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Titans OL Nicholas Petit-Frere Likely Done For Season

November 6th, 2023 at 9:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Nicholas Petit-Frere‘s tough 2023 season has likely come to an end. According to Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky, the Titans lineman suffered a shoulder injury last Thursday that will likely require season-ending surgery.

Petit-Frere was suspended for the first six games of the season after violating the NFL’s gambling policy. He wasn’t immediately inserted into the starting lineup upon his return, with Chris Hubbard rolling as the starter at right tackle. However, Petit-Frere replaced Andre Dillard at left tackle during Week 6, and he proceeded to start the next two games at the position for Tennessee.

With the second-year lineman set to go under the knife, his 2023 campaign will end with only three appearances. This is a tough break following a promising rookie season from the Ohio State product. The third-round pick ended up starting all 16 of his appearances in 2022.

Pro Football Focus hasn’t been all that fond of his performance through two seasons in the NFL. The site graded him as a below-average OT in 2022, crediting him with five sacks allowed, 35 pressures allowed, and eight penalties. The site was even less bullish on the lineman for his limited 2023 snaps, although they did give him some praise for his run-blocking ability.

With Petit-Frere now sidelined, the Titans could turn back to Dillard at LT. Kuharsky notes that the team could instead consider rolling with Dillon Radunz or rookie sixth-round pick Jaelyn Duncan, although one of those options may need to fill in for Hubbard, who’s currently dealing with a concussion.

WR Martavis Bryant To Visit Cowboys; Titans Arrange Meeting

November 6th, 2023 at 5:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

5:35pm: Bryant’s free agency tour could continue in Tennessee. The veteran wideout plans to work out with the Titans if he doesn’t sign a deal with the Cowboys tomorrow, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.

9:40am: When news of Martavis Bryant‘s reinstatement came, it was reported he was drawing interest. That has resulted in the first known workout for the veteran wideout in his bid to return to the NFL.

Bryant will visit the Cowboys on Tuesday, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. That will give him the opportunity to earn what would no doubt be a practice squad deal with Dallas if things go according to plan, as teams routinely take the taxi squad route to slowly bring along veteran additions. The Cowboys currently have one open spot on their practice squad.

The 31-year-old was officially reinstated on Saturday, paving the way for a deal with any interested team. Bryant last played in 2018 during his brief Raiders tenure, and he bounced around other levels of professional football since that time. It would come as a surprise if the former Steelers fourth-rounder made his way onto an active roster (or at least earned notable playing time) down the stretch this season, but an impressive showing in front of the Cowboys could accelerate his return to gameday lineups.

Dallas is set atop the WR depth chart with CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup. Lamb has lived up to expectations this year with four games over 117 receiving yards (including each of the past three contests) but the latter two have been much less consistent in complementary roles. The Cowboys also have the likes of Jalen Tolbert and returner KaVontae Turpin as options at the receiver spot.

If Bryant’s workout goes well, he could soon find himself inking a deal with the Cowboys to give the team depth in their pass-catching corps. A strong showing could, however, increase interest from other teams, including those which may offer a clearer path to an active roster spot. It will be interesting to see how tomorrow’s visit plays out.

Giants Sign Randy Bullock, Place Graham Gano On IR; Cade York Added From Titans’ Practice Squad

November 3rd, 2023 at 10:30am CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 3: In addition to Bullock, the Giants have signed Cade York, head coach Brian Daboll announced on Friday. As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan notes, the pair will have a brief competition to determine the team’s kicker in Week 9. York was drafted in the fourth round last year by the Browns, but his struggles in training camp and the preseason this summer led to Cleveland waiving him. The 22-year-old quickly joined the Titans’ practice squad, but this move to New York’s active roster will give him the opportunity to win a full-time gig in Gano’s absence.

NOVEMBER 2: Graham Gano has given the Giants some kicker stability during the 2020s, but the team will need to pivot to another option soon. Gano’s knee injury will sideline him for a while.

The recently extended kicker is set to undergo knee surgery and will land on IR, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds the team will replace Gano with Randy Bullock. The veteran kicker joined Mason Crosby, Robbie Gould and Matthew Wright in working out for the Giants on Thursday, per ex-Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes.

Bullock, whom ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes will initially join the Giants’ practice squad, has not kicked in a game this season. Amid a February salary purge, the Titans released Bullock. But he will bring 10 years’ experience to the Giants. Bullock, 33, kicked for the Titans for the past two seasons. While Bullock has bounced around the league, the Thursday signing will mark a reunion. During his 2010s travels, Bullock stopped through New York in 2016, kicking in one game with the Giants.

Gano signed a three-year, $16.5MM Giants extension in September; the 36-year-old specialist has been the Giants’ kicker since 2020. Gano acknowledged recently he will need surgery at some point. Rather than playing through this issue any longer, Gano will go under the knife soon.

The veteran kicker is coming off a two-miss performance in an ugly Giants loss to the Giants; the second of those misses came from 35 yards out. Gano, who also missed a 47-yarder in Week 8, could have effectively sealed a Giants win by making the shorter try late in the fourth quarter. The Jets instead rallied back to tie the game and force overtime, winning in the extra period. The former Washington and Carolina kicker had hoped to finish out the season and then undergo surgery, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, but the Jets outing appears to have changed plans.

On the season, Gano is just 11-for-17. The Giants guaranteed the 15th-year veteran $11.34MM at signing, providing an opportunity for the incumbent to reclaim his job once recovered. For now, Bullock will receive another chance. The former Texans fifth-round pick has kicked for six teams, also suiting up for the Bengals, Steelers and Jets during his run. The Giants stopover, which came in Week 1 of the 2016 season when Josh Brown served a one-game suspension, occurred as Bullock bounced around during the 2016 and ’17 seasons. Beyond those two slates, he served as a steady option in Houston, Cincinnati and Tennessee.

Bullock finished his two Titans seasons with 84% and 85% field goal accuracy rates. He is not necessarily known for prolific long-range success, having not made more than three 50-plus-yard field goals in a season since 2014. But the Giants preferred Bullock to Wright and the more experienced options they brought in Thursday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/2/23

November 2nd, 2023 at 7:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed to active roster: OT Leroy Watson

Detroit Lions

  • Signed to active roster: LB Trevor Nowaske
  • Waived: RB Devine Ozigbo

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Tennessee Titans

With the trade deadline behind us, all veterans are now subject to waivers, meaning some of the players cut today could land on new teams without even hitting free agency. David Long is probably the most intriguing of the bunch, with the cornerback having started 11 of his 60 appearances through five seasons in the NFL. The 25-year-old started one of his eight appearances for the Raiders this season, compiling 12 tackles.

Kevon Seymour is another potential target for those who need some help in the secondary or on special teams. After bouncing around the NFL to begin his career, Seymour found a home in Baltimore in recent years, seeing time in 30 games (two starts) across two-plus seasons with the organization. The former sixth-round pick has mostly played special teams over the past year-plus, collecting six total tackles.

2023 NFL Trades

October 31st, 2023 at 10:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2023 NFL trading period is now over. Dozens of trades — some in the roster-reshaping mold, others executed for depth purposes — ended up coming to pass. Since the NFL moved its trade deadline from Week 6 to Week 8 in 2012, trades have gradually become a more important part of the league’s roster builds.

An argument can be made the NFL should move its deadline deeper into the season, as the MLB, NBA and NHL deadlines come after the midpoint. The NFL moving to a 17-game/18-week slate in 2021, after 43 years at 16 games, also factors into this line of thinking. For now, the league will still force its buyers and sellers to assess their teams fully by Week 8.

To gauge the value of the moves teams have made, here are the trades completed across the league in 2023. (Note: only trades involving veteran players, as opposed to draft-weekend deals only involving picks, are listed here.)

January 31

The Saints chose defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at No. 29 overall

March 9

March 10

  • Bears send Panthers No. 1 overall pick in exchange for No. 9, No. 61, a 2024 first-rounder and 2025 second

The Panthers chose Bryce Young first overall; the Bears traded down from No. 9 to No. 19, drafting tackle Darnell Wright. Trading up from No. 61 to No. 56, Chicago chose cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

March 12

The Rams selected outside linebacker Byron Young at No. 77 overall

March 13

New England selected defensive back Isaiah Bolden at No. 245

March 14

Houston used the No. 230 pick in a package to trade up for center Juice Scruggs in Round 2; Tampa Bay packaged No. 179 to move up for guard Cody Mauch in Round 2

At No. 100, the Raiders drafted wide receiver Tre Tucker

The Colts selected running back Evan Hull at No. 176

March 20

The Texans used No. 161 to trade up for wide receiver Tank Dell

March 22

The Jets included No. 42 in the picks package sent to the Packers for Aaron Rodgers; the Browns chose wide receiver Cedric Tillman at No. 74

March 25

April 11

The Lions packaged No. 159 to move up for defensive back Brian Branch in Round 2

April 18

The Rams agreed to pay $5MM of Robinson’s 2023 salary. At No. 234, the Rams chose cornerback Jason Taylor II; at 251, the Steelers selected offensive lineman Spencer Anderson.

April 24

  • Packers send QB Aaron Rodgers, Nos. 15, 170 to Jets for Nos. 13, 42, 207, conditional 2024 second-round pick

Rodgers needed to play 65% of the Jets’ 2023 offensive snaps for the 2024 pick to become a first-rounder; his Week 1 Achilles tear will prevent that from happening. At No. 13, the Packers chose pass rusher Lukas Van Ness; at 15, the Jets took defensive end Will McDonald. At Nos. 42 and 207, Green Bay respectively chose tight end Luke Musgrave and kicker Anders Carlson. The Jets moved down from No. 170, picking up an additional seventh-round pick. 

April 29

At No. 219, the Lions chose wide receiver Antoine Green; at 249, the Eagles selected defensive tackle Moro Ojomo

The Saints chose wide receiver A.T. Perry at No. 195; the Broncos selected center Alex Forsyth at 257

May 12

May 25

July 19

  • Jets move WR Denzel Mims, 2025 seventh-round pick to Lions for conditional 2025 sixth-rounder

Mims needed to make the Lions’ 53-man roster for the pick to convey. With the Lions cutting Mims with an injury settlement in August, the Jets will not end up receiving a pick in this trade.

August 24

August 25

August 27

August 28

August 29

September 20

Akers must tally more than 500 yards from scrimmage to meet the conditional requirement

October 4

October 6

The Broncos agreed to pay all but the prorated veteran minimum of Gregory’s 2023 base salary

October 10

October 18

October 23

October 30

Giants agreed to pay all but the prorated veteran minimum on Williams’ remaining $10MM in base salary

Street must play in at least six games as a Falcon to meet the conditional requirement

October 31

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/31/23

October 31st, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad transactions in the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Titans Listening To Offers On Contract-Year Players; Ravens Still In On Derrick Henry?

October 30th, 2023 at 10:23pm CST by Ben Levine

The Titans’ chances of trading Derrick Henry took a major hit today. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, the deadline passed for the running back to restructure his contract ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline. As a result, any suitor would have to take on the remaining $5.5MM on Henry’s deal, leading one source to tell Schefter that they don’t “think a trade’s going to happen.”

[RELATED: Latest On Titans, Derrick Henry]

While Tennessee’s inability to reduce Henry’s cap hit will surely impact their ability to trade the star running back, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com writes that teams remain in the hunt, including a pair of previously-reported suitors. Per Pauline, the Ravens are still the “leaders in the clubhouse,” while the Cowboys linger as a “dark horse.”

While both Baltimore and Dallas would be happy to add Henry to their running back corps, compensation remains a main sticking point, according to Pauline. The reporter believes the Titans couldn’t do better than a fourth-round pick, and Pauline opines that Tennessee’s ownership would never approve such a deal. So, if there’s any hope that Henry gets traded before tomorrow’s deadline, it’s going to require one of the Titans or a potential suitor to blink.

While much of the attention in Tennessee has been focused on Henry, there are a handful of additional trade candidates on the Titans roster. Albert Breer of SI.com says defensive linemen Teair Tart and Denico Autry are “the more likely candidates to be moved” before tomorrow’s deadline, with the reporter also noting the smoke surrounding DeAndre Hopkins.

Tart has spent his entire four-year career in Tennessee, going from UDFA to full-time starter. After starting all 16 of his appearances in 2022 , he’s started four of his five games this year, collecting 11 tackles, three tackles for loss, and three QB hits. Autry signed a three-year, $21.5MM deal with the Titans in 2021 and has started 25 of his 36 appearances for the organization, including six starts this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/23

October 30th, 2023 at 5:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

  • Signed to active roster: RB Devine Ozigbo
  • Promoted: OL Michael Niese

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

After getting cut by the Steelers earlier this month, Gunner Olszewski quickly caught on with New York’s practice squad. They Giants signed the receiver/returner to the active roster ahead of yesterday’s game against the Jets, and their decision to release him today was merely procedural. As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero points out, all vested vets who are released following tomorrow’s trade deadline are subject to waivers. The Giants are apparently getting ahead of that deadline with this roster machination. Per Pelissero, Olszewski is expected to re-sign with the Giants and will play in Week 9.

Latest On Titans, Derrick Henry

October 28th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Derrick Henry is one of many high-profile names which has been included in trade talk ahead of the upcoming deadline. For the time being, though, it appears likely the Titans’ All-Pro back will remain in place.

While the Titans are still open to the notion of moving the two-time rushing champion, they have informed Henry of their intention to retain him, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Henry has been floated as a trade candidate given his status as a pending free agent and the Titans’ status as expected sellers in the coming days (as forecasted by the Kevin Byard trade).

Dianna Russini of The Athletic confirms (subscription required) that Tennessee – now led by general manager Ran Carthon – would only give serious consideration to a Henry trade in the event of an “exceptional offer” being made. Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com stop short of saying that it will take an “exceptional offer” to land Henry, though they do confirm that an interested team will need to pony up more than the mid-round pick it would normally cost to acquire a star player on an expiring, above-minimum contract at the deadline. While teams have called about the Titans’ trade chips (a group which includes, but is not limited to, the three-time Pro Bowler), both the ESPN and Athletic reports state the Cowboys have not made an offer for him.

Dallas – along with Baltimore – was named as an interested party for Henry earlier this week. The former Offensive Player of the Year would give both the Cowboys and Ravens a considerable boost in the ground game, but a deal involving either team (or, in all likelihood, any other one) would depend on the Titans’ willingness to eat some of Henry’s remaining salary. The final year of his pact carries a $10.5MM salary, but his new club would be responsible for roughly half that amount if a trade were to be worked out.

Today’s updates come after a report emerged at the beginning of the week stating the Titans were not willing to consider 2023 a write-off and actively look to move players like Henry and wideout DeAndre Hopkins (in part due to the lack of healthy market for either veteran). Indeed, Russini notes that both Henry and Hopkins are on track to remain in Nashville through the October 31 deadline.

The former has an underwhelming 4.3 yards per carry average in 2023, though the Titans’ O-line and the rest of its offense has underperformed to date. Nearing his 30th birthday, however, Henry is in serious danger of seeing his free agent value take a signficant step back given the nature of the RB market as a whole. A move to a contending team could boost his prospects in free agency, but it would come as a surprise at this point if one were to materialize.

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

October 28th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The countdown to this year’s October 31 trade deadline continues, and a number of deals have already been made. More will follow in the coming days, though, as contending teams look to bolster their rosters for the stretch run and sellers seek to offload expiring contracts and gain future draft assets. Much will be driven, of course, by each squad’s financial situation.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here’s a breakdown of every team’s cap space in advance of the deadline:

  1. San Francisco 49ers: $39.89MM
  2. Cleveland Browns: $33.99MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $11.1MM
  4. Cincinnati Bengals: $10.78MM
  5. Tennessee Titans: $10.55MM
  6. Las Vegas Raiders: $9.16MM
  7. Chicago Bears: $9.06MM
  8. Los Angeles Chargers: $9.05MM
  9. Indianapolis Colts: $8.78MM
  10. Minnesota Vikings: $7.96MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $7.55MM
  12. New York Jets: $7.17MM
  13. Seattle Seahawks: $7.16MM
  14. Carolina Panthers: $7.07MM
  15. Dallas Cowboys: $7.03MM
  16. Baltimore Ravens: $6.83MM
  17. Atlanta Falcons: $6.76MM
  18. Detroit Lions: $6.62MM
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars: $6.42MM
  20. New Orleans Saints: $4.67MM
  21. Buffalo Bills: $4.58MM
  22. Los Angeles Rams: $4.37MM
  23. Houston Texans: $4.26MM
  24. Washington Commanders: $3.78MM
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $3.7MM
  26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $3.63MM
  27. Miami Dolphins: $3.49MM
  28. New England Patriots: $2.87MM
  29. Philadelphia Eagles: $2.81MM
  30. Pittsburgh Steelers: $2.55MM
  31. Denver Broncos: $1.22MM
  32. New York Giants: $991K

The 49ers have carried considerable space throughout the season, but general manager John Lynch made it clear last month the team’s intention was to roll over most of their funds into next season. Still, with San Francisco sitting at 5-2 on the year, it would come as little surprise if at least one more depth addition (separate from the Randy Gregory move) were to be made in the near future.

Deals involving pick swaps for role players dominated the trade landscape for some time, but more noteworthy contributors have been connected to a potential swap recently. One of them – Titans safety Kevin Byard – has already been dealt. That has led to speculation Tennessee is open to dealing other big names as they look to 2024. Derrick Henry’s name has come up multiple times with respect to a deal sending him out of Nashville, but that now seems unlikely.

Several edge rushers are on the market, including Danielle Hunter (Vikings) and one or both of Montez Sweat and Chase Young (Commanders). Hunter nearly found himself with the Jaguars this offseason, and last year’s AFC South winners could be on the lookout for a pass rush boost. A mid-level addition in that regard would come as little surprise. In Minnesota and Washington’s case, however, it remains to be seen if they will be true sellers given their 3-4 records heading into tomorrow’s action.

A number of receivers could also be on the move soon. Both the Broncos’ pair of Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and the Panthers’ Terrace Marshall have been involved heavily in trade talk. Jeudy and Sutton are on the books at an eight figure price tag next season, and the Broncos are unlikely to receive the draft capital they could have at prior points in their Denver tenures. Marshall, by contrast, is in the third season of his four-year rookie contract and could fit more comfortably into an acquiring team’s cap situation. The Panthers have allowed him to seek out a trade partner.

The Cowboys sit in the top half of the league in terms of spending power, but mixed signals initially came out with respect to their interest in making a splash. Owner Jerry Jones has insisted Dallas will not initiate negotiations on a trade, citing his confidence in a 4-2 roster which has been hit by a few notable injuries on defense in particular. Despite having more cap space than most other teams, the Bengals are likewise expected to be quiet on the trade front.  

The past few years have seen a notable uptick in trade activity around the league, and it would come as a surprise if that trend did not continue over the next few days. Last-minute restructures and cost-shedding moves would help the teams in need of flexibility pull off moves, though sellers will no doubt also be asked to retain salary if some of the higher-paid veterans on the trade block end up being dealt. Given the spending power of teams at the top of the list, there is plenty of potential for the league’s landscape to change ahead of the stretch run to the playoffs.

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