Forsett Hoping For Long-Term Deal With Ravens
Former Ravens running back Ray Rice, who entered the season as the team’s lead runner, has dominated off-field NFL headlines around the league this season, but it’s another running back whose play on the field has been the big story in Baltimore recently. Justin Forsett is having a career year as the No. 1 back in Baltimore, and he tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun that he hopes to stick around beyond the 2014 season.
“This is a great place, a great organization,” Forsett said. “It’s hard not to want to be here. Definitely, I’m sure after the season sometime they’ll get something done. I would love to sign here. I’ve been waiting my whole career to find a home somewhere to not have to move every offseason. So, that would be nice.”
Forsett, 29, played for the Colts, Seahawks, Texans, and Jaguars before signing with the Ravens this past offseason, and was typically used as a backup or change-of-pace back, occasionally contributing in the return game as well. This season, he’s already blown past his previous career-high in carries, rushing 155 times for 903 yards, for an impressive 5.8 yards per carry. He’s also added seven touchdowns, and has been at his best in recent weeks — in Baltimore’s last two games, the former seventh-round pick has nearly 300 rushing yards and four TDs.
Playing on a minimum contract this year, with a base salary of $730K and a cap hit of just $570K, Forsett will certainly be in line for a raise this winter. While it’s not clear yet if the Ravens will aggressively try to lock him up, it appears as if Forsett is at least interested in giving them first dibs, prior to hitting the open market.
AFC North Notes: Hoyer, Manziel, Rice
Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group implores you not to adjust your computer screens. Yes, the Browns and the Bills are set to play a meaningful late season game. “This is going to be an old-fashioned, blue-collar matchup as much as it can be when all the players are millionaires,” said Hall-of-Fame guard Joe DeLamielleure, who played for both franchises. “The teams are similar and so are the fan bases. I’ve told people that fans of these two cities will buy tickets before they’ll buy their kids jackets. That’s how much the franchises mean to their cities.” More on the Browns and other notes from the AFC North..
- The Browns are committed to Brian Hoyer for the rest of the season, but they’re not sold on him long-term, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. Johnny Manziel might be the long-term answer, perhaps as soon as next season, but they won’t be trotting him out there to start this year.
- After the Ray Rice situation and some other contract issues were cleared up, the Ravens are now $4.287MM under the NFL salary cap limit of $133MM, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Still, should Rice win his grievance against the Ravens for wrongful termination, he would be owed $3.529 million in salary that he was due before the team cut him Sept. 8 when a graphic video surfaced of his domestic violence incident.
- Joe Kruger, the brother of Browns outside linebacker Paul Kruger, visited the Steelers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
North Notes: Blount, Gordon, Cobb
Although he acknowledges that there is no evidence to suggest that LeGarrette Blount wanted to get himself released from the Steelers when he left the field prior to Pittsburgh’s Monday night win over the Titans, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if Blount “walk[ed] out on the Steelers so he could walk right back to the New England Patriots.” Bouchette notes that, with no ramifications whatsoever–although the Steelers certainly could have penalized him instead of essentially rewarding him for his behavior–Blount “went from a team fighting to make the playoffs to one among the favorites to win it all, one where he had success last season and was used more often than he was with the Steelers.” Even if it sounds a bit like a conspiracy theory, Bouchette believes it is fair to think that Blount knew exactly what he was doing and that everything played out according to plan for him and for New England.
Now for some more notes from the league’s north divisions:
- The Browns expect star receiver Josh Gordon to be on the field for 20-30 snaps in his first game of the 2014 season this afternoon, according to ESPN.com staff.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that a ruling on Ray Rice‘s appeal hearing is expected by tomorrow. Even if the former Ravens running back is reinstated, of course, it will be difficult for him to find a job in the league this season.
- Even though they have been publicly silent on the issue, ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that Vikings ownership and management were pushing throughout the season to get Adrian Peterson back on the field. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Minnesota’s coaching staff would love to have Peterson back, and Werder adds in a full-length piece that head coach Mike Zimmer believes Peterson has not played his last game in a Vikings uniform.
- Although he believes the Packers will work out an extension with Randall Cobb, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes that Cobb’s excellent 2014 season is driving up his price, possibly out of Green Bay’s budget. On the other hand, even though the Packers have a number of young wideouts on the roster, Demovsky notes that none of those players have proven they are capable of filling Cobb’s shoes.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe describes how Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh has finally paired excellent play with clean play in his free agent season.
Uncertain Futures For Peterson, Rice
Adrian Peterson was suspended for the rest of the season earlier this week, and his career with the Vikings could be coming to an end, according to Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com. Peterson has expressed concern about returning to the team after his suspension is over.
According to Tomasson, Peterson had told USA Today he “would love to go back and play in Minnesota” but that it might be “best for me to get a fresh start somewhere else.”
If the team decides his return is too much of a distraction to bring back, Peterson could find himself a hot commodity as far as running backs go. While Toby Gerhart and Donald Brown received only modest contracts as this past offseason’s top runners, Peterson should garner more attention than either of them. Those runners each signed deals in the $10-$11MM range, with between $4-$5MM in guaranteed money.
Both of those players have failed to live up to those modest contracts already in the first year. Peterson comes with some baggage now after missing almost all of the 2014 season, but his talent and potential upside far outweighs any runner to switch teams in recent years.
Peterson will be 30 years old by the time next season starts, but is still considered to be one of the top talents at the position across the league. While he might never again reach the level of his 2012 MVP season, he is not yet in decline as a player, amassing 1,266 yards in 14 games in 2013, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. This season will be the first year of his career that he failed to record double digit touchdowns.
Peterson’s fellow disgraced ball carrier, Ray Rice, shares the name recognition of Peterson, but his NFL future is much more up in the air. The Rice saga gained more media attention than did Peterson, with the visual of the TMZ video only exacerbating the public’s anger toward his case.
Rice, unlike Peterson, had experienced a sharp decline in on the field performance as well. Never the player Peterson was even at his peak, Rice’s 2013 season saw him gain only 660 yards at 3.1 yards per carry. Where Peterson never failed to score ten touchdowns in a season, Rice only hit that mark once, with 12 in 2011. Rice may be only a year younger than Peterson, but will likely be an afterthought in this year’s free agent class if he is even able to sign at all.
Workout Notes: 49ers, Bills, Saints, Eagles
As usual, NFL teams are keeping a close eye on the free agent market, bringing in players for visits and tryouts as they prepare contingency plans in the event that they need to replace injured players or add depth. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the details on several of the latest workouts and auditions from around the league, so let’s round up the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….
- In the wake of Jimmie Ward‘s season-ending injury, the 49ers worked out a handful of defensive backs, including Dominique Franks, Drayton Florence, and Marcus Cromartie.
- Before they decided to sign safety Bacarri Rambo, the Bills eyed several other defensive backs as possible replacements in the secondary for injured cornerback Leodis McKelvin. Chris Clemons, Brandon Taylor, Stephon Morris, and Josh Bush also auditioned for the club.
- A trio of linebackers – Moise Fokou, L.J. Fort, and Jerry Franklin – worked out for the Saints.
- We heard previously that the Eagles took a look at a couple former starting quarterbacks, but that wasn’t the only position at which the team auditioned players. Philadelphia also tried out wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu and defensive back Roc Carmichael.
- In addition to bringing in Allen Reisner, who signed with the team’s practice squad, the Ravens worked out fellow tight end Ike Ariguzo.
Minor Moves: Monday
Here are Monday’s minor transactions, including practice squad signings and cuts, from around the NFL:
- The Ravens have replaced one tight end with another on their practice squad, signing Allen Reisner and cutting Emmanuel Ogbuehi, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Reisner had been on the open market since being dropped from the Patriots’ practice squad back in September.
- Joe Flacco‘s younger brother Michael Flacco has been released from the Jaguars‘ taxi squad, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). Flacco had been with the unit for a little over a month.
- Washington announced a change to its practice squad today, tweeting that the club has released wideout Rashad Ross and replaced him with offensive tackle Michael Huey.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link) reports that the Buccaneers have cut wideout and return man Trindon Holliday from their injured reserve list. Holliday appeared in just one game for the team last month before being placed on IR with a hamstring injury.
AFC Mailbags: Tannehill, Landry, Forsett, Shorts
It’s Saturday, and that means a fresh batch of NFL mailbags from ESPN.com’s writers. Let’s start with some interesting notes out of the AFC…
- To James Walker’s knowledge, the Dolphins have not discussed a contract extension with quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The writer clarifies that it’s too early to know if Tannehill is actually the answer for the organization.
- Meanwhile, Walker doesn’t believe running back Knowshon Moreno will be back with the Dolphins next season.
- Among the group of upcoming Jets free agents, linebacker David Harris will be atop the team’s list of priorities, writes Rich Cimini. Reversely, the writer can’t envision Willie Colon or Kyle Wilson being back, and he also has a tough time seeing Geno Smith on the roster, especially if the front office is cleared out.
- Mike Wells believes the Colts’ use of LaRon Landry is an indication that he will not be back next season. The safety hasn’t cracked the starting lineup since returning from suspension.
- Jamison Hensley writes that it would be a great public relations move for the Ravens to bring back running back Justin Forsett next season.
- Adam Teicher believes Chiefs special-teams coordinator Dave Toub would make a good head coach.
- Cecil Shorts deserves an extension from the Jaguars, according to Michael DiRocco, but the value might not be what the receiver was originally seeking.
Practice Squad Updates: Thursday
Today’s practice squad moves..
- To make room for Small, the Ravens have cut Jace Davis, Wilson tweets.
- The Ravens are signing fullback Kiero Small to their practice squad, sources close to the former Brown tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- To make room for Couplin, the Lions have released wide receiver Patrick Edwards from the taxi squad, according to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein (on Twitter).
- The Lions are re-signing safety Jerome Couplin to their practice squad, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The Lions released Couplin earlier this month and he was quickly scooped up by the Bills, though he only lasted a week in Buffalo.
- Washington has announced that linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat has been re-signed to the practice squad, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Washington cut Jeffcoat earlier this week to make room for the returning Barry Cofield.
AFC North Notes: Rice, Peterson, Campbell
More than halfway through his first season as a head coach, Mike Pettine says he still hasn’t gotten the feeling that he has mastered the craft, writes George Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal. “No, this is, very much so, a what-have-you-done-lately business,” the Browns coach said. “We go from the high of the Pittsburgh game to the low of Jacksonville, and I think the day you think that you have the answers or you’ve got it all figured out you’re very close to being humbled. It’s a challenge week to week. Each week is a fresh set, and you’re judged on that as you go. I’ll have a lot more time when the season’s over to sit down and go back and say, ‘What did we do right? What did we do wrong? What do we need to change moving forward?” More out of the AFC North..
- Based on what he has been hearing, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report expects Adrian Peterson to play again while former Ravens running back Ray Rice probably won’t. Both embattled running backs are viewed as pariahs, but Rice is the bigger pariah of the two. Rice will probably be reinstated sometime soon, but at the moment, team officials say there is almost no interest in the running back. One exec says that teams are weighing Rice’s ability versus the media storm that would rain down on any team that employs him. Very few teams, if any, want to take that on.
- The Ravens worked out fullbacks Jordan Campbell and Nikita Whitlock, tight ends Tom Crabtree and Nathan Overbay, and quarterback Bryn Renner, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News regraded the 2014 draft and gave Ravens rookie C.J. Mosley an A+, putting the No. 17 pick far ahead of Jadeveon Clowney (No. 1 overall), Greg Robinson (No. 2), and other highly-touted prospects.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
As usual, plenty of practice squad players are on the move again this week, being signed, cut, or promoted as teams prepare for Week 11 games. Here are Wednesday’s latest practice squad additions and subtractions:
- Per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter), linebacker D.J. Smith has joined the Browns‘ practice squad, replacing fellow linebacker Allen Bradford, who was signed by the Seahawks’ active roster today.
- A day after being cut by the Jaguars, cornerback Peyton Thompson has cleared waivers and re-signed with the team’s practice squad, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- The Ravens have replaced tight end Phillip Supernaw, who signed with the Chiefs earlier this week, with tight end Konrad Reuland, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- The Seahawks have added fullback Stanley Havili to their practice squad, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- After promoting linebacker Max Bullough to their active roster, the Texans got their practice squad back up to the maximum 10 players by signing former Central Florida tackle Chris Martin, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Buccaneers have filled the two openings on their practice squad by signing linebacker Jeremy Grable and offensive lineman Jeremiah Warren, both of whom have previously been with the team, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
- Another club with two openings on its taxi squad has also filled them — the Bears announced today (via Twitter) that wide receiver B.J. Cunningham and guard Antoine McClain have signed with the team.
- The Cardinals have swapped out an offensive player for a defender, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, who tweets that the team has signed cornerback Darren Woodard to its practice squad to replace running back Zach Bauman.
- After seeing tight end Rashaun Allen signed off their practice squad by the Seahawks, the Vikings have filled the newly-created vacancy by re-adding tight end Ryan Otten, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).