Category: 2024 Preseason

Kene Nwangwu fails physical with Saints, placed back on waivers

Former Minnesota Vikings running back Kene Nwangwu was placed back on waivers Thursday after failing a physical with the New Orleans Saints.

The strange saga of Kene Nwangwu continues. The story started with Nwangwu being a surprise cut from the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the NFL’s roster cutdown day. Then, the New Orleans Saints claimed the former Vikings running back, ending any hope of his return to the Vikings, either on the practice squad or the active roster.

Or so we thought. It turns out that things in New Orleans haven’t gone as planned for the Saints and Nwangwu. The team announced on Friday that Nwangwu had failed his physical and would be placed back on the waiver wire as a result.

No details were released on what caused Nwangwu to fail the physical, but he is now back on waivers and free for any team to claim him. However, after failing a physical, Nwangwu is unlikely to be claimed by anyone, including the Vikings.

However, if no one claims Nwangwu, he will become a free agent and be free to sign with any team that makes him an offer, whether that be for that team’s practice squad or as a member of their active 53-man roster. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Nwangwu will return to the Vikings and get placed on their roster in some capacity.

While not contributing much as a running back during his previous stint with the Vikings, Nwangwu was a solid contributor on special teams in Minnesota’s return game. That contribution is what made Nwangwu’s initial release such a surprise. Now that he’s back on the market, Minnesota could reach out and try to mend fences with the talented return man.

Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner makes NFL analyst’s All-Preseason team

Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner made NFL analyst Jacob Camenker’s All-Preseason team, with four others earning honorable mention

Preseason football is important for everyone on the roster, to varying degrees. For established veterans, it’s important to get back into the flow of things after an offseason of inactivity. For players fighting for a roster spot, it’s important to get the reps and show coaching staffs – both their own and the 31 other teams’ – that they belong in this league.

For rookies, like Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner, it’s their first chance to see professional action and to show why they were drafted.

While Turner didn’t see much action during this year’s preseason, he made an impression when he was out there. So much so that he’s been named to one NFL analyst’s All-Preseason team. Jacob Camenker of The Sporting News released his First-Team All-Preseason team Monday, and Turner is one of his two choices at EDGE.

Speed was the name of the game for Turner this preseason. He used his athletic ability to beat Saints offensive tackle Andrus Peat in the team’s first game and got a key sack in the red zone. That gave fans and the league just a glimpse of the talent that made the Vikings trade back up into the first round to grab Turner.

If Turner can continue to develop and maintain that speed, he should be a dangerous weapon in a Brian Flores-led defense. Turner only saw 31 snaps this preseason, but it was more than enough to show that his first-round selection was warranted.

Along with Turner, the Vikings earned four honorable mentions on Camenker’s All-Preseason team: Quarterback Jaren Hall, wide receiver Trishton Jackson, defensive tackle Taki Taimani, and kicker Will Reichard all received nods for their summer performances.

Minnesota Vikings beat writer believes team will trade Akayleb Evans

With roster cutdown day just a day away, will the Minnesota Vikings look to trade cornerback Akayleb Evans? One beat writer thinks so.

Tomorrow is the official roster cutdown deadline in the NFL. By tomorrow afternoon, every team in the league needs to have their roster trimmed down from 90 players to the 53-man roster. A lot of that player movement has already occurred, but a lot of movement has yet to happen. And that movement doesn’t necessarily just mean players being waived or released.

Trades are a real possibility as teams look to get a return on players they would otherwise cut, and other teams look to add players without competing with the entire league on the free-agent market. For the Minnesota Vikings, one of those players who could be enticing trade bait is cornerback Akayleb Evans.

According to Alec Lewis, Minnesota Vikings beat writer for The Athletic, it’s likely that the Vikings are looking to trade the third-year corner. Trading Evans would free up a roster spot for someone like Dwight McGlothern, who has been was a standout during training camp and the preseason.

More than allowing a talented young player a shot at the roster, though, if the Vikings can flip Evans for a late-round draft pick, it could improve their flexibility going into the 2025 NFL Draft. As things stand today, the Vikings only have three picks in the upcoming draft. They’re likely to receive a compensatory pick for free agents lost, but those have yet to be announced.

Flipping Evans for a draft pick would help the team feel slightly better about their lot going into the draft, and give them a bit more ability to maneuver during it. It’s still not much, but it’s a start. And that could be further improved if the team looks to, and is successful in, trading fellow defensive back Lewis Cine.

Several Vikings among league leaders in various stats from 2024 preseason

With the 2024 NFL preseason over, the Minnesota Vikings had a number of players among the statistical leaders, including QB Jaren Hall.

Preseason football is less about raw stats and more about getting reps in in anticipation of the coming season and looking good while doing it. That said, it’s always nice when those two things coincide. That is the case for several Minnesota Vikings players this year, as the team has several preseason stats leaders.

The plan and hope is that Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold can start all 17 games and play well in doing so. However, Jaren Hall showed during the preseason that he has developed since his brief starting stint last season. In limited action, Hall was among the preseason leaders in passer rating, finishing third overall at 112.5, just behind Jaguars backup Mac Jones and Broncos starter Bo Nix, who led the league at 116.7.

Though he may not have won the battle for WR3 against Jalen Nailor, Vikings wide receiver Trishton Jackson showed he deserves a role in the offense this preseason. A favorite target of anyone taking the snap, Jackson tied for third in receiving yards. But Jackson wasn’t just wracking up yards, he was also putting the ball in the end zone. Jackson led all receivers and tight ends this preseason with three scores.

The final statistical leader for the Vikings was new kicker Will Reichard. The sixth-round pick from Alabama finished his college career as the NCAA’s FBS all-time leading scorer. He picked up right where he left off, coming in second this preseason with 29 points, just two behind leader Cairo Santos. Reichard also booted a 57-yard field goal this preseason to show off his range.

Jerry Jones on Cowboys’ Trey Lance: ‘We’re planning on him being on our roster’

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys braintrust is focusing on Lance’s improvement and positives rather than the 5 interceptions he tossed in the preseason finale.

The reviews on Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance were somewhat mixed after Saturday’s preseason finale, a game that saw the former third-overall draft pick post a 320-plus-yard performance but also toss five interceptions in a 26-19 loss.

For context, throwing picks in five games is something that’s happened in just seven regular-season tilts in franchise history… and two of those times were by Eddie LeBaron, in 1960 and 1961, the club’s first two seasons of existence.

But despite maddening inconsistency, Lance doesn’t appear to have endangered his spot in the Cowboys locker room, with major cuts coming on Tuesday.

“Certainly, we’re planning on him being on our roster, for sure,” Jones told a gaggle of reporters after Saturday’s game.

“I saw good, and I saw some things that you’d like to have back,” Jones admitted. “I hate those five interceptions are going to be a stat on a game that I couldn’t have asked for more reps and a better situation to watch him play. And he needed that, because the one thing he’s missing more than anything is the lack of reps.”

True enough. Lance has had more passing attempts during this preseason as a Cowboy (113) than he had during his entire regular-season tenure with the 49ers (102). He’s been around for three years now, so it’s easy to forget how young Lance still is. Consider this: he’s actually younger- by just one day- than Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr.

So he’s still very green, something head coach Mike McCarthy readily acknowledges and factors into any interception talk.

“I wish we had three more preseason games just to get him out there, just to keep playing, because he had tremendous production,” McCarthy said in his postgame press conference. “But yes, the turnovers are always the first thing we talk about and coach and go through.”

Granted, that part of the conversation will take longer than normal after this outing, but Lance also showed some real positives on Saturday. McCarthy pointed to his final throw to the goal line as time expired. It was picked off, but, if you squint, there was a silver lining to be taken from it.

“That last opportunity, he definitely was where he needed to be,” McCarthy observed. “He had a chance to hit that last touchdown. There’s always been four or five plays each game that he’ll learn from, but he continually gets better every time you give him a chance. I think that says a lot about him. I think he’s just a young guy that needs to play.”

Whether it should continue to be in a Cowboys uniform will be the subject of much debate over the coming days, weeks, and- depending on how starter Dak Prescott’s contract negotiations go- months.

Lance has flashed during his preseason run: mostly with his legs, but also with the occasional laser shot that makes it very hard to completely write him off as non-NFL material.

If Jones is to be taken at his word, there have been enough of those to warrant the Cowboys continuing their experiment with the North Dakota State product. Whether it will be as Prescott’s primary backup or the team’s emergency third-stringer remains to be seen.

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Jones knows Lance is in a better spot than he was a year ago at this time, when the Cowboys traded to get him. Further, he believes the young man has taken several huge steps in his progression just over the preseason.

“I think the main thing is the improvement from over the last six weeks. That’s impressive, very impressive,” Jones said. “What you’re looking for is: the arrow going up? And it’s going up, dramatically, really. Every practice and every game,” Jones explained. “A lot of things he wasn’t doing as well early that he’s doing well now.”

Not well enough to quiet all the doubters, to be sure. But apparently well enough to convince Jones he has something worth hanging onto, for at least the time being.

Still, the owner was asked Saturday if he had any regrets about making the trade that brought Lance- and the controversy he continues to ignite- to Dallas.

“For a fourth-round pick?” Jones asked with a grin. “Are you kidding me?”

He’s already got a fourth-round passer who plays like a first-rounder. So maybe, to Jones, it all evens out.

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NFL Preseason Finale: Late Pick-6 dooms Cowboys, Trey Lance in 26-19 defeat to Chargers

The Cowboys’ preseason came to an end with some last-minute drama, but still a defeat. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The exhibition season is over for the Dallas Cowboys. Following 31 days in Oxnard, CA, the club returned to the friendly confines of Texas this weekend with their first official piece of business the preseason finale. Hosting the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas got their third strong look at young QB Trey Lance to gauge the progress he has made since his acquisition this week last year.

Lance had several strong moments as he started to again test his downfield accuracy, but he also had several throws that showed his on-field immaturity. Near the end of the fourth quarter, down one point on a drive that started on their own eight-yard line, Lance threw a bad interception where Tre’Mon Morris tipped it to himself and raced 25-yards for the score.

It was the third and final big play in a game where other than that Dallas dominated, leaving them some positive points but in 26-19 defeat.

Dallas ends their preseason 1-2 and now turns their attention to their Week 1 date, September 8, against the Cleveland Browns.

Lance was trying to make a great final impression and finished the game throwing for 323 yards but five interceptions, including a final throw into the end zone after getting Dallas down to the Chargers’ 20-yard line with seven seconds left.

There were several plays where his ceiling is evident and a handful of others where his floor was saddening. He had two final drives, somehow, after the Pick-6 to still shoot for a tie or a win, but both ended in interceptions, although No. 4 was WR Cam Johnson getting bullied out of a catch by the defender.

Lance had some top moments though, most notably finding rookie sixth rounder Ryan Flournoy on a beautiful drop-in pass for a score, and then also a 46-yard run around the left side for his own score.

That was one of several rushing plays where the Cowboys showed their dominance, gaining 246 yards on the ground as Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Snoop Connor all averaged 5.5 yards per carry or more. Royce Freeman and Nathaniel Peat were both over 4.4 yards a carry themselves as the down-roster decision the coaching staff must make on RB4 got more data points to consider.

On defense, several players made stabs at landing on the end of the roster or the practice squad, including DEs Tyrus Wheat and Al-Quadin Muhammad recording sacks and LB Darius Harris making numerous impact plays.

UDFA rookie safety got his second interception of the preseason and also forced a fumble as the Chargers’ offense was severely limited outside of two big-play touchdowns.

Former Cowboys WR Simi Fehoko burned hopeful CB Andrew Booth for a 78-yard reception and WR Derius Davis took a jet sweep 70 yards when DE Viliami Fehoko bit inside and left the edge unsecured.

Now the coaches will huddle and make decisions to trim the roster down from 90 to 53 over the next four days before resuming practice and readying for the regular season.

Breaking: Cowboys All-Pro CB DaRon Bland to miss significant time with foot fracture

From @ToddBrock24f7: Last year’s INT leader experienced discomfort last week; tests showed a stress fracture. Bland will undergo surgery to repair the damage.

The injury bug has taken a nasty bite out of the Cowboys’ starting roster just as the preseason comes to an end.

Starting cornerback DaRon Bland will miss six to eight weeks with a stress fracture in his foot, according to a report from Nick Eatman of dallascowboys.com.

The third-year defensive back, who just last year broke the NFL’s all-time single-season record for interception touchdown returns, apparently began experiencing discomfort on Wednesday.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero went on indicate that Bland will undergo surgery to repair the break, which was confirmed after imaging tests.

A fifth-round draft pick out of Fresno State in 2022, Bland notched five interceptions as a rookie. He was then thrust into a starting role last season following Trevon Diggs’s ACL tear and finished with a league-leading nine picks. Five of them were returned for touchdowns. Bland was named a first-team All-Pro for his efforts.

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The injury will further delay getting Diggs and Bland on the field together again, but the Cowboys believe they’ll be in decent shape. Jourdan Lewis remains with the team in his eighth pro campaign, and rookie Caelen Carson turned in a very strong camp. Eric Scott Jr. and newly-acquired veteran Andrew Booth Jr. are also in the mix to make the team’s 53-man roster, along with Kemon Hall, Josh Butler, and Josh DeBerry.

“We’re in great shape at corner because of our young guys coming in,” team owner Jerry Jones said on Dallas radio, per The Athletic‘s Jon Machota. “That’s one of the strengths of our whole team. Our secondary is outstanding.”

The Cowboys’ first eight opponents include several dangerous teams with potent passing attacks: the Browns, Saints, Ravens, Giants, Steelers, Lions, 49ers, and Falcons.

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Chargers personnel rescued from Dallas elevator ahead of preseason game vs Cowboys

From @ToddBrock24f7: 15 members of the team’s travel party- including some players- had to be lifted through a ceiling panel after their elevator became stuck.

For the second time in five days, firefighters and rescue personnel are characters in a Cowboys news story. This time, though, it’s the team’s upcoming opponent on the other end of a first-responder call.

Fifteen members of the Los Angeles Chargers’ travel party- including several players- had to be rescued from a stuck hotel elevator in Dallas on Friday night, just hours before their preseason finale against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

A Dallas Fire-Rescue team helped lift the individuals one by one through a ceiling panel after the car became stuck somewhere between the third and fifteenth floors of The Westin on Main Street in downtown Dallas. An elevator technician attempted unsuccessfully to get the elevator working before the fire department was dispatched.

Upon their arrival, DFR’s Urban Search and Rescue team- according to WFAA’s Matt Howerton- used a working elevator “as a ferry” to transfer the trapped individuals to safety.

But the rescue didn’t come quickly, or without some drama. Per Jaime Maggio, a reporter covering the Chargers preseason, firefighters first tried to breach the door of the inoperable elevator car using crowbars. Only “after two-plus hours,” Maggio said, did they change tactics and move inside the elevator shaft to access the car via its ceiling panel.

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It was not immediately known which Chargers players or personnel were involved, though running back Jaret Patterson did make a Instagram post from inside the elevator car.

The Chargers thanked Dallas Fire-Rescue in a social media post after the incident, and head coach Jim Harbaugh reportedly invited the rescue personnel to the eat in the team meal room afterward.

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NFL Preseason: This 1st-round pick has plenty to prove in Cowboys exhibition finale

Questions remain with Mazi Smith’s play heading into the final week of the Cowboys preseason

Mazi Smith has had a lot to prove this summer. Not only did the former Michigan defensive tackle struggle with weight, performance and reaction time last season, but he contributed less than any Dallas rookie first rounder since the Bill Parcells era.

Recovering from that course would require a strong offseason, a healthy training camp and a fruitful preseason. The first two categories earned checkmarks in the affirmative. The last one, the preseason games, remain in “pending” status.

Smith missed the Cowboys’ last preseason game with an allergic reaction. The fluke event appeared to have no lingering effects, but the opportunity was missed. Smith enters Dallas’ final preseason game with just 20 snaps of game action on film this summer. He’s improved but still has plenty to prove.

Smith’s conditioning is understandably in question. Playing on the defensive interior is no easy task. The 1-tech DT position demands effort every snap and requires its players to play every snap like it’s their last.

Against Los Angeles Smith looked improved but also certifiably gassed. The Cowboys partially addressed this situation by adding the veteran Linval Joseph to the rotation. At age 35, it’s unknown how much Joseph can spell Smith at the 1-tech spot. Joseph only contributed 161 defensive snaps for Buffalo last season and hasn’t logged more than 200 snaps since 2021. He’ll help but he can’t be expected to take on much more than a minority role.

It’s on Smith to prove he can play like a starting DT in 2024. It’s also on him to show he has the physical endurance to play the lion’s share of the snaps. If he can’t offer the endurance to stay on the field, his effectiveness as a player is significantly capped.

In the Cowboys final preseason game against the Chargers, it will be interesting to see how many consecutive snaps Smith can play and whether or not his effectiveness wanes as the snap count increases. It’s the last box to check before the Cowboys roll into the regular season and remains one of the biggest question marks on the Cowboys 2024 defense.

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Highly touted UDFA may find himself on the Vikings roster bubble

With some injury issues, the prized UDFA may see himself on the roster bubble heading into the season.

Injuries are part of the game- the Vikings might know better than anyone right now- but things become more complicated when you’re a UDFA. UCLA standout and undrafted rookie Gabriel Murphy was on a tear early on in training camp and in the preseason. But after suffering an undisclosed injury, Murphy hasn’t been seen for a little while.

Murphy appeared to be a lock to make the 53-man roster — en route to what Ivan Pace Jr. accomplished last season. However, the UCLA product is starting to look a little shaky. Alec Lewis with The Athletic thinks Minnesota could opt to place Murphy on the IR, which wouldn’t count against its roster limit.

Given Murphy’s potential, the Vikings probably won’t want to cut him and give him to another team. Plenty of outlets were clamoring that Minnesota got the steal of the free agent pool when it signed Murphy.

Even with signing two veteran Edge rushers and drafting Dallas Turner, depth is always a key to a position of need. Murphy has a chance to stick around Minnesota for some time if he can get healthy and play well.