Panthers DC Ejiro Evero Expected To Receive HC Interest
The Panthers defense has struggled to take a step forward during defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero‘s second season at the helm. The team has allowed a league-leading 2,002 rushing yards, and while the passing defense has generally been up and down, they’ve still allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns in the league (22).
Considering the underwhelming performance, some pundits have questioned if Evero will still be a popular candidate on the head coaching market this offseason. Dave Canales believes his defensive leader will once again be in contention for a head job, with the first-year Panthers HC citing his coordinator’s consistent messaging and next-man-up mentality.
“It’s echoing all through the building,” Canales said (via ESPN’s David Newton). “It’s just the fundamentals and not backing off of those things. If we can keep the principles the same and our messaging simple, then the guys have something that they can really grasp onto.”
There’s a few reasons to believe that Evero will remain a hot name on the coaching carousel. For starters, the Panthers defense wasn’t a whole lot better in 2023, and he still garnered interest for Carolina’s top job (along with head coaching gigs with the Falcons and Seahawks). Further, rival teams aren’t necessarily looking at the stat sheet when determining their next franchise leader. As Newton notes, former Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown guided an underwhelming 2023 squad before earning a promotion to pass-game coordinator in Chicago. When Bears coach Matt Eberflus was fired last week, the organization felt comfortable enough to promote Brown to interim HC despite the lack of track record.
In other words, even if the Panthers defense finishes towards the bottom of the league in 2024, Evero’s reputation should still be intact. Plus, there are recent signs of improvement in Carolina. As Newton notes, the Panthers have allowed 24.3 points per game over their last three contests, down 8.2 points from their previous league-worst standing. This stretch coincided with improved health from the defense, so Evero may be able to end the campaign on a high note before once again entering the coaching cycle.
Browns Place OL Jedrick Wills On IR
Jedrick Wills‘ disappointing 2024 campaign has likely come to an end. The Browns announced today that they’ve placed the former starting lineman on injured reserve.
[RELATED: Browns To Demote LT Jedrick Wills]
After dealing with a nagging knee injury to start the season, Wills suffered a hyperextended knee in Week 7 that’s sidelined him for four of the past five weeks. While the lineman has been a mainstay on the injury report over that span, it sounds like he wouldn’t have seen the field even if he was healthy.
With Dawand Jones running with the LT gig, Kevin Stefanski revealed that Wills would serve as a backup when he was healthy enough for the 53-man roster. The former first-round pick’s knee injury made sure the backup plan never came to true fruition, but it was already clear that Wills was out of Cleveland’s plans for the 2024 campaign.
Wills has been the Browns’ full-time LT since joining the organization in 2020. He stayed relatively healthy through his first three seasons in the NFL, but he’s struggled to stay on the field in 2023 and 2024. An MCL injury limited him to only eight contests last year, and he’ll likely end his 2024 campaign with only five appearances. This is especially poor timing for the lineman, as Wills is set to hit free agency after this season.
The Browns weren’t done making moves today. The team announced that defensive tackle Maurice Hurst has also landed on IR. Hurst suffered injuries to both his ankle and foot on Monday night, and the issues will likely sideline him for the rest of the campaign. Both Wills and Hurst will be eligible to return for the regular season finale, but there’s a good chance the team opts to play younger players vs. forcing a veteran back from injury.
In corresponding moves, the Browns signed wideouts Kadarius Toney and Michael Woods from the practice squad to the active roster. Defensive tackle T.Y. McGill and receiver James Proche earned standard promotions from the practice squad.
Eagles Place TE Dallas Goedert On IR
Dallas Goedert‘s knee injury will sideline him for at least the rest of the month. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Eagles are placing Goedert on injured reserve.
The veteran tight end will first be eligible to return for Philly’s regular season finale. Rapoport notes that the organization is hoping this break will have Goedert “full speed” for the postseason. While Week 18 would serve as a low-risk return, the Eagles could just wait to activate the tight end during the playoffs.
Goedert suffered his knee injury during last Sunday’s win over the Ravens. The 29-year-old still finished the contest having hauled in three catches for 35 yards and a score while appearing in 40 snaps.
The former second-round pick has been limited to only nine games this season thanks to a previous hamstring issue that sidelined him for three games (and most of a fourth). When he’s been on the field, he’s been plenty productive, hauling in 38 catches for 441 yards. His 49-yards-per-game mark represents the third-highest average of his career, and that includes his no-show in Week 6.
Grant Calcaterra saw the bulk of the snaps at tight end when Goedert was sidelined earlier this season. The third-year player was productive atop the depth chart, hauling in eight catches for 88 yards between Week 8 and Week 9. During that span, Jack Stoll served as the team’s TE2, but the journeyman has since caught on with the Dolphins. C.J. Uzomah was recently brought in for some spot fullback snaps, but the former Bengal could easily soak up some snaps at his natural position.
Fortunately for the Eagles, the offense should continue to hum with their starting TE out of the lineup. DeVonta Smith‘s return from a hamstring injury will certainly help, but Philly should continue to cruise as long as Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and A.J. Brown lead their respective depth charts.
Cardinals Extend RB James Conner
DECEMBER 5: Details of Conner’s contract have emerged via OverTheCap. The deal includes $10.39MM in total guarantees, including $8.25MM of fully-guaranteed money. Conner’s $6.75MM signing bonus and his $1.5MM guaranteed salary in 2025 are both fully guaranteed, with an additional $2.14MM of 2025 salary that becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year.
The contract also includes $100k in workout bonuses and $510k in per-game roster bonuses in both 2025 and 2026, as well as a $1MM roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. Connor’s 2024 salary cap number rose to $11.24MM to account for the $2.25MM prorated portion of his new signing bonus. His cap hit will be $6.5MM in 2025 and $10.25MM in 2026.
Overall, the deal rewards Conner for his success this season with solid guarantees while the structure minimizes risk for the Cardinals if his effectiveness dips next year. Conner can be released after the 2025 season with just $2.25MM in dead money while saving $8MM against the cap.
NOVEMBER 30: James Conner is sticking in Arizona. The impending free agent running back has signed a two-year extension with the Cardinals, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal is worth $19MM. The extension will keep Conner in Glendale through the 2026 campaign.
The 2025 campaign will represent Conner’s age-30 season, a milestone that teams have generally been wary of investing in. While the RB missed time in each of his first three seasons with the organization, he’s still topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage each year. He’s collected 35 touchdowns over that span, including an 18-score campaign during his debut in Arizona.
Conner has avoided the injury bug for the first chunk of the 2024 campaign, and he’s continued to produce. In 11 games, the 29-year-old has collected 993 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. As Schefter notes, the Cardinals are 5-1 when Conner reaches 100 scrimmage yards…and 1-4 when he doesn’t. The team continues to be especially reliant on their RB1, and he should continue to be a focal point over the next few seasons.
The former third-round pick started his career as Le’Veon Bell‘s backup in Pittsburgh. When the starter sat out the 2018 campaign due to a contract dispute with the Steelers, Conner literally and figuratively ran with the job. Conner finished his sophomore campaign with 1,470 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. Thanks in part to injuries and a drop in efficiency, Conner’ was barely able to match his 2018 numbers to his 2019 and 2020 outputs; between those two campaigns, the RB collected 1,651 scrimmage yards and 13 scores.
The Cardinals were somewhat taking a chance on Conner during the 2021 offseason, signing the RB to a one-year deal. His 18-touchdown performance earned him a new three-year pact with the organization, so today’s extension represents his third contract with the Cardinals.
The front office could have been preparing for a post-Conner backfield when they selected running back Trey Benson in the third round of this year’s draft. The Florida State product will move forward as high-end insurance behind the oft-injured starter.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this article.
Chargers Designate LB Junior Colson For Return
It sounds like Junior Colson will soon resume his rookie season. The Chargers linebacker is expected to return to practice this week, coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters (including Daniel Popper of The Athletic).
[RELATED: Chargers Place Junior Colson On IR]
Colson suffered an ankle injury in Week 9 that’s sidelined him for the past four weeks. Based on Harbaugh’s comments today, there’s a chance the player only requires a minimum stay on injured reserve. The Chargers will have 21 days to activate the rookie to the active roster.
A former standout at Michigan, the linebacker was selected in the third round of this past year’s draft. Thanks to an unrelated hamstring injury that knocked him out for Week 3 and Week 4, Colson has only made six appearances this season. In three of those games, he exceeded a 50-percent snap count, and he collected 11 of his 14 tackles during that stretch.
Colson could be in line for some playing time during the stretch run of the season. Daiyan Henley will continue to lead the depth chart, but the rookie should compete with Denzel Perryman (who is nursing his own groin injury) for leftover snaps. Colson’s return could also knock Troy Dye to mostly a special teams role.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/4/24
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: OL Jackson Barton
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Dane Cruikshank
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: S Dee Delaney, CB Troy Pride Jr.
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Shedrick Jackson, LB Brandon Smith
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Jason Maitre
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Kelvin Joseph
New York Jets
- Signed: G Zack Bailey
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Parris Campbell
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/24
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: OT Andrew Stueber
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: WR Jaelon Darden
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: CB Amani Oruwariye
Detroit Lions
- Waived: S Loren Strickland
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: K Matthew Wright
- Placed on IR: K Spencer Shrader
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: OT Jackson Carman
- Designated for return: LS Blake Ferguson
- Placed on IR: CB Cam Smith
New Orleans Saints
- Suspended: S Roderic Teamer
New York Giants
- Designated for return: LB Dyontae Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to active roster: TE C.J. Uzomah
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: DT Kevin Givens
- Signed to active roster: RB Patrick Taylor
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return: OT Jaelyn Duncan
Spencer Shrader‘s hamstring injury will knock him out for the next four weeks, and with Harrison Butker eventually set to return, the fill-in kicker’s stint with the Chiefs has likely come to an end. Temporarily, the team will turn to their third kicker in Matthew Wright. The veteran filled in for Shrader this past weekend, connecting on four of his five field goal tries.
Former Dolphins second-round pick Cam Smith landed on IR today, likely ending his disappointing sophomore campaign. The cornerback did get more run in 2024 vs. his rookie season, but he was still limited to only 16 tackles in six games thanks to a pair of IR stints. This time, it’s a shoulder issue that will put the South Carolina product on the shelf.
Saints safety Roderic Teamer was hit with a three-game ban today for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes that Teamer’s unpaid ban is “the conclusion of his DUI arrest” in 2023 (when he was with the Raiders). Teamer was limited to only a pair of appearances this season, with all of his snaps coming on special teams.
Titans lineman Jaelyn Duncan returned to practice today after missing the past six games while nursing a hamstring injury. The former sixth-round pick could actually see a significant role upon his return, with Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com noting that the second-year player could get a look at right tackle once he’s fully healthy.
Ohio State T Josh Simmons Declares For 2025 Draft
One of the 2025 draft’s top offensive tackle prospects has officially declared. Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons is heading to the NFL for the 2025 campaign, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
[RELATED: LSU T Will Campbell Declares For 2025 Draft]
Simmons was once in contention to be the first lineman off the board in 2025. However, the prospect suffered a knee injury in October that ended his season prematurely, with Albert Breer of SI.com revealing that Simmons suffered a torn patellar tendon. The player later underwent surgery and should be back on the field this summer.
“Josh will be fully cleared for practice by the start of NFL training camp and he will be a high first-round pick,” his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN.
Per Schefter, Simmons is “already ahead of schedule” with his rehab. Breer notes that the lineman was operated on by Rams’ team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache, and the reporter adds that it’s a “tough rehab” to overcome. Fortunately, the intended schedule should see Simmons fully recovered in time for training camp.
After two years at San Diego State, Simmons transferred to Ohio State and flourished under OL coach Justin Frye. The prospect was lauded for his agility, good hands, awareness, and elite strength during his one-plus seasons in Columbus, with the only knock surrounding the quality of his competition.
Thanks to the injury, Simmons will now have an uphill battle to be the first OL off the board. That title will likely go to LSU OT Will Campbell or Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr., but the Buckeye could battle the likes of LSU’s Emery Jones and Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery to be OT3.
Titans WR Treylon Burks Underwent ACL Surgery, Done For Season
The knee injury that landed Treylon Burks on IR back in October will ultimately end his season. The Titans wideout won’t be returning to the field in 2024 after undergoing ACL surgery, coach Brian Callahan told reporters (via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com).
[RELATED: Titans Place WR Treylon Burks On IR]
Burks suffered his knee injury during an October practice, and it sounds like there was some initial uncertainty surrounding the severity of the issue. Callahan admitted that Burks was initially diagnosed with a “loose ACL,” but it was recently determined that the receiver would indeed have to go under the knife. ACL surgery would put Burks’ availability in doubt for the start of the 2025 campaign, and it could ultimately spell the end of his tenure in Tennessee.
The former 18th-overall pick hasn’t lived up to his draft billing with the Titans. He was limited to only 22 games between his first two seasons in the league, combining for 730 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. 2024 was set to be a crucial season for Burks, but he barely saw a role through the first five games of the season. The wideout got into about half of his offense’s snaps, collecting 35 yards from scrimmage on six touches.
The organization will have to make a decision on the player’s fifth-year option in a few months. Considering the $15.28MM commitment, it seems like Burks will enter lame-duck status in 2025. The wideout could end up sticking around as an end-of-the-depth-chart option, but he’d once again have a tough time cracking the starting lineup.
Burks’ injury basically coincided with the DeAndre Hopkins trade, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has since taken advantage of his increased snaps; the former UDFA has hauled in eight touchdowns over the past eight weeks. With Calvin Ridley attached to a sizable contract, the Titans seem to have their top-two spots on the depth chart locked in for the 2025 campaign.
LSU T Will Campbell Declares For 2025 Draft
One of the nation’s top offensive line prospects has officially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. LSU lineman Will Campbell announced on Instagram that he’ll forgo his remaining year of eligibility and head to the NFL.
“There aren’t enough words to describe the impact LSU, the Baton Rouge community and the state of Louisiana has had on my life,” Campbell wrote (h/t NOLA.com). “Over the past three years, I was blessed to live out my childhood dream of being an LSU Tiger. I give all the glory to God for these opportunities.”
Campbell has served as LSU’s starting offensive tackle since he was a freshman, appearing in 38 games across three seasons at the school. After earning a first-team All-SEC nod in 2023, Campbell is a finalist for the Lombardi Award (awarded to the nation’s top offensive or defensive lineman) in 2024.
Considering his track record, Campbell has been included in the first round of mock drafts for the past year. Once viewed as a potential top-five pick, the offensive lineman may be hard pressed to hear his name that early. Most pundits generally have Campbell going at the end or just outside of the top-10, and he’ll likely be competing with Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. to be the first lineman off the board.
Campbell possesses most of the attributes that teams seek in first-round linemen. In addition to his leadership and football IQ, he’s also earned praised for his strength and mobility. Some critics have called out the prospect’s struggles against the edge, leading some to wonder if Campbell could be destined for a guard role in the NFL.