NFC East Notes: Manziel, McBride, Cowboys
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says he’s done discussing his team’s decision to pass on Johnny Manziel in the 2014 draft, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. “Well, I don’t know how that’s relevant,” Jones said. “I’m really not so sure I’m ready to admit a mis-thought. It is not relevant, and I really have had some very stern, succinct instructions not to mention Johnny anymore from people who count, let me put it like that.” More out of the AFC and NFC East..
- Giants coach Tom Coughlin told reporters that cornerback Trumaine McBride will undergo thumb surgery, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). Coughlin wouldn’t confirm that McBride is done for the year, but thumb surgery would likely end his season. With Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie still healing up, the Giants now have a tough situation at corner.
- After becoming the most accurate kicker in NFL history on Sunday, Dan Bailey said that he’s hoping to keep it up for a long, long time, writes Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. “Honestly, I want to play another 10-plus years, so hopefully I’ll be able to do that,” the Cowboys kicker said. “With that being said, there’s plenty of more kicks to make and there’s probably going to be some misses in there too. Realistically, it’s just not that big of deal right now.”
- After yesterday’s feel-good win, Jones cautioned not to expect any new deals getting hammered out for Cowboys players right away, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. Jones also pumped the brakes on an extension for coach Jason Garrett.
- After Victor Cruz went down with a likely season-ending injury last night, Giants rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr. told him that he’ll step up in his absence. “I said, ‘Bro, I got you,’” Beckham said, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. “Because he’s had me since Day One. That’s the only thing that I feel like is the right thing to do is play for him.” The Giants will need the LSU product to do just that. Even though Big Blue has nearly $3MM in cap space, there aren’t any notable receiving options waiting on a phone call.
- Eagles quarterback Matt Barkley has left CAA Sports in favor of Dave Dunn of Athletes First, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter).
Cowboys Won’t Extend Garrett During Season
The Cowboys are tied for first in the NFC East with a 4-1 record, but even that fast start doesn’t mean it won’t be a tumultuous offseason in Dallas. Star offensive players Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray are playing on expiring deals and are certain to be angling for new, expensive contracts. And while both Bryant and Murray could conceivably start (and complete) negotiations in-season, the same can’t be said for head coach Jason Garrett, whose contract also is up after 2014. As Cowboys owner Jerry Jones tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), any extension talks with Garrett will wait until the season has concluded.
Back in August, Jones conveyed the same thoughts, saying that while a Garrett extension was very much on the table, it would have to wait until after the season. In essence, Jones was content with his head coach leading the team as a “lame duck.” Given that Garrett, 48, had a pedestrian 29-27 record (with no playoff appearances) heading into 2014, it was probably fair to force him to prove himself before earning a new deal.
However, the Cowboys hot start could have changed Jones’ mind, and forced him to reconsider extending Garrett during the season. Specifically, Rapoport asked Jones if a Cowboys win over the Seahawks today would be enough for the two sides to start talks — the answer was an emphatic “no.” If Dallas is able to sustain its current success, and even win a playoff game, Garrett will certainly be in line for a nice payday, either from the Cowboys, or from another team.
Extra Points: Cardinals, Cowboys, Dolphins
Let’s look at a few assorted notes from around the league to close out this Saturday evening:
- Cardinals general manager Steve Keim has made an astounding 178 roster moves already this season, and he’s finding it more difficult to find talented street free agents. “If you’re going to sign stop-gap veterans, you sign guys that have had success,” Keim told Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic. “You want the guys that have a little gas left in the tank and want to play pissed off. You focus on the guys with enough pride and something to prove. But there does come a time when you look at the waiver wire, you look on the street and there’s not much left. The laws of supply and demand tells you at certain positions, there are no bodies. That’s when it becomes extremely difficult.” The entire piece is full of interesting quotes from Keim about the nature of roster-building, and is worth a full read.
- The Cowboys’ defense has been surprisingly competent so far this season, but as Adam Schefter of ESPN writes, the unit could be fielding several star players in the secondary had the 2011 draft gone differently. Instead of selecting current Seahawks Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman in the fourth and fifth round, respectively, Dallas took Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, a Division-II player now out out the league, and Josh Thomas. I would note that every team, including Seattle, passed on Chancellor and Sherman several times in that draft, so it’s not as though the Cowboys made a larger mistake than any other club.
- Within the same piece, Schefter looks at the now-infamous first-round quarterback selections in the ’11 draft, when Jake Locker was taken before Tyron Smith and J.J. Watt. Additionally, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder were selected before stars such as Robert Quinn, Mike Pouncey, and Ryan Kerrigan.
- The 2015 salary cap is expected to be around $145MM, and the Dolphins already have $144MM on next year’s books, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Several Miami veterans, such as Cortland Finnegan, Randy Starks, and Earl Mitchell have contracts that the Dolphins could easily terminate during the offseason, so these players are essentially playing for their jobs.
NFC Notes: Cobb, House, Prater, Cowboys
Randall Cobb has started the season by catching six touchdowns in the first five games, and has been one of the best receivers in the league working out of the slot. Set to hit free agency this offseason, the Packers failure to ink him to a long term extension has been a well covered topic.
Rob Demovsky of ESPN writes that it might be Cobb who is pushing off extension talks. Cobb said as much earlier this offseason, when he told the media he hadn’t accomplished enough to earn that extension.
He notes that if Cobb is looking at similar money to what Jordy Nelson received, that he will need to produce more catches and yards on a consistent basis to go along with his frequent trips to the endzone. Our readers at Pro Football Rumors believed that Nelson was the more important piece of the offense, responding to a poll from early July.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- Demovsky also addresses whether the Packers would be more likely to try to keep Tramon Williams or Davon House when their respective contracts are up. He writes that although Williams is currently playing at a high level, that House is an ascending player and that general manager Ted Thompson traditionally prefers youth. Williams will turn 32 in March.
- The Lions focused on improving their offense this offseason, including adding Golden Tate in free agency and Eric Ebron in the draft. However, their offense has been paltry, ranking 27th in the NFL in points per game, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The team has missed eight field goals through five games, and have signed kicker Matt Prater this week, hoping to solve some of their kicking woes. Prater couldn’t be worse than the duo of Nate Freese and Alex Henery, and if the team had converted those eight field goals, the offense would have risen to a respectable 16th in points per game.
- The Cowboys have jumped out to a 4-1 start behind an improved defense and more consistent offense, but Rick Gosselin of DallasNews.com believes age is a major factor in their success. The Cowboys have the second youngest average age in the NFL after the Bills, in a team building philosophy that emulates their opponent this weekend, the Seahawks. It also brings back memories of the 1992 Cowboys who were the first of three championship teams in a four-year span. Those Cowboys were also among the youngest rosters in the NFL.
Extra Points: Vikings, Brady, Fitzpatrick, Cowboys
Let’s check out some assorted whispers from around the league on this Saturday afternoon…
- The Vikings invested another $518K into stadium renovations on Friday, adding an eighth elevator and concession stands. However, they didn’t add bird-safe glass, much to the dismay of some pundits (via Rochelle Olson of the Star Tribune).
- Should the relationship between Tom Brady and the Patriots sour to the point that the quarterback will look to play elsewhere, Dan Bickley of AZCentral.com suggests the Cardinals as a fit.
- Even with the Texans having lost three of their last four contests, the quarterback job still belongs to Ryan Fitzpatrick, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
- Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News looks back at the Cowboys trade of Herschel Walker, remarking that nobody thought Jerry Jones knew what he was doing following the transaction.
NFC Mailbags: Lions, Saints, Cowboys
It’s Saturday morning, and you know what that means – new mailbags from ESPN’s NFL writers. Let’s check out some of the notes from the NFC…
- At the moment, Michael Rothstein doesn’t believe that Lions general manager Martin Mayhew or coach Jim Caldwell are on the hot seat.
- Following the release of Saints fourth-rounder Khairi Fortt this past week, many fans asked Mike Triplett about the team’s inability to develop linebackers. The writer acknowledges that the team’s last real success was Mark Fields in 1995, but he adds that the team hasn’t invested high draft picks into the position.
- If the Cowboys season continues on a similar path, Todd Archer could envision the team bringing back Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and Rolando McClain. If there were to be one odd man out, however, the writer leans towards McClain.
- Even if the Cowboys were looking to promote a defensive lineman from the practice squad, Archer says that rookie Michael Sam wouldn’t be the team’s first choice. Instead, the Cowboys would likely bring up Kenneth Boatright.
- David Newton envisions the Panthers transitioning to their next group of running backs once DeAngelo Williams‘ contract expires following the season.
- Rom Demovsky says it’s likely that the Packers and representatives for Randall Cobb have already started discussing a new contract. The writer suggests that the wideout could be delaying the process until he begins compiling statistics that would warrant a larger payday.
Extra Points: Brady, Cowboys, Oliver
Even after the Patriots‘ 43-17 throttling of the previously undefeated Bengals, stories persist of the ongoing tensions between Tom Brady and the team. Kirk Minihane and Gary Tanguay joined Arbella Early Edition to discuss the chances that the recent rift will lead to a split.
They came to a surprising conclusion, both figuring that there is a more likely than not chance that Brady could finish his career with another franchise. They can see the team considering trading him if the right offer came along.
“If I’m Belichick I say… ‘Tom, thanks for the memories, swell, here’s the watch, goodbye,’” says Minihane. “You’d be insane not to do it. They’re going to at least explore trading Brady in this offseason. I’m convinced of that.”
Here are some other notes from around the NFL:
- The Cowboys are 4-1, and most of the credit has gone to the offensive line, but not forgotten are the team’s two stars, Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray. Both players will be free agents at season’s end, but the team is not worried about getting extensions signed during the season, writes Jon Machota of DallasNews.com. The team has already targeted both players as pieces moving forward, making their pursuits known.
- Chargers‘ running back Branden Oliver had a breakout game Sunday against the Jets, racking up 182 yards and two touchdowns rushing and receiving. The electric rookie went undrafted, and considered signing with the Colts before joining the Chargers, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).
- Finally, Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel spent some time with Packers‘ first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Dunne got to know a lot about the future star safety and his life off-the-field.
NFC Notes: Murray, Harbaugh, House
The NFL’s leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, told Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com today that he’s happy his camp has opened extension talks with the Cowboys, though he acknowledged it’s not something he’s focused on at this point. While Murray’s hot start in the final year of his rookie contract has made him a logical extension candidate, Joel Corry of the National Football Post notes that even in a career year, the running back may not receive a huge offer from the Cowboys. The team also has to address other potential free agents like wideout Dez Bryant, and if Murray’s workload continues at its current pace, the club could have concerns about his future production, particularly given his past durability issues.
As we wait to see if negotiations between Murray and the Cowboys move forward, let’s take a look at a few more notes from around the NFC….
- In the view of ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, it would be an upset if Jim Harbaugh is still coaching the 49ers in 2015. While Schefter isn’t entirely ruling out the possibility, he says he “wouldn’t count on it right now.”
- Davon House‘s name is a little ways down on the Packers‘ depth chart, but the cornerback could be setting himself up for a nice payday in the offseason based on his performance, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Pass-Gazette. So far, the team has yet to talk to House’s agent about an extension. “If I continue what I’ve been doing, good things are to come, here or somewhere else,” House said. “Hopefully here.”
- Top draft pick Marcus Smith is itching to get on the field more, but Eagles coach Chip Kelly says he won’t rush things with the young linebacker, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We don’t look at a guy and say, ‘Hey, he’s this, we have to force him in,’ ” Kelly said. “I think you’d lose the rest of the guys on your team if you say, ‘Why are you playing this guy? Just because we drafted him high.’ He has to prove that he deserves playing time.”
- Wide receiver Nick Williams, who was released from Washington’s practice squad about a month ago, tried out this week for the Falcons, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
PUP, IR-DTR Players Soon Eligible To Practice
Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Rams, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many of those clubs may be welcoming some players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to practice.
Of course, just because those players are able to return to the practice field doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player on the PUP list could theoretically return for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest. If the player doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform list who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: NaVorro Bowman (LB), Garrett Celek (TE), Kaleb Ramsey (DT)
- Chargers: Jeromey Clary (OL)
- Colts: Stanley Havili (FB)
- Falcons: Drew Davis (WR), Zeke Motta (S)
- Jets: Antwan Barnes (LB)
- Lions: T.J. Jones (WR)
- Panthers: De’Andre Presley (WR)
- Raiders: D.J. Hayden (CB)
- Ravens: Terrence Cody (DT)
- Redskins: Stephen Bowen (DE), Leonard Hankerson (WR)
- Saints: Cheta Ozougwu (OLB)
Players who began the season on the PUP list didn’t participate in any preseason practices, but that’s not the case for players on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.
That means that players who were placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing next week. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after – for instance – Week 2 will have to wait another two weeks to return to practice.
Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: Glenn Dorsey (DT)
- Bears: Marquess Wilson (WR)
- Buccaneers: Charles Sims (RB)
- Chiefs: Joe Mays (LB)
- Colts: Xavier Nixon (T)
- Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence (DE)
- Giants: Geoff Schwartz (G)
- Lions: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
- Packers: J.C. Tretter (C)
Practice Squad Updates: Thursday
As this weekend’s slate of games nears, teams around the NFL continue to add and subtract players from their respective practice squads. Here are Thursday’s practice squad transactions:
- Using one of the openings on their practice squad, the Cowboys have signed wide receiver Kerry Taylor, who was just waived by the Jaguars this week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Taylor himself tweeted earlier today that he was joining the Cowboys. Meanwhile, Wilson adds (via Twitter) that Dallas has reached an injury settlement with wideout LaRon Byrd, who had also been on the team’s practice squad.
Earlier updates:
- After waiving him from their active roster, the Redskins have brought safety Akeem Davis back into the fold on their practice squad, according to the team (via Twitter). Washington now has a full 10-man taxi squad.
- The Falcons have filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing wide receiver Ryan Spadola, the team announced today in a press release.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Chiefs have signed former Ravens cornerback Deji Olatoye to their practice squad. Kansas City already had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait for the corresponding cut before the addition of Olatoye becomes official.
- We heard yesterday that tight end Phillip Supernaw had rejoined the Ravens‘ practice squad, and now the team has announced the corresponding move, confirming that cornerback Lou Young has been cut (Twitter link).