Cardinals Release LB Scooby Wright
The Cardinals have released linebacker Scooby Wright, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Wright will be subject to waivers since he has less than four years of NFL experience and it’s possible that another club will pick him up before he hits the open market.
Wright, 23, missed the Cardinals’ final cut in September of last year but signed on with the practice squad the following day. In October, he earned a promotion to the 53-man roster. Wright was on the roster for ten games, but he logged just one tackle.
Wright has yet to make a major impact at the NFL level, but he is well known in the area for his work at the University of Arizona. In 2014, Wright tallied an eye-popping 163 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and six forced fumbles. Unfortunately, he was slowed by injuries in 2015 and his draft stock suffered as a result. The Browns took him with one of the final picks in the draft and he later found his way to the Cardinals in 2016.
Patriots Trade Jordan Richards To Falcons
The Patriots have traded safety Jordan Richards to the Falcons, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). The Patriots will receive a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick from Atlanta in the trade, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
With the roster deadline coming on Saturday, Richards apparently was not going to make the cut. Although he was a second-round pick in 2015, the strong safety hasn’t done much to impress over three years with the Pats.
Last year, Richards appeared in all 16 games (five starts) and totaled 22 tackles plus one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus ranked Richards the No. 78 safety in the NFL last year out of 87 qualified players, so it’s not a total shock to see him jettisoned from New England.
Assuming Richards makes the 53-man cut in Atlanta, he’ll serve as a reserve behind starting strong safety Ricardo Allen. The Falcons will start former first-round pick Keanu Neal at free safety with Ron Parker serving as the top backup.
Texans Release Punter Shane Lechler
The Texans have cut Shane Lechler, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). With Lechler out of the picture, they’ll roll with rookie Trevor Daniel as their punter.
Lechler didn’t necessarily struggle during the preseason, but Daniel was outstanding. No one thought the University of Tennessee product had a real chance at unseating Lechler, but the Texans went with the untested option, even though they’re still on the hook for Lechler’s $600K guarantee.
After spending the first 13 years of his career with the Raiders, Lechler joined up with the Texans in 2013, and he hasn’t missed a game during his tenure in Houston. Last year, Lechler led the league in punting yards with 4,507 and put his boot to the ball 92 times. The veteran is first all-time in yards per punt, and he’s second all-time in punts and punting yards.
Given his experience, reputation, accomplishments, and holding ability, it would be surprising if Lechler does not find a job elsewhere.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/30/18
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: CB Darius Hillary
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: LB Jason Hall
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived from injured reserve: RB Charles Sims
Kaepernick Case To Move Forward
On Tuesday, Colin Kaepernick secured a major victory over the NFL. The quarterback won the summary judgement phase of his collusion case, which means that Kaepernick’s case will move towards a hearing (Twitter link via Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports). 
The decision from arbitrator Stephen Burbank was the “most pivotal moment” in Kaepernick’s case, according to Robinson. The law required all facts to be viewed “in the most favorable light” towards Kaepernick, since he is the one bringing the case, so the NFL’s legal team was facing an uphill battle.
Kaepernick, of course, has not played in the NFL since 2016, as clubs have shunned the 30-year-old following his national anthem demonstrations. While he was scheduled to work out for the Seahawks earlier this year, the audition was eventually canceled after Kaepernick declined to stop kneeling during the anthem.
Kaepernick alleges that owners from around the league colluded to keep him unsigned. The alleged collusion stems from his protest of social inequalities in the United States, which included kneeling for the national anthem.
Between the 2012 and ’13 seasons, Kaepernick threw for 21 touchdowns and rushed for nine touchdowns while throwing just 11 interceptions. The team also went 17-6 in the regular season with him as a starter. From 2014-16, Kaepernick was unable to lead the team to a record better than 8-8, and he threw ten interceptions in 2014 alone. Of course, the Niners’ woes were not entirely Kaepernick’s fault, and he played well on a personal level in 2016 despite the team going 1-10 in his starts.
Kaepernick will turn 31 in November, and he seems further from an NFL opportunity than ever before. He may never win another game on the field, but he could be on his way to a historic victory against the league.
Texans, Greg Mancz Agree To Extension
The Texans have reached an agreement on a two-year extension with Greg Mancz, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter). The new deal will keep the offensive lineman under contract through the 2020 season. 
Mancz, a center/guard, was retained for 2018 via the original round tender. After earning $1.907MM in 2018, the new portion of his deal will kick in. Still relatively young at 26, Mancz will be eligible for unrestricted free agency just before his 29th birthday.
The Toledo product has appeared in 29 games for the Texans over the last three years, including 23 starts. Last year, Pro Football Focus ranked Mancz as a top 60 guard in the NFL.
Patriots Sweeten Rob Gronkowski’s Deal
The Patriots reworked tight end Rob Gronkowski’s contract, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The revised contract will potentially give Gronk an additional $4.3MM this year via $1MM in per game bonuses and $3.3MM in incentives. All in all, the maximum value of Gronk’s 2018 season is now worth $13.05MM. 
The incentive structure gives Gronkowski an opportunity to earn $1.1MM for four different milestones, though he will be maxed out after achieving three of them. If Gronkowski achieves three of the following plateaus, he’ll realize the full value of his $3.3MM incentives package:
- 70 or more catches
- 80% playtime
- Nine or more receiving touchdowns
- 1,085 receiving yards
The revision is similar to the settlement reached last year between the Patriots and Gronkowski. It’s also reminiscent of the compromise the Patriots made earlier this offseason with Tom Brady.
Last year, Gronk’s deal was improved to give him a base salary of $5.25MM with opportunities to earn incentives at three different levels. With a First-Team All-Pro selection, Gronk maxed out his bonus package at $10.75MM.
Gronk was already in line for the highest cap number of any tight end in the league this year. The new pact puts even more distance between him and Redskins standout Jordan Reed ($10.143MM cap number).
In 2017, Gronk was on the field for 14 games, and managed 69 receptions, 1,084 yards, and eight touchdowns, all of which placed him within the top five among tight ends. When healthy, he is the most fearsome offensive weapon at his position and among the most dynamic talents in the game.
The new contract should keep Gronkowski satisfied for a little while. In 2019, when Gronk is entering the final year of his deal at a $12MM cap number, the Patriots may be forced to give him an extension that puts him closer to market value.
Raiders Waived/Injured WR Griff Whalen
Wide receiver Griff Whalen has reached a four-week injury settlement with the Raiders, according to Michael Gehlken of the Review Journal (on Twitter). The move will allow Whalen to move ahead as a free agent, rather than sit on the Raiders’ IR.
Per league rules, Whalen could re-sign with the Raiders in Week 7 of the regular season. However, he might not last that long on the open market if he is able to work out for teams at something close to 100%.
Whalen seemed likely to make the Raiders’ final cut until a case of turf toe sidelined him this summer. Whalen was is line for playing time as a slot receiver, but it seems that those duties will be covered by Seth Roberts. Ryan Switzer, another slot candidate for Oakland, was traded to the Steelers this week, giving further clarity to the Raiders’ WR group. Amari Cooper, Jordy Nelson, and Martavis Bryant are expected to lead the way at the position.
Colts’ Tyquan Lewis To Miss Time
Colts second round pick Tyquan Lewis is expected to miss nine weeks with a foot injury, according to Zak Keefer of the Indy Star (on Twitter). The injury complicates the Colts’ roster decisions heading into Saturday’s deadline and may make the defensive lineman a candidate for the injured reserve list. 
The league’s IR rules permit each team to bring two players back from IR each season. The player does not have to be earmarked for return in advance, but the player must spend at least eight weeks on the inactive list. If Lewis is parked on IR, he’d be able to return during the Colts’ Week 9 bye and play in their Week 10 contest against the Jaguars. If left on the 53-man roster, he might not be able to play before the club’s Week 8 game versus the Raiders, so this may be a no-brainer decision for the Colts.
Lewis, a 6’4″ Ohio State product, tallied 23 sacks over the course of his final three seasons in college. When healthy, he figures to see a decent amount of time in the Colts’ defensive end rotation.
The Colts project to start Denico Autry and Jabaal Sheard at defensive end in Week 1 with support from Chris McCain and others.
Rams Restructure Woods, Whitworth Deals
The Rams have carved out an extra $7MM in cap space by restructuring the deals of offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth and wide receiver Robert Woods, Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. The moves may be an indication that the Rams are close to finalizing an extension with star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. 
Exact details of the restructures are not known, but these moves typically convert a portion of salary into a signing bonus, which can be smoothed out over future seasons. Whitworth was slated to earn an $8MM base salary this year and Woods had a $5MM base in addition to the $3MM roster bonus he collected on earlier this year.
The finish line may be in sight for the Rams and Donald. The defensive tackle stayed away from the Rams this summer in order to ramp up the pressure, and it appears that his tactics have worked. Donald also got to skip training camp, which is a nice perk for any accomplished veteran.