Jaguars Rejected Offer Of Two First-Rounders For Jalen Ramsey?
The Jaguars have reportedly set the asking price for disgruntled star cornerback Jalen Ramsey at two first-round draft picks (at least), and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that one team was willing to pony up that kind of draft capital. However, it seems the offer came from a legitimate Super Bowl contender, as JLC says the Jaguars believed those picks would come too close to the bottom of the first round to make the deal worthwhile.
The reported Ramsey suitor is unnamed, but Michael Lombardi of The Athletic says the Eagles, whose lack of secondary depth has been on full display this season, will continue trying to pry Ramsey away from the Jaguars.
We heard yesterday that Ramsey may suit up for Jags again, though he recently reiterated his trade demand and still does not look like he will be in Jacksonville for much longer. Indeed, Ramsey has continued to tell those close to him that he has no desire to sign an extension with the Jags, and many rival GMs believe the situation is beyond salvageable. Both the team and Ramsey have drawn scrutiny for how they have handled the matter, and one high-ranking exec from another team said he expects Ramsey to keep creating drama until he gets his way.
Another league source said Jaguars owner Shad Khan would be loathe to “reward” Ramsey by giving in to his trade demand, but at a certain point, Ramsey will become more trouble than he’s worth (if he hasn’t crossed that line already). Luckily for Khan, numerous teams remain interested in the volatile defender.
Ramsey is officially questionable for Jacksonville’s game against the Broncos today due to a back injury, and ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports that Ramsey is going to “listen to his body” before deciding whether he’s able to play (Twitter link).
Latest on Dwayne Haskins, Redskins’ Coaching Staff
There was some chatter Saturday suggesting that Redskins head coach Jay Gruden could be coaching for his job against the Giants this afternoon, but Dianna Russini of ESPN.com reports that no Washington coaches were informed by team execs or ownership that they will be fired if they lose against New York today (Twitter link). That may or may not mean anything, but since Gruden’s seat gets hotter by the day, these types of reports are worth monitoring.
However, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports confirms that the relationship between the coaching staff and the front office, headed by team president Bruce Allen, has become untenable. And differences in opinion over roster construction are just the beginning. Per La Canfora, the organization wants Gruden to part ways with defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, but Gruden refuses to consider any changes to his staff.
But it seems inevitable that Gruden, at least, will be looking for a new job in 2020. Manusky will likely be gone too, but La Canfora says team brass is high on first-year OC Kevin O’Connell, so he may stick around. If Gruden were to fired be mid-season, offensive line coach Bill Callahan may serve as the team’s interim HC. Gruden, meanwhile, may join his brother Jon’s staff with the Raiders.
As we have been hearing, another source of contention between the Redskins’ coaching staff and front office/ownership is rookie QB Dwayne Haskins. La Canfora writes in a separate piece that many members of the coaching staff — including Gruden — and people close to Haskins believe that it would be best for the Ohio State product to redshirt his entire rookie year, especially given the state of Washington’s O-line and the club’s general dearth of offensive talent. But owner Dan Snyder may be inclined to throw Haskins into the fire sooner rather than later, while Gruden views playing Haskins as a last resort. Although Gruden’s fate with the Redskins is likely sealed, the disagreement between him and Snyder over Haskins may hasten his departure.
As for today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Case Keenum will get the start, and Haskins will be his backup. Colt McCoy, who recently returned to practice, will be inactive, though the Redskins did consider dressing all three signal-callers. Despite Gruden’s reservations about playing Haskins, Rapoport hears that if Keenum should struggle against the Giants’ defense, Gruden may feel compelled to send in his rookie signal-caller (video link).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/25/19
Here are today’s practice squad updates:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Jordan Veasy
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Ray Smith
- Released: DE Jonathan Wynn
Houston Texans
- Signed: T Christian DiLauro, WR Chad Hansen
- Released: WR Tyron Johnson
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Jason Vander Laan
New York Jets
- Signed: QB Mike White
- Released TE Ian Bunting
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Alize Mack
- Released: LB Robert Spillane
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Greg Mabin
- Waived: G Keaton Sutherland
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Isaiah Ford
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: TE Xavier Grimble
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Jerome Cunningham
NFL Workout Updates: 9/25/19
Here are today’s workout updates:
New Orleans Saints
Seattle Seahawks
NFC East Notes: Haskins, Cooper, Jeffery
Could the dawn of the Dwayne Haskins era be upon us? Redskins starting QB Case Keenum is dealing with a foot injury and did not practice today, which could force Jay Gruden to turn to one of his backup signal-callers when his team takes on the Giants this weekend. John Keim of ESPN.com notes that Colt McCoy, who hasn’t taken part in a full practice since August 11, participated in the team’s walk-through today, but Gruden wants to see him plant and push off before he thrusts him back into action.
Haskins, the 15th-overall pick in the 2019 draft, is Washington’s QB of the future, and Gruden did not rule out the possibility of turning to the Ohio State product this weekend. However, Gruden does expect Keenum to be ready to go, which means Redskins fans may have to wait a little longer for their first regular season glimpse of Haskins.
Now for more injury-related items from the NFC East:
- A brief scare for the Cowboys, as WR Amari Cooper left practice early today with a right ankle injury. However, Todd Archer of ESPN.com says the team does not believe it’s a serious issue and expects Cooper to see his normal workload against the Saints on Sunday night.
- Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery was a full participant in practice today, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That obviously suggests that he’ll play in tomorrow night’s key matchup with the Packers. Philadelphia could certainly use him, as the team is at risk of falling to 1-3.
- The Giants are still short-handed at wideout, as receiver Russell Shepard has been diagnosed with a foot sprain, per Rapoport (via Twitter). Shepard’s availability for Week 4 is in doubt.
Seahawks Waive WR Gary Jennings
The Seahawks have waived wide receiver Gary Jennings, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). The move is notable because Jennings was a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft.
Jennings, a West Virginia product, missed time during the offseason program with a hamstring injury and had a quiet training camp. Plus, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes, Jennings had difficulty picking up Seattle’s playbook. He posted just one catch for 12 yards during the preseason and has been a healthy scratch for all three of the team’s regular season contests.
Jennings was one of three receivers the Seahawks drafted this year. Second-round choice D.K. Metcalf has shown off his big-play ability during his first taste of professional action, and seventh-rounder John Ursua remains on the roster.
During his junior year with the Mountaineers, Jennings topped the 1,000-yard mark, and he nearly did it again in his senior season. It’s possible that a receiver-needy team will put in a claim, but if not, the Seahawks could theoretically re-sign him to the taxi squad.
In a related move, Seattle has promoted safety Adrian Colbert from the p-squad and signed LB Malik Carney to the practice squad to replace Colbert.
Jalen Ramsey To Leave Jaguars For Birth Of Daughter
There has been plenty of speculation that Jalen Ramsey‘s reported illness and injuries that have kept him away from the Jaguars are really just a ruse to bolster his trade demand, but it would be quite a feat if he could fake the reason for his upcoming absence. Per a statement from head coach Doug Marrone, Ramsey is flying to Nashville tonight to be present for the birth of his daughter.
The statement reads as follows:
“Months ago in the offseason, Jalen notified me that he was expecting the birth of his second child in late September. We spoke about his recently and again today after practice and decided that it was best for Jalen to fly to Nashville tonight after meetings to be with his family during the birth of their daughter. He will return to the team when he’s ready, and we will provide an update at that time.”
Ramsey and Marrone had a blowup last week that may have precipitated the former’s trade demand, which he has not rescinded. The vague timeline that Marrone provided in his statement suggests that Ramsey may miss more than one game, though it remains to be seen if he will continue playing for the Jags at all. Perhaps Jacksonville will swing a deal to send the star CB to another club in exchange for premium draft capital.
Indeed, the Jaguars reportedly have several offers on the table that include a first-round draft choice, but the club may elect to hold onto Ramsey in the hopes that it can smooth things over and keep him in the fold for the long haul.
Melvin Gordon To Report To Chargers
After reports earlier today suggested that Melvin Gordon may be ending his holdout and returning to the Chargers soon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Gordon will indeed report to the team tomorrow (Twitter link). Gordon will not play in the team’s matchup against Miami on Sunday, but he will presumably return to action the following week.
Gordon needed to return before Week 10 in order to qualify for free agency next season, so he is reporting with plenty of time to spare. However, having missed three weeks of action, he will lose out on roughly $1MM of his $5.6MM 2019 salary, not to mention potential fines (which the team may opt to rescind).
Statistically, Los Angeles’ rushing game has not suffered too much in Gordon’s absence, as Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson have 56 carries for 302 yards (good for 5.4 yards per carry) and two TDs. Ekeler is responsible for both of those scores, and he has also been a contributor in the passing game, adding two receiving touchdowns as well.
However, the Chargers have dropped their last two games, and while they are racking up a lot of yardage, they don’t have the points to show for it. Adding another talented and versatile back could certainly help.
The last we heard, Los Angeles was not planning to give Gordon a new contract during the 2019 season, and the Chargers are clearly not willing to give Gordon the type of contract he is seeking. Indeed, per ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Gordon expects 2019 to be his last season with the Chargers (Twitter link).
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com adds that Gordon was open to being traded to the Texans, who were a logical suitor given their running back needs (Twitter link). But despite the fact that the Chargers gave Gordon permission to seek a trade, Fowler says Los Angeles never made a trade a viable option, with the implication being that the Bolts put a prohibitively high price tag on their former first-round pick.
Jay Gruden Expects Jordan Reed To Return
We learned over the weekend that Redskins tight end Jordan Reed may be forced into early retirement. But, for what it’s worth, Washington head coach Jay Gruden expects Reed to suit up again at some point.
When asked if Reed’s playing career is in jeopardy, Gruden said, via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, “I’m not worried about that, no. He has seen specialists, and we are just trying to get to the bottom of it and figuring out the best way to make him more comfortable, get him back in the lineup. We are trying to see if there is anything else we can do to try and help him a long in that way to get into practice and start to feel better. If he has to see a specialist every day, I really don’t care. The big thing is to get him healthy and make sure he has a great state of mind so when he does come back he feels really good and confident that this thing will not linger.”
However, Reed remains in the concussion protocol after suffering a concussion in the Redskins’ third preseason game in August. Although the exact number of concussions he has suffered in his career is difficult to pinpoint, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (via Williams) says that Reed now has seven documented concussions dating back to his collegiate days.
If the 29-year-old does return to the field in 2019, it will not be for another few weeks.