NFL Workout Updates: 9/7/19
We’ve got another big batch of workouts, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter).
Cleveland Browns
- DT Ricky Walker
Houston Texans
- Ps Ryan Allen, Matt Wile; LB Christian Kuntz; LS Carson Tinker
Indianapolis Colts
- LB Tre’ Crawford; DE Jamell Garcia-Williams; CBs Quenton Meeks, Jackson Porter; S Jonathan Owens
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WRs Terry Godwin, Ishmael Hyman; RB Jeremy McNichols; P Brock Miller
Minnesota Vikings
- Safeties Briean Boddy-Calhoun, C.J. Reavis; DT Anthony Zettel
New England Patriots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Safeties Andrew Adams, Chris Banjo; OTs Dino Boyd, Pace Murphy, Josh Wells; G Bryan Witzmann
The Texans could be looking for specialist help, as they worked out a pair of punters and a longsnapper. Boddy-Calhoun, who worked out for the Vikings, is probably the biggest name on this list. He started at least seven games for the Browns each of the past three seasons, but was released by Houston at final cuts.
Latest On Antonio Brown
One of the weirdest opening weeks in recent memory is starting to wind down, and a full slate of regular season games is right around the corner. Before that though, we have one more batch of notes on Antonio Brown. The All-Pro receiver is a member of the Patriots now, and there will surely be more fallout to come as the dust settles. Brown was on the open market for just a few hours before inking a one-year deal with New England, and the defending champions now have one of the best group of skill position players in the league.
Here’s the latest on the star of the 2019 offseason:
- First off we have more details on his new contract, courtesy of Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. It was initially reported that Brown’s deal would be worth “up to” $15MM, and include a $9MM signing bonus. Per Schefter, there’s only $1MM in guaranteed money besides the signing bonus. The other $5MM is incentives, he reports.
- The Raiders ultimately didn’t suspend Brown over his confrontation with GM Mike Mayock, and the Patriots obviously won’t be suspending him. That doesn’t mean he is out of the woods entirely though, as Brown could apparently be suspended by the league office for a Personal Conduct Policy violation. A league spokesman declined to comment on the matter, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, who notes the policy specifically prohibits “[v]iolent or threatening behavior toward another employee or a third party in any workplace.” If the league finds that Brown threatened Mayock as some have reported, he could be slapped with a suspension.
- The Patriots raised a lot of eyebrows by giving Brown a $9MM signing bonus given his recent erratic behavior. Teams can usually recoup 25 percent of a signing bonus if something goes wrong, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). La Canfora wonders whether the Patriots asked for different language in the contract to protect them further in the event that things go off the rails like they did in Oakland.
- The Raiders voided Brown’s guarantees before releasing him, and there have been rumblings that Brown might pursue a grievance to try to recoup some of that money. Even if his agent Drew Rosenhaus does pursue the grievance and it is successful, he won’t be getting all that money back. Brown’s deal with Oakland contained offset language, so “the $9 million signing bonus he’ll get from the Patriots — and any other money he earns as a player in 2019 and 2020 — reduces the amount he could pursue in a potential grievance over his voided guarantees,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. As such, it doesn’t seem like the grievance will be very high-stakes, if it gets filed at all.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/19
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Donnie Lewis
- Released: OT Paul Adams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Tyree St. Louis
- Released: RB Quinton Flowers
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: QB Cardale Jones
- Released: OT Elijah Nkansah
The big name here is Jones, who now has a new home after getting cut by the Chargers. The former Ohio State star was drafted by the Bills in the fourth-round back in 2016, then traded to Los Angeles after a year. He spent last season on the practice squad, then lost out to Easton Stick in the competition to be the Chargers’ third-string passer this summer. The Seahawks had room for a developmental quarterback after waiving Paxton Lynch.
Free Agent OL Rod Taylor Suspended 4 Games
Free agent Rod Taylor has been dealt a blow in his quest to get back in the league. The young offensive lineman has been suspended four games, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
It’s unclear what the ban is for, although a four-game suspension is often for violations related to banned substances of PEDs. Taylor entered the league last year as a seventh-round pick of the Bengals. He missed his entire rookie season after tearing his ACL on the first day of training camp in late July. The team was apparently confident he was going to make the roster before the injury, but they didn’t like what he looked like when he returned.
Back on June 10th the Bengals cut him, and we haven’t heard of any interest since. As a senior at Ole Miss in 2017, Taylor started all 12 games at right tackle. Cincinnati had converted him to a guard before he went down. Perhaps he’ll be able to latch on somewhere in a few weeks when he’s done serving his suspension.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/19
Here are today’s minor moves on the eve of regular season openers:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Darrell Daniels
- Released: OL Jeremy Vujnovich
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR: CB Phillip Gaines
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR: WR Charles Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Johnny Holton
- Waived: LB Tuzar Skipper
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: G Aaron Stinnie
- Waived: WR Kalif Raymond
Washington Redskins
- Promoted from practice squad: TE J.P. Holtz
49ers Notes: McKinnon, Ward, Verrett, Hurd
Jerick McKinnon‘s 49ers tenure may very well end without him ever taking a snap for San Francisco. The team placed the running back on injured reserve last week, ending his 2019 season before it could start. McKinnon tore an ACL just before the start of last season, and has had complications while recovering. McKinnon had another knee surgery earlier this week, but it turns out it was unrelated to his ACL, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. His ACL is apparently fine, which McKinnon said was “reassuring.”
Instead it was a separate issue in the same knee, although it’s not clear exactly what that issue is. He’ll miss his second straight season, but McKinnon still really wants to play for the 49ers. “I love this team,” he said. “That’s why I came here. I love the coaching staff, the whole organization, the Yorks, John (Lynch), Kyle (Shanahan), all the coaches. Coach (Bobby) Turner and everyone has been supportive — behind me, 100 percent, and there’s nothing more you can ask for.” McKinnon wants to be back, but it seems likely the team will want to move on. McKinnon, who signed a four-year $30MM deal last offseason, is scheduled to make $6.5MM in 2020. The 49ers still have a solid backfield with Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman and others, so he’d likely have to take a significant pay-cut at the very least to be brought back.
Here’s more from San Francisco:
- Their defense is going to be banged up in Week 1. Defensive end Dee Ford has been dealing with a nagging injury but is going to play, while fellow pass-rusher Nick Bosa and cornerback Jason Verrett are both questionable. Now they’ll be without starting safety Jimmie Ward, who had surgery after breaking a finger in Wednesday’s practice, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Ward has been ruled out for the team’s opener against Tampa Bay, although Barrows notes that he might be able to play with a cast on in Week 2. Second-year player Tarvarius Moore will start in his place.
- Speaking of Verrett, the oft-injured corner received a nice chunk of change for making the team’s initial 53-man roster. Verrett got a $500K bonus for being on the active roster Week 1, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Verrett, a first-round pick of the Chargers’ back in 2014, signed a one-year deal with San Francisco earlier this offseason. Verrett has always been extremely talented and made the Pro Bowl back in 2015, but he’s appeared in just five games over the past three seasons. Verrett has already dealt with a torn ACL and Achilles in his young career, and he missed the entire preseason with an ankle injury.
- Ward isn’t the only player they’ll be without in Week 1. Rookie receiver Jalen Hurd isn’t going to play against the Bucs and he could miss multiple games, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 49ers drafted Hurt 67th overall back in April, and he has the potential to turn into an intriguing weapon. Hurd rushed for nearly 3,000 yards in his college career as a running back and then transitioned to receiver, racking up 946 yards through the air in his senior season at Baylor. It should be interesting too see how Kyle Shanahan uses him, but unfortunately it looks like we might have to wait a few weeks for his debut as he deals with a back injury.
Extra Points: Jets, Clowney, Steelers, Ozigbo
Hines Ward is back in the NFL, this time as a coach. The legendary former Steelers receiver will join the Jets as an offensive assistant, the team announced in a release. Ward had been a coaching intern, and after impressing during camp got invited back as a member of the full-time staff. “He’s going to be an offensive assistant, he’s going to be working with the wideouts with Shawn so I think that’s a great addition for us. He’s done a lot of really good things with that group, helping out with those guys,” head coach Adam Gase said.
Ward has been working under receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, and that will continue. Ward finished his decorated career with 1,000 receptions and 85 touchdowns, winning two Super Bowls and a Super Bowl MVP Award. He also served as an executive with the now defunct AAF. He’s already made a positive impression on presumed number one Jets receiver Robby Anderson. “He’s a great resource because he’s done it at a high level consistently,” Anderson said. “He’s a future Hall of Famer so what more can I ask for? I’m picking his brain, and he’s more so telling me than I’m asking him, and I’m just staying on top of him. He’s just trying to find ways to get me better in each way.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Jadeveon Clowney was almost a Seahawk all the way back in the spring. The Texans and Seahawks first discussed a Clowney trade before the draft, Seattle GM John Schneider tells Albert Breer of The MMQB. However, there were logistical roadblocks – namely, extension talks with quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner. Meanwhile, the April price tag for Clowney was too high for the Seahawks’ taste. Over the weekend, the Seahawks acquired Clowney for a 2020 third-rounder, defensive end Barkevious Mingo, and linebacker Jacob Martin.
- The Browns got tight end Ricky Seals-Jones off waivers from the Cardinals this weekend, and they weren’t the only AFC North team interested. The Steelers submitted a claim for the Texas A&M product as well, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Seals-Jones has shown flashed during his two years in the league, but the 2017 UDFA fell out of favor with the new coaching staff in Arizona. The Steelers have Vance McDonald but not a ton behind him on the depth chart, so their interest makes some sense.
- Before he was claimed by the Jaguars, the Browns and Lions also tried to snag running back Devine Ozigbo off waivers, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ozigbo turned in a solid preseason with the Saints, but was unable to make their final cut on Saturday. Detroit was only one spot behind Jacksonville in the waiver order, so they just barely missed getting their guy. Ozigbo is an undrafted rookie from Nebraska.
- Undrafted rookie offensive tackle Ryan Pope signed with the 49ers’ practice squad earlier today, and he was apparently in high demand. Pope had practice squad offers from four teams after getting cut by the Lions, a source told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. Pope played his college ball at San Diego State, where he earned All-Mountain West second-team honors as a senior.
NFL Workouts: 9/2/19
In the wake of all the cuts that have taken place over the past few days, there are a ton of players looking for new homes. Many teams are bringing guys in for tryouts, and we’ll keep track of all of today’s here, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter).
There were a few notable names, including former-first round pick offensive guard Joshua Garnett, who worked out for the Seahawks. The 49ers drafted Garnett 28th overall in 2016, and he started 11 games as a rookie. He then missed the entire 2017 season with an injury, and didn’t make any starts last year. The 49ers were able to save $1.7MM by cutting him, and they jumped at the opportunity. Perhaps he’ll be able to revive his career with an NFC West rival.
The Dolphins are hosting offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb, who has plenty of starting experience. After trading away Laremy Tunsil, the Dolphins are understandably looking for tackle help. Webb started 16 games for the Raiders as recently as 2015, and one for the Colts last season before being placed on IR. He’s been around since 2010, and spent his first three seasons as a starter with the Bears. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald quipped in a tweet, it’s “not optimal” that the Dolphins are potentially looking for a starting tackle six days before the opener.
The Bills appear to be looking for a punter, as they worked out a group of them today.
Here’s the full list:
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
- OT Chidi Okeke
Kansas City Chiefs
- WRs Reggie Davis, J’Mon Moore, QB Tanner Lee
Miami Dolphins
- OT J’Marcus Webb
New Orleans Saints
Seattle Seahawks
NFC North Notes: Lions, Jackson, Vikings, Fields, Vedvik, Packers, Goodson
The Lions might not be done stockpiling quarterbacks. At cutdown day, they had amassed five on the 90-man roster. They cut Tom Savage and Luis Perez to get them down to three, but are now apparently looking for additional options. Detroit will work out Tyree Jackson on Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). The Bills waived Jackson this weekend. As of right now the Lions have journeyman Josh Johnson and undrafted rookie David Blough, who they just traded for, on the roster behind Matthew Stafford.
The Lions also scheduled a Kyle Sloter workout, but the recently waived Vikings passer ended up signing with the Cardinals’ practice squad. Sloter drew interest from several teams, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Jackson left the University of Buffalo a year early, then went undrafted. He’s widely regarded as having impressive physical tools, but still being far too raw to play anytime soon.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- The Vikings made a minor trade with the Chiefs for cornerback Mark Fields over the weekend, and now we have the details. The 2021 seventh-round pick Minnesota sent is conditional, a source told Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link). Gooessling writes that it’s “based on Fields being on the Vikings’ roster for an agreed-upon number of games,” and that if Fields isn’t on the roster long Minnesota won’t have to give up anything. Fields was an undrafted rookie from Clemson who the Vikings reportedly had interest in right after the draft.
- Speaking of Vikings trades, Minnesota caught some flak for trading a fifth-round pick for kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik and then cutting him a few weeks later. Vedvik struggled during the preseason, and Minnesota opted to stick with Dan Bailey as their kicker. The Jets ended up claiming Vedvik off waivers, but Minnesota apparently wanted him back. The Vikings had offered him a spot on the practice squad and he was likely going to accept before New York claimed him, Tomasson tweets.
- We also now have terms on the B.J. Goodson trade. The Giants initially announced they intended to release the inside linebacker, but then traded him to the Packers earlier this morning. The deal was done in exchange for the teams agreeing to swap conditional 2020 seventh-round picks, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Balzer notes that Green Bay sent a pick they had previously acquired from Baltimore in the deal. Goodson was a fourth-round pick of the Giants’ back in 2016, who started 13 games for them last year.
Latest On Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
Over the weekend it looked like the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott were nearing an extension, then things slowed down a bit. Obviously no deal has been struck, but now we have more details on what exactly is holding things up.
The two sides are apparently close on the total amount of guaranteed money in a new deal, but they’re further apart on average annual salary, sources told Calvin Watkins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Elliott has been seeking to become the league’s highest-paid running back, while the Cowboys have been reluctant to eclipse what the Rams gave Todd Gurley. Gurley got around $15MM annually, while Le’Veon Bell and David Johnson both got closer to $13MM on their extensions.
Elliott has been staying away from the team and training on his own, and the start of the regular season is now less than a week away. The Cowboys are apparently trying to get a deal done in time for Elliott to be on the field for Wednesday’s practice, the first full practice of the week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said in a video posted to Twitter.
The Cowboys called up running back Jordan Chunn from the practice squad earlier today, something they probably wouldn’t have done if they were overly confident in Zeke being back for the opener. Rapoport’s comments seemed to suggest that if something isn’t done by Wednesday, Elliott won’t be on the field in Week 1 against the Giants. Fourth-round rookie Tony Pollard will assume the lead-back role if Elliott doesn’t play.