NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Manziel, Hardy
Here’s a look at the NFC East:
- In a radio interview, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed that quarterback Johnny Manziel was rated among the top 5-6 players on the team’s board, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. Jones’ fondness for Manziel was well documented prior to the 2014 draft. The Browns demoted Manziel to the No. 3 spot on the QB depth chart earlier this season after more questions arose about his off-field behavior. However, with Josh McCown done for the season, Cleveland could conceivably turn to him as its starter rather than Austin Davis, who is penciled in as the No. 2 signal caller.
- Many have assumed that Greg Hardy‘s time with the Cowboys is up since he has only 4.5 sacks and Dallas has lost seven of the eight games he’s started. That’s not quite the case, Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN.com writes. Hardy will be a free agent at season’s end, but the defensive end is unlikely to get the long-term deal he wants thanks to his reputation. Other teams might choose to steer clear of Hardy altogether, and Taylor theorizes that could pave the way to a reunion between Hardy and the Cowboys. Taylor cautions fans not to be shocked if the Cowboys re-sign Hardy, provided that they can get him on another deal that protects them in the event of an off-the-field issue.
- On Monday, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly denied a report that he met recently with USC officials regarding their head coaching job. For his part, offensive tackle Jason Peters says that he didn’t need the reassurance from Kelly, but he did feel that some of the younger players needed to hear it, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Kelly addressed the rumors with his players first thing in morning and told them that he’ll be staying put as long as the Eagles will have him (link).
Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/15
Today’s practice squad updates from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S D.J. Swearinger (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB A.J. Tarpley (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW)
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Brian Blechen (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Pierce Burton (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4)
- Cut: OT John Wetzel
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Mike Hull and DT Deandre Coleman (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S John Lowdermilk (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of The Star-Tribune)
- Cut: LB Terrance Plummer
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Austin Hill (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Julian Stanford (Twitter link)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Colton Underwood, DB Chris Hackett (Twitter link via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Rajion Neal (Twitter link)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Jamie Childers (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- Cut: LB Kevin Snyder
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: WR Tyler Slavin, DL Julius Warmsley (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: TE Justice Cunningham (Twitter link via Howard Balzer of USA Today)
- Cut: LB Matthew Wells
Cardinals Place Chris Johnson On IR-DTR
The Cardinals announced that they have placed running back Chris Johnson on IR-DTR, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. In related moves (link), the Cardinals promoted running back Kerwynn Williams from the practice squad, signed cornerback Corey White, and cut cornerback Robert Nelson Jr.
The unfortunate news brings an end to one of, if not the, best comeback stories in the NFL this season. In 2015, the 30-year-old enjoyed a resurgence that few imagined could be possible over the offseason. In 11 games (9 starts) for the Cards, Johnson rushed for 814 yards and three scores off of 196 carries. If he plays again this season, it would have to be in the Super Bowl.
Last season for the Jets, Johnson ran for just 663 yards, the first time in his career he recorded fewer than 1,000 yards in a season. However, he averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry for Gang Green in 2014 and the Cardinals saw potential in Johnson when no other team in the league did. The ground game was a weak spot in Arizona last season, as the team’s leading rusher, Andre Ellington, totaled just 660 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry, prompting the Cards to make the low-risk, potentially high-reward signing.
Williams, 24, has just one carry with the Cardinals to his credit in 2015. Last season, Williams ran for 246 yards off of 53 carries in five games for Arizona.
In October, the Cardinals went on record saying that they would look into an extension for CJ2K. Obviously, the Cards will now wait until the offseason to discuss their future with the veteran.
Giants Place Geoff Schwartz On IR
The Giants announced that they have placed Geoff Schwartz on injured reserve. As previously reported, the Giants will be adding guard Adam Gettis to the active roster off of the Raiders’ taxi squad.
The entire Giants offensive line has been finding it difficult to stay on the field this season. Former first-round pick Justin Pugh was ruled out for Sunday’s contest with a concussion, his second-straight game missed with that injury. Center Weston Richburg was also sidelined on Sunday with a high ankle sprain. John Jerry, Dallas Reynolds, and rookie Bobby Hart have been seeing unexpected playing time because of the rash of injuries to the interior of the offensive line.
Schwartz struggled with injury for the Giants last year, when he played in only two games after signing a decent-sized free agent contract the previous offseason. The team has yet to get a return on investment for the four-year deal worth $16.8MM and $6.2MM guaranteed. Now, it’s fair to wonder what Schwartz’ future will be with Big Blue beyond 2015.
Chris Johnson Suffers Fractured Tibia
TUESDAY, 3:08pm: The Cardinals are evaluating all of their options when it comes to Johnson, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com reports (Twitter links). The Cards could keep CJ on the roster, place him on IR, or use the temporary IR for him. With the temporary IR, Somers believes that the soonest he could return would be for a possible NFL title game. Johnson’s injury, he adds, is a chip fracture near the top of tibia and close to knee, rather than the traditional broken leg a “tibia fracture” would suggest.
Meanwhile, backup Andre Ellington was diagnosed with a sprained toe after tests, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’s day-to-day and his status for Sunday is in doubt.
9:02am: Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 (Twitter link) hears that Johnson is expected to miss six to eight weeks, noting that the club could promote Kerwynn Williams from the practice squad to help replenish the backfield in Johnson’s absence. The timeline suggested by Jurecki would put Johnson on track for a possible return in the postseason, though there’s no guarantee he’d be healthy in time for Arizona’s first playoff game.
MONDAY, 5:23pm: The Cardinals have learned that star running back Chris Johnson suffered a fractured tibia on Sunday, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Johnson will be be out for an extended period of time, but it’s not immediately clear exactly how long he will be sidelined. As Arizona looks ahead to Week 13, one has to imagine that Johnson’s regular season could be over and that could spill over into postseason territory as well.
Early reports on Sunday indicated that suffered a left knee injury, but it turns out that his injury happened below the knee. So far in 2015, the 30-year-old has enjoyed a resurgence that few imagined could be possible over the offseason. In 11 games (9 starts) for the Cards, Johnson has rushed for 814 yards and three scores off of 196 carries.
Last season for the Jets, Johnson ran for just 663 yards, the first time in his career he recorded fewer than 1,000 yards in a season. However, he averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry for Gang Green in 2014. Meanwhile, the ground game was a weak spot in Arizona last season, as the team’s leading rusher, Andre Ellington, totaled just 660 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry.
In October, the Cardinals went on record saying that they would look into an extension for CJ2K.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/1/15
Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Seahawks signed tight end Chase Coffman and released center Drew Nowak, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
- The Patriots claimed running back Trey Williams off waivers from the Cowboys, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In a related move, defensive end Trey Flowers has been moved to IR.
- The Broncos waived tight end Richard Gordon and promoted safety Josh Bush from the taxi squad, as Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets.
- The Patriots are expected to sign return specialist Damaris Johnson, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal for Johnson, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Bills created two openings on their 53-man roster with a pair of Monday moves, and opened up a third vacancy by officially placing Kyle Williams on IR today, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. The move had been expected since last week.
- To fill those three spots on their roster, the Bills signed defensive end Lavar Edwards off the Cowboys‘ practice squad, defensive lineman T.J. Barnes off the Jets‘ practice squad, and linebacker Kevin Reddick via free agency, per Rodak (all Twitter links). The series of signings helps the team fortify its banged-up defensive line, while also re-adding Reddick, who was cut prior to the regular season.
- The Dolphins have re-signed center/guard Jacques McClendon to their 53-man squad as an insurance policy for Mike Pouncey, the team announced today (via Twitter). Pouncey is dealing with a minor foot sprain and is considered day to day for now. Miami waived linebacker James-Michael Johnson in a corresponding move.
Dolphins Waive C.J. Mosley
The Dolphins have waived/injured veteran defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, according to James Walker of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Mosley signed a one-year, minimum salary deal with Miami in June. In his place, the Dolphins will sign defensive tackle Robert Thomas off the Patriots’ practice squad, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
By signing with Miami this summer, Mosley reunited with former teammate Ndamukong Suh, the offseason’s No. 1 free agent who signed with the club much earlier in the offseason. Although he wasn’t as coveted a free agent as his ex-Lions teammate, Mosley was a solid contributor in Detroit last season as well. Pro Football Focus’ grades ranked him 26th out of 81 qualified defensive tackles, viewing him as slightly above average against both the pass and the run.
This year, however, Mosley was not as effective as the Dolphins hoped he would be. A calf issue had Mosley listed as questionable for Sunday against the Ravens and that injury will probably be listed as the formal reason for his departure.
Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins’ executive vice president of football operations, was the general manager in New York when Mosley played for the Jets from 2006 to 2008.
Workout Notes: Raiders, Colts, Packers
Today’s workouts from around the league:
- The Raiders worked out linebacker Emmanuel Acho, safety Stevie Brown, safety Chris Clemons, defensive back Chris Hackett, defensive end/outside linebacker Adrian Hubbard, and linebacker Colton Underwood, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Colts worked out tight end Cameron Clear, cornerbacks Jeremy Harris and Corey White, and safety Chris Hackett last week, Wilson tweets.
- The Packers worked out wide receiver Ify Umodu, quarterback Matt Behrendt, cornerback Brandon McGee, wide receiver Denarius Moore, and wide receiver Larry Pinkard, Wilson tweets.
- The Bengals worked out defensive backs Brandon Ghee, Robert McClain, and Corey White, Wilson tweets.
- The Chiefs worked out linebackers Thomas Keiser and Andy Studebaker, Wilson tweets.
- The Lions worked out former Falcons linebacker Joplo Bartu, Wilson tweets.
- The Broncos worked out offensive lineman Isaiah Shelton last week, Wilson tweets.
- The Browns worked out safety Sean Baker and linebacker Colton Underwood last week, Wilson tweets.
- The Jets auditioned linebacker Ryan Mueller last week, Wilson tweets.
- Washington worked out defensive back Al Louis-Jean, Wilson tweets.
- The Jaguars worked out defensive back Brandon McGee, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Seahawks, Panthers
In an appearance today on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he thinks Tony Romo has another four or five years left in him, but stressed the importance of having both a veteran backup and a young quarterback to groom behind Romo (Twitter links via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
Matt Cassel isn’t under contract for the 2016 season at this point, but he looks like a candidate to return as that veteran backup, depending on how he plays down the stretch. It also sounds as if the Cowboys will likely target a QB at some point in the ’16 draft, if the team wants to get that young QB in the mix sooner rather than later.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Having lost Jimmy Graham for the rest of the season, the Seahawks will likely add a tight end to the roster, per head coach Pete Carroll (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Seattle doesn’t currently have a tight end on its practice squad, but could target a player who has been with the team somewhat recently, like Rashaun Allen or Anthony McCoy.
- The Panthers‘ signing of cornerback Cortland Finnegan on Monday was motivated by growing concern about the lack of progress Charles Tillman has made in recovering from his knee injury, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott figure to be head coaching candidates for other NFL teams at season’s end, but both assistants say they aren’t thinking about that possibility for now, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly may be irked by the college speculation and rumors that have followed him around, but skepticism for his denials is warranted, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Speaking to reporters on Monday, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said wide receiver Stedman Bailey – who underwent surgery after being shot in the head – continues to improve, as Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details. “He’s still in intensive care recovering,” Fisher said.
Josh McCown Likely Out For Season
Josh McCown‘s return to the Browns’ starting lineup didn’t last long, as the veteran quarterback, who has been plagued by health issues all year, went down with a possible broken collarbone during Monday night’s loss to the Ravens. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, McCown will probably be out for the rest of the 2015 season.
The Browns have yet to confirm the diagnosis on McCown, and Cabot concedes that the collarbone may not be broken, but she hears from a source that the injury is likely serious enough to end the 36-year-old’s season either way. Considering the team has a league-worst 2-9 record, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be rushed back.
If McCown is officially ruled out for the year, the team will have a decision to make on his replacement. Austin Davis came on in relief on Monday night, while No. 3 quarterback Johnny Manziel sat on the bench. However, the club may ultimately decide that seeing what Manziel can do during the season’s last few weeks is too important to keep him behind Davis on the depth chart.
Manziel, of course, was removed from the starting job last week after photos surfaced of him partying at a nightclub in Austin. Reports indicated that the second-year signal-caller lied to the Browns about the photos, though the club never confirmed that.
As for McCown, if this is the end of his season, he’ll finish with fairly respectable numbers. The Browns only won one of his eight starts, but he completed 63.7% of his passes, throwing for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. Having signed a three-year contract with Cleveland, McCown still has some guaranteed money left on his deal in 2016, so he’s a good bet to return either as the starter or backup.