Practice Squad Updates: 11/27/15
A Friday practice squad update:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G Marcel Jones (via the team’s Twitter)
- Cut: WR Daniel Brown
Community Tailgate: Jones, Brown Chasing Yardage Record
As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
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The Lions’ Calvin Johnson had the most prolific season ever in terms of receiving yards in 2012, setting the all-time record with 1,964. That record could be in jeopardy this year, ESPN’s Michael Rothstein noted earlier this week, as the Falcons’ Julio Jones and the Steelers’ Antonio Brown are doing their best to outdo Johnson’s 2012 total. Jones leads the league with 1,189 yards, while Brown is close behind with 1,141. Johnson averaged just under 123 yards per game during his record-setting campaign, so Jones (118.9) and Brown (114.1) will both need to pick up their respective paces.
What’s unlikely to help Jones going forward is having to face NFC South rival Carolina twice in his final six games. The Panthers presently boast Football Outsiders’ top-ranked pass defense in the NFC and are led by shutdown cornerback Josh Norman. How good is Norman? As Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson tweeted Thursday, opposing quarterbacks would be better off throwing passes directly into the ground than testing him. That certainly doesn’t bode well for Jones. On the other hand, Jones still has a pair of games left against the awful pass defenses of the Jaguars and Saints. That should help balance out having to deal with Norman two times, but it might not be enough.
Brown, like Jones, has some less-than-ideal opponents left on his team’s schedule. It starts Sunday against the Seahawks, who allow the fewest passing yards per game in the NFC. The Steelers also have a game against the Broncos, who are atop the league in pass defense by both traditional stats and Football Outsiders’. Luckily for Brown, three of the Steelers’ other four opponents – the Colts, Ravens and Browns – have bottom-feeding pass defenses. Further, for now at least, three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is healthy. Roethlisberger has been shelved with multiple injuries this year, which has hurt Brown’s numbers. Brown was without Roethlisberger for all of October and averaged a pedestrian (by his standards) 58.75 yards per game. In games that Roethlisberger has at least appeared in this season, Brown has racked up a ridiculous 151 yards per contest. It’s a lot to ask, of course, but 151 yards per matchup during the last six weeks would give Brown over 2,000 yards for the season – enough to unseat Johnson.
What do you think? Is Johnson’s record in jeopardy? Regardless, how many yards will Jones and Brown finish with this year?
Weigh in below in the comments section to let us know your thoughts!
North Notes: Manziel, Ansah, Bears
Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo isn’t sure if recently demoted quarterback Johnny Manziel will be active for the team’s game against Baltimore on Monday. However, DeFilippo won’t rule out Manziel playing again this season and is encouraged by the second-year man’s on-field progress, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
“I like what I’ve seen,” said DeFilippo. “I really do. Even the jump he made from the Cincinnati game to the Pittsburgh game was a huge jump. I think we’d all agree on that. I think Johnny has played enough football where we know what we have in him.”
DeFilippo went on to state that he believes Manziel can still be a franchise quarterback, which looks unlikely for a player whose career has been defined by off-field problems and on-field inconsistency. To his credit, Manziel did have the best game of his short NFL tenure – a 33-of-45, 372-yard showing in a Nov. 15 loss to the Steelers – before the Browns benched him for poor conduct away from the field.
Now the latest from the NFC North:
- Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah helped make Thanksgiving 2015 a miserable one for the Eagles in a 45-14 shellacking on Thursday. The third-year man tortured Philadelphia for 3.5 sacks, giving him an NFC-best 11.5 for the season. Ansah said afterward that he drew motivation from the fact that the Eagles passed on him in the 2013 draft, per The Associated Press. Ansah wanted to be an Eagle, but they chose offensive tackle Lane Johnson fourth overall instead. Ansah, who went to Detroit one pick later, faced off against Johnson on Thursday and got the better of the matchup. “It felt very good beating him and getting to the quarterback,” Ansah said.
- Given the Bears’ recent resurgence, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com wonders whether defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will join offensive coordinator Adam Gase as a potential head coaching candidate in the offseason (Twitter link). After a rough start to the season that featured four losses in six games, the Bears are 3-2 since their bye week. Fangio’s defense has played a key role, giving up fewer than 15 points per game during that stretch. That includes stymieing rival Green Bay in a 17-13 road win Thursday.
- If Gase departs in the offseason to become a head coach, he likely won’t be able to take quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains with him, according to Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Loggains is under contract next year and would likely be the Bears’ choice to take over for Gase.
Workout Notes: Patriots, Saints, Packers
Here are the latest workouts from around the NFL:
- The Patriots had free agent wide receivers Julian Talley (UMass), Alan Bonner (Jacksonville State), and Austin Willis (Emporia State) in for workouts, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Saints auditioned cornerback Tony Carter, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- Before signing Shayne Graham, the Falcons also worked out kicker Billy Cundiff, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
- Washington will work out safety Brian Suite, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Packers will audition wide receiver Emughedi Umodu, Wilson tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/27/15
Here are Friday’s minor transactions, including signings and cuts, from around the NFL:
- The Steelers have released veteran running back Isaiah Pead and elevated running back Fitzgerald Toussaint from their practice squad, tweets Missi Matthews of Steelers.com. Pead, who started the season with the Rams, was cut and then signed with Pittsburgh earlier this month when Le’Veon Bell was placed on IR. However, the 25-year-old didn’t see any action for the Steelers.
- The Patriots opened up a spot on their 53-man roster today by waiving linebacker Eric Martin, says Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Doug Kyed of NESN.com reports (via Twitter) that the Pats are adding tight end Asante Cleveland to their active roster from the practice squad, though that move might not become official until Saturday.
- Having officially placed cornerback Chris Culliver to the injured reserve list today due to his torn ACL/MCL, Washington has promoted another cornerback, Dashaun Phillips, to its 53-man roster, the team announced in a press release.
- Prior to Thursday’s game against the Cowboys, the Panthers signed long snapper Danny Aiken as an insurance policy in case starter J.J. Jansen was unable to go. Jansen played against Dallas, and Carolina cut Aiken today, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Panthers Work Out Finnegan, Other CBs
With Charles Tillman out of action for the last two games, the Panthers have been a little short-handed in the secondary, and are searching for some potential help for their slot cornerback spot. A day after a Thanksgiving win over the Cowboys, Carolina brought in several free agent corners, including Cortland Finnegan, as Bill Voth of the Black and Blue Review details.
Despite the fact that Finnegan announced his retirement in March, the former seventh-round pick hired agent Drew Rosenhaus in the summer, and suggested he was open to an NFL return. At the time, Rosenhaus said that he was “working on teams” for Finnegan, who indicated a willingness to play either cornerback or safety. The 31-year-old has since auditioned for the Patriots.
In addition to working out Finnegan, the Panthers also brought in veteran cornerbacks Bradley Fletcher and Robert McClain for tryouts, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Fletcher, who appeared in 71 games (54 starts) over six seasons for the Rams and Eagles, started the 2015 season in New England, but was released by the Patriots in October. McClain was also a Patriot before becoming a free agent, having been let go by Bill Belichick and company at the end of the preseason.
With no reports of signings yet, it appears the Panthers may just be getting the lay of the land for now, with an eye toward identifying the veteran cornerbacks they like in case it becomes necessary to add one.
Breer’s Latest: Cousins, Jets, L.A., London
After spending some time looking back on the long-time Tom Brady/Peyton Manning rivalry, which won’t get another installment this weekend, Albert Breer of the NFL Network surveys the rest of the NFL, and passes along a handful of noteworthy nuggets. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- Sources tell Breer that Washington and Kirk Cousins‘ representatives have engaged in “very preliminary” extension talks. However, both sides have acknowledged that those discussions are unlikely to really get serious until after the season.
- As Washington considers a long-term deal – or perhaps the franchise tag – for Cousins, the club needs to decide if he’s a franchise quarterback. Jay Gruden‘s assessment? “That’s what we need to find out,” the Washington head coach said. “The quarterback position, you gotta be consistent. And if there is a knock on Kirk, it’s that he played great here for a quarter or a half, and then he has a couple brain farts and throws a couple bad balls. He needs to be highly consistent over time. But arm talent-wise, leadership skill-wise, there’s no question he can be a very good quarterback for a long time. You just keep repping him, keep coaching him. Every week is different.”
- The Jets are seeing “years of shaky drafting” catch up to them, so GM Mike Maccagnan will have to figure out how to restock the roster this winter. According to Breer, there’s a good chance that Maccagnan will try to accumulate draft capital on the trade market — Muhammad Wilkerson would be an interesting chip if the club decides to use its franchise tag on him.
- With the Chargers, Rams, and Raiders – the three teams considering a move to Los Angeles – all struggling in recent weeks, it’s fair to wonder if one or more of those franchises will undergo overhauls this offseason, particularly if any relocate to Los Angeles. As Breer observes, there were four teams that relocated in the 1990s, and three of them fired their coaches at that time. Any club that moves to L.A. in 2016 would have to take a hard look at every aspect of its operation, particularly since the league as a whole “cannot afford to fail when it comes to Los Angeles,” as former Raiders exec Amy Trask tells Breer.
- One of the three games scheduled to be played in London in 2016 features the Rams and an unknown NFC East opponent for now, as the league waits to see how the standings will line up. As Breer explains, the move is designed to test how the U.K. fan base will react when it only knows one of the two teams, since tickets are set to go on sale next week.
Eagles Sign Jaylen Watkins; Nolan Carroll To IR
Today is Jaylen Watkins‘ 23rd birthday, and he’s on the receiving end of a generous gift from his old club — the Eagles are bringing him back. As first reported by Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link) and confirmed by the club (via Twitter), the Eagles have signed Watkins off the Bills’ practice squad, placing Nolan Carroll on injured reserve in a corresponding move.
Watkins, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft by the Eagles, played just four games for the team last year before being cut and finding his way to the Bills’ practice squad. It made sense for Watkins to land in Buffalo, where his brother Sammy Watkins plays, but given the opportunity to return to a 53-man roster, the young cornerback will head back to Philadelphia.
That opportunity in Philadelphia opened up when Carroll left Thursday’s game against the Lions with an injury that the team later confirmed was a broken ankle. As he heads to injured reserve, Carroll may have played his last game for the Eagles, who signed him to a two-year deal prior to the 2014 season. The 28-year-old figures to reach the open market this March.
East Notes: Eagles, Donnell, Jets
It’s been a busy day so far in the NFL’s East divisions, where the Cowboys have confirmed quarterback Tony Romo will miss the rest of the season, Washington has placed cornerback Chris Culliver on injured reserve, and the Bills have announced that Kyle Williams is expected to be out for the rest of the year. Let’s round up a few more items from out of the East divisions, including some that aren’t related to injuries….
- According to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter), Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was “adamant” after Thursday’s loss that defensive coordinator Billy Davis will remain the team’s defensive coordinator. As Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com observes (via Twitter), Kelly initially hired Davis because of his ability to run a specific defensive scheme — the Eagles have continued to draft and acquire players who fit that scheme, so if they make a change at DC, they’d likely want to find one who can run the same system.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap revisits some of the Eagles‘ notable offseason moves, including the signings of DeMarco Murray and Byron Maxwell, to attempt to determine where things went wrong for the club, and where to go from here.
- A neck injury, which has sidelined tight end Larry Donnell for the Giants‘ last two games, could keep him out of action for the rest of the season, multiple sources tell Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. While an MRI taken this week didn’t indicate there would be long-term damage for Donnell, the club is understandably cautious dealing with neck injuries.
- The Jets have slowed down since their hot start, but it’s definitely not the “Same Old Jets” in New York, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who says new general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles have changed the franchise for the better.
Washington Places Chris Culliver On IR
FRIDAY, 12:20pm: Washington has placed Culliver on injured reserve, officially ending his season, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com.
THURSDAY, 2:09pm: An MRI confirmed that Culliver has a torn MCL and ACL, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
2:05pm: Washington officials fear that cornerback Chris Culliver suffered a torn ACL in practice, according to a source who spoke with Liz Clarke of The Washington Post (on Twitter). Culliver, an offseason addition, was Washington’s highest paid free agent in the spring.
Back in March, Washington inked Culliver to a four-year deal paying him about $8MM per year, just below the annual rates earned by fellow free agent corners Brandon Flowers and Kareem Jackson. One of two Niners starting cornerbacks eligible for free agency, along with Perrish Cox, Culliver was coming off his first full season as a starter in San Francisco. The 27-year-old adapted to the new role in SF admirably, recording 45 tackles, four interceptions, and 15 passes defended.
Culliver also limited opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of 50.7% and a 66.5 passer rating when they threw into his coverage in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF’s grades placed Culliver as the 14th-best cornerback out of 108 qualified players. This season, Culliver started six games for Washington, tallying 16 tackles and one pass deflection.
Culliver was ranked No. 24 in PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list for the 2015 offseason.