NFL Announces 2015 London Games
1:05pm: Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), all six teams heading to London next year will have their bye weeks following their overseas games. The automatic bye for teams playing in London could be removed as soon as 2016, says Breer.
9:45am: The NFL has officially announced its three games scheduled to take place in London’s Wembley Stadium during the 2015 season. The Dolphins, Lions, and Jaguars will all be heading back to Europe after playing games there this season. Here’s the full schedule:
- Week 4 (October 4): Jets at Dolphins
- Week 7 (October 25): Bills at Jaguars
- Week 8 (November 1): Lions at Chiefs
The Daily Mail had previously reported that the league intended to increase the number of games in London next season from three to five, but it appears that’s not the case. Still, 2015’s lineup reflects the NFL’s desire to further experiment with the schedule and the stadium — games will be held in London on back-to-back weeks for the first time, and with three games bunched together in five weeks, the schedule will put Wembley Stadium’s playing surface to the test. The NFL’s international chief, Mark Waller, explained earlier this season why such changes were coming.
“I’m less focused on going from three (games) to four, four to five, five to six,” Waller said in September. “Can we do back-to-back games? Will the surface hold up? Can we start sending teams there without the bye attached? It’s not about the number anymore. … We’re at a place now where if we continue to do the job with the fans, the fan base will grow, and we’ll be able to have a team (in London). The questions now are logistical.”
While the NFL’s full schedule for 2015 has yet to be announced, it’s worth keeping an eye on whether any of the teams visiting London will do so without having their bye the following week, as Waller suggests.
Additionally, the Jets/Dolphins game in Week 4 represents the first time a divisional matchup has been held in London. The decision by Dolphins ownership to give up a divisional home game is already being panned by local media.
Chip Kelly Addresses Nick Foles Report
Earlier this week, Mark Eckel of NJ.com reported that some members of the Eagles organization, including general manager Howie Roseman, had “soured” on Nick Foles even before the team’s starting quarterback went down with a broken collarbone. Asked today about the story, and whether he’d considered demoting Foles in favor of Mark Sanchez, head coach Chip Kelly issued a strong denial, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com details.
“No, not at all,” Kelly said. “I don’t know where that stuff comes from. I know this: I know I control the roster. I think you guys can see first hand, I don’t talk to anybody. So whoever says they have a source in terms of what’s going to go on with roster maneuvers, people going up and people going down, then they never talk to the right person because that comes from me. That was never the case. I have great faith in Nick and I think he’s a hell of a quarterback.”
Kelly’s response is interesting on a number of levels. For one, it doesn’t really address the crux of Eckel’s report — the NJ.com scribe never wrote that the Eagles were considering making Sanchez the starter, or that Kelly himself was having doubts about Foles. The report instead indicated that Roseman and others were souring on Foles and were potentially considering other long-term alternatives at the position.
Of course, while Kelly may not have denied the specific details of Eckel’s report, his response seems to suggest that opinions held by Roseman and other members of the front office only matter to a certain extent. By stressing that he has the final say on the Eagles’ roster and personnel decisions, Kelly makes it clear that as long as he believes in Foles, the team believes in Foles. Based on the head coach’s comments, it’s fair to wonder if there’s some dissension within the organization about whether or not Foles is the club’s long-term answer at quarterback.
It should just be a matter of time until we find out which way the Eagles are leaning on Foles in the long term. Even if the team doesn’t reach any conclusions based on Sanchez’s run as the starter in the second half this season, Foles will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2015, and won’t have a fifth-year option for 2016. As such, if the two sides don’t agree to an extension within the next year or so, that would strongly indicate that Philadelphia may move in another direction.
South Links: Panthers, Antone Smith, Texans
Unlike Adrian Peterson, whose legal case has concluded, Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy has no clear-cut path back to the field now that his trial has been postponed until after the season. Still, if there were a way for the veteran pass rusher to be reinstated in 2014, his teammates would welcome him back, as David Newton of ESPN.com details.
“Selfishly, as a player, would we want him as a player on our team? Of course. He makes us better,” said tight end Greg Olsen. “We also have to understand there’s a bigger picture. There’s bigger things at play, socially, just the environment we’re in. You have to respect that. I’m glad I’m not the one making the decisions. I trust that the people that have that power – mostly on the league side – will do what’s in the best interest of everyone.”
Here’s more from around the league’s two South divisions:
- While Cam Newton has faced increased scrutiny during the Panthers’ recent slide, the former first overall pick remains the team’s best short-term and long-term option at quarterback, writes Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer.
- As he approaches free agency, Falcons running back Antone Smith has hired Atlanta-based agent Todd France of Five Star Athlete Management, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. France assumed full ownership of the agency after new Bills owner Terry Pegula divested his interest in the firm.
- Ryan Mallett will get a chance down the stretch this season to prove that he’s capable of being the Texans‘ quarterback of the future, but John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) doesn’t envision Mallett back with the team next season. In McClain’s view, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Savage will return, along with a third, new signal-caller.
Poll: Should Adrian Peterson Be Reinstated?
Adrian Peterson‘s legal case was officially closed this week when the Vikings running back accepted a no-contest plea which will subject him to probation, a $4K fine, and 80 hours of community service. By pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge, Peterson avoids jail time and a conviction on his criminal record.
Peterson has now missed eight games this season after agreeing to be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list while the legal process played out, but now that the case has been closed, the NFL and the Vikings are faced with decisions on the next steps for the former All-Pro. While sitting out eight games may seem like a reasonable – or excessive – penalty for a player who pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor, it’s worth keeping in mind that Peterson was being paid his full salary during his absence, so even though he wasn’t on the field, he hasn’t technically faced a suspension either.
According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, Peterson’s camp, including attorney Rusty Hardin, approached the NFL in the hopes of reaching an agreement on immediate reinstatement for the running back once his plea agreement became official. However, the league refused to engage in discussions, making it clear that a ruling would be forthcoming and that Peterson would be notified at that point.
Since the Vikings are on their bye, the NFL has a few additional days to make its decision, so we probably shouldn’t expect an announcement until early next week, though one could come sooner. With sponsors to consider, the NFL pushing for more punitive penalties for personal conduct violations, and the Vikings’ playoff chances still hanging on by a thread, it certainly doesn’t look like there’s a simple solution that will appease everyone.
What do you think? Will Peterson be back for the Vikings’ Week 11 contest against the Bears? Will we see him later this season? Or will he return to the field – for the Vikings or another team – in 2015?
Latest On Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson‘s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, appeared on ESPN’s Mike and Mike today, and cautioned against lumping his client in with Ray Rice, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. In Hardin’s view, the grand jury only decided to reconsider Peterson’s case after the elevator footage of Rice striking his then-fiancée was leaked by TMZ, and Hardin hopes that the NFL and the public will assess the two players and cases individually.
While Hardin is right that the two cases aren’t identical, they do both involve former Pro Bowl running backs missing most or all of the 2014 season due to off-field transgressions. As such, for the purposes of passing along the latest updates on both players, we’ll “lump them together” and provide today’s news right here:
5:42pm:
- Roger Goodell was the first witness to testify under oath during Wednesday’s session, answering questions for more than two hours, including cross-examination by union attorney Jeffrey Kessler, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- Rice and his wife Janay are expected to testify separately on Thursday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter adds that a source told Outside the Lines a decision could come in a matter of days after the hearing concludes, though a timetable for the ruling hasn’t been set.
- An NFLPA sources tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link) that the union is taking the position that the league “knew everything” about what happened inside and outside that elevator even before league officials spoke to Rice. “We think we can prove it,” the source said. “We’ll see.”
1:03pm:
- Rice’s grievance hearing got underway today, and Tom Pelissero of USA Today provides a primer for what to expect. As Pelissero notes, there’s no clear timetable for when U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones will reach a decision, but the hearing is scheduled to conclude tomorrow.
- Per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), there were never any talks of a settlement for Rice between the NFL and NFLPA. Given the NFLPA’s push for commissioner Roger Goodell to testify at the hearing, it makes sense that the union wouldn’t be too open to a settlement.
- Ed Werder of ESPN.com outlines the next steps the league will take before making a final determination on whether Peterson will come off the commissioner’s exempt list and continue his playing career. A source tells Werder that there’s “no hurry but no delay either” on the process, which includes examining court documents, consulting domestic violence and substance abuse experts, holding a hearing with Peterson and the NFLPA, and more.
- Melissa Isaacson of ESPNW.com explains why she doesn’t think the NFL should immediately reinstate Peterson.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
We’ll keep tabs on today’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league right here:
- After waiting for him to clear waivers, the Ravens have officially signed tight end Phillip Supernaw back to their practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- The Seahawks have signed defensive end Ryan Robinson to their taxi squad and are now back to the maximum 10 players, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
- Having lost tackle Nick Becton off their practice squad when he signed with the Saints, the Giants have filled his spot by adding safety Kyle Sebetic, who was in camp with the team this summer.
Earlier updates:
- The Patriots have re-signed wideout Jonathan Krause to their taxi squad, dropping defensive lineman Kona Schwenke from the unit to clear a spot, the team announced today in a press release.
- Running back Michael Hill has been released from the Packers‘ practice squad, replaced by guard Jordan McCray, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Heading into today with one open spot on their practice squad, the Buccaneers created another opening by cutting defensive end George Uko, then filled those spots by signing defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo and cornerback Quinton Pointer, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaners.com.
- The Steelers have added safety Jordan Dangerfield to their practice squad, releasing defensive end Ethan Hemer, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Pittsburgh safeties Troy Polamalu and Shamarko Thomas are both dealing with injuries, so Dangerfield could be a candidate for promotion this weekend depending on the status of those players.
- Defensive tackle Loni Fangupo has joined the Chiefs‘ practice squad, according to his representatives at ARN Sports (Twitter link).
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves that affect teams’ 53-man rosters around the league:
- In a reversal of a pair of roster moves made earlier this week, the Panthers have re-signed running back Chris Ogbonnaya using the roster spot created when the team cut De’Andre Presley yesterday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Carolina had previously activated Presley and waived Ogbonnaya, so the club’s motives here aren’t entirely clear.
- Defensive end Demarcus Dobbs, cut yesterday by the 49ers, has been claimed off waivers by the division-rival Seahawks, according to his agent Wesley Spencer (Twitter link). Since Seattle didn’t have an open spot on the roster, the team placed defensive end Greg Scruggs on the injured reserve list in order to accommodate the addition of Dobbs, tweets Brian McIntyre.
Earlier updates:
- One depleted secondary has added a piece from another, as the Giants announced today in a press release that they’ve claimed cornerback Chykie Brown off waivers from the Ravens. To make room on the roster for Brown, who lost his job in Baltimore after Ben Roethlisberger threw six touchdowns against the Ravens on Sunday, the Giants placed Prince Amukamara on injured reserve — as we learned yesterday, the cornerback is out for the year with a torn biceps.
- The Titans have replaced one tight end with another on their 53-man roster, bringing back Brett Brackett and placing the injured Taylor Thompson on IR, according to a team release. Thompson suffered his knee injury in Week 3 and had been unable to get healthy, while Brackett had been on the Seahawks’ practice squad before signing to Tennessee’s active roster.
NFC Notes: Rams, Cowboys, Foles, 49ers
As rumblings about a potential Rams move to Los Angeles persist, the city of St. Louis and the state of Missouri are taking a proactive approach to attempt to keep the franchise in the midwest. As Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com details, Missouri governor Jay Nixon spoke to reporters on a conference call today to discuss the city’s and state’s plan to keep the Rams. According to Nixon, former Anheuser Busch president Dave Peacock and local attorney Bob Blitz have been appointed to spend the next two months putting together options for the city’s next stadium solution. The team’s current lease on the Edward Jones Dome expires at season’s end.
“Make no mistake about it, St. Louis is an NFL city,” Nixon said. “Being an NFL city is a matter of civic and state pride and one of international significance. An NFL team in St. Louis sends a clear signal that this city is a worldwide player and sets it in a special class when it comes to a competitive, global marketplace. The economic impact of the Rams team in St. Louis extends long beyond Sunday afternoon and sends a clear signal that this city is a worldwide player.”
Here are a few more Wednesday items from across the NFC:
- Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant, who hired Roc Nation Sports to represent him as he approaches free agency, will be repped by CAA’s Tom Condon and Roc Nation’s Kim Miale, tweets Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal.
- Appearing on The Ticket KTCK-AM 1310 in Dallas, TheMMQB.com’s Peter King suggested he thinks running back Adrian Peterson will play for the Cowboys at some point. While he stressed that he doesn’t have any inside info, King said that he’s always viewed it as a likely scenario, even before “Jerry [Jones] had that silly flirtation with him last year” (link via the Dallas Morning News).
- Following up on a report suggesting that the Eagles were souring on Nick Foles even before his injury, Howard Eskin of 94WIP (Twitter link) says he spoke with multiple team sources and was told the Eagles never discussed making a change to Mark Sanchez prior to Foles going down with a broken collarbone. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily contradict yesterday’s report, which seemed to suggest the club was considering longer-term alternatives to Foles, rather than a short-term change.
- Although running back Marcus Lattimore never played a game for the 49ers, the team paid him his full salary during his two years on the non-football-injury list, and won’t try to recoup any of his $300K signing bonus, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). According to Rapoport, Lattimore will also seek payment on his $1.7MM disability policy, and has a “great chance” of receiving that.
Marcus Lattimore Announces Retirement
After taking a couple days to mull over his decision, 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore has decided to end his NFL career, the team announced today in a press release. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com had reported earlier this week that Lattimore was expected to retire due to ongoing knee issues.
“This was a very difficult decision for Marcus and it was clear after speaking with him that he had put a lot of thought into it,” said 49ers general manager Trent Baalke in a statement. “He is a high-character young man who has done everything asked of him and more during his time with us and we have a great deal of respect for the strength and commitment he showed throughout the rehab process. It has been a pleasure to have Marcus as a member of our team and our community and we are confident that he will be very successful in whichever path he chooses to take in life. We look forward to supporting Marcus and wish him nothing but the best.”
Lattimore, who turned 23 last week, never appeared in a regular season NFL game, having been sidelined by injuries since being selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the Niners. This season, he was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list, and only began practicing last week, at which point he experienced some soreness and was forced to decide whether or not to continue his comeback.
“I have given every ounce of my energy toward making a full recovery from my knee injury, and I have made a lot of progress,” Lattimore said in his own statement. “Unfortunately, getting my knee fully back to the level the NFL demands has proven to be insurmountable. I am grateful for the entire 49ers organization. Their decision to draft me was the realization of a lifelong dream to be an NFL player, and I cannot thank them enough for believing in me and for doing everything in their power to assist in my recovery. I will always be a 49er!”
Chiefs Sign Anthony Sherman To Extension
1:23pm: Sherman’s new contract with the Chiefs is for three years and can be worth up to $7MM, a source tells Dave Skretta of The Associated Press (Twitter link). It’s not clear yet how much of the deal is guaranteed, or what the base value is.
11:28am: The Chiefs have locked up one of their offensive players who was headed for free agency at season’s end, announcing today in a press release that fullback Anthony Sherman has signed an extension. Terms of the new contract weren’t disclosed, but Sherman had been earning the minimum salary this season, so he’s unlikely to be in line for a significant raise.
“It was important for us to keep Anthony here in Kansas City,” Chiefs GM John Dorsey said in a statement. “He brings a lot to our football team with not only his play, but his work ethic, leadership and character. He doesn’t get a lot of recognition at his position, but he has been a key component to our success as a team.”
The lead blocker for Jamaal Charles in Kansas City’s offense, Sherman currently ranks as the No. 1 fullback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). Per PFF’s data, in 145 offensive snaps, Sherman has ranked among the league’s best fullbacks as both as a pass catcher and a run blocker.