HEADLINES

Month: August 2014

Eagles Would Listen To Offers For Mark Sanchez

August 17th, 2014 at 5:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly told reporters today, including John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com, that he would be open to fielding trade offers for backup quarterback Mark Sanchez. Kelly was responding to a direct question about Sanchez’s trade value, so it’s not as if he broached the topic himself. Nevertheless, it’s uncommon for a team official to openly discuss dealing a player under contract.

“I mean, we’ll listen to anything for anybody,” said Kelly. “We’re not just going to put our head in the sand and say no. It better be a pretty good deal in terms of what it is. But that’s not in any of our thought process.” Kelly also noted that no team has asked about Sanchez’s availability as of yet. “Mark has played well, but we haven’t had anybody call or ask us anything. That’s not something we’re talking about because you’re just spending time on things that could happen, should happen. I don’t know. But I know we’re really happy about him.”

Sanchez, of course, was the fifth overall selection in 2009, and went on to start 62 games for the Jets, leading New York to the AFC Championship game twice. He did not take a snap for the Jets last season after shuffling a shoulder injury. He was released in March, and after presumably failing to land a starting job, signed a one-year, $2.25MM deal with the Eagles. Sanchez has reportedly been impressive during practice sessions, and has completed 18-of-22 passes for 196 and two touchdowns in a pair of preseason games.

It’s just my speculation, but I’m guessing Sanchez would welcome a trade if it meant returning to a starting role. In signing with the Eagles, Sanchez was probably hoping that Kelly’s offensive system, which vaulted the relatively unheralded Nick Foles into the upper echelon of quarterbacks, could do the same for him. It’s likely that Sanchez believed that shining during the preseason or in backup duty would allow him to secure a No. 1 job next offseason. A trade now, after just a summer of work under Kelly, would validate that line of thinking.

For the Eagles, it wouldn’t seem prudent to trade Sanchez at this point. Matt Barkley, a fourth-round pick in 2013 who has shown little in the way of development, would be next in line for the No. 2 QB role. If starter Foles were to suffer an injury, Kelly and Co. would surely rather have the experienced Sanchez under center than the second-year Barkley. However, if a team is impressed with Sanchez to the point of offering draft pick compensation, it could be a worthwhile return on a $2.25MM risk.

Sam Baker Tears Patellar Tendon, Will Miss 2014 Season

August 17th, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Rory Parks

4:59pm: The Falcons have confirmed that Baker will miss the entire 2014 season. The announcement was accompanied by a statement from head coach Mike Smith:

“Following his injury in the game, Sam underwent a number of tests and it was determined that he had suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the season,” said Smith. “Sam had worked extremely hard to get back on the field after missing most of last season, and he was having a good camp. I know he is disappointed, but I also know he is a very resilient football player and will do whatever he can to bounce back.”

12:41pm: Citing ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets that tests have confirmed that Baker ruptured his right patellar tendon.

8:33am: The early diagnosis for Falcons left tackle Sam Baker, who was carted off the field during Saturday’s preseason contest against the Texans, is a torn right patellar tendon, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport adds that, if the diagnosis is confirmed, Baker’s season is almost certainly over.

Jake Matthews, the team’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, was supposed to start at right tackle in 2014 and slowly transition to the left side. However, as Rapoport notes in a separate tweet, Baker’s injury accelerates Matthews’ move to left tackle. It remains to be seen what Atlanta will do at right tackle going forward, though Lamar Holmes (who replaced Baker on the blind side in last night’s game) will get a shot, as will Ryan Schraeder. Gabe Carimi, who signed with the Falcons as a free agent in February, sprained his ankle in practice several weeks ago but was having a good training camp until the injury and could be in the mix. But he struggled at both tackle positions during his time with the Bears and looked to have more value as a backup guard.

Baker missed 12 games in 2013 due to a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, which makes his latest injury even more troublesome. He has also dealt with back problems over the course of his career. The Falcons’ offensive line was a mess last season, and Baker’s injury increased the likelihood of a repeat performance in 2014.

NFC West Links: Extensions, Seahawks, Givens

August 17th, 2014 at 4:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In a piece examining how the Seahawks can keep their championship window open, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes that even though Seattle has already extended the deals of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Doug Baldwin, the team could look to hand out even more new contracts in the coming months. Fourth-year linebacker K.J. Wright, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded as the 13th-best 4-3 OLB in the NFL last season, might be next in line for an extension, per La Canfora. The Seahawks might also look to tack on years to defensive end Cliff Avril‘s original two-year, $13MM deal, which expires after this season. Left tackle Russell Okung is also entering the final year of his contract, but might have to wait for new money, as La Canfora believes his injury history will prompt Seattle to evaluate his health after 2014. More from the NFC West:

  • The Seahawks have a history of keeping just two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, but Terrelle Pryor‘s performance through two preseason games has Gregg Bell of the News-Tribune wondering if the team will keep the 25-year-old Ohio State product around.
  • Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, Rams receiver Chris Givens has been surpassed on the depth chart by Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, and Brian Quick. It’s fair to wonder if Givens, entering his third season, will survive final cuts.
  • It’s common practice for teams to send scouts to preseason games around the league, hoping to get looks at players who could be available in the coming weeks as cutdown dates approach. Eight NFL teams, plus two CFL squads, had officials on hand to scout the Broncos-49ers exhibition game, but Seahawks general manager John Schneider was the only top executive on hand to view the contest, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

AFC Notes: Steelers, Jets, Patriots, Jaguars

August 17th, 2014 at 3:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s round up some links from the AFC…

  • The Steelers should consider keeping two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, opines Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. With Bruce Gradkowski locked in as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh could save a roster spot by moving Landry Jones to the practice squad. Jones, a 2013 fourth-round pick, would have to be exposed to waivers before being sent to the practice squad, a transaction Bouchette allows is unlikely.
  • In a report labeling the Jets’ risers and fallers, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com lauds the progress of general manager John Idzik’s 2014 draft class, noting that both Calvin Pryor and Jace Amaro, New York’s top two picks, fared well against the Bengals on Saturday.
  • Brian Tyms hasn’t wanted for media attention lately, and Jeremy Gottlieb of Boston.com lists the receiver among four surprising Patriots roster locks, noting that Tyms’ upcoming suspension will actually help him make New England’s squad because management won’t be forced to make a decision on his status until after Week 4.
  • An interesting note from ESPN’s Field Yates, who tweets that Patriots offensive lineman Jordan Devey is the only NFL player to play every snap this preseason; he’s lined up at every O-line position save for center. Devey, a 2013 undrafted free agent, wasn’t listed on Mike Reiss of ESPN.com’s most recent New England roster projection, but perhaps the coaching staff has been quietly impressed with the 26-year-old’s versatility.
  • Some have labeled the Jaguars’ plan to slowly develop rookie quarterback Blake Bortles a response to the failure of former Jag Blaine Gabbert, who was almost immediately thrown into the fire. In his latest chat at ESPN.com, however, Michael DiRocco disputes that argument, noting that general manager David Caldwell & Co. were not involved in the Gabbert flameout.
  • More Jaguars: Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union offers his latest roster projection, which includes a few updates in the secondary.

PFR Originals: 8/10/14 – 8/17/14

August 17th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

Week In Review: 8/10/14 – 8/17/14

August 17th, 2014 at 1:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Signed:

Released:

Traded:

  • Cowboys – acquired CB Justin Green from the Patriots in exchange for DT Ben Bass (link)
  • Patriots – acquired DT Jerel Worthy from the Packers in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick (link)

Contract Restructured:

Suspended:

Injured:

  • Falcons – OT Sam Baker: torn right patellar tendon, likely out for 2014 (link)

Other:

  • Chinese football league to launch in 2015 (link)
  • Chris Kluwe, Vikings reach settlement (link)

Sunday Roundup: Clemens, Fairley, Bortles

August 17th, 2014 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Parks

The preseason has reached its unofficial halfway point, and teams must trim their rosters to 75 players in just over a week from now. As position competitions continue to smolder and as bubble players strive to prove themselves in preseason contests, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:

  • Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean offers some lessons learned from the Titans‘ second preseason game against the Saints. He notes that Travis Coons‘ accuracy has made the kicking competition with Maikon Bonani much more interesting than anticipated, and while return specialist Marc Mariani still faces an uphill battle to make the club, his returns on Saturday night have kept him in the picture.
  • Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com believes the Ravens should keep starting corners Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith on the shelf until the regular season opener against the Bengals. Baltimore has been “snakebitten” at the cornerback position and Hensley believes the team’s best bet is to hope that a decent player gets released as the preseason rolls on. He writes that, if free agents like Asante Samuel and Dunta Robinson could help, they would have jobs by now.
  • Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes that the Chargers are thrilled to have Kellen Clemens as Philip Rivers‘ backup, as they are confident Clemens could win games for them if he were pressed into duty.
  • Mike Klis of the Denver Post ranks undrafted free agent Juwan Thompson as the Broncos‘ biggest training camp surprise. Though Thompson entered camp as the No. 6 tailback on the roster, he now appears to have a legitimate shot at making the club.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Lions need to salvage Nick Fairley, who represents their last hope from the now infamous 2011 draft, but if Fairley does not show improvement soon, he could be a midseason trade candidate.
  • Birkett (Twitter links) and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com offer brief discussions of the Lions‘ wide receiver competition and predict which wideouts may make the club.
  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides a list of which Packers bubble players helped themselves and who hurt themselves in Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe believes the Browns and Jaguars should hand the reins to Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel right away, rather than have them sit behind the players they will eventually overtake. Since Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan led their clubs to the playoffs during their rookie seasons in 2008, rookie quarterbacks have fared very well when thrown into the fire from day one. For what it’s worth, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union tweets that Bortles will finally get reps with the first team offense on Monday and could play with the ones in the second quarter in the team’s upcoming preseason game against the Lions.

East Notes: Eagles, Cousins, Branch

August 17th, 2014 at 11:34am CST by Rory Parks

Although there was a great deal of cyberspace dedicated to the Jets this morning, there are also a few relevant notes to pass along from some of the league’s other east division teams. Let’s have a look:

  • Despite Eagles kicker Alex Henery‘s missed 47-yard field goal attempt in last night’s preseason game, Kelly affirmed that Henery is in no immediate danger of losing his job to Carey Spear, tweets Mosher.
  • In reference to the Eagles‘ kicking competition, Kelly stated, “It’s clear in our mind Alex is number one over Carey.” Henery has performed well in training camp, but as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, if Kelly is convinced that Henery is the guy–and apparently he is, since Spear has not even had a kick in a preseason game–why is Spear still on the roster?
  • In a separate piece, McLane notes that Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry got a few reps with the starters on Friday against the Patriots and that he acquitted himself well. McLane believes that, despite speculation that Curry may be traded since he is not a perfect fit in Philadelphia’s defensive scheme, the Eagles are unlikely to deal the player who may be the team’s best pass rusher, particularly since they did little to address their pass rushing group in the offseason.
  • Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that the Giants‘ offensive line did nothing to assuage concerns during its lackluster showing against the Colts on Saturday night.
  • Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes that one of the few bright spots for the Giants yesterday was the performance of tight end Adrien Robinson.
  • Mike Jones of the Washington Post writes that Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins has continued to be a “good soldier” as he awaits an opportunity to start in the NFL. Cousins, of course, was the subject of trade rumors this offseason and will probably get a legitimate chance to establish himself as a starter at some point in his career.
  • James Walker of ESPN.com writes that Dolphins guard Dallas Thomas is now on the hot seat after his weak performance against the Buccaneers on Saturday.
  • Two Bills players who were seemingly roster locks several months ago–Thad Lewis and Alan Branch–are now in danger of being cut, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Rodak elaborates in a separate post.

 

Jets Notes: Secondary, Smith, Coples

August 17th, 2014 at 9:35am CST by Rory Parks

After the terrible performance put on by the Jets’ secondary in last night’s preseason game against the Bengals, the Internet has seen a veritable explosion from the team’s beat writers as they attempt to describe Saturday’s debacle. Let’s have a look at some of those articles and a couple of other Jets’ links:

  • Bob Glauber of Newsday describes the struggles of Antonio Allen and Kyle Wilson on Saturday and wonders if GM John Idzik will try to sign or trade for a corner. Glauber notes that Idzik prefers to promote from within, but given that Ras-I Dowling suffered a groin injury against the Bengals–thereby joining Dimitri Patterson, Dee Milliner, and Dexter McDougle on the club’s rapidly expanding list of injured corners–he might not have a choice.
  • Despite head coach Rex Ryan‘s attempts to publicly brush aside his secondary’s performance with characteristic humor and machismo, Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that the Jets are facing disaster if they do not make a roster move.
  • Gary Myers of the New York Daily News goes into more detail regarding the play of Antonio Allen, a safety who lined up at corner against A.J. Green on Saturday, a highly daunting task. Allen predictably struggled, but Myers believes he has the potential to be a solid corner and that the Jets may have to be patient with his transition, as the market for free agent corners is pretty bare.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com describes how the Jets’ young and out-of-position unit made Andy Dalton look like a superstar and notes that the team’s failure to adequately address the secondary in the offseason has evolved from a troublesome issue to a glaring one. Cimini adds that, when Ryan was asked if the team would try to acquire a veteran corner, Ryan replied, “I don’t think [73-year-old Hall of Fame corner] Willie Brown is out there.”
  • Cimini has been pretty busy last night and this morning. In a separate piece, he writes that Geno Smith was not great against the Bengals, but he was at least adequate, and it is now just a matter of time before Ryan officially declares him the starting quarterback.
  • Cimini wonders (via Twitter) if the team is trying to send a message to Quinton Coples. Coples played only 15 snaps last night, while Jason Babin played 31 snaps.

Poll: Which Coach Will Be Fired First?

August 16th, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Rob DiRe

Cowboys‘ head coach Jason Garrett has been on the hot seat for a while, with a myriad of 8-8 finishes on his coaching résumé. He has finished with eight wins in each of his three full seasons as the team’s coach, after going 5-3 taking over for Wade Phillips in 2010. Garrett’s odds of being the first coach fired are set at 2/1, according to Bovada Sportsbook.

However, Garrett is far from the only coach who should be worried about his job. Raiders‘ coach Dennis Allen (4/1 odds) has been given the organizational mandate to win some football games, despite being saddled with below average talent on the roster. General manager Reggie McKenzie might have to fire Allen in order to buy himself some time to improve the depth chart.

Dolphins‘ coach Joe Philbin (7/1), Bills‘ coach Doug Marrone (8/1), and Jaguars‘ coach Gus Bradley (12/1) have yet to take their teams to the playoffs, and their owners will only accept that for so long.

Jets‘ coach Rex Ryan (10/1), Bengals‘ coach Marvin Lewis (20/1), and Falcon’s coach Mike Smith (20/1) are all in danger of being fired if they miss the playoffs in 2014, following various levels of disappointment over the past few seasons. Panthers‘ coach Ron Rivera (20/1), who is coming off a 12-4 season, but is set to take a step back, is also a possibility if the season goes south early.

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