Raiders Under Investigation For COVID-19 Protocol Violations
Raiders HC Jon Gruden was one of a handful of head coaches to be slapped with a $100K fine for not consistently wearing his mask during his team’s Week 2 game, and the Raiders themselves were handed a $250K fine for Gruden’s indiscretion. And the league isn’t finished with Las Vegas just yet.
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported several days ago that a team was under investigation for “unauthorized locker room access” (Twitter link), and as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com wrote last night, that team is the Raiders. This season, only 40 employees in each organization are allowed to be in the locker room, and an unauthorized Raiders employee allegedly entered the locker room following the team’s win against the Saints on Monday night.
If that allegation turns out to be true, then the league will impose discipline, according to Schefter. It seems likely that such discipline would come in the form of additional fines, but the NFL is apparently willing to go further if necessary.
Indeed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says coaches who continue to violate COVID-19 protocols will not only face fines several times higher than the $100K penalty doled out this week, they could also face suspension. Even draft pick forfeiture is not out of the question, and to drive that point home, the coaches who received fines also received a letter from the NFL that included the following language: “[f]uture violations of this rule or any other league policy … will result in increased accountability measures for you, individually, as well as your club.”
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that all coaches who were fined have filed appeals (Twitter link). That includes Gruden, who said, “I’m doing my best. I’m very sensitive about it. … I’m calling plays. I just want to communicate in these situations, and if I get fined, I’ll have to pay the fine. But I’m very sensitive about that and I apologize.” The appeals will be heard this week.
Interestingly, Gruden also indicated that he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year. He did not divulge many details on his experience, saying only, “it wasn’t pleasant” (Twitter link via Pelissero).
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/26/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: RB Jonathan Ward
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: LB Deon Lacey
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DT Kahlil McKenzie
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB A.J. Green
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: RB LeVante Bellamy, CB Kevin Toliver
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: TE John Lovett, WR Darrius Shepherd
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: LB Matthew Adams
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: LB Kyle Emanuel, CB Madre Harper
New England Patriots
- Promoted: DT Nick Thurman, WR Isaiah Zuber
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Bennie Fowler, DL Margus Hunt
- Placed on IR: RB Ty Montgomery
- Waived: OL Will Clapp
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Johnny Holton
New York Jets
- Promoted: Lawrence Cager, OL Jimmy Murray
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DB Grayland Arnold, WR Deontay Burnett
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: OL Hroniss Grasu, RB JaMycal Hasty, LB Joe Walker
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: RB Kenjon Barner
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: WR Cameron Batson
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: G Joshua Garnett, LB Jared Norris
Ruggs Dealing With New Injury Issue
- With the Raiders attempting to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2002, they will be without Henry Ruggs. The speed merchant played Monday night but suffered a hamstring injury during Las Vegas’ Thursday practice, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com notes. Ruggs is also dealing with a knee issue, which he aggravated in the first half of Monday’s win.
Raiders To Place Richie Incognito On IR
Although Richie Incognito avoided an Achilles tear, he will not return to the Raiders’ starting lineup for a while. The Raiders are placing the veteran guard on IR, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Incognito left Monday night’s game with an Achilles injury and will be out until at least Week 6. The Raiders moved rookie John Simpson into Incognito’s left guard spot against the Saints, pointing to the fourth-round Clemson product making a Week 3 start.
The Raiders gambled on the polarizing Incognito in free agency last year and were rewarded when the experienced blocker helped the team form one of the league’s top offensive lines. The Raiders then extended the 37-year-old guard through the 2021 season.
Viewed as a potential player who could replace offseason trade chip Gabe Jackson, Simpson instead saw time opposite Jackson in New Orleans. Pro Football Focus rated Incognito as one of its better guards last season, viewing him as an elite pass-blocking guard, and again had him off to a good start in 2020. Prior to Incognito missing the 2018 season amid more off-field trouble, he went to three straight Pro Bowls as a member of the Bills.
Las Vegas will fill Incognito’s roster spot with Patrick Omameh, a veteran guard who has made 57 career starts in eight NFL seasons. The Raiders added Omameh to their practice squad ahead of their Week 2 game.
Richie Incognito Avoids Achilles Tear
- Richie Incognito left Monday night’s Raiders win with an Achilles issue, but the veteran guard may not miss any time. Incognito aggravated a previous injury but did not suffer a tear, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The Raiders were already down right tackle Trent Brown, due to a reportedly not serious calf injury, and backup tackle Sam Young against the Saints.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/20
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: TE Maxx Williams
Chicago Bears
- Released: S Marqui Christian
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: DE Dre’Mont Jones
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: LB/DB Javin White
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Bennie Fowler, DT Margus Hunt
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: CB Mazzi Wilkins
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/20
Recent practice squad notes from around the league:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: C Jonotthan Harrison
- Released: T Victor Salako
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Hakeem Butler
- Released: S T.J. Green, T Aaron Monteiro
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Devante Bond
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Kyle Markway
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Eric Saubert
- Released: DB Josh Nurse
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OL Patrick Omameh
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR Marcell Ateman
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Troymaine Pope
Miami Dolphins
- Suspended four additional games: WR Antonio Callaway
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Anthony Zettel
- Released: DB Grant Haley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OL Brandon Walton
Of course, the big news here surrounds Callaway. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that the wideout has earned an additional four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. This means he’ll be eligible to return to the field in Week 8.
Callaway will continue to sit on the Dolphins’ practice squad suspended list, per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. The 23-year-old will still be allowed to attend meetings, but he can’t practice with the squad until his suspension ends.
The talented wideout out of Florida fell to the Browns in the fourth round of the 2018 draft thanks in part to a 2016 four-game suspension from former head coach Jim McElwain. Callaway immediately contributed in Cleveland, hauling in 43 receptions for 586 and five scores during his rookie campaign. However, the receiver was suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season after violating the substance-abuse policy, and he underwhelmed in the four games following his return (eight receptions, 89 yards).
He was slapped with a 10-game ban late last year, and the suspension was supposed to last through the third week of the 2020 season. Thanks to the latest suspension, Callaway won’t see the field through the first seven weeks of the season.
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
Cap management has been extra complicated in the NFL this year. After ~70 NFL players opted out of the 2020 season, teams were left with holes and plenty of available dollars to fill the gaps. At first, the ongoing uncertainty over next year’s salary cap had teams nervous about large-scale commitments. Now, it seems like we’re getting back to business as usual.
Recent deals for Saints star Alvin Kamara, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and others demonstrate the league’s long-term confidence. In turn, we’ve seen cap figures change dramatically in September.
Here’s the rundown of each team’s estimated cap space for the 2020 season, via Over The Cap:
- Cleveland Browns – $33.4MM
- New York Jets – $28.6MM
- Dallas Cowboys — $27.5MM
- New England Patriots – $26.3MM
- Washington Football Team – $25.8MM
- Denver Broncos – $25.7MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars – $25.2MM
- Philadelphia Eagles – $20MM
- Detroit Lions – $18MM
- Miami Dolphins – $16.7MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $14.2MM
- Los Angeles Chargers – $11.8MM
- Cincinnati Bengals – $11.6MM
- Arizona Cardinals – $11.4MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $11.3MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $11.2MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $10.9MM
- Chicago Bears – $9.9MM
- New York Giants – $9.6MM
- Houston Texans – $9.6MM
- Tennessee Titans – $9.4MM
- New Orleans Saints – $8.8MM
- Green Bay Packers – $8.7MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $7.7MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $7.4MM
- Carolina Panthers – $6.9MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $6.6MM
- Buffalo Bills – $6.5MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $6.2MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $3.7MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $3.3MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $2MM
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/17/20
Today’s practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Brandon Bryant, LB Deon Lacey
Green Bay Packers
- Signed DT Billy Winn, OL Ryan Pope
- Released: DL Daylon Mack
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: S Dallin Leavitt
- Released: CB Jordan Brown
New England Patriots
- Signed QB Jacob Dolegala, C James Ferentz
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Cody Hollister, DB Picasso Nelson, DB Maurice Smith
Washington Football Team
- Signed: WR Jeff Badet
- Released: TE Hale Hentges
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Curtis Riley (off Steelers‘ practice squad)
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Montrel Meander
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Chris Jones
- Promoted: WR Daurice Fountain
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: S Dallin Leavitt
New England Patriots
- Promoted: CB Myles Bryant, K Nick Folk
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Ken Webster
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine