Packers Release Seven Players
The Packers have cut the following seven players, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com:
- S Charles Clay
- CB Antonio Dennard
- WR Chris Harper
- LB Korey Jones
- FB Ina Liaina
- QB Chase Rettig
- WR Gerrard Sheppard
Meanwhile, Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that B.J. Raji, Jared Abbrederis, and Don Barclay are headed to the IR. The Packers’ currently have 81 players on their roster.
East Notes: Griffin, Brent, Branch
Robert Griffin III struggled in the Redskins‘ third preseason game against the Ravens on Saturday night, and that has led to a great deal of chatter as to whether he or backup Kirk Cousins represents the team’s best option under center. Redskins’ legend Joe Theismann weighed in on the conversation in the fourth quarter of last night’s game (as transcribed by Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post) stating:
“Let’s stop beating around the bush. Kirk Cousins has played much better at the quarterback position than Robert Griffin III has…Now, if there was a quarterback competition, it wouldn’t be a competition. Kirk Cousins would be the man I believe [head coach Jay Gruden] would have to go to.”
Theismann continued to sing Cousins’ praises after the game ended. Former Redskin Brian Mitchell, an analyst on the team’s post game show, disagreed with Theismann’s assessment, stating that Griffin, not Cousins, gives Washington the best chance of winning. For what it’s worth, Liz Clarke of the Washington Post writes that Griffin rejects the belief that he has regressed this preseason.
Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com points out the obvious flaw in Theismann’s analysis, writing that, since there never was a quarterback competition in Redskins camp–Griffin entered the offseason as the undisputed starter–there is no way to determine whether Griffin or Cousins would have won such a competition. If the starting job was up for grabs, Cousins would have had a chance to work with the first team offense against the Ravens’ first-team defense, and no one can say how that would have altered the evaluation.
- Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com reports that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expects a decision from the league regarding a potential suspension for DT Josh Brent “imminently.” Jones has previously stated that the team will have a roster spot for Brent if the NFL allows him to play.
- Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News writes that undrafted free agent wideout Corey Washington has had a monster preseason for the Giants and has thrust himself into serious consideration for a roster spot.
- Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com tweets that it will be a few days before a final diagnosis is made on Geoff Schwartz, and in a full-length piece Ranaan describes how the Giants might go about replacing him.
- In a pair of articles, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post offers a little more on Schwartz, some Giants‘ roster machinations, and he describes the quality performances displayed by a few of the Giants’ younger players.
- I rounded up a few Eagles links here.
- In the wake of Alan Branch‘s recent arrest, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reexamines the financial ramifications the Bills would face if they were to release Branch.
- Marc Sessler of NFL.com writes that Bills coach Doug Marrone is open to shopping for a new backup quarterback. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com wonders (via Twitter) if the team would consider Luke McCown if he is cut by New Orleans, as the Saints and the Bills have a similar offensive system.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe describes how the new practice squad rules could impact several players on the Patriots‘ roster bubble.
- Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe provides a closer look on how the Patriots will pare their roster down to 75 players by Tuesday’s deadline.
- The Jets released six players earlier today.
Jets Release Six Players
The Jets have released the following six players, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link):
- WR Jacoby Ford
- WR Michael Campbell
- TE Colin Anderson
- FB Chad Young
- DT Anthony Grady
- CB Ras-I Dowling
Dowling performed well for the Jets in camp, but, like the rest of the team’s corners, he struggled with injury and had difficulty staying on the field. With these cuts, the Jets have trimmed their roster to 75 players well in advance of Tuesday’s deadline.
Eagles Notes: Henery, Barkley, Cuts
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer expounds upon the Eagles’ kicking battle that he referenced several days ago. McLane writes that Alex Henery‘s “chip shot shank” on Thursday night against the Steelers has created a real quandary for the club. The Eagles released Henery’s first challenger this season, Carey Spear, and just acquired Cody Parkey via trade.
Parkey had been on the Colts’ roster–behind incumbent Adam Vinatieri–and was successful on attempts from 45 and 31 yards in the team’s second preseason contest. He was just 14 of 19 in his final season at Auburn University, and he missed a 33-yard try in the second quarter of the BCS Championship Game.
McLane writes that there are currently 12 teams with two kickers on their roster, and the free agent options include Rob Bironas, Rian Lindell, and long-time Eagle David Akers. However, at this point it appears that Philadelphia will wait and see what Henery and Parkey can do in practice this week and in the final preseason contest against the Jets.
Now for some more Eagles notes:
- Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Matt Barkley will start the Eagles’ final preseason game on Thursday. The team feels secure with Mark Sanchez as the primary backup and would like to see a more extensive exhibition from Barkley. As Berman notes, unless Barkley performs so well that another team considers making a trade for him, or struggles to the extent that the Eagles would consider keeping G.J. Kinne instead, Barkely will enter the season as the team’s No. 3 signal-caller.
- In a separate piece, Berman offers a little more on the team’s first wave of roster cuts and adds a couple of injury notes.
- Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com provides a position-by-position breakdown of the Eagles’ defensive performance against the Steelers.
Extension Candidate: Torrey Smith
Torrey Smith, who was drafted by the Ravens with the 58th overall pick in the 2011 draft, is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Although he struggled with drops in his first training camp, he was given a chance to start against the Rams in Week 3 of his rookie season when veteran Lee Evans went down with an injury. In the first quarter in St. Louis, Smith recorded the first three receptions of his pro career; they all went for touchdowns.
Since then, Smith has established himself as Baltimore’s premier receiving threat. Even when he shared a field with Anquan Boldin, his speed and play-making ability was the element of the Ravens’ passing game that drew the most attention from opposing defenses. Last season, he set career highs in receptions (65) and yards (1,128) and boasted an impressive 17.4 yards per reception, which matched his 2012 mark and serves as a testament to his big play potential.
However, he has been referred to as a “one-trick pony,” with his one trick being his ability to blow past opposing corners on deep routes. Although that assessment may be somewhat harsh, his route running has not developed as much as the team would like and his hands still let him down on occasion (though he has demonstrated marked improvement in each of those areas over the course of his first several seasons in the league). For what it’s worth, he also ranked as the 76th-best receiver out of 108 eligible wideouts, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
As such, it is difficult to put a finger on what an extension for Smith might look like. 2014 will be a defining season for a number of Ravens’ offensive players, as the unit will now be guided by the West Coast leanings of respected offensive mind Gary Kubiak, who is being treated as something of a savior among Baltimore fans. If Smith demonstrates continued improvement in his raw statistics while also showing advancements in his route running ability–indeed, Kubiak’s offense will require proficiency in short and intermediate routes, even if he takes a few shots downfield every game–he will be in line for a huge payday (think something along the lines of the five-year, $60MM deal Mike Wallace signed last season). If, on the other hand, he stagnates a bit, he will still be paid handsomely, but his new contract would likely keep him in the second or third tier of receivers. Something akin to the five-year, $42.5MM deal that Antonio Brown signed in July 2012 would probably be a reasonable benchmark.
Back in March, we learned that the Ravens made it known that a new contract for Smith was a priority, and Smith indicated that the feeling was mutual. Smith, who grew up in Virginia and went on to star at the University of Maryland, is not a true No. 1 receiver just yet. However, he is far and away the closest thing to a No. 1 that the Ravens have ever drafted, he has come up with a number of clutch catches, and he has been a consistent and positive presence in the Baltimore community. It is understandable, then, why both parties have interest in getting something done.
At this point, though, it does not appear that a new deal will be reached until the 2014 season is over. Although we do not know what offers the team has previously extended to Smith, it could be that, like his teammate Joe Flacco in 2012, Smith is “betting on himself” this year. With Steve Smith playing opposite him and a top-flight offensive coordinator on board–not to mention new wide receivers coach Bobby Engram, who, in his playing career, excelled in the areas where Smith still struggles–the conditions are perfect for Smith to take the proverbial next step and land a mega-deal in the process. The Ravens would probably be glad to meet his price if he does so, even if that price makes Smith one of the richest wideouts in the league.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Moves: Sunday
We’ll round up today’s minor transactions here, with the latest news appearing at the top:
- To open a roster spot for tight end Kyle Auffray, the Raiders have cut kicker Kevin Goessling, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
Earlier updates
- To fill the roster spot vacated by Ott’s departure, the Patriots have re-signed tight end Justin Jones, according to Tom Curran of CSSNE.com (Twitter link). Jones, an undrafted free agent, had been released a week ago.
- Former Illinois receiver Steve Hull signed on with the Saints as a undrafted free agent just three months ago, but he has decided to end his playing career. Hull posted the news himself on his Instagram account.
- The Patriots have waived long snapper Tyler Ott, an 2014 undrafted free agent out of Harvard, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Veteran Danny Aiken is now the only LS on New England’s roster.
- The Bengals have waived OT Chandler Burden, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that the Colts have cut running back Davin Meggett and signed running back Deji Karim.
- The Lions have signed linebacker Shamari Benton and waived linebacker Justin Jackson, reports Wilson (Twitter links).
- Wilson tweets that the Chiefs have cut Rokevious Watkins from the reserve non-football injury list.
Sam Baker Tears Patellar Tendon, Will Miss 2014 Season
4:59pm: The Falcons have confirmed that Baker will miss the entire 2014 season. The announcement was accompanied by a statement from head coach Mike Smith:
“Following his injury in the game, Sam underwent a number of tests and it was determined that he had suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the season,” said Smith. “Sam had worked extremely hard to get back on the field after missing most of last season, and he was having a good camp. I know he is disappointed, but I also know he is a very resilient football player and will do whatever he can to bounce back.”
12:41pm: Citing ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets that tests have confirmed that Baker ruptured his right patellar tendon.
8:33am: The early diagnosis for Falcons left tackle Sam Baker, who was carted off the field during Saturday’s preseason contest against the Texans, is a torn right patellar tendon, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport adds that, if the diagnosis is confirmed, Baker’s season is almost certainly over.
Jake Matthews, the team’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, was supposed to start at right tackle in 2014 and slowly transition to the left side. However, as Rapoport notes in a separate tweet, Baker’s injury accelerates Matthews’ move to left tackle. It remains to be seen what Atlanta will do at right tackle going forward, though Lamar Holmes (who replaced Baker on the blind side in last night’s game) will get a shot, as will Ryan Schraeder. Gabe Carimi, who signed with the Falcons as a free agent in February, sprained his ankle in practice several weeks ago but was having a good training camp until the injury and could be in the mix. But he struggled at both tackle positions during his time with the Bears and looked to have more value as a backup guard.
Baker missed 12 games in 2013 due to a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, which makes his latest injury even more troublesome. He has also dealt with back problems over the course of his career. The Falcons’ offensive line was a mess last season, and Baker’s injury increased the likelihood of a repeat performance in 2014.
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.