AFC West Notes: Allen, Janikowski, Raiders
Publicly, NFL owners aren’t saying much about where they stand on the Los Angeles situation, but five owners have told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that they would be in favor of a plan marrying the Rams and Chargers. Of course, that would leave the Raiders out in the cold, but owner Mark Davis could improve his team’s chances by selling a portion of the team to an L.A. investor. That’s a transaction that could take place “very soon,” according to a source who spoke with Cole.
Here’s more from the AFC West..
- Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen has signed with Vanguard Sports and agent Joby Branion, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Allen was formerly repped by Athletes First. Allen, a 2013 third-round pick, is under contract through 2016 and earning less than $1MM this season and next. Needless to say, his next deal should be for a whole lot more.
- Sebastian Janikowski is on the verge of setting the Raiders record for most games played and it sounds like he could pad his lead quite a bit. Long snapper Jon Condo says that Janikowski feels as though he could kick into his mid-40s and the kicker agrees, as Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle writes. “You look at my stats?” the 37-year-old asked. “That’s how I can tell. I’m doing the same thing I did 10 years ago, hitting 60-yarders in warm-ups before games. I don’t see the difference. The more you do, the more you work out, you can be strong.”
- Fun fact from Steve Corkran of RaiderBeat.com (on Twitter): Only five players remain on the Raiders‘ 53-man roster who were on the team when Al Davis died four years ago. None of those five players are starters.
Latest On Los Angeles
Sources have suggested to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News that Rams owner Stan Kroenke might simply go back to the Edward Jones Dome on one-year leases and turn attention to Toronto or London. Alternatively, if the Chargers and Raiders move to Los Angeles, the Bay Area and San Diego could be markets he considers as a new home for the Rams. It’s not immediately clear if an international move or relocation to Oakland or San Diego is a consideration for Kroenke. I’m personally skeptical of the probability of those ideas, they are interesting to note as the race to Los Angeles continues.
Here’s more on L.A..
- Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters, including Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) that he’s encouraged by the fact that there are two possibilities for how to enter the L.A. market at this time. Right now, those two plans are ostensibly the Rams‘ proposed project in Inglewood and the joint Chargers/Raiders plan for Carson, Calif.
- While those are the two competing plans at this time, a source tells Bonsignore (Twitter link) that there seems to be a lot of pressure to put the Rams and Chargers in a room together. Due to financial constraints, many have wondered if the Raiders could wind up getting squeezed out.
- The NFL’s return to Los Angeles seems both inevitable and hugely complicated, James Bell of USA Today writes.
Latest On Los Angeles
Raiders owner Mark Davis could be on the verge of selling a piece of the team to a Los Angeles investor, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). The sale of a minority stake would be done in hopes of facilitating a move of the team from Oakland to the Los Angeles area. The Raiders might need a shot in the arm as there has been speculation that a deal can be brokered between the Rams and Chargers, busting up the current partnership between Oakland and the Bolts.
Meanwhile, after the conclusion of the owners meetings, Steelers owner Art Rooney told Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) he expects a vote on a potential move in January. Interested teams will submit their applications after season, he added. The league has not expedited the relocation process or changed any of the deadlines, however, and it’s possible that no move will take place for the 2016 season.
Latest On Rams, Chargers, Raiders, L.A.
The NFL’s team owners are meeting this week, and while those meetings are taking place in New York, it’s another major U.S. city that’s dominating discussions: Los Angeles. With the league considering possible relocation, Peter King of TheMMQB.com writes that a franchise may not move to L.A. until 2017, and it could be end up being either one or two teams.
According to King, owners aren’t expected to make a decision until January, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of notable updates to keep an eye on this week. Let’s dive in….
- Team owners are somewhat at odds over the best path back to Los Angeles, as Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times details. While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is among the proponents of Stan Kroneke‘s plan for the Rams, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson and Texans owner Bob McNair are believed to prefer the Carson project, since they reportedly feel that Chargers owner Dean Spanos has done more to exhaust stadium possibilities in his own market.
- Speaking of Kroenke, the Rams owner ticked off one check-box today for a potential move to L.A., as his fellow owners approved his cross-ownership proposal. Kroenke will retain ownership of the Rams, transferring ownership of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche to his wife, writes Farmer.
- While the Chargers and Raiders are ostensibly partners in the Carson plan, there has been speculation that perhaps a deal can be brokered between the Rams and Chargers, writes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. If Kroenke and Spanos were to reach an agreement that would allow their two franchises to share the Rams’ proposed Hollywood Park location, it would leave the Raiders on the outside, but owner Mark Davis says he believes “everything is going to work out” for his club.
- There are no formal presentations from team owners on Los Angeles scheduled for today, but Kroenke, Spanos, and Davis will have an opportunity to address their fellow owners, should they choose to, tweets Judy Battista of the NFL Network.
- According to Jim Trotter of ESPN (via Twitter), he’s getting the vibe at the owners’ meetings that it will take a successful Hail Mary to keep the Chargers in San Diego long-term.
- Count Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie among the owners who believes there will be a team in Los Angeles in 2016, tweets Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal.
- With St. Louis vying to keep the Rams, their stadium project got good news and bad news this week. The stadium secured a $158MM naming rights deal with National Car Rental, as David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details. However, Ray Hartmann of St. Louis Magazine reports that the St. Louis stadium plan calls for $215MM more in taxpayers’ money than what was initially anticipated.
Latest On Los Angeles
Colts owner Jim Irsay says there’s a “high likelihood” that there will be one or two NFL teams playing in Los Angeles by the 2016 season, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Meanwhile, it was previously reported that if the NFL were to put only one team in L.A. for 2016, that they would not be following up with a second club later on. When asked if that’s the case, however, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (link) said, “No. Emphatically, no.”
Of course, there are also some secondary matters for the league to address when it comes to Los Angeles. Jaguars owner Shahid Khan told Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (on Twitter) that while there’s been a lot of discussion, there is still no resolution on the matter of L.A. relocation fees or temporary venues for a team (or teams) to play in while a permanent stadium is built. On the whole, Khan feels that the NFL in L.A. will happen in 2016, but added (link), “The best solution might be something that’s not even presented. There might be Plan C.”
The Chargers have been heavily linked to L.A., of course, but San Diego will not give them up without a fight. The mayor of San Diego has been personally contacting NFL owners about his city’s latest stadium funding plan, sources tell Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Facebook) and while the league is impressed with the plan, there are serious roadblocks. The mayor likely can’t bring it up for a vote before January at the earliest and the NFL believes it will have made a decision on which team(s) will relocate to Los Angeles by then. Also, the Chargers are working to make their Carson project happen and likely aren’t in a position to throw real support behind San Diego’s plan.
Recently, we learned that Rams owner Stan Kroenke is reportedly more willing to share his proposed Inglewood stadium with another club than originally thought. However, it remains unclear whether that other club would be Kroenke’s “tenant” or if it would have more of an “equity” stake in the stadium. Kroenke, of course, prefers the former option, but he is open to a more equitable arrangement as well, which would require a significant financial investment from the second team. Some owners are against the idea of the Rams going to L.A. since it appears that they have a viable stadium offer on the table in St. Louis, but Kroenke appears determined to head west.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Manziel, Forbath, Jets
Having rounded up a few items from around the NFC earlier today, let’s shift our focus to the league’s other conference, and check in on several AFC notes:
- Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), citing multiple sources, reports that Raiders owner Mark Davis has been in contact with a Los Angeles-based investor and developer about potential relocation. According to Cole, Davis may have to sell part of the Raiders in order for the Carson proposal to have a good chance of moving forward.
- The struggling Browns will inevitably turn to Johnny Manziel to gauge whether he is their future at the quarterback position, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com writes, and Grossi believes that time will come sooner for the Browns than coach Mike Pettine ever anticipated. Grossi believes that Johnny Football could get the start on October 18th against the Broncos, Cleveland’s next home game, if the offense sputters against the Chargers and Ravens
- Nick Novak got the job in Houston, but Kai Forbath was a close second in the Texans‘ kicker evaluations, according to sources who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). That might not be much consolation to Forbath, who was also the runner-up for the Eagles’ kicking job this week.
- Former Jets GM Mike Tannebaum made some big mistakes near the end of his time with the team, but 17 players on New York’s current active roster were Tannenbaum acquisitions, says Brian Costello of the New York Post. Costello makes the case that it’s time to recognize that Tannenbaum, who is currently in the Dolphins’ front office, did a “very good job” with the Jets.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..
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The Giants cut wide receiver Chris Harper from IR, the Raiders cut offensive lineman Anthony Morris from IR, and the Chargers cut Gordon Hill from IR, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Dolphins will sign offensive lineman Mike Leidtke to their taxi squad, as agent Brett Tessler tweets. Liedtke, an Illinois State product, recently auditioned for the Saints and Jets.
- The Raiders released cornerback Chimdi Chekwa from their injured reserve list, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The defensive back was drafted by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
- The Rams will sign wide receiver Nick Toon, a source tells Ross Jones of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Toon had workouts with the Rams and Seahawks last week.
- To make room for Dion Bailey, the Jets waived Ronald Martin, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. New York claimed Martin from Seattle just a few weeks ago.
- The Cowboys cut backup defensive tackle Davon Coleman, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
Some NFL Owners Oppose Rams Moving To L.A.
A group of influential owners strongly opposes the relocation of the Rams to Los Angeles, multiple sources tell Mike Florio of PFT. That group apparently includes Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who is emerging as one of the more outspoken members of the league’s L.A. committee. One source indicated that these owners view the Chargers and Raiders as more eligible to move under the league’s relocation policy, especially since it appears that St. Louis has a quality stadium proposal on the table.
Right now, it’s hard to say whether the Chargers and Raiders have the upper hand over the Rams. At this time, it appears that the Chargers definitely have the votes to block the Rams and that the Rams probably have the votes to block the Chargers.
Here’s more on the L.A. situation..
- If only one team goes to L.A., it could be the Chargers, Florio writes. One league source says that the thinking is that moving the Bolts would make the most sense, because it would preserve much of the San Diego fan base while expanding the team’s existing fan base in L.A.
- Neither L.A. proposal has enough league votes to make the move, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. At least 24 of the league’s 32 teams must vote in favor of a franchise in order for the transaction to be authorized and things are very fractured at this time.
- Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune doesn’t believe that the Chargers will be willing to share a stadium with the Rams. If the Rams relocate to L.A., he believes that the most likely scenario will be Rams owner Stan Kroenke paying off the Chargers and Raiders as a consolation prize.
AFC Notes: Geno, Raiders, Browns, Chiefs, Broncos
Geno Smith‘s prospects when it comes to turning into a viable starting quarterback in the NFL ostensibly aren’t good, but one of his Jets teammates – receiver Brandon Marshall – thinks the 24-year-old has a bright future.
“But like I said from the beginning — and I’ll stand by this — Geno is going to have a monster year, but unfortunately he’s not in it right now,” Marshall said Friday on SiriusXM Radio, according to Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin. “But he’ll get his shot. He’s still young and he has a long career ahead of him.”
Smith was supposed to be the Jets’ starter this year, but ex-teammate IK Enemkpali broke Smith’s jaw with a punch in August. Since then, Ryan Fitzpatrick has taken the reins and helped lead the Jets to a 2-0 start. As a result, Fitzpatrick has earned a vote of confidence from head coach Todd Bowles. Even without Fitzpatrick to take into consideration, the fact is that Smith hasn’t played well during his career. The 2013 second-round pick’s completion percentage sits in the high-50s and he’s thrown 25 touchdowns against 34 interceptions in 30 games.
Other news and notes from the AFC:
- Oakland city and stadium officials have restarted exploratory talks on a new stadium with the Raiders, ESPN’s Bill Williamson reports. The Raiders have set a deadline for Oakland to figure out a new stadium plan by year’s end. If no progress is made, the Raiders – whose lease expires at the end of the season – could relocate to Carson, Calif.
- The Browns had two first-round picks in the 2014 draft. They came out of the round with cornerback Justin Gilbert and quarterback Johnny Manziel. Gilbert’s career has been an abject disaster thus far, and Manziel’s hasn’t been a whole lot better. The Browns’ Sunday opponent is the Raiders, whose first two picks in 2014 were star linebacker Khalil Mack and blossoming QB Derek Carr. With that in mind, Tom Reed of Cleveland.com took a look at what could have been for the Browns.
- In other Browns news, they tried out free agent receiver Jerry Rice Jr. this week, tweets Pro Football Talk. The son of the greatest wideout ever went undrafted out of UNLV in 2014 and has spent time with Washington and Baltimore.
- Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who won an offseason battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, has regained his spot as a starter in the team’s base defense, coordinator Bob Sutton said (link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star). This comes on the heels of the three-time Pro Bowler playing 71 of 73 snaps in the Chiefs’ Week 2 loss to Denver. Berry’s increase in playing time means a decrease for Hussein Abdullah, who played 37 percent of snaps in Week 2 compared to 86 in Week 1.
- The Broncos’ defense has allowed the fewest yards per game and the seventh-fewest points per game this year. Their players and coaches believe third-year tackle Sylvester Williams has played a key role in their success. “It’s exciting to start to see him develop into the type of player that we all know that he can be,” linebacker Von Miller said, according to Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post. “He’ll have a heck of a year. He’s truly a hard worker,” added defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. “He’s got talent, but a lot of guys have talent and they don’t work how he does.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/24/15
Here are Thursday’s latest practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Terrence Magee (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
- Cut: TE Dominique Jones
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB Bryce Callahan (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR R.J. Harris (Twitter link via agent Landon Betsworth)
- Placed on PS-IR: RB DuJuan Harris (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: S Tevin McDonald (via Vic Tafur on Twitter)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Tyler Murphy (via Steelers PR director Burt Lauten on Twitter)
- Cut:WR Isaiah Burse
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Kourtnei Brown (Twitter link via team)
- Cut: LB Josh Keyes
Zach Links contributed to this post.