2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Lions Re-Sign LB Josh Bynes

October 25th, 2016 at 6:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions didn’t waste any time in finding a new linebacker after trading Kyle Van Noy to the Patriots, as the club announce that they’ve re-signed veteran Josh Bynes. Bynes had been on the free agent market since being waived from Detroit’s injured reserve list earlier this year.

Bynes, 27, started 11 games for the Lions in 2015, racking up 54 tackles and five passes defensed. All told, Bynes has appeared in more than 50 games during his career with Detroit (and before that, Baltimore), acting mostly as a reserve and special teams option. He’ll join a Lions linebacking unit that boasts Tahir Whitehead and Armonty Bryant, and help cover for the absence of DeAndre Levy.

PFR reported last month that Bynes had reached a four-week injury settlement with the Lions. Under the NFL’s rules, a player must wait the duration of the settlement plus an additional three weeks before re-signing with the club that cut him. That period of time has now passed, so Bynes was free to rejoin Detroit.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/16

October 25th, 2016 at 5:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Signed: WR Chris Hubert
Cut: OT Martin Wallace

Baltimore Ravens

Signed: WR Dobson Collins

Buffalo Bills

Signed: TE Gerald Christian, WR Mose Frazier, CB Joe Powell
Cut: WR Corey Washington

Cleveland Browns

Cut: OL Mike Liedtke

Detroit Lions

Signed: OT Matt Rotheram
Cut: RB Mike James

Green Bay Packers

Signed: CB Keith Baxter

Jacksonville Jaguars

Signed: S Doran Grant (Twitter link via Howard Balzer), DT Louis Nix

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed: DL Bobby Richardson
Cut: LB Deion Barnes

Minnesota Vikings

Signed: DT Sterling Bailey, OT Austin Shepherd, DB Cedric Thompson
Cut: TE Kyle Carter, TE Brian Leonhardt, QB Joel Stave

New England Patriots

Signed: S Shamiel Gary, DT Anthony Johnson (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)

New York Jets

Signed: LB Reshard Cliett (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed: OT Keavon Milton
Cut: TE Rashaun Allen

Seattle Seahawks

Cut: RB Zac Brooks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: WR Donteea Dye

Washington Redskins

Signed: WR Matt Hazel

Saints Waive Chris McCain

October 25th, 2016 at 5:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints have waived defensive end Chris McCain, reports Herbie Teope of NOLA.com (Twitter link). McCain had just been promoted from the practice squad before Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.

McCain, 24, is in his NFL third season, but hadn’t contributed much during his first two years in the league. He’s appeared in 20 games, but he’s been more of a special teams player than a defensive stalwart. McCain picked up a sack and a forced fumble in 2015, but only played on 113 total snaps (43 on defense).

Traded to the Saints days before the start of the regular season, McCain was subsequently waived and has bounced on and off New Orleans’ roster. He’s appeared in one game, but hasn’t registered a statistic.

Dolphins To Sign Bacarri Rambo

October 25th, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins are signing safety Bacarri Rambo, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Miami worked out a group of safeties earlier today, including veteran James Ihedigbo, Major Wright, and Sergio Brown, but Rambo will be the defensive back putting pen to paper.

Rambo, 26, appeared in 15 games (eight starts) for the Bills last season, but wasn’t tendered as a restricted free agent once the year concluded. A 2013 sixth-round pick, Rambo began his career with Washington, playing 13 games for the Redskins over one-plus years before signing on with Buffalo midway through the 2014 campaign. All told, Rambo has posted 77 tackles and three interceptions during his three-year career.

The Dolphins had been on the lookout for defensive back help since losing safety Reshad Jones for the season last week. Rambo will join Michael Thomas and Walt Aikens as Miami’s options to play opposite Isa Abdul-Quddus.

Falcons Sign Stevan Ridley, Cut A.J. Hawk

October 25th, 2016 at 3:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons announced that they have signed running backs Terron Ward and Stevan Ridley. To make room, Atlanta cut linebacker A.J. Hawk and offensive lineman Mike Person. In a related move, the Falcons also signed running back Jhurell Pressley to the practice squad.

The Lions signed Ridley this offseason with the idea that he would fulfill their “big back” role. Instead, Zach Zenner broke out in the summer and Ridley was cut loose in late August. Soon after, he was picked up by the Colts, but Indianapolis dropped him before the 75-man deadline. A former third-round pick, Ridley averaged 5.1 yards per carry in limited action during his rookie season in 2011, then exploded for 1,263 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2012. However, fumbling issues landed him on the bench in New England, and a devastating ACL/MCL injury limited him in both 2014 and 2015.

Now, the Falcons are hoping that Ridley can recapture some of his old magic. The veteran tailback, along with the newly-promoted Ward, will try to fill the gap while Tevin Coleman deals with a hamstring issue.

Hawk, 33 in January, was released by the Bengals early on this past offseason and found only mild interest on the free agent market. Hawk signed a one-year deal with the Falcons for the veteran’s minimum on Oct. 4, though that deal included a $15K signing bonus. The veteran appeared in only one game for Atlanta and he did not record an official statistic.

Patriots Trade TE A.J. Derby To Broncos

October 25th, 2016 at 3:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos acquired tight end A.J. Derby from the Patriots, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). New England will receive a 2017 fifth-round pick in the swap. Denver has confirmed the deal via press release.

Tight end has been a weak spot for Denver this season. Derby, who is technically still a rookie, could see playing time right away for the Broncos.

“A.J. is a young tight end who can help us immediately,” said Executive Vice President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway. “He has tremendous upside and will fit in well on our team.”

So far this year, Derby has only been on the field for 36 snaps. That’s understandable considering that he is playing behind both Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett. In the preseason, Derby caught 15 passes for 189 yards and one score.

Derby was a sixth-round pick by New England in the 2015 draft. Unfortunately, he had to be placed on IR last year and missed his entire rookie season. The 6’5″, 225 pound tight end had 22 catches, 303 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in his final year at Arkansas. Prior to that, Derby was a quarterback for the Razorbacks.

Of course, this marks the Patriots’ second trade of the day. Earlier this afternoon, the Pats sent a draft pick to the Lions in exchange for linebacker Kyle Van Noy.

AFC East Notes: McCoy, Fitzpatrick, Dolphins

October 25th, 2016 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

After Bills running back LeSean McCoy aggravated his hamstring on Sunday, one source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) he’ll “be [in the] same position this week, probably questionable” for this Sunday. After falling 28-25 to Miami, the Bills return home to take on the New England. Given his past hamstring issues and his importance to the team, one has to wonder why the Bills aren’t putting him on the shelf and starting Mike Gillislee instead.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Injured Jets wide receiver Eric Decker, a close friend of Ryan Fitzpatrick, suggested the quarterback’s protracted contract stalemate may have fueled him to light up team brass after the win against Baltimore. “Throughout the offseason, I think it was hard for him, just trying to gauge the interest, I guess, maybe the Jets had or what their plan was going forward in getting him in the facility to start the season,” Decker told ESPN Radio (link). “Whether it’s some feelings on the process or what was said throughout that maybe led to some of the emotions he had at this point.”
Is defensive tackle Jordan Phillips falling out of favor with the Dolphins? Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph ripped into the 2015 second-round pick this week. “The bottom line is Jordan has got to play better overall,” Joseph said (via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald). “Out of 35 plays, Jordan is playing a solid 25 plays very solidly. He’s having four or five plays where it’s not very good. I think Ndamukong Suh is playing well. “I think Suh gets doubled a lot, but I think Jordan could play better. Obviously, getting Earl Mitchell back in a couple weeks, that’s going to help us there. Losing Earl was a big deal for us inside, because now you’ve got probably three inside starters. Getting Earl back in two weeks, that’s going to help us a lot.”
Earlier today, the Patriots acquired linebacker Kyle Van Noy in a trade with the Lions.

Lions Trade LB Kyle Van Noy To Patriots

October 25th, 2016 at 1:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have traded linebacker Kyle Van Noy to the Patriots, according to Field Yates and James Walker of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will send Van Noy and a seventh-round pick to New England in exchange for a sixth-round pick (link).

Van Noy was believed to be on the chopping block in Detroit after the draft. The Lions kept him on the roster, but they have opted to move him for a modest return mid-season. Van Noy, the Lions‘ second-round pick in 2014, had half of his rookie season wiped out by a stint on injured reserve. Since then, he has not been 100% healthy and his surgically-repaired hip has continued to hamper him. Still, the BYU product started all seven of the Lions’ games this season, totaling 23 tackles and one pass defended.

After the trade, the Patriots are now deeper than ever at linebacker. Behind starters Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, and Elandon Roberts, the Pats have linebacker/defensive end Ninkovich, Shea McClellin, Barkevious Mingo, and now Van Noy. There’s also Jonathan Freeny who could be brought back from IR late in the season.

The Lions are left somewhat thin at linebacker, but that could change when/if linebacker Jon Bostic is brought back from IR. Detroit should also get DeAndre Levy back soon.

This isn’t the first time that Lions GM Bob Quinn has worked out a trade with his former employers in New England. Earlier this year, the Lions acquired Bostic in a swap with the Patriots.

After beating the Redskins on Sunday, the Lions now stand at 4-3 as they prepare for the Texans on Sunday. The Patriots, meanwhile, are 6-1 with the rival Bills on the docket.

Giants Release Josh Brown

October 25th, 2016 at 1:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants announced that they have released kicker Josh Brown. The Giants have issued the following statement from team president John Mara:

We believed we did the right thing at every juncture in our relationship with Josh. Our beliefs, our judgments and our decisions were misguided. We accept that responsibility. We hope that Josh will continue to dedicate himself to rehabilitation, and to becoming a better person and father. We will continue to support him in his efforts to continue counseling, and we hope that Josh and his family can find peace and a positive resolution. We have great respect and feel strongly about our support for the good people who work tirelessly and unconditionally to aid the victims of domestic violence and who bring awareness to the issue. We have been partners with My Sisters’ Place (a domestic violence shelter and advocate based in Westchester, New York) for nearly 20 years. The leadership of that organization has provided invaluable insight as we have considered our decisions in this matter. We value and respect their opinion, and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.

The Giants’ decision to release Brown comes shortly after the team met with the kicker. Earlier today, Brown issued a statement in which he took some responsibility for his “abuse” of his ex-wife while denying that he ever struck her. In time, Brown will likely be cleared by the league office to play again, but at this point, it is hard to see another team ever signing him. Barring any new revelations in his favor, Brown’s career in the NFL is probably over.

Taylor Mays Out Of Treatment Facility

October 25th, 2016 at 1:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent safety Taylor Mays has spent the last several weeks in a treatment facility and is now finally healthy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Mays comes off of suspension on Monday and several teams are showing interest in the former Bengal (Twitter link).

Mays was flagged for two substance abuse policy violations this year and his second suspension is about to wrap up. Rapoport notes that the Bengals kept an open mind on Mays and says that they “may have interest” when his suspension is up. It’s not clear if Rapoport has direct knowledge of the Bengals’ interest level or if that is just informed speculation.

This year, the Bengals were counting on Mays to help support starters George Iloka and Shawn Williams at safety. The Bengals already knew that they would be without the 28-year-old for the first four games of the 2016 season, but they decided to cut bait when they learned that his ban had doubled. In less than a week, we should know whether Cincinnati is willing to go down that road again.