Giants Worked Out Barry Cofield
The Giants brought in defensive tackle Barry Cofield for a workout this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). A nine-year veteran, Cofield has been on the free agent market since being released by Washington back in February.
Cofield, who started his career with the Giants, suffered his first major injury in 2014, as he missed about half the season after an ankle injury forced him onto the injured reserve list with the designation to return. While the defensive lineman returned to action for Washington in November, he only started three of eight games for the season, marking the first time since 2007 that he appeared in a game he didn’t start.
Based on various reports over the last several months, it’s hard to know exactly how healthy Cofield is now. In July, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he was healthy and waiting for a call, but a report a week later suggested he’d be ready to go in another four to six weeks. A September report indicated the 31-year-old would likely sign with a contending team in October, when he fully recovered from offseason hip surgery. Cofield has since worked out for the Colts, and now the Giants, so presumably he’s ready to return at this point.
In addition to trying out Cofield, the Giants also auditioned English rugby star Tom Burgess today as a tight end, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. While we’ve seen Jarryd Hayne open the door for rugby players to earn spots on NFL rosters, Burgess will almost certainly have to wait for an offseason deal, if New York – or another team – wants to add him.
NFC East Notes: JPP, Cowboys, Watt
Here’s a look at the NFC East:
- Jason Pierre-Paul said today that he wants to finish his career with the Giants, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets. JPP added that the two sides haven’t begun to discuss a contract yet, however. Since returning to action, JPP has tallied 6 tackles and one pass deflection in 3 games. The defensive end is 26, so he’s ostensibly thinking about a long-term deal with the Giants when he references spending the rest of his career with Big Blue. Of course, Pierre-Paul likely doesn’t have the same earning power that he did in the spring.
- J.J. Watt on the Cowboys? Bills coach Rex Ryan says that his brother, former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, wanted to take Watt with the No. 9 pick in the 2011 draft, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. Dallas wound up taking tackle Tyron Smith, a two-time Pro Bowler and a quality talent in his own right. Watt, meanwhile, fell to Houston at No. 11. Watt has recorded 70.5 sacks in over four-and-half seasons with the Texans and he leads the NFL with 13.5 sacks this season.
- At the age of 73, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not inclined to groom a young quarterback, Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News opines. Jones has given comments to indicate that he will look for Tony Romo‘s heir, but he has also said that he expects Romo to be the club’s starting quarterback for another “four or five years.”
Giants Place Geoff Schwartz On IR
The Giants announced that they have placed Geoff Schwartz on injured reserve. As previously reported, the Giants will be adding guard Adam Gettis to the active roster off of the Raiders’ taxi squad.
The entire Giants offensive line has been finding it difficult to stay on the field this season. Former first-round pick Justin Pugh was ruled out for Sunday’s contest with a concussion, his second-straight game missed with that injury. Center Weston Richburg was also sidelined on Sunday with a high ankle sprain. John Jerry, Dallas Reynolds, and rookie Bobby Hart have been seeing unexpected playing time because of the rash of injuries to the interior of the offensive line.
Schwartz struggled with injury for the Giants last year, when he played in only two games after signing a decent-sized free agent contract the previous offseason. The team has yet to get a return on investment for the four-year deal worth $16.8MM and $6.2MM guaranteed. Now, it’s fair to wonder what Schwartz’ future will be with Big Blue beyond 2015.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/30/15
Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Seahawks promoted defensive tackle A.J. Francis from the practice squad, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Patriots have released wide receiver Chris Harper following Sunday night’s muffed punt, as Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com tweets.
- The Cowboys waived running back Trey Williams, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Giants are signing guard Adam Gettis off of the Raiders‘ practice squad, a person with knowledge of the situation told Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants are short on offensive lineman, so Gettis will help provide the Giants with some much-needed depth.
Earlier updates:
- In advance of Monday night’s game against the Browns, the Ravens have promoted guard Kaleb Johnson and wide receiver Daniel Brown from their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. To make room, Baltimore cut wide receiver Chuck Jacobs and placed tight end Chase Ford on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Johnson, in particular, could play a role tonight, since the club doesn’t have many healthy offensive linemen left on the roster.
- The Bills are releasing linebacker A.J. Tarpley, according to Sal Capaccio of WGR550 (Twitter link). Tarpley, who recorded his first career NFL sack on Sunday, looks like a candidate to join the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers. Per Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link), Buffalo also placed defensive end Alex Carrington on injured reserve, officially ending his season after he tore his quad tendon.
- The Eagles have signed interior offensive lineman Barrett Jones off the Bears‘ practice squad, waiving offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde in the corresponding move (Twitter link). Given the history between the Eagles and Vandervelde, who has now been cut four times by the club since the start of September, it may just be a matter of time until he finds himself back with Philadelphia.
- The Buccaneers have signed linebacker Adarius Glanton from the Panthers‘ practice squad, waiving safety Kimario McFadden, according to a press release from the team. With Kwon Alexander facing a four-game suspension and Bruce Carter having left Sunday’s game to be evaluated for a concussion, linebacker depth was a priority for Tampa Bay.
- The Bengals waived linebacker Sean Porter from the physically unable to perform list today, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Porter returned to practice for Cincinnati earlier this month, but the team apparently determined there was no place for him on the 53-man roster.
Coaching Notes: USC, Payton, Fisher, Fins
It wasn’t an NFL coaching job, but the USC head coaching position was expected to have an impact on the NFL, since a number of the school’s potential candidates were current coaches or coordinators around the league. However, the Trojans announced today (via Twitter) that interim coach Clay Helton will become the team’s permanent head coach going forward, meaning that Chip Kelly and other coaches around the NFL can be crossed off the list.
It sounds like USC did reach out to Kelly to gauge his interest before deciding to move forward with Helton though. According to FootballScoop.com (Twitter link), USC officials met with Kelly last week, but the Eagles head coach prefers to remain in the NFL. Similarly, USC checked in on Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, who told the Trojans he’s not leaving Oakland, tweets Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.
Here are a few more coaching-related items from around the league:
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com believes that the Saints should “go ahead and start sniffing around” for teams that may be interested in giving up a draft pick or two for head coach Sean Payton, since this winter looks like a good time for an overhaul. La Canfora identifies the Browns, Colts, Dolphins, and Titans as teams that might have interest in Payton, and suggests that the draft pick return could be “substantial.”
- Having lost four games in a row, Jeff Fisher‘s Rams are in a downward spiral, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com believes it’s time for the team to make coaching change at season’s end.
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) hears that the decision to fire offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was made by Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell, who had “shown signs of displeasure” with the offense during the club’s last few games.
- The Giants could have taken a commanding lead in the weak NFC East division with a win over Washington on Sunday, but the fact that the team couldn’t get it done puts head coach Tom Coughlin on the hot seat, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- Several weeks ago, with his team scuffling along at 2-5, head coach Bill O’Brien didn’t exactly look safe in Houston. Four wins later though, Texans owner Bob McNair is giving O’Brien credit for the team’s success, telling Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, “I think he’s doing a fine job.”
NFC Notes: Ryan, Lynch, Giants, Quarless
The Falcons started the season 5-0 and looked like a surefire playoff team, but they’ve lost five of their last six games to drop to 6-5. Their postseason hopes are now in serious jeopardy, and one reason for their skid is the lackluster play of quarterback Matt Ryan. During their four-game losing streak, the Falcons have averaged fewer than 17 points per game and Ryan has thrown just seven touchdowns against six interceptions. Two of those picks came in a crucial 20-10 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. Afterward, owner Arthur Blank and head coach Dan Quinn expressed confidence in Ryan, a three-time Pro Bowler who has been the Falcons’ QB since they drafted him third overall in 2008.
“He’s demonstrated his abilities over eight years. He’ll be fine. He’ll be good,” Blank said, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Added Quinn, who said he isn’t thinking about benching Ryan or anyone else, “He’s absolutely the competitor that I want. He’s what we look for and our team looks for the whole way.”
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Whether he retires or the Seahawks simply decide to move on from him, there’s a good chance Marshawn Lynch is in his final year in Seattle, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. Lynch underwent groin surgery earlier this week and it’s possible he’ll end up on season-ending IR in a month if the team decides he’s not ready to return. Regardless, from an on-field standpoint, the five-time Pro Bowler has become less essential to the Seahawks’ offense with the emergence of rookie Thomas Rawls. From a business standpoint, cutting Lynch would save Seattle $6.5MM on its cap in 2016 and $10.5MM in ’17.
- Don’t expect Giants general manager Jerry Reese to be a fall guy if they miss the playoffs, tweets ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
- The Packers – who are in desperate need of weapons in their passing game – are close to getting injured tight end Andrew Quarless back, per . Quarless has been on the shelf since tearing his ACL in Week 3, and head coach Mike McCarthy said he could practice in the coming week. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be active for Green Bay’s game against Detroit on Thursday, however.
Geoff Schwartz Leaves Game With Fractured Leg
Giants offensive guard Geoff Schwartz exited the contest versus Washington with a fractured lower leg. He has been ruled out, and will be heading to injured reserve according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (via Twitter).
The Giants will likely look to add an offensive lineman during the week, either in free agency or from their practice squad.
The entire offensive line has been finding it difficult to stay on the field. Former first-round pick Justin Pugh was already ruled out for today with a concussion, the second-straight game he missed with that injury. Schwartz had already moved to left guard to compensate for that. Center Weston Richburg is also missing with a high ankle sprain.
John Jerry, Dallas Reynolds, and rookie Bobby Hart are seeing unexpected playing time because of the rash of injuries to the interior of the offensive line. In fact, other that the two starting offensive tackles, backup Emmett Cleary is the only other offensive lineman on the active roster.
Schwartz struggled with injury for the Giants last year, when he played in only two games after signing a not insignificant free agent contract the previous offseason. The team has yet to get a return on investment for the four-year deal worth $16.8MM and $6.2MM guaranteed. If this injury is indeed season ending, it could put his future with the team in jeopardy.
Extra Points: Amukamara, Chargers, LA, Steelers
A quick look around the NFL as we draw closer to Sunday’s Week 12 action. . .
- From a business standpoint, it would make a lot more sense for the Chargers to head to Los Angeles than stay in San Diego, writes Dan McSwain of the San Diego Union-Tribune. If the Chargers get a new stadium in San Diego, which doesn’t appear likely, projections indicate it would boost the team’s revenue by $50MM per annum. Conversely, the yearly revenue increase accompanying a new stadium in LA could be anywhere from $300MM to $500MM. Thus, the league’s relocation fee of $500MM to $600MM doesn’t look as if it should serve as much of a deterrent to either the Chargers or any other team eyeing LA.
- Though Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara will be a free agent at season’s end, he’d like to stay where he is. “This is the organization that took a chance on me,” he told Steve Serby of the New York Post. “It’s a first-class organization.” Amukamara, who has missed 25 of 74 regular-season games since he was a first-round pick in 2011, added that he doesn’t “think the Giants would ever have to worry about the corner position again if I could stay on the field.”
- Steelers offensive tackle Mike Adams has had a disappointing career since the team used a second-round selection on him in 2012, appearing in only 41 games (20 starts). Adams – who won’t play at all this year because of a back injury – will be a free agent after the season, but he might end up remaining with the Steelers, per Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. As Kaboly notes, the Steelers have just two tackles signed next season (Marcus Gilbert and Alejandro Villaneuva), so it’s possible they’ll bring back Adams as a depth player on a team-friendly deal.
East Notes: Eagles, Donnell, Jets
It’s been a busy day so far in the NFL’s East divisions, where the Cowboys have confirmed quarterback Tony Romo will miss the rest of the season, Washington has placed cornerback Chris Culliver on injured reserve, and the Bills have announced that Kyle Williams is expected to be out for the rest of the year. Let’s round up a few more items from out of the East divisions, including some that aren’t related to injuries….
- According to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter), Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was “adamant” after Thursday’s loss that defensive coordinator Billy Davis will remain the team’s defensive coordinator. As Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com observes (via Twitter), Kelly initially hired Davis because of his ability to run a specific defensive scheme — the Eagles have continued to draft and acquire players who fit that scheme, so if they make a change at DC, they’d likely want to find one who can run the same system.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap revisits some of the Eagles‘ notable offseason moves, including the signings of DeMarco Murray and Byron Maxwell, to attempt to determine where things went wrong for the club, and where to go from here.
- A neck injury, which has sidelined tight end Larry Donnell for the Giants‘ last two games, could keep him out of action for the rest of the season, multiple sources tell Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. While an MRI taken this week didn’t indicate there would be long-term damage for Donnell, the club is understandably cautious dealing with neck injuries.
- The Jets have slowed down since their hot start, but it’s definitely not the “Same Old Jets” in New York, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who says new general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles have changed the franchise for the better.
NFC Notes: Martin, Packers, Caldwell
Buccaneers running back Doug Martin, the 32nd overall pick in the 2012 draft, was one of 12 first-rounders from that year to have his fifth-year option for 2016 turned down by his team earlier this year. Tampa Bay may regret that decision now, though it’s possible that, without that motivation, Martin wouldn’t be having the season he is. The fourth-year back is currently the NFL’s second-leading rusher, with his 941 yards placing him behind only Adrian Peterson.
As Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes, the Bucs will have a tough call to make this offseason on Martin, whom Lovie Smith calls a “priority.” Tampa Bay has the flexibility to bring back the 26-year-old, and his production certainly warrants a new deal, but the club may decide that investing heavily on a running back coming off a huge bounce-back year isn’t the best use of its cap room.
Here are a few more items from across the NFC:
- Having been cut by the Buccaneers a week ago, free agent safety D.J. Swearinger paid a visit to the Packers on Monday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Green Bay safety Micah Hyde left Sunday’s game against the Vikings with a hip issue, so the team may be considering veteran options in case Hyde has to miss time.
- With the Lions all but eliminated from the playoff hunt, the job security of head coach Jim Caldwell has become a popular topic of discussion and speculation in Detroit. However, Caldwell told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, not to “fixate” on it, adding that “I don’t think about it as much as you do.” Assuming the Lions bring in an outside candidate to fill the permanent general manager role, it seems likely Caldwell will eventually be replaced by that new GM.
- Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks has yet to play a game during his second stint in New York, and his practice time has been limited so far, but head coach Tom Coughlin likes what he sees so far, per Fred Kerber of the New York Post. “He’s energetic, he looked good,” Coughlin said of Nicks. “Veteran experience, catcher, outstanding hands. He’ll work very hard. He’s excited about being here. He’s missed the opportunity to compete.”
- The Talk of Fame Network spoke to former Panthers GM Marty Hurney, who is responsible for drafting a number of key contributors on this year’s 10-0 squad.