Extra Points: Goodell, Raiders, JPP, Browns
On the same day the NFL announced that its owners have approved a new personal conduct policy for the league, Outside the Lines reporter Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN.com has published a story suggesting commissioner Roger Goodell‘s testimony during Ray Rice‘s suspension appeal hearing was inconsistent with his public statements.
On September 10, Goodell wrote a memo to the league’s 32 owners in which he said that “on multiple occasions, we asked the proper law enforcement authorities to share with us all relevant information, including any video of the [Rice elevator] incident.” However, the 631-page transcript of Rice’s appeal hearing, a copy of which was obtained by Outside the Lines, suggests that the NFL never actually formally requested the elevator video from the one law enforcement agency that actually had it, the Atlantic City Police Department.
With Goodell and the NFL once again under scrutiny for questionable handling of investigative and disciplinary matters, let’s round up a few other notes from around the league:
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Raiders have “a much better chance” of moving to Los Angeles in 2015 than he had realized, adding that the possibility of the team relocating from Oakland to L.A. is “very legitimate.”
- While NFL teams rarely let their starting quarterbacks reach the open market, the early returns for the teams that locked their QBs up this year haven’t been good, writes Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead. The Bears (Jay Cutler), Bengals (Andy Dalton), Chiefs (Alex Smith), and 49ers (Colin Kaepernick) likely aren’t thrilled with the new deals for their respective signal-callers, considering all four teams project to finish with worse records in 2014 than 2013.
- Asked about his impending free agency, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said he’d “love to be a Giant for life,” but isn’t sure yet how things will play out (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).
- Although Browns kicker Billy Cundiff missed another key field goal on Sunday against the Colts, head coach Mike Pettine says Cundiff remains the team’s kicker, but “he knows he has to pick it up” (Twitter link via Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald).
- Adrian Peterson is still awaiting arbitrator Harold Henderson’s decision on his suspension appeal, and the Vikings running back continues to hold out hope that he’ll be able to return the field this season, NFLPA executive George Atallah tells Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion will be represented by Athletes First agents Andrew Kessler and Dave Dunn for the 2015 NFL draft, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.
East Notes: Finnegan, Rolle, Pats, Bills
It’s a crucial weekend in the NFL’s two East divisions, as the top two teams in both the AFC East and the NFC East will square off, with the Patriots hosting the Dolphins and the Cowboys looking to avenge their Thanksgiving loss against the Eagles. While we look forward to those two matchups and others, let’s check out the latest out of the league’s East divisions….
- Dolphins cornerback Cortland Finnegan tells Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald that he’ll consider retiring after this season, indicating that he’ll probably either return to Miami or call it a career, rather than playing for another team.
- After Tom Coughlin expressed his displeasure with Antrel Rolle‘s celebration following a Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie touchdown on Sunday, the veteran safety didn’t show any real remorse. Considering Rolle is one of the defensive leaders for the 4-9 Giants, it’s no wonder that Coughlin has had trouble getting his team to play disciplined football, writes Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News, suggesting that the club should think twice about retaining the free-agent-to-be this offseason.
- Four mid-season pickups are playing key roles for the Patriots as they make their push toward a first-round bye, writes Christopher Price of WEEI.com. Two of those players, Akeem Ayers and Jonathan Casillas, were acquired via trade, making them rarities for the NFL — deadline acquisitions that are actually making a real impact.
- The Bills are sticking with Kyle Orton at quarterback down the stretch as they attempt to sneak into the playoffs, writes Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News. Orton has an option year on his contract for 2015, so it’ll be interesting to see how he finishes the year, since it may dictate whether or not he returns to Buffalo in 2015.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the rest of the day:
- Center Jeff Baca was cut by the Chargers to make room for newly-signed punter Mat McBriar, but he’s cleared waivers and been added to San Diego’s taxi squad, tweets Wilson. The Chargers only had nine players on its PS, so they won’t have to drop anyone.
- The Saints have cut fullback Michael Zordich from their practice squad, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). Zordich was originally added to New Orleans’ PS just over a month ago.
Earlier updates:
- Linebacker Jerrell Harris has been released by the Lions from their taxi squad, per Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Jets have signed cornerback Keith Lewis to their practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson reported earlier today at the National Football Post that the club would be working out Lewis.
- After working out cornerbacks Kevin Fogg and Anthony Gaitor today, the Steelers signed Fogg to their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team’s PR rep, Burt Lauten, confirmed the signing of Fogg, tweeting that safety Jordan Dangerfield has been released from the taxi squad to accommodate the addition.
- The Bills have replaced one wide receiver with another on their practice squad, signing former N.C. State product Tobais Palmer and letting go of Eric Thomas, the club announced today in a press release.
- Defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton, who was cut by the Giants on Saturday, has rejoined the team’s practice squad, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter).
- Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal has the details on the latest change to the Browns‘ practice squad, tweeting that the team has released defensive lineman Christian Tupou and signed defensive back Kendall James.
NFC East Notes: Coughlin, Gruden, McCoy
While many observers have predicted that the Giants will replace head coach Tom Coughlin at season’s end, those who know co-owner John Mara “are convinced” he doesn’t want to fire Coughlin and is no lock to do so, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. As Vacchiano points out, Mara and fellow co-owner Steve Tisch could come up with several compelling reasons to keep Coughlin around, including a desire to maintain stability and a lack of star candidates to replace him.
As we wait to see how the Giants finish the season and how that affects Coughlin’s future in New York, let’s check in on a few other items from around the NFC East….
- As Dianna Marie Russini of NBC Washington tweets, Washington head coach Jay Gruden acknowledged to reporters yesterday that jobs will be on line for his team during the final three weeks of the season. With whispers that Gruden could be one-and-done in Washington, his own job may be one that’s on the line down the stretch.
- According to reports from Mike Jones of the Washington Post and John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the neck injury sustained by Washington quarterback Colt McCoy on Sunday is not believed to be serious or career-threatening, and McCoy could even be healthy enough to play in Week 15.
- After signing a contract extension with the team in the offseason, Eagles wideout Riley Cooper hasn’t provided the same sort of big plays he did a year ago, but head coach Chip Kelly is pleased with Cooper’s play, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- The Giants took a look at a pair of defensive players yesterday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who tweets that the club brought in linebacker Victor Butler and defensive end Gerald Rivers for tryouts.
- Having been cut by the Titans last week, cornerback Brandon Ghee was among a handful of players to work out for Washington, tweets Wilson. The club also auditioned cornerback Qua Cox, offensive lineman Ty Nsekhe, defensive back Justin Rogers, and defensive lineman Shawn Lemon, who is coming off a 13-sack season with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Jason Pierre-Paul
In 2011, just his second year in the league, Jason Pierre-Paul displayed in grand fashion just what made him so appealing to the Giants, who selected him with the 15th overall pick of the 2010 draft. Using a rare and dynamic blend of size, speed, and athleticism, the man affectionately known as “JPP” racked up 16.5 sacks and was ranked by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) as the league’s sixth best 4-3 defensive end out of 67 eligible players. Pierre-Paul also led his position in total tackles, and he earned first-team All-Pro honors in recognition of his efforts as the most dangerous defensive player on the eventual Super Bowl champions.
It would have been difficult to top his outstanding 2011 campaign, but there seems to be a general belief, probably driven in large part by his lower sack totals, that Pierre-Paul has not even come close to replicating his performance from that season. Although he did amass only 6.5 sacks in 2012, PFF (subscription required) ranked him third among 62 qualified 4-3 defensive ends that year, and after an injury-shortened 2013, JPP is up to his old tricks this season, ranking as the fourth-best player at his position among 54 eligible players (subscription required). Although the Giants’ defense as a whole has been fairly pedestrian over the course of Pierre-Paul’s career (according to Football Outsiders’ metrics), Pierre-Paul seems to be holding up his end of the bargain.
Nonetheless, the two sides appear headed for a parting of the ways after 2014. As PFR’s Rob DiRe wrote last month, Pierre-Paul appeared ambivalent about returning to the club in 2015, stating, “Hey, if I’m here, I’m here, if I’m not, I’m not.” JPP did deliver the usual platitudes while discussing how much he has enjoyed his time as a Giant, but for a struggling team that has a bevy of potentially franchise-altering questions to answer this offseason, a mega-deal for Pierre-Paul might not be the wisest investment, no matter how much cap room New York might have.
So what will a new contract look like for a player in the prime of his career who plays a premium position and who may hit double-digit sack totals for the second time in four full seasons in the league? Robert Quinn, a 4-3 defensive end who was drafted one year later than Pierre-Paul and who has put together three consecutive seasons of 10.5 or more sacks (including a whopping 19 in 2013), signed a four-year extension with St. Louis in September, a deal worth about $67MM.
That contract seems to be a fair benchmark for JPP, although he stands to make more on the open market than he would if he were to sign an extension with New York. Another reasonable comparison might be Justin Houston, a premier pass rusher from the outside linebacker position who expects to land a contract valued somewhere between Quinn’s deal and the extension recently signed by J.J. Watt, a six-year pact worth as much as $100MM (with $51.8MM guaranteed). A five-year deal worth $80MM would seem like a fair price for both Houston and JPP, and that is about what I would expect both players to make on the free agent market.
Of course, the franchise tag remains an option, but as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post pointed out in October, the nearly $15MM projected cost of the tag “is impractical and probably impossible for the Giants to handle.” Schwartz also notes that Pierre-Paul, who was just 21 when he was drafted, is hitting free agency at a younger age than most players, and his willingness and ability to stop the run is not only an underrated part of his game, but also an attribute often difficult to find among so-called pass-rush specialists.
The knocks on JPP, of course, are his injury history—he struggled with back and shoulder injuries in 2012 and 2013—his relatively modest sack total after 2011, and the fact that much of his success is based on his athleticism rather than his technique, which is still raw in many ways. But, as Schwartz wrote, and as Pro Football Focus evaluations indicate, the sack totals are not indicative of Pierre-Paul’s abilities, and if he can complete 2014 in good health, the injury concerns may begin to fade. So while JPP’s next contract will probably not match Watt’s, he could get surprisingly close—especially in this era of the ever-increasing salary cap—and his departure would leave a very big hole in Big Blue. The Giants will have to decide if mending that hole is worth the price.
Minor Moves: Saturday
Here are Saturday’s minor moves, with the most recent transactions added to the top of the list:
- Washington has placed cornerback Chase Minnifield on injured reserve, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The team promoted defensive back Kenny Okoro to the 53-man roster.
- The Seahawks have promoted wide receiver Chris Matthews from their practice squad to the active roster, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
- The Steelers have activated outside linebacker Jarvis Jones off the injured reserve-designated to return, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team placed cornerback Cortez Allen on injured reserve to make room for Jones.
- The Patriots have activated defensive tackle Sealver Siliga from the injured reserve-designated to return, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Siliga will join the active roster in time for the Sunday Night matchup against the Chargers tomorrow.
Earlier Updates
- The Broncos‘ kicking carousel continues, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post tweets that the team has promoted kicker Brandon McManus from the practice squad. The former undrafted free agent made his NFL debut with Denver earlier this season, connecting on nine of his 13 attempts. To make room, the team waived returner Isaiah Burse.
- The Giants have signed linebacker/defensive end Paul Hazel from their practice squad, tweets ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. The 24-year-old appeared in 13 games with the Browns last season. To make room on the roster, the team released defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton.
- Washington has promoted linebacker Gabe Miller from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). A fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft, the 27-year-old finally made his NFL debut earlier this season. To make room on the roster, the team cut third-year wideout Aldrick Robinson (via ESPN’s John Keim on Twitter). Robinson signed a one-year deal with Washington following a solid 2013 campaign, but he hasn’t seen the field since Week 5.
- The Ravens have activated cornerback Asa Jackson from the injured reserve, tweets ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. The former fifth-rounder started four games earlier this season before succumbing to a foot injury. The team also placed undrafted rookie Tramain Jacobs on the injured reserve.
Coach Notes: Jets, Trestman, Coughlin
Jets coach Rex Ryan intended to talk to the media on Friday about this team’s matchup with the Vikings. Instead, he addressed rumors that he had considered firing offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.
“I would deny that, 100 percent I’ll deny that, that I’m looking to fire Marty or anybody,” Ryan said (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). “You know we challenge each other all the time. … I don’t know where it’s coming from. So to me I think it’s a complete bogus deal. So, I’m not saying it wasn’t said by somebody, but it certainly wasn’t said by me or thought by me.”
Let’s take a look at some more rumblings out of the NFL front offices, including whispers about coaches potentially on the hot seat…
- There has been plenty of finger-pointing in New York regarding the issues surrounding the Jets, and Ryan, Mornhinweg and general manager John Idzik have faced their fair share of criticism. Bart Hubbach of the New York Post believes one member of the organization has unfairly gone unscathed: owner Woody Johnson.
- While the Bears‘ season certainly hasn’t gone as planned, it doesn’t look like the team will endure any drastic changes. John Mullin of CSNChicago.com appeared on ProFootballTalk Live and stated his belief that head coach Marc Trestman is safe (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com), noting that firing the coach would be an admission of failure by general manager Phil Emery.
- Meanwhile, Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times believes the Bears need to make major changes. However, based on the team’s moves in previous years, the team will be apprehensive about making any drastic moves.
- Dan Graziano is unsure what the Giants will do with head coach Tom Coughlin, but he believes there’s a chance that the team could be grooming offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo for the role.
NFC Notes: Saints, JPP, Gore, Garrett
After questioning the Panthers’ decision to let Steve Smith go in the offseason, Saints outside linebacker Junior Galette dismissed the idea that the Saints made the same mistake with a handful of their veteran defensive players, according to Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune.
“The guys that replaced them are better than the guys we had. It’s not even close. Across the board,” Galette said, referring to a defensive unit that replaced Will Smith, Roman Harper, Malcolm Jenkins, and Jonathan Vilma earlier this year. “I’ll take Kenny Vaccaro any day over any safety. And I’ll take [Cameron Jordan] over any defensive end. Jairus Byrd over any safety.”
Here are a few more Friday updates from around the NFC:
- Jason Pierre-Paul is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, and the Giants defensive end recognizes that boosting his sack total will help him maximize his next contract, writes Jim Baumbach of Newsday. In our most recent 2015 free agent power rankings, we placed Pierre-Paul sixth, noting that his modest sack totals make him a different player to evaluate. After compiling 16.5 sacks in 2011, the 25-year-old has just 13.5 in the last three seasons combined.
- According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), by being active for his 13th game this season, 49ers running back Frank Gore will earn a $750K roster bonus on Sunday.
- Noting that the Cowboys will finish above .500 for the first time since Jason Garrett became the team’s head coach, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News wonders if Garrett has earned himself a contract extension.
- 2015’s period of head coach firings and hirings could be significantly affected the Giants‘ decision with Tom Coughlin, says Albert Breer of NFL.com. As Breer observes, “the head job for the Mara family’s team has long been seen as the Rolls-Royce of all football coaching jobs,” so if it’s available, it will have an impact on the rest of the market.
Schefter On Coughlin, Hoyer, Payton, Rams
We all love a good storyline and Week 14 is chock full of them, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter explains. This week, the Rams take on Washington and the Browns face the Colts, bringing back memories of two of the biggest trades to take place in the last few years. In 2012, the Rams traded the rights to draft Robert Griffin III to Washington and in 2013, Cleveland sent former first-round choice Trent Richardson to Indianapolis. Those deals involved four teams initially, but as Schefter explains in detail, they affected at least nine teams in a significant fashion. More from Schefter’s latest columns..
- Some around the league believe that Giants coach Tom Coughlin could be coaching his final four games, though he will have plenty of say on whether this is the end for him. It won’t be necessarily easy for Big Blue to finish strong given their massive rash of injuries, but they’ve got a good chance. Over the next four games, they’re playing a quartet of quarterbacks who were backups at some point in 2014. The Giants get Jake Locker or an injured Zach Mettenberger on Sunday, Washington’s Colt McCoy the following week, then Shaun Hill‘s Rams, followed by a home tilt against Mark Sanchez and the Eagles.
- Chances are that Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer will move on and out of Johnny Manziel’s shadow this offseason, writes Schefter in a different column. If that happens, the Texans would make some sense for Hoyer. There’s a huge mutual respect between Hoyer and Texans coach Bill O’Brien, as the pair worked together in New England. If they have a chance to work together, they would welcome it, according to Schefter.
- Even if the Saints miss the playoffs, Sean Payton won’t be on the hot seat in New Orleans. Besides, Schefter rightly notes that the team’s remaining schedule is rather favorable and should result in an NFC South title.
- The Rams’ entire offseason will be devoted to getting a quarterback, whether it’s through a trade, the draft or free agency. They will add at least one QB, and maybe even two, depending on whether Hill returns.
- Torrey Smith played college ball in Maryland and might not want to leave the area, but there’s a chance that the Ravens let him walk in free agency. At the same time, there could be a lot of desirable free agent wide receivers this offseason, so he might not have a great market waiting for him.
East Notes: Revis, Washington, Jets, Giants
There were times last season in Tampa Bay when Darrelle Revis didn’t necessarily look like one of the league’s best cornerbacks, but the veteran corner has re-established himself this year in New England, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Sando (Insider link), who calls Revis the year’s No. 1 free agent or trade acquisition. The East’s two division leaders get nods in Sando’s piece, with the Patriots being recognized for their signing of Revis and the Eagles lauded for their trade for Darren Sproles, who ranks seventh on the list.
Here’s more from around the NFC and AFC East divisions:
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com expects quarterback Colt McCoy to return to Washington next season, but notes that McCoy is eligible for free agency, and if he reaches the open market, he’ll likely get offers from other teams after holding his own as a starter this year.
- 35-year-old Washington safety Ryan Clark is focused on finishing this season strong, and isn’t thinking about his NFL future, writes Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. Still, while Clark stopped short of saying he’ll retire, he indicated that this season could be his last.
- The Jets brought in several players for tryouts this week, focusing on the defensive line and special teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson reports that the club worked out defensive linemen Ben Bass, Kona Schwenke, and Zach Thompson, punters Kasey Redfern and Jacob Schum, and long snapper Patrick Scales.
- In addition to working out cornerback Keith Lewis, whose audition was previously reported, Washington also took a look at running back Terrance Cobb and offensive lineman Rishaw Johnson earlier this week, tweets Wilson. Johnson has since signed with the division-rival Giants‘ practice squad.
- Those Giants worked out several players of their own this week, per Wilson, who provides the list of participants (Twitter link): D.J. Bryant (OLB), Mike Golic Jr. (OL), Dion Lewis (RB), Jordan McCray (OL), and Uani Unga (LB).