NFL Workout Updates: 11/12/18
Here are today’s tryouts:
Buffalo Bills:
- CBs Ashton Lampkin, Denzel Rice
Carolina Panthers:
Cleveland Browns:
- T Chris Durant; DB John Franklin III, CB Josh Thornton
Green Bay Packers:
- WRs K.J. Brent, DeAndrew White
Houston Texans:
- WR Hunter Sharp
Indianapolis Colts:
- G David Bright; LB Kennan Gilchrist; S Terrell Williams
New York Jets:
Bills Release Nathan Peterman
The Bills have released quarterback Nathan Peterman, the team announced on Twitter. It’s the end of a tumultuous era in Buffalo, as the 2017 fifth round pick became the subject of intense fan and media criticism.
The news comes on the heels of Matt Barkley’s strong performance this past Sunday, and is a sign that rookie Josh Allen will be ready to return once the team returns from their bye week. Peterman won a three-way training camp battle that included Allen and A.J. McCarron, but didn’t make it even a full game as the starter. He was benched in the opener and the team immediately turned to Allen.
Allen injured his elbow against the Texans, and Peterman threw a game-losing pick-six when he came on in relief. After reportedly facing internal pressure from players, the team turned to Derek Anderson as its starter, but Anderson was quickly injured himself.
The team went back to Peterman two weeks ago for their game against the Bears, and it was disastrous. Peterman threw for just 188 yards on 49 attempts, and threw three interceptions. The team was once very high on Peterman, even benching Tyrod Taylor for him at one point last year, but he’ll be looking for a new team now.
Bills QB Josh Allen Expected To Return In Week 12
Bills quarterback Josh Allen missed four games while dealing with an elbow injury, but he’s expected to be available when Buffalo returns from its bye in Week 12, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Allen felt as though he could have played against the Jets this week, per Schefter, but Buffalo decided to hold out its first-round signal-caller, figuring that allowing Allen to regain full health over the club’s bye is the correct decision. Instead, the Bills turned to journeyman Matt Barkley, who didn’t have any trouble against New York, posting 232 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-10 rout of the Jets.
Allen, the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft, hasn’t had much talent to work with this season, as Buffalo’s skill players and offensive line leave much to be desired. In six games (five starts), Allen has completed 54% of his passes for 832 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions. Among quarterbacks with at least 130 attempts this season, Allen ranks dead last in both passer rating and adjusted net yards per attempt. Allen has contributed on the ground, though, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and scoring three times via rush.
When the Bills return from bye, four of their final six games will come within the AFC East. Buffalo will face the Jaguars, Dolphins, Jets, Lions, Patriots, and Dolphins again to close out the 2018 campaign.
Bills Notes: Barkley, McCoy
It’s been a crazy season for the Bills. While the defense has been promising, the offense has been an absolute train-wreck. They’ve cycled through quarterbacks, and will now get their fourth new starting signal caller of the season this Sunday. Recently signed Matt Barkley will get the start for Buffalo over Nathan Peterman, according to a release from the team (Twitter link).
There was some hope that rookie Josh Allen would be able to return this week, but the Bills ruled him out with his elbow injury. Derek Anderson has still been unable to clear the concussion protocol, so he won’t be able to play either. That left Barkley, who was only signed ten days ago, and Peterman as the only healthy options. It’s been reported before that coach Sean McDermott risked losing the locker room if he started Peterman again, so it makes sense why the team is turning to Barkley here. Barkley hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2016, when he started a few games with Chicago down the stretch. In those starts Barkley was up and down, looking awful at times and competent at others.
- The Bills’ season might be circling the drain, but star running back LeSean McCoy insists he is happy in Buffalo, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). McCoy said that while “a lot of teams” wanted to trade for him at this year’s deadline, he is in the Bills’ longterm plans and is happy where he is. McCoy is getting up there in age, but still has his same burst and trademarked cutting ability. He’s hardly responsible for the Bills’ offensive woes, as opposing defenses completely sellout to stop the run.
Bills Cut LB Ramon Humber
A Week 10 depth move will result in the Bills cutting 10-year veteran linebacker Ramon Humber.
The Bills announced they will part ways with Humber, a third-year Buffalo contributor, and promoted wide receiver Robert Foster from their practice squad. Humber will venture to the waiver wire.
Tremaine Edmunds cleared concussion protocol and will be back in action in Week 10, lessening the need for help at linebacker. However, Humber played in all nine Buffalo games this season and started nine games for the 2017 Bills. He registered just nine tackles this season but made a career-high 83 last year.
A part-time starter for the Colts’ 2009 AFC championship team and a member of six Saints squads, Humber caught on with the Bills in August 2016 and re-signed to stay in western New York in 2017 and ’18. The 31-year-old ‘backer was making just more than $1MM this season.
A rookie out of Alabama, Foster’s seen action in six Bills games this season. He has two receptions for 30 yards.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/8/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Xavier Coleman, WR Cam Phillips
- Released: WR Hunter Sharp
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Roc Thomas
- Released: G Landon Turner
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Cole Croston
- Released: RB David Jones
New York Giants
- Released: RB Jhurell Pressley
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Tarvarus McFadden
Browns Claim CB Phillip Gaines, S Jermaine Whitehead Off Waivers
The Browns claimed cornerback Phillip Gaines (from the Bills) and safety Jermaine Whitehead (Packers) off waivers, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). If placed on the active roster, both players will be available for Sunday’s game against the Falcons.
Cleveland’s been short on secondary personnel recently. Damarious Randall missed Week 9 because of groin and ankle injuries, and E.J. Gaines (concussion) is now on IR.
Both Cleveland-bound players have connections to the front office. John Dorsey drafted Gaines in the third round while serving as the Chiefs’ GM in 2014, and Whitehead caught on with the Packers in 2016, when Browns execs Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith were in Green Bay.
Phillip Gaines signed a league-minimum deal with the Bills after four seasons of up-and-down work with the Chiefs. He started in six Buffalo games this season — the most of his career — and made 54 tackles.
Whitehead started in two Packers contests and was expected to be a bigger part of Green Bay’s secondary following the Ha Ha Clinton-Dix trade. The former UDFA, however, was ejected from Sunday’s game against the Patriots, further weakening an already-thin safety contingent. He played 221 snaps this season, registered 37 stops and recorded a sack.
Bills Release CB Phillip Gaines
The Bills have released starting cornerback Phillip Gaines, the club announced today. Buffalo has promoted fellow defensive back Levi Wallace from the practice squad to fill Gaines’ vacated roster spot.
Gaines, 27, had started six games for the Bills and was second among Buffalo cornerbacks in defensive snaps with 367, but he hadn’t played especially well. Pro Football Focus graded Gaines as the No. 56 CB among 111 qualifiers, while the ex-Chief had allowed 10.6 yards per pass and a 50% success rate, both of which are well below league average. Buffalo also ranked 19th in pass DVOA against opposing No. 2 receivers, the majority of which were covered by Gaines.
Penalties were also a problem for Gaines. As noted by Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links), Gaines leads all NFL players with 131 penalty yards. Additionally, Gaines gave up 90 yards via penalty against the Bears on Sunday (both on lengthy pass interference calls), a total which ranks second among all players since 2001.
With Gaines out of the picture, Ryan Lewis — a waiver claim by the Bills earlier this years — figures to start at corner against the Jets on Sunday, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WKBW. Taron Johnson, who has played roughly 55% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps, will continue in his role as the club’s nickel cornerback.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/18
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: OL Zack Golditch
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed off waivers from Broncos: WR Isaiah McKenzie
- Waived: WR Cam Phillips
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Andy Jones
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Jets: S Ibraheim Campbell
- Waived: P Drew Kaser
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: DE James Cowser
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers from Lions: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
- Waived: CB Dexter McDougle
Ivory Taken To Hospital
- The Bills’ offense has already been an injured mess this year, and they got even more bad news today. Running back Chris Ivory “was taken to Erie County Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center, for evaluations on his left shoulder”, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s unclear the exact nature of the injury, but it seems clear Ivory will miss some time, and he’s been playing a fairly big role in the offense lately.