AFC Links: Raiders, Colts, Ravens
Following a 2-10 start to the season, Titans CEO Tommy Smith guaranteed that roster changes would be coming. Smith is hoping to acquire as many “tough guys” as possible, recreating the success the team had a decade ago. Via Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean…
“The game has changed, I know it has,” Smith said. “But guys like Eddie George never backed down from anybody. Steve McNair, he was the heart and soul of this organization. We need more guys like that, guys who are good people, but when they get in between the stripes, they play hard and they play tough.
“Guys who are tough and play hard and committed to doing things right, that is what we are looking for around here. We need more of that. You can always use more guys like that.”
Let’s check out some more notes out of the AFC…
- Mary Purdy of the Mercury News reports that Raiders team officials met with Floyd Kephart, the man responsible for “assembling a development proposal on the Coliseum property” that would make both the Raiders and/or A’s content.
- Colts running back Trent Richardson will face off against his former team this weekend. Despite his subpar play since being traded by the Browns, the former first-rounder still has plenty of confidence. “When I hear people talk down about me, I just laugh at them and I say, ‘God bless you,’” Richardson said (via Brian Dulik of The Chronicle-Telegram). “I want everybody to see and know that I’m still that running back, I’m still that guy that Cleveland chose with the third pick. A lot of people are saying Trent is a mistake and he was bad and he was that, but I’m telling you folks now, watch these next four weeks and see what happens.”
- ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley believes it’s still too early to label Ravens safety Matt Elam a bust. The writer warns that the 23-year-old could be developing slowly, similar to Jimmy Smith and Paul Kruger.
AFC Mailbags: Tannehill, Bowe, Richardson
It’s Saturday morning, and ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting notes from the AFC…
- Ryan Tannehill‘s fifth-year option is worth $15MM, and James Walker believes the hefty price could prompt the Dolphins to start extension talks with their quarterback this offseason.
- Walker can’t envision the Dolphins retaining the same linebacker core next season, and he guesses that either Philip Wheeler or Dannell Ellerbe will be a cap casualty.
- Looking towards the draft, Rich Cimini thinks there’s a possibility that Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston will be off the board when it’s the Jets time to pick. The writer suggests the team could instead focus on drafting a wide receiver or cornerback with their first-rounder.
- Adam Teicher opines that Chiefs wideout Dwayne Bowe is likely playing his final four games with the team. Reversely, he believes linebacker Tamba Hali will ultimately stick around.
- Mike Wells writes that the Colts will pursue a free agent running back, regardless of how Trent Richardson finishes the season.
- Michael DiRocco is under the impression that the Jaguars will focus on drafting a pass-rusher with their first-round pick. While some may be hoping for an offensive lineman, the writer says the team could select a solid prospect in the middle rounds.
Reggie Wayne Wants To Retire As A Colt
The Colts, who sit atop the AFC South with an 8-4 record, can clinch their third playoff appearance in as many years with a win against the Browns on Sunday (the Texans must also lose to the Jaguars). Regardless of whether Indianapolis clinches this week, the club has a 96.3% of earning a postseason berth (per Football Outsiders), meaning that Reggie Wayne, the longest-tenured Colt, will likely be making the playoffs for the 12th time in his career. Given that level of success, it’s unsurprising that the veteran receiver wants to finish his career as a Colt. “Absolutely. Nobody else,” Wayne told Mike Chappell of RTV6 (via Twitter) when asked if he would only play for Indianapolis. “Put a stamp on it. Stamp it: Colt for life.”
As Chappell writes in a full article, it’s not a given that Wayne will play in 2015 — retirement certainly seems to be on the table for the 36-year-old. “It’s tough, it really is,” said Wayne, citing family commitments as a reason why he could leave the NFL. “You have to decide if you want to make that sacrifice again. A lot goes into it.” For his career, Wayne, a first-round pick in 2001, has caught 1,060 passes for 14,202 yards and 82 touchdowns. He is currently eighth all-time in receiving yards — a decent 2015 could allow him to move to fourth or fifth on that list, while sticking around for two more seasons could lead to him pass Terrell Owens for second all-time, behind only Jerry Rice.
This season, Wayne’s production has slowed, though that’s to be expected from a veteran receiver. He’s caught 54 balls for 636 yards, and scored twice, while grading as just the 69th-best pass-catcher in the league among 111 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). While he’s clearly ceded the Colts’ No. 1 receiver role to T.Y. Hilton, Wayne actually outpaces Hilton in terms of percentage of offensive snaps played (77.2%-76.9%).
Wayne is playing under the final year of his contract, earning a base salary of $4MM and counting $6.167MM against Indy’s cap. Though he’s dealt with injuries in recent campaigns — he missed half of 2013 after tearing his ACL, and has dealt with an elbow ailment this season — I’d guess that the Colts would be happy to retain him in 2015, even if the team believes he’s lost a few steps. It’s difficult to measure the importance of soft factors, but with young pass-catchers like Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Dwayne Allen, and Coby Fleener on its roster, the club would surely reap the benefits of employing a veteran such as Wayne.
Workout Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Browns, Broncos
In our roundup of several AFC East and NFC East items this morning, we passed along word on a handful of free agents who recently worked out for East teams. Across the rest of the league, several more auditions took place, so we’ll take a look at all those updates right here. All links are from Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, and go to Twitter:
- The Colts brought in a few notable free agents for tryouts, taking a look at running back Mikel Leshoure, ex-Jets cornerback Ellis Lankster, and former LSU wideout Kadron Boone. Of the three players, Leshoure is the most interesting name, considering Indianapolis is believed to be considering adding running back depth.
- Linebacker A.J. Edds ultimately signed with the Jaguars, joining the team’s active roster yesterday, but Edds also worked out for the Bengals earlier in the week. Additionally, Jacksonville auditioned veteran linebacker Victor Butler before deciding on Edds.
- Browns kicker Billy Cundiff has had his ups and downs this season, missing six field goals, including three from less than 40 yards. While I don’t expect Cleveland to replace him, the team did take a look at a couple other kickers this week, bringing in Michael Barnard and Zach Hocker.
- The Broncos worked out an extensive list of players this week, and Wilson has all the previously-unreported names: Rodney Barnes (S), Deion Belue (CB), Kenny Horsley (DE), M.D. Jennings (S), Vernon Kearney (CB), Keon Lyn (CB), Leon Mackey (DL), Ross Madison (S), and Danny Mason (LB).
- In addition to trying out wideout Jace Davis, who signed with their practice squad, the Texans auditioned quarterback Brad Sorensen and several other receivers, including Rashad Ross, Willie Snead, and former Niner Kyle Williams.
- Former Cardinals defensive end Ronald Talley worked out for the Chiefs. Talley spent some time with the Buccaneers earlier this year, but was removed from the roster prior to the regular season.
- The Packers tried out cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks, a 2014 seventh-round pick waived by the Bengals during the preseason.
- Tight end Xavier Grimble, who hit the open market once again last week after a brief stint with the Patriots’ practice squad, worked out for the Panthers.
Extra Points: Titans, Chargers, Rogers
Are you ready for some more football? Another spring football league is on the way, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. On Wednesday, initial plans will be unveiled for Major League Football and it appears that part of their spin will be a play clock that will require teams to get to the line of scrimmage and initiate their next play quickly. The league’s CEO will be former Bears G.M. and former Lions V.P. of player personnel Jerry Vainisi, who helped launch NFL Europe more than 20 years ago. Multiple spring leagues have been formed, and subsequently abandoned, over the years, so we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out.
- Titans CEO Tommy Smith is promising sweeping change in the offseason. “The roster is going to look a lot different next year,” Smith told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “Players need to be playing to the best of their abilities right now, and that will determine their future. There may be some players whose contracts might be up, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to be here. There may be some players with multiyear contracts, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be here.“
- The Chargers saved only a bit of change by cutting Kwame Geathers, writes Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. By releasing the 24-year-old nose tackle, San Diego saved just $75K in cash. The 6’6″ lineman was said to have made strides this offseason but an August knee injury kept him from the field.
- Raiders cornerback Carlos Rogers was upset with the team’s decision to place him on IR, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.
- Eric Decker cashed in on free agency when he signed with the Jets, but things haven’t gone smoothly for him since then, writes Mark Craig of the Star-Tribune.
- Colts running back Trent Richardson is pumped to go against his former team, the Browns. “They gave up on me,” Richardson said, according to Zack Meisel of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “I’m going to go into this game like it’s my last one.“
AFC North Notes: Rice, Bishop, Cribbs, Ravens
Earlier this week, Janay Rice told NBC that she was following a suggested script from the Ravens at her May 23 press conference alongisde Ray Rice. Tonight, the Ravens issued a statement denying the accusation, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. “At no time prior to the May 23 session did we provide talking points, a script or suggested script to Janay or speak with her about the press event. We did not recommend or suggest to Ray or Janay that she apologize in any way,” Ravens senior V.P. of public and community relations Kevin Byrne said in the release. More from the AFC North..
- The Bengals signed linebacker Chris Carter after auditioning both Carter and fellow linebacker Desmond Bishop, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Arizona released the veteran on Monday afternoon in anticipation of Matt Shaughnessy‘s return. Bishop’s best years were with the Packers in 2010 and 2011 when he recorded more than 100 tackles in each of those seasons, totaling eight sacks, 10 passes defended, and four forced fumbles in those two combined years.
- Colts returner Josh Cribbs said it definitely bothered him that the Browns, despite struggling so much on punt returns, would not sign him, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-journal. “It ate me up,” the veteran said.
- Ravens cornerback Asa Jackson is hopeful that he’ll be able to return from the IR-DTR in time for Sunday’s tilt against the Dolphins, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “I’ve been working so long to get this foot back right,” Jackson said. “Hopefully, it will be good the rest of the week and I don’t have any setbacks and then it will be up to the coaches at the end of the week. Everything is directed toward Sunday. That’s what I’m working for.“
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are today’s minor 53-man roster moves from around the NFL, with the latest transactions added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Chiefs have replaced one tight end with another, signing Richard Gordon to their roster and waiving Phillip Supernaw to accommodate the move, per a team release. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun first tweeted the news that Supernaw was being released.
- The Colts have agreed to terms with free agent offensive tackle Andrew McDonald, cutting tight end Weslye Saunders in the corresponding move, tweets Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. The release of Saunders suggests that tight end Dwayne Allen, out with an ankle injury, should be ready to go next week against the Browns.
- Defensive tackle Kwame Geathers, who had been on the Chargers‘ injured reserve list since the preseason, has been deemed healthy and was cut from IR, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
NFC West Notes: Harbaugh, Cards, Carter
It’s still early on the west coast, but we’ve already got our first batch of links from out of one of the league’s most competitive divisions to get Tuesday started. Here’s the latest out of the NFC West:
- A Monday report indicated that the price tag in a trade for 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh could be somewhere in the ballpark of what the Buccaneers paid the Raiders for Jon Gruden 12 years ago. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out that the Browns nearly acquired Harbaugh for two third-round picks earlier this year in a deal that was “far closer to happening that anyone will admit on the record.” In Florio’s view, that sort of haul is more likely than a Gruden-esque package in any Harbaugh deal, particularly since the head coach won’t want his new team giving up a ton of draft picks before he even arrives.
- The Cardinals addressed their lack of veteran running back depth last week by bringing in Michael Bush, then saw their starting back – Andre Ellington – leave Sunday’s game with a hip pointer. Nonethless, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears from a source that Arizona has “no interest” in recently-reinstated free agent Ray Rice.
- Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Duron Carter, the son of former Vikings wideout Cris Carter, has drawn interest from about 15 NFL teams, and the Seahawks, 49ers, and Colts are all “very interested,” says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. With the CFL season now over, Carter can begin visiting with NFL teams, though he can’t sign anywhere until February. According to La Canfora, the 23-year-old may take a little time off to allow his body to heal, then pursue individual visits after that.
AFC Notes: Clowney, Rice, Manziel, Luck
Despite outside criticism, Texans coach Bill O’Brien is still high on No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. “This guy has worked extremely hard to recover from injuries,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “And I want to be real clear about this with him, as it relates to us here to the Houston Texans. We think very highly of him. We know he’s going to be a really good player. He’s been unlucky. I don’t really care what anybody thinks about what I say in that realm of being unlucky or lucky. He’s had a sports hernia, he’s had a concussion and now he’s dealing with a knee injury. Those things are not easy in your rookie year.” More from around the NFL..
- Janay Rice told Matt Lauer of NBC that the Ravens suggested that she apologize for her role in the Ray Rice domestic violence incident at their offseason press conference (h/t Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post). One has to wonder if Janay Rice’s accusation could have some bearing on the running back’s case against the Ravens as he seeks to recover some of his 2014 salary.
- Browns coach Mike Pettine told reporters, including Pat McManamon of ESPN.com (via Twitter), that he feels no pressure from ownership or the front office to play Johnny Manziel. Pettine is currently deciding on whether to stick with the struggling Brian Hoyer or turn the starting job over to Manziel.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looked at a trio of players who improved their contract leverage with their play in Week 13. That list includes Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who destroyed the Washington defense to the tune of 370 yards and five scores. By March, Fitzgerald expects Luck to be the highest paid QB in the NFL.
King’s Latest: Rice, NFLPA, Manziel, RGIII
Within his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King takes a look at many of Sunday’s more noteworthy games, and also touches on several other topics of interest. Here are the highlights from King’s newest piece:
- Two NFL general managers who spoke to King had no interest in signing Ray Rice themselves, but predict he’ll be with a team in training camp in 2015. King believes there’s a very slim chance the running back signs anywhere in 2014, calling the Saints a long shot and the Colts a longer one. However, the executives who spoke to King think that the league’s other notable embattled running back, Adrian Peterson, is a much better bet to find work if and when the Vikings let him go, since his play hadn’t fallen off prior to his off-field troubles.
- Although the NFL and NFL Players Association met last week to discuss the personal conduct policy, the league didn’t respond to the NFLPA’s written proposal on the policy, and the union isn’t happy about it. “They just want to meet with the union,” president Eric Winston said, “so they can say they got our input, and then do whatever they want.”
- King would be “very surprised” if Johnny Manziel doesn’t get the chance to start next Sunday for the Browns against Indianapolis, though he views it as an “all-hands-on-deck game,” with Brian Hoyer ready to be called on at any time
- In King’s view, Washington needs to play Robert Griffin III before the end of the season, either to decide whether to keep him or to showcase him for a potential trade. However, Colt McCoy‘s solid play yesterday will keep RGIII on the bench for at least another week..
- King wrote back in June that Janay Rice “made a moving case for leniency” for her husband during Rice’s hearing with the NFL, but in the wake of Friday’s release from Judge Barbara Jones which suggested that wasn’t the case, King has retracted that report.