HEADLINES

Matt Haack

Bills Bring Back QB Mitchell Trubisky, P Matt Haack; S Taylor Rapp Lands Extension

March 7th, 2024 at 9:12am CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 7: Garafolo’s colleague Tom Pelissero reports the Trubisky deal is two years in length and has a base value of $5.25MM. $2.75MM in guaranteed money is in place for 2024, and he can raise the value of the pact to $8.45MM via playing time and win incentives. Trubisky’s deal is thus far more valuable than Kyle Allen’s from last season, and the latter will likely be headed elsewhere.

MARCH 6: After being released from the Steelers over three weeks ago, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is headed back to Buffalo, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Trubisky left the Bills two years ago in order to compete for the starting job in Pittsburgh, but after falling dramatically on the depth chart since then, Trubisky found himself a free agent. Tim Graham of The Athletic was the first to report progressing talks of a reunion earlier this afternoon.

After leaving for the Steelers, Trubisky successfully won the starting job over then-rookie Kenny Pickett. In a Week 4 loss to the Jets, Trubisky was benched for the rookie out of Pitt and remained on the bench for most of the remainder of the year, except for two games during which Pickett was injured. This season, Trubisky was the first name called upon to start when Pickett got hurt again. He played in three consecutive games before eventually getting benched once again, this time in favor of Mason Rudolph.

During his previous stint in Buffalo, Trubisky signed knowing that he would serve as a backup to Josh Allen, resigning himself to a role learning under the same staff that molded Allen into an MVP candidate. He’ll return to the same role in 2024. Trubisky’s addition likely means the end of Kyle Allen‘s time in Buffalo. Allen made seven garbage-time appearances last year as the primary backup before heading to free agency this offseason. Practice squad reserve Shane Buechele was signed to a futures deal and should play a similar role next season.

The Bills also kept an important name in the secondary, signing safety Taylor Rapp to a three-year extension worth up to $14.5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Rapp, formerly a full-time starter as a second-round pick for the Rams, functioned as a third safety for the Bills in 2023, sitting behind the veteran pair of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. Rapp’s main playing time in Buffalo came as a starter in the four weeks that Hyde and Poyer missed due to injury.

With Hyde headed towards free agency and Poyer being released today, Rapp’s signing may deliver a glimpse of the Bills’ plans at safety moving forward. Some have even linked Buffalo to some of the best safety prospects in the draft like Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin or Miami’s Kamren Kinchens. Since both Hyde and Poyer will be 33 years old heading into the 2024 season, it makes sense that Buffalo is making plans to move on. Rapp represents one possible solution moving forward at 26 years old.

Finally, another reunion is happening in Buffalo, this one on special teams. Veteran punter Matt Haack signed a deal to return to Buffalo this year. Haack’s last full season came in 2022, when he served punting duties for the Colts, but he did play a game for the Browns this past year. The Bills re-signed current punter Sam Martin to a three-year, $6MM deal almost a year ago, so he’s still under contract for two more years.

Martin’s contract does have a potential out this offseason that would allow the team to save $1.25MM of cap space, so given the rest of their actions today, I wouldn’t rule out Haack coming in to replace Martin. For now, though, we’ll assume Haack is coming in to provide some camp competition for Martin this summer.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/20/24

January 20th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Ely Allen

A couple practice squad transactions on a Divisional Round Saturday:

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Haack’s Buffalo reunion comes to a quick end after only three days. Haack was brought in as an emergency option at punter with starter Sam Martin dealing with a hamstring injury, but Haack’s release today points to some positive signs for Martin’s availability tomorrow.

Likewise, O’Donnell has been brought in with regular Packers punter Daniel Whelan still questionable on the injury report. O’Donnell wasn’t included in the team’s standard practice squad elevations, though, so it appears Whelan will be available tonight.

Bills To Bring Back P Matt Haack

January 17th, 2024 at 9:41am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills saw their punting equation change when Sam Martin suffered a hamstring injury following a blocked field goal Monday. While Martin continued to punt in the team’s wild-card win, the Bills will bring in outside insurance.

Matt Haack will become Buffalo’s emergency punter, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. This marks a Western New York return for Haack, who operated as the Bills’ punter in 2021. A seven-year veteran, Haack has played for three teams in the past three years. Haack will fill the practice squad spot vacated when the team cut Leonard Fournette, per the Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald.

A full-time punter from 2017-22, Haack has only served as an emergency leg this season. The Browns brought him in for their Week 17 game, with Corey Bojorquez dealing with an injury. Haack spent the 2022 season with the Colts, taking over after the team lost Rigoberto Sanchez during a late-summer workout. Haack spent all of last season in Indianapolis.

Haack, 29, averaged a career-low 42.9 yards per punt during his 2021 Bills one-off, with Buffalo not exactly featuring ideal conditions for specialists. The former four-year Dolphins punter has averaged at least 44.6 yards per boot in every other season.

Martin has been Buffalo’s punter for two seasons; he grabbed his hamstring while running to help prevent the Steelers from returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown during the second quarter Monday. IR could be an option, should the Bills want to save a roster spot, but that would mean Martin is done for the season. The Bills at least have a familiar option in the event Martin cannot go against the Chiefs on Sunday.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/2/24

January 2nd, 2024 at 6:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: S Jeremy Lucien

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: TE Johnny Lumpkin

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Signed: TE E.J. Jenkins
  • Placed on practice squad injured list: TE Cole Fotheringham

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: QB Dresser Winn
  • Released: LS Alex Matheson

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: LB Abraham Beauplan

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

Teams can begin signing players to reserve/futures contracts Jan. 8. P-squad contracts expire seven days after the regular season concludes, and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reminds teams are not limited regarding the number of times they can elevate a player from a taxi squad during the playoffs. In the regular season, players are capped at three gameday elevations.

The Panthers are expected to sign Boone to a futures deal next week, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. After three years with the Vikings and two with the Broncos, Boone played in nine games with the Texans this season. As for Wright, this marks a reunion. While Wright’s first Panthers stay did not last long (Aug. 26-30), Carolina may need him due to Eddy Pineiro‘s hamstring injury.

Amid the Jets’ wave of O-line injuries, they signed Saffold. While the former Rams, Titans and Bills starter was with the Jets for several weeks, he did not see any game action in his 14th NFL season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/23

December 28th, 2023 at 6:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed off 49ers practice squad: OT Ilm Manning

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Jets

Germain Ifedi‘s underwhelming stint with the Bills has come to an end. The veteran offensive lineman joined the Bills this past offseason and was expected to provide some experienced depth. Instead, Ifedi was inactive for every game this season, and the Bills have decided his roster spot could be put to better use. ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg believes this move will likely open a spot for defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.

Browns To Sign P Matt Haack

December 26th, 2023 at 11:11am CST by Adam La Rose

In their upcoming Thursday night matchup, the Browns could have new faces at both the kicker and punter positions. Cleveland has agreed to a deal with Matt Haack, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports.

Incumbent punter Corey Bojorquez suffered a quad injury during the Browns’ win over the Texans, Garafolo notes. As a result, he joins kicker Dustin Hopkins (who left the game with a hamstring injury) as a Browns specialist in danger of missing the game against the Jets. Cleveland signed kicker Riley Patterson on Sunday to provide insurance against Hopkins being unable to play.

Like the Patterson deal, this Haack agreement is a practice squad signing. The latter has not played this season, having briefly spent the summer with the Cardinals. Arizona released Haack in August, leaving him on the open market until today’s move. The 29-year-old is an experienced mid-season addition, as he has 98 NFL games under his belt.

Haack began his career with the Dolphins, and his play in Miami earned him a three-year deal with the Bills when he reached free agency. He spent only one year in Buffalo, however, after he was released last summer. That quickly led to an agreement with the Colts, and he remained in Indianapolis throughout the season. Haack recorded a personal-best 44.8 yards per punt average in 2022, and his net average (39.6) was an improvement from the previous season’s performance.

Bojorquez has had a strong second season in Cleveland. Having punted a career-high 80 times this campaign, the 27-year-old has posted a 49.5 yard gross average and a 42.0 net average; both figures are the second highest of his career. Missing Bojorquez for any stretch could thus deal a blow to Cleveland’s special teams, but in case he is unable to suit up on Thursday, an experienced option is now in place.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/23

August 21st, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LB Marvin Pierre
  • Placed on IR: TE Tyler Davis

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: WR Juwan Green
  • Waived/injured: WR Kekoa Crawford
  • Released from IR: DB Anthony Witherstone

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: QB James Blackman
  • Waived/injured: CB Tino Ellis

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • Released from IR: OL Scott Lashley

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: TE Sal Cannella

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Brian Hill comes to San Francisco with 48 career games under his belt. He had a career year for the Falcons back in 2020, compiling 664 yards from scrimmage in 16 games. The RB has bounced around the NFL a bit since, spending time with the Titans, Browns, and 49ers (two stints). Following stints in the CFL and XFL, the 27-year-old will now add some depth to a San Francisco running backs room that already includes Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Tyrion Davis-Price, and Jeremy McNichols.

Trevon Coley started 29 games for the Browns through his first two seasons in the NFL, but he’s struggled to stay on the field since. The defensive lineman got into seven games for the Colts in 2019 and (most recently) six games for the Cardinals in 2020. In total, the 29-year-old has 100 career tackles and 3.5 sacks on his resume.

Adrian Colbert won’t play for the Bears in 2023 after being placed on IR, although there’s a chance he’s cut loose and allowed to play for another squad. The veteran safety has played in 41 career games, starting 22. He’s been limited to only 14 games since the 2020 campaign, including a two-game stint with the Bears in 2022.

Cardinals Sign P Matt Haack, Release K Elliott Fry

May 15th, 2023 at 3:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals appear to have taken another step toward finding Andy Lee‘s successor as the team’s punter. Arizona announced on Monday that they have signed Matt Haack to a one-year contract.

Haack, 28, joins Nolan Cooney in the Cardinals’ offseason competition to find a replacement for Lee. The latter punted in the desert for the past six years, but will be 41 by the start of the 2023 campaign. Lee remains unsigned at this point, and the team’s latest moves point to a willingness to move on from the three-time All-Pro.

Haack is the more experienced of the two punters now on the roster, having played for three different teams across six seasons. He played out his rookie contract with the Dolphins, then had a one-year stint with the Bills in 2021. He lost out during Buffalo’s punting competition last offseason, though, leading to his release despite the presence of two more years on his contract.

Days after being released, the former UDFA found his next opportunity in Indianapolis. Haack set a new career high in punting average in 2022, with a mark of 44.8 yards per punt. His net average of 40.2 was also his highest figure since 2019, though it fell short of what Lee was able to produce last season. Nevertheless, Haack should provide the team with at least a short-term replacement option, with the potential to remain in Arizona for years to come given his age.

The Cardinals also announced that they have released kicker Elliott Fry. The 28-year-old signed a reserve deal with Arizona in January, after spending time with Atlanta, Cincinnati and Kansas City earlier in his career. Fry last played in 2021, and he will now look to find a new opportunity elsewhere. The Cardinals, meanwhile, will move forward with Matt Prater as their kicker; the veteran has been with the team since 2021 and has two years remaining on his contract.

Bills P Matt Araiza Accused Of Gang Rape In Civil Lawsuit

August 26th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

AUGUST 26: Araiza will not punt for the Bills during tonight’s preseason finale, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Tim Graham of The Athletic adds that he will not dress at all (Twitter link).

Araiza has issued the following statement: “The facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press. I look forward to quickly setting the record straight” (Twitter link via Schefter).

AUGUST 25: A civil lawsuit filed today accuses Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza and two other men associated with the San Diego State University football team of gang raping a 17-year-old girl last year, according to a report from Colleen Shalby and Robert J. Lopez of the Los Angeles Times.

The lawsuit was filed in San Diego County Superior Court. Araiza, who completed his four-year stint with SDSU in 2021, was one of three men named in the complaint. The other men were Zavier Leonard, who is listed on SDSU’s roster as a redshirt freshman, and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko, who is not currently on the roster. The incident took place at a party in October of 2021, and police were notified the next day.

Kerry Armstrong, who is representing Araiza, called the rape allegations false, saying his investigator spoke to witnesses from the party who contradicted the allegations. No arrests have been made, but detectives recently submitted findings to determine whether they should proceed with charges.

“It’s a shakedown because he’s now with the Buffalo Bills. There is no doubt in my mind,” Armstrong told the Los Angeles Times.

Araiza broke an NCAA record in 2021 after averaging 51.19 yards per punt. Following his junior campaign, the punter declared for the NFL Draft, and he was selected by the Bills in the sixth round.

“We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt from October 2021,” the Bills said in a statement. “Due to the serious nature of the complaint, we conducted a thorough examination of this matter. As this is an ongoing civil case legal, we will have no other comment at this point.”

The Bills recently committed to the rookie as their starting punter when they released veteran Matt Haack, who has since caught on with the Colts. According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, the NFL doesn’t have the ability to punish Araiza since the alleged incident took place before he was in the league.

Colts To Sign P Matt Haack

August 24th, 2022 at 1:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days after losing the Bills’ punting competition, Matt Haack has secured another opportunity. The Colts are signing the sixth-year veteran, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.

Haack served as the Bills’ punter last season but played out a four-year Dolphins rookie contract before his Buffalo commitment. The Colts are in need at the position; they confirmed Rigoberto Sanchez‘s Achilles tear Wednesday. The Colts held a punter workout today, leading to the Haack addition.

Fourth-round pick Matt Araiza beat out Haack for Buffalo’s punting job during camp. The Bills had signed Haack, 28, to a three-year, $5.48MM deal in 2021. The former UDFA will be in line to enjoy a friendlier punting environment, Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, this season.

Sanchez has been the Colts’ punter since his 2017 rookie season. Like Haack, he entered the offseason signed for multiple years. But the Achilles tear Sanchez sustained while running gassers at the end of the Colts’ Tuesday practice has changed Indy’s plans at this position, one that has enjoyed continuity for a lengthy stretch — from Pat McAfee (2009-16) to Sanchez.

Haack’s one season in Buffalo featured a career-low 42.9 yards per punt. The Arizona State alum’s per-boot numbers were better in Miami, where he averaged between 44.5 and 45.0 yards from 2017-20. Sanchez, however, has also served as the Colts’ kickoff specialist throughout his career. Haack has not done so, at least not primarily. He has recorded only four kickoffs during his career. Indianapolis’ kicker, Rodrigo Blankenship, seems likely to handle this responsibility, having made 24 kickoffs over his two-year run. Twenty of those came in 2020, a season that featured Sanchez miss time after having a cancerous tumor surgically removed.

Load More Posts