Browns Place RT Jack Conklin On IR
The Browns will be without one of their top offensive linemen for at least the next three games. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that right tackle Jack Conklin has landed on injured reserve.
Conklin dislocated his elbow during last weekend’s loss to the Steelers. Fortunately, the veteran will likely avoid surgery, and there’s optimism that he’ll be able to return to the lineup later this season.
This is poor timing for the 27-year-old, as he had just returned to the lineup after recovering from a knee injury. The eighth-overall pick by the Titans in the 2016 draft joined the Browns in 2020 on a three-year, $42MM deal. He started 15 games during his first season in Cleveland, earning first-team All-Pro honors (the second of his career). He’s started each of the six games he’s appeared in during the 2021 campaign. Blake Hance will likely start at right tackle while Conklin’s out of the lineup.
The Browns have also activated fullback Andy Janovich and center Nick Harris from injured reserve, and they promoted defensive tackle Sheldon Day and tight end Miller Forristall from the practice squad (per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Latest On Cardinals QB Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray suffered an ankle injury towards the end of the Cardinals loss to the Packers last week. While there seems to be optimism that the franchise quarterback won’t be sidelined for all that long, general manager Steve Keim made it clear that the organization will be more than cautious with the young signal-caller.
“I know Kyler can play, he extremely tough, and I don’t think there are any questions in our organization internally about his mental makeup or his willingness to play through anything,” Keim said (via Darren Urban of the team’s website). “We have to be smart whether he is going to play or not and think about the big picture. We have to make sure we don’t re-aggravate something or do something that is going to hurt us later in the season. I know we will do the right thing and go through the checks and balances process and make sure the right decision is made.”
We previously heard that Murray’s sprained ankle could take anywhere from one to three weeks to get better. However, there was still optimism that the quarterback would be able to take the field for tomorrow’s game against the 49ers. It sounds like the organization will make it a true game-time decision.
If Murray is forced to miss time, Colt McCoy would likely take over as the team’s starting quarterback. Keim told reporters that he’s plenty confident in the veteran’s ability to take the field and compete.
“We really feel like he can sort of function at a high level in this offense,” Keim said. “That’s why we do what we do in the offseason. You don’t just build a team to think about the starters and the Pro Bowlers. You have to think about where your depth is going to be challenged.”
Saints, 49ers, Seahawks Among Potential OBJ Suitors
If Odell Beckham Jr. ends up getting cut by the Browns, it sounds like he’ll have a list of potential suitors. Sources tell Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that the Saints, 49ers, and Seahawks would be among the teams interested in adding OBJ.
The Saints were mentioned as a landing spot for Beckham prior to the trade deadline, but the two sides were unable to hammer out a deal. New Orleans’ need for a wideout was exacerbated following news that Michael Thomas won’t play this season. Running back Alvin Kamara currently leads the team in receptions, and the team will continue to look toward the waiver wire and free agency for reinforcement, regardless of how the OBJ saga unfolds in Cleveland.
The 49ers have plenty of talented wideouts in Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Mohamed Sanu, and they’ll get another big target back once tight end George Kittle returns to the lineup. However, considering the offense’s inconsistency, you can’t blame the 49ers for wanting to add another player at the position. The Seahawks are another team that are hoping to make a late run towards the playoffs in the tough NFC West. Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf won’t be bumped from atop the depth chart, but OBJ would provide Russell Wilson with another reliable option (once the QB returns from injury).
Florio mentions that the Packers could make sense as a suitor, but the team has “yet to emerge as a viable destination.” Further, Florio notes that the Buccaneers would make sense considering Tom Brady‘s ability to recruit receivers to Tampa Bay, but it doesn’t sound like they’ve been mentioned as a suitor.
DE Jonah Williams Fails Physical With Vikings
Jonah Williams won’t be playing for the Vikings after all. The defensive end failed his physical with his new team and won’t be joining the organization, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). Williams’ physical ended up revealing a hernia.
The 2020 undrafted free agent finally made his NFL debut this season, and he ended up seeing time in eight games for the Rams. Along with special team duties, the defensive lineman also got a handful of defensive snaps each game. In total, he’s collected five tackles this season.
Following the arrival of Von Miller earlier this week, the Rams decided to move on from Williams. He ended up being a popular name on the waiver wire, as the Chargers and Cardinals also tried to claim the 26-year-old. The hernia is a discouraging development for the player, but another organization may be willing to overlook that and add him to the active roster.
The Vikings will likely continue to search for some DL support, now that Danielle Hunter has been ruled out for the year with a torn pectoral muscle.
Latest On Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr.
The Odell Beckham Jr. saga in Cleveland continues to heat up. After the wideout sat out practice again on Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that OBJ has likely requested his release.
As Cabot writes, it sounds like comments from the receiver’s dad ruffled some feathers within the Browns organization, with wideout Rashard Higgins making it clear that he’d never criticize his quarterback. Odell Beckham Sr. continued to fan the flames today when he onc3 again cited a video that show Baker Mayfield‘s inability to connect with his well-paid wideout. We still haven’t heard from Beckham Jr. regarding the social media shenanigans, but the silence seems to be pretty clear.
Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt indicated that he’s ready to move on from the current distraction, and it sounds like he’s already preparing for an offense without OBJ.
“We are going to go in and plan for the guys who are going to be there at this point,” Van Pelt said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “That is our focus.
“As of now, again, we are just getting ready for today’s practice. We will see where that goes from here. Again, just getting the guys ready who are here in the building today to go play on Sunday.”
Beckham’s contract is the main complication surrounding a divorce. The wideout is still owed $8MM this season, and there’s a limited number of teams with the required cap space to claim the player off waivers. Cabot suggests that the two sides could work on a creative agreement that would see OBJ give up a chunk of his owed money.
WR DeSean Jackson Clears Waivers
DeSean Jackson is officially a free man. The veteran wideout cleared waivers today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Jackson is now free to sign with any team.
The Rams were unable to find a taker for Jackson prior to the trade deadline, so the team made the expected move and cut the player on Tuesday. The lack of trade (and waiver) interest doesn’t necessarily mean Jackson won’t have any suitors; rather, teams were anticipating his release and were willing to take their chances in free agency.
Since Jackson went unclaimed, the Rams will be left with the balance of Jackson’s $2.75MM base salary on the books. The receiver joined the Rams on a one-year, $4.5MM deal this past offseason.
However, the 34-year-old struggled to carve out a definitive role during his short stint in Los Angeles, seeing the field for about one-third of L.A.’s snaps. Jackson didn’t top 25 snaps in any of his games this year, and his playtime continued to dwindle, leading to a four-snap appearance against the Lions in Week 7. After that, the Rams held him out of action against the Texans to avoid a trade-scuttling injury.
Even at the age of 34, Jackson has torched the opposition for 27.6 yards per catch (albeit on only eight receptions), so a receiver-needy team will certainly appreciate his big-play ability. For his career, Jackson has 620 catches for 10,877 yards and 57 touchdowns.
Saints Tried To Acquire Giants WR Darius Slayton
Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t the only wideout who the Saints considered trading for. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, New Orleans tried to pull off a trade for Giants receiver Darius Slayton. However, the two side were unable to agree to a deal before the deadline.
[RELATED: Saints, Browns Discussed Odell Beckham Jr. Trade]
The Saints quest to add a receiver made a lot more sense once we learned that Michael Thomas will end up sitting out the entire 2021 campaign. Of course, even if Thomas was in the lineup, the team still could have used some reinforcement at the position, especially with quarterback Jameis Winston now done for the season. The Saints leader in receptions this season is running back Alvin Kamara, and the team’s receivers depth chart is currently led by Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith, Kenny Stills, and Deonte Harris.
Slayton wouldn’t have necessarily been an upgrade, but he would have provided the Saints with another dependable target. The 24-year-old has struggled a bit in 2021, collecting only 190 receiving yards in five games. However, in both 2019 and 2020, Slayton exceeded 700 receiving yards.
We heard yesterday that Slayton was generating some interest ahead of the trade deadline. The wideout’s low-cost contract still has another full year to go, a factor that held appeal to potential suitors.
Eagles Cut LB Eric Wilson
Eric Wilson‘s stint with the Eagles has already come to an end. After joining the organization this past offseason, the Eagles cut the veteran today (per a team announcement). Wilson will first hit waivers before reaching free agency.
The former undrafted free agent spent the first four seasons of his career with the Vikings, evolving from a special teamer into one of the team’s best defenders. After starting 10 games through the first three seasons of his career, Wilson started 15 of his 16 games in 2020 and put up career numbers. He finished the campaign having compiled 122 tackles, three sacks, and three interceptions, earning the nickname “walking turnover” from fellow linebacker Eric Kendricks.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon brought in several former players this offseason, but Wilson never clicked during his time in Philly. The 27-year-old ended up starting only two of his seven games, collecting 43 tackles and one interception.
After playing in more than 60 percent of his team’s defensive snaps through the first four weeks, Wilson saw a reduced role recently, including a season-low 22 defensive snaps during his team’s Week 7 loss to the Raiders. The linebacker was inactive for Week 8.
Panthers Activate OL Pat Elflein
The Panthers will welcome back a key member of their offensive line this weekend. The team has activated guard Pat Elflein off injured reserve, reports Joe Person of The Athletic (via Twitter).
The 27-year-old landed on IR in September after suffering a hamstring injury. Elflein returned to practice back in October, and today was the deadline for the organization to activate him off IR. Per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Charlotte Observer, the lineman was expected to return earlier but suffered a setback.
The former third-round pick spent the beginning of his career with the Vikings, starting 43 of his 44 appearances. He split the 2020 season between the Vikings and the Jets, and he landed in Carolina this offseason on a three-year, $13.5MM deal. He started each of his two games this season, including a Week 1 win where he appeared in 95 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.
It remains to be seen if Elflein will slide back into the starting lineup for this weekend’s game against the Patriots. The Panthers offensive line has improved over the past few weeks, so the organization could end up sticking with backups Michael Jordan and Trenton Scott in the staring lineup.
Browns Will Likely Move On From WR Odell Beckham Jr.
It sounds like Odell Beckham Jr. is trying to force his way out of Cleveland, and the Browns wideout may get his wish. A source told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that Beckham’s stint with the Browns has likely come to an end, and the only question is how the organization will let go of the veteran receiver.
[RELATED: Saints, Browns Discussed Odell Beckham Jr. Trade]
Beckham’s contract is the main complication surrounding a divorce. The wideout is still owed $8MM this season, and there’s a limited number of teams with the required cap space to claim the player off waivers. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that Beckham could also “claim termination pay,” ensuring he’ll receive the rest of his money. If Beckham isn’t claimed on waivers, this means the Browns would be left with a significant chunk of dead cap.
The Browns considered moving Beckham at the deadline, discussing a trade with the Saints. Ultimately, the team held on to the receiver, but that was before the player’s father took to social media to criticize Baker Mayfield and the quarterback’s inability to click with his top receiver. Then, LeBron James chimed in, seemingly urging the Browns to trade his friend before the deadline. One day later, Beckham is still in Cleveland, though he’s absent from practice with a “personal matter”. For what it’s worth, Mayfield said earlier today that he’d welcome a conversation with Beckham and would prefer the receiver sticks with the team.
Beckham, 29 on Friday, has four 1,000+ yard seasons to his credit, but has yet to approach his gaudy 2015 and 2016 numbers with the Giants. Following a 2020 campaign where OBJ was limited to only 319 receiving yards in seven games, the veteran has collected 232 receiving yards in six games this season.