Eagles Re-Sign Najee Goode
After seeing a pair of inside linebackers go down with injuries on Sunday against the Cowboys, the Eagles have brought back one who was with them in the past, announcing today that they’ve re-signed Najee Goode. The club cut offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde to create room on the roster for Goode.
Goode, 25, was originally a fifth-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2012, but he has seen most of his NFL action for the Eagles, appearing in 14 games for the club in 2013. The West Virginia product was among the last players let go by Philadelphia before the 2015 season began, as he was waived during the team’s cutdown to 53 players.
While Mychal Kendricks‘ injury isn’t believed to be serious, it appears Kiko Alonso could be sidelined for a significant period after suffering a partial tear of his left ACL on Sunday. Alonso is getting a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews today and the Eagles figure to determine a course of action and a recovery timetable for him after that.
In the meantime, Goode should help provide depth on the inside for Philadelphia’s linebacking corps.
Eagles’ Kiko Alonso Has Partial ACL Tear
TUESDAY, 8:19am: After his 2014 season ended due a torn left ACL, Alonso has torn that same ACL, but it’s not as serious this time around — the tear is only partial, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), Alonso will get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, who will help decide if and when the linebacker will be able to return this season.
MONDAY, 7:32pm: Following tests today, there’s a possibility that Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso will be lost for the season with a knee injury, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). It was reported on Monday that Alonso doesn’t believe he has an ACL injury, but it’ll be the doctor’s opinion that matters most. Alonso also suffered a left knee injury in 2014 which wiped out his season.
Alonso, of course, came to the Eagles in the offseason blockbuster that shipped LeSean McCoy to the Bills. For Philly, Alonso’s appeal went beyond his Oregon pedigree and low salary cap number, though those things didn’t hurt his cause, either. Alonso was being counted on to give the Eagles’ front seven some major production, but it now appears that his 2015 season could be in jeopardy.
Alonso, 25, didn’t see the field in 2014 after tearing his ACL in July of 2014. After being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft, Alonso finished second in voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year after totaling 87 tackles, four interceptions, and two sacks. At the time, he was one of only three linebackers to play 100% of his team’s snaps and many thought he should have been the choice for DROY over Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. PFF (subscription required) rated Alonso as the ninth-best inside linebacker in the NFL in his rookie season. Because Alonso spent 2014 on the NFI (non-football injury) list, he’s slated to be a restricted free agent after 2016.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/15
Here are today’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL..
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G Robert Myers (via press release)
- Cut: T Tony Hills
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Paul Lasike (Twitter link via Brad Biggs)
- Cut: RB Bronson Hill
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Chris Pantale (Twitter link via Geoff Mosher)
- Cut: TE Connor Hamlett
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: WR Tyrell Williams (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken)
Eagles To Sign Thad Lewis, Cut Stephen Morris
The Eagles have signed quarterback Thad Lewis while dropping Stephen Morris, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
Lewis signed a one-year deal with the Browns in March but was released in September. The 30-year-old didn’t make an appearance with the Texans in 2014, but he did start five games for the Bills in 2013, leading the team to a 2-3 record in that span. Undrafted out of Duke in 2010, Lewis has bounced around the league, spending time with the Rams and Lions in addition to Cleveland and Houston.
Morris, an undrafted quarterback out of Miami, spent time on the Jaguars’ practice squad in 2014. The Eagles claimed him off waivers from the Jaguars earlier this month to replace Tim Tebow, but he didn’t last long in Philly.
NFC East Notes: Romo, Cowboys, JPP, RGIII
No NFL division looks more in flux through two weeks than the NFC East, where the Eagles and Giants have yet to win a game, and the Cowboys will be without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant for the next several weeks. Earlier today, we asked you to weigh in with your thoughts on how the East race will play out over the next 15 weeks. Now, we’ll round up a few more Monday items from out of the division…
- Speaking of Romo, he won’t have to undergo surgery on his fractured left clavicle, a source tells Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. That doesn’t significantly alter the projected recovery timetable for the Cowboys quarterback, who still figures to miss about eight weeks. He’s a candidate for Dallas’ IR-DTR slot.
- With Romo out, the Cowboys are evaluating whether or not to sign a veteran signal-caller to back up Brandon Weeden, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), who says the team considered Kyle Orton. Orton is still finished with football, however.
- According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), there’s some concern in Jason Pierre-Paul‘s camp that if the Giants defensive end reports to the team, New York will place him on the NFI list and be able to franchise him again next year at the same price. The CBA isn’t 100% clear on how this situation would work, but if the two sides disagree on JPP’s ability to play this season, it could create some contract issues.
- In another video for Bleacher Report, Cole suggests that Washington quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins aren’t communicating much at all these days. Per Cole, that doesn’t reflect particularly well on RGIII, who reportedly has a history of not being on the same page as everyone in the locker room.
- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said after yesterday’s loss that everyone will be evaluated, hinting that roster changes could be coming. But it doesn’t sound like the team will make any major moves. “The guys we have are the guys we’re playing with for the remainder of the season,” Kelly said today, referring in part to the offensive line’s struggles (Twitter link). “It’s not a change thing.”
NFC Notes: Chancellor, Boyd, Alonso
Earlier today, we learned that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will likely be placed on the club’s injured reserve list with the designation to return this week. Here are a few more Monday morning items from around the NFC, including some more noteworthy injury updates:
- With the Seahawks now winless in their first two games of the regular season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if there will be any movement on the Kam Chancellor front this week, while NFL.com’s Michael Silver spoke to several of Chancellor’s teammates about the star safety’s holdout.
- The diagnosis for Packers defensive tackle Josh Boyd isn’t as bad as it first seemed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Boyd broke a small ankle bone, but isn’t expected to be sidelined for a long time.
- Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso doesn’t believe he has an ACL injury, but he’ll have an MRI today to assess his left knee, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Alonso left yesterday’s game after aggravating the same knee he injured in 2014.
- After winning a power play against former GM Howie Roseman in January, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly took control of the team’s roster and made several bold, risky moves in the offseason. As Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, that means that Kelly has to shoulder the blame for the Eagles’ slow start.
Chip Kelly On Loss, Start Of Eagles’ Season
After a horrible loss to the Cowboys, in which the Eagles rushed for seven yards on 17 carries, Chip Kelly took to the podium to address the media about the team’s slow start.
“I dont think any of our running backs had a chance,” said Kelly, according to John Clark of CSN Philly (via Twitter). Kelly in that way is putting a lot of the blame on his new offensive line, saying the offensive line “just didn’t block them,” (via Twitter).
“I don’t think the running backs even really had time to assess if there was a hole,” Kelly said, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). It was those struggles that led Kelly and the Eagles’ offense to try to throw the ball into the endzone from the three-yard line (via Twitter). “We weren’t moving their defensive line, so we probably had to throw it in,” said Kelly. “We let a really good defensive effort go for naught because we didn’t do what we needed to do offensively.”
“We need to stick together as a team and get this figured out,” Kelly told his team, according to Clark (via Twitter).
Kelly also reminded the media, “We were here two years ago…and then we went 7-1 down the stretch,” according to Berman (via Twitter).
With a trip to New Jersey to face the ferocious Jets defense, the Eagles have a big challenge ahead of them, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes (via Twitter). “We better show up this week,” said Kelly. “Because it’s not going to get any easier.”
Kelly, who is not only the coach but has the final say on roster decisions for the Eagles, was asked if he thought too many playmakers were traded or signed away in free agency this offseason, to which he predictably disagreed, writes Jeff Skversky of WPVI-TV Philadelphia (via Twitter). The team lost Jeremy Maclin to free agency, cut guards Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans, and traded both Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy.
The most important thing Kelly said was that everyone will be evaluated, including the coaches and quarterback, according to Matt Mullin of The Philly Voice (via Twitter). That could open the door for a change from Sam Bradford to Mark Sanchez at some point if the offense continues to struggle.
Injury Updates: 9/20/15
The big news is the Tony Romo injury, which could have a devastating effect on the Cowboys’ season. We already looked at a major injury to Bills safety Aaron Williams – who appeared to be doing okay after being taken to a hospital, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter) – and a potential starting quarterback injury for Jay Cutler of the Bears. Here’s a roundup of other noteworthy injuries from Sunday’s action. Any additional injury updates from the afternoon games will be added to the top of the page throughout the day.
- Eddie Lacy has been carted off the field for the Packers due to a right ankle injury, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter). His return is questionable (via Twitter). Davante Adams is also being carted to the locker room with a left ankle or foot injury, reports Jason Wilde (via Twitter).
- Packers defensive tackle Josh Boyd also just went down on the field, and is being attended to by the coaches and medical staff, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He will also be carted off with a right leg injury (via Twitter).
- Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert left the game against the Jaguars twice, not returning the second time, with a reported hamstring injury, according to James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Rookie tailback Tevin Coleman couldn’t finish the game for the Falcons today due to a rib injury, and D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes a prolonged absence could doom the team’s rushing attack.
Earlier:
- Ereck Flowers left the Giants-Falcons game with an ankle injury, and was not able to return, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Flowers has dealt with ankle injuries for a few weeks, and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com notes that head coach Tom Coughlin hopes those issues aren’t continuous (via Twitter).
- Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso has been ruled out of the remainder of today’s game vs. the Cowboys due to a left knee injury, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As McLane observes, that’s the same knee that suffered a torn ACL in 2014.
- Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was getting X-rays taken after the loss to the Vikings, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Detroit Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman writes that Stafford confirmed the X-rays were taken of his chest and ribs (via Twitter).
- Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy left the 26-19 win over the Saints with a right arm injury, reports Jenna Laine of Sports Talk 1040 The Team in Tampa (via Twitter). Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times adds that McCoy was not moving his right arm in the locker room (via Twitter).
- Titans right guard Chance Warmack will have an MRI on his knee on Monday after injuring it today, but the initial diagnosis is a sprained MCL, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter links).
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/15
Here are the latest minor moves from across the NFL:
- The Patriots released wide receiver Jonathan Krause, who was on injured reserve, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Krause went undrafted out of Vanderbilt and has spent time with both the Cleveland and New England organizations.
- The Eagles reached an injury settlement with defensive end Brian Mihalik, per Wilson (Twitter link). Mihalik, formerly of Boston College, was a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in this year’s draft.
- The Raiders signed safety Tevin McDonald from their practice squad, according to their website. McDonald is an undrafted rookie from Eastern Washington.
- Washington cut defensive end Frank Kearse and signed linebacker Terrance Plummer from its practice squad, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Kearse amassed career highs in games (15), tackles (12) and sacks (three) as a member of Washington’s defense in 2014. He appeared in 16 games from 2011-13 with the Panthers and Cowboys. Plummer is an undrafted rookie from Central Florida.
- The Bears cut defensive back Demontre Hurst and promoted defensive lineman Brandon Dunn from their practice squad, according to ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson (Twitter link). Hurst totaled 39 tackles and an interception as an undrafted rookie last year, and added a tackle in the Bears’ loss to Green Bay last week. Dunn, also in his second year, spent most of last season on the Bears’ practice squad. He appeared in three games and made one tackle.
Earlier updates:
- In order to make room for Phillips, San Diego cut wide receiver Tyrell Williams, per Gehlken (on Twitter). Williams, who will traverse the waivers process, had a standout preseason as a rookie. This cut leaves the Chargers thinner at receiver. Gehlken estimates only four dressing Sunday, with Dontrelle Inman residing as the Bolts’ only backup.
- The Chargers added Adrian Phillips from their practice squad, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken (on Twitter). They will make a corresponding move later today, per Gehlken. An undrafted rookie safety in 2014, Phillips suited up for three games last year for the Chargers.
- The Jaguars moved cornerback Peyton Thompson to their active roster and cut wideout Bryan Walters to make room, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports (on Twitter). A fourth-year veteran, Thompson played two games for the Jags last season after spending 2012 in Atlanta and 2013 with Washington. Walters, 28, played one game in Jacksonville last season while playing the previous two with the Seahawks. He booked a start for the 2013 Super Bowl champion Seahawks after starting his career in San Diego two years prior.
- The Panthers also swapped out a wide receiver for another position in cutting Damiere Byrd, an undrafted rookie from South Carolina, from their practice squad to make room for offensive tackle Pierce Burton on their 10-man unit, David Newton of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Falcons released Burton from their practice squad last week.
- Rookie UDFA wide receiver Javess Blue received an injury settlement from the Packers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Due to the settlement, Blue cannot re-sign with Green Bay for at least six weeks.
- The Vikings reached an injury settlement with 2015 sixth-round offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson, per Wilson (on Twitter). The 23-year-old from Oklahoma took first-team reps with the Vikings at right guard this summer before the team moved tackle Mike Harris inside, where he starts now.
NFC Notes: J. Jones, Long, Cruz, Workouts
Week 1 couldn’t have gone much better for Packers wide receiver James Jones, who re-signed with Green Bay less than two weeks ago and caught a pair of touchdown balls from Aaron Rodgers during his first game back with the team.
In an interview with Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com, Jones discussed the Raiders‘ and Giants‘ decisions to release him earlier this year, suggesting that Oakland simply wanted to “go younger,” while New York let him go out of respect, since he wouldn’t have been a big part of the Giants’ offense. Jones has no hard feelings toward either organization, but being cut twice in the span of a few months figures to motivate him this season.
“I’m extremely, extremely motivated, more than I have ever been, right now,” Jones said. “Not only to show the teams that released me that I have a lot of football left, but to show myself, that you still have a lot to give and you have a lot of football left. That’s my main motivation right now, to show people that I can still play this game at a very high level and still can help a ball club win.”
So far, so good for Jones and the Packers. Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Field Yates of ESPN.com provides a few more details on Jake Long‘s one-year contract with the Falcons, tweeting that while there’s a base value of $1.17MM, the deal has a strong “play-and-pay structure.” Long can earn up to $400K in per-game roster bonuses and another $1MM in incentives.
- Victor Cruz, who is continuing to deal with lingering calf problems, will miss the Giants‘ Week 2 game, but thinks he’ll be back on the field for the team within the next couple weeks, as Bart Hubbuch and Kyle Schnitzer of the New York Post write. The Giants, who have yet to use their IR-DTR slot, obviously felt confident heading into the season that Cruz wouldn’t be sidelined for a significant chunk of time, since it doesn’t seem as if the club ever seriously considered using that designation on the veteran wideout.
- In addition to their workouts which we passed along yesterday, the Eagles also auditioned offensive lineman Austin Reiter and running back Dreamius Smith this week, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- According to Wilson (via Twitter), offensive lineman Pierce Burton had a workout for the Panthers this week. Burton was initially waived by the Falcons during their cutdown to 53 players, then was cut from Atlanta’s practice squad earlier this week.