Dallas Robinson | Pro Football Rumors

Bengals Release DT Brandon Thompson

By Dallas Robinson | at August 20, 2017 2:47 pm

The Bengals have released defensive tackle Brandon Thompson, the club announced today. Cincinnati also waived wide receiver Karel Hamilton and running back Stanley Williams.

Thompson, 27, re-signed with the Bengals on a one-year contract prior to the 2016 season after having torn his ACL in December 2015. Although he attempted to work his way back to the field, Thompson never played last year and spent the campaign on the physically unable to perform list. As such, his contract tolled, meaning he was still under Cincinnati control for 2017.

A former third-round selection, Thompson never broke into the starting lineup for the Bengals during his five-year run with the club (with the exception of 2013, when he started seven contests after Geno Atkins went down with injury). Still, he was a serviceable reserve, appearing in 39 games and and posting three sacks from 2012-15.

Hamilton and Williams, meanwhile, were each undrafted rookie free agents earlier this year.

PFR Originals: 8/13/17 – 8/20/17

By Dallas Robinson | at August 20, 2017 2:30 pm

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

While the NFL doesn’t see as many trades as the NBA or MLB, deals can often be swung in the weeks leading up to the regular season. With that in mind, I examined the Top 30 NFL Trade Candidates for 2017, with players such as A.J. McCarron, Carlos Hyde, Reggie Ragland, and Stephone Anthony making the list.
Ryan Mathews was released by the Eagles last week, but he should be able to find work in the near future, as I made the case that Mathews is the perfect backup running back. Based on his production, scheme fit, cost, and the lack of running back options on the open market, Mathews will be a nice find for whichever team lands him.
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 three teams this week:

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Shawn Williams Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks

By Dallas Robinson | at August 20, 2017 1:24 pm

Bengals safety Shawn Williams suffered a dislocated elbow in Saturday’s preseason game against the Chiefs and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. However, that timetable could be extended, as an October return is a “best-case scenario” for Williams, tweets Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Williams doesn’t plan to undergo surgery, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Cincinnati was already down one safety before Williams injured his elbow, as George Iloka is only know returning from a knee sprain suffered in early August. While Iloka should be ready for the regular season, the Bengals are witnessing the thinning of their defensive back depth. Derron Smith, a 2015 sixth-round pick, will likely step in for Williams in the starting lineup, while Clayton Fejedelem and Josh Shaw are also expected to see increased snaps.

Williams, 26, was a full-time starter for the first time in 2016 after he took over for the departed Reggie Nelson. In 15 games, Williams played on 83% of Cincinnati’s defensive snaps, racking up 81 tackles and three interceptions while grading as the league’s No. 39 safety among 90 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Having agreed to a contract extension last May, Williams is signed through the 2020 campaign.

The Bengals open the 2017 season with two divisional games among their first five contests before heading to a bye in Week 6. If Williams is sidelined for the full six-week timeline, he’ll miss games against the Ravens, Texans, Packers, and Browns.

1 comment Cincinnati Bengals Shawn Williams

Jaguars Not Pursuing Free Agent QBs

By Dallas Robinson | at August 19, 2017 8:39 pm

Although the Jaguars intend to open their starting quarterback job to a competition between Blake Bortles and Chad Henne, there’s no indication the club is examining free agent signal-callers, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Indeed, Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone says he hasn’t discussed external quarterback additions with the team’s front office, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link).

Even if the Jaguars were open to signing a free agent quarterback, they’d enter a market that is extremely lacking in options. Colin Kaepernick is the only available passer who may represent a clear upgrade over Bortles and/or Henne, but the former 49er is a tough sell in some NFL markets due to his social activism. Other quarterbacks who remain unsigned include Robert Griffin III, Shaun Hill, and Zach Mettenberger.

Bortles hasn’t lost the Jaguars’ quarterback job just yet, per Pelissero, who cautions that Jacksonville is running a true competition between the former No. 3 overall pick and Henne. However, the club’s decision won’t be based solely on production — finances are involved, too. The Jaguars have already exercised Bortles’ 2018 option worth north of $19MM, and that total will become guaranteed if Bortles suffers a serious injury and can’t pass a physical next spring.

As such, Jacksonville could potentially bench Bortles for the season in order to keep him healthy, ensuring that they’ll be able release him in 2018. The Redskins used the same tactic in 2015, placing RG3 on the sidelines so that he wouldn’t suffer an option-guaranteeing injury. Of course, the Jaguars wouldn’t be in this precarious position had they declined Bortles’ option earlier this year, a move Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap argues would have been correct.

5 comments Jacksonville Jaguars Blake Bortles Chad Henne

Giants OL Michael Bowie Charged With DV

By Dallas Robinson | at August 19, 2017 7:46 pm

Giants offensive lineman Michael Bowie has been charged with domestic assault and battery and two counts of malicious injury or destruction of property following an incident in Oklahoma earlier this summer, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. A warrant for Bowie’s arrest was issued on Friday, reports Raanan.

Bowie was reportedly involved in an argument with his girlfriend when the disagreement became physical, leading Bowie to allegedly grab his girlfriend by the neck and throw her to the ground, per Tulsa County assistant district attorney Kenneth Elmore. Subsequently, Bowie broke two televisions and punched a hole in a wall.

“We were made aware of the Michael Bowie situation Saturday afternoon,” the Giants said in a statement. “We immediately notified NFL security. Michael will not make the trip for our game in Cleveland as we gather more information on the issue.”

The Giants, of course, are no strangers to dealing with domestic assault allegations against their players, as the club infamously dealt with abuse complaints levied at former kicker Josh Brown. New York didn’t handle the Brown situation correctly, re-signing him to a new contract even after having learned of his ex-wife’s assertions.

Bowie’s episode is unlikely to reach the national level that did Brown’s, if only because Bowie is a reserve lineman fighting for a back-end roster spot. That’s not to dismiss the allegations against Bowie, of course, but the Giants should have a relatively easy time parting with him if they so choose. Bowie, 25, started eight games for the Seahawks in 2014 but hasn’t appeared in a contest since.

3 comments New York Giants Michael Bowie

Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By Dallas Robinson | at August 19, 2017 6:50 pm

Last year’s Buccaneers didn’t break the club’s decade-long streak of sitting at home during the postseason, but they did post their best record since 2010. Under first-year head coach Dirk Koetter, quarterback Jameis Winston showed marked improvement, while Tampa Bay’s defense also posted better results under new coordinator Mike Smith. With an eye towards earning a playoff berth for first time since the Jon Gruden era, the Buccaneers entered the offseason with clear goals in mind.

Notable signings:

DeSean Jackson, WR: Three years, $33.5MM. $20MM guaranteed.
William Gholston, DE: Four years, $27.5MM. $7MM guaranteed. $9MM available via incentives.
Chris Baker, DT: Three years, $15.75MM. $6MM guaranteed.
J.J. Wilcox, S: Two years, $6.5MM. $3.125MM guaranteed.
Josh Robinson, CB: Two years, $5MM. $3MM guaranteed.
Chris Conte, S: Two years, $5MM. $2.5MM guaranteed.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: One year, $3MM. $1.25MM guaranteed. $2MM available via incentives.
Joe Hawley, OL: Two years, $6MM. $1MM guaranteed.
Nick Folk, K: One year, $1.75MM. $750K guaranteed.
Jacquizz Rodgers, RB: Two years, $3.3MM. $600K guaranteed.
Sealver Siliga, DT: One year, $1.1MM. $200K guaranteed.
Garrison Sanborn, LS: One year, minimum salary benefit. $50K guaranteed.
Ryan Griffin, QB: One year, $1.797MM. Signed original round RFA tender.
Jacquies Smith, DE: One year, $1.797MM. Signed original round RFA tender.
Robert McClain, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Justin Trattou, DE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Marqueston Huff, S: One year, $690K.
Tavaris Barnes, DE: One year, $540K.

While the Buccaneers passing offense ranked a respectable 12th in DVOA last season, the unit didn’t post many explosive plays, as Tampa Bay finished 24th in 20+ yard receptions and dead last in 40+ yard catches. Mike Evans, Adam Humphries, and Cameron Brate formed the foundation of a solid passing game, but a new dimension was clearly needed. Enter DeSean Jackson, who lead the league in yards per reception in 2016, the third time he’s done so in his nine-year career. Among receivers with at least 40 receptions last season, Jackson ranked third with 12.82 air yards per catch, meaning he’s able to get open down the field and not simply rely on yards after the catch. He also accounted for 145 yards and four first downs by drawing pass interference penalties, an underrated facet of his game. Although he’s on the wrong side of 30, Jackson is exactly what the Buccaneers offense needs, and he should be worth of every penny of a contract that makes him the ninth-highest-paid wideout in the NFL.

Joining Jackson as an offensive starter (at least for the first three games of the season) will be running back Jacquizz Rodgers, who earned the first multi-year contract of his career after averaging 4.3 yards per carry on 129 rushes a season ago. Rodgers, 27, touched the ball more than he had in any prior season, and was a workhorse for Tampa Bay in Weeks 5-7, rushing the ball 75 times during that span. He’ll be the Buccaneers’ lead back to begin the campaign while Doug Martin finishes a suspension, and Rodgers could keep the starting job for even longer, as general manager Jason Licht recently indicated Martin won’t be handed a role when he returns.

While the Bucs are comfortable rolling with Rodgers until Martin comes back, they surely won’t feel the same way if they’re forced to use new backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick for any extended period of time. That being said, Fitzpatrick isn’t a disaster as a reserve option, especially at a price of only $3MM. Yes, Fitzpatrick posted the worst statistics of any starting quarterback not named Matt Barkley or Jared Goff in 2016, but he’s not being asked to start in Tampa Bay. If Jameis Winston is sidelined next year, Fitzpatrick should at least be able to keep the club’s offense afloat.

On defense, the Buccaneers acted quickly to re-sign defensive end William Gholston, who was said to be a priority for the team in free agency. At first glance, Gholston’s five-year contract appears to be a massive overpay, as his $5.5MM annual salary is exorbitant for a run-stuffer who ranked as a bottom-20 edge defender in 2016, per Pro Football Focus. But because Tampa Bay rarely employs signing bonuses, Gholston’s deal is essentially a one-year pact. All of his $7MM guarantee comes in 2017, and the Buccaneers could cut ties after the season without any dead money incurring on their cap. If Tampa is able to land a top-notch pass rusher in next year’s draft, I’d expect Gholston to be on the chopping block.

New defensive tackle Chris Baker will be lining up next to Gholston after the Bucs lured him away from the nation’s capital with a three-year agreement, and he should be able to help out a Tampa Bay run defense that took a major step backward under first-year defensive coordinator Mike Smith. While the Buccaneers’ pass defense improved from 26th in DVOA to sixth, the club’s prowess against the run slipped from ninth in DVOA to 26th, while Tampa’s defensive line ranked 24th in adjusted line yards. Baker is a stud in the run game, but he’s also adept at getting after opposing quarterbacks, as he ranked 11th among defensive tackles with 16 hurries last season.

Chris Conte keeps getting chances despite grading as one of the least capable safeties in the league for the duration of his career. Last season, PFF ranked Conte as the second-worst safety in the NFL, but the Buccaneers still re-signed him to a two-year pact. Thankfully, Tampa Bay isn’t asking Conte to play a full complement of snaps in 2017, as they’ve signed former Cowboy J.J. Wilcox and drafted Justin Evans in the second round. Wilcox, 26, only played half of Dallas’ defensive snaps a season ago, but had significant starting experience in 2014-15. Josh Robinson is back to help out in the secondary, as well, but most of his time will be spent as a gunner on special teams.

Tampa Bay signed kicker Nick Folk to hedge against Roberto Aguayo‘s struggles, and the move now seems prescient following Aguayo’ release. Although Tampa handed Folk a $750K guarantee, the club was only nominally on the hook for that money — had Folk been cut, he likely would’ve been picked up by another team, and the offset language in his deal would have freed the Bucs from his commitment. The Jets, Folk’s former employer, ranked dead last in special teams DVOA last season, but that wasn’t Folk’s fault, as he converted 87.1% of his kicks (including 50% from 50+ yards) and gave New York 0.3 points of field position. He didn’t do well on kickoffs, however, as he ranked just 23rd among kickers with 39 touchbacks.

Notable losses:

While the Buccaneers are losing a number of offensive players in Vincent Jackson, Russell Shepard, Cecil Shorts, and Brandon Myers, it’s difficult to say the club will miss any of them all that much, as that foursome combined for only 20% of Tampa Bay’s targets in 2016. Shepard led the group with 40 targets and 23 receptions, and he’s the only one that’s landed a new contract (with the division rival Panthers). The Buccaneers signed DeSean Jackson to replace Shepard, who ranked a below-average 65th among wideouts with at least 40 targets with a 57.5% catch rate.

Although Jackson hasn’t yet found a new home, he’s given no indication that he plans to retire. Now 34 years old, Jackson played out the entirety of his five-year deal with the Buccaneers, and though he was extremely productive during the first three seasons of the pact, injuries wrecked his 2015-16 campaigns. As of March, Jackson planned to continue his career, and while it doesn’t appear he’s a candidate to re-sign with Tampa Bay, it’s possible he could find a contract as the regular season approaches, although it may require a team suffering an injury on their wide receiver depth chart.

Mike Glennon meshed with Jackson back in 2013, helping the veteran receiver 78-catch, 1,200+ yard season — but in the next three years, Glennon managed only 214 pass attempts as the Buccaneers instead turned to Josh McCown and Jameis Winston. Entering his age-27 season, Glennon clearly wanted to hit the open market and find a starting job (although it’s unclear if he’ll actually get that opportunity with the Bears). But Tampa didn’t let Glennon go without a fight: the club made numerous attempts to re-sign Glennon, and even offered him to make him the league’s highest-paid backup quarterback with an annual salary of $8MM.

On the other side of the ball, the Buccaneers parted with ways with two defensive backs, allowing safety Bradley McDougald to leave via free agency while releasing cornerback Alterraun Verner. The decision to cut ties with Verner was the correct one, as he was barely contributing on defense and was scheduled to carry a $6.5MM cap charge in 2017. But Tampa might have considered retaining McDougald, who is still only 26 years old and signed for just one year with Seattle. The Buccaneers essentially chose J.J. Wilcox, and while PFF assigned Wilcox a higher grade, McDougald had a much larger sample size (nearly double the snaps).

Tampa has used draft choices on linebackers in each of the past two seasons (Devante Bond in 2016 and Kendell Beckwith in 2017), meaning there was no role for veteran Daryl Smith. Smith, now 35, played a two-down role for the Buccaneers last season, playing 45% of the club’s defensive snaps behind Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander. Given his age and his mediocre performance, Smith has probably hit the end of the line, and if so, he’s posted an excellent career. He started 184 games over 13 seasons, and ranks as the 11th-most valuable member of the 2004 draft class by Pro Football Reference’s approximate value metric.

The Buccaneers’ most recent notable transaction was waiving kicker Roberto Aguayo, whom the club infamously selected in the second round of the 2016 draft after trading 132 cents on the dollar to move up. The choice wasn’t defensible at the time, as Justis Mosqueda of Setting the Edge recently detailed Aguayo’s collegiate struggles from 40+ yards should dissuaded Tampa Bay from drafting the Florida State product. But good on general manager Jason Licht for admitting his mistake and cutting his losses. Even better, the Bears curiously claimed Aguayo off waivers, clearing his partially guaranteed base salary from the Bucs’ 2017 books.

Trades:

Acquired a 2017 third-round pick (No. 107; LB Kendell Beckwith) from the Jets in exchange for a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 125) and a 2017 sixth-round pick (No. 204; CB Derrick Jones).
Acquired a 2017 seventh-round pick (No. 223; DT Steve Tu’ikolovatu) from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2017 seventh-round pick (No. 237; WR Isaiah Ford) and a 2018 seventh-round pick.

Draft picks:

1-19: O.J. Howard, TE (Alabama)
2-50: Justin Evans, S (Texas A&M)
3-84: Chris Godwin, WR (Penn State)
3-107: Kendell Beckwith, LB (LSU)
5-162: Jeremy McNichols, RB (Boise State)
7-223: Steve Tu’ikolovatu, DT (USC)

Just seven tight ends have been selected in the first round over the past ten years, and only Eric Ebron — chosen 10th overall in 2014 — was picked higher than O.J. Howard. The Buccaneers, of course, already boast one excellent tight end in Cameron Brate, who finished fourth in DYAR last season while leading all tight ends with eight receiving touchdowns. Tampa Bay ran two tight end sets on 23% of its offensive plays in 2016 (7% above league average), and the percentage figures to increase during the upcoming campaign. Howard will likely begin his career as an in-line tight end, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports he’s already made a “noticeable difference” with his blocking.

Left tackle Donovan Smith, particularly, needs all the help he can get, as the Buccaneers ranked 24th in adjusted line yards when running towards the left tackle and 26th when running around the left end. Because Smith has struggled so much through two NFL seasons (No. 65 tackle in 2016, per PFF), it’s fair to wonder why Tampa Bay didn’t consider an offensive lineman such as Garret Bolles or Cam Robinson with the No. 19 selection. Jameis Winston took the most hits of any quarterback last season (87), per the 2017 Football Outsiders Almanac, and protecting their young quarterback should be the Buccaneer’s top priority. However, Winston posted the third-best DVOA against pressure last year, according to Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders, so perhaps Tampa doesn’t feel investing in its offensive line is all that important.

Second-round safety Justin Evans could end up playing the most snaps of any Buccaneers rookie, as he’s currently projected to start in the back end (although Keith Tandy could have something to say about that). Chris Godwin — whom Matt Harmon of Perception Reception fame called the draft’s most underrated receiver — and Jeremy McNichols will likely begin their careers pushed down the offensive depth chart, but injuries could allow them playing time as the season progresses. Kendell Beckwith is still recovering from a torn ACL and could potentially “redshirt” during his rookie season. Steve Tu’ikolovatu is huge and (relatively) old.

Extensions and restructures:

J.R. Sweezy, G: Restructured contract. Converted 2017 $2.5MM base salary and $2.5MM roster bonus to $3.75MM base salary, with $1.25MM available via incentives. Base salaries reduced in 2018-20.

Other:

Extended defensive coordinator Mike Smith.
Exercised 2018 fifth-year option for WR Mike Evans ($13.258MM).
Learned CB Jude Adjei-Barimah will miss 2017 season (patellar fracture).
Signed 14 undrafted rookie free agents.

The Buccaneers’ decision to exercise Mike Evans‘ 2018 option was a complete formality, so let’s use this space to toss out some Evans stats. Since 1970, Evans is fifth among three-year receivers in receiving yards, sixth in receptions, and seventh in touchdowns. In 2016, he was especially proficient, as he reduced his drop percentage from 7.4% in 2015 to just 4.1%. He ranked sixth in DYAR, and was one of only two pass-catchers to post a PFF grade over 90.0 (the other being Julio Jones). Evans was also particularly clutch, as he lead the NFL with 80 receptions that went for a first down or touchdown (29 of those came on third or fourth down, also tops among wideouts). Did we mention that he doesn’t turn 24 until next week?

Top 10 cap charges for 2017:

Gerald McCoy, DT: $13,750,000
DeSean Jackson, WR: $12,500,000
Brent Grimes, CB: $8,000,000
William Gholston, DE: $7,000,000
Doug Martin, RB: $7,000,000
Jameis Winston, QB: $6,913,985
Robert Ayers, DL: $6,250,000
Chris Baker, DT: $6,000,000
Lavonte David, LB: $6,000,000
Mike Evans, WR: $4,655,478

Although the NFC South boast the conference champion, the division appears wide open — ESPN’s Football Power Index projects each team in the NFC South to win between 7.7 and 9.3 games. The Buccaneers are at the bottom of the projected divisional standings, but there’s no reason they can’t compete for the division title or — at the least — a wild card slot.

Information from Over the Cap and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

0 comments Offseason In Review PFR Originals Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/17

By Dallas Robinson | at August 19, 2017 5:54 pm

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Waived: OL Marquis Lucas

Cincinnati Bengals

Waived from IR: S Cedric Thompson

Indianapolis Colts

Signed: G Terran Vaughn
Waived/injured: LB Deiontrez Mount

Los Angeles Rams

Signed: DB Carlos Davis
Waived: WR C.J. Germany, WR Justin Thomas

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: CB Mariel Cooper
Waived: FB Quayvon Hicks

Tennessee Titans

Signed: DB Darrius Sims
Waived/injured DE Kourtnei Brown

0 comments Atlanta Falcons Cincinnati Bengals Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Rams Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Transactions C.J. Germany Carlos Davis Cedric Thompson Darrius Sims Deiontrez Mount Justin Thomas Kourtnei Brown Mariel Cooper Marquis Lucas Quayvon Hicks Terran Vaughn

Extra Points: Fins, Steelers, Bills, Cowboys

By Dallas Robinson | at August 15, 2017 9:49 pm

The Seahawks, Texans, and Vikings have all expressed interest in free agent cornerback Tramaine Brock, but they’re only three of a dozen clubs who have inquired on Brock, reports Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link). The interest in Brock isn’t all that surprising, especially now that he’s no longer facing domestic violence charges. A starting-caliber cornerback rarely becomes available in August, but the 28-year-old Brock graded as the league’s No. 23 corner while playing 95% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps a season ago, per Pro Football Focus.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

While the Dolphins are expected to work out linebacker Rey Maualuga on Wednesday, Miami could also ask about fellow free agent ‘backer Perry Riley, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), who says “don’t be surprised” if the Dolphins look at the former Raider. With rookie Raekwon McMillan lost for the season after tearing his ACL, Miami is looking for more depth at the second level of their defense. Riley, 29, posted a breakout season in 2016, but hasn’t been linked to any clubs since free agency opened in March.
James Harrison isn’t expected to serve as a starter for the Steelers next season, as the club will use young edge rushers Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt in prominent roles, as Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Harrison played 56% of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps in 2016 and managed five sacks, but he’ll be used as more of a “relief pitcher” in 2017, says Steelers outside linebackers coach Joey Porter. Entering his age-39 campaign, Harrison could probably use the extra rest, even though he still might be Pittsburgh’s best pass rusher.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane said he was “annoyed” at accusations of tanking after Buffalo agreed to trade Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby last week, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Pointing to acquisitions of Anquan Boldin, Jordan Matthews, and E.J. Gaines, Beane disputed that the Bills aren’t attempting to win in 2017. However, each of those three players’ contracts will expire in 2018, and the driving force behind Buffalo’s two deals seemed to be the receipt of draft pick capital.
The Cowboys worked out defensive back Julian Wilson today, tweets Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Two other defensive backs — Dejaun Butler and John Green — also auditioned for Dallas and were signed, a likely indication that Wilson won’t be joining the roster.

0 comments Buffalo Bills Dallas Cowboys Miami Dolphins Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison Julian Wilson Perry Riley Tramaine Brock

Max Bullough Suspended Four More Games

By Dallas Robinson | at August 15, 2017 8:57 pm

The NFL has added four additional games to free agent Max Bullough‘s four-game suspension, meaning he’s now banned for half of the upcoming season, reports Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com (Twitter link). Bullough was originally suspended for violating the league’s PED policy.

The Texans moved relatively swiftly to remove Bullough from their roster earlier this year, waiving less than a month after news of his suspension dropped. Bullough, 25, wasn’t a high-impact player during his time in Houston, at least on defense, as he started only four games in three seasons. However, he did play a large role on special teams, playing more than half the Texans’ snaps in that facet of the game.

Bullough is free to sign with any club, but his concurrent suspensions clearly make him an uninteresting asset. It’s possible he could draw more interest near midseason when his ban is nearing an end.

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Ezekiel Elliott’s Hearing Date Likely Set

By Dallas Robinson | at August 15, 2017 8:24 pm

According to the language in the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension appeal is expected to take place on August 29, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

Although appeal hearings typically are required to be scheduled within ten days of the appeal, the rules are different once the preseason begins. Any suspension appeal filed after the start of the exhibition season is automatically “scheduled for the second Tuesday following the receipt of the notice of appeal,” per the CBA. In Elliott’s case, that date falls two weeks from today on the 29th.

Elliott, of course, is currently suspended for the first six games of the season after the NFL found that he violated the league’s personal conduct policy. While the second-round back had been expected to land a ban of only one or two games, the NFL found that Elliott used physical force against his then-girlfriend.

To this point, Elliott had mostly stayed silent on the suspension process, and had engaged in the exercise. That was because Elliott believed the entire undertaking would end with his exoneration, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Now, Elliott will not only appeal, but hasn’t ruled out a court battle.

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Author: Dallas Robinson