Extra Points: Forte, Bears, 2016 Draft
Bears running back Matt Forte indicated to reporters, including Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter links) that he would like to stay in Chicago, if possible.
“I always look at staying home and being here where I’ve been the past 8 years. That’s a major factor,” the pending free agent said. While admitting that it might not be a given that he can return to the Bears in 2016, Forte did seem open to the possibility of taking less money to stay put. “At this point. I’m not worried about earning powers and all that stuff. I’ve made money,” he said.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- UCLA coach Jim Mora says that offensive lineman Alex Redmond has left the team and already signed with an agent for the upcoming NFL draft, Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets. It remains to be seen where Redmond will go in the draft, but he is not viewed as a first-round talent. Redmond, a junior, was the team’s starting right guard and started ten games in 2015. By leaving the team, Redmond will not participate in the Foster Farms Bowl against Nebraska.
- Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd is leaning toward entering the NFL Draft, as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. If Dodd opted to stay in school, he would be a 25-year-old senior, so it makes sense for him to go pro. Dodd stands at 6’5″, 275 pounds and runs a 4.8 second 40-yard-dash.
- Former Falcons coach Mike Smith won’t let his dismissal hold him down, as FOX Sports’ Alex Marvez writes. Smith admits that he lost his way while coaching the Falcons, but he also says that he will not allow that to happen again if given another head coaching opportunity in the NFL. Recently, Smith wrote about the lessons he learned in a new book titled “You Win in the Locker Room First.” In 2013 and 2014, Atlanta finished with a combined 10-22 record, leading to his firing. Smith seemed to have opportunities to serve as a defensive coordinator somewhere this season, but he opted to take the year off and spend time with his family instead. It remains to be seen how much head coaching interest he might draw this offseason.
- Dolphins wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan is leaving the team to become the new wide receivers coach/passing coordinator for East Carolina University, a source tells Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter).
Browns Notes: Manziel, Mack, Pettine
The latest on the Browns:
- Many would assume that Johnny Manziel is pulling for Mike Pettine to be fired after the Browns quarterback was demoted this season. However, he says that’s not the case, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal writes. “I have a ton of respect for [Pettine],” Manziel said Wednesday after practice. “Whether I liked the situation or not and liked the outcome of what happened, I had a part in that, too, and I had to take responsibility and own up to that. It was on nobody else but me. It wasn’t Coach Pettine’s fault that I did what I did. It was just on my end taking responsibility, and there’s no grudges, there’s no hate or anything like that. He’s our head coach and our leader, and I definitely have a respect for him and that’s not going to change no matter what.”
- Pettine, meanwhile, is aware that center Alex Mack might not be back in 2016. The Browns Pro Bowl center holds a player option that he can exercise if he wants to test the open market. “He could. We don’t have much control over that,” Pettine said with regards to the 30-year-old, as Ulrich writes. “That’s his personal decision. It’s in his favor that he has that in his contract, and we’ll react accordingly. Alex Mack’s a Cleveland Brown. We’d love to have him here and be a part of what we’re doing, but that’s a decision that’ll be made down the road.” On Wednesday, PFR’s Luke Adams highlighted Mack when looking at Pro Bowl players who could cash in in the open market this offseason.
- When it comes to Mack, the Browns’ contingency plan needs a contingency plan, Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer writes. The Browns thought they found their plan B when they selected the versatile Cameron Erving in the 2015 Draft with the No. 19 pick. As it turns out, Erving is a long way from playing anywhere near Mack’s level.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/15
As teams continue to prepare their rosters for Week 16 games, let’s round up the latest minor transactions from around the NFL….
- The Saints are bringing back running back Travaris Cadet, claiming him off waivers from the 49ers, says Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Cadet played three years in New Orleans before spending time with the Patriots and Niners this season. To make room for him on their roster, the Saints have waived wide receiver T.J. Graham.
- The 49ers were indirectly involved in another minor transaction today, with the Ravens signing defensive back Jermaine Whitehead from San Francisco’s practice squad (Twitter link). In a corresponding move, Baltimore cut tight end Richard Gordon. Whitehead, who has yet to appear in a regular season game, was signed by the Niners out of Auburn as an undrafted free agent, and had spent the season on the team’s practice squad. Gordon was waived by Ravens with a left squad designation, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
Workout Notes: Bills, Boykin, Little
Here are Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL. All links go to the Twitter feed of The Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, unless noted otherwise:
- The Bills worked out wide receivers Jarrett Boykin and Greg Little (link).
- The Jets worked out tackle Cameron Bradfield, tackle Jesse Davis, tackle Sean Donnelly, guard Matthew Masifilo, defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy, and guard Craig Watts, Wilson tweets.
- The Falcons worked out linebacker Cameron Gordon, defensive back Chris Greenwood, guard Michael Huey, and defensive back Brandon McGee (link).
- The Eagles worked out defensive lineman Freddie Bishop, wide receiver Issac Blakeney, wide receiver Jeff Fuller, linebacker Cameron Gordon, offensive lineman Colin Kelly, wide receiver Eric Rogers, and defensive back Jordan Sullen (link).
- The Titans worked out defensive tackle Davon Walls (link).
- The Falcons tried out linebacker Mike Mohamed, linebacker James-Michael Johnson, and guard Shelley Smith (link).
- The Vikings worked out wide receivers Terrell Sinkfield and Eric Rogers (link).
- The Broncos tried out cornerback Chimdi Chekwa, linebacker Thomas Keiser, and linebacker Jonathan Massaquoi, Wilson tweets.
- The Browns worked out guard Jared Smith (link).
- The Browns worked out kickers Carey Spear and Zach Hocker (link).
- The Bears worked out punter Brock Miller (link).
- The Cardinals worked out defensive backs Dexter McCoil and Joel Wilkinson (link).
Odell Beckham’s Suspension Upheld
The league announced that Odell Beckham Jr.’s suspension has been upheld on appeal, as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. Beckham will be out for Sunday’s contest against the Vikings.
Beckham was suspended for his actions during Sunday’s game against the Panthers, during which he was flagged for three personal foul penalties and took a blind-side shot at cornerback Josh Norman‘s head. In the NFL’s statement explaining the suspension, the league cited a total of six incidents, including three for which Beckham wasn’t penalized at the time.
Since the league announced the one-game ban, stories have surfaced about the Panthers antagonizing and threatening Beckham pre-game, with practice-squad player Marcus Ball said to have been carrying a baseball bat toward the Giants’ sideline and issuing threats. While there were reports suggesting that Ball or other Panthers players used homophobic slurs to taunt Beckham, those alleged comments weren’t mentioned during today’s appeal hearing, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
“I appealed my suspension because it is a right granted to all players under the NFL’s CBA and because I owe it to my teammates to do everything I can to be on the field this week. Regardless of the outcome of my appeal, I apologize for my actions on Sunday,” Beckham said. “I work hard to be great and accepting the Blessing of having the physical skills to play at this leve brings the responsibility to conduct myself in a certain way on and off the field. Sportsmanship and respecting the game are as important as blocking, running routes, and catching the football. I dropped the ball on sportsmanship on Sunday. I apologize to my teammates, the Giants organization, and to all fans of the NFL.”
While the Panthers’ pre-game actions resulted in a league-wide warning from NFL exec Troy Vincent cautioning teams not to take outside objects – such as baseball bats – onto the field, hearing officer James Thrash wasn’t persuaded that Beckham’s violations could be excused.
Beckham, who let his emotions get the better of him during Sunday’s 38-35 loss to the undefeated Panthers, will now be sidelined for the Giants’ must-win contest. The Giants need to win their final two games and hope Washington loses out in order to win the NFC East. Now, that tall order just got a little bit taller with ODB out of commission for Week 16.
Beckham was slowed down somewhat on Sunday by Norman and the Panthers secondary, who held him under 100 yards receiving for the first time since Week 7. However, he has been one of the league’s top wideouts this year, racking up 91 receptions, 1,396 yards, and 13 touchdowns — each of those figures matches or bests his 2014 marks.
The Giants will have the opportunity to fill Beckham’s spot on the 53-man roster, as he spends the week on the reserve/suspended list.
AFC Notes: M. Williams, Wallace, Hopkins
We rounded up several NFC notes earlier this afternoon. Now, let’s shift our focus to the AFC….
- Speaking today to reporters, including ESPN’s Mike Rodak, Bills defensive end Mario Williams insisted that he hasn’t tried to be outwardly critical of Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme, and that he’s just giving honest answers when asked about it. It seems somewhat unlikely, given the issues Williams has had this year, that he’ll be back in Buffalo next year when his cap hit increases to nearly $20MM.
- Unlike Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., Steelers center Cody Wallace won’t receive a suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Broncos safety David Bruton Jr. on Sunday, a source tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Wallace’s hit, which came after the play, was arguably worse than Beckham’s shot at Josh Norman, but it sounds like he’ll just be fined to the tune of $23K+ for the play, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- DeAndre Hopkins‘ agent, Hadley Engelhard, met with the Texans recently, and spoke about – among other things – how his client has already played with eight quarterbacks during his three-year NFL career, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The QB turnover hasn’t slowed down Hopkins’ production at all, but it figures to be something that comes up again between Engelhard and the Texans when the wideout becomes extension-eligible next month.
- Before he retires, Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson has scored one last payday. As Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets, Woodson gets a $250K bonus for being named to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday night.
Raiders Place Mario Edwards On IR
2:48pm: The Raiders have placed Edwards on IR and promoted linebacker John Lotulelei from their practice squad, according to CSNBayArea.com.
2:34pm: The Raiders are placing rookie defensive end Mario Edwards on season-ending injured reserve, per Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). The move will become official before Oakland faces San Diego on Thursday night, with a corresponding transaction to fill Edwards’ spot on the 53-man roster.
Edwards, the 35th overall pick in this year’s draft, sustained a neck injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Packers, and didn’t return to the game. Per Tafur (Twitter link), head coach Jack Del Rio said today that the injury is significant, and may require surgery.
It’s an unfortunate end to what was a solid rookie season for Edwards. In 14 games (10 starts) for Oakland, the Florida State product compiled 41 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. He looks like another one of the many early draft picks that the Raiders have gotten right in the last couple years.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/23/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Alonzo Harris (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: S Jonathan Dowling (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Conor Boffeli (press release via team)
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Placed on PS-IR: LB Tony Washington (Twitter link via Wilson)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB Jahwan Edwards (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: WR Deon Long (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
NFC Notes: Beckham, Brees, Tomsula, Lions
The appeal hearing for Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ended at about 12:25 CT this afternoon, and a decision will likely come at some point today, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. As we wait for that announcement, let’s round up some news and rumors from across the NFC…
- While there’s little question that the Saints will have to address Drew Brees’ contract in the offseason to reduce his cap hit if they want to keep him, there’s another issue in play, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). If head coach Sean Payton were to listen on other head coaching opportunities around the NFL and ultimately decided to leave New Orleans, it’s not clear whether or not Brees would still want to stick with the team for the rest of his career.
- From the Saints‘ perspective, there’s no question that the club should want Brees to return for the 2016 season, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- In a separate Bleacher Report video, Cole echoes what CBS sideline reporter Jay Feely said on Sunday, suggesting that 49ers management would like to see head coach Jim Tomsula return for the 2016 season. However, Cole adds that a final decision has not yet been made.
- After signing a one-year contract with the Lions, defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker saw his 2015 season derailed in Week 4 by a broken fibula and dislocated ankle. However, he tells Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News that he’s not thinking about re-entering free agency again yet, focusing instead on making sure he’s fully healthy first. “I’ve got to rehab, man,” Walker said. “I’ve got to get right.”
- Sharon Terlep of The Wall Street Journal examines the ascension of Martha Ford, who – at age 90 – has taken over a larger role in Lions ownership, representing the team in place of Bill Ford.
East Notes: Cowboys, Wilkerson, Pouncey
The Cowboys‘ 2015 season was derailed by multiple collarbone injuries to quarterback Tony Romo, with the team struggling to win even a single game in his absence. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), there are members of the Cowboys organization who want to avoid risking that scenario again in 2016 by selecting a quarterback early in this year’s draft.
Drafting a quarterback early would give the club a more viable backup option in the short term, and would potentially provide a long-term replacement for Romo. However, Cole adds that owner Jerry Jones may be more inclined to use the team’s top-10 pick on a player at another position that could help the team return to contention immediately. Considering Jones said earlier this season that he thinks Romo still has four or five years left in him, that’s not a real surprise — I’m not sure I believe the 35-year-old can play that long, but if Jones believes it, there’s no reason he’d feel the need to draft Romo’s replacement yet.
Here are a few more items from around the NFL’s East divisions:
- Noting that rumors of a potential contract extension have died down within the last few weeks, Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk wonders if Jones’ comments this week about the Cowboys‘ disappointing pass rush indicate “some degree of buyer’s remorse” on Greg Hardy.
- Muhammad Wilkerson has had a great season, and he’ll get paid at some point, but given the other talent they have on their defensive line, the Jets don’t necessarily be the team that gives him a long-term deal, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who suggests once again that a tag-and-trade approach might work best for New York.
- Center Mike Pouncey was the only Dolphin selected as a Pro Bowler on Tuesday night, and while it’s not clear yet whether he’ll be able to finish the season and play in the Pro Bowl, he at least won’t require surgery on his injured left foot. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets that Pouncey sprained his foot and ankle, and is currently wearing a boot on that foot.
- Addressing a Tuesday report that suggested the Eagles were considering shutting down Bennie Logan for the season due to a calf injury, head coach Chip Kelly denied that, indicating that the defensive tackle is day to day (Twitter link).