Jaguars Owner Open To Signing Kaepernick
Jaguars owner Shad Khan says he would be “absolutely” be okay with his team adding Colin Kaepernick if his football people recommended signing him (Twitter links via Mike Dempsey of 1010XL). To date, those football people have yet to show much interest in signing the controversial quarterback. 
[RELATED: Latest On Blake Bortles]
Some have argued that the Jaguars should take a look at Kaepernick given that Blake Bortles‘ struggles have left Chad Henne as the team’s likely frontrunner for the starting job. But, so far, the Jaguars have not shown interest in adding any free agent quarterback to the mix.
Kaepernick might not interest chief decision maker Tom Coughlin given his football-first mentality and distaste for potential locker room distractions. Also, Coughlin’s offenses have historically been built around pocket passers. Still, it’s notable that Khan has publicly said that he would give the green light to a Kaepernick deal and things could always change in the front office if Henne or Bortles can’t cut it as the starter.
On Thursday, we learned that the Jaguars could look to trade Bortles (if he’s willing to rework his contract) or just release him outright. If Bortles were to suffer a serious injury on the field this season, the Jags would be on the hook for his $19MM+ fifth-year option in 2018.
Redskins’ Hall To Start Year On PUP List
The Redskins will start the year without the services of DeAngelo Hall. The safety says he’ll be on the PUP list to begin the season. 
“Dr. [James] Andrews doesn’t think I’m quite ready. I’m gonna take his advice,” Hall told JP Finlay of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link).
Hall, 33, suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 of the 2016 season and is still working to get back to full strength. After taking a pay cut in June, his spot on the roster is likely still secure. The veteran will be taking in a $2.3MM base salary rather than the $4.25MM non-guaranteed base salary he was originally slated to receive.
Hall appeared in just 17 of 48 possible regular season games over the past three seasons. The Redskins expect that he’ll be ready to go when eligible to come off of the PUP list this fall, but if not, they do have some safety nets in place. The versatile Su’a Cravens is expected to play at safety more than at linebacker and the team also added free agent D.J. Swearinger as a free agent. Fourth round pick Montae Nicholson will also be competing for time and could see significant reps if he is not too raw.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/17
Today’s minor moves:
- The Steelers waived cornerback Antonio Crawford just one day after signing him. Crawford was a college teammate of Pittsburgh corner Artie Burns at the University of Miami, before transferring to West Virginia. The reasons for Crawford’s quick in-and-out are not clear, but the culprit is often a failed physical in cases like these.
- The Giants signed safety Tim Scott, who was waived by Washington last week. Scott was not on an NFL roster last year but he did start 45 of 50 games in his time at the University of North Carolina.
- The Saints waived waived wide receiver Xavier Rush and fullback John Robinson-Woodgett. Rush, a Tulane product, leaves the Saints after less than two weeks with the team. Some were surprised by his release given the way he had performed in practice. Robinson-Woodgett will try to make a late push as a reserve fullback, but he faces long odds of making the cut on September 2.
- The Cardinals waived cornerback Daniel Gray. He originally joined the team on June 6 as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Utah State.
Broncos, Donald Stephenson Rework Deal
It appears that Donald Stephenson has improved his chances of making the Broncos’ roster. The tackle has agreed to a restructured deal, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter). Meanwhile, his $4MM salary for 2018 has been erased, Mike Klis of 9News writes.
[RELATED: Broncos’ Shaq Barrett Could Play Week 1]
Full details of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely that the revised contract will carry a smaller overall cap number, making him a stronger option to play behind starting left tackle Garett Bolles and right tackle addition Menelik Watson. The new pact will benefit Stephenson too, as the guaranteed portion of his deal has gone from $2MM to $2.5MM. He’ll also receive $750K for playing in 50% of the team’s snaps and another $750K if he reaches 70%.
This marks the second time this offseason that Stephenson has agreed to rework his deal. Originally on a three-year, $14MM deal, Stephenson modified the deal in March to lower his 2017 salary.
The veteran started 12 games at right tackle for Denver but graded out as the second-worst tackle in the league among qualifying players, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. He was responsible for three sacks and 11 penalties.
Jets Looking At Ex-Giants OT Will Beatty
Former Giants tackle Will Beatty is working out for the Jets on Thursday, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Garafolo adds that Beatty is a “name to watch for teams with tackle needs in the near future,” so it sounds like he might have a bit of a free agent tour lined up for himself. 
[RELATED: Jets Cut WR Marquess Wilson]
Beatty was one of the league’s more effective left tackles in 2014, grading as a positive contributor as both a run- and pass-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF ranked him 14th overall out of 84 qualified players at the position.
Unfortunately, a pectoral injury cost Beatty the entire 2015 season. And, in 2016, Beatty wound up appearing in only six games.
If Beatty is healthy, he may get an offer to serve as a reserve option behind projected starters Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell. Alternatively, the 32-year-old may look for a better opportunity to secure a second Super Bowl ring.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
If the league office really wants Colin Kaepernick to be employed, they have ways to make a team sign him, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Florio points to the league’s efforts to get Michael Sam, the league’s first openly gay draft pick, on to a practice squad three years ago. Ultimately, after making a number of calls, the Cowboys agreed to give Sam a gig.
The NFL has been known to make wink-wink deals with teams when they want to get something done, and the league could encourage a team to sign Kaepernick by promising a future chance to host the Super Bowl or an exemption from having to do HBO’s Hard Knocks or something similar. But, with the season opener rapidly closing in, it remains to be seen whether commissioner Roger Goodell will pull some strings to get Kaepernick a contract.
Here’s the latest on No. 7:
- Mike Sando of ESPN.com spoke with a number of coaches and talent evaluators to try and get some insight on the Kaepernick situation. Multiple people indicated that they are unsure about Kaepernick’s commitment to football since they have not heard from him directly. “Everyone else is worried about him working, but I never hear him say how much he wants to work,” this voter said. “That hits a chord. People want to hear, ‘I want to work in the league, I want to work for you, I want to do this more than anything.’ It’s like with Tim Tebow — he’d rather be on the outside switching sports than be relegated to the [third team] and getting 20 percent of the reps.” Some also indicated that a similarly talented player playing a different position would have been signed by now. Kaepernick is left waiting, some say, because teams expect leadership from quarterbacks and there is fear that his personal agenda could come ahead of the team’s overall purpose.
- There was a sizable rally outside of NFL headquarters this week in support of Kaepernick, but the commissioner informed the “United We Stand” coalition that he could not meet at this time (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson). Although the group was unable to have an audience with Goodell, the rally did succeed in generating a great deal of media attention. The buzz generated from the rally may put some additional pressure on the league office to find Kaepernick a team for 2017.
- The NFLPA has been in contact with Kaepernick’s reps.
Cowboys Notes: Elliott, Moore, Rush
Here’s a look at the Cowboys:
- A delayed suspension for Ezekiel Elliott is not out of the question, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Elliott could turn to the court system for a preliminary injunction, like former Vikings Pat Williams and Kevin Williams once did, which would bar the league from suspending him until the case ends. The Cowboys star might not be able to get his ban overturned in court, but there’s a chance that he could push the suspension to the 2018 season, if he goes that route. Elliott has indicated that he will sue the NFL if necessary, but he will first go through the league’s appeal process to see if he can have his six-game suspension overturned or reduced.
- Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan says he won’t rule out Cooper Rush for the team’s backup quarterback role just because of his lack of experience, as Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes. Linehan also has a longstanding relationship with Kellen Moore, but he says that will not be a factor either. Rush has yet to take a snap in a real NFL game, but he has completed 69% of his passes in three preseason games with four touchdowns and no interceptions. His emergence could impact the Cowboys’ final 53-man roster as Dallas may look to carry three QBs. Dallas could try to sneak Rush through waivers and on to the practice squad, but that’s a dicey proposition after his strong showing in the exhibition games.
- It’s possible that last year’s Josh Brown saga could impact Elliott in his appeal.
AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Bengals
Bills head coach Sean McDermott admitted it’s a “fair question” as to whether Buffalo would have traded Sammy Watkins had they known fellow wide receiver Anquan Boldin would soon retire, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (multiple links). Although McDermott referred to the two transactions as “separate entities,” Boldin announced his retirement just four days after the Bills shipped Watkins to the Rams for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a second-round selection. Of course, Buffalo also acquired pass-catcher Jordan Matthews on the same day it traded Watkins, and the Bills are “always” examining upgrades at wide receiver, per McDermott.
More from Buffalo and two other AFC cities:
- The season-ending injury to cornerback Tony Lippett will have consequences for the Dolphins not only for the upcoming season, but for the 2018 campaign, argues Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Lippett, a collegiate wide receiver, had taken a massive leap as a defensive back in 2016, playing nearly three-quarters of Miami’s defensive snaps. While Lippett’s development may have allowed the Dolphins to release Byron Maxwell next spring (clearing his $10MM cap charge), the club may not have that option given the uncertainty surrounding Lippett’s health.
- Reporters peppered Bills linebacker Reggie Ragland with questions on Tuesday about whether he’s a trade candidate, according to Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News. As one would expect, Ragland suggested that he’s not worried about rumors and noted that he’s “got to keep getting better,” though it’s nonetheless an open question as to whether he’s a fit in the Bills’ defense. The Bills chose Ragland in the second round of the 2016 draft after a costly trade up, but he missed his rookie season with a torn ACL and is now under the thumb of a new administration in Buffalo. The Doug Whaley–Rex Ryan duo responsible for the Ragland pick is gone, as is the Bills’ previous 3-4 scheme. Ragland has languished in a third-team role in Buffalo’s 4-3 alignment this preseason under Ryan’s replacement, McDermott, leading Pro Football Rumors’ Dallas Robinson to observe last week that the ex-Alabama star could be in another uniform soon.
- Bengals cornerback Adam Jones‘ one-game suspension is now official, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. The 33-year-old’s ban, which the league handed down in July, came after he was charged with three misdemeanors and a felony stemming from a January arrest. Jones was able to avoid jail time and a lengthy suspension after pleading guilty to a lesser offense. He’ll miss the Bengals’ season opener against AFC North rival Baltimore.
Dallas Robinson and Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Cyrus Mehri To Run For Top NFLPA Job
DeMaurice Smith says he wants to stay on as NFLPA chief beyond his current term. Apparently, he’ll have to fight to keep his position. Civil rights lawyer Cyrus Mehri tells HBO’s Bryant Gumbel that he will challenge Smith for leadership of the union in March 2018.
[RELATED: NFL To Extend Roger Goodell Through 2024]
“The more I dug into this and saw how unfair the last CBA deal was, the more I felt I had to answer the call,” Mehri said (transcript via PFT). “The players went backwards economically in a massive way, and that’s hundreds of millions of dollars that were forfeited and De Smith gave the commissioner a blank check. ‘Dear Commissioner, you can do whatever you want on player discipline.’ Well, we’re gonna fix that.”
Mehri clearly has a bone to pick with Smith and he won’t be shy about highlighting his own strength’s over what he perceives to be weaknesses of Smith’s.
“[I’m an] honest broker,” the lawyer said when asked what commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL owners would think of him. “Someone with integrity and someone who gets things done. I think I’ve earned their respect and that respect I’m gonna carry forward on behalf of the NFL players.”
There’s no indication that players are unhappy with Smith, so Mehri may be fighting an uphill battle as he attempts his takeover.
The current collective bargaining agreement expires in early 2021.
49ers Sign DL Sen’Derrick Marks
The 49ers have added a notable name to the defensive line. And it’s not the player we were expecting. The 49ers have signed defensive lineman Sen’Derrick Marks to a one-year deal, the team announced. 
Marks spent the first four years of his career with the Titans before joining the Jaguars in 2013. He did well in Jacksonville, up until suffering an ACL tear in Week 17 of the 2014 season. The 30-year-old defensive tackle has started in just three games since that injury.
If healthy, Marks could prove to be a valuable asset for San Francisco. It also helps that he has three years of experience playing under current Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Marks registered 4.0 sacks in 2013 and 8.5 sacks in 2014. Last year, he recorded just 3.5 sacks as a part-timer but he did appear in all 16 contests. if he makes the final cut, he’ll provide depth for a unit that is currently missing DeForest Buckner, Aaron Lynch, and Ronald Blair due to injuries.
Earlier this week, the Niners also auditioned former No. 3 overall pick Tyson Jackson and Ricardo Mathews. Apparently, Marks outperformed both players.
With the addition of Marks, the Niners are now back up to the 90-man roster max.