Raiders, DL Datone Jones Agree To Deal
The Raiders will give former first-round pick Datone Jones an avenue back to the NFL. The veteran defensive lineman agreed to terms to join the Raiders in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Although Jones has played in just one game over the past two seasons, he has seen several teams express interest. The Raiders were among them. They worked out Jones last October.
The 30-year-old defender spent some time with new Raiders D-line coach Rod Marinelli, playing in five Cowboys games from 2017-18. Jones, however, has not enjoyed a regular role since his four-year Packers tenure ended after the 2016 season. The Packers passed on Jones’ fifth-year option, and he spent time with the Cowboys and 49ers in 2017.
For his career, the UCLA product has only amassed 10 sacks and made nine starts. But he will have another chance to crack a D-line rotation with the Raiders, who recently agreed to terms with another player who had seen action in just one game over the past two seasons. Their Jeremy Hill deal did not last long, however. Jones’ most recent stay came with the Jaguars in 2019. He could not make the team out of camp, though.
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
A total of 67 NFL players opted out of the 2020 season, leaving teams with major roster holes and newly-found cap space. Here’s the rundown of every team’s official cap figure, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter):
- Cleveland Browns – $40.5MM
- New England Patriots – $33.4MM
- Washington Football Team – $30.6MM
- Denver Broncos – $29.5MM
- New York Jets – $29.3MM
- Tennessee Titans – $25.2MM
- Miami Dolphins – $24.7MM
- Buffalo Bills – $24.2MM
- Philadelphia Eagles – $23.7MM
- Detroit Lions – $22.9MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $22.3MM
- New York Giants – $21.4MM
- Houston Texans – $21.1MM
- Cincinnati Bengals – $18.6MM
- Chicago Bears – $17.2MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars – $17MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $14.5MM
- Los Angeles Chargers – $13.7MM
- Green Bay Packers – $12.3MM
- Carolina Panthers – $13.2MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $13MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $12.5MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $12.4MM
- Dallas Cowboys – $9.9MM
- New Orleans Saints – $7.8MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $7.4MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $7MM
- Arizona Cardinals – $5.6MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $4.5MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $3.9MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $3.3MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $1.4MM
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Bryce Hager
Miami Dolphins
- Waived/NFI: DB Javaris Davis
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Quentin Poling
- Waived: WR Bralon Addison
New York Giants
- Waived: LB Dominique Ross
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: WR Marcus Green
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: Aca’Cedric Ware
2020 NFL Opt Out Tracker
Per an agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, players with COVID-19 health concerns can opt out of the 2020 season. Initially, the deadline was believed to be Tuesday, August 4. Talks between the league and the union have pushed it to August 6.
Chiefs guard and medical school graduate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was the first player to officially opt out. Scores of players followed.
Here’s the rundown, so far:
Baltimore Ravens
- OT Andre Smith (story)
- WR De’Anthony Thomas (story)
Buffalo Bills
- CB E.J. Gaines (story)
- DT Star Lotulelei (story)
Carolina Panthers
- LB Jordan Mack
- LB Christian Miller
Chicago Bears
- DT Eddie Goldman (story)
- S Jordan Lucas
Cincinnati Bengals
- T Isaiah Prince (story)
- DT Josh Tupou (story)
Cleveland Browns
- DT Andrew Billings
- T Drake Dorbeck
- G Colby Gossett
- G Drew Forbes
- G Malcolm Pridgedon
Dallas Cowboys
- CB Maurice Canady (story)
- WR Stephen Guidry
- FB Jamize Olawale
Denver Broncos
- DT Joel Heath
- DT Kyle Peko
Detroit Lions
- WR Geronimo Allison (story)
- DT John Atkins
- C Russell Bodine (story)
Green Bay Packers
- WR Devin Funchess (story)
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
- DB Rolan Milligan
- LB Skai Moore
- DB Marvell Tell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DE Lerentee McCray
- CB Rashaan Melvin (story)
- DT Al Woods (story)
Kansas City Chiefs
- G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (story)
- T Lucas Niang (story)
- RB Damien Williams (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- LB Ukeme Eligwe
- CB D.J. Killings
- DE Jeremiah Valoaga
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
- WR Allen Hurns (story)
- WR Albert Wilson (story)
Minnesota Vikings
- NT Michael Pierce (story)
New England Patriots
- RB Brandon Bolden (story)
- T Marcus Cannon (story)
- S Patrick Chung (story)
- LB Dont’a Hightower (story)
- WR Marqise Lee (story)
- OL Najee Toran
- FB Danny Vitale (story)
New Orleans Saints
- TE Jason Vander Laan
- TE Cole Wick
New York Giants
- CB Sam Beal
- WR Da’Mari Scott
- T Nate Solder (story)
- CB Shakial Taylor
New York Jets
- WR Josh Doctson
- OL Leo Koloamatangi
- LB C.J. Mosley (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
- WR Travis Benjamin (story)
- OL Jake Brendel
- T Shon Coleman
Seattle Seahawks
- G Chance Warmack (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- T Brad Seaton
Tennessee Titans
- OL Anthony McKinney
Washington Football Team
Free agents
- G Larry Warford (story)
Raiders To Release RB Jeremy Hill
Less than a week after agreeing to terms with Jeremy Hill, the Raiders are moving on. They are releasing the former Bengals starting running back, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets.
Hill has not played in a game since Week 1 of the 2018 season. The Raiders’ running back room will return to its previous setup. This move also comes shortly after the team removed offseason addition Devontae Booker from its reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Raiders’ backfield depth chart consists of Josh Jacobs, Jalen Richard, Rod Smith and Booker. Hill may well have been insurance in case Booker was sidelined for an extensive period. As a vested veteran, Hill will not have to pass through waivers.
A former Bengals second-round pick, Hill signed with the Patriots after an injury-marred 2017 season. He suffered an ACL tear in Week 1 of the 2018 slate and was out of football last season.
While Hill is still just 27, he is running out of chances. The LSU product worked out for the Lions and Titans last season but went unsigned. Hill amassed 29 touchdowns in his first three seasons and eclipsed 1,100 rushing yards as a rookie. He has not, however, cleared 4.0 yards per carry since his 2014 debut campaign.
Raiders Waive P.J. Hall After Trade To Vikings Falls Through
TUESDAY, 4:23pm CT: Hall has indeed been waived, per today’s transactions wire.
TUESDAY, 3:57pm CT: Hold the phone. The trade was nullified after Hall failed his physical with Minnesota. He’ll now revert to the Raiders, who are expected to waive him.
MONDAY, 2:59pm CT: The Raiders are trading defensive tackle P.J. Hall to the Vikings, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In exchange, the Vikings will send a conditional seventh-round choice to the Raiders.
Hall was supposed to be waived before the end of the business day. Instead, the Vikings swooped in with a trade offer. Instead of crossing their fingers and waiting to see if Hall slipped on the waiver wire, they pulled off a deal. The pick will only change hands if Hall is on the roster for a certain number of games, so it’s essentially a low-cost, no-risk pickup for the Vikes.
Hall, a 2018 second-round pick, was pushed out of the starting lineup by the addition of Maliek Collins. Then, he lost his spot on the team, despite his reasonable rookie contract.
Hall started in 12 of his 16 games last year, finishing out with 26 tackles and 1.5 sacks from the interior. The Vikings will assume the remainder of his contract and have him under club control through 2021.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here. For the running list of opt out decisions, check out PFR’s 2020 Opt Out Tracker.
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: OL Jake Benzinger, S Reggie Floyd, WR Rashad Medaris
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Jerell Adams
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released: WR Moritz Bohringer, RB Devwah Whaley
Cleveland Browns
- Released: RB Brian Herrien
Detroit Lions
- Claimed: DT Daylon Mack (from Ravens)
- Signed: DT Jashon Cornell
Green Bay Packers
- Released: QB Jalen Morton, FB Elijah Wellman
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: DB Jordan Brown, TE Paul Butler, K Dominik Eberle, LB Marquel Lee, C Erik Magnuson, LB Liam McCullough, WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed off waivers (from Colts): CB Picasso Nelson
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: WR Davion Davis, DB Kemon Hall
New Orleans Saints
- Released: WR Tommylee Lewis, DE Gus Cumberlander, S Chris Johnson, OG Adrian Magee, RB Taquan Mizzell, WR Maurice Harris, DT Taylor Stallworth
New York Jets
- Waived: OL Ben Braden, RB Trenton Cannon, OLB Wyatt Ray
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-Signed: DE Alex Barrett
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-Signed: DE Branden Jackson
- Waived: DL Josh Avery
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: G Zac Kerin
Washington Football Team
- Released: DE Cameron Malveaux, DB Maurice Smith, TE Caleb Wilson, RB Josh Ferguson
Raiders Cut 2018 Second-Round Pick P.J. Hall
The Raiders will release defensive tackle P.J. Hall, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Raiders used a second-round pick on Hall just two years ago.
[RELATED: Raiders To Sign Jeremy Hill]
Hall, a Sam Houston State product, cracked the starting lineup in 2019. However, the Raiders went in a different direction this offseason, signing former Cowboys DT Maliek Collins to start alongside Maurice Hurst. Collins, 25, came on a fairly reasonable one-year, $6MM deal. Ultimately, they preferred his experience and 55 career starts to Hall’s raw talent.
Hall started in 12 of his 16 games last year, finishing out with 26 tackles and 1.5 sacks from the interior. Head coach Jon Gruden ran the 2018 draft for the Raiders, but he didn’t feel that Hall was worth keeping two years later. Cutting Hall won’t save the Raiders a whole lot of cash – they’ll carry $750K in dead money with just $532K coming off of the books. However, Hall’s release will clear a roster spot for the Raiders as they work their way down to an 80-man roster and welcome running back Jeremy Hill.
Raiders Expected To Sign Jeremy Hill
3:49pm: This deal looks like it will come together. The Raiders indeed plan to sign Hill, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, though an agreement will be contingent on the former second-round pick passing a physical and a COVID-19 test.
3:40pm: The Raiders are looking to add to their running back group. They are hosting Jeremy Hill on a visit Friday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Hill, who has not played since the 2018 season, last popped up on the radar when he visited the Titans in November 2019. Under the current pandemic-reshaped landscape, teams are only allowed to bring in players for visits if they are seriously considering signing them. Hill may have a chance to continue his career in Las Vegas.
The former Bengals and Patriots running back would join a Raiders group that houses Josh Jacobs, Jalen Richard, Rod Smith and Devontae Booker. The latter, however, resides on Las Vegas’ reserve/COVID-19 list. The Raiders placed Booker, a 2020 addition, on the list Thursday.
Still just 27, Hill is attempting to come back after suffering another serious injury. He suffered an ACL tear in Week 1 of the 2018 season. His 2017 season in Cincinnati ended in an IR stay due to an ankle malady.
The LSU product rushed for a career-high 1,124 yards as a rookie in 2014 and scored a career-best 12 touchdowns in 2015. He rushed for nine TDs in 2016. Since, Hill has not delivered much in the way of notable work. He played in only seven 2017 games, after Joe Mixon‘s Cincinnati arrival, and has not averaged more than four yards per carry in a season since his rookie year. But the Raiders are planning to offer the veteran another chance despite a near-two-year hiatus.
Henry Ruggs Back At 100%
From Cliff Branch to James Jett to Darrius Heyward-Bey (to name a few of many), the Raiders have been known for their speed affinity for decades. They surprised many by making Henry Ruggs the first wide receiver pick in this draft. Their owner was eyeing the Alabama deep threat for months leading up to the draft. Citing a lack of team speed for the past several years, Mark Davis said he pegged Ruggs as the first-rounder he wanted for six months going into this year’s draft, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required). Chosen before Alabama teammate Jerry Jeudy and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, Ruggs did not eclipse 800 yards in a college season. And he spent time this offseason rehabbing a thigh injury he sustained two months ago while helping a friend move. However, Ruggs said Wednesday he is 100%, per Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area (on Twitter), as Raiders rookies prepare for the team’s strength and conditioning period.
- The Raiders are beginning their first season in Las Vegas, but the prospects of the NFL moving to Nevada surfaced in January 2016. Davis adds that Vegas was after the Raiders “for years” before those talks began. “We got our ass kicked in L.A., and we went back to Oakland with our tails between our legs. And then (Coliseum Authority executive director Scott) McKibben backtracked and tripled our lease, and it was total disrespect. It was like, how are we going to work with these people?” Davis said. “Vegas had been after us for years, but I told them I will only talk to you if Oakland and Los Angeles don’t happen.” The NFL in 2016 voted to send the Rams to Los Angeles and placed the Chargers ahead of the Raiders in the pecking order. The Raiders then spent three years as a lame-duck team in Oakland.