HEADLINES

Month: September 2023

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/23

September 23rd, 2023 at 7:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the various practice squad elevations and other minor moves from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed to active roster: LB Sam Eguaveon
  • Elevated: OL Chris Glaser

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Saints Place RB Jamaal Williams On IR

September 23rd, 2023 at 6:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

Already without their top running back for one more game this season, the Saints will be particularly thin in the backfield tomorrow. Jamaal Williams was placed on IR Saturday, per a team announcement.

Williams has been dealing with a hamstring injury, one which forced him to leave the team’s Monday night win early and miss the subsequent week of practice time. He will be sidelined for at least the next four games as a result of this move. With Alvin Kamara still required to miss one more contest as a result of his three-game suspension, New Orleans will be lacking in experience at the running back spot on Sunday.

With Kamara’s early-season availability in the air, the Saints added Williams on a three-year, $12MM deal in free agency. The latter enjoyed a career-year in 2022 with the Lions, rushing for 1,066 yards and leading the league with 17 touchdowns on the ground. Detroit elected to sign David Montgomery as their early-down and goal line replacement, though, leaving Williams to venture outside the NFC North for the first time in his career.

The former Packers fourth-rounder got off to a slow start to begin his Saints tenure, turning 27 carries into 74 scoreless yards. That 2.7 yards per carry average falls well short of his previous performances, and an improvement will be expected upon return. With Kamara set to resume lead back duties by the time that is possible, though, Williams will no doubt see a reduced role when he next sees the field.

With neither Kamara nor Williams available, New Orleans will look to third-round rookie Kendre Miller and former UDFA Tony Jones Jr. in the backfield in Week 3. The former has yet to see game action in his inaugural season, while the latter scored a pair of touchdowns and received 13 carries in the team’s win over the Panthers on Monday night. Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill is, as always, another option at the Saints’ disposal with respect to the ground game.

Bringing back Williams will require the usage of one of the Saints’ eight IR activations available throughout the campaign. His return will be welcomed, but it will be interesting to see how the team’s backfield pecking order shakes out over the course of his absence.

Cardinals To Sign DT Roy Lopez

September 23rd, 2023 at 2:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after his time with the Texans came to an end, Roy Lopez has found a new home. The defensive tackle is set to join the Cardinals, reports Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Lopez was given an injury designation during final roster cuts, then waived with an injury settlement shortly thereafter. As part of that agreement, he would not have been able to re-join the Texans for four weeks, something which would have been unlikely given his chances of finding another opportunity by then. Wilson reported at the time that Lopez was garnering interest as a free agent, and that has now produced this Arizona pact.

The 26-year-old will begin on the Cardinals’ practice squad, Wilson adds. With Lopez having recovered from the strained hamstring which ended his time in Houston, however, he could soon find himself on the team’s active roster. The former sixth-rounder has logged 33 appearances and 29 starts in the NFL, so he should be able to carve out a role for himself before long.

Lopez has posted defensive snap shares of 46% and 48%, recording at least 30 tackles in each campaign. He had just one sack in both 2021 and ’22, though his pressure totals doubled from his rookie season (three) to last season (six). In spite of that production, the New Mexico State and Arizona alum has drawn poor reviews from PFF, something he will look to improve upon with a fresh start.

A native of Tempe, Arizona, Lopez’s deal represents a homecoming in addition to a depth addition for the team. The Cardinals currently have the likes of Jonathan Ledbetter, Kevin Strong, Carlos Watkins and Leki Fotu in place along the defensive interior. Lopez will look to find a spot among them and in doing so earn an extended stay in the desert or at least boost his free agent stock amongst other potential suitors in the spring.

Bengals Add QB A.J. McCarron To Practice Squad

September 23rd, 2023 at 12:04pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bengals are adding more quarterback insurance with Joe Burrow uncertain to play on Monday night. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Bengals are signing veteran QB A.J. McCarron to their practice squad. Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported earlier today that McCarron was working out for the Bengals.

This is a homecoming for McCarron, who was drafted by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. The quarterback ended up spending three seasons in Cincy before bouncing around the NFL in recent years. McCarron’s longest recent gig came with the Texans, where he spent a pair of seasons. The Alabama product has also had stints with the Bills, Raiders, and Falcons. In total, McCarron has seen time in 17 career games (four starts), throwing for 1,173 passing yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. He’s also started one playoff game, going winless in 2015.

Most recently, McCarron spent time with the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL, leading the league in passing touchdowns, passer rating, and completion percentage. Following his standout campaign, the 33-year-old indicated that he’d be open to another NFL opportunity.

He’ll find that in Cincinnati, where Burrow will be listed as questionable on Monday night while dealing with a calf injury (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Will Grier was snagged by the Patriots off the Bengals’ practice squad earlier this week, leaving the team with Jake Browning as the lone QB behind Burrow. The Bengals added Reid Sinnett to the grouping yesterday, and with McCarron on board, the organization can now choose from one of three QBs as a backup plan to Burrow.

Colts Release RB Deon Jackson

September 23rd, 2023 at 10:43am CST by Ben Levine

The Colts are moving on from a Week 1 starter. The team is releasing running back Deon Jackson, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Colts are filling the open roster spot with running back Trey Sermon, who will be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.

[RELATED: Colts Add RB Trey Sermon To Practice Squad]

With Jonathan Taylor sitting on PUP and Zack Moss sidelined with a hand injury, the Colts handed Jackson the reigns to start the season. The third-year RB disappointed, finishing Week 1 with 28 yards from scrimmage on 18 touches. Moss returned in Week 2 and stole all the running back carries, and Jackson was limited to only a single special teams snap in that win over the Texans.

Now, Jackson will find himself looking for his next gig. The former UDFA out of Duke spent two-plus seasons in Indy, appearing in 27 games. He started two of his 16 appearances in 2022, finishing with 445 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.

While the Colts continue to seek a resolution with Taylor, the team has done some work to reshuffle their RB corps this week. The team added Sermon to the practice squad before declaring Evan Hull out for the season with a torn meniscus. For the time being, the Colts will move forward with a depth chart that consists of Moss, Sermon, and Jake Funk.

Sermon started two of his nine appearances for the 49ers during his rookie campaign, with the third-round pick finishing with 193 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. San Francisco ended up cutting him at the end of the 2022 preseason, and he spent most of last season on the Eagles practice squad.

Texans Sign CB DeAndre Houston-Carson To Active Roster

September 23rd, 2023 at 10:05am CST by Ben Levine

The Texans will be without several key members of their secondary for the foreseeable future, so the team has added a veteran defensive back to their active roster. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Texans are signing DeAndre Houston-Carson to their active roster.

[RELATED: Texans CBs Derek Stingley Jr. To Miss Time]

After getting cut by the Ravens at the end of the preseason, Houston-Carson caught on with Houston’s practice squad. The 30-year-old cornerback already earned one promotion, collecting a pair of tackles while playing about half of the Texans’ defensive snaps last weekend.

The 2016 sixth-round pick spent seven seasons with the Bears to begin his career. Houston-Carson was mostly a key special teamer through his first five seasons in Chicago, but he saw a more significant role on defense over his final two years with the organization. Between those 2021 and 2022 seasons, the defensive back compiled 59 tackles, five passes defended, and a pair of interceptions in 30 games (nine starts).

After inking a one-year deal to stay in Chicago last offseason, Houston-Carson hit free agency this past spring. He ended up signing with the Ravens in mid-August and was cut by the team only two weeks later.

Derek Stingley Jr. suffered a hamstring injury in practice this week that will sideline him for six-to-eight weeks. Meanwhile, starting safety Jalen Pitre will miss Houston’s Week 3 contest while dealing with a bruised lung, safety Eric Murray is returning from a concussion, and nickelback Tavierre Thomas is out with a broken hand. In other words, there should be plenty of secondary snaps up for grabs against the Jaguars tomorrow.

Bears HC Matt Eberflus To Take Over Defensive Play-Calling Duties

September 23rd, 2023 at 9:43am CST by Ben Levine

Alan Williams‘ sudden resignation as Bears defensive coordinator left a major hole on Chicago’s coaching staff. However, the organization isn’t anticipating any major hirings following the subtraction. Matt Eberflus told reporters that the defensive coaching staff will remain intact, and the head coach will be taking over defensive play-calling duties.

[RELATED: Bears DC Alan Williams Resigns]

“This is the best thing for right now,” Eberflus said of the play-calling decision (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). “I think that’s where it is. It’s the best thing for our football team and for our organization. That’s where we see it, and that’s where it is.”

Eberflus emerged as a worthy head coach candidate thanks to his defensive acumen, with the Colts ranking as a top-10 scoring defense during three of his four years as Indy’s defensive coordinator. Eberflus is the most logical contingency plan for the Bears, although the team does have 35 years of combined coaching experience in cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke and safeties coach Andre Curtis.

Despite the unexpected end to Williams’ stint as defensive coordinator, Eberflus made it clear that he still supports his now-former coach. The two coached alongside each other with the Colts, where Williams served as safeties coach.

“Obviously, I was with him four years, five years,” Eberflus said. “I have a lot of friendship. I have feelings for him. And again, he’s resigned and it’s for health and family, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”

While the head coach publicly supported Williams, some reporters observed that the players have been relatively quiet on the matter. This inspired someone to ask Eberflus about the lack of public support from the players, but the head coach downplayed the matter and cited Williams’ privacy.

“I wouldn’t read into that,” Eberflus said. “It’s personal. So people are respecting that and respecting space, I believe. That’s what I believe it is. It’s no disrespect to the question, it’s none of that. That’s where it is.”

49ers Extend Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch

September 22nd, 2023 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have now signed their second round of extensions with the 49ers. The team’s power brokers, who arrived in 2017, finalized new deals Friday.

This comes three years after the pair received their initial extensions. At the time, Lynch was signed through 2024 and Shanahan through 2025. The duo is now inked into at least the late 2020s. The 49ers hovered near the bottom of the NFL when they hired Shanahan and Lynch in 2017, leading to each receiving six-year contracts to lead a rebuild. The second-generation HC and Hall of Fame safety have led the way in reinvigorating the franchise.

When the 49ers handed their HC-GM tandem the previous extensions, the team was coming off a remarkable turnaround — going from 4-12 to Super Bowl LIV. These latest deals come after the 49ers have managed to sustain success despite quarterback unreliability. It is rather impressive the seventh-year decision-makers have secured these re-ups so quickly after the Trey Lance experiment failed. Withstanding that miss illustrates the roster strength the 49ers have built and the play-calling acumen Shanahan has displayed.

Eyeing an upgrade on the injury-prone Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021, the 49ers sent the Dolphins two future first-rounders and a third to climb from No. 12 to No. 3. That move turned into Lance, despite persistent rumors Shanahan initially preferred Mac Jones. But he signed off on Lance. This would ordinarily lead to a significant step back for a franchise, but the 49ers soared to back-to-back NFC championship games despite receiving next to nothing from the handpicked Garoppolo heir apparent.

Had Jaquiski Tartt corralled a room-service INT late in the 2021 NFC title game, the 49ers likely continue their mastery over the Rams and book a Super Bowl LVI berth. But the team overcame that loss to assemble a 12-game win streak last season, doing so after more QB uncertainty engulfed it. The 49ers stunned the football universe by staying on course after going from Garoppolo to Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft. Purdy, who made the team as a third-stringer behind Lance and Garoppolo to start last season, still has not lost a regular-season start, improving to 8-0 via Thursday night’s win over the Giants.

Shanahan’s play-calling has undeniably aided Purdy, who quarterbacked the 49ers to playoff wins over the Seahawks and Cowboys, and the duo’s roster-building effort produced a historically rare offense housing four first-team All-Pros. The trade for Christian McCaffrey was out of step with where running back value has gone, but the 49ers are unbeaten when McCaffrey starts and their quarterback finishes a game. While McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams were not enough to topple the Eagles with Purdy injured (and backup Josh Johnson sustaining a concussion), the 49ers boast one of the NFL’s best nuclei.

Lynch’s extension comes barely a year after he turned down an Amazon offer that would have more than doubled his GM salary. Lynch, who will turn 52 on Monday, spent years in the FOX booth prior to joining the 49ers in surprising fashion. Shanahan, 43, came to San Francisco as a coveted commodity, moving west after leading the Falcons to a historically dominant offensive season in 2016.

Jed York‘s 49ers had become the first team since the late-1970s Niners to make back-to-back head coaches (Jim Tomsula, Chip Kelly) one-and-dones. While Shanahan and Lynch started slowly, the 2019 season — after the team parlayed Garoppolo’s 2018 ACL tear into the No. 2 overall pick (Nick Bosa) — proved indicative of the team’s capabilities. The 49ers just gave Bosa a record-smashing extension.

Shanahan is the 49ers’ longest-tenured HC since George Seifert; this extension puts him in line to top the two-time Super Bowl winner, who coached the team for eight seasons. Lynch’s GM tenure matches predecessor Trent Baalke‘s in length; the Jim Harbaugh coworker was in the GM chair from 2010-16.

Colts Willing To Take Less For Jonathan Taylor?

September 22nd, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jonathan Taylor drama has quieted down a bit since the start of the season, but by no means does that mean it isn’t there. After failing to both 1) reach a long-term agreement with Taylor and 2) find a viable trade partner willing to meet their price for Taylor, the Colts placed him on the physically unable to perform list, where he remains today. After the constant drama and failure to navigate their way out of it, is Indianapolis willing to lower its asking price? ESPN’s Stephen Holder thinks so.

The team’s relationship with Taylor seems fractured beyond repair. The Colts made it very clear that they were not willing to commit to Taylor long-term. And, if they choose to utilize the franchise tag on Taylor after the season to keep him from hitting free agency, it’s hard to see any situation where the relationship is repaired. If they remain uncommitted to signing the former All-Pro to a long-term contract, trading Taylor seems like the best option.

Seemingly, Taylor’s pure talent should be enough to convince the Colts to hold on to him for the long-term. Especially considering what they’ve been working with in his absence. In Week 1, while Zack Moss continued recovering from a broken arm, Indianapolis was forced to turn to a combination of Deon Jackson, Evan Hull, and Jake Funk. The three combined for 25 rushing yards on 16 carries for zero touchdowns and two lost fumbles. Moss made his debut in Week 2, during which he would be the only running back to see snaps on offense, playing 56 of the team’s 57 offensive snaps.

This sends a clear message about the team’s confidence in its depth at the position. The Colts were completely dependent on Moss with Taylor still out, and while it’s nice to be able to depend on Moss and have him deliver, they would likely prefer to have multiple options they can trust. Seeing how little the team feels they can trust their current running backs room, one might think their eyes would be opened to the benefits of signing Taylor long-term. Of course, one might think that a 2021 rushing title and a career 5.1 yards per carry might be enough to open their eyes, but here we are.

So, if the Colts want any return on losing Taylor, they’ll need to find a trade partner for the young rusher. Obviously, they need to aim for teams that have the desire and bandwidth to sign Taylor to a long-term deal. Besides that, the asking price has been their biggest concern. The Dolphins and Packers reportedly showed interest in trading for and signing Taylor, but both teams were unable to match the haul that the Indianapolis was requesting. The Packers are also now believed to be out of the running.

Holder reminds that the team’s asking price was a package of picks that amounted to a first-rounder, but he also claims that the Colts would be willing to “settle for something a bit less.” What exactly that means is yet to be determined as the team will still likely continue to play hardball in an effort to avoid giving him away for pennies on the dollar, but if they’re able to lower their expectations, it could open the door for a new team to come in and add Taylor to their stable.

For now, the Colts will hope to see Taylor back on the field after his stint on the PUP list. Past that, there’s still hope that cooler heads prevail, and the two sides can come to an agreement, but a lower asking price for Taylor may lead to the 24-year-old’s inevitable exit.

Load More Posts