Titans OL Nicholas Petit-Frere Likely Done For Season
Nicholas Petit-Frere‘s tough 2023 season has likely come to an end. According to Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky, the Titans lineman suffered a shoulder injury last Thursday that will likely require season-ending surgery.
Petit-Frere was suspended for the first six games of the season after violating the NFL’s gambling policy. He wasn’t immediately inserted into the starting lineup upon his return, with Chris Hubbard rolling as the starter at right tackle. However, Petit-Frere replaced Andre Dillard at left tackle during Week 6, and he proceeded to start the next two games at the position for Tennessee.
With the second-year lineman set to go under the knife, his 2023 campaign will end with only three appearances. This is a tough break following a promising rookie season from the Ohio State product. The third-round pick ended up starting all 16 of his appearances in 2022.
Pro Football Focus hasn’t been all that fond of his performance through two seasons in the NFL. The site graded him as a below-average OT in 2022, crediting him with five sacks allowed, 35 pressures allowed, and eight penalties. The site was even less bullish on the lineman for his limited 2023 snaps, although they did give him some praise for his run-blocking ability.
With Petit-Frere now sidelined, the Titans could turn back to Dillard at LT. Kuharsky notes that the team could instead consider rolling with Dillon Radunz or rookie sixth-round pick Jaelyn Duncan, although one of those options may need to fill in for Hubbard, who’s currently dealing with a concussion.
Colts Work Out WR Sammy Watkins
Sammy Watkins didn’t generate much interest this offseason, but the veteran has earned a midseason workout. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the veteran wide receiver auditioned for the Colts today.
Watson got into 12 games with the Packers and Ravens during the 2022 season, finishing with a career-low 16 catches for 325 yards. Despite having just turned 30 in June, it was quiet for Watkins throughout the offseason, with the wideout attending zero reported workouts.
While he’s years removed from his 1,000-yard season with the Bills, the former first-round pick has still topped 300 receiving yards in each of his NFL seasons. He spent a full year in Baltimore in 2021, collecting 394 yards, and he topped 400 yards receiving in each of his three seasons with the Chiefs (including a 2019 campaign where had 673 receiving yards). As Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star points out, Watkins generated interest from the Colts during the 2021 offseason, but the team ended up re-signing T.Y. Hilton.
As Rapoport notes, the Colts were in the market for a wide receiver at the deadline. Further, rookie Josh Downs left yesterday’s win thanks to a lingering knee injury, and it’s uncertain if he’ll be able to suit up against the Patriots this weekend.
Watkins wasn’t the only player who worked out for the Colts ahead of their trip to Germany. Per Erickson, the team also hosted wideout Ethan Fernea, offensive tackle Larnel Coleman, and guard Lachavious Simmons.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/6/23
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: RB Hassan Hall
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Spencer Brown
- Placed on IR: RB Tarik Cohen
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Devine Ozigbo
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Ellis Merriweather
- Released: RB James Robinson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OT Brandon Parker
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Jordan Willis
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Jacob Hanson
- Released: OL Jason Poe
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Henry Byrd
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/23
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers (from Bears): OL Doug Kramer
- Waived: WR Andre Baccellia
New York Jets
- Promoted: OL Xavier Newman-Johnson, WR Malik Taylor
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated off IR: RB Anthony McFarland
- Placed on IR: LB Cole Holcomb (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated to return from IR: DL Robert Beal Jr., CB Samuel Womack
- Designated to return from PUP: CB Darrell Luter
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from PUP: DT Austin Faoliu
- Placed on IR: LB Drake Thomas
Bears To Sign Montez Sweat To Extension
After being acquired by the Bears at the trade deadline, Montez Sweat will be sticking around Chicago. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the edge rusher has agreed to a four-year extension worth $98MM in new money. Including this season, the deal is worth a total of $105MM.
[RELATED: Bears Working On Montez Sweat Extension]
The contract includes close to $73MM in guaranteed money, according to Rapoport. With a $24.5MM average annual value, Sweat should now rank fifth among pass rushers in yearly money.
That’s certainly a lot of money for a player with zero Pro Bowl appearances, zero All-Pro nods, and zero 10-sack seasons on his resume. However, Sweat should be on his way to accomplishing most (if not all) of those feats this season. In his eight starts with the Commanders, the 27-year-old collected 6.5 sacks to go along with 32 tackles, 11 QB hits, and a pair of forced fumbles.
Pro Football Focus has Sweat ranked 28th among 107 qualifying edge rushers, although the site gives him a top-three grade at the position for his run defense. Further, the site ranked him as a top-10 edge rusher in 2022, with Sweat finishing that campaign with 8.5 sacks, 28 QB hits, and 14 tackles for loss. The former first-round pick is just finishing his rookie contract, and while he doesn’t have the track record of some of the league’s other top-paid pass rushers, the Bears are clearly banking on his upside.
The Bears sent a second-round pick to Washington for the edge rusher at the trade deadline. The front office certainly raised some eyebrows with the move; the second-round pick should come early considering Chicago’s 2-6 record, and Sweat was set to hit free agency following the 2023 campaign. The Bears made is abundantly clear that they intended to re-sign the impending free agent, although Sweat was noncommittal after joining the team.
“I think all that goes into play from financial to the people around me to the players in the building, all that type of stuff like that,” Sweat said earlier this week. “I just got here. I’m still trying to figure out where I’m going to lay my head at tonight.”
Chicago ultimately didn’t take long to get the deal done. The trade and extension isn’t unlike last year when the Dolphins traded for Bradley Chubb hours before the trade deadline. Two days later, they finished out extension talks.
Of course, considering the draft capital they gave up, the Bears were prepared to use the franchise tag on Sweat if the two sides couldn’t agree to a new deal. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, the Bears can now use that tag on someone like cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who wasn’t dealt at the deadline despite a public trade request.
Chicago, which traded Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn last year, has rolled out one of the worst pass-rushing units in the NFL over the past two campaigns. They’ll now be counting on Sweat to be guiding that grouping for the foreseeable future.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/4/23
Today’s minor moves and gameday callups for Week 9:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: WR Andre Baccellia
- Elevated: RB Corey Clement, QB Jeff Driskel
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR Damiere Byrd, TE Tucker Fisk
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from IR: CB Daryl Worley
- Elevated: CB Kevon Seymour
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: CB Josh Norman
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: WR Stanley Morgan
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: WR James Proche
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: LB Rashaan Evans
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: S Innis Gaines
Houston Texans
- Elevated: G Dieter Eiselen
- Waived: CB Grayland Arnold
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: CB Chris Lammons
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: RB La’Mical Perine
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: OLB Malik Reed
- Elevated: G Netane Muti, WR DJ Turner
- Waived: WR Kristian Wilkerson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: QB Dresser Winn
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from IR: WR Jalen Nailor
- Elevated: DL T.J. Smith, LB Nick Vigil
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: DT Jeremiah Pharms
- Elevated: T Conor McDermott
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Cory Littleton
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: TE Lawrence Cager
- Elevated: K Randy Bullock, LB Justin Hollins
- Placed on IR: QB Tyrod Taylor, TE Darren Waller (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: LB Ben VanSumeren
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: T Jason Peters
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: DL Pat O’Connor
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: OT Alex Akingbulu, OL Nolan Laufenberg
With Kyler Murray not being activated from injured reserve this week, the Cardinals are heading into Week 9 with Clayton Tune as the only quarterback on their active roster. Driskel will be called up for the week as a standard gameday elevation to back up Tune.
With Matthew Stafford listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, the Rams are adding some depth at the quarterback position. Dresser Winn had a breakout 2022 campaign at UT Martin, tossing 18 touchdowns while adding another three scores on the ground. He joined the Rams as an UDFA but was cut at the end of the preseason. He had a brief stint in the Canadian Football League before rejoining the Rams practice squad earlier this week. If Stafford can’t go, Brett Rypien will get the call under center for the Rams.
Peters will be elevated for the second straight week in Seattle. The 41-year-old, playing in his 19th NFL season, split snaps with right tackle Stone Forsythe last week against Cleveland.
Cardinals To Start Clayton Tune In Week 9
3:05pm: Not only will Murray not start this weekend, he will also not be activated from injured reserve today by the league’s 4:00pm deadline, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. There’s really no need to activate him if the Cardinals feel comfortable moving forward with Tune tomorrow, but with Murray’s 21-day practice window closing in the coming week, the clock is certainly ticking. If Murray isn’t activated this week, he will be forced to spend the remainder of the year on IR.
Backing up Tune tomorrow will be veteran backup quarterback Jeff Driskel, who was re-signed to the practice squad this week. The standard gameday elevation has not yet been announced but is expected with Tune currently standing as the sole quarterback on the active roster.
8:52am: Kyler Murray‘s return won’t come this weekend. Cardinals fifth-round rookie quarterback Clayton Tune is expected to get the start tomorrow against the Browns, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Cardinals traded Murray’s fill-in, Joshua Dobbs, earlier this week, an indication that the former first-overall pick was on the brink of playing. After being sidelined for the first half of the season while recovering from a torn ACL, Murray returned to practice last month, opening his 21-day window to be activated. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler points out, that activation window closes next week.
The team intended to take their quarterback decision down to the wire, with coach Jonathan Gannon telling reporters that he wanted to see how each of the players looked during Friday’s practice. While Gannon acknowledged that Murray has been pushing to return, the Cardinals wanted this to be an organizational decision. Per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss, the decision makers included Murray, Gannon, general manager Monti Ossenfort, and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, with owner Michael Bidwill also being kept in the loop.
“[Murray’s] told me he is ready — and I’m not even going to tell you when he told me he is ready — but he knows he needs to do certain things and keep stacking good days and keep getting reps and playing the position to be ready to play,” Gannon said yesterday (via Weinfuss).
While Murray continues to recover, the Cardinals will temporarily turn to Tune, a fifth-round pick out of Houston. The prospect put himself on the NFL map during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, tossing a combined 7o touchdowns vs. 20 interceptions. Dobbs played all of the snaps at QB for the Cardinals this season, although Tune did complete a single four-yard pass on a fake punt.
As ESPN’s Field Yates notes, Tune will be one of many QB changes in Week 9, with the Cardinals joining the Raiders (Aidan O’Connell), Vikings (Jaren Hall), Falcons (Taylor Heinicke), Giants (Daniel Jones), and Browns (Deshaun Watson) among the teams replacing their Week 8 starters. Further, Tune will become the ninth rookie QB to start a game this season; as Schefter notes, this already ties the full-season record for rookie starts.
WR Martavis Bryant Reinstated By NFL
Martavis Bryant is on the comeback trail. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the veteran receiver has been reinstated by commissioner Roger Goodell and is drawing interest around the NFL.
Bryant hasn’t been rostered by an NFL team since the 2018 campaign, when he got into eight games with the Raiders. The wide receiver made a name for himself in Pittsburgh, collecting 1,363 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns through his first two NFL seasons. He was suspended for the entirety of the 2016 season after violating the NFL’s drug policy, but he picked up where he left off in 2017, finishing with 625 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.
He was traded to the Raiders for a third-round pick during the 2018 offseason, and he proceeded to haul in 19 catches for 266 yards in eight games (two starts) with his new squad. He was later hit with an indefinite ban after violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement, and Bryant hasn’t been on an NFL team since that time.
Over the past few years, Bryant has had brief stints with a couple of Canadian Football League teams, and he was also drafted during the 2023 XFL Skill Players Draft. Earlier this year, he got into four games with the Fan Controlled Football League, collecting eight catches.
Bryant will be 32 in December and hasn’t played in an NFL game in several years, so he’ll be hard pressed to find a roster spot before the season is done. Perhaps he could catch on with a practice squad with hopes of sticking around for the 2024 season.
Commanders Eyeing Bill Belichick?
Things have gone from bad to worse in New England, with the Patriots currently sitting at the bottom of the AFC standings. This has naturally led to some chatter about Bill Belichick‘s job security and his future with the organization. Further, the Patriots’ record has led some NFL insiders to question if Belichick could be employed elsewhere next season.
[RELATED: Patriots Signed Bill Belichick To Offseason Extension]
According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, there’s “chatter in some league circles” that the Commanders could make a run at Belichick this upcoming offseason. While Florio cautions that this “isn’t a report that it will happen,” he said it’s a possibility that’s currently being thrown around the league.
While this might seem like a random pairing, Florio explains that the Belichick/Commanders connection is rooted in some logic. The Commanders signaled at the trade deadline that they’re looking to restart under new owner Josh Harris, and that could eventually lead to him cleaning house among coaches and executives. Who better to lead the next era of Washington football than one of the greatest coaches of all time?
For the Patriots, they’d be able to avoid a firing or “mutual parting,” with both of these routes likely resulting in them owing Belichick some money. Plus, assuming Belichick is still under contract for the 2024 campaign, the Commanders would be required to compensate the Patriots. For a team that’s lacking in future pieces and would be eyeing their own significant reset, extra draft assets would surely come in handy.
Of course, there are some complications surrounding this pursuit, and that’s why Florio notes that neither side would ever acknowledge the rumors. For starters, the Commanders couldn’t be hyper-focused on Belichick since they need to adhere to the Rooney Rule. This requires the organization to go through proper interviews for head coach and GM candidates.
The second sticking point is Belichick’s contract. We heard in late October that the head coach had recently signed an extension with the Patriots, and the terms of that contract could ultimately determine whether the legendary coach sticks around New England. As Albert Breer of SI.com notes, the reported “extension” may have actually been a simple reworking of the deal, and there’s a chance Belichick’s pact only lasts through the 2024 campaign. This wouldn’t be dissimilar to how the Patriots handled Tom Brady‘s exit; the team signed the quarterback to a reported extension, but the terms of the deal only increased the likelihood that Brady would end up leaving New England.
Breer believes we could be eyeing a similar scenario here. At the very least, the reporter believes Patriots owner Robert Kraft will have to make a difficult decision on Belichick this offseason. If the coach’s contract does truly last through the 2024 campaign, there’s little chance the organization will let Belichick head into next season with lame-duck status.
Florio also raised an eyebrow at the recent extension reports. The reporter says he assumed the report came from Belichick’s camp and was attended to cool rumors surrounding a potential firing. However, Florio is now wondering if the report was leaked by the Patriots, with the organization signaling that they’ll be the ones determining Belichick’s future destination.
It wasn’t very long ago that a Belichick firing would seem like a fantasy. The HC/GM built a pair of dynasty squads in his 23-plus years in New England, winning six Super Bowl rings while climbing up the all-time wins list for coaches. However, since Brady left, things haven’t been as rosy. The team went 7-9 during their first season without Brady, and they took a step forward with rookie Mac Jones in 2021, going 10-7 while returning to the playoffs.
However, the team has taken massive steps back in recent years. It didn’t seem like it could get much worse than last season’s 8-9 showing, but the Patriots have gotten off to a dreadful 2-6 start in 2023. Belichick has earned plenty of blame for the team’s current predicament, with the coach being called out for questionable coaching decisions, his handling of Jones and the quarterback position, and his subpar draft record in recent years.
Mark Davis Discusses McDaniels, Ziegler Firings
Mark Davis pulled the plug on the Josh McDaniels/Dave Ziegler tandem earlier this week, ending an underwhelming one-plus-year run for the duo. Previous reports hinted that the owner fired McDaniels and Ziegler because of their mishandling of the quarterback position.
[RELATED: Raiders Fire Josh McDaniels, Dave Ziegler]
It started when the front office decided to hand Derek Carr a lucrative extension with a no-trade clause. While a divorce was inevitable following the 2022 campaign, Carr’s leverage meant the Raiders couldn’t receive anything in return for their quarterback. The organization exacerbated their issues when they gave Jimmy Garoppolo more than $30MM in guaranteed money. After failing his physical and going under the knife, the quarterback has started his Raiders career by tossing a league-leading nine interceptions.
McDaniels and Ziegler also drew the ire of Davis when they started Brian Hoyer over rookie Aidan O’Connell in Week 7, with the veteran backup tossing a pair of interceptions in an eventual loss to the lowly Bears.
While the duo’s issues at the QB position played a significant role in their firings, it sounds like Davis could have let that slide if the Raiders took a step forward elsewhere. Instead, the owner told The Athletic’s Tashan Reed that he saw “regression” from his team, and that was what played the biggest role in Tuesday night’s decision.
Davis provided some more insight into his decision to move on from his head coach and GM, and he also touched on the promotions of Champ Kelly and Antonio Pierce. We’ve compiled the notable quotes below:
On his decision to fire both McDaniels and Ziegler:
“I just didn’t see the progress. I saw regression.”
On what attracted him to McDaniels in the first place:
“I was really excited because I believe Josh McDaniels has a very fertile offensive mind and I’ve seen him in the past be able to adjust to so many different variables. I thought that he could bring a fresh, explosive offensive mind to the Raiders.”
On the decision to name assistant GM Champ Kelly as the interim general manager:
“Had I not done the pair of Dave and Josh, Champ may have gotten the job at that time. We were fortunate and grateful that he decided to come on board as the assistant general manager. So, there was not even a question as to who would actually step into that position.”
On the decision to name linebackers coach Antonio Pierce as the interim head coach:
“I wasn’t very familiar with Antonio over the course of the last 1 1/2 years or so, but I’d gotten to know him a little bit. When I saw Antonio’s background and resume, I was intrigued. So, when I sat down with him and interviewed him, I just felt he was the right guy at the right time to fit the role that I was looking for.”
On what he hopes to see from the Raiders for the rest of the 2023 season:
“I’d like to see progress and I’d like to see the culture of the team together. I won’t say that we lost the culture because those guys never quit. Even when they were behind, they continually played. They played really, really hard. I think it’s a great group of young men and it’ll be interesting to see with new leadership whether we can get more out of it.”
On how he’ll approach his head coach/GM search next offseason:
“This time, I don’t really have anybody in mind that would potentially prejudice my thinking, so to speak. My thought process is wide open. And there’s a very good chance that the head coach and general manager that we have right now may end up getting the jobs.”