Chargers Open To Trading For Wide Receiver
The Chargers are “actively scouting” the NFL and are open to dealing for wide receiver help, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. However, the club is unwilling to trade a first- or second-round pick, and an agreement appears unlikely.
RELATED: Chargers Promote WR Isaiah Burse]
San Diego was hit hard at the wide receiver position even before the season’s first week had come to a close. Keenan Allen, who agreed to a contract extension over the offseason, tore his ACL during Week 1 and is done for the year, while Stevie Johnson never played a snap after injuring his meniscus during the summer. Running back Danny Woodhead, meanwhile, had been a key factor in the Chargers’ passing attack, but also suffered a torn ACL in September.
The remaining options on the roster have stepped up in the absence of Allen, Johnson, and Woodhead, and second-year receiver Tyrell Williams has especially excelled thus far, posting 31 receptions and 526 yards through seven games. But as Acee notes, Williams has already played 12 times the snaps he saw during his rookie campaign, and is in danger of being overworked. Additionally, both he and fellow pass-catcher Travis Benjamin are battling knee injuries, while rookie tight end Hunter Henry recently suffered a concussion.
Even if the Chargers are willing to part with a mid-round pick, however, a deal is unlikely to come together, especially given that San Diego doesn’t have much cap space. With less than $2MM available, the Chargers wouldn’t be able to afford high-priced options such as Alshon Jeffery or Torrey Smith that could be available in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Within his article, Acee tosses out the Jaguars’ Marqise Lee and the Panthers’ Corey Brown as potential targets, but those names appear speculative.
Chargers Promote WR Isaiah Burse
The Chargers announced today that they’ve promoted wide receiver Isaiah Burse from the practice squad in advance of Sunday’s game against the Broncos. Cornerback Pierre Desir has been waived in a corresponding move.
[RELATED: San Diego Chargers Depth Chart]
Before the addition of Burse, San Diego had only four wide receivers on its depth chart, with Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin, Dontrelle Inman, and Griff Whalen making up the club’s pass-catching unit. Two of those receivers are listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest, as both Williams and Benjamin are battling knee injuries. However, both players appear “on track” to play in Week 8, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com.
Burse, 24, has 13 games of NFL experience under his belt — he played in one contest with the Chargers last season, and spent 12 games on Denver’s roster the year prior. He’s never caught an NFL pass, and has mostly contributed as a special teams player. Burse was the Broncos’ primary punt returner in 2014, averaging 7.3 yards per return on 29 chances.
Desir, 26, was waived by the Chargers last Saturday before being brought back into the fold the following Monday. He’s appeared in five games for San Diego this season, but has played on only 22 defensive snaps — he’s managed another 37 on special teams. With Desir out of the picture, the Chargers will head into their divisional matchup with Brandon Flowers, Casey Hayward, Craig Mager, Steve Williams, and Trevor Williams in the defensive backfield.
Vikings Likely To Activate Taylor Heinicke Soon
The Vikings are likely to activate quarterback Taylor Heinicke following the club’s Week 9 game against the Lions, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Heinicke has spent the season on the non-football injury list after suffering a freak injury to his left foot in July.
[RELATED: Teddy Bridgewater’s Career In Jeopardy?]
Minnesota waived fellow quarterback Joel Stave from its practice squad earlier this week, a move that not only signaled confidence in Heinicke’s ability to return, but will allow him to garner more snaps during practice sessions, the source told Tomasson. Heinicke, 23, returned to practice earlier this month, starting the clock on a three-week window during which the Vikings must place him on the 53-man roster. If he’s not activated by November 9, Heinicke will miss the remainder of the season.
If and when he returns to the active roster, Heinicke would served as the Vikings’ third quarterback behind Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill. He’d also have practice squad eligibility, but Minnesota would have to feel comfortable placing him on waivers before sneaking him onto its taxi squad. Heinicke, a 2015 undrafted free agent, was on the Vikings’ roster for his entire rookie campaign, but was never active for a game.
Extra Points: Trades, Jets, Hawks, Bucs, Jags
The NFL trade deadline is on Tuesday, and we’ve already seen a pair of minor moves in the past week, as the Patriots acquired linebacker Kyle Van Noy from the Lions, and then shipped tight end A.J. Derby to the Broncos. More high-profile names could be on the move in the next few days, leading both Joel Corry of CBSSports.com and Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com to examine candidates to be traded before the deadline. Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall — who appeared on Breer’s list — is unlikely to be dealt, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, especially because two general managers predicted New York would only garner a fifth- or sixth-round pick for the veteran pass-catcher.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Russell Wilson has never missed a game during his NFL career, but a knee injury threatened to knock him out earlier this season, as Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com details. Wilson told reporters today that he was originally told his knee issue would sideline him for as many as four weeks, but the Seahawks quarterback has opted to play through the injury. He’ll continue to do so, and will also battle a pectoral ailment as Seattle faces New Orleans on Sunday.
- Buccaneers wide receiver Louis Murphy suffered a setback in his recovery from a November 2015 knee injury, and his timetable for return is currently unknown, writes Roy Cummings of Today’s Pigskin. Murphy, who joined Tampa Bay before the 2014 season and has managed 41 receptions since, has been on the PUP list the entire year. The Bucs could use a boost at receiver after placing veteran Vincent Jackson on injured reserve last week. They auditioned Nate Washington on Tuesday, and are reportedly willing to trade for a pass-catcher.
- Although the Jaguars were interested in running back DeMarco Murray when he became a free agent in 2015, his price tag proved too costly for Jacksonville and Murray ended up signing with Philadelphia, as Hays Carlyon of Jacksonville.com recalls. “It was great,” Murray said of meeting with the Jags. “To this day, I always look back and wonder if I would’ve been a Jaguar because of Gus [Bradley]. I got a chance to basically meet him and learn about him in a week span. It was so hard for me to tell him no.”
Dak Prescott To Start Through At Least Week 9
Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott will remain the Cowboys’ starter through at least the club’s Week 9 contest against the Browns, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). After that game, Dallas will likely face a decision between Prescott and veteran Tony Romo.
[RELATED: Tony Romo Returns To Practice]
The Cowboys, of course, have leapt out to a 5-1 record and lead the NFC East in no small part thanks to Prescott’s contributions. Through six games, the fourth-round pick has completed 68.7% of his passes for seven touchdowns and one interception, adding another three scores on the ground. Prescott has been so impressive that Cowboys COO Stephen Jones hedged in August when asked if Romo would immediately reclaim his starting job.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where Tony’s not our quarterback when he’s ready,” Jones said. “But things happen. You know that. You know what happened to [Drew] Bledsoe and [Tom] Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that. But the reality is, Tony’s going to come back for us and play great, we believe.”
Romo, 36, returned to practice today but was listed as “limited” as he recovers from a preseason back injury.
Bills DT Marcell Dareus Could Play This Week
Bills head coach Rex Ryan told reporters it “looks like there’s a chance” defensive tackle Marcell Dareus makes his season debut on Sunday against the Patriots, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dareus has yet to play in 2016 due to a four-game suspension and hamstring issues.
[RELATED: Latest On Bills’ Aaron Williams]
In August, Dareus was handed his second suspension in as many years, though his ban in 2015 only lasted one game. After the league handed him his latest ban, the 26-year-old claimed it was the result of a missed drug test. Dareus also declared he’d check into rehab. Neither of those statements proved true, however, as later reports indicated that Dareus did not miss a test — he instead violated the league’s drug program multiple times dating back to his one-game suspension last year. And, in lieu of rehab, Dareus received treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Dareus, would immediately upgrade a Buffalo defense that currently ranks 16th in DVOA, per Football Outsiders. An All Pro in 2014 and a two-time Pro Bowler, Dareus will take snaps from incumbent nose tackle Corbin Bryant, who’s been filling in while Dareus has been sidelined. Though 3-4 nose guards don’t typically rack up impressive statistics, Dareus has averaged six sacks per season over his five-year career, and is also an impressive run defender.
Packers Waive WR Jared Abbrederis From IR
The Packers waived wide receiver Jared Abbrederis from injured reserve with an injury settlement today as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Abbrederis was placed on IR just three days ago.
[RELATED: Green Bay Packers Depth Chart]
If Abbrederis isn’t claimed by another club, he’ll become a free agent and will be allowed to sign immediately. Conceivably, he could re-sign with the Packers, but only after a duration of three weeks plus the length of the injury settlement. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Abbrederis’ thigh contusion will take roughly two weeks to heal. At that point, he can begin auditioning for teams in an attempt to land a new contract.
Abbrederis, a 2014 fifth-round pick, was never able to garner much action as a member of Green Bay’s receiving corps. During his time with the Packers, the 25-year-old only appeared in 18 games, posting 10 receptions for 119 yards. As Jason Wilde of ESPN.com tweets, Abbrederis may have been held in higher regard by Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy than by general manager Ted Thompson and the rest of the Green Bay front office.
Latest On Bills Safety Aaron Williams
Bills safety Aaron Williams will wait until the offseason before making a decision on the future of his NFL career, Williams’ father tells John Wawrow of the Associated Press. Williams suffered a neck injury after taking a vicious hit from Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry in Sunday’s game (which can be viewed here). Landry was fined nearly $25K for the hit.
[RELATED: Buffalo Bills Depth Chart]
Retirement hasn’t yet been brought up in discussions with Williams, according to his father, but the defensive back plans to revisit the subject with his entire family later this year. The injury is doubly worrisome given that Williams suffered a severe neck ailment in 2015 that cost him 11 games and forced him to consider retirement. This time around, Bills head coach Rex Ryan admitted that Williams is facing “long-term concerns,” but deemed him week-to-week, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.
Williams, 26, is in the midst of his sixth NFL season, all of which have been spent with the Bills. He’s been a starter for the majority of his career in Buffalo, posting seven interceptions and 183 tackles through 59 games. Having agreed to an extension in 2014, Williams is signed through the 2018 campaign, with cap hits north of $6MM in each of the next two seasons.
Williams, unsurprisingly, is unlikely to play on Sunday when the Bills face the Patriots. Buffalo has other options at safety that can fill in while Williams is sidelined, including Robert Blanton, Duke Williams, and Jonathan Meeks.
49ers Release DT Ian Williams From NFI
The 49ers have released defensive tackle Ian Williams from the reserve/non-football injury list with an injury settlement, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Williams was placed on NFI in July while dealing with an ankle injury.
[RELATED: 49ers Not Shopping Players]
Williams, 26, originally agreed to a five-year, $26MM deal with San Francisco in the early stages of free agency in March, but the same ankle ailment that ultimately landed him on NFI forced him to accept a reworked one-year contract worth only $4MM. He hasn’t been earning that full salary while on NFI, but the settlement will allow Williams to make a bit more money that he would have on NFI, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes.
As such, the injury settlement doesn’t necessarily indicate that Williams suffered a setback in his recovery, per Barrows. Williams will now be allowed to hit free agency and search for deals with other clubs, but the 49ers remain interested in re-signing him after the season concludes. Under the league’s rules, Williams would have to wait three weeks plus the length of the settlement before re-upping with San Francisco.
A former undrafted free agent, Williams had been with the Niners for the entirety of his career, serving as a reserve from 2011-13 and becoming a starter during Jim Harbaugh‘s final season. In 2015, Williams started started 16 games for the first time. A quality run defender, Williams made 65 tackles last season and ranked as one of Pro Football Focus’ top interior defensive linemen, grading as the No. 18 overall interior defender and a top-two 3-4 nose tackle.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/27/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: T Michael Ola
- Cut: T Will Poehls
Green Bay Packers
- Cut: CB Keith Baxter
Houston Texans
- Signed: G Josh Walker
- Cut: T Joseph Cheek
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: RB Zac Brooks
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Chris McCain