2014 August - Pro Football Rumors

Orlando Scandrick Suspended Four Games

August 11th, 2014 at 10:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick will be suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season, owner Jerry Jones told reporters (via a tweet from Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Jones clarified that the 27-year-old will be suspended for PEDs (via Williams’ Twitter). Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer talked to Scandrick (Twitter link), and the player attributed the positive test to something he took in Mexico. However, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter) that Scandrick will be suspended for a recreational drug, not a supplement.

A fifth-round pick in 2008, Scandrick has established himself as one of the team’s premier defensive players. He finished 2013 with career-highs in tackles (64), passes defended (12) and interceptions (two). Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) ranked Scandrick as the Cowboys’ fourth-best defensive player last season, and he also finished as a top-2o pass-coverage cornerback.

Scandrick’s absence will certainly hurt a defensive unit that was among the league’s worst in 2013. ESPNDallas.com’s Calvin Watkins tweets that the team’s likely starting cornerbacks are Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr. The duo was solid last season, but it’s unreasonable to expect them to match Scandrick’s presence in the secondary.

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at how much the suspension will cost Scandrick. The cornerback will forfeit $670,882 of his signing bonus and $176,471 of his base salary. As Fitzgerald notes, the player’s contract restructuring in March actually helped the player. Had the team not converted $3.375MM of his base salary into a signing bonus, Scandrick would have had to forfeit an additional $700K.

Texans Sign Ronnie Brown

August 11th, 2014 at 9:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Texans have signed veteran running back Ronnie Brown, reports the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain (via Twitter). The team completely turned over their running back depth today, adding William Powell and cutting ties with Andre Brown, Dennis Johnson and Tim Cornett.

The 32-year-old hasn’t topped 100 carries since 2010, when he ran for 734 yards and five touchdowns with the Dolphins. Since then, Brown has been primarily a back-up with the Eagles and Chargers. He appeared in all 16 games last season for San Diego, compiling 157 yards and one touchdown. He caught only eight passes, but he had 49 receptions in a limited role for the Chargers in 2012.

Brown and Powell (along with veteran Brian Leonard) worked out for the Texans earlier today. As McClain notes in another tweet, Brown and Powell will certainly have an opportunity to be Arian Foster‘s primary backup. They’ll be competing with former undrafted free agent Jonathan Grimes and sixth-round pick Alfred Blue.

Minor Moves: Monday

August 11th, 2014 at 9:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

In addition to releasing Andre Brown, the Texans have also cut running backs Dennis Johnson (via tweet from ESPN’s Tania Ganguli) and Tim Cornett (via tweet from Fox Houston’s Mark Berman).
The Texans have added a running back, as ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that the team has added William Powell on a two-year deal.
Former Redskins cornerback Peyton Thompson has cleared waivers and is now a free agent, tweets Zac Boyer of The Washington Times.

Earlier updates:

According to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), tight end Richard Quinn has been placed on the Saints‘ reserve-retired list, so it appears the former second-round pick has elected to end his playing career.
Wide receiver Quintin Payton was cut by the Lions today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The move clears a spot for new wideout Conner Vernon, who Detroit claimed off waivers from the Bengals, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
The Chiefs have signed safety Jonathon Amaya, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Per a series of tweets from Wilson and ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson, the following players have cleared waivers and been placed on their respective teams’ IR lists: Ben Malena (Cowboys), Daniel Adongo (Colts), Jeris Pendleton (Colts), Dezman Moses (Chiefs), Alvin Scioneaux (Chargers), Mike Taylor (Seahawks), and Chuck Jacobs (49ers).
Less than a week after signing him, the Browns have waived tight end Kyle Auffray, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Tight end Brad Smelley, who was on the Rams‘ roster briefly at the end of last season, has been re-signed to take the place of Mason Brodine, who sustained a fractured ankle (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner).
As the Dolphins explore the free agent market for quarterbacks, they parted ways with one of their undrafted rookies, former North Dakota State signal-caller Brock Jensen (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). With the open roster spot, the club re-added running back Cameron Marshall.
The Colts have signed defensive end Gannon Conway, cutting offensive lineman Eric Pike to make room on the roster, tweets assistant director of communications Matt Conti.
Running back Jawan Jamison has been waived by the Steelers, according to the team’s PR man Burt Lauten (on Twitter).
With the empty 90th spot on the roster, the Cowboys will sign Australian punter Tom Hornsey, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Incumbent punter Chris Jones ranked in the league’s top ten last season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and has had a solid camp, so Hornsey seems unlikely to make the team.

Dolphins Sign Brady Quinn, Release Pat Devlin

August 11th, 2014 at 8:51pm CST by Ben Levine

8:51pm: To make room for Quinn, the Dolphins will release quarterback Pat Devlin, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. He adds that the Ravens could be among the teams interested in the 26-year-old.

Devlin has yet to appear in a regular season game since signing with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He seemed to have the upper hand on rookie Brock Jensen for the team’s third quarterback spot, but he’s battled nagging injuries and hasn’t practiced since August 2nd (as the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero tweets).

6:32pm: After auditioning a trio of veteran quarterbacks, the Dolphins have decided to sign Brady Quinn, reports NFL.com’s Jeff Darlington (via Twitter).

As Matt Moore and Pat Devlin recover from their respective ailments, the Dolphins was looking to add a veteran presence behind Ryan Tannehill. The team had also reportedly taken a look at Rex Grossman and John Skelton.

This will likely be the 29-year-old’s final opportunity to stick around in the NFL. Quinn hasn’t lived up to expectations since being selected 22nd-overall by the Browns in 2007. He didn’t see consistent playing time until 2009, but he did little to impress during his brief opportunity. He made 10 appearances that year, finishing with 1,339 yards and seven touchdowns.

His other notable season came with the Chiefs in 2012, when he threw for 1,141 yards, two touchdowns and eight interceptions. In his two seasons as a bona fide starter, Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) ranked him among the bottom-six quarterbacks in the league.

Quinn spent 2013 with the Seahawks, Jets and Rams, but he didn’t see any action during the regular season. He had previously worked out with the Patriots and according to ProFootballFocus.com’s Mike Florio, Quinn was set to begin a career in broadcasting with FOX Sports.

AFC North Notes: Tate, Jones, Cameron, Hoyer

August 11th, 2014 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Wide receiver Brandon Tate is entering his fourth season with the Bengals, but he understand that he is not a shoo-in for a spot on the final roster. After all, he hasn’t provided much offensively for the team, compiling 217 yards and one touchdown in three seasons. He’s made the majority of his impact on special teams, but he’s now battling younger players who could contribute in the return game and in the passing game.

Having been in the league for five seasons, Tate knows that competition is just part of the job. Via ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey…

“We’ve got a new O-coordinator (Hugh Jackson) and the one thing he stressed is that everything is open,” Tate said. “He doesn’t want nobody to be comfortable.”

Special teams coach Darrin Simmons agreed with the sentiment…

“That’s what you always try to create in training camp. You try to create competition,” Simmons said. “Everybody should feel heat because there’s always somebody right behind you nipping at your tail.”

Still, the coaches are confident that Tate can rise above the rest…

“He’s got a lot of fight this camp; there’s no doubt about it,” receivers coach James Urban said. “But I’ve always felt that way with him. Brandon is a proud man. So he knows if he has any sense of feeling that he’s fighting for a job, then he’s going to come out there every day and fight for his job.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC North…

We learned earlier today that Bengals receiver Marvin Jones will miss “a few weeks.” Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that the team is hoping Jones can return following their bye week, which would be against the Patriots on October 5th.
Browns tight end Jordan Cameron indicated to August Fagerstrom of the Akron Beacon Journal that extension talks are going well. “Yeah, it’s positive,” Cameron said. “The whole process has been positive. I’ll leave it at that. It’s ongoing and it’s going well.”
While there may be a lot of hype surrounding Browns rookie Johnny Manziel, quarterback Brian Hoyer made it clear that the starting gig belongs to the veteran. “To me, this is my team until someone else tells me otherwise,” Hoyer told Vic Carucci of ClevelandBrowns.com.

Texans Release Andre Brown

August 11th, 2014 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

The Texans have released running back Andre Brown, reports ProFootballTalk.com (via Twitter).The former Giants draft pick signed with Houston in April and was hoping to earn a backup role behind Arian Foster. However, that seemed unlikely when he didn’t play a single snap during the team’s first preseason game.

Brown was selected in the fourth-round of the 2009 draft, but he didn’t make a big impact until 2012. He ran for 385 yards on only 73 carries that season, but he also scored eight touchdowns. He appeared in eight games last season, compiling 492 yards and three scores.

The 27-year-old has battled injury problems throughout his career. He broke his fibula in 2012, forcing him to miss the final six games. A preseason leg injury in 2013 kept him out of the lineup until mid-November. He also tore an ACL during his rookie season.

Brown briefly spoke to ESPN’s Josina Anderson about the release (via Twitter): “It is what it is. That is the life of the business. I have no idea.”

Cole’s Latest: Boone, Gordon, Los Angeles

August 11th, 2014 at 5:58pm CST by Ben Levine

Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole sat down with Yahoo Sports’ Adam Lefkoe to discuss some of the more intriguing NFL storylines heading into the second week of preseason. Let’s take a look at some of the key notes:

If the 49ers/Alex Boone saga continues to drag out, Cole believes the team will “eventually” be offered a third-rounder for the offensive lineman. Cole adds that the two sides are not communicating and that there’s been no discussion regarding a new contract.
So what teams would be interested in offering this supposed third-rounder? Cole has heard that the Buccaneers and Giants would certainly be suitors for the 27-year-old, along with a “truckload” of teams that currently need help on the offensive line.
Cole believes that the NFL “would like to find a way” for Browns wideout Josh Gordon to play next season. He first cites Ray Rice‘s suspension, saying a more severe punishment for Gordon would just be additional bad press for the league. He also discusses Ricky Williams‘ first positive test for marijuana and the subsequent lack of discipline.
Cole hears that Raiders owner Mark Davis is “circulating a proposal” to raise funds to buy land in either Inglewood or Los Angeles. He adds that the team has specifically been looking at the former Hollywood Park location, a spot that Al Davis eyed about 20 years ago.

AFC Notes: Jones, Texans, Raiders, Browns

August 11th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals will be without wide receiver Marvin Jones for at least “a few weeks,” according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Jones broke his foot and had a pin put in his fifth metatarsal. The timetable for Jones’ return isn’t clear yet, but Hobson suggests (via Twitter) that placing him on the short-term IR isn’t entirely out of the question — I doubt the Bengals make that move, but we probably shouldn’t expect to see the wideout back on the field by the time Cincinnati’s regular season gets underway.

Here’s more from across the AFC:

The Texans worked out veteran running backs Ronnie Brown, Brian Leonard, and William Powell today, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). None of the three were immediately signed by the club.
While a move to San Antonio by the Raiders already seemed very unlikely, a new report may further reduce Mark Davis‘ interest in South Texas. According to Tom Orsborn and Josh Baugh of the San Antonio Express-News, the Spurs’ ownership group would want a controlling interest in any NFL franchise that moved to San Antonio.
Only about a week after he was claimed off waivers from Seattle by the Browns, offensive lineman Michael Bowie suffered a shoulder injury that may sideline him for the season. Head coach Mike Pettine says no decision has been made yet, though it’s looking like Bowie will be out for the year, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Ulrich was also among the reporters who spoke to Jordan Cameron today, and the tight end said talks with the Browns on a contract extension have been ongoing and positive. Cameron is hopeful that something can be worked out in time for the regular season (Twitter link).
Although they auditioned a few veteran quarterbacks today, it seems the Dolphins wanted a look at those players just in case they need one down the road, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, adding that the club doesn’t necessarily need to bring one aboard right now (Twitter link).
After rewarding him in the offseason with a lucrative four-year contract extension, the Colts are hoping for elite play out of cornerback Vontae Davis in 2014 and beyond, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.

Steelers Working To Extend Marcus Gilbert

August 11th, 2014 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers are working on a contract extension for offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, and an agreement could be reached as soon as this week, reports Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter). Gilbert had previously confirmed that his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was talking to the team about a new deal, though he wasn’t sure if it would get done this month or if the two sides would “wait it out.”

Gilbert, 26, has been the Steelers’ regular starter at right tackle since entering the league in 2011. Because he was a second-round pick, his rookie contract didn’t feature a fifth-year option for 2015, meaning he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season. As such, he has a little more leverage, and the club will be a bit more motivated to work something out.

As our Rory Parks pointed out when he examined Gilbert as an extension candidate in June, the young tackle hasn’t been exceptional during his stint with the Steelers, at least according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics. Still, non-elite tackles made out reasonably well on the open market back in March, and it wouldn’t be a surprise for Gilbert to sign a deal in the same neighborhood of the ones inked by Austin Howard, Breno Giacomini, and Michael Oher. Those three players will have annual salaries between $4.5-6MM on their multiyear pacts, with guarantees ranging from $6MM to $10MM.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Dolphins, Bills, Tyms

August 11th, 2014 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Monday items from around the AFC East….

In the wake of injuries to multiple cornerbacks, the Jets will bring in some free agents for workouts, Rex Ryan confirmed today to reporters, including Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Meanwhile, GM John Idzik said he has “no regrets whatsoever” about his free agent decisions at the cornerback position, tweets Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
Despite working out for the Dolphins today, Rex Grossman is unlikely to sign with the team, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. According to Salguero, Grossman has a visit lined up with another club.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald adds (via Twitter) that the Dolphins also probably won’t sign John Skelton. Brady Quinn remains a possibility, though the team could explore other options or simply stand pat.
As the sale process for the franchise continues, commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL have renewed their push for the Bills to build a new stadium in Western New York, according to Jerry Zremski of the Buffalo News. In recent conversations with Governor Andrew Cuomo and Senator Charles Schumer, Goodell has said he’d like to see the team remain in Buffalo, but that a new stadium would have to be part of the equation.
Patriots wideout Brian Tyms, who had a strong preseason debut with the team, is facing a four-game suspension to start the regular season if he earns a spot on the roster, explaining to Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com that the ban is a result of testing positive for Adderall. “I’ve had a prescription for it since I was nine,” Tyms said. “It costs money to get all that stuff situated. Money which I didn’t have to spend. It was my fault. I should have brought it to the NFL and said, ‘Hey, I take this from time to time’ before it got to that point. But it wasn’t like I’m using it as something to boost my ratings.”