NFL Workout Updates: 11/8/18
Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:
Atlanta Falcons
San Francisco 49ers
- QBs Jack Heneghan, Nic Shimonek, Logan Woodside; RB Jeremy Langford; TEs Ben Koyack, Marcus Lucas; LBs Travis Feeney, James Onwualu; CBs Alex Carter, Michael Jordan; Ss Marwin Evans, Nick Orr, Terrell Williams
Giants S Landon Collins Hasn’t Discussed Extension
The Giants have yet to engage in extension negotiations with pending free agent safety Landon Collins, as he explained to Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com. Collins admitted to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY that he’s not sure the Giants even want to re-sign him after he was dangled in trade talks last week.
“It surprised the hell out of me,” Collins said of being mentioned in trade rumors. “It was a big eye-opener. If they’re rebuilding, they can rebuild without me. And I’m so young still, but they could still try to find younger and put the money elsewhere, into whatever they need to put it into to rebuild their team.”
New York dealt both defensive tackle Damon Harrison and cornerback Eli Apple prior to last week’s trade deadline, but ultimately held onto Collins despite reported interest from multiple clubs. The Giants were looking for a second-round pick in exchange for the 24-year-old defensive back, and while the Chiefs, Packers, and 49ers all inquired on Collins’ availability, none were apparently willing to meet Big Blue’s asking price.
Although they haven’t talked about a new contract for Collins, the Giants still seemingly have every intention on keeping him in their 2019 plans. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that New York will deploy the franchise tag on Collins next spring if it fails to ink him to a long-term agreement. Collins, who will almost surely aim to top Eric Berry‘s $13MM annual average (the highest among safeties) in 2019, could be retained via the franchise tag at a one-year cost of ~$12MM, but he won’t be pleased if New York does opt to use that tender, as he told Vacchiano.
“Honestly I don’t want it,” Collins said of the tag. “I know what type of player I am. I’m going to bring forth hard-work, talent, play-making abilities to the game each and every week. Why would I want to play under a one-year deal? If something happens I’m not guaranteed. And even though I’m guaranteed that for a year, I’m still not guaranteed.”
If the Giants reverse course and don’t use the franchise tag on Collins (and don’t come together on an extension), he’d be entering a free agent market that includes a stellar crop of available safeties. The safety market, of course, was incredibly stagnant this past offseason, and Collins would be hitting free agent alongside options such as Earl Thomas, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Lamarcus Joyner, Adrian Amos, and the group of safeties that were forced to ink one-year deals in 2018 (Tre Boston, Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, George Iloka, and Tyrann Mathieu).
Collins, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, has been a full-time starter for the Giants since entering the league. A two-time Pro Bowler, Collins has 62 tackles, four passes defensed, and a forced fumble this season while grading as the NFL’s 13th-best safety, per Pro Football Focus.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/18
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: OL Austin Pasztor
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Greg Mabin
Steelers Owner Expects Le’Veon Bell To Report By Tuesday
Steelers owner Art Rooney II expects running back Le’Veon Bell to report by next Tuesday’s deadline for doing so, as he explained on SiriusXM Radio earlier today (link via Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com).
“I don’t know what his plans are, but I would say at this point we expect him to come back next week,” Rooney said. “We know he’s back in Pittsburgh and so we’re hoping to have some communications with him over the weekend and we’re kind of expecting he will be back next week.”
Bell must report by Tuesday in order to play in the NFL this season, but whether he reports or not won’t necessarily affect his financial future. If the Steelers use the franchise tag on Bell in 2019, regardless of whether he shows up this year, it will be considered his third tag and therefore be worth more than $25MM, an untenable amount for any running back. Pittsburgh could still deploy the transition tag at a cheaper cost, but Bell would be free to negotiate with other clubs and the Steelers wouldn’t receive any compensation if he left.
Hypothetically, it’s fair to wonder if Pittsburgh even wants Bell back in the building, given that some Steelers have voiced frustration with the star running back. That’s not the case, however, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says (via Twitter) that Pittsburgh does indeed want Bell to return, regardless of how his situation has played out thus far. Nevertheless, at least one anonymous Steeler did express a bit of discontent to NFL.com’s Aditi Kinkhabwala (Twitter link).
“This Le’Veon thing is just a cloud over us at this point,” said the unnamed player. “Just make a decision, sign or not, be in or out, and let’s all move forward.”
While the Steelers think Bell will report by Tuesday, PFR readers do not agree. In a poll earlier today, more than three-quarters of voters said they don’t believe Bell will show up by next week.
Designated To Return From IR: Burkhead, Shaheen, Davis, Quinn
With more than half of the 2018 campaign in the books, NFL clubs have started to exercise their right to return players from injured reserve. Each team is allowed to bring two players back from IR, but said players must have been retained on their respective club’s initial 53-man roster. Once an IR player returns to practice, his club will have three weeks to decide whether to activate him to their 53-man roster; if he’s not activated, the player will remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Here are three players who have been designated to return from IR this week:
- Patriots running back Rex Burkhead returned to practice on Thursday, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Burkhead, who is first eligible to play in Week 13 against the Vikings, is the second and final New England player who is scheduled to return from IR, joining rookie cornerback Duke Dawson. That means other injured Patriots, such as linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, cornerback Eric Rowe, and offensive lineman Brian Schwenke are officially done for the year. New England doesn’t necessarily need more help at running back: James White and jack-of-all-trades Cordarrelle Patterson have held down the fort in recent weeks, and impressive rookie Sony Michel is expected to return from injury this week. But Burkhead could still carve out a role, and will certainly be a factor on special teams.
- Second-year tight end Adam Shaheen has been designated for return by the Bears, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. Shaheen, a second-round pick in 2017, was an impressive athlete coming out of Division II Ashland last year, but didn’t produce much in the way of results during his first NFL campaign. In 13 games (seven starts), Shaheen managed only 12 receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns. Now that he’s recovered from foot and ankle issues, Shaheen should slot in alongside fellow Chicago tight ends Trey Burton and Dion Sims.
- The Packers have gotten contributions from several young receivers already this season, and they could be getting another youthful pass-catcher back in the near future. Trevor Davis returned to practice earlier this week, per Balzer, and can now be activated at any point in the next three weeks. A fifth-round choice in the 2016 draft, Davis posted 24 receptions last season while playing on 40.5% of Green Bay’s special teams snaps. Now that Geronimo Allison has been placed on injured reserve, Davis could see snaps behind Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
- Redskins rookie wide receiver Trey Quinn returned to practice today and has been designated to return from IR, tweets Balzer. Quinn suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 after being selected in the seventh round of this year’s draft. Washington is dealing with numerous injuries at the wide receiver position and just placed pass-catcher Paul Richardson on IR, so Quinn could theoretically see snaps down the line.
North Notes: Browns, Ravens, Steelers, Vikes
Though it only began Monday, it might be time to pump the brakes on the Bruce Arians/Browns speculation, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Arians said yesterday the Browns were the only NFL gig for which he’d consider leaving retired life, but the ex-Cardinals coach was primarily attempting to highlight former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano‘s qualifications for the Cleveland job rather than tout himself, per Rapoport. It’s not surprising that Arians would put forth Pagano as a candidate for the Browns, as Arians took over as the Colts’ head coach in 2012 after Pagano was diagnosed with cancer.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:
- The Ravens don’t have any intention of benching starting quarterback Joe Flacco for first-round rookie Lamar Jackson, but they do want to advance their usage of the Louisville product, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “He’s getting better as a quarterback, an NFL quarterback, all the time. You know, I love the guy,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said of Jackson. “I want to see Lamar on the field, too. How to do that? That’s kind of what we’re working through, so that’s what we’ve got to figure out.” Jackson, 21, has rushed 28 times for 139 yards and one touchdown and completed seven-of-twelve passing attempts for 87 yards and another score. Meanwhile, among quarterbacks with at least 250 attempts, starter Joe Flacco ranks 17th in adjusted net yards per attempt and 18th in passer rating.
- If Le’Veon Bell doesn’t report to the Steelers this season, a potential 2019 transition tag would become all the more valuable, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The contractual bargaining agreement indicates Bell would receive a 20% raise over his 2017 salary, meaning he’d be in line for $14.54MM in 2019. If Bell does report this year, however, that 20% would be applied to his 2018 earnings, meaning the transition tag would be worth only $9-10MM. In all, the transition is somewhat irrelevant, as Pittsburgh would have no interest in matching any offer sheet from a rival club.
- Former Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd has filed a $180MM lawsuit against famed surgeon Dr. James Andrews, alleging that a botched 2016 operation prematurely ended the former’s NFL career, as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com writes. Floyd alleges he was set to undergo a minor knee procedure two years ago, but was instead given a pain blocker that caused significant nerve and muscle damage. Floyd, who has not played in the NFL since the surgery, is currently engaged in settlement discussions with the Vikings, whom Floyd alleges owes him salary.
East Rumors: Cowboys, Patriots, Michel, Jets
Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee aggravated his hamstring injury in Monday night’s game against the Titans and will be sidelined for “a little bit,” head coach Jason Garrett told reporters, including Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Lee, of course, has had problems staying healthy throughout his lengthy career, as he’s never played a full 16-game slate and just recently missed Weeks 4-6. While Dallas’ defense has historically posted vastly inferior production without Lee on the field, those splits have become less stark thanks to the excellent play of fellow Cowboys linebackers Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Lee isn’t the only member of the Cowboys expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks, as left guard Connor Williams is likely to require knee surgery that will knock him out of action for a few games, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. Williams’ injury isn’t season-ending, but he’s going to have to sit out for several weeks as he recovers. The 50th overall selection in the 2018 draft, Williams has been a middling option at guard this season, ranking 42nd among 75 positional qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Per George, it’s unclear how the Cowboys will replace Williams, but La’el Collins — a former guard — won’t be moved off right tackle.
- In the AFC, we have news on two injured Patriots running backs, including rookie Sony Michel. Michel suffered a knee injury against the Bears in Week 7 and hasn’t played since, but he’s on track to return against the Titans on Sunday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. New England hasn’t had any trouble in its backfield even without Michel thanks to the efforts of James White and Cordarrelle Patterson, but Michel — who managed at least 18 carries and touchdown in Weeks 4-6 — will give the Patriots a more balanced attack.
- Fellow Patriots running back Jeremy Hill announced on Twitter that he underwent surgery for his torn ACL on Monday. Hill suffered his knee injury in Week 1, but players will often wait on surgery for a variety of reasons. Hill, who is in his first season with New England, may have waited for swelling to subside, or, as Kevin Duffy of the Boston Herald tweets, Hill could have hoped to restore range of motion prior to an operation. After inking a one-year, $1.5MM deal this offseason, Hill will hit free agency next spring entering his age-27 campaign.
- Is offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates the right play-caller to lead Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold‘s development? That’s the question Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News attempts to answer in his most recent column, noting that Darnold has displayed signs of progress despite his high interception totals.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/6/18
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Daniel Braverman; DE Tank Carradine
Cleveland Browns
- RB Ralph Webb; WR Brice Butler
Denver Broncos
- LB Christian Kuntz
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
- RB Ralph Webb; WR Bruce Ellington; T Andrew Nelson; LBs Cayson Collins, Brady Sheldon, Azeem Victor
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
- RB Josh Ferguson; OL Menelik Watson
Oakland Raiders
- T Roubbens Joseph (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
- G David Bright; DE George Johnson; LB Ejuan Price; CB Jalen Myrick; DB Tyson Graham
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- WRs K.J. Brent, Chad Hansen, Marcus Tucker
Washington Redskins
- G Malcolm Bunche; Ts Darius James, Roubbens Joseph
Dez Bryant Working On Deal With Saints
Free agent receiver Dez Bryant is negotiating a deal with the Saints, who worked him out on Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Bryant didn’t immediately leave New Orleans with a contract following his audition, but the club was pleased with his performance, per Pelissero. The Saints have been searching for a veteran receiver to replace Ted Ginn Jr., who was placed on injured reserve weeks ago. Drew Brees certainly has other pass-catching options outside of the receiver position, including running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Ben Watson, but Bryant would give the future Hall of Fame quarterback another viable choice behind No. 1 Michael Thomas.
As Pelissero notes, Bryant has come close to agreements with other clubs earlier this year, so his pact with the Saints shouldn’t be considered final until he signs on the dotted line. Bryant reportedly rejected a one-year accord from the Ravens after being cut by the Cowboys, and also had a dalliance with the Browns. If Bryant, who turned 30 years old on Sunday, does reach a deal with New Orleans, it almost certainly will only run through the end of the 2018 campaign.
Bryant certainly comes with risk, as he hasn’t topped 1,000 yards receiving since 2014, while his 12.1 yards per reception in 2017 was the lowest average of his career. But the Saints believe he’ll offer a better performance than any of Brandon Marshall or Kamar Aiken, both of whom also worked out for New Orleans on Monday. Jeremy Kerley was also scheduled to audition, but weather interfered with his flight.
Raiders Sign DE Jacquies Smith
Kony Ealy wasn’t the only veteran defensive end the Raiders signed this week, as Oakland announced that it has also inked edge rusher Jacquies Smith.
Smith, 28, had established himself as a serviceable pass rusher for the Buccaneers (13.5 sacks from 2014-15) before a torn ACL ended his 2016 campaign after only one game. After working his way back to full health, Smith had played in only one 2017 contest with Tampa Bay before being cut. He latched with the Lions for two games, but spent the last two months of the campaign out of football.
Earlier this summer, Smith drew a bit of interest, working out for the Colts before landing a one-year deal withe Cardinals in July. He played in three games for Arizona but didn’t make much of an impact, as he saw only 29 snaps on defense to go along with 23 on special teams. After being released in late September, Smith worked out for Oakland last week before landing a deal Tuesday.
Smith (and Ealy) should both be given a chance to contribute in the Bay Area, as the Raiders have fielded the NFL’s worst pass-rushing unit through a half-season. After trading Khalil Mack prior to the regular season, and waiving defensive end Bruce Irvin last week, Oakland ranks dead last in the league in both sacks (seven) and adjusted sack rate. The Raiders’ defensive end rotation is now led by Frostee Rucker, Fadol Brown, and rookie Arden Key.