NFL Could Move Only One Team To L.A.
For the last few months, it has been widely reported that the NFL wanted to move two franchises to Los Angeles. At first, that appeared to be a positive for the joint Chargers/Raiders effort, though there were also rumblings that the Bolts and Rams could hook up on a stadium project.
Now, the NFL may ultimately move only one team to Los Angeles, a league source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of PFT. That would not be a short-term plan, either – it would be an indefinite move that could result in a second team never going to L.A. If only one team goes, that team likely would be the Rams, since owner Stan Kroenke already has plans in place to fund privately a one-team stadium. Florio writes that the league is concerned that they might not be able to connect with Angelenos if they come in cold with two teams after a 20+ year absence from the market. Instead, they may choose to ensure that they get things right with just one club.
Here’s more on Los Angeles and even news on a possible London team..
- Things could be getting more serious as the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities, comprising six owners, along with Commissioner Roger Goodell, will be taking a more prominent role in the L.A. proceedings, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times writes. While that might not seem like a big change, it is noteworthy since things have been fairly stagnant since the spring.
- When asked on Twitter when there will be an NFL franchise in London, mayor Boris Johnson responded, “We are working hard on deal – high hopes for Tottenham in the next few years…watch this space.”
- The L.A. committee was scheduled to discuss a potential relocation fee in detail last week, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. The committee is expected to set the fee and structure of the payment at an October meeting in New York.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/22/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Mike Gillislee (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
- Cut: TE Brandon Bostick, G Anthony Steen
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Damiere Byrd (Twitter link via David Newton of ESPN.com)
- Cut: LB Brian Blechen
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Deonte Thompson
- Cut: WR Ify Umodu (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Cam Johnson (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
- Cut: DL Kelcy Quarles
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Gus Johnson (Twitter link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Indianapolis Colts
- Cut: CB Brandon Dixon (Twitter link via owner Jim Irsay)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: T Tyrus Thompson (Twitter link via agent Ken Sarnoff)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: RB Rajion Neal (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Cut: WR Quron Pratt (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cut: WR Rannell Hall (Twitter link via Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida)
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/22/15
As usual, plenty of teams around the NFL are shaking up their rosters a little on the Tuesday following a full slate of games. Here are today’s minor moves:
- Cowboys defensive tackle Terrell McClain is done for the season with a badly sprained big toe, reports Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram adds (via Twitter) that the team has placed McClain on injured reserve.
- The Cardinals have cut running back Kerwynn Williams in order to make room for offensive tackle Bobby Massie, who is returning from a two-game suspension, says Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). We’ll see if Arizona re-adds Williams or another running back to the roster before the club’s Week 3 game, with Andre Ellington likely to be sidelined again. The Cardinals also cut Travis Harvey from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets.
- With Jay Cutler injured, the Bears activated quarterback David Fales from the taxi squad to the active roster, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. To make room, the Bears waived Bryce Callahan, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com tweets.
- Washington linebacker Martrell Spaight, a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, has been placed on injured reserve due to a concussion, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com. The move opens up a roster spot for reinstated cornerback Chris Culliver.
- Besides Massie, Culliver, and Vikings cornerback Jabari Price, whose reinstatement we noted yesterday, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell and Chargers offensive lineman Craig Watts are returning from suspensions this week, per Wilson (Twitter link). Pittsburgh and San Diego will have roster exemptions until tomorrow afternoon for those players.
- The Colts have made a change at the cornerback spot, signing veteran free agent Josh Thomas and waiving Eric Patterson, owner Jim Irsay announced today (via Twitter). Perhaps more notably, the team an injury settlement with running back Vick Ballard, officially removing him from the roster. Ballard, who hasn’t played a game since the 2013 season, will become a free agent if and when he clears waivers.
- The Dolphins are signing linebacker and special-teamer Terrell Manning, according to Wilson. The 25-year-old has already appeared in regular season games for five different NFL teams since entering the league in 2012.
- With Austin Seferian-Jenkins set to miss some games, the Buccaneers are signing tight end Cameron Brate off the Saints‘ practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Brate started the season on Tampa Bay’s taxi squad before he landed on New Orleans’ unit last week.
- The Buccaneers have also have also signed free agent defensive end Josh Martin and waived defensive end Kourtnei Brown, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets.
- The Ravens waived running back Terrence Magee to open up spot for newly-acquired cornerback Will Davis, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
- The Raiders cut Tevin McDonald, Wilson tweets.
Raiders Claim David Amerson Off Waivers
The Raiders have made a change in their secondary, claiming cornerback David Amerson off waivers and adding him to their 53-man roster, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Amerson was cut yesterday by Washington.
Amerson, a second-round pick in 2013, started 23 of the 31 regular season contests he played for Washington during his first two NFL seasons, taking over as one of the team’s starting cornerbacks last season. However, he didn’t play well in 2014, ranking dead last among 108 qualified cornerbacks in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required). Per PFF, quarterbacks had a 140.2 rating and 10 touchdowns on 91 throws into Amerson’s coverage.
With Scot McCloughan now running the show in Washington, and some offseason tweaks to the roster, Amerson slid down the depth chart and wasn’t playing a crucial role for the club in the first two games of this season. Chris Culliver is also returning this week from a two-game suspension, making the 23-year-old Amerson even more expendable.
Amerson will get a shot to earn playing time in Oakland, where no cornerback has logged a positive grade so far this season, according to PFF.
AFC Notes: Colts, Decker, Raiders, McCown
Prior to the season, we heard some reports about potential tension and unease between Colts general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano, and rumors of that possible rift have only intensified with the team off to a disappointing 0-2 start.
As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk observes, a comment made by Pagano about the team’s offensive line struggles was viewed as the head coach coming down hard on Andrew Luck, but it could also interpreted as a shot at Grigson. Mike Wells of ESPN.com notes that it was Grigson who decided not to completely address the offensive line in the offseason, leaving the unit as one of the biggest question marks on the team heading into the regular season.
Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link) hears from several sources that the Grigson/Pagano rift is a result of the two men having different agendas, with the GM focused on player development and the head coach looking to win now.
As we wait to see if the Colts can bounce back from their slow start, let’s check in on a few other teams from across the AFC….
- Jets wide receiver Eric Decker suffered a knee injury in last night’s game vs. the Colts, but he was told that he won’t require surgery on it, and that it may be a PCL issue, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). Decker, who is having an MRI today, said he’ll be smart about it and won’t rush back, so the Jets could add another receiver if they expect the veteran to miss some time. The club auditioned wideout Corey Washington today, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link), but Washington said he isn’t saying with the Jets at this time (Twitter link).
- Former Rams draft pick Daryl Richardson will try out for the Raiders, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets.
- The Jaguars have a workout on their schedule for ex-Bengals linebacker Jayson DiManche this week, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Since being waived off Cincinnati’s injured reserve list earlier in the month, DiManche has also tried out for the Browns.
- Speaking of those Browns, their veteran quarterback, Josh McCown, remains in the concussion protocol for now, but he could be as cleared as soon as Wednesday. If he is, he’ll receive strong consideration for the club’s starting role, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
- Even if new acquisition Will Davis doesn’t help Baltimore immediately, the move sends a message to the Ravens‘ cornerbacks that Sunday’s performance was unacceptable, Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. On Monday, Baltimore sent a seventh-round pick to the Dolphins for the former third-round choice. As Brown notes, Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb, and Kyle Arrington all had bad moments Sunday despite playing very well Week 1 against the Broncos.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/15
Here are the latest minor moves from across the NFL:
- The Patriots released wide receiver Jonathan Krause, who was on injured reserve, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Krause went undrafted out of Vanderbilt and has spent time with both the Cleveland and New England organizations.
- The Eagles reached an injury settlement with defensive end Brian Mihalik, per Wilson (Twitter link). Mihalik, formerly of Boston College, was a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in this year’s draft.
- The Raiders signed safety Tevin McDonald from their practice squad, according to their website. McDonald is an undrafted rookie from Eastern Washington.
- Washington cut defensive end Frank Kearse and signed linebacker Terrance Plummer from its practice squad, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Kearse amassed career highs in games (15), tackles (12) and sacks (three) as a member of Washington’s defense in 2014. He appeared in 16 games from 2011-13 with the Panthers and Cowboys. Plummer is an undrafted rookie from Central Florida.
- The Bears cut defensive back Demontre Hurst and promoted defensive lineman Brandon Dunn from their practice squad, according to ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson (Twitter link). Hurst totaled 39 tackles and an interception as an undrafted rookie last year, and added a tackle in the Bears’ loss to Green Bay last week. Dunn, also in his second year, spent most of last season on the Bears’ practice squad. He appeared in three games and made one tackle.
Earlier updates:
- In order to make room for Phillips, San Diego cut wide receiver Tyrell Williams, per Gehlken (on Twitter). Williams, who will traverse the waivers process, had a standout preseason as a rookie. This cut leaves the Chargers thinner at receiver. Gehlken estimates only four dressing Sunday, with Dontrelle Inman residing as the Bolts’ only backup.
- The Chargers added Adrian Phillips from their practice squad, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken (on Twitter). They will make a corresponding move later today, per Gehlken. An undrafted rookie safety in 2014, Phillips suited up for three games last year for the Chargers.
- The Jaguars moved cornerback Peyton Thompson to their active roster and cut wideout Bryan Walters to make room, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports (on Twitter). A fourth-year veteran, Thompson played two games for the Jags last season after spending 2012 in Atlanta and 2013 with Washington. Walters, 28, played one game in Jacksonville last season while playing the previous two with the Seahawks. He booked a start for the 2013 Super Bowl champion Seahawks after starting his career in San Diego two years prior.
- The Panthers also swapped out a wide receiver for another position in cutting Damiere Byrd, an undrafted rookie from South Carolina, from their practice squad to make room for offensive tackle Pierce Burton on their 10-man unit, David Newton of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Falcons released Burton from their practice squad last week.
- Rookie UDFA wide receiver Javess Blue received an injury settlement from the Packers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Due to the settlement, Blue cannot re-sign with Green Bay for at least six weeks.
- The Vikings reached an injury settlement with 2015 sixth-round offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson, per Wilson (on Twitter). The 23-year-old from Oklahoma took first-team reps with the Vikings at right guard this summer before the team moved tackle Mike Harris inside, where he starts now.
Extra Points: Goodell, Raiders, Mariota, Vaccaro
Although Roger Goodell‘s said he’s open to changing his role in the disciplinary process, the status quo won’t change for a while. Steelers owner Art Rooney II said any changes will be negotiated in the next collective bargaining agreement, which is up for renewal in 2021, and owners are in no rush to pursue what would be a complex fix, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
“Look, I think more than likely we’re not talking months here. We’re most likely talking years,” Rooney told Pelissero. “I think there’s probably still a fair amount of time before both sides are willing to really roll up their sleeves and get something done.”
The NFLPA, however, responded to Rooney’s assertions of both sides having “informal discussions” on amending the personal conduct policy by saying the league has been unwilling to comply with the association’s requests to collectively bargain on the issue that’s become one of the key components of the modern NFL.
Should the two sides somehow agree to an extension on the CBA with new language on player discipline, that extension would be for a couple of years, Rooney told USA Today.
Here are some additional items affecting the league in Week 2.
- Following his stadium proposal that was widely panned, developer Floyd Kephart won’t be taking part in future proposals involving a new Raiders stadium in Oakland, according to the Bay Area News Group. Kephart’s exclusive negotiating agreement was not renewed by the city of Oakland, and CSNBayArea.com notes this should facilitate more direct dialogue between Oakland and the Raiders, who dismissed the financial basis for Kephart’s Coliseum City project.
- Aldon Smith should see work in the Raiders’ base packages soon after playing only on passing downs in Week 1, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Smith played mostly at right defensive end in his 29 snaps last week, and Bair expects that to increase against the Ravens. With Jack Del Rio-led defenses reluctant to blitz, the onus will be on Smith and Khalil Mack to lead a four-man pressure package.
- With the Browns set to host the Titans on Sunday, Mike Pettine admits a personal interest in Marcus Mariota‘s career, according to the Northeast Ohio Media Group’s Tom Reed. The second-year Cleveland coach believes many around the league are secretly rooting against Mariota and his former coach at Oregon, Chip Kelly, to fail and preserve the superiority of pro-style systems. “(Mariota) is the kind of guy you root for from a personal standpoint,” Pettine said. “But I think the football purists who want it to be a true pro-style game are not going to cheer for a guy like him because that would only encourage teams to blow this up and bring in college coordinators.”
- The Saints want to expand Kenny Vaccaro‘s role to include covering slot receivers, Nick Underhill of TheAdvocate.com writes. Vaccaro played 156 downs in slot coverage in 2013 and 108 last season, per Underhill, and was utilized as an in-the-box player when New Orleans opted for single-high safety looks.”
AFC Rumors: Jets, Ravens, Workouts
Despite signing a four-year, $16MM extension last October, Jeremy Kerley played just one snap for the Jets in Week 1 and doesn’t appear to have a role in Chan Gailey‘s offense. Gailey prefers receivers play different positions. Kerley’s skill set is mostly limited to slot work, putting his future with the team in doubt, according to Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. Kerley, who established career highs with 56 catches for 827 yards in 2012, missed time this summer with an Achilles injury and a concussion, leading to being phased out of the offense thus far. “We started molding [the offense] around other things, and we are where we are,” Gailey told media. Eric Decker played 43 snaps in the slot last week.
Here are some other items emerging from other AFC locales.
- With Eugene Monroe set to miss tomorrow’s Ravens-Raiders game due to a concussion sustained in the first half of Week 1, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com posits the Ravens are not receiving good value from Monroe after he signed a five-year, $37.5MM deal last season. Monroe’s latest absence will mark the sixth time the Baltimore left tackle’s missed a game since signing that extension, and after quality seasons prior to last, Monroe graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 63rd-ranked tackle last year.
- The Colts worked out cornerback Brandon Dixon, Bill Bentley and Robert McClain, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) the latter of the trio having 17 career starts to his credit. The Patriots cut the 27-year-old McClain earlier this month after signing the ex-Falcon this offseason. A former Division II All-American and twin brother of Saints cornerback Brian Dixon, Brandon Dixon played 14 games last season for the Buccaneers. Bentley, a 2012 third-rounder, started eight games for the Lions in 2012-13 but ended up on injured reserve last season after playing in just one game.
- The Browns worked out linebacker Jayson DiManche, and defensive ends Cam Johnson and Nordly Capi, Wilson tweets. DiManche played in 28 games for the Bengals the past two seasons, with Johnson suiting up in 13 for the 49ers and Colts in the past three.
- In addition to trying out Bernard Pollard on Friday, the Raiders also brought in free safeties Durrell Eskridge and Ryan Murphy for auditions, notes Wilson (on Twitter).
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.
Workout Notes: Raiders, Pollard, Eagles
Earlier this afternoon, we passed along word that the Patriots had brought in six players for workouts, including wide receivers Jarrett Boykin and Austin Pettis, along with running back Bryce Brown. A few other teams have been auditioning free agents of their own this week, so let’s round up some of the latest updates….
- The Raiders, who recently placed Nate Allen on IR-DTR and saw Charles Woodson go down with a shoulder injury, could use some help at safety, and the team auditioned a veteran free agent this week, bringing in Bernard Pollard, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Pollard, whose 2014 season ended with a torn Achilles, tweeted that he “smashed” today’s tryout with Oakland.
- The Eagles made some changes to their offensive line this offseason, and the unit didn’t look as effective in Week 1 as it has in past years. It’s not clear yet if changes are on the horizon in Philadelphia, but the club worked out interior linemen Lemuel Jeanpierre and J.D. Walton this week, per Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (Twitter link). Adam Caplan of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Philadelphia also took a look at UDFA running back Ross Scheuerman.
- Quarterback Dustin Vaughan, one of those six players that worked out for the Patriots this week, also had an audition with the Titans, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Vaughn was waived by Dallas during the Cowboys’ cutdown to 53 players.
- Cornerback Trovon Reed, cut by the Rams earlier this month, tried out today for the Jets, says Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).