Jets Work Out DB Maurice Alexander
The Jets worked out free agent safety Maurice Alexander this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Alexander was waived by the Rams on Monday.
New York is currently deploying two rookies — Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye — at safety, and both have performed surprisingly well through five games. Terrence Brooks and Rontez Miles are currently the Jets’ backup defensive backs, and both have played on fewer than 60 defensive snaps. Both Brooks and Miles have been contributors on special teams, however, and both have seen action on at least a quarter of New York’s ST plays (Brooks, notably, is second to only linebacker Julian Stanford in Jets special teams snaps).
Alexander, 26, started 14 games for Los Angeles in 2016 and had started four contests for the club this season. The former fourth-round pick wasn’t playing all that well, however, as Pro Football Focus had graded Alexander as a bottom-10 safety in 2016. But Alexander offers both youth and experience, and could potentially become a valuable reserve for the Jets if signed.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/13/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: T Dieugot Joseph
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Norman Price
- Released: OL Oni Omoile
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB A.J. Hendy
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Garrett Sickels
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Trevor Reilly
- Released: S Alex Carter
- Placed on injured list: OL Cole Toner
Free Agent DB Matt Elam Suspended
Free agent safety Matt Elam has been suspended six games for violating an NFL policy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
While there’s no word as to exactly how Elam earned his ban, the former Ravens defensive back has been linked to plenty of legal hot water this year. Elam, 26, was arrested on drug charges in February before being detained for grand theft and battery in May. Both sets of charges have since been dropped, but as we’ve seen in the past, the absence of formal, legal ramifications won’t prevent the NFL from handing down a suspension.
Elam can serve the six-game ban as a free agent, and it’s unlikely that any club will show interest in the four-year pro while he’s on suspension (or potentially after the ban has concluded). A former first-round pick, Elam missed the entirety of the 2015 campaign with injury and was demoted when he returned to the active roster the following season. After missing the first half of 2016 with an knee issue, Elam appeared in nine games for Baltimore but never started a contest.
Because the Ravens declined Elam’s 2017 fifth-year option, he became an unrestricted free agent this spring. But with multiple arrests hanging over his head, Elam hasn’t generated any known interest on the open market.
Giants Audition OL Orlando Franklin
The Giants auditioned or met with a host of free agents today, according to Field Yates and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), and the club specifically focused on the offensive line. Here’s the entire list:
Workouts
- OL Orlando Franklin
- OL Nick Becton
- OL Connor Bozick
- OL Laurence Gibson
- OL Victor Salako
- LB P.J. Dawson
- DB Darryl Morris
Visits
- OL Cyrus Kouandjio
- OL Reid Fragel
Franklin, 29, has already been released twice this calendar year, first by the Chargers — who employed Franklin for the past two seasons — and then by the Saints, with whom Franklin lasted less than a week. A knee injury reportedly led to New Orleans cutting ties, and though there was some thought that Franklin could re-sign with the Saints, a new deal never came to fruition.
A guard by trade, Franklin has also played tackle (the area of most need on the Giants’ roster), but it’s not clear that he’d be an improvement over Ereck Flowers or Bobby Hart. To be sure, Flowers and Hart have struggled mightily this season, but Franklin graded as one of the seven worst guards in the NFL a year ago, per Pro Football Focus. As far as reserves go, however, New York could do worse, as Franklin boasts 89 starts worth of pro experience.
Kouandjio offers several intriguing traits, as well, and chief among them is his youth, as he’s still only 24 years old. The former second-round pick was waived by the Bills earlier this year following an odd off-field incident, and then failed to beat out draft bust Greg Robinson for the Lions’ fill-in left tackle job. He’s only started 12 games in three NFL seasons.
Ezekiel Elliott Rumors: Friday
On Thursday, the Fifth Circuit of Appeals ruled in favor of the NFL, putting Ezekiel Elliott‘s six-game suspension into effect starting with Dallas’ post-bye return in Week 7. At least, that’s how it seems right now. If we’ve learned anything from monitoring the Elliott saga, it’s that nothing is over until it’s over.
In the aftermath of the decision, Elliott’s attorney said the running back’s camp is “exploring all..legal options” with a decision on the matter to come in “a couple of days.” While it seems like Elliott will be out of action until the Nov. 30 game against the Redskins, it’s still possible that the judicial system could help erase his ban or at least kick the can down the road until 2018.
We’ll keep track of the latest on Elliott here with the latest news up top:
- The NFLPA will be filing a petition for rehearing with the Fifth Circuit in the Elliott case (via lawyer Daniel Wallach on Twitter). Because the NFL’s latest legal victory came with a 2-1 vote and not a unanimous one, the union’s legal team may feel that it has a real chance of swinging things back in the other direction.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sounds like he’s going to continue his fight against Roger Goodell and the league office. “This was a setback yesterday,” he told 105.3 The Fan (Twitter link) “There’s still more to come.” He added that he does not feel the suspension was done in a “fair way,” (Twitter link). With the backing of the NFLPA plus the deep pockets of Jones, Elliott certainly has the resources to take his fight to the highest courts, provided that they will hear his case.
No Offset Language In Bowman’s Deal
The 49ers do not have special offset language in NaVorro Bowman‘s contract, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) has learned. That means Bowman can collect on both his guaranteed salary from San Francisco and pay from another team, based on the NFLPA’s understanding of his deal. 
[RELATED: 49ers Release LB NaVorro Bowman]
Players with offset language tend to approach free agency differently than those who do not. Darrelle Revis, for example, is owed $6MM from the Jets for the 2017 season, so he would effectively be playing for free if he were to sign with any team for less than that amount.
Since Bowman can double-dip, he probably won’t be willing to just sign with any club for the minimum. Instead, you can expect him to take full advantage of the double dip and encourage bidding amongst the interested teams. Although, he might be inclined to take a discount to play with a contender since he has not been to the postseason since 2013.
49ers Release LB NaVorro Bowman
NaVorro Bowman’s time in San Francisco has come to an end. The Niners announced that he has been released. 
[RELATED: No Offset Language In Bowman’s Deal]
“NaVorro gave his heart and soul to this team for the last eight years, and for that we are all extremely grateful,” said 49ers GM John Lynch. “During that time, NaVorro was a key component of one of the best teams in the League and his passion for the game allowed him to quickly become a favorite of our Faithful fans. Thursday evening, Kyle and I met with NaVorro, and from our conversation it became evident that going in different directions was best for both him and our team. Although NaVorro may be moving on, he will always be looked at as one of the great players to wear the red and gold. We wish him and his family great success.”
On Friday, it was reported that the Niners were working to trade the veteran linebacker. Earlier this week, Bowman’s agent Drew Rosenhaus sent a letter to the league’s other 31 teams saying he had permission to seek a trade (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Even with Rosenhaus working to find a suitor, it couldn’t be done. Apparently, no one was willing to take on Bowman’s mammoth contract, which included a $12MM cap hit for the 2018 season.
Bowman first entered the league as a third-round pick of San Francisco in 2010. In the eight seasons since, he has earned First-Team All-Pro honors four times and three Pro Bowl trips. He also led the team in tackles in four of the previous six seasons (2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015).
Despite his impressive resume, Bowman has been subbed out frequently by the coaching staff this offseason. The pitch count was devised to keep Bowman fresh and healthy, but the veteran wanted no part of the linebacker rotation. He’ll finish out the SF portion of his 2017 season with 37 tackles, one pass defensed, and no sacks in five games. According to the metrics at Pro Football Focus, Bowman was playing some of the worst football of his career this year. His poor 45.0 grade puts him near the bottom of the league’s qualified linebackers, a precipitous drop from his past work.
49ers Shopping LB NaVorro Bowman
NaVorro Bowman is on the block. The 49ers are shopping the linebacker and there are teams interested, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Schefter adds that his time in San Francisco could “soon could come to an end,” so a trade could be imminent. 
This isn’t the first time that Bowman has been rumored to be on the block, but this time around the whispers are more like screams. This season, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has limited Bowman’s snaps in an effort to keep him fresh and that has not been sitting well with the veteran.
“I would expect him to fight tooth and nail to come off the field and I would expect him to fight tooth and nail to get back on the field. That’s why Bowman is a special football player,” Saleh said on Thursday (link via USA Today).
Bowman, 29, suffered an Achilles tear around this time last year, ending his season after just five games. He also missed the entire 2014 campaign due to injury. The Niners’ desire to protect Bowman is understandable, but he is too fierce of a competitor to accept a reduced role in a three-man rotation.
The 49ers vigorously denied reports of Bowman being on the block this past spring, but it sure sounds like they are serious about shipping him out. Bowman has proven himself to be a world-class talent in past seasons, but there’s a new regime in SF and they are not keen on keeping him around in 2018 with a cap hit of $12MM. His contract runs through the 2022 season – his age-34 campaign.
Trading Bowman for draft picks would allow the 0-5 Niners to build towards the future while moving first-round pick Reuben Foster to his preferred role at Mike linebacker. The trade deadline is on Oct. 31, so the Niners have a little over two weeks to find a taker.
Vikings’ Bradford, Diggs Out With Injuries
The Vikings announced that they will be without both quarterback Sam Bradford and wide receiver Stefon Diggs when they take on the Packers this weekend. It’s perhaps not a great sign that both players have been ruled out completely two days before gametime. 
Bradford took a beating in the Vikings’ win over the Bears and was forced off of the field in the first half. He has no new injury to his knee, but the “wear and tear” he suffered is cause for concern given his history. The good news is that the Vikings won with Case Keenum under center, so they feel alright about starting him again this week. If they have to go longer than one week without their top QB, however, it could be a problem for the Vikings.
Diggs, meanwhile, was not able to practice on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday due to a groin issue. Groin injuries have a tendency to linger, so it’s a situation to monitor even beyond Week 6. Through five games, Diggs has 23 catches for 395 yards and four touchdowns. He hasn’t had a ton of grabs, but he has the fifth-highest receiving yardage average in the NFL on a per-game basis. Without Diggs, the Vikings will be leaning even more on Adam Thielen (No. 6 in per-game receiving yards) and the recently activated Michael Floyd.
Latest On Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
This week, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was hit with what the Giants are calling an “indefinite” suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. The ban might not last all that long, however. On Friday, coach Ben McAdoo told reporters he and Rodgers-Cromartie will “revisit” the suspension next week (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). 
[RELATED: Victor Cruz Lobbies Giants To Sign Him]
Furthermore, McAdoo told reporters that DRC has not requested a trade. Even if that’s true, the 0-5 Giants may want to consider that possibility between now and the Halloween deadline. DRC has a cap hit of $8.589MM for this season and $8.5MM for next season before his contract expires. If the Giants are in for a rebuild, and it certainly seems like they are, it would make sense to turn him into draft capital. With young Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins, the Giants would still have two quality starters to bank on going forward.
DRC has looked slow at times this season, but the stats indicate that he is still playing solid football. In his five games, DRC ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 30 corner in the NFL this season with a quality 80.3 overall score.