2019 September - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Cut Rolando McClain

September 2nd, 2019 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys will release linebacker Rolando McClain, as Calvin Watkins of Dallas Morning News tweets. McClain was recently granted conditional reinstatement into the NFL, but this move was expected due to McClain’s ongoing personal issues.

McClain, a talented former first-round pick of the Raiders, has battled off-the-field demons for years. The Cowboys gambled on him after the Raiders gave up on him and, for a period, that gamble paid off. After years away from the game, the juice is no longer worth the squeeze for the Cowboys. At least, not until he’s able to get back on the right track.

In 2014, the Cowboys acquired McClain via trade and used him in 13 games. He finished that season with 81 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. After that, he was hit with his first – but not last – NFL suspension. In 2015, he was limited to just eleven games, though he still tallied 80 tackles and a pair of sacks.

After signing another one-year deal with the Cowboys during the 2016 offseason, McClain was handed a ten-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He then failed another drug test midway through the season, and the NFL slapped him with an indefinite suspension. After his third ban in two years, McClain was cuffed on a 2017 arrest for firearm and drug charges.

We haven’t seen McClain on the field since the 2015 season and it remains to be seen whether the 30-year-old is in game shape.

Eagles, Cre’Von LeBlanc Agree To Extension

September 2nd, 2019 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles and Cre’Von LeBlanc have agreed to a one-year extension, per a team announcement. LeBlanc is now locked in through the 2020 season.

The cornerback joined the Eagles off waivers from the Lions last year and quickly impressed. This year, he’s in the mix with fellow Philly CBs Ronald Darby, Avonte Maddox, Sidney Jones, and Rasul Douglas. An even larger role could loom in 2020, if all goes well.

Last year, LeBlanc recorded 24 tackles across eight games (four starts). Previous to that, he saw time in 28 games for Chicago between 2016 and 2017 and three contests for the Lions in ’18.

Seahawks Release LB Austin Calitro

September 2nd, 2019 at 3:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The unexpected cuts continue. On Monday, the Seahawks dropped linebacker Austin Calitro, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

In 2018, Cailtro appeared in all 16 games and made five starts at multiple positions. All in all, he recorded 45 tackles while also serving as a key special teamer.

None of that was enough for him to keep his roster spot. At least, not right now. As we’ve seen multiple times this week, the Seahawks could circle back to the ‘backer in short order.

Vikings To Sign Josh Doctson

September 2nd, 2019 at 3:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have agreed to sign Josh Doctson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Vikings initially elected to keep four receivers on their roster, but Doctson will occupy the fifth spot to support Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Chad Beebe, and Olabisi Johnson.

Fun fact: Doctson was selected one spot ahead of Laquon Treadwell in the 2016 draft. The Vikings dropped Treadwell over the weekend and, effectively, swapped him for Doctson.

Doctson has history with Kirk Cousins, which suggests that he could be in line for more targets than your average WR5. On the other hand, they didn’t exactly set the world on fire either – in 18 games with Cousins at QB, Doctson caught just 37 balls for 568 yards and six scores.

Doctson has started 26 games over the past two years for Washington, but this has only resulted in 79 total catches for 1,034 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year, he placed 96th out of 107 qualifying wideouts in yards per route run last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

In a corresponding move, Minnesota released center Brett Jones, though Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the Vikings could end up re-signing Jones at some point if he is not signed by another club.

Seahawks Re-Sign Jaron Brown

September 2nd, 2019 at 1:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks brought back Jaron Brown, just one day after releasing him. The veteran will take the place of tight end Ed Dickson, who has been placed on injured reserve.

Brown was one of the most surprising cuts of Sunday, since he is projected to serve as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver while D.K. Metcalf recovers from his knee injury. Alas, the Seahawks had him in the plans all along and simply put him in limbo for a moment so that they could leave the door open for Dickson to play.

Doctors believe that Dickson could recover in time to return this season. In the near term, they’re expected to use tackle George Fant at tight end on occasion to help fill in the gap.

Broncos Place Lock, Butt, Riddick On IR

September 2nd, 2019 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have placed quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Jake Butt, and running back Theo Riddick on injured reserve, per a team announcement. All three will be eligible to return to game action after eight weeks, but the Broncos can only activate up to two players from IR, not the whole trio.

The moves will clear the way for three signings: linebackers Keishawn Bierria and Corey Nelson and cornerback Davontae Harris. Bierria and Nelson (see story here) will receive one-year deals while Harris gets a two-year pact.

If all three players return to full health, and Joe Flacco plays well, Butt and Riddick could be the leaders in the clubhouse for the Broncos’ IR-DTR spots.

Texans To Sign Logan Paulsen

September 2nd, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

His name was Logan Paulsen, and he was cut by the Falcons over the weekend. On Monday, he agreed to a brand new deal with the Texans, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

The 32-year-old joined the Falcons in the 2018 offseason and proceeded to appear in 15 games (ten starts). The tight end didn’t contribute much in the passing game, finishing with nine catches for 91 yards and one touchdown. However, Paulsen did contribute as a blocker, with Pro Football Focus giving him solid grades for his pass-blocking. Ultimately, the site ranked the veteran 39th among 70 eligible tight ends.

Paulsen has had previous stints with the Redskins, Bears, and 49ers. Now, he adds a new jersey to his collection with an opportunity to catch passes from Deshaun Watson. As of this writing, the Texans have Jordan Akins, Jordan Thomas, Darren Fells, third-round pick Kahale Warring, and Jerell Adams on the 53-man roster. In the coming hours, one of those TEs will likely be displaced.

Browns Re-Sign Greg Robinson

September 2nd, 2019 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

One of the most surprising cuts of Sunday has been un-done. The Browns re-signed Greg Robinson, per the league’s transactions wire.

Robinson was, and is, expected to start at left tackle for the Browns. However, in order to reshuffle their roster, they exploited the vested-veteran loophole regarding guaranteed money. Because Robinson was not subject to the waiver wire, they were able to take advantage and come away with the 53-man roster they wanted.

The former No. 2 overall pick has not come close to living up to that draft slot, but he did well in the Browns’ first post-Joe Thomas season. He’ll look to build off of that this year following his 24-hour unemployment stretch.

Raiders Place Nathan Peterman On IR

September 2nd, 2019 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders placed quarterback Nathan Peterman on injured reserve, per a team announcement. With that, the Raiders are back to having three quarterbacks: Derek Carr, Mike Glennon, and newcomer DeShone Kizer.

The Raiders claim of Kizer on Sunday was something of a head-scratcher, but now it makes perfect sense. There’s no word yet on Peterman’s injury, but he’ll now get at least two months of rest. Even if he’s able to play, he might stay parked on IR for the entire season, barring injury to Carr, Glennon, or Kizer. Teams are only permitted to bring two players back from IR each year and they’ll probably have better candidates to choose from than the No. 3 QB.

Peterman was counted out by many, but he came roaring back in the preseason by completing 60 of 84 passes for 475 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions across four games.