HEADLINES

Month: August 2015

QB Rumors: Eagles, Bills, RGIII, Browns

August 21st, 2015 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Assuming he doesn’t make any significant errors during the team’s remaining preseason games, quarterback Tim Tebow is on track to earn a spot on the Eagles‘ regular season roster, a source tells ESPN’s Dianna Russini. According to Russini, head coach Chip Kelly has been getting increasingly excited about using Tebow in two-point and short-yardage scenarios.

With Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, and Tebow likely to make the Eagles’ roster, it would seem to leave Matt Barkley on the outside looking in. According to Russini’s source, Barkley remains available in a potential trade.

Here’s more on a handful of unsettled quarterback situations around the NFL:

  • Bills head coach Rex Ryan sees potential big-play ability in quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and would prefer to start him over the team’s other QB options, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). However, Cole adds that other members of the Buffalo coaching staff believe Matt Cassel would make fewer mistakes than Taylor, and is the more consistent, reliable option.
  • In a separate video at Bleacher Report, Cole also tackles the Washington quarterback situation, indicating that the decision on Robert Griffin III‘s long-term future – or lack thereof – with the team will ultimately be made by owner Daniel Snyder. Head coach Jay Gruden and his staff want RGIII in the starting lineup as much as possible this year, so that the club can get a thorough evaluation of the former second overall pick before that decision is made.
  • On the heels of Josh McCown‘s underwhelming, two-interception performance against the Bills, Browns head coach Mike Pettine stressed that he’s not looking to create a QB competition, and that McCown remains his No. 1 guy over Johnny Manziel. Still, Pettine wasn’t ready to guarantee that McCown would be the team’s starting QB in Week 1 (Twitter links via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal).

Facebook/Twitter/RSS Feeds By Team

August 21st, 2015 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve detailed how you can follow Pro Football Rumors on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or using an RSS reader to ensure that you receive all of our updates, 365 days a year. If you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NFL team, PFR has you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 32 teams.

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

South Notes: Pagano, Titans, Mathis, Panthers

August 21st, 2015 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Expectations are high in Indianapolis this season, with Colts owner Jim Irsay suggesting that he’d like to see his team win “at least two world championships” while Andrew Luck is the quarterback. Those high expectations, combined with the fact that Chuck Pagano is entering the final year of his contract, could mean it’s a “Super Bowl or bust” season for the Colts’ head coach, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

La Canfora hears that there’s “consistent chatter” around the Colts about possible tension between Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson, who haven’t always seen eye to eye on staff decisions — per La Canfora, Grigson strongly supported Pep Hamilton as offensive coordinator, while Pagano was more inclined to go with Rob Chudzinski.

I’m skeptical that Irsay and the Colts are drawing a hard “Super Bowl or bust” line with Pagano, but it’s somewhat surprising that the two sides haven’t been able to work out a new deal yet. As we wait to see what this season brings for Pagano and his team, let’s round up a few more Friday notes from around the NFL’s two South divisions….

  • The Titans are monitoring Evan Mathis‘ situation, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who suggests Tennessee’s interest in the veteran guard could intensify if the team’s offensive line play doesn’t improve in this weekend’s preseason game vs. the Rams.
  • In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates examines the Panthers‘ options for replacing Kelvin Benjamin, wondering if the Colts might be a logical trade partner — players like Donte Moncrief and Duron Carter may find themselves pushed far down on Indianapolis’ depth chart, with T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, and Phillip Dorsett expected to be the club’s top three wideouts. For what it’s worth, Carolina was one of the teams interested in Carter before he signed with the Colts.
  • Jim Woodcock, spokesman for Jaguars owner Shad Kahn, denied an international report claiming that the Jaguars have extended their deal with London’s Wembley Stadium through the 2030 season, per Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union. However, Woodcock added that discussions for the team to continue its London series “have been frequent and promising.”

Corey Peters Tears Achilles, Out For Year

August 21st, 2015 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 12:39pm: The Cardinals have officially placed Peters on injured reserve, ending his season, tweets Urban.

THURSDAY, 1:11pm: After losing multiple defensive starters to various injuries and suspensions during the 2014 season, the Cardinals are now down a starting defensive lineman in 2015. Head coach Bruce Arians confirmed today that nose tackle Corey Peters has suffered a torn left Achilles, and will be sidelined for the season (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). Peters has yet to officially be placed on injured reserve, but figures to land there shortly.

It’s a devastating blow for Peters, who tore his right Achilles at the end of the 2013 season. He returned from the injury last season to play 15 games for the Falcons, but didn’t have quite the same impact on the field, recording 26 tackles and two sacks – down from 46 and five in 2013 – as he transitioned into a reserve role.

Another year removed from that 2013 Achilles injury, Peters was poised to take over for Dan Williams as the Cardinals’ starting nose tackle this season. Instead, he’ll spend the first season of his three-year contract with Arizona on the IR list, with fourth-round rookie Rodney Gunter stepping into the starting lineup (Twitter link via Urban).

Arians also addressed Mike Iupati‘s health, telling reporters that the veteran guard is getting his meniscus repaired. The recovery timeline for the procedure varies, so Iupati could be on the shelf for anywhere from three to eight weeks (Twitter link via Urban).

AFC East Notes: Dareus, Flynn, Bryant

August 21st, 2015 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus , frustrated with contract negotiations, is “delusional” if he thinks he’ll get an extension similar to Ndamukong Suh‘s deal with the Dolphins, tweets former agent Joel Corry. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap essentially agrees with that assessment, suggesting that Suh’s contract is one of the biggest outliers in the NFL, made possible by the fact that Suh reached the open market when the Lions were too cap-strapped to franchise him.

As Corry tweets, Dareus may have a hard time topping Mario Williams‘s contract with the Bills – which was worth $16MM per year – since pass-rushing edge defenders are typically paid more than even the best interior defensive linemen. On the other hand, Fitzgerald argues that the fact the Bills were willing to make Williams the highest-paid player on their team with that massive deal three years ago means that Dareus could be right to assume they’ll do it again. In Fitzgerald’s view, the team may not “have a leg to stand on” in offering the star defensive tackle less than $16MM annually.

As we wait to see if the Bills and Dareus can reach a compromise before the season begins, let’s check out some other items from around the AFC East….

  • The one-year deal Matt Flynn got from the Jets is a minimum-salary pact that includes a guaranteed $60K signing bonus, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).
  • Pelissero also provides some details on Red Bryant‘s new one-year contract with the Bills, tweeting that the veteran defensive lineman got $80K to sign, and can earn up to $100K in playing-time incentives on top of his minimum salary.
  • As Brian Costello of the New York Post details, Dan Quinn and Todd Bowles were viewed as the consensus top coaching candidates among assistants at the end of the 2014 season, and the Jets and Falcons each had interest in both coaches. Bowles had been scheduled for a second interview in Atlanta following his second meeting with the Jets, but New York came away so impressed that the team decided not to wait on Quinn, hiring Bowles instead.

Marcell Dareus Frustrated With Bills’ Talks

August 21st, 2015 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

A report yesterday indicated that contract extension discussions between the Bills and star defensive lineman Marcell Dareus had come to a standstill, and Dareus himself confirmed as much after last night’s win over the Browns. Speaking to Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News, Dareus took the negotiations public, expressing frustration with the process.

“They’re making it hard,” Dareus said. “And it’s just really making me unhappy. I feel like they don’t really want me here. … I feel like they don’t want me here as bad as I want to be here, as bad as the fans and my team wants me here. I feel like they’re saying, ‘Whatever. You come a dime a dozen.'”

According to Dunne, the Bills have offered Dareus a six-year extension worth more than $90MM, though it’s not clear what portion of that money would be guaranteed. It’s a per-year average of $15MM+, which would exceed Gerald McCoy‘s deal but falls short of contracts like those signed by J.J. Watt and especially Ndamukong Suh. Dareus appears to be using the latter player’s deal as a benchmark — asked if he had a specific figure in mind, the Bills’ Pro Bowler replied, “I’ll just say, ‘Thank you, Suh.'”

As Dunne observes, the Bills committed big money to a handful of players earlier this offseason, and have potential extensions for players like cornerback Stephon Gilmore, tackle Cordy Glenn and outside linebacker Nigel Bradham to consider. However, if the club isn’t careful, it could risk losing Dareus, or at least having to use its franchise tag on him in 2016. For now, he doesn’t appear willing to settle.

“They’re playing,” Dareus said. “It’s a contract game. They’re playing. They’re going back and forth. I play one game, they play this game. There’s not much I can really say. I know what I’m worth.”

NFL Millionaire Maker Contest At DraftKings

August 20th, 2015 at 10:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Take your shot this NFL season at turning $20 into $2,000,000 in the NFL $10MM Millionaire Maker contest at DraftKings! The first-place finisher in the Week 1 contest will win an incredible $2MM and the top 125,700 entrants will be paid out of a guaranteed $10MM prize pool. It’s the biggest fantasy football contest of all time, and the entry fee is just $20!

The one-week contest for Week 1’s slate of NFL games gets underway on Sunday, September 13 at 1:00pm eastern time, so you have plenty of time to set – and tweak – your lineup. It’s a salary cap style contest, meaning you’ll have a budget of $50K with which to fill nine roster spots — one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one Flex, and one Team Defense. Here’s what my current Week 1 roster looks like, for example:

DraftKings $10MM

Sign up today for the DraftKings $10MM Millionaire Maker contest today for your chance to win $2,000,000!

This is a sponsored post from DraftKings.

Extra Points: Cousins, Jets, Hilton, Watkins

August 20th, 2015 at 9:56pm CST by Zachary Links

If Dan Quinn was hired by the Jets instead of Todd Bowles, the team likely would have dumped Geno Smith in favor of Kirk Cousins, Manish Mehta of the Daily News hears. Quinn’s plan for Gang Green included adding offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and his vision didn’t include Smith. Sources say the Washington play-caller wanted to instead trade for Cousins, who showed promise in two years under Shanahan While you ponder that what-if, here’s more from around the NFL..

  • After the Colts signed T.Y. Hilton to a $65MM deal, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star wonders if the team will still have enough room to get deals done with its other young stars. The Colts will have to cut a massive check to Pro Bowl quarterback Andrew Luck, who will command far more than $20MM annually. Also, the team is negotiating with left tackle Anthony Castonzo, who is essential as one of Luck’s protectors. By the time the Colts get to the likes of tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, it’s fair to wonder if they’ll have enough cash to get deals done.
  • Jets guard Oday Aboushi has been suspended without pay for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. In a statement issued by Aboushi’s reps (via Rand Getlin of NFL.com on Twitter), they explained that the lineman was stopped in his car back in January when cops found a small amount of pot in his car.
  • With the Bills and Browns facing off on Monday night, Chris Fedor of The Plain Dealer revisited last year’s Sammy Watkins deal. Cornerback Justin Gilbert, who the Browns took with the No. 8 pick, has been off to a rough start and some are question whether he’ll ever meet his rookie year expectations. Cleveland’s side of the deal will also hinge heavily on the future of offensive lineman Cameron Erving, who the Browns selected with the Bills’ pick this year.

NFC East Notes: Brady, Giants, Hardy

August 20th, 2015 at 8:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC East..

  • Giants co-owner John Mara has respectfully declined to participate in settlement discussions between Tom Brady and the NFL, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. There are currently conflicting reports on whether Brady would be open to accepting a suspension of any kind. League lawyers, who sources say were reluctant about the idea, communicated Wednesday to the judge that Mara cited an obvious competitive conflict of interest.
  • Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy still hasn’t made a final decision about suing the NFL to reduce his suspension, but every passing day reduces the chances of that happening, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.
  • Giants quarterback Ryan Nassib told Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post that he’ll have to assess his options if the Giants decide to give Eli Manning a new multi-year deal. “Yeah, that’s something we would look into once the season’s over,” Nassib said. “We’ll see when the decision’s made or whatnot. [Unless it happens], that’s something I can’t really speculate on.” The 2013 fourth-round pick is signed through 2016 at a cap-friendly total of $1.26MM over the next two seasons.

Bills LeSean McCoy Likely Back For Week 1

August 20th, 2015 at 6:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills head coach Rex Ryan told Lisa Salters of ESPN (via Twitter) that he is “cautiously optimistic” LeSean McCoy will be able to play in the club’s season opener vs. the Colts. Ryan’s words echo a recent report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com who heard that McCoy will likely be ready for Week 1.

Buffalo will be without the services of their No. 1 tailback as they face the Browns in preseason action tonight and they’ll be without his main understudies as well. The Bills announced on Thursday that Fred Jackson (hamstring), Anthony Dixon (calf), and Karlos Williams (illness) are also unavailable. Due to the various injuries and ailments, the Bills’ top three backs this evening will be Cierre Wood, Ricky Seale, and Bronson Hill.

Despite the Bills’ shaky situation at running back, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News reported on Wednesday that the club has decided against signing free agent Ray Rice. Rice comes with obvious baggage and it doesn’t help that the last time he saw the field, in 2013, he had a miserable season in Baltimore, averaging just 3.1 yard per rush on 214 carries, and 5.5 yards per reception on 58 catches. With McCoy apparently on the mend from a hamstring injury, it doesn’t sound like we should expect the Bills to ink any other big time running backs either.

Load More Posts