HEADLINES

Quincy Williams

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Onwenu

October 26th, 2023 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, the Dolphins made a splashy trade on deadline day. They sent the Broncos first- and fourth-round picks, along with Chase Edmonds for salary-matching purposes, for Bradley Chubb and subsequently signed the edge rusher to an extension. Although the Dolphins have shown more firepower this year and reside atop the AFC East at 5-2, they may not be too interested in a major exchange before Tuesday’s deadline. Mike McDaniel said (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson) he is “very, very comfortable” with the team’s roster and that GM Chris Grier has not come to him with any trade offers.

The Dolphins, who have endured two double-digit losses, rank first offensively but have seen injuries stack up on their offensive line. Terron Armstead and Connor Williams have missed multiple games, and left guard Isaiah Wynn suffered what looks like a season-ending injury. Vic Fangio‘s defense also ranks 27th in points allowed, though Jalen Ramsey‘s return will be a significant in-season acquisition of sorts for that unit. While Miami also was connected to just about every potentially available running back this offseason, its De’Von Achane pick has been a hit, despite the third-rounder residing on short-term IR.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The Jets re-signed Quincy Williams to a three-year, $18MM deal days before free agency, and the former Jaguars third-rounder has received rave reviews from the coaching staff this season. Pro Football Focus also ranks Williams as a top-10 off-ball linebacker. Williams, however, said he disagreed with the comps the team made when assessing his value this offseason. “I’m going to be honest with you; the contract situation threw me off, for real, for real,” Williams said, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. “Listening to the players they thought were better than me, that kind of put a chip on my shoulder.” While that makes it rather interesting Williams did not test the market to gauge how other teams viewed him, his $6MM-per-year contract ended up similar to most of the veteran ILBs who hit free agency this year.
  • Robert Saleh said Duane Brown will not be designated for return this week. While Brown is eligible to practice this week, the New York Post’s Brian Costello notes he will not do so until at least Week 9. The 38-year-old tackle has been on IR with a hip injury since Sept. 23. The Jets moved Mekhi Becton to left tackle, but with RT replacement Alijah Vera-Tucker out for the season, it will be interesting to see if Becton is kicked back to the right side to create a spot for Brown.
  • Regarding the Jets’ Mecole Hardman trade, Saleh said (via Cimini) rookie UDFA Xavier Gipson made the free agent signing expendable. Gipson, who has operated as the Jets’ kick and punt returner this season, has only played 39 offensive snaps. Hardman only logged 28 during a disappointing Jets tenure, but it should be expected Gipson will see a bit more time at receiver going forward. Hardman played in the Chiefs’ Week 7 game, notching an impactful punt return and playing 11 offensive snaps back with his original NFL team.
  • Riley Reiff is now on IR for a second time this season, and trade acquisition Vederian Lowe struggled to replace him at right tackle. The Patriots moved guard Michael Onwenu back to right tackle in Week 7, with Bill Belichick approaching the contract-year player about the switch last week, per MassLive.com’s Chris Mason. Onwenu has spent time at right tackle during his Pats career but had settled in at guard. With the former sixth-round pick in a contract year, a right tackle switch could certainly affect his 2024 market.
  • Malik Cunningham once again passed through waivers and onto the Patriots’ practice squad, but the team was not as lucky with DB Ameer Speed. New England waived Speed last week, but ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss notes the team wanted him back on the P-squad. The Colts nixed that plan with a claim. A sixth-round pick this year, Speed played in five Pats games before his Foxborough exit.

Jets, LB Quincy Williams Agree To Deal

March 12th, 2023 at 4:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets have taken care of some internal business days before free agency officially opens. New York has agreed to terms on a three-year, $18MM deal with linebacker Quincy Williams (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network).

Pelissero adds that the deal has a maximum value of $21MM. SNY’s Connor Hughes tweets that the pact also includes $9MM guaranteed at signing. It allows the Jets to retain the 26-year-old without him being able to test the open market. Williams’ rookie contract was set to expire on Wednesday, but his stay in New York will now continue after his arrival with the team two years ago.

Williams was drafted by the Jaguars in 2019, but his tenure in Duval County was short lived. The former third-rounder logged a starter’s workload as a rookie, but saw his defensive playing time drop considerably in his second season. He was waived on roster cutdown day in 2021, and claimed by the Jets in a move which reunited him with his brother, 2019 third overall pick Quinnen Williams.

That also helped the Jets shore up the middle of their defense, and give them a productive linebacker to pair with C.J. Mosley. Williams has logged 1,672 snaps in New York, a major step up in usage compared to his Jaguars tenure. His has responded by notching 100-plus tackles in each of his Jets seasons, adding a total five sacks during that span. As such, a new deal keeping him in the fold was a priority for the team, and this pact accomplishes one of several goals they have this offseason.

Another of those – aside from a franchise-altering quarterback acquisition, of course – is a new deal for the younger Williams brother. Quinnen is due for a substantial pay raise given his production, and the effect on the DT market likely to be seen from today’s massive deal given by the Commanders to Daron Payne. The Jets are optimistic that an extension with Williams could be in the cards soon, which would secure the financial future of another major member of their defense. Regardless of what happens on that front, the elder Williams will be able to continue his stay with his second NFL team for the intermediate future.

Injury Notes: Mac, Williams, Julio, CMC

September 28th, 2022 at 9:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has decided to seek a second opinion on his high ankle sprain, according to Mike Giardi of NFL Network. After sustaining the injury on the final offensive play of the team’s loss to the Ravens this week, Jones underwent an MRI to determine the severity of the sprain. It is expected, with the resulting diagnosis, that Jones will have to miss some time.

Jones will go to Dr. Martin O’Malley of the New York Hospital for Special Surgery. O’Malley is the team orthopedist for the Brooklyn Nets, the Team Physician for USA Basketball and Iona University Athletics, and the foot and ankle consultant for the Giants and the New York City Ballet. He notably worked recently on cornerback J.C. Jackson‘s ankle surgery, as well as basketball star Kevin Durant’s Achilles surgery in 2019.

Here’s a few more injury rumors from around the league, starting with an update on one of the Jets’ top defenders:

  • Jets linebacker Quincy Williams has also been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Williams’ high ankle sprain appears to be a bit less severe than Jones’, as head coach Robert Saleh reported that Williams is currently week-to-week.
  • Buccaneers wide receiver Julio Jones was reportedly a game-time decision to play this past weekend, but ended up spending the game on the sideline. It appears that Jones could have contributed, but Tampa Bay decided to hold him out, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic. Head coach Todd Bowles broke the news, saying, “I just know he could have played (but) we held him out. We want to make sure he’s healthy and he’ll probably be back out there next week.”
  • Fantasy football managers of Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey have resumed sweating. The star weapon for Carolina missed practice today with a thigh injury. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the injury has caused a bit of concern for the Panthers, more so than the “previous nicks” that have been reported throughout the season. He’s been able to play through every injury so far this year, but Jones makes it seem like his Week 4 status could be in jeopardy. McCaffrey hasn’t played in all of Carolina’s regular season games since 2019, appearing in 13 games total during the three seasons since. Rumors of an injury being “concerning” is the last thing the Panthers want to hear about McCaffrey. Chuba Hubbard is likely to fill McCaffrey’s role for any potentially missed time, while D’Onta Foreman would serve as the primary backup.

Jets Notes: Fatukasi, Williamses, Draft

March 8th, 2022 at 6:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Run-stuffing defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi moved into a full-time starting role last season and is now expected to generate considerable interest as a free agent. The four-year veteran started 15 games, after combining for eight starts in his first three seasons, and the Jets are prepared for the former sixth-round pick to move out of their price range when free agency opens next week, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Although the Jets have deployed below-average defenses during Fatukasi’s two seasons as a full- or part-time starter, the UConn product has played well. Having turned 27 last week, Fatukasi should have prime years remaining. The Jets have Quinnen Williams under contract through 2023 and must make a decision on Sheldon Rankins, who will see $1.25MM of his $4.5MM base salary become guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2022 league year (March 20).

Here is the latest out of New York:

  • Fewer than 20 teams in the common draft era (1967-present) have made two top-10 picks in a draft. The Jets have the opportunity, holding the Nos. 4 and 10 selections this year. They might face a major decision at No. 4. The Jets are high on Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, but no team has chosen a safety in the top four since the Browns took Eric Turner fourth overall in 1991. Positional value would likely lean Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh to take Kayvon Thibodeaux over Hamilton at 4, in the event Aidan Hutchinson and tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal are off the board, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. Thibodeaux’s stock has taken somewhat of a hit, but the Oregon edge rusher still figures to be an early pick.
  • The Jets are picking up Quinnen Williams‘ fifth-year option, keeping the 2019 No. 3 overall pick under contract through 2023. A 2022 extension for the D-tackle starter does not sound especially likely, with Cimini noting the Jets are not in a hurry to hammer out a long-term deal. This is unsurprising, considering teams rarely extend first-round non-quarterbacks with two years of control remaining on their rookie contracts.
  • Quinnen’s older brother, Quincy Williams, will play for more money in 2022. Under the NFL’s player-performance escalator provision, the young linebacker will see his 2022 salary spike from $965K to $2.54MM, Cimini tweets. Acquired from the Jaguars last year, Quincy Williams earned sufficient playing time to qualify for the bump. The Murray State product started 13 games alongside his brother and enjoyed by far his most productive season yet, recording 110 tackles and two sacks in his first Jets season. His rookie deal runs through 2022.

Jets Cut Bless Austin

September 1st, 2021 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have released cornerback Blessuan Austin (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). Meanwhile, they’ve claimed linebacker Quincy Williams off waivers from the Jaguars, putting him in the same locker room as his brother, Quinnen Williams.

The Jets shopped Austin in recent days but, apparently, they couldn’t find a taker. Austin appeared in eleven games with ten starts last year, registering 63 stops, four passes defensed, one forced fumble, and three tackles for loss along the way. The Rutgers product is still only 25 years of age, but the Jets are moving to even younger options — rookies Brandin Echols, Isaiah Dunn, Jason Pinnock, and Michael Carter III remain on the CB depth chart along with Bryce Hall and Javelin Guidry.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the Jets dropped quarterbacks Josh Johnson and James Morgan. That leaves Mike White as the team’s QB2 behind rookie Zach Wilson.

Jaguars Move Down To 53-Man Roster

August 31st, 2021 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars are the latest team to squeeze their roster down to 53 players Tuesday. Here are the players the Urban Meyer-led regime cut to get there:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/NFI list:

Some big names at wideout appear on this list, and the Jags also released former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett earlier Tuesday. Cooper is a former All-Pro kick returner who has held regular return gigs since that 2017 breakout. The fifth-year role player was the Cardinals’ primary return man in 2019 and filled the same role with the Panthers last season. Like Dorsett, Treadwell arrived as a first-round pick. But the former Vikings draftee has not been able to find steady footing in the league.

Jacksonville drafted Williams in the 2019 third round — two rounds after younger brother Quinnen went to the Jets — but the young linebacker did not start a game in 2020. Luton did, but the Oregon State product did not profile as a steady backup option. The Jags are going with Meyer-era investments Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard at QB. The Wilson move comes after the veteran safety operated as a Jags back-line starter for the past two seasons.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/20

October 10th, 2020 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is the latest barrage of Saturday minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Badara Traore

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Greg Mabin

Washington Football Team

Jaguars Promote Mike Glennon

September 8th, 2020 at 11:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars have promoted Mike Glennon from the practice squad to the active roster, per a club announcement. Glennon, who will serve as the team’s third quarterback behind Gardner Minshew and rookie Jake Luton, will take the place of linebacker Quincy Williams, who has been placed on IR. 

Luton, a sixth-round pick, pulled off a training camp upset over Glennon and Joshua Dobbs. Still, the Jaguars didn’t want to let the 30-year-old get away. After dropping Glennon from the roster, they quickly scooped him up and stashed him on the practice squad. It’s pretty unusual to see a player with Glennon’s experience on the p-squad, but this is an unusual year, to say the least. The Eagles just made a similar move to backstop their QBs by signing 41-year-old Josh McCown to their practice squad for extra insurance under center.

Glennon has attempted just 31 passes over the last two years combined. For his career, he’s logged 22 starts, 36 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions.

In related moves, the Jags released cornerback Tramaine Brock from IR while adding defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale and former Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones to the taxi squad.

Jaguars Claim LB Preston Brown

December 11th, 2019 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rookie linebacker Quincy Williams will join Myles Jack on the Jaguars’ IR list. The team also claimed veteran linebacker Preston Brown off waivers from the Raiders. This will be Brown’s third team this season.

Both the Bengals and Raiders cut Brown in-season. The former Bills starter played just one game with Oakland but will now head to Florida to help out a reeling Jags linebacking corps. The Raiders cut Brown amid a Tuesday purge that included D.J. Swearinger and Terrell McClain. Brown has made 53 tackles this season, 52 of which coming with Cincinnati.

Jacksonville, which saw Telvin Smith step away from the game in the offseason, has lost Jack and Williams to season-ending injuries. The Jags also placed Najee Goode and Jake Ryan on IR, the latter returning to the team’s injured list after being activated from the PUP list last month.

A surprising third-round pick out of Murray State, Williams started eight games but battled a knee injury and was benched twice. He finished his rookie season with 47 tackles.

AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Colts, Luck, Allen

August 1st, 2019 at 9:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Jaguars rookie linebacker Quincy Williams is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after suffering a slight tear in his meniscus, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Williams, a third-round pick in the 2019 draft, will need to undergo surgery, but given his recovery timeline, he shouldn’t be expected to miss more than a few regular season games. Per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, Williams was the “leading candidate” to take over for the retired Telvin Smith as Jacksonville’s weakside linebacker. Williams, the older brother of third overall pick Quinnen Williams, will now likely be replaced by either D.J. Alexander or Ramik Wilson.

Here’s more from the AFC South:

  • Andrew Luck‘s calf strain is still affecting his ability to practice. The Colts quarterback didn’t participate in practice sessions at all this week and will be re-evaluated on Saturday, per Mike Chappell of CBS 4 Indy, who notes Luck has appeared hesitant while throwing. “Just opening up a little bit,’’ Luck said. “It’s like, ‘I feel like something is going to yank, something is going to pull trying to change direction aggressively.’ That is something that you need to do to play football, you know? And I am not there yet.’’ Luck doesn’t believe his calf injury could lead to an Achilles issue.
  • Only one NFL rookie received a contract with no offset language in 2019: Jaguars first-round edge rusher Josh Allen, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Without offset language, Jacksonville won’t receive a cap credit if Allen is cut midway through his rookie contract and signs elsewhere. If such language were included, the Jaguars would be off the hook for whatever salary Allen was able to earn on the open market.
  • In case you missed it, the Texans gave veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph a raise.
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