NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Terry McLaurin may not be ready for Week One

The Commanders may have to start the season without their top receiver.

Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s status is uncertain for the Commanders’ regular-season opener against the Cardinals, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

McLaurin suffered a turf toe injury on Monday night. There’s been optimism that the injury is not too severe, but turf toe does usually keep wide receivers out for multiple weeks.

Last season McLaurin started all 17 games and caught 77 passes for 1,191 yards. The Commanders hope he and new starting quarterback Sam Howell are going to be a strong connection for years to come, but they may have to wait just a little longer to see that happen.

 

Last nights finals... Plus 3 more on tap for tonight...

 

Speaking of last night. Hammered by severe weather again. No less than 4 tornados in the Toledo area (radar indicated) and a gust front came through with the main storm bringing 70mph winds through. Power flashed on and off to the point where I had to run around in the dark shutting down my electronic devices, including the air-conditioner, which sucked (or blowed). Manage to survive with no additional damage, just a ton of flooding around. Nothing says fun like standing in foot deep water unplugging the driveway drain in an electrical storm to keep the water from encroaching on my house. By the way, I unplugged the driveway drain with one of my Bower hockey sticks... youda been proud of me, got the drain opened and then challenge Mother Nature (that whore) to drop the gloves and 'go' with me. Lightning then struck close by and I ran like a sissy (or wise man) to the back-door.

 

So you phuqed around and almost found out?

 

Josh Jacobs is returning to the building.

Jacobs and the Raiders have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, according to multiple reports.

Las Vegas and Jacobs had been at an impasse since the two sides did not agree to a long-term deal before the deadline in mid-July. But per NFL Media, Jacobs’ new contract includes a base salary of $11.8 million and he can earn another $200,000 in incentives.

Had Jacobs just signed his franchise tender, he would’ve made $10.1 million. But the renegotiated contract gets Jacobs more money in 2023. Plus, if he’s franchised again, he’ll make even more in 2024.

Because Jacobs was not under contract, he is not subject to any fines for missing training camp and the preseason.

Jacobs led the league with 1,653 yards rushing and 2,053 yards from scrimmage. The No. 24 overall pick of the 2019 draft, Jacobs’ fifth-year option was declined last year. That set up the Raiders to need the franchise tag to keep him in the fold.

Las Vegas will take on Denver to open the season. And now Jacobs should be with the club, too.
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Yes. there’s value in withholding services.

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs proved it on Saturday, emerging with an enhanced one-year deal after staying away from training camp and the preseason for a month.

For the first time in the 30-year history of the franchise tag, a team kicked in more base salary than the player would have earned under the one-year guaranteed tender. Earlier this year, Giants running back Saquon Barkley secured an incentive package above the $10.1 million base rate, with up to $900,000 in incentives. In contrast, Jacobs has a base of $11.8 million, with another $200,000 in incentives.

While it’s unkown whether Barkley could have gotten a similar contract if he’d boycotted practice for a month, Jacobs drew a line in the sand and won.

It helped that Jacobs was truly upset with the team, that it wasn’t an act. When they didn’t pick up his fifth-year option last year and then didn’t make a meaningful long-term offer after a great 2022 season forced the franchise tag, Jacobs was genuinely miffed.

The Raiders still have the ability to tag Jacobs again in 2024. But the one-year price tag will be at least $14.16 million, a 20-percent raise of his salary in 2023. Barkley is on track for a salary of $12.12 million next year, if tagged again.

That’s a potential two-year haul for Jacobs of $25.96 million under the tag. Given the current running back market, that’s a damn good deal.

NBC

 

The 1 O'clock games are finals, the rest get going at 6

 

Power to the employees.

 

Mike McDaniel: It would be “inappropriate” to keep playing after Daewood Davis injury

Saturday night’s Dolphins-Jaguars game was called off early after Dolphins rookie receiver Daewood Davis suffered a head and neck injury that had him taken off the field on a stretcher and brought to a hospital by ambulance. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said there was no question that ending the game was the right call.

McDaniel said he, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, and the two teams’ NFL Players Association representatives had a brief meeting and all agreed to stop playing.

“The collection of the two NFLPA representatives, Doug and myself made the right call,” McDaniel said. “The two teams agreed that football shouldn’t be played any more tonight. Without a shadow of a doubt, I know that was the right call, so I’m proud of the collective group for doing the right thing.”

Davis has movement in all his extremities and McDaniel said the initial news from the medical staff was good, which is a relief to players who were visibly shaken by the seriousness of his injury.

“Our guys are hurting but relieved,” McDaniel said. “You could see in the collective faces of both teams, their mind wasn’t on football at all. So I thought it was inappropriate to play football.”

It was the second time this preseason that a game ended early because of an injury. The Packers and Patriots also agreed to end their preseason game in the fourth quarter after Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden was taken off the field on a stretcher. Bolden was treated and released at a local hospital.

NBC

 

Officials ejected Tomlinson for a facemask penalty with only 5:19 gone in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Broncos... as they should have.

 

One more game to go (tonight) and it all gets real!

 

The Colts could trade Jonathan Taylor in the next few days and Kenyan Drake won’t be part of the plans to replace him in the backfield if they do pull the trigger on a deal.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the Colts have released Drake. The Colts and the league’s other 31 teams have until Tuesday afternoon to pare their rosters down to 53 players.

Drake signed with the Colts in early August as they dealt with the absences of Taylor and Zack Moss. He ran 13 times for 36 yards and caught three passes for 29 yards in the team’s three preseason games.

Taylor, Moss, Deon Jackson, fifth-round pick Evan Hull, Jake Funk, and Jason Huntley are the remaining running backs on the Indianapolis roster.

 

What does Josh Jacobs deal mean for Jonathan Taylor?

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs breathed a little life into the running back market on Saturday. What does that mean for the other big-name running back who is trying to turn things around for himself and presumably other tailbacks?

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is still operating under a non-binding deadline of Tuesday for working out a trade that will be acceptable to the Colts. The Dolphins continue to be the team most prominently linked to Taylor.

There has been speculation that Taylor will do a below-market deal in order to get out of Indy. To understand the extent to which he would be going below the market, it’s important to know where the market is.

Christian McCaffrey continues to be the highest-paid running back, via his $16 million per year deal negotiated in early 2020 with Carolina. (The 49ers, we’re told, view it at $12 million, because that was the value of the contract they inherited.)

Jacobs, thanks to the bump in his franchise tag, could now get $25.96 million over two years under the tag — an average of nearly $13 million. That’s a major bump over the $10.1 million franchise tender, and more than twice the best deal that was secured on the open market this year: Miles Sanders from the Panthers, at $6.3 million per year.

Ultimately, what Taylor wants and what he can get are all that matter. The Jacobs deal gives Taylor a plausible, fact-based argument to push for a little more. The market is a little better for running backs today than it was yesterday. Taylor’s contract will be the next data point in the progression.

Which way will it go? Up or down or stagnant? It all comes down to whether a deal can be negotiated in the next two days, if the Colts intend to hold to the soft deadline of August 29.

NBC
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Its really weird to me how the landscape for the RB's in todays NFL has completely flipped and become such a freekin mess.

 

He may be doomed... I drafted him in an L4SN League.

Put him in reserve Will....he may turn out to be an Ace in the Hole.....Coach V really likes him and will play him.

 

I'm sorry your Vikes went 0-3 in Preseason.....I know it's Preseason but a win would have been nice.

Good Luck for 2023 season....I picked Minnesota to win the NFC North....BUT watch out it's going to be a Thriller Division.

 

Vikings have lost 10 straight preseason games, longest streak in the NFL, it doesnt mean anything as they won nothing in last years preseason and went 13-4 regular season. They didnt play starters hardly at all and Cousins took zero snaps along with a boat load of others. Preseason in Minnesota (and every other team) is for evaluation purposes and timing with getting certain players on the same page to try and see who can add something to depth. Game action is beneficial for some players, but there is always injury risk involved. One coach came out (i forget who now, think it was Seila in NY or the Packers dude) and said they wernt going to play scared and started the starters... good for them, hopefully they learned what they needed without anybody going down. Most teams only win a game in preseason based on shear luck. When a bunch of 2's and 3's clash, its not who wins a game, but who shows they desearve a spot on the 53. Ravens finally lost a preseason game, but i bet it doesnt mean a thing.. in fact the whole damn win streak was just a fluke and was absolutely meaningless... just ask Harbough.

Good luck to you and your Titans. Looking forward to the season. I love Henry, he's phenomenal, but i really like how well Spears has shined... he could be something great, but time will only tell. Chestnut aint looking too shabby either.

Tannehill may be the new Kirk Cousins, underrated, nitpicked QB of the year. He really was good in 2020, but since then the wheels fell off and its all his fault, lol. Cant name a single WR with them that could be called a star... maybe that might have something to do with it, but who knows.

Anyway, thats more than you asked for, thanks for reading.

 

Another Chicago Bear is hitting the market ahead of Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline. The Bears announced they are waiving offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was first with the news. Leatherwood was drafted with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders as the team’s future right tackle. He struggled mightily throughout his rookie season, and a poor 2022 preseason led to his release from the Raiders.

The Bears put in a claim for Leatherwood, hoping to get something out of the former Alabama standout, but he missed the first half of the season due to mononucleosis. He saw action in just four games near the end of the season, with mixed results. Leatherwood spent much of the 2023 offseason at guard and had moments during the preseason, but not enough to guarantee a spot on the 53-man roster. Leatherwood, who carries a $4.5 million dead cap hit, will now look for his third team in as many seasons. The news came on the heels of the Bears releasing backup quarterback P.J. Walker.

Given the Bears have question marks on the offensive line with Teven Jenkins out for multiple weeks and Nate Davis missing much of camp, seeing Leatherwood cut has Bears fans somewhat surprised.

YAHOO