AFC Notes: Gronk, Hightower, Broncos, Bengals
After checking in on a few items from out of the NFC earlier this afternoon, let’s shift our focus to the AFC and round up the latest….
- The MRI on Rob Gronkowski‘s knee revealed only a minor knee strain, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The star tight end will likely be good to go in a week or two, which is great news for the Patriots.
- The Patriots also got relatively good news on linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who is week to week with his knee injury, per Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Russini adds that Hightower will be re-evaluated within the next few days.
- The Broncos suddenly have a contracts problem on their hands for 2016, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who notes that the team will only be able to rely on the franchise tag to retain one of Brock Osweiler and Von Miller. Osweiler has won his first two starts as a Bronco, but it seems a little too early to assume he’s worthy of a significant investment. After five more regular season games and at least one playoff contest, Denver should have a much better idea of Osweiler’s value.
- The Bengals worked out six defensive backs today, including cornerback Bradley Fletcher, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link), cornerback Chykie Brown was also a part of that group. With Darqueze Dennard out for the season, and other members of the secondary banged up, Cincinnati seems to be keeping an eye out for possible depth additions.
Bengals Activate Cedric Ogbuehi; Dennard To IR
The Bengals have announced a change to their 53-man roster, tweeting today that they’ve activated rookie offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi from their non-football injury list. To make room for Ogbuehi, the team placed cornerback Darqueze Dennard on injured reserve.
Dennard, 24, was the Bengals’ first-round pick in 2014, though he was only serving as the team’s fourth cornerback this season. We heard earlier this week that Dennard will require shoulder surgery, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com explains today (via Twitter) that while the corner’s labrum is intact, the ligaments and capsule around his shoulder have structural damage that needs to be repaired. He’s expected to make a full recovery for 2016.
With Dennard on IR, the Bengals will continue to lean on Adam Jones, Leon Hall, and Dre Kirkpatrick. However, Jones is injured and Kirkpatrick has been shaky this season, so Chris Lewis-Harris and Josh Shaw may see increased roles in the coming weeks. It’s the first time the team’s depth will really be tested this season, as Dennard becomes the first Bengal from the 53-man roster to land on the injured reserve list in 2015.
As for Ogbuehi, he was one of two tackles the Bengals selected early in the 2015 draft, along with Jake Fisher. Coming off a torn ACL, Ogbuehi started the season on the NFI list, but should be available for the team down the stretch. Still, while Ogbuehi and Fisher are likely the tackles of the future in Cincinnati, veterans Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith remain the starters for now.
AFC Notes: Osweiler, Manning, Dennard, Hoyer
After picking up a victory in his first career start on Sunday, Brock Osweiler will face a tougher test in Week 12. As first reported by Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link) and since confirmed by head coach Gary Kubiak, Osweiler will make another start for the Broncos next Sunday against the undefeated Patriots.
While Osweiler prepares to start a second consecutive game, Peyton Manning is in Charlotte, getting a second opinion on his foot injury, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. Multiple reports on Sunday suggested that the future Hall-of-Famer is considering playing one more season, assuming he can get healthy, but Kubiak denied those rumors, suggesting today that Manning is focused solely on his recovery, rather than on 2016 (Twitter link via Troy Renck of the Denver Post).
Let’s check in on some other items from across the AFC….
- The Bengals‘ fears on cornerback Darqueze Dennard were confirmed by an MRI today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that Dennard requires shoulder surgery and will be out for the rest of the season. Cincinnati should be able to overcome losing the 2014 first-rounder, since he was only serving as the club’s No. 4 corner in recent weeks.
- Schefter also passes along the latest on the Texans‘ quarterback situation, with head coach Bill O’Brien announcing on ESPN’s NFL Insiders that Brian Hoyer will return to action in Week 12 (Twitter link). That may spell the end of Brandon Weeden‘s time in Houston, unless the team moves forward with three quarterbacks on its roster.
- In the wake of Quinton Coples‘ release, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that it was “well known around the league” that the Jets had the linebacker on the trade block for most of 2015. Obviously, there were no takers prior to the deadline, which doesn’t bode particularly well for Coples’ odds of being claimed on waivers. Meanwhile, head coach Todd Bowles hinted today that he has a player – possibly a kick returner – in mind for Coples’ old roster spot (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
- It wasn’t that long ago that it seemed like Colts head coach Chuck Pagano could be fired any day. While he’s still no lock to keep his job beyond the 2015 season, Pagano has his team believing in him, as Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star details.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Dennard, Vick
With Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco out for the rest of the 2015 season due to an ACL injury, veteran backup Matt Schaub will get an opportunity to add an extra $1MM to his season’s earnings. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com explains (via Twitter), Schaub’s deal includes a $500K incentive for playing 5% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps, and another $500K if he reaches 10%. With six games still left on the schedule, Schaub should have no trouble hitting those benchmarks unless he suffers an injury of his own.
Here’s more on the Ravens and a couple of their AFC North rivals:
- In the view of Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, losing Flacco makes the Ravens the favorite to land the first overall pick for the 2016 draft. Currently, Baltimore is 3-7, a game ahead of the Browns, Titans, and Chargers, who have two wins apiece, so I’m not sure I’d call the Ravens the frontrunner for that first overall pick. Still, it certainly looks like the team is on track for its highest selection since 2000, when Jamal Lewis went fifth overall. The Ravens have never had a top-three pick.
- The Bengals are fearing the worst for second-year cornerback Darqueze Dennard, who was injured in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Dennard dislocated his shoulder, and will undergo an MRI today to see if he suffered a tear as well. There’s a chance he’ll land on the injured reserve list later this week.
- Steelers quarterback Michael Vick said today that he’d like to play for another season, and wouldn’t mind returning to Pittsburgh in 2016, even if Landry Jones is the No. 2 quarterback heading into the summer (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). In previous offseason, Vick has prioritized an opportunity at a starting job, so this would be a much different approach to free agency for him.
AFC Notes: Palmer, McCluster, Hunter, Jackson
Carson Palmer threatening to retire if the Bengals didn’t trade him would have been one of the top stories on Pro Football Rumors in 2010, but it hasn’t been more relevant to look back on than it is now that the 8-1 Bengals are hosting the 7-2 Cardinals, with both teams in prime position to earn first-round byes in their respective conferences. As a lead up to the event, Jim Owczarski, Paul Dehner Jr. and C. Trent Rosecrans of Cincinnati.com have put together an oral history of the saga that led to Palmer leaving the team, and the Bengals to draft Andy Dalton and A.J. Green.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- According to GM Ruston Webster, Titans running back and return man Dexter McCluster sprained his MCL in last night’s loss to the Jaguars (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com). Head coach Mike Mularkey confirmed to reporters that McCluster will be sidelined for the next two or three weeks (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com).
- Running back Kendall Hunter, who has worked out for the Jaguars and Seahawks within the last week or so, had another audition this week, earning a look from the Patriots, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. New England has tried out a handful of free agent backs, including Pierre Thomas, Robert Turbin, and Daryl Richardson, since Dion Lewis suffered a season-ending ACL injury, but the club appears content to stand pat for now.
- The Ravens removed Asa Jackson from injured reserve with an injury settlement yesterday, and he has since gone unclaimed off waivers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
AFC Notes: Titans, H. Jackson, Fitzpatrick, Jets
While there’s a chance that interim head coach Mike Mularkey could hang onto the Titans‘ job with a solid showing down the stretch, the team is believed to be interested in Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, among other potential candidates, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links).
Although he cautions that it’s still very early, Rapoport says that Jackson is a “hot candidate” in Tennessee, and would have joined the Titans a couple years ago if the team had hired Mike Zimmer as its head coach instead of Ken Whisenhunt.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Jets have not yet initiated exploratory discussions on a contract extension for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. In Mehta’s view, however, it would make a lot of sense for the team to start pushing for a new deal for the veteran signal-caller, whose current pact expires after the 2015 season.
- Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman confirmed today to reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), that the injury keeping him out the rest of the season is a partially torn PCL. The rookie wideout, placed on IR this week, doesn’t feel like he’ll need to undergo surgery on the knee.
- With an opportunity to start for the Broncos in Week 11 and perhaps beyond that, quarterback Brock Osweiler would put himself in a good position for a contract extension from the team with a strong performance, as Rand Getlin of the NFL Network explains (video link).
- The Jets are bringing in free agent offensive lineman Blaine Clausell for a visit this evening, according to his agent, Brett Tessler (Twitter link). Clausell was cut from the Patriots’ practice squad earlier today.
North Notes: Bengals, Lions, Mathis
Four years after the Bengals traded Carson Palmer, the veteran quarterback is thriving as the Cardinals’ starter. That might be a surprise to some, but not Bengals owner Mike Brown.
“I have an odd feeling for Carson Palmer,” Brown told Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. “I like Carson Palmer personally. I did when he was here. I regret it broke apart the way it did. I don’t want him to beat us any more than he wants us to beat him. I’m sure that will be in the back of his mind. But other than that, I wish him well. I think he is a great passer. He really is. He’s a special passer, very accurate. I look at him play and I see the player that we had when he was here. When he’s on and playing the way he can play, he is a big-time winning quarterback.”
Here’s more out of the North divisions:
- Marvez also asked Brown about offensive coordinator Hue Jackson‘s candidacy as a head coach for next season. It sounds like Bengals owner is expecting the former Raiders head coach to field some interest. “Hue is a very qualified coach. We think the world of Hue…We’ve had (Jay) Gruden and (Mike) Zimmer leave, and I’m sure after this year Hue will be a candidate. It is a compliment to Marvin and maybe some others here as well. I like to see it when they achieve. It’s flattering when that happens. It works against our best interest because we have to regroup and reestablish ourselves but it’s also heartwarming to see your people achieve their ambitions,” Brown said.
- After suffering what is at least the second concussion of his NFL career, Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis admitted to reporters today that he’ll take the injury into consideration when deciding whether to continue playing in 2016. “When something like this happens, as a professional, I’d be naïve not to think about those types of things,” Mathis said, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. “Like I said, there’s life after football and you have to think about those things. When that time comes a decision will be made.”
- Packers wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, who got his first extended look on offense last Sunday and caught four balls on seven targets, will be out for “several weeks” with a rib injury, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. It’s the latest injury for a group of Green Bay receivers that has been plagued by them all year.
- The Bears will have until next Tuesday to make a decision on whether or not to activate rookie receiver Kevin White from the PUP list, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune explains. If the team determines White isn’t ready to be added to the 53-man roster, he’d have to be placed on season-ending IR.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Crabtree, Raiders, Bengals
Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree has been among the NFL’s best value signings this season, writes Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). The 28-year-old Crabtree inked a one-year, $3.2MM with Oakland that contained $1.8MM in additional incentives, and he’s more than made good on that investment, posting receptions for nearly 600 yards and six touchdown through eight games, teaming with rookie Amari Cooper (whom he’s actually out-targeted 80 to 72) to form one of the league’s best receiver tandems. Tom Brady, Andrew Whitworth, and Alvin Bailey are just a few more of the AFC players who make up Yates’ all-value list.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Directing an offense that ranks 2nd in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson has emerged as a candidate for head-coaching vacancies, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Jackson, who spent one season as the Raiders’ head coach in 2011, has helped QB Andy Dalton post the best season of his career while Cincinnati has started 8-0. “Well, I tried to convince a few people of that last year; that he is excellent,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “He is doing a fine job, which is most important, what he is doing right now, because that’s the most important thing, that is what you can control.”
- Speaking of those Bengals, Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer spoke with owner Mike Brown about the culture changes that have lead to Cincinnati remaining undefeated thus far. While noting that such discussions are often a “chicken and egg” argument — what came first, the winning or the attitude? — Brown did allow that the club has been trending in a successful direction for some time. “The attitude here is good and you can argue the attitude made winning possible. It wasn’t something that came about overnight,” said Brown. “It was good decisions, getting players and having them stay healthy and learn what their responsibilities were, not just on the field. And finally, (getting) our share of a little luck.”
- Via CSNBayArea.com, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf penned an open letter to the community, clarifying where exactly money for a new Raiders stadium would come from. Private funds would be the preferred route, per Schaff, but were public cash to be used, it would only be money that was already earmarked for infrastructure improvements.
AFC North Notes: Gaddis, Pitta, Bengals
Former Towson linebacker Monte Gaddis wants to play for the Browns and he has taken some unusual steps to get their attention, as Zack Meisel of The Plain Dealer writes. Gaddis has been standing outside of the Browns’ complex with a sign with messages such as “Overlooked Cleveland native,” “Starving for my first shot,” and “Why not?” On Wednesday, GM Ray Farmer came outside, speaking with Gaddis and requesting some game film. Now, Gaddis is waiting at home to see if his phone rings with an opportunity to audition for the Browns.
As we look forward to seeing if Gaddis’ unusual job application pays dividends, let’s check out some more items from out of the AFC North….
- Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta should retire, but his determination won’t let him, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Pitta was placed on IR Wednesday, meaning that he will not play a snap in 2015. Still, Pitta is dead set on returning to the field next year, despite his constant hip problems. “I’m a football player and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Pitta. “I have a sense of duty to my teammates, the team and to this organization. This organization has given me a lot over the last few years.” The tight end has played in only three games since receiving a five-year deal with $16MM guaranteed in February 2014.
- Despite Pitta’s perseverance, Rob Carlin and Brian Mitchell of CSNMidAtlantic.com (video link) are concerned that the Ravens tight end’s playing days are through.
- The Bengals worked out quarterback Cody Fajardo, along with wide receivers Donte Foster, Colin Lockett, and DeVier Posey this week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Extra Points: Stafford, Los Angeles, Packers
If Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is made available, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) would expect the Texans, 49ers, Browns, and Jets to all express interest given their quarterback needs. Stafford has reasonable base salaries of $17MM and $16.5MM (both non-guaranteed) in 2016 and 2017, so he could have appeal to clubs despite his struggles. Meanwhile, teams looking at QBs feel that Stafford has more to offer than any signal caller in the draft.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Jets owner Woody Johnson says a decision on Los Angeles could come after January and perhaps even as late as March, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. It sounds like we’ll have to wait a while before we learn the fate of the Raiders, Rams, and Chargers.
- The Packers worked out defensive tackle Toby Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Saints worked out wide receiver Damarr Aultman, cornerback Dwight Bentley, and fullback Trey Millard, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Patriots worked out offensive tackle Reid Fragel, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Former Texans wide receiver DeVier Posey worked out for the Bengals today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).