NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/27/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Tony McRae
- Released: CB Sojourn Shelton
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Gabe Ikard
Bills Won’t Release Anquan Boldin
The Bills have no intention of releasing wide receiver Anquan Boldin from his contract, but could still trade the veteran wideout per his request, as general manager Brandon Beane told reporters, including Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Bills Trade Marcell Dareus To Jaguars]
Boldin, 37, signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal with Buffalo earlier this year, but retired in August after the club traded away wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. However, Boldin now wants to make a comeback and would like to be traded or have the Bills release his rights. Beane told reporters that he “doesn’t expect much” in terms of trade offers for Boldin, which could mean the longtime NFL wideout could stay put through Tuesday’s trade deadline.
While Beane has not personally spoken with Boldin, the GM said Boldin would prefer to play closer to his Florida residence, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Additionally, Beane wouldn’t rule out Boldin returning to the Bills, who have surprised with a 4-2 record and coincidentally boast one of the league’s worst wide receiving corps.
In 2016, Boldin appeared in all 16 games for the Lions, and managed 67 receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns. While the yardage total was the lowest of Boldin’s career, his eight scores were the most he’s posted since 2008. Boldin, a three-time Pro Bowler, played on 80% of Detroit’s offensive snaps as the club’s third receiver behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.
Pats Could Still Re-Sign CB Malcolm Butler
Although reports near the beginning of the season indicated cornerback Malcolm Butler would likely leave the Patriots following the 2017 campaign, there is in fact mutual contractual interest between New England and the former Super Bowl hero, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. However, negotiations aren’t expected to take place until the season concludes.
Butler, of course, was reportedly dangled in trade talks all offseason, and also had a restricted free agent dalliance with the Saints that ultimately led nowhere. He’s now teaming with free agent acquisition Stephon Gilmore in a surprisingly poor secondary, and that hefty investment in Gilmore (five years, $65MM) could lead to Butler going elsewhere.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported earlier this year that the Patriots were “done” negotiating with Butler, although that could have meant the club wouldn’t rekindle talks until the offseason. Butler looks the like the best cornerback scheduled to enter the 2018 free agent market (other options include Vontae Davis and Trumaine Johnson), and New England would be entitled to a compensatory selection — likely in the third round — if Butler signs with another club.
The franchise tag could conceivably be an option, but Rapoport indicated the Patriots had no interest in using that tender on Butler in 2018. Next year’s cornerback tag will likely be worth north of $15MM, meaning New England would be investing a significant amount of money in its defensive backfield. Butler is currently earning just $3.91MM this season under his restricted free agent tender.
Butler, 27, struggled earlier this year, but he’s settled in and returned to his typical levels of production. He’s played on 95% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps, and grades as the NFL’s No. 22 cornerback through seven games, per Pro Football Focus. While he’s managed two interceptions on the season, Butler ranks just 57th among 63 qualifiers in Football Outsiders’ success rate.
Jaguars To Acquire DT Marcell Dareus
The Jaguars have agreed to acquire defensive tackle Marcell Dareus from the Bills, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Buffalo will receive a 2018 sixth-round pick that change to a fifth-round pick based if Dareus sticks on Jacksonville’s roster for the rest of the season and the Jaguars make the playoffs, per Schefter and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).
Dareus had long been thought to be available on the trade market, as the new Buffalo regime — including general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott — didn’t believe Dareus’ immense talent was worth his reported motivational lapses. Indeed, the Bills attempted to trade Dareus this offseason, but weren’t able to find a match.
The inability to Dareus until this point was likely due to his massive contract, a six-year, $95.1MM extension that he inked in 2015. It’s incredibly surprising the Bills were able to convince the Jaguars to take on the remaining portions of Dareus’ deal, which includes the rest of his guaranteed $9.75MM base salary this season and a $7.35MM guarantee in 2018. Dareus is also set to earn non-guaranteed base salaries of $8.335MM, $12.335MM, and $12.4MM from 2019-21, with $2MM available in roster bonuses during those three seasons.
Jacksonville can afford Dareus’ contract in 2017, as it still has more than $37MM in reserves, but his 2018 salary will eat into the club’s $13MM worth of cap space next season. Buffalo, meanwhile, is relieving itself of a hefty financial obligation, but will still be forced to eat part of Dareus’ deal. The rest of his prorated bonus money — $14.2MM in total — will accelerate onto the Bills’ salary cap in 2018.
Dareus, who now reunites with former Bills/current Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, will join an already stacked defense that leads the league in DVOA. While the unit is excellent, it does rank dead last in run defense DVOA, an area Dareus should help improve. Jacksonville now fields a defensive line that includes Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, and Dante Fowler Jr.
Dareus, 27, clearly has immense talent, as evidenced both by his draft pedigree (No. 3 overall in 2011) and his prior NFL production, so if Marrone and the rest of Jacksonville’s staff can motivate him, Dareus could prove to be steal. He’s only played 138 defensive snaps on the season, but Dareus has graded as the NFL’s No. 37 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. The Alabama product is three years removed from his best overall year, a 2014 campaign which saw him manage 10 sacks from the defensive tackle position.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/27/17
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Released from injured reserve: WR River Cracraft
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: TE Henry Krieger-Coble
NFC North Notes: Lions, Tate, Vikes, Sendejo
While initial reports indicated Lions wideout Golden Tate would be sidelined for a “few weeks” after suffering an AC joint sprain in Week 6, the veteran pass-catcher participated in practice today, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Tate’s presence at practice certainly doesn’t mean that he’ll be ready to face the Steelers on Sunday, and there’s every reason that he’ll remain doubtful for Week 8 (especially given that he was recently spotted sporting a sling). But it’s a remarkable turnaround for Tate, and gives him a decent chance at being available in Week 9 even if he can’t go against Pittsburgh.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- Tate wasn’t the only Lions player to return to practice this week, as offensive lineman Corey Robinson was on the field as well, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. Unlike Tate, Robinson isn’t currently on the Lions’ active roster, as Detroit placed him on injured reserve in September. The NFL now allows clubs to bring two players back from IR, and Robinson appears to be one of the Lions’ choices — he can practice over the next two weeks, and can be activated in time for Detroit’s November 2 contest against the Browns. Last season, Robinson appeared in 14 games as a reserve and made three starts.
- Free agent offensive lineman Don Barclay worked out for the Lions today, per Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link). Barclay, whom the Packers released off injured reserve earlier this week, appeared in 62 games (24 starts) for the Packers from 2012-16. Given his ability to play guard and tackle, Barclay would give Detroit experience all along the line. The Lions are a bottom-six team in both adjusted line yards and sack rate, and left tackle Greg Robinson — who’s filling in for the injured Taylor Decker — is the league’s second-worst tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
- Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo will serve his one-game suspension in Week 8 after his appeal was denied, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Sendejo, who earned his ban due to a hit on Ravens wide receiver Mike Wallace, will be off the field when Minnesota faces the Browns on Sunday. Instead, the Vikings will turn to Anthony Harris and Jayron Kearse to cover opposite All Pro Harrison Smith. The one-game suspension will cost Sendejo roughly $174K, the amount of a single game check.
Jaguars Extend LB Telvin Smith
The Jaguars have signed linebacker Telvin Smith to a four-year extension through the 2021 season, the club announced. The deal is worth $44MM and has a maximum value of $50MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Adam Schefter of NFL.com (Twitter link).
“He has earned this second contract,” Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin said of Smith in a statement. “We want to identify the players who will contribute to helping this team win going forward, and reward those who can do that. Telvin is certainly one of those players for us.”
Jacksonville found Smith in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, and he’s been a playmaker since day one. While he’s been a starter for much of his time with the Jaguars, the 26-year-old Smith entered the league’s elite linebacker class in 2016, and has continued his excellent production through seven weeks of the 2017 campaign.
An every-down linebacker, Smith has remained on the field for 99% of Jacksonville’s defensive snaps, helping the club to a No. 1 overall DVOA ranking and a 4-3 record. On an individual level, Smith grades as the No. 3 linebacker in the league, per Pro Football Focus. Fast enough to play in coverage, Smith is the prototypical 21st century ‘backer, but he’s also spectacular against the run (No. 2 behind Lavonte David, per PFF).
While the specifics of Smith’s new deal aren’t in just yet, his $11MM annual average value would place him behind only the the Browns’ Jamie Collins and the Panthers’ Luke Kuechly as the highest-paid off-ball linebackers in the NFL. Contract structure and guarantees will impact analysis of the pact, but at first glance, Smith has met market expectations.
The Jaguars have not been shy about extending players whom they feel have a long-term impact with the club, and the 2014 class is no exception. Along with Smith, Jacksonville has also locked up center Brandon Linder and wide receiver Allen Hurns (who was signed as a undrafted free agent) to multi-year deals.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/2017
Today’s practice squad updates:
Carolina Panthers
- Released: WR Austin Duke
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Victor Salako
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Stansly Maponga
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers: C Dillon Day
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Mike Purcell
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Nate Theaker
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Jhaustin Thomas
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Don Cherry
- Released: DE Alex McCalister
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Rodney Coe
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Isaiah Johnson, DE Marquavius Lewis
Texans TE C.J. Fiedorowicz To Return From IR
Tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz returned to practice today, and the Texans have officially designated him to return from injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
[RELATED: Duane Brown Ends Holdout]
Houston infamously lost all three of its tight ends — Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin, and Stephen Anderson — to concussions in Week 1, but Fiedorowicz’s was the most severe. Given that he had also suffered a concussion during the preseason, Fiedorowicz was placed on IR, as the Texans opted not to further risk his health.
The Texans never did replace Fiedorowicz with another tight end, so Griffin and Anderson have handled the position for the Houston’s 12th-ranked-DVOA offense. Griffin is third on the club with 12 receptions, and has also graded as an above-average run-blocker (No. 24 among 69 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus). Anderson, a second-year pro, has managed nine catches for 136 yards.
Fiedorowicz, 26, was a major part of the Texans’ offense in 2016, as his 89 targets represented 15% of Houston’s target share. All told, he posted 54 receptions for 559 yards and four touchdowns, easily the best marks of his NFL career. The Texans rewarded Fiedorowicz with a contract extension just before the start of the season, inking him to a three-year, $23.5MM extension that locks him up through the 2021 campaign.
NFC West Notes: Cards, 49ers, Hawks, Rams
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians has not made any decision regarding whether his career will continue past the 2017 season, sources tell Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Arizona will now be without quarterback Carson Palmer for several weeks (if not the rest of the year), and given that the Cardinals appear set to miss the postseason for the second consecutive season, there was some thought that Arians could hang it up after the current campaign concludes. But Arians himself tweeted that any such rumors were “news” to him, although Weinfuss added that how Arizona finishes the season could factor into Arians’ decision on 2018.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Offensive tackle Joe Staley‘s name is often tossed out near the NFL’s trade deadline, but 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan says it would “take a whole lot” for the club to move the veteran lineman, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). As Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes, the Niners have surely discussed trading Staley, especially now that a contending club such as the Eagles is down a left tackle in Jason Peters. Staley, 33, is still playing well — No. 19 offensive tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus — and is signed through the 2019 season at extremely affordable rates.
- Conversations between the Seahawks and edge defender Dwight Freeney were initiated after fellow defensive lineman Cliff Avril suffered an injury, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links). Avril is done for the season as he deals with a neck issue, and could possibly contemplate retirement. Freeney, who says he turned down other offers, will likely serve in a rotational capacity, and is expected to be active when Seattle faces Houston on Monday night. Even after adding Freeney, the Seahawks are still looking for more pass rushers.
- The Rams picked up $2.5MM in 2017 cap space as a result of extending linebacker Alec Ogletree, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). That indicates that Los Angeles reduced Ogletree’s $8.369MM base salary, because his prorated $8MM signing bonus should account for $1.25MM on the Rams’ 2017 books. All told, Ogletree’s four-year extension is worth $42MM and contains $18MM in full guarantees. His $10.5MM average annual value places him behind only Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner among inside ‘backers.