Jets WR Jermaine Kearse Likely To Miss Week 1?
The Jets fear wide receiver Jermaine Kearse may miss Week 1 after undergoing a medical procedure to treat an abdominal injury, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Kearse’s timetable for return isn’t exactly clear, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. Kearse could conceivably recover in time for the season opener, or perhaps miss a few weeks with the injury. As Costello notes, Kearse’s ailment is “impossible to predict.”
If Kearse is sidelined, the Jets will need to turn to the other receiving options on their roster. Without Kearse in tow, New York would likely use Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, and Terrelle Pryor as their starting wideouts in three-WR sets. Gang Green could also conceivably grab a pass-catcher off waivers or via trade in the coming days.
Kearse, 28, enjoyed the best statistical campaign of his career in 2017 by managing 65 receptions for 810 yards and five touchdowns. He’s entering the final season of his contract, and is scheduled to make $5.55MM during the upcoming season.
Colts’ Austin Howard, Eagles’ Chance Warmack Among OL On Trade Block?
Colts tackle Austin Howard, Eagles guard Chance Warmack, Bears center Hroniss Grasu, and Raiders tackle Jylan Ware are among the offensive linemen who could be made available via trade this weekend, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com.
Trade candidates are often simply players who will be released if no offer is made, and Howard is a clear case of that principle. The Colts already invested $1.3MM guaranteed in Howard, but he’s not a lock to open as Indianapolis’ starting right tackle or even make the club’s 53-man roster. A veteran of 92 NFL games, Howard wasn’t medically cleared until late July and has struggled in camp and during the preseason.
Warmack, too, looks like a candidate for release, as he hasn’t been included on numerous Eagles roster projections. Philadelphia extended Warmack last September, adding an extra year (2018) to his contract while guaranteeing $500K of his $1MM base salary. A trade would be especially beneficial to the Eagles, then, as an acquiring team would take on that base salary guarantee. Philadelphia could use the cap space, as it ranks a bottom-five team in financial reserves.
Both Grasu and Ware are also on the roster bubble with their respective teams. Neither offers much experience: Grasu, a third-round pick in 2015, has been beset by injuries and appeared in just 14 games, while Ware, a 2017 seventh-rounder, has just one contest under his belt.
Falcons Release OL Austin Pasztor
The Falcons have released veteran offensive tackle Austin Pasztor, the club announced today.
Pasztor, 27, was excellent as the Browns’ right tackle in 2016, but he surprisingly hasn’t garnered any interest as a starter since that season. Last year, he didn’t land a free agent contract until August, and went on to appear in only seven games as a reserve for the Falcons.
In addition to releasing Pasztor, Atlanta reached an injury settlement with cornerback Leon McFadden and cut him from injured reserve.
Patriots Cut Five Players
The Patriots are getting an early start on roster cuts, as they’ve announced the following five transactions:
- DL Frank Herron
- CB Ryan Lewis
- WR Devin Lucien
- RB Khalfani Muhammad
- WR Paul Turner
Of the group, only Turner boasts any NFL experience. The 25-year-old appeared in four games and managed nine receptions for the Eagles in 2016, but didn’t see any action last season.
49ers Announce Roster Cuts
The 49ers acquired offensive tackle Shon Coleman earlier this evening, but that wasn’t the only transaction for the club. San Francisco has also begun trimming its roster in advance of Saturday’s roster deadline.
The following players have been cut by the 49ers:
- OL J.P. Flynn
- RB Ja’Quan Gardner
- G Chris Gonzalez
- QB Jack Heneghan
- DL Chris Jones
- P Jeff Locke
- T Pace Murphy
- WR Aldrick Robinson
- TE Wes Saxton
- DL Will Sutton
- OL Darrell Williams
- RB Joe Williams
Williams was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, but he’s being pushed off the roster by veterans such as Alfred Morris and Raheem Mostert. Locke lost out in his camp battle with fourth-year punter Bradley Pinion. Robinson has followed 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to each of his three stops.
Jets Officially Cut 18 Players
The Jets’ roster is now at 71 players after the club announced 18 cuts today. Like all NFL teams, New York will need to reduce to 53 players by Saturday afternoon. Several of the following transactions were reported earlier today, but we’ll list them here as well:
Waived:
- RB George Atkinson
- OL Alex Balducci
- CB Xavier Coleman
- DL Xavier Cooper
- FB Dimitri Flowers
- T Antonio Garcia
- LB Obum Gwacham
- T Darius James
- S Kacy Rodgers II
- G Dakoda Shepley
- CB Terrell Sinkfield
- DL Mychealon Thomas
- QB John Wolford
Released:
- LB David Bass
- OL Gino Gradkowski
- WR Charles Johnson
- LB Kevin Minter
- DL Kendall Reyes
49ers Acquire T Shon Coleman From Browns
The 49ers have acquired offensive tackle Shon Coleman from the 49ers, both clubs announced. San Francisco will send a 2019 seventh-round pick to Cleveland.
While the Browns still aren’t sure how they’ll formulate a post-Joe Thomas offensive line, Coleman won’t be part of their front five. Coleman, a 2016 third-round pick under Cleveland’s previous regime, started all 16 games at right tackle last season as a middling option, ranking 56th among 79 qualified tackles, per Pro Football Focus.
Coleman wasn’t in the Browns’ long-term future, but he could give the 49ers valuable depth. Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey are locked in at left tackle and right tackle, respectively, for San Francisco, but Coleman is a viable swing option. His presence on the 49ers’ roster could potentially force the release of Garry Gilliam, who’s been dealing with a concussion for multiple weeks.
San Francisco will now control Coleman at minimum salaries for the next two seasons. Cleveland, meanwhile, will take on roughly $200K in dead money in each of the next two years.
Chiefs Acquire S Jordan Lucas From Dolphins
The Chiefs have acquired safety Jordan Lucas from the Dolphins in exchange for an undisclosed draft pick, both clubs announced. Kansas City will send a 2020 seventh-round pick to Miami in exchange for Lucas, tweets Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports.
Kansas City is in desperate need of help in its defensive backfield, as Eric Berry is recovering from a torn Achilles while dealing with another injury. Daniel Sorensen, too, is expected to miss time after suffering a tibial plateau fracture. Eric Murray, Armani Watts, and Leon McQuay represent the other options on the Chiefs’ roster.
Lucas, 25, was a sixth-round draft choice in 2016. While he’ll give Kansas City depth in the secondary, Lucas’ primary role with Miami was on special teams. He played 261 special teams with the Dolphins over the past two seasons, while he saw action on only 25 defensive plays (all in 2017).
Lucas is scheduled to earn $630K for the 2018 campaign. The Chiefs will now inherit that salary, and the Dolphins won’t take on any dead money due to the trade. Lucas will be a restricted free agent next spring.
Rams Cut Cornelius Lucas, Place Ryan Davis On IR
The Rams are the latest team to start the cut down to 53 players, which must be completed by Saturday afternoon. Los Angeles made the following transactions:
Released:
Waived:
- Fred Brown, WR
- Omarius Bryant, DT
- Chunky Clements DT
- Jake Eldrenkamp, C
- Sam Ficken, K
- Lord Hyeamang, DT
- Nate Holley, DB
- Nick Holley, RB
- Jeremiah Kolone, G
- Marcus Martin, DE
- Codey McElroy, WR
- Curtis Mikell, DB
- McKay Murphy, DT
- JoJo Natson, WR
- Aaron Neary, C
- Taurean Nixon, DB
- Tegray Scales, LB
- Darrell Williams, T
- Brian Womac, DE
Waived/injured:
- Afolabi Laguda, DB
- Kendal Thompson, WR
Placed on injured reserve:
- Ryan Davis, DE
- Morgan Fox, DE
Lucas could have conceivably given the Rams a bit of depth at offensive tackle, as he has 35 career games under his belt (although he’s played in only six contests over the past two seasons). Davis, meanwhile, flashed during training camp and may have been an option on the edge if not for injury.
Browns Interested In Raiders DE Khalil Mack
The Browns are expected to reach out to the Raiders regarding the availability of edge rusher Khalil Mack, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Mack is currently engaged in a contract dispute with Oakland, one that’s expected to last into the regular season. One of the NFL’s best pass-rushers, Mack is scheduled to earn $13.846MM in 2018 before hitting free agency next spring.
The Raiders’ asking price for Mack is believed to start with two first-round picks, but it’s unclear if any club is willing to meet that price. While teams have inquired on Mack, and offers have been coming in, Oakland has yet to make a trade. The Jets, for one, are known to be interested in acquiring Mack.
Cleveland already boasts one excellent pass-rusher in Myles Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft. But adding a talent like Mack would give the club a truly elite presence on both sides of its defensive line. And Cleveland, which has $61MM in available cap space, has more than enough funds to work out an extension with Mack.
Mack, 27, has been a wrecking ball since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Mack has totaled 40.5 sacks over his first four NFL seasons. In 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Mack as the NFL’s seventh-best edge defender.