AFC Notes: Pats, Cooper, Ravens, Haden, Philbin
As the second wave of Week 3 games begin, let’s take a look at a few notes from the AFC…
- In his latest notes piece for ESPN.com, Mike Reiss wonders if the Patriots might be able to work out a trade for a cornerback. New England’s secondary is depleted after losing Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, and Kyle Arrington during the offseason, and Bill Belichick has certainly shown a willingness to make in-season deals. Reiss speculates that New England might target Chiefs CB Marcus Cooper, who played just one snap last week and will see even less time given the return of Sean Smith from suspension. Per Reiss, the Patriots tried to claim Cooper off waivers in 2013 but were beaten out by Kansas City.
- Not only did the Ravens fall to 0-3 by losing to the Bengals today, but the club might be without first-round rookie receiver Breshad Perriman for longer than originally thought. Reports had indicated that Perriman was close to a return, but he apparently suffered a setback during pregame warmups earlier today. According to Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun, Perriman was “moving well” as he attempts to come back from a sprained knee, but pulled up lame as he tried to go after a deep ball.
- Elsewhere in the AFC North, Browns cornerback Joe Haden told Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link) that X-rays came back negative on his injured ribs. However, Haden did say that he’ll undergo an MRI tomorrow.
- With the Dolphins record sitting at 1-1, and the club facing a stiff divisional test today against the Bills, several USA Today scribes debated whether head coach Joe Philbin might be on the proverbial hot seat. It’s widely believed that Miami must make the playoffs for Philbin to keep his job.
Extra Points: Wilkerson, Graham, Manziel, Brady
As Muhammad Wilkerson begins another standout season, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News begins wondering if he could be the trade chip that lands the Jets a quarterback.
After noting the Jets prefer the skill set of currently troubled 2013 defensive rookie of the year Sheldon Richardson to Wilkerson, Mehta speculates whether Wilkerson’s contract-year campaign could still benefit the Jets down the road by allowing them to keep the defensive end around for trade purposes. Using the Chiefs’ 2008 trade of Jared Allen to the Vikings as an example, Mehta proposes the Jets use a non-exclusive franchise tag on Wilkerson after this season and dangle him in trade talks, as Kansas City did seven years ago.
He continues in saying the only way the Jets could keep both of their star ends is one agreeing to take far less than their value, which will not happen. Of course, this talk of trading Wilkerson is contingent on Richardson re-routing his career, which is far from a certainty at this point.
Here is some other news from around the league.
- Jimmy Graham‘s level of happiness with the Seahawks has been one of the key points of discussion in the NFL this week, and the sixth-year tight end might not experience a morale uptick, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk offers. While noting satisfaction could come in time as Graham and Russell Wilson increase their rapport, Florio suggests Graham is not a fit for what the Seahawks do. Graham’s begun to lobby for Wilson to not shy away from throwing his way, even if he’s covered. “Obviously, Drew (Brees) wasn’t running the read options, Graham told media. If (Wilson) is in trouble, he was going to read me, and I was the option. … I tell Russ every day, it don’t matter (if coverage is tight) and sometimes just throw it because sometimes it just doesn’t matter.”
- Sufficiently recovered from a high-ankle sprain, Eric Fisher will return to the Chiefs‘ starting lineup against the Packers, doing so at right tackle now, after sitting behind waiver pickup Jah Reid in the first two games, reports Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Although Andy Reid denied the speculation Fisher delayed his recovery in order to not have to face J.J. Watt in the Chiefs’ opener, Fisher hasn’t remotely lived up to expectations as a No. 1 pick and will begin a critical campaign in hopes of rescuing his career.
- Nick Toon‘s workout itinerary now includes a stop in St. Louis, as the Rams examined the former Saints backup, per Florio. The Rams also worked out wideouts Issac Blakeney, Kain Colter, DaVaris Daniels, Jordan Leslie, Tyler Rutenbeck and Taylor Washington. Florio opines that the Rams, who carry six healthy receivers presently, are sending a message to some in the unimpressive group. Toon also worked out for the Cowboys and Titans this month after being waived by the Saints.
- After news emerged on the timeline for the Tom Brady case, Michael Coyne of the Massachusetts School of Law explains to CSNNE.com how that will affect the 38-year-old quarterback’s season, should the Patriots return to the playoffs as expected. While distractions are inevitable given how this has unfolded, Coyne points out Brady will not have to be present for the appeal hearings.
- Johnny Manziel fumbling twice in each of the Browns‘ first two games was the driving force behind them opting to relegate him back to the bench in favor of Josh McCown, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com writes. The Browns lost possession on both mishaps against the Jets and recovered each loose ball against the Titans. “The No. 1 thing when you play quarterback is you have to protect the football,” Browns OC John DeFilippo told media. “. . . If you don’t protect the football, then you’re not giving yourself the best chance to win.”
- A knee injury this week during practice will keep Trent Cole from traveling with the Colts to Nashville, Tenn., for their Week 3 tilt with the Titans, reports Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (on Twitter). Robert Mathis‘ workload will increase as a result, Holder reports.
Tryout Notes: Chiefs, Browns, Patriots
Let’s take a look at some assorted tryout notes from around the NFL…
- The Chiefs worked out a trio of players this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter): defensive tackle Jimmy Staten, quarterback Cole Stoudt and wideout Rasheed Bailey (as had been previously reported). Staten, a fifth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2014, has already spent time with the Giants and Patriots this season. Stoudt, a former standout at Clemson, had previously spent time on the Chargers practice squad.
- In addition to working out Jerry Rice Jr., Wilson reports (via Twitter) that the Browns also auditioned receivers Rannell Hall and Uzoma Nwachukwu and safeties Robert Lester, Phillip Thomas and Tyrequek Zimmerman.
- Tight end Brian Leonhardt worked out for the Patriots earlier this week, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN (via Twitter). An undrafted free agent in 2013, Leonhardt compiled six catches for 35 yards and a touchdown with the Raiders in 2014. The 25-year-old has previously auditioned with the Vikings, Jets and Eagles.
AFC Notes: Geno, Raiders, Browns, Chiefs, Broncos
Geno Smith‘s prospects when it comes to turning into a viable starting quarterback in the NFL ostensibly aren’t good, but one of his Jets teammates – receiver Brandon Marshall – thinks the 24-year-old has a bright future.
“But like I said from the beginning — and I’ll stand by this — Geno is going to have a monster year, but unfortunately he’s not in it right now,” Marshall said Friday on SiriusXM Radio, according to Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin. “But he’ll get his shot. He’s still young and he has a long career ahead of him.”
Smith was supposed to be the Jets’ starter this year, but ex-teammate IK Enemkpali broke Smith’s jaw with a punch in August. Since then, Ryan Fitzpatrick has taken the reins and helped lead the Jets to a 2-0 start. As a result, Fitzpatrick has earned a vote of confidence from head coach Todd Bowles. Even without Fitzpatrick to take into consideration, the fact is that Smith hasn’t played well during his career. The 2013 second-round pick’s completion percentage sits in the high-50s and he’s thrown 25 touchdowns against 34 interceptions in 30 games.
Other news and notes from the AFC:
- Oakland city and stadium officials have restarted exploratory talks on a new stadium with the Raiders, ESPN’s Bill Williamson reports. The Raiders have set a deadline for Oakland to figure out a new stadium plan by year’s end. If no progress is made, the Raiders – whose lease expires at the end of the season – could relocate to Carson, Calif.
- The Browns had two first-round picks in the 2014 draft. They came out of the round with cornerback Justin Gilbert and quarterback Johnny Manziel. Gilbert’s career has been an abject disaster thus far, and Manziel’s hasn’t been a whole lot better. The Browns’ Sunday opponent is the Raiders, whose first two picks in 2014 were star linebacker Khalil Mack and blossoming QB Derek Carr. With that in mind, Tom Reed of Cleveland.com took a look at what could have been for the Browns.
- In other Browns news, they tried out free agent receiver Jerry Rice Jr. this week, tweets Pro Football Talk. The son of the greatest wideout ever went undrafted out of UNLV in 2014 and has spent time with Washington and Baltimore.
- Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who won an offseason battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, has regained his spot as a starter in the team’s base defense, coordinator Bob Sutton said (link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star). This comes on the heels of the three-time Pro Bowler playing 71 of 73 snaps in the Chiefs’ Week 2 loss to Denver. Berry’s increase in playing time means a decrease for Hussein Abdullah, who played 37 percent of snaps in Week 2 compared to 86 in Week 1.
- The Broncos’ defense has allowed the fewest yards per game and the seventh-fewest points per game this year. Their players and coaches believe third-year tackle Sylvester Williams has played a key role in their success. “It’s exciting to start to see him develop into the type of player that we all know that he can be,” linebacker Von Miller said, according to Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post. “He’ll have a heck of a year. He’s truly a hard worker,” added defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. “He’s got talent, but a lot of guys have talent and they don’t work how he does.”
West Notes: Chancellor, Osweiler, Bailey
As someone who has plenty of experience with NFL contract negotiations and standoffs, former Packers executive Andrew Brandt has an interesting summary of the Kam Chancellor situation over at TheMMQB.com. According to Brandt, the Seahawks were willing to shift about $3MM from 2017 to 2016 for their star safety, but were unwilling to add any new money to his contract.
Meanwhile, although Brandt isn’t sure how much – if any – of Chancellor’s fines and prorated bonus money the Seahawks will actually attempt to collect, he notes that many team executives around the NFL would prefer for those fines to be less optional. The thinking there is that if players faced mandatory fines for holdouts, they’d be less likely to sit out — knowing that the team may forgive those fines, a player is a little more likely to roll the dice on a holdout.
Here’s more on Chancellor, along with a couple other notes from out of the NFL’s West divisions:
- Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) believes that Chancellor doomed his leverage in future negotiations by eventually reporting to the Seahawks, since the team will now have little reason to fear a holdout in the future. I’m not sure I buy that — the club lost two games without Chancellor, and will certainly want to avoid a similar scenario in the future. Once the safety has just two years left on his deal, I could see the Seahawks becoming a little more willing to compromise.
- While there’s “no denying” how highly the Broncos coaching staff thinks of quarterback Trevor Siemian, Troy Renck of the Denver Post expects the club to make a strong effort to retain QB Brock Osweiler beyond the 2015 season. With no guarantee how much longer Peyton Manning will play, Osweiler may still eventually take on a larger role in Denver.
- Former Eagles wide receiver Rasheed Bailey, who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in the spring but was waived during the cutdown to 53 players, is working out for the Chiefs today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Caplan adds that Bailey will likely audition for the Browns next.
AFC Notes: Kitchen, Texans, Workouts, Fluker
Former Browns nose tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, who was cut by Cleveland earlier this month, will pay a visit to the Texans this week, a source tells Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. With 2014 third-rounder Louis Nix no longer on their roster, and sixth-round rookie Christian Covington backing up Vince Wilfork, the Texans may be seeking some veteran depth to help complement J.J. Watt on their defensive line.
As we wait to see if anything materializes between Kitchen and the Texans, let’s check in on a few other items from across the AFC….
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along some workout updates, reporting (via Twitter) that the Jets are auditioning former Broncos defensive end Quanterus Smith today, and that linebackers Troy Davis, Quayshawn Nealy, and Nick Moody recently worked out for the Chiefs. Moody has since signed to Seattle’s practice squad.
- Chargers offensive lineman D.J. Fluker is expected to miss “considerable time” due to an ankle injury, writes Bernie Wilson of The Associated Press. Johnnie Troutman would likely be the next man up to replace Fluker as San Diego’s right guard.
- The trial for Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter, who was charged with assault and battery following a July bar brawl, is set to begin today in Virginia Beach, according to an Associated Press report.
- Examining A.J. Green‘s new extension with the Bengals, Bryce Johnston of Over the Cap observes that even though Green’s second-year base salary isn’t fully guaranteed at the time of his signing and he trails other star wideouts in terms of fully guaranteed money, his contract looks just as strong as those other deals.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves…
- The Packers have removed wide receiver Larry Pinkard from their IR with an injury settlement, and the Chiefs have done the same with tight end Richard Gordon, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter links).
Earlier updates:
- Not long after claiming him off waivers from the Bears, the Cowboys have cut offensive tackle Jordan Mills, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), taking Mills’ spot on the roster is another offensive tackle, Charles Brown, who worked out for Dallas last week.
- The Bears have made a change on defense, re-signing outside linebacker Sam Acho and placing defensive end Cornelius Washington on injured reserve, according to Caplan (Twitter links). Acho was cut by Chicago on Saturday with a non-football illness designation, but it didn’t take him long to make his way back to the roster.
- The Saints are signing safety Kenny Phillips, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Phillips was with New Orleans all summer before being released last week as a late cut. After free safety Rafael Bush suffered a chest injury on Sunday, Phillips will help provide New Orleans with additional depth.
- The Saints have also re-signed two players they cut on Saturday, adding running back Tim Hightower and offensive lineman Mike McGlynn back to their roster, tweets Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune. New Orleans waived fullback Toben Opurum and wide receiver Seantavius Jones to accommodate the returning players.
- In a reversal of the team’s weekend transactions, Washington signed defensive end Frank Kearse and cut linebacker Houston Bates, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes.
- The Jets have officially activated backup offensive lineman Oday Aboushi from their reserve/suspended list after he missed Week 1 due to a substance abuse violation, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. For now, the Jets have a roster exemption for Aboushi, but they’ll have to decide this week whether to cut him or to move him to their 53-man roster, removing someone else.
- According to Caplan (Twitter links), the Raiders have released safety Brandian Ross off their injured reserve list, and the Lions have done the same with wide receiver Greg Salas, giving him an injury settlement.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/15
Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DL Kelcy Quarles (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Indianapolis Colts
- To be signed: G Robert Myers (via Aaron Wilson)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams (via Terez A. Paylor on Twitter)
- Cut: TE Ross Travis (via Paylor)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB DuJuan Harris (via Adam Caplan on Twitter)
Workout Notes: 9/12/15
The Chiefs worked out former seventh-round pick Cam Johnson, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The linebacker spent the previous three seasons with the Colts, compiling five tackles in 13 appearances. A 49ers draft pick in 2012, Johnson was waived by Indy last week.
Let’s check out some more audition notes from around the league. All links are via Wilson, unless noted otherwise…
- The Jaguars worked out wideout Shaq Evans and quarterbacks Shane Carden and McLeod Bethel-Thompson. Carden, an undrafted rookie, inked a deal with the Bears following the draft. Meanwhile, Bethel-Thompson, an undrafted rookie in 2011, is still looking to make his NFL debut (Twitter link).
- The Packers auditioned a group of players: receivers Issac Blakeney, Titus Davis, and Marcus Lucas, defensive ends Nordly Capi and Derrick Lott, linebacker Jeff Luc, and quarterback Donovan Porterie (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/10/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Chargers announced that they have brought back tight end John Phillips. In a corresponding move, the team waived rookie tackle Tyreek Burwell. The 6-5, 251-pound Phillips spent the previous two seasons with the Bolts, appearing in 31 games with seven starts. Mainly deployed as a versatile and reliable blocker, he’s chipped in with five receptions and one touchdown since signing as a free agent in 2013.
- Outside linebacker Josh Martin (concussion) cleared waivers and reached an injury settlement with the Chiefs rather than staying on their IR, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets.
- The Jets waived defensive lineman Davon Walls from IR with an injury settlement, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
- The Titans have reached an injury settlement with linebacker J.R. Tavai, which allows Tavai to sign with another team, as Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.