Update On Bengals’ Tyler Eifert
Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert has just started jogging and is targeting Weeks 4-6 for his return from ankle surgery, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Eifert is keeping optimistic and hoping for a Week 4 return. It’s even conceivable that he could be healthy enough to play in Week 3, but Cincinnati is playing it safe with their star tight end (link). 
[RELATED: Bengals’ Andrew Billings Out For Season]
Eifert suffered the ankle injury at the Pro Bowl and the early word is that it was a minor tweak. As it turns out, the injury was worse than initially feared.
Eifert, 26 next month, had a breakout season in 2015, earning his first Pro Bowl nod since entering the league as the 21st overall pick in 2013. After spending the majority of the 2014 season on injured reserve, the Notre Dame alum hauled in 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns in just 13 regular season contests last year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Stevan Ridley Visiting Colts
Stevan Ridley might not be unemployed for long. Ridley, who was cut by the Lions on Thursday, is on a visit with the Colts today, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Lions Release Stevan Ridley]
If Ridley proves to be healthy, he could be a quality backup for starter Frank Gore. The Colts have spoken at length about their plan to preserve Gore and keep him on a pitch count. Last year, Gore wound up carrying the ball 260 times and Indianapolis wants to dial that number down so that the veteran can be fresh late in the season. As it stands, Robert Turbin is the Colts’ No. 2 back with Jordan Todman, undrafted rookie Josh Ferguson, and Trey Williams also on the depth chart.
This week, coach Chuck Pagano said that the team has a carrying cap in mind for Gore.
“We have to be very, very smart to make sure that we have him available for 16 games and he’s healthy and he’s fresh and he’s out there,” Pagano said (via Stephen Holder of the Indy Star). “He’s obviously a really good player. We have a number in mind and we’ll try to do our very best to stick with that number.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Beat: ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez On The Rams
With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.
Now, we continue the series by discussing the Rams with the team’s newest beat writer, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. You can follow Alden on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez and check out his stories here.
Zach Links: For those of us who aren’t in the Los Angeles area – what’s the excitement level like in L.A. for the Rams’ return? 
Alden Gonzalez: It’s been about what you would expect for a team returning to a huge media market, and by that I mean it’s been high. They sold 171,000 tickets to their first two preseason games. That is absurd. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, who played at Los Angeles Coliseum in Week 2, raved about how loud it was through even the fourth quarter, when all the subs were in. And each open-to-the-public practice I’ve attended has filled up at least one section of bleachers. The novelty will eventually rub off, of course. They’ll have to win pretty quickly in order to maintain attention spans out here.
Zach Links: The Rams are expected to extend coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead before the start of the season. Do you think it’s wise to extend them given that Fisher’s teams have gone 27-36-1 in the last four years?
Alden Gonzalez: Yeah, I do. I know it isn’t the popular opinion, but extending a GM or a coach does not mean that individual cannot eventually get fired. Especially not for a multi-billionaire like Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who would barely flinch at having to eat whatever remains of contracts for Snead or Fisher if such a scenario took place. Snead and Fisher are at the end of their current deals, and it’s hard to operate like that. The Rams have enough newness going on – new quarterback, new city, one of the youngest rosters in the NFL – and it looks like they at least want some stability up top. Snead and Fisher both know the pressure is on to start winning, whether their contracts are extended or not.
Zach Links: How high is the ceiling for Jared Goff? Do you think we’ll see him take over as the starter at some point in 2016?
Alden Gonzalez: I expect him to be the starter at some point in 2016; the only question is when. Barring an uplifting performance in Week 3 of the preseason, though, I do not see him starting the Monday Night Football opener on Sept. 12. He just hasn’t shown enough yet. He needs to be more decisive, he needs to take care of the football and he needs to do a better job of picking up blitzes. All that, in addition to learning to call plays from the huddle and learning to take snaps from under center – two things he really never did at Cal. As far as upside – I think he can be an elite-level passer if he irons those things out. The raw tools are there.
Zach Links: A second franchise tag for Trumaine Johnson would cost the Rams $16MM+ next year. To date, they have been unwilling to pay him like a top NFL cornerback. Do you expect to see Johnson wind up somewhere else in 2017?
Falcons’ Keanu Neal To Miss Games
Bad news for the Falcons as rookie Keanu Neal will miss games due to his knee injury. The safety will be sidelined for three to four weeks, according to a team press release. 
An MRI on Friday morning revealed that Neal will need a minor procedure done. The scope will take place on Monday.
The Falcons drafted Neal with the idea that he would start at strong safety from Day 1. Now, they’ll have to wait a little longer to see him on the field. Recently, PFR’s resident scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas wrote a glowing review of the Falcons rookie.
Neal is a smooth, fluid mover who has done quite a nice job of making plays at the opposite side of the field, thanks to his burst, second gear, and ability to sift through traffic to get to the ball. He shows excellent ball reactionary skills, along with the quick decision-making process to close on the play with good urgency. He can change direction in an instant and does a nice job of maintaining position when challenged by lead blockers assisting vs. the ground game.
He has the nimble feet you would want in a free safety, along with the loose hips to recover quickly when a receiver gets behind him. He can turn and run with the speediest of receivers, as he is a savvy player who knows how to disrupt the route’s progression by using his hands to knock his coverage assignments off stride. He has the loose hips and sudden burst to close on the ball in a hurry and shows good body control in transition. Neal has excellent hand/eye coordination, along with the leaping ability to get fine elevation going up to get to the pass at its high point (team’s active interception leader). He is quick and fast, which allows him to keep plays in front of him and mirror even the swift flankers and split ends in deep secondary coverage.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Browns, Josh Gordon
Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown says that he’s not interested in trading Josh Gordon, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t trade him for the right price. So, what is that price? The Browns want a second-round pick “and then some” in order to part with the wide receiver in a trade, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link). 
Garafolo adds that everyone on the Browns roster can be available for the right price, which makes sense considering that the team is going through a rebuilding phase. On Thursday, the Browns found out that Barkevious Mingo – who was on the roster bubble – was worth a fifth-round pick. That probably has Cleveland execs dreaming about what they can score for their more valuable assets.
In terms of pure talent, Gordon has the potential to be one of the league’s very best receivers. However, it’s not a given that a team can keep him on track and on the field. Gordon was granted a conditional reinstatement by Roger Goodell earlier this summer, meaning that he’ll be sidelined for the first four games and can only come back for Week 5 if he stays the course with his treatment plan.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eric Berry Will Return To Chiefs On Sunday
Chiefs franchise safety Eric Berry plans to return to the team Sunday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Berry has yet to sign his $10.86MM franchise tender but it sounds like he will put pen to paper in a couple of days. 
[RELATED: Chiefs’ Tamba Hali Comes Off PUP List]
Heading into the offseason, many viewed a long-term accord between Berry and the Chiefs as a foregone conclusion. However, the two sides did not see eye-to-eye on terms and the July 15th deadline did not spur action as expected. Now, Berry is slated to play out his one-year tender and he’s not thrilled about it.
Earlier this month, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher told PFR that he does not believe the Chiefs will sign Berry to a long-term deal next offseason.
“It’s difficult to see that at this point. If the Chiefs weren’t willing to satisfy him with a long-term offer this year, why would they do it next year? Perhaps things will change in that regard this season but I don’t think they will,” Teicher said.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Panthers To Work Out Stevie Brown
Donte Whitner isn’t the only safety the Panthers are working out. Stevie Brown, who was released by the Chiefs earlier this week, will join him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Donte Whitner To Visit Panthers]
Brown was without an NFL gig in 2015, despite his past success. A seventh-round pick of the Raiders in 2010, Brown posted a career year in 2012 as a member of the Giants as he hauled in an eye-popping eight interceptions. However, he failed to register a pick in each of his other three seasons – one apiece with the Giants, Raiders and Colts. Brown signed with the Chiefs in early April but he became an early roster casualty when he was dropped on Wednesday.
While Whitner could conceivably leapfrog Tre Boston as the Panthers’ starter at free safety, someone line Brown is probably being looked at for a supporting role. Boston only partook in 20 percent of Carolina’s defensive snaps last season, so it makes sense to put some additional experience behind him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Impact Rookies: New Orleans Saints
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
First Round – Sheldon Rankins, DT (Louisville, No. 12 overall)
The Saints found a playmaker in Louisville’s Sheldon Rankins. One month ago, I would have told you that Tyler Davison and Nick Fairley should watch their backs as the former Cardinals powerhouse was rapidly pushing for first unit assignments. Unfortunately, Rankins suffered a broken fibula a couple of weeks ago, meaning that we’ll have to wait a little longer to see him take the field. Even though he seems ticketed for IR-DTR, Rankins still appears poised to make an impact in 2016. 
Thrust right into action as a 280-pound true freshman, Rankins was a valuable performer for Louisville and “fireplug” at the strong-side defensive tackle position, playing in a 4-3 defensive alignment during his first two campaigns.
With the Cardinals shifting to a 3-4 defense in 2014, Rankins returned to his “roots” at strong-side defensive end, a position where he had compiled 153 tackles (112 solos) with 23.0 sacks and 49.0 additional stops behind the line of scrimmage with 23 quarterback pressures, five fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles, six pass deflections, and three interceptions during his sophomore through senior prep campaigns.
Entering the 2015 season, the Cardinals defender has an appropriate last name. If you consider the consensus analysis from professional scouts, at the strong-side defensive tackle position, it is sort of a “rank and file,” with Rankins the unquestioned top 2016 draft talent, and the rest of the eligible prospects “filing” in behind him.
Rankins is a very disruptive run defender with rare initial quickness. He is at his best shooting gaps and planting ball carriers in the backfield, but he also has long arms (33 inches) for his frame and the upper-body strength to press blockers off him. His ability to penetrate also makes it tough for quarterbacks to step up in the pocket, and he doesn’t have to win with quickness to be an effective pass-rusher, either. He has the violent hands and motor to get to the quarterback when he doesn’t win with his first move.
Rankins is an exceptional competitor with great football character and football/classroom intelligence. He’s a self-motivator, called the team’s “best” practice player by the coaching staff. He has developed into a “film junkie” and easily transfers what he learns in film study to the field. He displays elite first-step quickness and explodes into the backfield, as he can handle either the five- or three-technique chores, thanks to his low center of gravity and explosiveness that makes it tough to establish position against him.
Rankins’ hand usage and upper body strength shows that he has more than enough ability to split double teams. He consistently shoots the gaps to make plays in the backfield and excels at using his hands to control blockers and tracks the ball when moving down the line. He is not the type that will have any issues when trying to anchor when forced into phone booth vs. bigger offensive linemen, as he does a very nice job to split double team action with initial quickness and power.
Extra Points: Jets, Bosa, Seahawks, Eagles
The Jets’ concerns over quarterback Christian Hackenberg‘s throwing mechanics will likely render this a redshirt year for the second-round rookie from Penn State, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Hackenberg was the fourth of 15 quarterbacks to come off the board during the draft, but he’s the only one who hasn’t yet appeared in a preseason game. He’s also lagging well behind fellow reserves Geno Smith and Bryce Petty on the Jets’ depth chart. As a result, the Jets will stash Hackenberg at the bottom of their 53-man roster this year and could tinker with his mechanics to a significant extent next offseason, according to Cimini. On the possibility of overhauling Hackenberg’s mechanics, Jets quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo told Cimini, “That’s not something we’re going to get into right now. We’re just trying to see where he’s at, what he knows.”
More on Gang Green and a few other teams:
- With Hackenberg guaranteed a roster spot and Smith, not Petty, set to serve as the Jets’ backup in their third preseason game on Saturday, it could spell doom for Petty, opines Brian Costello of the New York Post. If the team decides against keeping four QBs, Petty is likely to be the odd man out despite going in the fourth round of last year’s draft.
- One anonymous NFL general manager blames the Chargers for the Joey Bosa debacle, tweets Michael Silver of NFL.com. “[The] Chargers essentially had first pick in draft since the two quarterbacks were going first. [They] could have made sure Bosa would accept the terms,” the GM said.
- Thanks to an ankle injury to rookie Jarran Reed, recent signing Tony McDaniel could go into the season as a starting defensive tackle for the Seahawks, observes John Clayton of 710 ESPN Seattle. McDaniel isn’t yet a lock to crack the roster, though, as the Seahawks have decisions to make on him, fellow veteran Sealver Siliga and undrafted rookie Brandin Bryant. McDaniel seems to have the edge on those two, relays Clayton. Click here to read the interesting story of how McDaniel’s deal with the Seahawks came together.
- Stephen Tulloch‘s one-year pact with the Eagles calls for a $1.75MM fully guaranteed base salary with nearly $47K in per-game bonuses that max out at $750K, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He can also earn $750K through incentives.
- In case you missed it, free agent safety Donte Whitner will visit the Panthers on Friday.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Patriots Reinstate Alan Branch
The Patriots have reinstated Alan Branch, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Branch was suspended last week for an unknown violation of team policy. 
[RELATED: Patriots Suspend Alan Branch]
In 16 regular season games last season (15 starts), Branch totaled 35 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 pass deflections. Branch graded out as the No. 36 defensive tackle according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required), putting him ahead of notables such as Haloti Ngata, Ricky Jean-Francois, and Chris Canty.
Given the team’s rash of injuries in the front seven, they could not afford to be without the defensive tackle for any period of time.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.