NFC Notes: Thomas, Saints, Elliott, Cowboys, Nkemdiche, Cardinals, Daniels
We heard earlier today that the Saints were close to getting a deal done with receiver Michael Thomas, but it apparently hasn’t been the smoothest process. Saints GM Mickey Loomis has been frustrated with the negotiations, sources told Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). “The Saints have offered to make Thomas the highest paid wideout in the NFL, with a contract that solidly exceeds Odell Beckham Jr. Loomis feels it’s a great offer w/ great structure,” Robinson writes. Loomis seems to feel like an agreement should’ve been reached by now, but Thomas’ camp is clearly still holding out for something more. Meanwhile, Thomas will continue to stay away from training camp as he awaits his new contract.
Saints coach Sean Payton addressed the media after practice today, and said he isn’t worried about the fact Thomas isn’t at camp (Twitter video link). Payton seemed confident that he’ll be back before too long, saying he’s “optimistic it’ll get done soon.” The most recent reporting suggests the Ohio State product will be getting $19-20MM annually. Thomas has established himself as one of the league’s best receivers the past couple of years, and New Orleans’ offense relies on him heavily. Thomas has the most receptions ever for a player through his first three years, and it sounds like it’s only a matter of time before the Saints break the bank for him.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Speaking of players looking to get paid, Ezekiel Elliott is remaining away from the Cowboys as he seeks a new deal. Head coach Jason Garrett had said he expected Elliott to show up on time, but then he didn’t. The good news is the two sides are apparently still talking. The Cowboys “held contract discussions with Elliott’s agent” on Thursday night, a source told Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. Unfortunately the conversation didn’t lead anywhere, as Watkins reports that “talks remain stale.” Elliott is reportedly looking to eclipse the deal Todd Gurley got from the Rams, and it’s unclear if the Cowboys are going to meet that asking price. Dallas has a lot on their plate with extensions due for several players, and it’ll be interesting to watch how this unfolds.
- Former first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche doesn’t appear to be making a good impression with the Cardinals’ new coaching staff. The 29th overall pick in the 2016 draft is coming off an ACL tear, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury said the Ole Miss product showed up to camp out of shape, per Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Somers adds that Nkemdiche “apparently neglected his overall physical condition while rehabbing from ACL.” Nkemdiche is already on thin ice, and this certainly isn’t going to help his case. We’ve heard that he’s likely to be cut, and he’s also facing a likely suspension for a June arrest. He’s only started six games in his three years in the league, and is looking like a bust.
- Mike Daniels signed with the Lions after visiting Detroit and Cleveland, and those were far from the only two teams interested. 13 teams called about the former Packer, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Daniels got a $9.1MM deal from the Lions, and Rapsheet reports that four other teams “were willing to do that deal or better,” but that Daniels wanted to play for Matt Patricia as well as the opportunity to play against Green Bay twice a year. Daniels is still only 30, and could prove to be a nice addition for Detroit’s defense.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/19
A batch of minor transactions on a busy day across the league:
Atlanta Falcons:
- Signed: LB Richie Brown
- Waived: OT Lanard Bonner
- Placed on IR: DL Michael Bennett
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Nick Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Corey Grant
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers from Saints: WR Chad Hansen
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Drew Lewis
- Waived: LB Tre Thomas
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: DE Tashawn Bower (Achilles)
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL J.J. Dielman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers from 49ers: CB Alex Brown
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Dillon Day
- Released: DL Cedric Thornton
Seahawks Extend LB Bobby Wagner
The Seahawks have locked up one of the best defensive players in football. Seattle is signing linebacker Bobby Wagner to a three-year extension worth $54MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
In a follow-up tweet, Rapoport notes that Wagner will get $40.2MM in guaranteed money. At $18MM annually, Wagner is now the highest-paid inside linebacker in the game, eclipsing the $17MM that C.J. Mosley got from the Jets earlier this offseason. Wagner made it clear a few days ago he would attend training camp on time even though he didn’t have the new deal he wanted yet, as he wanted to be a good leader and locker room presence.
Wagner has been standing off to the side and observing practice at the first few days of camp, clearly waiting for this deal to get done. The Utah State product had been set to enter the final year of a four-year, $43MM extension he signed back in 2015. There’s now a huge gap between Wagner and Mosley at the top and the rest of the inside linebackers. Deion Jones is in third place with the extension he recently signed with the Falcons, which will pay him a tick over $14MM annually.
Wagner originally entered the league as a second-round pick back in 2012. He’s since firmly established himself as the league’s best off-ball linebacker, making the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons and being named a first-team All-Pro in each of the last three. One of the last remaining pieces of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl winning defense, Wagner is the team’s next most important player after Russell Wilson. He’s been a rock for them, starting at least 15 games in each of the past four seasons.
Latest On Chargers, Melvin Gordon
Chargers camp is underway, and it doesn’t sound like running back Melvin Gordon is particularly close to coming back. Gordon has said he won’t report until he gets a new deal, and it doesn’t seem like there’s been much progress.
There is now “mounting pessimism” that Gordon “will be reporting anytime soon and his holdout threatens to go into the regular season,” sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Chargers GM Tom Telesco did say a couple of days ago that he offered Gordon a contract extension, but wouldn’t say how much he offered. Whatever Telesco offered he’s apparently set on, as a source told Josina Anderson of ESPN that the Chargers “are not willing to move off a certain number” (Twitter link).
Gordon has said he wants to stay with the team, but both sides don’t look like they’re backing down any time soon. Gordon, a 2015 first-round pick is set to enter the final year of his rookie deal. Gordon has said he’s willing to sit out as long as it takes, but this is the first real news we’ve heard that he’s apparently in danger of missing regular season time.
If Gordon were to miss time, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson would be asked to pick up the slack in his place. Gordon had by far the most efficient year of his career last season, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Gordon is also an asset in the passing game, and is likely looking for one huge payday before he’s deemed over the hill.
Gordon, who will be 27 in April, is apparently looking for something comparable to what Todd Gurley, David Johnson, and Le’Veon Bell have recently gotten on their deals. Another thing to keep an eye on is the fallout from comments Philip Rivers made at training camp today. Gordon apparently objected to Rivers saying the team was “deep” at running back and was happy with the group they had, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
Redskins To Sign OT Corey Robinson
The Redskins are adding some offensive line depth. The team is signing offensive tackle Corey Robinson, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
Trent Williams didn’t report to training camp and his status with the team is uncertain at best, so it makes sense why they made the move. It’s unclear if this will impact their interest in free agent tackle Donald Penn, who we heard yesterday they planned on working out. In a separate tweet, Keim writes that sources told him there’s “still a chance” the team signs Penn.
Robinson originally entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Lions back in 2015. He spent the next three seasons with Detroit, and started eight games for them between 2016 and 2017. He got traded to the Panthers just before the start of last season, but was released a few weeks later. He was picked up by the Jaguars in November, and ended up starting a game for them.
The Redskins lost swing tackle Ty Nsekhe in free agency this offseason, which makes the Williams situation all the more unsettling for them. Williams is apparently seeking a new contract, and hopefully they can get him back in the fold soon. Ideally, Robinson won’t be seeing the field very much.
Injury Notes: Brown, Luck, Gore, Watt, Jones, Lawrence
Here’s the latest on all the injuries to big names as training camps get underway across the league:
- There was a brief uproar earlier when it was mysteriously announced that Antonio Brown would start camp on the Raiders’ non-football injury list. However, the as of now undisclosed issue that caused Brown to be placed on the NFI was described to Field Yates of ESPN as “very minor” (Twitter link). Further, Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune tweets that the Raiders have known of the injury for two weeks, and that Brown will probably only miss a week of camp time. Despite the initial panic, it doesn’t sound like this is anything you need to monitor going forward.
- Andrew Luck was sidelined by a calf injury during the Colts’ offseason program, which sparked some concerns about his Achilles. However, Luck told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network today “my Achilles is not at extra risk of anything. It’s fine” (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, Pelissero notes Luck participated in team drills today, and that his limited workload has only been precautionary.
- Speaking of the NFI, Bills GM Brandon Beane said that running back Frank Gore has been removed from it, per longtime Bills beat reporter Joe Buscaglia (Twitter link). Gore had been dealing with a minor injury, but has passed his physical and is cleared to practice. Gore will be competing for carries in a crowded Buffalo backfield that also features LeSean McCoy and rookie Devin Singletary.
- J.J. Watt started camp on the Texans’ PUP list, but he’s now been removed and cleared to practice, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Watt was limited to just eight combined games in 2016 and 2017 due to injuries, but he played a full 16-game slate last year. Watt wasn’t the only Texan to get cleared, as James Palmer of NFL Network tweets that DeAndre Hopkins was also cleared and activated from PUP.
- Byron Jones, DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford and Noah Brown will start camp on the PUP list for the Cowboys, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Fortunately, Dallas is expecting all of them to be ready for the start of the season. Lawrence had offseason shoulder surgery, Jones had surgery on his hip, and Crawford is also dealing with a hip injury. Last we heard, there had been no progress in extension talks between the team and Jones.
49ers To Sign TE Niles Paul
The 49ers are making a late veteran free agent add. San Francisco is signing tight end Niles Paul, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Terms of the deal weren’t immediately disclosed, although it’s safe to assume it’s a cheap short-term deal. This will be Paul’s ninth year in the league after he originally entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Redskins back in 2011. He spent the next seven seasons in Washington before signing with the Jaguars last year. Paul has never played a huge role on offense, but he is capable of catching passes in a pinch.
By far his best season as a receiver came in 2014, when he had 39 receptions for 507 yards and a touchdown. He signed a two-year deal with Jacksonville last offseason, but was placed on injured reserve in October and then released in December. In six games with the Jaguars, he had ten catches for 98 yards.
Tight end Garrett Celek seems likely to miss some regular season time after undergoing back surgery, and it’s apparently possible he won’t be able to continue his career. As such, it makes sense why the 49ers were looking for some depth behind George Kittle. Paul played under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan in Washington, so there’s some familiarity here.
Vikings Work Out CB Orlando Scandrick
The Vikings are apparently sniffing around the veteran free agent market and looking into corners, as they worked out veteran Orlando Scandrick earlier today, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
We haven’t heard anything about Scandrick all offseason, but it seems like he could resurface soon. Pelissero notes that the Vikings are “keeping the door open for possibly signing Scandrick during camp.” Scandrick signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Redskins last offseason, but didn’t even make it through the preseason with the team. Washington cut him in mid-August, and he was scooped up by the Chiefs.
Scandrick ended up appearing in 15 games for Kansas City, making seven starts. He finished the year with 44 tackles, 13 passes defended, and an interception. Before signing with the Redskins, Scandrick played the first ten seasons of his career with the Cowboys. He had some good years in Dallas, but had declined sharply due to multiple injuries by the end of his run there.
Simply put, there’s a reason he didn’t make it through camp with the Redskins. With Scandrick in tow, the Chiefs had one of the worst secondaries in the league. He’s 32 now, and probably doesn’t have much left in the tank. If the Vikings signed him, it would be as depth. This news comes on the heels of cornerback Holton Hill being suspended for eight games yesterday, so a signing wouldn’t be shocking.
Saints To Sign DT Ziggy Hood
The Saints are making a move to address a sudden hole on the interior of their defensive line. The team is signing veteran defensive tackle Ziggy Hood, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
David Onyemata was slapped with a one game suspension last month, which left the Saints a bit thin at defensive tackle. Stud tackle Sheldon Rankins tore his Achilles in the playoffs last year, and isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season. With Onyematta sidelined for the first game, the Saints were going to need some defensive tackle help for Week 1.
Hood was the 32nd overall pick of the Steelers all the way back in 2009. He’s bounced around ever since, spending time with five different teams. Hood was a starter for the Redskins in 2016 and 2017, but was relegated to a backup role last season. He was then cut in October, but got swooped up by the Dolphins not long after. This is the first we’ve heard of him all offseason, and he didn’t draw much known interest on the open market.
Hood is 32 now, and ideally the Saints won’t count on him for too much. In his lengthy career, he has 141 appearances and 73 starts under his belt. He’s always been primarily used as a run-stuffer, entering the 2019 campaign with 235 career tackles and 14 sacks.
Titans LT Taylor Lewan Suspended 4 Games
The Titans just got dealt a big blow as training camps across the league open. Starting left tackle Taylor Lewan announced on Twitter that he’ll be suspended for the first four games of the season.
In a video explaining what happened, Lewan said he unknowingly took a substance banned by the league. Lewan forcefully denied taking it on purpose, and said he even took a polygraph test to prove it, the results of which he’ll be publishing shortly. Either way, it’s a huge loss for Tennessee.
Lewan has been a rock for them, starting at least 15 games in each of the past four seasons. Lewan filled in for six games as a rookie due to injuries, then took over the full-time starting job in his second year. He originally entered the league as the 11th overall pick back in 2014 and has blossomed into one of the league’s better tackles since, making the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons.
The Michigan product signed a five-year extension last summer that made him the highest paid offensive lineman in league history. The Titans open up the season with the Browns, Colts, Jaguars, and Falcons. While Lewan already announced the news himself, there is apparently a sliver of hope. Lewan’s ‘A’ sample tested positive, but his ‘B’ sample hasn’t come back from the lab yet, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If the ‘B’ result comes back clean, Lewan could potentially be spared.