AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Colts, Jags, Ravens
We took a look at ESPN’s NFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now focus on notes from the AFC…
- Adam Teicher says the Chiefs biggest need “in both the short and long terms” is at wide receiver.
- Mike Wells believes it’s too late for the Colts to reinforce their offensive line depth with a free agent like Richie Incognito.
- Firing offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch wouldn’t make “any sense” for the Jaguars, writes Michael DiRocco. A new O-coordinator would mean Blake Bortles would have to learn a new offensive, which is “virtually guaranteed” to stunt a young quarterback’s growth.
- Jamison Hensley believes the Ravens will add some depth at cornerback, wide receiver, tight end and offensive tackle in the offseason. Meanwhile, the writer says it would be “uncharacteristic” for the team to pursue top free agent defenders like Jason Pierre-Paul or Ndamukong Suh.
Extra Points: Chiefs, Sam, Ravens
The football world is abuzz over Jay Gruden‘s decision to bench Robert Griffin III, but the quarterback is taking a diplomatic approach to the situation. “Coach’s decision,” Griffin said when asked about the move, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. “I’m here to help this team win.” This is a lost season for Washington, but the decision to go with Colt McCoy raises all sorts of questions about their future. More from around the NFL..
- The Chiefs worked out defensive backs Ellis Lankster, DeMarcus Van Dyke, and Johnny Patrick, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Both Lankster and Patrick are former Jets. Lankster, 27, has 47 NFL games to his credit between 2009-2013. He auditioned for the Lions and Panthers this fall but he has yet to find an NFL home since his release from the Jets in September.
- Montreal Alouettes GM Jim Popp said that Michael Sam was close to joining the team with three weeks to go in the CFL season, tweets David William Naylor of TSN. Maggie Hendricks of USA Today identified the Bears and Lions as a couple of clubs that might have interest in the linebacker earlier this month, but no one has signed him since he was dropped from the Cowboys’ practice squad.
- The Ravens were smart to listen to Kirk Ferentz when they took a chance and drafted offensive guard Marshal Yanda, writes Childs Walker of The Baltimore Sun. In fact, Walker argues that Yanda is quietly becoming one of the greatest players in Ravens history. “He’s definitely one of the best linemen in the league,” said Steve Palazzolo, a senior analyst for Pro Football Focus. “He can play the power game and maul people but then you see some of the reach blocks he makes, and he moves awfully quickly over a short space.”
Extra Points: Ryan, Holliday, Allen, Chiefs
Bad news for Eagles quarterback Nick Foles has his return may come later than once expected, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Foles’ left clavicle has to be strong enough for the Eagles quarterback to sustain contact, otherwise another blow could cause further harm. Because of that, he might not be healed enough to return in late December. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..
- Most people around the league never thought Jets coach Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik would be able to co-exist, Adam Schefter told Michael Kay of ESPN Radio (audio link).
- Kick returner Trindon Holliday, who is now healthy, worked out for the Bills today, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- Over the past 48 hours, several sources have told Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter) that the chances range from very likely to an absolute that USC running back Javorius Allen will enter the 2015 draft. Allen has garnered comparisons to Titans tailback Bishop Sankey, the first running back taken in the 2014 draft.
- Free agent cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke worked out for the Chiefs today, a source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Paylor (link) wouldn’t be surprised to see him come back to KC at some point. The speedy defensive back had a great preseason with the Chiefs before suffering a high ankle sprain.
- The Raiders worked out Brandon Denmark, Cam Henderson, Keith Lewis, Keon Lyn, Kona Schwenke, Jansen Watson, and Nickoe Whitley, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
Minor Moves: Wednesday
In addition to tracking Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, we’ll also be keeping tabs on minor transactions involving teams’ 53-man rosters. Here’s the latest:
- The Saints have promoted defensive tackle Lawrence Virgil to the 53-man roster in the wake of Brodrick Bunkley‘s injury, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate (via Twitter).
- A day after being cut by the Buccaneers, wide receiver and kick returner Marcus Thigpen has been claimed off waivers by the Bills, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, adding that Buffalo has released defensive end Bryan Johnson in the corresponding move (Twitter links). Presumably the Bills are eyeing Thigpen as a return specialist, despite the fact that he muffed a couple punts in recent weeks for the Bucs.
- After injuring his foot more than a month ago, tight end David Ausberry has finally been moved to the injured reserve list by the Raiders, with the team promoting defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin from the practice squad to take Ausberry’s place on the roster. Oakland announced the pair of transactions today in a press release.
Earlier updates:
- The Bears have placed veteran offensive lineman Brian De La Puente on their injured reserve list due to an ankle injury, the team announced today (Twitter link). The former Saint played both center and guard for Chicago this season, earning more than 500 overall snaps. He’ll be replaced on the 53-man roster by defensive tackle Brandon Dunn, who was promoted from the practice squad.
- Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (Twitter link) confirms that the Cowboys have indeed placed Jack Crawford on season-ending IR, as was speculated below.
- The Titans have plucked a player from their head coach’s old team, signing outside linebacker Kaelin Burnett from off the Cardinals‘ practice squad, the club announced today (via Twitter). Tight end Richard Gordon has been cut from Tennessee’s active roster to make room for Burnett.
- In advance of tomorrow’s game against the Eagles, the Cowboys will call up linebacker Keith Smith from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas. Archer doesn’t have the corresponding move for us yet, but speculates that defensive end Jack Crawford could be placed on injured reserve due to a broken thumb.
- Defensive lineman Nick Williams has signed with the Chiefs, taking the active roster spot vacated by Eric Berry, who is on the non-football illness list.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
Already today, we’ve passed along word on practice squad signings and cuts made by the Buccaneers and Lions. Here are the rest of Tuesday’s practice squad transactions from around the NFL, with the latest updates added to the list throughout the day:
- According to the NFL transaction report, the Chargers added cornerback Richard Crawford to their practice squad, according to Eric Williams of ESPN.com (on Twitter). San Diego waived Crawford from the active roster late last week.
- The Colts have signed defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles to their practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Quarles, 22, was released by the Colts yesterday to make room for linebacker Victor Butler. The Colts’ practice squad is currently full, so another move should be on the way.
- Although he auditioned for the Cardinals today, running back Kapri Bibbs will return to Denver and be added to the Broncos‘ practice squad, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- Linebacker Keith Pough, who was released to make room for Josh Gordon the Browns‘ roster, has been re-signed to the club’s practice squad, replacing wide receiver L’Damian Washington, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Cardinals released tackle Kelvin Palmer from their practice squad today, creating an opening on the unit, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Texans cut a tackle of their own, removing Chris Martin from their taxi squad, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
- After being released from the Falcons‘ active roster, receiver Freddie Martino cleared waivers and joined the team’s practice squad, replacing wideout Ryan Spadola, per ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- Former Patriots linebacker Ja’Gared Davis has signed with the Chiefs‘ practice squad, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Kansas City had been carrying nine players on its squad, so Davis fills that 10th and final spot, and no corresponding move is necessary.
- In addition to confirming the addition of wide receiver and return man Griff Whalen to their practice squad, the Colts announced today that they’ve signed Jeff Demps to the unit, releasing running back Michael Hill to make room. Demps, a former Olympic sprinter, is also listed as a running back by Indianapolis.
- You can find the up-to-date list of all 32 practice squad rosters right here.
Practice Squad Updates: Monday
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here..
- The Chiefs have placed Darin Drakeford on the practice squad-injured list, tweets Aaron Wilson. The linebacker was originally cut by the Falcons in August, and he signed with Kansas City in October.
- The Colts have re-signed wideout Griff Whalen to their practice squad, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. The 24-year-old was waived this past weekend to make room for Zurlon Tipton.
Earlier updates:
- The Packers have signed offensive tackle Justin Renfrow to their practice squad, tweets ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. To make room, they released guard Rishaw Johnson, who was signed to the practice squad last week. Renfrow, a former standout for the Miami Hurricanes, briefly spent time with the Cardinals.
- The Chiefs are planning to sign defensive lineman Nick Williams off of the Steelers’ practice squad, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Kansas City has their eye on the 2013 seventh rounder all year, Rapoport adds. Williams, 24, spent last year on injured reserve. He’s now the second defensive lineman to be plucked from the Steelers’ practice squad this month. The Cardinals signed defensive end Josh Mauro off of the Steelers’ taxi squad two weeks ago.
- To fill the space left by Williams’ departure, the Steelers have signed defensive end Joe Kruger to their practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Chiefs Place Berry On NFI List
4:30pm: Berry has released a statement on the Chiefs’ website:
“I am truly thankful for all of the support from family, friends, coaches, teammates and the entire Chiefs kingdom. At first I was in shock with the diagnosis on Saturday and did not even want to miss a game, but I understand that right now I have to concentrate on a new opponent. I have great confidence in the doctors and the plan they are going to put in place for me to win this fight. I believe that I am in God’s hands and I have great peace in that. I know my coaches and teammates will hold things down here the rest of the season and until I am back running out of the tunnel at Arrowhead. I am so thankful and appreciative of being a part of this franchise and playing in front of the best fans in the NFL. I will be back!”
4:00pm: The Chiefs have placed safety Eric Berry on the non-football illness list, which means he’s done for the year, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Trainer Rick Burkholder told reporters, including Adam Teicher of ESPN.com (on Twitter), that Berry experienced discomfort in his chest after Thursday night’s tilt against Oakland. Burkholder went on to explain that upon further inspection, the Chiefs crew found a mass on the right side of Berry’s chest, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Right now, it is believed that Berry has lymphoma and the safety will travel to Atlanta to visit with a specialist (Twitter links). There’s no definite diagnosis yet, however, and the evaluation will continue through tomorrow.
Pro Football Rumors would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to Berry during this difficult time.
Minor Moves: Saturday
Here are today’s minor transactions. We’ll update the list throughout the day, with the most recent moves added to the top…
- The Seahawks have added offensive lineman Andrew McDonald to their practice squad, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). The team released defensive lineman Jimmy Staten to make room.
- The Chiefs have placed receiver A.J. Jenkins on the injured reserve, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The team signed former Panther and Eagle Jason Avant to replace Jenkins, who has had nine catches this season.
Earlier Updates
- The Chargers have signed offensive lineman Ryan Miller to their active roster from the practice squad, reports Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter). Chargers’ center Rich Ohrnberger is injured and might not play on Sunday. The team has waived cornerback Richard Crawford in order to make room for Miller (via Twitter).
- With Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman out this week, the Broncos have promoted running back Jeremy Stewart from the practice squad, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The team waived running back Kapri Bibbs to make room for Stewart.
- The Patriots have signed Casey Walker to their practice squad, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). The team waived the defensive tackle to make room for LeGarrette Blount, but were able to bring him back after Walker cleared waivers.
- With only two runnings back on the roster, the Colts have promoted Zurlon Tipton from their practice squad, reports Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, the team waived receiver/returner Griff Whalen.
- The Cowboys have promoted cornerback Micah Pellerin and released defensive tackle Davon Coleman, reports ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (via Twitter). Coleman has compiled three tackles this season after joining Dallas as an undrafted free agent.
Extra Points: McDaniels, GMs, Peterson, Avant
It’s inevitable that some teams will be making coaching changes when the 2014 season comes to a close, leading Adam Caplan of ESPN (Insider subscription required) to speak with NFL executives to compile a ranking of the most promising head-coaching candidates. Per Caplan, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is the most popular name for coaching-needy teams. Execs feel that McDaniels, at 32, was too young when he took charge of the Broncos from 2010-12, and that he could be an option for the 49ers if Jim Harbaugh doesn’t return. Seahwawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, and Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak round out the top-five of Caplan’s list. Here’s more from around the league…
- As the inclusion of Munchak in the above list shows, head coaches often get a second chance to lead a team. However, there aren’t a similar number of retread general managers, writes Albert Breer of NFL.com, who notes that of the league’s 30 GMs, only Washington’s Bruce Allen has previously held that title with another club. Breer points to ex-Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum as two decision-makers who could resurface with different teams.
- All signs point to Vikings running back Adrian Peterson playing in a different city in 2015, and Ben Goessling of ESPN.com looks at several destinations for the now-controversial veteran, listing the 49ers, the Falcons, and of course, the Cowboys as teams that could show interest in Peterson.
- After Jason Avant signed with the Chiefs earlier today, his agent, Doug Hendrickson, tweeted a parting shot at the veteran’s former club, the Panthers: “[I] said he deserved a better place, and he found one.” In Kansas City, Avant reunites with Andy Reid, who was the Eagles’ head coach while Avant was in Philadelphia.
- Speaking of the Panthers, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer pens an excellent piece looking at the daunting offseason that faces Carolina. General manager Dave Gettleman & Co. may need to find a new left tackle and pass-rusher, and make a decision on quarterback Cam Newton, all while being saddled with the unwisely contracts of running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
Chiefs Sign Jason Avant, Place Jenkins On IR
6:57pm: In addition to confirming the signing of Avant, the Chiefs announced that they have placed fellow receiver A.J. Jenkins, who had just nine receptions for 93 yards this season, on injured reserve.
3:38pm: Three days after he was waived by the Panthers and one day after their receivers were quiet again in a loss to the Raiders, the Chiefs brought in Jason Avant for a workout and will sign him to a contract, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
Avant, 31, signed with Carolina in the offseason as a free agent, and grabbed 21 balls for 201 yards and a touchdown during his time with the club. The Panthers cut him earlier this week after he questioned the team’s play-calling in Sunday’s loss to the Falcons, though head coach Ron Rivera insisted the move was unrelated to Avant’s comments, and reflected the team’s desire to give its younger wideouts more playing time.
By signing with the Chiefs, Avant will join perhaps the least productive receiving corps in all of football in 2014. Improbably, no Kansas City wide receivers have caught a touchdown this season — Alex Smith has tossed 13 TD passes, but all of them have been caught by a tight end or a running back.
The Chiefs don’t currently have an opening on their 53-man roster, so a corresponding move will be necessary to accommodate the addition of Avant.