Community Tailgate: Who Will Win MVP?
We’re still a few weeks away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. This summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. 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.
Over the course of the last eight NFL seasons, only one non-quarterback has won the MVP — Adrian Peterson took home the award following a 2012 season in which he ran for nearly 2,100 yards. The recipients in the other seven years, however, are fairly predictable: Aaron Rodgers‘s name shows up twice; Tom Brady‘s does too; and Peyton Manning was named MVP three times during that stretch.
In all likelihood, 2015’s MVP award winner will also be a quarterback, and oddsmakers view Rodgers and Colts signal-caller Andrew Luck as the favorites. According to betting site Bovada.lv, the two star QBs are the only players whose odds to win the award are better than 12-to-1. After Rodgers and Luck, the players with the highest odds to win this year’s MVP award include Peterson, Manning, Brady, J.J. Watt, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Jamaal Charles, Ben Roethlisberger, and Le’Veon Bell.
Looking ahead to the 2015 season, do you expect one of the players listed above to be named the NFL’s MVP, or do you like a dark horse candidate to defy the odds and win the award? Are quarterbacks simply too important for a player at any other position to take home the MVP, or will we see another player gain momentum and win the award this year, like Watt briefly threatened to do a year ago?
What do you think? Who will be the 2015 NFL MVP? Weigh in below in the comment section with your thoughts!
Chris Johnson To Work Out For Cardinals
FRIDAY, 5:43pm: Johnson is headed to Arizona on Sunday to work out for the Cardinals and take a physical for the team, reports Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Twitter). It sounds like there’s a decent chance the two sides could reach an agreement if all goes well.
TUESDAY, 9:02am: In search of some depth at the running back position, the Cardinals have interest in one of the most notable names on the free agent market. According to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Arizona has offered Chris Johnson a one-year contract, and the veteran back is mulling the team’s offer.
We heard on Monday that Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians wasn’t overly thrilled with the play of his running backs so far this summer, and intended to discuss outside options with GM Steve Keim. The ground game was a weak spot in Arizona last season, as the team’s leading rusher, Andre Ellington, totaled just 660 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. No other Cardinals back had more than 250 rushing yards.
Nonethless, the Cardinals head into the preseason with Ellington poised to bounce back, and third-round rookie David Johnson joining Stepfan Taylor and Kerwynn Williams as potential complements to Ellington. As Russini notes (via Twitter), Chris Johnson wants to go a situation where he knows he’ll make the team, and there’s no guarantee of that in Arizona.
Johnson, who turns 30 in September, is now six years removed from his 2,000-yard season, which came back in 2009. Last season for the Jets, Johnson ran for just 663 yards, the first time in his career he recorded fewer than 1,000 yards in a season. However, he averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry in 2014, and claims to be in great shape this year after being shot in a drive-by shooting during the offseason. It would be a surprise if he remained unemployed by Labor Day.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/15
Earlier in the day, we rounded up several of Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, but there have been a number of moves since then. Here’s the latest:
- The Broncos have claimed punter Spencer Lanning off waivers from the Buccaneers, increasing their roster to the maximum 90 players, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. For Lanning, who can also handle kickoffs, it’s the second time this offseason he has been claimed off waivers — the Bucs snatched him up in June after he was cut by Cleveland.
- Defensive tackle Casey Walker has rejoined the Patriots, the team with which he saw the most action last season, the club announced today in a press release. According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link), after being cut by the Ravens earlier this month, Walker visited the Pats and Rams and received interest from other clubs as well.
- Washington has swapped one linebacker for another, waiving Trevardo Williams and signing Sage Harold, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Williams, who’s dealing with a hamstring issue, will revert to the team’s injured reserve list if he clears waivers.
- The following players have been removed from their respective teams’ IR lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all Twitter links): WR Caleb Holley (Bills), DB Shamiel Gary (Dolphins), and LB Quinton Alston (Buccaneers).
- After being waived/injured by the Steelers earlier this week, running back Cameron Stingily is now on the team’s IR, tweets Wilson.
Possible Tight End Options For Washington
With the NFL’s preseason schedule getting underway this week, it’s the first real chance for fans to get a glimpse at how their favorite teams look this season. For many teams though, it also marks the start of a war of attrition — in the early days of training camp and the preseason, there are several clubs around the league that have already sustained multiple injuries at a specific position.
One of those teams is Washington. Scot McCloughan, Jay Gruden, and company have watched in recent days as the club’s tight ends have fallen one by one. Jordan Reed is battling a hamstring issue, but he’s in better shape than Niles Paul, who will miss the year after fracturing and dislocating his ankle last night. Logan Paulsen‘s season is also in jeopardy, as he may require toe surgery that could sideline him for most or all of the year.
The injuries leave Washington shorthanded at the tight end spot. Reed, who has caught 95 balls in his first two seasons, can probably handle the starting job if he’s healthy, but Paul and Paulsen were viewed as nice complements who were likely to make the roster, with the former contributing his pass-catching abilities while the latter served as more of a blocker. None of the other three tight ends on Washington’s roster – Chase Dixon, Je’Ron Hamm, and Devin Mahina – have appeared in a regular season NFL game, so a veteran addition may be needed.
Of course, the free agent market for tight ends isn’t exactly overflowing with talent at the moment. Former Bengals tight end Alex Smith, who played under Gruden in Cincinnati, would have made some sense, but he signed with the Saints last week. Earlier today, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweeted out a list of possible targets for Washington, including Zach Miller, Fred Davis, Tom Crabtree, Mike McNeill, Michael Palmer, and Kory Sperry.
Since then, ESPN.com’s John Keim has reported (via Twitter) that Miller isn’t an option, Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN has reported (via Twitter) that Washington isn’t interested in Davis, and Crabtree himself has removed his own name from the list. McNeill, Palmer, and Sperry could be possibilities for Washington, but they certainly aren’t inspiring alternatives; none of those three players has recorded more than a single reception in a season since 2012.
There are a couple other intriguing veterans on the tight end market, but neither currently appears to be a viable option for Washington. Former Packer Jermichael Finley, who suffered a significant neck injury during his last game with Green Bay in 2013, seems unlikely to continue his NFL career, despite initially saying he wanted to return to the field. One semi-retired veteran who would like to play for Washington is Chris Cooley, who said this week that it would “literally be the greatest thing in the world” to join his old team. However, so far at least, it doesn’t appear that interest is mutual.
Even if Washington doesn’t like any of the options currently on the free agent market, there should be many more choices in early September, when teams start making cuts to pare their rosters down from 90 players to 53. But McCloughan may not want to wait that long to add someone, since that wouldn’t leave much time for a new player to get acclimated to Washington’s offense.
The trade market is another avenue the team figures to explore, and one logical trade target would be Vernon Davis, who was drafted by McCloughan in 2006 and could benefit from a change of scenery after struggling mightily last season in San Francisco. According to Keim (Twitter link), however, Davis is “not a realistic option” for Washington, which makes sense. Even if the Niners were willing to move him, the veteran tight end earns a base salary of $4.35MM this year, the final season of his contract, and Washington will likely be seeking a cheaper stopgap option.
Still, there are plenty of potential trade partners around the league, such as – for instance – the Titans. With Delanie Walker, Anthony Fasano, and Craig Stevens almost certainly assured of roster spots, Tennessee also has tight ends Phillip Supernaw, Chase Coffman, and Tevin Westbrook in camp, and fourth-round fullback Jalston Fowler will likely see some time at the position as well. A team like the Titans has the depth to accommodate a deal with Washington, if they so choose.
Ultimately, while a trade might make the most sense for Washington, a big-name acquisition like Davis is unlikely. I expect the front office to keep a close eye on depth charts around the league, targeting young players with promise and/or potential release candidates, perhaps offering up a late-round or conditional draft pick for someone they like. If the trade route isn’t fruitful, signing a veteran free agent for depth purposes may be Washington’s only real play, whether it happens now or in a few weeks. Otherwise, the team may find itself leaning heavily on multiple unproven young players at a key offensive position.
Eagles Sign Deontae Skinner
The Eagles are back up to the 90-man roster limit after signing linebacker Deontae Skinner, the team announced today (via Twitter). The move comes on the heels of the club waiving linebacker Brandon Hepburn, who sustained an abdominal injury.
Skinner, 24, signed with the Patriots in 2014 as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State. Although Skinner didn’t crack New England’s Week 1 roster last season, he spent time on the 53-man squad later in the season, bouncing back and forth from the practice squad. For the year, he recorded 16 tackles and a sack in seven regular season contests.
Skinner figures to have the opportunity to compete for a spot on an increasingly banged-up Eagles’ linebacking corps. Terms of his deal weren’t disclosed, but it’s almost certainly a minimum-salary pact with no guaranteed money.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/15
Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:
- The Eagles waived two players with injury designations, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve cut linebacker Brandon Hepburn (abdominal) and defensive end B.J. McBryde (foot). Both players figure to revert to the team’s IR list if they clear waivers. Meanwhile, the Eagles added former Winston-Salem St. defensive end Alfy Hill.
- The Vikings have waived/injured wide receiver Gavin Lutman, replacing him on their roster with defensive tackle Greg Hickman, per Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
- Wide receiver DeShon Foxx, who signed with the Seahawks in May, has been cut by the team (Twitter link). Seattle has signed linebacker Alex Singleton to take Foxx’s place on the roster.
- The Buccaneers are back up to 90 players after re-signing rookie safety Derrick Wells today, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
Matt Flynn Visits Jets
12:40pm: Flynn visited the Jets today and took a physical, but didn’t work out for the team as he continues to deal with his hamstring issue, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
8:41am: Following their preseason loss to the Lions on Thursday night, the Jets continue to consider free agent quarterbacks, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has expressed interest in Matt Flynn, among other veteran options. The Jets have discussed bringing in Flynn for a visit, but haven’t scheduled anything yet, tweets Mehta, though Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says (via Twitter) that the ex-Packer will work out for New York today.
Flynn, 30, signed with the Patriots in June, but didn’t see much time on the practice field before he was cut by New England. The veteran quarterback was placed on the non-football injury list last month before Pats veterans reported to training camp and never took the field, due to a hamstring injury.
Flynn has spent most of his career with the Packers, parlaying a huge Week 17 game in 2011 into a three-year contract with the Seahawks in free agency. After never starting a game in Seattle, the former seventh-round pick bounced around the league a little, joining the Bills and Raiders before returning to Green Bay. Now, he’s a candidate to sign with the Jets as veteran insurance following Geno Smith‘s jaw surgery.
Still, even if the Jets bring Flynn in for a workout, the team isn’t in a hurry to make a move, tweets Mehta. New York wants to make sure rookie Bryce Petty sees plenty of quality preseason reps, and Flynn is still rehabbing his hamstring injury. The Jets were also linked to Rex Grossman, who is rehabbing an injury of his own, which suggests that the club isn’t targeting immediate help.
If the Jets do want to work out Flynn today, it should be easy enough — as Mehta tweets, the free agent signal-caller has family in New York, and is in the area already.
NFC Notes: Shembo, Washington, Packers
The Falcons cut linebacker Prince Shembo earlier in the offseason when he was facing felony charges in an animal cruelty case. Now that he has pleaded those charges down to a misdemeanor and resolved the case, Shembo may land on Atlanta’s radar again, says D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“I’m sure that we will [discuss Shembo], but general manager Thomas [Dimitroff] and I have not gotten together on that, at this point,” Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said.
As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk observes, you can make an on-field case for the Falcons re-signing Shembo, a former fourth-round pick. However, considering the linebacker admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend’s dog and was also investigated but not charged at Notre Dame with sexual assault of a woman who later committed suicide, Shembo may not be worth the trouble. He’ll also likely be facing NFL discipline for running afoul of the league’s personal conduct policy.
Here are several more Friday notes from across the NFC:
- Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen may both be out for the year for Washington, but the team isn’t eyeing free agent tight end Zach Miller, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- While many of their rivals around the league get impatient and pursue high-priced free agents to fill holes, the Packers have continued to “draft, develop, and reinvest,” writes Field Yates of ESPN.com in his Insider-only look at how Green Bay built its current roster.
- Several days after the Lions made DeAndre Levy the highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker in the league, Lavonte David signed an even bigger deal with the Buccaneers to set the new standard at the position. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at how the two contracts stack up against to one another, throwing in Bobby Wagner‘s new extension with the Seahawks as a point of comparison.
- With Jimmy Graham no longer in the mix in New Orleans, the Saints will need a player – or a combination of players – to step up and provide help for quarterback Drew Brees this year, writes Zolan V Kanno-Youngs of USA Today.
West Notes: Rivers, Massie, T. Williams
A report earlier in training camp indicated that the Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers figured to shelve extension talks until 2016 if the two sides didn’t reach a deal by August 13. However, during Thursday night’s broadcast of the team’s preseason opener, Rivers still sounded open to getting something done this year, if the two sides can reach a compromise, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
“I have a contract for 2015 and I’m excited to be here with the guys and try to go help us win,” Rivers told Alex Flanagan. “If that changes, if there’s more years after that, then I’ll be fired up. But if not, in the short term I’m excited just to be a part of this team this year and try to lead us to win a lot of football games.”
While we wait to see if the Chargers and Rivers can agree to terms on a new deal, let’s check in on some other items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….
- The police report from Bobby Massie‘s January arrest has been released by the Tempe Police Department, and Jim Walsh of the Arizona Republic passes along some of the troubling details. According to police, Massie – who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence – said he had been impaired by alcohol every day for the last 10 years, but didn’t believe he had an alcohol problem. The Cardinals‘ starting right tackle is facing a three-game suspension for the incident, though he’s appealing that penalty.
- Chargers outside linebacker Tourek Williams broke his foot during last night’s game against the Cowboys and will require surgery, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). It’s a significant blow for San Diego, since the team wasn’t particularly deep at the position to begin with. Williams could be a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return, depending on his recovery timetable.
- NFL rules prohibit team owners from owning NBA, NHL, or MLB teams in other markets that have NFL teams, but Rams owner Stan Kroenke continues to hold the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche. As Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, Kroenke has submitted a plan to the NFL to resolve that situation, and it should meet league approval, though details of the proposal aren’t known.
Niles Paul Out For Season With Ankle Injury
10:13pm: Paul fractured and dislocated his ankle, and will be out for the entire 2015 season, Washington head coach Jay Gruden confirmed tonight (Twitter links via Mike Jones of the Washington Post).
8:18pm: Washington tight end Niles Paul dislocated his ankle during the team’s preseason game tonight, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). According to Rapoport, Paul will undergo an MRI to see if the ligaments are still intact.
Paul, who turned 26 on Sunday, had a breakout season for Washington in 2014, catching 39 balls for 507 yards, after having recorded just 14 receptions in his first three seasons. He had appeared poised to play a role in the offense once again this season, but his ankle injury figures to sideline him for at least part of the year.
In 2014, Paul’s teammate Robert Griffin III suffered a dislocated ankle and returned to the field seven weeks later. However, if Paul sustained significant ligament damage in addition to dislocating the ankle, it seems likely that he’d be on the shelf for longer than that.
Paul is the second Washington tight end whose season has been placed in jeopardy this week, as Logan Paulsen may require toe surgery that would sideline him for most or all of the year. Jordan Reed is also nursing a hamstring injury, though it’s not believed to be as serious.
Former Washington tight end Chris Cooley recently expressed interest in rejoining his old team, but John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says he’s been told a few times that Cooley isn’t an option for the club. Keim wonders if that stance will change at all, given Washington’s injury woes at the position.