Minor NFL Transactions: 12/12/16
Here are today’s minor moves.
- Former Hard Knocks favorite Charles James has made his way to the Colts‘ 53-man roster after the team signed him, per Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com (on Twitter), in the wake of placing three players — including starters Jack Mewhort and Clayton Geathers — on IR. James played in 12 games for the Texans this season, making 12 tackles. The team waived James last week after re-signing him as an exclusive-rights free agent in March.
- The Falcons waived offensive lineman Kevin Graf, who had spent the season vacillating between the practice squad and Atlanta’s 53-man roster.
- The Eagles plan to sign RB Byron Marshall to their 53 man roster from the practice squad this week, NJ.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks reports (on Twitter). Marshall’s signing fills out Philly’s roster after the team made a host of moves today, including moving Wendell Smallwood to IR and signing Dwayne Gratz. Marshall will fill in behind Ryan Mathews and Kenjon Barner for now, with Darren Sproles residing in concussion protocol.
- The Steelers promoted wide receiver Demarcus Ayers to the 53-man roster, as Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette tweets. To make room, kicker Randy Bullock has been cut. Ayers was a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft.
- The Titans have promoted defensive lineman Mehdi Abdesmad to the 53-man roster and waived running back David Fluellen, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com reports. Abdesmad caught on with Tennessee in May as a UDFA.
Chargers Claim CB Robert McClain
The Chargers announced that they have claimed Robert McClain off of waivers. The cornerback was dropped by the Panthers late last week.
The Bolts will now kick the tires on a veteran player who has been pretty mediocre for the last few seasons. This year, Pro Football Focus has him ranked as just the No. 115 cornerback in the league out of 123 qualified players. His best year came with the Falcons in 2012 but he had a respectable year with Carolina in 2013. Since then, he has been barely above replacement level, according to the advanced metrics.
The Chargers have Brandon Flowers and Casey Hayward atop their cornerback depth chart with Craig Mager, Trevor Williams, Trovon Reed, and now McClain in reserve. The addition of McClain could be a sign that Flowers will need some additional time to recover from his concussion.
Cardinals Place Branch, Bucannon On IR
The Cardinals lost the game and they lost a couple of important defensive players. Defensive back Tyvon Branch is headed back to IR and linebacker Deone Bucannon has also been lost for the year, the team announced. Right tackle Ulrick John is also likely to go IR with a dislocated shoulder. 
Branch was first shut down in the fall when he suffered a groin injury. After healing up faster than teammate Chris Johnson, Branch was designated as the team’s one player to return from IR. Unfortunately, he has re-aggravated the injury. Branch, who just turned 30, appeared in seven games this year and totaled 27 tackles. He remains under contract through 2017 with a cap number of $4.5MM. If the Cardinals were to cut him before June 1, they’d save $2.75MM against $1.75MM.
Bucannon, 24, has been used primarily at linebacker this year after trying to make it work as a strong safety in the previous two seasons. All in all, he has 89 total tackles, two pass deflections, and one fumble recovery in his 13 games. It appears that the change has worked out for the former first-round pick. Pro Football Focus has him ranked as the No. 34 linebacker in the NFL, though that is powered by a strong 86.1 coverage grade and watered down by weak marks for run defense and pass rush.
Vikings Place DT Sharrif Floyd On IR
When defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd went down with a knee injury in the season opener, the Vikings figured they would be without him for a little while. They didn’t realize that the injury and subsequent surgery would cost him the entire season. The team is placing Floyd on injured reserve, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). To take his place, tackle Toby Johnson has been promoted to the 53-man roster. 
The Vikings have had a number of significant injuries this season, including those suffered by Adrian Peterson, Teddy Bridgewater, Andre Smith, and Matt Kalil. Without Floyd, the Vikings have had to rely on Shamar Stephen as a starter on the interior next to Linval Joseph. Joseph has enjoyed a quality season, but Stephen is ranked as just the No. 87 defensive tackle in the league by Pro Football Focus. Fellow DT Tom Johnson has been decent, however, and is ranked No. 47 in the NFL.
Floyd, 25, was a first-round pick in the 2013 draft. Since then, he has appeared in 44 games with 24 starts, missing two games in 2014, three games in 2015, and just about every game in 2016. He’s under contract through 2017 after Minnesota exercised his fifth-year option worth $6.757MM.
Rams Fire Jeff Fisher
The Rams have fired head coach Jeff Fisher, according to a team announcement. Special teams coordinator John Fassel serve as interim head coach, NFL reporter Rand Getlin tweets. 
On Sunday, the Rams were crushed by the Falcons as Fisher tied for the most losses of any NFL head coach in league history. He is now deadlocked with Dan Reeves with 165 career losses. Reeves, meanwhile, has 190 career wins while Fisher has only 173. In his 22 years of coaching, Fisher has made the playoffs only six times.
“Making a decision such as this – especially during the season – is one of the most difficult in sports,” said Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement. “I have great respect for Jeff as a coach, person, father and friend. He has worked tirelessly despite some challenging circumstances. He played an integral role in helping this team make history in returning the NFL to Los Angeles, and we always will be grateful for his commitment and dedication to our organization. However, this is the right time to make a change as our performance has not lived up to my or our fans’ expectations. We all are focused on improving as an organization and building a team that makes Los Angeles proud. Our mission is to celebrate a Super Bowl title with our fans in Los Angeles. Today is the first step to bringing us closer to that goal.”
Just over one week ago, the Rams formally announced an extension for Fisher to take him through 2017 with an option for 2018. The newly-minted deal may provide Fisher some form of a severance package now that he has been let go.
This, of course, is a lost season for the Rams and a bad start for the franchise in their brand new market. The Rams were not a popular playoff pick given their question marks at the quarterback position, but few expected them to struggle this badly. Someday, Jared Goff may prove to be a top quarterback, but he sat for the first half of the season and he has looked green ever since taking over the starting job.
It’s not immediately clear what Fisher’s dismissal will mean for GM Les Snead. As of this writing, Snead still has his job, so he may be given an opportunity to turn things around this spring. Rams COO Kevin Demoff will address the media later today.
Cardinals WR Michael Floyd Arrested For DUI
Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd has been arrested on DUI charges (link via 98.7 FM). The Scottsdale Police Department says Floyd was found asleep at the wheel of his car while it was running at 2:48 a.m. Monday morning. At that point, he was arrested on two counts of DUI and one count of “obstructing a roadway and failure to obey a police officer.” 
This marks the second time that Floyd has been arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence. In 2011, he earned a suspension at Notre Dame for a DUI. He was said to be driving at nearly twice the legal BAC limit. He also had other alcohol-fueled incidents while in college.
So far this year, Floyd has 33 catches for 446 yards and four touchdowns. Once regarded as the heir apparent to Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, Floyd’s up-and-down play has put his future with the team in question. Today’s news could further impact the pending free agent’s chances of remaining with the Cardinals.
Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer To Enter Draft
Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer will enter the 2017 NFL Draft, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). Kizer is widely regarded as one of the best QBs in this year’s class, though this is not considered to be a strong crop for the position. 
We have a long way to go between now and the draft, but right now it seems that most evaluators have Kizer as the No. 2 QB in this year’s draft. UNC’s Mitch Trubisky has gained steam in recent months and some even see him as a Top 10 pick. Behind both players is Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, a player with solid raw skills but questionable instincts.
Reportedly, Browns scout Lake Dawson has been spending an “inordinate” amount of time in South Bend scouting Kizer. If the Browns select Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett at the top of the draft, Kizer is a player who could be available later on.
In 12 games this season, Kizer completed 212 of 361 passing attempts. He also threw for 26 touchdowns against nine interceptions.
Ryan Tannehill Has ACL/MCL Sprain, Not Tear
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill received some good news today. He has only sprained his ACL and MCL and does not have a tear of the ligaments, coach Adam Gase announced today. There is still no timetable for return and the injury could still keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. 
Tannehill went down during the third quarter of Sunday’s 26-23 win over the Cardinals. The Dolphins feared the worst, but Tannehill has now gotten the best diagnosis possible. Tannehill may or may not be able to return this season, but this injury should be all healed up before the start of next season. An ACL and MCL tear would have put his status for 2017 in jeopardy.
The Dolphins are now 8-5 and are knocking on the door for a Wild Card spot. If the playoffs started today, those spots would be occupied by the Raiders (10-3) and Broncos (also 8-5). According to Five Thirty Eight, Miami has a 30% chance of making the playoffs but just a 2% chance of catching the 10-2 Patriots for the divisional crown.
It stands to reason that Tannehill will miss at least one game. For however long he is out, Matt Moore will handle quarterback duties.
Eagles LS Jon Dorenbos Out For Season
The Eagles need a new long snapper. Jon Dorenbos is done for the season after undergoing wrist surgery, according to a team announcement. It will be a while before Dorenbos can snap a football or do a card trick. 
Recently, the Eagles gave Dorenbos a multi-year extension. Not only is Dorenbos the team’s longest-tenured player and a locker room leader, but he provides a steady hand at an underappreciated position. The Eagles will now have to find a replacement for the two-time Pro Bowler on the open market.
If Dorenbos plays out his newly-minted contract (through 2019), he will set the record for most games played in Eagles history and tie Chuck Bednarik for most seasons with the franchise.
The 5-8 Eagles are currently in line for the No. 10 pick in the draft, though that selection will go to the Browns. Thanks to the Sam Bradford deal, they own the Vikings’ No. 1 choice this year. If the season ended today, that would net them the No. 16 overall pick.
FAU Hires Lane Kiffin As Head Coach
Recently, Lane Kiffin was identified as a potential candidate for NFL offensive coordinator jobs in the offseason. It turns out that he will not be available for interested teams. Kiffin has signed on as Florida Atlantic University’s new head coach, according to Brett McMurphy and Chris Low of ESPN (on Twitter). 
Kiffin, who has reestablished himself as an offensive guru after some terrific work with Alabama, was rumored to be the new head coach at Houston. However, UH went in a different direction and hired Major Applewhite. Kiffin conceivably could have stepped back into the professional ranks, but for now he’ll stick with college ball.
As the head coach of the Raiders, Kiffin went 5-15 before he was fired midway through the 2008 season. Still just 41, Kiffin may look to return to the NFL someday for redemption. For now, he’ll try and reignite FAU after a disappointing 3-9 season.