Saints Claim Joe Callahan From Packers
The Saints have claimed quarterback Joe Callahan off waivers from the Packers, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. In a corresponding move, the Saints have released offensive lineman Khalif Barnes, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Packers cut Callahan on Thursday, but their hope was that the rookie would pass through waivers and end up on their practice squad. He’ll instead head to New Orleans, which has two quarterbacks on its roster – Drew Brees and Luke McCown – and Garrett Grayson on its taxi squad. Callahan, a former standout at Division III Wesley College, joined the Pack as an undrafted free agent this year. Thanks to an excellent preseason, he unexpectedly cracked Green Bay’s 53-man roster, though his stay only lasted five weeks.
As for Barnes, the Saints have shuffled him on and off their roster since August. The former Jaguar and Raider has 151 appearances and 117 starts to his name, but he hasn’t yet seen action this year.
AFC Notes: Fins, Ravens, Patriots, Jets
Defensive end Mario Williams needs to “play better” and “play harder,” Dolphins D-coordinator Vance Joseph told reporters, including Chris Perkins of the Sun-Sentinel, on Thursday. After the AFC East rival Bills released Williams in March, the Dolphins quickly signed the 2006 No. 1 overall pick to a two-year, $17MM deal. Williams, 31, has underwhelmed on the stat sheet in Miami, where he has picked up just seven tackles in a sack in five games. While Pro Football Focus grades Williams’ overall performance a decent 44th among 99 qualifying DEs, his production is way down since last season. Over his past 20 games, Williams has recorded a meager 26 tackles and six sacks.
Elsewhere around the AFC…
- Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta endorsed the Monday firing of offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, saying Wednesday, “Marc Trestman is a great guy, a great coach. It was difficult to see him go, but I think it was something that this offense needed” (via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). Although injuries limited Pitta to just seven of 48 regular-season games from 2013-15, he bounced back this year under Trestman to catch 28 passes on 37 targets. As a whole, though, the Ravens’ offense ranks 18th in yardage, 22nd in scoring and 27th in DVOA. The unit will try to better its production under Marty Mornhinweg, whom Ravens players “have a lot of faith in,” Pitta added.
- The Patriots might have to consider a long-term deal for contract-year tight end Martellus Bennett, observes Ryan Hannable of WEEI. The offseason trade pickup from Chicago has racked up 21 receptions with four touchdowns and a whopping 15.0 yards per catch over his first five games in New England. His production has helped make up for a slow start from Rob Gronkowski, who was either out or limited for the first four games of the season. Gronkowski broke out against the Browns last Sunday in a 33-13 win for New England, which appears to have the best tight end duo in the league with him and Bennett. “I’ve felt at home here since Day 1. It’s a place I feel like I belong,” Bennett said. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is currently on track to net a raise over his $5MM salary.
- Jets receiver Eric Decker will undergo surgery on his injured right shoulder within the next two weeks, he announced Thursday, adding that he’ll need six to eight months to return to full strength (per Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday). “Getting surgery was really going to be the only answer,” said Decker, whom the Jets placed on injured reserve Wednesday because of a torn rotator cuff. Decker caught nine passes for a whopping 194 yards and two touchdowns in three games this season.
Breer’s Latest: Kaep, Tannehill, Ravens, Bills
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is set to return to the 49ers’ starting lineup this week, but his NFL future was in doubt as recently as last year. At least two teams that looked into Kaepernick as a potential trade acquisition had questions about whether he wanted to continue playing, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB. Kaepernick ended up staying in San Francisco, of course, and will now take over head coach Chip Kelly‘s offense. If Kaepernick fails under Kelly, the league might not regard the 28-year-old as a viable option anymore, writes Breer, who notes that his career hangs in the balance. “This offense gives him the best chance, no doubt,” one 49ers source said of the mobile Kaepernick, who could become a free agent at season’s end.
More from Breer:
- After last season, when it looked as if the 49ers would trade Kaepernick, the relationship between him and general manager Trent Baalke “couldn’t have been worse,” a source told Breer. Kaepernick has never trusted Baalke and views himself as a Jim Harbaugh draft pick, relays Breer. Baalke and Kaepernick went months without speaking to one another amid trade rumors last offseason and then met during the summer to clear the air. It doesn’t seem their meeting was productive, however, as sources close to Kaepernick see his relationship with Baalke as “irreparable,” per Breer.
- Considering all the problems on their roster, the Dolphins aren’t sure if they can properly evaluate fifth-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill this season, Breer suggests. As a result, Breer doesn’t expect the Dolphins to move on from Tannehill during the offseason. Releasing the 2012 first-round pick before March would save Miami all but $3.5MM of his $17.98MM salary for 2017. The 28-year-old is under team control through 2020 on the six-year, $96MM extension he signed in May 2015.
- Marc Trestman‘s pass-first philosophy helped bring an end to his tenure as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, according to Breer. Baltimore fell from eighth in rushing under previous O-coordinator Gary Kubiak in 2014 to 26th last season with Trestman. Those ground woes have continued early this year for the Ravens, who rank 28th in rushing, though Terrance West has averaged an outstanding 5.0 yards per carry on 65 attempts. West picked up 95 yards in the Ravens’ 16-10 loss to the Redskins last Sunday, but he only amassed 11 carries in Trestman’s final game at the helm. “The players lost faith in [Trestman] last year, and he never got it back,” a Baltimore source said.
- Trestman wasn’t the first offensive coordinator to lose his job this year. That description belongs to Greg Roman, whom the Bills ousted after Week 2. Buffalo has won three straight since replacing Roman with Anthony Lynn, though the Bills’ defense has played a larger role in the turnaround than their offense. Still, one Bills veteran explained to Breer the key difference in the offense since Lynn took the reins, saying, “We’re running the same plays that we did under G-Ro. It’s just that with Roman, we had a huge playbook and we could run absolutely anything from week-to-week. Anthony’s all about matchups… He played [in the NFL], so he knows matchups are huge.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/16
Thursday’s minor moves:
- The Packers have cut quarterback Joe Callahan, per a team announcement. Callahan joined the Packers in May as an undrafted free agent from Division III Wesley and surprisingly earned a roster spot, but he was unable to make it past Week 5. His time in Green Bay isn’t necessarily up, though, as the team plans to sign him to its practice squad if he goes through waivers unclaimed, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
- The Panthers have waived wide receiver Damiere Byrd, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Byrd hooked on with the Panthers last year after going undrafted from South Carolina. He hasn’t yet logged any NFL action.
Cam Newton Likely To Start Sunday
After missing his first game since 2014 in Week 5, a 17-14 loss to the Buccaneers, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is on track to start Sunday, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Newton, who succumbed to a concussion late in the Panthers’ Week 4 defeat in Atlanta, was a full participant in practice Thursday. The NFL’s reigning MVP will need medical clearance before returning to game action, but head coach Ron Rivera said he “so far” looks primed to suit up against the Saints.
The Panthers didn’t necessarily struggle to move the ball without Newton this past Monday, as they combined for 414 total yards, but they had difficulty scoring and backup signal-caller Derek Anderson threw two interceptions. The defending NFC champions shockingly dropped to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in their division in the process.
Next up for the Panthers is a road tilt against another NFC South opponent, 1-3 New Orleans, in a hugely important game for both teams. Carolina seems more likely to rebound from its poor start than the Saints are from theirs, though a fourth straight defeat would make rallying to overtake the 4-1 Falcons in the division or at least grab a wild-card spot all the more difficult for the Panthers.
In addition to Newton, another integral offensive piece – running back Jonathan Stewart – should return against the Saints, according to Person. Stewart hasn’t suited up since the Panthers’ 46-27 win over the 49ers in Week 2, when he departed with a hamstring injury. He and Newton were among the driving forces behind the Panthers’ success last season, but they’ve taken steps back in the early going this year. Having tossed five interceptions, Newton is already halfway to last season’s 16-game total. He has also experienced a drop-off in most other major statistical categories after combining for 45 touchdowns and nearly 4,500 yards as a passer and rusher in 2015. Stewart, meanwhile, has picked up just 73 yards on 20 carries.
Browns’ Cody Kessler To Start Sunday
Browns quarterback Cody Kessler missed most of the team’s 33-13 loss to the Patriots last Sunday after departing in the first quarter with a rib injury, but the rookie will return to the lineup in Week 6. Head coach Hue Jackson announced Thursday that Kessler will start Sunday against the Titans.
“Cody Kessler practiced full. I think he’s ready to go,” said Jackson (via Patrick Maks of the team’s website).
Had Kessler not progressed this week, it’s unclear who would have started in Tennessee. The status of Josh McCown, whose Week 2 broken collarbone opened the door for Kessler, is up in the air as Sunday approaches. The only other signal-caller on the roster is rookie Kevin Hogan, whom the team promoted from the practice squad when it released veteran Charlie Whitehurst on Tuesday.
Despite beginning the year third behind the now-injured Robert Griffin III and McCown on Cleveland’s depth chart, Kessler has fared well during his initial NFL action. The third-round pick from USC has completed 54 of 81 passes (66.7 percent) for 529 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in starts against the Dolphins, Redskins and Patriots. The Browns lost each of those games and have begun a league-worst 0-5, and now the Kessler-led club will try to break into the win column against the 2-3 Titans.
Poll: Which QB Should 49ers Start In Week 6?
In Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick and Christian Ponder, the 49ers have three quarterbacks who were high picks in the 2011 draft, yet the 1-4 club finds itself in an unenviable position under center. Gabbert and Ponder, both of whom were first-rounders, have never lived up to their respective draft choices. Conversely, Kaepernick has his share of accomplishments since the 49ers used a second-rounder on him, but the 28-year-old’s effectiveness has fallen off in recent seasons.
Just as he did in Jacksonville, where he spent the first three seasons of his career, Gabbert is failing in San Francisco. Gabbert won the starting job over the summer, but he’s now at risk of losing the role thanks to his substandard output thus far. After the 49ers’ 33-21 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday, when Gabbert completed 18-of-31 passes for 162 yards, a touchdown and an interception, head coach Chip Kelly left the door open for a change at quarterback.
The assumption is that Kaepernick will grab the reins if Kelly demotes Gabbert, but multiple 49ers offensive players have told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com that they’d like Ponder to take over. The 12th selection in his draft class (two picks after Gabbert), Ponder garnered plenty of experience with the Vikings from 2011-14, though he didn’t exactly light it up. In 38 appearances (36 starts), Ponder completed a below-average 59.8 percent of passes, averaged an underwhelming 6.3 yards per attempt, and tossed 38 touchdowns against 36 picks in Minnesota. Those numbers are almost identical to the totals Gabbert has posted during his 42-appearance, 40-start career (56.3 completion percentage, 6.0 YPA, 38 TDs versus 37 INTs).
It’s clear that Kaepernick, who lost his job to Gabbert last year as he battled injuries and a decline in performance, has the best credentials of any 49ers quarterback. But his days as a quality option may have concluded with his season-ending interception in the 49ers’ 23-17 NFC title game loss to Seattle in January 2014. The once-electrifying dual threat has been mediocre to worse since, though it might be worthwhile for the Kelly to see if he can help the sixth-year man recapture the form he showed off in his first season and a half at the Niners’ helm. Of course, it’s questionable whether Kaepernick is physically ready to get back on the field after surgeries to his left knee, left shoulder and right thumb stopped him from experiencing a normal offseason.
The offensive-minded Kelly previously drew career-best performances from Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford in Philadelphia, but it doesn’t appear he’ll do the same with Gabbert in San Francisco. Kelly has two other (flawed) choices on hand, though, and with extra time to prepare for the 49ers’ Week 6 visit to Buffalo, a shakeup could happen.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Doctson, Cards, DGB, Saints
An Achilles issue continues to bother Redskins first-round receiver Josh Doctson, who will miss his third straight game Sunday, and head coach Jay Gruden didn’t rule out an eventual trip to injured reserve Friday. “We’ll have to wait and see if this thing gets any better the next week or so and go from there,” he said (via JP Finlay of CSN Mid-Atlantic). “I hate to put him on IR and then he’s better tomorrow, you know what I mean, because he’s such a valuable, big play type guy. We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and see what happens.” Doctson is dealing with pain when he “pushes off,” according to Gruden, which Finlay notes is especially problematic for a receiver. The 22nd pick from TCU appeared in the Redskins’ first two games, catching two passes for 66 yards, but he previously missed all of training camp and the preseason.
More from the NFC:
- After going without a catch or a target in the Cardinals’ 33-21 win over San Francisco on Thursday, wideout Michael Floyd is on a career-worst reception pace through five weeks. That led head coach Bruce Arians to posit Friday that Floyd’s status as an impending free agent is a factor in his sagging production. “I’m sure that has a lot to do with it,” Arians said of Floyd, who has caught only 12 of 35 targets through five games. Floyd averaged 52 receptions on 97 targets over his first four years, and the Cardinals remain confident in him, per Arians (Twitter links via Darren Urban of the team’s website).
- Although Eagles receiver Dorial Green-Beckham hasn’t posted gaudy numbers this year (seven catches, 65 yards in three games), the club is pleased with the mid-August trade acquisition. “He’s done a nice job. He’s really grasped the offense and understood his role,” head coach Doug Pederson stated (via Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com). Green-Beckham, whom the Eagles got from the Titans for offensive lineman Dennis Kelly, has seen his offensive snap percentage rise in each of Philly’s games. The 2015 second-round pick participated in 32 percent of the Eagles’ plays in their opener and was on the field for 46 percent and 49 percent in Weeks 2 and 3.
- The Saints were disappointed with high-priced free agent signing Coby Fleener after the first two weeks of the season, but the tight end has turned it around since, writes Herbie Teope of NOLA.com. After picking up a meager three catches on 12 targets in his first pair of games as a Saint, the ex-Colt totaled 10 receptions on 16 targets over the previous two. “I feel like over the last two or three weeks here, he’s really starting to, ‘OK, I got it, I understand what’s going on. I know what Drew’s (Brees) looking for,” assistant head coach/tights ends Dan Campbell told Teope.
- Friday was an eventful day for backup quarterbacks in San Francisco: A contract restructuring is a possibility for Colin Kaepernick, as is a return to the starting lineup in Week 6. Meanwhile, some 49ers want Christian Ponder to take Blaine Gabbert‘s job.
Dolphins’ Xavien Howard Out 3-6 Weeks
The Dolphins were already paper thin at cornerback. Now they’ve lost starter Xavien Howard for three to six weeks because of meniscus surgery, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Howard – who suffered the injury in practice this week – previously underwent surgery on the same knee in June, which caused the rookie second-round pick from Baylor to miss all of training camp and the preseason.
Despite his inability to get on the field during the summer, Howard led all Dolphins corners in snaps (304) over the season’s first four weeks. Among Dolphins defensive backs, only standout safety Reshad Jones (314 snaps) has seen more action than Howard this year. Howard amassed 28 tackles, two passes defensed and a forced fumble in his first four NFL games (all starts), with Pro Football Focus ranking his performance a subpar 83rd among 111 qualifying corners.
Part of the reason Howard has been on the field so much in Year 1 is the Dolphins’ lack of capable corners. Their most proven option, big-money offseason pickup Byron Maxwell, is amid his second straight underwhelming campaign. That earned the former Seahawk and Eagle a demotion prior to Miami’s 22-7 loss to the Bengals in Week 4. Maxwell didn’t play a snap in that game, but he’ll return to a prominent role against the Titans in a battle of 1-3 teams on Sunday. Joining him will be Tony Lippett, who has played 67 snaps this year. All of those snaps came versus the Bengals, against whom Lippett picked up his first pro start. However, Cincinnati’s top receiver, A.J. Green, torched the 2015 fifth-rounder from Michigan State.
Maxwell aside, the only Dolphins corner with much of a track record is Chris Culliver, who’s on the physically unable to perform list and hasn’t played this year. Culliver is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered as a Redskin last November, but head coach Adam Gase expects the sixth-year man to factor into the Dolphins’ secondary when he’s eligible to return after the sixth game of the season.
“He’ll be in the conversation very fast,” said Gase.
Miami’s defense will enter Sunday ranked 20th in DVOA against the pass, 23rd in YPA allowed (7.9), 24th in quarterback rating against (98.4) and tied for 31st in interceptions (one).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Joey Bosa To Debut Sunday
After missing the first four games of the season because of a hamstring strain, Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa will make his highly anticipated NFL debut Sunday, he told Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“This has been a long time coming. I’m finally going to play my first snap. But I’m going to stay calm and treat it like another game,” said Bosa.
With Bosa set to crack the lineup against the AFC West rival Raiders, the 1-3 Chargers will finally get a glimpse of the third overall pick in a game situation. Bosa previously missed each of the Chargers’ four preseason contests and all of training camp on account of a months-long contract battle between him and the team. The former Ohio State Buckeye and his representatives fought with San Diego over offset language and signing bonus distribution in his deal. They eventually agreed to a compromise Aug. 29, but only after publicly trading blows.
Given that Bosa just became a full participant in practice this week, the Chargers will likely limit his snap count against the Raiders, per Gehlken. For the Bolts, though, any impact from Bosa would be welcome against Oakland – which is 3-1 and in possession of one of the league’s top offenses. The Chargers have struggled defensively and are banged up at cornerback, but their Bosa-less pass rush has fared well. San Diego ranks tied for 12th in the league in sacks (nine) and third in hurries (27).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.