Giants C Jon Halapio Out For Season
Giants center Jon Halapio will miss the remainder of the 2018 season after fracturing his lower leg and ankle Sunday, the club announced today.
New York addressed its offensive line this offseason by adding free agent Nate Solder at left tackle and draft pick Will Hernandez at left guard, but the unit hasn’t looked improved through two games (both losses). Losing Halapio will be a further blow to the front five’s continuity as the club looks to rebound from its early-season struggles.
Having traded Brett Jones (who started 13 games at center in 2017) earlier this year, the Giants will have to look elsewhere to replace Halapio. While undrafted rookie Evan Brown is listed as Halapio’s direct backup, veteran Spencer Pulley might be a more realistic candidate to take over at the pivot. Pulley, whom New York acquired off waivers earlier this month, started all 16 games at center for the Chargers last season. John Greco took over for Halapio on Sunday, so he’s another option to fill in at center.
For Halapio, his injury represents a devastating turn for a journeyman who had finally secured a starting job. Halapio, 27, bounced around the league after being drafted in 2014, but had overtaken Jones this summer to become the Giants’ starting center. He’ll be an exclusive rights free agent in 2019, so New York will be able to easily retain him.
Carson Wentz To Start In Week 3
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has been medically cleared and will start against the Colts on Sunday, the club announced today.
Wentz is roughly nine months removed from tearing his ACL, so it’s no surprise Philadelphia used a cautious approach with its franchise signal-caller. While he’d been cleared for 11-on-11 drills, Wentz hadn’t been cleared for full contact until today. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has previously indicated Wentz will need a week of full contact practice before he’ll be re-inserted as the club’s starter.
The Eagles had the luxury of deploying Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles during their first two games and managed to post a 1-1 record. Foles wasn’t very effective during Philadelphia’s Week 1 win over the Falcons, as he completed just 56% of his passes for 117 yards and one interceptions. He performed much better against the Buccaneers on Sunday (73% completion rate, 334 yards, one touchdown), but the Eagles still lost 27-21.
Wentz, of course, was playing at an MVP pace before going down last December. In 13 starts, Wentz posted 3,296 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions and was named second-team All-Pro despite missing three games. Among the 26 quarterbacks with at least 350 attempts in 2017, Wentz ranked second in ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating, fourth in passer rating, and fourth in adjusted yards per attempt.
Wentz won’t return with his full arsenal at hand, as wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is still recovering from shoulder surgery while Mike Wallace injured his ankle on Sunday. However, Jeffery is expected to practice on a limited basis this week, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, so he could return to game action in the near future. And Wallace will not be placed on injured reserve after fracturing his fibula, Pederson said today, which means the Eagles may believe he could return later this year.
Redskins Working Out WR Breshad Perriman
The Redskins are auditioning former Ravens receiver Breshad Perriman today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Perriman, the 26th overall selection in the 2015 draft, has never lived up to his draft billing, as injuries and ineffectiveness have prevented him from reaching his potential. After missing his entire rookie campaign, Perriman posted 33 receptions in 2016, but managed only 10 catches last year.
Washington doesn’t have a glaring need at wide receiver, as their pass-catching group is mostly healthy. Paul Richardson was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury but ultimately played, while Maurice Harris is recovered from a concussion but has still been inactive both of the Redskins’ contests. Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, and the recently-added Brian Quick and Jehu Chesson round out Washington’s depth chart.
Perriman certainly isn’t wanting for free agent interest, as he’s met with the Jets, Giants, Bills, Vikings, and Eagles since getting cut by the Ravens.
Ravens To Re-Sign LB Albert McClellan
The Ravens are expected to re-sign linebacker Albert McClellan, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Baltimore needs help at the second level after starting middle linebacker C.J. Mosley was carted off the field with a bone bruise near his knee on Thursday night. While Mosley isn’t expected to face a long-term absence, it’s unclear exactly how long he’ll be out. With Mosley sidelined, the Ravens moved Patrick Onwuasor to middle linebacker and deployed rookie Kenny Young on the weak side.
McClellan, 32, offers plenty of experience with the Ravens, as he’d been with the club since 2011 before being released at final cutdowns. While he’s primarily served on special teams, McClellan has been called on to play defensive snaps in the past. In both 2012, and 2016, McClellan started 11 games as an injury replacement. Overall, McClellan has appeared in 90 games and managed 98 tackles.
Rams To Sign K Sam Ficken
The Rams are expected to sign kicker Sam Ficken to fill in for Greg Zuerlein, who injured his groin during warmups on Sunday, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Ficken, 25, is quite familiar with Los Angeles, as he took over for an injured Zuerlein at the tail end of the 2017 regular season and into the playoffs. He converted two-of-three field goals and four-of-five extra points during in two regular season contests before making both field goal attempts during the Rams’ postseason loss. Ficken was with the Rams during the summer but was waived during final cutdowns.
Zuerlein, of course, is one of the NFL’s best kickers, and earned both first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2017. He ranked third last season with a 95% field goal conversion rate, and made six-of-seven attempts from 50+ yards. Per Garafolo, it’s currently unclear how long Zuerlein will be sidelined, but the Rams don’t intend to place him on injured reserve, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Browns Expected To Replace K Zane Gonzalez
Zane Gonzalez had a performance to forget against the Saints on Sunday, so the Browns are now auditioning free agent kickers Blair Walsh and Cairo Santos, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) was the first to report Cleveland was expected to change kickers.
Gonzalez was dreadful in Week 2, as he missed two field goals, including a 53-yarder that would have sent the game to overtime, and two extra points, including one that would have given the Browns a one-point lead with less than 90 seconds remaining. Cleveland, of course, was searching for its first victory since the 2016 season. A seventh-round pick in 2017, Gonzalez converted 75% of his field goal attempts and 25-of-26 of his extra points during his rookie campaign.
Both Walsh and Santos come with their own problems. Walsh has dealt with accuracy issues throughout his career, and was cut by the Seahawks after hitting only 72.4% of his field goals in 2017. Santos has historically been the better kicker, but he’s dealt with a nagging groin injury for more than a year.
One name who has yet to be linked to the Browns is veteran Dan Bailey, who was released by the Cowboys at final cutdowns. Per Darren Wolfson of KSTP (Twitter link), Bailey has recently turned down offers from four clubs as he waits for the “right opportunity,” one that may include suiting up for a contender.
Eagles WR Mike Wallace Possibly Done For Season?
Eagles wideout Mike Wallace is out indefinitely after suffering an ankle injury during Week 2, and could potentially miss the remainder of the season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) was the first to report Wallace is dealing with a serious ankle issue.
Philadelphia could ill afford another blow to its wide receiver depth, as the club is already without Mack Hollins — who was placed on injured reserve earlier this month — and Alshon Jeffery, who is still working his way back from shoulder surgery. Jeffery indicated on September 7 that he was still multiple weeks away from returning to the field.
Nelson Agholor now leads a wide receiver contingent that also includes Kamar Aiken, DeAndre Carter, and Shelton Gibson, so the Eagles could look to add another pass-catcher in the near future. Markus Wheaton, who was with Philadelphia during the summer, is one obvious solution, while other available free agents include Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin, Breshad Perriman, Kenny Britt, Kendall Wright, and Jordan Matthews. Cleveland’s Josh Gordon is also available via trade, but there’s been no indication the Eagles have inquired on the Browns receiver.
Wallace, 32, inked a one-year, $1.915MM deal with the Eagles this spring in order to replace Torrey Smith as the club’s deep threat. After posting 52 receptions for 748 yards and four touchdowns with the Ravens in 2017, Wallace managed just three targets and zero catches for Philadelphia before going down.
Jaguars LT Cam Robinson Has Torn ACL
Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson suffered a torn ACL against the Patriots and will miss the remainder of the season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Jacksonville is now 2-0 after defeating New England on Sunday, but the club’s path to the postseason will get a bit tougher with Robinson in tow. Given that the Jaguars rely so heavily on their rushing attack, losing any starting offensive lineman for a significant period of time would present a challenge.
With Robinson out, the Jaguars will turn to fifth-year pro Josh Wells to fill in on Blake Bortles‘ blindside. Wells, 27, has appeared in 34 games during his career, including 15 a year ago. He made four starts in 2017, filling in at both tackle spots while playing on roughly 44% of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps.
While Jacksonville could theoretically look to the free agent market for reinforcements, there simply aren’t many high-quality offensive tackles readily available. At present, the list of free agent tackles includes middling-to-poor options such as Will Beatty, Cyrus Kouandjio, Austin Pasztor, Rees Odhiambo, and Don Barclay.
Robinson, 22, was the Jaguars’ second-round pick in 2017, and started 15 games during his rookie campaign. He was part of an offensive line that also included free agent acquisition Andrew Nowell at left guard, plus center Brandon Linder, right guard A.J. Cann, and right tackle Jermey Parnell.
Browns Expected To Trade Josh Gordon Today
The Browns are expected to trade wide receiver Josh Gordon today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who adds Cleveland could conceivably receive a conditional pick that could ultimately become a mid-round selection.
Eight-to-ten clubs have contacted the Browns regarding Gordon’s availability, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link), and some teams are reportedly “adamant” that their interest in Gordon be made public. 49ers general manager John Lynch admits he’s reached out to Cleveland about Gordon, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area writes, while the Jets have some interest but are unlikely to acquire Gordon, reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are not in the running for Gordon, tweets Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.
Gordon, of course, has dealt with numerous off-field issues during his career, but it doesn’t appear as though he’s suffered any sort of relapse to precipitate the Browns moving on from him. Instead, Cleveland has developed “trust issues” with its 27-year-old pass-catcher, who reportedly injured his hamstring during a recent photo shoot. Indeed, part of rival clubs’ analysis on Gordon will include how long it will take him to recover from said injury.
Any team that acquires Gordon will take on the remainder of his $790K base salary for the 2018 season. Gordon, whose contract has tolled multiple times during his career, will become a restricted free agent at the end of the year.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Bills
The Raiders surprisingly re-signed wide receiver Martavis Bryant earlier this week after initially waiving him at final cutdowns, and head coach Jon Gruden is optimistic on Bryant’s chances to contribute, as Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “He’s in a good place right now,” Gruden said. “I think he’s healthy. I think he’s ready to go. We’re sold on that. We’ve been in contact with him since he has been away. I’ve said it before: when he’s right, he can be a difference maker and we’re hoping he can be one sooner rather than later.”
Bryant is reportedly facing a yearlong suspension after another alleged violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but he’s eligible to play until the league formally announces a ban. Indeed, Bryant is expected to suit up for the Raiders when they face the Broncos on Sunday. Bryant didn’t take any sort of pay cut to return to Oakland, as he’ll collect the same $1.907MM (prorated) salary he was originally due, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Linebacker C.J. Mosley did not suffer any ligament damage in the Ravens‘ Thursday night loss to the Bengals, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link). While Mosley may miss Baltimore’s Week 3 contest against Denver, Harbaugh doesn’t think Mosley is facing a long-term absence. For what it’s worth, the Ravens announced Mosley had a bone bruise when he left last night’s game. As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes, Mosley has arguably become Baltimore’s most indispensable defender, so the Ravens will be hard-pressed to replace him for any period of time. Mosley, 26, is currently playing out the final year of his contract, but he hadn’t progressed on an extension with the Ravens as of July.
- Elsewhere from Thursday night’s game, Bengals center Billy Price suffered a foot sprain, according to head coach Marvin Lewis (Twitter link via Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer). The injury doesn’t sound all that serious, as Lewis indicated he was “surprised” Price wasn’t cleared to return to Cincinnati’s eventual victory. Price, the 21st overall selection in this year’s draft, was part of a Bengals offensive line overhaul that also included the acquisition of left tackle Cordy Glenn. If Price is forced to miss action, he’ll be replaced by reserve Trey Hopkins, who started 12 games for Cincinnati in 2017.
- The Bills will start first-round rookie Josh Allen at quarterback on Sunday after Nathan Peterman and the rest of Buffalo’s offense was thrashed by Baltimore in Week 1, leading Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com to examine whether deploying Allen this early in the season is the correct decision. Allen won’t be forced to face Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, but the Los Angeles defense will certainly present a challenge for the Wyoming product.