Extra Points: Haley, Browns, Patriots, Kendricks, Seahawks, Harrison, Lions
Rumors of clashing egos within the Browns’ coaching staff have been swirling ever since HBO cameras picked up some internal disagreements on Hard Knocks, and coach Hue Jackson recently added fuel to the fire. After a pair of disappointing Browns losses, Jackson hinted he was going to take back more control of the offense, seemingly taking shots at offensive coordinator Todd Haley in the process.
But Haley is pushing back on reports of a feud, saying he and Jackson are on the “same page”, according to Pat McManamon of ESPN. It’s highly possible, if not likely, that Haley is just saying that to the media and that there actually is bad blood behind the scenes. Haley and Jackson have never seemed like a perfect match for the Browns, and tensions are high with everyone’s jobs in danger. Jackson is backing off his initial comments and expressing more confidence in Haley, McManamon writes, but it will still be something to monitor going forward, and firings could be imminent.
Here’s more from around the league:
- In addition to working out former Raiders second round pick Obi Melifonwu today, the Patriots also had a pair of other players in for tryouts. They had “TE Ben Koyack (Notre Dame), S Dexter McCoil (Tulsa) in for free-agent workouts today”, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN (Twitter link). Koyack has been with the Jaguars the past few years, and caught the game winning touchdown in Jacksonville’s first playoff game last year.
- Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks has been suspended indefinitely by the league, and while he’s working to negotiate an agreement with the league office, there’s still no word on when he’ll be able to return. Coach Peter Carroll “says he has been in communication” with the league and while there’s been no “definitive word” they’re “hoping for more clarity early next week”, according to Bob Condotta of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kendricks was suspended due to being charged with insider trading, which led to his release from the Browns earlier this year.
- Damon Harrison was traded from the Giants to the Lions earlier this week, and now we have more details on the trade. It was reported that Harrison was traded for a fifth round pick, but that pick is apparently conditional, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Balzer doesn’t state what the conditions are, but it’s fair to assume they’re related to snaps or games played.
Latest On Broncos Ownership Situation
The ownership of the Broncos has been a hotly contested issue for years now, and it appears the fighting between various members of the Bowlen family might finally be reaching a boiling point. Owner Pat Bowlen has been unable to manage the team for a while now as he suffers from Alzheimer’s, and now Pat’s younger brother Bill Bowlen is suing the trust in charge of the team, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post.
The team had been placed into the trust, led by Broncos CEO Joe Ellis, which has been taking a very slow years-long approach to crowning a new controlling owner, in July of 2014. The battle within the family had been playing out mostly behind the scenes until recently, when it spilled out into the press. Just last week Bowlen’s 28-year-old daughter, Brittany Bowlen, confirmed her long-rumored desire to eventually take over the team. Some league executives and members of the Broncos organization are reportedly most bullish on her prospects as a future owner.
A different one of Bowlen’s daughters Beth Bowlen Wallace, 47, came out a few months ago and criticized Ellis for dragging his feet and said she wanted control of the team. Ellis responded by saying “we have determined that she is not capable or qualified at this time” in regard to Beth. Now Bill is suing the trust, asking the court to remove Ellis and the other members of the trust “due to their failure to uphold Pat Bowlen’s wishes and act in the best interest of Pat Bowlen, his family and the Broncos”, according to O’Halloran.
Troy Renck of Denver 7 tweets “Bill Bowlen has not had stake in Broncos for years” after selling his shares to Pat back in 2002 and writes that he doesn’t “see how he would have any enforceable right in this matter.” Renck also tweeted out the official response from the trust, which states that Bill is working with the same lawyers as Beth Bowlen Wallace. It appears as if Beth and Bill are working together to try and acquire control of the team before it is handed over to Brittany, who seems to be the most likely and preferred successor at this point.
It’s a messy situation, and one that has had a ripple effect in the front office. It’s thrown the team into limbo, and has contributed greatly to the job security of GM John Elway, as no one really has the authority to fire him currently. We should know more about the lawsuit soon, and it will be a very interesting story to watch play out.
Patriots Notes: Etling, Gilmore, Michel
Danny Etling didn’t make the Patriots’ 53-man roster, but that doesn’t mean the team is giving up on him. The rookie quarterback, who New England took in the seventh round of this year’s draft, was signed to the practice squad after cutdown day and has been staying very involved. Etling has been on the sidelines during games this year even though it’s “unusual for practice-squad players” to be on the sidelines, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
Reiss thinks “the club taking a similar approach with him as it did with Jacoby Brissett in 2016 when Brissett was on injured reserve”, and that “the hope is that it helps his growth as a player by allowing him to be part of the game-management process.” It sounds like the Patriots still believe that Etling could develop into something worth keeping some day, and he’ll almost surely be signed to a reserve/futures contract this Winter.
Here’s more from Foxborough:
- Stephon Gilmore signed a massive deal with the Pats two offseasons ago, but he was almost a Chicago Bear. Speaking ahead of the team’s game with the Bears earlier this week, Gilmore revealed he had narrowed it down the the Bears and the Patriots before ultimately choosing New England, Reiss reports.
- The Patriots are being “characteristically tight lipped” regarding Sony Michel‘s injury, but the rookie sensation running back will undergo an MRI tomorrow, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk (Twitter link). Michel’s injury looked scary at first, and it’s possible he’s dealing with something significant that could cause him to miss a lot of time. If that’s the case expect the Patriots, who are already incredibly thin in the backfield, look for more outside veteran help.
- In case you missed it, the Patriots expect tight end Rob Gronkowski to return next week against the Bills on Monday Night Football. Gronkowski missed the game against the Bears after his back flared up in practice.
5 Key NFL Stories: 10/14/18 – 10/21/18
Browns trade Carlos Hyde to the Jaguars. Cleveland had been saying for weeks that they wanted to get rookie running back Nick Chubb more touches, and they finally followed through on their promises by trading Hyde to Jacksonville. The Jaguars sent the Browns a fifth round pick in return, adding to Cleveland’s arsenal of 2019 draft picks. Hyde signed a three-year $15MM deal with the Browns back in March, but lasted only six games with the team.
Cardinals fire Mike McCoy. Many fans and those in the media had been calling for McCoy’s head for weeks now, and the Cardinals finally relented and fired their offensive coordinator. The team promoted quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich to interim coordinator to replace him. McCoy was a hot name two springs ago after losing his job as head coach of the Chargers, and quickly signed on the be the offensive coordinator in Denver. The Broncos fired him mid-season, just like the Cardinals have now. 
Seahawks likely to be sold. Seattle lost their owner this past week when Paul Allen died, and the team is reportedly unlikely to stay in his family. The Seahawks will likely be sold to a new owner, and there have even been rumors about a possible relocation. While that’s still unlikely, it’s impossible to tell what intentions a new owner might have. Any sale will likely take place after the season, and it will be one of the more notable stories to monitor this offseason.
Ted Ginn placed on Injured Reserve. The Saints were dealt a big blow when they were forced to place their number two wideout on IR. Ginn is dealing with a knee injury, and it seems quite possible that he misses the rest of the season, although the team reportedly views him as a return candidate. Last year, the speedster had a career-high 787 yards off of 53 catches, plus four touchdowns. In four games this year, Ginn had 12 grabs for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
Josh Allen has UCL damage. The Bills’ quarterback situation got even worse when it was revealed that seventh overall pick Allen would miss multiple games with an elbow injury. Although it’s not expected to require season ending surgery at this point, it’s still a very significant injury. After Nathan Peterman bombed in relief of Allen, the Bills were forced to turn to recently signed veteran journeyman Derek Anderson to start. It’s a tough blow for Allen and for the Bills as his development will be stunted and the team will have to roll with Anderson for the time being.
Extra Points: Burfict, Tannehill, Browns, Herbert, 2019 draft
Vontaze Burfict seems to always be involved in controversy. The Bengals linebacker only recently returned from a suspension that cost him the Bengals’ first four games of the season, and found himself once again the subject of a lot of criticism due to several hits he made during Cincinnati’s loss to the Steelers last week.
Burfict was slapped with a massive fine, and the next time he makes any sort of hit that’s seen as dirty he’ll be hit with another suspension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport writes that Burfict’s “next similar action to last week will result in suspension for a player the league office has spent countless hours with to try to get him to adjust his play.” Additionally, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk that the only reason the league didn’t suspend Burfict this past week was that they were “concerned that a suspension would not hold up on appeal.” Apparently the NFL wanted to suspend him, but thought it was likely to be overturned by independent arbitrators, and wanted to avoid the embarrassment of losing in court.
Here’s more from around the league:
- “The Dolphins are in wait-and-see mode on QB Ryan Tannehill, whose complex shoulder issues limit his range of motion”, Rapoport tweets. Tannehill has now missed two straight games with a mysterious shoulder injury, and his return date is an open question at this point. The Dolphins have a short week before they take on the Texans in a Thursday night game, and Rapoport adds that it’s “hard to see him playing Thursday night.”
- The Browns should look to re-sign receiver Terrelle Pryor, opines Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Pryor was recently released by the Jets, and although there seemed to be some bad blood between the two sides after Pryor left the Browns in free agency, a reunion would make some sense. The Browns’ receiving corp has been depleted by injuries, and Pryor could definitely help.
- Despite being widely seen as the best draft-eligible quarterback prospect, Oregon signal caller Justin Herbert is likely to not enter the draft and return for his senior season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. A lot of people have identified Herbert as a potential number one overall pick, but it’s “far more likely that the junior actually remains in school for another year”, writes La Canfora.
Latest On DeVante Parker, Dolphins
There’s been a lot of talk surrounding DeVante Parker recently. The former first round pick has seemingly fallen out of favor with the Dolphins’ coaching staff, leaving him with a reduced role for the very limited time that he’s been healthy. Naturally, his name has come up in trade rumors, as the fourth-year wideout still has a ton of talent.
Now there’s a lot of drama, as Parker’s agent is lashing out publicly at the team. Parker was inactive for the team’s game today, which Dolphins coach Adam Gase claimed was due to a nagging injury. Parkers agent insists that isn’t true, and that his client is fully healthy, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter links). It’s pretty shocking for an agent to criticize a coach this forcefully as Parker’s agent, Jimmy Gould, repeatedly called Gase a liar and incompetent in his statement. Jackson does tweet that Parker’s agent is not demanding a trade or his release at this time.
That being said, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he isn’t a Dolphin for long. He’s been connected to a few receiver-needy teams recently, and there was a report earlier today that the Cowboys were “monitoring” Parker in their search for receiver help. Also earlier today, it was reported that the Dolphins were asking for a third round pick to part with the Louisville product.
Parker has always flashed a lot of promise, but has never been able to put it all together and his tenure in Miami has been a bit snake-bitten. He’s seemingly always hurt, and has never been able to consistently produce when on the field. The one thing that might make him stick with the Dolphins for now is that Miami suffered a pair of injuries to receivers today, with Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills both going down with injuries.
Injury Updates: Patriots, Colts, Lions, Redskins
The final injury reports for Week 7 came out earlier today, and there was a lot of news. Lots of key players will be missing their team’s games, while others will be returning after extended absence. One notable rule-out was the Patriots declaring that starting right tackle Marcus Cannon would miss their game against the Bears. It’s a big loss for New England, especially in a week where they have to go up against Khalil Mack. Mack will now be lining up across from a backup tackle, and could end up making life miserable for Tom Brady.
Here are more injury updates from around the league:
- The Colts have been the most injured team in recent memory the past few weeks, but are finally getting some good news. Star receiver T.Y. Hilton has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, but is ready to make his return this week. Unfortunately for Indianapolis, they’ll still be without tight end Jack Doyle and receiver Ryan Grant as well as several key contributors on defense like safety Clayton Geathers and defensive tackle Denico Autry.
- The Lions will be without running back Theo Riddick, who went down during the team’s win over the Packers. Riddick has been operating as the Lions’ third down back, and rookie Kerryon Johnson should get more run with him out of the way. On the bright side, the team looks like it could be getting back pass-rusher Ezekiel Ansah, who hasn’t played since Detroit’s Week 1 loss. Ansah is listed as questionable but practiced all three days this week.
- The Redskins will be thin on pass-catchers, as Jamison Crowder has been ruled out for the team’s game against the Cowboys while Paul Richardson is listed as doubtful. Washington promoted Jehu Chesson from the practice squad yesterday, signaling they weren’t expecting Richardson to play. Tight end Jordan Reed should see a ton of looks as the Redskins’ receiving corp is completely depleted.
For a rundown of every team’s injury situation, you can view all 32 injury reports over at ProFootballTalk.com.
AFC Notes: Tannehill, Broncos, Browns, Jaguars
While the Dolphins are still confident Ryan Tannehill will return sometime this year, his future with the team beyond 2018 is in doubt, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. Salguero writes that “Tannehill’s status with the Dolphins for 2019 and beyond is not settled”, and that Tannehill “has not lived up to the stated expectations the Dolphins set for him before the year began.”
Tannehill has been unable to stay healthy the past few seasons, and carries a $26.6MM cap charge for 2019. If he doesn’t light it up whenever he returns, it’s entirely possible Tannehill is no longer a Dolphin after this year. Tannehill’s contract status has mostly flown under-the-radar, but it will be one of the most interesting storylines to monitor this offseason not just for the Dolphins but across the entire league.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Broncos rookie running back Royce Freeman suffered a high ankle sprain during the team’s demolition of the Cardinals on Thursday night, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). While it sounds bad, Rapoport notes “there is early optimism regarding the injury and it’s no guarantee that he misses time”, and that if he does it should be a “short absence.”
- The Browns’ secondary has been depleted by injuries, so the team brought in cornerback Robert Jackson for a workout, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Jackson is an UDFA from UNLV who spent time with the Texans this preseason. Whether it’s Jackson or someone else, the Browns will likely add cornerback help soon.
- The Jaguars won the Carlos Hyde trade, opines Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com (Twitter link). The cap expert points out that the Jaguars will only have to pay Hyde $1.22MM and can cut him after the season for nothing, while the Browns “paid $3.75M for 6 games and a 5th round pick.” If Hyde can stay healthy and be productive, it could turn into a steal for Jacksonville.
NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Smith, Vea, Cowboys, Receivers, Rams, Okoronkwo
The Buccaneers made a major change this week, firing much-maligned defensive coordinator Mike Smith and replacing him with Mark Duffner. The Bucs’ defense had picked up right where they left off in 2017, and had been an absolute sieve, leading for calls to fire Smith for weeks now. While Bucs fans will be happy that anyone other than Smith is calling the defense, some in Tampa Bay’s locker room apparently were hoping the team would go in a different direction for their interim coordinator.
There “was strong support by the players for Bucs DL Coach Brentson Buckner to take over the defense”, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). It’s notable that the team apparently didn’t go with the players’ first choice, and it will be interesting to watch how things play out with Duffner. His first test will be stopping Baker Mayfield and the Browns this Sunday.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Speaking of the Buccaneers, rookie first round pick Vita Vea will make his first ever start this Sunday, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Vea, the talented young defensive tackle from Washington, will start because Gerald McCoy is missing the game due to injury.
- While Dallas’ lack of pass-catchers has been one of the biggest storylines in the NFL this year, it doesn’t sound like the Cowboys will be adding outside receiving help anytime soon. Owner Jerry Jones downplayed speculation they’d go after a veteran receiver, saying it’s “hard to do at this juncture, to bring in a position that needs the coordination that you have to have with the quarterback” and adding that “the farther you go into the year, then the harder it is to think about bringing a player in”, per Jon Machota of Dallas News. While Jones insisted the organization is “confident in the personnel that we have here”, it still wouldn’t be surprising if they were ultimately aggressive in the trade market.
- Rams rookie fifth round pick outside linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo hasn’t been able to see the field this year as he’s been sidelined with a foot injury, but could be making his return soon. Okoronkwo has been practicing with the team, and the Rams will decide soon when to bring him back according to Lindsey Thiry of ESPN. The Rams’ pass-rush has been lacking this year, and Okoronkwo could potentially provide a big boost. Thiry reports that Rams coach Sean McVay is high on the young edge player.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/18
Here are today’s practice squad moves, with a trio of wide receivers on the move:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Robert Foster
Cincinatti Bengals
- Signed: WR Auden Tate
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Krishawn Hogan
- Released: WR K.J. Brent