Panthers Place Da’Norris Searcy On IR
The Panthers have placed safety Da’Norris Searcy on IR, according to a team announcement. Searcy recently suffered his second concussion inside of a month, necessitating the move. 
Searcy, 29, suffered the first concussion in the Panthers’ second preseason game. In theory, he can return after eight weeks on IR, but no timetable has been given for the veteran.
Without Searcy, the Panthers will likely push rookie Rashaan Gaulden or Colin Jones into the starting lineup. Neither player is an ideal fill-in, so the Panthers may want to explore a free agent safety market that still includes the likes of former 49er Eric Reid.
Searcy joined the Panthers on a two-year, $5.7MM deal this offseason with the ability to make up to $3.1MM in 2017. A former fourth-round pick, Searcy managed 12 tackles and one interception last year while grading as the NFL’s No. 61 safety among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Vikings’ Dalvin Cook To Miss Time
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has been officially ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Bills, the team announced on Friday. The same goes for defensive end Everson Griffen, who is dealing with a knee injury. 
Cook injured his hamstring last week in last week’s tie against the Packers. The injury may cost Cook time beyond this weekend’s game, as coach Mike Zimmer says that his availability is up in the air for the team’s short turnaround against the Rams on Thursday.
This was expected to be a bounce back season for Cook, but he has yet to find his footing in 2018. Cook averaged just 2.5 yards per carry in the Vikings’ season opener against the 49ers and he had just 38 yards rushing in last week’s contest against Green Bay.
The good news for the Vikings is that they can rely on Latavius Murray, one of the more talented RB2s in the NFL, to fill the void for however long Cook is out. They also have Michael Boone, and Roc Thomas on the roster, plus fullback C.J. Ham, so they might not have to go out-of-house for depth.
Patriots Notes: Gordon, Jones, Mitchell
No surprise here, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn’t offer much insight on the newly-acquired Josh Gordon when speaking with reporters on Friday. When asked about the wide receiver and newly re-signed defensive back Cyrus Jones, Belichick said the two have “done as much as they can do in the few days they’ve been here, we’ll see how it goes,” (via Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston).
Belichick went on to say that Gordon is a “smart kid” who has “picked up a lot,” so that could bode well as the former Browns standout tries to learn the Patriots’ playbook in short order.
Here’s more on the Pats:
- Speaking of Jones, his new two-year deal gives him the same base salaries he was set to make on his previous Patriots contract before they cut him, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. That means the defensive back will earn $814K this year ($718K prorated) and $996K next year. The Patriots probably did that in order to convince Jones to forego restricted free agency next year. If the 2016 second-round pick plays up to his potential, it will be a worthwhile investment for New England.
- Former Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell filed an injury grievance against the team seeking his entire 2018 salary of $630K, Volin writes. Mitchell had six catches for 70 yards in the Patriots’ Super Bowl victory over the Falcons, but missed the entire 2017 season with a knee injury. He was cut in August without an injury designation, meaning that he was unable to recoup any of his salary. Mitchell will be examined by a neutral doctor selected jointly by the NFL and NFLPA and a neutral arbitrator will decide the case, as per the rules laid out in the collective bargaining agreement.
- The 49ers had interest in Gordon before he was traded to the Patriots, but they backed out towards the end.
PFR Glossary: Waivers
Here at Pro Football Rumors, you’ll see a number of stories posted on players being cut, waived, or released by their NFL teams. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they’re not quite synonymous. A player who is “cut” has been removed from his team’s roster, but whether he is “waived” or “released” generally depends on his NFL experience.
Between the day after the Super Bowl and the following season’s trade deadline, players with less than four years of service time – or “accrued seasons” – have to pass through waivers after they’re cut by an NFL team. The other 31 clubs around the league have a day to place a waiver claim on that player, adding him to their roster and taking on his contract. That’s why we refer to these players as having been waived, rather than released.
If a player with more than four years of service time is cut between the Super Bowl and the trade deadline, he is not subjected to the waiver process, meaning he becomes a free agent immediately, able to sign with a new team right away if he so chooses.
This isn’t the case all year round, however. Once the trade deadline passes, any player who is cut by his team must pass through waivers, regardless of how many accrued seasons are on his résumé. So if a team cuts loose a 12-year veteran in Week 10 of the season, that player must pass through waivers unclaimed before he’d be free to sign with a team of his choice.
Here are a few more details on the waiver process:
- If two teams place a waiver claim on the same player, he is awarded to the team with the higher priority. Waiver priority is determined by the previous season’s standings — this year, for example, the Browns have first dibs, while the Super Bowl champion Eagles have 32nd priority.
- However, the waiver priority order will change starting in Week 4. At that point, waiver priority is determined by records of the current season.
- The window to claim a player closes at the end of the NFL’s business day, which is at 3:00pm central. So if a player is waived by one team on Monday, the other 31 clubs have until Tuesday afternoon to submit a claim. Players cut on Friday clear waivers (or are awarded to a new team) on the following Monday.
- Prior to the first cutdown date in training camp, injured players with fewer than four years of service time cannot be placed on injured reserve until they pass through waivers. Teams will cut this sort of player with a waived-injured designation, allowing other teams to place a claim if they so choose. If the player goes unclaimed, his team can place him on IR or agree to an injury settlement, then fully release him from the roster.
Note: This is a PFR Glossary entry, modified from a previous post by Luke Adams. Our glossary posts explain specific rules relating to free agency, trades, or other aspects of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
49ers Backed Out Of Josh Gordon Chase
Before the Patriots acquired Josh Gordon, the 49ers were among the clubs to contact the Browns about Josh Gordon. Apparently, their interest didn’t last long. Niners GM John Lynch admits that he kicked the tires on the talented wide receiver, but ultimately it wasn’t worth the risk. 
“I think in that situation, like any situation, if there’s a chance to improve your team, you always look into it,” Lynch said on KNBR (transcription via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “But in certain situations, particularly when you have knowledge of a player, you sit back and you weigh it. Sometimes it’s intriguing. But then, particularly when you have knowledge of someone, the more you look into it: You know what — we’re going to stay away from that.”
Clearly, Gordon’s previous trouble hurt his trade value. The Patriots first agreed to send a fifth-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for Gordon and a conditional seventh-round pick. Then, at the last minute, the Pats convinced the Browns to remove the conditions from the late selection, which essentially knocked the total price down to a sixth-rounder. Had there been comparable proposals elsewhere, one has to imagine the Browns would have pivoted to another team.
The 49ers may or may not regret the decision to pass on Gordon as they gear up for a Week 3 shootout against the Chiefs. Meanwhile, Gordon’s Patriots debut is expected to come on Sunday against the Lions.
Bengals’ Billy Price To Miss Time
The Bengals will be without center Billy Price for a while thanks to a lower left leg injury, as Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Price says he’ll be in a walking boot “24/7” before team doctors re-evaluate him in two weeks. 
“Finally figured out what it was this morning,” Price said. “Last couple days was just trying to figure out what it is and what’s the plan going forward. They thought it was an ankle now turned to a foot, there wasn’t any swelling and it wasn’t Lisfranc, so just thankful for that. That’s great news.”
The Price injury hurts (no pun intended), particularly with running back Joe Mixon also on the shelf for 2-4 weeks with a minor meniscus tear. The 2-0 Bengals will go up against the Panthers and Falcons in the next two weeks without two offensive starters, and their absence could stretch into October contests against the Dolphins and Steelers.
For however long they’re out, the Bengals will be relying on running back Giovani Bernard and fill-in center Trey Hopkins to hold down the fort.
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Antonio Brown Addresses Controversy
Antonio Brown raised eyebrows this week when he got into a Twitter spat with an ex-Steelers employee and subsequently skipped a team practice. In his tweet, Brown seemingly dared the Steelers to trade him, but Brown insists that he wants to stay put. 
“It was a guy that used to work here, a PR guy … [taking] a personal shot at me,” Brown said (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com) “But, obviously, I don’t want to be traded and I’m still grateful to put on my uniform…I just got to stay away from online with the distractions.”
Already, head coach Mike Tomlin and agent Drew Rosenhaus have thrown cold water on the notion that the wide receiver wants out of Pittsburgh. This week’s hysteria may have been much ado about nothing, but no one can be blamed for speculating on the matter, particularly given Le’Veon Bell‘s ongoing holdout.
Although Brown is admittedly frustrated with the Steelers’ slow start, he is clearly on board with the team. The stage could be set for a classic performance against the Buccaneers on Monday night, provided that Brown’s calf injury from Week 2 has healed up.
Bills To Work Out Matt Tobin
Free agent offensive tackle Matt Tobin is scheduled to work out for the Bills, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Tobin, a vested veteran, was released by the 49ers earlier this week, making him a free agent.
Tobin spent much of the offseason and training camp with the Patriots, and as Reiss notes, he would be a logical fit for New England given their injuries at tackle. However, their AFC East rivals could pounce first.
The Bills are in need of help across the board after getting drummed by the Ravens in their opener and falling to the Chargers on Sunday. Buffalo’s pass protection could use some help in particular, and Tobin could be of use in that area.
Tobin, 30, boasts 57 games of pro experience with the Eagles and Seahawks, but he was inactive for each of the 49ers’ first two games.
Patriots, Browns Adjust Josh Gordon Trade
On Wednesday morning, Patriots coach Bill Belichick refused to acknowledge the completion of the Josh Gordon trade, even though it had already been announced by both teams and published on the NFL’s transactions wire. As it turns out, the two sides were still haggling over the exact terms of the trade. 
Initially, the Patriots agreed to send a fifth-round pick to the Browns in exchange for Gordon and a conditional seventh-round pick, with the condition being that the seventh-rounder would be conveyed only if Gordon was not active for ten games. Thanks to some last minute tinkering, the Patriots will receive the seventh-round pick regardless of how many games the wide receiver dresses for, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).
Reading between the lines, it sounds as though the Browns buckled under the threat that the Patriots would back out of the trade if the conditions of the seventh-round pick weren’t 86’d. That may be an indicator that no other club was willing to best New England’s revised offer.
Now that the trade is officially official, the Patriots will have Gordon available for Sunday’s game against the Lions. They’ll also have an extra seventh-round pick in their arsenal, one that either belongs to the Jaguars or Steelers. It won’t be the Browns’ original seventh-round choice, because that was shipped out to Miami in the Jarvis Landry trade.