Jalen Mills

NFC East Rumors: Redskins, Mills, Giants

The Redskins’ Jay Gruden-to-Bill Callahan power transfer led to the team making an in-season hire. In elevating assistant offensive line coach Phil Rauscher to Callahan’s former post, Washington hired Aaron Stamn as an offensive assistant. Stamn worked as an assistant at Liberty University, serving as the Division I-FBS program’s OC from 2012-15. He finished his tenure as the program’s assistant offensive line coach in 2018, and it’s likely he will assume a similar responsibility in Washington. Rauscher was part of the 2015 Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning staff, serving as an offensive assistant. He’s in his second Redskins season.

Here’s the latest from the NFC East:

  • A starter during the Eagles‘ Super Bowl season, Jalen Mills has yet to begin a pivotal season of work. The former seventh-round pick resides on Philadelphia’s PUP list and has not played in nearly a year. Interestingly, the contract-year cornerback said he suffered neither an Achilles tear nor a Lisfranc injury, instead informing the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane he’s endured a severe foot sprain. Mills said he is “close” to returning. He cannot practice until next week, but the Eagles do not immediately have to activate him once he’s eligible to come off the PUP list.
  • Down both Saquon Barkley and Wayne Gallman tonight, the Giants will work out running back Akeem Hunt on Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Hunt began his career as a Giants UDFA in 2015 but is known for his contributions as a Chiefs and Texans backup from 2015-17. Gallman is in concussion protocol, and Barkley appears on the doorstep of returning. Barring another setback, it’s likely Barkley is back for Week 7.
  • The Redskins auditioned several players this week. Wide receivers Simmie Cobbs, Reggie Davis, J’Mon Moore and Jester Weah tried out for the now-Callahan-led team, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Quarterback Amir Hall did as well. Moore was a Packers fourth-round pick just last year. Hall was a decorated quarterback at Division II Bowie State (Md.).

Eagles Reach 53-Man Limit

The Eagles have gotten down to 53, making some notable cuts to get there. The team released guard/center Stefen Wisniewski, who they re-signed to a $1.5MM deal back in May. He had gotten $150K guaranteed, so Philly will eat that. Wisniewski had started at least six games in each of the past three seasons for the Eagles.

To help thin out their crowded running backs room, they got rid of a few well-known names. They waived Josh Adams, who rushed for 511 yards for them last year, as well as 2017 fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey, who has battled injuries ever since entering the league. They also cut Wendell Smallwood, who had 364 yards rushing and three touchdowns and another 230 yards and two touchdowns through the air last year.

Offensive tackle Brett Toth also failed to make the team. Toth only recently got permission from the Army to join the NFL, and he signed with the Eagles only a couple weeks ago. He seems like a prime candidate for a practice squad spot.

Aside from that, and other announced moves, the Eagles made the following roster moves over the weekend to reach the 53-player limit:

Waived:

T Riley Mayfield

G Sua Opeta

TE Joshua Perkins

RB Boston Scott

DT Aziz Shittu (injured)

QB Clayton Thorson

WR Greg Ward

Released the following players:

Reserve/PUP

CB Jalen Mills

Extra Points: CBA, Eagles, Texans

There’s been a lot of talk about the CBA recently, and the potential for a work stoppage when it expires after the 2020 season. We just heard that the owners and players held their first negotiating meetings, and now we have more details on what exactly went down. A handful of owners and members of the NFLPA’s executive committee met for “roughly five hours,” earlier this week, Albert Breer of SI.com was told. Breer describes it as a big deal and writes that it “shouldn’t have flown under the radar.” As Breer points out, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith had said a couple of years ago that a lockout when the CBA expired was a “virtual certainty,” so the fact that they’re having positive conversations this far out is a huge development.

Breer notes that the owners were the ones who initiated this meeting, which is a big departure from when the owners decided to opt out of the CBA years in advance last time around. Overall, Breer describes the meeting as a “good start.” There’s still a long way to go, and the threat of a work stoppage is still a very real possibility, but things don’t seem nearly as dire as they once did. Breer points to the rapidly increasing cap as one thing that may help pacify players in negotiations.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills was arrested for his role in a fight earlier today. The team has now issued their response, saying “the Philadelphia Eagles are aware of the situation involving defensive back Jalen Mills and are continuing to gather more information,” adding that “no further comments will be provided at this time.” It’s a fairly standard statement. Mills was hurt for half of last season, but started all eight games he was active for, so it would be a big loss for Philly if he were to miss any time with a suspension.
  • The Texans desperately need offensive line help, as Deshaun Watson was running for his life again last year. To that end, they’re doing their research on this year’s top offensive line prospects. The team brought in Washington offensive tackle Kaleb McGary for a visit today, a source told Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). McGary could go as high as the first round, but could also be a target for the Texans with either of their two second round picks if he slips a little bit.
  • DeMarcus Lawrence was able to get over $20MM annually on his contract extension, and that deal could have a ripple effect across the league. In a recent piece, former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analysts Joel Corry took a look at how Lawrence’s new pact will effect the rest of the big name pass-rushers waiting to get paid. Dee Ford recently settled for a little less, but Lawrence’s deal has now reset the market yet again. Lawrence’s deal “undoes any damage Dee Ford’s may have to the market for highly productive pass rushers in line for new contracts, primarily Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark and Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney,” Corry writes. Corry also writes that Yannick Ngakoue of the Jaguars and Chris Jones of the Chiefs could join them as defensive linemen making $20MM+ annually, saying that those four’s agents “will likely view Lawrence’s deal as the salary floor for their clients.”

Eagles CB Jalen Mills Arrested

Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills was arrested last night in Washington D.C. following an altercation with Washington Wizards player Devin Robinson, reports Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press (via the Washington Post). The two athletes were charged with disorderly affray, which Fendrich describes as fighting in a public place.

According to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, the two engaged in a verbal altercation that escalated into a fight on the sidewalk. Robinson was transported to a hospital following the fight, and he was eventually released before being taken department’s 2nd District station. That will the same location where Mills was ultimately detained.

Mills joined the Eagles as a seventh-round pick back in 2016, and he started throughout the team’s 2017 Super Bowl run. This past season, Mills appeared in only eight games after suffering a foot injury. The 25-year-old finished the season 36 tackles and nine passes defended. Mills is projected to start the season as the team’s third cornerback behind Rasul Douglas and Ronald Darby.

2019 Proven Performance Escalators

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.

If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $2MM in 2019. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2019 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:

Bears: RB Jordan Howard, LB Nick Kwiatkoski

Bengals: LB Nick Vigil

Broncos: G Connor McGovern, S Will Parks, S Justin Simmons

Browns: S Derrick Kindred, LB Joe Schobert

Buccaneers: G Caleb Benenoch, DE Carl Nassib, CB Ryan Smith

Chargers: LB Jatavis Brown

Chiefs: CB Kendall Fuller, WR Tyreek Hill, S Eric Murray, WR Demarcus Robinson

Colts: QB Jacoby Brissett, T Joe Haeg

Cowboys: CB Anthony Brown, DT Maliek Collins, QB Dak Prescott

Dolphins: RB Kenyan Drake

Eagles: CB Jalen Mills, T Halapoulivaati Vaitai

Falcons: LB De’Vondre Campbell, TE Austin Hooper, G Wes Schweitzer

Jaguars: DE Yannick Ngakoue

Jets: LB Jordan Jenkins, CB Rashard Robinson, T Brandon Shell

Lions: C Graham Glasgow

Packers: LB Kyler Fackrell, DE Dean Lowry, LB Blake Martinez, LB Antonio Morrison

Patriots: G Joe Thuney, LB Elandon Roberts

Rams: G Austin Blythe, TE Tyler Higbee

Ravens: DE Matt Judon, OL Alex Lewis, CB Tavon Young

Saints: DT David Onyemata

Steelers: DT Javon Hargrave

Texans: DT D.J. Reader

Titans: S Kevin Byard, WR Tajae Sharpe

OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. 

Eagles Place CB Jalen Mills On IR

The foot injury that was expected to shut down Jalen Mills for the season prompted the Eagles to place the third-year cornerback on IR.

Philadelphia will shelve Mills for the rest of the season, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets the team will promote defensive tackle Bruce Hector to its active roster.

Mills joins Ronald Darby as Eagles corners on IR. Clinging to NFC East title hopes going into a crucial game in Dallas, the defending champions aren’t as depleted as they recently were at this position. Sidney Jones returned to the Eagles’ lineup on Monday night. However, Avonte Maddox did not practice this week and is not expected to play. Jones and Rasul Douglas are expected to be Philadelphia’s top corners against the Cowboys.

A 2016 seventh-round pick, Mills has not played since October. Pro Football Focus graded Mills, Jones and Douglas near the bottom of the 2018 cornerback contingent. The Eagles rank 19th in pass defense DVOA. That said, Philly has managed back-to-back wins over NFC East competition — the second of which coming against a more injury-damaged Washington team.

One more season remains on Mills’ rookie contract. Hector is a rookie UDFA who has played in six games this season.

Jalen Mills Expected To Miss Rest Of Season

It sounds like Jalen Mills‘ season has come to an end. Zach Berman of Philly.com reports that the Eagles cornerback will likely be shut down due to a foot injury. The team will also reportedly place the defensive back on the injured reserve.

The 24-year-old has been out since late October after injuring his foot, and the Eagles kept him on the active roster with the hope that he’d be able to return from the stretch run. Berman notes that Mills was seen wearing a boot this week (he wasn’t seen wearing a boot immediately following the injury), and with only four weeks remaining, Philly decided to shut down the former seventh-round.

The 2016 seventh-round pick was having another productive season, compiling 42 tackles and nine passes defended in eight games (eight starts). Mills had a standout campaign for Philly last year, finishing with 64 tackles, 14 passes defended, and three interceptions (including a pick-six).

The Eagles secondary has been ravished by injuries, as Mills will be joining fellow starting cornerback Ronald Darby and starting safety Rodney McLeod on the injured reserve. With Avonte Maddox recovering from a knee/ankle injury, Philadelphia is left with five healthy cornerbacks on their active roster: Sidney JonesRasul Douglas, Chandon SullivanCre’von LeBlanc, and De’Vante Bausby.

Latest On Eagles’ Cornerbacks

The Eagles secondary is beyond banged up. As the team gears up for Sunday’s game against the Giants, Chandon Sullivan, Cre’Von LeBlanc, and DeVante Bausby stand as the team’s only healthy cornerbacks, head coach Doug Pederson says. 

[RELATED: Eagles Activate DT Timmy Jernigan]

Jalen Mills, Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox, and Sidney Jones were unable to take the practice field on Friday. It’s a terrible spot for the Eagles to be in after losing star Ronald Darby to a torn ACL.

To fill the gap, the Eagles have employed reserve wide receivers as cornerbacks in practice. That won’t fly in a real game, so the Eagles may have to make a move or two in the next couple of days. Practice squad defensive back Jeremiah McKinnon may be a leading candidate for promotion, but no decision has been made on that front just yet.

At 4-6, the Eagles are fighting for their playoff lives on Sunday. The Giants have been largely atrocious this year, but they’re riding a two-game winning streak and they’ll be motivated to spoil the Eagles’ season.

Injury Notes: Gronk, Mack, Pack, Eagles

A third Rob Gronkowski injury absence appears to be in the cards. The Patriots will not deploy their All-Pro tight end to play Sunday against the Titans, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. While Gronkowski is traveling with the team to Nashville, per ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), he’s expected to be held out. Gronk missed games against the Bears and Packers but played in Buffalo on the Monday night in between those tilts. He’s been dealing with back and ankle trouble. While the Patriots have been able to win without their top pass-catcher, these repeated absences are obviously a concern for the future Hall of Famer’s availability for New England’s stretch run and potentially his post-2018 NFL future. It’s likely the Pats are attempting to rest Gronk now to hopefully see him healthy for key late-season games and the playoffs, but that can’t be considered a lock given his extensive injury history. Gronkowski hitting his incentive targets may now be unrealistic as well.

Here’s the latest from the Week 10 injury front.

  • Better news for the Bears. They’re in line to have both Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson back on Sunday when they face the Lions, per the Associated Press. Mack is no longer on the injury report after missing the past two Chicago games because of an ankle malady. His defensive player of the year chances took a hit because of this hiatus and Aaron Donald continuing another all-world season but Mack figures to still be in the running and can help a team attempting reach the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
  • The Lions‘ Robinson coverage options will be limited. Darius Slay is out for Week 10, joining guard T.J. Lang in that regard. Slay’s played in each of Detroit’s previous eight games and hasn’t missed time since 2016 but is battling a knee injury. A neck ailment will sideline Lang, who also missed time because of a concussion this season.
  • A tough injury night against the Patriots will have after-effects for the Packers. Kevin King will not play Sunday against the Dolphins because of a hamstring injury. Bashaud Breeland, whom ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes appeared to impress the Packers in his Green Bay debut, figures to see more time.
  • Both Sidney Jones and Jalen Mills are going to miss Sunday night’s Eagles-Cowboys game, but Corey Graham will return after missing four games, per Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). After claiming Cre’Von LeBlanc off waivers earlier this week, surely due to injuries affecting the aforementioned duo, the Eagles have seven corners on their roster.
  • Taco Charlton and Connor Williams aren’t playing for the Cowboys on Sunday. Xavier Su’a-Filo appears to be the choice to replace Williams at left guard for Dallas, per executive VP Stephen Jones (Twitter link). A full-time Texans starter the past two seasons, Su’a-Filo has not played this season. Williams is down with a knee injury.

East Notes: Beckham, S. Jones, Patriots

The Giants and star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. are far apart in extension talks, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes Beckham should stage a holdout. After all, if Beckham reports for training camp — as he said he will do — but does not get the deal he’s looking for, then he would essentially be foreclosed from holding out. As Florio notes, a player who reports and then leaves subjects himself to a “five-day letter,” in which a team advises such player that, if he does not return within five days, he will be put on the reserve/left squad list, thereby tolling his contract for a full year. And, if Beckham reports but does not practice with the team until he gets a new deal, he could be subject to fines and suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

As such, Florio believes Beckham’s only chance to get the contract he deserves this year is to hold out and put a little pressure on the Giants, which none of his other alternatives would do. Beckham, though, appears to be sensitive to the stigma associated with holdouts, so this will remain a fascinating case to monitor.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

  • Matt Lombardo of NJ.com names the secondary as perhaps the biggest weakness on the Giants‘ roster, though he says UDFA cornerback Grant Haley — who reportedly received a whopping $100K in guaranteed money from Big Blue — could be a solid slot corner in his rookie season. Lombardo also says the team could reunite with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, which grows more likely the longer DRC lingers on the open market.
  • Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones had a strong offseason, but as Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com observes, Jones spent the last three practices of the spring on the sideline with soreness in his lower body. Philadelphia has said that soreness is wholly unrelated to the Achilles injury that forced Jones to miss almost all of his rookie season, but Shorr-Parks says the fact that the Washington product was forced to miss the most important practices of the spring with a vague injury is noteworthy. The team needs Jones to live up to his collegiate potential, which would have a positive trickle-down effect on the rest of a secondary that needs to replace Patrick Robinson (as of now, Shorr-Parks says, Jalen Mills is the favorite to serve as the Eagles’ nickel corner, a role that Robinson filled so admirably last year).
  • Free agent WR Eric Decker indicated earlier this week that the Patriots would be a good fit for him, and while no team — including the Patriots – has publicly expressed interest in Decker in nearly three months, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says New England could be interested once it has had the opportunity to fully evaluate its receiving corps in training camp.
  • One potentially key member of the Patriots‘ receiving corps, Malcolm Mitchell, is unsure if he will be ready for the start of training camp. Per Stephen Hewitt of the Boston Herald, Mitchell — who missed all of the 2017 campaign with a knee injury after a promising rookie season — simply said “we’ll see” when asked if he would be ready to go when camp opens next month. New England would love to have a healthy Mitchell, especially in light of Julian Edelman‘s impending four-game suspension.
  • Reiss says that Patriots‘ UDFA punter Corey Bojorquez is a legitimate threat to incumbent Ryan Allen.