AFC East Notes: Jets, Taylor, Dolphins, Ball
The 2015 Jets are showing a lot of similarities to the 2011 Jets, and they’d better hope those similarities end soon, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. Four years ago, the Jets crushed the a pitiful Chiefs team to go 8-5. On Sunday, this year’s Jets team crushed the hapless Titans to improve to 8-5. In 2011, the Jets imploded in their last three games to finish 8-8, and that’s a fate that Gang Green must try and avoid.
“8-5… That’s all it is: 8-5,” linebacker David Harris said over the weekend. “We still have three games to go. So come see me January 4th.”
Here’s more from around the AFC East, including one more Jets note:
- In addition to helping make the Jets competitive this season, Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s solid year has had the added benefit of allowing the team to be patient with rookie Bryce Petty, says Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Within the piece, Mehta also makes the case for why Fitzpatrick should get a multiyear extension offer from the Jets.
- While New York beat writers are calling for Fitzpatrick to be extended, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com says the Bills don’t need to rush a new deal for quarterback Tyrod Taylor. In Rodak’s view, Taylor is well on his way to proving he can be a long-term solution at QB in Buffalo, but the Bills should be 100% sure before they invest big money in him.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes it’s time for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to either move to Miami or sell the franchise.
- Although running back Montee Ball earned a spot on the Patriots‘ practice squad, he isn’t in top shape, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. According to Werder, Ball – who weighed about 205 pounds when he was drafted by the Broncos – was up to 240 when he worked out for the Packers earlier this season, and is now in the 230s.
- Earlier today, we heard that the Patriots are bringing in free agent running back Steven Jackson for a look.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Draft Updates: Fuller, Nkemdiche, Cravens
Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer (Twitter link) confirmed that Hokies cornerback Kendall Fuller has informed him of his decision to go pro and enter the 2016 draft. Fuller will now forgo his senior season in an effort to join brothers Kyle Fuller (Bears) and Corey Fuller (Lions) in the NFL. The oldest Fuller brother, Vincent Fuller, also played in the NFL.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche was charged with possession of marijuana after he fell out of a hotel window in Atlanta this weekend, as Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes. However, it’s still not clear why the 6’4″, 296-pound athlete tumbled out of the building — that’s a mystery that NFL teams will try to solve between now and the 2016 draft. It is widely believed that Nkemdiche will go pro, but he has yet to announce his decision.
- USC outside linebacker Su’a Cravens is expected to declare his intent to enter the 2016 draft today, sources tell Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Cravens is a potential first-round pick, with Miller ranking him 18th on his most recent big board. CBSSports.com isn’t quite as high on the Southern California junior, ranking him 42nd overall.
- Eastern Kentucky defensive end Noah Spence is forgoing his final season of collegiate eligibility and entering the 2016 draft, as he announced in a statement last week. Spencer, who recorded 11.5 sacks this season, is viewed as a borderline first-round pick, with both Miller and CBS ranking him in the 30s on their big boards.
- ESPN’s Todd McShay (Insider-only link) has published his first 2016 mock draft, which features the Titans selecting defensive end Joey Bosa first overall, followed by the Browns snagging quarterback Paxton Lynch. Nkemdiche, Fuller, and Cravens all come off the board in the first round of McShay’s mock as well.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Practice Squad Updates: 12/15/15
Here are today’s practice squad signings and cuts from across the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Curtis Grant, WR R.J. Harris, WR Jordan Leslie, DE Dontay Moch (press release)
- Cut: WR Devon Wylie
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: T Marcel Jones (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Blake Annen (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DL Toby Johnson, WR/TE Marcus Lucas (Twitter link via team)
Dallas Cowboys
- Cut: LB Darius Eubanks (Twitter link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Kendall James (press release)
- Cut: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on PS-IR: RB Josh Robinson (press release)
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Montee Ball (story), WR DeAndre Carter (link via Tom Curran of CSNNE.com)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Craig Bills (Twitter link via team)
- Cut: CB Mike Lee
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: LB Matthew Wells
Washington
- Cut: RB Christine Michael (press release)
Falcons Cut Hankerson, Place Moore On IR
3:54pm: The Falcons have made Hankerson’s release official, and have confirmed two more roster moves, announcing in a press release that they’ve moved safety William Moore to IR and promoted guard Ben Garland from the practice squad.
Moore, a former Pro Bowler, had been a starting safety for Atlanta once again this year, racking up 51 tackles and two interceptions in 11 games.
12:05pm: The Falcons are cutting wide receiver Leonard Hankerson from their injured reserve list, according to Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. The move will allow other teams to place a claim on Hankerson — if he clears waivers, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
Hankerson, who turns 27 next month, totaled 26 receptions for 327 yards and three touchdowns in his first season with the Falcons. He was placed on injured reserve earlier this month after aggravating a hamstring injury, and it seemed at the time that he had played his last game in Atlanta, since his contract was set to expire at season’s end.
The fact that the Falcons are releasing Hankerson from IR without an injury settlement suggests that he should be healthy going forward, so we could see him draw interest from a contending team short on wide receivers down the stretch.
Panthers Sign Robert McClain; Benwikere To IR
The Panthers have begun to address their depth issues in the secondary, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed free agent cornerback Robert McClain. In a corresponding roster move, the club placed corner Bene Benwikere on the injured reserve list due to a broken leg.
Five years ago, McClain began his career with the Panthers after being selected in the seventh round of the 2010 draft by the team, so it’s a homecoming of sorts for the 27-year-old. McClain last played for the Falcons, starting 15 of 47 games for Atlanta from the 2012 to 2014 seasons. A year ago, he compiled 59 tackles to go along with two interceptions and a sack.
While McClain will provide some veteran depth in the Panthers’ defensive backfield, another move may be coming later this week for Carolina. Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review hears from multiple sources that cornerback Charles Tillman has been dealing with a partially torn ACL, adding that an IR stint seems likely for the veteran.
Voth and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer both indicate that the team is expected to promote cornerback Lou Young from the practice squad to take Tillman’s place on the roster, assuming the veteran’s knee doesn’t show signs of improvement this week.
Patriots To Place Dominique Easley On IR
One of the key members of the Patriots’ defensive line rotation is headed to the injured reserve list, according to Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. Curran reports (via Twitter) that the team is placing defensive tackle Dominique Easley on IR, ending his season.
Easley, 23, has been plagued by injuries since being selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. After recovering from an ankle injury, Easley went down with another leg injury on Sunday against the Texans, and it appears his latest ailment is a season-ender.
Easley’s numbers as a second-year player were modest – 15 tackles and two sacks – but he has been one of the Patriots’ more effective defensive linemen in his part-time role. Pro Football Focus ranks Easley 26th out of 128 qualified interior defenders this season, which easily places him first among New England players at the position.
Colts Release Todd Herremans
It wasn’t long ago that veteran guard Todd Herremans was one of the Colts’ more notable signings of the offseason, having been expected to bring some stability to the offensive line. Nine months later, Indianapolis has released Herremans with three weeks left in the regular season, the team announced today in a press release.
Herremans, a former Eagle, signed a one-year, $2.25MM deal with the Colts in March that could be worth up to $3.5MM. However, he lost his starting job in Indianapolis after just two weeks, and was made inactive for multiple games since then. The 33-year-old, who has started 126 games during his 11-year NFL career, will become an unrestricted free agent if and when he clears waivers.
The Colts also made two more 53-man roster moves today, announcing that they’ve signed free agent outside linebacker Andy Studebaker and waived inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera. Studebaker is expected to be a special-teams contributor.
Bears’ Kevin White Won’t Play This Season
DECEMBER 15, 3:05pm: The Bears made it official today, announcing (via Twitter) that White will remain on the PUP list for the rest of the 2015 season, postponing his NFL debut to 2016.
DECEMBER 11, 10:35am: According to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter links), the Bears are still mulling over their final decision on White, and will likely announce it on Tuesday. It’s not clear whether that decision simply involves activating him vs. leaving him on PUP, or if Jahns is suggesting there’s still a chance he could play this season. The Sun-Times scribe follows up by saying that White’s long-term health “remains of utmost importance” for Chicago, which suggests the rookie remains very unlikely to see the field this year.
8:56am: After being drafted seventh overall in the spring, wide receiver Kevin White won’t make his NFL debut during his rookie season with the Bears, reports Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. According to Wiederer, there’s a possibility Chicago will activate White to the 53-man roster from the physically unable to perform list before Tuesday’s deadline, but even if that were to happen, the first-year wideout wouldn’t play in a game.
White, 22, was the second receiver off the board in the 2015 NFL draft, behind Amari Cooper, and is one of a handful of first-year wideouts that has struggled to make an impact this season. Besides White, Breshad Perriman of the Ravens has also been unable to play this year due to injury, while DeVante Parker (Dolphins), Nelson Agholor (Eagles), and Phillip Dorsett (Colts) have combined for a total of just 38 receptions.
Even though White won’t play this season, he has made good progress in recovering from the stress fracture in his leg, according to Wiederer. This is my speculation, but if White were a veteran player, or if the Bears were in position for a playoff spot, the team would likely be more inclined to have him suit up this season. As is, it makes more sense for Chicago to protect its top pick, ensuring that he’s back to 100% health for the 2016 season.
The most likely scenario for White over the season’s final four weeks is that he remains on the PUP list, continuing to work on his recovery off to the side with the Bears’ trainer and strength and conditioning coaches.
Browns Sign Daryl Richardson; Hartline To IR
The Browns have made a pair of roster moves, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed running back Daryl Richardson, placing wide receiver Brian Hartline on the injured reserve list in a corresponding move. Hartline’s 2015 season is now officially over.
Since being cut by the Jets prior to the regular season, Richardson has spent some time on the Texans’ practice squad, and has had workouts for the Steelers, Patriots, and Raiders. The 25-year-old broke into the league with the Rams in 2012 and had a promising rookie season, racking up 475 rushing yards on 98 attempts, and adding another 163 yards on 24 receptions. He struggled in his second year, however, and hasn’t had a regular-season touch since 2013.
By signing with the Browns, Richardson will join a backfield that is coming off an extremely productive game on Sunday — both Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson picked up big chunks of yardage against San Francisco, so it seems unlikely that Richardson will step into a major role in the offense.
As for Hartline, the veteran wideout suffered a broken collarbone during Sunday’s win over the 49ers. According to the Browns, he underwent successful surgery today. The local product, who played his college ball att Ohio State, finished his first season in Cleveland with 46 catches, 523 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.
Patriots Sign Montee Ball To Practice Squad
With LeGarrette Blount banged up, the Patriots have added some insurance at running back by signing former Bronco Montee Ball to their practice squad, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Depending on Blount’s status, Ball could be a candidate for promotion this week or later in the season.
A Heisman finalist while at Wisconsin in 2011, Ball was selected by Denver in the 2013 draft, and was expected to be inserted as the starting running back in the Broncos’ high-powered offense. Over the course of two seasons though, Ball was never able to secure the No. 1 role in Denver’s backfield, losing the job to Knowshon Moreno in ’13 and C.J. Anderson in ’14. All told, Ball saw less than 200 carries during his time with the Broncos, and totaled less than 800 yards on the ground.
Since being cut by the Broncos in September, Ball has been out of work, though he had multiple tryouts, including one for the Pats. Most recently, the 25-year-old auditioned for the Packers earlier this month, and according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Green Bay was unimpressed with his physical conditioning.