Poll: Will The Giants Make The Playoffs?
The Giants are off to an 0-3 start and the odds of a huge turnaround are not mathematically in their favor. As Tom Canavan of The Associated Press points out, only five teams that started the season 0-3 since 1980 have managed to reach the playoffs. It’s a feat that has not been pulled off since 1998 when the Bills went winless through the first three weeks of the regular season but managed to reach the postseason. There’s also this to consider: the Giants entered the year tied for the league’s eighth highest strength of schedule. It doesn’t necessarily get easier from here. 
The Giants were not everyone’s pick to win the NFC East, but few expected them to be this putrid. Last year, their spending spree gave their defense a major boost and they finished out with the second best defensive DVOA in the league. And, on the other side of the ball, the G-Men went out and got Brandon Marshall to help keep defenders off of star Odell Beckham Jr. So far, that hasn’t gotten them in the win column.
“We need to keep fighting through,” said coach Ben McAdoo after Sunday’s loss to the Eagles. “I believe in this team. I believe in the potential of this team. It starts with me and we need to keep fighting to get better and we need to keep fighting to get the win. Got to get that first one.”
The Giants may also have to shake things up, though their out-of-house options are limited at this juncture. The offensive line continues to be an issue for them and that’s a situation that could be best remedied by moving Ereck Flowers out of the starting left tackle spot, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes. Instead, Justin Pugh or undrafted rookie Chad Wheeler could get an opportunity to serve as one of Eli Manning‘s top protectors while Flowers competes with Bobby Hart for the starting job on the right side instead. If that sounds like an uninspiring option, that’s because it is an uninspiring option. The reality is that the Giants blew their wad in the 2016 offseason, leaving little room for much-needed upgrades this year, such as improvements on the O-Line.
Now 0-3 and 0-2 within the division, do you see the Giants rallying to make the postseason? Cast your vote here:
Will The Giants Make The Playoffs?
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No 88% (1,462)
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Yes 12% (198)
Total votes: 1,660
Montreal Als Reach Out To Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick is still without an NFL job as we head into October, but the team holding his rights in Canada has reached out to him him. Montreal Alouettes GM Kavis Reed says that he has spoken with Kaepernick’s agent, as Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette writes. However, the team has not invited Kaepernick to Montreal for a visit or workout yet. 
“He’s in the midst of some very important things,” Reed said. “We understand there’s a movement going on around him. We’re doing our due diligence and making certain they know we want to see where he’s at. It’s a matter of kicking the tires at this stage. To me, he’s a very good player. Take all the movement stuff aside. He’s a young man that we feel has a very good football IQ. He has taken a team to a championship level. The talent’s there. As a GM, you have to look at the talent. It’s incumbent on us to explore it.”
Kaepernick only recently reaffirmed his desire to play in the NFL and there has been no indication that he would consider playing in the CFL at this time. There’s also not much time left in the CFL’s season, so the odds of him going north of the border this year aren’t great.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats once held Kaepernick’s negotiation rights, but they were recently transferred to the Als. The Ti-Cats still hold the rights to quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III, however.
Kaepernick will turn 30 on Nov. 3.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Jets Place WR Charone Peake On IR
The Jets have placed wide receiver Charone Peake on injured reserve. Peake suffered an ankle injury during Sunday’s win against the Dolphins and did not return to action. His roster spot will be filled by the addition of running back Travaris Cadet.
[RELATED: Jets Sign RB Travaris Cadet]
X-Rays on Peake’s ankle came back negative earlier this week, but the Jets are apparently taking the cautious approach with him. In theory, he can return from IR if the Jets choose to use one of their two IR-DTR spots on him, but he’ll have to wait at least eight weeks before suiting up again.
The Jets’ WR group underwent some major changes this year after the team released Eric Decker rising star Quincy Enunwa suffered a season-ending neck injury. Some thought Peake would be in line for an increased role, but he has drawn only one target through three games. The bulk of his playing time has come on special teams.
In 2016, Peake had 19 receptions (35 targets) for 186 yards.
Ravens Sign LB Jonathan Freeny
The Ravens have signed former Patriots linebacker Jonathan Freeny. He’ll take the roster spot of defensive end Brent Urban, who was formally placed on injured reserve. 
Freeny started five games for the Patriots over the last two seasons and signed a two-year extension with the team prior to the start of the 2016 season. Despite that, he was cut during final cutdowns this September. Since then, the Giants, Bears, and Texans worked him out, but none of those auditions resulted in a contract.
The Ravens have signed Freeny to add some needed depth at inside linebacker. They lost a supporting piece recently when UDFA Bam Bradley was placed on IR with an ACL injury. Freeny could see some snaps behind starters C.J. Mosley and Kamalei Correa while also contributing on special teams.
Freeny, a five-year NFL veteran, amassed 60 tackles and one sack for the Pats over the last two years.
Johnny Manziel Won’t Play In CFL This Year
We won’t be seeing the birth of Johnny Canadian Football. At least, not this year. Johnny Manziel has been barred from playing in the CFL in 2017, the league’s commissioner announced on Wednesday. 
“After an extensive process of due diligence and an in-person meeting with Mr. Manziel, the Commissioner has decided that he will not register any contract for Mr. Manziel for this season,” said the league in a statement. “However, Mr. Manziel will be eligible to sign a contract for the 2018 season and, if Mr. Manziel meets certain conditions that have been spelled out by the Commissioner, the CFL will register that contract. The specifics of those conditions are confidential and will not be disclosed. The CFL has extended the stay on the expiry of the 10-day window for Mr. Manziel until Nov. 30, 2017 and therefore Mr. Manziel will remain on Hamilton’s negotiation list until that date.”
Recently, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats worked out Manziel and, depending on who you ask, they may have had some interest in signing the controversial quarterback. The Ti-Cats have Manziel on their 45-man negotiation list, but the league will not green light a signing until next year.
Moments after the league rendered its decision, Manziel issued a statement of his own:
“I recently had a really positive meeting with Commissioner Randy Ambrosie and welcomed the chance for us to get to know each other and have an in-depth talk about a possible future with the CFL. I love this game and want to be back on the field in a situation where I can help a franchise in the long term. Over the past months, my agent helped me vet all of my options for playing, figuring out where I could be most effective and get back to having the most fun with the game I love. I’m ready to play today, but we all agreed with the Commissioner that it made no sense for me to join a team with only a month left in the season – it wouldn’t have been fair to my teammates, coaches or the fan base. I want to come into a team and earn my job day one, like everyone else. I look forward to preparing myself as best I can and look forward to what the future holds.”
Manziel, 25 in December, hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former first-round choice completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Jets Sign Travaris Cadet
The Jets have signed Travaris Cadet, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Cadet will help fill the gap with Matt Forte likely to miss Sunday with a toe injury. 
Cadet auditioned for the Jets on Tuesday, along with former Chiefs running back Knile Davis. Cadet, apparently, made a stronger impression on the Jets and his pass-catching acumen probably has a lot to do with that.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound tailback has only 26 carries and 84 rushing yards for his career, but he has done some damage catching passes out of the backfield. Over the years, the 28-year-old has caught 102 receptions and scored seven touchdowns through the air. Last year, he set career highs in catches (40) and receiving TDs (four) with the Saints.
After an upset win over the Dolphins, the Jets will look to keep things rolling against the Jaguars at Metlife Stadium.
Extra Points: Jets, Baldwin, Boone, Packers
Former Jets linebacker Erin Henderson was placed on the team’s non-football injury list last season, and the player is now suing the organization, citing “wrongful termination and disability discrimination.” According to Connor Hughes of NJ.com, Henderson is seeking $3.3MM in compensatory damages in addition to punitive damages, using his remaining 2016 and hypothetical 2017 salary as a guideline.
The lawsuit does acknowledge that the 31-year-old suffers from bipolar disorder, but it also notes that the organization was never accommodating before they “wrongfully terminated his employment.” The team ultimately said Henderson “was not fit” to play football, a revelation that the player didn’t learn about until the NFLPA grievance hearing in June.
The 2008 undrafted free agent out of Maryland spent the first six years of his career with the Vikings before spending the 2015 and 2016 campaign in New York. During his Jets tenure, Henderson appeared in 21 games (including four starts during his “injury-shortened” 2016 season), compiling 66 tackles and one forced fumble.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…
- Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin is currently day-to-day with a groin injury, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The reporter notes that there’s optimism that the Pro Bowler could even play this weekend. The 29-year-old had his best game of the season this past weekend, and he’s already hauled in 20 catches for 212 yards and one touchdown this season.
- Cardinals general manager Steve Keim told 98.7FM in Arizona that offensive guard Alex Boone has an injured pectoral muscle (via Kent Somers of AZCentral.com on Twitter). The veteran had an MRI today, and the team is hopeful that he can play through it. After refusing to take a pay cut from the Vikings, the 30-year-old ultimately joined Arizona this offseason, and he’s started two of the team’s first three games.
- The Packers placed long snapper Brett Goode on the injured reserve yesterday, and ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky reports that the player has now reached an injury settlement with the organization. This means the Packers can sign him later this season without making him one of the two players the team can return from the IR.
Seahawks Work Out Trio Of Defenders
The Seahawks were reportedly busy today, working out a trio of defenders. According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), the team auditioned linebackers Akeem Ayers and Jayrone Elliott and defensive end Branden Jackson.
Ayers is the most notable of the defenders, as the former second-round pick has started 57 games since 2011. The 28-year-old spent the 2016 season with the Colts, compiling 21 tackles, two sacks, and one interception in 16 games. He was ultimately cut by Indy in early September. Ayers has also had stints with the Titans, Patriots, and Rams.
Elliott, a former undrafted free agent out of Toledo, spent the first three seasons of his career in Green Bay, where he collected 48 tackles and four sacks in 38 games. He was traded to the Cowboys in early September, but the team ended up waiving him last week. Meanwhile, Jackson spent his entire rookie campaign with the Raiders in 2016, collecting a single tackle in three games.
The Seahawks could use some reinforcement at defensive end, especially with Dion Jordan and Malik McDowell sitting on the NFI list. Their need for a linebacker is a bit more questionable, as the team is currently rostering four backups in Marcus Smith, Dewey McDonald, D.J. Alexander, and Michael Wilhoite.
NFL Workout Updates: 9/26/17
Tuesday’s workout updates (links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle or ESPN’s Adam Caplan):
Atlanta Falcons
- CB D’Joun Smith, S Chris Prosinski
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
- LB Kennan Gilchrist, LB Trevor Bates, LB Andrew Gachkar, RB/LB Connor Harris
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Evan Baylis
Jacksonville Jaguars
Los Angeles Chargers
- LB Josh Mauga
Los Angeles Rams
Minnesota Vikings
- TE Evan Baylis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Dolphins’ Jarvis Landry Won’t Face Charges
After being accused of battery in early August, it sounds like Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry won’t face charges. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport passes along (via Twitter) that the Florida State attorney will not file charges of domestic violence.
“I am very thankful that this matter is over and my family and I can put this behind us now,” Landry said in a statement (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). “I greatly respect and appreciate the Broward County State Attorney’s Office for their hard work and thorough investigation into this matter and I am thankful that they were able to come to a conclusion that reaffirms the true facts that no crime was committed. My daughter’s mother and I will continue to co-parent to raise our child in a happy and healthy environment. I would like to thank my family and friends for their continued support throughout this process.”
=While Landry won’t be charged with a crime, he may still face discipline from the NFL, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the case still “remains under conduct policy review.” The initial incident took place earlier this year and involved the mother of Landry’s child. The player has maintained his innocence, according to Beasley.
In the unlikely event that Landry was suspended, it’s be quite the blow to the Dolphins offense. Through two games, the receiver has already hauled in 19 receptions for 126 yards. The 2014 second-rounder has been a standout in Miami over the past two seasons, averaging 102 receptions, 1146 yards, and four touchdowns over that span. Landry has recently been pursuing a contract extension, although the team has yet to make him an offer. Coach Adam Gase was previously adamant that the ongoing legal issue had no impact on negotiations.