Breer’s Latest: Incognito, Gurley, Manziel, Jets
In his latest piece for NFL.com, Albert Breer leads off by examining the performances of the seven clubs who hired new head coaches during the offseason, specifically taking a look at the Falcons and Jets, with whom Dan Quinn and Todd Bowles, respectively, have started a combined 4-0. Despite that robust start, both men were quick to deny that their teams had achieved much of anything. “I don’t know if I’d use the word ‘accomplished’,” said Quinn candidly.
“We haven’t accomplished anything,” Bowles said. “It just means we’re off to a good start. We’re trying to establish ourselves and guys are coming together. To me, it’s a long season, a very long season. No guarantees. The only guarantee is we won’t be worse than 2-14.”
Let’s dive into some more notes from Breer’s column…
- Embattled Bills guard Richie Incognito will make a homecoming of sorts this weekend when Buffalo heads to Miami to play the Dolphins, and despite his reputation, Incognito still has a positive reputation among members of Miami’s coaching staff. “Awesome guy,” one Dolphins assistant told Breer. “Would talk to everyone in the building, always worked hard, very respected … A guy you wanted on your side.”
- The Rams saw rookie running back Todd Gurley as a “generational talent,” according to Breer, which lead the club to not only select the former Georgia star with the 10th overall pick, but to display caution in terms of Gurley’s return from an ACL injury. Gurley is expected to be active for Sunday’s contest against the Steelers, and St. Louis believes that he’ll be able to perform as would any normal rookie, unencumbered by his knee ailment.
- After Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel returned from his stint in rehab, Cleveland’s coaching staff, including new offensive coordinator John DeFillipo, worked with Manziel to reshape his delivery and mechanics. Specifically, the club wanted to ensure that Manziel exhibited better footwork and demonstrated “quieter” lower body, per Breer. Manziel had a solid start against the Titans last week, but he’ll head back to the bench in Week 3 following the return of Josh McCown.
- Sam Bradford was never expected to be a running quarterback, but the complete lack of a mobile QB in Philadelphia has led to defenders ignoring the possibility of a quarterback run, allowing them to send waves of defenders into the backfield, according to Breer. However, Breer has heard that Eagles head coach Chip Kelly is not stubborn, meaning he won’t to allow subpar play — either due to play-calling or a lack of talent at offensive guard — to persist without looking for some sort of solution.
T.Y. Hilton To Miss Several Games?
Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton left today’s game against the Bills after suffering a knee injury, and owner Jim Irsay told reporters, including Mike Chappell of CBS 4 (Twitter link), that Hilton is expected to miss several weeks. Meanwhile, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) that Hilton “should be fine”, but that he will undergo an MRI.
The two reports aren’t mutually exclusive, as Hilton could still be “fine” even if he is sidelined for a few weeks. Indy’s hope, obviously, is that Hilton didn’t suffer a serious injury that will force him out for an extended period of time. The Colts do have the receiver depth to cover for a Hilton injury, though, especially if it’s only for a short period of time. Andre Johnson would step in as the club’s No. 1 pass-catcher, while Donte Moncrief and rookie Phillip Dorsett could see expanded roles.
Still, losing Hilton for any period of time will certainly hurt. The 25-year-old caught 82 passes for 1,345 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and was handsomely rewarded for his efforts, inking a five-year, $65MM extension earlier this year.
NFC East Notes: Hardy, Cowboys, LA, RGIII
Defensive end Greg Hardy is expected to play a large role on the Cowboys‘ defense when he returns from a four-game suspension, but because he signed a one-year deal, Dallas will have to make a decision on whether to retain Hardy at season’s end. The Cowboys recently locked up Hardy’s linemate Tyrone Crawford to a long-term extension, but team owner Jerry Jones says the club hasn’t yet discussed such a deal with Hardy.
“We haven’t really broached it up to this point,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan’s Ben and Skin show. “But it certainly is something, like we said, any young players that only have a year on their contract, then that becomes something that we look at.
“We obviously know the circumstances that were out there when we brought Greg in here. Boy, he’s just been a model guy for our football team and is as hard a worker as anybody that we have out there. He certainly has demonstrated day-in and day-out, night-in and night-out how important football is to him.”
- Jones could play a key role in the NFL-to-Los Angeles saga, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who notes that Jones is a major supporter of Rams owner Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood project. Jones and Kroenke are business partners — the two are working on a land development deal in Texas — but a source told La Canfora that the Jones’ business ties play no role in his stance. “Jerry will follow the money (in terms of how he votes for NFL matters), and Jerry is very attracted to the mega-rich,” said the source.
- David Moore of the Dallas Morning News provides an interesting of profile of Jones’ son Stephen Jones, the Cowboys; chief operating officer. The entire piece is a good read, and paints Stephen as something of a calming influence throughout the organization, especially when it came to selecting offensive lineman Zack Martin over Johnny Manziel in last year’s draft.
- Multiple sources tell Jeff Darlington of NFL.com that Washington has used Robert Griffin III — who is now listed as the club’s third-string quarterback — as the scout team safety, a curious decision on multiple levels. For one, RGIII’s 2016 $16.1MM option is guaranteed for injury only, and has seemingly forced Washington to demote him in order to stave of the risk of injury. To employ him as a safety merely for practice’s sake, then, seems like an odd choice.
PFR Originals: 9/6/15 – 9/13/15
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past seven days:
- The PFR staff weighed in with our predictions for the 2015 NFL season, and we asked you to do the same.
- Now that Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor‘s holdout has officially begun, how do you see the situation playing out? Post your thoughts here.
- Luke Adams recapped all the players who have been placed on the injured reserve/designated to return list.
Week In Review: 9/6/15 – 9/13/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Extended:
- Bengals – A.J. Green, WR (Four years, $60MM)
- Bills – Marcell Dareus, DT (Six years, $100M)
- Colts – Anthony Castonzo, T (Four years, $42MM)
- Cowboys – Tyrone Crawford, DE (five years, $45MM)
- Eagles – Andrew Gardner, G (three years, $4.7MM)
- Giants – Eli Manning, QB (four years, $84MM)
- Panthers – Luke Kuechly, LB (five years, $62MM)
- Patriots – Nate Solder, T (two years, $20.062MM)
- Vikings – Jarius Wright, WR (four years, $14.8MM)
Signed/Re-Signed:
- Bills – Matt Cassel, QB (link) and Andre Fluellen, DT (link)
- Cardinals – Joseph Fauria, TE (link)
- Giants – Jasper Brinkley, LB (link)
- Packers – James Jones, WR (link)
- Raiders – Aldon Smith, LB (link)
Trade:
- Colts – acquired DE Billy Winn from the Browns in exchange for a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick.
Released:
Placed on IR-DTR:
- Browns – Charles Gaines, CB (link)
- Patriots – Bryan Stork, C (link)
- Ravens – Brent Urban, DE (link)
- Vikings – John Sullivan, C (link)
Other:
- Giants fear Jason Pierre-Paul could miss the season (link)
Chiefs Sign Jah Reid, Cut Josh Martin
MONDAY, 3:46pm: The Chiefs have confirmed the signing of Reid, announcing that they’ve cut linebacker Josh Martin in the corresponding roster move.
SUNDAY, 6:55pm: The Chiefs have made a move to bolster their offensive line depth, as they’ve agreed to sign offensive lineman Jah Reid, a source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Reid was cut by the Ravens yesterday, but since he wasn’t a vested veteran, he had to pass through waivers before finding a new home.
The 27-year-old Reid was selected by Baltimore in the third round of the 2011 draft, but despite his draft pedigree, he never became a full-time starter along the Ravens’ offensive line. In his four seasons with the club, he started only seven contests, all of which came during the 2012 season. Last season, Reid appeared in only four games, seeing time on just 10 offensive snaps.
Reid is capable of playing tackle and guard, so he’ll act as a depth piece behind Donald Stephenson, Ben Grubbs, Eric Fisher, and others in Kansas City. The Chiefs will have to make a corresponding move to clear a roster spot for Reid.
Packers Sign James Jones
MONDAY, 11:18am: The Packers are cutting wide receiver Myles White to open a spot on the roster for Jones, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
SUNDAY, 4:49pm: Jones has signed a one-year deal with the Packers, according to Silverstein (Twitter link).
4:10pm: The Packers and Jones have agreed to a deal that will bring the wideout back to Green Bay, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s not clear yet where Jones will fit in on the team’s depth chart, since the Packers have several young receivers they like, but it shouldn’t take long for him to build a rapport with his old quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
2:05pm: The Packers have interest in a reunion with free agent receiver James Jones, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Twitter link), who reports that the two sides have had discussions. Jones’ agent tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Jones will take a visit with Green Bay on Sunday, and a deal could follow if the meeting goes well.
Following Jordy Nelson‘s ACL tear, a return to Green Bay has always made sense for Jones, and once he was released by the Giants yesterday, it seemed likely that the Packers would at least explore the possibility. The 31-year-old Jones spent the first seven seasons of his career with Green Bay, and posted his best campaign in 2012, catching a league-leading 14 touchdowns. His scoring totals have regressed to the mean in the years since, but he’s still a solid pass-catcher who could add depth to the Packers’ arsenal.
The fact that Jones didn’t land a contract with the Giants until July means he probably signed a minimum salary benefit contract. If the Packers want to add Jones, then, he shouldn’t be a costly option.
Falcons Keep Brooks Reed On Active Roster
MONDAY, 8:52am: The Falcons have elected not to place Reed on IR with the designation to return after all, according to McClure (Twitter link). The move suggests that the team is confident the linebacker’s recovery time will be shorter than the eight weeks he would’ve been sidelined had he landed on IR-DTR.
SUNDAY, 3:34pm: The Falcons will place linebacker Brooks Reed on injured reserve with a designation to return, sources tell Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Reed won’t be eligible to practice for six weeks, and can’t return to game action until Atlanta’s ninth game.
Reed, 28, underwent groin surgery last week to repair an injury that he suffered in August during training camp. His recovery time was listed as six weeks, so by going on IR-DTR, he’ll get the time he needs plus a few extra weeks to heal. Per McClure, veteran Kroy Biermann is expected to replace Reed in the team’s base defense.
The Falcons signed Reed, who had spent the entirety of his career with the Texans, to a four-year, $22MM deal during the offseason. He was one of several additions, including Adrian Clayborn, Justin Durant, and draft picks Vic Beasley and Jalen Collins, that was expected to turn around Atlanta’s defense under new head coach Dan Quinn.
FA Notes: Bradshaw, Jeanpierre, Sims
Most of today’s news is related to cuts, waiver claims, and practice squad signings, but let’s take a look at a few notes concerning some unsigned free agents…
- Running back Ahmad Bradshaw‘s broken leg is completely healed, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, meaning that the veteran back could find work soon. The 29-year-old is suspended for the first week of the NFL season due to a marijuana arrest, but Bradshaw could still help a club in need of running back help. In 10 games with the Colts last season, Bradshaw ran for more than 400 yards and posted 38 receptions.
- After being released by the Seahawks last week, center Lemuel Jeanpierre will take a meeting with the Bills, reports ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. Jeanpierre appeared in 53 games (11 starts) during the past four years with Seattle. Buffalo did claim center Gabe Ikard off waivers from the Titans earlier today, so its interest might have waned.
- Quarterback Phillip Sims, an undrafted free agent who was recently released by the Cardinals, will work out for both the Raiders and the Titans this week, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter links).
Lions Place Alex Carter On IR-DTR
The Lions have placed rookie cornerback Alex Carter on injured reserve with a designation to return, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Carter suffered an ankle injury during the early portion of training camp.
Detroit traded up to select Carter, a Stanford product, in the third round of the draft earlier this year. The expectation was that he would immediately contribute to the Lions’ secondary, but now he he’ll have to wait a bit longer to make his NFL debut. Carter will be eligible to begin practicing after six weeks, and can return to game action after eight.
To replace Carter on their roster, the Lions have re-signed defensive tackle Jermelle Cudjo. Cudjo was initially cut yesterday, but now he’s back on Detroit’s 53 for the time being.