Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/16
The 12 NFL teams still alive in the postseason can continue to make changes to their 53-man rosters this week, and a couple of them have already done so today, so let’s round up Monday’s minor moves….
- The Bengals have placed linebacker and special-teamer Emmanuel Lamur on injured reserve, promoting linebacker Trevor Roach from their practice squad in a corresponding move, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Cincinnati’s IR has been fairly sparsely populated this year, with Lamur joining Darqueze Dennard, Marquis Flowers, and James Wright on the list.
- Per agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link), the Texans are signing offensive tackle Andrew McDonald to their 53-man roster in advance of their playoff game against the Chiefs. When Houston makes the move official, the team figures to place injured tackle Duane Brown on IR to make room on the roster, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. McDonald finished the regular season on the Chargers’ practice squad.
Workout Notes: 12/30/15
Here are Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL:
- The Jets worked out defensive lineman Devon Still, receivers Marcus Thigpen and Eric Rogers, linebacker Willie Jefferson and defensive end/LB Tristan Okpalaugo (Twitter links via ESPN’s Rich Cimini).
- The Cardinals tried out center Taylor Boggs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Bills worked out defensive end/linebacker Xzavier Dickson, Wilson tweeted. Dickson ended up joining Atlanta’s practice squad.
- The Bengals worked out quarterback Mike Kafka and tight end John Peters, per Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Browns tried out quarterback Dustin Vaughan, running back Timothy Flanders, receivers Eric Rogers, Ricky Collins and Levi Norwood, and safety Jordan Kovacs (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Quarterback Ryan Lindley, defensive linemen Warren Herring and Eze Obiora, and linebacker Ryan Mueller worked out for the Colts, according to Wilson (Twitter link). They signed Lindley afterward.
- The Giants worked out linebackers Cole Farrand and Glenn Carson – the latter of whom they signed to their practice squad – quarterback Pete Thomas, safety Ty Zimmerman, punter Spencer Roth and kicker Quinn Sharp (Twitter link via Wilson).
- The Steelers tried out two safeties, Ray Vinopal and Jake Hagen, and linebacker Marquis Spruill (via Wilson on Twitter).
- The Chargers worked out receiver Jeff Fuller, defensive end DeAngelo Tyson and linebacker Dexter McCoil, Wilson tweeted.
- The Titans worked out receiver Kenny Stafford, defensive end Freddie Bishop, defensive backs Aaron Grymes, Steven Clarke and Emanuel Davis, long snapper Dax Dellenbach and kicker Swayze Waters (Twitter link via Wilson).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/29/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: QB Mike Kafka (Twitter link via team)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Sean Baker (press release via team)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DE Jordan Williams (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Jeff Luc (Twitter link via Wilson)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: S Chris Hackett (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com), G Cole Manhart (press release via team)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: RB Kevin Monangai (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: S Ross Ventrone (Twitter link via Caplan)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Kyle Sebetic (link via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com)
Latest On Bengals QB A.J. McCarron
Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron suffered a wrist sprain on the final play of Monday night’s loss against the Broncos and the injury is significant, according to a source who spoke with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The injury is on the left wrist and McCarron, a right-handed QB, is intent on playing in Week 17 if possible. However, the Bengals won’t know his status for sure until later in the week. The good news here is that an MRI has shown that there is no fracture (link).
Losing McCarron for the regular season finale against the Ravens would only be half bad. If the AFC North champs are forced to go into the playoffs without the services of the Alabama QB, they’ll have to turn to Keith Wenning, the former Ball State quarterback who was selected by in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. Wenning, of course, was lined up as the Bengals’ third-string QB before a thumb injury sidelined starter Andy Dalton.
In order for the Bengals to get a first round bye, they’ll need to beat the Ravens in Week 17 and get a Broncos loss as they face the Chargers.
Latest On Browns’ Ray Farmer, Mike Pettine
Earlier this month, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggested that it’s not realistic to expect Browns general manager Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine to both return to Cleveland next year. According to Rapoport’s report, the deteriorating relationship between the coaching staff and the front office made it “unfathomable” that the Browns would want to have Farmer and Pettine continue working together in 2016.
Today, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) explores that same line of thinking. Citing sources within the Browns organization, Cole reports that Farmer’s seat appears hotter than Pettine’s, with the head coach considered the more likely candidate to keep his job. Cole’s sources indicate that Farmer’s draft selections and roster decisions are more to blame for Cleveland’s struggles this season than the job Pettine has done with the talent – or lack thereof – he has been given.
While Cole doesn’t go so far as to say that the Browns will fire Farmer in January, it sounds like that’s a realistic possibility. If owner Jimmy Haslam does decide to replace Farmer, Cole expects Chris Ballard (Chiefs), George Paton (Vikings), and Duke Tobin (Bengals) to receive consideration for the job, since those executives are viewed by the NFL as some of the top general manager candidates around the league.
With one week until the NFL’s Black Monday, I’d imagine there are several scenarios still in play in Cleveland, but it sounds like any outcome that involves both Pettine and Farmer staying in their current roles is extremely unlikely.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/15
Here are Christmas Eve’s minor moves from around the league:
- The Saints have made a change at the back of their 53-man roster, elevating wide receiver Seantavius Jones from their practice squad and releasing fullback Toben Opurum, per Field Yates of ESPN.com, via ESPN’s Mike Triplett. Triplett speculates that Jones’ promotion might not bode well for the availability of Marques Colston, who hasn’t practiced this week due to a chest injury.
- The Bengals have promoted cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris from their practice squad, cutting cornerback Troy Hill to create a spot on the roster, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Earlier updates:
- The Giants signed wide receiver Ben Edwards to take Odell Beckham‘s roster spot for this week, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reports. A rookie out of Richmond, Edwards was originally waived by the Giants on July 31 after he injured his hamstring.
- The Colts signed quarterback Stephen Morris off the Eagles’ practice squad and cut cornerback D’Joun Smith to make room, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). A former UDFA from Miami, Morris spent some of 2014 with the Jaguars before being claimed by the Eagles in September. With Andrew Luck and Matt Hasselbeck ailing, Indianapolis remains in need of healthy signal-callers.
NFL Pro Bowlers In Contract Years
The NFL announced its Pro Bowlers for the 2015 season on Tuesday night, and while those rosters will certainly undergo some changes in the coming weeks – as players with injuries or on Super Bowl teams bow out and are replaced by alternates – it’s worth noting that several players in this initial crop are in contract years, and will be eligible for free agency this winter.
Currently, there are eight players in contract years among the Pro Bowlers, and not all of them are players you might expect. When we ranked the top free agents of 2016 earlier this month, we placed Bears wideout Alshon Jeffery second overall, but Jeffery didn’t get a Pro Bowl nod, partly due to the injuries that have slowed him down this season, and partly due to the star-studded group of receivers he was up against.
Similarly, our list of this offseason’s top 10 potential free agents included a pair of left tackles, Russell Okung of the Seahawks and Cordy Glenn of the Bills. However, given the strong group of left tackles that are locked up to long-term deals – including Tyron Smith (Cowboys), Jason Peters (Eagles), Joe Thomas (Browns), and others – neither Okung nor Glenn could crack the initial Pro Bowl roster.
Here are the eight potential free agents who earned Pro Bowl berths:
- Eric Berry, S (Chiefs)
- Doug Martin, RB (Buccaneers)
- Von Miller, OLB (Broncos)
- Reggie Nelson, S (Bengals)
- Josh Norman, CB (Panthers)
- Mike Tolbert, FB (Panthers)
- Muhammad Wilkerson, DL (Jets)
- Charles Woodson, S (Raiders)
Berry, Miller, Norman, and Wilkerson earned spots on our top-10 list, and each of those four standout players should be in line for either the franchise tag or a lucrative long-term contract. However, the extension cases for the other four players on this list aren’t quite to cut-and-dried.
Woodson, of course, has an expiring contract, but isn’t expected to sign another one, having announced earlier this week that he’ll retire after the season. That takes him out of the extension equation entirely.
Martin is having an excellent bounce-back season in Tampa Bay, and is the most logical candidate to receive the biggest free agent deal for a running back this offseason. As we saw last winter though, not many running backs sign massive free agent contracts, and 2015’s biggest deal – DeMarco Murray‘s – won’t exactly encourage teams to invest heavily at the position. So there’s a ceiling on how much Martin will earn this winter, despite his Pro Bowl berth.
Nelson and Tolbert are interesting cases. Nelson’s counting stats (an NFL-best eight interceptions) and Pro Football Focus grades (10th among safeties) suggest he’s had a very strong year, but he’ll also be entering his age-33 season, so it’s fair to question whether he’s deserving of a contract in the range of the ones that Berry and perhaps Eric Weddle will sign.
As for Tolbert, his Pro Bowl nod comes at one of the league’s least-valued positions, and he’s also now on the wrong side of 30, which is generally bad news for running backs. I expect he’ll draw interest from plenty of teams if the Panthers don’t lock him up, but as a 30-year-old fullback, his earning potential is limited.
One more player worth mentioning is Browns center Alex Mack. Technically, Mack still has three years remaining on his contract, but he’ll have the opportunity to opt out this winter, and coming off a Pro Bowl season, there’s a good chance he’ll take advantage of that option.
Ultimately, these eight players – plus Mack – aren’t likely to get a huge boost to their annual salaries on their next contracts simply because they made the Pro Bowl. In fact, Tuesday’s Pro Bowl announcement may very well have a more tangible impact on players with Pro Bowl bonuses in their current contracts.
Still, you can bet that the representatives for these potential free agents will be sure to point to this year’s Pro Bowl roster to help make their case that their clients are among the best players in the NFL at their respective positions.
Ravens Place Crockett Gillmore On IR
The Ravens have made a change to their 53-man roster, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve placed tight end Crockett Gillmore on season-ending injured reserve, signing former Bengals outside linebacker Chris Carter to fill the open roster spot.
Gillmore, 24, had been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Ravens. With Dennis Pitta out for the year, Gillmore enjoyed a mini-breakout season, catching 33 balls for 412 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. However, he has been sidelined since early December with a back injury, and wasn’t expected to return.
As for Carter, the linebacker and special-teamer was waived less than a week ago by Cincinnati. Having already spent time with the Steelers, Colts, and Bengals during his five-year NFL career, Carter has never emerged as a defensive regular, despite appearing in 46 career NFL games.
La Canfora’s Latest: Dalton, Falcons, Manning
As the second slate of games near halftime, lets’s take a look at the latest from Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com…
- Andy Dalton‘s recent thumb injury could end up costing the Bengals quarterback millions of dollars in escalators, according to La Canfora. Per clauses in Dalton’s six-year, $96MM extension, he can earn extra cash by playing in 80% of Cincinnati’s snaps during the regular season, while separate escalators are tied to his playing (and winning) in each successive round of the postseason. All told, writes La Canfora, Dalton could add $15MM to his current deal, but those plateaus are obviously at risk now.
- Falcons ownership is growing frustrated with the club’s lack of success and is considering firing general manager Thomas Dimitroff, writes La Canfora, who adds that Seahawks director of pro personnel Trent Kirchner and Vikings assistant GM George Paton could each be strong candidates to fill the position (each has a professional history with Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn). It sounds like current AGM Scott Pioli (a Dimitroff friend) could also be on the chopping block.
- Major changes could also be coming to the Titans staff, and rumors persist that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning could land in Tennessee as something of a football czar, with former NFL exec Bill Polian (who drafted Manning) as team president. In such a scenario, Polian’s son Chris could act as general manager, while Jaguars assistant Doug Marrone or Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase would be candidates to serve as head coach.
Workout Notes: 12/17/15
Thursday’s workouts from around the NFL:
- CFL receiver Eric Rogers is in high demand, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter, as he worked out with the Chargers and will meet with the Eagles on Friday, giving him 14 visits in all.
- In addition to Rogers, the Chargers worked out two more CFL players – punter Swayze Waters and receiver Terrell Sinkfield – according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- The Saints also tried out three CFLers – linebacker Dexter McCoil, defensive back Emanuel Davis and D-lineman Cleyon Laing – as well as running back Isaiah Pead and receiver Damarr Aultman, per Wilson (Twitter link).
- The Dolphins worked out quarterbacks Zac Dysert and Dustin Vaughan, running backs Dominique Brown and Jerome Smith, and defensive linemen Joe Vellano and Julius Warmsley, Wilson reports (Twitter link).
- The Bengals gave quarterback Phillip Sims a tryout (Wilson via Twitter).
- Defensive end Tristan Okpalaugo visited the Cardinals. The team also worked out CFLers Willie Jefferson (linebacker), Aaron Grymes (defensive back) and Mitchell White (cornerback). Twitter links via Wilson.