HEADLINES

Month: December 2017

East Notes: Patriots, Giants, Jets, Cowboys

December 6th, 2017 at 9:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rob Gronkowski will miss out on more than $270K in salary and bonuses as a result of his one-week suspension, but the Patriots tight end could see his finances affected even further due to the ban, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explains. Under the terms of a restructured contract signed earlier this year, Gronkowski can earn three separate tiers of incentives, all of which are tied to playtime and performance. The top tier — which includes a 90% playtime requirement as one stipulation — could now be nearly impossible to reach, as Gronkowski has played on 83.4% of New England’s offensive snaps thus far (and will obviously see that percentage decrease as a result of next week’s absence).

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo will remain “heavily involved” in the Giants‘ defensive scheme, but secondary coach David Merrit will also see an increased workload, Spagnuolo told reporters, including James Kratch of NJ.com (Twitter link). Spagnuolo, of course, is still New York’s defensive coordinator in addition to interim head coach following the firing of Ben McAdoo, but with gameday responsibilities now on the table, Spagnuolo will almost certainly require assistance. Merritt, for his part, is the Giants’ longest-tenured assistant, as he’s been with the club for 14 years.
  • Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson has continued to have trouble with tardiness, and his one-quarter suspension on Sunday was indeed a result of missed meetings, reports Darryl Slater of NJ.com. Wilkerson, who signed a five-year, $86MM deal last summer, but he’s offered only middling production this season. In 12 games, Wilkerson has managed 2.5 sacks and graded as the NFL’s No. 55 interior defender among 117 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. New York can create $11MM in cap space by releasing Wilkerson this offseason, and a team source said Wilkerson will be “gone,” per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
  • It’s no secret that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was against the NFL extending commissioner Roger Goodell, but now that a deal is officially signed, Jones doesn’t have many avenues to pursue, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Jones attempts to rip up the contract, Goodell would likely be entitled to a hefty buyout. But Jones could still pursue a legal strategy, especially if he believes the league’s owners were supposed to discuss Goodell’s contract before it became official, per Florio.

Dolphins Unlikely To Express Interest In Eli Manning

December 6th, 2017 at 8:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Dolphins have already been linked to a possible offseason acquisition of Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Miami is “highly unlikely” to pursue Manning given the club’s investment in fellow signal-caller Ryan Tannehill, team sources tell Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.Eli Manning (vertical)

There’s a lot to unpack here, but first is the subject of whether Manning will even be available during the offseason. The Giants fired both general manager Jerry Reese and head coach Ben McAdoo on Monday, meaning another group of decision-makers will be leading the club next year. Manning is under contract through 2019 with cap charges north of $22MM in each of the next two campaigns, and his deal also contains a full no-trade clause.

If Manning does hit the free agent or trade market, the Dolphins would make — on the surface — make sense as a potential destination, especially given the presence of head coach Adam Gase. Gase worked with Eli’s brother, Peyton Manning, for three seasons in Denver, meaning he should have a familiarity with the Manning clan.

While there’s almost no chance Jay Cutler returns to South Beach in 2018 given that he ranks in the bottom-five of nearly every quarterback metric, every report has indicated Tannehill will be back next season. In October, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Miami still thinks “extremely highly” of Tannehill and plans to utilize him as its starting quarterback next year. While there haven’t been any recent health updates on Tannehill (who tore his ACL in August), his injury timeline should allow him to recover in time for the start of the 2018 campaign.

Tannehill, 29, is under contract through the 2020 season, although he’s essentially working on a “pay-as-you-go” deal. The Dolphins could cut ties at any point over the next three years without incurring greater than $5MM in dead money.

NFL Workout Updates: 12/6/17

December 6th, 2017 at 7:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

  • WR Brandon Zylstra; C Leo Koloamatangi (link)

Jets Haven’t Discussed Extension With Todd Bowles

December 6th, 2017 at 7:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets have yet to approach head coach Todd Bowles regarding a contract extension, a source tells Darryl Slater of NJ.com.Todd Bowles (Vertical)

Bowles inked a four-year contract when he became New York’s head coach prior to the 2015 campaign, so he won’t be without a deal until 2018. Still, the majority of NFL head coaches don’t serve as “lame ducks” — in other words, most coaches aren’t forced to head into the final season of their contract without a new pact in place. As such, an extension — if in the cards — could come together before next year gets underway.

Signing Bowles to an extension would have seemed far-fetched just three months ago, as the Jets were widely thought to be in the midst of a deep rebuild. But despite Gang Green jettisoning many of its experienced players, the club has surprised with a 5-7 record. While they’re not competing for a playoff berth, the Jets have shown enough this season that Bowles will almost certainly be asked to return in 2018. Sources inside the New York building are reportedly “raving” about Bowles’ performance with a young Jets roster in 2017.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/6/2017

December 6th, 2017 at 6:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad updates:

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: CB David Rivers, DE Jonathan Woodard

New York Giants

  • Signed: LB Derrick Mathews

Oakland Raiders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

  • Signed: OL Cameron Jefferson

Latest On Lions QB Matthew Stafford

December 6th, 2017 at 6:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After leaving last week’s loss to the Ravens with a right hand injury, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is still dealing with the issue, which could affect his status for Detroit’s Week 14 matchup against the Buccaneers, as head coach Jim Caldwell told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.Matthew Stafford (Vertical)

“We’ll kind of see what he can do as the week goes on,” Caldwell said. “It’s not like it’s an insignificant injury. That’s not the case. It’s something that he’s going to have to really work at and deal with here during the course of the week to see where he is. He’s not out of the woods.”

Initial reports suggested that while Stafford did not suffer a broken hand, he is hampered by “nerve-type damage.” Additionally, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) later indicated that Stafford is also dealing with bruising, which could theoretically affect his ability to hold the football.

If Stafford can’t play on Sunday, the Lions would turn to backup Jake Rudock, who has only attempted five career passes since entering the NFL in 2016. Detroit is nearing the end of its rope in terms of playoff odds, as FiveThirtyEight gives the club only a 10% chance of earning a postseason berth at present.

Giants Place LB Jonathan Casillas On IR

December 6th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants have placed linebacker Jonathan Casillas on injured reserve and promoted wide receiver Darius Powe from their practice squad, the club announced today. New York also waived linebacker Nigel Harris from injured reserve, tweets Dan Duggan of NJ.com.Jonathan Casillas (Vertical)

Casillas, who is dealing with injuries to both his neck and his wrist, didn’t play against the Raiders on Sunday, and has missed four games total this season. When he was on the field, the 30-year-old Casillas wasn’t effective: Pro Football Focus ranked Casillas as the single worst run-defending linebacker in the NFL, and while his pass defense mark was a bit better, Casillas still placed as a bottom-10 ‘backer overall. He’ll hit the open market next spring when his three-year contract expires.

Powe, who went undrafted out of Cal in 2016, has never appeared in an NFL game, as he’s spent the entirety of his pro career on the Giants’ practice squad. On a roster now devoid of weapons, Powe could certainly see playing time down the stretch behind Sterling Shepard, Roger Lewis, Tavarres King, and Travis Rudolph.

Bengals Place WR John Ross On IR

December 6th, 2017 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals placed wide receiver John Ross on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. This brings an end to a frustrating year for the team’s first-round pick. John Ross (Vertical)

The speedy wideout appeared in only three games this year and did not catch a single pass. Injuries marred his freshman season in the pros, which is exactly what scouts feared in the spring.

Ross was lighting quick, but he had more red flags than a USSR medal ceremony. He tore his ACL and missed the 2015 collegiate campaign and also underwent labrum surgery after the combine. Clubs loved his 4.22-second 40-yard-dash time, but many viewed him as a one contract player and not as a long-term investment. Next year, he’ll work to prove those critics wrong.

At 5-7, the Bengals have less than a 2% chance of reaching the playoffs. They’ll face the Bears, Vikings, Lions, and Ravens, without their top pick in tow.

In related moves, the Bengals have promoted defensive tackle Josh Tupou from practice squad and signed linebacker Carl Bradford to the practice squad.

Josh McCown To Remain Jets’ Starting QB

December 6th, 2017 at 3:33pm CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday, Jets coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Josh McCown will remain the Jets’ starter for the remainder of the season. Given the way he has played – particularly in Sunday’s upset victory over the Chiefs – Bowles’ announcement does not come as a surprise. Josh McCown (vertical)

At the outset of the season, most expected that the Jets would start auditioning Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg by this time. But, a funny thing happened – the Jets wound up being competitive. The Jets are 5-7 (including two close losses to the Patriots and Panthers) and there’s even public support for a Todd Bowles extension.

The play of McCown, 38, has been a major factor in the Jets’ success. His performance sets up an interesting dilemma for the offseason – do the Jets try and draft their quarterback of the future, go for a high-priced star in this year’s free agent crop, or continue with the aging McCown for another season? The veteran is scheduled to hit the open market in March, but the Jets could probably retain him with something similar to his current one-year, $6MM deal.

Through 12 games, McCown has completed a career-high 67.8% of his passes for 2,880 yards with 18 touchdowns against eight interceptions.

Packers Shut Down Kevin King For Season

December 6th, 2017 at 3:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers placed cornerback Kevin King on Injured Reserve with a shoulder injury. To take his place, they have activated defensive back Demetri Goodson from the PUP list.

Kevin King (vertical)

King, a second-round pick, was the Packers’ first pick in the 2017 draft after Green Bay moved down from No. 29 in a swap for the No. 33 selection (King) and a fourth-round choice. There were other big names on the board late in the first round, but the Packers were happy to expand their draft stockpile and land the Washington product. King only had so-so hype heading into the draft process, but he quickly turned heads with a 4.43 second 40-yard-dash, a 39.5-inch vertical leap, and the best times of any cornerback in both the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle.

As a rookie, King appeared in nine games and made five starts for the Packers. Unfortunately, he was sidelined last week and team doctors have determined that he needs additional time to recover.

The advanced metrics haven’t been wowed with King’s play (he ranks 109 out of 115 qualified CBs, per Pro Football Focus) but his presence will be missed in Green Bay. Without King, the Packers will have to rely on two 2017 undrafted free agents, one 2016 UDFA, and a former sixth-round pick (Goodson) to support starters Davon House and Damarious Randall.

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