HEADLINES

Justin Hollins

Packers Re-Sign OLB Justin Hollins

March 23rd, 2023 at 9:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers claimed Justin Hollins off waivers midway through the 2022 season, and his play upon arrival has earned him an extended stay. Per a team announcement, the veteran pass rusher has re-signed on a new deal in Green Bay.

Hollins, 27, was a draftee of the Broncos but only spent his rookie campaign in Denver. He was waived ahead of the 2020 season and claimed by the Rams, with whom he took on an incrementally larger role in each season. Hollins registered seven starts across 34 games in Los Angeles, working his way up to a 50% snap share in his 10 games in 2022.

The former fifth-rounder notched only one sack in that span, however, leading the Rams to waive him in November amidst their general struggles in the pass rush department. No player outside of Leonard Floyd managed to record more than one sack for the Rams’ edge rushers, so the position figures to be a position of interest in the secondary waves of free agency and the draft.

With the Packers, Hollins saw a lesser role in six games compared to his workload with the Rams earlier in the year. He was more productive in Green Bay, though, notching 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. He added nine total tackles and four QB hits, numbers which will earn him a full season with the team in 2023.

The Oregon product will look to maintain a rotational role amongst the Packers’ edge rushers next season. Green Bay has Rashan Gary and Preston Smith at the top of the depth chart, but the former suffered an ACL tear in November. Hollins could serve as an insurance policy if Gary is unable to return in time for Week 1, and provide a depth option for the team when he is available moving forward.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Rams, OBJ, Hawks

December 5th, 2022 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly three months after losing Trey Lance to a season-ending broken ankle, the 49ers saw Lance insurance policy Jimmy Garoppolo go down with a broken foot. Although Garoppolo’s exact prognosis is being determined, Kyle Shanahan said again Monday he is done for the season. Garoppolo appears to, however, have avoided Lisfranc trouble, Shanahan said (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, on Twitter). Garoppolo went through an offseason of trade talk and has long been expected to hit free agency, but a report surfacing hours before his latest injury indicated the 49ers are interested in another reunion. Garoppolo’s third season-ending injury as a 49er may well affect that, but Lisfranc trouble being avoided would aid the nine-year veteran as he attempts to successfully navigate another rehab program.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Staying with the 49ers, they lost one of their defensive linemen to another significant injury. Hassan Ridgeway sustained a pectoral strain and will miss six to eight weeks, Shanahan said. Ridgeway operated as the 49ers’ Arik Armstead replacement for much of this season, making seven starts for the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense. Armstead made a long-awaited return in Week 13, but the team is now without Ridgeway and Javon Kinlaw. San Francisco has a complicated IR situation, having used seven of its eight injury activations already. If the team wants to have Elijah Mitchell back, it cannot activate Kinlaw. This situation may end Ridgeway’s season, if the 49ers move him to IR. Of course, it might come down to which player is readiest come playoff time.
  • The Rams kept a locker reserved for Odell Beckham Jr., though as it becomes clear the free agent wideout is not returning to Los Angeles, they are no longer doing so. OBJ previously expressed dissatisfaction with the Rams’ offer, and The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue notes the team submitted an incentive-laden proposal. That said, Rodrigue adds the Rams were flexible regarding the back end of the deal. Beckham has wanted a multiyear commitment. It will be interesting to see how Beckham’s next team ends up compensating him, as he is 30 and has sustained two ACL tears within a 20-month span. Waiting until 2023 — when a thin free agency wideout class is expected to be available — may have been Beckham’s better play.
  • Matt Rhule‘s poaching of NFL assistants is not limited to the Panthers’ staff. The new Nebraska HC is bringing over Rams offensive assistant Jake Peetz, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com tweets. Peetz, who coached Panthers quarterbacks under Rhule in 2020, is expected to reprise that role with the Cornhuskers. Peetz, who also played at Nebraska during the mid-2000s, follows Panthers assistant D-line coach Terrance Knighton as active NFL staffers set to leave their current gigs for Lincoln.
  • The Packers claimed Justin Hollins off waivers from the Rams, but Field Yates of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) the Seahawks also submitted a claim for the young linebacker. Hollins has played in two Packers games as a reserve. Unlike recent Seahawks waiver claim Johnathan Abram, Hollins has seen extensive defensive action (35 plays) in Green Bay thus far.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/23/22

November 23rd, 2022 at 8:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Thanksgiving will mark McKinley’s Cowboys debut after he signed to Dallas’ practice squad last week. The veteran will seek to be more productive in his reunion with Dan Quinn than his previous stops following the end of his Falcons tenure, while providing depth to a Cowboys edge group which has produced a league-leading 42 sacks this season.

Hobbs returning to the fold in the near future will be a welcomed sight for the Raiders’ secondary. The 2021 fifth-rounder was a full-time starter through the first five weeks of the season before landing on IR with a broken hand. Vegas has struggled against the pass, allowing more than 247 yards per game through the air in 2022. The team has three weeks to activate him before he becomes ineligible to play again this season.

Rams Waive RB Darrell Henderson, OLB Justin Hollins

November 22nd, 2022 at 2:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another starter-caliber running back will join Melvin Gordon on the waiver wire. The Rams cut Darrell Henderson on Tuesday. They also waived outside linebacker Justin Hollins.

Henderson spent much of last season as Los Angeles’ starter, playing ahead of Sony Michel for an extended stretch to begin the team’s Super Bowl-winning slate. The former third-round pick is playing out the final season of his rookie contract. Just more than $412K remains on that deal.

With the Rams connected to cutting Cam Akers for weeks, this Henderson move surprises. But Akers remains with the team and has surpassed Henderson in carries (76-70). Henderson’s 283 yards, however, still lead the team. That is not a particularly notable distinction, with the Rams’ run game ranking 31st. The team had reduced Henderson’s workload in recent weeks. Despite starting each of the past two Rams games, Henderson logged just eight carries.

In 2021, Henderson totaled 688 rushing yards on 149 totes. He started 10 games for the Rams and rushed for at least 70 yards in four of those contests. A COVID-19 contraction and MCL sprain ended Henderson’s run as L.A.’s starter. The team pivoted to Michel following Henderson’s COVID bout, and the Memphis alum’s knee injury kept him out until Super Bowl LVI. Henderson was fairly productive for the Rams against the Bengals, catching three passes for 43 yards.

Henderson, 25, averaged 4.5 and 4.6 yards per carry, respectively, in 2020 and ’21. He is at 4.0 per rush this year. The former No. 70 overall pick, Henderson averaged a staggering 8.9 yards per tote as both a sophomore and junior at the AAC school. As a junior in 2018, Henderson rushed for 1,909 yards and totaled 25 touchdowns.

It would surprise if the former yards-per-carry college dynamo did not land with another team soon. The Broncos, following their Gordon separation, would seemingly be an interested party. If no one claims Henderson, he passes through to free agency. Regarding the Rams, they still have Akers and fifth-round rookie Kyren Williams, who recently came off IR after a multi-injury 2022. Akers and Williams are now the only two backs on the defending champions’ 53-man roster. Malcolm Brown and rookie UDFA Ronnie Rivers reside on L.A.’s practice squad.

A former Broncos draftee, Hollins has started five games this season. He has totaled just one sack. The Rams aggressively attempted to keep Von Miller in free agency and made a monster offer for Brian Burns at the deadline, attempting to give Leonard Floyd a proven edge-rushing partner. The team instead went into the season limited at the position. Hollins will wrap his L.A. stay with three sacks and four QB hits in 18 games with the team.

NFL COVID List Updates

December 18th, 2021 at 7:37pm CST by Zachary Links

We are trying our best here at Pro Football Rumors to keep up with all of the updates throughout the league concerning players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. A lot of teams had high hopes during today’s testing as they were trying to get players activated in time for Sunday’s slate of games.

Here are updates as of 8:30 PM ET, Sat 12/18:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Eddie Goldman
  • OC Bill Lazor, DC Sean Desai, STC Chris Tabor in COVID-19 protocols

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB P.J. Locke

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Four Coaches in COVID-19 protocols

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/21

September 28th, 2021 at 5:24pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

West Notes: Carr, Broncos, Rams, 49ers

December 18th, 2020 at 7:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Derek Carr left Thursday night’s AFC West matchup early because of what Jon Gruden called a “significant” groin injury. The veteran Raiders quarterback’s rest-of-season status can be considered in doubt. Carr is facing a 10- to 14-day return timetable, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes. This puts his availability for next week’s pivotal Dolphins game in question, though Rapoport adds Carr will push to return for what could be an elimination game against another fringe AFC contender. Carr has not missed a game due to injury since 2017. The former MVP vote-receiving passer has only missed two regular-season games in seven years. Marcus Mariota played well in relief of Carr on Thursday, and Carr’s status going into next weekend stands to give the Dolphins some extra work due to the differences in the Raiders QBs’ skill sets.

Here is the latest from the West divisions, moving first to another team’s quarterback situation.

  • Drew Lock has shown some potential as a long-term answer this season — including last week in Charlotte — but ranks 28th in QBR and has thrown 13 INTs in 10 games. The Broncos sat out this year’s veteran QB market, but Troy Renck of Denver7 notes the team is likely to bring in a veteran to compete with Lock (or potentially replace him) next year. A similar batch of vets — Andy Dalton, Cam Newton, Jameis Winston — on track to be available again would qualify as competition, and the Broncos were also high on Sam Darnold in 2018. A trade for Matthew Stafford, a scenario Renck mentions, would be to replace Lock. The Broncos have used four different Week 1 starting QBs since Peyton Manning‘s retirement, moving from Trevor Siemian to Case Keenum to Joe Flacco to Lock.
  • Sean McVay is not ruling out an Andrew Whitworth regular-season return, and it sounds like the Rams having their left tackle back for the playoffs is realistic. “Andrew is doing great,” McVay said. “He continues to amaze me. He’s somebody we could potentially really push to have him play whether it’s the (Week 17) Cardinals game or next week. If we’re fortunate enough to get an opportunity to play after the regular season, I think that’s the goal, but nothing’s guaranteed for us.” Whitworth suffered MCL and PCL tears Nov. 15 but was believed to be ahead of schedule on his recovery timetable.
  • A Rams positive COVID-19 test resulted in offensive lineman Bobby Evans and safety Nick Scott landing on the reserve/COVID list; they will miss Week 15, McVay said (via ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry, Twitter links). The Rams also held starting center Brian Allen and rotational pass rushers Justin Hollins and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo out of practice Friday, though McVay expects the latter trio to play Sunday.
  • The 49ers‘ Arizona arrangement will extend through season’s end. Santa Clara county extended COVID-19 restrictions that have prevented the 49ers from playing at Levi’s Stadium, but the Cardinals will permit their division rival to use the stadium for their Week 17 game against the Seahawks, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com notes. The 49ers will also be in Glendale next week but will do so as the road team against the Cardinals.

Rams Claim LB Justin Hollins, Add 15 To Practice Squad

September 6th, 2020 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams left their roster at 52 players after cutdown day, and the team filled the roster spot with a player familiar with their new defensive coordinator.

Los Angeles submitted a waiver claim for Justin Hollins, a linebacker whom Denver cut Saturday, and the 2019 draft pick will rejoin Brandon Staley. The Broncos used Hollins at both inside and outside linebacker spots last season; Staley coached Denver’s outside linebackers in 2019.

This will bring another ex-Staley pupil to L.A. The Rams already signed Leonard Floyd, whom Staley coach in Chicago, to be a starter. Hollins, a fifth-round pick out of Oregon, profiles as a depth piece.

The Rams also set their practice squad Sunday. All 15 players were in camp with the Rams this year, so for those hoping to go in fresh for the Hard Knocks finale next week, this is the spoiler warning.

Here is how the Rams’ practice squad looks:

Broncos Move Roster To 53

September 5th, 2020 at 2:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos parted ways with 24 players to trim their roster to the 53-man regular-season limit. Here are the players the team cut to get to 53.

Waived:

Released:

Placed on IR:

The Rypien cut will leave the Broncos with two active-roster QBs — Drew Lock and Jeff Driskel — while the Fumagalli and Fort decisions mean Jake Butt made Denver’s active roster. Viewed as a long shot to do so after the team made multiple tight end additions this offseason, Butt made it through camp healthy to start his contract year. The former Michigan standout has suffered three ACL tears in his career.

Denver drafting three wideouts made matters difficult for their lesser-known holdovers, but Winfree — a 2019 sixth-rounder — profiles as a practice squad candidate. The Broncos will carry rookie seventh-rounder Tyrie Cleveland onto their active roster.

Bausby has bounced around the league for several years now, and the former Division II standout joined Mike Purcell in vaulting from the Alliance of American Football to a Broncos role last year. But the team kept UDFA Essang Bassey over Bausby this year.

LB Notes: Broncos, Burfict, Jets, Judon

July 13th, 2019 at 4:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

As we wind down the final week of the 2019 offseason, let’s look at a few of the league’s linebacker situations. The Broncos are one of the two teams opening training camp next week, joining the Falcons, and they’ve had a quietly interesting year at this spot.

  • Denver passed on adding an inside linebacker to replace five-year starter Brandon Marshall, but the report of the team being ready to make a major investment at this spot was accurate. Not only did the Broncos plan to select Devin Bush at No. 10 overall, they wrote the Michigan linebacker’s name on a first-round card, Mike Klis of 9News notes. Broncos VP of player personnel Matt Russell told draft rep Derrick Thomas to write Bush’s name on their card but instructed him not to turn it in, Klis adds. They ended up trading the pick, which became Bush, to the Steelers for additional draft capital.
  • The Broncos plan to use Todd Davis and 2018 fourth-rounder Josey Jewell as their starting inside ‘backers, and while that may leave the team vulnerable in coverage, the coaching staff has hatched an idea to help combat that. Denver drafted Oregon edge rusher Justin Hollins in the fifth round, and instead of hoping he becomes strictly an off-the-bench pass rusher, the Broncos plan to deploy the four-year Duck as a base-set outside ‘backer and an inside player in nickel packages, Klis writes. Hollins ran a 4.50-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, leading the team to see if he can be a solution to its problems covering tight ends in recent years.
  • Marshall and Vontaze Burfict will add veteran presences to the Raiders’ long-understaffed linebacking corps, and DC Paul Guenther said (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Scott Bair) Burfict’s arrival will free him up to utilize more of his playbook than he did last season. Burfict’s issues will not lie with the former Bengals DC’s playbook but rather staying on the field, which has proved to be a persistent issue for the talented player in his six-year career.
  • Avery Williamson will slide to the Jets‘ weakside linebacker spot to accommodate C.J. Mosley, Brian Costello of the New York Post notes. The market-shattering free agent addition will become Gang Green’s defensive play-caller, though both are set to be three-down ‘backers in Gregg Williams‘ defense. In his previous Jets role, Williamson totaled a career-high 120 tackles and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 18 traditional linebacker last season.
  • The contract Ravens outside ‘backer Matt Judon will likely focus on most in terms of establishing his value is likely Za’Darius Smith‘s Packers deal, Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Judon’s 19 sacks in three seasons are more than Smith’s 18.5-sack total in four, the the latter parlayed his impressive contract year into a four-year, $66MM deal. It is not yet known if the Ravens and Judon have begun extension discussions, but both he and third-year inside linebacker starter Patrick Onwuasor are due for 2020 free agency.
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