2014 October - Pro Football Rumors

Bucs Open To Offers For Martin, Barron

October 28th, 2014 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

While Vincent Jackson has been the Buccaneers player most frequently cited as a trade candidate in recent weeks, the team is also open to offers on other players, including two former first-round picks. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter), the Bucs will consider offers for running back Doug Martin and safety Mark Barron.

Given the cap implications of trading for veteran players, and the tendency NFL teams have to hang onto their high draft picks, it’s possible that the Buccaneers won’t find an offer they like by this afternoon’s deadline. Additionally, just because Tampa Bay is willing to listen to proposals for some of its players doesn’t mean the team is aggressively trying to move any of them. Still, at 1-6, the Bucs are as one of the clubs most likely to be sellers today.

According to Stroud (via Twitter), the Bucs have received interest from other teams for Martin, Barron, and Jackson, but are least likely to move the veteran wideout, since his age may prevent Tampa Bay from getting fair value for him. It makes sense that Martin could be viewed as expendable, considering he was already splitting carries with Bobby Rainey, and Charles Sims is set to return and take away even more of Martin’s touches. Martin and Barron both remain under contract through the 2015 season, but neither player appears to be firmly in the Bucs’ long-term plans at the moment.

Workout Notes: Chargers, Eagles, Jags, Bucs

October 28th, 2014 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has passed along a few updates on free agents working out for teams this week, so let’s round up the highlights….

Cornerback Roc Carmichael, who saw a decent amount of action last season for the Eagles, tried out for the Chargers (Twitter link). Carmichael was waived by Philadelphia during this summer’s cutdowns to 53-man rosters.
Speaking of those Eagles, they had running back Kenjon Barner in for a workout recently (Twitter link). The team traded for Barner in the summer and has now brought him in for multiple looks since cutting him with an injury settlement in August, so it’s clear the Eagles see something they like, even if they’re not ready to use a 53-man roster spot on the back at this point.
In addition to safety Matt Daniels, who the team signed to its practice squad, the Jaguars worked out linebacker Justin Jackson and safety Jeremy Deering (Twitter link). Jackson most recently spent time with the Vikings, while Deering was on the Raiders’ roster this summer.
Former Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Siddoway, who went undrafted in May, worked out for the Buccaneers (Twitter link).

Justin Durant Likely Out For Season

October 27th, 2014 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Parks

11:00pm: Durant has suffered what appears to be a season-ending torn biceps, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, citing Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

10:05pm: The NFC East-leading Cowboys have suffered their second major injury of the night. Linebacker Justin Durant exited tonight’s game against Washington with an arm injury and will not return, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.

Poll: Who Is Most Likely To Be Traded?

October 27th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

The trade deadline is tomorrow at 4pm eastern time, and a number of prominent players have been the subject of swirling trade rumors over the past several weeks. After a nightmarish start to the season, the Buccaneers may be entertaining the idea of a fire sale, with Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson all potentially on the trading block.

The Titans, meanwhile, appear ready to usher in a new era with the insertion of Zach Mettenberger into the starting lineup, and they are reportedly taking calls on veterans Nate Washington, Michael Griffin, and Wesley Woodyard. The Bengals, who have regained control over the AFC North without much help from Jermaine Gresham, may be waiting for someone to meet what should be a fairly low price for Gresham’s services. And the Rams, who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of the Chiefs yesterday after a surprising upset of the Seahawks in Week 7, could be shopping players like Kendall Langford and Zac Stacy.

We also learned yesterday that the Vikings could be taking calls on Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings. However, all of those players, for various reasons, are probably less likely to be on the move than some of the other names mentioned above.

Indeed, given the level of interest in his services, the struggles of his current team, and his potential impact on a new club, the player who may be the most likely to be dealt is Jackson. This is despite NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s belief that Tampa Bay would not settle for less than a second-round pick in exchange for its top wideout.

But that’s just one person’s opinion. Odds are, of course, that no one will be traded; that’s simply the status quo when it comes to the NFL trade deadline. And several head coaches whose teams were rumored to be active participants in the trade market said today that they did not expect their clubs to pull the trigger on a deal. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, even though he lays out a number of trades that he thinks would be beneficial for teams who appear destined for losing records in 2014, acknowledges that seeing one of those trades come to fruition would be very surprising.

However, reality is not always exciting. So, with that in mind, which of the above players do you think are mostly likely to be traded? Do you think a different player will be on the move? Or do you live so relentlessly in the real world that you think all of this smoke will fail to give rise to a single fire?

Tony Romo Exits With Back Injury

October 27th, 2014 at 10:16pm CST by Rory Parks

10:14pm: Romo has returned to the game to a standing ovation, and will attempt to lead a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.

9:28pm: Tony Romo has exited tonight’s game against Washington with an apparent lower back injury. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Romo took a knee directly to his back, near the area where he underwent surgery. He was escorted to Dallas’ locker room after laying on the field for several minutes. He did walk off under his own power, but was walking very gingerly. We will pass along any further updates if they become available.

Monday Roundup: Cutler, Trades, Landry

October 27th, 2014 at 8:54pm CST by Rory Parks

Our Zach Links wrote earlier that Bears GM Phil Emery is not currently thinking about parting ways with head coach Marc Trestman, and Emery and Trestman both reaffirmed their support for embattled quarterback Jay Cutler one day after Chicago’s embarrassing Week 8 loss to the Patriots. As Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com writes, Emery and Trestman remain committed to Cutler, attempting to accentuate the positives in their signal caller’s performances while acknowledging the struggles.

Emery claimed that his club’s decision to stick with Cutler has nothing to do with Cutler’s salary, but ESPN’s John Clayton is understandably skeptical. In his “Clayton Minute” video segment, Clayton says that, given the Bear’s $18MM annual commitment to Cutler, Chicago simply has no other choice than to hope that Cutler can right the ship.

Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times writes that Emery has been approached with “two or three interesting” trade proposals, but nothing that helps the Bears win in 2014. As Emery stated that the team is far from giving up hope on this season.
Derek Carr is showing tremendous promise and the Browns have to be second-guessing their decision to target Johnny Manziel in the draft instead of him, writes Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer.
Browns head coach Mike Pettine says that the team’s phones are ringing but cautions that the deadline brings few trades in comparison to the amount of talk that happens, tweets Nate Urlich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.
Citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, CSNBaltimore.com staff reports that the league has levied a $1.4MM salary cap charge on the Ravens as a result of Ray Rice‘s grievance against the club. According to Schefter, it is normal practice for the NFL to make such a move when a grievance is pending. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes that the cap charge reduces the Ravens’ cap room to about $4.1MM. Baltimore may need to utilize some of that room, as star cornerback Jimmy Smith is expected to miss “a few weeks” with a left foot sprain, according to Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com.
Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that his club is unlikely to make any more trades,according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (via Twitter).
The Colts are in no hurry to bring back LaRon Landry after his four-game PED suspension, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at how Jon Beason‘s salary, and the Giants‘ salary cap, will be affected by Beason’s season-ending injury.

Zach Links contributed to this post

Nick Fairley To Miss 4-5 Weeks

October 27th, 2014 at 7:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions will be without one of their key defenders for at least the next month, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that defensive tackle Nick Fairley will miss four-to-five weeks after spraining his MCL and PCL. Detroit already used its injured reserve/designated to return slot on rookie linebacker Kyle Van Noy, so that tag isn’t an option for Fairley. Even if the Lions did still have their IR-DTR spot available, they probably would’ve opted to ride it out with Fairley, as his timetable for return is sooner than that of the required absence (eight weeks) of an IR-DTR player.

Fairley, 26, has been a central cog in a Detroit defense that has been excellent by both traditional statistics (first in both yards allowed and point per game allowed) and advanced metrics (first in defensive DVOA). Although he’s registered just one sack and eight tackles, he grades out as the eighth-best defensive tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required); Fairley’s line mate, Ndamukong Suh, ranks fourth. Fairley, a first-round pick out of Auburn in 2011, is a free agent after the season due to the Lions’ failure to exercise his fifth-year option.

The next man up on Detroit’s depth chart is Caraun Reid, a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft out of Princeton. He filled in for Fairley on Sunday, but still has seen only 85 defensive snaps on the season. The Lions do not have another player listed as a defensive tackle on their active roster, although C.J. Mosley should return to the team in Week 10 following his two-game suspension. Though they would have to clear a roster spot, the club could look to add an external option at tackle, with Isaac Sopoaga, Derek Landri, and Antonio Johnson topping the list of veterans available, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (on Twitter).

West Notes: Collins, Gruden, 49ers, Seahawks

October 27th, 2014 at 6:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former Raiders guard Mo Collins passed away Sunday at the age of 38, writes Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times. Collins, a first-round pick in 1998, played in 71 games over six seasons in Oakland, and was a part of the Raiders squad that made a Super Bowl run in 2002. Per Langston Wertz of the Charlotte Observer, Collin had been working as an assistant coach at his former high school, and even secured a grant from the Panthers in order to install an artificial turf field. Our thoughts go out to Collins’ friends and family.

Jon Gruden told one close friend that the Raiders‘ gig is the one job he’d come back to the NFL for, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Still, Gruden has a very comfortable and high-paying job as the color commentator of Monday Night Football and it’s not a given that he would give that up.
49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, that his club doesn’t figure to make any trades before tomorrow’s deadline.
Within the same piece, Harbaugh says he hasn’t heard anything from the league regarding a reduction of Aldon Smith‘s suspension.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap looks at the financial ramifications of Jake Long‘s season-ending injury, and delves into the decisions the Rams will have to make on Long, Sam Bradford, and Kendall Langford in the coming months.
With cornerback Byron Maxwell nursing a calf injury, the Seahawks worked out several defensive backs today, auditioning David Van Dyke, Rashaan Melvin, and Trevin Wade, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
The Chargers brought in linebacker Shayne Skov for a tryout last week, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan. Skov has spent time with both the 49ers and the Buccaneers this year.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC East Notes: Vick, Jets, Bills, Patriots

October 27th, 2014 at 6:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After suffering a 43-23 loss at the hands of the Bills yesterday, the Jets will make a change at quarterback, head coach Rex Ryan announced today (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Michael Vick will take over under center, while second-year signal-caller Geno Smith, who completed two of eight passes with three interceptions before being benched, will ride the pine for the forseeable future. While Ryan said this change wasn’t necessarily permanent for the remainder of the season (Twitter link via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News), it’s easy to see the implications of this move. Ryan needs to win games immediately to have any chance at saving his job, and while Vick, 34 and a free agent after the season, obviously isn’t the long-term solution for New York, Smith hasn’t proven that he should be the starter going forward, either. The transition from Smith to Vick will undoubtedly have implications for the 2015 offseason, as general manager John Idzik & Co. make their decisions on Ryan, Smith, and the rest of the roster. Here’s more from the AFC East.

In addition to affirming his support for Ryan as head coach, Idzik took the blame for the Jets‘ 1-7 start during a press conference today. “Ultimately I am responsible for the performance of our team and the product that we put on the field,” Idzik told reporters, including Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today. “That lies with me. The buck stops here. My performance, to date, is unsatisfactory.”
When asked if he would be involved in trade deadline talks, Bills coach Doug Marrone replied, “I would hope so… but I learned in this league you never know,” according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (on Twitter).
There is no still official confirmation of a deal between Alan Branch and the Patriots, tweets Shalise Young of the Boston Globe. Reports of an agreement between the two sides surfaced three days ago, and though Branch has been assigned a number and a locker, New England has yet to announce the transaction.
Though the Patriots did make a trade for ex-Titan Akeem Ayers, head coach Bill Belichick explains to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe why such midseason deals are “tricky.”
James Walker of ESPN.com examines whether the Dolphins should buy, sell, or stand pat as tomorrow’s trade deadline approaches.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Browns Place John Hughes On IR-DTR

October 27th, 2014 at 5:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Browns did manage a 23-13 victory against the Raiders yesterday, and in doing so, kept pace with the rest of a highly competitive AFC North, it’s not all good news coming out of Cleveland. Per Terry Grossi of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the team has placed defensive end John Hughes on injured reserve/designated to return after he suffered an MCL injury in Sunday’s contest. The Browns filled the open space on their 53-man roster by claiming tight end Ryan Taylor off waivers from the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).

Now that’s he been slapped with the IR-DTR tag, Hughes can resume practicing in six weeks, and return to game action in eight. Therefore, Hughes will only be able be to play in Cleveland’s Week 17 game against the Steelers, as well as the playoffs (if Cleveland makes the postseason). A Cincinnati product, Hughes has played in 35 games since being selected in the third round of the 2012 draft. He’s started two games this season, and graded out as the league’s 15th-best 3-4 defensive end among 49 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The loss of Hughes won’t help a Browns defense that already ranks 25th in DVOA, but perhaps former first-round pick Phil Taylor, who will presumably see more snaps in Hughes’ absence, can help fill the void.

Taylor, 26, was a seventh-round pick by the Packers in 2011. After being waived by Green Bay in early October, he was picked up by Baltimore; he was waived once again on October 25. Taylor has been more of a special teams contributor during his career, as he’s caught only eight passes for 45 yards. The fact that the Browns claimed him is interesting, as it could signify that Jordan Cameron won’t be available for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers after suffering a concussion yesterday.