Jets Not Looking To Trade Key Pieces
To say that things are going poorly for the Jets would be an understatement. Gang Green is 1-5 through six games, reverting back to Geno Smith at quarterback, and recently lost Eric Decker for the remainder of the season (and possibly longer). Still, owner Woody Johnson says the Jets are not looking to trade key players between now and the trade deadline, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). 
Overall, Johnson says the Jets are not going to be terribly active in pursuing trades and notable players like Darrelle Revis and Brandon Marshall aren’t going anywhere. Of course, it’s fair to wonder whether there would be any sort of market for Revis even if he were made available. So far this season, Revis is rated as just No. 103 out of 112 qualified cornerbacks, according to the metrics at Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, he’s in the midst of a five-year, $70MM contract he inked prior to the 2015 season.
Johnson also indicated that the Jets will explore all avenues to improve the team, though it’s hard to see them mortgaging the future in any capacity to help themselves in 2016. To even have a punchers chance at the postseason, the lowly Jets would have to go 8-2 the rest of the way.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/16
Wednesday’s minor moves:
- The Texans added two defenders to their active roster Wednesday, promoting lineman Brandon Dunn from their practice squad and signing free agent safety Don Jones, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets. To make room, Houston placed safety K.J. Dillon and linebacker Brennan Scarlett on IR.
NFC Notes: Dak, Vikes, Panthers, Packers
As expected, the Cowboys are starting quarterback Dak Prescott after the team’s bye week against the Eagles, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Tony Romo may not be ready to be considered for the following week against the Browns either, Rapoport hears.
More from the NFC:
- It’s possible Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards’ DWI arrest in May will negatively affect his chances of eventually becoming a head coach, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press details (Twitter link). Edwards was among six assistants the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which promotes minority hiring in the NFL, recommended last offseason for a head coaching job. Whether the Fritz Pollard Alliance endorses Edwards again will come down to opinions from Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer, FPA chairman John Wooten told Tomasson. “I want to talk to Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer and see what their thoughts are, and whether they still support him in moving up the line,” he said. In a positive development for Edwards, Zimmer stuck by the 49-year-old assistant Wednesday in explaining his role with the 5-0 team. “He does a whole ton of things for me that I don’t have to do,” said Zimmer. “We talk about things all of the time as far as game plans. He goes through a lot of the research tape that I really don’t have time to do and we talk about of different things. But George is a very smart guy. He’s very diligent about his work. He cares about making sure his side of the ball performs very well.”
- The Panthers worked out 14 free agents Wednesday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk was among those to report. Tight ends Alex Bayer, Kivon Cartwright, Jim Dray and Eric Wallace; defensive backs Tay Glover-Wright, Demetrius McCray, Jeremiah McKinnon and Shaun Prater; running back Darrel Young; quarterbacks Dylan Thompson and Sean Renfree; receivers Jeremy Ross and T.J. Graham; and defensive end Malliciah Goodman each tried to impress Carolina brass. The most experienced members of the group are Dray (91 appearances, 37 starts), Young (90, 36), Graham (47, 17), McCray (46, 16) and Goodman (34, 11).
- The Packers have to consider moving on from Sam Shields next year, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com opines. Shields, a talented cornerback, recently suffered his second concussion in nine months and his fourth in the last six seasons. The soon-to-be 29-year-old plans to continue playing football, but it’s fair to wonder if he can return to his old form and stay on the field. By cutting Shields, the Packers could recoup some of the four-year, $39MM deal they gave him in 2014.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/16
Wednesday’s practice squad changes:
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Denzel Rice
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Kelcy Quarles (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4)
Kansas City Chiefs
Signed: LB Deion Barnes (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Carlos Fields
- Cut: DL Bobby Richardson
Buccaneers Promote WR Donteea Dye
The Buccaneers have promoted wide receiver Donteea Dye from the practice squad, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Dye signed a practice squad deal with the Bucs on Monday and he was quickly bumped up to the varsity squad to help replace the injured Vincent Jackson. 
Dye impressed in the offseason but he was waived-injured by Tampa Bay after suffering a hamstring injury. Last year, he broke out as an undrafted rookie and even started in five games. He’ll give Jameis Winston another target as the team deals with Jackson’s absence and awaits the return of Cecil Shorts and Louis Murphy.
In related news, the Buccaneers signed running back Russell Hansbrough to take Dye’s old spot. Hansbrough made his NFL debut in last week’s win against Carolina but was cut earlier this week.
Jets Will Stick With Bowles, Maccagnan
The Jets are off to an awful start this year and there’s no guarantee that things will get better anytime soon. Still, owner Woody Johnson says that he isn’t about to do anything drastic and he tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that the jobs of coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan aren’t in jeopardy. 
[RELATED: Jets To Start Geno Smith, Bench Fitzpatrick]
“We got ten games to go. I’m very confident with Todd Bowles and Mike,” Johnson said unequivocally. “I think we’ve got an excellent team (of leaders). I really respect Todd, I know he’s doing what he’s going to do. It’s football. He’s a good coach. I have long-term confidence in him and in Mike and in their teams. That’s the way I feel. Onward and outward, we’ve had a tough schedule, it’s no excuse. We’ve been in some games. But Monday night was … we gotta be better than that.”
The Jets, of course, are coming off of an embarrassing Monday night loss to the Cardinals. That loss marked their fourth-straight defeat and a playoff berth seems rather unlikely for this year. The Jets will have to forge ahead without star receiver Eric Decker and Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s struggles have led them to turn back to Geno Smith. Things are bad for Gang Green, but they’re not ready to blow everything up.
Bowles and Maccagnan, who are both highly-regarded in the league, are both in their second season with the Jets.
Falcons Cut S Dashon Goldson
The Falcons announced that they have released safety Dashon Goldson. To fill his spot on the roster, Atlanta signed defensive lineman Cliff Matthews. The team also inked linebacker Josh Keyes to the practice squad. 
Goldson, 32, signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Falcons, though only $250K of that sum was guaranteed. This year, he suited up for four games, but did not record an official statistic. The veteran has regressed significantly since his glory days with the 49ers. Goldson broke out as a leading free safety in 2009 with San Francisco and went on to earn his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2011. In 2012, his contract year, he garnered another Pro Bowl selection along with his first career First-Team All-Pro nod.
He signed a monster contract with the Bucs in the spring of 2013, but he was unable to deliver. After spending 2015 with the Redskins and old friend Scot McCloughan, Goldson returned to the NFC South. Today, he finds himself back on the open market.
Matthews broke into the league as a seventh-round pick of the Falcons in 2011. The South Carolina product has appeared in 32 games for Atlanta since then.
Dolphins’ Chris Culliver To Return To Practice
After learning that star safety Reshad Jones is done for the season, we have word of some good news for the Miami secondary. Dolphins cornerback Chris Culliver is slated to practice for the first time this year, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Dolphins Safety Reshad Jones Done For Season]
Culliver, 28, signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins in August. When Miami signed the veteran corner, they knew that it would be some time before he would be able to take the field.
Culliver tore his ACL in November and that, understandably, hurt his market. Had he been healthy, Culliver likely would have been one of the best true outside cornerbacks in free agency. After all, he is on the right side of 30 and isn’t that far removed from being one of the league’s better players at the position.
In 2014, his final season with the 49ers, Culliver limited opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of 50.7% and a 66.5 passer rating when they threw into his coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF’s grades placed Culliver as the 14th-best cornerback out of 108 qualified players. In 2015, however, Culliver started only six games for the Redskins, tallying 16 tackles and one pass deflection.
Dolphins’ Reshad Jones Done For Season
Bad news for the Dolphins. Star safety Reshad Jones has been ruled out for the rest of the season, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). Jones will be placed on IR. 
[RELATED: CB Chris Culliver Nearing Return?]
Earlier this week, we learned that the Dolphins feared that Jones suffered a torn rotator cuff. Apparently, their worst fears were confirmed by doctors on Wednesday morning.
Jones, 28, has 51 total tackles, four passes defensed, one interception, and even half a sack through six games this season. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have him ranked as the third-best safety in the NFL so far this year with a strong 88.5 overall grade. Miami has been leaning on him heavily as evidenced by his 437 total snaps this season.
The Bills are next up for the 2-4 Dolphins. The Bills are riding a four-game winning streak and Miami will try to snap it without the services of one of their very best defensive players.
Jets To Start Geno Smith, Bench Fitzpatrick
It’s Geno Smith time in New York. The Jets are planning to start Smith and bench Ryan Fitzpatrick, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Jets head coach Todd Bowles pulled Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter of the team’s 28-3 loss to the Cardinals on Monday, but he gave the veteran quarterback a vote of confidence after the game. However, he was far less definitive when discussing the QB situation yesterday. Last night, Jets coaches huddled up and decided that Smith is the better choice for their team at this time.
Smith, a 2013 second-round pick, has been largely ineffective throughout his NFL career. Last season, Smith was hoping to prove his doubters wrong but never got the opportunity after he had his jaw broken in a now infamous locker room skirmish. Smith’s mid-season promotion will likely be his last chance to take the reins in New York.
On Monday, Smith was brought off the bench late in the game and completed 4 of 6 passes for 31 yards and an interception. In 32 games (29 starts), the West Virginia product has tossed 36 picks against 27 touchdowns. Needless to say, he’ll have to do much better than that to keep the starting job.
Fitzpatrick was embroiled in a high-profile contract standoff with the Jets this offseason. Initially, the Harvard product demanded to be paid in line with his 2015 performance on a multi-year deal. Skeptical of whether the career journeyman could deliver again, the Jets insisted on a mid-range deal that would allow them to bail after just one season. The two sides eventually landed closer to Fitzpatrick’s side, but the Jets must be grateful that they did not give into his demands or public pressure.
Through six games, Fitzpatrick is pretty much at the bottom of the NFL in most notable passing categories, including last-place rankings in interceptions (11) and QB rating (63.4).
After getting smashed 28-3 by Arizona, Smith will now look to lead Gang Green to victory at home against the Ravens on Sunday.