Latest On Robert Griffin III
A contingent of Washington front office executives and coaches want to move on from quarterback Robert Griffin III, but club ownership is squashing any efforts to get rid of the mercurial signal-caller, according to Adam Schefter and Dianne Marie Russini of ESPN. Washington has even had several conversations with other clubs about trading RGIII, but haven’t found any interest.
The main barrier to a trade, per the ESPN scribes, is Griffin’s contract, which calls for him to earn about $6.72MM in 2015 (an acquiring team would only be responsible for his base salary of about $3.27MM) and $16.1MM in 2016 (guaranteed for injury only). Given RGIII’s injury lengthy injury history, it’s not surprising that other teams would shy away from a potential deal given that an injury guarantee is involved. Moreover, it’s unclear whether Washington ownership would even allow the team’s executives to move forward with a Griffin trade, if one were on the table.
Because of that onerous contract, Washington has no interest in inserting Griffin into a game, per Schefter and Russini. Griffin is currently dealing with a concussion, and given that a club can’t cut an injured player, Washington doesn’t want to play Griffin and risk further injury. Plus, if RGIII suffered a major injury, his 2016 guarantee would kick in, further locking him in Washington. Therefore, Griffin is not expected to be the team’s starting quarterback, meaning that Kirk Cousins looks to be the team’s No. 1 QB.
Drayton Florence Attempting Comeback
With less than two weeks remaining until the start of the regular season, there’s another option on the table for any club looking for secondary help, as veteran defensive back Drayton Florence plans to make a return to the NFL, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Florence, 34, has been out of the league since 2013.
Florence spent a few weeks on the Lions’ roster last August, and once he was released, the 11-year vet worked out for both the Jets and 49ers, but failed to secure a contract; he then announced his retirement in April of this year. Florence, a second-round pick back in 2003, has played for the Chargers, Jaguars, Bills, Lions, and – most recently – the Panthers. In Carolina in 2013, Florence made 26 tackles, defended nine passes, and grabbed a pair of interceptions, ranking an impressive 19th among 110 qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
Over the course of his 11-year NFL career, Florence has appeared in a total of 157 games, starting 104 of them. He’s tallied 20 interceptions, 104 passes defended, six fumble recoveries, and 486 tackles. While he never appeared in a Pro Bowl or won a Super Bowl, Florence’s longevity as an NFL player speaks to his ability to provide solid production at the cornerback position for a number of different teams.
Florence becomes the second veteran defensive back to announce a comeback attempt this week, joining fellow corner Cortland Finnegan. While Finnegan said he was open to playing cornerback or safety, there’s no indication yet as to whether Florence would make the move to safety in order to find a home.
Titans Cut 10 Players
The Titans announced that they’ve waived 10 players in advance of Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline:
- Nate Askew, LB
- Will Brown, CB
- Dezmond Johnson, LB
- Tebucky Jones, WR
- Deon Long, WR
- Derrick Lott, DE
- Justin McCray, G
- Mike Meyer, K
- Chaz Sutton, LB
- Fernando Velasco, C
The 30-year-old Velasco is the most notable name here, as he boasts 37 career starts. He began his career with the Titans, starting all 16 games at center during the 2012 season.
PFR Originals: 8/23/15 – 8/30/15
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past seven days:
- We continued our Offseason in Review series, looking back at each club’s additions, losses, trades, drafts, and coaching moves. Sam Robinson covered the Chiefs, Luke Adams examined the Rams, and Connor Byrne went over the Seahawks.
- With the recent turmoil coming to the surface in the nation’s capital, Rob DiRe asked who readers believe will start the most games at quarterback for Washington this season. More than 70% of voters think Kirk Cousins will see the majority of snaps at QB.
- With less than two weeks remaining until the regular season begins, Luke took a look at some of the key dates left on the NFL calendar.
- 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 by Zach Links and Luke last week:
Week In Review: 8/23/15 – 8/30/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Extended:
- Eagles – Mychal Kendricks, LB (four years, $29MM)
- Falcons – Julio Jones, WR (five years, $71.25MM)
- Ravens – Will Hill, S (two years, $7MM)
- Washington – Trent Williams, T (five years, $66MM)
Key Injuries:
- Cowboys – Orlando Scandrick, CB (link)
- Packers – Jordy Nelson, WR (link)
- Patriots – James Develin, FB (link) and Brandon Gibson, WR (link)
- Steelers – Bruce Gradkowski, QB (link) and Maurkice Pouncey, C (link)
- Washington – Junior Galette, LB (link)
Signed:
- Broncos – Evan Mathis, G (link)
- Buccaneers – Connor Barth, K (link)
- Falcons – Rex Grossman, QB (link)
- Jets – Josh Johnson, QB (link)
- Patriots – Reggie Wayne, WR (link)
- Raiders – Taylor Mays, S (link)
- Steelers – Doug Legursky, C (link) and Michael Vick, QB (link)
Released:
- Jaguars – Tommie Campbell, CB (link)
Trade:
- Patriots – acquired T Mike Williams from the Lions in exchange for a 2016 seventh-round pick.
Suspended:
- Bears – Jeremiah Ratliff, DT (three games)
- Steelers – Martavis Bryant, WR (four games)
Retired:
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/15
The latest minor moves from around the NFL:
- Former USC wideout George Farmer will sign with the Seahawks, and the team intends on converting the receiver to defensive back, the organization announced. Farmer was cut by the Cowboys last week, and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says Dallas won’t be obligated to the $5oK in guaranteed money if he ends up sticking in Seattle.
- To make room, the team waived/injured Kona Schwenke, who suffered a knee injury on Friday evening.
- Receiver Michael Preston tweeted that he has been cut by the Dolphins (as passed along by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on Twitter). The reporter notes that Matt Hazel‘s four-catch, 47-yard performance in last night’s game may have made Preston expendable.
- The Lions filled two open roster spots by signing former Central Michigan linebacker Justin Cherrocci and former Bethune Cookman defensive end Erik Williams, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Detroit had two vacant slots after releasing Taylor Mays and Jarred Haggins yesterday.
Maurkice Pouncey To Undergo Surgery
6:40pm: Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (via Twitter) that Pouncey will miss at least six weeks.
3:54pm: Pouncey suffered a broken ankle, tweets Bouchette, while Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link) says the Steelers hope Pouncey can still return this season.
3:34pm: After leaving today’s preseason game with an ankle injury, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey will indeed require surgery, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters, including Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). Tomlin did not give any indication as to how long Pouncey will be sidelined.
Earlier today, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported (via Twitter) that early indications are that Pouncey suffered a high ankle sprain “at the very least.” That report has yet to be confirmed, but such an injury would keep Pouncey out for four-to-six weeks, meaning he would likely miss three regular season games at minimum. Obviously, Bouchette’s tweet leaves the door open for Pouncey to have suffered a more serious injury, meaning that timetable would need to be amended.
Pouncey, 26, has been bitten by the injury bug before, as he missed all of the 2013 season after tearing his ACL during Week 1. He signed a five-year, $44MM extension during the summer of 2014, and went on to start all 16 games last year, earning his fourth Pro Bowl nod. Currently, Cody Wallace is projected as Pouncey’s direct backup at center, and he’d see more playing time if Pouncey is out for an extended period.
Per Kaboly (Twitter link), the Steelers also suffered another injury, albeit one that sounds less serious, Tomlin announced that defensive end Stephon Tuitt will be out a few weeks after suffering a sprained ankle.
PFR Originals: 8/16/15 – 8/23/15
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past seven days:
- We continued our Offseason in Review series, looking back at each club’s additions, losses, trades, draft picks, coaching moves, and more. Connor Byrne examined the 49ers, Zach Links went over the Raiders, and Sam Robinson covered the Broncos.
- In our Community Tailgate series, we post topics for discussion, encouraging readers to post their thoughts in the comments section. The issues covered by Luke Adams and Zach:
Jordy Nelson Believed To Have Torn ACL
Initial tests show that Packers receiver Jordy Nelson suffered a torn ACL during today’s game, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). MRI results are still needed to confirm the diagnosis, but if true, Nelson would obviously be sidelined for the entire 2015 season.
The loss of Nelson, 30, constitutes a body blow to a Green Bay offense that ranked first in offensive DVOA last season. Nelson was a major part of that success, catching 98 passes for more than 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to being named a second-team All Pro. Coming off offseason hip surgery, Nelson was recovering nicely and fully participating during the preseason, so this latest injury is especially devastating.
Second-year pro Davante Adams is likely to move into the starting lineup opposite Randall Cobb, but whether he can replace Nelson’s production is something of a question. In 15 games last season, the 22-year-old Adams caught 38 balls for 446 yards and three scores, numbers that should significantly increase if he becomes a starter. Jeff Janis, Myles White, and rookie Ty Montgomery could also become candidates for increased playing time in Nelson’s absence.
If the Packers opt to bring in a free agent receiver, they could have their pick of several veteran options, including Donnie Avery, Robert Meachem, and Kevin Ogltree. One other option — former Colt Reggie Wayne — might be off the table rather quickly, as reports earlier today indicated he was in New England to take a physical with the Patriots.
Nelson becomes the second No. 1 receiver to suffer an ACL injury in the past week, joining the Panthers’ Kelvin Benjamin.
Week In Review: 8/16/15 – 8/23/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Trades:
- Patriots – acquired TE Asante Cleveland from the 49ers in exchange for OL Jordan Devey.
- Washington – acquired TE Derek Carrier from the 49ers in exchange for a 2017 fifth-round pick.
Signed:
- Bills – Red Bryant, DL (link), Quentin Groves, LB (link), and Ellis Lankster, CB (link)
- Buccaneers – Gosder Cherilus, T (link)
- Cardinals – Chris Johnson, RB (link)
- Jets – Matt Flynn, QB (link)
- Giants – Brandon Meriweather, S (link)
- Texans – Quintin Demps, S and Fili Moala, DL (link)
- Titans – Andy Studebaker, LB (link)
Released:
- Cardinals – Darryl Sharpton, LB (link)
- Dolphins – Louis Delmas, S (link)
- Lions – Taylor Mays, S (link)
Injuries:
Suspended: