2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/16

October 17th, 2016 at 5:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

The Panthers have claimed tight end Chris Manhertz off waivers from the Saints, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. A basketball player turned tight end, Manhertz was cut loose by New Orleans late last week to make room for the promotion of a wide receiver. He’ll slot in behind Greg Olsen and Ed Dickson on the Carolina roster. To clear a spot on the 53, the Panthers waived cornerback Lou Young, per Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
The Broncos waived reserve guard Darrion Weems, reports Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Weems, 28, had played on roughly a third of Denver’s offensive snaps, but graded as one of the worst interior lineman in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Colts have waived cornerback Frankie Williams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Williams was promoted from the practice squad prior to Sunday night’s game against Houston.

Jaguars Work Out RB David Cobb

October 17th, 2016 at 4:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back David Cobb worked out for the Jaguars today, according to a league source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Cobb’s short stay with the Steelers’ practice squad ended last week when he was cut.

Cobb, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Titans the 2015 draft. The ex-Minnesota Golden Gopher picked up 146 yards on 52 carries, good for a paltry 2.7 YPC, in seven games as a rookie. That output was disappointing to the Titans who saw him as a late-round steal. This offseason, he was cut by Titans GM Jon Robinson as the new regime cleaned house.

Now the Jaguars are kicking the tires on the young running back. Jacksonville expected to have a much-improved running situation this year after signing the high-priced Chris Ivory but he has not impressed since coming back from his mysterious illness earlier this year. T.J. Yeldon impressed at times as a rookie last year, but he is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry through five games this season. The Jags also have Auburn product Corey Grant and converted quarterback Denard Robinson on the RB depth chart.

Broncos Claim OL Billy Turner

October 17th, 2016 at 3:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Billy Turner has a new team once again. The Broncos have claimed the veteran offensive lineman off waivers from the Ravens, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

The Dolphins waived the soon-to-be 25-year-old last Tuesday after failing to find a trade for him. The Ravens picked him up, but they subsequently waived him over the weekend so that they could promote an inside linebacker off of the practice squad.

A 2014 third-round pick, Turner made 20 appearances and 14 starts during two-plus years with the Dolphins. Through five games and two starts this season, Pro Football Focus rated Turner as the second-worst tackle in the NFL among 76 qualifiers. He earned a poor overall grade of 31.8 in 63 pass block snaps and 34 run block snaps.

Turner did not get to take the field for the Ravens but he hopes to break in his new uniform on Monday night when the Broncos face the Texans at home.

Dolphins’ Reshad Jones Done For Season?

October 17th, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Reshad Jones‘ season could already be over. The Dolphins fear that the safety tore his rotator cuff, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Jones is currently undergoing tests to determine the severity of his injury.

Jones was instrumental in the Dolphins’ surprising 30-15 win over the Steelers on Sunday. If the Dolphins lose the best player in their secondary for the season, it’s hard to see them building momentum off of that win and turning their season around.

Jones, 28, has 51 total tackles, four passes defensed, one interception, and even half a sack through six games this season. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have him ranked as the third-best safety in the NFL so far this year with a strong 88.5 overall grade. Miami has been leaning on him heavily as evidenced by his 437 total snaps this season.

The 2-4 Dolphins take on the red hot Bills next week.

Dion Jordan Has Additional Knee Procedure

October 17th, 2016 at 2:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Dion Jordan can technically return to the Dolphins after starting the season on the non-football injury list, but it sounds like it will be a while before we see him back on the field. Jordan had a second knee procedure a few weeks back, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).

Jordan, a former No. 3 overall pick in the draft, was conditionally reinstated by the league over the summer and the Dolphins were curious to see what he could bring to the table after missing the entire 2015 season. As it turns out, Jordan had a knee operation while he was waiting in limbo with the league office and didn’t notify the Dolphins. Now, he’s had a second surgery and it’s not clear if he will be able to play at all this year.

Through 26 games in 2013 and 2014, Jordan registered only 46 tackles and three sacks. It remains to be seen when he’ll record his next official statistic.

Latest On Ben Roethlisberger

October 17th, 2016 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers released a statement moments ago confirming that Ben Roethlisberger underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The team does not yet have a timetable for his return, but they are “confident this injury is not long-term.”

Big Ben gave fans a big scare on Sunday when he went down with a knee injury early on against the Dolphins. Even though he returned to action in that game, he’ll need some time to recover before he can play again. While Roethlisberger is out, the Steelers will turn to Landry Jones as their starter. The Steelers went 1-1 in Jones’ two starts last season and they’re hoping that they’ll be able to get by for however long No. 7 is out.

Roethlisberger has thrown for 1,685 yards and a league-leading 16 touchdowns this season.

Texans CB Kevin Johnson Suffers Broken Foot

October 17th, 2016 at 11:15am CST by Zachary Links

Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson broke his foot in last night’s win over the Colts, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Johnson suffered the break in the same foot that was surgically repaired in the offseason. We should know more about Johnson’s fracture and the resulting timetable for recovery later today, but it’s safe to assume that he’ll be out for an extended period of time and he could be done for the season.

Johnson got the start last night as Kareem Jackson missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Before he was forced to exit the game, the 24-year-old was doing a solid job against Colts speedster Phillip Dorsett. Now, the Texans could be in trouble if Johnson is sidelined and Jackson is not available for Week 7.

Houston promoted cornerback Robert Nelson for last night’s game and they may now look to add another cornerback to play alongside Johnathan Joseph, A.J. Bouye, and Charles James. Joseph did suffer a forearm injury, but the team believes he’ll be ready to go next Monday night against the Broncos, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Texans S K.J. Dillon Suffers Torn ACL

October 17th, 2016 at 10:02am CST by Zachary Links

Texans safety K.J. Dillon has suffered a torn ACL, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The rookie’s season is over thanks to the injury and he will be placed on injured reserve shortly.

Dillion, a fifth-round pick, first broke out as a junior at West Virginia. In 2014, he totaled 57 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, and two interceptions. He followed that up with 54 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, and two more interceptions as a senior. The Texans were using Dillion in a reserve role and giving him some time on special teams this year. In five games on the active roster, Dillion wound up with just two total tackles.

In other Texans news, there is reportedly some tension between head coach Bill O’Brien and starting quarterback Brock Osweiler. Of course, after last night’s comeback victory over the Colts, everything might just work itself out in Houston.

Buccaneers To Sign RB Antone Smith

October 17th, 2016 at 9:41am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have agreed to sign running back Antone Smith, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Smith, an FSU product, played under coach Dirk Koetter in Atlanta.

Smith could help fill the gap after running back Charles Sims was placed on IR earlier this month. Alternatively, this could be an indication that Doug Martin will be out for an extended period of time. Martin went down with a hamstring injury last month and it was initially reported that he would miss “about three weeks.” Now, almost four weeks later, Martin has yet to return to the field.

The injuries to the Bucs’ top two runners have thrust another former Atlanta back – Jacquizz Rodgers – into a starting role. Now, Smith will be there in support along with undrafted free agent Peyton Barber. Russell Hansbrough, who was the team’s No. 3 RB this weekend, has been waived (Twitter link via Auman).

Cowboys’ Dez Bryant To Return After Bye Week

October 17th, 2016 at 9:18am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys won’t have to wait much longer to get their top wide receiver back on the field. Yesterday, after the Cowboys beat the Packers at Lambeau Field, Dez Bryant told Jane Slater of the NFL Network (on Twitter) that he’ll be back after the team’s Week 7 bye.

“[You] don’t have to ask me anymore,” he told the reporter. “I’m good…playing against Philly.”

Bryant suffered a slight hairline fracture of the tibial plateau in his right knee in Dallas’ Week 3 game against the Bears. There was hope that he would be able to play through the pain without missing time, but doctors also feared that he could turn the injury into something worse on the field. As a result, he has now missed three consecutive games. He’ll get off the sidelines on Oct. 30, however, as the Cowboys face the rival eagles at home.

Bryant, 28 next month, has just 11 passes for 150 yards and one touchdown in his three games this year. He has been in uniform for just 12 of the Cowboys’ past 21 games.