2017 December - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos To Place RG Ron Leary On IR

December 11th, 2017 at 4:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos are expected to place right guard Ron Leary on injured reserve, a locker room source tells Mike Klis of 9 News (Twitter link). The team will formally shut him down for the season this week and replace him on the 53-man roster with another player.

Leary became the highest-paid guard in Broncos history when he inked a four-year, $36MM deal with the team this past offseason. Some teams shied away from Leary due to his history of knee issues, but he stayed healthy – up until this point- and earned a career-high 81.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus. As of this writing, he is PFF’s No. 11 ranked guard this year, ahead of notables such as Kevin Zeitler, Richie Incognito, T.J. Lang, and Kelechi Osemele.

The former UDFA is under contract with Denver through the 2020 season and is slated to carry an $8.875 cap number next year.

Of course, the 4-9 Broncos aren’t playing for much in December. If the season ended today, they would own the No. 5 pick in the draft.

Kenny Britt Becomes Free Agent

December 11th, 2017 at 4:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Browns wide receiver Kenny Britt has gone unclaimed on waivers (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). He is now a free agent and eligible to sign with another team immediately.

In his first act as Browns GM, John Dorsey released Britt. The Rutgers product was regarded as one of this offseason’s top free agents, but he failed to produce in Cleveland. The Browns erased him from the roster, but they could not erase their financial obligation to the mercurial wide receiver. Since no one claimed Britt on waivers (as expected), the Browns are still on the hook for $10.5MM in total.

No one wanted to take on Britt’s four-year, $32.5MM contract, but he could be an intriguing low-cost addition for playoff teams. The Patriots have a history of going for ex-Rutgers players and they use a receiver like Britt in the wake of multiple injuries to their WR group. Britt may be perceived as a threat to the balance of the locker room, but Bill Belichick has successfully gambled on unusual personalities in the past.

Britt had just 18 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns for the Browns. However, he’s just a year removed from a 1,000+ yard season with the Rams.

AFC Notes: Bengals, Ross, Texans, O’Brien

December 11th, 2017 at 3:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Before he landed on IR, the Bengals spoke with first-round pick John Ross about the possibility of moving to cornerback, Mike Florio of PFT hears. It’s not clear how serious the Bengals were about a position change or why they were thinking about it in the first place. One source speculated that it was a move to help solidify the team’s depth at cornerback and Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer hears the same thing. But, another suggested to Florio that the proposed switch had to do with Ross’ overall toughness.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Head coach Bill O’Brien said he wants to be back with the Texans next season. “I enjoy being the head coach of the Houston Texans,” O’Brien said (Twitter link via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com). “I expect to be here, but those decisions are not made by me.” Since taking over in Houston in 2014, O’Brien’s teams have gone a combined 31-30, including three straight 9-7 seasons and two AFC South titles.
O’Brien said he expects T.J. Yates to start for the Texans on Sunday against the Jaguars (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Tom Savage was left shaking on the field after a big hit in this weekend’s loss to the Niners. He was later brought back on to the field for a series, raising questions about the league’s concussion protocol.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson said he doesn’t get the feeling at all that new GM John Dorsey wants to hire his own coach (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). Although the team has pledged to bring Jackson back for the 2018 season, a report over the weekend indicated that Dorsey is not sold on him.
Head coach Sean McDermott says that Tyrod Taylor will be the Bills‘ starting quarterback this week, provided that his knee is healthy enough (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). Meanwhile, backup Nathan Peterman is in the concussion protocol. The Bills finished out Sunday’s game with Joe Webb under center, so it will be at least a couple of days before they get some clarity on who their starting QB will be against Miami.

Jets QB Josh McCown Done For Season

December 11th, 2017 at 2:14pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s official – Josh McCown‘s season is over. Coach Todd Bowles shared the bad news with reporters on Monday morning.

McCown exited Sunday’s loss to the Broncos with a broken hand. With just three games to go and zero chance of making the postseason, shutting the quarterback down was the only choice left for the Jets.

The Jets have exceeded all expectations this year and so has the 38-year-old McCown. McCown threw for a career-high 18 touchdowns this season and matched a personal watermark with 13 starts. His No. 22 ranking among Pro Football Focus’ top quarterbacks doesn’t portray him as Pro Bowl material, but few expected the aging veteran to do that well given the team’s major gaps on offense.

The Jets are expected to turn things over to the younger Bryce Petty, who struggled in relief of McCown. There’s also the possibility that we’ll finally see 2016 second-round pick Christian Hackenberg get on the field. Bowles has previously dismissed the idea that Hackenberg could see reps despite his apparent lack of readiness. “This isn’t Triple-A,” Bowles told reporters in November. However, with three games left, now is as good of a time as any to find out what Hackenberg has to offer. If the Jets can definitively conclude that the Penn State product is not NFL material, then they can move on from him this offseason.

Cardinals Place Jared Veldheer On IR

December 11th, 2017 at 1:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Left tackle Jared Veldheer is headed to the injured reserve list with a fractured ankle, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians told reporters on Monday morning (Twitter link via Darren Urban of the team website). Meanwhile, right guard Earl Watford is likely to miss time with high ankle sprain.

The Cardinals have been dealing with offensive line injuries all year long. Starting guard Mike Iupati landed on IR with an elbow injury in Week 4 and season-ending maladies later sidelined offensive linemen D.J. Humphries and Daniel Munyer. Without starters Veldheer and Watford, the Cardinals will have to dig even deeper.

Fifth-round rookie Will Holden figures to move into the starting lineup while center Evan Boehm may be asked to fill-in at right guard. Interior lineman Max Tuerk, who was recently plucked from the Chargers’ taxi squad, could be in line for significant reps. The Cardinals will also likely add an offensive lineman or two to hold them over for the final stretch.

The Cardinals have Veldheer under contract for one more season at a $10.24MM cap number, but they can release him with just $3.25MM in dead money this offseason. Watford is scheduled to hit the open market in March.

The Cardinals advanced to 6-7 on the year with a win over the Titans on Sunday. They’ll wrap up the regular season with games against the Redskins, Giants, and Seahawks in the final three weeks. Even if they run the table, odds are they will not qualify for the playoffs.

Eagles’ Carson Wentz Done For Season

December 11th, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles announced that Carson Wentz is done for the season with an ACL tear. This was what the Eagles feared when Wentz exited Sunday’s game against the Rams.

On Sunday, Wentz threw four touchdown passes and set the franchise record for touchdown passes in a season. After throwing 33 TDs this year against seven interceptions and positioning himself as one of the league’s top quarterbacks, Wentz’s year is over. The fear for many Eagles fans is that this may end the team’s Super Bowl hopes as well.

A familiar face will now take over as the starting quarterback. Nick Foles, who entered the game upon Wentz’s exit, will be the new starter, coach Doug Pederson confirmed. Nate Sudfeld, meanwhile, will be the team’s No. 2 QB. Pederson said that he has yet to talk to GM Howie Roseman about signing a No. 3 QB.

Although Wentz looked solid as a rookie, few expected this kind of leap from 2016’s No. 2 overall pick. Wentz threw for nearly 3,330 yards in 13 games and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ fourth-best quarterback in the entire NFL, behind only Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, and Russell Wilson. Foles had an impressive run of his own in Philadelphia, but he has yet to replicate his Pro Bowl season of 2013.

The Eagles, who have clinched the NFC East championship, have three regular season games to go against the Giants, Raiders, and Cowboys. They have a 98% chance of a first-round bye (according to the New York Times‘ odds calculator), so there’s not much on the line in these final three contests. However, these games will be crucial in order for the team to gel with Foles under center.

Eagles’ Sidney Jones To Practice This Week

December 11th, 2017 at 11:23am CST by Zachary Links

Eagles rookie cornerback Sidney Jones will begin practice this week, a source tells Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Jones suffered a torn Achilles in March and has yet to see the field.

Jones has been eligible to start practicing since the beginning of Week 7, but he has not been healthy enough to resume football activities. This is a major step forward for the Washington product, though it’s still not clear if he will be activated within the three-week window. It’s possible that the Eagles are looking to get Jones some valuable practice reps as the regular season winds down in order to give him a head start on his offseason training.

Jones fell to the Eagles at No. 43 he suffered an Achilles tear during the final rep of his pro day. At the time, it was believed Jones could get back on the field in October or November. Still, the Eagles believe that Jones has first-round caliber talent. And, with an NFC-leading 11-2 record, it’s not like the Eagles regret taking the long view with their second-round choice.

The Eagles currently have four true cornerbacks on the roster in Jalen Mills, Patrick Robinson, Ronald Darby, and Rasul Douglas.

Buccaneers’ Gerald McCoy Done For Year?

December 11th, 2017 at 10:14am CST by Zachary Links

It is believed that Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has torn his biceps, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The injury would almost certainly end McCoy’s 2017 season.

In theory, one can play through a minor biceps tear without undergoing surgery. But, even if McCoy opts against surgery here, there’s little incentive for him to return to action between now and the end of the year. After Sunday’s loss to the Lions, the injury-riddled Bucs are 4-9 with zero hope of reaching the playoffs.

McCoy has been here twice before, suffering biceps tears in 2010 and 2011. Since then, McCoy has been largely healthy and exceptionally productive. He earned five straight Pro Bowl nods from 2012 through 2016 and also made First-Team All-Pro in 2013. Recovering from a biceps tear can be dreadful, but McCoy has proven that he can bounce back just fine.

Thanks to the seven-year, $95.2MM contract extension he signed with the Bucs in 2014, McCoy is slated to be back with the team in 2018 at a $12.75MM cap number.

Initial Carson Wentz Tests Don’t Reveal Complete ACL Tear

December 10th, 2017 at 9:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles’ postgame celebration was not exactly indicative of a team that clinched the NFC East and its first 11-win season in eight years, with Carson Wentz‘s reported ACL tear understandably affecting the mood. But the team is holding out hope its breakout star quarterback didn’t suffer a full tear.

Initial tests on Wentz’s damaged left knee did not “definitively” reveal a complete tear, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

While Monday’s MRI will provide a clearer picture and play a big part in shaping the Eagles’ late-season outlook, Rapoport notes the team isn’t giving up on the possibility this isn’t a season-ending malady.

A previous NFL.com report indicated the Eagles did believe Wentz’s season was over, and multiple other sources reported the team fears the worst for Wentz. Rapoport reports the Eagles believe Wentz sustained an ACL injury; they just aren’t certain it was a full tear at this juncture.

Of course, even a partial tear would surely induce a discussion from the team about shutting down its 24-year-old dynamo anyway.

Wentz’s knee injury became worrisome when trainers felt it was loose upon examination, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The loose ACL is sign it’s torn, Dr. David Chao of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets, adding concern for Wentz’s left LCL should exist as well. Wentz played four plays after suffering the left knee injury and walked to the locker room, but the MVP candidate was taken out of the Los Angeles Coliseum on a cart, per Fox NFL (Twitter link).

The Eagles’ division-clinching mood was indeed “subdued” as they await word on the MRI, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.

A similar sequence of reports emerged last December when Ryan Tannehill was believed to have suffered a full ACL tear only to have the ensuing MRI reveal a partial tear. However, that may not be the most encouraging sign considering Tannehill did not play for the Dolphins again that season, saw his offseason largely marred by this injury and is missing all of this season because of a subsequent ACL tear.

Seahawks DL Malik McDowell Arrested

December 10th, 2017 at 8:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Malik McDowell is spending his rookie season on the NFI list after an offseason accident, and the young defensive lineman’s troubles continued this weekend.

McDowell was arrested for disorderly conduct, TMZ Sports reports, early Sunday morning stemming from an incident at a nightclub in Atlanta. The Michigan State product’s arrest followed a profane tirade, one that was based around a financial transaction.

TMZ reporting the matter involved a $600 alcohol purchase McDowell wanted back. He was then told he hadn’t yet paid the $600 he sought. When this confusion resulted in incessant shouting from McDowell, he was thrown out of the club. TMZ reports McDowell then got into a shouting match with police officers after leaving the club.

The Seahawks did not comment on the matter prior to their game against the Jaguars, per ESPN.

A second-round pick, McDowell suffered injuries in a summer ATV crash that will keep him out all season. The Seahawks held out hope he could play this season, but he’ll have to attempt to rebound from a rough 2017 beginning in the offseason.