Broncos Sign Blake Bortles To Practice Squad
Blake Bortles won’t be leaving Denver after all. The Broncos released Bortles on Saturday after Drew Lock got healthy enough to return, but a source told Benjamin Allbright of KOA 850 AM that they’re re-signing Bortles to the practice squad (Twitter link).
Allbright added that Bortles impressed in the quarterback room, and it sounds like the team wants him around as a veteran mentor to the young Lock. For now the team has former Boise State quarterback and 2019 UDFA Brett Rypien as the backup, with Jeff Driskel still on the roster as the third-string. Bortles originally signed with the Broncos back on September 22nd.
The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Bortles was the starter in Jacksonville for the first five years of his career. After that tumultuous stint he signed in Los Angeles last year, and spent 2019 carrying Jared Goff‘s clipboard. Thanks to the league’s new COVID-19 rules, veterans like Bortles are allowed to sign to practice squads for the first time.
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
As shown by Le’Veon Bell‘s recent deal with the Chiefs, big name free agents can come available at any point throughout the season. His contract wasn’t particularly pricey, but teams like to keep cash on hand during the year, especially when mulling potential trades before the deadline. Excess cap room can also be rolled over from year-to-year and give clubs the opportunity to lock up their most valuable players with extensions.
Here are the most recent figures for each team, via Over The Cap:
- Cleveland Browns – $33.1MM
- New York Jets – $27.9MM
- Dallas Cowboys — $23.9MM
- Washington Football Team – $23.6MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars– $22.9MM
- New England Patriots – $22.9MM
- Denver Broncos – $19.7MM
- Detroit Lions – $17MM
- Philadelphia Eagles– $18MM
- Miami Dolphins – $15.8MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $10.4MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $9.6MM
- Cincinnati Bengals– $9MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $9MM
- Arizona Cardinals– $8.9MM
- Chicago Bears – $8.4MM
- Tennessee Titans – $8.3MM
- Houston Texans – $8.1MM
- Los Angeles Chargers — $8MM
- New Orleans Saints – $8MM
- Green Bay Packers – $7.7MM
- New York Giants – $7.2MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $7MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $6.3MM
- Carolina Panthers – $6.2MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $5.8MM
- Buffalo Bills – $5MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $4MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $4MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $2MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $1.4MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $158K
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: S Marcus Gilchrist, LB Kristian Welch
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: WR Keith Kirkwood
- Promoted: DT Woodrow Hamilton, DE Austin Larkin
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DT Kahlil McKenzie
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: S Elijah Benton
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: RB Jeremy Cox, LB Josh Watson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: G Joe Dahl
- Promoted: QB David Blough, TE Isaac Nauta
- Waived: CB Chris Jones
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
Houston Texans
- Promoted: S Jonathan Owens
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: DE Jabaal Sheard
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: DT Eli Ankou
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: DT Benito Jones
New York Giants
- Promoted: LB Trent Harris
New York Jets
- Promoted: LB Blake Cashman, WR Vyncint Smith, QB Mike White
- Released: S Marqui Christian
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: WR Deon Cain
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: WR Richie James
- Promoted: DT Darrion Daniels, WR Kevin White
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: LB Daren Bates, WR Cameron Batson, DB Kareem Orr
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: TE Temarrick Hemingway
West Rumors: Broncos, Bell, Rams
Broncos running backs coach Curtis Modkins will not travel with the team to New England for the rescheduled Broncos-Patriots game due to a positive COVID-19 test, the team announced Saturday. Modkins, 49, is in his third season as Denver’s running backs coach. He is not experiencing symptoms from the virus, according to the team, which has performed the customary contact tracing after this positive test. The former Bills and 49ers offensive coordinator is a holdover from the Vance Joseph regime and has been retained despite the Broncos changing OCs the past two offseasons. Modkins has been an NFL assistant since the 2008 season. Modkins’ son, Jett, is a Broncos intern and lives with his father. Jett Modkins will not make the trip either, Troy Renck of Denver7 notes. The Broncos will also be without Melvin Gordon from their backfield mix Sunday.
Here is the latest from the West divisions:
- Le’Veon Bell‘s Chiefs deal will come with a $1MM base salary, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The Dolphins were believed to be offering more money and potentially a multiyear deal, but another report indicated Miami did not dangle two years in its Bell proposal. Bell will have around $1MM more available to him through incentives. One of those incentives will be based around Bell’s workload. Bell’s Chiefs contract, to some degree, lessen the Jets’ burden. They owed the former All-Pro back approximately $6MM after releasing him after five games.
- Another team’s running backs coach will be out of action as well. Rams RBs coach Thomas Brown blew out his Achilles’ tendon during practice Thursday, Sean McVay confirmed. In his first season as an NFL assistant, Brown joined the Rams’ staff this offseason. The 34-year-old position coach will undergo surgery next week.
- Drew Lock is set to return as the Broncos‘ quarterback Sunday. He will have far from his optimal group of skill-position players. Phillip Lindsay will play; so will Jerry Jeudy. However, Denver will be down Noah Fant and K.J. Hamler. Fant suffered an ankle injury in Denver’s win over the Jets more than two weeks ago; Hamler reinjured the hamstring he pulled during training camp. Lock was able to target Courtland Sutton when he last played (Week 2), but Denver’s No. 1 wide receiver is out for the season with an ACL tear. Lock will have a difficult task against the Patriots, who will have Stephon Gilmore back after his stay on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.
Broncos Release QB Blake Bortles
With Drew Lock looking like he’ll return to the field this weekend, the Broncos have moved on from one of their other quarterbacks. Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post reports (via Twitter) that the team is releasing Blake Bortles. The team has signed practice squad defensive lineman Sylvester Williams to take his spot.
Following five trick-or-treat seasons with the Jaguars, the 2014 third-overall pick had to settle for a backup gig with the Rams last season. He saw time in three games behind Jared Goff, completing one of his two pass attempts. Bortles sat in free agency for the entire offseason, but he eventually got a contract from the Broncos following Lock’s injury in Week 2.
With the 23-year-old appearing to be recovered from his rotator cuff strain, the Broncos apparently so no use for the 28-year-old Bortles. The team will instead move forward with Brett Rypien or Jeff Driskel as the backup quarterbacks.
Williams, a first-round pick by the Broncos back in 2013, reunited with his old team earlier this month when he inked a practice squad deal. The 31-year-old appeared in five games for the Chargers last season, compiling five tackles.
The Broncos have made a few other moves to their roster. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that the team has promoted running back Jeremy Cox and linebacker Josh Watson to their active roster. Cox, a former standout at Old Dominion, will serve as the third running back with Melvin Gordon on the shelf. Watson joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State in 2019. He’s appeared in nine career games for Denver, collecting a pair of tackles.
Broncos RB Melvin Gordon Out Sunday
Melvin Gordon won’t be on the field when the Broncos take on the Patriots tomorrow. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that the running back did not travel to New England due to an illness.
[RELATED: Broncos/Patriots still on track for Sunday]
The reporter later clarified that Gordon had been diagnosed with strep throat. Considering the bacterial infection can be contagious, the Broncos decided to be cautious and leave Gordon in Denver. Earlier this morning, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reported (via Twitter) that the running back had come down with a non-COVID-19 illness, noting that the training staff had taken extra precautions to guarantee he wasn’t dealing with COVID-19.
It hasn’t been the best week for Gordon. On Tuesday night, the 27-year-old was cited for driving under the influence. The police report stated that Gordon was found to be intoxicated after he was pulled over for speeding. The DUI citation could subject him to league discipline, including a possible suspension.
After three relatively underwhelming performances to begin his Broncos tenure, Gordon had a big game earlier this month against the Jets, rushing for 107 yards and two scores on 23 carries. Following a five-year stint with the Chargers that saw him earn a pair of Pro Bowl nods, Gordon inked a two-year, $16MM deal with Denver this past offseason.
Patriots Place C James Ferentz On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Despite the Patriots canceling their Friday practice, their game against the Broncos remains on schedule for noon CT on Sunday. New England, however, will not have its current starting center for that contest.
The Patriots are placing James Ferentz on their reserve/COVID-19 list, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Pats canceled their Friday workout after another positive test. It is not certain if Ferentz tested positive, with players not having to do so to be placed on the COVID list, but this is another setback for the team and a concern for the league.
Ferentz started New England’s Week 4 game in Kansas City for David Andrews, who resides on the Pats’ IR list. While the Patriots are slated to have Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore back in Week 6, the former will play behind a reconfigured line. Ferentz, a former Bronco in his fourth season with the Patriots, has played in 18 games with his current team and started three.
The Pats placed Andrews on IR in late September; Andrews missed all of last season due to a blood clot issue. New England could use guard Joe Thuney at center and play versatile rookie Michael Onwenu at left guard. Onwenu has already seen action at both guard spots and right tackle, despite being a sixth-round pick. Right guard Shaq Mason got in two limited practices this week. Mason missed Week 4 with a calf injury.
Both the Patriots and Broncos have been informed the game is still on for Sunday, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes no contingency plan currently exists (Twitter link). Were the NFL to delay this game again, no bye week-related fix can be made. The league already postponed this game one week. This obviously remains a situation to monitor over the next two days.
Patriots Cancel Practice Due To COVID-19 Positives
The Patriots canceled Friday’s practice after another player tested positive for COVID-19, a source tells NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). They’ve also received another positive on the team, though that test is being rechecked to confirm.
The Pats are going ahead with virtual meetings today, but Sunday’s game against the Broncos is now in flux. That game, of course, was already delayed one week due to previous Patriots positives. Both teams have already burned their bye weeks, so it would be difficult to reschedule the games to be played any later than Monday or Tuesday. Unfortunately, playing the game early next week won’t be an option if the Patriots are not quickly cleared from coronavirus protocols.
Meanwhile, the Colts announced that their previously reported four positives have come back negative after being re-tested. Their game against the Bengals will go on as planned. The Patriots will keep their fingers crossed for a similar outcome. Meanwhile, the league has launched an investigation into their recurring testing issues, which have brought back a number of false positives throughout 2020.
Drew Lock On Track For Week 6?
- While Cam Newton‘s return to the Patriots’ active roster points to the Broncos facing him and not Jarrett Stidham this week, Drew Lock also appears on the verge of a return. The Denver starter participated fully in practice Wednesday. A Week 6 return would be in the timeframe initially set after Lock’s Week 2 shoulder injury. The Broncos used two different starters, running their post-Peyton Manning total to nine, in Lock’s absence. Were Lock to be held out another week, Brett Rypien would be in line to log a second start.
- Mark Barron‘s Broncos debut remains on hold. On IR because of a hamstring injury, Barron suffered a pectoral malady that will delay his return to action, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The Broncos signed Barron late in the summer, but the former first-round pick does not have a clear-cut return date.
Broncos’ Melvin Gordon Charged With DUI
Broncos running back Melvin Gordon was cited for driving under the influence on Tuesday night, as Mike Klis of 9News reports. According to police, Gordon was speeding between 25 mph and 39 mph over the limit and found to be intoxicated when he was pulled over.
“We are aware of the situation involving Melvin Gordon,” the Broncos said in a statement. “Our organization has been in communication with him and is in the process of gathering more details.”
Gordon joined the Broncos in March on a two-year, $16MM deal. With the Chargers, he totaled at least 1,375 yards from scrimmage from 2016-18 and 47 touchdowns over the past four years. While he has missed time due to minor injuries throughout his career, Gordon was healthy throughout 2019. Of course, he still missed games, due to his holdout that stretched into October of last year.
In 12 games, Gordon averaged 3.8 yards per carry, a far cry from the 5.1 yards per tote that gave him so much leverage in 2018. This past week, the Broncos got a glimpse of Gordon’s full potential as he ran for 107 yards against the Jets, including a 43-yard TD to clinch the win.
Gordon’s DUI citation could subject him to league discipline, including a possible suspension.