Eagles Looking To Trade for Offensive Line Help
- The Eagles are another club looking for offensive line help at the deadline, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, who names the 49ers‘ Joe Staley as one possibility. Indeed, La Canfora writes in a separate pice that the 49ers are open to trading veterans like Staley, Carlos Hyde, and Eric Reid, but other teams say that the new regime in San Francisco values such players more highly than the market dictates, thereby making a deal unlikely.
Pass Rushers Influenced Eagles' OL Call
- The Eagles will not move Lane Johnson to left tackle midseason, instead installing swing tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai at Jason Peters‘ spot, Zach Berman of Philly.com notes. Vaitai struggled replacing Johnson last season at right tackle, and considering the Eagles’ hot start, there will be a bright spotlight on the second-year player this season on the left side. “Right now, Lane is playing extremely well at right tackle and looking down the road, and I hate to look down the road, but we’ve got some teams coming up that have some players on our right side, their left side, the Von Millers of the world, Khalil Macks of the world that play on that side of the ball,” Doug Pederson said of the decision to keep Johnson at right tackle.
Eagles Had Interest In TE Blake Jarwin
- The Cowboys promoted tight end Blake Jarwin from the practice squad earlier this week. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes that part of the organization’s motivation for making the move had to do with the interest Jarwin was garnering from around the NFL, particularly from the Eagles.
- The Eagles may be in the hunt for some offensive line help, but Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com warns (via Twitter) that the team might not want to acquire an expensive player. After all, the writer believes the team is focused on rolling their current cap space over to the offseason, and trading for a pricey lineman could compromise that future financial flexibility.
[SOURCE LINK]
Cowboys Release Kellen Moore
Kellen Moore hasn’t played in a game since the 2015 season, but he’s been with the Cowboys during each regular-season week since — be it on IR or as a backup. However, the Cowboys notified him of his release on Thursday, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (on Twitter).
The Cowboys cut Moore to make room for tight end Blake Jarwin from their practice squad, Hill reports. Moore was serving as a reserve in Dak Prescott-fronted signal-caller group, but Dallas cut the veteran previously and had prioritized undrafted rookie Cooper Rush.
Hill reports (via Twitter) the Cowboys promoted Rush because they worried another team was going to sign him off their practice squad. The Eagles were interested in poaching Jarwin, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Rush is now the only backup passer on Dallas’ roster. Rush played in one Cowboys game this season, Sunday against the 49ers, and threw two passes. Moore has not played since being one of the Tony Romo replacement options the team deployed in 2015.
The Cowboys cut Moore after the preseason but brought him back a few days later. He still has practice squad eligibility if the Cowboys choose to retain him as they did in September.
Jarwin joined the Cowboys in the same UDFA class Rush did, signing with the team in May out of Oklahoma State. He’s spent the season on Dallas’ practice squad. He caught 19 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns last season with the Stillwater, Okla.-based Cowboys.
Details On Lane Johnson’s Lawsuit
Earlier this year, Eagles tackle Lane Johnson filed suit against the NFL and NFLPA for what he said were unfair practices in the wake of his ten-game suspension. We now have some new information on the lawsuit, courtesy of Alex Marvez of The Sporting News. 
Johnson was hit with a ten-game ban as a repeat offender of the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. When it comes to this latest positive test, he insists that it was the result of taking an NFLPA-approved supplement. He also says the appeals process was flawed, noting that arbitrator James H. Carter previously represented the NFL in other matters. Carter’s firm received millions of dollars from the NFL for said work and Johnson says that led to bias. The union, he says, was negligent in allowing Carter to swing the gavel. The NFLPA has countered by saying that Carter was a “properly selected neutral arbitrator with impeccable credentials and no evident partiality in this matter.”
Johnson has already served his suspension, but he is continuing his fight in an effort to recoup his lost salary as well as having $25MM+ in guarantees reinstated in his five-year, $56MM deal. Both the NFL and the NFLPA have moved to have the case dismissed without prejudice, but a win in the courts could have far-reaching implications for all parties involved.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Hightower, Cutler
The Patriots were aware of Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks in the offseason when he was on the block and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link) wonders if he could be a consideration for them now that Dont’a Hightower is dealing with a serious pectoral injury.
Kendricks has long been talked about as a trade candidate and he even requested a trade himself back in January. However, he has become vital to the team in the wake of Jordan Hicks‘ season-ending Achilles tear. Kendricks was on the field for 55 snaps in Week 6 and probably would have been in line for lots of burn last week if not for a hamstring injury. With a 6-1 record, the Eagles probably aren’t inclined to trade away a key defender like Kendricks before the deadline.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- If he’s ruled out for the season, Hightower will lose out on $2.6MM+ in bonuses from the Patriots due to the torn pectoral and his previous knee injuries, Howe tweets. Hightower’s deal includes extra cash based on per-game play and play-time as well as Pro Bowl and All-Pro appearances.
- Despite his cracked ribs, Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler is expected to be available a week from Sunday vs. Oakland, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, he will not be able to suit up for Thursday night’s game against Baltimore.
- The Patriots had wide receiver Jake Kumerow and fullback Marquez Williams in for free agent workouts on Wednesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. Kumerow was signed to the practice squad on Thursday morning.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/2017
Today’s practice squad updates:
Carolina Panthers
- Released: WR Austin Duke
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Victor Salako
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Stansly Maponga
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers: C Dillon Day
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Mike Purcell
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Nate Theaker
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Jhaustin Thomas
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Don Cherry
- Released: DE Alex McCalister
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Rodney Coe
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Isaiah Johnson, DE Marquavius Lewis
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/2017
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed off waivers: CB Lafayette Pitts
- Waived: CB Tony McRae
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted to active roster: TE Matt Lengel
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Jelani Jenkins
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Orson Charles
New England Patriots
- Promoted to active roster: LB Trevor Reilly
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Neal Sterling
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Xavier Coleman
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted to active roster: RB Elijah Hood
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: T Taylor Hart (two-year deal)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Deji Olatoye
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Tony Bergstrom
- Waived: DT A.J. Francis
Eagles LB Jordan Hicks Done For Season
Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks will miss the remainder of the 2017 season after suffering a ruptured Achilles in Monday night’s victory over the Redskins, head coach Doug Pederson announced today. Zach Berman and Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer first reported last night that Hicks had injured his Achilles.
[RELATED: Eagles OT Jason Peters Tears ACL]
Hicks, 25, has been a full-time starter for most of his time in Philadelphia, but he’s only played 70% of the club’s defensive snaps this season. That’s largely because the former third-round pick has left two previous games with injury, allowing fellow linebacker Mychal Kendricks to see more time. After offering excellent production from 2015-16, Hicks has thus far graded as only the No. 54 linebacker among 81 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, but it’s fair to assume Hicks’ health questions have affected his performance.
Even after Hicks is placed on injured reserve, the Eagles will still have six linebackers available on their defensive depth chart. Kendricks and Nigel Bradham figure to continue leading the unit in snaps, but Najee Goode, Joe Walker, Nathan Gerry, and Kamu Grugier-Hill could all more candidates to see more playing time. Kendricks, notably, was inactive on Monday with an injury of his own, and the rest of Philadelphia’s ‘backers have played mostly on special teams.
The Eagles don’t have a linebacker on their practice squad to promote, but they could scour the free agent market in search of a Hicks replacement. Just last week, Philadelphia auditioned veteran defenders Sean Spence, Donald Butler, and Jelani Jenkins, any of whom could become a reinforcement for the Eagles No. 14-DVOA-ranked defense. Other free agent linebackers include Perry Riley, Erin Henderson, Audie Cole, and Philip Wheeler.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/24/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: T Givens Price
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DL Taniela Tupou
- Released: DL Jonathan Woodard
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Kenny Bell
- Released: TE Gabe Holmes
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DL Kyle Peko, LB Kevin Snyder
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Max McCaffrey
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Jarrod Clements
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR K.J. Brent, S Ronald Martin
- Released: RB Marcus Murphy
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Brandon Thomas
- Released: OL Norman Price
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: T Nick Becton
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Jeremy Cash, RB Akeem Judd
- Released: S Harold Jones-Quartey
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: CB Tevin Mitchel
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: DE Alex McCalister
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: S Tyvis Powell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DE Larry Webster
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Julius Warmsley
- Released: QB Tyler Ferguson