Ravens Meet With Jadeveon Clowney
AUGUST 9: The Ravens have submitted an offer to Clowney, per Josina Anderson of CBS Sports (Twitter link). The former No. 1 pick will mull his options, but the Ravens certainly have an opening amongst veteran edge defenders. Baltimore currently sits at $9.5MM in cap space, which should allow them to field a competitive offer (especially on a one-year pact, which Clowney is likely in line for this late in the offseason) relative to other suitors. It will be worth watching how team and player proceed in the coming days with the pass-rush market having thinned out recently.
AUGUST 8: After both Justin Houston and Yannick Ngakoue reached agreements to further move the edge rusher market along, Jadeveon Clowney looms as the biggest name available. The former No. 1 overall pick is making visits.
Clowney trekked to Baltimore for a Ravens meeting Tuesday, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec tweets. In not re-signing Houston, the Ravens have a potential need on the edge. After multiple agreements with the Browns that occurred earlier in the offseason, Clowney is back in need of a team late in the summer.
Now 30, Clowney has never been able to secure a multiyear contract since his Texans rookie deal expired. The Texans franchise-tagged the former top draftee, leading to a trade with the Seahawks. That preceded one-year pacts with the Titans (2020) and two with the Browns (2021, ’22).
Clowney’s Cleveland tenure started well (nine sacks in 2021) but ended sourly. Clashes with the Browns’ coaching staff led the team to look elsewhere for Myles Garrett complementary options this year. The Browns have since signed Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and traded for Za’Darius Smith.
Letting Houston walk (to the Panthers), the Ravens will be counting on 2021 first-round pick Odafe Oweh, who has yet to justify the team’s investment. Oweh totaled three sacks in 17 games last season. (Houston led the team with 9.5.) The Ravens will have 2022 second-rounder David Ojabo back after an injury-marred rookie year. Tyus Bowser, who also missed time to start last season because of injury, remains with the team. An injury has once again impacted Bowser, however. The seventh-year veteran resides on Baltimore’s active/NFI list. A flareup in Bowser’s knee led to the designation.
A former Texans Pro Bowler, Clowney has offered teams versatility as a pass rusher. He has offered inside-rushing capabilities along with edge work. Despite Clowney’s issues with the Browns’ defensive staff and limited sack production (two), Pro Football Focus rated him as a top-30 defensive end last season. Against the run, PFF slotted Clowney as a top-20 option among edge defenders.
Clowney has undoubtedly heard from multiple teams this offseason, and the deals given to the likes of Houston ($6MM guaranteed), Ngakoue ($10MM locked in), Leonard Floyd ($7MM) and Frank Clark ($5MM) will impact teams’ pursuits of a player who has been patient in past free agency tours. Clowney signed a one-year, $8MM deal with the Browns in 2021 and collected $10MM from the team last year.
Colts To Meet With RB Kareem Hunt
AUGUST 9: Adding further to Russini’s report, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com tweets that guaranteed money represented the difference in New Orleans’ and Indianapolis’ offers. The Saints backloaded their proposal with incentives, while keeping the total amount roughly on par with what the Colts are prepared to pay. With more money (and, potentially, playing time) available up front, it comes as little surprise that Hunt will at least consider a deal in Indianapolis.
AUGUST 8: Kareem Hunt‘s late-summer free agency tour will include a stop in Indianapolis. The Colts are set to meet with the former rushing champion Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Although Hunt enjoyed a “great” Saints visit, he will make a trip to meet with a team that features a greater running back need. The Colts remain without Jonathan Taylor, have lost backup Zack Moss to a broken arm, and fellow reserve Deon Jackson is also dealing with an unspecified injury.
Just ahead of Hunt’s Saints workout, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter), the Colts contacted him with what is believed to be a better offer. It is unclear what Indianapolis is proposing, but the six-year veteran will meet with the team to determine a fit.
Indianapolis has already signed Kenyan Drake. Hunt would represent another veteran option for the suddenly RB-deficient outfit. While Hunt arrived as a Chiefs draft pick months after Chris Ballard had joined the Colts as GM, the latter was with Kansas City in the months leading up to the 2017 offseason.
Hunt, who turned 28 on Sunday, played out a two-year, $12MM Browns deal. The former Pro Bowler did not miss any games last season but did not enjoy a particularly productive campaign. This and the running back market’s myriad obstacles have impacted Hunt’s 2023 value. After teams expressed trade interest in the former third-round pick before last year’s deadline, Hunt now looms as an emergency depth option midway through training camp.
Operating again as Nick Chubb‘s backup, Hunt totaled just 678 scrimmage yards. He averaged a career-low 3.8 per carry. This came after the Cleveland-area native finished with a 4.9-yard average in 2021. Teams are determining how much tread Hunt has left on his tires. He has only logged 1,106 career touches — far less than fellow UFAs Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook — but he was less productive than either ex-NFCer in 2022.
The Colts have seen Jonathan Taylor request a trade and now leave camp for rehab purposes on a slow-healing ankle. Rumored to be using this ankle recovery as a hold-in excuse, Taylor has since left Colts camp to go through additional rehab more than six months after undergoing what was thought to be a minor surgery. The Colts will be without Moss until at least Week 1. While a Taylor trade is not expected, the Colts are digging into an insurance option.
A backfield housing Taylor, Hunt, Drake and Moss would seemingly be untenable for Indianapolis, which may factor into Hunt’s free agency decision — assuming he is weighing more than one offer. For now, however, the Colts are in need. At full strength, the Saints are also sporting a crowded RB corps. Alvin Kamara will be eligible to return in October, and the team signed Jamaal Williams and drafted Kendre Miller in Round 3.
Cardinals RB Marlon Mack Out For Season
Days after the Cardinals brought in Marlon Mack, they will lose the veteran running back. Another Achilles injury is set to sideline Mack, with Jonathan Gannon indicating (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban) the recent free agent pickup is out for the season. The Cardinals have placed Mack on IR.
This brings another major blow for Mack, whose career was once altered by an Achilles tear. Mack’s potential for a decent free agency payday slipped away after he suffered the tear in September 2020. The former 1,000-yard rusher has struggled to carve out roles since.
That 2020 injury opened the door for Jonathan Taylor in Indianapolis and abruptly ended Mack’s prime. While the ex-fourth-round pick has signed several one-year contracts since, he has not been used in a similar capacity since the initial Achilles setback. Mack, 27, spent last season with the Broncos and 49ers.
After gaining 1,091 rushing yards in 2019, Mack saw the Colts use a second-round pick on Taylor the following April. The Colts still re-signed Mack in 2021 but did so on a one-year, $2MM agreement. Mack signed another one-year, $2MM pact — with the Texans — in 2022, but Houston cut him prior to setting its 53-man roster. Mack has only gained 185 rushing yards since going down early in his Colts contract year.
Mack was set to vie for a backup job behind James Conner. The Cardinals have 2022 sixth-rounder Keaontay Ingram, Corey Clement and Ty’Son Williams as options. They also worked out Damien Williams recently. With Mack down, Arizona may be on the lookout for another veteran.
CB Rumors: Jackson, Lions, Jaguars, Apple
Adoree’ Jackson served as the Giants‘ No. 1 cornerback last season, his second with the team. Despite coming off injury, Jackson fared well against Justin Jefferson in the Giants’ wild-card win. But the team is experimenting on a potential shift in the veteran’s role during training camp. Jackson has seen extensive time in the slot in camp, and Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News notes the prospect of Jackson in the slot and Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins outside is viable.
The Titans used Jackson as an outside corner during his Tennessee tenure, and the Giants stationed Darnay Holmes in the slot last year. They also drafted Cor’Dale Flott as a slot option in last year’s third round. But Holmes has struggled during camp, per Leonard. Hawkins, chosen in the sixth round out of Old Dominion, does not have slot experience. Jackson’s willingness as a tackler would benefit the Giants if they followed through on this, though the move is not set in stone. Holmes still operated as the team’s lead slot defender in a joint practice against the Lions on Wednesday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. Hawkins being in consideration for a regular role would be notable for a Giants team that struggled for CB depth last year.
Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:
- Emmanuel Moseley‘s cleanup procedure on the ACL he tore last year has led to an unexpected delay in his return. Moseley reported to camp late due to the surgery, and the Lions placed the free agent signing on the active/PUP list. While Dan Campbell said last week the team expected Moseley back soon, the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett notes no timetable exists for the ex-49er’s return, adding that he may not be a lock to start the season on time. This surgery has provided another delay for Moseley, who signed a one-year, $6MM deal that came with $2MM guaranteed. Campbell confirmed Moseley’s absence to start camp was excused.
- Fellow UFA addition Cameron Sutton and Jerry Jacobs have worked as Detroit’s starting cornerbacks in camp, and while the return of Moseley will give the Lions another starter-level corner, rookie UDFA Starling Thomas has made enough of an impression that Birkett added he is a good bet to make the 53-man roster. He of a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at UAB’s pro day, Thomas has been running with the Lions’ second-stringers at corner alongside Will Harris.
- Few battles for starting spots are transpiring in Jacksonville, but the Jaguars are holding one at nickel corner. Despite bringing back Tre Herndon on another one-year deal, the Jags are pitting the sixth-year veteran against several players for the slot role. Second-year players Gregory Junior (Round 6) and Montaric Brown (Round 7) join sixth- and seventh-round rookies Erick Hallett and Christian Braswell in vying for this job, per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Fifth-round safety Antonio Johnson has mixed in here as well. Herndon re-signed on a fully guaranteed $2.58MM deal. Formerly surpassing 900 defensive snaps in back-to-back years, Herndon finished with just 416 last season.
- Eli Apple‘s Dolphins deal is worth $1.6MM over one season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. Incentives could take the veteran corner’s contract up to $2.28MM. While the $1.6MM is not entirely guaranteed, the former top-10 pick received a $250K signing bonus.
Ravens Activate WR Rashod Bateman
Injuries have marred Rashod Bateman‘s NFL career, and the Ravens have made significant adjustments to their wide receiver room this offseason. But the 2021 first-round pick will begin factoring into the team’s pass-catching work Wednesday.
Bateman passed his physical and is off Baltimore’s active/PUP list, the team announced. He will join Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor and first-round pick Zay Flowers in a revamped position group. Bateman has not played since sustaining a Lisfranc injury in October 2022.
While Bateman returned in time for OTAs, he received a cortisone shot in his foot in June. That injection was only supposed to sideline the Minnesota alum for a brief period, but he ended up missing two weeks of training camp. John Harbaugh alluded to Bateman’s foot surgery leading to pain in other areas. Nevertheless, the third-year receiver is back in action.
This is not new territory for Bateman, who underwent groin surgery that shelved him for part of the Ravens’ 2021 camp and the start of that season. Bateman has missed 16 games during his career thus far. After a promising start to his sophomore NFL campaign, Bateman saw the Lisfranc surgery shut him down after six games. He totaled 15 receptions for 285 yards to start last season.
The Ravens operated with intent at receiver this offseason, blowing away the competition with a $15MM guarantee for Beckham and selecting a wideout in Round 1 for the third time in five years. Flowers and OBJ have impressed at camp thus far. It will be interesting to see how Bateman looks alongside the imported duo. He will have just more than a month to return to game shape ahead of his third regular season.
WR Henry Ruggs Sentenced To 3-10 Years
Following a guilty plea, former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs received a prison sentence that will range from 3-10 years, Caroline Bleakley of 8 News Now reports.
Handed down Wednesday, this sentence comes nearly two years after Ruggs was arrested for his role in a car accident that killed a woman and her dog in Las Vegas. Ruggs, 24, entered his guilty plea May 10. Ruggs will serve his sentence in the Nevada state prison.
Accused of reaching speeds of 156 mph while impaired in the crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor, Ruggs faced a harsher prison sentence if convicted. The former first-round pick was hit with several charges — DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in bodily harm, two counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, and possessing a firearm while under the influence. An accepted plea deal reduced the charges to DUI resulting in death, along with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, Bleakley adds.
“I sincerely apologize for my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021,” a Ruggs statement read. “My actions are not a true reflection of me.”
Ruggs’ Corvette collided with Tintor’s Toyota RAV4, launching the woman’s vehicle 571 feet and setting it on fire. The accident occurred just west of The Strip. Ruggs and a female passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash. Ruggs refused a field sobriety test, but blood tests approximately two hours later revealed a blood-alcohol level of .161 — more than twice the legal limit.
Not given any credit for the time he has spent on house arrest since the accident, Ruggs must serve at least three years in prison. The Raiders selected the Alabama alum 12th overall in 2020, making the deep threat the first receiver chosen that year. The team waived Ruggs hours after the crash.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Pinnock, Cowboys
The Eagles both signed five-year starter Terrell Edmunds and used a third-round pick on Sydney Brown. Both safeties factor into the team’s plans, but they are not outflanking Reed Blankenship thus far through training camp. Blankenship has been a first-team mainstay, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, who adds Edmunds and Brown have rotated at the other safety spot. Indeed, The Athletic’s Zach Berman notes Blankenship — a 2022 UDFA out of Middle Tennessee State — has been the Eagles’ top safety in camp (subscription required).
This reminds of Marcus Epps‘ rise last year. Despite the Eagles re-signing Anthony Harris and adding Jaquiski Tartt in 2022, Epps earned a starting job — one that eventually led to a two-year, $12MM Raiders payday. The Eagles brought in C.J. Gardner-Johnson via trade just before last season. That transaction could signal none of Philly’s safeties should be too comfortable, but Blankenship — Gardner-Johnson’s injury sub last year who played 291 defensive snaps — looks like the best bet to start among the in-house group.
Here is the latest from the NFC East:
- Staying on the subject of safeties in this division, the Giants may be moving toward giving Jason Pinnock the starting job alongside Xavier McKinney. A Jets fifth-round pick in 2021, Pinnock started five games for the Giants last year, operating as McKinney’s injury fill-in. He has received consistent first-team work in camp, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes. Pinnock has distanced himself from Dane Belton and veteran Bobby McCain, having been Big Blue’s first-teamer since the fourth training camp practice. The Giants, who lost Julian Love in free agency, claimed Pinnock shortly after the Jets waived the converted cornerback on cutdown day last year. Two seasons remain on Pinnock’s rookie contract.
- Malik Hooker‘s 2023 Cowboys cap hit climbed from $4.32MM to $4.57MM as a result of his recent extension, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. The incentives in the three-year, $21MM contract include $500K bumps involving playing time and INT production. Five picks and the Cowboys making the playoffs would result in a $500K increase, Archer adds, noting the other incentive requires Hooker to play 85% of Dallas’ defensive snaps and the team to make the postseason (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys, who turned Micah Parsons from an off-ball linebacker to a fearsome edge rusher, are giving Leighton Vander Esch some reps on the edge, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News notes. While the sixth-year linebacker received sparse edge work in games last season, Gehlken adds this is the first time he has received extensive instruction in a defensive end role. Rostering Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler and Sam Williams, the Cowboys are much deeper on the edge than at linebacker. It would stand to reason LVE’s role will likely remain mostly as an off-ball defender.
- The Giants recently added longtime safety Mike Adams to their coaching staff, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweets. A 16-year veteran, Adams will replace Anthony Blevins as the Giants’ assistant defensive backs coach, the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard adds (on Twitter). Adams, 42, hung up his cleats after the 2019 season. Blevins left the Giants during the summer to accept an XFL HC position.
- While Devon Allen did not see any game action for the Eagles last season, Berman writes the two-time Olympian hurdler is in play to make the team as a backup this year. Allen, 28, has not played in a game since working as an Oregon slot receiver in 2016. Shifting to track full-time proved beneficial for Allen, who is one of the best 110-meter hurdlers in U.S. history. But he opted to give football another try last year. He suffered an injury at the U.S. Championships last month, exiting the 110 hurdles competition before the finals in order to preserve his body for his second Eagles camp. The Eagles activated Allen from the PUP list Tuesday.
- Given a reserve/futures deal along with Allen in February, Matt Leo landed on the Eagles’ reserve/retired list last month. The team hired the former practice squad defensive end a defensive and football operations assistant.
Cardinals’ Isaiah Simmons Requested Shift From LB Role
When the Cardinals did not exercise Isaiah Simmons‘ fifth-year option in May, the 2020 draftee was classified as a linebacker. That meant a $12.7MM option call for Arizona’s new regime. Passing on that guaranteed salary moved the hybrid defender into a contract year.
The Cardinals still have Simmons squarely in their plans, but they have not insisted on a position for the versatile player. Jonathan Gannon‘s staff gave the Clemson alum a choice on where to play. He has been operating as a DB for several weeks. This has come during an offseason in which fellow first-round ILB investment Zaven Collins has been given time as an edge defender.
“I told them I didn’t want to play linebacker,” Simmons said, via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban. “I felt more comfortable getting back to things I had done in the past. If they came here and said, ‘You’re going to be a Mike linebacker,’ I would’ve done it to the best of my ability. I think they understood that maybe the designed position I was supposed to be at, and I’m happy they let me come in and lock in on one position.”
Simmons has been working at safety during training camp, with Urban adding the former No. 8 overall pick has most often been stationed as a deep defender — rather than in the slot. Last season, Simmons roved around the formation but spent the most time in the slot (45% of his snaps). The fourth-year defender’s 4.39-second 40-yard dash speed has helped him hold his own in the secondary. This will still be a transition for Simmons, who has not played a deep safety role regularly since high school.
Pro Football Focus rated Simmons as a top-40 cornerback last season. This marked a step up from the unique talent’s 2021 assessment, when linebacker was his primary role. In addition to 409 slot snaps, Simmons also played 297 snaps in the box, 110 on the defensive line and saw a bit of work as a boundary corner and as a safety last season. With Budda Baker back in the fold and Jalen Thompson also signed long term, the Cardinals are preparing three-safety looks under Gannon and DC Nick Rallis. With both Simmons and Collins at new positions, the Cardinals have UFA additions Kyzir White and Krys Barnes as the early starters at inside linebacker.
This year’s free agency classes at safety and linebacker largely struggled to cash in, save for top-market players like Tremaine Edmunds and Jessie Bates. Steep value drop-offs took place as those respective markets sorted out. Simmons, 25, will have a chance to create a market for himself. Considering the Cardinals’ safety allocations — Baker at $14.1MM per year, Thompson at $12MM AAV — Simmons sticking at safety may lead him out of Arizona. Then again, Baker made a trade request this offseason and does not have any guaranteed money on his deal for 2024.
While the three-safety alignment gives the Cardinals options in the slot, they are looking for a second cornerback opposite Marco Wilson. Rallis said (via Urban) the team is “not close” to determining its No. 2 cornerback. The Cardinals let Byron Murphy walk in free agency; he followed Patrick Peterson‘s path by joining the Vikings. A former fourth-round pick who has made 26 starts in two seasons, Wilson is a lock to be one of Arizona’s starting corners.
Arizona re-signed Antonio Hamilton, who made five starts last season, and added Rashad Fenton in free agency. Fenton’s guarantee ($1.5MM) tops Hamilton’s ($76K). Sixth-round pick Kei’Trel Clark has received first-team reps during camp, per Urban. Third-rounder Garrett Williams remains on the Cards’ active/NFI list after suffering an ACL tear during his final season at Syracuse.
Panthers, Brian Burns Not Close On Deal
Extension-eligible since January 2022, Brian Burns is approaching the point of playing into a contract year. Two weeks into training camp, the two sides have some work to do.
The Panthers and Burns are not believed to be close on terms, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. This extension has been on the Panthers’ radar for a while, initially coming up in April 2022, and the Panthers have made an offer. But Burns remains tied to his rookie contract.
Carolina has changed head coaches and defensive coordinators, with Ejiro Evero calling the shots for Frank Reich‘s team on defense. Scott Fitterer was not in place as GM when the Panthers drafted Burns, but that has not stopped the team from planning this extension. This has brought a drawn-out process, however, and Fowler adds Burns does not sound like he is leery of beginning his fifth-year option season without an extension in place. Thanks to the Fitterer-Matt Rhule tandem picking up that option, Burns is tied to a $16MM guaranteed salary for 2023.
Trade talks also stand to embolden Burns, whose next contract will likely place him in the top five among edge rusher AAV. The Panthers turned down a two-first-rounder offer from the Rams for Burns before the 2022 trade deadline. If that were not enough, Burns’ camp can point to Fitterer and Co. refusing to deal him to the Bears in March’s exchange for the No. 1 pick — a swap that required the Panthers to send D.J. Moore to Chicago.
The top domino on the edge market has yet to fall, which also could be impacting Burns’ talks with the Panthers. The 49ers and Nick Bosa remain in negotiations, as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year stages a holdout. Bosa has long been on the radar to eclipse Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM-per-year salary, which leads the pack among defenders. Burns is not a candidate to compete with Bosa, but a new salary ceiling would stand to benefit the fellow 2019 first-rounder.
Burns, 25, has missed all of two games as a pro. He is coming off a career-high 12.5 sacks (to go with 22 QB hits), getting there despite the Panthers having let Haason Reddick walk in free agency. Carolina did not acquire a comparable Reddick successor last year, but the team did bring in Justin Houston — with a $6MM guarantee — over the weekend. Houston’s presence figures to help Burns, but with the former going into his age-34 season, no issue exists regarding who is the Panthers’ centerpiece pass rusher.
As of now, the $23.5MM-per-year mark represents the fifth spot in the edge defender salary pecking order. It should be expected Burns is aiming to pass the Bradley Chubb–Maxx Crosby point, with the salary cap on track to make another big jump in 2024. The next level would be the Joey Bosa–Myles Garrett tier. The Browns All-Pro is tied to $25MM per year, while the injury-prone Chargers ace is at $27MM AAV. That will be tougher territory to enter, but the Panthers’ recent trade talks and their cap sheet — one now featuring Bryce Young‘s rookie contract — all represent positive developments for the ascending sack artist.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/23
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Matthew Wright
- Waived: OL B.J. Wilson
- Waived/failed physical: DE Jalen Redmond
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Lachlan Pitts, LB Barrington Wade
- Waived: K Andre Szmyt
- Waived/injured: TE Jake Tonges
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: WR Jesse Matthews
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from active/PUP list: DE Tyquan Lewis
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: T Matt Kaskey
New England Patriots
- Placed on active/PUP list: DE Trey Flowers
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: TE J.P. Holtz
New York Jets
- Claimed (from Buccaneers): T Grant Hermanns
- Signed: DE Pita Taumoepenu
- Released: DT Isaiah Mack
- Waived/injured: T Yodny Cajuste
- Reverted to IR: QB Chris Streveler
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Johnny King
- Waived: T Chim Okorafor
- Activated from active/PUP list: WR Devon Allen
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: S Jalen Elliott
- Waived/injured: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Jeremy McNichols
- Waived: RB Ronald Awatt
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived/injured: CB Andrew Whitaker
Washington Commanders
- Signed: P Colby Wadman
- Placed on IR: DT Curtis Brooks
Flowers, who agreed to terms with the Patriots earlier today after a workout, suffered a foot injury in October of last season. That setback cut short a Dolphins run after four games. Flowers, who will turn 30 next week, last played for the Patriots in 2018.
McNichols joined Duke Johnson, Brian Hill and Jason Huntley at a recent 49ers workout. The 49ers are without Elijah Mitchell for what is expected to be a short stretch. A five-year veteran, McNichols most recently saw action for the Titans in 2021, helping the team as a pass-catching back (28 grabs for 240 yards) while Derrick Henry missed time with a foot fracture.
Allen suffered an injury while competing in the opening rounds of the 110-meter hurdles competition at the USA Track and Field Championships in July. The two-time Olympian owns the sixth-fastest hurdle time this year (13.04 seconds) but missed a key chunk of Eagles camp. This marks his second bid to make Philadelphia’s 53-man roster. Allen, 28, spent last season on the Eagles’ practice squad and stayed with the team via a reserve/futures contract in February.
The Panthers’ regular kicker, Eddy Pineiro, is battling a groin injury. Carolina gave Pineiro, their 2022 kicker, $2.25MM guaranteed earlier this offseason. The Jaguars’ primary kicker in 2021, Wright kicked in four Steelers games and two Chiefs contests last season.
A rookie UDFA, Whittaker suffered a torn patellar tendon in a recent Seahawks practice, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Matthews also sustained a season-ending injury — a torn ACL — during a Texans workout, Wilson adds (on Twitter).