Eagles To Trade WR Jalen Reagor To Vikings
Despite Jalen Reagor ending up on the Eagles’ 53-man roster Tuesday, he will not play a third season with the team. The Vikings will acquire the former first-round pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Philly is parting ways with the third-year wideout for a 2023 seventh-round pick and a conditional 2024 pick. The latter selection will either be a fourth- or fifth-rounder. Reagor came up in trade rumors fairly consistently this offseason, and the Eagles are moving on. Two years remain on Reagor’s rookie deal.
[RELATED: Eagles Acquire DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson From Saints]
Two years ago, the Eagles faced a decision between TCU’s Reagor and LSU’s Justin Jefferson. The room was believed to be split, but Reagor won out. The Vikings took Jefferson. That move worked out pretty well. Minnesota, which has seen Jefferson rocket to the Pro Bowl tier quickly, now has both the 2020 first-rounders.
Reagor will be expected to fill in behind the likes of Jefferson and Adam Thielen. The Vikings also have 2020 draftee K.J. Osborn, who is ticketed to again be their No. 3 wideout. The Vikings did just lose Bisi Johnson to a season-ending ACL tear.
Although Reagor showed some promise in his third Eagles training camp, he has come in far below expectations during game action. Reagor failed to exceed 400 receiving yards in each of his two seasons, missing time with an injury as a rookie and seeing the Eagles add at the position (DeVonta Smith) and shift to a run-heavy attack in 2021. Philly made a considerable effort to upgrade its receiving corps this year. After pursuing Christian Kirk and Allen Robinson, the Eagles acquired A.J. Brown during the draft and gave him a monster guarantee. The addition of former Nick Sirianni Colts charge Zach Pascal may have made a bigger impact on Reagor’s standing.
For his career, Reagor has 64 receptions for 699 yards and three touchdowns. Inconsistency has plagued the second-generation NFLer, however, and the Vikings will try to coax supporting-cast production from the once-coveted Big 12 prospect. Reagor, 23, delivered his best college season as a sophomore — a 1,061-yard, nine-touchdown campaign — before posting 611 yards in 12 junior-year games. The 5-foot-11 talent, who ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the 2020 Combine, still became a top receiver prize in a loaded draft, going 21st overall.
Teetering on the bust cliff, Reagor should at least enjoy a friendlier situation in Minnesota. Carson Wentz struggled mightily during his final Philly season, and Jalen Hurts‘ first starter year turned the Eagles into a smashmouth force. Kirk Cousins certainly is not a top-tier quarterback, but he has proven more consistent as a passer than the QBs Reagor has played with as an Eagle. New Vikes HC Kevin O’Connell will attempt to salvage the downtrodden target.
Bears Claim OL Alex Leatherwood
After a woeful Raiders tenure, Alex Leatherwood will have a second chance via the NFL’s waiver system. The Bears put in a claim for the former first-round pick, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
The Raiders bailed on Leatherwood after one season, marking a shocking freefall for last year’s No. 17 overall pick. The Bears, however, have also run into extensive O-line uncertainty. The rebuilding team will take a chance on the former Alabama prospect. Leatherwood’s signing bonus is the Raiders’ responsibility, leaving considerable dead money on Las Vegas’ cap sheet. But the Bears are now responsible for $5.9MM in Leatherwood salary.
Chicago, which changed up its roster considerably as it transitioned to a new GM-HC pairing this offseason, made five more waiver claims Wednesday. Defensive tackle Armon Watts, defensive back Josh Blackwell, defensive end Kingsley Jonathan, linebacker Sterling Weatherford and tight end Trevon Wesco will be en route to the Windy City as well, Yates tweets. The Bears’ six waiver claims are a league-high total this year.
This marks quite a haul for Chicago, which added former starters from Las Vegas and Minnesota. Watts started nine games for the Vikings last season, replacing the injured Michael Pierce, but the team changed defensive schemes this offseason and made a trade for former Texans second-round defensive tackle Ross Blacklock on Tuesday. That led Watts off the roster. But he will be back in a 4-3 scheme under Matt Eberflus, whose team cleared some D-tackle space by releasing Mario Edwards on Tuesday.
Viewed as a reach in last year’s first round, Leatherwood did not justify his draft slot when deployed at right tackle or right guard for the Raiders last season. The staff that drafted Leatherwood quickly moved him off right tackle, but Pro Football Focus rated him as one of the league’s worst guards. Despite the Raiders facing a few questions on their offensive line and losing Brandon Parker for the season, their new regime cut bait after trying Leatherwood at tackle again in training camp.
The Bears are expected to start fifth-round rookie Braxton Jones at left tackle, and they have 2021 fifth-rounder Larry Borom on the right side. Riley Reiff, who signed with the team shortly before camp, is also in the tackle picture. The team moved 2021 second-rounder Teven Jenkins from tackle to guard late this offseason, and while Jenkins appeared in trade rumors, he is on the roster and may well start the season at the new position. Leatherwood, his early-career struggles notwithstanding, may now also be a factor at that spot.
Eagles Acquire DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson From Saints
The Saints are trading one of their top defensive backs to the Eagles. C.J. Gardner-Johnson is heading to Philadelphia, according to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The teams have since announced the deal.
Gardner-Johnson, who has played both safety and patrolled the slot for the Saints, staged a hold-in effort earlier in camp as he angled for an extension. Talks broke down, and the Saints are bailing on the talented defender.
It did not take too much in the way of compensation for this trade to go down. The Eagles are sending a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth to the Saints for Gardner-Johnson and a 2025 seventh, Pelissero tweets. The 2024 sixth will be the lower of the Eagles’ two selections in that round.
The Eagles actually see Gardner-Johnson as a safety, Pelissero tweets. He will pair with Marcus Epps, who finished a strong training camp, at the position. A report earlier this month indicated the Eagles could acquire a safety, but Gardner-Johnson has largely excelled in the slot prior to this trade.
This will make for an interesting transition for the fourth-year veteran, especially coming in a contract year. Safety, however, as the Jamal Adams, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James deals have shown, has proven to be a more lucrative position than slot corner.
Tuesday’s deal also marks the third splash trade for the Eagles this offseason; the Saints have now been involved in two of those moves. This trade comes after the move to acquire A.J. Brown and the deal to land a future first-rounder from the Saints. No word about a potential Gardner-Johnson extension has come down. The Eagles could wait here, but Jalen Hurts‘ rookie contract also offers some flexibility. The team also has no notable cash tied to the safety position, having just released Anthony Harris.
While Pro Football Focus has rated Gardner-Johnson outside the top 50 at cornerback in each of the past two years, he carved out a regular role amongst a veteran Saints DB corps. The former fourth-round pick has also become known for his ability to rile up opposition — both opponents and teammates, considering Michael Thomas‘ 2020 team-imposed suspension came after he threw a punch at Gardner-Johnson. It will be interesting to see how he fares in Philly.
The Saints have assembled a deep secondary in recent years, and NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan tweets rookie Alontae Taylor is one of the players — along with Bradley Roby and former slot P.J. Williams — who have worked inside replacing Gardner-Johnson during camp. The team also already has a big-ticket cornerback deal (Marshon Lattimore) in a secondary that also now includes Tyrann Mathieu‘s $9MM-AAV deal.
Raiders To Send CB Trayvon Mullen To Cardinals
High-round Jon Gruden-era Raiders picks continue to fly off the now-Josh McDaniels-led team’s roster. Former second-rounder Trayvon Mullen is following Alex Leatherwood out the door.
The fourth-year cornerback is heading to the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. One season remains on Mullen’s rookie contract. This helps a corner-needy Cardinals squad while also leading yet another early recent Raiders pick off their roster.
This move saved Mullen from being waived, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds the Cardinals will send the Raiders a conditional seventh-round pick (Twitter link). The pick could bump to sixth-round value depending on Mullen’s playing time. The Cardinals have now acquired three first- or second-round picks from the 2019 draft this year, adding Marquise Brown (Round 1) in April and Cody Ford (Round 2) earlier this month.
The No. 40 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Mullen was traded minutes after the No. 40 pick in 2020 (Ross Blacklock) was dealt. Unlike the former Texans second-round choice, Mullen had been a regular starter with the team that drafted him. The Clemson product started 31 games with the Raiders, including all 16 during the 2020 season.
For the Cardinals, this could be a valuable move. They have been in need at the corner position for a while. Arizona’s agreement with former first-round pick Jeff Gladney preceded the ex-Viking dying tragically in a May car accident. While Kliff Kingsbury indicated in June the Cards would look at veteran corners, only Josh Jackson arrived as a notable investment. The Cards cut Jackson on Monday but were still rumored to be searching at the position. Mullen represents a starter-caliber option alongside Byron Murphy.
Mullen, however, is coming off an injury-plagued stretch. A foot injury limited him to five games last season, and that issue required a procedure in May. That surgery led to Mullen missing the start of Las Vegas’ training camp. The Cardinals will bet on Mullen staying healthy in his contract year. Although Pro Football Focus has never viewed Mullen as an upper-crust corner, Arizona is limited on options here. It would not surprise if the team was not done tinkering at this spot.
As for Vegas, the team has now moved on from primary starters Mullen and Casey Hayward this year. Hayward signed with the Falcons in free agency. The Raiders did acquire Rock Ya-Sin in the Yannick Ngakoue trade and have emerging slot player Nate Hobbs under contract for three more seasons. The team also signed former Baltimore corner Anthony Averett this offseason.
Raiders To Waive OL Alex Leatherwood
The Raiders are bailing on the Alex Leatherwood experiment after one season. Despite going in the 2021 first round, Leatherwood will be waived Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
A surprise pick at the time, Leatherwood did not do much to impress either of the two Raiders regimes to come through during his time in Las Vegas. The Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels regime will cut bait despite three seasons remaining on his rookie contract.
That contract will now turn into a big dead-money hit for the Raiders. By cutting Leatherwood before his second season, the Raiders will be tagged with more than $11MM in dead cap. While that can be spread through 2023, with $7.9MM staying on Vegas’ payroll this year, the defrayed signing bonus hits will lead to one of the bigger dead-cap hits on a rookie contract in recent memory. But the Raiders could not find a place for Leatherwood, after trying him at both tackle and guard.
All options were believed to be on the table with Leatherwood, whom the team attempted to trade. His 2021 performance, contract and perception as a first-round reach certainly impacted those efforts.
The Raiders quickly moved Leatherwood to right guard last season, and Pro Football Focus viewed the Alabama product as one of the league’s worst guard regulars. A move back to tackle did not take. Even after Brandon Parker was lost for the season in training camp, Leatherwood could not seize the gig.
Las Vegas’ O-line plan as a whole has been unusual throughout this offseason. With the exception of left tackle Kolton Miller, the Raiders bring question marks at their other spots. Although Andre James is fairly established at center, though his extension was authorized by the Jon Gruden regime, the team has glaring issues on the right side of its O-line. Ex-Patriot spot starter Jermaine Eluemunor has been a big factor at right tackle, while Lester Cotton — a UDFA who has played in five career games and never started any — has worked as the team’s starting right guard. The Raiders seem primed to scour the waiver wire in the coming hours.
Leatherwood’s departure obviously also shifts the spotlight back to the Gruden-Mike Mayock drafts. Leatherwood and 2020 first-round picks Henry Ruggs and Damon Arnette are gone. Clelin Ferrell has long been shifted to a backup role, and his status with the Raiders is tenuous. The new Raiders front office also did not pick up the fifth-year options on fellow 2019 first-rounders Josh Jacobs and Johnathan Abram. After the team traded Reggie McKenzie-era first-rounders Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper and accumulated first-round capital, there is little to show for those moves.
Eagles To Release S Anthony Harris
After cutting Jaquiski Tartt, the Eagles are moving on from their other experienced safety. The team is releasing Anthony Harris, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Harris started for the team last season and re-signed on a one-year deal worth $2.5MM this offseason, but a recent report indicated he might not be safe. The Eagles guaranteed Harris just $1MM.
The Harris cut came as the Eagles made a deal to acquire C.J. Gardner-Johnson from the Saints. While Gardner-Johnson played primarily in the slot in New Orleans, Philadelphia will use him at safety. The 24-year-old defender will replace Harris, who is going into his age-31 season.
Formerly Minnesota’s franchise player, Smith did not see that 2020 tagged season lead to big dollars in 2021. He signed with the Eagles for less than $5MM and took another pay cut this year. Harris has notched a six-interception season — 2019, leading to the Vikings franchising him — and has 61 starts’ worth of experience. He could find a new home soon
49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo Agree To Restructure; QB To Stay In San Francisco
In an 11th-hour twist, the 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo are planning to continue their partnership. The parties agreed to a restructured contract that is expected to keep the two-time NFC championship game starter in San Francisco, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This one-year deal includes a no-trade clause and a no-franchise tag clause, Schefter adds. Garoppolo will remain a 2023 free agent-to-be. This adjusted deal will be worth $6.5MM in fully guaranteed base salary, per Schefter, who adds playing-time bonuses could add another $9MM to the accord (Twitter link). The 49ers, who had given Garoppolo’s camp permission to negotiate his contract with other teams months ago, had been working with the veteran passer since last week on this pay cut, Schefter tweets.
Monday’s compromise will both provide the 49ers with Trey Lance insurance and ensure Garoppolo collects a decent 2022 sum. While this is nowhere close to the $24.2MM base salary his 2018 extension was set to pay him, keeping that number on the books was never in the cards for the 49ers. A Garoppolo release may well have led to a payment shy of this $6.5MM salary as well. This new contract also includes $500K in roster bonuses. In total, Garoppolo’s 2022 compensation package maxes out at $15.45MM, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. The path toward cashing in all those incentives is likely tied to Lance.
For the 49ers’ payroll, Garoppolo will now come in well below the $26.95MM cap figure to which he was previously tethered. The ninth-year quarterback is now expected to count around $8.5MM on San Francisco’s cap sheet, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. This is an interesting solution for the 49ers, who have moved up beyond $20MM in cap space after entering Monday ranking 32nd in available funds.
Garoppolo’s base salary would have become guaranteed just before the 49ers’ Week 1 game. The 49ers were never going to allow that guarantee to vest, but they had tried to trade their four-plus-year starter throughout the offseason. Garoppolo was most closely linked to the Seahawks (in the event of a 49ers release) and Browns as a Deshaun Watson stopgap. Cleveland is sticking with Jacoby Brissett, while Seattle’s Geno Smith path is for real now. It is possible those teams could circle back to Garoppolo before the trade deadline, but he would now have to approve any trade. Garoppolo had a no-trade clause last year, but his contract did not previously include one for 2022.
The fifth-year 49ers passer underwent shoulder surgery in March, sidetracking his trade market, but is believed to have recovered. Garoppolo, 30, has been throwing for weeks now. He can now resume practicing with his teammates. How this affects Lance, whom the 49ers have repeatedly endorsed as their 2022 starter, will be fascinating. Lance’s QB1 predecessor had interest in being released, per Chris Mortensen, but circled back to San Francisco due to this being his best chance for success (Twitter link).
Although the 49ers traded two future first-round picks to move up for the North Dakota State prospect last year, Lance has thrown fewer than 400 passes in games since his senior year of high school. After dominating for the Division I-FCS superpower as a redshirt freshman in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic nixed the 2020 FCS season. Lance played in the Bison’s one 2020 game and declared for the 2021 draft. Garoppolo suffered a calf injury during the first half of last season, bringing in Lance for a spot start, but Kyle Shanahan reinstalled his veteran starter. Lance did not threaten Garoppolo’s status the rest of the way, and the 49ers rallied to their second NFC title game in three seasons. Lance spent his rookie year battling a finger injury, but he has recovered and made strides during his second pro offseason.
While Garoppolo has been frequently maligned during his Bay Area tenure, he is well-liked by his teammates and has posted top-15 QBR figures in his past two healthy seasons (2019, 2021). Last season was not exactly a healthy Garoppolo season; the former Patriots backup ran into a thumb issue late in the season but played through it. Lance was acquired to be an upgrade, however, and likely will remain the team’s preferred 2022 option. But instead of Garoppolo trying his hand with the Seahawks or Browns, he will remain a 49er for the time being.
This could also buy the 49ers more time with Garoppolo, with his salary more manageable as a trade chip now. If Lance impresses early, Garoppolo would reside as a trade attraction for a team in need. An early-season injury affecting a team that does not currently possess a QB need would increase San Francisco’s bargaining position as well. The no-trade clause will also protect Garoppolo from being sent to an undesired location, helping explain the decision to dramatically reduce his salary.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson Shot In Attempted Robbery
AUGUST 29: Echoing Rivera’s comments from last night, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Robinson hasn’t been ruled out of returning to game action at some point this season (Twitter link).
9:09pm: The Commanders confirmed Robinson’s injuries are not life-threatening, and after visiting with the rookie running back in the hospital, Ron Rivera described him as “in good spirits.” Rivera added (on Twitter) that Robinson is eyeing a return to “doing what he does best” soon.
AUGUST 28, 6:48pm: Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson was the victim of an attempted robbery, and suffered gunshot wounds, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). He adds, fortunately, that Robinson is currently in stable condition. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Robinson was shot “multiple times” during an attempted carjacking. His injuries are considered non-life-threatening. 
The 23-year-old was taken in the third round of this year’s draft. His impressive performances in the spring and summer led to reports that he could be in line for the No. 1 spot, ahead of Antonio Gibson. Robinson took on a larger offensive workload earlier in the preseason, whereas Gibson was used as a kick returner for the first time in his career.
Robinson also sat last night’s preseason finale, another sign that he was poised to work with the starting offense. The Alabama product put up middling numbers until his final year with the Crimson Tide; in 2021, he ran for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns, adding another 296 yards and two majors in the passing game. That production, along with his work in training camp, had made him one of the most talked-about Commanders players heading into the season.
In the (likely) event Robinson misses significant time, Washington will have the choice of giving Gibson a similar workload to the one he had last season (258 carries, 52 targets). Another young option in the backfield would be 2021 UFFA Jaret Patterson, who had a hugely productive college career and recorded 339 scrimmage yards as a rookie. Much will depend, no doubt, on Robinson’s recovery.
Bills To Waive P Matt Araiza
Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza has been told by the team that he is being released, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The move will be effective immediately.
The news comes in the wake of a recent lawsuit alleging that the San Diego State alum was involved in the gang rape of a minor last season. Araiza was one of three players named in the suit, the only one currently in the NFL. Since the alleged incident took place while he was in college, any discipline he faced would need to have come from the Bills, rather than the NFL itself.
Araiza’s attorney called the lawsuit a “shakedown” as a result of his status as the team’s top punter. The sixth-rounder had won the job when Buffalo cut veteran Matt Haack. Expectations had been high for Araiza, who earned the nickname ‘Punt God’ for his powerful leg showcased during his college career.
Signs were pointing to his release, however. Araiza did not dress during the Bills’ preseason finale, and the team used third-string QB Matt Barkley to handle punting duties. Not long after, Araiza issued a statement indicating that “the facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press.”
Nevertheless, the team began putting together a list of available punters earlier today, as noted by Tim Graham of The Athletic (on Twitter). With Haack having already signed in Indianapolis, the Bills will now be without a punter on the roster.
General manager Brandon Beane said that the team – which issued a statement immediately following the lawsuit saying that they were recently made aware of the incident and had conducted a “thorough investigation” – had difficulty obtaining details on the matter. He added that “there are many things that we could not get our hands on” and that “this was about letting Matt go handle his situation” (Twitter link via Schefter).
“We tried to be thorough and thoughtful and not rush to judgment, and I would say it’s not easy. You’re trying to put facts around a legal situation sometimes with limited information… We reached out to double-digit teams and no one had anything on teams. Yes, if we had this… Anything that would’ve been lingering, he would’ve been off our [draft] board” (Twitter links via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala).
Buffalo will now be active on the free agent market to look for a replacement punter, either amongst current available options or players released during Tuesday’s final round of roster cuts.
Cowboys LT Tyron Smith Tears Hamstring
9:15am: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Smith’s injury is an avulsion fracture of the knee, similar to the one which ended Jets tackle Mekhi Becton‘s year. The required surgery will keep him out until at least December, though it remains in doubt if Smith plays at all in 2022.
1:03am: The Cowboys will be without their All-Pro left tackle for a lengthy stretch. Tyron Smith suffered a torn hamstring during the team’s Wednesday practice, Todd Archer and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com report.
Smith’s latest injury could sideline him for months. This will mark the second severe Smith injury in three seasons; he missed 14 games in 2020 due to a neck injury. This latest Smith health-related development is a massive blow to the Cowboys’ offense, which was already set to begin the season without key personnel. More tests are on tap Thursday.
Going into his 12th season as Dallas’ left tackle, Smith is on the back nine of what could well be a Hall of Fame career. The former first-round pick landed on the 2010s’ All-Decade team and has eight Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro nods on his resume. Following the 2020 neck injury, Smith returned to the Pro Bowl last season. But injuries have steadily dogged the veteran blocker. He has missed 32 games over the past six seasons, including six last year.
Dallas has Smith tied to the same contract he signed way back in 2014 — the oldest active NFL deal — but began preparing for the future this year. The team drafted Tulsa tackle Tyler Smith in Round 1. The younger Smith was expected to line up alongside the 31-year-old vet, competing for left guard duty. But a future move to left tackle — his college position — is in the cards. That future could begin early. Two seasons remain on Tyron Smith‘s 10-year deal.
Tyler Smith was not a lock to beat out veteran guard Connor McGovern for the left guard job, with Mike McCarthy indicating Wednesday that McGovern would win that job if the season started today. But Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News notes the rookie made a strong case for the gig during Dallas’ second preseason game. Tyler Smith has also missed recent practice time with an ankle malady.
Eric Fisher resides as a tackle who could generate interest as a stopgap, if the Cowboys do not want to turn to their first-round rookie just yet. Fisher is a nine-year starter who spent 2021 as the Colts’ first-stringer. Jason Peters and Nate Solder are also unsigned. The former, despite turning 40 this year, said during the offseason he hoped to play this season.
The Cowboys are turning to 2020 starter Terence Steele at right tackle, where he will replace longtime starter La’el Collins. The team used a fifth-round pick on tackle Matt Waletzko and has second-year tackle Josh Ball in the picture as well. They also will begin the season without wideouts Michael Gallup and James Washington.