NFL Notes: L.A., St. Louis, Preseason, Arrests
Here are a few other stories of note from around the NFL this Friday night:
- While no decisions have been made about the Los Angeles market, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report says that he has spoken to five NFL owners, and the preferred situation would be for the Rams and Chargers to join forces there. The Raiders could still get back into the conversation, but Cole says that owner Mark Davis would make it easier for himself if he sold part of the team to relieve financial constraints, which would make the other owners more comfortable with the move.
- While the Rams are pushing to move to Los Angeles, the city of St. Louis is making its efforts to keep the team in town, but City Comptroller Darlene Green questions the financing the most recent stadium proposal, writes David Hunn of St. Louis Today. “Taxes will increase,” Green said. “And that’s not what was promised to our citizens.”
- At the recent meetings, NFL owners discussed the idea of reducing the preseason from four games to three, as Cole tweets. The owners also discussed expanding the regular season beyond 16 games, but those two ideas are not tied together.
- Arrests among NFL players is down 35% since the league expanded its policies and programs from last year, and future NFL chief disciplinary officer Todd Jones is encouraged by the early results, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He adds that the NFLPA is protesting Jones’ appointment as a direct violation of the collective bargaining agreement.
Zach Link contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/15
It hasn’t been a very active day, but there was one player cut. Here is where we will round up all of today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves, should they come:
- The Steelers have cut tight end Ray Hamilton from the injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
NFC North Notes: Zenner, Ford, Palardy, Richardson
Lions running back Zach Zenner had two huge carries on Monday night against the Seahawks, and has made a compelling case to take some of Joique Bell‘s playing time, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Bell has missed time with knee and ankle injuries, and but was only averaging 1.1 yards per carry on 20 attempts so far this season. Zenner only has four carries on the season, but could see an increased workload going forward.
- The Ford family has owned the Lions for years, and Bill has served as the team’s vice chairman for over 20 years. However, he admitted that it is actually his mother Martha who has been running the organization since William Clay Ford passed away in March, according to Aaron McMann of MLive.com. “She’s in charge. She absolutely is,” Bill said. “Since my father passed away over a year ago, my mother is in charge and she makes all the decisions.”
- The Bears worked out punter Michael Palardy today at Halas Hall, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). The rookie was previously with the Rams.
- Packers safety Sean Richardson will miss the rest of the season with a neck injury, which could be career threatening according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC East Notes: Cassel, Cowboys, Kelly
The NFC East is in flux right now, with the Cowboys, Giants, and Washington all sitting at 2-2 and the Eagles only a game behind at 1-3. Here are a few notes as we get ready for Week 5:
- The Cowboys have activated Matt Cassel to be the primary backup behind Brandon Weeden, according to ESPN.com. Kellen Moore had previously been the backup as Cassel learned the offense, and will drop to the No. 3 quarterback for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
- The Cowboys have only 52 players on their roster at the moment and David Moore of The Dallas Morning News expects them to promote either defensive end Lavar Edwards or wide receiver Vince Mayle from the practice squad to fill out that final spot (via Twitter).
- In college news, USC lost to Washington at home despite being a huge favorite, leading to rumors that the Trojans could be in the market for a new head coach, and Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly could be a target, according to Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated. This was a huge defeat considering head coach Steve Sarkisian’s ugly start at the school, which was also considering Chris Petersen, who instead was hired in Washington. The loss has begun speculation of Sarkisian being replaced at Southern Cal, and one name the school would be extremely interested in Kelly, who they were interested in before he left for the NFL.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Workout Notes: Bullock, Sims, Drew
Through three weeks of the season, teams are re-evaluating their rosters due to injuries and performance, and are always tinkering with the back end of their roster and practice squads.
Here are a few players who are being called in for workouts with a chance to make a roster:
- We already heard the Steelers will be working out Kai Forbath and Chris Boswell on Saturday in the wake of Josh Scobee‘s rough Thursday night. They are also bringing in former Texans kicker Randy Bullock, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
- Undrafted free agent quarterback Philip Sims, who spent time with the Cardinals earlier this season, has a workout scheduled with the Packers on Tuesday, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Former Georgia defensive end Ray Drew worked out for the Browns earlier today, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). She adds the team could sign him to the practice squad next week.
Jason Pierre-Paul To Report In Next Two Weeks
Jason Pierre-Paul is coming off an offseason that can be kindly described as tumultuous. After injuring his hand in a fireworks accident during July 4th weekend and then the back and forth between him and the Giants concern the state of his health, it has been a tough time to be a Giants fan.
All will be forgiven when he returns to the team and proves he can still perform, and that might not be as far away as one might have thought. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has a source that believes Pierre-Paul will report to the Giants within the next two weeks.
He questions whether that will bring him back in time for the Giants matchup against the 49ers on October 11th. Even if he comes back before that game, it is highly unlikely he is healthy enough to play so soon, and even if he is, it is doubtful old-school Tom Coughlin would even consider putting him on the field.
Pierre-Paul has been working with veteran defensive line coach, who is helping him learn to compensate his game for the injuries to his hand.
Still, the Pro Bowl defensive end would have to pass the physical with the team, and Cole says it would be very easy for the Giants to fail him on that physical considering the damage to his hand. It would depend on whether the team wants him on the field as to whether they decide to pass him.
Obviously wanting to get paid and reach free agency at season’s end, Pierre-Paul is trying his hardest to prove he can still play and perform at a high level. If the Giants fail him on his physical, it will likely return to the battle between the two sides that started in the hospital room this past July.
Extra Points: Cassel, Bryant, Cruz, Los Angeles
In a chat with for the Dallas Morning News, columnist Kevin Sherrington guesses that the Cowboys will dress Kellen Moore as the backup this week while Matt Cassel continues to learn the offense. He does note that if Brandon Weeden doesn’t turn things around, Cassel will eventually get the chance to start, which is key since he is doubtful Tony Romo will be ready to return as soon as he comes of the IR-DTR.
- Sherrington also believes the Cowboys could be in the market to add a wide receiver, specifically one who could threaten to take the top off the defense. He cites the team’s inability to get the ball to any wideout other than Cole Beasley since the injuries to Romo and Dez Bryant.
- Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant has had his suspension ended after the team played their fourth game last night, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The team will still have a roster exemption until Tuesday, October 13th.
- Free agent wide receiver A.J. Cruz has been suspended for the next four games of the regular season, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He has previous experience with the Arena Football League and was on the Bears’ 90-man roster this offseason.
- The league office has informed teams that they will be discussing “relocation guidelines” surrounding a potential Los Angeles franchise at next week’s owners’ meeting in New York, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). It is unclear if they will discuss relocation fees and a timetable for the move (via Twitter).
Breer’s Latest: London, Bears, Colts
Albert Breer of NFL.com notes that the league had a 15-year plan to get London its own franchise when they played their first game at Wembley Stadium in 2007, and that means the NFL is more than halfway there. He writes that the people in charge in England are still looking at a timetable for 2022, including NFL Executive Vice President for International Mark Waller.
“It’s a realistic time frame,” Waller said Wednesday. “But there are still things we need to test for, so we have to be able to build a lot of things into the next few years. We don’t need to prove as much on the fan-demand side. We feel comfortable that, in a few years, we’ll be where we need to be there. The real focus is doing things to keep testing. We’re really focusing on the logistical and operational side.”
- Breer also notes that the NFL will look to add at least one more international game in 2016. With three games already in London, they could add a fourth game at Wembley or take that fourth game to another international market, and there is a chance the league could take both options.
- While Breer writes the league is still on target to have a franchise in London and Waller’s public comments back up that stance, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears that the NFL isn’t optimistic about getting a franchise in London anytime soon. Coles says that after speaking with more than 10 team executives, the consensus is that there is no way the league puts a permanent team in London and that the league has largely given up on the idea.
- Breer also writes that the recent trades of Jared Allen and Jon Bostic are new Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox admitting that they inherited a roster that is barren due to poor drafting and trades in the past. The team would like to continue to strip the team down, but of the players with trade value, only Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte are older players who aren’t likely to be a part of the future in Chicago.
- The Colts have benched Todd Herremans, even though he was the biggest pickup this offseason for a team that pushed offensive line help in the offseason. Additionally, the only draft pick the team used up front was the 255th overall selection of Denzelle Good, so the team has only themselves to blame for Andrew Luck‘s early season issues, performance and injury alike.
Sunday Roundup: Bryant, Chancellor, Broncos
Cowboys dynamic receiver Dez Bryant has a very unclear timeline for his return. Initial reports had him returning in 4-6 weeks, while subsequent stories suggested he could miss as many as 10 or 12 games due to his foot injury. However, amidst these conflicting reports, Bryant himself chose to weigh in on these reports via his personal Twitter account.
“Whenever the media can’t talk to me, reports get made like this,” Bryant tweeted. “10 to 12 weeks… we will just see how long I’m out lol. Go cowboys!!”
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Seahawks general manager John Schneider can sleep a little easier while holding strong in his stance against renegotiating Kam Chancellor‘s contract. Owner Paul Allen supports Schneider in this standoff, reports Conor Orr of NFL.com. That is one less force pressuring the team to soften its stance on negotiations with the superstar safety.
- The Broncos may be 2-0 after escaping with narrow wins against both Baltimore and Kansas City, but they have a big question at running back. Starter C.J. Anderson has been ineffective, and backup Ronnie Hillman has emerged as a potentially better option for Denver. Troy Renck and Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post argue about if and when the team should make a change.
- Many fans were confused by how quickly the Texans switched from Brian Hoyer to Ryan Mallett after just one game. Kevin Patra of NFL.com passes on a few reasons, courtesy of reporting done by Ian Rapoport. Those reasons include the spark Mallett brought to the team, how he handled losing the starting job, eliminating negative plays, and simply looking for star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Chip Kelly On Loss, Start Of Eagles’ Season
After a horrible loss to the Cowboys, in which the Eagles rushed for seven yards on 17 carries, Chip Kelly took to the podium to address the media about the team’s slow start.
“I dont think any of our running backs had a chance,” said Kelly, according to John Clark of CSN Philly (via Twitter). Kelly in that way is putting a lot of the blame on his new offensive line, saying the offensive line “just didn’t block them,” (via Twitter).
“I don’t think the running backs even really had time to assess if there was a hole,” Kelly said, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). It was those struggles that led Kelly and the Eagles’ offense to try to throw the ball into the endzone from the three-yard line (via Twitter). “We weren’t moving their defensive line, so we probably had to throw it in,” said Kelly. “We let a really good defensive effort go for naught because we didn’t do what we needed to do offensively.”
“We need to stick together as a team and get this figured out,” Kelly told his team, according to Clark (via Twitter).
Kelly also reminded the media, “We were here two years ago…and then we went 7-1 down the stretch,” according to Berman (via Twitter).
With a trip to New Jersey to face the ferocious Jets defense, the Eagles have a big challenge ahead of them, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes (via Twitter). “We better show up this week,” said Kelly. “Because it’s not going to get any easier.”
Kelly, who is not only the coach but has the final say on roster decisions for the Eagles, was asked if he thought too many playmakers were traded or signed away in free agency this offseason, to which he predictably disagreed, writes Jeff Skversky of WPVI-TV Philadelphia (via Twitter). The team lost Jeremy Maclin to free agency, cut guards Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans, and traded both Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy.
The most important thing Kelly said was that everyone will be evaluated, including the coaches and quarterback, according to Matt Mullin of The Philly Voice (via Twitter). That could open the door for a change from Sam Bradford to Mark Sanchez at some point if the offense continues to struggle.