2014 August - Pro Football Rumors

AFC East Notes: Bills, Pats, Satele, Salas

August 4th, 2014 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

While Jon Bon Jovi may have been trying to endear himself – and his group of bidders – to Western New York by writing in the Buffalo News over the weekend that he wanted to see the Bills succeed in Buffalo, that letter appears to have violated the non-disclosure agreement he signed with the franchise, says Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. In fact, by speaking publicly about their bids, both Bon Jovi and Donald Trump may be in violation of that agreement, leaving Terry Pegula as the only bidder who hasn’t breached it. As Graham writes, “ramifications for confidentiality breaches are not spelled out within the document,” but it’s still an ominous start for Bon Jovi and Trump as they pursue a purchase of the Bills.

Here’s more from around the AFC East, including another note on the Bills’ sale:

New York senator Charles Schumer remains optimistic about keeping the Bills in Buffalo, as Denise Jewell Gee of the Buffalo News details. However, Schumer added, “Words are nice, but they are not sufficient. We need an iron-clad commitment for whoever buys the team to keep the Bills in Buffalo.”
The Patriots were one of at least four teams to place a claim on former Seahawks tackle Michael Bowie when Seattle tried to sneak him through waivers and onto injured reserve, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Pats, of course, made a similar move last month, claiming rookie running back Tyler Gaffney when the Panthers tried to move him to their IR. Per Florio, the Saints and Cowboys also submitted claims for Bowie, who was ultimately awarded to the Browns.
Veteran center Samson Satele, who last played for the Dolphins during the 2008 season, is happy to have come “full circle” after signing with Miami this weekend, as he tells James Walker of ESPN.com.
Greg Salas‘ path to a roster spot with the Jets got a little more difficult after the team addressed the position in free agency this offseason by signing Eric Decker and Jacoby Ford. But as Dennis Waszack Jr. of The Associated Press writes, Salas has been making a case this summer that the Jets ought to keep him around for the regular season.

Browns Cut Jason Pinkston; Retirement Likely

August 4th, 2014 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

3:40pm: The Browns have confirmed that they’ve waived Pinkston, and also cut three other players, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Wide receiver Chandler Jones and tight end James Oboh will have to pass through waivers, while veteran linebacker Edgar Jones has been released and will immediately become a free agent.

3:11pm: Browns offensive lineman Jason Pinkston appears likely to retire due to ongoing health issues, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Facebook link). After having spent the last week and a half battling blood clots in his lungs, Pinkston reached a settlement with the team today and will be waived, says Schefter.

“More than likely I’ll have to retire,” Pinkston said in a text message to Schefter. “The Browns were great working with me and I would love to thank GM Ray Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam for my opportunity here in Cleveland. It’s been an honor to be apart of the organization and city.”

Pinkston, a fifth-round pick in 2011, played 25 games in his three seasons with the Browns, starting 24 of those contests, including all 16 in his rookie season. He was limited to just nine games in the last two years due to a variety of health issues, including a high ankle sprain, a concussion, and a previous battle with blood clots.

Once Cleveland officially parts ways with Pinkston, the team will have an open spot on its 90-man roster to add another player.

Josh Gordon Hearing Has Concluded

August 4th, 2014 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

2:10pm: Gordon’s hearing has concluded, a source tells Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). While resolution isn’t necessarily expected today, as noted below, the substance abuse policy requires a decision within a “reasonable time,” per PFT.

11:18am: No resolution is expected today on Gordon’s suspension, according to Ulrich (via Twitter).

10:43am: After an all-day session on Friday, the appeal hearing for wide receiver Josh Gordon is expected to resume today at noon eastern time, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). However, Gordon himself won’t be in New York for today’s meeting, having practiced in Berea today with the Browns. Per Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (via Twitter), Gordon will particpiate via teleconference while his lawyers handle things in New York.

Gordon is looking to reduce a potential one-year suspension to something lesser that would allow him to play for a portion of the 2014 season. If hearing officer Harold Henderson makes a decision, it will reportedly have to be an all-or-nothing ruling, with Gordon either receiving the full year-long suspension or being reinstated immediately. As such, it’s still believed there’s a chance for a settlement, with Gordon’s camp and the league agreeing to a reduced penalty.

Regardless of the outcome of Gordon’s appeal, his roster spot in Cleveland won’t be in jeopardy, with head coach Mike Pettine indicating last month that the standout receiver wouldn’t be cut. Nonetheless, the length of the suspension could potentially affect the team’s plans for its receiving corps — a lengthier ban may prompt the Browns to pursue more veteran help, though that’s just my speculation.

David Wilson To End Playing Career

August 4th, 2014 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Giants have announced that they’ve placed running back David Wilson on injured reserve and advised Wilson to no longer play football, according to a team release. Wilson’s 2013 season was cut short by a neck injury, and though he was medically cleared to return to practice for the Giants this summer, he suffered another neck injury last week, resulting in the doctors’ decision.

“In light of last week’s episode of symptoms, sensory and motor, [Dr. Frank Cammisa] and I both told David he should not play football anymore,” said Giants physician Dr. Russell Warren. “We let David know that by playing, he would be putting himself at risk for more episodes like last week or perhaps something more serious.”

For his part, Wilson sounds as if he’s heeding the advice of the doctors and ending his playing career.

“I lived my dream. A lot of people only get to dream their dream. I lived that dream. Now I have a chance to dream another dream and live that, too,” Wilson said. “I’m thankful that I can literally walk away from the game and that I am healthy and capable of doing the same things I have done all my life, except play football.”

Wilson, 23, was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Giants, making him the last running back to be picked in the first round. He showed plenty of promise in his rookie season, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and scoring five touchdowns, but his 2013 campaign was derailed by fumbling problems and injuries. With Wilson no longer in the mix, the Giants figure to lean more heavily on free agent signee Rashad Jennings, with Peyton Hillis, Michael Cox, and Andre Williams competing for carries behind him.

As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports notes (via Twitter), no mention of retirement was made in the Giants’ press release today, but that was likely by design, since Wilson wouldn’t be able to claim injury protection on his salary if he were to officially retire.

Bengals Sign Dalton To Six-Year Extension

August 4th, 2014 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals have reached a long-term agreement with their starting quarterback, confirming today that they’ve signed Andy Dalton to a six-year contract extension. Combined with the one year remaining on his current pact, the deal locks up Dalton through the 2020 season.

Although initial reports pegged the value of the six-year deal at $115MM, the base value is actually $96MM, with $17MM in guaranteed money — Dalton will receive a $12MM signing bonus and a $5MM roster bonus that’s due in three days. Escalators can push the overall value of the contract up to about $115MM, with the extra $19MM or so available based on whether Dalton and the Bengals advance to the divisional round, conference championship, and Super Bowl during the next few seasons. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the complete year-by-year breakdown of the pact, as well as the specific details on how Dalton can earn up to $115MM.

The Bengals passed on quarterbacks in the early rounds of this year’s draft before ultimately selecting A.J. McCarron in the fifth round, suggesting that the team was relying on Dalton as its quarterback of the future. Both sides expressed optimism throughout the offseason about getting something done, even as the Bengals weighed new deals for other extension candidates like A.J. Green and Vontaze Burfict.

While Dalton has yet to win a playoff game as the starter in Cincinnati, the 26-year-old has put up big numbers in the regular season, setting career-highs in 2013 with 4,293 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. Selected in the second round of the 2011 draft, Dalton has led the Bengals to a 30-18 record and three postseason appearances during his first three seasons in the league, averaging nearly 3,800 yards passing, 27 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in that span.

Advanced metrics rate Dalton as average — Football Outsiders ranked him as the 17th-best QB by DYAR in 2013, while Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him 16th-best. The PFF rating, however, illustrates Dalton’s inconsistency — in 2014, he finished three weeks with a +5.0 or better grade, while five other weeks saw him earn a -3.0 or worse mark.

That inconsistency, combined with Dalton’s 0-3 playoff record, may be why more than half of you voted back in June that the Bengals shouldn’t reward the QB with a long-term extension. Still, given the market for solid starting quarterbacks, it seemed likely all along that Cincinnati would have to pay around $18MM per year to retain Dalton, as our Dallas Robinson suggested earlier in the offseason. At six years and $96MM, the deal actually has an annual average of just $16MM, though that number could increase to over $19MM based on the team’s performance. Dalton’s agreement could also have an effect on fellow extension candidate Alex Smith, who is likewise entering the last year of his current contract.

The structure and guarantees on Dalton’s new contract are notable, since Bengals owner Mike Brown indicated last month that the team would like to sign its quarterback to a deal similar to the one agreed to by Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers. The value of Kaepernick’s extension is a little higher than Dalton’s, but the Niners’ signal-caller landed a more modest guarantee (about $12.3MM), and his extension also includes potential de-escalators if he doesn’t reach certain benchmarks. Both contracts get most of the guarantees out of the way early though, making them pay-as-you-go deals for the Bengals and Niners.

Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com first reported the agreement (via Twitter), with Pro Football Talk and Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links) adding details.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

David Wilson Out For ’14, Career In Jeopardy?

August 4th, 2014 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

12:22pm: The Giants are expected to issue a statement regarding Wilson soon, and will most likely place him on injured reserve, tweets Kimberly Jones of NFL.com. Anderson adds (via Twitter) that Wilson’s 2014 season is over. If Wilson is indeed heading to IR, the club could wait a few weeks to officially make the move, at which point the running back would no longer have to pass through waivers.

AUGUST 4, 11:52am: : A source tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson (TwitLonger link) that Giants doctors have shut down Wilson due to his neck issues, and there’s a belief that the injury could be career-ending.

JULY 31, 10:00am: Just over a week after he was medically cleared to return to the field following neck surgery, Giants running back David Wilson left practice on Tuesday with a neck burner. Although Wilson tweeted last night that he’s “fine,” the team is more concerned about his status, according to Jordan Raanan & Conor Orr of NJ.com. The duo reports that the Giants believe Wilson is a long shot to return to the field, with a source suggesting that the running back “needs a miracle.”

It’s an extremely unfortunate turn of events for Wilson, who was projected to be the second-string tailback for the Giants this season behind the newly-signed Rashad Jennings, assuming both players remained healthy. No official determination has been made yet, however, as Wilson is scheduled to meet on Monday with Dr. Frank Cammisa, who performed last year’s neck surgery. After that assessment, the two sides should have a better idea of how to move forward.

It’s worth noting that the Giants have a reputation for being very cautious with neck injuries, so even if their team doctors weren’t comfortable with clearing Wilson, that doesn’t necessarily mean his NFL career is over. We’re seeing a similar situation play out with Jermichael Finley, who has reportedly been cleared by at least one NFL team doctor, but hasn’t received clearance from the Packers, who are also wary of neck and spine injuries.

Lions Notes: Bush, Fluellen, Suh

August 4th, 2014 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

The big news story out of Lions training camp so far has been the team’s decision to table extension talks with star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh until after the season. Still, Suh isn’t the only Detroit player worth watching this summer. Here’s the latest on a few of his teammates:

Back in January, Reggie Bush indicated that he hopes to play in the NFL “at least another five years,” but his latest comments suggest that his goal is actually to stick around longer than that. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the veteran running back would love to play 15 total seasons, which would mean playing for another seven years. “I don’t want to put a timetable on it because I don’t know,” Bush said. “I don’t know if it’s five (years), four, three, six. I’m not sure. But I know if I get to 15 that’ll be a blessing.”
Since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2008, Andre Fluellen has played defensive tackle, but as Birkett writes in a separate Free Press article, the 29-year-old has shifted to defensive end this year in the hopes of extending his career.
Kyle Meinke of MLive.com fields readers’ questions in his latest mailbag, addressing Suh’s contract situation, discussing the secondary, and identifying the club’s standout rookies so far.

Extra Points: Trump, Ravens, Manziel, Eagles, 49ers

August 3rd, 2014 at 10:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Al Michaels spoke to Donald Trump prior to NBC’s Sunday Night Football and the commentator revealed that the business magnate made a substantial bid to purchase the Bills. How substantial?

“He said he offered $1 billion. All cash, no contingencies, immediate closing. He’d have the check in one hour,” Michaels said (via ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio). “He was a little miffed that it went out for bid again.”

We previously heard that Buffalo Sabers owner Terry Pegula bid a reported $1.3 billion while the Toronto-based group led by Jon Bon Jovi bid an estimated $1.2 billion.

With that, that’s take a look at some more NFL notes…

The Ravens worked out free agent tight end Steve Maneri, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson notes that the team auditioned Maneri as an offensive tackle.
ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon believes that Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel “took advantage” of his opportunities during Saturday’s practice. While Brian Hoyer has been “steady and solid” in camp, McManamon opines that he hasn’t improved much since the second day. As a result, the writer believes the rookie has changed the Browns quarterback conversation.
On Friday, Eagles cornerback Cary Williams expressed his displeasure about practicing with the Patriots during the preseason because “they are cheaters” (via CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher). On Sunday, Williams was missing from practice, but he made sure to emphasize that his absence had nothing to do with his comments. “[I]t had nothing to do with that,” Williams said (again, via Mosher). “I haven’t even discussed anything with Chip (Kelly). I don’t think he’s trying any type of. . . . I’m sure maybe we’ll have a conversation, but I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, there were no question about 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh‘s intent when he sent a duo of starters to the locker room. As CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco writes, wideout Anquan Boldin was booted from practice on Friday following a scuffle. On Sunday, cornerback Chris Culliver was sent off the field following a rough hit on David Reed.

Minor Moves: Sunday

August 3rd, 2014 at 10:08pm CST by Rory Parks

We’ll round up the day’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:

The Redskins have filled the roster spot previously held by Jerry Rice Jr. with defensive end Jeremy Towns, tweets Mike Jones of The Washington Post. Towns is an undrafted rookie out of Samford.

Earlier Updates:

The Redskins have waived injured wideout Jerry Rice Jr., tweets Zac Boyer of The Washington Times. The player tore the labrum in his left shoulder and will be placed on injured reserve if he clears waivers.
The Colts have signed undrafted wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The embattled rookie attended three colleges and was charged with armed robbery.
The Colts have also cut wide receiver Greg Moore and waived cornerback Brandon Burton, tweets Aaron Wilson of The National Football Post.
To make room for Brock Jensen, the Dolphins have waived wide receiver Rantavious Wooten, reports the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley (via Twitter).
Five players cleared waivers and will be placed on their respective team’s injured reserve (via Aaron Wilson’s Twitter): Cowboys offensive lineman Darius Morris, Jaguars wideout Damian Copeland, linebacker John Lotulelei and defensive tackle Jordan Miller and Jets safety Brandon Hardin.
The Texans have claimed center Sam Longo from the Dolphins, tweets Brian McIntyre. To make room on the roster, the team waived offensive lineman Brice Schwab.
Jaguars wideout Damian Copeland, linebacker John Lotulelei and defensive tackle Jordan Miller have all cleared waivers and will go on the team’s injured reserve, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
The Chiefs have made a series of roster moves, signing defensive lineman Jairus Campbell and waiving fullback James Baker and cornerback David Van Dyke, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
The Patriots have re-signed linebacker James Morris, according to Pat Harty of the Iowa Press-Citizen (h/t: Christopher Price of WEEI.com). Morris, an undrafted free agent out of Iowa, was waived by New England in May with a failed physical designation, but is apparently healthy now.
The Dolphins re-signed quarterback Brock Jensen on Saturday night, just four days after cutting him, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Fellow signal-callers Matt Moore and Pat Devlin are both hurt at the moment, so Miami needed additional depth at the position as they prepare for Friday’s preseason opener. If Moore is healthy, he will of course serve as the team’s primary backup in 2014, and his injured shoulder is currently not a major concern for the club.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Falcons Notes: Ishmael, Matthews, Hageman, Baldwin

August 3rd, 2014 at 9:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Falcons starting free safety Dwight Lowery suffered his third-career concussion during Friday’s practice and the team quickly made a move to shore up their depth at the position, adding veteran Tyrell Johnson earlier today.

However, if you listen to safety William Moore, you would think the team’s depth at the position is fine – and the veteran is not tooting his own horn. Instead, Moore has been impressed with the progress of second-year defensive back Kemal Ishmael, and the two worked together extensively during Saturday’s practice.

Via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure…

“Let me tell you something: Kemal is a heck of a player,” Moore said. “He reminds me of myself: one of the underrated guys coming into the league with not much hype. But if you watch Kemal’s ability, one day he’ll gain the attention for people to watch his ability.

“Man, he came out here this year, and I don’t know what he did in the offseason. But he came in lights out.”

Let’s take a look at some more Falcons notes…

Falcons first-rounder Jake Matthews has impressed at camp, and NFL.com’s Gil Brandt tweets that the team was originally willing to trade up in the draft to get the offensive lineman. Luckily for Atlanta, Matthews fell to them at pick number-six.
Falcons second-round pick Ra’Shede Hageman got in a shoving match with center Joe Hawley during practice, and the rookie ended up hurting his wrist. McClure reported that the injury was believed to be a hairline fracture, but ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio says the player doesn’t have any broken bones.
NFL.com reporters Ian Rapoport and Gregg Rosenthal agree that recently-released wideout Jonathan Baldwin would be a good fit with the Falcons (via Rapoport’s Twitter).