2014 August - Pro Football Rumors

NFC East Notes: Brent, Hynoski, Eagles

August 29th, 2014 at 8:38am CST by Zachary Links

Eagles linebacker Brandon Graham was unsure about his future just a few months ago, but it looks like the former first-round pick will make the roster and remain in Philadelphia, writes Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News. “When we first came back for the minicamps, I kept hearing all this talk about being traded,” he said. “I thought I was going to get traded before I got back [for the start of training camp]. But they stuck with me, and I feel I owe the team and the fans a lot because I know things haven’t gone the way they’re supposed to for a first-rounder. But I know I can play. It’s time to take off.” More from the NFC East..

The Cowboys are expecting a decision from the NFL on defensive tackle Josh Brent, maybe as soon as today, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Dallas is bracing for a four-game suspension.
Henry Hynoski‘s shoulder injury could mean that John Conner – the man known as The Terminator for the other Meadowlands team – will make the Giants‘ roster at fullback, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I don’t wish that on anybody,’’ Conner said. “He’s a tough guy, he’s having a great camp and hopefully comes back all right.’’
Giants wide receiver Preston Parker was once again the team’s first punt returner in Thursday night’s preseason finale, which indicates to Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News (on Twitter) that he’ll be one of the receivers on the final 53-man roster.
Cody Parkey made a strong case to be the Eagles‘ kicker after connecting on three field goals, including a 53-yarder and a 54-yarder, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Alex Henery, who did not attempt a field goal, entered the game 1 of 3 in the preseason with a career long of 51 yards.
The competition for the Eagles‘ final wide receiver spot comes down to a three-man race between Damaris Johnson, Arrelious Benn and Jeff Maehl, writes Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine. His pick is Maehl, a fomer Oregon Duck.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Peterson, Raji

August 28th, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Zachary Links

In the Lions‘ shutout of the Bills tonight, quarterback Kellen Moore made a strong case for sticking with the Lions, writes Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News. After completing 17 of 28 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns, Moore could be the third QB on the depth chart or perhaps overtake Dan Orlovsky as the No. 2 signal caller in Detroit. Here’s more from the NFC North..

Vikings star Adrian Peterson would be wise to start thinking about his future, writes ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. Peterson downplayed a report indicating that he told Jerry Jones he’d like to join the Cowboys someday and said that he’d like to retire with the Vikings, but that may not be an option if he doesn’t perform at an elite level this season. AD is currently set to earn $13MM in 2015.
In a piece for the National Football Post, Joel Corry looked at injuries and other situations that could have financial implications, including Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji. Raji’s torn right biceps means that he’ll likely be signing another one-year prove-it deal in 2015, whether it’s with Green Bay or elsewhere.
The Lions are one of three teams that are tight against the cap as the season approaches, writes Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News. Fitzgerald expects to see some low level veteran cuts to help their cap situation since there aren’t many options for negotiations on their roster.

Ravens Not Planning Contract Extensions

August 28th, 2014 at 8:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens gained some financial flexibility this week when they restructured cornerback Lardarius Webb‘s $50MM contract, but that doesn’t mean contract extensions for their current players are on the way, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.

Extension candidates in Baltimore include wide receiver Torrey Smith, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, cornerback Jimmy Smith, and Pro Bowl kicker Justin Tucker, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll be inking new deals right away. Smith is probably the most likely candidate of that group as he enters the final year of his deal, but Wilson hears that talks haven’t advanced all that quickly between the club and the former Maryland standout. Ngata, whose contract talks with the Ravens didn’t get far earlier this year, is under contract for the next two seasons at $8.5 million per year. Tucker, meanwhile, can be retained as a restricted free agent after this season and there haven’t been any talks between the two sides. Jimmy Smith has two years left on his deal and recently said that he’s not expecting an extension to materialize.

Meanwhile, even after signing veteran cornerback Derek Cox to a one-year deal, the Ravens are actively monitoring the waiver wire and the trade block for a CB, according to Wilson.

Josh Gordon Considering Legal Options

August 28th, 2014 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns star Josh Gordon and his team are considering pursuing legal remedies now more than ever, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The idea is that Gordon would seek to obtain an injunction, which would him to play until litigation ends.

Getlin adds (link) that any injunction that would allow Gordon to play would be granted on highly technical grounds and it’s unclear which laws Gordon’s team would utilize. There is precedent for an injunction allowing NFL players to stay on the field while things are hashed out in court, however. Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams managed to put their StarCaps suspensions on hold in 2008 before finally having to serve their time three years later.

Earlier today it was reported that Gordon has explored playing in the CFL and the Calgary Stampeders, who hold his CFL rights, “want him badly.” That still sounds like something of a longshot, however, as the CFL’s rules wouldn’t allow Gordon to sign with a team unless the Browns were to cut him and he passed through waivers.

David Garrard Hoping For NFL Return

August 28th, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

David Garrard hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2010, but the veteran quarterback believes that he still has some quality football left in him. The 36-year-old told NFL AM (video link) that his agent reached out to the Rams after Sam Bradford‘s season-ending injury and he personally feels he’d be a good fit for them or another team looking for an experienced QB.

“I actually haven’t gotten any calls yet but my agent has reached out to the Rams and to a number of teams,” Garrard said. “They’ve all said they have me on their ‘hot list’ so I think probably something will happen after these last cuts once teams realize who is available, who is not available and then maybe somebody like myself can join a team.”

Garrard started 76 games for the Jaguars from 2002 through 2010. He hooked on with the Dolphins in 2012 and the Jets last year but injuries kept him off the field in both attempts. Now, Garrard says that his troublesome knee is feeling good after giving it some much needed rest. Teams aren’t beating down Garrard’s door to sign him, but in a league where Brett Favre reportedly had interest from the Rams just one year ago, anything is possible.

T.J. Graham On Bills’ Trade Block

August 28th, 2014 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Bills wideout T.J. Graham has been on the trade block for several months, sources tell Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The timeframe provided by Caplan suggests that Buffalo has been willing to move Graham for most or all of the offseason, but has yet to find a suitor. Tonight’s preseason game may be the receiver’s last opportunity to audition for potential suitors.

Graham, a third-round pick in 2012, started 11 games for the Bills in his rookie season and caught 31 balls, but took a step backward in his sophomore year. Despite seeing more offensive snaps, Graham tallied just 23 receptions in 2013, and figures to play a reduced role in Buffalo this season if he remains on the roster, given the presence of newcomers like Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams.

Even with most teams having yet to suffer too many injuries to their receiving corps, there are a handful of clubs around the league that could use receiving help. The Browns and Panthers are among the wideout-needy teams that immediately come to mind, though it’s not clear if either club would have any interest in Graham.

Poll: Which Rookie RB Will Have Best Season?

August 28th, 2014 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

In the weeks leading up to the 2014 season, we’ve asked Pro Football Rumors readers which rookie quarterback and which rookie wide receiver would put up the best numbers in their first year in the NFL. In both cases, there was no clear-cut winner — at the moment, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater are deadlocked with 27.64% of the vote, while for the wideouts, the Saints’ Brandin Cooks is ahead of Jordan Matthews of the Eagles by a single vote.

If we weren’t be able to establish any sort of consensus for quarterbacks or receivers, it may be even more difficult to do so for running backs. The rookie landscape is muddled by the fact that no backs were selected in the first round, and no rookies are expected to immediately step in as workhorses, or even starters. Bishop Sankey of the Titans appeared to have the best chance to earn the majority of his team’s carries, but he has yet to distinguish himself in the preseason, and will have to compete with Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster for touches.

Other second- to fourth-round picks, including Jeremy Hill (Bengals), Carlos Hyde (49ers), Terrance West (Browns), Devonta Freeman (Falcons), and Andre Williams (Giants), have a chance at big years. But the opportunities may not be there with veterans Giovani Bernard, Frank Gore, Ben Tate, Steven Jackson, and Rashad Jennings currently penciled in as those clubs’ respective starters.

It seems likely that at least one of the aforementioned rookies – or someone I haven’t discussed yet – will ultimately earn a more significant workload and have a big year, but it’s hard to pin down which one it might be. What do you think? Which running back will have the best rookie season in 2014?

Cowboys Waive B.W. Webb

August 28th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

In order to clear a roster spot for incoming running back Phillip Tanner, the Cowboys have waived defensive back B.W. Webb, the team announced today (via Twitter). With the move, which was first reported by Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Dallas’ roster continues to sit at the maximum 75 players.

A fourth-round pick a year ago, Webb was a part-timer in the Cowboys’ secondary during his rookie season, appearing in 185 total defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In addition to recording 12 tackles and one pass defended on defense, the 24-year-old also contributed in kick and punt coverage, logging four special teams tackles.

Although Webb had been dealing with a hip flexor earlier this summer, he’s healthy now and has a decent chance to catch on with another club, according to Pelissero (via Twitter). Webb will have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent. Assuming he clears waivers, he’ll also be eligible for practice squad duties for the Cowboys or for any other club.

NFL Announces New Domestic Violence Policy

August 28th, 2014 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Ray Rice‘s two-game suspension as a result of a domestic abuse incident with his then-fiancée, and the backlash to that decision, the NFL has announced a new policy on domestic violence, reports Jane McManus of ESPN.com. According to McManus (via Twitter), the league sent out a letter to owners today, indicating that violating the NFL’s new domestic policy would result in a six-game penalty for a first offense, with a second offense resulting in a lifetime ban.

Within the letter to owners, commissioner Roger Goodell admits that he “didn’t get it right” when he suspended Rice for just two games, tweets McManus. The disparity between Rice’s two-game ban and the year-long suspension for Josh Gordon, who failed a marijuana test, existed in large part because the NFL didn’t have a specific policy in place for incidents of domestic violence. The new measures provide a clearer guideline for what sort of punishment can be expected for players involved in domestic incidents.

The new disciplinary consequences, which apply to all league personnel rather than just players (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com), don’t require the NFLPA’s approval, since they fall under the personal conduct umbrella, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. As our Dallas Robinson wrote earlier this month, when it was reported that the league was looking to institute harsher penalties for domestic violence, it would have been hard to imagine the NFLPA opposing a policy that increases the consequences for abusers.

According to the NFL’s announcement, the penalty for first-time offenders could be more than six games, depending on “mitigating factors.” As McManus tweets, any second-time offender who received a lifetime ban could attempt to apply for reinstatement.

We heard just a couple weeks ago that the NFL was seeking the input of outside groups with expertise on the issue of domestic violence in the hopes of unveiling a revamped program dedicated to the issue, which would focus on “everything from education, training, assistance and enhanced discipline.” The league didn’t waste much time in instituting that new program.

Adrian Peterson Expressed Interest In Playing For Cowboys

August 28th, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

1:30pm: Peterson and the Vikings have issued an official statement on the ESPN report. Peterson’s comments read, in full:

“This was a casual conversation between NFL colleagues in which I never indicated I wanted to leave the Vikings. I have always said I understand the NFL is a business but that I would love to retire as a Viking.”

1:00pm: Star running back Adrian Peterson told Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in a June telephone call that he’d have interest in joining the Cowboys after his tenure with the Vikings comes to an end, according to an ESPN.com Outside the Lines report by Don Van Natta Jr. Van Natta recounts Jones’ side of the conversation with the Vikings running back, writing that it’s “obvious” Peterson told Jones he’d like to play for Dallas.

“Well, I understand, Adrian,” Jones said during the conversation. “I’d like that, too … Well, I love your story. I love your daddy’s story. I’ve always respected what you’ve been about. I’ve always been a fan of yours.”

The NFL’s rules related to tampering dictate that if a team is contacted by a player who is under contract with another club, that team must immediately report the contact to the club which holds the player’s rights. Jones, confirming that Peterson told him he’d like to play for the Cowboys, said he didn’t contact the Vikings about the discussion, so it’s not clear whether he’ll be subject to a penalty from the league.

Van Natta’s story also includes details on Jones’ desire to draft Johnny Manziel back in May, rather than offensive lineman Zack Martin.

“If we had picked Manziel, he’d guarantee our relevance for 10 years,” Jones said. “When we were on the clock, I said, if we pick the other guy – any other guy – it would be a ticket to parity, more 8-8 seasons. The only way to break out is to gamble — take a chance with that first pick, if you wanna dramatically improve your team. That’s why I wanted Manziel, but I was the only guy who wanted him.”