2014 August - Pro Football Rumors

49ers Not Interested In Trading Alex Boone

August 20th, 2014 at 8:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have received inquiries from teams regarding the availability of holdout guard Alex Boone but are not interested in dealing him, a source told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Another source said the 49ers have told teams that they would be willing to part with Boone for a first- or second-round draft pick, which is unreasonably high for an offensive guard.

Boone, who is under contract for two more seasons, has skipped the first four weeks of training camp and is subject to fines of $30K daily. The 49ers tried to bring him back with a contract offer earlier this week but he turned it down. The value of the deal is quite uncertain. Some reports indicate that it would have made him one of the top 12 highest-paid guards in the league, but Bill Williamson of ESPN.com reported that it wouldn’t have even put him in the top-25. Reportedly, if the team offers Boone a deal that pays him $15MM over the next three years, he’d likely sign it.

Boone, the Niners’ starting right guard in each of the last two seasons, is in line for a $2MM base salary this season and just $1.2MM in 2015, but is now subject to about $900K in fines. While San Francisco’s offensive line could certainly use Boone, the team has other players that they can turn to and other extensions they may have to prioritize over him.

Nick Fairley Wants To Stay With Lions

August 20th, 2014 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Even though the Lions declined his fifth-year option and demoted him to a reserve role, defensive tackle Nick Fairley says he still wants to stay with the Lions beyond this season, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Even though he’s bummed about not being a part of the first unit, he says that this offseason hasn’t made him question his future with the organization.

“What it means, I couldn’t tell you to be honest,” the the 6’5″, 291 pound lineman said. “I want to be here. I want to stay here in Detroit.”

General Manager Martin Mayhew had the option to exercise Fairley’s fifth-year option for just $5.5MM, but he opted against it due to Fairley’s inconsistency. That means that a strong 2014 season will make it difficult for the Lions to retain Fairley, but Mayhew said that he is hopeful the 26-year-old will use it as motivation. The former No. 13 overall pick has had his work ethic called into question throughout his NFL career, and a fat new contract could be the carrot on a stick that gets him to realize his potential.

Fairley has also struggled with weight issues in the past. He played as heavy as 322 pounds in 2013 and reported to camp last month at 308. After undergoing sleep apnea surgery this offseason, he dropped down to 295 pounds but poor eating habits spiked his weight once again. Currently, he’s weighing in at 315 pounds and sees that as a comfortable playing weight.

A starter when healthy his first three seasons, Fairley might not be more than a rotational two-down lineman in the Lions’ new defensive scheme, Birkett writes. The Lions have used Jason Jones as an inside rusher in sub packages this summer and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh rarely comes off the field.

In 15 games last season, Fairley recorded a career-high 6.0 sacks, 22 tackles, and a safety.

Colts Waive Phillip Tanner

August 20th, 2014 at 5:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have waived running back Phillip Tanner, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (on Twitter). It was a short stay in Indianapolis for Tanner as the Colts signed him late last month.

Tanner, 26, spent his first three seasons in Dallas, recording 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 56 carries during that stretch, along with 93 receiving yards on nine catches. The Middle Tennessee State product, who worked out for the Seahawks last week, also contributed on special teams in 2013.

Tanner was picked up after the Colts lost Vick Ballard to a season-ending Achilles injury and dropped Chris Rainey due to a violation of team rules. However, with Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw occupying the top two running back spots on the depth chart, Dan Herron in support, and the newly-acquired David Fluellen now in the mix, Tanner was expendable.

Vikings Notes: Ponder, Turner, Greenway

August 20th, 2014 at 5:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

While Christian Ponder is reportedly open to a trade, he has not asked the Vikings’ management or coaching staff for one, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter).

Ponder was in the running to be the team’s starter earlier this offseason, sharing first-team reps, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. More recently, he has been relegated to the third string as Matt Cassel and first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater continue to compete for the starting spot.

While he would like a chance to start, he is saying the right things as he has accepted his current role with the team, according to Tomasson.

“I’m learning so much right now. I do feel like it’s beneficial for me to be right here right now,” said Ponder. “As a competitor, though, you want to be the guy that’s out there playing. But I do feel like in the situation I’m in right now, I am getting better though I’m not playing.”

Here are some other notes from around Vikings organization:

Ponder may no longer be in contention in Minnesota, but the team has yet to announce an official depth chart at quarterback. However, offensive coordinator Norv Turner may have revealed a bit about his selection process, writes Jim Souhan of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Cassel will start the season opener, and will remain the start if he is healthy and performing well. Bridgewater will be inserted into the lineup only when he is ready. “I know Teddy’s getting himself ready to play,” said Turner. “And he’s got to be ready to play, because this league is tough on quarterbacks. You can be in there real fast.’’
New head coach Mike Zimmer is enjoying his new chess pieces on defense, trying to balance his versatile players while installing his fundamental system, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. “It’s a little bit of, ‘What can the guy do and still be effective?'” Zimmer said. “Once I feel like we have the fundamentals down and the techniques down, then you can worry about tricking somebody else or disguising. You don’t always have guys like Everson Griffen, Anthony Barr, Brian Robison that can do a number of different things. Those three guys can stand up and drop, play outside linebacker and rush.”
Linebacker Chad Greenway missed practice with a wrist injury, allowing second-year player Michael Mauti to get some extra reps, writes Matt Vensel of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Mauti is still on the bubble, but a strong performance in Greenway’s absence could go a long way to help him make the team.
While Mauti fights to make the team, and Zimmer tries to find ways to use his other defensive players, the Vikings are still looking for a third linebacker to step up and take the middle linebacker spot, writes Derek Wetmore of 1500ESPN.com. Jasper Brinkley and Audie Cole are fighting to earn that spot. “Jasper seems to be a little bit more communicative and Audie seems to have a little more range. As far as the running game they’re very close and the passing game they’re similar,” Zimmer said. “You have to look at all the different things: how it affects the rest of the guys on the team; you have to look at their blitz ability; their communication on different formations that you get. There’s so many variables with that position that goes into it that you just kind of overall look at it.”
Griffen is not letting any of the scheme and roster uncertainty get in the way of the basics, writes Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. After signing a huge contract to remain with the team, he knows the basic philosophy of the defense will be to get after the football. “We’re going to be in attack mode and we’re going to be able to play,” Griffen said. “Just go out there and have fun. Football’s fun.”

Cardinals To Sign Isaac Sopoaga

August 20th, 2014 at 4:09pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Cardinals are planning to sign defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga, reports Kent Somers of AZCentral.com (via Twitter).

The team worked out Sopoaga earlier today, and could view him as a potential replacement for Darnell Dockett, who is lost for the season to a torn ACL.

Sopoaga started his career with the 49ers, before leaving in free agency to join the Eagles in 2013. Despite signing a three-year deal, he was traded to the Patriots midseason.

The Patriots released him earlier this offseason, as he failed to positively contribute to the team in limited action last year.

Buccaneers Claim Edawn Coughman

August 20th, 2014 at 3:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Buccaneers have claimed offensive tackle Edawn Coughman off waivers, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Coughman was waived by the Bills, after spending last season on the team’s practice squad.

Coughman went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft., and spent time in the CFL, appearing in nine games with the Toronto Argonauts, according to Stroud (via Twitter).

He was cut from the Argonauts in 2012, when he made the move back to the NFL. He played for the Cowboys and Seahawks, before being signed to the Bills’ practice squad last season, according to Stroud (via Twitter).

Browns Notes: Manziel, Hoyer, Gordon

August 20th, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

Although the Browns have named Brian Hoyer as the starting quarterback to start the season, enigmatic backup Johnny Manziel has taken the news in stride. Manziel acknowledged that he is “smart enough to know” that he did not play well enough in his preseason action in order to take a lead on the starting job, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer (via Twitter).

Manziel stands by his polarizing actions off the field, saying that he would not have done anything differently this offseason, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).

While he doesn’t regret his transgressions this offseason, he does admit that he needs to continue to practice and prepare extremely diligently and with a purpose, while he awaits an opportunity to get on the field, writes Ulrich (via Twitter).

Here are some other notes from around the Browns:

Hoyer “crumbled under the pressure” of the spotlight during the Browns’ preseason matchup with the Redskins on Monday, and the pressure will only increase now that he has been named the starter, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He notes that even if the team’s defense exceed expectations, that Hoyer as a starter-by-default is not a recipe for success.
Before Hoyer was named the starter, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk assessed the media circus surrounding the team’s quarterback competition. He notes that the plan to curb his attention by not naming him the day one starter did not work, and that they were better off making an early decision on the depth chart. Florio believes they should have just named him the starter, to save him the scrutiny of the competition. They could also have relegated Manziel to the bench earlier, relieving him of the pressure to be a star in the preseason.
While Manziel is one of the most polarizing rookie quarterbacks among fans and pundits, NFL players believe in the young gunslinger. According to an ESPN player poll, 69% of players believe Manziel will enjoy some sort of NFL success, while only 31% envision him as becoming the next bust at quarterback for the Browns. ESPN collected answers to this question from 82 anonymous NFL players.
In a piece of non-quarterback news, Josh Gordon has still yet to hear about a ruling following his hearing after being suspended for violating the substance-abuse policy, writes Florio. If Gordon’s year-long suspension is relaxed, that will be the most significant upgrade the Browns’ offense could get, regardless of who is under center at the time the troubled wide receiver returns to the field.

Colts Acquire David Fluellen From Eagles

August 20th, 2014 at 2:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Colts have traded for Eagles’ running back David Fluellen, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Fluellen became expendable after the Eagles traded for Kenjon Barner of the Panthers earlier this week.

In return, the Eagles will receive kicker Cody Parkey from the Colts.

Fluellen, who was reported as cut earlier today, ended up on the trading block as his release was not set to become official until 4 P.M. EST, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).

Both players were on the way out from their respective teams, therefore the swap was most likely made for each to avoid waivers, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).

Mosher also notes that the team is unlikely to carry three kickers for very long, and expects Cary Spear to be relesed soon (via Twitter).

Minor Moves: Wednesday

August 20th, 2014 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll keep tabs on Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

The Bills have placed linebacker Stevenson Sylvester on injured reserve with a torn patella tendon, ending his season, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. Because Sylvester had four years of NFL experience, he didn’t have to pass through waivers before being put on the team’s IR list.
The Raiders have waived-injured safety Jeremy Deering, replacing him on the roster with kicker Kevin Goessling, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

After reporting earlier today that Eric Kettani worked out for the Jaguars, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post now says the team is signing the fullback, so his audition must have gone well. Kettani was cut by the Chiefs earlier this year. Wilson adds in a tweet that tight end Fendi Onobun, who will miss the season with a torn quad, has been waived-injured.
The Broncos have waived-injured defensive end Greg Latta, according to Wilson (via Twitter). The Purdue product was one of more than a dozen undrafted free agents signed by Denver immediately following the draft.
The Buccaneers have reduced their receiving corps by one, cutting ex-Titan Lavelle Hawkins today, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
On the heels of acquiring Kenjon Barner from the Panthers, the Eagles have cut rookie running back David Fluellen, the team announced today (Twitter link). A roster move wasn’t necessary to make room for Barner, so Philadelphia now has one opening on its roster.
Punter Blake Clingan has been cut by the Redskins, a source tells Tom Schad of the Washington Times (Twitter link). That leaves Robert Malone as the only punter on the club’s roster.

NFC North Links: Lions, Ponder, Packers

August 20th, 2014 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Roster construction is a collaborative effort in Detroit, but head coach Jim Caldwell acknowledges that general manager Martin Mayhew will have the final say on the 53 players the Lions carry into the regular season, as he tells Justin Rogers of MLive.com. If Caldwell were making the final decisions, he’d like favor production over potential, for one obvious reason.

“I’m in the business of winning games and winning games now,” Caldwell said. “So the most important thing to me is getting guys who can be in a position to help us win right now. There are other, businesses (and) positions within the organization that may look at it differently, but we have to look at it as coaches. We’re looking for the best guy to help us win, at this particular moment in time, and that’s what counts for us.”

Here’s more from around the NFC North:

Although Christian Ponder has made comments indicating he’d be open to a trade, he clarified today that he’s not asking to be dealt by the Vikings. “As a competitor you want to be the guy out there playing,” Ponder said. “But I do feel like in the situation I’m in right now, I am getting better” (Twitter links via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press).
Colt Lyerla was waived-injured by the Packers yesterday after tearing his MCL and PCL, but agent Vinnie Porter gets the sense that the team still has his client in its plans, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Assuming Lyerla clears waivers, he could spent the year on injured reserve and continue on with Green Bay next season.
In a separate piece for the Journal Sentinel, Dunne explores whether or not there’s still room on the Packers for former first-round pick Nick Perry. The linebacker’s roster spot probably isn’t in jeopardy, but 2014 could be a make-or-break season for him.
By signing Julius Peppers and having him make the transition from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker, the Packers are hoping the ex-Bear has a career renaissance similar to the one experienced by Charles Woodson when Woodson joined the Packers and began to play positions besides just cornerback. Andy Benoit of TheMMQB.com has the story.