NFC South Notes: Bucs, Thomas, McCaffrey
Not that much doubt existed as to why Antonio Brown is in Tampa, but the Buccaneers indeed reversed course on the volatile wide receiver because Tom Brady pushed for the signing, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora notes. Brown is living with Brady, who insisted to Buccaneers brass he would work with the former All-Pro daily to ensure he does not become a problem for the organization.
“Brady told them he is going to make sure this is not a problem,” a source with knowledge of this process told La Canfora. “He guaranteed BA (Bruce Arians) that he would make sure this guy did everything he has to do, even if Brady has to drive him there himself. And (the Bucs) made it clear to Brady that Brown is on a very short leash. If he (slips up), he’s gone.”
Brown went from potential first-ballot Hall of Famer to the epicenter of numerous controversies last year, but Brady expressed disappointment the Patriots released him after one game. Arians said in March that Brown would not be a fit with the Bucs. They activated him this week; Brown will debut for a third team Sunday against the Saints.
Here is the latest from the NFC South:
- Staying on the subject of availability for the biggest game in the history of the Saints-Bucs series, Michael Thomas is finally on track to return to action. The All-Pro wide receiver, who has not played since suffering an ankle injury against the Bucs in Week 1, is on track to be back in action Sunday night, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets. Thomas has missed six games due to ankle and hamstring injuries and for striking a teammate. Emmanuel Sanders also practiced Friday, putting the veteran No. 2 wideout in line to play Sunday. Sanders missed two games after contracting the coronavirus.
- In this suddenly intergalactic matchup of receiving corps, Chris Godwin will be back as well. Arians said Friday the fourth-year target will be back after undergoing surgery on a broken finger. Godwin has missed time due to three separate issues this season, and given that doctors told him he would face a four- to six-week recovery timetable — per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter — his return will be worth monitoring. Doctors inserting pins into Godwin’s damaged index finger opened the door for him to miss just one game, Schefter adds.
- Keeping with the “return to action” theme here, Christian McCaffrey‘s six-week hiatus is expected to end. The All-Pro Panthers back will be activated ahead of Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, per Matt Rhule. McCaffrey has been sidelined since Week 2 because of a high ankle sprain.
- Calvin Ridley is battling a mid-foot sprain, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link), and is questionable to face the Broncos on Sunday. Ridley left the Falcons’ Week 8 win with the foot malady.
Falcons Interested In Nathaniel Hackett; Eric Bieniemy Also On Radar
After 1 1/2 seasons as Green Bay’s offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett has emerged as a head coaching candidate. The Falcons are interested in the longtime assistant, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports.
Team president Rich McKay is likely to pursue an interview with Hackett when he becomes available for one, per JLC, who adds the 40-year-old OC’s name has come up in “several” internal discussions to succeed Dan Quinn.
McKay is running Atlanta’s search and has a history with Hackett, who is a second-generation NFL coach. The son of former NFL OC Paul Hackett, Nathaniel broke into the NFL as a Buccaneers quality control coach during his father’s stay as the team’s QBs coach during the mid-2000s. McKay was with Tampa Bay at that point.
The Packers hired Hackett last year to work as Matt LaFleur‘s right-hand man on offense. While Aaron Rodgers certainly makes a coordinator’s job easier, the Packers rank second in offensive DVOA this season despite having gone stretches without Davante Adams and Aaron Jones. Green Bay ranked eighth last season, though the team was seventh in Mike McCarthy‘s abbreviated final season. LaFleur calls Green Bay’s plays. Hackett served as OC for the Bills and Jaguars under Doug Marrone; the Jags fired him in 2018. Only one of Hackett’s five pre-Packers offenses ranked in the top 15 in DVOA.
The Falcons are likely to be interested in Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, La Canfora notes. They will have company in chasing Kansas City’s non-play-calling OC, who has been in place throughout Patrick Mahomes‘ tenure as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback. The Texans are also interested in Bieniemy, who has taken HC interviews in each of the past two offseasons and is expected to land a coaching job in 2021.
Falcons Seeking Fourth-Rounder For Takkarist McKinley
- The Falcons were seeking a fourth-round pick for defensive end Takkarist McKinley, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (via Twitter). We heard last week that the former first-rounder was on the trade block, but the 25-year-old declared last night that he wasn’t going anywhere. McKinley has compiled only eight tackles and one sack in four games this season, and he hasn’t played more than 40-percent of his team’s defensive snaps since Week 1.
Falcons DE Takkarist McKinley Says He Won’t Be Traded
The Falcons aren’t trading Takkarist McKinley…according to Takkarist McKinley. The defensive end took to Twitter this evening and said he’ll be staying in Atlanta.
“The Atlanta Falcons aren’t trading me,” McKinley tweeted. “They have declined a handful of offers.”
Of course, this could mean nothing, and the Falcons front office may currently be rolling their eyes as they continue to field calls for the defensive end. Alternatively, McKinley could also be passing along information he’s received firsthand from the front office (of course, we’d be wary of even taking that at face value).
If true, this will be a change of course from what we heard a few days ago. Last Wednesday, there were reports that the Falcons had discussed offers for the former first-rounder, and some teams were convinced he’d be dealt prior to tomorrow’s trade deadline.
Instead, it’s sounding like the 25-year-old will stick in Atlanta, at least for the time being. After declining his fifth-year option this past offseason, there’s a good chance the two sides go their separate ways in 2021. After all, McKinley has generally disappointed since being selected with the No. 26 pick in the 2017 draft.
While he combined for 13 sacks through his first two seasons in the league (not including a pair of playoff sacks during his rookie campaign), the defensive end managed only 3.5 sacks in 2019. He’s compiled only eight tackles and one sack in four games this season, and he hasn’t played more than 40-percent of his team’s defensive snaps since Week 1.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/20
Here is the league’s avalanche of Halloween minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: DT John Cominsky
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Terrell Bonds, LB Kristian Welch
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: CB Levi Wallace
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Lee Smith
- Promoted: CB Dane Jackson
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: WR Dwayne Harris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: G Shaq Calhoun
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers (from Lions): LB Elijah Lee
- Activated from IR: WR KhaDarel Hodge
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Austin Calitro
- Promoted: WR Fred Brown, FB Jeremy Cox, OL Patrick Morris
- Placed on IR: TE Andrew Beck
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: TE Isaac Nauta
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: S Henry Black
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Chris Thompson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Damon Arnette, T Trent Brown
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Trey Pipkins
- Promoted: WR Jason Moore, RB Troymaine Pope, OL Cole Toner
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: LB Derrick Moncrief
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes, DT Benito Jones
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Cameron Dantzler
- Activated from IR: LB Troy Dye
- Promoted: C Brett Jones, CB Chris Jones, DB Luther Kirk, DE Hercules Mata’afa
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Todd Davis
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Sony Michel (Michel remains on IR)
- Activated from IR: S Cody Davis, LB Josh Uche
- Promoted: DE Tashawn Bower, DT Nick Thurman, WR Isaiah Zuber
- Placed on IR: T Justin Herron
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Austin Carr, OL Will Clapp, WR Tommylee Lewis, WR Juwan Johnson
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: CB Arthur Maulet
- Promoted: K/P Sergio Castillo, LB Bryce Hager, WR Jaleel Scott
- Placed on IR: S Bradley McDougald
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: CB Michael Jacquet, DT Raequan Williams
- Waived: TE Hakeem Butler
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: S Antoine Brooks, FB Trey Edmunds, LB Jayrone Elliott
- Placed on IR: DT Chris Wormley
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: WR River Cracraft, S Johnathan Cyprien
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from NFI list: TE Colby Parkinson, CB D.J. Reed
- Promoted: CB Jayson Stanley, DE/TE Stephen Sullivan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: TE Antony Auclair, G John Molchon
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DB Breon Borders, RB D’Onta Foreman, CB Kareem Orr
- Placed on IR: CB Kristian Fulton
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/29/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: LB Edmond Robinson
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: G Mike Horton, DB Natrell Jamerson, WR Marken Michel
Detroit Lions
- Waived: LB Elijah Lee
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on IR: TE Virgil Green (story)
Falcons To Trade Takkarist McKinley?
The Falcons have had trade talks about defensive end Takkarist McKinley and other teams believe he’ll be moved before the Nov. 3 deadline, according to sources who spoke with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Nothing is imminent at this moment, but the Falcons could very well find a trade for the former first-round pick between now and Tuesday.
McKinley, who has been out of practice this week with a groin injury, has not lived up to expectations since being taken with the No. 26 overall pick in 2017. In his first two seasons, he managed a combined 13 sacks, but he started to regress in 2019. Last year, he finished out with just 3.5 sacks in 15 games. Then, he finished the year on IR thanks to a shoulder injury in December. The Falcons declined his 2021 option this offseason. That would have tied McKinley to the team through 2021 at a rate of $10MM, guaranteed only for injury.
So far this year, McKinley has notched just one sack and eight total stops in four games. But, for all the question marks, the talent and potential is still there.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Marlon Davidson
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: LB Rashad Smith
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from exempt/commissioner list: LB James Burgess
- Cut: OL Ben Braden
Houston Texans
- Released: RB C.J. Prosise
- Activated from exempt/commissioner list: DT Eli Ankou
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from exempt/commissioner list: DE Aaron Lynch
- Placed on IR: WR Dede Westbrook
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Johnathan Abram
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers from Eagles: DE Daeshon Hall
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: DT Hassan Ridgeway
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DL Alex Barrett, CB Parnell Motley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: OLB Quinton Bell
Trade Rumors: Giants, Ryan, Fuller
After dealing Markus Golden to the Cardinals, it appears the 1-6 Giants have officially declared themselves sellers at this year’s trade deadline. Though GM Dave Gettleman may be reluctant to trade away veteran talent that could theoretically help Big Blue win a few games — and perhaps save Gettleman’s job in the process — players like Evan Engram, Kevin Zeitler, and Golden Tate could be available, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes (though Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the club is unlikely to deal Engram).
2017 second-round DT Dalvin Tomlinson could also be on the move, per Dunleavy. Tomlinson is playing out the last year of his rookie contract, and while he has expressed interest in staying with the Giants long-term, there has been little progress in contract talks.
As we creep closer to the November 3 deadline, let’s round up a few more trade rumors from around the league:
- Big names like Falcons QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones are not going to be moved, as Rapoport writes in the same piece linked above. The same can be said for Jets QB Sam Darnold (though Darnold could be dealt this offseason). Gang Green may be more open to trading DT Quinnen Williams, but thus far interested teams have only offered a single second-round pick. That will not be enough to convince GM Joe Douglas to trade the talented interior defender.
- The 1-5 Vikings look like sellers after they traded Yannick Ngakoue, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says Minnesota is open to dealing S Harrison Smith, TE Kyle Rudolph, and LT Riley Reiff. However, those players are not generating much interest, and the players that rival execs really want — WR Adam Thielen and TE Irv Smith Jr. — seem likely to stay put.
- Another 1-5 outfit, the Texans, also anticipate making a trade or two, per La Canfora. Houston is in desperate need of draft capital, and receivers Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller are coming up in discussions. Sources expect at least one of those players to be moved, and the team is also gauging the market for edge defender Whitney Mercilus.
- One team that could have an eye on the Texans’ receivers is the Patriots, who are once again looking for a pass catcher, as La Canfora writes. One year after the team’s ill-fated trade for Mohamed Sanu, New England wants to get a weapon for QB Cam Newton, and Cooks, Fuller, and Thielen could all be options.
- Washington QB Dwayne Haskins might be on the trade market, but the club hasn’t received much interest. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Haskins could be had for anything more than a sixth-round pick, but Washington hasn’t even gotten an offer that good yet. Although pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan has been the most-discussed Washington trade chip outside of Haskins, Rapoport says Ryan Anderson is more likely to be traded.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/24/20
Here is another spree of Saturday minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: DL Trevon Coley
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: DE Austin Edwards, LB Edmond Robinson
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: LB Tyrel Dodson
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: G Mike Horton, WR Marken Michel
Chicago Bears
- Moved from IR to reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Joseph
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from IR: DT Mike Daniels
- Promoted: CB Winston Rose
- Waived: DT Kahlil McKenzie
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: OL Cameron Erving
- Promoted: T Jordan Mills, C Adam Redmond
- Placed on IR: T Brandon Knight
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: LB Kamal Martin
- Promoted: S Henry Black, G Ben Braden, RB Dexter Williams, DL Billy Winn
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: RB Devine Ozigbo
- Promoted: S Doug Middleton, TE Eric Saubert
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Chris Thompson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: OL Danny Isidora, WR Marcus Kemp
- Placed on IR: DL Khalen Saunders
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: CB Dylan Mabin
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Tashawn Bower, DT Nick Thurman
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Austin Carr, OL Will Clapp, WR Juwan Johnson
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: OL Cameron Clark
- Promoted: K/P Sergio Castillo, LB Bryce Hager
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: FB Trey Edmunds, LB Jayrone Elliott
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: S Johnathan Cyprien, S Jared Mayden
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: S Dane Cruikshank
- Promoted: LB Darren Bates, OL David Quessenberry
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Jeff Badet, WR Tony Brown, DT Devaroe Lawrence
- Placed on IR: OL Saahdiq Charles, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden