AFC South Notes: Brackett, Colts, Mallett
Three AFC South teams are squaring off against AFC North opponents this week, as the Jaguars seek their first win of their season against the Browns, the Texans look to knock off the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and perhaps most importantly, the Colts will face the Bengals in a battle of first-place teams. With 11 weeks still to play, there’s plenty of time for teams to move up or down in the standings, but there’s a real possibility that Sunday’s Colts/Bengals matchup could have seeding or home field implications for two teams with 2013 playoff teams with Super Bowl aspirations.
As we look forward to that game and the rest of this weekend’s slate, let’s check out the latest out of the AFC South:
- The Texans traded for Ryan Mallett just before the beginning of the season, and his history with head coach Bill O’Brien from their time in New England led some to believe that Mallett would eventually get a chance to play. O’Brien spoke up on Friday, praising the strong-armed former Patriot for his preparation and presence on the sidelines, reports Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. However, O’Brien stops short of saying Mallett is ready to go under center and get his first real NFL action.
- Titans’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt indicated today that tight end Brett Brackett, who’s currently on the team’s practice squad, could be re-added to the 53-man roster again this week, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- In addition to the offensive lineman whose auditions have been previously reported, the Titans also worked out Dennis Roland and Kevin Murphy this week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
- The Colts will be looking very carefully at the 2015 transition tag numbers, with Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson both approaching the final year on their respective rookie deals. The 2015 transition tag will be equal to the 2016 fifth-year options for the top ten picks of the 2012 NFL Draft, where both Luck and Richardson were selected, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com. Keeping Luck for a fifth year at $16.12MM is a no-brainer, but declining Richardson’s number of $9.02MM is just as obvious a choice according to Breer.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Irsay: Colts Considering Trades
After serving a six-week suspension, Colts owner Jim Irsay was allowed to return to work last week, and he didn’t waste any time in getting involved again in the football operations of the club. As Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes, Irsay met this week with general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano to discuss opportunities to improve the roster during the season.
“Obviously we’re taking it a game at a time, but this week Ryan and Chuck and I met and talked about anything we can do before the trade deadline [or] past the trade deadline in terms of having some young, ascending players who might be able to help us… and do whatever we can to get that edge,” Irsay said. “Obviously health is going to play a big role in how we move forward. If we can stay relatively healthy, I think this team really has something special. That’s what I’m focused on. It’s exciting to see.”
The free agent market doesn’t currently feature many potential difference-makers, so if the Colts intend to aggressively upgrade any position, it would likely have to happen by way of a trade. This year’s deadline is 12 days away, and as we saw last year, when the team sent a first-round pick to the Browns for Trent Richardson, Indianapolis won’t hesitate to make a major move if the opportunity arises.
Of course, as Holder points out, Grigson is aiming to stockpile draft picks for 2015 rather than giving them up, so dealing picks for an impact player isn’t as likely this time around. With pricey contract extensions on the horizon for a few players, including quarterback Andrew Luck, those draft picks will be valuable, since they’ll allow the club to collect inexpensive pieces to complement those high-priced players.
Still, with Irsay potentially pushing for upgrades, the Colts shouldn’t be overlooked as a possible player at the October 28 deadline. The Colts owner told reporters that he thinks his team has a chance “to do something special this year,” so if there’s a player available who could help Indianapolis in the second half and the postseason, expect the club to at least kick the tires.
South Notes: Gruden, Titans, Saints, Bucs
Before Jay Gruden signed on to coach the Redskins, he had a very positive interview with the Titans, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “It was a good visit,” Gruden said. “I was very interested in the job, but Washington called me I guess the night after the interview and had me fly up here and they offered me the job right away.” Gruden says he was never offered the Tennessee job and soon after, the Titans hired Ken Whisenhunt as their head coach.
Here’s more from out of the league’s two South divisions:
- Titans tight end Craig Stevens underwent surgery today to repair a torn quadriceps tendon, and will be sidelined for the season, writes Terry McCormick of 247Sports.com.
- The Saints‘ reasons for releasing fourth-round linebacker Khairi Fortt were never made entirely clear, and head coach Sean Payton declined to elaborate today on the team’s thinking, indicating that the move was in the club’s best interest, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Fortt was claimed off waivers by the Bengals and has since been cut by Cincinnati as well.
- The Buccaneers, who signed corner Isaiah Frey earlier today, are clearly toying with their nickel back spot, tweets Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune. Keith Tandy worked in that role last week and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has said that the team needs better play out of that position.
- The Buccaneers likely re-signed Lonnie Pryor to their practice squad in anticipation of Jorvorskie Lane‘s suspension, Cummings tweets.
- Bears cornerback Charles Tillman told Robert Klemko of The MMQB that he “maybe” has two years left in the tank. Tillman also says that divine intervention led him to sign with Chicago this offseason rather than join Lovie Smith with the Buccaneers.
- In an investigative piece for ESPN The Magazine, Shaun Assael takes a look at the addiction issues battled by Colts owner Jim Irsay.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Workout Notes: Colts, Holliday, Jones
The latest auditions from around the NFL..
- The Colts worked out kick returner Trindon Holliday today, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). The Giants released Holliday from IR earlier this year and last week the Bears were said to have interest.
- The Dolphins are working out former Patriots tight end Justin Jones tomorrow, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). At 6’7″ and 270 pounds, Jones is an intriguing talent who could be a fit in Miami.
AFC Links: Irsay, Webb, Jets, Browns
Colts‘ owner Jim Irsay has rejoined the team as of yesterday, after serving a six week suspension that kept him out of the spotlight following his misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Head coach Chuck Pagano was happy to have the owner back with the team, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“It’s huge. We talked about it in the locker room (after win at Houston). A lot of great things have happened with this football team with the win and first place and all that stuff. You know we have 10 days to heal up and the best thing is that we get our boss back, we get our owner back,” said Pagano. ”We get the guy that is leading this whole thing, so it is going to be huge. He has been with us in spirit so to speak for the past six games, but I can’t wait to have him in that locker room with us again and have him back in the building and grinding away with him.“
- Ravens‘ cornerback Lardarius Webb has struggled this season, and with the emergence of 2011 first-round pick Jimmy Smith, he is not guaranteed a roster spot in 2015, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN. He is owed $8MM in 2015, and the team can save $5MM by cutting him. Hensley also notes that the team could approach Webb about taking a pay cut to stay with the team.
- The Jets already got their own post earlier today, where it was noted that they are in place to be big spenders in free agency this offseason. Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that while he expects them to spend, he would be surprised if they handed out a huge contract to one player. For any Jets’ fans dreaming of signing Dez Bryant, Cimini tells them to “keep dreaming.”
- Geno Smith may appear confident, but through his first 21 games with the Jets, some may say it is a “false bravado” writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He notes that Smith’s off the field antics and on the field performance only give credence to the pre-draft reports that Smith would struggle with work ethic and fail to emerge as a leader at the NFL level.
- As the Browns prepare to face the Steelers this weekend, a team that has owned them since drafting Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. Pat McManamon of ESPN put together a list of stats and notes to watch as the team prepare to ruin Roethlisberger’s 18-1 record against the Browns.
PUP, IR-DTR Players Soon Eligible To Practice
Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Rams, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many of those clubs may be welcoming some players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to practice.
Of course, just because those players are able to return to the practice field doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player on the PUP list could theoretically return for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest. If the player doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform list who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: NaVorro Bowman (LB), Garrett Celek (TE), Kaleb Ramsey (DT)
- Chargers: Jeromey Clary (OL)
- Colts: Stanley Havili (FB)
- Falcons: Drew Davis (WR), Zeke Motta (S)
- Jets: Antwan Barnes (LB)
- Lions: T.J. Jones (WR)
- Panthers: De’Andre Presley (WR)
- Raiders: D.J. Hayden (CB)
- Ravens: Terrence Cody (DT)
- Redskins: Stephen Bowen (DE), Leonard Hankerson (WR)
- Saints: Cheta Ozougwu (OLB)
Players who began the season on the PUP list didn’t participate in any preseason practices, but that’s not the case for players on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.
That means that players who were placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing next week. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after – for instance – Week 2 will have to wait another two weeks to return to practice.
Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: Glenn Dorsey (DT)
- Bears: Marquess Wilson (WR)
- Buccaneers: Charles Sims (RB)
- Chiefs: Joe Mays (LB)
- Colts: Xavier Nixon (T)
- Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence (DE)
- Giants: Geoff Schwartz (G)
- Lions: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
- Packers: J.C. Tretter (C)
Extra Points: Foster, Angelo, Thompkins
The observation of the night comes courtesy of ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter). Two teams invested a first round pick on Colts running back Trent Richardson, yet no one used a draft pick on Texans star Arian Foster. As he says, both facts are hard to believe. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL as we enjoy the conclusion of the first exciting Thursday night game of the season..
- The NFL and the NFLPA will meet Tuesday to discuss potential changes to the league’s personal conduct policy, a source told ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. The union is open to changes but wants neutral arbitration for appeals of violations of the policy.
- Former Bears GM Jerry Angelo says that NFL teams hid “hundreds” of abuse incidents over the years, writes Josh Peter of USA Today Sports. Angelo himself said he did not report to the league cases of domestic violences involving players because disciplinary action would have put his team at a competitive disadvantage.
- Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson says new wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins is playing at “a little bit of higher speed” than everyone else on the field, tweets Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle. The Raiders plucked Thompkins off waivers earlier this week after he was dropped by the Patriots. The 26-year-old caught 32 passes for 466 yards and four touchdowns in eight starts last season, but wasn’t a major part of the Pats’ offense this year.
AFC Notes: Irsay, Titans, Chiefs, Wright
The Broncos and Patriots were widely regarded before the season as the frontrunners to come out of the AFC this season, and while both teams are off to decent starts, it’s the 4-1 Chargers that currently sit atop the conference. Not only has Philip Rivers led San Diego to a league-best record, but the team’s +70 point differential is the NFL’s best by a wide margin — the Broncos and Pats have a combined +45 margin between them.
As we look forward to see if the Chargers can continue their winning ways against the 0-4 Raiders this weekend, let’s round up a few notes from around the AFC….
- Colts owner Jim Irsay will be back working – and presumably tweeting – later this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Irsay’s six-game suspension ends tomorrow, following the team’s appearance on Thursday Night Football.
- The Titans took a look at a handful of tight ends this week, working out Richard Gordon, Matthew Mulligan, Steve Maneri, and Jeron Mastrud, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Caplan adds that the club also auditioned quarterback Ricky Stanzi.
- The Chiefs had several players in for workouts this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), who lists the following free agents as having tried out for Kansas City: Tight ends Brandon Barden and Michael Flacco, linebackers Brandon Copeland and Carlos Fields, wideout Jamar Howard, and long snappers Jorgen Hus and Tyler Ott.
- Tight end Tim Wright, who was acquired by the Patriots via trade prior to the regular season, is starting to get comfortable within New England’s offensive system, as Howard Ulman of The Associated Press writes.
AFC South Notes: Redding, Colts, Jags
Cory Redding, in the final year of his three-year contract with the Colts and contemplating retirement, will soon make a determination about his football future, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. It’s a decision that he’s not taking lightly. “When I’m dead and gone, what are people going to say about Cory Redding?” the defensive end said. “Will my name even come up? Was he just a football player? A good football player and a horrible person? What is my legacy going to be?” More out of the AFC South..
- The Jaguars worked out John Drew, Malcolm Bronson, John Dockery, and Keelan Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- The Colts recently tried out Bubba Ventrone, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). The safety didn’t go to Indianapolis, however, he signed with the 49ers earlier tonight.
- Former Colts running back Delone Carter has signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Colts Sign Victor Butler, Waive Chris Carter
The Colts have signed free agent outside linebacker Victor Butler to the active roster and waived outside linebacker Chris Carter, according to team Assistant Director of Communications Matt Conti (via Twitter).
Butler, 27, was a former fourth round pick of the Cowboys and showed promise but unfortunately missed last year with a torn ACL while with the Saints. The pass rush specialist signed with the Cardinals in mid-September but his stay in Arizona was brief as he was released on October 1st. In his four seasons in Dallas (2009-2012), Butler totaled 11 sacks and 68 tackles.
Carter, 25, made a cameo in the Colts’ 41-17 win over the Titans last Sunday. Prior to joining the Colts, all of Carter’s NFL experience came in Pittsburgh where he appeared in 29 NFL games and made four starts.