Seahawks Sign LB Mychal Kendricks
Despite his ongoing legal issues, Mychal Kendricks will get another shot in the NFL. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks have signed the free agent linebacker. Kendricks worked out for Seattle earlier today.
After being charged with insider trading in late August, the 27-year-old was released by the Browns. Kendricks has since pleaded guilty, and he faces a lengthy prison stay. The charge stems from an incident that occurred while he was with the Eagles four years ago.
The sentencing has been scheduled for January (via Twitter), so the Seahawks could get a full season out of the veteran (Schefter notes that Kendricks is expected to play on Sunday). Of course, the charge could very well fall under the NFL’s personal-conduct umbrella, meaning Kendricks could be forced to miss additional games due to suspension.
The 2012 second-round pick spent the first six seasons of his career with the Eagles, including a 2017 campaign that saw him compile 77 tackles, two sacks, and six passes defended en route to a Super Bowl championship. After requesting a trade, Philly released the linebacker in May, and he later signed a one-year deal to join the Browns.
The Seahawks still have K.J. Wright recovering from knee surgery; he missed Week 1 and could vert well miss Week 2. Shaquem Griffin and Barkevious Mingo flanked Bobby Wagner as Seahawks second-level starters against the Broncos, and the team is also rostering Jake Martin, Jermaine Grace, and Austin Calitro. It’s uncertain how much playing time Kendricks will receive once the linebacker corps is entirely healthy.
Mychal Kendricks Visiting Seahawks
Mychal Kendricks‘ time with the Browns ended ignominiously after he was charged in an insider trading scandal. He’s since pleaded guilty and could face substantial prison time.
However, at least one team is still curious about the linebacker’s football future. Kendricks visited the Seahawks on Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
It’s uncertain at this juncture, obviously, that Kendricks will be able to continue his NFL career. He faces up to 25 years in prison because of the insider trading incident that occurred while he was with the Eagles four years ago.
Kendricks is one of the better linebackers in the NFL and isn’t yet 28. He played a key role for the Super Bowl champion Eagles edition last season and was set to see extensive time for a Browns team that has a crowded linebacker situation.
The Seahawks still have K.J. Wright recovering from knee surgery; he missed Week 1 and could well miss Week 2. Shaquem Griffin and Barkevious Mingo flanked Bobby Wagner as Seahawks second-level starters against the Broncos.
But with Wright presumably set to return at some point in the near future, this fit seems curious — especially given Kendricks’ extraordinarily rare situation and potential lack of availability. Even if Kendricks can evade prison time, this incident figures to fall under the NFL’s personal-conduct umbrella.
In the meantime, he may still have an opportunity to play. Sentencing isn’t scheduled until December in Kendricks’ case, but it would certainly make for a strange situation were the six-year veteran to sign somewhere prior to that point.
Johnathan Hankins Signs With Raiders
It turns out this will be a two-defensive tackle-addition day for the Raiders. Shortly after Clinton McDonald became a Raider, Johnathan Hankins has agreed to do so as well.
Oakland will add Hankins on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). This ends Hankins’ oddly lengthy stay in free agency.
The 26-year-old defensive tackle spent last season with the Colts and delivered a strong season. However, the rebuilding team cut him after only one season. He then remained a free agent for six months. Hankins has been a starter for four seasons and entered the 2017 free agency market as one of the top defenders available. He entered Wednesday as a top-tier UFA, despite remaining on the market in September.
The Raiders are dealing with injuries to Justin Ellis and P.J. Hall, the former looking set to miss games because of a foot injury. Hankins and McDonald will at worst add depth, with the former likely set to push for a starting job. The former Giants second-round pick started for Big Blue from 2014-16, and after a season in Indianapolis’ 3-4 defense, he’ll return to a role as a 4-3 defensive lineman.
Hankins toured the AFC extensively this offseason, meeting with the Jets, Browns and Chargers before trekking to Oakland on Wednesday. He said he’d been talking to teams about fits during the summer; it’s possible the Raiders were one of them, even though they weren’t mentioned as a suitor. The Gruden 2.0-era Silver and Black have signed numerous free agents, and this is one of the highest-profile gets.
Panthers TE Greg Olsen To Return In A “Few Weeks”
The timeline on Panthers tight end Greg Olsen‘s return from a fractured foot isn’t as dire as it originally appeared. Olsen says he’ll rest his foot for a “few weeks” and then return to play out the season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
That’s an incredibly more positive outlook for Olsen, whom reports earlier today would be evaluated on a month-to-month basis. Olsen missed significant time in 2017 — and was eventually placed on injured reserve — after breaking the same foot, so a lengthy absence appeared likely. But Olsen won’t undergo surgery, as he’s confident an operation can wait until this offseason.
A quick return means Olsen will be viewed as an injury risk for the remainder of the year, as both his age (33) and his foot issue give reason for concern. But his presence will undeniably be essential for the Panthers, as the club doesn’t have the tight end depth to withstand a missing Olsen. With longtime Carolina tight end Ed Dickson now in Seattle, the Panthers will turn to rookie Ian Thomas and veteran Chris Manhertz until Olsen can get back on the field.
Olsen, who in April signed an extension through 2020, has been among the league’s best tight ends since joining the Panthers via trade in 2011. From 2014-16, Olsen earn Pro Bowl honors while topping 75 receptions and 1,000 yards in each campaign.
Vernon Hargreaves Possibly Done For Year?
Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves suffered a “serious” shoulder injury on Sunday, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, and Adam Schefter and John Keim of ESPN.com add (via Twitter) that the injury may be season-ending. Hargreaves will receive a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday, per Stroud.
Tampa Bay was without veteran cornerback Brent Grimes against the Saints, so Hargreaves acted as the club’s de facto No. 1 corner against Drew Brees until going down with his own injury. The Bucs were reportedly optimistic that Hargreaves’ shoulder issue wasn’t serious, but an MRI may have told the club otherwise.
With Hargreaves possibly out of the picture, the Buccaneers’ problems at cornerback will become even more pronounced. Second-round rookie Carlton Davis‘ is now Tampa’s top corner, while Ryan Smith (a 10-game starter in 2017) will likely hold down the other starting spot. But given that the rest of the depth chart — Javien Elliott, M.J. Stewart, and the recently-signed Marcus Williams — doesn’t offer much NFL experience, the Buccaneers took a look at free agent defender Bashaud Breeland earlier today.
Hargreaves, the 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft, is still only 23 years old, but his career has been a relative disappointment thus far. After starting 16 games as a rookie, Hargreaves missed time with a hamstring injury last year, and wasn’t effective when he was on the field. Pro Football Focus’ grades indicated Hargreaves played like one of the worst corners in the league, and the Florida product finished as a bottom-five cornerback in Football Outsiders’ success rate.
If Hargreaves is out for the year, the Buccaneers will be able to immediately contemplate their now difficult decision on his 2020 fifth-year option. Tampa Bay must decide by May of next year whether it”ll exercise an option that would likely pay Hargreaves around $10MM (the figure was $9.06MM for corners in 2019).
Raiders Re-Sign WR Martavis Bryant
The Raiders are re-signing free agent Martavis Bryant to a one-year deal, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) first reported Bryant was nearing a deal with Oakland, while Mike Garafolo (Twitter link) first noted Bryant was back in the Raiders’ facility.
Bryant is reportedly facing a year-long suspension after once again violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but nothing official has yet been announced on that front. As such, Bryant is eligible to sign and play until the league formally bans him.
Bryant is expected to play on Sunday, according to Pelissero, which would represent quite the turnaround for the 26-year-old pass-catcher. For now, he’ll slot into a receiver group that includes Amari Cooper, Jordy Nelson, Seth Roberts, and Brandon LaFell.
Oakland sent a third-round pick to Pittsburgh for Bryant earlier this year, but subsequently waived him during final cutdowns. Bryant passed through waivers (presumably because rival clubs believe he’ll be suspended), and was free to sign with any team.
By signing Bryant, the Raiders aren’t taking much of a financial risk. If he ultimately is suspended, Bryant wouldn’t collect his paycheck from Oakland while he’s away from the club. And he’s unlikely to ink anything more than a minimum salary contract, anyway.
Falcons Place Deion Jones On IR
Deion Jones‘ foot injury is serious enough an IR trip will occur. The Falcons placed their top linebacker on IR Tuesday, meaning he will be out until at least November.
The Falcons announced the move but also expect the third-year defender to return this season. However, a corrective procedure will be required for Jones, who joins Keanu Neal as Falcons starting defenders whose Week 1 injuries will result in IR trips.
“Following the game last Thursday, Deion reported soreness in his foot, so we sent him for further tests,” Dan Quinn said. “We got the results of those tests back today, and he unfortunately will require a procedure that will result in us having to place him on injured reserve. We are bummed for Deion, but we do expect to get him back at some point this season.”
Running back Brian Hill will take Jones’ place on Atlanta’s 53-man roster, with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reporting the Falcons will promote the Wyoming product. Devonta Freeman also left the Falcons’ Week 1 game with an injury, but he’s believed to have avoided a serious setback.
Jones and Neal were both 2017 Pro Bowlers and critical players to the Falcons’ cause of pushing for a Super Bowl appearance in their home stadium. Neal is out for the year, and Jones will be shelved for at least eight weeks.
Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 coverage linebacker last season, Jones intercepted a pass against the Eagles and made nine tackles. He made 138 stops last season. McClure notes outside linebacker Duke Riley could slide into Jones’ middle spot. The Falcons are thin at linebacker, having now only five healthy second-level defenders. They did sign former Broncos backup Corey Nelson, however, likely in preparation for a Jones absence. They may be on the lookout for more help at this spot as well, now that Jones will miss at least the first half of the season.
Panthers’ Greg Olsen Fractures Foot
For the second straight season, Greg Olsen‘s going to miss time because of a foot fracture. The Panthers confirmed the Pro Bowl tight end’s exit from Sunday’s win was because of another fractured foot.
Olsen will be evaluated on a monthly basis. It appears the Panthers are preparing for the veteran pass-catcher to miss extensive time. An IR stay was required because of a similar occurrence in 2017. It’s the same right foot Olsen broke last season.
The team announced no plans are in place for Olsen to undergo surgery, but he’s almost certainly out for the foreseeable future nonetheless. Olsen missed nine games last season as a result of his foot injury; a similar absence appears likely for Cam Newton‘s top target.
This throws a wrench into the Panthers’ plans. They signed the 33-year-old tight end to a two-year extension this offseason. And Carolina does not have the depth at this position that existed on its 2017 roster. Ed Dickson defected as a free agent. Former waiver claim Chris Manhertz and fourth-round rookie Ian Thomas, an Indiana product, comprise the Panthers’ backup contingent.
The Panthers also revealed Daryl Williams will undergo knee surgery, and the Charlotte Observers’ Jourdan Rodrigue tweets it’s the same knee the right tackle injured during training camp. Although, it’s a different injury. Williams damaged his MCL and dislocated his patella during camp. Rodrigue notes Williams had an MRI done Monday morning and sought a second opinion before deciding to undergo surgery. It’s unclear precisely what the contract-year blocker is dealing with now.
An IR decision looms for the Panthers, with two players seemingly posing as candidates. Though, that’s not a choice the Panthers would want to make after Week 1, when other injuries could surely occur down the line. But Williams does appear headed there, per Rodrigue (on Twitter). The current line of thinking, though, points to Olsen avoiding the injured list. Of course, Williams was believed to be an IR candidate after his last knee injury only to avoid it and play in Week 1.
It’s unclear how long he will be out, but Amini Silatolu looks to be the next man up, per ESPN.com’s David Newton, who adds Thomas will get the first crack at replacing Olsen as the Panthers’ tight end starter. While Silatolu will get a look, the Panthers are expected to be on the lookout for tackle help, Newton adds.
Patriots Lose RB Jeremy Hill For Season
Jeremy Hill‘s hopes at rebounding and establishing himself with the Patriots this season endured a crushing blow in Week 1.
The fifth-year running back suffered a torn ACL during New England’s win over Houston, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Hill will miss the rest of the season.
A sequence involving Hill trying to make a tackle after a Rob Gronkowski fumble resulted in the injury that will end the former second-round pick’s season. Hill was down for several minutes after the play. Prior to that sequence, however, Hill played well. He gained 25 rushing yards on four carries and caught a pass. His highlight of his ultimately brief 2018 season was blocking a punt in the Pats’ 27-20 win.
Hill signed with the Patriots after his stock trended down as his Bengals run concluded. He received just 37 carries last season and played in just seven games, an injury bringing an early end to his Cincinnati game work. The former 1,100-yard rusher was a full-time player during his previous three seasons with the Bengals.
He signed a one-year deal with the Patriots and will end up collecting his $1MM salary, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, who adds that Hill had $281K tied up in additional per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link).
The Patriots’ running back corps has seen some eventful happenings in 2018. Dion Lewis, Mike Gillislee and Brandon Bolden are no longer part of the equation, and Sony Michel suffered an injury that wiped out most of his training camp. The Patriots released Gillislee after Hill had beaten him out for the team’s big-back role during the preseason, leading Gillislee to the Saints. James White and Rex Burkhead remain healthy, however, and will continue to be counted on as reliable cogs in this evolving committee.
Titans Place Delanie Walker On IR
The Titans confirmed on Monday they will not have Delanie Walker for the rest of this season. They placed their most consistent pass-catcher on IR, and he won’t be returning in 2018, Terry McCormick of TitansOnline.com tweets.
Walker suffered extensive leg damage in Tennessee’s loss Sunday, being carted off the field because of a dislocated ankle. The injuries are even worse, it turns out, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting Monday (via Twitter) Walker suffered a broken ankle and has ligament damage.
Tennessee will promote tight end MyCole Pruitt from its practice squad to replace Walker on the active roster.
This is a brutal blow to a Titans team that’s counted on Walker for years. Despite Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce‘s brilliance, no NFL tight end’s caught more than Walker’s 360 passes since he signed with the Titans in 2013 (h/t Field Yates of ESPN.com, on Twitter). The former Central Missouri standout’s exceeded 800 yards in each of the past four seasons. He was expected to play a key role again for a Titans team transitioning to a new offense and one that doesn’t have a wide receiver as dependable as its tight end.
Walker signed a two-year, $17MM extension in July, but this injury may affect his status as a top-tier tight end. Walker will turn 35 before next season, which would be his 14th in the league. He authored a unique breakout during his age-29 season in 2013 and didn’t begin that 800-plus-yard receiving streak until he was 30. Walker had previously played at least 15 games in each of his five Titans seasons.
In the meantime, Jonnu Smith now steps into the Titans’ top tight end role. A 2017 third-rounder out of Florida International, Smith caught 18 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. More will be expected of the 23-year-old target now.