Dolphins Make Changes To Offensive Staff
Like defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor still has a job with the team after the firing of head coach Joe Philbin. However, Miami is making changes to its coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball, as Albert Breer of the NFL Network reports (Twitter links).
According to Breer, longtime coach Al Saunders is coming aboard as an offensive consultant, assistant quarterbacks coach Ben Johnson is taking Dan Campbell‘s old tight ends coach role, and the team is also re-assigning wide receivers coach Ken O’Keefe.
Saunders, who has held various coaching positions around the NFL for more than 30 years, has a history with Lazor — both men were on Washington’s coaching staff in 2006-2007, with Saunders acting as the team’s assistant head coach, while Lazor was the quarterbacks coach.
Breer acknowledges (via Twitter) that there could be more changes coming to the Dolphins’ staff, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, but for now the club is tweaking its offensive coaching roles. Coyle remains in charge of the defense for now, but his job doesn’t appear entirely safe. Breer tweets that the Dolphins have discussed three former head coaches – Mike Smith, Jim Schwartz, and Greg Schiano – as candidates to come in and help on defense, adding that the situation remains “fluid.”
The Dolphins are entering their bye week, so the team will have a few extra days to get its staff in order before it returns to action in Week 6.
Bills Sign Billy Cundiff, Denarius Moore
The Bills have signed a pair of noteworthy players to their 53-man roster, the team announced today in a press release, confirming deals for kicker Billy Cundiff and wide receiver Denarius Moore. To make room for the incoming players, Buffalo has cut kicker Jordan Gay and wide receiver and return man Marcus Thigpen.
Swapping Gay for Cundiff is an interesting move for the Bills, who have seen their regular kicker, Dan Carpenter, struggle a little with his accuracy in the early going — Carpenter has missed an extra point and two field goals in four games. However, the fact that he remains on the roster, while the team cuts Gay, the kickoff specialist, suggests that Cundiff will only be taking over kickoff duties for the time being.
Of course, if Carpenter continues to struggle, I imagine his job will be in danger, especially since having Cundiff handle all the team’s kicking duties would free up a roster spot to add depth to another part of the roster. Cundiff has seen regular season action for five different teams in his NFL career, most recently converting 22 of 29 field goal attempts (75.9%) last season for the Browns.
As for Moore, the 26-year-old had a couple promising seasons with the Raiders early in his NFL career, notably racking up 741 yards and seven touchdowns on 51 receptions in 2012. He has been inconsistent since then, however, catching just 12 balls in 2014, and being released by the Bengals in August.
Thigpen had been handling the Bills’ punt return duties, so it’ll be interesting to see whether Moore gets a shot at that role, with 42 career punt returns on his résumé. Percy Harvin and Robert Woods would also be candidates for the job.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/6/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Walter Powell (press release)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: C Barrett Jones, DL Brandon Dunn (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
- Cut: NT Terry Williams
- PS-IR: WR Jalen Saunders (link)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DL Ray Drew, S Ty Zimmerman (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
- Cut: OL Garth Gerhart, DL Dylan Wynn
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DE Jordan Williams (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: G Mike Liedtke (Twitter link via agent Brett Tessler)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DE Bruce Gaston (Twitter link via Jason Wilde of ESPN.com)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: G/T Michael Ola (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
- Cut: G/C Michael Huey
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: T Reid Fragel, DE Josh Shirley (press release)
- Cut: T Martin Wallace
NFC Notes: White, Forte, Ogletree, Kam
While Roddy White is happy with the Falcons‘ 4-0 start, and is focused on his No. 1 goal of obtaining a championship ring, the veteran wideout tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com that he’s frustrated about not contributing more to those victories.
“For me, at the end of the day, I want to catch passes,” White said. “I’m not out here just f—ing around just to sit around to just block f—ing people all day. It’s not what I want to do. … I’ve contributed to offenses for this franchise for the last nine, 10 years. It always bothers me when I go out and don’t catch any balls in a game because it hasn’t happened in so long.”
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) speculates that White wouldn’t be averse to a trade, and adds that there are teams that would have interest in determining the receiver’s trade value. That’s not how I interpreted White’s comments though, and I’d be pretty shocked if Atlanta seriously considered that option — I think it could just be a matter of getting the longtime Falcon a few more looks going forward.
For what it’s worth, White told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s not “disgruntled” — he simply wouldn’t mind a bigger role on offense.
Here are some more Tuesday odds and ends from around the NFC:
- Appearing this morning on The Dan Patrick Show, Bears running back Matt Forte was asked about the trade rumors swirling around him, and said he’s not worried, adding that “a lot of it is media speculation.” Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk has the details, along with the quotes from Forte.
- We heard on Sunday that Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree‘s 2015 season could be in jeopardy due to a right ankle injury. Josina Anderson of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Ogletree underwent surgery and it went well, but St. Louis has yet to announce a potential timeline for his return — don’t expect him back anytime soon though, says Anderson.
- Following Kam Chancellor‘s crucial forced fumble in Monday night’s win over the Lions, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett interrupted Chancellor’s post-game interview to implore team owner Paul Allen – the “17th-richest man in the world,” according to Bennett – to give the star safety a new contract (Twitter link via Matt Miller of Bleacher Report). Chancellor appears unlikely to negotiate a new deal until after the season, but I’m sure he appreciates the support from his teammate.
- Cardinals running back Chris Johnson admitted that he seriously contemplated retirement earlier this year after getting shot in the shoulder, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com details.
- In the wake of the Dolphins’ decision to fire Joe Philbin, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera told reporters that owner Jerry Richardson has assured him he wouldn’t fire him in the middle of a season, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Of course, with the Panthers riding a four-game winning streak, it doesn’t look like that’s something Rivera would have to had worry about in 2015 anyway.
49ers Acquire Gerald Hodges From Vikings
The 49ers have added a new defensive player to their roster, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that the Vikings are sending linebacker Gerald Hodges to San Francisco in a trade. In exchange for Hodges, Minnesota will receive center Nick Easton and a sixth-round draft pick, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Hodges, 24, has been with the Vikings since being selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. A Penn State product, Hodges started seven of 14 games for Minnesota last season, accumulating 65 tackles to go along with a half-sack and an interception, which he returned for a touchdown.
In San Francisco, Hodges figures to push Michael Wilhoite for playing time. Wilhoite, who was elevated to a starting role at inside linebacker alongside NaVorro Bowman following the unexpected retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, has been inconsistent in his increased role during the first several weeks of the 2015 season.
Meanwhile, by acquiring Easton and a sixth-round pick, the Vikings add some much-needed depth to their interior offensive line, as well as landing a future draft asset. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reported earlier today (via Twitter) that the Niners intended to waive Easton, so San Francisco did well to include him in a trade instead and get something in return instead.
With Hodges no longer in the mix in Minnesota, rookie Eric Kendricks looks like a candidate to assume the Vikings’ starting middle linebacker role.
Saints To Release Kenny Phillips
With Jairus Byrd apparently set to resume full-time duty in the Saints’ secondary, the team is releasing veteran safety Kenny Phillips, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
Phillips, released by New Orleans as the team reduced its roster to 53 players before the season began, rejoined the Saints after Week 1, and has started three games since then. The former first-round pick, who spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Giants, logged 12 tackles this year with the Saints.
The Saints have yet to make an official announcement to confirm the transaction, but it would make sense if Phillips’ release was the corresponding roster move for the signing of punter Brandon Fields, a deal reported earlier this afternoon.
Saints To Sign Brandon Fields
With incumbent punter Thomas Morstead battling a strained quad, the Saints brought in free agents for a look this week, and have decided to sign former Dolphin Brandon Fields, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Fields’ agent, Ian Greengross, confirmed the agreement, tweeting a congratulatory message to his client.
Fields, 31, is only two years removed from a Pro Bowl season for Miami in 2013. The veteran served as the Dolphins’ punter for eight seasons before being let go earlier this year. Despite restructuring his contract to make his 2015 cap hit more palatable, Fields was beaten out by Matt Darr for the Dolphins’ punting job.
With Morstead only expected to be sidelined for a week or two, Fields may not stick around on New Orleans’ roster for long, but he’ll play until Morstead is ready to return, tweets Marvez.
Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate first reported earlier today that Fields was among the punters to work out for the Saints.
NFC East Notes: JPP, Cowboys, Washington
When Jason Pierre-Paul reported to the Giants shortly before the regular season got underway, he and his camp expressed confidence that he’d be ready to play soon, perhaps even as early as Week 1. The Giants, of course, didn’t see it that way, and JPP returned home to work on getting his injured hand healthy enough to play before the end of 2015.
So when do the Giants expect Pierre-Paul to be ready? According to Bob Glauber of Newsday, the club is hopeful that the veteran defensive end will be back for the final four games of the season, or perhaps even longer. However, the Giants are optimistic about seeing JPP back on the field down the stretch, a source tells Glauber that it’s “still possible he doesn’t come back [this year].”
As we wait to see how Pierre-Paul’s recovery progresses, let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFC East…
- Lance Dunbar‘s season-ending injury will be a significant blow for the Cowboys‘ backfield, but Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that the team isn’t planning on bringing in another free agent running back. Werder hints that Christine Michael, acquired last month via trade, could take on a bigger role in Dunbar’s absence.
- Former 49ers guard Joe Looney was among the players to work out for Washington this week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets that ex-Ravens wideout Daniel Brown and tight end D.J. Williams also tried out for the team. Washington let Williams go with an injury settlement about a month ago, so he wouldn’t be eligible to rejoin the team for at least a couple more weeks.
- While Chip Kelly won’t admit it, the Eagles head coach has to recognize that the lack of talent on his offensive line is killing his run schemes, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Having cut Evan Mathis in the offseason, Kelly insists that there’s no lesson to be learned there: “If we didn’t renegotiate [Mathis’ contract], we weren’t getting him back.” Still, it’s fair to be skeptical of that assertion, considering Mathis was under contract and likely wouldn’t have extended a holdout into the regular season like Kam Chancellor did.
Bills Sign Boom Herron
After working out a handful of running backs today, the Bills have signed veteran free agent Boom Herron, the team announced in a press release. Trent Richardson and Alfonso Smith were among the other backs that auditioned for Buffalo.
Herron, who suffered a sprained AC joint in the Colts’ final preseason game, was waived by the team in September. The 26-year-old had been competing for a role as one of Frank Gore‘s backups after spending the last two years with Indianapolis. Herron played in all 16 of the Colts’ regular-season contests in 2014 and rushed for 351 yards and a touchdown, adding 21 catches.
Prior to the signing of Herron, Boobie Dixon and Cierre Wood, who was recently promoted from the team’s practice squad, were the only healthy backs on the Bills’ 53-man roster. Starter LeSean McCoy is dealing with a hamstring injury and is expected to be sidelined for at least one more week, while rookie Karlos Williams suffered a concussion in Sunday’s loss to the Giants.
In order to make room on the roster for Herron, the Bills placed tight end MarQueis Gray on injured reserve. Gray sustained a fractured forearm on Sunday, which will end his season.
Falcons Place Devin Hester On IR-DTR
The Falcons have placed wide receiver and return man Devin Hester on the injured reserve list with the designation to return, the team announced today in a press release. The move will sideline Hester, who is battling turf toe, for at least eight weeks, making him eligible to return for Atlanta’s Week 13 game against the Buccaneers.
“We have been trying to treat his toe injury the best we could, and he has been doing everything in his power to get back on the field, but at this point we think this is the best plan of action,” head coach Dan Quinn said of Hester. “We are confident this time will let Devin get healthy and be a big contributor to this team once he is back on the field.”
Hester, who turns 33 next month, earned his fourth Pro Bowl berth last year in his first season with the Falcons, after leading the league in kick return yardage and punt return average. However, his toe injury has prevented him from seeing any regular season action so far in 2015. Eric Weems has been Atlanta’s primary return man in Hester’s absence.
The Falcons also made several other roster moves today, cutting tight end Mickey Shuler as well. With the two open roster spots, the club signed safety Charles Godfrey and tight end Tony Moeaki. Both Godfrey and Moeaki had recent stints in Atlanta, as Moeaki was released during the team’s preseason cutdown to 53 players, while Godfrey was dropped to make room for tackle Jake Long last month.
Atlanta becomes the 18th team to use its IR-DTR slot this season, as our complete list shows.