2017 - Pro Football Rumors

Bears Release Lamarr Houston From IR

By Zachary Links | at September 6, 2017 6:48 pm

Lamarr Houston is free to sign with any team. At least, he’ll be able to once he’s healthy. The Bears have released the linebacker from injured reserve, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’ll be ready to audition for clubs sometime next week.

Houston, 30, has had two ACL tears in the past and a new knee injury has left him on the shelf once again. He didn’t do much in Chicago after signing a five-year, $35MM free agent with the Bears in 2014, but he was a quality edge rusher in previous seasons with the Raiders.

In three seasons with the Bears, Houston has appeared in just 26 of a possible 48 games and made only ten starts. With the Raiders, he did not miss a single regular season game from 2010-2013 and started in all but four of those contests.

Houston’s next deal will likely be close to the league minimum but may include some incentives for play time.

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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/6/17

By Zachary Links | at September 6, 2017 6:38 pm

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Signed: QB Trevor Knight
Cut: DT Taniela Tupou

Cleveland Browns

Signed: DB Channing Stribling

Detroit Lions

Cut: TE Cole Wick
Placed On IR: WR Dontez Ford

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed: CB Taurean Nixon

Offseason In Review: Chicago Bears

By Sam Robinson | at September 6, 2017 5:33 pm

After their worst season in nearly 50 years, the Bears authored one of the more interesting offseasons in the NFL. They signed a slew of middling veterans in free agency but soon after made the biggest draft investment at quarterback in franchise history.

The quarterback position obviously took center stage in Chicago this offseason, and as a result of adding a starting quarterback in March and a high-end prospect in April, the Bears are operating on a unique timeline. High expectations aren’t in the cards for the 2017 Bears, but they will be a team to monitor because of what transpired during their player-acquisition period.

Notable signings:

Mike Glennon, QB: Three years, $45MM. $18.5MM guaranteed.
Prince Amukamara, CB: One year, $7MM. Fully guaranteed.
Dion Sims, TE: Three years, $18MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Marcus Cooper, CB: Three years, $16MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Markus Wheaton, WR: Two years, $11MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Quintin Demps, S: Three years, $13.5MM. $4.5MM guaranteed.
Mark Sanchez, QB: One year, $2MM. $1MM guaranteed. $2MM available via incentives.
Kendall Wright, WR: One year, $2MM. $1MM guaranteed.
Tom Compton, T: One year, $1.85MM. $850K guaranteed.
Eric Kush, OL: Two years, $2.7MM. $500K guaranteed.
Christian Jones, LB: One year, $1.5MM. $500K guaranteed.
Bradley Sowell, T: One year, $1MM. $200K guaranteed.
Connor Barth, K: One year, minimum salary benefit. $155K guaranteed.
John Jenkins, DT: One year, $900K. $100K guaranteed.
Sam Acho, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Benny Cunningham, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Deonte Thompson, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.

For now, Glennon will have another chance to show he can be an NFL starter. A recurring subject of trade rumors in recent years, the former Buccaneers third-round pick will throw more passes in Week 1 than he did in the past two seasons combined. But in less than two months, Glennon reverted to lame-duck status. Only instead of having the opportunity to display his qualifications for a starting job over the course of a sizable work sample (18 starts for the Bucs from 2013-14), the 27-year-old passer may not have much job security in his new city.

Bears fans witnessed a player with high-end tools deliver middling production for nearly a decade, but Glennon’s post-Jay Cutler audition might not even last through 2017. His guarantee pretty much tethers him to the Bears for this season alone, and Mitch Trubisky will be expected to assume command by 2018. The situation makes sense for the Bears, to some degree, in bringing in an average quarterback to run a team with low expectations while the hopeful prodigy learns. But a Brian Hoyer re-up may have been more reasonable for continuity purposes instead of authorizing a near-$20MM guarantee to a UFA who clearly isn’t in the long-term plans.

Many Bears UFA deals were not needle-movers, with the franchise striking out on some big-money targets — from A.J. Bouye to Stephon Gilmore to an Alshon Jeffery re-signing — and the franchise instead spent money on several second-tier acquisitions. This took place at both cornerback and wide receiver.

Amukamara’s been a solid defender, albeit an injury-prone one, since coming into the league. The seventh-year man showed he could stay relatively healthy last season by playing 14 Jaguars games. The 28-year-old accepted another one-year pact and will be expected to lead Chicago’s corner corps. Cooper has not shown nearly the consistency his newly arriving counterpart has and was a nonfactor in Kansas City for much of his time there. Pro Football Focus graded Cooper — his four interceptions notwithstanding — as a bottom-10 corner last season with the Cardinals.

No cornerback prospects reside in the team’s pipeline, so the franchise could have to start over again in 2018 — especially after not picking up Kyle Fuller‘s fifth-year option.

With Cameron Meredith out for the year, the situation is just as strange now at wide receiver.

In lieu of convincing Jeffery to stay, the Bears went bargain shopping and will be relying on two buy-low options in Wheaton and Wright. Despite lacking the kind of numbers Wright put up with Jake Locker, the former Steelers supporting-caster received the bigger commitment of the two. Wright compiled nearly a 1,100-yard season under now-Bears OC Dowell Loggains with the 2013 Titans and has upside after being marginalized in Tennessee the past two seasons.

Wheaton’s struggled with injuries this offseason and missed 13 games in his contract year. While he did fare decently with the 2015 Steelers (17.0 yards per catch, five touchdown grabs), Wheaton not having the benefit of Antonio Brown could limit his Chicago prospects.

Should Kevin White be unable to stay healthy for a third straight season, Chicago may be forced to retool here in ’18. Instead of deploying wideouts who could grow alongside Trubisky, the Bears have placed some veterans that fit Glennon’s timetable more. (Although, to be fair, Meredith profiled as an ascending talent pre-injury.)

The Bears also have a veteran-laden tight end assembly, with a Zach Miller/Sims combination occupying this spot while Adam Shaheen develops. Sims showed little as a receiver with the Dolphins and is not coming off a season where he displayed much in the run-blocking department — at least, not in the view of PFF — and his contract parallels Glennon’s in being basically a one-year commitment. Virtually no guarantees exist on Sims’ deal in 2018 or ’19, so he’ll have to show more this season than he did during his first four (699 career receiving yards).

In not becoming a full-time starter until his age-30 season, Demps has traversed a unique career arc. The former Eagles and Texans backup and part-time starter with the Giants and Chiefs became a solid back-line defender upon returning to Houston. PFF rated Demps as its No. 10 safety in 2016, when he intercepted a career-high six passes. Based on recent production, the Bears did well to sign Demps for less than $5MM guaranteed. But he’s now 32 and may have delivered his best work already. Nevertheless, Demps is a proven safety who should help Chicago in the short term.

Mike Adams, T
Matt Barkley, QB
Brandon Boykin, CB
Jay Cutler: Released, then retired
Cornelius Edison: Waived
David Fales, QB
Jacoby Glenn, CB: Waived
Brian Hoyer, QB
Demontre Hurst, CB
Alshon Jeffery, WR
Ted Larsen, OL
Paul Lasike, FB: Waived
Matt McCants, T
Logan Paulsen, TE
Tracy Porter, CB: Released
Eddie Royal, WR: Released
Will Sutton, DL: Waived
Cornelius Washington, DE
Marquess Wilson, WR

The Bears prying Cutler away from the Broncos seemed like a win in 2009, with franchise quarterbacks rarely changing teams and the then-25-year-old passer coming off a Pro Bowl berth. But the Bears either did not receive the player they thought they were getting, or the Cutler/Mike Shanahan divorce had seminal ramifications for the once-promising passer’s career. Cutler made zero Pro Bowls with Chicago but collected over $101MM during his Bears run, one that produced one playoff berth.

Chicago will start over again at quarterback. While Cutler turned out better than the Bears’ recent first-round quarterback investments before him, he did not deliver on the promise he showed in Denver. Adding to the unlikely outcome of the seminal trade, the Broncos used the picks acquired (with Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker acquired as a result of the Cutler swap) to help coax Cutler’s eventual franchise-passer replacement, Peyton Manning, to sign in Denver.

Cutler’s top mid-2010s target, Jeffery was not interested in coming back to the Bears. While soft-tissue injuries and a PED suspension dogged the former second-round pick-turned-franchise-tagged player, Jeffery was a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver. The Bears have now lost two of those in three years, in trading Brandon Marshall — who delivered a Pro Bowl slate with the 2015 Jets — and watching Jeffery sign with the Eagles.

Despite playing just five seasons with the 95-year-old franchise, Jeffery is the team’s third-leading wideout. He and Marshall are responsible for four of the team’s top eight receiving-yardage seasons, so March’s defection signaled a critical point on the franchise’s timeline.

Hoyer and Barkley each trekked to San Francisco, but the 49ers cut Barkley. Hoyer played well for the Bears, and the team met with the quarterback’s reps just before free agency. Although, he was reportedly a mere fallback option for the Bears. Hoyer bolted quickly to sign a more team-friendly deal than Glennon received. Hoyer completed 67 percent of his passes in six games last season and has delivered better work than Glennon, but he signed for just $12MM over two years.

Trades:

Acquired a 2017 first-round pick (No. 2; QB Mitch Trubisky) from the 49ers in exchange for a 2017 first-round pick (No. 3; DL Solomon Thomas), a 2017 third-round pick (No. 67), a 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 111), and a 2018 third-round pick.
Acquired a 2017 second-round pick (No. 45; TE Adam Shaheen), a 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 119; RB Tarik Cohen), a 2017 sixth-round pick (No. 197), and a 2018 fourth-round pick from the Cardinals in exchange for a 2017 second-round pick (No. 36; S Budda Baker) and a 2017 seventh-round pick (No. 221).
Acquired a 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 112; S Eddie Jackson) from the Rams in exchange for a 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 117; WR Josh Reynolds) and a 2017 sixth-round pick (No. 197).

The trade for Trubisky shocked most observers, and it was clearly a solid move for the 49ers in picking up three draft choices to move down one spot. The Browns were rumored to be enamored with the Cleveland-area product, but it would have taken a lot for them to move into the position of holding the Nos. 1-2 picks. It’s unclear who the Bears were negotiating against here.

Nevertheless, Trubisky — a one-year starter at North Carolina — being what Ryan Pace and Co. hope for would make the trade-up cost irrelevant. Of course, plenty of doubt exists about that. This selection reportedly expanded the divide between Pace and John Fox, with the former more likely to see the Trubisky era through than the latter, but the duo will be tasked with making this unique arrangement work for now.

But the Bears not being expected to compete for the playoffs this season will make it tempting to test the latest quarterback-in-waiting. Trubisky has now surpassed Sanchez on the depth chart, moving him closer to that impending ascent. While the plan remains to roll with Glennon and let Trubisky develop from the sideline, Pace acknowledged the former Tar Heels talent has made steady strides.

Chicago’s been one of the worst modern franchises at identifying quarterback talent. Denver’s 2006 first-round pick, Cutler outdid the work of Rex Grossman (Round 1, 2003) and Cade McNown (R1, 1999). Trubisky enters the Windy City with less of a collegiate pedigree than those signal-callers. While much of Trubisky’s future supporting cast is not yet known, he should see the field at some point this season with an older skill-position contingent. This might not do much for rapport-building, but having the likes of Wright and Miller around could provide some key safety nets while the 23-year-old learns.

Draft picks:

1-2: Mitch Trubisky, QB (North Carolina)
2-45: Adam Shaheen, TE (Ashland)
4-112: Eddie Jackson, S (Alabama)
4-119: Tarik Cohen, RB (North Carolina A&T)
5-147: Jordan Morgan, OL (Kutztown)

Interestingly, the Bears supplemented their raw passing prospect with a slew of small-school talents. Shaheen represents the incredibly rare Division II performer who left school early. Initially a Division II basketball player at Pittsburgh-Johnstown University (Pa.), the 6-foot-6, 278-pound pass-catcher transferred to Ashland (Ohio) and caught 70 passes in 2015 and set a program record with 16 touchdown receptions a year later.

Shaheen’s timetable lines up with Trubisky’s, with the massive tight end set to open the season behind Sims and Miller on the depth chart. Shaheen’s development may be overshadowed, like just about every other aspect of the 2017 Bears not involving, by what happens at quarterback. But the raw talent’s seasoning will worth observing since he’s being groomed to take over soon at this position.

Cohen’s arrival helped force Jeremy Langford off the roster. The diminutive back blended in with the franchise’s draft profile heavy on non-Division I-FBS prospects, but the 5-7 runner could be summoned to action early this season. Unlike Shaheen, he profiles as a backup, however.

The Bears’ recent safety investments profile as about the only young talent for fans to observe in this secondary this season, and Jackson appears to have usurped 2015 fifth-rounder Adrian Amos. The Bears have the former Crimson Tide starter atop their Week 1 depth chart — ahead of Amos and 2016 fourth-rounder Deon Bush.

Extensions and restructures:

Charles Leno, T: Extended through 2021. Four years, $38MM. $21.5MM guaranteed.

While Leno may not be a well-known NFL commodity in toiling for some off-the-grid Bears teams, the left tackle is now a big part of the franchise’s future. Soon to be 26, Leno will begin his third season as a Bears starter and do so having made the rise from seventh-round pick to a player earning upper-echelon offensive line money. Pro Football Focus graded Leno as its No. 42 tackle last season, and his 2016 work proved enough for the Bears to commit before the edge blocker’s contract year.

The ex-Boise State cog now earns $9.25MM annually. The deal ties Leno to the Bears for at least the next two seasons and makes him a top-15 tackle in terms of per-year average — ahead of Jason Peters, Duane Brown, Jared Veldheer and Donald Penn by this measurement. Leno’s contract keeps him under Bears control for five more seasons, joining Kyle Long (signed through 2021) and Cody Whitehair (through 2019) as cornerstones.

Other:

Declined 2018 fifth-year option for CB Kyle Fuller ($8.526MM).
Learned WR Cameron Meredith would miss the 2017 season (torn ACL).
Learned OL Eric Kush would miss the 2017 season (torn hamstring).
Claimed FB Michael Burton off waivers from the Lions.
Signed 13 undrafted rookie free agents.

Chicago’s offseason cornerback pursuits and eventual signings continue to point to the organization having a low opinion of Fuller, who is now entering a contract year. He missed all of last season with a shoulder injury and was rumored to be available for a late-round pick this offseason. Stranger breakouts have occurred, however, and the Bears could use Fuller to belatedly show he can be a key part of their secondary. Because the cornerback contingent does not presently have much on which to build.

The Meredith setback will cause the Bears’ UFA signings and White to play bigger roles. A 2015 UDFA, Meredith took an unlikely route to becoming Chicago’s No. 1 receiver. But it will be a while before he can hold that title again. White has missed 28 of a possible 32 games in his career, and while the ex-West Virginia standout remains a key part of this passing attack due largely to that No. 7 overall draft status, he has been one of the least productive first-round receivers in memory across his first two seasons. Meredith’s injury opens the door for White, but it hurts the Bears’ aerial operation considerably.

Top 10 cap charges for 2017:

Mike Glennon, QB: $14,000,000
Kyle Long, G: $8,000,000
Pernell McPhee, LB: $7,825,000
Prince Amukamara, CB: $7,000,000
Lamarr Houston, LB: $6,990,000
Danny Trevathan, LB: $6,850,000
Josh Sitton, G: $6,822,916
Akiem Hicks, DL: $6,200,000
Bobby Massie, T: $6,034,375
Dion Sims, TE: $5,333,333

Chicago’s offseason may have been a bit uneven, and its roster might be operating on mismatched timelines, but the Bears chucking their long-held status quo profiled as one of this year’s most interesting stories. The Bears’ Glennon games may not be especially captivating, but should Trubisky usurp the starter this season as many expect, the dawn of the next era will be worth monitoring to see if the quarterback-starved franchise finally made the right call.

For now, the wait until the Trubisky run begins for a fanbase that hasn’t seen its team make the playoffs in seven years.

Information from Over the Cap and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Browns Fear Myles Garrett Will Miss Games

By Sam Robinson | at September 6, 2017 4:43 pm

Myles Garrett‘s struggled with injuries this offseason, and the rookie defensive end gave the Browns more cause for concern on Wednesday.

The No. 1 overall pick left practice due to an ankle injury, and Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports the team is worried about a multi-game absence for the potential star pass rusher. Cabot notes the Browns are concerned this injury could sideline Garrett for weeks.

Garrett left practice with a right ankle injury, and the former Texas A&M dynamo will undergo further testing — likely an MRI — before an official timetable emerges, per Cabot.

Garrett encountered left ankle trouble during his junior season with the Aggies, missing multiple games with a high ankle sprain. During minicamp, Garrett sprained his left foot that sidelined him for weeks. This caused him to be limited to start training camp.

Carl Nassib and Nate Orchard would stand to see more time if Garrett cannot play against the Steelers on Sunday.

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Steelers Restructure Cameron Heyward’s Deal

By Sam Robinson | at September 6, 2017 4:31 pm

The Steelers will have some extra cap space on hand as the season approaches. They agreed to a restructure with Cameron Heyward, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Previously set to count $10.4MM against Pittsburgh’s 2017 cap, Heyward agreeing to rearrange his contract will create more than $3MM in cap space, Rapoport reports. While this will put more money on future Steelers payrolls, it frees up short-term funds. And the team wants to extend Heyward’s defensive line mate Stephon Tuitt.

The team’s targeted a Tuitt extension before the season, and the window to meet that goal is obviously closing. But after Heyward’s agreement and other moves, the Steelers firmly possess eight figures of cap space, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes.

The Steelers have authorized multiple key extensions this year — for Antonio Brown and Alejandro Villanueva — and despite not being able to reach a deal with Le’Veon Bell, a Tuitt re-up would continue a notable talent-retention offseason.

Heyward is signed through the 2020 season on a $52.81MM deal.

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Cardinals’ Deone Bucannon Reinjures Ankle

By Sam Robinson | at September 6, 2017 3:31 pm

It does not look like Deone Bucannon will be returning as soon as the Cardinals hoped. The fourth-year linebacker re-aggravated the ankle injury that’s defined his offseason, Bruce Arians said Monday (via Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com, on Twitter).

Arians said the linebacker sprained his ankle on his first day back at practice, which came early last week. The fifth-year Cardinals coach added (via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, on Twitter) Bucannon has “no chance” to play Sunday in Arizona’s opener.

Bucannon was on track to be ready by Sunday prior to the setback, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic tweets, and Arians noted this could be a multi-game absence. The Cardinals have Karlos Dansby and first-rounder Haason Reddick in place now that Bucannon is out. Philip Wheeler and Josh Bynes are also in the mix as new additions.

The only member of Arizona’s 2016 inside-linebacking corps set to return this season, Bucannon underwent ankle surgery in May and missed almost all of the Cards’ offseason work. He finished with 89 tackles last season in 13 games.

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Bills Host Ahtyba Rubin On Visit

By Sam Robinson | at September 6, 2017 2:48 pm

Recently cut by the Seahawks, Ahtyba Rubin has generated some interest elsewhere. The veteran defensive tackle took a visit to Buffalo in recent days, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

The Seahawks attempted to shop Rubin prior to cutting him over the weekend, and the 31-year-old defender is attempting to secure a job with a third NFL team. This was the would-be 10th-year veteran’s first known visit since the Seahawks released him.

Rubin played for the Browns for seven seasons prior to signing two Seahawks contacts — the second of which a three-year, $12MM pact in 2016.

The Bills are pivoting back to a 4-3 scheme under Sean McDermott, and Rubin proved solid in that set in Seattle after working as a 3-4 base defender in Cleveland. Buffalo has mercurial superstar Marcell Dareus and longtime cog Kyle Williams entrenched inside but may be on the hunt for a rotational option.

Garafolo NFL.com colleague Ian Rapoport reported the Broncos as a top contender to land Rubin, but nothing’s developed on that front since.

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James Jones Announces Retirement

By Sam Robinson | at September 6, 2017 2:40 pm

James Jones did not play last season, and the longtime Packers wide receiver does not plan to suit up again. Jones announced his retirement on Wednesday, via PitchEngine.com.

The 33-year-old Jones played nine NFL seasons — eight with the Packers — prior to being released by the Chargers in August 2016. A Green Bay third-round pick in 2007, Jones started in 72 games and played in 13 playoff contests as an auxiliary pass-catcher on Brett Favre- and Aaron Rodgers-fronted offenses.

“I have truly been blessed to have worked with such wonderful people throughout my career,” Jones said. “I would personally like to thank the entire Packers Organization, Packer Nation and particularly Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and (longtime Packers scout) Sammy Seal. I would also like to thank the Raiders Organization, my agents at Sun West Sports, Frank Bauer and Kenny Chapman, and everyone who believed in my talents which allowed me to continue playing the sport I love.”

Although he played a role in the Packers’ Super Bowl XLV championship, Jones put together his best season in 2012, leading the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions. The former San Jose State prospect caught 51 touchdown passes in his career — including eight in a 2015 reunion with the Packers.

The career supporting-caster recorded at least 600 receiving yards in seven of his nine seasons and surpassed 800 twice — in 2013 and ’15. Jones also averaged at least 16 yards per catch in two seasons, with the final Green Bay campaign appearing in that category as well. The Bolts signed Jones early in their final San Diego training camp but released him just before the season.

Jones said he’s accepted a position with the NFL Network

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NFC Rumors: Pryor, Eagles, Ward, Trubisky

By Sam Robinson | at September 6, 2017 1:48 pm

Terrelle Pryor already confessed his camp might have misjudged the market when he ended up signing a one-year deal with the Redskins. The wideout’s back in a contract year but said Wednesday other teams presented multiyear offers.

“A lot of teams … I got four or five offers from four or five teams for four or five-year deals for a lot of money, but it wasn’t where I thought I needed to be,” Pryor said, via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com. “At the end of the day, I wanted to really show I can do it, dominate at it again, and really just set myself up to have a home for four or five years, that way I can sign somewhere for four or five years instead of always moving around.”

Evidently hoping this one-year agreement can be a pathway to more lucrative long-term proposals, the 28-year-old Pryor also revealed he was negotiating with the Eagles prior to his Redskins pact. Pryor said he “believed” the Eagles were one of the teams pursuing him before something “in house” changed. This could allude to Alshon Jeffery signing a one-year deal on the same day Pryor agreed to his Washington contract. The Eagles were connected to just about every UFA wideout of note this offseason, and Pryor’s comments back up a March report of five teams being interested in signing him.

Here’s the latest from the NFC as 15 of its teams make preparations for their Week 1 games.

The one NFC franchise that won’t play this weekend has a new safety that now has an extra week to acclimate to Mike Smith‘s system, and details of T.J. Ward‘s contract continue to emerge. Ward will earn $3MM guaranteed on his one-year deal with the Buccaneers, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. The veteran safety’s contract has a base value of $3.875MM, and offers the chance for an extra $1MM via incentives. Ward, of course, signed with Tampa Bay less than 24 hours after being released by Denver, a move that led the Buccaneers to trade fellow defensive back J.J. Wilcox to the Steelers.
While this is not exactly a surprise, Mitch Trubisky will ascend to second on the Bears‘ depth chart for Chicago’s Week 1 tilt. The rookie quarterback usurped Mark Sanchez and will back up Mike Glennon on Sunday, John Fox said (via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, on Twitter). Of this rookie class, only DeShone Kizer will receive an opening day start. Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, C.J. Beathard and Nathan Peterman join Trubisky in being second-stringers entering their first NFL seasons.
Dontari Poe‘s latest weight check-in, which is today, will secure the Falcons defensive tackle $125K, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Poe earned the $125K by coming in under 330 pounds in late July. The pre-regular-season weight ceiling remains the same.
No offset language existed in Alex Boone‘s Vikings contract, Joel Corry of CBS Sports notes (on Twitter), so Minnesota will be stuck with $3.5MM in dead money on this year’s cap. Terms of Boone’s Cardinals deal are not yet disclosed, but it won’t go toward helping the Vikings offset dead money remaining on the four-year, $26.8MM contract they authorized for Boone last year.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this report.

1 comment Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings Philadelphia Eagles Tampa Bay Buccaneers Washington Commanders Alex Boone Dontari Poe Mitchell Trubisky T.J. Ward Terrelle Pryor

Latest On Aaron Donald, Rams

By Sam Robinson | at September 6, 2017 11:37 am

As of now, it looks like neither the Colts nor Rams will have their best players available to them Sunday. Andrew Luck already being ruled out may precede the Rams making a similar announcement regarding Aaron Donald‘s status.

The All-Pro defensive lineman is currently back home on the east coast, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting (on Twitter) both sides tried to reach an agreement but remain apart. The Rams will conduct their first game-week practice of the season Wednesday, and that workout won’t include Donald, further pointing to the dominant defender missing Week 1.

Donald and the Rams met last week but were “not close” to an extension agreement. Sean McVay did not declare a deadline for Donald reporting and being given a green light to suit up for Week 1, but the superstar interior defender would have a harder time immediately resuming game action this season compared to in years past.

Wade Phillips‘ new defensive scheme calls for the all-world three technique to play defensive end in base sets. While Donald would be a welcome addition and help Los Angeles’ cause, it wouldn’t be a seamless transition like it would have been had this scenario played out a year ago.

The Rams have Donald under team control through 2018 for roughly $10MM, and this setup has created rumors of Donald continuing his holdout well into the season — despite the prospect of missing out on game checks.

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Year: 2017