NFC Notes: Murray, Lacy, Falcons, Bears
Eagles running back DeMarco Murray and owner Jeffrey Lurie had a lengthy conversation Sunday about Murray’s role in head coach Chip Kelly‘s offense, ESPN’s Ed Werder reports. Though the Eagles pulled a 35-28 upset in New England, Murray was barely a factor – taking the field for just 14 plays and totaling 24 yards on eight carries – and he voiced his frustrations to Lurie afterward as a result. Their conversation happened on the team’s flight home, according to Werder, who adds that it’s unknown who initiated the talk.
“He’s obviously upset about what happened,” a source close to Murray told Werder.
Murray, who led the NFL in rushing last year with Dallas and then signed a big-money deal with the Eagles in the offseason, has struggled mightily under Kelly. The two-time thousand-yard rusher has just 569 this season on a paltry 3.5 per-carry average, and has been outproduced by teammate Ryan Mathews – who signed a much less valuable contract with Philly in the offseason. Mathews missed the Patriots game because of a concussion, but Murray still had to take a backseat to Darren Sproles, who accrued 90 yards on 19 touches.
“We are not trying to win a rushing championship or a passing championship or a receiving championship or anything from that stretch of the imagination,” Kelly said Monday. “We are just trying to win football games.”
More from the NFC:
- Like Murray, Packers running back Eddie Lacy has also had a disappointing season – one that reached a low point last week. Lacy finished with a mere 1 yard on six touches in the Packers’ 27-23 win over the Lions after Mike McCarthy demoted him for missing curfew the night before, but the coach said Tuesday that the third-year man will have a chance to win back his starting role. “If Eddie or any other player wants to jump up and grab that opportunity, it’s right in front of them,” McCarthy stated, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. McCarthy added that he thinks the demotion rejuvenated Lacy.
- The Falcons’ offense has hit the skids during their descent from 5-0 to 6-6, but quarterback Matt Ryan spoke favorably of coordinator Kyle Shanahan on Tuesday. “Our production hasn’t been there, but in terms of plays and all that kind of stuff, I feel really good about how Kyle and I have worked together this year,” Ryan said on 680 The Fan, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “Kyle’s is a little bit different from the guy’s that I’ve worked with in the past. With that said, I feel really good about it. I feel like he’s going to be a guy that I can learn a ton from. I believe we’re going to win a lot of games together.”
- Having landed on injured reserve, tight end Martellus Bennett‘s time with the Bears could be up, ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson writes. Dickerson believes the Bears should try to trade Bennett, who has one year left on his contract and is looking for a more lucrative one – which the team is unwilling to give him. In the event they’re unable to find a taker, the Bears could release Bennett and save over $5MM on their cap in 2016.
Danario Alexander Worked Out For Bears
Free agent wide receiver Danario Alexander worked out for the Bears on Tuesday, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Alexander remains unsigned, but he’s happy with how the workout went, per Gehlken. The 27-year-old is a candidate to sign a futures contract with the Bears, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Alexander is a three-year NFL veteran who suited up for the Rams from 2010-11 and the Chargers in ’12. In just 10 games that year, he amassed career highs in receptions (37), targets (62), yards (658), yards per catch (17.8) and touchdowns (seven). The former Missouri Tiger has appeared in 28 games and totaled 83 receptions, a 16.8 yards-per-catch average and 10 scores. Alexander tore the ACL in his right knee in August 2013 and hasn’t played since, but Gehlken notes that he’s now healthy. As Gehlken wrote in February 2014, Alexander’s initial recovery didn’t go smoothly and he required a second surgery. The 6-foot-5, 217-pounder has also had trouble with his left knee, undergoing five different operations.
Bears Place Martellus Bennett On IR
The Bears have placed tight end Martellus Bennett on injured reserve, ending his season with four weeks left to play, the team announced today (via Twitter). To replace Bennett on the 53-man roster, the club has signed free agent tight end Rob Housler.
It’s been an eventful for year for Bennett, who had been battling a rib issue. The Pro Bowler saw his numbers dip in 2015 after he set new career-highs across the board in 2014. While he has still caught 53 balls, Bennett was rumored to be unhappy with his role in the team’s offense under new head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
Bennett’s agent dismissed the notion that there’s any sort of rift between his client and the Bears, but considering the 28-year-old had been hoping to sign a new contract earlier this year – skipping the team’s voluntary minicamp but eventually reporting – it’ll be an interesting situation to watch this offseason. Bennett has one year left on his contract with Chicago, and is owed a non-guaranteed base salary of just over $5MM in 2016.
As for Housler, the former Cardinals tight end had some productive years in Arizona in 2012 and 2013, but saw his role reduced last year before leaving the team in free agency. He played for the Browns earlier this season, but caught just one ball in six games with the club.
NFC Rumors: Murray, Vikings, Lewis, White
With the Eagles potentially set to be tied for the NFC East lead if the Cowboys win tonight, let’s take a look at some news coming out of Philadelphia, as well as several other NFC cities.
- As the Eagles gave DeMarco Murray only eight carries against the Patriots, Chip Kelly denied a demotion took place, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The eight carries matched a season low for the defending rushing champion, who is averaging 3.5 yards per carry after gaining 4.7 per tote last season. Kelly attributed Murray’s reduced usage (14 snaps) to the game’s strange flow that featured three Eagles non-offensive touchdowns. The obvious counter to that was Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner both out-touching Murray and each averaging north of four yards per rush. Berman writes Ryan Mathews‘ return could further siphon Murray’s workloads, which have been much smaller than 2014. Murray has just 163 carries.
- None of the four safeties on the Vikings‘ active roster practiced Monday, and Antone Exum could miss multiple games with a fractured rib and a sprained AC joint, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. Exum’s started the past two games in Andrew Sendejo‘s stead.
- After Adrian Peterson characterized the Vikings as being “outplayed and outcoached” in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Seahawks, Mike Zimmer took a hard-headed stance when addressing media. “I don’t really worry about other people’s opinions. I only worry about what I think,” the Vikings’ second-year coach told media (including Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Zimmer did say Peterson should have received more than eight carries, however.
- John Fox said rookie wideout Kevin White‘s shin has sufficiently healed, and the team will now look to get him in football shape, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times reports (on Twitter). The Bears‘ first-rounder has yet to be cleared to play, however.
- Shelved on the PUP list due to a torn ACL he sustained last November while at Georgia Tech, 49ers rookie wide receiver DeAndre Smelter will not play this season, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. Smelter reverts to the non-football injury/reserve list. The fourth-round pick will not practice with the team during the season’s remainder.
- On injured reserve after an injury-restricted campaign, Keenan Lewis underwent hip surgery today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Saints‘ top corner is under contract through the 2017 season.
NFC Notes: Lacy, Forte, 49ers, Kilgore
After back-to-back 100-yard games, Eddie Lacy didn’t see much action on Thursday night against the Lions, which seemed like an unusual call on the Packers‘ part, even though Lacy didn’t do much with his handful of carries. However, it seems Green Bay’s decision wasn’t solely based on Lacy’s on-field performance.
According to Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com, Lacy and fellow running back Alonzo Harris missed curfew on Wednesday night in Detroit. The violation of team rules resulted in a demotion for Lacy and a lost roster spot for Harris, who was cut just hours before the game in favor of practice squad back John Crockett.
When I passed along word earlier this afternoon that the Packers brought in former Broncos running back Montee Ball for a workout today, I noted that the Green Bay backfield situation was worth monitoring. That’s even more true in the wake of Demovsky’s report.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel adds a few more names to the group of players who worked out for the Packers today, tweeting that wide receivers Jamel Johnson, Deon Long, and Kevin Vereen also got auditions.
- Matt Forte has been with the Bears his whole career, but is prepared to move on this offseason if they don’t offer him a contract, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. “There’s nothing I can do, really, except play football,” Forte said. “The decision on whether I stay or whether I go is not really up to me. It’s whether I get offered a contract extension, which I haven’t been offered one and doesn’t really look like it. If not, I go into free agency. So I’m pretty much satisfied with either way it goes.”
- Addressing the reassignment of team president Paraag Marathe, which was reported earlier today, 49ers CEO Jed York has issued a statement via the club’s website. As expected, York presents the decision as one that Marathe was involved in making. “Despite how some have chosen to portray this transition in the media, I want you to know that Paraag has been and will continue to be an instrumental member of this organization,” York said in the statement.
- 49ers center Daniel Kilgore is expected to make the trip to Chicago this weekend as a part of the active roster, but the 49ers still need to move him from the physically-unable-to-perform list. Head coach Jim Tomsula hinted that the move would occur on Saturday morning, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
North Notes: Packers, Ball, Bears, Lions
After having rounded up some Friday items out of the NFL’s West divisions earlier today, let’s turn our attention to the North divisions….
- After not getting much production from their three running backs last night, the Packers had former Bronco Montee Ball in for a workout today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Eddie Lacy has been disappointing this year, and James Starks only had 15 yards on nine carries on Thursday night, with the team giving rookie John Crockett – promoted earlier in the day from the practice squad – five carries as well. While there’s no deal at this time with Ball, Green Bay’s backfield situation could be worth keeping an eye on.
- The Packers also tried out a wide receiver today, bringing in J.J. Worton for an audition, tweets Wilson. The former UCF wideout is about a year removed from a torn ACL. Quarterback Zac Dysert auditioned for Green Bay as well, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- After publishing the first part of his conversation with George McCaskey earlier this week, Dan Pompei has part two available today, in which he talks to the Bears chairman about increasing the regular season to 18 games (McCaskey’s not in favor) and asks whether the team would be willing to give up a home game to play an international contest (McCaskey’s really not in favor).
- In addition to working out a handful of kickers this week, in case Matt Prater was unable to play on Thursday night, the Lions also took a look at wide receiver Greg Salas, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. A fourth-round pick in 2011, Salas has spent time with several teams, recording a total of 43 regular-season receptions for the Rams and Jets.
- The Browns worked out former Southern Utah punter Brock Miller, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
Agent: No Rift Between Bears, Martellus Bennett
FRIDAY, 1:57pm: “There isn’t any rift or tension [between Bennett and the Bears,” agent Kennard McGuire tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). “Whoever is making these remarks should stand up to them.”
THURSDAY, 9:09am: Martellus Bennett was absent from the Bears’ 17-13 win over the Packers on Thursday night due to a rib injury. At least, that’s what both the team and the tight end claim. However, sources tell Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that Bennett was acting out in practice two days before the game because he was upset with how he was being deployed in a red-zone package. It seems possible then that Bennett’s absence was sparked by frustrations over his usage and his contract as the latter issue led to him skipping voluntary offseason workouts.
Head coach John Fox was dismissive when asked if Bennett was upset with how he is being used. “You will have to ask him about that,” Fox said. “I don’t know. I don’t really care. I get upset too. I think he is one of the top-five targeted tight ends in the league.” Indeed, Bennett is No. 5 among tight ends with 76 targets and was No. 3 going into Week 12, trailing only Rob Gronkowski and Greg Olsen.
Bennett is earning $4.9MM with a $100K workout bonus for the 2015 season. He’s under contract for one more year with a base salary of $5.085MM and another $100K workout bonus. Currently, the 28-year-old has the 13th highest deal in the league (per Over The Cap) and he likely wants to be compensated closer to the top 5.
Browns Rumors: Pettine, QB, Haden, Hawkins
The Browns played a little better than many observers expected during Mike Pettine‘s first season as the head coach in 2014, but the team finished that season on a five-game losing streak, and have gone 2-9 so far in 2015. Taking those struggles into account, Pettine acknowledges that he and owner Jimmy Haslam figure to have a talk about his performance sooner or later, and he hopes he’ll have some positive signs to point to when that discussion happens.
“As the season winds down, [my future] could potentially come up between [Haslam and me],” Pettine said today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m full speed ahead to getting it fixed here in Cleveland, and I know the results aren’t anywhere near where they need to be. But that doesn’t mean that we’re not making strides, we’re not getting it set up that it can be done. So, to me, it’s a belief that we can. We got five games left and we’re going to go out and wear the Cleveland logo proud and try to win football games.”
As Pettine attempts to right the ship in Cleveland, let’s check in on a few more Browns-related notes…
- Discussing the decision to start Austin Davis in Week 13, making him the Browns’ third starting quarterback in three weeks, Pettine suggested that just because Davis is atop the depth chart now, that doesn’t mean he’ll finish the year there (link via Ulrich). “I don’t want to declare, ‘Hey, this is what it is going to be from here on out,'” Pettine said. “[Davis and Johnny Manziel] are two young quarterbacks that have upside, and we want to see what that upside is. Austin is the guy for this week.”
- According to Pettine, the Browns may have some discussions about the possibility of placing cornerback Joe Haden and/or wide receiver Andrew Hawkins on injured reserve (Twitter link via Tom Withers of The Associated Press). Both Haden and Hawkins have concussions, but the team hasn’t decided yet to shut down either player for the year.
- New Browns wideout Terrelle Pryor said today that he was in the middle of a visit with the Bears this week when Cleveland called him, per Ulrich (Twitter link). Pryor was interested in a return to Cleveland since he knows the offense and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.
- The three-week practice period for Browns tight end Randall Telfer expired this week without a roster move, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. Telfer has been on the non-football injury list all season, and having missed his window to be activated, he’ll officially be out for the rest of his rookie year.
NFC North Notes: Packers, Lions, Bears
Here’s a look at the NFC North:
- Packers GM Ted Thompson has kept his cool during hard times and resisted the urge to shuffle the roster, Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel writes. Over the last ten seasons, Thompson has cut an average of just 3.1 players during the season. Even with the expansion of practice squads to ten players, Thompson has only cut three players from his taxi squad this season and only eight in 2014. One players meet Thompson’s high standards, they effectively become his guys, and that’s an impressive and unique organizational culture in today’s NFL. Now, as McGinn writes, it remains to be seen whether that approach will bear fruit over the team’s final five games.
- Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com looked at Giants exec Marc Ross as a GM candidate for the Lions. Rod Wood said he wants someone who has been with an organization that has had success and stability, and there are few that have been more successful and stable than the Giants. Ross has played a key role in their drafts, including the brilliant 2014 selection of Odell Beckham Jr. On the flip side, the majority of Ross’ experience has come on the draft side of things and not so much in free agency. Ultimately, thanks to his Princeton ties and previous buzz as a GM candidate around the league, Rothstein wouldn’t be surprised to see him get an interview.
- In a recent mailbag, a reader asked Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune whether he thinks the Bears need to focus more on inside linebacker or defensive end. Biggs feels that rookie nose tackle Eddie Goldman should take a major step forward in 2016, so he’s not terribly concerned with replacing him this offseason.
Workout Notes: Steelers, Broncos, Bears
The Steelers, who have been leaning heavily on DeAngelo Williams since Le’Veon Bell went down for the year, worked out former Rams and Jets running back Daryl Richardson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). It doesn’t appear Pittsburgh will sign Richardson at this point, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the free agent market, considering Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint – Williams’ current backups – have combined for just four carries this season.
Here are more workout notes from Wilson:
- The Broncos had a huge group of players in for tryouts this week, and Wilson (Twitter links) has the full list:
- FB Ray Agnew
- TE Brandon Barden
- DT Alex Bienemann
- TE Cameron Clear
- WR Jace Davis
- WR Antwan Goodley
- WR R.J. Harris
- C Alex Hill
- T Cameron Jefferson
- WR Jordan Leslie
- QB Seth Lobato
- WR Levi Norwood
- QB Bryn Renner
- T Jack Rummells
- WR Demetrius Wilson
- Tight end Rob Housler was part of the Bears‘ latest workout group, which also featured tight end Nick Kasa and wide receiver Marcus Lucas, according to Wilson (Twitter link). Chicago’s starting tight end, Martellus Bennett, is expected to return to action this weekend, so I wouldn’t expect the team to add another player at the position.
- The Cardinals auditioned linebackers Josh Francis, Quayshawn Nealy, Markus Pierce-Brewster, and Mike Reilly, along with cornerback Jalil Brown, tweets Wilson.
- In addition to working out offensive tackle Pierce Burton, who signed to the team’s practice squad, the Colts also took a look at defensive end Nordly Capi and defensive back Terrance Mitchell, says Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Raiders tried out safety Dewey McDonald, tweets Wilson. McDonald was signed by the Patriots last week, but only lasted two days on New England’s roster.