Colts Notes: Bradshaw, Pagano, Fleener
Here’s a quick look at the Colts as they take on the Texans..
- Mike Chappell of CBS4 (via Twitter) fully expects the Colts to sign running back Ahmad Bradshaw in the “next day or so.” Bradshaw was brought in for a visit earlier this week, but Chappell says that it would have been a reach for him to sign on Wednesday and play on Thursday.
- Now that the Dolphins have fired coach Joe Philbin, Mike Florio of PFT wonders if Colts coach Chuck Pagano could be the next in-season firing. For what it’s worth, however, tight end Coby Fleener says that the players haven’t heard much about Pagano possibly getting axed. “Very little I’d say,” Fleener said. “I think at least from my perspective I do the best I can to not read any of the news. And so regardless of whether we’re playing well or playing poorly it ultimately leads to an emotional roller coaster.”
Colts Re-Sign Josh Johnson
As I speculated earlier in the week, the Colts haven’t seen the last of Josh Johnson just yet. The team announced today in a press release that, just two days after he was released, Johnson has re-signed with Indianapolis. The Colts placed cornerback Jalil Brown on injured reserve to create space for Johnson.
Johnson, 29, was added to the Colts’ roster last week as an insurance policy as Andrew Luck battled a shoulder injury. With Luck sidelined on Sunday and Matt Hasselbeck getting the start against the Jaguars, Johnson served as the club’s backup quarterback. While there’s some optimism that Luck could play this Thursday against the Titans, Johnson will be in that No. 2 role again if the former first overall pick is unable to go.
As for Brown, he left Sunday’s win over the Jaguars with a groin injury, and didn’t return to the game. It’s unclear if the injury is season-ending, or if he’ll be removed from the Colts’ IR within the next few weeks. Either way, it looks as if his time in Indianapolis is probably over, at least for this season. Brown had started three of the club’s first four games, recording 15 tackles during that stretch.
Workout Notes: Brown, Cadet, Jets
Could two notable free agent running backs find an NFL home soon? The Colts auditioned Bryce Brown and the Jets worked out running back Travaris Cadet, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was unable to stick with the Bills this year. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a grand total of 126 yards off of 36 carries.
Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year before his release in late September.
Here’s a look at today’s workouts..
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The Jets worked out defensive tackle Davon Coleman, linebacker Julian Stanford, and defensive back Phillip Thomas, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Giants worked out four tight ends on Tuesday, including their former fourth-round pick Adrien Robinson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Packers worked out former Illinois tight end Matt LaCosse today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- Kicker Marvin Kloss worked out for the Buccaneers, Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports tweets. Of course, the Bucs wound up going with Connor Barth as their new placekicker.
Extra Points: Ravens, Mallett, Colts, Campbell
The Ravens completed a trade over the weekend, acquiring Chris Givens from the Rams for a future draft pick, and Peter King of TheMMQB.com wouldn’t be surprised if that’s not the last deal for a wide receiver Baltimore makes this season. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun agrees that the Ravens will certainly monitor the market, but notes that GM Ozzie Newsome isn’t the type to panic and trade future assets for a short-term fix.
Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Texans coach Bill O’Brien told reporters that Ryan Mallett is still the team’s starting quarterback heading into Thursday’s game against the Colts, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Mallett completed 12 of 27 passes for 150 yards and one interception with a passer rating of 46.8 on Sunday against the Falcons.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised to see the Colts re-sign quarterback Josh Johnson on Wednesday.
- Dolphins players “love” the newly-appointed interim head coach Dan Campbell but there’s concern about whether the play-calling will improve, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
- After punter Thomas Morstead suffered a leg injury, the Saints are bringing in four punters for tryouts on Tuesday, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Colts announced that they have signed free agent cornerback Shaun Prater. Prater will take the roster spot vacated by quarterback Josh Johnson. Prater was originally signed by the Colts as a free agent on September 29, 2015 and was waived on October 2. He has played in 19 career NFL games (three starts) and registered six tackles, seven passes defensed, one interception and five special teams tackles
- The Cowboys waived linebacker Keith Smith and defensive tackle Ken Bishop, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. With Lance Dunbar sidelined with a knee injury, the Cowboys will use two of their three open roster spots for the returns of Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain.
- The Buccaneers waived wide receiver Adam Humphries, according to Pat Yasinskas of WalterFootball.com (on Twitter). In a related move, wide receiver Donteea Dye has been promoted to the 53-man roster, as Jenna Laine of FOX Sports 1 tweets.
- Washington announced the signing of defensive end Frank Kearse and the release of linebacker Terrance Plummer.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/5/15
Here are Monday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Ronald Patrick (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal)
- Cut: OL Andrew McDonald
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Earl Okine (press release)
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Kenbrell Thompkins (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post)
- Cut: WR Walter Powell
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: DT Doug Worthington (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Washington:
- Signed: WR Issac Blakeney, LB Lynden Trail (press release)
- Cut: LB Sage Harold
Colts Cut Josh Johnson, Host Ahmad Bradshaw
The Colts have made a change to their 53-man roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve cut quarterback Josh Johnson. The move creates an open roster spot for the team, though that opening remains vacant for now.
Johnson was added to the Colts’ roster last week as an insurance policy as Andrew Luck battled a shoulder injury. With Luck sidelined on Sunday and Matt Hasselbeck getting the start against the Jaguars, Johnson served as the club’s No. 2. The fact that the Colts are willing to release him appears to be a good sign for Luck’s availability this week, though the team could always re-sign Johnson or promote Alex Tanney from the practice squad if necessary.
In addition to cutting Johnson, the Colts are also hosting free agent running back Ahmad Bradshaw for a visit, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The 29-year-old was suspended for the first week of the NFL season due to a marijuana arrest, but has served that ban, and has reportedly healed from the broken leg that ended his 2014 campaign.
In 10 games with the Colts last season, Bradshaw compiled 425 rushing yards on 90 attempts and 300 receiving yards on 38 receptions. We heard in September that Indianapolis was interested in a potential reunion with the veteran back, with the team having parted ways with backups Boom Herron and Vick Ballard in recent weeks.
Currently, rookies Josh Robinson and Tyler Varga are backing up starting running back Frank Gore, with Zurlon Tipton – who was recently promoted from the practice squad – also in the picture.
Colts To Start Matt Hasselbeck Vs. Jaguars
Andrew Luck will be among the Colts’ inactives when the club faces the Jaguars later today, the club announced, meaning that veteran Matt Hasselbeck will be thrust into the starting quarterback role. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Indianapolis performed tests on Luck’s injured shoulder and found no structural damage, so it’s possible that Luck’s injury is of the short-term variety.
Today’s contest will mark the first that Luck has missed during his career, as he had started 51 straight games since entering the league in 2012. The 26-year-old had been laboring through his worst season yet, completing just 56% his passes en route to a 5:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweeted last Sunday that many coaches and executives around the league believed that Luck was injured, and obviously his subpar statistics gave some validation to that claim.
Hasselbeck, now 40 years old, will earn his first start since 2012. Since signing with the Colts prior to the 2013 season, Hasselbeck has appeared in seven games in relief of Luck, attempting 56 passes for 431 yards and two scores. The former Seahawk will try to manage the Colts’ offense as the club attempts to even its record at 2-2.
AFC Rumors: Chargers, Gore, Broncos, Browns
San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer did some scouting before this week’s critical Los Angeles-related owners’ meeting, in paying visits to three owners and commissioner Roger Goodell, according to David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along with Goodell, Faulconer met with John Mara (Giants), Robert Kraft (Patriots) and Jerry Richardson (Panthers) — each a member of the six-owner committee in charge of assessing Los Angeles’ feasibility as the Chargers, Raiders and Rams vie for relocation — and has requested summits with the committee’s other members, Clark Hunt (Chiefs), Bob McNair (Texans) and Art Rooney II (Steelers).
The prior trio of owners, however, did not say to Faulconer which way they were leaning, or if they did, Faulconer is not communicating that sentiment to the media. Per Garrick, the mayor’s expressing confidence thanks to a joint-county $1.1 billion stadium plan that would call for the prospective new Chargers’ home to be built over Qualcomm Stadium.
No votes are expected on Los Angeles at this week’s meeting, with a final decision likely coming around Super Bowl week, according to Garrick.
Here is some news from the facilities of the Chargers’ AFC brethren.
- Due to Ty Sambrailo‘s shoulder injury, Peyton Manning will have another first-time blocker Sunday when Michael Schofield joins the Broncos‘ starting offensive line, per Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press. A third-round pick in 2014, Schofield’s been deactivated for each of the 20 games he’s been on the active roster, counting Denver’s divisional playoff loss last season, and he will take Ryan Harris‘ place at right tackle as Harris shifts to the left side.
- Colts running back Frank Gore remains miffed 49ers GM Trent Baalke didn’t communicate with him this offseason he left the team after 10 years this winter, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. “The only thing I was hurt by was that I thought we could have (separated) better,” Gore told the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder. “I don’t know if I even wanted to go back. But I would have felt better if we would have sat down and had a conversation. I mean, I was going to test the market no matter what. Me and the head coach talked and he basically told me I’d be in a certain situation. But I wanted to hear it from the GM.“
- In addressing the issues with the Browns‘ offensive line, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com doesn’t think Joel Bitonio and Alex Mack are performing to the level they did at this point last year. The Browns rank 26th in rushing yards, and Football Outsiders grades the Cleveland front as the 27th-best power-blocking quintet thus far.
Breer’s Latest: London, Bears, Colts
Albert Breer of NFL.com notes that the league had a 15-year plan to get London its own franchise when they played their first game at Wembley Stadium in 2007, and that means the NFL is more than halfway there. He writes that the people in charge in England are still looking at a timetable for 2022, including NFL Executive Vice President for International Mark Waller.
“It’s a realistic time frame,” Waller said Wednesday. “But there are still things we need to test for, so we have to be able to build a lot of things into the next few years. We don’t need to prove as much on the fan-demand side. We feel comfortable that, in a few years, we’ll be where we need to be there. The real focus is doing things to keep testing. We’re really focusing on the logistical and operational side.”
- Breer also notes that the NFL will look to add at least one more international game in 2016. With three games already in London, they could add a fourth game at Wembley or take that fourth game to another international market, and there is a chance the league could take both options.
- While Breer writes the league is still on target to have a franchise in London and Waller’s public comments back up that stance, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears that the NFL isn’t optimistic about getting a franchise in London anytime soon. Coles says that after speaking with more than 10 team executives, the consensus is that there is no way the league puts a permanent team in London and that the league has largely given up on the idea.
- Breer also writes that the recent trades of Jared Allen and Jon Bostic are new Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox admitting that they inherited a roster that is barren due to poor drafting and trades in the past. The team would like to continue to strip the team down, but of the players with trade value, only Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte are older players who aren’t likely to be a part of the future in Chicago.
- The Colts have benched Todd Herremans, even though he was the biggest pickup this offseason for a team that pushed offensive line help in the offseason. Additionally, the only draft pick the team used up front was the 255th overall selection of Denzelle Good, so the team has only themselves to blame for Andrew Luck‘s early season issues, performance and injury alike.