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Broncos Notes: Hamilton, Washington, Risner

August 6th, 2022 at 9:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the official takeover of the Broncos by the Rob Walton-led group draws nearer, another significant name has been added to the list of people set to become the franchise’s new owners. Less than one month after Condoleezza Rice joined the group, the team announced a second noteworthy arrival.

Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has joined the ownership group, per a statement from Walton. It added that the team is “delighted” to bring the 37-year-old into the fold, and that his “resilient sprit and and standard of excellence will be an asset to the ownership group and the Broncos organization.”

In 2020, Hamilton became the all-time winningest driver in the series’ history in terms of grand Prix victories, adding to his lengthy list of individual records. His seven World Championships place him in a tie for the No. 1 spot in that regard. He represents another unique addition to the expanding ownership group, which is expected to be confirmed via a league vote later this month.

Here are couple other notes from the Mile High City:

  • Rookie receiver Montrell Washington faces steep competition for snaps on offense, given the presence of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and KJ Hamler. He could earn a role on special teams right away, however; Troy Renck of Denver7 reports that Washington is currently the frontrunner to be the team’s punt returner. During his career at Samford, the fifth-rounder showcased his ability in the third phase, averaging 16.4 yards per punt return, totaling four touchdowns in that department. Renck adds that Washington has also impressed as a receiver, so a rotational role (especially in the absence of Tim Patrick, who will likely miss the 2022 campaign with a torn ACL) isn’t out of the question.
  • Left guard Dalton Risner has shed considerable weight this offseason, per Renck. The 27-year-old has dropped to just over 300 pounds, having previously came in at 325. A full-time starter in each of his three seasons with the team, Risner will be a key member of the Broncos’ offensive line, widely regarded as the x-factor in the offense’s 2022 success with Russell Wilson and a highly-regarded group of skill position players surrounding him.

Latest On Dolphins’ Byron Jones

August 6th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

As their training camp opened up last month, the Dolphins placed cornerback Byron Jones on the PUP list. Recent remarks made on his status by head coach Mike McDaniel furthered the level of uncertainty surrounding the 29-year-old. 

McDaniel acknowledged, via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, that “there is concern” with where Jones is at during his recovery. The former Pro Bowler had ankle surgery in March, a procedure which was, at the time, said to require only a two-month recovery period. Unease over the fact that the calendar has flipped to August and he has still not been able to return to the field is therefore justifiable.

McDaniel added, on the other hand, that he still expects Jones to be available for the beginning of the regular season. Assuming that happens, Miami will boast one of the best 1-2 CB tandems in the league between Jones and Xavien Howard. A contract restructure finalized by the former allowed, in part, for the substantial raise given to the latter as part of a busy offseason in South Beach.

“We’re confident [in] how he’s rehabbing; if he has a setback, then there would be concern,” McDaniel added. Jones’ progress will remain a situation worth watching in the coming weeks, given his importance to the team in the short-term. Given his scheduled cap hits of more than $18MM in 2023 and 2024, a return to full health would also be a welcomed sight for the team from a financial perspective.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/22

August 6th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Washington Commanders

  • Activated from reserve/retired list: LB Tre Walker

Weatherly was in line for a rotational role with the Browns this season behind entrenched starters Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. The 28-year-old was coming off of a sack-less campaign with the Vikings last year, but has 73 games and 17 starts on his NFL resume. In his absence, the Browns will depend not only on another mostly healthy season for Clowney, but also third-round rookie Alex Wright and recent USFL signing Chris Odom in the edge rush department.

Just yesterday, Walker surprisingly ended his NFL career before it began, briefly becoming the second young Commander this offseason to hand up his cleats unexpectedly. Hours later, however, the UDFA changed his mind and asked to be reinstated. Having signed him to his rookie contract, Washington held the rights to the San Jose State alum and were free to bring him back into the fold. He will once again look to make the team’s roster – something he has a decent chance at, given the lack of proven options Washington has down the depth chart at ILB.

Browns RB Kareem Hunt Executing “Partial Hold-In”

August 6th, 2022 at 6:06pm CST by Ely Allen

There have been questions concerning running back Kareem Hunt‘s future with the Browns going into a contract year dating back to the early months of the offseason. It didn’t initially seem like there was any drama as both parties were taking a bit of a lackadaisical approach to negotiations that seemed inevitable, but now, with the regular season breathing down his neck, Hunt appears to be acting more boldly. Hunt sat out of team drills for the second consecutive practice today, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, telling the Browns he only plans on participating in individual drills. 

Reports in May described the contract situation as up in the air, positing that, if the two parties failed to deal with negotiations before camp, it would likely decrease the odds of Hunt staying in Cleveland past this year. Only a week later, further reports claimed that, despite the lack of certainty concerning his future, Hunt was “still very much in the Browns’ plans for this season,” saying that the team had no plans of dealing or releasing Hunt due to the lack of substantive extension negotiations.

It took a couple more weeks before Hunt finally voiced his opinion that he wanted to re-sign with the Browns, desiring an extension but choosing to take things “day by day” in mid-June. Upon reaching full health soon after, Hunt made further comments toward his contract situation.

“I hope I get paid,” Hunt said. “So you know, whatever they decide, they know I’m going to come out there and give it my all and I’ll do whatever I can to help the team win.”

That apparently only applies to the regular season, considering Hunt’s new preseason plans. The two recent “partial hold-ins” were “the first time since training camp that Hunt didn’t participate” in team drills. Cleveland is able to, and likely will, subject him to fines for his lack of participation.

Hunt’s agent was reportedly at the Browns’ facility earlier this week, presumably to work on a potential new deal for the 27-year-old. According to Anderson, members of the team have said that “he wants to get paid or traded.” The belief is that he would truly prefer to remain in Cleveland, he just wants to be paid what he’s worth.

The Browns were fine slow-playing a new deal for Hunt after he missed nine games last year between injuries and COVID-19. Because of the missed time and how the second year of his contract is set up, it made sense that Cleveland would be okay allowing Hunt to play out his contract year and revisit a new contract after the season. They seemed to be taking their lead from Hunt, but now, with Hunt’s new decision to be more vocal about his desires, they’re in the uncomfortable position of having to deal with negotiations in the weeks leading up to the regular season.

As a native of Willoughby, OH, Hunt made it known recently that he would like to eventually end his career in Cleveland, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Unfortunately for Hunt, he doesn’t hold much leverage. A plethora of running backs who can contribute and a contract that doesn’t much penalize the team for waiting stacks the deck against Hunt.

Hunt is expected to be the Browns’ No.2 running back behind star running back Nick Chubb. D’Ernest Johnson and Demetric Felton both had opportunities to show their stuff in Hunt’s absence last year, and rookie fifth-round pick Jerome Ford has shown some serious potential coming into the league. The combination of contributing running backs has the potential to make Hunt redundant, especially if he decides to continue holding out.

Hunt certainly has the talent to be a starting running back in this league, as displayed during his rookie year in Kansas City, and he likely wants to get paid like it. Unfortunately, the situation is against him, so he’s taken to drastic measures in order to try to achieve his means. With the first preseason game for Cleveland six days away and the regular season starting in just over a month, time is running out for the two parties to come to terms.

Latest On Panthers’ QB Situation

August 6th, 2022 at 4:27pm CST by Ely Allen

The Panthers have one of the league’s only quarterback competitions this summer and plan to draw it out a bit longer. Carolina doesn’t plan on making what head coach Matt Rhule calls a “major decision” on any position battles until after the team’s second preseason game on August 19, according to David Newton of ESPN. This, of course, includes the starting quarterback battle between incumbent Sam Darnold and trade acquisition Baker Mayfield. 

Darnold’s debut season in Carolina was the worst of his career according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF has consistently graded Darnold among the worst NFL quarterbacks, ranking him 29th, 31st, and 35th in his first three seasons in New York. He continued his downward trajectory ranking as the 36th out of 37 ranked quarterbacks last year, finishing only over Ben Roethlisberger.

Mayfield, on the other hand, graded out very poorly in 2021 (30th out of 37), but has seen success in his healthier seasons in Cleveland, even taking them to the playoffs and earning their first postseason win since the 1994 NFL season in 2020. His career has been a rollercoaster celebrating the ups of his 2018 and 2020 seasons while stomaching the downs of his 2019 and 2021 seasons. Still, that’s two more impressive seasons than his competitor has seen in the NFL and should give him an initial edge.

Mayfield is the expected leader in the race right now based on that past success. The two have split reps on first and second team down the middle this summer, giving both a chance to work with the ones. At some point, though, the Panthers staff is going to want to give somebody more first team reps in preparation to be the Panthers’ starting quarterback for the regular season. Rhule seems to imply that a decision could ultimately be pushed even closer to the start of the season.

“I’m not putting a timetable on the quarterback position until after we get back from Patriots week,” Rhule explained after today’s scrimmage. “The Patriots week is a true litmus test for us. That will really show us where guys are.”

In addition to the QB1 battle, there are a couple of other positions that have battles to be decided after the team’s time in Foxborough. Wide receiver Terrace Marshall is expected to take a big step in his second season and push Robby Anderson for the WR2 spot behind D.J. Moore. The return of cornerback Jaycee Horn presents a logjam atop the depth chart of the position. The Panthers will have to decide if they like Horn or last year’s trade acquisition C.J. Henderson on the outside. If they choose Horn, Henderson will have to compete with Keith Taylor in the slot. In they choose Henderson on the outside, Horn will likely man the slot.

It will be interesting to see how Carolina approaches the third preseason game. The last game of the preseason is traditionally a game full of backups and roster bubble guys as the starters tend to rest in order to prevent injury. If the Panthers are waiting until that game to make crucial depth chart decisions, they may be forced to give the finalized first string some reps together in their last game action before the regular season. Regardless, it sounds like Panthers fans will have to wait until late August to know exactly what the Panthers’ depth chart will look like.

USFL WR Devin Gray Signs With Chiefs

August 6th, 2022 at 3:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Wide receiver Devin Gray will dip his toes into the NFL waters for the third time after signing a one-year deal with Kansas City, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The former Cincinnati Bearcat most recently played in the United States Football League and is the latest player from that league to sign an NFL contract.

Gray signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He spent three years on the team’s practice squad before finally being elevated to the active roster in the last regular season game of the 2020 season, still failing to find his way onto the field in that game. After participating in the short-lived The Spring League, Gray joined the Ravens for the summer of 2021, getting released from the practice squad early into the regular season. After failing to find another NFL job, Gray got selected in the USFL Draft and played eight games for the Philadelphia Stars, catching 25 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns.

Gray has some work ahead of him to make the Chiefs’ final 53-man roster. While Kansas City’s receiving corps isn’t exactly top-heavy, it has a decent amount of potential depth. The starting three are expected to be free agent addition JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, and another free agent signing in Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Behind them veteran Josh Gordon provides his skill set as long as he can stay on the field, second-round pick Skyy Moore will make the jump from Western Michigan to the NFL, and Justin Watson comes over after four unproductive years in Tampa Bay. Still behind them is former first-round pick Corey Coleman and a few other receivers who stood out in college like Daurice Fountain, Cornell Powell, and Gary Jennings.

That’s a lot of traffic for Gray to maneuver, and it will certainly be an uphill battle for the 27-year-old as he attempts to make an active NFL roster for only the second time in his career.

Injury Rumors: Evans, Pringle, Linderbaum, Savage, McKethan

August 6th, 2022 at 2:00pm CST by Ely Allen

As practices start to ramp up leading into the preseason, injuries are starting to rear their ugly heads. Here are a few rumors on injuries we’ve seen so far:

  • It appears that Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has suffered a minor hamstring injury, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. Laine reports that, despite a history of nagging hamstring issues, this minor injury will be no threat to Evans’ Week 1 status. Hamstring injuries caused Evans to miss a game last season and forced him to injured reserve in Week 14 of the 2019 season. Evans has shown incredible resiliency, as the 13 games played in 2019 were the least he’s ever played in a season. He’s had a strong history of never letting injuries keep him out for long and never keeping him from reaching the 1,000-yard receiving mark.
  • Wide receiver Byron Pringle joined the Bears after a bit of a breakout season with the Chiefs last year. Chicago head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters that, unfortunately, Pringle’s debut with the Bears may be a little delayed, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The fourth-year receiver out of Kansas State suffered a quad injury that Eberflus says will cause him to “be out for some time.” Pringle’s only history with injuries in the NFL came two years ago when he spent three weeks on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
  • One of the Ravens’ two first-round picks, center Tyler Linderbaum suffered a lower leg injury this week that should hold him out for a short time, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “It’s not a serious thing,” head coach John Harbaugh explained after Friday’s practice. “It’s going to be probably at least a week…It could be two weeks. We’ll see.” Linderbaum, the first ever center that Baltimore has utilized a first-round pick on, is expected to take the starting job as a rookie and will play a large role in a comeback season for a Ravens team that saw their 2020 season derailed by a litany of season-ending injuries.
  • While trying to cover wide receiver Amari Rodgers in one-on-ones yesterday, Packers safety Darnell Savage suffered a hamstring injury and was forced to sit out the rest of practice, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Savage downplayed the severity of the injury when talking to reporters. “I don’t think it’s a concern,” Savage said. “It’s a fast-people injury. Some of those things you can’t avoid. I’ll just handle it the right way…and I’ll be alright.”
  • Giants fifth-round pick Marcus McKethan suffered an ACL injury yesterday and will be out for his entire rookie season, according to Field Yates of ESPN. The offensive guard out of North Carolina was a reserve depth piece on New York’s line and was not expected to have much of an impact during his first NFL season, but a season-ending injury to any of a team’s players is never good news.

Saints LB Kiko Alonso To Retire

August 6th, 2022 at 1:00pm CST by Ben Levine

After just signing with the Saints the other day, Kiko Alonso is calling it a career. The veteran linebacker is retiring, according to Brooke Kirchhofer of WWLTV (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Saints To Sign LB Kiko Alonso]

Alonso hadn’t seen the field since the 2019 season, but he decided to reunite with the Saints on Thursday. Two days later, he’s hanging up his cleats. According to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell (on Twitter), Alonso’s reverse decision had nothing to do with his health. Rather, the veteran simply changed his mind, with Terrell noting that it’d be tough for the linebacker to return after such a lengthy absence if he wasn’t 100 percent committed.

Once a longtime starter, Alonso has not played since suffering an ACL tear in New Orleans’ wild-card loss to Minnesota in January 2020. During that 2019 campaign, Alonso started four of his 13 appearances and collected 31 tackles. Prior to his season in New Orleans, the linebacker had stints with the Bills and Dolphins. While Alonso never came close to replicating his 159-tackle rookie season (in which he earned PFWA NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors), he still topped 110 tackles for three straight seasons between 2016 and 2018.

Alonso will retire having compiled 588 tackles, seven forced fumbles, and 10 interceptions in 86 career games.

Since Alonso’s last regular-season game, the Saints drafted Zack Baun in the 2020 third round and Pete Werner in the 2021 second. The latter profiles as a better bet to start alongside Demario Davis this season. Rookie fifth-round pick D’Marco Jackson is currently sidelined, so Alonso was expected to provide at least some temporary depth at the position. As Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football points out on Twitter, the Saints may need to sign another middle linebacker to fill out their roster.

49ers To Sign WR Willie Snead

August 6th, 2022 at 12:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

SATURDAY, 12:24pm: The 49ers have officially announced the signing.

FRIDAY, 4:07pm: Snead’s three-workout week will lead to a deal. The 49ers will add Snead to their 90-man roster, Wilson tweets. They will be his sixth NFL team. A former UDFA out of Ball State, Snead initially caught on with the Browns and Panthers before making a splash with the Saints. He has since played with the Ravens and Raiders before most recently circling back to the Panthers to close out the 2021 season.

3:26pm: Willie Snead is finishing up a busy week, one ending with a third workout. After auditioning for the Texans and Cardinals, the veteran wide receiver is in San Francisco for a 49ers tryout, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.

Snead, who worked out for the Texans on Tuesday and Cardinals on Thursday, has generated some late interest despite not having much of a role with the Raiders or Panthers last season. The longtime slot target split time with Las Vegas and Carolina in 2021, catching four passes for 38 yards. After working out Snead, the Texans chose to sign Chester Rogers, who also participated in that audition.

Other than Marquise Brown, Snead is the wideout with the longest ties to the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson-run offense. Snead spent three seasons in Baltimore, signing a Ravens RFA offer sheet in 2018 and re-signing — on a one-year, $6MM extension — in 2019. After leaving Baltimore last year, Snead signed a one-year Raiders deal worth just $1.1MM. The Raiders cut him midway through the season, leading the former Drew Brees auxiliary target to the Panthers’ practice squad.

Snead, 29, is long removed from his best statistical seasons — his first two years with the Saints, who rostered the former UDFA from 2015-17 — but may soon have a chance to play an eighth NFL season. The 49ers have Jauan Jennings alongside top receiver investments Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and they also used a third-round pick on Danny Gray this offseason. The team signed ex-Steelers slot player/return man Ray-Ray McCloud and ex-Cowboy Malik Turner earlier this year.

The 49ers also worked out quarterback James Morgan, who has joined Snead in going through a busy travel schedule over the past several days. Morgan tried out for the Seahawks earlier this week, and the Green Bay native auditioned for the Packers recently as well. While Jimmy Garoppolo remains on the 49ers’ 90-man roster, he is not practicing with the team. Behind Trey Lance, the 49ers have Nate Sudfeld and 2022 Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy.

49ers Sign OT Jordan Mills

August 6th, 2022 at 12:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Jordan Mills has found a new home. The veteran offensive tackle has signed with the 49ers, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).

Mills has bounced around the NFL since his four-year stint with the Bills ended in 2018. He started two of his three games for the Cardinals in 2019 before suffering a knee injury that ultimately sidelined him for the rest of the season. The lineman spent most of the 2020 campaign on the Cowboys practice squad before catching on with the Saints last offseason. In total, Mills has seen time in 100 career games (87 starts), and he started a single playoff game for Buffalo in 2017.

The 31-year-old ended up getting into 10 games (three starts) for New Orleans in 2021. It wasn’t a great performance; while he didn’t play enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ list, he would have ranked in the bottom-four among tackles with at least 200 offensive snaps.

Mills was recently in for a visit with the 49ers along with fellow linemen Tyree St. Louis and Caleb Benenoch. Jaylon Moore is currently sidelined with a lower leg strain, and he had mostly been serving as the primary swing tackle behind Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey. Mills will get some extra reps while Moore is out, and the veteran addition will likely be competing with the likes of Colton McKivitz and Justin Skule for a roster spot.

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