DT Johnathan Hankins To Visit Raiders
Johnathan Hankins‘ longer than expected free agency could finally be drawing to a close. The veteran defensive tackle will visit the Raiders today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).
Schefter notes that the team “want[s] to sign him”, so it sounds like there’s a good chance this happens. Hankins signed a three-year $27MM deal with the Colts before the 2017 season, and despite high Pro Football Focus grades, was let go this past March after just one year.
He was expected to be hotly pursued after his release, but much of a market never materialized. He went on a few visits, most recently with the Chargers, but never signed a deal. It’s possible that he’s been holding out for better offers and simply never received the type of money he was looking for, so it will be interesting to see what the terms of his deal are with the Raiders, assuming he signs in Oakland.
Hankins, who’s still only 26, came into the league as a second round pick of the Giants in 2013. He had seven sacks in 2014 but is mostly a run-stuffing defensive tackle. The Raiders’ defensive front was a major weakness in their Week 1 loss to the Rams, so it makes since why they’re looking to bring in Hankins.
Eagles Release Markus Wheaton
The Eagles’ shuffling of their receiving corp continued this morning when they cut Markus Wheaton, the team announced via Twitter.
The Eagles just signed Kamar Aiken yesterday, so a move had to be made and the team decided to move on from Wheaton. Wheaton, a sixth-year wideout, was just re-signed himself last week. He played only two snaps in the team’s Week 1 win over the Falcons, but Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports he’ll receive his full salary as he was signed before the Week 1 deadline (Twitter link).
Wheaton signed with the Eagles back in May, was cut September 1st at final cuts, brought back on September 4th just in time for the game, and now released again to make room for Aiken. With Alshon Jeffery still out for likely multiple more weeks, receiver is a major concern for the Eagles. They also recently signed former Texans third round pick Braxton Miller to the practice squad, as well as a pair of other practice squad receivers.
Wheaton showed a lot of promise over a couple of years in Pittsburgh, catching 44 passes for 749 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2015, but never could put it all together. He was a massive free agent bust in Chicago last year, catching only three passes for the Bears all season despite a hefty salary.
Extra Points: Anthem, Kaepernick, Bell
There’s been a lot of talk about the league’s new anthem policy. There was massive controversy earlier this year when it was announced that teams could discipline players, including possibly with suspension, for not standing for the anthem.
It was then reported earlier this week that “moderate” NFL owners were looking for a compromise where discipline would be waived for kneeling players if the players union officially endorsed standing for the anthem. That will apparently not be happening anytime this year, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports there will be no agreement between the two sides on a new anthem policy this season. Schefter notes that “the new policy is going to be no policy” adding that “too many people have stances too strong to figure out a compromise.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Speaking of the anthem, Albert Breer of SI.com writes that there’s been a “wink-wink agreement to drag the talks out a little” between the players and owners in order to “give the “do nothing” solution a test drive.” It’s in line with Schefter’s reporting, and makes sense considering the league just wants the issue to go away at this point.
- Relatedly, league sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that the trial for Colin Kaepernicks’s collusion lawsuit against the league is going to take place at some point before the regular season is over. La Canfora also notes that Kaepernick hasn’t given up on a return to the NFL, and is continuing to work out to stay in playing shape.
- In the same article, Breer writes that he doesn’t think Le’Veon Bell’s continued absence is smart, noting “most NFL people I talk to aren’t so sure there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow waiting for him.” Breer lists a number of factors, including his age, suspension and injury history, and recent antics as reasons why he doesn’t think Bell will land the payday he’s expecting this offseason.
Redskins Re-Sign WR Brian Quick
He wasn’t gone long. Wide receiver Brian Quick is re-signing with the Redskins according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
The veteran wideout was released by Washington at final cuts. It appears to have been partially a procedural move to ensure that Quick, a vested veteran, wouldn’t have his full contract guaranteed at the Week 1 deadline. The team clearly had him number one on their list of players to call when an injury occurred. Two of the team’s reserve receivers suffered injuries in yesterday’s game. Quick’s contract will now only be partially guaranteed since he signed after Week 1.
Quick, who spent the first five years of his career with the Rams after being taken with the 33rd overall pick in 2012, appeared in 11 games for the Redskins last season. He caught just six passes for 76 yards. The year before that in 2016, he caught 41 balls for 564 yards and three touchdowns in Los Angeles.
The Redskins have a crowded receiving depth chart with Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, and Paul Richardson all firmly entrenched in their roles, so it’s unlikely Quick sees too much playing time.
Patriots Sign Receivers Corey Coleman, Bennie Fowler
The Patriots are adding some help to their depleted receiving corp, signing Corey Coleman according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). They are also adding receiver Bennie Fowler, Field Yates posted in a follow up tweet. 
Coleman, a first round pick of the Browns back in 2016, had been looking for a new home since the Bills released him at final cuts. The Browns had traded him to Buffalo earlier this offseason for a conditional seventh round pick.
Coleman was always high on talent, but fell out of favor quickly with the coaching staff and new front office regime in Cleveland. The speedster flashed at times, but struggled with hand injuries during both of his seasons with the Browns. He only had a couple of weeks to practice with the Bills, and couldn’t make an impression quick enough to crack the team even on a squad with one of the league’s weakest receiving corps.
The Patriots are very thing at wide receiver, with few proven options behind Chris Hogan while they await Julian Edelman’s return from suspension. It’s a smart, no risk move for New England who will get a chance to develop the first round talent. He’ll slide in behind Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarelle Patterson on the depth chart for now.
Fowler came into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Broncos in 2014. He signed with the Bears in April, but didn’t make their initial 53-man roster.
AFC Notes: Henderson, Broncos, Bengals, Erickson, Texans, Foreman
Carlos Henderson’s Broncos career got off to a bad start and never recovered. First, he missed his entire rookie season with a hand injury. Then he was arrested, which ultimately resulted in a one game suspension for the young receiver. Then Denver drafted two more receivers in this year’s draft.
On top of it all, Henderson was away from the Broncos most of this offseason due to a personal issue. All of it resulted in the Broncos cutting Henderson, the 82nd pick of the 2017 draft, before he ever played a snap with the team. But Denver isn’t giving up on him yet, signing Henderson to their practice squad. Henderson reportedly met with John Elway just before cut-down day to plead his case, and after that the team agreed to give him another chance according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- It was reported earleir the Bengals had signed receiver Alex Erickson to an extension, and now the details are in. It’s a two-year deal for Erickson, worth $4.68MM plus incentives according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
- Texans running back D’onta Foreman was recently placed on PUP, ensuring he’ll miss the first six games of the season. But he’s “done very well in his rehab” and “should definitely be ready” to play when first eligible in Week 7 according to John McClain of The Houston Chronicle.
- In case you missed it, the Bears agreed to terms with DT Eddie Goldman on a four-year $42MM extension.
Cardinals Sign David Johnson To Extension
Despite it being reported that there would likely be no agreement between the Cardinals and David Johnson on a new deal before the season started, a deal on an extension has been reached according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).
Schefter reports the deal is for three years and $39MM. It’s worth “up to” $45MM presumably through incentives. The deal will keep Johnson in Arizona through the 2021 season. Johnson didn’t do quite as well as Todd Gurley did on his recent extension but it’s still a huge sum of money, especially for a running back.
$30MM of the deal is guaranteed at signing for Johnson, who broke onto the scene with a dominant 2016. He missed almost the entire 2017 season with a wrist injury, but is fully healthy heading into 2017. Previously set to enter the final year of his deal, Johnson will turn 27 in December.
Taken in the third round out of Northern Iowa back in 2015, Johnson put up 1,239 yards on the ground, and another 879 through the air in 2016, with 20 total touchdowns. Along with Gurley’s deal, this is another sign that the market for top running backs is increasing greatly, and an every down back is beginning to be valued like a receiver in terms of salary.
Extra Points: Trubisky, Bears, Cook, Grimes, Buccaneers, Seahawks
With a new coach and a young franchise quarterback, there’s naturally a lot of excitement about the 2018 Bears. The addition of Khalil Mack only added to that excitement, and expectations will be high for first year coach Matt Nagy.
While Mitch Trubisky will be expected to take a step forward in his second season, not everyone is sold on the former second overall pick. Dan Pompei of The Athletic spoke to three NFL scouts about the Bears, and “all of the scouts expressed some degree of uncertainty” about Trubisky. One of the scouts even called him “the weakest link of their team” according to Pompei.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Former NFL player Jameel Cook was arrested and charged with defrauding the NFL by submitting false claims to the players’ health reimbursement account per ProFootballTalk.com. Cook, a fullback who played eight seasons for the Buccaneers and Texans, allegedly stole $100K.
- The Buccaneers will be without number one cornerback Brent Grimes for their Week 1 game agains the Saints according to Scott Smith of the team’s official website (Twitter link). It’s a big loss for the Bucs, who already have a thin secondary, and a big boost for Drew Brees and co.
- With the Seahawks placing cornerback Dontae Johnson on injured reserve, the starting spot is likely to go to fifth round rookie Tre Flowers, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN (Twitter link). Per Henderson, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll raved about Flowers, saying he’s a “really smart player” who’s “done everything we’ve asked him to do.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/8/18
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Richard Jarvis
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB J.T. Barrett
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Braxton Miller
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Malik Turner
AFC Notes: Steelers, Bell, Jets, Kearse
Le’Veon Bell will officially miss Week 1. While there is no end in sight to the saga between Bell and the Steelers, it’s always been assumed there’s nothing really to negotiate. Since the deadline passed for the Steelers to give Bell an extension, it’s been suggested that there’s no financial incentive for Bell to hold out, and that he’s merely preserving his body for 2019 free agency.
That’s apparently not entirely true, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk points out the Steelers actually can sweeten Bell’s deal. The deadline that passed was only for multi-year deals, and Pittsburgh could give him as much extra money for this season as they wanted. That seems unlikely, as the relationship has soured quite a bit in recent weeks, but is still notable.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Speaking of Bell, a trade is another possibility if James Conner fills in admirably and the team decides they don’t want to deal with the headache anymore. But despite their shaky running back situation, don’t expect the Jets to trade for Bell writes Rich Cimini of ESPN. Cimini notes that the Jets aren’t in win-now mode right now and it wouldn’t make much sense for them to give up assets for Bell, although New York could be a landing spot for Bell in 2019.
- More news from the Jets, receiver Jermaine Kearse underwent surgery for an abdomen injury, and will miss the team’s opener against the Lions according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Jets will be leaning heavily on the trio of Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa and Terrelle Pryor with little experience behind them other than Kearse.
- In case you missed it, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie spoke on the Khalil Mack trade and other topics.