AFC East Notes: Wayne, Dolphins, Patriots
Reggie Wayne should provide the Patriots with a new weapon on offense but cornerback Malcolm Butler says he’ll also provide the team with some intangible value, D.J. Bean of WEEI.com writes.
“Just his knowledge of the game: knowing where to be, knowing where to line up, knowing how to release on the cornerbacks,” Butler said when asked what stood out. “Just all of the savvy things that veteran receivers know.”
Wayne’s production was up and down with the Colts ever since the team made the switch from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck. Now, the Patriots are hoping that he’ll click with Tom Brady. Here’s more from the AFC East..
- Now that the Packers are down a receiver, James Walker of ESPN.com wonders aloud if the Dolphins could use wide receiver Rishard Matthews as trade bait. Miami currently has at least five capable receivers in Jarvis Landry, Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills, first-round pick DeVante Parker, and Matthews, so they can afford to part with one. If the Dolphins can get a third- or fourth-round pick for Matthews, who is a former seventh-round pick in the final year of his contract, that would be a worthy trade, Walker writes.
- Patriots rookie cornerback Darryl Roberts has a significant wrist injury that could threaten his season, according to Adam Caplan and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Pats selected the Marshall product in the seventh round of the 2015 draft.
- Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald took a crack at projecting the Patriots’ 53-man roster. If Roberts’ wrist injury keeps him out for an extended period of time, Guregian writes that veteran Bradley Fletcher could have a greater chance of making the roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/15
Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Patriots waived Brian Tyms, who will revert to their IR (foot injury) if he goes unclaimed, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Lions waived/injured linebacker Kevin Snyder, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Bears made a change on their offensive line today, signing former Raiders guard Lucas Nix to a one-year contract and waiving offensive lineman Jason Weaver with an injury designation (Twitter link). Nix, who started 10 games for Oakland in 2013, worked out for Chicago earlier in the month.
- The Dolphins have waived wide receiver Michael Preston, the team announced today (via Twitter). Preston himself broke word of the move yesterday, with a tweet thanking the club for the opportunity.
- The Eagles have added one safety to their roster and removed another, signing Brandan Bishop and reaching an injury settlement with Earl Wolff (Twitter links via agent David Canter and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, will become a free agent as he recovers from his knee surgery. The Eagles also waived/injured defensive tackle Wade Keliikipi, who suffered a Lisfranc foot injury this weekend, replacing him with defensive tackle Jeremy Towns (Twitter links).
- The Falcons have parted ways with 2014 fifth-rounder Marquis Spruill, placing him on waivers today, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Spruill, whose rookie season was wiped out by a torn ACL, never played a regular-season down for Atlanta.
- The Giants formally announced several moves today, including the signing of veteran linebacker Ashlee Palmer, who started 15 games over the last two seasons in Detroit. The club also signed rookie defensive back C.J. Conway, and waived/injured safety Justin Currie (ankle) and linebacker Tony Johnson (knee).
- The Jaguars announced a series of moves today (via Twitter and press release), adding wide receiver Erik Lora, linebacker Mister Alexander, and offensive lineman Will Corbin to their roster. The outgoing players are receiver Damian Copeland (waived/injured), offensive lineman Brennan Williams (waived/injured), and wideout Arrelious Benn (placed on IR).
- The Panthers have waived/injured defensive end Frank Alexander, signing tight end Dallas Walker to replace him on the roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Alexander, who sustained a torn Achilles, is in the final year of his contract, so Carolina isn’t worried about another team claiming him.
- The Saints‘ tight end carousel continues, as the club is cutting Michael Egnew just a week after signing him, per Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link).
- The Seahawks have cut defensive back Jeremy Crayton, using the newly-created roster spot to re-sign wide receiver DeShon Foxx, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- The Jets signed tight end Matt LaCosse and waived/injured defensive lineman Davon Walls, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
AFC East Notes: J. Taylor, McCourty, Dareus
We learned earlier today that the Giants suffered yet another blow to their secondary last night, and as Adam H. Beasley of The Miami Herald writes, the Dolphins‘ secondary is also growing thin due to injury. After losing Louis Delmas to a torn ACL last week, Miami saw Jamar Taylor leave last night’s preseason game to a quadriceps injury. Taylor, fighting for a starting cornerback spot opposite Brent Grimes, dealt with a sports hernia in his rookie campaign in 2013, and last year he was placed on IR with a shoulder injury. The severity of Taylor’s latest ailment is unknown at this time.
As the Giants and Dolphins fret over their secondaries, let’s take a look at a few more links from the AFC East:
- Devin McCourty played cornerback for the Patriots in their preseason contest against New Orleans last night, and he did not like it one bit. McCourty said, via Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com, “I hope it’s not permanent. It didn’t feel great, and I don’t think it looked great so we’ll see.” McCourty, of course, transitioned to safety from corner in 2012, and has thrived as a safety in the past couple of seasons. But with the exodus of starting-caliber corners from New England this offseason, the team may be forced to utilize McCourty’s versatility more than he would like.
- In a separate piece, Curran discusses the status of the Patriots‘ running back battle in light of the impressive performances from James White and Dion Lewis last night.
- PFR’s Sam Robinson wrote yesterday that Marcell Dareus has softened his public stance towards his contract negotiations with the Bills, and as Jerry Sullivan of The Buffalo News opines, it’s the right move. Sullivan writes that Dareus may be an excellent player, but he is surrounded by other terrific players on the defensive line, and he is not nearly the run defender that Ndamukong Suh is. Those facts, combined with Dareus’ past indiscretions, suggest that Dareus should not be paid like Suh, regardless of what Dareus himself thinks. In the end, the Bills will likely bend a bit, Dareus will bend a bit, and Dareus will remain in Buffalo for the foreseeable future.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says Jets‘ tight end Jace Amaro, a holdover from the John Idzik regime, is on the “moderate” hot seat. Amaro was listed as the third tight end on the team’s first official depth chart, and the team has mixed feelings about him. Cimini adds that wide receiver Jeremy Kerley is in a similar situation, especially given the strong training camp of Quincy Enunwa.
AFC Notes: Dareus, Grimes, Golson, Dixon
Bills’ superstar defensive tackle Marcel Dareus is unhappy about his current contract, and is itching to hit free agency and chase some of that Ndamukong Suh money. Unfortunately for him, Suh was in a much better position in terms of leverage that allowed him to reach free agency. For Dareus, he will likely be subject to the franchise tag not once but twice before he is in position to get a Suh-like game-changing contract, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Here are some notes from around the AFC:
- Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes has decided to change agents, and will now be represented by Tom Condon of CAA, reports Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Grimes was formerly represented by Ben Dogra of Relativity Sports.
- At the beginning of August, we learned that Steelers’ second-round pick Senquez Golson might require shoulder surgery that at the time was thought to be season ending. Golson tried to play through the injury, but ultimately decided to have the surgery this morning, reports Chris Adamski of TribLive.com. However, Golson and head coach Mike Tomlin have not announced whether or not he will miss the 2015 season.
- The Raiders have brought in safety Ahmad Dixon for a workout, accorting to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Dixon was a seventh-round pick for the Cowboys in 2014.
East Notes: Dolphins, Flynn, Giants, JPP
The Dolphins confirmed today that safety Louis Delmas has torn his ACL for the second time in nine months, and the injury leaves the team scrambling to find a new starter at free safety. While it’s possible that Miami will promote an in-house option to the starting lineup, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) hears that the team will “definitely” look around the league for a possible upgrade, either via trade or a waiver claim later in the preseason.
Despite the fact that Eric Weddle ‘s agent David Canter promoted the idea of a trade that would send his client to the Dolphins, Canter himself acknowledged that such a deal won’t happen, and Miami is unlikely to make a major splash to add a safety. Still, as Salguero suggests, the team is in win-now mode, so if the Dolphins’ backups can’t get the job done, it’s imperative that the club finds someone who can.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- According to head coach Todd Bowles, the Jets considered waiting to sign a quarterback in order to see what other QBs might become available within the next few weeks. However, the club decided to sign Matt Flynn to give him a head start on getting comfortable with the team’s system, and because there was no guarantee he’d still be available in a couple weeks, as Brian Costello of the New York Post details.
- The only scenario in which Eli Manning and the Giants don’t eventually work out a new contract is if the team decides to rebuild around a younger, cheaper quarterback, but barring a major injury or a disastrous season, the team is much more likely to stay the course with Manning, says Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
- Nearly seven weeks after the fireworks accident that cost him a finger on his right hand, Jason Pierre-Paul has yet to inform the Giants when he’ll report to the club and when he might return to action, writes Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
Dolphins’ Louis Delmas Has Torn ACL
Safety Louis Delmas went down with a knee injury during today’s joint practice between the Panthers and Dolphins, and Miami has received a worst-case initial diagnosis on Delmas’ knee. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Delmas has torn his right ACL for a second consecutive year.
Delmas, 28, started 12 games at safety for the Dolphins last season, racking up 60 tackles and grabbing one interception, which he returned for an 81-yard touchdown. He also recovered a pair of fumbles and recorded a sack before a December ACL injury cut his year short. In his 844 defensive snaps, Delmas graded as about an average safety, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), receiving middle-of-the-pack marks for both his run defense and his pass coverage.
The Dolphins re-signed Delmas in March to a one-year contract that was worth up to $3.5MM, including a $2.25MM base value. However, considering he was coming off a major knee injury, the team protected itself for this scenario, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, who reports (via Twitter) that the safety’s salary will drop by about $1MM with a preseason IR designation. And it does appear that Delmas is headed for the injured reserve list, though the Dolphins haven’t made that official yet.
Assuming the Dolphins confirm Delmas’ initial diagnosis and rule him out for the season, the team will likely turn to safety Michael Thomas to take Delmas’ spot in the starting lineup.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/15
Earlier today, we rounded minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the league. Here’s the latest batch..
- The Giants announced that they have claimed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten off waivers from the Seahawks and waived rookie defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweets.
- The Jets announced that they have acquired tight end Arthur Lynch off waivers from the Dolphins. Lynch was the fifth-round pick (No. 155 overall) of Miami in the 2014 draft out of Georgia. He had 56 career receptions for 907 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bulldogs and was an All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection as a redshirt senior.
- The Raiders announced that they have signed free agent receiver Devon Wylie. Wylie, originally drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, appeared in six games during his rookie campaign, recording six receptions for 53 yards.
- Offensive tackle Chris Martin, who was waived by the Dolphins recently, was awarded to Patriots, Wilson tweets. Martin, who is 6’5″ and 305 pounds, has had two prior stints with the Patriots.
- The Patriots cut tight end Logan Stokes, Wilson tweets.
- The Saints will sign defensive tackle David Hunter, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press (on Twitter). Hunter joins New Orleans after DT Austin Brown went down with an injury.
- The Lions released David Ausberry with an injury settlement, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
- The Lions waived/injured center Darren Keyton, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- To make room for Chris Johnson, the Cardinals have waived/injured Brandon Person, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. Person tore his ACL on Saturday.
- The Chiefs announced that they have signed linebacker Ja’Gared Davis and cut wide receiver Adam Drake, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Saints signed linebackers Justin Anderson and Chris Young, defensive tackle Austin Brown, and tight end Michael Egnew, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Packers released Adrian Coxson outright but the player will pursue an injury settlement, Wilson tweets.
- The Dolphins announced that they have waived tight end Arthur Lynch and signed free agent linebacker James Davidson in his stead, James Walker of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Seahawks released defensive tackle Jimmy Staten and linebacker Dakorey Johnson, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Seattle also signed defensive backs Jeremy Crayton and Keelan Johnson.
- The Jaguars have waived undrafted rookie linebacker Matt Robinson with an injury settlement, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.
- The Panthers (on Twitter) announced that they have signed punter Matt Wile and waived/injured tight end Jamie Childers.
- The Colts announced that they have waived-injured linebacker Cody Galea and signed linebacker Nicklas Haag, Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/15
Here are Sunday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:
- The Saints have released tight end Alex Smith, per Kristian Garic of WWL 870am (Twitter link). Smith, who signed with the Saints earlier this month, hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2013. He caught 163 passes and 13 touchdowns from 2005-13 as a member of four different teams.
- The Dolphins have signed offensive lineman Bryant Browning, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Browning was previously a member of five other organizations since going undrafted out of Ohio State in 2011. He was last with the Steelers and has only suited up for one game – a 2011 contest with Carolina.
- The Saints have waived long snapper Chris Highland, tweets Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com.
Earlier updates
- The Cowboys cut receiver George Farmer and signed fellow wideout David Porter, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth-Star Telegram (Twitter link). Farmer signed with the Cowboys in May as an undrafted free agent out of USC. Porter, formerly of TCU, also went undrafted this year. He previously spent time with Denver.
- After a rash of injuries at the position, Washington has signed a new tight end in Ernst Brun, the club announced. Brun, an undraftd free agent out of Iowa State, tried out for the team earlier today. Washington also officially placed tight ends Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen on injured reserve, and waived/injured running back Silas Redd.
- The Falcons have signed RB Evan Royster, CB Travis Howard, and LB Terrell Manning, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The team has also cut OL DeMarcus Love.
- The Browns have signed CB Aaron Ross and LB Everette Brown, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. The team waived OL Joe Madsen and DL Christian Tupou to make room for Ross and Brown. Ross, 32, was a key member of the Giants’ secondary when Big Blue captured Super Bowl titles in 2007 and 2011.
- Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets that the Dolphins have cut offensive tackle Chris Martin.
East Notes: Giants, Murray, Petty
One New York-area scribe opined last night that the Giants may be forced to scour the free agent market in an attempt to bolster their injury-ravaged secondary. Today, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com examined New York’s options in that regard, which are less than inspiring. Cornerbacks Chris Cook and Alfonso Dennard are available, but both come with their fair share of question marks, and the veteran safety options like Thomas DeCoud and Quintin Demps are not much better. Raanan expects the Giants to bring in younger, less familiar players with some upside to fill out their depth chart.
Now let’s have a look at a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News says the biggest reason the Cowboys were willing to let DeMarco Murray leave in free agency is the talent of its offensive line, which the team believes can pave the way for its current, less expensive crop of running backs. Thus far, the line has picked up right where it left off in 2014.
- Washington GM Scot McCloughan has made it clear that Chris Cooley is not an option as the team seeks to add depth to its decimated TE corps (Twitter link to Zac Boyer of The Washington Times).
- Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News believes rookie QB Bryce Petty could be the Jets‘ long-term answer under center, but he will need to be brought along slowly for that to happen.
- Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert is steadily increasing his workload in training camp, according to Omar Kelly and Chris Perkins of The Sun-Sentinel. Albert is getting closer to his goal of starting Miami’s regular season opener, and may even see some preseason game action.
- The Bills currently have 11 wide receivers on their roster, and they will have to cut roughly half of them by the time the regular season opens. Per Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, the team’s coaching staff believes at least one of the players that will be cut will be a significant contributor elsewhere, which speaks to the depth of Buffalo’s receiving corps. It’s a good problem to have, but it will create a number of difficult decisions in the coming weeks.