East Notes: Romo, Washington, Prosinski
While Tony Romo has been plagued by back injuries within the last year, recently being forced to the bench with two small fractures in his back, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t expect the quarterback to retire anytime soon, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com.
“I think it’s realistic for him to play five more years,” Jones said of Romo. “I’m aware of his back. Only God knows what is in store for his back. I’ve seen backs out there that you wouldn’t believe how they look on the MRIs and how they look on X-rays. If you’re concerned about his future, then look at his age, and you might say, boy, you need to be thinking about a time when he doesn’t play. I don’t look at it much differently than that with his back, because there have been three very different types of injuries that have caused him to miss games with his back.”
While we wait to see if Romo returns to the field in London this weekend against the Jaguars, as is expected, let’s check in on a few items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions….
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com takes an early look at Washington‘s salary cap situation for 2015, including identifying a handful of players who could be cut before next season. While there’s been no indication from the team that those players are in danger of being released, defensive end Stephen Bowen, nose tackle Barry Cofield, and guard Chris Chester are among the players who potentially fit the bill due to a combination of age and cap numbers, says Tandler.
- Safety Chris Prosinski‘s new deal with the Eagles is for two years, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That doesn’t necessarily mean the former Jaguar will stick in Philadelphia for the 2015 season, but if things goes well this year, he’ll be an inexpensive option in the secondary for next year.
- Jets GM John Idzik was “clearly miffed” by a prank that involved a plane flying over Wednesday’s practice with a banner that read “Fire John Idzik,” according to George Willis of the New York Post, who adds that Idzik vowed the Jets will get things straightened out.
- Earlier today, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly addressed rumors that his team had “soured” on quarterback Nick Foles.
Chip Kelly Addresses Nick Foles Report
Earlier this week, Mark Eckel of NJ.com reported that some members of the Eagles organization, including general manager Howie Roseman, had “soured” on Nick Foles even before the team’s starting quarterback went down with a broken collarbone. Asked today about the story, and whether he’d considered demoting Foles in favor of Mark Sanchez, head coach Chip Kelly issued a strong denial, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com details.
“No, not at all,” Kelly said. “I don’t know where that stuff comes from. I know this: I know I control the roster. I think you guys can see first hand, I don’t talk to anybody. So whoever says they have a source in terms of what’s going to go on with roster maneuvers, people going up and people going down, then they never talk to the right person because that comes from me. That was never the case. I have great faith in Nick and I think he’s a hell of a quarterback.”
Kelly’s response is interesting on a number of levels. For one, it doesn’t really address the crux of Eckel’s report — the NJ.com scribe never wrote that the Eagles were considering making Sanchez the starter, or that Kelly himself was having doubts about Foles. The report instead indicated that Roseman and others were souring on Foles and were potentially considering other long-term alternatives at the position.
Of course, while Kelly may not have denied the specific details of Eckel’s report, his response seems to suggest that opinions held by Roseman and other members of the front office only matter to a certain extent. By stressing that he has the final say on the Eagles’ roster and personnel decisions, Kelly makes it clear that as long as he believes in Foles, the team believes in Foles. Based on the head coach’s comments, it’s fair to wonder if there’s some dissension within the organization about whether or not Foles is the club’s long-term answer at quarterback.
It should just be a matter of time until we find out which way the Eagles are leaning on Foles in the long term. Even if the team doesn’t reach any conclusions based on Sanchez’s run as the starter in the second half this season, Foles will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2015, and won’t have a fifth-year option for 2016. As such, if the two sides don’t agree to an extension within the next year or so, that would strongly indicate that Philadelphia may move in another direction.
NFC Notes: Rams, Cowboys, Foles, 49ers
As rumblings about a potential Rams move to Los Angeles persist, the city of St. Louis and the state of Missouri are taking a proactive approach to attempt to keep the franchise in the midwest. As Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com details, Missouri governor Jay Nixon spoke to reporters on a conference call today to discuss the city’s and state’s plan to keep the Rams. According to Nixon, former Anheuser Busch president Dave Peacock and local attorney Bob Blitz have been appointed to spend the next two months putting together options for the city’s next stadium solution. The team’s current lease on the Edward Jones Dome expires at season’s end.
“Make no mistake about it, St. Louis is an NFL city,” Nixon said. “Being an NFL city is a matter of civic and state pride and one of international significance. An NFL team in St. Louis sends a clear signal that this city is a worldwide player and sets it in a special class when it comes to a competitive, global marketplace. The economic impact of the Rams team in St. Louis extends long beyond Sunday afternoon and sends a clear signal that this city is a worldwide player.”
Here are a few more Wednesday items from across the NFC:
- Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant, who hired Roc Nation Sports to represent him as he approaches free agency, will be repped by CAA’s Tom Condon and Roc Nation’s Kim Miale, tweets Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal.
- Appearing on The Ticket KTCK-AM 1310 in Dallas, TheMMQB.com’s Peter King suggested he thinks running back Adrian Peterson will play for the Cowboys at some point. While he stressed that he doesn’t have any inside info, King said that he’s always viewed it as a likely scenario, even before “Jerry [Jones] had that silly flirtation with him last year” (link via the Dallas Morning News).
- Following up on a report suggesting that the Eagles were souring on Nick Foles even before his injury, Howard Eskin of 94WIP (Twitter link) says he spoke with multiple team sources and was told the Eagles never discussed making a change to Mark Sanchez prior to Foles going down with a broken collarbone. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily contradict yesterday’s report, which seemed to suggest the club was considering longer-term alternatives to Foles, rather than a short-term change.
- Although running back Marcus Lattimore never played a game for the 49ers, the team paid him his full salary during his two years on the non-football-injury list, and won’t try to recoup any of his $300K signing bonus, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). According to Rapoport, Lattimore will also seek payment on his $1.7MM disability policy, and has a “great chance” of receiving that.
Eagles Put Herremans On IR, Activate Mathis
WEDNESDAY, 8:05am: The Eagles have officially announced that they’ve activated Mathis and placed Herremans on IR (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 7:54pm: The Eagles saw a familiar face return to their offensive on Sunday, as center Jason Kelce saw game action for the first time since Week 3 following a groin injury. But just when Philadelphia seemed to be stabilizing its front five, which was one of the best in the league last season, health concerns struck again. Guard Todd Herremans, who had been attempting to play through a biceps injury, will have season-ending injury to correct the ailment, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He’ll be placed on injured reserve shortly, and the club will activate offensive lineman Evan Mathis from injured reserve/designated to return to fill his roster spot.
Herremans, 32, has been with the Eagles for the entirety of his 10-year career. He’s been something of a jack-of-all-trades during his time in Philadelphia, as he’s seen time at every position along the offensive line save for center. He’s settled in at right guard over the past two seasons, though he did play some right tackle while Lane Johnson was suspended to start the year. Herremans, who’s started 124 games during his time in Philly, hasn’t played well this season, and given that he’ll count $5.2MM against the cap in 2015, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll return next year.
Though the loss of Herremans could sting, the return of Mathis, one of the best guards in the league, is an unquestioned boon to a struggling Eagles front five. The 33-year-old Mathis graded as the No.1 guard in football during each of his first three years in Philadelphia, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He’s a strong asset in the run game, and with backup quarterback Mark Sanchez leading the team following Nick Foles‘ injury, the Eagles could look to feature LeSean McCoy even more than usual.
Second-year offensive lineman Matt Tobin, who had been filling in for Mathis at left guard, will slide over to RG in place of Herremans. Herremans’ season-ending injury ensures the Eagles starting offensive line of Jason Peters, Mathis, Kelce, Herremans, and Johnson won’t play one full game together in 2014.
Nick Foles’ Future With Eagles In Jeopardy?
Nick Foles won’t be quarterbacking the Eagles for the next six-to-eight weeks after suffering a broken collarbone in Sunday’s game against the Texans, but there’s word that his reign in Philadelphia could have been in peril even if he hadn’t been injured. Sources tell Mark Eckel of the Star-Ledger that Eagles brass, including general manager Howie Roseman, had doubts about Foles’ ability to maintain his outstanding 2013 level of play, and might’ve been considering options at quarterback.
Roseman wasn’t in favor of selecting Foles in the third round of the 2012 draft; instead, he was intent on picking Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins, who ultimately went to Washington in the fourth round. Ex-Eagles head coach Andy Reid (now with Kansas City) and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinwheg (now with the Jets) were proponents of drafting Foles. No member of Philaelphia’s current regime, from Roseman, to head coach Chip Kelly, to personnel man Tom Gamble, had a hand in bringing Foles on board. So it’s not out of the realm of possibility, as a league source tells Eckel, that Roseman might have been looking to make a quarterback change before Foles’ injury. “I think Howie is looking at quarterbacks,” said the source. “He’s kind of soured on Foles, and I don’t think he’s alone. The organization isn’t sold that he’s the guy going forward.”
Foles’ 2014 production certainly hasn’t matched his 2013 performance, but most didn’t expect the 25-year-old to maintain his impeccable touchdown-to-interception ratio from last season. Last year, Foles completed 64% of his passes for more than 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. This season, however, he was completing just 59.9% of his passes, with a 13:10 TD:INT ratio. Advanced metrics have noticed the Arizona product’s regression as well. After grading as the 17th-best quarterback in the league in 2013 per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he fell to 29th in 2014. Even more stark, Foles had fallen to 21st among QBs in terms of DVOA after finishing second last season.
As Eckel notes, Kelly has never been critical of Foles, and even lauded his play at Arizona while Kelly was at Oregon. But Kelly did re-sign Michael Vick prior to last season, and installed him as the starting quarterback before injuries forced Foles to take over. Additionally, Kelly played a part in drafting Matt Barkley in the fourth round last year, so it’s not as if the Eagles head coach has shown any allegiance to Foles. Granted, both of the moves noted took place before Foles’ outstanding 2013 season, but it speaks to the fact that Kelly isn’t afraid of having multiple options at QB.
If Philadelphia management is truly concerned about Foles’ talent, it could have a material impact on contract negotiations this offseason. Foles is making $615K in the third season of his four-year rookie deal, and he’s eligible to be extended after this year, though that may have been unlikely anyway. “Let’s just say the way things were going, he wasn’t going to get a contract extension that’s for sure,” a second source told Eckel before Foles’ injury. “Now, if he has a big second half, that could change.” Now, obviously, Foles won’t have the chance to change Roseman & Co.’s minds.
The Eagles could go in any number of directions quarterback-wise in 2015. Despite this news, it’s likely that Foles will remain on the roster and at least be an option to start. If Mark Sanchez plays well in Foles’ absence, it’s conceivable he could be given an opportunity to stick around. Barkley might still be Philadelphia’s plans, while this report will only fuel speculation that Kelly could make a move to draft his old college QB, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. With the Eagles sitting at 6-2, they’ll probably be picking too late in next year’s draft to acquire Mariota, but a trade-up will surely be discussed.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
We’ll round up the latest practice squad signings and cuts from around the league right here, with the most recent moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Seahawks continue to shuffle through the members of their practice squad, as Condotta reports (Twitter link) that the club has cut tight end Brett Brackett.
- Safety Adrian Phillips has cleared waivers and rejoined the Chargers‘ practice squad, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter).
- The Saints have filled their practice squad by signing running back Tauren Poole and officially confirming the addition of fullback Michael Zordich, tweets Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Seahawks have signed safety Dion Bailey to their taxi squad, while Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets that the club dropped receiver Chris Matthews to make room for Bailey.
Earlier updates:
- Wideout Jalen Saunders, who was drafted in the fourth round this year by the Jets and has also spent time with the Cardinals, has signed to the Seahawks‘ practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Bills have cut wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt from their taxi squad, replacing him with cornerback Rod Sweeting, the club confirmed in a press release. Sweeting was just released from the division-rival Dolphins’ practice squad a week ago.
- After losing safety Jordan Kovacs to Miami, the Eagles have signed running back Kenjon Barner to fill the final spot on their practice squad, the team announced today (Twitter link). Philadelphia traded for Barner this summer, but cut him when reducing the active roster from 75 players to 53.
- Cornerback Chance Casey has been added to the 49ers‘ practice squad, filling the 10th and final open spot, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
- Washington has released tackle Terren Jones from its practice squad, leaving three openings on the unit, the team announced today (Twitter link).
NFC Notes: Bryant, Hardy, Eagles, Schiano
The Cowboys are wary of offering Dez Bryant a long-term extension because of the receiver’s past off-the-field issues, sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. While Bryant wants a deal that pays him like a No. 1 WR, Dallas has offered the 26-year-old contracts that, while providing Bryant with significant guaranteed money, contain protection clauses for the club in the event of off-the-field incidents. Per Getlin, the Cowboys have provided therapists to help Bryant work out his anger management issues. Bryant, playing under the final year of his rookie deal, said on Sunday that he’d be “highly disappointed” if Dallas opted to place the franchise tag on him for the 2015 season. Here’s more from the NFC.
- The Mecklenburg County district attorney announced that Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy‘s trial will be postponed until early 2015, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Hardy is currently on the commissioner’s exempt list as his domestic violence case is litigated, but as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes, Carolina head coach Ron Rivera believes Hardy should be able to return to the team immediately if his trial won’t take place until the season is completed, arguing that the star defender has already served an effective eight-week suspension.
- The Eagles will replace injured linebacker DeMeco Ryans internally, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who points to Casey Matthews and 2014 first-rounder Marcus Smith as options to see more snaps for Philadelphia.
- Offensive lineman Todd Herremans, who is trying to play through a torn biceps, will meet with Eagles team doctors today and discuss whether it’s best for him to be placed on injured reserve, per Bowen (Twitter link).
- Ex-Buccaneers and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano would like to return to an NFL or college sideline in 2015, writes Pete Thamel of TheMMQB.com in an engrossing profile.
Minor Moves: Monday
As teams deal with Week 9 injuries and look ahead to Week 10, we can expect to see several clubs tweak the backs of their 53-man rosters and their practice squads. Here are Monday’s latest minor transactions:
- The Dolphins have placed safety Michael Thomas on injured reserve after he suffered a significant chest injury in Sunday’s game, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). To take his place on the roster, Miami signed fellow S Jordan Kovacs off the Eagles’ practice squad, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The Fins will also add tight end Jake Stoneburner to its taxi squad, tweets Salguero.
- Two Buccaneers players, defensive end Da’Quan Bowers and fullback Jorvorskie Lane, have been reinstated from the suspended list, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
- The Buccaneers have waived defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo, reports Caplan (on Twitter). The 2012 undrafted free agent played in one game this season for Tampa Bay.
- Because return man Trindon Holliday was waived/injured, and has now cleared waivers, he has reverted to the Buccaneers’ injured reserve list, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- More Bucs news, as the club has made several changes to its practice squad. Tampa added linebacker Denicos Allen and tight end Ted Bolser to its taxi squad, while cutting fullback Lonnie Pryor and linebacker Mister Alexander, says Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter).
- To make room for Square (referenced below), the Chargers have cut safety Adrian Phillips, who was just signed on Saturday, per Wilson (Twitter link).
- The Bengals announced several changes to its practice squad, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. We learned earlier today that linebacker Khairi Fortt was lost to the Jaguars, but the team also cut tight end Kevin Greene. To replace them, Cincinnati signed tight end Jake Murphy and linebacker Justin Jackson.
- The Cardinals have re-signed defensive tackle Bruce Gaston, who was let go on Saturday, to their taxi squad, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (on Twitter).
- The Jets have made an addition to their PS, bringing in receiver Chris Owusu, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). Owusu caught 13 balls for the Buccaneers last season.
Earlier updates:
- Defensive end Damion Square, who was cut by the Chiefs on Saturday, has been claimed off waivers by the division-rival Chargers, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). San Diego doesn’t have an open roster spot, so the team will need to make a corresponding move for the transaction to become official.
- The Bills have filled their lone open roster spot by claiming safety Jerome Couplin off waivers from the Lions, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Lions have made a few changes to their practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, who tweets that the team has added tight end Jordan Thompson, cornerback Trevin Wade, and defensive tackle Roy Philon, releasing tight end Ifeanyi Momah.
- After working them out earlier, the Vikings have signed quarterback Pat Devlin and tight end Rashaun Allen to their taxi squad, according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (via Twitter). To make space on the unit, the team moved quarterback Chandler Harnish to the practice squad IR list and cut tight end Ryan Otten.
- Fullback Michael Zordich has signed with the Saints‘ practice squad, according to his agency, Tier 1 Sports Management (Twitter link).
- The Buccaneers are set to sign tackle Matt Patchan to their practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Eagles Sign Prosinski, Put Ryans On IR
4:40pm: The Eagles have officially announced the pair of roster moves.
4:19pm: The Eagles will officially place linebacker DeMeco Ryans on season-ending injured reserve after the team’s defensive leader tore his Achilles tendon during Sunday’s game against the Texans, GM Howie Roseman confirmed today. With the empty spot on the active roster vacated by Ryans, the team will sign former Jaguars safety Chris Prosinski, according to Roseman (Twitter links).
Prosinski, 27, spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Jaguars, starting nine of the 45 contests he played for the team between 2011 and 2013. He saw his role reduced this season, however, and has been shuffled on and off the roster during the season’s first two months. The former fourth-round pick worked out for the Eagles last week, and the team apparently liked what it saw during that audition.
While Ryans will land on injured reserve, an MRI on the Eagles’ other notable injured player from this weekend, Nick Foles, revealed that the quarterback won’t require surgery — he’ll remain on the active roster and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
Nick Foles Avoids Surgery, Out 6-8 Weeks
MONDAY, 4:00pm: Foles won’t require surgery on his fractured collarbone, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). While that’s good news for the signal-caller, he’s still expected to be sidelined for the next six to eight weeks or so, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That would put him in line to return near the end of the regular season.
SUNDAY, 9:14pm: Eagles’ quarterback Nick Foles has a broken clavicle, reports Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). Collarbone injuries often take between four and six weeks to fully heal, and Foles would most likely be expected to miss at least four games with the injury. He will have an MRI tomorrow to confirm how long he will miss, according to Gunn.
If Foles does miss that amount of time, Mark Sanchez will have ample opportunity to run the team’s offense. If the Eagles struggle, they could fall behind in the NFC East race by the time Foles returns. However, if Sanchez keeps the team winning over the next few weeks, head coach Chip Kelly is would have a hard time moving Sanchez back to the bench, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
Aside from Sanchez, the only other quarterback on the roster is second-year player Matt Barkley, who has struggled in his limited game action so far.
If it has been confirmed that Foles has a broken clavicle, it is concerning that the team still has him scheduled for an MRI, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). Mosher suspects the team is worried that the Foles could have additional structural damage to his shoulder stemming from the hit he took that knocked him out of the game.