AFC Notes: Incognito, Manziel, Colts, Jags
Bills guard Richie Incognito, who signed a one-year deal worth just $900K in base salary last offseason, has a good chance of inking a lucrative contract in the coming months, The Buffalo News’ Tyler Dunne writes. Incognito missed last season because teams shied away from the 32-year-old after the Dolphins suspended him from October 2013 to February 2014 for bullying former teammate Jonathan Martin. However, he has bounced back this year and is in the middle of his best season. The former third-round pick rates second among guards by Pro Football Focus’ metrics – with only Baltimore’s Marshal Yanda outdoing him – and could make his second Pro Bowl, Dunne offers.
More from the AFC:
- A predictable uproar emerged earlier this week when Mike Pettine refused to characterize Seattle’s Russell Wilson as a top-tier quarterback, but Browns defensive end Desmond Bryant concurs with his coach regarding Johnny Manziel‘s Wilson-esque potential, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. “Johnny can definitely be that same triple threat guy. Russell is a smart quarterback, he can throw the ball and he can make plays with his feet, so a triple-threat quarterback is always going to be a problem,” Bryant told media, including Cabot. Cabot points out that Manziel, in addition to having an immense journey ahead to reach this plateau, ran considerably slower than Wilson at the Combine (4.68 seconds to Wilson’s 4.55).
- The Colts cut linebacker Daniel Adongo on Thursday. Now the NFL says it’s investigating him under its personal conduct policy, according to The Associated Press. Police have twice been called to Adongo’s house since October – including last week – in response to possible domestic violence incidents, per the Indianapolis Star. However, no charges will be filed against Adongo and the case is closed, Hamilton County deputy prosecutor Amy Summerfield said in a statement.
- The Jaguars were the first team to contact ex-Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall after he went undrafted this year, and the current cornerback didn’t wait to hear from another club before signing, Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union notes. Despite not playing corner since he was a freshman at Georgia, Marshall has factored in as a backup in Jacksonville while serving as a consistent special-teamer.
Connor Byrne contributed to this report.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/15
Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, which we’ll continue to update throughout the day…
- Brad Sorensen‘s eventful week continues, with the Chargers again calling up the quarterback from their practice squad to the active roster, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter). The Bolts cut guard Craig Watts to make room. The Chargers signed Sorensen from their practice squad last Saturday as a result of Philip Rivers‘ illness, waived him Monday, re-signed him Wednesday, cut him Thursday, before re-signing the 27-year-old to the taxi squad Friday. Sounds like a lot of paperwork.
- The Patriots are adding running back Joey Iosefa to their active roster from their practice squad, Doug Kyed of NESN.com reports. A seventh-round pick of the Buccaneers’ this year, Iosefa didn’t make the team in training camp and has resided on the Patriots’ practice squad since Oct. 21. Kyed notes Iosefa, listed at 6-foot and 245 pounds, has shed weight since joining the Pats’ practice squad and could be used as a fullback or running back behind James White and Brandon Bolden. The Pats waived/injured linebacker Eric Martin in a corresponding move. Martin suffered a concussion this week.
- The Vikings have put former third-round pick Scott Crichton on the season-ending injured reserve, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The 24-year-old defensive lineman has only compiled 10 total tackles in 21 career games. To take his spot on the roster, the team has promoted defensive end Zach Moore from the practice squad.
Raiders Place Austin Howard On IR
The Raiders sent their second starting left tackle this season to injured reserve, putting regular-season starter Austin Howard on the season-ending list with a knee injury, Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com reports (on Twitter).
In a corresponding move, the team brought safety Tevin McDonald back onto the active roster.
Howard was in the middle of a strong comeback season for a resurgent Raiders front despite not being the starter for most of the preseason. Menelik Watson‘s season-ending Achilles tear in August opened the door for Howard to take over at right tackle in Oakland.
The Raiders signed Howard to a five-year, $30MM contract in March of 2014 after the former undrafted free agent established value in three years with the Jets from 2011-13. Jack Del Rio categorized Howard as day-to-day earlier this week, but that designation means less with three games to play.
Although Howard struggled at guard last season, he returned to play tackle after Watson went down and gave the Raiders one of the top edge pairings in the league. Teaming with impending free agent Donald Penn, Howard rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 21 tackle. Penn slots 10th on PFF’s hierarchy. Only the Browns, who start Joe Thomas and Mitchell Schwartz, have two tackles rated in the PFF top 20.
Howard has just $4.2MM in dead money left on the remaining three years of his contract, and the Raiders do possess a league-high $61MM worth of cap space if they wanted to upgrade in the offseason. But considering the holes Oakland has on defense and the 28-year-old Howard’s bounce-back campaign, standing pat here makes the most sense.
The Raiders house Khalif Barnes and Matt McCants as second-string tackles. The 33-year-old Barnes has far more experience, starting 117 games with the Jaguars and Raiders.
One of the longest-tenured Raiders, Barnes has been with Oakland since the 2010 season.
Oscillating between the 53-man roster and the practice squad all season, McDonald represents safety depth. Nate Allen won’t play in Sunday’s Week 15 contest.
NFC Notes: Gabbert, Levy, Rams, Vikings
A first-round bust label notwithstanding, Blaine Gabbert will likely be the 49ers‘ starter to open the 2016 season, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes.
Colin Kaepernick‘s tenure with the team will have probably concluded by then, and San Francisco will be a candidate to draft underclassmen Paxton Lynch or Jared Goff, should they decide as expected to declare, with its first-round pick. The team, however, may opt for a more pro-ready quarterback like Connor Cook soon after, Maiocco offers.
The 26-year-old Gabbert is far ahead of his former pace with the Jaguars from an accuracy standpoint, completing 63.2% of his passes. The former No. 11 overall pick finished his Jags seasons at 50, 58 and 49% connect rates from 2011-13. Kaepernick finished this season with a 59.0% completion rate.
Here are some other NFC items on the eve of Week 15 Sunday.
- Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy resumed running and lifting after undergoing hip surgery and anticipates an offseason return, Mike Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. The recently extended outside backer said being placed on injured reserve was the right thing for him after injuring his hip during the preseason and re-aggravating it in a 17-snap cameo in Week 5. Levy will be 29 in March.
- Friday’s approval of new stadium financing by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen didn’t necessarily save football in St. Louis, but the proposal not passing may have ended it, Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. The stadium financing package gives the city a boost in adding a replacement if the Rams indeed trek to Los Angeles.
- Stedman Bailey addressed the Rams before their defeat of the Bucs in what could be their St. Louis finale, the Post-Dispatch’s Joe Lyons reports. The 25-year-old receiver talked to teammates, many for the first time since being shot in the head twice Nov. 24, via FaceTime. Jeff Fisher told media, including Lyons, the team’s 2013 third-round pick is making steady progress.
- The Vikings will now contribute $50MM more to their new stadium after winning approval to do so, according to an Associated Press report. The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority approved the new funding. An initial contribution of $477MM, with the city then tabbed for $498MM, for the $1 billion+ U.S. Bank Stadium represented the Vikings’ original cost. But since, their bill has gone up by 31%, and the Vikings portion of the cost could hit $631MM by summer, when the stadium is set for completion.
Extra Points: Pettine, Scobee, Hayne
Earlier this week, Browns coach Mike Pettine said Russell Wilson wasn’t in the top tier of quarterbacks. On Friday, the Seahawks responded.
Defensive end Michael Bennett was quite vocal about Pettine’s comments, questioning the coach’s ability to evaluate quarterbacks. In particular, Bennett was trashing the team’s handling of Johnny Manziel, who the Seahawks will face off against this Sunday.
“Obviously he’s not good at picking quarterbacks,” Bennett said during an interview on 710 ESPN Seattle (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “Maybe he doesn’t know what elite is. I think that Russell Wilson is very elite. He’s been to two Super Bowls. It’s only his fourth year. I don’t think a lot of guys can say that.
“There’s a lot of guys with a lot of passing yards that haven’t had any success and don’t even go to the playoffs, like Philip Rivers and guys like that. Drew Brees hasn’t been to the playoffs in two years. So Russell Wilson is definitely an elite quarterback, and he can lead a team. … I think Russell Wilson has done a great job of proving that he is up there at the top tier of players.”
Let’s take a look at some more assorted notes from around the league…
- After spending more than a decade with the Jaguars, kicker Josh Scobee was traded to the Steelers this past offseason. Despite the surprising move, the 33-year-old wasn’t angry at his former team. “I was very fortunate to have been here for 11 years, and I’m happy I was here that long,” he told Garry Smits of Jacksonville.com. “I’ve never had any animosity to the team. I understand the business end of it and I’m looking forward to the next stage of his career. I’m always going to be a Jaguar at heart.”
- The veteran only lasted four games in Pittsburgh, as the squad cut him loose following an inconsistent start to the year. Scobee blamed his issues on a pair of muscle injuries in his kicking leg, but he acknowledged that he expects to play next season. “I’m just now healthy enough to where I’m open to going to a new team,” he said. “No one really knew about it [the injuries] because I just didn’t talk about it. After I got released, I didn’t talk about it.” The kicker said he’s been in contact with eight teams.
- Former rugby star Jarryd Hayne hasn’t had the best rookie campaign, as three fumbles led to him being demoted to the 49ers practice squad. Still, the running back has been pleased with his progress. “It’s definitely been a great year. I overachieved what I ever expected,” Hayne told Chris Biderman of the Associated Press. “I think what people don’t realize that every day for me is like a month to everyone else because of the way I pick things up and the way I learn…I just feel like in these short six weeks that I’ve been on the practice squad, I learned so much. There was two weeks where I literally took every single rep in the look-card squad. That was huge. The most reps I took in a row (before that) was probably three or four.”
AFC Notes: Jets, Patriots, Chargers
The Jets could be seeking one or two running backs this offseason, as Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell and Stevan Ridley are set to become free agents. Responding to a letter from a reader, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini said Eagles running back DeMarco Murray could be an option for the Gang Green.
Murray’s cap number isn’t necessarily prohibitive, it’s similar to Brandon Marshall‘s cap number when he was dealt to New York. However, the $14.5MM salary between 2016 and 2017 could make the team think twice about acquiring the All-Pro, as they’d probably be able to afford Ivory and Powell for a similar price.
Overall, Cimini doesn’t believe the Jets will invest that kind of money into one running back. The writer says the team should re-sign Ivory, draft a running back in the third or fourth round, and then use the extra money at other positions.
Let’s look at some more notes out of the AFC…
- Patriots coach Bill Belichick added receiver Leonard Hankerson to the roster on Wednesday, and the logic behind the move was rather straight forward. “He’s been a good player and he was available,” Belichick said (via Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com). “It’s not that frequent that you see players like that available at this time of year, so we claimed him.”
- Hankerson, meanwhile, is doing his best to learn the Patriots’ complicated offense. “It’s a totally different system than what I was in, so you’ve got to come in and work hard,” he said (via Petraglia). “You’ve got to get the playbook down, you’ve got to know what you’re doing, and you’ve got to be on top of your stuff. The most important thing is just knowing what you’re doing: Knowing where to line up, knowing how to get back to the locker room, learn how everything is done around here.”
- Chargers defensive lineman Corey Liuget has been ruled out for the rest of the season, and the 25-year-old acknowledge that he played much of the season with a knee injury. “It was not the season I planned,” Liuget told Tom Krasovic of The San Diego Union-Tribune. “It was nowhere near what I wanted.”
Patriots Claim Leonard Hankerson, LaAdrian Waddle
SATURDAY, 10:00am: The Patriots have officially announced the pair of moves.
WEDNESDAY, 4:35pm: The Patriots made a pair of moves today to help improve their depleted receiver and offensive line depth. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the team has claimed wide receiver Leonard Hankerson and offensive lineman LaAdrian Waddle off waivers. To make room on the roster, the team placed running back LeGarrette Blount on the IR and released wideout Damaris Johnson (via Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com).
Hankerson, a five-year veteran, was released from the Falcons injured reserve list yesterday. The 26-year-old had compiled 26 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns this season before getting shutdown with a hamstring injury. As PFR’s Luke Adams pointed out, the release from the IR was a likely indication that Hankerson should be healthy going forward. The former third-rounder is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Waddle, a former undrafted free agent, was cut by the Lions yesterday after playing two-plus seasons with the team. The 24-year-old started 24 of his 30 career games, but as our own Zach Links noted, he’s battled injuries over the past two seasons, including a torn ACL in 2014. Waddle will be a free agent following this season.
Johnson made his lone 2015 appearance in Week 13 against the Eagles, when he hauled in one catch for six yards.
Saints Sign Kendall Hunter, Place Marcus Murphy on IR
SATURDAY, 9:57am: The Saints have officially announced the moves.
WEDNESDAY, 5:03pm: The Saints running backs corps took another hit last week when the team lost Marcus Murphy for the season. To take his place, the team has signed running back Kendall Hunter, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team has also added fullback Toben Opurum from the practice squad (via Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com) while placing Murphy and cornerback Damian Swann on the IR (via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com).
Hunter, a former fourth-round pick, has a solid first three seasons in the league backing up Frank Gore on the 49ers. The Oklahoma State product compiled 262 carries for 1,202 yards and seven touchdowns, as well as another 27 catches for 268 yards. Despite missing the 2014 season with a torn ACL, Hunter still earned a contract extension from San Francisco. However, the running back was waived less than a year later, and he’s yet to find a job since. The Jaguars, Seahawks, Patriots, and Jets had previously brought the 27-year-old in for an audition.
Murphy had established himself as a dependable return man this season, returning 28 punts for 261 yards and a score and 12 kickoffs for 300 yards. Swann, meanwhile, had 22 tackles in seven games with the Saints this season.
Opurum, an undrafted free agent in 2013, made his NFL debut earlier this season with New Orleans.
Jason Fitzgerald on Kaepernick, Free Agency, Rams
Jason Fitzgerald of OvertheCap.com answered a variety of questions on Twitter last night. The conversation focused on the upcoming offseason, and the writer did his best to make some early predictions. We’ve compiled the best of them, which you can find below…
- Fitzgerald is convinced that the 49ers will be able to trade quarterback Colin Kaepernick. With a maximum $14.3MM cap hit (due to the $1MM savings if the team decides to deactivate him), the writer believes the Eagles could be a good fit for the embattled star.
- Among the big-name players who could switch teams in free agency are (according to Fitzgerald) Alex Mack, Matt Forte, Russell Okung, Prince Amukamara, and Lamar Miller.
- On the flip, Fitzgerald could imagine several big names being cut loose by their current teams, including Jamaal Charles, Jimmy Graham and DeMarcus Ware.
- One of Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins will be back with the Rams next year, with Fitzgerald predicting an $8MM contract for Jenkins and $6MM for Johnson.
- Assuming Marshawn Lynch‘s tenure in Seattle is over, Fitzgerald could envision the Patriots pursuing the running back. However, the writer is uncertain whether New England would have much interest.
Extra Points: Jets, Saints, Pats, Bucs
The playoff-contending Jets (8-5) are one of the surprises of the NFL this year after finishing the 2014 campaign 4-12 and undergoing major offseason changes. As ESPN’s John Clayton writes, plenty of credit goes to first-year general manager Mike Maccagnan. The former Texans executive was at the helm of a makeover last winter and spring that saw the Jets bring in rookie head coach Todd Bowles, spend over $179MM on free agents (Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, Marcus Gilchrist and James Carpenter being the most expensive additions), and acquire two key offensive cogs – quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and receiver Brandon Marshall – for a mere late-round pick apiece.
While Maccagnan’s methods have paid off this season, the organization is cognizant that it has plenty of long-term work to do, per Clayton. The Jets have 10 starters in their 30s, so they need to stockpile youth. In terms of finding a young, high-impact player, Maccagnan’s draft history with the Jets got off to an excellent start last spring with his inaugural selection, first-round defensive end Leonard Williams.
As far as the upcoming offseason goes, Clayton expects the Jets to give raises to Fitzpatrick and running back Chris Ivory, slap the franchise tag on D-line stalwart Muhammad Wilkerson, and free up cap space by releasing Cromartie.
Elsewhere around the league…
- As long as either Tom Benson or his wife is in charge of the Saints, Mickey Loomis is likely to remain the team’s general manager, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. Head coach Sean Payton is under contract for two more years, but his status going forward is less clear than Loomis’. Payton could look for another job in the offseason, and Woodbery doesn’t expect Loomis to stand in Payton’s way if he wants to seek work someplace else. However, Woodbery does believe the Loomis-led Saints would require significant compensation from any hypothetical team that tries to hire Payton.
- The stellar play of Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler means he’ll cash in eventually, and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald took a look at how much the 25-year-old could make in the coming seasons. Howe thinks the Pats will give Butler a first-round tender as a restricted free agent after next season, which would cost just under $4MM. Then, as Butler pushes closer to unrestricted free agency in 2018, he could end up with a four-year deal in the $36MM range. He might not get that money in New England, though, as the club has decisions to make on a slew of important players other than Butler in the coming offseasons and won’t be able to retain all of them.
- The Buccaneers have drafted a combined one defensive player over the last two years (fourth-round linebacker Kwon Alexander last spring), but that should change in 2016, opines Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Tribune. Stroud looks for the Bucs to upgrade at cornerback and add outside pass-rushing help to a defense that ranks 28th in quarterback rating against (100.5) and has forced just one turnover over Tampa’s last four games.