Junior Galette Turned Down Raiders, Redskins?
Junior Galette is still on the free agent market, but he hasn’t gone without opportunities to sign this year. The veteran says that he rejected offers from the Raiders and Redskins in the offseason (Twitter link). 
Galette, for his part, seems to regret passing on those chances. The edge rusher pointed out that he was “advised to turn down” the Redskins and Raiders for better deals that never came.
Galette, 30, was an absolute terror during his best seasons with the Saints. Off-field issues and injuries took him out of the game in 2015 and 2016, but he appeared in all 16 games for Washington last year. Galette finished out with three sacks, 20 total tackles, a forced fumble, and and 15 QB hits. With a total of 25 pressures, he graded out as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus. From a football perspective, his ongoing unemployment is perplexing, to say the least.
In addition to speaking with the Raiders and Redskins, Galette also flirted with the Rams and Seahawks in the offseason. This week, he auditioned for the Colts, but it’s not clear whether they currently have interest in signing him.
Redskins’ McGee, Lions’ Jones Return To Practice From PUP
Redskins defensive lineman Stacy McGee and Lions wide receiver Andy Jones, both of whom are currently on the physically unable to perform list, returned to practice on Wednesday, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
NFL players on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list must miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season, so McGee and Jones have already fulfilled that requirement. Now that they’ve returned to practice, Washington and Detroit both have a three-week window during which it can decide to either activate McGee and Jones to its respective 53-man rosters, or keep them on the PUP list for the rest of 2018 campaign.
McGee joined the Redskins on a five-year, $25MM contract last spring and appeared in all 16 games (10 starts) for the club in 2017, managing 44 tackles in the process. He underwent surgery on his thigh in June, and had been fully expected to miss time as he recovers. When he does see the field, McGee will join a Washington defensive line depth chart that also includes Jonathan Allen, Da’Ron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, Tim Settle, and Caleb Brantley.
Jones, 24, went undrafted out of Jacksonville University in 2016, and originally latched on with the Cowboys. He spent the entirety of his rookie season on Dallas’ practice squad before being cut in advance of the 2017 season. He was claimed off waivers by the Texans, but appeared in just one game before being waived yet again. Jones was on the Lions’ practice squad from September onward, until getting promoted to the active roster for three games in December.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/17/18
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:
Cleveland Browns
- WRs John Diarse, Shay Fields, Tavarres King; FB Dimitri Flowers; C Luke Bowanko; T Gerhard de Beer (link)
Green Bay Packers
- FB Dan Vitale; TE Clive Walford; DT Vincent Valentine; Ss Ibraheim Campbell, Eddie Pleasant (link)
Houston Texans
- RB Ralph Webb; LB Marquis Flowers; CB Horace Richardson (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- RB Devante Mays; WR Tre McBride; G Zack Golditch; DE Anthony Lanier; LB Gimel President; S J.J. Wilcox (link)
New England Patriots
- DE Tank Carradine; LBs Corey Nelson, Tegray Scales; S A.J. Howard (link)
New York Giants
- QB Joe Callahan; WR Austin Proehl; DE Myles Humphrey (link)
Washington Redskins
- CBs Donatello Brown, Tony Lippett; Raysean Pringle, Henre’ Toliver, Marquez White (link)
NFL Workout Updates: 10/16/18
Here’s the latest from the workout circuit. Links to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account, unless otherwise noted.
Chicago Bears
- CB Quinten Rollins (link)
Cleveland Browns
- C Jake Eldrenkamp (visit), WR Chad Hansen, WR Blake Jackson, WR Korey Robertson, WR Damore’ea Stringfellow (link)
Detroit Lions
- T Cole Gardner, G/T Austin Pasztor (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- WR K.J. Brent, WR Krishawn Hogan (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- TE Khari Lee, G Brandon Thomas (link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- WR Deontez Alexander, G Jeff Allen, WR J.J. Jones, WR Austin Proehl (link)
Miami Dolphins
- DE Will Clarke, DT Winston Craig, T Antonio Garcia, DE Alec James, T Dieugot Joseph, DT Lewis Neal, T Corey Robinson, DT DeShawn Williams (link)
New York Jets
- WR J.J. Jones, S Charlie Miller, RB Donnel Pumphrey, C Jon Toth, T Toby Weathersby, RB Ralph Webb (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- LB B.J. Bello, S Ibraheim Campbell, DT Winston Craig (visit), CB Dexter McDougle, CB Quinten Rollins (Twitter links via Balzer and Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- LB Devante Bond (link)
Washington Redskins
- G Oday Aboushi, G J.J. Dielman, G John Jerry (link)
Redskins Release Ziggy Hood
A two-year starter for the Redskins whom the team deployed in a backup role for four games this season, Ziggy Hood received notice he’d been released on Tuesday.
The Redskins announced they are cutting ties with the veteran nose tackle. He played just 49 snaps in four games for Washington this season. The 31-year-old defender did not play any snaps on Sunday.
Hood, however, started 27 games between the 2016-17 seasons with Washington. The Redskins now having Da’Ron Payne made Hood less valuable, though. The 10th-year player’s started 73 games since being a Steelers first-round pick in 2009.
The Redskins have not made a corresponding move yet. Stacy McGee is now eligible to come off the PUP list, so this transaction could be a sign he’s ready to return from the groin injury that caused him to land on the PUP to start the season.
Josh Norman, Jay Gruden Put Halftime Incident Behind Them
We heard last week that the Cardinals were at least willing to listen to trade offers for Deone Bucannon and Haason Reddick, and while GM Steve Keim later threw cold water on those rumors, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that Arizona is not only looking to deal Bucannon and Reddick, but that the team is also open to parting with star cornerback Patrick Peterson. Mike Jurecki of the team’s official website tweets that there is zero chance that the Cardinals move Peterson, but even if that’s the case, it seems apparent that the rebuilding Cards will be busy as we approach the October 30 trade deadline.
Now let’s take a look at a few more items out of the NFC:
- Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) reports that Jameis Winston‘s job with the Buccaneers is pretty secure for the time being, but the rest of the season will be critical in determining Winston’s long-term future with the club. He is under club control through 2019 under the fifth-year option, but that option would cost the Bucs $20.9MM and is guaranteed for injury only, so if Winston performs poorly but remains healthy, Tampa Bay could conceivably cut ties after the 2018 season.
- La Canfora reports that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tried to hire Falcons team president Rich McKay in recent years to oversee the league’s football operations, a department that has come under fire for its handling of Bountygate, Deflategate, and other scandals. However, the compensation committee, which has been trying to cut spending, would not authorize the creation of an expensive executive position like that, and there is nothing to indicate that anything will change in that regard, even if McKay were open to such a post (which he apparently was).
- Eagles LT Jason Peters suffered a torn biceps against the Giants on Thursday night, but Rapoport tweets that Peters is expected to return and play this season and could miss just a game or two. While Peters has not been performing to his usual standards in 2018, this is still obviously great news for Philadelphia.
- Redskins head coach Jay Gruden and cornerback Josh Norman have discussed the halftime incident that garnered some media attention earlier this week and have put the matter behind them, per Rapoport (video link). Rapoport says that Gruden stepped to the front of the locker room to address the team at halftime of Monday’s loss to the Saints, and Norman had his headphones on — as he always does at halftime — and had his back to Gruden, so did not know that the head coach had begun talking. Gruden took exception to what he perceived as a lack of attention and yanked the headphones of off Norman’s head, which obviously made Norman upset. Norman walked away from Gruden and was therefore benched to start the second half, but it does not sound as if this issue will be a lingering problem for the two men moving forward.
- The Packers, at 2-2-1, are clearly not performing as well as they would like, and Pete Dougherty of PackersNews.com has a couple of suggestions as to how Green Bay might shake things up. Dougherty believes the team should consider making a change at safety, either by giving Jermaine Whitehead a shot at starting or moving Bashaud Breeland into the rotation (when healthy), and he also believes Robert Tonyan should get more snaps at tight end.
Norman Was Benched Due To Argument With Gruden
Plenty of people criticized the Giants’ decision to take Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick. While Barkley has been electric, many people thought the opportunity to take one of this year’s class of quarterback prospects was too good to pass up. Eli Manning has struggled mightily this year, and the Giants now have no clear succession plan. Despite not drafting a quarterback early this year, New York “believed that somehow, some way, they’d find their heir apparent somewhere down the line”, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.
Now that they might have to find that heir apparent earlier than expected, Vacchiano went through all the Giants’ options to find a quarterback of the future, including a trade before the deadline this year, free agency, and the draft. They have fourth round rookie Kyle Lauletta on the roster, and Vacchiano writes they must “absolutely take a look at him in a game this year.” One way or another, it looks like Manning’s days as the Giants’ starter are numbered.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- There’s been growing frustration with Jason Garrett as coach of the Cowboys, especially after his decision to punt the ball away on 4th & 1 in overtime last week. While owner Jerry Jones and his son Stephen have insisted, Garret’s job isn’t in danger, “there’s been buzz in league circles indicating that the Joneses may eventually set their sights on Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley”, according to Albert Breer of SI.com.
- Aaron Rodgers recently suffered a setback with his injured knee, but is looking to avoid going back to the bulky brace he had to wear initially, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. Rodgers re-injured the knee on a hit he took early in the Packers’ loss to the Lions last week. The game against Detroit was his first game without the large brace that made it harder for him to move around.
- Josh Norman was benched to start the second half of the Redskins’ loss to the Saints on Monday night, and it apparently wasn’t about his play. “It was definitely something between Gruden and Norman that got a little heated and definitely not because of him getting beat in coverage”, according to John Keim of ESPN (Twitter link). Apparently Norman and coach Jay Gruden got into an altercation at halftime, and this will be an interesting situation to monitor going forward.
Adrian Peterson Has Shoulder Strain
Lions offensive guard T.J. Lang is still in the concussion protocol after having suffered his sixth career brain injury, but the team is still expecting the veteran to be back at some point this season. The 31-year-old was even in the building last week helping the team prepare for their matchup against his former team, the Packers.
“He was in the room to be able to talk through some of the Green Bay stuff,” offensive line coach Jeff Davidson told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I try to talk to him about some of the personnel things that he knows. That’s the only thing I had to do as far as commenting on T.J. Looking forward to him going forward.”
The offensive lineman previously said that he’ll continue to play football as long as his body holds up. Lang has also dealt with back, ankle and shoulder injuries during his tenure in Detroit.
Let’s check out some more injury notes from around the NFL…
- While there’s still optimism surrounding Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright‘s return to the field, it won’t happen this weekend. ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes that the veteran will miss this weekend’s London matchup against the Raiders. Wright is still recovering from knee surgery, and head coach Pete Carroll said there’s no use in rushing him back. “He’ll run all throughout the week,” said Carroll. “It’s going to be too much to ask of him to get him back this game. I think we’ve got to make sure and take care of him and get him strong and confident and all that … I think we just need to maximize his opportunity to be at full strength, really recovered and confident and all that.”
- Su’a Cravens is currently sitting on the injured reserve with a knee injury, but Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets that the Broncos safety is expected to return to practice next week. The 23-year-old is eligible to return following his team’s game against the Rams this weekend, and the organization will have three weeks to activate him. The 2016 second-round pick was acquired from the Redskins back in March, and he’ll be looking to crack a depth chart that already includes Darian Stewart, Justin Simmons, and Will Parks.
- There seemed to be a difference in opinions when it came to Adrian Peterson‘s injury. ESPN’s John Keim tweets that the Redskins running back described the injury as a dislocation, while head coach Jay Gruden simply referred to it as a strain. Peterson underwent an MRI earlier today, and the tests ultimately revealed a strain (via USA Today’s Mike Jones on Twitter). The 33-year-old has compiled 242 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 60 carries this season.
More Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/18
Here are the rest of today’s practice squad moves (earlier version can be found here):
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Tim White
- Released: OL Randin Crecelius
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Darius Jackson
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Robert Jackson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Tyrone Swoopes
- Released: TE Marcus Lucas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Damoun Patterson
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OT Justin Evans
- Released: OT Chris Durant
Josh Doctson Suffers Injury In Practice
Terrance Williams landed on IR after not being listed on the Cowboys‘ injury report going into Week 4. The veteran wide receiver appeared on Dallas’ Week 5 injury list, however, after a personal issue kept him out of the Cowboys-Lions game. Now, both he and Travis Frederick — also placed on IR Saturday — are out until at least the Dec. 9 game against the Eagles. As for Williams’ status with the Cowboys, it’s possible he’s played his last game with the team considering his diminished role (39 snaps in three games). For now, the team is sticking by the embattled receiver, who may face a suspension for his offseason car accident. Williams is under contract through the 2020 season. It would cost the Cowboys ($2.5MM in dead money) more to cut him than it would save them by shedding that contract in 2019, however.
“With him, there’s a suspension looming out there that might or might not happen,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Friday during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan (via Pro Football Talk). “He does have some things after coming off that foot injury, which happens. When you have a foot injury, sometimes you rush it back, and you’re not quite there. And then just personal and general, some things that maybe are holding him back right now. I just think it’s a work in progress with him. We think a lot of him. He’s a fighter and competitor, we just got to get him right.”
Here’s the latest from the East divisions, shifting to a Dallas rival:
- Eli Manning‘s play has apparently drawn scrutiny from Giants decision-makers. The 15th-year starter has not had much success down the field this season, frequently checking the ball down. “Growing frustration” has emerged with Manning’s issues in this area, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News notes. Odell Beckham Jr., during a recent interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson (via Leonard), also questioned why Manning isn’t making more downfield throws. “How come we can’t throw the ball for more than 20 yards?” Beckham asked Anderson, rhetorically. “How come we don’t attempt or try to throw the ball for more than 20 yards? Those are questions that we have to figure out.” Manning’s only completed nine 20-plus-yard passes this season, and just six of those traveled 20-plus yards through the air. Manning is completing 74 percent of his passes.
- Josh Doctson suffered a heel injury during practice earlier in the week and is questionable for the Redskins‘ game against the Saints, per ESPN.com’s John Keim (on Twitter). He did not practice Saturday, which doesn’t bode well for the third-year wideout’s status for Monday night. Maurice Harris will start in Doctson’s place if he’s unable to go, Jay Gruden said.
- Trumaine Johnson managed a limited practice on Thursday but did not participate Friday because of a quadriceps injury. The Jets‘ top cornerback is out for their Week 5 tilt against the Broncos. Johnson was available and in the starting lineup for each of Gang Green’s first four games, so this will be an adjustment for the 1-3 Jets.
- The Dolphins will be without Cameron Wake on Sunday. Wake’s knee-related absence will bring second-year defensive end Charles Harris into the lineup opposite Robert Quinn, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. Miami entered the season quite deep at end but will be without Wake, William Hayes (IR) and Andre Branch this week. Wake did not travel with the team to Cincinnati.