Latest On Derek Carr’s Return
Derek Carr made a surprising return to Raiders practice on Thursday despite being diagnosed with a transverse process fracture earlier this week. However, that unexpected re-emergence doesn’t mean he’ll return for Week 5.
Oakland’s franchise quarterback will still miss the Raiders’ home tilt against the Ravens on Sunday, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com notes. EJ Manuel will still take the field for the first time as a Raiders starter, being set to do so because the Raiders don’t want to unnecessarily accelerate Carr’s return timetable, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes.
The fourth-year passer was given a two-to-six-week recovery schedule despite the fact Tony Romo and Cam Newton returned from transverse process fractures after missing one game apiece. Carr went through the team’s stretching period and got in some throws, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, but it doesn’t sound like this was an extensive workout barely four days after suffering the back injury. Left tackle Donald Penn also referred to Carr as “very ahead of schedule,” per Bair (on Twitter).
The Raiders have home games against the Ravens and Chargers the next two Sundays before the Chiefs make a visit to the Bay Area for a critical Thursday-night clash. Bair and Gehlken note there’s a chance Carr returns for the Week 6 game against the Bolts. That goal being in play would, if nothing else, put Carr on a better track to face the Chiefs, if indeed he sits against the Chargers the Sunday prior.
49ers Work Out Datone Jones, Jayrone Elliott
Datone Jones‘ workout tour continued this week when the former Packers cog auditioned for the 49ers, Howard Balzer of SportsOnEarth reports (on Twitter).
The fifth-year defensive lineman has also worked out for the Bears, Lions, Patriots and Jets since the Vikings cut him from their IR list in September.
Interestingly, the 49ers also worked out ex-Packer edge defender Jayrone Elliott, per Balzer. Jones left the Packers in free agency, but Elliott became expendable after the Packers agreed to a deal with 49ers castoff Ahmad Brooks. Green Bay’s also using ex-San Francisco defensive lineman Quinton Dial as a rotational piece this season.
Elliott was Jones’ teammate for three seasons with the Packers, but he couldn’t stick as a second-unit pass rusher before being traded to the Cowboys. Dallas subsequently waived the fourth-year player later last month, and Elliott worked out for the Saints, Seahawks and Jets before voyaging to the Bay Area for his latest audition.
The 49ers also worked out tight ends Cole Wick and Standish Dobard, along with cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olumu. Additionally, Balzer reports (on Twitter) safeties Antone Exum, Chris Prosinski and Deron Washington worked out for the Niners.
Rob Gronkowski Expected To Miss Week 5
The Patriots are likely to be without their top skill-position weapon Thursday night. Rob Gronkowski is not expected to suit up against the Buccaneers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports Gronkowski will not play.
Gronk is battling a thigh contusion, per Schefter (on Twitter), and the Patriots are expected to hold him out for their short-week assignment in Tampa Bay. The previous reports from the Pats’ south Florida stay indicated Gronkowski was set to play on a snap count, but now he’ll have a two-week break prior to New England’s Week 6 contest against the Jets in New Jersey.
This will mark the sixth straight season in which Gronkowski has missed at least one game. The All-Pro tight end missed eight regular-season games and all three Pats playoff contests last season and missed one game in each of the previous two campaigns. This injury doesn’t sound nearly as serious as the maladies that shelved Gronk in the past, so it’s likely he will return by Week 6.
The Patriots will have a chance to gauge their Dwayne Allen trade more accurately tonight. However, the former Colts tight end has not been a key part of New England’s passing game this season. Allen does not have a reception this season.
While the Patriots navigated their way to a Super Bowl title without Gronk’s services for much of last season, this will be only the second time Tom Brady‘s been without his tight end prodigy and Julian Edelman since Wes Welker‘s exit thrust Edelman to the top slot role in 2013. The other instance — an early-December 2015 game — ended in a Patriots home loss to the Eagles.
Now armed with a weaker defense, the Patriots will likely be forced to turn to their array of receivers to compensate in a reasonably big game against the Bucs.
Bengals Audition Three QBs
After working out for the Titans earlier this week, quarterbacks Matt Barkley, Matt McGloin, and T.J. Yates worked out for the Bengals on Thursday, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Each player was a training camp cut and each trekked to Nashville, Tenn., earlier this week for that group Titans audition. The Titans chose a fourth player in their workout group, Brandon Weeden, to be a likely temporary solution while Marcus Mariota battles a hamstring injury.
The Bengals have two active-roster quarterbacks in Andy Dalton and A.J. McCarron, but potential third-stringer Jeff Driskell is on IR with a shoulder injury. McCarron’s also been hobbled by an Achilles injury, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets.
The Eagles cut McGloin after signing him earlier this offseason, and the Bills parted ways with Yates. The 49ers cut Barkley after signing him early in free agency.
Barkley worked out for the Patriots in September, while McGloin also traveled to that workout. Yates did not join that group in New England but is part of the traveling passer crew this week.
Jets Work Out Kendall Langford
The Jets worked out free agent defensive end Kendall Langford on Wednesday, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 31-year-old has been yo-yo’d on and off of the Saints roster. Earlier this week, he was dropped by New Orleans, freeing him up to seek out other opportunities. 
The 31-year-old could be a contingency option for the Jets if help is needed on the defensive line. It’s not immediately clear if they are considering signing him right away, but it stands to reason that they will wait since they still need to free up room for the return of Jalin Marshall.
Langford spent the past two seasons with the Colts before being released in August. Before that, he was with the Dolphins and Rams. He had perfect attendance through eight seasons before he was slowed by injuries in 2016.
Langford had one of the best seasons in his career in ’15 as he registered 38 tackles and seven sacks. He might not be capable of that production any longer, but he could be a quality depth addition for the 2-2 Jets.
Patriots Make Alan Branch Healthy Scratch
Alan Branch was one of the Patriots’ top defensive performers in 2016. In 2017, he’s effectively done a disappearing act. The Patriots have responded by making him a healthy scratch for tonight’s game against the Buccaneers, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. Branch also did not travel with the team to Tampa. 
Branch is being cut out of the Patriots’ plans just months after re-signing on a two-year deal worth $8.45MM. At this point, it’s hard to see the 32-year-old (33 in December) playing out the second year of his contract. One has to wonder if he’ll even get to finish out the first year.
Branch’s deal included $3MM in guarantees at signing, but the Pats can wiggle out of their obligation to him in 2018 by eating just $1MM in dead money while saving $3.7MM against the cap. If he were to remain on the roster when the 2018 league year starts, he’d collect on a $1MM bonus.
Branch, a former second-round pick, was ranked as PFR’s No. 8 free agent interior defender at the outset of free agency. At the time, the Patriots’ decision to re-sign him seemed like a smart one. He turned in back-to-back seasons with 16 appearances, and 15 starts. In 2016, the veteran tallied a career-high 49 tackles and chipped in 1.5 sacks for the Super Bowl champs. Branch also ranked 25th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.
Chargers Sign K Nick Novak
The Chargers are bringing Nick Novak back. He’ll replace Younghoe Koo, who has been waived.
Koo won the Bolts’ kicking competition over Josh Lambo this offseason. The undrafted rookie had some hiccups in Week 2, however, and the team didn’t test him much after he missed two of three tries against Miami. The Chargers, now 0-4, lost that game by two points.
Novak was released by Houston when he was edged out by second-year pro Ka’imi Fairbairn for the kicking job. He re-upped with the Texans on a one-year, $1.15MM deal this offseason, but had to settle for just the $250K signing bonus in the contract.
In 2016, Novak nailed 85.4% of his attempts last season, a tick above his career average. He was the Chargers’ full-time kicker from 2011 to 2014, making 101 of his 117 field goal attempts (86.3%) during his time in San Diego, including 11 of 17 from 50+ yards.
Latest On Dolphins’ Byron Maxwell
The Dolphins are not pleased with high-priced cornerback Byron Maxwell. Last week, the Dolphins deactivated him prior to their London game against the Saints. The assumption in the football world was that Maxwell was taken out of the lineup for substandard play. That is true, but the problem goes deeper than that. In addition to his struggles, Maxwell has refused to play the defenses called by coaches, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald hears. 
After being bumped from the active roster, Maxwell aired his frustrations to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson without giving a full account of the reasons behind his benching. That incensed the coaching staff even more, Salguero hears, and one has to wonder whether the Dolphins could get frustrated enough to release Maxwell outright and eat the money still owed to him.
“ …In no way, shape, did I think my play [warranted] that,” Maxwell said recently. “It’s a coach’s decision. Sometimes you have to deal with it. I’m a team player. Suck it up. Obviously, you think you’re the best man to do the job. You can’t control it. Everyone is trying to support your family trying to do the job.”
Two weeks ago, Dolphins coaches called for Maxwell to play press-man for much of the game against the Jets. Instead, he played far off of the Jets’ receivers as Gang Green rolled to a 20-6 victory. Now, the 29-year-old has ceded his starting job to rookie Cordrea Tankersley. He’s also been leapfrogged on the depth chart by Alterraun Verner, even though coaches feel that Maxwell is the superior talent.
The Dolphins would probably like to cut ties with Maxwell at this point, but his contract makes that hard to do. Releasing him today would leave them on the hook for a significant portion of his $8.5MM cap number. The good news, however, is that Miami can cut him after the season instead of carrying his $10MM cap number in 2018.
Albert Breer On Cousins, Garoppolo, Raiders
This year’s free agent quarterback market is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent memory, Albert Breer of The MMQB writes. Teams are always eager to draft their next franchise QB, but this year it might make more sense for teams to sign a veteran instead. 
“Fans and media want their guy—the start-from-the-bottom, untainted rookie,” one AFC exec told Breer. “And the Moneyball guys will say it’s cheaper through the draft, which is true. Bu if the point is to have a functional starting quarterback, any football guy will tell you that while everyone wants a Brady or Rodgers, the reality is those are fewer and father between. So a Kirk Cousins or a Jimmy Garoppolo? I think football guys are drooling over that. If a guy like that gets out in free agency? You see what K.C. can do with Alex Smith. Put Cousins on a good squad with a good coach, I don’t know many football guys that’ll say that won’t work. And all those guys you named, they all can play at a starting caliber level … You can solve your problem before you get to the draft.”
The crop of potentially available signal callers goes far beyond just Cousins and Garoppolo. Drew Brees, who turns 39 in January, has looked great through the first month of the season. At least one of the Vikings’ signal callers – Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater – should be there for the taking in March and the aforementioned Smith might not have a place in Kansas City thanks to the presence of Patrick Mahomes. Meanwhile, A.J. McCarron is still viewed as a hot property even though he’s on the Bengals’ bench.
Here’s more from Breer’s column:
- Did the Patriots make a mistake by signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore this offseason? Gilmore made costly mental and communication errors against Carolina on Sunday and that’s nothing new, based on what three sources who were in Buffalo last season tell Breer. Gilmore did quite a bit of finger-pointing last year, they say, and also made business decisions on run plays as he nursed a shoulder injury. Gilmore is in Year One of a five-year, $65MM deal which included an $18MM signing bonus. The pact calls for $31MM fully guaranteed through 2018.
- The Raiders didn’t give much consideration at all to signing a stopgap quarterback in the wake of Derek Carr’s injury, Breer hears. That could have been a deliberate move to keep the team’s confidence high, but he hears that the Raiders legitimately like what they have in EJ Manuel and Connor Cook. Eyebrows were raised when it was reported that the Raiders did not consider signing Colin Kaepernick, but it sounds like they didn’t give real though to signing any quarterback.
Bucs Promote Isaiah Johnson
The Bucs are calling safety Isaiah Johnson up from the practice squad, per a team announcement. It’s likely a sign that T.J. Ward will not be able to go Thursday night versus the Patriots. 
Johnson originally joined the Buccaneers as a UDFA free agent last offseason and spent the 2016 season on Tampa Bay’s taxi squad. A spot was opened up for him on the 53-man roster when the Bucs cut Jacquies Smith on Wednesday.
Ward, 30, missed the Bucs’ previous game against the Giants with a hip injury and he apparently needs more time to recover. In his two games, Ward has amassed seven total tackles and rates as Pro Football Focus’ 22nd ranked safety.