Commanders Activate TE Logan Thomas From PUP
Logan Thomas is back on the practice field. The Commanders announced that they’ve activated the tight end from the physically unable to perform list.
Thomas suffered a torn ACL and MCL in early December, but he was recovering quickly enough that there was hope he would avoid the PUP. The Commanders ultimately gave him some extra time, and while he was back at practice today, Thomas still isn’t participating 11-on-11 drills. It’s uncertain if the tight end will be able to take the field for Week 1.
“I’d love to be out there Week 1, but I know myself and if I’m not ready to go or don’t feel like a full version of myself we can buy another week or two weeks,” Thomas told ESPN’s John Keim.
Thomas bounced around the NFL a bit before a breakout season in Washington during the 2020 season. That year, he finished with 72 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns. His production was down in six games last season, although that could have been attributed to a nagging hamstring injury that forced him to miss a chunk of games early on in the year. He ultimately finished the 2021 campaign with 18 catches for 196 yards and three touchdowns.
Washington hasn’t had much luck keeping tight ends on the field this preseason. John Bates is nursing a calf injury, while rookie fifth-round pick Cole Turner has been sidelined since the beginning of the month with a hamstring issue. To that, the Commanders made a handful of additional moves today to address the position. They signed tight end Jake Hausmann and claimed tight end Kendall Blanton off waivers from the Rams. The Commanders also placed tight end Eli Wolf on IR while releasing fullback/tight end Alex Armah from injured reserve. Defensive end Bunmi Rotimi also landed on IR today.
Bills Cut WR Tavon Austin
The Bills released a pair of veterans today. The team announced that they’ve cut wideout Tavon Austin and punter Matt Haack.
Austin had his most productive season in years in 2021. In 13 games (three starts) with the Jaguars, the veteran hauled in 24 receptions for 213 yards and one touchdown. He ended up joining Buffalo in June, and there was hope that he’d be able to slide into a back-of-the-depth-chart role behind Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and Isaiah McKenzie. That didn’t end up being the case, and with the veteran out of the picture, this will probably secure an opening day roster spot for at least one of Jake Kumerow or Jamison Crowder.
There’s a chance Austin could catch on elsewhere. While he’s bounced around the NFL a bit recently, he’s still seen time in nine NFL seasons, hauling in 244 receptions and 16 touchdowns. The veteran also has extensive special teams history, although it’s been a while since he’s been a full-time punt returner.
Haack’s spot on the roster always seemed to be in risk following the emergence of ‘Punt God’ Matt Araiza. Haack was the Bills’ punter in 2021, averaging a career-low 42.9 yards on his 52 punts. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dolphins, where he had an average punt distance of 44.7 yards.
Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton Suffers Collarbone Injury
4:17pm: The second-round pick is not likely to play again until around October. The expected recovery timetable for Thornton is believed to be around eight weeks, Mike Giardi of NFL.com tweets.
12:04pm: Tyquan Thornton is going to miss some time. The Patriots rookie wideout suffered a collarbone injury that will probably force him to miss some regular-season games, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Thornton suffered the injury during last night’s preseason contest against the Panthers. While this shoulder ailment is expected to delay his regular-season debut, Rapoport notes that the injury isn’t expected to end the wideout’s season.
While the Patriots certainly don’t want to see any of their players injured, this news could help provide some clarity to a crowded receivers room. Thornton appeared to be one of the only WRs to be guaranteed a spot on next year’s roster, along with Jakobi Meyers and offseason acquisition DeVante Parker. Kendrick Bourne was curiously absent from last night’s game, and while Bill Belichick naturally refused to provide an explanation, it was hinted that the WR wasn’t sidelined with an injury. Meanwhile, rumors have swirled surrounding the future of Nelson Agholor in New England.
Both Bourne and Agholor would probably secure their spots on the roster if Thornton is forced to miss any time. Although the Patriots would have to carry Thornton past the preseason in order to place him on short-term IR, a stint on the injured list could also open up a spot or two for Tre Nixon, Kristian Wilkerson, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Whenever Thornton returns, he should provide Mac Jones with a much-needed vertical threat. While pundits thought New England reached a bit when they selected the Baylor product in the second round, he still graded as one of the fastest players in the draft. Thornton finished his college career with 948 yards and 10 touchdowns during the 2021 campaign.
Panthers’ Matt Corral Suffers Lisfranc Injury
4:02pm: The rookie passer was not expected to vie for the starting job this season, but it is possible he will not be healthy enough to play in 2022. Corral’s foot injury is of the troublesome Lisfranc variety, Matt Rhule said Saturday, calling it “significant,” Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Early indications are it will be a season-ending malady.
9:28am: Matt Corral exited last night’s preseason contest against the Patriots with a foot injury. Joe Person of The Athletic tweets that the rookie quarterback underwent X-rays after having his foot stepped on. ESPN’s Davis Newton tweets that Corral was seen leaving the stadium in a walking boot, which is “not a good sign.”
In his second professional game, Corral looked a bit more polished than his debut (when he completed only one of nine pass attempts). While alternating quarters with PJ Walker, the rookie ended up completing nine of his 15 attempts for 58 yards, although he didn’t guide the Panthers to a touchdown while he was under center. The QB also added six yards on three carries. Coach Matt Rhule explained that he wanted his rook to play against New England’s starters and backups, an experience that he described as invaluable.
“What we don’t want to do is come out (in) these games and make it easy on him, because he’s a two [or] he’s a three,” Rhule said (via the team’s website). “We want to give them opportunities to show, ‘Hey, I can play for you.’ So (we are) preparing them for their opportunity. I thought Matt did a lot of good things, and there’s a lot to learn from on the tape.”
Corral earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2021 after completing 67.9 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns vs. five interceptions. He also added another 614 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. Thanks to this performance, the Panthers selected the Ole Miss product in the third round of this year’s draft, making him the 4th QB off the board.
Considering his draft status, Corral was expected to slide in third on the Panthers depth chart behind some combination of Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. However, if Corral’s injury ends up being serious, this could open the door for Walker to make the roster as a QB3.
AFC East Notes: Patricia, Dolphins, Armstead, Jets
If you’re keeping track at home, Matt Patricia now appears to be the favorite to be New England’s offensive play-caller. As Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com writes, Patricia was the only coach calling plays from the Patriots sideline during last night’s preseason contest. This is a change from the preseason opener, when Patricia alternated play-calling duties with Joe Judge.
Bill Belichick has continued to play coy on the entire situation, and he even hinted after the game that Patricia was merely communicating with Mac Jones vs. calling plays. Regardless of who ends up calling plays on offense, it’s clear that the organization is going with a committee approach to replace departed offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
“It’s still a process,” Belichick told reporters after the game (via NESN.com). “He (Matt Patricia)… communication with the quarterback? Yeah. But as far as calling the plays, there’s a whole other process on that.
However, if you ask some NFL sources, then it may be neither Patricia nor Judge calling offensive plays for the Patriots in 2022. As Albert Breer of SI.com writes, there are a “lot of smart NFL people who know the Patriots well” and believe it will ultimately be Belichick who ends up calling plays for Jones and the Patriots offense. Breer cautions that the head coach will end up calling plays “at some point this season,” perhaps a hint that the organization may role into the season with one of Patricia/Judge but will be prepared to pull the plug on the experiment.
More notes out of the AFC East…
- A Patriots‘ seventh-round rookie may end up missing the entire season. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, offensive tackle Andrew Stueber doesn’t have a timetable for his return from the NFI list. Stueber suffered an injury while training after the draft, and Reiss hints that the injury could end up delaying the Michigan product’s NFL debut until the 2023 season.
- Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has told league executives that he intends to leave the Dolphins organization to his family, according to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). While this isn’t a huge surprise, it seems pretty clear that Ross won’t be leaving the franchise to limited partner Bruce Beal. Both Ross and Beal were slapped with suspensions following Miami’s tampering investigation.
- The Dolphins inked left tackle Terron Armstead to a massive deal this offseason. However, the offensive lineman has never been able to make it through an entire season healthy, and that includes a 2021 campaign when he was limited to only eight snaps. If Armstead is forced to miss any time, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald suggests (on Twitter) that the coaching staff could end up moving right tackle Austin Jackson or guard Liam Eichenberg to LT, although the reporter notes that coach Mike McDaniel prefers to keep players at their starting position instead of shifting them around.
- Duane Brown‘s two-year, $22MM deal with the Jets includes a $7.88MM signing bonus and three void years, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). As a result, the offensive tackle’s cap hit for the 2022 season is only $3.69MM. The veteran will earn a base salary of $1.12MM in 2022, but he’ll see that number jump to $9MM.
Raiders Interested In Ndamukong Suh
It’s been almost two months since the Raiders were first connected to Ndamukong Suh, but we haven’t heard a whole lot since that initial report. It sounds like the lack of progress on a potential contract is due to money. According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Raiders do have interest in Suh but not at his current asking price.
The Raiders’ interest in the veteran is a new development. When the two sides were first connected in June, it was mostly one sided, with Suh tweeting that a stint in Las Vegas “could be fun.” The defensive lineman also went as far as to reach out to Raiders players like Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones. However, at that time, it was reported that the Raiders weren’t especially interesting in adding the free agent to their roster.
Suh’s demands, which Reed pegs at around $9MM per year, is one reason why the Raiders haven’t made a stronger push to sign him. However, the coaching staff also wants to see what they’ve got from their in-house options. Both Johnathan Hankins and Bilal Nichols returned from PUP this week after sitting out all of training camp and most of OTAs. Reed opines that the organization wants to see how these two players look on the field before pivoting to an option like Suh.
Suh’s run of Pro Bowls stopped in 2016, but he became a key piece for Rams and Bucs Super Bowl-bound teams in the years that followed. Last season, he registered six regular-season sacks and added four hits on Matthew Stafford in Tampa Bay’s narrow divisional-round loss. The 35-year-old DT flirted with a return to the Buccaneers earlier this offseason, but it sounds like that ship has sailed. The Vikings and Browns have also been mentioned as potential landing spots for Suh.
Damien Lewis Avoids Serious Injury
AUG 19: The Seahawks look to have dodged a bullet here. Pete Carroll said Lewis X-rays revealed only a lateral ankle sprain, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. While Lewis could miss some time, he will have a chance to play this season. Haynes would start in Lewis’ absence, Carroll added.
AUG 18: Damien Lewis appeared to have suffered a serious injury on Thursday night. The Seahawks offensive guard was carted off the field during Seattle’s preseason contest against the Bears.
Lewis suffered a leg injury during a run play in the second quarter. Lewis was down on the ground for a bit while the trainers placed an air cast on his leg. The team, including head coach Pete Carroll, huddled around the offensive lineman before he was carted off the field. Predictably, Lewis was later ruled out for the game with an ankle injury.
Lewis has been a dependable member of Seattle’s offensive line since he joined the organization as a third-round pick in 2020. He’s started each of his 29 games since entering the league, and while he was graded 57th among 82 qualifying guards in 2021 (per PFF), he ranked 13th at the position as a rookie. Thanks to that performance in 2020, he earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors.
Phil Haynes ended up replacing Lewis in the lineup, and there’s a chance the former fourth-round pick could end up securing the starting gig if Lewis is out. The team could also turn to backups like Greg Eiland and rookie Shamarious Gilmore.
Lewis wasn’t the only player hurt on the play. Bears linebacker Caleb Johnson was also down for a moment, but he was eventually able to walk off the field.
Offseason In Review: New York Jets
The New York Jets have always been intent on winning the back page, which often includes lavish (and later regrettable) spending. While the Jets still spent a bit this offseason, the organization’s new-ish regime (led by fourth-year GM Joe Douglas and second-year head coach Robert Saleh) seems to be operating under a more disciplined, focused approach, with a particular emphasis on building from within. To that, the Jets did an admirable job filling a handful of holes through the draft, especially via three first-round picks and one early second-round pick.
The Jets deserve props for adding both foundational and short-term pieces that addressed some clear needs. While they don’t have much room to fall following a four-win campaign in 2021, it remains to be seen if these offseason moves will be enough to get the Jets to a respectable record…and (perhaps) their first playoff appearance since the 2010 season.
Notable signings:
- Laken Tomlinson, OL. Three years, $40MM. $27MM guaranteed.
- Duane Brown, OT. Two years, $22MM.
- C.J. Uzomah, TE. Three years, $24MM.
- Tyler Conklin, TE. Three years, $21MM.
- D.J. Reed, CB. Three years, $33MM. $21MM guaranteed.
- Jordan Whitehead, S. Two years, $14.5MM.
- Marcell Harris, LB/S. One year, $1.2MM.
- Kwon Alexander, LB. One year, $1.2MM.
- Jacob Martin, LB. Three years, $13.5MM. $6MM guaranteed.
- Solomon Thomas, DE. One year, $2.25MM.
- Greg Zuerlein, K. One year, $2.75MM.
The Jets offensive line actually showed plenty of improvement during the 2021 season, but other than former first-round pick Alijah Vera-Tucker, questions remain. George Fant and Connor McGovern are both getting up there in age and only have a year remaining on their contracts. Morgan Moses left in free agency, while the embattled Mekhi Becton first lost out on the LT competition before being ruled out for the season.
To help shore up the unit in both the short- and long-term, the Jets brought in Laken Tomlinson. A former first-round pick by the Lions, Tomlinson found a home in San Francisco between the 2017 and 2021 seasons, including a 2021 campaign where he earned his first career Pro Bowl selection. He ended up ranking 13th among 82 eligible guard candidates via Pro Football Focus, and based on his track record, there’s no reason to think he’ll fall out of the top-15 guards in 2022.
Following Becton’s season-ending knee injury, the Jets brought in Duane Brown to start at left tackle. While Fant initially claimed the LT gig, it sounds like he’ll switch back to RT to welcome in his experienced teammate. As a Pro Bowl alternate last season, Brown demonstrated that he can still operate at a high level despite his age, and the Jets will clearly be counting on him to remain an effective blindside blocker for at least the 2022 campaign.
The Jets got a combined 50 catches for 534 yards and three touchdowns from their tight ends last season. While they didn’t necessarily fill the holes with sexy names, they added a pair of dependable TEs who they can immediately pop into the lineup. C.J. Uzomah had a career year with the Bengals in 2021, hauling in 49 catches for 493 yards and five touchdowns before adding another 15 receptions for 146 yards and one score in the playoffs. Tyler Conklin had a breakout season with the Vikings, finishing with 61 receptions for 593 yards and three scores. Conklin profiles as mostly a receiving TE, but Uzomah has the blocking prowess to play in any scenario.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Jets focused on adding depth to their secondary. Bryce Hall and Brandin Echols started a combined 31 games at cornerback last season, but the duo will likely be demoted following the additions of rookie Sauce Gardner (who we’ll get to later) and free agent acquisition D.J. Reed. A former backup in San Francisco, Reed started 22 games for the Seahawks over the past two seasons, including a 2021 campaign where he finished with a career-high 78 tackles and 10 passes defended. Pro Football Focus was particularly fond of his performance, ranking him eighth among 166 qualifying cornerbacks last year. Reed should immediately slide into the starting lineup along with Gardner and nickelback Michael Carter II.
Elsewhere on their secondary, the Jets signed Jordan Whitehead to add some depth at safety. The former fourth-round pick started 55 of his 59 games for the Buccaneers between 2018 and 2021, and he helps add a championship pedigree to a squad striving for a simple postseason appearance. Whitehead was firmly in the top-third of PFF’s ranking of the league’s safeties, and his run-defending ability should come in handy alongside a questionable front seven. The same sentiment applies to Marcell Harris, a former safety who mostly played linebacker with the 49ers last season.
While the Jets front office did an admirable job of filling their needs this offseason, there are still some question marks surrounding their front seven, especially their linebackers corps. The recent signing of Kwon Alexander will certainly help, although his consistent injury issues will probably limit him to a backup role. Jacob Martin was also brought in as some depth at LB, but he profiles as more of a DE in Robert Saleh’s 4-3 defense. Solomon Thomas will provide some depth behind defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and John Franklin-Myers.
The Jets relied on Matt Ammendola and Eddy Pineiro at kicker last season, with the duo connecting on only 77.8 percent of their field goal attempts, the seventh-worst mark in the NFL. The Jets brought in veteran Greg Zuerlein to hopefully provide some consistency at the position. Greg The Leg connected on 82.9 percent of his field goal attempts in each of the past two seasons, although he finished the 2021 campaign having connected on a career-worst 87.5 percent of his XP tries.
Notable losses:
- Matt Ammendola, K (released)
- Keelan Cole, WR
- Jamison Crowder, WR
- Jarrad Davis, LB
- Foley Fatukasi, DT
- Ryan Griffin, TE (released)
- Tyler Kroft, TE
- Marcus Maye, S
- Morgan Moses, OT
- Greg Van Roten, G (released)
The Jets lost a handful of contributors during the offseason, but the majority of those exits have been accounted for. Marcus Maye was a consistent starter during his tenure in New York, but he was limited to only six games in 2021 thanks to a torn Achilles. The Jets ended up pivoting to Jordan Whitehead, who earned about half of what Maye got from the Saints. Plus, Lamarcus Joyner is back after appearing in only one game last season.
Elsewhere on defense, Folorunso Fatukasi is gone after starting a career-high 15 games last season. He ended up grading out as a middle-of-the-road interior defender on PFF, and with Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers, and Solomon Thomas around, Fatukasi was made expendable. Jarrad Davis started five of his nine games for the Jets last season, finishing with 25 tackles. Considering the team’s lack of LB depth, it’s probably pretty telling that the front office was willing to let him walk.
The Jets also lost some starting-caliber players along their offensive line. Morgan Moses started 16 of his 17 games last season, while Greg Van Roten started 23 of his 30 appearances over the past two years. The signing of Laken Tomlinson helps make those losses more palatable, and while either of Moses or Van Roten would have provided some much-needed depth, they were unlikely to crack the starting lineup.
Tyler Kroft and Ryan Griffin started a combined 18 games last season, but the duo finished with only 43 total receptions. The Jets replacements at the position (C.J. Uzomah, Tyler Conklin) won’t set the world on fire, but they’re definitely an upgrade over what the team was relying on in 2021. The same could probably be said at wide receiver, although Jamison Crowder was one of the team’s most consistent offensive weapons over the past three years (63 catches per season). Keelan Cole also showed flashes in 2021, averaging 16 yards on his 28 receptions. Fortunately, the team still has plenty of depth at the position, with Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Garrett Wilson, Denzel Mims, and Braxton Berrios providing some intrigue.
Re-signed:
- Braxton Berrios, WR
- Tevin Coleman, RB
- Vinny Curry, DE
- Dan Feeney, OL
- Joe Flacco, QB
- Lamarcus Joyner, DB
- Nathan Shepherd, DT
- Mike White, QB
The Jets made sure to retain some depth pieces on both sides of the ball. Lamarcus Joyner and Vinny Curry were both brought in by the Jets last offseason, but the two acquisitions combined for only one game. Joyner bounced in and out of the Raiders starting lineup during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, and he was mostly graded as a below-average safety during those two years. The Jets didn’t give up a whole lot to bring him back, and while he’s projected to start at safety, he could see some pressure from Ashtyn Davis and Jason Pinnock. Curry was sidelined for the entire 2021 campaign after being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that required the removal of his spleen. He re-signed with the Jets this offseason, a positive indication that he’s doing better, but he’ll still have an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster.
Latest On Bengals QB Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow returned to Bengals practice this week after undergoing an appendectomy in late July. While initial reports seemed to indicate that Burrow underwent a standard procedure, that didn’t end up being the case. As ESPN’s Ben Baby writes, the quarterback lost weight thanks to the surgery and subsequent recovery, and it sounds like he’s got some work to do to get into game shape for Week 1.
“It wasn’t normal appendicitis that you hear about,” Burrow explained. “I didn’t really feel much. Just getting checked out and had some discomfort so we thought we’d get it checked out. Turns out I had it. So we had to get it fixed.”
It’s an encouraging sign that Burrow has returned to practice, and the Bengals have a plan in place to get him right for the start of the regular season. This includes a plan to add weight and get the QB’s body back “to its pre-surgery form.” Burrow isn’t expected to see the field for Cincinnati’s remaining preseason contests.
“I think it will be OK,” Burrow said. “We have a good plan as far as nutrition and weight room and all that stuff. I feel good right now and just going to keep feeling better.”
Burrow isn’t the only key Bengals player to return to practice. Wideout Tee Higgins participated in team drills for the first time on Sunday, per Baby. The receiver had his labrum worked on this offseason, but it sounds like he’ll be good to go for the start of the regular season.
49ers Work Out S Tashaun Gipson
The 49ers are eyeing a veteran safety. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the team worked out defensive back Tashaun Gipson.
Gibson spent the past two seasons with the Bears, starting each of his 28 games. While he was more than serviceable during the 2020 campaign, he appeared to take a step back in 2021, with Pro Football Focus ranking 85th among 92 qualifying safeties. Coupled with him missing five games, it seems pretty clear why the 32-year-old remains unsigned in August. This is the first reported visit for Gipson.
However, he apparently has a suitor in the 49ers. Jimmie Ward is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, and it’s uncertain if he’ll be ready to go for the start of the regular season. With San Francisco eyeing a current depth chart that features Talanoa Hufanga, Tarvarius Moore, George Odum, and Dontae Johnson, the team is considering adding a veteran to the mix.
While Gibson struggled in 2021, there’s no denying his experience. Despite going undrafted in 2012, he’s started 132 of his 140 games in his career. He earned a Pro Bowl nod back in 2014 after finishing with a still-career-high six interceptions. The safety has hauled in an interception in each season of his career.