AFC North Notes: Tomlin, Green, Browns
There may be plenty of Steelers fans unhappy with head coach Mike Tomlin, but he has navigated his team through some turbulent waters over the last couple of seasons, and after starting the 2019 campaign 0-3 and losing Ben Roethlisberger to injury, Pittsburgh is now 4-4 and is back in the AFC playoff picture. As Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com writes, Steelers players believe Tomlin is in the midst of one of his finest coaching performances, and that should go a long way towards quieting outside criticism. Thanks to an (admittedly unusual) one-year extension that he signed in July, Tomlin is under contract through 2021, and his standing within the organization seems strong.
Now for more from the AFC North:
- Bengals WR A.J. Green will miss Sunday’s game against the Ravens after it was initially reported that he would be making his 2019 debut against Baltimore, and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic believes the sudden turn of events could suggest that Green is preparing to sit out for the remainder of the season (which may be what he wanted all along). However, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network observed that Green was working out on the field Sunday morning and says his ankle will be reassessed this week (Twitter link). As of right now, the team is not planning on shutting Green down for the year.
- In addition to Green, the Bengals have been without LT Cordy Glenn all year. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Glenn is still taking scout-team reps in practice, and it’s unclear whether he will be activated at all in 2019. Of course, Glenn and the Bengals are at odds over the team’s handling of his concussion, so it’s possible Glenn has already played his last snap for Cincinnati.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says the Browns‘ analytics department believed Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski, not Freddie Kitchens, was the right man for Cleveland’s head coaching job. Of course, the Browns went against that recommendation, but given the club’s disappointing 2019 season, the team could be back in the market for an HC in 2020, and if that happens, Stefanski — who was reportedly the runner-up to Kitchens — should be on the short list of potential replacements.
- Browns RB Kareem Hunt will make his Cleveland debut against the Bills on Sunday after serving an eight-game suspension, and La Canfora says Hunt is expected to be a major part of the team’s offense right away. Even more importantly, Hunt has not only fulfilled all of the league’s requirements for reinstatement, but he has taken on a number of non-mandatory responsibilities. Per La Canfora, Hunt meets with women’s groups, participates in community service, and continues to speak to a counselor regularly.
Antonio Brown Not Expected To Play In 2019
Given where we are in the season and in the league’s investigation of Antonio Brown, this will hardly come as a surprise, but sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that Brown is not expected to play again this season.
We heard several days ago that Brown would finally meet with the NFL this Thursday as part of the league’s investigation into the sexual assault/rape allegations that two women have made against him. For some time, it was believed that the interview with Brown would be the last step in the investigation, but Schefter says that Brown has yet to turn over some of the evidence that the NFL is seeking.
Schefter says that three teams have been in contact with Brown — one of which may be the Seahawks — but otherwise, his report largely reiterates what we already know. For instance, if a team were to sign Brown, the league would be prepared to place him on the commissioner’s exempt list until the investigation is over, meaning that the acquiring team would be paying him to sit on the sidelines.
Plus, at least some teams believe that Brown will be hit with a suspension once the investigation has concluded, so even if the league was prepared to make a finding and impose discipline as soon as the interview with Brown is over — which is clearly not the case — Brown may not be eligible to play in 2019 anyway. Indeed, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the league’s meeting with Brown will take place in South Florida and not NFL headquarters in New York, which suggests that the league is still in fact-finding mode.
Brown says he is determined to return to the NFL, but it seems as though that will happen at some point in 2020, not 2019. In the meantime, AB will have plenty of things to worry about, including the lawsuit filed by one of his accusers, Britney Taylor. Per Schefter, Brown has now been served with the suit.
For what it’s worth, Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, continues to insist that Brown will suit up for an NFL team this year. Rosenhaus said, “I’m confident Antonio will play again this season. I believe the NFL should clear him after they interview him this week and I expect he will be signed shortly after that” (via Schefter on Twitter).
Dolphins Offered Reshad Jones To Steelers Before Minkah Fitzpatrick Trade
The Dolphins were shopping veteran safety Reshad Jones this summer, and the Steelers, who had made it clear to rival teams that they were in the market for secondary help, were an obvious match. As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, Miami did indeed attempt to deal Jones to Pittsburgh at the start of the season.
However, the Steelers said they preferred Minkah Fitzpatrick, though the Dolphins initially suggested Fitzpatrick was not going to be moved. Of course, Miami quickly changed its stance in that regard and said it would deal Fitzpatrick if a first-rounder was included in the trade.
La Canfora says several teams were willing to meet the Dolphins’ asking price, but Miami chose Pittsburgh’s offer because it believed the Steelers’ 2020 first-rounder would be higher than those of the other suitors. Of course, that may not turn out to be the case, as Fitzpatrick has provided a jolt to the Steelers’ defense and has helped Pittsburgh (4-4) climb back into the AFC playoff picture.
Fitzpatrick was publicly unhappy with the way he was being deployed in Miami, but he and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin established from the beginning that the Alabama product would be used in a centerfielder role that would highlight his playmaking abilities. And Fitzpatrick has certainly made plays, recording four interceptions in his six games in the Steel City, including a critical pick-six in Pittsburgh’s win over the Colts last week.
Jones, meanwhile, is under contract with the Dolphins through 2022, and while he indicated he is open to staying with Miami through its rebuild, the Fins may choose to cut bait this offseason to save about $5.5MM against the cap, even though they would incur a big dead money charge by doing so.
Cam Newton Considering Surgery
Ever since Panthers QB Cam Newton was forced to the sidelines with a Lisfranc injury after his team’s Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers, we heard that the star signal-caller would not undergo surgery. However, now that he has been placed on IR, that could change.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Newton is indeed considering surgery to repair the injury, and the procedure could take place within the next two weeks. The maximum recovery period is three months, so Newton would be healed in plenty of time for the Panthers to fully consider all of their options with respect to their former No. 1 overall pick.
Rapoport says that a trade is the most likely outcome. Newton is due $18.6MM plus a $2MM option bonus in 2020, so if he is healthy, his contract is movable. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that there will indeed be a trade market for Newton should Carolina choose to go that route, and La Canfora’s sources suggest that the Panthers could net a first-round pick for the 2015 MVP, or at least several early Day 2 selections.
Meanwhile, Kyle Allen, who has performed so admirably in Newton’s absence, has an interesting contract situation. Because Allen spent most of 2018 on the practice squad, he was cut off his rookie contract, which means he can receive an extension this offseason (a year earlier than most other players who entered the league in 2018). If the Panthers don’t choose to extend him — and if Allen doesn’t force the issue — they will be able to keep him under club control as an exclusive rights free agent in 2020 and 2021 and then as a restricted free agent in 2022.
La Canfora says team owner David Tepper fully appreciates the benefits of having a starting QB on an entry-level contract, so while the jury is still out on Allen, it will be interesting to see whether the club pursues a team-friendly extension after this season. That certainly sounds like a possibility, though Allen’s performance throughout the remainder of 2019 will obviously go a long way towards determining his future in Carolina.
Arden Key Done For Season
Raiders defensive end Arden Key suffered a broken foot during the team’s win over the Lions on Sunday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link). After he received a second opinion from Dr. Robert Anderson, the Raiders announced that he will miss the rest of the season and be placed on IR.
The injury comes at a particularly poor time for Key, as the LSU product had recorded a sack in each of Oakland’s past two games and was finally beginning to display the pass rushing ability that once made him a potential first-round pick. A rocky final collegiate season in 2017 caused him to drop to the third round of the 2018 draft, and after posting just one sack in his rookie campaign, Key was making positive strides this year.
Key missed a game earlier this season due to a sprained patellar tendon, and after that diagnosis, the Raiders worked out a few edge defenders who could serve as a replacement.
In other Raiders-related injury news, cornerback Daryl Worley has a strained Achilles and will be getting an MRI, as Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Worley has started every game for Oakland this year and recorded his first pick of the season on Sunday.
Right tackle Trent Brown sustained a knee injury on Sunday and is also waiting on MRI results, per Bair.
Jaguars Cut LB Malcolm Smith
The Jaguars are cutting veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith, per a team announcement. The Jags signed Smith at the end of October, and he lasted two games with the team. He did not register a statistic with Jacksonville, and he appeared in 29 special teams snaps.
The last couple of years have been rough for Smith, who memorably took home the Super Bowl XLVIII MVP award as a member of the Seahawks. He signed a two-year, $7.5MM pact with the Raiders in March 2015, and though he was a full-time starter for the Silver-and-Black and compiled over 100 tackles in both of his seasons in Oakland, advanced metrics were not terribly fond of his play.
Nevertheless, he was able to parlay his strong raw statistics with the Raiders into a five-year, $26.5MM deal with the 49ers in March 2017. But he missed the entire 2017 campaign due to a torn pectoral muscle, and he was cut by the 49ers before the start of the 2019 campaign despite having agreed to a pay cut earlier in the year. The 30-year-old will now look to catch on with another club in need of veteran LB depth.
In a related move, the Jags signed fellow linebacker Joe Giles-Harris to their practice squad. Jacksonville cut Giles-Harris over the weekend to make room for wideout Michael Walker, but they clearly want to keep him in the fold.
More transactions could be in the offing, as the club has an open spot on its 53-man roster and on its practice squad.
Jets To Promote RB Josh Adams, Sign LB Paul Worrilow
The Jets are promoting running back Josh Adams from the practice squad to the active roster, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports. Adams was the Eagles’ leading rusher in 2018 — his rookie season — having compiled 511 rushing yards on a 4.3 yards-per-carry average and three TDs. However, after adding Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders this offseason, Philadelphia waived Adams during final cutdowns in August.
Jets GM Joe Douglas, who is reportedly high on Adams, was quick to scoop him up after he cleared waivers. In fact, the club was paying Adams $25K per week while he was on the practice squad, which is a nice income for a p-squad player.
Adams’ promotion naturally led some to wonder about Le’Veon Bell‘s health, as Bell reportedly sustained a knee injury during the team’s loss on Sunday. However, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets that another team was interested in signing Adams to its own active roster, and the Jets’ decision to call him up was triggered by that outside interest and not by Bell’s health. Indeed, both Mehta and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com say that Bell’s injury is not believed to be significant (Twitter links).
Mehta adds that Gang Green will get more clarity on Bell’s status later this week, and in the meantime, the 1-7 club might as well see what it has in Adams, a former UDFA from Notre Dame. That is especially true since the other team that was interested in Adams may have been the division-rival Dolphins, who recently lost Mark Walton to a four-game ban.
Garafolo also reports that the Jets have signed linebacker Paul Worrilow (Twitter link). Worrilow, a former UDFA himself, was a starter for the Falcons from 2013-15 and also started eight games for the Lions in 2017. However, he lost the entire 2018 season to injury, and the Eagles cut him in August due to health concerns.
Worrilow quickly caught on with the Ravens after the Eagles released him, but he announced his retirement shortly thereafter. He obviously changed his mind, though, as he worked out for the Eagles twice since the season started, and he worked out for the Jets on Friday. New York obviously was impressed enough to give him a shot, and it’s worth noting that Douglas was in Philadelphia during Worrilow’s tenure with the Eagles.
Could Chargers Relocate To London?
The 2019 four-game London series has come to an end, and it was by all accounts a smashing success. As Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic writes, television ratings and merchandise sales across the pond are on the rise, and the attendance figures and the energy of the crowds during this year’s series show that the UK may be ready to embrace American football on a full-time basis.
For a few years now, we have heard about the possibility of an NFL franchise permanently moving to London, and Bonsignore writes that the possibility of relocating the Chargers to London has been broached among league personnel. Further, Bonsignore says that while the Bolts are fully committed to moving to their brand new $4.5 billion stadium with the Rams in 2020, owner Dean Spanos would at least listen if the NFL wanted to discuss the possibility.
After all, the Chargers have not really been embraced in Los Angeles thanks to a crowded sports market and the presence of the Rams. And while some fans in San Diego have remained dedicated to the club, a large percentage cut ties completely when the team moved to LA, and it’s unknown how many will buy season tickets for the Chargers at their new venue. Per Bonsignore, owners are worried enough about the Chargers’ long-term viability in LA that they would provide necessary support to Spanos should he want to take his club to the UK. That includes transferring the $650MM relocation fee the Chargers still must pay for the LA move to a London relocation, as well as a potential realignment of divisions.
There are plenty of logistical hoops to jump through, but London does offer a legitimate, contemporary venue (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium), as well as the unique opportunity for the Chargers to develop a new, eager fanbase. If Spanos wants it, London could be there for the taking.
Other reporters, however, are skeptical that such a move is plausible. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out that Jaguars owner Shad Khan has secured a right of first refusal with respect to a London relocation, so he has to say he does not plan to take his team to London before anyone else can consider it. Further, Florio’s sources suggest that no one from the league has ever talked to Spanos about moving to London, which leads him to believe that the sources behind Bonsignore’s report are pushing some other agenda (like forcing the Jags to make a decision).
Bonsignore adamantly denied Florio’s speculation (via Twitter), but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report says that no one in the NFL has talked to the Chargers about moving to England (Twitter link). Coles concedes that the topic may have been broached among other league personnel, but his source says that the Bolts are definitely staying in the US.
Either way, it’s an interesting possibility to consider, especially since the NFL seems closer to having a permanent London team than it ever has.
Redskins Sign Deshazor Everett To Extension
The Redskins and safety Deshazor Everett have agreed to a three-year extension, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal carries $6MM in base value, plus additional incentives, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).
Everett was playing out the final year of the two-year, $2.6MM pact he signed with Washington in March 2018. At the time, he was coming off a 2017 campaign in which he set career highs in starts (eight), tackles (52), passes defensed (five), and forced fumbles (one). The Texas A&M product saw an increased role in the Redskins’ secondary that season due to injuries to the club’s other DBs, but his defensive snaps have fallen off considerably since.
Nonetheless, he remains a valuable special teams contributor, and the Redskins have elected to keep him under contract as a result. He has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, but that does not appear to be a major concern going forward.
Everett has compiled four tackles this year but has not registered any other statistics.
Browns To Revert To Greg Robinson At LT
After benching left tackle Greg Robinson for last week’s loss to the Patriots, the Browns are putting him back in the starting lineup, per ESPN’s Josina Anderson (via Twitter). Justin McCray replaced Robinson and did not fare particularly well against New England’s fierce defensive front, though that unit would have posed problems for just about anyone. Cleveland’s offensive line as a whole allowed Baker Mayfield to be sacked five times, and the team’s coaching staff obviously believes Robinson will do a better job of protecting Mayfield’s blindside.
Before his benching, Robinson allowed only one sack and two quarterback hits, but he yielded 10 pressures and was flagged five times for holding. Despite these numbers, Pro Football Focus had Robinson graded as its No. 27 overall tackle.
The Browns were looking for an upgrade at LT prior to the trade deadline, but they were unable to swing a deal. Instead, they will hope for improvement from Robinson, who was solid in his first season with the Browns in 2018.
Cleveland, 2-5, will look to right the ship against the Broncos this afternoon. Denver has notched 17 sacks on the season, ninth-most in the league.