Giants Sign Alfred Morris
It’s official. On Monday morning, the Giants formally welcomed Alfred Morris back to the team. It’s likely a low-cost, one-year deal for the veteran running back.
Morris is now one contract shy of completing the NFC East cycle — perhaps he can hook on with the Eagles next year. For now, he’ll provide the Giants with some much-needed insurance as they monitor Saquon Barkley‘s availability. Barkley’s still working his way back from a torn ACL, leaving the Giants with Morris, Devontae Booker, Elijhaa Penny, Gary Brightwell, Corey Clement, Sandro Platzgummer, and Mike Weber as their active RBs.
In 2020, Morris totaled 238 yards on 55 carries for the Giants. His most notable game came against Washington in November — 67 yards off of nine-totes.
All in all, Morris has 6,000+ yards to his credit over nine seasons with the Giants, Cowboys, Washington, 49ers, and Cardinals.
Bills Mulling Move To Austin?
The Bills are currently pushing New York officials to approve a $1.5 billion plan to build a brand new stadium and renovate the Buffalo Sabres’ arena. At the same time, they’re looking to ramp up the pressure. One owner of the Bills tells Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Austin, Texas is a possible destination if things don’t work out. Beyond Austin, the Bills could ponder “other cities elsewhere that desire an NFL franchise and would pay handsomely for it.”
Of course, this is standard operating procedure for professional sports teams seeking taxpayer dollars. Even the Yankees threatened to move to New Jersey before the new Yankee Stadium was built in the Bronx. However, Austin would hold lots of appeal for an NFL franchise. For starters, the lack of state tax in Texas would enable the Bills to keep more of their money. That would also be a huge selling point for free agents, who could save seven figures per year.
The Bills aren’t the first team to threaten a Texas move. Before the Raiders got their shiny new stadium in Las Vegas, they told Oakland that they were considering San Antonio. But, if the Bills actually want to move to Austin, they’ll have to duke it out with the Cowboys and Texans. Those clubs may have the right to veto — getting them to waive it would probably require sizable checks to both teams.
The Bills’ most recent proposal asks New York State and Erie County to pay the entire $1.5 billion cost.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Rojesterman Farris
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-signed: K Dominik Eberle
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: QB K.J. Costello
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TEs Cethan Carter, Mike Gesicki, Adam Shaheen
Washington Football Team
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Daron Payne
Latest On Colts’ Carson Wentz
Carson Wentz will try and avoid surgery on his injured foot (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If all goes well after rest and rehab, the Colts quarterback could be available for the season opener. But, if his condition does not improve, Wentz will be forced to go under the knife and miss the start of the 2021 season. 
Wentz is looking to reboot his career under old pal Frank Reich. But, before he can mount his return, he’ll need to get the green light from team doctors and independent specialists. For now, he’s been kept off of the practice field.
The Colts intend to use Wentz as their Week 1 starter. But, if he can’t go, they’ll have to rely on the likes of second-year QB Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger. Longtime stopgap Jacoby Brissett is no longer in the fold, so the Colts are short on options.
“He’s with the docs, trying to figure what out the process is,” offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said last week. “[We’re] still evaluating what the next move is, how bad it is. Then we’ll go from there.”
Wentz was once considered one of the league’s best young quarterbacks. However, it’s been a while since his Pro Bowl nod in 2017. His final year with the Eagles was a mess and resulted in Jalen Hurts ascending to the starting job. Hurts was first-string for four of his 15 games, completing 52% of his passes for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also added another 354 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries, prompting the Eagles to trade him to the Colts for a package of draft picks.
The Eagles received a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round for the QB. That conditional choice could turn into a first-round selection if Wentz plays 75% of the snaps or 70% with a playoff appearance.
Raiders’ Theo Riddick Retires From NFL
Theo Riddick is calling it a career. On Friday, the Raiders placed the tailback on the reserved/retired list, marking the end of his NFL run. 
Riddick, 30, played a small role in six Raiders games last season. The former Lions outlet option totaled 57 yards on eleven touches. That came after a year Riddick spent on the Broncos’ IR list.
Riddick made a lot of noise with Detroit from 2013-18, mostly as a pass-catching specialist and check down artist for Matthew Stafford. Before his retirement, he was set to slot somewhere behind Kenyan Drake and Josh Jacobs on the Raiders’ depth chart.
Riddick’s best season came in 2015, when he had 697 yards through the air to the delight of Lions fans and fantasy football owners. However, he hasn’t made much of a statistical impact since leaving the Motor City. We here at PFR wish him the best in retirement.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/30/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Marcus Baugh
- Waived: TE Dax Raymond
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: C Spencer Pulley, C Patrick Morris
- Waived: OT Elijah Nkansah
Colts’ Carson Wentz To Miss Time
Colts quarterback Carson Wentz has suffered a foot injury that will sideline him for an undetermined period of time (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo). Garafolo doesn’t sense that the Colts are panicking about it, but it’s definitely a situation to watch as the season draws near. 
“He’s with the docs, trying to figure what out the process is,” offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said on Friday (via ESPN.com). “Still evaluating what the next move is, how bad it is. Then we’ll go from there.”
It’s a frustrating setback for Wentz, who is looking to reboot his career under old pal Frank Reich. He is/was slated to be the Week 1 starter for the Colts and they no longer have Jacoby Brissett as a Plan B. Beyond Wentz, the Colts have second-year QB Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger — needless to say, they don’t offer the same level of experience or upside.
Wentz will hope for a speedy recovery as he looks to regain his 2017 Pro Bowl form. He was a far cry from that in his final year with the Eagles, before ceding the job to Jalen Hurts. Hurts went on to start in four of his 15 appearances, completing 52% of his passes for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also added another 354 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries, showcasing better mobility than the former No. 2 overall pick.
Jets’ Jarrad Davis Considered Retirement
Jarrad Davis joined the Jets earlier this year on a one-year, $5.5MM deal. But, according to the outside linebacker, that almost didn’t happen. 
“I contemplated walking away,” Davis said (via Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press). “I really did, man. But at the end of the day, like, I wouldn’t have felt right doing something else, you know?”
Davis was the No. 21 overall pick in 2017 but didn’t quite live up to his draft status. Then he saw his role — and confidence — reduced under then-Lions head coach Matt Patricia. After starting at least eleven games in each of his first three pro seasons, Patricia started him just four times in 2020. Davis played on less than 30% of the defensive snaps and pondered life without football.
“The battle’s up here,” Davis said, pointing to his head. “And I was losing that battle every single day.”
Now he says he feels rejuvenated under new Jets coach Robert Saleh and his 4-3 defense. Davis fits in well as a 4-3 OLB, giving him a chance to show what made him such a highly-valued prospect just a few short years ago.
To date, he has 45 games to his credit across four years in Detroit. His most productive year came in 2018 when he started all 16 games and finished with 100 tackles, six sacks, and five passes defended.
Browns Hire Bob Quinn
The Browns have hired former Lions GM Bob Quinn as a Senior Consultant (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Quinn will act as a “sounding board” for GM Andrew Berry as he returns to football for the first time since November of last year. 
Quinn, a longtime scout/exec for the Patriots, was hired as the Lions’ GM in January of 2016. After inheriting Jim Caldwell, he made his first official head-coaching hire in Matt Patricia.
The Lions fired Quinn and Patricia shortly after their blowout Thanksgiving loss. It was a trying year for the Lions — they missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season and had just dropped back-to-back games against the Panthers and Texans in embarrassing fashion. And, in the (almost) three years leading up to Quinn’s firing, they posted a 13-29-1 record.
Despite all of that, some believed that Quinn would still garner serious consideration in the early 2021 GM cycle. That didn’t happen, so he’ll spend the year with the Browns’ FO.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Kelvin Beachum, G Deion Calhoun, WR Rico Gafford, C Rodney Hudson, WR Andy Isabella, WR KeeSean Johnson, G Justin Pugh
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Jordan Veasy
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Holton Hill, DT Joey Ivie
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Jalen Richard, RB Theo Riddick
- Signed: RB B.J. Emmons, RB Darius Jackson
- Placed on NFI list: RB Kenyan Drake
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on NFI list: K Wil Lutz, CB P.J. Williams
New York Giants
- Released from IR with injury settlement: RB Taquan Mizzell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Obi Melifonwu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OT Chidi Okeke
- Waived: OT Calvin Ashley
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Bud Dupree; Dupree remains on Tennessee’s active/PUP list as well
Washington Football Team
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Matt Ioannidis, CB Chris Miller, WR Curtis Samuel
- Signed: TE Nick Guggemos, LB Justus Reed