Trade Notes: Gesicki, Hawks, Commanders
Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki recently emerged as a potential trade candidate. The tight end doesn’t seem overly focused on the latest rumblings, telling reporters that he hasn’t asked the front office for clarity about the report.
“No,” Gesicki responded when asked if he’s reached out to the Dolphins (h/t Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post). “I mean, I think I just kind of like I said, I just kind of go about my business. Whatever happens, happens. And I’ve been here for five years now. I love it here. I’m happy to be here. And if I stay here, which I mean, I would assume, I would. I’m excited to continue to be here, make plays and you know, help the team win and move forward and all that kind of stuff for the rest of season.”
Gesicki is coming off his best game of the season, with the tight end hauling in six catches for 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Vikings. However, the 27-year-old has been limited to only 101 yards in his other five appearances, with receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle commanding the bulk of the targets. Despite his inconsistent offensive role, Gesicki made it clear that he hasn’t asked for a trade.
“Nah,” Gesicki said when asked if he’s requested a trade.” I mean, I think these coaches also understand what I’m capable of. And I think, you know, Sunday was a good, you know, showing of that just, you know, a couple of opportunities to go out there and make plays. And that was my thing. I don’t know when the opportunity is gonna come, but I gotta keep preparing as if they’re gonna come.”
More trade notes from around the NFL…
- The Seahawks have made cornerback Sidney Jones available, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. While the organization would prefer to keep the veteran, they’re willing to listen to offers with Jones buried on the depth chart. Michael Jackson and Tariq Woolen are holding down the fort as the outside cornerbacks, and Tre Brown will eventually work his way back into the lineup. Jones is playing on a one-year deal following a career season in 2021. In 16 games (11 starts) for Seattle, the cornerback compiled 66 tackles and 10 passes defended.
- Speaking of Seattle, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times can’t envision the Seahawks making a significant move at the trade deadline. While Seattle has made deadline moves in the past, the team currently seems focused on building their core from within. The team also has little cap space to work with, making a big splash unlikely.
- Following his benching in Week 5, it was reported that Commanders cornerback William Jackson could be looking for a fresh start elsewhere. However, the defensive back denied reports that he wants to be traded (per ESPN’s John Keim on Twitter). Jackson was ruled out for Week 6 with a back injury, and it sounds like he’s unlikely to play in Week 7. Jackson is attached to a three-year, $40.5MM deal, but teams have expressed interest ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline.
- The Panthers were planning to cut Robbie Anderson before they found a taker in the Cardinals, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). Considering the prospect of just eating his salary, the Panthers made out well in the deal, securing a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 seventh-round pick from Arizona.
Dolphins Place CB Nik Needham, LB Trey Flowers On IR
The Dolphins placed a pair of defenders on IR today. The team announced that linebacker Trey Flowers and cornerback Nik Needham have landed on injured reserve.
[RELATED: Dolphins CB Nik Needham Suffers Torn Achilles]
Needham’s placement on IR isn’t a surprise. The defensive back suffered a torn Achilles during Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, ending his season. Needham was operating as a starter in 2022, filling in for Byron Jones while the veteran continues to recover from his own Achilles tear. The 25-year-old is set to be a free agent following the season after being hit with a second-round tender this past offseason.
Miami’s current grouping of healthy cornerbacks includes Justin Bethel, Xavien Howard, Noah Igbinoghene, and Kader Kohou, with defensive backs Elijah Campbell and Keion Crossen also candidates to get snaps at the position. Crossen missed practice today while Kohou and Howard were limited.
Flowers left Sunday’s game with a foot issue, and the injury was apparently so severe that it’ll knock him off the field for at least the next four games. Miami has a bye week in Week 11, making Week 12 a potential return date for the veteran linebacker.
After three disappointing seasons in Detroit, Flowers joined the Dolphins in August. He saw time in four games, although his playing time was inconsistent. He had a significant role during Miami’s Week 3 win over the Bills, a game that saw him collect a pair of tackles. Andrew Van Ginkel could see a jump in snaps with Flowers out of the lineup.
Dolphins Willing To Entertain Mike Gesicki Trade Offers
Expectations were high for the Dolphins’ passing attack this season, in no small part due to the arrivals of wideout Tyreek Hill and head coach Mike McDaniel. A familiar face in the team’s offense has taken a back seat, however, leading to his name being included in trade talk. 
Tight end Mike Gesicki has gone from one of the unit’s focal points to a rotational member this season. The 27-year-old has made just 15 catches through six weeks in 2022, totaling 170 yards and three touchdowns. His proficiency as a receiver – and, more importantly, his lack thereof as a blocker – led to expectations that he could see a reduced workload within McDaniel’s system.
In late August, it was reported that Miami was open to the possibility of trading Gesicki, a further reflection of his presumed fall down the pecking order behind Hill and 2021 first-rounder Jaylen Waddle. Not much appears to have changed on that front; ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Dolphins remain willing to field trade offers on Gesicki. He does add, on the other hand, that Miami is not actively shopping the Penn State alum at this time.
Complicating matters is the fact that Gesicki is playing on the franchise tag this season, valued in his case at $10.9MM. That figure didn’t stop a pair of teams from calling about his availability before the regular season began, but would represent a difficult expense for an acquiring to justify given his underwhelming production so far. As Fowler points out, many around the league remain perplexed by Gesicki’s lack of usage given the team’s one-year investment in him.
Long-term contract talks never seemed to be in the picture this offseason, leaving Gesicki’s 2023 destination a question mark to begin with. Whether he can up his receiving numbers – especially with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa expected to be back for Week 7 – will be worth watching in the short term, given the effect it could have on his trade value.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/22
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
- Released: WR Stanley Berryhill
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: DT Kobe Smith
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Brandon Copeland, LB Julian Stanford
- Released: LB Jeremiah Attaochu, WR Slade Bolden
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Spencer Brown, DE Delontae Scott, DT Raequan Williams
- Released: TE Josh Babicz, DE Austin Larkin, TE John Lovett
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Brandon Johnson
- Released: TE Dalton Keene
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Innis Gaines
- Released: CB Benjie Franklin, LB Ray Wilborn
Houston Texans
- Signed: S C.J. Moore
- Released: CB BoPete Keyes
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR DeMichael Harris
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Deionte Thompson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Kyle Nelson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB La’Mical Perine
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Myles Dorn
- Released: S Mike Brown
New England Patriots
- Released: K Tristan Vizcaino
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB Jake Luton, DE Jabari Zuniga
- Released: DT Christian Ringo
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Conor McDermott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Jason Huntley, WR Josh Malone
- Released: S Scott Nelson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Kurt Benkert, CB Ka’dar Hollman
- Released: LB Buddy Johnson, K Sam Sloman
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: WR Kevin Kassis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: OL Justin Skule
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Kyron Brown, DB Steven Parker
- Released: DB Nate Brooks
Washington Commanders
- Released: DT Donovan Jeter
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/22
Here are Monday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Devon Kennard
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: Vyncint Smith, TE Jalen Wydermyer
- Released: TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
Miami Dolphins
- Released: RB ZaQuandre White
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR C.J. Board
- Released: WR Josh Gordon
Judging by Gordon’s minimal playing time at his fifth NFL stop, it certainly looks like he is nearing the end. Gordon signed with the Titans shortly after he did not make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster, and while Tennessee used the former All-Pro in two games, Gordon logged six snaps and did not catch a pass. Gordon, 31, has five receptions over the past two seasons. Board spent the past two seasons with the Giants; he caught 15 passes for 152 yards with the team in that span.
The Cardinals released Kennard multiple times this year, the first such transaction coming just before cutdown day. While the team circled back to the Phoenix native previously, the veteran pass rusher is now Baltimore-bound. Kennard, 31, signed a three-year, $20MM Cardinals deal in 2020 but did not deliver much production and accepted a pay cut this offseason. Kennard did not record a sack in 15 games last season, but the 11-year veteran did post back-to-back seven-sack slates during the 2018 and ’19 campaigns with Detroit. He will join a Ravens team that has added both Jason Pierre-Paul and Jeremiah Attaochu during the season.
Dolphins Planning To Start Tua Tagovailoa In Week 7
Injury-induced quarterback shuffling has defined the Dolphins’ season thus far, with Teddy Bridgewater replacing Skylar Thompson against the Vikings. But the team hopes that chapter is over.
The Dolphins are planning to reinstall Tua Tagovailoa as their starter in Week 7, Mike McDaniel said Monday. Tagovailoa will practice as Miami’s starter this week. The third-year passer has missed two full games and parts of two more this season.
Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol — one his early-season injury saga helped reshape — Saturday morning, but the Dolphins held him out of their Week 6 loss to the Vikings. Miami has seen each of its three quarterbacks leave games with injuries this season, and while Tagovailoa’s situation proved far more severe than Bridgewater’s or Thompson’s, the team will greenlight his return.
Tua returning from what the team called a back injury in Week 3 set off a firestorm of concussion-related drama, with many believing the Alabama product sustained a head injury and was nevertheless sent onto the field soon after. The Dolphins consistently denied this, but the sequence produced an NFLPA investigation and led to changes to the league’s concussion protocol. A more stringent setup now exists regarding head injuries, and Tagovailoa — who was carted off the field in Cincinnati after a concussion — will play under the new guidelines.
As Tagovailoa recovered from the scary Week 4 injury, the Dolphins and Tua’s team of independent doctors “followed a thorough process that far exceeded the NFL’s concussion protocol,” leading to unanimous clearance, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. This brought more health-related trouble for the former No. 5 overall pick, who saw a severe hip injury during his junior season at Alabama alter his draft status. The Dolphins still took him with their top 2019 choice, though injuries have followed. None were like this, though, and the NFL is operating differently as a result.
His return will undoubtedly be a major talking point as Week 7 approaches. The Dolphins being set for a nationally televised matchup against the Steelers will compound that. From a football standpoint, however, this is obviously big news for the team. Miami is 3-0 in games Tagovailoa finishes and 0-3 with another signal-caller doing so. Albeit on a limited sample size compared to most starting quarterbacks this season, Tua’s 80.0 QBR number still leads the league.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/22
Today’s minor moves around the league:
Buffalo Bills
- Released: LB Andre Smith
Carolina Panthers
- Signed (off Cardinals’ practice squad): LB Chandler Wooten
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: LS Mitchell Fraboni, S Anthony Harris
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from Colts): OL Luke Tenuta
Houston Texans
- Designated for return: TE Teagan Quitoriano
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: DB Dicaprio Bootle
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: WR Michael Bandy, T Foster Sarell
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: CB Nik Needham (story)
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: WR Blake Proehl
- Waived: S Myles Dorn
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: WR Kawaan Baker
New York Jets
- Promoted: T Mike Remmers
- Released: T Conor McDermott
Tennessee Titans
- Signed (off Jaguars’ practice squad): S Josh Thompson
- Placed on IR: LB Ola Adeniyi
Dolphins CB Nik Needham Suffers Torn Achilles
The Dolphins saw a number of key players go down with injuries during today’s loss to the Vikings. Among them was cornerback Nik Needham, who suffered a torn Achilles (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). His season is over as a result.
The news marks a significant blow on a number of fronts. The 25-year-old had been operating as a full-time starter on the perimeter this season, which represented an uptick in playing time compared to the past two seasons. He failed to register an interception in 2022, and totaled just a pair of pass deflections. He did, however, post a mark of 47% completion percentage allowed, a career-best figure in that regard.
Needham was given a second-round RFA tender this offseason; he and the Dolphins did not agree on a long-term deal afterwards. As a result, the former UDFA was on the books for $3.9MM on the one-year pact. This injury will certainly affect his free agent stock heading into the spring, but also the Dolphins’ secondary in the immediate future.
Part of the cause for Needham’s heavy workload was the ongoing absence of fellow corner Byron Jones. The veteran has been recovering from an Achilles tear of his own, but that process has not gone according to plan. With Jones still not having been designated to return from IR, the loss of Needham will be felt significantly for the Dolphins. Compounding the situation even further, Keion Crossen was ruled out midway through today’s game as well, leaving the team Dolphins notably thin at the position opposite Xavien Howard.
In other injury news from Sunday, third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson exited the game with a thumb injury. That required backup Teddy Bridgewater to enter the contest, after he cleared concussion protocol. The same is true of starter Tua Tagovailoa, who is expected to return to action next week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/22
Today’s minor moves around the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from IR: CB Isaiah Oliver
- Promoted: TE MyCole Pruitt
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: LB Jeremiah Attaochu, S Ar’Darius Washington
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: LB Arron Mosby
- Promoted: QB Jacob Eason, CB Tae Hayes
- Placed on IR: CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: LS Matt Overton
- Promoted: TE Sean McKeon, RB Malik Davis
- Placed on IR: WR Simi Fehoko, RB Rico Dowdle
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: WR Juwann Winfree
- Placed on IR: LB Tipa Galeai
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: WR Keke Coutee
- Promoted: RB Phillip Lindsay, RB D’Vonte Price
- Waived: T Luke Tenuta
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: LB Ty Summers
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: CB Dicaprio Bootle
- Promoted: S Zayne Anderson, LB Cole Christiansen
- Placed on IR: DT Tershawn Wharton
Los Angeles Rams
- OL Chandler Brewer, RB Ronnie Rivers
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: T Brandon Shell, T Kion Smith
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: TE Jacob Hollister
New England Patriots
- Promoted: QB Garrett Gilbert, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: WR Keith Kirkwood, WR Rashid Shaheen
- Promoted: CB Chris Harris, WR Kevin White
- Placed on IR: WR Deonte Harty
- Waived: QB Jake Luton
New York Giants
- Promoted: DT Ryder Anderson, WR Marcus Johnson
- Placed on IR: S Tony Jefferson
New York Jets
- Promoted: TE Kenny Yeboah
- Waived: WR Lawrence Cager
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Andre Chachere
- Placed on IR: DE Janarius Robinson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: CB Josh Jackson
- Promoted: S Elijah Riley, CB Quincy Wilson
- Placed on IR: DL DeMarvin Leal
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: LB Curtis Robinson
- Promoted: CB Dontae Johnson, WR Willie Snead
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Christian Jones
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Anthony Chesley, S Nolan Turner
Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, Teddy Bridgewater Clear Concussion Protocol
Skylar Thompson is expected to start for the Dolphins tomorrow, but the team’s other quarterbacks got some good news today regarding their health. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Tua Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol this morning. The starting QB will still be sidelined for tomorrow’s game against the Vikings, but he should be good to go for Week 7 against the Steelers.
Schefter adds (on Twitter) that Teddy Bridgewater also cleared concussion protocol today. Bridgewater is expected to be in uniform for Sunday’s contest, but he’ll serve as the backup to Thompson.
Tua’s late-September concussion kicked off an NFL investigation regarding the team’s handling of the head injury. However, sources made it clear to Schefter that the organization went above and beyond to assure he was healthy enough to clear protocol. Specifically, the Dolphins, the QB, and “his team of independent doctors followed a thorough process that far exceeded the NFL’s concussion protocol,” per Schefter’s source. In addition to advice from team doctors, Tua also referred to four outside opinions “who unanimously cleared him from protocol and all agreed that his scans showed no signs of long-term impact on the brain.” Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), Tua traveled to Detroit and Pittsburgh to meet with doctors, and the QB suffered no setbacks during the process.
Bridgewater was never diagnosed with a concussion but was still required to go through the NFL’s protocol. Both Bridgewater and Tagovailoa were spotted at practice this week, and indication that their return was imminent.
While the Dolphins will soon get reinforcement at the position, they’ll be rolling with a rookie seventh-round pick this weekend. Thompson entered last weekend’s loss to the Jets and completed 19 of his 33 pass attempts for 166 yards and one interception. He also lost one fumble. With Thompson eyeing his first NFL start, he received a ringing endorsement from head coach Mike McDaniel.
“We were really excited to draft him,” McDaniel said (via NFL.com’s Grant Gordon). “That was a target of ours that we had on our mind. We didn’t have a plethora of draft selections, so it was easy to hone in on people and we were targeting him for a long time. And that being said, he’s exceeded expectations.”