Cowboys WR Terrance Williams Suspended
The NFL has suspended Cowboys receiver Terrance Williams for three games, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Williams is currently on injured reserve, but he can serve the ban while on IR.
Williams was arrested in May after allegedly crashing his vehicle into a light pole, but he was never charged with driving under the influence. Instead, Williams faced a misdemeanor charge of public intoxication, a violation which was dismissed after Williams completed an alcohol awareness course and paid for damages, but the NFL still holds the right to issue its own response.
While Williams won’t have to miss any time as a result of his suspension given that he’s already out for the season, he will miss out on cash. He’ll be forced to sacrifice 3/17 of his base salary, which amounts to about $618K. All Cowboys players have contract language that voids their guarantees in the event of a suspension, but Williams doesn’t have any more guaranteed money on his deal after 2018.
In other Cowboys news, Dallas isn’t currently involved in the wide receiver trade market, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Several pass-catchers, notably including Raiders wideout Amari Cooper, are reportedly on the trade block, but the Cowboys are comfortable with their current depth chart of Cole Beasley, Michael Gallup, Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, and Tavon Austin.
Jets Designate RB Elijah McGuire To Return From IR
The Jets have designated running back Elijah McGuire to return from injured reserve, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
McGuire was placed on injured reserve in September after initially being carried through to the Jets’ initial 53-man roster. NFL rules stipulate that any player who returns from IR must have been on his club’s original 53-man roster, and also mandates a minimum eight-week absence. As such, McGuire can be activated in advance of New York’s Week 9 matchup against the Dolphins.
McGuire, 24, appeared in all 16 games and made two starts after the Jets selected him in the sixth round of last year’s draft. On 88 carries, McGuire managed only 3.6 yards per carry and scored one touchdown, adding 17 receptions and another score in the passing game. Football Outsiders wasn’t a fan of McGuire’s work, ranking him third-to-last in rushing DVOA, which measures overall efficiency.
If and when McGuire is added to the Jets’ roster, he’ll join a depth chart that also includes running backs Isaiah Crowell, Bilal Powell, and Trenton Cannon.
Seahawks Franchise Expected To Be Sold
The “sense” at the NFL’s ongoing league meetings is that the Seahawks franchise will be eventually be sold following owner Paul Allen‘s death, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Allen, who passed away Monday due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, purchased the Seahawks in 1996. Allen never married and has no children, so there’s no clear heir to helm the club. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, the Seahawks could be turned over to Allen’s sister Jody, but it’s not apparent she has any interest in running an NFL team.
As such, the team is likely to be sold at some point, although the organization is expected to remain in Seattle, tweets Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who holds a significant amount of sway in league matters, told Garafolo that he “can’t imagine the Seahawks not being in Seattle.”
Per Forbes, the Seahawks are currently valued at $2.5 billion, with yearly revenue of $413MM and an operating income of $71MM. Those are obviously unofficial figures, but the price of NFL teams has only risen in recent years. The Bills, sold in 2014, went for roughly $1.1 billion, while the Panthers, who were purchased by David Tepper earlier this year, sold for at least $2.2 billion.
No matter who owns the team, the Seahawks don’t need to worry about their head coach. Asked if he wanted to stay in Seattle following Allen’s death, Pete Carroll responded “absolutely,” according to Florio. Carroll is currently under contract through the 2019 season under the terms of a 2016 extension that is believed to have made Carroll one of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches.
Redskins’ McGee, Lions’ Jones Return To Practice From PUP
Redskins defensive lineman Stacy McGee and Lions wide receiver Andy Jones, both of whom are currently on the physically unable to perform list, returned to practice on Wednesday, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
NFL players on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list must miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season, so McGee and Jones have already fulfilled that requirement. Now that they’ve returned to practice, Washington and Detroit both have a three-week window during which it can decide to either activate McGee and Jones to its respective 53-man rosters, or keep them on the PUP list for the rest of 2018 campaign.
McGee joined the Redskins on a five-year, $25MM contract last spring and appeared in all 16 games (10 starts) for the club in 2017, managing 44 tackles in the process. He underwent surgery on his thigh in June, and had been fully expected to miss time as he recovers. When he does see the field, McGee will join a Washington defensive line depth chart that also includes Jonathan Allen, Da’Ron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, Tim Settle, and Caleb Brantley.
Jones, 24, went undrafted out of Jacksonville University in 2016, and originally latched on with the Cowboys. He spent the entirety of his rookie season on Dallas’ practice squad before being cut in advance of the 2017 season. He was claimed off waivers by the Texans, but appeared in just one game before being waived yet again. Jones was on the Lions’ practice squad from September onward, until getting promoted to the active roster for three games in December.
Injury Notes: Fins, Falcons, Cowboys, Browns
The Dolphins have already ruled out quarterback Ryan Tannehill for their Week 7 contest against the Lions, and the NFL is now investigating how Miami handled reporting Tannehill’s shoulder injury in Week 6, as Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports. Tannehill was a full participant in both Wednesday and Thursday practice last week, but was limited on Friday before being inactive against the Bears on Sunday. The league will often look into such cases where injury designations present something of a question mark; some clubs are subsequently fined, others are cleared, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Without Tannehill available, Miami will once again deploy Brock Osweiler, who threw for a career-high 380 yards against Chicago.
Here’s more injury news from around the NFL:
- Falcons running back Devonta Freeman will undergo surgery on Thursday to repair his groin injury, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Freeman’s recovery timeline isn’t yet clear, but reports yesterday did indicate that Freeman — who was placed on injured reserve Tuesday — could return later this season. Because he’s now on IR, Freeman must miss at least eight games before coming back. Various health issues have limited Freeman to just two games this season, during which he averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 14 touches. With Freeman unavailable, Atlanta will turn to a tandem of Tevin Coleman and Ito Smith in its backfield.
- Tavon Austin is getting a second opinion on his groin injury in the near future, and the Cowboys will wait to hear that diagnosis before deciding on an injured reserve move, tweets Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram. Austin, who Dallas acquired from the Rams earlier this year, has lined up at both receiver and running back this season, managing seven receptions and six rushes on the year. If Austin is placed on IR, the Cowboys will continue to lean on an uninspiring group of pass-catchers that includes Allen Hurns, Michael Gallup, Cole Beasley, and Deonte Thompson. Dallas would need to find a new punt returner, as Austin has handled all but one of the club’s punt returns.
- Browns linebacker Joe Schobert will be sidelined for “a little while” as he deals with with a hamstring injury, head coach Hue Jackson told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Losing Schobert for any amount of time is devastating for Cleveland, as he’s played nearly every snap on defense while ranking as a top-10 linebacker league-wide, per Pro Football Focus. With Schobert down, the Browns will likely deploy Christian Kirksey and Jamie Collins as their nickel linebackers. Cleveland’s linebacker depth already took a hit earlier this week when James Burgess was placed on injured reserve.
- Turning to the college game, Ole Miss receiver D.K. Metcalf will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a neck injury last weekend, according to Nick Suss of the Clarion-Ledger. Metcalf is a redshirt sophomore, so he could potentially enter the 2019 draft if he so chooses. But given his injury, Metcalf may choose to head back to school in order to put more highlights on tape. Per Suss, Metcalf is viewed as a potential Day 2 pick.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/17/18
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:
Cleveland Browns
- WRs John Diarse, Shay Fields, Tavarres King; FB Dimitri Flowers; C Luke Bowanko; T Gerhard de Beer (link)
Green Bay Packers
- FB Dan Vitale; TE Clive Walford; DT Vincent Valentine; Ss Ibraheim Campbell, Eddie Pleasant (link)
Houston Texans
- RB Ralph Webb; LB Marquis Flowers; CB Horace Richardson (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- RB Devante Mays; WR Tre McBride; G Zack Golditch; DE Anthony Lanier; LB Gimel President; S J.J. Wilcox (link)
New England Patriots
- DE Tank Carradine; LBs Corey Nelson, Tegray Scales; S A.J. Howard (link)
New York Giants
- QB Joe Callahan; WR Austin Proehl; DE Myles Humphrey (link)
Washington Redskins
- CBs Donatello Brown, Tony Lippett; Raysean Pringle, Henre’ Toliver, Marquez White (link)
Dolphins Designate OL Jake Brendel, LB Mike Hull As IR/Return
The Dolphins will designate offensive lineman Jake Brendel and linebacker Mike Hull to return from injured reserve, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who reports both players were back at Miami’s practice on Wednesday.
Both Brendel and Hull were placed on injured reserve in September after initially being carried through to the Dolphins’ initial 53-man roster. NFL rules stipulate that any player who returns from IR must have been on his club’s original 53-man roster, and also mandates a minimum eight-week absence. As such, both Brendel and Hull can be activated in advance of Miami’s Week 9 matchup against the Jets.
Brendel, 26, joined the Dolphins’ practice squad in 2016 after going undrafted out of UCLA. He went to appear in all 16 games for Miami in 2017, although he didn’t see much action on the field. Brendel played 67 snaps on offense and 87 snaps on special teams, serving in a backup role for the entire campaign. Once he returns from IR, Brendel will give the Dolphins another interior option behind veterans Travis Swanson and Wesley Johnson, the former of whom has taken over at center following Daniel Kilgore‘s season-ending injury.
Like Brendel, Hull has mostly served as a backup since joining the Dolphins in 2015. He played in 32 games from 2016-17, making four starts during that time. But Hull’s main contribution has come on special teams, where he racked up a whopping 631 snaps over the past two seasons. His return could bolster a Miami special teams unit that already ranks third in DVOA, and give the Dolphins linebacker depth after the club placed Chase Allen on injured reserve earlier today.
Because each team is only allowed to IR/return players, Brendel and Hull’s activation will prevent the Dolphins from bringing any other injured players — such as offensive linemen Josh Sitton or Kilgore, or defensive end William Hayes — back in 2018.
Vikings Re-Sign DT David Parry
The Vikings have re-signed defensive tackle David Parry, the club announced on Tuesday. Minnesota has already placed cornerback Mike Hughes on injured reserve, so it doesn’t need to make another roster move to accommodate Parry.
Parry will make his return to the Vikings roster after appearing in two games for the team earlier this season. The 26-year-old Parry played in Minnesota’s first two games of the year and even recorded a sack, but was cut after the Vikings decided to bring back veteran defensive tackle Tom Johnson. He’s been on the workout circuit since, meeting with the Seahawks, Lions, and Patriots.
Parry’s most extensive NFL experience came with the Colts, who made him a fifth-round pick in 2015. A Stanford product, Parry started 32 consecutive games to open his career with Indianapolis, racking up 78 tackles and four sacks in the process. After being arrested for an alcohol-related incident in March 2017, Parry was cut the following September and landed on the Saints’ practice squad. He was subsequently hit with a four-game suspension and appeared in only a single contest for New Orleans.
Parry will now serve as a depth on a Vikings roster that already has five other defensive tackles. Sheldon Richardson, Linval Joseph, Johnson, Jalyn Holmes, and Jaleel Johnson have all been active in each of the past two weeks, so it could conceivably be Parry that doesn’t suit up on Sunday.
Buccaneers Fire DC Mike Smith
The Buccaneers have fired defensive coordinator Mike Smith, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Linebackers coach Mark Duffner will serve as Tampa Bay’s interim DC, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Smith’s firing shouldn’t come as a total surprise, as the Buccaneers have fielded one of the NFL’s worst defenses this season. Tampa Bay ranks dead last in points allowed per game (34.6) and 31st in yards per game, and has allowed a whopping 82 points over its past two contests, both of which were losses. The Buccaneers are now on pace to give up the most points in NFL history, per Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Advanced metrics aren’t a fan of Smith’s Buccaneers defense, either, as the club ranks last in Football Outsiders’ defensive DVOA, which measures overall efficiency. Tampa Bay also ranks poorly in pace stats, as the team is 31st in both yards allowed per drive and points allowed per drive. All of Football Outsiders’ metrics were calculated before the Buccaneers gave up 34 points to the Falcons on Sunday.
The Buccaneers attempted to revamp their defense over the offseason, especially along the defensive line, where they acquired Jason Pierre-Paul via trade, signed Vinny Curry and Beau Allen, and drafted Vita Vea in the first round. However, Tampa Bay ranks just 27th in adjusted sack rate. That’s an untenable lack of pressure, especially given the Buccaneers’ problems in the secondary, where starters Chris Conte and Vernon Hargreaves are on injured reserve.
Smith, 59, was hired as Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator prior to the 2016 campaign, and the Buccaneers made him the NFL’s highest-paid DC, per Rapoport (Twitter link). While the Bucs’ defense finished a respectable 13th in defensive DVOA in 2016, the unit fell to 32nd in 2017 before its struggles continued into this season. Smith, of course, was the Falcons’ head coach from 2008-14, compiling a 66-46 record during that time.
Duffner, meanwhile, offers a wealth of coaching experience, both at the collegiate and pro level. He’s been with the Buccaneers since 2016, and has previously held linebacker coach positions with the Bengals, Packers, Jaguars, and Dolphins. Duffner served as Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator (in addition to his positional duties) in 2001-02.
Zane Gonzalez To Begin Workouts Soon
Former Browns kicker Zane Gonzalez is nearing a return to health and should take part in auditions before the end of October, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Gonzalez was waived following a dreadful Week 2 performance in which he missed two field goals, including a 53-yarder that would have sent the game to overtime, and two extra points, including one that would have given the Browns a one-point lead with less than 90 seconds remaining. Cleveland, of course, was searching for its first victory since the 2016 season. A seventh-round pick in 2017, Gonzalez converted 75% of his field goal attempts and 25-of-26 of his extra points during his rookie campaign.
Subsequent reports indicated Gonzalez was dealing with a slightly torn groin, so the Browns waived him with an injury designation. That injury had a recovery timeline of three weeks, and after meeting with a physician to confirm the diagnosis, Gonzalez received a $35K injury settlement from Cleveland, per Schefter. Gonzalez reportedly suffered the injury during pregame warmups in Week 2, but failed to alert the Browns’ coaching staff until halftime.