The Daily Briefing Friday, November 12, 2021

And the ODELL winner, coming from way back in the field and surging down the final stretch, is THE RAMS!  See below.

NFC EAST

DALLAS

The Cowboys have placed EDGE RANDY GREGORY on injured reserve for what they hope will be a short stint.  Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com:

At some point this year, the Cowboys are going to have both Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence on the field together again.

But it won’t be this week against the Falcons. In fact, they won’t have either one of them as Gregory is now also on injured reserve with a calf injury he suffered in practice.

Gregory will now miss at least three games, which would mean he won’t return until the Dec. 2 New Orleans game at the earlier. He’ll be on IR alongside Lawrence, who has been out since Week 1 with a broken foot although his return seems likely for the near future.

But what about Sunday when the Falcons come to town with their 4-4 record after winning three of the last four games?

For starters, the Cowboys will probably turn to Dorance Armstrong and Tarell Basham, who has been the regular starter at defensive end with Lawrence out.

Basham has 16 tackles, one sack and is tied for second on the team with 13 pressures.

Armstrong had a stellar training camp but went down with a high-ankle sprain that forced him to miss four games.

“Obviously I missed a whole month, too and this is my third game back, but I’m ready to play,” Armstrong said. “You’ve got to have that next-man-up mentality. But I’ll be ready.”

And of course, there’s always the options to use rookie linebacker Micah Parsons off the edge as well. Parsons has played most inside backer this year but has occasionally rushed from the end spot. In Week 2 against the Chargers, Parsons rushed from the outside most of the game and did record a sack.

But lately, he’s played more linebacker and still rushed from the middle either as a designated rusher or blitzing. He had 2.5 sacks last week against the Broncos and also has five tackles for loss in the last two games.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

QB CAM NEWTON returns to Carolina.  Joseph Person of The Athletic:

The Panthers have signed their former MVP quarterback Cam Newton, the team announced Thursday. It’s a one-year deal worth as much as $10 million, including $4.5 million guaranteed and a $1.5 million roster bonus, for Newton, per source, and the Panthers’ No. 1 jersey is available.

Newton, 32, was a free agent after the Patriots released him before this season, while the Panthers (4-5) have struggled under quarterback Sam Darnold, who is battling a shoulder injury.

Carolina is the organization that drafted and developed Newton into an NFL star after selecting him first in the 2011 draft. Four years later, in 2015, Newton led Carolina to a franchise-best 15–1 record en route to a Super Bowl appearance. But following that MVP season, he was limited with injuries and the Panthers made the playoffs only once in the subsequent four seasons. He missed most of the 2019 season to surgery and was released by Carolina. He played the 2020 season with the Patriots and was released following this preseason.

Newton, whose unvaccinated status reportedly played a part in the Patriots’ decision to release him, announced last month that he is vaccinated.

“Hell yeah, I still want to play football,” Newton said last month on YouTube, after announcing that he badly wanted to return to the game so he got vaccinated against the coronavirus, something he had initially been reluctant to do.

“I still get that urge to go out and perform and do something that I’ve been doing since I was 7 years old,” Newton said. “But also, it’s like, man, I’m so much more than just a football player. Respect me as such.”

With Darnold out four to six weeks with a shoulder injury, the Panthers’ only other quarterbacks on the active roster were P.J. Walker and recently acquired Matt Barkley.

Panthers coach Matt Rhule announced Thursday that Walker will start Sunday against the Cardinals and did not rule out the potential of Newton playing. Rhule did say that the focus will be on getting Newton “up to speed.”

More on the move from Person:

The Panthers’ pursuit of Cam Newton started late Tuesday night in Scott Fitterer’s second-floor office at Bank of America Stadium. Several of the team’s top decision-makers were gathered, and there was serious business to discuss:

The Panthers needed a quarterback.

Two days of MRIs and CT scans on Sam Darnold’s throwing shoulder revealed an incomplete fracture of Darnold’s scapula. The Panthers would have to put their struggling quarterback on injured reserve, with an estimated recovery time of four to six weeks.

The Panthers had already moved to sign Matt Barkley off Tennessee’s practice squad to serve as an emergency quarterback. And they would soon start preparing former Temple quarterback P.J. Walker to start Sunday’s game at Arizona.

But with the NFL’s second-ranked defense and an offense that had just gotten All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey back from IR, the Panthers (4-5) wanted a veteran quarterback with some juice to breathe life into a sagging offense, energize a turned-off fan base and keep the team’s playoff hopes alive.

Fitterer, the first-year general manager, discussed the options with head coach Matt Rhule, assistant general manager Dan Morgan, vice president of player personnel Pat Stewart, and Rhule’s assistant, Matthew Delgado. The discussion turned to Newton, one of the most iconic players in team history whom the Panthers released two months after Rhule was hired in 2020.

“We were just talking about options we had, and what’s the best thing for us moving forward,” Fitterer said. “From there, it went from a conversation to a phone call just to gauge interest.”

Rhule walked down the hall to his office to call Newton, who’d reportedly drawn interest only from Seattle and Houston since the Patriots cut him in August after rookie Mac Jones won the starting job. After arriving from Baylor, Rhule would bump into Newton at the stadium occasionally when Newton was recovering from foot surgery.

“After we talked and deliberated, I went to my office, got on the phone and called,” Rhule said. “Asked him if he’d have any interest in coming back to the Carolina Panthers. He emphatically said yes. He and I had a good conversation. We decided to let his representatives and Scott and our people here start to work out a deal.”

In February, Newton told the “I Am Athlete” podcast he thought he intimidated the Panthers’ new regime, and there have long been rumblings that Newton’s super-sized presence was viewed as a poor fit for a new coach turning over a roster that was the NFL’s youngest in 2020.

But Rhule said the decision to release the 2015 MVP was rooted in Newton’s health. Specifically, the Panthers were concerned about Newton’s throwing shoulder — which had been surgically repaired twice — more than his foot. Newton played only two games in 2019 before a second opinion revealed a Lisfranc fracture, which required surgery in December of that year.

“We made a football decision at the time, based on his health. We weren’t sure what his health was. Cam understands that. Cam understands these are football decisions and football-based evaluations that you have to make,” Rhule said.

Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com:

Cam Newton is back in Carolina because the Panthers believe they can make the playoffs. And David Tepper, now in his fourth season of Panthers ownership with three losing seasons already, has told people in the building that they have one goal and it is to make the playoffs this year.

Cam Newton is back in Carolina because the Panthers were desperate. Darnold wasn’t their first (Matthew Stafford) or second (Deshaun Watson) choice in the offseason, but he was the veteran quarterback they believed they could nab. They, of course, were in that position because Teddy Bridgewater’s poor play in the four-minute offense showed to Tepper that this team wouldn’t compete for a playoff spot with the now-Denver QB.

And Cam Newton is back in Carolina because he wants to be. I’m told Newton was “eager to get back,” according to a team source. He wasn’t going to play for nothing, and the Panthers cap guru Samir Suleiman had to get creative with the one-year deal that will pay Newton up to $10 million if he can win them Super Bowl LVI.

Things between Newton and the team didn’t end in flames. Breaking up is hard, and the Panthers probably want a redo on some things said and done in 2020. But the building didn’t leak negative stories about Newton following his departure to try to explain his release. The story was simply: his shoulder isn’t healthy, the team didn’t want to roll the dice on it another year and it was probably time for a fresh start.

The relationship was always repairable; Carolina just had to pick up the phone.

In the past few weeks it’s become clear that Darnold is a dud. In the past week it became clear the Panthers had to get Newton.

“Darnold is a dud.”

NEW ORLEANS

RB ALVIN KAMARA goes on the injury watch list.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

It’s looking like the Saints may have to play without running back Alvin Kamara this Sunday.

Kamara was not on the practice field during the portion of the session open to the media on Thursday. Kamara also sat out on Wednesday with a knee injury that he picked up during last Sunday’s loss to the Falcons. Kamara didn’t leave that game for good, but things would appear to be trending in the wrong direction for this weekend.

Mark Ingram would be in line for a bump in playing time if Kamara is out. Josh Adams could also be in the mix after signing to the practice squad this week.

Left tackle Terron Armstead (shoulder, foot), safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (foot), and defensive end Payton Turner (shoulder) were also off the field for the second straight day.

The chances of RB MARK INGRAM becoming the Saints all-time leading rusher this week have gone up.  Katherine Terrell of The Athletic:

@Kat_Terrell

Of random note this week: Mark Ingram is 20 yards away from passing Deuce McAllister’s franchise record of 6,096 rushing yards

NFC WEST

LOS ANGELES RAMS

ESPN.com with the signing of WR ODELL BECKHAM, Jr.:

Odell Beckham Jr. has agreed to a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams, the team announced Thursday.

The free-agent wide receiver joins a high-powered offense led by quarterback Matthew Stafford and adds to a depth chart at the position that already includes Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson.

Beckham became a free agent when he cleared waivers on Tuesday after being released by the Cleveland Browns.

The Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks were among the other teams Beckham considered this week, sources had told ESPN.

Stafford said Thursday he has a lot of respect for Beckham, whom he played with at a Pro Bowl. He lauded Beckham for being “outstanding” both when the ball is in the air and after the catch and said he was “excited” to be able to work with him on the Rams.

“It’s an opportunity for us as a team, it’s an opportunity for him to come in here and prove himself to us. What our room is about in the receiver room is pretty special. I know he’ll fit right in and continue to get better and hopefully help us as a team,” Stafford said.

Stafford said if Beckham wants to win, “that’s what we’re all about,” and he was confident he’ll be able to contribute.

“Everybody on our team carves out their role. They do a great job of figuring out what that role is going to be and going out there and proving it both on the practice field and in games, and given the opportunities I know he’ll do the same,” he said.

In Los Angeles, Beckham essentially replaces veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who was released after the trade deadline last week. Jackson signed with the Las Vegas Raiders this week.

Beckham is the second high-profile player added by the Rams this month, after Los Angeles traded for star pass-rusher Von Miller before the deadline last week. Miller welcomed Beckham to Los Angeles on his Instagram Story, posting: “Let’s chase this ring family!!!!”

Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tries to understand the riddle of why WR DeSEAN JACKSON was a non-fit with the Rams, but Beckham might be:

When he was available for trade in 2018, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was near the top of the list of players the Los Angeles Rams wanted to acquire. When the Rams finally landed him Thursday, Beckham had become a player they needed.

That need was evident in two ways: The Rams required help for their banged-up receiver group and needed to keep adding talent in their obsessive quest to win Super Bowl LVI in their home stadium on Feb. 13, 2022.

To be sure, Beckham is the latest big name the Rams have added to a star-filled galaxy of players on a loaded roster. In case it wasn’t already clear, the Rams are all-in on winning the Lombardi trophy this season, and adding Beckham eight days after trading for pass-rusher Von Miller drives that point home further.

But this move isn’t just about collecting another former Pro Bowler capable of moving “Rams Royal” and “Bone” jerseys in the team store, though the Rams don’t mind adding more star power in a Hollywood market that craves it. This was about finding a receiver who could help a painfully thin receiver group that has been battered by injuries and a premature divorce from veteran DeSean Jackson.

As it stands, the only accomplished, healthy wideouts on the roster are starters Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, as well as third option Van Jefferson. In recent weeks, the Rams released Jackson after he grew uncomfortable with a diminished role and lost rookies Tutu Atwell and Jacob Harris to season-ending injuries. Earlier this week, a waiver claim to bring back released wideout Josh Reynolds fell short.

As of Thursday morning, the only depth behind Kupp, Woods and Jefferson was provided by Ben Skowronek and J.J. Koski, a pair of first-year wideouts who have a combined three catches for 30 yards.

It just so happened Beckham was the best option available for the wideout-thin and Super Bowl-hungry Rams. Add in the fact that Beckham is still going to be paid by the Cleveland Browns — which means he could easily fit under the salary cap on a one-year deal — and an attractive destination like Los Angeles, where Beckham spends plenty of time in the offseason, and the match makes sense for both sides.

Although landing in Los Angeles — where Kupp and Woods are already established — would seem to go against Beckham’s desire to get back to his No. 1 wideout ways, there should still be plenty of opportunities for him to rebuild his value.

This season, the Rams have three or more receivers on the field 86% of the time — more than any team in the league. And if that wasn’t enough, the Rams also go empty — five pass-catchers and no running backs on the field — on 19% of those plays, also the highest in the NFL.

Where does Beckham fit? Ideally for the Rams, in a modified version of the role the Rams envisioned for Jackson. While Beckham’s overall production has dropped in recent years, he still has the ability to get deep. His average depth of target this season was 13.79 yards, while the only Rams player with an average depth of target above 9.0 yards is Jefferson (12.91), according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Given that quarterback Matthew Stafford ranks first in the NFL with 10 touchdown passes when targeting vertical routes, Beckham should have plenty of chances to not only go long but play an integral role in helping the Rams make an equally deep run in the postseason.

More from Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com:

“Getting Odell would have been very prohibitive,” Rams general manager Les Snead told Yahoo Sports later that summer, only weeks removed from the Giants signing Beckham Jr. to a monster contract extension.

Well, some dreams come true if you wait long enough. Sometimes they even come far more cheaply than you ever imagined. And that’s what transpired Thursday for the Rams, who signed Beckham Jr. through the rest of the 2021 season — parting with nothing more than some available cap space to make it happen. Snead and McVay got their man. Now we’ll see if everyone involved can make it work.

The big question for the Rams is what version of Beckham Jr. are they actually getting? Is it the elite cornerstone they coveted in 2018? Is it the oft-injured and rarely satisfied wideout that has appeared to be a shade of himself since that 2018 season? Or is it something in between — a player who has descended from his peak but remains valuable enough to be a reliable cog in a Super Bowl machine?

This is what the next several months are going to be about for Beckham Jr. Showcasing to the outside world that he’s not the player who went sideways with Eli Manning and the Giants — but also not the injured and dissatisfied presence that led the Cleveland Browns to dump him last week. And making his case with his fourth coaching staff reboot since 2016: From Ben McAdoo and the Giants in 2016; to Freddie Kitchens and then Kevin Stefanski with the Browns; and now on to McVay with the Rams.

That’s a lot of head coaching changeover in only six years. But McVay represents something the others didn’t. To be blunt, he’s the first head coach Beckham Jr. has chosen for himself. Just like this Rams offensive system and the veteran quarterback running it, Matt Stafford. Not to mention the city of Los Angeles, which Beckham Jr. chose long before this move was made.

Those points can’t be underscored, because they put all of the onus of responsibility onto one set of shoulders. And those shoulders belong to Beckham Jr. If this situation doesn’t work, it wasn’t someone else’s doing or decision. This was Beckham Jr.’s free agency and his only task was to pick the environment that not only wanted him, but also suited him. And that’s precisely what he did.

But with it, he steps into an offense that already has two dominant and established receivers in Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. The same Kupp who is far and away Stafford’s favorite target. And the same Woods who pushed for more “involvement” (translated: more targets) in this Rams offense in early October. These are not wallflowers. They are going to be two players entrenched at the No. 1 and No. 2 receiver positions. Which means Beckham Jr. is coming in as a very defined asset — that of being in a supporting role, with players who are unquestionably better than him right now.

To this point, being a supporting role player has not been something that has kept Beckham Jr. satisfied. Nor has he filled that kind of position while also needing to get his career on track for the next wave of free agency, which will come for him next March. Somehow, he’s got to show the rest of the NFL that he’s still a viable No. 1 or No. 2 wideout on a team that already has one of each. Not to mention a running back in Darrell Henderson and young wide receiver in Van Jefferson who each eat up a handful of targets each game. If Beckham is going to get his, that means someone else either needs to lose some of theirs — or this Rams offense needs to kick into a higher gear and become an even higher volume passing offense than it already is.

In the middle of all that, someone is going to have their hands full. Either McVay or Stafford or both. And most definitely Beckham Jr. himself, as he tries to display that his frustrations in Cleveland were Cleveland-type frustrations. He can’t have any of those same issues in Los Angeles, nor can the Rams afford to let that come to fruition, either.

Starting now, it all has to be fresh and new and look backward in time to what might have been three years ago. Because these are team leaders and a player who once dreamt about each other. Now that dream has come true, albeit a little later than each had hoped. Time will tell if this experience is anything like they had envisioned.

Or if it was destined to be prohibitive no matter how it turned out.

It’s minimum contract with bonuses, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Over the balance of the 2021 season, receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will make $4.25 million in termination pay from the Browns. He’ll make up to that same amount from his new team, the Rams.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Beckham will earn $1.25 million in base pay ($500,000 signing bonus and $750,000 salary) through the next nine weeks. He’ll also be eligible for $3 million in incentives based on team achievements in the regular season and postseason.

The fact that Beckham’s extra $3 million comes from team achievements and not personal statistics could make him a little less frustrated if he’s not getting the playing time or the touches that he hopes he’ll see. Still, his ability to get paid in 2022 will depend on whether he can make a splash down the stretch. That will mean invading the three-receiver set consisting of Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Van Jefferson.

Beckham needs $3 million in all to match what he would have made from the Browns this season, if he hadn’t made a power play to get released. He’ll need to earn $1.75 million in incentives to get there.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic takes the Ravens to task for getting plowed in Miami:

Let’s get this out of the way before trying to dissect the hows and whys of the Ravens’ performance Thursday night.

The Ravens got what they deserved in their 22-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

For the better part of 10 weeks, the Ravens have struggled to put together a complete football game. They’ve repeatedly gotten off to slow starts, they’ve endured breakdowns on both sides of the ball and they’ve played through myriad mistakes. And for many of those weeks, they overcame those issues, largely because of the brilliance of quarterback Lamar Jackson and kicker Justin Tucker.

The recipe felt unsustainable, but the Ravens deserved the benefit of the doubt. They were finding ways to win and they would figure out the rest of it from there. They traditionally get better as the season goes along under John Harbaugh. They are at least supposed to be getting healthier. To be leading the AFC North with all their injuries and inconsistency can only portend good things.

Then, Thursday night happened and all of a sudden, it feels reasonable to question a whole lot about this football team and its staying power atop arguably the league’s most balanced division.

“Out-coached us, outplayed us,” Harbaugh said. “Bottom line is, this falls squarely on me as the head coach. We were not prepared the way we needed to be prepared. Our schemes weren’t up to snuff. And we weren’t prepared to execute the way we needed to. So that’s it. Not on one player. Our players played their hearts out. … We just weren’t ready, and that’s on me.”

There actually was plenty of blame to go around after the Ravens (6-3) played one of their worst games of Harbaugh’s tenure. It certainly was the worst offensive performance of the Lamar Jackson era.

The offense didn’t find the end zone until there was just over four minutes to play. At that point, it was getting outscored by the Dolphins’ defense. Jackson, who was touted to celebrate his South Florida homecoming by lighting up Hard Rock Stadium and the Dolphins’ 30th-ranked defense, looked equal parts frustrated and confused. The Ravens went just 2-for-14 on third down and you got the feeling that if the two teams played another four quarters, Baltimore would still have not figured out how to pick up the Dolphins blitz.

Defensively, the Ravens were really good at times, but when they needed to make a big stop to give the offense one more chance, they folded. They allowed two 50-plus yard plays to a team that hadn’t had a single one of them in its first nine games by simply not picking up an offensive player streaking down the field.

“I guess you are what you put on film and that’s kind of been our Achilles’ heel,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “Even when we play good, good, good, a slip up here, good, good, good, a slip up there.”

The normally reliable kicking game also struggled. Justin Tucker missed a 48-yard field goal attempt and punter Sam Koch had a few poor punts.

It wasn’t one thing for the Ravens. It was pretty much everything, playing out in front of a prime-time television audience. The Ravens looked slow and tired. They also looked unprepared.

“It’s hard to win on Thursday night, but we’ve done it before and we’ve been successful,” Harbaugh said. “We just played poorly and it’s because of our coaching. I didn’t do a good job getting these guys ready.”

Harbaugh blaming himself for his team’s poor play was the overriding theme of his news conference. He said nothing that the Dolphins did really surprised his team, a point several of the Ravens’ top players agreed with. The Ravens, according to Harbaugh, just didn’t have a good enough plan to counteract it.

Take the blitz for example. The Dolphins have been one of the most aggressive blitzing teams all season and the offense devoted much of its abbreviated practice time preparing for it. Yet, when the game started, the Ravens looked like they hadn’t seen a blitz all season. Free runners repeatedly crashed in on Jackson. The Ravens repeatedly tried to use wide receiver screens and that didn’t work.

“(Cover) Zero is like one of those things where you have to make them pay, you know?” said tight end Mark Andrews. “I don’t think early on we did that enough. That’s one of the things, you make them pay early on, they kind of get out of there.”

AFC SOUTH

INDIANAPOLIS

Regular old “illness” is apparently still a possibility as unvaccinated QB CARSON WENTZ is both sick, and still on the active roster.  Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star:

Colts starting quarterback Carson Wentz was limited in practice on Thursday due to an illness that is not believed to be COVID-related.

Wentz, who is not vaccinated, was on the field in the team’s indoor facility during the period of practice open to the media and participated in the practice.

The Indianapolis starter is also expecting the birth of his second child soon, but Wentz has said he will play against Jacksonville on Sunday even if the birth is happening at the same time.

Outside of Wentz, the Colts got relatively good news in Thursday’s practice.

Veteran wide receiver T.Y. Hilton practiced in full for the first time since suffering a concussion against Tennessee two weeks ago, and right tackle Braden Smith was listed as a full participant after sitting out Wednesday’s practice due to the elbow injury that knocked him out of last Thursday’s win over the New York Jets.

The only Colt who missed Thursday’s practice due to injury was cornerback Xavier Rhodes, who has been battling a season-long calf injury and left last week’s win over the Jets.

“It’s up to the trainers and up to the medical staff,” defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said. “It’s day-by-day with him.”

AFC EAST

MIAMI

After the Dolphins disposed of the Ravens in surprising fashion, Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com noted this:

The Dolphins’ win over the Ravens on Thursday Night Football continued an impressive run of success for big underdogs in the NFL.

Underdogs of more than seven points have gone 4-1 in Week Nine and Week 10. Before Week Nine, underdogs of more than seven points were 1-26 this season.

The four big recent upsets:

The Dolphins beat the Ravens 22-10 as 7.5-point underdogs.

The Broncos beat the Cowboys 30-16 as 10-point underdogs.

The Jaguars beat the Bills 9-6 as 14.5-point underdogs.

The Titans beat the Rams 28-16 as 7.5-point underdogs.

It’s been a surprising run of upsets. And perhaps a warning for the Colts, Cowboys, Bills, Buccaneers, Steelers and Cardinals, all of whom are favored by more than seven points on Sunday.

The Dolphins were +325 on the Moneyline prior to the game.  We thought it might be more.

NEW YORK JETS

QB MIKE WHITE is not lacking in confidence.  Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:

It took Jets quarterback Mike White a long time to be an overnight success. He transferred from South Florida to Western Kentucky, was a fifth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2018, and never got on the field in a regular-season game until 2021, when he came in for an injured Zach Wilson and had a huge game in his first start.

As White prepares to start again on Sunday for the Jets against the Bills, he says he doesn’t know why NFL teams didn’t believe in him as a starting quarterback, but he always believed in himself.

 “I couldn’t tell you. That’s definitely the scouting departments across the league and what their interpretation of me is,” White said. “I have 100 percent confidence in myself. So if you ask me, I should have been a first overall pick. But that’s neither here nor there. That’s four years ago. I try to get my mind off that and be in the here and now and execute what my job is right now.”

White has looked a lot better this season than Wilson, the second overall pick in this year’s draft. Whether White can keep it up remains to be seen, but so far he’s playing like a player who has every right to ooze self confidence.