Seahawks DE Frank Clark Would Accept Franchise Tag
Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark is scheduled to become a free agent next spring, but the star edge defender wouldn’t have a problem accepting the franchise tag in lieu of a long-term deal, as his agent Erik Burkhardt explained to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.
“Frank and I are not scared of the franchise tag,” Burkhardt said. “That’s going to come in at about $18 million next year for a D-end on a one-year, fully guaranteed deal. It’s what [Lions defensive end Ezekiel] Ansah and [Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus] Lawrence have done. They get that top-of-the-market value for one year, and 12 months later will get their long-term deal as well. That’s winning.”
Seattle has already indicated that it will not use the franchise tag on veteran safety Earl Thomas, and given that the club doesn’t have any other obvious candidates for the tender, Clark could get tagged on a one-year deal worth more than $17.5MM. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says negotiations with Clark are “ongoing,” tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, but Clark also has a loss-of-value insurance policy in the event that his contract prospects are diminished by injury.
“I’m not saying a deal won’t get done,” Burkhardt said in explaining why he won’t rush Clark into a pact. “I’m just saying Frank and I don’t feel any panic or urgency to do an early deal just for the sake of doing an early deal. Athletes today prepare their whole lives to potentially get one big contract, and Frank has put himself in position to do that.”
Clark, 25, was selected in the second round of the 2015 draft and began contributing immediately, posting three sacks during his rookie campaign. Since that time, he’s played on roughly two-thirds of Seattle’s snaps in each season, and recorded 24.5 sacks in 37 games. This year arguably marks Clark’s best campaign to date, and Pro Football Focus grades him as the NFL’s No. 20 edge defender among 101 qualifiers.
If Clark does hit free agency, he’ll join an impressive list of available pass rushers that could include Lawrence, Ansah, Trey Flowers, Jadeveon Clowney, and Dee Ford, among others.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/24/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: G Sean Harlow
- Released: C J.C. Hassenauer
Denver Broncos
- Signed: QB Garrett Grayson, T Andreas Knappe
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Joel Bouagnon
- Released: TE Jerome Cunningham
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB Phillip Walker
- Released: G Will House
New York Giants
- Signed: S A.J. Howard
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DB Mark Myers
Poll: Most Important Game Of Week 8?
We’re nearly at the halfway mark of the 2018 season, and Week 8 offers a number of intriguing matchups that could impact the playoff race. With so much on the line, which game is the most important?
For some context, we’ll use Brian Burke of ESPN’s Playoff Probability Leverage, which Burke tweets out weekly. In short, playoff probability leverage indicates the change in chance of making the playoffs based on the results of the selected game. For example, the Rams and Chiefs are so assured of earning a postseason appearance that this week’s contests have limited meaning for them (less than 5% playoff leverage). The Jets, Browns, Bills, Raiders, Giants, Cardinals, and 49ers will also face low playoff leverages because they have virtually no chance of making the postseason.
But for other clubs, Week 8 could mean everything. And by combining the playoff probability leverages of the two teams involved in a selected game, we can determine which contests will most determine the postseason entrants:
- Seattle Seahawks (27%) at Detroit Lions (15%) = 42%
- Miami Dolphins (18%) at Houston Texans (20%) = 38%
- Baltimore Ravens (16%) at Carolina Panthers (21%) = 37%
- New Orleans Saints (14%) at Minnesota Vikings (22%) = 36%
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12%) at Cincinnati Bengals (18%) = 30%
- Philadelphia Eagles (17%) at Jacksonville Jaguars (11%) = 28%
Other Week 10 contests aren’t included here for various reasons. The Steelers have high postseason probability leverage (24%) against the Browns, but the contest is essentially meaningless on Cleveland’s end, as the Browns have little chance of earning a playoff berth. The Rams/Packers game, meanwhile, figures to be an exciting contest, but nearly all the leverage is with Green Bay (24%).
It’s also important to note that not all playoff probability leverages are created equally. For example, even if the Ravens — who face a 16% PPL — lose to the Panthers on Sunday, they’ll still have a greater than 65% chance of making the postseason. On the other hand, the Dolphins, while facing a similar PPL to the Ravens (18%), will have roughly a one-in-ten chance of earning a postseason berth if they fall to the Texans. If Miami wins, that number rises to about 30%.
So, what do you think? Are the numbers right — is Seahawks/Lions the most critical game of the weekend? Or does a contest farther down the playoff probability leverage spectrum, such as Saints/Vikings mean more? Vote below, and add your thoughts in the comments section!
49ers LB Dekoda Watson To Return From IR
The 49ers have designated linebacker Dekoda Watson to return from injured reserve, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Watson was placed on injured reserve in September after initially being carried through to the 49ers’ 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. Watson returned to practice today, opening a three-week window during which San Francisco must decide whether to activate the veteran ‘backer or leave him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Watson, 30, has bounced around the league since being selected in the seventh round of the 2010 draft, spending time with the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Cowboys, Patriots, and Broncos before joining the 49ers on a three-year, $10MM contract prior to the 2017 campaign. Last season, Watson played only 88 snaps on defense but was a key asset on special teams, where he saw 72% playtime and managed four tackles.
If he does return this year, it’s difficult to see Watson getting much action on defense, where Reuben Foster and Fred Warner play the majority of snaps for San Francisco. But he could join Malcolm Smith, Mark Nzeocha, and Elijah Lee as reserves while contributing on special teams, where the 49ers currently rank as a bottom-three unit in DVOA.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/24/18
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: G Jermaine Eluemunor
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
- Waived: LB Xavier Woodson-Luster
- Waived from injured reserve: LB James Burgess
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Dee Delaney
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Donald Payne
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Chandon Sullivan
Buccaneers LB Jack Cichy Tears ACL
Kwon Alexander isn’t the only Buccaneers linebacker who suffered a torn ACL on Sunday, as an MRI revealed Jack Cichy will miss the rest of the 2018 season with the same injury, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
This marks the second torn ACL of Cichy’s football career, as he previously suffered the injury in August 2017, just before the start of his final collegiate season at Wisconsin. Instead of taking a medical waiver and staying in Madison, Cichy entered the 2018 draft, and eventually was selected in the sixth round.
Cichy entered Sunday’s contest after Alexander had already gone down, playing outside linebacker while Adarius Taylor shifted to the middle to replace Alexander. With only four healthy linebackers — Taylor, Lavonte David, Cameron Lynch, and Devante Bond — still on their roster, the Buccaneers will need to make an addition this week. Kendell Beckwith is eligible to return from the non-football injury list, but given that he’s yet to practice, he’s probably not a realistic option.
The Buccaneers seem to have at least one candidate in mind to fill a linebacker void. Riley Bullough, who split the 2017 season between Tampa’s active and practice squad, was in town for a workout and physical, tweets Greg Auman of The Athletic. He reached an injury settlement with the Bucs earlier this year, and is now eligible to be re-signed.
Dolphins WR Kenny Stills To Miss Week 8
Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills suffered a groin strain in Week 7 and is likely to miss Thursday night’s game against the Texans, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Stills will undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of his injury.
Miami can ill-afford to lose another wideout, as Albert Wilson is expected to miss multiple weeks after injuring his hip against the Lions. Wilson, for his part, will visit a specialist in order to get a timeline on his labrum issue, tweets Rapoport, but agent Drew Rosenhaus has already called a multi-week absence the “best case scenario” for Wilson, and he could potentially miss the rest of the season.
Stills will, in fact, miss Week 8, Adam Gase said Monday.
With Stills and Wilson sidelined, the Dolphins are down to just three receivers: Danny Amendola, Jakeem Grant, and DeVante Parker, the latter of whom was inactive with a nagging injury on Sunday. Parker’s agent has since lashed out at the Dolphins and head coach Adam Gase for their handling of Parker, and the former first-round pick has also been involved in trade rumors. But Miami’s dire situation at receiver may force the club to deploy Parker as a starter on Thursday night. Pass-catchers Leonte Carroo, Malcolm Lewis, Isaiah Ford, all of of whom are currently on on the Dolphins’ practice squad, are candidates for promotion.
Stills, 26, has started all seven games for the Dolphins this season while playing nearly 90% of the team’s offensive snaps. In that time, he’s compiled 16 receptions for 281 yards and four touchdowns, and ranks 10th among NFL wideouts in yards per catch with 17.6 (minimum 20 targets).
Bucs LB Kwon Alexander Has Torn ACL
Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander suffered a torn ACL against the Browns on Sunday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) first indicated Sunday that Tampa Bay feared Alexander had torn his ACL.
A season-ending injury will not only put an end to Alexander’s 2018 contributions, but signify a devastating development for Alexander’s free agency hopes next spring. Alexander is scheduled to become a free agent in March, and had been engaged in extension negotiations with Tampa Bay. He’ll now be facing a lengthy recovery period, which could put a cap on his next contract.
A fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft, Alexander has started 46 games over three-plus years with the Buccaneers. This season, he’d posted 38 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one sack while grading as the No. 53 linebacker among 79 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. With Alexander sidelined, the Buccaneers moved strong-side linebacker Adarius Taylor to the middle and inserted Jack Cichy into the game, but Cichy later left with a knee injury of his own.
If Tampa Bay is forced to look outside its organization for reinforcements, free agent linebackers such as Brian Cushing, Jonathan Freeny, Derrick Johnson, Kevin Minter, and Lawrence Timmons could conceivably be on the club’s radar.
Jets S Doug Middleton Done For Season
Jets safety Doug Middleton suffered a torn pectoral in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings and will miss the remainder of the season, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
Middleton himself was already an injury replacement, as he was filling in for starter Marcus Maye after the latter suffered a broken thumb last week. Terrence Brooks took over at free safety against Minnesota after Middleton went down, and he’ll likely continue as a starter until Maye can return in a few weeks.
With Middleton and Maye both injured, Brooks and Jamal Adams are now the only healthy safeties on New York’s roster, meaning the club will almost certainly need to add another defensive back. The Jets have two safeties on their practice squad in 2018 supplemental draft pick Brandon Bryant and 2017 selection Jeremy Clark (who is technically a cornerback but dabbled at safety during training camp), while veteran Rontez Miles is eligible to return from the physically unable to perform list.
Middleton, 25, joined the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State in 2016. After appearing in four games during his rookie season, Middleton missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with injury (coincidentally, another torn pectoral). This season, Middleton had made four starts and played on 46.3% of the Jets’ defensive snaps and 44.6% of the club’s special teams snaps, posting 22 tackles and three passes defensed along the way. He’ll be an exclusive rights free agent in 2019.
Latest On Patriots RB Sony Michel
Patriots running back Sony Michel went down with a knee injury on Sunday, and while he will likely miss time, the issue is not expected to be “overly serious,” a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New England believes Michel is dealing with “at least” an MCL injury, which would cause a multi-week absence but not end the rookie’s 2018 campaign, tweets Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston.
Michel, who was selected 31st overall earlier this year, had knee concerns heading into the draft and has a torn ACL on his record. Additionally, Michel suffered a knee injury in August that forced him to miss the preseason and the Patriots’ first regular season game. Given that track record, New England is surely worried about Michel’s current injury, but it doesn’t sound as though the Georgia product is in danger of missing the rest of the year.
Since returning to action in Week 2, Michel has quickly taken over as the Patriots’ lead back, and he’s led the team in carries each week since. All told, Michel has managed 4.4 yards per carry on 95 rushes while scoring four touchdowns. He’s given New England the ability to sustain a running game, and ranks fifth in the NFL in Football Outsiders’ success rate, meaning he’s excellent at keeping the Patriots’ offense on schedule with regard to down and distance.
The Patriots have already placed fellow backs Rex Burkhead and Jeremy Hill on injured reserve, leaving James White and Kenjon Barner as the only healthy runners on New England’s roster. Practice-squader Kenneth Farrow is a candidate to be promoted, but the Patriots could also look at the free agent market. They’ve reportedly expressed interest in reuniting with Mike Gillislee, and they’ve worked out a number of backs — including Orleans Darkwa and Charcandrick West — throughout the season.