Extra Points: Griffin, Glennon, DEA
Robert Griffin III has struggled since returning from injury this season, and Washington’s head coach Jay Gruden has the power to bench the former first-round pick, writes Conor Orr of NFL.com. In the past, Griffin had been protected by ownership, but patience could be running thin within the organization.
Here are some other notes from around the NFL:
- Speaking of quarterbacks getting benched, Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times argues that the Buccaneers need to return Josh McCown to the sidelines. McCown is not playing well, and although Mike Glennon has failed to perform well either, the young quarterback at least deserves a chance to prove himself as the team’s starter.
- The DEA has continued its investigation of NFL medical staffs this week, focusing on the alleged mishandling of prescription drugs, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Although the investigation is ongoing, there will likely not be any more post-game searches.
- San Antonio is a long shot to obtain the Raiders from Oakland, but they will still attempt to lure an NFL franchise to their city, writes Tom Orsborn of ExpressNews.com.“I’ve seen stranger things happen when parties stay in the game. If staying in the game is a low-cost option, I wouldn’t walk away if I were San Antonio,” said Marc Ganis, a league consultant and president of SportsCorp. “Now, that doesn’t mean I’d pour lots of resources into it, or raise people’s hopes dramatically. But I certainly wouldn’t walk away, because you never know what happens in these things. These things can turn in odd ways.”
- We have looked at top head coaching candidates a number of times so far this season, and will do so again as Adam Caplan of ESPN compiles a comprehensive list of assistant coaches who will be sought after for interviews this offseason (subscription required). At the top of his list are Patriots‘ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Seahawks‘ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and Cardinals‘ defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Caplan also highlights Baylor’s Art Briles, Stanford’s David Shaw, and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn as college coaches who could make the jump to the NFL.
Colts, Cards Put In Claims For Ben Tate
A day after the Browns released Ben Tate, the Vikings were awarded the running back off waivers on Wednesday, claiming him as a de facto replacement for Adrian Peterson once it became apparent that Peterson almost certainly wouldn’t return to the field this season. However, Minnesota wasn’t the only club to submit a claim for Tate. According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Colts and Cardinals also placed claims for the former Texan.
The fact that the Colts also tried to grab Tate isn’t a surprise — the team is in need of help in the backfield after seeing Ahmad Bradshaw go down for the season on Sunday with a fractured ankle. In Bradshaw’s absence, Trent Richardson and Dan Herron are the lead backs in Indianapolis, and neither player has shown he’s capable of carrying a significant load this season.
As for the Cards, their claim is a little more surprising. A pair of beat writers reported earlier in the week that Tate was an unlikely target for Arizona, even if he made it through waivers and became a free agent. The team is currently carrying five running backs too, so depth doesn’t appear to be an issue, though Andre Ellington and Robert Hughes have both been limited in practice this week.
Ultimately, the Vikings won out on Tate due to their subpar record this season. Waiver priority is determined by reverse order of record, so the 4-6 Vikes were ahead of the 6-4 Colts in line. And both teams were well ahead of the 9-1 Cards, who could only claim a player off waivers if each of the other 31 clubs passed.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
In addition to making practice squad changes, teams around the league are also adding and subtracting players from their 53-man rosters today. We’ll round up some of those minor transactions in this space, with the latest moves added at the top of the list:
- The Texans have released Ricky Sapp from injured reserve, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Sapp was placed on IR on October 7th to make room for the signing of linebacker John Simon to the 53-man roster.
- The Titans have cut linebacker James Anderson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Anderson, 31, started all 16 games last season for the Bears. While Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required) ranked Anderson 33rd out of 35 qualified 4-3 outside linebackers in 2013, his poor grade was due in large part to subpar performance against the run — he was one of the league’s more effective linebackers in pass coverage. This year he saw time in seven games as a reserve.
- The Bears have added receiver and return man Marc Mariani to their roster on a two-year contract, waiving safety Ahmad Dixon to make room for the incoming player, the team announced today (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- The Cardinals had hoped Troy Niklas‘ ankle injury wouldn’t be season-ending, but that optimism didn’t last long. As Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes, the team placed the rookie tight end on injured reserve today, ending his season. To replace Niklas, the Cards signed veteran tight end Matthew Mulligan, who was on the Bears’ roster earlier this season.
- The Seahawks have officially confirmed the previously-reported signings of offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre and defensive tackle Travian Robertson, cutting offensive tackle Andrew McDonald and defensive back Steven Terrell to accommodate the new additions. Jeanpierre and Robertson will get a chance to play at center and defensive tackle, respectively, with Max Unger and Brandon Mebane injured.
- Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary has been ruled out for the season and will remain on the reserve/PUP list, the team announced today in a press release. Clary needed to start practicing today if he hoped to play this season, but his hip injury will keep him sidelined until 2015.
NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Bowman, Cards
In what’s been a busy day for NFL news so far – particularly for running backs around the league – let’s catch up on a few items from out of the NFC West….
- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed that center Max Unger will likely miss three or four weeks with ankle and knee injuries, meaning the team will likely have to add a center to the mix to complement Patrick Lewis, as Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk details. Crabtree and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times both cite former Seahawk Lemuel Jeanpierre as a probable free agent addition for the club.
- Within Condotta’s article, he also passes along a tweet from defensive tackle Travian Robertson, who had been on the Falcons‘ practice squad. Robertson announced that he’s on his way to Seattle, a signal that the Seahawks will be signing him away from Atlanta.
- 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman will begin practicing today, starting the clock on a three-week window during which the team will have to move him to the active roster. If he’s not made active in three weeks, Bowman will be ruled out for the season, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio acknowledges that’s a possiblity, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Tight end Garrett Celek, defensive tackle Kaleb Ramsey, and cornerback Keith Reaser will also begin practicing for the 49ers today, triggering their three-week countdowns, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Cardinals reporters Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter links) agree that running back Ben Tate is an unlikely target for Arizona, even if he makes it through waivers unclaimed.
Injury Updates: Monday
We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence. Already today, we’ve learned that the Colts believe Ahmad Bradshaw broke his ankle during last night’s game against the Patriots. Here are a few more updates from around the league:
- Browns head coach Mike Pettine told reporters today that linebacker Jabaal Sheard may be out for the season with a foot injury (Twitter links via Jeff Schudel and Nate Ulrich). As for Karlos Dansby, whose MCL injury is noted below, he could be sidelined for a month or so.
- Dolphins linebacker Jonathan Freeny is expected to miss about four weeks with a hamstring injury, sources tell James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- A successful contract year has come to an abrupt and disappointing end for Falcons running back Antone Smith, according to head coach Mike Smith, who told reporters today that Smith broke his leg and will be placed on IR (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).
Earlier updates:
- As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Falcons cornerback Robert Alford broke his wrist during yesterday’s win over the Panthers. Smith confirmed that Alford will miss two to four weeks with the injury, tweets McClure.
- Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians announced today that tight end Troy Niklas has a high ankle sprain and is unlikely to play this week. The team intends to monitor Niklas and is hopeful that the injury won’t end his season (Twitter links via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
- As first reported by CST’s Victor Howell (Twitter link), Saints wide receiver and return man Brandin Cooks broke his thumb yesterday against the Bengals. Agent Jeff Sperbeck (Twitter link) has confirmed that his client had surgery on his thumb and should return in about four to six weeks.. With Robert Meachem also dealing with an ankle issue, New Orleans may consider adding another wideout to the roster at some point this week.
- The Saints also saw safety Rafael Bush leave yesterday’s game with a leg injury, and Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate reports that Bush has a broken fibula rather than a more serious fractured tibia. Still, a fractured fibula generally requires a few weeks to heal, so we’ll see if New Orleans decides to put Bush on injured reserve — if they do, he’d be the fourth Saints safety to land on IR this year. Ty Zimmerman, Vinnie Sunseri, and notable offseason signee Jairus Byrd are already on IR.
- The Browns believe starting linebacker Karlos Dansby suffered a sprained MCL against the Texans yesterday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dansby is undergoing more tests today to confirm the diagnosis and to determine a timetable for his recovery.
NFC West Notes: Dorsey, Gore, Cardinals
While the Seahawks couldn’t pull out a comeback win in Kansas City yesterday, it was a successful Sunday for the rest of the NFC West, with the Cardinals, Rams, and 49ers all notching impressive victories. In his look at players who improved their free agent stocks over the weekend, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap picks a player from each of those teams, identifying Cardinals cornerback Antonio Cromartie, Rams wideout Kenny Britt, and 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree as three players whose values got a bump after their respective performances on Sunday.
Here’s more from around the NFC West:
- The 49ers intend to activate defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey from off the injured reserve list this week, head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters today, including Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- 49ers running back Frank Gore, who is in the final year of his contract, would like to return to the 49ers next season, but if that interest isn’t mutual, he’s intent on continuing his NFL career elsewhere, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com outlines.
- Addressing the contract extension the team gave defensive coordinator Todd Bowles last week, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said today that he and his staff want to be “proactive and aggressive” with all their decisions, which means locking up quality assistants. Keim recognizes that Bowles could still explore head coaching jobs this offseason, but says “it will take a special opportunity for him to leave us.” Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com has the quotes and the details from the GM’s appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7.
- Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch may be facing a $100K fine from the league, as Peter King explains in his latest MMQB column.
Injury Updates: Sunday
There were a number of notable injuries today, and PFR’s Dallas Robinson already updated us on some ailing NFC players (Max Unger, Trent Williams and Rafael Bush). Let’s check out the latest on others who were hurt today, as well as a notable NCAA player whose season ended yesterday…
- Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has bruised ribs with possible cartilage damage, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. However, the writer notes that there is no fracture or lung injury.
- Chargers nose tackle Ryan Carrethers dislocated his elbow on Sunday, tweets Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego. He is expected to play through the injury and shouldn’t miss a game.
- Colts tight end Dwayne Allen left Sunday’s game with the assistance of a cart, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Allen injured his right ankle and will miss the rest of the game, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
- Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw left Sunday night’s game in the fourth quarter, and Mike Chappell of RTV6 tweets that the running back will be taken for x-rays on his left ankle.
Earlier updates:
- Georgia running back Todd Gurley suffered a torn ACL in his first game back from suspension, according to Seth Emerson of Macon.com, and the writer notes that Gurley’s college career is likely finished. Regardless, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets that “NFL folks” still believe the running back will be a first-round pick.
- Broncos tight end Julius Thomas suffered a sprained ankle in today’s game, according to NFL.com’ Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). He is set to have an MRI on Monday.
- Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will undergo an MRI on Monday to check out the seriousness of his right MCL injury, writes ESPN’s Ed Werder.
Poll: Best Head Coaching Candidates
Colts‘ offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and Browns‘ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have accomplished plenty on their offenses this season, with each team currently leading its current division through nine games. Those performances could lead to big paydays as head coaches next season.
They are not the only coordinators being rumored for head coaching jobs. Giants‘ offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo has been talked about as a possible successor for Tom Coughlin. Broncos‘ offensive coordinator Adam Gase could follow the path of his predecessor, Mike McCoy, who jumped from a record-setting Peyton Manning-led offense to the top job for the Chargers.
The defending champion Seahawks have taken a step back from last season, but the market may not have cooled on both of their coordinators. Both offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn have both been talked about as head coaching candidates, with particular interest coming from the Jets if general manager John Idzik is retained in New York and head coach Rex Ryan is fired.
Todd Bowles has helped put together a great defense in Arizona, as the Cardinals have gone 8-1 despite injuries on the defense. Lions‘ defensive coordinator Teryl Austin could be in a similar position, as his team is currently leading it’s division based on the strength of the defense.
Add to the mix the possibility of Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher returning to the sidelines, or even the possibility of a college coach like David Shaw of Stanford jumping to the NFL, and teams will have a number of options should they decide to pursue a new coach in 2015. That list does not include the head coaches that will lose their jobs at the end of the season, a number of them will hit the open market with impressive records of success. That list could include Ryan, Mike Smith, and Jim Harbaugh, among others.
Cardinals Sign Josh Mauro
FRIDAY, 2:32pm: The Cardinals have officially added Mauro to their roster, cutting linebacker Thomas Keiser to clear room on the squad, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
THURSDAY, 4:54pm: The Cardinals will pluck defensive end Josh Mauro from the Steelers’ practice squad and add him to their 53-man roster, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Mauro, 24 in February, offers tremendous size at 6’6″ and 271 pounds. With a frame reminiscent of Texans star J.J. Watt, the Steelers actually put a No. 99 jersey on Mauro in practices leading up to their October showdown with Houston. The Stanford product played mostly defensive end in college but is said to also have the ability to play on the interior.
Mauro could have made the Steelers’ final cut in August, particularly with question marks surrounding their defensive line, but he had to settle for a practice squad slot after he didn’t make the 53-man roster. Now, he’ll have his NFL opportunity elsewhere.
Extra Points: Bowles, Jaguars, Browns
fIt would be an understatement to say that Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is eager for Josh Gordon‘s return, as Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer writes. “I haven’t seen him out on the football field since training camp, so we’ll have to see where he’s at physically and everything,” said Shanahan. “We’ll try to get him in there, and as soon as he’s ready to go, we’ll make sure to work to get him the ball.” More from around the NFL..
- The Cardinals have extended the contract of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles through 2017, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, the deal will still allow him to pursue head coaching opportunities elsewhere. Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter) adds that the new salary puts him in the top five of NFL assistants and should pay him roughly $1-$1.5MM per season. Bowles figures to be a highly-coveted head coaching candidate this offseason.
- Following the Jaguars‘ release of linebacker Dekoda Watson, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com graded the club’s free agent signings from this past offseason. Overall, the report card isn’t pretty, with defensive ends Red Bryant (four-year, $19.5MM deal, $5.23MM guaranteed) and Chris Clemonds (four-year, $17.5MM deal, ~$5MM guaranteed) as the only B grades. Other notable additions like running back Toby Gerhart and defenisve tackle Ziggy Hood haven’t been worth the money.
- Browns coach Mike Pettine isn’t sweating his quarterback situation in the least. “It’s a good problem to have,” Pettine said in reference to Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter). “We have a quarterback playing well looking for a contract and a first round pick sitting behind him.”