La Canfora’s Latest: Dalton, Falcons, Manning
As the second slate of games near halftime, lets’s take a look at the latest from Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com…
- Andy Dalton‘s recent thumb injury could end up costing the Bengals quarterback millions of dollars in escalators, according to La Canfora. Per clauses in Dalton’s six-year, $96MM extension, he can earn extra cash by playing in 80% of Cincinnati’s snaps during the regular season, while separate escalators are tied to his playing (and winning) in each successive round of the postseason. All told, writes La Canfora, Dalton could add $15MM to his current deal, but those plateaus are obviously at risk now.
- Falcons ownership is growing frustrated with the club’s lack of success and is considering firing general manager Thomas Dimitroff, writes La Canfora, who adds that Seahawks director of pro personnel Trent Kirchner and Vikings assistant GM George Paton could each be strong candidates to fill the position (each has a professional history with Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn). It sounds like current AGM Scott Pioli (a Dimitroff friend) could also be on the chopping block.
- Major changes could also be coming to the Titans staff, and rumors persist that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning could land in Tennessee as something of a football czar, with former NFL exec Bill Polian (who drafted Manning) as team president. In such a scenario, Polian’s son Chris could act as general manager, while Jaguars assistant Doug Marrone or Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase would be candidates to serve as head coach.
Week In Review: 12/13/15 – 12/20/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Key News:
- The Packers and defensive end Mike Daniels agreed to a four-year, $42MM extension.
- Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton suffered a fractured thumb and is out indefinitely; he won’t need surgery, and the best-case scenario has Dalton returning for the playoffs.
- Despite previously expressing his plans to retire after the season, Ravens receiver Steve Smith is now expected to return in 2016.
Extended:
- Chiefs – Jah Reid, T (through 2018)
Waivers:
- Dolphins – claimed DE Damontre Moore from the Giants (link)
- Patriots – claimed Leonard Hankerson, WR from the Falcons and LaAdrian Waddle, T from the Lions (link)
Waived:
- Colts – Todd Herremans, G (link)
Signed:
- Giants – Barry Cofield, DT (link)
- Panthers – Robert McClain, CB (link)
- Ravens – Ryan Mallett, QB (link)
- Saints – Kendall Hunter, RB (link)
- Seahawks – Bryce Brown, RB (link) and Christine Michael, RB (link)
Injuries:
- Bears – Antrel Rolle, S (link)
- Bills – Stephon Gilmore, CB (IR)
- Browns – Joe Haden, CB (IR) and Brian Hartline, WR (IR)
- Lions – Brandon Pettigrew, TE (IR)
- Patriots – LeGarrette Blount, RB (IR) and Dominique Easley, DT (IR)
- Raiders – Austin Howard, T (IR)
- Seahawks – Thomas Rawls, RB (IR)
- Titans – Derrick Morgan, LB (IR)
Andy Dalton’s Season In Jeopardy
6:18pm: Updating his earlier report, Holtzman tweets a return by the playoffs represents Dalton’s best-case scenario, according to multiple team sources who still tell the ESPN.com reporter the injury is probably season-ending.
4:36pm: While there isn’t yet certainty about Dalton’s injury, the “feeling in the [Cincinnati] locker room is that it’s likely a season-ender,” tweets Bob Holtzman of ESPN.com.
4:18pm: The Bengals’ excellent start to the 2015 season was driven, in part, by an unprecedented streak of good luck when it came to injuries. That string of good fortune has ended, as Marvin Lewis confirmed to reporters, including Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network (Twitter link), that quarterback Andy Dalton suffered a fractured right thumb during today’s loss to the Steelers. It sounds like the Cincinnati staff is still gathering information on the injury, but Lewis did say Dalton will be “out for a bit.”
Lewis didn’t get into any more specifics on the projected length of Dalton’s absence, but he did say that Dalton won’t necessarily miss the remainder of the season (Twitter link via Kinkhabwala). Dalton himself told the Bengals radio network that he’ll see a surgeon tomorrow for a consultation, per John Kryk of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link), at which point the club will likely learn more about the exact nature — and timetable — of the injury.
Though the Bengals essentially have a playoff berth (and probably, the AFC North) locked up, Dalton’s injury is a massive blow to their chances of receiving a first-round postseason bye. Infamously, Dalton, Lewis, and the rest of the Bengals have suffered first-round exits in each of the last four playoffs, so a bye — and home-field advantage for much or all of the tournament — would have been a big help. However, Cincinnati is now probably looking at the No. 3 seed, as the Broncos and Patriots look like the favorites for byes.
Dalton will assuredly miss next week’s contest against the 49ers, and even in a best case scenario, he’ll likely miss the following week’s game against Denver. That contest, which had always loomed large on the schedule, has taken on extra importance as both clubs vie for those top two seeds. If Dalton misses the remainder of the regular season, he’ll also be be out for Cincinnati’s final regular season game against division foe Baltimore.
The man tasked with guiding the Bengals through that gauntlet in the absence of Dalton will be second-year quarterback A.J. McCarron, Cincinnati’s fifth-round pick in last year’s draft. The 25-year-old didn’t play a single snap last season (and notably, was unable to even practice, having been relegated to the non-football injury list all year), and until this week, had seen just three snaps in relief of Dalton. Against the Steelers today, McCarron completed 22 of 32 attempts for 280 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Luckily, the Bengals have plenty of weapons for McCarron to work with as he steps into the starting role. The club ranks first in offensive DVOA, and while much of that ranking can be attributed to Dalton posting the best season of his career, Cincinnati does possess an offense chock full of talent, and A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert, Jeremy Hill, and Gio Bernard will all be expected to pick up the slack in the absence of Dalton. One issue, however, is that Eifert also left today’s game with a concussion, so his status for next week could also be in doubt.
The Bengals had only been carrying two quarterbacks on the active roster, so they’ll need to make a move to bring in a backup to serve behind McCarron. Keith Wenning, currently on Cincinnati’s practice squad, is the most obvious candidate to move into thar role, but it’s always possible that the club goes the free agent route.
PFR Originals: 12/6/15 – 12/13/15
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Luke Adams posted our master list of 2016 Free Agents. Use that post to keep track of every play set to be available on the market next spring (both restricted and unrestricted free agents).
- Using that list, I went over the roster of available players to compose our 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, on which Von Miller, Alshon Jeffery, and Josh Norman all figure prominently.
- Zach Links rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.
- In our Community Tailgate series, we post topics for discussion and encourage readers to post their thoughts in the comments section. The issues touched on this week:
Thomas Rawls Fractures Ankle, Out For Year
The Seahawks are on a roll, having won four games in a row (scoring 29+ points in each contest) as they’ve improved to 8-5 on the season. But they’ll have to finish the rest of the regular season — and a likely postseason run — without the help of rookie running back Thomas Rawls, who suffered a fractured ankle today and will miss the remainder of the season, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
Rawls is a devastating loss for a Seattle offense that has been without fellow running back Marshawn Lynch for the better part of a month. Filling in for the veteran, Rawls, an undrafted free agent, has been exceptional, rushing for nearly 400 yards during from Week 11 to 13. He’d been stellar subbing for Lynch earlier in the season as well, as reflected by the rookie’s season totals: 141 carries, 786 yards, and four touchdowns.
Carroll told reporters that Rawls might not require surgery, but that obviously makes no difference as to whether he’ll be available again this season. And while for the time being it appears as though veterans Fred Jackson and DuJuan Harris will form some sort of backfield committee, Carroll did add that the team might look for help via free agency (Twitter link via Condotta).
Of course, the wild card in this scenario is Lynch, who is said to be recovering well from sports hernia surgery. Lynch is apparently back at the team facility, and just this morning we heard that he’s “progressing.” Still, with Seattle all but having locked up a wild card spot, it probably doesn’t make sense for the club to push Lynch to return, even with the injury to Rawls. But whether or not Lynch can get back in time for the playoffs could have huge implications on the Seahawks’ postseason chances.
Brian Hartline Done For Season
Following today’s 24-10 win over the 49ers, Browns head coach Mike Pettine announced to reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), that wide receiver Brian Hartline suffered a broken collarbone during the contest. Hartline will require the surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
The 29-year-old Hartline had become a focal point of Cleveland’s offense in recent weeks, averaging 10 targets per game from Week 8 though 13. He didn’t score during that span, but he did haul in 26 passes for 266 yards. Just today, Hartline had eight receptions for 107 yards before exiting, the first time he’d surpassed the century mark this year.
After spending the first six seasons of his career with the Dolphins, Hartline signed a two-year, $6MM deal with the Browns this offseason. The club could save $3MM against the cap by releasing Hartline this offseason, and given the overhaul — personnel and staff included — that’s expected to take place in Cleveland this offseason, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Hartline let go.
The Browns don’t have a receiver on their practice squad to promote, but they could always look to the free agent ranks to find another pass-catcher. Additionally, Hartline’s injury could open up more playing time for the other receivers on Cleveland’s roster, specifically someone like Terrelle Pryor.
Mike McCarthy To Call Packers’ Plays
The Packers have decided to make a change at play-caller, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who reports that head coach Mike McCarthy will take over the offensive reins from associate head coach Tom Clements. Green Bay’s game against the Cowboys later today will be the first contest to feature McCarthy as play-caller this season.
McCarthy had been the club’s de facto offensive coordinator since being hired as Packers head coach in 2006, but the club reshuffled its offensive duties during the offseason. Clements, previously the nominal offensive coordinator, was promoted to associate head coach and took over play-calling responsibility. Receivers coach Edgar Bennett, in turn, was shifted to OC (in name only).
But the changes haven’t helped, as Green Bay’s offense has struggled for much of the season (Jordy Nelson‘s season-ending ACL tear didn’t help matters). The Packers are averaging only 341.4 offensive yards per game, which ranks just 22nd in the NFL. And though the club does rank 12th in points per game and 10th in offensive DVOA, the lack of explosive plays have hurt them, as they place just 20th in yards per play.
As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes, the move is probably for the best, as McCarthy remains the best pure play-caller on Green Bay’s staff. Additionally, Clements hadn’t called plays in more than a decade, last acting as OC for the Bills in the mid-2000s.
Week In Review: 12/6/15 – 12/13/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Key News:
- The Raiders extended receiver Michael Crabtree, signing the veteran pass-catcher to a four-year deal worth $35MM (~$19MM in guarantees).
- The Browns and breakout star tight end Gary Barnidge agreed to a three-year, $12.3MM extension, with $5.5MM guaranteed.
- Less than one season into a three-year deal, cornerback Cary Williams was waived by the Seahawks.
- The Rams fired offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, promoting tight ends coach Rob Boras to fill his position.
Extended:
- Cardinals – Justin Bethel, CB (through 2018)
- Raiders – Jamize Olawale, RB/FB (through 2018)
Signed:
- Chargers – Vincent Brown, WR (link)
- Washington – Pierre Thomas, RB (link)
Waived:
- Eagles – Miles Austin, WR (link)
- Giants – Damontre Moore, DE (link)
Injuries:
- 49ers – Carlos Hyde, RB (IR)
- Bears – Martellus Bennett, TE (IR) and Marquess Wilson, WR (IR)
- Browns – Joel Bitonio, G (IR)
- Chargers – CB Brandon Flowers, CB and Corey Liuget, DE (IR)
- Falcons – Matt Bryant, K (IR)
- Rams – T.J. McDonald, S and Robert Quinn, DE (IR)
- Ravens – Eugene Monroe, T (IR)
- Saints – Mark Ingram, RB (IR)
- Washington – Stephen Paea, DE (IR)
Suspended:
- Ravens – Nick Boyle, TE (four games)
Retired:
- Jonathan Vilma, LB (link)
Details On Damontre Moore’s Release
SUNDAY, 12:08pm: As Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News writes, the Giants’ decision to cut Moore reveals the team’s lack of defensive line depth and general lack of promising young talent. However, Big Blue may not have had a choice. As Mike Garafolo of FOXSports (via FOXSports colleague Jay Glazer) tweets, Moore has been “fighting his teammates since Day 1 of training camp,” and has “yelled at” both head coach Tom Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese. Despite repeated warnings from New York brass, Moore failed to adjust his attitude, which ultimately sealed his fate with the club (Twitter links).
SATURDAY, 1:51pm: Moore admitted in a radio interview a fight with Jenkins over headphones did ensue, but that the skirmish stemmed from a “compilation” of issues between the two defensive linemen, James Kratch of NJ.com writes.
Moore called into an ESPN New York radio show to explain his side of the events, noting he’d had several issues with the 34-year-old Jenkins, with the headphones being the final straw, so to speak. Moore did not receive a pair of free headphones, while Jenkins was seen taking several pairs prior to Thursday’s practice, Kratch reports.
The two ex-teammates haven’t spoken since the fight.
“I definitely could have handled it better by just obviously walking away,” Moore told the radio station. “The crazy thing was, I don’t really necessarily look at (the dispute) as over a Beats By Dre headphone. … It was more of a respect thing. It was, you know, a combination of things that build up over time.”
Moore mentioned Beckham, Steve Weatherford and select others who have reached out after the sudden separation. Before mentioning he’s ready should another team express interest, he doesn’t characterize himself as immature, but a player in development and perhaps in need of a scenery change.
“By no way was I a saint. I had a lot of learning curves and majority factors,” Moore said. “I’ve grown over the time and I felt like, you know, things just ran its course. It happens in this game. As you know, it’s very rare that most people spend their whole career with a certain team. I think it just ran its course.”
FRIDAY, 5:22pm: When Damontre Moore was cut by the Giants today, reports indicated that New York made the move after the defensive end violated team rules. But the details of the incident are a bit more specific and — arguably — comical, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link) that Moore got into a fight with fellow defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins after failing to get free Beats by Dre headphones (which other players apparently received).
Star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was reportedly handing out the headphones as gifts, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link), when Jenkins grabbed multiple pairs. The story is a tad reminiscent of the IK Enemkpali/Geno Smith saga that took place during the preseason, where Enempali broke Smith’s jaw over what early reports described was a monetary dispute. Moore, who, for the record, is earning $585K in pre-tax income, lost his roster spot over an item that retails at roughly $200.
According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, today’s decision was the culmination of Moore’s repeated behavioral and maturity issues, with the final straw being his altercation with Jenkins. Moore has been fined several times by the club this year for rules violations and behavior problems, per Graziano.
Extra Points: Draft, Titans, Gabbert, Manning
While none of this year’s crop of collegiate quarterbacks are projected to be as successful as Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota, NFL personnel men do see four QBs — Memphis’ Paxton Lynch, Cal’s Jared Goff, Michigan State’s Connor Cook, and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz — as being worthy of a first-round pick, according to Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com.
Elsewhere in draft-land, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net reports that Penn State signal-caller Christian Hackenberg, once projected as potential first-rounder himself, is likely to enter the draft, and will probably announce as such in the near future. Two other collegiate players — Boise State edge rusher Kamalei Correa and Stanford tight end Austin Hooper — are intent on entering the draft, as well, says Pauline.
- Free agent corner Cary Williams, who visited with the Titans yesterday, is still drawing the attention of the club, tweets Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. Tennessee management will reportedly make a decision on whether or not to sign Williams at some point early next week. Williams, who was cut by the Seahawks on Monday, has also garnered interest from the Rams.
- In other Tennessee news, Titans linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil suffered torn patellar tendon in practice on Thursday and will require surgery, meaning he’ll miss the rest of the season, reports McCormick (Twitter link). Practice squad ‘backer J.R. Tavai is a candidate to be promoted to the active roster, adds McCormick.
- Veteran receiver Anquan Boldin believes Blaine Gabbert can be the 49ers‘ quarterback of the future, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Gabbert has led San Francisco to a 2-2 record in his four starts, averaging 240 yards per game while throwing five touchdowns and three interceptions. For what it’s worth, he’s only signed through next season, with a 2016 cap charge of $2.25MM.
- Peyton Manning has $4MM riding on whether or not he gets to start in the playoffs — as Mike Klis of 9 News writes, Manning could earn $2MM for winning the AFC Championship Game, and another $2MM for winning the Super Bowl. Manning must start those games, adds Klis, meaning he can’t earn the bonuses by coming on in relief. At this point, though, it’s hard to see how the Broncos can turn back to Manning given how Brock Osweiler has played.