ravens in 2018 but tore his ACL, MCL and PCL towards the end of the 2019 season. He didn’t bounce back all that well last year — Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s worst centers before he lost his starting job in Baltimore.

The offensive line has been a sticking point for the Giants for years, so they’re eager to find solutions. After falling 27-13 in the season opener against the Broncos, they’ll aim for the .500 mark tonight against Washington.

Giants To Add Matt Skura To Practice Squad

September 2nd, 2021 at 9:13am CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants continue to scoop up former AFC North O-linemen. After making two trades to bolster their front, they are planning to add Matt Skura to their practice squad, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets.

Skura spent four seasons as a Ravens starter, working at center and guard. He operated as Baltimore’s starting center for most of Lamar Jackson‘s tenure, helping the team to historic rushing totals. The Ravens, however, did not re-sign him in free agency this year.

The Dolphins released Skura earlier this week, doing so after acquiring Greg Mancz from the Ravens. The Giants will give Skura, 27, another opportunity. This move comes after the Giants acquired center Billy Price from the Bengals and guard Ben Bredeson from the Ravens.

Although Skura is a Duke alum, his last year as a Blue Devils blocking cog (2015) came before Daniel Jones became the team’s starting quarterback. Still, this will bring a 51-game starter to Big Blue’s practice squad. Skura lost his starting job late last season, when Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s worst centers, but he was coming off a severe 2019 setback. Skura, who started 16 games for the Ravens in 2018, tore his ACL, MCL and PCL late in the 2019 regular season.

The offensive line has been a sticking point for the Giants for years, and this preseason was no exception. At center, the team has Nick Gates in place as a starter, with Price on the active roster as a backup. Price has not been a full-time starter at center since his 2018 rookie season.

Dolphins Release C Matt Skura

August 30th, 2021 at 4:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Skura‘s stint with the Dolphins has already come to an end. The Dolphins are cutting the veteran center, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

Back in March, Skura inked a one-year, $1.75MM deal ($400K guaranteed) with Miami. Today’s move will provide the organization with about $1.35MM in cap space.

The 28-year-old was expected to provide some experience to a young offensive line. However, it never sounded like the organization was committed to Skura as their starting center. Shortly after signing him, we learned that the Dolphins had still pursued center David Andrews before he landed back with the Patriots. We later heard that 2019 third-round pick Michael Deiter had likely earned the starting center gig, and it sounded like the team’s recent acquisition of lineman Greg Mancz could ultimately cost Skura his roster spot.

Skura had issues snapping the ball at times during his final season with the Ravens and wound up getting the hook in favor of Patrick Mekari. In total, he made 12 starts, giving him 51 total first-string appearances over the course of four seasons in Baltimore. Originally an UDFA out of Duke in 2016, Skura spent his rookie year on the practice squad. As a sophomore he was called on to start 12 games at guard when Marshal Yanda missed most of the season. The following year he became the team’s center, starting all 16 games. After starting 11 games in 2019 Skura tore an ACL and had significant other damage in his knee, but he made it back in time for 2020 training camp and started the season on time.

Ravens Trade OL Greg Mancz To Dolphins

August 28th, 2021 at 12:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens have made their second trade of the week. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Baltimore has traded offensive lineman Greg Mancz to the Dolphins for a late-round draft pick. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley clarifies (on Twitter) that Mancz and a seventh-round pick (acquired from the Patriots earlier this week) will head to Miami, with the Dolphins sending the Ravens a sixth-round pick.

[RELATED: Ravens Trade Shaun Wade To Patriots]

Mancz, a former undrafted free agent, spent six years with the Texans, starting 13 of his 28 games. However, the veteran struggled to get on the field during his final two seasons in Houston, combining for only 13 games played. This included a 2020 campaign when he saw time in only four games, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.

The 29-year-old joined the Ravens practice squad late last season, and he inked a reserve/futures contract with the team in January. However, as the preseason went on, most pundits dropped the veteran from their roster predictions.

Now, Mancz will have a chance to stick around Miami. The veteran could be useful thanks to his versatility; he’s lined up at center, guard, and right tackle throughout his career. The Dolphins’ offensive line appears to be just about set, but the team could be looking for some reinforcement after second-round rookie Liam Eichenberg suffered an injury during this week’s practice. Adam Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com speculates that today’s move could also cost veteran Matt Skura his roster spot. The veteran center already found himself behind Michael Deiter on the depth chart, and cutting the 28-year-old could save Miami $1.4MM against the cap.

Dolphins Make Changes On Offensive Line

August 18th, 2021 at 3:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trading for 2019 second-round pick Greg Little, the Dolphins continue to shuffle their offensive line group. But they are making more changes among their in-house personnel as well.

They have shifted second-round pick Liam Eichenberg from tackle to guard, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. While Dolphins offensive line coach Lemuel Jeanpierre initially said the move was to give the Notre Dame product experience at guard, Adam Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com notes the Dolphins view versatile veteran Jesse Davis as a better option to start at right tackle this season than Eichenberg. Davis, a former UDFA, was the Dolphins’ primary right tackle in 2019. Eichbenberg was an All-American left tackle with the Fighting Irish, starting there for three years.

Eichenberg is working as Miami’s first-string left guard, however. The team’s directions with Davis and Eichenberg have resulted in two starters from last season — Robert Hunt and Solomon Kindley — vying for the starting right guard role, Beasley adds. The Dolphins moved Hunt from tackle to guard this offseason. While they have been high on the 2020 second-round pick, viewing him as a possible Pro Bowler inside, the Louisiana product is currently battling for a starting spot in camp.

Additionally, Miami appears to be moving toward giving 2019 third-round pick Michael Deiter — a full-time guard starter as a rookie but a backup in 2020 — its starting center position over free agent acquisition Matt Skura, per Beasley. Skura represents a veteran presence on a group that lost D.J. Fluker early in camp, but Davis could end up being the only seasoned starter tabbed to be part of the Dolphins’ O-line in Week 1. Deiter played more games at guard at Wisconsin but was a 16-game center starter with the Big Ten program.

Pro Football Focus ranked the 2020 Miami O-line 28th, and it is possible only one player — left tackle Austin Jackson — will end up in the same position he primarily played last season. The team traded 2020 guard starter Ereck Flowers this offseason as well, and that change may be one of many at this Dolphins position group this year. It will certainly be interesting to see how Miami’s O-line configuration looks come Week 1.

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