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. 
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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.
John Brown Has Sickle-Cell Trait
The Cardinals listed John Brown as doubtful for Sunday night’s game against the Seahawks, and it’s now believed a sickle-cell trait is contributing to why.
Inconclusive MRIs led the Cardinals to conduct blood tests, and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com notes those revealed this condition is causing the third-year pass-catcher’s hamstring pain. Brown’s dealt with constant leg discomfort over the past two seasons, and this diagnosis helps explain the issues.
Sickle-cell-afflicted people often don’t see symptoms arise, but muscle pain can be one of them in certain cases, Bob McManaman of the Arizona Daily Republic writes. Bruce Arians said Friday this is likely the cause of the former third-round pick’s frequent leg pain last season. Although it’s not curable, it’s a treatable condition, one that retired safety Ryan Clark played with during his lengthy career.
“We’re investigating how to help him,” Arians said. “I think he’s very happy that he found out why his legs are hurting so bad.”
Brown continued the Cardinals’ borderline-historic run with third-round picks under Arians, whose team selected Tyrann Mathieu, Brown and David Johnson in this round from 2013-15. The 26-year-old target hasn’t gotten off to the same kind of start that pushed him past 1,000 yards last season. The former Division II All-American has 24 receptions for 301 yards and no touchdowns thus far. He jumped from 696 yards as a rookie to 1,003 as a second-year player, one who could take on a bigger role in 2017 if Michael Floyd departs as a free agent or Larry Fitzgerald decides to retire.
Cardinals RB Coach Stump Mitchell In Contract Year
David Johnson has made a name for himself as one of the very best running backs in the NFL today. Less well known is Cardinals running backs coach Stump Mitchell, the man who is responsible for developing Johnson into an elite offensive weapon. Pro Football Rumors has learned that Mitchell is now in the final year of his contract and he is aiming to take on a larger role next season. 
Mitchell hopes to remain with the Cardinals, agent Burton Rocks tells PFR, but Rocks also believes that he is capable of a higher title. Rocks says he could conceivably pitch Mitchell as an associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and even head coaching candidate this offseason. It’s also possible that Mitchell could entertain D-I head coaching job offers if the right one comes along.
Mitchell, of course, has deep ties to the Cardinals after spending his entire nine-year career with the organization. The 57-year-old holds the franchise record in all-purpose yards and is second all-time in rushing yards. Now, he has Johnson on track to eventually leapfrog him in the history books. There’s no sign of a staff shakeup in Arizona, but the Cardinals could theoretically promote Mitchell without displacing another coach. For example, Tom Moore holds the title of assistant head coach on offense, but the soon-to-be 78-year-old could choose to return to a less demanding consulting role.
Before joining up with the Cardinals in 2013, Mitchell was the longtime running backs coach of the Seahawks and also spent two seasons as the Redskins’ running backs coach/associate head coach. He also has college head coaching experience with Morgan State and Southern University. In addition to David Johnson, Chris Johnson, and Andre Ellington, Mitchell’s running back resume also includes the likes of Ricky Waters, Ahman Green, Shaun Alexander, Clinton Portis, and Mike Sellers.
As Johnson terrorizes opposing defenses, the timing could not be better for Mitchell to reach free agency. If the Cardinals’ ground game continues to produce, the veteran coach could have an opportunity to climb the NFL coaching ladder in the New Year.
La Canfora: Cardinals Should Be Wary Of Palmer's Injury Guarantees
- When the 49ers restructured Colin Kaepernick‘s deal, they got rid of the embattled quarterback’s injury guarantees so that he could return to the field without the club worrying about being tied to him for the long haul. The Dolphins and Cardinals should think similarly about their quarterbacks, opines Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, as both Ryan Tannehill and Carson Palmer have hefty injury guarantees for the 2017 campaign.
Practice Squad Updates: 10/12/16
Earlier today, the Steelers made a notable practice squad move when they signed running back Karlos Williams. Here’s the rest of today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: QB Zac Dysert
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Lou Young
- Cut: S Marcus Ball
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Anthony Fabiano
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Jay Lee
- Cut: DB Charles Washington
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB Senorise Perry
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Shaq Evans
- Cut: FB Glenn Gronkowski
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Eric Pinkins
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: TE Cooper Helfet
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL A.J. Francis
Carson Palmer Cleared To Play Monday Night
Carson Palmer has cleared the league’s concussion protocol and will start on Sunday against the Jets, the Cardinals announced today.
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Palmer, of course, missed Arizona’s Thursday night contest — a victory over the 49ers — after suffering a concussion during the team’s Week 3 game against the Rams. The Cardinals will face the Jets on Monday night, followed by five of six games against potential NFC contenders. From October 23 to December 4, Arizona’s opponents include the Seahawks, Panthers, Vikings, Falcons and Redskins.
Through four games this year, Palmer has lobbed five interceptions against six touchdowns as the Cardinals have crawled to a 2-3 record on the season. Quarterback Zac Dysert, who was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster to serve as Drew Stanton‘s backup with Palmer sidelined, was cut earlier today.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.