NFC East Notes: Dez, Washington, Eagles
The Cowboys are hoping Dez Bryant returns in four to six week after undergoing foot surgery, but ESPN’s Dr. Mark Adickes thinks eight to 12 weeks might be a more realistic recovery time frame for the star wideout (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). For now, the Cowboys have no plans to use their IR/designated to return slot on Bryant — such a move would sideline him for at least eight weeks.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC East….
- With starting cornerback Chris Culliver set to miss Washington‘s Week 2 contest due to a one-game suspension, the club is bringing in free agent corner Will Blackmon for a visit today, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Blackmon, who was cut by the Jaguars earlier in 2015, signed with the Seahawks in March but was released by Seattle during the cutdown to 53 players.
- Before Washington signed free agent kicker Dustin Hopkins yesterday, the team also worked out former Dolphins kicker Caleb Sturgis, along with punter Brandon Fields, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Eagles auditioned tight ends Connor Hamlett, Brian Leonhardt, and Jacob Maxwell, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Presumably, those workouts took place before the club was certain that Zach Ertz – coming off groin surgery – would be ready for such a significant role on Monday night.
- Cornerback Byron Maxwell, the Eagles‘ biggest free agent addition of the winter, was also the team’s biggest disappointment in Week 1, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. McLane also notes that the offensive line – featuring Allen Barbre and Andrew Gardner in starting roles – was overmatched by Atlanta’s defensive front, which could raise questions about Philadelphia’s decision to cut both Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans in the offseason.
NFC Notes: Ellington, Cowboys, Eagles
Cardinals running back Andre Ellington suffered a PCL sprain in Sunday’s game, as first reported by Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) and confirmed by head coach Bruce Arians (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). While Anderson suggested a recovery timetable of two to three weeks for Ellington, Arians indicated his running back could just miss one week, and the team hasn’t ruled him out for its Week 2 game yet.
If Ellington isn’t able to practice by Friday, it will likely lead to a flurry of roster moves for the Cardinals, according to Arians. As ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss tweets, the team could promote running back Kerwynn Williams to its roster for next Sunday’s game against the Bears.
- With Dez Bryant expected to miss at least a month, the Cowboys will sign a wide receiver for depth purposes, tweets Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), on the other hand, hears that the team is still undecided on whether to sign a receiver. If Dallas signs a wideout, I wouldn’t expect him to play a major role in the offense in Bryant’s absence.
- Sam Bradford‘s start in tonight’s game eliminates the possibility of the Eagles getting the Rams‘ 2016 third-round pick, as Adam Schefter of ESPN notes. Philadelphia would have received that pick if Bradford hadn’t been able to play a game this season due to injury. Now, it’s worth watching whether or not the former first overall pick will play 50% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps — if he doesn’t, Philadelphia will get St. Louis’ 2016 fourth-rounder.
- Former Eastern Washington offensive tackle Jake Rodgers, cut earlier this month by the Falcons, has a tryout with the Saints on Tuesday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
- Three defensive backs – former Rams cornerback Montell Garner, ex-Seahawks safety Ryan Murphy, and former Bengals safety Floyd Raven – worked out for the Packers, tweets Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com. Green Bay also auditioned defensive end Martin Ifedi, a 2015 seventh-round pick who was cut by St. Louis.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News examines 49ers CEO Jed York‘s legacy in San Francisco.
- If St. Louis wants to keep the Rams, one critical issue to work through is who will pay cost overruns, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
Raiders Reached Out To Christian Ponder
3:50pm: The Raiders got positive news on Carr’s thumb and he could conceivably play on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. If Carr is good to go, that could put plans for signing Ponder on hold.
2:55pm: Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will have an MRI on his injured hand today and the team doesn’t expect him to play Sunday, sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. With Carr potentially sidelined, the Raiders have reached out to quarterback Christian Ponder to express their interest.
Ponder was in camp with the Raiders this summer but he was a roster casualty when Oakland reduced its roster to 53. The Eagles were quick to express their interest in the former No. 12 overall pick, but he declined to work out for them, citing family reasons, according to Mortensen.
Ponder, 27, started 36 games during his four years with the Vikings, though he was essentially the team’s No. 3 signal-caller in 2014, behind Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Cassel on the depth chart. With a career 59.8% completion rate and 75.9 passer rating, Ponder didn’t find a very active market when he hit free agency this offseason. His best season came in 2012, when he threw 18 TDs and 12 picks for a playoff-bound team.
Dolphins Cut Jonas Gray, Add Mostert
The Dolphins announced a number of moves today (Twitter links), headlined by the release of running back Jonas Gray, who was a member of their taxi squad. Miami has also waived center Sam Brenner while re-signing center/guard Jacques McClendon. Meanwhile, the club has also signed running back/kick returner Raheem Mostert off of the Eagles’ taxi squad and on to their own 53-man roster, per agent Brett Tessler (on Twitter).
It was a quick trip through South Beach for Gray. The tailback was waived by the Patriots on September 5th and three days later, he found a home on the Dolphins’ practice squad. On Friday, he was promoted by the club to the 53-man roster. Days later, he’s in limbo once again. Gray emerged as a potential starter during his 201-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Colts during the 2014 season, but was leapfrogged on the Pats depth chart by LeGarrette Blount and others down the stretch.
The Eagles tried to trade Mostert to Dolphins and other clubs before he was initially waived by the team, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Mostert, a UDFA out of Purdue, led the NFL in yards from the line of scrimmage in the preseason with 351 all-purpose yards.
In addition to the moves above, the Dolphins also confirmed the previously reported release of LaMike James and the 53-man roster addition of tight end Jake Stoneburner, who was previously on their practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/15
Latest minor moves:
- The Eagles released wideout Jeff Maehl with an injury settlement, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
- As mentioned below, the Saints placed LB Davis Tull on IR on Saturday. The reason is now known: Tull has a left shoulder tear. It’s unrelated to earlier labrum surgery he had on his right shoulder. (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com).
Earlier:
- In opening a spot for Bates, Washington cut defensive end Frank Kearse, per Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (via Twitter). Kearse, the fifth defensive end on Washington’s depth chart, has played in 29 career games and started eight since entering the league in 2011 as a seventh-round pick of the Dolphins. He’s accrued 4.5 career sacks. Boyer notes (on Twitter) Kearse dealt with a shoulder injury since training camp. He played 15 games for Washington last year.
- To make room for Seantavius Jones, Opurum and defensive back Don Jones, who joins his practice squad teammates in receiving weekend promotions to the active roster, the Saints cut Tim Hightower and guard Mike McGlynn, and placed rookie linebacker Davis Tull on injured reserve, Evan Woodberry of NOLA.com reports. McGlynn, dubbed the worst guard in football in two of the past three seasons as a member of the Colts and Chiefs, was not going to be active Sunday, and New Orleans needs special teams contributors, reports Woodberry (on Twitter). Hightower was serving as the Saints’ third-string running back in C.J. Spiller‘s absence.
- In bringing LeGarrette Blount back to the 53-man roster after his one-game suspension, the Patriots waived linebacker Eric Martin, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Martin played on special teams for New England in its season-opening win over Pittsburgh.
- New Orleans added a second player from its practice squad to the active roster in promoting fullback Toben Opurum, according to Woodberry. The Saints, notes Woodberry (on Twitter), are stockpiling special-teamers, with five of their own talents out due to injuries.
- The Saints are promoting wideout Seantavius Jones to the active roster, reports Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. Terrell notes Jones will likely play as the team’s fifth receiver with a special teams role. A corresponding roster move hasn’t been announced.
- Washington will promote outside linebacker Houston Bates off its practice squad for Week 1 due to the team having concerns about Jackson Jeffcoat‘s thigh ailment, according to Boyer (on Twitter). Boyer looks to serve as the backup to Trent Murphy on the right side after being one of the team’s last cuts this preseason, joining Washington as an undrafted free agent from Louisiana Tech.
- The Browns are promoting Shaun Draughn to their active roster from their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The 27-year-old Draughn played 16 games for the Chiefs in 2012, rushing for 233 yards. He’ll sit behind Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson and Robert Turbin on the depth chart.
- The Texans agreed to injury settlements with outside backers Lynden Trail and Tony Washington to take them off injured reserve, Wilson reports. Both undrafted rookies, Trail’s preseason ended after a quadriceps injury, with Washington’s concluding after a chest malady in the team’s preseason finale.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Eagles have signed reserve offensive lineman Dennis Kelly to a one-year extension through 2016, according to a league source who spoke with Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Kelly will earn a $760K base salary with a $30K workout bonus.
- The Seahawks waived running back Robert Turbin off of their IR with an injury settlement, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The 25-year-old Turbin was a fourth-round pick of Seattle in 2012. Since then, he’s amassed 928 yards on 231 carries (4.0 YPC), also adding 43 catches and two receiving touchdowns. Seattle waived Turbin shortly after adding Fred Jackson last week.
- Washington gave wide receiver Evan Spencer (concussion) an injury settlement and released him from injured reserve, Zac Boyer of The Washington Times tweets.
- The following players reached injury settlements with their respective teams, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter): Jerome Smith (Falcons), D.J. Tialavea (Falcons), Josh Martin (Chiefs), Christion Jones (Dolphins), Melvin Meggs (Chargers), Josh Allen (Buccaneers).
- The Seahawks worked out an injury settlement with Triston Wade, Wilson tweets.
Extension Rumors: Bradford, Eli, Dareus
The Patriots locked up left tackle Nate Solder to an extension earlier today, but Solder is unlikely to be the last notable player to sign a new contract this week. With regular season openers right around the corner, teams will be looking to wrap up negotiations with key extension candidates, getting something done with them before the real games begin, since many of those players won’t want to continue talks during the season.
Here’s the latest on a few noteworthy extension candidates:
- The Eagles are no longer engaged in discussions regarding a short-term extension for Sam Bradford, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The two sides were exploring a bridge deal that would give the former first overall pick some security while still allowing him to hit free agency in a couple years. However, it appears Bradford’s preseason success has made him less enthused about signing a below-market deal at this point.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com reported earlier this week that the Giants and Eli Manning were making progress on an extension, and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News hears the same thing, writing that there’s optimism a deal can be reached “relatively quickly,” though there’s still some work to be done.
- Contract talks between the Bills and defensive lineman Marcell Dareus have continued, a league source tells Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). There were indications in August that Dareus and the Bills were far apart in negotiations, but the team still hopes to get something done by Sunday.
- The Jets would like to get their own standout defensive lineman, Muhammad Wilkerson, locked up to an extension, but it’s unclear whether something will happen this week, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. A July report indicated that Wilkerson would play out the final year of his current contract if he and the Jets can’t finalize an agreement by the start of the regular season.
Eagles, Andrew Gardner Agree To Extension
8:10pm: Gardner’s deal has a base value of $4.7MM, including a $500K signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Incentives can significantly raise the value of the deal, he adds.
7:37pm: The Eagles and starting right guard Andrew Gardner have agreed to a three-year contract extension, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The interior lineman is now signed through 2018.
Gardner was signed by the Eagles prior to the 2014 season to serve as a backup. Gardner proved to be a very valuable addition, however, as he went on to appear in every regular season game, including eight starts. The Eagles had an open competition for the starting right guard job this summer, but Gardner came away with the gig. Gardner is now with his sixth NFL team after stops with the Dolphins, Ravens, Vikings, Bengals, Texans, and Eagles, but it sounds like the 29-year-old has finally found a home at this late stage in his career.
In June of 2014, the Eagles hammered out an extension with fellow starting guard Allen Barbre, which means that the duo is under contract for at least the next three years.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/8/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed:
- RB Jahwan Edwards (press release)
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed:
- CB Charles James (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec)
- Cut:
- TE Konrad Reuland (Twitter link via Zrebiec)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed:
- CB Merrill Noel (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson)
- Cut:
- QB Alex Tanney (Twitter link via Vic Carucci)
Chicago Bears
- Cut:
- RB Paul Lasike (Twitter link via Brad Biggs)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed (press release):
- RB Gus Johnson (previously reported)
- WR Vince Mayle (previously reported)
- QB Kellen Moore (previously reported)
- WR Rodney Smith
- LB Joe Thomas
Detroit Lions
- Signed:
- WR Saalim Hakim (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman)
- QB Ricky Stanzi (Twitter link via Twentyman)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed:
- WR Ed Williams (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed:
- LB Amarlo Herrera (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson)
- Released:
- G David Arkin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed:
- WR Rashad Lawrence (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed:
- DT Ashaad Mabry (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery)
New York Jets
- Signed:
- DE Mike Catapano (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed:
- TE Andrew Gleichert (press release)
- Initially announced, but not signed:
- TE Chris Pantale (press release)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed (press release):
- TE Cameron Brate
- T Reid Fragel
- WR Rannell Hall
- Cut (press release):
- T Edawn Coughman
- T Terren Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Signed (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter):
- CB B.W. Webb
Washington
- To be signed:
- CB Deshazor Everett (Twitter link via Jenna Laine)
Workout Notes: Eagles, Giants, Jets, Saints
The Eagles, who parted ways with the polarizing Tim Tebow last week, auditioned a pair of quarterbacks on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Josh Johnson and Thad Lewis, who were both let go by their respective teams on September 5th, both worked out for Chip Kelly & Co. Johnson, 29, made an appearance during the Jets’ final preseason game, passing for 82 yards while adding 76 yards on the ground. Lewis, a 27-year-old signal caller recently released by the Browns, didn’t appear in a game with the Texans in 2014, but he did start in five games for the Bills in 2013.
Here are the latest auditions from around the NFL..
- The Giants worked out former Eagles quarterback/wide receiver/running back G.J. Kinne on Tuesday, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants also worked out punters Brandon Fields and Kasey Redfern.
- The Jets had former Giants safety Stevie Brown in for a tryout today, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- Field Yates of ESPN.com reports that the Saints worked out tight ends Bear Pascoe and Gerell Robinson and wide receiver Austin Pettis (via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune on Twitter).
- Ross Scheuerman worked out for Buccaneers today, according to a league source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Patriots auditioned two players today: defensive back Floyd Raven (formerly of Texas A&M and the Bengals) and linebacker Alex Singleton (formerly of Montana State and the Seahawks), according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter).