NFL PR Notes: Goodell, Redskins, Incognito
It seems that as of late the NFL has not been able to escape controversy. One thing after another has come up to humiliate and embarrass the league.
Here are a few notes surrounding some of the controversies the NFL has had to deal with:
- Saints‘ All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees has been very critical of the way NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has reacted to recent transgressions made by players and team personnel. Much like the punishments the Saints were forced to endure after the bounty scandal, Brees sees the NFL’s abuse of power to be unfair, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “Too many times, I’d say especially over the last few years, a punishment’s been handed down and nobody has really seen the evidence except for those in the league office – supposedly,” Brees said. “So decisions were made in kind of a, ‘Hey, trust us.’ But did the public see any of the facts? Did the accused see any of the facts? In most cases, no.”
- Former Ravens‘ running back Ray Rice has hired Peter Ginsberg as representation for his upcoming appeal, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Ginsberg had previously represented NFL players such as Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Jonathan Vilma in their suspension appeals with the league. Florio’s source feels that Ginsberg will push for Rice’s case to be heard by the September 30 deadline or the suspension be overturned.
- The assistant district attorney in 49ers‘ defensive tackle Ray McDonald case is still without the official report, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). Without that report, chances are increased that the court date will have to be pushed back.
- In the CBS Thursday Night Football commercials for the upcoming Giants versus the Redskins matchup, the word “Redskins” is conspicuously missing, reports Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. While big blue is referred to as “the Giants”, the Redskins are referred to as “Washington.”
- Classic Comedy Central animated comedy South Park focused its season premiere on the Redskins’ name controversy. Timothy Burke of Deadspin.com has compiled highlights from the episode, that featured parodies of a number of NFL characters.
- The Patriots‘ are having offensive line problems after trading All-Pro guard Logan Mankins, but they aren’t desperate enough to reach out to disgraced former Dolphin Richie Incognito, according to Andy Gresh on CSNNE.com. “He’s the ultimate last resort,” said Gresh. “There are other teams with o-line issues. He’s gotten a few calls, but no one has signed the guy yet. So I do think the temperature in the league might be a part of it. But he’s out there and no one has said, ‘I’ll deal with it because he’s a good enough player.'”
Ravens Sign Lawrence Guy
The Ravens have claimed Chargers defensive end Lawrence Guy off waivers, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. To make room, Baltimore has released Deonte Thompson for the second time in five days.
The signing could be a sign that the Ravens don’t feel great about the knee injuries plaguing Chris Canty and Timmy Jernigan. Canty didn’t practice Wednesday and Jernigans’ meniscus issue kept him from playing against the Browns over the weekend. Guy, 24, has played in three games this season with no statistics registered. In 10 games last season, the 6’4″, 318-pounder had 16 tackles. A former Arizona State player and Las Vegas native who has also played for the Colts and Packers, Guy has 38 career tackles, one sack, and four pass deflections.
Thompson was inactive for the first two games, then released last prior to the Ravens’ 23-21 win over the Browns. Thompson was re-signed yesterday when the Ravens cut running back Fitzgerald Toussaint but his stay was short-lived.
Extra Points: Pitta, Ravens, 49ers, Tedford
To the surprise of some, Redskins lineman Chris Baker won’t be suspended for his hit on Eagles quarterback Nick Foles on Sunday, writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. “Baker didn’t do anything wrong with that hit,” NFL’s executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said. “When you look at the rule, he didn’t do anything illegal. People can say it’s a cheap shot and you can talk about whether it might fall under unsportsmanlike conduct. But when you know the rule and you look at the play, he didn’t hit him in the head. He didn’t hit him in the neck. We looked at it. I looked at it very closely. He’s not going to be fined for that.” Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Dennis Pitta‘s hip surgery was “successful,” a Ravens source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The tight end’s season is over after his unfortunate injury on Sunday.
- Multiple teams called to set up tryouts when Deonte Thompson cleared waivers but he was already in the process of re-signing with the Ravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
- Former 49ers linebacker Shayne Skov was in Tampa today where the Buccaneers are eying him for their practice squad, tweets Matt Barrows of CSNBayArea.com.
- Buccaneers offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford is taking an indefinite leave due to his medical situation, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Tedford underwent a coronary angioplasty prior to the season and had two stents placed in an artery near his heart.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
We’re tracking Tuesday’s minor 53-man roster transactions around the NFL in a separate post, but we’ll use this spot to keep tabs on Tuesday’s practice squad moves. Here’s the latest:
- The Texans have signed punter Chris Boswell to their practice squad, according to James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (on Twitter).
- The Packers have signed offensive lineman Josh Walker to the practice squad, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The team released center Josh Allen to make room on the roster.
- The Chargers signed D.J. Adams and former University of Oregon tight end David Paulson to the practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Saints signed fullback/tight end Orson Charles to their practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Bears have re-signed Josh Bellamy to their practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The Browns signed wide reciever Lee Doss to their practice squad, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. The move fills the vacancy left by Charles Johnson leaving the Browns’ taxi squad for the Vikings.
- Brandon Smith had a successful tryout for the Jets and they’re expected to sign him to their practice squad, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- Defensive back Josh Victorian has filled the final opening on the Lions‘ practice squad, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- The Redskins have finalized the addition of center Tevita Stevens to their practice squad, and also announced that offensive lineman Braxston Cave has been cut (Twitter link). That leaves the club with nine players on its taxi squad still.
- The Panthers have filled the final opening on their practice squad by bringing aboard wide receiver Willie Snead, according to David Newton of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Snead was cut by the Browns at the end of the preseason.
- After working out for the club earlier today, tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi has signed with the Ravens‘ practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Ogbuehi takes the spot vacated by Phillip Supernaw, who has been promoted to the team’s active roster.
- Offensive lineman Reid Fragel, who was on Indianapolis’ practice squad earlier this season, has signed with the Falcons‘ taxi squad, replacing tackle Terren Jones on the unit, per a team release.
- As part of the flurry of transactions they made today, the Jaguars added fullback Eric Kettani to their practice squad, filling the 10th and final spot, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- The Colts have removed defensive end Nnamdi Obukwelu from their practice squad with an injury settlement, the club announced today in a press release. Linebacker Trevardo Williams takes Obukwelu’s place on the squad.
- With outside linebacker Cordarro Law set to join the Chargers‘ 53-man roster, another outside linebacker – rookie Colton Underwood – will take Law’s spot on San Diego’s practice squad, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Teams around the NFL are shuffling players on and off their 53-man rosters today, and we’ll track all those minor, back-of-the-roster transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Chargers waived/injured cornerback Marcus Cromartie, according to Eric Williams of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Titans have agreed to terms on a contract with tight end Chase Coffman, waiving wideout T.J. Graham to create space on the roster, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- With Dennis Pitta out for the year and heading to injured reserve, the Ravens have promoted tight end Phillip Supernaw from the practice squad to their active roster, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union has the full details on the Jaguars‘ transactions (via Twitter). In addition to the two previously-reported signings – noted below – the team also added tight end Nic Jacobs, who had been on the Saints’ practice squad. To make room for the three incoming players, the club cut tight end Marcel Jensen and wideout Kerry Taylor, and waived-injured safety Chris Prosinski.
- Having cut linebacker Keith Smith from their 53-man roster yesterday, the Cowboys have an open spot, and will use it to bring back defensive end Lavar Edwards, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Smith had been added to the roster in Edwards’ place for this past Sunday’s game due to the absence of injured linebacker Justin Durant.
- Defensive tackle Deandre Coleman has been signed off the Jaguars‘ practice squad by the Dolphins, according to a tweet from Miami’s official account. The Dolphins cut safety Brandian Ross in a corresponding move.
- Linebacker Jeremiah George, who had been on the Jets‘ practice squad, tweeted today that he’s now a Jaguar. The move has yet to be announced by the club, but it appears George will be added to Jacksonville’s 53-man roster. Having also reportedly agreed to a deal with Sherrod Martin, the Jags will have to remove two players from their active roster to finalize the signings.
Lions Sign Josh Bynes
TUESDAY, 4:11pm: The Lions have officially signed Bynes, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
MONDAY, 8:00pm: Inside linebacker Josh Bynes is expected to sign with the Lions’ active roster off of the Ravens’ practice squad, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Bynes will give Detroit additional linebacker depth after losing Stephen Tulloch to a torn ACL.
Bynes, 25, appeared in 26 games for the Ravens from 2011 through 2014 and made nine starts along the way. In total, Bynes recorded 79 tackles and five pass deflections for Baltimore. The Ravens cut Bynes from their active roster on September 2nd to make room for cornerback Derek Cox, but quickly re-signed him to their taxi squad. As our own Luke Adams detailed earlier this month, Bynes was one of just eleven NFL practice squad players to earn more than the minimum. Bynes had a $15K deal with the Ravens, making him the second-highest paid p-squad player of 2014.
Ravens Re-Sign Deonte Thompson
Wide receiver Deonte Thompson has rejoined the Ravens’ 53-man roster, signing a new deal with the team today, according to a press release. Baltimore had cut Thompson before this past Sunday’s game, replacing him on the roster with running back Fitzgerald Toussaint as insurance for the injured Bernard Pierce. With Pierce on the mend, Toussaint has been waived to make room for Thompson.
Thompson, 25, has spent his first two NFL seasons with the Ravens, and played well during training camp and the preseason this year, so the team didn’t want to let him get away. After he was cut this weekend, we heard that Thompson would likely be returning to Baltimore as long as he cleared waivers.
The Ravens currently have an opening on their practice squad, so Toussaint looks like a candidate to fill that 10th and final spot as long as he clears waivers.
AFC Notes: Ravens, Jets, Pats, Chargers
A year ago, the Patriots began the 2013 season by winning their first four games, the Broncos came out of the gates by winning six consecutive contests, and the Chiefs started 9-0 before being dealt their first loss. In 2014, however, we’re through just three weeks and only one AFC team remains unbeaten.
The 3-0 Bengals have the conference’s best point differential by far at +47, and with a bye week coming up, their loss column will remain unblemished for at least one more week. Starting in Week 5 though, the Bengals will play games against the Patriots, Panthers, Colts, and Ravens, meaning there’s a good chance their winning streak will be halted well before they have the opportunity to match last year’s Chiefs’ start.
As we look forward to seeing how long the Bengals can continue their winning ways, let’s round up a few items from around the AFC….
- With Dennis Pitta having been ruled out for the season after undergoing hip sugery, the Ravens are eyeing potential replacements at tight end. Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the team is working out free agents Emmanuel Ogbuehi, Jake Murphy, Matthew Mulligan, and Kellen Davis today.
- Former Bills cornerback Brandon Smith is trying out for the Jets today, following the club’s Monday Night loss to the Bears, reports Wilson at the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Smith, who has recovered from a broken fibula suffered in training camp, is receiving some interest from multiple NFL clubs.
- The Patriots worked out running back Rajion Neal, wide receiver Kevin Cone, defensive end Steven Means, and linebacker D.J. Smith, tweets Wilson.
- Wide receiver and return man Marcus Thigpen agreed to join the Dolphins’ practice squad yesterday, but also recently worked out for the Colts, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- With the help of his colleague Adam Caplan, ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams explores some possible free agent options at running back for the Chargers in the wake of injuries to Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead.
Extra Points: Hall, Pryor, Ravens, Rambo
Now that his season is over prematurely, Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall will focus on making his younger teammates better, writes Zac Boyer of The Washington Times. “I was just trying to coach them up — just trying to let them know, ‘Now is the time,’” Hall said. “It’s their time to go out there and make plays. We need them. We need them now more than ever.” Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..
- The Buccaneers worked out quarterback Terrelle Pryor but they did not sign him, tweets Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Bay Tribune. There may not be a match with Pryor, but he won’t be the last quarterback Tampa Bay looks at. Pryor was cut by the Seahawks in late August and even though the Rams showed some interest, nothing came of that. The Bucs also worked out wide receivers Juron Criner and Louis Murphy, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter).
- Ravens coach John Harbaugh says his club plans to bolster the tight end position, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Baltimore look out-of-house after losing Dennis Pitta for the season.
- The Bears worked out three defensive backs on Saturday: Bacarri Rambo, former Seahawks safety Dion Bailey, and Bryan McCann, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Rambo, a sixth-round pick in the 2013 draft, was waived by the Redskins last week. He was expendable for Washington since Brandon Meriweather is back from his two-game suspension. Tight end Ryan Otten was also in the workout, Biggs tweets.
- The Dolphins tried out tight ends Brandon Barden and Konrad Reuland, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter).
Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll keep tabs of today’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Dolphins have signed Marcus Thigpen to their practice squad, writes Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel. Thigpen spent one week on the Patriots’ practice squad beore being cut last week. Thigpen, a former CFL standout, contributed 1,910 kickoff return yards, 580 punt return yards, and scored three touchdowns for the Dolphins in the past two seasons.
- The Redskins will sign center Tevita Stevens to their practice squad tomorrow, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones, who injured his wrist last night, has been placed on Pittsburgh’s injured reserve list with the designation to return, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The designation means that Jones will be sidelined for at least the next eight weeks of game action.
- In advance of tonight’s game against the Jets, the Bears have waived wide receiver Josh Bellamy and promoted linebacker Terrell Manning from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- Linebacker Keith Smith has been cut by the Cowboys, the team officially announced today (via Twitter). For now, the club has an opening on its 53-man roster.
- The Ravens are filling the 10th and final opening on their practice squad by re-adding defensive tackle A.J. Pataiali’i, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- After being cut from the team’s active roster before this weekend’s contest against the Colts, safety Craig Loston has rejoined the Jaguars‘ practice squad, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson is set to join the Vikings‘ practice squad, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). When the move becomes official, Minnesota will need to cut or promote someone off the practice squad to clear a spot for Bethel-Thompson.
- The Buccaneers have removed Rashaan Melvin from their injured reserve list with a settlement, says Wilson (via Twitter).