NFC Notes: D. Hall, Cowboys, Lions
Washington defensive back DeAngelo Hall, a longtime cornerback who has earned three Pro Bowl nods at the position, wants to play safety not just to extend his career, but to make a real impact, writes Liz Clarke of the Washington Post.
“I’m not gonna try to go play safety just to try to extend my career,” Hall said. “I’m gonna go play safety just to be a damn good safety. I’m not in the business of just trying to just tack on years. I can go home and hang with my kids and my family before I do that.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- In addition to the trio of ex-Seahawks running backs the Cowboys have acquired this year, Dallas also tried to sign Thomas Rawls as a priority free agent, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys are currently carrying former Seattle backs Robert Turbin and Rod Smith on their roster, having recently cut Christine Michael.
- Explaining why the Seahawks released wide receiver Chris Matthews this week, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said that the club “just didn’t feel like we got what we were looking for” from Matthews (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). The Seattle OC praised Matthews talent, but cautioned there was more to on-field success than that. “You have to be able to fit in and you have to be able to make plays when your opportunities come,” Bevell said. “You have to be able to understand the offense and do the right thing, and all those things together, it just wasn’t enough.”
- With a game against Carson Palmer‘s old team coming up this weekend, Cardinals GM Steve Keim said he can’t believe his club got the quarterback “for basically nothing,” tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Of course, Arizona’s game this week is against the Bengals, who got a much more significant return for Palmer when they sent to him to Oakland than the Raiders did when they sent him to the Cards.
- The Lions‘ search for secondary depth resulted in workouts for defensive backs Danny Gorrer, R.J. Stanford, and Brock Vereen, along with a visit from cornerback Josh Gordy, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter links). The team ultimately signed veteran corner Bill Bentley, who also had an audition this week.
North Notes: Bengals, Lions, Mathis
Four years after the Bengals traded Carson Palmer, the veteran quarterback is thriving as the Cardinals’ starter. That might be a surprise to some, but not Bengals owner Mike Brown.
“I have an odd feeling for Carson Palmer,” Brown told Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. “I like Carson Palmer personally. I did when he was here. I regret it broke apart the way it did. I don’t want him to beat us any more than he wants us to beat him. I’m sure that will be in the back of his mind. But other than that, I wish him well. I think he is a great passer. He really is. He’s a special passer, very accurate. I look at him play and I see the player that we had when he was here. When he’s on and playing the way he can play, he is a big-time winning quarterback.”
Here’s more out of the North divisions:
- Marvez also asked Brown about offensive coordinator Hue Jackson‘s candidacy as a head coach for next season. It sounds like Bengals owner is expecting the former Raiders head coach to field some interest. “Hue is a very qualified coach. We think the world of Hue…We’ve had (Jay) Gruden and (Mike) Zimmer leave, and I’m sure after this year Hue will be a candidate. It is a compliment to Marvin and maybe some others here as well. I like to see it when they achieve. It’s flattering when that happens. It works against our best interest because we have to regroup and reestablish ourselves but it’s also heartwarming to see your people achieve their ambitions,” Brown said.
- After suffering what is at least the second concussion of his NFL career, Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis admitted to reporters today that he’ll take the injury into consideration when deciding whether to continue playing in 2016. “When something like this happens, as a professional, I’d be naïve not to think about those types of things,” Mathis said, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. “Like I said, there’s life after football and you have to think about those things. When that time comes a decision will be made.”
- Packers wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, who got his first extended look on offense last Sunday and caught four balls on seven targets, will be out for “several weeks” with a rib injury, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. It’s the latest injury for a group of Green Bay receivers that has been plagued by them all year.
- The Bears will have until next Tuesday to make a decision on whether or not to activate rookie receiver Kevin White from the PUP list, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune explains. If the team determines White isn’t ready to be added to the 53-man roster, he’d have to be placed on season-ending IR.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/15
Let’s check in on the latest minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL….
- The Broncos claimed center Sam Brenner off waivers from the Dolphins, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter). To make room, Shelley Smith has been waived (link).
Earlier Updates:
- The Cowboys, armed with several open spots on their 53-man roster, activated linebacker Mark Nzeocha from the non-football injury list and promoted cornerback Deji Olatoye from their practice squad, per David Helman of DallasCowboys.com (Twitter link). Even after adding Nzeocha, Olatoye, and running back Robert Turbin, Dallas has one opening left on its roster.
- The Lions officially placed Josh Wilson on injured reserve today due to a right knee injury, signing cornerback Bill Bentley to take Wilson’s spot on the roster, according to a press release. Bentley, a Lions’ third-round pick in 2012, will help provide depth at a position that his been hit hard by injuries.
- The Buccaneers filled one of the two openings on their 53-man roster today by signing defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, the team announced in a press release. It’s the second time during the 2015 regular season that Sidbury has been added to Tampa Bay’s active roster.
- The Giants have elevated safety Cooper Taylor from their practice squad to their active roster, the team announced today (via Twitter). Taylor started the year on the team’s injured reserve list, but was removed from IR and eventually rejoined the club.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Konrad Reuland (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB Terrance Mitchell (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of ESPN.com)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DB Tim Scott, LB Keith Smith (Twitter link via David Helman of DallasCowboys.com)
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Joseph Fauria, CB Chris Greenwood, S Brock Vereen (Twitter links via Field Yates of ESPN.com and Doug Kyed of NESN.com)
- Cut: S Dewey McDonald, S Ross Ventrone (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Ben Edwards, C Shane McDermott (link via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: WR Donte Foster (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post)
Seattle Seahawks
- To be signed: WR/CB Douglas McNeil (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com)
- Cut: DL Julius Warmsley (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: DT Doug Worthington (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: G Josh Allen, LB Josh Keyes (press release via team)
East Notes: Redd, R. Matthews, Richardson
Washington running back Silas Redd has been suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Like teammate Junior Galette, who was hit with a suspension of his own this week, Redd is on injured reserve, meaning the suspension won’t force him out of action for any games he wouldn’t have missed anyway. However, it will cost him a few game checks. Redd will begin serving the four-game ban immediately, and will miss out on 4/17ths of his base salary for this season.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:
- With wide receiver Rishard Matthews enjoying a breakout year for the Dolphins, he could be in line for a contract worth between $4-6MM this offseason, according to the industry sources that have spoken to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. For their part, the Dolphins reportedly haven’t engaged in extension discussions with Matthews.
- While Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson still may be disciplined by the NFL for his off-field behavior, it likely won’t happen until the offseason, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. As Rapoport explains, Richardson’s court date is in January, and the league isn’t expected to make a ruling on discipline until the case is resolved.
- The Eagles are doing poorly on special teams this season and Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News blames exec/coach Chip Kelly for not retaining James Casey, Chris Polk, Casey Matthews, and Brandon Boykin from last year’s squad.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Jaguars Place Sen’Derrick Marks On IR
WEDNESDAY, 3:21pm: The Jaguars officially placed Marks on IR today, one of several roster moves announced by the team. Jacksonville also placed rookie safety James Sample on IR, and used the two open spots to promote safety Craig Loston from the practice squad and to activate wide receiver Rashad Greene from IR-DTR.
TUESDAY, 12:23pm: The Jaguars will place defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks on the injured reserve list, ending his season, head coach Gus Bradley confirmed today (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com). Marks tore his triceps during Sunday’s win over the Ravens.
Marks, 28, has been one of Jacksonville’s most reliable and productive defenders in recent seasons, but has been plagued by injuries within the last year. At the end of an impressive 2014 campaign that saw him rack up 8.5 sacks, Marks tore his ACL, delaying his 2015 debut. The former second-round pick managed to appear in just four games for the Jags this season before going down with another significant injury.
While the Jaguars got bad news on Marks, another key contributor returned to practice today, according to Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union. Wide receiver Allen Hurns paid another visit to a sports hernia specialist on Monday, but despite battling an abdominal injury and a foot ailment, he looks like a good bet to be active against the Titans this Thursday.
Per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter), Hurns said today that he may undergo sports hernia surgery after the season. There had been some speculation on Monday that the wideout may need to have such a procedure sooner, sidelining him during the season.
Looking Ahead To 2016 Franchise Tags
The NFL’s salary cap for 2016 won’t officially be set until sometime after the Super Bowl, but based on the direction the cap has trended in recent years, we have a general idea of where it may end up. Sources tell Joel Corry of CBSSports.com that the increase for 2016 figures to be impacted by the delay of the CBA’s annual performance based pay to players in 2013 until March 2016. However, Corry expects the cap to continue rising at around the same rate as it has the last couple years.
Predicting an increase of about 7.5% on this year’s $143.28MM cap, Corry projects a 2016 cap of $154MM, and uses that figure to get a sense of what next year’s franchise-tag figures would look like. Although the 2016 cap isn’t yet confirmed, Corry has confirmed the amounts necessary to perform calculations using the franchise-tag formula. So while the official amounts may end up looking a little different, these should be pretty close.
Here are the non-exclusive franchise tag amounts projected by Corry, using a presumed cap of $154MM for 2016:
- Quarterback: $19.748MM
- Running back: $11.871MM
- Wide receiver: $14.527MM
- Tight end: $9.053MM
- Offensive line: $13.678MM
- Defensive end: $15.494MM
- Defensive tackle: $13.368MM
- Linebacker: $14.131MM
- Cornerback: $13.838MM
- Safety: $10.717MM
- Punter/kicker: $4.534MM
All of those figures are modest increases on the 2014 amount, which can be found right here. One of the most significant increases comes at wide receiver, where Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas were franchised for $12.823MM earlier this year. Of course, their new deals helped boost that figure for 2016, and Ndamukong Suh‘s new contract helped make the increase at defensive tackle the most significant — it’s up nearly 20%, from $11.193MM.
With those numbers in mind, Corry also examines a few potential candidates to be franchised or to receive the transition tag. Broncos pass rusher Von Miller is perhaps the most obvious candidate to be tagged, but Corry identifies several other potential recipients, including Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, Panthers cornerback Josh Norman, Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, and a few others. For the full list, along with explanations, be sure to check out Corry’s piece, which is an interesting read.
Community Tailgate: Undefeated NFL Teams
As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, 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.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
One of the NFL’s three remaining undefeated teams was unable to make it through Week 10 unscathed, as the Bengals dropped a shocker in Cincinnati to the Texans on Monday night to fall to 8-1. The Bengals’ loss leaves the 9-0 Patriots and Panthers as the league’s only teams without a loss, with just seven weeks remaining in the regular season.
Despite being hit hard by injuries, the Patriots have looked like the NFL’s best team for most of the season, and will host the Bills this Monday night as they look to push their record to 10-0. The team’s schedule the rest of the way looks like this:
- vs. Bills
- at Broncos
- vs. Eagles
- at Texans
- vs. Titans
- at Jets
- at Dolphins
As for the Panthers, impressive wins against the Seahawks, Eagles, Packers, and Colts in recent weeks have gone a long way to proving they’re no fluke. Carolina’s schedule the rest of the way is as follows:
- vs. Washington
- at Cowboys
- at Saints
- vs. Falcons
- at Giants
- at Falcons
- vs. Buccaneers
Neither team’s schedule features a real murderer’s row of opponents, but there are potential pitfalls for both clubs. Even without Peyton Manning, the Broncos have a strong enough team to give the Pats some trouble, and those divisional games, particularly on the road, won’t be easy.
As for the Panthers, the Cowboys may be 2-7 now, but they’re a different team with Tony Romo in the mix. Road games against the Saints and Giants won’t be a cakewalk either, and the Falcons will look to avoid being swept against their division rivals.
What do you think? When will the Patriots and Panthers lose next? Does either team have a real chance to go undefeated? If not, how many wins do you think they’ll finish with, and will that regular season success translate to postseason wins? Will we see these two teams meet in the postseason?
Weigh in below in the comments section to let us know your thoughts on the NFL’s last two undefeated clubs!
Ravens Promote Terrance West; Zuttah To IR
After spending a week on the Ravens’ practice squad, running back Terrance West has received a promotion to the team’s 53-man roster, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). West will take the roster spot vacated by center Jeremy Zuttah, who is heading to the injured reserve list with a torn pectoral, ending his season.
West, 24, was the Browns’ leading rusher in his rookie season last year, accumulating 673 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, on 171 carries. However, the 2014 third-round pick was sent to the Titans prior to the 2015 season, and he didn’t have much of a role in Tennessee. Having fallen behind Antonio Andrews and Bishop Sankey on the depth chart, with David Cobb on the way back as well, West had just 50 yards on 16 carries for the Titans this season.
West went unclaimed on waivers when he was cut by Tennessee earlier this month, but drew interest from around the league, and eventually decided to sign with his hometown Ravens. The Baltimore native and former Towson standout will join a backfield that currently features Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, and Raheem Mostert.
As for Zuttah, the veteran lineman hadn’t missed a start since the 2011 season, but he’ll be sidelined for the rest of the year with that pectoral injury. John Urschel will step into the starting center role for Baltimore.
AFC Notes: Jets, Texans, Ravens, Finney
The Jets‘ $150MM secondary is in danger of becoming a bust, Brian Costello of the New York Post opines. For a while, it looked like the offseason additions of Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine and Marcus Gilchrist were paying off. However, the Jets have allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for 1,227 yards over their past four games and teams averaged 27.3 points per game on them during that run. Revis has been strong overall, but Cromartie has struggled mightily, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 100th out of 110 qualified corners.
As we wait to see whether Todd Bowles and the Jets’ defense can get things turned around, here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Texans only have two quarterbacks on their active roster, and one of them – Brian Hoyer – suffered a concussion during Monday’s game against the Bengals. However, head coach Bill O’Brien said on Tuesday that while the Texans have discussed adding a QB, they’re sticking with the roster as is for the time being (Twitter link via Adam Wexler of KPRC-TV Sports).
- Placing Breshad Perriman on injured reserve, ending his rookie season before he saw a single snap, has further complicated the Ravens‘ uncertain wide receiver situation as the team heads into 2016, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. With the futures of Steve Smith and other wideouts up in the air, Baltimore had hoped to get an idea of what the team could expect from Perriman going forward, but he remains a question mark for now.
- Offensive lineman B.J. Finney, who is currently on Pittsburgh’s practice squad, received a sizable raise from the Steelers and is now earning $25,588 per week, which is essentially the same as an active-roster, minimum-salary player, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.
- According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Colts offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski is expected to receive consideration from the University of Miami for the school’s head coaching job.
Zach Links contributed to this post.