NFL Workout Rumors: Basham, Dobbs, Raiders, Beckham
Veteran defensive end Tarell Basham is quickly back to work in trying to secure his spot on an NFL roster, spending the day with the Titans on a free agent visit, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. He’s been available for three days and has clearly been busy attempting to find his fourth NFL home.
This display of resiliency is nothing new for the 28-year-old. After disappointing as a third-round pick in Indianapolis, Basham was waived partway through only his sophomore season in the league. He was claimed the next day by the Jets but failed to produce much more in the next season and a half. In his final year in New York, Basham decided to have a career year starting nine games for the Jets and recording career highs in sacks (3.5), tackles for loss (5.0), and quarterback hits (13).
He capitalized on that performance, signing a two-year, $5.5MM contract to join the Cowboys. Basham rewarded Dallas with a season much like his last in New York matching his sack total and racking up three tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits. His second year with the team hit a bit of a snag, though. A thigh injury in the fourth quarter of the team’s season-opening loss to the Buccaneers landed Basham on injured reserve. He would eventually return to the active roster, after sitting out seven weeks, but would only play eight more snaps as a Cowboy before being released earlier this week.
The Titans could certainly use the depth in a season that currently shows them with fifteen players on IR, tops in the NFL. Basham likely wouldn’t start for Tennessee if signed to the team but he could certainly provide some strong depth behind starting defensive ends Jeffery Simmons and DeMarcus Walker.
Here are few other workout rumors from around the NFL, starting with a former AFC North quarterback looking for a new home:
- Former Browns backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs worked out for the Broncos today, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The sixth-year quarterback out of Tennessee is looking to join the fourth NFL team of his career after being waived in order to make room for newly available Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson following Watson’s 11-game suspension. Also involved in the workout were wide receivers Javon McKinley, Malik Taylor, and Connor Wedington.
- The Raiders also hosted a large workout today, according to Wilson, with the most notable names being former Baylor running back Abram Smith and former Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate. Smith had a breakout senior year for the Bears that saw him rush for 1,601 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Smith originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Saints, getting cut before the final roster deadlines. He’s auditioned for the Texans and Browns since then and was recently the No. 1 overall pick in the recent 2023 XFL Draft. Tate spent his rookie in 2020 attempting to convert from quarterback to wide receiver for the Eagles before eventually getting waived just prior to his sophomore season. He had offseason stints with two separate teams in the Canadian Football League this summer but did not appear in any games. Other participants in the workout were quarterback Nathan Rourke, wide receiver Jerreth Sterns, and defensive backs Daniel Isom and Nate Meadors.
- Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made the first in a tour of several visits today, according to Wilson. The visit with the Giants reportedly lasted two days involving a medical check early in the day and dinner with some players and coaches later on, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. His next stop is expected to be in Buffalo before eventually heading to Dallas. As we reported recently, it is not uncommon that Beckham didn’t actually work out for New York. His visits with the Bills and Cowboys are expected to follow a similar itinerary of medical examination and sales pitch.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/2/22
Today’s only taxi squad update:
Cleveland Browns
- Released from practice squad IR (with injury settlement): OL Will Holden
South Carolina CB Cam Smith Declares For Draft
South Carolina will say goodbye to their starting nickel cornerback as Cam Smith announced on Twitter today that he would be forgoing his senior year and declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. The redshirt junior is the first member of the Gamecocks to make his intentions known. 
Smith helped anchor a suffocating Gamecocks secondary unit that finished the regular season sixth in the nation for opposing quarterback completion percentage (53.5%). The team’s secondary will likely have a bit of a makeover next year. In addition to Smith’s departure, outside cornerback Darius Rush and free safety Devonni Reed will be out of eligibility at the end of the season. South Carolina’s other starting outside cornerback, Marcellas Dial, is also a redshirt junior who has yet to make his intentions known. Dial had a career year for the Gamecocks, leading the team in interceptions (3) and passes defensed (11) for the season, so he may also feel tempted to test his value as a pro.
Smith joined South Carolina as a member of the team’s 2019 recruiting class. Coming out of Westwood HS in Blythewood, he was a consensus four-star cornerback and the second-best recruit to come out of the Palmetto State. Smith chose South Carolina over Georgia Tech and fellow SEC competitors Georgia and Tennessee.
Smith retained the ability to redshirt his true freshman season after only appearing in three games and went on to appear in eight games in the team’s shortened 2020 season, starting three as a redshirt freshman. Smith’s redshirt sophomore season would see his most productive year as he was second on the team for interceptions (3) and led the team for passes defensed (11). He’ll leave Carolina with 91 total tackles, six interceptions, and 24 passes defensed over his career.
The 21-year-old is widely expected to be a late first- or early second-round selection this coming April. In an early look at positional prospect rankings, Smith is not as consistently ranked near the top of his position as Georgia’s Kelee Ringo, Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, or Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr., who recently announced his own declaration, but Smith caught the eye of ESPN’s Matt Miller, Todd McShay, and Mel Kiper, who ranked him as the second-best cornerback behind only Porter.
There’s no word yet on whether or not Smith will participate in the team’s bowl game, but if he does, he will be able to utilize that extra game, the NFL Scouting Combine, and South Carolina’s Pro Day to attempt to increase his draft stock before the first round commences.
Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. Declares For Draft
Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. announced on Twitter today that he intends to forgo his senior season (as well as his team’s bowl game) in order to prepare for and enter the 2023 NFL Draft. The son of former NFL linebacker Joey Porter just concluded an impressive redshirt junior season that saw him breakup a career high 11 passes. 
The younger Porter came to Happy Valley as a consensus four-star recruit and the fourth-best athlete in Pennsylvania out of North Allegheny HS outside Pittsburgh. Porter quickly added 40 pounds to his 6-foot-2, 160-pound frame, giving him a lean, long, NFL-ready physique. He also took his four-star potential out of high school and became the top cornerback on many pundits’ boards coming out of college. He’s a big, physical cornerback with elite speed. There’s not too much to nitpick besides his lack of turnover production.
Porter has been a staple on a Nittany Lions team that has ranked top-10 in scoring defense for each of the past two years. This season Porter held opposing receivers to 5.86 yards per pass attempt under new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Over his four years of play, including a true freshman season that saw him appear in only three games, Porter racked up 113 tackles, two for a loss, 20 passes defensed, and one interception.
Porter is widely projected as a first-round pick with some placing him around the early 20s. He’ll compete with Georgia’s Kelee Ringo and Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez to be the top cornerback off the board, according to early predictions from ESPN.
Injury Rumors: Jackson, Linsley, Johnson
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is on the team’s injury report for the third straight week after not finishing practice today, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. This is not a continuation of any previous injuries and his status for the weekend is still far from determined.
Two weeks ago, Jackson sat out of a practice due to illness and followed that up with a missed practice last week because of a hip injury. The former MVP was sidelined today with a quadriceps issue that caused him to seek treatment from a trainer and miss his usual media session.
Although many have assumed Jackson’s running tendencies would lead to an increase in injuries, he has been remarkably durable. Over five years in the league, Jackson has only missed four games over a four-week stretch last year as he dealt with an ankle injury. His continuous ability to play despite being banged up is an encouraging sign for Baltimore.
The team will want their most valuable player as they prepare to face one of the league’s more stout defenses from Denver this week. If Jackson is unavailable, the Ravens will turn to Tyler Huntley, who went 1-3 as a starter in the four games Jackson had to miss last season.
Here are a few more injury rumors from around the NFL, starting with a couple of bumps and bruises on the Chargers offensive line:
- Los Angeles could be down two offensive linemen this week as they head to Las Vegas for a divisional battle, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Starting center Corey Linsley is in the league’s concussion protocol and may not be available in time to return. Trey Pipkins, who has performed as the Chargers’ starting right tackle this season, reportedly aggravated an MCL injury in his left knee. If neither player can go this weekend, Will Clapp is expected to fill in for Linsley at center and two others will contend for the open tackle position. Storm Norton is the team’s primary backup tackle, but the Chargers have given former practice squad tackle Foster Sarell an opportunity to start this season, as well.
- The Seahawks have officially shut down outside linebacker Darryl Johnson after the fourth-year defender underwent foot surgery, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. He’s been on injured reserve since suffering a foot injury in Week 4. Johnson had earned the first start of his career in the game that saw his season come to an end. Seattle has used a combination of Darrell Taylor and veteran Bruce Irvin since Johnson went down.
Restructure Details: Woods, Lowry
Here are some details on recent contract restructures in the NFL:
- Robert Woods, WR (Titans): Halfway through his first season in Tennessee, Woods has agreed to a restructure of his contract that opens up a bit of salary cap space for a team that sorely needs it, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. The new agreement converts a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus, freeing up $2.6MM in cap space for the Titans. The team has been among the bottom-five teams in the NFL in regard to cap space this year and is poised to be in a bad position next year, as well. The move shows that general manager Jon Robinson is starting to plan for the impending offseason and making sure that Tennessee is set up well for the future.
- Dean Lowry, DE (Packers): Lowry agreed to make his contract a bit more team-friendly after seven years in Green Bay, according to Yates. The team will convert approximately $1.5MM in base salary into a signing bonus, similar to Woods’ agreement. The move will clear up about $1.1MM in cap space for the Packers. Lowry is in the final year of his second contract with the team. Helping Green Bay find a little cap space puts Lowry in a favorable position heading into negotiations for a potential third deal.
Free Agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. Escorted Off Plane After “Medical Emergency”
In the latest of the Odell Beckham Jr. saga, an incident at the Miami International Airport led to a confrontation with the Miami-Dade Police Department, first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Beckham left the scene without further incident and no charges are expected to be filed against the NFL receiver. 
On what was likely intended to be a free agent visit to his former team, the Rams, Beckham boarded a flight with a destination of Los Angeles. A statement from American Airlines reported that the flight “returned to the gate before takeoff due to a customer failing to follow crew member instructions and refusing to fasten their seatbelt,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The report from Miami-Dade PD referred to the incident as a “medical emergency,” responding to a call from the flight crew. The report claims that a concerned flight crew attempted to wake Beckham to ask him to fasten his seatbelt. Beckham appeared to be drifting in and out of consciousness, making the flight crew fear for his health. Thinking him seriously ill and concerned about how his condition may worsen on the five-hour flight, the flight crew called for emergency services.
When officers arrived, Beckham reportedly refused the flight crew’s requests to exit the aircraft. The entire aircraft was eventually deplaned, and Beckham was instructed by the authorities to exit, as well. Beckham complied with the officers’ request and was escorted to a “non-secure area of the terminal” where he was able make new flight arrangements.
A statement from Beckham’s attorney, Daniel Davilier, provided by Rapoport, attempts to ensure that the narrative of this incident does not reflect poorly on his client. In the statement, Davilier calls the flight crew “overzealous,” explaining that Beckham was simply performing his long-flight routine of sleeping with a blanket over his head. He claims that, since the flight crew was able to wake Beckham back at the terminal, they shouldn’t have had any issues waking him on the tarmac. Davilier emphasizes that Beckham was “at no time…disrputive or combative.”
Beckham appears fine after the incident. In a series of tweets, Beckham exclaimed a disbelief for what he had gone through, chalking it up as a non-serious event. This is just the latest in what has been a fairly eventful free agency for the veteran wide receiver. He is still reportedly expected to visit his other former team, the Giants, before planning visits with the Bills and Cowboys, as well.
Latest On Rams QB Matthew Stafford
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is missing his second game of the season today in concussion protocol. With the Rams at 3-7 coming into today with seven games left in the season, there are some questions on how to handle the 34-year-old’s health for the rest of the year. 
Stafford’s first missed game due to a concussion a couple weeks ago was the result of Stafford self-reporting symptoms following the team’s Week 9 loss to the Buccaneers. He was placed in concussion protocols and sat out the division contest against the Cardinals the next week.
This time, Stafford was experiencing what are called crossover symptoms that could seem like a concussion but may not be. In the team’s recent loss to the Saints last weekend, Stafford was pulled from the game when he experienced a stinger to his neck. He began to feel numbness in his legs, which can be a sign of head or neck injury, and since the Rams were not able to rule out a concussion during the game, Stafford was held out and placed in concussion protocol.
Looking at the Rams’ plans for the remainder of the season, we begin to get conflicting reports. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network claims that multiple sources have said “there are no current plans to shut down Stafford for the remainder of the season.” In another report, the Rams reportedly “are uncertain when or if (Stafford) will return this season,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Rapoport claims that, despite the team’s record, Los Angeles hopes to return Stafford to the field when he’s cleared in order to perhaps make a push for a wild card spot down the final stretch of the season. Schefter doesn’t rule out that possibility but emphasizes that, similar to the injury to wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the Rams “feel there is no need to rush back an injured player,” after losing four straight games and six of their last seven.
In the meantime, while they determine how to proceed, they are getting a look at their backup options. After John Wolford started during Stafford’s first absence, Bryce Perkins, who went undrafted out of Virginia in 2020, is currently playing in his first career start against the Chiefs today.
Latest On Von Miller
A Thanksgiving Day injury for star pass rusher Von Miller initially had some Bills fans hitting the panic button, but as updates continue to pour in, we are getting a clearer picture of the situation. The most recent update tells us that Miller will take seven to 10 days to allow the swelling to go down in his knee, allowing for a better evaluation, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. 
As unfortunate as it is to likely lose Miller for a game or two, the news has been increasingly optimistic in Buffalo. Initial fears of an ACL tear were downgraded to a knee sprain. Even now, Miller is reportedly remaining optimistic about the eventual reevaluation, boosted by the assurance that he’s been in this situation before, when an ankle injury sidelined him for the entire 2020 season.
The Bills’ tremendous pass-rushing group has been hampered lately with injuries. Last year’s first-round pick out of Miami, Gregory Rousseau, has missed the team’s last three games and A.J. Epenesa was out for the Turkey Day matchup with the Lions. Buffalo still has two extremely capable edge pass rushers in Boogie Basham and Shaq Lawson but losing the team’s top three sack-leaders is never going to be an ideal scenario.
Buffalo is staying calm and remaining optimistic. They’ll have a second straight Thursday game this week in New England and will have a 10-day rest period before hosting two straight home games. Knowing that Miller won’t travel for the next three weeks is ideal. They’ll gauge the damage again after their road trip to the Patriots and have a full week to determine next steps.
Latest On Odell Beckham Jr.
NOVEMBER 27: As reported previously, the first stop on Beckham’s 2022 free agent tour will be the Giants, who will host their former first-rounder on December 1 and 2 (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). OBJ will meet with the Cowboys on December 5. Rapoport confirms that Beckham will meet with the Bills as well, though it’s unclear if his Buffalo summit will come before or after his trek to Dallas.
NOVEMBER 25: There continues to be tremendous interest in free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as he plays the field to determine his new home. While many teams have been mentioned as suitors for Beckham’s talents, the progress of his recovery from two knee surgeries in as many years is still a main cause for concern with most teams, according to Jeff Darlington of ESPN. 
Darlington goes on to quote “more than one decision maker” from around the league saying that “the assumption that Odell will be healthy enough to make an impact…has been largely overstated.” Beckham is not only having to come back from the ACL injury that ended his 2021 season, and its resultant surgery, but also a second surgery on his knee that was intended to help repair issues from the first surgery. There has been a concerning lack of reporting in regard to the progress of Beckham’s recovery, which is certainly a reasonable respect towards Beckham’s privacy concerning his health, but without any information, it becomes incredibly difficult to speculate on the outcome of Beckham’s free agency and his eventual impact on a team, old or new.
Regardless, Beckham continues to shop for a new home. Our most recent reports have divulged plans to visit the Giants then Cowboys, both considered to be the top-two contenders for Beckham’s services. It appears that Cowboys owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones had no intentions of saving his recruiting for Beckham’s in-person visit, though, as the two parties made official contact yesterday, the same day as the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day win over New York, according to Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Jones reportedly reached out to Beckham on the phone, telling reporters that he “had a good visit” and that an official in-person visit is being set up, though nothing specific has been scheduled as of yet. On what Beckham could bring to the Cowboys at receiver, Jones said, “I think Odell stands on his own as far as being able to be additive…Odell could help us. I believe that right now.”
Jones did echo the sentiments of Darlington above, though, telling the media that he “doesn’t know anything about Beckham’s health and rehab.” Not only did he stress the importance of Beckham’s health, but he also emphasized that the price has to be right. “Availability is huge,” Jones commented. “But the financial part of it is really huge, too.”
From here, it is believed that Beckham will visit his former team in New York and potentially the Bills, as well, before an in-person visit with the Cowboys. He also reportedly remains in contact with the Chiefs and Ravens as many playoff-hopeful teams look to add a strong receiver for a playoff push, provided Beckham’s readiness to return and contribute has not been overstated.