HEADLINES

Month: September 2021

Ravens CB Chris Westry Suffers Torn Meniscus

September 16th, 2021 at 8:01pm CST by Ben Levine

The injuries keep coming for the Ravens. Cornerback Chris Westry is expected to miss at least a month after suffering a torn lateral meniscus, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (and passed along by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley).

Westry, a former undrafted free agent, ended up playing the third-most snaps among Ravens cornerbacks on Sunday, collecting three tackles. The team was already relying on the bottom of their depth chart after losing cornerback Marcus Peters to a season-ending injury, and Westry’s latest injury is only going to make matters worse.

Thanks to their depleted cornerbacks depth, the team is naturally looking for reinforcement at the position. Earlier this week, Hensley tweets that the Ravens worked out four cornerbacks, including Buster Skrine, Daryl Worley, Winston Rose, and Grant Haley. That’s a mix of experience and youth, and the team will presumably add one cornerback to their active roster sooner than later (the organization already added Kevon Seymour to their practice squad).

While this latest injury is certainly frustrating, Ravens fans have probably come to expect it by now. Per Hensley, the Ravens have already placed 15 players on IR this year, including nine players over the past 24 days.

This Date In Transactions History: Jalen Ramsey Requests Trade

September 16th, 2021 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jalen Ramsey saga in Jacksonville started in earnest on this date in 2019. On September 16, 2019, the Jaguars star cornerback requested a trade.

Before we discuss the trade demand, let’s review a bit. The fifth-overall selection in the 2016 draft quickly emerged as a star in Jacksonville. Following a rookie campaign that saw him earn PFWA All-Rookie Team honors, Ramsey took it to another level in 2017, earning a first-team All-Pro nod after finishing with 63 tackles, 17 passes defended, and four interceptions. Ramsey made his second-straight Pro Bowl in 2018, cementing himself as one of the league’s top defensive backs.

However, things weren’t especially rosy in Jacksonville. First, there was the 2018 team-imposed suspension. Then, following that 2018 campaign, the two sides started firing shots regarding an extension; Ramsey said he wanted a new deal, the Jaguars said “nah, not right now,” and then Ramsey warned that he wasn’t going to give any future discounts. While the cornerback was locked in through 2020 after the Jaguars picked up his fifth-year option, the cornerback started floating out potential suitors as early as August 2019.

Then came the bombshell. On September 16, 2019, Ramsey officially requested a trade from the Jaguars. While the defensive back was still upset about his lack of an extension, he apparently focused his anger on the coaching staff. Tensions reportedly boiled over between Ramsey and head coach Doug Marrone, as the player wanted to play man-to-man vs. the Jaguars’ preferred zone scheme. So, with Ramsey playing in an undesirable system on a rookie contract, he decided to ask out.

It sounded like a trade wouldn’t take too long to pull off. The Jaguars were open to trading their star defensive back, although they were requesting a bounty in return. A number of teams were naturally connected to Ramsey, with one report literally indicating that every team was interested.

There was little progress the week following the trade request. And there was little progress after that. At one point, Jaguars owner Shad Khan revealed that he was willing to give Ramsey a record-breaking contract, which was either a last-ditch effort to keep the player in Jacksonville or a last-ditch effort to save face. Ramsey temporarily continued playing for Jacksonville, but he eventually left the team to attend the birth of his daughter. Ramsey wouldn’t play for the Jaguars again. The team continued to hold out hope that Ramsey would change his mind, and the cornerback did eventually return to practice, but the organization finally found a trade partner for the disgruntled star.

On October 15, almost a month following the request, the Jaguars shipped Ramsey to the Rams. In exchange, Jacksonville received a 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2021 fourth-round pick.

Things ended up working out for Ramsey. He eventually got a hefty five-year, $105MM extension ($71.2MM guaranteed) from the Rams, and he earned a Pro Bowl nod and a first-team All-Pro selection during his first full season in Los Angeles.

It remains to be seen if the deal will work out for the Jaguars. 2020 first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson had an underwhelming rookie campaign while 2021 first-round pick Travis Etienne will miss his entire rookie season thanks to injury. The front office used that fourth-round pick in a trade that netted the draft picks that turned into defensive end Jordan Smith and wideout Jalen Camp (who’s already been waived).

At one point in time, it looked like Ramsey could go down as one of the best players in Jaguars history. However, the cornerback drastically changed the course of his career on this day in 2019.

Saints Planning To Let Terron Armstead Test Free Agency?

September 16th, 2021 at 5:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints have continually prioritized their offensive line, which currently consists of four former first-round picks and ex-second-rounder Erik McCoy. They made a major tackle decision this offseason, however, and may be prepared to part ways with a longtime contributor in 2022.

New Orleans is planning to let longtime left tackle Terron Armstead play out his contract and hit free agency, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. The Saints extended Armstead back in May of 2016; that five-year deal expires after this season.

Due to a contract restructure that introduced a void year into the equation, Fowler adds Armstead cannot be franchise-tagged. This would put the Saints to a higher-stakes decision, one that resembles the 49ers’ situation with Trent Williams this year. San Francisco paid up to keep Williams, signing the perennial Pro Bowler to an offensive line-record contract. At 30, Armstead is three years younger than Williams and will certainly aim high if he hits free agency for the first time.

This scenario playing out would not keep the Saints from re-signing Armstead. But they gave right tackle Ryan Ramczyk a top-market deal this summer; that $19.2MM-per-year pact came in much higher than Armstead’s 2016 extension ($13MM AAV). Ramczyk’s contract also contains an interesting provision. If Ramczyk earns first- or second-team All-Pro acclaim at left tackle, he earns a $1MM bonus and will see his annual salaries bumped up by $1MM.

The Saints could avoid that path by re-signing Armstead, but given Williams’ example, it will be difficult to keep the three-time Pro Bowl left tackle off the market. Fellow 2013 left tackle draftee David Bakhtiari raised the salary ceiling beyond $23MM per year on his 2021 extension, leading to Williams topping it. With the salary cap set to spike toward $210MM in 2022, Armstead will stand in a good position — barring a major injury setback this season — come March. Letting Armstead walk would also help the Saints plan a deal for McCoy, who will enter a contract year in 2022.

Armstead hitting free agency would make him one of the top players available. By trimming $100MM-plus in cap space and finding room for a Marcus Williams franchise tag, the Saints showed this year they will create space for players they deem essential. After extending Ramczyk and Marshon Lattimore, will they end up letting both Armstead and Williams walk?

Jaguars Release RB Duke Johnson

September 16th, 2021 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Duke Johnson‘s stay in Jacksonville may end up being brief. The Jaguars released the veteran running back from their practice squad Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

After a lengthy free agent stay, the former Browns and Texans passing-down back caught on with the Jags last nine days ago. Johnson is now back on the market.

Johnson, 27, did not play against his former team in Week 1, residing as an insurance option behind the likes of James Robinson, Carlos Hyde and Dare Ogunbowale. The Jags also have Devine Ozigbo on their 16-man practice squad.

A former third-round pick, Johnson landed a midlevel extension with the Browns. The team traded its longtime outlet option to Houston during John Dorsey‘s GM tenure, which featured the Browns landing ex-rushing champion Kareem Hunt to pair with Nick Chubb, and Johnson played two seasons with the Texans. With the Texans changing regimes this offseason, Johnson ended up being released in February.

The former Miami Hurricane began his career with five straight seasons of 400-plus receiving yards, topping out at 693 for the 2017 Browns, despite having started just 12 games in that span.

Urban Meyer Causing Issues With Jaguars?

September 16th, 2021 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Urban Meyer attempted to slam the door on a quick NFL exit for the USC job, his start with the Jaguars has not gone especially smoothly. Rumors of discord in Jacksonville have surfaced months into Meyer’s tenure.

A number of red flags emerged during the offseason about Meyer’s transition from the college game to the NFL, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who reports the rookie Jags HC’s temper has caused “repeated issues.” Meyer threatening coaches’ jobs has already led to unease among the staff, La Canfora adds, noting the three-time national championship-winning coach’s reactions to preseason losses struck many as bizarre.

This report emerged before the Jaguars’ 16-point loss to the Texans in Week 1. In March, Meyer certainly indicated he was onboard with steering a rebuild. It appears his demeanor early in the process has irked many in the building, which is interesting since the accomplished HC obviously put together the staff. While this might not be cause for alarm just yet, the Jags’ initial game effort left much to be desired.

The Jaguars have ex-49ers GM Trent Baalke in a GM role, but Meyer is running the show in his first year. That personnel power and the team being in position to draft Trevor Lawrence helped convince the Fox analyst to give the NFL a try. Meyer, 56, has run into a few issues along the way. After Meyer’s hire of Chris Doyle as director of sports performance led to a fierce backlash, leading to Doyle’s quick resignation, the NFL fined both the organization and Meyer for violating NFL OTA protocols. Meyer seeking to approach preseason games like regular-season contests also created issues, La Canfora adds.

Meyer’s personnel moves have brought some internal concerns as well, per JLC, and his using the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson and essentially entrusting the O-line from last year’s 1-15 team to protect Lawrence surprised many around the league. All five Jags O-line starters returned from last season, which contrasts from the team’s changes at many other position groups.

The Jags have certainly invested plenty in Meyer, who is overseeing the development of the highest-profile quarterback in franchise history. It will be interesting to see if this situation stabilizes in the coming weeks and months.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/21

September 16th, 2021 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New York Giants

New York Jets

Giants Place G Shane Lemieux On IR

September 16th, 2021 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The knee injury Shane Lemieux suffered in late July has continued to plague him, and the Giants will give the young guard time to recover. They placed Lemieux on IR Thursday.

Inserted into the Giants’ starting lineup after Will Hernandez‘s COVID-19 contraction last year, Lemieux did not give up the job the rest of the way. After New York released Kevin Zeitler this offseason, Lemieux and Hernandez started in Week 1. Surgery may be in the cards for Lemieux, though that is not yet certain. The 2020 fifth-round pick playing again this season would be a surprise, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Giants Promote Matt Skura]

Lemieux’s injury will force the Giants to get creative on their offensive line. They are set to start recent trade acquisition Billy Price at center and slide Nick Gates to left guard, Raanan notes. Such a promotion occurring in Week 2, which features a short week and a trip to Washington, will represent a stiff challenge for Price. The former first-round pick could not stick in the Bengals’ lineup, despite the team’s lofty investment, and was traded to the Giants for a late-round pick.

Lemieux could not make it through the first half against the Broncos, playing only 17 snaps. Ben Bredeson, the other O-line trade acquisition the Giants made ahead of the season, replaced him in the lineup. But the ex-Raven is set to return to a reserve role tonight.

Considering the issues the Giants had up front with their starting five available over the past several weeks, the team needing to make changes ahead of a Thursday road tilt is certainly bad news. The Giants are looking to avoid an 0-2 start for the first time since 2016.

49ers LB Dre Greenlaw To Undergo Surgery

September 16th, 2021 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

This 49ers September is starting to look somewhat familiar. After losing starters Raheem Mostert and Jason Verrett for the season, the team will be down linebacker Dre Greenlaw for a while.

The promising defender is set to undergo groin surgery, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (on Twitter). Although this procedure is not set to knock Greenlaw out for the season, he is expected to miss four to six weeks, Barrows tweets. That timetable could be on the optimistic side, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting Greenlaw could be down for eight weeks (Twitter link).

While this does not quite match the injury misfortune September 2020 brought the 49ers, the team left its opener with some significant health issues. Greenlaw and Fred Warner serve as San Francisco’s three-down linebackers. The former returned an interception for a touchdown in the 49ers’ 41-33 Week 1 win.

A 2019 fifth-round pick, Greenlaw has been a starter since his rookie season. He joined Warner in helping the 49ers transition post-Reuben Foster at linebacker, with Greenlaw also making high-priced addition Kwon Alexander expendable. Greenlaw finished last season with 86 tackles in 13 games during a season in which he missed some time due to a quadriceps injury. He was still one of San Francisco’s healthier starters during an injury-defined 2020 slate.

Azeez Al-Shaair is expected to take over Greenlaw’s every-down role alongside Warner, Barrows tweets, with Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles moving into the 49ers’ base sets as their third starting linebacker. Al-Shaair has started 10 games in three seasons, including San Francisco’s opener last week. A former UDFA like Al-Shaair, Flannigan-Fowles made one start in 2020.

DeMarcus Lawrence To Miss 6-8 Weeks

September 16th, 2021 at 12:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence had surgery on his broken foot earlier today, according to head coach Mike McCarthy (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). The recovery will rule him out for the next 6-8 weeks, but McCarthy believes Lawrence will be back before the season is through.

The Cowboys have placed Lawrence on IR. The league’s short-term IR allows players to return after as little as three missed games, though the Cowboys won’t see Lawrence until November, at the earliest.

“Obviously, losing DeMarcus, he’s a prime-time player for us. I thought he had a nice start in Tampa,” McCarthy said. “You hate to see these injuries to any of your guys, but what it does is it gives opportunities to the other players. How we will spread that out will be done through game plan. We’ll work on that today, tomorrow and Saturday. Specifically, we’ll get into that when we play the game.”

In the near term, they’ll have to get by without Lawrence and possibly Randy Gregory after his positive COVID-19 test. Dallas was already in an iffy spot with their D-Line — they were just one of two NFL teams without a sack in Week 1. That leaves them with less appealing options, such as Dorance Armstrong and Tarell Basham, backed by reserve DEs Bradlee Anae and Chauncey Golston.

Lawrence, a two-time Pro Bowler, notched 25 sacks between 2017 and 2018. He hasn’t approached that production since, but he was still solid in 2019 and 2020, collecting 11.5 sacks and 26 QB hits in 32 games (31 starts). From his sole game this year, he’s got five tackles and one forced fumble.

Giants Promote Matt Skura 

September 16th, 2021 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have promoted offensive lineman Matt Skura to the 53-man roster (Twitter link via agent David Canter). Skura will be eligible to play tonight against the Washington Football Team, providing depth in the wake of Shane Lemieux‘s knee injury.

Lemieux, the starting left guard, was replaced by Ben Bredeson last week. Nick Gates could also step in at LG if former Bengals first rounder Billy Price is shifted to the middle. In any scenario, Skura offers some upside as a supporting cast member.

Skura spent four seasons as a Ravens starter, working at center and guard. He operated as Baltimore’s starting center for most of Lamar Jackson‘s tenure, helping the team to historic rushing totals. The Giants added him to their taxi squad earlier this month after he was dropped by the Dolphins.

Skura, 27, comes with 51 games of starting experience and a serious medical file. The veteran started 16 games for the Ravens in 2018 but tore his ACL, MCL and PCL towards the end of the 2019 season. He didn’t bounce back all that well last year — Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s worst centers before he lost his starting job in Baltimore.

The offensive line has been a sticking point for the Giants for years, so they’re eager to find solutions. After falling 27-13 in the season opener against the Broncos, they’ll aim for the .500 mark tonight against Washington.

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