Week In Review News & Rumors

Trades! Five trades went down on deadline day, capping a year in which 61 deals were made involving at least one veteran player. The Eagles and Broncos each picked up a wide receiver, acquiring Golden Tate from the Lions and Demaryius Thomas from the Broncos, respectively, while the Ravens also picked up an offensive player by trading for beleaguered Packers running back Ty Montgomery. Green Bay wasn’t done trading, however, as they later shipped safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to the Redskins, while the undefeated Rams also added a defender in ex-Jaguars edge rusher Dante Flower.

Browns gut their coaching staff. Cleveland ownership finally had enough after the Browns fell to the Steelers last Sunday, firing both head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Reports of “internal discord” between the two coaches played a role in the dual decisions, but Jackson’s ghastly 3-32-1 record as the Browns’ lead man didn’t help matters. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has taken over as Cleveland’s interim head coach, while running backs coach Freddie Kitchens was promoted to offensive coordinator.

Buccaneers go with FitzMagic. Tampa Bay benched Jameis Winston after he tossed four interceptions against the Bengals last week, and the club went with Ryan Fitzpatrick again in Week 9. While a Sunday report indicated the Buccaneers could give Winston another chance at the starting job this season, Fitzpatrick played well against the Panthers, throwing four touchdowns against two picks in a comeback effort. Winston has a $20MM+ option for 2019 that’s guaranteed for injury only, so Tampa Bay would risk that figure getting locked in if Winston plays and gets seriously hurt.

Cardinals end Sam Bradford experiment. Arizona gave Bradford a $15MM guarantee this offseason, but they’ve cut the veteran signal-caller befoer the 2018 campaign ends. Bradford collected $15.9MM for 80 passes in the desert, as he fell to third on the Cardinals’ depth chart after the club decided to roll with first-round rookie Josh Rosen. It remains to be seen if Bradford will play again this year, although there’s no chance he’s claimed on waivers due to his contract. The Giants, who employ Bradford’s former offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as head coach, have already said they’re not interested.

Raiders defense gets even weaker. Oakland’s defense already ranked a bottom-four DVOA unit heading into Week 9, and now it’s lost two of its key contributors. Defensive end Bruce Irvin, who had played 250 defensive snaps thus far, was released on Saturday. The Raiders likely waited until after the NFL’s trade deadline to release Irvin because he’ll now go through waivers, opening the possibility that another team could claim Irvin and — more importantly, from Oakland’s perspective — his contract. Additionally, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who’d ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 58 cornerback, announced his retirement last Tuesday.

Browns trade Carlos Hyde to the Jaguars. Cleveland had been saying for weeks that they wanted to get rookie running back Nick Chubb more touches, and they finally followed through on their promises by trading Hyde to Jacksonville. The Jaguars sent the Browns a fifth round pick in return, adding to Cleveland’s arsenal of 2019 draft picks. Hyde signed a three-year $15MM deal with the Browns back in March, but lasted only six games with the team.

Cardinals fire Mike McCoy. Many fans and those in the media had been calling for McCoy’s head for weeks now, and the Cardinals finally relented and fired their offensive coordinator. The team promoted quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich to interim coordinator to replace him. McCoy was a hot name two springs ago after losing his job as head coach of the Chargers, and quickly signed on the be the offensive coordinator in Denver. The Broncos fired him mid-season, just like the Cardinals have now. 

Seahawks likely to be sold. Seattle lost their owner this past week when Paul Allen died, and the team is reportedly unlikely to stay in his family. The Seahawks will likely be sold to a new owner, and there have even been rumors about a possible relocation. While that’s still unlikely, it’s impossible to tell what intentions a new owner might have. Any sale will likely take place after the season, and it will be one of the more notable stories to monitor this offseason.

Ted Ginn placed on Injured Reserve. The Saints were dealt a big blow when they were forced to place their number two wideout on IR. Ginn is dealing with a knee injury, and it seems quite possible that he misses the rest of the season, although the team reportedly views him as a return candidate. Last year, the speedster had a career-high 787 yards off of 53 catches, plus four touchdowns. In four games this year, Ginn had 12 grabs for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

Josh Allen has UCL damage. The Bills’ quarterback situation got even worse when it was revealed that seventh overall pick Allen would miss multiple games with an elbow injury. Although it’s not expected to require season ending surgery at this point, it’s still a very significant injury. After Nathan Peterman bombed in relief of Allen, the Bills were forced to turn to recently signed veteran journeyman Derek Anderson to start. It’s a tough blow for Allen and for the Bills as his development will be stunted and the team will have to roll with Anderson for the time being.

Le’Veon Bell nearing return? Bell had been expected to report to the Steelers during in advance of their Week 7 bye, but he’s yet to officially inform the club of his plans. Unhappy with being franchise-tagged for a second consecutive season, Bell hasn’t been with the club since January. James Conner has filled in with aplomb, and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wants Conner to retain a role even after Bell returns. It’s possible the Steelers could still trade Bell, although he could effectively quash that effort by not reporting until after the October 30 trade deadline.

Eagles lose Jay Ajayi. Philadelphia has been linked to a possible Bell trade for some time, and now the club has even more incentive to add another running back after Ajayi went down with a torn ACL. However, the Eagles reportedly don’t view running back as a glaring need area, so a trade may not be likely. Without Ajayi in tow, Philadelphia deployed a combination of Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood in its Thursday night victory over the Giants. Veteran pass-catching back Darren Sproles is currently dealing with an injury of his own but could return soon.

Giants cut bait with Ereck Flowers. At long last, the Giants ended the Flowers experiment, waiving the former top-10 pick last week. The No. 9 overall selection in the 2015 draft, Flowers started 48 games for New York over the past three-plus years, but consistently played like one of the league’s worst offensive tackles. He’d been recently benched for former undrafted free agent Chad Wheeler, months after being moved to right tackle following the Giants signing of Nate Solder. Flowers resurfaced quickly, landing in Jacksonville where former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is heading the front office.

Jamaal Charles returns to the NFL. Flowers wasn’t the only veteran inked by the Jaguars last week, as the club also brought in former Chiefs/Broncos running back Jamaal Charles. Leonard Fournette is out indefinitely with a hamstring issue, and although T.J. Yeldon has proven more than capable of shouldering the load for Jacksonville, the team had little depth after placing Corey Grant on injured reserve. Enter Charles, who hasn’t played this season after spending the 2017 campaign with Denver. Now 31 years old, Charles hasn’t been effective since 2014, but he won’t be asked to do much behind Yeldon.

Buccaneers lock up a key OL. Tampa Bay hasn’t been shy about extending its key young players, and they continued that trend last week, locking up offensive lineman Ali Marpet to a five-year, $55MM deal that contains $27.125MM in guarantees. Marpet, a 2015 second-round pick out of Division III Hobart, has been extremely versatile during his NFL career, playing both right guard and center before settling in at left guard this year. Among left guards, Marpet’s $11MM annual average now ranks third, behind only Andrew Norwell and Kelechi Osemele, while his guarantee figure ranks second.

Latest on Le’Veon. Le’Veon Bell is reportedly planning to report to the Steelers prior to the club’s Week 7 bye, but Pittsburgh is still willing to consider trade offers for the franchise-tagged running back. The Eagles and 49ers are among the teams with interest in Bell, who is reportedly being actively shopped by the Steelers. Philadelphia, for its part, is giving “serious consideration” to a Bell acquisition, and has been mulling a trade for some time. However, the latest reports (from earlier today) indicate that not only has Bell not relayed any of his plans to the Steelers, but he’s not inclined to accept a trade.

Travis Frederick heads to injured reserve. The Cowboys kept Frederick off IR to begin the season with the hope that could return later this year, and while that remains a possibility, Frederick will miss at least the next eight games of Dallas’ season. Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome earlier this year, and recent reports indicated he’s still dealing with numbness in his arms. The Cowboys needed a roster spot with defensive tackle David Irving returning from suspension, so the club could no longer afford to keep Frederick on the active roster. Veteran reserve Joe Looney will continue to man the pivot for the foreseeable future.

Bengals lose Tyler Eifert. Eifert will miss the majority of yet another season after suffering a gruesome broken ankle against the Falcons last Sunday. One of the NFL’s most talented tight ends when healthy, Eifert will complete the 2018 campaign having played in only 28 of Cincinnati’s past 80 games. With Eifert sidelined, the Bengals will turn to backups Tyler Kroft, C.J. Uzomah, and Mason Schrek for the rest of the year. Cincinnati did get running back Joe Mixon for Sunday’s win over the Dolphins, but No. 2 runner Giovani Bernard will miss several weeks with an MCL sprain.

Greg Olsen nearing return? After suffering a broken foot earlier this year, Olsen could potentially be back in time for the Panthers’ Week 6 game against the Redskins. Nearly every report since Olsen broke his foot in the season opener has indicated the positive nature of his recovery. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported in early September that Olsen would return in a “few weeks,” while Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicated Olsen was facing a four-to-five week timeline. From 2014-16, Olsen — who also fractured his foot in 2017 — earn Pro Bowl honors while topping 75 receptions and 1,000 yards in each campaign.

NFL suspends Mychal Kendricks indefinitely. Kendricks won’t be playing for the Seahawks any time soon, as the NFL suspended him indefinitely last week. Kendricks, of course, was charged with insider trading earlier this year and subsequently released by the Eagles. Seattle picked him up despite a suspension obviously coming down the pike, and got three games from him before the hammer fell. Kendricks won’t collect a salary while he’s banned, so the Seahawks aren’t out any money. Austin Calitro will take over at linebacker for Seattle.

Patriots acquire Josh Gordon. With a serious need at wide receiver, New England sent a fifth-round to Cleveland in exchange for Gordon, who had finally worn out his welcome with Browns head coach Hue Jackson & Co. Initial reports indicated the Patriots would only receive a seventh-round pick in return if Gordon doesn’t spend 10 games on their roster, but that seventh-rounder is now part of the trade regardless, leading to speculation that New England pressured the Browns into sending more compensation their way. Gordon joins a Patriots receiving corps that includes Chris Hogan, Cordarrelle Patterson, Phillip Dorsett, and (starting in Week 5) Julian Edelman.

Jimmy G done for season? Details are sparse on the condition of 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo given that he was just injured this afternoon, but San Francisco fears that he suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. Garoppolo attempted to stay in bounds on a sideline run, but his knee buckled just before he made contact with a Kansas City defender. The 49ers have already lost running back Jerick McKinnon to an ACL tear, and Garoppolo’s absence could sink any postseason hopes San Francisco may have had. 2017 third-round pick C.J. Beathard would take over as the 49ers’ starter if Garoppolo is out.

Lions almost had Gronk. Reports surfaced over the offseason suggesting Rob Gronkowski had been on the trade block in New England, but it wasn’t clear (until today) just how far along talks had progressed. The Lions nearly made a trade for Gronkowski earlier this year, but when the All-Pro got word of the potential deal, he did all he could to scuttle any agreement. Gronk refused to answer phone calls from Detroit, and indicated he’d rather retire than leave the Patriots and Tom Brady. New England ultimately canceled the trade, and reworked Gronkowski’s contract to include more incentives in 2018.

Steelers taking offers for Le’Veon Bell. Although they previously indicated they had no interest in dealing him, the Steelers are now listening to trade proposals for Bell, who has refused to show up this season due to his unhappiness with his franchise tag. It’s unclear if Pittsburgh is actively shopping Bell or simply taking calls, and it’s also unknown if any teams have reached out. Any club that acquires Bell would not be allowed to offer him a contract extension, and it would be responsible for any prorated portion of his franchise tender.

Baker time in Cleveland. The Baker Mayfield era has officially begun, as Hue Jackson will announce Monday that the No. 1 overall selection is now the Browns’ starting quarterback. Mayfield took over for an injured Tyrod Taylor on Thursday night and ultimately led the Browns to their first win since the 2016 season. With Mayfield’s promotion, three of five first-round rookie quarterbacks are now starters, with the Bills’ Josh Allen and the Jets’ Sam Darnold joining Mayfield as their respective teams’ top signal-callers.

No Le’Veon in Pittsburgh. Nearly every observer expected running back Le’Veon Bell to report to the Steelers last Monday, but that didn’t happen. He didn’t show up during the week at all, in fact, and missed Pittsburgh’s first game (and an $850K+ game check) today. Rookie back James Conner was incredibly impressive in Bell’s absence, but the Steelers surely want to get the All-Pro back on the field. The club has no plans to trade Bell or adjust his contract, so it’s a battle of wills at this point.

Earl Thomas comes back. While Bell didn’t show for the Steelers, the Seahawks appear to have outlasted Thomas in their ongoing stalemate. Thomas, of course, wants a new contact or a trade out of Seattle, but the Hawks have no inclination to honor either request. The veteran defensive back re-appeared in Seattle last week and started against the Broncos today. The Cowboys, for one, reportedly are still interested in acquiring Thomas, but view a second-round pick as their maximum offer.

Falcons lose Keanu Neal. Atlanta sent Neal for a precautionary MRI following Thursday’s loss to the Eagles, but the club felt the safety would be ready for Week 2. That won’t be the case, as Neal was diagnosed with a torn ACL and will now miss the entire 2018 season. For now, the Falcons will roll with 2017 draft pick at strong safety, but other intriguing options are available. Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn has familiarity with the aforementioned Thomas, while Eric Reid is still sitting on the free agent market.

Off-field trouble rears it heads. After being cut by the Raiders last week, wide receiver Martavis Bryant is reportedly facing a yearlong suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. It’s an unfortunate occurrence for Bryant, who was shipped from Pittsburgh to Oakland in the spring in exchange for a third-round pick. Elsewhere, Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregoy is today playing in his first game since 2016, but he too could be in for another ban. Sadly, Gregory mye have suffered a drug relapse during the summer, and could be suspended after missing the entire 2017 season with a drug ban.

LeSean McCoy unlikely to be suspended. McCoy was linked to a unsettling incident earlier this year when his ex-girlfriend accused him of involvement in a home invasion incident which left her battered. However, McCoy is not expected to face any criminal charges as a result of the episode. And while the NFL has its own authority to suspend players regardless of legal outcomes, McCoy isn’t likely to face a league-imposed ban.

Redskins add Adrian Peterson. Washington is dealing with numerous injuries at the running back position (including a season-ender to rookie Derrius Guice), so the club opted to take a chance on Peterson, who signed for the league minimum. Peterson, 33, will compete with Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine for early-down work in the nation’s capital. He played in the Redskins’ Friday night preseason game, managing 56 yards on 11 rushes, and is considered a “stone-cold lock” to make Washington’s roster.

Former stars retire. Victor Cruz ended his career in a Bears uniform, but he’ll always be remembered for his excellent years with the Giants. From 2011 through 2013, the former undrafted free agent averaged 80 receptions 1,209 yards, and eight end zone salsa dances per season. Former Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson also hung up his cleats last week, retiring after an 11-year career with the Panthers. He’ll leave the NFL with 62.5 sacks, second in Carolina history to only Julius Peppers.

Dez rejects Browns’ offer. The Dez Bryant-to-Cleveland saga appears over, at least for now, after Bryant reportedly rejected the Browns’ offer, which was for less than $5MM. Cleveland is searching for another wideout to team with Jarvis Landry, Josh Gordon, and Antonio Callaway, and while Bryant came in for a meeting with the club recently, he couldn’t reach a deal with the Browns. However, Cleveland is still interested in Bryant, but presumably only at a price of its choosing.

Cowboys lose their center. Travis Frederick had been dealing stingers in his neck, but a recent diagnosis revealed an even more serious condition. Frederick has Guillain Barre Syndrome, a rare auto immune disease that is expected to cost him time. While Frederick is not expected to miss the entire season, he’s likely to be placed on injured reserve to begin the year. Such a transaction would sideline Frederick for at least eight games, but give him the opportunity to return later in 2018.

George Iloka reunites with Mike Zimmer. Three days after being unexpectedly released by the Bengals, Iloka signed a one-year deal with the Vikings. Instead of waiting out what has already been a stagnant safety market, lloka quickly landed with Minnesota, reuniting with Zimmer — formerly Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator — on a contract that will pay just the league minimum. Iloka figures to start over Andrew Sendejo with the Vikings, although both defenders could see action opposite Harrison Smith.

Josh Gordon returns to Cleveland, where Dez Bryant is unlikely to land. Gordon is back with the Browns after taking time to deal with off-field issues, and Cleveland is hoping he’ll be available for Week 1 of the regular season (although he’s not currently allowed to practice). Bryant, meanwhile, finally met with Browns management last week, but he’s apparently “not on the front burner” in Cleveland. The Browns aren’t ruling out a Bryant contract, but it doesn’t sound like a deal is close at this time.

Adrian Peterson gets a workout. Peterson is attracting his first interest of the offseason, as he’s scheduled to audition for the Redskins on Monday. Washington is in dire straits at running back, having already lost rookie Derrius Guice for the year, while backups Samaje Perine and Byron Marshall are also dealing with nagging injuries. Peterson was one of the NFL’s least effective backs with the Saints and Cardinals in 2017, but he’s an option for Washington on early downs. The Redskins also looked at free agent backs Jamaal Charles and Orleans Darkwa.

Rookie quarterbacks in line to start. Free agent acquisition A.J. McCarron suffered a broken collarbone during the Bills’ second preseason game, an injury which should ensure first-rounder Josh Allen starts for Buffalo. Elsewhere in the AFC East, Sam Darnold is now looking like the inevitable starter for the Jets after excelling through two exhibition contests. Veteran Teddy Bridgewater, who has also produced well thus far, is considered a trade candidate.

Bengals cut George Iloka. Cincinnati had begun mixing in second-round defensive back Jessie Bates with the starting defense through its first two preseason games, signalling that it may be comfortable moving on from Iloka. The Bengals did just that on Sunday, cutting the six-year veteran and saving $5.6MM against the salary cap. Iloka offers plenty of starting experience and should easily land a new job, although the flaccid free agent safety market has to be concerning.

The 2018 draft class is fully signed. At long last, Bears rookie Roquan Smith is under contract, meaning every 2018 draft choice now has a deal in place. Smith, the eighth overall pick, was looking for contract language that would protect his financial guarantees in the event of a helmet rule-related suspension. Chicago and Smith ultimately forged a compromise, one that will only void Smith’s guarantees if he’s suspended for three consecutive games.