AFC East Notes: Hackenberg, Sheard, Patriots
Can the Jets bend league rules and keep all four of their quarterbacks by stashing Christian Hackenberg on IR? Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News thinks it’s a good idea. Technically, teams are prohibited from putting healthy players on injured reserve, but the rules for that are rarely enforced and just about every NFL player has a lingering injury. There is precedent for such a move and Mehta notes that Charley Casserly – mentor to GM Mike Maccagnan – has fudged injuries to rookie quarterbacks multiple times throughout his career as an exec.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- Patriots defensive end Jabaal Sheard has been dealing with a sprained MCL, according to a source who spoke with Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Luckily, the injury is not overly serious and Sheard has been given a recovery timetable of 2-4 weeks, though some MCL sprains need 4-6 weeks to heal up. In the wake of the Chandler Jones trade and Rob Ninkovich‘s triceps injury, the Pats are banking on big production from Sheard.
- Dolphins running back Isaiah Pead is making a strong push for a roster spot, ESPN.com’s James Walker writes. The only locks at RB are Jay Ajayi, Arian Foster, and rookie Kenyan Drake, who is currently injured. That leaves Pead in a triple threat match with Damien Williams and Daniel Thomas for one spot and it sounds like Pead may have the edge. Pead has impressed the Dolphins with his work ethic, a pleasant surprise given the reputation he made for himself with the Rams.
- The Jets are one of several teams said to be interested in cornerback Keenan Lewis.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Tim Tebow To Hold MLB Audition Next Week
We’ll soon find out exactly where Tim Tebow stands as a baseball player. The former Florida standout and NFL quarterback will work out for major league scouts on August 30th in Los Angeles, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. 
Tebow is slated to “run a 60-yard dash, catch fly balls with throws to the bases, take live batting practice, and then take batting practice against more advanced pitchers who will not tell him what is coming and will be trying to get him out.” The 29-year-old insists that he is serious about his move to baseball and his representatives say that this is not a publicity stunt. Tebow is hoping to play as a major league outfielder despite not having played the sport full-time in more than ten years.
Tebow has been working with Chad Moeller to make the transition and the former MLB catcher believes that he can pull it off, despite the long odds.
“I am beyond impressed with Tim’s athleticism and swing, and it goes without saying that he has shown a high level of discipline and strong work ethic,” Moeller said earlier this month. “I see bat speed and power and real baseball talent. I truly believe Tim has the skill set and potential to achieve his goal of playing in the Major Leagues, and based on what I have seen over the past two months, it could happen relatively quickly.”
The Florida product hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2012, when he was a backup signal-caller with the Jets. Last offseason, he tried to make the Eagles’ roster but Chip Kelly released him prior to the start of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Beat: Will Leitch On The Cardinals
With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with writers and columnists 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 Cardinals with Will Leitch. Will is a senior writer for Sports on Earth, a contributing editor for New York Magazine, and hosts the daily podcast “The Will Leitch Experience.” You can follow Will on Twitter @WilliamFLeitch.
Zach Links: Like many Cardinals fans, you were puzzled by Carson Palmer‘s collapse in last season’s playoffs. This offseason, the Cardinals tied themselves to the veteran through 2018 with an extension. How do you feel about Palmer as the Cards’ QB heading into this season? 
Will Leitch: Yeah, he was a nightmare in the playoffs, like he’d forgotten everything that had made him and the team great throughout the season. You’d actually seen that in the Packers game, some dunderheaded mistakes that weren’t indicative of how he played in the regular season, but I thought it was attributable to him still not having that playoff-victory monkey off his back. And then he was ten times worse against Carolina. So, yeah, it’s worrisome, but not NEARLY as worrisome as it would have been if Palmer hadn’t have come back, or if he gets hurt. Palmer is the perfect fit for this offense — the only thing that isn’t perfect is that he isn’t 27 — but more to the point, he’s the only available fit for this offense. As bad as the playoffs were, the team would be completely lost without him. I’m terrified that he goes down in Week Two and the whole team implodes. The Cardinals have had some truly awful quarterbacking over the last decade; I’m twitching just thinking about it. No offense to Drew Stanton, but yes: Palmer is the whole sandwich here.
Continue reading our Q&A with Will Leitch..
Four New Teams Interested In Keenan Lewis
The Lions, Jets, Cardinals and an unidentified NFC South team have made preliminary inquiries on Keenan Lewis, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Earlier today, we learned that at least six teams have shown interest in Lewis, including the Steelers who will be hosting Lewis on a visit. 
The Lions are quite young at cornerback with 25-year-olds Darius Slay and Nevin Lawson in starting roles. Behind them are Quandre Diggs (24), Alex Carter (22), Darrin Walls (28), and Crezdon Butler (29). The 30-year-old Lewis could bring some veteran experience to a group that lost Rashean Mathis to retirement in the offseason.
Lewis says that he is particularly intrigued by the possibility of joining the Jets or Cardinals (link):
“I wouldn’t mind playing with (Darrelle) Revis. Bruce Arians was also coaching with the Steelers when I was there. I wouldn’t mind playing with Patrick Peterson too. Those teams are only getting stronger. I just want to put myself in the best situation. I want to play two to three more years and my goal is to win a Super Bowl.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Keenan Lewis To Visit Steelers
Former Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis is going to Pittsburgh tonight for a visit with the Steelers, a source tells Josh Katzenstein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Lewis has drawn interest from at least six teams, Katzenstein adds. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter) also hears that the Steelers have interest in Lewis, though he says that his hip injury is a concern.
Lewis, 30, was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2009 draft. He went on to spent the first four seasons of his career in Pittsburgh before signing a five-year, $26.3MM deal with his native New Orleans in March 2013. The ex-Oregon State standout started in all 16 of the Saints’ regular-season games in both 2013 and 2014, something he had also done in his final year with the Steelers, before injuries held him to a mere six contests in 2015.
The Steelers, meanwhile, could use some help at cornerback after learning that Senquez Golson has suffered yet another setback.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lions’ Eric Ebron Expected Back For Week 1
Barring a setback, Lions tight end Eric Ebron is on track to play in Week 1 against the Colts, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In fact, the source says that Ebron even has an outside chance at playing in the team’s fourth and final preseason game. 
Earlier this month, Ebron gave a scare to Lions fans everywhere when he was carted off the field after suffering an injury. The early fear was that Ebron tore his Achilles, but it was apparently just an ankle injury of a lesser variety.
An Ebron absence of any length would have been unfortunate for Detroit as he is one of the team’s most dangerous receiving weapons. It also doesn’t help that backup tight end Brandon Pettigrew is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season and new acquisition Andrew Quarless is suspended for the first two weeks of the season. Beyond them, Detroit’s tight ends are Cole Wick, Matthew Mulligan and Orson Charles.
Ebron finished last season with 47 receptions for 537 yards and five touchdowns — all career highs for a tight end expected to play a larger role for a Lions offense without Calvin Johnson this season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Release Donald Brown
The Patriots have released running back Donald Brown with an injury settlement, according to a source who spoke with Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Brown hasn’t practiced for three weeks due to an undisclosed injury. 
As Howe notes, Brown was working with first team earlier this summer and he figured to be a big part of the Pats’ plans. Instead, he’ll be looking for employment elsewhere once he resumes being healthy. The Pats are now left with LeGarrette Blount, James White, Brandon Bolden, Tyler Gaffney, D.J. Foster, and Joey Iosefa at running back. Blount, White, and Bolden are expected to make the roster while Gaffney is probably the frontrunner for the fourth RB spot.
Although he made a handful of starts during his two years with the Chargers, particularly when the club’s backfield was hit hard by injuries, Brown never made a significant impact. In total, he accumulated 452 rushing yards on 144 attempts (3.1 ypc), and added 299 receiving yards on 37 catches.
The Patriots also released defensive tackle Frank Kearse.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Release E.J. Biggers
The Patriots have released cornerback E.J. Biggers, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Biggers signed a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with the Pats in March. The deal featured just $25K in guaranteed money, in the form of a signing bonus. 
[RELATED: Patriots Release TE Bear Pascoe]
Biggers, 28, spent three seasons in Tampa Bay and two in Washington before joining the Eagles for the 2015 campaign. Outside of the 2012 season, when he started 12 games for the Bucs, he has been a part-time contributor for most of his NFL career, playing in nickel or dime packages on defense and contributing on special teams as well. In 2015, he recorded 39 tackles and seven passes defended.
Biggers was expected to serve as one of the Pats’ primary backups for corners Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan. Instead, the Pats will use second-round pick Cyrus Jones as the first cornerback off of the bench. Justin Coleman, Jonathan Jones, and Darryl Roberts are jostling for spots on the roster behind Jones and their odds all just improved today.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Teams Inquiring On Josh Gordon
Multiple teams have reached out to the Browns to inquire about the availability of wide receiver Josh Gordon, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Facebook link). However, a Browns team source tells Schefter that the team is not looking to trade Gordon. 
[RELATED: Browns Suspend CB K’Waun Williams]
This offseason, the Browns have worked to establish an environment in which Gordon could thrive, and many around league believe Hue Jackson is the right coach to get him back on track. It remains to be seen whether a team will offer up enough to make the Browns interested in parting with Gordon, but Schefter says it is a situation keeping an eye on.
In late July, Gordon was reinstated by the NFL with certain conditions. The wide receiver will be suspended for the first four games of the season and his return will be conditional. If he does not stay on course with his treatment plan, then his return date in October is not guaranteed.
In 2013, despite missing the first two games due to a suspension, Gordon led the NFL in receiving yards, finishing with 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. Thanks to his off-the-field issues, the 25-year-old played in five games in 2014 and missed the entire 2015 season. Obviously, the talent is there for Gordon to be one of the league’s very best wide receivers. There is also a chance that he doesn’t stick to his treatment plan, which may allow for another team to talk the Browns into parting with him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Giants Sign K Randy Bullock
5:43pm: Bullock actually is a vested veteran and can collect termination pay, according to Garafolo (Twitter link), so the Giants will have a decision to make come Week 1. Unless New York wants to pay Bullock $760K for one game’s worth of work, they will have to release Brown or find a non-vested veteran to replace Bullock.
4:02pm: The Giants have themselves a kicker for the first game of the season. Randy Bullock and the Giants agreed to a one-year deal today, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The team has since confirmed the deal via press release. To make room, the Giants waived kicker Tom Obarski. 
[RELATED: Latest On Giants’ Josh Brown]
Of course, kicker Josh Brown was handed a one-game suspension last week for an alleged domestic violence incident, so Bullock will serve as the team’s place kicker for the season opener against the Cowboys. Now that word of additional incidents are coming to light, it’s possible that Bullock’s stay could last longer than early September.
Assuming Bullock’s services are only needed for one week, however, he won’t cost the Giants a whole lot. Since Bullock is not a vested veteran, the Giants will not be on the hook for his full one-year salary if they opt to release him after Week 1.
Bullock, 26, was inconsistent early on in the 2015 season, leading to his release from the Texans. In November 2015, he hooked on with the Jets. In total, Bullock connected on 82.6% of his field goals in 2015 while going 22-for-25 on extra points.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.