NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Chase Young is expected to practice Wednesday

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said last week that the team was targeting this week for defensive end Chase Young‘s return to practice and that plan remains in place.

Rivera said that the team plans to have Young in practice this Wednesday. That would begin a 21-day window for Young to practice with the team before they’d face a deadline to activate him.


Young could be activated at any point in that window, but would be out for the year if that doesn’t happen.

Young tore his ACL on November 14 last year and the Commanders play the Eagles on Monday, November 14 in Week 10. Assuming Young doesn’t get the green light against the Vikings this week, he may mark the anniversary of his injury with his return to action.

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Cooper Kupp has sprained ankle, is considered day-to-day



The Los Angeles Rams may have dodged a bullet at the end of their 31-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Cooper Kupp caught a pass with about a minute left and was tackled awkwardly, causing him to lay on the turf for a little while.

However, on Monday, Ian Rapoport shared an encouraging update. Kupp suffered a low ankle sprain and is considered day-to-day. Rapoport said Kupp has a chance to play this week against the Buccaneers, which is good to hear.

 

Ravens agree to trade for Roquan Smith

Orange uniform and all...



Linebacker Roquan Smith was emotional about the Bears’ decision to trade Robert Quinn last week and he’s now on his way to a new team.

According to multiple reports, the Ravens have agreed to acquire Smith in a trade. The Bears will add 2023 second- and fifth-round picks to the fourth-round selection they got in the Quinn deal.


The NFL’s trade deadline is Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET.

Smith requested a trade this offseason and sat out of practices at training camp before ultimately agreeing to play out the final year of his rookie contract in Chicago. He has started every game for the Bears and has 83 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions on the year.

Smith will join Patrick Queen, Josh Bynes, A.J. Klein, Malik Harrison, Del'Shawn Phillips, and Kristian Welch at linebacker in Baltimore.

PFT

 

This one makes a lot more sense...

As the Chicago mock GM (and Bears fans, PLEASE come join us in next year's mock drafts so that your team doesn't get stuck with me again!) I didn't like the Quinn trade. That one struck me as giving up more than it gained.

But this one? Unload an unhappy guy in the final year of his contract and get a second AND fifth rounder in return? I'd be all over that.

If he jumped ship in free agency next March, the best I could possibly get in return would be a pick at the end of the 3rd round - in 2024. And I'd have to be very careful about free agency myself next spring just to make sure I got it.

No thanks. Much better to trade his ass now and get the second round pick next year, plus the fifth rounder as a bonus.

 

Monday Night Football: Browns end four-game losing streak with 32-13 blowout of Bengals



The Browns were too much for the Bengals on Monday Night Football.

Cleveland blew out their Ohio neighbors 32-13. The Browns stopped a four-game skid, improving to 3-5, while the Bengals saw their winning streak end in falling to 4-4.


The Browns gained 440 yards, while holding the Bengals to 229.

Nick Chubb rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries; Jacoby Brissett ran for a touchdown and completed 17 of 22 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown; and Amari Cooper caught five passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had a rough night without star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who is out with a hip injury, and behind a shaky offensive line. The Browns sacked Burrow five times, including 1.5 by Myles Garrett, intercepted him once and forced a fumble.

Burrow completed 25 of 35 passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Burrow is now 0-4 against the Browns, while Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski is 5-0 against the Bengals.

Joe Mixon had only eight carries for 27 yards.

Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd each had a touchdown catch.

PFT

 

WEEK 8 is in the Books.

 

What We Learned from Browns win over Bengals on Monday night...

1. Joe Woods might be authoring another unexpected turnaround. The glimpses of improvement first arrived in Cleveland's narrow loss to Baltimore, a game in which the Browns largely contained Lamar Jackson, but couldn't pull off the comeback. Faced with another premier talent under center and a number of key players out due to injury, the Browns answered the call in a big way. With an offense that currently can't run its way out of a wet paper bag, the pass-happy Bengals found the going to be difficult for most of the evening. It began with a deflected Joe Burrow pass that ended in an interception, and continued with Cleveland's constant harassment of Burrow to the tune of five sacks and a forced fumble. The Browns morphed into an unexpectedly opportunistic defense, forcing two Burrow turnovers, and more importantly, limiting an offense that averaged nearly 300 passing yards per game from Weeks 4-7. After six weeks of defensive ineptitude, the Browns are starting to look like they did in the second half of the 2021 season. It may have come in just the nick of time for Woods to keep his job -- and potentially turn around Cleveland's season.
2. Joe Burrow's winless streak against the Browns lives on. At this point, Burrow's resume doesn't need to be stated, yet for some reason, he can't find a way to defeat the team for which he once cheered. Burrow is now 0-4 in games against the Browns in his professional career, losing twice in Cleveland with vastly different surrounding casts. The last time Burrow fell at FirstEnergy Stadium, his Bengals team was slowly working toward contention in his rookie season. This time, after lighting up the scoreboard a week earlier at home, his Bengals were expected to win. Instead, they came out flat and allowed a surprisingly energetic Browns team to capitalize throughout the night. This is officially a point of focus in his career, and since he'll get two meetings per year with the intrastate rivals, it won't be the last we hear of it. Cincinnati, however, will likely want to forget this one as quickly as possible.
3. The Browns finally committed to running the ball. The discourse surrounding the Browns' four-game losing streak had been centered on two key points: disappointing defense and a lack of rushing attempts for Nick Chubb. Browns fans who do their homework will be happy to learn Chubb received 23 carries Monday night -- the point of demarcation between wins and losses for Cleveland has been 20 Chubb attempts -- and he made the most of them, gaining 101 yards and scoring two touchdowns. After getting too cute early in the game, Kevin Stefanski turned to his trusted back and brought in some extra help to get the job done, sending seven offensive linemen out for a goal-line package that saw Chubb take a direct snap in for a score. On the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, Stefanski tossed in another lineman (Drew Forbes) to lead block as a fullback, giving the Browns an 8-0 lead and Cleveland the satisfaction it so desperately desired. Cleveland is at its best when it keeps the ball on the ground, and Monday night's 172 rushing yards proved it.
4. Cincinnati needs to clean up the details. The Bengals came out flat on Monday night, plain and simple, almost as if their win over the Falcons entitled them to another victory over a struggling Browns squad. Dropped passes on important downs and small mistakes appeared throughout the first three quarters, and the loss of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie only made the task tougher for Cincinnati's defense. When the Bengals started their first scoring drive of the night, they had 95 total yards of offense with less than four minutes left in the third quarter. That total came from a team that gained 537 yards eight days earlier. By the time the Bengals woke up from their 40-minute sleepwalk, the deficit was too large for them to overcome. If Cincinnati wants to prove it wasn't a one-and-done contender in the AFC, it must avoid performances like Monday night's.
5. Cleveland learns how to close out a game. For the first time since the Browns' Week 3 win over Pittsburgh, they finally took an opportunity to put a team away and capitalized. A tip of the cap is due for Amari Cooper, who threw an interception on a trick play, then bounced back to snag a trio of key receptions that directly contributed to Cleveland's final score. The first was a 27-yard gain on a crossing route, and he followed that up with a toe-tapping touchdown just moments later. And finally, facing third-and-long, Jacoby Brissett heaved a pass to Cooper, who split two defenders downfield to make a diving 53-yard reception that extended a crucial drive for Cleveland and led to a touchdown. Without these grabs, the Browns very well could have allowed another team back into a game with which they should have run away. Instead, they were able to turn to Chubb and Kareem Hunt to slam the door. With tomorrow's trade deadline looming, we'll see if the Browns still have both parts of that backfield tandem. But for one night, they proved to be as important as ever -- with an assist from a prized offseason acquisition.

Next Gen stat of the game: Jacoby Brissett completed 8 of 9 passes of 10-plus air yards for 216 yards in the win over the Bengals.


NFL Research: Myles Garrett had 1.5 sacks Monday night, giving him 9.0 in his career against the Bengals, which is tied for the most against any team (Jets). He's also had a sack versus the Bengals in five straight games.

NFL.com

 

Bengals fear torn ACL for Chidobe Awuzie



Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie left Monday night’s loss to the Browns with a knee injury in the first half and word is that it will be a long time before he’s able to return to action.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Bengals fear Awuzie tore his ACL. He’ll have an MRI on Tuesday to confirm that is the case and he will miss the rest of this season if tests show a tear.


Awuzie signed a three-year contract with the Bengals before the 2021 season and has started all 26 games, regular season and postseason, he’s played for the team. He had 35 tackles and a fumble recovery in his eight starts this season.

The Bengals were without Eli Apple last night because of a hamstring injury and Tre Flowers hurt his during the game, which left Mike Hilton, Cam Taylor-Britt, and Jalen Davis as the healthy corners. Safety Dax Hill saw some time at corner on Monday as well.

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Lions trade T.J. Hockenson to Vikings



The Lions have traded one of their most talented players to a division rival.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson has been traded from Detroit to Minnesota, according to multiple reports.


The full terms of the deal are the Vikings sending a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick to Detroit in exchange for Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2024 conditional fourth-round pick.

For the 6-1 Vikings, this move shows they think they’re Super Bowl contenders, and they want to add one more playmaker before this afternoon’s NFL trade deadline.

For the 1-6 Lions, this move shows they’re packing it in on this season and looking ahead to 2023 and beyond.

Hockenson arrived in Detroit as the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He’s currently in the fourth year of his rookie contract. The Lions picked up his fifth-year option, so the Vikings now inherit his guaranteed 2023 salary of $9.392 million.

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Bears agree to trade for Chase Claypool



The Bears have been sellers on the trade market the last two weeks, but they switched roles to become buyers on Tuesday.

Field Yates of ESPN reports that the Bears have agreed to a trade with the Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool. A 2023 second-round pick will be going back to Pittsburgh.


The news comes a day after the Bears traded linebacker Roquan Smith to the Ravens. They also traded edge rusher Robert Quinn to the Eagles last week and picked up three 2023 draft picks, including Baltimore’s second-round pick, in those deals.

There are conflicting reports about whether it is the Bears’ original second-rounder or the one they got from the Ravens that will be going to Pittsburgh.

With the Steelers struggling and Diontae Johnson signing a contract extension earlier this year, Claypool’s name has been mentioned as a trade candidate in several corners in recent weeks. The Bears were rarely mentioned as a landing spot, but it seems Chicago see him as a piece that can help quarterback Justin Fields build on some promising recent performances.

Claypool was a 2020 second-round pick in Pittsburgh. He has 153 catches for 2,044 yards and 12 touchdowns over the course of his career.

UPDATE 2:03 p.m. ET: Reports that the Bears were trading the Ravens’ second-round pick to the Steelers have been corrected and all reports now indicate it is the Bears’ 2023 second-round pick going to Pittsburgh.

 

Commanders finalizing trade of William Jackson III to Steelers



The Commanders have finally found a trade partner to move on from cornerback William Jackson III.

The Steelers are finalizing a trade that will acquire Jackson from the Commanders, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.


Jackson, who signed a three-year, $40.5 million contract with the Commanders as a free agent in 2021, has made no secret that he wanted out, and the Commanders were reportedly planning to cut Jackson if they couldn’t get anything for him in a trade.

There’s no immediate word on what the Steelers are sending to Washington to acquire Jackson, but it’s likely nothing more than a late-round pick, as the Commanders wash their hands of a player who hasn’t lived up to expectations and doesn’t want to be there.

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Broncos trade Bradley Chubb to Dolphins for package including 49ers’ first-round pick



Bradley Chubb is heading to Miami.

Chubb, the Broncos linebacker who has been the subject of trade talks for the last few weeks, has been traded to the Dolphins.


The package the Dolphins are giving up will be the 49ers’ 2023 first-round draft pick, the Broncos’ 2024 fourth-round pick and running back Chase Edmonds for Chubb and the Broncos’ 2025 fifth-round pick, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Dolphins have the 49ers’ first-round pick next year because the 49ers traded up with them to draft Trey Lance in 2021. The Dolphins forfeited their own first-round pick for violating NFL tampering rules.

Chubb arrived in Denver as the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and he’s in the fifth and final season of his five-year rookie contract. The Dolphins certainly expect to sign Chubb to a long-term contract extension or else they wouldn’t have made this trade.

The Dolphins clearly see themselves as Super Bowl contenders, and now they’ve added a big piece to a defense that they hope will help them go on a postseason run.

PFT

 

Shocker? Not really. Unless Ian is saying it's a shocker from the Jacksonville perspective - but even then, wanting to give Trevor Lawrence an extra weapon for 2023 shouldn't come as much surprise either. From the Falcons side of things, dumping Deion Jones for essentially nothing in return should have made it seem highly likely that Ridley wasn't going to be playing for Atlanta next season.

Or maybe the shocker is that the two teams managed to work out the most complicated conditional picks clauses of the year on such short notice.

 

Bills beat deadline, agree to trade for Nyheim Hines



The Bills added another piece to their offensive backfield just ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s trade deadline.

According to multiple reports, they and the Colts agreed to a trade that will send running back Nyheim Hines to Buffalo. Hines had been the subject of plenty of trade chatter in recent days.


Hines has spent the last five years with the Colts and has carved out a role as a receiving threat out of the backfield. He has 235 catches for 1,725 yards and seven touchdowns as a receiver to go with 300 carries for 1,205 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Devin Singletary and James Cook have been the main backs in the Bills offense so far this season. Hines will begin working his way into the mix for his new team in practice this week.

UPDATE 4:07 p.m. ET: The Bills are trading running back Zack Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick to the Colts.

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Chiefs trade Rashod Fenton to Falcons



The Falcons have brought in a defensive back.

Kansas City has traded cornerback Rashad Fenton to Atlanta, according to multiple reports.


Fenton started the first five games of the season but has missed the last two with a hamstring injury. He has recorded 24 total tackles and a pair of passes defensed.

By trading Fenton, the Chiefs have gained $1.4 million in cap space.

Rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie is due to return soon from injured reserve. The first-round pick was suffered a hamstring injury during the season opener.

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Yup, was about to post this news myself.

Getting help at CB was another no-brainer, as the team's secondary has been just about annihilated by injuries. For the last two weeks they've been playing a practice squad guy across from a second year mid-rounder making his second and third career starts. Shouldn't be much of a surprise that they've struggled, with the practice squad guy in particular getting picked on early and often. The team has allowed a whopping 798 passing yards in the last two weeks with this pair of substitutes as the two outside cornerbacks.

If A.J. Terrell and Fenton can both come back from their hamstring injuries soon, it would obviously be a HUGE improvement.