Dolphins QB Jay Cutler Will Start Sunday
Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and will start Sunday against the Broncos, head coach Adam Gase told reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
Miami will turn back to Cutler following a start by backup Matt Moore in Week 12, a loss to the division rival Patriots in which Moore completed 23 of 34 attempts for 215 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. No matter who is under center going forward, the Dolphins aren’t likely to be contending for playoff spot, as the 4-7 club has only a 1% chance of securing a postseason berth, per FiveThirtyEight.
Cutler, who also missed Week 8 with a ribs injury, has struggled in his first season with the Dolphins. He ranks near the bottom of the league in most quarterback metrics, grades as the No. 33 quarterback among 37 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus, and isn’t throwing the ball down the field, as his 7.8-yard average depth of target ranks 32nd in the NFL.
Injury Notes: Falcons, Cowboys, Broncos
Devonta Freeman has cleared the league’s concussion protocol and will return to Falcons practice on Wednesday, head coach Dan Quinn told 92.9 The Game, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Freeman was injured on the second play of Atlanta’s game against the Cowboys in Week 10, and the veteran running back has since missed two additional games as he deals with this second concussion of the season. Fellow running back Tevin Coleman has dominated backfield touches with Freeman sidelined, but Freeman figures to take on the majority of carries from here on out.
Here’s more on injuries from around the NFL:
- Like Freeman, Cowboys guard Zack Martin has also cleared the NFL concussion protocol and is on track to play when Dallas faces Washington on Thursday night, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Martin played only 20 offensive snaps in what was an eventual loss to the Chargers on Thanksgiving before leaving the contest with a brain injury, forcing the Cowboys to turn to backup Joe Looney to man right guard. One of the league’s best offensive lineman, Martin will attempt to help Dallas win out (essentially a requirement if the club hopes to earn a postseason berth).
- The Colts will be without cornerback Rashaan Melvin after he suffered a “significant” hand injury, head coach Chuck Pagano told reporters, including Mike Chappell of FOX59 (Twitter link). While Indianapolis’ defense ranks 23rd in DVOA, Melvin has been one the team’s bright spots. A career reserve, the 28-year-old Melvin has started 10 games for the Colts this season while ranking as the NFL’s No. 14 corner, per Pro Football Focus. He’s scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next spring. Tight end Erik Swoope, meanwhile, won’t return from IR this season although Indy originally believed he would do so, per Chappell (Twitter link).
- Domata Peko‘s start streak is expected to end at 123 games, as the Broncos defensive tackle has a second degree MCL sprain that will cause him to miss time, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. Peko, 33, looked to be nearing the end of his career with the Bengals last season, but he’s rebounded in Denver. The mammoth interior defender has been outstanding against the run, helping the Broncos to a No. 1 overall ranking in run defense DVOA.
- The Giants have designated defensive end Romeo Okwara to return from injured reserve, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). The 22-year-old started four games as a rookie in 2016, and had played 78 defensive snaps this year before going down with a sprained MCL. Okwara will likely contribute on special teams when he returns to game action.
Jameis Winston Expected To Start In Week 13
Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston will return to practice on Wednesday and is expected to start when Tampa Bay faces Green Bay on Sunday, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
Winston has missed the Bucs’ past three contest after suffering a shoulder injury against the Saints in Week 9. In eight starts, the 23-year-old Winston has been mediocre: he’s completed 61.4% of his passes for 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, and ranks 19th in quarterback rating and 16th in adjusted net yards per attempt. Off the field, Winston is in the midst of another incident, as he’s reportedly under investigation for groping an Uber driver in 2016. If Winston does return to action in Week 13, he’ll do without two starting offensive lineman, as both Ali Marpet and Demar Dotson were placed on injured reserve earlier today.
With Winston returning, veteran signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick will head back to the bench after leading Tampa Bay to a 2-1 record in three starts. Fitzpatrick completed 58.9% of his passes for 1,103 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions during his time as the Buccaneers’ starter.
Lions’ Jim Bob Cooter Won’t Interview At UT
Lions offensive coordinator — and University of Tennessee alum — Jim Bob Cooter would likely be a candidate for the Volunteers head coaching position, but he will not interview for the job, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Instead, Cooter will focus on his work with Detroit in the hopes of ultimately landing an NFL head coaching gig.
Cooter, 33, was promoted to offensive coordinator midway through the 2015 campaign. While he led the club to a No. 15 ranking in offensive DVOA in 2016, Detroit has slipped to 21st this season. Nevertheless, Cooter is viewed as a rising star in the coaching ranks, and though he’s yet to officially interview for a head coaching job, Cooter was linked to several vacancies during the last hiring cycle. Cooter, who was a backup quarterback and a graduate assistant at Tennessee, declined to comment on his potential interest in the open position earlier this month.
Tennessee originally hired former Rutgers/Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano earlier this week, but social media backlash to the move led the university to reverse its decision. The Volunteers are reportedly interested in Jon Gruden (and are willing to pay him $10MM annually), and have also discussed ex-Vol/current Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers.
Lions OL Joe Dahl To Return From IR
Lions offensive lineman Joe Dahl has been designated to return from injured reserve and has resumed practicing, Detroit announced today.
Dahl, 24, appeared in six games for the Lions in 2016 after the club selected him out of Washington State in the fifth round. He’d been expected to be in the mix for a starting role this season, but those hopes were dashed when Detroit inked free agent guard T.J. Lang to a three-year deal. Dahl was placed on injured reserve with a leg injury following Week 3.
As a whole, the Lions’ offensive line has been a disappointment, as the unit ranks 23rd in adjusted sack rate and 31st in adjusted line yards. Dahl certainly doesn’t boast much experience, but Detroit could conceivably place him at left guard and shift Graham Glasgow to center to replace Travis Swanson, who ranks as a bottom-three pivot, per Pro Football Focus. More likely, however, is that Dahl will become the Lions’ top reserve along the interior.
Giants To Place CB Janoris Jenkins On IR
The Giants will place cornerback Janoris Jenkins on injured reserve as he battles an ankle injury, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jekins will undergo surgery later today, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Jenkins has reportedly been playing with a “debilitating” ankle issue that has limited his ability to cut and change direction, so it’s no surprise that New York is choosing to shut down the veteran defensive back in what has become a lost 2017 campaign. Despite his injury, Jenkins hasn’t been terrible, although he certainly hasn’t produced like a shutdown corner (as he did in 2016). In nine games, Jenkins graded as the NFL’s No. 42 corner among 118 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus, and ranked ninth in Football Outsiders’ success rate.
Of course, Jenkins has also been involved in off-field controversy this year, as the Giants suspended him for one week late last month. The 29-year-old Jenkins reportedly violated team rules and became the second Big Blue cornerback — joining Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie — to be handed a team-issued ban by New York this year.
With Jenkins sidelined, the Giants will likely turn to Ross Cockrell, whom the club acquired from the Steelers prior to the season, as a new starting corner. He’ll likely play opposite Eli Apple, although Apple is going through his own off-field issues. Rodgers-Cromartie will continue to man the slot, while recent signees Brian Dixon and Darryl Morris could theoretically see playing time given New York’s lack of secondary depth.
Jenkins signed a five-year, $62.5MM contract with the Giants prior to the 2016 campaign, and he’s $10.9MM in non-guaranteed base salary next season. While there’s been no indication New York has any interest in releasing Jenkins, the club could soon be under new management (both in the front office and on the coaching staff). The Giants would save $7MM by cutting Jenkins next spring.
Seahawks’ Malik McDowell Won’t Play In ’17
Rookie defensive lineman Malik McDowell won’t play in 2017 after suffering a severe concussion in a July ATV accident, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Carroll indicated in early October that McDowell still had a chance to see the field this season, but the Michigan State product hasn’t made enough progress in his recovery.
Seattle could certainly use help along the defensive line, as Cliff Avril is done for the season with a neck injury while while Dion Jordan is also batting health questions. The Seahawks also recently waived veteran end Dwight Freeney, so the club’s depth up front is lacking. McDowell, whom Seattle selected in the second round of the 2017 draft, could have potentially filled a vacancy on the interior or on the edge and helped a defensive line that ranks just 20th in adjusted sack rate.
Because McDowell will spend his entire rookie campaign on the non-football injury list, his contract will toll, meaning he won’t gain credit for the 2017 season. As such, the Seahawks will now control his rights through 2021 instead of 2020.
Buccaneers Place OL Marpet, Dotson On IR
The Buccaneers have lost two starting offensive lineman for the remainder of the season, as the club announced today that they’ve placed tackle Demar Dotson and center Ali Marpet on injured reserve. In addition to the previously announced promotions of tight end Alan Cross, defensive end Pat O’Connor, and wide receiver Bobo Wilson, Tampa Bay has also signed cornerback Deji Olatoye.
Marpet has been a full-time starter along the Buccaneers’ offensive line ever since being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft. A guard during his first two years in the league, the 24-year-old Marpet transitioned to center prior to the 2017 campaign. He’s mastered the position switch, as Pro Football Focus grades Marpet as the NFL’s No. 6 pivot. Marpet, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract, is eligible for an extension this offseason.
Dotson, too, has played nearly every offensive snap (97.1%) for Tampa this year, and he’s also been excellent (No. 4 tackle, per PFF). A former undrafted free agent, Dotson has been with the Bucs since the 2009 season but didn’t become a starter until 2012. He’s signed through 2019, although the fact that he’ll be entering his age-33 campaign next year could render him a cap casualty.
The Buccaneers will turn to replacements along its offensive line just as quarterback Jameis Winston returns from a shoulder injury. With top reserve Evan Smith in the concussion protocol, Tampa Bay will likely turn to Joe Hawley at center and Caleb Benenoch at right tackle.
Lions S Tavon Wilson Done For Year
Lions safety Tavon Wilson will require shoulder surgery that will end his 2017 season, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links).
Wilson, 27, had started nine games and played on three-quarters of Detroit’s defensive snaps so far this season, but he hadn’t been effective, as he graded as a bottom-15 NFL safety, per Pro Football Focus. However, Wilson had been a solid starter as recently as 2016, and it’s fair to wonder if injuries — Wilson has now hurt his shoulder three times this year, per Birkett — have affected his level of performance.
Without Wilson on the active roster, the Lions will turn to 2016 fourth-round pick Miles Killebrew to play safety opposite Glover Quin. Killebrew has played roughly half of Detroit’s snaps in 2017 (and posted better results than Wilson, at least according to PFF’s metrics). With Quin playing at a Pro Bowl level as a deep safety, Killebrew will be asked to play closer to the line of scrimmage.
Wilson, a second-round pick of the Patriots in 2012, is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next spring when his current two-year contract expires.
University Of Tennessee Eyeing Jon Gruden
The University of Tennessee is interested in hiring ESPN commentator Jon Gruden to fill its head coaching vacancy, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
The Volunteers thought they had their new head coach over the weekend, as the university had agreed to terms with former Rutgers/Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano. However, Tennessee backed out of the deal following backlash to the Schiano announcement, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports, who reports some of the adverse reaction was tied to Schiano’s reported involvement in the Penn State/Jerry Sandusky scandal. (To be clear, Schiano was alleged to have seen Sandusky “doing something” in a shower, but was never charged with a crime or sued, and the rumors are largely viewed as hearsay.)
Tennessee has in fact discussed its head coaching job with Gruden, and are open to a deal that would pay the Super Bowl winning coach $10MM annually, per La Canfora. Gruden has never been a head coach at the collegiate level, but he did work as a graduate assistant for the Volunteers from 1986-87 and his wife is a former Tennessee cheerleader.
Sources tell La Canfora that Gruden may prefer an NFL job, and a reunion involving the Buccaneers could be possible if Tampa Bay fires incumbent Dirk Koetter. Indeed, some Tennessee boosters don’t believe a deal with Gruden is realistic, especially given that the college has pursued Gruden without results in the past. Still, Gruden didn’t rule out a return to coaching when the subject was broached earlier this month.
Gruden isn’t the only coach with NFL ties that appears to be on Tennessee’s radar, as the university has also expressed interest in Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers.