Jets Audition Bullock, Hartley, Other Kickers
4:21pm: Coach Todd Bowles told reporters that Folk is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks (via Brian Costello of the New York Post on Twitter).
3:49pm: With Nick Folk expected to be sidelined for Thursday’s game against the Bills due to a quad injury, the Jets brought in four kickers to work out for them today, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
Connor Hughes of the Journal Inquirer tweeted earlier today that Billy Cundiff was among that group of free agent kickers getting a look from the Jets, and Brian Costello of the New York Post fills out the rest of the list, tweeting that Randy Bullock, Garrett Hartley, and Kyle Brindza also auditioned. In Garafolo’s view, Bullock is the favorite to sign with New York to replace Folk.
As for how long Bullock – or another new kicker – would stick with the team, Costello (Twitter link) hears from a source that Folk is expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks due to his leg injury. If that’s the case, it appears IR would be a possibility for him, since the club may be hesitant to carry multiple kickers on its roster for upwards of a month.
Three of the four kickers who tried out for the Jets today spent time with another team this season, with Bullock losing the job in Houston, Brindza being replaced in Tampa Bay, and Cundiff briefly handling kickoffs in Buffalo. Hartley last served as the Browns’ kicker to close out the 2014 campaign.
Rams’ Stedman Bailey Suspended Four Games
Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey has been suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s the second suspension in the last 14 months or so for Bailey, who missed the first two games of the 2014 season after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Bailey, who turns 25 this Wednesday, has been with the Rams since being selected in the third round of the 2013 draft. While he hasn’t played a huge role in the team’s offense, Bailey has been targeted 25 times this season, catching 12 balls for 182 yards and a touchdown. So his loss will be felt by Nick Foles and company in the coming weeks.
News of Bailey’s suspension also helps explain why the Rams were working out a handful of free agent receivers today, including Wes Welker, Hakeem Nicks, and Vincent Brown. At the time, I speculated that the team may be considering adding some veteran depth to an underwhelming receiving corps — with Bailey out for the next four weeks, Foles will have one fewer weapon on offense, increasing the need for depth at the position.
Bailey will miss games against the Bears, Ravens, Bengals, and Cardinals, and will be eligible to return to action for the Rams’ Week 14 tilt with the Lions.
Eagles Place Jordan Hicks On IR
While initial reports suggested that Jordan Hicks‘ pectoral injury may not be severe, an MRI has confirmed that it’s torn, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, who says (via Twitter) that the Eagles are placing the young linebacker on season-ending injured reserve. The team has since confirmed Glazer’s report (via Twitter)
Hicks, a third-round pick in this year’s draft, didn’t start out of the gate for the Eagles, but he has quickly developed into one of the defense’s top playmakers in his rookie season. In eight games, the 24-year-old has racked up 49 tackles, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and a sack.
With Hicks no longer active, the Eagles may add another linebacker to their roster to fortify the depth chart at the position. Veteran linebacker DeMeco Ryans is also believed to be close to recovering from his hamstring injury and returning to action.
Aqib Talib Facing One-Game Suspension
Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib is facing a one-game suspension for poking the eyes of Colts tight end Dwayne Allen during Sunday’s game, reports Mike Klis of 9News. Talib, who has claimed the eye-poke was intentional, is appealing the penalty, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets, Talib will have expedited appeal rights to an arbitrator jointly hired by the NFL and NFLPA, so a decision on the suspension figures to come by Wednesday. If the ban is upheld, Denver will be without two key defenders – Talib and DeMarcus Ware – for its next game.
Assuming Talib’s one-game suspension sticks, it’ll cost him just under $353K, tweets Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. That figure takes into account 1/17th of Talib’s $5.5MM salary for 2015, along with 1/17th of his $500K per-game roster bonuses.
Injury Updates: Hankins, Folk, Hicks, Ware
As is often the case on Mondays during the NFL season, there have already been multiple reports of season-ending injuries to key players for contending teams, with the Patriots losing running back Dion Lewis to a torn ACL, and the Colts placing defensive lineman Henry Anderson on IR due to the same injury. Here are a few more of Monday’s latest noteworthy injury updates from around the NFL:
- Giants head coach Tom Coughlin confirmed today that defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins will undergo surgery for a torn pectoral, ending his season, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While New York’s defensive line got a boost this weekend with the return of Jason Pierre-Paul, Hankins’ season-ending injury is another step back.
- Jets kicker Nick Folk has a quadriceps strain, and isn’t expected to play this Thursday against the Bills, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Connor Hughes of the Journal Inquirer tweets that Billy Cundiff will be among the kickers getting a workout from the Jets as they seek a short-term replacement for Folk.
- The Eagles‘ preliminary diagnosis of the pectoral injury suffered by Jordan Hicks suggests the linebacker should only miss two to four weeks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The team is awaiting the MRI results to confirm that diagnosis.
- The Falcons also got good news regarding defensive tackle Tyson Jackson, whose rib injury is a contusion, rather than a fracture, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
- After re-aggravating his back injury, Broncos pass rusher DeMarcus Ware is expected to miss the next two to four weeks or so, tweets Rapoport.
- Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams is expected to miss the team’s next two games, a league source tells Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
- The Ravens announced today that second-year defensive end Brent Urban has been cleared to return to practice. Urban, who began the season on injured reserve with the designation to return, can now be activated within the next three weeks to avoid landing on season-ending IR.
Patriots’ Dion Lewis Out For Season
The Patriots continued their winning ways on Sunday, moving to 8-0 with a victory over Washington. However, an offense that has been plagued by injuries this season has been dealt a serious blow. According to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe (via Twitter), running back Dion Lewis will miss the rest of the 2015 season with a torn ACL.
Lewis, 25, was in the midst of a breakout year in New England, one that earned him a contract extension and has seen him become one of Tom Brady‘s favorite targets. In addition to rushing for 234 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his seven games, Lewis added another 388 receiving yards and two TDs on 36 receptions. Those 36 catches placed the former fifth-round pick third on the team, behind Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski.
So far this season, the Patriots’ injuries on offense have been primarily on the offensive line, where nearly every position has been hit by health problems over the last couple months. Lewis is the first skill-position player to go down with a major injury this season, so Brady will still have plenty of weapons at his disposal. Still, New England will have to change its game plan going forward with Lewis no longer in the mix.
LeGarrette Blount figures to take over the majority of the rushing duties in Lewis’ absence, with Brandon Bolden perhaps getting more looks as a receiver out of the backfield. James White should also see a little more action, and the Patriots could explore adding another back to the roster once Lewis officially lands on the injured reserve list.
Rams Working Out Wes Welker, Other WRs
The Rams are bringing in a few veteran free agent receivers today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the club is taking a look at Wes Welker, Hakeem Nicks, and Vincent Brown.
While all three wideouts have enjoyed some NFL success, Welker’s résumé is the most extensive — the former Patriot and Bronco has racked up 890 career receptions to go along with 9,822 receiving yards. However, health concerns – including an extensive concussion history – have made teams shy away from Welker following his two-year stint in Denver, despite the fact that he wants to continue his career.
As for Nicks and Brown, both players performed well below their career benchmarks in 2014, and so far neither receiver has gotten an extended look in 2015, despite the fact that age shouldn’t be a concern, like it may be with Welker. Nicks and Brown are 27 and 26, respectively, as opposed to Welker’s 34.
While the Rams won’t necessarily sign any of the receivers they’re auditioning, the team may be contemplating adding some veteran depth at the position for Nick Foles‘ benefit. Outside of Tavon Austin, who has caught 28 balls and four touchdowns this season, no St. Louis wide receiver has more than 15 receptions or a single TD so far in 2015.
Colts Place Henry Anderson On IR
11:08am: The Colts have freed up a pair of spots on their 53-man roster as they enter their bye week. The team announced today that it has placed Anderson on the injured reserve list and waived cornerback Tony Carter.
10:36am: The Colts notched their biggest and best win of the season on Sunday, knocking off the undefeated Broncos to move ahead of the Texans for first place in the AFC South. However, that victory appears to have come at a cost.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), after conducting initial tests, the Colts believe that promising rookie defensive end Henry Anderson tore his ACL. An MRI is still forthcoming, but it’s expected to confirm the diagnosis feared by the team.
Anderson, 24, was selected by the Colts with the 93rd overall pick in the third round of the draft back in May. Immediately slotted into the club’s starting lineup, Anderson has been one of the pleasant surprises of this year’s rookie class, totaling 31 tackles, a sack, and a pair of passes defended in his first nine games in the NFL.
Assuming the MRI confirms that Anderson has a torn ACL, he’ll be sidelined for the rest of the season, prompting the Colts to turn to potential fill-ins like T.Y. McGill, Zach Kerr, and Billy Winn. Indianapolis would also likely add another defensive lineman to the roster, since moving Anderson to IR would leave the team with just five healthy players on the line.
East Notes: Hardy, Folk, Patriots, JPP
With the Cowboys‘ decision to carry Greg Hardy on their roster still under scrutiny, head coach Jason Garrett offered a statement to reporters on Sunday, including Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com, explaining why the club was willing to sign Hardy.
“We as an organization, we don’t condone domestic violence. We take the issue very, very seriously,” Garrett said. “We knew when we signed Greg Hardy there would be some criticism that came with that. We laid out expectations for him right from the start. We decided that we were going to give him a second chance but in doing so the expectations and standards would be very clear to him, how he and really everybody else is supposed to conduct themselves on the football and off the football field. … He knows what the expectations and standards are and we’re going to hold him accountable to those.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also reiterated his support for Hardy, repeatedly stressing – as Garrett did – that the team wanted to give the former Panthers defensive end “a second chance” (video link via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). While Dallas may be willing to provide Hardy that second chance because of his ability on the field, the team lost again on Sunday night, falling to 0-4 with Hardy in the lineup.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:
- Jets kicker Nick Folk is set to undergo an MRI on Monday afternoon to determine the severity of his quad injury, which kept him from attempting extra points or field goals on Sunday, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. If Folk is unable to play this Thursday, New York figures to sign a new kicker within the next couple days.
- Jim McBride and Michael Whitmer of the Boston Globe round up several key Patriots-related news items from Sunday, touching on injuries sustained by running back Dion Lewis and tackle Sebastian Vollmer. Within the piece, the duo also notes that Patriots president Jonathan Kraft believes that the idea of expanding the IR-DTR rules to accommodate more than one player per team “may not be a bad idea.”
- Following his first game back since injuring his hand in an offseason fireworks accident, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul admitted that he was “a little rusty.” However, as Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes, JPP injected some life into the team’s pass rush, particularly in the fourth quarter.
No Joe Thomas Deal For Broncos, Browns
SUNDAY, 8:20am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds, in a series of Twitter links, a little more context to the deal that nearly sent Thomas to the Broncos. Our Zach Links wrote a few hours after the trade deadline passed that the deal broke down, at least in part, over a holdup on converting Thomas’ remaining salary for 2016 and 2017 into guarantees. Rapoport reiterated that report this morning, noting that the trade fell apart when the Broncos would not guarantee as much as Thomas wanted.
Furthemore, Rapoport says that although Thomas certainly does have strong feelings for the Browns, he did ask Cleveland to explore potential trades prior to the deadline. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, that news, along with the report that the trade did not happen because of Thomas’ push for guaranteed money in 2016 and 2017, does not mesh with Thomas’ recent statement that he would have been crushed and surprised if the deal had been consummated. Although Thomas may release another statement in light of these reports, the fact remains that he is still a Brown and is under contract through 2018. He is due to make $8.3MM, $8.8MM, and $8.8MM over the next three seasons, respectively.
MONDAY, 3:20pm: Troy Renck of the Denver Post and Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter links) both dismiss the idea that the Broncos didn’t finalize a deal because they ran out of time or didn’t have the cap space, suggesting it was the Browns’ asking price that made Denver balk.
Russini adds (via Twitter) that the Broncos were offering a fifth-round pick and the Browns wanted a third-round pick, though it’s not clear how those selections fit into her previous report (noted below). According to Klis (via Twitter), the Browns wanted a first-rounder and at least one other early-round pick, which was too rich for the Broncos.
MONDAY, 3:07pm: Moments before today’s 3:00pm CT trade deadline, the Broncos were “racing” to restructure contracts in order to create the necessary cap room to accommodate a trade-deadline addition, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). However, it appears that deal fell through, or the team simply ran out of time.
According to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links), the proposed trade would have sent Browns left tackle Joe Thomas and a fourth-round 2016 pick to Denver in exchange for the Broncos’ first- and second-round picks in 2016. Russini suggests that it’s not clear whether the two sides were in agreement on that proposal before the deadline — it sounds as if it was close, but couldn’t get finalized before the deadline.
Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine confirmed to reporters moments ago the Browns didn’t make any trades (Twitter link via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).
The Browns were reportedly considering deals for several of their veteran players in advance of today’s deadline, including Thomas, Alex Mack, Paul Kruger, and Barkevious Mingo. A report this afternoon indicated that the team wasn’t likely to complete a major trade, so perhaps the Broncos made an unexpected last-minute push to try to land Thomas.
This wasn’t the first time the two teams had discussed a potential Thomas trade, with at least one report this morning suggesting that Denver offered a first-round pick for the standout tackle earlier in the season. With both Ryan Clady and Ty Sambrailo out for the year, the Broncos could have used a stalwart lineman like Thomas to protect Peyton Manning‘s blind side the rest of the way, but the Browns’ asking price was steep.