HEADLINES

Month: August 2015

Bucs’ Akeem Spence Suspended One Game

August 17th, 2015 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

Buccaneers defensive tackle Akeem Spence has been notified that he’s facing a one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on substance of abuse, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). It’s not 100% clear, based on Rapoport’s tweet, if Spence can still appeal the penalty, but assuming he’s been notified of the suspension by the league, it sounds like the appeal process has already been completed.

Spence, 23, has been a regular contributor on the Buccaneers’ defensive line since being selected by the team in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. In his two seasons with the club, he has started 19 of 32 contests, recording 68 overall tackles, four sacks, and three fumble recoveries. Spence, who remains on Tampa Bay’s PUP list, underwent back surgery earlier in the summer, and had already been expected to miss the first few weeks of the 2015 regular season.

When he does get healthy and is ready to return to the Bucs’ active roster, Spence will have to serve his one-game suspension as a result of a 2014 arrest on a marijuana charge. The incident, which took place way back in January of 2014, was the result of a traffic stop in Flomaton, Alabama.

Titans Sign Andy Studebaker

August 17th, 2015 at 10:12am CST by Connor J. Byrne

MONDAY, 10:12am: The Titans have offically signed Studebaker, waiving wide receiver Clyde Gates in the corresponding roster move, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link).

SUNDAY, 7:43pm: The Titans and free agent linebacker Andy Studebaker have agreed to a deal, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). Terms of the agreement have not yet been released.

Tennessee is familiar with Studebaker from his time with the AFC South rival Colts, whom he played for the last two seasons. Studebaker appeared in 24 regular-season games for the Colts and made 27 tackles. The 29-year-old earned praise from Pro Football Focus for his performance in 2014 – the website (subscription required) graded him as the Colts’ best defender against the run.

Prior to his time with the Colts, Studebaker spent five seasons with the Chiefs. He played college football at Division III Wheaton and was a sixth-round pick of the Eagles in 2008.

Bills Sign Ellis Lankster

August 17th, 2015 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

Another player who spent time with Rex Ryan‘s Jets has made the move to Buffalo to join Ryan’s Bills. The Bills announced today (via Twitter) that they have signed cornerback Ellis Lankster, waiving cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks to clear a spot on the roster.

Lankster, 28, spent parts of four seasons with the Jets after initially being drafted by the Bills in 2009. From 2011 to 2014, the veteran corner appeared in 39 games for New York, recording 51 tackles, grabbing a pair of interceptions, and forcing two fumbles.

Lankster’s stint last season with the Jets was brief — he was released once during preseason roster cutdowns, then again later in September after being re-signed a week into the season. I’d expect him to have an outside shot to earn a roster spot with the Bills this year, particularly if the team has injury problems in the secondary. But for now he just looks like preseason depth.

Westbrooks, a seventh-round pick by the Bengals in the 2014 draft, has yet to play in a regular season contest. He spent less than a week with the Bills, having been signed last Tuesday.

Vikings’ Phil Loadholt Tears Achilles

August 16th, 2015 at 9:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

SUNDAY, 9:09pm: An MRI has confirmed Loadholt’s Achilles tear, ESPN’s Ben Goessling reports (Twitter link). He’ll require season-ending surgery.

SATURDAY, 8:43pm: Vikings right tackle Phil Loadholdt was carted off the field during tonight’s preseason game against the Buccaneers, and a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Loadholt has suffered a torn Achilles. If confirmed, the diagnosis would mean Loadholt would miss the 2015 season.

This marks the second consecutive season of bad luck for the 29-year-old Loadholt, who was placed on injured reserve last November after tearing his pectoral. Reports indicated that Loadholt had looked good while working to return from that injury, so this latest news is especially devastating. A starter along Minnesota’s offensive line for six seasons, Loadholt is entering the third year of a four-year, $25MM contract that he signed in March of 2013.

Fourth-round rookie T.J. Clemmings replaced Loadholt at right tackle during the game, and he’s the favorite to do during the regular season, as well. Projected by some as a first-round pick, Clemmings — a Pitt alum — fell to Day 3 due to concerns about his polish. Mike Harris, currently slated to start at right guard, also has experience at tackle, so it’s possible that the Vikings could completely re-figure their front five.

If the Vikings preferred to look at the free agent market for a replacement, one intriguing option could be Anthony Collins, who was with the Bengals during current Vikes head coach Mike Zimmer‘s tenure as defensive coordinator.

East Notes: Jets, Cowboys

August 16th, 2015 at 9:04pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest goings-on concerning a couple teams from the NFL’s two East-based divisions:

  • Jets head coach Todd Bowles had a talk with Geno Smith after the New York Post photographed the injured quarterback playing catch with a friend outside his apartment Saturday. “He shouldn’t be doing it right now,” Bowles said Sunday, according to the Associated Press. “We handled that internally. We had that discussion.” Smith had surgery Thursday on his broken jaw, which came from a punch by then-teammate IK Enemkpali on Tuesday. He’s expected to miss 6-10 weeks.
  • In better Jets news, rookie wide receiver Devin Smith is “very confident” he’ll be ready for Week 1, Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin tweeted Sunday. Smith, a second-round pick from Ohio State, suffered broken ribs and punctured lungs early in training camp.
  • Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar has just 18 receptions since the team used a second-round pick on him in 2013, but head coach Jason Garrett spoke glowingly about the 24-year-old on Sunday. “He’s the right kind of guy, he works really hard at getting better every day and we’ve seen that progress,” Garrett said, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. “When he gets an opportunity, he’ll be ready for it.”  Garrett went on to point to future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten’s presence as a reason for Escobar’s lack of productivity thus far.
  • The Cowboys worked out free agent receiver LaQuan Williams on Sunday, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Williams, who has four career catches, was previously with Baltimore.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/15

August 16th, 2015 at 8:31pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are Sunday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:

  • The Saints have released tight end Alex Smith, per Kristian Garic of WWL 870am (Twitter link). Smith, who signed with the Saints earlier this month, hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2013. He caught 163 passes and 13 touchdowns from 2005-13 as a member of four different teams.
  • The Dolphins have signed offensive lineman Bryant Browning, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Browning was previously a member of five other organizations since going undrafted out of Ohio State in 2011. He was last with the Steelers and has only suited up for one game – a 2011 contest with Carolina.
  • The Saints have waived long snapper Chris Highland, tweets Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com.

Earlier updates

  • The Cowboys cut receiver George Farmer and signed fellow wideout David Porter, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth-Star Telegram (Twitter link). Farmer signed with the Cowboys in May as an undrafted free agent out of USC. Porter, formerly of TCU, also went undrafted this year. He previously spent time with Denver.
  • After a rash of injuries at the position, Washington has signed a new tight end in Ernst Brun, the club announced. Brun, an undraftd free agent out of Iowa State, tried out for the team earlier today. Washington also officially placed tight ends Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen on injured reserve, and waived/injured running back Silas Redd.
  • The Falcons have signed RB Evan Royster, CB Travis Howard, and LB Terrell Manning, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The team has also cut OL DeMarcus Love.
  • The Browns have signed CB Aaron Ross and LB Everette Brown, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. The team waived OL Joe Madsen and DL Christian Tupou to make room for Ross and Brown. Ross, 32, was a key member of the Giants’ secondary when Big Blue captured Super Bowl titles in 2007 and 2011.
  • Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets that the Dolphins have cut offensive tackle Chris Martin.

Demar Dotson Sprains MCL

August 16th, 2015 at 8:24pm CST by Rory Parks

8:24pm: Dotson’s MCL sprain will keep him out of action for roughly six weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

3:19pm: Head coach Lovie Smith says Dotson will be out “for a period of time,” tweets Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, while Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune reports (Twitter link) that the Bucs believe he will return at some point during the season.

8:44am: Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson suffered a sprained left MCL in last night’s preseason contest against the Vikings, according to Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Dotson will have an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury. Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports first tweeted that Dotson was believed to have sustained a sprained MCL.

Dotson has been a steady presence on the right side of Tampa Bay’s line, starting all but one of the team’s regular season games since 2012. Dotson has recorded a positive grade in each of the last three seasons according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), and he ranked 28th out of 84 qualified tackles last year. He even held down the left tackle spot for three games in 2014.

Dotson is under club control through 2016, but he was understandably seeking a new contract this summer, as he has considerably outperformed his current deal that carries an average annual value of $1.5MM (he is set to earn $2.5MM this year). Although Dotson and the Bucs were reportedly close to agreement on a new contract, the fact that Dotson skipped voluntary workouts in an effort to rework his deal complicated the matter, as Tampa Bay’s team policy prohibits the negotiation of contracts with players who are absent from workouts, whether those workouts are voluntary or mandatory. Even though Dotson ultimately reported to mandatory minicamp and changed agents, it does not appear that the dialogue picked up much steam.

Needless to say, a season-ending injury would be a major blow for the Bucs, who are trying to give Jameis Winston as many chances to succeed as possible. Patrick Omameh is listed as the backup right tackle on the team’s depth chart. Notable free agents still available include players like Jake Long and Tyson Clabo. We will pass along updates on the severity of Dotson’s injury when they become available.

 

Offseason In Review: San Francisco 49ers

August 16th, 2015 at 7:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers entered the 2014 season fresh off third straight trip to the NFC championship game and were expected to once again contend for conference supremacy and a Super Bowl. They stumbled to a disappointing 8-8 record, however, thus ending their three-year reign as an NFL superpower. What ensued was a bizarre offseason headlined by a diaspora of several figures who were integral to the 49ers’ recent success and could’ve been part of the solution going forward.

Notable losses:

Unexpected retirements contributed to the shredding of San Francisco’s roster during the offseason. Four of the team’s standouts – linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, defensive lineman Justin Smith and offensive tackle Anthony Davis – elected to step away from the sport.

Willis was a defensive captain for the Niners and perennially among the premier players in the league throughout his eight-year career, during which he totaled 100-plus tackles six times and made seven Pro Bowls. The normally durable Willis missed 10 games last year (he hadn’t missed more than three in any previous campaign) because of a toe injury, but he finished every season from 2007-13 anywhere from first to fourth among inside linebackers in Pro Football Focus’ grading system. Willis was a Hall of Fame-caliber defender who, at age 30, still had plenty to offer, and his void will be immensely difficult for the 49ers to fill.

Borland’s retirement came as an even bigger shock than Willis’, given that Borland only played one season in the league. The 49ers drafted the former Wisconsin Badger in the third round last year and he proceeded to pile up 107 tackles and a pair of interceptions in his rookie season. Borland’s play earned him a fourth-place ranking among 37 ILBs who played at least 50 percent of snaps in 2014, per PFF (subscription required). His presence would’ve helped make up for a lack of Willis, as it did last season when Willis was injured, but the 24-year-old decided to leave the game out of self-preservation.

“I just honestly want to do what’s best for my health,” Borland said. “From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.

Like Borland, Davis – who appeared in and started 71 games for the 49ers between 2010-14 – also chose to retire because of health concerns.

“This will be a time for me to allow my brain and body a chance to heal. I know many won’t understand my decision, that’s OK,” the 25-year-old said in a statement.

Unlike Borland, though, Davis’ flight from football looks as if it’ll be more a hiatus than a real retirement. The 25-year-old tweeted in June that he’d “be back in a year or two,” and iterated that sentiment to NJ Advance Media earlier this week.

While it appears Davis will be back in the league at some point, the same can’t be said for the 35-year-old Smith. The longtime defensive line stalwart elected to step away after 14 productive seasons, the last seven of which were spent in San Francisco. He amassed 87 sacks during his career and was consistently one of the best D-linemen in the league with the 49ers, with whom he made five Pro Bowls and was named PFF’s top 3-4 defensive end three straight times (2009-11).

Prior to the above slew of retirements, some noteworthy contributors left the 49ers via free agency.

If Willis was the heart and soul of the 49ers’ defense, running back Frank Gore – who signed with the Colts – held the same distinction for their offense. Gore spent the first decade of his career with the 49ers and rushed for 1,000-plus yards eight times, including 1,106 last season, and finished with 250-plus carries in each of the last four years.

One of the offensive linemen who helped clear paths for Gore was guard Mike Iupati, who signed with NFC West rival Arizona. Iupati, 28, was a 49er for five seasons and made three consecutive Pro Bowls to close his career in the Bay. He earned a reputation as a dominant run blocker, ranking among PFF’s top five guards in that category two of the last three years.

The 49ers also said goodbye to a couple of well-known receivers, Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson. Crabtree, who signed with the Raiders in April, seldom lived up to pre-draft hype with the 49ers after going 10th overall in 2009. He was especially disappointing last season, when he found the end zone only four times and averaged a paltry 10.4 yards per catch on 68 grabs. Johnson was also a letdown with the 49ers, who acquired him from Buffalo last year. The Niners released Johnson after a 35-catch, three-touchdown 2014, and he subsequently signed with San Diego.

Defensively, the 49ers lost their two starting corners from last year and a quality role-playing linebacker in free agency. Corners Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox joined Washington and Tennessee, respectively, after combining for nine interceptions in 2014. PFF (subscription required) ranked Culliver 13th out of 74 corners who played at least 50 percent of snaps last year, while Cox ended up 24th. Linebacker Dan Skuta also left for bigger money elsewhere, signing for $20.5MM with the Jaguars. The six-year veteran was a 49er from 2013-14 and wasn’t exactly a household name with them, but he managed to draw positive grades from PFF both seasons. He also contributed career bests in sacks (five) and forced fumbles (three) last year.

As if the 49ers didn’t take enough of a beating during the winter and spring, the coup de grace may have come earlier this month. After yet another run-in with the law – this time an arrest on hit-and-run, DUI, and vandalism charges – the 49ers parted ways with star linebacker Aldon Smith. The 49ers drafted Smith seventh overall in 2011 and he emerged as a pass-rushing demigod, accumulating a whopping 44 sacks in 50 games. However, his on-field prowess was blighted by off-field problems. The 25-year-old was arrested three different times on suspicion of drunken driving while with the 49ers and garnered a nine-game suspension last season for an April 2014 incident with a TSA agent at Los Angeles International Airport.

Notable signings:

The biggest splash the 49ers made in free agency was the signing of wideout Torrey Smith. The 26-year-old mixed big-play ability with durability in Baltimore from 2011-14 and parlayed that combo into a $40MM contract. Smith has never caught more than 65 passes in a season, but he averaged 15.7 to 17.4 yards per catch each individual season with the Ravens and is coming off an 11-touchdown showing – his best so far. Just as impressive, perhaps, is the fact that Smith hasn’t yet missed a game in his career.

Accompanying Smith as a newly added skill player is running back Reggie Bush, who joins second-year man Carlos Hyde in the backfield as the 49ers try to replace Gore. Bush, a 10-year veteran, signed with the 49ers after a pedestrian 2014 with the Lions (550 total yards and two TDs on 116 touches). To Bush’s credit, he was an adept No. 1 back from 2011-13 with the Dolphins and Lions, respectively, as he exceeded the 215-carry mark three years in a row and the 1,000-yard plateau twice, and his averages ranged from 4.3 to 5.0 yards per attempt. Further, the 30-year-old has long been a threat in the passing game (466 career receptions), and should give quarterback Colin Kaepernick a capable target out of the backfield.

Defensively, the 49ers’ only noteworthy pickup in free agency was lineman Darnell Dockett, who was with Arizona from 2004-14. Dockett missed all of last season with a torn ACL and, at 34, his best days are likely behind him. Nevertheless, the three-time Pro Bowler has 40.5 career sacks and should aid the 49ers’ pass rush. Just don’t expect him to contribute against the run.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 first-round pick (No. 17; DL Arik Armstead), a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 117; TE Blake Bell), and a 2016 fifth-round pick from the Chargers in exchange for a 2015 first-round pick (No. 15; RB Melvin Gordon).
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 165; P Bradley Pinion) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 244; OL Trenton Brown) from the Colts in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 151; DT David Parry).
  • Acquired a 2016 sixth-round pick from the Cowboys in exchange for a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 246; TE Geoff Swaim).
  • Acquired a 2017 seventh-round pick from the Browns for P Andy Lee.

Extensions and restructures:

Draft picks:

  • 1-17: Arik Armstead, DL (Oregon): Signed
  • 2-46: Jaquiski Tartt, S (Samford): Signed
  • 3-79: Eli Harold, OLB (Virginia): Signed
  • 4-117: Blake Bell, TE (Oklahoma): Signed
  • 4-126: Mike Davis, RB (South Carolina): Signed
  • 4-132: DeAndre Smelter, WR (Georgia Tech): Signed
  • 5-165: Bradley Pinion, P (Clemson): Signed
  • 6-190: Ian Silberman, G (Boston College): Signed
  • 7-244: Trenton Brown, OL (Florida): Signed
  • 7-254: Rory Anderson, TE (South Carolina): Signed

Considering how their offseason went, it would obviously help the 49ers’ cause if at least a couple of their rookies stepped in and acquitted themselves well immediately. That includes ex-Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead, whom the team took in the first round. But the 6-foot-7, 292-pounder was viewed as a raw (albeit highly talented) prospect pre-draft and has work to do to climb up the 49ers’ depth chart, as the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows wrote Friday.

Thanks to all the offseason departures San Francisco endured at linebacker, third-rounder Eli Harold will have an opportunity to make his presence felt quickly and replace Aldon Smith on the right side. Harold, who has shared reps with third-year man Corey Lemonier this summer, combined for 15.5 sacks during his final two season at Virginia and has impressed his new head coach so far.

“Eli Harold, he came in beeping (like on radar),” Jim Tomsula said last week, according to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “Again, rookie going through it, we’ve all seen it, the ups and downs. He hasn’t had the downs, but we are still early on in this thing. But Eli is doing a really good job. He’s an energetic guy. I think everybody sees what we saw in him and why we drafted him.”

Other:

In 2011, the 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh as their head coach after seven strong years in the college ranks. The Niners were in the midst of an eight-year playoff drought when Harbaugh took the job, but his arrival brought dramatic improvement in the form of a superb 44-19-1 regular-season mark and three playoff berths. However, his relationship with CEO Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke deteriorated and became particularly discordant in 2014. That led to a divorce between the sides in December, and Harbaugh went back to college to coach Michigan.

To take over for Harbaugh, the 49ers hired from within and chose Tomsula. The 47-year-old had run the 49ers’ defensive line since 2007 and was their interim head coach for one game back in 2010 (a 38-7 win over the Cardinals).

Tomsula continued the in-house theme with his coordinator hires, promoting Eric Mangini (defense) and Geep Chryst (offense). While Mangini was an offensive consultant with the 49ers in 2013 and their tight ends coach last season, the majority of his coaching career has been spent on defensive staffs. He took Vic Fangio‘s old job, while Chryst grabbed the reins from Greg Roman. Chryst, who was last an O-coordinator with the Chargers in 1999-2000, was previously San Francisco’s quarterbacks coach.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Colin Kaepernick, QB: $15,265,753
  2. NaVorro Bowman, LB: $7,654,000
  3. Joe Staley, LT: $7,600,000
  4. Ahmad Brooks, OLB: $7,055,000
  5. Vernon Davis, TE: $6,967,920
  6. Anquan Boldin, WR: $6,909,000
  7. Aldon Smith, OLB: $4,854,875
  8. Antoine Bethea, S: $4,750,000
  9. Ray McDonald, DT: $4,609,971 (dead money)
  10. Phil Dawson, K: $4,134,000

While it’s unwise to write teams off prior to the season in the parity-driven NFL, it’s hard to imagine the 49ers improving on their .500 record from last year after their calamitous offseason. They’re likely to have a difficult time staying afloat as part of a division that houses a Super Bowl favorite (Seattle) and a pair of potential playoff contenders (Arizona and St. Louis).

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Latest On DeflateGate

August 16th, 2015 at 6:37pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While most hope the fight between the NFL and the NFL Players Association regarding Tom Brady’s DeflateGate case will conclude prior to the season, it doesn’t appear likely. Attorneys for both the league and Brady requested a verdict from US district judge Richard Berman on Brady’s lawsuit by Sept. 4, according to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, but his decision probably won’t be the end of it.

Berman encouraged both sides to reach a settlement last week, saying, “The average life of a suit with appeal is two years, not two months. I think it’s fair to say that no one here wants to wait that long.”

Unfortunately, though, an appeal seems inevitable because neither side has shown a willingness to move from their respective stances. The league – which originally handed Brady a four-game suspension in May – wants the quarterback to sit at least one game, but Brady won’t accept anything more than a fine.

Should Berman’s decision end up in Brady’s favor, he’ll be permitted to play immediately. However, a subsequent appeal to the Second Court from the league might spell disaster for him in the future. If the Second Court rules in favor of the league, Brady could end up missing time later in the regular season or, worse, the playoffs. The chance of that happening is slim, though, as Volin notes that the appeals process moves slowly and likely wouldn’t be completed during the upcoming season.

If Berman sides with the league, on the other hand, Brady will ask Berman for a motion to stay the suspension pending appeal, per Volin. If that fails, Brady will opt for a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order from the Second Circuit. That would enable him to play until his appeal is heard.

Regardless of what ultimately happens, DeflateGate has owned headlines for months and could cast a pall over the upcoming season. Some owners across the league have grown weary of it, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote Sunday, and are hoping the two sides reach a settlement soon. Conversely, Florio reports that certain “hard-core, old-school owners” don’t want the league to budge because it would mean conceding power to the NFLPA. Bad blood between the owners and the union is a key reason DeflateGate will continue to be a dominant story.

Gosder Cherilus To Visit Buccaneers

August 16th, 2015 at 5:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus is expected to visit the Buccaneers on Monday, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).

The Bucs are looking for help at right tackle in the wake of the sprained left MCL starter Demar Dotson suffered in last night’s preseason contest against the Vikings. Earlier Sunday, head coach Lovie Smith said Dotson will be out “for a period of time.”

Cherilus, who has visited with the Bills and Lions in recent weeks, is in search of work after the Colts released him in late July. The 31-year-old signed a five-year, $35MM contract with the Colts in 2013, and started 29 games for the club at right tackle over the past two seasons. However, after a solid first season in Indianapolis, he struggled last year. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Cherilus 70th out of 84 qualified tackles, and he graded particularly poorly as a pass blocker. According to PFF’s data, he allowed six quarterback sacks, another 42 hits or hurries.

Prior to his time with the Colts, Cherilus spent the first five years of his career with the Lions after they used a first-round pick on him in 2008. The former Boston College standout has appeared in 104 games and made 100 starts as a pro.

Load More Posts