Giants Working Out Wes Welker, Hakeem Nicks
As part of their weekly workout for free agents, the Giants are bringing in a pair of notable veteran receivers today, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Wes Welker and Hakeem Nicks are getting a look from the club. We heard yesterday that New York is also trying out former Washington tight end Chris Cooley today, so it should be an interesting session.
Of course, just because the Giants are bringing in Welker, Nicks, and Cooley for auditions, it doesn’t mean the team intends to sign any of them. Like other teams around the league, the Giants bring in free agents every week to get an idea of what’s available in case they need to add a player to the roster at some point.
Still, the Giants haven’t gotten great production from their receivers so far this season. While Odell Beckham has been his usual self, Preston Parker was cut due to problems with drops, and Victor Cruz has yet to see the field. Rueben Randle also caught just four passes in his first two games before posting big numbers in Week 3, and the Giants have watched James Jones – released during the preseason – get off to a huge start in Green Bay.
With Randle showing signs of life last week, and Cruz close to returning, I wouldn’t expect the Giants to roll the dice on Welker or Nicks, but their auditions are still worth monitoring. Welker, who has a history of concussions, hasn’t received much interest this year due to questions about his health. Nicks, meanwhile, has a history with the Giants, having enjoyed his best seasons with Big Blue. However, over the last couple years, he hasn’t looked like the same player he was during his 1,000-yard seasons in New York.
Quarterback Phillip Sims is among the other players working out today for the Giants, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
NFL Waiver Order Now Based On 2015 Records
For most of 2015, the Buccaneers, owners of a 2-14 record in 2014 and the first pick in the draft this spring, have had the No. 1 waiver priority, based on last year’s record. Throughout the offseason, the Bucs had the first shot at any player who passed through waivers, but that’s no longer the case. As Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, today is the first day of the season that the NFL’s waiver order is determined by 2015 record.
While four teams have 0-3 records, the Lions currently have top waiver priority, since ties are broken based on a club’s strength of schedule — teams that have faced the weakest schedules get priority. Through three weeks, the Lions’ opponents have a combined 6-3 record, while the teams played by the 0-3 Ravens, Bears, and Saints all have at least seven total wins.
Conversely, the Patriots currently have the 32nd waiver priority in the NFL, based on their 3-0 record and their strength of schedule. The three teams New England has beat have a 5-4 overall combined record. By comparison, the three opponents the Broncos have faced, for instance, are just 1-8, so Denver is at the front of the 3-0 teams in terms of priority.
While the new waiver order could pay off for certain teams in the short term, it may be even more crucial later in the season. After the trade deadline passes in October, every player is subject to waivers — up until that point, only players with less than four years of experience can be claimed on waivers. That means that there may be some veteran talent claimed off waivers later in the year, and the league’s weakest teams will have first dibs.
Eagles Place Andrew Gardner On IR
During the first few weeks of the 2015 season, particularly after the Eagles lost their first two games, much of the criticism in Philadelphia focused on the team’s decision to move on from starting guards Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans in the offseason. Now, one of the two players that replaced those veteran guards will be sidelined for the rest of the season, according to the Eagles, who announced today that they’ve placed guard Andrew Gardner on the injured reserve list.
Gardner, 29, signed by the Eagles prior to the 2014 season to serve as a backup, but proved to be a very valuable addition, as he went on to appear in every regular season game, including eight starts. Philadelphia had an open competition for the starting right guard job this summer, and Gardner came away with the gig.
Gardner impressed the Eagles enough that he also earned a new contract earlier this month, extending a deal that would have expired at season’s end. The extension locked him up through the 2018 season, giving him a $500K signing bonus. Unfortunately, just a few games into the new deal, he sustained a foot injury that figures to sideline him until 2016.
With Gardner now on IR, the Eagles have once again brought back veteran offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde, who has been on and off the club’s roster since being drafted in 2011. Vandervelde figures to provide some depth on the interior of the line, while Matt Tobin looks like the top candidate to slide into Gardner’s right guard position.
Eagles Sign Caleb Sturgis, Place Cody Parkey On IR
TUESDAY, 7:51am: The Eagles have made the pair of kicker moves official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Sturgis and placed Parkey on IR. Within the announcement, the club notes that Parkey’s groin injury was separate from the one he dealt with during the preseason.
MONDAY, 4:16pm: After bringing in several kickers for tryouts today, the Eagles have decided to place injured kicker Cody Parkey on injured reserve, and will sign free agent Caleb Sturgis, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Sturgis, 26, was the Dolphins’ kicker in 2013 and 2014, but was a little shaky for Miami, missing eight field goals in each of his first two seasons, and recording an overall conversion percentage of just 77.5%. Sturgis lost his job to Andrew Franks this year, but has found a new gig just several weeks later, taking over in Philadelphia for Parkey.
Parkey, who earned a Pro Bowl nod in his rookie season last year, re-aggravated a preseason groin injury during Sundayâs game, raising doubts about his availability going forward. It’s not clear yet whether he’ll miss the entire season — the Eagles will work out an injury settlement and release him from their IR list if and when he gets healthy in the coming weeks.
Nick Novak, Billy Cundiff, Shayne Graham, Kai Forbath, and Carey Spear joined Sturgis at today’s audition in Philadelphia, and the Eagles ultimately opted for the ex-Dolphin over Forbath, who was the other finalist, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
Panthers To Acquire Jared Allen From Bears
5:16pm: The sixth-round pick going from the Panthers to the Bears will be conditional, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter).
3:55pm: The Bears are getting a sixth-round pick from the Panthers, tweets Glazer. As noted below, Brad Biggs initially reported that the pick is expected to be a conditional one, so there may be conditions tied to Allen’s playing time and/or production in Carolina — for now though, it sounds like it’s just a sixth-rounder.
3:31pm: In a surprising move, the Panthers and Bears have agreed to a trade involving veteran pass rusher Jared Allen, who will head to Carolina in the deal, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the Bears are expected to receive a conditional draft pick in exchange for Allen.
With their top pass rusher Charles Johnson sidelined due to a hamstring injury, the Panthers had been seeking defensive line help, and head coach Ron Rivera suggested earlier today that the team would consider bringing in outside help. Of course, at the time, I would’ve guessed Rivera meant bringing in a few free agents for auditions, rather than acquiring one of the more dominant pass rushers of the last decade.
Allen, who was in his second year with the Bears, recorded double-digit sacks for seven consecutive seasons prior to signing with Chicago, and never had fewer than 7.5 sacks in a season during his NFL career prior to 2014, when he recorded just 5.5. Allen still played well for the Bears, but once the team brought in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and his 3-4 scheme, the 33-year-old was no longer a real fit for Chicago. In three games with the Bears this season, Allen held his own against the run and grabbed an interception, but had yet to pick up a sack.
In Carolina, Allen will get a chance to play defensive end in a 4-3 system once again, and that’s the situation in which he had all of his most productive years. Of course, Allen is no longer the All-Pro player he was in Kansas City and Minnesota, but he can still be an effective pass rusher, and he should help a Panthers team that has missed Greg Hardy over the last year and will be without Johnson in the short term.
The four-year, $32MM deal Allen signed in 2014 looked questionable at the time, and looks even worse now, as the Bears paid nearly $15MM for a little over a season from the veteran defensive end, who was signed by former GM Phil Emery. The fact that this year’s Bears were willing to move on from Allen so quickly suggests that, at 0-3 and with quarterback Jay Cutler injured, the team may already be looking ahead to 2016.
Since Chicago paid Allen an $11.5MM roster bonus earlier this year, the deal works out well for the Panthers from a financial standpoint. Carolina will take on the remainder of Allen’s $1MM salary for 2015, along with base salaries of $8.5MM for 2016 and $8MM for 2017. While this year’s salary is guaranteed, the ’16 and ’17 figures aren’t, so if things don’t go well this year for Allen and the Panthers this year, the team can cut ties with him in the winter.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Bears were having trade talks involving Allen for at least a couple weeks, and other teams knew he was available, so it’ll be interesting to see what sort of pick the Panthers had to give up to land him — especially since his salary for his new team is quite modest.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chris Cooley Working Out For Giants
When Chris Cooley discussed making an NFL comeback over the summer, it appeared his heart was set on rejoining his old team in Washington. However, the veteran tight end has a workout lined up with another NFC East team, the Giants, this Tuesday, according to ESPN 980 in Washington (Twitter link).
Cooley, who now works as an on-air personality for ESPN 980, indicated back in July that he was contemplating an NFL comeback after nearly three years away from the game. In nine seasons with Washington from 2004 to 2012, Cooley hauled in a total of 429 receptions - the all-time high for any tight end in franchise history – 4,711 receiving yards, and 33 touchdowns. The former third-round pick made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2007, catching 66 balls for 786 yards and eight touchdowns, and followed that up in 2008 with another Pro Bowl nod, thanks to his 83 catches and 849 yards.
Considering he hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since the 2012 season, it seems unlikely that Cooley would return to the game at this point, or that a team would have interest in adding him to its 53-man roster. But the 33-year-old said last week that he still wants to play, and it appears the Giants would like to at least take a look at him.
The Giants haven’t gotten a whole lot of production out of their tight ends so far this season, with Daniel Fells and Jerome Cunningham battling injuries behind starter Larry Donnell.
Community Tailgate: Winless Teams
With the NFL season underway, we have a whole new series of topics to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those topics. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, 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.
Through three weeks of the 2015 NFL season, 28 of the league’s 32 teams have managed to record at least one victory, with the Seahawks, Eagles, and Colts among the clubs that got into the win column in Week 3. However, that still leaves four teams that have lost all three of their games so far — the Ravens, Bears, Lions, and Saints.
While most of those teams didn’t show up in many preseason Super Bowl predictions, they all had playoff aspirations, and it will be a significant uphill battle for any of them to earn a postseason berth now. The Bears and Saints are in particularly rough shape, with their starting quarterbacks banged up and out of action this past weekend.
Here are the upcoming schedules for all four teams over the next five weeks, as they look to turn their respective seasons around:
- Baltimore Ravens: at Steelers, vs. Browns, at 49ers, at Cardinals, vs. Chargers
- Chicago Bears: vs. Raiders, at Chiefs, at Lions, Bye, vs. Vikings
- Detroit Lions: at Seahawks, vs. Cardinals, vs. Bears, vs. Vikings, at Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints: vs. Cowboys, at Eagles, vs. Falcons, at Colts, vs. Giants
None of those schedules are a cakewalk, but there are some winnable games in the mix. The Saints, for instance, should be favored against the Tony Romo-less Cowboys if Drew Brees returns to action this weekend. The Ravens have the underachieving Browns and Niners on their schedule. And the Bears and Lions play each other in Week 6, so at least one of them should come out of that game with a victory.
What are your thoughts on the NFL’s four remaining winless team? Will any of them turn things around and make a run at a postseason spot? Which team will take the longest to pick up a win? Will be seeing two or three of these clubs at the top of the 2016 draft order? Weigh in below in the comments section!
Extra Points: Pryor, Jets, Dolphins, CAA
Last week, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Seahawks would be working out quarterback-turned-wide-receiver Terrelle Pryor. We later heard word of Pryor’s tryout with the Jets, though it wasn’t clear if he ever made it to Seattle. Today, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes that the ex-Raiders signal-caller is auditioning for the Seahawks as a receiver this week. While PFT’s report makes it sound like it’ll be Pryor’s first workout with the Seahawks this season, La Canfora suggests (via Twitter) that the 26-year-old is auditioning for the club “again.”
Whether it’s Pryor’s first or second tryout for Seattle, it’s clear the team is interested in seeing what he can do as a wideout. While he didn’t last long on the Browns’ roster, Pryor has enough speed and athleticism to make him an interesting – albeit raw – project, so we’ll see whether or not the Seahawks decide to take a flier on him.
In the meantime, let’s check in on some other items from around the league….
- The idea that the Jets would sign both Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson to blockbuster deals “has always been a fairytale,” writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Although he cautions that the team hasn’t given up on the idea of negotiating a multiyear extension for Wilkerson, Mehta suggests that perhaps the standout defensive lineman could be franchised in 2016 and then used a trade chip to try to move up in the draft to land a franchise quarterback.
- It’s probably too early to start talking about Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin being on the hot seat, but defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle may not last much longer in Miami if the club’s poor defensive play continues, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
- Player agent Todd France has officially joined CAA Sports, bringing approximately 50 NFL clients with him, writes Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal. Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas and Bills defensive lineman Marcell Dareus are among France’s clients who got lucrative, long-term contracts this year.
Nick Novak, Others Auditioning For Eagles
12:07pm: Today’s tryouts are simply precautionary, according to head coach Chip Kelly (Twitter link). I speculated as much below, noting that the team could simply be attempting to identify a Plan B in case Parkey has to miss a game or two.
10:31am: Kai Forbath, Shayne Graham, and Carey Spear are also part of today’s workout for the Eagles, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
10:13am: Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reported earlier today that the Eagles would be auditioning kickers today after Cody Parkey re-aggravated a preseason groin injury during Sunday’s game, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has provided some additional details, tweeting that ex-Changers kicker Nick Novak is working out for Philadelphia.
After Marvez tweeted that there are at least two other free agents in attendance, Rapoport reported those names as well, tweeting that Caleb Sturgis and Billy Cundiff are getting a look from the Eagles. Connor Barth, Jay Feely, and ex-Eagle Alex Henery are among the other notable veteran kickers who are currently without NFL jobs, but it doesn’t sound like they’re being considered by Philadelphia.
Novak, 34, had been the Chargers’ full-time kicker from 2011 to 2014, making 101 of his 117 field goal attempts (86.3%) during his time in San Diego, including 11 of 17 from 50+ yards. However, he was beaten out in camp this year by the younger, cheaper Josh Lambo, and was released by the Chargers earlier this month.
Sturgis, meanwhile, was the Dolphins’ kicker for the last two seasons, but his performance was a little shakier, as he missed eight field goal attempts in each of his two seasons with the team, for an overall mark of 77.5%. He lost his job to Andrew Franks this year. As for Cundiff, he kicked for the Browns in 2013 and 2014, converting 78.2% of his field goal tries.
If Novak, Sturgis, or Cundiff impresses the Eagles, it won’t necessarily result in a deal — according to Marvez, it’s unclear whether Parkey will be healthy enough to kick for Philadelphia in the club’s Week 4 game against Washington. Today’s workout may just be a fact-finding mission to identify the best alternative in case Parkey’s groin ultimately keeps him out of action.
NFC Notes: Brindza, Panthers, H. Smith
Buccaneers kicker Kyle Brindza had a rough day on Sunday, missing an extra point and three field goals as his team fell to the Texans by 10 points. However, head coach Lovie Smith stressed that the Bucs are sticking with Brindza, and don’t plan on auditioning any potential replacements this week, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
“No. Kyle is our kicker,” Smith said. “He, like a lot of us, had a disappointing day. That hasn’t been the case. You’re going to have off days, and this was an off day.”
Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NFC:
- Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) believes that the Panthers will eventually get cornerback Josh Norman locked up to an extension, though it will likely require an offer of $10MM+ per year, and will probably have to wait until the offseason. Norman reportedly turned down a contract offer worth about $7MM annually prior to the regular season.
- Person (Twitter links) also passes along a pair of injury updates from Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, who says defensive end Charles Johnson has a hamstring issue and linebacker Thomas Davis has a pectoral injury. While Rivera doesn’t believe the Davis injury is serious, he says Johnson could be out for multiple weeks, and the club may look for outside help on the defensive line (Twitter links).
- After picking up his fifth-year option for 2016, the Vikings decided to wait on signing safety Harrison Smith to a contract extension. As Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press observes (via Twitter), Smith’s price tag appears to be on the rise — through three weeks, the Vikings safety easily has the highest Pro Football Focus grade (+9.4) of anyone at the position.
- Despite the Lions‘ offensive struggles so far this year, head coach Jim Caldwell hasn’t given consideration to taking over playcalling duties from OC Joe Lombardi, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.