Latest On Lions’ Ziggy Ansah
Lions defensive lineman Ziggy Ansah is expected to be available for Week 1 despite spending the entire offseason on the physically unable to perform list, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
Ansah’s current ankle injury is especially concerning given that the 28-year-old missed three games in 2016 with ankle and shoulder issues. Additionally, Detroit can’t afford to lose any more front seven pieces, as Kerry Hyder, Brandon Copeland, and Jordan Hill are already out for the season with injuries. Defensive lineman Khyri Thornton and Armonty Bryant will also miss time, albeit due to suspension and not health questions.
The Lions ranked just 25th in adjusted sack rate a season ago, and Ansah’s struggles were a large factor in that finish. After posting 14.5 sacks in 2015, Ansah registered just two quarterback takedowns last year and posted his worst Pro Football Focus grade since 2013 (No. 48 edge rusher among 110 qualifiers). While sacks aren’t always indicative of a pass-rusher’s effectiveness, Ansah also ranked just 71st among NFL defenders with 20 pressures.
Ansah will $12.724MM in 2017 under the terms of his fifth-year option, but Detroit has interest in signing him to a long-term extension. Of course, after inking quarterback Matthew Stafford through the 2022 campaign, the Lions can use a 2018 franchise tag as leverage over Ansah during negotiations, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. That tender will likely be worth north of $17MM next season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/30/17
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: WR Reginald Davis III, T Wil Freeman, S Jordan Moore, S Deron Washington
- Waived from IR: T Kevin Graf
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Brandon Brown-Dukes
Houston Texans
- Waived from IR: WR Devin Street
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: K Travis Coons
New York Giants
- Waived from IR: WR Darius Powe
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers: DE Jake Metz
Tennessee Titans
- Waived/injured: CB Jeremy Boykins, WR Mekale McKay
Cardinals Interested In Panthers’ Andy Lee
The Cardinals have interest in punter Andy Lee, whom the Panthers are shopping, according to Mike Jurecki of Arizona 98.7 FM.
Arizona sifted through multiple punters in 2016, as Ryan Quigley, Drew Butler, and Matt Wile all played in at least three games for the club. Wile is the only one still left on the roster, and he’s competing with Richie Leone — who signed a futures deal with the Cardinals in January — for the starting job. As a team, Arizona was putrid on punts last season, as their 14.7 points of lost field position was second only to the Jets, per Football Outsiders.
Lee, 35, only played in nine games for the Panthers in 2016 before going down with a season-ending hamstring injury. In that time, he punted 36 times with a net average of 40.4 yards, which would have ranked 14th among NFL punters had Lee seen enough action to qualify. After reworking his contract earlier this year, Lee is signed for $1MM in 2017 and $1.1MM in 2018.
Carolina gave up a fourth-round selection for Lee at this time last year, but the club is highly unlikely to reap such compensation now that Lee is coming off injury. As Jurecki notes, the Cardinals are projected to earn four compensatory picks in 2018, meaning they could have extra ammunition with which to play.
Steelers To Sign CB Joe Haden
The Steelers are expected to sign cornerback Joe Haden to a three-year, $27MM deal that includes $7MM in 2017, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That $7MM figure also represents the contract’s guarantee, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Haden will stay in the AFC North and land with Pittsburgh despite receiving larger offers from other clubs, tweets Schefter, who adds that Haden wanted to be a Steeler. A number of other teams, including the Dolphins, Eagles, Saints, Chiefs, Cowboys, and 49ers also expressed interest in Haden, but the Pittsburgh had been considered the favorite to ink the former Browns cornerback.
The Steelers ranked 12th in DVOA against the pass a season ago, but the club’s secondary was still missing a clear-cut No. 1 cornerback. It’s not clear that Haden fits that definition anymore, as he graded as the No. 88 corner among 110 qualifiers in 2016, per Pro Football Focus. Injuries were likely a factor in his decreased production, but health isn’t a guarantee for Haden, who’s missed 14 games over the past two seasons.
Before releasing him earlier today, Cleveland offered to reduce Haden’s pay from $11MM to $7MM, per Rapoport (Twitter link), and Haden will now earn that same total with the Steelers. Haden’s deal contained offset language, so the Browns are not on the hook for the $4MM in guaranteed base salary it owes to the 28-year-old cornerback.
Pittsburgh now boasts a relatively deep defensive backfield, as Haden joins a unit that also includes Ross Cockrell, Artie Burns, William Gay, Senquez Golson, Cameron Sutton, and Coty Sensabaugh.
Raiders Extend WR Seth Roberts
The Raiders have agreed to a new three-year, $12MM with wide receiver Seth Roberts, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Roberts will earn $6.45MM in guarantees and is now under team control through 2019. Oakland has officially announced the transaction.
Roberts, 26, had been scheduled to become a restricted free agent next offseason after earning just $615K in 2017. The Raiders could have placed the first-round tender on Roberts in 2018 at a cost of roughly $4MM, meaning they’d have controlled him for the next two seasons at a cost ~$4.7MM. Given that his new contract is worth $12MM over three seasons, Oakland is valuing Roberts’ 2019 season at roughly $7.3MM.
The Raiders have used Roberts as a third wide receiver for the past two seasons, during which he’s appeared in all 32 possible games. During that time, Roberts has averaged 35 receptions,, 438 yards, and five touchdowns per year while playing behind Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Football Outsiders hasn’t been a fan of Roberts’ work, however, ranking him 83rd and 84th in DVOA and DYAR, respectively, among 94 qualifiers.
Oakland has been extremely willing to lock up its core pieces this offseason, as its agreed to extensions with quarterback Derek Carr and offensive guard Gabe Jackson over the past several months before signing Roberts to a multi-year pact today.
Latest On Ezekiel Elliott’s Suspension Appeal
Ezekiel Elliott‘s appeal of his six-game suspension will last through Thursday as the Cowboys running back fights a ban stemming from domestic violence allegations. Elliott could still suit up for Week 1 if he files a lawsuit against the NFL, but for now, the appeal hearing will proceed.
Here’s the latest on Elliott and the proceedings:
- Tuesday’s session was spent sorting through the evidence relating to the domestic violence claims and listening to investigators, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Elliott himself will speak on Wednesday, and it appears most of today will be dedicated to hearing from the Cowboys back. Thursday, meanwhile, will witness a doctor analyzing photos of the alleged victim’s injuries.
- If Elliott and his team believed arbitrator Harold Henderson were truly a neutral judge, they’d have “incredible optimism” about what occurred at Tuesday’s hearing, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter links). However, Henderson was hired by the NFL, so Elliott has understandable skepticism regarding Henderson’s motives. A source tells Anderson that “things happened that were amazingly good for [Elliott’s] side,” although that report should be taken with a grain of salt given that it’s coming from Elliott’s camp.
- “Enormous inconsistencies” emerged on Tuesday regarding the NFL’s investigative process, adds Anderson (Twitter links). On the other side of the hearing, Anderson questioned while Elliott didn’t make a definitive denial through his attorneys or via his own statement, and was told Elliott has “said it enough before.”
- While the hearing was originally scheduled for only two days, it’s been extended because the NFL will allow a witness that was initially rebuffed to testify by phone, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. The NFLPA requested that witness be allowed to communicate via phone, although the identity of said witness is unclear at present.
Steelers To Host CB Joe Haden Tonight
The Steelers are already considered the frontrunners for cornerback Joe Haden, and they’ll meet with the free agent himself tonight, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Pittsburgh isn’t the only NFL club eyeing Haden, who was released by the Browns this morning, as the Chiefs, Saints, Eagles, 49ers, and Dolphins are also interested in adding the 28-year-old. Cleveland is already paying Haden a guaranteed $4MM for the 2017 season, meaning any that signs the veteran defensive back will only be responsible for the minimum. However, given the level of interest that Haden has already generated, it’s possible that he could garner a hefty deal. He’s reportedly open to both single-season and multi-year pacts.
The Steelers are currently slated to start Ross Cockrell and Artie Burns at cornerback, with William Gay, Senquez Golson, Cameron Sutton, Coty Sensabaugh, and others vying for time as depth options. That group is without a clear-cut No. 1 cornerback, although it’s not apparent that Haden fits that definition anymore, as he graded as the No. 88 corner among 110 qualifiers in 2016, per Pro Football Focus. And if Pittsburgh is looking for reliability, it may not get it with Haden, who’s missed 14 games over the past two seasons.
Technically, Haden can’t speak or meet with any other clubs until he’s officially released by the Browns at 4pm ET today.
Redskins Shopping TE Derek Carrier
The Redskins have discussed tight end Derek Carrier with multiple teams interested in trading for him, sources tell John Keim of ESPN.com.
[RELATED: Redskins Shopping RB Matt Jones]
Washington currently has a surplus of tight ends, as Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis, Niles Paul, rookie Jeremy Sprinkle, and Carrier are all vying for roster spots. While Carrier has been a productive camp and is viewed in a positive light by Redskins management, the club simply has too many bodies at the position, and only plans to keep four tight ends on the roster, per Keim.
The Redskins originally acquired Carrier from the 49ers prior to the 2015 season in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick. His stint in Washington has mostly been marred by injury, as a torn ACL prematurely ended his 2015 campaign and delayed the start of his 2016 season. All told, the 27-year-old Carrier has managed 19 receptions in 20 games in the nation’s capital.
Carrier has one year left on his contract, and will become an unrestricted free agent next spring. An acquiring club would take Carrier’s 2017 cap charge of roughly $1MM.
Johnny Manziel Auditioned For CFL Team
Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel worked out for the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Buffalo last week, according to Farhan Lalji and Dave Naylor of TSN.
Manziel won’t be heading north of the border, however, as the audition reportedly didn’t go well, as the Tiger-Cats don’t believe Manziel is in the correct game shape nor mental state. “Too many red flags,” one source told the TSN scribes. While that should perhaps come as no surprise given Manziel’s history of off-field incidents, he’d apparently been generating real NFL interest this year, and had talked to several clubs as of July.
However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk offers a slightly different account of Manziel’s workout: per Florio, the Tiger-Cats are still “extremely” interested in signing Manziel, and adds that there’s “much more” to the story. Hamilton has a “positive attitude” towards Manziel, meaning a deal could still come together.
Hamilton still holds Manziel’s CFL rights, meaning it would have the exclusive ability to sign him to a contract. If Manziel decides he’s ready to join the CFL, the Tiger-Cats would be allowed 10 days to either ink him to a contract or trade his rights to another club. New Hamilton head coach June Jones is reportedly the driving force behind the team’s Manziel interest, according to TSN.
Manziel is still only 24 years old, but he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former first-round choice completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Panthers Shopping Punter Andy Lee
The Panthers are gauging trade interest in a pair of specialists, punter Andy Lee and kicker Harrison Butker, sources tell Jourdan Rodrigue and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Carolina acquired Lee and a seventh-round pick from the Browns prior to last season in exchange for a fourth-rounder and fellow punter Kasey Redfern. Lee, 35, appeared in nine games for the Panthers before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury. That health issue allowed Michael Palardy — now Lee’s primary competition — to punt for Carolina over the season’s final seven contests. Prior to going down, Lee averaged 49.1 yards per punt on 39 attempts.
Lee agreed to a pay reduction earlier this year, per the Observer scribes. Originally scheduled to earn $3.43MM and $4.13MM over the next two seasons, Lee will now bring in just $1MM in 2017 and $1.1MM in 2018. That could make Lee relatively attractive on the trade market, especially for clubs in need of specialist but are strapped for cap space.
Butker, meanwhile, is also part of an open competition, as he’s vying to become the Panthers’ placekicker alongside veteran Graham Gano. A seventh-round pick this spring, Butker has only attempted one field goal this preseason, a 51-yarder that he converted successfully. He’s also made both of his extra point tries. For his part, Gano is three-for-four on preseason field goals, and made only 78.9% of his attempts during the 2017 campaign.