Raiders End Punting Competition
The Raiders’ punter competition is over. On Tuesday, the Raiders waived Johnny Townsend, which effectively anoints undrafted rookie A.J. Cole as the team’s punter moving forward. 
The Raiders used a fifth-round pick to select Townsend last year, but he didn’t do much in his rookie season or training camp this summer. Cole, meanwhile, managed to put two punts inside the 20 against the Rams on Saturday. Quickly, Cole earned a fan in head coach Jon Gruden.
“[Cole] put on an orbital display the other day against the Rams [in joint practices last week],” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said Saturday night (via Scott Bair of NBC Sports). “We haven’t seen kicks like that since [Shane] Lechler was here or [Marquette] King. He has a live leg and it looks like he can directional punt and hold, so Townsend has his hands full.”
In related moves, cornerback Hamp Cheevers was waived. Meanwhile, the club signed defensive backs Makinton Dorleant and Joshua Holsey.
Antonio Brown To Report To Raiders
Antonio Brown is back in the fold. Days after threatening to retire if the NFL did not clear him to wear his favorite helmet, and hours after losing his arbitration case, Brown has informed the team that he will report to the club for training camp on Tuesday (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal). 
Furthermore, Brown’s foot – which was negatively impacted by a cryotherapy session gone awry – is not considered to be a long-term impediment. With that, Brown is set to hit the ground running with ample practice time before his real Raiders debut against the Broncos on Sept. 9.
Brown seemed to be extremely dug in on the helmet issue, but it’s now “very unlikely” that he will appeal the arbitrator’s decision. All now seems to be well in Oakland, especially after Jon Gruden voiced support for the 31-year-old.
Meanwhile, Brown may wind up with his favorite helmet after all. The NFL will let Brown wear the Schutt AiR Advantage, if he can find one that is less than ten years old (Twitter link via PFT’s Mike Florio). AB, apparently, will leave no stone unturned in his search:
"I'm looking for a Schutt Air Advantage Adult Large Helmet that was manufactured in 2010 or after. In exchange I will trade a signed practice worn @Raiders helmet."
— AB (@AB84) August 13, 2019
Antonio Brown Backing Off Retirement Talk?
Twice this year, Antonio Brown has invoked the possibility of early retirement. The most recent instance was in regards to the odd helmet controversy, but with an arbitrator ruling against Brown on Monday, the Raiders receiver appeared to back off this threat.
Brown posted (via Twitter) he plans on returning to the Raiders for what will be his 10th NFL season. He will be doing so wearing a new helmet, but it does not look like that was the deal-breaker Brown initially indicated. It is now “very unlikely” Brown will appeal the arbitrator’s decision, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
“While I disagree with the arbitrator’s decision, I’m working on getting back to full health and looking forward to rejoining my teammates on the field,” Brown tweeted.
The Raiders, who traded third- and fifth-round picks to the Steelers to acquire the mercurial superstar, backed Brown over the weekend. Jon Gruden voiced support for the 31-year-old talent’s helmet matter and categorized Brown’s foot injury — reportedly stemming from a cryogenic chamber mishap — as being “a total accident.”
Brown has not participated in a full Raiders training camp practice yet, but it certainly looks like the team will not have to worry about its high-profile trade acquisition leaving the game early.
Arbitrator Rules Against Antonio Brown
The arbitrator in the Antonio Brown case has ruled against the wide receiver, according to Mike Jones of USA Today (on Twitter). This was the expected outcome – Brown’s desired helmet is too old to be re-certified and the league will not allow players to don helmets that are not sanctioned by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). 
The NOCSAE standard was jointly approved by the NFL and NFL Players Association, so Brown had little chance of getting his way on the issue. Reportedly, Brown has threatened to retire if the league would not let him wear his preferred headgear. In one sense, the ball is now in Brown’s court.
Brown finished last season with 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Steelers. That campaign marked his sixth straight season with at least 1,200 receiving yards and 100 receptions.
Still, his continuous clashing with Steelers officials brought their union to an end. The Raiders were happy to acquire Brown for very little in terms of draft compensation, but it’s now fair to wonder if they’ll ever get to see their new star suit up.
NFL Fires Warning To Raiders’ Antonio Brown
It doesn’t sound like the NFL will cave on their helmet battle with Raiders star Antonio Brown. The NFL’s public relations czar sent out a reminder on social media that players cannot practice or play in games with equipment that’s not approved (Twitter link). Furthermore, if a player in that scenario does not play or practice, said player (read: Brown) will be in breach of his contract and will not get paid. 
The NFL’s policy mandates that every helmet used must be certified by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOSCAE). The NOSCAE does not certify equipment that is older than ten years, which means that Brown’s favorite helmet is not kosher in the eyes of the league.
Brown, meanwhile, has threatened to retire if he is not permitted to play with the helmet that he has used throughout his career. For their part, the Raiders expect Brown to report to the club soon. And, over the weekend, Jon Gruden offered some public support for the mercurial wide receiver.
Raiders CB To Undergo Chest Surgery
- The Raiders placed cornerback D.J. Killings on IR on Sunday, doing so because he tore a pectoral muscle in the team’s preseason opener Saturday. Killings, a third-year UDFA, will undergo surgery, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.
Raiders To Explore Guard Trade Market
The Raiders will be without their longest-tenured offensive lineman for around two months. They appear set to look at outside options in the interim.
Gabe Jackson‘s knee injury will mean Oakland goes into this season without either of the guard starters it deployed primarily for the past three seasons, with the team having already traded Kelechi Osemele to New York in March. Already set to be without Richie Incognito for two weeks because of a suspension, the Raiders are expected to explore the guard trade market, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.
Incognito arrived shortly after the draft, with Jon Gruden advocating for another guard to replace Osemele instead of the team’s in-house options. At right guard presently, depth signing Jordan Devey will receive the first shot at replacing Jackson, Gruden said (via Gehlken, on Twitter). Devey has started just four games over the past three seasons, each coming as a member of the Chiefs.
Fourth-year UDFA Denver Kirkland is also in that mix; Denzelle Good remains on the team’s active/PUP list. Jackson hurt his knee during practice this week. The Raiders have more than $18MM in cap space, but with Jackson and Incognito potentially set to debut together by October, it would be interesting to see them give up too much to acquire a stopgap guard.
Still attached to the $10MM-AAV deal he signed in 2017, Jackson has started 72 games for the Raiders since arriving as a 2014 third-round pick. He finished last season on IR and would be a candidate for an IR-return player to start this season, but that would only be the case if the Raiders believed his timetable would involve a return closer to November rather than October.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/19
Here are Sunday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Pasoni Tasini
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: OL Dillon Gordon
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Rashard Causey
- Waived: LB Jeff Holland
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Deontez Alexander
- Waived/injured: LB Tre Lamar
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Jets: CB Derrick Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Isaiah Langley
- Waived: TE Zach Conque
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Terrance Smith
- Waived/injured: DL Jonathan Woodard
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Nate Wozniak
- Waived: G Tyler Catalina
Oakland Raiders
- Claimed off waivers from Falcons: DB Hamp Cheevers
- Placed on IR: CB D.J. Killings
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Sojourn Shelton
- Waived/injured: WR Shelton Gibson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Micah Abernathy
Washington Redskins
- Signed: QB Jalan McClendon, DB DeJuan Neal, LB Darrell Williams
- Placed on IR: QB Josh Woodrum
- Waived: WR T.J. Rahming
- Waived/injured: LB Garrett Sickels
Jon Gruden Defends Antonio Brown
We heard Friday that new Raiders receiver Antonio Brown is expected to rejoin the team shortly, a report that came on the heels of a great deal of Brown-related drama this week. We learned that the foot injury that has been plaguing Brown stemmed from a cryogenic chamber mishap, and we also learned that Brown has been staying away from team practices after being barred from wearing the helmet that he has used throughout his career.
After Oakland’s preseason victory over the Rams last night, head coach Jon Gruden was predictably asked a series of questions about Brown’s status, and Gruden was 100% supportive of his enigmatic superstar. He said (via Grant Gordon of NFL.com), “[w]e’re gonna support him. And whatever his decision is, we’ll stand by it. But we’re confident he’s going to be a huge factor for the Raiders for years to come.”
Gruden also indicated that the foot injury, which was said to be a result of Brown’s failure to wear proper footwear when he underwent cryogenic therapy, was not actually AB’s fault. Gruden said, “I don’t know what anybody’s writing or anybody thinks, but this foot injury wasn’t his fault. This was a total accident. It really wasn’t his fault and it’s a serious injury. I know some people are smarting at it, but it’s really not a laughing matter. The guy was hurt. He’s innocent, he didn’t do anything wrong.”
With respect to the helmet issue, Gruden added, “the helmet thing is a personal matter to him. He has a strong feeling about what he’s worn on his head and we’re supporting him. We understand the league’s position as well, so we’re in a tough spot. And we hope Antonio is back here soon, because he’s exciting to be around. I’m excited. I got some plays for him, I hope we can start calling them.”
A ruling on Brown’s grievance against the league is expected to be issued soon, but if Brown is forced to wear a different helmet, he will try to hold the league liable for any head injury he may suffer, as a source with knowledge of the hearing tells Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic. The source said, “I think it’ll be interesting if the NFL forces Antonio to wear a different helmet. And he does play and he doesn’t retire as some people have reported he will do. And then he suffers a really severe injury. I’d hate to be the NFL. Because now you’ve forced him into wearing a different type of helmet. And I think at that point, though, the liability will be dramatic.”
Of course, the NFL wants Brown to play in a helmet that is believed to be more resistant to head injuries than the one he has always worn, so it seems that the league would have a strong argument if Brown was made to switch and suffered a head injury. On the surface, it sounds like it would be difficult for Brown to prove that the change was a proximate cause of any injury he may sustain.
Nonetheless, Brown is pulling out all the stops to get what he wants, and Gruden and Raiders fans will just have to continue to hope that he shows up soon.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the team could force the issue by sending Brown the notorious five-day letter (which, as the name implies, would require Brown to return within five days of the letter). If he doesn’t return, the Raiders would be able to shut him down for the season and absolve themselves of any obligation to pay him, but given Gruden’s comments, it does not sound as if Oakland is preparing to take such an aggressive stance at this point.
Raiders Expect Antonio Brown To Report Back Soon
Fortunately Antonio Brown hasn’t filed his retirement papers yet. The Raiders’ star receiver threatened to hang up his cleats over a dispute about what helmet he’ll wear this season, but things appear to be deescalating.
Brown “is expected to rejoin the club at its training camp headquarters in the near future,” a team official told Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Brown has been staying away from the team’s practices the past couple weeks. His absences were originally thought to be due to his frostbitten feet, but it was revealed today it’s actually about the helmet.
Gehlken reports that a ruling from the arbitrator is expected sometime next week on whether or not Brown can wear his current helmet. All equipment must be approved by the National Operating Committee for Standards and Athletic Equipment, and they apparently refuse to test Brown’s model because it is more than ten years old. Brown’s wasn’t among the helmets that were banned this offseason, his just wasn’t even included in the NOCSAE’s study because it was more than a decade old. Since that model wasn’t specifically banned for not being safe, his appeal could have some hope.
Gehklen notes that the team next practices on Monday, and whether or not he’s present will go a long way in determining what kind of story this is going to be moving forward. Of course this is Brown we’re talking about, so while things seem to be heading in the right direction for now, that can change at any moment. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.