Bills Sign Stephen Hauschka To Extension
Stephen Hauschka isn’t going anywhere. On Wednesday, the Bills announced a brand new two-year extension for their kicker. 
Prior to the deal, Hauschka was due to hit free agency after earning $2.25MM in salary and bonuses in 2019. Now, he’s under club control through 2021 and has clear assurance that he’ll beat out Chase McLaughlin for the Bills’ kicking job.
Hauschka spent the bulk of his career with the Seahawks and had stops with the Ravens and Broncos before landing with the Bills in 2017. Since then, he’s nailed 83.6% of his field goals, though last year (78.6%) was a bit rocky.
For his career, Hauschka has converted on 86.4% of his FG tries, including a pair of 93%+ showings in Seattle. His 2018 percentage was a career low, but his new deal may give him the confidence to turn things around.
Colts Meet With Brock Osweiler
The Colts are on the lookout for quarterback help following Andrew Luck’s retirement. On that front, they met with free agent Brock Osweiler on Tuesday, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Osweiler, 29 in November, first made a name for himself as he filled in for Peyton Manning during the 2015 season. The QB went 5-2 in his starts that year and parlayed that showing into a four-year, $72MM deal with the Texans in 2016. After an interception-laden Year One, he was pawned off on the Browns, who then released him before the start of the 2017 season. That led him back to Denver for a year, then over to the Dolphins in 2018. Over the last two years, Osweiler owns a 2-7 record with nearly as many interceptions (nine) as touchdowns (eleven).
Osweiler’s resume is less than sterling, but the Colts view him as a potential candidate to hold the clipboard for new starter Jacoby Brissett.
49ers’ Jerick McKinnon Suffers Setback
You’ve got to feel for Jerick McKinnon. The 49ers running back suffered a setback in practice this week and GM John Lynch says it’s “not encouraging,” (Twitter link via Brian Murphy of KNBR). Details are sparse at the moment, but it sounds like McKinnon’s status is very much in doubt for 2019. 
The 49ers inked McKinnon to a four-year $30MM contract in 2018, but a torn ACL wiped out his first would-be season in SF. It was a huge disappointment for the team and player alike – McKinnon flashed serious potential in Minnesota and many expected him to bust out big plays in the 49ers’ offense.
In 2017, his final year with the Vikes, McKinnon enjoyed career highs in receptions (51) and receiving yards (421). With capable hands and the athleticism to break out of early tackles, McKinnon offered the ability to go for long-distance runs and serve as a security blanket for Jimmy Garoppolo. Both players were knocked out by injuries in 2018, and it sounds like McKinnon’s sideline stint will extend into at least part of 2019.
Colts Trade Nate Hairston To Jets
The Colts have agreed to trade cornerback Nate Hairston to the Jets, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In exchange, the Jets will send a 2020 sixth-round pick to Indianapolis. 
The Jets had two sixth-round picks thanks to the Darron Lee trade, but the Colts will receive the lower of the two in the swap, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
The Jets’ need for cornerback help has been well-documented and they’ve addressed that need somewhat by acquiring Harrison. He’s not a star player, but he does have eleven starts to his credit over the past two years. He’s also under contract through 2020, giving Gang Green an opportunity to keep him in the fold beyond this season.
Harrison, by all accounts, had a solid camp, but the Colts’ logjam at cornerback allowed them to deal from a surplus. They’ll pick up a late-round draft choice for the 25-year-old and the Jets will plug him into their depth chart as a versatile cornerback/safety option.
Alabama LB Dylan Moses Suffers ACL Tear
Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses, who was widely projected as a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has suffered a torn ACL, according to Matt Zenitz of AL.com (on Twitter). Needless to say, Moses will miss the entire 2019 season for the Crimson Tide and his draft stock could suffer greatly as a result. 
Moses was widely regarded as the best linebacker eligible for the 2020 class by many draft experts, including Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller (on Twitter). Miller still believes that Moses can be a first-round pick, if he is able to rehab quickly. Then again, we’ve seen athletic ‘backers like Moses tumble before. Myles Jack, for instance, was on track to be an early pick in 2016 before his injury caused him to fall to the Jaguars at No. 36 overall.
Moses was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and one of the highest-ranked players in the nation. Last year, he appeared in all 15 games for Alabama and registered 86 tackles, ten tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.
Latest On Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney
Texans pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney wants out, and now we know why. The star defender planned to report this week, until he found out the team wanted to trade him, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.
[RELATED: Dolphins Consider Themselves Favorites For Jadeveon Clowney]
Originally, Clowney was slated to report after Week 3 of the preseason. Now, no one knows when – or if – Clowney will show up.
Trade rumors have swirled around Clowney for some time now, but, this summer, it sounds like he was operating under the assumption that he would stay put. The Texans’ recent front office shakeup undoubtedly played a role in Clowney’s situation – former GM Brian Gaine was in favor of giving Clowney a new deal, but head coach Bill O’Brien was reportedly against it. Clowney has been extension-eligible since January 2017 but, so far, the Texans have been unwilling to commit.
Clowney recently met with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and the Fins view themselves as the favorites to land the former No. 1 overall pick. Meanwhile, Clowney is reportedly eyeing the Seahawks and Eagles.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/19
It was a busy day in the NFL as teams made early cuts in advance of the 53-man deadline. We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived/Injured: T Dieugot Joseph
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Jacob Ohnesorge
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S Anthony Fish Smithson
Detroit Lions
- Released: QB David Fales
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on IR: FB John Lovett
New England Patriots
- Waived/Injured: WR Maurice Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Hayes Pullard, S Jason Thompson
- Waived: LB Asantay Brown, S Tre Sullivan
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Claimed: CB Jhavonte Dean
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Chris Campbell, RB Brandon Wilds, WR Nick Williams
- Waived: OL Willie Beavers, OL Dillon Day
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Nyqwan Murray, WR Kahlil Lewis
- Waived: WR Amara Darboh
- Placed on IR: DL Nazair Jones, CB Kalan Reed
Lions Release RB Zach Zenner
The Lions have released veteran running back Zach Zenner, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). By releasing Zenner, the Lions will save the bulk of his scheduled one-year, $805K salary, though they’ll be in the hole for the $250K guarantee on his deal. 
Zenner enjoyed the best season of his career in 2016 when he ran for 334 yards and four touchdowns off of 88 carries. He also added 18 catches for 196 yards. All of those numbers stand as career highs for the former UDFA out of South Dakota State.
Last year, Zenner played a much smaller role with 55 carries for 265 yards and three touchdowns. However, his yards per carry average of 4.8 yards per tote was strong and represents a career high (albeit, one with a limited sample size).
The Lions will use Kerryon Johnson as their main running back with C.J. Anderson and Ty Johnson in support. Running backs Mark Thompson and Justin Stockton are also on the roster, for now.
Before he re-upped with Detroit earlier this year, the Vikings expressed interest in the Eagan, Minn., native, so that’s one potential landing spot to watch.
Eagles’ DeSean Jackson To Miss Time?
Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson fractured his ring finger and has been told that he will need 3-4 weeks to recover, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. The Eagles’ season begins in less than two weeks, so DJax could potentially miss time.
However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that the team is not concerned about the injury, which is to Jackson’s left (non-dominant) ring finger, and that Jackson is not expected to miss any game action (Twitter link). Tim McManus of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Jackson will see a hand specialist Wednesday as a precaution, but the Eagles are confident in his Week 1 availability.
Nothing is settled yet on Jackson’s status and it’s conceivable that he could try to play before he is fully healed. Tomorrow, Jackson will try out a custom-made splint, which could give him some indication as to whether he can play through the injury.
The Eagles acquired Jackson via trade with the Buccaneers in March and promptly gave him a new three-year, $27MM deal with $13MM guaranteed. They say that speed fades with time, but Jackson remains one of the league’s most potent deep threats.
After being selected in the second round of the 2008 draft, Jackson played his first six NFL seasons with the Eagles. He earned three Pro Bowls during his tenure in Philly, including a 2013 campaign where he finished with nine touchdowns and a career-high 1,332 receiving yards.
Dolphins Won’t Give Up Laremy Tunsil In Jadeveon Clowney Trade
The Dolphins are interested in Jadeveon Clowney, but they’ll only go so far to get him. The Dolphins are unwilling to part with offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in any potential trade with the Texans, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) hears. 
[RELATED: Jadeveon Clowney Wants To Join Eagles Or Seahawks]
That could be a potential roadblock for the Dolphins in their pursuit of Clowney, since the Texans are in need of offensive tackle help. But, as Wilson notes, the Texans could also use assistance at running back after losing Lamar Miller to a season-ending injury. If the Dolphins are willing to discuss tailbacks like Kalen Ballage, that could give them ammo in a Clowney deal.
Clowney, still only 26, has 29 career sacks despite playing in just 60 of 80 possible career games. Most of those missed games came in his rookie season and he has missed just three games in the last three years.