Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
As usual, Tuesday means plenty of practice squad signings and cuts for teams around the NFL. Here are today’s practice squad moves, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- To make room for their new practice squad additions, the Broncos have released defensive end Zach Thompson and wide receiver Douglas McNeil, tweets Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
- The Saints signed former Chiefs inside linebacker Jerry Franklin to their practice squad, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter), tackle Mark Asper and defensive back Josh Bush have joined the Broncos‘ practice squad. Denver previously had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait for word on which players are being replaced.
- The Bengals have swapped one linebacker for another on their taxi squad, signing Terrell Manning and dropping Justin Jackson, per the team (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys have made a few changes to their practice squad, releasing guard Jeff Baca and linebacker Will Smith and adding linebacker Keith Smith and cornerback Robert Steeples to replace them (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- Rookie running back Dominique Williams, who was with the Vikings in camp, has re-signed with the team, joining the practice squad, according to a press release. Minnesota had a full 10-man unit, but now no longer lists safety Pierre Warren on its roster, so perhaps he was signed away by another club — the Saints, Warren’s former team, would be the most likely candidate.
- In addition to making multiple changes to their 53-man roster, the Colts also tweaked their practice squad today, adding running back Michael Hill and cutting wide receiver Eric Thomas, the team announced today. We’ll have to wait to see whether Hill, the only running back on Indianapolis’ practice squad, has a chance to be promoted in Ahmad Bradshaw‘s absence, or if the team will opt for a veteran replacement instead.
- The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their taxi squad by signing former Oregon defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli, per Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (Twitter link).
- Having recently worked out for the club, cornerback Marcus Cromartie has joined the 49ers‘ practice squad, replacing tight end Xavier Grimble, who has been cut, according to the club (Twitter link).
- Outside linebacker Cordarro Law, who was cut from the Chargers‘ active roster prior to Sunday’s game against the Raiders, has re-signed with the team’s practice squad, according to the Chargers’ transactions list.
NFC East Notes: Schwartz, Bryant, Melton
Let’s take a look at a few Monday items from out of the NFC East, where the Cowboys and Eagles are tied for first place at 7-3, with the 3-7 Giants tied with Washington in the cellar….
- The Giants are expected to activate guard Geoff Schwartz today based on the progress he has made in his recovery from a toe injury, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Head coach Tom Coughlin has since confirmed that Schwartz will be added to the roster in advance of today’s deadline, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- Taking an in-depth look into Dez Bryant‘s contract situation with the Cowboys, Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News concludes that something in the range of six years and $84MM, with $28MM in guaranteed money, could make sense for both the team and the wideout.
- While the Cowboys have been known for their lavish spending in the past, the team’s recent deals have been more club-friendly, often offering protection against injuries or a decline in performance, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. That doesn’t mean that Bryant won’t get a long-term deal from the Cowboys, but it means that negotiations might be trickier than they would have been a few years ago.
- In a separate ESPN.com piece, Archer takes a look at defensive lineman Henry Melton, whose deal includes an option that the Cowboys will have to exercise or turn down this winter. Based on Melton’s performance so far, it looks like a sure thing that Dallas will pick up the option, but Melton tells Archer that he’s not thinking about his future for now.
- At OverTheCap.com, a pair of NFC East quarterbacks show up in Jason Fitzgerald’s weekly list of players whose stocks took a hit over the weekend. Fitzgerald identifies Giants QB Eli Manning and Washington signal-caller Robert Griffin III as players on the decline, suggesting Griffin’s “star hasn’t just dimmed, its completely burned out.”
NFC Notes: Cutler, Lynch, Ingram
Jay Cutler‘s future with the Bears has grown quite murky over the course of his shaky 2014 campaign, and David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune writes that the league’s highest-paid player this season also looks like its worst bargain. Haugh adds that if Chicago replaces head coach Marc Trestman or GM Phil Emery in 2015, Cutler’s stability vanishes completely. Furthermore, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, the Bears could trade Cutler after this season and save $12.5MM. The team is therefore not financially tethered to the quarterback it hoped would be its franchise savior, and Schefter reports that there would be a fair amount of interest in Cutler if Chicago were to make him available via trade.
Now for some more links from the NFC:
- Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes that the Vikings have stockpiled seven first-round draft choices over the past three seasons and wonders if that approach is something the Bears could use as a blueprint.
- Citing colleague Ian Rapoport, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reaffirms something that we’ve heard previously: that the Seahawks plan to move on from Marshawn Lynch after the 2014 season. Assuming Seattle does indeed go that route, Rapoport tweets that record-setting Wisconsin standout Melvin Gordon will be on the team’s radar.
- Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune writes that the Buccaneers‘ draft needs in 2015 will go far beyond the quarterback position.
- Because of their dire salary cap situation, the Saints will likely not be able to prevent Mark Ingram from hitting the free agent market, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
- Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News provides a list of 10 issues the Giants must confront this offseason, including the fates of Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning, and Jason Pierre-Paul.
- In a piece we cited earlier, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant appears destined for the franchise tag.
Dallas Hopes Key FAs Take Team-Friendly Deals
Although the Cowboys find themselves in the thick of a playoff race, the future of Dallas’ impending free agents has received a great deal of attention over the past several weeks. Here at PFR, we have examined Dez Bryant as an extension candidate, and we have looked at how the respective fates of Bryant and DeMarco Murray appear to be intertwined. Speaking about the club’s unrestricted free agent class as a whole–which includes Bryant, Murray, Doug Free, Rolando McClain, Justin Durant, Nick Hayden, George Selvie and Bruce Carter—Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes that Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones has expressed his hope that at least some of those players will accept less money to be part of a potentially bright future in Dallas. Jones said:
“If we’re digging in, what we’re really trying to do is maybe not give everybody what they should deserve, whether it’s Tony Romo, whether it’s Doug Free, whether it’s Dez Bryant, whether it’s DeMarco Murray, because if we want to have the type of team we want to have, everybody has to compromise. It’s our job to try to get people to understand that it can be better for them to maybe take a little bit less and win, and that can pay off for them in the long haul.”
Although the franchise tag for a wide receiver is higher than that of a running back, if the Cowboys are to slap the tag on either Bryant or Murray, it appears more likely that Bryant will be tagged and Murray will get the long-term deal (if Dallas ultimately retains both players, of course). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reiterated as much via Twitter this morning, and former agent Joel Corry tweeted that the $11MM tag for Murray would be a windfall for him relative to the running back market.
In response to a reader who asked if the tag was more likely for Bryant than Murray because the team believes it has a better chance of reaching an extension with Murray, Rapoport tweeted that that is not the case. Instead, it simply comes down to the value of the tag for both positions and the fact that the franchise tag enures the Cowboys can hold on to Bryant for at least one more season. Corry, meanwhile, tweets that if Dallas does indeed hit Bryant with the tag, he would like to see Bryant stay away from the team until he gets a prohibition clause and the July 2015 deadline for giving a long-term deal to a franchised player passes (a prohibition clause would disallow the Cowboys from tagging Bryant again after the 2015 season and would therefore greatly increase his negotiating leverage).
Bryant had this to say on the matter:
“At the end of the day, I want to win. But at the same time, I have a family and that’s what is important. I feel like, hey, I put the work in, I got to get myself some kind of credit.”
Murray was not quoted in the Machota piece, but at this point it seems as though a tag for Bryant and a long-term deal for Murray is the most likely scenario. Whether or not either player, or any of the other Cowboys’ free agents, ultimately accepts less money to play for a winning ball club may well depend on if Dallas can avoid another winter swoon and capitalize on the promise of the 2014 season.
Workout Updates: Holmes, Pryor, Lewis
After having been released by the Bears earlier this week to make room for Marquess Wilson, wide receiver Santonio Holmes passed through waivers unclaimed and is on the lookout for a new job. And according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), the veteran wideout has already paid a visit to Kansas City to meet with the Chiefs, a team that could use a receiver — through nine games, no Chiefs wide receivers have a touchdown this season.
While we wait to see if Holmes ends up signing with Kansas City or another club, let’s round up a few more Saturday updates on free agent visits, workouts, and auditions around the league….
- With Nick Foles on the shelf, the Eagles just have two healthy quarterbacks on the active roster, and while a move is unlikely, the team is keeping an eye on free agent options just in case. According to Florio (via Twitter), Philadelphia worked out signal-callers Terrelle Pryor and Thad Lewis.
- Lou Young, who was cut from the Jaguars’ practice squad earlier this week, was one of a handful of defensive backs to try out for the Cowboys, along with Robert Steeples and Jonte Green, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- In addition to the previously-reported punters that worked out for the Buccaneers this week, punter Jake Dombrowski and long snapper Charley Hughlett also auditioned for the club, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- Defensive tackle Kenny Horsley, who auditioned for the Packers earlier this week, also worked out for the Bears, per Wilson (via Twitter).
Free Agency Notes: Suh, Bryant, Pierre-Paul
Many NFL teams are focused on making the playoffs during the home stretch of the season, but many of their top players are also worried about their impending free agency. Field Yates of ESPN.com put together a list of five players who are set to receive huge contracts this offseason (subscription required).
The headliner of that list is Lions‘ defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who may be leaving Detroit this offseason for a contract in the range of what J.J. Watt received this past offseason. Dez Bryant, Justin Houston, Demaryius Thomas, and Randall Cobb also made the list of players set up to be paid after the season.
Here are some other notes on player movement this offseason:
- Along with the list of players who are ready to get big contracts, Yates also listed five players who have seen their stocks soar since the beginning of the season. Much like the five top free agents, the five soaring stocks all come from potential playoff teams. Yates points to DeMarco Murray, Jeremy Maclin, Brian Hoyer, Mark Ingram, and Chris Harris Jr..
- Bryant appears on Yates’ list of players set up for big contracts, but Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com expects the superstar wide receiver to remain with the Cowboys for at least two more seasons (via Twitter). Archer writes that the Cowboys always keep a player they want, and won’t lose Bryant if they want to keep him (via Twitter).
- One big name player who doesn’t appear on Yates’ list is Giants‘ defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul has been inconsistent since his breakout 2011 season when he recorded 16.5 sacks. The embattled Giant is ambivalent about returning to the team next year, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter). “Hey, if I’m here, I’m here,” said Pierre-Paul. “If I’m not, I’m not.”
Breer’s Latest: Colts, London, Dez, Peterson
Although the Colts did win a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning, the team watched as other clubs with less offensive firepower – like the Patriots, Steelers, and Giants – won multiple titles during the 2000s. So after drafting Andrew Luck, owner Jim Irsay was determined to put together a more balanced roster that was capable of holding its own on defense and special teams as well, writes Albert Breer of the NFL Network. This Sunday’s showdown against the Pats is a major test for the Colts, who have been outscored 102-46 in the two Luck/Tom Brady matchups to date. In addition to exploring that game, Breer also touches on a few other topics of note in his latest column at NFL.com, so let’s round up the highlights….
- NFL executive VP of international Mark Waller tells Breer that the league was encouraged by the success of the three games in London in 2014. While Wembley Stadium’s availability in 2015 made it impossible to play more than three games there next year, Waller says he’d be “very disappointed” if there aren’t at least four London games on the schedule in 2016.
- To this point in his career, the Cowboys have kept a close eye on Dez Bryant, but if and when he signs a long-term deal with the club, his status in the locker room will have to change, as will the way the team handles him, writes Breer. As the NFL.com scribe points out: “Players in any locker room keep score by salary and pay keen attention to how their most richly compensated teammates are treated.”
- “Time served” will be an oft-used phrase during Adrian Peterson‘s hearing this coming Monday, according to Breer, who says that fining and reinstating the Vikings running back is one possibility for the league, rather than assessing an additional suspension on top of the games he has already missed.
- Breer suggests keeping an eye on the free agent market for quarterbacks this offseason — while there are no huge names on expiring contracts, prospective free agents like Mark Sanchez, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Mallett could finish the season as respectable starters.
Minor Moves: Thursday
Besides the Cowboys signing of Dekoda Watson and the Cardinals addition of Josh Mauro, it wasn’t a very busy day for NFL transactions. Let’s check some minor moves (and non-moves) that were made today…
- The Jaguars cut wideout Nathan Slaughter from injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). The wideout signed with Jacksonville in June.
- A source tells Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter) that the Cowboys are not activating defensive tackle Amobi Okoye today. Since today was the deadline for the former first round pick, that means he won’t play this season. The former first-rounder missed all of 2013 for an “undisclosed medical issue,” and he signed a contract with Dallas in May.
Cowboys To Sign Dekoda Watson
4:51pm: The Cowboys will cut linebacker Will Smith to make room for Watson, but they hope to re-sign him to the taxi squad, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
8:16am: The Cowboys will sign linebacker Dekoda Watson, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Watson was waived by the Jaguars earlier this week.
The Jags signed Watson, a former Buccaneers linebacker, to a three-year deal this past offseason that included $1.5MM in guaranteed money. However, he battled multiple injuries during OTAs and training camp and didn’t produce much once he got onto the field.
The 26-year-old has 69 career games of experience dating back to 2010. In 2013 with Tampa Bay, Watson appeared in 15 games and recorded 42 tackles and two sacks. This season with the Jaguars, Watson started in just one game and turned in a total of 14 tackles.
Cowboys Notes: Bryant, Claiborne, McClain
Today’s look at the Cowboys..
- Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant still hasn’t been able to agree to a new deal with Dallas, but he says it’s not about the money, writes Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. “Just something we can compromise on. I’m not accepting what’s given to me,” Bryant said. “We’ll have to see. If it’s right, it’s right, I’ll sign my name on the dotted line. If it’s not, it’s not. At the end of the day, I want to win. But at the same time, I have a family and that’s what is important. I feel like, hey, I put the work in, I got to give myself some kind of credit.”
- Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News wishes he could go back in time and make the Cowboys take defensive end Fletcher Cox over cornerback Morris Claiborne in the 2012 draft. Claiborne had a rough start to the season – he was bumped on the depth chart in favor of veteran Orlando Scandrick and suffered a season-ending injury soon after.
- Sturm was asked by a reader to rank Rolando McClain, Henry Melton, Justin Durant, Bruce Carter, Anthony Spencer, Nick Hayden, and Sterling Moore in terms of which Cowboys defensive players are most important to keep. In his view, McClain, Melton, and Durant should be prioritized and the rest are not worth getting carried away with at this juncture.