Raiders Place Rod Streater On IR-DTR
The Raiders have used the designated to return spot on their injured reserve list, placing injured receiver Rod Streater in that slot today, the team announced in a press release. The move will sideline Streater from practice for the next six weeks, while he’ll be eligible to return to game action in eight weeks.
Streater, 26, caught 60 balls for the Raiders last season for 888 yards, and entered the 2014 campaign as one of the team’s starting wideouts. However, he went down during Oakland’s Week 3 game against the Patriots with a foot injury that ultimately required surgery. As Bill Williamson of ESPN.com tweets, Streater’s agent said today that now that he’s had screws put in his foot, the receiver would likely be out for at least five or six weeks, so it makes sense that Oakland would use its IR-DTR spot on him.
The Raiders now have an opening on their 53-man roster that they can use to sign a free agent or promote a player from their practice squad.
For the full breakdown of how NFL teams have used their IR-DTR spots this year, check out our tracker.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Colts, Ryan, Blackmon
After taking a look at a few Thursday headlines out of the NFC this morning, we’ll shift our attention to the league’s other conference and check in on the latest from around the AFC….
- Earlier this week, Albert Breer of the NFL Network reported that Jon Gruden is a big fan of quarterback Derek Carr and that his presence could help lure Chucky back to Oakland. Now, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that Raiders owner Mark Davis actually drafted Carr in the second round of this year’s draft as a part of his plan to bring Gruden back.
- As Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star explains, the extra non-guaranteed year tacked onto the end of Robert Mathis‘ current contract isn’t the reason the Colts extended his deal. The extension included a reworking of his 2015 salary that makes it much more palatable for the team to move on from the veteran pass rusher after this season, if he’s viewed as too expensive or if he isn’t recovering well from his torn Achilles.
- Asked earlier today about head coach Rex Ryan‘s job security, Jets owner Woody Johnson said that’s something the team would evaluate at season’s end. For his part, Ryan told reporters today, “I think we’ll win this year. … I believe in my heart that I’ll be a part of [the Jets’] long-term future” (Twitter link via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News).
- News that Justin Blackmon has voluntarily entered a treatment facility is a good sign that the troubled receiver may finally be turning his life around, writes Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. In fact, that should make the Jaguars cautiously optimistic that the wideout may return to the field one day. Blackmon is currently serving an indefinite suspension for his third violation of the NFL’s substance abuse program.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Extension Candidate: Jeremy Maclin
Whether or not they strictly adhere to them, many teams have policies in place that precludes in-season contract extensions, even for players on the verge of free agency. A Week 1 deadline for contract negotiations means that players won’t be distracted during the season by haggling over contract figures, and can focus all their attention on their performance on the field as they play for a new contract.
The Eagles haven’t completed an in-season extension for one of their players since 2009, but the club isn’t entirely opposed to the concept. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week that the team is open to the idea of locking up No. 1 receiver Jeremy Maclin to a deal that will keep him in an Eagles uniform beyond this season. While it’s not clear if negotiations between Philadelphia and Maclin’s camp are underway, the 26-year-old is eligible for free agency in March, so the team should be motivated to get something done, if not during the season, then shortly thereafter.
Coming off an ACL injury that wiped out his 2013 season, Maclin settled for a one-year, $5.5MM contract, even though the Eagles were willing to make him a longer-term offer. The former 19th overall pick reportedly turned down a five-year proposal from the team, preferring to bet on himself to have a big 2014 season and earn a more lucrative deal in 2015.
While terms of the Eagles’ five-year offer to Maclin aren’t known, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was in the same ballpark as the contract offered to and signed by fellow wideout Riley Cooper. After setting career-highs in receptions (47), receiving yards (835), and touchdowns (eight) during the 2013 campaign, Cooper received a five-year, $22.5MM contract, with $8MM in fully guaranteed money. Maclin’s track record suggested he had a higher ceiling – and floor – than Cooper, so perhaps the Eagles offered him a little more in terms of annual average salary or guaranteed money. But Maclin was coming off a serious knee injury, so it seems unlikely Philadelphia made him too lucrative an offer, especially considering the Missouri product opted for the one-year deal instead.
A contract in the ballpark of Cooper’s deal may have been a fair offer eight months ago, but Maclin’s value is already on the rise through four games this season. He leads the Eagles in all major receiving categories, and is on pace to establish new career-bests in receptions (80), receiving yards (1,412), and touchdowns (12).
Of course, projecting one’s pace after just a quarter of the season is a dangerous game, particularly for a player like Maclin, who is coming off a major injury a year ago and hasn’t played a full 16-game slate since 2010. Still, Maclin’s early-season production suggests he’s capable of assuming the role of Philadelphia’s top wideout now that DeSean Jackson is in Washington, and if he and the Eagles open extension talks, Maclin’s September play will factor significantly in his asking price.
As long as Maclin continues to produce and stays healthy, he should have a chance to match or exceed the five-year contracts signed by the top free agent wideouts of 2014’s class — Eric Decker‘s $36.25MM pact and Golden Tate‘s $31MM deal would likely be targets for Maclin and his agent, and you can certainly make a case that those players are appropriate comparables for the Eagles wideout.
Decker’s numbers during his final two years in Denver were markedly better than any of Maclin’s full-season totals, but those figures were impacted greatly by the fact that Peyton Manning was throwing passes to Decker. As for Tate, in a more conservative Seattle offense, his 64-catch, 898-yard production in 2013 looks pretty similar to the sort of seasons Maclin was posting during his first four years in Philadelphia. In a more pass-heavy Lions offense this season, Tate is off to a start similar to Maclin’s, minus the touchdowns — 24 receptions for 317 yards.
The Eagles may be inclined to wait until season’s end to address Maclin’s contract situation, in order to ensure he stays healthy and continues to build rapport with quarterback Nick Foles. But if the sixth-year wideout does both of those things, his stock will only continue to rise right along with his 2014 receiving totals. Getting him locked up now to a contract in the neighborhood of Decker’s could be Philadelphia’s most prudent move, and perhaps an annual salary in the $7-8MM range would be enough to get Maclin to sign off the sort of five-year contract he turned down last winter.
Jets Owner Talks Smith, CBs, Ryan, Idzik
Jets owner Woody Johnson spoke to reporters today, and while he didn’t have any significant updates to provide, the session acted as a sort of state of the union session, with Johnson addressing a number of Jets-related topics and issues. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Brian Costello of the New York Post, and Newsday’s Kimberly Martin were among the scribes providing updates, so we’ve rounded up the highlights from the Jets owner below (all links go to Twitter). Let’s dive in….
- Asked about the team’s lack of a splash in free agency, Johnson said that the Jets would prefer to build through the draft. “We’ll do an occasional free agent, but the free agent market isn’t a panacea,” the owner added.
- Despite Geno Smith‘s erratic player, Johnson still has plenty of confidence in the young signal-caller, suggesting that he continues to believe Smith can be a “franchise quarterback.”
- According to Johnson, he doesn’t regret not signing free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and thinks the Jets adequately addressed the CB position in the offseason. The owner cited injuries as one reason the secondary may have underperformed so far, and said he expects the team to be fine now that Dee Milliner is returning.
- Johnson on the Dimitri Patterson debacle, which resulted in the cornerback being suspended and then cut by the team prior to the regular season, after he signed as a free agent in the spring: “Just like any portfolio, we have a portfolio of players. Some are going to be good, some aren’t.”
- Asked if Rex Ryan has to lead the Jets to the playoffs this season in order to keep his job, Idzik replied, “We don’t look at it that way,” and indicated that a decision on Ryan will be made at the end of the year.
- The Jets still have about $20MM in cap space, but Johnson said he doesn’t put any constraints whatsoever on the club’s spending, and that GM John Idzik has full autonomy to use that cap room. Johnson also said that he believes GM John Idzik is fully invested in winning this year.
- According to Johnson, Idzik’s deliberate approach to decision-making is one of the reasons he was hired.
- Johnson was noncommittal when one reporter asked if he’s cut or keep a player who was found guilty of domestic violence.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Bears
All four Thursday Night Football games so far this season have been one-sided affairs, with the winning team outscoring their opponents by a total margin of 163-50. The underdog Vikings will look to keep tonight’s game against the rejuvenated Packers close, but they may have to do so without their starting quarterback. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier today that signs were pointing to Teddy Bridgewater being unavailable tonight, while Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Minnesota will make a decision on its QB 90 minutes before kickoff tonight.
If Bridgewater can’t go, the Vikings will turn to Christian Ponder, who was third on the depth chart and was being frequently mentioned as a trade candidate just a few weeks ago.
As we wait to see which signal-caller gets the nod for the Vikes tonight, here’s more from around the NFC:
- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has made it clear to his players that they won’t be allowed to play in games if they’re involved in a domestic violence incident, even before the legal process is finalized, writes Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “If you’re dealing with anything off the field and we can help with, we’re here for you,” Garrett said. “Having said that, there are standards that we have about all off-the-field behavior and certainly domestic violence applies to that. We’re just very clear with how we’re going to handle things.”
- Pointing out that Cowboys special-teamer C.J. Spillman continues to practice and play for the team despite being under investigation for sexual assault, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News says he expects Garrett makes a distinction between an allegation and an actual charge. So far, police say Spillman “is involved in a sexual assault investigation,” but no charges have been filed and no arrests have been made.
- Conor Orr of NJ.com points to the Giants‘ under-the-radar signing of cornerback Zackary Bowman as one key move that has helped shape the team’s defense off the field.
- Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker has taken a lot of heat this season, but Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times says that GM Phil Emery hasn’t provided him with enough talent. Morrissey notes that defensive end Lamarr Houston, one of Emery’s big offseason signings, has struggled so far and has yet to register a sack through four games.
- Saints wide receiver Marques Colston purchased a piece of the Arena League’s Philadelphia Soul and is now part owner of team, Ron Jaworski tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
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Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts from around the league, as well as minor 53-man roster transactions, with any additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Texans signed cornerbacks Charles James, a Charleston Southern product, and Kendall James, a Maine product, to their practice squad, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Chargers pulled a reverse of Monday’s move, re-signing defensive tackle Chas Alecxih to the practice squad and releasing safety Adrian Phillips, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).
- The Bears have signed kick returner Teddy Williams off the Cardinals’ practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). Williams had been listed as a cornerback for Arizona, but the Bears call him a receiver — teams have tried him at both positions, but the 26-year-old’s primary asset is his speed. To make room for Williams, the Bears have cut linebacker Terrell Manning.
- Meanwhile, the Cardinals replaced Williams on their practice squad with former fourth-round wideout Jalen Saunders, who was waived by the Jets this week, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
Earlier updates:
- Running back Lache Seastrunk, who was drafted by the Redskins and spent time on the Panthers’ practice squad, has signed with the Titans‘ practice squad, the club announced today (Twitter link). Seastrunk will fill the 10th and final opening on the unit.
- Wideout Kevin Cone and tight end Taylor Sloat have replaced linebacker Carlos Fields and tight end Ian Thompson on the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). With Mike Evans expected to be sidelined for at least a couple weeks, Cone could be considered for the 53-man roster at some point, particularly if any other Tampa Bay wideouts are injured this weekend.
- As part of their practice squad shuffling, the Dolphins removed defensive end Gerald Rivers from the squad, tweets Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Mathis, Gordon, Jets
As speculation swirls around the idea of Jon Gruden reuniting with the Raiders, the Monday Night Football analyst did his best to quell that talk in an appearance on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike today, as Dan Hanzus of NFL.com writes. Meanwhile, it’s not a certainty that GM Reggie McKenzie will be the person to make the next coaching hire. McKenzie himself acknowledges that he’s on the hot seat. “I work every day like my job is on the line. That’s just the way I am. No one has to tell me my job is on the line. No one,” McKenzie said, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Here’s more out of the AFC..
- Mike Wells and Field Yates of ESPN.com provide a breakdown of the one-year extension Robert Mathis signed with the Colts. The 2016 year includes a $1.5MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year, a $3.5MM base salary, and escalators worth up to $1MM depending on how many sacks he totals in ’16. Interestingly, Mathis’ 2015 roster bonus, worth $3MM, has been changed to $3MM in per-game roster bonuses. Because the veteran pass rusher won’t play in 2014, that should remove that bonus money from the Colts’ 2015 cap for the time being.
- Browns wideout Josh Gordon, who has six games remaining on his suspension, spoke to Elizabeth Merrill of ESPN The Magazine about his suspension, and denied that he has a drug problem. “Definitely not,” Gordon said. “I wouldn’t know what I was addicted to because I don’t do anything.” According to Gordon, who believes he was already in stage two of the drug program when he entered the league, he has taken roughly 180 drug tests since being drafted in 2012.
- With the Jets still seeking consistent play from their cornerbacks this season, head coach Rex Ryan acknowledged today that the club had interest in signing Brandon Flowers this past offseason before he landed in San Diego (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
- While many of the notable free agents signed by the Jaguars in the spring haven’t impressed much during their first season with the team, Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union points out that Jacksonville can easily move on from just about all of those players without having to carry much dead money next year or beyond.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Frank Alexander Suspended For 10 Games
Just days after he was reinstated from a four-game suspension, Panthers defensive end Frank Alexander has received another suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, the team announced today (via Twitter). It’s a 10-game ban for Alexander, which means he’ll be eligible to return on Monday, December 15 for the final two weeks of the regular season.
Alexander, 24, didn’t play a significant role on Carolina’s defensive line a year ago, appearing in just 239 defensive snaps. However, with Greg Hardy on the exempt list, the Panthers may have leaned a little more heavily on the former fourth-round pick this season. With Alexander headed back to the reserve/suspended list, the team will have to continue to rely on Wes Horton, Mario Addison, and perhaps Kony Ealy.
Alexander’s 10-game ban for substances of abuse suggests that it’s his fifth violation of the policy. Under the new agreement between the league and the union, Alexander would be subject to a year-long suspension if he violates the policy for a sixth time.
NFC South Notes: Panthers, Falcons, Bucs
Steve Smith didn’t make many waves in the days leading up to Baltimore’s game against the Panthers this past weekend, but the veteran wideout had some things to say about his former team today. Appearing on WFNZ in Charlotte, Smith criticized Panthers GM Dave Gettleman and head coach Ron Rivera for the way they handled his release in Carolina, suggesting that it became “personal” for Gettleman, and accusing Rivera of hiding in his office rather than talking to Smith face-to-face when he was cut. The Ravens‘ No. 1 receiver also refuted Ian Rapoport’s report that indicated he had asked for his release from the Panthers, suggesting that he simply “wanted to play ball” in Carolina.
Here’s more from around the NFC South:
- In addition to signing linebacker Horace Miller to their practice squad after working him out this week, the Panthers also took a look at linebacker Marshall McFadden, who was cut by the Raiders during the preseason, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Several of the players who tried out for the Falcons this week have been previously reported, but Wilson adds a couple of new names to that list (via Twitter). Linebackers Zac Diles and Moise Fokou also auditioned for the team, says Wilson.
- Quarterback Ricky Stanzi, wideout Ryan Spadola, and defensive tackles George Uko and Zach Minter were among the group of players that worked out for the Buccaneers this week, says Wilson (via Twitter).