Jonathan Cooper

Broncos Place Bradley Chubb, Jerry Jeudy On Reserve/COVID-19 List

Already favored before the Broncos’ run of positive COVID-19 tests, the Chargers keep learning of more Denver starters who will miss Sunday’s game.

The Broncos will be down Bradley Chubb, Jerry Jeudy and linebacker Baron Browning on Sunday due to positive coronavirus tests. They also placed rotational edge rusher Jonathan Cooper and backup defensive lineman McTelvin Agim on their reserve/COVID-19 list Friday.

[RELATED: Broncos To Start Drew Lock In Week 17]

Additionally, the Broncos could also be without Courtland Sutton. Vic Fangio said the recently extended wideout could soon be moved to the team’s virus list, though that has not happened as of Friday afternoon (Twitter links via 9News’ Mike Klis). If Sutton ends up being shelved, the Broncos will likely be down to Kendall Hinton as their top wide receiver in Los Angeles. The team placed Tim Patrick on its virus list Wednesday.

Thirteen Broncos have been placed on the virus list over the past three days. Defensive line coach Bill Kollar also will miss Sunday’s game after a positive test. Chubb and Jeudy have each missed extensive time this season. A second 2021 ankle surgery sidelined Chubb for much of the year, while Jeudy missed most of the season’s first half because of a high ankle sprain sustained in Week 1.

The NFL moved three Week 15 games to new dates but has since altered its protocols twice in order to limit player unavailability. No games have been moved since, with the NFL playing Dolphins-Saints as scheduled despite New Orleans’ run of positive tests, and it should be expected the Broncos-Chargers rematch will be played Sunday.

While the Broncos are not technically eliminated, their losses to the Bengals and Raiders all but buried them in the AFC wild-card race. The Chargers have a 35% chance to qualify for the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight.com.

Panthers Host G Jonathan Cooper On Visit

Richie Incognito‘s return from suspension led the Raiders to release Jonathan Cooper. The former top-10 pick is already generating interest.

The Panthers are hosting Cooper on a visit Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The 29-year-old blocker is a Wilmington, N.C., native and is a former Tar Heel. Cooper, though, has made his way through several teams and has suited up for four franchises over the past four seasons.

Carolina has Trai Turner and Greg Van Roten installed as its guard starters and drafted Dennis Daley in the sixth round this year. However, reserve offensive lineman Brandon Greene has not practiced this week due to a neck injury, creating a potential need for depth up front.

Cooper played for the Cardinals, Browns, Cowboys and Redskins over the past four seasons. He was also with the Patriots and 49ers in this span. The 2013 draftee did not play for the Raiders this season, being a healthy scratch in each of Oakland’s first two games.

Raiders Release Jonathan Cooper

The Raiders released guard Jonathan Cooper, the club announced Tuesday. This comes shortly after Richie Incognito‘s two-game suspension concluded.

Cooper signed with the Raiders this past July to serve as a potential stopgap starter in the wake of Incognito’s ban. Cooper was inactive for the Raiders the past two weeks.

Since being selected seventh overall by the Cardinals in the 2013 draft, Cooper has played for Cardinals, Browns, Cowboys, Redskins and Raiders. He caught on with the Redskins because of injuries last season and joined the Raiders because of a suspension. With Incognito back this week, there was little reason to keep the seldom-used blocker on the roster.

Oakland played without both of its first-string guards over the first two weeks, with Gabe Jackson still recovering from injury. With Jackson improving, the Raiders’ offensive line is soon set to look quite different.

Raiders To Sign G Jonathan Cooper

On the first business day after Richie Incognito‘s suspension was announced, the Raiders moved to add some guard depth and perhaps a stopgap starter. They agreed to terms with Jonathan Cooper, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

The former first-round pick did not come close to living up to his lofty draft slot and was a pre-Week 1 release last year, despite inking a mid-level 49ers deal. But Cooper has started 31 games since being drafted No. 7 overall in 2013 and stands to supply the Raiders with another option at left guard.

Incognito will miss the first two games of this season. Denzelle Good resided as the Raiders’ previous left guard starter. He now figures to compete with Cooper for that role in Weeks 1-2.

Cooper, 29, was a 13-game Cowboys starter in 2017, leading to the 49ers guaranteeing him $4MM last year. They opted to go with Mike Person over Cooper in their starting lineup. Cooper resurfaced with the Redskins late last season; he started four games with Washington.

The Raiders waived wide receiver Montay Crockett to make room for Cooper on their 90-man roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/18

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Atlanta Falcons

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Miami Dolphins

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Redskins

Redskins’ Jonathan Cooper Done For Year

The Redskins are down one quarterback and a starting lineman after Monday night’s loss to the Eagles. Guard Jonathan Cooper suffered a torn biceps tendon that will end his season, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

[Redskins’ Colt McCoy Suffers Season Ending Injury]

Cooper, a former first round pick, started in each of his 13 appearances last year with Dallas. He hooked on with the 49ers in the offseason, but failed to make their final cut. Finally, last month, he found an opening with the Redskins after starting guards Brandon Scherff and Shawn Lauvao were lost to injury.

Cooper started in all four of his games for the Redskins, seeing time at both left guard and left tackle. His ~200 snaps didn’t give us much of a sample, but the metrics at Pro Football Focus rated him as a below-average protector.

The 28-year-old (29 in January) graded out as the No. 35 guard in the NFL last season, per PFF, and his past performance should allow him to draw some interest on the open market. Unfortunately, he probably won’t live up to the promise that many thought he had in 2013 when the Cardinals made him the No. 7 overall pick.

Redskins Sign G Jonathan Cooper

The Redskins’ offensive line depth chart looks incredibly different a day after the group was ravaged during a Week 9 loss to the Falcons. Multiple starters are now on IR and new faces will have to acclimate quickly.

Another newcomer will be Jonathan Cooper. The former top-10 pick-turned-journeyman signed with the Redskins on Monday. Cooper has not played this season. The 49ers signed him to a near-$5MM deal this offseason but cut him after the preseason’s conclusion.

Washington lost starting guards Brandon Scherff and Shaun Lauvao, who have since been placed on IR. Trent Williams is also dealing with an injury. Veteran Austin Howard is now on the team. So is Luke Bowanko, who joined Cooper and Howard in agreeing to terms Monday.

The Redskins also worked out offensive linemen Chris Scott, Zac Kerin and Matt McCants. Instead, they opted for some higher-profile blockers in Howard, Cooper and Bowanko. Washington remains in first place in the NFC East, sitting at 5-3, but the blowout loss to Atlanta suddenly has this somewhat surprising run in jeopardy of fizzling. The Eagles are one game back.

Cooper worked out for the Ravens in September. This latest mid-Atlantic trek is the only other known audition in which the former Cardinals first-rounder is known to have participated. Although he’s bounced around, the North Carolina alum started 13 games as the Cowboys’ left guard last season. That landed him a one-year, $4.95MM 49ers contract. But that stay was brief. San Francisco opted to go with Mike Person over Cooper as a starter.

Bowanko spent time with the Patriots this offseason but didn’t make their 53-man roster out of camp. He worked out for the Browns and Bears earlier this season.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/17/18

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s of Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • TE Nick O’Leary (link)

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

49ers Release OG Jonathan Cooper

A former first-rounder is now looking for a new gig. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the 49ers are releasing offensive guard Jonathan Cooper.

After being selected as the seventh-overall pick in the 2013 draft, Cooper spent the first three years of his career with the Cardinals. He was traded to the Patriots in the Chandler Jones deal back in 2016, but he didn’t last the entire season in New England. Since then, he’s spent time with the Browns, Cowboys, and 49ers.

After appearing in only five games during the 2016 campaign, Cooper ended up starting each of his 13 appearances in 2017 with Dallas.

Cooper’s release will boost the chances of several lineman to make the 49ers’ roster. This grouping includes Garry Gilliam, Joshua Garnett, and Erik Magnuson.

NFC West Rumors: Donald, Wright, Cards

The Rams seem to be preparing their fans for a contract coronation soon, continuing to declare they’re near the goal line of the Aaron Donald negotiations. After Sean McVay made comments about the Donald deal being close to completed, Rams GM Les Snead confirmed this two-offseason saga is nearing completion. He added, via Pro Football Talk, nothing’s been agreed to just yet. After Donald reported into the regular season and won defensive player of the year acclaim despite being in a new defense, the fifth-year player’s late arrival probably won’t mean much to the Rams. But the results of this process will be plenty important for Khalil Mack and others seeking to raise a defensive salary ceiling that’s remained stagnant for two years as quarterbacks’ wages have skyrocketed.

Over the past year alone, the top of the QB market has climbed by 24 percent, with Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweeting Donald or Mack will have to sign for a $23.66MM deal to match that kind of increase. Von Miller‘s $19MM-AAV agreement — signed in July 2016, when the highest-paid quarterback wasn’t yet making $25MM per year — remains the top defender contract.

More from the NFC West, moving to another longtime defensive starter, here:

  • A Seahawks defense that already jettisoned four Super Bowl-era starters this offseason may be without another in Week 1. K.J. Wright underwent surgery on Monday and probably won’t be ready when the Seahawks face the Broncos next Sunday, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Pete Carroll categorized this procedure as a “cleanup” but said a couple of weeks would be the most optimistic timeline. Shaquem Griffin‘s first start, then, figures to occur sooner than expected. Condotta confirms the fifth-round rookie will start if Wright can’t go.
  • Jonathan Cooper went from signing a near-$5MM contract with the 49ers this spring to possibly being a post-preseason casualty. A slow recovery from knee surgery has Cooper on the 49ers’ bubble, Corry notes. Cutting Cooper, who is behind Mike Person and Joshua Garnett at right guard, would cost the team $4.48MM in dead money.
  • Two notable names appear to be competing for the final Cardinals receiver spot. Former Cowboys rotational cog Brice Butler signed a two-year Cardinals deal but is not a lock to make the team. He and one-time Browns second-round pick Greg Little, who hasn’t played since 2014, may be vying for one job, with Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writing he wouldn’t be surprised if Little beats out Butler. He has Butler making the team ahead of Little, however. A Butler cut would cost the Cards $500K in dead money.