Duke Johnson To Miss Time
The Texans will be without Duke Johnson for at least a little while. The running back is considered “week-to-week” with an ankle sprain suffered in Thursday night’s loss to the Chiefs, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Texans Tried To Sign Clowney]
Johnson is unlikely to suit up against the Ravens, but he could be good to go for Week 3 vs. the Steelers. The Texans will monitor his progress in the interim and likely lean even more on new starter David Johnson. The former Cardinals star seems like he’s up to the challenge after notching 109 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in the season opener. If things drag longer than expected, the Texans could call up former Seahawks notable C.J. Prosise from the taxi squad.
Johnson exited Thursday night’s contest after just five carries. In the long run, the expectation is that Johnson will serve as a pass-catching complement to Houston’s other D. Johnson. Duke Johnson managed 4.9 yards per carry in his first season with the Texans to go along with 44 catches for 410 yards. It was an admittedly small sample size, but the soon-to-be 27-year-old showed that he can be a real contributor in the backfield.
In other Texans news, we recently learned that Bill O’Brien explored a reunion with edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Ultimately, the Titans beat out the Texans, Jaguars, Ravens, Saints, and other interested clubs for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Zach Ertz: I’m Not Sure If Eagles Want Me Here
Sep. 13: Rapoport says that Ertz and GM Howie Roseman got into an animated and heated discussion after a practice this week (video link). That discussion took place in front of several players, leading Rapoport to speculate that Ertz’s future in Philadelphia may be even more in doubt.
In a subsequent tweet, however, RapSheet said that the exchange also included owner Jeffrey Lurie and ended on a professional note. So clearly there is some tension there, but the situation does not appear to be beyond repair.
Sep. 10: Eagles tight end Zach Ertz says he wants to stay in Philadelphia, but he doesn’t “know for sure if that feeling is mutual,” (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Talks recently broke off between the Eagles and Ertz, who characterized the process as “frustrating at times” and “difficult.”
Ertz is believed to be eyeing numbers similar to those achieved by George Kittle and Travis Kelce, who pushed the TE ceiling to $15MM per year. Meanwhile, the Eagles’ last offer to the 29-year-old was reportedly worth less over the next four years than Austin Hooper‘s four-year, $42MM Browns deal. Of course, it’s important to note the framing of those numbers – Ertz has two years to go on his current deal, so the mashup of old money and new money isn’t exactly fair.
Ertz is set to earn base salaries of $6.7MM and $8.3MM in 2020 and ’21, the final seasons of the five-year, $42.5MM pact he inked in 2016. Overall, that deal averages out to $8.5MM/year, which ranks seventh among TEs. With no guaranteed money to go, Ertz wants a raise, and additional security.
Last year, Ertz racked up 88 catches for 916 yards and six touchdowns – an especially solid stat line given the Birds’ up-and-down season. In 2018, he notched career highs in just about every category with 116 receptions (also an NFL record for TEs), 1,163 yards, and eight touchdowns. A Pro Bowler in each of his last three seasons, Ertz has 525 grabs, 5,743 receiving yards, and 35 touchdowns to his credit across seven pro seasons. Meanwhile, he’s led the team in catches and receiving yards in each of the last four seasons.
Texans Tried To Sign Jadeveon Clowney
Before he signed with the Titans, the Texans reached out to Jadeveon Clowney to gauge his interest in a reunion, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Ultimately, Clowney was not interested in returning to his longtime employer.
[RELATED: Texans Sign Watson To Four-Year Extension]
Clowney didn’t leave on the best of terms, but the Texans didn’t want to pass up the chance to improve their edge rush. They also didn’t want to leave an open lane for Clowney to join up with their divisional rivals. After being rebuffed, they’ll now face their former No. 1 overall pick twice per year. The Texans weren’t alone in that thinking, according to PFT’s Mike Florio. He hears that the Seahawks – Clowney’s last club – wanted to keep Clowney away from the Saints. Ditto for the Jaguars and Ravens, who wanted to block the Titans.
Chess game aside, the Texans’ interest in Clowney is an indication that they’d like to upgrade in the front seven. As it stands, Charles Omenihu is set to play opposite of J.J. Watt at defensive end. At outside linebacker, Whitney Mercilus and Brennan Scarlett are slated to start, with DE/OLB shuffling along the way.
In other Texans news, Deshaun Watson is now locked in through 2025 thanks to a four-year, $177MM+ extension. Patrick Mahomes still leads all QBs (and players) with an AAV of $45MM, but Watson’s $39MM AAV now ranks second among QBs to top the likes of Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, and Jared Goff.
Chargers’ Mike Pouncey To Miss Time?
Chargers center Mike Pouncey missed practice this week with a hip injury, and he’s likely to also miss the season opener against the Bengals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The severity of the injury isn’t immediately clear, but history suggests that this could be another long recovery for the four-time Pro Bowler. 
[RELATED: Chargers, Keenan Allen Agree On Extension]
Pouncey’s hip limited him to just five games in 2016 and clearly hindered him in 2017, his final year with the Dolphins. In 2018, his first year with the Chargers, he was back to his usual self. Starting in all 16 games, Pouncey was named to his first career Pro Bowl. Then, last year, a neck injury shut him down after just five games.
At one point, doctors advised Pouncey that he would eventually need hip replacement surgery. Hopefully, that day never comes. At minimum, Pouncey is hoping to stave off anything major until later in life. Last year, Pouncey re-upped with the Chargers on a one-year, $9MM extension. After 2020, he’ll be out of contract and eligible for free agency.
The Bolts are already without star safety Derwin James, so they’ll have to get by without some of their best talent on both sides of the ball. After passing on interior offensive lineman in this year’s draft, the Chargers may look to slide Dan Feeney from left guard to center.
Cowboys Add Voidable Year To DeMarcus Lawrence’s Deal
DeMarcus Lawrence has agreed to extend his deal with a voidable year for salary cap purposes, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. In essence, Lawrence’s deal remains the same. But, in terms of cap flexibility, it’ll make a huge difference for Dallas.
[RELATED: Cowboys Rework Zack Martin’s Deal]
By converting $15MM of the defensive end’s base salary into a signing bonus, the Cowboys will open up $12MM in cap space this year. Lawrence was happy to help – he’s now locked in a giant chunk of cash, protecting him in the event of any game cancelations in 2020.
The seventh-year defender gave some thought to opting out of the season, but ultimately decided to play. That was a big relief from the Cowboys, who are counting on lots of pressure from their star pass rusher. The sack production wasn’t there in 2019, the first year of his five-year, $105MM mega-deal, but he registered a combined 25 sacks between the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Now another year removed from shoulder surgery, the Cowboys have every reason to believe that Lawrence can resume his Pro Bowl form.
After restructuring Lawrence’s deal – as well as Zack Martin‘s contract – the Cowboys could be ready to spend. Despite word that the Cowboys have cooled on Earl Thomas, it’s worth noting that the star safety remains available.
Pay Raise For Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore
Today’s a good day for Stephon Gilmore. The Patriots have given the cornerback a $5MM pay raise for 2020, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
Gilmore, the reigning defensive player of the year, has two years to go his current deal. In 2020, he’s now slated to earn $15.5MM, with an additional $2MM bonus if he repeats as the NFL’s DPOY. For now, his 2021 remains unchanged – he’s scheduled to make $11.5MM in base pay, plus $8MM+ in bonuses.
Gilmore skipped a handful of practices over the summer, leading some to speculate about a potential holdout. Later, we learned that his absence was not contract-related. Gilmore presumably wants a new deal, but he’s not pressing the Patriots to make it happen with two years left on his current pact.
After spending the first five seasons of his career with the Bills, Gilmore joined the Patriots on a five-year, $65MM deal ($31MM guaranteed) prior to the 2017 season. The former first-rounder had an up-and-down campaign during his first season in New England, but he’s delivered some incredible performances ever since.
At the time of signing, Gilmore’s deal made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Since then, the market has shifted dramatically. Before the pay bump, Gilmore’s average annual salary ranked him No. 11 among CBs, far behind new positional leader Jalen Ramsey.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/11/20
Today’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S T.J. Green
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DL Joey Ivie, DT Tanzel Smart
- Cut: T Brady Aiello, RB Benny LeMay
Houston Texans
- Signed: QB Alex McGough
New England Patriots
- Cut: OL Corey Levin
Washington Football Team
- Signed K Brett Maher
Ravens Rework Brandon Williams’ Deal
The Ravens and defensive tackle Brandon Williams have agreed to a reworked deal that will give the team an additional $3MM in cap space (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). Previously, Williams was set to earn $19MM over the next two years with no guaranteed cash. Now, he’ll have $8.25MM locked in with a base value of $15.75MM. 
[RELATED: Titans Beat Out Ravens, Saints For Clowney]
Williams was once among the best defensive tackles in football, but his production has slipped in recent years. He’s also been asked to move around the line, but he’s expected to play more in the middle this year. That should help the veteran get back to his old form – Pro Football Focus has him ranked as the league’s No. 91 defensive lineman from 2017-2019 on snaps played elsewhere. But, at nose tackle, he rated No. 4. He’ll go head-to-head with centers, forging a path for new teammates like Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe.
That revamped D-Line could have featured Jadeveon Clowney, but the Ravens lost out to the Titans earlier this month. According to some reports, the Ravens weren’t quite as bullish on the former No. 1 overall pick.
Eagles Rework Lane Johnson’s Deal
Jason Peters has a new deal, thanks in part to teammate Lane Johnson. The Eagles’ right tackle agreed to turn a large portion of his base salary into signing bonus pay, giving the Birds upwards of $5MM in cap room and the space to give Peters his pay bump (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
[RELATED: Peters Gets A Pay Raise]
Johnson is in the midst of the four-year, $72MM extension he signed back in November of 2019. That deal gave Johnson a staggering $54.595MM in guaranteed cash and an average salary of $18MM/year. It was a sizable step up from his last contract, which paid less than $11MM per annum.
Minor accounting aside, the deal remains unchanged. The veteran is still signed through 2025, cementing him as a pillar of the Eagles’ O-Line for years to come. This year, with guard Brandon Brooks and tackle Andre Dillard sidelined, he’ll be more critical than ever.
The eighth-year pro is coming off of his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod, a rare feat for often under-looked right tackles.
No Talks For Cardinals, Patrick Peterson
Patrick Peterson is entering his walk year, but the summer didn’t yield any meaningful extension talks with the Cardinals (via the team website). The cornerback hasn’t been shy about speaking out against the club in the past, but he says he won’t let the situation cloud his season.
[RELATED: Cardinals, DeAndre Hopkins Agree To Record-Breaking Deal]
“I’m at peace (with the contract),” Peterson said. “There’s nothing I can do about it. I’m under contract until the end of the season. All I can do right now is play ball. The ball is in my court. All I have to do is go out and play P2 football, playing all-around solid football, taking No. 1s out of the game, not giving up any touchdowns, just getting back to that form.”
It’s been a minute since we’ve seen “P2 football” in action. The 30-year-old tallied 53 total tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defensed in his shortened ten-game campaign. That marked the first campaign of his career without perfect attendance. After months of drama and trade demands, he was hit with a six-game ban for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. At that point, he changed course, telling the world that he wanted to spend the rest of his career in Arizona.
On the whole, however, Peterson has been pretty stellar. Over the last nine years, he’s registered 25 interceptions while eclipsing some of the league’s most dangerous wide receivers.