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Browns, Lions Complete Za’Darius Smith Trade

November 5th, 2024 at 7:16am CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be near the finish line while the Browns were playing their Week 9 game, the team’s deal with the Lions involving Za’Darius Smith is now done. The veteran pass rusher will be dealt to a third NFC North franchise.

As it turns out, Detroit will end up paying less for Smith than initially reported. The Lions will receive Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports, while the Browns will acquire a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder.

Cleveland’s hopes in acquiring a better return for Smith led to the delay here, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the AFC North team was hoping someone would send over a fourth-round pick for the veteran edge defender. Exiting Week 9, no club was willing to do so. That will lead to the Browns accepting the Lions’ offer.

These terms are not far off from those involved in the 2023 trade that sent Smith from Minnesota to Cleveland. Following the 2023 draft, the Vikings dealt Smith and 2025 sixth- and seventh-round picks to the Browns for 2024 and 2025 fifths. Eighteen months later, Smith is involved in another trade that includes at least three Day 3 draft choices.

The Lions will take on Smith’s remaining salary, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. That only requires a $605K payment, however. The Browns, as they are wont to do under GM Andrew Berry, inserted void years in Smith’s contract to reduce his cap hits. He entered the season with just $1.21MM due in 2024 base salary. Smith re-signed with the Browns on a two-year, $23MM deal in March. The Lions will take on this through-2025 contract, giving them flexibility to keep the well-traveled defender next season as well. Smith is due a $1.5MM base salary in 2025; that money is not guaranteed.

Aidan Hutchinson suffering a broken leg made the Lions an obvious pass-rushing suitor, and Smith ended up being asked about a potential trade to Detroit not long after the then-Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner went down. Smith, 32, expressed intrigue about a Lions fit; soon after, a report pointed to the Lions showing interest. The former Packers and Vikings edge rusher will move from Myles Garrett sidekick on a 2-7 team to the most accomplished healthy pass rusher for a 7-1 squad.

While the Lions have steamrolled their way to the top of the NFC, they have done so without reliable production from their non-Hutchinson edge players. Hutchinson racked up 7.5 sacks before going down in Week 5. Through eight games, no other Lions player has tallied more than 2.5 sacks. Among outside rushers, no Lion has accumulated more than one sack this season.

Smith checks a key box for a team that allocated significant offseason resources to locking down the core GM Brad Holmes assembled. The former Pro Bowler helped the Packers to two NFC championship games and aided the Vikings to the 2022 NFC North title during his one Minnesota season; the Lions will hope their former rival can push their effort over the top.

It will cost the Browns nearly $19MM in dead money to move Smith, which certainly presents an interesting scenario for a team tied to Deshaun Watson‘s contract through 2026. The Smith dead money will be spread over two years for the Browns. As the Watson contract has done the most to sink this Browns team after a 2023 playoff season, Berry and Co. have been tied to more seller’s moves before today’s 3pm CT deadline.

Despite the Browns’ struggles this season, is on a better pace compared to his 2023 form. Helping last year’s Cleveland squad to the No. 1 pass defense ranking, Smith finished with 5.5 sacks. Through nine games this year, he has five. Smith posted 20 QB hits last season; he has seven thus far this year.

The former Ravens, Packers and Vikings EDGE has reeled off three double-digit sack seasons — each of which coming in the NFC North. He reached 13.5 sacks upon signing with Green Bay in 2019 and added 12.5 to help the Pack return to the NFC title game a year later. Upon signing with the Vikings in 2022, Smith teamed with Danielle Hunter to record 10 sacks.

The Browns have now moved Smith and Amari Cooper. They are not planning to trade Garrett or Denzel Ward, but other names have come up. Greg Newsome‘s name has come up. It will be interesting to see if the retooling squad unloads more pieces over the next several hours. The Lions have not shown they need much, but they also could further augment their roster before today’s trade endpoint.

Broncos Trade Baron Browning To Cardinals

November 4th, 2024 at 10:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Broncos are still an AFC playoff contender despite their one-sided loss to the Ravens, Baron Browning‘s name came up as a player the team was willing to move. Those rumors turned out to be prescient.

Browning is indeed being dealt, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reporting Denver is sending the outside linebacker to Arizona. The Cardinals will take on the remainder of Browning’s third-round contract, which expires at season’s end. Browning, who had fallen to a reserve role in ex-Cardinal DC Vance Joseph‘s unit, will attempt to help another playoff contender. The Broncos will receive a sixth-round pick for Browning, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

[RELATED: Broncos Extend OLB Jonathon Cooper]

Also sitting 5-4, the Cardinals are coming off an impressive defensive performance against the Bears. Arizona dropped Caleb Williams six times, but Jonathan Gannon‘s team entered the season with a limited edge-rushing situation. The Cards lost BJ Ojulari for the season in August, and Dennis Gardeck joined him in being lost for the campaign’s remainder weeks later. Gardeck suffered a torn ACL in October, further stripping pieces from the Cardinals’ OLB corps.

This is an interesting move for both teams. The Cardinals started a multiyear rebuild in 2023, hiring Monti Ossenfort after Steve Keim served in the GM role for 10 years. Ossenfort’s operation remains a work in progress, but it is starting to bear fruit. Gannon’s team has won three straight, and the defense-oriented HC has managed to improve on what was one of the NFL’s worst pass rushes (33 total sacks) in 2023. The Cardinals’ 21 sacks rank in the middle of the pack this season, though Gardeck contributed three to that cause. Only Dante Stills, a 2023 sixth-round pick, has that topped (3.5).

For Denver, this looks like a move to add draft capital without sacrificing a starter to do so. Browning, however, had worked as a starter in 2022 and ’23. He also entered this season as a first-stringer under Joseph, starting two games before going down with a foot injury. Upon return, Browning played behind ex-Ohio State teammate Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto. This trade ensures Bonitto’s starting spot is secure, and even as the Broncos have used rookie third-round pick Jonah Elliss a regular, the Browning trade strips away an experienced piece that has flashed in spurts.

Browning arrived in Denver before Sean Payton, being part of GM George Paton‘s quality 2021 draft class. The Broncos used Browning as an off-ball linebacker as a rookie before moving him to the edge in 2022. Browning replaced Randy Gregory as a starter early that season, teaming with Bradley Chubb. Browning became the team’s lead OLB following the in-season Chubb trade. Browning totaled five sacks in 2022 and 4.5 in ’23, though he missed 10 games due to injury in that span — seven because of an offseason knee injury that kept him out months last year — and then was down for four more this season. Browning has played in each of Denver’s past three games, and the Broncos will cash out. Cooper signed an extension over the weekend, following fellow 2021 draftees Patrick Surtain and Quinn Meinerz in doing so.

The Broncos have made many memorable seller’s trades in recent years. The first wave of moves — those involving Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Von Miller — broke up the team’s Super Bowl 50 core. The team has since parted with pieces acquired following that game, trading Chubb to the Dolphins in 2022, Gregory to the 49ers last year and now Browning.

Although this trade may not qualify as a true seller’s move, it comes months after the Broncos dealt trade-rumor mainstay Jerry Jeudy to the Browns. Courtland Sutton has once again appeared in trade rumors, but Denver’s top receiver figures to be hard to pry given the top-heavy makeup of Denver’s current receiving corps.

The Cardinals will deploy Browning in a pass rush group that consists of Stills, converted ILB Zaven Collins, former Seahawks first-rounder L.J. Collier and 2021 sixth-rounder Victor Dimukeje, whose six QB hits lead the team despite the fourth-year player yet to produce a sack this season. He joins Browning in that regard, but with a regular role on tap, the latter will aim to secure a solid second contract while helping a suddenly competitive Arizona club.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/4/24

November 4th, 2024 at 8:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Monday’s practice squad transactions:

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: T Dylan Cook

Seattle Seahawks

Overton has been serving as the Dolphins’ primary long snapper for the past three games as Blake Ferguson has missed time on the reserve/non-football injury list. While Overton’s release could mean that Ferguson is on his way back to the field, it’s more likely just a result of Overton reaching the limit of three standard gameday elevations under one practice squad contract. Overton has been promoted for three contests now. In order to play in another game this year, Overton will need to be signed to the active roster or signed to a new practice squad contract.

Jaguars Release Veteran S Tashaun Gipson

November 4th, 2024 at 6:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Shortly after releasing Rayshawn Jenkins near the opening of free agency, the Jaguars signed a potential replacement in veteran safety Tashaun Gipson. Unfortunately, Gipson will not be able to stretch his second stint in Jacksonville to the field as the Jaguars announced his release today from the exempt/commissioner’s permission list.

Gipson was placed on the list in preparation to return from a six-game suspension levied by the NFL for violating the league’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs. Some posited that, at 34 years old, Gipson might avoid the suspension altogether by retiring after 12 seasons in the league, but Gipson made it clear that he would not appeal the suspension and had intentions to play in 2024.

An undrafted free agent out of Wyoming for the Browns in 2012, Gipson almost immediately found his place in the NFL becoming a full-time starter and intercepting five passes in 2013. The following year, Gipson made his only Pro Bowl, leading the NFL with 158 interception return yards. That yardage came off six picks in just 11 games. Since then, Gipson has played full-time starting roles with the Jaguars, Texans, Bears, and most recently, the 49ers. His 33 career interceptions rank fourth among active defenders behind only Patrick Peterson (36), Tyrann Mathieu (35), and Harrison Smith (35).

The Jaguars were hoping to pair Gipson with Andre Cisco at safety, but knowing that he’d miss at least six games, they figured to use fellow Wyoming alum Andrew Wingard as a starter in the interim. Unfortunately, a knee injury in August landed Wingard on injured reserve, where he’s remained to this day. With Wingard and Gipson out, Jacksonville has split time between Antonio Johnson and Darnell Savage next to Cisco with less than satisfactory results.

The release of Gipson is interesting as the team ranks 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed through nine weeks. Even if he’s a step slower at 34, one would think that Gipson would be an immediate upgrade next to Cisco. Sitting in the AFC South basement at 2-7, the Jaguars may be accepting their lot for the 2024 season. With eyes towards the future, an aging veteran on a one-year contract doesn’t really fit into the picture.

Additionally, Jacksonville announced that offensive guard Cooper Hodges has been placed on IR, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster. A seventh-round pick last year out of Appalachian State, Hodges made his NFL debut this year after spending his rookie year on IR. After appearing in all nine games and making his first career start last week, Hodges suffered a serious leg injury on a two-point conversion attempt, getting carted off the field and transported to the hospital.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/4/24

November 4th, 2024 at 6:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

For one game, at least, the Buccaneers have the Chiefs outflanked in the wide receiver injury department. Chris Godwin is out until at least the playoffs, should Tampa Bay qualify, and Mike Evans is expected to miss at least two more games due to the hamstring injury he suffered. The team endured another blow recently, with third-round rookie Jalen McMillan sustaining a hamstring injury during a Friday practice. A former Saints regular, Callaway has not played in a game this season.

Texans Designate DE Jerry Hughes, CB Jeff Okudah For Return

November 4th, 2024 at 2:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

Defensive reinforcements could be on the way soon for the Texans. Defensive end Jerry Hughes and cornerback Jeff Okudah returned to practice on Monday, per a team announcement.

As a result, both players have had their 21-day activation windows opened. They must be moved to the active roster within that span or else they will revert to season-ending injured reserve. Provided both are indeed activated in the near future, Houston will have three such moves available for the rest of the campaign.

Hughes was moved to IR one month ago. That guaranteed at least a four-game absence, one which has in fact stretched to five. The team has extra time at the moment by virtue of playing on Thursday night in Week 9, though, so it would come as no surprise if Hughes were to be activated in time for Week 10. If that were to take place, the 36-year-old would reprise his rotational role behind Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter along the edge.

Okudah played in Houston’s season opener but found himself on injured reserve shortly thereafter. Injuries have been a major problem for the 2020 draft’s third overall pick, and he has made double-digit appearances only twice to date in his career. The Texans represent another opportunity for the former Lion and Falcon to establish his value, although a starting gig on defense should be expected upon return. Instead, Okudah will offer depth at the perimeter corner spot in addition to chipping in on special teams.

Sitting at 6-3 on the year, the Texans are atop the AFC South. Given the Colts’ loss last night, Houston resides as the only team in the division with a winning record. A home playoff game remains a strong possibility as a result, although the team’s offense has significant room for improvement and its defense ranks only 14th in points allowed per game (22.2). The latter unit could see a pair of contributors back in action as early as Week 10.

49ers Designate Christian McCaffrey For Return; Week 10 Debut Still Expected

November 4th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

The next step in Christian McCaffrey‘s return has been taken. The 49ers announced on Monday he has returned to practice, opening his 21-day activation window.

The news comes as little surprise with San Francisco opting to keep McCaffrey on injured reserve through the team’s bye week. A season debut during Week 10 has long been a target, and that remains the case. Indeed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms last season’s Offensive Player of the Year is still on track to suit up for the 49ers’ next game.

McCaffrey missed time in the summer with an Achilles issue which did not immediately seem to threaten his availability for the regular season. The 28-year-old was ultimately placed on injured reserve, however, before taking a trip to Germany to see a specialist. A period of recovery was in place upon return before McCaffrey began a ramp-up phase in his rehab.

Roughly one month ago, the three-time Pro Bowler resumed on-field work, and he has not encountered any setbacks since. Today’s move opens McCaffrey’s activation window, and he must be moved to the active roster within three weeks to avoid reverting to season-ending IR. Provided that takes place, San Francisco’s offense will receive a major boost.

McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing last season, and he topped the league in total scrimmage yards (2,023) and touchdowns (21). A repeat of that production will not be possible given his missed time in 2024, but having a full strength backfield will be key for the 49ers. The team sits at 4-4 on the year despite ranking near the top of the league in several offensive categories, including rushing production (159 yards per game). Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo have filled in during McCaffrey’s absence, but with Brandon Aiyuk out for the year, a full stable of running backs will be key moving forward.

San Francisco also opened the practice window of offensive lineman Jon Feliciano. The 32-year-old was moved to injured reserve one day after roster cutdowns, so his activation will count toward the team’s limit of eight for the regular season. The same is true of McCaffrey as well, of course. When both are brought back into the fold, the 49ers will have four activations remaining.

Raiders Fire OC Luke Getsy

November 3rd, 2024 at 10:43pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders suffered their fifth straight loss today after starting the season 2-2, and the offense continues to struggle to get the job done. As a result, changes are being made. The latest changes come in the form of a staffing updates as offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has reportedly been let go, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The team soon announced quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello and offensive line coach James Cregg have also been dismissed.

Getsy’s second tenure as an offensive coordinator in the NFL has turned out about the same as his first stint, though Chicago afforded him a tad more leash. A former undrafted quarterback in the league back in 2007, it didn’t take long for Getsy to move on to coaching. After seven seasons in the collegiate ranks, Getsy earned his first NFL coaching gig as an offensive quality control coach with the Packers.

After leaving for a year to be offensive coordinator at Mississippi State, Getsy returned to Green Bay under then-offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and head coach Matt LaFleur. This time, Getsy worked as quarterbacks coach over veteran Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers, already a two-time MVP at the time, made the entire offensive staff look good, winning his third and fourth MVPs in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021. The performances earned Hackett a head coaching gig in Denver and Getsy his first offensive coordinator job in the NFL with the Bears.

In his first season calling plays, the Bears fielded the league’s top rushing offense, though a 32nd-ranked passing offense put the team at just 28th for total offense. Chicago remained one of the top rushing teams in his second year, and even improved in passing and scoring, but head coach Matt Eberflus cut ties in an attempt to keep his own job with a new offensive coordinator and a new rookie quarterback in 2024.

Getsy rebounded, hopping on staff with new head coach Antonio Pierce after the Raiders fumbled the hiring of Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator. The team seemingly had an agreement in place to hire Kingsbury before the Texas Tech alum backtracked and joined the Commanders. Getsy was the consolation prize, and given tonight’s news, he apparently was hired on a “prove it” basis.

Scangarello joined the Raiders this season two years after being fired midseason from his offensive coordinator job with the University of Kentucky. Cregg was in his first role as an NFL offensive line coach after two years as assistant offensive line coach in San Francisco.

Through nine weeks of the season, the Raiders are 26th in total offense and 25th in points scored. Unlike his time in Chicago, Getsy has not been able to field a top rushing offense. In fact, the team’s 692 rushing yards on the season are only better than the Cowboys (who have 656 in one fewer game). This has forced Getsy and the Raiders to rely on a passing game quarterbacked by Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.

The results have been middling so far this year in terms of passing yardage, and the two passers have combined for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Nine lost fumbles for the offense combine with those picks to help the Raiders rank dead-last in turnovers. The team also ranks 32nd in yards per carry, 29th in yards per play, 27th in passer rating, and 26th in offensive points per game this season.

The lackluster offense could partially be blamed on injuries that have limited expected contributors like running back Zamir White and tight end Michael Mayer. The offense was also not helped by the “injury” and eventual trade of star wide receiver Davante Adams, who only appeared in three games for Las Vegas.

Still, it is the play-caller’s job to put the players available to him in positions to succeed, and that job was not getting done in Las Vegas. Just four days ago, Pierce challenged Getsy, telling the media that Getsy’s play-calling “has to get better.” Today’s performance, which saw Minshew benched for recently signed quarterback Desmond Ridder, clearly lacked the improvement that Pierce sought.

Today’s firing marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Raiders have changed either a coach or a coordinator in the middle of a season. The seemingly never-ending search for stability in the organization continues with Getsy’s dismissal. Pass game coordinator Scott Turner, formerly an offensive coordinator for the Commanders, has been tabbed as a likely replacement to take over the role of offensive coordinator, though nothing has been reported. In his three years calling plays in Washington, the team’s offense never ranked in the top half of the league.

Following the announcement of Getsy’s firing, EPSN’s Paul Gutierrez and Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal both seemed to indicate that more heads would likely roll. This could have been in reference to the dismissals of Scangarello and Cregg, reported soon after, but with the iron still hot, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few more names added to the fire.

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott Not Traveling With Team For Disciplinary Reasons

November 3rd, 2024 at 7:51am CST by Ely Allen

NOVEMBER 3, 07:51am: Adding further context to the situation, Jane Slater of the NFL Network reports that Elliott has been “distracted” this season, which has led to “habitual tardiness.” Elliott has also missed three team meetings this year, and after he failed to attend such a meeting on Friday, both he and the Cowboys determined that it would be better if he did not attend the club’s Week 9 matchup with the Falcons.

NOVEMBER 2, 9:47pm: No single incident is believed to be at the heart of today’s move, per Hill, who adds Elliott attended practice today. Rather, tension between team and player has been building over a period of weeks before the decision was reached to keep him absent from the organization for Week 9. It will certainly be interesting to see how this situation develops moving forward.

NOVEMBER 2, 3:10pm: The Cowboys will be short one of their two main rushers in Atlanta tomorrow as DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr. reports that veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott will not be traveling with the team for this week’s game. ESPN’s Todd Archer adds that Elliott’s new game status is the result of “disciplinary reasons.”

While the loss may not seem critical, as Elliott has only accumulated 149 rushing yards in seven games this season, Elliott is the only running back on the team to score a rushing touchdown this year. He is responsible for two of the team’s three rushing scores all season. Stats like this underline how the Cowboys have ended up being the league’s 32nd-best running offense through eight weeks of football. With only 519 rushing yards on the season, the Cowboys are 113 yards behind the 31st-place Raiders and 1,081 yards behind the league-leading Ravens.

At 29 years old, Elliott is far-removed from his days of leading the league in rushing back in 2016 and 2018. He hasn’t rushed for 1,000 yards since 2021. Elliott has missed games with injury before and he’s been a healthy scratch in games before, but this is the first time Elliott will miss a game as a healthy scratch in a game that isn’t in the last week of the season.

With Elliott out, the league’s worst rushing offense will depend more heavily on starter Rico Dowdle, who has 246 rushing yards this season but adds an element through the air, as well, with 131 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. The only other active roster running back is the diminutive Deuce Vaughn, though the team has announced that it will elevate veteran rusher Dalvin Cook for the game tomorrow. Cornerback Josh Butler will join Cook for the week off of the practice squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/2/24

November 2nd, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL moves including standard gameday practice squad elevations for Sunday’s slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

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