2017 December - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Gronk, Eli, Barber, Peppers

December 3rd, 2017 at 9:59pm CST by GregGoldstein

Although the result of the Patriots-Bills game this afternoon was an expected New England victory, something rather surprising did happen during the fourth quarter of the contest. Up handily by 20 points, Tom Brady threw an interception to cornerback Tre’Davious White. However, when the rookie fell down after his return, tight end Rob Gronkowski clearly hit him in the head while he was just face down on the turf. Gronk was not thrown out because of his malicious action, but Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com was surprised he wasn’t and thinks further punishment could be coming for the star tight end.

Seifert points out in his piece that former NFL referee Dean Blandino said that Gronkowski should have been ejected for the hit and that he could “maybe” be in-line to miss game action for the incident.

The NFL will review the situation over the next 24 hours and see what type or if any discipline is needed. Gronkowski clearly lowered his shoulder into White well after the play was over, seeming upset that the 2017 first rounder picked off Brady in his direction. However, Seifert notes that the 28-year-old doesn’t really have a track record of misbehaving on the field, despite some minor incidents. The league will also take into account that Gronkowski apologized immediately after the game.

While the NFL did levy two-game suspensions to Aqib Talib and Michael Crabtree this past week, this situation is clearly different given that there was no history of bad blood between the two players, Though, it’s clear that the Pats All-pro was in the wrong and could miss time or at least get heavily fined because of his actions on the field today.

Despite being benched for the remainder of the regular season, Eli Manning remained rather unequivocal when asked if he will suit up for another year in the league, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. “I plan on playing next season,” Manning said twice Sunday after the Giants‘ 24-17 loss to the Raiders. It’s more likely that the veteran signal caller won’t be back with the Giants after what’s transpired this past week. However, that doesn’t mean Manning won’t have his suitors. While he may be 37 years old heading into next season, the two-time Super Bowl winning QB should garner interest from a host of quarterback needy teams. Manning is clearly not the player he once was, but with the need at the position still so high around the league, his track record is tough to come by on the open market. He’s under contract with New York for 2018-19, but the front office could trade him at some point in the offseason or release him before March 18, 2018, when he is due a $5MM roster bonus.
The Buccaneers lost their eighth game of the season when the Packers were able to seal the contest in overtime, but running back Peyton Barber was a major bright spot for the team, opines Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders. With Doug Martin out due to a concussion, the 23-year-old back carried the ball 23 times for 102 yards. Cummings points out that it was the team’s first 100 yard rushing effort from a tailback since late last season. In his second year since being undrafted out of Auburn, Barber’s performance on Sunday likely earned himself some more chances to impress in the final four weeks of the regular season.
Browns rookie safety Jabrill Peppers injured his knee in the team’s game against the Chargers this afternoon, according to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. Head coach Hue Jackson said that the first round pick will get an MRI tomorrow in order to assess just how serious the injury is. Cleveland has backup safeties Derron Smith and Kai Nacua should Peppers need to miss time.

NFC Notes: Bears, Stafford, Falcons, Ellerbe

December 3rd, 2017 at 8:30pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Bears most recent loss to San Francisco this afternoon has Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times asking, “What’s left to evaluate?” in terms of what the franchise should do this offseason.

Jahns asserts that change is inevitable and that losing to one of the worst teams in the NFL is just a sign that there needs to be at least somewhat of an overhaul in the organization from top to bottom.

The reporter also cites that the team is not handling themselves like a 3-9 roster, as they frequently post videos of themselves fooling around in the locker room and had a heated exchange in practice between current wide receiver Josh Bellamy and the recently released Tre McBride. Despite the walls seeming to close on him, head coach John Fox expressed that his team had a good week of preparation for their Week 13 contest.

“It was hard to even talk to the team after this loss,” Fox said. “We had a great week of preparation. The guys’ mindsets [are] good; they’re working at it.”

Chicago has its young signal caller in Mitch Trubisky, but big changes may be on the horizon elsewhere on the roster and coaching staff considering the troubles the team has gone through in 2017.

Coming into Week 13 with a leg injury, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford also suffered “nerve-type damage” to his throwing hand during this afternoon’s game, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Meinke reports that while the 29-year-old signal caller didn’t suffer any breaks, but there was a lot of pain. “I couldn’t feel it too well, to tell you the truth,” Stafford said. “Had some, like, burning nerve pain, I didn’t know what it was going to be. But X-rays were negative.” With their loss today, Detroit will have to run the table in order to have a shot at the postseason, and it appears they’ll have to do it with their franchise signal caller not even close to full health.
There’s going to be at least some shakeup in the Falcons coaching staff this offseason. Quarterbacks coach Bush Hamdan is leaving his position in Atlanta to become the new offensive coordinator at the University of Washington, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The position became available after the school’s former offensive coordinator, Jonathan Smith, became the head coach at Oregon State. Hamdan will wait till the end of the Falcons season before he departs for his new job.
Eagles linebacker Dannell Ellerbe is active for the first time this season for tonight’s game vs. Seattle, reports Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Eagles signed the veteran middle linebacker in the middle of November and he could see significant playing time because current Eagles starter Joe Walker is out with a neck injury. Ellerbe last played for New Orleans in Week 16 of the 2016-17 season.

Blaine Gabbert To Remain Cardinals QB

December 3rd, 2017 at 7:20pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Cardinals are clearly out of the playoff picture in the NFC after suffering another loss at the hands of the Rams. However, the team will stick with quarterback Blaine Gabbert, according to Darren Urban of ArizonaCardinals.com (Twitter link). Head coach Bruce Arians confirmed the news in his postgame presser, which makes it seem likely the 28-year-old will finish out the season in the leading position on the Cardinals QB depth chart.

Gabbert has started each of the team’s last three games with Carson Palmer likely out for the year with an arm injury. The former Jags and 49ers QB represents a younger option to fellow Arizona backup Drew Stanton, although both signal callers will be hitting free agency this coming offseason.

Palmer is still under contract for 2018, but it remains to be seen if he wants to continue playing after his most recent setback. The Cardinals could also choose to go in another direction this offseason with the bevy of starting caliber quarterbacks that may potentially become available.

Nevertheless, with Arizona’s QB position in-flux, Gabbert will get another chance to make his case for the team to bring him back for a quarterback competition next year. He’s shown glimpses this season, but has also made it easy to see at times why he’s already been on three teams since being drafted 10th overall in 2011.

Latest On Tyrod Taylor’s Injury

December 3rd, 2017 at 6:27pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Bills fell back to .500 this season after losing to the Pats this afternoon. Head coach Sean McDermott went back to his veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor a week ago with some success, but saw his now starter leave game action once again today because of an injury to his knee. However, Taylor appears to have avoided a major setback, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Rapoport reports that Taylor has told people close to him that “he’s going to be OK”, but he will undergo tests tomorrow to know for certain that he’ll avoid major surgery.

Taylor, 28, has had a roller coaster type season so far. He’s led Buffalo to a 5-2 record, then was benched for his rookie backup, and now will have to deal with an injury for the rest of the regular season. Taylor’s numbers have been solid, but unspectacular this year, throwing for 12 touchdowns and three picks, while accumulating a QBR of 53.7.

The former sixth round pick restructured his contract this past offseason, which made the signal caller only under contract for the next two seasons. Originally the contract would have ran through 2021. Although, there is a potential out in the deal after this offseason for just a modest cap hit of $8.64MM, which for a QB is not too much money to move on from.

It seems likelier that the Bills will opt to release Taylor given what’s transpired this season. If that’s the case, this recent news indicates that he will likely go into free agency mostly healthy rather than needing the offseason to rehab a more long-term ailment.

Hue Jackson Wanted To Draft Carson Wentz?

December 3rd, 2017 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

While we’re more than a year and a half removed from the 2016 draft, one team’s actions continue to be discussed. And considering what could happen to the Browns’ power structure at the end of this season, their recent draft decisions could end up being seminal choices.

The Browns have passed on multiple players who look like long-term quarterback solutions in Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson, but in Hue Jackson‘s first months in Cleveland, he had his eye on Wentz.

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports Jackson actually preferred Wentz to Jared Goff. This runs contrary to previous reports that indicated he (and veteran Browns scouts dismissed before the draft) liked the current Rams passer prior to his team’s trade-down decision.

Jackson’s pro-Goff vibe stemmed from a close-to-the-vest mindset, Cabot notes. He worked out Goff privately but was the only head coach to attend Wentz’s pro day. Wentz assumed the Browns were going to draft him, per Cabot, after he and Jackson developed a strong rapport before the draft.

The private workout he and then-assistant Pep Hamilton conducted with Wentz had the duo “instantly sold” Wentz was the Browns’ quarterback of the future. The Browns, of course, traded that pick to the Eagles for a bounty of draft picks. Cabot reports Browns management wasn’t going to be dissuaded from unloading that No. 2 selection because of the myriad needs their team had, and the Eagles aren’t regretting their decision.

When the Browns and Eagles faced off in the 2016 opener, Cabot reports Jackson felt he received a “chilly” reception from Wentz because of the draft snub and Paul DePodesta‘s infamous not-a-top-20-QB comment. Cabot also reports part of the reason Hamilton left Cleveland for Michigan after one season is how far off the Browns were on their evaluations on that 2016 quarterback class.

This would not be the only time Jackson didn’t get his way regarding a quarterback during his eventful stay in northeast Ohio.

Trade targets Jimmy Garoppolo and A.J. McCarron fell through, the latter in an embarrassing snafu. Cleveland is 0-11 and contemplating major changes this offseason, and Jackson is said to want more decision-making power if he returns in 2018.

Jimmy Smith Out For Season

December 3rd, 2017 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens picked up a key win Sunday, keeping their wild-card hopes going strong. But their playoff push will have to unfold without a key performer the rest of the way.

Jimmy Smith will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn Achilles’ tendon against the Lions, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Smith sustained the injury on a non-contact play but had been dealing with Achilles trouble prior to this unfortunate setback.

John Harbaugh confirmed the diagnosis.

The seventh-year cornerback was operating as one of the best players at his position this season, rating as Pro Football Focus’ No. 12 corner coming into Week 13. This obviously isn’t the first time Smith’s encountered injury trouble. He finished last season on IR due to ankle issues, and a foot malady ended his 2014 campaign after eight games.

The Ravens are more prepared to handle a blow like this in 2017 than they were last season, having signed Brandon Carr in March and having drafted Marlon Humphrey in the first round. But neither were having the kind of season Smith was.

West Notes: Chiefs, Garoppolo, Peterson

December 3rd, 2017 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

There is a “strong expectation” the Chiefs will trade Alex Smith this offseason, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. There could be a “historic” quarterback market in 2018, a league source told La Canfora, and Smith’s name may be a key part of it. The fifth-year Kansas City starter has just one more season left on his contract, and the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes waiting in the wings. While Mahomes is viewed as a project, and one that might not necessarily mesh with the Chiefs’ veteran core right away, Smith has struggled after a hot start — although, he has four touchdown passes today — and has the Chiefs teetering on the fringe of the AFC race despite a 5-0 run to open the season. The Chiefs sent two second-round picks to the 49ers for a then-28-year-old Smith in 2013, and while their return might not be quite on that level given Smith’s age (34 in May) and contract status, the supply-and-demand issues at this position figure to make Smith a valuable trade chip. Smith is due to comprise $20.6MM of K.C.’s 2018 cap.

Here’s more from the Western divisions, continuing with the quarterback carousel that could take place.

The 49ers do not sound especially eager to dangle Jimmy Garoppolo as a trade piece upon franchising him as they’re expected to, but La Canfora reports there could be a market for such a move. Multiple execs would be interested in exploring Garoppolo trade talks, per JLC, should the 49ers go after ex-Kyle Shanahan protege Kirk Cousins. While the Cousins-to-San Francisco talk has died down since the Garoppolo trade, the Redskins passer could be a tag-and-trade candidate as well. Garoppolo made his first start for the 49ers today, and it may take a rough December from the quarterback to convince the 49ers to abandon this project so soon.
Adrian Peterson will not be available for the Cardinals in their pivotal game against the Rams. The running back suffered a neck injury against the Jaguars last week, and he’ll miss his first game of the season. Peterson missed most of last season due to a knee injury. Kerwynn Williams will start for Arizona, which at 5-6 is facing essentially a must-win game.
On the subject of injured Cardinals, Carson Palmer is not yet ready to close the door on a 2017 return. However, the Cards probably need to win today sans-Peterson to keep that door ajar.
The Chargers will use a fourth kicker of the season today, having swapped out Nick Novak-for-Travis Coons.

C.J. Fiedorowicz Suffers Third Concussion Of Season

December 3rd, 2017 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

C.J. Fiedorowicz won’t return to today’s Texans-Titans game. He sustained a concussion, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).

This is the veteran tight end’s third this season. Fiedororwicz left the game in the first half. He suited up for his fifth game of the season on Sunday and fourth since coming off the Texans’ IR. But considering the frequency of these injuries, it would not be surprising to see the 26-year-old pass-catcher shelved for the remainder of the season.

Fiedorowicz went on IR for a concussion sustained in Week 1, but he also suffered a head injury during the preseason. Despite missing two months of action, the fourth-year tight end’s troubles avoiding these damaging blows have persisted.

The Texans signed Fiedorowicz to a three-year, $21.5MM extension this offseason — with $10MM guaranteed.

Marshon Lattimore To Miss Week 13

December 3rd, 2017 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints are set for a crucial game against the Panthers, but they won’t have one of their top defenders in that game.

Marshon Lattimore will miss Week 13, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The ankle injury that kept the standout rookie out of the Saints’ Week 12 game in Los Angeles will do the same today, with Rapoport noting the team is exercising caution to protect its top cornerback.

The Ohio State product tested the ankle before the home game, but it didn’t go well, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Lattimore’s work has been a big reason why New Orleans has been able to stampede back into the playoff race, and his team missed his presence last week in a loss to the Rams. Jared Goff‘s 327 passing yards marked the most the Saints had yielded since Week 2, a week before their eight-game win streak commenced. Ken Crawley also missed last week’s game, but Lattimore’s running mate is expected to play today. Fellow corner P.J. Williams is questionable.

NFC East Notes: Z. Brown, Eagles, Giants

December 3rd, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Rory Parks

Much of the conversation in Redskins country has understandably revolved around how the team will proceed with quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the team is working to extend linebacker Zach Brown. Brown’s one-year pact with Washington is among the best one-year deals that was signed last offseason, as he has started all 12 of the team’s games and has been a key component of its defense. After a strong 2016 campaign in Buffalo, Brown surprisingly had to settle for a modest contract with the Redskins, but the 28-year-old should be in line for a more lucrative multi-year deal this time around.

Now for more from the NFC East:

The Eagles signed wide receiver Alshon Jeffery to a four-year extension yesterday, which will further limit their 2018 cap space. Per Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, Philadelphia will go into 2018 with just $1.7MM in cap room, so obviously some cuts will need to be made. Shorr-Parks names Vinny Curry, Jason Peters, and Nick Foles as players who could be on the way out, though the rumored Brandon Graham extension would likely provide some cap relief as well.
Eagles RB Jay Ajayi and head coach Doug Pederson did meet this week, but according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia, it was not to discuss the limited playing time that Ajayi has seen since being traded to the Eagles (he has just 20 carries in his three games in Philly). Ajayi exhibited frustration and a sulky mood after last Sunday’s win over the Bears, which led to speculation that he was upset with his relative lack of action. However, he said he was merely disappointed that he lost a fumble at the goal line in the fourth quarter of the Chicago matchup, and there are no issues between him and his coach. When asked if he would like more carries, Ajayi said he just does whatever the coaches ask and will be ready when his number is called.
The Giants have been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the last week, from Eli Manning‘s controversial benching to Ben McAdoo‘s possible in-season ouster. But as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes, the team has not had any talks with any of its key upcoming free agents like Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg. Of course, there could be any number of reasons for that, but Schefter says the situation in New York has grown “depressing and dysfunctional,” and players on expiring contracts are happy to accept the team’s unofficial invitation to test the open market.