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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Extra Points: Manziel, Pryor, Ratliff

By | at October 28, 2015 9:28 pm

The next round of CBA discussions could include some talks on a revamp of team practices, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. In the last Collective Bargaining Agreement, there was a reduction in the number of practices and changes as to how teams practice and coaches have been fighting for more teaching opportunities for young players who are still learning. Ultimately, one of the key changes could see the size of the practice squad roster – currently at 10 – increase.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • At this point it would be a surprise if Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is found culpable and faced discipline for his incident, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Either way, we should all know for sure this week. The NFL is interviewing Manziel tonight about his role in the incident and they’ve already interviewed several of the parties involved (link).
  • Terrelle Pryor continues to work out in the hopes that a team will take a shot on him as a receiver, writes ESPN’s Ashley Fox. Pryor’s lack of practice squad eligibility has perhaps discouraged clubs from rolling the dice on him, but agent Drew Rosenhaus says his client’s workouts have all gone well: “We’re confident that it’s just a matter of time until one of these teams decides to make the move.”
  • The Bears notified the Cowboys of Jeremiah Ratliff’s release as a security precaution, sources tell David Moore of The Dallas Morning News. The Bears cut Ratliff last week after an incident at their practice facility and it sounds like things got fairly hostile. Ratliff has not attempted to come by the Cowboys facility in the past week, but due to the acrimonious nature of their split, the Bears felt compelled to give them a heads up.
  • Calvin Johnson to the Panthers? Tamba Hali to the Falcons? Those trade ideas may be far-fetched, but they’re two of eight deals that Gil Brandt of NFL.com would like to see happen by next Tuesday’s deadline.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

3 comments Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys

Workout Notes: Saints, Seahawks, Jaguars

By | at October 28, 2015 5:13 pm

Today’s workouts from around the NFL..

  • The Jets worked out defensive end Lawrence Okoye, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. Okoye, a former University of Kentucky discus hurler, had previous stops with the 49ers and Cardinals.

Earlier updates:

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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/27/15

By | at October 27, 2015 4:11 pm

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:

  • The Broncos released nose tackle Marvin Austin from injured reserve,Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post tweets.
  • The Rams signed safety Christian Bryant, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Chargers released center J.D. Walton, as Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Texans promoted safety Kurtis Drummond from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets.
  • The Rams have promoted defensive tackle Doug Worthington to the active roster from the practice squad and released Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.
  • The Colts have elevated wide receiver Quan Bray to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and waived safety Dewey McDonald, as Kevin Bowen of Colts.com tweets.
  • The Vikings have promoted linebacker Brandon Watts to the active roster, as Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN tweets. In a related move, cornerback Jabari Price has been placed on IR.
  • The Falcons will bring back safety Charles Godfrey again and release linebacker Allen Bradford, who was inactive this weekend against the Titans, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
0 comments Atlanta Falcons Denver Broncos Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Minnesota Vikings Tennessee Titans Transactions

Practice Squad Updates: 10/27/15

By | at October 27, 2015 4:09 pm

Today’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

St. Louis Rams

  • Signed: DE Gerald Rivers, LB/DE Zach Hodges (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

0 comments Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Rams Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints Pittsburgh Steelers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Transactions

NFC Notes: Levy, Lions, JPP, Hardy

By | at October 26, 2015 12:46 pm

A week after undergoing surgery on his troublesome hip, Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy is still contemplating trying to return this year, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. Asked why he isn’t shutting it down for the season, Levy replied, “We’re not mathematically out of it yet, are we?”

Of course, no team is mathematically out of the postseason yet, and no team will be for several more weeks. But with the Lions in the NFC North cellar at 1-6, the playoffs seem awfully unlikely, so I’d be surprised if Levy doesn’t land on IR within the next couple weeks.

Here’s more from across the NFC:

  • After another disappointing loss in Week 7, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said his team isn’t making any changes to its coaching staff this week, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
  • If Jason Pierre-Paul were to sign his franchise tender with the Giants, and the team placed him on the non-football injury list for the rest of the season, it would likely result in the NFLPA filing a protest over the move, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The union’s goal would presumably be to get Pierre-Paul free agent status, rather than having the Giants keep him under team control.
  • While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones supported Greg Hardy publicly, there are people within the organization that view the defensive end’s behavior as “juvenile,” says Cole in a separate video. The team seems invested in Hardy for this season, but Cole thinks that the former Panther will have to change his attitude in order for his time in Dallas to last more than just one year.
  • The Falcons worked out former Tuskegee linebacker Quavon Taylor last Friday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
1 comment Atlanta Falcons Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions New York Giants

Sunday Roundup: Mallett, Trades, Guion

By | at October 25, 2015 1:07 pm

Ryan Mallett missed the Texans‘ team charter to Miami Saturday and had to make the trip via commercial airline, per Karen Warren of The Houston Chronicle. Mallett is in uniform and will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback today, as expected–the Texans do not have another quarterback on the roster–but he will certainly be fined, and his future with the club has never been more in doubt. Mallett, who also missed a training camp practice this year–he said his cell phone battery died, so his cell phone alarm would not go off–is due $2.5MM in 2016, the second year of his two-year contract, but Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle believes the team will cut ties with Mallett after the 2015 season (Twitter link). If Tom Savage was not on injured reserve, Warren says it would not be a surprise if Mallett was cut today.

Now for some more links from around the league:

  • The Bears‘ Matt Forte, the 49ers‘ Vernon Davis, and the Falcons‘ Roddy White have been the biggest names included in this year’s trade rumors, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) does not believe any of the three will be traded, and he sets forth his rationale for why each will stay with their current clubs for the remainder of 2015.
  • According to Rapoport (via Twitter), there are three notable college coaches who would be open to an NFL head coaching job after this season: UCLA’s Jim Mora, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin. In a separate tweet, Rapoport notes that NFL GMs believe Kelly would be an especially good fit with the Giants, if Big Blue has a head coaching vacancy after 2015.
  • Earlier this year, Johnny Manziel was saying and doing all the right things, and he had earned considerable praise for his on- and off-field behavior and for apparently turning his life around. But after an alcohol-related incident that culminated in an encounter with police several weeks ago–an incident for which he will not be facing any charges–questions about his future in the league have resurfaced. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Browns officials had been bracing for some sort of negative publicity, as Manziel’s demeanor and dedication had taken a turn for the worse after Josh McCown returned from injury to reclaim the starting quarterback job from Manziel, who led the club for one week. Some within the organization have been hoping to part ways with Manziel for some time, and this latest development will give that contingent a little more ammunition, as they have further proof that Manziel is not a team-first type of player.
  • Packers DT Letroy Guion‘s recent legal troubles have been well-documented, but according to Michael Cohen and John Diedrich of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Guion has faced domestic violence charges as well, which had previously gone unreported. In two of the three cases brought against Guion, the charges were dropped, and in the third, Guion paid restitution to avoid additional penalties. He has been accused of stalking and of hitting the mother of his child in the jaw. Those incidents occurred from 2011 to 2013 when Guion was with the Vikings, and if it turns out he never reported the charges to the club, he could face further discipline from the league.
  • The Bears are actively scouting college quarterbacks as they prepare for the post-Jay Cutler era, and Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune examines two potential targets, California’s Jared Goff and Michigan State’s Connor Cook, in detail.
  • Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post examines in detail how Broncos GM John Elway has methodically constructed Denver’s defense, which has been the league’s best in 2015.
2 comments Atlanta Falcons Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Green Bay Packers Houston Texans New York Giants San Francisco 49ers

Workout Notes: Titans, Brown, Johnson, Dixon

By | at October 21, 2015 4:46 pm

Just over seven months after he announced his retirement from the NFL, cornerback Cortland Finnegan had a workout today with the Patriots. Finnegan, 31, was one of the league’s worst cornerbacks in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. PFF ranked Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners, with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games. As such, it came as a bit of a surprise when Miami inked the former Ram to a two-year, $11MM deal in 2014. He might not be worthy of that kind of pay, but he could make for an intriguing depth option for the Pats or another team.

Here’s a rundown of today’s other workouts from around the NFL, with all links going to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post on Twitter, unless noted otherwise..

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Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/15

By | at October 20, 2015 4:40 pm

Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..

Earlier today:

  • The Browns are signing linebacker Jayson DiManche off the Chiefs‘ taxi squad, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. DiManche will take the roster spot previously filled by running back Shaun Draughn, who has been waived, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal writes. The 6-foot-1, 245-pound DiManche has appeared in 28 regular-season games with one start, all with the Bengals. Draughn appeared in five games this season for Cleveland with two carries for 10 yards.
  • The Falcons signed linebacker Philip Wheeler and released safety Charles Godfrey, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Lions have claimed guard/tackle Michael Ola off waivers from the Chargers, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. Ola has yo-yo’d between the Chargers’ 53-man roster and the taxi squad all season long.
  • The Colts promoted safety Dewey McDonald from the practice squad, as Stephen Holder of the Indy Star tweets. The Colts also cut Amarlo Herrera and cornerback Shaun Prater, Wilson tweets.
  • The Seahawks signed Lemuel Jeanpierre and cut Crezdon Butler, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
  • The Seahawks also placed linebacker Brock Coyle on IR-DTR, Gregg Bell of The News Tribune tweets.
  • The Chargers will sign safety Adrian Phillips from the practice squad as early as today, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets.
  • The Raiders re-signed strong safety Taylor Mays, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Saints have signed wide receiver T.J. Graham, according to a source who spoke with Wilson (Twitter link).
  • The Vikings signed Kenrick Ellis and placed Shamar Stephen on IR, Wilson tweets.
  • The Jaguars moved wide receiver Neal Sterling to the active roster and signed safety Craig Loston, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.
1 comment Atlanta Falcons Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Detroit Lions Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Transactions

South Notes: Mariota, Texans, Bucs, Titans

By | at October 19, 2015 1:28 pm

After taking a low hit to his knee on Sunday, Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota continued to play, so the Tennessee coaching staff is “cautiously optimistic” about the status of that knee, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, Mariota is undergoing an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury, and the club is hoping that it’s just an MCL issue, which can heal with rest.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s South divisions:

  • Texans safety Lonnie Ballentine will undergo surgery after dislocating his left knee and suffering significant ligament damage, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Ballentine’s 2015 season will be over, and he figures to land on injured reserve within the next few days.
  • Two free agent fullbacks are auditioning for the Buccaneers today, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, who tweets that ex-Giant Henry Hynoski and Emil Igwenagu are in town for the tryout.
  • After being traded by the Titans prior to the season, Falcons guard Andy Levitre is hoping to show his old team that it “made a bad decision” in getting rid of him, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. A source tells McClure that Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt was never really a fan of Levitre in Tennessee, but Falcons head coach says the veteran guard has been a “great addition” for Atlanta.
  • Don’t expect the Titans to make a change at head coach or general manager during the season, says Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
  • After head coach Gus Bradley said that his Jaguars need to “learn how to finish” games when they have a lead, one player tells Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that “a lot of people will be looking for a job” if the club can’t figure that out. Jacksonville lost its fourth straight game on Sunday, falling to 1-5 on the season.
0 comments Atlanta Falcons Houston Texans Jacksonville Jaguars Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans

PUP, NFI Players Soon Eligible To Practice

By | at October 19, 2015 10:30 am

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the Giants and Eagles, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many clubs could be welcoming injured players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to the practice field.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player currently on the PUP list could return to the field for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest.

The rules for NFI players are similar to those for PUP players. If a player on either reserve list doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, his 2015 season will officially be over.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list who can begin practicing as soon as this Tuesday:

And here are the players currently on their teams’ non-football injury or illness lists, who are also eligible to begin practicing this Tuesday:

  • Arizona Cardinals: WR Damond Powell
  • Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin
  • Cincinnati Bengals: T Cedric Ogbuehi
  • Cleveland Browns: DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, TE Randall Telfer, RB Glenn Winston
  • Dallas Cowboys: LB Mark Nzeocha
  • Houston Texans: T David Quessenberry
  • Kansas City Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray
  • San Francisco 49ers: WR DeAndre Smelter
  • Seattle Seahawks: DT Jesse Williams

In addition to monitoring players on the PUP and NFI lists, it’s worth keeping an eye on players who have been placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this IR-DTR spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that a player who was placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing on Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible to return to game action until Week 9. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after Week 1 will have to wait until next Tuesday – October 27 – to return to practice, while other IR-DTR players will have to wait until November to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as Tuesday:

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