Broncos Notes: Henderson, Brown, Ray, Lynch
The Broncos’ receiving room looks a lot different than it did last year. While Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas will return from last year’s group, there’s several new faces. The team drafted Courtland Sutton in the third round and Daesean Hamilton in the fourth and both have reportedly shown well in practices and are being groomed to take over for Sanders and Thomas in the future.
Lost amid all the excitement surrounding Sutton and Hamilton has been last year’s third round pick Carlos Henderson. Henderson started training camp on the reserve/did not report list, as he is reportedly dealing with a personal issue. Troy Renck of Denver 7 took a stab at predicting the Broncos’ 53-man roster, and left Henderson off it. Renck thinks the Broncos will ultimately be forced to cut Henderson due to the depth at the position.
Henderson missed all of last season with a thumb injury. If Renck is right, the 82nd overall pick of the 2017 draft could end up never playing a single snap for the Broncos.
Here’s more from Denver:
- Speaking of Henderson, Mike Klis of 9 News thinks the recently signed Corey “Philly” Brown could slide in and replace Henderson on the roster. Brown spent all of 2017 out of the league, but was a productive player before that, notably hauling in a team high 80-yards in Super Bowl 50.
- Linebacker Shane Ray was reportedly “pretty shocked” when he was told by a doctor that he wouldn’t require surgery after all (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post). Initially thought to be out for the beginning of the regular season, Ray is now practicing with “no restrictions on his participation” according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.
- Renck thinks the Broncos could look to add a veteran backup quarterback if Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly “don’t impress in the first few [preseason] games.” If Lynch can’t separate himself and win the backup job this summer, it could be the end of the road for the 2016 first round pick in Denver.
Daryl Williams Has Dislocated Knee, Torn MCL
Panthers tackle Daryl Williams was rolled up on during a training camp practice earlier today, and now the diagnosis is in. Williams “dislocated [the] right patella and tore the MCL in the same knee” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport notes that the injury is “not as bad as anticipated,” but it’s still very serious. The team’s official release on the injury said there’s “no timetable” for his return.
Rapoport then reported in a follow-up tweet that the injury “is not expected to be season-ending,” but as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets, head coach Ron Rivera said the team is still unsure as to whether it will try to get Williams back this year. Williams will clearly be missing at least some of the regular season, then, which represents a huge blow to the Panthers’ prospects.
2017 second-round pick Taylor Moton is the “next man up” noted Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a tough break for Williams, who has been looking for a new contract recently. It was reported back in June that there was a “monster gap” between the two sides during negotiations.
Williams, a fourth round pick in 2015, will be a free agent after the season. The Panthers were already going to have some turnover on the offensive line with guard Andrew Norwell departing for Jacksonville in free agency, and now will have even less continuity. It’s bad news for Cam Newton in what some are billing as a make-or-break year for the quarterback.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Jack Allen
- Waived: DE Bunmi Rotimi
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Josiah Price
- Waived: OL Chris Gonzales
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR DeAndre Carter
Extra Points: Cardinals, Johnson, Gurley, Running Backs, Jets, Darnold, McDowell, Seahawks
David Johnson made waves when it was announced he was staying away from the team’s mandatory minicamp in June in search of a new contract. He put an end to any speculation he might hold out for an extended period of time by showing up to training camp on time. Johnson was one of the best players in the entire league in 2016, but missed almost all of last season with a wrist injury. Despite making his desire for a new deal clear, Johnson is now saying he’s not concerned with his contract.
“There are people that need to concern themselves with Johnson’s potential contract – Johnson just doesn’t want to be one of them” writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Johnson reportedly said ““I’ve heard of former players, not just Cardinals but in the league, having the stress of the contract on them and it ends up affecting their play” adding that’s what he’s seeking to avoid. “I don’t have time to think about” a contract, Johnson said. Johnson, who will be 27 this December, is a little old for a player still on his rookie deal. With the short shelf-life running backs in the league tend to have, this could be his one and only opportunity to cash in with a big contract. It makes sense why Johnson would want to wait for the best deal possible, and both sides remain optimistic something will get done. Johnson did talk a little bit about Todd Gurley‘s recent mega-extension, saying it’s “good to see running backs get deals.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Speaking of Gurley and running back deals, Gurley did backs like Johnson, Ezekiel Elliott, and Alvin Kamara a “huge solid” by getting his deal writes Albert Breer of SI.com. “I’m just happy to even be in a position to take the next step for us running backs” Gurley told Breer. Gurley definitely paved the way for running backs to get huge guarantees, and it will be fascinating to see how the market reacts across the league.
- Although many Jets fans have been worried by the team’s inability to sign Sam Darnold to his rookie contract, coach Todd Bowles isn’t concerned. “It’s part of the business” Bowles declared after practice today while explaining why Darnold’s absence from training camp isn’t a big deal. It might not be significant yet, but if Darnold misses too much more of camp it could turn into a real problem as he battles for the starting job.
- Defensive tackle Malik McDowell has cleared waivers and has reverted to the Seahawks’ injured reserve list, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). McDowell was released yesterday after he was unable to ever return to health following an ATV accident last summer. McDowell, the 35th overall pick of the 2017 draft, has never played a down in the NFL and it’s unclear if there’s a chance he ever returns.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Beckham, Cowboys, Frazier, Eagles
There’s been endless drama this offseason surrounding the Giants and Odell Beckham Jr. Things finally appear to be headed in the right direction for the two sides, and the much awaited contract extension could finally be on the horizon. Beckham recently opted to report to camp on time rather than hold out, and Giants management has in turn spoken very highly of him. Now that a new contract in the near future finally seems like a real possibility, Matt Lombardo of NJ.com spoke with former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry and cap expert Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com about what kind of deal Beckham can expect to get.
Corry said the number one most important thing is that “there wouldn’t be a deal to be made if it didn’t make Beckham the highest-paid wide receiver by average, and with the most guarantees.” Mike Evans recently got a five-year $85MM deal from the Buccaneers, and Corry is quite confident that Beckham will top that. While Fitzgerald notes that the Giants have a league-low $2.13MM in cap space, he thinks they’ll be able to make a deal work by using a “large signing bonus to bring his current year salary down.” Fitzgerald thinks Beckham won’t “sign for anything less than $20 million a season” a number that would make him the league’s highest paid receiver by a substantial margin. Whatever his deal ends up looking like, it seems as if the saga is finally nearing an end and that Beckham will be locked up long-term before too long.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Cowboys safety Kavon Frazier may have a blood disorder, a source told Brandon George of SportsDay Dallas News. Frazier, who played in 15 games for Dallas last season, is undergoing tests to determine if he will be able to return to the field. The Cowboys placed him on the non-football injury list just before training camp started.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports would be “shocked if the Eagles don’t make at least two more trades” before the start of the regular season. La Canfora thinks that because of the team’s depth at positions like running back and quarterback, they’ll be forced to move some players through trade rather than cut solid players. La Canfora writes that Eagles president Howie Roseman will try to “spin some of that quantity into truly elite quality” and that he will “explore every option to do so.”
- In case you missed it, the Redskins signed quarterback Colt McCoy to an extension yesterday.
Latest on Patriots, Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski has been the subject of frequent headlines all offseason. Whether it was trade rumors that turned out to be false, rumblings about a potential retirement, or missing a few OTA’s along with Tom Brady, Gronkowski has stayed in the news. Many speculated that Gronkowski would hold out from training camp after he made his unhappiness with his current contract clear, but that was apparently never an option. Speaking to the media today after practice, Gronkowski said he didn’t “come close to considering” a hold out (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).
Gronkowski went to great lengths to emphasize his commitment to the team and downplay concerns about his contract, saying he was going to “keep preparing, keep showing up every day. Keep doing what I got to do.” Since Gronkowski had previously not been nearly as forceful, perhaps he’s confident a deal will get done soon. Either way, it’s one less headache for the team in what has been an unusually dramatic offseason in New England.
While it was reported back in June that a new contract for Gronkowski was “likely”, a deal still is yet to be done. It looks as if that might not change anytime soon, as a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk that “nothing is imminent” between the two sides. Whenever it does happen, Gronkowski should get a significant raise on his $8MM annual salary.
Gronkowski is clearly unpaid in 2018’s market. As Florio points out, far inferior tight ends such as Trey Burton and Jimmy Graham are making as much as or more than Gronkowsi this year. Back in 2012, Gronkowski signed what was at the time the largest contract ever for a tight end. Our Zach Links recently took a look back at that deal as part of our ‘This Date In Transactions History’ series. Since then, the market for top tight ends has exploded, and Gronkowski’s contract turned into a steal for the Patriots.
Extra Points: Gates, Chargers, Manziel, Richardson, AAF, Anthem
“Chargers GM Tom Telesco acknowledged ongoing talks with TE Antonio Gates’ representation Thursday, but no deal” tweets Eric D. Williams of ESPN. Telesco also added that he believes Gates “can still be effective in the Chargers’ offense.” The Chargers looked set to move on earlier this offseason, but then Hunter Henry was lost for the season with a torn ACL. The team immediately expressed interest in bringing back Gates, but things have been slow moving ever since.
It’s unclear what is holding up contract talks, but it’s not a huge deal for a player who’s been around as long as Gates has to miss some of training camp. Perhaps he just wants to wait as long as possible and put little wear on his body before returning right before the regular season. Gates has said he has no intention of retiring, and it’s extremely unlikely he signs with any other team than the Chargers. A deal should get done at some point, and it would be a surprise if it isn’t announced soon. The future Hall of Fame inductee turned 38 in June.
Here’s more from around the football universe:
- The Montreal Alouettes had been targeting Johnny Manziel for a while before they finally ended up trading for him, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. The Alouettes had tried to acquire Manziel’s rights before he even signed with the CFL, but were rebuffed.
- Former number three overall pick Trent Richardson will sign with the Birmingham team in the newly created AAF, according to Matt Zenitz of AL.com. Richardson flamed out with the Browns and then Colts, and will be looking to revive his football career in the upstart league.
- The league and NFLPA have been talking and negotiating about the anthem policy since before the July 4th holiday, a source told Albert Breer of SI.com. Breer disagrees with the league’s course of action, arguing the new “policy was a poor way to try to move the focus back to football.”
Browns, Dez Bryant Have ‘Mutual Interest’
Dez Bryant may finally be close to finding a home. Bryant and the Browns have “mutual interest” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport adds that the team is “working on scheduling a visit with him” and that the visit could be on Monday, “if not sooner.” Rapoport seems to think there’s a real chance a deal gets done, saying “this could be a match.”
It was reported two days ago that the Browns were mulling the possibility of pursuing Bryant, and things now appear to be heating up. The market for Bryant has been shockingly quiet since he was cut by the Cowboys earlier this offseason. There were some murmurs about him and the 49ers, but ultimately nothing materialized.
Weeks ago, our Zach Links asked readers in a poll where they thought Bryant would end up. Readers chose the 49ers, with the Patriots coming in second. The Browns seemingly came out of nowhere, with the the team not being linked to Bryant at all before that report two days ago.
If he does end up in Cleveland, Bryant would be joining a crowded wide receiver room. The Browns acquired Jarvis Landry in a trade with the Dolphins and signed him to a longterm extension in April. They also drafted Antonio Callaway in the fourth round of this year’s draft and still have 2016 first-rounder Corey Coleman. The sudden interest in Bryant could be a sign that the team is more concerned about Josh Gordon than they initially let on. Gordon recently left the team to seek continued counseling for his prior substance abuse issues.
Extra Points: Gregory, Cowboys, Browns, Jets
In a recent feature, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic took a look at the recently re-instated Randy Gregory‘s long road back to the NFL. On Tuesday, Gregory was allowed back into the league on a conditional basis by the league office. The 2015 second-round pick of the Cowboys has played in just two games since his rookie season due to multiple violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Gregory is now reportedly sober and focused on making a return to Dallas. He’s only 25, and the Cowboys could certainly use extra pass-rushing help. Watkins’ article details how Gregory got a regular 9-to-5 job at a Dallas-based business in order to prove he could get his life together. He partnered with attorney Daniel Moskowitz, and continued working out heavily during his extended exile. According to Watkins, Gregory “was in shock” when the league re-instated him, as he didn’t believe he would ever actually make it back. It’s been a tough journey, but it certainly sounds like the former Nebraska standout is ready to make the most of his second chance.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Browns have already made a series of high-profile acquisitions this offseason, but they may not yet be done adding to the team. GM John Dorsey “loves to be aggressive” and may look to make a move or two in the coming weeks, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. Ulrich notes Cleveland “could use pass-rush help” and that he wouldn’t rule out the team adding a veteran defensive tackle or free safety.
- Darryl Slater of NJ.com took a stab at projecting the Jets initial 53-man roster, and had a few interesting predictions. Notably, he predicts the Jets will end up keeping all three of Josh McCown, Sam Darnold, and Teddy Bridgewater. He also thinks notable players like running back Thomas Rawls, tight end Clive Walford, and wide receiver Charone Peake will end up getting cut.
- In case you missed it, here’s the latest on Raiders star Khalil Mack and the negotiations between the two sides as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
NFC Notes: Julio Jones, Falcons, 49ers, Richburg, Packers, Wilkerson
The Falcons have had to do right by a lot of players recently. They’ve doled out extensions to Devonta Freeman and Matt Ryan and still need to lock up Grady Jarrett and Jake Matthews. Ricardo Allen has also been angling for a new deal. On top of all this, star receiver Julio Jones has made clear his unhappiness with his current contract, and held out of mandatory minicamp in protest.
The team recently informed Jones they had no plans to sweeten his deal, which still has three years remaining on it. Jones is looking at it from the wrong perspective, argues Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Bradley thinks that since the Falcons budgeted for the rest of their players under the assumption Jones would play out his deal, it isn’t fair of him to ask the team for a raise. Bradley writes that Jones’ demands are due to “wounded pride” at being the NFL’s seventh-highest paid receiver. It’s unclear how Jones will respond to Atlanta’s refusal, but the team certainly doesn’t want its best player this unhappy. It wouldn’t be surprising if the two sides come to some sort of agreement on additional incentives or some other measure that will satisfy Jones.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Center Weston Richburg is the second most important player for the 49ers in 2018, behind only Jimmy Garoppolo, writes David Lombardi of The Athletic. Lombardi writes that coach Kyle Shanahan wanted to sign Richburg this spring because he felt the center position was lacking last season. A good center is “vital for Shanahan’s offense to hum”, Lombardi opines.
- Tom Silverstein of Packersnews.com broke down the Packers defensive line situation, and writes that new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine is bullish on the group. Silverstein lists Dean Lowry and James Looney as being on the roster bubble, and Conor Sheehy, Joey Mbu, and Tyler Lancaster as roster long-shots. Interestingly, he doesn’t list free agent acquisition Muhammad Wilkerson as a roster lock.