Extra Points: Steelers, Mathis, Pryor, Bills
Some assorted notes from around the NFL…
- Considering the Steelers refusal to renegotiate contracts prior to the final year of a player’s current deal, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com wonders if Antonio Brown could potentially hold out in the future.
- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll referred to Evan Mathis‘ visit with the organization as a “physical,” according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (via Twitter). This could be an indication that a deal is imminent.
- Browns wideout (and former quarterback) Terrelle Pryor hasn’t had much of an opportunity to hit the field this summer due to injuries, and according to Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com (via Twitter), head coach Mike Pettine said the receiver’s chance of making the team decreases every day he’s not out there.
- The Bills are auditioning free agent wideout Austin Willis, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Several teams are reportedly interested in the former Emporia State standout, who was cut by the Raiders earlier this week.
- Rex Ryan said there is a “high possibility” that the Bills keep all three of their quarterbacks, writes Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. The team also hasn’t decided who will start among Tyrod Taylor, Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel. “We haven’t decided yet who’s starting at QB next week,” Ryan said. “We’ll rotate all three in this week.”
Adam Hayward Tears ACL, Out For Year
SATURDAY, 12:05pm: Washington has put Hayward on the IR, reports Mike Jones of The Washington Post (via Twitter).
FRIDAY, 10:00am: Washington linebacker and special-teamer Adam Hayward left Thursday’s game against the Lions with a knee injury, and according to John Keim of ESPN.com, Hayward has been diagnosed with a torn ACL. The injury will land Hayward on IR, sidelining him for the entire 2015 season.
A longtime reserve linebacker for the Buccaneers, Hayward signed a three-year contract with Washington before the 2014 season. In his first year with the club, the former sixth-round pick played almost exclusively on special teams, appearing in just 14 defensive snaps. In kick and punt coverage, Hayward was a key contributor for Washington, accumulating eight tackles before a leg injury forced him to miss the last five weeks of the season.
It’s the second big blow for Washinton’s special teams, as the team also lost tight end Niles Paul to a season-ending injury earlier this month. With Hayward and Paul out for the year, fullback Darrel Young figures to head up the special teams unit heading into the season.
In other injury news out of Washington, Robert Griffin III left last night’s game with a concussion, as Zac Boyer of the Washington Times writes. However, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that the concussion isn’t believed to be severe, and it’s possible RGIII could return to the field next week against Baltimore, so it sounds like his regular-season availability isn’t in jeopardy for now.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Barkley, Eagles
A year ago, Newberry College standout Corey Washington was a standout during Giants training camp. The undrafted wideout went from having practically no chance at making the roster to suddenly being a reserve receiver.
However, the player hasn’t been turning heads during this summer’s camp, and the 23-year-old understands he has to contribute in other areas to make the team.
“I’m still considered a special-teams player,” Washington told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “So I have to perform on offense and special teams, and hopefully be able to make the team again.
“With the three receivers we’ve got in front of me — Odell and Rueben and Vic — I’m pretty sure the fourth receiver has to be a special teamer. That’s what I’m aiming for, to be the fourth receiver. So, we’ll see.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC East…
- Although cornerback Byron Jones, defensive end Randy Gregory and guard La’el Collins will steal most of the headlines among Cowboys rookies, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram believes a number of other first-year players are primed to make an impact for Dallas. In particular, the writer points to linebacker Damien Wilson (fourth round) and wideout Lucky Whitehead (undrafted).
- With Tim Tebow‘s apparent emergence on the Eagles, Garry Cobb of GCobb.com believes Matt Barkley could be on the outside looking in. Still, the former USC standout has impressed during camp, leading the writer to believe that the team could get a draft pick for the quarterback.
- Former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering will audition for the Eagles on Sunday, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The writer notes that six teams are interested in the 2014 undrafted free agent.
NFC Mailbags: Packers, Lions, Rams, Washington
It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some interesting whispers out of the NFC…
- Looking ahead to the Packers roster decisions, Rob Demovsky believes John Kuhn will be in Green Bay for at least another year. Meanwhile, he believes backup quarterback Brett Hundley is a lock to make the team.
- Michael Rothstein tries his luck at guessing which Lions players could make the squad and contribute on special teams. At the gunner position, the writer believes Jeremy Ross and Don Carey have the advantage, with Nevin Lawson having shown “mixed results.” For blockers, Rothstein opines that both Zach Zenner and George Winn will make the roster.
- Even though neither of the players have been very productive throughout their career, Rothstein is under the impression that the Lions will keep both of their backup quarterbacks, Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore.
- Nick Wagoner can’t envision the Rams holding on to defensive back Brandon McGee. The former fifth-rounder hasn’t seen the field much during training camp or the preseason.
- John Keim says it’ll be tough for Washington to keep three quarterbacks and four running backs. Trey Williams would seem to have the advantage over Chris Thompson, but the writer isn’t convinced that either of the running backs are safe.
Jarrett Bush, Three Others Suspended
AUGUST 22nd, 8:35am: Bush has been suspended an additional 10 games by the NFL, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The free agent had originally been punished for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. In March, he was arrested in California for public intoxication, though no charges were filed (via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post).
JULY 13th, 1:06pm: According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, Bush’s four-game suspension was for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, and was unrelated to his March arrest.
8:57am: The NFL made headlines before the July 4th weekend earlier this month when it announced suspensions for four notable players, including Antonio Gates, Rolando McClain, and Sheldon Richardson. According to Howard Balzer of The Sports Xchange, the league has now confirmed four more suspensions, though the latest penalties won’t have quite the same impact on the coming season.
All four players who received suspensions from the league are currently free agents, according to Balzer, who reports that the most notable recipient is former Packers defensive back Jarrett Bush. Former Cowboys safety Jakar Hamilton, ex-Colts cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy, and former Patriots running back Quentin Hines have also been suspended for the start of the 2015 regular season.
Hamilton and Purifoy received the most significant suspensions, and will miss the first 10 weeks of the season, likely for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It’s the second suspension for Hamilton, who was banned for four games last year. Purifoy, meanwhile, has a history of off-field red flags, and when the Colts cut him last year, head coach Chuck Pagano called it an “in-house deal.”
Bush’s suspension will be for four games, following an incident in March in which he was arrested – but not charged – for public intoxication. It’s not clear whether the former Green Bay cornerback, who initially failed to cooperate with officers, is being disciplined for that incident or for some other violation of a league policy, as Balzer took to Twitter to clarify.
Finally, Hines will be suspended for the first week of the 2015 season — the reason for his penalty isn’t known.
All four players are still eligible to sign with any NFL team, but they’ll have to serve their suspensions before seeing the field.
AFC Notes: Dareus, Grimes, Golson, Dixon
Bills’ superstar defensive tackle Marcel Dareus is unhappy about his current contract, and is itching to hit free agency and chase some of that Ndamukong Suh money. Unfortunately for him, Suh was in a much better position in terms of leverage that allowed him to reach free agency. For Dareus, he will likely be subject to the franchise tag not once but twice before he is in position to get a Suh-like game-changing contract, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Here are some notes from around the AFC:
- Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes has decided to change agents, and will now be represented by Tom Condon of CAA, reports Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Grimes was formerly represented by Ben Dogra of Relativity Sports.
- At the beginning of August, we learned that Steelers’ second-round pick Senquez Golson might require shoulder surgery that at the time was thought to be season ending. Golson tried to play through the injury, but ultimately decided to have the surgery this morning, reports Chris Adamski of TribLive.com. However, Golson and head coach Mike Tomlin have not announced whether or not he will miss the 2015 season.
- The Raiders have brought in safety Ahmad Dixon for a workout, accorting to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Dixon was a seventh-round pick for the Cowboys in 2014.
NFC Notes: Manning, Smith, Lions, Spadola
Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been making headlines recently, as he has allegedly demanded and then refuted reports that he demanded to be the highest-paid player in the NFL. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com writes that all this could be the “storm before the calm” as was the case with Philip Rivers’ contract, noting that there is a reason all the top quarterbacks have received long-term extensions.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- With a need at safety, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com was asked if the Giants might be interested in the recently released Taylor Mays (via Twitter). Raanan opines that the team would not be interested, noting that perception around Mays isn’t positive.
- Eagles’ 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith will miss two to three weeks with a hamstring injury, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It was not as bad as I thought it was,” said Smith. “Three weeks is probably the most. I’ll definitely be ready for the Falcons game. Try to be ready for the last preseason game.”
- The Lions have a pair of key starters dealing with high ankle sprains, in offensive guard Larry Warford and defensive tackle Caraun Reid, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. It is uncertain when they will be able to return to the field, and head coach Jim Caldwell would not put a timetable on their recovery.
- Cardinals receiver Ryan Spadola is considering a career as a ref after his football career comes to an end, writes Bob McManamoan of AZCentral.com. Spadola has been a practice squad player bouncing around the league for two seasons, and is competing for a spot on the Cardinals’ roster.
Kam Chancellor “Dug In” With Holdout
Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor has made his position very clear from the beginning of his holdout. He alerted the team he would hold out if his contract was not renegotiated, and has not wavered from that position. The second preseason game has already started, and Chancellor is still waiting for his contract to be addressed.
Preseason games and training camp are one thing, but missing regular season games take a different kind of commitment. With a base salary of $4.55MM, per OverTheCap.com, he would miss upwards of of $267,000 per week through the regular season. Most players wouldn’t be willing to forgo those game checks when push comes to shove.
Chancellor’s former teammate Michael Robinson believes that the All-Pro safety is serious about his threat. When asked on NFL Total Access if he could envision Chancellor missing the full season, he admitted that he could, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
“From what I know of the situation, yeah,” said Robinson. “He’s dug in. He really feels that they have the ability to pay him.”
Robinson, a former fullback who was a member of the Super Bowl Championship Seahawks. He says he has remained close to Chancellor, and that the two have spoken about the safeties situation.
Just two days ago, we heard from Chancellor’s agent that nothing had changed and that he would not report until the two sides would be able to compromise on a new deal. Everything changes once these holdouts start effecting the player’s pockets, but if he is serious it will be an interesting beginning of the season. Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are both dealing with injuries that could limit them early on, and Chancellor has long been a marquee player on these great Seahawks defenses.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/15
Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Eagles have waived/injured safety Earl Wolff, who has been bothered by knee injuries since 2013, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, started six games for Philadelphia in his rookie year, but has been plagued by injuries since that season. He confirmed today (via Twitter) that he underwent surgery on his troublesome right knee.
- Rookie receiver Isiah Ferguson suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus, and will be sidelined for the year, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports (via Twitter) that the Rams have waived/injured the young wideout.
- The Colts announced today that they’ve made a change at the back of their roster, waiving wide receiver L.T. Smith and replacing him with free agent guard Harland Gunn. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds (via Twitter) that the team also reached an injury settlement with linebacker Cody Galea, removing him from the roster.
- As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets, UDFA wideout Jarred Haggins announced today that he has been cut by the Lions. Neither this transaction nor the reported release of safety Taylor Mays showed up on today’s transactions log, so the team will probably officially confirm the moves tomorrow.
- After working him out earlier today, the Cowboys have signed free agent defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, waiving offensive lineman Cody Clay with an injury designation to clear roster space, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
- According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), the Eagles have waived linebacker Brandon Hepburn off their injured reserve list with an injury settlement, while the Saints have removed wide receiver Andy Tanner from their IR.
Washington Acquires Derek Carrier From 49ers
5:33pm: According to Barrows (via Twitter), the pick the 49ers acquired from Washington in the Carrier swap is for 2017, not 2016. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Bears and Saints were also in the mix for Carrier before the Niners shipped him to D.C.
5:05pm: The 49ers have traded a tight end for the second time this week, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who reports (via Twitter) that Washington has acquired Derek Carrier from San Francisco. The Niners will get a fifth-round pick in exchange for Carrier, per Barrows.
On Tuesday, armed with a ton of tight end depth, the 49ers sent Asante Cleveland to the Patriots in exchange for offensive lineman Jordan Devey. At the time, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reported that both Cleveland and Carrier had been receiving trade interest, and since neither player was viewed as a lock to make San Francisco’s roster, it makes sense that they’d be traded.
Carrier, 25, saw his first real regular-season action on offense last year for the Niners, appearing in 11 games and grabbing nine balls for 105 yards. In Washington, he’ll have a clearer path to playing time, as the team will be without Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen this season — both players have sustained season-ending injuries during the preseason.
For their part, the 49ers will be hoping Carrier gets plenty of playing time in Washington. According to Barrows (via Twitter), the fifth-round pick San Francisco gets in the deal is a conditional selection. So if Carrier doesn’t reach certain thresholds for playing time and production, the Niners figure to get a lesser pick.