Bills Sign Jordan Mills; Marquise Goodwin To IR
The Bills have officially signed offensive tackle Jordan Mills from off the Lions’ practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. The signing, which was first reported yesterday, required a corresponding roster move, so the Bills have placed wide receiver Marquise Goodwin on injured reserve.
Mills, 24, started 29 games at right tackle for the Bears during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, but was cut by the team last month and has bounced around a little since then, spending time with the Cowboys and Lions. He figures to play a backup role in Buffalo, providing depth on the offensive line.
As for Goodwin, 2015 was another injury-plagued season for the young wideout, who has failed to make much of an impact since joining the Bills as a third-round pick in 2013. Before a hip injury landed him on IR, Goodwin caught just two balls for 24 yards this season, and returned a pair of kickoffs.
Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/15
Monday’s practice squad transactions from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Released: QB Dustin Vaughan (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates)
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Saints will sign center Ryan Seymour, agent Justin Turner tells Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Dolphins promoted tight end Brandon Williams from the taxi squad, Wilson tweets. In a related move, the Dolphins waived safety Jonathan Dowling (via Jenna Laine of FOX Sports 1 on Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- The Texans claimed cornerback and Hard Knocks fan favorite Charles James off waivers, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). In a related move, safety Lonnie Ballentine will be placed on IR. The Texans wanted to sign James to their p-squad this year but he chose the Ravens’ p-squad instead (link).
- The Broncos re-signed veteran blocking tight end Richard Gordon and waived running back Kapri Bibbs, as Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. On Saturday, the Broncos released Gordon but told him to stay in town because they would re-sign him on Monday.
- The Bills are signing Jordan Mills from the Lions practice squad, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter). Buffalo signed the tackle to their taxi squad in mid-September.
- The Chargers announced that they have waived guard-tackle Michael Ola. The offensive lineman can be re-signed to the practice squad on Tuesday if he clears waivers.
- The Cardinals removed Chris Clemons from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Giants cut tight end Jerome Cunningham, Wilson tweets. In a related move, the Giants promoted cornerback Brandon McGee to the active roster from the taxi squad, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.
- The Bears waived safety Demontre Hurst and promoted cornerback Bryce Callahan from the taxi squad, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
PUP, NFI Players Soon Eligible To Practice
Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the Giants and Eagles, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many clubs could be welcoming injured players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to the practice field.
Of course, just because those players are able to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player currently on the PUP list could return to the field for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest.
The rules for NFI players are similar to those for PUP players. If a player on either reserve list doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, his 2015 season will officially be over.
Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list who can begin practicing as soon as this Tuesday:
- Atlanta Falcons: T Lamar Holmes
- Baltimore Ravens: TE Dennis Pitta
- Buffalo Bills: CB Cam Thomas
- Chicago Bears: WR Kevin White
- Cincinnati Bengals: LB Vontaze Burfict, LB Sean Porter
- Dallas Cowboys: OL Chaz Green
- Minnesota Vikings: CB Josh Robinson
- New England Patriots: LB Dane Fletcher, DT Chris Jones, WR Brandon LaFell
- New York Giants: T Will Beatty
- New York Jets: RB Stevan Ridley
- Pittsburgh Steelers: T Mike Adams
- San Francisco 49ers: C/G Daniel Kilgore
- Seattle Seahawks: CB Jeremy Lane, WR Paul Richardson
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Akeem Spence
And here are the players currently on their teams’ non-football injury or illness lists, who are also eligible to begin practicing this Tuesday:
- Arizona Cardinals: WR Damond Powell
- Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin
- Cincinnati Bengals: T Cedric Ogbuehi
- Cleveland Browns: DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, TE Randall Telfer, RB Glenn Winston
- Dallas Cowboys: LB Mark Nzeocha
- Houston Texans: T David Quessenberry
- Kansas City Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray
- San Francisco 49ers: WR DeAndre Smelter
- Seattle Seahawks: DT Jesse Williams
In addition to monitoring players on the PUP and NFI lists, it’s worth keeping an eye on players who have been placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this IR-DTR spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.
That means that a player who was placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing on Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible to return to game action until Week 9. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after Week 1 will have to wait until next Tuesday – October 27 – to return to practice, while other IR-DTR players will have to wait until November to practice.
Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as Tuesday:
- Baltimore Ravens: DE Brent Urban
- Cleveland Browns: CB Charles Gaines
- Detroit Lions: CB Alex Carter
- Miami Dolphins: RB Jay Ajayi
- Minnesota Vikings: C John Sullivan
- New England Patriots: C Bryan Stork
- New York Jets: CB Dee Milliner
- Pittsburgh Steelers: C Maurkice Pouncey
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: T Demar Dotson
- Tennessee Titans: RB David Cobb
Bills Notes: Harvin, Kromer, Defense
Coming off yet another loss at Ralph Wilson Stadium, where they’re now 1-3 this season, the Bills will aim to get back on track overseas in Week 7. However, it doesn’t appear Percy Harvin will be able to play in the team’s game in London, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets, there are several Bills players whose status for that London game against the Jaguars is uncertain, so we’ll have to see how the team addresses its roster — typically, last-minute roster changes on the week of a London game are tricky, so the Bills figure to make a roster change or two sooner rather than later, if necessary.
Here are a few more Bills-related items:
- Buffalo offensive line coach Aaron Kromer is scheduled to return from his suspension this week, tweets Schefter. Kromer had been banned six games by the team for an alleged offseason altercation.
- Mario Williams said after Sunday’s loss to the Bengals that he “probably set a [personal] record on dropping [into coverage],” and the results weren’t particularly great. With some Bills defenders hinting at confusion over the scheme, John Kryk of the Toronto Sun suggests Rex Ryan risks losing the locker room if he doesn’t start getting more aggressive with his defensive playcalling.
- General manager Doug Whaley has yet to discuss his quarterback situation with the media, and Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News is looking forward to hearing why the GM traded away Matt Cassel and “forced [EJ] Manuel on his coaches as the No. 2.”
AFC Notes: Yanda, Bills, Chiefs
Let’s look at some of the news coming out of the AFC as Week 6’s late-afternoon games wind down.
- Marshal Yanda‘s extension showed the Ravens prioritizing a top-quality player as opposed to trying to pay for the future of a younger, less-proven performer in Kelechi Osemele, CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry tweets. The 31-year-old Yanda is five years Osemele’s senior but has four Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro honor to his credit. Corry notes Osemele, the Baltimore left guard, will now have a set price to re-sign with the Ravens or seek his second contract elsewhere like so many of his former teammates have in recent years.
- In extending the All-Pro right guard, the Ravens showed not only a belief that Yanda will continue to play at a high level as his 30s progress but loyalty to one of the performers that’s exemplified their franchise, ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley writes. In calling Yanda the best Ravens offensive lineman since Jonathan Ogden, Hensley notes keeping Yanda marks a change in course from the franchise that parted ways with Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata, but listed Yanda’s dominant level of play as the difference-making factor here.
- Kyle Williams likely won’t play in next week’s Bills-Jaguars tilt, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak, after suffering a knee injury. The veteran defensive tackle is believed to have suffered a PCL malady, which won’t require surgery but could sideline him for as long as four weeks, 550 WGR’s Sal Capaccio reports (on Twitter).
- Mario Williams expressed confusion with a Bills defense that forced him to drop into coverage on numerous occasions, Syracuse.com’s Matthew Fairburn reports. Although the veteran who’s vacillated between defensive end and outside linebacker throughout his 10-year career denied being frustrated, Fairburn notes he used the phrase “plays that are called” more than a dozen times in a four-minute interview. “A lot is put on (the defensive line’s) shoulders as far as the amount given out to players on this team as far as income,” Williams said. “I would assume, those four guys, a lot is on their shoulders to go after the quarterback or stop the run, be disruptive. Like I say, if the call is three-man this or that, dropping, things like that, that’s the call.”
- Both Jeremy Maclin and Mike DeVito sustained concussions in the Chiefs‘ loss to the Vikings, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports. Maclin’s totaled 37 receptions this season; the remainder of the Chiefs’ receiving corps has 28 combined.
East Notes: Pats, Bills, JPP
The Patriots are again among the league’s most legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and although their slow start to 2014 led some to believe that their dynasty was nearing its end, the fact that they brought home the Lombardi Trophy and have opened 2015 undefeated have silenced those talks. And, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, New England’s window of opportunity won’t be closing anytime soon.
Per La Canfora, there is no significant player on the Patriots’ roster whose contract expires at the end of this season, and the team projects to be at least $8MM under the 2016 salary cap. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will count just $22MM against the cap, and no one will earn more than $10MM in 2016. That means that the team can supplement its already-talented roster with marquee free agents–something it has not frequently done in the past–and extend their reign of dominance for another few years. La Canfora also notes that, since New England will be without its first-round pick as a result of the DeflateGate scandal, it could look to move Jimmy Garoppolo for a high pick.
Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Washington and the Jets are squaring off this afternoon, and as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes, the Jets are looking across the field at two players who could be on their radar in 2016: Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III. The future for both players is up in the air, and New York, of couse, could be in the market for a quarterback. Jets head coach Todd Bowles was effusive in his praise for Cousins, but indicated that RGIII would not be a consideration for his club.
- There were reports this morning that E.J. Manuel could rekindle the Bills‘ quarterback competition with a strong showing today, but Joe Buscaglia of WKBW thinks differently (via Twitter). He notes that Buffalo coaches love Tyrod Taylor and that it would take more than a good performance for the team to even think about moving on from Taylor.
- La Canfora tweets that the Bills are “very concerned” that wideout Percy Harvin could miss significant time with his latest injury. Harvin has not played a significant role in the team’s offense this year, and this could represent yet another major setback for the once-explosive playmaker.
- Last Thursday, Sammy Watkins publicly bemoaned his lack of targets in the Bills‘ offense thus far in 2015, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com breaks down in detail what targets mean to a wide receiver from a contractual standpoint.
- Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets that Jason Pierre-Paul will report to the Giants this Tuesday so that the team can check in on his progress. Pierre-Paul is hoping to play soon, but as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, there is still doubt that JPP will be cleared.
Bills’ QB Competition To Re-Open?
E.J .Manuel will get the start under center for the Bills this afternoon as starter Tyrod Taylor nurses a sprained MCL. Despite Taylor’s encouraging start to the season–through four games, he has completed over 70% of his passes for 1,097 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions, and he has added 31 carries for 187 yards and two scores–Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Kevin Patra) reports that the quarterback competition in Buffalo may be re-opened.
In training camp and the preseason, of course, Manuel, the Bills’ former first-round draft pick, lost the starting job to Taylor, who had served as Joe Flacco‘s understudy for four years in Baltimore. Both players performed well, but Taylor was just a bit better, and his preseason success has largely carried over to the regular season. Nonetheless, Rapoport says that Manuel still has several key supporters within the organization, including (potentially) GM Doug Whaley, who drafted the Florida State product. The well-publicized remarks recently made by top wideout Sammy Watkins suggest that Manuel also enjoys at least some locker room support.
As such, Rapoport believes Manuel has a chance to rekindle the quarterback battle with a strong performance today. And, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Manuel’s audition could last even longer, as Taylor’s injury could sideline him for next week’s game as well. But can Manuel actually deliver a strong performance? Manuel has started fourteen games in his career, compiling a 6-8 record, a 58.6% completion rate, and a 78.5 quarterback rating, throwing 16 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He did develop a rapport with Watkins last season, who has not yet gotten on the same page with Taylor, and as someone who does not even have a full season’s worth of starts under his belt, it is not hard to believe that Manuel’s preseason performance this year could be a sign that he has begun to realize his potential.
Rapoport concedes, though, that it would a surprise if Manuel actually did unseat Taylor at this point in the season. But the door is slightly ajar, and if Manuel thrives this week (and potentially next), the Bills’ seemingly settled quarterback situation could get a lot more interesting.
East Notes: Eagles, Patriots, Bills
The Eagles made a pair of noteworthy free agent signings at running back in the offseason when they added DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews. As last season’s NFL rushing champion, Murray signed a far bigger contract than Mathews (five years and $42MM versus three years, $11MM). Their performances this year haven’t reflected their disparate deals, however, as Mathews has easily outplayed Murray. Both backs have a similar number of carries (49 for Murray, 41 for Mathews), but Mathews has averaged an impressive 5.0 yards per attempt against Murray’s paltry 2.7.
To his credit, Murray took the notion of an increase in Mathews’ touches in stride, per Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com.
“Hey, whatever they decide,” Murray said. “I can only control what I can control. I can’t control the plays being called or who’s in on different situations.”
In assessing Mathews, Murray stated, “I think he’s running it great. Obviously, he’s a tough running back, tough to defend, tough guy to bring down and I think he’s been doing well.”
How the two have played this year might not matter this week, as Mathews could miss the Eagles’ key game against the NFC East rival Giants with a groin injury. That would give Murray a chance to sink or swim as the unquestioned go-to back. The fifth-year man has fared respectably of late, rushing 28 times for 119 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks. He accrued season highs in carries (20) and yards (83) in the Eagles’ 39-17 win over the Saints last Sunday.
Now the latest regarding a couple of AFC East teams:
- Bills receiver Sammy Watkins spoke out Thursday about the lack of targets that came his way before he suffered a Week 3 injury. His issues seem to lie with quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who could miss Sunday’s game against the Bengals with a knee injury. That would make EJ Manuel the Bills’ starter under center, and Manuel expressed support for Watkins on Friday (via The Buffalo News’ Tyler Dunne). “I think as quarterbacks, we like to hear our receiver is hungry and wants to make plays.” Manuel and Watkins seemingly established a rapport during their limited work together in 2014: Manuel targeted Watkins 32 times in four games, per Chris Trapasso of NFL.com (Twitter link). On the other hand, in two-plus games this year, Taylor has targeted Watkins 12 times.
- With the Patriots weakened at cornerback thanks to Tarell Brown‘s foot injury, they could turn to stalwart safety Devin McCourty for help at the position against the Colts this weekend, writes Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. McCourty came into the league as a corner in 2010 before eventually making the transition to safety. Head coach Bill Belichick used McCourty at corner at times over the summer in the event he’d be needed there this year. That looks as if it could happen this week, as New England is down to Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, undrafted rookie Justin Coleman, and newly added waiver-wire pickup Rashaan Melvin at the positon.
- In other Patriots news, the team will promote offensive tackle Cameron Fleming from its practice squad to its 53-man roster, tweets ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The former Stanford Cardinal spent all of last season on the Pats’ 53-man roster and played in seven games after they used a fourth-round pick on him.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/15
Friday’s practice squad transactions from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Miguel Maysonet (Twitter link via the team)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Mitchell Henry (Twitter link via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin)
- Cut: TE Tom Annen
Washington
- Signed: WR Colin Lockett (Twitter link via Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post)
- Placed WR Issac Blakeney on the practice squad injured list