• Patriots ship EDGE Matt Judon to the Falcons: New England recouped a third-round pick in the deal for the veteran, who is in the last year of his contract.
• Bills LB Matt Milano suffers a torn bicep: Milano will undergo surgery with the hope that he can return late in the season. He missed most of last season after fracturing his leg against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
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Patriots trade EDGE Matthew Judon to Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons acquired edge defender Matthew Judon from the New England Patriots Wednesday night, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
BREAKING: The #Patriots are close to finalizing a trade that will send 4x Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon to the #Falcons, per multiple sources.
The deal is in the final stages and expected to be finished soon. pic.twitter.com/kB5ztWIjKg
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 14, 2024
Judon is set to earn a base salary of $6.5 million in the final year of his contract but was a hold-in at Patriots camp, so the Falcons may hand him a new deal. The Patriots received a third-round pick in return for the four-time Pro Bowler.
Judon spent the first five years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens before joining the Patriots in 2021. He generated a career-high 69 pressures in his last full season of 2022 and missed most of 2023 with a torn bicep suffered in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Falcons were in desperate need of edge help after rookie Bralen Trice suffered a torn ACL in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins last week.
Bills LB Matt Milano out indefinitely with a torn bicep
Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano suffered a torn bicep in practice and will be out indefinitely, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
ESPN sources: Bills Pro-Bowl linebacker Matt Milano, who left Tuesday’s practice injured, tore his bicep and now will be out indefinitely. Milano will undergo surgery on his torn bicep with the hope of trying to return later this season, possibly in December. pic.twitter.com/hQDauRequk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 15, 2024
Milano will undergo surgery with the hope that he can return late in the season. He missed most of last season after fracturing his leg against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
Milano earned All-Pro honors in 2022 and is a significant loss for the Bills’ defense. In that season, he set career highs in defensive stops (57), pressures (24) and combined interceptions and pass breakups (nine).
Terrel Bernard had a solid second season in the NFL last year, earning a 65.9 PFF overall grade over 1,031 snaps. He will need to step up and lead the linebacker unit in Milano’s absence.
Panthers CB Dane Jackson out with “significant” hamstring injury
Carolina Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson is expected to miss up to six weeks with a severe hamstring injury, according to ESPN's David Newton.
Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson has a severe hamstring injury and could be out in the six week range. The team already was looking for help there.
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) August 15, 2024
Jackson spent the first four years of his career with the Buffalo Bills before signing a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Panthers in March.
Jackson earned a 69.7 PFF coverage grade last season, ranking 42nd out of 126 qualifying cornerbacks. He has recorded 25 pass breakups in his career, 16 of which came over the past two seasons.
The Panthers already had some concerns about their cornerback depth before Jackson’s injury, so they’ll likely be in the market for some help there in the coming days. Veteran Stephon Gilmore is still a free agent, although the team may not have the necessary cap space to get a deal done with the five-time Pro Bowler.
Cowboys signing free-agent EDGE Carl Lawson
The Dallas Cowboys are signing veteran free-agent edge defender Carl Lawson.
The #Cowboys are signing veteran DE Carl Lawson, per sources.
More reinforcements for Dallas, which also traded for DT Jordan Phillips. Lawson has 27 career sacks. pic.twitter.com/27CIvotA1D
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 15, 2024
The Cowboys brought Lawson in for a visit two weeks ago. The team just traded for interior defender Jordan Phillips, as well, to solidify their defensive line depth heading into the regular season. Dallas lost defensive end Sam Williams for the season due to a torn ACL and MCL and needed some pass-rush help behind Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.
A back injury and inconsistent play limited Lawson to just six games (101 snaps) last year with the New York Jets. Before that, he was a difference-maker in passing situations, earning a 72.8 PFF pass-rushing grade or better in four of his first five years. He generated 49 pressures with the Jets in 2022.
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