HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Chiefs To Place Phillip Gaines On IR

September 30th, 2015 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

Chiefs cornerback Phillip Gaines will see his 2015 season end early, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, who reports (via Twitter) that Gaines has suffered a torn ACL. Kansas City will place the second-year defensive back on season-ending injured reserve.

Gaines, 24, was selected with the 87th overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Chiefs, and while he didn’t have a huge role on the defense in his rookie year, he had been starting in the early going this season, as Sean Smith served a three-game suspension. Through three games, only Marcus Peters has played more than Gaines’ 169 defensive snaps, among Chiefs cornerbacks.

With Gaines headed to IR, it clears a path for Smith to return to Kansas City’s 53-man roster. The team has a roster exemption for the returning cornerback and doesn’t have to officially place him on the active roster until later this week, but it would make sense as a corresponding move for Gaines.

After this season, Gaines will still have two years left on his rookie contract, so he figures to play a role for the Chiefs going forward.

NFC Notes: Alonso, Niners, Clausen

September 30th, 2015 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

Four NFC teams remain undefeated, and two of those are NFC South squads, which is surprising, considering no team in that division posted a .500 record in 2014. As the Falcons, Panthers, Packers, and Cardinals prepare to put their 3-0 records on the line this weekend, let’s check in on the latest out of the conference….

Panthers Cut Colin Cole, Sign Ryan Delaire

September 30th, 2015 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers continue to make changes on their defensive line, adding another pass rusher and dropping a veteran defensive tackle to do so. According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter), Carolina has signed defensive end Ryan Delaire from Washington’s practice squad, releasing Colin Cole to create room on the 53-man roster.

Delaire initially signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Towson this spring, and the $15K signing bonus he received from Tampa Bay was one of the largest for any UDFA. However, he didn’t earn a spot on the club’s regular season roster, and landed on Washington’s taxi squad shortly after being cut by the Bucs. He’ll join a Panthers squad that will be without top pass rusher Charles Johnson for at least the next eight weeks, as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Cole, meanwhile, has been a key player for the Panthers since 2013, starting 26 of the 31 regular season games he played for the team during his first two seasons with the team. He has seen his part-time role reduced even further early in 2015 though, with Kawann Short, Dwan Edwards, and Kyle Love seeing most of the playing time at defensive tackle. Cole played just 49 defensive snaps during the first three weeks.

As David Newton of ESPN.com points out, the Panthers’ decision to release Cole “speaks volumes” about how the team feels about Love, as well as highlighting Carolina’s need at defensive end. Delaire is the second defensive end added to the roster this week, joining Jared Allen, who was acquired in a trade with the Bears.

Cole will immediately become a free agent without having to pass through waivers, so he’ll be free to join any team. His one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with Carolina included a modest $80K signing bonus, so the Panthers won’t carry much dead money on their cap after parting ways with him.

Saints Rework Drew Brees’ Contract

September 30th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have created a little additional breathing room under the cap this season by converting $5.2MM of Drew Brees‘ base salary into a signing bonus, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move creates $2.6MM of cap room for 2015, since the bonus is prorated over the two years remaining on Brees’ deal.

While the restructure creates cap room this year, it increases Brees’ 2016 cap hit to $30MM, exceeding Ndamukong Suh‘s and Joe Flacco‘s cap numbers and making it the highest in the NFL. Of course, it’s unlikely that the Saints will carry Brees at that $30MM figure next year, but the latest tweaking of his contract makes things a little trickier for New Orleans.

As I observed last week when I examined the Saints’ cap outlook for 2016, no NFL team has more salary on its 2016 books, so addressing Brees’ contract is crucial in order for the club to reduce its cap commitments for next season. Extending the Pro Bowl signal-caller – who is currently battling a shoulder injury – makes the most sense, though a trade, release, or pay cut could also be in play, depending on how this season plays out.

Trading or cutting Brees would leave the Saints with $10MM in dead money on their cap, creating $20MM in cap savings, but they’d have to make that decision quickly. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter), over half of the quarterback’s $19.75MM base salary for 2016 becomes guaranteed on the third day of the league’s waiver period in February.

As for the short-term benefits of the Saints’ reworking of Brees’ contract, head coach Sean Payton says his club is “one short at tight end” and would like to add another player at that position. However, he cautioned that Brees’ contract adjustment wasn’t done for the purpose of adding a single player — it’s more about creating “wiggle room” for typical in-season moves (Twitter links via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune).

Browns Extend Austin Davis

September 30th, 2015 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

With the roles of Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel dominating headlines in Cleveland during the season’s first few weeks, the Browns have made a move with the third quarterback on their roster. According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Cleveland signed Austin Davis to a two-year, $4.173MM extension, locking him up through the 2017 season.

Davis, who started 2014 as the third quarterback on the Rams’ depth chart, eventually took over for Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill as the team’s starter for eight games, leading the club to a 3-5 record in those games. He compiled 2,001 passing yards to go along with a 63.4% completion rate and an 85.1 passer rating, earning him a low-end ($1.542MM) RFA tender from St. Louis.

However, Davis didn’t make the cut when the Rams reduced their roster to 53 players, and days later, he was quickly scooped up by the Browns. Having been in Cleveland for less than a month, Davis has clearly made an impression on the club’s staff to earn a two-year extension, though it’s not clear how much of his new deal is guaranteed.

Interestingly, Davis’ extension comes during a time when general manager Ray Farmer is still serving a four-week suspension. Presumably, before Farmer began serving the four-game ban earlier this month, he outlined the potential parameters of a new contract for the ex-Rams quarterback, since it’s hard to imagine interim GM Bill Kuharich deciding on his own to get something done mere days before Farmer returns.

With Davis under contract through 2017, it gives the Browns some flexibility at the quarterback position going forward. McCown’s deal also runs through ’17, and Cleveland holds Manziel’s rights through his fifth-year option season in 2018. However, if the team decides to move on from any of the three quarterbacks during the next year or two, it can do so knowing it still has two viable options locked up.

Bears Not Shopping Forte, Jeffery

September 29th, 2015 at 9:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears are cleaning house, but they’re not looking to break apart the foundation. At this point in time, the Bears are not willing to move Matt Forte or Alshon Jeffery, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

On Monday, the Bears moved linebacker Jonathan Bostic and defensive end Jared Allen for a pair of sixth-round picks in an effort to create financial flexibility going forward. The deals also sent away two players that were leftovers from the previous regime that didn’t necessarily fit in with the club’s current schemes. One can’t help but wonder if GM Ryan Pace will eventually look to move on from offensive stars like Forte, Jeffery, Jay Cutler, and Martellus Bennett and replace them with guys he prefers.

Forte, 30 in December, pushed for an extension this offseason and skipped voluntary workouts to strengthen his position, but he was ultimately rebuffed. The veteran, who has a $9.2MM cap number this year, is set to hit the open market after the season. The two-time Pro Bowler has been a staple in the Bears’ backfield ever since he was drafted in 2008, but it’s possible that his time in Chicago is drawing to a close.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/29/15

September 29th, 2015 at 9:48pm CST by Zachary Links

To make room for the newly acquired Jonathan Bostic, the Patriots announced that they have released running back Travaris Cadet. Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year. Cadet has played in 42 career NFL games and has 11 rushing attempts for 37 yards, 46 receptions for 346 yards with two touchdowns, 50 kickoff returns for 1,293 yards, and two punt returns for two yards.

Here’s a rundown of Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves around the NFL..

  • The Chargers announced that they have signed veteran center J.D. Walton, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes. Walton started 16 games at center for the Giants last season and played for Mike McCoy when he served as offensive coordinator in Denver.
  • The Chargers have waived tight end Kyle Miller, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes.
  • The Chargers informed tackle Tyreek Burwell that he’ll be promoted from the practice squad, a source told Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. Burwell will help provide San Diego with depth in the wake of recent injuries on the O-Line.
  • The Cowboys signed defensive lineman David Irving to their active roster off of the Chiefs‘ practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Colts added cornerback Shaun Prater and dropped fellow corner Eric Patterson, as Mike Florio of PFT writes. Patterson played in the first two games for the Colts but was cut last week, signed back to the practice squad, then promoted again last Friday.
  • The Vikings cut wide receiver Gavin Lutman from injured reserve, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/15

September 29th, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed: WR Shaq Evans (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: S Ronald Martin (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
  • Cut: CB Keon Lyn

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Diego Chargers

St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: DT Derrick Lott (press release)
  • Cut: CB Imoan Claiborne

Washington:

  • Signed: C Austin Reiter (Twitter link via Zac Boyer of the Washington Times)

Workout Notes: Jets, Brown, Chargers, Lions

September 29th, 2015 at 6:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets auditioned running back Bryce Brown on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Brown has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was unable to stick with the Bills in 2015. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a grand total of 126 yards off of 36 carries.

Here’s a rundown of other notable workouts from around the NFL..

Steelers Audition Terrelle Pryor

September 29th, 2015 at 6:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers auditioned Terrelle Pryor on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Pryor, a former quarterback now trying to make it as an NFL wide receiver, has been looking for work ever since the Browns cut him prior to the season opener.

Since he was cut by Cleveland, the Patriots, Seahawks, and Jets have been among the teams to take a close look at him. Now, we can add the Steelers to the list of clubs that have auditioned the former Ohio State signal caller. It’s not immediately clear how much interest the Steelers have in the 26-year-old, however, and it’s quite possible that they’re just examining players in an effort to keep their emergency lists up to date.

When word of the Browns waiving Pryor broke, the former Raiders quarterback said that it would be “a mistake” by the team. Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine acknowledged that possibility, but explained last week that the fact that Pryor was slowed in camp by a hamstring injury also contributed to the Browns’ decision to cut him.

“The fact is that [Pryor] wasn’t [healthy] and that he was not prepared at this point to be a viable productive member,” Pettine said, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m not saying that he never will be. I’m very confident that he will be knowing his work ethic. Knowing his skill set, he will be. Like I said, it’s timing and it’s circumstances.”

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