Sean Payton Open To Listening To Suitors
With the Saints struggling out of the gate this season, and the roster seemingly in need of a rebuild, there has been plenty of speculation in recent weeks that head coach Sean Payton could leave New Orleans in the offseason. Payton attempted to quiet those rumors earlier this week, telling reporters that New Orleans is “where I see myself” going forward.
Still, the rumors have persisted, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com) reports that Payton would be “open to” listening to inquiries from other teams after the season. Rapoport and Rosenthal caution that those talks – if they even happen – may not go anywhere, but point out that it doesn’t sound like Payton has closed the door on the idea of leaving the Saints.
Payton remains under contract with New Orleans for two years beyond 2015, so if he wanted to explore other opportunities, the Saints would have to give him permission to do so. If Payton received a job offer from another club and wanted to take it, that suitor would likely have to work out some sort of compensation package with the Saints, who are unlikely to fire Payton or to simply let him walk.
Of course, we’re only five weeks into the 2015 season, and plenty could happen in the next few months that could change the outlook for the Saints and for Payton heading into the offseason. But Rapoport’s report is the latest in a series of similar stories this week — ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that multiple teams are expected to inquire on Payton at season’s end, and Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole added on Monday that Payton would be “intrigued” by the idea that a team like the Dolphins or Colts could pursue him.
Earlier today, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that many people around the NFL believe that Payton will be coaching the Dolphins next year, while Schefter and Chris Mortensen suggested that a trade involving the Saints head coach wouldn’t come as a huge shock.
East Notes: Amukamara, Williams, Dolphins
Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara has a partial tear in his pectoral area, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link). Amukamara shouldn’t miss a huge chunk of time, but he may be sidelined for at least three or four weeks, so we’ll see if the Giants make any roster moves to add depth to the secondary. For what it’s worth, New York still has its IR-DTR slot available, but it doesn’t sounds as if Amukamara will be a candidate for it.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Jets defensive tackle Leonard Williams was considered the most talented player in this year’s draft class, so it came as a bit of a surprise when Washington passed on him with the fifth overall pick. However, as Brian Costello of the New York Post writes, Williams and Jets coach Todd Bowles are happy the rookie defender didn’t end up in Washington. “I think this was the best place I could have landed out of all the top teams,” Williams said. “I’m just fortunate to be here. I’m glad they picked me even though they had a stout D-line. It paid off just because I could learn from all these guys.”
- For all the hype and coverage the Dolphins‘ free agent signing of Ndamukong Suh received last March, there have been no real winners in that saga, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. As Rothstein observes, with the Dolphins and Lions having combined for a single victory through five weeks, the only real winner of the blockbuster move so far is Suh’s bank account.
- Speaking of the Dolphins, only one team – New Orleans – has more dead money on its 2015 salary cap than Miami, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com outlines. Corry points out that the teams with the most sunk costs on their caps this year are, for the most part, among the league’s worst this season — the seven clubs with the most 2015 dead money have a combined 9-25 record.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/14/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Durell Eskridge (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: QB David Fales (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune)
Houston Texans
- Cut: WR Alan Bonner (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB Joe Banyard (Twitter link)
- Cut: S Craig Loston
Miami Dolphins
- Cut: WR Damarr Aultman (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald)
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Wes Saxton (press release)
- Cut: WR Titus Davis
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: S Adrian Phillips (Twitter link via U-T San Diego’s Michael Gehlken)
- Cut: WR Donatella Luckett
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Pryor, Cards
The Cowboys are making a quarterback change for Week 7, giving the nod to Matt Cassel, and that’s not the only starting lineup move they’re considering on offense. As Ed Werder of ESPN.com reported this morning (via Twitter), Dallas may also start recently acquired running back Christine Michael over Joseph Randle, and rookie guard La’el Collins over Ronald Leary.
Head coach Jason Garrett has since confirmed that Collins will indeed start at left guard in place of Leary, though it’s not clear yet what the team’s running back rotation will look like. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears from a Cowboys source that the team definitely plans on using Michael more, though Randle may still get the start.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Giants are the latest team to work out at Terrelle Pryor as a wide receiver, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). While several clubs that have auditioned Pryor are likely just seeing what the former quarterback looks like in his new position, New York might require some additional depth at WR, with Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle banged up, and Victor Cruz‘s availability going forward still up in the air. The Giants also tried out wideouts T.J. Graham and A.J. Jenkins, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Former Buccaneers defensive lineman Da’Quan Bowers is among the players working out for the Cowboys this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Free agent cornerback Robert McClain has been busy over the last month and a half, working out for a handful of teams — Wilson tweets that McClain auditioned for the Cardinals this week, the veteran’s fifth tryout since the start of September.
- In an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (SoundCloud link), Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians explained his team’s decision to sign veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney, suggesting that the club had been in touch with Freeney multiple times since June.
Bills Place Aaron Williams On IR-DTR
After suffering a scary neck injury in Week 2, Aaron Williams returned to play most of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 5. While that appeared to be a good sign for the Buffalo safety, it doesn’t appear he has fully recovered from his injury.
The Bills announced today in a press release that Williams has been placed on injured reserve with the designation to return. The move rules Williams out of games until Week 14, though he’ll be eligible to begin practicing following the club’s Week 11 game. Buffalo has signed safety Josh Bush, a Rex Ryan favorite who previously played for the Jets, to fill Williams’ roster spot.
While Bush, who was recently cut by the Broncos, could get an opportunity to earn some playing time, Bacarri Rambo looks like the favorite to assume a starting job at safety in Williams’ absence.
By using their IR-DTR slot on Williams, the Bills becomes the 19th team to use the designation this season, as our tracker shows. All three of Buffalo’s AFC East rivals made use of the IR-DTR spot prior to the season, with the Dolphins using it on injured running back Jay Ajayi, the Patriots using it on center Bryan Stork, and the Jets using it on cornerback Dee Milliner.
Pats’ Nate Solder Out For Season
Tom Brady will have someone new protecting his blind side in Week 6, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, who reports (via Twitter) that Patriots offensive tackle Nate Solder will be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a torn right biceps. Solder will undergo surgery in the near future.
Solder, 27, was selected 17th overall by the Patriots in the 2011 draft, and after a year at right tackle, he has spent the rest of his NFL career on the left side of New England’s offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Solder wasn’t quite as effective last year as a pass blocker as he has been in years past, and he graded as about a middle-of-the-pack offensive tackle. However, PFF ranked him among the league’s top 20 tackles in 2012 and among the top 10 in 2013, so his injury will create a significant hole for the Pats.
Solder would have been eligible for free agency at the end of the 2015 season, but signed a two-year extension last month, just before the 2015 season got underway. Limited to just four games this season, Solder won’t be able to earn his annual Pro Bowl incentive, but his salary for 2016 is fully guaranteed, so his roster spot in New England is safe going forward.
In Solder’s absence, Marcus Cannon looks like the next man up on the Patriots’ offensive line, though we’ll see how the team arranges its unit this week and beyond. Placing Solder on injured reserve will also open up a spot on the roster, presumably to add a little more depth on the offensive line.
AFC East Notes: Bills, Landry, Dolphins
Using his player-values metric, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has provided the most 2015 value through the season’s first five weeks, among QBs. While Tyrod Taylor of the Bills ranks just 10th for overall value, he has a cap hit below $1MM, making him even more valuable — no signal-caller has a wider gap so far between his cap charge and his actual value than the ex-Raven, according to Fitzgerald.
Here are a few more items from out of the AFC East:
- There has been some speculation that, with Taylor hurting, the Bills may regret having traded Matt Cassel. However, head coach Rex Ryan said today that the decision to send the veteran quarterback to Dallas reflected the confidence Buffalo has in Taylor and EJ Manuel. For what it’s worth, Ryan added that there’s no official word yet on Taylor’s availability for Week 6 (Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- General manager Doug Whaley has supported Manuel throughout his time with the Bills, and the GM also signed off on the Cassel trade, prompting Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) to wonder if Whaley could be the “fall guy” if Manuel is forced into action and struggles.
- The Dolphins are somewhat concerned with Jarvis Landry‘s repeated conduct issues this year, according to Cole (video link). New head coach Dan Campbell will be tasked with improving Landry’s focus, after the wideout got into a fight during practice with ex-Dolphin LaMichael James and was fined $23K+ for berating an official.
- Appearing on 790 The Ticket on Tuesday, Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum denied that he wanted to fire Joe Philbin and hire Dan Quinn after he was hired last winter, as Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald details. “I knew Coach Philbin was on the precipice of being announced with a long-term extension,” Tannenbaum said. “I knew about it and supported it at the time. I was offered the job with one set of circumstances, which was to work with [GM] Dennis Hickey and Joe Philbin.”
Cards Place Clemons On IR, Promote Brooks
The Cardinals have made a roster change on the defensive side of the ball, placing veteran safety Chris Clemons on the injured reserve list and promoting cornerback Cariel Brooks to their 53-man roster, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
Clemons, 30, started every game in the Dolphins’ secondary during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, but hasn’t seen much action since then. After being signed by the Cardinals last December, Clemons acted as a backup safety in Arizona for the first five weeks of 2015. However, a hamstring injury resulted in his being moved to IR.
While the Cardinals were forced to place Clemons on their IR, the team got some good news on linebacker Alex Okafor, who is only expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks. That was the first recovery timeline we heard this week, though a subsequent report suggested the injury could be worse, with Okafor potentially missing about six weeks.
AFC Notes: Colts, Chargers, Ravens, Jets
Let’s round up a few items from around the AFC….
- The Colts‘ decision to sign return specialist Marcus Thigpen on Monday surprised some people within the organization, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). Thigpen figures to take over return duties from Griff Whalen, who had a 50-yard return last Thursday for the Colts.
- Safety Adrian Phillips, who was waived on Monday to make space for the return of Antonio Gates, cleared waivers and is likely to rejoin the Chargers via the taxi squad, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets.
- The Ravens worked out defensive end Nordly Capi, defensive end Phillip Hunt, and linebacker J.R. Tavai, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
- The Jets auditioned outside linebackers Gerald Rivers and Kaelin Burnett on Tuesday, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/13/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Cut from PS-IR: TE Joseph Fauria (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan)
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Daniel Brown, RB Akeem Hunt, TE Konrad Reuland (Twitter link)
Chicago Bears
- To be signed: WR Nathan Palmer (Twitter link via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times), DT D’Anthony Smith (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
- Released: C Ryan Seymour (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
Houston Texans
- To be signed: WR Chandler Worthy (Twitter link via Mark Berman of FOX 26)
- Cut: T Edawn Coughman (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: QB Jeff Tuel (Twitter link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Jayson DiManche, CB Saalim Hakim, OL Mike Liedtke, RB Darrin Reaves (Twitter link)
- Cut: LB Tyrell Adams, CB Jeremy Harris, OL Daniel Munyer
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Robert Herron (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Andrew Turzilli, C Brian Folkerts (Twitter link via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: RB Trey Watts (Twitter link via USA Today’s Howard Balzer)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cut: CB Isaiah Frey (Twitter link)