Latest On Jason Pierre-Paul
Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul took to Instagram earlier this month to show off his training routine and help quell public concerns about his condition. Apparently, that display didn’t do much to change opinions in East Rutherford, as Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com write.
Part of the video shows JPP bench pressing a barbell, but he only does five reps of ~240 pounds. Furthermore, he had a small yellow towel wrapped on the bar to protect his damaged right hand. While there is some talk that the defensive end will seek a grievance against the Giants if they do not deem him physically ready to play this season, the video, photos of his hand, and his physical evaluation have not done him any favors.
The ESPN duo adds that the condition of his middle finger was a much more significant concern than anyone was led to believe before he allowed the Giants to examine him. As it stands, there is some concern about whether that middle finger will ever be “football-functional.” To make matters worse, Pierre-Paul is severely underweight. Listed at 6’5″, 278 pounds, JPP had a goal of reporting to camp at 265. However, he was down at least 20 pounds, maybe more, when he visited the team. One source told Mortensen and Schefter that he weighed 246 pounds while another team source said he was around 255 pounds.
Pierre-Paul has been an important piece for the Giants during his five-year career, collecting 42 sacks – including 12.5 last season – since they used a first-round pick on him in 2010. The Giants had the NFL’s 29th-ranked defense last year even with Pierre-Paul, so the Giants clearly would like to have him back on the field, if he’s capable of playing. Right now, that seems very much in doubt, despite the defensive end’s claims.
Extra Points: Jack, Johnny Football, Bucs
Two-way UCLA star Myles Jack has a $5MM insurance policy that pays out if he’s not a first-round pick, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. Jack, who is done for the season after suffering a torn meniscus, might have an easier time entering the draft this year with that financial security backing him. Prior to the injury, Jack was widely considered to be a top ten prospect. Now, his stock is very much up in the air. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- When asked if he’s still the team’s quarterback of the future, Johnny Manziel said, “From everything I’ve heard, whether it’s our GM or owner, that’s still the case [as] far as I know,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). On Wednesday, the Browns announced that Josh McCown will resume his duties as starting quarterback in Week 3 against the Raiders.
- The Buccaneers tried out cornerback Tay Glover-Wright, wide receiver Donatella Luckett, defensive back Ryan Murphy, wide receiver Evan Spencer, and safety Pierre Warren, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised if cornerback Josh Gordy resurfaces with another team this year. The Giants cut the cornerback from IR with an injury settlement on Wednesday.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Dolphins announced (via Twitter) that they have signed running back Jonas Gray off of the practice squad. The Dolphins first added Gray to their taxi squad earlier this month and since then he has been promoted, cut outright, and re-signed to the practice squad before finally being brought back up to the 53-man roster today. Gray emerged as a potential starter for the Patriots during his 201-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Colts during the 2014 season, but was leapfrogged on New England’s depth chart by LeGarrette Blount and others down the stretch. In early September, several running backs in New England got ahead of him in line, leading to his release.
- The Giants cut Josh Gordy from injured reserve with an injury settlement, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Bills promoted safety Jonathan Meeks to the 53-man roster, per Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter).
- The Steelers released wide receiver Tyler Murphy to make room for the returning Le’Veon Bell, as Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.
Giants Sign Kenrick Ellis, Cut Preston Parker
9:54am: The team has now officially confirmed the pair of transactions.
9:50am: The team has yet to make an official announcement, but it appears the corresponding move for the Giants’ addition of Ellis will be to cut wide receiver Preston Parker — Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter) that Parker is being let go.
After catching 36 balls for the Giants a year ago, Parker has five receptions through the club’s first two games of 2015, but has racked up just as many dropped passes, many of them costly. The wideout doesn’t have any bonus money on his contract, so his release won’t leave New York with any additional dead money on the cap.
9:43am: After surviving the initial cutdown to 53 players, defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis was a surprise roster casualty for the Giants earlier this month, when the team needed to clear room for a pair of waiver claims. Two and a half weeks later, however, Ellis is returning to the Giants, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who reports that the team is re-signing the ex-Jet to the 53-man roster.
Ellis, 27, signed a one-year deal with the Giants earlier this year that included $500K in guarantees, so the club has already absorbed that same total in dead money for the upcoming season. His new pact will presumably be non-guaranteed. As a reserve for the Jets during the first four years of his career, Ellis appeared in 47 games, starting five.
As Raanan points out, Giants defensive tackles Cullen Jenkins (hamstring), Jay Bromley (knee) and Markus Kuhn (knee) all showed up on the club’s initial injury report this week, so with a Thursday night game against Washington right around the corner, it makes sense that New York would bring in some veteran depth at the position.
NFC East Notes: Romo, Cowboys, JPP, RGIII
No NFL division looks more in flux through two weeks than the NFC East, where the Eagles and Giants have yet to win a game, and the Cowboys will be without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant for the next several weeks. Earlier today, we asked you to weigh in with your thoughts on how the East race will play out over the next 15 weeks. Now, we’ll round up a few more Monday items from out of the division…
- Speaking of Romo, he won’t have to undergo surgery on his fractured left clavicle, a source tells Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. That doesn’t significantly alter the projected recovery timetable for the Cowboys quarterback, who still figures to miss about eight weeks. He’s a candidate for Dallas’ IR-DTR slot.
- With Romo out, the Cowboys are evaluating whether or not to sign a veteran signal-caller to back up Brandon Weeden, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), who says the team considered Kyle Orton. Orton is still finished with football, however.
- According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), there’s some concern in Jason Pierre-Paul‘s camp that if the Giants defensive end reports to the team, New York will place him on the NFI list and be able to franchise him again next year at the same price. The CBA isn’t 100% clear on how this situation would work, but if the two sides disagree on JPP’s ability to play this season, it could create some contract issues.
- In another video for Bleacher Report, Cole suggests that Washington quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins aren’t communicating much at all these days. Per Cole, that doesn’t reflect particularly well on RGIII, who reportedly has a history of not being on the same page as everyone in the locker room.
- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said after yesterday’s loss that everyone will be evaluated, hinting that roster changes could be coming. But it doesn’t sound like the team will make any major moves. “The guys we have are the guys we’re playing with for the remainder of the season,” Kelly said today, referring in part to the offensive line’s struggles (Twitter link). “It’s not a change thing.”
Injury Updates: 9/20/15
The big news is the Tony Romo injury, which could have a devastating effect on the Cowboys’ season. We already looked at a major injury to Bills safety Aaron Williams – who appeared to be doing okay after being taken to a hospital, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter) – and a potential starting quarterback injury for Jay Cutler of the Bears. Here’s a roundup of other noteworthy injuries from Sunday’s action. Any additional injury updates from the afternoon games will be added to the top of the page throughout the day.
- Eddie Lacy has been carted off the field for the Packers due to a right ankle injury, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter). His return is questionable (via Twitter). Davante Adams is also being carted to the locker room with a left ankle or foot injury, reports Jason Wilde (via Twitter).
- Packers defensive tackle Josh Boyd also just went down on the field, and is being attended to by the coaches and medical staff, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He will also be carted off with a right leg injury (via Twitter).
- Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert left the game against the Jaguars twice, not returning the second time, with a reported hamstring injury, according to James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Rookie tailback Tevin Coleman couldn’t finish the game for the Falcons today due to a rib injury, and D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes a prolonged absence could doom the team’s rushing attack.
Earlier:
- Ereck Flowers left the Giants-Falcons game with an ankle injury, and was not able to return, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Flowers has dealt with ankle injuries for a few weeks, and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com notes that head coach Tom Coughlin hopes those issues aren’t continuous (via Twitter).
- Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso has been ruled out of the remainder of today’s game vs. the Cowboys due to a left knee injury, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As McLane observes, that’s the same knee that suffered a torn ACL in 2014.
- Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was getting X-rays taken after the loss to the Vikings, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Detroit Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman writes that Stafford confirmed the X-rays were taken of his chest and ribs (via Twitter).
- Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy left the 26-19 win over the Saints with a right arm injury, reports Jenna Laine of Sports Talk 1040 The Team in Tampa (via Twitter). Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times adds that McCoy was not moving his right arm in the locker room (via Twitter).
- Titans right guard Chance Warmack will have an MRI on his knee on Monday after injuring it today, but the initial diagnosis is a sprained MCL, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter links).
East Notes: JPP, Kerley, Andrews
One thing that has become apparent in the Jason Pierre-Paul drama is that the team and the player have very different ideas about JPP’s health and his ability to take the field. As NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, if the Giants and Pierre-Paul remain divided, an independent doctor could wind up making the final call.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, that would only happen if Pierre-Paul files a grievance against the team for failing to agree that he’s ready to play. Florio says that JPP could sign his franchise tender and then file the grievance. At that point, if an independent doctor clears Pierre-Paul, the Giants would be forced to take him back. Of course, JPP could also file the grievance without signing the franchise tender. If he were to then receive clearance from an independent doctor, the Giants could rescind his tender, thereby allowing Pierre-Paul to seek his fortunes elsewhere.
In a separate piece, Florio opines that the best way for Big Blue and its star pass rusher to resolve the matter is to agree on a new contract for 2015 that pays Pierre-Paul a reduced amount per week with the ability to make up the difference based on performance. The team could also agree to not use the franchise tag again in 2016. As of yet, however, there have been no publicized talks of such a resolution, and the stalemate continues.
Let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s east divisions:
- Aside from Pierre-Paul’s long-term outlook in the NFL and the possible outcomes of his contract negotiations with the Giants, Ebenezer Samuel of The New York Daily News says JPP must also solve the challenges of the weight room. Samuel details how JPP’s injury will force him to adapt his approach to his usual training regimen, and although he should be able to get himself into good enough shape to perform well, experts are skeptical that he will be able to return to his old self.
- Jeremy Kerley‘s role on offense has all but disappeared, and Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com believes the Jets should look to trade the player who has become little more than a high-priced punt returner. Cimini lists the Cowboys as a logical trade partner, but he notes that Kerley’s contract could be a major obstacle to any trade talks. Kerley’s $2MM base salary this year is guaranteed, and beyond 2015, he has three years and $9MM remaining on the deal he signed last fall.
- Rookie David Andrews, whom the Patriots signed as an undrafted free agent in May, was the only player outside of Tom Brady to play every offensive snap in the team’s Week 1 win against Pittsburgh. Adam Kurkjian of The Boston Herald details Andrews’ journey to this point and what the future may hold for the promising young center.
NFC Notes: J. Jones, Long, Cruz, Workouts
Week 1 couldn’t have gone much better for Packers wide receiver James Jones, who re-signed with Green Bay less than two weeks ago and caught a pair of touchdown balls from Aaron Rodgers during his first game back with the team.
In an interview with Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com, Jones discussed the Raiders‘ and Giants‘ decisions to release him earlier this year, suggesting that Oakland simply wanted to “go younger,” while New York let him go out of respect, since he wouldn’t have been a big part of the Giants’ offense. Jones has no hard feelings toward either organization, but being cut twice in the span of a few months figures to motivate him this season.
“I’m extremely, extremely motivated, more than I have ever been, right now,” Jones said. “Not only to show the teams that released me that I have a lot of football left, but to show myself, that you still have a lot to give and you have a lot of football left. That’s my main motivation right now, to show people that I can still play this game at a very high level and still can help a ball club win.”
So far, so good for Jones and the Packers. Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Field Yates of ESPN.com provides a few more details on Jake Long‘s one-year contract with the Falcons, tweeting that while there’s a base value of $1.17MM, the deal has a strong “play-and-pay structure.” Long can earn up to $400K in per-game roster bonuses and another $1MM in incentives.
- Victor Cruz, who is continuing to deal with lingering calf problems, will miss the Giants‘ Week 2 game, but thinks he’ll be back on the field for the team within the next couple weeks, as Bart Hubbuch and Kyle Schnitzer of the New York Post write. The Giants, who have yet to use their IR-DTR slot, obviously felt confident heading into the season that Cruz wouldn’t be sidelined for a significant chunk of time, since it doesn’t seem as if the club ever seriously considered using that designation on the veteran wideout.
- In addition to their workouts which we passed along yesterday, the Eagles also auditioned offensive lineman Austin Reiter and running back Dreamius Smith this week, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- According to Wilson (via Twitter), offensive lineman Pierce Burton had a workout for the Panthers this week. Burton was initially waived by the Falcons during their cutdown to 53 players, then was cut from Atlanta’s practice squad earlier this week.
East Rumors: Eli, Eagles, Jets, Brady
Despite the incredible durability he’s shown in his 12-year career, Eli Manning is unlikely to play out the four-year contract extension he signed with the Giants last week, Bryce Johnston of OverTheCap writes. Manning’s estimated contract value, a tool used by OverTheCap, produced a slightly lower figure than his 2004 draft class peers Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers, younger than the 34-year-old Manning by 14 and 11 months, respectively. Cam Newton tops this value-based chart.
Here’s what’s going on across the Eastern divisions on Friday night.
- Third-year Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis‘ aggressiveness puts Philadelphia’s cornerbacks in difficult spots, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The pressure-centric schemes often place Eagles corners in one-on-one spots, and that didn’t go well for Byron Maxwell against Julio Jones in Week 1. With Chip Kelly bringing in Maxwell for $63MM to play this kind of coverage while Cary Williams, who ended up replacing Maxwell in Seattle, and Bradley Fletcher weren’t asked back. McLane opines Maxwell must acclimate to this scheme far better to justify his $10.5MM-per-year salary.
- Kelly’s attempt to maximize the Eagles’ play count may be affecting his defense, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. With the Eagles trailing only the Broncos and Patriots in number of offensive plays run since Kelly assumed command in Philadelphia in 2013, Kelly’s teams are just 5-4 in December and ranked last (26 minutes, 40 seconds) in average time of possession in 2014.
- Despite assuming the Jets‘ starting quarterback job via unrelated locker room violence, Ryan Fitzpatrick is taking his commitment to new heights in constantly texting Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall videos, notes and quizzes to form a chemistry with the wideouts, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports. “It’s energizing,” Marshall told Mehta. “It’s something I’ve been waiting for for the past five or six years … to play with a quarterback who approaches the game that way.” Fitzpatrick connected with both for scores in the Jets’ Week 1 win.
- Geno Smith hasn’t taken snaps in team drills yet, just 7-on-7 scout-team work the past two days in practice, per Mehta (on Twitter). Unseating Fitzpatrick could be a task for Smith after two uneven seasons.
- According to SI.com’s Greg Bedard in an interview with Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News, Tom Brady looks more drained for this point in the year after spending the offseason consumed by Deflategate. Bedard adds, however, that he doesn’t sense the 16-year veteran carrying added motivation like he did after last season’s proclamations of his demise following the Patriots‘ blowout loss to the Chiefs.
East Notes: JPP, Giants, DeflateGate
Here’s a look at the latest out of the East Divisions..
- The New York Daily News has obtained pictures of Jason Pierre-Paul‘s injured hand and the photos indicate that his condition could be worse than his camp has been letting on. The Giants defensive end is missing an index finger and his middle finger is heavily bandaged. Perhaps the most notable part of the photo is that JPP is without a good chunk of his thumb. Previously, JPP’s people said that missing a piece from his thumb, but that it was just the tip of the digit.
- This week, the Giants auditioned LB Khairi Fortt, DT Kwame Geathers, LB Adrian Hubbard, TE Nick Kasa, WR Josh Lenz, TE Jake Murphy, and LB Jordan Tripp, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants also worked out LB James Morris and G Vinston Painter before signing them to the practice squad.
- In an interview with WEEI, Peter King said that even with everything that has happened between Roger Goodell and the Patriots, he doesn’t think that Robert Kraft wants the commissioner fired because of the business man that he is.