Trade Notes: Vikings, Giants, Dunlap, Jets
The Vikings greenlit this season’s biggest trade thus far by sending Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens for third- and fifth-round picks. While GM Rick Spielman said the team is not waving a white flag on its 2020 season, Albert Breer of SI.com notes the Vikings are willing to make more seller’s trades. Teams have contacted them about Kyle Rudolph, their 10th-year tight end who is in the first season of his latest Minnesota extension. The Vikings signed Rudolph to a four-year, $36MM extension but did so shortly after drafting Irv Smith Jr. in the second round. While Breer notes the Vikes are open for business on contract-year players, the soon-to-be 31-year-old Rudolph would make sense as a trade chip as well. He was a trade candidate before he signed his extension. Guard Pat Elflein and franchise-tagged safety Anthony Harris are the Vikings’ highest-profile contract-year players.
Here is the latest from the trade market:
- While this year’s NFC East could be historically bad, the Giants are 1-6 and in a seller’s position again. They have fielded calls on Kevin Zeitler and Golden Tate, according to Breer. Tate has been a deadline chip before, with the Lions sending him to the Eagles in 2018. Tate’s through-2022 contract, thanks to a PED suspension in 2019, contains no more guaranteed money. Zeitler’s deal runs through 2021. The upper-echelon guard has more than $5MM in salary remaining this season and is due a $12MM base in 2021. The Giants acquired Zeitler via trade in 2019.
- Washington has lost five straight and is also willing to listen on veterans, per Breer. Two that have come up: edge defenders Ryan Kerrigan and Ryan Anderson. The former is Washington’s all-time sack leader; he has three this season for a deep D-line group. But Washington drafted Montez Sweat and Chase Young in the past two first rounds, creating a rare surplus that has moved Kerrigan to a rotational role. Kerrigan and Anderson are in contract years.
- Carlos Dunlap took issue with the Bengals demoting him, joining Geno Atkins in voicing frustration about playing time. The Bengals were not eager to deal veterans last year, despite their struggles in a 2-14 season, but Breer adds teams view Dunlap as available for trade. Dunlap is Cincinnati’s all-time sack leader but still played a part-time role for the team last week, despite Sam Hubbard‘s IR placement. The Bengals are expected to cut Dunlap in 2021.
- The Jets dealt nose tackle Steve McLendon to the Buccaneers shortly after their Week 6 game, and in a rare development, McLendon knew he would be a postgame trade piece a day in advance. The Jets interestingly opted not to hold him out of last week’s game. “I got the news on Saturday night that a car would be waiting for me after the game Sunday to come to Tampa,” McLendon said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “I was like, ‘OK.’ Sunday morning, I woke up, I prayed, and I was like, ‘This is one last ride.’ A lot of guys were saying, ‘Man, you’re really gonna play?’ And I was like, ‘Man, this could be the last time I play with y’all in my career.'” The 11th-year veteran will now be tasked with replacing Vita Vea.
- Traded players must go through similar protocols to free agency additions. They must pass a COVID-19 test for five days straight and pass a sixth on the day they enter the facility. This formed the Ravens‘ timetable on their Ngakoue trade, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (on Twitter), in order for the defensive end to practice Wednesday and play against the Steelers next week.
Eagles To Place DeSean Jackson On IR
DeSean Jackson‘s Friday morning MRI confirmed the Eagles’ fears. The wide receiver’s ankle injury will rule him out indefinitely, leaving the Eagles no choice but to put him on injured reserve (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
The league’s modified rules for injured reserve allow players to return in as little as three weeks. Jackson is expected to miss more time than that, though he still has a chance to return before the season is through.
The Eagles were already keeping a watchful eye on Jackson’s condition as he was returning from a hamstring injury. Unfortunately, his leg twisted on an ill-fated punt return late in last night’s win over the Giants. It’s just the latest blow to an Eagles team that has had awful injury luck throughout the year – top targets Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, and Alshon Jeffery are also among those sidelined.
On the plus side, the Eagles got some good news on offensive tackle Lane Johnson. The veteran has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain, meaning that he’ll be able to return sooner rather than later. The time off will also allow him to recover from his previous ankle injury.
Eagles’ Lane Johnson Suffers Injury
The Eagles narrowly escaped with a victory on Thursday night, but they might have lost two of their biggest offensive stars. While they await word on DeSean Jackson‘s ankle, they’ll also hope for good news on Lane Johnson‘s MRI for a suspected MCL sprain (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
[RELATED: DeSean Jackson To Miss Time?]
Johnson returned on Thursday night after missing last week’s game against the Ravens with an ankle injury. Now, it sounds like the right tackle will miss more time with his knee injury. Ordinarily, they’d turn to Jack Driscoll, but his status is also in doubt thanks to an ankle injury that kept him off the field against the Giants. Matt Pryor, who typically plays on the interior, may be the next man up at RT.
Johnson is in the midst of the four-year, $72MM extension he signed back in November of 2019. The eighth-year pro is coming off of his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod, a rare feat for often underappreciated right tackles.
Eagles’ DeSean Jackson To Miss Time?
The Eagles fear that wide receiver DeSean Jackson suffered a high ankle sprain in Thursday night’s win over the Giants, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Jackson and the Birds will know more this afternoon, once his MRI results come in. Depending on the outcome, Jackson may be scheduled surgery.
[RELATED: Eagles Were Willing To Trade Zach Ertz?]
Jackson hauled in three catches for 34 yards before he injured his leg on a punt return late in the game. Madre Harper knocked him down and Corey Ballentine‘s followup hit awkwardly pinned his leg. Jackson then had to be helped off of the field and carted to the locker room.
Jackson, who was just coming off of a hamstring injury, has 13 catches for 155 yards through four games. Hopefully, his ankle injury won’t cap his season in October. Last year, Jackson underwent core muscle surgery in November, capping his 2019 season after just three games played.
DJax, 34 in November, notched 41 catches for 774 yards and four touchdowns in 2018, his last healthy season. Though that was far from his usual stat line, the legendary deep threat still averaged 18.9 yards per grab that year to lead the NFL.
Jaguars Activate K Josh Lambo From IR
The Jaguars have used five kickers this season, shuffling through four in the past four weeks after Josh Lambo‘s injury. Good news for potential Jacksonville kicker stability. Lambo is back on the team’s active roster.
A hip injury sidelined Lambo after Week 2, leading the Jags on a wild ride of specialists. They used Brandon Wright in Week 3, Aldrick Rosas in Week 4, Stephen Hauschka in Week 5 and Jonathan Brown in Week 6. Lambo will replace Brown, whom the Jags cut to make room for their full-time kicker.
Brown, the Jags’ kicker since the 2017 season, will return ahead of Sunday’s game against his former team. Brown was the Chargers’ kicker from 2015-16.
The team made a few other transactions, including releasing defensive lineman Josh Mauro. While Mauro did not play a down for the Jaguars after signing with the team this offseason, the veteran had an eventful tenure. The former Cardinals, Giants and Raiders D-lineman received a five-game PED ban and landed on the Jags’ reserve/COVID-19 list.
Jacksonville also placed nose tackle Abry Jones on IR. The longest-tenured Jaguar, Jones missed Week 6 with an ankle injury. He has been with the team since the 2013 season, when he landed in north Florida as a UDFA. Jones, 29, has made 52 starts and played in 105 games with the Jaguars.
The Jags promoted tight end Ben Ellefson from their practice squad to take Jones’ place on the 53-man roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Brandon Williams
- Placed on IR: CB Anthony Averett
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: S Steven Parker
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: TE Temarrick Hemingway
- Waived: TE Marcus Baugh
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/22/20
Here are Thursday’s practice squad decisions:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Ahmad Gooden
Carolina Panthers
- Released: RB Michael Warren
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DB Saivion Smith
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Damarea Crockett
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Dalyn Dawkins
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Will Clarke
NFC East Notes: Ertz, Giants, Cowboys
Zach Ertz‘s high ankle sprain may well have prevented a big trade. Prior to Ertz’s injury, the Eagles were willing to part with the eighth-year tight end before the Nov. 3 deadline, multiple NFL executives informed ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (video link). The Eagles view Dallas Goedert as a long-term cornerstone, a position Ertz previously held in Philly, and the older of the team’s two prominent tight ends became embroiled in a contract dispute with the team during camp. Ertz sought a deal in the George Kittle–Travis Kelce neighborhood ($14MM-plus per year) and openly questioned whether the Eagles wanted him around. Ertz’s current contract — a four-year, $42MM pact — expires after the 2021 season. He will be on IR beyond the trade deadline.
Here is the latest from the NFC East:
- Although Joe Judge was interestingly noncommittal about Andrew Thomas‘ status earlier this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the No. 4 overall pick is in good standing with the Giants and will start at left tackle Thursday night. The Giants used third-round rookie Matt Peart as their left tackle starter against Washington, making the change because Thomas violated a team rule. Thomas played just 22 snaps in Big Blue’s win. Through six games, Pro Football Focus slots Thomas 61st among tackles — behind three tackles that were taken after him in this year’s first round.
- The Eagles will continue to incorporate Jalen Hurts into their offense. Doug Pederson said this week using Hurts in a Wildcat-type capacity is something the Eagles are “definitely going to continue to explore each week,” via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP. The second-round rookie has played 19 snaps this season, including a career-high seven last week. Hurts has completed one pass but is averaging 7.0 yards per carry on seven attempts.
- It is quite possible the Washington Football Team‘s mascot-less existence will continue into 2021. “There’s a pretty good chance we will be the Washington Football Team next season,” team president Jason Wright said (via John Keim of ESPN.com). The franchise made the change in mid-July.
- Key defensive personnel could return for the Cowboys this week. Sean Lee and Chidobe Awuzie returned to practice and could be activated ahead of Saturday’s deadline. Both players went on IR after Week 1. Lee’s return from a sports hernia issue would follow Leighton Vander Esch into Dallas’ lineup, giving the embattled defense its full set of first-string linebackers. Awuzie is attempting to come back from a hamstring malady.
- The Giants worked out a familiar player Thursday. They brought former first-round pick Corey Coleman back for an audition/checkup. The Giants re-signed Coleman in March but cut him ahead of the regular season. Coleman tore an ACL during the team’s 2019 training camp and has not played since.
George Iloka Suffers Torn ACL In Practice
George Iloka‘s Vikings reunion will not include any more games in 2020. The veteran safety suffered a torn ACL in practice Wednesday, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson (on Twitter).
The Vikings placed Iloka on injured reserve Thursday. The sides reunited just before the season through a practice squad agreement, but Iloka played in Minnesota’s past four games.
Mike Zimmer‘s final Bengals defense featured Iloka as a 16-game starter, and he held that role in Cincinnati through the 2017 season. The Bengals released Iloka in 2018, leading him to a Zimmer reunion in the Twin Cities. The Vikings used Iloka as mostly a depth piece in ’18, with Anthony Harris moving into the starting lineup alongside Harrison Smith. That was Iloka’s role this season as well.
Iloka, who sat out the 2019 season, made six tackles for the Vikes this year. He played 43 defensive snaps in Week 4 but totaled only two in the past two games. Set for free agency, Iloka will turn 31 ahead of the 2021 season.
Vikings GM: Team Not Giving Up On Season
The Vikings have dismantled their never-deployed defensive end tandem of Danielle Hunter and Yannick Ngakoue on Thursday. Ngakoue is Baltimore-bound, and Hunter will undergo surgery that will push his return back to 2021.
At 1-5 and having made a seller’s trade, Minnesota is staring at its worst season of the Mike Zimmer era. The Vikings have not finished under .500 since 2014 — Zimmer’s first year — and have not lost double-digit games since they went 5-10-1 in Leslie Frazier‘s 2013 finale.
Thursday’s developments coming after the team endured a blowout loss to a previously winless Falcons squad dealing with COVID-19 limitations certainly point to Vikings management conceding this year’s team will not be a contender. Rick Spielman, however, said otherwise. “No one thinks the season’s over now,” the veteran GM said Thursday (Twitter link via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ben Goessling). While Spielman’s stance should not be surprising, the Vikings do appear to be set for a rare year out of the playoff picture.
Spielman referenced the team’s 15-player draft class when addressing the decision to trade Ngakoue for a package highlighted by a 2021 third-round pick.
“You want to win as many games as we can, and that’s going to be our objective for the year,” Spielman said (via Goessling, on Twitter). “But also, when you have an opportunity to continue to add, with the 15 draft picks, you’re seeing most of them having to play right now.”
The Vikings, of course, began this year by extending quarterback Kirk Cousins. They then reached an extension agreement with Dalvin Cook. Minnesota, which had spent years building its nucleus through the draft and subsequent extensions, cut veterans Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph and traded Stefon Diggs. The team also let cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander walk in free agency. While Justin Jefferson leads all rookie receivers with 537 receiving yards, the Vikings rank 31st in scoring offense and 26th in points allowed.
Of its rookie class, Minnesota has used Jefferson, first-round corner Jeff Gladney and third-round corner Cameron Dantzler as starters, and second-round offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland made his debut in Week 6. The Vikings are one of 10 teams with zero or one wins through six weeks, complicating a potential run at a high 2021 draft pick.