Bengals Release La’el Collins From PUP List; Patriots Have Inquired About T
SEPTEMBER 13: Collins’ health will no doubt influence his free agent prospects to a great extent. On that point, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline reports he should be available to suit up in either late October or November. The timing of when Collins does find a home could lead to an injury grievance being filed against the Bengals, he adds.
Notably, Pauline names the Patriots as a team which has inquired about Collins, though New England will surely have competition to add the veteran as at least a depth option up front. All five starting members of the Patriots’ O-line are included on the Week 2 injury report, and tackle was a position facing question marks at the start of the season. As Collins moves closer to full health over time, it will be interesting to see how much of a market he develops for himself.
SEPTEMBER 12: The Bengals will cut bait on La’el Collins, who had remained on their PUP list to start the season. Collins is back in free agency, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Signed to a three-year deal in 2022, Collins suffered ACL and MCL tears in late December last year. Those injuries were expected to sideline him to start the season. The longtime Cowboys starter will have a chance at a fresh start now. The Bengals will save more than $7MM in cap space by making this move.
Cincinnati’s Orlando Brown Jr. signing rearranged its tackle corps, sliding three-year starter Jonah Williams to the right side. After a trade request, Williams remained in the fold and opened the season at right tackle. Jackson Carman, who lost the RT position battle with Williams early in training camp, is in place as the team’s swing tackle. This left Collins without a clear role. While teams frequently prioritize O-linemen, a veteran starter is now available. Though, there is the matter of Collins returning from his knee injuries.
Given a three-year, $21MM deal following a Cowboys release, Collins started 15 games for the Bengals last season. A steady run of O-line injuries affected the Bengals significantly in a narrow AFC championship game loss to the Chiefs, which featured three starters — Collins, Williams, guard Alex Cappa — out of commission. Williams and Cappa returned this offseason, but Williams’ injuries were more severe. This will undoubtedly affect his earning potential as a second-time free agent.
Collins, 30, has 86 starts on his resume. While several of those came at guard to start his career, the former LSU standout ended up at right tackle early in his NFL run. The Cowboys gave Collins two extensions, the second a five-year deal worth $50MM, but released him in 2022.
This Bengals transaction should generate some interest from tackle-needy teams, but it remains to be seen how healthy Collins is. Had Collins entered the offseason healthy, he would have resided as a trade candidate for the Bengals, who were not pleased with his work last season. They were not interested in trying Collins at guard following the Brown addition, either. But they moved on early, incurring only a $1.7MM dead-money hit to do so. The Bengals also roster D’Ante Smith, a 2021 fourth-round pick, as a backup tackle option.
Patriots Place CB Jack Jones On IR, QB Matt Corral On Exempt/Left Squad
SEPTEMBER 10: Howe reports that Corral was absent from the Patriots’ facility on Friday and Saturday, meaning he missed out on practice, walkthrough and team meetings in advance of today’s contest. He adds New England is still determining Corral’s future with the organization. Given the left squad designation, the team will have time to sort out its next move. Kyed adds, meanwhile, that the Patriots never seemed to be contemplating waiving Corral, despite the report from earlier on Saturday that they were doing so. This situation will remain worth watching until further clarity emerges.
SEPTEMBER 9: Patriots second-year cornerback Jack Jones suffered a hamstring injury on Wednesday at practice that immediately put his game status in doubt for tomorrow’s season opener, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. After confirming that Jones wouldn’t be available in Week 1, Howe speculated that a multi-week absence could be in the cards for the young defender. Well, Mike Reiss of ESPN was able to confirm today that Jones has been placed on injured reserve, guaranteeing he will miss at least the first four games of the 2023 season. 
The loss of Jones certainly hurts the quality of the team’s cornerback depth, but overall, the Patriots still look strong at the position. With rookie first-round pick Christian Gonzalez joining veteran Jonathan Jones in the starting lineup, New England should be set up well for Week 1. The team also has Marcus Jones and Jalen Mills providing depth behind the starters.
The Patriots’ transaction announcement also disclosed that they are placing quarterback Matt Corral on the exempt/left squad list. According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Corral reportedly left the team without notice. This makes Corral’s “not injury related” appearance on the practice injury report this week make a bit more sense. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network explained that going this route immediately clears a roster spot for New England without the need to place Corral on waivers.
The Patriots filled one of the open two roster spots by signing practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe to the active roster. Last year’s fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky will now be the primary backup behind starting quarterback Mac Jones despite being released during final roster cuts back in August.
To fill the other roster spot, the team signed practice squad running back Ty Montgomery to the active roster, as well. Montgomery will provide depth and variety off the bench behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott. While both Stevenson and Elliott have shown an ability to receive out of the backfield at some point in their careers, Montgomery clearly has an edge at that ability after converting from wide receiver after his rookie year.
Finally, the team will reportedly only be using one of their two allowed practice squad promotions for tomorrow. Veteran linebacker/special teamer Calvin Munson will get the call up for the season opener against the Eagles.
2023 Offseason In Review Series
Quarterback acquisitions generated top headlines this offseason, while the slew of developments affecting the running back market moved that position’s value to a precarious point. On that note, our latest Offseason In Review series is in the books. Here are the PFR staff’s looks at how teams assembled their 2023 rosters:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Patriots Sign QB Bailey Zappe To Active Roster, Release QB Matt Corral
The Patriots made one of the more surprising moves on roster deadline day when they cut 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe. The QB eventually landed on New England’s practice squad, and it sounds like he’s now back where he started.
[RELATED: Bill Belichick Addresses Patriots’ Decision To Waive Bailey Zappe]
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Patriots have signed Zappe to their active roster. This is not a standard practice squad elevation, which was the route the organization was expected to take with the backup quarterback. Instead, the Patriots are giving Zappe his spot back on the 53-man roster.
In a corresponding move, the team has waived quarterback Matt Corral, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The 2022 third-round pick took Zappe’s spot on the roster following roster deadline day.
After moving on from Zappe and undrafted free agent Malik Cunningham, the Patriots were left with Mac Jones as the only quarterback on the active roster. The Patriots later revealed some of their logic when they claimed Corral, a former Panthers draftee, off waivers.
The Corral acquisition was certainly an indictment on Zappe, but it seemed like the incumbent still had a firm hold on the QB2 role despite sitting on the practice squad. After all, Zappe has a year of familiarity with the organization, even if the team did hire Bill O’Brien as their new offensive coordinator this offseason.
Corral would have only had a week-plus to learn New England’s system, making it unlikely that the 2022 third-round pick would be counted on to immediately serve as Jones’ backup. Further, the Ole Miss product missed his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury, so the QB was also expected to be brought along slowly during the 2023 campaign.
Indeed, the quarterback didn’t have enough time to catch up, leading to him sacrificing his roster spot today. Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the first indication of a QB2 change came at practice yesterday when Corral was absent. The Patriots could be counting on Corral passing through waivers and landing back on their practice squad, although that’s just speculation on my part. Joe Person of The Athletic notes that Panthers GM Scott Fitterer previously expressed interest in bringing Corral back to the practice squad.
Zappe added some intrigue to the Patriots’ quarterbacks room last season. With Jones and New England’s offense struggling, Zappe didn’t look completely lost during his two starts. He won both of those appearances, and in four games, he finished with 781 passing yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions while completing 70.7 percent of his passes.
However, the Patriots’ hiring of O’Brien seemed to be a vote of confidence for Jones heading into the 2023 campaign. We learned recently that the coordinator’s offense specifically caters to Jones’ strengths, and that system doesn’t necessarily fit Zappe’s playing style. There was also some speculation that former offensive coordinators Matt Patricia and Joe Judge let Zappe run a similar-style offense to what he ran in college, perhaps explaining some of his rookie success.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/23
Here are some minor transactions for today from around the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR with injury settlement: CB Cornell Armstrong
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: LB Chandler Wooten
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: OLB JoJo Domann
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR with injury settlement: T Josh Wells
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: CB Shaun Jolly
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: RB Myles Gaskin
New England Patriots
- Released from IR with injury settlement: T Conor McDermott
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: DE Austin Bryant
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DE William Bradley-King
- Placed on IR: WR Dax Milne
The releases of Armstrong and Wells are interesting. Armstrong ended last year as a starting cornerback for the Falcons but will now have to continue striving to stay in the NFL. Wells’ release ends a short reunion with the team that drafted him.
Gaskin is reportedly expected to remain in Minnesota and sign to the team’s practice squad to be elevated on Sunday. This is likely a familiar tactic teams use in order to avoid guaranteeing the full value of low-cost veterans’ salaries. Those on the 53-man roster for Week 1 will be guaranteed, while players signed to the active roster after this week will only be guaranteed 35 percent.
Bryant’s short tenure in San Francisco ends as the team makes room for Nick Bosa, who will be activated from the reserve/did not report list after signing his five-year, $170MM extension.
Milne’s move to IR could be an explanation for why the Commanders felt the need to go out and acquire Jamison Crowder following his release from New York.
Gun Charges Against Patriots CB Jack Jones Dropped
Patriots cornerback Jack Jones faced several gun-related charges stemming from a July arrest at Boston Logan International Airport. Jones had tried to bring two loaded firearms onto a plane. Shortly before the Patriots’ regular-season opener, Jones is in the clear on the legal front.
Appearing Tuesday in Boston Municipal Court, the second-year defender agreed to a deal with prosecutors that led to the gun charges being dropped, Chris Mason of MassLive.com reports. Jones, 25, agreed to a year of pre-trial probation and 48 hours of community service.
He had faced a number of charges — possessing a concealed weapon in a secure area of an airport, possessing ammunition without a firearm identification card, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm and possession of a large-capacity feeding device — in connection with the July arrest.
This news does not clear Jones from a potential NFL suspension. The league’s personal conduct policy does not require a conviction for a ban to be levied, but this certainly helps Jones, who was facing potential prison time after the arrest. Jones is set to be in uniform for the Patriots against the Eagles on Sunday.
This was not the first bout of legal trouble Jones has encountered. While at Moorpark (Calif.) College, Jones was arrested following an incident at a Panda Express, and he served 45 days of house arrest after pleading guilty to commercial burglary, which is a second-degree misdemeanor. The former USC recruit, however, managed rehabilitate his draft stock after transferring to Arizona State. The Patriots selected Jones in the 2022 fourth round and saw immediate promise. Pro Football Focus graded Jones as a top-20 corner last season. Despite starting only two games last season, Jones intercepted two passes — one of them resulting in a pick-six — and forced a fumble.
The Pats have Jack Jones positioned as a starting outside cornerback. He will join Jonathan Jones, who is now on his third Pats contract, and first-round pick Christian Gonzalez in comprising the top corner trio on Bill Belichick‘s 24th Patriots defense.
Patriots Looked Into Trade For Texans QB Case Keenum
As the Patriots made the surprising decision to waive Bailey Zappe, they spent a multi-day period with one active-roster quarterback. With versatile UDFA Malik Cunningham also cut, Mac Jones resided alone on the depth chart until the Matt Corral pickup.
While the Pats have Corral positioned behind Jones (technically), Zappe remains in the mix to be the backup. But the team had also targeted a more experienced option to help mentor its third-year starter. In addition to Colt McCoy being on the Patriots’ radar, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes the team looked into acquiring Case Keenum from the Texans.
The Texans brought Keenum back to Houston, after the ex-Cougars standout embarked on a journeyman career upon leaving his original NFL team in 2015, on a two-year deal worth $6.25MM ($4MM guaranteed). This looked to be a sign GM Nick Caserio, who hired a third coaching staff in three years, would look to move two-year starter Davis Mills. But Mills, despite multiple rounds of trade rumors, remains in Houston as C.J. Stroud‘s backup. Keenum sits as the team’s third-stringer.
A report last week indicated the Texans’ backups were generating trade interest, and with the Pats targeting a veteran and Caserio having spent nearly 20 years with the franchise, the dots certainly connect here.
Keenum, 35, has completed a four-time zone journey by stopping through St. Louis, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Denver, Washington, Cleveland and Buffalo since 2015. While Keenum’s post-Vikings career effectively made his 2017 season — which featured a No. 1 QB DVOA ranking, a 13-3 Vikes record and an NFC championship game berth — an outlier, the former UDFA has remained coveted as a backup. Keenum quarterbacked the Browns to two wins during the 2021 season; those two starts ran his career total to 64.
Once Corral became available, however, Breer adds the Patriots regrouped and scrapped their previous plan of a veteran QB2. Patriots senior personnel advisor Pat Stewart, an offseason hire, was with the Panthers as their VP of player personnel from 2020-22. That tenure included the Panthers’ trade-up with the Patriots for Corral, a raw prospect out of Ole Miss. The Pats had explored Corral via trade as well, per Breer, who adds Bill O’Brien‘s good relationship with Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin also led to the decision to submit the claim.
Three years remain on Corral’s rookie contract; he missed all of last season with a Lisfranc injury. It will be interesting to see if the second-year passer’s form prompts the Patriots to circle back to their interest in a veteran backup before the Halloween trade deadline. After Brian Hoyer went down last season, Bill Belichick stuck with Zappe. But the former record-setting Western Kentucky QB struggled in O’Brien’s offense this year. For now, Zappe represents the most logical Jones backup to start the season. But this situation is clearly not settled entering the year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/4/23
Here are Monday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Quavian White
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Tae Hayes
- Released: QB Anthony Brown
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Arlington Hambright
- Released: T Dan Skipper
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DL Ross Blacklock
- Released: DL Tommy Togiai
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OL Hroniss Grasu
- Released: OL Vitaliy Gurman
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE Tommy Hudson
- Released: OL Mark Evans
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Cam Sims
- Placed on practice squad injured list: WR Cole Beasley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Nicholas Morrow, OL Tyre Phillips
- Released: LB Kyron Johnson, CB Tiawan Mullen
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: FB Zander Horvath
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: RB Brian Hill
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: QB Holton Ahlers, S Brady Breeze
- Released: RB Bryant Koback
The Giants are not certain to have Wan’Dale Robinson available in Week 1. The 2022 second-round pick just came off the team’s active/PUP list, a sign the team believes he can return at some point during the season’s first four weeks. Beasley did not make the Giants’ 53-man roster but resided as a possible P-squad elevation option as Robinson protection. This moves nixes that path, as Beasley cannot play until Week 5.
Morrow has gone from potential Eagles starting linebacker to a player who did not make the defending NFC champions’ active roster. But the team still has the former Raiders and Bears starter in its plans. Morrow, who had signed a one-year deal worth the league minimum this offseason, is now positioned as a depth piece who could be elevated ahead of Week 1. Teams can use two P-squad elevations each week, in addition to standard promotions — which require corresponding roster moves — ahead of the Saturday-afternoon deadline.
Better known as the player chosen with the second-round pick obtained for DeAndre Hopkins, Blacklock moved from Houston to Minnesota via trade in August 2022. But he did not make the Vikings’ 53-man roster this year. The fourth-year D-lineman will be a depth option for the Jaguars.
Patriots Place T Riley Reiff On IR
Riley Reiff made it through last season unscathed, but the veteran tackle will spend time on IR for the second time in three years. The Patriots shifted Reiff to IR on Monday and promoted tight end Pharaoh Brown from the practice squad.
The 12th-year blocker suffered a right leg injury in the Pats’ preseason finale. Although Reiff’s timetable is not known, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes the issue is not believed to be one that will end the veteran’s season. Still, this stands to affect the Patriots’ offensive line configuration to start the season.
Both tackle spots loomed as concerns for the Patriots this offseason, with perennial injury risk Trent Brown having missed time earlier this year. New England had also experienced issues at guard, with Michael Onwenu coming off the active/PUP list in late August. Cole Strange has also missed notable preseason time. Reiff now must miss at least four games. He will factor into the Pats’ IR-return mix; teams have eight such activations available in-season.
Reiff has only played tackle in games as a pro, but the former first-round pick was working at guard — a position he slid to at points in practice for the then-guard-limited Pats — when the injury occurred, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald notes. Reiff signed a one-year, $5MM deal in March, coming over after spending 2022 in Chicago. A Bears backup to start last season, Reiff eventually replaced Larry Borom in the 3-14 team’s lineup and started 10 games.
The well-traveled blocker has not run into substantial injury problems over the course of his career, only missing more than four games in a season once. That came in 2021, when an ankle injury sidelined him for the Bengals’ final five games. Working as Cincinnati’s starting right tackle that year, Reiff did not return for the team’s Super Bowl LVI run. Reiff, 34, will begin this season having started 149 career games.
This development creates uncertainty for the Pats, who were connected to a bigger investment at the position than the ones they eventually made. Rumored to be eyeing one of the top right tackles, the Pats instead added Reiff and ex-Broncos swing tackle Calvin Anderson. The team has rookie Sidy Sow as an option, and Kyed notes Onwenu moving back to tackle — a position he played earlier in his career with the Patriots — could be an emergency avenue. That would create a right guard vacancy.
New England also has Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and recent trade acquisition Vederian Lowe on its 53-man roster. Wheatley has yet to suit up for an NFL game; Lowe played in four as a Vikings backup last season. Sow arrived this year as a fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan. Anderson is the most experienced Patriots backup tackle. The Broncos’ tackle issues led to Anderson starting a career-high seven games last season. He has made 12 career starts but spent much of training camp on the active/non-football illness list.
Bill Belichick Addresses Patriots’ Decision To Waive Bailey Zappe, Claim Matt Corral
The Patriots were busy reshaping their quarterback depth chart last week, including the surprising decision to waive 2022 fourth-rounder Bailey Zappe. The risk paid off and Zappe was retained via the practice squad, but he has new competition for the backup QB role. 
New England claimed former Panthers draftee Matt Corral off waivers, filling the vacancy at the position on the team’s active roster. Given the lack of time Corral has had to acclimate to the Patriots’ offense, however, questions have been raised about his readiness to dress as the backup for Week 1. When speaking publicly on the matter, head coach Bill Belichick confirmed that no decision has been made yet on that front.
“All roster decisions are based on what we feel like’s best for our football team,” Belichick said, via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. “There’s a number of things involved there. But glad to have Bailey to continue to work with him. Still think he’s a good, young, developing player, and so we’ll keep working with him.”
Zappe made a pair of starts in place of an injured Mac Jones last season, and his play (along with perceived tension between Belichick and the latter) led to speculation about a potential QB competition in the summer. Instead, Zappe struggled this offseason while adapting to new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien‘s system, one which is catered to Jones’ strengths. Belichick’s remarks confirm Zappe is still in the team’s long-term plans, however.
As for Corral, little can be said with certainty given his lack of playing time. The Ole Miss product missed his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury, and he has yet to make a regular season appearance as a result. Corral was in Carolina’s plans, but they will move forward with first overall pick Bryce Young and veteran Andy Dalton under center.
“We’ll take a look at him and see how it goes,” Belichick added during a WEEI appearance (via Kyed’s colleague Andrew Callahan). “[Corral] had a very good career at Mississippi, and hasn’t really had a lot of chances to do much in the last two years; was injured and missed some time. But [he] had a good preseason, so we’ll see how it goes. Look forward to working with him.”
Belichick added praise for Jones, who is entering a critical third year as the team’s starter. A healthy and productive season as the No. 1 would make much of the Corral-Zappe situation a moot point, but each of the latter two passers will have plenty to prove over the course of the 2023 campaign as well.