NFL Reinstates Josh Gordon
The Patriots just got a huge boost as they look to defend their Super Bowl title. The NFL is reinstating receiver Josh Gordon, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Gordon filed for reinstatement a couple of weeks ago, and it didn’t take too long for Roger Goodell to let him back in. Gordon was indefinitely suspended back in December for multiple violations of the league’s substance abuse policy, but New England made it very clear they weren’t giving up on the talented young wideout. The Patriots tendered him a contract, and video surfaced in June of Gordon working out with Tom Brady.
Gordon isn’t allowed to report to the team until this Sunday and he won’t be able to play in next week’s preseason game, but he won’t have to serve any suspension to start the regular season, a source told Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). The Browns finally threw in the towel on Gordon at the beginning of last season, and the Patriots quickly swooped him up for a fifth-round pick.
He appeared in 11 games for the Patriots last year, catching 40 passes for 720 yards and and three touchdowns. Late in the year he suddenly revealed he was stepping away from the team, and not long after it was announced that he was being slapped with the indefinite ban.
Goodell and the league released an official announcement on the reinstatement, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). “We are all rooting for Josh to succeed, both personally and professionally,” Goodell said in a statement. “Everyone shares in that hope and will continue to support him to every extent possible. But as Josh acknowledged, ultimately his success is up to him.”
Gordon has always been supremely talented, but has been plagued by substance abuse issues since entering the league through the Supplemental Draft back in 2012. Assuming he can stay on the field, it’s a huge win for the Pats. There’s been a lot of talk this offseason about New England not having a great group of skill position players in the wake of Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement, and Gordon’s return will do a lot to assuage those concerns.
The Patriots receiving corp will now include Gordon, Julian Edelman, first-round pick N’Keal Harry, and Cameron Meredith and Demaryius Thomas if they can get healthy. Still only 28, Gordon should be only entering the prime of his career. Here’s to hoping he’s in a good place mentally and can make the most of this latest opportunity.
Bengals Place OL Christian Westerman On Exempt/Left Squad List
The Bengals’ offensive line is getting thinner. After losing 11th overall pick and projected starter at left tackle Jonah Williams for the season due to a shoulder injury, Cincinnati is losing another member of the unit.
The Bengals have placed guard Christian Westerman on the Exempt/Left Squad list, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Westerman had reportedly been considering retirement, and now he’s officially decided to step away. After Williams went down, the Bengals slid Cordy Glenn over from left guard to left tackle to take his place.
There was an open competition taking place to see who would replace Glenn at left guard, and Westerman was in the mix. We had heard back in July that Westerman appeared to be the early favorite to win the job, so this certainly isn’t welcome news for the Bengals.
Cincy originally drafted Westerman in the fifth round back in 2016 out of Arizona State. He played sparingly his first few years in the league, making two starts in 2017, the only two starts of his career.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Chase Middleton
- Waived: DB Hamp Cheevers
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT Brandin Bryant, OT Travis Vornkahl
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OT Adam Bisnowaty
- Placed on IR: TE Austin Fort
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Brandon Barnes
- Waived: CB Isaiah Langley
Houston Texans
- Waived/injured: DE Ira Lewis
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Quadree Henderson, LB Davis Tull
- Waived/injured: WR Marcus Simms (concussion)
Raiders Expect Antonio Brown To Report Back Soon
Fortunately Antonio Brown hasn’t filed his retirement papers yet. The Raiders’ star receiver threatened to hang up his cleats over a dispute about what helmet he’ll wear this season, but things appear to be deescalating. 
Brown “is expected to rejoin the club at its training camp headquarters in the near future,” a team official told Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Brown has been staying away from the team’s practices the past couple weeks. His absences were originally thought to be due to his frostbitten feet, but it was revealed today it’s actually about the helmet.
Gehlken reports that a ruling from the arbitrator is expected sometime next week on whether or not Brown can wear his current helmet. All equipment must be approved by the National Operating Committee for Standards and Athletic Equipment, and they apparently refuse to test Brown’s model because it is more than ten years old. Brown’s wasn’t among the helmets that were banned this offseason, his just wasn’t even included in the NOCSAE’s study because it was more than a decade old. Since that model wasn’t specifically banned for not being safe, his appeal could have some hope.
Gehklen notes that the team next practices on Monday, and whether or not he’s present will go a long way in determining what kind of story this is going to be moving forward. Of course this is Brown we’re talking about, so while things seem to be heading in the right direction for now, that can change at any moment. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.
Lions To Workout QBs Josh Johnson, Landry Jones
The Lions are looking for quarterback depth behind Matthew Stafford. The team is bringing in veterans Josh Johnson and Landry Jones for workouts, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
As Garafolo points out, current backup Tom Savage left yesterday’s preseason game after his head hit the turf, necessitating this move. Savage has a history of concussion issues, so it’s possible he’ll be sidelined for a while. Former Bears and Dolphins third-stringer David Fales is currently the only healthy quarterback on the roster behind Stafford.
Johnson is a legendary journeyman, already having spent time with 12 different NFL teams in his long and winding career. The 33-year-old turned into one of the best stories of the 2018 NFL season when he was signed off the street by the Redskins late in the season and suddenly thrust into the starting role. He played about as well as could’ve been expected, but has remained unsigned this offseason.
Johnson recently turned down a contract from the Ravens as he apparently felt he wasn’t going to be anything more than a short-term camp arm. Jones, a 2013 fourth-round pick of the Steelers, notably spent a few seasons as Ben Roethlisberger‘s backup. He was always somewhat competent when forced into action, but Pittsburgh eventually decided they wanted to upgrade, cutting him on the eve of the 2018 season. He briefly latched on with the Jaguars but spent most of the year out of the league. He spent a couple of months with the Raiders earlier this offseason before getting released.
Titans Workout DE Ryan Delaire
The Titans are sniffing around the free agent pass-rushing market. The team brought in edge rusher Ryan Delaire for a workout, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Delaire originally signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent back in 2015. After a brief stint on the Redskins’ practice squad, he was signed to the Panthers’ active roster. He appeared in nine games for Carolina as a rookie, racking up 2.5 sacks in a reserve role. The Panthers thought highly enough of him to make him one of their players activated from injured reserve in 2016, and he played in six games before going down with another injury.
He couldn’t get completely healthy, and was waived with a failed physical designation in 2017. After sitting out the entire 2017 season, he signed with the Colts last year. He was quickly cut and signed to the 49ers’ practice squad. He was briefly called up to the active roster and appeared in two games for San Francisco, failing to record any statistics. If Tennessee signs him it’ll just be as depth.
Eagles Trade OT Ryan Bates To Bills For DE Eli Harold
We’ve got a minor trade on our hands. The Eagles are sending offensive tackle Ryan Bates to the Bills for defensive end Eli Harold, the team announced on Twitter. 
Bates is a rookie undrafted free agent who grew up in Philly and played his college ball at Penn State. Unfortunately, he won’t be making a regular season homecoming. It’s rare for rookie undrafted free agents to get traded, but the Bills apparently see something they like in Bates. Heading into last season, many analysts saw him as a draftable player.
The Eagles have a pretty deep group of tackles, so Bates was unlikely to make the team anyway. In return for letting him go, the Eagles will now get to take a look at some possible pass-rushing depth. Harold was originally drafted in the third round by the 49ers back in 2015, and was traded to the Lions just before the start of last season.
After spending last year in Detroit, he signed a one-year pact with Buffalo earlier this offseason. He started 24 games for the 49ers between 2016 and 2017, and he had four sacks in a rotational role with the Lions last year. All told, he has nine career sacks in 61 games and 25 starts. It’s unlikely he’ll make too big of an impact for Philly, and he’ll be battling for a roster spot these next few weeks.
Broncos FB Andy Janovich Out 6-8 Weeks
Bad news for the Broncos, as it turns out they suffered a second significant injury in their preseason game last night. Starting fullback Andy Janovich has a pec injury that will sideline him six-to-eight weeks, sources told Mike Klis of Denver 9 News. 
We had heard earlier this morning that rookie tight end Austin Fort tore his ACL and would miss the entire year. Even though Janovich will miss some regular season time, the Broncos are breathing a sigh of relief. According to Klis, the team initially thought Janovich was going to be done for the season, and the team says news of the pec strain is “better than we expected.”
The only other fullback on the roster is George Aston, an undrafted rookie from Pittsburgh, and Klis seems to think the team will do something to address the position before Janovich gets back. Janovich has become a fan favorite in Denver the past few seasons, and he’s been playing a big role. Last season he played just over 22 percent of the offensive snaps, and over 61 percent of the special teams snaps.
As for Fort, Klis writes that he “had been among the Broncos’ most pleasant offseason surprises,” so it’s an especially tough blow. The Broncos played in the Hall of Fame Game last week and also suffered two serious injuries, as defensive lineman Billy Winn was lost with a season ending triceps injury and special teams standout linebacker Joe Jones will miss six-to-eight weeks with a triceps injury of his own.
East Notes: Belichick, Patriots, Jets, Giants
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is known for finding diamonds in the rough. He’s turned MAC quarterback Julian Edelman into a star receiver, and made numerous other brilliant discoveries. The draft apparently isn’t the only place he looks for these unheralded gems, as Zach Cox of NESN.com pointed out in a recent interesting piece. The Patriots are holding joint practices with the Lions right now, and Cox points out that Belichick always uses these joint practices to scout the opposing team’s players for guys he might want to pick up when they’re later cut.
“From 2012 to 2017, New England participated in 11 rounds of joint practices with seven different opponents. In all 11 cases, at least one member of the opposing team went on to sign with the Patriots,” Cox writes. That’s a pretty incredible streak, and it shows that the Patriots are paying extremely close attention during these joint sessions. It’ll be interesting to see which current member of the Lions ends up signing with New England later this year.
Here’s more from the league’s eastern divisions:
- We’ve got the full details on Ryan Kalil‘s contract with the Jets, courtesy of Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The one-year, $8.4MM pact includes a $3MM signing bonus, 2.4MM in base non-guaranteed salary, and a $3.4MM roster bonus. The total guarantee is just the $3MM signing bonus. Kalil recently came out of retirement, and the veteran center’s presence should be a huge boost to the rest of the offensive line and Sam Darnold‘s protection. Even though the majority of his money is non-guaranteed, it would take something truly shocking for him not to end up collecting it all.
- The Giants have had a brutal stretch of luck with their receivers. Just in the past few weeks, Corey Coleman tore his ACL, Sterling Shepard suffered a broken thumb, and Golden Tate was suspended for the first four games of the season. Shepard will likely be back for Week 1, but the options after him aren’t too appealing. As of right now it looks like Cody Latimer will be the second receiver to open the season, while Bennie Fowler will be the third, according to Matt Lombardo of NJ.com. Latimer is a former second-round pick of the Broncos who is looking to reinvent himself with the Giants. He spent last year in New York, catching 11 passes for 190 yards in only six games. Fowler is also a former Bronco who caught 16 balls for 199 yards in his first season with the Giants last year. Eli Manning (or Daniel Jones) won’t be in an easy situation when the season opens.
- In case you missed it, the Dolphins signed former Cardinals first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche
Cowboys Notes: Elliott, Jones, Prescott, Cooper
There was a report earlier today that Ezekiel Elliott wasn’t going to play in 2019 unless he got a new contract. That’s apparently news to the Cowboys, as multiple sources told Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News that the team has “not been informed that Zeke Elliott will sit out the season if he doesnt get a new contract” (Twitter link). This doesn’t necessarily mean that Elliott doesn’t hold this stance, just that he hasn’t told Cowboys brass of his plans if that’s the case.
Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, things seem to be heading in the wrong direction between the two sides. We also heard earlier today that Dallas was growing frustrated with the status of talks with their trio of stars seeking new contracts. Elliott is in a complicated situation, because unlike Le’Veon Bell he won’t be able to sit out the season and become a free agent in the offseason. As such, his threats to sit out don’t seem quite as serious as Bell’s did and probably won’t give him too much leverage.
Here’s the latest on Dallas’ negotiations:
- Cowboys exec Stephen Jones made comments that are sure to raise plenty of eyebrows earlier today during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan. Jones had said back in February that Elliott’s deal was likely to start at what Todd Gurley got, but he’s apparently changed his mind now that he’s seen how Bell’s free agency played out. When asked if he regretted making the comments about Gurley, Jones said “no, I still think that’s within the realm. At the same time, I think the market re-set with Le’Veon (Bell’s contract). I think you see what happens with Gurley and you get a great player like Le’Veon, who’s every bit as well thought of as Gurley and he had unfettered free agency. He had 32 teams with no draft picks attached, and the market was $13.5 million … less than Gurley’s ($14.375 million average). At the end of the day, business changes, and we pay attention to that.” That’s a very revealing statement, and indicates the Cowboys might feel emboldened by the fact that Bell didn’t get as much as a lot of people thought he would. Jerry’s son also added that he didn’t “want to get into what we’ve offered but we’ve been very generous with our offer.” The Jones’ clearly plan on playing hardball with their young running back.
- If you’re looking for some slightly more positive news, fortunately we have some courtesy of Albert Breer of SI.com (Twitter link). Breer writes “there’s a decent shot” that the Cowboys are able to get deals done with both Dak Prescott and Elliott before Week 1. He also notes that Amari Cooper talks “have been slower moving.” As for the terms, Breer suggests that in this scenario Prescott would eclipse $30MM annually, with Elliott “maybe nudging past” Gurley. Of course, Jones’ statement came after these thoughts from Breer, and it now seems he’s prepared to dig in his heels at something less than what Gurley got.