Colts Claim Matt Jones
Matt Jones is finally off the Redskins and with another club. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter), the Colts have claimed the former Washington running back off waivers.
Jones fell out of favor with Washington early last season, his second year in the league, and he found himself on the trading block shortly thereafter. Jones’ former agent lobbied for a release in June, and Jones then switched representation to Drew Rosenhaus. Being a former third-round pick whose yards-per-carry average spiked by more than a yard to 4.6 per tote last season, Jones has plenty of promise, but his fumbling issues are a major concern; he has fumbled eight times over the past two seasons.
Still, Indianapolis makes plenty of sense as a landing spot. While the Colts currently employ the ageless Frank Gore as their starting running back, Father Time figures to catch up with Gore sooner rather than later, and Jones and rookie Marlon Mack could make a youthful and talented one-two punch in the Indianapolis backfield.
Jets Claim Will Tye
The Jets have claimed former Giants tight end Will Tye, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Tye, 27, had started 17 games for the Giants over the past two seasons. Since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015, Tye has averaged 45 receptions, 430 yards, and two touchdowns per year.
After drafting Evan Engram in the first round of this year’s draft, Big Blue did not have as much need for Tye. Gang Green, on the other hand, could use some tight end depth, especially while Austin Seferian-Jenkins serves a two-game suspension to open the season. ASJ has had a nice offseason, and the Jets do have a promising rookie, Jordan Leggett, waiting in the wings, but adding another reliable option at the tight end position makes plenty of sense.
Chargers To Place Denzel Perryman On IR
The Chargers will place linebacker Denzel Perryman on IR tomorrow, as GM Tom Telesco told the team’s official website (video link). The team hopes to bring Perryman back later in the year.
Telesco said, “He just had surgery last week so it’s slow right now, but the plan with him is that he’d come back at some point during the year.”
Perryman suffered an ankle injury during a preseason contest last month, and he was required to undergo surgery as a result. Perryman has been no stranger to injuries throughout his two-year career, as pectoral, shoulder, hamstring, and knee issues have sidelined him since he entered the league as a second-round draft pick in 2015. He’s been relatively effective when on the field, however, especially against the run. Last year, the 23-year-old Perryman started 11 games and played on 45% of the Chargers’ defensive snaps, racking up 71 tackles, two sacks, and grading as the league’s No. 43 linebacker in the process, per Pro Football Focus.
Perryman will be forced to miss the first eight weeks of the regular season as a result of being placed on IR, though he can begin practicing with the club after Week 6. Los Angeles has the depth to withstand a Perryman absence, especially given that he was only expected to be a two-down player thanks to his lack of coverage abilities.
Korey Toomer is expected to start in Perryman’s stead.
Coughlin: Jaguars Never Interested In Kaepernick
When the Jaguars opened up their quarterback competition in August (only to close it again one week later), there was some speculation that Jacksonville could look into signing free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick. That speculation was fueled in part by club owner Shad Khan, who said that he would “absolutely” be okay with his team signing Kaepernick if his football people recommended him.
That never happened, and when Blake Bortles was named the starting quarterback last week, the Kaepernick-to-Jacksonville chatter, such as it was, died down. But unless Bortles flashes some hitherto unsuspected ability, the Jaguars will still have a glaring need at the quarterback position. Indeed, the club has enough talent that it could conceivably make a playoff push in a shaky AFC South if it can get consistent QB play, and some believe that Kaepernick would represent enough of an upgrade to get the Jags back to the postseason.
However, executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin has emphatically quashed the Kaepernick discussion. When asked if he ever considered Kaepernick, Coughlin said, “No, I didn’t. We did the study and the research and we weren’t interested.” When asked for his reasoning, Coughlin said, “No, I’m not explaining it. I just said what it is” (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union).
Of course, this will be construed in some segments as an unenlightened decision to decline adding a player that might improve the club because that player took advantage of his freedom of expression and alienated a large portion of the NFL’s fanbase in the process. And maybe that segment would be right. But Coughlin is an intelligent football man, and as Kaepernick is a system quarterback whose salary demands and current commitment to football are largely unknown, it is fair to think that Coughlin’s decision was football-driven.
Alex Boone Would Be Interested In Dolphins
Alex Boone, who was surprisingly released by the Vikings yesterday, would be interested in playing for the Dolphins, according to Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. A 14-game starter for Minnesota in 2016, Boone ranked as the NFL’s No. 37 guard among 75 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, which assigned him high marks for his pass blocking but poor scores in the run game.
But Boone would represent a significant upgrade for Miami, which is looking to stay afloat in the AFC East and get back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Dolphins’ projected starting left guard, Ted Larsen, will miss at least the first eight weeks of the season with a biceps injury, and if they do not sign Boone, a player like Jesse Davis or Anthony Steen would fill in at left guard.
Boone, 30, might not be the same player he was during his peak years as a 49er, but he is still a quality starting option. Just last spring, he was one of Minnesota’s most prized free agent additions, signing a four-year, $26.8MM deal ($10MM guaranteed) with the Vikings.
As Schad writes, Miami’s offensive line coach, Chris Foerster, was the 49ers’ offensive line coach in 2009, Boone’s first year in San Francisco, and 2015, Boone’s final year in the Bay Area. Perhaps that connection will help the two sides reach a deal, assuming the Dolphins are interested in acquiring Boone.
Buccaneers To Sign T.J. Ward
The Buccaneers will sign the newly-released T.J. Ward, as James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. It’s a one-year, $4MM deal that includes a maximum value of $5MM, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Ward started 41 games over three seasons in Denver after inking a four-year deal with the club prior to the 2014 season. Last season, he made 14 appearances, totaling one interception and one sack while ranking as the NFL’s No. 48 safety, per Pro Football Focus. Ward’s 75.9 grade was the worst mark of his career, and the Broncos felt it was better to move on and get a little salary cap relief in the process.
Per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Ward drew interest from seven teams and had serious talks with three. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Steelers had some degree of interest, but they were not serious contenders for his services.
Tampa Bay has already done a fair amount of tinkering at the safety position this offseason. The Bucs re-signed Chris Conte, signed free agent J.J. Wilcox from the Cowboys, and drafted Justin Evans in the second round. But signing Ward will help solidify the defensive backfield, and as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times writes, Ward will push either Conte or Keith Tandy to the bench, and Wilcox and Evans will see their potential playing time take a hit as a result.
John Spytek, the Bucs’ director of player personnel and GM Jason Licht‘s right-hand man, was Cleveland’s director of college scouting when the Browns drafted Ward in 2010, and he spent two years as a scout with the Broncos when Ward played in Denver. That connection almost certainly played a role in Ward’s decision, along with the fact that Tampa Bay is a potential playoff team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/17
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived from IR: WR Kenny Bell, LB Lamar Louis
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Rory Anderson, S Adrian McDonald
- Waived: P/K Austin Rehkow
- Waived/injured: TE Jason Croom
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: QB Mitch Leidner
- Waived: LB Darnell Sankey
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Tyrus Thompson (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Claimed: T Marquis Lucas
AFC Notes: Broncos, Douglas, Osweiler
Broncos QB Paxton Lynch did not play particularly well in last night’s preseason contest against the 49ers. He completed 9-of-13 passes for just 39 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions, which culminated in a 72.3 quarterback rating. He also rushed three times for 27 yards. While he showed some promise, he also displayed difficulties reading and reacting to defenses, and he was thoroughly outplayed by Trevor Siemian, leading Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post to believe that Denver’s quarterback competition may be over and that Siemian may have won it for the second straight year. Head coach Vance Joseph said it would be ideal to name a winner prior to next week’s third preseason game, but he added, “The timeframe is not important. What’s important is we get it right, so it could be this week, it could be next week. But we’re going to go back and watch the tape and see where we are.”
Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the AFC:
- Chiefs running back Charcandrick West is one of the most popular players in the Kansas City clubhouse, but thanks to the emergence of rookie Kareem Hunt and the revival of C.J. Spiller, his roster spot is in jeopardy, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes. The Chiefs could keep four running backs, but Paylor suggests that is somewhat unlikely unless the team is confident West or Spiller could also line up as a slot receiver if necessary.
- Titans wideout Harry Douglas managed just 15 catches for 210 yards and no touchdowns last year, and he accepted a $2MM paycut this offseason, which, combined with Tennessee’s revitalization of its WR corps, suggests that Douglas’ days in Nashville could be numbered. But as Jason Wolf of the Tennessean writes, head coach Mike Mularkey considers Douglas “invaluable,” and the coaching staff prizes his vocal and veteran presence, consistent route-running, and capable blocking. As such, Wolf believes Douglas may actually be a lock to make the roster, though his playing time will again be limited.
- Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says the game still looks a little too fast for DeShone Kizer, so she believes Brock Osweiler has the inside track to open the season as the Browns‘ starting quarterback, which is consistent with reports we have been hearing over the past several weeks.
- In a piece discussing Maxx Williams‘ promising performance during the Ravens‘ preseason victory over the Dolphins Thursday night, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun wrote that Williams is competing with Larry Donnell and Vince Mayle for Baltimore’s No. 3 TE job (behind Ben Watson and Nick Boyle). Williams, a 2015 second-round selection, underwent unique and serious knee surgery last year, but he easily has the most promise of any tight end on the roster. Even if he is technically competing for the No. 3 job at the moment, more performances like the one he had on Thursday could catapult him up the depth chart.
- Former Ravens LB Zach Orr, who recently announced he was hanging up his cleats for good, could be rejoining Baltimore in another capacity. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com says head coach John Harbaugh is interested in bringing Orr back as a scout or coach.
East Notes: Jets, Blount, Cowboys
It has been assumed for some time that Josh McCown would at least open the 2017 season as the Jets‘ starting quarterback, but the team needs to give Christian Hackenberg a look this year in order to see what they have in him, and to that end, Hackenberg got a surprise start in last night’s preseason matchup against the Lions.
It did not go well. Hackenberg took a big step backward from his solid outing last week, going 2-for-6 for 14 yards. He was sacked twice, he fumbled once, and four of his five drives were three-and-outs. Although head coach Todd Bowles attempted to take some of the heat off Hackenberg by pointing out that the offensive line did not give him much of a chance, Brian Costello of the New York Post believes McCown won the team’s starting job last night, and he didn’t even have to take a snap to do it.
Now for more from the league’s east divisions, starting with more from Gang Green:
- McCown was initially supposed to take more snaps in last night’s game than he did in the Jets‘ first preseason contest, but Bowles said he changed his mind on Thursday night, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Bowles said McCown “has played in a million preseason games” and therefore elected to give Hackenberg a shot. However, Mehta reports that McCown was told by a media relations advisor to not speak with reporters after the game, even though McCown was apparently open to talking. It is unclear what the team’s motivation in “censoring” McCown would be, but it is an interesting move just the same.
- Unlike Hackenberg, Jets No. 3 signal-caller Bryce Petty performed fairly well last night, going 15-for-24 for 160 yards and leading two field goal drives. Per Mehta, Petty has secured a roster spot unless he suffers a complete meltdown over the next several weeks.
- Mehta also observes that Ross Martin, who made a pair of short field goals last night to go along with a miss from 56 yards, remains the front-runner to win the Jets‘ kicking job over Chandler Catanzaro, who missed a 55-yarder in the preseason opener but did not get an attempt last night.
- Eagles running back LeGarrette Blount is coming off one of his best seasons, but he struggled to find a new home in free agency this offseason, and the short-yardage specialist may be on the roster bubble in Philly, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (citing Matt Lombardo of NJ.com) writes. Although Blount does not really fit the Eagles’ offense, it may not be wise to cut him, as Wendell Smallwood has had difficulty staying healthy, Darren Sproles is 34, and Donnel Pumphrey is a fourth-round rookie.
- Cowboys No. 2 QB Kellen Moore turned in another poor performance during last night’s contest against the Colts, and while the team continues to publicly support him, an unnamed source tells Clarence E. Hill, Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Moore will be the subject of conversation at personnel meetings this week. It is unclear what that means at this point, because the team will certainly not promote undrafted rookie Cooper Rush to the backup job, no matter how well he has played, and the Cowboys have not yet considered adding a proven free agent to compete with Moore.
- It was a different story for Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith, who finally played in a football game last night after 596 days on the sidelines. Smith, who suffered a gruesome knee injury during the final game of his collegiate career on January 1, 2016, saw his draft stock plummet as a result and was ultimately scooped up by Dallas in the second round of the 2016 draft (he was originally considered a top-10, or even top-5, talent). The Cowboys knew 2016 would essentially be a medical redshirt year for Smith, but they also knew that, if Smith could overcome the injury, they could have something special on their hands. The nerve in Smith’s leg continues to regenerate, and as Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes, Smith looked solid in last night’s preseason game. He was in for 12 snaps, he moved well, and he was quick to the ball, further solidifying the team;s belief that he will be a significant contributor this year.
Jaguars Sign DuJuan Harris
The Jaguars have signed running back DuJuan Harris, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that the team has waived/injured CB Charles Gaines to make room for Harris.
With Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon both battling injuries, Jacksonville needed depth at the running back position. Harris began his career with the Jags back in 2011, when he signed with the club as an undrafted free agent out of Troy. He has also seen regular season action with the Packers, Seahawks, and 49ers, and he accumulated 38 carries for 138 yards (3.6 YPC) for San Francisco last year, along with eight catches for 115 yards and a score. The 49ers re-signed him to a one-year deal this March but released him just a few weeks later.
Fournette, of course, is expected to anchor the Jags’ offense after being selected with the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, and O’Halloran reports that Fournette is very optimistic about his chances of suiting up on Week 1. He sustained a foot injury on August 12 but indicated he has made good progress in the last week. And, although the high ankle sprain that he suffered with LSU last year was on the same leg as his current foot ailment, he indicated that the two injuries are not related.
Chris Ivory will be Jacksonville’s No. 2 back this season, so assuming Fournette is healthy, Harris will compete with Yeldon for the team’s No. 3 job, along with the likes of Jonathan Grimes, Corey Grant, and Tim Cook.
In the same piece linked above, O’Halloran reports that wide receiver Marqise Lee, who is dealing with an ankle injury that initially looked severe, also plans to be ready by Week 1.