Extra Points: Lions, Saints, Vikes, Chiefs
Second-year man Ameer Abdullah is atop the Lions’ depth chart at running back, but they won’t rely on him as a workhorse, according to head coach Jim Caldwell (via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com). “Do I think that he’s durable enough to do it? Absolutely,” Caldwell said. “Do I think he’s strong enough to do it? Absolutely. I just don’t think that’s his cup of tea.” Abdullah, a second-round pick last year, averaged 4.2 yards per carry on 143 attempts as a rookie, but he didn’t eclipse the 16-rush mark in any of his 16 appearances. He’s also coming off shoulder surgery that limited him throughout the offseason, as Meinke notes. Pass-catching specialist Theo Riddick and another second-year player, Zach Zenner, are among the Lions’ other backfield options.
More from around the NFL on opening night of the 2016 season:
- Saints head coach Sean Payton says that he preferred cornerback Sterling Moore to Cortland Finnegan because he’s better in man coverage and a younger player, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. The Saints signed the 26-year-old Moore on Tuesday after releasing Finnegan, 32. Payton isn’t sure how much Moore will help in Week 1 against Oakland, but the coach likes his versatility, intelligence and short-area quickness (Twitter link via Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com).
- Vikings wide receiver Charles Johnson has changed representation, hiring agents Jonathan Perzley and Brian Mackler of Sportstars NYC, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
- A pair of free agents – defensive end Rufus Johnson and outside linebacker/DE Sadat Sulleyman – worked out for the Chiefs on Thursday (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). Johnson, whom New Orleans took in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, made his first career appearance last season as a member of the Patriots. Sulleyman, undrafted this year from Portland State, didn’t survive the Broncos’ final cuts. He worked out for the Bengals on Wednesday.
- There was no shortage of big news Thursday: Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets; the Steelers inked guard David DeCastro to a massive contract extension; and five-time Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch hasn’t closed the door on returning to the league.
- In case you missed it, the PFR staff weighed in with its 2016 NFL predictions Thursday.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Contract Details: Broncos, Bears, Sanchez
The Broncos and receiver Emmanuel Sanders were nearing a contract extension in late August, but the deal Los Angeles gave fellow wideout Tavon Austin led to Sanders raising his asking price, reports James Palmer of NFL Network (Twitter link). Sanders and the Broncos ended up agreeing to a three-year, $33MM pact with $27MM in guarantees on Wednesday. Austin hasn’t been on Sanders’ level in terms of production, but the Ram is four years younger. That helped Austin secure a longer, richer deal – four years, $42MM – with a few million more in guaranteed money ($30MM).
More contract details from around the NFL:
- Guard Josh Sitton‘s three-year accord with the Bears is worth $21MM, $9.5MM of which guaranteed, as Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune tweets. Sitton can earn an additional $250K per season if he makes the Pro Bowl, something he did three time in Green Bay.
- Quarterback Mark Sanchez‘s one-year deal with the Cowboys comes with a $2MM base salary and no guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Receiver/returner Devin Hester‘s contract with the Ravens is for one year and $1.1MM, including $100k fully guaranteed, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- New Broncos QB Austin Davis making $1.25 million this year, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). He’ll get another $200K if he takes 50% of Denver’s offensive snaps, which is a long shot for a signal-caller who’s behind Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch on the team’s depth chart.
- Kicker Connor Barth‘s agreement with the Bears is for one year and $885K, relays Biggs (Twitter link). Barth’s predecessor, Robbie Gould, was scheduled to make $3MM this season before the Bears released him.
- Earlier Thursday, the Steelers made guard David DeCastro the richest offensive lineman in franchise history.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Colts Sign Stephen Morris To Practice Squad
The Colts signed quarterback Stephen Morris to their practice squad and waived safety Lee Hightower, as Mike Chappell of CBS4 tweets. Interestingly, Morris will earn $20K per week – the most of any taxi squad player in the NFL, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
Morris, whom the Colts waived Wednesday, first joined the organization late last season after spending most of the year on the Eagles’ practice squad. He previously went undrafted out of Miami in 2014 before signing with the Jaguars, who cut him prior to last season.
The 6-foot-2, 213-pounder will give the Colts a third option at quarterback behind franchise player Andrew Luck and veteran backup Scott Tolzien. Notably, Luck missed most of last season with injuries and is now dealing with a shoulder ailment, though he’ll be ready for the team’s Week 1 showdown with the Lions.
Hightower, who split his college career between Boise State and Houston, went undrafted this year. He tried out with the Texans before hooking on with the Colts last month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans Claim OL Josh Kline Off Waivers
The Titans have claimed offensive lineman Josh Kline off waivers from the Patriots, according to a Titans press release. In a related move, cornerback Cody Riggs was waived.
Kline was originally supposed to go from the Pats to the Eagles in the recent Eric Rowe trade. Early reports indicated that the Eagles would flip the lineman to another team, but as it turns out, he was removed from the trade altogether. The Patriots, in turn, waived him.
Kline played in 14 games for New England last season and made 13 starts, splitting his time evenly between the two guard spots. He also started at left guard for both of the team’s playoff contests. The Titans are now adding him to the fold and they’ll have him under contract through 2017 at a reasonable rate.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pro Football Rumors’ 2016 NFL Predictions
The 2016 NFL season gets underway tonight, and the writers at Pro Football Rumors have weighed in with projections for the upcoming year. We’ve predicted which teams will earn playoff berths, which clubs will win their respective conferences, the Super Bowl champion, and the winners of the league’s major awards.
Can the Vikings repeat as NFC North champions under the guidance of Sam Bradford? No one at PFR seems to think so as all six of us picked the Packers to regain the divisional crown. There was also a clean sweep for last year’s NFC champs as Panthers are predicted by all to win the NFC South. Looking for some gutsier predictions? I personally have the Jets winning the AFC East and several perennial contenders out of the playoff picture entirely.
Click on the link below to see forecasts from Zach Links, Connor Byrne, Ben Levine, Rory Parks, Dallas Robinson, and Sam Robinson. And please head to the comments section to chime in with your own prognostications for the 2016 NFL season!
Buccaneers Promote Barber, Keyes
The Buccaneers are doing some last-minute roster shuffling prior to their Sunday opener against the Falcons. Rookie running back Peyton Barber has been promoted from the practice squad to the team’s 53-man roster and linebacker Josh Keyes is expected to make the same jump, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Running back Mike James was waived/injured this week to make room for Barber, but a corresponding move for Keyes has not yet been announced. 
[RELATED: Bucs Sign Cecil Shorts]
Keyes, a 2015 undrafted free agent out of Boston College, spent time last season on the Bucs’ taxi squad before being promoted to the varsity squad to close out the season. He saw time in seven games, mainly on special teams.
Barber, an Auburn product, missed the 53-man cut but was quickly added to the team’s practice squad this year after clearing waivers. Barber had 99 rushing yards in the preseason, though his average of 2.5 yards per carry left something to be desired. In any case, the Bucs would rather have him instead of James on the depth chart behind Doug Martin and Charles Sims.
In a related move, wide receiver Evan Spencer has been added to the practice squad after being waived earlier this week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
No Deadline On Jeff Fisher, Les Snead Extensions
We’ve been hearing about potential extensions for Rams coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead for some time now, but as of this writing, there’s still no deal for either of them, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. However, the source also says that there is no deadline for the talks, so deals could theoretically be struck during the season. 
[RELATED: Rams Re-Sign DT Cam Thomas]
The Rams haven’t had the best results on the field under Fisher and Snead. In his four years at the helm of the Rams, Fisher’s teams have compiled a 27-36-1 record and have never gone .500 or better during an individual campaign. However, after moving halfway across the country, owner Stan Kroenke reportedly wants to ensure some stability going forward.
Fisher is currently among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches at $7MM annually and it’s not clear if the Rams are willing to give him any sort of raise on that on a new deal. Prior to joining the Rams, Fisher experienced success atop the Titans organization, going 142-120 in 17 years and helping lead the club to six playoff appearances and a Super Bowl XXXIV berth to conclude the 1999-2000 season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tim Tebow, Mets GM On Minor League Signing
When Tim Tebow was last in the New York market, he was under center for the New York Jets. While the former University of Florida standout sold a whole bunch of No. 15 jerseys, he didn’t make a lot of plays for Gang Green and 2012 wound up being the last time Tebow was on an NFL regular season roster. After trying his luck with the Patriots and Eagles, Tebow turned his attention to broadcasting. After years of putting his charm, looks, and celebrity status to use on television, he is returning to professional sports in New York. This time, he’s trying to make it with the Mets organization as an outfielder. 
Tebow, 29, has not played baseball full time in more than a decade. In his recent audition for major league clubs, he reportedly struggled to hit off-speed pitches from former big-leaguers David Aardsma and Chad Smith. One scout told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that Tebow showed a below-average 40 grade arm on the 20-80 scouts scale – a reminder of why Tebow was never able to make it as a quarterback on the professional level. Even though he showed “undeniable hitting ability” in the view of Crasnick, one has to wonder how far Tebow can get given his age, rust, and athletic limitations.
Count Mets GM Sandy Alderson among those with faith in the polarizing athlete. Alderson told reporters on a conference call today that Tebow is not being brought in as a ploy to sell merchandise. While he recognizes that Tebow faces an uphill battle in many respects, the GM says that the Mets could not pass on “a tremendous opportunity for us to associate with excellence.”
“He has demonstrated through his personality a competitiveness that our players can see first hand,” said Alderson, who pointed to pitcher Seth Lugo and minor league standout T.J. Rivera as players who have come from obscurity to find success in the Mets organization. “I think any player evaluation starts with tools and from that standpoint, without grading everything out, suffice it to say that Tim has been a great athlete. He has demonstrated more than rudimentary baseball skills and we think with his commitment to success that this is an opportunity that we think is worthwhile. In terms of power, arm, foot speed, all of those things….we think he can be a baseball player. I think that is underscored by his competitiveness and his determination to succeed and improve.”
Alderson indicated that the Mets will be patient with Tebow as he refused to put a timeline on when the former Heisman Trophy winner could potentially reach the majors. The Mets will find out how ready Tebow is “over the next weeks, months, and possibly years,” though Alderson explained that he will be absent from his Instructional League commitments for “a few days each week” so that he can fulfill his TV obligations with the SEC Network.
So, why baseball and why now? Tebow explained that walking away from baseball was the “second hardest decision” he ever had to make and, in fact, he planned on making this switch more than a year ago.
“[Then Eagles coach] Chip Kelly called in the middle of baseball training and, to me, that wasn’t just any opportunity. I figured Coach Kelly’s offense might fit me really well. But, we all know how that turned out,” said Tebow with a self-deprecating laugh. “After that, I started doing a little [baseball] training. Then, after the season, I really picked it up and now we’re here.”
Tebow explained that as he traveled the country doing speaking engagements over the last few years, the itch to play baseball would move him to call up a local team and take batting practice with them. For UFC fans, this may be reminiscent of pro wrestler-turned-real fighter C.M. Punk telling the world that he has trained for MMA with the occasional jiu-jitsu class and a “background” in Kenpo karate. But, in both cases, one can’t help but be impressed by the athlete’s positive attitude, competitive drive, and willingness to take a monumental risk in a brand new endeavor. Punk does not speak of winning the welterweight title from Tyron Woodley and Tebow isn’t telling the world that he is an All-Star in the making. For Tebow, this is about pursuing a dream – perhaps a little late in his athletic life – and making sure that he does not wake up one day as a 50-year-old baseball fan with enormous regret.
“For me, I would consider success giving everything I have,” Tebow said. “That would be looking back on this journey and saying I did everything I could do to be the best I could be. I don’t necessarily view success as how many rings, championships, or promotions you get. I view it as whether I did everything I possibly could do to succeed.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jets To Host O’Brien Schofield On Visit
The Jets are hosting O’Brien Schofield on a visit today, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Jets Sign Antonio Allen]
The veteran, who signed a one-year, $1.7MM deal with Atlanta last year, finished out the year with 28 tackles, four tackles for losses, two sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble. The Falcons did make Schofield early on in the offseason, but it was not to the veteran’s liking. Months later, Schofield was lobbying hard for a return to Atlanta but the interest was not reciprocated at the same level. It seems that Schofield overestimated his market in the spring and found himself without a good opportunity in the summer.
The rival Patriots recently took a look at Schofield but it doesn’t look like they’ll be signing him right now. It’s not clear if the Jets have a spot for Schofield today but they could be taking a look at him as a phone number to keep handy in the event of an injury in the front seven.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raiders OL Matt McCants Takes Pay Cut
Raiders offensive lineman Matt McCants took a pay cut from $1.671MM to $675K, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). In the new deal, McCants will receive a $325K signing bonus, bringing his total compensation to $1MM. In essence, McCants is taking a $671K pay cut in order to remain with the Raiders this season. 
McCants was a restricted free agent this offseason and the Raiders used the $1.671MM tender on him. Had he signed elsewhere, the signing team would have been forced to give Oakland a sixth-round draft pick.
McCants, 27, offers big size at the tackle position with his 6’5″, 308 pound frame. A sixth-round pick of the Giants in 2012, McCants found his way to the Raiders in 2013 and has appeared in 26 games ever since. Last year, he appeared in just two games. Squarely on the roster bubble in each of the last two seasons, McCants had little choice but to accept the pay cut.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.