Extra Points: Nkemdiche, Henry, McCarthy, Kelly
Consensus top-10 pick Robert Nkemdiche remains in stable condition after a fall from a hotel room window in Atlanta, David Ching of ESPN.com reports.
Reports varied over the nature of the Ole Miss junior defensive lineman’s fall, with this tweet indicating the Atlanta police said Nkemdiche fell from a fourth-floor window. But according to Ching’s report, police indicated this was a one-story fall of approximately 15 feet.
Per Ching, Nkemdiche appeared to have broken the window, climbed over another wall before falling to the ground. A small amount of “suspected marijuana” was present inside the room.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report projects Nkemdiche to go fourth in the 2016 draft, and Mel Kiper Jr. lists the former No. 1 overall recruit as his No. 5 prospect.
Here are some additional news items on draft prospects and other news from around the league.
- Character issues are affecting Nkemdiche’s perception among NFL decision-makers, Miller reports (video link). Miller, however, cautions that demoting character risks can be costly, considering Justin Houston and Tyrann Mathieu‘s rapid rises.
- Alabama running back Derrick Henry won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player, but that doesn’t automatically mean he will be a high draft pick, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. He spoke with former scout Dan Hatman, who has Henry rated between his 100th and 150th best prospect, citing his reliance on blocking, poor change of direction, and a heavy college workload as reasons to be wary of overrating the top college running back.
- Mike McCarthy notified associate head coach Tom Clements on Monday he’d be reassuming control of calling the Packers‘ plays, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. The 10th-year Packers coach was following the advice of others in the organization urging him to do so, but McCarthy demurred initially because of fear it would make Clements and offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett look bad, Demovsky notes. Entering Sunday’s game, the Packers ranked 22nd in offense and 26th in third-down conversions. They rushed for 230 yards against the Cowboys. Clements last called plays for the Drew Bledsoe-era Bills in the mid-2000s. “The personal part of it was brutal,” McCarthy told media regarding Clements’ demotion. “Professionally, I felt like I had to do it. I was worried about making sure I was going to do my job good.”
- Chip Kelly denied calling LeSean McCoy this week, an alleged phone call that resulted in the former Eagles running back hanging up on his ex-coach. “When people want to make up false stories about me calling people up during the week and them hanging up on me – people (are) trying to get Twitter hits or things like that and make themselves significant,” Kelly told media. The Philadelphia Inquirer stands by the story, the Inquirer’s Jeff McLane writes. Kelly attempted to call McCoy after news of the trade with the Bills in March, however.
- Gus Bradley‘s job should be safe after the Jaguars‘ 51-16 thrashing of the Colts, O’Halloran writes. O’Halloran believes Bradley was on thin ice prior to this performance, but notching his fifth victory and first over the Colts puts the former Seahawks DC on firm ground in O’Halloran’s mind.
- A 2011 loss in Jacksonville prompted Jim Irsay to fire Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell, and Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star wonders if the Colts‘ owner’s reached his decision to fire Chuck Pagano after allowing the 5-8 Jaguars to put up 51 points. In his contract’s final year, Pagano seems a pretty safe bet for a Black Monday headline.
- Next week’s must-win for the Colts could feature career backup Charlie Whitehurst at quarterback, Kevin Bowen of Colts.com writes. With Andrew Luck throwing but not yet practicing and Matt Hasselbeck exiting Sunday’s rout early, next week’s Colts-Texans game could double as Whitehurst’s second-biggest career start, after the infamous Week 17 2010 game that clinched the 7-9 Seahawks’ playoff berth. The 33-year-old Whitehurst has made nine career starts, including five last season with the Titans.
Rob Dire contributed to this report.
Mort & Schefter: Manziel, Hasselbeck, Martin
When Johnny Manziel takes the field for the Browns on Sunday, he won’t just be auditioning for Cleveland – he’ll be showing his stuff to every team who could want a QB in 2016, Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com write. One prominent team executive tells the ESPN duo that he’s not optimistic about the impression Manziel can make on the Browns’ front office given the cast around him.
“He would almost have to be spectacular and the Browns win games we don’t expect them to win. And even then, to what extent has [Manziel] burned bridges there where no matter what he does, either the present regime or the next regime will still be looking for another guy?” the executive said.
Here’s more from their column:
- Two GMs say that if 40-year-old Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has the desire to play another season, he will have an opportunity to be one of the more valued free agents on the open market. Hasselbeck obviously isn’t going to get a $100MM deal, but a deal paying him as much as $5MM to serve as a backup for a contender makes sense. One GM even suggested it was short-sighted to look at Hasselbeck as simply a mentor for a team with a young quarterback. He said Hasselbeck also would be ideal for an established quarterback who is going through a coordinator change.
- Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, and Alabama running back Derrick Henry are this year’s frontrunners for the Heisman trophy and the ESPN duo spoke with NFL personnel people to get their evaluations of their NFL futures. Henry, who will be eligible for the 2016 draft, has drawn comparisons to Eddie George (though perhaps without the same upside) and one exec sees him as a top 20 pick. Watson and McCaffrey both have upside as well, but they will not be eligible until 2017.
- It would not be surprising to see Mark Ingram‘s deal serve as a model for Doug Martin‘s before free agency this winter, Mort and Schef write. After seeing his fifth-year option declined, Ingram inked a four-year, $16MM deal with the Saints last offseason that included $7.6MM guaranteed. Now in a similar spot, the Bucs have made it known that they want to retain Martin.
Workout Notes: Steelers, Bucs, Colts, Browns
British rugby player Tom Burgess has continued his wave of tryouts for NFL clubs, per Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that Burgess worked out for the Steelers today. Burgess, who’s also auditioned for the Giants, Jets, and Bills, could be line for a futures contract at the end of the season, following in the footsteps of fellow international star Jarryd Hayne.
Here’s at look at the rest of today’s workouts as clubs seek to get a feel for available free agents and update their emergency lists:
- The Buccaneers worked out several players today, including linebacker Willie Jefferson, cornerback Garry Peters, defensive end Nordly Capi, and cornerback De’Vante Bausby, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Peters, a Clemson alum, was a favorite UDFA of several draftniks this spring.
- Running back Daniel Thomas is searching for new opportunity after being released by the Bears earlier in the year, and he earned a tryout with the Colts today, per Wilson (on Twitter). Thomas, whose most notable time came with the Dolphins, could be an option for Indianapolis, who is looking to replace the injured Ahmad Bradshaw.
- The Browns brought in three players for an audition, says Wilson (via Twitter), who reports that receivers R.J. Harris and Marcus Lucas, plus safety Phillip Thomas, worked out for Cleveland. A fourth player involved in the tryout — defensive back Tim Scott — was signed to the club’s practice squad yesterday.
- A large group of receivers worked out for the Seahawks, including Rashaad Carter, Desmond Lawrence, Jordan Leslie, Colin Lockett, and Larry Pinkard, in addition to quarterback Dustin Vaughan, per Wilson (Twitter link).
- The Bears visited with receiver Kyle Prater, who was a Saints UDFA out of Northwestern earlier this year, according to Wilson (Twitter link). Prater, 23, was named the No. 1 receiver of the 2010 recruiting class.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/8/15
Here are today’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Terrance Parks (Twitter link via team)
- Cut: CB T.J. Heath
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Harold Spears (press release via team)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: QB Matt Blanchard (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
- Cut: QB Justin Worley
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Chris Lewis-Harris (Twitter link via Coley Harvey of ESPN.com)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Connor Hamlett, DB Tim Scott (press release via team)
- Cut: DB Kendall James
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Cameron Jefferson (press release via team)
- Cut: T Antonio Johnson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Jamel Johnson (Twitter link via Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com), RB Ross Scheuerman (Twitter link via the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson)
- Cut: DB Kyle Sebetic
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Tony Washington (Twitter link via Wilson)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Edwin Jackson (press release via team)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Sean Porter (Twitter link via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Terrance Plummer (press release via team)
New England Patriots
- Cut: TE Joseph Fauria (Twitter link via ESPN’s Mike Reiss)
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Leon McFadden and OT Jake Rodgers (Twitter link via James Kratch of NJ Advance Media)
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Brandon Bostick (Twitter link via team)
Seattle Seahawks
- To be signed: WR Antwan Goodley (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com)
- Cut: WR DeShon Foxx (Twitter link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta)
Workout Notes: 12/8/15
There were a plethora of workouts around the NFL today. Here they are:
- The Broncos worked out 17 players, all defenders. The full list comes courtesy of Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio:
- DB Stevie Brown
- LB Deron Bruce
- DB Deveron Carr
- DB Chris Clemons
- DT Davon Coleman
- LB Henry Coley
- LB Aaron Davis
- DE Ray Drew
- LB Adrian Hubbard
- DT Kamal Johnson
- DB Antoine Lewis
- DB B.J. Lowery
- DB Mike McMillan
- DB Jeromy Miles
- LB Kevin Snyder
- DB Schon Thomas
- DB Tyrequek Zimmerman
- In addition to receiver Danario Alexander, the Bears worked out quarterback Zac Dysert, wideouts Issac Blakeney, Miles Gooch, Jeremy Kelley and J.J. Worton, and running back Trey Millard (Twitter links via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune).
- The Texans worked out linebackers Eric Martin and Tony Washington, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Colts auditioned wideout DeAndre Carter, defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin, and running back LaDarius Perkins and Daryl Richardson, Wilson tweets.
- The Jaguars worked out linebackers Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Mike Mohamed and Sean Porter, and running backs Jerome Smith and Jahwan Edwards (Twitter links via Wilson and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)
- The Packers worked out running backs Bronson HIll and Ross Scheuerman (Twitter link via Wilson).
- The Jets tried out linebacker Glenn Carson, offensive tackle Sean Hickey, tight end Marcel Jensen, guard Cole Manhardt and defensive back Robert Nelson, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports (on Twitter).
- The Giants worked out long snappers Andrew East and Tyler Ott before signing Danny Aiken, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/15
We’ll track all of Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Dolphins have re-signed tight end Brandon Williams to their active roster, waiving safety Jordan Kovacs in a corresponding move, the team announced today (Twitter links). Miami also opened up another roster spot by placing defensive tackle Robert Thomas on the injured reserve list.
- Jets defensive end Mike Catapano has landed on IR due to a foot injury, with safety Ronald Martin getting the promotion from the practice squad to take his spot on the roster, the Jets announced today (via Twitter).
- The Chiefs are signing offensive lineman Jarrod Pughsley from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. The corresponding move to make room for Pughsley isn’t yet known.
- The Falcons have released defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli from their injured reserve list, the team announced today (via Twitter). He’ll become a free agent if he clears waivers.
Earlier updates:
- In the wake of Nick Boyle‘s suspension, and with Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams both battling injuries, the Ravens have added two tight ends to their roster. According to a press release, the club has promoted Konrad Reuland from its practice squad and signed veteran free agent Richard Gordon. Boyle was moved to the reserve/suspended list and cornerback Cassius Vaughn was cut to create space on the roster.
- The Bills have also made a change at the tight end position, promoting Nick O’Leary from the practice squad and cutting veteran Matthew Mulligan, the team announced today. Mulligan had played a role this season for the Bills as a blocker and special-teamer, making the move a little surprising. Joe Buscaglia of WKBW wonders (via Twitter) if another team – perhaps the Ravens? – showed interest in O’Leary, prompting Buffalo to protect him.
- The Eagles have signed outside linebacker Steven Means from the Texans‘ practice squad, the club announced today (via Twitter). Means will take over the roster spot vacated by Miles Austin, who was released on Monday.
- With a Thursday night showdown against Arizona around the corner, the Vikings have made a handful of roster moves, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed safety Shaun Prater and elevated safety Anthony Harris from the practice squad. To make room for the incoming defensive backs, Minnesota placed safety Antone Exum on injured reserve and waived defensive end Justin Trattou.
- The Colts are adding some depth at the linebacker spot by promoting linebacker Amarlo Herrera to their active roster, a source tells Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Jerrell Freeman and Nate Irving are banged up for Indianapolis.
- The Browns have re-signed offensive lineman Darrian Miller to their 53-man roster just three days after cutting him, placing fullback Malcolm Johnson on injured reserve in a corresponding move, per a team release.
Colts Place Nate Irving On IR
The Colts have confirmed the previously-reported promotion of tight end Amarlo Herrera to the 53-man roster, and that move is just one a handful of transactions completed by the team today. According to a press release, the club has also signed free agent cornerback Jalil Brown, placing linebacker Nate Irving on injured reserve and cutting cornerback Josh Thomas to create the necessary space on the roster.
Irving, 27, is perhaps the most notable player included in this series of moves, though he hadn’t carved out a significant role for the Colts this season. After starting eight games and recording 46 tackles for the Broncos in 2014, Irving started just twice for Indianapolis this season, compiling 13 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. The former third-round pick inked a three-year contract with the Colts, but the team could create $2.25MM in cap savings by releasing him this offseason, which looks like a possibility.
Brown, meanwhile, has been off and on the Colts’ roster over the last couple seasons, having started three games for the team earlier this year. He takes the roster spot vacated by the little-used Thomas, who was inactive during his last game with Indianapolis.
Cole’s Latest: Coughlin, Pagano, Chargers, Rams
Earlier today, we rounded up several items related to head coaches whose jobs may be in jeopardy as the season nears an end. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has provided a few updates on that topic as well, discussing a couple of the coaches we mentioned earlier, as well as a couple others. Here’s the latest:
- The Giants aren’t likely to fire head coach Tom Coughlin before the end of the season, but they certainly could consider at after the season if they miss the playoffs, says Cole (video link). However, Cole cautions that the franchise has very specific qualifications in mind for its head coach, including a proven ability to deal with the pressure and attention that comes with working in New York. If the Giants don’t have strong potential candidates in mind that fit that bill, they may think twice about letting go of Coughlin.
- The Colts’ defense allowed the Steelers to put up 45 points on Sunday, just over a year after letting Pittsburgh score 51 on them. That sort of repeat performance is a bad sign and could spark major changes for the team, according to Cole (video link). Although Cole suggests that Chuck Pagano is back on the hot seat, I’d expect the club to wait and see how the season finishes before making any decisions there — a playoff berth and a postseason win or two would make it a tough call. If Indianapolis misses the playoffs, it’s much harder to imagine Pagano keeping his job.
- While Chargers head coach Mike McCoy and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher are both on the hot seat in their respective cities, there’s a scenario in which one or both coaches could keep their jobs for another year or two. As Cole explains (video link), the transition period if either of those franchises moves to Los Angeles in 2016 will be a rocky one, with the new L.A. team(s) playing in a temporary stadium for a couple seasons. As such, those clubs may be more inclined to hang onto their current coaches, perhaps putting off a change in a year or two and then making a new hire as excitement for that new stadium starts to build. I’m not sure I buy that theory, for a number of reasons, and Cole himself acknowledges that it’s one possible outcome, but perhaps not the most likely one.
East Notes: Kelly, McDaniels, Coughlin
Just a week after Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was said to be “despondent” and “mulling all options” on the heels of back-t0-back blowout losses, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the head coach is likely to return to the Philadelphia sidelines in 2016. Owner Jeffrey Lurie remains a staunch Kelly supporter, even though he is aware of some dissension in the locker room, and per La Canfora, Lurie “did not hand Kelly total control to the roster a few months ago to consider launching a new search for a coach and GM now.” Although it is not inconceivable that Kelly could return to the college ranks in 2016, those vacancies are filling up quickly and team officials would be shocked if Kelly left the Eagles before completing his fourth season with the club.
- Although Kelly surely appreciates Lurie’s loyalty, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if Kelly himself is too loyal to under-performing players. During Kelly’s tenure with the Eagles, he has never released or benched a player for poor performance, and McLane thinks certain members of the club may have become complacent.
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is once again a hot head coaching candidate, and La Canfora writes that he is open to speaking with teams this offseason. Of course, given McDaniels’ disastrous stint in Denver, he would only go to a team that has a strong organizational structure from ownership down, since another failed tenure would likely spell the end of his head coaching opportunities. Many clubs are enamored with McDaniels’ offensive mind and ability to extract a great deal of production from an offense that has to continually reinvent itself, and McDaniels is viewed as the closest thing to a Belichick clone to emerge from the Belichick coaching tree.
- If McDaniels is to leave the Patriots, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe sees the Lions as the most likely landing spot, given that the team has a good young quarterback in place and ownership that has shown patience in the past. The Titans have been viewed as a fit, and they may be, but their ownership situation is unstable, and Volin does not believe McDaniels would disrespect New England by going to a team like the Dolphins or Colts that has a history of bad blood with the Patriots.
- Giants head coach Tom Coughlin may be on the hot seat, but as Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News writes, Coughlin typically thrives with his back to the wall. Of course, the team had a chance to take a commanding lead in the NFC East last week and failed to do so, which means that the Giants’ string of four straight seasons without a playoff berth is in danger of continuing. If that happens, Coughlin’s two Super Bowl rings and respect from team ownership may not be enough to save him.
Workout Notes: Steelers, Broncos, Bears
The Steelers, who have been leaning heavily on DeAngelo Williams since Le’Veon Bell went down for the year, worked out former Rams and Jets running back Daryl Richardson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). It doesn’t appear Pittsburgh will sign Richardson at this point, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the free agent market, considering Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint – Williams’ current backups – have combined for just four carries this season.
Here are more workout notes from Wilson:
- The Broncos had a huge group of players in for tryouts this week, and Wilson (Twitter links) has the full list:
- FB Ray Agnew
- TE Brandon Barden
- DT Alex Bienemann
- TE Cameron Clear
- WR Jace Davis
- WR Antwan Goodley
- WR R.J. Harris
- C Alex Hill
- T Cameron Jefferson
- WR Jordan Leslie
- QB Seth Lobato
- WR Levi Norwood
- QB Bryn Renner
- T Jack Rummells
- WR Demetrius Wilson
- Tight end Rob Housler was part of the Bears‘ latest workout group, which also featured tight end Nick Kasa and wide receiver Marcus Lucas, according to Wilson (Twitter link). Chicago’s starting tight end, Martellus Bennett, is expected to return to action this weekend, so I wouldn’t expect the team to add another player at the position.
- The Cardinals auditioned linebackers Josh Francis, Quayshawn Nealy, Markus Pierce-Brewster, and Mike Reilly, along with cornerback Jalil Brown, tweets Wilson.
- In addition to working out offensive tackle Pierce Burton, who signed to the team’s practice squad, the Colts also took a look at defensive end Nordly Capi and defensive back Terrance Mitchell, says Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Raiders tried out safety Dewey McDonald, tweets Wilson. McDonald was signed by the Patriots last week, but only lasted two days on New England’s roster.