Injury Updates: Big Ben, Lewis, Hankins, Cole
Here’s a look at some more injury news from today’s games:
- Bills running back LeSean McCoy injured his shoulder in the victory over the Dolphins today, and will probably have an MRI in advance of Thursday’s game against the Jets, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr was spotted wearing a cast on his arm following the overtime win over St. Louis, writes Jason Gonzalez of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The team staff helped him carry his bag while exiting the locker room.
- Adam Schefter adds to the reports about Lewis’ injury, noting that the Patriots running back has no swelling, which is a good sign. However his ACL is loose, which is a bad sign. Ultimately, they are still waiting on the MRI (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- The Patriots are awaiting the results of an MRI on running back Dion Lewis, but the club is hopeful that he only suffered an MCL sprain, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Regardless, Lewis figures to miss some time, prompting New England to turn to LeGarrette Blount as the team’s primary back.
- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left today’s game against the Raiders with a foot injury, and was eventually taken to a hospital for further evaluation, per Pittsburgh’s PR staff (Twitter link). Roethlisberger was unable to put any weight on his left foot, and head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters, including Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), that the veteran QB will undergo an MRI. Roethlisberger, of course, just returned to action after missing several weeks with an MCL sprain.
- Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins suffered a torn pectoral during today’s game against the Buccaneers, the team announced on Twitter. While there has been no official announcement, such an injury is expected to be season-ending.
- Vikings backup linebacker Audie Cole fractured his ankle today, head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Per Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link), Zimmer confirmed that Cole will miss the remainder of the season. Cole hasn’t been a factor on the Vikings’ defense, but he was playing more than half of the club’s special teams snaps.
2016 Cap Outlook: New England Patriots
Through the 2015 NFL season, Pro Football Rumors will be looking ahead to the 2016 offseason, gauging the salary cap situation for each of the league’s 32 teams. The cap for 2016 hasn’t been set yet, but we can still assess the salary commitments made by a club and determine whether or not that club will be in good financial shape going forward.
In addition to evaluating each team’s overall cap situation, we’ll focus in on a few key players who may be candidates to be extended, restructured, or released by their current teams. These lists aren’t comprehensive, and depending on a player’s 2015 performance and health, he could drop off one of these lists – or be added to one – as the season goes on. For now though, these are some players to watch.
Using data from Over The Cap, we’re making our way through the 32 NFL teams in order of total salary commitments for 2016. Today’s team is the Patriots, who currently have the third-most money on their ’16 cap.
Let’s dive in….
Top 10 cap hits for 2016:
- Tom Brady, QB: $15,000,000
- Jerod Mayo, LB: $11,400,000
- Nate Solder, LT: $10,697,666
- Devin McCourty, S: $8,000,000
- Chandler Jones, DE: $7,799,000
- Dont’a Hightower, LB: $7,751,000
- Jabaal Sheard, DE/OLB: $7,000,000
- Danny Amendola, WR: $6,866,666
- Rob Gronkowski, TE: $6,650,000
- Sebastian Vollmer, RT: $6,270,834
Current 2016 cap number for top 51 players: $145,244,259
Much has been made of Brady’s team-friendly contract structure, and the fact that he has a 2016 cap hit of $15MM rather than $25MM certainly allows the team the flexibility to spend a little more elsewhere. Despite Brady’s relatively modest cap number, New England still has the fourth-highest total of cap commitments for 2016, since the club has plenty of moderately priced players on its books. In total, the Pats are carrying 10 cap charges of $6MM+, and 14 of $4MM+.
Candidates for extension:
- Marcus Cannon, T
- Dont’a Hightower, LB
- Chandler Jones, DE
- Brandon LaFell, WR
- Rob Ninkovich, DE
- Jabaal Sheard, OLB
- Sebastian Vollmer, RT
This list of Patriots extension candidates is far from complete, but even so, it’s still a lengthy one, with plenty of players set to have their contracts expire after the 2016 season.
The club may ultimately have to decide between Cannon and Vollmer, rather than extending both. After Nate Solder went down with a season-ending biceps injury in October though, both tackles have stepped up and performed well, proving their worth. Vollmer has the larger 2016 cap charge, at $6.27MM, so if New England wants to extend one of the two, it could be easier to do a deal with him to reduce that number.
On the other side of the ball, Hightower and Jones both had their fifth-year options for 2016 picked up earlier this year, and have played very well since then, making them logical extension candidates. Jones, in particular, is someone New England will look to lock up long-term, given his contributions to the club’s pass rush — he’s tied for the NFL lead with 8.5 sacks so far this season. On the other side of the defensive line, Ninkovich isn’t quite the force that Jones is, but he recorded eight sacks in each of his last three seasons, so if the price is right, the Pats would presumably like to have him back.
LaFell and Sheard, meanwhile, are hardly slam-dunk extension candidates — depending on how the rest of this season plays out, it’s possible that both players are released in the offseason, since doing so would create a total of $7.8MM in cap savings.
Still, both players have produced when they’ve been healthy, with Sheard racking up four sacks in five games this season, while LaFell totaled 953 receiving yards and seven TDs a year ago. Sheard has been sidelined by an ankle injury in recent weeks, and LaFell has struggled with drops since coming off the PUP list, so we’ll probably have to wait and see how they finish the season to get an idea of whether the Pats will be more inclined to extend or release them this winter. The team may also simply let them play out the final year of their respective contracts in 2016.
Candidates for restructure:
- Nate Solder, LT
Prior to suffering his season-ending biceps injury, Solder signed a modest two-year extension that will keep him under contract through the 2017 campaign. That new deal ensures that there would be plenty of dead money on the Patriots’ cap if they were to cut him in 2016 and rely on Vollmer and Cannon, so Solder figures to return to his starting role on the offensive line if and when he makes a full recovery.
Having said that, his $10.7MM cap hit for 2016 is the third-highest on the roster, so restructuring his deal to lower that number is a possibility if the Pats need some wiggle room next season. If that flexibility isn’t required, the club will probably keep Solder’s contract as is, to avoid pushing more potential dead money to the 2017 season.
Candidates for pay cut or release:
- Danny Amendola, WR
- Scott Chandler, TE
- Jerod Mayo, LB
Amendola has been effective for the Patriots, but with several other receivers, tight ends, and running backs vying for targets, the veteran wideout isn’t always a consistent part of the passing game — although he has been targeted at least nine times in two games this season, he has just 14 total targets in his other five games. He’ll have two years left on his contract after this season, but with a base salary of $5MM owed to him in 2016, the Pats could create more than $4MM in cap savings by cutting him.
Chandler, like Amendola, is something of a luxury in the passing game for the Patriots. He only plays about a third of the team’s offensive snaps, and has been targeted 15 times through seven games. He’s a useful piece, but New England may be inclined to free up $2MM+ in cap room by releasing him and identifying a younger, cheaper alternative.
As for Mayo, he currently projects to have the Patriots’ second-highest cap number in 2016 behind Brady. He won’t be back at that price. The final two seasons of Mayo’s contract are option years, and the Pats figure to turn down their option this winter, allowing the linebacker to hit free agency unless he’s able to work out a significantly-reduced salary to remain in New England.
Contract information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Extra Points: McCourty, Pats, Murray, Cowboys
The Patriots tried hard to get cornerback Jason McCourty from the Titans, but in the end they simply could not get a deal done, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. McCourty, selected in the sixth round of the 2009 draft by the Titans, is one of Tennessee’s more effective defenders, racking up 85 tackles to go along with three interceptions a year ago. After missing the first month or so of the season with a groin injury, McCourty has been active for the team’s last four games.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Cowboys cut ties with Joseph Randle today, but COO Stephen Jones says that he still doesn’t regret letting DeMarco Murray walk in free agency, as Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News writes. The Cowboys face Murray for the second and final time this regular season on Sunday night.
- Representatives from San Diego, St. Louis, and Oakland will make presentations to a joint meeting of the NFL’s Los Angeles committee and the Stadium and Finance Committees next week, according to Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).
- Tight end Ryan Griffin, who is on the Texans‘ IR-DTR list, says he’ll begin working out with the team on Monday, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter). The tight end adds that he feels good and believes that he’s ready to go.
- Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com found it interesting that Titans GM Ruston Webster was not at the podium facing questions about the direction of the franchise as interim CEO/president Steve Underwood and interim coach Mike Mularkey spoke. Of course, after Ken Whisenhunt was shown the door, it’s fair to wonder what will happen to Webster. At the same time, the two execs spoke highly of him at the press conference.
Workout Notes: Patriots, Texans, Chargers
The latest workouts from around the NFL:
- The Titans worked out quarterback Christian Ponder, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider (Twitter links). The team also auditioned linebacker Yannik Cudjoe Virgil plus tight ends Michael Egnew, Kevin Greene, Connor Hamlett, and Ryan Taylor.
- The Patriots worked out tight end Cameron Clear, kicker Garrett Hartley, punter Will Johnson, punter Cody Mandell, long snapper Tyler Ott, cornerback Garry Peters, kicker Matt Wile, and long snapper Christian Yount, Wilson tweets.
- The Texans worked out running back Cyrus Gray, center Josh Allen, center Dalton Freeman, center Eric Kush, guard Jacques McClendon, and center Daniel Munyer, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Chargers are working out former Eastern Washington offensive tackle Jake Rodgers today, according to a source who spoke with Wilson (on Twitter).
- Slot wide receiver Damaris Johnson is working out for the Jets today, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) adds Jarrett Boykin, Aldrick Robinson, and Greg Salas to that list. The Jets also worked out tight end David Ausberry, a source tells ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter).
- The Bills worked out running back Mike Gillislee and defensive backs Jocquel Skinner and Robert Steeples, Wilson tweets.
- The 49ers also worked out Gillislee, Wilson tweets.
- The 49ers worked out former Texans linebacker Lynden Trail and ex-Chargers corner Chris Davis, Wilson tweets. Davis, 24, signed with the Bolts in 2014 as a UDFA out of Auburn. The Chargers cut Davis on September 1st.
- The Colts worked out offensive guards Ben Heenan and Donald Thomas on Saturday, Wilson tweets. Indianapolis also brought in linebacker Josh Martin for a visit, Wilson adds.
- Tight ends James Casey and Adrien Robinson worked out for the Giants on Tuesday, sources tell Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter).
- The Ravens worked out wide receivers Joe Morgan and Chuck Jacobs along with quarterback Chase Rettig, as Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
Trade Rumors: Cowboys, Young, McCourty
Will we see any trades finalized around the NFL today? Teams have less than an hour before this afternoon’s 3:00pm CT deadline arrives, so they’ll have to act fast to get anything done. Here are a few of the latest rumors and rumblings:
- The Cowboys won’t be making any trades today, according to owner Jerry Jones (link via Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com). Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said the team had some calls, but nothing serious developed.
- According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the defensive end market has been the most active today, with names like Vinny Curry (Eagles), Willie Young (Bears), and Jeremy Mincey (Cowboys) generating interest. It’s not clear yet whether their respective teams will move them, however.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) also mentions Young in his list of the players he’s heard mentioned the most today. La Canfora’s other names include 49ers tackle Joe Staley, Rams right end Jared Cook, Browns linebackers Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo, Raiders wideout Rod Streater, and Chiefs cornerback Marcus Cooper.
- Per La Canfora (via Twitter), the Jets are among the teams that have been “sniffing around” pass rushers.
- After reporting earlier that the Patriots had interest in Titans cornerback Jason McCourty, Rapoport says he’s now hearing that McCourty is no longer available (Twitter link).
Pats Have Interest In Jason McCourty
Apparently not satisfied with having just one McCourty on the roster, the Patriots have some interest in acquiring cornerback Jason McCourty from the Titans and pairing him with his twin brother Devin McCourty, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). However, Rapoport adds that the two sides aren’t expected to make a deal for now, with less than three hours to go until the trade deadline.
Jason McCourty, selected in the sixth round of the 2009 draft by the Titans, is one of Tennessee’s more effective defenders, racking up 85 tackles to go along with three interceptions a year ago. After missing the first month or so of the season with a groin injury, McCourty has been active for the team’s last four games. He has two more years left on his contract beyond the 2015 season, and is owed a $7MM annual salary in 2016 and 2017.
As for the Patriots, Bill Belichick‘s club is always willing to discuss trades as the deadline nears, having consummated deals on – or a little before – deadline day in each of the last three years. The Pats could use some help at cornerback, but it would be a surprise if the team did anything too splashy in the next few hours.
AFC Notes: D. Brown, Pats, Whisenhunt
Chargers running back Donald Brown had been viewed as a potential trade candidate heading into this week, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), teams had been calling about the veteran back. However, with Branden Oliver nursing an injury, Brown figures to remain in San Diego, per Rapoport.
Here are a few more items from around the AFC, with the trade deadline just hours away:
- The Patriots are welcoming back two players – linebacker Dane Fletcher and defensive tackle Chris Jones – to practice today after they spent the first eight weeks of the season on the PUP list, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter links). New England will now have three weeks to either activate Fletcher and Jones or to rule them out for the rest of the season. The Pats had a league-high three players on PUP to start the year, with Fletcher and Jones joining wideout Brandon LaFell.
- While most reports have pegged the value of Ken Whisenhunt‘s five-year contract with the Titans at $5MM annually, ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that it’s actually worth closer to $30MM, or $6MM per year. Tennessee parted ways with Whisenhunt today despite the fact that he had more than three years remaining on that deal, so the club still owes him a significant chunk of money.
- Although Le’Veon Bell‘s knee injury has ended his 2015 season, his ACL remains intact, and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said today that his running back should be ready for the start of the 2016 campaign (Twitter link via Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).
- Dolphins rookie running back Jay Ajayi is hoping to be activated this week after spending eight weeks on IR with the designation to return, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes.
East Notes: Jets, Harvin, Washington, Pats
Speaking to reporters today, including Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter links), Jets head coach Todd Bowles provided updates on his injured quarterbacks, indicating that Geno Smith has a bruised shoulder and is day to day, while Ryan Fitzpatrick is also day to day with ligament damage in his thumb. Fitzpatrick will require surgery eventually, but may be able to play through the injury for now.
Still, with their top two quarterbacks uncertain for Week 9, the Jets are considering outside options, eyeing both the free agent market and the trade market, Bowles confirmed (Twitter links). The head coach identified Matt Flynn as one option the club is mulling, and added that if the Jets bring in a new QB, the newcomer could start or back up Bryce Petty, depending on Smith’s and Fitzpatrick’s availability (Twitter links).
Let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFL’s East divisions…
- As Rand Getlin of the NFL Network tweets, Bills wide receiver Percy Harvin is back with the team and has met with the doctors, who are evaluating his hip injury. Reports in October suggested Harvin was contemplating the idea of retiring, but head coach Rex Ryan said today that Harvin wants to play and is committed to the Bills, per Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. “That’s the least of our concern with him,” Ryan said. “I know he wants to play. He desperately wants to contribute to this team.”
- Ryan also told reporters today that Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin, who began the season on the non-football injury list, will be activated and placed on the 53-man roster this week (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW).
- A team source tells John Keim of ESPN.com that Washington isn’t expected to be active at the trade deadline on Tuesday. Keim cautions that things could change if the club gets desperate, but it appears unlikely Scot McCloughan and company will make a deal.
- With an eye on keeping their special teams emergency lists fresh, the Patriots worked out a handful of players today, including long snapper Tyler Ott and punter Cody Mandell, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.
Update On IR-DTR Players
We’re now through eight weeks of the NFL season, which means we’re approaching the year’s halfway point. It also means that players who were placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to the regular season are eligible to be activated and play in their respective teams’ next games.
Players placed on IR with the designation to return are eligible to begin practicing after six weeks, and can return to game action after eight weeks, so there are some IR-DTR players who have begun practicing already, and some of them could be activated for Week 9. Not every player will be healthy enough to return immediately now that they’ve become eligible to do so, but we should see at least a handful of the 10 players who have been on IR-DTR all year be activated to 53-man rosters in the coming days.
Here’s a breakdown of the 10 IR-DTR players eligible to be activated for Week 9:
- Jay Ajayi, RB (Dolphins): Ajayi recently said that he’s back to full health, though the Dolphins may have a decision to make in their backfield if they decide to activate the rookie runner.
- Alex Carter, CB (Lions): Carter is on track to begin practicing after the Lions’ Week 9 bye, and likely won’t be activated right away.
- David Cobb, RB (Titans): Cobb is expected to be activated this week, and at least one Titans beat reporter believes the rookie is capable of earning a high percentage of the team’s carries.
- Demar Dotson, T (Buccaneers): When he began practicing, Dotson admitted his injured knee wasn’t where he wanted it to be, but it sounds like he’s made enough progress to be activated this week.
- Charles Gaines, CB (Browns): Gaines returned to practice when he was eligible to do so, and sounds like he’s eager to get back on Cleveland’s roster. If the Browns want him active for Week 9, they’ll have to make a move soon, since the team plays on Thursday this week.
- Dee Milliner, CB (Jets): Head coach Todd Bowles said last week that he believes Milliner will be ready to play as soon as he becomes eligible, though he cautioned that the team will need to find room on the active roster.
- Maurkice Pouncey, C (Steelers): There has been some speculation that Pouncey could be sidelined for the entire season, but head coach Mike Tomlin still expects his veteran center back this year. That likely won’t happen for a few more weeks though, since the initial diagnosis put Pouncey on track to be out until at least Week 12.
- Bryan Stork, C (Patriots): The Patriots’ offensive line has been hit hard by injuries this season, so having to decide between Stork and David Andrews at center will be a welcome problem for the team. Stork appears on track to return in Week 9.
- John Sullivan, C (Vikings): After suffering a setback and undergoing another surgical procedure, Sullivan won’t be back anytime soon, and may not play at all this season.
- Brent Urban, DE (Ravens): Asked two weeks ago about Urban, head coach John Harbaugh said that the defensive end wasn’t practicing, adding that his recovery would probably take “a few more weeks.”
While these 10 players are the only ones on IR-DTR eligible to return in Week 9, there are 12 more who will gain eligibility in the coming weeks. The full list can be found right here.
Among those 12 other IR-DTR players, the most notable name is Tony Romo, who can’t play until Week 11. The Cowboys quarterback is eligible to begin practicing this week, but Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that won’t happen quite yet. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Romo is still on track to return to the field when he’s eligible for game action, but it makes sense to keep getting Matt Cassel first-team practice reps in the meantime.
AFC Notes: Patriots, Grigson, Thomas
The Patriots have been very active in midseason trades in recent years, but playing on Thursday didn’t give them a big advantage in terms of trade talks ahead of the Tuesday deadline this year, writes Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. “Teams are involved with games here, yesterday, today, so even though we had a little time, I’d say teams have their rosters set for this game and probably wouldn’t want to do something, maybe a disruptive move at the end of the week,” Belichick said. “I don’t really think there’s not too much talk going on in the league. We’ll see what happens next week.”
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- Reports that Andrew Luck has been playing through broken ribs for much of this season has forced Colts general manager Ryan Grigson to defend his injury reports, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Colts have been accused of not accurately communicating player injuries with the league in wake of the Luck news. “Our injury reports are accurate,” Grigson said. “If people have any questions about player injuries, they should refer to our injury reports.”
- Browns All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas may be on the trading block, but that doesn’t mean he is looking to get out of Cleveland. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Thomas does not want to be traded. “I’m not a quitter,” said Thomas. “I’m not a guy that gives up on my goals and my goal from day one was to be part of the turnaround here and that hasn’t changed.”