Minor Moves: Saturday
Here are today’s minor transactions. We’ll update the list throughout the day, with the most recent moves added to the top…
- The Seahawks have added offensive lineman Andrew McDonald to their practice squad, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). The team released defensive lineman Jimmy Staten to make room.
- The Chiefs have placed receiver A.J. Jenkins on the injured reserve, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The team signed former Panther and Eagle Jason Avant to replace Jenkins, who has had nine catches this season.
Earlier Updates
- The Chargers have signed offensive lineman Ryan Miller to their active roster from the practice squad, reports Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter). Chargers’ center Rich Ohrnberger is injured and might not play on Sunday. The team has waived cornerback Richard Crawford in order to make room for Miller (via Twitter).
- With Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman out this week, the Broncos have promoted running back Jeremy Stewart from the practice squad, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The team waived running back Kapri Bibbs to make room for Stewart.
- The Patriots have signed Casey Walker to their practice squad, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). The team waived the defensive tackle to make room for LeGarrette Blount, but were able to bring him back after Walker cleared waivers.
- With only two runnings back on the roster, the Colts have promoted Zurlon Tipton from their practice squad, reports Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, the team waived receiver/returner Griff Whalen.
- The Cowboys have promoted cornerback Micah Pellerin and released defensive tackle Davon Coleman, reports ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (via Twitter). Coleman has compiled three tackles this season after joining Dallas as an undrafted free agent.
AFC Notes: Hoyer, Woodson, Broncos, Colts
Just when we thought we were getting a clearer sense of what the playoff picture in the AFC would look like, the 7-3 Chiefs got knocked off by the 0-10 Raiders last night, clearing a path for the Broncos to reclaim the West division and opening the door for a handful of other contenders to push Kansas City for a Wild Card spot. As we look forward to seeing what other surprises this weekend’s games bring, let’s check in on the latest out of the AFC….
- It remains to be seen what kind of contract Brian Hoyer will land in the offseason when he becomes eligible for free agency, but it looks as if he’ll be in for a modest payday before then. As Jeremy Fowler and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com detail, Hoyer will earn more than $2MM in incentives if he handles 70% of the Browns‘ offensive snaps this year, which he’ll do assuming he’s not injured or benched in the next couple weeks.
- Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter links), veteran defensive back Charles Woodson said he has no regrets about re-signing with the Raiders this year and hopes to play at least one more season beyond 2014.
- With Ronnie Hillman still sidelined, don’t be surprised if the Broncos promote running back Jeremy Stewart off the practice squad this weekend, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today. Stewart would be the club’s No. 3 back on Sunday ahead of Kapri Bibbs.
- Elevating a running back to the active roster is also a possibility for the Colts, according to head coach Chuck Pagano, who told reporters today that Zurlon Tipton could be promoted from the practice squad (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of RTV6).
- At 2-8, the Jets have no hope of reaching the postseason this year, but there are plenty of questions that must be answered down the stretch, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Besides the much-discussed fates of Rex Ryan and John Idzik, Cimini points to the quarterback position, free-agents-to-be, and in-season acquisition Percy Harvin as things to keep an eye on.
AFC Notes: Blount, Browns, Titans, Thomas
LeGarrette Blount, the newest member of the Patriots, took to Twitter earlier this evening to thank the Steelers. “I would like to thank the Pittsburgh Steelers organization, Mr Rooney, Kevin Colbert, Coach Tomlin and Coach Sax for the opportunity and experience they provided me. I would also like to apologize to them and my teammates and fans for how things ended. I made a poor decision that I will definitely grow from. I wish the Steelers, my former teammates and Steeler Nation nothing but the best,” Blount wrote.
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com revisited the draft day blockbuster between the Browns and Falcons that sent the No. 6 pick (Julio Jones) to Atlanta. The Browns have many regrets for their part in the trade. The Browns turned that selection into defensive tackle Phil Taylor, wide receiver Greg Little, fullback Owen Marecic, and quarterback Brandon Weeden. The deal also gave them an extra fourth-round pick which they used to deal for Trent Richardson. Needless to say, Cleveland would probably like a re-do.
- Titans linebacker Avery Williamson, taken in the fifth round of this year’s draft, is looking like an absolute steal, writes The Associated Press. Williamson has seen a ton of playing time for Tennessee this year and earlier this week he sacked Ben Roethlisberger twice.
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com believes that the Broncos won’t let Demaryius Thomas get away in free agency. Tight end Julius Thomas is also a priority, but perhaps not as high up on the list.
Talks Stall Between Broncos, Chris Harris
Contract extension talks between the Broncos and cornerback Chris Harris have “stalled a bit,” an NFL source tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson (via Twitter). The source went on to tell Anderson that the last communication between the two sides took place about a week ago.
Earlier this month it was reported that Denver was discussing a new deal with their star cornerback, who is set to hit the open market following the season. While he might not be garnering as much attention as fellow pending free agents Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas, Harris has become an integral part of the Broncos’ defense and has established himself as one of the league’s top-end cornerbacks.
Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required) actually cast Harris as the NFL’s best cornerback in 2014, with a +17.3 cumulative rating. Quarterbacks have tried the 25-year-old 54 times this season but have connected just 26 times. In total, Harris has surrendered 193 yards and zero touchdowns. PFF’s ratings aren’t nearly as fond of Joe Haden (No. 47) and Patrick Peterson (No. 85), both of whom recently signed hefty contract extensions with their respective clubs. Peterson’s July deal, a five-year, $70MM pact, made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
Harris, who suffered a torn ACL in 2013, is earning just $2.187MM this season. Needless to say, he’s in line for a significant pay bump.
Extra Points: Raiders, Panthers, Seahawks
Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group assessed the Raiders‘ free agent class and the overall picture isn’t pretty. McDonald gives GM Reggie McKenzie credit for pleasant surprise Donald Penn, who has been solid on the offensive line, but many of their signings have backfired. Maurice Jones-Drew (three-year, $7.5MM deal) and LaMarr Woodley (two-year, $10.3MM deal) seem like particularly bad signings at this time. More from around the NFL..
- Embattled Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy might be “too toxic” to net a big contract in free agency, former agent Joel Corry tells Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer.
- With today’s moves, the Seahawks have now had 66 different players on their 53-man roster this season, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter) notes. All of last season, Seattle had just 65 players pass through their active roster.
- The Broncos worked out former Eagles cornerback Curtis Marsh today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter) adds that Denver also auditioned tackle Chris Faulk.
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.
North Notes: Steelers, Tate, Peterson
Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com reported earlier today (via Twitter) that someone on the Steelers staff called someone with the Browns to ask about Ben Tate‘s release, but Scott Brown of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that Pittsburgh has no interest in picking up Tate to replace LeGarrette Blount. More out of the North divisions..
- A source tells Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (on Twitter) that Adrian Peterson‘s future with the Vikings beyond this year will be a decision left up to GM Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer.
- Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Packers worked out four players today: tight end Travis Beckum, tight end Michael Egnew, linebacker Jerrell Harris, and guard Rishaw Johnson.
- The Bengals signed linebacker Terrell Manning to the practice squad earlier today, but they also auditioned fellow linebackers L.J. Fort and Jake Knott, according to ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey (on Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Injury Updates: Sunday
There were a number of notable injuries today, and PFR’s Dallas Robinson already updated us on some ailing NFC players (Max Unger, Trent Williams and Rafael Bush). Let’s check out the latest on others who were hurt today, as well as a notable NCAA player whose season ended yesterday…
- Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has bruised ribs with possible cartilage damage, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. However, the writer notes that there is no fracture or lung injury.
- Chargers nose tackle Ryan Carrethers dislocated his elbow on Sunday, tweets Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego. He is expected to play through the injury and shouldn’t miss a game.
- Colts tight end Dwayne Allen left Sunday’s game with the assistance of a cart, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Allen injured his right ankle and will miss the rest of the game, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
- Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw left Sunday night’s game in the fourth quarter, and Mike Chappell of RTV6 tweets that the running back will be taken for x-rays on his left ankle.
Earlier updates:
- Georgia running back Todd Gurley suffered a torn ACL in his first game back from suspension, according to Seth Emerson of Macon.com, and the writer notes that Gurley’s college career is likely finished. Regardless, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets that “NFL folks” still believe the running back will be a first-round pick.
- Broncos tight end Julius Thomas suffered a sprained ankle in today’s game, according to NFL.com’ Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). He is set to have an MRI on Monday.
- Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will undergo an MRI on Monday to check out the seriousness of his right MCL injury, writes ESPN’s Ed Werder.
Broncos Expect Manning To Play In 2015
The Broncos expect quarterback Peyton Manning to hold off on retiring for at least one more season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (link via Rapoport’s colleague Connor Orr), who says that Denver thinks the future Hall of Famer will play in 2015. Manning, who will be 39 when next season gets underway, could hang it up if the Broncos win the Super Bowl, however.
Per Rapoport, Manning is intent on holding all of the NFL’s passing records before he retires. He recently broke the Brett Favre’s mark for career touchdown passes, but he’s still second to Favre in career passing yards. Manning needs roughly 4,000 more yards to pass the ex-Packer, meaning he could likely break the record at some point in 2015. He also trails Favre in completions, and would need to complete in excess of 500 more passes to surpass Favre. Additionally, Manning isn’t No. 1 in marks like quarterback rating or completion percentage, but he’s probably more interested in accruing counting totals than rate stats.
Manning’s decision will obviously impact the Broncos’ offseason plans — the club attacked free agency earlier this year, adding veterans such as DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, and Emmanuel Sanders as it geared up for at least one more Super Bowl with Manning at the helm. With more than $31MM available in 2015 cap space, Denver would likely take a similar approach next March if Manning decides to play. Of course, Denver will need to retain two of Mannings’ top weapons, Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas, but the team would probably use free agency to bolster its roster, especially its linebacking unit and its offensive line.
Manning is in the third year of a five-year, $96MM contract he signed with the Broncos prior to the 2012 season. Neither his ’15 or ’16 base salary is guaranteed, but he’ll obviously earn those salaries as long as he opts to keep playing.
Saints Not Guilty Of Roster Impropriety
3:36pm: The NFL has issued a statement clearing the Saints (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk): “The Saints have been in compliance with league rules with regard to this situation.”
10:00am: The Saints are under investigation for possible rules infractions concerning linebacker Todd Davis, writes ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Citing unnamed sources, Schefter says that the Saints, who waived Davis on Wednesday of last week, planned to sign him back to their practice squad, so they kept him in team meetings at their training facility on Thursday. The Broncos, meanwhile, claimed Davis on Thursday after putting Nate Irving on IR.
Denver wanted to bring Davis in to practice with the team on Friday but could not reach him because he was in meetings in New Orleans. Davis ultimately met with the Broncos in St. Louis on Saturday, but by that time the NFL had already begun looking into the matter. If the Saints are found to have engaged in any sort of impropriety, which a team official denies, they could face a hefty fine. For a team that has already been in trouble with the league for a much more serious matter, illegal roster gamesmanship for a borderline NFL player would seem particularly foolish.