NFLPA Supports Kelechi Osemele
The Jets and Kelechi Osemele disagree on the best treatment for his injured shoulder. Osemele plans to have surgery to repair it while Jets team doctors feel that it’s an unnecessary procedure and the franchise has fined the offensive lineman for conduct detrimental to the team as a result of the disagreement. Now, the NFL Players Association has weighed in (via Twitter).
“Our union supports every player’s right to a second medical opinion, workers’ compensation and the best medical care,” the statement reads. “It is not appropriate or ethical for employers in any line of work to dictate the medical care and treatment of any employee. We are considering all options to protect Kelechi Osemele, as we would for any of our members.”
Jets coach Adam Gates has refused to comment on the situation. “I haven’t been involved in this. My job is coaching the team,” Gase said (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). Per Cimini, Osemele hasn’t spoken to Gase in “weeks” but the guard has no beef with the coach.
Patriots WR Josh Gordon’s Future Uncertain, Placed On IR
For a moment it appeared that Josh Gordon‘s season is over. On Wednesday, the Patriots placed the wide receiver on injured reserve with a knee injury (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). However, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweeted out that Gordon believes he is close to returning to play. Garafolo opines that “he’s likely done with the #Patriots but could be available for teams as a free agent soon.”
According to Albert Breer of MMQB.com, that a source says Gordon should be medically cleared to play soon. Mentioning that his injury is minor and he recently ran at 22 miles per hour on a treadmill in a recent workout.
Gordon was forced out of the Patriots’ Thursday night win over the Giants a few weeks back and was unable to take the field against the Jets. The Pats did just fine without him against Gang Green, but the injury pushed them to trade for Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu on Tuesday. At the time, the trade was a bit of a head-scratcher. Now, it makes more sense. The Patriots are down a second-round pick after the deal, but they have a quality replacement for Gordon in Sanu.
This development is the next chapter in Gordon’s rollercoaster career. Back in 2013, Gordon was asserting himself as one of the best receivers in football. Even within a mediocre Browns offense, Gordon made 87 receptions for nine touchdowns and a league best 1,646 receiving yards. What fans at the time failed to realize was Gordon’s ongoing battle with substance abuse.
Gordon’s difficulties with substances, especially marijuana, combined with the NFL’s severe substance abuse policy led him to receive numerous suspensions, including a year long ban for the 2015 season. He attempted to return to the Browns in 2016, but failed another drug test and eventually stepped away, missing another season.
He finally returned to the field in 2017 where he appeared in five games for Cleveland and hauled in 18 receptions for 335 yards. In 2018, after starting the season with the Browns, the Patriots decided to take a flier on the receiver and he was in the midst of a productive season before he once again had to step away from football for his own mental health.
The future is once again uncertain for Gordon. Assuming the Patriots do grant Gordon’s release, now that Sanu and Emmanuel Sanders have been traded, other teams in the market for receiving upgrades would surely line up to give Gordon another opportunity.
Broncos Trade Emmanuel Sanders To 49ers
The Broncos have traded wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to the 49ers, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). The deal will send Sanders and a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Niners with 2020 third- and fourth-round picks going to Denver, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
The trade talk around Sanders has been percolating for some time. The Niners, meanwhile, have been on the hunt for a game-changing wide receiver. Mohamed Sanu, one of the top available WRs leading up to the trade deadline, was snagged by the Patriots in a Tuesday morning trade. Instead, the 49ers pivoted to Sanders, who offers a lengthy playmaking resume.
Through seven games, Sanders has 30 catches for 367 yards and two touchdowns. While those aren’t bad numbers, he’ll aim to get back towards his old form. Last year, Sanders managed 71 catches for 868 yards and four touchdowns in just 12 games. In 2014, his first season with the Broncos, he set career highs of 101 grabs for 1,404 yards and nine TDs. Sanders’ best ball might be behind him, but he’s still plenty dangerous, the potential is there for him to be a difference-maker as one of Jimmy Garoppolo‘s top targets.
In this deal, the Broncos managed to acquire draft capital while giving up a 32-year-old player in the final year of his deal. It was a solid move for GM John Elway, who likely isn’t done working the phones. There’s still a week to go before the trade deadline and the Broncos are clearly willing to sell after their loss to the Patrick Mahomes-less Chiefs. At this point, all eyes are on cornerback Chris Harris Jr. Elway has implied that Harris, Von Miller, and Derek Wolfe are staying put, but he said roughly the same thing about all of the team’s big “names” just days ago, and that group certainly included Sanders.
Outside of tight end George Kittle, the Niners were lacking proven receiving talents. In fact, none of the 49ers wide receivers have eclipsed the 200-yard mark or scored more than one touchdown this season. Sanders knows a thing or two about finding the end zone, however – he’s scored 39 career touchdowns for the Steelers and Broncos across his NFL career. If Sanders can produce – and mentor Dante Pettis and Deebo Samuel – he’ll be well worth the price. The Niners will be in even better shape if Trent Taylor returns to action later this year.
Sanu and Sanders are spoken for, but A.J. Green (Bengals), Taylor Gabriel (Bears), and DeVante Parker (Dolphins) are still available for trade between now and Tuesday buzzer.
Falcons Trade Mohamed Sanu To Patriots
The Falcons have traded Mohamed Sanu to the Patriots in exchange for a second-round pick, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The deal gives the 7-0 Patriots even more offensive firepower and brings them a wide receiver that they’ve long coveted.
The Patriots were one of several teams looking to trade for Sanu during the draft. The Falcons brushed those clubs off, but things changed after their 37-10 loss to the Rams dropped them to 1-6 on the year. With days to go before the trade deadline, the Falcons jumped at the chance to build for 2020 and beyond.
Sanu missed out on a New Jersey homecoming when the Patriots steamrolled the Jets on Monday night, but he will get to reunite friends in New England, including former Rutgers teammates Jason McCourty and Devin McCourty. He also figures to pad the stat sheet. So far this year, Sanu has 33 catches for 313 yards and one touchdown. It stands to reason that with nine games to go on New England’s slate, he could top last year’s career high of 838 yards and find pay dirt many times over.
Speaking of pay – Sanu has two years to go on his current deal. The Pats will have him at a $7.65MM cap figure this year and a $7.9MM number in 2020, though they could theoretically release him without fiscal penalty next year.
With Sanu, the Patriots boast one of the scariest receiver groups in the NFL and enough weapons to (almost) make Tom Brady forget that Rob Gronkowski isn’t around anymore. The WR depth chart, at present:
- Julian Edelman
- Mohamed Sanu
- Josh Gordon
- Phillip Dorsett
- N’Keal Harry (may return in Week 9)
- Jakobi Meyers
- Gunner Olszewski
Meanwhile, the Falcons figure to continue their fire sale between now and next Tuesday’s deadline. They’d like to move defensive end Vic Beasley and they figure to field offers for the likes of edge rusher De’Vondre Campbell and tight end Austin Hooper.
Texans Acquire Gareon Conley From Raiders
Eight days away from this year’s trade deadline, two AFC teams have struck a deal. The Raiders agreed to send cornerback Gareon Conley to the Texans in exchange for a third-round pick, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (on Twitter).
Conley has started every Raiders game this season and will head to a Texans team dealing with injuries at corner. The 2017 first-round pick is signed through the 2020 season and can be controlled through 2021 via fifth-year option. The Ohio State product has started 20 games over the past two seasons, shaking off an injury-marred rookie slate.
And just like the Broncos did when they traded Demaryius Thomas to the Texans last season, the Raiders will see Conley again soon. The Raiders will be in Houston for a Week 8 Texans matchup Sunday.
This marks yet another high 2020 pick the Texans have surrendered, with the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain reporting (via Twitter) it’s a 2020 third. The Texans owned the Seahawks’ 2020 third-rounder from the Jadeveon Clowney deal and will send that selection to the Raiders. The Texans traded their 2020 first-rounder in the Laremy Tunsil deal and are likely to send a third-rounder to the Browns for Duke Johnson. Overall, Houston has traded five 2020 or ’21 Day 1 or Day 2 picks since August.
This would stand to leave Houston with only its second-rounder on Days 1-2 of next year’s draft, further committing the current GM-less team to a hopeful deep 2019 playoff run.
This marks an interesting deal between two teams contending in the AFC. Although the Raiders did not fare well in Green Bay on Sunday, they remain 3-3. They have struggled in pass defense this season, with Aaron Rodgers‘ historic day being the most recent such reminder. Oakland also added two corners in this year’s draft — second-rounder Trayvon Mullen and fourth-rounder Isaiah Johnson — and signed Nevin Lawson. Lamarcus Joyner has also worked in the slot as a Raider. Johnson is expected to make his debut soon, and this transaction figures to mean more Mullen snaps going forward.
The Texans have lost Bradley Roby, also an Ohio State-produced first-rounder, and on Sunday saw veteran Johnathan Joseph carted off the field Sunday. They drafted Lonnie Johnson in Round 2, but he has graded as Pro Football Focus’ second-worst cornerback this season. The Texans also placed Phillip Gaines on IR on Monday. The 4-3 team will add Conley to the mix, and he should be set to contribute immediately. PFF has Conley slotted as this year’s No. 82 overall corner. He has four career interceptions, one of which coming this season.
Conley, 24, represents yet another Reggie McKenzie-era first-rounder the Jon Gruden regime has jettisoned. Gruden shipped out Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper in trades last season and has now dealt away McKenzie’s final first-round pick as Raiders GM. Karl Joseph is the last remaining McKenzie first-rounder on the Raiders’ roster.
Patrick Mahomes Suffers Knee Injury
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, already battling an ankle issue, left Thursday night’s contest against the Broncos after suffering a knee injury on a quarterback sneak. Kansas City ruled Mahomes out for the rest of tonight’s game but provided no further update on his status.
Mahomes suffered a patella (kneecap) dislocation, tweets James Palmer of NFL.com. While the star signal-caller didn’t suffer a break, Mahomes will need to wait for the results of an MRI to reveal if he damaged any ligaments, per Palmer.
The defending league MVP, Mahomes is arguably the brightest spot in today’s NFL, and losing him for any period of time would be a blow for the league as a whole. The Chiefs, who hold a half-game lead over the Raiders in the AFC West, have turned to backup Matt Moore to hold down the fort in Mahomes’ absence.
Mahomes, 24, wowed during his first season as Kansas City’s starter, leading the league in touchdown passes, adjusted yards per attempt, and ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating. Heading into Week 7, Mahomes was first among all NFL passers with 2,104 yards through the air, and while regression and his aforementioned ankle injury had put a damper on some of his production, he’d still posted 14 touchdown passes against only one interception.
If Mahomes is forced to miss time, the Chiefs would need to lean on rushing attack lead by Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy, a duo that’s played a part in Kansas City ranking just 20th in Football Outsiders’ rushing DVOA. The Chiefs’ defense, which has performed decently against the pass but is sieve against the run, would also need to step up if Mahomes is sidelined.
Raiders Extend TE Darren Waller
The Raiders are signing breakout tight end Darren Waller to an extension through the 2023 season, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the transaction.
Oakland already controlled Waller’s rights for the 2020 campaign, as the former sixth-round pick had been scheduled to become a restricted free agent next spring. Waller’s new deal is essentially a three-year extension on top of what would have been a one-year RFA tender, tweets Pelissero, adding Waller will collect roughly $9MM annually under his new pact.
Waller has played in just five games as a result of the Raiders’ early bye week, but he still ranks second to only Austin Hooper in receptions among tight ends, and is sixth at the position with 359 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus grades Waller as the league’s ninth-best run-blocking tight end.
Waller, 27, was selected by the Ravens in the 2015 draft. Suspended twice by the NFL (the second time for a full season), Waller has since courageously overcome addictions involving cocaine and opiates. Oakland signed him off Baltimore’s practice squad last November, and has been rewarded with one of the more surprising stories of the 2019 season.
While full details of Waller’s extension aren’t in just yet, a $9MM annual average would rank fifth among tight ends behind Jimmy Graham, Travis Kelce, Jordan Reed, Kyle Rudolph, and Greg Olsen. In terms of guarantees, Trey Burton leads the way with the $22MM he received under his free agent deal with the Bears.
Jaguars To Trade Jalen Ramsey To Rams
A third Rams trade is happening Tuesday, and it’s big. The Jaguars have finally agreed to trade Jalen Ramsey, and the Rams will send them two first-round picks to make that happen, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The Rams, who traded Marcus Peters earlier today, agreed to send the Jags their first-rounders in 2020 and 2021. Jacksonville will also acquire Los Angeles’ 2021 fourth-rounder. This marks a seismic bet for the Rams, who appear set for yet another high-end extension. Although, no extension parameters have been discussed yet, per ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). But much like the Laremy Tunsil trade, which also involved two first-round picks changing sides, an investment on this level will make re-up talks imminent.
Ramsey has lobbied for a trade for weeks now and continued to sit out Jaguars games due to a back injury, one that has generated league-wide skepticism. The fourth-year standout has not played since Week 3, missing his first NFL games due to this back malady/trade request. Ramsey has since Photoshopped himself in Rams gear (Twitter link), which seems like an indication he will have recovered in time to face the Falcons on Sunday.
This trade comes after Shad Khan insisted he wanted to keep Ramsey and after the Jags owner expressed a willingness to make the disgruntled defender the NFL’s highest-paid corner. Instead, the Jaguars are moving on — after receiving their offer of two first-rounders and then some.
Los Angeles placed Aqib Talib on IR with a rib injury Monday and traded Peters to Baltimore. While Talib will be out at least eight weeks, the Pro Bowler looks like an IR-return candidate. He would be in line to join perhaps the NFL’s best cornerback upon return.
Ramsey, the 2016 No. 5 overall pick, has made two Pro Bowls and landed on the 2017 All-Pro first team. The Florida State product who played a major role in elevating the Jags to the 2017 AFC championship game is signed through the 2020 season.
He had expressed frustration with the Jaguars’ front office; the Jags had refused to discuss an extension with the soon-to-be 25-year-old defender this year. The Rams have handed out a bevy of high-profile re-ups over the past two years — to Brandin Cooks, Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald and Jared Goff — and now look to be ready to reset the stagnant cornerback market.
The Rams entered this season with Talib and Peters as contract-year starters. Ramsey will now lead their corner group for the next two months, with Troy Hill, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Darious Williams and third-round rookie David Long. Les Snead has not shied away from splashy moves during the Sean McVay era, and with the Rams having now lost three straight games for the first time in three seasons, the longtime GM is taking a big gamble on a top-tier talent.
This marks new territory for cornerback trade hauls, with the Jags now holding two first-round picks in 2020 and ’21. Darrelle Revis once fetched first- and fourth-round picks in 2013; this price certainly blows that return away. It will continue a run of Rams drafts without first-round picks. They have not made one since trading up for Goff in 2016.
It also represents a major shift for the Jaguars, who are moving on from probably their best player. Jacksonville has used second-year UDFA Tre Herndon in Ramsey’s place since his absence began. That Herndon-A.J. Bouye setup looks set to continue, with the Jags breaking up one of the league’s premier corner tandems.
Rams Trade CB Marcus Peters To Ravens
The Rams have traded cornerback Marcus Peters to the Ravens for linebacker Kenny Young, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Rams will also receive a 2020 fifth-round pick in the deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
The trade comes on the heels of another smaller swap, which saw the Rams ship a 2021 draft pick to the Browns for guard Austin Corbett. Clearly, after a three-game slide, the Rams eager to shake things up.
Peters, 26, is in the fifth year of his rookie contract. This season was supposed to be Peters’ chance to secure a lucrative extension with the Rams. Instead, he’s starting over with the third team of his young career. The Rams would have likely fetched a third- or fourth-round pick for Peters, via the compensatory process, in 2021. They agreed to land Young and a fifth-rounder that will come a year earlier.
After this season, the Ravens will have the opportunity to franchise tag Peters, which would cuff him at approximately $17MM. Or, if they choose, they can allow Peters to test, or walk, in free agency. For now, the Ravens have him at a reasonable cap figure of $9.069MM.
In 2018, Peters showed serious flashes of promise, including a strong showing in a Super Bowl that was otherwise ugly for L.A. Still, he lacked consistency throughout the year, and he has a rep for being difficult with coaches.
With the Ravens, Peters will help secondary that lost defensive backs Tavon Young, Tony Jefferson, and DeShon Elliott for the year. Meanwhile, cornerback Maurice Canady is day-to-day with a hamstring injury.
“The next game is critical,” head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday (via the Associated Press). “It won’t make or break us, but it will go a long way in setting us up for where we’re heading down the road and what kind of season we’re going to have.”
Harbaugh wasn’t kidding – the Ravens went out and got serious firepower in advance of their matchup against the Seahawks. Meanwhile, the Rams will add Young, a 2018 fourth-rounder who notched 2.5 sacks last season, to the mix.
Redskins Will Try To Trade For Steelers’ HC Mike Tomlin
Here’s some pie-in-the-sky fodder for your Sunday morning. Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Redskins owner Dan Snyder — who recently fired head coach Jay Gruden — is expected to make a strong push to acquire Mike Tomlin from the Steelers this offseason. La Canfora adds that Snyder, who has long admired Tomlin, is prepared to trade draft picks to Pittsburgh to bring the Super Bowl-winning HC to Washington.
Although there is a large contingent of Steelers fans who are unhappy with Tomlin, his standing within the organization seems just fine. Pittsburgh did raise some eyebrows when it gave Tomlin a one-year extension in July instead of the usual two-year re-up, especially since his new extension does not have an option for a future year. However, he is still under contract through the 2021 campaign, and team ownership has never expressed anything less than full confidence in him.
On the other hand, the Steelers may be nearing something of a crossroads in franchise history. Although Ben Roethlisberger is expected to make a full recovery from his recent elbow surgery and reclaim his starting job in 2020, the team is likely going to need to usher in a new quarterback era in the next couple of years, and GM Kevin Colbert is only under contract through May 2020 (Colbert apparently wants to go year-to-year, which means Pittsburgh may also be looking for a new top personnel exec in the not-too-distant future).
Plus, the Steelers are short on high-level draft capital in the 2020 draft as a result of their trades for Devin Bush and Minkah Fitzpatrick, so an offer for Tomlin could be more appealing than it otherwise might be. Sources close to Tomlin suggest the Redskins’ job could appeal to him, particularly since Snyder is willing to give him a top-of-the-market salary and full authority over personnel. Tomlin also has relationships with Washington team president Bruce Allen and GM Doug Williams.
But when weighing the Steelers’ record of stability and status as a perennial contender against the Redskins’ history of dysfunction and misery under Snyder, it is difficult to imagine a trade like this coming to fruition. If Snyder is unsuccessful in his pursuit of Tomlin, La Canfora says current Buccaneers DC Todd Bowles would be a top alternative, and we recently heard that Washington OC Kevin O’Connell will also receive strong consideration.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com neither refutes nor supports La Canfora’s report, but he does say Snyder will be patient in this process and will not begin his head coaching search until after the season. Snyder will give interim HC Bill Callahan and O’Connell the remainder of 2019 to prove their worth without any additional distractions.