The 7th Report Weekly Recap: NFL Preseason Week 4

NFL preseason
Brock Osweiler puts a nail in the coffin in the NFL preseason by signing with the Denver Broncos (Chris Humphreys/USA TODAY Sports)

The NFL preseason has come to an end and we couldn’t be happier. Welcome to the fourth edition of “The 7th Report Weekly Recap”.

In addition to the latest news and observations, at the end of each recap, I include a Def Pen Sports “mini-mailbag”. If you want your questions answered in the “mini-mailbag”, tweet them to @the7threport. I select a few questions each week to answer and provide thoughtful analysis and insight on.

Let’s check out what you missed over the weekend.

NFL Roster Cuts

Unfortunately, with the final NFL preseason week comes roster cuts. Teams trim down to a 53 man roster with an additional ten practice squad members. Adam Schefter provides more insight.

Below is a list of notable names that received the scissors on Saturday.

Roberto Aguayo (K)
Matt Asiata (RB)
Matt Barkley (QB)
Trevone Boykin (QB)
Victor Cruz (WR)
Knile Davis (RB)
Joe Haden (CB)
Tim Hightower (RB)
Chris Johnson (RB)
Matt Jones (RB)
Brad Kaaya (QB)
Jeremy Kerley (WR)
Luke McCown (QB)
Kellen Moore (QB)
Brock Osweiler (QB)
C.J. Spiller (RB)
Lorenzo Taliaferro (RB)
T.J. Ward (SS)
Brandon Weeden (QB)
Eric Winston (OL)

Some players have found work elsewhere, others have yet to be signed.

Hopefully, more players will find work – even if it’s during the regular season. Stay posted for more updates.

J.J. Watt’s Dedication to Houston

NFL preseason
What J.J. Watt has done for the relief efforts in Houston is outstanding (Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports)

On August 27, J.J. Watt asked twitter to help raise money for relief efforts for the city of Houston after Hurricane Harvey hit. Here is his initial video.

In just under a week, Watt’s plea for help has gone viral and raised over $17 million. On Sunday, Watt provided updates for his followers:

This is what unity looks like. I love the initiation and commitment by Watt. He clearly cares about the community and the people of Houston, Texas. There are good people in this world and J.J. Watt is a great example of what one looks like.

NFL vs. NFLPA: Ezekiel Elliott

NFL Preseason
Ezekiel Elliott filed a lawsuit against the NFL (Greg Trott/AP Photo)

Last we heard, Ezekiel Elliott’s hearing was on August 29th. According to Ian Rapoport:

The NFL and NFLPA continue to fight over Ezekiel Elliott per Adam Schefter:

Basically, they are saying NFL owners are colluding against Elliott and he was subject to an unfair arbitration hearing. A few days after the hearing, Ezekiel Elliott filed a lawsuit against the NFL.


A former NFL player, Geoff Schwartz weighed in on the matter.

All of this to say – Ezekiel Elliott clearly isn’t going down without a fight. Is there a good chance he plays all 16 games this season?

Extensions over the Weekend

NFL preseason
Matthew Stafford is now the highest paid player in the NFL (Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

While most players were cut by Sunday, there were a handful of players and one coach that received contract extensions. Let’s look at who earned more $$$.

T.J. McDonald – Miami Dolphins (Strong Safety)

Despite the fact that T.J. McDonald is currently serving an eight game suspension in 2017, the Dolphins gave him a contract extension anyway. Below are the details.

Last season, McDonald played every game for the Los Angeles Rams. He recorded 64 tackles, seven passes defended against, and two interceptions. For the Miami Dolphins, It makes sense to lock him up now as he is only 26 years old and has never played less than 10 games in one season.

DeAndre Hopkins – Houston Texans (Wide Receiver)

Two seasons ago, DeAndre Hopkins had one of the best years in recent memory for a wide receiver. Unfortunately, it was followed up by a less than impressive 2016 campaign. But on Thursday, Hopkins signed a contract extension that allowed him to receive the most guaranteed money ever for a wide receiver.

Money talks. Has Hopkins set the new precedent for guaranteed money at the wide receiver position? At least one player looked on this deal and smiled – Odell Beckham Jr. I’m sure we will cover that story when it comes to fruition.

Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions (Quarterback)

Last week, the Detroit Lions proved how valuable a starting quarterback is in this league. When Matthew Stafford entered the league in 2009, he became the highest paid rookie ever – 6 years/$72 million, $41 million guaranteed. Last Monday, Stafford signed his second contract. He went from highest paid rookie to highest paid player of all time.

Is he worth that much money?

John Harbaugh – Baltimore Ravens (Head Coach)

Head Coach John Harbaugh’s current contract was good through 2018. Recently, the Baltimore Ravens added another year to his contract with reports that the old contract was ripped up. While we are still uncertain of the dollar amount, we do know the contract is good through 2019.

Impactful Trade Updates

I know this isn’t an extension but at the end of last week, the Jets traded defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson to the Seattle Seahawks. Read more here. The Jets are abysmal at the wide receiver position and adding Jermaine Kearse helps tremendously. Additionally, the New England Patriots sent quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for wide receiver Philip Dorsett. The Patriots once again show they are all in on Jimmy Garoppolo.

The 7th Report: Mini-Mailbag

Great questions this week. They were very diverse in their intent. Let’s see what you had to say.

HH: Great question. The Atlanta Braves haven’t had a winning season since 2013. Since then, they have yet to play .500 ball. As fans, we knew the rebuild would take some time, however, when the front office decided to blow everything up, people expected 3-4 years until contention which was extremely unrealistic. This is year three of the rebuild and the Braves are 21.5 games back with a record of 60-75. And to be honest, next season appears to be premature as well. Year five seems about how long it takes to completely revamp your roster with young, groomed talent. I expect 2019 to be the season the Atlanta Braves return to contention.

HH: Interesting question. Here are my “way too early predictions”. From top to bottom –

East: Cleveland, Boston, Washington, Milwaukee, Toronto, Miami, Charlotte, Philadelphia
West: Golden State, Houston, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Minnesota, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver, New Orleans

If IT and Crowder are healthy, it certainly helps their chances of the Cavaliers beating the Warriors. The rumor on the street is the Cavaliers are trying to make a play for Boogie Cousins. If they can swing Boogie while keeping Kevin Love, do the Cavs become the favorites to win the title?

HH: Thanks, Matt. Las Vegas set the line at eight wins for the Texas Longhorns in 2017. Which when looking at their last two seasons, the Longhorns had an identical record of 5-7 each year. Eight wins would be a significant jump for this program that last saw eight wins in 2013. Over the next six weeks, Texas plays four top 20 ranked teams in USC (away), Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.

It’s week one of the college football season, so there is no reason to overreact. With that being said, this is a tough loss for a team trying to get to eight wins. Tom Herman is a good coach and every coach needs time. There is no reason to abandon ship just yet.

Thank you for taking the time to ask me questions! If you want your questions answered in the “mini-mailbag”, tweet them to @the7threport. See you at the same time for week one of the NFL regular season.

Related Topics

You May Also Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.