NFC Notes: Saints, Packers, Eagles, Panthers
With the Saints‘ season winding down, Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com revisits the September trade that sent defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to New England in exchange for tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. As Woodbery writes, neither player has made a huge impact for his new team, though New Orleans has had to play Kevin Williams a little more than expected to compensate for the loss of Hicks, and the Saints’ lack of depth.
- Having landed on injured reserve on Monday, Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery will undergo surgery on his ankle next week, agent Damarius Bilbo tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Although the rookie’s high ankle sprain – sustained in October – had healed, there’s still cartilage damage that needs to be repaired.
- The Eagles could be without their starting nose tackle as they make a run for the postseason, Derrick Gunn of CSNPhiladelphia.com reports (via Twitter) that Bennie Logan could be out for the remainder of the season. A source tells Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News that Logan will miss this weekend’s contest against Washington.
- The Panthers will have a roster exemption for defensive end Wes Horton until next Monday, tweets Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange. Horton has been reinstated from his four-game suspension, but won’t be able to return to action until Carolina places him on its 53-man roster.
Bills Announce Several Roster Changes
It has been a busy day of transactions for the Bills, who are turning over four spots on their 53-man roster today. Here’s a breakdown of Tuesday’s moves by Buffalo, via a team release:
Signed:
- WR Greg Salas
Promoted from practice squad:
- WR Dezmin Lewis
- WR Walter Powell (previously reported)
- DL Jerel Worthy
Waived:
- WR/KR Marcus Thigpen
Placed on injured reserve:
- OLB Randell Johnson
- WR Robert Woods
Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:
The Bills’ receiving corps has undergone a significant overhaul, with three of the new additions to the roster coming at that position, while Woods heads to IR and Thigpen lands on waivers.
Among the most noteworthy moves today for the Bills is Henderson being placed on the reserve/NFI list — a report last week suggested that the team’s starting right tackle had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition, though the club has yet to confirm that.
Dolphins Place Koa Misi, Chris McCain On IR
A pair of Dolphins linebackers will see their seasons come to an early end, with the team announcing today (via Twitter) that it has placed Koa Misi and Chris McCain on the injured reserve list. To get the roster back up to the 53-man limit, the Dolphins have signed linebacker James-Michael Johnson, center/guard Jacques McClendon, and guard Shelley Smith (Twitter link).
Misi, who turns 29 next month, is the more notable of the two Miami linebackers headed to IR, having started 13 games for the team this year. The Utah product has been with the club since being selected in the second round of the 2010 draft, starting 70 games and playing in a total of 81 contests during that stretch. Misi remains under contract with the Dolphins for two more seasons.
McCain, meanwhile, has contributed a little on both defense and special teams, recording a sack and a forced fumble for the Dolphins this season.
The new additions will help provide depth not only at linebacker, but on the offensive line, where the team has injuries mounting as well. Veteran stalwarts Mike Pouncey and Branden Albert both left Sunday’s loss to the Chargers with injuries.
Chargers Place Melvin Gordon On IR
TUESDAY, 1:34pm: The Chargers have officially placed Gordon on IR, promoting running back Dreamius Smith from their practice squad to replace him on the 53-man roster, per a team release.
MONDAY, 3:24pm: Another rookie will see his 2015 season come to an early end, as the Chargers are placing running back Melvin Gordon on injured reserve due to cartilage damage in his knee, head coach Mike McCoy said today (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune).
While Gehlken initially indicated that Gordon will undergo surgery on the knee, Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that Dr. James Andrews is evaluating the injury, and it’s not clear yet whether surgery will be required. Gehlken (Twitter link) has since confirmed that a decision will be put off until Gordon receives a second opinion.
It was a disappointing rookie season for Gordon, in the midst of a disappointing all-around year in San Diego. One of two backs selected in the first round – along with Todd Gurley – Gordon rushed for 641 yards on 184 attempts, an average of just 3.5 yards per carry. The 22-year-old has yet to record his first NFL touchdown or 100-yard game.
The Chargers have not yet announced a corresponding move to fill Gordon’s spot on the 53-man roster.
Cardinals Place Tyrann Mathieu On IR
TUESDAY, 12:50pm: The Cardinals have placed Mathieu on the injured reserve list, officially ending his season. As expected, the club has added a safety to the 53-man roster to provide some depth, re-signing veteran free agent Chris Clemons, who was cut by Arizona from IR earlier this season (Twitter link link via Urban).
MONDAY, 1:26pm: The Cardinals clinched the NFC West with their victory Sunday night over the Eagles, but that win came at a cost. Head coach Bruce Arians announced today that standout defensive back Tyrann Mathieu will miss the rest of the 2015 season – and postseason – after suffering a torn ACL (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
Mathieu, 23, started all 14 games for the Cardinals this season, spending time at both cornerback and safety. Having already established new career highs in tackles (89), interceptions (5), and passes defended (16), the former third-round pick was one of the key players on defense for Arizona, so his loss will be a crushing one for the team.
Pro Football Focus had Mathieu ranked as the top cornerback in the NFL this season, grading him as the best in the league both in coverage and against the run. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher recently told Albert Breer of the NFL Network that he believed Mathieu should receive consideration for the league’s defensive player of the year award.
The Cardinals were also without Rashad Johnson during Sunday’s win over Philadelphia, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the club add another safety to the 53-man roster this week — Tony Jefferson and D.J. Swearinger could see increased roles, with Mathieu headed to IR.
NFC East Notes: Beckham, Eagles, Washington
As anticipated, Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. is appealing his one-game suspension, and that appeal is scheduled for Wednesday, with James Thrash serving as the hearing officer, tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. As Mortensen notes, a decision is expected to come quickly once the hearing completes, so we should know within the next couple days whether or not Beckham will be eligible to play this weekend.
With Washington and Philadelphia set to play on Saturday night, it’s possible the NFC East division crown will already be decided by the time the Giants’ kick off against the Vikings on Sunday, since Washington will clinch with a victory. But if the Eagles prevail on Saturday, Beckham’s suspension could loom large on Sunday, with the Giants’ season on the line.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- After Chip Kelly‘s weak endorsement of Eagles running back DeMarco Murray this weekend, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News is becoming more convinced that Murray’s time in Philadelphia could come to an end after just one season.
- Defensive coordinator Bill Davis shouldn’t have to shoulder all the blame for the Eagles‘ struggles on defense this season, but his job is on the line nonetheless, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- A Federal Circuit ruling on Tuesday may have an impact on Washington‘s case regarding the Redskins trademark, as Bill Donahue of Law360 details. The Federal Circuit ruled that the government’s ban on “disparaging” trademark registrations is a violation of the First Amendment, striking down the provision that was used to strip Daniel Snyder’s franchise of the Redskins trademark.
- Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), Washington recently tried out a pair of tight ends, Andrew Gleichert and Brian Vogler, along with defensive tackle Kamal Johnson.
Titans In Lead For No. 1 Overall Pick
After multiple reports surfaced yesterday suggesting that a sprained MCL would keep Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota sidelined for the last two games of the season, head coach Mike Mularkey told the media that he hadn’t ruled out the rookie signal-caller for Week 17 yet, suggesting that Mariota will be re-evaluated next week.
That may be true, but it’s also true that’s it’s probably in the Titans’ best interests to shut down Mariota for the year. If Tennessee loses its final two games, the team will almost certainly land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, and adding another marquee prospect to complement 2015’s second overall pick would significantly benefit the franchise in the long term.
While the Titans are currently in the driver’s seat for that first overall pick, the “race” isn’t over yet. Like Tennessee, the Browns also have a 3-11 record, and with the red-hot Chiefs and Steelers left on the schedule, Cleveland probably won’t win again this season. So a Titans victory against the division-rivals Texans or Colts would open the door for the Browns to snag the first overall pick.
Courtesy of NFL.com, here’s the current projected order for the top 10 picks of 2016, with two weeks left in the regular season. Teams are sorted by worst record, with strength of schedule serving as the tiebreaker — the weaker a team’s schedule, the higher its draft pick.
- Tennessee Titans: 3-11 (.490)
- Cleveland Browns: 3-11 (.520)
- Baltimore Ravens: 4-10 (.490)
- San Diego Chargers: 4-10 (.510)
- Dallas Cowboys: 4-10 (.551)
- San Francisco 49ers: 4-10 (.571)
- Miami Dolphins: 5-9 (.449)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-9 (.469)
- New Orleans Saints: 5-9 (.526)
- Chicago Bears: 5-9 (.561)
AFC Notes: Richardson, Colts, Workouts
The court case for Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, who is facing five misdemeanor charges, has been postponed for a third time, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. The hearing is now scheduled for January 25, well after the regular season comes to an end. From an on-field perspective, the latest delay shouldn’t affect Richardson and the Jets significantly, since any discipline from the NFL was always likely to be applied for the 2016 season, rather than this year.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Colts have arguably been the NFL’s biggest underachiever this season, leaving owner Jim Irsay no choice but to make changes in the offseason. While neither head coach Chuck Pagano nor general manager Ryan Grigson should feel safe heading into 2016, Mike Wells of ESPN.com takes a look at the problem areas for the two men to get an idea of whether they ought to be replaced.
- Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams, and Patriots outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard were among the top free agent signings of the 2015 offseason, writes Mike Sando of ESPN.com in an Insider-only piece.
- Before signing Chris Carter to their active roster and Nordly Capi to their practice squad, the Ravens also worked out veteran linebacker Ricky Sapp, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Wilson also has the details on the latest Jaguars tryouts, tweeting that fullback Ray Agnew, defensive lineman Shayon Green, tackle Sean Hickey, defensive back Josh Johnson and safety Earl Wolff auditioned for Jacksonville.
- One more workout note from Wilson, who tweets that the Browns are taking a look at former Towson offensive tackle Randall Harris today.
Odell Beckham Faces One-Game Suspension
8:53pm: The Giants will find out whether they’ll have the services of their embattled receiver in Week 16 by Wednesday. Beckham’s appeal is not expected to occur until then, per Schefter (on Twitter). The appeals officer is not yet known.
3:13pm: Beckham will appeal, and that appeal will be heard by either James Thrash or Derrick Brooks, who are jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA, tweets Mark Maske of the Washington Post. A decision should come within the next couple days.
2:59pm: The NFL has officially announced a one-game suspension for Beckham (Twitter link via Michael Signora). The wide receiver is expected to appeal the ruling.
8:39am: Despite being flagged for three personal foul penalties and taking a blind-side shot at Josh Norman‘s head on Sunday, Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. avoided being ejected or benched. However, the NFL may not be quite as lenient as the referees and head coach Tom Coughlin were. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), discussions are ongoing, but the league will likely suspend Beckham for one game.
Beckham, who let his emotions get the better of him during Sunday’s 38-35 loss to the undefeated Panthers, would have the option of appealing any suspension he receives from the NFL. To allow time for the appeal process, the league figures to announce any penalty for him sooner rather than later.
If the NFL hands down a one-game suspension and it’s upheld after an appeal, Beckham would have to miss the Giants’ Sunday night game in Minnesota in Week 16, a must-win contest if New York wants to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Giants would have to win their final two games and hope Washington loses out in order to win the NFC East.
Beckham was slowed down somewhat on Sunday by Norman and the Panthers secondary, who held him under 100 yards receiving for the first time since Week 7. However, he has been one of the league’s top wideouts this year, racking up 91 receptions, 1,396 yards, and 13 touchdowns — each of those figures matches or bests his 2014 marks. Needless to say, if he has to sit down for the Giants’ game against the Vikings, it would limit New York’s passing attack.
Ravens Place Crockett Gillmore On IR
The Ravens have made a change to their 53-man roster, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve placed tight end Crockett Gillmore on season-ending injured reserve, signing former Bengals outside linebacker Chris Carter to fill the open roster spot.
Gillmore, 24, had been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Ravens. With Dennis Pitta out for the year, Gillmore enjoyed a mini-breakout season, catching 33 balls for 412 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. However, he has been sidelined since early December with a back injury, and wasn’t expected to return.
As for Carter, the linebacker and special-teamer was waived less than a week ago by Cincinnati. Having already spent time with the Steelers, Colts, and Bengals during his five-year NFL career, Carter has never emerged as a defensive regular, despite appearing in 46 career NFL games.