Sunday Roundup: Clemens, Fairley, Bortles
The preseason has reached its unofficial halfway point, and teams must trim their rosters to 75 players in just over a week from now. As position competitions continue to smolder and as bubble players strive to prove themselves in preseason contests, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:
- Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean offers some lessons learned from the Titans‘ second preseason game against the Saints. He notes that Travis Coons‘ accuracy has made the kicking competition with Maikon Bonani much more interesting than anticipated, and while return specialist Marc Mariani still faces an uphill battle to make the club, his returns on Saturday night have kept him in the picture.
- Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com believes the Ravens should keep starting corners Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith on the shelf until the regular season opener against the Bengals. Baltimore has been “snakebitten” at the cornerback position and Hensley believes the team’s best bet is to hope that a decent player gets released as the preseason rolls on. He writes that, if free agents like Asante Samuel and Dunta Robinson could help, they would have jobs by now.
- Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes that the Chargers are thrilled to have Kellen Clemens as Philip Rivers‘ backup, as they are confident Clemens could win games for them if he were pressed into duty.
- Mike Klis of the Denver Post ranks undrafted free agent Juwan Thompson as the Broncos‘ biggest training camp surprise. Though Thompson entered camp as the No. 6 tailback on the roster, he now appears to have a legitimate shot at making the club.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Lions need to salvage Nick Fairley, who represents their last hope from the now infamous 2011 draft, but if Fairley does not show improvement soon, he could be a midseason trade candidate.
- Birkett (Twitter links) and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com offer brief discussions of the Lions‘ wide receiver competition and predict which wideouts may make the club.
- Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides a list of which Packers bubble players helped themselves and who hurt themselves in Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe believes the Browns and Jaguars should hand the reins to Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel right away, rather than have them sit behind the players they will eventually overtake. Since Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan led their clubs to the playoffs during their rookie seasons in 2008, rookie quarterbacks have fared very well when thrown into the fire from day one. For what it’s worth, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union tweets that Bortles will finally get reps with the first team offense on Monday and could play with the ones in the second quarter in the team’s upcoming preseason game against the Lions.
East Notes: Eagles, Cousins, Branch
Although there was a great deal of cyberspace dedicated to the Jets this morning, there are also a few relevant notes to pass along from some of the league’s other east division teams. Let’s have a look:
- Despite Eagles kicker Alex Henery‘s missed 47-yard field goal attempt in last night’s preseason game, Kelly affirmed that Henery is in no immediate danger of losing his job to Carey Spear, tweets Mosher.
- In reference to the Eagles‘ kicking competition, Kelly stated, “It’s clear in our mind Alex is number one over Carey.” Henery has performed well in training camp, but as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, if Kelly is convinced that Henery is the guy–and apparently he is, since Spear has not even had a kick in a preseason game–why is Spear still on the roster?
- In a separate piece, McLane notes that Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry got a few reps with the starters on Friday against the Patriots and that he acquitted himself well. McLane believes that, despite speculation that Curry may be traded since he is not a perfect fit in Philadelphia’s defensive scheme, the Eagles are unlikely to deal the player who may be the team’s best pass rusher, particularly since they did little to address their pass rushing group in the offseason.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that the Giants‘ offensive line did nothing to assuage concerns during its lackluster showing against the Colts on Saturday night.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes that one of the few bright spots for the Giants yesterday was the performance of tight end Adrien Robinson.
- Mike Jones of the Washington Post writes that Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins has continued to be a “good soldier” as he awaits an opportunity to start in the NFL. Cousins, of course, was the subject of trade rumors this offseason and will probably get a legitimate chance to establish himself as a starter at some point in his career.
- James Walker of ESPN.com writes that Dolphins guard Dallas Thomas is now on the hot seat after his weak performance against the Buccaneers on Saturday.
- Two Bills players who were seemingly roster locks several months ago–Thad Lewis and Alan Branch–are now in danger of being cut, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Rodak elaborates in a separate post.
Jets Notes: Secondary, Smith, Coples
After the terrible performance put on by the Jets’ secondary in last night’s preseason game against the Bengals, the Internet has seen a veritable explosion from the team’s beat writers as they attempt to describe Saturday’s debacle. Let’s have a look at some of those articles and a couple of other Jets’ links:
- Bob Glauber of Newsday describes the struggles of Antonio Allen and Kyle Wilson on Saturday and wonders if GM John Idzik will try to sign or trade for a corner. Glauber notes that Idzik prefers to promote from within, but given that Ras-I Dowling suffered a groin injury against the Bengals–thereby joining Dimitri Patterson, Dee Milliner, and Dexter McDougle on the club’s rapidly expanding list of injured corners–he might not have a choice.
- Despite head coach Rex Ryan‘s attempts to publicly brush aside his secondary’s performance with characteristic humor and machismo, Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that the Jets are facing disaster if they do not make a roster move.
- Gary Myers of the New York Daily News goes into more detail regarding the play of Antonio Allen, a safety who lined up at corner against A.J. Green on Saturday, a highly daunting task. Allen predictably struggled, but Myers believes he has the potential to be a solid corner and that the Jets may have to be patient with his transition, as the market for free agent corners is pretty bare.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com describes how the Jets’ young and out-of-position unit made Andy Dalton look like a superstar and notes that the team’s failure to adequately address the secondary in the offseason has evolved from a troublesome issue to a glaring one. Cimini adds that, when Ryan was asked if the team would try to acquire a veteran corner, Ryan replied, “I don’t think [73-year-old Hall of Fame corner] Willie Brown is out there.”
- Cimini has been pretty busy last night and this morning. In a separate piece, he writes that Geno Smith was not great against the Bengals, but he was at least adequate, and it is now just a matter of time before Ryan officially declares him the starting quarterback.
- Cimini wonders (via Twitter) if the team is trying to send a message to Quinton Coples. Coples played only 15 snaps last night, while Jason Babin played 31 snaps.
Minor Moves: Sunday
We’ll round up Sunday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Vikings have signed TE Kory Sperry, the team announced on Twitter. VikingUpdate.com (Twitter link) was the first to report that Sperry was on the Minnesota practice field. Sperry, entering his sixth season, has spent time with the Dolphins, Chargers, and, most recently, the Cardinals.
- The following players have been removed from their respective team’s injured reserve list with an injury settlement, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter): FS Dion Bailey (Seahawks), LB Jeremy Grable (Buccaneers), and WR David Gettis (Buccaneers).
Earlier Updates
- The Buccaneers have waived safety Mark Joyce, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
- The Seahawks have re-signed DB Trey Wolfe and have waived LB Mike Taylor (Twitter links).
- In addition to releasing Watson, the Patriots have also released tight end Justin Jones, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Volin adds that New England has signed TE Ben Hartsock. ESPN Insider Field Yates tweets that the team has also waived running back Stephen Houston and has signed tight ends Steve Maneri and Terrence Miller.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets that the Bills have signed CB Sam Miller and have waived CB Michael Carter.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that the Patriots have released tight end Asa Watson. In a separate tweet, Volin notes that the Pats are clearly unhappy with their tight end depth and it appears as though they will be bringing in some “new blood” behind Rob Gronkowski and Michael Hoomanawanui.
Dee Milliner, Dexter McDougle Injured
1:49pm: McDougle has torn the ACL in his left knee, the Jets announced (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
10:50am: Jets cornerback Dee Milliner, the team’s first round pick in the 2013 draft, suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury in practice this morning, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Milliner, who was in obvious pain, did not put any weight on his leg as he was helped off the field. Rookie corner Dexter McDougle already left the field with a trainer earlier today (Twitter link), so three of the team’s top four corners–Milliner, McDougle, and Dimitri Patterson–are now injured. If these latest injuries turn out to be serious, the Jets will surely be in the market for a veteran corner.
Sunday Roundup: Manziel, Marciano, Chiefs
As teams try to improve upon their performances from the first week of preseason games, let’s take a look at some links from around the league:
- Citing a team source, ESPN’s Bob Holtzman tweets that Browns‘ rookie QB Johnny Manziel has overtaken Brian Hoyer in the team’s quarterback competition after Manziel’s promising performance in last night’s preseason opener in Detroit.
- Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com believes the NFL will hand down an indefinite suspension for Browns‘ WR Josh Gordon, but he also believes that the league will allow Gordon to apply for reinstatement in less than a year; perhaps after eight games.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that Joe Marciano will serve as the Vikings‘ interim special teams coordinator during Mike Priefer‘s suspension.
- Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union writes that Jaguars‘ QB Chad Henne will continue to work with the first team offense, as the team wants to get Henne into a rhythm before allowing rookie Blake Bortles to get reps with the starters.
- Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer provides five takeaways from the Panthers‘ preseason opener and projects the team’s 53-man roster.
- Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune offers his predictions on the Saints‘ 53-man roster.
- The Falcons are planning to get running back Antone Smith more involved in the offense, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune details what went wrong for the Buccaneers‘ offensive line in the team’s preseason contest against Jacksonville. The unit’s performance prompted Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com to write that Tampa Bay should trade for 49ers’ holdout Alex Boone.
- Adam Teicher of ESPN.com tweets that the Chiefs will look for veteran safety help after the abrupt retirement of Steve Gregory.
- Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star says there is a reason that Cyrus Gray is one of only 16 Chiefs players from prior regimes, but he wonders if Gray will still be on the team when the 2014 regular season opens.
Yeremiah Bell To Retire
Former Dolphins, Jets, and Cardinals safety Yeremiah Bell has submitted his retirement papers to the league, writes Keith Taylor of the Winchester Sun. Although his retirement is not yet official, Bell has clearly indicated he is done playing football. “I had fun,” he said. “I had a great career and I lived the dream.”
Bell was drafted by the Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2003 draft and spent nine years in Miami. His best statistical season came in 2009, when he picked up three interceptions, 114 total tackles, and a Pro Bowl nod. Over the course of his career, Bell racked up eight picks, 13 sacks, and 726 total tackles.
Our Matt Feminis wrote back in April that Bell was expected to retire despite having been offered a one-year deal from the Cardinals. He has now taken the steps to make that retirement official.
49ers Notes: Boone, Looney, Borland
We learned several days ago that some teams have expressed an interest in trading for 49ers’ holdout Alex Boone. Boone has stated that he will not report to camp until he has a new deal, but San Francisco has stood by its policy of not negotiating a contract with a player until that player shows up. In a video post, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says that other teams have not yet spoken directly with the 49ers about the possibility of acquiring Boone.
Although these impasses have a tendency of working themselves out and often result in new contracts or some other resolution that allows both parties to publicly reconcile, the demand for quality linemen like Boone may make the 49ers think twice. If a team like the Giants become desperate enough–and they are already deeply concerned with the development and chemistry of their remade offensive line–the 49ers would have to give serious thought to a potential trade.
Now for some more 49ers notes:
- Joe Looney, who is currently filling in for Boone, scored a -0.7 grade from Pro Football Focus for his performance in the team’s preseason opener against Baltimore, observes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Barrows notes that Looney “appeared to come out of his stance too soon and lose his balance.”
- According to Barrows, the right side of the 49ers’ offensive line, which included Looney at right guard and Jonathan Martin at right tackle, was weaker than the left side in the first preseason game, but they were not horrible, and head coach Jim Harbaugh noted that there were a number of correctable issues. Given those comments, it looks as though the team may wait another couple of weeks before making a decision on Boone.
- In a separate article, Barrows notes that the 49ers are a little thin along the defensive line after losing Lawrence Okoye to an ankle injury on Thursday, but “reinforcements” in the form of Justin Smith and Ray McDonald should be returning shortly.
- Barrows also notes that rookies Marcus Martin and Aaron Lynch had their first full practice on Saturday.
- Rookie linebacker Chris Borland, who is fighting to replace the injured NaVorro Bowman in the first half of the season, said he had an “up and down” performance against Baltimore on Thursday, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com writes. Borland said he is hoping to improve his pre-snap work in the team’s second preseason game against Denver next week.
- In a different post, Williamson points out that recently-signed wideout Lance Lewis is likely just an “August body” and will probably be released once Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd are fully healthy.
East Notes: Philbin, Bills, Donnell
Following the recent suspension of starting safety Reshad Jones–the second significant Dolphins defender to test positive for a banned substance this summer–head coach Joe Philbin broke character and was visibly frustrated with the poor choices made by certain members of his club, writes Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. Philbin will now be without Jones and Dion Jordan for the first four games of the season, which thins out Philbin’s defensive rotations in the secondary and defensive line and further destabilizes a defense that looked shaky in the team’s first preseason game against Atlanta even with Jones and Jordan on the field. Look for Jimmy Wilson, who performed well as Miami’s nickel corner last season, to replace Jones and for Jamar Taylor to temporarily become the team’s No. 3 corner.
Now some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Mike Ozanian of Forbes.com writes that all bids to buy the Bills have been below $1 billion, which Ozanian calls an “embarrassment” for the NFL and the investment bank hired to sell the club.
- Although Jets‘ head coach Rex Ryan did not dismiss the possibility of using Michael Vick in a change-of-pace (read: Wildcat) role, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com believes Ryan was merely engaging in some gamesmanship. The risk of injury to Vick, Cimini believes, would be too great.
- After his strong performance in the Cowboys‘ first preseason game against San Diego, Kenneth Boatright might be working his way onto the team’s 53-man roster, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
- Larry Donnell, who took was on the field for 25 of the Giants‘ 26 first-half offensive snaps in Saturday’s preseason contest against Pittsburgh, appears to be leading New York’s tight end competition, says Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
- Giants‘ quarterback Eli Manning threw just two passes in the team’s four offensive drives on Saturday–completing neither–because New York’s offensive line has not yet earned the trust of new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. In a separate piece, Raanan points out that the starting offensive line, which was retooled after a disappointing 2013, stayed on the field after Manning was removed from the game.
- Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Eagles‘ rookie receiver Jordan Matthews disappointed in Friday’s preseason opener against Chicago, while backup QB Mark Sanchez impressed. Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com concurs and provides a position-by-position breakdown of the team’s offensive performance.
Minor Moves: Sunday
We’ll round up the day’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:
- The Redskins have filled the roster spot previously held by Jerry Rice Jr. with defensive end Jeremy Towns, tweets Mike Jones of The Washington Post. Towns is an undrafted rookie out of Samford.
Earlier Updates:
- The Redskins have waived injured wideout Jerry Rice Jr., tweets Zac Boyer of The Washington Times. The player tore the labrum in his left shoulder and will be placed on injured reserve if he clears waivers.
- The Colts have signed undrafted wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The embattled rookie attended three colleges and was charged with armed robbery.
- The Colts have also cut wide receiver Greg Moore and waived cornerback Brandon Burton, tweets Aaron Wilson of The National Football Post.
- To make room for Brock Jensen, the Dolphins have waived wide receiver Rantavious Wooten, reports the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley (via Twitter).
- Five players cleared waivers and will be placed on their respective team’s injured reserve (via Aaron Wilson’s Twitter): Cowboys offensive lineman Darius Morris, Jaguars wideout Damian Copeland, linebacker John Lotulelei and defensive tackle Jordan Miller and Jets safety Brandon Hardin.
- The Texans have claimed center Sam Longo from the Dolphins, tweets Brian McIntyre. To make room on the roster, the team waived offensive lineman Brice Schwab.
- Jaguars wideout Damian Copeland, linebacker John Lotulelei and defensive tackle Jordan Miller have all cleared waivers and will go on the team’s injured reserve, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
- The Chiefs have made a series of roster moves, signing defensive lineman Jairus Campbell and waiving fullback James Baker and cornerback David Van Dyke, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- The Patriots have re-signed linebacker James Morris, according to Pat Harty of the Iowa Press-Citizen (h/t: Christopher Price of WEEI.com). Morris, an undrafted free agent out of Iowa, was waived by New England in May with a failed physical designation, but is apparently healthy now.
- The Dolphins re-signed quarterback Brock Jensen on Saturday night, just four days after cutting him, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Fellow signal-callers Matt Moore and Pat Devlin are both hurt at the moment, so Miami needed additional depth at the position as they prepare for Friday’s preseason opener. If Moore is healthy, he will of course serve as the team’s primary backup in 2014, and his injured shoulder is currently not a major concern for the club.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.