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Jordan Phillips

Bills Notes: Miller, Edmunds, Poyer, Saffold

January 28th, 2023 at 12:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Von Miller‘s first season in Buffalo ended on Thanksgiving when he suffered a torn ACL. Unsurprisingly, Bills general manager Brandon Beane indicated that the veteran linebacker isn’t a lock to be ready for the 2023 season opener. Beane told reporters that it’s too early to know if Miller will be available for the entirety of the 2023 season, but the GM did express optimism that Miller should play a “good portion” of the year (per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg on Twitter).

When Miller first suffered the injury on Thanksgiving day, he was expected to miss only a handful of games. However, exploratory surgery revealed that the linebacker had in fact suffered a torn ACL. The injury didn’t only prematurely end his 2022 season, but it also put the start of his 2023 campaign in doubt. Miller previously missed the entire 2020 season while recovering from a dislocated peroneal tendon.

After inking a six-year, $120MM deal with the Bills last offseason, Miller proceeded to start all 11 of his games for Buffalo. Following two-straight seasons of single-digit sack totals, Miller was well on his way to get back to that double-digit mark in 2022. He ultimately finished the season with eight sacks and 12 QB hits.

More notes out of Buffalo…

  • Speaking of injuries, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips revealed that he was playing through a torn rotator cuff that will ultimately require offseason surgery (via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia on Twitter). The impending free agent is confident that he’ll be good to go for training camp. Meanwhile, quarterback Josh Allen is hoping he won’t have to go under the knife for his ailing elbow. The QB told reporters that he’s hoping to just rehab his elbow throughout the offseason (per Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News on Twitter).
  • Last offseaosn, the Bills made one of the biggest splashes when they inked Miller to that aforementioned contract. This time around, the Bills aren’t expecting as many fireworks. Beane told reporters that he’s not anticipating a major move at any point this offseason. “We’re going to have to work to get under the cap,” Beane admitted (via Getzenberg on Twitter). With more than $240MM on the books, the Bills are projected to be over the cap heading into the offseason.
  • One major move the Bills will have to consider is a new contract for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Beane acknowledged that the franchise tag could be in play for the impending free agent, but the GM also noted that the tag value may be prohibitive thanks to the inclusion of edge rushers (via Skurski on Twitter). Beane also said the team would happily welcome back impending free agent safety Jordan Poyer, although the GM cautioned that they’ll need clarity on the cap before proceeding. A two-time Pro Bowler, Edmunds continued producing in 2022, finishing with his fifth-straight 100+ tackle season. Poyer, meanwhile, completed his sixth season in Buffalo with 63 tackles and four interceptions, resulting in a Pro Bowl nod.
  • Guard Rodger Saffold told reporters that he intends to play in 2023 and hopes to re-sign with the Bills, according to Buscaglia on Twitter. The 34-year-old indicated that he’s not looking to break the bank with his next contract and simply wants to be paid a fair amount for his age and ability. The offensive lineman also acknowledged that he’s willing to do what he can to stick in Buffalo. Saffold started all 16 of his games during his first season with the Bills.

AFC Injury Updates: Bills, Raiders, Leonard

September 23rd, 2022 at 7:02pm CST by Ely Allen

As the Bills head to South Florida for a noon matchup against a red-hot Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, they have seen a tough challenge get tougher. Buffalo released an injury update on its website today reporting that the team expects to be without four starters: two in the secondary, in safety Micah Hyde and cornerback Dane Jackson, and two defensive tackles, Ed Oliver and Jordan Phillips. Jackson, Hyde, and Phillips all left Monday night’s game with injuries, while Oliver will miss his second straight contest.

Jackson left the game last week after a collision that forced his head backwards in a scary-looking neck injury. He was taken off the field in an ambulance, but, luckily, avoided any major injury. Unfortunately, Jackson hasn’t been able to practice at all this week but has been able to be around the team at the facilities.

Hyde also suffered a neck injury, albeit a far less severe-looking injury than Jackson’s, that held him out of practice this week. Phillips left the game Monday with a hamstring injury and also was unable to practice this week. Oliver has been dealing with an ankle injury that held him out last week, as well.

Missing three starters in the secondary (cornerback Tre’Davious White remains on injured reserve) makes the prospect of facing Tagovailoa a bit more cumbersome one week after he threw for 469 yards and six touchdowns against a banged up Ravens secondary. They’ll turn to rookies Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam to fill in at cornerback with help from veteran Bills cornerbacks Taron Johnson and Siran Neal. Damar Hamlin and Jaquan Johnson will be asked to step up in Hyde’s absence, as well.

With both Phillips and Oliver out on the defensive line, it’s a good bet that the Bills will mirror their gameday practice squad call-ups from last week in defensive tackles C.J. Brewer and Brandin Bryant.

Here are a few more Sunday injury statuses we learned about today, starting with a couple of big starters out in Sin City:

  • The Raiders are set to face off against the Titans this weekend without two Pro Bowlers as wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and linebacker Denzel Perryman are officially out, according to Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Hill also reports that, after missing two practices with an illness, running back Josh Jacobs is questionable to play this Sunday.
  • Despite initial reports in the preseason that Colts star linebacker Shaquille Leonard would not miss any time, the 27-year-old is set to miss his third straight game after being ruled out against the Chiefs this week, according to Mike Chappell of Indianapolis Fox59. Head coach Frank Reich told the media, “Deep down it’s the player. Deep down the player has to know he can play winning football and help this team win. That’s where we’ve got to get to.”

Nine Teams Gain Cap Space From Post-June 1 Cuts

June 2nd, 2022 at 3:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although early June no longer serves as a stretch in which a wave of veterans are released for cap-saving purposes, June 2 still serves as an important calendar date for certain teams annually. Nine teams qualify as beneficiaries this year.

Eleven players were designated as post-June 1 cuts this year, via CBS Sports’ Joel Corry. Due to a longstanding CBA provision, teams that designate players as post-June 1 releases see the dead-money burden lessened for that year. Teams can designate up to two players as post-June 1 releases each year.

Here are 2022’s post-June 1 cuts, along with the belated cap savings the teams picked up Thursday:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

As detailed in PFR’s glossary, post-June 1 cuts spread dead-money hits over two years. These teams will be taking on dead money this year and next. A few of the 2023 hits are substantial, but the league’s cap-space hierarchy changed significantly Thursday as well.

Because of multiple restructures, Raiders will carry $9.9MM in Littleton dead money next year. The Cowboys will take on $8.7MM in 2023 for cutting Collins, while the Titans will be hit with $8.4MM for their Jones release. Cleveland, which just gave David Njoku a $14.2MM-per-year deal, will carry a $7.5MM dead-money cost next year due to shedding Hooper’s eight-figure-AAV deal early. The Eagles will be tagged with $11.5MM for their Cox cut, with Corry noting that is the net difference because of a $3.2MM salary cap credit regarding Cox’s 2022 bonus proration. Philadelphia re-signed the perennial Pro Bowler on a one-year, $14MM deal.

Hooper’s release pushes Cleveland’s cap space to beyond $40MM; the Browns’ overall cap-space edge is now a whopping $15MM. That should help the team address multiple needs ahead of training camp. Other teams have more options now, too. As of Thursday, the Raiders hold the NFL’s third-most cap space ($22.5MM, per OverTheCap). The $10MM the Cowboys saved moves them up to fourth in cap space ($22.49MM), while the Bears ($22.2MM), Commanders ($18.4MM) and Seahawks ($17MM) now sit fifth, sixth and seventh.

A handful of this year’s post-June 1 cut crop joined Cox in taking advantage of the modern setup, which allows these cap casualties to become free agents immediately — rather than waiting until June to hit the market. In place since the 2006 CBA, this adjustment let veterans loose early while keeping their cap figures on teams’ payrolls through May. Collins quickly joined the Bengals, while Littleton landed with the Panthers, Hooper signed with the Titans, and Phillips returned to the Bills. The remainder of this group remains unsigned. The savings this lot of teams inherited Thursday may help some of these players’ causes in free agency.

Bills Bring Back DL Jordan Phillips

March 19th, 2022 at 2:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Von Miller will be the Bills’ cornerstone front-seven player going forward, their next defensive line will involve multiple reunions. In addition to bringing back Shaq Lawson, Buffalo re-signed Jordan Phillips to a one-year contract.

Phillips enjoyed his best season with the Bills, when he registered a team-leading 9.5 sacks in 2019. That contract-year showing landed him a three-year, $30MM deal from the Cardinals. Injuries slowed the veteran defensive tackle in Arizona, leading to a release earlier this week. Phillips’ Cardinals deal not panning allowed the Bills to add another player familiar with their defensive system.

Lawson also left Buffalo in 2020, signing with the Dolphins. His journey was a bit more complicated than Phillips’, with Lawson also being with the Texans and Jets during his time away from the Bills. Phillips’ production decreased further, however, after his Buffalo departure. The injuries he dealt with in Arizona limited him to just 18 games over a two-season span.

A former Dolphins second-round pick, Phillips revived his career with the Bills previously, joining the team as a waiver claim in 2018. At this point, Phillips’ 2019 season — which also featured 16 quarterback hits, 10 more than he has recorded in any other year — looks like an outlier. But the Bills may be eyeing a rotational role for the 29-year-old D-tackle this time around.

The AFC East champs gave Tim Settle a two-year, $9MM deal to come over from Washington. Settle, Phillips and recent signee DaQuan Jones join Ed Oliver as Buffalo’s top inside D-linemen.

Cardinals Release Jordan Phillips

March 16th, 2022 at 4:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Veteran defensive linemen Jordan Phillips is on the lookout for a new NFL home. The Cardinals have released the 29-year-old, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link).

Phillips signed a three-year deal with Arizona in 2020, but he was limited to only 18 games during his two years with the team. His 2020 campaign came to an early end thanks to a hamstring injury, and he also started the 2021 season on the injured reserve.

In total, Phillips finished his Cardinals career having compiled five sacks. That includes a 2021 campaign where he finished with 22 tackles, three sacks, and four QB hits.

The former second-round pick spent the first three-plus seasons of his career with the Dolphins, and he eventually caught on with Buffalo midway through the 2018 campaign. He had a breakout season during his lone full year in Buffalo, finishing with 9.5 sacks.

Cardinals Restructure Jordan Phillips’ Deal

October 21st, 2021 at 12:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

On their longest season-opening unbeaten run since 1974, the Cardinals added a piece to their skill-position corps by acquiring Zach Ertz from the Eagles. On Thursday, they created some breathing room after adding Ertz’s salary.

The Cardinals restructured Jordan Phillips‘ contract, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates, who notes the team converted $6.5MM of the defensive lineman’s base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link). Arizona dipped into the void-years well here, adding two to a contract that already ran through 2022. All told, the Cards created $5.21MM in cap space.

Ertz is due more than $4MM in base salary the rest of the way. He joins a Cardinals team that has perennially struggled to generate production from its tight end position and one that recently lost Maxx Williams for the season. Between Ertz, DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green, Arizona’s pass-catching contingent now has 15 combined Pro Bowl nods.

The Cards gave Phillips a three-year, $30MM deal in 2020. As a result of Thursday’s restructure, that contract will become more difficult to shed in 2022.

Phillips, 29, returned to the field Sunday after nearly a year away. After recovering from a back injury that had sidelined him for the season’s first five games, the veteran interior D-lineman played 21 defensive snaps in his first game back and came off the bench in the 6-0 Cardinals’ win in Cleveland.

Cardinals Place C Rodney Hudson On IR

October 16th, 2021 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

More tough news for the Cardinals. They were set to be without Rodney Hudson this week, but the team placed its starting center on IR Saturday, sidelining him for at least three games.

Hudson is battling rib and shoulder injuries. The Pro Bowl blocker will miss Cardinals games against the Browns, Texans and Packers. Arizona’s quest to remain unbeaten in Cleveland keeps becoming more difficult. Hudson, Chandler Jones, defensive lineman Zach Allen, HC Kliff Kingsbury and QBs coach Cam Turner are out. The latter four are sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19.

Acquired via trade from the Raiders this offseason, Hudson has been one of the NFL’s top centers for several seasons. He represented Arizona’s top O-line add this year and joined J.J. Watt and A.J. Green as Pro Bowlers brought in this offseason. Veteran backup Max Garcia is set to start in Hudson’s place.

The Cardinals will receive some reinforcements, with defensive lineman Jordan Phillips coming off IR. A higher-end 2020 free agency addition, Phillips returned to practice earlier this week. He will return to game action after nearly a year away. The former Dolphins and Bills interior D-lineman went on IR with a hamstring injury midway through last season and suffered a back injury during this year’s training camp.

In addition to Phillips, the Cards activated tackle Joshua Miles from IR and flexed tight end Ross Travis, linebacker Joe Walker and O-lineman Danny Isidora to their 53-man roster for Week 6.

Cardinals Designate DL Jordan Phillips For Return

October 13th, 2021 at 10:10am CST by Sam Robinson

Jordan Phillips is moving closer to making his season debut. The Cardinals designated the veteran defensive lineman to return from IR Wednesday, starting his 21-day clock.

The second-year Arizona defender has three weeks to return from IR or miss the entire 2021 season. Phillips’ absence has dragged on with his current team; he has not played since Nov. 8 of last year.

The Cards did not disclose Phillips’ injury upon placing him on IR in September. His two IR stints in 2020 came because of hamstring injuries. The veteran interior D-lineman missed the final seven games of Arizona’s season. The Cardinals gave Phillips a three-year, $30MM deal in 2020, bringing him west after his 9.5-sack 2019 season with the Bills. The 29-year-old defender has yet to deliver much in the way of production since, adding some pressure ahead of his season debut.

Phillips is close to rejoining a team that has improved since he last suited up. The Cards are the league’s lone remaining unbeaten, at 5-0, and now have J.J. Watt anchoring their defensive line. A Phillips return in Week 6 would help a Cardinals team that is expected to be without Chandler Jones, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week. The Cards rank sixth in the league in scoring defense.

In addition to Phillips’ return to practice, the Cardinals placed both tight end Maxx Williams and special-teamer Zeke Turner on IR. Williams is facing the prospect of missing the rest of this season with a knee injury; Turner is battling a shoulder ailment. Arizona added some depth by signing veteran tight end Richard Rodgers to its practice squad.

Cardinals Place Jordan Phillips On IR

September 2nd, 2021 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Just a few days ago, the Cardinals activated Jordan Phillips from the reserve/COVID list. On Thursday, the Cardinals parked him once again, this time on injured reserve. In a related move, offensive lineman Justin Pugh has been brought back from the COVID list.

Phillips was dealing with an undisclosed injury throughout the summer and his condition still isn’t quite clear. Last year, a balky hamstring let to two separate IR stints and a total of seven missed games. In his nine contests, Phillips registered two sacks and eleven total stops from the right defensive tackle spot.

The Cardinals furnished Phillips with a three-year, $40MM in 2020 that included $18.5MM guaranteed. Phillips enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in Buffalo, but Arizona has yet to see him at his best. In 2019, his last healthy season, he tallied 9.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits for the Bills.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/30/21

August 30th, 2021 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here. Teams have until 3pm CT Tuesday to pare their rosters down to 53 players.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Darron Lee

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

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