Jaguars Place Toby Gerhart On Injured Reserve
Toby Gerhart‘s disappointing tenure with the Jaguars has likely come to an end, as the running back has been placed on the injured reserve, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). To take his spot on the roster, the team has promoted wideout Rashad Lawrence from the practice squad (via Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com).
The 28-year-old certainly hasn’t lived up to the three-year, $10.5MM contract he signed with the Jags in 2014. After having rushed for 326 yards on 101 carries in 2014 (resulting in a career-low 3.2-yards per carry), the veteran has only compiled 49 all-purpose yards in seven games this season. Based on his lack of production, the team will presumably cut the running back following this season, opines O’Halloran.
Prior to his tenure in Jacksonville, Gerhart was a competent backup for the Vikings behind Adrian Peterson. His best season came in 2011, when he finished with 531 rushing yards and another 190 yards through the air.
Lawrence, a rookie out of Northwestern, joined the Jaguars practice squad in early September.
NFC Notes: Hester, Hawley, Graham
Falcons returner Devin Hester was activated from the IR-DTR yesterday, and the 33-year-old is set to return to the field for the first time this season. After having dealt with a turf-toe injury for the past three months, Hester acknowledged how good it feels to be back.
“It was a long process of rehabbing,” he told D. Orlando Ledbetter of MyAJC.com. “It’s was hard work getting up every morning and going in for treatment. If feels great to back in the locker room, in the huddle and out of the field with the teammates that I have.”
While Hester is generally regarded as the best returner of all time, veteran Eric Weems has filled in admirably this season. The 30-year-old has returned 15 kicks for 403 yards, and he’s fielded another 19 punts for 221 yards.
Let’s check out some other assorted notes from around the NFC…
- Joe Hawley‘s two-year contract with the Buccaneers called for four $250K bonuses based on playing time, TampaBay.com’s Greg Auman passes along. Considering he’s already played 94-percent of the team’s snaps in 2015, the 27-year-old is in good position to practically double his $1.25MM salary.
- Hawley was released by the Falcons days before the season opener. Despite returning from a torn ACL, Buccaneerss offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter knew the veteran could help his offensive line. “When Joe became available, I went to Coach (Lovie Smith) and went to Jason (Licht, general manager), and said, ‘Look, we have a chance to get this guy,’ “ Koetter told Auman. ” ‘He may not be quite healthy yet, but he is going to get better.’ I know what kind of player Joe is.”
- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said surgery on Jimmy Graham‘s torn patellar tendon went as planned. ““[E]verything, as the doctors would report, it went really well,” he said on Friday (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “He was uncomfortable, I know, the next couple of days. He was fighting through it to get back, started getting back. Looking forward to his return and his spirits are looking ahead and all that. It was a difficult surgery for him.”
NFC Notes: Lacy, Forte, 49ers, Kilgore
After back-to-back 100-yard games, Eddie Lacy didn’t see much action on Thursday night against the Lions, which seemed like an unusual call on the Packers‘ part, even though Lacy didn’t do much with his handful of carries. However, it seems Green Bay’s decision wasn’t solely based on Lacy’s on-field performance.
According to Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com, Lacy and fellow running back Alonzo Harris missed curfew on Wednesday night in Detroit. The violation of team rules resulted in a demotion for Lacy and a lost roster spot for Harris, who was cut just hours before the game in favor of practice squad back John Crockett.
When I passed along word earlier this afternoon that the Packers brought in former Broncos running back Montee Ball for a workout today, I noted that the Green Bay backfield situation was worth monitoring. That’s even more true in the wake of Demovsky’s report.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel adds a few more names to the group of players who worked out for the Packers today, tweeting that wide receivers Jamel Johnson, Deon Long, and Kevin Vereen also got auditions.
- Matt Forte has been with the Bears his whole career, but is prepared to move on this offseason if they don’t offer him a contract, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. “There’s nothing I can do, really, except play football,” Forte said. “The decision on whether I stay or whether I go is not really up to me. It’s whether I get offered a contract extension, which I haven’t been offered one and doesn’t really look like it. If not, I go into free agency. So I’m pretty much satisfied with either way it goes.”
- Addressing the reassignment of team president Paraag Marathe, which was reported earlier today, 49ers CEO Jed York has issued a statement via the club’s website. As expected, York presents the decision as one that Marathe was involved in making. “Despite how some have chosen to portray this transition in the media, I want you to know that Paraag has been and will continue to be an instrumental member of this organization,” York said in the statement.
- 49ers center Daniel Kilgore is expected to make the trip to Chicago this weekend as a part of the active roster, but the 49ers still need to move him from the physically-unable-to-perform list. Head coach Jim Tomsula hinted that the move would occur on Saturday morning, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
NFL Notes: Relocation, Chargers, Rams
The NFL has announced that the window to apply for relocation will open for teams on January 4th, 2016. The Chargers are expected to apply, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter).
Here are some more notes concerning NFL relocation:
- The NFL sent a letter to home town stadium efforts, announcing that it had extended the deadline for proposals by two days to December 30th, according to David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
- Hunn posted a picture of the letter on Twitter, highlighting that the NFL was asking for a “detailed outline” and “remaining risks” in regards to the local stadium projects.
- Missouri governor Jay Nixon released a statement regarding the NFL’s decision to extend the deadline, which would be beneficial to the city of St. Louis when it comes to keeping the Rams. Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal tweeted out that statement, which has been re-printed below:
“I appreciate the league for providing a clear timeline of its decision-making process. With action expected next week by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen following numerous public hearings, St. Louis is in a strong position to meet the December 30 deadline established by the NFL. This is especially important with the league formally accepting relocation applications as soon as January 4, and a decision on those applications anticipated at the special meeting scheduled for January 12 and 13. Our task force has presented a strong, fiscally-responsible proposal that will keep the Rams in St. Louis in a way that is consistent with our core principles of protecting taxpayers, creating jobs, and securing private investment to revitalize a distressed area.”
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Riley
As bad as the Cowboys have been this season, their 3-8 record only puts them two games out of a tie for first place in the NFC East, where no team has more than five wins. As the division’s four teams try to work their way up to .500, let’s round up the latest out of the East….
- Within his weekly round-up of notes from across the NFL, Albert Breer of the NFL Network examines the Cowboys‘ search for Tony Romo‘s eventual replacement, suggesting the team will consider targeting a quarterback in this year’s draft.
- Breer also spoke to Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox about players-only meeting, with Cox offering the following assessment: “When you start having players-only meetings, that’s when you know things are going south. I’ve been around that before. We aren’t gonna be having any players-only meetings.”
- Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie still believes in head coach Chip Kelly and his plan for the team, according to Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News, who doesn’t expect Kelly to go anywhere this offseason.
- After injuring his foot in practice on Thursday, Washington linebacker Perry Riley will undergo surgery to repair a stress fracture, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Riley, who is coming off his best stretch of the season, is expected to miss three to six weeks, so there’s no guarantee he’ll play again this year.
Latest On 2016 NFL Salary Cap
Earlier this week, we heard that NFL executives had been informed by the league office that 2016’s salary cap for teams is expected to be in the range of $147MM-155MM, an increase over this year’s $143.28MM figure. Today, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reduces the gap on that estimate, tweeting that the league’s estimate projected a cap between $150MM and $153.4MM.
As Albert Breer of the NFL Network observes, the projection teams get in December typically comes in a little lower than the final figure, so we can probably assume that the cap will eventually land around $153MM. Breer passes along the projected franchise-tag amounts for a hypothetical cap of $153MM, which predictably come in just slightly below the figures provided by Joel Corry of CBSSports.com last month — Corry was projecting a $154MM cap.
While teams can start making tentative plans based on the latest cap estimates, agents and players may prefer to wait things out. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), many players and their agents would rather see where the cap lands before signing new contracts, out of concern that those new deals will quickly become outdated, with the cap on the rise. Cole identifies Buccaneers running back Doug Martin and Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins as two players exercising patience, even though their clubs wouldn’t mind getting something done prior to free agency.
As Over the Cap’s team-by-team cap projections for 2016 show, there are currently two clubs – the Dolphins and Saints – whose salary commitments put them over the cap for ’16 already. OTC’s figures are based on a $150MM estimate, but since Miami and New Orleans each have more than $154MM in salary on their books, they’d still be a little over the cap even if it lands on the high end of the league’s projections.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/15
Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including practice squad moves:
- With Karlos Williams having been ruled out of this weekend’s game for the Bills, the team is elevating running back Mike Gillislee to the 53-man roster from their practice squad, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Buffalo has yet to formally announce Gillislee’s promotion — a corresponding move will be required when it becomes official.
- The Ravens have re-added safety Nick Perry – not to be confused with the Packers linebacker – to their practice squad, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Offensive lineman Marcel Jones was cut from the 10-man unit to accommodate the move.
North Notes: Packers, Ball, Bears, Lions
After having rounded up some Friday items out of the NFL’s West divisions earlier today, let’s turn our attention to the North divisions….
- After not getting much production from their three running backs last night, the Packers had former Bronco Montee Ball in for a workout today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Eddie Lacy has been disappointing this year, and James Starks only had 15 yards on nine carries on Thursday night, with the team giving rookie John Crockett – promoted earlier in the day from the practice squad – five carries as well. While there’s no deal at this time with Ball, Green Bay’s backfield situation could be worth keeping an eye on.
- The Packers also tried out a wide receiver today, bringing in J.J. Worton for an audition, tweets Wilson. The former UCF wideout is about a year removed from a torn ACL. Quarterback Zac Dysert auditioned for Green Bay as well, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- After publishing the first part of his conversation with George McCaskey earlier this week, Dan Pompei has part two available today, in which he talks to the Bears chairman about increasing the regular season to 18 games (McCaskey’s not in favor) and asks whether the team would be willing to give up a home game to play an international contest (McCaskey’s really not in favor).
- In addition to working out a handful of kickers this week, in case Matt Prater was unable to play on Thursday night, the Lions also took a look at wide receiver Greg Salas, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. A fourth-round pick in 2011, Salas has spent time with several teams, recording a total of 43 regular-season receptions for the Rams and Jets.
- The Browns worked out former Southern Utah punter Brock Miller, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
Pigskin Links: Ware, Lions, Manning, Jaguars
Here at Pro Football Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NFL transactions and high-quality original analysis. Each week, we also feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our regular feature, Pigskin Links.
We’re looking for interesting reads on all things football from blogs of all sizes. While PFR is dedicated to player movement, Pigskin Links is open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest your blog post (or someone else’s) for Pigskin Links, send us an email with the link and a brief synopsis at PigskinLinks@gmail.com.
Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere:
- Arrowhead Pride breaks down Spencer Ware‘s excellent first start for the Chiefs.
- NFL Spin Zone says Lions defenders Ezekiel Ansah and Darius Slay are budding stars.
- Spunkmeyer On Sports examines possible destinations for Peyton Manning if he leaves Denver.
- Black And Teal isn’t ready to give up on the Jaguars‘ playoff hopes.
- Today’s Pigskin wouldn’t be surprised to see Johnny Manziel eventually land in Dallas.
- Fueled By Sports identifies the top fantasy football pickups for Week 13.
- Sports Central made their predictions for Week 13.
- Hogs Haven is prepared to move on from the Robert Griffin III era in Washington.
- Buffalo Wins discusses reaching a breaking point with Bills coach Rex Ryan.
Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Email it to Zach or tweet it to him: @ZachLinks.
Agent: No Rift Between Bears, Martellus Bennett
FRIDAY, 1:57pm: “There isn’t any rift or tension [between Bennett and the Bears,” agent Kennard McGuire tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). “Whoever is making these remarks should stand up to them.”
THURSDAY, 9:09am: Martellus Bennett was absent from the Bears’ 17-13 win over the Packers on Thursday night due to a rib injury. At least, that’s what both the team and the tight end claim. However, sources tell Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that Bennett was acting out in practice two days before the game because he was upset with how he was being deployed in a red-zone package. It seems possible then that Bennett’s absence was sparked by frustrations over his usage and his contract as the latter issue led to him skipping voluntary offseason workouts.
Head coach John Fox was dismissive when asked if Bennett was upset with how he is being used. “You will have to ask him about that,” Fox said. “I don’t know. I don’t really care. I get upset too. I think he is one of the top-five targeted tight ends in the league.” Indeed, Bennett is No. 5 among tight ends with 76 targets and was No. 3 going into Week 12, trailing only Rob Gronkowski and Greg Olsen.
Bennett is earning $4.9MM with a $100K workout bonus for the 2015 season. He’s under contract for one more year with a base salary of $5.085MM and another $100K workout bonus. Currently, the 28-year-old has the 13th highest deal in the league (per Over The Cap) and he likely wants to be compensated closer to the top 5.