Tag: release

Top 5 must-win games for the Redskins in 2020

The Redskins aren’t getting much respect in NFL circles, and rightfully so, but if they want to be noticed, they have to win these games.

The Washington Redskins may only have the 28th toughest schedule in the NFL, but that’s honestly pretty fortunate, given their current standing in the league. Not many people expect the Redskins to be good in 2020, and almost nobody is predicting they will make it to the playoffs. When breaking it down, we gave them five wins on the season, which felt pretty accurate. ESPN’s John Keim predicted six wins. At this point in time, it’s all pretty much a crap-shoot.

While the final result may be either north or south of our initial prediction, the fact is that there are games that the Redskins absolutely must win if they want to be respected in the NFL. To us, these are those five games.

Week 1 — vs. Philadelphia Eagles

They almost made a statement in 2019 by beating the Eagles on the road in Week 1, but they let it slip through their fingers. The opportunity presents itself once again this year, but it will be at home this time around. I think every Redskins fan and player knows that this team has what it takes to beat Philadelphia, they just have struggled to do it as of late. If Washington wants to put themselves on the map and show that they are a team worth talking about, with a defense that’s among the best in the league, a Week 1 divisional win will get the job done.

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2020 Cowboys Preseason Schedule: Dallas opens SoFi twice, face Mahomes in key exhibition

The 2020 Dallas Cowboys preseason schedule was released.

Before the 2020 Cowboys start running their quest for their sixth Super Bowl win, Dallas will have to start speed walking. Thanks to having Jimmy Johnson and Cliff Harris being elected to the Hall of Fame, the team will start off the preseason  a week early, taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 6 in Canton, Ohio. In addition to that, the Cowboys will then compete in the traditional four weeks to follow to complete their 2020 preseason, and every matchup is juicy.

Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys will open their official exhibition schedule by opening the brand new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as they play the Chargers. Coincidentally, the Cowboys will open up the digs in Jerry Jones’ birth city of Inglewood twice, as they’re slated to take on the Rams in Week 1 of the regular season.

The Chargers game will feature a first look at rookie QB Justin Herbert on the horizon. The QB talent raises exponentially from there.

The Cowboys will then face off against reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, 2018 MVP and Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes, and perennial MVP candidate Deshaun Watson in the next three consecutive weeks.

The Mahomes matchup is during the vaunted and valued Week 3, which is often times the dress rehearsal for NFL teams. Teams normally play starters into the second half in these contests.

Of course, the preseason games may be the first to get altered as the dates approach. The NFL is proceeding with business as usual, but is fully prepared to adjust on several levels should the stay-at-home orders not be lifted in some or all parts of the country. Games could end up being cancelled or relocated.

For now, though, here is the 2020 Dallas Cowboys preseason schedule.

  • Hall of Fame: vs Pittsburgh Steelers, Canton, OH
  • WEEK 1 – @ Los Angeles Chargers, SoFi Stadium
  • WEEK 2- vs. Baltimore Ravens, AT&T Stadium
  • WEEK 3- vs. Kansas City Chiefs, AT&T Stadum
  • WEEK 4- @ Houston Texans, NRG Stadium (Governor’s Cup)

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2020 Redskins schedule: Dates for Washington’s four preseason games released

Both the preseason and regular season schedules for the Washington Redskins were released to the public on Thursday night.

The Washington Redskins regular season schedule release got all of the buzz on Thursday night, but tentative dates for the preseason were released as well. As it stands now, the Redskins will kick off their preseason slate of games during the second weekend of August, should nothing change due to the coronavirus pandemic. Here is how the preseason schedule shakes out:

  • Preseason Week 1 — vs. Tennessee Titans (August 13-17)
  • Preseason Week 2 — at Indianapolis Colts (August 24) (ESPN)
  • Preseason Week 3 — at Jacksonville Jaguars (August 27-30)
  • Preseason Week 4 — vs. Baltimore Ravens (September 3)

A couple of interesting things to note come in Preseason Week 3 and 4, where Washington will start by traveling to Jacksonville where they will face former head coach Jay Gruden, who is now the offensive coordinator for the Jaguars. Then, in Preseason Week 4, the Redskins will host the Ravens, who also travel to Washington in Week 4 of the season as well.

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2020 Redskins schedule: Ranking the 7 toughest games this season

Washington hase zero primetime games, other than playing the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, which kicks off a tough road stretch in December.

Now that we know the order and time in which the Washington Redskins will be playing their opponents in 2020, we can start to get a feel for how the season might play out. Our biggest takeaway from the Redskins schedule release comes on Thanksgiving and builds from there. The Redskins will travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys on Turkey Day, and that will start a three-game road trip that then goes to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers, followed by a trip out west to play the San Francisco 49ers.

So while there are a few games on the docket in which the Redskins should definitely come out victorious, there are also a handful of games in which a win might seem miraculous. Here’s our ranking of those games, from tough to toughest.

No. 7 — at Arizona Cardinals (Week 2)

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

If you went back even a year ago, it would seem absolutely crazy to say that the Cardinals are going to be one of the tougher teams that the Redskins play this season, but I truly believe that Arizona will step up this season in a big way. QB Kyler Murray showed a lot of promise in 2019, and he’s been given All-Star WR DeAndre Hopkins to throw to, who will come in alongside veteran Larry Fitzgerald.

Arizona’s defense isn’t anything that will keep you up at night, but it’s going to take a solid gameplan to slow down their offense and keep points off the board. Washington’s defensive line may be able to get pressure on Murray, but there’s no guarantee that they can get him to the ground before he finds Nuke running wide downfield.

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2020 Redskins schedule: Washington plays Cowboys on Thanksgiving

The Washington Redskins schedule for the 2020 NFL season has been released, giving fans a good picture of how their team might fare in the future.

The NFL offseason got a much-needed jolt of energy on Thursday night, as the 2020 schedules for all 32 teams were released to the public. For the Washington Redskins, the upcoming slate is a mixed bag, with several winnable games at home, but many that could be challenging as well.  Outside of divisional games, the Redskins will face only three teams that made the playoffs in 2019, in the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers. That doesn’t mean the other five matchups are easy though, as the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, and Arizona Cardinals are set to show great improvement this year.

While the opponent on the schedule matters, so too does the time and order of the games. Are than any stretches on the schedule that might prove easier than others? Does a bye-week come before a pivotal game? Let’s take a look.

  • Week 1 — Redskins vs. Eagles, 1 PM ET
  • Week 2 — Redskins vs. Cardinals, 4:05 PM ET
  • Week 3 — Redskins at Browns, 1 PM ET
  • Week 4 — Redskins vs. Ravens, 1 PM ET
  • Week 5 — Redskins vs. Rams, 1 PM ET
  • Week 6 — Redskins at Giants, 1 PM ET
  • Week 7 — Redskins vs. Cowboys, 1 PM ET
  • Week 8 —  BYE
  • Week 9 — Redskins vs Giants, 1 PM ET
  • Week 10 — Redskins at Lions, 1 PM ET
  • Week 11 — Redskins vs. Bengals, 1 PM ET
  • Week 12 — Redskins at Cowboys, 4:30 PM ET (Thanksgiving)
  • Week 13 — Redskins at Steelers, 1 PM ET
  • Week 14 — Redskins at 49ers, 4:25 PM ET
  • Week 15 — Redskins vs. Seahawks, 1 PM ET
  • Week 16 — Redskins vs. Panthers, 1 PM ET
  • Week 17 — Redskins at Eagles, 1 PM ET

Watch: Saints tease 2020 schedule release with must-see hype video

The New Orleans Saints set the stage for their 2020 schedule release by helping fight the coronavirus pandemic in cities they’ll visit.

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The New Orleans Saints are hours away from releasing their 2020 schedule, but first they’re taking time to hype up the fanbase with an impressive highlight video. You can watch it at this link, or where we’ve embedded it above.

While the video does initially focus on the Saints’ accomplishments on the road and within the warm atmosphere of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, it also takes a turn towards something more important: the novel coronavirus pandemic. To maybe help ingratiate themselves to locals a little more, the Saints stepped up to purchase meals for front-line workers in several cities they’ll be visiting in 2020.

Working in partnership with local pizza restaurants in Detroit and Chicago, and a cheesesteak diner in Philadelphia, the Saints did their part to thank healthcare staff and local police departments. The Saints even cited “283 reasons” to show some affection for the Atlanta Falcons and their fans, buying lunch for essential workers that city, too. It’s the kind of content you love to see.

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Report: Texans releasing safety Tashaun Gipson

The Houston Texans are releasing safety Tashaun Gipson after the Pro Bowler spent one season with the team.

The Houston Texans are parting ways with safety Tashuan Gipson, who started 14 games for the AFC South champions in 2019.

According to report from the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Texans are releasing the 29-year-old safety.

Releasing the former Pro Bowler won’t be cheap, at least according to Over The Cap’s numbers. Cutting Gipson before June 1 means the Texans would lose $4.25 million of their salary cap space in dead money. If they designate Gipson a post-June 1 cut, they would still lose $3.75 million in dead money.

While it is not known if the Texans tried to find a trading partner for Gipson during the NFL draft, that route would have saved the Texans more money. Even a pre-June 1 trade would have resulted in just $1 million in dead money. A post-June 1 trade would have been even more advantageous with just $500,000 million lost in dead money.

Texans Wire asked the question on April 19 if Gipson’s job was safe via information from the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain.

The 6-1, 212-pound safety produced 51 tackles, three interceptions, including a return for a touchdown, eight pass breakups, and two tackles for loss in his 14 starts. Gipson was absent for two regular season games and the Texans’ entire two-game playoff run.

Houston has Jaylen Watkins, Eric Murray, A.J. Moore, and Justin Reid on the roster at safety.

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Updated Report: Lions to release EDGE Devon Kennard, QB Kyle Sloter

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo is reporting that the Detroit Lions are planning on releasing JACK linebacker Devon Kennard and QB Kyle Sloter.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo is reporting that the Detroit Lions are planning on releasing JACK linebacker Devon Kennard and reserve quarterback Kyle Sloter.

When the Lions hired coach Matt Patricia, the first free agent the organization targeted and signed was Kennard. After two seasons, both as a team-captain, Kennard’s time in Detroit is over.

Kennard set a career-high in sacks (seven) in 2018, then replicated those numbers in 2019 but overall he underperformed as a pass-rusher. Kennard is position flexible and has several elements of his game that are appealing, but at the end of the day, his primary job was to create consistent pressure on the quarterback and he fell short.

After the Lions came to a contractual agreement with Jamie Collins, who is now poised to take over the Lions JACK linebacker role, making this move easier on the team.

Kennard was set to earn $7.42 million this season, but after his release, the Lions (only) absorb a $1.75 million cap hit, and in turn, free up $5.67 million in salary-cap space.

After signing quarterback Chase Daniel, it pushed Sloter into the fourth quarterback position and made him expendable. Sloter had no guaranteed money on his contract and the Lions will not incur a penalty for releasing him.

Both Kennard and Sloter are immediately free agents who can sign with any NFL team.

UPDATE

Ian Rapoport is amending his college at NFL network’s report that the Lions are releasing Kennard at this time and suggest the Lions are attempting a trade. This will be difficult now that teams know the Lions are considering releasing Kennard, but not unprecedented.

Report: former Lions RT Rick Wagner agrees to terms with Packers on 2-year deal

Multiple sources are reporting that former Detroit Lions starting right tackle Rick Wagner has agreed to terms with division rival Green Bay Packers on a 2-year deal.

Multiple sources are reporting that former Detroit Lions starting right tackle Rick Wagner has agreed to terms with division rival Green Bay Packers.

According to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, the terms include $11 million over 2 years, including several bonuses, a playing time escalator, and incentives.

Wagner was slated to make $11.9 million in Detroit but was released last week. The fact that he is making less money in Green Bay over two years than he was scheduled to make with the Lions is a major reason why the Lions moved on — his injury history and on-field performances weren’t meeting his contractual value.

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Our Jeff Risdon recently identified three paths the Lions could take in replacing Wagner at right tackle, including staying in-house and promoting Tyrell Crosby, drafting a replacement, and/or signing a free agent. One of the players suggested as potentially being in the mix is former Packers’ right tackle Bryan Bulaga, who will almost assuredly not be returning to Green Bay after the Wagner signing.

Lions have released starting RT Rick Wagner

The Detroit Lions have announced that they are releasing starting right tackle Rick Wagner from the final two years of his contract.

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The Detroit Lions announced Friday that they have released starting right tackle Rick Wagner from the final two years of his contract.

Wagner signed with the Lions during the 2017 offseason and commanded one of the largest contracts for a right tackle in the NFL. Wagner had a stellar first season, but in each of the two years since, his play has fallen off and was not living up to his current salary.

Wagner’s Pro Football Focus scores during his time in Detroit were 75.2 in 2017, 71.6 in 2018, and a below-average 59.1 in 2019.

Injuries have also played a factor in Wagner’s lack of success — he missed three games in 2017, one in 2018, and four this past season. Further complicating matters for Wagner, when he was replaced in the lineup by Tyrell Crosby, the drop off in success was minimal if at all.

Wagner was scheduled to count $11.9 million against the cap next season, and while the Lions will absorb a $5.8 million cap hit, they will also clear $6.1 million in cap space, bringing their available salary cap space to nearly $55 million as they move towards free agency.

Currently, Crosby is in line to start at right tackle, but the Lions will likely be looking for competition in free agency and/or the NFL draft. Names to keep in mind for free agency include Jack Conklin, Bryan Bulaga, and Germain Ifedi. In the draft, Tristan Wirfs (Iowa) and Jedrick Willis (Alabama) would be instant replacements but cost a first-round pick, while Isaiah Wilson (Georgia) and Ezra Cleveland (Boise State) are names to keep in mind on Day 2.