Minor NFL Transactions: 8/31/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Bills announced that they have designated wide receiver Austin Willis as waived/injured.
- Defensive end Camaron Beard will re-join the Jaguars, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets. Beard will take the roster spot made vacant by Monday’s Josh Scobee trade.
- The Chargers cut Forrestal Hickman, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The offensive tackle, who is listed as 6’7″ and 320 lbs, signed on with the Bolts in June.
- Toby Johnson has been released by the Titans, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online (on Twitter). The defensive tackle was signed by the Titans as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2015.
- The Ravens placed Darryl Baldwin, Allen Reisner, Chris Greenwood, and Steven Means on IR, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Bills Notes: Jackson, Ryan, Cassel
Earlier today, the Bills parted ways with running back Fred Jackson. The news was devastating to many Bills fans but also to Jackson himself who would have “done anything” to retire with the Bills, according to a source to spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. Bills GM Doug Whaley acknowledged today that finances played a role in Jackson’s exit from Buffalo, but Florio hears that the veteran was never even given a chance to make things work with the team. Here’s more on the Bills..
- In a statement that was seemingly hinting at the salary-cap ramifications of cutting Jackson, coach Rex Ryan said the Bills are “restricted by several limitations as a team,” Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. Ryan went on to say that he isn’t worried about Jackson landing with the Patriots or any other divisional rival, as Rodak wrote.
- Safety Aaron Williams said that Ryan told the locker room that the team did everything possible to keep Jackson, as Rodak writes.
- Ryan told reporters, including Rodak (link): “I expect to keep three quarterbacks on the roster. That’s a true statement.” Many would assume that those three QBs would be newly-named starter Tyrod Taylor, Matt Cassel, and E.J. Manuel. However, Matt Simms could be in the mix for that third spot.
Bills To Start Tyrod Taylor At QB
The Bills have made a decision on their starting quarterback, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will open the season with Tyrod Taylor under center. Taylor, who signed with Buffalo this offseason as a free agent, beat out Matt Cassel and E.J. Manuel for the starting job.
Taylor, 26, spent his first four NFL seasons backing up Joe Flacco in Baltimore, and has only thrown 35 passes in the regular season over the course of his career, including none since 2013. However, he was viewed as a Rex Ryan favorite — the Bills’ new head coach reportedly tried to trade for Taylor back when he was coaching the Jets and Taylor was a Raven.
Although Taylor is penciled in as the Week 1 starter, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll start all 16 games for the Bills — given his limited experience, there’s no guarantee he’ll thrive in the starting role. Still, the decision raises questions about Cassel’s and Manuel’s status in Buffalo.
There was some speculation earlier in the year that Cassel could be a release candidate if he didn’t win the Bills’ starting job. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team keeps him around as a veteran insurance policy, but he’s entering the final year of his contract and probably doesn’t fit into Buffalo’s long-term plans. As for Manuel, he’s under contract through 2016, but his days with the Bills may be numbered as well, now that he has been passed by Taylor on the club’s depth chart.
Bills Release Fred Jackson, 11 Others
9:58am: In addition to Jackson and the three other players noted below, eight other players have been cut by the Bills, getting the team’s roster count down to 77 players. Here are today’s other cuts in Buffalo, per a team release:
- Michael Buchanan, DE
- Justin Hamilton, DT
- Ellis Lankster, CB
- Kenny Ladler, S
- Wes Miller, S
- D.J. Morrell, G
- Cedric Reed, DE
- Ricky Seale, RB
9:15am: The Bills’ first series of roster cuts this week includes a bit of a shocker, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has released veteran running back Fred Jackson. While Buffalo had a crowded depth chart at the position, it was expected to be a younger back, rather than Jackson, who became a casualty of the roster crunch.
Jackson, who debuted with the Bills in 2007 and had been with the team since then, is the league’s oldest running back, at age 34. Despite his age, Jackson doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his legs, since he started his career late and has split carries with other backs throughout his tenure with the Bills. Over the course of his eight-year career, Jackson has compiled 5,646 rushing yards and 80 rushing touchdowns on 1,279 carries. He’s also a capable receiver out of the backfield, setting a career high in 2014 with 90 targets.
While Jackson was slowed by a hamstring injury earlier in the training camp this year, he looked good in his preseason debut this weekend, carrying the ball five times for 48 yards. But rather than playing out the final year of his contract with the Bills, Jackson will be looking for a new team. Had he remained on Buffalo’s roster, he would have been due a base salary of $2.35MM, so the team saves a little money by releasing him. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jackson wasn’t asked to take a pay cut before he was released.
Following the Bills’ acquisition of LeSean McCoy in March, multiple reports indicated that Jackson would remain on the roster, but it seems the team had a change of heart after assessing its options this summer. With Jackson no longer in the picture, McCoy will be backed up by Karlos Williams, Boobie Dixon, and Bryce Brown.
Jackson won’t have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent, so he’ll have the chance to sign with a new team immediately. He figures to draw some interest from teams in need of a veteran back around the NFL — the Browns come to mind as one logical suitor.
The Bills figure to announce their full list of cuts down to 75 players either today or tomorrow, but some other names have started to trickle out as well. Agent Brett Tessler tweets that edge defender Andrew Hudson has been cut by the Bills, while Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the team has also waived offensive lineman Terren Jones. Last year’s fourth-round pick, cornerback Ross Cockrell, has been waived too, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Notes: QBs, Injuries
Bills head coach Rex Ryan is closing in on a decision regarding the team’s three-way competition for the starting quarterback job. Ryan will make his choice for the No. 1 spot Sunday, but he won’t announce it yet, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link).
Tyrod Taylor, E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel have been vying for the role throughout the spring and summer, and all three have fared well during the preseason. That was especially true Saturday, when the trio shredded Pittsburgh in a 43-19 victory. The three combined to complete 25 of 28 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor added a 20-yard TD run to his 12-of-13, 122-yard performance through the air. Saturday’s effort will likely be the last of the preseason for Taylor, Manuel and Cassel, as Ryan expects fourth-stringer Matt Simms to play all of Buffalo’s exhibition finale against Detroit, Rodak tweeted.
Here’s more on the Bills:
- Third-year receiver Marquise Goodwin may have broken a few ribs Saturday, according to Ryan (via Twitter).
- Ryan seems optimistic about No. 1 cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who departed Saturday with a shoulder injury. “Gilmore is gonna be fine, I hope. We need him,” Ryan said, per Buscgalia (Twitter link).
- Safety Aaron Williams left the game with a leg injury before eventually returning. He was limping in the locker room afterward and “clearly not 100 percent,” Rodak reports (Twitter link).
- Ryan said rookie linebacker Tony Steward hurt his MCL and will be out a few weeks, per Rodak (Twitter link).
Extra Points: Brooks, Dead Money, Quarterbacks
Let’s take a look at a few stories from around the NFL as this Friday comes to a close:
- Ahmad Brooks was accused of assault back in May, and was officially charged with sexual battery earlier this week. The 49ers have not made a decision yet on whether they will retain the embattled linebacker, and the NFL is dragging their feet on making a decision as well. The league could choose to place him on paid leave or the commissioner’s exempt list while his legal situation gets sorted out, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- As teams continue to trim down their rosters on the way to coming up with the best 53 players, it is fun to remember all the players who have already been cut or traded during recent offseasons who are still a burden to the salary cap. The Saints pace the league in dead money with 20% of their cap tied up, led by Jimmy Graham, Ben Grubbs, Junior Galette, and Curtis Lofton, per Spotrac.com. The Bengals sit on the other side of the spectrum, only having .57% of their cap devoted to players no longer on the roster.
- While teams like the Bills, Browns, and Jets might still have uncertain quarterback situations, the likelihood of finding a starter on the trade market in late August isn’t very high, writes Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. The precedent isn’t there, and even when players get traded this time of year, it is rarely for anything more than a backup. Brett Favre being traded to the Jets is the exception, but special circumstances surrounded that ordeal in Green Bay.
AFC Notes: Patriots, Steelers, Pouncey, Vick
It’s not immediately clear whether Micahel Williams, acquired by the Patriots in a Tuesday trade, will be playing tight end or tackle, Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. Williams came on to the practice field wearing a No. 74 jersey but later changed into No. 85 and could be seen working out with the tight end group. The 6’6″ athlete first came into the NFL as a tight end but was moved to tackle by the Lions in 2014 after their selection of Eric Ebron. Here’s more from the AFC..
- Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says center Maurkice Pouncey, who fractured his left fibula Sunday against the Packers, has a chance to return this season, as Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. However, he did not offer a timetable on when that might be. Pouncey has told teammates he would like to play this season and it sounds like he’s a candidate for the IR-DTR list.
- Michael Vick‘s one-year contract with the Steelers calls for a base salary of $970K, the veteran’s minimum, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The deal has no injury split and zero guaranteed money.
- Bills receiver Chris Hogan has had an up-and-down summer and is battling a knee injury, but he doesn’t believe his roster spot is in jeopardy, as he tells Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. A handful of Bills wideouts, including Deonte Thompson and Andre Davis, have had strong preseasons, which could make for a difficult decision or two in Buffalo.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
East Notes: Galette, Wayne, Brady, Ryans
There’s “a feeling” in Washington that the team will learn this week whether or not veteran pass rusher Junior Galette will face a suspension for any off-field incidents, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. Washington didn’t waste much time picking up Galette after he was released by the Saints, suggesting the front office wasn’t expecting a significant penalty. According to Keim, the club is hopeful that any Galette suspension would be for two games or less.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Josina Anderson of ESPN.com provides a couple specific figures on Reggie Wayne‘s new contract with the Patriots, tweeting that has a maximum value of $2.8MM and features a $450K signing bonus. According to Wayne, he fielded “a lot of serious calls from some good teams,” but decided New England was the best fit for him, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Attorneys for the NFL and NFLPA met yesterday for another settlement conference regarding Tom Brady‘s case, but – as expected – the session didn’t lead to an agreement, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The next hearing in Judge Richard Berman’s court regarding the Patriots quarterback is scheduled for August 31.
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links) wonders what the Mychal Kendricks extension means for Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans. As McLane explains, he heard earlier this year that Kendricks would likely only play one more season in Philadelphia, so the apparent change of heart from the team may be related to Ryans, who turned 31 last month.
- E.J. Manuel acknowledged during training camp this year that he knows his days with the Bills may be numbered if he doesn’t play well. However, as Sal Capaccio of WGR550 details, Manuel says he loves playing in Buffalo: “I want to stay here.”
Hakeem Nicks, James Jones Drawing Interest
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Hakeem Nicks, James Jones, Deonte Thompson, and Vincent Brown are among the wide receivers drawing interest around the NFL as potential release candidates, in that order. He adds that the Panthers, Ravens, Packers are a few of the teams considering adding wideouts as the season draws near.
The Panthers, of course, are in the market for a reliable target after Kelvin Benjamin suffered a season-ending injury. The Ravens could also use a receiver with promising rookie Breshad Perriman currently sidelined. And the Packers are undoubtedly scouring the market for options now that Jordy Nelson is confirmed to be done for the 2015 season. While sources tell Cole that Nicks will generally get the most attention of this quartet, the Packers are more interested in Jones that the rest of the bunch, due in part to their familiarity with him.
Nicks, 27, first reached unrestricted free agency in March 2014, and signed a modest one-year contract with the Colts after spending the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Giants. While fellow 2009 first-round wideout Jeremy Maclin parlayed a one-year, prove-it deal in 2014 into a huge, long-term contract, Nicks was unable to do the same in Indianapolis. Currently, Nicks is on a one-year deal with the Titans that holds a modest guarantee and he could be days away from hitting the open market again.
Jones had 73 catches for 666 yards and six touchdowns last season with the Raiders in 2014. This offseason, the veteran hooked on with the Giants and it has been widely speculated that he could be released before the final rosters are set. His best individual output came in 2013, when he hauled in 64 passes for 784 yards and a career-best 14 TDs for the Packers.
King’s Latest: Broncos, Rams, Walsh, Dareus
As a former quarterback himself, Broncos general manager John Elway admits that it wasn’t easy asking Peyton Manning to take a $4MM pay cut this offseason, money which Manning could make up in incentives. Elway tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com that it was a “really hard” conversation to have.
“A lot of times, as much as you like to say you want those things to stay business, they always end up being a little personal,” Elway said. “That’s the hard part, because I have a great deal of respect for Peyton. I think, hopefully, Peyton will be able to look back in a few years, especially if we have a really good year, and see that, ultimately, the decision was made to give us the best chance to go out and win a Super Bowl this year. That, ultimately, is the best thing for Peyton Manning—even though, of course, it was $4MM.”
Here are a few more items of note from King’s latest Monday Morning Quarterback feature:
- With three starters on the offensive line who have never played a regular season snap, the Broncos will likely move a late-round pick for an offensive lineman, or claim a player – likely a guard – off waivers in the near future, says King.
- One team owner who spoke to King believes that Stan Kroenke‘s plan for a new NFL Network facility and multi-purpose theater in Inglewood could be a big factor in the league’s decision on the Los Angeles market. King adds that he views the Inglewood stadium plan, along with the Rams, as the NFL’s preferred route to L.A., though that’s far from a sure thing at this point.
- While the Vikings are “trying not to show their concern” with recently extended kicker Blair Walsh, the situation is worth keeping an eye on after Walsh missed five kicks in the team’s two preseason games, writes King. When I examined Walsh as an extension candidate back in May, I suggested the team may want to see how he responds to the longer extra point this year before extending him, but Minnesota locked him up to a new deal last month.
- Responding to reports that Marcell Dareus didn’t accept an alleged six-year, $90MM extension offer, King suggests that the Bills defensive tackle is “misreading the market.” In King’s view, Dareus has a case for a rich contract, but not one that exceeds J.J. Watt‘s deal.