Colts To Place Clayton Geathers On Reserve/PUP
The Colts will place safety Clayton Geathers on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, meaning he will miss the first six games of the 2017 season, as general manager Chris Ballard announced Monday.
Geathers, 25, suffered a season-ending neck injury in December, and subsequently underwent surgery on a bulging disc in March. Last season, Geathers started nine games before being sidelined, managing 58 tackles and five passes defensed while grading as the league’s No. 26 safety, per Pro Football Focus. He’s under contract through the 2018 campaign.
“A lot of this with Geathers is just the healing process,” Ballard said. “He’s in a good frame mentally. He’s worked hard and he’s done everything from a rehab standpoint. I think once we get into September and October it’ll really start ramping up for him.”
As Roster Resource indicates, second-year safety T.J. Green will likely step into the starting lineup in place of Geathers, lining up opposite rookie first-rounder Malik Hooker. Green started four games last year, seeing action on 44% of Indianapolis’ defensive snaps.
Panthers Sign WR Trevor Graham
The Panthers have signed free agent wide receiver Trevor Graham, the club announced Monday. Graham, an ex-third-round pick of the Bills, formerly went by the first name T.J., but has since reverted to his given name. Carolina also signed center Greg Van Roten, waived/injured wideout Charles Johnson, and waived defensive end Ryan Delaire with a failed physical designation.
Graham, who turns 28 years old later this week, is now the 13th receiver on Carolina’s roster, and if he makes the club, it will likely be because of his speed. A track athlete while at North Carolina State, Graham averaged 27 receptions and 342 yards during his first two years in the league (both with Buffalo), but hasn’t contributed on offense since.
While Graham’s skillset seemingly should make him a solid return man in the kicking game, that’s not a role he’s been asked to play throughout his NFL career. He’s returned just seven kickoffs during his time in the league, and has never returned a punt. In fact, in his two seasons with the Bills, Graham played only three total special teams snaps.
As such, it will be difficult for Graham to earn a spot on the Panthers’ roster unless he carves out a role as a deep threat à la Ted Ginn Jr. Given that Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard are locks to make Carolina’s squad, Graham will be competing with the likes of Damiere Byrd, Brenton Bersin, and Kaelin Clay for reps during training camp.
Johnson — not to be confused with his former defensive end teammate of the same name — won’t be part of that receiver group, as he’s been cut following right knee surgery. He’ll go through waivers but won’t be claimed due to his injury, so he’ll revert to the Panthers’ injured reserve list. At that point, Carolina could agree to an injury settlement with the former Viking in order to clear him from IR. Johnson, 28, signed a one-year deal with a maximum value of $2.2MM earlier this offseason.
Delaire, meanwhile, played 139 defensive snaps for the Panthers a season ago in between two separate stints on injured reserve. In six games, Delaire managed five tackles, one sack, and one pass defensed.
Ravens’ Kenneth Dixon To Miss 2017 Season
Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon will miss the entire 2017 campaign after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Baltimore had been hopeful that Dixon, a 2016 fourth-round selection, would only need his meniscus trimmed, which would’ve lead to a much shorter recovery period. Instead, Dixon underwent a full repair, per Rapoport, which means he’ll miss five-to-six months. With the regular season fast approaching, Dixon won’t be able to make it back on the field in time to play this year.
Entering his age-23 campaign, Dixon had been slated to compete for carries alongside Terrance West, Danny Woodhead, and the rest of the Ravens’ backfield crew. A four-game PED suspension was already set to temper Dixon’s 2017 outlook, but now he won’t play again until 2018. Last season, Dixon managed 4.3 yards per carry on 88 rushes, and also added 30 receptions out of the backfield.
With Dixon sidelined, the Ravens made a move to add running back depth earlier today, agreeing to terms with veteran Bobby Rainey.
Texans Place Duane Brown On Reserve/Did Not Report List
The Texans announced that they’ve placed offensive tackle Duane Brown on the reserve/did not report list. Brown is currently holding out of training camp as he pushes for a new contract.
For the most part, Brown’s new roster designation has minimal effect: he doesn’t count towards Houston’s 90-man roster, and he can be removed from the list at any time. However, Brown is costing himself money by not attending camp, as Field Yates of ESPN.com reports Brown has triggered a de-escalator clause in his contract by not taking part in a predetermined amount of workouts. Per Yates, Brown’s 2017 base salary has been reduced from $9.65MM to $9.4MM.
The 31-year-old Brown does hold a certain amount of leverage, however, as the Texans have extremely limited options at left tackle behind him. Chris Clark would probably step in as the starter, but he graded as a bottom-five guard in the NFL a season ago, per Pro Football Focus. Free agent signee Breno Giacomini and rookie Julien Davenport, meanwhile, are considered right tackles only.
The Texans and general manager Rick Smith don’t seem inclined to cave to Brown’s demands, however, as Smith explained to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. “There’s no contract dispute,” Smith said. “Duane’s under contract for two more years. That’s our position. We’re here to get our football team ready for the season, and he should be a part of it.”
Latest On Eagles RB Ryan Mathews
While the Eagles are still expected to release Ryan Mathews, the veteran running back will likely stay on the club’s roster until at least August as he continues to recover from a neck injury, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
As Bowen has previously reported, Philadelphia needs to wait to cut Mathews until he’s healthy in order to avoid paying $1.1MM in injury protection. Mathews will still count for $1MM in dead money once he can pass a physical and is released, but that money will only count for salary cap purposes. No further cash will head Mathews’ way if the Eagles hold off on cutting him until he is fully recovered.
Mathews, 30, has often been effective on a per-play basis during his seven-year career, but injuries have limited his overall contributions. He’s appeared in all 16 games just once during his NFL tenure, started 14 games just twice, and has managed only 510 carries over the past three seasons. On the bright side, Mathews did average 4.6 yards per carry during that three-year span.
The Eagles have prepared for the eventual loss of Mathews by signing free agent LeGarrette Blount to a one-year deal and drafting Donnel Pumphrey in the fourth round of this year’s draft. Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, and Byron Marshall comprise the rest of Philadelphia’s current backfield options.
NFC East Rumors: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins
The NFL is reportedly wrapping up its investigation into Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, but franchise owner Jerry Jones stood behind Elliott when addressing the media earlier today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “I have reviewed everything and there is absolutely nothing – not one thing – that had anything to do with domestic violence,” Jones said. Last week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported a “growing sense” that Elliott will face a league-imposed suspension. Elliott was never arrested or charged in the incident, but his accuser addressed her allegations in a statement today.
Here’s more from Dallas and the rest of the NFC East:
- Echoing statements he made earlier this year, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones reiterated his club’s desire to reach an extension with right guard Zack Martin, tweets Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “We’d love to get Zack Martin‘s [deal] done,” said Jones. “He’s an important part of our future…confident we’ll get something worked out.” The Cowboys plan to meet with Martin’s agent during training camp, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Dallas, which has already hammered out deals with left tackle Tyron Smith and center Travis Frederick, controls Martin through 2018 via the fifth-year option. Martin, a 2016 All Pro, ranked as the second-best guard in the league a season ago, per Pro Football Focus.
- With B.J. Goodson entrenched as the club’s starting middle linebacker, the Giants are unlikely to re-sign Kelvin Sheppard, reports Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Sheppard, 29, started 11 games for New York last season, but was essentially a two-down player, as he saw action on only 40% of the team’s defensive snaps. Goodson, Jonathan Casillas, and Devon Kennard figure to serve as Big Blue’s starting ‘backers, with Kenan Robinson and J.T. Thomas serving as relatively high-priced reserves.
- The Giants aren’t expected to reach an extension with guard Justin Pugh, as the fifth-year pro seemingly wants to reach the free agent market in 2018, as James Kratch of NJ.com writes. The upper echelon of the guard market has now hit the $12MM mark, and it’s possible Pugh could hit that barrier with another solid season. Pugh, a 55-game starter during his career, will earn $8.821MM next year, and Kratch believes the franchise tag (with a cost near $15MM) could be in play for 2018.
- Free agent addition Brian Quick isn’t likely to act as one of the Redskins‘ top four wideouts next season, meaning his roster spot could be in danger, details John Keim of ESPN.com. If Quick isn’t a contributor on offense, he’d need to be a factor on special teams, something he hasn’t been throughout his career. Washington inked Quick on a minimum salary benefit contract that contained just $80K in guarantees, so cutting him wouldn’t represent much of a fiscal loss.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
5 Key Stories: 7/16/17 – 7/23/17
Panthers make a front office change. Carolina shocked the NFL world last week by firing general manager Dave Gettleman and re-hiring former GM Marty Hurney in an interim capacity. Gettleman was known to be a “brusque” contract negotiator, and his personality often rubbed others the wrong way. Hurney has worked quickly, as he’s already finalized a contract extension for guard Trai Turner and released tackle Michael Oher. New deals for linebacker Thomas Davis and tight end Greg Olsen could also be on the table, as Gettleman wasn’t inclined to address either veteran’s pact before his ouster.
No deals for remaining franchise players. Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, and Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson all failed to reach extensions with their respective clubs by last week’s deadline, meaning all three will play out 2017 under one-year tenders. Washington claimed it offered Cousins $53MM in guarantees, but Cousins wants more time to evaluate the organization following this year’s front office changes. Bell, meanwhile, reportedly rejected a five-year, $60MM proposal from Pittsburgh.
Ezekiel Elliot saga nears a resolution. The NFL is wrapping up its investigation into Elliott, and has already shared its findings with the NFLPA and the Cowboys running back. A suspension would not only cost Elliott games, but money, as Dallas would have the right to recoup a portion of his signing bonus. Earlier today, Elliot’s domestic violence accuser addressed her allegations against the second-year pro. Meanwhile, Elliott was reportedly involved in a recent bar fight, but Dallas police are dropping their investigation due to a lack of evidence.
RG3 drawing free agent interest. Robert Griffin III could soon be joining a new club, as teams have reportedly expressed “mild” interest in the veteran quarterback. The only team to express public intrigue in Griffin so far this season had been the Seahawks, but they went in another direction by signing journeyman Austin Davis. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report indicated NFL clubs are curious to see what RG3 has left to offer after numerous injuries have limited him in recent seasons.
Anquan Boldin takes a visit. The Bills are planning to work out Boldin on Monday as they seek a another receiver to add to their uninspiring pass-catching unit, which is currently lead by Sammy Watkins and second-round rookie Zay Jones. Boldin, 36, reportedly may seek to sign with a club that plays closer to his Florida residence. Perhaps seeking to avoid the grind of training camp, Boldin is apparently willing to wait for a new deal, and could look to ink a contract later in the offseason.
PFR Originals: 7/16/17 – 7/23/17
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- With the 2017 regular season only two months away, PFR began its annual Offseason In Review series, assessing the major signings, departures, trades, and other notable events for each of the 32 NFL clubs. We covered three teams this week:
- The Redskins failed to sign franchise-tagged quarterback Kirk Cousins to a long-term extension last week, meaning he’ll now play out the 2017 campaign on a one-year tender. With that in mind, Connor Byrne asked PFR readers if Cousins will be back in Washington next season, either on a third consecutive franchise tag or on a multi-year deal. The response has been clear, as more than three-quarters of voters believe Cousins will be playing elsewhere in 2018.
Latest On Chargers Rookie WR Mike Williams
Conflicting reports emerged this week regarding the health status of Chargers rookie wideout Mike Williams, and today Williams attempted to clarify the nature of his back injury, according to James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
“I’m good,” Williams said. “Everything good. The back situation. That was some false information being released. I don’t know who released it, but everything is good.”
While Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported Wednesday that Williams may require season-ending surgery for a herniated disc, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicated that surgery wasn’t on the table for the No. 7 overall pick. Still, Williams is likely to begin training on active/PUP, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, which theoretically means he could start the regular season on reserve/PUP, which requires an absence of six weeks.
Williams is “feeling better” following a recent epidural, tweets Garafolo, but even if he is forced to miss time, Los Angeles should have enough wide receiver depth to overcome his unavailability. The Chargers boast Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin, Tyrell Williams, and Dontrelle Inman, giving the club ample weapons to withstand Williams’ hypothetical recovery period.
Robert Griffin III Generating “Mild Interest”
Free agent quarterback Robert Griffin III has begun to attract “mild interest” from NFL clubs, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, who notes the operative word in that sentence is “mild.” A number of teams could be willing to give RG3 an opportunity during training camp, adds Freeman.
Griffin’s physical traits remain tantalizing, and clubs are surely still holding out hope that RG3 can come close to replicating the production he exhibited in 2012, when he arguably posted the second-best rookie quarterback campaign since the merger. Still only 27 years old, Griffin should also come rather cheaply, as he won’t come close to matching the $7.5MM annual salary he landed from the Browns last offseason.
But it’s also apparent why teams would be wary of Griffin (one executive said last month that he wouldn’t sign RG3 “under any circumstances”). Griffin simply can’t stay healthy, as injuries have limited him in every season during his NFL tenure. Last year, health concerns relegated RG3 to five starts, and he wasn’t effective during those contests, completing less than 60% of his passes and registering a 72.5 quarterback rating.
The Seahawks are the only club known to have expressed interest in Griffin this offseason, but Seattle ultimately chose Austin Davis over Griffin and a host of other signal-callers (including Colin Kaepernick). PFR recently ranked Griffin as the fourth-best free agent quarterback, behind Kaepernick, Christian Ponder, and Shaun Hill.