Cardinals Place Jared Veldheer On IR
Cardinals left tackle Jared Veldheer needs surgery on his partially torn triceps, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schefter notes that Veldheer had this surgery before and missed ten weeks. The Cardinals have confirmed that Veldheer will go on IR and he is almost certainly done for the year.
Veldheer exited Sunday’s game against the Panthers in the fourth quarter. It’s a frustrating situation for Veldheer who was playing through a broken finger and has already dealt with this tear.
The veteran’s first triceps tear came in 2013 when he was in his contract year with the Raiders. Fortunately, he still found a healthy offensive line market in the spring and landed with Arizona on a five-year, $35MM deal.
The 3-4 Cardinals will miss Veldheer who is ranked No. 18 out of 74 qualified tackles so far this year. Veldheer has been an absolute workhorse for the Cardinals with 578 total snaps on the field this year, the second-highest total amongst tackles this season.
Seahawks, Cards, Broncos Eyeing OL Upgrades
The Seahawks, Cardinals, and Broncos are among the teams internally considering an offensive line acquisition, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, and those clubs are having conversations regarding what they would sacrifice in a trade. The Giants are also interested in making an offensive line deal, per La Canfora, confirming a report earlier today that indicated New York is evaluating the Browns’ Joe Thomas.
[RELATED: Trade Deadline To Be Active?]
Thomas is of interest to Seattle, Arizona, and Denver, as well, but so is 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley, who is thought to be on the trade block. However, both Cleveland and San Francisco have placed high price tags on their respective tackles, and it’s unlikely that any of the interested clubs will be able to meet the cost, reports La Canfora. Both the Browns and 49ers have downplayed the idea that they’re looking to sell at the deadline, but that could be part of a strategy to drive up the price of their assets.
The Seahawks, of course, have fielded one of the more porous offensive lines for several years, and haven’t seemed interested in making a serious investment along their front five. The offensive line issues have become even more obvious with quarterback Russell Wilson playing through injuries, meaning he can’t move about the pocket with his usual prowess. Seattle also ranks 28th in adjusted line yards, Football Outsiders‘ run-blocking metric, and is now starting George Fant — a rookie undrafted free agent who hasn’t made a start since Pee Wee football — at left tackle.
The Cardinals’ offensive line troubles, meanwhile, have been on the interior, where the club has lost guard Evan Mathis for the season and center A.Q. Shipley hasn’t played well. But an acquisition of Thomas or Staley would clearly offer an upgrade, and would allow Arizona to move former first-round pick D.J. Humphries back to the bench. In such a scenario, either current left tackle Jared Veldheer or the Cards’ presumed addition would shift to the right side.
Like Arizona, most of Denver’s line problems have come on the inside, meaning the Broncos would need to shuffle their line in the event of a tackle trade. If Denver picked up Thomas or Staley, incumbent left tackle Russell Okung would probably move to the right side, allowing Donald Stephenson to switch from right tackle to guard.
Cardinals Fill Brown's Roster Spot With Hubert
- The Cardinals promoted wide receiver Chris Hubert from the practice squad to the active roster today. Hubert will fill Jaron Brown‘s roster spot after he was put on IR with an ACL injury.
Practice Squad Updates: 10/26/16
Here are today’s practice squad moves.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OT Martin Wallace
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB Jacoby Glenn
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Darius Hillary, RB Terrence Magee, DL Gabe Wright
- Cut: RB Terrell Watson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: C Jacob Flores
New England Patriots
- Cut: G Chase Farris
New York Jets
- Signed: C Kyle Friend, LB Reshard Cliett
- Cut: WR Myles White
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: CB Trovon Reed
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: QB Joel Stave
Cardinals Place Jaron Brown On IR
The Cardinals have officially placed wide receiver Jaron Brown on injured reserve with a torn ACL, the club announced today. Arizona has not yet announced a corresponding roster move.
[RELATED: Cardinals, Chandler Jones Discussing Extension]
Brown was thrust into a more prominent role yesterday as teammate John Brown was sidelined with symptoms stemming from sickle-cell trait. Serving as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver, Jaron Brown was forced to exit in the first half. If both Browns are out, then the team is left only with Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and J.J. Nelson at receiver. The Cardinals could promote receivers Marquis Bundy and/or Brittan Golden from the practice squad, but they could also look out-of-house for options.
Prior to suffering the injury, Jaron Brown had been a more prominent part of the Cardinals’ offense this season compared to previous years. Brown had already tied his 16-game reception total from last season (11) and amassed 22 targets – one fewer than his 2015 amount. He also averaged an impressive 17.0 yards per catch and added a touchdown over the Cardinals’ first seven games.
Now in need of a receiver, Arizona worked out free agents Aaron Dobson and Jonathan Krause today, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Dobson, 25, has seen two stints with Detroit this year but has yet to suit up for a game. The Cardinals also auditioned quarterback Mike Bercovici and linebacker Zaviar Gooden, per Florio.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Chris Hubert
- Cut: OT Martin Wallace
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Dobson Collins
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Gerald Christian, WR Mose Frazier, CB Joe Powell
- Cut: WR Corey Washington
Cleveland Browns
- Cut: OL Mike Liedtke
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Matt Rotheram
- Cut: RB Mike James
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Keith Baxter
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Doran Grant (Twitter link via Howard Balzer), DT Louis Nix
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DL Bobby Richardson
- Cut: LB Deion Barnes
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DT Sterling Bailey, OT Austin Shepherd, DB Cedric Thompson
- Cut: TE Kyle Carter, TE Brian Leonhardt, QB Joel Stave
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Shamiel Gary, DT Anthony Johnson (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Reshard Cliett (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OT Keavon Milton
- Cut: TE Rashaun Allen
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: RB Zac Brooks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Donteea Dye
Washington Redskins
- Signed: WR Matt Hazel
Cards, Chandler Jones Discussing Extension
The Cardinals and the agent for contract-year defensive end Chandler Jones have been discussing an extension since training camp, general manager Steve Keim told Arizona Sports 98.7 (via Darren Urban of the team’s website). Keim didn’t indicate whether there has been progress toward an agreement.
Jones is “something we have not had here in years,” said Keim, who acquired the 26-year-old in a March trade with the Patriots. Keim gave up a second-round pick and offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper (now with the Browns) for Jones.
In four years with the Patriots, Jones piled up 36 sacks and 10 forced fumbles over 55 regular-season games. The 2012 first-round pick from Syracuse has remained a force in Arizona, where he has amassed 23 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles through seven contests. Jones, who has participated in 96 percent of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps, ranks third in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 103 qualifying edge rushers.
Based on his production, Jones wouldn’t be unreasonable to seek a deal similar to the five-year, $85MM pact fellow defensive end Olivier Vernon signed as a free agent with the Giants over the winter. The former Dolphin, also 26, got a whopping $52MM in guarantees after totaling 29 sacks and four forced fumbles during his first four seasons.
If the Cardinals and Jones aren’t able to find common ground by March, they could hit the one-time Pro Bowler with the franchise tag – worth upward of $15.7MM this year – to keep him off the market. Jones is currently raking in $7.799MM in his fifth-year option season.
Torn ACL For Cardinals WR Jaron Brown?
The Cardinals may have lost a wide receiver for the season. The team fears that Jaron Brown suffered a torn ACL in last night’s game, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Initial tests are pointing to an ACL tear but the team is waiting on additional tests to determine the exact location and severity of the injury.
Brown was thrust into a more prominent role yesterday as teammate John Brown was sidelined with symptoms stemming from sickle-cell trait. Serving as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver, Jaron Brown was forced to exit in the first half. If both Browns are out, then the team is left only with Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and J.J. Nelson at receiver. The Cardinals could promote receivers Marquis Bundy and/or Brittan Golden from the p-squad, but they could also look out-of-house for options.
Prior to suffering the injury, Jaron Brown had been a more prominent part of the Cardinals’ offense this season compared to previous years. Brown had already tied his 16-game reception total from last season (11) and amassed 22 targets – one fewer than his 2015 amount. He also averaged an impressive 17.0 yards per catch and added a touchdown over the Cardinals’ first seven games.
49ers Make Joe Staley Available For Trade
The 49ers have made left tackle Joe Staley available via trade, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. San Francisco wants a first-round pick in order to part with the five-time Pro Bowler.
[RELATED: Chip Kelly Denies Interest In NCAA Jobs]
While there are a number of teams that could have interest in a left tackle like Staley, it remains to be seen whether any of those clubs are willing to meet SF’s asking price. Florio writes that Staley has been “tied” to the Vikings, Giants, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Patriots. A Pats deal would only be feasible if the Niners are willing to lower the price tag, however.
Word of Staley being on the trade block comes after news that several teams are showing interest in Browns left tackle Joe Thomas. In terms of interested clubs, there’s predictably a big overlap on that Venn diagram. However, the Browns are reportedly seeking a second-round pick for Thomas and that could hurt the Staley market.
Staley, 32, is signed through the 2019 season. This season, he has a $5.4MM base salary but that climbs to $8.25MM in 2017. In the final two years of the deal, Staley’s base drops back down to $4.8MM in each season.
So far this season, Pro Football Focus has Staley rated as the 14th best tackle in the league with an overall grade of 81.8. Staley’s pass blocking grade is rather pedestrian, but his run blocking score of 84.6 is the third-best in the NFL, putting him ahead of notables like the Broncos’ Russell Okung and suspended Eagles tackle Lane Johnson.
Joe Thomas Trade Again On Table
Joe Thomas has not made it known he wants out of Cleveland, but as the 0-7 Browns have predictably floundered in another rebuilding year, the left tackle doesn’t seem to have a place on the team. And trade winds are blowing again around the perennial first-team All-Pro.
Several teams are interested in the 10th-year edge protector, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, and all would give Thomas a chance to play in the playoffs for the first time in his career.
Florio reports the Patriots, Cardinals, Giants, Seahawks and Vikings have varying degrees of interest in a potential Thomas deal. But the Browns likely will keep him through Week 8, with the deadline a day after their clash with the Jets. The team owes its longest-tenured player $488K in Week 8; Thomas is under contract through 2018.
The Browns are eyeing a second-round pick for the six-time All-Pro lineman, a source tells Florio. That would be a worse haul than what they could have received last year, when the Broncos submitted a proposal including 2015 first-rounder Shane Ray and a second-round pick. Thomas will turn 32 in December, so his days of being a top-tier blocker are winding down. But he’d certainly be an upgrade on numerous teams’ left tackle situations.
Florio adds the chances the Browns move Thomas are lower than they were a year ago, and teams’ cap space in taking on Thomas’ contract will be an issue. The 6-foot-6 blocker does not have any guaranteed money left on his deal and will make $10MM in 2017 and ’18. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap points out (Twitter link), teams would only need to possess around $4.9MM in 2016 cap space to trade for Thomas. The Giants and Patriots are safely under that mark, while the Seahawks (at $5.931MM) are to a lesser degree. Both the Vikings (league-low $426K in cap space) and Cardinals ($2.171MM) aren’t.
If the Browns get to the point they’re willing to take what they can get for Thomas, Florio notes the Patriots would be interested in being his landing spot. The Pats and Browns already made a deal that sent the Browns’ 2013 first-round pick, Barkevious Mingo, to New England earlier this year. New England placed Sebastian Vollmer on the PUP list due to nagging hip problems that are expected to keep him out all season.
Minnesota’s line has not performed well and placed both starting tackles, Matt Kalil and Andre Smith, on IR. However, the Vikings traded their first-round pick next year for Sam Bradford and recently added Jake Long. Mike Zimmer, in criticizing his offensive line, said (via Florio) the team doesn’t plan to make any more additions up front.
It’s been reported on multiple occasions Thomas will not ask for a trade. But with the Browns having already parted with several veterans, not playing for anything in the short term and showing with their most recent draft moves how much they covet draft picks, a deal would make sense either this season or before the 2017 draft.