HEADLINES

Year: 2023

Raiders Sign LB Jaylon Smith Off Saints’ Practice Squad

November 2nd, 2023 at 11:39am CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders have made their first roster move under interim general manager Champ Kelly. Veteran linebacker Jaylon Smith has joined Vegas by signing off the Saints’ practice squad, his agency announced.

Smith worked out with the Raiders this summer, but he joined New Orleans in time for the preseason. The 28-year-old impressed during his exhibition performances, though it quickly became clear a special teams role would represent his best path to playing time. Smith was part of the Saints’ final roster cuts; to no surprise, however, he was immediately signed to the team’s taxi squad.

In spite of that, he has yet to see any game action in 2023. Today’s decision to head to Vegas will give Smith a better chance to be active on gamedays, and it will be interesting to see what kind of a role he can carve out under interim head coach Antonio Pierce. The latter will have a number of lineup decisions to make – aside from the move to bench quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to clear a path for rookie Aidan O’Connell to take over – with respect to a defense which has struggled in a number of categories, particularly against the run.

Vegas – led at the LB spot by Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo – has surrendered an average of 141 yards per game on the ground this season, and Smith will look to aid in that department. It remains to be seen how effective his efforts on that front will be, however. The former second-rounder has yet to make much of a statistical impact (or find a permanent home) since his Cowboys tenure came to an end. Smith has bounced around to the Giants, Packers and Saints since he was released by Dallas midseason in 2021.

The two-time Pro Bowler recorded at least 121 tackles every year between 2018 and ’20, adding eight sacks during that span. Smith saw a notable drop in playing time the following season, though he served in a starting capacity with the Giants in 2022. While logging a 72% snap share, he posted 88 tackles but drew the second-worst PFF grade (56) of his career. Improving on that mark with the Raiders, presuming he sees the field in some capacity, will no doubt help his free agent stock come March.

Jets Open Duane Brown’s Practice Window

November 2nd, 2023 at 10:37am CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 2: As expected, Brown has indeed returned to practice, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes. That means Thursday will mark the beginning of his 21-day activation window. It will be interesting to see how aggressive the Jets are in activating him, knowing his injury history and the implications it will have on Becton. In any event, New York will receive a boost along the offensive line in the near future.

NOVEMBER 1: Duane Brown‘s hip injury caused the Jets to reconfigure their offensive line. Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker changed positions, and second-round rookie Joe Tippmann entered the starting lineup. With the Jets in a worse place injury-wise weeks later, Brown’s return figures to help a 4-3 team.

Robert Saleh said Wednesday (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) the team is planning to open Brown’s practice window this week. Brown has been on IR since before Week 4, which would have made last week his first shot at coming back. The Jets, however, believed they rushed Brown back from rotator cuff surgery late this summer (he returned August 23). That could point to caution when bringing him back from the hip injury he sustained in September.

[RELATED: Jets Expecting Aaron Rodgers To Return This Season]

Signed in an emergency circumstance to be the Jets’ left tackle last year, Brown returned to that post to start his age-38 season. The NFL’s second-oldest active O-lineman — behind the Seahawks’ Jason Peters — Brown is likely to take his job back from Becton once he returns. Labeling Brown one of the Jets’ best five O-linemen, Saleh pointed (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) to Becton being moved back to right tackle — where he began the season — in order to ensure both were on the field. While Saleh called Becton a freakish athlete and indicated he would “love” to keep him at left tackle, the Jets’ injury situation points to Brown returning to the blind side.

Brown played through his shoulder injury last season and gained respect from the coaching staff for doing so, but Pro Football Focus assigned Brown by far the worst grade of his career. The advanced metrics site slots Brown outside the top 60 at tackle this season, with a worse grade than 2022, but Saleh viewed the 16th-year blocker’s early-season performance as likely impacted by injury.

Considering the two injuries Brown has sustained as a Jet, he is no longer a particularly safe bet. For a team that has lost Vera-Tucker, center Connor McGovern and swingman Wes Schweitzer in the weeks since (with Tippman missing Week 8), depending on Brown will be a risky proposition. (The Jets placed McGovern and Schweitzer on IR this week, but Saleh noted both have a chance to come back this season.) But the Jets having Brown and Becton back at tackle will be an improvement compared to their current setup, so long as the five-time Pro Bowler is healthy. The Jets will have three weeks from Brown’s practice return to activate him. Gang Green has seven injury activations remaining.

Bills Place CB Kaiir Elam On IR, Sign DT Linval Joseph

November 2nd, 2023 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

After coming up in trade rumors, Kaiir Elam will now be sidelined for an extended stretch. The Bills corner has been placed on injured reserve, per a team announcement.

As a result of the move, Elam will be required to miss at least the next four games. An ankle injury is the cause of the former first-rounder’s absence, though he has been a healthy scratch at multiple points this season. That lack of Year 2 development led to a report from last week indicating Elam was on the trade block. However, general manager Brandon Beane made it clear after this week’s trade deadline that no consideration was given to moving on from the 22-year-old.

Buffalo acquired veteran Rasul Douglas from the Packers on Tuesday, accomplishing the team’s goal of finding help in the secondary in the wake of Tre’Davious White‘s Achilles tear. Beane confirmed (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic) that White’s injury prompted a search for a CB addition. That included a roughly week-long negotiating period with Green Bay over the Douglas swap, and the latter will no doubt have a large role in Buffalo upon arrival. Bringing back Elam will use up one of the team’s seven remaining IR activations.

To fill the open roster spot created by Elam being sidelined, the Bills have signed defensive tackle Linval Joseph. The 35-year-old signed with the Eagles last November, and he helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl while serving in a depth capacity (38% snap share). Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports Joseph’s one-year pact has a maximum value of $3.72MM.

The two-time Pro Bowler has logged 179 games across his time with the Giants, Vikings, Chargers and Eagles. He will meet Buffalo’s stated intention of making an addition along the defensive interior while using up a portion of the team’s remaining spending power. The Bills entered Thursday with $3.64MM in cap space, so the base value of Joseph’s deal will drop the figure to an extent. If he can provide a rotational presence for a banged-up defense down the stretch, though, his addition will prove to be worthwhile.

Latest On Packers, QB Jordan Love

November 2nd, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

In the midst of a four-game losing streak, the Packers’ struggles have led to renewed questions about Jordan Love‘s status as the team’s projected long-term starting quarterback. Head coach Matt LaFleur endorsed the former first-rounder last week, but general manager Brian Gutekunst has since struck a different tone.

Love got off to an encouraging start in 2023, his first season at the helm and thus the beginning of his audition period as Aaron Rodgers‘ successor. The 25-year-old has taken a step back statistically in recent weeks, however, throwing at least one interception in each of the past five games (and eight total during that span). Love sits last in the NFL in completion percentage (57.7%), a sign of his growing pains but also those of Green Bay’s offense as a whole.

“I think he’s done a lot of really good things,” Gutekunst said of Love, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “Really like the way he’s responded to the adversity, how he’s led the team. Again, we’ve got to be better as a unit, and I expect that to happen over the next 10 games. And I think that we’re going through some things that we knew we would go through. We haven’t had the results that we want, but I do like the way guys are responding to things.”

Gutekunst added that the final 10 games of the Packers’ season will be “very important” as it pertains to the organization’s evaluation of Love. The Utah State product signed an extension which took the place of his fifth-year option this offseason, a pact which has him on the books through 2024. Improvement will be needed to quell doubts on the team’s part that another option under center should be sought out, although it comes as little surprise that Green Bay’s highly inexperienced offense has encountered issues in the first half of the campaign.

“When the group as a whole is not functioning the way it should function, then it’s hard to evaluate anybody,” Gutekunst added. “At the same time, it’s on us to get that right so we can move forward and evaluate the guys we have in that room. But yeah, when we’re not clicking, it’s tough to evaluate anything.”

Plenty of attention will be on Love in particular to close out the season as the 2-5 Packers aim for signs of growth over the second half of the campaign. Green Bay elected not to add a veteran presence at this week’s trade deadline, with the team’s only move being the one which sent corner Rasul Douglas to the Bills. While Gutekunst expressed confidence the Packers’ young offense nucleus will take a step forward, his remarks make it clear progress will be necessary in the near future on Love’s part for the organization to feel comfortable about a long-term commitment.

Raiders Fallout: Davis, Garoppolo, Brady

November 1st, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders made headlines early this morning when they fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. While the midseason shakeup may have come as a surprise to some, it probably didn’t shock many of the team’s veterans.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, owner Mark Davis had meetings with veteran players over the past week to better understand the team’s culture (or lack thereof). Albert Breer of SI.com echoes that report, noting that Davis was well aware of the players’ grievances. Even before the recent meetings, the firing started to feel “inevitable” within the organization, according to Breer. Davis was becoming increasingly “volatile and angry” with the team’s inconsistencies, and that ultimately led to his decision.

McDaniels was also aware of the problems in his locker room. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the coach allowed players to raise their issues during a team meeting last week. Josh Jacobs, Maxx Crosby, and Davante Adams were among the veteran players who spoke up, with the latter also expressing his discontent following Monday’s loss to the Lions.

Breer has more details on what led to the eventual firings. There was a “particularly aggressive” postgame meeting between Davis and his staff after the Raiders beat the Packers in Week 5. Despite the win, the owner caught the attention of many because he was “so angry,” and his “reaction created an uneasy feeling” with coaches and scouts.

More notes out of Las Vegas…

  • The “disconnect” between Davis and McDaniels/Ziegler surrounding the Raiders quarterback situation played a major role in the dismissals, according to Dianna Russini, Vic Tafur, Tashan Reed, and Larry Holder of The Athletic. The decision that played the most significant role in the firings was when veteran Brian Hoyer started over rookie Aidan O’Connell in Week 7. Breer provided more context on that decision, noting that the Raiders believed Hoyer’s veteran game management would be advantageous against the Bears, who were rolling with a rookie of their own. Some coaches believed that O’Connell should get the call, and Hoyer proceeded to throw a pair of interceptions in an eventual loss.
  • According to Tafur, Davis had issues with Ziegler’s handling of the position before this season. The owner wasn’t a proponent of the extension that the GM gave to Derek Carr, and the accompanying no-trade clause meant the organization ultimately let the franchise quarterback walk without receiving any compensation. Ziegler didn’t do himself any favors by handing Jimmy Garoppolo $33MM in guaranteed money. The oft-injured QB later failed his physical and ultimately required surgery, and he’s proceeded to toss nine interceptions in his six games. The GM also might regret his decision to not target a rookie and spend the money elsewhere; per Tafur, the Raiders only liked Bryce Young heading into the draft.
  • Davis will now have a difficult choice to make on Garoppolo, and it goes beyond the decision to start O’Connell in Week 9. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, it makes most sense for the organization to cut the veteran QB as soon as possible. Garoppolo has $11.25MM in injury guarantees that are due in March of 2024. The team could cut him after the Super Bowl and before the guarantee vests, but they’d be risking the QB suffering an injury during an upcoming game or practice.
  • Tom Brady isn’t yet an official part-owner of the Raiders, but the future Hall of Famer will be involved in the HC and GM hiring process, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Of course, Brady has a relationship with both McDaniels and Ziegler, with the trio having won many Super Bowls together during their time in New England.

Saquon Barkley, Giants Still Interested In Extension

November 1st, 2023 at 9:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite receiving calls on impending free agent Saquon Barkley, the Giants decided to hang on to their star running back through the trade deadline. That’s because both the organization and the player are interested in a multiyear extension when they can resume talks in January, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

Barkley and the Giants first started extension talks last November but couldn’t come to an agreement. After briefly shopping the RB, the front office decided to slap Barkley with the franchise tag, locking him in to a $10.1MM salary for the 2023 campaign. The two sides continued to negotiate up to the extension deadline for franchise-tagged players, but despite only being about $1MM to $2MM apart in both average annual salary and guarantees, a new deal wasn’t signed.

Those failed negotiations kept open the possibility that the 2023 campaign could be Barkley’s final season in New York. As Dunleavy notes, the developments through the first half of the season may only increase the RB’s chances of leaving. Barkley’s injury issues continued when he was forced to miss three games with a high ankle sprain. In the meantime, fellow star RB Jonathan Taylor inked a manageable three-year, $42MM deal (including $26.5MM guaranteed) with the Colts. This means the Giants’ front office probably hasn’t increased their valuation, requiring Barkley’s side to blink.

Even if the Giants can’t re-sign Barkley, the organization didn’t want to send the wrong message to the team and the fans. As Dunleavy notes, trading the star player would have been a clear message that the organization was quitting on the season, and it also would have indicated that the front office didn’t value “loyalty to the locker room.” Further, the team would have struggled to attract fans for the final handful of home games without their marquee player.

Barkley has repeatedly said he wants to stay with the Giants, and the front office’s willingness to negotiate an extension indicates that they’re not looking to restart at the position. The organization could tag Barkley again this upcoming offseason, which would provide more time for extension talks (while also opening the door to similar trade discussions at next year’s trade deadline).

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/1/23

November 1st, 2023 at 8:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: QB Dresser Winn

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: DE Michael Dogbe, CB JoeJuan Williams
  • Released: CB C.J. Coldon

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: DL Pat O’Connor

With Matthew Stafford questionable for Week 9, the Rams are adding some additional QB depth. Winn had a standout career at UT Martin before going undrafted in this year’s draft. The QB spent training camp with the Rams before eventually joining the Edmonton Elks in the CFL. As Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes, the signing is especially notable considering Winn also punted in college; Rams punter Ethan Evans is currently dealing with a sprained ankle.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/23

November 1st, 2023 at 7:16pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

  • Signed to active roster: OL Chris Glaser

With the Chiefs adding Mecole Hardman and eyeing a WR crunch, the team reportedly shopped James last week. A trade didn’t end up happening, and with the wideout sitting on IR, the team has decided to designate him for return. After resurfacing last year with the Giants, James signed a one-year deal worth $1.23MM with the Chiefs back in April. He got into Kansas City’s first two games, hauling in one six-yard catch.

Dolphins OL Terron Armstead Returns To Practice

November 1st, 2023 at 6:32pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins should soon be getting a significant boost to their offensive line. Coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that offensive tackle Terron Armstead has returned to practice (via Pro Football Network’s Adam Beasley).

Armstead has missed the last four games while recovering from a knee injury that required an IR stint. He’s eligible to be activated from injured reserve at any time, and the Dolphins will now have 21 days to make the move.

“We’ll see how he responds to the effort and we’ll assess that the next day and do the same the following day,” McDaniel said (via Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald).

Following a nine-year stint in New Orleans to begin his career, Armstead earned a five-year, $75MM deal (up to $87.5MM) from the Dolphins in 2022. He missed a chunk of games last year while dealing with a pectoral strain but still earned a Pro Bowl nod, the fourth of his career. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ 15th-best offensive tackle among 81 qualifying players.

As Oyefusi notes, the Dolphins were down four offensive line starters at one point during last weekend’s game against the Patriots. The Dolphins continue to bring center Connor Williams along slowly, while right guard Robert Hunt is day to day after suffering a hamstring injury vs. New England. While it might not happen this weekend in Germany, Miami should soon have most of their starting OL back in the lineup.

Steelers Activate DL Cameron Heyward From IR

November 1st, 2023 at 5:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The Steelers are welcoming back one of their defensive captains. The team announced that they’ve activated Cameron Heyward from injured reserve. The defensive lineman doesn’t have an injury designation heading into tomorrow night’s game against the Titans.

Heyward suffered a groin injury in Week 1 that ultimately required surgery. After being given an initial recovery timeline of eight weeks, the defensive lineman was able to return to the field about seven weeks after his operation. Heyward returned to Steelers practice last week.

“I trust what they’re doing, and I know my body, and I know I’m up there in age, but I feel like I progressed pretty well,” Heyward told ESPN’s Brooke Pryor last week.

The 2011 first-round pick has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh, earning six Pro Bowl appearances and three first-team All-Pro nods in his 12-plus seasons with the organization. Prior to his injury this season, Heyward had only missed a single regular season game since the 2018 campaign.

Despite 2022 marking his age-32 season, Heyward was still plenty productive. He added another Pro Bowl to his resume after finishing with 74 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. The veteran is still attached to a four-year, $65.6MM extension he signed with the Steelers back in 2020.

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