NFC North Notes: Blount, Lions, Rudock
When LeGarette Blount starts the 2018 season with the Lions, it will be his third team in as many years. Blount has won the past two Super Bowls, first with the Patriots then with the Eagles. Blount rushed 766 yards and two touchdowns last season in Philadelphia, but wasn’t offered a contract by the team after the season.
When asked if he carried a grudge due to the snub, Blount replied “I’m past that”, according to Matt Lombardo of NJ.com. Blount emphasized that he’s looking forward to playing for the Lions and coach Matt Patricia, saying “fortunately, it worked out for me to wind up here with somebody that I’m familiar with, and like a lot.” Although the move means Blount is unlikely to win a third straight Super Bowl, it doesn’t sound like he’s losing too much sleep over the divorce.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- Also in Detroit, the battle to be Matthew Stafford‘s backup is heating up. Earlier this offseason, 2016 sixth-rounder Jake Rudock was in the lead, but now veteran Matt Cassel is “the man to beat” writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Ruddock apparently struggled in joint practices with the Giants and could lose his roster spot to the journeyman Cassel.
- Speaking of NFC North backup quarterback battles, there’s one raging in Green Bay. Although most have assumed the competition is between bigger names DeShone Kizer and Brett Hundley, undrafted rookie free agent Tim Boyle is in the race, according to Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com. It would still be shocking, but it would be a great story if Boyle were able to come out on top.
- In case you missed it, Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr wants to stay in Minnesota longterm, despite the team prioritizing other players’ extensions over his.
AFC West Notes: Henderson, Broncos, Penn
Carlos Henderson has had a tough time so far in the NFL. After being taken with the 82nd overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Broncos, Henderson is yet to make his NFL debut. A hand injury cost him his entire rookie season, and he’s been away from the team this training camp for undisclosed reasons.
The team took Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton in the draft this year, making the receivers room very crowded with no clear spot for Henderson. To make matters even worse, Henderson was suspended for the first week of the season for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy reports Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic (Twitter link).
It likely stems from his arrest back in January on marijuana charges. Given that Henderson was already being projected by many as a roster cut and still hasn’t reported to the team, at this point it would be surprising if the former third round pick remains in Denver much longer.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- The details are in on Donald Penn‘s contract restructuring with the Raiders. His cap number in 2018 has been reduced to $4.975MM (down from $8.38MM0, and he’ll get $2.75MM in extra guaranteed money on his deal for 2019, a source told Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).
- The reason for Martavis Bryant‘s absence from the last couple of Raiders practices is migraines, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tafur adds that migraines have “plagued him for years.”
- The Raiders placed veteran defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin on injured reserve with a biceps tear, according to Michael Gehlken of Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). To make up for the loss of Rubin, the team claimed defensive tackle Gabe Wright off waivers today.
Extra Points: Salary Cap, Kaepernick, Texans, Watt, Eagles
The NFL salary cap is an extremely complex system to navigate. It’s unlike anything else in professional sports and it can cripple a franchise for years if it isn’t wise with its spending. Front offices have whole teams of executives who work to maneuver through cap issues.
It’s notoriously hard to construct a balanced roster while staying under the cap, so Bill Barnwell of ESPN took a stab at creating the perfect NFL roster while staying under the $177MM cap. He wisely went with quarterbacks still on their rookie deals, Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott, and had some other relative steals like David Johnson and Alvin Kamara. Overall, it’s a pretty fun read with an interesting set of rules, and definitely worth checking out.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The decision of whether or not to dismiss Colin Kaepernick‘s collusion claim against the NFL is currently being mulled over by an arbitrator, per ProFootballTalk.com. The NFL is hoping to avoid the case going to trial.
- Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says there is “no doubt” he’ll be ready for Week 1, according to Herbie Teope of NFL.com. His return will be a huge boost to the Texans’ injury plagued defense. Over the last two seasons, Watt has appeared in just eight games.
- Here’s a recent projection of the Eagles’ 53-man roster including a full breakdown of long-shots, bubble players, and potential trade candidates courtesy of Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com.
Texans To Sign Kicker Nick Rose
After working him out earlier today, the Texans are signing kicker Nick Rose a source told Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). 
The Texans’ kicker from last season, Ka’imi Fairbairn, is currently sidelined with a minor injury, Wilson reported earlier today. It’s unclear whether Rose is just being brought in as a short-term placeholder or to potentially take over starting kicking duties.
Rose spent time with both the Redskins and Chargers last year. He was the Redskins’ kicker for eight weeks last season, converting 10 of 11 field goal tries and going 18 for 20 on extra points. After being let go by the Redskins, he was picked up by the Chargers for the final two games of the season. He went one for three on field goals during his brief stay in Los Angeles.
Rose was cut by the Chargers in April, and hasn’t garnered much interest since. He worked out for the Buccaneers last week, but that’s been it. If a team with a kicking situation as dire as the Chargers’ was willing to give up on Rose so easily that’s not a good sign, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him push Fairbairn for the starting job.
Charges Dropped For Adam Gotsis
Prosecutors have dropped rape charges against Broncos defensive end Adam Gotsis, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets.
Gotsis was arrested back in March on the allegations that date back to 2013, and it was reported back in May the district attorney handling his case was still mulling whether to proceed to trial. Ultimately, it seems there wasn’t enough there to move forward.
“The evidence presented does not warrant any further action in this case” the statement from the district attorney’s office read. Gotsis has been practicing with the team, and the Broncos have apparently believed in his innocence all along. Although the charges have been dropped, he’s still not completely out of the woods. While today’s news “increases the chances he will not” face punishment from the NFL, “he could still face league discipline” writes Troy Renck of Denver 7 (Twitter link).
Assuming he isn’t hit with a suspension, Gotsis should play a big role for Denver in 2018. The 63rd overall pick of the 2016 draft, Gotsis started 13 games for the Broncos last season. He racked up 41 tackles, with two sacks and four pass breakups.
Raiders Claim DL Gabe Wright
It didn’t take long for defensive tackle Gabe Wright to find a new home. Wright was waived by the Dolphins yesterday, and was claimed off waivers today by the Raiders, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
The 2015 fourth-rounder was cut by the Dolphins just hours after an incident at practice where he took a cheap-shot at running back Kenyan Drake. He wasn’t guaranteed a roster spot even before the fight, and the Dolphins wasted no time in sending him packing.
Despite the Lions using a relatively high selection on him in 2015, he lasted just one season in Detroit. He’s bounced around since then, spending time with Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Miami.
Through three seasons, Wright has made 13 career appearances. He’s notched 11 tackles and two passes defended in those appearances. The Raiders will be his fifth team in just four seasons, and he’ll be battling it out for an end-of-the roster spot on Jon Gruden’s squad.
AFC Notes: Browns, Pats, McCourty
The Browns were seemingly dealt a big blow last week when receiver Antonio Callaway was arrested. News of the arrest came right after the team had traded away Corey Coleman to the Bills, and not too long after Josh Gordon left the team for an indefinite period of time. Callaway seemed poised to start as a rookie, but his arrest clouded the whole situation.
Callaway apparently did not inform the team of his arrest, and the Browns only found out through media reports. Many speculated the Browns would discipline him internally for failing to tell the team about the incident, but it appears no suspension will be forthcoming. Coach Hue Jackson said after practice today that the team’s punishment for Callaway was playing him nearly the entire game in the preseason opener, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (Twitter link). It seems like Callaway dodged a bullet, as many organizations would’ve been a lot more displeased with his failure to inform them of his situation.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- The Patriots may have traded for cornerback Jason McCourty back in March, but that doesn’t mean he’s a lock to make the team. McCourty is on the “roster bubble” according to Mike Reiss of ESPN, who writes that New England currently has a logjam at corner. Reiss thinks McCourty’s lack of special teams contributions could cost him the opportunity to suit up on the same team as his twin brother Devin McCourty, a safety for the Patriots.
- Speaking of AFC East roster bubbles, tight end Nick O’Leary is a “surprise cut candidate” for the Bills, according to Joe Buscaglia of Buffalo 7. Buscaglia writes that O’Leary was “once thought of as a shoe-in for the 53-man roster”, but has now been demoted to the third-team offense in practice and very well may find himself cut. The 2015 sixth-rounder caught 22 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns last season.
- As a result of Jalen Ramsey‘s suspension by the Jaguars, the guarantees in his contract could void writes former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry (Twitter link). Although it shouldn’t end up mattering for a player of Ramsey’s caliber, it’s a fascinating look into how quickly all the guarantees in a player’s contract can go out the window in the NFL.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/18
Another round of minor moves from this evening:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Matt Hazel
- Waived: WR Dres Anderson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OL Oni Omoile
Chargers Notes: Gates, Jones, Smith, Nwosu
After Hunter Henry was lost for the season with a torn ACL, it was immediately speculated that the Chargers might look to bring back Antonio Gates. Gates’ NFL career appeared to be over after the Chargers indicated they were moving on, but Henry’s injury threw him a lifeline.
Gates isn’t interested in playing for any other team, and the two sides had talks right after Henry went down. Despite there still being no deal in place with the preseason already underway, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said “we’re still talking with him” after the Chargers’ game against the Cardinals, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN. Williams points out that the Chargers tight ends accounted for five drops in the preseason opener, and Lynn said “we need to make more plays at the tight end position.” It all sounds like eventually something will get done with Gates.
Here’s more from Los Angeles:
- In the race to be Philip Rivers‘ backup between Geno Smith and Cardale Jones, Smith “appeared to seize control of the competition” with his strong performance in the first week of the preseason, Williams writes. Smith threw for over 200 yards while Jones, who started the game, threw for only 50 on 12 attempts.
- Williams writes that rookie linebacker Uchenna Nwosu could start right away for the team. Nwosu, the 48th overall pick in this year’s draft from USC, had a sack and two quarterback hits in his professional debut.
- In case you missed it, we took a look at the Chargers’ situation at guard as Forrest Lamp continues to rehab from a knee injury.
Jaguars Suspend Jalen Ramsey, Dante Fowler
The Jaguars suspended star cornerback Jalen Ramsey for a week, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Michael DiRocco of ESPN soon posted in a follow-up tweet that defensive end Dante Fowler was being suspended as well (Twitter link). 
According to Rapoport, Ramsey’s suspension was for “going after local media for what he believes is unfair treatment of his teammates especially Dante Fowler.” Adam Schefter of ESPN soon added in a tweet that the official reasoning was “violating team rules and conduct unbecoming of a Jaguars’ football player.”
The suspension seems to stem from a series of tweets that Ramsey posted earlier, attacking media members for their criticism of Fowler. Fowler’s suspension was apparently unrelated, as he was suspended for “fighting and violation of team rules” according to Schefter (Twitter link).
With the suspensions, Ramsey and Fowler will miss the next week of practices and the team’s second preseason game on Saturday against the Vikings. While they won’t miss any regular season time, it’s still a big deal. It’s very rare to see a team suspend one of it’s top players like this, and it’ll be interesting to see how the locker room responds.