AFC East Notes: Jets, Bills, Geno
Richie Incognito and Percy Harvin are worth the gamble for the Bills because of their talent, but linebacker IK Enemkpali is not, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. Not only is the linebacker not on the same level talent-wise, but Buffalo does not have a clear need for him at this time. Carucci also doesn’t care about the events leading up to the punch heard ’round the world – he feels there is no justification for what Enemkpali did. Here’s more on the Bills and Jets..
- After getting a second medical opinion, Jets quarterback Geno Smith has elected to go forth with surgery on his broken jaw, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Jets will “take a look” at their quarterback situation after returning from their Thursday night preseason game against the Lions, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
- Many have concluded that Rex Ryan signed Enemkpali just to take a shot at the Jets, but the Bills do think that he’s a good player, Jenny Vrentas of The MMQB writes.
- The NFL has yet to decide on whether Enenkpali will be placed on paid leave, a league spokesman tells Mike Florio of PFT.
- The Bills announced (on Twitter) that Enemkpali will issue a statement this afternoon. Interestingly enough, the announcement identifies the former sixth-round pick as a defensive end.
- There was absolutely no reason to make this move, other than for Rex to feed his desire for attention, Leo Roth of the Democrat & Chronicle opines.
Extra Points: Rivers, L.A., Enemkpali, Tabb
Sources continue to tell Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that they don’t expect Philip Rivers and the Chargers to agree to terms on an extension before the season, though it’s not unfathomable that the two sides will reach a compromise. According to Acee, the Chargers and Rivers both eventually want to work out an agreement that will allow the quarterback to retire with the team, but disbursement of guaranteed money in the third year of any deal is among the current sticking points in negotiations.
Eric Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears from a league source that San Diego is willing to guarantee the third year of Rivers’ new contract, which is common for franchise quarterbacks, and Acee acknowledges that such a detail is unlikely to be a long-term roadblock. But if the two sides don’t agree on the structure of the extension soon, they may wait until 2016 to get something done.
Here are a few more Wednesday night odds and ends from around the NFL:
- During the owners’ meeting in Chicago this week to discuss possible relocation to Los Angeles, both the Carson and Inglewood groups made strong presentations, and both projects have their share of supporters, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, a large group of owners supports the Raiders and Chargers‘ joint Carson proposal, since it would solve the “California dilemma” in one fell swoop. On the other hand, a vocal contingent of owners – including Cowboys owner Jerry Jones – support Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood proposal, since they feel the Rams owner’s deep pockets would make the project work.
- Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times also has a recap of this week’s meeting regarding L.A., and touches on several of the same points as Cole. According to Farmer, many owners believe Kroenke has the best location and stadium plan, but he’s less popular among his peers than Chargers owner Dean Spanos, and St. Louis has done more than San Diego and Oakland to keep its franchise.
- Explaining his decision to claim IK Enemkpali off waivers today from the Jets, Bills head coach Rex Ryan told reporters that Enemkpali “was a good teammate” last year in New York, adding that there’s no guarantee the former sixth-round pick will make Buffalo’s regular season roster (Twitter links via Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News and ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak).
- According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Ryan remains a fan of the player who Enemkpali cold-cocked — Mehta writes that, after landing the Bills‘ coaching job this winter, Ryan wondered aloud to friends if the Jets would trade Geno Smith to Buffalo.
- Saints rookie tight end Jack Tabb underwent surgery this week to repair a torn ACL, a source tells Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Waived last Friday by the team, Tabb is currently on New Orleans’ injured reserve list and will miss the 2015 season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves from around the league:
- After being waived/injured by their respective teams, DB Shamiel Gary (Dolphins), QB/WR Devin Gardner (Steelers), and LB Quinton Alston (Buccaneers) have landed on those clubs’ injured reserve lists, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
- Several days after waiving him with an injury designation, the Steelers have removed safety Isaiah Lewis from their IR with a settlement, tweets Wilson.
Earlier updates:
- A year ago, the Patriots ignored a so-called unwritten rule when they claimed injured rookie running back Tyler Gaffney off waivers from the Panthers when Carolina was trying to sneak him through waivers and onto the injured reserve list. Today, the Patriots waived Gaffney themselves, hoping to place him on IR if he clears, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The former sixth-round pick missed the 2014 season with a knee injury, and is still looking to get fully healthy.
- The Falcons have signed cornerback Mike Lee and waived/injured nose tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Lee, who initially signed with Atlanta as an undrafted free agent in May, was cut by the team last week.
- When they claimed IK Enemkpali off waivers from the Jets today, the Bills needed to make a corresponding move to clear a roster spot. According to a team release, the club waived tight end Clay Burton with an injury designation to create that opening.
- Cornerback Brandon Smith‘s pact with the Cowboys is a two-year deal, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Smith officially signed with Dallas on Tuesday.
Bills Claim IK Enemkpali Off Waivers
A day after he was cut by the Jets following his altercation with quarterback Geno Smith, IK Enemkpali has a new NFL home. In a surprising twist, Enemkpali was claimed off waivers today by the team led by his old head coach — according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Bills have claimed the former Jets defensive end.
Rex Ryan, heading into his first season as the head coach in Buffalo, held the same position in New York a year ago when the Jets used a sixth-round pick to draft Enemkpali out of Louisiana Tech. It makes sense that Ryan would recognize the 24-year-old’s value on the field, having seen him first-hand in 2014 — Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweeted today that people around the NFL thought Enemkpali would play again in the league, since he has some talent.
Still, after Enemkpali punched his quarterback in the locker room, it appeared unlikely that another team would take a flier on him right away. Albert Breer of the NFL Network noted today (via Twitter) that more than one team left Enemkpali off its draft board in 2014 due to concerns about his anger issues.
Enemkpali only saw the field sparingly in his rookie season, playing 40 defensive snaps and contributing a little on special teams as well. The young pass rusher could face NFL discipline and even criminal charges for punching Smith, according to an ESPN.com report, as the league confirmed it’s reviewing the Tuesday skirmish that left the quarterback with a broken jaw.
The addition of Enemkpali is the latest in a string of eyebrow-raising acquisitions for Buffalo, whose locker room will also feature Richie Incognito and Percy Harvin. Of course, Ryan said earlier this year, after being hired by the Bills, that he wanted to “build a bully” in Buffalo.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/15
Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:
- The Bills have signed cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks and waived/injured receiver Caleb Holley, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets.
- The Cowboys have signed defensive back Brandon Smith, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room for Smith, the Cowboys waived/injured Chris Whaley, who tore his Achilles on Monday (link).
- After getting word that JaCorey Shepherd suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the season, the Eagles added another cornerback to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed former Ravens seventh-round pick Marc Anthony.
- The Lions have placed tight end David Ausberry on their injured reserve list, ending his season, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman adds that the team signed cornerback Jocquel Skinner to fill the newly-created roster opening.
- In addition to confirming their previously reported signing of defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, the Buccaneers announced several more moves today in a press release. Tampa Bay signed punter Karl Schmitz, who was cut earlier this week by Denver, and waived rookie linebackers Quinton Alston and Sammuel Lamur.
- To make room on their roster for new kicker Garrett Hartley, the Steelers waived/injured QB/WR Devin Gardner, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Gardner, who originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan in May, figures to land on Pittsburgh’s IR if he clears waivers.
- The Cardinals have made a change in their secondary, re-signing safety Ross Weaver and cutting another safety, D.J. Campbell, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
- The Falcons have removed safety Terell Floyd from their roster, reaching an injury settlement with him, according to the team.
- Three months after signing him as an undrafted free agent, the Packers have cut rookie wideout Ricky Collins, the club announced today in a press release. Battling a heel injury, Collins never got off Green Bay’s PUP list during camp.
- After clearing waivers, linebacker Matt Robinson will revert to the Jaguars‘ IR with a hamstring injury, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link), the NFL reinstated the previously-terminated contract between the Cowboys and linebacker Will Smith, who is back on the team’s injured reserve list.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Grossman, Bills
In the wake of the locker-room altercation that left Geno Smith with a broken jaw, the Jets are in the preliminary stages of adding another quarterback to their roster, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
It makes sense that the team would want to add another veteran to the mix while Smith is out, since Ryan Fitzpatrick would be the only signal-caller on the roster with NFL experience — rookies Bryce Petty and Jake Heaps are also on the Jets’ roster, but Heaps is likely just a camp arm and a potential practice squad candidate, while the club would probably rather not have Petty see regular-season action this year.
One potential target for the Jets may be Rex Grossman, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who tweets that the team reached out to the veteran free agent. However, Grossman is dealing with an injury he suffered during his training, and would need a few weeks to get ready, so the Jets figure to consider other options as well.
As we wait to see which direction the Jets go, here’s more from around the AFC East:
- Jonathan Martin, the offensive tackle at the center of the Dolphins‘ bullying scandal in 2013, explained in a since-deleted tweet that he decided to retire from the NFL because “in the end, football was just a job, albeit a fun and well-paying one.” Alluding to the health concerns inherent in being an NFL player, Martin added that “being in a wheelchair at 50 isn’t worth any amount of money,” per Bill Voth of the Black and Blue Review. As Voth observes, another Martin tweet in which the former lineman compliments his Panthers and 49ers teammates, without mentioning his Dolphins teammates, serves as a reminder that Martin’s time in Miami didn’t exactly go smoothly.
- Jim Turner, the offensive line coach who was dismissed by the Dolphins after Ted Wells published his report on the 2013 bullying scandal, filed a lawsuit against Wells and his law firm, but didn’t name the Dolphins or the NFL as defendants, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
- Former Clemson cornerback Garry Peters is working out for the Bills, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Peters signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent earlier this offseason, but was cut at the end of July by Carolina.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/15
Here are Sunday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Bills re-signed defensive Erik Williams and waived/injured receiver Justin Brown, ESPN’s Mike Rodak tweeted.
- The Colts have signed former Ball State cornerback Eric Patterson, according to Indy PR man Matt Conti (Twitter link). Patterson, who went undrafted earlier this year, was cut by the Patriots in June.
- The Browns signed CB Joe Rankin yesterday, and according to Nate Ulrich of The Akron Beacon Journal, the team has also signed TE Manasseh Garner. To make room for the new additions, Cleveland has cut LB Darius Eubanks and TE Kevin Haplea.
AFC Notes: Incognito, Berry, Steelers, Browns
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and league-appointed investigator Ted Wells are drawing plenty of criticism for how they’re handling Tom Brady‘s DeflateGate case, but Bills guard Richie Incognito tore into them Saturday for how they dealt with his own scandal a couple years ago.
The league suspended Incognito from November 2013 to February 2014 after a bullying case involving then-Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin. Incognito, who subsequently sat out all of last season and then signed with Buffalo this past winter, told Newsday’s Bob Glauber: “Ted Wells came in slanted against me and everything in his report was slanted against me. There were some things in there that would have helped my cause that were left out.”
Incognito noted there was “teammate testimony” that would’ve helped his cause, but Wells didn’t pay it any mind. Further, Albert Breer of NFL Network tweeted that “a lot of Dolphins coaches felt their voiced weren’t heard by Wells.”
Regarding Goodell, Incognito said, “I just think it’s bogus, the whole system in how it’s set up with Roger and the complete, absolute power he has.”
“You have to get a little power out of [Goodell’s] hands and get [an independent arbitrator] to take a look at it.”
More from the AFC:
- Sunday represented a significant step in the return of Chiefs safety Eric Berry. The three-time Pro Bowler practiced in full pads with the second-team defense just eight months removed from a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma and three months since his final chemotherapy treatment, writes Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today. Berry’s teammates are excited about his progress. “It’s motivation, courage — for the whole team,” said linebacker Derrick Johnson. “This means a lot to us.”
- This could be a make-or-break year for Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones, an anonymous general manager told Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN (Twitter link). The former Georgia star has a paltry three sacks in two years since the Steelers used a first-round pick on him in 2013.
- The race to be the Browns’ third quarterback behind Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel is currently a dead heat between Connor Shaw and Thaddeus Lewis. “I wouldn’t list one of those guys [Shaw or Lewis] ahead of the other,” head coach Mike Pettine said Sunday, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “Obviously, Josh is firmly the one, as I’ve said. Johnny is the two, and I would slash those guys [Shaw and Lewis] at the three.”
Bills Sign Nickell Robey To Extension
11:37am: Rand Getlin of The NFL Network tweets that it is a two-year extension for Robey, though no financial details are available at this time. Getlin writes that the team wanted to reward Robey for his contributions.
10:14am: The Bills and cornerback Nickell Robey have agreed to a multi-year contract extension, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.com (via Twitter). Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.
Robey was signed as an undrafted free agent out of USC in 2013 and was therefore eligible to receive an extension after just two years in the league (draftees must wait at least three years). As his name suggests, Robey has served as the team’s primary nickel cornerback over the course of the past two years, and he has appeared in each of the Bills’ 32 games during that time. He has recorded 86 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception (which he returned for a touchdown) in his brief but promising career.
He was particularly good in his rookie campaign, when he graded out as the 27th-best corner out of 110 eligible players per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Although he fell to the 89th-best corner out of 108 eligible players in 2014, he still led the team with 10 passes defensed, and the defensive scheme the Bills plan to implement under new head coach Rex Ryan this year is more similar to the one in which Robey excelled in 2013. As Robey said, “Last year I was more just coverage basically and softer coverage too. I didn’t get to do everything that I wanted to do as far as being aggressive and being able to play like I really wanted to play. This year Rex is allowing me to do that. I’m playing a lot more aggressive coverages, but most of all doing a lot more blitzing. I love it” (via Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com).
GM Doug Whaley apparently agrees. Whaley said of his young corner: “Under the tutelage of Rex Ryan and his coaching staff, we believe Nickell will continue to develop and make significant contributions within this defense. Our philosophy is to continue to reward our players. Signing Nickell to an extension is an example of of this organization making a commitment to that plan” (Twitter link to Buscaglia).
Most pundits agree that Robey is primed for a breakout season, and by signing him to an extension now, one year before he is eligible for free agency, the Bills may have gotten themselves a bargain.
East Notes: Rice, Cassel, Giants
The Bills signed Nickell Robey to an extension this morning and may now direct their attention to a long-term deal with Marcell Dareus, but one transaction that the team is not contemplating is a reunion between head coach Rex Ryan and embattled running back Ray Rice. Per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, Ryan reiterated, “We don’t have any interest [in Rice] and we never went into great detail about it because of the type of depth that we have at running back.” Those comments were made despite a recent hamstring injury to Fred Jackson and Bryce Brown‘s continued fumbling woes.
Now let’s have a look at some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Although the Bills‘ quarterback competition is far from over, The Associated Press reports that Matt Cassel will “probably” start the team’s first preseason game against Carolina this week. All three competitors–Cassel, E.J. Manuel, and Tyrod Taylor–have had mixed results in camp, and no one has separated themselves from the pack as of yet. We heard just last month that Cassel was in danger of being released, and while that may still be the case, he will at least have the first chance to lead Buffalo’s offense in game action in 2015.
- The top of the Jets‘ depth chart at wide receiver has remained intact, but as Brian Costello of The New York Post writes, recent injuries to players like Chris Owusu, DeVier Posey, and Devin Smith have really tested the team’s depth. Of course, there is not much by way of free agent talent available at this point, though Reggie Wayne and Wes Welker are both ostensibly looking for jobs.
- In his latest mailbag, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes that Bennett Jackson, the Giants‘ sixth-round pick in the 2014 draft, has enjoyed a terrific camp thus far, and he has put himself in position to not only make the 53-man roster, but to earn one of the starting safety spots.
- In the same piece, Graziano writes that Marshall Newhouse, whom the Giants originally signed to be a backup, is New York’s undisputed starting right tackle at the moment.
- Hank Kurz, Jr. of The Associated Press writes that Jamison Crowder, Washington‘s diminutive rookie receiver, is making a splash in training camp, but John Keim of ESPN.com says Crowder has not yet passed Andre Roberts and Ryan Grant on the team’s depth chart. Keim does concede, though, that Crowder has been outperforming Roberts and Grant and it could be a matter of time before he seizes hold of Washington’s No. 3 receiver job.