Extra Points: Washington, Cutler, Cowboys, Fins, Bolts, Jags
Washington will head to Chicago on Sunday to face the Jay Cutler-led Bears as it looks to stay atop the NFC East heap. Besides the matchup’s playoff implications, adding further intrigue is that Cutler – whom the Bears acquired in a trade with Denver in 2009 – was minutes from being Washington’s quarterback, as ESPN’s John Keim writes.
“You know how much time I put into that? A lot. Months. Dan [Snyder] put in a lot, too,” said Vinny Cerrato, who was Washington’s executive vice president at the time. “It was disappointing because at times we thought we had a deal then they called and said, no. Then they called back and said, ‘Hold on. If the deal falls through, we’ll trade him to you.’ Then it was like, ‘No, it didn’t work.'”
Cutler hasn’t exactly been a franchise quarterback for the Bears, but he has fared better than the slew of passers Washington has used since failing to acquire him. Washington has started Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, John Beck, Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy and current No. 1 Kirk Cousins throughout Cutler’s time in Chicago, Keim notes. Among that group, the club invested a fair amount in an ineffective McNabb and a boatload in RGIII, who hasn’t taken a snap this year and is all but guaranteed to be with another franchise next season.
Landing Cutler would’ve cost Washington plenty – a first-round pick, a fourth-rounder and QB Jason Campbell – but Cerrato believes Mike Shanahan’s presence would’ve helped make it worthwhile. Shanahan coached Cutler with the Broncos from 2006-08 and went on to hold the same position in Washington from 2010-13. Cutler threw 54 touchdowns against 37 interceptions in 37 games under Shanahan and amassed a career-best 4,526 passing yards in 2008.
“Mike knew him and what made him tick,” Cerrato said. “It would have given the organization a shot in the arm. Some like him and some don’t, but he’d have played his best football because of the way he is with Mike … It was like a punch in the gut.”
We’ll never know how another helping of Cutler-Shanahan would’ve gone, but one thing’s obvious: Had it happened, it would’ve changed both franchises dramatically – not necessarily for the better in either case, of course.
More from around the NFL as we draw closer to Washington-Chicago and the rest of Sunday’s Week 14 action:
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones criticized the team’s coaching staff earlier this week. On Friday, he laid some of the blame for Dallas’ 4-8 record on himself – specifically for his handling of the backup quarterback position last offseason. “On the other hand, if you want to look at any aspect of this team you can say well, if we would have been in better shape had you had Matt Cassel in the spring, rather than (Brandon) Weeden, and I’m not trying to knock Weeden, but if we would have had a guy like Cassel in here than we might have made a difference there, so put that one ultimately on my shoulders for sure,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan, per Josh Clark of CBS DFW.
- Dolphins rookie receiver DeVante Parker – whom the team chose 14th overall in this year’s draft – started quietly but has come on strong over the last two weeks, combining for seven catches, 143 yards and two touchdowns. With Parker seemingly emerging as a playmaker and Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills also part of the Dolphins’ long-term receiving corps, the end of Rishard Matthews‘ tenure in Miami could come this offseason, according to the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero. Matthews, a fourth-year man who’s in the top two among Dolphins in receptions (43), targets (60), yards (662), yards per catch (15.4) and touchdowns (four) this year, is scheduled to hit free agency in a few months.
- Chargers running back Melvin Gordon was impressive on 12 carries against Denver last Sunday, rushing for 55 yards, but head coach Mike McCoy benched the first-round rookie because of fumbling issues. Gordon coughed the ball up twice in a 17-3 loss, giving him five fumbles on the season. McCoy’s decision to sit Gordon was wrong, Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune offers. In Canepa’s opinion, with the season effectively over for the 3-9 Bolts, McCoy and his staff should be coaching Gordon through his struggles and letting him play – not relegating him to the sideline.
- The final quarter of the season will provide some important answers for the Jaguars, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Among them: the future statuses of receiver Marqise Lee, center Stefen Wisniewski, defenders Ryan Davis and Chris Smith, and kicker Jason Myers.
East Notes: Giants, Tannehill, Jets
While Giants brass was fed up enough with pass rusher Damontre Moore to cut him Friday after he got in a fight over headphones with then-teammate Cullen Jenkins, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes that most of the club’s players aren’t happy the 23-year-old is gone. One Giant told Graziano that Moore’s gameday encouragement of both offensive and defensive players will be missed, and another said the third-year man could always be counted on to attend teammates’ charity events without asking for anything in return.
The atmosphere in the locker room was quiet after Moore’s release, per Graziano, who believes his ex-Giants teammates want things to go better for him in his next stop. There’s a chance the Giants and Moore could meet as foes this year, Graziano notes, as one of their remaining opponents – the Dolphins, Panthers, Vikings or Eagles – might land him.
More on Big Blue and a couple of AFC East teams:
- While the Giants’ Tom Coughlin may be past his prime, the recent work of general manager Jerry Reese hasn’t helped the head coach’s cause, submits Newsday’s Bob Glauder. The release of Moore, a third-round pick in 2013, is the latest check mark against Reese – whom Glauber believes has too often underwhelmed in the early and middle rounds of drafts over the last few years. Reese’s failure to hit on those picks has caught up to the Giants, which is a big reason why they’re 5-7.
- Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has gotten plenty of blame for the team’s disappointing season, but offensive coordinator Zac Taylor says the fourth-year man hasn’t “regressed in any way, shape, or form,” per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- The Jets have two key defensive linemen scheduled to become free agents at year’s end. One is Muhammad Wilkerson, who’s among the best, most well-known defenders in the league. The other, Damon Harrison, doesn’t have Wilkerson’s name recognition, but he has performed brilliantly. That will make it difficult for the Jets to let Harrison go, opines Brian Costello of the New York Post. The 27-year-old currently grades out as the fifth-best run-stuffing interior D-lineman in the league this season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
- Backup Dolphins tight end Brandon Williams broke a bone in his left foot and is likely to miss the rest of the season, head coach Dan Campbell said (Twitter link via ESPN’s James Walker).
AFC East Notes: Campbell, Williams, McDaniels, Incognito
Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell isn’t likely going to continue on as the team’s coach past this season, but Chris Perkins of the Miami Sun-Sentinel believes he wins three of his final four games, or even runs the table, that could give him a good shot to be hired full time by owner Stephen Ross.
Let’s take a quick look at the rest of the AFC East, with more notes on the Jets, Patriots and Bills:
- The Jets were excited to draft Leonard Williams sixth overall because they felt they had gotten lucky to select the best player in the draft when he should have been taken much earlier. Williams however was upset because he thought he should have went first, or at least have been the first defensive player taken, and instead fell to the Jets where he wouldn’t have a chance to play behind Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post. It turned out to be the best thing, as Williams has thrived with the Jets without having the pressure to be a superstar right out of the gate as a rookie.
- It isn’t hard to remember Josh McDaniels’ last turn as a head coach, where he ran Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall out of town while hitching his wagon to Tim Tebow in the first round. However, he has proven himself again in New England, and Texans head coach Bill O’Brien–formerly of the Patriots–believes McDaniels deserves a second chance and could thrive as an NFL head coach, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- Richie Incognito has rewarded the Bills for giving him a second chance by delivering one of the best seasons of his career. General manager Doug Whaley praised his play, saying he should be in consideration for Comeback Player of the Year and recognized as a top-five guard in the NFL, writes Dan Hanzus of NFL.com. He is the second-best guard in the league according to Pro Football Focus.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/10/15
Today’s practice squad moves:
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Dax Swanson (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald)
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB Rashaan Melvin (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: CB Chris Greenwood (link)
Washington
- Signed: RB Mack Brown (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com)
AFC East Notes: Schwartz, Workouts, Dolphins
While Rex Ryan has a reputation as a defensive-minded coach, the Bills have slipped to 26th in the NFL this year in defensive DVOA, during Ryan’s first year with the team. The disappointing performance from Buffalo’s defense reflects well on Jim Schwartz, who was the unit’s coordinator in 2014, when the Bills ranked second in the league in defensive DVOA, behind only Seattle. Schwartz decided to take a year off after he was replaced in Buffalo last winter, but veteran Rams coach Jeff Fisher thinks the former Lions coach deserves another shot at a head coaching job.
“Jim is deserving of another opportunity, you really just have to wait and see what happens,” Fisher said, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. “That year in Buffalo with that defense, that was a pretty impressive job that he did and so I’ve stayed in touch with Jim, we’re good friends. … I can speak from experience as far as how important it is after coaching so long that if you get an opportunity to take a year off, take it. He’s done that, recharged and is ready to go. We’ll just wait and see what happens.”
As we wait to see whether the ex-Bills DC returns to the NFL’s coaching ranks in 2016, let’s round up a few notes out of the AFC East….
- Former UCF wide receiver J.J. Worton is getting plenty of looks from NFL teams now that he has fully recovered from the ACL injury that ended his college career. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Patriots are the latest team to work out Worton, who also auditioned for the Packers and Bears.
- Wilson also passes along word of another free agent meeting, tweeting that former North Carolina Central guard Jovan Olafioye visited the Dolphins. Olafioye has played for the CFL’s B.C. Lions for the last several years, earning All-Star game nods in each of the last five seasons.
- Despite the fact that he signed a record-setting contract with the team as a free agent last offseason, Ndamukong Suh hasn’t become a “defining player” for the Dolphins, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Salguero argues that the defensive tackle has been solid during his first season in Miami, but he hasn’t been the difference-making player the team expected. With Suh’s cap number set to jump to $28.6MM, the club will be banking on him making more of an impact going forward.
- It’s critical that the Dolphins get their next head coaching hire right, as Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explains.
East Notes: McCoy, Murray, Tannehill, Pats
With the Bills and Eagles set to square off this weekend, with both teams fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive, the offseason trade that sent Kiko Alonso to Philadelphia and LeSean McCoy to Buffalo has become a popular topic of discussion once again.
In a conversation with Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, McCoy said this week that he’s no longer upset about the fact that the Eagles unexpectedly dealt him, adding that he doesn’t hold a grudge against head coach Chip Kelly. As for Alonso, he’s downplaying the storyline involving him and McCoy, telling reporters this week that “the fact that I got traded for him has no relevance at all” (link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
As we wait to see how McCoy and Alonso fare against their old teams, let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFL’s East divisions….
- After a report surfaced suggesting he spoke to team owner Jeffrey Lurie about his role with the Eagles, running back DeMarco Murray had no interest in talking to reporters on Tuesday about the subject, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News details.
- Ryan Tannehill hasn’t exactly been lighting it up since signing his lucrative, long-term contract extension, but the Dolphins remain committed to him for now. However, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald observes, Tannehill’s base salaries beyond 2016 are non-guaranteed, so the club could have an out after next season if the quarterback doesn’t show signs of progress.
- Former Buccaneers cornerback Leonard Johnson, who worked out for the Patriots on Monday, has stuck around the area and looks like the favorite to fill the team’s open roster spot, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. After appearing in all 48 of the Bucs’ regular season games from 2012 to 2014 starting 17 of them, Johnson was cut from the injured reserve list by Tampa Bay last week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/15
We’ll track all of Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Dolphins have re-signed tight end Brandon Williams to their active roster, waiving safety Jordan Kovacs in a corresponding move, the team announced today (Twitter links). Miami also opened up another roster spot by placing defensive tackle Robert Thomas on the injured reserve list.
- Jets defensive end Mike Catapano has landed on IR due to a foot injury, with safety Ronald Martin getting the promotion from the practice squad to take his spot on the roster, the Jets announced today (via Twitter).
- The Chiefs are signing offensive lineman Jarrod Pughsley from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. The corresponding move to make room for Pughsley isn’t yet known.
- The Falcons have released defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli from their injured reserve list, the team announced today (via Twitter). He’ll become a free agent if he clears waivers.
Earlier updates:
- In the wake of Nick Boyle‘s suspension, and with Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams both battling injuries, the Ravens have added two tight ends to their roster. According to a press release, the club has promoted Konrad Reuland from its practice squad and signed veteran free agent Richard Gordon. Boyle was moved to the reserve/suspended list and cornerback Cassius Vaughn was cut to create space on the roster.
- The Bills have also made a change at the tight end position, promoting Nick O’Leary from the practice squad and cutting veteran Matthew Mulligan, the team announced today. Mulligan had played a role this season for the Bills as a blocker and special-teamer, making the move a little surprising. Joe Buscaglia of WKBW wonders (via Twitter) if another team – perhaps the Ravens? – showed interest in O’Leary, prompting Buffalo to protect him.
- The Eagles have signed outside linebacker Steven Means from the Texans‘ practice squad, the club announced today (via Twitter). Means will take over the roster spot vacated by Miles Austin, who was released on Monday.
- With a Thursday night showdown against Arizona around the corner, the Vikings have made a handful of roster moves, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed safety Shaun Prater and elevated safety Anthony Harris from the practice squad. To make room for the incoming defensive backs, Minnesota placed safety Antone Exum on injured reserve and waived defensive end Justin Trattou.
- The Colts are adding some depth at the linebacker spot by promoting linebacker Amarlo Herrera to their active roster, a source tells Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Jerrell Freeman and Nate Irving are banged up for Indianapolis.
- The Browns have re-signed offensive lineman Darrian Miller to their 53-man roster just three days after cutting him, placing fullback Malcolm Johnson on injured reserve in a corresponding move, per a team release.
East Notes: Kelly, McDaniels, Coughlin
Just a week after Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was said to be “despondent” and “mulling all options” on the heels of back-t0-back blowout losses, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the head coach is likely to return to the Philadelphia sidelines in 2016. Owner Jeffrey Lurie remains a staunch Kelly supporter, even though he is aware of some dissension in the locker room, and per La Canfora, Lurie “did not hand Kelly total control to the roster a few months ago to consider launching a new search for a coach and GM now.” Although it is not inconceivable that Kelly could return to the college ranks in 2016, those vacancies are filling up quickly and team officials would be shocked if Kelly left the Eagles before completing his fourth season with the club.
- Although Kelly surely appreciates Lurie’s loyalty, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if Kelly himself is too loyal to under-performing players. During Kelly’s tenure with the Eagles, he has never released or benched a player for poor performance, and McLane thinks certain members of the club may have become complacent.
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is once again a hot head coaching candidate, and La Canfora writes that he is open to speaking with teams this offseason. Of course, given McDaniels’ disastrous stint in Denver, he would only go to a team that has a strong organizational structure from ownership down, since another failed tenure would likely spell the end of his head coaching opportunities. Many clubs are enamored with McDaniels’ offensive mind and ability to extract a great deal of production from an offense that has to continually reinvent itself, and McDaniels is viewed as the closest thing to a Belichick clone to emerge from the Belichick coaching tree.
- If McDaniels is to leave the Patriots, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe sees the Lions as the most likely landing spot, given that the team has a good young quarterback in place and ownership that has shown patience in the past. The Titans have been viewed as a fit, and they may be, but their ownership situation is unstable, and Volin does not believe McDaniels would disrespect New England by going to a team like the Dolphins or Colts that has a history of bad blood with the Patriots.
- Giants head coach Tom Coughlin may be on the hot seat, but as Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News writes, Coughlin typically thrives with his back to the wall. Of course, the team had a chance to take a commanding lead in the NFC East last week and failed to do so, which means that the Giants’ string of four straight seasons without a playoff berth is in danger of continuing. If that happens, Coughlin’s two Super Bowl rings and respect from team ownership may not be enough to save him.
AFC East Notes: Dolphins, McDaniels, Burgess
Within his latest column, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explores several of the personnel decisions facing the Dolphins in the coming weeks and months. Jackson suggests that the team would like to add at least one defensive end, though that doesn’t rule out the possibility of Olivier Vernon and/or Derrick Shelby returning. Quinton Coples is also in the club’s plans for 2016, albeit at a reduced salary, says Jackson.
While defensive end is one key situation worth monitoring in Miami, the Dolphins will also face decisions on cornerback Brent Grimes, linebackers Koa Misi and Earl Mitchell, running back Lamar Miller, and pass-catchers Rishard Matthews and Jordan Cameron, as Jackson details.
Here’s more from out of the AFC East:
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald also looks ahead to the Dolphins‘ offseason, writing that the team’s greatest areas of need are at defensive end, middle linebacker, and cornerback. As Salguero observes, with the club set to hire a new head coach and coaching staff, many of the decisions Miami makes in the next few weeks will determine the direction of the franchise for the next several years.
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is generating “a lot of buzz” as a potential head coaching candidate, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Having already had one head coaching job that went south, McDaniels will have to be selective this time if he has the opportunity to interview for offseason vacancies. Volin suggests that the Lions may be a fit for McDaniels, if Detroit looks to replace Jim Caldwell.
- British rugby star Tom Burgess, who worked out for the Giants last week, also auditioned for both the Jets and Bills, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If Burgess is serious about giving the NFL a shot, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him land a reserve/futures contract at season’s end with one of the teams trying him out this month.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/15
Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including practice squad moves:
- The Falcons have released an injury settlement with tackle Lamar Holmes, releasing him from the reserve/PUP list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Holmes’ four-year rookie deal had been set to expire at season’s end, but since he was on track to spend all year on the PUP list due to a foot injury, his contract would’ve tolled, keeping him on Atlanta’s roster. Instead, he’ll reach the open market a little early.
- To fill the roster spot formerly held by Trent Robinson, whose release was noted below, Washington promoted linebacker Carlos Fields from its practice squad, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports. The 25-year-old Fields should serve as depth for a depleted Washington linebacking corps Monday night, with Mason Foster and Will Compton expected to start. Perry Riley remains out, and Keenan Robinson is questionable, so Fields figures to see extensive special teams time.
Earlier updates:
- Darius Jennings joins the Browns‘ active roster after the team promoted the wide receiver from their practice squad. Cleveland cut linebacker Darrian Miller to make room, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). A former Virginia wideout, Jennings caught on with the Browns after a minicamp tryout this May. Miller played in two games as a backup after spending nine weeks on the team’s practice squad prior to his promotion.
- The Dolphins signed defensive end Jordan Williams from their practice squad and cut tight end Brandon Williams to make room, James Walker of ESPN.com tweets. Initially signing with the Jets as a rookie UDFA this offseason, Jordan Williams signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad in October.
- The Giants waived cornerback Leon McFadden and signed linebacker James Morris to take his spot on the 53-man roster, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). A 24-year-old inside backer, Morris played in three games with the Giants this season after spending time with the Patriots in 2014.
- Washington waived/injured safety Trent Robinson, per Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Robinson was backing up Dashon Goldson and Kyshoen Jarrett previously. If Robinson clears waivers, he’ll land on Washington’s IR, per Jay Gruden (via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com, on Twitter).
- The Bills have promoted running back Michael Gillislee to the active roster, reports Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter). The former fifth-round pick hasn’t played in the NFL since a three-game stint with the Dolphins in 2013. To make room on the roster, the team has waived offensive lineman Gabe Ikard. The Oklahoma product has only made three appearances this season, although Buscaglia believes his absence will lead to Ryan Groy being active for the first time.
- With the Bengals dealing with a banged up secondary, the team has promoted cornerback Troy Hill from the practice squad, reports ESPN’s Coley Harvey (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, the team waived cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris, who was injured during last week’s victory over the Rams.