AFC Links: Bills Sale, Patriots, Manziel
Jon Bon Jovi’s Toronto-based group came up short in its attempt to buy the Bills franchise, and one key reason was its refusal to pledge to keep the team in Buffalo, reports John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. The clan’s bid was also uncompetitive, as the Pegula family ultimately won the team with a bid of $1.4 billion. But the Toronto group always stopped short of guaranteeing to keep the franchise in Western New York. Instead, per Kryk, it used coy phrases, writing in a statement that it “remain[ed] committed to working collaboratively” to keep the club in Buffalo. The team’s trust apparently read between the lines and deduced that Bon Jovi & Co. eventually planned to relocate the team to Canada. Here’s more from the AFC:
- Save for Tommy Kelly, no player released by the Patriots as trimmed their roster to 53 made it on to another squad, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who asserts that perhaps New England wasn’t as deep team as some thought.
- Reiss also notes that Armond Armstead, who retired in July, received $54K from the Patriots as part of an injury settlement.
- J.J. Watt‘s extension with the Texans, which pays the defensive end $16.5MM annually, and Richard Quinn‘s $14.25MM/year deal with the Rams sets the market for edge rusher extensions, tweets former NFL executive Ari Nissim, who notes that the next wave of deal for 2011 first-rounders will likely be in the $12-13MM range.
- With Jordan Cameron inactive and Josh Gordon suspended, the Browns could roll a few packages centered on Johnny Manziel in Week 2, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
AFC Links: Gordon, Patriots, Moreno, Bortles
If Josh Gordon is allowed to play this season (as expected), he will then only be under contract through 2015, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (Twitter link). Had Gordon’s suspension been upheld, and he had been forced to sit out the entire year, his contract would have tolled, meaning the Browns would have controlled his rights through the 2016 season. Instead, Gordon will earn $1.068MM in 2015 and then hit free agency unless an extension is worked out. If his 2014 ban is reduced to ten games as reported, he will earn 7/17 of that salary (~$440K) in base salary this season. Here’s more from around the AFC.
- Defensive lineman Kona Schwenke, who was waived from the Chiefs’ practice squad on Thursday, worked out for the Patriots today, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). At 6’4″, 303 pounds, the 22-year-old Schweneke has the size required to play in New England’s multiple defensive fronts.
- Patriots offensive lineman Ryan Wendell has $200K in gameday active roster bonuses included in his contract — he’s already been ruled out for tomorrow’s game, meaning he will miss out on $12,500K, per Reiss (on Twitter).
- In a piece for Athlon Sports, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News examines 10 offseason moves that look regrettable following Week 1. Atop the scribe’s list is the Broncos’ decision to let Knowshon Moreno defect to the Dolphins. Moreno reportedly didn’t receive interest from any other team besides Miami, so it’s hard to quibble with Denver’s lack of interest in retaining the veteran running back. Still, Moreno did perform well on Sunday, rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots.
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union wonders when the Jaguars should transition to rookie quarterback Blake Bortles, arguing that it should be after Jacksonville wins it first game, so that the pressure on Bortles isn’t as extreme.
Minor Moves: Saturday
Here are some minor transactions that have occurred this Saturday before the rest of the week two action begins:
- The Bears have promoted three players to their active roster for Sunday’s game against the 49ers, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribute (via Twitter). Receivers Josh Bellamy and Chris Williams will be suited up tomorrow, along with center Taylor Boggs.
- The Vikings have signed running back Joe Banyard off of their practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The team has waived full back Zach Line to make room for Banyard.
- The Patriots have promoted linebacker Deontae Skinner to their active roster, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The team waived linebacker Darius Fleming to make room for the roster move.
Earlier updates:
- The Jaguars have waived fifth-round pick Chris Smith, reports Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). The defensive end was released to make way for the signing of safety Craig Loston.
- The Raiders have officially promoted linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu from the practice squad to the active roster, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Wilson originally reported the teams plans to do so yesterday, and it has now become official. Filimoeatu slots in the roster spot that was vacated when the team placed Taiwan Jones on the injured-reserve, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Lions are promoting safety Nate Ness to the active roster, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Birkett has not played in a game since 2011.
Extra Points: Giants, Patriots, Hardy, Rice
Steve Weatherford was out punting during the portion of Giants practice that was open to the media on Friday, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The veteran had suffered a high left ankle sprain during Big Blue’s 35-14 Monday Night season-opening loss in Detroit and said that he wanted to test things out on Friday. He’s still listed as questionable, but today’s session is probably a good sign.
Nonetheless, the Giants seem to be preparing a backup plan just in case Weatherford is unable to go on Sunday. Per Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the team has worked out punters Zoltan Mesko, Brian Moorman, and Kasey Redfern.
- The Patriots worked out defensive tackle Fred Evans this week, as well as a handful of offensive linemen, including Conor Boffeli, Caylin Hauptmann, and Martin Wallace, according to Yates (Twitter link).
- Despite a rumor to the contrary, coach Ron Rivera says the Panthers plan to let the legal process play out with Greg Hardy and he will not be released before there’s a resolution in the courts, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- Roger Goodell made a serious error in how he handled the Ray Rice case, but Panthers owner Jerry Richardson still has time to get it right when it comes to Hardy, writes Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer. For now the NFL and the Panthers are respecting the legal process, but they have the right to punish Hardy before things get underway in court, and Fowler thinks they should take advantage.
- There’s a strong possibility that the NFLPA will file a grievance on behalf of Rice even without his approval, a source tells Jeff Zrebiec and Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
- With Josh Gordon‘s suspension set to be reduced to 10 games, it could “open a can of worms” with others who tested positive in 2013 fighting for a revised suspension, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Hill, Amaro, Patterson
Jets cornerback Dee Milliner had to wait a week, but it looks like he’ll make his season debut this Sunday against the Packers after recovering from a high ankle sprain, writes Dennis Waszak Jr. of The Associated Press. The cornerback is technically listed as probably but coach Rex Ryan said it’s not a matter of if he’ll play, but how much. Still, Antonio Allen and Darrin Walls will likely start at Green Bay. Here’s more from the AFC East..
- As Saalim Hakim takes off, Jets wide receivers coach Sanjal Lal can rest easy about the project that didn’t work out: Stephen Hill. “Was there anything else I could have done?” Lal asked rhetorically to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “Could I have worked harder with him? Could I have given him more individual attention? Could I have done anything different? I can look myself in the mirror saying I did everything I could and put all of myself into trying to develop him.”
- The Jets have big things planned for rookie tight end Jace Amaro, as Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Ryan doesn’t want to put expectations on the Texas Tech product in terms of yards or receptions, but he says that Amaro is going to be a “major factor” for Gang Green. Amaro racked up 1,352 receiving yards in his final college season but had just two catches for seven yards in his NFL debut.
- Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he doesn’t have any regrets, but the folks at CSNNE say the Patriots would be better off had they drafted Cordarrelle Patterson at No. 29 in 2013 rather than trading him to the Vikings for four draft picks.
Audition Notes: Patriots, Cardinals, Chiefs
We passed along the latest tryout updates from the East and South divisons earlier today, and we’ll close out the night updating workout lists from around the league:
- After allowing 191 rushing yards to the Dolphins on Sunday, the Patriots might be looking to beef up their defensive line by taking a look at veteran tackle Fred Evans. The 30-year-old ex-Viking, who started three games last season, worked out for New England today, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. The Pats play Minnesota on Sunday, so Bill Belichick might be trying to glean some inside information on the Vikings’ scheme from Evans.
- The Cardinals tried out offensive tackles Winston Justice, Martin Wallace, and Edawn Coughman, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Justice has the highest pedigree of the three — he was a second-round pick in 2006. Arizona’s offensive line came out of Monday’s win unscathed, so the Cards are probably just updating their emergency list.
- After losing Derrick Johnson to a season-ending injury, the Chiefs are looking to upgrade their linebacking unit, trying out Nick Barnett, Desmond Bishop, and Marvin Mitchell. Barnett, a veteran of 11 NFL seasons, spent 2013 with Buffalo, but is most known for his time in Green Bay. Bishop is also an ex-Packer, but was with the Vikings last year. Kansas City also auditioned offensive tackles Jason Weaver and Curtis Feigt, per Wilson (Twitter link).
East Auditions: Bills, Pats, Jets, Eagles
While not every NFL team is making adjustments to its 53-man roster this week, many clubs are at least auditioning free agents to get a sense of which players might be worth revisiting later in the season, as injuries begin to take their toll. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has passed along word of several of those auditions, via Twitter, so let’s take a look at which free agents are working out for teams in the NFL’s two East divisions….
- The Bills tried out quarterback Tajh Boyd, running backs Maurice Hagens and Franklyn Quiteh, wide receiver Jeremy Kelley, tight end Kyle Auffray, tackle Michael Bamiro, linebackers James Davidson and Jerrell Harris, defensive backs Ross Weaver and Junior Mertile, and defensive tackles Jeremy Towns, Derek Landri, and Abe Koroma.
- A handful of defensive players auditioned for the Patriots, including defensive tackles Sione Fua and George Uko, defensive end Brian Sanford, and linebackers Moise Fokou, Chris Young, and Adrian Tracy.
- The Jets took a look at a few special teams players, including punters Bobby Cowan and Jake Dombrowski, along with long snapper Patrick Scales.
- We heard yesterday that the Eagles hosted Eric Winston and Wade Smith, and ultimately decided to sign Smith. The team also had a few other players in: linebackers Brandon Hepburn and Jake Doughty, as well as tackle Tyler Hoover.
- Wide receiver Devon Wylie and defensive back Keelan Johnson worked out for the Cowboys.
- Finally, a long list of players tried out for the Redskins this week. We’ve heard a few names reported already, but there are plenty of new ones from Wilson, including defensive tackles Isaako Aaitui and Ricky Heimuli, and wide receivers Marcus Davis, Chris Matthews, Mike Davis, Je’Ron Hamm, and L’Damian Washington.
AFC Notes: Spiller, Brown, Patterson
Heading into Week 2, Raiders coach Dennis Allen is expecting to see a significant step forward from rookie quarterback Derek Carr, writes Nate Stuhlbarg of CSNBayArea.com. “He’s got a tremendous skill set,” Allen said. “And he’s going to do nothing but get better the more opportunity he gets.” Last week, Carr threw for two touchdowns on 20-of-32 passing accuracy against the Jets. Here’s more from the AFC..
- We heard yesterday that the Bills and C.J. Spiller‘s reps have discussed a new contract for the running back, but a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link) that those talks were just “introductory and preliminary” in nature, with no actual numbers exchanged. Still, the club would like to get something done with Spiller before the end of the league year in March.
- While there had been some hope that linebacker Zach Brown could be placed on injured reserve with the designation to return, it appears he’ll head straight to IR, ending his season, Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt said today (Twitter link via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com). With Brown no longer in the mix for this year, the Titans are working out free agent linebacker Justin Staples this Friday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- An explosive wide receiver like Cordarrelle Patterson would look good on the Patriots‘ roster, and New England had an opportunity to draft him in 2013, but ultimately traded the first-round pick for four lower selections. With a matchup against the Vikings on this weekend’s slate, Pats head coach Bill Belichick said today that he has no regrets about the trade that landed Patterson in Minnesota, as Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune details.
Player Auditions: Tuesday
The Chiefs had inside linebackers Desmond Bishop, Marvin Mitchell, and Nick Barnett in for workouts, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Here’s the latest news on player workouts from around the NFL..
- The Redskins worked out former Patriots wide receiver Mark Harrison today, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Patriots tried out former Falcons linebacker Yawin Smallwood today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- Former Rams safety Matt Daniels visited the Dolphins yesterday, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (on Twitter).
- In the wake of an injury that starting tight end Jordan Cameron suffered in the season opener, the Browns brought in tight end Kellen Davis for a workout on Tuesday, a league source told Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports. Last season, Davis played in 15 games for the Seahawks in a No. 3 tight end role. He finished with three receptions for 32 yards and, most importantly, a Super Bowl ring.
- The Browns also worked out tight end Chase Coffman today, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
- The Jets worked out several players, including guards Doug Legursky and Jeff Baca, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). They also worked out some punters and a long snapper.
- The Bills worked out former Cumberlands running back Terrance Cobb, who was among their 29 pre-draft visits this spring, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In total, the Bills worked out 14 players (link).
- The Redskins auditioned quarterbacks Pat Devlin, B.J. Coleman, and Ricky Stanzi, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). They also auditioned four tight ends in total.
- Tight end Chase Harper worked out for the Titans today, Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean tweets.
- The Buccaneers worked out long snapper Brandon Hartson today, a source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are today’s minor moves..
- The Redskins are planning on using the short term IR designation for Barry Cofield, which coach Jay Gruden mentioned was a possibility, according to Chris Russell of ESPN 980 (on Twitter). The Redskins have since made the move official. The Redskins promoted safety Akeem Davis to the 53-man roster to fill Cofield’s roster spot, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). The Redskins also added tight end Je’Ron Hamm and wide receiver Marvin McNutt to fill the void of their taxi squad cuts from earlier today, Jones tweets.
- The Ravens re-signed Fitzgerald Toussaint to practice squad after he cleared waivers, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Toussaint was let go to make room for defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi.
- The Patriots announced that they have signed defensive end Cam Henderson to the practice squad and released quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson from the practice squad to make room. Henderson, 24, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent out of UCF with the Falcons in April of 2013, He has since had stints with the Falcons’ and Browns’ practice squads. Bethel-Thompson, 26, is a Sacramento State product who has been with the Dolphins (2011), Vikings (2012-2013) and 49ers (2013).
- The Panthers waived former Rutgers tight end and one-time quarterback D.C. Jefferson from injured reserve, less than a week after he was suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter).
- The Titans have reached an injury settlement with defensive lineman Antonio Johnson and have released him, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.
- The Seahawks re-signed wide receiver Phil Bates to the practice squad and released linebacker Allen Bradford, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
- The Saints waived Ty Nsekhe from the injured reserve today, according to Kat Terrell of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter).
- Former Bills defensive end Jacquies Smith was claimed by the Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). Smith was let go yesterday by Buffalo.
- The Titans have signed tight end Brett Brackett to the practice squad and released TE Orson Charles, according to McCormick (on Twitter).
- Evan Mathis has been sent to the IR by the Eagles but is designated to return, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). He’ll be eligible to face the Panthers on November 10th.