HEADLINES

Month: September 2017

Vikings Cut OL T.J. Clemmings

September 1st, 2017 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are releasing offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Clemmings has started 30 games for Minnesota over the last two years.

Clemmings was first thrust into the starting right tackle role in 2015 when Phil Loadholt went down with an injury. Last year, he wound up back with the first team thanks to the injuries suffered by Matt Kalil and Jake Long. Those injuries forced him to move from the right side over to left tackle.

Clemmings finished last year as the No. 74 rated tackle out of 76 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics. He had a similarly rough score in 2015.

Seahawks To Shop DL Ahtyba Rubin

September 1st, 2017 at 2:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks aren’t done yet. Once their acquisition of Sheldon Richardson is completed, they’ll turn around and discuss trades for defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Broncos are a top contender to land him, Rapoport adds. Ahtyba Rubin

Rubin, 31, joined the Seahawks on a free agent deal prior to the 2015 season. Before the ’16 campaign, he re-upped with the team on a three-year, $12MM deal. The good news for any team that acquires him is that the Seahawks already paid out half of that sum in the first year of the deal.

In his first Seahawks season, Rubin amassed 36 tackles, two sacks, and finished fourth among the team’s defensive linemen in snaps. Last year, he once again had a perfect attendance record in the regular season as he racked up 39 tackles, one sack, and three forced fumbles.

Jets, Seahawks Swap Sheldon Richardson, Jermaine Kearse

September 1st, 2017 at 2:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks have agreed to acquire defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson and a 2018 seventh-round pick from the Jets in exchange for wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, a 2018 second-round pick, and a 2018 seventh-round pick, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links).Sheldon Richardson

The Jets and Seahawks had been discussing the concept of this deal for weeks, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. New York, of course, had been shopping Richardson for much longer than that. Seattle reportedly showed interest earlier this year, but it wanted Richardson to accept a paycut from his $8.069MM base salary. This time around, the Seahawks agreed to take on his full salary. The Seahawks were able to take the hit after reworking receiver Doug Baldwin‘s contract and shedding Kearse’s $2.2MM salary in the trade.

Richardson certainly has his warts, which may have contributed to a limited trade market. For one, he wasn’t all that effective last season, as Richardson managed only 1.5 sacks in 15 games (though he still graded out as the NFL’s No. 31 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus). Richardson also comes with off-field question marks, as he has a substance abuse suspension in his past, and has dealt with commitment and tardiness issues.

But, if healthy and motivated, the addition of Richardson would give the Seahawks arguably the best front seven in the NFL. Richardson, who can conceivably play either along the edge or on the interior, would join a Seattle defensive unit that also includes Michael Bennett, Frank Clark, Cliff Avril, Bobby Wagner, and K.J. Wright on the front end, and the vaunted Legion of Boom in the back end.Jermaine Kearse

The Jets, meanwhile, needed a wide receiver following a season-ending injury to Quincy Enunwa, and Kearse will add experience to a group that includes rookies ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen. Kearse, 27, posted 41 receptions for 510 yards a season ago, but Seattle has developed enough wideouts — including Paul Richardson, Tyler Lockett, and Kasen Williams — that Kearse wasn’t needed any longer. The Seahawks had been shopping him earlier this week, and the Browns were among the interested parties.

For a rebuilding club like New York, adding a veteran piece such as Kearse doesn’t make a ton of sense, so it’s possible the Jets took on Kearse simply to help offset Richardson’s salary. Gang Green won’t take on any dead money by trading Richardson, while Seattle will incur roughly $1.83MM in dead cap during the upcoming season as a result of dealing Kearse.

Gee Scott of ESPN Radio (on Twitter) first reported that Kearse had been traded to the Jets. 

Ravens Cut 18 Players

September 1st, 2017 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens made some major strides towards getting under the 53-man limit. On Friday, they announced 24 roster moves, including the release of 18 players. Here’s the full rundown:

Waived:

Released outright (vested veterans who are not subject to waivers):

Placed on IR:

In addition to White, the following players have now been officially placed on IR:

The Ravens are now down to 66 players.

49ers To Release QB Matt Barkley

September 1st, 2017 at 1:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers will release quarterback Matt Barkley, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).Matt Barkley (Vertical)

While Barkley was never in contention for San Francisco’s starting quarterback job given that the club also inked Brian Hoyer this spring, he was thought to be assured of the 49ers’ backup position. The 26-year-old started six games for the Bears last season, but completed only 59.7% of his passes and tossed 14 interceptions. Barkley’s two-year, $4MM deal with the Niners included $500K in guarantees, so the team will incur $250K in dead money over the next two seasons.

San Francisco will now presumably use third-round rookie C.J. Beathard as its backup signal-caller. Beathard, an Iowa product, was thought to be an overdraft on Day 2, but he’s showed relatively well during camp and the preseason. Of course, the 49ers could also look to find another quarterback via trade or waiver claim in the coming days.

Cardinals To Release RB Chris Johnson

September 1st, 2017 at 1:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals will release running back Chris Johnson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Chris Johnson

Johnson missed the majority of the 2016 campaign with injury, but had been a solid contributor for Arizona as recently as 2015, when he rushed for 814 yards and three touchdowns before giving way to David Johnson as the club’s starting running back. Having signed a one-year deal that contained $200K guaranteed earlier this year, Johnson had been viewed as a lock for the Cardinals’ roster. Now, the 31-year-old back with have to look for work elsewhere (if he plans to continue his career, that is).

The Cardinals, clearly, are set at running back with the aforementioned Johnson, who figures to handle the majority of the club’s carries. Even superstars need breathers, however, and Arizona will turn to Kerwynn Williams and Andre Ellington as Johnson’s backups. Rookie T.J. Logan, meanwhile, could return later this year after recovering from injury.

Texans To Cut LB Sio Moore

September 1st, 2017 at 1:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans are releasing linebacker Sio Moore, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).Sio Moore (vertical)

Moore, 27, has four years and 47 games worth of NFL experience under his belt. 2016 was an especially nomadic campaign for Moore, as he spent time with three clubs — the Colts, Cardinals, and Chiefs — while posting 60 tackles and grading as the league’s No. 40 linebacker in nine games, per Pro Football Focus.

Moore dealt with a hamstring injury after being signed by the Texans in June, per Wilson, which likely led to his release. Houston will go forward with Whitney Mercilus, Brian Cushing, Benardrick McKinney, and rookie Zach Cunningham at linebacker.

Patriots Trade CB Justin Coleman To Seahawks

September 1st, 2017 at 1:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have sent cornerback Justin Coleman back to the Seahawks, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The Patriots will get a 2018 seventh-rounder from the Seahawks, which originally belonged to the Eagles, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. For the Pats, this means that they recoup a seventh-rounder after trading one away for linebacker Marquis Flowers in late August.

Coleman, 23, has seen action in 20 games and racked up three starts in his two-year career. The Patriots first plucked him off of the Seahawks’ taxi squad in 2015. This offseason, he re-upped with the Pats via the exclusive rights tender. He apparently wasn’t going to make the 53-man cut on Saturday, so the Patriots have parlayed him into a future draft choice. Seattle, meanwhile, won’t have to worry about the waiver process or competing clubs in free agency in order to make the reunion happen.

As DeAndre Elliott deals with an injury, Coleman could help provide support at the nickel spot.

Broncos Waive RB Juwan Thompson

September 1st, 2017 at 12:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos have waived running back Juwan Thompson, according to Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link)."<strong

Thompson, 25, has been part of Denver’s roster for three seasons, but has seen his offensive contributions dip in each campaign. He ran the ball just eight times last season, managing 26 total yards and one score. All told, Thompson put up 4.3 yards per carry on 80 touches with the Broncos.

Denver also cut veteran back Stevan Ridley earlier today, leaving the club with C.J. Anderson, Jamaal Charles, and De’Angelo Henderson in the backfield.

Seahawks, Doug Baldwin Rework Contract

September 1st, 2017 at 12:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks and wide receiver Doug Baldwin have agreed to a contract restructure that will create $5.2MM in 2017 cap space for Seattle, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Doug Baldwin

[RELATED: Seahawks Shopping Jermaine Kearse]

Baldwin had been scheduled to earn a base salary of $7.75MM for the upcoming season. Instead, the Seahawks have whittled that figure all the way down to $775K by converting the difference into a signing bonus. Seattle, which had been a bit tight on cap space, now have in excess of $13MM in reserves. Baldwin, meanwhile, will see his cap charge rise by roughly $1.744MM in each of the next three seasons. He’s signed through the 2020 campaign under the terms of his 2016 extension.

By reworking Baldwin’s contract, the Seahawks have made it more difficult to part ways with the veteran pass-catcher in future years. That shouldn’t be a problem if Baldwin continues his recent levels of production, however, as the 28-year-old has topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past two seasons while scoring 21 total touchdowns. He’s also excellent in the run game, as Pro Football Focus ranked Baldwin as the league’s No. 9 run-blocking wideout.

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