NFC Notes: Saints, JPP, Gore, Garrett
After questioning the Panthers’ decision to let Steve Smith go in the offseason, Saints outside linebacker Junior Galette dismissed the idea that the Saints made the same mistake with a handful of their veteran defensive players, according to Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune.
“The guys that replaced them are better than the guys we had. It’s not even close. Across the board,” Galette said, referring to a defensive unit that replaced Will Smith, Roman Harper, Malcolm Jenkins, and Jonathan Vilma earlier this year. “I’ll take Kenny Vaccaro any day over any safety. And I’ll take [Cameron Jordan] over any defensive end. Jairus Byrd over any safety.”
Here are a few more Friday updates from around the NFC:
- Jason Pierre-Paul is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, and the Giants defensive end recognizes that boosting his sack total will help him maximize his next contract, writes Jim Baumbach of Newsday. In our most recent 2015 free agent power rankings, we placed Pierre-Paul sixth, noting that his modest sack totals make him a different player to evaluate. After compiling 16.5 sacks in 2011, the 25-year-old has just 13.5 in the last three seasons combined.
- According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), by being active for his 13th game this season, 49ers running back Frank Gore will earn a $750K roster bonus on Sunday.
- Noting that the Cowboys will finish above .500 for the first time since Jason Garrett became the team’s head coach, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News wonders if Garrett has earned himself a contract extension.
- 2015’s period of head coach firings and hirings could be significantly affected the Giants‘ decision with Tom Coughlin, says Albert Breer of NFL.com. As Breer observes, “the head job for the Mara family’s team has long been seen as the Rolls-Royce of all football coaching jobs,” so if it’s available, it will have an impact on the rest of the market.
Poll: Which NFC Contender Will Miss Playoffs?
Six teams in the NFC so far this season have won at least two-thirds of their games, and head into Week 14 with records of 8-4 or better. Besides the 7-5 Niners, every other team in the conference is 5-7 or worse, suggesting that the difference between the eventual playoff teams and the rest of the NFC has been fairly well established.
However, the postseason qualifiers won’t be quite so cut-and-dried, since the dismal NFC South must send at least one of its current sub-.500 teams to the playoffs. That means that when the regular season ends, one of those top six teams in the conference will be left on the outside looking in.
Even outside of the South, where the Falcons and Saints are tied at 5-7, division races across the board remain too close to call — the 9-3 Eagles are edging the 9-4 Cowboys, the 9-3 Packers are a game ahead of the 8-4 Lions, and the 9-3 Cardinals are in danger of losing their division lead to the surging 8-4 Seahawks. With Eagles/Seahawks, Eagles/Cowboys, Seahawks/Cardinals, and Packers/Lions contests still on the schedule, the last few weeks of the season will be very interesting. Five non-South playoff spots are up for grabs and six legit contenders are in the mix (seven, if you count the 49ers).
What do you think? Will the Cowboys have their usual December swoon and miss out on a postseason berth? Will the Cardinals’ losing streak continue? Will the Lions, despite upcoming home games against the Bucs and Vikings, be the team that misses out? Or will one of the other clubs currently occupying a playoff spot drop out? Cast your vote below, and feel free to weigh in with your comments as well.
East Notes: Jets, Bills, Cowboys, McClain
An anonymous Jets veteran told Kristian Dyer of Metro that he believes that management has quit on the team. “I wasn’t trying to say that we’ve quit, that any of the players quit. I don’t think any of us have quit in this [locker] room,” the player said. “But it seems like those above us, they’ve quit on this season. You can’t do that. Players need to make a living, get stuff on tape, play for that next year. But it seems like that isn’t important, that winning this year isn’t a big deal to them anymore. Like they’re already looking at 2015 and beyond. Maybe they felt that way earlier this year and stuff but I don’t know.” The anonymous Jets player went on to say that coach Rex Ryan is the one unifying factor in the locker room and that the players won’t quit on him. More out of the East divisions..
- Bills wide receiver Mike Williams, who pushed for a trade out of Buffalo earlier this year, says that his relationship with coach Doug Marrone is just fine, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. “It’s all still football. There was a report he put out and said something [that] if we [were] in college and it was all other stuff, he probably wouldn’t have taken me, but it’s all still football,” Williams said. “We still cool. We still good. We’re just working every day.”
- Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News believes that the Cowboys scouting, draft selection, and free agent selections have improved over the last two to three years. However, there are questions about their ability to develop talent. Martellus Bennett was long regarded as a raw prospect in Dallas who couldn’t get it together, but he has flourished with the Bears this season and is now regarded as one of the best pass catching tight ends in the league.
- Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli told Steve Mariucci of SiriusXM that he thinks very highly of pending free agent Rolando McClain. “He’s bright. You’d like him,” Marinelli said of the linebacker, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
NFC East Notes: Giants, RGIII, Gruden, Murray
A rash of injuries have forced the lowly Giants to make changes, writes Tom Canavan of The Associated Press. Five players, including offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and defensive ends Mathias Kiwanuka and Robert Ayers, were placed on injured reserve Tuesday, the single largest number of players that a Tom Coughlin-coached team has put on the list in one day during his career. In total, 20 Giants players have been placed on IR this season, more than any other team in the NFL. Tonight’s look at the NFC East..
- Peter King of The MMQB senses that we’re headed for something of a market correction at the quarterback position. General managers seem to be getting more hesitant about the idea of a mobile quarterback and with tons of question marks about this year’s new crop, the demand might not be all that high for signal callers. Washington traded a boatload of picks to land Robert Griffin III just a few years ago, but it’s very doubtful that Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston will generate a similar buzz.
- Washington coach Jay Gruden blames much of the team’s problems on injuries to key offseason additions, as Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com writes. “In training camp, we had high hopes, man, we really did,” Gruden said. “We thought we had some pieces in place and then we just hit the injury bug. A lot of the free agents that we signed and counted on …[linebackers] Darryl Sharpton and Akeem Jordan, they’re out. Tracy Porter never practiced.” Sharpton and Jordan were signed to provide veteran depth at inside linebacker but never played a snap on defense in 2014. Porter, who inked a two-year contract to be the team’s third cornerback, played a total of 89 snaps over three games before landing on injured reserve last month with a shoulder injury.
- The Cowboys are treating pending free agent DeMarco Murray as if he’s playing in Dallas for the final month, writes Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News. Murray’s workload has been incredibly high this year and Dallas has indicated that they will continue to feed him the ball.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
With just four weeks left in the NFL season, 19 of the league’s 32 teams are at least two games over .500, vying for 11 available playoff spots — the 12th will go to a team currently two games under .500, in the NFC South. With so many clubs still in the hunt, we can expect to see plenty of roster tweaks down the stretch, as coaches and front offices try to get the most out of their 53-man squads. Here are Wednesday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
- The Cowboys removed tight end Jordan Najvar from their injured reserve list with a settlement today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- Jaguars tackle Austin Pasztor, who tore his hamstring during Sunday’s win against the Giants, has been placed on injured reserve, ending his season, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). As O’Halloran adds, the Jags have signed linebacker A.J. Edds to replace Pasztor on the roster. Edds spent nearly two months with the Jets earlier this season, contributing on special teams and providing depth for the club’s linebacking corps.
- The Bengals have filled the open spot on their 53-man roster by signing linebacker Chris Carter, the club announced today (via Twitter). Carter, who spent three seasons with the Steelers, was cut by the Colts nearly two months ago.
- The Texans ended the season of inside linebacker Max Bullough today, placing him on injured reserve, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. Bullough, who had been slowed by a hamstring injury, was replaced on the roster by tight end Anthony Denham, whom the Texans promoted from their practice squad.
East Notes: Bennett, Kelly, Giants, Jets
Bears tight end Martellus Bennett looks back on his time with the Cowboys and is very glad about how things have turned out since then, writes Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News. “It just came down to opportunities and being in the right situation and being around people who accept me for who I am and allowed me to be myself and not try to change me as a person and just understand that is just who I am and I love playing football,” he said. “I am at a stage of my life where I feel I don’t have to play football to be successful. But I just love playing football.” More from the East divisions..
- There has been talk of the University of Florida going after Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) sees his price tag as prohibitive. Kelly would probably require upwards of $6MM per year, and he already has that in his current deal with Philly.
- The Giants‘ addition of running back Chris Ogbonnaya likely indicates that the team has doubts about Rashad Jennings‘ availability this week, tweets Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants have placed a jaw-dropping 20 players on IR this year.
- Jets coach Rex Ryan will probably be fired in a matter of weeks, but it sounds like he’ll be just fine. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that a multi-million dollar TV offer was being readied for the outspoken coach around this time last year, before Jets owner Woody Johnson decided to keep him for another following year. Industry sources recently told Richard Deitsch of SI.com that Ryan would make $3MM-$5MM if he decided to go to TV.
- The Jets auditioned kicker Andrew Furney, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The audition for Furney, who was in camp with the Jets, could be in response to Nick Folk‘s injury.
Minor Moves: Sunday
Here are today’s minor moves, with the most recent transactions added to the top of the list:
NFC Notes: Lynch, Peterson, Bush, Suh
As the second half of the Bears/Lions game gets underway in Detroit, let’s round up a few Thanksgiving Day notes from around the NFC….
- While head coach Pete Carroll insists that the Seahawks expect running back Marshawn Lynch to continue his career in Seattle in 2015, it won’t be an easy decision for the team, given Lynch’s age and increasing cap number. In an Insider-only piece, Field Yates of ESPN.com takes a closer look at the team’s upcoming decision on Lynch.
- With the appeal hearing for his suspension set to commence next Tuesday, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has until tomorrow to submit any materials he plans to introduce at the hearing, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
- After signing with the Cardinals, veteran running back Michael Bush is looking forward to getting a fresh start in Arizona, telling ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss that he didn’t feel as if he got a “fair shake” from the Bears during his last year in Chicago.
- Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions should let defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh walk in free agency, arguing that GM Martin Mayhew and his staff have exhibited a knack for finding less cheaper – and often younger – defensive talent in the draft and free agency.
- In a story for ESPN The Magazine, Tim Keown takes an interesting look at Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith‘s financial history since entering the NFL, including the Pro Bowler’s struggle with his family’s demands for money.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
In addition to tracking Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, we’ll also be keeping tabs on minor transactions involving teams’ 53-man rosters. Here’s the latest:
- The Saints have promoted defensive tackle Lawrence Virgil to the 53-man roster in the wake of Brodrick Bunkley‘s injury, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate (via Twitter).
- A day after being cut by the Buccaneers, wide receiver and kick returner Marcus Thigpen has been claimed off waivers by the Bills, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, adding that Buffalo has released defensive end Bryan Johnson in the corresponding move (Twitter links). Presumably the Bills are eyeing Thigpen as a return specialist, despite the fact that he muffed a couple punts in recent weeks for the Bucs.
- After injuring his foot more than a month ago, tight end David Ausberry has finally been moved to the injured reserve list by the Raiders, with the team promoting defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin from the practice squad to take Ausberry’s place on the roster. Oakland announced the pair of transactions today in a press release.
Earlier updates:
- The Bears have placed veteran offensive lineman Brian De La Puente on their injured reserve list due to an ankle injury, the team announced today (Twitter link). The former Saint played both center and guard for Chicago this season, earning more than 500 overall snaps. He’ll be replaced on the 53-man roster by defensive tackle Brandon Dunn, who was promoted from the practice squad.
- Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (Twitter link) confirms that the Cowboys have indeed placed Jack Crawford on season-ending IR, as was speculated below.
- The Titans have plucked a player from their head coach’s old team, signing outside linebacker Kaelin Burnett from off the Cardinals‘ practice squad, the club announced today (via Twitter). Tight end Richard Gordon has been cut from Tennessee’s active roster to make room for Burnett.
- In advance of tomorrow’s game against the Eagles, the Cowboys will call up linebacker Keith Smith from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas. Archer doesn’t have the corresponding move for us yet, but speculates that defensive end Jack Crawford could be placed on injured reserve due to a broken thumb.
- Defensive lineman Nick Williams has signed with the Chiefs, taking the active roster spot vacated by Eric Berry, who is on the non-football illness list.
Extra Points: Washington, RGIII, NFLPA
So much for having “every intent” to keep Robert Griffin III as the starter. Washington is planning to start Colt McCoy over RGIII on Sunday at Indianapolis, a team source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Facebook). While Griffin is not a part of Washington’s plan for Sunday’s game, he still appears to be a significant part of the Redskins’ long-term plan, per another source. More from around the NFL as the speculation is sure to continue in the nation’s capital..
- The Chargers are looking for a consensus from city business and civic leaders on their proposal to build a new stadium in San Diego, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. In the interim, the Chargers are keeping their options open because of what is happening in Los Angeles. The Rams and Raiders, of course, also have an eye on L.A.
- The NFL and the NFL Players Association met Tuesday morning in New York to continue discussions about a revised personal conduct policy, as Jim Trotter of ESPN.com writes.
- Albert Breer of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that the NFLPA wants the option for players facing felony charges to be put on leave with NFL/NFLPA approval. Also, the union proposal would give a neutral arbitrator power to compel testimony from league and union officials (link).
- Nothing Rex Ryan can do in the next five weeks will save his job as Jets coach, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday.
- Linebacker Rolando McClain has been too good and too valuable not to get an extension from the Cowboys, opines Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News.