AFC East Notes: Ryan, Tannehill, Goodwin
Rex Ryan‘s days are numbered as the head coach of the Jets and Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com wants to give him some advice on what to do next. Rather than go for a defensive coordinator’s job, he suggests that Ryan should go to TV and present himself as someone who can talk authoritatively about offense. And, when those head coaching offers come rolling in, O’Connor says that he should wait for a team with an established winning quarterback. More from the AFC East..
- The Dolphins have to decide on Ryan Tannehill‘s fifth-year option this spring and it won’t be an easy call, writes Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. Miami can skirt the hefty $15MM cap hit with a long-term deal, but they have to figure out first if he deserves one. Statistically, in 2014, he has graded out as a top-15 quarterback and coach Joe Philbin has been full of praise for the young signal caller.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com wonders what’s next for Marquise Goodwin after the Bills claimed Marcus Thigpen, a return specialist, off waivers. Goodwin has struggled to emerge with the team since being drafted in the third round last season. On Monday night against the Jets, Goodwin was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career.
- The Dolphins worked out cornerbacks Dominique Franks and Marc Anthony and linebacker Jake Knott, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
- Jets owner Woody Johnson needs to replace John Idzik with a competent GM, opines Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Mehta outlines some of Idzik’s biggest gaffes and says that the team needs to address its issues at quarterback, cornerback, wide receiver, outside linebacker, and on the offensive line.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
As usual, we expect plenty of Wednesday practice squad moves, as teams around the NFL add and subtract from their respective units in preparation for Week 13 action. Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts:
- The Ravens signed tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi to the practice squad while placing Konrad Reuland on practice squad-injured list, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Seahawks re-signed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten to their practice squad today, cutting offensive lineman Andrew McDonald to make room, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. It’s a reversal of the move the team made over the weekend.
- The Cardinals filled the two openings on their practice squad today, signing linebacker Kion Wilson and re-adding running back Kerwynn Williams, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
- Former Georgia defensive tackle Garrison Smith, who spent time in the summer with the Dolphins, has signed to the Saints‘ practice squad, per his agent David Canter (Twitter link). New Orleans had a full unit, so a corresponding move should be announced shortly.
Earlier updates:
- Washington has added two defensive backs to its practice squad, announcing today that Trey Wolfe and Kenny Okoro have been added to the 10-man unit (Twitter link).
- After promoting defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, the Raiders signed cornerback Jansen Watson to fill the newly-opened spot, according to a team release. Watson signed with Oakland as an undrafted free agent this spring and was cut during the preseason.
- The Chargers have filled out their practice squad by adding center Jeff Baca, a 2013 sixth-rounder, the team announced today in a press release.
- Former Florida State safety Terrance Parks has signed with the Texans‘ practice squad, according to the team.
- The Dolphins have released defensive end Emmanuel Dieke from their practice squad, signing safety Ahmad Dixon to fill his spot, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Dixon, a seventh-round pick by the Cowboys in May, had spent most of the season with the Bears before being cut last week.
- The Titans have agreed to terms with outside linebacker Chaz Sutton, adding him to their taxi squad, the team announced today (Twitter link). Sutton fills the lone opening on Tennessee’s unit.
- Having already made one change to their practice squad (noted below), the Patriots announced several more, via a press release. Linebacker Deontae Skinner and defensive back Daxton Swanson have been cut, while tight end Xavier Grimble has joined the squad.
- After bringing him in for an audition, the Giants have signed offensive lineman Michael Bamiro to their practice squad, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. New York had an opening on its unit, so no players need to be cut to accommodate the addition.
- Danny Aiken may have a little competition in New England, as the Patriots have brought back another long snapper, Charley Hughlett, re-adding him to their taxi squad, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The team will have to announce a corresponding move to make the signing official.
- Linebacker L.J. Fort has signed with the Bengals‘ practice squad, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Fort, who spent time with the Seahawks earlier this season, worked out for the Bengals and the Saints last week.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are Tuesday’s minor 53-man roster moves from around the NFL:
- The Vikings will sign tackle J’Marcus Webb once Phil Loadholt is placed on IR, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Webb was brought in for a workout today along with Eric Winston.
- Per Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange (via Twitter), the Rams have tweaked their 53-man roster, cutting wide receiver Damian Williams and promoting tight end Justice Cunningham from their practice squad.
- The Giants have confirmed their signing of Terrell Manning (noted below), waiving linebacker Justin Anderson to make the move official, tweets ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
- According to the Dolphins (Twitter link), cornerback Jalil Brown has been cut to make room for R.J. Stanford, whose signing is noted below.
Earlier updates:
- The Titans have swapped one offensive lineman for another, placing starting center Brian Schwenke on injured reserve and signing interior lineman Eric Olsen to replace him, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter links). Presumably, Chris Spencer, who replaced Schwenke on Sunday after the second-year starter suffered a knee injury, will be the starting center going forward, with Olsen providing depth.
- The Dolphins have added a cornerback, according to agent David Canter, who tweets that his client R.J. Stanford has signed with Miami. The move has yet to be announced by the team, so it’s not clear yet what the corresponding cut will be, but there’s a decent chance that it could involve Jamar Taylor landing on injured reserve — the cornerback left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury and at least one report indicated it could end his season.
- We heard earlier today that Chargers center Rich Ohrnberger was expected to miss the rest of the season with a back injury, and the team has confirmed as much, announcing in a press release that Ohrnberger has been placed on injured reserve. San Diego has promoted linebacker Cordarro Law from the club’s practice squad to the active roster to fill the newly-created opening.
- The Bengals announced another team’s roster move today, tweeting that linebacker Terrell Manning had been signed off their practice squad by the Giants. For their part, the Giants haven’t yet made the signing official by announcing a corresponding move.
- Washington has released linebacker Akeem Jordan from its injured reserve list, making him a free agent, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times.
East Notes: Mariota, Jets, Dolphins, Giants
Oregon standout Marcus Mariota says that he would embrace the opportunity to play for the Jets, writes Steve Serby of the New York Post. “It’d be a great experience,” Mariota said. “I haven’t put much thought into it yet. I obviously haven’t decided if I’m gonna leave or go yet. I’m gonna take the time after the season to decide that, but it’d be a blessing. “If the Jets want me there, I’d love to be there, and I’d play my heart out for them.” More from the AFC and NFC East..
- The Dolphins will probably have to decide between defensive tackles Jared Odrick and Randy Starks in 2015, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Miami could use the franchise tag on Odrick but they’ll probably have to let Starks walk.
- Giants LB Jameel McClain is getting an MRI on his knee as we speak, but right now the belief is that it’s not a serious injury, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- The 2014 receiver class looks to be the deepest and best in recent memory and the Jets completely missed out, writes ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Eighteen of the 20 receivers selected in the first four rounds have at least one reception this season. The only two who don’t were picked by the Jets: Jalen Saunders (since released) and Shaquille Evans. The Jets didn’t have a crack at Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, or Odell Beckham Jr., but there was plenty of talent on the board including Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews and Dolphins standout Jarvis Landry.
- Eagles safety Earl Wolff had surgery on his right knee, writes Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com. Wolff was placed on season-ending injured reserve last week.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Ryan, Wright
The Dolphins brought it on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to stop Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Ryan Tannehill threw for three scores in the first half and the offense was crisp on the whole, but the defense couldn’t contain Denver as C.J. Anderson ran for 191 yards on 31 carries. More from the AFC East as the 6-5 Dolphins try to hang on to their playoff chances..
- The Jets‘ respected veterans want coach Rex Ryan to return, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “My gut feeling? Yeah,” defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson said when he was asked if Ryan will be back in 2015. “Even though it’s dark and gloomy, I strongly do feel like that. We’ll see, though.” Counting this season, it’ll be four straight seasons without a playoff berth for the Jets under Ryan.
- Aside from Sheldon Richardson, the Jets aren’t seeing a whole lot of production out of their recent first round choices, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Dee Milliner is out with a season-ending injury, Quinton Coples has regressed in his third year, and rookie safety Calvin Pryor has been a non-factor.
- The Logan Mankins trade is working out just fine for the Patriots and tight end Tim Wright, writes Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. Wright, a Rutgers product, hauled in two touchdown catches yesterday. The Pats have praised their No. 2 tight end for his hard work this season and he took advantage of the extra attention that was placed on Rob Gronkowski on Sunday.
Injury Updates: Sunday
We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence.
This list will be updated as more information becomes available, as always, with news added to the top of the list as it trickles in.
- Washington linebacker Adam Hayward will miss the rest of the season with a broken bone in his kneecap, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
- Texans‘ quarterback Ryan Mallett practiced and played with a right pectoral injury this past week, and will likely miss several weeks, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI to confirm, but the team expects Ryan Fitzpatrick to start next week against the Titans.
- Dolphins‘ cornerback Jamar Taylor suffered a shoulder injury that could end his season, reports Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. If that is true, he will be the third Miami defensive back to have his season end this November.
- NFL interception leader and Browns‘ safety Tashaun Gipson left the game with a knee injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the season, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. He will undergo an MRI Monday to confirm the severeness of the injury.
Earlier Updates
- Bengals’ offensive tackle Andre Smith exited today’s game against the Texans with a possible triceps injury. He will have an MRI on Monday to see the extent of the injury, reports Coley Harvey of ESPN (via Twitter). If Smith has a torn triceps, he will likely miss the remainder of the season.
- Washington cornerback Tracy Porter joined a long list of defensive backs who were off the field when he exited with a right shoulder injury, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter). Porter was ruled out for the game, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter), and could leave the team thin at corner if he misses an extended period of time.
- Titans‘ linebacker Kamerion Wimbley suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to the Eagles earlier today, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
- Dolphins‘ first-round pick Ja’Wuan James started at left tackle, but was forced out of the game due to a stinger and failed to return, writes James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). With Branden Albert already out for the season, the team could be very thin at that position.
East Notes: Manning, Shurmur, Ryan
Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post takes an in-depth look into how the Giants can be contenders again in 2015 as they play out the string in 2014. The good news, Hubbuch writes, is that New York will be in great shape vis-a-vis the salary cap after being in “cap jail” not too long ago. The Giants figure to have just over $118MM in cap commitments next season, and thanks to highly-lucrative television deals, the salary cap could reach over $140MM for 2015. That leaves New York plenty of room to quickly fortify their roster, especially considering next year’s free agent class looks to be especially deep.
There is, of course, one caveat to all of this: Eli Manning. Hubbuch quotes former NFL agent and current salary cap guru Joel Corry, who noted that “I would think the next six games will decide where the Giants go with Eli. It’s probably going to be a big stretch for him. I know the Giants pride themselves on loyalty, but you can’t have your quarterback out there throwing five interceptions.” However, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets, the Giants do not really have a choice when it comes to their 34-year-0ld signal caller next season; his contract makes him virtually untouchable at this point.
So it appears as though New York will have to rebuild around Manning and hope that their vast amount of salary cap room, which could continue to grow if the team decides to part ways with players like Mathias Kiwanuka and Jon Beason, will allow them to acquire the talent to return to relevancy in the NFC East.
Now for several more items from the league’s east divisions:
- In the same piece, Hubbuch suggests five specific moves that would help turn the Giants around, which include hanging onto Manning for one more season while turning 2015 into a contract year by not extending his current deal and drafting his potential replacement in May.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) released a list of top head coaching candidates for 2015, a list that includes former head coaches in the Patriots‘ Josh McDaniels and the Eagles‘ Pat Shurmur.
- Mike Pouncey, although he has agreed to play guard for the Dolphins this season, wants to return to his natural center position after the 2014 season and Miami is aware of that desire, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com believes a Jets loss to a “displaced and distracted” Bills squad this week would be “the final nail in [Rex Ryan‘s] coaching coffin.”
- We looked at Robert Griffin III‘s uncertain future in Washington earlier today.
Five Teams Leave IR-DTR Spot Unused
Each year, NFL teams have the option of placing one player on their injured reserve list without necessarily ending his season. That player is designated to return, a move that allows him to begin practicing six weeks after he’s placed on IR, and makes him eligible to return to game action after eight weeks.
It’s a useful tool for NFL clubs who want to open up a spot on their active rosters, but don’t necessarily want to lose a player for the season with what may not be a long-term injury. During the 2014 season, 27 of 32 teams took advantage of the IR-DTR slot, while the remaining five clubs never ended up using it. And as we head into Week 12, there’s little point in using the designation now, since there are only six weeks left in the season. The following five teams declined to use their IR-DTR spots this season:
- Houston Texans
- Miami Dolphins
- Minnesota Vikings
- New York Jets
- Tennessee Titans
All five teams have plenty of players on their season-ending injured reserve list, and it’s possible that in some cases using that shorter-term designation on a player would have allowed him enough time to recover and to return this season. But for the majority of these clubs’ most notable injuries, there was no chance of those players coming back in 2014 — for instance, Jets cornerback Dee Milliner and Titans safety Bernard Pollard both tore their Achilles tendons, while Dolphins tackle Branden Albert tore his ACL and MCL.
Here’s how the league’s other 27 teams used their IR-DTR spots this season. Players listed in italics have since been re-activated by their respective clubs:
- Arizona Cardinals: Used on Matt Shaughnessy, LB (knee) after Week 5
- Atlanta Falcons: Used on William Moore, S (shoulder) after Week 4
- Baltimore Ravens: Used on Asa Jackson, CB (foot) after Week 5
- Buffalo Bills: Used on C.J. Spiller, RB (collarbone) after Week 7
- Carolina Panthers: Used on Mike Tolbert, RB (leg) after Week 3
- Chicago Bears: Used on Marquess Wilson, WR (collarbone)
- Cincinnati Bengals: Used on Tyler Eifert, TE (elbow) after Week 1
- Cleveland Browns: Used on John Hughes, DE (knee) after Week 8
- Dallas Cowboys: Used on Demarcus Lawrence, DE (foot)
- Denver Broncos: Used on Danny Trevathan, LB (knee) after Week 6
- Detroit Lions: Used on Kyle Van Noy, LB (abdomen)
- Green Bay Packers: Used on J.C. Tretter, C (knee)
- Indianapolis Colts: Used on Xavier Nixon, T (knee)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Used on Marcedes Lewis, TE (ankle) after Week 2
- Kansas City Chiefs: Used on Joe Mays, LB (wrist)
- New England Patriots: Used on Sealver Siliga, DL (foot) after Week 3
- New Orleans Saints: Used on Khairi Fortt, LB (leg)
- New York Giants: Used on Geoff Schwartz, G (toe)
- Oakland Raiders: Used on Rod Streater, WR (foot) after Week 4
- Philadelphia Eagles: Used on Evan Mathis, G (knee) after Week 1
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Used on Jarvis Jones, LB (wrist) after Week 3
- San Diego Chargers: Used on Melvin Ingram, OLB (hip) after Week 2
- San Francisco 49ers: Used on Glenn Dorsey, DT (biceps)
- Seattle Seahawks: Used on Jeremy Lane, CB (groin) after Week 1
- St. Louis Rams: Used on Chris Long, DE (ankle) after Week 1
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Used on Charles Sims, RB (ankle)
- Washington: Used on Barry Cofield, DT (ankle) after Week 1
Injury Updates: Monday
We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence. Already today, we’ve learned that the Colts believe Ahmad Bradshaw broke his ankle during last night’s game against the Patriots. Here are a few more updates from around the league:
- Browns head coach Mike Pettine told reporters today that linebacker Jabaal Sheard may be out for the season with a foot injury (Twitter links via Jeff Schudel and Nate Ulrich). As for Karlos Dansby, whose MCL injury is noted below, he could be sidelined for a month or so.
- Dolphins linebacker Jonathan Freeny is expected to miss about four weeks with a hamstring injury, sources tell James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- A successful contract year has come to an abrupt and disappointing end for Falcons running back Antone Smith, according to head coach Mike Smith, who told reporters today that Smith broke his leg and will be placed on IR (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).
Earlier updates:
- As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Falcons cornerback Robert Alford broke his wrist during yesterday’s win over the Panthers. Smith confirmed that Alford will miss two to four weeks with the injury, tweets McClure.
- Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians announced today that tight end Troy Niklas has a high ankle sprain and is unlikely to play this week. The team intends to monitor Niklas and is hopeful that the injury won’t end his season (Twitter links via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
- As first reported by CST’s Victor Howell (Twitter link), Saints wide receiver and return man Brandin Cooks broke his thumb yesterday against the Bengals. Agent Jeff Sperbeck (Twitter link) has confirmed that his client had surgery on his thumb and should return in about four to six weeks.. With Robert Meachem also dealing with an ankle issue, New Orleans may consider adding another wideout to the roster at some point this week.
- The Saints also saw safety Rafael Bush leave yesterday’s game with a leg injury, and Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate reports that Bush has a broken fibula rather than a more serious fractured tibia. Still, a fractured fibula generally requires a few weeks to heal, so we’ll see if New Orleans decides to put Bush on injured reserve — if they do, he’d be the fourth Saints safety to land on IR this year. Ty Zimmerman, Vinnie Sunseri, and notable offseason signee Jairus Byrd are already on IR.
- The Browns believe starting linebacker Karlos Dansby suffered a sprained MCL against the Texans yesterday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dansby is undergoing more tests today to confirm the diagnosis and to determine a timetable for his recovery.
Latest On Jim Harbaugh
We’ve heard for months that Jim Harbaugh isn’t likely to return as the 49ers head coach in 2015, and while there’s some been some speculation about his next stop, we’ve yet to see anything concrete. However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (link via Rapoport’s colleague Connor Orr), while confirming that “it would be surprise” if Harbaugh returned to San Francisco next season, has shed a little light on Harbaugh’s future, reporting that the Dolphins are no longer an option to land the 49ers head coach. Meanwhile, given that Harbaugh’s family would like to remain in the Bay Area, the Raiders could emerge as a candidate to secure Harbaugh’s services.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross pursued Harbaugh following the 2010 season despite the fact that Tony Sparano was still under contract as the club’s head coach, so it wasn’t surprising that reports surfaced linking the two parties again. However, Miami has turned its season around as of late, and currently sits at 6-4, good for second place in the AFC East. As such, head coach Joe Philbin is unlikely to be fired, and even if he is let go, Rapoport says that Harbaugh would still not be “on the Dolphins’ radar.” In fact, Ross, a University of Michigan alum, would prefer to see Harbaugh take over in Ann Arbor, tweets Rapoport.
The Raiders connection probably makes more sense at this point, especially given that Harbaugh’s wife reportedly wants to remain in the Bay Area. Oakland fired Dennis Allen after an 0-4 start, and in an odd twist of fate, installed Sparano as its interim head coach. The Raiders are still winless, which makes it unlikely that Sparano or general manager Reggie McKenzie will be allowed to keep their jobs in 2015. If Harbaugh were offered total control over the team, he could be interested in joining an Oakland club that boasts building blocks on both sides of the ball (quarterback Derek Carr and linebacker Khalil Mack), and will be entitled to another top-five draft pick next year.