NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Bowman, Cards
In what’s been a busy day for NFL news so far – particularly for running backs around the league – let’s catch up on a few items from out of the NFC West….
- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed that center Max Unger will likely miss three or four weeks with ankle and knee injuries, meaning the team will likely have to add a center to the mix to complement Patrick Lewis, as Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk details. Crabtree and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times both cite former Seahawk Lemuel Jeanpierre as a probable free agent addition for the club.
- Within Condotta’s article, he also passes along a tweet from defensive tackle Travian Robertson, who had been on the Falcons‘ practice squad. Robertson announced that he’s on his way to Seattle, a signal that the Seahawks will be signing him away from Atlanta.
- 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman will begin practicing today, starting the clock on a three-week window during which the team will have to move him to the active roster. If he’s not made active in three weeks, Bowman will be ruled out for the season, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio acknowledges that’s a possiblity, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Tight end Garrett Celek, defensive tackle Kaleb Ramsey, and cornerback Keith Reaser will also begin practicing for the 49ers today, triggering their three-week countdowns, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Cardinals reporters Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter links) agree that running back Ben Tate is an unlikely target for Arizona, even if he makes it through waivers unclaimed.
Panthers Activate Mike Tolbert; Chandler To IR
On the heels of waiving Jason Avant and adding wide receiver De’Andre Presley in his place, the Panthers have completed another pair of roster moves, according to a team release. Carolina has activated running back Mike Tolbert from the injured reserve list and moved tackle Nate Chandler to IR, ending his season.
Tolbert, who suffered a hairline fracture and bone bruise in his leg earlier this year, was placed on IR with the designation to return, and will rejoin a backfield that finally appears to be getting fully healthy as the Panthers enter their bye week. Conversely, Chandler, who started all 11 games at right tackle for Carolina, will require surgery to repair a knee issue, per David Newton of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Chandler signed an extension with the Panthers earlier in 2014, so the team will hope to have him back at 100% health heading into the 2015 season.
While the Panthers’ offensive line has seen several players miss time with injuries this season, right tackle was one spot that had remained relatively stable. In Chandler’s absence, David Foucault, Mike Remmers, and Chris Scott are expected to compete for playing time at the position.
Eagles Re-Sign Carmichael, Put Wolff On IR
The Eagles have made a change to their secondary, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve re-signed defensive back Roc Carmichael, placing safety Earl Wolff on the injured reserve list in a corresponding transaction.
It’s not clear whether Wolff has a significant injury that would keep him out for the rest of the season — it appeared he’d slipped on the Eagles’ depth chart recently, and had been a healthy scratch in recent weeks, sitting in favor of Nate Allen and Chris Prosinski. In any case, his 2014 campaign has come to an early end, though he remains under contract with the club through 2016.
As for Carmichael, he recently worked out for the Eagles, and rejoins the club after having spent the majority of the 2013 season in Philadelphia. Having been waived by the Eagles during the team’s preseason cutdown to 53 players, Carmichael had worked out for the Lions, Buccaneers, and Chargers this season before catching back on with Philadelphia today.
Panthers Release Jason Avant
11:33am: Speaking to reporters about Avant’s release, head coach Ron Rivera said the decision was about creating more opportunities for young wideouts like Brenton Bersin and Philly Brown (Twitter link via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer). Rivera added that he knew nothing about Avant’s comments questioning Sunday’s play-calling, insisting this was a football move (Twitter links).
The Panthers have promoted receiver De’Andre Presley from their practice squad to replace Avant.
11:28am: The Panthers are releasing wide receiver Jason Avant, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). As is the case for all players – even vested veterans – after the trade deadline, Avant will be subject to waivers, so he’ll either be claimed by another team or hit the open market.
Agent Doug Hendrickson first indicated that his client had been cut by the Panthers during the team’s bye week, tweeting, “Much better things ahead and role for Jason Avant. Definitely deserves better.” Hendrickson’s comment suggests that perhaps he and Avant weren’t happy with the way things were handled by the front office in Carolina. The wideout’s release comes on the heels of slightly critical comments he made about the team’s conservative playcalling after Sunday’s loss to the Falcons.
“I’ve been in the league a long time. I know two things. You never want to give a team a chance to win a game, with how much time was left on the clock,” Avant said on Sunday, referring to the game’s fourth quarter. “And asking a kicker to make a 50-yard field goal with the game on the line is rough sledding.”
In 11 games with Carolina this season, Avant grabbed 21 balls for 201 yards and a touchdown. After cutting him, the Panthers will have an open spot on their 53-man roster, so a corresponding move will likely be announced soon.
Browns Waive Ben Tate
Less than a year after signing him to a multiyear deal in free agency, the Browns announced today (Twitter link) that they’ve released running back Ben Tate. Assuming Tate passes through waivers unclaimed, he’ll be free to sign with any team later this week.
Viewed as one of the top options on the open market back in March, Tate joined the Browns after backing up Arian Foster in Houston for the duration of his rookie contract. While it initially appeared that Tate would be the No. 1 back in Cleveland, a combination of injuries and the emergence of rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell has relegated Tate to a complementary role. The 26-year-old, who has been frustrated by his lack of playing time, received just two carries for minus-nine yards during Sunday’s loss to the Texans.
None of Tate’s salary for the 2015 season is guaranteed, though a prorated portion of his $1.5MM signing bonus will remain on the team’s cap. The club will gain nearly $3MM in ’15 cap room by cutting him, reducing his hit from $3.7MM to just $750K in dead money.
As for Tate’s next team, Indianapolis is the first club that comes to mind, considering Ahmad Bradshaw is believed to have fractured his ankle and will likely be sidelined for the season. However, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report observes (via Twitter), the team’s offense is “exceptionally complex” for running backs, which is one reason Trent Richardson has struggled. As such, the Colts may not be interested in bringing aboard a back who’s not familiar with their system, particularly one who griped about a lack of touches with his previous team.
Workout Notes: 49ers, Bills, Saints, Eagles
As usual, NFL teams are keeping a close eye on the free agent market, bringing in players for visits and tryouts as they prepare contingency plans in the event that they need to replace injured players or add depth. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the details on several of the latest workouts and auditions from around the league, so let’s round up the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….
- In the wake of Jimmie Ward‘s season-ending injury, the 49ers worked out a handful of defensive backs, including Dominique Franks, Drayton Florence, and Marcus Cromartie.
- Before they decided to sign safety Bacarri Rambo, the Bills eyed several other defensive backs as possible replacements in the secondary for injured cornerback Leodis McKelvin. Chris Clemons, Brandon Taylor, Stephon Morris, and Josh Bush also auditioned for the club.
- A trio of linebackers – Moise Fokou, L.J. Fort, and Jerry Franklin – worked out for the Saints.
- We heard previously that the Eagles took a look at a couple former starting quarterbacks, but that wasn’t the only position at which the team auditioned players. Philadelphia also tried out wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu and defensive back Roc Carmichael.
- In addition to bringing in Allen Reisner, who signed with the team’s practice squad, the Ravens worked out fellow tight end Ike Ariguzo.
Minor Moves: Monday
Here are Monday’s minor transactions, including practice squad signings and cuts, from around the NFL:
- The Ravens have replaced one tight end with another on their practice squad, signing Allen Reisner and cutting Emmanuel Ogbuehi, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Reisner had been on the open market since being dropped from the Patriots’ practice squad back in September.
- Joe Flacco‘s younger brother Michael Flacco has been released from the Jaguars‘ taxi squad, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). Flacco had been with the unit for a little over a month.
- Washington announced a change to its practice squad today, tweeting that the club has released wideout Rashad Ross and replaced him with offensive tackle Michael Huey.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link) reports that the Buccaneers have cut wideout and return man Trindon Holliday from their injured reserve list. Holliday appeared in just one game for the team last month before being placed on IR with a hamstring injury.
Peterson Discipline Decision May Come Soon
7:56pm: Peterson’s team initiated talks last week on a potential settlement but those discussions went nowhere, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter).
7:36pm: A ruling will likely come between now and Wednesday, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Peterson also requested, for a second time, to meet personally with Roger Goodell via the union’s letter, but he has yet to receive a reply, according to one of Mortensen’s sources (on Twitter).
Meanwhile, the league says that they agreed to give Peterson the exact type of hearing that he requested, only to have him pass on it (link). The NFL has also made it clear that disciplinary action for Peterson will focus on the incident of Peterson beating his child, which brought the initial charges, Mortensen tweets.
5:29pm: Peterson’s grievance seeking immediate reinstatement was heard by an arbitrator via a conference call, which took about 30 minutes, tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN. The arbitrator, Shyam Das, told the participating reps in the grievance that he would have a decision “quickly,” Mortensen tweets.
11:51am:The NFL may announce a decision on additional discipline for Vikings running back Adrian Peterson today, according to multiple reports. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that an announcement on Peterson’s discipline could happen before his afternoon hearing, while Peter King of TheMMQB.com writes in his weekly column that he expects the league to issue its decision today, with Peterson appealing the sanction immediately.
There are currently two parallel issues to be resolved for Peterson, whose hearing today relates to his grievance to be removed from the commissioner’s exempt list. Arbitrator Shyam Das will have five days to issue a ruling on that matter, meaning it should be worked out by Saturday. However, with the NFL expected to announce a possible fine or suspension for Peterson, that matter will have to be resolved as well — Peterson would likely file an appeal within three days, giving the league another three days to hold an appeal hearing and make a decision, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details.
With so many balls up in the air, it seems unlikely that Peterson will suit up for the Vikings this coming weekend against Green Bay, though that isn’t entirely out of the question. We should get a better idea of whether or not the All-Pro running back will play this season when the league announces its decision on discipline, which could happen in a matter of hours. Despite having sat out half the season so far, Peterson is expected to face a suspension since he was still being paid during his absence.
2015 NFL Free Agents
Pro Football Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2015 NFL free agents is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2014 season. The player’s 2015 age is in parentheses. Players are sorted by the position at which they played most in ’14, or the position at which their most recent team listed them.
Players who finished the 2014 season on an NFL roster but don’t have a contract for 2014 are listed below, along with a few other notable free agents who didn’t finish the 2014 season on an NFL roster. Players eligible for restricted free agency are marked with (R), while exclusive rights free agents are not included. Franchise and transition players are marked with (F) and (T) respectively. All other free agents are assumed to be unrestricted.
If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us. For instant free agent updates, be sure to follow us on Twitter @pfrumors.
Updated 9-4-15 (4:00pm CT)
Injury Updates: Monday
We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence. Already today, we’ve learned that the Colts believe Ahmad Bradshaw broke his ankle during last night’s game against the Patriots. Here are a few more updates from around the league:
- Browns head coach Mike Pettine told reporters today that linebacker Jabaal Sheard may be out for the season with a foot injury (Twitter links via Jeff Schudel and Nate Ulrich). As for Karlos Dansby, whose MCL injury is noted below, he could be sidelined for a month or so.
- Dolphins linebacker Jonathan Freeny is expected to miss about four weeks with a hamstring injury, sources tell James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- A successful contract year has come to an abrupt and disappointing end for Falcons running back Antone Smith, according to head coach Mike Smith, who told reporters today that Smith broke his leg and will be placed on IR (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).
Earlier updates:
- As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Falcons cornerback Robert Alford broke his wrist during yesterday’s win over the Panthers. Smith confirmed that Alford will miss two to four weeks with the injury, tweets McClure.
- Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians announced today that tight end Troy Niklas has a high ankle sprain and is unlikely to play this week. The team intends to monitor Niklas and is hopeful that the injury won’t end his season (Twitter links via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
- As first reported by CST’s Victor Howell (Twitter link), Saints wide receiver and return man Brandin Cooks broke his thumb yesterday against the Bengals. Agent Jeff Sperbeck (Twitter link) has confirmed that his client had surgery on his thumb and should return in about four to six weeks.. With Robert Meachem also dealing with an ankle issue, New Orleans may consider adding another wideout to the roster at some point this week.
- The Saints also saw safety Rafael Bush leave yesterday’s game with a leg injury, and Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate reports that Bush has a broken fibula rather than a more serious fractured tibia. Still, a fractured fibula generally requires a few weeks to heal, so we’ll see if New Orleans decides to put Bush on injured reserve — if they do, he’d be the fourth Saints safety to land on IR this year. Ty Zimmerman, Vinnie Sunseri, and notable offseason signee Jairus Byrd are already on IR.
- The Browns believe starting linebacker Karlos Dansby suffered a sprained MCL against the Texans yesterday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dansby is undergoing more tests today to confirm the diagnosis and to determine a timetable for his recovery.