AFC South Notes: Jones, Ballard, Jaguars
X-rays on Arthur Jones ankle were negative, but the Colts defensive lineman also had an MRI scheduled for Sunday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Josina Anderson of ESPN reported that Jones went to a foot and ankle specialist after his MRI (via Twitter). He is expected to miss a “decent chunk of time” according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:
- Regardless of whether Jones sustained a serious ankle injury or not on Saturday night, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report believes the Colts should bring in free agent DT Barry Cofield (Twitter link).
- After consecutive years of tearing his ACL, Vick Ballard’s tenure with the Colts is on the chopping block following a hamstring injury has prevented him from making an impression on the coaching staff and front office this summer, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.
- The Jaguars have two kickers on the roster in Josh Scobee and Jason Meyers, and Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com is guessing that the team is hoping to trade one of them this week before cutting its roster down to 75 players by Tuesday.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/30/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves as teams begin trimming their rosters from 90 players to 75. We will update this post as necessary throughout the course of the day. Some teams have announced major roster cuts, but for the teams that may be waiting until closer to Tuesday to release some of their transactions, here are a few roster moves.
(Some teams may announce a full set of moves later on, and these players may reappear on those lists.)
- The Packers have cut offensive tackle Vince Kowalski, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The former Villanova product was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in June.
- The Colts have cut linebacker Justin Shirk, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
Injury Updates: 8/30/15
Here are a few updates on some of the league’s more significant injury news:
- Mehta reports (via Twitter) that Williams has a muscle strain behind his knee but that there is no ligament damage. This is not expected to be a long-term injury. Jets fans may now exhale.
Earlier updates:
- We already learned that Packers WR Randall Cobb did not break his collarbone yesterday, and per Michael Cohen of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, head coach Mike McCarthy believes Cobb’s injury is not nearly as severe as Jordy Nelson‘s season-ending ACL tear. “No, I don’t think we’re (there) at all,” McCarthy said. Cobb will get further tests today to determine the extent of his injury.
- X-rays on the knee of Jets rookie defensive lineman Leonard Williams came back negative, per Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News (via Twitter). Mehta adds that the team believes Williams sustained a bone bruise, though he will get an MRI today to confirm.
- Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle reports that Texans Pro Bowl offensive tackle Duane Brown, who is dealing with a finger injury, does not intend to have surgery on the finger and is on track for the regular season opener against Kansas City.
- Colts DT Arthur Jones suffered an ankle injury last night, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that X-Rays on the ankle were negative. Jones will undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury.
- Although the Rams expect to have plenty of running back depth at some point this season, their Week 1 backfield could be a bit thin. We already knew that promising rookie Todd Gurley was not expected to play in the opener after he sustained a torn ACL last November, and per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Tre Mason suffered a strained hamstring last night, calling his Week 1 availability into doubt.
Extra Points: Cobb, Pouncey, Okung
A week after losing Pro Bowl receiver Jordy Nelson to a season-ending ACL injury, the Packers are hoping fellow Pro Bowl wideout Randall Cobb doesn’t join him on the shelf. Cobb suffered a right shoulder injury during the Packers’ game Saturday against Philadelphia. The severity of the ailment is currently unknown, but one injury that has been ruled out is a broken collarbone, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted. A serious injury to Cobb would be a devastating blow to the Packers, given that their receiving corps already lost Nelson. He and Cobb combined for a whopping 189 catches (25 of which were touchdowns) and nearly 3,000 yards last year.
More from around the NFL:
- Dolphins center Mike Pouncey hurt his left knee during Saturday’s game against Atlanta and will have to undergo an MRI on Sunday. Pouncey, who is wearing a brace, vows not to miss any regular-season time, Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports (Twitter link). Head coach Joe Philbin also expressed optimism regarding Pouncey’s injury. “We think he’ll be OK,” he said, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
- Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung will probably use the five-year, $66MM extension Washington signed Trent Williams to earlier today as a benchmark for his next deal, according to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (via Twitter). Okung, who’s in a contract year, was the sixth overall selection in the 2010 draft, going two picks after Williams. Okung has since made 59 starts and one Pro Bowl, while Williams has made 70 and three, respectively.
- Don’t count on a reunion between the Giants and free agent safety Stevie Brown, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The Giants are scheduled to work out Brown, but he has interest from “a number of teams,” according to his agent. Brown spent 2012-14 with the Giants before a brief stint in Houston this year.
- The Colts scratched running back Vick Ballard from Saturday’s game in St. Louis. That doesn’t bode well for his chances of making the roster, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Ballard has battled serious injuries over the past couple years and has played in just one game since 2012 as a result.
- Lions running back Joique Bell, who underwent knee surgery in January, is unsure if he’ll play Week 1. “I’m not going to say I’m ready to go out there and take every play and run every down, right now, but you never know how I’ll feel in two weeks,” Bell said, according to Justin Rogers of MLive.com. The fourth-year man is coming off his most productive season (1,182 total yards, eight touchdowns).
- Patriots fullback James Develin suffered a broken tibia in Friday’s loss to Carolina, and ESPN’s Mike Reiss tweeted that the hope is recovery from surgery will take six to eight weeks. However, David Chao – the former team doctor for the Chargers – responded that it could actually take Develin six to eight months to return (Twitter link).
Extra Points: Campbell, Mathis, Falcons
Back in June, we heard that quarterback Jason Campbell was planning to retire from the NFL. However, Campbell hasn’t yet made the decision official, and according to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), at least three teams have inquired on the veteran free agent. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com points out (via Twitter), pseudo-retirement ended up benefiting Kyle Orton a year ago, so it’s possible a desperate team will make it worth Campbell’s while to continue his playing career.
Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Field Yates of ESPN.com has the breakdown of Evan Mathis‘ one-year deal with the Broncos, tweeting that the pact features $750K in per-game roster bonuses and up to $750K in playing-time incentives. Mathis can start earning those incentives if he plays 55% of Denver’s offensive snaps, and would max out if he plays at least 85%.
- Falcons president Rich McKay, who was disciplined by the NFL as part of the team’s penalty for pumping in fake crowd noise to their stadium, has been reinstated to the league’s competition committee, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The decision becomes effective immediately.
- Colts coaches seem to be doing their best to create competition at the nose tackle spot, which defensive coordinator Greg Manusky acknowledges is one of the most important positions on the team’s defense. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star has the details.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Hakeem Nicks, James Jones Drawing Interest
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Hakeem Nicks, James Jones, Deonte Thompson, and Vincent Brown are among the wide receivers drawing interest around the NFL as potential release candidates, in that order. He adds that the Panthers, Ravens, Packers are a few of the teams considering adding wideouts as the season draws near.
The Panthers, of course, are in the market for a reliable target after Kelvin Benjamin suffered a season-ending injury. The Ravens could also use a receiver with promising rookie Breshad Perriman currently sidelined. And the Packers are undoubtedly scouring the market for options now that Jordy Nelson is confirmed to be done for the 2015 season. While sources tell Cole that Nicks will generally get the most attention of this quartet, the Packers are more interested in Jones that the rest of the bunch, due in part to their familiarity with him.
Nicks, 27, first reached unrestricted free agency in March 2014, and signed a modest one-year contract with the Colts after spending the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Giants. While fellow 2009 first-round wideout Jeremy Maclin parlayed a one-year, prove-it deal in 2014 into a huge, long-term contract, Nicks was unable to do the same in Indianapolis. Currently, Nicks is on a one-year deal with the Titans that holds a modest guarantee and he could be days away from hitting the open market again.
Jones had 73 catches for 666 yards and six touchdowns last season with the Raiders in 2014. This offseason, the veteran hooked on with the Giants and it has been widely speculated that he could be released before the final rosters are set. His best individual output came in 2013, when he hauled in 64 passes for 784 yards and a career-best 14 TDs for the Packers.
FA Rumors: Packers, Wayne, Mathis, Deering
The Packers are still waiting on the official results of Jordy Nelson‘s MRI, but if the star wideout has a torn ACL, as is feared, the team is expected to inquire on Reggie Wayne, reports Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Green Bay still has a good deal of wide receiver depth without Nelson, and the club typically doesn’t sign outside free agents very often, so it seems unlikely that Wayne would land with the Packers. It’s fair to wonder if Wayne’s camp is using Green Bay as a leverage play, as the veteran free agent attempts to negotiate a deal with the Patriots or perhaps another team.
As we wait to see where Wayne lands, let’s round up a few more notes on free agents….
- Agent Drew Rosenhaus expects free agent guard Evan Mathis to have a new team by the end of the week, he said during an appearance on South Florida’s WSVN-7 (link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). According to Rosenhaus, his client has received interest from the Seahawks and “other teams,” and Salguero suggests the Dolphins should be in the mix if Mathis’ asking price is coming down at all.
- It’s a busy week for former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that Deering tried out for the Eagles, is working out for the Colts today, and has an audition with the Jets later in the week.
- Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin examines the Packers‘ wide receiver situation, speculating that ex-Packer James Jones could be an option for the team. For now though, Jones is a Giant, so he’d probably have to be cut for Green Bay to consider him. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports made a similar point yesterday.
AFC East Notes: Wayne, Jets, Bills
There was a mixed reaction among league executives to reports that veteran wideout Reggie Wayne visited the Patriots, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
“He’ll be in great shape – always takes car of himself,” said one AFC executive. “Tremendous pro and teammate. Health has been issue past two years. Great hands and routes. Did not have a lot left in his legs last year and struggled. Will struggle vs press – very savvy vs zone. New England has history of getting some production out of players like him.”
“Possession guy with hands and savviness but loss of speed and explosiveness evident,” said another AFC exec. “Maybe as a role player, but don’t see him as a starter solution.”
Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC East…
- Colts coach Chuck Pagano was thrilled that Wayne may get an opportunity to play this season. “I think that’s great for Reg,” Pagano said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells on Twitter). “Happy they’re looking at him and there’s an opportunity.”
- While John Idzik‘s tenure with the Jets has certainly been scrutinized, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes that he may have found a pair of diamonds in the rough. Cornerback Marcus Williams and wideout Quincy Enunwa were both under-the-radar pickups by the former general manager, and the players are set to contribute in 2015.
- Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus has continued to complain about his contract situation, and Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News has some of the player’s comments following last night’s game. “They’re making it hard,” said Dareus, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. “And it’s just really making me unhappy. I feel like they don’t really want me here…We’re still waiting. I feel like they don’t want me here as bad as I want to be here, as bad as the fans and my team wants me here. I feel like they’re saying, ‘Whatever. You come a dime a dozen.’”
Bennett Jackson Suffers Knee Injury
2:50pm: Jackson tore his ACL, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, meaning that Jackson is likely to miss the 2015 season.
8:51am: The Giants‘ secondary, already ravaged by injury, suffered another major blow in last night’s preseason victory over Jacksonville. In addition to losing rookie safety Justin Currie for the season, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that second-year safety Bennett Jackson sustained a knee injury on a defensive play in the fourth quarter. Raanan reports that Jackson, who enjoyed an excellent training camp and who appeared poised to land a starting role, left the team locker room limping badly and with his right knee in a brace. The extent of Jackson’s injury is unclear at this time, and he will get an MRI today, but as Raanan tweeted last night, there are concerns that it could be serious.
Of course, given the state of the Giants’ secondary–by the time the game ended, six of the nine safeties on the roster were unavailable due to injury–it is fair to wonder why Jackson was even on the field in the fourth quarter, having played 56 snaps already. At the moment, Brandon Meriweather, Jeromy Miles, and Justin Halley, all of whom have been signed in the past five weeks, are the only safeties left standing. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets that Nat Berhe is expected to return to practice this week, but that will do little to assuage the team’s concerns at safety.
Unfortunately for the Giants, there are just not a ton of outside options to fortify the position, which is well-illustrated by a tweet from Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle this morning. Wilson notes that former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering, who signed with New England as an undrafted free agent last year and who will be auditioning with the Eagles today, will next visit the Colts and Jets if he is not signed by Philadelphia. As PFR’s Ben Levine wrote yesterday, at least six teams are currently interested in Deering, which bespeaks the lack of quality safety options available at this point in the year. Graziano tweeted that Big Blue will likely “poke around” the free agent market again this week–it is unknown whether the Giants have interest in Deering–but it’s not as if the the team expects to find the answer to its prayers in the process. As head coach Tom Coughlin said of the mounting injuries, “It’s amazing with the way that’s going. It’s just hard to even comment on.”
We will pass along an update on Jackson’s injury as soon as it becomes available.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/15
Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Eagles have waived/injured safety Earl Wolff, who has been bothered by knee injuries since 2013, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, started six games for Philadelphia in his rookie year, but has been plagued by injuries since that season. He confirmed today (via Twitter) that he underwent surgery on his troublesome right knee.
- Rookie receiver Isiah Ferguson suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus, and will be sidelined for the year, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports (via Twitter) that the Rams have waived/injured the young wideout.
- The Colts announced today that they’ve made a change at the back of their roster, waiving wide receiver L.T. Smith and replacing him with free agent guard Harland Gunn. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds (via Twitter) that the team also reached an injury settlement with linebacker Cody Galea, removing him from the roster.
- As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets, UDFA wideout Jarred Haggins announced today that he has been cut by the Lions. Neither this transaction nor the reported release of safety Taylor Mays showed up on today’s transactions log, so the team will probably officially confirm the moves tomorrow.
- After working him out earlier today, the Cowboys have signed free agent defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, waiving offensive lineman Cody Clay with an injury designation to clear roster space, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
- According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), the Eagles have waived linebacker Brandon Hepburn off their injured reserve list with an injury settlement, while the Saints have removed wide receiver Andy Tanner from their IR.