Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey Tests Positive For COVID-19
Ravens star cornerback Marlon Humphrey has tested positive for COVID-19. Humphrey played all 53 defensive snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers, so the league will be closely monitoring test results from both teams in the coming days.
“I got the Rona hopefully I’ll be back healthy soon,” Humphrey tweeted.
Humphrey, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 draft, inked a five-year, $98.75MM extension with the Ravens earlier this month. He’s one of the best young corners in the NFL, and the Ravens will have to get by without him for at least a little while.
Humphrey only just turned 24 over the summer. Last year, he started nearly every game for the Ravens last year en route to his first career Pro Bowl selection and first ever First-Team All-Pro nod. Along the way, he notched three interceptions, recovered three fumbles, returned two of them for touchdowns. In the interest of equal time: the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 37th best cornerback in the NFL; solid standing, though most evaluators and fans would probably rank him higher.
Through seven games this year, Humphrey has 40 total stops, one interception, five passes defensed, and a league-leading four forced fumbles. Barring a “false positive,” he’ll be out for this Sunday’s game against the Colts, at minimum.
Dolphins Set High Asking Price For Xavien Howard
The Dolphins have received at least one trade inquiry on cornerback Xavien Howard, but it would take a “Laremy Tunsil type” offer to get a deal done, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. This jibes with previous reports we’ve heard — the Dolphins may be willing to listen, but they want a serious haul for the fifth-year star.
The Tunsil deal saw the standout left tackle and wide receiver Kenny Stills shipped to the Texans last year in exchange for two first-round draft picks, a second-round choice, and more. While Howard holds significant value, Tunsil was a special case. There’s a dearth of quality talent at the left tackle position, and teams were willing to pay a fortune for Tunsil.
The Dolphins extended Howard in April of last year, giving him a $15MM/year deal that runs through 2024. There’s no guaranteed money after this year, so the Dolphins could theoretically trade him today and absorb a modest $4.1MM cap hit. The 27-year-old is due base salaries of $12.1MM and $12.4MM in 2021 and ’22 before a slight drop to $12MM in ’23 and ’24.
Howard, who missed 11 games last season, led the NFL with seven interceptions in 2018 and already has 16 picks in his four-plus-season career. In that span, only Titans safety Kevin Byard has more INTs. So far this year, he’s tied for the NFL lead with four INTs (with Kendall Fuller of WFT and J.C. Jackson of the Patriots).
Chargers Shopping Desmond King
The Chargers are shopping former All-Pro defensive back and punt returner Desmond King, according to sources who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Multiple teams have inquired on King, setting the stage for a possible trade between now and the Tuesday afternoon deadline.
King, 26 in December, was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game against the Broncos, fueling speculation that he could be on the move. The former fifth-round pick earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2018 after notching 62 stops, three interceptions (including one pick-six), and ten passes defensed. This year, he hasn’t made the same kind of impact for the Chargers’ secondary, despite the opportunity created by injuries to Derwin James and others.
King would represent an intriguing and affordable pickup for contenders. Some have speculated that the Cardinals could make a move for him, giving them another key piece in the secondary for this year and a quality cornerback beyond 2020. Arizona may part ways with Patrick Peterson after this season, so King would give them a quality safety net who could also contribute on special teams.
After Sunday’s 31-30 loss to the Broncos, the Chargers find themselves in the AFC West cellar at 2-5.
Washington Open To Trading Dwayne Haskins
The Washington Football Team is willing to listen on offers for Dwayne Haskins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). Of course, that doesn’t come as a huge surprise following Haskins’ benching. 
Haskins, the No. 15 overall pick of the 2019 draft, was demoted from franchise quarterback to the team’s QB3, behind Kyle Allen and Alex Smith. The relationship between Haskins and head coach Ron Rivera has reportedly turned toxic and a fresh start would probably please both sides.
“What they’ll tell you in that building is that [Haskins] is a project who was drafted by the owner and his son,” according to a person familiar with the team’s thinking. “That’s the bottom line there. Allen is their guy. They think he fits their system. They didn’t really want anything to do with Haskins from the beginning.”
Haskins completed just 61% of his passes with four touchdowns against three INTs before he was benched. He had a similarly trying rookie year, with a 58.6% completion rate, seven TDs, and seven INTs across nine games (seven starts).
In Haskins’ defense, Washington’s O-Line didn’t do him any favors in 2020. He also has an affordable contract — he’s owed just $5MM for the remainder of his rookie deal. According to one report, Haskins could be had for anything above a sixth-round pick. If the asking price is really that low, Washington should be able to find a taker for the QB between now and the deadline.
Jaguars’ Gardner Minshew To Miss Time?
Nov. 1: Minshew is expected to be inactive for next week’s game against Houston, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Glennon and sixth-round rookie Jake Luton will battle for the starting job in practice, and while Glennon obviously offers far more experience than Luton, coaches have been impressed with the young Oregon State signal-caller. With Jacksonville sitting at 1-6, it would not be surprising to see Luton get the nod.
Oct. 29: Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew has been diagnosed with multiple fractures in his right thumb, plus a strained ligament (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). With that, his availability is in question for the Jags’ next game against the Texans after the bye week. 
Minshew has been in pain since Oct. 11, when he suffered the injury in the team’s last meeting with the Texans. Jaguars staffers only just found out about Minshew’s injury this week, which means they may prompt them to start backup Mike Glennon in Week 9.
The injury would help to explain his recent performance. Against the Chargers, Minshew completed just over half of his passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He was also sacked multiple times early on, which didn’t help matters either.
Last year, Minshew went 6-6 as the Jaguars’ starter while setting franchise records in yards (3,271) and touchdowns (21) for rookie QBs. This year, he’s gone 1-6 with 1,855 yards and 13 touchdowns against five interceptions.
In other Jaguars injury news, return specialist Dede Westbrook has been ruled out for the rest of the year with a torn ACL. Fortunately, Minshew’s injury is far less severe.
Bengals Promote G Quinton Spain
The Bengals signed free agent guard Quinton Spain to the practice squad on Friday and are promoting him to their active roster. 
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The signing was anticipated, and Spain is in line to make his Bengals debut. He will beat fellow offensive line newcomer B.J. Finney to that punch, with the latter still in the COVID-19 protocol after changing cities.
Spain started every game for the Bills last season, helping their run game transform from one of the NFL’s worst in 2018 to a top-10 attack. The Bills re-signed him to a three-year, $15MM deal in the offseason, only to cut him in October after he was leapfrogged by other guards. All in all, Spain has started 66 career games, working as a first-stringer for the Titans and Bills since 2015.
The Bengals could be making some more moves between now and Tuesday’s deadline, but they reportedly aren’t planning on trading Geno Atkins. Of course, that possibility can’t be ruled out after they traded all-time sack leader Carlos Dunlap.
To make room on the reserve unit, the Bengals cut defensive end Kendall Futrell. However, with Spain being elevated, the young defensive end may have a path back to Cincinnati’s taxi squad.
Texans Trade Eli Ankou To Cowboys
The Texans have traded defensive tackle Eli Ankou to the Cowboys, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The deal will be finalized on Monday, pending the results of Ankou’s COVID-19 test. In exchange, the Texans will receive a seventh-round pick.
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Ankou will help Dallas fill the gap following the release of defensive tackle Dontari Poe. This marks the 26-year-old’s third stop of the season — he started out with the Colts before being claimed by the Texans earlier this month. He did not suit up for Houston this season, but he does have 20 career appearances to his credit with the Colts, Browns, and Jaguars.
Ankou, a former undrafted free agent out of UCLA, will be watching from a distance as the Cowboys face the Eagles on Sunday night. Instead, he’ll have his first chance to debut the following week against the Steelers. The Cowboys still have time for additional moves before the Tuesday deadline, but they’re not expected to make a huge splash. Meanwhile, other would-be contenders like the Vikings may be gearing up for a weekend fire sale.
Ravens Sign Ronnie Stanley To $99MM Extension
The Ravens have signed Ronnie Stanley to a five-year, $98.75MM extension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The pact includes a whopping $70.9MM in total guarantees and takes the star left tackle through the 2025 season. 
[RELATED: Ravens, Marlon Humphrey Agree To $98MM+ Deal]
Stanley fell short of Laremy Tunsil‘s $22MM-per-year watermark, but not by much. The deal still represents a major investment for the Ravens, who have secured one of the league’s best tackles for years to come. Baltimore did have the option of the franchise tag, but it would have saddled them with a massive cap hit for 2021. All in all, Stanley is set to earn $112.86MM between now and the end of the commitment.
“Ronnie is the mainstay on our offensive line,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. “He’s a shutdown left tackle who excels on the field and in our community. This is just the beginning for Ronnie, and we could not be happier for him and his family.”
DeCosta has been working hard to secure Baltimore’s stars for the long haul. Earlier this month, he inked Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey to a strikingly similar deal — $98.75MM over five years.
Stanley is undeniably happy about the deal, though Tunsil’s remains the gold standard for tackles by a mile. Tunsil doesn’t just have the higher AAV — he has the ability to cash in all over again during his prime. Stanley arguably sacrificed some upside with his Baltimore re-up, but he has security, and more money than he could spend in ten lifetimes.
Trevor Lawrence Tests Positive For COVID-19
Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence has tested positive for COVID-19, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). Lawrence, who projects as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, will be out of action for Saturday’s game at Boston College. His availability beyond this week will hinge on his condition and forthcoming tests.
[RELATED: Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle Done For Year]
A two-time starter in national championship games, Lawrence took the reins for the Tigers midway through his freshman season in 2018. The former five-star recruit has been on the No. 1 overall pick radar ever since. Between ’18 and ’19, the 6-foot-6 passer threw an eye-popping 66 touchdown against just 12 interceptions. As a sophomore, Lawrence became a key rushing presence for the ACC power, gaining 563 yards on the ground and scoring nine TDs.
Recently, the QB surprised many by saying that he might consider returning for another season.
“My mindset has been that I’m going to move on, but who knows? There’s a lot of things that could happen,” Lawrence said Tuesday during his media session. “… We’ll just have to see how things unfold. There’s a lot of factors in that. But honestly, just really playing this year. Putting everything I have into it. Not really focusing on next year whether I leave or stay. Obviously, I have the option to do either one.”
Meanwhile, head coach Dabo Swinney expects to lose his star player to the pros.
“I mean, we’ll certainly let him stay if that’s what he wants to do. I’d be surprised if he’s back with the Tigers next year, but who knows?,” Swinney said earlier today, before the news of the positive test (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN).
Patriots’ Julian Edelman Has Knee Injury
The Patriots will be without Julian Edelman for at least a little while. After undergoing a procedure for his nagging knee injury, the wide receiver will be out for Sunday’s crucial game against the Bills, at minimum (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
Last year, Edelman tallied 100 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. Even in his age-34 season, he remains a key player in the Patriots’ offense. Through six games, Edelman has 21 catches for 315 yards — less than his usual pace, though his 15.0 yards per grab represents a career watermark. Edelman opened the year with a solid showing against the Dolphins, followed by an eight-catch, 179-yard performance against the Seahawks. Since then, he’s been limited, but the hope is that the minor surgery will help him get back to his old form.
The timing is less-than-ideal for the Patriots, who have dropped three straight games and fallen to 2-4 on the year. After their 33-6 defeat at the hands of the Niners, they badly need a W against the division-leading Bills.
The Patriots have Edelman under contract through 2021 thanks to the two-year, $15.5MM add-on he signed last year. This year, he counts for roughly $9.7MM against the cap. In ’21, the Pats have him on a more affordable $6.7MM cap figure.