AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Payton, Pats
After losing Julian Edelman for several weeks, the Patriots appear to have dodged a bullet with fellow receiver Danny Amendola. Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com writes that Amendola has a knee sprain that will limit his ability to practice this week, but he’s not expected to miss much action, and could play in Week 12 vs. the Broncos. The same can’t be said for Aaron Dobson, who is expected to miss that Denver game, and perhaps more than that, so the Pats will be hoping for a quick recovery from Amendola.
Here’s more from around the AFC East:
- There will be a wide field of worthy candidates for the Dolphins to consider when they search for a permanent head coach this winter, but “none look as attractive or experienced” as Sean Payton, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who says Dolphins owner Stephen Ross needs to go hard after the Saints’ head coach.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick is the best option right now for a Jets organization that has been searching for a strong young quarterback for years, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. Fitzpatrick might be flawed, but he gives Gang Green the best chance to make the postseason. Geno Smith, he feels, is is a far inferior option.
- The Patriots opted to keep defensive tackle Chris Jones and linebacker Dane Fletcher on the PUP list rather than activating them, as Rich Garven of The Providence Journal writes. The two veterans both seem to be healthy, but the Pats just couldn’t carve out space for them.
- The Dolphins worked out defensive backs Dax Swanson, Brandon McGee, Dewey McDonald, and Jeremy Harris, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/24/15
Tuesday’s minor signings and cuts from around the NFL:
- The Seahawks are bringing back running back Bryce Brown, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Brown will give Seattle additional depth at the position given Marshawn Lynch‘s uncertain status. Head coach Pete Carroll indicated that Lynch was unlikely to go this week, so Brown’s return is not an indication of whether Lynch will undergo surgery.
- The Seahawks also signed wide receiver B.J. Daniels to the active roster, as Brady Henderson of ESPN Seattle tweets.
- The Raiders cut linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Armstrong got in hot water earlier this month for taunting a police dog in Pittsburgh.
- The Eagles signed wide receiver Jonathan Krause from the practice squad and released linebacker Emmanuel Acho, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets.
- The Jets announced that they have signed outside linebacker Josh Martin off the Colts‘ practice squad to their active roster. Martin got his start as a UDFA with Kansas City in 2013 before moving on to the Bucs this season. After he was waived/injured by Tampa Bay, the Colts scooped him up soon after. For his career Martin has played in 21 games (one start) with a half-sack, a forced fumble and 28 tackles, all with the Chiefs.
- The Dolphins have waived cornerback Zackary Bowman, as Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel tweets.
- The Seahawks have waived defensive lineman A.J. Francis, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
Dolphins Claim Quinton Coples Off Waivers
A day after being cut by the Jets, edge defender Quinton Coples will join another AFC East team, but perhaps not the one that many were expecting. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the Dolphins have claimed Coples off waivers.
Many NFL observers, myself included, believed that the Bills were a candidate to grab Coples, given the connection to former Jets head coach Rex Ryan. However, the Dolphins also have a Coples connection — executive VP of football operations Mike Tannenbaum was in New York’s front office when the Jets drafted the North Carolina product in 2012. It’s not clear if the Bills put in a claim, since the Dolphins had a higher waiver priority.
Coples, selected 16th overall in the 2012 draft, had his best year as a pro in 2014, but even that amounted to just 35 tackles and 6.5 sacks, modest totals for a first-round pass rusher. Since Todd Bowles took over as the Jets’ head coach, Coples had become increasingly marginalized.
As Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News observed yesterday (via Twitter), the 25-year-old played just five snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Texans, and clearly wasn’t a fit in the current defensive scheme. In Miami, he may be used as a 4-3 defensive end, rather than as a linebacker, which could be a better fit for his style of play.
By claiming Coples, the Dolphins will take on the remaining $535K on his 2015 salary, which is fully guaranteed, so the Jets will be off the hook for that amount. Coples’ deal also includes a $7.751MM salary for 2016, since New York exercised his fifth-year option. That figure is guaranteed for injury only, so the Dolphins won’t have to pay it unless the defender suffers a significant injury and can’t pass a physical in March.
AFC East Notes: Taylor, Edelman, Dolphins
Assuming he plays the entire game against the Patriots tonight, Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor should ensure that he plays at least 50% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps this season, notes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). And if Taylor meets that 50% threshold this season, it means he could end up spending one less year in Buffalo.
When Taylor signed a three-year contract with the Bills in the offseason, the pact included a clause that allowed it to void after two years if the ex-Raven played at least half of the club’s snaps this season. At the time, with Taylor projected to be a backup, those terms didn’t appear significant, but they certainly do now. Barring an injury tonight, Taylor will now likely be eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2016 season.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC East….
- Schefter also examines another notable contract, tweeting that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman will lose about $47K each week in per-game roster bonuses while his foot injury keeps him out of action. If he misses the rest of the season, Edelman will lose out on about $328K, so the injury is a costly one for both the player and the team.
- After falling to 4-6 on Sunday, the Dolphins need to start looking ahead to 2016, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. While players and coaches still insist the club is capable of running the table and vying for a playoff spot, the franchise needs to start considering who the head coach will be in 2016, and what personnel changes must be made in the offseason.
- Dan Campbell‘s performance in relief of Joe Philbin is “obviously enough to earn him a legitimate interview” when the Dolphins hunt for a permanent head coach after the season, says Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. However, Salguero believes Miami needs to target someone with more extensive head coaching experience, identifying Sean Payton and Chuck Pagano as potential candidates, if they’re available.
Sunday Roundup: Sanchez, Cousins, Graham
Just like Brock Osweiler in Denver, Mark Sanchez has the opportunity to secure a full-time starting job with the Eagles, and his audition starts today. As Sam Bradford continues to deal with a concussion and shoulder injury, Sanchez will get the start against the Buccaneers this afternoon, and per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Kevin Patra) he will also start Thanksgiving Day against the Lions. Since the Eagles did not sign Bradford to an extension this offseason, it will be easy for Philadelphia to move on from him if it so chooses, and it would not be a surprise if Sanchez took hold of the job for the remainder of 2015. What happens beyond that, though, is anyone’s guess.
Now let’s take a look at some links from around the league:
- Washington has had preliminary contract talks with Kirk Cousins, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). However, as former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets, there is no reason for Cousins to sign an extension anytime soon, as the rewards for not doing so outweigh the risks.
- Rapoport tweets that the Cowboys‘ support for embattled DE Greg Hardy is waning. Hardy was late for practice last Thursday and late for a team meeting last Saturday, and it is unclear how much longer he can test the team’s patience. Of course, it would be strange if tardiness is the reason Dallas ultimately chooses to part ways with Hardy.
- Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald looks back at what went right for the Dolphins this offseason and what they should have done differently.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com details the reasons for Jimmy Graham‘s disappointing 2015 season and likens his tenure with the Seahawks to Randy Moss‘ time in Oakland. Fitzgerald believes that Graham’s statistical output is artificially low because of the offense he plays in, and although there are risks if a team should choose to pursue Graham in the offseason, the potential rewards outweigh those concerns.
- In a separate piece, Fitzgerald explores why Nick Foles‘ benching does not mean he will be leaving the Rams next year.
- Matt Vensel of The Star Tribune examines how the Vikings have successfully navigated the draft and deftly handled difficult personnel decisions to assemble one of the league’s best defenses.
- Likewise, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle discusses how the Texans‘ youth movement on defense is giving the club hope for the future.
- Although it does not come as much of surprise, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that teams hoping to lure Alabama head coach Nick Saban back to the professional ranks are facing very steep odds, and La Canfora details why Saban will stay right where he is.
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reviews the performance of the 2015 draft class to date, observing that, with a few notable exceptions, the class has largely been a disappointment.
- Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com explores some potential impacts of the NFL’s decision to make compensatory draft picks tradeable.
AFC Notes: Steelers, Dolphins, Jaguars
Given the key injuries and suspensions they’ve endured this year, the fact that the Steelers are 6-4 and in the driver’s seat for a wild-card spot in the AFC is an impressive feat.
“I don’t think there has been a team that has been through as much as we have. Period,” guard Ramon Foster said.
Overcoming its adversity and staying in the race means Pittsburgh has a legitimate chance to end up representing the AFC in the Super Bowl, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. In their past two title-winning seasons, in 2005 and ’08, the Steelers got hot down the stretch and carried that through the playoffs. Their players are cognizant of that.
“This is the one thing we have been saying all year, that we want to play our best ball at the end of the year, to keep growing and getting better,” said linebacker Arthur Moats.
More on the Steelers and a couple of their AFC counterparts:
- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had lofty praise for backup Landry Jones, per the Tribune-Review’s Joe Starkey. “He is, above the shoulders, as smart and sharp as any quarterback I’ve ever been around,” Roethlisberger stated. “That’s a credit to his hard work, dedication and determination. He’s always in the meetings almost bugging our quarterback coach because he’s just constantly doing more and more.” Jones has filled in during Roethlisberger’s multiple injuries this season and completed just under 61 percent of passes on 9.39 yards per attempt, also tossing three touchdowns and two interceptions.
- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald took a look back at the Dolphins’ offseason, concluding that their failure to address their interior offensive line through either free agency or the draft has been particularly regrettable. The Dolphins could have used the money they spent on disappointing wideout Greg Jennings toward the guard position, which hasn’t fared well with Billy Turner and Dallas Thomas, or spent a late-round draft pick on La’el Collins. As Jackson points out, though, the Dolphins were joined by everyone else in passing on Collins – who went undrafted because of a murder investigation. Collins’ name was cleared, however, and he ultimately signed with Dallas and has had a terrific rookie year.
- Thanks to rookie James Sample‘s injury troubles, the Jaguars will address the free safety position through free agency or with a high-round draft pick this offseason, according to Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com. The Jags wanted to see if Sample, a fourth-round pick, could handle a starting role this year. However, a broken forearm slowed him over the summer and a shoulder injury forced him to season-ending injured reserve earlier this week. The Jags weren’t able to gather enough info on Sample this year to see whether he could be counted on in a No. 1 role going forward, so they’ll have to find someone else when the season ends.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Dolphins
The latest news regarding a pair of AFC East clubs:
- Fifth-year Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson – making just under $7MM this year – is due for a new contract in the offseason, which he says has motivated him this season. “I know that I’m underpaid right now and I’m gonna play like … I’m somebody that needs to be paid,” Wilkerson told Steve Serby of the New York Post. Wilkerson has four straight seasons of at least five sacks – including seven already this year – and knows he’ll be on the receiving end of a blockbuster payday in the offseason. He just isn’t sure which team will give it to him. “[S]omebody’ll pay me if the Jets don’t,” he said. The Jets weren’t able to lock up Wilkerson during the summer, and the 26-year-old shut down negotiations entering the season because he didn’t want them to serve as a distraction.
- Like Wilkerson, Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie could also be in another uniform in 2016. As Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes, Cromartie has struggled this season and what’s left of the four-year, $32MM deal he signed last winter won’t be difficult for the Jets to get out of during the offseason. Unlike Wilkerson, the 31-year-old Cromartie isn’t concerned about his long-term status. “The only thing I can control is finishing this year on a high note. That’s it. I can’t put myself in a position where I’m thinking, ‘What’s going to happen after this season?’ My goal is to try to help bring a Super Bowl here.”
- Dolphins interim coach Dan Campbell has gone 3-2 since taking over for the fired Joe Philbin and has his team in the playoff hunt in the AFC. While it’s unlikely that 4-5 Miami ultimately reaches the postseason, it could help Campbell’s cause that he and Dolphins football czar Mike Tannenbaum have a good relationship. “He’s really just helped me get my feet wet here,” Campbell told Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. “I would say a lot of it is behind-the-scenes-type things that he’s helped me take care of, from who sits on the plane to handling things down at the stadium.” Added Tannenbaum, “Dan and I have a great partnership. We collaborate and discuss a lot of different things.”
NFC East Notes: Collins, Cruz, JPP
Before choosing to sign with the Cowboys, offensive lineman La’el Collins whittled down his list of suitors from 16, to eight, to six. That list of finalists included the the Bucs, Chargers, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, and, of course, the Cowboys, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes.
In total, agent Deryk Gilmore of Priority Sports estimates that he was contacted by at least 25 interested teams. Gilmore also estimates that Collins going undrafted cost his client at least $14MM, because that’s the amount that offensive lineman Ereck Flowers got from the Giants on a four-year deal. The agent feels that Collins would not have slipped past the Giants at No. 9, but that should probably be taken with a grain of salt since many mock drafts had the LSU product going later in the first round.
Here’s more out of the NFC East:
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) could see the Giants moving on from pending free agent wide receiver Rueben Randle this offseason. He feels that Victor Cruz, on the other hand, could be back with the team on a reduced deal. Graziano (on Twitter) also opines that Jason Pierre-Paul is more likely to stay with the club than he was a few weeks ago because of the way he has carried himself since his return. Things were rather contentious between JPP and the Giants this offseason, but everything seems to have mellowed and the defensive end has been productive.
- Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that the competition committee was “unanimous” in its decision to OK the trading of compensatory picks. The new rule “creates new opportunities” for teams looking to trade, he added.
- Earlier tonight we ran down a few items on the Cowboys, including an op-ed from a leading NFLPA official regarding Greg Hardy.
Workout Notes: Jets, Giants, Pats, Colts
Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL:
- The Jets worked out kickers Corey Acosta, Michael Barnard, Tommy Frevert, Andrew Furney, Zach Hocker, Marvin Kloss, and Giorgio Tavecchio as well as wide receiver/kick returners Trindon Holliday and Damaris Johnson, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Giants worked out running back Robert Turbin (now with the Cowboys), tackle Jake Rodgers, guard Jared Smith, linebacker Kevin Snyder, guard Anthony Steen, guard Donald Thomas, quarterback Dustin Vaughan, tight end Connor Hamlett, defensive lineman Toby Johnson, linebacker Jeff Luc, linebacker Mike Mohamed, and defensive back Floyd Raven, according to Wilson (Twitter links).
- The Patriots worked out running backs Dominique Brown and Marion Grice, wide receivers Andre Davis and Antwan Goodley, defensive end Glenn Foster, defensive backs Jonathon Mincy, and tight end Justin Tukes, per Wilson (Twitter links).
- The Colts auditioned defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi and tackle John Wetzel, Wilson tweets.
- The Dolphins auditioned tackel Cameron Clear, tight end Blake Annen, and linebacker Curtis Grant, Wilson tweets.
- The Seahawks worked out running back DuJuan Harris, Wilson tweets.
- The Rams worked out tackle James Brewer, Wilson tweets.
- With issues at long snapper, the Eagles worked out Tyler Ott and Patrick Scales, Wilson tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/15
Let’s check in on the latest minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL….
- The Broncos claimed center Sam Brenner off waivers from the Dolphins, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter). To make room, Shelley Smith has been waived (link).
Earlier Updates:
- The Cowboys, armed with several open spots on their 53-man roster, activated linebacker Mark Nzeocha from the non-football injury list and promoted cornerback Deji Olatoye from their practice squad, per David Helman of DallasCowboys.com (Twitter link). Even after adding Nzeocha, Olatoye, and running back Robert Turbin, Dallas has one opening left on its roster.
- The Lions officially placed Josh Wilson on injured reserve today due to a right knee injury, signing cornerback Bill Bentley to take Wilson’s spot on the roster, according to a press release. Bentley, a Lions’ third-round pick in 2012, will help provide depth at a position that his been hit hard by injuries.
- The Buccaneers filled one of the two openings on their 53-man roster today by signing defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, the team announced in a press release. It’s the second time during the 2015 regular season that Sidbury has been added to Tampa Bay’s active roster.
- The Giants have elevated safety Cooper Taylor from their practice squad to their active roster, the team announced today (via Twitter). Taylor started the year on the team’s injured reserve list, but was removed from IR and eventually rejoined the club.