Extra Points: Colts, Raiders, Cards, Bears
Colts owner Jim Irsay unexpectedly awarded four-year contract extensions to general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano last winter. Now, in the midst of a second straight disappointing season, Irsay gave somewhat flimsy votes of confidence to the pair Wednesday. “Honestly, at the end of every season, we sit down and review where we’re at,” he told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “I don’t have any anticipation of change. There’s no plan of that. We’ll evaluate everything. I will.” On the possibility of the 6-7 Colts missing the postseason, Irsay commented, “This is the first time in almost 20 years we (wouldn’t have) made the playoffs in back-to-back years. That’s extremely disappointing.” Despite their sub-.500 record, the Colts remain in contention in the weak AFC South, though they’re going to have to leapfrog both the Texans and Titans over the season’s final three weeks to win the division. Indianapolis dropped its two matchups against the Texans this year, including a 22-17 loss last Sunday, but swept the Titans.
More from around the NFL:
- Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged his recent meeting with the Raiders’ Aldon Smith on Wednesday, but there’s still no word on when or if the league will reinstate the suspended linebacker. “It was good for me to hear from him personally. But when we get to that decision, we’ll certainly announce it,” said Goodell (via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com). Smith hasn’t played since the league issued him a one-year ban in November 2015 for a substance abuse violation. The 27-year-old should’ve been back in action by now, then, and the fact that he isn’t indicates he hasn’t met all the substance program’s requirements, tweets Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area Newspaper Group.
- Cardinals players were “shocked” and in “disbelief” after receiver Michael Floyd‘s release on Wednesday, defensive back Tyrann Mathieu told Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Floyd was a popular figure in the locker room, notes Weinfuss, and quarterback Carson Palmer called him a “close friend” and “leader.” The club moved on from Floyd, an impending free agent, shortly after he was charged with his second DUI in the past five years.
- Bears receiver Eddie Royal is likely to end up a cap casualty in the offseason, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. By moving on from Royal, who has one year left on his contract, the Bears would save $5MM and incur no dead money in 2017. The 30-year-old Royal has hauled in 33 catches for 369 yards and two touchdowns in nine games this season, his second in Chicago.
Latest On Futures Of Raiders, Chargers
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell once again expressed a desire to keep the Raiders and Chargers in their current cities Wednesday, but he admitted that neither Oakland nor San Diego has made much progress toward a new stadium.
“There’s not a stadium proposal on the table that we think addresses the long-term issues of the club that’s in those communities. So we need to continue to work at it,” said Goodell (via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com).
Raiders owner Mark Davis plans to relocate the franchise to Las Vegas, and though Goodell would reportedly like to prevent that from happening, he spoke favorably of Sin City on Wednesday.
“There are some real strengths to the Las Vegas market,” Goodell said. “It’s clear that the Las Vegas market has become a more diversified market, more broadly involved with entertainment and hosting big events.”
Goodell also indicated that “there is a growth” to the Las Vegas market, which is much smaller than the Raiders’ current home in the Bay Area. In an effort to keep the Raiders from leaving the Bay Area, officials from the city of Oakland and the Ronnie Lott-led Fortress Investment Group have proposed a $1.3 billion stadium to replace the Oakland Coliseum. Both the Alameda County board of supervisors and Oakland city council voted to approve that plan Tuesday, per Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today. However, there’s little optimism it’ll lead anywhere, with one league executive calling the bid a “carbon copy” of previous failed attempts.
The Raiders’ relocation window is set to open Jan. 2, but the date will move back until the actual end of their season, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). That means the likely playoff-bound club won’t have the opportunity to vie for relocation until February if it makes the Super Bowl, and the deadline to file is Feb. 15. Regardless of how far the Raiders go this season, Steelers chairman Art Rooney II doesn’t expect the league to vote on their relocation plan until March, per Judy Battista of NFL.com (Twitter link). Fellow owner Jim Irsay, who runs the Colts, seems to think relocation for the Raiders and Chargers is a mere formality.
“There just isn’t any opportunity in Oakland or San Diego,” Irsay said. “As owners, we’re aware of that. It’s unfortunate. You don’t like to see it. But it’s reality.”
Owners unanimously approved the Chargers’ nearly year-old agreement to share the Los Angeles market with the Rams on Wednesday. They also signed off on allowing the Bolts to use a debt waiver to finance part of the $650MM relocation fee. Chargers owner Dean Spanos has until Jan. 15 to decide whether to take his franchise to LA, and while he could perhaps extend that deadline, Irsay argues that there wouldn’t be a purpose.
“This process has been going on for a very, very long time in San Diego,” Irsay said. “That being said, to extend it, I think, would be fruitless. I really do.”
Spanos, meanwhile, reiterated that he won’t make a choice until 2017.
“I’m not going to make any decisions until after the first of the year,” he told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “That’s really all I have to say.”
NFC Notes: Cards, Rams, Eagles, 49ers, Giants
There were no arguments from any of the Cardinals’ hierarchy regarding the decision to release wide receiver Michael Floyd on Wednesday, owner Michael Bidwill told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. “Yes, across the board,” Bidwill said on whether cutting Floyd on the heels of his second DUI arrest was a consensus choice. In summing up Floyd’s nearly five-year tenure with the Cardinals, Bidwill said, “He was a 2012 first-round draft choice for us, a person we thought would eventually take Larry Fitzgerald‘s position and be the No. 1 receiver for the future. Deeply disappointing that we moved on and he didn’t work out as a person we had a lot of faith in.”
More from the NFC:
- Indications are that the Rams would like to retain general manager Les Snead, but that could depend on whom the team hires as its next head coach, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. Snead is helping chief operating officer Kevin Demoff in the Rams’ search for a successor to the fired Jeff Fisher, though Demoff didn’t give the GM a public vote of confidence Monday. “It would be a mistake right now to say we’re satisfied with where we’re at on a personnel side and to ensure that Les would be back,” declared Demoff. “I think Les would be the first person to stand up here and say the same thing.”
- Eagles guard Brandon Brooks had a brief hospital stay in late November and has missed two of the team’s past three games because of a stomach illness. It turns out Brooks’ physical issues stem from anxiety, he announced Wednesday (via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “What I mean by anxiety condition is not nervousness or fear of the game,” Brooks explained. “I have an obsession with the game. It’s an unhealthy obsession right now. I’m working with team doctors to get everything straightened out and get the help I need.” Brooks is now taking medication and seeking professional help to curb his anxiety. Fortunately, the 27-year-old doesn’t expect the condition to affect his ability to continue in the NFL. “It’s nothing I’m ashamed of,” said Brooks. “I’ll get the help that I need, and life will go on. I’ll be fine. Career will be fine. I am concerned about it, obviously, but I’m not ‘woe is me’ at this point.”
- The 49ers put in a waiver claim on running back Darius Jackson, a league source tells Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). Unfortunately for the Niners, the Browns had top priority on the waiver wire and nabbed him instead.
- The Giants worked out running backs Russell Hansbrough, Brandon Brown-Dukes and Julian Howsare on Wednesday, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan. Hansbrough ended up joining their practice squad.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/16
The latest minor moves from around the NFL:
- To make room on their roster for the newly acquired Darius Jackson, the Browns have waived linebacker Corey Lemonier, tweets Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com. Cleveland claimed Lemonier, a former 49er, off waivers leading up to Week 1. The 2013 third-round pick went on to tally eight tackles and two sacks in eight appearances (one start) prior to Wednesday.
- The Seahawks have signed linebacker Ronald Powell off the Bears’ practice squad, according to Larry Holder of NOLA.com (Twitter link). Powell’s only NFL experience came as a member of the Saints in 2014, when he appeared in 14 games and made one tackle.
AFC Notes: Bolts, Bengals, Bills, Browns, Pats
Cornerback Brandon Flowers‘ NFL future is in question after the Chargers placed him on injured reserve Wednesday, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Flowers had a history of concussions even before suffering two this year, and he told Gehlken in November, “I have to make sure I am sane and can function and remember things after football.” If the soon-to-be 31-year-old does continue his career in 2017, it probably won’t be in San Diego, per Gehlken, who points to the cap savings that would come with releasing Flowers. By cutting the nine-year veteran and three-year Charger, the Bolts would free up $7MM in spending space compared to $4MM in dead money for 2017.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Bengals defensive tackle Brandon Thompson will remain on the physically unable to perform list and will not play in 2016, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. Thompson, 27, tore his ACL at the tail end of the 2015 campaign, but then re-signed with Cincinnati on a one-year deal. He’d been practicing for the past two weeks, but Bengals coaches don’t feel Thompson has progressed enough for a return to action.
- A few prominent Bills are publicly rallying around embattled head coach Rex Ryan, whom the franchise could move on from after the season. “I think Rex is the guy for the job,” running back LeSean McCoy said. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins would also like the Bills to stay the course with Ryan, he told the Associated Press. And guard Richie Incognito wants to “fight for Rex. “I want to go out there and get wins and keep him around here” (all links here). With games against winless Cleveland, a Dolphins team that could be without Ryan Tannehill and the Jets, the 6-7 Bills seemingly have a decent chance of hitting the nine-win mark by season’s end. Buffalo went 8-8 last year under Ryan in his first season with the team.
- Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor‘s three-year, $15MM extension includes $5.5MM in fully guaranteed money, relays ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link).
- The Patriots worked out three free agents – running back Shakir Bell, defensive tackle Michael Brooks and linebacker Deon Lacey – on Wednesday, tweets Doug Kyed of NESN. The only member of the trio with NFL experience is Brooks, who appeared in one game with the Seahawks in 2013.
- The Texans tried out a pair of offensive linemen in guard Sean Hickey and tackle Jason Weaver on Wednesday, according to Caplan (Twitter link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Saints Place Terron Armstead On IR
The Saints have placed left tackle Terron Armstead on injured reserve, according to Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate. To take Armstead’s roster spot, the club signed linebacker Jason Trusnik.
Armstead inked a five-year, $64.5MM extension with the Saints last May, but knee and quad injuries limited him to just seven appearances this season. The 25-year-old was once again a bright spot for the Saints when on the field, as he’s currently Pro Football Focus’ 15th-ranked tackle out of 78 qualifiers. Armstead will ultimately miss nine games this year, running his career total up to 25 in four seasons.
The 32-year-old Trusnik hasn’t played this season, though he previously garnered vast experience as primarily a reserve with the Jets, Dolphins, Browns and Vikings from 2007-15. Trusnik has 117 appearances and 25 starts on his NFL résumé.
Extra Points: Dolphins, Cards, Jags, 49ers
The 7-4 Dolphins have won six straight and are on pace to make their first playoff trip since 2008, and the team’s players insist that rookie head coach Adam Gase has a lot to do with it. Many members of the team “love” playing for Gase, they told Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post. “He’s different. He’s … different,” backup quarterback Matt Moore said of Gase, 38, the youngest head coach in the NFL. “I think when he does talk to guys, both offensively and defensively, he’s got something working for him that resonates within guys.” Gase referred to the culture that existed in recent Dolphins regimes as “nonsense,” while longtime Miami defensive end Cameron Wake revealed that observing some past teammates’ commitment issues was “100 percent” difficult to digest. “He gives you the leash, gives you the rope,” stated left tackle Branden Albert. “If you mess it up, then he pulls it, and I think that’s how it should be. For the most part, guys have been good about not messing up.”
More from around the NFL:
- Even though he relishes working under Bruce Arians, Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin‘s “end all” goal is to become a head coach, he informed Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “I think B.A. has groomed me, kind of like he groomed Todd (Bowles),” said Goodwin. “Every year he’s given me more and more responsibilities. Obviously I get to see him work every day, how he handles the team, the administrative part of it. I think it’s helped me grow a lot.” Goodwin interviewed with the Buccaneers for their head coaching vacancy last winter, and the Cardinals’ status as an elite offensive team likely helped him earn consideration. Arizona has fallen off this year, though it remains to be seen if that will hurt Goodwin’s chances of landing a promotion during the upcoming offseason. Notably, Arians – not Goodwin – calls the Cardinals’ offensive plays.
- Sunday’s matchup between Jacksonville and Denver might seem relatively uninteresting, but not to Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall. The Jaguars chose Marshall in the fifth round of the 2012 draft and ended up cutting him three different times before he joined the Broncos in September 2013. Marshall hasn’t forgotten about his inability to stick with the Jags. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” he told Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. “The scouts, the executives, some coaches, some players, there’s a lot of people still back there from my time. That gives me a little extra push, a little extra umph. It puts a little extra sauce on this game.” Latching on with Denver has worked out wonderfully for Marshall, who signed a sizable extension with the Broncos over the summer on the heels of a strong couple of years – including a Super Bowl-winning campaign last season. He ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 16th-best linebacker out of 85 qualifiers this year.
- Of the 49ers’ 17 players scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in the offseason, the team should try to re-sign six – defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey, tight end Vance McDonald, linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, and quarterbacks Christian Ponder and Thaddeus Lewis – opines Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Armstrong has a fan in defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, who gives the 25-year-old “two thumbs up,” but the coach’s uncertain future could affect whether the defender returns, writes Barrows.
NFC Notes: Cousins, 49ers, Bears, Lions
With a chance to collect upward of $58MM via the franchise tag over the next two offseasons, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins has plenty of incentive not to sign a contract extension, argues Adam Schefter of ESPN. If the Redskins do tag Cousins the next two years, as they did this season, they won’t be able to again after the 2018 campaign. Assuming Cousins continues the pace he has set since midway through last season, he would then have the rare opportunity to hit the open market as an established starting QB. Cousins is reportedly seeking nearly $24MM per year on a long-term deal, and Schefter adds that the Redskins would have to include guarantees in excess of the aforementioned $58MM to lock him up.
More from the NFC:
- Currently amid a career-best season, 49ers contract-year tight end Vance McDonald is making a strong case that he’s worth re-signing, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. With 22 catches in nine games – all starts – the fourth-year man is on pace to easily eclipse the career-high 30 receptions he posted last season. McDonald has already found the end zone a personal-best four times, too, and is averaging a tremendous 17.4 yards per catch. “He’s one of our weapons on the offensive side of the ball and he runs better than most tight ends in this league,” head coach Chip Kelly said of McDonald, who’s on track to net a sizable raise over the roughly $800K salary he’s raking in this season.
- The Bears entered this season needing to fully evaluate quarterback Jay Cutler, wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White, center Hroniss Grasu and cornerback Kyle Fuller, but they’re not going to emerge with clear answers on any of the quintet, opines John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Three of those players – Cutler, White and Grasu – have seen the field either barely or not at all this year and won’t suit up again in 2016; Fuller has been out all season with a knee issue, though it appears the Bears will activate him from injured reserve soon; and the best player of the group, Jeffery, is a free agent-to-be who’s currently serving a four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. Cutler, White, Grasu and Fuller are under team control through next season. However, it’s doubtful Cutler will return, as Mullin notes, and Fuller’s inability to play has been inopportune for a team that will have to decide on his fifth-year option for 2018 in the offseason. A breakout campaign from White could have made it easier for the Bears to wave goodbye to Jeffery, on whom they placed the franchise tag last offseason, but a fractured fibula limited White to just four appearances this year. The 2015 first-rounder didn’t see the field at all as a rookie because of a stress fracture in his leg.
- When speaking Friday, Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah made it sound as though fellow DE Armonty Bryant will return from his three-game suspension Sunday in New Orleans. “We’re looking forward to what he’s going to do for us this week,” Ansah said (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). If Bryant is indeed coming back right away from his ban, Detroit will have to make a corresponding move to open up a roster spot for him.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Cardinals Activate Tyvon Branch
The Cardinals have activated safety Tyvon Branch from injured reserve, the club announced. He’ll play Sunday against the Redskins, tweets Darren Urban of the team’s website.
Branch, a former Raider and Chief who signed a two-year deal with Arizona in March, appeared in the Cardinals’ first five games this season, racking up three starts and 20 tackles. He then landed on injured reserve Oct. 4 with a groin issue, and the team designated him to return from IR on Nov. 23. He’ll now rejoin a 4-6-1 club that entered the season as a Super Bowl contender but now has little room for error as it clings to slim playoff hopes.
While Branch will return Sunday, fellow defensive back Tyrann Mathieu is unlikely to suit up because of a sore shoulder. The 2015 first-team All-Pro’s shoulder kept him out of two of the Cardinals’ games in November, though he did play in their 38-19 loss to the Falcons last Sunday.
Darrelle Revis Dismisses Retirement Rumors
A source told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News on Wednesday that Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is ready to walk away from football. The 31-year-old refuted that on Thursday, however, and has now dismissed the possibility of retirement twice since October.
“I’m under contract until [2019] … I don’t know what source said this or not. I’m playing football. That’s what I’m here to do,” said Revis (per Andy Vasquez of USA Today).
By retiring, Revis would forgo a $6MM guarantee from the Jets for 2017, which Vasquez notes is unlikely. Based solely on that, then, odds are the seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro will take the field next season.
As Revis mentioned, he does have three years remaining on the $70MM contract he signed with the Jets in March 2015. This could be his final go-around with Gang Green, though, as the club would save upward of $7MM on next season’s cap by cutting him when the 2017 league year begins. Revis would otherwise carry a cap number in excess of $15.33MM next season, but he isn’t ready to commit to a pay cut to remain in New York.
“We’ll see. We’ll see what happens next year. A lot of things going on, so we’ll figure it out,” he said.
The longtime elite defender is amid the worst year of his career, ranking 82nd among Pro Football Focus’ 120 qualifying corners, and his stark decline has been unexpected after he surrendered a quarterback rating against of just 47.2 and intercepted five passes last season. Revis has started in all 10 of his appearances this year, but he hasn’t picked off a pass and is on track for his first season without an INT since 2010.