NFC Links: Harbaugh, Donnell, Prater, Eagles
The 49ers have a very volatile situation on their hands, as tensions between management and head coach Jim Harbaugh are only outmatched by those between the coach and his players. Much has been made about this ongoing situation, but the team was still playing at a high level last week. Their defense suffocated the Eagles’ offense, and the team still looks like a Super Bowl contender despite currently sitting at third in the NFC West.
Seth Wickersham of ESPN profiled Harbaugh, writing that he thrives in chaos and that it doesn’t matter what the atmosphere is in the locker room. His competitiveness could be enough and overcome the tensions and the 49ers could be looking at another deep playoff run.
Here are some more links from around the NFC:
- The Harbaugh situation is also the focus of Matt Maiocco’s mailbag for CSNBayArea.com. He also addressed the injury situation of Marcus Lattimore, noting that he is eligible to return to the 49ers after week six, but will likely only see playing time if there is an injury to either Carlos Hyde or Frank Gore.
- Giants‘ tight end Larry Donnell has been one of the great breakout stars of the first quarter of the NFL season, but he will not go unnoticed any more, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- The Lions signed former Eagles’ kicker Alex Henery to replace Nate Freese, but Kyle Meinke of MLive.com points out that Matt Prater‘s recent release could change things. Meinke believes if Henery shows any reason to be worried about him, the Lions could be aggressive in their pursuit of Prater next week.
- Even though it is only the beginning of October, Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com has already pointed out five college prospects who the Eagles could target in the 2015 NFL Draft in Chicago.
Eagles Meet With Julian Vandervelde
After benefiting from having one of the more stable offensive lines in the league in 2013, the Eagles have been forced to make several adjustments along their front five in the wake of several injuries. Center Jason Kelce is expected to be sidelined until Week 10, guard Evan Mathis is on injured reserve/designated to return, and versatile backup Allen Barbre is out for the rest of the season. Second-year right tackle Lane Johnson returns from suspension this week, allowing Todd Herremans to shift to right guard, but Philadelphia is starting Matt Tobin and David Molk at center, an alignment the team certainly didn’t have in mind at the outset of the season. As such, Field Yates of ESPN (link via Yates’ colleague, Phil Sheridan) reports the Eagles met with center/guard Julian Vandervelde on Friday, an indication the team is hoping to bolster the depth along its O-line.
Vandervelde, 26, was a fifth-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2011. After playing his college ball at Iowa, he was active for 16 games over three seasons with the Birds; he rarely played, however, as he saw just nine offensive snaps in 2013. Expected to make the squad again in 2014, Vandervelde suffered a back injury which allowed Molk to earn a place on the team. Vandervelde was waived with an injury settlement in late August as Philadelphia trimmed its roster to 75 players.
As Sheridan notes, the Eagles’ interest in Vandervelde could either signify a willingness to move on from Molk, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grades as the worst center in the league through four weeks, or a sign that Philadelphia wants an upgrade over backup lineman Wade Smith. Smith, 33, was signed on September 10, but hasn’t started a game and has seen just 18 offensive snaps despite the injuries to the Eagles’ front five.
NFC Links: Lions, Panthers, Vikings
You can be assured that Eagles cornerback Bradley Fletcher has had this weekend’s matchup against the Rams circled on his calendar. After all, the former third-rounder was not re-signed by the team, and the 28-year-old instead joined the Eagles on a two-year, $5.25MM contract. Even though his former team didn’t put up much of an effort towards retaining him, Fletcher isn’t worked up about the ordeal. Via Bob Grotz of The Trentonian…
“It will be good to see them again,” Fletcher said. “I look forward to the competition of the game. I look forward to going against them. But at the end of the day it’s another football game to me. I look at it as another game to get a ‘W’ and another game to put ourselves in a better position going forward in the season. I don’t really look at it as … I don’t really have a whole lot to say as far as talking to them.”
“The decision I made to come here to Philadelphia is the right decision. I’m happy to be here. It’s a great organization and I’m enjoying it. I look forward to this Sunday. It will be cool to play the team I started out with but this was where I want to be.”
Let’s take a look at what else is happening around the NFC…
- With LaAdrian Waddle on his way back from injury, the Lions likely won’t be pursuing a free agent offensive tackle, writes ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein.
- The handling of the Steve Smith situation will not have any impact on negotiations between the Panthers and future free agents, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton.
- Considering how long it takes to acclimate a new player into a team’s system, Newton doesn’t believe the Panthers will pursue an offensive lineman to replace Byron Bell.
- Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway continues to recover from a broken hand and three broken ribs, but he’s still trying his best to contribute to the team. “Just trying to help them out with stuff I’m seeing,” Greenway said (via Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN Radio). “Formations, communications I’m hearing and trying to get the information to those guys and do what I can.”
Practice Squad Notes: Colts, Eagles, Bills
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here..
- The Colts signed safety Winston Guy to their practice squad and released linebacker Rob Ruggiero to make room, according to Mike Chappell of RTV6 (on Twitter).
- The Eagles waived Jake Knott with an injury settlement, according to Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Knott was signed to the Eagles’ practice squad after his four-game suspenion was completed, but he injured his knee.
- The Bills have signed wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt to the practice squad, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Fellow wide receiver Caleb Holley, who sat out Thursday’s practice, was placed on the practice squad injured list. Roosevelt, 27 in December, was in camp with the Lions earlier this year.
NFC East Notes: Redskins, Sproles, Watt, Foles
The Redskins‘ defense is making youthful mistakes and the staff at CSNWashington.com wondered aloud if they should consider bringing in guys like Asante Samuel or Champ Bailey rather than watching Bashaud Breeland play corner. Here’s more from the NFC East..
- Eagles running back Darren Sproles is still mad about how things ended with the Saints, writes Mark Eckel of The Times of Trenton. “I felt disrespected there,’’ said Sproles. “Listen, I understand this is business and all of that, but (when they talked about trading him) they put it up on Twitter. That’s how I found out. There was a screen shot and a friend of mine texted it to me. I felt they did me wrong. First, Sean (Payton) told me they were going to cut me. Then I find out on Twitter they’re trading me. That’s just not right.”
- As his team prepares to face J.J. Watt this Sunday, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett says there are no regrets about passing on the star defensive lineman to select tackle Tyron Smith in the 2011 draft (link via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Watt may be the best defensive player in the league, but Smith is one of the NFL’s best left tackles, and Dallas drafted him at a time when the club needed “cornerstone” pieces on its offensive line.
- The Eagles are going to have a lot of interesting decisions to make after the season but at the moment, whether to make Nick Foles a wealthy man doesn’t look like it’ll be one of them, writes Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News. Their cornerbacks also setting the world on fire. Bradley Fletcher will have to step it up if he’s going to get a new contract from the Eagles. Cary Williams, meanwhile, isn’t worth his $8.2MM cap number in 2015 and could wind up getting cut.
- Yesterday, our own Luke Adams looked at Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin as an extension candidate. Luke speculates that an annual salary in the $7-$8MM range on a five-year deal could be enough to get Maclin to sign.
Extension Candidate: Jeremy Maclin
Whether or not they strictly adhere to them, many teams have policies in place that precludes in-season contract extensions, even for players on the verge of free agency. A Week 1 deadline for contract negotiations means that players won’t be distracted during the season by haggling over contract figures, and can focus all their attention on their performance on the field as they play for a new contract.
The Eagles haven’t completed an in-season extension for one of their players since 2009, but the club isn’t entirely opposed to the concept. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week that the team is open to the idea of locking up No. 1 receiver Jeremy Maclin to a deal that will keep him in an Eagles uniform beyond this season. While it’s not clear if negotiations between Philadelphia and Maclin’s camp are underway, the 26-year-old is eligible for free agency in March, so the team should be motivated to get something done, if not during the season, then shortly thereafter.
Coming off an ACL injury that wiped out his 2013 season, Maclin settled for a one-year, $5.5MM contract, even though the Eagles were willing to make him a longer-term offer. The former 19th overall pick reportedly turned down a five-year proposal from the team, preferring to bet on himself to have a big 2014 season and earn a more lucrative deal in 2015.
While terms of the Eagles’ five-year offer to Maclin aren’t known, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was in the same ballpark as the contract offered to and signed by fellow wideout Riley Cooper. After setting career-highs in receptions (47), receiving yards (835), and touchdowns (eight) during the 2013 campaign, Cooper received a five-year, $22.5MM contract, with $8MM in fully guaranteed money. Maclin’s track record suggested he had a higher ceiling – and floor – than Cooper, so perhaps the Eagles offered him a little more in terms of annual average salary or guaranteed money. But Maclin was coming off a serious knee injury, so it seems unlikely Philadelphia made him too lucrative an offer, especially considering the Missouri product opted for the one-year deal instead.
A contract in the ballpark of Cooper’s deal may have been a fair offer eight months ago, but Maclin’s value is already on the rise through four games this season. He leads the Eagles in all major receiving categories, and is on pace to establish new career-bests in receptions (80), receiving yards (1,412), and touchdowns (12).
Of course, projecting one’s pace after just a quarter of the season is a dangerous game, particularly for a player like Maclin, who is coming off a major injury a year ago and hasn’t played a full 16-game slate since 2010. Still, Maclin’s early-season production suggests he’s capable of assuming the role of Philadelphia’s top wideout now that DeSean Jackson is in Washington, and if he and the Eagles open extension talks, Maclin’s September play will factor significantly in his asking price.
As long as Maclin continues to produce and stays healthy, he should have a chance to match or exceed the five-year contracts signed by the top free agent wideouts of 2014’s class — Eric Decker‘s $36.25MM pact and Golden Tate‘s $31MM deal would likely be targets for Maclin and his agent, and you can certainly make a case that those players are appropriate comparables for the Eagles wideout.
Decker’s numbers during his final two years in Denver were markedly better than any of Maclin’s full-season totals, but those figures were impacted greatly by the fact that Peyton Manning was throwing passes to Decker. As for Tate, in a more conservative Seattle offense, his 64-catch, 898-yard production in 2013 looks pretty similar to the sort of seasons Maclin was posting during his first four years in Philadelphia. In a more pass-heavy Lions offense this season, Tate is off to a start similar to Maclin’s, minus the touchdowns — 24 receptions for 317 yards.
The Eagles may be inclined to wait until season’s end to address Maclin’s contract situation, in order to ensure he stays healthy and continues to build rapport with quarterback Nick Foles. But if the sixth-year wideout does both of those things, his stock will only continue to rise right along with his 2014 receiving totals. Getting him locked up now to a contract in the neighborhood of Decker’s could be Philadelphia’s most prudent move, and perhaps an annual salary in the $7-8MM range would be enough to get Maclin to sign off the sort of five-year contract he turned down last winter.
Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday
Tuesday is often a busy day for practice squad transactions, as teams fill spots vacated by players who were promoted over the weekend, or shuffle their 10-man units around based on injuries to the 53-man roster during Sunday’s games. We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad signings and cuts right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….
- The Lions have added running back William Powell to their practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). Powell, 26, was cut by the Texans in late August.
- The Titans have released quarterback Brad Sorensen from their practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). Sorensen was a Chargers seventh-round pick in 2013.
- The Jets have swapped out one cornerback for another, adding LeQuan Lewis to their PS while removing Brandon Smith, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- The Panthers’ practice squad is now full after Carolina signed linebacker Horace Miller and running back Tauren Poole, the team announced on Twitter.
- The Eagles removed two players from their practice squad, cutting linebacker Brandon Hepburn and offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Linebacker Jake Knott will return Philly’s PS after serving a four-game PED suspension, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
- The Rams have re-signed tight end Brad Smelley to their practice squad, tweets Howard Balzer. To clear a roster spot, St. Louis cut defensive end Kourtnei Brown from the PS.
Earlier Updates:
- The Texans have placed receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu on the practice squad injured list, tweets Palmer. Houston’s PS is now down to eight players.
- The Dolphins have filled their final taxi squad slot by adding defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Dieke was cut by the Giants last month.
- Browns long snapper Christian Yount may be looking over his shoulder this week, as the Browns announced they’ve added long snapper Charley Hughlett to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter). Hughlett replaces defensive lineman Calvin Barnett.
- The Bills have swapped one tight end for another, replacing D.J. Tialavea with Jamie Childers, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
- Kicker Chris Boswell has been removed from the Texans‘ practice squad, per James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (Twitter link).
- Nose tackle Robert Thomas has replaced fellow defensive lineman Hebron Fangupo on the Redskins‘ practice squad, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Thomas went unclaimed on waivers after being cut by Washington on the weekend.
- The Dolphins have removed cornerback Rod Sweeting from their practice squad, signing tight end Jake Murphy to take his place, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
- Wideout Travis Labhart, who was on the Texans‘ practice squad earlier this season, will rejoin Houston’s unit, a source tells David Nuño of KTRK-TV in Houston (Twitter link). The team currently has no openings, so one of the 10 current players will need to be cut or promoted to clear room for Labhart.
Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll keep tabs on Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….
- The Colts placed Mario Harvey on injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- Defensive end Chase Vaughn has been cut from the Broncos‘ injured reserve list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Panthers have waived running back Tauren Poole, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Carolina is still short-handed at the position, but is expected to explore adding a more veteran back this week.
- To make room for Chris Owusu, whose signing is noted below, the Jets are waiving cornerback LeQuan Lewis, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). As Cimini notes, Lewis committed two penalties on special teams in Sunday’s game.
- The Chargers have swapped one defender for another on their practice squad, re-signing safety Adrian Phillips and cutting defensive lineman Chas Alecxih, the team announced today in a press release.
- Defensive end Frank Alexander (Panthers), safety Jakar Hamilton (Cowboys), wideout Ace Sanders (Jaguars), and safety Reshad Jones (Dolphins) have all been reinstated from their suspensions, tweets Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange. Their respective teams won’t have to make corresponding moves immediately, since all four clubs will have roster exemptions that last until next Monday (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- The Eagles‘ beat-up offensive line will receive a little help this week, as Lane Johnson has been activated after serving his four-game suspension (Twitter link). To make room on the 53-man roster, the club has waived offensive lineman Kevin Graf.
- After adding T.J. Graham to the roster earlier today, the Jets will sign another wideout, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who reports that former Buccaneer Chris Owusu is set to join the club (Twitter links).
- The Colts have waived wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers on the heels of his arrest for DUI, according to a team release. Head coach Chuck Pagano confirmed to reporters, including Mike Chappell of RTV6 (Twitter link), that Rogers was cut for conduct detrimental to the team. Indianapolis also promoted safety Dewey McDonald from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, and moved Robert Mathis from the reserve/suspended list to the reserve/non-football injury list.
- With a short week ahead of them and Teddy Bridgewater recovering from an ankle injury, the Vikings have added another quarterback to their practice quad, signing Chandler Harnish and cutting wideout Donte Foster (Twitter link).
- Wide receiver Tommy Streeter has signed to the Jaguars‘ practice squad, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Jacksonville currently has a full 10-man unit, so someone will have to be dropped – or promoted – to make room for Streeter.
- The Redskins have signed outside linebacker Gabe Miller to fill the final opening on their practice squad, per agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link).
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Giants, Redskins
LeSean McCoy is under contract with the Eagles through 2017, but 2014 acts as something of a contract year for the veteran running back, since his salary balloons next season to $9.75MM, significantly more than he’s making in any other year of his deal. With his cap number on the rise and running back contracts around the league on the decline, McCoy is off to a slow start this season, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. While the Eagles’ banged-up offensive line isn’t doing Shady any favors, he “doesn’t look like the same player” he was in 2013, according to Fitzgerald, who suggests that a down year for McCoy would force the Eagles to make a difficult decision for 2015.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- The roster exemption the Giants received for cornerback Jayron Hosley, who is back from suspension, is for a week, so the team won’t have to make a move to get down to 53 players until next Monday, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- Appearing on WIP in Philadelphia, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly confirmed the club has not brought free agent lineman Richie Incognito for a workout, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), who adds that it sounds like there’s no interest there.
- The Redskins have multiple openings on both their 53-man roster and their practice squad, but those spots likely won’t stay open for long. Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that the team is having a large group of players in to audition today.
- Earlier this morning, we rounded up a few Cowboys items.
NFC Notes: Eagles, Bridgewater, Panthers
Despite scoring 21 points in a loss to the 49ers, the Eagles offense was shut out during the game. They scored on a blocked punt, and interception return, and a punt return. When speaking after the game, head coach Chip Kelly was very critical of the team’s ability to run the football and block along the offensive line, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Dailey News (via Twitter). “We got lumped up front,” said Kelly. “They created pressure with three and four rushers. [We] tried to put in quarterback’s hands.”
The Eagles could not run the ball, and Kelly attributes that to the troubles along the offensive line, writes Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). “We’re not very good up front right now,” said Kelly.
The team is without starting offensive linemen Jason Kelce and Evan Mathis due to injury, and Lane Johnson is set to return to game action next weekend after serving a four-game suspension. They also lost left tackle Jason Peters for portions of the past two games, last week to an ejection and today due to injury.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- Vikings‘ quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was brilliant in his first NFL start, but he left the game late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. X-rays came out negative, and he will undergo an MRI tomorrow. The question is whether or not he will be ready to play this Thursday against Green Bay, and head coach Mike Zimmer is optimistic on his quarterback’s chances. “I assume he’s going to play,” said Zimmer. “Teddy’s pretty dang tough.”
- After Bridgewater left with the injury, the Vikings turned to former first-round pick Christian Ponder once again. Ponder was prepared to be back in the starting lineup, but has come to terms with the team’s commitment to Bridgewater.“Football is a crazy game and injuries unfortunately always happen. I’ve got to be prepared, God forbid something happens to Teddy. It’s Teddy’s team,” Ponder said. “Teddy, he was the first-round pick this past year and that’s the direction they’re heading. For me, I’m going to prepare to play if something happens, but I’m here to support Teddy and help him any way I can.”
- The Panthers‘ running game has struggled this season with injuries to Mike Tolbert and Jonathan Stewart, in addition to a limited Cam Newton. It only got worse today, and DeAngelo Williams left the game early and was not able to return, writes Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. The team had to play two undrafted free agents in the backfield, and will have trouble finding replacements if those injuries persist all season.