NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/31/15
Here are the practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL on the last day of 2015….
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Antonio Johnson (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Brian Vogler (press release via team)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: CB Richard Crawford (Twitter link via Eric Williams of ESPN.com)
- Cut: P Kasey Redfern
Chiefs Place De’Anthony Thomas On NFI List
3:59pm: Thomas has actually been placed on the reserve/non-football illness list, rather than IR, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The effect is the same – Thomas is no longer on the Chiefs’ roster – but the designation suggested he’s dealing with more than just a football injury.
3:51pm: Having already missed five games due to a concussion, Chiefs return specialist De’Anthony Thomas won’t be back on the field for the team this season. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Kansas City placed Thomas on the injured reserve list, ending his year.
Thomas, a fourth-round pick in 2014, was the club’s primary punt returner in the first half of the season, and handled the occasional kickoff as well. The Oregon product, who turns 23 next week, also saw some action on offense, with 174 total yards and two touchdowns on 17 receptions and nine carries. Wide receiver Frankie Hammond has taken over the punt-return duties in Thomas’ absence.
When the Chiefs officially announce the move, it figures to come with a corresponding addition to fill the 53-man roster.
Community Tailgate: Chip Kelly’s Future
As the NFL regular season nears its end, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
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While the timing of the Eagles’ dismissal of Chip Kelly was surprising, it gave the team the opportunity to get a head start on its search for a new head coach, and it gave Kelly a chance to begin looking for work. There’s no pressure for Kelly to get a new job immediately, since he’s still owed more than $12MM for the last two years on his contract with the Eagles. But it sounds like he’ll explore some options this winter.
As we saw a year ago, when coaches like Rex Ryan and John Fox immediately found new head coaching jobs after being let go by NFL teams, a fired head coach doesn’t necessarily have to wait long for a new opportunity. This may be particularly true of Kelly, since a team interested in his services could easily convince itself that as long as he has a talented quarterback to work with, and doesn’t get full control of personnel decisions, he could have more success than he did in Philadelphia.
So what’s next for Kelly? Given the presence of Marcus Mariota in Tennessee, the Titans have obviously been the most-cited possible destination for the former Oregon head coach, and Kelly reportedly has interest in that position. But the Dolphins, Browns, 49ers, and Colts have also been brought up as potential landing spots, and there may be even more teams in the market for a new head coach this winter.
Kelly has said he wants to remain in the NFL, rather than returning to college, but not everyone is confident that’s the case, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Plus, if all the NFL teams looking for a new head coach in the coming weeks decide to go in another direction, Kelly would have a decision to make — would he be willing to consider a role as a club’s offensive coordinator, or would he rather take a year off and reassess his options down the road?
What do you think? Is Kelly to Tennessee a foregone conclusion, or will the Titans opt for someone else? What do you expect Kelly’s next step to be? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!
Colts Not Expected To Retain Chuck Pagano
3:26pm: Colts owner Jim Irsay issued a statement this afternoon, tweeting, “As of today, no decision has been made with respect to any structural changes within the Colts organization for 2016 and beyond.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean that Pagano – or Grigson – won’t be let go next week, but it’s a reminder that nothing is official yet.
2:37pm: This weekend’s game against the Titans will likely be Chuck Pagano‘s last as the Colts’ head coach, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, who reports that Indianapolis isn’t expected to bring back Pagano for the 2016 season (Twitter link). Even taking account that they were without Andrew Luck for about half the season, the Colts have underachieved this year, so Pagano’s ouster would come as no surprise.
Although the Colts are planning to dismiss Pagano, it’s not yet clear what the future holds for general manager Ryan Grigson. According to Wells (Twitter link), Grigson is expected to remain with the team at least through the search for a new head coach, but there’s no guarantee he’ll keep his job beyond that, despite his strong relationship with owner Jim Irsay.
Having to find a new GM as well as new head coach may result in the Colts missing out on some head coaching candidates while they focus on hiring a GM, but it still seems unusual that the club might allow Grigson to help find a coach, only to part ways with him afterward. Generally, a new general manager prefers to bring in his own head coach.
As Wells wrote earlier today, the relationship between Pagano and Grigson has deteriorated this year. Sources tell Wells that the two men have had little communication this season, with one source describing their relationship as “toxic.”
After finishing with an 11-5 record and an AFC South crown for three straight seasons, the Colts entered 2015 with Super Bowl aspirations, but took a significant step backward. At 7-8, Indianapolis is an extreme long shot to win the division again this year.
While the Colts’ struggles could be attributed, at least in part, to injuries and questionable roster construction, Pagano was already under pressure to win heading into the year, with the team offering him only a one-year extension rather than any sort of longer-team deal — he turned down that offer. Pagano holds a 40-23 record during his four years in Indianapolis, which includes the time he missed in 2012 due to cancer treatments.
North Notes: Pettine, Fangio, Lions, Workouts
With one game left in the 2015 season, Browns head coach Mike Pettine predictably faced a round of questions from reporters today about his job security in Cleveland. According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter links), Pettine said that he wants to finish out his contract with the Browns and then some, and stressed the importance of continuity when asked about the future of general manager Ray Farmer.
Still, while Pettine was mostly optimistic – or at least hopeful – about the future in Cleveland, he acknowledged that if he’s retained for the 2016 season, he probably will have to make some changes to his coaching staff (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com).
Having had his usual Monday meeting with Jimmy Haslam this week, Pettine didn’t ask the Browns owner about his job security, so we’ll likely have to wait a few more days to know what Haslam is thinking for 2016 (Twitter link via Cabot). In the meantime, here are some more items from out of the NFL’s North divisions:
- Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio interviewed a year ago for the 49ers’ head coaching job before the team hired Jim Tomsula, and as another offseason approaches, he’d be willing to listen again to a team that wants to interview him. “If the right opportunity and people were interested, yeah, I’d certainly listen,” Fangio said, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. “But like I’ve always said, these are their jobs and they [other teams] have their minds set on what they want. If I happened to fit that mold and what they’re looking for, that would be great.”
- The first thing that consultant Ernie Accorsi noticed after starting to work with the Lions as they search for a general manager? Owner Martha Ford wants to win, and she wants to win now. Johnette Howard of ESPN.com has the story.
- The Steelers are bringing in former Cardinals quarterback Phillip Sims for an audition today, per NFL Draft Diamonds (Twitter link). Pittsburgh may have its eye on Sims for an offseason contract.
- Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has the latest on a couple more North teams auditioning players, tweeting that the Vikings are trying out defensive back Dexter McCoil, and tweeting that the Lions worked out defensive backs Jocquel Skinner, Raymon Taylor, and Jason Wilson.
Bills Plan To Cut Mario Williams In Offseason
Mario Williams hasn’t exactly had a smooth transition this season adjusting to Rex Ryan‘s defense, and the high-priced defensive end may not be the Bills’ plans beyond 2015. A person with “direct knowledge of discussion” tells John Wawrow of The Associated Press that Buffalo intends to cut Williams during the offseason.
Asked today about the report, Ryan dismissed it, saying he has no idea where it’s coming from, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. And it’s worth noting that even if the Bills have tentative plans in place now, there’s no guarantee those plans will be executed several weeks or months from now. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bills deemed Williams expendable.
In addition to the steep drop in his production this season – he has 17 tackles and four sacks after recording 42 and 14.5 last year – Williams will be one of the priciest defensive players in the NFL in 2016. His cap charge is set to increase to $19.9MM, which is accompanied by an $11.5MM base salary. Releasing the veteran pass rusher would save the Bills nearly $13MM in cap room, leaving the club with only $7MM in dead money on its books.
When I examined the Bills’ 2016 cap situation back in October, I identified Williams as a candidate to have his contract restructured, rather than being dropped form the roster entirely. But since then, the extent of his struggles in Ryan’s system have become more obvious, so it makes sense that he’s now considered a release candidate.
If the Bills cut Williams after the Super Bowl, he wouldn’t be subject to waivers — he’d immediately become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team.
NFC West Notes: Dawson, Niners, Rams
49ers kicker Phil Dawson will turn 41 next month, which would make him one of the NFL’s oldest players, but the 17-year veteran wants to sign a new contract and continue his career next season, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Dawson also believes he can still handle kickoff duties, a role the Niners handed over to rookie punter Bradley Pinion this season.
“I miss [kicking off],” Dawson said. “I’ve always enjoyed that aspect of the game, and I still feel like I can do it. But Bradley has done a tremendous job, and he’s helped the team. So (there’s) no problem here on that front.”
For now, Dawson hasn’t spoken to the 49ers about signing an extension with the club, but he hopes to discuss the topic sometime after the regular season finale, and it sounds like he intends to convey an interest in remaining in San Francisco.
“When the proper time and place comes, I’ll definitely communicate how I feel about this place and how grateful I am to have been here for three seasons,” Dawson said. “But the time is not now for those conversations.”
Here’s more from around the NFC West:
- The two running backs signed by the 49ers last week received multiyear deals, according to Maiocco, who tweets that DuJuan Harris was signed through 2016 and Jarryd Hayne was locked up through 2017.
- The fact that the Rams get all stadium revenue for football, including naming rights, is a key aspect of St. Louis’ stadium proposal, says Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (Twitter links). The plan also includes a rebate on amusement tax, and revenue from the lease if an MLS team moves in, which should make it more appealing to the Rams and to the NFL.
- With his contract set to expire at season’s end, Rams quarterback Case Keenum will be looking for a more permanent NFL home this winter, and he’s increasing his free agent value with a nice run to end the year. If he can lead the Rams to victory in San Francisco this weekend, Keenum will finish the season with four straight wins. Michael Wagaman of The Associated Press examines the QB’s situation.
- Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu will go under the knife next Tuesday, undergoing a procedure to repair his torn right ACL, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Cardale Jones To Enter 2016 Draft
9:58am: In addition to confirming today that Bosa will enter the draft, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer also announced that running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Cardale Jones will be heading for the NFL, tweets Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch.
9:37am: Another high-profile prospect is entering the 2016 draft, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, who tweets that Ohio State has announced that defensive end Joey Bosa will make the leap to the NFL.
Bosa, 20, is considered a candidate to be the first player to come off the board this spring, with ESPN’s Todd McShay projecting him to be selected with the No. 1 pick in his first mock draft of the year. McShay dubs Bosa “the best player in the draft,” writing that he is scheme-versatile with the ability to move inside to defensive tackle on passing downs.
Bosa recorded just five sacks this season, down from 13.5 in his sophomore year, when he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. However, Miller tweets that the Buckeyes pass rusher had 21 quarterback hits and 40 QB hurries, giving him a higher combined total than any other player Miller saw.
Paxton Lynch, Jared Goff To Enter Draft
Paxton Lynch and Jared Goff, viewed by most observers as the top two quarterbacks potentially available this spring, are both expected to announce their intent to enter the 2016 draft today, according to reports.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Lynch will announce at a press conference this morning that he’s forgoing the remainder of his college eligibility to enter the draft, while Joe Schad of ESPN.com tweets that a similar announcement is coming from Goff. According to Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk, Goff will declare his intent at a 10:00am PT press conference.
Lynch, the 6’7″ signal-caller for the Memphis Tigers, completed 66.8% of his passes this year, compiling 3,778 yards and 28 touchdowns through the air, with just four interceptions. While there are many scouts and player evaluators that view Lynch as the better prospect than Goff, not everyone is convinced he’s NFL-ready, as Bucky Brooks of NFL.com writes.
Goff, meanwhile, racked up 4,714 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns for Cal in his junior year. He also tossed 13 interceptions, and some questions arose about his mechanics, but he’s viewed as player who will come off the board early in the first round.
In his first mock draft of the year, ESPN’s Todd McShay had Lynch coming off the board at No. 2, with Goff being selected with the No. 5 overall pick.
Giants Interested In Re-Signing JPP
The Giants have gotten past the hard feelings that arose after Jason Pierre-Paul and his agent froze out the team in the offseason, and are interested in bringing back the veteran pass rusher after his contract expires this winter, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The report comes on the heels of JPP indicating he’d like to remain in New York and play out the rest of his career as a Giant.
After injuring his hand in a fireworks accident this summer, Pierre-Paul didn’t report to the Giants, who wanted their doctors to examine him, for about two months, creating some apparent acrimony. Ultimately though, the two sides worked past those issues and agreed to a reworked contract, with JPP returning to the field in Week 9.
As he has adjusted to wielding a club on his injured hand, the former first-round pick hasn’t quite been his usual self, having recorded just 20 tackles and one sack. However, he’s still one of the team’s top pass rushers. Outside of Robert Ayers, who plays primarily in passing situations and has compiled eight sacks, no Giants edge defender has a higher Pro Football Focus grade than Pierre-Paul, who ranks 34th out of 107 qualified players — George Selvie comes in 91st, while Kerry Wynn places 96th.
As he once again nears potential free agency, Pierre-Paul knows that he’s valuable to a Giants team lacking a consistent pass rush. JPP, who turns 27 on New Year’s Day, told reporters on Wednesday that there’s nobody currently on the roster who could step in and replicate his production against both the pass and run for the team.
“They don’t need me, they need a pass rusher,” Pierre-Paul said, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I feel like that’s what I bring to the table. I’m not just a pass rusher, I’m also a run-stopper. I think I play the run better than I play the pass, it just so happens I can get back there fast enough and disrupt the quarterback. I’m an all-around player.”
Pierre-Paul may not be quite as effective an all-around player as he was prior to his fireworks mishap, but as Vacchiano points out, the defensive end could make the case that he’ll only get better as he continues to learn how to play without the use of all the fingers on his right hand. JPP, who will undergo some additional surgery on that hand this offseason, could end up in the $10MM-per-year range this offseason, based on supply and demand, several agents told Vacchiano.
With Muhammad Wilkerson likely to be franchised by the Jets, Pierre-Paul would be one of the top defensive lineman available if he reaches the open market. And getting to the open market appears likely for JPP if he and the Giants can’t work out a longer-team deal, since the team will be very reluctant to franchise him again with his price tag on the rise.