Cowboys Workout Group Of Players
As the regular season winds down, teams are starting to look toward the future. With that in mind, the Cowboys brought in a group of players for workouts on Friday.
Dallas auditioned running back Alex Barnes, quarterback A.J. Bush, defensive backs Derrick Jones and Derrick Kindred, and wide receiver Derel Walker, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Barnes is an undrafted rookie from Kansas State, who spent time with the Titans during training camp. Bush is also an undrafted rookie, from Illinois. Jones and Kindred have the most NFL experience in the group. Jones was a 2017 sixth-round pick of the Jets out of Ole Miss, who was hurt in training camp with the Texans this summer.
Kindred was a fourth-round pick of the Browns back in 2016, who has a significant amount of starting experience. He started ten games for Cleveland in 2017 and two last year, while appearing in all 16 games. Walker went undrafted out of Texas A&M back in 2014, and has spent the past handful of years playing in the CFL. With the Cowboys unlikely to make the playoffs, they’re most likely taking a look at these guys with an eye toward 2020. Players can be signed to reserve/futures contracts next week.
Cowboys Make Four Roster Moves
As Dallas’ disappointing season winds down, they made a few roster moves Tuesday. The team has placed linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and guard Xavier Su’a-Filo on injured reserve, while signing linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong and offensive tackle Wyatt Miller to the active roster to take their places.
We heard yesterday that Vander Esch would undergo season-ending neck surgery, so this move was just a formality for him. Su’a-Filo had been starting at guard for the past month, meaning the Cowboys will be making an offensive line change for their Week 17 date with the Redskins. Dallas can still sneak into the playoffs as the NFC East champ, but they’ll need the Eagles to lose to the Giants for that to happen. Su’a-Filo was the 33rd overall pick of the 2014 draft by the Texans. He started for a while in Houston, but was mostly a disappointment.
He came to the Cowboys early on last season on a two-year deal, and ended up starting eight games. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this spring. Armstrong is a journeyman who has bounced around the league a lot over the past handful of years, appearing in five games for the Saints earlier this season. Miller is a rookie UDFA from UCF who had been on the Bengals’ practice squad.
Saints Sign DB DeShawn Shead
The Saints are making a late-season move for some secondary depth. New Orleans is signing veteran defensive back DeShawn Shead, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Shead originally signed with the Seahawks as an UDFA out of Portland State in 2012, and became a member of their vaunted ‘Legion of Boom’ secondary. He started six games for them in 2015 and 15 in 2016, also winning Super Bowl XLVIII with the team. After becoming a full-time starter in 2016 he tore his ACL in the playoffs, causing him to miss almost the entire 2017 season. In March of the following year he signed a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Lions, and he appeared in 12 games for them.
He returned to Seattle in July of this year, but couldn’t make it out of camp with the team. Shead worked out for the Saints last week, before they ultimately signed D.J. Swearinger. He’s been making the workout rounds recently, also auditioning for Detroit, Oakland, and Jacksonville over the past couple of months.
New Orleans’ secondary is pretty banged up at the moment, so the signing makes some sense. Starting safety Von Bell has been hurt, and fellow safety Marcus Williams went down during their win over Tennessee this past week. Shead can play both corner and safety, and will be a decent depth piece.
Redskins Make Flurry Of CB Moves
The Redskins are going to be pretty shorthanded in Week 17 as they seek to officially eliminate the Cowboys from the playoffs. After already shutting down starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins, the team is now placing cornerbacks Quinton Dunbar and Danny Johnson on inured reserve. In corresponding roster moves, they signed Dee Delaney and added Breon Borders off the Jaguars’ practice squad.
Dunbar had missed the last two weeks with a hamstring injury. He’ll finish the year with four interceptions and eight passes defended in 11 games, all starts. This is the second straight campaign that he’ll finish the year on IR, as a shin issue limited him to only seven games last season. Back in January of 2018, he inked a three-year extension worth $10.25MM. The 2015 UDFA from Florida has one more year left on his deal.
Johnson is a 2018 UDFA from FCS school Southern. He signed with Washington and made the 53 as a rookie, appearing in 14 games while playing a limited role. He started this season on the reserve/PUP list, and was activated a couple of weeks ago. He immediately slid into the starting lineup, starting each of the past two games.
Delaney is a 2018 UDFA from Miami, who has bounced around and appeared in two games for Jacksonville as a rookie. Borders is a 2017 UDFA from Duke who has spent the past few years going on and off various teams’ practice squads. With veteran Josh Norman still in the doghouse, it’s possible both see the field in Week 17.
Eagles Make Handful Of Roster Moves
The Eagles made a few roster moves Tuesday. Philly is signing tight end Richard Rodgers and promoting receiver Deontay Burnett from the practice squad, the team announced. To make room on the active roster, they officially waived running back Jay Ajayi and placed cornerback Ronald Darby on injured reserve.
Rodgers was with the Eagles in camp, but was placed on injured reserve in August and released with an injury settlement shortly after. He first signed with Philadelphia in 2018 and spent last year with the team, catching only one pass in seven games. The best year of his career came back in 2015 with the Packers, when he caught 58 passes for 510 yards and eight touchdowns. His signing could indicate that the Eagles aren’t too optimistic about having starter Zach Ertz for their Week 17 game against the Giants. Ertz is dealing with a fractured rib that he suffered during their big win over the Cowboys.
Thanks to the victory against Dallas the Eagles are in the drivers seat, but they still need a win in their finale to clinch the NFC East. Darby went down with a hip injury, and there was some initial hope he’d be able to return for the playoffs. Obviously, that turned out not to be the case, and Rasul Douglas will slide into the starting lineup in his place. Darby is dealing with a grade 2 hip flexor strain that fortunately won’t require surgery and will only knock him out for about a month, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
We heard yesterday they were planning on waiving Ajayi, so that move was only a formality. Burnett is a 2018 UDFA from USC, who signed to their practice squad a couple of weeks ago after being cut from San Francisco’s taxi squad. Given the state of the Eagles’ depleted receiving corp, it’s highly possible he finds himself playing significant snaps.
Dwayne Haskins Done For The Year
Dwayne Haskins‘ rookie year is in the books. The Redskins have ruled out their young quarterback for Week 17 as he deals with an ankle injury, interim head coach Bill Callahan announced Monday.
Haskins went down with the ankle injury late in Washington’s loss to the Giants this past week. He apparently lobbied to come back into the game, but Redskins owner Dan Snyder personally intervened and told him not to go back into the game. That was certainly an unusual development, and one that signaled the franchise would be extremely cautious with their young signal-caller. With Haskins inactive, Case Keenum will presumably draw the start in the finale against the Cowboys, while Colt McCoy will back him up.
After setting records during his one year as Ohio State’s starter, Haskins was drafted 15th overall back in April. After starting the year off on the bench behind Keenum, Haskins took over around the midpoint of the season, not too long after Jay Gruden was fired. He initially struggled mightily with a depleted offense around him, but had started to come on strong the last couple of weeks.
He had his best game as a pro two weeks ago in a near-upset win over the Eagles, completing 19 of 28 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He was also playing quite well before going down against New York. He’ll finish his rookie year having completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 1,365 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions, while averaging 6.7 yards per attempt. Washington is headed for a crucial offseason, as they must pick a new head coach while also dramatically upgrading their weapons. Barring something crazy happening, Haskins will be under center in Week 1 come 2020.
Lions Place Jahlani Tavai On IR
Linebacker Jahlani Tavai‘s rookie season is over. The Lions are placing the second-round pick on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, head coach Matt Patricia announced to the media Monday.
The injury is to the same shoulder that cause Tavai to miss time during his senior season in college, making it slightly more concerning, according to Tim Twentyman of the team’s official site (Twitter link). Patricia didn’t know yet whether the injury will cause Tavai to miss some of the offseason program. A Hawaii product, Tavai was drafted 43rd overall back in April.
He played a large role as a rookie, appearing in all 15 games and making six starts. Overall he played just a tick under 60 percent of the defensive snaps while also contributing on special teams. He’ll finish his first campaign with 57 tackles, two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. He’ll be back in camp next year to compete for a starting job.
Mason Rudolph Out At Least Several Weeks, Won’t Start In Playoffs
Right after the Mason Rudolph redemption arc started, it was immediately put to rest. The Steelers quarterback is “out multiple weeks” with the shoulder injury he suffered during Pittsburgh’s loss to the Jets, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Rapoport adds that even if Pittsburgh makes it into the postseason, “Rudolph is not expected to be available.” That means Devlin Hodges will be the starter in Week 17 against the Ravens, and potentially in a playoff game. Pittsburgh needs to beat Baltimore, and to have Tennessee either tie or lose to Houston, to get the final wild card spot in the AFC. Rudolph, a third-round pick in 2018, immediately took over under center when Ben Roethlisberger first went down all the way back at the beginning of the season.
He missed a game with a concussion and Hodges performed reasonably well, and when Rudolph struggled mightily upon returning, he was quickly benched for Hodges. After an initial honeymoon period Hodges began to turn the ball over frequently as well, and he was pulled against New York. Rudolph provided an initial spark and was playing well, before going down with the shoulder injury.
Former first-round Broncos bust Paxton Lynch is also on the roster, and will back up Hodges. It sure would be something if he manages to find his way onto the field. Fortunately for their cause, it looks like the Ravens are going to be resting a lot of their starters in Week 17. It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for the Steelers, and this is just the latest turn in a wild sequence of events.
Injury Updates: Ingram, Haskins, Murray
Here are the key injuries which we’ve seen some reporting on:
- The Ravens officially clinched the top seed in the AFC with their win over the Browns on Sunday, but Baltimore fans were left holding their breath when running back Mark Ingram went down with a calf injury. Head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after the game there’s no structural damage, but a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that Ingram suffered a calf strain (Twitter link). Ingram was wearing a walking boot after a game, via a tweet from Josina Anderson of ESPN. Harbaugh was trying to sound optimistic, but calf strains can linger. Fortunately for Baltimore, he’ll have Week 17 and a first-round bye to rest.
- Dwayne Haskins has been getting a lot better recently, so it was unfortunate to see him go down with an ankle injury during the Redskins’ loss to the Giants. Interestingly, Haskins said after the game that he lobbied to return, but owner Dan Snyder personally told him not to go back in, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Normally it’d be unusual for an owner to be consulting directly with a player during a game, but this is the Redskins we’re talking about. Washington is in line for the second overall pick right now, and they could opt to be conservative and sit Haskins in Week 17.
- Speaking of rookie quarterbacks, Kyler Murray was also knocked out on Sunday with a hamstring injury. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters after the game he wasn’t sure if Murray would be able to play in Week 17 against the Rams. Murray had a large wrap on his hamstring and if it was bad enough to knock him out immediately he could be up against it to play next week. Brett Hundley, who finished off Arizona’s upset win over the Seahawks, would start next week if he isn’t ready.
- One last quarterback update, as Mason Rudolph was sidelined with a shoulder injury shortly after being reinserted for a benched Devlin Hodges. The Steelers’ quarterback situation is an absolute mess right now as they prepare for a must-win game against the Ravens. Hodges came back in for Rudolph, and resumed struggling. Rudolph provided an instant spark after relieving Hodges, so he’ll almost certainly start against Baltimore if he’s healthy. Rudolph was seen leaving the stadium with his arm in a sling, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link).
- The Titans can clinch a playoff berth with a Week 17 win over the Texans, and fortunately they’ll be getting a boost to their offense. Running back Derrick Henry was inactive for their loss to the Saints on Sunday, but he is expected to play against Houston, a source told Schefter (Twitter link). Henry has been dealing with a hamstring issue.
- The winner of the Week 17 game between the 49ers and Seahawks will determine who wins the NFC West and in turn hosts a playoff game, and both sides are banged up. San Francisco pass-rusher Dee Ford has missed most of the last month with a hamstring injury and he’s not expected to play against Seattle, a source told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. They gave up a second-round pick to land Ford this offseason, then signed him to a massive extension, and he’s been a bit of a disappointment. Fortunately for the 49ers, the Seahawks are dealing with even more significant health issues.
Seahawks Lose Trio Of Players
The Seahawks lost a tough one at home to the Cardinals on Sunday, and the news got much worse after the game. Running backs Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise will likely miss the rest of the season with hip and arm injuries respectively, head coach Pete Carroll announced to the media. Caroll also revealed that starting left tackle Duane Brown would undergo surgery on his knee and that while he could make it back for the playoffs, he won’t play next week.
That’s all very unfortunate, since Seattle has a crucial Week 17 game against the 49ers that will determine who wins the NFC West and in turn gets a home playoff game. The Seahawks were already playing without key defensive pieces in Jadeveon Clowney and Shaquill Griffin, and it’s unclear if either of them will make it back for next week. Either way, the Seahawks will now be very shorthanded for their showdown with San Francisco.
Rashaad Penny recently landed on injured reserve with an ACL injury, so Seattle has virtually no running backs left after today. They’ll certainly be making a move or two this week, and Carroll acknowledged as much by saying “John’s gotta get working” in reference to GM John Schneider, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Carson had been having a very solid year before going down, and will finish the season with 1,190 yards on the ground and nine total touchdowns.
Depending on who they add to the roster this week, rookie sixth-round pick Travis Homer currently profiles as the team’s starter at running back for Week 17. The Miami product now has eight carries in his career after handling five on Sunday. Brown is the anchor of the offensive line, and his absence will be sorely felt. 2018 fifth-round pick Jamarco Jones started two games when Brown was hurt earlier this year.
As for who Seattle will pick up, there are plenty of serviceable veteran options available. They worked out Robert Turbin and Alfred Blue last week after Penny went down, so perhaps one of those guys will get a call. Additionally, C.J. Anderson is a player the team might have interest in, Condotta hears (Twitter link). Anderson joined the Rams late in the season last year and ended up playing a huge role in their Super Bowl run, so he’s no stranger to this type of situation. Even more interestingly, Condotta tweets that he doesn’t “think it can be ruled out” that they might sign Marshawn Lynch. Lynch retired back in April, but left the door open for a return to the Raiders in May, so he might not be 100 percent finished. That would certainly be entertaining.