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NFC West Notes: Seahawks, 49ers, Higbee

November 20th, 2024 at 1:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Signed to similar contracts during the summer of 2022, Deebo Samuel and D.K. Metcalf have each become two of the NFL’s better wide receivers — each being chosen in the 2019 second round. The Seahawks nabbed Metcalf at No. 64 via trade-up, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes the team had aimed to first draft Samuel at No. 35. GM John Schneider had worked out a trade-up from No. 37 to No. 35, via the Raiders, but Schefter adds the Silver and Black backed out of the deal. The Raiders instead dealt with the Jaguars, who drafted Jawaan Taylor at 35. The 49ers chose Samuel at 36.

The Seahawks still do not know why the Raiders reneged on the trade, Schefter adds. The Seahawks initially held a higher second-round choice than the Jags, who picked at 38. After Samuel went off the board, Seattle dealt 37 to Carolina (Greg Little) and drafted safety Marquise Blair at No. 47. The Seahawks had planned to pair Samuel and Metcalf, rather than the Ole Miss product — who famously fell to No. 64 after having teams divided during the pre-draft process — being a Samuel fallback option. Though, Metcalf as a WR contingency plan — with Doug Baldwin retirement rumors circulating during the draft — rather than pairing him with Samuel makes a bit more sense due to Tyler Lockett being just 27 at the time. Samuel and Metcalf are going into the final year of their contracts; each team rebuffed trade offers this year.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Samuel’s San Francisco status may have changed once Brandon Aiyuk suffered an ACL tear. The older 49ers WR had been a rumored 2025 trade chip, as the team prepares for a Brock Purdy payday. Although some around the league have wondered if the 49ers will pay Purdy the going rate (mentioning a Kirk Cousins trade as a backup plan), The Athletic’s Matt Barrows expects Purdy to indeed receive a top-market deal from San Francisco. Purdy going from Mr. Irrelevant to a deal in the $55-$60MM-per-year range would represent one of the most dramatic rises in NFL history; the 2025 offseason is the window for that to happen.
  • Staying on the 49ers-in-2025 theme, the team has seen promising early returns from second-round rookie Renardo Green. The 49ers have viewed Green as a player who can work inside and on the perimeter; that matches Deommodore Lenoir‘s profile. Lenoir is now signed long term, but All-Pro Charvarius Ward is in a contract year. With Lenoir locked in, Ward appears headed back to free agency. As such, Barrows adds Green should be considered the favorite to start opposite Lenoir on the boundary in 2025. Pro Football Focus rates Green as the sixth-best CB regular this season, albeit on only 298 snaps.
  • While Sean McVay said right tackle Rob Havenstein could be back this week, the eighth-year Rams HC indicated (via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop) Tyler Higbee remains weeks away from returning. Higbee is still rehabbing the ACL and MCL tears sustained during the Rams’ wild-card loss to the Lions. The ninth-year tight end remains on Los Angeles’ reserve/PUP list. Havenstein has missed the Rams’ past two games with an ankle issue.
  • Jake Moody missed time due to injury this season, being one of three 49ers kickers to go down, and did not impress upon return. Moody missed three field goals against the Buccaneers, prompting a heated Samuel to take issue with the recovered kicker (and long snapper Taybor Pepper). John Lynch said later the 49ers have not considered replacing Moody. “We didn’t blink,” Lynch told KNBR (h/t The Athletic’s David Lombardi). “We have a lot of faith in this kid. We all have rough days. There’s a lot of context to put in these things and Jake has earned a lot of respect from this organization.” Moody’s third-round contract runs through 2026.

Latest On Mike Vrabel’s 2025 Coaching Candidacy

November 18th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ben Levine

The offseason head coaching market will be loaded with names. While iconic HC Bill Belichick, Lions OC Ben Johnson, and even Colorado HC Deion Sanders will steal headlines, another name may be the most sought-after individual among the options.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Mike Vrabel is getting the “most hype” among the player-turned-coach options. Russini notes that team owners are targeting “culture-builders” as they pursue head coaches. Vrabel earned that reputation during his time as the Titans head coach, and he’s known for relating to his players while also holding them accountable.

Considering the positive view on Vrabel, he was one of the most surprising casualties during last year’s coaching carousel. Tennessee’s 13-21 record between 2022 and 2023 naturally led to his demise. However, there were many pundits who believed Vrabel deserved a longer leash after guiding the Titans to 41 wins between 2018 and 2021 (with three-straight playoff nods, including an AFC Championship appearance).

The 49-year-old was a finalist for the Chargers and Falcons openings this past offseason, and he was loosely connected to a reunion with the Patriots. Ultimately, Vrabel took a consulting gig with the Browns while he eyes a job for the 2025 campaign.

Fortunately for Vrabel, there should be plenty of gigs to choose from. Russini says coaching vacancies could reach double digits, with the reporter comparing the upcoming offseason to 2021, when 10 teams added head coaches. Josina Anderson shares a similar sentiment, noting that she’s heard of seven head coaches who are currently on the hot seat (beyond the interim HCs with the Saints and Jets).

QB Rumors: Rodgers, Colts, Maye, Williams

October 10th, 2024 at 11:14am CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers has now seen the offensive coordinator he has long backed, Nathaniel Hackett, stripped of play-calling duties. Interim Jets HC Jeff Ulbrich said Thursday the future Hall of Fame QB took his friend’s demotion in stride, calling Rodgers “supportive” of the choice, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Ulbrich said he talked to Rodgers and Jets offensive and defensive players before making that call. Hackett had begun to lose support in the locker room, and Robert Saleh was on the verge of either firing him or going through with the demotion Ulbrich ultimately carried out.

As for Rodgers’ role in Saleh’s firing, the quarterback vehemently denied complicity. Calling accusations he played a role in Saleh’s ouster “patently false,” Rodgers confirmed during his Pat McAfee Show appearance Woody Johnson‘s account the two talked Monday night. Seeing as the owner fired Saleh the next morning, it is a somewhat difficult sell that this topic never came up during the QB-owner conversation. However, Rodgers said (via Cimini) he and the longtime Jets owner discussed his ankle injury. Rodgers has been battling a low ankle sprain, playing through the malady. Also calling Saleh one of the reasons he delayed retirement to play for the Jets, Rodgers will now move forward with Todd Downing calling the shots and Hackett in an unspecified role.

Here is the latest from the QB ranks:

  • Giving Drake Maye first-team reps in training camp and during the season, the Patriots have now moved the No. 3 overall pick into the lineup. This comes after Jacoby Brissett has struggled in his season back in New England. The bridge quarterback ranks 28th in QBR but is playing with a bottom-end skill-position group and behind an O-line featuring key injuries. Still, the pivot to Maye — earlier than some anticipated — does not come as a knee-jerk reaction to Brissett’s performance against the Dolphins, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes. OC Alex Van Pelt had also said the team delaying Maye’s debut also had nothing to do with the current O-line composition. This Pats ramp-up period will be tested in Week 6, as Maye takes over against a 4-1 Texans team.
  • Anthony Richardson did not qualify as a game-time decision last week, per ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder, who indicates the second-year Colts QB was unable to move on the level he normally can. That led to Indianapolis downgrading its starter to doubtful the day before its Week 5 game. Optimism exists, based on “significant improvement” in his oblique rehab Richardson can go in Week 6. Richardson getting in a limited practice represents a good sign for his availability Sunday, though eyes will be on this situation after Joe Flacco proved more capable of moving the offense after early-season Richardson accuracy issues.
  • Concerns about Carl Williams’ involvement in his son Caleb‘s career have followed the former Heisman-winning passer, but the Bears received a positive report from now-Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury as they prepared for the draft. In discussing Caleb with Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus pre-draft, the recent USC QBs coach said he only saw Carl once at the Trojans’ practice facility, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, illustrating a more hands-off approach — at least, compared to public perception — from the prized prospect’s father. Carl Williams had made comments about his son having “two bites at the apple” regarding the NFL, inviting speculation the QB could return to school if he did not view the team with the No. 1 overall pick as a good fit. Caleb’s camp then tried to secure a no-franchise tag clause in his rookie deal — an unprecedented play the Bears shot down — and angled to be paid as an LLC for tax purposes. This invites some potential long-term issues for the Bears, but for now, the top pick’s development is their lone focus.

BetterHelp 101: Understanding Online Therapy And How To Find Support (Sponsored)

August 13th, 2024 at 11:08am CST by Tim Dierkes

This is a sponsored post from BetterHelp. As a BetterHelp affiliate, MLB Trade Rumors receives compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.

As society’s knowledge of mental health grows, more treatment opportunities are available to a more significant number of people living with mental health challenges. One such option is online therapy, which allows individuals to receive mental health support from a device with an internet connection from any location.

What Is BetterHelp?

BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that works with a database of over 30,000 counselors, therapists, social workers, and psychologists from all 50 US states and some countries worldwide. This platform aims to break down barriers that often keep people from seeking help, such as financial burdens, a rural location with limited options for therapy, or a lack of accessibility in one’s area.

Understanding BetterHelp

BetterHelp may work differently than meeting with a traditional therapist. Below are some ways individuals can use online therapy via this service.

Signing Up

Signing up for BetterHelp often takes a few minutes. The initial sign-up process is a questionnaire which asks prospective clients about the following:

  • Reasons for seeking therapy and goals
  • The individual’s diagnosis or mental health challenge
  • Therapist gender preferences
  • Whether they’d like to meet with an LGBTQ+, Black, or Asian therapist
  • Preferences for individual, couples, or teen therapy
  • Gender, age, sexuality (optional), pronouns, and relationship status
  • Spiritual identity
  • Past experience in therapy
  • Intimacy challenges
  • Substance use habits

After filling out the questionnaire, which may take around five to ten minutes, prospective clients will be directed to fill out their name, email, and password. Then, they will be sent to the payment page, where they can choose a plan. After the payment has been processed, it often takes around 48 hours for a therapist to be matched with them.

Payment

BetterHelp plans are charged monthly for four weeks of therapy. The overall monthly cost covers four sessions with the therapist (one per week) and access to all of BetterHelp’s other resources, such as support groups and classes. Cost ranges from $65 to $100 per week, which can be more affordable than traditional therapy.

The match process

Therapists are matched with clients based on the client’s responses to the questionnaire upon signing up. The only limitation is that a therapist must be licensed to practice in the state the client lives in to be able to work with them. Clients can change providers at any time for any reason.

Using the platform

Individuals can log in through the app or website to use the BetterHelp platform. There, they can find their messages with their therapist, a journaling feature, options to schedule appointments, and extra resources. Through the settings section, clients can check their billing information, change their therapist, and edit their profile. Weekly sessions with a therapist can be held via phone, video, or live chat, all through the app or website.

Extra resources

BetterHelp offers resources that might not be offered by in-person providers, such as the following:

  • Weekly support groups
  • Online classes by mental health experts
  • Goal tracking options
  • Journaling and journal prompts
  • Worksheets

All features are included in the platform’s weekly price, so clients can access them without paying extra.

BetterHelp’s outreach

BetterHelp works with the broader community to offer support to non-profit organizations and individuals in need. They have given over 65 million dollars in discounts and financial aid to cover therapy for low-income individuals and donated over 95,000 months of free therapy to communities in need. BetterHelp partners with over 100 non-profit organizations.

Who might benefit from an online therapy platform?

Online therapy is often more flexible and convenient than in-person options. This option might benefit people with a busy schedule, such as parents, full-time workers, and athletes, who may not have the time to commute to an extra appointment. Many of the most evidence-based modalities, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), are available online.

Is online therapy effective?

Since 2021, four out of ten US adults have used this option. One study reported that over 71% of participants believed it was more effective than face-to-face therapy. Another study found that online therapy often led to increased quality of life for clients with anxiety and depression and was more affordable.

Takeaway

By seeking support online, financial, locational, and accessibility barriers can be removed, allowing more people to receive the support they seek. To get started, consider working with a platform like BetterHelp.

Pro Football Rumors Seeking Part-Time Writer

July 8th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

We’re looking to add a part-time contributor to the Pro Football Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 32 NFL teams, with no discernible bias.
  • Knowledge of the salary cap and transaction-related concepts.
  • At least some college education.
  • Writing experience is necessary; online writing experience is preferred.
  • Attention to detail — absolutely no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names.
  • Ability to follow the site’s style and tone.
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news. We need someone who can balance quick writing with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers or links to other relevant articles.
  • Ability to use Twitter/X.
  • Strong weekend availability is important. You must frequently be available to work on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
  • Frequent weeknight availability (5-11pm CT) is preferred.
  • Flexibility to work on short notice, along with occasional weekday availability, is a bonus.

If you’re interested, email pfrumorsapplications@gmail.com by July 16 with your resume and take a couple of paragraphs to explain why you qualify and stand out.

Deven Thompkins Secures Meeting With NFL

July 7th, 2024 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Parks

Former Buccaneers wide receiver/return specialist Deven Thompkins met with two NFL Personal Conduct Policy investigators and an NFLPA attorney in New York last week, as ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported. Thompkins actively sought the meeting, which took place sooner than it otherwise would have, as part of his effort to clear his name and land another NFL opportunity this season.

Thompkins, 24, was waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement last month, which made him a free agent. Given his production as a return man in 2023, he ordinarily would have stood a good chance at hooking on with a new club. After all, the injury that ostensibly precipitated his release was a Grade 1 hamstring strain that should be fully healed by now.

The problem for Thompkins is that his estranged wife, Maria Castilhos, has accused him of physical abuse dating back to February 14, 2023. Thompkins filed for divorce on February 27, and in the wake of Castilhos’ accusations, he recently filed a lawsuit against her for defamation and tortious interference with his NFL contract. As part of that claim, Thompkins alleges that Castilhos threatened him “with fabricated allegations of domestic violence unless he met her financial demands for additional alimony” in the divorce proceeding.

As of the time of this writing, Thompkins has not been suspended, and given that his steadfast denials have now evolved into a separate suit, the league may wait until more information comes to light before taking any action. In the meantime, he is free to sign with any club, though the nature of Castilhos’ allegations will doubtlessly make teams reluctant to acquire him.

A former undrafted free agent, Thompkins spent the past two seasons operating as Tampa Bay’s kick and punt returner. He totaled 1,082 return yards during that span, adding 115 yards and one touchdown on offense. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles previously left the door open to a new contract for Thompkins, but it is unclear if the club would truly consider that.

Follow NBA Free Agency At Hoops Rumors

June 29th, 2024 at 6:15pm CST by Rory Maher

NBA teams can begin negotiating with outside free agents on Sunday evening at 5:00 p.m. CT, and our sister site Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors on Twitter) has all the latest news, rumors and transactions for each of the league’s 30 teams.

For the first time in 2024, NBA teams were permitted to negotiate with their own free agents one day after the NBA Finals ended (the Celtics won their 18th championship on June 17). That’s why several of 2024’s top free agents — including Pascal Siakam (Pacers), OG Anunoby (Knicks) and Immanuel Quickley (Raptors) — have already agreed to new contracts.

However, there are some huge names heading for unrestricted free agency, including LeBron James, James Harden, Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, and Klay Thompson. James is widely expected to return to the Lakers; there hasn’t been much news about Harden, but the Clippers hope to re-sign him; George’s future is unclear after spending the past five years with the Clippers; there has been “growing buzz” that DeRozan won’t be back with the Bulls; and the Warriors are reportedly preparing for Thompson’s departure after he spent his first 13 years with Golden State, winning four championships.

We’ve already seen a flurry of trade activity this offseason, both leading up to, during, and after the NBA draft, which took place over two days (on Wednesday and Thursday) for the first time this week. Former Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Mikal Bridges (Knicks), former All-Star Dejounte Murray (Pelicans), rising forward Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), and defensive ace Alex Caruso (Thunder) are among the players on the move.

For the latest updates on NBA free agency, check out Hoops Rumors today! There will be a whirlwind of activity over the next couple of weeks as teams reshape their rosters for next season, and we’ll be covering it all. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – @HoopsRumors.

LB Shaquille Leonard Hoping To Continue Playing Career

June 23rd, 2024 at 11:12am CST by Rory Parks

Things change quickly in the NFL. At the end of the 2021 season, linebacker Shaquille Leonard was at the peak of his game, having earned Pro Bowl and/or First-Team All-Pro acclaim in each of his first four seasons in the league. Several years later, it sounds like a real possibility that the decorated defender will not play another snap.

Last night, Leonard attended a fundraiser in Carmel, Indiana for his Maniac Foundation. The event was sponsored by the Colts, for whom Leonard starred for four years before back issues upended his career. Indianapolis, which had signed Leonard to a five-year, $99.25MM extension in August 2021, waived him in November 2023, and he finished out last season with the Eagles after he cleared waivers.

Speaking at his foundation’s event, Leonard said he wants to continue his playing career and is working to make that a reality, but he is also content if that does not happen.

“I’m moreso just sitting back, getting the body healthy, and whenever the opportunity presents itself, we’ll give it a try,” he said (via Kyle Smedley of the Indianapolis Star). “I just continue to be me by working hard. If it happens, it happens. If it don’t, it don’t. I think throughout my career I’ve had a great career, even if I do step away from it. … I’m enjoying life and just waiting on that opportunity.”

Although he ultimately played in 14 games (12 starts) in 2023 after seeing action in just three contests the year before, he was clearly not the same player that landed the record-setting extension. Before the Colts cut him, he had logged a 70% snap share, which was by far his lowest mark for a full campaign. He then appeared in just 47% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps over the club’s final five games of the season, which led to questions about his ability to regain his prior form.

In addition, Pro Football Focus assigned him a middling overall grade of 62.8 for his 2023 performance, which positioned him as the 53rd-best ‘backer out of 82 qualifiers. That was a far cry from his halcyon days of 2018-21, when he consistently graded out as a top-10 LB in the eyes of PFF’s metrics. He recorded 88 total tackles without a forced fumble or pass defensed, and he yielded a career-worst 123.8 quarterback rating in coverage.

Given his pedigree and age — he will turn 29 in July — it would not be surprising to see a team take a flier on him as the summer progresses (though there has been no reported interest in his services this offseason). A longtime friend said Leonard told him that he currently feels as healthy as he did in his rookie season, and according to the same friend, the father of one-month-old Darius Shaquille Leonard, Jr. would like to see the word “Senior” on the back of his NFL jersey. It remains to be seen if he will get that chance.

NFL Issues New Rules For IR Activations

June 20th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here at Pro Football Rumors, our main focus is on transactions. We are sure to note any time a player is placed on injured reserve, and not only do we make sure to cover any activations from IR, but we also track the number activations each team uses in accordance with the IR activation rules. In 2024, those rules will be slightly different, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The main spirit of the rules will remain the same. Throughout the regular season and postseason, each NFL squad will have the ability to designate a player on its IR for return. Over the course of the regular season, each team will be able to make such a designation eight times.

Once placed on IR, a player will be forced to miss four games before they are eligible to return to the active roster. Once designated to return from IR, that player will have a 21-day window during which they can practice with their team before ultimately being activated from IR. If, by the end of the 21-day practice window, that team makes the decision not to return the player to the active roster, that player will be forced to remain on IR for the remainder of the season. If a player returns from IR in the season and gets hurt again, they are able to be designated for return once more but only twice in a single season. Both designations count against the team’s restricted count for the season.

There are two main changes with the rule: one pertaining to the start of the season and one pertaining to the postseason. Before the new rule, any player placed on IR before the start of the regular season would not be eligible to return later in the season. In order to be eligible for return, a player injured before the season began would need to spend one day after final roster cuts on the 53-man roster before then being placed on IR. The new rule stipulates that, on the final day of roster cuts, teams can now designate two players on its preseason IR list for return. Those two players will count against the team’s allotted eight for the regular season, but teams will now have two extra spots on the 53-man roster to hold on to fringe players who otherwise would become free agents before potentially signing to the practice squad.

The postseason rule change sees each team granted two additional designations in the postseason. If a team has utilized all eight of their designations from the regular season, they will be granted two more in the postseason; if a team has utilized zero designations throughout the regular season, they will now have 10 usable designations in the postseason. This allows teams to be a bit more judicious in how they will utilize their remaining designations late in the season if they are on track to make the playoffs.

While the postseason rule change is grabbing more headlines, the preseason designation allowance is, perhaps, far more impactful. In the end, only 14 playoff teams will be able to utilize the postseason rule, allowing for 28 additional players to return in the final month of the season, assuming every team utilizes all of its remaining designations and the recovery of key athletes just happens to align with that timeline.

With the new preseason rule, teams will no longer have to reserve space on their initial 53-man rosters for players who cannot play but could return later in the season. Or, at least, they won’t have to reserve two spots on the initial 53-man roster for those players. If every team decides to utilize this new rule, that would mean 64 players would get roster spots who otherwise would not have made the final roster with the rules from 2023. And teams will now have two players apiece whom they will not have to give up to the waiver wire and free agency at the end of August.

Commanders, Lions, Packers, Ravens Interested In K Jake Bates

June 11th, 2024 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

As expected, Jake Bates‘ UFL season has generated NFL interest. A number of teams are in on the recent spring/summer league specialist, whose previous NFL path did not include any game action.

The Michigan Panthers kicker has received interest from the Commanders, Lions, Packers and Ravens, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. All four teams have requested meetings with Bates, per Wilson, and ESPN.com’s John Keim notes the Commanders will be the first team to host the young specialist. That meeting is set for today.

Washington’s kicker need formed recently, after the team released offseason pickup Brandon McManus after a lawsuit alleging sexual assault emerged. The Commanders have already signed kicker Ramiz Ahmed, but the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala notes the team is looking to hold a competition between the recent signee and another option. The team also auditioned Andre Szmyt on Tuesday, per Jhabvala. Szmyt kicked for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks this season.

With the UFL’s regular season ending, NFL teams are free to hold workouts. UFLers can be added next week, after the league’s weekend championship game. Considering the success the Cowboys have enjoyed with USFL players in recent years — including All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey, a summer 2023 addition — several of the new UFL’s top players will land opportunities to attend NFL training camps. Bates will almost definitely be one.

Bates, whom the Texans cut after barely a week during training camp last year, caught attention for making multiple 60-plus-yard field goals early this season. This included a 64-yarder. The long-range makes placed the Michigan kicker back on the NFL radar, and his second chance figures to feature a more thorough look. That said, Bates proved shakier down the stretch of the UFL season. He missed field goals five field goals over the Panthers’ final four games; that followed a two-miss performance in an April Michigan-Memphis matchup. Overall, Bates went 21-for-28 on field goals this season.

The Lions were connected to the in-state UFL team’s kicker early during the season, and the team used multiple kickers (Riley Patterson, Michael Badgley) in 2023. Detroit re-signed Badgley this offseason and added UDFA James Turner. But the team has been looking into adding another piece here, and Bates’ leg strength certainly caught attention.

Anders Carlson remains the frontrunner to kick for the Packers, but special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia mentioned a potential spring league addition (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) before training camp. Green Bay’s roster already houses two other kickers — Greg Joseph, Jack Podlesny — so a Bates addition would certainly be interesting from a roster-allocation standpoint ahead of training camp. Carlson went 27-for-33 last year but missed four extra points and then missed a kick in the Packers’ narrow divisional-round loss to the 49ers.

It would obviously surprise if Bates ended up in Baltimore, given that the Ravens employ arguably the best to ever do it. Justin Tucker is going into his 13th NFL season. Bates, 24, stands to land somewhere soon. His Houston work last summer does not make it a lock he will be one of the 32 kickers in Week 1, but the UFL work will give him a shot.

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