2015 August - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles’ JaCorey Shepherd Tears ACL

August 10th, 2015 at 10:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles announced that cornerback JaCorey Shepherd has suffered a torn ACL, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The diagnosis is fairly devastating for the Eagles, who just traded away slot cornerback Brandon Boykin. Shepherd was considered the frontrunner to take over for Boykin’s former patrol.

With Shepherd done for the year, Jaylen Watkins, E.J. Biggers, and Denzel Rice are left as the remaining options at slot cornerback. The Eagles also could turn to cornerbacks Byron Maxwell and Nolan Carroll or safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Walter Thurmond as options at nickel, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Still, those moves would be far from ideal for Philly. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Chip Kelly and the Eagles explore outside options between now and the start of the season.

Patriots Release Matt Flynn, Sign Ryan Lindley

August 10th, 2015 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

9:55am: It’s a one-year deal for Lindley, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.

8:45am: The Patriots made a change at quarterback early Monday morning as they notified Matt Flynn of his release, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com tweets. Taking his place as the No. 3 quarterback in New England will be Ryan Lindley, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

Flynn joined the Pats in June but he didn’t see much time on the practice field. The quarterback was placed on the non-football injury list last month before Patriots veterans reported to training camp and he never took the field before his release. The 30-year-old has spent most of his career with the Packers, parlaying a huge Week 17 game in 2011 into a three-year contract with the Seahawks in free agency. After never starting a game in Seattle, Flynn bounced around the league a little, joining the Bills and Raiders before returning to Green Bay. Now, he’ll look to join up with yet another team.

Lindley now joins Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo on the Pats’ quarterback depth chart. Of course, with Brady currently facing a four-game suspension, the role of No. 3 QB in New England now carries extra importance. Lindley’s presence will also ensure that Brady won’t have to spend any unnecessary time on the field in Thursday’s preseason opener. Garoppolo, presumably, will take the bulk of the offensive snaps with Brady on the sideline for much of the game.

Falcons, Julio Jones On Verge Of Extension?

August 10th, 2015 at 9:54am CST by Zachary Links

Falcons owner Arthur Blank says he feels very confident that star receiver Julio Jones will have a new five-year deal “very, very soon,” Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets. At the moment, Jones is set to play the 2015 season on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option, worth $10.176MM.

The market for top-flight receivers was, of course, set just a few weeks ago, when Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant inked five-year, $70MM deals with their respective clubs. As our Luke Adams pointed out in his recent examination of Jones as an extension candidate, Jones is in line to land an even more lucrative contract, with an average annual value of over $15MM.

Jones’ numbers would certainly support such a deal. In 15 games, Jones racked up 1,593 yards and six touchdowns on 104 receptions, setting a new Falcons team record for most receiving yards in a season. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also ranked him right behind Bryant and Thomas, despite the fact that he played fewer snaps than either player. However, a fractured foot limited Jones to just five games in 2013, he missed a game last season due to a hip pointer, and he has dealt with multiple hamstring issues in his professional career.

Jones confirmed to reporters late last month that talks were underway between his representatives and the Falcons, though he was unwilling to put a timetable on when a deal might get done. Blank’s comments could be an indication that a deal is coming in a matter of days, or even hours.

Extra Points: Eagles, Raiders, 49ers, Colts

August 9th, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis spoke Sunday on the statuses of two of the team’s injured linebackers, Kiko Alonso and DeMeco Ryans.

Regarding Alonso, who suffered a concussion Tuesday and has missed four practices: “Kiko’s fine,” said Davis, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’ve been coaching linebackers my whole career. It’s just part of that position, when it sneaks up on you nowadays, we have great protocol. It’s not an issue. Kiko’s doing great. He won’t miss a beat.”

Davis was more guarded when discussing Ryans, who is recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon for the second time in his nine-year career.

“DeMeco is a pro all the way through and is taking strides ahead of where most people would be, but he still has a little ways to go,” Davis said.

Ryans has participated in all seven of the Eagles’ training camp practices, but next Sunday’s preseason opener against the Colts will be a much bigger litmus test.

“Any time you’re coming back from injury, you have to get in the game to see where you are,” said Ryans, who got hurt last November. “Go to the ground, tackle somebody, stand up, make sure everything is still intact. And mentally, I think that’s the last hurdle, going out and getting back in a game.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/15

August 9th, 2015 at 7:12pm CST by Rory Parks

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

The Bills re-signed defensive Erik Williams and waived/injured receiver Justin Brown, ESPN’s Mike Rodak tweeted.
The Colts have signed former Ball State cornerback Eric Patterson, according to Indy PR man Matt Conti (Twitter link). Patterson, who went undrafted earlier this year, was cut by the Patriots in June.
The Browns signed CB Joe Rankin yesterday, and according to Nate Ulrich of The Akron Beacon Journal, the team has also signed TE Manasseh Garner. To make room for the new additions, Cleveland has cut LB Darius Eubanks and TE Kevin Haplea.

AFC Notes: Incognito, Berry, Steelers, Browns

August 9th, 2015 at 7:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and league-appointed investigator Ted Wells are drawing plenty of criticism for how they’re handling Tom Brady‘s DeflateGate case, but Bills guard Richie Incognito tore into them Saturday for how they dealt with his own scandal a couple years ago.

The league suspended Incognito from November 2013 to February 2014 after a bullying case involving then-Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin. Incognito, who subsequently sat out all of last season and then signed with Buffalo this past winter, told Newsday’s Bob Glauber: “Ted Wells came in slanted against me and everything in his report was slanted against me. There were some things in there that would have helped my cause that were left out.”

Incognito noted there was “teammate testimony” that would’ve helped his cause, but Wells didn’t pay it any mind. Further, Albert Breer of NFL Network tweeted that “a lot of Dolphins coaches felt their voiced weren’t heard by Wells.”

Regarding Goodell, Incognito said, “I just think it’s bogus, the whole system in how it’s set up with Roger and the complete, absolute power he has.”

“You have to get a little power out of [Goodell’s] hands and get [an independent arbitrator] to take a look at it.”

NFC Notes: JPP, Eagles, Saints

August 9th, 2015 at 5:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Giants coach Tom Coughlin revealed Saturday that he got in touch with injured defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and the two had a “good conversation.” Co-owner Steve Tisch hasn’t been able to get in contact with Pierre-Paul, however, and is irked that the 26-year-old hasn’t responded to his overtures.

“It’s been very frustrating,” Tisch told the team’s website, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I’ve reached out to Jason. I’ve not heard back from Jason. I’m not going to hold that against him. I understand his situation is difficult, complicated, and I’m sure very confusing to him personally.’’

Pierre-Paul, who led the Giants with 12.5 sacks last year, injured his hand in a fireworks accident in July and still hasn’t signed his $14.8MM franchise tender for 2015.

“My message to him is get better, we cheer for you,” said Tisch. “[Senior vice president of medical services] Ronnie [Barnes] and our doctors have access to the best doctors, if not in New York City and the country, possibly in the world. He should take advantage of that.

“Let us see you sooner than later. You’re not going to be judged, you’re going to be helped.”

Here’s more from the NFC:

Eagles cornerback JaCorey Shepherd hurt his right knee Sunday and there’s concern it could be an ACL injury, reports Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Shepherd, a sixth-round rookie who has been getting first-team nickel corner reps during training camp, will have an MRI on Monday.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis told SiriusXM NFL Radio that the team focused on adding talent and, more importantly, leadership during the offseason. He noted that the defense was especially lacking in leadership. The defense lost talent but arguably improved in the leadership department last month when it released pass-rushing linebacker Junior Galette, whose on-field success (22 sacks from 2013-14) was overshadowed by poor behavior off the field.
In other Saints news, offensive lineman Andrus Peat, the 13th pick in this year’s draft, has impressed head coach Sean Payton with his ability to play both tackle and guard. “I do see him as a tackle and yet he’s athletic enough to play inside,” said Payton, Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com tweeted. “We’ll keep moving him around,” Payton added (Twitter link).

Buccaneers, Lavonte David Agree To Extension

August 9th, 2015 at 4:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers have signed linebacker Lavonte David to a five-year, $50.25MM extension, the club announced. $25.56MM of the deal is guaranteed. David is now locked up through the 2020 season.

Talks between David and Tampa Bay had been heating up, but Getlin reported near the end of July that there was still a sizab le gap between the two sides. As of last Wednesday, David and the Bucs were said to be “not close” in negotiations, with reports indicating that fellow outside linebacker DeAndre Levy‘s recent extension with the Lions would play a large role in discussions.

Assuming that the $50.25MM figure is in reference to new money — and doesn’t include David’s 2015 compensation — David will the new high-earner among 4-3 outside linebackers. His $10.05MM average annual value will be more than $1.5MM larger per year than that of Levy, who was the top earner at the position for about a week.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), David’s target in contract talks was Patrick Willis‘ $10MM per year. David not only match that figure, but narrowly eclipsed it, and he’ll not only become the highest-paid among OLBs, but he’ll rank fourth among all linebackers, accounting even for 3-4 pass-rushers. Justin Houston, Clay Matthews, and Ryan Kerrigan are the only ‘backers with larger AAVs than David.

We’ll probably have to wait for the fully guaranteed portion of the deal — the $25.56MM number is likely guaranteed for injury only — but David figures to top Levy in that regard, as well. Levy received $13MM in full guarantees as a part of his $33.74MM extension. If David is able to match that percentage-wise, he should be looking at about $19.5MM in fully guaranteed money.

The 25-year-old David has been among the best linebackers in the league since being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft. The Nebraska alum has started 46 out of a possible 48 games for the Buccaneers, posting more than 100 tackles in each season. In 2014, David ranked as the No. 7 4-3 OLB in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) — he finished sixth and second, respectively, in 2012 and 2013.

David becomes the second key member of Tampa’s defense to earn a long-term extension, joining defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who was drafted two years ahead of David. McCoy agreed to a seven-year, $98MM deal last October, meaning that the two defensive stalwarts are both locked up for the foreseeable future: David through 2020, McCoy through 2021.

Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) reported that the two sides had a struck a deal, and indicated that the length of the pact. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) reported the total value and the guarantee. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Browns, Bengals

August 9th, 2015 at 4:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Even after losing Torrey Smith to the 49ers via free agency, the Ravens have enviable depth at receiver — depth that’s been crucial given lingering injuries to first-round pick Breshad Perriman and veteran Marlon Brown, as Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun details. Steve Smith and Kamar Aiken have continued their consistent play, and Baltimore has seen hints of talent from Jeremy Butler, Darren Waller, and others.

“I like what I see. The potential is there for those guys, but I want to see more,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “I want to see a guy do it over and over and over again, and we probably aren’t far enough into camp to see that. But yes, we’ve seen flashes from everybody.”

Let’s take a look at more from the AFC North…

The Browns are waiting for one of their cadre of running backs to assert himself as the clear-cut starter, RB coach Wilbert Montgomery tells Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West were part of a committee approach in 2014, and now they’re competing with rookie Duke Johnson for playing time.
One other Browns running back — veteran Shaun Draughn — is reportedly impressing at camp, but his ascendance might be slowed by a possible injury, as Ulrich tweets that Draughn walked off the field today with a cast on his left hand and wrist.
New Ravens offensive coordinator Marc Trestman utilized the shotgun formation quite frequently as head coach of the Bears, but he won’t use it as much in his new role, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Trestman says Baltimore will be an “under-the-center offensive football team,” which meshes with past Ravens’ offenses — among QBs with 10 games played in 2014, Joe Flacco was under center the fewest amount of times.
With A.J. Green sidelined by injuries last year, Jeremy Hill emerged as the focal point of the Bengals offense, leading Don Banks of Sports Illustrated to examine whether the second-year running back can have a repeat performance.

NFC Notes: A. Smith, Rams, Falcons, Panthers

August 9th, 2015 at 3:03pm CST by Rory Parks

Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee has had a look at how Aldon Smith‘s release will impact the 49ers as a whole and a few individual players moving forward. For instance, Barrows writes that the team had been working with $10MM of cap space which, if unused, would roll over to 2016 and would be put toward a player. That player, of course, was Smith. Now, the team will need to decide what to do with its surplus cash. The team could bring in free agent guard Evan Mathis, and players like Vernon Davis, Ian Williams, and Quinton Dial might also be in line to get some of that money.

Barrows also details the emotional and strategic fallout of Smith’s release, and he writes that Corey Lemonier, who looked destined to be cut just a couple of days ago, may be able to hold on to his roster spot.

Now let’s take a look at a few more links from around the league:

Paul Domowitch of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Rams head coach Jeff Fisher took the St. Louis head coaching job because of Sam Bradford, but he traded Bradford because he could not afford to gamble that Bradford would not suffer a third ACL tear.
Within an article touching on Julio Jones, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports that Falcons president Rich McKay will meet with commissioner Roger Goodell and executive vice president Troy Vincent to discuss McKay’s reinstatement to the NFL’s competition committee. McKay, Atlanta’s GM from 2003-08, was suspended from the committee as a result of the Falcons pumping in crowd noise during home games the past two seasons.
In his latest mailbag at ESPN.com, David Newton writes that despite Michael Oher‘s slow start in camp, the Panthers are in a much better place at left tackle than they were a year ago. Head coach Ron Rivera has spoken in defense of Oher, and Carolina is content with Nate Chandler and Amini Silatolu as Oher’s backups.
While the Panthers‘ front seven has been widely lauded, the clubs’ secondary has remained largely anonymous, even being labeled the “Legion of Whom” by broadcaster Jon Gruden. But as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer notes, Carolina’s defensive backfield could start to generate some headlines this year, as young corners Bene Benwikere, Tre Boston, and Josh Norman will be joined by veterans Charles Tillman, Kurt Coleman, and Roman Harper.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.