Cowboys To Sign Phillip Tanner
A week after being cut by the Colts, running back Phillip Tanner will be returning to the team with whom he spent the first three seasons of his NFL career. According to agent Christina Phillips of Precision Sports (via Twitter), Tanner has reached an agreement to re-sign with the Cowboys.
Tanner, 26, recorded 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 56 carries during his three years in Dallas, along with 93 receiving yards on nine catches. The Middle Tennessee State product, who also contributed on special teams in 2013, signed with the Colts in late July, but was waived following the club’s acquisition of running back David Fluellen.
In Dallas, Tanner will compete for a roster spot in a backfield that also includes DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle, Ryan Williams, and D.J. Adams. His familiarity with the team and its coaches could provide an advantage, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Tanner waived this weekend when rosters are trimmed to 53 players.
Before the move is finalized, the Cowboys must remove a player from their active roster to make room for Tanner.
NFC East Notes: Bryant, Cowboys, Giants
With talks starting up again between the Cowboys and Dez Bryant, Jason Fitzgerald of the National Football Post asks how much the wide receiver is worth. Bryant reportedly wants to be paid like a top five wide receiver and Dallas will have a hard time convincing agent Eugene Parker that his client should make less than Dwayne Bowe $56MM over five years, $26MM in guarantees). More out of the NFC East..
- Today’s release of quarterback Caleb Hanie by the Cowboys likely bodes well for undrafted free agent QB Dustin Vaughan, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Giants traded kicker Brandon McManus to the Broncos rather than cutting him outright because the rival Eagles had interest in him, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- Antrel Rolle is upset that cornerback and special teams contributor Charles James was let go by the Giants, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. When Big Blue dropped 15 players to go from 90 to 75, the release of the 23-year-old James came as a surprise to some.
Cowboys Cut Caleb Hanie, 10 Others
The Cowboys are the latest NFL team to trim its roster to 75 players, with former Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie and former fourth-round pick Matt Johnson among the players cut today by Dallas. Per Todd Archer of ESPN.com (via Twitter), here’s the full list of roster moves made by the Cowboys in advance of this afternoon’s deadline:
Cut:
- Chris Boyd, WR
- Caleb Hanie, QB
- Tom Hornsey, P
- Casey Kreiter, LS
- Adewale Ojomo, DE
- Wayne Tribue, G
Waived-injured:
- Justin Green, CB
- DeVonte Holloman, LB
- Matt Johnson, S
- Jordan Najvar, TE
- Johnny Thomas, S
Placed on injured reserve:
- Ben Gardner, DE
Placed on reserve/non-football injury list:
- Amobi Okoye, DT
East Notes: Sanchez, Hill, Schwartz, Cowboys
As one of the league’s premier backups, Eagles signal-caller Mark Sanchez figures to be the subject of trade rumors when starting QBs like Sam Bradford go down for the season. However, as he tells Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Sanchez isn’t interested in listening to that sort of speculation.
“I’m an Eagle. I love being an Eagle,” Sanchez said. “There’s a ton of quarterbacks. Talk about someone else.”
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- With final cuts approaching, some trade chatter is starting to surround Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter) notes that the team has already tried to move Hill this summer, with no takers so far, while Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter) is skeptical that the Jets could get anything for the wideout. On the other hand, one AFC exec tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com that he thinks there’d be some interest, since the free agent market for receivers is thin.
- The Giants received some good news on Geoff Schwartz’s foot injury, announcing today in a press release that the guard will be in a walking boot for the next seven to 10 days, then will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. The timetable suggests that Schwartz will avoid hitting any sort of PUP or IR list.
- Cowboys linebacker DeVonte Holloman tells Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that it was an “easy decision” to retire after sustaining his latest neck injury, though he admitted it’ll be “tough not to be out there” on the field with the team.
- As Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram outlines, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones weighed in on position battles at a few key positions in Dallas as the team prepares to cut its roster down to 53 players.
NFC Notes: Cassel, Brent, Packers, Garrard
Even after the Vikings traded back into the first round of May’s draft to select Louisville product Teddy Bridgewater, the prevailing wisdom was that Matt Cassel would be the Week 1 starter at quarterback in Minnesota. Per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports 1 (Twitter link), that notion has held, as head coach Mike Zimmer has informed the Vikings’ players that Cassel will indeed open the season as the team’s No. 1 QB.
Zimmer himself confirmed the news to reporters, including Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (on Twitter), saying that Cassel was the favorite in the competition from the start. “Matt did not do anything to lose the job this preseason,” said Zimmer. “I think he’s played great. The team has a lot of confidence in him.” Through three preseason games, Cassel has completed 26 of 39 passes for 367 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception, while Bridgewater has completed 26 of 40 pass attempts for 266 yards, four scores, and no picks.
On a macro level, this news means that no rookie quarterback will be his team’s Week 1 starter (unless Matt Schaub‘s injury lingers and David Carr is forced to take the reins for the Raiders). Chad Henne was chosen to start over Blake Bortles in Jacksonville, and Johnny Manziel lost out out Brian Hoyer in Cleveland. Still, I’d be surprised if two or three (or perhaps all four) of said rookies aren’t starting games by season’s end.
More notes from the NFC:
- While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appears ready to save a roster spot for Josh Brent, the defensive tackle likely won’t require an active roster spot when the NFL reinstates him. According to Ed Werder of ESPN.com, the league is expected to suspend Brent if and when he’s reinstated. “He’s not just going to walk back onto the field,” a source tells Werder.
- Even after B.J. Raji‘s season-ending biceps injury, Green Bay has enough depth along the defensive line that it won’t be signing ex-Packer Ryan Pickett, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Unhappy with incumbent Alex Henery, the Eagles had been scouting teams with a surplus of kickers, tweets Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Berman points to Dustin Hopkins, released by the Bills this morning, as one option for the Birds.
- It’s unclear if he was simply being humorous, but David Garrard lobbied the Rams (via Twitter) to give him a call following Sam Bradford‘s season-ending injury. Garrard is 36 and has dealt with numerous injuries in the last few years — it’s highly doubtful St. Louis would be interested.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Cowboys Release Martez Wilson, J.C. Copeland
The Cowboys began the process of whittling their roster down to the 75-man requirement by cutting two players — defensive end Martez Wilson and fullback J.C. Copeland (press release via DallasCowboys.com).
Wilson is the bigger name of the two —- a third-round pick by the Saints in 2011, Wilson also spent time with the Raiders before joining the Cowboys. He has 38 career games under his belt, and he’s registered five sacks. Copeland, meanwhile, was a 2014 undrafted free agent out of LSU; he apparently lost out to fellow FB Tyler Cutts, who has been receiving more practice snaps.
By our count, the Cowboys’ roster now sits at 88, meaning they will need to let 13 more players go before 3pm tomorrow.
East Notes: Griffin, Brent, Branch
Robert Griffin III struggled in the Redskins‘ third preseason game against the Ravens on Saturday night, and that has led to a great deal of chatter as to whether he or backup Kirk Cousins represents the team’s best option under center. Redskins’ legend Joe Theismann weighed in on the conversation in the fourth quarter of last night’s game (as transcribed by Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post) stating:
“Let’s stop beating around the bush. Kirk Cousins has played much better at the quarterback position than Robert Griffin III has…Now, if there was a quarterback competition, it wouldn’t be a competition. Kirk Cousins would be the man I believe [head coach Jay Gruden] would have to go to.”
Theismann continued to sing Cousins’ praises after the game ended. Former Redskin Brian Mitchell, an analyst on the team’s post game show, disagreed with Theismann’s assessment, stating that Griffin, not Cousins, gives Washington the best chance of winning. For what it’s worth, Liz Clarke of the Washington Post writes that Griffin rejects the belief that he has regressed this preseason.
Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com points out the obvious flaw in Theismann’s analysis, writing that, since there never was a quarterback competition in Redskins camp–Griffin entered the offseason as the undisputed starter–there is no way to determine whether Griffin or Cousins would have won such a competition. If the starting job was up for grabs, Cousins would have had a chance to work with the first team offense against the Ravens’ first-team defense, and no one can say how that would have altered the evaluation.
- Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com reports that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expects a decision from the league regarding a potential suspension for DT Josh Brent “imminently.” Jones has previously stated that the team will have a roster spot for Brent if the NFL allows him to play.
- Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News writes that undrafted free agent wideout Corey Washington has had a monster preseason for the Giants and has thrust himself into serious consideration for a roster spot.
- Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com tweets that it will be a few days before a final diagnosis is made on Geoff Schwartz, and in a full-length piece Ranaan describes how the Giants might go about replacing him.
- In a pair of articles, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post offers a little more on Schwartz, some Giants‘ roster machinations, and he describes the quality performances displayed by a few of the Giants’ younger players.
- I rounded up a few Eagles links here.
- In the wake of Alan Branch‘s recent arrest, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reexamines the financial ramifications the Bills would face if they were to release Branch.
- Marc Sessler of NFL.com writes that Bills coach Doug Marrone is open to shopping for a new backup quarterback. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com wonders (via Twitter) if the team would consider Luke McCown if he is cut by New Orleans, as the Saints and the Bills have a similar offensive system.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe describes how the new practice squad rules could impact several players on the Patriots‘ roster bubble.
- Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe provides a closer look on how the Patriots will pare their roster down to 75 players by Tuesday’s deadline.
- The Jets released six players earlier today.
NFC East Links: Schwartz, Cowboys, Redskins
Giants‘ guard Geoff Schwartz was brought in this offseason to sure up the offensive line, but in light of his recent injury, the team needs to look at potential replacements on the roster, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Rookie center Weston Richburg is the logical replacement, although he was thought of as the center of the future and was already competing to be the starter at the other guard spot with Brandon Mosley. John Jerry and Dallas Reynolds are the other guards on the roster.
Here are some more links from around the NFC East:
- The Giants‘ offensive line is not the only cause for concern heading into the regular season, as the team’s tight ends and their quarterback Eli Manning have struggled as well, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The team is also short on wide receivers with rookie Odell Beckham Jr. and former practice squad star Marcus Harris struggling with injuries. Harris was thought to be a lock to make the roster before his injury, writes Raanan.
- There are still a few starting spots on the Cowboys‘ depth chart up for grabs, and David Moore of DallasNews.com points out three places where those jobs are up for grabs. The team still has a decision to make at left guard, left defensive end, and middle linebacker.
- The writers of DallasCowboys.com have highlighted two players each to watch going into the Cowboys‘ preseason game against the Dolphins. The players to watch are not necessarily in straightforward position battles, and range from rookie Devin Street to franchise quarterback Tony Romo.
- The Redskins‘ cornerback depth chart is still up in the air, with multiple players impressing so far during camp. Tracy Porter seems to have the slot corner spot locked up, but if his injury history comes back to haunt him, that could open up a roster spot for a player like Chase Minnifield, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. Bashaud Breeland has also had an excellent camp, but must learn how to play the slot before he sees significant playing time.
East Notes: Henery, Bills, Vick, Cowboys
After spending the last three years as the Eagles‘ kicker, Alex Henery may be losing his grip on the job this preseason, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer details. In last night’s preseason game against the Steelers, a day after the Eagles brought aboard another kicker (Cody Parkey), Henery missed a 31-yard attempt.
“I wish I could put my finger on that,” said head coach Chip Kelly, asked if Henery was losing his confidence. “I don’t know what he’s battling. Obviously, you got to make a field goal like that. You got to make it.”
As we wait to see what decision the Eagles make on their kicking situation, let’s round up a few more notes out of the NFL’s two East divisions….
- According to Mike Ozanian of Forbes, Sabres owner Terry Pegula did indeed make the high initial bid for the Bills, but it was significantly lower than previously reported. Ozanian pegs the non-binding figure at $890MM, and says the bids by Jon Bon Jovi‘s group and Donald Trump came in at $820MM and $809MM respectively. The next round of bids could be higher, but Ozanian thinks it may be in the Wilson trust’s best interests to fire Morgan Stanley – the investment bank handling the sale – and to start over.
- Meanwhile, John Kryk of the Toronto Sun writes that Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke, who is reportedly on his way out of the organization, had little to do with the Toronto group’s Bills bid, outside of introducing Bon Jovi and MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum.
- Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com takes a look at Michael Vick‘s situation in New York, where the veteran Jets quarterback seems willing to take a back seat to Geno Smith to start the season. “I’m at a very good place,” Vick said. “Very relaxed. Things are more laid back right now as far as football, and off the field. No stress, no pressure. Even though, when you play football, there is always some sort of pressure. But at this stage of my career, I’m just trying to refresh and regroup and see where it takes me.”
- Referring to the Cowboys‘ linebacker corps, sans Sean Lee, as the “worst in history,” Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News suggests the team will need to keep a close eye on the waiver wire next week and potentially snatch up a player dropped by another club.
DeVonte Holloman Expected To Retire Due To Injury
According to Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, a neck injury is expected to end the playing career of linebacker DeVonte Holloman (link via Jon Machota and Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News). Holloman suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s preseason game against the Ravens.
“DeVonte got information back from the doctors in San Antonio and some other doctors he visited with regarding his neck and it doesn’t look like he’s going to be able to play football anymore,” Garrett said. “This becomes an easy decision for him and his family when you’re dealing with that kind of an injury.”
Holloman, 23, was selected by the Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2013 draft out of South Carolina. He contributed sparingly on defense and special teams up until the last three weeks of the season, when injuries forced him into the role of Dallas’ regular middle linebacker. This isn’t the first neck-related injury for Holloman, who sustained a spinal contusion in practice last season that sidelined him for seven games.
Holloman is the latest young NFL player to see his career prematurely cut short by spine or neck injuries. Others who have been forced into early retirement recently include ex-Packers running back Johnathan Franklin and former Giants running back David Wilson.