Browns Trade QB David Blough To Lions
The Lions are stockpiling quarterbacks. Detroit is trading for David Blough, acquiring him from the Browns, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
In perhaps the most minor trade on a day full of minor trades, the two teams will swap seventh-round picks in 2022, Schefter notes. Blough is an undrafted rookie from Purdue who had been operating as Cleveland’s fourth-string quarterback in camp. The Lions are in the process of trimming their roster so this will likely change shortly, but as of right now they have five passers on their roster.
Behind starter Matthew Stafford, they currently have Tom Savage, Josh Johnson, and former AAF signal-caller Luis Perez. Perez was just signed a couple of days ago. Savage started the offseason as Stafford’s backup, and the team signed the legendary journeyman Johnson after Savage sustained a concussion in the preseason. Blough was a starter for most of the past four years at Purdue, earning a third-team All-Big Ten selection last year.
Colts Trade OL Evan Boehm To Dolphins
The Dolphins are adding another interior offensive lineman. Only a couple hours after trading for guard Danny Isidora, Miami is now making a deal with Indianapolis to acquire center/guard Evan Boehm, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Per Schefter, it’s for a conditional pick in the 2020 draft. Boehm was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth-round back in 2016. He was waived just prior to last season, and ended up latching on with the Colts. He appeared in 11 games for Indy, making four starts when normal center Ryan Kelly went down with an injury. In 2017, he started eight games at guard for Arizona, so he has a decent amount of starting experience.
The Dolphins have had interior line troubles for seemingly forever now, so it makes sense why they’re making these minor moves. Boehm has valuable versatility and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he sees real playing time for Miami given the current state of their offensive line. The Missouri product also spent a brief amount of time on the Rams’ practice squad last year before the Colts signed him.
Saints Cut Kayvon Webster
The Saints have cut cornerback Kayvon Webster, according to multiple reports. The 28-year-old’s run in New Orleans lasted less than three months.
The Saints auditioned several cornerbacks early on this summer and liked what Webster brought to the table. But, with a solid group of CBs already locked in, a spot was far from guaranteed for the vet.
Webster garnered some hype as a backup in Denver, but injuries spoiled what could have been his true coming out party with the Rams. Instead of taking off in old friend Wade Phillips‘ system, his season ended after just eleven games. Last year, he latched on with the Texans, but he was limited to just two games thanks to multiple injuries and two IR stints.
Panthers Place Graham Gano On IR
The Panthers have placed kicker Graham Gano on injured reserve (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). There was some discussion about Gano being carried on IR, but they’ll move on from him instead and turn to Joey Slye.
Gano, a kicker with a solid track record, was not a trade candidate because of his injury and his high cap number (roughly $3.7MM).
Slye, a Virginia Tech product, auditioned for the Bucs last year but ultimately remained unsigned. He’s impressed the Panthers enough to get a crack at the job for 2019, and potentially beyond if he performs well.
Eagles Cut CB Orlando Scandrick
The Eagles are cutting cornerback Orlando Scandrick (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Scandrick, who spent years with the rival Cowboys, joined Philly earlier this summer.
At the time of signing, the back-half of the Eagles’ defense was badly banged up. Things have improved on that front, so the veteran’s services were no longer needed.
After playing the first ten years of his career with the Cowboys, Scandrick signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Redskins last offseason. He didn’t even make it out of camp with them before he was released. Then, he was then scooped up by the Chiefs. He played out the year in Kansas City’s league-worst secondary, making seven starts.
Vikings Trade Danny Isidora To Dolphins
We have yet another trade involving an offensive lineman. The Vikings have shipped offensive guard Danny Isidora to the Dolphins, per an announcement from both clubs.
In the swap, the Vikings will get a 2020 seventh-round pick from the Fins. It’s a decent take-away for a player who was highly unlikely to make the final cut.
In the past, the Vikings have struggled with interior offensive line depth. These days, they’ve got a bit extra, and they’ve managed to parlay it into a bit of extra draft capital.
Buccaneers Place JPP On NFI
The Buccaneers are placing defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (neck) on the reserve/non-football injury list. With that, JPP will not count against the team’s initial 53-man max. He’ll also be barred from playing in the first six weeks of the season.
Pierre-Paul was involved in a one-car accident in early May and suffered a fractured vertebra. The fact that he was able to avoid surgery left open the possibility that he could play in 2019, but it sounds like October will be the earliest he can see the field. And, a November or December return seems more likely.
The Bucs are not a favorite to make the playoffs, and if Tampa Bay is out of contention by the time Pierre-Paul is ready to return, the club may elect to keep him sidelined for the whole year. But if there is even a glimmer of hope, adding the two-time Pro Bowler would be a major boost to the Bucs’ defensive front.
Pierre-Paul notched 12.5 sacks in 2018, his first season in Tampa Bay, and reestablished himself as a legitimate force to be reckoned with coming off the edge.
Raiders, Rodney Hudson Agree To Extension
The Raiders and center Rodney Hudson have agreed to a long-term contract extension, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). When completed, it’ll be a three-year, $33.75MM extension that will make him the NFL’s highest-paid center, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The pact includes $24.4MM in guarantees, Pelissero adds, but the guarantee-at-signing amount is likely less than that.
“We consider him a big piece of this franchise,” head coach Jon Gruden said when asked about the possibility of a new deal earlier this summer. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep him here a long time.”
Prior to the add-on, Hudson was set to earn a base salary of $8.25MM in 2019 with a $10.017MM cap number. He was also outside of the ten highest-paid players at his position. Before the extension, Mitch Morse, Maurkice Pouncey, Ryan Jensen, Brandon Linder, Weston Richburg, Travis Frederick, Matt Paradis, Alex Mack, and Justin Britt were among those to rank ahead of Rodney, in terms of average annual value. Now, he’s surpassed all of them.
Last year, Hudson graded out as the fourth-best center in the NFL, trailing only Jason Kelce, Paradis, and Mack. The 30-year-old also earned Pro Bowl nods in 2016 and 2017.
Ravens Release Shane Ray
The Ravens have released linebacker Shane Ray, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Ravens added Ray shortly after May’s compensatory deadline and gave him a $1.2MM deal with $200K guaranteed, but he won’t fly with them in September.
The Ravens had a glut of edge rushers, even after losing Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith in the offseason. The numbers crunch, ultimately, pushed Ray out.
Ray posted 12 sacks in his first two NFL seasons, but injuries have held him back ever since. In the last two years, he’s had just two sacks across 29 games.
Rolando McClain Gets Conditional Reinstatement
Linebacker Rolando McClain, conceivably, could make a return to the NFL. After three full seasons away from the sport, the league has granted him a conditional reinstatement (Twitter link via Mike Florio of PFT).
McClain, a talented former first-round pick of the Raiders, has battled off-the-field demons for years. The Cowboys gambled on him after the Raiders gave up on him and, for a period, that gamble paid off.
In 2014, the Cowboys acquired McClain via trade and used him in 13 games. He finished that season with 81 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. After that, he was hit with his first – but not last – NFL suspension. In 2015, he was limited to just eleven games, though he still tallied 80 tackles and a pair of sacks.
After signing another one-year deal with the Cowboys during the 2016 offseason, McClain was handed a ten-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He then failed another drug test midway through the season, and the NFL slapped him with an indefinite suspension. After his third ban in two years, McClain was cuffed on a 2017 arrest for firearm and drug charges.
We haven’t seen McClain on the field since the 2015 season, but the door is at least open for him to sign with a club for the upcoming year. It remains to be seen whether the 30-year-old is in game shape, however.