Seahawks Release DB DeShawn Shead
The Seahawks are cutting a longtime familiar face. Seattle has released veteran defensive back DeShawn Shead, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Shead originally signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent back in 2012. He spent the next six seasons with the team, and made a big impact. Shead started 21 games between 2015 and 2016, and was one of the few remaining members of the team that won Super Bowl XLVIII for the Seahawks. He became a starter toward the end of the 2015 campaign, and started 15 games in 2016. Unfortunately he suffered a torn ACL in the 2016 playoffs, which derailed his career.
He only appeared in two games in 2017 as he worked his way back from the injury, and was then cut after the season. He signed with Detroit, and appeared in 12 games for the Lions last season, making one start. He was placed on injured reserve in December, then signed back with the Seahawks in July.
As Henderson points out, the Seahawks had been mostly using him as a safety this season in an attempt to have him make the team. The Portland State product ended up coming up short, and will now re-enter the open market at the age of 30.
North Notes: Hunt, Steelers, Lions, Packers
It turns out Kareem Hunt‘s suspension won’t be as significant as it originally seemed. The Browns’ running back is suspended for the first eight games of the season, but he would’ve missed the first handful of those games anyway. Hunt underwent sports hernia surgery on Thursday, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The injury will likely sideline Hunt for the next 4-6 weeks, according to a tweet from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Browns announced in a tweet of their own that a “full recovery is anticipated prior to his return to action in Week 10 of the regular season.” Hunt will be eligible to return from his suspension on November 10th against the Bills. Until then Cleveland’s backfield will still be in good hands, as they have Nick Chubb holding down the fort. Once Hunt returns, the Browns will have a potentially scary one-two punch. Hunt was one of the best running backs in the league before Kansas City cut him last year, scoring 14 touchdowns in just 11 games.
Here’s more from the league’s North divisions:
- Ben Roethlisberger has a new backup. Second-year player Mason Rudolph has won the competition to be the Steelers’ backup in 2019, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Pittsburgh drafted Rudolph 76th overall last year, and he spent the 2018 season as the third-string passer behind Roethlisberger and Joshua Dobbs. During the preseason Rudolph impressed by completing 65 percent of his passes while throwing four touchdowns and only one interception, and some think he’s a potential heir to Roethlisberger. He hasn’t been cut yet, but it looks like this could be the end of the line for Dobbs, a 2017 fourth-rounder, in Pittsburgh.
- The Lions gave defensive tackle Damon Harrison an extension last week, and now we have the full details, courtesy of Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. In addition to getting an extra year tacked onto his deal, Harrison also received a $2MM raise for the 2019 season. He also got a $7.5MM signing bonus. His contract now runs through the 2021 season, with an option on the final year that must be exercised by the final day of the 2020 league year.
- Speaking of Lions contract details, punter Sam Martin had his deal reworked, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Martin had a non-guaranteed base salary of $2.4MM for 2019, which was bumped down to a guaranteed $1.7MM. Yates adds that 2020 is now a voidable year in his contract. Martin took a pay-cut for 2019, but he’ll now get the chance to reach free agency sooner and cash in as a result of the 2020 year becoming voidable when it was previously just non-guaranteed salary.
- The Packers have settled on their starting left guard. After a training camp battle between veteran Lane Taylor and rookie Elgton Jenkins, the team has opted to go with Taylor, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “It’s going to be a competition throughout the season, but right now Lane Taylor is the starter,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. Taylor signed with Green Bay as an UDFA back in 2013 and has been with the team ever since. He’s started at least 14 games each of the past three seasons, although his play has been underwhelming at times. The Packers drafted Jenkins 44th overall out of Mississippi State back in April.
AFC East Notes: Gronk, Alonso, Clowney
Ever since Rob Gronkowski announced his decision to retire, rumors have swirled of a potential comeback to the Patriots. Gronk himself hasn’t done much to tamp down the speculation, notably leaving the door open in a press conference a few days ago. The legendary tight end recently did an interview with Jeff Howe of The Athletic, and dropped even more hints that he’d be ready to play. “My body feels good. I can even take it further physically, and I could play right now,” Gronkowski said.
However, he also cautioned that his heart isn’t in it right now when asked what it would take to get him to come back. “Mentally, the desire to play just isn’t there. I would have to literally just feel that desire – just feel that mentally, that desire to play, to be back out there. Like someone is calling my name, I would have to feel that inside. I would have to feel that on a consistent basis. That’s the way I would entertain coming back to football.” The former Patriots star also revealed that he currently weighs about 20 pounds less than his usual playing weight, although he did say it would be “easy” to put it back on.
Here’s more from the AFC East on a busy day around the league:
- We heard last weekend that the Dolphins were shopping linebacker Kiko Alonso, and now we have more details. It was apparently Alonso who requested a trade during training camp, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rival organizations reportedly expect Alonso to be cut, which is hurting his trade value. Miami is starting completely fresh with new coach Brian Flores, and many of the team’s veterans are getting purged. Both sides apparently want to move on, so it would be a shock at this point if Alonso is on the team in 2019. Originally drafted by the Bills in the second-round back in 2013, Alonso has started at least 15 games in all three of his years as a Dolphin. He has two more years left on his four-year, $28.9MM deal.
- It looks like Jadeveon Clowney won’t be going to the Dolphins, but they aren’t the only AFC East team interested. The Jets are apparently in the mix too, although you shouldn’t count on them landing the former first overall pick. Although New York is interested, “there may be far too many obstacles on both sides” to complete a deal, writes Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. “I’m not sure how much the Jets really want him, or how much (Clowney) wants them,” one rival exec told Vacchiano. “It’s hard to see Joe (Douglas, the Jets GM) going crazy for a player like him, especially just for a year. It doesn’t look like there’s a match.” Clowney’s reported preferred destinations are Seattle or Philadelphia.
- Good news for the Bills, as Mitch Morse has officially cleared the concussion protocol, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Bills made upgrading the offensive line a priority this offseason, and Morse was one of their biggest acquisitions. He’s been dealing with this concussion for most of the summer, so this is great news that he’s been cleared. Morse has a history of concussions, and other injuries have limited him to just 18 games over the past two years. When healthy, he’s one of the best centers in the league, and he should provide a big boost for Josh Allen.
Latest On Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott
The regular season is barely a week away, and Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott remains away from the team. Despite making an Elliott extension the top priority, there has been little progress between the two sides.
Owner Jerry Jones has been digging in his heels, and his latest comments are sure to cause panic among the fanbase. “I’m operating as though right now he’s going to miss regular season games. My entire expectation for what we’re putting together as a team right now would anticipate with him holding out … that he’s going to miss games. I just accept that,” Jones said, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While Jones saying publicly that he’s expecting Elliott to miss regular season games is obviously concerning, Jones might be taking a different stance in private. Jones is still actively trying to get a deal done “behind the scenes” before Week 1, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport writes that Jones has still been negotiating with Elliott’s agent, but that as of right now they still haven’t offered more than what Todd Gurley got from the Rams.
Leapfrogging Gurley and becoming the highest-paid running back in the league seems to be the priority for Elliott’s team, and neither side has been willing to budge. At a recent banquet Jones seemed to indicate Elliott would be back for Week 1, and it’s unclear what caused his recent change in tone. The clock is ticking, but things can come together quickly and there’s still plenty of time left.
Russell Okung Will Miss At Least Week 1
Updates have been hard to come by on Chargers left tackle Russell Okung. Okung has been sidelined all offseason, and it’s never been clear exactly what is wrong.
Okung was placed on the NFI list last month with an undisclosed illness, and Chargers GM Tom Telesco said he had been dealing with a “pretty serious medical issue” since June. At the time it was reported that he could miss all of training camp, and that’s exactly what happened. Now we have confirmation that he’ll miss regular season time, as Telesco said recently that Okung will not be ready for Week 1, via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Further, Telesco said that he’d have “a better update on Okung’s health status in a couple weeks.” It sounds like there’s a good chance Okung isn’t back anytime soon. Obviously this isn’t good news for the Chargers, as they’re looking to follow-up on last year’s strong 12-4 campaign. Los Angeles has already dealt with some tough injury luck, as star safety Derwin James will be sidelined for a few months with a foot issue.
Okung signed a four-year, $53MM deal with the Chargers in 2017, and he made the Pro Bowl that year. He’s started 30 games for them the past couple of years, and his absence will be a huge downgrade to Philip Rivers‘ offensive line. The Chargers will now move forward with Sam Tevi, Trenton Scott, and Trey Pipkins as their top three tackles. None of them are particularly inspiring options.
Seahawks Waive Paxton Lynch
The Paxton Lynch experiment in Seattle is over. The Seahawks have waived the former first-round pick quarterback, a source told Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). 
With Lynch being cut, that means that Geno Smith has won the right to carry Russell Wilson‘s clipboard during the regular season. Condotta writes that the Seahawks “may try to keep Lynch on the practice squad.” Lynch drew some positive reviews earlier this preseason, but he melted down in the team’s fourth and final game. He completed just one of seven passes for four yards, which likely sealed his fate if it wasn’t sealed already.
The Broncos drafted the Memphis product 26th overall back in 2016, and he never panned out in Denver. He never got a chance to be the full-time starter, a feat very rare for first-round quarterbacks. During his time with the Broncos he started a total of four games, tossing four touchdowns and four interceptions while averaging only 6.2 yards per attempt.
After spending the entire 2018 season out of football, he signed with the Seahawks in January. Lynch has plenty of athleticism and can make the occasional splashy play, but has never been able to put it all together. There have been questions about his maturity, and he’s running out of chances to show he can deliver on his potential.
Browns Trade QB David Blough To Lions
The Lions are stockpiling quarterbacks. Detroit is trading for David Blough, acquiring him from the Browns, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
In perhaps the most minor trade on a day full of minor trades, the two teams will swap seventh-round picks in 2022, Schefter notes. Blough is an undrafted rookie from Purdue who had been operating as Cleveland’s fourth-string quarterback in camp. The Lions are in the process of trimming their roster so this will likely change shortly, but as of right now they have five passers on their roster.
Behind starter Matthew Stafford, they currently have Tom Savage, Josh Johnson, and former AAF signal-caller Luis Perez. Perez was just signed a couple of days ago. Savage started the offseason as Stafford’s backup, and the team signed the legendary journeyman Johnson after Savage sustained a concussion in the preseason. Blough was a starter for most of the past four years at Purdue, earning a third-team All-Big Ten selection last year.
Colts Trade OL Evan Boehm To Dolphins
The Dolphins are adding another interior offensive lineman. Only a couple hours after trading for guard Danny Isidora, Miami is now making a deal with Indianapolis to acquire center/guard Evan Boehm, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Per Schefter, it’s for a conditional pick in the 2020 draft. Boehm was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth-round back in 2016. He was waived just prior to last season, and ended up latching on with the Colts. He appeared in 11 games for Indy, making four starts when normal center Ryan Kelly went down with an injury. In 2017, he started eight games at guard for Arizona, so he has a decent amount of starting experience.
The Dolphins have had interior line troubles for seemingly forever now, so it makes sense why they’re making these minor moves. Boehm has valuable versatility and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he sees real playing time for Miami given the current state of their offensive line. The Missouri product also spent a brief amount of time on the Rams’ practice squad last year before the Colts signed him.
Jadeveon Clowney Doesn’t Want To Play For Dolphins
It seems like Jadeveon Clowney won’t be headed to the Dolphins after all. The Texans outside linebacker is “adamant” that he doesn’t want to play for Miami, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). 
Just a few days ago, we heard that the Dolphins considered themselves the favorites to land the former first overall pick. The Jets, Redskins, Seahawks, and Eagles have all also held conversations with Houston about trading for Clowney. Since Clowney can’t be traded until he signs his franchise tender, he has the leverage to shoot down a potential trade. He’s apparently more interested in joining a playoff contender, as Seattle and Philadelphia are said to be his preferred destinations.
Clowney met with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and other members of the organization in person, but he clearly wasn’t swayed by their pitch. In a follow-up tweet, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle writes that Clowney specifically hasn’t signed his tender because he doesn’t want to play for the Dolphins.
Miami has been the most active publicly in their pursuit, and there have been rumors of a potential swap involving left tackle Laremy Tunsil. It was reported yesterday that there would be a “revolt” in the locker room if the Dolphins traded Tunsil. It’s unclear how interested the other four teams are, or if they’ll be willing to meet Houston’s asking price. Clowney has let it be known he’s willing to miss regular season games, so it doesn’t seem like there’s an end in sight here.
Ravens Trade OG Jermaine Eluemunor To Patriots
The Patriots aren’t done trading for offensive linemen. About an hour after acquiring Korey Cunningham from the Cardinals, the Pats went out and got another body up front.
New England has reached a deal with Baltimore to trade for guard Jermaine Eluemunor, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). In the deal, the Ravens will send Eluemunor and a sixth-round pick to the Pats a fourth-round pick, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter hears.
Hensley writes that Eluemunor was originally the favorite to start at left guard for the Ravens, but he “fell out of favor” after failing a conditioning test earlier this offseason. He also had several nagging injuries that kept him off the practice field.
Terms of the deal weren’t immediately disclosed, and the Ravens later tweeted out they were receiving an “undisclosed draft pick.” The Patriots needed some offensive line depth, so these moves make some sense. After it was revealed that David Andrews might miss the entire season with a blood clot, Ted Karras became the starting center. Karras was also a reserve guard, and the Pats’ interior line became pretty thin with him getting bumped up to a starting role.
Eluemunor was drafted by the Ravens in the fifth-round back in 2017. He started two games as a rookie and one last year. The Texas A&M product isn’t a lock to make New England’s roster, especially if the pick they gave up for him turns out to be conditional.