Ravens Add Two Players, Cut Chykie Brown
12:09pm: In addition to confirming the release of Brown, the Ravens have announced three other roster moves. According to a press release, the team has activated defensive tackle Terrence Cody from the physically unable to perform list and promoted rookie cornerback Tramain Jacobs from the practice squad. To create that second opening on the 53-man roster, Baltimore cut tight end Phillip Supernaw.
10:14am: The Ravens gave up six passing touchdowns to Ben Roethlisberger on Sunday night, and now one Baltimore defensive back is seeing the hammer fall. Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), the Ravens are releasing cornerback Chykie Brown. A fifth-round pick in 2011, Brown has spent the entirety of his four-year career in Baltimore.
The 27-year-old Brown has played in 46 games over the course of his career, starting two, including this year’s season opener against the Bengals. He’s registered eight tackles on the season, and received mostly negative grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) — the more snaps he was forced to play, the worse his production became. It’s possible that Brown is a viable reserve defensive back, but it’s fair to say that he shouldn’t be a starting CB. Because he’s a vested four-year veteran, he won’t have to pass through waivers, meaning he is now a free agent.
It’s a little surprising that the Ravens would cut Brown loose, given that No. 1 corner Jimmy Smith is out for several weeks with a foot injury, while Lardarius Webb is also dealing with health concerns. Nevertheless, Baltimore now has an open roster spot, so look for the club to sign a replacement in the near future.
NFC Notes: Bryant, Hardy, Eagles, Schiano
The Cowboys are wary of offering Dez Bryant a long-term extension because of the receiver’s past off-the-field issues, sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. While Bryant wants a deal that pays him like a No. 1 WR, Dallas has offered the 26-year-old contracts that, while providing Bryant with significant guaranteed money, contain protection clauses for the club in the event of off-the-field incidents. Per Getlin, the Cowboys have provided therapists to help Bryant work out his anger management issues. Bryant, playing under the final year of his rookie deal, said on Sunday that he’d be “highly disappointed” if Dallas opted to place the franchise tag on him for the 2015 season. Here’s more from the NFC.
- The Mecklenburg County district attorney announced that Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy‘s trial will be postponed until early 2015, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Hardy is currently on the commissioner’s exempt list as his domestic violence case is litigated, but as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes, Carolina head coach Ron Rivera believes Hardy should be able to return to the team immediately if his trial won’t take place until the season is completed, arguing that the star defender has already served an effective eight-week suspension.
- The Eagles will replace injured linebacker DeMeco Ryans internally, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who points to Casey Matthews and 2014 first-rounder Marcus Smith as options to see more snaps for Philadelphia.
- Offensive lineman Todd Herremans, who is trying to play through a torn biceps, will meet with Eagles team doctors today and discuss whether it’s best for him to be placed on injured reserve, per Bowen (Twitter link).
- Ex-Buccaneers and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano would like to return to an NFL or college sideline in 2015, writes Pete Thamel of TheMMQB.com in an engrossing profile.
Prince Amukamara Done For Season
The Giants will need to replace one of their key defenders, as head coach Tom Coughlin told reporters, including Nick Powell of the Star-Ledger, that cornerback Prince Amukamara suffered a torn biceps during last night’s game. The 25-year-old will require surgery, meaning his 2014 season is over. “We’ve lost a player or two in each game, it seems like,” said Coughlin. “That’s not a good one. Prince was playing well. He did a very nice job tonight and that was a blow to lose him.”
Amukara, a 2011 first-round pick, was in the middle of what was probably his best season to date. He’s started all eight games for New York, registering 37 tackles and three interceptions. The Nebraska product graded as the 20th-best cornerback in the league among 109 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and he’s allowed the sixth-best passer rating against (58.2). The Giants picked up Amukara’s fifth-year option for 2015, which entitles him to $6.898MM in injury-guaranteed base salary; if he can’t pass a physical due to his injury when the new league year begins, he’ll be locked into that money.
Fellow defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is also dealing with injuries, and though he can still play, the Giants will need Zackary Bowman, Jayron Hosley, and Chandler Fenner to step up in Amukamara’s absence. The club will have an open roster spot once Amumakara is placed on IR, and one would guess that practice squad CB Bennett Jackson is a candidate for promotion given the health concerns in New York’s secondary.
Extra Points: Welker, Spiller, Concussions
While they’re surely focused on the regular season after losing 43-21 to the Patriots yesterday, the Broncos are going to have to make several difficult decisions during the offseason. Most importantly, Denver will need to figure out how to retain both Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas, meaning that fellow pass-catcher Wes Welker‘s impending free agency might be put on the back burner. A team source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report that Welker is the odd man out in regards to a new contract, and that the 33-year-old will likely be playing somewhere else in 2015. Welker, working under the final year of a two-year, $12MM deal, has just 22 receptions for 212 yards and one touchdown this season. Though he currently earns $6MM per year, Cole speculates that Welker will be lucky to find $2-3MM on the open market.
- Despite being placed on IR-DTR after breaking his collarbone, C.J. Spiller tells Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he isn’t worried about his free agent stock. “I think I’ve laid a great foundation,” says the Bills running back, who will be part of a free agent running back class that could include DeMarco Murray, Mark Ingram, Shane Vereen, and Frank Gore.
- 220 former NFL players have opted out of the proposed concussion agreement, per an ESPN report. The league has agreed to pay in excess of $765MM in order to cover health risks associated with concussions. The retired players, or their families, who opted out of the settlement have the option of suing the NFL individually.
- Colts defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois has hired Drew Rosenhaus as his new agent, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). It’s probably not a signal that the 27-year-old is looking for a new contract, as he signed a four-year, $22MM deal with Indianapolis just last year. He’ll count $6.125MM against the cap in 2015, and though the club could save $4.875MM by cutting him, it’s presumably pleased with his production, as he graded out positively, especially against the run, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
NFC Notes: Lattimore, Weeden, Newton
Let’s take a look at the latest from the NFC:
- If Marcus Lattimore retires as expected, he should be able to collect on a $1.7MM insurance policy, Lattimore’s agent tells Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. The 49ers running back took out the policy during his junior year at South Carolina. Per Rovell, a standard disability policy for an athlete allows for a player to play no more than four games before deciding whether to act on the policy. Lattimore hasn’t played a single game since being drafted in the fourth round last year.
- The Cowboys decided to release veteran Kyle Orton during the offseason and roll with Brandon Weeden as their backup quarterback, and although Weeden played poorly on Sunday against the Cardinals, owner Jerry Jones doesn’t regret his choice. “I don’t second guess that at all because we lost games with those experienced quarterbacks, with the quarterbacks that were more experienced,” Jones told Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “As a matter of fact we got knocked out of the playoffs with the more experienced quarterback (Orton) last year, and so I think it’s all relevant.”
- ESPN.com’s David Newton examines whether the Panthers should act urgently in locking up Cam Newton to a long-term deal. For his part, Newton could afford to wait until next year to begin negotiations, as his current level of play doesn’t warrant the type of contract that Colin Kaepernick or Andy Dalton received, writes Newton.
- Washington head coach Jay Gruden told reporters, including Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com, that the club intends to activate receiver Leonard Hankerson from the PUP list this week. Hankerson, who’s averaged 34 receptions and 459 yards over the past two seasons, would presumably slot in behind DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Andre Roberts as Washington’s fourth receiver.
- The Patriots released defensive tackle Tommy Kelly just prior to the start of the season, which allowed the veteran to latch on with the Cardinals. He’s played well, and one Arizona assistant is glad New England decided to part ways with the 33-year-old. “Tell Bill (Belichick) I said, ‘Thank you,’ “ defensive line coach Brentson Buckner told Michael Silver of NFL.com. “Kelly’s been great for us. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Cowboys COO On Dez Bryant Extension Talks
After word broke on Sunday that Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant had signed on with Roc Nation, many wondered how his agency change would affect potential extension negotiations with the club. Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones spoke with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas earlier today and discussed that very topic, so let’s take a look at the highlights (link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News):
On spending to the cap:
“All we look at is the player and what we can do for that particular player in terms of our resources that we have. At the end of the day, we’re going to spend every last penny we have trying to put a championship team together. It’s not that we’re trying to save money so we can put it in our pocket.”
On how to allocate financial resources:
“Our goal and what we have to do as ownership and management is decide the best way to divide up the pie. At the end of the day, everybody is going to get all of the pie, so it’s not that we’re deciding to not pay Tony [Romo], not pay Dez, not pay DeMarco [Murray] so we can keep it. We just got to talk them into playing for the money that we feel like is fair so that we can have other good football players.”
On the possibility of using the franchise tag:
“Our goal is ultimately to put a fair contract out there. In Dez’s case, we’re going to do everything we can to put a fair contract out there for him. But that tag is out there for a reason. We certainly have it in our pocket to use. For some reason if we couldn’t come to an agreement with him then we certainly have to look at all our alternatives.”
On negotiating an equitable deal:
“He’s certainly played well enough to have financial security. He deserves that. So we have to respect where Dez and his family are coming from. At the same time, we would hope that he understands what we’re trying to do, which is a hard thing to do, decide who gets what on this team and where your financial resources are allocated.”
Panthers Waive Chris Ogbonnaya
6:35pm: To fill Ogbonnaya’s roster spot, the Panthers have activated receiver De’Andre Presley from the reserve/PUP list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
6:06pm: With DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart now healthy, the Panthers have trimmed their running back corps by waiving Chris Ogbonnaya, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). The 28-year-old signed with Carolina on September 29, so he spent just over a month with the club while its starters recovered from various injuries.
A 2009 seventh-round pick, Ogbonnaya has made several stops around the NFL during his six-year career, spending time with the Rams, Texans, and Browns before joining the Panthers. His most notable duty came with Cleveland, as he rushed 130 times for 604 yards during parts of three seasons with the Browns. Ogbonnaya saw only 44 offensive snaps this season with the Panthers, but did manage to find the end zone in Week 5 against the Bears. Because he’s not a vested veteran, the Texas product will have to go through waivers before becoming a free agent.
The Panthers will go forward with a trio of Williams, Stewart, and Fozzy Whittaker at tailback, while fullback Mike Tolbert will soon return from IR-DTR. Additionally, the team now has a vacant roster spot, so we should soon see the club add a player to its 53-man squad. Carolina’s offensive line is currently decimated by injury, with Byron Bell, Trai Turner, and Amini Silatolu all dealing with health concerns, so perhaps they’ll look to add some depth along the front five.
Packers Waive Derek Sherrod
Fresh off their bye week, the Packers have made a slew of roster moves, with the most notable transaction being the waiving of tackle Derek Sherrod, who was the 32nd overall pick in the 2011 draft (Twitter link via Brian McIntyre). To replace him on the roster, Green Bay has activated center J.C. Tretter from the injured reserve/designated to return list, per Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). The club also tweaked its practice squad, signing running back Rajion Neal and linebacker Joe Thomas while cutting tight end Ike Ariguzo and defensive end Joe Kruger, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter).
The Packers’ decision to cut Sherrod ends an unceremonious run in Green Bay for the Mississippi State product, who despite his draft pedigree, started only one game during his stint with the team. He represents a rare miss by general manager Ted Thompson — as ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes (on Twitter), Sherrod joins Justin Harrell as the only Thompson first-round picks no longer on the Packers’ roster. Sherrod’s most notable performance, infamously, came during the NFL opener earlier this year, when he was routinely beaten by various Seahawks defenders on his way to registering a -6.9 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Still only 25, Sherrod should be able to latch on somewhere else; because he isn’t a vested veteran, he will have to clear waivers before becoming a free agent. The Packers, meanwhile, will need to find another swing tackle, as there isn’t another OT on the roster outside of starters David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga. The club does have rookie tackle Jeremy Vujnovich on its practice squad, so perhaps we’ll see him be promoted if the Packers decide they need more depth along their line.
Tretter, 23, was slated to take over as Green Bay’s starting center following the offseason departure of veteran Evan Dietrich-Smith. After injuring his knee during training camp, however, the team placed the 2013 fourth-rounder on IR-DTR. His replacement in the lineup, Corey Linsley, is playing extremely well, as evidenced by his rating as the league’s third-best center per PFF, so it’s fair to wonder if Tretter will be relegated to a reserve role. As Silverstein suggests (via Twitter), Tretter is a candidate to act as a backup tackle, so perhaps his versatility would serve him well in a bench position.
Injury Updates: Sunday
While we don’t cover every injury here at PFR, we will detail health concerns that could force teams to make significant roster moves. We’ll keep a running list of such injuries here, with the newest updates being added to the top:
- Cowboys’ defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford suffered a troubling knee injury that involves MCL damage, reports Tim MacMAhon of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
- Texans‘ running back Arian Foster suffered a groin injury during the loss to the Eagles earlier today, but fortunately it does not look to be serious, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates
- Eagles quarterback Nick Foles left today’s contest against the Texans and will not return, the team announced. A source tells Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that the club fears Foles may have a clavicle injury. Mark Sanchez is on in relief of Foles at QB.
- Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph will not return today after suffering a concussion, tweets John Clayton of ESPN. Meanhwhile, running back Arian Foster headed to the locker room with a head injury, per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Jets quarterback Michael Vick also went to the locker room after suffering an injury against the Chiefs, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). With Geno Smith inactive, Matt Simms has taken over at QB.
- Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans suffered a non-contact injury, and had to be carted off the field, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Dolphins running back Lamar Miller suffered a shoulder injury against the Chargers and is questionable to return.
PFR Originals: 10/26/14 – 11/2/14
The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Many names were bandied about as trade candidates before Tuesday’s deadline, but there were only two deals: Mark Barron to the Rams, and Jonathan Casillas to the Patriots. Luke Adams looked at the 2015 outlook for the some of those rumored trade candidates, detailing both their contract status and role for next year.
- Luke also examined several impact players who will soon return to contending teams, from injured Lions rookie linebacker Kyle Van Noy, to suspended Browns receiver Josh Gordon.
- In the latest entries in our Extension Candidate series, I profiled Saints running back Mark Ingram (link), while Luke looked at Broncos linebacker Von Miller (link).
- Before Tuesday’s trade deadline, Rory Parks asked which player was most likely to be dealt. Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson, who ultimately stayed put, was the No. 1 response at about 27%.
- Cam Newton isn’t open to Colin Kaepernick-esque, pay-as-you-go type extension, so Luke wondered what the Panther quarterback’s next contract will look like. Despite Newton’s protestations, the majority of you believe that he will ultimately accept a deal in the mold of Kaepernick’s.
- The Seahawks and the 49ers met in last year’s NFC Championship, but this season has been a struggle for both clubs. Luke asked if either team will make the playoffs this year, and 41% of respondents believe that while Seattle will head to the postseason, San Francisco will stay home.
- Zach Links rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.
- Check out our new Trade Rumors app, available for both iOS and Android.