AFC West Notes: Bell, Broncos, Nassib, Bolts
Less than an hour after Le’Veon Bell‘s Jets departure became official, rumors about his new team are surfacing. While Bell’s suitor list is not yet known, many around the league expect the Chiefs to be interested in the former All-Pro back, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The Chiefs made a somewhat similar move last year, signing LeSean McCoy — after the Bills cut him — to play behind then-starter Damien Williams. Kansas City used a first-round pick on Clyde Edwards-Helaire but has lower-profile backs Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson — after Damien Williams’ July opt-out — backing up the rookie. Bell, whose disappointing Jets stay secured him nearly $30MM, will prioritize his fit in an offense and a team’s chances of contending before choosing his next destination, per Fowler. Bell returned in Week 5 from a hamstring injury and averaged 4.62 yards per carry on 13 totes in the Jets’ loss to the Cardinals.
Here is the latest from the AFC West:
- While Cam Newton‘s return to the Patriots’ active roster points to the Broncos facing him and not Jarrett Stidham this week, Drew Lock also appears on the verge of a return. The Denver starter participated fully in practice Wednesday. A Week 6 return would be in the timeframe initially set after Lock’s Week 2 shoulder injury. The Broncos used two different starters, running their post-Peyton Manning total to nine, in Lock’s absence. Were Lock to be held out another week, Brett Rypien would be in line to log a second start.
- Mark Barron‘s Broncos debut remains on hold. On IR because of a hamstring injury, Barron suffered a pectoral malady that will delay his return to action, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The Broncos signed Barron late in the summer, but the former first-round pick does not have a clear-cut return date.
- The Raiders are also going to be without a rotational defender for a bit. Carl Nassib suffered a broken toe during the team’s win over the Chiefs, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It is, in fact, a big toe injury. The former Browns and Buccaneers pass rusher will likely be out a while, though a concrete timetable does not exist yet. An offseason addition, Nassib has played just more than a fourth of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps this season.
- The Dolphins recently promoted running back Salvon Ahmed to their active roster. They did so after the Chargers expressed interest in poaching Ahmed off Miami’s practice squad, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Chargers are down Austin Ekeler presently and have just two backs — Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley — on their active roster. A rookie UDFA out of Washington, Ahmed has yet to dress for an NFL game.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/14/20
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: OL Sam Mustipher
- Placed on IR: G James Daniels
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Robert Jackson
New England Patriots
- Signed off Jaguars’ practice squad: DL Carl Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cameron Batson, WR Adam Humphries
Washington Football Team
- Claimed (from Eagles): DE Casey Toohill
Bears Work Out LBs Manti Te’o, Deone Bucannon
The Bears have some veteran linebackers on their radar. They brought in Manti Te’o and Deone Bucannon for workouts on Wednesday, with second-year defender Justin Phillips taking part in the audition as well, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
While Bucannon has been involved in the 2020 season’s unusual fall workout circuit, this marks Te’o’s first known workout since last season.
Te’o, 29, caught on with the Saints again in 2019, signing in December. He spent parts of three seasons in New Orleans, starting 10 games for the 2017 Saints and playing eight games over the past two seasons. The former Heisman finalist and second-round Chargers pick has made 48 career starts.
A former first-round Cardinals pick, Bucannon played 14 games with the Buccaneers and Giants last season. The former college defensive back made 25 tackles in 2019. The Falcons released him from their practice squad late last month. A 2019 UDFA, Phillips spent last season with the Raiders.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/14/20
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Lafayette Pitts
New York Jets
- Signed: K Sergio Castillo, DT Tanzel Smart
- Released: WR Donte Moncrief
COVID-19 Latest: Pro Bowl, Week 18, Bubble
For the first time since 1949, the NFL will not feature its signature all-star game. The league announced Wednesday the 2021 Pro Bowl will not take place. Instead, a to-be-determined slate of activities will commence. This will affect certain players’ resumes this season. Players, coaches and fans will still vote on this year’s Pro Bowlers; there just will not be a game and, thus, no brigade of Pro Bowl alternates will be required. This is not exactly a surprising development. The Pro Bowl cancelation comes in a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the NFL to cancel free agent visits, move the draft to a virtual setting, nix all in-person offseason activities and induce the league to call off its preseason slate.
Here is the latest from the coronavirus front:
- Despite the NBA earning immense praise for its bubble concept, the NFL remains against moving its playoffs to a bubble. A Tuesday report about the league considering a playoff bubble preceded denials, with NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills coming out against the idea. “We’re proceeding as is,” Sills said, via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). “We don’t feel (a bubble) is the safest course of action for us.” Discussions of a bubble did not advance far this offseason, and the NFL — despite considerable adjustments to its schedule thus far because of COVID-19 positive tests in Tennessee and New England — will continue to try to play out its season as scheduled.
- The NFL chose to rearrange eight teams’ schedules on Sunday, amid changes that included postponing a second scheduled game — Broncos-Patriots — because of COVID-19. Rumors have emerged about the NFL implementing a Week 18 as a makeup date, and NFL executive VP Troy Vincent said that would be in play. Though, the league’s stance remains to play all 256 regular-season games in the usual 17-week timeframe, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets. The Titans returning to action Tuesday prevented a team from having multiple games moved, thus delaying the first true threat to the schedule being completed in 17 weeks. Roger Goodell has stressed flexibility will be needed to complete the league’s 101st season, pointing to the commissioner being open to an in-case-of-emergency Week 18.
- New coronavirus protocols are on tap ahead of Week 6, and they could lead to more players missing games. All players who qualify as close contacts of someone who tested positive for COVID-19 must be isolated for at least five days, even if they are asymptomatic, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. All “high risk” close contacts of a player who tests positive after Wednesday would then need to miss at least one game. With the NFL opting against a bubble setup, this is another step the league is taking to try and prevent another outbreak.
- The Panthers entered the NFL’s intensive protocol after Falcons rookie defensive tackle Marlon Davidson‘s positive COVID test, the team announced. The Falcons, obviously, are going through the same protocols. No Panther has tested positive, and Davidson played only 17 snaps in the Week 5 Carolina-Atlanta game. The Vikings managed to avoid a postponement after their Week 3 game against the Titans. As of now, the Panthers do not appear at risk for having their Week 6 game postponed.
Patriots Activate Cam Newton Off Reserve/COVID-19 List
3:49pm: Newton is on track to be back this week. The Patriots activated their QB1 from their reserve/COVID-19 list.
2:59pm: The Patriots seeing their Week 5 game against the Broncos delayed to Week 6 may well allow them to have their starting quarterback on the field. Cam Newton is expected to practice Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Newton learned Oct. 3 he tested positive for COVID-19, shelving him for Week 4 and delaying that Patriots-Chiefs game a day. The Pats then saw All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore and practice squad defensive tackle Bill Murray test positive. Another positive test prompted the NFL to move the Pats’ Week 5 game, which would have featured Jarrett Stidham starting for New England.
The Pats will only have two days of full practices this week; they will not return to work until Thursday. Newton had yet to test negative for two straight days, a requirement to return to practice, as of Sunday morning. The new Patriots quarterback has navigated that part of the protocol and will be back in uniform. Newton was believed to be asymptomatic.
Prior to his coronavirus-induced hiatus, Newton had rewarded the Pats on their offseason move. Despite arriving in late June, Newton helped the Pats to two wins, had completed 68% of his passes and averaged 49.1 rushing yards per game. The Patriots only needing to play one game without Newton would obviously be a boon to their chances at returning to the playoffs, though the former MVP will also need to stay healthy — something he has not done since his 2015 MVP season — to maximize his new team’s chances at securing postseason entry for the 12th straight season.
Kawann Short To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
After landing on the Panthers’ IR list last October, Kawann Short will be part of such a transaction a year later. The veteran defensive tackle is set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, Matt Rhule said Wednesday.
This injury is different from the one that ended Short’s 2019 season, per Joe Person of The Athletic (on Twitter), but it will still sideline the productive interior defender for the season’s remainder. Short has missed the past two Panthers games. He will exit the 2020 season having played in only five contests over the past two years.
The Panthers gave the former fifth-round pick a lucrative extension in 2017, and Short initially rewarded the franchise with his second Pro Bowl season in 2018. But injuries have prevented the 31-year-old defender from following up that success. The two-time Pro Bowler missed only two games due to injury in his first six seasons.
Short’s contract, which runs through the 2022 season, would make a 2021 release somewhat disadvantageous for the Panthers. It would save them $9MM-plus while also tagging the team with more than $11MM in dead money. However, the rebuilding Panthers — who have won two games without Short this season — made radical roster readjustments this past offseason, moving on from numerous cornerstone players. Short has been with Carolina for eight seasons and, after the team said goodbye to Luke Kuechly and Mario Addison, is now the Panthers’ longest-tenured defender.
Titans Trade LB Kamalei Correa To Jags
The Titans have found a taker for Kamalei Correa. After the linebacker requested a trade, the Titans agreed on a deal that will send him to the Jaguars, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (via Twitter).
As expected, the compensation is minimal. In a pick-swap agreement, the Jags will send the Titans their 2021 sixth-round pick and receive a 2021 seventh-rounder from Tennessee.
Correa has played just 39 defensive snaps this season and, after coming off Tennessee’s reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, did not play against the Bills. As a result, a rare intra-division trade will commence. The Titans were set to release Correa had they not found a trade partner.
This marks the second trade of Correa’s five-year career. The Ravens dealt the outside linebacker to the Titans just before the 2018 season. The former second-round pick played 32 games with the Titans, making nine starts and tallying 8.5 sacks.
Correa will follow Jabaal Sheard to Jacksonville. The Jaguars gutted their “Sacksonville” defensive line this offseason, cutting Marcell Dareus and trading Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. Like Sheard, Correa is in line to work as a depth piece behind first-round picks Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson.
Broncos’ Melvin Gordon Charged With DUI
Broncos running back Melvin Gordon was cited for driving under the influence on Tuesday night, as Mike Klis of 9News reports. According to police, Gordon was speeding between 25 mph and 39 mph over the limit and found to be intoxicated when he was pulled over.
“We are aware of the situation involving Melvin Gordon,” the Broncos said in a statement. “Our organization has been in communication with him and is in the process of gathering more details.”
Gordon joined the Broncos in March on a two-year, $16MM deal. With the Chargers, he totaled at least 1,375 yards from scrimmage from 2016-18 and 47 touchdowns over the past four years. While he has missed time due to minor injuries throughout his career, Gordon was healthy throughout 2019. Of course, he still missed games, due to his holdout that stretched into October of last year.
In 12 games, Gordon averaged 3.8 yards per carry, a far cry from the 5.1 yards per tote that gave him so much leverage in 2018. This past week, the Broncos got a glimpse of Gordon’s full potential as he ran for 107 yards against the Jets, including a 43-yard TD to clinch the win.
Gordon’s DUI citation could subject him to league discipline, including a possible suspension.
Titans To Release Or Trade Kamalei Correa
Titans linebacker Kamalei Correa demanded a trade after being inactive on Tuesday night, according to Mike Garafolo and TomPelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Titans will oblige — they try to trade Correa, and they’ll release him if they can’t find a taker.
Correa has seen just 39 defensive snaps and 24 special teams plays this season. After spending time on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, he was eager to get back on the field this week. In 2019, the Boise State product saw the most action of his career, appearing in all 16 games and starting five of them. He played in about 40% of the Titans’ defensive snaps and served as a major special teams contributor. Although Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics considered him an average pass rusher, he did pick up a career-high five sacks.
Lauded for his coverage abilities, the former Ravens second-round pick was a favorite of former Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees. When Pees retired this year, Correa lost one of his biggest supporters. Still, Correa agreed to a new one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Titans in April, hoping that he’d still be a defensive regular.