North Notes: Bengals, Hue, Browns, Pack, Vikes
A return to the Bengals could make sense for recently-fired Browns head coach Hue Jackson, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com indicates (Twitter link). Jackson is extremely close with Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis, and has previously worked in the Queen City on two occasions, first as wide receivers coach from 2004-06 and then in multiple roles (including offensive coordinator) from 2012-15. The Bengals still have to play the Browns twice this season, so adding Jackson with the intent of gaining intel on Cleveland wouldn’t be out of the question, but Cincinnati could be concerned about forcing incumbent play-caller Bill Lazor to look over his shoulder.
Jackson also gave an interview Thursday to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com in which he attempts to explain reports of “internal discord” between he and similarly fired Browns OC Todd Haley. The entire piece is well worth a full read, as Jackson expresses frustration at the prior state of Cleveland’s roster and the Browns passing on quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Carson Wentz in recent drafts.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:
- Browns interim head coach Gregg Williams isn’t once to mince words, and he didn’t hold back Wednesday when asked about other opportunities he’s had in the NFL. “Since I left Buffalo, I had 11 letters to interview for head coaching jobs,” said Williams (Twitter link via Cabot). “Four of them didn’t even have to interview, just show up and sign the contract.” Williams gave no indication as to what clubs offered him a position, nor do most (if any) teams hand out head coaching gigs without at least a sit-down meeting. Williams, who is retaining his role as Cleveland’s defensive coordinator, also said he had no part in promoting Freddie Kitchens from running backs coach to interim offensive coordinator, according to Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- A.J. Green was in a walking boot following the Bengals‘ Week 8 win over the Buccaneers, and he’s still not “out of the woods,” tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. It’s unclear exactly what issue is bothering Green, and initial reports suggested the boot was simply precautionary. But the injury has continued to swell, per Dehner, so Cincinnati is putting its star receiver through further tests. The Bengals are on a bye in Week 9 so Green has plenty of time to recover, but any absence would be a massive blow to Cincinnati’s offense as the club continues its push for a playoff spot.
- The Packers traded both safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and running back Ty Montgomery following what were perceived as locker room issues, but Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst says neither deal was intended to send a message to Packers players, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. “I think you take everything into consideration when you make these kind of decisions, but performance comes first,” Gutekunst said. “That’s always the major factor in these decisions. Everything’s taken into account, but it’s never usually just one thing.” Clinton-Dix had indicated he didn’t expect to re-sign with Green Bay, while Montgomery reportedly went rogue by taking a late-game kickoff out of the end zone on Sunday.
- Before signing with the Vikings‘ practice squad earlier this week, defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo also had p-squad offers from the Giants and Packers, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Odenigbo, who also worked out for the Saints earlier this week, says he’ll now play only on the edge for Minnesota instead of dabbling at defensive tackle, and interestingly says that designation was actually part of his pact with the Vikings.
Golden Tate Seeking Jarvis Landry Deal?
Golden Tate is now an Eagle following a deadline deal that sent him from Detroit to Philadelphia, but it’s possible that the veteran receiver only spends eight games with the Birds. Tate, of course, is a free agent at season’s end, and he and his agent intend to use Jarvis Landry‘s five-year, $75.5MM deal with the Browns as a basis for his next contract, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
There are certainly valid reasons to make the comparison between Tate and Landry, and the two have extremely similar statistics since the latter entered the league in 2014. Over the past four-plus seasons, Tate holds the edge in overall yardage while Landry takes the cake in receptions and touchdowns. However, Tate is more than four years older than Landry, so it could be difficult to persuade clubs to hand the new Eagles pass-catcher a $15MM annual commitment.
One factor working in Tate’s favor is the 2019 free agent receiver class. It’s not difficult to argue that Tate will be the best wideout available next spring, as other options that should be available include John Brown, Devin Funchess, Randall Cobb, Jamison Crowder, and Cole Beasley. Tate should be more attractive than any of those pass-catchers, so it’s not inconceivable that he comes away with an unexpectedly large contract.
Philadelphia has shown a willingness to extend recently-acquired players (see: Alshon Jeffery in 2017), but if the Eagles aren’t able to retain Tate, they’ll surely hope the 30-year-old lands a generous deal on the open market. A hefty pact would give Philadelphia at reaping a 2020 compensatory pick in exchange for losing Tate, which would help offset the 2019 third-rounder the Eagles shipped to the Lions.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/18
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: S Treston Decoud
Oakland Raiders
- Claimed off waivers: T David Sharpe
Saints Designate WR Tommylee Lewis For Return
The Saints have designated wide receiver Tommylee Lewis to return from injured reserve, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
Lewis was placed on injured reserve on September 19 after he suffered a knee injury. NFL rules mandate a minimum eight-week absence., so Lewis won’t be able to return to game action until Week 11. Now that he’s back at practice, the Saints have a three-week window during which they must decide to active Lewis to their 53-man roster. If he’s not activated, Lewis must remain on IR for the rest of the season.
Lewis, 26, hasn’t been much of an offensive contributor in New Orleans, as he’s recorded just 17 receptions over two seasons with the Saints. But he has been a factor on special teams, serving as one of the Saints’ primary kick and punt returners over the past two years. With Lewis (and Ted Ginn Jr.) out, New Orleans has deployed running back Alvin Kamara on punts and jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill on kicks. On a macro level, New Orleans ranks ninth in special teams DVOA.
South Notes: Bucs, Colts, Vinatieri, Jaguars
Although the Buccaneers ultimately stood pat prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline, they did inquire on available cornerbacks, tweets Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Only one cornerback — former Giant/current Saint Eli Apple — was traded near the deadline, but others, including Janoris Jenkins (Giants), Chris Harris and Bradley Roby (Broncos), and Gareon Conley (Raiders), were thought to be available. Tampa Bay has already lost corners Vernon Hargreaves and Marcus Williams for the season, and are currently fielding the NFL’s worst pass defense by DVOA, so adding help in the back end was certainly a priority. The Buccaneers reportedly also targeted Giants safety Landon Collins but weren’t able to come to an agreement with New York.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions:
- Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, now the NFL’s all-time scoring leader, has no interest in playing for any team besides Indianapolis, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59 (Twitter link). Although he’s now 45 years old, Vinatieri intends to play beyond the 2018 campaign, and the Colts would have interest in re-signing him if he keeps producing at his current level. As Chappell notes, Vinatieri and his family have settled in Indianapolis — he’s now been with the Colts for longer than he played for the Patriots — and the Colts should be contenders in 2019. Vinatieri, who signed a one-year, $3.625MM deal in the spring, has converted 14-of-16 field goals and 21-of-23 extra points this season.
- Both the Jaguars and the Rams believed that moving Dante Fowler out of his home state of Florida would be beneficial to the young pass rusher, as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com writes. Fowler, who was traded to Los Angeles on Tuesday, played collegiately at the University of Florida, and there’s a feeling that relocating — be it to California or anywhere that is not Florida — will be a positive. Additionally, Jacksonville has several looming defensive extensions on the horizon, including deals for stars Jalen Ramsey and Yannick Ngakoue, so keeping Fowler around wasn’t a must. Plus, as Breer details, Fowler wasn’t exactly a key cog on the Jaguars’ defense, as he’d played on only 32% of the club’s defensive snaps to this point.
- In case you missed it, Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport — whom New Orleans traded up to select in the first round of this year’s draft — is expected to miss a month or so after suffering a toe injury. Here’s how the Saints intend to replace the rookie pass rusher.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/31/18
Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer:
Cincinnati Bengals
- TE Ben Koyack; FBs Aaron Ripkowski, Shane Smith; DEs Kony Ealy, Ryan Russell; LBs Kasim Edebali, Tyrone Holmes, Aaron Wallace
Green Bay Packers
- RB Ralph Webb
Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland Raiders
- CB Jalen Myrick
Redskins Designate RB Byron Marshall As IR/Return
The Redskins have designated running back Byron Marshall to return from injured reserve, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer.
Marshall was placed on injured reserve in September after initially being carried through to the Redskins’ initial 53-man roster. NFL rules stipulate that any player who returns from IR must have been on his club’s original 53-man roster, and also mandates a minimum eight-week absence. As such, Marshall can now be activated at any point over the next three weeks; if he’s not, Marshall must stay on IR for the remainder of the season.
At one point, Washington’s running back depth chart looked extremely dire after Derrius Guice, Rob Kelley, and Marshall were all placed on injured reserve. Of course, Adrian Peterson has turned back the clock since then and established himself as the club’s clear top running back. But that doesn’t mean Marshall can’t find a role behind Peterson, Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine, and Kapri Bibbs (although one of the latter two would likely be cut if Marshall is brought back off IR).
Marshall joined the Redskins last November after Washington signed him away from the Eagles’ practice squad. An undrafted free agent in 2016, Marshall managed nine carries for 32 yards in four games with the Redskins in 2017, and also chipped in on 34 special teams plays. However, a hamstring injury ended his campaign in early December.
Poll: Best Acquisition On Deadline Day?
In 2014, the year Pro Football Rumors was established, there were 23 NFL trades that involved veteran players (ie. deals that didn’t simply involve teams moving up and down the board on draft day). Just four years later, that number has more than doubled, as the league has seen 61 deals go down since the league year opened in March.
There are myriad reasons why the NFL is becoming a more trade-happy league, and Andrew Brandt of Sports Illustrated outlined several of them yesterday: younger general managers that are more comfortable making swaps; gobs of cap space; and the NFL’s decision to move the trade deadline back by two weeks. Whatever the explanation, it certainly makes the league more fun on deadline day.
Five trades occurred on Tuesday, with five contending clubs making what can only be described as win-now moves. Let’s take a look at each deal before deciding which team made the best acquisition at the deadline:
Texans acquired WR Demaryius Thomas and a 2019 seventh-round pick from the Broncos in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick and a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Houston needed another pass-catcher after losing Will Fuller to a torn ACL, and while the 30-year-old Thomas isn’t exactly a perfect replacement for the speedy Fuller, he’ll give head coach Bill O’Brien and quarterback Deshaun Watson another option as they look to build on their five-game win streak. Thomas was the only player acquired on Tuesday who is signed beyond the 2018 season, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll stick with the Texans next year barring a contract restructure. He’s due a $14MM base salary in 2019, which seems untenable for a player whose production has dipped in recent campaigns.
Eagles acquired WR Golden Tate from the Lions in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick.
- Nelson Agholor has been among the least productive wide receivers in the NFL this season, ranking next-to-last in Football Outsiders’ DYAR, which measures value over a replacement level player. Tate figures to usurp Agholor in the slot, and the Eagles could now play quite a bit more “11” personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers). To date, Philadelphia has deployed that personnel package on only 54% of plays, fourth-least in the league, per Warren Sharp. Another plus for the Eagles? They don’t have any cap space to use in 2019, and their projected lack of free agent activity almost certainly ensures they’ll reap a compensatory selection in 2020 if Tate leaves via the open market.
Ravens acquired RB Ty Montgomery from the Packers in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round pick.
- The Montgomery trade is a horse of a different color, as the Packers likely felt forced to deal Montgomery after he allegedly went rogue by taking a kickoff out of the end zone (and subsequently fumbling) against the Rams on Sunday, depriving Aaron Rodgers a chance at a late game comeback. As Michael Silver of NFL.com detailed, Green Bay veterans were understandably flabbergasted by Montgomery’s decision, so his departure could be viewed as addition by subtraction. That doesn’t mean Montgomery can’t be effective for the Ravens, however, as he can contribute in the passing game, the running game, and on special teams.
Rams acquired LB/DE Dante Fowler from the Jaguars in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick and a 2020 fifth-round pick.
- The Rams didn’t exactly need more help getting after opposing quarterbacks given that they’ve managed a league-high 39.2% pressure rate. Los Angeles is getting most of that pressure from the interior (see: Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh), but outside linebackers Samson Ebukam and Matt Longacre are also playing well despite not being household names. Fowler, the third overall pick in the 2015 draft, is in the midst of his best season to date, and he’ll now likely be asked to rush from a stand-up, outside ‘backer position instead of his usual 4-3 defensive end spot. Jacksonville had already declined Fowler’s 2019 fifth-year option, so the Rams don’t have to worry about another high salary hitting their books next year.
Redskins acquired S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix from the Packers in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick.
- In terms of player-for-player upgrade, perhaps no team did better on Tuesday than the Redskins. Clinton-Dix, who ranks as Pro Football Focus‘ fifth-best safety in 2018, will be replacing Montae Nicholson, whom PFF grades a bottom-three defensive back league-wide. Washington already ranks ninth in pass defense DVOA, and the club only figures to improve after acquiring Clinton-Dix from Green Bay. Clinton-Dix is scheduled to become a free agent next spring, and while he almost certainly wouldn’t agree to an extension before hitting the open market, the Redskins do have the option of using the franchise tag to keep him around. Washington doesn’t have any other obvious franchise tender candidates, and the salary for safeties should only be worth ~$10MM.
So what do you think? Which team made the best acquisition on Tuesday? Vote below and leave your additional thoughts in the comments section! (Link for app users.)
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/18
Today’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Tra Carson
Houston Texans
- Signed off Falcons’ practice squad: CB Deante Burton
- Waived: T David Sharpe
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Malik Turner
Buccaneers LB Kendell Beckwith Returns To Practice
Buccaneers linebacker Kendell Beckwith, currently on the non-football injury list, returned to practice on Wednesday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Beckwith was injured in an April car accident, suffering a fractured ankle that required surgery. He missed the entirety of Tampa Bay’s offseason program and the first eight weeks of the regular season, but he’s now healthy enough to begin practicing. The Buccaneers now have a three-week window during which they must decide whether to activate Beckwith or keep him on the NFI list for the remainder of the season.
“It’s really remarkable,” head coach Dirk Koetter said. “Off-season accident and when he had that surgery, they were saying this was going to be a tough injury to come back from. He’s worked his tail off. He’s had a couple setbacks along the way. They finally cleared him. I know he was excited to be out there today and we’ll have to see how he responds. If it’s positive, they’ll add more reps to his plate and as soon as he feels like he’s ready and the doctors feel like he’s ready, he could possibly return.”
The Buccaneers can use all the linebacker help they can get, as they lost both Kwon Alexander and Jack Cichy to season-ending injuries in Week 7. On Sunday, Tampa Bay deployed Adarius Taylor as its primary ‘backer opposite Lavonte David, with Devante Bond, Cameron Lynch, and Riley Bullough in reserve.
Last year, the Bucs used Beckwith at all three linebacker spots as he appeared in all 16 games with eleven starts. The 23-year-old had 73 total tackles on the year, including a 14-tackle game against the Patriots in the first month of the season. Beckwith wasn’t originally ticketed for a starting role, but he wound up playing on 847 snaps as a rookie after being selected in the third round of the draft.