Pats’ Nate Solder Out For Season
Tom Brady will have someone new protecting his blind side in Week 6, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, who reports (via Twitter) that Patriots offensive tackle Nate Solder will be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a torn right biceps. Solder will undergo surgery in the near future.
Solder, 27, was selected 17th overall by the Patriots in the 2011 draft, and after a year at right tackle, he has spent the rest of his NFL career on the left side of New England’s offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Solder wasn’t quite as effective last year as a pass blocker as he has been in years past, and he graded as about a middle-of-the-pack offensive tackle. However, PFF ranked him among the league’s top 20 tackles in 2012 and among the top 10 in 2013, so his injury will create a significant hole for the Pats.
Solder would have been eligible for free agency at the end of the 2015 season, but signed a two-year extension last month, just before the 2015 season got underway. Limited to just four games this season, Solder won’t be able to earn his annual Pro Bowl incentive, but his salary for 2016 is fully guaranteed, so his roster spot in New England is safe going forward.
In Solder’s absence, Marcus Cannon looks like the next man up on the Patriots’ offensive line, though we’ll see how the team arranges its unit this week and beyond. Placing Solder on injured reserve will also open up a spot on the roster, presumably to add a little more depth on the offensive line.
Workout Notes: Patriots, Texans, Bucs, Eagles
Earlier today we learned that the Patriots worked out wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. As it turns out, they also auditioned two other players: running back Isaiah Pead and tight end Nick Kasa (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter).
Pead, 26 in December, was once expected to become a leading rusher for the Rams as the heir apparent to Steven Jackson. Things never worked out that way for the 2012 second-round pick, but he did spent three years and change with the club, playing in 27 games with one start. This year, Pead appeared in just two games and notched two carries for three yards before he was released.
Here’s a rundown of today’s workouts and auditions from around the NFL..
- The Texans gave former Notre Dame wide receiver DaVaris Daniels a tryout, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
- Washington worked out defensive backs Aaron Hester and Ri’Shard Anderson, Wilson tweets.
- The Buccaneers tried out cornerbacks Dax Swanson, Jemea Thomas, and Robert Steeples, punters Spencer Roth and Michael Palardy, cornerback Keon Lyn, and kicker/punter Jordan Gay, Wilson tweets.
- The Eagles tried out tight end Cameron Clear, center Brian Folkerts, tight end Richard Gordon, and outside linebacker Gerald Rivers, Wilson tweets.
- The Texans tried out wide receivers Josh Lenz, DaVaris Daniels and Corey Washington, Wilson tweets. Daniels recently worked out for the Bears but was not signed.
Patriots Work Out Hakeem Nicks
The Patriots worked out wide receiver Hakeem Nicks on Monday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The wide receiver has been making the workout rounds as he searches for a new team in 2015. The Patriots could have interest in adding the veteran, but their real interest could be intel. The Pats take on the Colts this Sunday in Indianapolis.
Nicks, who spent his first five years with the Giants, posting multiple 1,000-yard seasons in New York, caught just 38 balls for 405 yards and four touchdowns last year in Indianapolis. He found a new home in free agency when he signed with the Titans earlier in the year, but Tennessee opted to keep just four wideouts on the roster to start the season, cutting Nicks in September. The veteran wideout has since worked out for the Saints, Cowboys, and Giants.
Nicks first reached unrestricted free agency in March 2014 and signed a modest one-year contract with the Colts. While fellow 2009 first-round wideout Jeremy Maclin parlayed a one-year, prove-it deal in 2014 into a huge, long-term contract, Nicks was unable to do the same in Indianapolis
AFC Notes: LaFell, Jets, Bengals, Jaguars
Despite being on the physically unable to perform list, Patriots receiver Brandon LaFell made the trip to Dallas for today’s game, and worked out on the field before the contest, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who also says the LaFell’s recovery is “on schedule.” Per the PUP list rules, LaFell can return to game action after New England plays six games, meaning he’s on track to return on October 29 against the Dolphins.
Lets’ take a look at a few more items out of the AFC:
- In a fascinating piece for the New York Post, Brian Costello recreates the hectic free agent period that led to the complete remaking of the Jets’ roster. Speaking with several team sources, Costello reports that the Jets targeted corner Buster Skrine — and fought off four other clubs to get him — with the Patriots in mind, noting that New England is excellent out of the slot. Furthermore, New York also targeted guards Orlando Franklin and Mike Iupati before settling on James Carpenter, saving money that allowed them to pursue Antonio Cromartie.
- The Bengals pulled out an incredible win against the Seahawks earlier today, and Jason Fitzgerald of the Sporting News examines the club’s fiscally responsible ways. Identifying Cincinnati as one of the best negotiating organizations in the league, Fitzgerald points to Geno Atkins, Adam Jones, and Carlos Dunlap as a few of the team’s bargains.
- Despite the Jaguars’ uninspiring start, it’s not time for Jacksonville to fire head coach Gus Bradley, opines Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union, who notes that until today, the club hasn’t played with Julius Thomas, Dante Fowler Jr., or Sen’Derrick Marks.
East Notes: Hardy, Fins, D. Lewis
Greg Hardy is set to make his Cowboys debut today, though it will not come without some extra controversy. On Tuesday, in his first media session since he signed a one-year deal with Dallas this offseason, Hardy made some bizarre and ill-timed comments regarding Tom Brady‘s wife and returning to the field with “guns blazin,'” and a rap video heavy on strippers and guns–which Hardy made during his suspension–surfaced just yesterday. The NFL’s first vice president of social responsibility, Anna Isaacson, recently issued the following statement:
“I couldn’t disagree more with Greg Hardy’s comments, and they do not reflect the values of the league. We are working hard to bring attention to the positive role models many other players represent and also to continue our education with all members of the NFL family.”
As the early Week 5 games approach, let’s take a quick swing around the league’s east divisions, including more notes on Hardy:
- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett reportedly admonished Hardy for his comments, but on Friday, owner Jerry Jones took to the airwaves to defend his player. In so doing, says Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News, Jones undermined his head coach and further enabled the apparently oblivious Hardy.
- In a bit of Twitter repartee this morning, ESPN’s Ed Werder and former Packers executive Andrew Brandt discussed the Hardy signing. Brandt points out that, in normal circumstances, Hardy would have generated interest from 12-15 clubs, but given his impending suspension, only one or two teams were interested. Werder says that, had teams known Hardy would have agreed to the team-friendly terms that the Cowboys offered him, there would have been at least 15 clubs in the running. The lack of interest, Werder says, was not based upon morality.
- The Dolphins might have just fired Joe Philbin, but it was not that long ago that owner Stephen Ross was determined that Philbin would lead his club for the foreseeable future. Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Miami vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum pushed Ross to at least pursue Dan Quinn, who was ultimately hired by the Falcons, but Ross would have none of it, and the Dolphins never even made an effort to contact Quinn.
- Whether or not the Dolphins are able to land Sean Payton in the offseason–and all indications are that Payton will remain in New Orleans—James Walker of ESPN.com says the interest in Payton makes it clear that Miami will be seeking an experienced head coach at season’s end.
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe explores why the Patriots, who rarely invest in running backs, recently signed Dion Lewis to a contract extension through 2017 after just three games. As Volin points out, the Pats got tremendous value out of the deal, as Lewis has no guaranteed money for 2016 or 2017, and his cap number for 2017 will be the second-lowest among all starting running backs. New England is privately shocked that Lewis accepted a deal so far below market value.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets
Dion Lewis agreeing to a deal the Patriots felt was below market value shocked the team, sources told Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
By signing the deal, Lewis agreed to accept just $600K guaranteed, in the form of a signing bonus, despite averaging 108.3 yards from scrimmage per game in his three-game stint in New England.
Volin notes that Lewis’ 2015 overall earnings will be $1.19MM, the same as backup Brandon Bolden, and his 2016 base salary ($800K) will be less than punter Ryan Allen‘s $1MM haul.
In pointing out that Shane Vereen and Roy Helu received $4.75MM guaranteed and $4.1MM over two years, respectively, Volin argues Lewis, who he calls potentially a much better player than both, sold low on himself.
In other news from the AFC East …
- The Patriots, thanks to trades of and for complementary parts and compensatory picks, will have an interesting stable of draft choices in 2016, writes Volin, who points out that a quarterback-desperate team like the Texans could fork over as much as a first-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo. That seems high, considering Ryan Mallett came to Houston for a Day 3 draft pick. Although if the Pats trade for a first-rounder, the NFL will deprive them of whichever selection is higher — their pick or an acquired selection — due to the Deflategate penalties stripping them of their first-rounder.
- Stephen Ross will have to stop firing staffers in sections, writes Volin, if he wants any kind of stability to be associated with his franchise. The Dolphins owner fired Tony Sparano but kept GM Jeff Ireland in 2012, fired Ireland but retained Joe Philbin and now staggered the firings of Philbin and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle.
- Sheldon Richardson won’t be restricted much despite missing four games due to suspension, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Mehta also expects Jets coach Todd Bowles to use more four-man fronts now that arguably his top defensive lineman is back in a way to get Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams on the field together.
- Daryl Slater of the New York Daily News argues Richardson will be eased into action more gradually than Mehta predicts, with the ex-Missouri lineman being barred from practice at the Jets’ facilities during his suspension.
- Richardson’s next suspension for his speeding/resisting arrest incident over the summer won’t come until 2016, Slater offers, with the case continuing to see delays.
Patriots Release Bradley Fletcher
An offseason that featured a near-complete overhaul of the Patriots’ cornerback corps has continued into the season, with the team parting ways with veteran corner Bradley Fletcher, a source informed ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
Fletcher signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Patriots in March, and played in two games for the team this season. He had been dealing with a hamstring injury.
The ailment isn’t believed to be serious, but Fletcher wouldn’t have played against the Cowboys on Sunday, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
The Patriots promoted safety Brandon King from their practice squad to fill the roster spot, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
New England’s been getting by with a previously maligned cornerback crew after losing Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner this offseason. The team’s parted ways with several veteran cornerbacks since, but Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Tarell Brown will lead the group against the Cowboys on Sunday.
The 29-year-old corner has started in 54 games in his seven-year career, the latest steady lineup stints coming with the Eagles in 2013-14. Prior to that, Fletcher, a third-round draft choice of the Rams in 2009, started throughout his second season in St. Louis.
Fletcher’s started 54 games in his career.
Patriots Extend Dion Lewis Through 2017
SATURDAY, 2:07pm: Lewis’ official extension is for two years and $3MM, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Cap charges for Lewis’ deal are $791K for 2015, $1.2MM in 2016 and $1.6MM in ’17, per Howe. The latter number as of now represents the second-lowest cap figure for any running back for the 2017 campaign, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports.
Additionally, the newest Patriots backfield contributor can earn $12.5K per game in roster bonuses in 2016.
Another such bonus comes from Lewis’ snap count, Howe notes, with the running back set to collect $200K for participating in 40% of New England’s plays next season. That number could rise to $400K if Lewis plays in 60% of the Pats’ snaps. He’s played in 67.8% of them through three games this season, doing so after Shane Vereen‘s number came in at 52.6% in 2014.
THURSDAY, 10:15am: The Patriots have locked up running back Dion Lewis to a new contract, signing him to a two-year extension that keeps him under team control through the 2017 season, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Lewis’ minimum-salary pact had been set to expire after this year.
Yates reports (via Twitter) that the deal features base salaries of $800K (2016) and $1.2MM (2017), along with a signing bonus of $600K, so it sounds like the base value will be at least $2.6MM. The contract also comes with up to $1.8MM in incentives that Lewis could earn in 2016 and 2017, says Yates. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter) that the contract could be worth up to about $5MM in total.
Lewis, 25, hadn’t seen the field in a regular season game since December 2012 coming into this year, but he has quickly become a key component of the Patriots’ offense. Through three games – all wins – Lewis has tallied 146 yards on the ground and another 179 through the air, with a pair of touchdowns.
If Lewis hadn’t received a new contract from the Patriots, the former fifth-round pick would have been eligible for restricted free agency at the end of the 2015 campaign.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/15
Here are today’s practice squad signings and cuts from across the NFL:
New England Patriots
- Signed: Chris Barker, OG (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald)
- Cut: Sean Hickey, OT
AFC East Notes: FJax, Bills, Dolphins, Lewis
Running back Fred Jackson was hurt when the Bills released him earlier this year and in a heartfelt piece for The Players’ Tribune, the veteran discussed the events surrounding his departure from Buffalo.
“Any time you get caught off guard with news like that, you don’t know how to respond,” Jackson wrote. “The natural reaction is to be disappointed — which I was — or angry — which I also was. But at the end of the day, the NFL is a business and the team decided they thought it was in its best interest to release me. And no matter how I felt about the situation, I needed to find a new team. The best thing I could do is to find an organization that wanted me to be there, where I had a chance to make it to the playoffs and make a run at a Super Bowl — something I never got the opportunity to do in Buffalo.”
Within the essay, Jackson also says that he asked GM Doug Whaley if he needed to worry about his job being in jeopardy after pulling his hamstring in training camp. Whaley, he asserts, told him not to worry about his job, but he was dropped from the roster soon after.
Here’s more out of the AFC East..
- James Walker of ESPN.com wonders if the Dolphins should explore their trade options between now and the deadline. He feels that wide receiver Rishard Matthews, who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2016 and looking for a nice raise, would make sense as a trade chip. Through four games (but really three games because of his quiet Week 4) this season, Matthews has posted 17 cathes, 278 yards, and three touchdowns.
- It’s hard to criticize Patriots running back Dion Lewis for signing a new deal when given the opportunity, Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald said on CSNNE. The Patriots signed Lewis to a contract extension through the 2017 season on Thursday. With the way Lewis is playing, that deal looks rather team-friendly at the moment.
- Lewis can earn up to $400K in incentives in 2016 and 2017 if he plays in 60% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps, Howe tweets.