2017 September - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs To Place Tamba Hali On PUP

September 2nd, 2017 at 9:40am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs will place linebacker Tamba Hali on reserve/PUP, meaning he will miss the first six games of the season, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.

Kansas City hasn’t released information on Hali’s specific injury, and Paylor speculates that the decision to place Hali on PUP could be a way to conserve the veteran for later in the season. The Chiefs will face several difficult opponents during the first six games of the year, however, as the club has games against the Patriots, Eagles, Chargers, Redskins, Texans, and Steelers.

Hali, 33, appeared in all 16 games for the Chiefs a season ago and played on roughly half the club’s defensive snaps. However, he finished with only 3.5 sacks, his lowest total since 2008. With Hali sidelined, Dee Ford will see even more action opposite Justin Houston at outside linebacker.

Panthers Cut P Andy Lee

September 2nd, 2017 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have cut punter Andy Lee, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. That means they’ll be keeping Michael Palardy as their punter for the coming season.

The Panthers tried to orchestrate a trade for Lee this week, but it was to no avail. This time last year, the Panthers gave up a fourth-round choice to acquire him from the Browns. When he was dangled, the Cardinals expressed some level of interest, but it sounds like the Panthers could not extract anything of value from them. The Cardinals seem like a prime candidate to sign the veteran now that he’s a free agent.

The Panthers already paid $1MM to Lee in March and they’re still on the hook for his $1MM fully guaranteed base salary, so the punter will be on the books for $2MM in all, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. It’s not a good look for Carolina, but the “new” regime did not want to saddle themselves with Dave Gettleman‘s mistake.

Lee, 35, had a perfect attendance record in the regular season through ten seasons before a hamstring injury sidelined him in 2016. For his career, he has three Pro Bowl nods and three first-team All-Pro selections.

Dolphins OL Ted Larsen To Return From IR

September 2nd, 2017 at 9:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

Dolphins offensive lineman Ted Larsen is expected to return from injured reserve later this season, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).

NFL clubs are now allowed to bring two players off injured reserve, and aren’t forced to designate those players as return options when the original transaction occurs. However, any player who might be an option to come off IR at some point must be carried through to his team’s initial 53-man roster. Miami, then, will have to place Larsen on its roster before shifting him to IR on Sunday.

Larsen, who signed a three-year deal with the Dolphins this spring, is dealing with a torn biceps. The 30-year-old veteran, who boasts 65 career starts, will be in contention for Miami’s starting left guard job when he returns. The Dolphins already lost interior offensive line depth last week when they released Kraig Urbik, who was also sidelined by injury.

Buccaneers To Release WR Josh Huff

September 2nd, 2017 at 9:24am CST by Ben Levine

Josh Huff is now in the market for a new gig. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), the Buccaneers have released the wide receiver.

The 2014 third-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career in Philadelphia, but he was released last season following a gun- and marijuana-related arrest. He subsequently joined the Buccaneers, where he proceeded to play in three games.

Ultimately, in 10 total games last year, Huff hauled in only 16 receptions for 113 yards and one touchdown. The 25-year-old’s best season came in 2015, when he compiled 27 catches for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Huff also has brief experience in the running game, and he’s averaged 25.8 yards on 48 career kick returns.

Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and Adam Humphries predictably lead the Buccaneers receivers depth chart, and third-round pick Chris Godwin is expected to play a major reserve role. With Huff off the roster, Bernard Reedy, Freddie Martino, or Donteea Dye could be in line for more snaps.

Bengals To Release Eric Winston, Wallace Gilberry

September 2nd, 2017 at 9:22am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bengals are expected to release offensive lineman Eric Winston and defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Cincinnati will go with a youth movement along its offensive line, both in the starting lineup and further down the depth chart. Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher are the club’s starting tackles, while youngsters such as Christian Westerman and J.J. Dielman should make the roster. Winston, the NFLPA president, appeared in all 16 games for the Bengals a season ago, but started only two contests.

Gilberry, meanwhile, originally signed with the Lions last year but found his way back to the Bengals at midseason. The 32-year-old ultimately played in five games for Cincinnati. Rookies Carl Lawson and Jordan Willis, plus trade acquisition Chris Smith, will take over backup edge rushing responsibilities in the Queen City.

Colts To Release LB Sean Spence

September 2nd, 2017 at 9:14am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts will release linebacker Sean Spence, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

Spenece, 27, was one of many Indianapolis additions on the defensive side of the ball, and looked to be a good bet for a roster spot based on salary, versatility, and experience. Spence agreed to a one-year pact with $750K guaranteed, a total that the Colts will now be forced to eat. Able to play both inside and outside linebacker, Spence looked like a viable starting option for Indy, but he’s fallen down a depth chart that also includes John Simon, Jabaal Sheard, Antonio Morrison, and Jon Bostic.

Spence wasn’t a full-time starter for the Titans last year, but did play on nearly 50% of the club’s snaps, managing 50 tackles and three sacks. He boasts 46 career appearances, with 19 total starts.

Teams Inquiring On Kicker Graham Gano

September 2nd, 2017 at 9:14am CST by Ben Levine

With the Panthers currently rostering a pair of kickers, it sounds like the organization is considering trading some of their depth. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that teams have called the Panthers to inquire on veteran kicker Graham Gano. We learned earlier this week that the organization was shopping rookie kicker Harrison Butker and veteran punter Andy Lee.

The 30-year-old Gano has found a home in Carolina, where he’s spent the past five seasons. The former undrafted free agent out of Florida State isn’t necessarily known for his consistency, as he’s only connected 79.7-percent of his field goals during his career. However, he has made 96.4-percent of his extra point attempts, and he’s also competent at kickoffs. Last season, Gano connected on only 78.9-percent of his field goals, his lowest percentage since 2011.

Meanwhile, the team used a seventh-round pick on Butker, who has connected on a lone 51-yard field goal this preseason. The Georgia Tech product only connected on 71.7-percent of his field goals while in college, but he did convert 99-percent of his extra point attempts.

Rams, Aaron Donald “Not Close” To Deal

September 2nd, 2017 at 8:47am CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Rams brass met with Aaron Donald‘s camp earlier this week, the two sides are “not close” on a new deal, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Donald’s staged holdout has now passed the one-month mark, and there’s apparently no end in sight. With the regular season staring next week, Donald is extremely likely to miss games, something that Rams general manager Les Snead recently admitted. Los Angeles opens the season against the Colts on September 10, and then faces the Redskins, 49ers, and Cowboys.

Los Angeles had indeed discussed a new deal for Donald, but “little progress” has been made in negotiations. Asking price is surely the primary issue in talks, but the Rams’ level of team control over Donald means the club has little incentive to rush discussions. Donald is under contract through 2018 at a total cost of roughly $10MM thanks to the fifth-year option, and the Rams can then deploy the franchise tag in 2019.

That’s not to presume that Donald hasn’t outplayed his contact, a fact with which the Rams agree. Donald, 26, has been absolutely dominant since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A two-time All-Pro, Donald has managed 28 sacks during his three years in the NFL, an astonishing total for a defensive tackle. Donald, who played 828 snaps a season ago, graded as the league’s No. 1 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus, which awarded him a 99.0 mark for his pass-rushing prowess.

Chiefs Release TE Gavin Escobar

September 2nd, 2017 at 8:30am CST by Ben Levine

Gavin Escobar signed with the Chiefs earlier this offseason, but it sounds like he’s not going to make it to the regular season. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the team has released the tight end.

With Travis Kelce recovering from an injury and Demetrius Harris dealing with legal issues, the Chiefs brought in Escobar as a depth piece. With the 26-year-old being released, we can assume that former undrafted free agent Ross Travis earned a spot as the team’s third tight end.

Escobar, a 2013 second-round pick, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cowboys, starting seven games. His first two campaigns saw him compiling at least 100 receiving yards a year, but he saw a reduced role in 2015 and 2016. Over the past two seasons, Escobar has combined for only 12 receptions, 94 yards, and two touchdowns. The 26-year-old has also proven to be a capable special teamer, compiling eight tackles over his career.

Panthers To Release OL Chris Scott

September 2nd, 2017 at 8:22am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers will release offensive lineman Chris Scott and place fellow offensive lineman Gino Gradkowski on injured reserve, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links).

Both Scott (four) and Gradkowski (three) made starts for Carolina last season, but the Panthers will instead go with youth along the interior of their offensive line. Carolina, which boasts one of the league’s best guard/center trios in Trai Turner, Andrew Norwell, and Ryan Kalil, will roll with Tyler Larsen and second-round rookie Taylor Moton as its reserve offensive linemen. Amini Silatolu has a chance to make the squad, as well.

Scott — who missed the past two weeks with a concussion, reports Person — signed a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal over the offseason, so the Panthers will incur a small total ($80K) in dead money by releasing him.