2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Month: October 2016

Joe Thomas Trade Again On Table

October 23rd, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Thomas has not made it known he wants out of Cleveland, but as the 0-7 Browns have predictably floundered in another rebuilding year, the left tackle doesn’t seem to have a place on the team. And trade winds are blowing again around the perennial first-team All-Pro.

Several teams are interested in the 10th-year edge protector, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, and all would give Thomas a chance to play in the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Florio reports the Patriots, Cardinals, Giants, Seahawks and Vikings have varying degrees of interest in a potential Thomas deal. But the Browns likely will keep him through Week 8, with the deadline a day after their clash with the Jets. The team owes its longest-tenured player $488K in Week 8; Thomas is under contract through 2018.

The Browns are eyeing a second-round pick for the six-time All-Pro lineman, a source tells Florio. That would be a worse haul than what they could have received last year, when the Broncos submitted a proposal including 2015 first-rounder Shane Ray and a second-round pick. Thomas will turn 32 in December, so his days of being a top-tier blocker are winding down. But he’d certainly be an upgrade on numerous teams’ left tackle situations.

Florio adds the chances the Browns move Thomas are lower than they were a year ago, and teams’ cap space in taking on Thomas’ contract will be an issue. The 6-foot-6 blocker does not have any guaranteed money left on his deal and will make $10MM in 2017 and ’18. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap points out (Twitter link), teams would only need to possess around $4.9MM in 2016 cap space to trade for Thomas. The Giants and Patriots are safely under that mark, while the Seahawks (at $5.931MM) are to a lesser degree. Both the Vikings (league-low $426K in cap space) and Cardinals ($2.171MM) aren’t.

If the Browns get to the point they’re willing to take what they can get for Thomas, Florio notes the Patriots would be interested in being his landing spot. The Pats and Browns already made a deal that sent the Browns’ 2013 first-round pick, Barkevious Mingo, to New England earlier this year. New England placed Sebastian Vollmer on the PUP list due to nagging hip problems that are expected to keep him out all season.

Minnesota’s line has not performed well and placed both starting tackles, Matt Kalil and Andre Smith, on IR. However, the Vikings traded their first-round pick next year for Sam Bradford and recently added Jake Long. Mike Zimmer, in criticizing his offensive line, said (via Florio) the team doesn’t plan to make any more additions up front.

It’s been reported on multiple occasions Thomas will not ask for a trade. But with the Browns having already parted with several veterans, not playing for anything in the short term and showing with their most recent draft moves how much they covet draft picks, a deal would make sense either this season or before the 2017 draft.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Not In Jets’ Post-2016 Plans

October 23rd, 2016 at 6:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets made their recent dissatisfaction with Ryan Fitzpatrick known this week after benching him for Geno Smith, whom the organization did not view as a sufficient option going into the season. But the team’s frustration with Fitzpatrick can be traced back as far as the spring, when the lengthy impasse that forced him to miss all of the team’s pre-training camp began, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports.

Fitzpatrick balked at a three-year, $24MM offer from the Jets this summer, and now the 34-year-old passer doesn’t have a future with the team beyond this season, sources informed La Canfora.

Fitzpatrick received the salary bump he sought coming off the career year, signing a one-season deal worth $12MM, but obviously hasn’t replicated his 2015 performance thus far. Although, he did lead a Gang Green comeback effort today in relief of an injured Smith despite entering Week 7 with a 5-to-11 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio and having completed just 57 percent of his throws. Fitzpatrick threw for 120 yards and a touchdown pass off the bench.

Todd Bowles, per La Canfora, backtracked on his pro-Fitz comments after the Cardinals loss upon seeing game film. The NFL’s turnover leader struggled with specified keys and reads in the Jets’ Monday-night defeat. Bowles’ reconsideration to give Smith another chance was widely approved throughout the organization, La Canfora reports.

The issue here, obviously, is the Jets don’t have a surefire long-term solution right now. Smith’s contract is up after 2016 as well, and the team plans to essentially redshirt Bryce Petty (again) and second-rounder Christian Hackenberg this season, with Petty being the option if Smith fares poorly. There is some hope within the organization Smith can revive his career, however. Fitzpatrick, though, isn’t willing to concede this job despite what he’s viewing as a lack of belief from the Jets.

“I think I should start every week,” Fitzpatrick said postgame, via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). “When the owner stops believing in you and the GM stops believing in you and coaches stop believing in you, sometimes all you have is yourself.”

Bowles has not announced his Week 8 starter, with Smith’s knee injury leaving that uncertain for now. Smith completed 4-of-8 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens.

Browns’ Josh McCown Could Return Next Week

October 23rd, 2016 at 4:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Josh McCown has a “chance” to return to the field in time for the Browns’ Week 8 matchup against the Jets, head coach Hue Jackson told reporters, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Jackson added that Cleveland will evaluate the quarterback position further on Monday.

If McCown is able to go next week, it’s possible that he would start under center, given that Cody Kessler left today’s game against the Bengals with a concussion. If Kessler can’t clear the league’s concussion protocol by next Sunday, McCown would likely start if healthy. If McCown needs more time, Cleveland would start Kevin Hogan, who threw for 100 yards and rushed for 104 more today.

The Browns’ quarterback situation this season has almost become comical, as injuries have forced the club to run through a multitude of options. Robert Griffin III, McCown, Kessler, Charlie Whitehurst, Hogan, and wide receiver Terrelle Pryor have all seen time at QB as Cleveland tries to find a healthy signal-caller.

McCown, 37, went 1-7 as a starter for the Browns last season. In his one game under center for Cleveland this year, the veteran completed 20 of his 33 passes and threw two touchdowns with two interceptions.

5 Key Stories: 10/16/16 – 10/23/16

October 23rd, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants mishandle domestic violence. The Giants are one of the more respected franchises in the NFL, but they were embarrassed last week as they erred in dealing with the Josh Brown/domestic violence situation. After reports indicated that Brown had admitted to abuse in the past, New York first stood by its embattled kicker, who had already been suspended for the season opener. Once the pressure escalated, the Giants subsequently signed fellow kicker Robbie Gould, and Brown won’t kick for the club again. Brown has been placed on the exempt list, but other teams were irked by what they viewed as preferential treatment of Brown and the Giants organization.

Down goes Big Ben. Ben Roethlisberger suffered a torn meniscus in last week’s loss to the Dolphins, and now faces an absence of undetermined time. The Steelers QB has undergone surgery, and the club says it’s confident Roethlisberger isn’t dealing with a long-term injury. Still, one report indicates that Roethlisberger could miss as many as six weeks — another report this morning, however, said Big Ben could be back following Pittsburgh’s Week 8 bye. Landry Jones is filling in today against the Patriots, and will hold down the fort until Roethlisberger can return.

The return of Cutler? Brian Hoyer had been playing extremely well in the absence of Bears starting quarterback Jay Cutler, so much so that Cutler might have had a difficult time reclaiming his job. However, any questions Chicago may have faced subsided last week when Hoyer broke his non-throwing arm, meaning he’ll be shelved for some time. Cutler will take the reins once he returns from injury, but the Bears still plan to move on from him after the season.

Viva Las Vegas. The Raiders plan to officially file for relocation in January, and team owner Mark Davis appears to be moving full-steam ahead with his plan to move his club to Las Vegas. Nevada approved $750MM in public money for a $1.9MM domed stadium in Las Vegas, clearing a significant financial hurdle. Still, Davis would still need his other owners to approve such a move, but at least one report indicated that the league’s stakeholders could be agreeable to voting yes.

Packers reshuffle backfield. Green Bay placed Eddie Lacy — who had reportedly regained weight — on injured reserve last week, and with backup James Starks already hurt, the club needed a boost in its backfield. The Packers traded for the Chiefs’ Knile Davis, and promoted Don Jackson from the practice squad, but the real shot in the arm came from converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery. Lining up primarily in the backfield, Montgomery rushed nine times for 60 yards, and added 10 receptions for 66 yards.

NFL Interested In Developmental League

October 23rd, 2016 at 3:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL has continued to consider the possibility of launching a developmental league, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Such a league would serve as a training ground for players who currently aren’t getting many reps as they languish on the back end of rosters.

“We’ve talked about it,” commissioner Roger Goodell said last week. “Some of you may have heard we spent a fair amount of time at the [quarterly] meeting on what we call the 2020 plan, which is talking about how we plan for the future and the things we want to accomplish. One of them is obviously the game, and how do we improve the game? A developmental league could be something that we want to do to try to help develop players.

“We pick up on the rosters from the start of the season to the end of the season, probably three to four hundred players on average. Having those players ready to play as quickly as possible and developed so that their skill set’s furthered are all positive things about the long-term future of the game. I particularly have an interest in that and would like to make sure we’re evaluating that as something that can help improve the game and improve our players.”

As Florio notes, a developmental league would not only allow players to see more practice and game action, but serve as a venue for coaches, referees, and scouts to hone their craft. The key question, then, would be if such a league would be profitable. NFL Europe wasn’t, observes Florio, so the NFL eventually shut down that venture.

The Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL), which operated in 2014 and 2015, was intended to be something of a minor league system for the NFL, but the league ended its operations in September of this year.

Latest On Tony Romo

October 23rd, 2016 at 2:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is no lock to return even in Week 8 following Dallas’ bye, and could quickly be ruled out for Week 9 as well, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The club has “no expectation” that Romo will be ready to even serve as a backup when the Cowboys face the Browns in Week 9, sources tell La Canfora.

MRIs have continued to indicate that Romo is progressing well in his recovery from a preseason back injury, but the veteran QB hasn’t yet been cleared to practice. Romo, 36, could be forced to undergo more MRIs before he’s allowed to get back on the practice field, reports La Canfora. Once Romo is able to return, the Cowboys and head coach Jason Garrett would then be faced with a choice between Romo and rookie signal-caller Dak Prescott.

Prescott, of course, is playing exceptionally well thus far in his rookie campaign, and will force the Cowboys to make a tough call if and when Romo is healthy. Through six games, Prescott has led Dallas to a 5-1 record while completing 68.7% of his passes for seven touchdowns and one interception. The fourth-round rookie has added another three scores on the ground.

Rams Sticking With Case Keenum At QB

October 23rd, 2016 at 1:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams won’t make a quarterback change despite Case Keenum‘s poor performance against the Lions in London today, head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters after the game, per Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com (Twitter links). In fact, Fisher said he was more likely to alter his receiving corps than make a switch at QB.

Keenum tossed four interceptions today against New York, including one on Los Angeles’ final offensive play as the club was attempting to drive and tie the game. An obvious miscommunication took place, as wide receiver Brian Quick broke off his route while Keenum threw the ball into the end zone and into the waiting arms of Giants defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Heading into today’s contest, Keenum had completed 62.5% of his passes for 1,417 yards, seven touchdowns, and six picks.

Having dropped three straight games, the Rams are now 3-4 and, pending the results of tonight’s game between the Seahawks and Cardinals, could be well behind Seattle in the NFC West. If Keenum continues to struggle, the calls for Los Angeles to play No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff will only get louder.

North Notes: Jackson, Lewis, Jeffery

October 23rd, 2016 at 12:36pm CST by Rory Parks

Hue Jackson has his work cut out for him as the head coach of the Browns, but he had the opportunity to succeed Marvin Lewis as the Bengals‘ head coach if he so chose. As Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes, “Jackson confirmed this week that he passed up an opportunity to succeed [Lewis] in Cincinnati, taking the Browns job instead.” Of course, even if Lewis wanted to hand the baton to Jackson at some point down the line, it would have been difficult for Jackson to turn down a head coaching job elsewhere, as there is no guarantee that Cincinnati ownership would have gone along with Lewis’ plan, or that Lewis would have even been around to pass the torch.

Jackson, though, was also motivated by the opportunity to rebuild the Cleveland franchise, and by his friendship with Lewis. Jackson said, “That is Marvin’s football team. He’s been there a long time. It’s hard to ever replace a best friend that way and be there waiting behind. I didn’t think it was the right thing for me to do. I didn’t think it would be right for their team.”

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s north divisions:

The Browns recently hosted tackle Pierce Burton on a visit, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes an in-depth look at how Bears wideout Alshon Jefferey could fare on the open market this offseason. Historically speaking, Jeffery is unlikely to be hit with the franchise tag for a second consecutive year, and a player with his ability does not often reach the open market. Fitzgerald believes Chicago will regret not locking Jeffery up long-term, and that the South Carolina product’s next contract could pay him over $14MM per season.
Over a month after the deal was consummated, there is one more detail to pass along from the Sam Bradford trade. We already knew that, if the Vikings reach the NFC Championship Game this year, the conditional 2018 fourth-rounder they are required to send to the Eagles would become a third-rounder. But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, if that 2018 fourth-rounder does indeed become a third, Philadelphia will send back a 2018 seventh-round choice to Minnesota.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press examines pending free agents at linebacker that the Lions could target in the offseason. New England’s Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower are both familiar to GM Bob Quinn and would represent upgrades for Detroit, although Hightower is far more likely to reach the open market than Collins. Birkett also names Nick Perry as a realistic option.
Earlier today, we learned that Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger may miss just one game and could be back in time for the team’s Week 9 matchup against Baltimore.

Jets Notes: Geno, Petty, Richardson

October 23rd, 2016 at 10:57am CST by Rory Parks

The Jets are just 1-5 and are turning the reins over to Geno Smith, but they have a chance to get back on track today against the banged-up and struggling Ravens. Let’s take a look at a few Jets-related notes as Gang Green attempts to right the ship:

Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com says that even though the Jets are putting their faith in Smith for the time being, the situation will remain fluid. Per Breer, New York could turn back to Ryan Fitzpatrick at some point this season, but the club also wants to get Bryce Petty some real game action to get a better idea of what they have in him (the coaching staff continues to believe that Christian Hackenberg is still too raw to be thrust into a regular-season contest). The Jets’ plans with Petty are part of the “competitive rebuild” that head coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan always knew the team needed. As Breer observes, of the 42 players the Jets cut from their 53-man roster over the past two years, only 13 are still in the league, which suggests that depth is still very much a work in progress.
Despite Breer’s report, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Smith will get a “fair chance” to keep the starting job and will not necessarily be on a short leash.
The Jets recently worked out linebacker Lenny Jones and defensive end Josh Shirley, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com does not believe the Jets necessarily invested too much on their defensive line, but they did invest too much in defensive linemen with similar skill-sets (as Cimini observes, the team’s D-line consists of four defensive tackles). The team of course cannot move on from Muhammad Wilkerson after signing him to a massive contract this offseason, and New York will not move on from Leonard Williams, who may be the best player on the roster. That means that Sheldon Richardson, who has a fifth-year option for 2017, could be cut or traded after the season, although the market for his services will not be as robust as one might think. Per Cimini, opposing GMs are concerned about Richardson’s off-the-field issues.
In a separate piece, Cimini writes that there is a “bad vibe” in the Jets’ locker room at the moment, and although Bowles still commands the respect of his club, Cimini is beginning to wonder if the team can remain unified in the face of its losing streak, its generation gap–most of the best players on the club are either over 30 or under 25–and host of dominant personalities.

Bears QB Brian Hoyer To Undergo Surgery

October 23rd, 2016 at 10:22am CST by Zachary Links

SUNDAY, 10:22am: Hoyer will indeed have surgery on his broken left arm, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan, who adds that the surgery will happen today. Hoyer will miss at least eight weeks and could be placed on IR. If Jay Cutler is still not ready to suit up in time for next week’s matchup against Minnesota, Chicago likely will have to sign another quarterback this week, as Matt Barkley would be the only healthy quarterback on the roster.

FRIDAY, 10:52am: Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer has been diagnosed with an isolated radius forearm fracture, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Surgery is considered likely, but a late-season return could also happen, Rapoport adds.

Hoyer is almost certainly going to be placed on injured reserve, though the Bears could bring him back late in the year if he heals up in time. If placed on IR, the veteran would be out of action until Week 16 at the earliest. Of course, the Bears can only bring one player back from IR this year. As shown on Roster Resource, cornerback Kyle Fuller could still theoretically return and could do so as early as Week 11. Wide receiver Kevin White was previously thought to be a return candidate, but his recent surgery probably rules him out for 2016. Ultimately, the Bears will have to weigh their valuation of Hoyer versus Fuller, assuming both are capable of playing.

Hoyer has completed more than 68% of his passes for 1,396, six touchdowns, and no interceptions since taking over for Jay Cutler during Week 2. When Hoyer exited, backup quarterback Matt Barkley was put into the game, but it’s also possible that Cutler could get another opportunity to start once he’s healthy. In any event, the Bears will probably add another quarterback to the roster in the coming days.

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