Only Bucs, Bengals Offered Shaq Barrett
- While no one obviously expected Shaquil Barrett‘s virtuoso start, only two teams even submitted contract offers this offseason. In addition to the Bucs’ one-year, $4MM deal, the Bengals also offered Barrett a contract, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com notes. Barrett visited the Bengals but did not meet with the Bucs before his agreement. A four-year backup in Denver, Barrett sought a starting role in free agency. He’s found one, and his eight sacks through three games match an NFL record. It’s early, but the former UDFA who began his career at a now-defunct Division II program is putting himself in position for a major payday — either via Bucs extension or as a 2020 free agent.
- The Bengals worked out some defensive backs on Tuesday. Cornerbacks Greg Mabin, Picasso Nelson and Deatrick Nichols joined corner/safety Briean Boddy-Calhoun in auditioning for the team, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
No Return Timetable For A.J. Green
A.J. Green‘s initial timetable pointed to a return at some point during the Bengals’ September slate, and the Pro Bowl wide receiver expressed optimism earlier this month. But Green will not return for Week 4, and Zac Taylor indicated (via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Fay) he does not expect the veteran wideout to practice this week.
Green suffered an ankle injury, one that required a minor surgery, on July 27. At first, a six- to eight-week recovery timetable surfaced, with Taylor then saying “a couple” missed games was a likely scenario. Week 5 would stand to be Green’s earliest return date, but no practices leading up to Week 4 do not represent a good sign for that prospect.
“He’s certainly turned in the right direction. I don’t want to give any timeline – next week, the week after, week after that,” Taylor said. “It will be exciting when we get him back.”
The ninth-year receiver shed his walking boot barely six weeks after the injury, so this may not be cause for alarm yet. The Bengals opted not to place Green on IR. To justify this decision, the 31-year-old standout would need to return in the next couple of weeks.
The Bengals are 0-3 without Green this season and were 1-6 without him in 2018. By next week, Green will have missed 17 of Cincinnati’s past 42 games. Prior to Green’s latest injury, both sides sought an extension. But nothing has emerged on that front in months; the Bengals surely want to see if Green can stay healthy when he returns.
NFL Waiver Priority For Week 4
Starting today, the NFL’s waiver claim order will be reflective of 2019 records, rather than 2018, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. As is the case with the NFL Draft, the order of priority is inverted based on win/loss record.
[RELATED: The NFL’s Waiver System, Explained]
In cases of ties – and there are many at this stage of the season – they are broken by the cumulative record of the team’s previous opponents. For example, the Redskins and Broncos’ (0-3) opponents have a combined record of 6-3, they have priority over the Jets, whose opponents are 7-2. If two teams with the same record, and same opponent record, happen to claim the same player, the dispute is settled with a coin toss (h/t to Field).
With that in mind, and with serious help from Sam Robinson, here’s the full rundown of every team’s current waiver priority as we get set for Week 4:
T-1. Broncos (0-3)
T-1. Redskins (0-3)
3. Jets (0-3)
T-4. Bengals (0-3)
T-4. Dolphins (0-3)
T-4. Steelers (0-3)
7. Cardinals (0-2-1)
8. Eagles (1-2)
T-9. Browns (1-2)
T-9. Titans (1-2)
11. Panthers (1-2)
T-12. Buccaneers (1-2)
T-12. Falcons (1-2)
T-12. Raiders (1-2)
15. Jaguars (1-2)
16. Chargers (1-2)
17. Giants (1-2)
T-18. Colts (2-1)
T-18. Bears (2-1)
20. Ravens (2-1)
21. Texans (2-1)
T-22. Seahawks (2-1)
T-22. Vikings (2-1)
24. Saints (2-1)
25. Lions (2-0-1)
26. Patriots (3-0)
T-27. 49ers (3-0)
T-27. Bills (3-0)
T-27. Cowboys (3-0)
30. Rams (3-0)
31. Chiefs (3-0)
32. Packers (3-0)
Ben Roethlisberger Expected To Make Full Recovery
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has vowed to return to the field, and to that end, the two-time Super Bowl champ will undergo his season-ending elbow surgery this week, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.
Luckily for Roethlisberger, he will not require Tommy John surgery, so Schefter’s sources say there is no concern about the signal-caller’s availability for 2020. “There is complete optimism that he will be ready to roll next season,” one source said. “No one is concerned that next year is going to be a problem.”
Although Schefter says the exact nature of Roethlisberger’s elbow injury remains unclear, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the procedure will repair a muscle tear and does not involve any ligaments or tendons (which is in keeping with the report that TJ surgery is not required). JLC adds Big Ben’s recovery plan will include throwing in the spring.
In the meantime, Pittsburgh is not throwing in the towel on the 2019 campaign, as evidenced by the team’s trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick earlier this week. The club has expressed full confidence in second-year QB Mason Rudolph, and both La Canfora (in a separate piece) and Schefter remind us that the Steelers were so enamored with Rudolph — and so convinced that the division-rival Bengals were locked in on him — that they leapfrogged Cincinnati in the third round of the 2018 draft to select him. At the time, then-Bengals HC Marvin Lewis said he felt as though the Steelers had bugged the Bengals’ war room.
In fact, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Steelers had a first-round grade on Rudolph, which is why they believe they can remain competitive this season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/17/19
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad decisions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Nate Wozniak, P Matt Wile
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Cole Herdman
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Curtis Akins
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: T Dino Boyd
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Jordan Chunn, LB Chris Covington
- Cut: RB Darius Jackson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: C Corey Levin
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DB Tevaughn Campbell, S Adarius Pickett
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB J.T. Barrett
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Will Holden
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Elijah Nkansah
- Cut: QB Cardale Jones
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Donald Parham
- Cut: TE Drew Belcher
AFC Notes: Jaguars, Patriots, Randall
The Jaguars will be without several players on Sunday against the Texans, Michael DiRocco of ESPN recaps on Twitter. S Ronnie Harrison is listed as questionable with an ankle injury. CB A.J. Bouye, WR Marqise Lee, DE Yannick Ngakoue and LT Cam Robinson have all already been ruled out of the contest.
Last week, Jacksonville lost starting QB Nick Foles, who suffered a broken left clavicle in Week 1 and has been placed on injured reserve. The franchise’s collective health has put a damper on what should have been a bounceback year for the Jags. As the team carries on in Houston, let’s take a look around the AFC:
- The Patriots worked out several players ahead of their game against the Dolphins, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Athletic (Twitter link). OT Caleb Benenoch, NT Carl Davis, DT Willie Henry, DB Josh Jones and DB Adarius Pickett worked out for New England.
- Browns S Damarious Randall has been ruled out of Monday’s game, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Randall showed up to Cleveland’s facility with a concussion and was placed in the concussion protocol.
- A.J. Green, who injured his ankle during the Bengals‘ training camp, is out of his walking boot and feels like is he ahead of schedule in his recovery, as Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer relays. “I’m only six weeks out and I’m already walking,” Green said. “You never know what the next two weeks or three weeks are going to bring to where I can start back putting on shoes and actually running and doing some on the field stuff. You never know.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/19
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Dax Raymond
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB LaRoy Reynolds
- Released from IR via injury settlement: QB Jeff Driskel
Cleveland Browns
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Kyle Kalis
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR River Cracraft
- Placed on IR: WR Tim Patrick
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB David Williams
- Waived: QB Chad Kanoff
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: S Rolan Milligan
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Ahmad Thomas
New York Giants
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Alex Wesley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Craig James
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Richard Rodgers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
Mixon Has Ankle Sprain
- Speaking of running backs with ankle injuries, Joe Mixon suffered one of his own. The Bengals’ runner is “believed to have just an ankle sprain,” according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who tweets that “early reports [are] optimistic.” It’s unclear how sever the ankle sprain is, although fortunately it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a longterm absence for the Oklahoma product.
AFC Notes: Glenn, Robinson, Haden, Harris
Bengals left tackle Cordy Glenn has been ruled out of the team’s Week 1 game, Ben Baby of ESPN.com relays. Back-up left tackle Andre Smith will take over duties and will face a fearsome defensive front in Seattle that includes newcomers Ziggy Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Jaguars LT Cam Robinson is not playing vs. the Chiefs but it’s not the knee that he recently had surgery on that’s keeping him out, as Phillip Heilman of The Athletic relays (Twitter links). Robinson’s right knee is now the issue.
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has details on Joe Haden‘s extension with the Steelers. The pact comes with a signing bonus of $13.8MM.
- Don’t expect an extension for Broncos CB Chris Harris anytime soon. Troy Renck of ABC Denver (Twitter link) hears that an extension is not in the team’s plans right now, as John Elway & Co. will wait until the offseason to handle the matter.
NFL Cap Space By Team For 2019
With hours to go before the start of the 2019 NFL season, here’s a rundown of how much cap room each NFL team has (via ESPN.com’s Field Yates, on Twitter):
- Indianapolis Colts – $42.1MM
- Cleveland Browns – $32.7MM
- Miami Dolphins – $31.9MM
- Houston Texans – $29.5MM
- Buffalo Bills – $24.8MM
- Tennessee Titans – $24.1MM
- Dallas Cowboys – $22.3MM
- Detroit Lions – $19.2MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $18.7MM
- Chicago Bears – $17.3MM
- Carolina Panthers – $16.6MM
- Washington Redskins – $15.9MM
- Philadelphia Eagles – $14.8MM
- Cincinnati Bengals – $13.3MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $12.4MM
- Oakland Raiders – $12MM
- Denver Broncos – $11.2MM
- Green Bay Packers – $10.8MM
- Los Angeles Chargers – $10.2MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars – $9.5MM
- New York Jets – $9.3MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $8.6MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $8.2MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $6.3MM
- New England Patriots – $4.9MM
- Arizona Cardinals – $2.7MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $1.2MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $1.2MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $852K
- New Orleans Saints – $604K
- Atlanta Falcons – $493K
- New York Giants – $457K