Extra Points: Giants, Manning, Dolphins, Sitton, Seahawks, Kendricks, Cowboys, Bryant
One of the most talked about storylines of the 2018 NFL offseason was what the Giants would do with the second overall pick. Many thought they would take a quarterback to succeed Eli Manning in New York, but the team opted for running back Saquon Barkley instead. Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report is out with a new feature on Manning and the Giants where he writes about Manning’s determination to prove the Giants didn’t make a mistake.
While he writes “the decision to stick with Manning could go down as one of the worst blunders in NFL history” due to the high-level quarterbacks, like Sam Darnold, available at number two in this year’s draft, Manning still believes he’s got a lot left in the tank. Manning said he’s entirely focused on proving to the Giants that “they did make the right decision” and that he has one last title run left in him. The full piece is full of juicy tidbits and well worth a read to get a look inside the 2018 Giants and the last few tumultuous years for one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in recent memory.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Dolphins lost starting guard Josh Sitton for the season earlier this week, but despite the huge blow to their offensive line, the team won’t be looking for outside help to replace him according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). The Dolphins also expect Sitton to be back with the team in 2019, Jackson notes.
- The Seahawks signed legally troubled linebacker Mychal Kendricks in part because they were upset with the play of rookie Shaquem Griffin according to Bob Condotta of The Athletic. Condotta notes that coach Pete Carroll specifically called out Griffin following the team’s loss to the Broncos, and that the front office immediately began looking for linebacking help.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and free agent receiver Dez Bryant were recently spotted at a concert together, sparking rumors of a potential reunion between the two sides. Stephen Jones, the team’s Executive Vice President, threw cold water on the speculation, saying “we feel really good about our receiving corps moving forward” and indicating they wouldn’t be looking for outside help according to Jon Machota of Dallas News. While he mostly denied it, it’s worth noting he didn’t 100% rule out the team bringing Dez back in.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/18
Here are Friday’s practice squad moves:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OL Will Holden, TE Erik Swoope
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Shilique Calhoun
- Cut: DT Gabe Wright
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Tre’Von Johnson
- Cut: RB Lavon Coleman
LB Dylan Donahue Suspended 14 Games
Ahmad Brooks wasn’t the only linebacker suspended today. Just after it was announced that Brooks would miss the first six games of the season, it was reported by Howard Balzer (Twitter link) that free agent linebacker Dylan Donahue will be suspended for 14 games by the NFL. 
Donahue, a 2017 fifth round pick of the Jets, was slapped with the suspension due to multiple DUI arrests, including a “wrong-way crash” in New York earlier this year. It had been reported earlier this summer that Donahue was facing a suspension, and the lengthy nature of it likely played a role in his release from the Jets.
Donahue was waived at final cuts by the Jets and understandably hasn’t been able to latch on anywhere else. He starred at Division II West Georgia and was playing on special teams for the Jets in 2017 before an elbow injury ended his season.
If he wants another shot in the league, Donahue will have to prove that he’s sober and can stay out of trouble. If that chance comes, it will surely be sometime after the season in time for the 2019 league year.
LB Ahmad Brooks Suspended Six Games
Free agent outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks has been suspended by the league for six games, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).
It’s unclear at this time what the suspension is for, although six games is now the league’s standard punishment for domestic violence. Whatever the cause, it’s likely the suspension is why the 34-year-old hasn’t been able to latch on anywhere.
Brooks, who was a third round pick in the Supplemental Draft back in 2006, played for the Packers in 2017, appearing in 12 games and starting five. He played with the 49ers from 2009 through the 2016 season, and had a very productive career in San Francisco. He was a Pro Bowler in 2013 and a Second-Team All-Pro in 2012 and 2013.
After his lengthy stay with the 49ers, he signed a one-year $3.5MM deal with Green Bay, but the signing never worked out and the once excellent pass-rusher finished the season with just one sack. With his advanced age and now this suspension, Brooks’ career very well could be over. If he is forced to hang them up, he’ll finish his playing days with 389 tackles, 55 sacks, and 32 passes defended.
AFC Notes: Browns, Dorsey, Bills, Bell, Texans, Henderson
Browns GM John Dorsey never expected to end up in Cleveland. When the longtime NFL executive was fired by the Chiefs last June, Dorsey was “blindsided” by the move according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. After four seasons in Kansas City, Dorsey was forced out in what amounted to a power grab by Chiefs coach Andy Reid.
Dorsey helped turn Kansas City around from a 2-14 team to one with a string of playoff appearances in a row, and even won an Executive of the Year Award with the Chiefs. He’ll now be tasked with turning around the Browns in similar fashion, and walked into a GM’s dream scenario with seemingly endless draft picks and young players to develop. Dorsey’s reign will be closely tied to the development of first overall pick Baker Mayfield. Kay Cabot thinks “Dorsey getting fired by the Chiefs may prove to be the the best thing that ever happened to the Browns”, and while there’s still a lot left to prove, things finally seem to be on the right track in Cleveland.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Speaking of the Browns, when their former first round pick Corey Coleman recently signed with the Patriots, it ended up saving the Bills some money according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Buffalo traded for Coleman earlier this season, absorbing all the guarantees left on his contract, but cut him before the season began. Luckily his contract had offset language in it, and the Bills will recoup $592K this year from his deal with New England.
- More evidence that Le’Veon Bell’s continued absence could hurt his prospects in 2019, as one NFL executive told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that they see “Bell’s move as disrupting the team-first formula they covet, thus potentially affecting his bottom line” in free agency. Bell is undeniably taking a major gamble, and at this point it seems like he may potentially be seriously harming his open market value.
- Texans’ offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson‘s season ending injury will cost him financially according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). He was due around $100K in per game active roster bonuses, so the ankle injury will end up costing him about $1.5MM over the course of the season. The players union has reportedly been encouraging agents not to negotiate deals with heavy active roster bonuses, as it essentially punishes players for getting hurt.
Buccaneers Notes: Monken, Koetter, Pierre-Paul, Jackson, Hargreaves
The Buccaneers’ offensive explosion in Week 1 caught pretty much everybody by surprise. The Bucs scored 48 points and won fairly easily on the road in New Orleans. Ryan Fitzpatrick had one of the best games of his career, throwing for 417 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Although it was mostly the same personnel from previous seasons, there was at least one major change. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken was calling plays instead of head coach Dirk Koetter according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. Koetter had always called plays during his time in Tampa Bay, but relinquished the play calling duties to Monken after he excelled in the role during the preseason. If Week 1 is any indication, it doesn’t look like Koetter will be asking for the responsibility back anytime soon.
Here’s more from Tampa:
- The injuries just keep piling up for the Bucs on defense. Vernon Hargreaves was recently placed on injured reserve, top corner Brent Grimes‘ status is still unclear, and now star defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has a knee injury according to Laine (Twitter link). Pierre-Paul told Laine his knee was “jacked up” and that while he hopes to play this Sunday he’s “not really sure” if he’ll be able to.
- The injuries aren’t only on defense. Receiver DeSean Jackson is in the concussion protocol according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). In addition to the concussion, Jackson is nursing a minor shoulder injury and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to go Sunday against the Eagles, although at this point it looks like he’ll probably play assuming he clears the protocol.
- It was reported earlier this week that Hargreaves would miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, and now more details are in. The 11th overall pick of the 2016 draft has a torn labrum according to Laine. Although he struggled his first two years in the league, Hargreaves reportedly had a very strong camp to win the starting job, and it’s a huge blow to the Bucs’ already thin secondary.
Raiders Place Justin Ellis On Injured Reserve
The Raiders will be without defensive tackle Justin Ellis for a while, as they placed the veteran run-stuffer on injured reserve according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Veags Review-Journal (Twitter link).
The good news for Oakland is that Gehlken writes the “season [is] not considered over” for Ellis, posting in a follow-up tweet that Ellis is “expected to resume practice when first eligible in six weeks” and presumably return to the field when first eligible in eight weeks.
According to Gehlken, Ellis suffered a “foot strain” during the Raiders’ opener against the Rams. It’s a big blow to a defense that already saw its defensive front get dominated by the Rams’ offensive line on Monday night. Earlier this year, Ellis signed a three-year $15MM extension with the team, so the new regime led by Jon Gruden clearly thought highly of him.
Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s better run stopping tackles last year, and the Raiders wasted no time in replacing him. They signed a pair of defensive tackles yesterday, adding Clinton McDonald as well as Johnathan Hankins.
Panthers Sign OT Chris Clark
The Panthers are bringing in some offensive line help, signing tackle Chris Clark according to Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
The move is in response to Carolina placing starting right tackle Daryl Williams on injured reserve. Williams went down in the Week 1 opener against the Cowboys, a huge blow to an already depleted offensive line. They’ll now turn to Clark for help, who has plenty of starting experience if the Panthers decide to move him into the lineup.
Clark spent the last three seasons in Houston, where he started 26 games. He worked out for the Texans yesterday as they dealt with some offensive line injuries of their own. Clark came into the league as an undrafted free agent back in 2008, but didn’t appear in a game until 2010. He was able to carve out a role with the Broncos as a reserve, and eventually became a starter in Denver.
Clark’s 2017 was ended prematurely due to an ankle injury. Overall, it won’t be great for the Panthers if Clark is starting the rest of the way. He’s already 32 and hadn’t drawn much known interest before his Texans workout yesterday. Needless to say, it would be a massive downgrade from Williams.
Buccaneers To Place Vernon Hargreaves On Injured Reserve
The Buccaneers were dealt another blow to their secondary with an injury to Vernon Hargreaves, and it’s serious enough that the team will place him on injured reserve, a source told Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
Stroud adds that the shoulder injury is “season ending” so it doesn’t sound like Hargreaves is a candidate for one of the Bucs’ two designated to return spots. It was reported yesterday that the injury was potentially serious, and now we have confirmation. Hargreaves, a starting cornerback, was supposed to be an integral part of the Buccaneers’ defense.
The team was already without number one corner Brent Grimes in Week 1, and the secondary is now extremely thin. It would be pretty surprising if the Bucs don’t bring in some outside help sometime this week. The team met with Bashaud Breeland earlier this week, and adding him to the roster would make a lot of sense.
Hargreaves, the 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has had a disappointing career this far. Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the worst cornerbacks in the league through his first two seasons, but Bucs’ coaches and executives were reportedly still high on him and expecting him to make a leap in 2018. He’s still just 23, but it’s a huge blow to his development.
Josh Allen To Start Week 2 For Bills
The Josh Allen era in Buffalo is officially underway. The rookie quarterback will get the nod under center for the Bills in Week 2 according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN (Twitter link).
Allen will replace Nathan Peterman in the starting lineup. Peterman earned the job due to a strong preseason, but fell flat on his face in Week 1 against the Ravens, mustering only 24 yards on 18 attempts. Allen came into the game in the third quarter and while he wasn’t great, he was clearly better than Peterman.
It’ll be a tough test for Allen’s first career start, as he’ll be facing a Chargers defense that has a ton of talent. Luckily for him, it appears that Joey Bosa is unlikely to play. Since the Bills faced a brutal slate of defenses to open the year, it was assumed by many that the plan was for Allen to sit the first few weeks, but they apparently felt they couldn’t wait any longer.
In what’s almost certain to be a rebuilding year for the Bills, this move makes sense. They can give Allen as much time as he needs to develops and ride the ups and downs with the rookie. The fanbase likely would’ve grown antsy and impatient quickly with Peterman’s struggles, so it’s natural they’d make the move ahead of the home opener.