Jets Continue To Turn Down Trade Offers For WR Denzel Mims
Despite only seeing three snaps through the first two weeks of the season, Jets wideout Denzel Mims apparently remains in the team’s plans. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter), the Jets have continued to turn away trade suitors.
We previously heard that teams were keeping an eye on Mims’ status (and growing frustration) in New York, but Garafolo notes that teams keep “calling and calling and calling” the Jets about the receiver’s availability. That included this past week, which followed a Week 2 game where Mims was inactive. Still, Joe Douglas and the front office seemingly believe in the talented offensive weapon, as they’ve rebuffed all inquiries.
The Jets selected Mims in the second round of the 2020 draft, and following a rookie campaign that saw him finish with only 357 receiving yards, there was hope that he’d take a step forward with second-overall pick Zach Wilson under center. Instead, Mims has only seen three snaps (one of which resulted in a 40-yard reception) through two weeks.
According to Garafolo, the team is attributing Mims’ lack of playing time to a crowded depth chart. Since the second-year player is behind Corey Davis, Jamison Crowder, and Elijah Moore on the depth chart, the coaching staff wants Mims to learn each of the receiver roles, something the 23-year-old has apparently yet to master. Crowder is doubtful for tomorrow’s game against the Broncos, so there’s a chance that Mims could find himself getting some reps.
Eagles Activate TE Zach Ertz From COVID-19 List
Zach Ertz‘s stint on the Reserve/COVID-19 list won’t knock him out of Monday’s game. The Eagles activated their veteran tight end today, the team announced. The team had an open roster spot, so no corresponding move was necessary.
Ertz landed on the COVID list earlier this week, but there was hope that he’d be able to play Monday night against the Cowboys (pending the results of his vaccination status/test results).
The team somewhat prepared for a potential Ertz absence when they added tight end Richard Rodgers to their practice squad earlier this week. Earlier this week, head coach Nick Sirianni acknowledged that the offense has to remain flexible based on Ertz’s status.
“You have to have double-plans out there. And so, without getting too much into that, it’s just everything has to be double-planned,” Sirianni said (via Chris McPherson of the team’s website). “You have to back it up of what you want to have in. Do you want to be in 12-personnel, do you want to be in 11-personnel? And so you just have to back up everything. This is just something that we’ve had to do and the nature of the business in the NFL.”
Now, the team can move forward with their standard depth chart of Dallas Goedert, Ertz, and Jack Stoll.
The 30-year-old has officially been relegated to a secondary role behind Goedert this season. Through two games, he has just three catches for 40 yards. This comes after a down year of 36/335/1 in eleven games, coupled with an offseason standoff with the organization. The veteran has just one year to go on his five-year, $42.5MM deal, putting him in line for free agency this spring.
This Date In Transactions History: Bills, Panthers Pull Off September Trade
On this date in 2018, we got a rare September trade. On September 25, 2018, the Bills sent offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse to the Panthers. In exchange, Buffalo received a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick.
Newhouse started 31 of 47 games for the Packers through his first three seasons in the NFL, but by the time 2018 came around, Newhouse had struggled to hold a steady gig. Still, despite brief stints with the Bengals, Giants, and Raiders, the versatile lineman found a way to stick in the lineup. This included a 2017 campaign where he started each of his 14 games in Oakland.
So, while the Bills had some depth on the offensive line, Newhouse’s ability to play both tackle and guard made him a natural target once he was let go by the Raiders. During the 2018 offseason, Newhouse joined Buffalo on a one-year deal. It looked like Newhouse had carved out a role following the trade of Cordy Glenn and the departure of Seantrel Henderson. However, through the first few weeks of the season, the offensive lineman didn’t do much behind starters Dion Dawkins and Jordan Mills. So, on this date in 2018, the Bills decided to cut their losses and move on from the veteran, shipping him off to Carolina.
Carolina also seemed to value Newhouse’s versatility, except they had a depleted depth chart and needed the veteran to play. With Daryl Williams and Matt Kalil sidelined. the hope was that their acquisition would serve as a dependable backup and fill-in behind Taylor Moton and Amini Silatolu. Newhouse ended up seeing the field for 11 games (two starts) for his new team, and after seeing time on only 14 snaps in three games with Buffalo, he got into 197 snaps with the Panthers.
The Panthers didn’t qualify for the playoffs, and Newhouse decided to move on from the organization in 2019 as he pursued a ring. He signed with the Saints during the offseason, but he didn’t make it to the regular season. He ended up spending much of the 2019 campaign with the Patriots, getting into 15 games with nine starts. However, New England was ousted in the first round. Newhouse spent the 2020 campaign with the Titans, getting into only four games.
From Buffalo’s perspective, the trade was a mixed bag. The positive: the team quickly signed Jeremiah Sirles to take Newhouse’s spot on the roster, and he ended up getting into only 12 games (with five starts) for Buffalo. The negative: while the Bills ended up receiving that conditional seventh-round pick from the Panthers, they didn’t do much with it. They used the pick on Texas Tech offensive lineman Jack Anderson, but the rookie ended up getting waived by the team and landing on their practice squad. He was snagged by the Eagles earlier this week.
It’s hard to expect a whole lot from a September trade, and in hindsight, this trade really didn’t provide much intrigue for either side. Still, you’ve got to give credit to both squads for slightly shaking up their squads so early in the season.
Buccaneers Rework OL Ali Marpet’s Contract
The Buccaneers have reworked Ali Marpet‘s contract. The team converted $5MM of the lineman’s contract into a guaranteed roster bonus. The move will open up about $4MM in cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Specifically, the team added a pair of void years, and the offensive lineman’s cap charge will increase $1MM for each of the remaining “four” years on his contract. Marpet signed a five-year, $55.125MM extension (including more than $27MM guaranteed) with the Buccaneers in 2018 that (barring a legitimate extension) will last through the 2023 season.
The two sides did something similar in 2020. Marpet agreed to convert a portion of his salary into a signing bonus, opening up a similar $4MM chunk of cap space for the Buccaneers.
Marpet joined the organization as a second-round pick in 2015, and he’s spent his entire six-plus-year career in Tampa Bay. The lineman has started each of his 87 games since entering the NFL, including a Super Bowl-winning 2020 campaign where he started each of his 13 regular season games and all four of his postseason contests.
The 28-year-old has started each of the team’s two games this season, appearing in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott Discusses Role, Contract
Following a 2020 campaign that saw Ezekiel Elliott finish with a career-low 16.3 touches per game, the veteran running back has only seen 27 carries (13.5 per game) through the first two contests of the 2021 season. His decreasing role in the offense has drawn the ire of Cowboys fans, especially after Elliott inked a lucrative six-year, $90MM extension following a brief 2019 holdout. When asked if he’s bothered by the criticism surrounding his contract and role, Elliott predictably said he ignores the talk.
“You hear it but what really matters is what’s going on in this building,” Elliott said (via Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News). “So I mean, they’re not the one signing the checks. They’re not the ones sending the wires. So I mean … I don’t think it matters.”
Of course, a lack of touches isn’t necessarily Elliott’s fault. As Watkins points out, the running back had 20+ carries in 21 games between 2017 and 2019 while playing under Jason Garrett. Over the past year-plus, Elliott has exceeded 20 carries in only three games while playing under head coach Mike McCarthy. Plus, backup Tony Pollard has transformed into a useful piece in the Cowboys offense, and the 24-year-old has outperformed his teammate through the first two games of the season (Pollard has 183 yards and one touchdown on 23 touches, Elliott has 136 yards and one touchdown on 31 touches).
While Elliott will be hard pressed to reach the 1,756 all-purpose yards he averaged through his first four seasons in the NFL, he’s more than willing to watch his teammates succeed.
“It’s a brotherhood,” Elliott said. “Every week we all got the same goal, the same common goal and that’s the goal to win football games. However we got to do that, that’s what we got to do. I see Tony, I see the work he puts in, he’s one of the hardest workers on the team and he’s very talented. He deserves to go out there and play well.”
Panthers CB Jaycee Horn Suffers Broken Foot
The injuries are starting to pile up for the Panthers. After Christian McCaffrey left Thursday’s game, we learned that first-round cornerback Jaycee Horn suffered a significant injury. The rookie suffered a broken foot during tonight’s game against the Texans, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey Exits Game With Injury]
Horn went down on a non-contact play and had to be carted off the field during the first possession of the second half. Per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com, the cornerback couldn’t put weight on his leg. This is a tough break for a Panthers team that also lost safety Juston Burris during tonight’s game. There’s no definitive timetable on Horn’s return, but a trip to the IR seems likely.
Horn was on the draft radar ever since his solid 2018 showing. By 2020, he solidified his status as an elite prospect. In his final year with the Buckeyes, Horn nabbed a pair interceptions and notched six passes defended in just seven games (Horn sat out the final stretch of the year after the departure of head coach Will Muschamp). Thanks to his performance, Horn was the first cornerback off the board in this year’s draft, going eighth overall to the Panthers. Through his first two NFL games, Horn had collected three tackles and one interception.
With Horn out of the picture, Rashaan Melvin will likely see an uptick in reps.
Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey Exits Game With Injury
Christian McCaffrey is out for the rest of tonight’s game against the Texans. The running back left the game during the second quarter of tonight’s contest and will not return, according to the broadcast (and passed along by ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter).
The star running back is dealing with a hamstring injury, according to the team. McCaffrey bounced on and off the field for much of the first quarter-plus, and he remained in the medical tent for some time after exiting during the second quarter.
Following a historic 2019 campaign where McCaffrey finished with 2,392 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns, the running back was limited to only three games in 2020 after suffering a shoulder injury. He looked fully recovered through the first two weeks of the 2021 season, collecting 324 yards from scrimmage on 59 carries. The 25-year-old had another 40 all-purpose yards on nine touches before leaving tonight’s game.
McCaffrey‘s absence may end up being inconsequential during Thursday’s game against the lowly Texans. However, it will be tough for the surprising Panthers to overcome a long-term McCaffrey absence. Chuba Hubbard is next in line for carries, but the rookie fourth-round pick has only seen time in 26 offensive snaps through two weeks. The team is also rostering Royce Freeman on the active roster, and they could turn to practice squad backs Rodney Smith or Spencer Brown.
49ers HC Confirms Team’s Past Interest In QB Aaron Rodgers
The 49ers were consistently connected to Aaron Rodgers during the early parts of the quarterback’s standoff with the Packers. Today, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that his team had reached out to the Packers about a potential trade.
“I thought it’d be a quick no,” Shanahan told (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk). “Which was exactly what I thought it would be. But you hear enough stuff and I think everyone knew what was going on at that time that it didn’t seem like it [wasn’t] worth the call, but I know how we would’ve felt if it was going to happen and we didn’t call. So, you call, you get a quick answer which what was what you’re expecting and then you move on.”
We previously heard that the 49ers were on Rodgers’ wish list, and the Packers even accused the 49ers of tampering after the team reached out directly to the QB. In other words, it’s not a huge surprise that the 49ers had approached the Packers about a trade, but Shanahan’s confirmation is a nice touch.
Ultimately, the 49ers decided to go in a different direction, as they went all in on a trade for third-overall pick Trey Lance. Jimmy Garoppolo remains the starter in San Francisco, but the team will eventually hand over the reigns to the North Dakota State product.
Shanahan will get a front row seat to ‘what could have been’ this weekend, as the 49ers take on Rodgers and the Packers on Sunday evening.
Latest On Giants OL Nick Gates
Nick Gates‘ injury last Thursday will end up having a significant impact on the lineman’s career. Giants head coach Joe Judge “couldn’t completely rule out” that Gates’ injury will end up ending his career (per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan on Twitter). However, the coach “seemed hopeful” that the lineman will be able to see the field again.
“I’d be lying, if from my perspective, if I said no,” Judge replied when asked if the injury was a career-ender (via Raanan). “I know that there are some comparisons to other players. These things are all different. I know he’s going to have the best medical care possible, here or elsewhere whatever we can do. So we are confident he’s going to be able to come back.”
Gates remains in a hospital in Virginia and is set to undergo further testing. The team captain posted an Instagram video that showed him walking, and Raanan writes that he “remains in good spirits despite the severity of the injury.”
The injury occurred in the first quarter of last Thursday’s loss to Washington. The lineman got tangled up with WFT defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, and it looked like teammate Daron Payne accidentally rolled over his ankle. Gates’ leg was placed in an air cast before he was carted off the field. The broadcast refused to show a replay considering the gruesome nature of the injury.
Gates was an undrafted free agent in 2018, but he’s transformed into one of the Giants’ most reliable offensive lineman. The 25-year-old started all 16 games for New York in 2020, and he was named a team captain prior to the 2021 campaign. He appeared in all 61 of the Giants’ offensive snaps during their Week 1 loss.
Jaguars Work Out TE Trey Burton
James O’Shaughnessy is out for at least a few weeks, and the Jaguars are starting to look for some additional depth at tight end. The team worked out free agent Trey Burton today, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Jaguars Place TE James O’Shaughnessy On IR]
After starting five games in four seasons with the Eagles, Burton had a breakout campaign with the Bears in 2018, finishing with 54 receptions for 569 yards and six touchdowns. However, he only hauled in 14 receptions in 2019, leading to his release. The veteran caught on with the Colts in 2020, finishing with 28 receptions for 250 yards and three scores.
Burton does have some connection to the organization. The former undrafted free agent played under current Jags coach Urban Meyer at Florida.
O’Shaughnessy suffered a high ankle sprain last weekend, and he landed on IR this week. The 29-year-old was the only tight end on the roster with multiple receptions, so it makes sense that the team is eyeing some reinforcement at the position. Otherwise, the team is hoping that one of Chris Manhertz, Jacob Hollister, or fifth-round pick Luke Farrell will step up in the starter’s absence.