HEADLINES

Year: 2023

Falcons HC Arthur Smith On Hot Seat?

November 14th, 2023 at 9:08pm CST by Ben Levine

Things aren’t going well for Arthur Smith and the Falcons. After losing to the lowly Cardinals on Sunday, the Falcons have now dropped three-straight games and six of their last eight. This has naturally led to some questions surrounding the head coach’s job security.

Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post opines that the Falcons will move on from Smith following the 2023 season. The reporter cites a rival general manager who believes Atlanta will look to make a change during the offseason.

“I think they’re making a change,” the GM told La Canfora. “This is Year 3, when you’re supposed to show something. [Owner] Arthur Blank isn’t getting any younger. …

“They can’t throw the ball downfield, they don’t have a starting quarterback, they took the running back way too high. [Smith] is a great guy, but he got hired to be a quarterback guy and they have all these top-10 picks and they can’t do anything with them. Somebody in the NFC South is going to save their job by winning the division, but I don’t think it’s him.”

Smith was expected to revamp the offense when he was hired as Falcons head coach in 2021. The team finished with identical 7-10 records in both 2021 and 2022, but it was the current 2023 campaign that was intended to be Atlanta’s breakout season.

Instead, the offense has continued to struggle. Desmond Ridder was inconsistent under center to begin the season, and replacement Taylor Heinicke didn’t fare much better. Further, the Falcons have invested significant draft capital into offensive players like running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts, and wide receiver Drake London. Despite all three of those players being selected in the top-10 of their respective drafts, the trio has combined for only seven touchdowns this season. Smith has his fingerprints on the entire roster, and assuming the Falcons fail to make the playoffs, the head coach will surely find himself on the hot seat.

However, there may be hope for Smith in Atlanta. Jeff Schultz of The Athletic reports that Blank has been supportive of his head coach behind the scenes. While the owner previously indicated that he wanted to see progress from his squad in 2023, Schultz writes that this doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a change on the sideline. In fact, Schultz opines that the only way Smith loses his job is if his squad completely unravels or tunes the coach out.

For what it’s worth, Smith isn’t overly concerned about his job status. The coach told Schultz that he understands the criticism but isn’t paying much attention to the headlines.

“I’m an old lineman — I’m used to getting my ass ripped,” he told The Athletic. “In the old days, it was just you writing a column. Now there’s 7,000 forums for outrage. I get it. But you can’t worry about everything around you, things you can’t control. Like I said earlier, if you’re worried about that stuff, don’t sign up for professional sports.”

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/14/23

November 14th, 2023 at 8:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

  • Released: CB Reese Taylor

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LB Austin Ajiake

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/23

November 14th, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Following a spree of illegal hits, Kareem Jackson was hit with a four-game ban back in October. That suspension ended up getting knocked down to two games, and following that absence, the defensive back has returned to the active roster. While Justin Simmons has long resided as the Broncos’ top safety, Pro Football Focus has graded Jackson as a top-20 player at the position this season.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai suffered a back injury that will require a stint on injured reserve, although there’s a chance the veteran lineman ends up having to miss the rest of the season. After starting all 25 of his appearances for the Lions between 2020 and 2021, Vaitai has started three of his six games in 2022.

Hunter Long was a third-round pick by the Dolphins in 2021 but only lasted two seasons in Miami, hauling in a single eight-yard catch. He was part of the Rams’ offseason trade return for Jalen Ramsey but hasn’t appeared in a game this season. The tight end landed on IR in early September with a thigh injury.

Raiders Claim CB Jack Jones

November 14th, 2023 at 7:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:15pm: The Vikings also put in a claim for Jones, a source told ESPN’s Field Yates. The Raiders landed the cornerback by virtue of having higher waiver positioning.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifer wonders if Akayleb Evans‘ calf injury influenced Minnesota’s claim. The Vikings cornerback exited Sunday’s win, leading Mekhi Blackmon to see more playing time and secure the first interception of his career.

3:20pm: Although Mark Davis cut ties with the Patriot Way leadership he hired just last year, the Raiders will be the team that gives recent Patriots cut Jack Jones a second chance. Jones will head to Las Vegas after the team submitted a successful waiver claim, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.

While this is yet another ex-Patriot joining the now-Antonio Pierce-led roster, he arrived as a 2022 draftee — after Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler were in Nevada. The Pierce tie is more relevant here than the Patriots component. Pierce has an extensive background with Jones, having coached him in high school (at Long Beach Poly) and in college (at Arizona State). This past made the Raiders a natural suitor for Jones, who the Patriots waived after multiple benchings.

Pierce was head coach at the Southern California high school from 2014-17. This overlapped with Jones’ tenure. The 25-year-old corner was a five-star recruit coming out of Long Beach Poly. While he signed with USC, off-field issues led him to the junior college ranks. By the time the 5-foot-11 corner was back on the Division I radar, Pierce was in place as Arizona State’s linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator under Herm Edwards. Jones signed with the Sun Devils in 2019 and fared well enough to warrant a fourth-round draft investment.

The Patriots drafted Jones in 2022 and used him as a regular. Jones played 54% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps last season; Pro Football Focus rated him 17th overall among corners. This year has proven rockier for Jones — on and off the field. PFF rates Jones outside the top 100 at the position, and the talented cover man has only played 121 defensive snaps in his second season.

An accumulation of performance-related issues and other matters contributed to Jones’ New England exit, per SI.com’s Albert Breer. Bill Belichick still referred to Jones as a talented player, via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, and The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adds the Pats did not view Jones as a bounce-back candidate this season. The team benched Jones in Week 9, along with J.C. Jackson, and used him on just 10 defensive plays in their Germany matchup. Belichick had said the Pats were not planning to bring Jones back on the practice squad, had he cleared waivers. While that is a moot point, the Raiders are taking a chance on a corner with notable baggage.

Jones was booted off the USC squad for academic reasons, leading to him playing at Moorpark (Calif.) College for the 2018 campaign. That season, Jones was arrested following an incident at a Panda Express, and he served 45 days of house arrest after pleading guilty to commercial burglary, which is a second-degree misdemeanor. In June, Jones was arrested on a number of charges in connection with bringing two loaded guns to an airport and attempting to board a plane. A deal with prosecutors led to the charges being dropped, but Jones still began the season sidelined, suffering a hamstring injury in an early-September practice.

The Raiders rebooted at corner this offseason, letting 2022 starters Rock Ya-Sin and Anthony Averett walk in free agency. The team took a few fliers in the spring, but none became regulars. Marcus Peters, who signed during training camp, leapfrogged the spring additions. Ditto Jakorian Bennett, who went from fourth-round rookie to starter. But the Raiders benched Bennett, using third-year defender Amik Robertson opposite Peters. Robertson, however, left the Raiders’ Week 10 game with a head injury.

Jones has worked primarily as an outside corner as a pro. He finished with two interceptions, a forced fumble and six passes defensed as a rookie. The Pierce-led Raiders would seemingly represent Jones’ best chance to salvage his NFL career. The 5-5 team will give him that chance.

Aaron Rodgers Aiming For Mid-December Return?

November 14th, 2023 at 7:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 14: Rodgers provided some more context on a potential return during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. The QB admitted that he “never said anything definitive” regarding a potential return date and said “nothing’s changed” about his timeline (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com).

However, the QB is clearly keeping the door open to a return this season. In addition to his actual recovery, Rodgers will also consider the Jets’ playoff positioning over the upcoming weeks.

“There’s no set date,” Rodgers said. “It could change. If I have a great week this week and next week, that could be accelerated. If we are not in it in three or four weeks, that could take it a different way. I expect us to be in it and I expect to come back, so that’s about all I can tell you at this point.”

NOVEMBER 13: The Jets delivered another poor performance on offense during Sunday night’s loss to the Raiders, adding to the list of disappointing showings by Zach Wilson under center. He remains in place as New York’s starter, but the possibility still exists that Aaron Rodgers could suit up by the end of the season.

The latter has publicly stated his intention of returning to full health at least in time for the start of the 2024 campaign. That would represent a realistic goal under normal circumstances, but Rodgers has repeatedly hinted at an improbable comeback in time for the stretch run this year. In the latest development on that front, the four-time MVP said he is aiming to suit up in mid-December during last night’s broadcast (h/t NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo).

Rodgers underwent a ‘speed bridge’ procedure on his torn Achilles, a relatively new operation aimed at greatly shortening the recovery process. Still, being available for any game action in 2023 would represent a highly impressive feat. Having resumed throwing roughly one month ago, the 39-year-old showed signs of being able to play late in the season (with the caveat that doing so would only realistically be possible if the Jets found themselves in postseason contention late in the year).

The Jets are on board with the notion of Rodgers being able to play in the relatively near future, so his update represents a further sign of the parties’ shared goal to rescue a season which is under threat of going off the rails due to poor offensive play. New York has managed just three offensive touchdowns over the past five games, and Wilson has yet to develop as hoped. The latter still had the unanimous backing of the organization before Week 10, and it will be interesting to see if a change to the QB depth chart will be given new consideration in the coming days.

For now, the hopes of the 4-5 Jets will still rest on Wilson’s shoulders with respect to sufficiently complementing a strong defense and running game. Roughly one month from now, however, Rodgers could be on track to reprise his starter’s role depending on his continued recovery and the state of the team in the closing stages of the campaign.

Vikings Place LB Jordan Hicks On IR

November 14th, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Ben Levine

After undergoing leg surgery on Sunday, Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks is set to miss at least the next month. The Vikings announced that they’ve placed Hicks on injured reserve, meaning the veteran will be out until at least Week 15.

[RELATED: Vikings, LB Anthony Barr Agree To Deal]

Hicks briefly left Sunday’s game during the first quarter before returning and playing 23 defensive/special teams snaps. He left the game for good in the third quarter with what was described as a shin contusion.

Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Hicks’ knee swelled up after the game and necessitated a trip to the hospital. Doctors suggested immediate surgery after diagnosing Hicks with compartment syndrome, which is when swelling in a bruised area reaches “dangerous levels” (per Seifert). Hicks was released from the hospital today and posted an encouraging update on X.

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me the past few days and for all of your continued prayers,” Hicks wrote. “The surgery was a huge success and I’m grateful for all of the doctors, nurses and medical staff who treated me. Looking forward to getting back out there with the guys soon!”

Hicks hadn’t missed a start since joining the Vikings prior to the 2022 campaign. After finishing his first season in Minnesota with 129 tackles, the 31-year-old collected 87 stops through 10 games this season. Seifert writes that undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr. is expected to take Hicks’ role on defense and should also inherit the defensive signal-caller role.

The Vikings also added some depth at the position yesterday. The team signed old friend Anthony Barr to the practice squad, and it shouldn’t take long for the veteran to find his way on to the 53-man roster.

Jets Cut RB Michael Carter

November 14th, 2023 at 5:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets have moved on from their former starting running back. The team announced that they’ve waived RB Michael Carter.

The 2021 fourth-round pick led the Jets backfield as a rookie, collecting 964 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. He was expected to take a back seat to Breece Hall in 2022 but was inserted back into the starting lineup following his teammate’s season-ending injury. While he started 10 of his 16 appearances last season, Carter wasn’t nearly as productive during his second season in the NFL, finishing the year with only 690 yards from scrimmage.

With Hall healthy and the Jets signing Dalvin Cook, Carter was buried on the depth chart this year. He saw most of his work on third downs, hauling in 15 receptions for 68 yards. Carter also had another 38 yards on the ground. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes, Carter was benched during Sunday’s loss to the Raiders after being penalized for a chop-block.

After that game, coach Robert Saleh hinted that changes could be coming to the offense. And as Cimini notes, cutting Carter sends a clear message to a struggling offense that no one is safe.

“We’re looking at some things, some different personnel changes, which I’m going to keep here with me, but we’re looking across the board to see if we can find a way to generate some offense,” Saleh said.

Still, considering Carter’s production during his rookie campaign, it shouldn’t take long for the running back to find his next squad. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Carter should have some suitors on the waiver wire.

With Carter now out of the picture, the Jets are likely going to give fifth-round rookie Israel Abanikanda any leftover snaps at the position. The Pitt product is known for his elite speed and could add a spark to an offense that’s struggling to find the end zone.

Lions, Bruce Irvin Agree To Deal

November 14th, 2023 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Less than 24 hours after Jason Pierre-Paul agreed to join the Saints, the Lions will make an in-season edge-rushing addition. Bruce Irvin agreed to terms with the Lions on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Irvin, 36, played last season with the Seahawks — his third stint with the team that drafted him back in the 2012 first round — but has been with five teams over the course of an 11-year career. As team No. 6, the Lions will aim for Irvin providing some supplementary pass-rushing aid.

As is the case with many in-season veteran signings, Irvin will start out of the Lions’ practice squad. The team will certainly be interested in the veteran edge making his way to the active roster. This has become a routine for Irvin, who signed with the Bears in November 2021 and rejoined the Seahawks in October of last year.

The Lions do not have a five-sack player. Aidan Hutchinson leads the team with 4.5, and while his status as Detroit’s top pass rusher is not in question (as he leads the NFL with 32 pressures), the team is aiming to add some help in this department. Among the Lions’ non-Hutchinson edge rushers, Julian Okwara — who spent a chunk of the season on IR — leads the way with two sacks. In his abbreviated 2022 season back in Seattle, Irvin totaled 3.5 sacks.

Irvin also tallied 8.5 sacks with the Panthers back in 2019, getting there in 13 games. The West Virginia alum does not have a double-digit sack slate in the NFL, but he does have seven seasons with at least 5.5. Irvin forced six fumbles with the 2016 Raiders, helping them snap a lengthy playoff drought. Despite the midseason arrival, Irvin also started 10 games for last year’s Seahawks. Overall, the seasoned edge defender 55.5 career regular-season sacks and 4.5 in the playoffs. Two of those came to help Seattle to the 2014 NFC championship.

Detroit’s OLB group consists of Hutchinson, the Okwara brothers (Romeo and Julian), along with former first-rounder Charles Harris and 2022 second-round Josh Paschal. Paschal and Romeo Okwara do not have a sack this season. As a team, the Lions have 21 sacks — tied for 21st in the league.

Dolphins Waive CB Kelvin Joseph, Activate WR River Cracraft From IR

November 14th, 2023 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Acquiring Kelvin Joseph via a cornerback-for-cornerback trade just before 53-man rosters were due, the Dolphins are bailing on the corner they obtained. Miami waived Joseph on Tuesday, clearing a roster spot for an IR activation.

The Dolphins will bring wide receiver River Cracraft off IR to take Joseph’s spot on the 53-man roster. Miami had until Wednesday to activate Cracraft, or else he would have been moved to season-ending IR. Barring a move down to Miami’s practice squad post-waivers, Joseph’s time with the team will end.

Even as the Dolphins have played most of this season without Jalen Ramsey, Joseph did not earn much playing time. The former Cowboys second-round pick has logged only 21 defensive snaps this year. Dallas and Miami exchanged Joseph and ex-first-rounder Noah Igbinoghene in late August. The latter, who is in a contract year, has not played regularly in Dallas. The Cowboys have given Igbinoghene only 25 defensive snaps, though the Auburn alum remains on Dallas’ roster.

Joseph’s rookie deal runs through 2024. The Dolphins will save roughly $600K by making this cut. Joseph, who turned 23 over the weekend, is due a non-guaranteed $1.72MM base salary in 2024. The Cowboys gave up on Joseph after two seasons, doing so after trying him in the slot this offseason. The LSU and Kentucky alum previously logged 164- and 166-snap seasons in Dallas, and he was ultimately unable to carve out a regular role on Dan Quinn‘s defense. An off-field incident in March, in which Joseph was a passenger in a vehicle from which fatal shots were fired, did not produce any charges, and Joseph has not received a suspension. On the field, however, he was unable to gain traction in Vic Fangio‘s defense.

Cracraft has been with the Dolphins for the past two seasons. While he has some return experience, Miami has used the former UDFA as an auxiliary receiver. The 29-year-old pass catcher, who landed on IR in late September with a shoulder injury, will rejoin the likes of Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson, Chase Claypool and Robbie Chosen among Miami’s Tyreek Hill–Jaylen Waddle supporting cast.

Marcus Davenport Undergoes Ankle Surgery

November 14th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Winners of five straight, the Vikings are threatening to become the second team this century to move from 0-3 to the playoffs. They will need to continue without their top Danielle Hunter sidekick for a while, however.

Although Marcus Davenport is now eligible to return from IR, no such transaction appears imminent. Davenport ended up undergoing tightrope surgery to repair the high ankle sprain he sustained in October, Kevin O’Connell said. The free agent signing is still in play to return this season, per ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert, but does not sound like a near-future re-emergence is on tap.

O’Connell indicated Davenport, 27, has a chance to come back before season’s end. Many players who sustain high ankle sprains are ready to come back from IR when first eligible, if an IR stint commences at all, but no two injuries are alike. Tony Pollard suffered a broken leg and a high ankle sprain in last season’s divisional round; the Cowboys running back ended up needing surgery — the tightrope procedure Davenport underwent — for the ankle injury. Cooper Kupp also underwent a tightrope procedure last year. He did not return for the Rams, though they were in the process of sitting their injured stars amid a disastrous Super Bowl title defense.

This injury has effectively doomed Davenport’s effort to vault back into free agency and secure a better contract. An inconsistent Saints tenure led to Davenport accepting a one-year, $13MM deal from the Vikings in March. The Falcons also pursued Davenport, but the $10MM guaranteed the Vikings proposed likely represented the top option available. Davenport signed with Za’Darius Smith still on the roster, but it soon became apparent the Vikings were planning to jettison the latter. They did so via a May trade with the Browns.

A 2018 first-round pick, Davenport posted nine sacks in 2021 and six in 2019 and registered 16 QB hits in both seasons. His even-year production: less good. Davenport’s 2022 contract year featured a half-sack in 15 games, leading to the modest market and the “prove it” deal. As it stands now, another “prove it” pact — this one potentially less lucrative — would be in store for the sixth-year vet. Davenport did tally two sacks in four Vikings games, going down after 17 snaps in Week 4. A late-season comeback would give the edge defender an opportunity to make a late impression, but this will also be the third season in the past four featuring at least five missed games. Davenport also missed Weeks 1 and 3 due to injury.

Hunter has cruised along unfazed, pushing his league-leading sack count to 11 last week. The Vikings will have a decision to make with Hunter, but it will take a big offer to keep the nine-year veteran off the market. Because of a late-summer agreement, the Vikings cannot use their franchise tag on Hunter. The team has seen D.J. Wonnum produce five sacks. A 2020 fourth-round pick, Wonnum is also in a contract year. Minnesota will have many questions to answer at its outside linebacker spot. For now, the team will hope to have Davenport back to help secure a playoff spot.

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