Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/15
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.
- Washington signed tight end Marcel Jensen off the Bills‘ practice squad, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. The 25-year-old Jensen signed as an undrafted free agent with the Jaguars last season, eventually seeing action in one game that included one catch for eight yards.
- The Titans signed quarterback Alex Tanney off the Colts‘ practice squad, Chuck Pagano confirmed (via Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com, on Twitter). The 28-year-old ex-UDFA has spent time with the Browns, Cowboys, Chiefs and Colts, along with a 2014 stint in Tennessee, but hasn’t played in a game. He’s needed for roster depth, with Marcus Mariota likely out for the remainder of the season.
Charles Woodson To Retire After Season
Charles Woodson held a press conference tonight and announced the Raiders’ final two games in 2015 will be his last, via Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com (on Twitter).
One of the league’s best defensive backs throughout his 18-year tenure with the Raiders and Packers, Woodson will almost certainly be a Hall of Famer after making eight Pro Bowls thus far and earning first-team All-Pro recognition three times.
Woodson signed an extension with the Raiders in January, but the 39-year-old safety’s contract expires after this season. He’s playing on a $4.2MM cap number after signing a one-year, $3.2MM pact to stay with the Raiders.
He announced the decision to conclude his career tonight so Raiders fans can enter Thursday night’s home finale against the Chargers 
knowing it will be Woodson’s final game in Oakland.
The versatile and durable defender said his body could have probably held up at 40 had he opted for a 19th season, but Woodson decided he’s ready to move on to something else.
“Honestly, I think physically I could do it — my body has responded. But mentally, it’s not there. It’s not gonna happen,” Woodson said.
The Raiders drafted Woodson, the 1997 Heisman Trophy recipient, with the No. 4 overall pick in the 1998 draft. The former two-way Michigan standout won defensive rookie of the year honors in 1998 and, as a Packers cornerback earned defensive player of the year acclaim in 2009.
A member of the 2000s’ All-Decade team, Woodson has 65 career interceptions, a total that leads all active players and ties him for fifth in NFL history. To illustrate how prodigious Woodson’s ball-hawking acumen became, DeAngelo Hall‘s 32 interceptions are the second-most among active defenders.
The four players who have more INTs than Woodson, a list topped by Paul Krause with 81, are all enshrined in Canton.
Woodson’s snared five picks this season and 10 since coming back to Oakland in 2013 after seven seasons in Green Bay. He notched four seasons (2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011) with at least seven INTs — all of which coming after his age-30 campaign.
The Fremont, Ohio, native switched to safety before the 2012 season and quickly became one of the NFL’s best despite not moving to the back line until his age-36 slate.
Since re-signing in Oakland, Woodson’s started all 46 games for the Raiders. Oakland’s been thin at safety this season, with Nate Allen spending half the season on IR-DTR, but Woodson’s been solid. Recovering three fumbles in addition to his five INTs, Woodson rates as Pro Football Focus’ 28th-best safety. Oakland’s had to slot less-than-ideal cogs alongside Woodson in Allen’s absences, including journeyman Taylor Mays and ex-cornerback Travis Carrie.
Woodson’s eight takeaways this season rank second in the NFL.
Allen remains under contract after signing a hefty deal this offseason, and Woodson’s age made acquiring a safety a priority prior to the impending free agent’s abrupt announcement.
The Raiders possess an NFL-most $61.64MM in salary cap space after this season to help procure Woodson’s replacement.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
East Notes: Deflategate, Bills, Beckham, Cowboys
The NFL filed its final salvo in the Deflategate saga, countering the NFLPA’s 73-page appeal earlier this month with a 38-page response that centers on how the Patriots‘ alleged manipulation of footballs does not compare with uniform or equipment violations as the Players’ Association previously stated.
The case that resulted in Tom Brady being suspended for four games, then being permitted to play during that period by Judge Richard Berman, will reach the appeal stage March 3, 2016.
Let’s look at some more news coming out of the Eastern division as Week 15 wraps up.
- Rex Ryan said today he’s “pretty sure” Tyrod Taylor will be the Bills‘ starting quarterback next season, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports. After winning a three-man quarterback race as a newly signed free agent this offseason, Taylor will be able to further develop with an entire offseason shaped around him being atop the depth chart, Ryan said. After beating out the since-traded Matt Cassel and ex-first-rounder EJ Manuel, Taylor has completed 63.2% of his passes — although the ex-Ravens backup’s failed to surpass the 60% plateau in each of his past five games — and thrown 20 touchdown passes compared to just five interceptions.
- Mario Williams continued his recent path out of Buffalo on Sunday in criticizing Ryan’s defensive scheme, and Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News said the 30-year-old defensive end’s team-high $19.9MM cap number next year makes that an easier decision. Dunne also sees Kyle Williams ($7MM 2016 cap figure) having a potential uphill battle to remaining on the roster.
- Odell Beckham took issue with Panthers practice squad players allegedly lobbing homophobic slurs at him before Sunday’s eventful Giants-Panthers game, sources inform Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. Jones also notes Beckham was, per sources, intimidated by Panthers defensive backs swinging a baseball bat during pregame warmups, a ritual that’s spawned this season for the unbeaten Panthers. Carolina sources obviously don’t believe the bat routine could have necessitated Beckham’s rampage.
- In its letter communicating Beckham’s suspension, the NFL found six violations committed by the Giants second-year wideout, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Two of the three transgressions for which Beckham wasn’t penalized involved punches being thrown. “Your actions adversely reflected on the NFL and have no place in the game because incidents like this erode public confidence in the orderly conduct of our game as well as the good character of our participants,” NFL V.P. of operations Merton Hanks told Beckham in the suspension letter.
- Kellen Moore‘s late-season audition for the Cowboys will be for the No. 2 job and won’t influence what the team does this coming offseason in pursuing Tony Romo‘s potential heir apparent, Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). The 26-year-old Moore, a UDFA who the Lions cut this year, completed 15-of-25 passes and threw three interceptions against the Jets.
- Eagles high-priced corner Byron Maxwell sprained his SC joint in Sunday night’s loss to the Cardinals and may miss Saturday’s pivotal tilt with Washington, Les Bowen of Philly.com reports.
Texans Place T.J. Yates On IR
MONDAY, 5:28pm: The team officially placed Yates on IR and signed quarterback B.J. Daniels off the Seahawks’ practice squad to fill Yates’ roster spot, the Texans website reports. The 26-year-old Daniels has bounced between positions, and between the active roster and practice squad, in Seattle, playing both quarterback and wide receiver. A former seventh-round 49ers draft pick in 2013, Daniels caught two passes for the Seahawks this season.
MONDAY, 12:47pm: Today’s tests confirmed that Yates tore his ACL, ending his season, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Houston figures to place him on the injured reserve list this week.
SUNDAY, 2:40pm: The Texans believe that quarterback T.J. Yates suffered a torn ACL during today’s game against the Colts, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 (Twitter link). If confirmed, Yates would obviously be lost for the remainder of the season.
Yates was starting today in the absence of Brian Hoyer, who suffered a concussion near the end of last week’s game against the Patriots and was inactive today. Houston has now turned to the only other quarterback on its roster, Brandon Weeden, whom the club recently claimed off waivers from the Cowboys. With Hoyer’s status for next week still uncertain, it’s likely that the Texans will look to add a quarterback in the next week.
It’s almost inconceivable given their turnover at quarterback this season (Hoyer, Yates, Weeden, and Ryan Mallett have all seen time this year), but the Texans are still very much in the running for a postseason berth. If they beat the Colts today, Houston will take over first place in the AFC South with just two games to play. Depending on the nature and severity of Hoyer’s concussion, it’s entirely possible we’ll witness a sight few would have predicted at any point in recent history — Weeden starting a playoff game.
Entering today’s contest, Yates had played in three games in relief of Hoyer since being signed in late October — his only start (against the Jets in Week 13) resulted in a 24-17 Houston victory. The 28-year-old Yates, who also spent 2011-12 with the Texans, is a free agent at season’s end. Given his projected recovery timetable, he might find it difficult to land a job next summer.
Washington Sends Andre Roberts To IR
Washington placed wide receiver Andre Roberts on season-ending injured reserve with a torn meniscus, ESPN.com’s John Keim reports.
A former sought-after free agent who signed with the team in March 2014, Roberts has missed the past three games with this knee injury and saw his role reduced prior to going down.
Roberts will undergo surgery to repair this issue, which flared up in practice last week.
The 27-year-old target’s mired through his worst season as a pro, catching only 11 passes (Roberts’ previous career low was 24 as a Cardinals rookie in 2010) and playing behind Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson and rookie Jamison Crowder.
Keim suggests Roberts, who signed a four-year contract worth $16MM last year, could wind up as a post-June 1 cut in the offseason. He occupies cap numbers of $5MM apiece in 2016 and ’17 and would cost Washington just $1MM in dead money if released after June 1.
Packers Activate Andrew Quarless From IR-DTR
Occupying the Packers’ IR-DTR slot since Sept. 30, Andrew Quarless could help the team down the stretch after being activated today.
Quarless will take Ty Montgomery‘s roster spot, with the Packers placed the wideout on season-ending injured reserve, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
A sixth-year tight end, Quarless started 21 games for Green Bay during the 2013-14 campaigns but saw his stock plummet after an offseason arrest. The 27-year-old caught two passes for 14 yards in the three games he played in September.
Quarless will serve as a complementary option to improving tight end Richard Rodgers, whose 50-catch, 449-yard, seven-touchdown receiving line bests Quarless’ career high.
Montgomery hasn’t played since Week 6 after suffering a high-ankle sprain that’s lingered since. The 22-year-old receiver caught 15 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns for the receiver-depleted Packers this season.
Ravens Place Crockett Gillmore On IR
The Ravens have made a change to their 53-man roster, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve placed tight end Crockett Gillmore on season-ending injured reserve, signing former Bengals outside linebacker Chris Carter to fill the open roster spot.
Gillmore, 24, had been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Ravens. With Dennis Pitta out for the year, Gillmore enjoyed a mini-breakout season, catching 33 balls for 412 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. However, he has been sidelined since early December with a back injury, and wasn’t expected to return.
As for Carter, the linebacker and special-teamer was waived less than a week ago by Cincinnati. Having already spent time with the Steelers, Colts, and Bengals during his five-year NFL career, Carter has never emerged as a defensive regular, despite appearing in 46 career NFL games.
AFC Notes: Blackmon, Miller, Browns, Reid
As detailed on the website for the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon was arrested once again this weekend, charged with driving under the influence. It’s the latest off-field incident for Blackmon, who remains suspended indefinitely — even though he’s technically still under contract with the Jaguars, the team has expressed skepticism that he’ll ever play football again, and his latest run-in with the law likely ensures that he won’t be reinstated anytime soon.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Dolphins running back Lamar Miller took a back seat to rookie Jay Ajayi in terms of plays and touches on Sunday, and he isn’t thrilled with his decreased role, as Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post details. With Miller nearing free agency, it’s hard to imagine him re-signing with Miami, as the team seems to be preparing Ajayi for a bigger role in 2016.
- Browns tight end Gary Barnidge, recently extended by the team, would like to see Cleveland’s coaching staff remain intact for the 2016 season, and other players – including some speaking off the record – are saying the same thing, tweets Jeff Schudel of the Morning-Journal. Whether or not that will have any impact on the Browns’ end-of-season decisions remains to be seen.
- Browns guard John Greco has sustained an MCL injury that won’t require surgery, but will sideline him for the last two games of the season, head coach Mike Pettine said today (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). The team figures to send Greco to IR to open up a roster spot.
- Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all Twitter links) provides some specific details on Jah Reid‘s extension with the Chiefs, reporting that the three-year, $11.371MM deal includes a $3.1MM signing bonus , and cap figures of $1.825MM, $3.625MM, and $3.975MM from 2016 through 2018. Reid’s 2016 salary ($860K) becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the ’16 league year.
- A pair of players – Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith and Broncos safety David Bruton – played through injuries on Sunday, with Smith separating his right shoulder and dislocating a finger on his left hand, while Bruton, incredibly, played through a broken fibula (Twitter links via John Oehser of Jaguars.com and Lindsay Jones of USA Today). It’s not clear whether either player will return to the field this season — Bruton said he was told he’d have a recovery time of four to six weeks (Twitter link via Jones).
Marcus Mariota Likely Out For Season
3:26pm: Speaking today to reporters, Titans head coach Mike Mularkey confirmed that Mariota will miss Week 16, but didn’t rule him out for Week 17, suggesting he would be re-evaluated next week. Mularkey added that if there are any issues with Mariota’s knee, he’ll be held out of the season finale, and it’s hard to imagine the Titans bringing him back for that game, with little to play for the rest of the way (all Twitter links via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com).
2:21pm: Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota has sprained his MCL for the second time this season, and will miss the final two weeks of the year, according to multiple reports. It’s a right knee injury this time for Mariota, who hurt his left knee earlier in the season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Mariota’s sprained knee might result in Zach Mettenberger starting the rest of the way for Tennessee, with Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link) confirming that the second overall pick isn’t expected to play again in 2015.
With Mettenberger on track to start the Titans’ final two games, the team will certainly bring in another quarterback to back him up, since he and Mariota are currently the only two on the roster. Tennessee had been carrying Charlie Whitehurst on its roster, but he was cut in November and landed with the division-rival Colts, so he’s no longer in play.
While adding an outside free agent – or a player from another practice squad – will be one option for the Titans, the team is also carrying Mike Kafka on the practice squad, so he’s a candidate for a promotion.
Colts Announce Several Roster Moves
Following a disappointing loss to the Texans on Sunday, the Colts have shaken up the back of their 53-man roster, announcing six moves today in a press release. Here are today’s transactions out of Indianapolis:
Signed:
- RB Trey Williams (from Dolphins’ practice squad)
Promoted to active roster from practice squad:
- DE Earl Okine
- DT Kelcy Quarles
Placed on injured reserve:
- WR Griff Whalen (fractured rib)
- DT Billy Winn (torn rotator cuff)
Waived:
While Whalen, Winn, and Tipton weren’t among the Colts’ most noteworthy contributors this season, all three players saw some action throughout the year.
Whalen, who lost a key fumble on Sunday, had 19 receptions for 205 yards and a touchdown this season. Winn recorded 14 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries in 12 games (three starts). Tipton had 20 rushing yards on five attempts, adding another 57 yards through the air on five receptions.