Ravens LB Albert McClellan Done For Season
Ravens linebacker Albert McClellan has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entirety of the 2017 campaign, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
To say Baltimore has been hit hard by injuries this offseason would be a massive understatement. A number of key Ravens have already been lost for the season, including running back Kenneth Dixon, tight end Crockett Gillmore, cornerback Tavon Young, and offensive linemen Alex Lewis and Nico Siragusa. Quarterback Joe Flacco, meanwhile, is also dealing with back issues, although he’s expected to return in time for Week 1.
While he’s primarily served as a backup during his six-year NFL career, the 31-year-old McClellan started 11 games in 2016 (the second time he’s done so). On 603 defensive snaps, McClellan posted 52 tackles and one sack but earned negative grades from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him as the league’s fourth-worst edge defender.
McClellan has two years left on a three-year, $3.75MM pact he signed prior to the 2016 campaign. He’s scheduled to count for $1.2MM and $1.45MM on Baltimore’s salary cap in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Jets Have Shopped CB Marcus Williams
The Jets have gauged trade interest in cornerback Marcus Williams recently, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link), who adds New York has “been selling” all offseason.
[RELATED: Jets Shopping Matt Forte]
Given that Gang Green is set to embark on a full-scale rebuild, the concept of dealing Williams doesn’t come as a complete surprise given that he’s entering the final year of his contract. A restricted free agent, Williams is scheduled to earn $2.746MM in 2017, although none of that total is guaranteed. That’s a reasonable figure for a 26-year-old defensive back who appeared in 13 games and played on 457 defensive snaps a season ago. Pro Football Focus assigned Williams middling grades, ranking him as the No. 67 corner among 110 qualifiers.
Williams isn’t projected to start for the Jets next season, as Buster Skrine and Morris Claiborne hold that honor. Instead, Williams — if not traded — will serve as a valuable backup and special teams player. In 2016, Williams played on roughly 20% of New York’s special teams snaps.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Bills, Petty
The Patriots waived/injured Matt Lengel earlier today, leading ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss to wonder whether the team will carry three tight ends heading into the regular season. Behind Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen, the team is now rostering third-year player James O’Shaughnessy and undrafted rookies Jacob Hollister and Sam Cotton. Reiss writes that O’Shaughnessy’s special teams prowess makes him the favorite for the third tight end spot, but he adds that Hollister did earn the praise of coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots also have fullback James Develin, who often spends time practicing with the tight ends.
Reiss also notes that the Patriots carried four tight ends heading into last season, but they whittled that number down to two following the A.J. Derby trade and release of Clay Harbor. Ultimately, the writer believes the team will carry a third tight end, but he warns that the organization could carry two as they look to keep an extra player elsewhere.
More notes from around the AFC East…
- The Patriots are more likely to make an external addition to replace Julian Edelman at wide receiver or Kony Ealy at defensive end than to give an incumbent player more snaps, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Edelman is lost for the season after tearing his ACL over the weekend, while New England waived Ealy on Saturday. At wideout, specifically, Austin Carr and Devin Lucien are more likely to earn a spot on the Patriots’ practice squad than make the club’s 53-man roster, per Reiss.
- With both Tyrod Taylor and T.J. Yates in the concussion protocol, the Bills are considering signing another quarterback, head coach Sean McDermott told reporters, including Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link). At present, Buffalo only boasts one healthy quarterback in rookie Nathan Peterman, meaning it could be difficult for the club to even get through a practice session. As such, the Bills are likely looking at camp arms or developmental options, not a Colin Kaepernick-level addition.
- McDermott also confirmed that 2016 second-round linebacker Reggie Ragland is fighting for a Bills roster spot, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets. Playing behind Preston Brown and Gerald Hodges, Ragland has been mentioned as a trade candidate, but it’s also possible he’s simply waived. Ragland, 23, missed the entirey of his rookie campaign with an ACL injury, and neither McDermott nor general manager Brandon Beane has any allegiance to the Alabama product given the he was drafted by Buffalo’s previous regime.
- Bryce Petty survived an injury scare following last night’s preseason game, as the Jets quarterback escaped with a Grade 1 MCL sprain, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who adds Petty is hopeful he’ll be able to play in New York’s final exhibition contest on Thursday night. The 26-year-old Petty performed admirably against the Giants, completing 15 of 18 pass attempts for 250 yards and three touchdowns (although that action came against Big Blue’s backups). Jets head coach Todd Bowles is expected to announce the club’s starting quarterback early this week, with Petty, Josh McCown, and Christian Hackenberg among those in contention for the job.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Bills OT Seantrel Henderson Accepts Pay Cut
Bills offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson agreed to a pay cut in late June, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Scheduled to earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.797MM thanks to the NFL’s proven performance escalator, Henderson will now bring in just $690K, per Rodak.
Of course, Henderson won’t earn the entirety of that $690K, as he has five games left on a 10-game substance abuse ban that was handed down in November. Henderson, who maintains that he uses marijuana to treat his Crohn’s disease, can also earn roughly $500K in per-game roster bonuses and $800K through not-likely-to-be-earned incentives, reports Rodak. All told, Henderson’s 2017 cap charge has been reduced from $1.808MM to roughly $982K.
A 16-game starter during his rookie season in 2014, Henderson appeared on only 34 offensive snaps a season ago. When he’s activated later this season, the 25-year-old Henderson could find himself buried on Buffalo’s right tackle depth chart behind rookie Dion Dawkins and veterans Jordan Mills and Michael Ola.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/17
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Tank Carder (torn ACL), OL Matt McCants
- Waived/injured: S Justin Currie
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Derrick Lott
- Placed on IR: DT Jordan Hill
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from IR: CB Charles Gaines
New England Patriots
- Waived: DE Caleb Kidder
- Waived/injured: TE Matt Lengel
New York Giants
- Claimed off waviers: CB Tay Glover-Wright
- Waived from IR: DE Evan Schwan, WR Kevin Snead
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: DT Anthony Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C Ruben Carter, WR Justin Thomas
- Waived/injured: CB Greg Ducre
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived from IR: TE Marcus Lucas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived from IR: DB Maurice Fleming
Jets Claim DE Kony Ealy From Patriots
The Jets have claimed defensive end Kony Ealy off waivers from the Patriots, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
New York owned the sixth slot in the waiver priority list, meaning Ealy didn’t slide far before being claimed. Indeed, Garafolo reports a number of clubs were putting in research into Ealy before the waiver window closed (Twitter link). Given that teams can roster as many as 90 players until this weekend, the Jets felt it worthwhile to acquire a player with a second-round pedigree at no cost.
Ealy, 25, doesn’t look like a contender for a starting role along the Jets’ talented defensive line, but he could compete for backup snaps. New York, of course, already boats Leonard Williams, Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Steve McLendon, but Ealy could see playing time as a rotational edge rusher.
Last season, Ealy appeared in all 16 games (six starts) for the Panthers and managed six sacks in that time. Carolina traded him to the Patriots following the season, moving up eight spots in the draft in exchange for sending Ealy to New England. Expected to play a large role for the Pats, Ealy didn’t even make to final cuts, and was waived on Saturday.
Ealy’s 2017 base salary is not guaranteed, and his signing bonus proration is still the responsibility of the Panthers, so adding him is a complete no-risk move for the Jets.
Cowboys LB Anthony Hitchens Out 8 Weeks
Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens suffered a tibial plateau fracture in his right knee in last night’s preseason game against the Raiders and will be sidelined for eight weeks, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. 
While a two-month absence is certainly not ideal, it’s far better news than a torn ACL, which is what Dallas initially feared Hitchens had suffered. Now, Hitchens could be placed on injured reserve but be designated to return later this season.
Losing Hitchens for the season would’ve constituted a large blow for a Dallas defense that can’t afford to take a step back after ranking 18th in DVOA a year ago. Hitchens, 25, started all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2016, and played the second-most defensive snaps (581) of any Cowboys linebacker. In that time, Hitchens posted 78 tackles and 1.5 sacks while grading as the NFL’s No. 49 linebacker among 86 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Dallas has several options to cover for the loss of Hitchens at middle linebacker, and one course of action could be Sean Lee moving to the middle, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Veteran Justin Durant is also capable of playing middle linebacker, while second-year defender Jaylon Smith had been set to serve as Hitchens’ direct backup. Smith, still recovering from a gruesome 2016 knee injury, won’t be inserted into the starting lineup, as Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones explained to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.
PFR Originals: 8/20/17 – 8/27/17
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- With the 2017 regular season only several weeks away, PFR began its annual Offseason In Review series, assessing the major signings, departures, trades, and other notable events for each of the 32 NFL clubs. We covered four teams this week:
Dolphins Open To Offers For Jarvis Landry?
The Dolphins are willing to “seriously listen” to offers for wide receiver Jarvis Landry, according to Michael Lombardi of the Ringer (Twitter links). However, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that any trade rumors involving Landry are “zero percent” accurate, although one club did inquire on Landry in the spring. 
Landry, 24, is scheduled to earn roughly $900K for the 2017 campaign before becoming an unrestricted free agent next spring. Miami still hasn’t made an extension offer to Landry, and per Lombardi, the club doesn’t believe it will be able to re-sign the former second-round pick. The franchise tag probably isn’t an option for Landry, as the $16MM+ figure is likely untenable for a receiver who primarily plays in the slot.
While Landry has certainly performed admirably during his three-year run in South Beach, the Dolphins and head coach Adam Gase may not value slot receiver as a position. Since 2014, Landry has averaged 96 receptions and 1,017 yards per season, but that production has mostly been reached through short passes. Miami might prefer outside receiver DeVante Parker, who is eligible for an extension following the 2017 season.
There’s no indication that the two clubs have talked, but the Browns are reportedly searching for wide receiver help, and could be a potential trade partner for the Dolphins. Cleveland has more than enough draft capital to acquire a player such as Landry, as the club owns two 2018 first-round picks, plus three second-rounders, one third-rounder, and two fourth-rouders.
Steelers, OT Marcus Gilbert Discussing Deal
The Steelers have discussed offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert‘s contract with agent Drew Rosenhaus, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. However, those talks are “exploratory” in nature given that Gilbert is currently signed through the 2019 season, per Fowler.
Gilbert, 29, agreed to a five-year, $30MM extension prior to the 2014 campaign — he’s already reworked that deal twice, including just before the 2016 season, when he agreed to convert a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus in order to create cap space for the Steelers. At present, Gilbert has cap charges north of $6.5MM in each of the next three years, including ~$7.3MM for the upcoming season.
“Of course, as a player you like to say you don’t look at the [contractual] numbers — saying that is complete BS,” Gilbert tells Fowler. “But at the same time, you have to go play like you’re worth it. Until they reward you, you have to continue to show that. My thing is, as long as I want to continue to be here, I have to do whatever it is on the field to get better and better every year. That’s my whole focus, just being here, being the best right tackle in the game.”
Gilbert is one of the league’s best right tackles, at least in the opinion of Pro Football Focus, which graded Gilbert as the NFL’s No. 11 tackle among 76 total qualifiers. A former second-round pick, Gilbert has started 75 games over six seasons in Pittsburgh, and last year helped the Steelers offensive line finish third in adjusted line yards and fourth in adjusted sack rate, both Football Outsiders metrics.