AFC East Notes: Dolphins’ D, McCourty, Idzik
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, noting that the Dolphins defense is not the consistently stout force that defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle claims, took a look at the immediate future of each position in Coyle’s unit this morning. For instance, Jackson writes that defensive tackle Randy Starks is unlikely to return on his current contract, which creates a $6MM cap hit if Starks is on the team, and a $1MM hit if he is not.
Jackson adds that is is “highly questionable” if Miami will pay Jared Odrick what he could make on the open market, and the departures of both Odrick and Starks would force the team to go shopping for a run-stuffer like Dan Williams or Terrance Knighton in free agency. While the defensive end position is more or less set for 2015, Jackson notes that linebacker Dannell Ellerbe will either need to accept a pay cut or be released, and he points out that there is a strong class of free agent corners for the team to pursue as it seeks a reliable starter opposite Brent Grimes.
Now for a few more notes from the AFC East:
- Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that there is “nothing happening” on an extension between the Patriots and Devin McCourty, and that New England is expected to use the franchise tag as major leverage.
- Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that one reason the Patriots might have agreed to a recent extension with Marcus Cannon is that it helps to thaw the team’s relationship with Cannon’s agent, David Dunn, a relationship that soured during the Wes Welker negotiations several seasons ago. Dunn, one of the game’s most successful agents, also represents Nate Solder, who will be a free agent in 2016, and Shane Vereen, who hits free agency after this season.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Jets GM John Idzik has been involved in the early stages of the team’s head coaching search, and La Canfora wonders if that might be a sign that Idzik’s job is safe. Although owner Woody Johnson could still parts ways with Idzik, particularly if the team lands a big-ticket head coach who wants a different general manager, Idzik’s early involvement and his ties to potential head coaching candidates are positive signs for him.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com takes a look at the Jets’ bad fortune in recent years, noting that the team’s worst seasons tend to coincide with fairly weak drafts or drafts with no elite quarterback prospects.
- In the same piece, Cimini writes that nose tackle Damon Harrison, who has been one of the few bright spots for the Jets this season, is likely to receive the max tender (which is expected to be higher than 2014’s $3.1MM figure) as he hits restricted free agency.
Minor Moves: Saturday
Here are Saturday’s minor moves, with the most recent transactions added to the top of the list:
- The Packers have placed backup linebacker Jamari Lattimore on the injured reserve, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. The team will promote safety Chris Banjo from the practice squad to take the open roster space (also via Garafolo).
- The Dolphins have promoted defensive back T.J. Heath, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. The former Jacksonville State standout previously spent time with the Jaguars, Bengals, Bills and Browns.
- The Seahawks have released cornerback Kennard Cox from their practice squad, tweets The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. Taking his place will be linebacker Allen Bradford, who was cut from the team’s active roster earlier this week.
Earlier updates:
- The Raiders have signed safety Ras-I Dowling and linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu to the active roster from the practice squad, according to the team website. They have also placed safety Larry Asante on the reserved/injured list.
- The Ravens have promoted running back Fitzgerald Toussaint from the practice squad to the active roster, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team has placed offensive tackle Jah Reid on injured reserve after re-aggravating a hand injury (via Twitter).
- The Bears have placed linebacker Darryl Sharpton on the injured reserve list, and signed quarterback David Fales to the active roster, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).
- The Browns have signed former Saints‘ kicker Garrett Hartley, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). The team has released kicker Billy Cundiff with an injury settlement (via Twitter).
- The Panthers have promoted linebacker Kevin Reddick from their practice squad and have waived linebacker Horace Miller, according to team’s official Twitter page.
Minor Moves: Friday
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
- The Dolphins have placed defensive tackle Anthony Johnson on injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Johnson, an undrafted rookie out of LSU, has seen just 84 snaps this season.
- In advance of Sunday’s game against the Colts, the Texans have placed defensive end Tim Jamison, who’s been dealing with a knee injury, on injured reserve, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. To fill its 53-man roster, Houston promoted fellow DE Keith Browner from its practice squad.
East Notes: Eagles, Mariota, Philbin, Cowboys
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if the Eagles should take a shot at Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. There’s uncertainty at the position with Mark Sanchez hitting the open market and coach Chip Kelly obviously has an affinity for Oregon players. Even if Philadelphia takes a liking to Mariota, however, the asking price to move up in the draft could be high, ala the ill-fated Robert Griffin III trade. More from the East divisions..
- Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter) feels that Dolphins coach Joe Philbin is coaching for his job over the next few weeks. Philbin, he notes, is 10-11 in games decided by 6 points or less, so things could be very different for the Miami coach with a few breaks going his way.
- It’s time for the Cowboys‘ major investment in the offensive line to pay off, writes Jarrett Bell of USA Today Sports. Dallas has invested three first-round picks within the last five years on this offensive line and for much of the season it has shown. Recently, though, they’ve hit some road blocks, and Bell says it’s time for them to turn it back on.
- The Giants need help on the offensive line and finding that help in the draft could be tougher than most expect, writes Jordan Raanan of the Newark Star-Ledger. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is not high on this year’s crop and Raanan notes that of the nine lineman drafted in the top 11 of the past two drafts, only two (Lane Johnson of the Eagles and Taylor Lewan of the Titans) have positive Pro Football Focus grades this year. The good news, however, is that Big Blue will basically be adding veteran guard Geoff Schwartz again next year after he barely played in 2014.
- Jets linebacker Calvin Pace doesn’t seem to think that Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, or anyone else at the top of the 2015 draft can be a savior for the team, writes Seth Walder of the Daily News. “One draft pick isn’t going to change things,” Pace said. “If you end up with a high draft pick, that guy still has to get seasoned and become a pro. Very few times you see guys come in and change a franchise with one guy.”
East Notes: Finnegan, Rolle, Pats, Bills
It’s a crucial weekend in the NFL’s two East divisions, as the top two teams in both the AFC East and the NFC East will square off, with the Patriots hosting the Dolphins and the Cowboys looking to avenge their Thanksgiving loss against the Eagles. While we look forward to those two matchups and others, let’s check out the latest out of the league’s East divisions….
- Dolphins cornerback Cortland Finnegan tells Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald that he’ll consider retiring after this season, indicating that he’ll probably either return to Miami or call it a career, rather than playing for another team.
- After Tom Coughlin expressed his displeasure with Antrel Rolle‘s celebration following a Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie touchdown on Sunday, the veteran safety didn’t show any real remorse. Considering Rolle is one of the defensive leaders for the 4-9 Giants, it’s no wonder that Coughlin has had trouble getting his team to play disciplined football, writes Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News, suggesting that the club should think twice about retaining the free-agent-to-be this offseason.
- Four mid-season pickups are playing key roles for the Patriots as they make their push toward a first-round bye, writes Christopher Price of WEEI.com. Two of those players, Akeem Ayers and Jonathan Casillas, were acquired via trade, making them rarities for the NFL — deadline acquisitions that are actually making a real impact.
- The Bills are sticking with Kyle Orton at quarterback down the stretch as they attempt to sneak into the playoffs, writes Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News. Orton has an option year on his contract for 2015, so it’ll be interesting to see how he finishes the year, since it may dictate whether or not he returns to Buffalo in 2015.
AFC Notes: Ray Rice, Coaches, Tryouts
Ray Rice‘s grievance hearing against the Ravens will take place on January 15 and 16, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. We heard last week that Rice’s representatives were working with the NFL to schedule a date for the hearing, and it looks like an agreement has been struck. Rice, of course, has already won his reinstatement to the league after Judge Barbara S. Jones overturned his indefinite suspension. In this matter, Rice will seek to recoup the more than $3.5MM in salary he lost as a result of his release, which he believes was unfounded. Here’s more from the AFC…
- Rex Ryan is likely to leave the Jets this offseason, albeit involuntary, but one other New York coach would like to leave on his own accord. As Mark Berman of My Fox Houston writes, Thomas McGaughey, the Jets’ special teams coordinator, would like to become the head coach at the University of Houston, his alma mater. McGaughey, 41, is in his first season directing Gang Green’s special teams, and previously served in the same capacity at LSU from 2011-13. He was a defensive back at Houston from 1991-95.
- With firing season inching ever closer, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports’ looks at which head coaches may soon be out of a job, and a pair of AFC coaches are listed. Rex Ryan and Joe Philbin, in Marvez’s view, could soon be shown the door by the Jets and the Dolphins, respectively.
- The Jets worked out fullback/linebacker Mario Harvey and LB Uani ‘Unga today, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link) and the New York Post’s Brian Costello (Twitter link).
Minor Moves: Monday
Here are Monday’s minor transactions, including practice squad signings and cuts, from around the NFL:
- As Cowboys defensive back Tyler Patmon continues to improve from a sprained knee, the team has parted ways with another cornerback. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com writes that the Cowboys have waived Micah Pellerin. The 26-year-old has appeared in three games this season with Dallas.
- The Chargers placed offensive lineman Ryan Miller on their reserve/non-football injury list last week, but the team changed course today. Miller was moved to the injured reserve list and subsequently waived with an injury settlement, tweets Howard Balzer.
- Less than a week after he joined the Dolphins practice squad, linebacker Jake Knott has been promoted to the team’s active roster, the 24-year-old announced on Twitter. Knott previously spent time with the Eagles, where he made 12 appearances last season.
- Even though running back Marcus Lattimore announced his retirement last month, the 49ers continued to keep him on their non-football-injury list. That ended today, as Aaron Wilson tweets that the team has cut the former fourth-rounder.
- The Broncos have signed returner Isaiah Burse to their practice squad, tweets Mike Klis of the Denver Post. To make room, Denver waived guard Mark Asper. Burse, who has returned 29 of the team’s 30 punt returns this season, was waived on Saturday to make room for kicker Brandon McManus.
Earlier updates:
- After being cut last week by the Panthers, veteran linebacker Jason Williams has a new home, catching on with another NFC South team. The Buccaneers announced that they’ve signed Williams, placing fellow linebacker Brandon Magee on injured reserve in order to accommodate the new signing.
- The Packers have signed defensive tackle Bruce Gaston from off the Cardinals‘ practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. To make room for Gaston, the club placed rookie defensive tackle Luther Robinson, who sustained a calf injury, on the injured reserve list.
- The Chargers have parted ways with a pair of players, releasing center Jeff Baca from their 53-man roster and cutting cornerback Kendall James from their practice squad, tweets Eric Williams of ESPN.com.
- Having lost wide receiver Deonte Thompson off their practice squad to the Bills earlier today, the Ravens filled the opening by re-signing tight end Allen Reisner to the unit, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Wideout Rashad Ross has signed to Washington‘s taxi squad, the club announced today (Twitter link).
Coaching Notes: Harbaugh, Sparano, Gruden
As the season winds down, more and more teams find themselves out of playoff contention. A team often seeks a scapegoat for a disappointing season, and this results in plenty of coaching rumors during the season’s final weeks. Let’s take a look at whispers regarding some potential vacancies…
- Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole was featured on the site’s “Insider Buzz” segment, where he told host Stephen Nelson that Jim Harbaugh‘s future with the 49ers is “pretty much over.”
- Cole confirms that the Raiders indeed have interest in Harbaugh, adding that there’s been contract between Raiders intermediaries and Harbaugh intermediaries. However, the list of competitors for Harbaugh’s services is growing, as Cole mentions the Dolphins and Jets as potential destinations.
- Meanwhile, Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano avoided questions regarding his job security for 2015, according to Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune (via Twitter). However, the coach did express his belief that the locker room has bought into his message, perhaps indicating that he has the support of his players.
- Jay Gruden’s first season didn’t go as planned, but the Washington head coach isn’t planning on jumping ship to an appealing college job. His agent told ESPN.com’s John Keim (via Twitter) that the coach has not talked to anyone from Michigan.
Dolphins To Place Louis Delmas On IR
An MRI has confirmed that Dolphins safety Louis Delmas tore his ACL during yesterday’s loss to the Ravens, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Per Florio and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), there’s no other damage to the knee, which will make for a smoother rehab process. Rapoport adds that the team will place Delmas on the injured reserve list, officially ending his season, which has since been confirmed by head coach Joe Philbin (Twitter link).
Delmas, cut by the Lions back in February due to an exorbitant cap number, signed with the Dolphins in March and had a solid 2014 season with the team. Starting at strong safety in Miami, the 27-year-old logged 60 tackles, recovered a pair of fumbles, and returned his only interception 81 yards for a touchdown.
Because he inked a one-year contract with the club, Delmas will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March, unless he and the Dolphins work out a new agreement prior to that point. While the former 33rd overall pick has dealt with injuries in the past, and may be viewed as a health risk going forward, he’s expected to be ready to go by the start of training camp in 2015, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Moving Delmas to IR opens up a spot on the 53-man roster, but the Dolphins have yet to announce a corresponding addition.
AFC Notes: Browns, McCourty, Miller
Let’s check in on a few Monday morning links from around the AFC….
- In his latest notes post at CBSSports.com, Jason La Canfora touches on a handful of topics, suggesting the Colts should take a flier on Ray Rice, speculating that the Dolphins could make an offseason run at Jim Harbaugh, and arguing that the Chiefs need to consider quarterback options besides Alex Smith for 2015.
- It’s time for the Browns to make the switch from Brian Hoyer to Johnny Manziel for the rest of the season, so the team can see what it has for the future, says Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. If Cleveland is going to start Manziel in Week 15, head coach Mike Pettine and the club should make the decision swiftly and announce it soon, rather than letting it linger until the middle of the week again, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.
- Hoyer earns a spot on Jason Fitzgerald’s “Stock Down” piece at OverTheCap.com for the second consecutive week, with Fitzgerald suggesting that if the Browns signal-caller gets a chance to start next year, it will likely just be as a stopgap for a team developing a young quarterback. Fitzgerald also writes that the recent play of Titans cornerback Jason McCourty has made him a reasonable candidate to be cut during the offseason.
- On the other hand, Percy Harvin‘s performance on Sunday could make the Jets think long and hard about guaranteeing his “bloated” 2015 salary, given the team’s lack of big-play talent on offense, says Fitzgerald in his “Stock Up” post.
- Appearing on WSVN in Miami, agent Drew Rosenhaus said yesterday that it’s disappointing the Dolphins don’t use his client – running back Lamar Miller – more often, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Miller has one year remaining on his rookie contract after this season.