Colts’ Austin Howard, Eagles’ Chance Warmack Among OL On Trade Block?
Colts tackle Austin Howard, Eagles guard Chance Warmack, Bears center Hroniss Grasu, and Raiders tackle Jylan Ware are among the offensive linemen who could be made available via trade this weekend, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com.
Trade candidates are often simply players who will be released if no offer is made, and Howard is a clear case of that principle. The Colts already invested $1.3MM guaranteed in Howard, but he’s not a lock to open as Indianapolis’ starting right tackle or even make the club’s 53-man roster. A veteran of 92 NFL games, Howard wasn’t medically cleared until late July and has struggled in camp and during the preseason.
Warmack, too, looks like a candidate for release, as he hasn’t been included on numerous Eagles roster projections. Philadelphia extended Warmack last September, adding an extra year (2018) to his contract while guaranteeing $500K of his $1MM base salary. A trade would be especially beneficial to the Eagles, then, as an acquiring team would take on that base salary guarantee. Philadelphia could use the cap space, as it ranks a bottom-five team in financial reserves.
Both Grasu and Ware are also on the roster bubble with their respective teams. Neither offers much experience: Grasu, a third-round pick in 2015, has been beset by injuries and appeared in just 14 games, while Ware, a 2017 seventh-rounder, has just one contest under his belt.
Colts To Cut DB T.J. Green
A former second-round pick who’s made 11 starts in his two NFL seasons, T.J. Green posted on social media the Colts are cutting him.
Chuck Pagano pushed hard for Ryan Grigson to draft Green in 2016, per Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Green suffered a hamstring injury and will be waived with an injury designation, per Stephen Holder of The Athletic (via Twitter), adding an injury settlement may be in the cards if Green goes unclaimed on waivers.
Behind Malik Hooker and Matthias Farley, Indianapolis employs Clayton Geathers, former trade acquisition Ronald Martin and 2018 free agent addition Robinson Therezie. Green started seven games last season and made 42 tackles.
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.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/18
NFL teams are making roster moves in advance of Saturday’s 53-man deadline. We’ll keep track of the minor moves here:
Detroit Lions
- Released: CB Josh Okonye
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Brandon Chubb
- Waived: RB Tion Green
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: C Jacob Judd
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: CB Jarell Carter
New England Patriots
- Signed RB Kenneth Farrow, WR K.J. Maye, RB Khalfani Muhammad
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Ironhead Gallon
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB Lenard Tillery
Colts Trade Antonio Morrison To Packers
The Colts have traded linebacker Antonio Morrison to the Packers, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Demovsky hears that Green Bay will send cornerback Lenzy Pipkins to Indianapolis in return, which has since been confirmed by multiple reporters.
Morrison, whom the Colts selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, started 15 games for the club last year. While he showed some promise, racking up 108 tackles in the middle of the Colts’ defense, he lacks the speed and athleticism that new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has been stressing. He was firmly on the roster bubble, so GM Chris Ballard decided to get something for him rather than potentially letting him go for nothing.
Indianapolis does need help at corner, and the team hopes that Pipkins will provide some depth in that regard. He started one game for Green Bay last year and appeared in 12, picking up 14 tackles and a pass defensed.
The Packers, meanwhile, needed help at linebacker, as rookie Oren Burks is expected to miss time with an injury (per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, via Twitter). Green Bay has already lost Jake Ryan for the season.
AFC South Notes: Texans, Watt, Colts
J.J. Watt continues to insist he will be on the field with his Texans teammates when they open the regular season, but the severe injury he sustained last season — a tibeal plateau fracture — did not have doctors 100 percent certain the three-time defensive player of the year would play again.
“They weren’t even sure if the surgery would work and if he would be able to run anymore. That’s what was so scary for us,” said Watt’s girlfriend, pro soccer player Kealia Ohai, via Jenny Vrentas of SI.com. “An ACL is difficult, but it’s pretty straightforward. With J.J.’s, because of the type of injury, I remember the doctors were not exactly sure how his leg and his knee would react to [the surgery]. From the beginning, he wanted to work hard and come back. But for a while, [the question] was, would he be able to come back and play at the same level, and support that much weight? Will his leg ever be the same again?”
Watt’s returned to Texans practice, taking part in team drills, but he’s now missed 24 games over the past two seasons. It’s uncertain how the 29-year-old defensive end will look after this extensive rehab process.
Here’s the latest from the South divisions:
- D’Onta Foreman likely will not be joining Watt and other healthy Texans in Week 1. The second-year running back is likely to land on the Reserve/PUP list to start the season, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle notes. Foreman currently resides on the Active/PUP list, but if Houston places him on the regular-season version of the PUP, he must sit at least six weeks. Alfred Blue will take Foreman’s place as Lamar Miller‘s primary backup. Foreman tore an Achilles’ tendon in November.
- The Colts‘ backfield might not have its projected leader back by the season’s first Sunday. Marlon Mack‘s nursing a hamstring injury, and it’s “no slam dunk” he’ll be available for the opener, Frank Reich said (via Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, on Twitter). While the Colts are hopeful the second-year back can return by then and take his place with the starting offense, they may have to wait a bit for that to occur. The Colts will also be without Robert Turbin for the first four games of the season due to a suspension; they have rookies Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines, along with the well-traveled Christine Michael, in their backfield behind Mack.
- The Jets contacted the Jaguars this week regarding the trade availability of Dante Fowler.
- Derrick Morgan appears likely to miss the start of the Titans’ season due to meniscus surgery.
Colts Waive/Injured QB Brad Kaaya
The Colts announced that they’ve waived/injured quarterback Brad Kaaya and signed cornerback Juante Baldwin.
Kaaya, 22, was once viewed as the potential first overall pick in the 2017 draft, but ended up falling to the sixth round after an inconsistent final season at Miami. Since being selected by the Lions, Kaaya has bounced around the NFL via waiver claims and free agent deals, spending time with the Panthers, the Lions (again), and — most recently — the Colts. He’s yet to appear in an NFL game.
Despite his lack of production, Kaaya could still conceivably garner interest on the waiver wire. Any number of teams that expressed interest in Kaaya leading up to the 2017 draft — a list that includes the Bears, Giants, Dolphins, and Texans — could theoretically put in a claim. If Kaaya isn’t claimed on waivers, he’ll revert to Indianapolis’ injured reserve list.
Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett are locked in as the Colts’ top two quarterbacks, while Phillip Walker is the club’s No. 3 option. However, Indianapolis is only expected to keep two signal-callers on its 53-man roster, meaning Walker’s time on the squad will likely end soon.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/18
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Released: DT Tenny Palepoi
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived/Injured: CB Sojourn Shelton
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL JoJo Wicker
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Brandon Banks
- Waived/Injured: WR Matt Hazel
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/22/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Tani Tupou, DT Nigel Williams
- Released: TE Chris Bazile, WR Austin Wolf
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: RB Tion Green
- Waived/Injured: RB Josh Ferguson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Terrell Watson
- Waived/Injured: LB James Onwualu
Colts Never Talked Brissett Trade With Seattle
We heard yesterday that the Colts‘ had rejected the Seahawks offer of a second-round pick for quarterback Jacoby Brissett. However, Colts general manager Chris Ballard is saying the front office never talked trade with Seattle. The executive told ESPN’s Booger McFarland that the two sides had never discussed a trade for the 24-year-old (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com).
We learned back in March that the Colts had rejected a pair of trade offers for Brissett, who they acquired from the Patriots last year. Colts owner Jim Irsay recently said that his club wouldn’t trade Brissett for a first-round pick, so it sounds like the organization is content with the quarterback as their potential longterm backup to Andrew Luck. Brissett was solid as a starter last season, compiling 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for an additional 260 yards and four scores.