East Notes: Jets, Bills, Spiller, McClain, Giants
There’s no quarterback controversy in Cortland, New York, and that makes the Jets rather happy, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Guard Willie Colon admitted that the Geno Smith–Mark Sanchez talk made things “tense” for Gang Green last season, but Michael Vick has helped the club avoid that tension by declaring that he’s only there to be the backup to Smith. “Mike is a leader and a motivator, and he supports Geno,” Colon said. “Geno understands he’s the guy. We all believe in him.” More from the AFC and NFC East..
- Bills GM Doug Whaley shot down speculation of running back C.J. Spiller being on the trade block but, then again, he took a similar tone regarding trade rumors surrounding wide receiver Steve Johnson after last season, writes Tim Graham of The Buffalo News. When asked about a possible Johnson trade at the wrap-up conference, Whaley said he was “amazed” and “taken aback by the question.” The wide receiver was traded in May.
- An educated source once involved in the Bills sales process tells Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (on Twitter) that the team is “[Terry] Pegula‘s to lose” and Bon Jovi group is “unfocused and disorganized.” That same source says the Bills will be in Western New York “for a very, very long time whether they get a new stadium or not” (link).
- Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain says that he’s over the animosity that once existed between him and Raiders coach Dennis Allen, writes David Moore of the Dallas News. “We’re both grown men,’’ said McClain, who hopes to push Justin Durant for the starting job at middle linebacker in Dallas. “At the end of the day, things get hot. But, I mean, we’re both grown men and we respect each other.”
- Safety Antrel Rolle likes the look of the Giants‘ rebuilt secondary, which includes newcomers Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday. “I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen thus far,” Rolle said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of areas to clean up and fine-tune, cut down on a lot of penalties, especially in the defensive backfield. But overall, I think we’ve been doing a great job of keeping a team out of the end zone, which is always our No. 1 priority. So far, so good.”
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- In order to make room for incoming defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, the Patriots will waive tight end Terrence Miller with an injured designation, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys are expected to sign tight end Asa Watson, who was recently cut by the Patriots, but Dallas will still have to clear a roster spot on the 90-man roster, tweets Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com.
Earlier updates:
- After signing with the 49ers as a free agent this offseason, linebacker and special teams contributor Blake Costanzo has been placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, the team announced in a press release. San Francisco signed linebacker Kion Wilson to replace Costanzo, who didn’t have to pass through waivers before hitting IR since he has more than four years of NFL experience.
- The Saints have signed former Giants tight end Travis Beckum to a one-year deal, a source told Ramon Antonio Vargas and Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate today. A third-round draft choice in 2009, Beckum has not played since suffering a knee injury in New York’s Super Bowl win after the 2011 season. He was on injured reserve for the duration of 2012 and out of the league in 2013.
- Using the open roster spot they created after shuffling various running backs in and out earlier in the week, the Texans have added cornerback Junior Mertile to their roster, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link). An ex-Giant, Mertile has been a free agent since he was cut by New York in May, though he auditioned for the Jags in the interim.
- Running back Stephen Houston has signed with the Steelers, according to the team’s PR man Burt Lauten (Twitter link). The former Indiana rusher got a partially guaranteed contract from the Patriots after the draft, but was waived by the team over the weekend.
- According to John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter), the Jaguars have replaced one center with another, signing Antoine Caldwell and waiving Matt Stankiewitch, who sustained a wrist injury.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL, with the latest transactions added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Dolphins signed tight end Evan Wilson, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
- Less than two weeks after signing tight end Raymond Webber, the Dolphins have waived him, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
- Tight end Dorin Dickerson has been removed from the Titans‘ injured reserve list with an injury settlement, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- With the open spot on their 90-man roster, the Buccaneers have signed former Toledo defensive end T.J. Fatinikun, who participated in the club’s minicamp in June, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
Earlier updates:
- The Steelers placed veteran punter Adam Podlesh on their reserve/did not report list, tweets Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Podlesh isn’t in attendance at Pittsburgh’s camp after his wife underwent a complicated – but successful – delivery of their child. He can be reinstated when he reports, but for now the Steelers are also free to sign someone else to take his roster spot.
- Offensive lineman Stephen Goodin has signed with the Cowboys, taking the roster spot of guard Andre Cureton, reports Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter links). Goodin, a former Giant, was waived earlier in the offseason by New York with an injury settlement.
- The Jets have swapped one defender for another, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who tweets that the club signed defensive back LeQuan Lewis and cut linebacker Tim Fugger. Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Lewis, who ran a 4.36 40-yard dash during his tryout, received a two-year contract from the Jets.
Extra Points: Giants, Bryant, Cowboys
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is leading a new-look Giants secondary but he believes that the gelling process won’t be too arduous, writes George Willis of the New York Post. “When you’ve got a whole bunch of older guys, it can (come quickly) because you’ve been around the league and you understand the game,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “When you’re young it takes time. But with Walt coming over, with me and Antrel having already been here with Prince and Steve, I think it’s been smooth.” More from around the NFL..
- Former Ravens outside linebacker D.J. Bryant tried out for the Titans today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Bryant, who spent last season on injured reserve with a torn ACL, wasn’t immediately signed to a contract. The athletic 6’3″, 240-pound linebacker who was an All-Colonial Athletic Conference selection as a defensive end at James Madison.
- A scout who studied new Cowboys cornerback Justin Green described him as someone who is “tough, physical, and competes,” tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Green, the source added, has above average movement skills and is a back-end guy with special teams value.” In short, Dallas will still miss Orlando Scandrick, but Green can be a solid depth pickup.
- New Browns quarterback Rex Grossman is happy to be reunited with long-time offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, writes Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer. “I just want to help this team win, no matter if it’s going out there playing or helping or just being somebody they can rely on that can go in the game and play or whatever it is,” said Grossman, who will be charged with breaking down the offensive system to his younger teammates.
- The CFL’s Montreal Alouettes officially announced that Jeff Garcia has been named the team’s quarterbacks coach.
NFC East Notes: Scandrick, Giants, Redskins
In the wake of the four-game suspension handed out to his client, Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick, agent Ron Slavin of BTI Sports Advisors issued a statement suggesting that if the proposed agreement related to HGH testing had been instituted by now, it would significantly reduce the number of PED suspensions (Twitter link via Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports). A number of drugs that currently fall under the PED umbrella would instead be tested under the substance abuse policy under that proposal, and first-time substance-abuse violations typically result in counselling and treatment rather than immediate suspensions.
Let’s round up a few more items on Scandrick and on some other NFC East clubs and players….
- Scandrick’s positive test came as a result of the recreational drug MDMA being found in his system following a vacation to Mexico, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Jay Glazer of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter) that MDMA on its own should be subject to the substance abuse policy, but the drug can sometimes be laced with amphetamines, which likely resulted in the PED classification.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap notes that the timing of the suspension was actually somewhat fortuitous for Scandrick, since he restructured his contract with the Cowboys in the offseason to reduce his base salary. By converting a portion of his 2014 salary to a signing bonus, Scandrick will only lose out on about $847K in salary, rather than around $1.55MM.
- With David Wilson forced into retirement and Andre Brown back on the free agent market, a reunion between Brown and the Giants may seem logical, but Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that the Giants seem comfortable with the running backs on their roster, and don’t appear to have interest in Brown at this point.
- Redskins GM Bruce Allen confirmed today to reporters, including Jason Reid of the Washington Post (Twitter link), that his team only has about $2MM in cap space. Cap-clearing moves will likely be necessary for the club before the start of the regular season, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com.
- Mike Jones of the Washington Post fields a few Redskins-related questions in his latest mailbag.
Orlando Scandrick Suspended Four Games
Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick will be suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season, owner Jerry Jones told reporters (via a tweet from Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Jones clarified that the 27-year-old will be suspended for PEDs (via Williams’ Twitter). Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer talked to Scandrick (Twitter link), and the player attributed the positive test to something he took in Mexico. However, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter) that Scandrick will be suspended for a recreational drug, not a supplement.
A fifth-round pick in 2008, Scandrick has established himself as one of the team’s premier defensive players. He finished 2013 with career-highs in tackles (64), passes defended (12) and interceptions (two). Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) ranked Scandrick as the Cowboys’ fourth-best defensive player last season, and he also finished as a top-2o pass-coverage cornerback.
Scandrick’s absence will certainly hurt a defensive unit that was among the league’s worst in 2013. ESPNDallas.com’s Calvin Watkins tweets that the team’s likely starting cornerbacks are Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr. The duo was solid last season, but it’s unreasonable to expect them to match Scandrick’s presence in the secondary.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at how much the suspension will cost Scandrick. The cornerback will forfeit $670,882 of his signing bonus and $176,471 of his base salary. As Fitzgerald notes, the player’s contract restructuring in March actually helped the player. Had the team not converted $3.375MM of his base salary into a signing bonus, Scandrick would have had to forfeit an additional $700K.
Minor Moves: Monday
Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- In addition to releasing Andre Brown, the Texans have also cut running backs Dennis Johnson (via tweet from ESPN’s Tania Ganguli) and Tim Cornett (via tweet from Fox Houston’s Mark Berman).
- The Texans have added a running back, as ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that the team has added William Powell on a two-year deal.
- Former Redskins cornerback Peyton Thompson has cleared waivers and is now a free agent, tweets Zac Boyer of The Washington Times.
Earlier updates:
- According to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), tight end Richard Quinn has been placed on the Saints‘ reserve-retired list, so it appears the former second-round pick has elected to end his playing career.
- Wide receiver Quintin Payton was cut by the Lions today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The move clears a spot for new wideout Conner Vernon, who Detroit claimed off waivers from the Bengals, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
- The Chiefs have signed safety Jonathon Amaya, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Per a series of tweets from Wilson and ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson, the following players have cleared waivers and been placed on their respective teams’ IR lists: Ben Malena (Cowboys), Daniel Adongo (Colts), Jeris Pendleton (Colts), Dezman Moses (Chiefs), Alvin Scioneaux (Chargers), Mike Taylor (Seahawks), and Chuck Jacobs (49ers).
- Less than a week after signing him, the Browns have waived tight end Kyle Auffray, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- Tight end Brad Smelley, who was on the Rams‘ roster briefly at the end of last season, has been re-signed to take the place of Mason Brodine, who sustained a fractured ankle (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner).
- As the Dolphins explore the free agent market for quarterbacks, they parted ways with one of their undrafted rookies, former North Dakota State signal-caller Brock Jensen (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). With the open roster spot, the club re-added running back Cameron Marshall.
- The Colts have signed defensive end Gannon Conway, cutting offensive lineman Eric Pike to make room on the roster, tweets assistant director of communications Matt Conti.
- Running back Jawan Jamison has been waived by the Steelers, according to the team’s PR man Burt Lauten (on Twitter).
- With the empty 90th spot on the roster, the Cowboys will sign Australian punter Tom Hornsey, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Incumbent punter Chris Jones ranked in the league’s top ten last season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and has had a solid camp, so Hornsey seems unlikely to make the team.
East Notes: Philbin, Bills, Donnell
Following the recent suspension of starting safety Reshad Jones–the second significant Dolphins defender to test positive for a banned substance this summer–head coach Joe Philbin broke character and was visibly frustrated with the poor choices made by certain members of his club, writes Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. Philbin will now be without Jones and Dion Jordan for the first four games of the season, which thins out Philbin’s defensive rotations in the secondary and defensive line and further destabilizes a defense that looked shaky in the team’s first preseason game against Atlanta even with Jones and Jordan on the field. Look for Jimmy Wilson, who performed well as Miami’s nickel corner last season, to replace Jones and for Jamar Taylor to temporarily become the team’s No. 3 corner.
Now some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Mike Ozanian of Forbes.com writes that all bids to buy the Bills have been below $1 billion, which Ozanian calls an “embarrassment” for the NFL and the investment bank hired to sell the club.
- Although Jets‘ head coach Rex Ryan did not dismiss the possibility of using Michael Vick in a change-of-pace (read: Wildcat) role, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com believes Ryan was merely engaging in some gamesmanship. The risk of injury to Vick, Cimini believes, would be too great.
- After his strong performance in the Cowboys‘ first preseason game against San Diego, Kenneth Boatright might be working his way onto the team’s 53-man roster, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
- Larry Donnell, who took was on the field for 25 of the Giants‘ 26 first-half offensive snaps in Saturday’s preseason contest against Pittsburgh, appears to be leading New York’s tight end competition, says Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
- Giants‘ quarterback Eli Manning threw just two passes in the team’s four offensive drives on Saturday–completing neither–because New York’s offensive line has not yet earned the trust of new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. In a separate piece, Raanan points out that the starting offensive line, which was retooled after a disappointing 2013, stayed on the field after Manning was removed from the game.
- Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Eagles‘ rookie receiver Jordan Matthews disappointed in Friday’s preseason opener against Chicago, while backup QB Mark Sanchez impressed. Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com concurs and provides a position-by-position breakdown of the team’s offensive performance.
Minor Moves: Saturday
You can find Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL below, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening….
- The Falcons have signed linebacker Darin Drakeford, according to the team’s official Twitter account. The team waived kicker Sergio Castillo to make room for the signing.
- The Cowboys will place running back Ben Malena on the waived/injured list, reports Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The team then signed running back D.J. Adams, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The Cowboys also released punter Cody Mandell and will look to sign a kicker to replace him, reports Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
- The Redskins have signed safety Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Smith is the younger brother of former fullback Terrelle Smith and is cousins with both the Cardinals’ corner Antonio Cromartie and Giants’ corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The team waived cornerback Peyton Thompson to make room for Smith, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter).
- The Bengals have announced that they have signed quarterback Tyler Wilson, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Wilson was recently waived by the Titans, reports Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- The Chargers announced they have signed linebacker Victor Aiyewa to replace Alvin Scioneaux, who suffered a torn ACL. Aiyewa, 25, saw limited action in five games for the Packers last season. Scioneaux, an undrafted free agent from Wofford, will be placed on IR if he clears waivers.
- The 49ers have waived injured receiver Chuck Jacobs (ACL), and signed receiver Lance Lewis (Twitter link). Lewis went undrafted out of East Carolina in 2012. He appeared in three games for the Redskins last year, and was released by the Cowboys in May.
- The Chiefs waived Dezman Moses, a third-year linebacker, and replaced him with linebacker Devan Walker, a Southeast Louisiana product who was waived with an injury settlement by the Chargers before last season (Twitter link).
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
NFC East Notes: Thurmond, Eagles, Cowboys
When asked about the most impressive player he’s seen in Giants camp, ESPN’s Dan Graziano identified cornerback Walter Thurmond, saying the free-agent acquisition has been “making life miserable for slot receiver Victor Cruz in practice. Thurmond could be a difference-maker at that nickel corner position for the Giants this year.” Thurmond, 26, signed a one-year, $3MM deal in March, at which time ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former director of pro personnel for the Eagles, lauded the signing as a potential steal: “If he can stay healthy and out of trouble, it’s a tremendous value signing. . .He’s a dynamite press corner, who is as good with his technique as [Seattle’s] Byron Maxwell, as [Seattle’s] Richard Sherman. Walter is very good. He can play in the nickel because he’s big enough, because he can tackle, because he’s a good blitzer. And he can play on the outside. Not only can he press, he can play them all.”
The numbers back up Riddick’s assessment. Despite starting just three of 12 games played last season for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, Thurmond tallied 24 tackles, six pass breakups, an interception (29-yard TD) and a forced fumble. Additionally, his 5.7 coverage rating was higher than teammate Brandon Browner, who signed for three years and $16.8MM in New England.
So why did the Giants land such a good player at such an affordable deal? He’s been plagued by injuries since entering the league, and was popped for a four-game suspension last season for violating the substance-abuse policy. Nevertheless, he brings supreme confidence to the Giants secondary. In April Thurmond proclaimed himself the best slot corner in the league. By July, he was drawing praise from teammates and coaches, including head man Tom Coughlin, who likes Thurmond’s attitude. Now, a week into August, he’s established himself as the ‘Quiet Assassin.”
Here’s a few more NFC East links:
- Eagles rookie receiver Jordan Matthews had a pair of drops in an “inconsistent” pro debut last night, according to PhillyMag.com’s Tim McManus.
- On the flip side, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was impressed by a defensive rookie. “I thought Beau Allen was a disruptive force out there,” Kelly told PhillyMag.com’s Sheil Kapadia.
- With DeMarco Murray and Lance Dunbar sitting out, Joseph Randle was a bright spot for the Cowboys, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.
- Cowboys.com analyst Bryan Broaddus broke down the tape from the first preseason game and posted his observations. Among them, he praised the offensive line, as well as second-year receiver Terrance Williams, who is rapidly becoming a complete receiver.
- With DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon sitting out, Aldrick Robinson took advantage of an opportunity in the Redskins’ first preseason game. “Aldrick Robinson, he just continues to make play after play after play,” head coach Jay Gruden told CSN Washington’s JP Finlay after the game. Robinson could be a breakout candidate in his third season, but he’ll have to earn targets since the team added Jackson and Andre Roberts in the offseason to go along with Garcon and veteran Santana Moss. Additionally, rookie Ryan Grant has been impressive early in camp.