2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Packers RB James Starks Undergoes Surgery

October 16th, 2016 at 1:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Packers running back James Starks underwent knee surgery this morning and will miss several weeks of action, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Starks had already been announced as out for today’s game against the Cowboys.

Starks, 30, re-signed with Green Bay on a two-year deal this spring. Through four games, he had managed 24 carries in relief of starter Eddie Lacy, posting a paltry 1.8 yards per carry and no touchdowns. During his seven-year career, Starks has rushed for more 2,400 yards and scored nine times, all with the Packers.

Lacy is dealing with an injury of his own (ankle) but will be able to start today, and the Packers opted not to add another running back to their roster in advance of today’s contest. As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reported yesterday, Green Bay will rely on receivers Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery to backup Lacy, given that fullback Aaron Ripkowski is the only other ball-carrier on the 53.

NFC Notes: Aguayo, Lions, Kaepernick

October 16th, 2016 at 12:34pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the NFC:

Buccaneers rookie kicker Roberto Aguayo connected on a game-winning 38-yard field goal on Monday night, but Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times says that Aguayo’s boot only served to buy Tampa Bay a little extra time to address its kicker situation. Even with the winner, head coach Dirk Koetter sounded as disgusted as he did relieved by Aguayo’s performance this season, and as Stroud observes, if Aguayo continues to struggle–he is 4-of-8 on field goals with one missed extra point in nine tries–it could cause a schism between the coaching staff that is judged on wins and losses and the front office that wants its gamble on drafting Aguayo in the second round to pay off.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions opted for veteran Justin Forsett instead of a younger, high-upside back like Karlos Williams simply because they weren’t looking for a project for their backfield. With Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, and Dwayne Washington all under contract for the next few years, Birkett believes Forsett was a better fit for Detroit’s locker room. Once Riddick returns from injury, Birkett believes he and Washington will split the work about 60-40, with Forsett filling a supporting role.
In the same piece, Birkett writes that there is a very good chance that Matthew Stafford signs a third contract with the Lions next summer, no matter how the teams finishes in 2016. Indeed, Birkett believes the only way Stafford does not sign a new deal with Detroit is if he would rather hit free agency in a couple of years, which currently seems unlikely.
The odds are currently against 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick resurrecting his career in 2016, but if he does, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says he could leave the Niners “in the lurch.” Under his newly-restructured deal, Kaepernick can void the final three years of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent after the season if he desires. Given the strained relationship between player and team, Kaepernick could look to cash in elsewhere following a strong performance in 2016.
Earlier today, we learned that the Cowboys might not hand the reins back over to Tony Romo even when Romo is fully healthy.

Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/16

October 16th, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Rory Parks

Sunday’s practice squad moves:

Houston Texans

After cutting him several days ago to make room for Robert Nelson on the 53-man roster, the Texans have re-signed DT Brandon Dunn to their practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The 24-year-old Louisville product appeared in 11 games for the Texans last year in a special teams role, totaling seven tackles. Houston’s coaching staff regards Dunn as a player with high upside.

Ladarius Green To Return Soon

October 16th, 2016 at 10:49am CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers rarely make a splash in free agency, but they signed tight end Ladarius Green to a four-year, $20MM deal this offseason to replace the retired Heath Miller and to give Pittsburgh yet another dynamic offensive weapon. But Green landed on the PUP list in August, making him ineligible to practice with the team or join the active roster until after Week 6. Plus, there were reports this summer indicating that Green is suffering from the after-effects of multiple concussions, and that he has even contemplated retirement (though Green has refuted all such reports).

However, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that the Steelers expect Green to return soon. Apparently, it is Green’s preexisting ankle issue that has been the real source of his absence; as La Canfora notes, although Green has suffered from headaches since his time in San Diego, he is not in the league’s concussion protocol and is ready to pass a physical for the ankle injury and begin practicing.

La Canfora adds that Green has been working out on his own and, once activated, Green does not believe he would need more than a week or two to get game-ready (in fact, Mark Kaboly of DKPittsburghSports.com tweets that Green was working out on the field today prior to the Steelers’ matchup with Miami). When Green returns to the field, he would further boost a passing attack that is already among the league’s best.

Although Green was largely overshadowed by Antonio Gates during his tenure with the Chargers, he did flash high-level ability while on the West Coast, particularly when Gates was sidelined by injury. He set career highs in 2015 with 11 starts, 37 receptions, 429 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. All of those numbers could increase considerably over the course of a fully-healthy season in Pittsburgh.

East Notes: Eagles, Romo, Tannehill

October 16th, 2016 at 10:11am CST by Rory Parks

Despite the old NFL adage that says, “if you want to win a Super Bowl, make sure you don’t have a great wide receiver,” Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Eagles need to address their wide receiver position, currently the weakest area of their roster, if they want to become true contenders. Although it is unlikely the club could acquire a top-flight wideout via trade this year, there may be a few quality free agent options this offseason, such as Alshon Jeffery or old friend DeSean Jackson. Plus, Philadelphia could invest a fair amount of money at the position while Carson Wentz is still playing under his rookie deal.

As McLane notes, Nelson Agholor, Dorial Green-Beckham, and Josh Huff have shown little to suggest they can develop into premier receivers, which leaves Jordan Matthews–who is better suited to the slot–as Wentz’s only truly reliable wideout. With Wentz looking like the real deal, the Eagles could be legitimate threats this year, but they could cement their contender status moving forward if they can give their young signal-caller another weapon or two.

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

Todd Archer of ESPN.com says Tony Romo‘s most likely return date is November 6 against Cleveland, not October 30 against Philadelphia. And, despite the Cowboys‘ insistence that Romo will regain the starting role when he is healthy, Archer says the team could be “singing a different tune” if Dak Prescott is still winning. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Prescott has more support in the Cowboys’ locker room to keep the status quo than Romo has to change it.
Martellus Bennett is thriving in his first year with the Patriots, but despite that, and despite the fact that he is set to hit the open market at season’s end, the 29-year-old tight end insists he is not thinking about his next contract, as Phil Perry of CSNNewEngland.com writes. Bennett said, “For me, I haven’t even thought about [next year]. It’s not something I want to think about, really. I just want to enjoy each game with my teammates and my friends on this team and go out there and ball.”
The Dolphins continue to insist that, although Ryan Tannehill shares a fair amount of the blame for the team’s woeful start to the 2016 season, their quarterback problem is not strictly a Tannehill problem. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that, upon reviewing game film, Miami’s coaching staff sees offensive linemen and receivers alike simply missing assignments and demonstrating poor technique, and if the team can remedy those issues, the staff believes Tannehill can realize his potential. In fact, Salguero writes, “speaking to people within the organization, there’s a concern that if this team gives up on Tannehill now, he would go elsewhere and in the years to come would be a good quarterback. Some other team’s good quarterback.”
Despite being fourth on the only four-man quarterback depth chart in the NFL, Jets rookie signal-caller Christian Hackenberg is not discouraged. He is trying to maximize his scout team reps, is taking copious notes, and is otherwise remaining upbeat as he waits for his moment. Hackenberg said, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’m happy for the [other rookie quarterbacks] playing well. I know a lot of them. That’s cool, but there are a lot of ways to get it” (link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com).

Colin Kaepernick Restructures Contract

October 16th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Ben Levine

SUNDAY, 9:00am: ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com pass along several more key details of Kaepernick’s restructured deal. Schefter reports that the playing-time incentive of $1MM will be met if Kaepernick plays in 50% of the 49ers’ snaps over the rest of the season, whereas Rapoport indicates that the threshold is set under 50%. Neither scribe explicitly mentions the 34.4% figure that Pelissero reported yesterday.

Rapoport and Schefter do agree that the 49ers purchased an insurance policy in which Kaepernick is the beneficiary, and the policy dictates that if Kaepernick is hurt to the point where he cannot play next season, he would collect $7.5MM tax-free, which is close to what he would have collected in the second year of his original contract (which called for him to make $14.5MM before taxes). As Schefter writes, both sides are now covered in the event Kaepernick suffers an injury that impacts his 2017 availability. He still gets paid, and the 49ers don’t have to count him against their salary cap.

SATURDAY, 3:09pm: Kaepernick’s 2016 cap number vaulted from $15.89MM to $20.23MM, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. This revised contract also carries a playing-time incentive of $1MM that can be met if the sixth-year quarterback plays in 34.4 percent of the 49ers’ snaps this season, per Pelissero (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 5:30pm: When the 49ers announced earlier today that Colin Kaepernick would be their starting quarterback this week, we knew it’d only be a matter of time before the two sides agreed on a new contract.

Well, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan report that the two sides have agreed to a restructured contract that will wipe out the final four years of Kaepernick’s former deal. The quarterback will now be playing under a one-year contract with a player option for 2017, with the monetary value of the 2016 contract remaining the same. The 28-year-old can opt out of his contract following this season, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. The 49ers will not be allowed to place the franchise tag on the quarterback.

Kaepernick was set to make $14.5MM next season, and the team would have been stuck with a $19.5MM cap hit if they cut the quarterback. Furthering complicating things were the original contract’s injury guarantees, which would have cemented Kaep’s 2017 salary had he still been injured by April of 2017. Those injury guarantees are the same reason why Kaepernick stuck around for this season, and they’re also a big reason why some think Blaine Gabbert was initially named the team’s starting signal-caller. The two sides have been working on a new contract for months, as Schefter notes, and talks picked up over the past month or so.

Kaepernick originally signed his six-year extension prior to the 2014 season, with the deal being worth up to $126MM. After having led his team to a Super Bowl and NFC Championship appearance, the quarterback has struggled mightily since inking that contract. The former second-rounder hit rock bottom in 2015, completing only 59 percent of his passes for 1,615 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. With Chip Kelly taking over the team this past offseason, some thought that the speedy Kaepernick would be a perfect fit for his new coach’s style of play. Instead, Kelly opted for Gabbert, who has tossed five touchdowns and six interceptions in five games.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com notes that the team fully guaranteed the quarterback’s per-game bonuses ($2MM, or $125K per game) through the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Kaepernick’s potential 2017 salary is still at $14.5MM, but ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets that the there’s no guaranteed money. The new deal will include a revised “injury insurance policy” and playing-time bonuses, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee.

Steelers Promote Cobi Hamilton

October 16th, 2016 at 8:22am CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers have promoted WR Cobi Hamilton from their practice squad, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter). To make room for Hamilton, Pittsburgh has cut CB Al-Hajj Shabazz.

Prior to promoting Hamilton, the Steelers had only three healthy receivers: Antonio Brown, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Eli Rogers (who himself missed the last two games with turf toe). Markus Wheaton has already been ruled out of today’s game against Miami with a shoulder injury, and as Bouchette tweets, Sammie Coates is dealing with a broken left index finger in addition to a laceration above his left palm. Sources have told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Coates will be a game-time decision today, and even if he is active, one has to wonder how effective he will be.

Hamilton, whom the Bengals selected in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, has only appeared in one game in his NFL career (in 2014 with Cincinnati). He has also been with the Panthers, Dolphins, and Eagles. Pittsburgh signed him in August of this year, and he was part of the club’s final roster cuts before joining the practice squad on September 4.

Shabazz, a rookie from D-II West Chester, also joined the Steelers’ practice squad on September 4. He had his shot on the active roster last week, when he played six snaps on defense and 12 on special teams. Per Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Steelers will try to re-sign Shabazz to the practice squad next week if he clears waivers.

Saints Promote WR Jake Lampman

October 15th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints announced that they have promoted wide receiver Jake Lampman. To make room on the roster, the team has waived tight end Chris Manhertz.

Lampman, 23, joined the Saints as a UDFA out of Ferris State this offseason. When he didn’t make the team’s final cut, he signed on with the practice squad. In his final collegiate season, the wide receiver hauled in 52 passes for 731 yards and eight touchdowns.

Manhertz became expendable this week when Josh Hill returned to practice after dealing with a high ankle sprain. Manhertz was on the field for 43 snaps this year while Hill was sidelined but drew zero targets.

Seahawks Cut Jordan Hill From IR

October 15th, 2016 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Fourth-year defensive tackle Jordan Hill will be in search of a second NFL employer after the Seahawks cut him from their IR list, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports.

He will venture to waivers and if unclaimed will become a free agent for the first time. Seattle drafted Hill in the third round in 2013, but the former Penn State lineman has not played yet this season. The Seahawks waived Hill with an injury designation before the start of the season.

By virtue of being waived from an IR list, Hill would be eligible to return to the field for another team if he’s signed. Since he wasn’t placed on IR during the season, Hill could not have been activated by the Seahawks as an IR-boomerang player. Condotta reports linebacker Mike Morgan, who is out after undergoing sports hernia surgery, could now be a candidate for that luxury.

A backup in 26 of the 27 games in which he’s played, Hill did play a key role for the 2014 NFC champions as a depth inside pass-rusher. He registered 5.5 of his seven career sacks in his second season while also recovering three fumbles and intercepting a pass. Hill’s lone start came in 2015, a season in which he played in 10 games but remained mostly a reserve presence for the Seahawks.

Despite being a roster presence on the past three Seahawks playoff teams, Hill only played in two of those games, missing both Super Bowls for which the franchise qualified in this span.

Jordan Reed To Miss Week 6

October 15th, 2016 at 4:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Redskins will be without their top pass-catcher against the Eagles on Sunday. Washington downgraded Jordan Reed to out, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Previously listed as questionable, Reed has struggled with concussions throughout his career, having now sustained six documented head injuries. Washington is fairly deep at the tight end position and will turn to Vernon Davis and Niles Paul against its division rival.

However, the Redskins don’t have another player who can replicate Reed’s skills. He’s made 33 receptions for 316 yards and two touchdowns thus far this season and broke out for an 87-catch, 952-receiving-yard, 11-touchdown season in 2015. That earned the 26-year-old Reed a five-year, $46.5MM extension this offseason, but this latest setback will extend the tight end’s streak of failing to play a 16-game season to four. Reed missed two games in 2015 and a combined 12 regular-season contests in 2013-14.

Davis and Paul have combined for 11 receptions and 110 yards this season.

Su’a Cravens will also be unavailable Sunday for the Redskins due to a concussion.