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NFC Injury Rumors: Rams, Commanders, Penning, Swift

January 11th, 2023 at 9:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Rams rookie safety Russ Yeast endured a scary moment on Sunday in the team’s loss to the Seahawks, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. The seventh-round pick earned the first start of his career in place of Nick Scott, who was placed on injured reserve last week.

In the game, Yeast suffered a pulmonary contusion and needed to be taken to the hospital via ambulance. Head coach Sean McVay told reporters that Yeast was in stable condition but would stay in the hospital overnight. Yeast was reportedly scheduled to return to Los Angeles on Monday, according to The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue.

Following the dramatic events around Bills safety Damar Hamlin, another cardiac event requiring a hospital visit was the last thing the NFL wanted to see in Week 18.

Here are a few other injury rumors from around the NFC:

  • As the Commanders‘ season came to an end, Washington decided to address some players’ injuries, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. Head coach Ron Rivera informed the media before their final regular season matchup that running back Antonio Gibson underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his foot. Additionally, defensive tackle John Ridgeway tore a pectoral muscle in the team’s season finale against the Cowboys. He’ll have the full offseason to recover.
  • Saints first round rookie tackle Trevor Penning missed much of his first NFL season with a foot injury. What was initially thought to be a “bad case of turf toe” ended up being a torn ligament in his foot, resulting in him missing the first 11 games of his debut season. Penning would eventually work his way back and earn some snaps as a backup lineman before earning the first start of his career in Week 18. Unfortunately, a rough start for the Northern Iowa product has gotten even tougher as he suffered a Lisfranc injury in the season finale against the Panthers, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Penning faces a long recovery of approximately five to six months, but if he can come back by June, he should be able to make it back for part of the offseason training program in New Orleans.
  • Early in the season, Lions running back D’Andre Swift suffered a high ankle sprain and a separated shoulder that would dog him for the rest of the year. Despite playing through those ailments for much of the season, there doesn’t appear to be any need for surgery in the offseason, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Swift will reportedly meet with medical professionals in the next few weeks but is under the impression that, come next season, he will be fully healthy and ready to go.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/11/23

January 11th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Teams continue to sign players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing the organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Denver Broncos

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/23

January 9th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Ely Allen

18 teams had their seasons come to an end yesterday, and their front offices have already turned the page to the 2023 NFL seaon. This started today, as a number of players were signed to reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

  • WR Ty Fryfogle

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

January 8th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Some fireworks came in regarding the draft order on the NFL’s final regular-season day. The Bears upended the Texans for the No. 1 pick, reeling in a team that held that top slot for much of the season. The Bears last made a pick at No. 1 overall in 1947. Their former head coach — Lovie Smith, whom the Texans just fired — oversaw this final-day flip-flop. Clarity on the rest of the non-playoff-bound teams’ draft slots emerged as well.

The Jaguars’ rally to win the AFC South moves them into a postseason spot, and the Titans’ seven-game losing streak to end the season drops them to their highest selection since 2017. Tennessee’s next general manager will have the opportunity to make a pick at No. 11 or deal from that draft position, while Jacksonville will hold its lowest selection since 2018. The Texans will hold two top-12 picks in April, thanks to the Browns’ Week 18 loss to the Steelers, while the Lions will have two in the top 20 as well.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s close:

  1. Chicago Bears: 3-14
  2. Houston Texans: 3-13-1
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
  4. Indianapolis Colts: 4-12-1
  5. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  6. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  7. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Carolina Panthers: 7-10
  10. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  11. Tennessee Titans: 7-10
  12. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  13. New York Jets: 7-10
  14. New England Patriots: 8-9
  15. Green Bay Packers: 8-9
  16. Washington Commanders: 8-8-1
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-8
  18. Detroit Lions: 9-8
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9
  20. Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
  21. Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
  22. New York Giants: 9-7-1
  23. Baltimore Ravens: 10-7
  24. Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
  25. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  26. Cincinnati Bengals: 12-4
  27. Minnesota Vikings: 13-4
  28. Denver Broncos (via 49ers)
  29. Buffalo Bills: 13-3
  30. Kansas City Chiefs: 14-3
  31. Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3

This year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice

Broncos Granted Permission To Interview Sean Payton

January 7th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

10:00pm: In an update on this situation, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report that the Broncos and Saints “appear to be on the same page” with respect to trade compensation for Payton. Rapoport adds that New Orleans’ asking price is believed to be a first-round pick “and more,” and that Denver is willing to match it.

As a result, Rapoport unsurprisingly further reports that the Broncos are looking to interview Payton as soon as possible. If they were to fast-track the interview process, they could be well-positioned to land the league’s top available head coach and accomplish their goal of adding an experienced bench boss to provide stability to the franchise after years of turnover on the sidelines.

5:29pm: The Nathaniel Hackett experiment in Denver is over and done with and the Broncos have taken an early first step ahead of Black Monday in the process of replacing him. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Broncos requested and received permission from the Saints to interview Sean Payton for their head coaching position.

Payton has been working as a television analyst for Fox NFL Sunday since stepping down from the Saints’ head coaching position at the end of the 2021 NFL season. It has been widely anticipated that Payton will draw significant interest from any organization looking to fill a head coaching role at the end of the 2022 campaign.

With current Saints head coach Dennis Allen likely to return in 2023, the question no longer focused on if Payton will go somewhere else but on how much his future team will have to give up in order to obtain the rights to his services. With Payton still under contract with the Saints, any team that agrees to hire Payton will have to compensate New Orleans for the two remaining years on Payton’s contract.

General speculation has estimated the cost to be similar to what the Raiders got for Jon Gruden back in 2002. Obtaining a head coach with a career record of 161-97 is an attractive option, but is it worth two first- and two second-round draft picks? Regardless, the Broncos are not required to agree to any sort of compensation at this point in the process and, according to Schefter, they haven’t discussed the issue with New Orleans at this point.

Denver is only one of many teams presumed to have interest in Payton and are merely the first reported to have reached out for permission. The Broncos are handcuffed slightly by the NFL after the league’s ruling that any in-person interview with Payton cannot take place until January 17. Denver can and likely will open up other lines of communication until then, though, to try and capitalize on the early permission.

The only other candidate known to likely be in the running for the Broncos job is interim head coach Jerry Rosburg. The longtime Ravens special teams coordinator announced his retirement from coaching when he left the Ravens in 2019 but reversed his decision when hired as an assistant to Hackett this year. Two games at the helm is hardly enough to serve as an example of his abilities as head coach but might be enough for Rosburg to convince ownership to consider him for the position, if he desires it.

Saints, WR Michael Thomas Agree To Restructured Deal

January 7th, 2023 at 11:33am CST by Ben Levine

Michael Thomas has reworked his contract, setting up a significant decision for the Saints heading into the 2023 league year. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the wide receiver and the Saints agreed to a restructured deal that provides the organization with some additional flexibility to move off the contract this upcoming offseason.

Specifically, Thomas reduced his 2023 base salary from $15.5MM to $1.165MM. In exchange, the wideout now has a $31.755MM 2024 roster bonus that’s due on the third day of the 2023 league year (March 17, 2023). For participating, the Saints gave Thomas a $900K signing bonus.

As Yates explains, this reworking assures that the Saints’ decision on the receiver’s future “will be done expediently.” If that $32MM roster bonus becomes guaranteed, the front office would be left with a prohibitive amount of dead cap. If the team decides to cut the receiver (which would likely be designated as a post-June 1 cut), the team would have an extra $14MM in cap flexibility thanks to today’s maneuverings. The organization would still be left with more than $25MM in dead cap, but those extra savings would still be significant for a team that’s projected to be over the cap.

If Thomas is cut, he’d immediately become a free agent. Considering the March 17 deadline, this would allow the wideout to negotiate with teams before standard free agent receivers. The Saints could realistically keep Thomas and still realize today’s savings, but such a route would set the team up for a hefty financial commitment during the 2024 campaign.

In simpler terms, it’s the general consensus that today’s contract restructuring will ultimately lead to the Saints parting ways with the wide receiver this offseason. Thomas hasn’t been productive and/or healthy in three seasons, so it’s unlikely that the Saints would make a financial commitment for a fourth questionable season, much less a fifth season. Plus, thanks to the development of Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the team isn’t as reliant on Thomas’s upside, especially with a roster that seems to be focused towards the future.

The receiver has a prolific 2019 campaign that saw him collect 149 receptions for 1,725 receiving yards, leading to Offensive Player of the Years honors. Since then, Thomas has been limited to 10 games across three seasons, contributing only 56 receptions for 609 yards. Entering what would be his age-30 season, Thomas can’t expect a hefty pay day when he inevitably reaches free agency, but there should still be plenty of contenders lining up for his services.

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

January 5th, 2023 at 10:47am CST by Sam Robinson

As the NFL determines how it will proceed with the postponed Bills-Bengals game, Week 18 is on as scheduled. The No. 1 overall pick remains in doubt, and seven teams enter the final week either 6-10 or 7-9. Several games will impact how the top 10 shakes out.

Having lost nine straight, the Bears (3-13) are a half-game behind the Texans (2-13-1) for the No. 1 overall pick. Houston last held that draft slot in 2014, while Chicago has not picked first since 1947. The Texans are also playing a Colts team they tied in Week 1; Indianapolis enters Week 18 on a six-game skid. Conversely, the Bears face a Vikings squad that still has a path to the NFC’s No. 2 seed.

Week 17 also brought clarity on the NFC South. Although the Buccaneers have disappointed, their comeback win over the Panthers secured the franchise’s third straight playoff berth. That will mean Tampa Bay’s pick will check in no higher than 18th overall, while the Carolina and New Orleans slots could land in the top 10. The loser of Saturday’s Jaguars-Titans game would also see their draft slot rise several positions. Four of the five traded picks remain in the top 12, with the Seahawks’ spot (via the Broncos) still slotting highest — behind only the Texans and Bears’ positions.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 18:

  1. Houston Texans: 2-13-1
  2. Chicago Bears: 3-13
  3. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  4. Arizona Cardinals: 4-12
  5. Indianapolis Colts: 4-11-1
  6. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  7. Atlanta Falcons: 6-10
  8. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-10
  9. Carolina Panthers: 6-10
  10. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  11. Tennessee Titans: 7-9
  12. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  13. New York Jets: 7-9
  14. Washington Commanders: 7-8-1
  15. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-8
  16. Green Bay Packers: 8-8
  17. Detroit Lions: 8-8
  18. Seattle Seahawks: 8-8
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-8
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-8
  21. New England Patriots: 8-8
  22. New York Giants: 9-6-1
  23. Baltimore Ravens: 10-6
  24. Los Angeles Chargers: 10-6
  25. Cincinnati Bengals: 11-4
  26. Minnesota Vikings: 12-4
  27. Dallas Cowboys: 12-4
  28. Denver Broncos (via 49ers)
  29. Buffalo Bills: 12-3
  30. Kansas City Chiefs: 13-3
  31. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-3

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/4/23

January 4th, 2023 at 6:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

  • Placed on IR: S Juanyeh Thomas

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: OL George Moore, TE Hunter Thedford

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Washington Commanders

  • Signed: LB Ferrod Gardner
  • Activated from IR: G Nolan Laufenberg

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/23

January 4th, 2023 at 5:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

  • Placed on IR: LB De’Jon Harris

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/22

December 31st, 2022 at 5:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s roster moves heading into gameday:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Promoted from practice squad: G Kyle Hinton, DL T.J. Smith

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

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