HEADLINES

Month: August 2023

Colts’ Jonathan Taylor To Stay On PUP List

August 29th, 2023 at 11:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

No Jonathan Taylor trade took place Tuesday. The Colts had set today as a loose deadline to deal their disgruntled running back, but they have not liked an offer enough to move him.

Not only will Taylor stay in Indianapolis, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the former rushing champion is set to begin the season on the reserve/PUP list. This will sideline Taylor for at least four games. The Colts technically have until the October 31 trade deadline to move Taylor, but they had set today as a temporary endpoint. As a result, this impasse has reached gridlock.

Two teams showed significant interest, but Colts GM Chris Ballard did not view the offers as fair, per Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This saga has lasted for more than a month now, with Taylor making his trade request in late July.

The Colts opened the market last week, allowing Taylor’s camp to find a trade partner. No first-round pick was believed to have been offered. Considering no team has traded a first-rounder for a running back since the Colts sent the Browns one for Trent Richardson 10 years ago, it is certainly not surprising the Colts’ asking price has not been met. Indianapolis has sought a first-rounder or an equivalent package of picks, but in a year in which RB value has tanked, the team is stuck for the time being.

Jim Irsay led the way in alienating Taylor and leading this relationship to this point, sending a much-discussed tweet about the state of the running back market and then not helping matters with more comments on the situation after a one-on-one meeting with the team’s would-be starter. Taylor, 24, had said earlier this year he wanted to retire a Colt. This situation has deteriorated in the months since that remark. Irsay had said the Colts were not trading Taylor, and while the Colts have backtracked on that a bit, the saga will now lead to the team playing four games without the former All-Pro.

Inquiring on just about every high-profile running back potentially available this year, the Dolphins have been in the mix since the Colts gave the green light for teams to send offers. It is safe to assume the Dolphins are one of the two teams to express serious interest; talks with Miami were believed to have taken place over a several-day period. But the Dolphins, as they did with Dalvin Cook, continue to stand down. As of Monday, it sounded like the Dolphins would still look into Taylor after this Colts-imposed deadline.

This certainly is not a good look for the Colts, who will begin Shane Steichen’s tenure with their best skill-position player out of the mix despite probably being healthy. This also will lead to a delay in Taylor’s bounce-back opportunity. Taylor suffered an ankle injury — his first notable malady during his pro or college tenures — last season, costing him six games, but underwent surgery in January. Irsay pronounced Taylor ready to go for camp, and while rumors of the fourth-year back needing more treatment ahead of camp surfaced (before Taylor left camp for reported ankle treatment), this should be considered a hold-in of sorts.

The Colts are not planning to extend Taylor’s contract this year, refusing a request from the running back during the offseason. Other teams’ unwillingness to both trade high-value compensation for Taylor and give him an upper-crust contract has led this drama to a standstill. With the team keeping Taylor on the PUP list, this pause could last a while.

Dolphins Trade CB Noah Igbinoghene To Cowboys For CB Kelvin Joseph

August 29th, 2023 at 11:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

An all-cornerback swap has taken place amidst today’s roster fluctuations. The Dolphins are sending Noah Igbinoghene to the Cowboys in exchange for Kelvin Joseph, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Igbinoghene came to Miami facing high expectations as a first-round pick in 2020. A converted receiver, he was always considered a long-term project, but his size and athleticism suggested considerable potential at the NFL level. The 23-year-old has not been able to establish himself with the Dolphins, however, and he found himself on the roster bubble this offseason.

The Auburn product played a full season as a rookie, but he made just 16 appearances in the two years since then. Igbinoghene totaled 29 tackles and one interception during his underwhelming time in South Beach, and now he will receive a fresh start with one year remaining on his rookie contract. The Dolphins have Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard, Eli Apple, Kader Kohou and second-round rookie Cam Smith remaining at the CB spot.

The Cowboys are similarly set at the top of their depth chart with the recently-extended Trevon Diggs and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore headlining their corners. Igbinoghene will attempt to carve out a depth role in Dallas, and in doing so secure a future beyond 2023 with the team. Joseph was not able to do so during his two-year stint with the Cowboys. The former second-rounder made 26 appearances, and three starts, during his time in Dallas.

Joseph, 22, was connected to a shooting incident last spring, but by July he had been cleared of criminal wrongdoing. That off-the-field news opened the door to an improved season as part of Dallas’ strong secondary, but the Kentucky product was used almost exclusively on special teams. Similar usage will likely await him in Miami, especially once Ramsey has recovered from the knee surgery which will cost him time in the regular season.

Chargers Finalize 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 11:08pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chargers took care of most of their headline moves before the deadline today. They used today to take care of the remaining moves necessary to get down to the 53-man roster limit. Here are the team’s moves from today:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Seventh-round rookie quarterback Max Duggan failed to make the roster behind starter Justin Herbert and backup Easton Stick. At running back, though, undrafted rookie running back Elijah Dotson impressed enough in the preseason to make the active roster in the regular season.

The team will carry a simple, five-man receiving corps into the season with Guyton on the physically unable to perform list. Returning wideouts Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Josh Palmer will be joined by former TCU draft picks Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis.

Cameron Dicker winning the kicking battle led to the trading of Dustin Hopkins and the waiving of Cade York. After making 19 of his 20 kick attempts for the Chargers in his rookie year and converting all 22 of his extra point attempts, Dicker will remain the team’s placekicker moving forward.

Dolphins, Christian Wilkins Fail To Reach Extension Agreement; DT Drew Trade Interest

August 29th, 2023 at 11:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins, like all other teams around the league, have primarily been focused on roster cuts ahead of today’s deadline for 53-man rosters to be set. That would have represented a logical point to work out a new deal for defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, but such a development has not taken place.

[RELATED: No Jonathan Taylor Trade Expected]

Wilkins and the Dolphins failed to hammer out an extension on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Guarantees represent a sticking point in talks, he adds, with multiple offers being turned down. A clear market has been established for DTs on their second contract this offseason, with a number of high-profile players at the position signing similar deals.

The likes of Quinnen Williams (Jets), Jeffery Simmons (Titans), Dexter Lawrence (Giants) and Daron Payne (Commanders) have each inked extensions averaging between $22.5 and $24MM per season. Their deals contain nearly identical figures (ranging from $46MM to $47.8MM) fully guaranteed at signing. The top of the market has thus been clearly defined, and those pacts have no doubt been used as a baseline during negotiations on the Wilkins front.

The latter – who has posted 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 33 tackles for loss over the course of his four-year Dolphins tenure – is due to earn $10.75MM in 2023 on the fifth-year option. A signficant raise will be needed to keep him in Miami beyond this year, even if the team views Wilkins as being closer in value to fellow 2019 draftee Ed Oliver, who inked a $17MM-per-year extension with the Bills this offseason.

Optimism had been expressed that Wilkins would have a deal in place for the start of the season, but with that not being the case the Clemson alum is in the process of a hold-in. In spite of that, his short-term future in Miami is not in question. Schefter adds that teams called about Wilkins’ availability, but they were informed he is not on the market. Neither the Dolphins nor the 27-year-old himself is interested in exploring a move elsewhere at this point.

That bodes well for future negotiations, but today’s development lessens the chances of a deal being worked out before the start of the season. Miami has plenty of other decisions to make with respect to roster tinkering, but a foundational member of their defense is still not officially in the picture beyond 2023 as things currently stand.

Buccaneers Set 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 11:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Following the retirement of Tom Brady, the Buccaneers will be facing a pseudo-rebuild in 2023. Before they get to a challenging regular season, the team was forced to cut down their roster to 53 players today:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Waived/failure to disclose physical condition:

  • C Chris Murray

After sitting out the 2021 campaign, Deadrin Senat got into 12 games for Tampa Bay in 2022. The defensive tackle ultimately finished the campaign with 17 tackles, one sack, and a pair of QB hits. The former third-round pick got into 22 games for the Falcons to begin his career.

Falcons Reduce Roster To 53 Players

August 29th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons roster took shape today. While the team moved on from some notable veterans, the front office surely had a tougher time waiving a long list of promising young players:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

One of the most surprising cuts was Darren Hall, who has started 10 of his 31 appearances for the Falcons over the past two seasons. The former fourth-round pick started nine games this past year, finishing with 45 tackles, three passes defended, and one forced fumble.

Parker Hesse spent the past two seasons in Atlanta, serving mostly as a blocking tight end. The former UDFA started seven of his 17 appearances this past season, hauling in nine catches for 89 yards.

Lions Announce 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Ben Levine

We knew the Lions were going to make a handful of QB transactions leading up to today’s deadline, with Hendon Hooker destined for NFI and Nate Sudfeld tearing his ACL. Of course, the team made many additional moves to get to the 53-man roster limit:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Activated from PUP:

Placed on reserve/NFI:

Placed on reserve/suspended:

Placed on IR:

Released from IR:

Craig Reynolds spent the past two seasons with the Lions, and he made the most of his opportunities while on the field. He was limited to 14 games across the two seasons, but the RB still posted 500 yards from scrimmage on 94 touches. With a new-look depth chart in 2022, Reynolds found himself on the outside looking in.

The same goes for Benny Snell, who joined the organization earlier this offseason. The running back has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh, starting five of his 63 appearances. He didn’t miss a game for Pittsburgh over the past three seasons, although he’s seen a drop in productivity. After compiling 429 yards from scrimmage during the 2020 campaign, Snell has only collected 218 yards in 34 games since.

Raiders Reduce Roster To 53 Players

August 29th, 2023 at 10:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders cut down their roster to 53 players today. However, in the process, they were forced to move on from a handful of veterans:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

  • OT Dalton Wagner

The Raiders signed Jaquan Johnson early during free agency, and there was hope he’d provide some experienced depth to their secondary. Ultimately, the team decided to go in another direction, but that doesn’t mean the safety won’t quickly find another gig elsewhere. Johnson got into 60 games for the Bills over the past four years, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with a career-high 32 tackles and one interception.

On the other side of the ball, the organization moved on from some notable offensive weapons. Keelan Cole Sr. got into 14 games for the Raiders last season, collecting 10 receptions for 141 yards. Phillip Dorsett II joined Las Vegas this offseason after spending the 2022 campaign with the Texans, where he hauled in 20 catches. Damien Williams has close to 500 touches in the NFL, although he only got into one game for the lowly Falcons last season.

Seahawks Set 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 10:46pm CST by Ely Allen

A new-look running backs room and the continuation of one of the best stories of the preseason underline today’s announcements. The Seahawks had made some cuts in the days leading up to the deadline, but here are the remaining moves the team made to get down to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

While not a shock, the established running backs group looks a bit different from last year. The sole returners, Kenneth Walker III and DeeJay Dallas, will be joined on the 53-roster by rookie draft picks Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh.

Undrafted rookie wide receiver Jake Bobo gets rewarded for his outstanding preseason performance and will be suiting up in Week 1 of the regular season. The UCLA standout could even earn some significant playing time early as rookie first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba deals with a fractured wrist and Dareke Young and Cody Thompson also deal with injuries.

Veteran former first-round pick Artie Burns survives the final round of roster cuts. Finally healthy, Burns played well in the slot, moving inside as rookie first-round pick Devon Witherspoon dealt with injuries and Coby Bryant played a bit at safety.

Browns Trim Roster To 53

August 29th, 2023 at 10:41pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns found a new kicker today, but on roster deadline day, that obviously wasn’t their only move. The organization made a number of cuts to get to the 53-man roster limit:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/NFI:

At one point, Demetric Felton looked like he could be a worthy backup to Nick Chubb, but the versatile offensive weapon has fallen down the depth chart. The former sixth-round pick had an okay rookie season in 2021, finishing with 205 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. However, he was limited to only three touches in eight games last season.

Kellen Mond seemed like a long shot to make the roster, and the Browns ultimately decided to role with only two quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Mond has only gotten into one regular season game, completing two passes for the Vikings in 2021.

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