HEADLINES

Month: September 2019

Saints Rookie Carl Granderson Released From Jail, Reinstated

September 3rd, 2019 at 5:13pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints signed defensive end Carl Granderson as a UDFA in May and gave him a hefty guarantee despite the fact that he had a pending trial for sexual assault charges in July. His attorney and prosecutors reached a plea deal whereby Granderson would have served one year of probation, but a Wyoming judge went against the plea deal and ordered that Granderson immediately begin serving a six-month jail sentence. The Saints subsequently placed Granderson on the Did Not Report list.

Granderson’s attorney moved the court for a reconsideration of the sentence, and as Herbie Teope of NOLA.com reports, a different judge granted the motion. Granderson has been released and will need to serve one year of probation, but he is allowed to join the Saints. Teope — who says the team did a great deal of due diligence on the matter before signing Granderson — also notes that Granderson was reinstated with an Exempt/Commissioner Permission designation. He will not count against the team’s roster for now, and New Orleans will have two weeks to decide what to do with him.

It seems likely that the club will find a place for him on the 53-man roster given the financial commitment to him and given his talent. He almost certainly would have been drafted if not for his legal situation, and he could become a useful part of the Saints’ front seven this year.

As Teope observes, Granderson is not subject to league discipline as the incident that gave rise to the assault charges occurred before Granderson was in the league.

Dolphins Release Nate Orchard

September 3rd, 2019 at 4:49pm CST by Rory Parks

Edge rusher Nate Orchard survived cutdown day in Miami, but he couldn’t make it to Week 1. Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins have released Orchard (Twitter link).

Orchard, whom the Browns selected in the second round of the 2015 draft, posted four sacks for the Fins this preseason, and he looked primed to open the 2019 campaign as a starting defensive end. Now, one of last year’s “Hard Knocks” stars will have to look elsewhere, though his strong showing this summer should earn him another opportunity fairly quickly.

The move is somewhat surprising given that Orchard is still young enough (26) for a rebuilding outfit like the Dolphins to carefully evaluate him over the course of the season. Plus, as Jackson notes in a full-length post, defensive line coach Marion Hobby praised Orchard at length just hours before he was cut. Hobby said, “[t]hat was the biggest thing, just watching him on tape. You can see from day one that he can run, that he can do some good stuff. I think he’s been doing a good job of taking coaching and sometimes you have to keep him focused.”

Without Orchard, Miami’s DE depth chart consists of Charles Harris, UDFA Jonathan Ledbetter, and recent waiver claim Avery Moss.

In a related move, the Dolphins claimed LB James Crawford off waivers from the Packers.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/3/19

September 3rd, 2019 at 4:31pm CST by cwcrouse

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad decisions:

Atlanta Falcons

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: C Brad Lundblade

Cincinnati Bengals

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Latest On Ezekiel Elliott

September 3rd, 2019 at 3:05pm CST by PFR Staff

It was reported earlier today that Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys were nearing an agreement on a six-year, $90MM extension. While we are not quite across the goal line, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Elliott is flying back to Dallas to be ready in the event that he and the team come to terms on an agreement.

Owner Stephen Jones and Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, are scheduled to meet this evening, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports (Twitter link). Moore cautions that a deal has not yet been agreed to, even in principle.

Elliott has a desire to surpass Todd Gurley‘s near $15MM AAV deal and become the highest-paid running back the league. The previously reported deal would do just enough to accomplish that goal and it would surpass Gurley’s deal in length by two seasons. The eight-year extension would keep Zeke under contract through the 2026 season, though as our own Zach Links previously noted, it may not be a true eight-year deal based on the guarantees, cash flow and overall structure of the arrangement.

The Cowboys are not seeking a front-loaded contract, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports relays on Twitter. The scribe notes that the 30 percent rule has been a barrier in striking a deal thus far.

Dallas agreed to a five-year extension with La’el Collins earlier today with sources telling ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) that the deal created $5.7MM in cap space for the Cowboys this season. Such a move could be designed to facilitate a new Elliott contract.

Should Elliott sign today, the Cowboys expect him to play on Sunday against the Giants. Arceneux flew quarterback Tanner Lee, who is also his client, to Cabo to help the running back work on his passing game and two-minute offense, as ESPN’s Ed Werder relays (Twitter link). Hall-of-Fame running back Marshall Faulk has also been working out with Elliott in Mexico.

The Cowboys called up RB Jordan Chunn from the practice squad and they have rookie Tony Pollard and Alfred Morris in the fold, so Dallas has a full backfield ready in the event that Elliott doesn’t sign this week. Pollard is rumored to be the strongest candidate for a lead-back role if Elliott misses any games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Work Out Su’a Cravens

September 3rd, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots worked out safety Su’a Cravens on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The former second-round pick most recently played for the Broncos, who released him late last month.

Cravens entered the league as a second-round choice of the Redskins. He had tons of hype, particularly due to his ability to handle multiple positions in the secondary as well as linebacker. However, injuries, and general weirdness, sidetracked his career.

The versatility and potential is still there, so he would be a very interesting pickup for the Patriots, or any other potentially interested team. A motivated and healthy Cravens could be a difference-maker, as evidenced by flashes during his rookie season.

Here are the other players that New England has worked out today, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter):

Bills To Meet With Laquon Treadwell

September 3rd, 2019 at 12:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills will meet with wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and outside linebacker Noah Spence on Tuesday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Given their draft pedigrees, both could be intriguing low-risk pickups for Buffalo.

Treadwell is a former first-round pick of the Vikings who entered the NFL with lots of fanfare. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done a whole lot at the NFL level.

Spence, meanwhile, washed out of Ohio State’s program in college before transferring over to Eastern Kentucky University. He did well for the Ohio Valley Conference school, and parlayed that success into a second-round selection from the Bucs. He racked up 5.5 sacks as a rookie, but his sophomore season was largely lost to injury and he didn’t really produce in 12 games last year.

In addition to Treadwell and Spence, here are the other players that Buffalo has recently worked out, a list that includes a number of safeties (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle):

Bengals, Giovani Bernard Agree To Extension

September 3rd, 2019 at 11:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals are signing Giovani Bernard to a two-year, $10.3MM extension, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The deal will give him a raise to $5.9MM this year and $11MM over both years, including a $600K guaranteed bonus due in March. 

Bernard is no longer the go-to running back in Cincinnati – that’s the role filled by Joe Mixon – but Bernard is still a locker room leader and an important part of the game plan. With the new deal, he’s locked down through 2021.

The 27-year-old (28 in November) was limited to only 12 games in 2018, compiling 211 rushing yards and three scores on 56 carries. He also added another 35 receptions for 218 yards.

Mixon may be the man, for now, but Bernard is always one play away from resuming top billing. Years ago, everyone thought Jeremy Hill would leave Bernard in the dust, and we all saw how that turned out.

Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott Nearing Deal

September 3rd, 2019 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

It’s happening – we think. The Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott are nearing agreement on a deal that would allow the running back to suit up for Week 1, Mike Florio of PFT hears. 

Word has it that this would be a six-year, $90MM extension. That deal would tie Elliott to the Cowboys for an unfathomable eight years, since he has two years remaining on his rookie contract.

Of course, as with any NFL deal, it wouldn’t be a true eight-year deal. The guarantees, cash flow, and structure will dictate how long the Cowboys are truly committed to their star running back.

If all goes well, the Cowboys will have Elliott in action against the Giants on Sunday.

Jaguars Drop Terrelle Pryor

September 3rd, 2019 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars and wide receiver Terrelle Pryor have reached an injury settlement for his minor hamstring ailment, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport hears that Pryor, who is clear to sign with any club as a free agent, is now healthy.

It’s a familiar spot for Pryor, who has bounced around a bit since his breakout season with the Browns. In the last few years, he’s had stints with the Redskins, Jets, and Bills that have ended in similar fashion. Pryor signs, gets hurt, then gets released with an aim on staying healthy and rekindling his former magic elsewhere.

Speaking of the Jaguars – they were one of four teams to place a claim on running back Wendell Smallwood. Ultimately, Smallwood was snagged by the Redskins.

Chargers, Mike Pouncey Agree To Extension

September 3rd, 2019 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers are signing center Mike Pouncey to a one-year, $9MM extension that ties him to the team through the 2020 season, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Pouncey, one of the best centers in the game, was originally set to reach free agency after the 2019 campaign. 

The Bolts picked up Pouncey in March of 2018 with a two-year, $15MM deal that included $10MM fully guaranteed. Pouncey earned his fourth Pro Bowl nod last year and the deal proved to be a brilliant one for LA. This time around, Pouncey gets a pay bump, but it’s still a worthwhile investment for GM Tom Telesco & Co.

Even though the club worked something out with their center, they’re still refusing to talk with star Melvin Gordon about a possible extension.

In other Bolts news – the club was forced to place safety Derwin James on injured reserve over the weekend. Fortunately, James is expected to recover in time to return in the middle of the season.

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