Workout Notes: Patriots, Jets, Bills
The Patriots auditioned some players of note this week, including linebacker Akeem Ayers, quarterback Thad Lewis, and wide receiver Jeremy Ross (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).
Ayers has some history with New England after playing on their 2014 Super Bowl championship team. Last year, Ayers appeared in all 16 games for Indianapolis and recorded two sacks.
Linebackers Nicholas Grigsby and Antwione Williams also showed their stuff for the Pats.
Here’s a look at Wednesday’s other workouts from around the NFL:
- The Jets worked out former Maryland cornerback Alvin Hill, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Canadian defensive tackle Stefan Charles worked out for the Giants on Tuesday, John Kryk of The Toronto Sun tweets.
- The Cardinals worked out wide receivers Donteea Dye, Cobi Hamilton, and Rashad Ross, as Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com tweets.
- The Bills auditioned defensive backs Ironhead Gallon, Lee Hightower, Rickey Jefferson, Marcus McWilson, Orion Stewart, and Jack Tocho, linebackers Kenneth Olugbode, defensive tackle Marcus Hardison, running back Connor Harris, and tackle De’Ondre Wesley, according to Balzer (via Twitter links).
- The Buccaneers auditioned quarterback Trevor Knight, wide receivers C.J. Board and Jake Lampman, and tackles Justin Murray and Avery Young, Balzer tweets.
- The Packers took a look at running back Jacob Huesman, Balzer tweets.
- The Colts auditioned linebacker Travis Feeney and defensive backs Jordan Moore, Taurean Nixon, Ezra Robinson, and Deron Washington, Balzer tweets.
- The Giants auditioned defensive backs B.W. Webb Brandon Dixon, and Jeremiah McKinnon, Balzer tweets.
Bears Release Lamarr Houston From IR
Lamarr Houston is free to sign with any team. At least, he’ll be able to once he’s healthy. The Bears have released the linebacker from injured reserve, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’ll be ready to audition for clubs sometime next week. 
Houston, 30, has had two ACL tears in the past and a new knee injury has left him on the shelf once again. He didn’t do much in Chicago after signing a five-year, $35MM free agent with the Bears in 2014, but he was a quality edge rusher in previous seasons with the Raiders.
In three seasons with the Bears, Houston has appeared in just 26 of a possible 48 games and made only ten starts. With the Raiders, he did not miss a single regular season game from 2010-2013 and started in all but four of those contests.
Houston’s next deal will likely be close to the league minimum but may include some incentives for play time.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/6/17
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: QB Trevor Knight
- Cut: DT Taniela Tupou
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Channing Stribling
Detroit Lions
- Cut: TE Cole Wick
- Placed On IR: WR Dontez Ford
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Taurean Nixon
Offseason In Review: New York Jets
The Jets swear up and down that they aren’t tanking, but if they’re not trying to secure the first pick in the 2018 draft, then we’re not quite sure what the game plan is. Recently, former head coach Rex Ryan became the latest to pile on Gang Green’s offseason.
“They have to get a quarterback,” Ryan told ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. “That kid from Penn State, we all know that’s not the answer.”
That kid, Christian Hackenberg, was taken in the second round of last year’s draft with the hope that he would blossom into the team’s next franchise QB. He did not see a snap as a rookie and this year he is third on the depth chart behind a 38-year-old journeyman and a former fourth-round pick with limited NFL experience.
The question marks go far beyond the quarterback position. The Jets are a team with no real prospects for the 2017 season and no exact blueprint for the future. However, if the Jets can secure the No. 1 pick (which is totally not their goal, you guys), then there will be some reason for hope.
Notable signings:
- Brian Winters, G: Four years, $29MM. $15MM guaranteed.
- Kelvin Beachum, T: Three years, $24MM. $12MM guaranteed.
- Josh McCown, QB: One year, $6MM. Fully guaranteed. $7MM available via incentives.
- Ben Ijalana, T: Two years, $10.25MM. $3MM guaranteed.
- Morris Claiborne, CB: One year, $5MM. $2MM signing bonus.
- Josh Martin, LB: Two years, $3.8MM. $850K guaranteed.
- Chandler Catanzaro, K: One year, $900K. $250K guaranteed.
- Bruce Carter, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Jonotthan Harrison, C: One year, $850K. $50K guaranteed.
- Mike Pennel, DT: One year, $990K.
- Wesley Johnson, C: One year, $2.746MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
- Marcus Williams, CB: One year, $2.746MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
- Jeremy Kerley, WR: One year, contract terms unknown.
Josh McCown had opportunities to serve as a No. 2 quarterback for contending teams, but he followed the money to New York where he’ll enter as the Week 1 starter. McCown didn’t have a ton of competition for the job this summer given Hackenberg’s aforementioned struggles and Bryce Petty‘s knee injury, but he’ll probably get the hook if/when the Jets fall in the standings. Eventually, the Jets have to get a better read on what Petty can offer and they’ll have to test Hackenberg in some fashion. 
The good news for the Jets’ QB trio is that the team did invest a bit in the offensive line. One of last year’s most porous units now has Kelvin Beachum starting at left tackle, and he could be a difference maker if he’s healthy. The 28-year-old was an elite left tackle in 2014 with the Steelers. In 2015, he had his season cut short by a torn ACL and could not get back to his old form upon joining the Jaguars in 2016. Last year he graded out as the NFL’s No. 63 tackle among 78 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, and one has to wonder if the knee injury was holding him back. Last year’s left tackle, Ben Ijalana, will slide back over to the right side after re-upping on a two-year deal.
The Jets made a low-risk/high-reward signing by adding cornerback Morris Claiborne in March. There’s just one problem here – what good will it do the Jets to have a quality cornerback on a one-year deal when the rest of the team is not equipped to win? Then again, if the Jets wanted to add a second or third year to the deal, it would have cost them a pretty penny. The Claiborne deal came in at just $5MM for this year and that will be a steal if Claiborne can perform like he did in his injury-shorted 2016 campaign. Claiborne was on the field for only seven games, but he finished out as Pro Football Focus’ 12th ranked corner for his work in Dallas. If he plays well, it’s possible that the Jets will re-sign him to a long-term deal, allowing him to be a part of the franchise’s turnaround.
Jets To Sign Jeremy Kerley
He’s back. The Jets have signed wide receiver Jeremy Kerley to a one-year deal, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 
The Jets auditioned Kerley on Tuesday morning and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. He’ll now return to the team with which he spent his first five seasons.
Kerley was a staple of the Jets’ offense for multiple seasons, but he fell off the radar in 2015. The next season, he landed in San Francisco where he flourished. The Niners re-signed him to a lucrative contract only to release him prior to this year’s 53-man deadline.
In 16 games last year, Kerley caught 64 of 115 targets for 667 yards and three scores. Those are solid numbers and they look a little more impressive when considering that he was playing in one of the league’s most putrid offenses. He might have a similar experience now that he’s back in New York. The good news for him is that he should have ample opportunities to showcase his skills. Kerley is arguable the most talented receiver on a Jets team that is without Quincy Enunwa this year.
Kerley can also be a contributor on special teams as a punt returner.
Packers Sign Quinton Dial
The Packers have signed former San Francisco defensive lineman Quinton Dial, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
The Packers have now added two former Niners front seven players in the last week. At the end of August, Green Bay also inked linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Brooks wound up on the curb as a cap casualty while Dial was not a scheme fit for SF’s new look defense.
Now back in a 3-4, the Packers are hoping that Dial can produce. He started 26 games for SF over the last two years and he’s still only 27, so there’s reason for hope. He’ll likely start off the year in a reserve role but he has an opportunity to get some real playing time with the Packers..
The Packers start their season at home against the Seahawks on Sunday.
Broncos Add Jonathan Williams To P-Squad
The Broncos have signed running back Jonathan Williams to the practice squad, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’s receiving a sizable salary that equals out to $510K over the course of the season, which indicates that there was a healthy market for him after the Bills cut him loose. The minimum practice squad salary is just over $7K per week. 
Early on this offseason, Williams seemed poised to step into Mike Gillislee‘s role as LeSean McCoy‘s top backup. He lost ground in that competition, however, and the Bills decided to cut him loose rather than pay out the full value of his contract. The Broncos and 30 other teams declined to pick him up off of waivers, thereby picking up his deal and giving him a roster spot, but multiple teams wanted him on the taxi squad. The Broncos won out over the competition.
The Broncos will roll into the season with C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, Jamaal Charles, and De’Angelo Henderson at running back. Booker’s status is up in the air to start the season, so there’s already a potential roster opening for Williams if that injury lingers.
Cardinals Sign G Alex Boone
Free agent guard Alex Boone has agreed to terms with the Cardinals, according to his agents at Schwartz & Feinsod. Arizona announced the deal as a one-year pact.
Boone was a surprise cut by Minnesota prior to the 53-man deadline this weekend. Just last year, the Vikings inked him to a four-year, $26.8MM deal with $10MM guaranteed. After a so-so year, the Vikings decided to cut ties and save some dollars.
In Arizona, Boone could displace Evan Boehm as the team’s starting right guard. If he does, he’ll once again start opposite of Mike Iupati.
A 14-game starter for Minnesota in 2016, Boone ranked as the NFL’s No. 37 guard among 75 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, which assigned him high marks for his pass blocking but poor scores in the run game. During his best years as a member of the Niners, Boone was regarded as an above-average starter and even earned a second-team All-Pro selection in 2012.
This week, Boone expressed interest in signing with the Dolphins and reuniting with ex-Niners offensive line coach Chris Foerster. He’s a long way from Miami, but he is still joining a team with playoff potential.
Bills Place QB T.J. Yates On IR
The Bills announced that they have placed quarterback T.J. Yates on injured reserve. In other QB news, the Bills confirmed that Tyrod Taylor will be ready to go for Week 1 against the Jets. 
Both Yates and Taylor suffered concussions in August, putting the team’s QB depth in serious jeopardy. The team signed Joe Webb on Monday to brace for the possibility that rookie Nathan Peterman would be left as the team’s only other healthy signal caller. Now that Taylor has been given the green light, Webb may or may not stick on the roster as the QB3. Yates will be eligible to return after eight weeks, if the Bills want to use one of their two IR-DTR spots on him.
In other news, the Bills signed safety Colt Anderson and defensive tackle Cedric Thornton. Defensive tackle Deandre Coleman has been released.
Ezekiel Elliott Ruling To Come Down Today
The Ezekiel Elliott saga could be coming to a close. Hearing officer Harold Henderson has informed all parties that he will render his ruling by the close of business on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. 
After a yearlong investigation into domestic violence accusations made against him, Elliott was slapped with a six-game suspension this summer. Both Elliott and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones have said that the allegations are without merit and the running back’s camp has vowed to fight the ban until all options have been exhausted. That includes appealing through the highest levels of the justice system, so Elliott’s battle could continue if the suspension is not overturned or significantly reduced today.
If Elliott does not win his appeal or at least have the suspension reduced, he will miss games against the Giants, Broncos, Cardinals, Rams, Packers, and 49ers. Because the Cowboys have a Week 6 bye, an upheld suspension would delay his 2017 debut until October 29th when the Cowboys take on the Redskins.