Newsstand News & Rumors

Commanders Acquire Marshon Lattimore From Saints

November 5th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders’ push to add Marshon Lattimore has resulted in an agreement. The veteran corner is headed from New Orleans to Washington, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal is now official.

The Saints had been asking for a Day 2 pick in the 2025 draft, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. An agreement on that front has now been reached, and Lattimore will be on the move for the first time in his career. The four-time Pro Bowler had spent seven-plus seasons in New Orleans. He will be eligible to return to the Superdome on December 15 when the two teams meet.

Here is the full breakdown of the trade terms, courtesy of veteran insider Josina Anderson and ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

Commanders receive:

Lattimore
Fifth-round pick

Saints receive:

Third-round pick
Fourth-round selection
New Orleans’ original sixth-rounder exchanged in the John Ridgeway trade

Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero notes all picks being swapped are for the year 2025. New Orleans will look to restock at a few positions this spring, with cornerback likely being one of them. Lattimore had served as a full-time starter during his tenure with the team, and Paulson Adebo – who is out for the year with a broken leg – is a pending free agent. Multiple new starters could be added in the secondary as a result.

A report from earlier today indicated talks on the Lattimore front were heating up, and multiple teams were believed to be in play. Among them were the Commanders, whose approach to the deadline has no doubt been influenced by the team’s surprisingly strong start to the 2024 campaign. Washington sits atop the NFC East at 7-2, and adding in the secondary could aid the team’s chances of remaining on track for a home postseason game. Lattimore is not strictly a rental, however.

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year adjusted his contract this offseason, something which has been commonplace for years in New Orleans with the team constantly in need of cap relief. Lattimore is only owed the remainder of his $1.21MM base salary for this season, a figure the Commanders can easily afford. For the 2025 and ’26 campaigns, though, he is due a total of $36.5MM. Much of that comes in the form of non-guaranteed base salaries which, coupled with modest option bonuses, have him on track for major cap hits in each of the next two years.

An adjustment will therefore be likely upon arrival in Washington or at least after the current season is over. In the meantime, Lattimore will provide the Commanders with an impact defender capable of aiding the their secondary. That unit has had plenty of room for improvement for some time now, especially with last year’s first-round investment in Emmanuel Forbes not panning out. His market is being gauged ahead of this afternoon’s deadline, and it will be interesting to see if a deal is worked out now that Lattimore is headed to the nation’s capital.

In any case, the likes of Benjamin St-Juste and second-round rookie Mike Sainristil will now have a new contributor alongside them in the Commanders’ secondary. Washington already ranks fifth against the pass this season, but the team sits mid-pack in total and scoring defense and has recorded only three interceptions. Lattimore has just two picks since the start of the 2022 campaign, but his previous ball production could add a key element to his new team’s defense.

The Commanders’ pursuit of a starting-caliber corner included calling the Jets about D.J. Reed, Russini reports. To little surprise, they were told the pending free agent is not available with New York still eyeing a run at the postseason in 2024. Washington’s contingency plan has resulted in a notable deal, though, and Lattimore could help the team remain among the NFC’s best teams through the second half of the year.

Steelers Acquire Mike Williams From Jets

November 5th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Allen Lazard‘s IR trip, the Jets will not hang onto Mike Williams. Instead, he will be the Steelers’ long-sought-after receiver upgrade.

Pittsburgh is sending New York a fifth-round pick for the recent free agency addition, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The pick exchanged is a 2025 choice. The Steelers have been in on Williams for a bit, checking in with the Jets shortly after their Davante Adams acquisition prompted them to shop the March addition. And the Steelers, at long last, have a George Pickens complementary piece. New York will receive the lower of Pittsburgh’s fifth-round selections, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero clarifies.

Williams, 30, is not having a good season. Signing a one-year deal worth $10MM, the former Chargers 1,000-yard target has just 12 receptions for 166 yards this year. He will join Mecole Hardman as a Jets free agent WR pickup to be traded months later. Williams, of course, has produced on a higher level before. The Steelers will hope the former top-10 pick has some of his Chargers-years form left.

While the Steelers have been in on a Williams trade for a bit, they were interested in him during the period between his Chargers release and Jets signing. Pittsburgh joined Carolina in scheduling free agency visits with Williams, but after his New York meeting, both the other trips were cancelled. The fit with the Aaron Rodgers-led Jets, however, did not pan out.

A late-game slip led to a crucial Bills interception in Week 6, the Jets’ first post-Robert Saleh loss, but Williams had never quite found his footing in the team’s offense prior to that sequence. Rodgers criticizing Williams’ route postgame probably did not help matters. Coming back from a September 2023 ACL tear, Williams debuted on time with New York but saw Lazard — Rodgers’ longtime teammate from his Packers years — effectively usurp him in the Jets’ WR hierarchy. With Adams now in the fold alongside Garrett Wilson, there did not appear much meat on the bone left for Williams.

Even though Lazard’s Week 9 IR trip threw a wrench into the Williams trade market, the Jets may also have tried to use it as leverage by attempting to convince teams they would just keep Williams. Now, the Jets will go with the likes of Malachi Corley and Xavier Gipson behind their top two in the meantime. Williams has a path to becoming the Steelers’ WR2 in a now-Russell Wilson-centered offense.

Williams has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume. The Chargers mostly used the Clemson product — the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft — as a deep threat, but the 6-foot-4 target showed more range to his game during Joe Lombardi‘s OC run. The Bolts gave a longer look at Williams as a versatile weapon from 2021-22, and he turned in his best season in ’21 to help Justin Herbert become the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter. Williams posted 1,146 receiving yards and nine touchdowns that season, making crucial catches during a season-ending Raiders clash that nearly booted the Steelers from the playoffs — a game-winning Las Vegas field goal then eliminated the Chargers, who would have qualified with a tie.

The 2022 season, however, brought more injury trouble. After missing time earlier in the season, Williams suffered a back fracture in a meaningless Week 18 game in Denver. This weakened Los Angeles’ aerial attack ahead of the Jacksonville wild-card tilt, which became an infamous chapter for the AFC West franchise, which blew a 27-point lead without its talented WR2. With Brandon Staley’s seat warm after the Williams injury the previous season, the longtime Keenan Allen sidekick then went down with an ACL tear in Week 3 of last season.

Despite using his contract to reach cap compliance in March, the Chargers also looked into a trade with the Jets. But the Bolts are standing down, though more than two hours remain until the trade deadline. Williams’ early career brought a 10-touchdown 2018 and an NFL-leading 20.4 yards per reception in 2019; those long-game numbers may be relevant again thanks to Wilson’s deep-ball prowess. Then again, Williams is at a slightly different point in his career. It will be interesting to see if the Steelers attempt to tap into the long-range skillset that Williams displayed in his early 20s.

The Steelers will take on the remainder of Williams’ salary, Schefter adds, following the Jets’ lead in doing so after a wide receiver trade. Though, the bill will be much lower for Pittsburgh. Williams is due roughly $2.5MM the rest of the way. Although the Steelers have seen slot weapon Calvin Austin fare better in Wilson’s starts, Williams likely moves ahead of him and Van Jefferson in the team’s aerial hierarchy soon. Though, the Steelers will certainly need to manage their trade pickup due to his injury past.

This wraps a fascinating odyssey for the Steelers, whose initial Williams look preceded extensive work on WRs. The Steelers asked about Deebo Samuel during the draft and then agreed to trade framework with the 49ers during the Brandon Aiyuk saga. After Aiyuk chose a 49ers extension over a Steelers trade, the team regrouped before being in on the Adams and Cooper Kupp markets. The latter did not exactly last too long, as the Rams have now won three straight to return to playoff contention. Interest in Courtland Sutton and Darius Slayton emerged as well, but the Steelers have their hired gun in Williams.

As Williams will have a chance to play a bigger role and potentially create a decent market for himself in 2025, the Jets will attempt to get by with younger tertiary targets. Known more for trading away wideouts than acquiring them, the Steelers will hold Williams’ exclusive negotiating rights until the March legal tampering period.

Browns, Lions Complete Za’Darius Smith Trade

November 5th, 2024 at 7:16am CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be near the finish line while the Browns were playing their Week 9 game, the team’s deal with the Lions involving Za’Darius Smith is now done. The veteran pass rusher will be dealt to a third NFC North franchise.

As it turns out, Detroit will end up paying less for Smith than initially reported. The Lions will receive Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports, while the Browns will acquire a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder.

Cleveland’s hopes in acquiring a better return for Smith led to the delay here, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the AFC North team was hoping someone would send over a fourth-round pick for the veteran edge defender. Exiting Week 9, no club was willing to do so. That will lead to the Browns accepting the Lions’ offer.

These terms are not far off from those involved in the 2023 trade that sent Smith from Minnesota to Cleveland. Following the 2023 draft, the Vikings dealt Smith and 2025 sixth- and seventh-round picks to the Browns for 2024 and 2025 fifths. Eighteen months later, Smith is involved in another trade that includes at least three Day 3 draft choices.

The Lions will take on Smith’s remaining salary, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. That only requires a $605K payment, however. The Browns, as they are wont to do under GM Andrew Berry, inserted void years in Smith’s contract to reduce his cap hits. He entered the season with just $1.21MM due in 2024 base salary. Smith re-signed with the Browns on a two-year, $23MM deal in March. The Lions will take on this through-2025 contract, giving them flexibility to keep the well-traveled defender next season as well. Smith is due a $1.5MM base salary in 2025; that money is not guaranteed.

Aidan Hutchinson suffering a broken leg made the Lions an obvious pass-rushing suitor, and Smith ended up being asked about a potential trade to Detroit not long after the then-Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner went down. Smith, 32, expressed intrigue about a Lions fit; soon after, a report pointed to the Lions showing interest. The former Packers and Vikings edge rusher will move from Myles Garrett sidekick on a 2-7 team to the most accomplished healthy pass rusher for a 7-1 squad.

While the Lions have steamrolled their way to the top of the NFC, they have done so without reliable production from their non-Hutchinson edge players. Hutchinson racked up 7.5 sacks before going down in Week 5. Through eight games, no other Lions player has tallied more than 2.5 sacks. Among outside rushers, no Lion has accumulated more than one sack this season.

Smith checks a key box for a team that allocated significant offseason resources to locking down the core GM Brad Holmes assembled. The former Pro Bowler helped the Packers to two NFC championship games and aided the Vikings to the 2022 NFC North title during his one Minnesota season; the Lions will hope their former rival can push their effort over the top.

It will cost the Browns nearly $19MM in dead money to move Smith, which certainly presents an interesting scenario for a team tied to Deshaun Watson‘s contract through 2026. The Smith dead money will be spread over two years for the Browns. As the Watson contract has done the most to sink this Browns team after a 2023 playoff season, Berry and Co. have been tied to more seller’s moves before today’s 3pm CT deadline.

Despite the Browns’ struggles this season, is on a better pace compared to his 2023 form. Helping last year’s Cleveland squad to the No. 1 pass defense ranking, Smith finished with 5.5 sacks. Through nine games this year, he has five. Smith posted 20 QB hits last season; he has seven thus far this year.

The former Ravens, Packers and Vikings EDGE has reeled off three double-digit sack seasons — each of which coming in the NFC North. He reached 13.5 sacks upon signing with Green Bay in 2019 and added 12.5 to help the Pack return to the NFC title game a year later. Upon signing with the Vikings in 2022, Smith teamed with Danielle Hunter to record 10 sacks.

The Browns have now moved Smith and Amari Cooper. They are not planning to trade Garrett or Denzel Ward, but other names have come up. Greg Newsome‘s name has come up. It will be interesting to see if the retooling squad unloads more pieces over the next several hours. The Lions have not shown they need much, but they also could further augment their roster before today’s trade endpoint.

Saints Fire HC Dennis Allen

November 4th, 2024 at 10:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

After a seventh consecutive loss, the Saints are making a move on the sidelines. Head coach Dennis Allen has been fired, as first reported by Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

New Orleans started 2-0 in 2024, an encouraging sign for the team’s postseason outlook. Since then, however, little (if anything) has gone according to plan, with the offense suffering multiple injuries and the defense struggling to overcome a number of issues. On Sunday, the Saints lost to the Panthers in unwanted fashion. New Orleans outgained Carolina by a margin of over 150 yards while topping that figure on the ground and winning the turnover battle; over the past 20 years, no team had lost under those circumstances until yesterday (h/t ESPN’s Bill Barnwell).

No one contest is at the heart of any team’s decision to fire a coach, but in the wake of Week 9’s defeat today’s news comes as little surprise. Allen is meeting with the team now, Rapoport adds, and attention will soon turn to the question of who will take over the staff on an interim basis. On that note, Dianna Russini of The Athletic names special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi as a candidate to watch.

The Saints have indeed now named Rizzi as interim coach. The 54-year-old has head coaching experience at the college level, compiling a record of 18-23 with stints at New Haven and Rhode Island. He has been in the NFL since 2010, serving as the Dolphins’ special teams coordinator for nine years while also holding the title of associate head coach for a pair of seasons. Rizzi has been with the Saints since 2019, and since 2022 he has also served as an assistant head coach. New Orleans current sits fifth in special teams DVOA, a rare instance of success in an otherwise disappointing campaign.

Allen’s first head coaching gig saw him take charge of the Raiders for the 2012 and ’13 seasons. Only four games into his third season at the helm, he was dismissed. That was followed by a lengthy stint on Sean Payton‘s Saints staff as the team’s defensive coordinator. Once Payton departed, Allen was promoted and given a second opportunity to lead a staff. It has now ended in very similar fashion to his Raiders tenure, with a midseason dismissal coming down in Year 3. This marks the first in-season coaching change for New Orleans since 1996, when the team canned Jim Mora midway through his 11th season.

In 2022, the Saints posted a 7-10 record, with a strong defensive showing being weighed down by mediocre offensive production. The subsequent offseason was highlighted by Derek Carr‘s free agent signing, a move aimed at providing the team with a stable solution under center in the post-Drew Brees era. The former Raiders Pro Bowler showed improvement down the stretch, and the Saints improved to 9-8. That mark was insufficient for a postseason berth, however, and more significant changes were made on offense in response.

Longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was replaced by Klint Kubiak during the 2024 offseason. The latter’s work in the run game in particular seemed to be on full display over the first two weeks of the year, but success on the ground or through the air has been hard to find since. Overall, New Orleans ranks 16th in total offense and 15th in scoring. The team’s defense – for many years a strength with Allen in place dating back to his time as DC – has regressed considerably, sitting 28th in yards allowed and 26th in scoring.

In the wake of those collective struggles, the Saints will move on in the hopes of sparking a turnaround in the second half of the season. Carr missed time but is now healthy, although New Orleans’ offensive line and receiving corps are both dealing with a number of notable absences. The team’s defense (including cornerback Marshon Lattimore) could become the subject of increased calls before tomorrow afternoon’s trade deadline. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero confirms, however, that a firesale should be considered unlikely even in the wake of this move.

Carr is owed a $30MM base salary next season, the third of his four-year contract. That figure is set to become guaranteed shortly after the start of the new league year in March, and with the Saints once again on track to face a myriad of cap issues his financial status will be worth watching closely. In addition to the team’s quarterback situation, a head coaching search will be a central storyline in 2025.

Raiders Fire OC Luke Getsy

November 3rd, 2024 at 10:43pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders suffered their fifth straight loss today after starting the season 2-2, and the offense continues to struggle to get the job done. As a result, changes are being made. The latest changes come in the form of a staffing updates as offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has reportedly been let go, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The team soon announced quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello and offensive line coach James Cregg have also been dismissed.

Getsy’s second tenure as an offensive coordinator in the NFL has turned out about the same as his first stint, though Chicago afforded him a tad more leash. A former undrafted quarterback in the league back in 2007, it didn’t take long for Getsy to move on to coaching. After seven seasons in the collegiate ranks, Getsy earned his first NFL coaching gig as an offensive quality control coach with the Packers.

After leaving for a year to be offensive coordinator at Mississippi State, Getsy returned to Green Bay under then-offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and head coach Matt LaFleur. This time, Getsy worked as quarterbacks coach over veteran Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers, already a two-time MVP at the time, made the entire offensive staff look good, winning his third and fourth MVPs in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021. The performances earned Hackett a head coaching gig in Denver and Getsy his first offensive coordinator job in the NFL with the Bears.

In his first season calling plays, the Bears fielded the league’s top rushing offense, though a 32nd-ranked passing offense put the team at just 28th for total offense. Chicago remained one of the top rushing teams in his second year, and even improved in passing and scoring, but head coach Matt Eberflus cut ties in an attempt to keep his own job with a new offensive coordinator and a new rookie quarterback in 2024.

Getsy rebounded, hopping on staff with new head coach Antonio Pierce after the Raiders fumbled the hiring of Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator. The team seemingly had an agreement in place to hire Kingsbury before the Texas Tech alum backtracked and joined the Commanders. Getsy was the consolation prize, and given tonight’s news, he apparently was hired on a “prove it” basis.

Scangarello joined the Raiders this season two years after being fired midseason from his offensive coordinator job with the University of Kentucky. Cregg was in his first role as an NFL offensive line coach after two years as assistant offensive line coach in San Francisco.

Through nine weeks of the season, the Raiders are 26th in total offense and 25th in points scored. Unlike his time in Chicago, Getsy has not been able to field a top rushing offense. In fact, the team’s 692 rushing yards on the season are only better than the Cowboys (who have 656 in one fewer game). This has forced Getsy and the Raiders to rely on a passing game quarterbacked by Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.

The results have been middling so far this year in terms of passing yardage, and the two passers have combined for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Nine lost fumbles for the offense combine with those picks to help the Raiders rank dead-last in turnovers. The team also ranks 32nd in yards per carry, 29th in yards per play, 27th in passer rating, and 26th in offensive points per game this season.

The lackluster offense could partially be blamed on injuries that have limited expected contributors like running back Zamir White and tight end Michael Mayer. The offense was also not helped by the “injury” and eventual trade of star wide receiver Davante Adams, who only appeared in three games for Las Vegas.

Still, it is the play-caller’s job to put the players available to him in positions to succeed, and that job was not getting done in Las Vegas. Just four days ago, Pierce challenged Getsy, telling the media that Getsy’s play-calling “has to get better.” Today’s performance, which saw Minshew benched for recently signed quarterback Desmond Ridder, clearly lacked the improvement that Pierce sought.

Today’s firing marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Raiders have changed either a coach or a coordinator in the middle of a season. The seemingly never-ending search for stability in the organization continues with Getsy’s dismissal. Pass game coordinator Scott Turner, formerly an offensive coordinator for the Commanders, has been tabbed as a likely replacement to take over the role of offensive coordinator, though nothing has been reported. In his three years calling plays in Washington, the team’s offense never ranked in the top half of the league.

Following the announcement of Getsy’s firing, EPSN’s Paul Gutierrez and Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal both seemed to indicate that more heads would likely roll. This could have been in reference to the dismissals of Scangarello and Cregg, reported soon after, but with the iron still hot, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few more names added to the fire.

Jaguars Trade LT Cam Robinson To Vikings

October 30th, 2024 at 4:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 30: As expected, the Jaguars will pick up much of Robinson’s tab. They are paying just more than $7MM of Robinson’s remaining 2024 base salary, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. This leaves the Vikings with around $2MM of the left tackle’s salary, along with $59K per game in roster bonuses.

OCTOBER 29: For a second straight year, the Jaguars and Vikings have a deal in place involving an offensive lineman at the trade deadline. Cam Robinson is set to replace Christian Darrisaw.

The Vikings will act swiftly, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting they are acquiring the longtime Jaguars left tackle in exchange for unspecified draft compensation. This comes a year after the Jags acquired Ezra Cleveland from the Vikings. Here are the terms of the trade:

Vikings receive:

Robinson
Conditional 2026 seventh-round pick

Jaguars receive:

Conditional 2026 fifth-round pick

The 2026 fifth can upgrade to a fourth for the Jaguars based on playing time, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. The conditional seventh the Vikings are receiving can be removed from the trade based on playing time as well, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter adds.

This will wrap an eight-season run for Robinson in Jacksonville. The former second-round pick, however, is in a contract year and is not a candidate to be franchise-tagged. Like Kirk Cousins, Robinson was a two-time tag recipient and is on track for free agency. This trade sets up Robinson as a clear rental, with Darrisaw expected to reclaim his blindside post in 2025. In the short term, though, the 5-2 Vikings will prepare to have Robinson protecting Sam Darnold‘s blind side.

It is not exactly common for a starting left tackle to be available at the deadline, and Doug Pederson had thrown cold water on more seller’s trades — following the Jags’ agreement to send Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seahawks — taking place. But the Jags have dropped to 2-6 and lost Christian Kirk for the season during their most recent defeat. Jacksonville also has some LT insurance in Walker Little, who is also in a contract year.

Tuesday’s agreement certainly signals the Vikings believe they have a contending team, despite their back-to-back losses, as they just extended Darrisaw at a top-market rate. Darrisaw signed a four-year, $104MM deal to stay in Minnesota long term, but he will not reenter the Vikes’ on-field equation until next season. The fourth-year blocker went down with an unspecified knee injury — one that will require season-ending surgery — in Week 8. The Vikings losing their top O-lineman already played a role in one loss, and the team will take advantage of Darrisaw’s injury occurring before the trade deadline.

Robinson, 29, had been the Jags’ LT starter since his rookie season. He is attached to a three-year, $52.75MM extension — agreed to during his second offseason on the franchise tag. No restructures have taken place on this contract, keeping Robinson’s 2024 base salary at $16.25MM. While roughly $9MM remains on that deal, the Jaguars are probably picking up some of the eighth-year blocker’s tab. The Vikings entered Tuesday with $9.5MM in cap space.

Robinson has made 91 career starts, including seven of the Jags’ eight games this season. Pro Football Focus has the Alabama alum rated 32nd among tackles this season; Darrisaw stood 10th before his injury. While Robinson does not have a Pro Bowl on his resume and is not regarded quite on Darrisaw’s level, he had done enough to be tagged twice and earn an upper-crust extension. Though, Darrisaw’s payday helped drop Robinson down that position list. Robinson entered this season as the NFL’s 10th-highest-paid LT.

The Jags have now separated from both Robinson and four-year RT starter Jawaan Taylor in two years. Jacksonville opted to tag Evan Engram over Taylor in 2023, letting him walk toward a mammoth Chiefs deal — one that has not panned out. The Jags drafted Anton Harrison in the 2023 first round and have been playing him at right tackle. It will be interesting to see how the sudden sellers proceed at this position moving forward, as Urban Meyer-era draftee Little is playing out his second-round contract. But Little, who has 18 career starts (most of them replacing an injured or suspended Robinson), will have a chance to boost his free agency value during this season’s second half.

Robinson missed a chunk of the Jags’ run to the 2022 divisional round, having suffered a meniscus tear, and received a four-game PED suspension last summer. Robinson also sustained another knee injury, one that led him to IR for a stint, last season. The recent injuries bring risk for the Vikings, but as quality LTs are not exactly flooding the trade market, Minnesota will roll the dice on Robinson staying healthy.

It cost the Jags only a sixth-round pick to acquire Cleveland, as they resided as buyers at the 2023 deadline. Jacksonville then re-signed Cleveland before the legal tampering period. Robinson will be on track to hit the market for the first time. He will need to excel in a new scheme to solidify his place as one of the 2025 FA market’s top options. Before that, the veteran will aim to help the Vikings in a loaded NFC North.

Ravens Acquire WR Diontae Johnson From Panthers

October 29th, 2024 at 11:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Diontae Johnson is indeed on the move. The veteran wideout is being dealt from the Panthers to the Ravens, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Schefter adds the teams will swap fifth-and sixth-round picks as part of the deal, one which will allow Johnson to return to the AFC North. Both selections are in this year’s draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network clarifies. As for the financial side of the deal, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports Carolina is retaining a portion of Johnson’s remaining salary.

As a result, the Ravens will only owe him roughly $625K for the rest of the season. Johnson is the latest rental receiver to be dealt, and it comes as little surprise he will be changing teams for the second time in 2024. The 28-year-old has been widely expected to be dealt, with multiple suitors believed to be in play (although the particulars of the deal point to a rather tepid market existing). As Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports notes, Johnson became “discouraged” by his situation; he will now depart a 1-7 franchise for one with a 5-3 record and aspirations of another playoff run.

Underscoring the compensation situation further, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds teams were initially discussing a Day 2 pick in a potential Johnson trade (video link). That price fell considerably, with suitors becoming increasingly aware a parting of ways with Carolina — stemming from what Jones terms as “communication issues” — would be imminent. The Panthers have moved quickly in taking an underwhelming offer.

Receiver has been floated as potential target in Baltimore’s case in 2024 (and many other years, of course), but recent first-rounders Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman have had a productive start to the season. Contributions from tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar have led to Baltimore boasting the league’s No. 1 passing attack. Free agent signing Derrick Henry has been as advertised in the backfield, forming a strong tandem with Lamar Jackson in terms of production on the ground (200 yards per game, which leads the league).

For that reason, it comes as something of a surprise Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta targeted offense in terms of a midseason acquisition. Scoring has generally not been an issue for the Ravens, but their defense has been a sore spot on more than one occasion. The team sits 26th in points allowed per game (26.1), owing in large part to the NFL’s worst pass defense. Bringing in help along the edge or in the secondary thus represented a logical course of action, but unless something further is done Baltimore’s incumbent options will be counted on to improve.

In place as GM since 2019, DeCosta has not been shy on the trade front during his tenure. He previously added Marcus Peters, Yannick Ngakoue and Roquan Smith via trade during the middle of the 2019, ’20 and ’22 seasons. Johnson becomes the latest name on that list, and he will aim to provide a notable contribution on offense while boosting his free agent stock in the process.

The former third-rounder had a productive five-year run in Pittsburgh, and he inked a two-year extension in 2022. In the lead-in to the final year of that pact, though, he asked to be dealt and the Steelers accommodated him. Carolina also took part in a pick swap in that deal, sending cornerback Donte Jackson back as well. The team’s investment has not proven to be particularly worthwhile given their struggles on offense and the decision to part ways after only eight weeks.

Johnson recorded at least 78 yards three times during his Carolina tenure, with his best showings coming during the time when Andy Dalton was in at quarterback. Bryce Young‘s development – on the field or otherwise – remains a key goal for Carolina during the second half of the campaign. That process could come about after other veterans are shipped out, but in any case Johnson’s performance on his new team will be a key storyline to follow.

Colts To Start Joe Flacco In Week 9

October 29th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after Colts head coach Shane Steichen left the door open to a quarterback change, the team is indeed taking that route. Joe Flacco will get the nod over Anthony Richardson in Week 9, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler.

Flacco has already made four appearances and a pair of starts this season, but this will mark the first time in which he sees action while Richardson is healthy. The latter has struggled with accuracy issues during the 2024 season, one in which expectations were high for a notable step forward. Richardson also drew criticism for his decision to pull himself from the game in Week 8, something which was addressed by the team yesterday.

When speaking to the media on Monday, Steichen said Richardson temporarily remained atop the QB depth chart while adding an evaluation would be needed before naming a starter for the next contest. That process has now taken place, with Flacco getting the nod. The 39-year-old will take over on offense as the 4-4 Colts look to remain in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Flacco’s NFL future was very much in doubt until the midway point of last season, when he took a depth role with the Browns. In short order, he found himself in place as Cleveland’s starter and helped guide the team to the postseason. The former Super Bowl MVP preferred to remain in place, but the team looked elsewhere for depth options under center. With Gardner Minshew pricing himself out of Indy, the Colts became the only team to make Flacco an offer.

Whereas Richardson has struggled to find consistent accuracy in 2024, Flacco has managed a completion percentage of 65.7% while throwing seven touchdowns (against just one interception). Avoiding turnovers – something which was an issue with Cleveland last year – will be key moving forward as the Colts’ offense looks for stability. Of course, Flacco does not offer Richardson’s rushing upside, but the return of running back Jonathan Taylor should help compensate for that.

Selected fourth overall last year, Richardson was understood to be a long-term developmental project after a college career which did not include many starts. Injuries limited the Florida product to just six games during his rookie campaign, and an oblique ailment cost him time this year. In all, Richardson has just 10 regular season starts to his name. After committing to a trial-by-fire approach with the 22-year-old, Steichen hinted the Colts may change their philosophy moving forward. That has certainly proven to be the case, and he will now be sidelined as Flacco (a pending free agent) takes over.

Texans’ Stefon Diggs Suffers Torn ACL

October 29th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Assembling a high-end receiving corps this offseason, the Texans have received bad news on their highest-profile target. Stefon Diggs‘ test results revealed a season-ending injury.

Diggs’ non-contact malady is a torn ACL, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. This is a crushing blow to a Texans team currently playing without Nico Collins. While Collins is expected back, Houston has a major question to answer after seeing its high-end trade pickup go down.

Despite Collins breaking out last year and earning an extension this offseason, the Texans acquired Diggs to give C.J. Stroud one of this era’s best wide receivers to target. GM Nick Caserio acquired Diggs’ Bills-constructed contract, pairing it with his quarterback’s rookie deal in his busiest offseason in charge.

While Stroud has certainly missed Collins since the fourth-year standout sustained a hamstring injury to lead him to IR, Diggs had loomed as vital insurance. The plan will change again for the AFC South leaders, who now may be interested in adding a piece before next week’s trade deadline.

The Texans acquired Diggs in a trade that sent a 2025 second-round pick to the Bills. Diggs had thrived in Buffalo, being a central figure in Josh Allen‘s ascent to superstardom. The Bills, however, had tired of the wideout’s antics. They were prepared to keep their longtime WR1 for at least one more season, holding onto him into April, but had discussed Diggs with the Texans at the Combine. The teams circled back to talks before the early-April trade, one that left the Bills with the most dead money in WR history and gave the Texans a perennial Pro Bowler. The Bills have since addressed the void Diggs created, trading for Amari Cooper; will the Texans consider a move before the Nov. 5 trade endpoint?

Houston still has Tank Dell, Robert Woods and 2022 second-round pick John Metchie. Xavier Hutchinson, a 2023 sixth-rounder, joins Dalton Schultz as parts of this Houston cadre. But Dell going from WR3 to Stroud’s top target would wound the Texans, despite the 2023 third-rounder’s early-career connection with Stroud. Collins cannot be activated until Week 10, and it is uncertain if the team’s receiving leader will be ready to return when first eligible.

For Diggs, this is obviously a significant setback. The former Vikings fifth-round pick had avoided major injuries throughout his career, playing in all but one Bills game during his four-year run with the team. Diggs ripped off four straight 1,100-yard seasons in Buffalo. He made a comment this offseason that suggested he sought a way out of Buffalo, reminding of his Minnesota exit, but the trade involved the strange step of the Texans removing the final three years of Diggs’ contract. This appeared to be at the request of Diggs’ camp to finalize a trade. As it stands, Diggs is soon to turn 31 and now headed toward free agency after this season-ending knee malady.

Diggs was on pace for a seventh 1,000-yard season, accumulating 496 (along with three TD catches) through eight games. Collins posted 567 yards despite finishing only four games. Dell sits third on the team with 229 yards. The diminutive talent will shift back into Stroud’s top option, while Diggs faces an uncertain future — one that will probably involve a significant value loss — following this development.

The presences of Woods, Metchie and Hutchinson may dissuade the Texans from giving up notable assets for help. But the team is 6-2 and competing for a Super Bowl berth with the 7-0 Chiefs, 6-2 Bills and others in a strong AFC. Suddenly, the team may benefit from the NFL moving the trade deadline back a week. It offers the Texans an emergency window to bolster their team.

While Cooper Kupp is not expected to be moved, Houston could have the likes of Diontae Johnson, Mike Williams and Darius Slayton to target if inclined. The team also may aim to lean on its Joe Mixon-fronted run game more going forward.

Jags’ Christian Kirk Suffers Broken Collarbone

October 27th, 2024 at 8:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars’ receiving corps will be shorthanded moving forward. Christian Kirk suffered a broken collarbone on Sunday, as first reported by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

As a result of the injury, Kirk will miss the remainder of the season. His absence will hinder Jacksonville’s passing attack as the 2-6 team looks to rebound during the second half of the campaign. Of course, this news also means one of the top receivers still on the trade block will not be on the move.

Kirk was unable to eclipse 1,000 yards in any of his four Cardinals seasons while he played out his rookie contract. As a result, it came as a surprise when he inked a four-year, $72MM in free agency to join the Jaguars. Over time, that pact has aged well given the financial waves seen elsewhere at the receiver position. The size of the investment made in Kirk on the Jags’ part does, obviously, underscore the impact his absence will have.

The 27-year-old posted strong production during his debut Jacksonville campaign, setting new career highs in catches (84), yards (1,108) and touchdowns (eight). Kirk was limited to 12 games last year, but he remained an efficient contributor with a 13.8 yards per reception average. The receiver position saw a number of changes this offseason, but he was expected to remain a focal point on offense.

Kirk had a number of quiet games in 2024, although he also enjoyed a three-week stretch with 79, 61 and 88 yards as the Jaguars struggled to find a rhythm on offense. The team overcame multiple deficits in Sunday’s loss to the Packers and managed 27 points (without Kirk having a highly productive outing), but a postseason berth remains unlikely at this point. While that will continue the speculation surrounding head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke, Kirk’s attention will turn to recovery.

The Texas A&M product drew interest on the trade front, although Jacksonville has not aimed to sell off veteran players ahead of the deadline. Nonetheless, a report from this weekend named Kirk as one of the wideouts who could still be expected to be on the move provided the right offer was made. The WR market has thinned out with Davante Adams, Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins being dealt. Now that Kirk will be unavailable, other receivers like Diontae Johnson will receive increased attention on the trade front.

Kirk is due $16.5MM next season, but none of his base salary for the year is guaranteed and he is set to carry a cap hit of over $24MM. An adjustment or extension of some kind could be in order during the offseason as a result. In the meantime, Jacksonville will rely heavily on first-round rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and free agent addition Gabe Davis at the receiver spot. Returner Devin Duvernay is currently on IR, but once healthy he could handle a rotational role on offense.

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