Bengals’ WR John Ross Leaves Team To Care For Son
Bengals WR John Ross is stepping away from the team for a bit, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter). Ross’ son has tested positive for COVID-19, so Ross is heading to Los Angeles to care for him (the child’s mother has also tested positive). There is currently no timetable on Ross’ return, and the club is likely to place him on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Ross’ decision is admirable, especially since it comes during a pivotal time in his NFL career. The No. 9 overall pick of the 2017 draft, Ross has fallen well short of expectations to date, and Cincinnati made the easy call to decline his fifth-year option for 2021. So this will be a contract year for Ross, who could position himself well for a big payday next offseason if he can get on the field and start living up to his potential.
Of course, health has played a big part in Ross’ struggles to date. Due to various injuries and his inability to impress then-head coach Marvin Lewis, Ross played in just one game in his rookie campaign. Though he started 10 games in 2018, he managed only 21 catches for 210 yards — which was a disappointment in terms of both overall output and yards-per-catch average — and after a hot start to 2019, he missed another eight games due to injury.
Now, A.J. Green is back to full health and the Bengals added Tee Higgins in the second round of this year’s draft, so Ross may have struggled to carve out a ton of playing time anyway. His absence will only make things more difficult from a football perspective, but obviously the health of his family is of paramount importance.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/20
Here are today’s minor moves. We will update as necessary throughout the day:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE George Obinna
- Waived: DT Jeffery Whatley
Denver Broncos
- Waived/NFI: DL Jonathan Harris
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Malik Turner
- Waived: S Frankie Griffin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DE Josh Mauro
- Waived: WR C.J. Board
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed off waivers (from Steelers): CB Breon Borders
- Signed: DT Brandin Bryant
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Darius Kilgo
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Prince Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OT William Sweet
Giants’ Deal With Ross Cockrell Falls Through
It appeared that the Giants had added a veteran CB several days ago, when it was reported that the club had signed Ross Cockrell. However, that deal subsequently fell through.
According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, New York believed it had agreed to terms with Cockrell before he came to the facility. Then, after the 29-year-old went through COVID-19 testing and his physical, he opted against signing the contract (Twitter link). Vacchiano reminds us that the Giants also believed they were in agreement with Cockrell on a new deal back in 2018, but Cockrell ultimately backed out of that agreement and signed with the Panthers.
The Bills selected the Duke product in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, and he appeared in seven games for Buffalo during his rookie year, mostly as a special teams contributor. He was released before final cutdowns in 2015 and hooked on with the Steelers shortly thereafter. He ultimately played in 31 games (23 starts) over two seasons in Pittsburgh, and he was traded to the Giants before the start of the 2017 campaign. Advanced metrics were generally fond of his work with the Steelers and the Giants, and it made sense that New York hoped to re-sign him in 2018.
Cockrell wound up not playing at all in 2018, as he suffered a broken leg during his first training camp with the Panthers. He ultimately appeared in 14 games (11 starts) for Carolina in 2019, and though he tied a career-high with 62 total tackles and tallied two interceptions, he was not as sharp in coverage as he had been in previous seasons.
Still, the Giants are exceedingly thin at cornerback behind free agent acquisition (and former Cockrell teammate) James Bradberry, so Cockrell may have had a real chance to re-establish himself as a starting-caliber corner with Big Blue. Instead, he is still looking for work.
For what it’s worth, head coach Joe Judge said adding a different veteran CB is not a priority, which suggests he’s comfortable with his in-house options (Twitter link via Dan Duggan of The Athletic).
Bills Sign HC Sean McDermott To Extension
The Bills have signed head coach Sean McDermott to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, McDermott’s new contract will be for a six-year term, keeping him with the team through 2025 (Twitter link). As is typically the case with head coach contracts, no financial details were disclosed, but it’s likely that the William & Mary graduate received a sizable pay bump.
McDermott, 46, broke into the NFL coaching ranks in 2001 as an assistant with the Eagles, and he became the club’s defensive coordinator/secondary coach in 2009. He moved on the Panthers’ DC job in 2011, and his performance over his six years in Carolina — his unit finished in the top 10 in overall defense from 2012-15 — helped him land the Bills’ HC job.
With the Bills, McDermott has compiled a 25-23 regular season record and has guided the team to two playoff appearances in his three seasons at the helm. Buffalo had not qualified for the playoffs in any of the 16 years prior to McDermott’s hire.
Under McDermott, the Bills’ defense has become one of the best units in the league. And, given the offseason acquisition of Stefon Diggs, along with another year of development for QB Josh Allen, Buffalo is a trendy pick to snap the Patriots’ streak of 11 consecutive AFC East titles.
Earlier this year, we learned that McDermott was worried that the issues with workplace culture the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres were facing could impact the Bills’ own culture — the Bills and Sabres are both owned by Terry and Kim Pegula — but apparently those worries have been assuaged.
In a statement, Kim Pegula said the following: “Sean’s leadership on and off the field has been nothing but genuine and transparent, qualities we appreciate as owners. He is the same great person to us, the players and everyone across all our organizations. We will never forget how impressed we were during his first interview. Sean’s attention to detail was apparent back then and his process driven approach has brought great stability to our organization. We are happy to extend his contract and keep him in Western New York for many years to come.”
49ers Host Tavon Austin
The 49ers are bringing in veteran receiver Tavon Austin for a visit, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team hopes to finalize a contract with the speedster.
Austin, 30, was selected by the Rams with the ninth overall pick of the 2013 draft. The club could not resist Austin’s playmaking ability as a receiver, rusher, and returner, and while he has certainly had his moments of explosiveness, injuries have also dogged him throughout his career.
Over his seven years in the league, Austin has caught 215 passes and has averaged less than 10 yards per reception, which is disappointing for a player with his speed. The two years he spent in Dallas from 2018-19 saw him average over 15 yards per catch, but he was limited to seven games in 2018 and totaled just 21 receptions during his time with the Cowboys.
However, the Rams utilized him as a ball carrier much more than the Cowboys did, and he does boast a strong 6.8 yard-per-carry average. And that’s to say nothing of his return experience. While he has not returned more than three kickoffs in a season since his rookie campaign, he has returned 185 punts in his career, with a career return average of 7.9 yards to go along with three house calls.
If anyone can get the most out of Austin’s ability, it’s 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. With Marquise Goodwin and Travis Benjamin out of the picture, Shanahan could use some speed in his WR depth chart, and the team could also benefit from an experienced punt returner given Richie James‘ injury concerns.
Austin has earned nearly $40MM in his career, but his next contract may not be for much more than the veteran minimum.
Big 12 Still Aiming To Play In 2020
Yesterday, two Power 5 conferences, the Big Ten and the Pac-12, announced that they would be postponing their football seasons until Spring 2021. But as SoonerScoop.com was first to report (via Twitter), presidents of schools in the Big 12 will allow the conference to move forward with a fall season, and a conference scheduled has been released (Twitter link).
Field Yates of ESPN.com observes that, in addition to the Big 12, the ACC and SEC are still planning to play in 2020 (Twitter link). Of course, the situation remains fluid, but for now, 60% of the Power 5 conferences are trying to forge ahead with something akin to a normal season.
Even if that happens, the NFL will still have a major decision to make with respect to the 2021 draft. If collegiate games are not played until the spring, the season may not be completed prior to the draft as currently scheduled. The NFL has the right to unilaterally push the draft back to July 2, but any further delay would require another NFL-NFLPA bargaining session.
Another factor to consider in all of this is the likelihood of additional opt-outs. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that several top collegiate players have lined up agents and are preparing to opt out of the next college season, whenever it’s played (video link). A few high-end players have already made that decision, and it stands to reason that more and more players will end up doing the same in an effort to maximize their professional prospects.
RapSheet adds that the NFL understandably wants to do everything it can to accommodate college football, which includes a modification of the offseason schedule.
Broncos Sign RT Demar Dotson
The Broncos have signed veteran RT Demar Dotson, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was first to report (via Twitter). Mike Klis of 9News.com says that it’s a one-year, $3MM pact with $400K in guarantees.
Dotson, 34, is a UDFA success story. After going undrafted in 2009, he hooked on with the Buccaneers and ultimately spent 11 years in Tampa. He had been the club’s full-time starter at right tackle since the 2012 season.
He just completed the second of two contract extensions he signed with the Bucs after his rookie deal, and though he missed 18 games across the 2015-17 seasons, he started 15 contests in both 2018 and 2019. He has never received a Pro Bowl nod and has yet to play in a playoff game, but with 106 career starts to his credit, he provides Denver with a steady and experienced option at RT.
According to Klis, the plan is for Dotson to back up Elijah Wilkinson, who started 12 games at RT last year in the wake of Ja’Wuan James‘ injury problems and who will reprise that role in 2020 now that James has elected to opt out of the season. Dotson could step in should Wilkinson underperform or suffer an injury, and Wilkinson could shift over to the left side if LT Garett Bolles continues to struggle or sustains an injury of his own. Such a development would also open up a starting job for Dotson.
Latest On Jets Owner Woody Johnson
At the end of last month, we heard that Jets owner and current U.S. ambassador to Great Britain, Woody Johnson, was said to have made racist and sexist comments during his time as an ambassador. Those allegations triggered a State Department investigation, and as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports, the State Department thinks the matter requires a more thorough review (Twitter links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
The State Department’s report says that Johnson “sometimes made inappropriate or insensitive comments on topics generally considered Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)-sensitive, such as religion, sex, or color.” Within the report is a statement from the Office of the Inspector General indicating that Johnson’s comments, gathered through interviews and questionnaires from employees at the U.S. Embassy in London, could represent a violation of EEO laws, which is why it’s pushing for a comprehensive inquiry.
Johnson’s comments are included in the report. He said, “[i]f I have unintentionally offended anyone in the execution of my duties, I deeply regret that, but I do not accept that I have treated employees with disrespect or discriminated in any way.” He added that, in order to address the “perceived or real” allegations in the report, he has reviewed courses on workplace discrimination and has asked his staff to do the same.
Even assuming an additional review is conducted, it seems unlikely that Johnson’s ownership will be seriously threatened. After all, Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder will not be made to sell his club in the wake of sexual harassment allegations made against members of his staff, and as disappointing and offensive as racist or sexist comments might be, it would be surprising to see them trigger an ouster.
Johnson’s brother, Christopher Johnson, is Gang Green’s CEO and chairman and has been serving as the club’s operating head during Woody’s ambassadorship. When news of Woody’s alleged comments surfaced last month, Christopher called almost every player on the Jets roster to listen to their concerns.
NFL Lifts Prohibition On FA Tryouts
We may finally start to see some of the high-profile free agents still on the market land with new teams. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter), the league has lifted its prohibition on free agent tryouts. Unsigned players can now come into a team’s facility to be fully evaluated.
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic had forced the NFL to ban clubs from hosting free agents, though an exception was recently made for players to take a physical with an interested team (as with Mike Daniels and the Bengals, for instance). Now, however, players like Jadeveon Clowney and Everson Griffen, who have languished on the open market, can visit a facility to try and alleviate any concerns teams might have about them.
Per Pelissero, there are a number of safety precautions the league is putting in place (Twitter link). All signed players must undergo COVID-19 entry screening, and street free agents must test negative three consecutive times before participating in team activities. Players acquired from another club (e.g., a player who had been cut the previous day) must test negative two consecutive times. All tests will be 24 hours apart.
Signed players may participate in virtual meetings while awaiting test results, and teams will receive a roster exemption for a player acquired from another club until his second negative tests comes back (Twitter link via Pelissero). All new players will be tested for six consecutive days after arriving at the facility.
So there are still a number of hoops for FAs and other new players to jump through, but this is a key development that will shift free agent activity to a much more familiar format.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/20
Here are today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: CB Rojesterman Farris, DE Austin Larkin, DE Bryson Young
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived/injured: TE Jacob Breeland
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: LB Mike Bell
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers: RB Trenton Cannon (Jets)
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: CB Cordrea Tankersley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers: TE Caleb Wilson (Washington)
- Placed on active/PUP: G Brandon Brooks