Giants Not Interested In Victor Cruz
The Giants are in extreme need of help at the wide receiver position, but the club is not interested in a reunion with free agent pass-catcher Victor Cruz, head coach Ben McAdoo told reporters, including Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). “To my knowledge he is not an option,” said McAdoo. “But never say never.”
Cruz, of course, spent 2010-16 with the Giants, and was especially spectacular from 2011-13, when averaged 80 receptions, 1,209 yards, and eight touchdowns per season. Following three injury-ridden years, Cruz was released by the Giants in the spring, and he subsequently implied that the club’s coaching staff intentionally phased him out of the offense because New York was planning to cut him.
Although he signed a one-year deal worth up to $4MM with the Bears, Cruz couldn’t make it past final roster cuts despite Chicago’s depleted wide receiver depth chart. Cruz reportedly suffered a knee injury during the Bears’ preseason finale, but he now has a clean bill of health. Still, he has yet to generate any known interest being cut by Chicago.
New York is in dire straits at wideout, where Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris are both out for the season. Sterling Shepard will be sidelined for a few weeks with a sprained ankle, while Brandon Marshall — who also suffered an ankle sprain — is still being evaluated. The Giants signed Travis Rudolph and Tavarres King this morning, and they’ll join Roger Lewis as Big Blue’s only healthy receivers.
Vikings Activate WR Michael Floyd
The Vikings have activated wide receiver Michael Floyd from suspension, the club announced today. In a related move, Minnesota has released running back Stevan Ridley.
Floyd will make his Vikings debut on Monday Night Football when Minnesota faces the division-rival Bears. The Vikings landed Floyd on a one-year deal that contained no guaranteed money, and will give him a chance to rebound to his former heights. Once a receiver who regularly topped 800 yards receiving with the Cardinals, Floyd was charged with extreme DUI and subsequently waived last season.
The Patriots claimed Floyd off waivers, but the 27-year-old didn’t contribute much for New England down the stretch run. Playing time could be hard to come by with the Vikings, as well, as the club already has two established wideouts in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Floyd could potentially take over as Minnesota’s third receiver, but he’ll face competition from Laquon Treadwell and Jarius Wright.
Ridley, of course, is most well-known for his four-year run with the Patriots, especially his 2012 campaign in which he totaled more than 1,200 yards on the ground and 12 rushing touchdowns. Injuries have sapped much of the now 28-year-old’s value since then, however, and Ridley has become something of a journeyman. He’s been employed by the Jets, Lions, Colts, Falcons, and — most recently — Broncos since 2015.
Buccaneers To Sign Kicker Patrick Murray
The Buccaneers are changing kickers again, as Tampa Bay is currently working out a deal with free agent Patrick Murray, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Tampa Bay is unsurprisingly auditioned kickers following incumbent Nick Folk‘s dreadful performance against the Patriots on Thursday night. Folk missed three field goals in a game the Buccaneers ultimately lost by five points, so Tampa Bay took a look at Andrew Franks, Josh Lambo, Mike Nugent, Marshall Koehn, and Cairo Santos on Monday.
The Buccaneers, of course, are no strangers to problems at placekicker. Folk was initially signed to replace Roberto Aguayo, whom general manager Jason Licht & Co. drafted in the second round of the 2017 draft after a trade up. Aguayo struggled through his rookie campaign and the 2017 season before being waived, but Tampa Bay is now making a special teams transition once again.
Murray, 26, will now begin his second stint with the Buccaneers, as he was the club’s kicker during the 2014 campaign. The Fordham product didn’t appear in the NFL in 2015, and managed only two games in Cleveland last season before suffering an injury. For his career, Murray holds an 80.8% field goal conversion rate, and he’s missed only one extra point attempt.
Folk, meanwhile, will be placed on injured reserve with a “minor” designation, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That means Tampa Bay will be forced to release Folk once he’s deemed fully healthy. When that happens, the Buccaneers will eat the rest of Folk’s 2017 salary.
Bills’ Charles Clay Undergoes Knee Surgery
Bills tight end Charles Clay underwent surgery earlier today to correct a torn meniscus and a sprained MCL, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While Buffalo didn’t provide a specific return timeline for Clay, head coach Sean McDermott said Clay will be sidelined for multiple weeks, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.
Clay, 28, has been a major contributor to a limited Bills offense thus far in 2017, as he’s managed 20 receptions for 258 yards and two touchdowns through five games. He leads Buffalo in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and is second to LeSean McCoy in targets and receptions. The Bills are a run-heavy offense, so Clay’s 20 receptions represent 24% of quarterback Tyrod Taylor‘s completions.
Nick O’Leary, a sixth-round pick in 2015, is second to Clay in Buffalo tight end snaps, and he figures to soak up much of Clay’s playing time in the coming weeks. Former quarterback Logan Thomas should also be in the mix, while Khari Lee, who’s been inactive in all five contests this season, could also see usage. If the Bills want to make an outside addition, they could conceivably consider free agent Gary Barnidge, whom they hosted on a visit earlier this year.
Buffalo has a bye in Week 6, and will then face the Buccaneers, Raiders, Jets, and Saints over the next four weeks.
Buccaneers Working Out DL Lamarr Houston
The Buccaneers are working out free agent defensive end Lamarr Houston, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Tampa Bay has also added two kickers to its audition list in the forms of Patrick Murray and Marshall Koehn, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
Houston, 30, was never able to stay fully healthy after inking a five-year, $35MM contract with Chicago prior to the 2014 campaign. In three seasons with the Bears, the 30-year-old Houston appeared in just 26 of a possible 48 games and made only 10 starts. He managed nine total sacks in Chicago, but eight of those came in 2015, his only healthy year with the Bears.
Chicago placed Houston on injured reserve (and subsequently released him) earlier this year, but the veteran pass rusher reportedly doesn’t have any structural knee dame. The Buccaneers likely want to confirm that, and see if the seven-year pro could help improve a defensive line which will be without reserve Ryan Russell for the next several weeks. Since parting ways with the Bears, Houston has worked out for the Saints and Patriots.
Murray and Koehn, meanwhile, will join a tryout group of kickers that also includes Mike Nugent, Josh Lambo, and Andrew Franks (Cairo Santos will also be in town for a physical). Incumbent Nick Folk missed three field goals last Thursday night, and has failed to convert five total attempts on the season.
Giants To Sign Travis Rudolph, Tavarres King
The Giants not only fell to 0-5 with a defeat against the Chargers on Sunday, but witnessed four of their top wide receivers suffer injuries of varying severity. With a lack of options on offense, New York will promote wideout Travis Rudolph from its practice squad and re-sign wide receiver Tavarres King, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Rudolph and King likely won’t be the only additions the Giants make in the coming days, as the club simply is bereft of wide receiver talent at the moment. Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris are both out for the season after suffering a fractured ankle and a broken foot, respectively. Sterling Shepard has a sprained ankle and will miss several weeks, while Brandon Marshall also has an ankle sprain and an undetermined timetable, tweets Rapoport.
New York doesn’t have the benefit of turning to an established run game — the club ranks 31st in rushing DVOA — so adding more pass-catchers may be Big Blue’s best option. Ed Eagan and Marquis Bundy are on the Giants’ practice squad and could conceivably be promoted alongside Rudolph, while a free agent addition could also make sense. Marquess Wilson, Dorial Green-Beckham, Steve Johnson, Vincent Jackson, and old friend Victor Cruz are among the top options available on the open market.
Rudolph, for his part, went undrafted out of Florida State earlier this year and has spent the first five weeks of the season on New York’s practice squad. In his final campaign as a Seminole, Rudolph posted 56 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. In a predraft profile, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com called Rudolph a “solid route runner” with good hands but noted his lack of short-area quickness.
King, meanwhile, spent 2-14-16 with the Giants and caught a touchdown pass in the club’s playoff loss to the Packers earlier this year. All told, he’s managed only four receptions over the course of his career. King was released by the Giants last month and had subsequently auditioned for the Patriots, Bills, and Jets.
Dolphins OL Coach Chris Foerster Resigns
Dolphins offensive line coach Chris Foerster has resigned following the publication of a video that shows him snorting a white substance, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
“I am resigning from my position with the Miami Dolphins and accept full responsibility for my actions,” said Foerster in a statement. “I want to apologize to the organization and my sole focus is on getting the help that I need with the support of my family and medical professionals.”
The video can be viewed here, but please be warned that it does contain probable drug use and offensive language. Foerster is speaking to the camera and indicates that he will snort the substance on the table before heading to a meeting. A source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald that the video appeared to have been recorded in the Dolphins’ offices.
Foerster, 55, has been an NFL coach since the 1993 season, coaching offensive lines and tight ends during that time. He was also the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator in 2004 under head coach Jim Bates. Foerster has worked for seven organizations during his NFL tenure, and had been in his current position since 2016.
As the Dolphins search to replace Foerster, assistant offensive line coach Chris Kuper would seemingly be a candidate to be promoted, as Salguero notes. Kuper, who played under Miami head coach Adam Gase when both were with the Broncos, has worked with the Dolphins since 2016. Dave Magazu, who worked as an OL coach with Gase in both Denver and Chicago, is being considered for the position, per Salguero.
Chiefs WR Chris Conley Ruptures Achilles
Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley ruptured his Achilles during the club’s Sunday night victory over the Texans and will miss the remainder of the 2017 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Week 5 was dismal in terms of injuries around the NFL, as the league saw stars such as Odell Beckham Jr., J.J. Watt, and Whitney Mercilus go down for the year. Conley may not be a household name like those players, but he’s been a reliable weapon for Andy Reid‘s Kansas City squad. He actually leads all Chiefs wideouts in snaps this season, and has registered 11 receptions for 175 yards. In 2016, the 24-year-old Conley was an excellent complementary receiver, as he managed 44 catches for 530 yards.
Conley, a third-round pick in 2015, has one year left on his rookie deal. While he was never going to garner a hefty extension, Conley could have possibly inked a new deal following this season. With an Achilles injury now on his record, Conley will likely need to play out his contract before earning any new money.
Kansas City’s offense will continue to run through Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce, but wide receivers such as Albert Wilson, De’Anthony Thomas, Demarcus Robinson, or rookie Jehu Chesson could now see increased usage. The Chiefs have two pass catchers — Gehrig Dieter and Marcus Kemp — on their practice squad, and both could be candidates for promotion.
Texans LB Whitney Mercilus Done For Season
The Texans’ Sunday night went from bad to worst, as the club not only lost superstar defensive lineman J.J. Watt, but edge rusher Whitney Mercilus. A torn pectoral will require surgery and end Mercilus’ 2017 campaign, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 28.
[RELATED: J.J. Watt Out For Year]
Houston ranked fourth in defensive DVOA and seventh in adjusted sack rate heading into Week 5, but have now seen two of their best defensive players go down in a single night. Without Watt and Mercilus available, the Texans could give more work to internal options Brennan Scarlett or Ufomba Kamalu, or potentially promote practice squad players LaTroy Lewis or Gimel President.
A free agent acquisition can’t be ruled out, as well, and there are a number of edge defenders who could make sense for the Texans. Dwight Freeney, Mario Williams, Paul Kruger, Jaye Howard, Arthur Jones, and Vance Walker are among the available players who could provide assistance on either the defensive line or at outside linebacker. Houston has auditioned linebackers such as Andrew Gachkar and Michael Mauti in recent weeks, but those veterans are more valuable on special teams than in defensive packages.
Mercilus will be difficult to replace, however, as the 27-year-old ‘backer has become an underrated asset over the past few seasons. From 2015-16, Mercilus put up 19.5 sacks for the Texans, and had managed one quarterback takedown in 2017. Pro Football Focus had graded Mercilus as just the No. 46 edge defender this season, but his marks had been significantly better in the prior two years.
Mercilus is signed through the 2019 campaign under the terms of an extension he signed in 2015. He’s due base salaries of $4.75MM and $5.75MM over the next two seasons.
5 Key NFL Stories: 10/1/17 – 10/8/17
OBJ done for the year? The Giants’ 2017 season can’t get any worse — not only did Big Blue fall to 0-5 after losing to the Chargers today, but star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a fractured ankle and could now require season-ending surgery. Beckham, who at times seems to represent the entirety of New York’s offense, had been pushing for a new contract, but that almost assuredly won’t happen with him on the mend. Even if OBJ can return later this year, the Giants may choose to hold him out given the club’s record.
Rookie running back goes down. Two NFC contenders — the Vikings and Seahawks — both lost their starting running backs in Week 4, as Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook suffered a torn ACL while Seattle’s Chris Carson broke his leg. Although Cook was a second-rounder and Carson wasn’t selected until the seventh round, both first-year players had been contributing to their respective offenses. The Vikings will turn to veteran Latavius Murray, who inked a three-year, $15MM deal earlier this year, while the Seahawks will use a combination of Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls.
Bears choose a new quarterback. Mike Glennon signed a three-year deal worth $45MM with Chicago in March, but he’s already been benched after just four games. The former Buccaneers signal-caller ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every quarterback metric, meaning the Bears had little choice to turn to No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky. Chicago sacrificed a haul of draft pick capital to move up one spot for Trubisky, and the UNC product will face a stiff test against the division-rival Vikings on Monday Night Football.
Raiders, Titans without QBs. Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota went down at a similar time in 2016, and they’ve done so again in 2017. The signal-callers reportedly face different timetables however, as Carr is apparently eyeing a return in Week 6 after suffering a transverse process fracture in his back. Mariota, meanwhile, was originally considered day-to-day after straining his hamstring, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported today that Mariota could be dealing with a two-to-four week injury.
Bucs have kicking problems (again). Tampa Bay worked through rookie kicker Roberto Aguayo‘s struggles in 2016 before ultimately waiving him earlier this year, and now the club is experiencing trouble again. Veteran Nick Folk missed three kicks in a game the Buccaneers ultimately lost by five points on Thursday night, leading Tampa to look at Andrew Franks, Josh Lambo, Mike Nugent, and Cairo Santos. Still, it’s not inconceivable that the Bucs simply stick with Folk.