Community Tailgate: NFC East Outlook
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.
When the Pro Football Rumors writing team made predictions for the 2015 season a couple weeks ago, all of us picked either the Cowboys or the Eagles to win the NFC East, and all but one of us expected both teams to make the playoffs either as the division winner or a Wild Card team. Two weeks into the season, however, the outlook for the NFC East has become much cloudier.
The defending division champs are 2-0, but neither of the Cowboys‘ wins has been particularly pretty, and the team will now be without its two offensive stars, Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, for at least the next few weeks, and possibly for two months or more.
The Eagles, meanwhile, played one of the worst games of this young season yesterday at home against Dallas, with DeMarco Murray failing to get anything going against his old team, while Sam Bradford and his wideouts struggled to get into any sort of rhythm. After two games, Murray has somehow compiled just 11 rushing yards, and Philadelphia’s new-look squad has yet to pick up a win.
Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Giants are also winless, leaving Washington as perhaps the division’s strongest – or at least most hopeful – team at the moment, which seemed extremely unlikely three weeks ago when Jay Gruden named Kirk Cousins the new starting quarterback. Washington lost its opener against a Dolphins team with postseason expectations, but looked great in Week 2 running the ball against a strong Rams defense.
Given how the season’s first two weeks have gone, how do you see the rest of the season playing out in the NFC East? Will the Cowboys be able to withstand the loss of two of their best players? Will the Giants or Eagles rebound and make a run? Or will Washington shock the world and take control of the division? Let us know in the comments section what you think!
NFC Notes: Chancellor, Boyd, Alonso
Earlier today, we learned that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will likely be placed on the club’s injured reserve list with the designation to return this week. Here are a few more Monday morning items from around the NFC, including some more noteworthy injury updates:
- With the Seahawks now winless in their first two games of the regular season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if there will be any movement on the Kam Chancellor front this week, while NFL.com’s Michael Silver spoke to several of Chancellor’s teammates about the star safety’s holdout.
- The diagnosis for Packers defensive tackle Josh Boyd isn’t as bad as it first seemed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Boyd broke a small ankle bone, but isn’t expected to be sidelined for a long time.
- Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso doesn’t believe he has an ACL injury, but he’ll have an MRI today to assess his left knee, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Alonso left yesterday’s game after aggravating the same knee he injured in 2014.
- After winning a power play against former GM Howie Roseman in January, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly took control of the team’s roster and made several bold, risky moves in the offseason. As Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, that means that Kelly has to shoulder the blame for the Eagles’ slow start.
No Talks This Week For Chancellor, Seahawks
With the Seahawks prepared to face the Packers in Green Bay in a rematch of last year’s championship game, safety Kam Chancellor still appears no closer to joining the team. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there has been no contact between the Seahawks and Chancellor’s agent since September 8, several days before the regular season got underway.
As Florio points out, it isn’t really a surprise that the two sides haven’t spoken recently, since the Seahawks have maintained that they aren’t interested in negotiating with the safety, who still has three years remaining on his contract. Entering into discussions with Chancellor would mean contradicting that stance.
Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter links) observes that it could be a big weekend for Chancellor and the Seahawks, since the Pro Bowler would lose a significant chunk of leverage if Seattle is able to pick up a road win against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. While I’m sure Chancellor isn’t rooting for his team to lose, he’s in an unusual position, since his best chance of winning the contract standoff will come if the Seahawks struggle without him.
Once Chancellor misses tomorrow’s game, the cost of his holdout will increase to north of $2MM.
NFC Notes: J. Jones, Long, Cruz, Workouts
Week 1 couldn’t have gone much better for Packers wide receiver James Jones, who re-signed with Green Bay less than two weeks ago and caught a pair of touchdown balls from Aaron Rodgers during his first game back with the team.
In an interview with Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com, Jones discussed the Raiders‘ and Giants‘ decisions to release him earlier this year, suggesting that Oakland simply wanted to “go younger,” while New York let him go out of respect, since he wouldn’t have been a big part of the Giants’ offense. Jones has no hard feelings toward either organization, but being cut twice in the span of a few months figures to motivate him this season.
“I’m extremely, extremely motivated, more than I have ever been, right now,” Jones said. “Not only to show the teams that released me that I have a lot of football left, but to show myself, that you still have a lot to give and you have a lot of football left. That’s my main motivation right now, to show people that I can still play this game at a very high level and still can help a ball club win.”
So far, so good for Jones and the Packers. Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Field Yates of ESPN.com provides a few more details on Jake Long‘s one-year contract with the Falcons, tweeting that while there’s a base value of $1.17MM, the deal has a strong “play-and-pay structure.” Long can earn up to $400K in per-game roster bonuses and another $1MM in incentives.
- Victor Cruz, who is continuing to deal with lingering calf problems, will miss the Giants‘ Week 2 game, but thinks he’ll be back on the field for the team within the next couple weeks, as Bart Hubbuch and Kyle Schnitzer of the New York Post write. The Giants, who have yet to use their IR-DTR slot, obviously felt confident heading into the season that Cruz wouldn’t be sidelined for a significant chunk of time, since it doesn’t seem as if the club ever seriously considered using that designation on the veteran wideout.
- In addition to their workouts which we passed along yesterday, the Eagles also auditioned offensive lineman Austin Reiter and running back Dreamius Smith this week, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- According to Wilson (via Twitter), offensive lineman Pierce Burton had a workout for the Panthers this week. Burton was initially waived by the Falcons during their cutdown to 53 players, then was cut from Atlanta’s practice squad earlier this week.
Workout Notes: Raiders, Pollard, Eagles
Earlier this afternoon, we passed along word that the Patriots had brought in six players for workouts, including wide receivers Jarrett Boykin and Austin Pettis, along with running back Bryce Brown. A few other teams have been auditioning free agents of their own this week, so let’s round up some of the latest updates….
- The Raiders, who recently placed Nate Allen on IR-DTR and saw Charles Woodson go down with a shoulder injury, could use some help at safety, and the team auditioned a veteran free agent this week, bringing in Bernard Pollard, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Pollard, whose 2014 season ended with a torn Achilles, tweeted that he “smashed” today’s tryout with Oakland.
- The Eagles made some changes to their offensive line this offseason, and the unit didn’t look as effective in Week 1 as it has in past years. It’s not clear yet if changes are on the horizon in Philadelphia, but the club worked out interior linemen Lemuel Jeanpierre and J.D. Walton this week, per Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (Twitter link). Adam Caplan of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Philadelphia also took a look at UDFA running back Ross Scheuerman.
- Quarterback Dustin Vaughan, one of those six players that worked out for the Patriots this week, also had an audition with the Titans, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Vaughn was waived by Dallas during the Cowboys’ cutdown to 53 players.
- Cornerback Trovon Reed, cut by the Rams earlier this month, tried out today for the Jets, says Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).
Patriots Notes: B. Brown, Workouts, Martin
With a showdown against the Bills in Buffalo around the corner, the Patriots engaged in the usual gamesmanship, bringing in a pair of former Bills for workouts this week. According to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link), running back Bryce Brown and quarterback Alex Tanney were among the players to get auditions from New England this week.
Brown has showed flashes of promise in the past, and Tanney has spent time on multiple NFL rosters, so the Pats were likely assessing both players as potential options in case of injuries throughout the season. But it probably didn’t hurt that Brown and Tanney were with the Bills in camp, and could provide some info on the opposition.
Here’s more out of New England:
- In addition to trying out Brown and Tanney, the Patriots also took a look at fullback Henry Hynoski, quarterback Dustin Vaughan, and wide receivers Jarrett Boykin and Austin Pettis, per Kyed.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the latest details on the NFL’s appeal of Judge Richard Berman’s Deflategate ruling, as the case figures to drag on for at least the next several months.
- Head coach Bill Belichick hinted today that newly-acquired wide receiver and return man Keshawn Martin will be more of a factor as a kickoff returner than as a punt returner, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Pats made a practice squad change today, cutting wide receiver Nathan Palmer and replacing him with defensive lineman Jimmy Staten, tweets Reiss.
Community Tailgate: Week 2 Upsets
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.
The second week of the NFL’s 2015 regular season got underway last night, and we couldn’t have asked for a wilder, more bizarre ending than what we got from the Broncos and Chiefs in Kansas City. Thursday night’s game will be hard to top this weekend, but as NFL executive Michael Signora tweeted last night, 13 of the 17 games on the schedule so far have been within a single score heading into the fourth quarter.
Heading into the weekend, we want to get your thoughts on Week 2’s slate of games, with a specific focus on potential upsets. The following teams are currently underdogs by at least a field goal, according to Bovada.lv:
- 49ers at Steelers
- Lions at Vikings
- Buccaneers at Saints
- Chargers at Bengals
- Texans at Panthers
- Washington vs. Rams
- Raiders vs. Ravens
- Jaguars vs. Dolphins
- Cowboys at Eagles
- Seahawks at Packers
- Jets at Colts
In all likelihood, at least a couple of these teams will pull off upsets this weekend, and it’s possible a handful will come through. Which underdogs do you like to pick up Week 2 wins? Weigh in below with your thoughts.
Breer’s Latest: Colts, Maxwell, Los Angeles
A week after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota – the top two picks in the 2015 draft – squared off in Tampa Bay, Albert Breer of the NFL Network spoke to Buccaneers GM Jason Licht and Titans GM Ruston Webster, and both executives are still very happy with the choices they made back in April. Of course, there wasn’t much to dislike about Mariota’s Week 1 performance for Webster, and even though Winston struggled, Licht says the team “saw some flashes of great play” and still has a lot of faith in the No. 1 overall pick.
As Breer notes, history suggests that a rookie quarterback’s performance in the first week of the regular season doesn’t necessarily reflect what kind of career – or even what kind of season – he’ll have, so it’s hard to draw too many conclusions from Mariota winning round one over Winston.
Let’s round up a few more of Breer’s items of interest….
- Colts owner Jim Irsay wants to make the most out of Andrew Luck‘s time in Indianapolis after the Colts only won one championship in 14 years with Peyton Manning, and there’s a belief that Irsay will have an itchy trigger finger with his decision-making as a result. If the 2015 season ends the same way the last three seasons have, Irsay will look to make changes, according to Breer, who says the Colts’ owner may go “big-game hunting” if he decides to replace Chuck Pagano as head coach.
- In examining Byron Maxwell‘s unsteady start with the Eagles, Breer cites one NFC executive who has said in the past that teams’ biggest free agent mistakes often involve projecting players into bigger roles. In Maxwell’s case, he was surrounded by Pro Bowl caliber defensive backs in Seattle, but is being relied upon as the No. 1 option in Philadelphia after inking a lucrative long-term contract. It remains to be seen whether Maxwell’s poor performance vs. the Falcons was a one-week blip or a sign of things to come.
- St. Louis and San Diego reps won’t get an opportunity to make presentations at the NFL’s owners meetings in October, but that doesn’t mean the subject of Los Angeles won’t be discussed. As Breer writes, owners could address and agree to a relocation fee, and figure out how it would be paid. The league may also try to finalize a temporary stadium for 2016 and a new window for applying for relocation, since the current window (January 1 to February 15) is expected to be moved up.
- Within his L.A.-related observations, Breer also says that Dean Spanos and his Chargers have garnered the most sympathy around the NFL based on his situation, so it seems extremely unlikely that any relocation scenario would leave the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium — the franchise figures to either move to L.A. or get a stadium solution worked out in San Diego.
Colts Place D’Joun Smith On IR-DTR
It’s been an active day of roster moves for the Colts, who have now made multiple changes to their active roster and practice squad in preparation for their Week 2 game against the Jets. According to a press release, the Colts have placed cornerback D’Joun Smith on the injured reserve list with the designation to return, promoting cornerback Eric Patterson from their practice squad to take Smith’s roster spot.
In addition to those moves affecting the 53-man roster, the club has also cut guard Robert Myers from its practice squad, adding guard David Arkin and cornerback Brandon Dixon to get back up to 10 players (Twitter link).
Several Indianapolis cornerbacks have been sidelined from practices this week with injuries, including Darius Butler, Greg Toler, and Smith, who was selected 65th overall back in May by the Colts. As such, it makes sense that the club would want to add some depth to its secondary to get through this weekend’s game.
A former Florida Atlantic defensive back, Smith was inactive for his first game in the NFL last week, and now he’ll miss at least the next eight weeks of action. The 22-year-old, who is battling a knee injury, will be eligible to return to practice in Week 8, but he won’t see the field in a game until at least Week 11, following the Colts’ Week 10 bye.
Indianapolis becomes the league’s 13th team to use its IR-DTR slot this season. The full recap of how teams have used that designation can be found right here.
2015 NFL Practice Squads
In addition to the 46 players active for regular season games and the seven additional roster players made inactive on game days, NFL teams are permitted to construct 10-man practice squads. The players on the squad work out and practice with the players on the active roster, but aren’t eligible to participate in games.
For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry 10 players instead of eight, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units.
Listed below are the current practice squad rosters for each NFL team. We’ll keep this list up to date throughout the year as players are shuttled on and off of these squads, so be sure to use the link in the sidebar on the right, under “PFR Features,” to keep tabs on the latest.
If you have any corrections, please contact us. Here are 2015′s NFL practice squads: