2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Vikings’ D-Coordinator Was Arrested In May

October 18th, 2016 at 5:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Vikings cut offensive lineman Isame Faciane on Tuesday after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving last week. Defensive coordinator George Edwards didn’t meet a similar fate after his own run-in with the law, however. Edwards was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in May and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of careless driving in August, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.

“George Edwards immediately notified the team of this situation when it occurred,” the Vikings said in a statement. “He was significantly disciplined by the Vikings. George has fulfilled both his legal obligations as well as the additional team-imposed discipline.”

Unlike the Vikings, the NFL won’t punish Edwards, a league spokesman told Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). At the time of his arrest, Edwards blew a blood-alcohol level of .11 (the legal limit is .08). Police pulled him over after they observed him failing to signal a turn for a fourth straight time. After pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, Edwards paid a $1K fine. He’s now on probation until Aug. 30, 2017.

Under both head coach Mike Zimmer and Edwards, the Vikings’ defense leads the league in points per game allowed (12.6) and ranks second in yardage surrendered. Minnesota’s defense is the main reason the team has begun 2016 a league-best 5-0.

Chiefs Make Several Roster Moves

October 18th, 2016 at 5:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Chiefs have made a series of roster moves in advance of their game against the Saints this Sunday, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports. The club has signed four players – defensive linemen Kendall Reyes and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, linebacker Ramik Wilson and cornerback Terrance Mitchell – to its active roster. Additionally, the Chiefs have waived defensive lineman Nick Williams, and placed both defensive end Allen Bailey and linebacker Justin March-Lillard on injured reserve (links to Twitter).

Of the four newest Chiefs, Reyes is the most notable. A second-round pick in 2012, Reyes was a starter on San Diego’s defensive line from 2013-2015. Reyes then joined the Redskins on a one-year, $2.5MM deal during the offseason. He cracked their roster to begin the year, but the team cut him earlier this month after a groin injury limited him. In total, the 27-year-old has racked up 66 appearances, 50 starts and 13.5 sacks in his NFL career.

Both Wilson and Nunez-Roches were member of the Chiefs’ 2015 draft class who are now returning to their roster (the former had been on their practice squad). Kansas City selected Wilson in the fourth round, and the ex-Georgia Bulldog appeared in 11 games, made two starts and amassed 13 tackles in his rookie year.

Nunez-Roches, formerly of Southern Miss, went in Round 6. He saw action in seven games last year and remained with the Chiefs at the outset of this season, but they cut him after Week 1. Notably, Nunez-Roches is the first Belizean-born player in league history.

Mitchell landed with the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2014 draft and will now join his fifth organization. He debuted last season and garnered eight appearances with the Cowboys and Bears, also adding an interception.

Williams, 26, went to Pittsburgh in the seventh round of the 2013 draft, but he didn’t suit up until the next season as a member of the Chiefs. He picked up 21 appearances with KC before the club cut him.

Not to be lost in the shuffle are the long-term injuries to Bailey and March-Lillard, both of whom started the Chiefs’ first five games of the season.

Bailey, a sixth-year man, has started in all 31 of his appearances dating back to 2014. He was on the field for 54.9 percent of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps before going on IR with a shoulder injury, but Pro Football Focus ranks his overall performance just 93rd among 117 qualifying interior D-linemen through five weeks.

Having played in 49.9 of their defensive snaps, the Chiefs have also relied a fair amount on March-Lillard. In his first pro action, the 2015 undrafted free agent from Akron has accrued 22 tackles. PFF rates his output 49th among 85 LBs.

Eric Decker’s 2017 Season In Question

October 18th, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets wide receiver Eric Decker underwent hip surgery today, according to a press release from the team. Once he’s off crutches, he’ll have to undergo a procedure on his shoulder. He’ll need six months to recover from the hip operation followed by eight months for his shoulder, though he’ll be off crutches sooner than six months from now. It’s not clear what his total timetable is for recovery at this time, but it’s very possible that he could miss the beginning of the 2017 season as he bounces back from two major surgeries.

Decker appeared in three games for Gang Green this season and totaled nine catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He enjoyed his best season as a Jet last year, catching 80 passes for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The Jets, sans Decker, fell to 1-5 last night in a one-sided contest against the Cardinals. Next up is a Sunday tilt with the Ravens.

Falcons To Place Derrick Shelby On IR

October 18th, 2016 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons are placing Derrick Shelby on IR with a torn Achilles, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The defensive end has been dealing with a calf injury that is apparently more serious than initially thought.

Shelby, 27, left the Dolphins to sign with the Falcons in free agency this past offseason. Shelby, who took over for Cameron Wake after his injury, started eight games and performed well. PFF rated the former UDFA as its No. 23 overall edge-rusher despite Shelby starting just one game in his previous three seasons. Fellow Miami defector Olivier Vernon got all the headlines, but the Falcons were nonetheless excited about what Shelby could do this year.

In a related move, the Falcons are promoting rookie safety Sharrod Neasman from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, as Alex Marvez of NFL.com tweets.

Packers Place CB Sam Shields On IR

October 18th, 2016 at 2:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers are placing cornerback Sam Shields on injured reserve, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Twitter). Shields himself seems to have confirmed the news via social media as well.

Shields recently suffered a concussion and he has not rebounded from it as doctors hoped he would. By placing him on IR, the Packers are sidelining the cornerback for a minimum of two months. If he recovers in the next eight weeks and the Packers do not elect to bring a different player back from IR, then he could potentially be activated late in the season.

Shields suffered a concussion during Green Bay’s Week 1 victory against Jacksonville, which came less than nine months after his previous concussion in December 2015. Just 28, Shields has now suffered four concussions in the past six seasons. Considered to be one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL when healthy, he signed a four-year, $39MM deal with Green Bay prior to the 2014 season.

Shields described last year’s concussion as particularly scary because he does not remember anything that happened.

“All I remember is going after the tackle and my head hitting the ground. And that was it. I blanked out. I try to keep my head from getting in there, but it’s kind of hard. It’s a physical sport,” Shields said.

Given Shields’ history with head trauma, the Packers aren’t taking any chances with him. Packers coach Mike McCarthy indicated yesterday that the team would consider adding a cornerback, though it’s not a certainty since the team does not want to leave itself thin elsewhere.

RGIII Won’t Require Surgery

October 18th, 2016 at 2:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Good news for RG3. Doctors say that the Browns quarterback’s left shoulder is showing signs of healing and believe he will not require surgery, sources tell ESPN.com’s Jeff Darlington. However, Griffin’s prescribed plan of action could change if he suffers an unforeseen setback.

In the Browns’ season opener, Griffin went down with a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder. The initial word was that it would be “very tough” for Griffin to return, but today’s news could mean that the door is open for him to return this season. Technically, Griffin could suit up on Nov. 10 against the Ravens. However, it’s too early to tell whether that is a realistic possibility for the 26-year-old.

Cody Kessler, a third-round pick, has taken over the starting quarterback job in Cleveland. The gig was initially handed to Josh McCown when Griffin went down, but the veteran suffered a serious injury of his own last month.

Thanks to injuries and a bizarre final season in Washington, Griffin has appeared in just 10 games since the end of the 2013 season.

49ers Bring CB Will Redmond Back From IR

October 18th, 2016 at 1:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers announced that they are bringing cornerback Will Redmond back from injured reserve. Redmond becomes the team’s one short-term IR player for the season, meaning that they cannot bring anyone else back from IR. The team now has a 21-day window to monitor him in practice. If all goes well, he could debut as early as Dec. 6 against the Saints.

Redmond, a third-round pick out of Mississippi State, tore his ACL last October. The defensive back showed plenty of talent while in college, but the 49ers still weren’t convinced that he was fully healthy.

The cornerback was late to sign his contract and did not put pen to paper with SF until June. The 22-year-old (23 in December) saw action in three seasons for the Bulldogs, playing in 27 games and making seven starts — all of which coming during the 2015 season. He made 25 tackles and two interceptions for Mississippi State last season, and despite the lack of experience as a starter decided to leave school early.

VIkings Cut OL Isame Faciane After DUI Arrest

October 18th, 2016 at 12:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are releasing offensive lineman Isame Faciane from the practice squad, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. The news comes after Faciane was arrested last week on suspicion of drunk driving. Taking his place on the 10-man practice squad will be cornerback Tre Roberson.

Police pulled Faciane over when he was spotted weaving around construction barriers in an effort to drive the wrong way down the highway. Faciane was given a citation and, days later, handed his release from the Vikings.

“My thoughts are that it’s disappointing and that’s one of the things I’m trying to get rid of around here, making sure that our fans are being represented in the right way,’’ Mike Zimmer said yesterday about the arrest. “It was stupid and we’ll see.’’

Roberson, a former quarterback at Illinois State, hooked on with the Vikings this offseason. He has been moved on and off the team multiple times this fall.

Colts Sign TE Chase Coffman

October 18th, 2016 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts announced that they have signed tight end Chase Coffman. The deal could be a sign that tight end Dwayne Allen will be out for an extended period of time.

Allen suffered a sprained ankle during Sunday night’s disappointing loss to the Texans. Officially, Allen is “week-to-week,” but it doesn’t sound like we should expect to see him suit up on Sunday against the Titans. For however long Allen is out, Coffman will provide depth at tight end behind Jack Doyle and Erik Swoope.

The good news is that Doyle has been having a strong year and should be able to capitalize on additional targets while Allen is sidelined. On Sunday, Doyle caught all four of his targets for 53 yards and one touchdown. His best game this year came in Week 3 against the Chargers when he caught six passes for 65 yards.

Browns G Joel Bitonio Done For Season

October 18th, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

Browns guard Joel Bitonio had surgery on Monday to repair the Lisfrance injury in his right foot, ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon tweets. The surgery rules Bitonio out for the 2016 season but he should be able to take part in all of the team’s offseason work prior to the 2017 season.

Bitonio was placed formally placed on IR last week. A late-season return was on the table thanks to the new IR rules, but it’s not possible now after the offensive lineman went under the knife. Of course, when your team is winless through six games, there’s not much incentive to rush back and risk further injury.

In other Browns news, safety Jordan Poyer has been placed on IR, per a team announcement. Taking his place will be fellow safety Ed Reynolds who was promoted from the practice squad. Poyer suffered a lacerated kidney against the Titans on Sunday and had to be transported to a hospital before halftime. Through six games, Poyer recorded 37 tackles, matching his career high set in 2015.