Jets Claim Kicker Kaare Vedvik
This has been quite the weekend for the Jets. On Sunday, they piled up even more transactions by claiming four players off waivers:
- K Kaare Vedvik (Vikings)
- WR Braxton Berrios (Patriots)
- DE John Franklin, (Bears)
- DB Bennett Jackson (Ravens)
The Vikings traded a fifth-round pick to acquire kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik just a few weeks ago, but dumped him on Saturday. The Jets, meanwhile, have been looking hard for kicking solutions and they appear to have found their guy with days to go before the season opener. To make room, they cut kicker Taylor Bertolet.
The Jets, naturally, will have to release more players to conform with the 53-man maximum.
Broncos Claim QB Brandon Allen
The Broncos have claimed quarterback Brandon Allen off waivers, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Allen was dropped by the Rams on Saturday, making him available to the league’s 31 other teams.
Allen is now set to serve as Joe Flacco‘s primary backup. Drew Lock was supposed to be the top clipboard holder, but a hand injury will keep him sidelined for a while. Kevin Hogan, an internal candidate to fill that void, was dropped over the weekend.
In addition to Allen, the Broncos have also been awarded the following players off waivers:
- TE Andrew Beck (Patriots)
- C Corey Levin (Titans)
- WR Diontae Spencer (Steelers)
Patriots To Bring Back Demaryius Thomas?
The Patriots cut free agent signee Demaryius Thomas yesterday, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says the door is open for Thomas to re-sign with the team. Indeed, Reiss says “there is an expectation” that Thomas will return to New England.
The longtime Broncos star is on the back nine of his career, but his strong route running could make him a productive role player in the Pats’ precision offense. He is still working his way back from an Achilles tear that he suffered in December, and he played in the Patriots’ preseason finale Thursday, his first game action since the injury. He looked good against fringe NFLers, compiling seven catches for 87 yards and two scores.
Reiss suggests that New England’s decision to release Thomas allowed the team to keep punt returner Gunner Olszewski, who, unlike Thomas, would have had to clear waivers if he had been cut. The move also allowed the Pats to include rookie wideout N’Keal Harry on the initial 53-man roster, which will make him eligible to return later in the season if he is forced to go on IR. Harry has been sidelined since suffering an injury in the preseason opener.
But if the Pats do want Thomas back, they could have some competition. A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the Broncos — whose WR depth chart is generally very green — are interested in a reunion.
Patriots Reach Roster Max
The Patriots announced the release of 27 players as a part of their efforts to get down to the 53-man limit. They also placed four players on injured reserve, one player on NFI, and another on PUP.
The previously reported release of wide receiver Demaryius Thomas understandably got the most attention, but there are some other notable names here, including wide receiver Braxton Berrios. Berrios, 24 in October, had a solid training camp and preseason, but could not find a place on the roster after Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon returned to action. It stands to reason that he could be a practice squad candidate if he clears waivers.
Here’s the rest:
Released:
TE Stephen Anderson
TE Andrew Beck
RB Nick Brossette
OL Cole Croston
WR Ryan Davis
OL James Ferentz
OL Tyler Gauthier
LB Terez Hall
DL Trent Harris
DB A.J. Howard
OL Martez Ivey
FB Jakob Johnson
DL Ufomba Kamalu
OL Cedrick Lang
LB Calvin Munson
DL David Parry
WR Damoun Patterson
LB Christian Sam
TE Eric Saubert
OL Dan Skipper
OL Tyree St. Louis,
DL Nick Thurman
DB Ken Webster
LB Scooby Wright III
Placed on IR:
OL Hjalte Froholdt
DB Malik Gant
DL Derek Rivers
In addition, New England also placed offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste on the NFI list and wide receiver Cameron Meredith on the PUP list.
Four Teams Interested In LeSean McCoy
The Chiefs are going to face some competition if they plan on pursuing LeSean McCoy. McCoy was cut by the Bills earlier this morning, and we heard soon after that Kansas City had some interest.
The Chargers, Eagles, and Patriots are also showing strong early interest in McCoy, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). As Rapoport points out, the Chargers are interested because of the ongoing Melvin Gordon holdout. Just a few hours ago, it was reported that the Chargers had given Gordon permission to seek a trade. As of right now, Los Angeles is slated to roll with youngsters Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson if Gordon doesn’t report for the regular season.
The Eagles traded for Jordan Howard earlier this offseason and drafted Miles Sanders in the second-round back in April, but they apparently aren’t satisfied completely with their running back group. The position was a weakness all of last year for them, so it makes sense why they’d want to bolster it as much as possible. McCoy, of course, started his career with the Eagles and spent his first six years in Philly, so there’s some familiarity there.
The Patriots have Sony Michel topping the depth chart, James White as their pass-catching specialist, and they also drafted Damien Harris in the third-round. All of these suitors are projected playoff teams, so it looks like McCoy will have his pick of contenders when he chooses where to play in 2019.
Patriots Place C David Andrews On IR
A blood clot issue forced David Andrews to be hospitalized this week. Although he was released from the hospital shortly after, he will still have a long road back to football.
The Patriots placed Andrews on IR Saturday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This is not an IR-return move. The fifth-year center will miss the 2019 season.
Andrews has been New England’s primary center since 2015, going from UDFA to Tom Brady‘s snapper in four AFC championship games and three Super Bowls. The Pats extended him in 2017. Two seasons remain on that contract. Andrews allowed only four quarterback pressures last season, fewest among Patriots linemen. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 center in 2018.
They will now move into the season with fourth-year man Ted Karras at the pivot. However, New England traded for several linemen this week. Karras, a 2016 Pats draft choice, played 174 snaps last season. This could be an evolving situation for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Patriots To Release Demaryius Thomas
Demaryius Thomas did not end up making the Patriots’ 53-man roster. The defending Super Bowl champions will release the veteran wide receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Pro Bowl wideout played in New England’s fourth preseason game after being activated from the Pats’ active/PUP list. But he will return to free agency.
Thomas caught seven passes in the Pats’ preseason finale, which admittedly was scattered with far less experienced cover men, but Rapoport notes the 31-year-old target is still working back to full strength. Thomas tore his Achilles in December of last season and, like former Broncos teammate Emmanuel Sanders, spend the offseason rehabbing that tendon.
The Pats guaranteed Thomas just $300K; the nine-year veteran said he did not receive much interest elsewhere. His preseason performance could entice a team to bring him aboard, but for the time being, the former Super Bowl starter is unattached.
Texans To Acquire CB Keion Crossen From Patriots
Another trade for the Texans. They will acquire 2018 seventh-round pick Keion Crossen from the Patriots in exchange for a sixth-round choice, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
This marks the third trade of the day for Houston, which sent Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle and landed Carlos Hyde from Kansas City. Crossen was likely on his way off New England’s roster, with the Pats boasting one of the NFL’s top cornerback depth charts.
Crossen played in 11 games for the Super Bowl champions last season, making 14 solo tackles. He played 53 defensive snaps as a rookie.
Patriots Release QB Brian Hoyer
One of the top backup quarterbacks has hit the open market. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the Patriots are releasing veteran Brian Hoyer.
Tom Brady‘s long-time backup has had a pair of stints with New England, with his most-recent gig dating back to mid-2017. The 33-year-old has seen the field for eight pass attempts over the past two years, completing five passes for 49 yards. Hoyer started games as recently as 2017, and he had 19 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions during his 2015 run with the Texans.
While Hoyer didn’t necessarily do anything to lose his job during the preseason, the Patriots ultimately decided they didn’t want to roll with three quarterbacks. The team will now go forward with rookie fourth-rounder Jarrett Stidham as Brady’s primary backup.
Gronkowski Talks Potential Comeback
Ever since Rob Gronkowski announced his decision to retire, rumors have swirled of a potential comeback to the Patriots. Gronk himself hasn’t done much to tamp down the speculation, notably leaving the door open in a press conference a few days ago. The legendary tight end recently did an interview with Jeff Howe of The Athletic, and dropped even more hints that he’d be ready to play. “My body feels good. I can even take it further physically, and I could play right now,” Gronkowski said.
However, he also cautioned that his heart isn’t in it right now when asked what it would take to get him to come back. “Mentally, the desire to play just isn’t there. I would have to literally just feel that desire – just feel that mentally, that desire to play, to be back out there. Like someone is calling my name, I would have to feel that inside. I would have to feel that on a consistent basis. That’s the way I would entertain coming back to football.” The former Patriots star also revealed that he currently weighs about 20 pounds less than his usual playing weight, although he did say it would be “easy” to put it back on.