Kareem Hunt meets with Saints, Colts up next
Running back Kareem Hunt met with the New Orleans Saints Tuesday but left without a contract. He is scheduled to meet with the Indianapolis Colts next, per multiple reports.
Kareem Hunt is leaving his free agent visit with the #Saints without a contract, per sources. I’m told he’s scheduled to visit the #Colts next. Hunt has interest from a number of teams, and will remain in contact with New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/ciHwt5FieT
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 8, 2023
New Orleans has lost running backs Alvin Kamara to a three-game suspension and Eno Benjamin for the season to a torn Achilles. The Colts have concerns at the position, as well, with Jonathan Taylor still on the physically unable to perform list and Zack Moss out for the next five weeks with a broken hand.
Hunt has been one of the more productive running backs on a per-touch basis since entering the league in 2017. His 67.0 overall grade in 2022 was a career low, but he finished no lower than 74.4 from 2017 to 2021.
Teddy Bridgewater signs with Lions
The Detroit Lions agreed to terms with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater Monday night, reuniting Bridgewater with head coach Dan Campbell. Campbell was with the Saints as the tight ends coach/assistant head coach in 2018-2019 when Bridgewater was in New Orleans.
The #Lions are signing QB Teddy Bridgewater after a recent visit to Detroit, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. A new backup QB. pic.twitter.com/pRA6EqMi5Q
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 7, 2023
The Lions have been public with their interest in bringing Bridgewater on board since March. There was a “strong contract offer” made in April, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, but the two sides could not come to an agreement, as Bridgewater was likely waiting to see if a starting position opened up elsewhere. Instead, he will back up Jared Goff in Detroit for 2023.
Detroit will be Bridgewater’s fifth team in the past five seasons. He was most recently with the Dolphins last year, but a finger injury kept him out for the final two weeks of the season, including a 34-31 defeat to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round. For his career, Bridgewater has made 68 big-time throws (PFF’s highest-graded passes) and 76 turnover-worthy passes.
Tytus Howard undergoes hand surgery
Houston Texans’ right tackle Tytus Howard will be sidelined for the remainder of training camp and potentially into the regular season following surgery to repair his broken hand, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Timeline update: Texans’ RT Tytus Howard is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after undergoing hand surgery today, giving him a chance to return for Houston’s Sept 10 regular-season opener vs. the Ravens, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 7, 2023
The injury occurred just days after the team locked up the fourth-year tackle for the immediate future (three-year, $56 million extension on July 28). Houston also extended pro-bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil this past offseason, showing a commitment to building up the trenches for rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Howard earned a career-high 67.9 overall grade in 2022, 41st out of 81 qualifying tackles, while playing in all 17 games for the Texans.
Rams, safety John Johnson III reunite in 2023
The Los Angeles Rams signed safety John Johnson III, giving the team some much-needed experience in the secondary.
SOURCE: #Rams are signing former Ram Safety John Johnson III today. He was taking in training camp yesterday and he now will join a young safety room of Jordan Fuller, Quentin Lake, Russ Yeast and Jason Taylor II.
GOING LIVE HERE: https://t.co/L6mC5SoAs0 pic.twitter.com/YNT7w2HXZR
— JAKE ELLENBOGEN (@JKBOGEN) August 7, 2023
Johnson, who played for the Cleveland Browns the past two seasons, spent the first four years of his career with the Rams. Johnson was among the top safeties in the league as a member of the Rams, ranking inside the top 12 at his respective position three times in four seasons, including a career-high 85.3 overall grade in 2020 (third out of 94 qualifying safeties that season).
Johnson did not experience the same success with the Browns. His 62.8 overall grade in 2022 ranked 57th out of 88 qualifying safeties. Schematically, Johnson was utilized in different ways in Cleveland, which may be the reason for his drop-off in production.
He lined up at free safety on 41.7% of his defensive snaps with the Rams from 2017 to 2020, and that number then jumped all the way to 68.4% of defensive snaps at free safety with the Browns from 2021 to 2022. Still only 28 years old, Johnson could bounce back in a big way as a member of the Rams once again in 2023.
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