Saints Claim Janoris Jenkins
Former Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been claimed off waivers by the Saints. With that, they’ll take on one of the league’s top cornerback talents, the ~$1.2MM still owed to the veteran for 2019, and, perhaps, some backlash.
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The Giants cut Jenkins last week after he used a slur for the mentally challenged and issued an apology that fell short with many. Controversy aside, he represents an enormous upgrade in the secondary – the kind of addition that is rarely, if ever, found in the late states of the regular season.
Jenkins will not be eligible to play tonight, when the Saints take on the Colts. Instead, the claim will be deferred, technically speaking, until next week, when the Saints take on the Titans.
The Saints are looking to Jenkins for coverage help as they gear up for a Super Bowl run and an attempt to lock down a first-round bye. His former team, meanwhile, is ticketed for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Jenkins is also under contract for 2020, though the $11.25MM he’s slated to earn next year is completely non-guaranteed. With that in mind, this profiles as a low-risk/high-reward scenario for the Saints.
The Texans and Chiefs were named as potential landing spots for the 31-year-old, but the Saints came away with the one-time Pro Bowler. Jackrabbit will now look to add on to his 84 tackles and four interceptions (already a career high) in 2019.
In addition to the Jenkins claim, the Saints promoted CB T.J. Green and DT Taylor Stallworth from the practice squad, placed CB Johnson Bademosi on IR, and waived DT T.Y. McGill.
NFL Bans Seahawks’ Josh Gordon
The NFL has suspended Josh Gordon indefinitely for violating the league’s policies on performance-enhancing substances and substances of abuse. Gordon will not suit up for the Seahawks’ final regular season games, nor their postseason game(s), and it’s possible that he’ll never take the gridiron again. 
It’s a sadly familiar refrain for Gordon, who has been suspended repeatedly throughout his NFL career. The Seahawks saw flashes of the old Flash this season and Gordon, at last check, was excited about the possibility of returning for 2020.
“Seattle is amazing,” the wide receiver said. “Football aside, I’d definitely love to live in a place like this.”
The feeling, just a few short days ago, was mutual.
“Josh has had huge games in the past,’’ head coach Pete Carroll said. “He just hasn’t gotten the ball enough yet to show that for us. But he’s done really well. Josh has been a really good guy around here in practicing and working hard and studying.”
All of that is on hold, as the wide receiver is set to do battle with the league office and his own off-the-field issues once again.
Since joining the Seahawks in early November, Gordon caught just seven passes for 139 yards and zero touchdowns. It’s a far cry from his best work, including a 2014 season in which he had 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games with the Browns. It’s also a step down from his production with the Patriots (20/287/1 in six games), but Gordon showed promise, too. On Sunday against the Panthers, he torched the secondary for a spectacular 58-yard grab in the second quarter. He also lobbed a trick pass directly into the arms of safety Tre Boston, but the Seahawks still managed to come away with a 30-24 win.
At this moment, there’s only one number that truly matters: Five. That’s the number of times Gordon has been suspended for substance abuse. He’s successfully begged for the NFL’s forgiveness in the past, but this ban just might be the final straw.
Dolphins Sign DeVante Parker To Extension
Months after DeVante Parker agreed to a through-2020 extension with the Dolphins, the breakout wideout is nearing another agreement.
The Dolphins and their top receiver are close on a deal that would keep Parker in Miami through 2023, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The Louisville alum is set to sign the contract, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team announced the agreement.
The deal will be worth more than $40MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (via Twitter), adding that the agreement is believed to be high on guarantees. That would seemingly be necessary in order to convince Parker not to bet on himself in 2021 free agency. This contract will include an $8MM signing bonus, and the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reports (via Twitter) it will be worth up to $40MM. Both Parker’s 2020 and 2021 salaries will be fully guaranteed, which represents nice security for a former first-rounder who was heading toward bust status before this season.
Despite Parker’s underwhelming first four seasons, the Dolphins’ new power structure retained him through 2020 via a two-year, $10MM agreement. The 26-year-old wideout has far outperformed expectations this season, catching 55 passes for a career-high 882 yards and six touchdowns. He’s been perhaps the top bright spot on a rebuilding Dolphins team. This comes after years of the 2015 first-round pick being a trade candidate.
Although Miami jettisoned numerous veterans this year, the team has extended multiple veterans in-season. Allen Hurns and Eric Rowe signed extensions in recent weeks, though neither deal was in Parker’s price range. This pact would place Parker among the middle class at wide receiver. Twenty-four receivers earn at least $10MM annually, and the Dolphins will now employ one of them.
Cardinals Cut Terrell Suggs
The Cardinals released Terrell Suggs, head coach Kliff Kingsbury announced. The 37-year-old Suggs will now be available for the league’s other 31 teams, via the waiver wire. 
The seven-time Pro-Bowler could be an interesting pickup for contenders between now and Monday. Before his release, Suggs started in all 13 games for the Cardinals this season and notched 5.5 sacks plus four forced fumbles.
“Regarding Suggs, we’ve been having conversations as the season went on, as his role has been reduced, and we’ve kind of made the shift to playing some younger players,” Kingsbury said. “… In fairness to him to try to find a better fit right now, we released Terrell today.”
Despite Kingsbury’s comment about Suggs’ diminishing role, he played 76% of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps last week against the Steelers. He’s been over the 70% threshold in nine of Arizona’s 13 contests. The Cards will transition to said younger edge defenders opposite Chandler Jones on Sunday.
Any team claiming Suggs on Monday would owe him $353K, the prorated portion of his salary for the final two weeks of the season. Any team to claim Suggs would have exclusive negotiating rights until March. Suggs was listed as questionable to play this week because of a back injury.
Suggs left the Ravens after 16 seasons to join the Cardinals on a one-year, $10MM deal in the offseason. The Arizona native exited Baltimore as the franchise’s all-time sacks leader with 132.5 QB takedowns – 62.5 more than runner-up Peter Boulware. Suggs also surpassed Ray Lewis to become the Ravens’ games-played leader, suiting up for his 229th career regular-season contest in Week 17 of the 2018 campaign.
Baltimore sits 32nd on the wire, so while a return trip to Maryland would be quite the development, it doesn’t appear likely to occur. The Seahawks, despite their Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah additions, rank 29th in sacks. The Clowney- and J.J. Watt-less Texans, as presently constructed, will surely consider such a claim. Houston resides in front of Seattle in waiver priority. Jon Gruden‘s affinity for veterans may not make such a move out of the question for the 6-7 Raiders, especially if they are to beat the Jaguars on Sunday.
Giants Cut Janoris Jenkins
The Giants have released cornerback Janoris Jenkins. The move comes hours after Jenkins used the “r-word” and issued something of a non-apology apology. 
“This was an organizational decision,” coach Pat Shurmur said. “From ownership to management to our football operations, we felt it was in the best interests of the franchise and the player. Obviously, what happened this week, and the refusal to acknowledge the inappropriate and offensive language, was the determining factor.”
Rumors have swirled about Jenkins’ status with the team for some time now and his use of an offensive term proved to be the final straw. For his part, Jackrabbit has been frustrated by the constant talk coupled with a lack of communication from the front office about his future. Prior to the trade deadline this year, the Giants discussed deals for the veteran cornerback, but did not find a suitable deal.
Because the release comes after the trade deadline, Jenkins will be subject to the waiver wire, even though he is a vested veteran. Any team claiming Jenkins would be responsible for the prorated portion of his $10.15MM salary for 2019. He’s also due $11.25M in the last year of his deal in 2020, including a $1MM roster bonus in March, but it’s completely non-guaranteed. Playoff teams could give real consideration to Jenkins, if they’re willing to withstand the PR backlash.
Jenkins, 31, logged 84 tackles and matched a career-high of four interceptions through 13 games this year. Across four years with the G-Men, Jackrabbit came away with 12 INTs and one Pro Bowl nod (2016).
Eagles Place Alshon Jeffery On IR
Alshon Jeffery‘s season is over. On Thursday, the Eagles announced that the wide receiver has been placed on injured reserve. 
Jeffery was forced out of Monday night’s game with a foot injury and after the swelling went down, team doctors learned that he’ll need more than just a week or two of rest, ice, compression, and elevation. It’s a bad break for the Eagles, who are fighting for the NFC East title and a chance to add another Super Bowl ring to their collection.
Jeffery’s season ends with 43 catches for 430 yards and four touchdowns for the 2019 season. It’s a step down from his 65 catches for 843 yards and six touchdowns in 2018 and the 11.4 yards per catch average marks a career low. The Eagles will hope to have him back at full strength in 2020, when he’ll continue to play on his four-year, $72MM deal, which includes a substantial guarantee of $54.595MM.
To take Jeffery’s place on the roster, the Eagles promoted fellow wide receiver Robert Davis from the practice squad. And, to fill Davis’ spot on the taxi squad, the Eagles signed receiver Deontay Burnett.
The Eagles might need Davis for more than just emergency situations. DeSean Jackson is on IR and receiver Nelson Agholor was held out of Monday night’s game with a knee injury. Meanwhile, receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is battling through an injury he suffered against the Giants, though he’s expected to play against the Redskins.
Odell Beckham Jr. Reportedly Wants Out Of Cleveland
Odell Beckham Jr. has been in the news a lot this morning. We heard earlier today that the Browns wideout has been battling a hernia injury all season and may be headed for offseason surgery, and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk) reports that OBJ wants out of Cleveland.
When he was asked about his future with the Browns several days ago, Beckham was non-committal. He said, “I couldn’t sit here and tell you whether I’m going to be here, want to be here, don’t want to be here. This is exactly where I’m at now and I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. God has a plan. In the offseason, everything will figure itself out. I feel like I’ve been here before, answering questions about the next team when I’m on a team already. That’s just something I’m going to tune out for right now. Catch me in the offseason and we’ll see what happens.”
But Glazer says Beckham has approached opposing players and coaches before (and even during) games this season and has told them, “come get me.” And considering that Glazer was the one who said the Giants would trade Beckham when everyone within the New York organization was saying they wouldn’t, that carries some weight. Glazer said, “I don’t see that relationship ending well for [the Browns] after this year.”
Of course, trading Beckham would be a tough pill to swallow for the Browns, who gave up first- and third-round picks in the 2019 draft along with Jabrill Peppers and Kevin Zeitler to acquire the star receiver and Olivier Vernon. The fact that Beckham has had a disappointing year (by his standards, at least) and would have basically forced his way out of two organizations would obviously hurt his trade value.
Panthers Sign LB Shaq Thompson To Four-Year Extension
The Panthers announced today that they’ve signed linebacker Shaq Thompson to a four-year extension. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the deal is worth $54.2MM, with a maximum value of $57MM. There’s $28MM guaranteed and a $16MM signing bonus. The extension will keep Thompson in a Panthers uniform through the 2023 season.
“Shaq is our type of person and our type of player,” said general manager Marty Hurney. “He’s proven that he can play linebacker at a very high level, and he’s got all the traits you want. He’s smart, he’s physical, he can run and he’s very versatile. He fits the blueprint for what we want at the position.”
A 2015 first-round pick out of Washington, Thompson has spent his entire five-year career with the Panthers. The organization picked up his fifth-year option back in 2018, and the linebacker has rewarded them with perhaps his best season in the NFL. In 12 games this year, the 25-year-old has compiled 93 tackles, three sacks, and three passes defended. Thompson has also garnered glowing reviews from the coaching staff, with the organization appreciating his ability to fill in for longtime Panther Thomas Davis.
The $57MM maximum value would place Thompson in the top-five among linebackers, tied with Myles Jack and Deion Jones. Meanwhile, the $28MM in guaranteed money is the third-highest mark at the position behind C.J. Mosley and Devin White.
Panthers’ Cam Newton To Undergo Surgery
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton will undergo foot surgery, according to Tiffany Blackmon of NFL.com (on Twitter). The operation will completely rule Newton out for the remainder of the year, though he was unlikely to return from injured reserve even before the news. 
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The surgery to repair his Lisfranc injury has a recovery time table of 8-10 weeks, typically. At worst, it’ll take three months for Newton to bounce back.
In theory, Newton could have held off on surgery to leave the door open for a playoff return. But, at 5-7, the Panthers have less than a 1% chance of reaching the postseason. Kyle Allen figures to handle starting duties the rest of the way, with serious question marks about what the Panthers will do under center in 2020.
With $18.6MM owed to him in 2020, plus a $2MM option bonus, Newton seems unlikely to return. That’s particularly true after Tuesday’s firing of head coach Ron Rivera – the Panthers seem prepared to start fresh.
Meanwhile, Allen is making just $495K this year and will be an exclusive rights free agent in 2020 and 2021. After that, he’ll be an RFA for 2022. The Panthers could extend Allen at any time, or leave things as-is and have a starting quarterback at a dirt cheap rate.
Panthers Fire Ron Rivera
The Panthers have fired longtime head coach Ron Rivera. The search for a new head coach will begin immediately, with secondary coach Perry Fewell serving as the interim lead. 
“I have a great deal of respect for Ron and the contributions he has made to this franchise and to this community,” owner David Tepper said in a press release. “I wish him the best. I will immediately begin the search for the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers.”
The shakeup also will see offensive coordinator Norv Turner transition to special assistant to the head coach as quarterbacks coach Scott Turner moves to offensive coordinator.
Rivera became just the fourth head coach in Panthers history when he was hired in 2011. He went on to amass a 76-63-1 regular season record, a 3-4 playoff record, and, most notably, a Super Bowl appearance. The Panthers did not win it all under Rivera’s watch, but he was a beloved figure nonetheless.
Midway through a trying season, the Panthers opted for a change.
“We are going to take a comprehensive and thorough review of our football operation to make sure we are structured for long-term sustained success,” said Tepper. “Our vision is to find the right mix of old-school discipline and toughness with modern and innovative processes. We will consider a wide range of football executives to complement our current football staff. One change that we will implement is hiring an assistant general manager and vice president of football operations. We all must recognize that this is the first step in a process, but we are committed to building and maintaining a championship culture for our team and our fans.”
Rivera was one of the major faces of the franchise, alongside one-time MVP quarterback Cam Newton. After the dust settles from the sideline shakeup, it’s quite possible that the QB will also follow him out the door. Newton is among the league’s most dangerous and electrifying signal callers when healthy, but he has been sidelined all year and is now far removed from his best work.
For the time being, Newton and GM Marty Hurney are still in the picture. Rivera, meanwhile, stands as one of the most respected defensive minds in the NFL and could easily find work elsewhere, if he wants to continue coaching.