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Su’a Cravens

Redskins’ Su’a Cravens To Return

December 12th, 2017 at 9:49am CST by Zachary Links

Redskins safety Su’a Cravens is coming back. On Tuesday morning, the safety’s agent released a statement announcing that Cravens will return to football in 2018. Su'a Cravens (vertical)

“My client suffered from Post Concussion Syndrome and, under the care of Dr. Michael Collins as the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Su’a has undergone targeted treatment and rehabilitation. He is now asymptomatic and cleared to return back to all things football. Su’a is excited and looking forward to the 2018 NFL season and the many years to follow,” agent Fadde Mikhail wrote.

Noticeably absent from Mikhail’s statement is any mention of the Redskins. Right now, it’s unclear whether the Redskins want Cravens back. The team had high hopes for Cravens this year, but he decided to retire days before the season opener. He later reversed that decision, but the Redskins held him out for the entire season by placing him on the reserve/left squad list.

Cravens, a second round pick in the 2016 draft, played as something of a hybrid linebacker in 2016. He wound up playing on 36.5% of Washington’s defensive snaps while playing primarily in coverage. Through ten games (three starts), Cravens recorded 22 tackles, one sack, one interception, and five passes defensed, all while grading as the league’s No. 27 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus. This year, he was set to focus more on the secondary.

 

Su’a Cravens Wants To Return In 2018

September 23rd, 2017 at 2:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Redskins ended the back-and-forth drama regarding Su’a Cravens‘ status by placing the versatile defender on the reserve/left squad list and might be set to move on from him.

Despite his would-be sophomore season ending before it started, Cravens now is planning on a return to football for the 2018 season. He doesn’t appear to be certain that’s going to happen, but after informing Washington he planned to retire then backtracking on that decision, Cravens plans to come back in a year.

“I would just say God has a plan for everybody and right now he’s putting me through something he knows I can handle. It will make me stronger,” Cravens said Saturday, via John Keim of ESPN.com. “Hopefully around this time next year I’ll be back on that field.”

The Redskins’ decision to end Cravens’ season despite the key defender’s willingness to return came because the team wasn’t certain he could be trusted to remain with the team. Worries about how other Washington players would react to Cravens’ return also played a role in the team putting a potential return on hold, Keim reports.

Personal issues caused Cravens to consider retirement, Keim notes, adding the former USC standout did not reveal why he initially told the Redskins he planned to retire.

“It’s tough. I grew up loving football and grew up loving to play football,” Cravens said, “so the fact that I’m in the middle of my career and I’m not playing, it’s different. It’s difficult.”

Should Cravens return next season, his rookie contract would toll, meaning the Redskins would still control his rights for three more years.

Redskins Players Unhappy With Su’a Cravens

September 19th, 2017 at 1:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite having two injured safeties, the Redskins barred Su’a Cravens from playing this season by placing him on the reserve/left team list. The decision was perplexing for some fans, but Redskins players were frustrated with the second-year player, Mike Jones of The Washington Post hears. Su'a Cravens (vertical)

Cravens disrupted the Redskins’ plans in a major way when he made his surprising decision to retire so close to the start of the season. The team’s decision makers were irked by the move and that feeling apparently extended to the locker room.

Cravens flip-flopped on his decision hours later, but it still wasn’t clear afterwards whether he was ready to resume playing football. He made plans to report to the team on Tuesday, but the Redskins were not convinced that he mentally prepared to get back on the field and never agreed to that plan.

Apparently, Cravens’ actions over the weekend further hurt his standing with the club. On Saturday, Cravens attended the USC-Texas game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to cheer on his former Trojan teammates. When Washington took on the Rams on Sunday at the Coliseum, Cravens did not return to support the Redskins. Both the Redskins’ front office and the Redskins’ locker room took notice.

Things can always change, but right now, it sounds like the Redskins are ready to move on from Cravens altogether. Cravens, meanwhile, has the option to fight the designation by filing a non-injury grievance, Jim Trotter of ESPN.com tweets.

Latest On Redskins’ Su’a Cravens

September 18th, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins placed defensive back Su’a Cravens on the reserve/left squad list even though they knew he planned to report this week, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Cravens will not show up on Tuesday as planned, and his tenure in Washington could be over, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.Su'a Cravens (Vertical)

Cravens, of course, vacillated on a retirement decision earlier this month, and his situation stunned many in the Redskins’ front office and locker room. Ultimately, Washington placed the 2016 second-round pick on the reserve/left squad list, entitling the club to a four-week roster exemption. Cravens was not aware the Redskins planned to shift to the the reserve/left squad designation — which ensures he won’t play in the 2017 season — until the transaction was already made, per Florio.

Given that his contract should toll, Cravens will now be under Washington team control though 2020. However, as La Canfora reports, the Redskins may have no interest in retaining Cravens after this season.

Redskins’ Su’a Cravens Won’t Play This Year

September 18th, 2017 at 4:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Su’a Cravens will not suit up for the Redskins this season. The versatile defender has been formally placed on the reserve/left squad list. Su'a Cravens (Vertical)

“Today the Redskins have officially placed Su’a Cravens on the Reserve/Left Squad list,” the team said in a statement. “In accordance with the NFL Constitution and Bylaws, Su’a will not be permitted to return to the club for the remainder of the 2017 NFL season, including the postseason. We sincerely hope that Su’a uses this time away from the club to reflect upon whether or not he’d like to resume his career in the National Football League in 2018.”

Cravens shocked the Redskins in early September when he informed the team that he would be retiring. Hours later, he reversed that decision. The team placed him on the NFI list to give him some time to consider his football future, but he is apparently still in deliberations.

Cravens, a second-round draft pick in 2016, appeared in 11 games and made three starts as a rookie while lining up at both defensive back and linebacker. This year, he was slated to shift to safety full-time.

The Redskins are now without two key players in the secondary in Cravens and DeAngelo Hall (knee injury). D.J. Swearinger and Deshazor Everett are the team’s starters at free safety and strong safety, respectively.

East Rumors: Redskins, Elliott, Cutler

September 17th, 2017 at 10:35am CST by Rory Parks

Redskins safety Su’a Cravens is expected to report to the team Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Cravens, of course, informed the club several weeks ago that he intended to retire only to reverse his decision almost immediately. Cravens has been in contact with head coach Jay Gruden, and the two have discussed football and life issues. As Rapoport suggests, the fact that Cravens is reporting does not necessarily mean that he will suit up right away, given that he is battling an injury and, as his recent history suggests, may be at a crossroads in his young life. Nonetheless, it is a positive step for one of the more promising defensive talents in the league.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

  • The Redskins reshuffled their front office in June, but per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the team considered adding another executive during training camp. Washington reportedly brought in James “Shack” Harris, Charles Bailey, Bill Kuharich, and Ron Hill to watch practice and meet with other staffers, but the team ultimately decided to stand pat and does not plan to make any other additions at this time.
  • Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has never been arrested or charged with a crime, but since June 2014, Elliott’s name has appeared in at least four investigations concerning assault, battery, domestic violence, and disorderly conduct, as Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes. The entire piece is well worth a read, and it suggests a troubling pattern of behavior that Elliott will need to correct in order to live up to his sky-high potential.
  • Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler has impressed the team with his demeanor and work ethic, and if he plays well this season, Salguero writes that Miami would consider re-signing him and trading Ryan Tannehill, thereby creating a great deal of cap room and netting an early draft choice in the process. We are a long way from that happening, of course, but if Cutler somehow becomes a modern-day Jim Plunkett, Tannehill could be on a different sideline in 2018.
  • We recently learned that the Dolphins were interested in trading for Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Miami went hard after the star DB, making attempts to land him both back early in the free-agency signing period and as recently as last month.
  • Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower was riding a stationary bike after he left the team’s Week 1 contest with a right knee injury, leading to optimism that he might be ready for Week 2. However, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that Hightower sought a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews last week, which Hightower did not deny. Problems with his right knee forced Hightower to begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list, and given that New England’s defense clearly needs him, this is a situation worth monitoring.

Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC East

September 3rd, 2017 at 3:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, and Redskins are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s NFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Redskins

Su’a Cravens Reverses Retirement Decision

September 3rd, 2017 at 10:00am CST by Dallas Robinson

Redskins safety Su’a Cravens informed the club on Saturday that he intended to retire, but has reversed his decision (for now) after a meeting with Washington decision-makers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cravens will be placed on NFI list which will rule him out for at least a month while the team helps him to alleviate some “issues,” per Schefter (Twitter link) and Mike Jones of The Washington Post (Twitter link).Su'a Cravens (Vertical)

Cravens, 22, has contemplated retirement before, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post, and while details are slim as to the reasons behind Cravens’ decision, injury issues could be one possibility. Cravens is now required to wear glasses full-time following a concussion in 2016, and brain injuries have caused young players to hang up their cleats in the past. A torn biceps ended Cravens’ season last year, meanwhile, and he’s currently recovering from knee surgery. However, it’s “more than a physical thing” that’s led Cravens to mull retirement, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

With veteran DeAngelo Hall starting the season on the physically unable to perform list, Washington has a vacancy at safety opposite D.J. Swearinger. Other defensive backs on the Redskins’ roster include Stefan McClure, Montae Nicholson, and DeShazor Everett.

Cravens, a second-round draft pick in 2016, appeared in 11 games and made three starts during his rookie campaign while playing both defensive back and linebacker. He’d been expected to shift to safety full-time for the 2017 season.

NFC Notes: Romo, Redskins, Bucs, Peterson

February 9th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Usually not shy about voicing Cowboys stances, Jerry Jones doesn’t yet know how the team will proceed with Tony Romo, acknowledging multiple moving parts stand in the way of a resolution presently.

“The team we have, especially the offensive side, was built for Tony,” Jones said during his weekly radio spot with KRLD-AM (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “This is what it is. It’s a juncture we have to address. I don’t know how ultimately we will resolve this and nobody should be alarmed because you don’t have all the answers. There are some issues here that you just have to see how the cards are playing.”

Jones added his close relationship with the 36-year-old passer will help the sides during this process, so that could potentially mean he’s willing to work with Romo rather than trade him to a place he does not want to go. The quarterback is not believed to be considering retirement and wants to play for a contending team. The Cardinals initially appeared on a prospective Romo short list, but Carson Palmer‘s return closes that door. Chiefs GM John Dorsey evaded a Romo query today, Dave Skretta of the Associated Press notes, and Broncos coaches spent time Wednesday saying their 2017 quarterback is already on the roster. Both AFC West teams have been linked to Romo recently, though.

Here’s more from the Romo derby, along with the latest from the NFC.

  • In a snazzy ESPN.com piece, the Bears are seen as a top realistic destination for Romo. On a list housing several teams, the Bears potentially signing Romo as a free agent and grooming a high draft pick strikes various ESPN staffers as a viable option. Romo, though, may not want to consider the Bears due to their struggles in recent seasons. The Bills are known to have interest, but Romo isn’t believed to reciprocate that. Buffalo finished four games better than 3-13 Chicago in 2016.
  • Redskins president Bruce Allen is applying pressure to GM Scot McCloughan after recent struggles in free agency and the draft, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports. Allen wouldn’t let McCloughan speak to reporters at the Senior Bowl and, per Jones, won’t permit him to talk with media at the Combine, instead preferring the third-year GM concentrate on repairing the team this offseason.
  • Some talk’s surfaced about the Redskins moving Bashaud Breeland from cornerback to safety, Jones notes. But the reporter adds some in the organization would rather leave fourth-year player where he is. Breeland’s started 42 games in his three seasons, but the Redskins have more questions at safety than corner at present. Relocating inside linebacker Su’a Cravens to safety remains in consideration as well.
  • The Buccaneers already assessing own free agents and Roy Cummings of FloridaFootballInsiders.com ran down the players that he feels should be retained. Defensive end Will Gholston isn’t a sack machine but he tops the list because of his age (25; 26 in July) and versatility. Cummings estimates that he’ll earn as much as $5MM/year on the open market, but that could prove to be a bargain in the long run. Other priority free agents listed include safety Bradley McDougald, wide receiver Russell Shepard, and running back Jacquizz Rodgers.
  • Adrian Peterson‘s $18MM cap figure is more than twice as high as any running back in the league for 2017 and the Vikings will have a challenge in reworking his deal. For insight, ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling spoke with former agent and exec Andrew Brandt, who speculated that a fair deal could have a $5MM-$7MM base plus incentives based on playing time. Whether that kind of deal would be accepted is another question. Because Peterson is such a prideful player, he could opt to test the open market if he feels insulted by whatever Minnesota offers him.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Linehan, Bradford

December 18th, 2016 at 12:27pm CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles have fallen into a tailspin after an exciting start to the season, and that has led to some speculation as to whether the team will make any major changes this offseason. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Philadelphia will not make any such changes, which means that head coach Doug Pederson will be back for a second year at the helm. Per Rapoport, the front office knew going into 2016 that the club was at least a year away from being a legitimate playoff contender, and while the Eagles’ 3-0 start helped to hide some of the weaknesses on the roster, the team knew that fixing those weaknesses would not be an overnight process.

Now for more notes from the NFC:

  • Despite Dak Prescott‘s recent struggles, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that things would have to get much worse for the Cowboys to consider switching to Tony Romo. But Rapoport adds that Dallas OC Scott Linehan will be a sought-after head coaching candidate this offseason, and his departure could have a major impact on Prescott moving forward (Twitter link).
  • As the Ezekiel Elliott domestic violence investigation drags on, Tim Rohan of TheMMQB wonders why it’s taking so long, and if the league is just prolonging the process to keep up appearances. Rohan lays out in excellent detail the steps that the league’s investigative team takes in a post-Ray Rice world, and how that process could explain the lengthy delay in the NFL’s issuing a final word on the Cowboys‘ star running back.
  • Su’a Cravens may miss the rest of the season with a biceps injury, but that has not stopped speculation surrounding the young defensive playmaker and how he will fit in with the Redskins moving forward. Thus far, Cravens has worked exclusively as an inside linebacker, but given his strength in the passing game, JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com believes he may ultimately be better-suited as a safety, especially since the Redskins do not have a long-term answer at strong safety.
  • As Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports observes, the Vikings have two high-profile players who are due for big roster bonuses in March: Sam Bradford and Adrian Peterson. Per Pelissero, Minnesota plans to bring back Bradford, but as we have heard for a long time, the Vikings will likely not pay Peterson’s $6MM roster bonus and instead will approach him about a pay cut prior to the bonus coming due.
  • We learned earlier today that the Saints could look to trade Sean Payton in the offseason.
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