Cardinals To Re-Sign RB Kerwynn Williams
The Cardinals will re-sign running back Kerwynn Williams, according to his agent Michael Hoffman (Twitter link). Williams has spent much of the past two seasons with Arizona, but was waived this year during final cutdowns.
[RELATED: Cardinals To Exude Caution With Carson Palmer]
Second-year running back David Johnson has been among the best in the NFL this season, but his backup — veteran Chris Johnson — left Sunday’s game with a groin injury. He didn’t practice today, and with the Cardinals facing a quick turnaround as they prepare to play the 49ers on Thursday night, Chris Johnson might not be able to go. As such, Williams would factor into the backfield along with fellow reserves Andre Ellington and Stepfan Taylor.
Williams, 25, bounced on and off Arizona’s practice squad in 2015. Over parts of three seasons, Williams has totaled 80 rushes for 388 yards and one touchdown.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
14 Players Returning From Suspension
Fourteen players will return from four-game suspensions this week, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The most high-profile returnee, of course, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will re-join the 3-1 Patriots on Sunday against the Browns.
The following players have completed their suspensions:
- QB Tom Brady, Patriots
- DL Armonty Bryant, free agent (waived by the Browns today)
- CB Jalen Collins, Falcons
- LB Aaron Colvin, Jaugars
- DT Marcell Dareus, Bills
- T Seantrel Henderson, Bills
- DE Arthur Jones, Colts
- DE Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys
- LB Aaron Lynch, 49ers
- DE Rob Ninkovich, Patriots
- G Chris Scott, Panthers
- DL Damion Square, Chargers
- T Zach Sterup, free agent
- TE Darren Waller, Ravens
The club that employs each player will receive a short roster exemption that ends the day following the team’s Week 5 game. that means the 49ers’ exemption for Lynch ends Friday, the Panthers’ exemption for Scott ends next Tuesday, and the rest end next Monday.
Sterup, meanwhile, was on the Chiefs’ practice squad when he was banned, but he hasn’t completed the PED reinstatement requirements, according to Balzer. So although he can sign with a new club, Sterup can’t practice or play until he’s approved by the league.
Josh Gordon To Remain On Suspended List
As was expected, Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon will remain on the reserve/suspended list per the commissioner’s orders until further notice, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Last week, Gordon decided to enter rehab, and will presumably remain suspended until he completes his recovery, if not longer.
[RELATED: Center Austin Reiter Done For The Year]
Gordon decided to go to rehab following a “slip up,” Rapoport reported yesterday, and sources told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that Gordon is dealing with an alcohol addiction. Some of Gordon’s past suspensions have been related to alcohol, and the pass-catcher also has a DUI on his rap sheet, so he decided entering rehab was the “extra step” he needed to get well, per Cabot.
The Browns have indicated that they intend to part ways with Gordon given his most recent transgression, and had in fact been trying to trade him as recently as last week. No other clubs will likely express interest given that Gordon is now unable to return to the field for some time.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/3/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Nordly Capi (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Mike James
- Cut: RB George Winn
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: FB Joe Kerridge (Twitter link via Rob Demovskiy of ESPN.com)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB JaCorey Shepherd (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Cut: G Darrell Greene
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Daryl Richardson
- Cut: DB Jacob Hagen
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB DuJuan Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: QB Jake Heaps (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DT Antwaun Woods (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com)
- Cut: WR Jordan Leslie
Washington Redskins
- Signed: CB Robertson Daniel
- Cut: CB Lloyd Carrington
Seahawks Place LB Mike Morgan On IR
The Seahawks have placed linebacker Mike Morgan on injured reserve with a sports hernia, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Head coach Pete Carroll said Morgan will have surgery and will miss four-to-six weeks, so it’s possible that he could return off IR later in the year (link). To fill Seattle’s empty roster spot, the club will promote linebacker Jordan Tripp from the practice squad (link).
[RELATED: Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart]
Morgan, 28, is a starting linebacker in the Seahawks’ 4-3 scheme, but given that the club is the nickel the majority of the time, Morgan has only played on roughly a third of Seattle’s defensive snaps this season. A six-year NFL veteran, Morgan has spent his entire career with the Hawks and has appeared in 71 games, but he’s only started four contests. According to Carroll (link), backups Cassius Marsh and Kevin Pierre-Louis will fill in during Morgan’s absence.
In other Seahawks news, reserve defensive end Quinton Jefferson had hand surgery and will be out a few weeks (Twitter link via Condotta), while the club has waived offensive tackle Terry Poole off IR, per Condotta.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans Fire Special Teams Coach Bobby April
The Titans announced that they’ve fired special teams coordinator Bobby April and promoted assistant Steve Hoffman to take over on a full-time basis.
[RELATED: Titans Lose Al Woods For At Least One Month]
April, 63, has been an NFL special teams coach since 1991 when he began his pro career with the Falcons. He was only four games into his Tennessee career, having joined the club prior to this season. April left the Jets in order to replace Nate Kaczor, who was hired by the Buccaneers. Titans head coach Mike Mularkey was familiar with April’s work, as the pair had worked together on the Bills staff in 2004.
Hoffman, meanwhile is in his fourth year with the Titans and in his 27th season as an NFL coach. The team’s assistantspecial teams coordinator since 2013, Hoffman guided punter Brett Kern and kicker Ryan Succop as they enjoyed some of their best seasons. Last year, Succop didn’t miss a kick inside of 50 yards (13-for-13).
Through a three-game sample (Week 4 statistics have not yet been updated), the Titans ranked 25th in Football Outsiders’ special teams DVOA.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
5 Key Stories: 9/25/16 – 10/2/16
Down goes J.J. Texans pass rusher J.J. Watt, the best defensive player in the league, is out for the season after aggravating a back injury. While Watt could technically return from injured reserve thanks to the NFL’s new IR rules, 
head coach Bill O’Brien ruled out that possibility. Watt underwent surgery earlier this seek, and should be a full go for the 2017 campaign. To replace Watt (using “replace” in the loosest sense of the word), Houston signed free agent defensive end Antonio Smith, who spent a good portion of his early career with the Texans.
And Sammy too. The Texans weren’t the only club to lose a playmaker this week, as the Bills are now dealing with the absence of wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who was placed on IR as he continues to deal with a foot injury. It’s the same issue that’s hindered him dating back to May, and though a report back then labeled the ailment “minor,” it’s clearly been anything but. Watkins will meet with a specialist this week and is likely to require another surgery — if that happens, he’ll miss the rest of the year for sure.
Josh Gordon won’t be returning. The Browns are not only winless, but won’t be getting their young receiver back in the fold as was supposed to happen. Josh Gordon, 
set to return from a four-game ban, is entering rehab as he tries to recover from an alcohol addiction. Clearly, any move to clean up his life should be lauded, but Cleveland has apparently seen enough, and is ready to part ways. The club had been trying to trade Gordon as recently as last week, but that likely won’t occur now.
What’s going on with Dez? Dez Bryant missed an MRI and team meetings last week, as he was reportedly fearing the worst in regards to his knee injury. The final report isn’t that bad — he has a bone bruise and will miss a little time — but a report today indicated that this occurrence is the latest episode in Bryant’s “pattern of irresponisble behavior.” Both the Cowboys and Bryant’s agents have tried to help him organize his life, but he’s been repeatedly late or absent throughout his career in Dallas.
The last straw. Speaking of Cowboys (or rather, former Cowboys) with off-field problems, former Dallas defensive end Greg Hardy has likely ended any chance he ever had of returning to the NFL by being arrested on a drug charge. Interest in Hardy had dwindled to nearly nil, and now that he’s been caught with a “group 1 controlled substance, he won’t be back in the league. And given his previous transgressions, perhaps that’s for the best.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
PFR Originals: 9/25/16 – 10/2/16
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- We posted our master list of 2017 NFL Free Agents. Every player that is currently on a roster and doesn’t have a contract for next season is listed, as well as a few other notable names that aren’t on a team at the moment. Be sure to bookmark the list so you’re well prepared when the offseason begins.
- Zach Links rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.
Giants Won’t Sign Safety Before MNF
The Giants have extremely thin at safety thanks to a multitude of injuries — so much so that they’ve been using offensive players in the secondary during practice — but the club won’t make a free agent addition until Tuesday at the earliest, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.
[RELATED: New York Giants Depth Chart]
With Nat Berhe and Darian Thompson already listed as out for Monday night’s contest against the Vikings, the Giants will roll with undrafted rookie Andrew Adams opposite Landon Collins in the defensive backfield. Veteran Leon Hall, a cornerback by nature, could also help out at safety, while wide receiver Dwayne Harris could also be called on to play in the back end if the situation becomes dire, per Vacchiano.
New York wants to see how Adams plays on Monday night, as well as give their injured safeties a chance to heal before adding an outside option, a source told Vacchiano. But with Thompson already looking doubtful for Week 5, it seems likely that the Giants will need to sign a free agent. Over the past week, they’ve worked out Donte Whitner (link), Shamiel Gary (link), Will Allen (link), and Jeron Johnson (link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Originally Wanted Second-Rounder For Sam Bradford
The Eagles surpassed even their own expectations when they dealt quarterback Sam Bradford to the Vikings earlier this year. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, Philadelphia had originally hoped to acquire a second-round pick in exchange for Bradford. But once Minnesota lost Teddy Bridgewater for the year, the Eagles were able to exert enough leverage to extract a first-round pick, as well as a conditional fourth-rounder.
[RELATED: Appeal Date Set For Lane Johnson]
Philadelphia and general manager Howie Roseman structured Bradford’s deal with an eye towards potentially trading him during the 2017 offseason, per La Canfora. The Eagles absorbed Bradford’s $11MM signing bonus when they traded him, but the Vikings took on his guaranteed base salaries of $7MM and $4MM in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Of course, if the Eagles had some inkling that they might trade Bradford during the 2017 offseason, they must have given at least some thought to trading up to acquire a franchise quarterback like Carson Wentz. Bradford was re-signed in early March, and Philadelphia didn’t make the deal to move up to No. 2 overall until late April.
As noted, the Eagles were able to secure a 2017 first-round pick and a conditional 2018 fourth-round pick for Bradford. The fourth-rounder becomes a third-round pick if the Vikings advance to the NFC Championship Game, and a second-round pick if Minnesota wins the Super Bowl.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.