East Notes: Bills, Vick, Cowboys, Milliner
The Bills have yet to name a starting quarterback, and it may be several more weeks until they do so. Matt Cassel, E.J. Manuel, and Tyrod Taylor are currently vying for the job, and head coach Rex Ryan admitted today on PFT Live that he and the Bills also considered Michael Vick (Twitter link). However, Ryan had concerns about Vick playing in bad weather in Buffalo. Vick, of course, played for Ryan in New York last year, but it doesn’t appear that his old coach will bring him in for a look this year.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- The Cowboys worked out several players today, bringing in the following players for auditions, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link): Offensive tackle Cody Clay, running backs Tim Cornett and Demitrius Bronson, and linebackers Jerrell Harris and Alex Singleton.
- Shortly after learning that Antonio Allen had torn his Achilles and waiving the injured safety, the Jets saw another one of their defensive backs go down with an injury. According to a team release, cornerback Dee Milliner, who missed most of last season with an Achilles injury of his own, is undergoing surgery today to repair a torn tendon in his wrist, and will likely be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
- Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn said today that he has been in contact with Jason Pierre-Paul throughout the offseason, both before and after JPP’s fireworks accident, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. “When I’ve talked to him, we’ve talked more about where he is from a mental standpoint, just texted back and forth to let him know we’re here for him, whatever he needs,” Nunn said. “And his response has been, ‘Coach, I’m good. I want to get myself right and I’ll be back.'”
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/16
We rounded up some of the minor signings and moves in the NFL earlier today. Below, we’ll round up the very latest..
- The Bills are signing former Eastern Michigan running back Bronson Hill, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hill should provide Buffalo with more depth as they get set to install a run-heavy offense. To make room, the Bills cut defensive end Erik Williams, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Colts were awarded cornerback Tevin Mitchel off waivers from Washington and waived safety Robert Smith to make room for him, Wilson tweets.
- The Steelers waived-injured Rob Blanchflower and claimed tight end Ray Hamilton off waivers from the Cowboys, Wilson tweets.
- The Patriots announced today that they have signed offensive lineman Mark Asper and tight end Mason Brodine. To make room, offensive lineman Harland Gunn has been let go. Asper, 29, originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by the Bills in 2012.
- The Cardinals waived/injured guard John Fullington (knee) and released tight end Ted Bolser, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets.
- The 49ers have waived/injured offensive lineman Ben Gottschalk, Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets.
- The Saints waived defensive end Glenn Foster with a failed physical designation, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. To fill his spot, New Orleans inked undrafted rookie cornerback Travis Manning.
AFC Notes: Foster, Hilton, Bills, Raiders
Texans running back Arian Foster is headed to Philadelphia to get a second opinion on his groin injury, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (Twitter link), and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the second opinion will come on Friday from Dr. William Myers, an expert on sports hernias. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com goes one step further, tweeting that Foster won’t just be in Philadelphia for Myers’ assessment — he’ll also undergo surgery on Friday.
With Foster expected to miss the start of the regular season, the Texans wanted to sign Pierre Thomas, but the two sides couldn’t agree to terms today after the ex-Saint worked out for Houston. Now that they failed to lock up Thomas, the Texans may not sign a veteran, since they like their young backs and want to get them reps, tweets Rapoport.
Even if the Texans do continue to explore the free agent market, Ray Rice probably won’t be considered, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, who says owner Bob McNair likely wouldn’t approve such a move. Rice may not be an appealing on-field option anyway — one GM tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that his most recent game tape “isn’t get enough to get excited about.”
Let’s check in on a few more items from around the AFC….
- Agent Drew Rosenhaus left Indianapolis today, despite the fact that he and the Colts have yet to work out an extension for wideout T.Y. Hilton. However, talks are ongoing, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- Appearing on WGR 550 in Buffalo today (Twitter link), GM Doug Whaley admitted that the Bills are in “quarterback purgatory,” since the team doesn’t have a clear long-term answer at the position, and doesn’t expect to pick near the top of the draft within the next couple years.
- The Raiders have likely made contract with defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, who was released on the weekend by the Seahawks, writes Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. GM Reggie McKenzie said “there’s a chance” Oakland could bring in the veteran, who has a history with new Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.
- In the wake of reports suggesting they tipped off the Colts about the Patriots deflating footballs, the Ravens issued a strong denial of their involvement today, via a team release.
- Bills running back Boobie Dixon, who isn’t considered a lock to make the team’s roster, is expected to miss several weeks with a calf injury, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
AFC East Notes: Gronk, Brady, Dolphins, Clay
Earlier this summer, an excerpt from Rob Gronkowski‘s autobiography revealed that the Patriots tight end claims he hasn’t spent a dime of his NFL salary, living off of endorsement money instead. As of July 30, Gronkowski has a little more NFL money to save up — according to Field Yates of ESPN.com, the Pats reworked their star tight end’s contract, converting $4MM of his $10MM end-of-year option bonus to a signing bonus. The option, which is due before the end of the league year, is now worth $6MM, and New England appears more likely than ever to exercise it.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap breaks down the unusual cap ramifications of the move, suggesting that the restructure should increase Gronkowski’s 2015 cap hit by $2MM before reducing his 2016 charge by $2MM. After that, the cap numbers for the rest of Gronkowski’s contract should remain the same.
Here’s more from around the AFC East:
- NFLPA executive George Atallah confirmed today (via Twitter) that Tom Brady and union reps will attend a conference in New York on August 12 to meet with the NFL and U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. Roger Goodell will also attend the hearing in person, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes (via Twitter) that NFLPA and NFL attorneys had a telephone conference yesterday with Mag. Judge James C. Francis regarding the Patriots quarterback’s case.
- Appearing on the Jose Rose Show on 560 WQAM in Miami, Dolphins VP of football operations Mike Tannenbaum didn’t rule out pursuing free agent guard Evan Mathis, as Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post details. The Dolphins’ interest in Mathis has been downplayed recently, but I imagine they’d be very interested if one of their current guards struggles or suffers an injury.
- Having brought in Rex Ryan, LeSean McCoy, Percy Harvin, and Richie Incognito over the offseason, the Bills made plenty of newsworthy moves. However, no player received more guaranteed money from the team this year than tight end Charles Clay. Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News examines how Clay is fitting in so far in Buffalo.
Bills Suspend Aaron Kromer Six Games
The Bills announced that offensive line coach Aaron Kromer has been suspended six games for his offseason incident. Charges were dropped against the coach in late July and that probably saved his job with Buffalo.
“Over the past several weeks the Bills organization has gathered information regarding the incident involving Offensive Line Coach Aaron Kromer. Today we have concluded our investigation and the Buffalo Bills will suspend Coach Kromer without pay for the first six games of the 2015 NFL regular season,” Bills managing partner and president Russ Brandon said in the statement. “The suspension will begin on Monday, September 7, 2015 and end with the conclusion of the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game on October 18, 2015. We worked in conjunction with the NFL on this matter and we are highly supportive of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy that holds all NFL and club employees to a higher standard. We look forward to Coach Kromer rejoining the Bills organization at Training Camp.”
Kromer, who was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2014, was arrested in July on a misdemeanor battery charge. According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Kromer and his son allegedly confronted a group of three boys – who had been fishing – over the use of beach chairs. The victims told Walton County deputies that Kromer grabbed their fishing pole and threw it in the water, then pushed one of the boys to the ground and punched him in the face. The victim, a juvenile, also said Kromer threatened to kill his family if he reported the incident to the police.
The Bills placed Kromer on paid administrative leave prior to their judgement on Sunday night.
Sunday Roundup: Levy, Incognito, Fitzpatrick, Pryor, Bowers
While Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy is working on his own extension, Bobby Wagner‘s new contract has set a new bar for non-pass rushing linebackers in the NFL. Despite that big number, Levy remains focused on football, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com.
“My agent is the negotiator, I’m the football player. I even try to stay out of it now. If something significant happens, send me a text or something,” said Levy. “My focus has never been on that, it’s about getting ready for the season, year in and year out. Whatever happens, happens.”
Here are some more notes from around the NFL this Sunday evening:
- The Bills have had their share of issues along the offensive line over recent years–including this offseason–but hopefully a player with his own baggage can help solidify things as head coach Rex Ryan has announced Richie Incognito will start at left guard for the Bills, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
- Staying with the AFC East, Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing well despite watching as Geno Smith takes the majority of first-team reps for the Jets, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. “The thing we stress every day and Coach [Todd] Bowles stresses is he going to put the best guys on the field to help the team win,” Fitzpatrick said. “That is what we are all here for, to win football games.”
- One of the most interesting storylines in Browns’ camp this offseason is whether or not Terrelle Pryor can complete the position change to wide receiver. The 6’4″ former quarterback has roughly a 50/50 chance of making the team as a wideout, according to Tony Grossi of ESPN.com.
- Buccaneers defensive lineman Da’Quan Bowers has played both defensive end and defensive tackle in previous years in Tampa Bay, but head coach Lovie Smith says he will be locked in as an interior lineman in 2015, writes Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter).
East Notes: Cowboys, Kelly, Mathis
Jeremy Mincey is expected to end his holdout pending a meeting with Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones and head coach Jason Garrett today, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Per Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News, Mincey arrived in Oxnard on Saturday night and will discuss a new two-year deal with the club. If the two sides strike a deal, Mincey can join his teammates later today for the fourth day of training camp practices.
Now let’s take a look at some more links from the league’s east divisions:
- The Cowboys will be on the lookout for more linebacker depth, as Justin Jackson tore his ACL in a special teams walkthrough (Twitter link to ESPN’s Todd Archer).
- Brandon Boykin, who was dealt from the Eagles to the Steelers last night, is the latest to take a racially-related jab at Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. Per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, Boykin said Kelly is “uncomfortable around grown men of our culture…He can’t relate and that makes him uncomfortable. Players excel when you let them naturally be who they are, and in my experience that hasn’t been important to him, but you guys have heard this before me.” Former Eagles LeSean McCoy and Tra Thomas have made similar comments about Kelly in the past, and although there is plenty of evidence to suggest that sentiments like those expressed by Boykin are a bit misguided, it will be interesting to see what, if any, impact this will have on Kelly’s control of his locker room.
- Mychal Kendricks, who was rumored to be on the trading block, will likely remain with the Eagles as an insurance policy for DeMeco Ryans, according to Andy Schwartz of CSNPhilly.com.
- Citing GM Jerry Reese, Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News tweets that Giants left tackle Will Beatty will return at some point this season, and the team has not closed the door on free agent tackle Jake Long.
- The Jets, who have a hole at right guard, have spoken with free agent Evan Mathis, per Justin Tasch of The New York Daily News. However, Mathis’ asking price appears to be out of New York’s range at the moment.
- We learned several days ago that Jets rookie wideout Devin Smith suffered broken ribs in Friday’s practice, and Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com reports that Smith also has a partially punctured lung. Smith will be sidelined for four to six weeks.
- Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets that Bills head coach Rex Ryan has declared Richie Incognito the team’s starting left guard and Cordy Glenn the team’s starting left tackle.
AFC Notes: Miller, Rivers, Dareus, Jets
Two years ago, Broncos pass rusher Von Miller was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse program, and missed nearly half the 2013 season. However, last season, he played all 16 of Denver’s regular season contests, and a source tells Mike Klis of 9NEWS that after not testing positive for two years, Miller is no longer in the league’s drug program.
Typically, multiple positive tests result in harsher and harsher penalties for players, as we’ve with someone like Josh Gordon. But a positive test for Miller at this point wouldn’t result in significant discipline, since his status has been reset, writes Klis. It’s an extremely positive development for Miller as he enters a contract year, since the Broncos will have less reason to be concerned about him missing games in the future, making the team more likely to offer him a lucrative extension.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers confirmed today that there are no new developments on the contract extension front, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. According to Rivers, the two sides will likely shelve negotiations until 2016 if they don’t reach an agreement within the next 10 or 12 days.
- According to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, Marcell Dareus seems encouraged by the progress that has been made in contract discussions between him and the Bills, joking that he owes a thank-you to Ndamukong Suh for resetting the market this offseason.
- Jets GM Mike Maccagnan expressed support for Sheldon Richardson following his recent arrest, indicating that he and the Jets will devote resources to helping the standout defensive lineman, as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com outlines. However, Maccagnan was noncommittal on Richardson’s long-term future with the Jets, and acknowledged that there’s “a degree of trust that has been broken.”
- Chargers defensive end Tenny Palepoi suffered a fractured foot, and will likely be sidelined for two months, a source tells Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Depending on how Palepoi’s recovery progresses, he could be a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return, though the Chargers may prefer to save that one-time designation for someone else.
AFC Rumors: Broncos, Ravens, Bills
Facing a suddenly thin defensive end situation, with Derek Wolfe‘s recent PEDs suspension and Malik Jackson‘s calf strain, the Broncos are in need of some good news on their line.
They’ll have to settle for Antonio Smith being able to practice and hoping his being investigated in a child sex-abuse complaint doesn’t deter his time in Denver. The Broncos previously excused him from OTAs in late May once word of this allegation emerged.
“I have faith in the end it’s going to be all right,” Smith told Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press. “I love football. I love my teammates more than I love the game. To be away from them was definitely a hard situation.”
GM John Elway permitted the 33-year-old end who he signed as a depth piece earlier this offseason to practice since he hasn’t been arrested or charged.
Here’s some more news out of Denver and as well as the Broncos’ AFC brethren’s training camps.
- A second consecutive preseason and third straight season for Broncos wideout Kyle Williams looks to have been marred by a severe injury, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Williams, who suffered his previous injuries with the 49ers and Chiefs, confirmed on his Instagram page a knee injury sustained Saturday will end his 2015 season. The Broncos signed Williams to a futures contract in Dec. 2014 despite his missing the last six games of the 2013 season and all of the 2014 campaign with ACL and shoulder maladies. Most known for the fumble that propelled the Giants into the Super Bowl past the 49ers in overtime of the 2011 NFC championship game, the 27-year-old Williams has to be considered questionable at best to resume his career.
- 2014 Bills second-rounder Cyrus Kouandjio‘s second chance appears to still be in full bloom, with Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reporting the Bills’ right tackle job is his to lose despite a slow rookie year. Per Dunne, when Rex Ryan‘s staff arrived, they cleaned the slate of the former Alabama starter. This could mean a demotion for 16-game starter Seantrel Henderson, a 2014 seventh-rounder. “That absolutely could be his job,” Ryan said of Kouandjio. “That’s competition. Seantrel, I hope will feel differently. He’s going to think ‘I’m going to battle to win that job.’ But right now, he’s running with the 1’s so look at it any way you want.”
- Scott Cohen will join the Ravens as a consultant after the Buccaneers fired him earlier this year, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Cohen previously worked as Mike Tannenbaum‘s assistant GM for five years with the Jets.
Charges Against Bills’ Aaron Kromer Dropped
5:27pm: While they haven’t made a final decision yet, the Bills will likely keep Kromer on their staff, suspending him without pay to start the season, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (via Twitter).
4:57pm: The charges against Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer – and his son Zachary Kramer – have been dropped, assistant Florida state attorney Bobby Elmore tells Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links). According to Rodak, the two sides reached an agreement, with the charges dropped at the request of the accusers’ parents.
Kromer, who was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2014, was arrested earlier this month on a misdemeanor battery charge. According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Kromer and his son allegedly confronted a group of three boys – who had been fishing – over the use of beach chairs. The victims told Walton County deputies that Kromer grabbed their fishing pole and threw it in the water, then pushed one of the boys to the ground and punched him in the face. The victim, a juvenile, also said Kromer threatened to kill his family if he reported the incident to the police.
The Bills placed Kromer on paid administrative leave while they looked into the incident, so the team will likely make a call on his status soon. With the legal situation now resolved, Buffalo may decide to bring Kromer back into the fold, though the settlement doesn’t necessarily mean the veteran coach was innocent — it just means the accusers were willing to drop the charges.