Giants Notes: Barkley, Banks, Neal, Hubbard
Thanks in part to HBO, Saquon Barkley‘s New York exit has been one of the more thoroughly examined free agency choices in PFR’s history. The NFL’s second-leading rusher this season was not in the Giants’ 2024 plans, and he had effectively decided to move on before this year’s free agency. The 2023 offseason paved Barkley’s path to Philly, and while much is known about the Giants and their six-year RB1 not agreeing on an extension last year, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicates Barkley declined the team’s March 2023 offer — believed to be in the $13MM-per-year ballpark — because it included only $19.5MM guaranteed (subscription required).
The Giants famously prioritized Daniel Jones over Barkley in March 2023, re-signing the QB and tagging the RB. When the Giants and Barkley huddled up again before the July deadline, the team’s final offer came in at $22MM guaranteed. That would have covered nearly two franchise tags, though it fell just short of doing so. A guarantee including two tag amounts is generally viewed as the floor for extension talks with tagged players, but this July offer came after the Giants had previously proposed $23.5MM guaranteed, Duggan adds. Barkley passed, as the Giants also reduced the AAV on their final proposal — a three-year, $33MM deal in total — and then proceeded to win a bet on himself.
Barkley pocketed the $10.1MM franchise tag salary and then scored a $26MM guarantee at signing from the Eagles. While Giants pro scouting director Chris Rossetti suggested a value gap may exist between Barkley and the other 2024 FA RBs, the team did not opt for a second tag, leading to the Eagles payday. The Giants were not happy at the appearance of Barkley’s Eagles framework being done before the legal tampering period, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan and Tim McManus, who added the Eagles wondered why their rivals were irked due to being prepared to let the two-time Pro Bowler walk anyway. The NFL cleared the Eagles of tampering this summer.
Here is the latest from the NFC’s New York team:
- The Giants benched Deonte Banks for what Brian Daboll classified as insufficient effort during their Monday loss to the Steelers. While Daboll confirmed (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) Banks will start in Week 9, concerns about the 2023 first-round cornerback’s effort level have come up previously. Two prior warnings about effort are believed to have came Banks’ way from New York’s coaching staff, per the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz, who adds teammates have expressed issues at the Maryland alum’s work here as well. The Giants made Banks the center of their CB plan this offseason, as they had intended to let Adoree’ Jackson walk (before re-signing the veteran days before Week 1). Pro Football Focus ranks Banks 87th among corners this season.
- Evan Neal saw his first 2024 action Monday, playing just one snap in Pittsburgh. The former No. 7 overall pick’s stock has nosedived since his 2023 ankle injury. The Giants had not viewed Neal as their swing tackle going into the season, giving 2022 third-rounder Joshua Ezeudu that role. Ezeudu replaced Andrew Thomas initially but struggled, leading to Chris Hubbard — signed off the 49ers’ practice squad — starting in Pittsburgh. Hubbard will start again in Week 9, Daboll notes, while new Giants O-line coach Carmen Bricillo confirms (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) Neal remains an RT-only player. Neal has done work at LT before and after practice, but the Giants still do not view the demoted RT starter as an option to fill in for Thomas on the blindside.
- The Giants met with former Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries last week, marking the offseason cap casualty’s first tie to a team since his release. Humphries did not sign, and Daboll (via Duggan) pointed to a financial gap existing between team and player. The Giants hold only $1.7MM in cap space, while Humphries was previously tied to a three-year, $51MM Cardinals deal. The nine-year veteran is coming off an ACL tear sustained in December of last year.
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs Battling Torn Calf
Trevon Diggs‘ run on his second Cowboys contract has not gone especially well. The former All-Pro cornerback entered this season after an extensive rehab effort, one stemming from an ACL tear suffered during an early-season practice last year. Diggs now looks likely to miss more time.
The fifth-year player has not practiced this week, and Jerry Jones said during his latest 105.3 The Fan appearance (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) that a calf tear is behind the absence.
While it appears Diggs will not play against the Falcons on Sunday, Jones’ news drop comes after the highly paid cover man played 99% of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps in Week 8. Diggs returned from his ACL rehab during training camp, being activated off the active/PUP list. He has played in all seven Cowboys games this season. That said, Jones added (via Machota) he is not sure Diggs will miss the Atlanta contest. Though, three DNPs often signal an absence. Diggs’ Friday status has not been determined yet.
Jones’ refusal to rule out Diggs comes as DaRon Bland, whom the Cowboys activated off IR this week, is still experiencing pain in his surgically repaired foot. Bland suffered a foot fracture during camp, and while he had progressed to full practices, the 2023 All-Pro — who moved to the outside position after Diggs’ September 2023 injury — has not practiced this week. Bland is back on Dallas’ 53-man roster, as he would have been shuttled to season-ending IR had the Cowboys not made that activation this week.
The Cowboys gave Diggs a five-year, $97MM extension before training camp last summer. Diggs, 26, made it through two games before the knee injury ended his season. The former second-round pick, who had become the first player to reach the 11-INT mark in a season since the Cowboys’ Everson Walls did so in 1981, has cultivated a boom-or-bust reputation at corner. This season, Pro Football Focus has the Alabama alum slotted 95th at the position.
Boom-or-bust also accurately labels the Cowboys’ 2020s run at corner. Each of the team’s current top three (Diggs, Bland, Jourdan Lewis) has sustained a significant injury in the recent past, with Lewis going down with a Lisfranc injury deemed career-threatening. The Cowboys also missed on second-round pick Kelvin Joseph and did not re-sign Stephon Gilmore this offseason; the Dallas one-and-done CB landed in Minnesota.
The Cowboys, who sit 3-4 as their offensive and defensive units rank outside the top 20, also have not seen Micah Parsons return to practice. The All-Pro edge rusher has missed three games with a high ankle sprain. DeMarcus Lawrence remains on IR with his Lisfranc issue.
Texans’ Kenyon Green Suffers Shoulder Injury; Team Discussed G In Trade?
Kenyon Green re-emerged in the Texans’ starting lineup this season, attempting to bounce back after missing all of 2023 and struggling as a rookie the year prior. The former first-round pick’s return has not gone as hoped.
The Texans benched Green in Week 8 but moved him back into their lineup once replacement Jarrett Patterson suffered a concussion. Houston, however, needed to use a third option — 2023 trade acquisition Kendrick Green — once Kenyon Green sustained an injury Thursday. Kenyon Green sustained a dislocated shoulder, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes the third-year blocker is out indefinitely.
Houston had considered making the Green-for-Green switch before Week 9 but gave the 2022 No. 15 overall pick another shot. It now appears the Texas A&M product’s career is on hold once again. This comes a year after Kenyon Green suffered a torn labrum and missed all of his second season.
Green, whom the Texans traded down for from the No. 12 slot they obtained from the Browns in the Deshaun Watson blockbuster, entered Week 8 ranked last among guard regulars in the view of Pro Football Focus. Despite being the first guard chosen in 2022, he has been unable to put it together. The offseason rejuvenation that led the once-highly regarded prospect back into Houston’s left guard spot has stalled, and it appears the Texans will need to make other plans.
Although Kenyon Green has struggled, first-round O-line prospects generally have fans in other teams’ buildings. That looks to be the case here, as Green was generating some trade interest before Week 8. Expanding on that, veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson indicates the Texans are believed to have discussed the young guard with an NFC East team. Anderson describes those proceedings as Houston looking into the unspecified club’s preliminary interest. With Green now out, the Texans will almost certainly retain him at the trade deadline.
Kenyon Green’s rookie deal (four years, $15.95MM), which is fully guaranteed, runs through 2025. Kendrick Green, whom the Texans acquired from the Steelers in the wake of Kenyon’s summer 2023 injury, is in a contract year. The former Pittsburgh third-rounder has not worked as a regular starter since struggling as the Steelers’ center in 2021. Kendrick Green did start three games for the Texans last year, before going down with a season-ending meniscus injury early in his first Houston season.
Patterson, a 2023 sixth-round pick, started all seven games he played last season; an ankle injury ended his season midway through — during a shaky year for the Texans’ O-line. Patterson vied with the Greens for the guard job opposite Shaq Mason this offseason. Should Patterson come back from the recent concussion soon, it would stand to reason he will be given another opportunity at LG.
This year has gone better for the Texans up front, as both their tackles — Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard — are healthy after injuries cost them time in 2023. Houston’s center, Juice Scruggs, has also started all eight games after missing much of his rookie season. The team will need a fix at left guard, however, and given Kenyon Green’s work to date, probably will look for a longer-term solution in the offseason.
Antonio Pierce: Luke Getsy’s Play-Calling Needs Improvement
Luke Getsy came to the Raiders after the team’s negotiations with Kliff Kingsbury broke down. Eventually pivoting to a Commanders offer (with some help from minority Commanders owner Magic Johnson), Kingsbury sought a three-year deal from the Raiders, who were offering a two-year pact.
The Raiders circled back to Getsy, who had received interest for official and unofficial (in the Jets’ unique case, which also involved Kingsbury) OC jobs following his Bears firing. Getsy has seen the Raiders change quarterbacks and the latest preferred starter (Aidan O’Connell) go down with an injury. The Raiders have also traded their top offensive player, unloading a disgruntled Davante Adams. As could be expected, Las Vegas is struggling on that side of the ball.
Las Vegas ranks 26th in scoring (18 points per game) and 28th in total yardage. DVOA slots Getsy’s offense in that neighborhood, measuring it 27th through eight games. Although Antonio Pierce is not contemplating a change, the Raiders HC took aim at his play-caller amid a four-game skid.
“It has to get better,” Pierce said of Getsy’s play-calling, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. “… There’s been a lot of opportunities for us to score points and make opportunities. And, yeah, that’s on the play-caller. It does start with the coordinator. He’s got to be the one that takes the fall for that and gets most of the blame. But it is collective.”
Pierce further couched that assessment by saying the team’s struggles are “on all of us,” but this situation will be one of the many to monitor moving forward. The Raiders have not scored more than 20 points since Week 3, when the Panthers stampeded to their only win of the season (after a bounce-back 2023, Patrick Graham‘s defense ranks 27th in points and 23rd in DVOA). The Raiders rank 31st in rushing yards, as their post-Josh Jacobs period has not started well.
Las Vegas let Jacobs walk, not submitting an offer in the ballpark of a four-year, $48MM Packers deal that included just $13.5MM guaranteed at signing. The Raiders instead added Alexander Mattison to play behind Zamir White, adding the ex-Vikings Dalvin Cook replacement on a one-year, $2MM deal. Neither White nor Mattison has impressed, respectively sporting 3.0 and 3.2 per-carry averages. Pro Football Focus ranks the Raiders’ O-line 18th.
The Raiders have seen Brock Bowers become their runaway lead target but would-be sidekick Michael Mayer, whom the team traded up for early in the 2023 second round, land on the reserve/NFI list. Pierce said earlier this month Mayer is dealing with “personal stuff” and did not have a return timetable. Jakobi Meyers, who has landed in trade rumors, leads Raiders wide receivers with 325 yards. Adams contributed just three games to the Raiders’ cause, going down with a hamstring injury. The team viewed Adams as slow-playing his return amid trade uncertainty.
Getsy drew some iffy hands with the Bears as well, with Justin Fields not establishing consistency as a passer. He now looks to be in a worse situation, as the Raiders remain in search of their next franchise QB and appear to be considering moving Meyers after trading Adams. How the team’s second half unfolds will affect Pierce’s future, and Getsy’s will certainly be tied to it.
Examining Final Stage Of WR Trade Market
The top dominoes on the wide receiver trade market have likely fallen. Third-round picks changed hands in the Davante Adams and Amari Cooper swaps, and DeAndre Hopkins will join Adams as a Hall of Fame candidate — one who can now bolster his case by moving the needle for a Chiefs threepeat bid.
Diontae Johnson also wound up in a second trade this year, albeit for lower-than-expected compensation. This offseason also brought the likes of Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen and Jerry Jeudy being traded, marking another busy year — both contractually and transactionally — at the position.
More pieces figure to be moved before the deadline. Here is where things stand with the remaining trade chips at the receiver position:
Likely departures
Darius Slayton, Giants
This Giants regime attempted to move on from Slayton two years ago, leaving the proven target out of the starting lineup into training camp and cutting his pay on a rookie contract. Slayton ended up mattering quite a bit in Brian Daboll‘s first year, which produced a surprise playoff berth despite Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay producing next to nothing and Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson suffering season-ending injuries. Slayton, as he has throughout his career, remained a reliable albeit unspectacular Daniel Jones weapon. Slayton, 27, has led the Giants in receiving four times since being a 2019 fifth-round pick but has never eclipsed 800 yards, illustrating the long-running issues plaguing this aerial attack.
Malik Nabers arrived as a result of those issues (and the Patriots passing on the Giants’ trade-up bid for Drake Maye), but Slayton has not been marginalized. The sixth-year wideout, with 420 yards in eight games, is on pace for a career-high total. He continues to aid Jones, but with the Giants falling to 2-6 and having a Commanders matchup on tap, teams will call on Slayton. Linked to several big-name receivers this year, the Steelers are believed to be interested. The Texans may be lurking as well.
Just more than $1.3MM remains on Slayton’s through-2024 contract, and although a recent report pointed to a high asking price, this remains the best chance for the Giants to collect an asset for a player they did not extend — despite the veteran’s efforts to secure better terms — this offseason.
Mike Williams, Jets
Williams is 30, coming off an ACL tear and on a team that has rendered him to the periphery following the Adams acquisition. The free agency pickup combined for one reception since Adams’ Week 7 debut and has just 11 catches for 160 yards in eight games as a Jet. With Allen Lazard regaining steam with Aaron Rodgers healthy, it is unsurprising the Jets started shopping Williams in earnest immediately after the Adams trade. Just more than $2.3MM will remain on the former top-10 pick’s contract after tonight’s game; the Jets will wait until after their Week 9 matchup to see if a worthwhile offer emerges.
Considering the rumor volume here, enough smoke exists to predict a second Williams separation from a team this year. The Saints and Steelers have pursued him, though at 2-6, New Orleans no longer profiles as a buyer despite being in on Adams weeks ago. The Jets also are in a seller’s position, though GM Joe Douglas‘ job being on the line may keep the subtractions to a minimum. The Chargers are 4-3 and have inquired about bringing the 2017 draftee back, despite cutting him in March.
Lazard’s Thursday IR placement does throw a wrench in teams’ potential plans to trade for Williams. He was previously viewed as a near-certainty to be dealt. It would be interesting if that injury prompted the Jets to take Williams off the market due to the high-stakes circumstances tied to this season.
A to-be-determined Patriot
Three separate Pats wideouts — K.J. Osborn, Tyquan Thornton and trade-rumor fixture Kendrick Bourne — have been tied to potential moves. At 2-6, New England will need to aim for some moves before next week’s deadline. Bourne, 29, has indicated he would like to stay to help the team’s Drake Maye-fronted rebuild. In addition to Thornton being one of many highly drafted Bill Belichick wideouts who have failed to take off in Foxborough, second-year target Kayshon Boutte has griped about his role.
This fluid situation will almost definitely involve one trade. Osborn, Bourne’s rumor regularity notwithstanding, may be the more likely veteran piece New England deals. The Pats are believed to be shopping he and Bourne, despite the latter having re-signed (on a three-year, $19MM deal) in March. The 49ers, who wanted Bourne back during Brandon Aiyuk trade talks with the Patriots this summer, appear to be standing down at the position following Aiyuk’s injury. The Pats signed Osborn for one year and $4MM, but just $1.18MM consists of base salary, providing relative value for teams, as Osborn has two 600-plus-yard seasons as a Vikings slot on his resume.
Calls coming in
Tee Higgins, Bengals
Carson Palmer‘s quasi-retirement and a Jason Campbell injury producing a monster offer (first- and second-rounders) brought the Bengals to make a deadline trade; Carlos Dunlap becoming a malcontent before the 2020 deadline keyed another such move. Teams have asked about Higgins for a while, as the former second-rounder requested a trade in March. Despite a failure to complete an extension with Ja’Marr Chase this offseason, the Bengals have made it clear the younger WR is their long-term priority.
Higgins is tied to a $21.8MM franchise tag tender, being the only 2024 tag recipient not extended this offseason. Couple that $10MM-plus salary number, if traded after Week 9, and the Bengals’ past and it is a mortal lock the longtime Chase wingman finishes the season in Cincinnati. Higgins, 25, could be re-tagged in 2025, giving the Bengals another window to move on if/once they hold onto him at this year’s deadline.
Cooper Kupp, Rams
The Rams made news earlier this month by both confirming they had received calls on Kupp and a separate report suggesting the team was shopping him. The Chiefs, Bills and Steelers are among the teams to discuss Kupp with the Rams; Kansas City is believed to have preferred Kupp to the player ultimately acquired (Hopkins). But the Rams have won two straight, the second of which featuring Kupp and Puka Nacua back at work.
Sean McVay has all but confirmed Kupp is not going anywhere, and the Rams — who had wanted a return that surpassed the Adams price (conditional third-round pick) — have the former triple-crown winner signed through 2026.
D.K. Metcalf, Seahawks
At this season’s outset, Deebo Samuel appeared much less likely than Metcalf to play out a three-year contract inked during training camp in 2022. Now, Samuel is back as the 49ers’ No. 1 wideout (thanks to Aiyuk’s injury) and Metcalf is drawing trade interest. Calls have come in on the sixth-year pass catcher, who is tied to a three-year, $72MM extension that runs through 2025. The Seahawks, however, are not expected to move their top wideout.
Paired with Tyler Lockett for six seasons, Metcalf is a more appealing trade option due to his age (26). Lockett is 32, and while it is worth wondering the Seahawks would be more amenable to moving the older player, no rumors have swirled there. Seattle has hired a new coaching staff and would drop to 4-5 with a loss to Los Angeles this weekend, but it appears the Mike Macdonald-run team will stick with the big-bodied target throughout the season before potentially reassessing ahead of his contract year.
On trade radar
Jakobi Meyers, Raiders
The Raiders did extensive work on the past two quarterback classes, going elsewhere in 2023 and then seeing an effort to trade up for Jayden Daniels predictably fail this year. Las Vegas is between eras at quarterback, with a flood of rumors set to tie the team to the 2025 class undoubtedly coming soon.
The team already picked up a Jets 2025 third-rounder, but with Meyers initially signed to continue working under his three-year Patriots OC (Josh McDaniels), he makes sense as a trade chip as well. Although the Raiders were rumored to want to keep the sixth-year vet, teams are monitoring his status. The Texans, whose GM (Nick Caserio) was in place when the Pats signed Meyers as a UDFA, may be one of them. Meyers’ three-year, $33MM deal runs through 2025; no guarantees are on the accord post-2024.
Josh Palmer, Chargers
Drafted by current Raiders GM Tom Telesco, Palmer is not believed to be in the Jim Harbaugh-run Chargers’ plans much longer. The former third-round pick has been productive in recent years, as injuries to Mike Williams and Keenan Allen proved frequent in that span.
Capable of playing inside and outside, Palmer would be of interest to a team that misses on Slayton — if, in fact, the six-year Giant is moved. The Bolts are believed to be open trading Palmer, potentially wanting someone else to fill in alongside new top target Ladd McConkey. Palmer appears likely to leave as a free agent in March, so it is logical — even at 4-3 — for the Chargers to consider moving on now.
Courtland Sutton, Broncos
Never one to be excluded from rumors during one of the NFL’s trade windows, Sutton remains the Broncos’ top wideout. His purpose is now boosting Bo Nix‘s development, which is going better than most expected. As Nix won NFL Rookie of the Month honors for October, Sutton is still coming up as a candidate to be moved. The Steelers are interested, to the point they may have the ex-Russell Wilson weapon as their lead trade target. This is old hat for the seventh-year player, who has been coming up in trade rumors since the 2022 deadline. Sean Payton confirmed his WR1 drew more interest this year.
Sutton, 29, is tied to a four-year, $60MM deal — one that has become rather team-friendly, especially with no 2025 guarantees in place — that features just a $1.13MM base salary. Because the Broncos restructured the deal for cost-saving purposes, Sutton would tag them with more than $15MM in dead money — an amount that would be spread between this year and next in the event of a trade. The low salary would appeal to trade suitors, but with Wilson set to count more than $30MM against the Broncos’ 2025 cap, taking on another chunk of dead money now would be a curious strategy. Sutton’s exit would come as strange due to his importance to Nix’s growth and the Broncos having declined a third-round offer from the 49ers in August.
Jonathan Mingo, Adam Thielen, Panthers
Thielen is a 34-year-old receiver on a Panthers team early in a rebuild. No guarantees remain on the ex-Viking’s three-year, $25MM contract for 2025, making him a logical trade candidate. This topic came up recently, and despite the Panthers trading Johnson already, it is doubtful they would pass on offers to keep Thielen, who profiles as a 2025 cut candidate. The former Minnesota UDFA, who tacked on a third 1,000-yard season to his resume last season, remains in the IR-return window after a hamstring injury.
A 2023 second-round pick who has not thus far justified his draft slot, Mingo came up recently as a player who is probably not part of the Panthers’ long-term plans. Mingo may have more trade value, despite the accomplishment gap between these Carolina targets, due to his age and contract status. The Ole Miss alum’s rookie deal runs through 2026, though he is sitting on just 12 catches for 121 yards despite not missing a game this season.
Courtland Sutton, Darius Slayton On Steelers’ Radar?
As the Steelers have climbed to 6-2, they have seen Russell Wilson deliver two promising starts in wins over the Jets and Giants. Those conquests still do not appear to have moved the AFC North leaders out of a wide receiver market they have populated for months.
The Steelers have been tied to Davante Adams, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Mike Williams at points this year. Cooper Kupp also came up in conversations. Pittsburgh’s interest in Williams remains, with the team joining the Chargers and Saints (and probably others) as clubs looking into a player the Jets continue to shop. Considering Pittsburgh’s need, it also should not surprise the team is being linked to two trade-block regulars.
Courtland Sutton and Darius Slayton are believed to join Williams on the Steelers’ radar, according to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, who indicates a hierarchy exists here. The Steelers are believed to have plenty of interest in prying Sutton from Denver, though Pauline adds the Broncos — as they have for years — are setting a high asking price on one of this NFL period’s trade-rumor mainstays.
Sutton’s name, despite the Broncos’ 5-3 record, came up recently — yet again. Sutton, 29, has been mentioned at just about every NFL trade window since the 2022 deadline. The Broncos then set a second-round asking price on the 6-foot-4 wideout during the 2023 offseason, seeing him usurp Jerry Jeudy as Wilson’s top target. Wilson and Sutton formed a rapport, one that produced a few acrobatic catches from the former second-round pick, last season. As a result, it would not surprise if the Steelers were one of the teams in on Sutton this offseason.
Sean Payton confirmed several clubs called about Sutton this year, doing so after the Broncos unloaded Jeudy for fifth- and sixth-round picks. The most notable 2024 Sutton “what if?” came in August, when the 49ers offered a third-round pick to the Broncos in what would have been a three-team deal that sent Sutton to Denver and Aiyuk to Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ trade framework with the 49ers for Aiyuk did not turn out to be enough, as the now-high-priced veteran recommitted to San Francisco — weeks before sustaining a season-ending injury.
It would represent odd timing for the Broncos to finally part with Sutton, as their WR corps is thin — especially after Josh Reynolds landed on IR and then suffered injuries in a recent shooting — beyond the seventh-year vet. Second-rounder Marvin Mims has not developed as the Broncos hoped, and the team is otherwise reliant on fourth- and seventh-round rookies (Troy Franklin, Devaughn Vele). Trading Sutton now would stand to affect Bo Nix‘s development, hence the high price the Broncos are again setting.
As Sutton is tied to a four-year, $60MM deal that features no guarantees in 2025 — the contract’s final year — Slayton is winding down a two-year, $12MM accord. The Giants wide receiver has started strong this season, becoming a nice complementary piece alongside fast-emerging rookie Malik Nabers. The latter is New York’s future at the position, with Slayton — a Dave Gettleman-era draftee who has come up in trade rumors at multiple points — a player the Giants will undoubtedly consider moving before the Nov. 5 deadline.
The Giants are also setting a notable price on their WR trade chip, as both Slayton and Azeez Ojulari have drawn interest but are not locks to move. Though, the Giants’ 2-6 record — ahead of a Commanders matchup — may carry the day. Slayton appears a Sutton backup plan, per Pauline, but probably will be easier to obtain at this point.
The Steelers have sought a George Pickens complement for months, having traded Diontae Johnson during the legal tampering period in March. Slot player Calvin Austin has become Pittsburgh’s de facto WR2, with 257 yards, but given their hot start, the Steelers figure to make a final push to help Wilson before the deadline.
Jets Place WR Allen Lazard On IR, Planning To Elevate K Riley Patterson
While the Jets are midway through a wildly disappointing (thus far, at least) season, Allen Lazard has bounced back. Productive thus far in his second Jets campaign, the multi-city Aaron Rodgers target will see that stretch pause.
The Jets are moving Lazard to IR because of a chest injury, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. As this will sideline Lazard for at least four games, it will be interesting to see if it affects the Jets’ interest in trading Mike Williams before the Nov. 5 deadline.
Lazard is tied to a four-year, $44MM deal that featured $22MM guaranteed at signing. The Jets have done plenty to appease Rodgers, having added three of his former Packers pass catchers (Lazard, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams). Lazard was the first of those to arrive, having communicated with his four-year Packers teammate about playing for the Jets together. That coordinated effort preceded Rodgers’ Achilles tear four plays into last season, and Lazard bottomed out, drifting to healthy-scratch status at a point and finishing with just 311 receiving yards.
This year, Lazard already has compiled 420 yards and scored five touchdowns. Receiving the most guaranteed money of any receiver in last year’s FA class, Lazard has not justified his contract. But he has moved back to being a useful player alongside Rodgers, as opposed to a borderline sunk cost in a Zach Wilson-centered offense. Two nonguaranteed years remain on Lazard’s deal.
Williams has come up as a trade chip since the Jets’ Adams pursuit, with that effort beginning in earnest upon the intra-AFC trade being completed. Williams has struggled mightily in New York, posting only 160 yards on 11 receptions though eight games. Williams, 30, may still be moved. But with this Jets regime on thin ice, it would also make sense if the team now stood pat at receiver to see if the former Chargers 1,000-yard weapon could be useful as a WR3 alongside Adams and Garrett Wilson. The Jets will deploy Williams once again tonight and have until Tuesday to decide about moving on.
Additionally, the Jets have chosen their Greg Zuerlein fill-in. Riley Patterson will be elevated for tonight’s Texans matchup, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. By far the more experienced of the two kickers Gang Green added to its practice squad (Spencer Shrader being the other), Patterson will have another chance after being waived twice — by the Jaguars and Commanders — this year.
Patterson served as the Jaguars’ kicker throughout the 2022 season and was the Lions’ top option for most of the ’23 slate. The Lions cut Patterson for a second time, however, pivoting to Michael Badgley in-season. Patterson caught on with the Jags via reserve/futures deal but ended up waived — following the team’s Cam Little sixth-round selection — and then washing out of Washington after a shaky preseason. Patterson has kicked in 39 career games; he made 15 of 17 field goals last season. Zuerlein, who is on IR with a knee injury, is just 9-for-15 this year.
Trade Rumors: Jefferson, Tomlinson, Browns, 49ers, Broncos, Texans
Following the Amari Cooper swap, more Browns seller’s trades are expected. Za’Darius Smith has emerged as perhaps the top post-Cooper trade chip, but two members of their interior D-line profile as candidates to move. More definitively, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline indicates the Browns will trade Quinton Jefferson if they receive an offer. The nomadic DT has not played since Week 5, with the Browns not receiving much in the way of production on a one-year, $4MM deal. Having played for five teams in the past five seasons (Bills, Raiders, Seahawks, Jets, Browns), Jefferson has been in a number of schemes and has experience at D-tackle and end. He may have drawn some interest already, and it does not sound like it will take much for a team to acquire the 31-year-old D-lineman.
One of the reasons Jefferson is not seeing the field, Dalvin Tomlinson remains the Browns’ lead DT. He is signed to a four-year, $57MM deal, and The Athletic’s Zac Jackson views Tomlinson and Smith as the most likely Browns to be moved at the Nov. 5 deadline. Being the Browns, void years on Tomlinson’s deal have the eighth-year veteran’s base salary at $1.2MM. That would make an acquisition appealing for a team, as Tomlinson has been productive in New York, Minnesota and Cleveland and does not have any guaranteed money due beyond 2024. Pro Football Focus ranked Tomlinson as a top-30 DT from 2017-22 and slots the 30-year-old 31st through eight games.
Here is the latest from the trade market:
- 49ers connections to bolstering their defensive front persist, with Pauline indicating the NFC West club is indeed in the market for help on its depleted D-line. The 49ers, who cut Arik Armstead this offseason, have seen Javon Hargrave lost for perhaps the season. Hargrave’s timetable, which has already included triceps surgery, may allow for a return deep in the playoffs — should the 49ers stay alive that long — according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, but it is understandable the 49ers would want help to boost their chances of another NFC West crown. They have been linked to Patriots DT Davon Godchaux. San Francisco has made several buyer’s trades under John Lynch, acquiring the likes of Emmanuel Sanders, Charles Omenihu, Randy Gregory and Chase Young since 2019. Those moves came after their Jimmy Garoppolo acquisition seven years ago today.
- With Stefon Diggs‘ season-ending injury occurring before the deadline, the Texans have a chance to add a piece to help. Houston is believed to be exploring such a move, but SI.com’s Albert Breer pushes back on that a bit. The veteran NFL reporter predicts the Texans stand down and give reps to backups like John Metchie and Robert Woods over chasing a marginal piece to complement Tank Dell and, when he returns from a hamstring injury, Nico Collins.
- The Broncos have been linked to potential seller’s moves despite their 5-3 record, with Courtland Sutton and Baron Browning the notable names thrown around as trade chips. But Sutton also anchors an otherwise thin Denver pass-catching corps. A case can be made Denver needs to add talent to boost Bo Nix‘s development rather than subtract. While the Broncos could simply opt to give every possible rep to rookies Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele, Breer offers a plausible scenario exists the team adds at either receiver or tight end. Adam Trautman‘s 85-yard showing against the Panthers aside, the Broncos have received little from their tight ends this season. Third-rounder Greg Dulcich has drifted to healthy-scratch status. Sean Payton has made a notable buyer’s trade at tight end before, obtaining Jeremy Shockey from the Giants. Though, that move came just before training camp in 2008.
Extra Points: 18-Game Schedule, International Slate, Goalposts, Commanders
Thrown around as a talking point before the 17-game schedule took effect, the prospect of two bye weeks is back on the table thanks to the early negotiations for an 18-game slate. Roger Goodell said recently the prospect of a two-bye season will be in play if another regular-season expansion comes to fruition.
“A lot of that depends on — can we continue to make the game safer, can we continue to modify the way we conduct the offseason as well as the training camp and as well as the season, so that these guys feel comfortable being able to play that period of time,” Goodell said of an expansion to 18 games, something that has become a trending topic in 2024.
It is believed TV networks nixed a double-bye setup for the 17-game season, as the league’s 1993 effort — the only two-bye season to date — provided what the NFL’s broadcast partners viewed as a diluted schedule. For the NFLPA to back a move to 18 during a CBA that prevents the schedule from expanding again, it is likely the NFL and its TV partners will need to give in on the second bye week. Should that be one of the league’s concessions to the union in the ongoing push for 18 games, a schedule that would start one week earlier and run through Presidents Day weekend would be on tap.
Here is the latest from around the NFL:
- As Goodell previously mentioned a move to 16 international games per season could commence at some point, the veteran commissioner noted he wants to push the slate from five to eight international contests “quickly.” The NFL will play a game in Madrid next season, and Dublin, Rio de Janeiro and Abu Dhabi have come up as potential international hosts. Ditto Sweden, France and Australia. The league currently features an eight-game max as far as international outings go; it is safe to expect that number to rise in the coming years, especially if the NFL’s push for an 18-game season is successful.
- Fifteen of the top 17 most accurate field goal kickers in NFL history have played during the 2020s, with Mike Vanderjagt and Nate Kaeding the only outliers. The league is seeing 60-yard field goal makes occur at greater rates, with 50-plus-yarders becoming routine for many. As a result, an interesting conversation could take place. A competition committee discussion (via The Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi) is expected to take place during the 2025 offseason. The posts presently sit 18 feet, 6 inches apart and 10 feet off the ground. Altering those dimensions would be a radical change, though the NFL showed a willingness to explore special teams adjustments via its dynamic kickoff trial run. That said, veteran NFL exec Troy Vincent does not expect (via the Washington Post’s Mark Maske) an immediate change.
- While Josh Harris‘ Commanders sale price was believed to be $6.05 billion, Maske and Post colleague Nicki Jhabvala indicate the actual number will likely come in at $5.85 billion. That is still an American sports-record number, breaking Rob Walton‘s Broncos purchase ($4.65 billion) from 2022. A $200MM deferred payment exists in Harris’ agreement, one based on revenue markers Maske and Jhabvala indicate the franchise is unlikely to hit. Harris’ group needed to bring in more than a dozen investors to buy the team, and the current owners feared Amazon founder (and Post owner) Jeff Bezos would indeed swoop in with an offer the Harris-led group could not match. Bezos bowing out of the running, not submitting an official bid for rival Dan Snyder‘s franchise, cleared the way for Harris’ purchase.
Shane Steichen Addresses Colts’ Anthony Richardson Benching
It is not especially common for a highly drafted quarterback to be benched and then resurface as a long-term starter with that team, but two players from the 2023 draft are attempting such climbs anyway. Anthony Richardson has followed Bryce Young in being benched during the first half of his second season.
Like the Panthers’ Young benching, this is not viewed as a temporary reset that will assure Richardson of a path back into the lineup this season. Shane Steichen confirmed Wednesday (via CBS4’s Mike Chappell) that Joe Flacco is the team’s starter going forward.
Unlike the Jets’ 2022 Zach Wilson benching, Richardson will only drop to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Steichen confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) the 2023 No. 4 overall pick will be Flacco’s top backup in Week 9. While Steichen said on multiple occasions Flacco is the team’s QB from this point on, the Colts are not giving up on Richardson in the long term. While Steichen had said Richardson playing was his best route to development, the Indy HC is backtracking on that now.
“I know I said that,” Steichen said, via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder. “Things change. So I think right now, sitting back and seeing a veteran that’s done it at a high level for a long time, you can develop that way as well
“… It’s a difficult thing. But it’s my obligation to the 53 guys in this organization to win football games, and right now, I’m focused on the present: winning football games. We’ll get to the future when we have to get to the future.”
Given Richardson’s woeful work in the passing game this season and his highly unusual move to take himself out of the Colts’ Week 8 game for a play due to fatigue — a decision that has brought tremendous backlash — the Colts made a predictable call. Richardson’s 44.4% completion rate this season is 15 points down from his 2023 showing and doubles as the fifth-lowest mark through six games in the 21st century. For a second straight year, Flacco will step in as an emergency backup for a fringe playoff contender.
This will be a fine line for the Colts to walk, as Richardson is signed through 2026 but has seen the team that drafted him already bail on its initial experiment. The Colts turned to Richardson after several Flacco-like retreads did not provide stability. Philip Rivers was the best of that bunch, but the Colts rostered the potential Hall of Famer in his final season. Beyond Rivers, the likes of Jacoby Brissett, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan worked as Week 1 starters following Andrew Luck‘s retirement. The Colts turned to Gardner Minshew last season, and while they wanted to re-sign the veteran, the Raiders’ offer (two years, $25MM) came in well north of where Indy was comfortable spending on a backup.
Minshew’s insertion into Indianapolis’ starting lineup provided a boost to the team’s passing game, with Michael Pittman Jr. establishing career-high marks en route to an offseason extension. Flacco, who replaced Deshaun Watson and formed immediate connections with Amari Cooper and David Njoku last season, stands to be a better option to deliver on-target passes to the likes of Pittman, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell. Steichen selling this to his locker room is easier than continuing to trot out Richardson, who has not developed the way the organization had hoped.
Flacco boasts an 8-to-1 TD-INT ratio this season and threw for 359 yards in one of his two starts as a Colt, but he is 39 and signed to a one-year, $4MM deal. The Colts were the only team to offer him a contract this offseason, despite his Comeback Player of the Year season occurring in Cleveland — where the former Super Bowl MVP wanted to stay. Flacco’s role will be to attempt to help a 4-4 Indy squad to the playoffs, but Richardson’s long-term status remains the more interesting part of this equation.
Young is viewed as a potential 2025 trade candidate. Considering the Colts’ issues finding a long-term QB post-Luck, it stands to reason Richardson will have another chance. The team drafted Richardson as a raw prospect, one whose lone college starter season produced a 53.8% completion rate, and has only seen him start 10 games. Through that lens, this represents a quick hook, but as the Colts compete for the playoffs, they will shift Richardson’s development into the background.
Although players like Phil Simms, Alex Smith and Drew Brees managed to overcome early-career benchings en route to long starter runs — the latter two, however, did not become surefire long-term options until leaving their initial clubs — there are not many examples of the same franchise circling back to a QB it benched. Richardson’s unique profile should still give him a chance to buck the trend, but he has a long way to go. Rumors about his future figure to swirl between now and the Colts’ 2025 offseason program.