Vikings Were “Tempted” To Start QB Teddy Bridgewater
Although the Vikings opted to start quarterback Case Keenum for at least one more week, the club was “very tempted” to turn to Teddy Bridgewater, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
While Minnesota views Bridgewater as the face of their franchise, per Glazer, it’s entirely fair to wonder what Bridgewater has to offer in the near term. He hasn’t played in nearly two years after suffering a devastating injury during the 2016 preseason, and has never performed under offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. While Bridgewater should still have some chemistry with wide receiver Stefon Diggs after he caught 52 balls in 2015, Bridgewater has barely thrown to fellow wideout Adam Thielen, who was a bit player the last time Bridgewater was under center.
There’s no easy decision available for the Vikings, but given that the club is a near lock to earn a postseason berth (87%, per Football Outsiders), there’s an argument to made that Minnesota shouldn’t make a change at quarterback. Keenum, a journeyman who’d never experienced much success until this season, has performed extremely well in his seven 2017 starts, completing 65% of his passes for 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Advanced metrics like Keenum, as well: he ranks second in DVOA, third in total QBR, and fourth in DYAR, per FO.
The question of whether Keenum places a cap on the Vikings offense is a fair one, and Minnesota also may want to get a look at Bridgewater before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next spring. However, unless each of the Vikings’ remaining games is competitive, the club should be able to insert Bridgewater into the lineup for a few snaps down the stretch run.
Lions Claim LB Kasim Edebali
The Lions have claimed linebacker Kasim Edebali off waivers from the Broncos and waived defensive end George Johnson, the club announced today.
Edebali, 28, had appeared in nine games for Denver this season, but hadn’t made a dent on defense, as he’d seen only 55 defensive snaps on the year. His real action had come on special teams, where he’d played on more than 60% of the Broncos’ snaps. Detroit general manager Bob Quinn has shown a willingness to pay for special teams prowess in the past, and Edebali comes cheap — he’s only due about $400K for the remainder of the 2017 campaign.
Johnson, meanwhile, leaves the Lions after only 24 hours, as the club has just re-signed him on Monday. Detroit has employed Johnson at various points during his career, including his career season in 2014 when he posted six sacks. Injuries and ineffectiveness have marred Johnson’s recent output, but given his familiarity with the Lions’ defense, it wouldn’t be surprise to see him back in Detroit at some point later this season.
Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott Withdraws Appeal
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is withdrawing his appeal, agents Rocky Arceneaux and Frank Salzano tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The NFLPA also announced that it has withdrawn its lawsuit against the league. Elliott will serve his full six-game suspension. He will miss the next five games and return in Week 16 against the Seahawks. 
“In consultation with the NFLPA and his lawyers, and after careful deliberation and review of the recent Second Circuit decisions, Mr. Elliott has decided to forego any further appeals and will serve the remaining suspension,” the statement reads. “This decision arises from a practical assessment of the current legal landscape. Mr. Elliott’s desire for closure in this matter is in his best interest, as well as the best interests of his teammates, family, and friends.
This decision is in no way an admission of any wrongdoing, and Mr. Elliott is pleased that the legal fight mounted by he and his team resulted in disclosing many hidden truths regarding this matter as well as publicly exposing the NFL’s mismanagement of its disciplinary process. Mr. Elliott will maximize this time away from the game and come back even stronger both on and off the field. He intends to release a final personal statement in the upcoming weeks and until then we have no further comment.”
Elliott will release a statement at some point that will explain his decision further, Rapoport tweets. Meanwhile, the NFLPA may still continue the battle in court.
On Nov. 9, the Second Circuit ruled to reinstate Elliott’s ban, sidelining him for Dallas’ game against the Falcons. Initially, an expedited appeal in front of the Second Circuit court was scheduled for December 1st. Instead, Elliott is accepting the suspension, which most likely would have had to have been served at some point. By taking the hit now, Elliott can ensure that he will be eligible for this year’s playoffs, assuming the Cowboys get there.
The running back will miss games against the Eagles, Chargers, Redskins, Giants, and Raiders before returning.
Jon Gruden Won’t Rule Out Coaching Return
In 2009, Jon Gruden became the color analyst of Monday Night Football. Ever since then, it seems, we’ve been hearing speculation about Gruden’s potential return to the sidelines. While Gruden says he’s happy in his current role, he’s not exactly dismissing talk that he could eventually coach again.
“I haven’t talked to anybody,” Gruden said on ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike” (transcript via Pro Football Talk). “All I really have in my life is my family and football. That’s about it. I’m real sensitive to the coaches that are out there coaching, so I don’t speculate. I just love football. I’m trying to hang onto the job I have. I’m very fortunate to be with the people I’m with. I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future. I just know this: I’m gonna continue to give my best effort to the game, stay prepared, and I love Monday Night Football and don’t plan on leaving but, as you know in life, you never say never to nothing.”
The 3-6 Buccaneers could be looking to make a change this offseason and there has been chatter about a reunion with Gruden. There are also some high-profile coaching vacancies in the college ranks, including the University of Tennessee.
Looking around the NFL, there are at least ten teams that could be in search of new coaches after the season is over. Gruden figures to receive calls from a few of those clubs and it sounds like he’ll be keeping an open mind, at minimum.
Saints Add Mike Westhoff To Staff
The Saints are beefing up their coaching staff midway through the season. Special teams guru Mike Westhoff is joining New Orleans on the sideline, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). 
The Saints currently have Bradford Banta as their Special Teams Coordinator with Kevin O’Dea and Deuce Schwartz as his top assistant. It’s not immediately clear if any of those three men will be displaced by Westhoff’s arrival or whether they will now be reporting to him.
Westhoff, 69, has built a reputation over the years as one of the league’s most knowledgeable special teams coaches. After serving as the Dolphins’ special teams and tight ends coach from 1986-2000, he joined the Jets in 2001. He retired after the 2012 season, but the coaching itch apparently has not subsided.
The Saints are atop the NFC South with a 7-2 record. Next up for New Orleans is a home contest against the Redskins on Sunday.
Case Keenum Remains Vikings Starter
Teddy Bridgewater will have to wait at least a little while longer before regaining his starting job. On Wednesday morning, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer announced that Case Keenum will be under center when they take on the Rams this week. 
Fans have been itching to see what Bridgewater can do now that he is finally healthy, but it would be difficult for the Vikings to bench Keenum after he led the team to a road win over the Redskins. After throwing for four touchdowns in the 38-30 win, the Vikings advanced to 7-2, good for first place in the NFC North.
Through ten weeks of the NFL season, Keenum has graded out as the league’s 17th best quarterback, according to the metrics at Pro Football Focus. He’s not necessarily setting the world on fire, but he has played much better than anyone would have expected in place of Week 1 starter Sam Bradford. Perhaps more importantly, the team is winning with him at the helm.
If Keenum falters against Los Angeles this week, it’s possible that we could see Bridgewater take the field for the first time since January of 2016. Short leash or no, it’ll be Keenum getting the Vikings’ first snap at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.
If Keenum’s quality play continues throughout the season, it will set the table for a very interesting scenario in the offseason. Keenum, Bridgewater, and Bradford will all be eligible for free agency in March.
Bucs Sign Senquez Golson To P-Squad
The Buccaneers announced that they signed former Steelers second-round draft pick Senquez Golson to the practice squad. 
Despite entering the league in 2015, Golson has yet to see live action in the NFL. As a rookie, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The following year, a Lisfrancc injury knocked him out of action. This past summer, he suffered a hamstring injury, leading the Steelers to release him before the 53-man deadline in early September. Golson has had some bad luck, but the good news is that he has not been held back by one particularly injury. If he can stay healthy, he could prove to be a valuable addition to the Bucs’ main roster at some point this year.
Martino, 26, has been cycled through the Buccaneers’ roster for the past two years. After spending most of his first two seasons with the Falcons and Eagles practice squads, Martino found his way to the Buccaneers in May of 2016. Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter was Martino’s offensive coordinator in Atlanta, so the connection helped him find work. Last year, he appeared in 13 games for the Bucs and had eight catches for 142 yards and one touchdown.
Bills Bench Taylor, Start Peterman
The Bills are making a major change under center. Nathan Peterman will start on Sunday against the Chargers instead of Tyrod Taylor, coach Sean McDermott announced on Wednesday morning. 
“This is about becoming a better team. Tyrod has made improvements,” McDermott told reporters. “This is not an indictment on Tyrod. He is an important part of our team and will continue to be an important part of our team…I‘ve been impressed with Nate and his maturity at a very early point in his career. He has certainly worked hard. … The other day, we [saw] some good things, albeit it was a small sample size in a regular season. That said, he has a lot of work to do, just like we all do.”
The announcement comes as a shock, particularly since the Bills are in the playoff mix. Granted, the Bills have lost their last two games, including a lopsided defeat at the hands of the Saints last week. In the midst of the blowout, Peterman was given the opportunity to take over. When he did, he marched the Bills down the field for their only touchdown of the game.
The QB change signals that the Bills will be moving on from Taylor this offseason. Buffalo’s deal with Taylor will allow the team to release him after this season without major penalty. Only $1MM of his $10MM salary is guaranteed for next year and he’ll be due a $6MM roster bonus early on in the 2018 league year. By cutting him before that roster date, the Bills can free themselves of most of the obligation.
When he came on board in the offseason, McDermott did his best to give the impression that Taylor would hold on to the job. After some shaky performances, however, the new regime is turning to some new blood.
“He is, in Tyrod Taylor,” McDermott said in May when asked if the team’s QB of the future was already on the roster. “We’ve drafted Nathan Peterman, …I’m not sure there is a team out there that has the depth that we do at the quarterback position. So we feel good about that. We’re anxious to see how Tyrod develops in his third year as a starter in a new system, a system that he has some familiarity with in terms of [new Buffalo offensive coordinator] Rick Dennison’s system in Baltimore a few years back with Gary Kubiak.”
For his part, Taylor is handling the news like a professional.
“I’m obviously disappointed and it’s a decision that I don’t agree with,” Taylor said (via the team’s Twitter). “Ultimately, it’s Coach McDermott’s decision and I need to continue to be the leader and teammate that I know I can be.”
Extra Points: Jets, Goodell, Burfict, Prosise
The Jets have no plans to bench Josh McCown in favor of youngster Christian Hackenberg, as NJ.com’s Connor Hughes writes. “This isn’t Triple-A,” quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates said Tuesday. “We’re going to play the best players that give us an opportunity to win at all positions. That’s our philosophy. Josh is our starter.”
Though just 1.5 games behind Buffalo for the AFC’s last wildcard spot, New York is sitting last in the East with a 4-6 record and might be better served seeing what the team has in Hackenberg or Bryce Petty sooner rather than later with McCown, at 38 and on a one-year deal, obviously not the team’s future at the position.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- League spokesman Joe Lockhart says the impetus for signing commissioner Roger Goodell to a new deal despite having 18 months remaining on his current contract were a series on notable events on the horizon, according to ESPN’s Jim Trotter (Twitter link) Those milestones include the new collective bargaining agreement in 2020 and network TV deals in 2021 and 2022. “Sense that getting an extension beyond those dates was in the best interest of (NFL),” Lockhart said.
- Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict will not be suspended for making contact with a referee in Sunday’s game vs. Tennessee, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Instead, it will be reviewed using the standard process for a possible fine. Burfict was ejected from the game after picking up a pair of personal-foul penalties on one drive midway through the second quarter.
- 49ers safety Adrian Colbert could possibly miss the team’s upcoming game with Seattle after breaking his thumb vs. New York, coach Kyle Shanahan tells reporters and ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). The injury, which will require surgery, was sustained early in the first quarter but Colbert managed to play the rest of the way. Should he not be ready for the Seahawks, Antone Exum and Dexter McCoil are potential replacements, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco (Twitter link).
- Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson is happy to have left Cleveland and hopes Jacksonville can “hang 40 on them” when the team’s meet up this weekend, writes ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. The veteran defender spent his first four seasons with the Browns before joining the Jags in 2016 and apparently still harbors some ill feelings to the organization, which he also criticized for not drafting Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson.
- Seahawks running back C.J. Prosise could return in time for the postseason, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. The coach said the injury will have Prosise sidelined six weeks, but he must sit out eight games after being placed on IR.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/14/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Chicago Bears
- QB Taylor Heinicke; WRs Demarcus Ayers, Canaan Severin, Paul Turner; G Darrell Greene (link)
Cincinnati Bengals
- T Laurence Gibson (link)
Detroit Lions
- DE Armonty Bryant; LB Max Valles; S Duke Ihenacho (link)
Houston Texans
- TEs Brandon Barnes, Gabe Holmes (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- QB Tyler Ferguson; RBs Ka’Deem Carey, Dare Ogunbowale, Juwan Thompson; WRs Dres Anderson, Isaac Fruechte, Alonzo Moore, Tim Patrick (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- LSs Ryan DiSalvo, Andrew East, Drew Ferris (link)
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
- Ks Andrew Franks, Jason Myers (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- OL Jeremiah Poutasi (link)
San Francisco 49ers
- G Jake Eldrenkamp; C Anthony Fabiano (link)
Seattle Seahawks
- LBs Boseko Lokombo, Jason Thompson (link)
Washington Redskins
- S Lorenzo Jerome (link)