HEADLINES

Month: September 2019

AFC East Notes: Jets, Q. Williams, Pats

September 4th, 2019 at 1:04pm CST by Zachary Links

This is interesting – the Jets have listed No. 3 overall pick Quinnen Williams as a second-stringer on their first depth chart of the season. Of course, pre-season depth charts don’t mean a ton in and of themselves, but it is notable that Williams is slated to back up Steve McLendon at defensive tackle in Week 1. Things can also change between now and Sunday when the Jets face the Bills.

As we get set for the season to begin, here’s more from the AFC East:

Eagles, Chargers Discuss Melvin Gordon

September 4th, 2019 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

Melvin Gordon could be on the move and the Eagles, for the right price, would be interested in acquiring him. The Eagles offered up a trade in which they would send Jordan Howard to Los Angeles and swap mid-round picks, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. In the proposed swap, the Chargers would also eat a portion of Gordon’s salary. Unsurprisingly, the Chargers declined the offer. 

Howard, at one point in time, was a powerful rusher with juke ability for the Bears. However, he eventually lost his footing in Chicago, thanks in part to the emergence of Tarik Cohen. This year, the Bears shipped Howard to the Eagles for a draft choice and went on to add their new starting running back in the first round.

The Chargers are unwilling to extend Gordon this year and are, in theory, willing to trade him. The latest word – with at least one team, they’ve pitched a Gordon trade that would call for a 2020 first-rounder or a 2020 fifth- and 2021 first-rounder in exchange.

Titans Sign Cairo Santos

September 4th, 2019 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

At the last minute, the Titans have made a kicking change. The Titans will place Ryan Succop on IR and sign Cairo Santos to take his place, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Schefter hears that both Santos and former Bears kicker Cody Parkey auditioned for Tennessee this week and Santos, apparently, turned in the better performance.

Santos spent the offseason with the Bucs before losing the job to rookie Matt Gay. In seven games for the Bucs in 2018, Santos made 9-of-12 field goals and nailed all 17 of his extra points. Santos also saw time in a pair of games for the Rams.

Falcons Create Room For Julio Jones Deal

September 4th, 2019 at 9:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons are “very, very close” to an extension for Julio Jones, owner Arthur Blank tells Jeff Schultz of TheAthletic.com (on Twitter). Of course, this is roughly what we’ve been hearing all summer, but it’s worth noting since we are days away from the start of the season and it is coming directly from the owner’s mouth. 

Furthermore, the Falcons have created some additional breathing room that may give them the cap space necessary to re-up their star wide receiver. The team completed simple contract restructurings with left tackle Jake Matthews and safety Ricardo Allen, according to Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (on Twitter) to carve out another $5MM.

We’ve been here many times before, but this time, it feels real. In all likelihood, Jones will have a brand new deal by the end of the week that will put him at or near the top of the WR heap in the NFL.

Cowboys Sign Ezekiel Elliott To Extension

September 4th, 2019 at 8:37am CST by Zachary Links

It’s a done deal for the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott. At long last, America’s Team has ended America’s biggest ongoing football saga by inking a brand new extension with the star running back. 

Elliott’s new deal will give him $90MM over the course of a six-year add-on. The deal includes a whopping $50MM in guarantees, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter) hears, though it’s unclear how much is fully guaranteed at signing.

More importantly, perhaps, the deal will bring an end to his 40-day holdout. With that, Elliott will take the field on Sunday against the Giants for the club’s 2019 season opener.

It remains to be seen how Elliott will adjust to the quick turnaround, as well as the plays of new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. On the plus side, Moore’s offensive game plan is not believed to be a radical departure from the playbook of last year. Also, head coach Jason Garrett seems to think that Elliott will be able to pick up where he left off.

“Zeke is as capable as anybody I know,” Garrett said. “He’s an experienced player, he’s been a really good player for us, he knows our system of football. I don’t think they’ll be a lot of learning there. He’s a smart guy, an instinctive guy.”

In theory, the new deal ties Elliott to the Cowboys for the next eight seasons, though the exact breakdown of the deal may reveal that it’s something more akin to a four or five-year commitment for Dallas. Either way – it’s a lengthy add-on with enough cash to satisfy Zeke.

Here’s what we do know: Elliott’s “new money,” on average, gives him $15MM per season. That’s enough to match the league-high AAV for running backs, a mantle that used to belong solely to Rams star Todd Gurley.

Next up for the Cowboys – new deals for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper. If they ink both players to long-term deals, they’ll likely have Top 5 AAVs at the QB, RB, and WR position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/3/19

September 3rd, 2019 at 9:47pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s minor moves:

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL Workout Updates: 9/3/19

September 3rd, 2019 at 9:27pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s workout updates, all courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) unless otherwise noted. The Saints had several recognizable players in for workouts.

Arizona Cardinals (Twitter link via veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer)

Carolina Panthers (Twitter link via Balzer)

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • G Brandon Hitner

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Redskins (Twitter link via Balzer)

Latest On Chargers, Melvin Gordon

September 3rd, 2019 at 7:45pm CST by Rory Parks

The Chargers recently gave disgruntled RB Melvin Gordon permission to seek a trade, and now we have the first concrete report of outside interest. Per ESPN’s Josina Anderson, one team has been in contact with LA to discuss a potential deal (Twitter link).

However, Anderson said those discussions were preliminary, and it sounds as if the Bolts’ asking price is quite high. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says that the Chargers have told at least one other team that they want a first- and fifth-round pick in exchange for the two-time Pro Bowler, and Anderson says in a separate tweet that LA has indeed proposed a 2020 first-rounder or a 2020 fifth- and 2021 first-rounder.

As Florio observes, the ask contradicts the Chargers’ own approach to the Gordon situation. Los Angeles is unwilling to extend him this season and do not want to pay him over $10MM per year, and when combined with the fact that an acquiring team would probably have to give Gordon a new contract worth near $13MM per year, the demand for a first- and fifth-round seems much too rich.

Of course, there’s no harm in aiming high and then adjusting as trade negotiations continue, but as of right now, it’s hard to say if the Chargers are really interested in trading Gordon. The team has all the leverage, so the Bolts may just be waiting for Gordon to cave and return early enough to be eligible for unrestricted free agency next year.

Rams, Jared Goff Agree To Extension

September 3rd, 2019 at 7:13pm CST by Rory Parks

The Rams and quarterback Jared Goff have agreed to a four-year extension that will keep Goff in LA through 2024, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The team announced that the two sides have indeed agreed to terms.

Schefter reports in a separate tweet that the four-year pact is worth $134MM and includes a record $110MM guarantee. When factoring in the two years that were remaining on Goff’s rookie deal (including the fifth-year option), LA effectively has Goff on a six-year, $161MM contract.

Carson Wentz, who was taken No. 2 overall in the 2016 draft — one spot behind Goff — signed a massive extension several months ago that ties him to the Eagles through 2024. Wentz’ extension is for four years and $128MM ($32MM per year) with just over $107MM in guarantees, so it stands to reason that Goff’s deal would top Wentz in terms of AAV and guarantees.

After all, Goff does not have the major injury concerns that have plagued Wentz in the early stages of his professional career, and Goff is coming off a stellar campaign in which he threw for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while earning a Pro Bowl nod and a trip to the Super Bowl. There was some chatter that the Rams would simply allow Goff to play out his contract and walk in free agency after the 2020 campaign, but head coach Sean McVay dismissed that notion back in June while fully committing to his soon-to-be 25-year-old signal-caller.

Obviously, the QB market is only growing, and it makes sense for the Rams to make a move now before it hits $40MM/year territory. Goff is not perfect, but he’s quite good already, and he still has room to grow. Plus, the Rams profile as Super Bowl contenders for at least the next couple of seasons.

The team already extended McVay and GM Les Snead in July, so three of the most important people in the organization are set to guide LA for the long haul.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported that the deal would pay Goff over $32MM per season and would include the largest guarantee in league history (Twitter links).

Raiders Release Doug Martin With Injury Settlement

September 3rd, 2019 at 6:34pm CST by Rory Parks

Late last month, it was reported that the Raiders had released Doug Martin, though shortly thereafter another report indicated that Martin had been placed on IR. In short, it was clear that Martin would be released with an injury settlement, and as ESPN’s Field Yates tweets, that happened today. The club also waived/injured DE Alex Barrett.

Martin has been dealing with a shoulder injury, and once he gets healthy, he will be free to sign with any club. The Raiders could theoretically bring him back, though they would have to wait a minimum of three weeks to do so.

Martin, a former first-round pick of the Buccaneers, spent the first six years of his career with Tampa Bay before catching on with the Raiders in March 2018. In his lone season with the Silver-and-Black, Martin compiled 723 rushing yards on 172 carries — good for a respectable 4.2 YPC mark — and four touchdowns. It’s a far cry from his 2015 First Team All-Pro campaign, when he piled up 1,402 yards on the ground and 271 yards through the air, but he proved that he can still be a serviceable back.

For the time being, at least, the Raiders are set to roll with Josh Jacobs and DeAndre Washington as their 1-2 punch at RB.

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