NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/15
Here are today’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL..
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G Robert Myers (via press release)
- Cut: T Tony Hills
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Paul Lasike (Twitter link via Brad Biggs)
- Cut: RB Bronson Hill
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Chris Pantale (Twitter link via Geoff Mosher)
- Cut: TE Connor Hamlett
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: WR Tyrell Williams (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken)
Injury Updates: Cutler, Lacy, Boyd, Adams
While we don’t cover every NFL injury at Pro Football Rumors, we keep a close eye on them nonetheless, and we’ll often pass along injury news if it pertains to a key player, or if a team may have to make a roster move due to an injury. Here are some of the latest noteworthy updates on injuries sustained by players during this weekend’s games:
NFC:
- Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has a strained hamstring, according to head coach John Fox, who added that the Bears haven’t decided whether or not to add another QB to the roster this week (Twitter links via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune).
- Packers running back Eddie Lacy sprained his ankle against the Seahawks last night, but the injury is minor and he could play in Week 3, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- While the initial diagnosis on Packers defensive tackle Josh Boyd suggested that his ankle injury may not be too significant, an MRI revealed torn ankle ligaments, and his season is now in jeopardy, tweets Rapoport.
- Falcons running back Tevin Coleman fractured a rib yesterday, and will likely be sidelined for a couple weeks, depending on his pain threshold, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Despite the injury, head coach Dan Quinn said he doesn’t anticipating adding another running back to the roster, according to ESPN’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link).
- Panthers wideout Jerricho Cotchery has a high ankle sprain, which is often a multi-week injury, but the team hopes he’ll be ready for Week 3, says Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
- Cardinals receiver J.J. Nelson is expected to miss two to four weeks with a shoulder injury, according to head coach Bruce Arians (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic).
AFC:
- Texans offensive lineman Jeff Adams suffered a torn patellar tendon in his knee, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It’s a season-ending injury for Adams, who figures to land on the team’s injured reserve list this week.
- Bills defensive back Aaron Williams sustained what appeared to be one of the more serious injuries of Week 2, but head coach Rex Ryan passed along some positive news today, indicating that Williams was back at the team’s facility and is “doing OK.” As Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News details, Ryan said it’s probably a stretch to think Williams will be back for this Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, but it sounds like he avoided a significant injury.
- Jaguars running back Denard Robinson‘s knee injury is a sprained MCL, and he’s considered week to week, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links).
Jay Cutler Out With Hamstring Injury
Jay Cutler went to the locker room after being injured attempting to make a tackle after an interception before halftime of the contest against the Cardinals. After being looked at by team officials, the Bears have announced that he is out with a hamstring injury and will not return, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
Jimmy Clausen has taken over under center for the Bears, and the team does not have another active quarterback behind him. Cutler had played well prior to that interception.
The bigger concern is how serious the injury is for Cutler. Hamstring injuries often linger throughout the season, although more commonly effecting receivers and running backs. Often they can cause players to miss significant time.
Cutler isn’t necessarily a threat to run, but a hamstring issue would make it difficult to throw the ball downfield. It is unclear which leg was injured, but either or could threat the immediate future of the Bears’ starting quarterback. Whether it is his plant foot or his drive leg, a serious strain could keep him on the sidelines for a few weeks.
In that case, the team would need to bring in another quarterback to back up Clausen, even if only for a few games.
North Notes: Beachum, Browns, Suggs
One of the more important contract situations that has not received a great deal of media attention is that of Steelers left tackle Kelvin Beachum. The former seventh-round selection from SMU started all 16 games for Pittsburgh last season and graded out as the fifth-best tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Beachum was particularly effective at pass-blocking, and it is no coincidence that Ben Roethlisberger and his arsenal of explosive weapons enjoyed an immensely successful 2014 campaign.
However, as Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes, the deadline for the Steelers and Beachum to come to a contract extension came and went last week, which means that Beachum will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March. Beachum presents an interesting case, as he is the smallest starting left tackle in the league, but he has proven that he can be at least a capable starter, which is something that the Steelers have been seeking for a long time. Beachum understandably wants to be paid like one of the elite left tackles in the league, which would garner him a contract worth between $8MM and $13MM per year, but as Kaboly writes, “with the Steelers tight against the cap and Lawrence Timmons, Le’Veon Bell, Heath Miller and David DeCastro up for extensions next year, the Steelers simply can’t afford to pay Beachum market price.”
Now let’s take a look at some more links from the league’s north divisions:
- Although Johnny Manziel is getting the chance to start for the Browns today, Josh McCown will reclaim the job when healthy, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com (citing NFL.com colleague Ian Rapoport). Cleveland brass is pleased with the progress Manziel has made thus far, but the Browns continue to believe that McCown, who won the job in training camp, represents the best chance for them to win.
- Former NFL agent Joel Corry took a bit of a dig at the Browns this morning, tweeting that Cleveland appears to be a prime candidate to overpay for Bears WR Alshon Jeffery in free agency next offseason if Chicago does not put the franchise tag on Jeffery.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Ravens LB Terrell Suggs, who is out for the season after tearing his ACL in the team’s Week 1 loss to Denver, is not even considering retirement. Suggs will begin rehabbing his injury shortly and fully intends to play in 2016.
- Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune examines recent comments made by Cardinals GM Steve Keim regarding how he was able to effect such a quick turnaround in Arizona–specifically Keim’s belief in building through the draft and using free agency for short-term relief–and wonders if it is a model the Bears can realistically follow.
North Notes: AP, Walsh, Manziel, Bears
Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is at his best in the shotgun. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is at his best in the I-formation. Bridgewater is eight years younger than Peterson, meaning the Vikings have to consider his development of the utmost importance. That doesn’t mean they’re going to phase Peterson out of their offense, writes Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. Peterson had just 10 carries for 31 yards in the Vikings’ 20-3 loss in San Francisco on Monday, but offensive coordinator Norv Turner doesn’t expect that lack of usage to become a trend.
“We’re looking at the things we have to do and the things that give us a chance to beat Detroit,” said Turner. “Games come up different and we all know Adrian is a big part of what we do and we want him to be able to have an impact.”
The Vikings’ matchup against the NFC North rival Lions is one of Week 2’s biggest, considering both playoff hopefuls are looking to avoid 0-2 starts. It’ll be interesting to see if Peterson rebounds and tears through the Lions’ defense – something he’s done throughout his career. The 30-year-old has 1,258 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games against Detroit.
Here’s more on the Vikings and a couple other North-based clubs:
- The Vikings elected in the offseason to let Peterson’s former lead blocker, fullback Jerome Felton, depart in free agency. Felton signed in Buffalo for $3.6MM in guarantees, and the Vikings gave kicker Blair Walsh slightly more ($3.7MM guaranteed). Both decisions could prove to haunt the team, opines Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Walsh’s accuracy has dropped precipitously every year of his career, from 92.1 percent to 86.7 to 74.3 last year, and he missed one of his two kicks Monday.
- With Johnny Manziel set to make his third career start, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal checked off what the second-year man will need to do against Tennessee in order to show the Browns he’s ready for a bigger role. Manziel’s tenure in the pros has been disastrous thus far, so a solid Sunday showing would obviously be a welcome change for him and the Browns.
- The Bears had the second-most turnovers during the preseason, but most of the plays were made by defenders who are no longer filling prominent roles now that the regular season has begun. That’s a problem, writes the Chicago Sun-Times’ Adam Jahns, who wonders where the Bears’ defensive playmakers are. They have several well-paid defenders and former high-round draft picks, but they were quiet during the exhibition season and in the team’s Week 1 loss to Green Bay. Head coach John Fox is hoping for better things against Arizona in Week 2. “You get 16 opportunities, and we’re into our second one,’’ Fox said. ‘‘I look for improvement.’’
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/15
Here are the latest minor moves from across the NFL:
- The Patriots released wide receiver Jonathan Krause, who was on injured reserve, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Krause went undrafted out of Vanderbilt and has spent time with both the Cleveland and New England organizations.
- The Eagles reached an injury settlement with defensive end Brian Mihalik, per Wilson (Twitter link). Mihalik, formerly of Boston College, was a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in this year’s draft.
- The Raiders signed safety Tevin McDonald from their practice squad, according to their website. McDonald is an undrafted rookie from Eastern Washington.
- Washington cut defensive end Frank Kearse and signed linebacker Terrance Plummer from its practice squad, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Kearse amassed career highs in games (15), tackles (12) and sacks (three) as a member of Washington’s defense in 2014. He appeared in 16 games from 2011-13 with the Panthers and Cowboys. Plummer is an undrafted rookie from Central Florida.
- The Bears cut defensive back Demontre Hurst and promoted defensive lineman Brandon Dunn from their practice squad, according to ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson (Twitter link). Hurst totaled 39 tackles and an interception as an undrafted rookie last year, and added a tackle in the Bears’ loss to Green Bay last week. Dunn, also in his second year, spent most of last season on the Bears’ practice squad. He appeared in three games and made one tackle.
Earlier updates:
- In order to make room for Phillips, San Diego cut wide receiver Tyrell Williams, per Gehlken (on Twitter). Williams, who will traverse the waivers process, had a standout preseason as a rookie. This cut leaves the Chargers thinner at receiver. Gehlken estimates only four dressing Sunday, with Dontrelle Inman residing as the Bolts’ only backup.
- The Chargers added Adrian Phillips from their practice squad, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken (on Twitter). They will make a corresponding move later today, per Gehlken. An undrafted rookie safety in 2014, Phillips suited up for three games last year for the Chargers.
- The Jaguars moved cornerback Peyton Thompson to their active roster and cut wideout Bryan Walters to make room, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports (on Twitter). A fourth-year veteran, Thompson played two games for the Jags last season after spending 2012 in Atlanta and 2013 with Washington. Walters, 28, played one game in Jacksonville last season while playing the previous two with the Seahawks. He booked a start for the 2013 Super Bowl champion Seahawks after starting his career in San Diego two years prior.
- The Panthers also swapped out a wide receiver for another position in cutting Damiere Byrd, an undrafted rookie from South Carolina, from their practice squad to make room for offensive tackle Pierce Burton on their 10-man unit, David Newton of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Falcons released Burton from their practice squad last week.
- Rookie UDFA wide receiver Javess Blue received an injury settlement from the Packers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Due to the settlement, Blue cannot re-sign with Green Bay for at least six weeks.
- The Vikings reached an injury settlement with 2015 sixth-round offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson, per Wilson (on Twitter). The 23-year-old from Oklahoma took first-team reps with the Vikings at right guard this summer before the team moved tackle Mike Harris inside, where he starts now.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/17/15
Here are Thursday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: QB David Fales (via Brad Biggs on Twitter)
Dallas Cowboys
- Cut: RB Gus Johnson (via Todd Archer on Twitter)
Detroit Lions
- To be cut: WR Saalim Hakim (via Dave Birkett on Twitter)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- To be signed: CB Rashaad Reynolds (via Ryan O’Halloran on Twitter)
- Placed on PS IR: LB Todd Thomas (link)
New England Patriots
- To be signed: WR Chris Harper (via Jeff Howe on Twitter)
Oakland Raiders
- Cut: OT Dan Kistler (via John Dickinson on Twitter)
- Signed: TE Gabe Holmes
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: CB Brandon McGee (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner)
- Signed: CB Melvin White
NFC Notes: JPP, Giants, Vikings, Cardinals
A report on Tuesday indicated that Jason Pierre-Paul‘s hand is in worse shape than the Giants expected, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) has some encouraging news on that front. The defensive end is in fact missing a piece from his thumb, but a source says that it’s far above the joint and just the tip of the digit. Pierre-Paul also has no more surgeries after last week’s skin graft and it’s all about healing at this stage.
Here’s more on JPP, along with a few more NFC notes:
- Pierre-Paul took to Instagram with a video of him training and vowed that he would soon join the Giants on the field, as Avery Stone of USA Today writes. “God can turn any situation around for the better,” the defensive end wrote. “Your hard times will lead to the best times of your life. Don’t believe the hype … Be back soon! #90PC #ImAFighter #PutMeInCoach.”
- Eli Manning‘s new contract with the Giants includes $5MM roster bonuses in both 2018 and 2019, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets.
- When asked if he would bring in another kicker to compete with Blair Walsh, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said, “No. I’m bringing in consideration for him to pull out of this thing and start kicking like he’s capable of kicking,” according to Chris Miller of the Star Tribune. Walsh missed a 44-yard field goal on the team’s opening drive against the 49ers and went just 5-11 in preseason. Last year, he posted a league-worst 74.3% mark.
- The Cardinals are not interested in adding a veteran running back because they’re confident that Andre Ellington‘s injury is a short-term issue, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.
- Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has no hard feelings about being passed over for the Bears‘ head coaching job, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes. Arians was a finalist for the gig after Lovie Smith was fired in 2013. Ultimately, the team hired Marc Trestman, who has since been replaced.
- The Bears‘ release of linebacker Sam Acho over the weekend was one of example of how teams sometimes get around the 53-man roster limits, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Bears To Sign DE Lavar Edwards
The Bears will sign defensive end Lavar Edwards, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Edwards recently became a free agent when he was dropped by the Raiders to make room for the signing of Aldon Smith. Prior to that, Oakland claimed Edwards from the Cowboys.
Edwards, 25, appeared in four games for the Cowboys in 2014 and spent the bulk of the season on the taxi squad. In the year prior, he saw seven games with the Titans including one start. A product of powerhouse program LSU, Edwards was taken in the fifth round of the 2013 draft by Tennessee.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/15/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Jets waived Oday Aboushi, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. Aboushi was suspended without pay for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
- The Bears cut quarterback David Fales, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Patriots cut undrafted rookie wide receiver Chris Harper, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
- The Chargers signed offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins and dropped tight end Kyle Miller, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets.
- The Eagles placed center David Molk on IR, according to the team transactions page.
- The Cowboys officially signed Charles Brown and waived Darrion Weems, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. Brown went to training camp with the Jets and was a former second round pick of the Saints.
- The Buccaneers announced today that they have waived (injured) linebacker James-Michael Johnson.
- The Texans placed tight end Ryan Griffin on IR-DTR with a sprained medial collateral ligament, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Titans reached injury settlements with Zaviar Gooden and Yawin Smallwood, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
- The Colts signed Josh McNary to the active roster, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes.
- The Raiders will release tight end Gabe Holmes but they’ll try to re-sign him to the taxi squad, Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports tweets.