Trent Williams

NFC East Notes: Owens, Redskins, Giants

July 19th, 2018 at 4:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens says he isn’t “actively seeking to get into the NFL” but would entertain the possibility, “as well as the CFL,” if an opportunity arises (via ESPN.com).

“I know that I do have the ability to play. I know everybody sees the shape that I’m in. There’s a lot of athletes that play their prospective sports, but there are few guys that defy the odds. I think I’m one of those guys,” Owens said Wednesday.

Owens’ CFL rights are owned by the Edmonton Eskimos and he recently triggered a clause that gives them until Tuesday to work out a deal. The 44-year-old, who is on the verge of being inducted into the Hall of Fame while he celebrates elsewhere, will become a CFL free agent if he does not receive an offer to his liking.

It’s fair to wonder whether Owens can compete in the CFL at his age, and the NFL appears to be a longshot since he is seven years removed from playing and has not drawn any recent interest. Still, when T.O. talks comeback, we can’t help but listen.

Here’s a look at the NFC East:

By failing to participate in 90% of the team’s OTAs, Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams‘ 2018 base salary has now officially de-escalated from $10MM to $9.85MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cornerback Josh Norman is in a similar boat. His salary has dipped from $13.5MM to $13.3MM.
Giants third-round supplemental draft cornerback Sam Beal‘s deal is worth $4,082MM over four years and includes a $1.048MM signing bonus, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Meanwhile, Redskins cornerback Adonis Alexander, taken in the sixth-round of the supplemental draft, is set to earn $2.616MM over the course of his four-year deal.

East Rumors: Williams, Jets, Bills, Patriots

June 16th, 2018 at 4:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trent Williams is on schedule to participate in Redskins training camp, as expected after a surgery that was slated to erase his offseason. While the official name for the operation the ninth-year left tackle underwent is a tibial tubercle osteotomy, Peter Hailey of NBC Sports Washington notes doctors performed a “slight” microfracture surgery as well. The TTO procedure repaired Williams’ damaged kneecap. However, microfracture surgery is among the most difficult to surmount for athletes and could be worth monitoring as the soon-to-be 30-year-old blocker returns to full-contact work. Nevertheless, Williams has been working toward a camp re-emergence and fully expects to be ready by the time Washington’s roster reconvenes late next month.

Here’s the latest from the east, moving to another recent surgically altered starter.

The Jets were without one of their starting safeties during minicamp. Marcus Maye underwent ankle surgery this offseason. He is targeting a training camp return, per Calvin Watkins of Newsday. Maye started alongside Jamal Adams throughout last season. Third-year UDFA Doug Middleton, who missed all of last season with a torn pectoral muscle, took the first-team reps in Maye’s place.
Lorenzo Alexander is not a lock to make the Bills‘ 53-man roster, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News notes. Two years removed from a 12.5-sack season, one that secured him a two-year contract, the 35-year-old linebacker is unlikely to be a starter in 2018, per Skurski. Alexander started 11 of Buffalo’s 16 games last season, doing so in a 4-3 defense after he thrived in the 2016 Bills’ 3-4 look. Skurski notes rookie Tremaine Edmunds and 2017 fifth-rounder Matt Milano are the frontrunners to be the Bills’ three-down ‘backers.
Despite playing only half of last season, one halted by a PED suspension and subsequent Jets release, Jeremy Kerley appears to be a lock to not only make the Bills but play a key role, Skurski writes. The veteran slot receiver is entrenched alongside Kelvin Benjamin and Zay Jones among Buffalo’s top three, in Skurski’s view. Kerley, 29, finished as the 49ers’ leading receiver in 2016 before signing a San Francisco extension. The 49ers then cut him before last season.
On the subject of wide receiver battles, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com expects ArDarius Stewart to be given another chance with the Jets (Twitter link) in camp. The third-round pick out of Alabama caught just six passes as a rookie, and the Jets signed Terrelle Pryor and now have Quincy Enunwa healthy. And 2017 fourth-rounder Chad Hansen has fared well this offseason. Nevertheless, Mike Maccagnan using that third-round choice on Stewart likely keeps him safe for at least another training camp, per Cimini.
One of the bigger free agency defections the Patriots have had to deal with in a while, Nate Solder‘s departure to the Giants leaves what looks like a two-man battle for his left tackle spot, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston notes. Trent Brown took the lion’s share of the first-team reps during offseason work, with first-rounder Isaiah Wynn lining up at left guard more. However, left guard starter Joe Thuney is currently absent. Once he returns, Perry points out Brown and Wynn are likely set to compete for one spot. The other would become a swing backup, with Marcus Cannon now back at right tackle.

NFC East Notes: Scandrick, Eagles, Williams

December 29th, 2017 at 6:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Orlando Scandrick doesn’t sound like he’s counting on another Cowboys contract in 2018. Dallas placed the veteran slot cornerback on IR Friday and dangled him on the trade block earlier this year. Younger talents Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown are signed to rookie deals for the rest of the decade, leaving the 30-year-old Scandrick as a player who may need another team to swoop in to allow him to continue his career.

“I’m prepared for whatever,” Scandrick said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’m still going to play football. I’m still a good football player when I’m healthy. We’ll see what happens. … I’m not at the point of my career where I’m willing to just be an inactive guy or a guy that’s not a part of what’s going on and can’t help the team win. I just want to play somewhere I can finish things out the right way.”

The 10th-year veteran will be entering free agency after fracturing multiple transverse processes and missing the final five Cowboys games. Scandrick also thanked the Cowboys for his 10 seasons of work. He will turn 31 in February.

Here’s the latest from the NFC East, shifting to another team’s cornerback situation.

The Eagles‘ placement of linebacker Joe Walker on IR could open up roster a spot for cornerback Sidney Jones, who remains on the PUP list. Philadelphia’s roster stands at 52 players, and the rookie has to be activated by next week in order to be on the playoff roster. Zach Berman of Philly.com expects the Eagles to activate the second-round pick (Twitter link). This would allow Jones additional practice time to prepare for a small role in the postseason rather than a full redshirt year. The University of Washington product has not played in a game since New Year’s Eve of last year, but Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets he’s recovered sufficiently from the Achilles’ tendon tear that damaged his draft stock. However, Caplan adds a conditioning issue stands in the way of Jones’ potential activation now.
Trent Williams‘ post-surgery clock started Friday. The Redskins tackle underwent the long-discussed knee operation, one performed by a patella specialist. He’s expected to be shelved for approximately six months, putting training camp well within reach for Washington’s stalwart edge blocker.
The Redskins are expected to let fourth-year starter Bashaud Breeland walk as a free agent come March.
Dave Gettleman discussed Eli Manning‘s status for 2018, and as of now, he’s slated to be the Giants’ starter.

Redskins Place Trent Williams On IR

December 22nd, 2017 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have formally placed tackle Trent Williams on injured reserve. Williams recently told reporters that he was due to undergo knee surgery, so he’ll now get a head start on the operation and recovery.

Last year, Williams gutted it out to play ten games on his injured knee. Finally, the injury has caught up with him. The 6-8 Redskins aren’t playing for much in these final two games, so it didn’t make sense for them to put him out on the field.

The Redskins face the Broncos on Sunday before wrapping up their season against the Giants. Against Denver, the Redskins will be shorthanded as running back LeShun Daniels and linebackers Zach Brown and Ryan Anderson have also been ruled out. Meanwhile, the status of running back Samaje Perine is up in the air after he suffered a groin injury in practice this week.

Trent Williams Likely Done For Season

December 20th, 2017 at 4:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Redskins tackle Trent Williams says he likely won’t play again this season, barring an emergency situation (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s John Keim).

Williams said earlier this season an offseason knee surgery will be required, and an approximate six-month rehab process will come with it. However, the eighth-year left tackle said there’s a chance he’ll undergo surgery on his knee next week before the team’s season finale. It’s not immediately clear whether the team will place Williams on IR, however.

Williams played through this injury and started 10 games this year. This surgery rehab going as planned would put him in line to be ready by training camp, witht eh former first-round pick presumably missing all other Washington offseason activities while he recovers.

The 29-year-old Williams is entrenched as the Redskins’ left tackle. He’s under contract through 2020, including a $13.95MM cap number for next year.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Redskins, Jones

December 4th, 2017 at 9:15pm CST by GregGoldstein

Now that the Giants front office and coaching staff is set to go through a number of changes after the firing of Jerry Reese and Ben McAdoo, there’s a ton of speculation of who could be the person put in charge to bring the franchise back to perennial success.

While many people think the hire will come outside the organization, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network thinks interim GM Kevin Abrams should not be overlooked as the Giants begin their search.

Garafolo notes that Abrams is a “cap guy by trade”, but has worked on his scouting ability in recent years and has “attended multiple NFL seminars” to prepare to lead a football operations department. A number of names are likely to be floated for the job given that the team will likely have a high pick and has a track record of winning, but Abrams seems like he might get a realistic shot at turning his interim tag into a full-time position.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

Apart from Abrams, Mike Sando of ESPN.com speculated a few candidates from outside the organization who could be contenders for the Giants general manager and head coaching gigs. Sando names front office guys like Nick Caserio from the Patriots, former Panthers GM Dave Gettleman and former Colts President Bill Polian. He also highlights many well known up-and-comers such as Eric DeCosta (Ravens), George Paton (Vikings), Eliot Wolf (Packers) and Terry McDonough (Cardinals) among many others. Sando added that former GM’s Scott Pioli (Falcons) and John Dorsey (free agent) could be intriguing hires as well. In terms of potential head coaching candidates, Sando names guys who were on the teams original list back before they hired McAdoo prior the 2016-17 season. This would include current coordinators like Teryl Austin (Lions) and Mike Smith (Buccaneers). An under-the-radar name to watch is Texans defensive coordinator, Mike Vrabel, who is best known for his time leading the Patriots defense to Super Bowl titles.
While the Redskins are out of the NFC playoff race after losing to the Cowboys last Thursday, that doesn’t mean that team will start resting their players, states John Keim of ESPN.com. He passes along that Head coach Jay Gruden said that he wouldn’t rest some of their injured starters just because the games don’t have postseason implications for the team. “They’re all trying to get back in the lineup,” Gruden said. “They’re going to play hard because they want to win and want to do well. That’s the reason they’re all here. We try to target guys that love football, are passionate about the game and are going to play hard no matter what. For the most part, we’ve got that here. So whether you are on one year left or five years left, doesn’t really matter.” Starters like left tackle Trent Williams, right tackle Morgan Moses and tight end Jordan Reed have all dealt with nagging injuries this season, but it appears that the Redskins won’t just solely be resting key players hoping that could lead to a better draft pick.
Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones has not played in a game this season as he’s continued to rehab the achilles that he had torn back in March. However, the rookie has yet to participate in practice, reports Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Jones has been eligible to start practicing since the beginning of Week 7, but has just a 21 day time period to be activated to the roster once he does begin to take part in practice. It’s important to note that Berman explains in a follow-up tweet, Jones could just use the last three weeks of the regular season to get extra reps and get a head start on his offseason training. The Eagles currently have corners Jalen Mills, Patrick Robinson, Ronald Darby and Rasul Douglas patrolling the defensive backfield.

East Rumors: Bowles, Manning, Williams

November 30th, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets have slunk to 4-7 after a promising start, but Todd Bowles‘ job appears to be safe going into Gang Green’s December slate. Sources throughout the organization are “raving” about the third-year coach’s ability to coax what he has from this young team, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports. Bowles’ Jets are one win away from last season’s total, and five of New York’s seven defeats have come by one score. Vacchiano notes a short-term offseason extension is possible, and while he expects Bowles to receive a fourth season with the Jets, that won’t be decided until the offseason.

Here’s the latest from the Eastern divisions in advance of Thursday night’s NFC East clash.

Despite the Giants‘ panned decision to bench Eli Manning, the franchise quarterback places a value on playing an entire career for one team, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. So, a Tony Romo-esque exit shouldn’t be ruled out. However, Manning reportedly wants to continue playing and sees “several” destinations that would suit him. Breer adds Manning won’t simply go to a quarterback-needy team just for the sake of continuing his career, though. Despite Manning having a sub-par age-36 season as the Giants slog through an injury-riddled campaign, multiple defensive coaches told Breer the 14th-year passer still has quality football left. “I think he has a lot left,” one of the coaches told Breer. “No offensive line, zero run game and he lost his four top receivers in the same game. So it’s hard to truly assess him.” Although it’s early to make these proclamations, Breer sets the Tom Coughlin-led Jaguars as the frontrunner to land Manning.
On the topic of Big Apple quarterbacks, the Jets could well look to bring back Josh McCown for more stopgap work, Vacchiano notes. The team is obviously going to be ready to enter the quarterback market, but McCown staying on as a backup may be a workable scenario for Gang Green. This would push Christian Hackenberg further toward the back burner. Bowles already announced McCown would remain the starter, barring injury.
One of the most notable long-running dramas in the league’s near-25-year history of free agency looks be set for a third go-round, with Kirk Cousins still not attached to a long-term deal. The Redskins will not be using the transition tag on their quarterback, but JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes the team should still use the non-exclusive franchise tag. This would cost Washington a staggering $34MM, but unlike the transition tag, it would force other teams to fork over two first-round picks for the right to sign Cousins, who will enter his age-30 season in 2018.
Trent Williams will be protecting Cousins against the Cowboys tonight, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Jay Gruden told NFL.com’s Jane Slater this is a pain-tolerance issue regarding Williams’ knee, one he’s admitted he will need surgery on. With the Redskins on the outer fringe of the NFC wild-card race, an in-season Williams surgery would make sense rather than extend the rehab time — one that could be around six months, per the eighth-year tackle — farther into 2018.

NFC Injury Notes: Sturgis, Elliott, Redskins, Vaccaro, Swaim

November 10th, 2017 at 6:04pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Eagles picked up kicker Jake Elliott from the Bengals’ practice squad to replace the incumbent Caleb Sturgis after he suffered a hip injury the first week of the season. The team hasn’t looked back since then and it looks like Philadelphia has no plans to change their special teams unit moving forward. While Sturgis is eligible to come off the disabled list this week, Eagles special teams coach Dave Flipp told reporters today that, “right now there’s no reason to make a change,” reports Zach Berman of The Inquirer. It’s understandable why the team would not feel the need to mess with the status quo. Elliott has made 17-20 of his field goal attempts this season, but is best known for his 61 yard bomb he hit to beat the Giants in Week 3.

The Redskins have a few big names that are questionable to play for the team’s game this Sunday. Defensive lineman Matt Ionanidis has already been ruled out for the team’s affair vs. the Vikings, but offensive stalwarts Trent Williams and Jordan Reed are listed as questionable to play too, according to Jonah Keim of ESPN.com. Washington has 11 players listed as 50-50 for Sunday with other offensive lineman Morgan Moses (ankles), Brandon Scherff (knee), Spencer Long (knee/quad) and Ty Nsekhe (core muscle). It’s unlikely that the majority of the Washington offensive line will miss the game, but the team’s depth is something to keep an eye as we get closer to kickoff.
The Saints will be without a key member of the defense vs. the Bills this Sunday. Saftety Kenny Vaccaro will miss the contest with a groin injury, but expressed optimism that the situation will be more of a short-term issue, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. The 26 year-old defensive back told the reporter, “Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine,” when referring to the timeline of the groin issue. Meanwhile, while New Orleans will certainly miss their starting safety, the team has a considerable amount of depth at the position with the likes of Vonn Bell, Rafael Bush and Chris Banjo all likely getting playing time in his absence.
Cowboys third-string tight end Geoff Swaim missed practice on Friday with a right knee injury and as is waiting on MRI results that should bring light to what his recovery may look like, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Archer opines that Swaim could miss Sunday’s game and may be in line for arthroscopic surgery, which would sideline him for a few weeks. Swaim just has two receptions on the season with Jason Witten and James Hanna getting most of the reps in two tight-end sets.

Extra Points: Vikings, Zeke, Williams, Lynch

October 29th, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sam Bradford does not have a return timetable after making a brief cameo in Chicago earlier this month. The Vikings quarterback is still experiencing knee pain, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). However, Minnesota may be set to finally have some quarterback depth again after its Week 9 bye. Teddy Bridgewater is expected to come off the PUP list after the bye, and Rapoport expects him to immediately compete with Case Keenum for the Vikes’ starting job. A mostly Keenum-led team this season, the Vikings lead the NFC North after their win over the Browns on Sunday. Bridgewater reclaiming his job might be a bit tricky considering where the team is in the standings and how long it’s been since the fourth-year passer was at the controls. But a Bridgewater return gives the Vikings options they don’t currently have with Bradford still on the mend.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

Ezekiel Elliott did not travel with the Cowboys back to Dallas on Sunday night, instead trekking to New York for his seminal court date, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (on Twitter). Elliott did not attend his previous hearing with New York’s Fifth Circuit Court in New Orleans earlier this month. The Cowboys star back rushed for more than 100 yards for a second straight week and has five touchdowns over the past two games but could see his suspension go into effect as early as next week if Monday goes poorly for his side.
Trent Williams is hoping the Redskins‘ bye week gives him time to heal his knee injury, but the Washington tackle isn’t certain that will do the trick, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Williams said earlier this month he’s hoping to put off surgery until after the season but revealed Sunday (via Keim) some doctors have told him that’s a six- to nine-month rehab process. Calling this a deep bone bruise, Williams added other medical personnel have said he can go the rest-and-recover route. So this bye week will be critical for the status of Washington’s injury-ravaged offensive line.
Speaking of left tackle injuries, Joe Staley suffered an orbital bone fracture Sunday. But the 11th-year 49ers edge blocker received a bit of good news, with Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reporting (via Twitter) no surgery will be required. Still, this could end any Staley trade speculation and keep him in San Francisco for another full season.
Paxton Lynch is no longer on the Broncos‘ injury report, and the second-year quarterback could be in uniform Monday night for the first time this season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. The Broncos have not received much help from their offense the past three games and have fallen to 3-3. The team obviously would be interested in getting its 2016 first-rounder on the field at some point, but Trevor Siemian won the job in the preseason. However, if the Broncos slink out of the playoff race as a result of a brutal upcoming schedule — the Chiefs, Eagles and Patriots represent Denver’s ensuing three games — Lynch could be summoned for a full-on audition.
Devon Still is considering retirement. The former Bengals rotational defensive lineman told TMZ he plans to decide in a couple of weeks if he will pursue a shot at another opportunity or not. The 28-year-old interior defender is currently a free agent, having last played with 2016 Texans. The Jets cut Still in August.
T.Y. Hilton is rumored to be on the trade block. Florio hears from multiple sources the NFL’s reigning receiving-yardage leader is available. Florio opines a future Hilton-type talent could come out of a mid-round draft pick, allowing the Colts — now run by a decision-maker in Chris Ballard who did not draft the sixth-year wide receiver — to offload Hilton’s $13MM-AAV contract and improve the roster with the savings.

Trent Williams Needs Knee Surgery

October 21st, 2017 at 9:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trent Williams did not miss a game despite suffering a knee injury against the Chiefs in Week 4, but the longtime Redskins left tackle appears to have done damage that will induce a surgery.

Washington’s cornerstone lineman will need to undergo knee surgery, one that will cause an extensive rehab process, but he hopes to undergo this procedure in the offseason and play through the pain in the meantime, Liz Clarke of the Washington Post reports.

“The ligament that holds my kneecap in the socket needs to be reconstructed at some point,” Williams said. “It’s like a five-, six-month surgery, I think, in recovery time. I’m just trying to hold off on that as long as possible. Hopefully get through the season and revisit it in the offseason.”

Williams has not practiced since injuring his right knee in Kansas City, but he played at far less than 100 percent in the Redskins’ win over the 49ers. He told Clarke playing through this injury has been worse than battling through previous ankle, shoulder and knee maladies. The five-time Pro Bowler hasn’t missed more than two games in a season due to injury in his career.

“It didn’t help. That’s the reality. It didn’t help,” Williams said of playing through pain against the 49ers. “But that was expected. You’re not gonna go play three hours on a bum knee and expect to be better the next day.”

This pain-tolerance issue could come to a head at some point and induce a Williams absence, but for now, he is listed as questionable to suit up Monday night against the Eagles. Swing tackle Ty Nsekhe remains out after undergoing core muscle surgery. T.J. Clemmings would be the next man up if Williams couldn’t go.

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