South Notes: Colts, Saints, Newton, Titans
With Robert Mathis now sidelined for the season with a torn Achilles, the Colts will have to turn to other players to jump-start their pass rush, and head coach Chuck Pagano says the team will consider all its options. However, as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes, the Colts are in a tough spot when it comes to adding outside help. The free agent list is very thin when it comes to pass rushers, and Indianapolis would prefer not to give up future draft picks to acquire a player via trade. In Holder’s view, the club may have to rely on its in-house options to attempt to fill Mathis’ shoes.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:
- ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett passes along a report from colleague Field Yates, who says the Saints auditioned a handful of players on Monday, including running backs Michael Ford, Edwin Baker, and Tauren Poole, and tight ends Michael Egnew and David Paulson (Twitter link).
- There wasn’t necessarily any urgency for the Panthers to restructure Charles Johnson‘s contract, but the team did so anyway, clearing more than $5MM from its 2014 cap. David Newton of ESPN.com wonders if the move might be a precursor to locking up Cam Newton to a contract extension sooner rather than later.
- Tight end Michael Flacco, whose brother Joe Flacco quarterbacks the Ravens, is working out for the Titans today, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Ray Rice Links: Tuesday
Footage of Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancée unconscious in an Atlantic City casino was revealed by TMZ on Monday, prompting the Ravens and the NFL to finally institute a harsher punishment on the running back, who was released by Baltimore and indefinitely suspended by the league. In the aftermath of the new video and the increased penalties for Rice, the NFL and the Ravens are facing increased scrutiny about just how much they knew about the case, and whether or not they’d actually seen that elevator footage before the public did on Monday.
Here are the latest links and developments related to Rice, the NFL’s role in the incident, and the running back’s future (or lack thereof) in the NFL:
- A report from TMZ this morning revealed that the NFL never approached the Revel Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City about acquiring the elevator security footage, with sources from the casino suggesting that the Revel would have “gladly complied” if such a request had been made.
- In a statement today, the NFL didn’t deny that allegation, indicating that the request for the video of the incident was only submitted to the police. “As we said yesterday: We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator,” the NFL’s statement reads, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “That video was not made available to us.”
- Sources tell Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Rice’s description to the Ravens of what happened in the elevator was consistent with what the footage showed, but that the brutality of it still “stunned” the team’s ownership. While that may be true of Rice’s account of the events to Ravens management, any notion that Rice was entirely honest to his teammates about what happened in that elevator is “totally inaccurate,” tweets Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
- Appearing on CBS This Morning, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he’d be “shocked” if another team signed Rice, adding that he doesn’t believe the running back will play another game in the NFL. Kraft also praised commissioner Roger Goodell for his handling of the situation, noting that Goodell hadn’t seen the elevator footage before yesterday.
- Janay Rice, Ray’s now-wife, released a statement via Instagram in which she blamed the media for causing her family pain and taking away her husband’s job. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the full details.
- In the view of Mike Florio, the NFL needs to hire an independent third-party investigator to look into the Ravens’ and the league’s investigations of the Rice incident to find out exactly who knew what, and when. “At this point,” Florio writes, “the only way to [get the truth] is to retain someone with no stake in the outcome to find out precisely how the team and the league got to this point.”
Bucs Re-Sign Larry English, Cut Steven Means
The Buccaneers have done a little Tuesday roster shuffling, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, who tweets that the team has re-signed defensive end Larry English, waiving defensive end Steven Means to open up a roster spot. According to Smith (via Twitter), the club also filled one of the two openings on its practice squad by adding cornerback C.J. Wilson.
English, a former first-rounder who was drafted with the 16th overall pick in 2009, appeared in 52 games for the Chargers during his five years with the team, struggling with injuries in recent years and never establishing himself as a consistent performer. He started five of nine games for San Diego in 2013, recording 2.5 sacks, before a pectoral injury sidelined him for the season. After signing with Tampa Bay in mid-August, English was cut just a couple weeks later as the club reduced its roster to 53 players.
A fifth-round pick in 2013, Means played a limited role for the Bucs in his rookie season, and saw the field for just four defensive snaps during the team’s Week 1 lost to Carolina, despite receiving some offseason praise from new head coach Lovie Smith. Since Means received a signing bonus of only about $192K on his rookie contract, Tampa Bay will carry a small amount of dead money on its cap this year and next, after cutting him.
Chiefs Sign Kevin Vickerson
After losing two key defenders to season-ending injuries in their Week 1 game, the Chiefs have moved quickly to start fortifying their defense. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), the team has agreed to sign defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson to a one-year deal.
Vickerson, 31, had spent the last four seasons with the Broncos, starting 41 of the 47 games he played for the team, including all all 11 contests he appeared in last year. A solid but unspectacular contributor on the line, Vickerson has typically performed better against the run than as a pass-rusher, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
A roster casualty during Denver’s cutdown to 53 players, Vickerson hit the free agent market at the end of the preseason, and visited the Bengals last week to audition for the team. While it appeared that the former seventh-round pick would ultimately sign with Cincinnati, the Chiefs were probably the more desperate team this week, following the Achilles injuries suffered by Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito.
With Johnson and DeVito both likely headed to IR, Kansas City shouldn’t have to cut anyone to create room on the roster for Vickerson.
Latest On Drug Policy Talks
7:58pm: The NFLPA will have 32 player reps vote on Tuesday regarding a proposed overhauled drug policy after daylong negotiations, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (Twitter link). Mortensen also reported that if the new agreement gets approved, suspended players such as Josh Gordon and Wes Welker could be reinstated.
4:45pm: Negotiations between the NFL and NFLPA on a new drug policy for the league continue to progress, with Albert Breer of the NFL Network reporting that the two sides met in person in New York this afternoon for face-to-face discussions (Twitter link). According to Breer, the in-person meeting is a signal of how talks have advanced, though the policy for DUIs remains a sticking point (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report spoke to a union source who said that are three points that are “non-negotiable” for the players in the new policy. According to Cole (all Twitter links), the players want to ensure that there are no suspensions for initial arrests, reasonable standards for positive marijuana tests, and control over appeals for HGH suspensions. On those last two points, the union would like marijuana standards to be roughly in line with most state-employee standards, and want a third party – rather than the commissioner – have final say on HGH decisions.
As for the idea that the league wants to enact suspensions for initial arrests, Cole adds (via Twitter) that even team executives are confused by that, pointing out that charges might be dropped or a player may be proven innocent. Based on what we’ve heard so far, it sounds as if the NFL would like to institute mandatory deactivations, rather than suspensions, for players charged with DUI. That would allow the league to avoid seeing that player on the field immediately following his arrest, but wouldn’t necessarily dock him any pay unless he was later suspended after due process.
Minor Moves: Monday
With the season’s first Sunday in the books, a handful of teams are shuffling their rosters in preparation for next week’s games. Here are the latest minor transactions from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Bears have added receiver Greg Herd to the practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Herd spent time with the team during training camp before he was cut on August 23.
- The Seahawks have signed cornerback Josh Thomas to take the place of the injured Jeremy Lane, reports ESPN’s Terry Blount (via Twitter). They’ve also made some changes to their practice squad, adding guard Nate Isles and safety Terrance Parks in place of guard David Arkin and safety Josh Aubrey, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- With Dave Zastudil being bothered by a groin injury, the Cardinals have signed punter Drew Butler, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
- Defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi has been claimed off waivers by the Ravens, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bilukidi was cut over the weekend by the Bengals.
- When the Bengals cut Bilukidi, they signed Onterio McCalebb to their active roster, but he lasted just two days — he has been waived, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who adds (via Twitter) that the club has also terminated wide receiver Cobi Hamilton from the exempt list of the practice squad.
- To make room for Bilukidi, the Ravens waived running back Fitz Toussaint, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Broncos have cut long snapper Kevin McDermott from their practice squad, tweets Mike Klis of the Denver Post. His spot will be taken by tight end Dominique Davis, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi has been replaced on the Browns‘ practice squad by defensive lineman Calvin Barnett, says Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- The Bears have signed safety Ahmad Dixon from the Vikings‘ practice squad, cutting cornerback Demontre Hurst to open up a spot on their roster, the team announced today (via Twitter). Dixon was drafted by the Cowboys but was waived by Dallas during preseason roster cutdowns.
- Offensive tackle Andrew McDonald is also making the move from one team’s practice squad to another club’s 53-man roster, according to agent Brett Tessler, who tweets that his client has a deal with the Seahawks. McDonald had previously been one of the 10 players on the Panthers‘ practice squad.
- The Bills have cut defensive end Jacquies Smith to make room for Nigel Bradham, who is returning this week from his one-game suspension, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak.
- The Seahawks have placed cornerback Jeremy Lane, who is suffering from a groin injury, on their injured reserve list with the designation to return, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Defensive back Jamarca Sanford, who had been on the Vikings‘ injured reserve list, has been released with a settlement, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- The Chiefs have signed wideout Armon Binns to their practice squad and removed cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke from their IR with an injury settlement, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links).
FA Workouts: Kickers, Seahawks, Chiefs, Bills
A pair of veteran kickers, David Akers and Rob Bironas, have been working out together in Tennessee and hope to continue their NFL careers this season, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While there are no openings at the position around the league for now, it’s probably just a matter of time until a kicker gets hurt or loses his job after missing a few field goals, and Akers and Bironas look like two of the most reliable options available. I expect we’ll see them on NFL rosters at some point this season.
Here’s more on free agents looking for new teams:
- On the lookout for some help at cornerback after placing Jeremy Lane on injured reserve, the Seahawks worked out Mike Harris and Keith Lewis today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The Chiefs will also be looking for some reinforcements on defense after seeing two key players go down with major Achilles injuries on Sunday. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that defensive end Jerel Worthy, who was recently cut by the Patriots, was among the players auditioning for Kansas City today.
- Defensive end James Davidson, a UTEP alum who was in camp with the Bengals, is working out for the Bills today, according to Caplan (via Twitter).
- Caplan also provides an update (via Twitter) on ex-Eagles wideout Arrelious Benn, who isn’t trying out for any teams yet, but received a six-week injury settlement from Philadelphia and hopes to be ready to return to action even earlier than that.
49ers Re-Sign Kassim Osgood
For the third time this calendar year, the 49ers have signed wide receiver and special-teamer Kassim Osgood to a contract, per Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Osgood was just released by the team on Saturday, so it didn’t take long for him to make it back onto the roster.
Osgood, 34, was released by San Francisco during the team’s cutdown to 53 players, re-signed days later, and then cut again before the team’s first game. Because he wasn’t on the club’s Week 1 roster, Osgood’s full-season salary won’t be guaranteed, which gives the Niners some added flexibility, as I explained over the weekend.
In his first year with the Niners, Osgood appeared in only 45 offensive snaps and snagged just one reception during the regular season. However, he was a key contributor in kick and punt coverage, compiling an impressive 13 special teams tackles.
The Niners won’t need to make a corresponding cut, since the team waived LaMichael James earlier today.
49ers Waive LaMichael James
LaMichael James has asked for and been granted his release from the 49ers, according to agent Jeff Sperbeck (via Twitter). Sperbeck writes that he and his client appreciate San Francisco’s willingness to allow James “to pursue his career elsewhere” and tells Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle that there have been talks with the Niners about a potential release for “the last few weeks” (Twitter link).
James, who turns 25 next month, entered the season third on the Niners’ depth chart at running back, behind starter Frank Gore and rookie Carlos Hyde. While he has contributed on special teams, James’ offensive snaps have been limited in his first two seasons in the NFL, as he has accumulated just 41 carries for 184 yards since entering the league.
James was mentioned in trade rumors earlier this year, with reports at the time suggesting the 2012 second-rounder would welcome a trade if it meant a chance to get more playing time. He could get that opportunity now, depending on which team decides to claim him off waivers or – if he clears waivers – to sign him.
Now that Ray Rice is no longer in the picture in Baltimore, the Ravens may be one team that considers placing a waiver claim on James. As for the Niners, with Kendall Hunter on injured reserve and James on waivers, the club may add another running back before Week 2’s contest against the Bears.
Ray Rice Released, Suspended Indefinitely
2:22pm: The Ravens were told a “softer” version of events than those shown on the video, tweets Judy Battista of NFL.com. That sounds to me like an attempt to save face, since it’s hard to imagine a “soft” version of an incident that led to Rice dragging his unconscious fiancée out of an elevator.
1:43pm: The NFL, which claimed not to have seen the most recent video before today, has announced Rice has been indefinitely suspended, according to league spokesman Greg Aiello (Twitter link).
1:34pm: In the wake of TMZ’s publication of a new video that shows Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancée unconscious in an Atlantic City casino elevator, the running back has been released by the Ravens, the team announced today (Twitter link). Rice had been on track to return from his two-game suspension following the team’s game on Thursday against the Steelers, but now he’ll be looking for work. And as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, it will likely be a long time – if ever – before another team signs him.
By releasing Rice, who had three years remaining on his contract, the Ravens will clear about $3.53MM in cap room for 2014, and will carry $9.5MM in dead money on their cap for the 2015 season. Of course, cap figures were hardly a consideration in the move, with the Ravens facing increased scrutiny for their support of Rice following the release of the new elevator footage.
As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier today, the team claimed not to have seen the video before this morning, but a source said Rice described the incident in detail and that it was in line with how it played out on the security footage. In that case, it’s fair to question why the Ravens would back Rice for the last several months before deciding to cut him now under an avalanche of bad PR.
With Rice no longer on the roster, the Ravens figure to rely on Bernard Pierce and Justin Forsett for the majority of their carries, with Lorenzo Taliaferro potentially in the mix as well.