Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate Dealing With Back Discomfort
It sounds like Cameron Brate may be a bit banged up heading into the Super Bowl. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers tight end was a limited participant at practice Thursday due to a back injury. Rapoport adds that the ailment was described as “back discomfort,” and Brate “was pulled out of an abundance of caution.”
Brate felt better on Friday and, despite being listed as questionable, is expected to play Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Thanks in part to the addition of Rob Gronkowski, Brate put up some of the lowest numbers of his career in 2020, compiling 28 receptions for 282 yards and two scores. However, the 29-year-old has seen a more significant role in the playoffs. After collecting five or more targets in only two of his 16 regular season games, Brate has seen at least five targets in each of his three postseason contests, hauling in 11 receptions for 149 yards and one touchdown.
If Brate were to be sidelined for the Super Bowl, Gronk would likely soak up most of Brate’s snaps. With O.J. Howard sitting on IR, the Bucs could also hypothetically turn to Antony Auclair or Tanner Hudson.
There is some good news on the injury front for Tampa Bay. Rapoport adds that wideout Antonio Brown was a full participant at practice. The 32-year-old sat out the NFC Championship as he nursed a knee injury. Brown appeared in eight games for the Buccaneers this season, compiling 45 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns.
Jadeveon Clowney Open To Re-Signing With Titans
Jadeveon Clowney‘s stop in Tennessee may last beyond the 2020 season. A source told Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com that the pass rusher is “definitely open” to returning to the Titans next season. The 27-year-old is still expected to test free agency this offseason, but “the Titans apparently remain an option to re-sign him.”
After sitting unsigned for months, Clowney eventually joined the Titans on a one-year, $12MM deal last offseason. The former first-overall pick failed to collect a sack in any of his eight regular season games, and he ultimately finished the season having compiled 19 tackles, one forced fumble, and six quarterback hits. A left meniscus injury (and subsequent surgery) ultimately knocked Clowney out for the season.
Of course, Clowney isn’t far removed from his stretch of three-straight Pro Bowl appearances. From 2016 through 2018, the former Texans standout averaged 8.2 sacks and two forced fumbles per season. Clowney has only appeared in 16 games once throughout his career, although that injury risk will surely depress his value in free agency.
As McCormick notes, a reunion would make sense for the Titans. The team lacks depth at outside linebacker, and they finished with the third-fewest sacks in the league last season. Plus, Clowney has a relationship with head coach Mike Vrabel that dates back to their time in Houston.
Could Bills Franchise LB Matt Milano?
Linebacker Matt Milano should be one of the top free agents available at his position…if he makes it that far. While speaking to reporters last week, Bills general manager Brandon Beane “did not rule out using the franchise tag” on the 26-year-old (per Jourdon LaBarber of the team’s website).
“We’d love to be able to get Matt back,” Beane added. “He knows that. I shared that with him and I’m sure Sean has as well. The business side matters. He wants to and he’s earned the right to go to free agency and see what his market bears.
“We’ll do our best to retain him and as many guys as we can. We just don’t even know the numbers yet and what it’s going to be. There’s going to be some tough decisions unfortunately for us, whether it’s letting guys go on this roster or having to watch guys leave.”
Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic adds some additional context, noting that the franchise tag would be a realistic option if the two sides can’t agree to a long-term pact. However, considering the expected $15MM franchise price for linebackers, Buffalo would likely have to cut a few players to retain financial flexibility. Sheil Kapadia and Aaron Reiss of The Athletic agree with the franchise-tag sentiment, noting that a Milano tag would be similar to last offseason when the Patriots and Vikings surprised many by franchising guard Joe Thuney and safety Anthony Harris, respectively.
A 2017 fifth-round pick, Milano has spent his entire career with the Bills, including a 2019 campaign where he compiled career-highs in games started (15) and tackles (101). He was limited to only 10 games (five starts) in 2020 due to a pectoral injury, but he still managed to compile 45 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He started each of the Bills’ three playoff games, collecting an additional 25 tackles.
Jaguars Add Brian Schottenheimer To Coaching Staff
Urban Meyer is making some final touches to his coaching staff. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars are hiring Brian Schottenheimer as their new passing game coordinator.
In Jacksonville, the 47-year-old will likely be in charge of a new-look passing attack. It seems like a foregone conclusion that the Jaguars will select Trevor Lawrence with the first-overall pick, and the organization is still rostering Gardner Minshew and Jake Luton. Schottenheimer will be working under new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
We learned last week that Meyer was eyeing a number of candidates for the role of quarterbacks coach, including Mark Brunell (who has since joined the Lions), former Chargers HC Mike McCoy, and former Buccaneers and Giants OC Mike Sullivan. It’s uncertain if Schottenheimer will inherit the responsibilities of that role, or perhaps the Jaguars will look to add yet another offensive mind to their coaching staff.
Schottenheimer has been coaching for more than two decades. He got his first crack at being an offensive coordinator with the Jets in 2006, and he proceeded to spend six years in New York. He later served as offensive coordinator for the Rams and at Georgia. Following his brief collegiate stint, he returned to the NFL as the Colts quarterbacks coach. In 2018, he was hired as the Seahawks offensive coordinator, where he replaced (coincidentally) Bevell. He spent three seasons in Seattle, and despite the Seahawks setting a franchise record for points scored in a season, he was let go following the 2020 campaign.
This Date In Transactions History: Seahawks Offer RB Marshawn Lynch “Huge” Extension
Marshawn Lynch was certainly unpredictable during his playing career. So, when it was reported six years ago today that the Seahawks had offered the running back a lucrative contract extension, not many were sure how the negotiations would unfold. Honestly, most fans and pundits were focused on Seattle’s Super Bowl matchup with New England scheduled for later that night.
Before we discuss how the story ultimately ended, let’s go back to February 1st, 2015. Lynch was coming off his fourth-straight Pro Bowl season, finishing with 1,673 all-purpose yards and a career-high 17 rushing/receiving touchdowns. He continued that performance in the postseason, including Super Bowl XLIX, when he ran for 102 yards and one touchdown. Of course, Lynch famously got snubbed when the Seahawks were within yards of a game-winning touchdown (and we all know how that game ended).
While the season may have ended in disappointment, there was no denying that Lynch was a key member of the Seahawks offense. With the veteran running back set to make only $5MM in 2015, Seattle’s front office understood that their star deserved a raise. So, they offered their running back an extension, and the terms started to leak out on this date six years ago. The new deal would pay Lynch $10MM in 2015 alone, and the “huge” extension was expected to keep Lynch in Seattle for the rest of his career.
Ultimately, Lynch signed that extension with Seattle in March of 2015, but it didn’t provide the long-term security that many expected, as the new deal was worth $24MM over two years. Unfortunately, Lynch was never really the same after inking his new contract. He was limited to only 417 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2015, and sports hernia surgery knocked him out of the lineup for the second half of the season. Lynch eventually made his return in the Divisional Round, a game the Seahawks ultimately lost to the Panthers.
A few weeks later, Lynch shocked the NFL by announcing his retirement. Of course, considering that aforementioned unpredictably, it didn’t take long for rumors to start popping up about a potential comeback. Ultimately, he returned to his hometown Raiders for the 2017 season, a deal that required the Seahawks to participate in a trade (considering they still held his rights). Lynch spent two seasons in Oakland, and he once against announced his retirement following the 2018 campaign.
Of course, that wasn’t the end for Beast Mode. With the Seahawks dealing with injuries to their running back corps, Lynch rejoined his former team late in the 2019 season. The veteran ended up playing in one regular season game and two postseason contests, and his three playoff touchdowns ultimately elevated him to fourth on the all-time list for postseason rushing touchdowns. Lynch seemingly learned from his previous retirements, as he kept the door opened for a potential return in 2020. As recently as December, the 34-year-old hinted that he’d still be willing to return to the league. However, he ended up sitting out the 2020 season.
We’ll probably never know the terms of the extension that was reported six years ago today, so it’s uncertain if either the Seahawks or Lynch ended up winning the negotiations. However, one thing is definitely certain: when news broke of an extension offer on this day six years ago, few would have guessed how the rest of Lynch’s career would unfold.
T.J. Yates Joins Falcons Coaching Staff
While the Falcons may have hired a pair of offensive minds in new head coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone, they’ll be turning to a former NFL quarterback to (partly) handle their passing game. The Falcons announced today that T.J. Yates has been hired as their passing game specialist. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle was first with the news (via Twitter) yesterday.
Yates, a 2011 fifth-round pick out of North Carolina, managed to put together a seven-year career, including stints with the Texans (thrice), Falcons, Dolphins, and Bills. He last played in 2017 with the Texans, when he garnered three starts. In total, Yates finished his career having appeared in 22 games (10 starts), completing 55.2-percent of his passes for 2,057 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Yates joined the Texans coaching staff in 2019, working his way up from offensive assistant to assistant quarterbacks coach. The 33-year-old is somewhat familiar with his new personnel; he was the backup to Matt Ryan during the 2014 season. Yates will work alongside Smith, Ragone, and new quarterbacks coach Charles London.
The Falcons also announced the hiring of two more coaches on Saturday. Lanier Goethie, who most recently served as linebackers coach at Duke, will join Atlanta as a defensive assistant. Nick Perry, who spent the past four years at Alabama, is joining the team as an assistant defensive backs coach.
Latest On Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
While it sounds like Ben Roethlisberger is willing to meet the financial demands of owner Art Rooney II, those impending contract discussions still left some question marks about the quarterback’s future in Pittsburgh. Well, it sounds like Roethlisberger will have a say in roster construction, another indication that he’ll be back next season. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter) that Roethlisberger is set to meet with Rooney and head coach Mike Tomlin next month to discuss “what roster plans they have for the 2021 season.”
“Ben knows he has more left, but having key players back, like (Maurkice) Pouncey, will be important,” agent Ryan Tollner told Dulac (Twitter link). “Ben’s contract won’t hold things up. We told them immediately after the season we will make any necessary adjustment to help their cap situation in 2021.”
Earlier this week, we learned that Rooney wanted to reduce Roethlisberger’s $41.2MM cap hit for next season. We learned later that day that the quarterback’s camp was willing to oblige, and these recent quotes from Tollner seem to emphasize that they won’t be haggling over a contract. It sounds like the main sticking point will focus on what the Steelers do with the rest of their roster.
The organization is already projected to be more than $30MM over a $175MM cap, though it is not known how far the cap will drop from this year’s $198MM ceiling. Wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster is set to hit free agency, and the Steelers front office will have to trim some more salaries (like, potentially, Pouncey’s) before the start of next season. While any hypothetical Roethlisberger restructuring would undoubtedly help the cause, the organization will still have to make tough decisions elsewhere on their roster.
Latest On J.J. Watt’s Future With The Texans
Deshaun Watson may not be the only star player who could find his way out of Houston. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) there’s a “sense” that the Texans could look to move on from their star pass rusher J.J. Watt as they pivot toward a rebuild.
Following rumblings from November that the organization could look to trade the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rapoport notes that the new front office believes Watt deserves clarity on the situation. NFL Network’s James Palmer adds some fuel to that fire (on Twitter), noting that teammates and coaches believe the veteran has played his final game in Houston, with that sentiment being the general “mood in the locker room after their final game.”
With a new coaching staff and front office, things were already expected to look a whole lot different in Houston next season (even if the organization refuses to trade Watson). Considering all that Watt has done for Houston — both on the field and in the community — it’d certainly be tough to justify a trade without some explicit request.
On the flip side, one could argue that the front office should look to get whatever assets they can for the veteran, especially with the future Hall of Famer heading into the final year of his contract. With Watt being on the wrong side of 30, having never advanced past the second round of the playoffs, and being uninterested in a rebuild, the front office could find themselves losing the pass rusher for nothing next offseason. Watt is due to make $17.5MM in 2021.
This past season, Watt appeared in all 16 games for only the second time in the past five years. The 31-year-old finished the campaign having compiled 52 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pick-six.
Ravens Re-Sign Jordan Richards
Jordan Richards is sticking with Baltimore. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Ravens have signed the veteran to a one-year, $1.015MM deal. The contract includes $125K in guaranteed money. As Yates notes, the contract “qualifies for the veteran salary benefit,” meaning Richards will have a cap charge of only $875K.
Richards was a second-round pick by the Patriots back in 2015, and he spent most of his three years in New England as a rotational defensive back. His final game for the Patriots came in Super Bowl LII, when he collected six tackles in a loss to the Eagles. He was traded to Atlanta the following offseason, and he put up career-highs during his one year with the Falcons, including 39 tackles and three passes defended. Richards inked a one-year deal with the Raiders prior to the 2019 season, but he was cut by the team at the end of training camp. He ended up landing back on New England, but he was cut after a month with his old/new team.
Richards caught on with Baltimore for the stretch run of that 2019 campaign, appearing in nine games (including a Week 17 win over the Steelers where he returned a fumble for a touchdown). Despite getting cut at the end of the 2020 preseason, the 28-year-old still managed to appear in 16 games for the Ravens this season. All but 15 of his snaps came on special teams, and he finished the year with four tackles.
The Ravens have been busy this week retaining their veterans. We learned yesterday that the organization signed tight end Nick Boyle to an extension.
Rams Shopping QB Jared Goff?
Raise your hand if you saw this one coming. Following news from last night that Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford would welcome a trade to the Rams, we’re now hearing that Los Angeles is shopping around their incumbent signal-caller. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports that the Rams have held “exploratory talks with multiple teams” regarding a Jared Goff trade.
[RELATED: Rams In Play For Matthew Stafford?]
From a financial perspective, trading Goff is easier said than done. As Rodrigue explains, the Rams would be stuck with $22.2MM in dead money if they were to trade the former first-overall pick. However, a trade would be more palatable if it took place after June 1, as the Rams would be left with only $6.8MM in dead money (plus another $15.4MM in dead cap in 2022). As our own Sam Robinson pointed out last night, releasing Goff is also unrealistic. The guarantees in the quarterback’s four-year, $134MM deal go through 2022, and the organization doesn’t have an easy out on that contract until 2023. While Stafford has base salaries of just $9.5MM and $12.5MM over the next two years, Goff’s contract certainly complicates any potential trade.
After earning Pro Bowl nodes in his sophomore and junior seasons (including a 2018 campaign where he helped guide the Rams to a Super Bowl loss), Goff has seemingly plateaued over the past two years. He tossed a career-high 16 interceptions in 2019, and his 20 passing touchdowns in 2020 was the lowest total since his rookie year (when he started only seven games). For comparison’s sake, Stafford has tossed fewer than 20 touchdowns only once since 2011, and that came during a 2019 campaign where he compiled 19 passing touchdowns in only eight games.
As Sam noted last night, Rams head coach Sean McVay and GM Les Snead have recently made comments indicating Goff’s status is less than secure. Rodrigue also notes that there’s a connection between the Rams’ and Lions’ front offices; new Lions GM Brad Holmes previously served as the Rams’ director of college scouting. Now ,that’s not to say that any Goff trade would necessarily involve the Lions; considering Detroit’s apparent desire to restart, it doesn’t seem that Goff would be a fit in any hypothetical Stafford-to-Los Angeles deal. Still, the connection between the front offices is too obvious to ignore.