Reaction To Sam Bradford’s Season-Ending Injury
The Rams confirmed yesterday that quarterback Sam Bradford had re-torn his ACL, an injury that will end his season before it begins. It’s a tragic turn for the young QB, and it will force St. Louis to answer many questions in the coming weeks and months. Is Shaun Hill capable of leading a team? Are there better alternatives available? And will Bradford’s contract prevent him from staying with the Rams in 2015? Let’s look at some reactions to the news from around the league:
- While Jeff Fisher and the rest of the Rams’ staff will meet to discuss quarterback options available through free agency and trade, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported (Twitter link) they hadn’t done so as of yesterday afternoon.
- Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that St. Louis might simply be content with Hill, it feels it’s a defensive-oriented team with a strong running game. In fact, the “team believes it has more talent around the QB than [it has] in years.”
- Despite reports that there is “no chance” the Eagles trade Mark Sanchez, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that the Rams do want to acquire him, but accept that such move is a longshot. Cole continues, saying that the Rams are also considering Ryan Mallett.
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald thinks (on Twitter) that the Rams should call the Dolphins about Matt Moore‘s availability.
- Field Yates of ESPN Insider (subscription required) examines the Rams’ options both this year (possible trades for Kirk Cousins or Mike Glennon) and beyond (sticking with Bradford versus drafting a quarterback in 2015).
- Regarding Cousins, a source tells Mike Jones and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post that the Redskins are wary of trading Cousins while Robert Griffin III continues to struggle with Jay Gruden’s offense.
- Because the Rams can save almost $13MM against the cap in 2015 by releasing Bradford, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes that it’s impossible to conceive him sticking on the Rams after this season.
- Bill Barnwell of Grantland agrees, writing that it would be a massive mistake for the Rams to keep Bradford around for next season.
- St. Louis might have trouble trading for a quarterback (specifically, a QB’s salary) as they rank last in the NFL with just $1.678MM in cap space, per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Corry points (on Twitter) to Chris Long and James Laurinaitis as candidates to have their contracts restructured in an effort to free up cap room.
NFC Notes: Cassel, Brent, Packers, Garrard
Even after the Vikings traded back into the first round of May’s draft to select Louisville product Teddy Bridgewater, the prevailing wisdom was that Matt Cassel would be the Week 1 starter at quarterback in Minnesota. Per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports 1 (Twitter link), that notion has held, as head coach Mike Zimmer has informed the Vikings’ players that Cassel will indeed open the season as the team’s No. 1 QB.
Zimmer himself confirmed the news to reporters, including Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (on Twitter), saying that Cassel was the favorite in the competition from the start. “Matt did not do anything to lose the job this preseason,” said Zimmer. “I think he’s played great. The team has a lot of confidence in him.” Through three preseason games, Cassel has completed 26 of 39 passes for 367 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception, while Bridgewater has completed 26 of 40 pass attempts for 266 yards, four scores, and no picks.
On a macro level, this news means that no rookie quarterback will be his team’s Week 1 starter (unless Matt Schaub‘s injury lingers and David Carr is forced to take the reins for the Raiders). Chad Henne was chosen to start over Blake Bortles in Jacksonville, and Johnny Manziel lost out out Brian Hoyer in Cleveland. Still, I’d be surprised if two or three (or perhaps all four) of said rookies aren’t starting games by season’s end.
More notes from the NFC:
- While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appears ready to save a roster spot for Josh Brent, the defensive tackle likely won’t require an active roster spot when the NFL reinstates him. According to Ed Werder of ESPN.com, the league is expected to suspend Brent if and when he’s reinstated. “He’s not just going to walk back onto the field,” a source tells Werder.
- Even after B.J. Raji‘s season-ending biceps injury, Green Bay has enough depth along the defensive line that it won’t be signing ex-Packer Ryan Pickett, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Unhappy with incumbent Alex Henery, the Eagles had been scouting teams with a surplus of kickers, tweets Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Berman points to Dustin Hopkins, released by the Bills this morning, as one option for the Birds.
- It’s unclear if he was simply being humorous, but David Garrard lobbied the Rams (via Twitter) to give him a call following Sam Bradford‘s season-ending injury. Garrard is 36 and has dealt with numerous injuries in the last few years — it’s highly doubtful St. Louis would be interested.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
“No Chance” Of Mark Sanchez To The Rams
With Sam Bradford out for the season with a torn ACL, the Rams will have to turn to backup quarterback Shaun Hill to lead them through the season in a brutal NFC West.
Other options have been open, including Eagles’ backup quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sanchez spent three years under the tutelage of Rams’ offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer during their time with the Jets, with the duo advancing to two AFC Championship games in three seasons.
Despite the obvious connection, Tom Pelissero of USA Today is told there is “no chance” of Sanchez being moved to the Rams this season. Sanchez has a chance at a fresh start under Chip Kelly’s offense, and is no interested in grabbing a starting job on a Rams team expected to finish last in their division (via Twitter).
Head coach Jeff Fisher is adamant that the team is content going forward with Shaun Hill, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). “Shaun (Hill) is our guy,” said Fisher. “We have around our QB position as much talent as we’ve had since we’ve been here.”
Fisher did respond to the rumors that the team would look outside the organization to find help at quarterback, as reported on the teams official Twitter page. “That’s not true. It doesn’t mean to say that we won’t, but we haven’t done it to this point.”
Fisher and his staff will eventually evaluate the quarterback market to gauge who is available, reports Rapoport (via Twitter). However, Rapoport also notes that the team had the option to sign Sanchez in the offseason, and elected to go after Shaun Hill instead (via Twitter).
Another big name backup, Christian Ponder, was not called when Bradford went down last year, and Pellissero would be surprised if anything had changed that would make the Rams interested this time around (via Twitter).
According to our Pro Football Rumors readers, Redskins’ Kirk Cousins is still the best quarterback by trade.
East Notes: Griffin, Brent, Branch
Robert Griffin III struggled in the Redskins‘ third preseason game against the Ravens on Saturday night, and that has led to a great deal of chatter as to whether he or backup Kirk Cousins represents the team’s best option under center. Redskins’ legend Joe Theismann weighed in on the conversation in the fourth quarter of last night’s game (as transcribed by Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post) stating:
“Let’s stop beating around the bush. Kirk Cousins has played much better at the quarterback position than Robert Griffin III has…Now, if there was a quarterback competition, it wouldn’t be a competition. Kirk Cousins would be the man I believe [head coach Jay Gruden] would have to go to.”
Theismann continued to sing Cousins’ praises after the game ended. Former Redskin Brian Mitchell, an analyst on the team’s post game show, disagreed with Theismann’s assessment, stating that Griffin, not Cousins, gives Washington the best chance of winning. For what it’s worth, Liz Clarke of the Washington Post writes that Griffin rejects the belief that he has regressed this preseason.
Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com points out the obvious flaw in Theismann’s analysis, writing that, since there never was a quarterback competition in Redskins camp–Griffin entered the offseason as the undisputed starter–there is no way to determine whether Griffin or Cousins would have won such a competition. If the starting job was up for grabs, Cousins would have had a chance to work with the first team offense against the Ravens’ first-team defense, and no one can say how that would have altered the evaluation.
- Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com reports that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expects a decision from the league regarding a potential suspension for DT Josh Brent “imminently.” Jones has previously stated that the team will have a roster spot for Brent if the NFL allows him to play.
- Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News writes that undrafted free agent wideout Corey Washington has had a monster preseason for the Giants and has thrust himself into serious consideration for a roster spot.
- Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com tweets that it will be a few days before a final diagnosis is made on Geoff Schwartz, and in a full-length piece Ranaan describes how the Giants might go about replacing him.
- In a pair of articles, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post offers a little more on Schwartz, some Giants‘ roster machinations, and he describes the quality performances displayed by a few of the Giants’ younger players.
- I rounded up a few Eagles links here.
- In the wake of Alan Branch‘s recent arrest, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reexamines the financial ramifications the Bills would face if they were to release Branch.
- Marc Sessler of NFL.com writes that Bills coach Doug Marrone is open to shopping for a new backup quarterback. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com wonders (via Twitter) if the team would consider Luke McCown if he is cut by New Orleans, as the Saints and the Bills have a similar offensive system.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe describes how the new practice squad rules could impact several players on the Patriots‘ roster bubble.
- Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe provides a closer look on how the Patriots will pare their roster down to 75 players by Tuesday’s deadline.
- The Jets released six players earlier today.
Eagles Notes: Henery, Barkley, Cuts
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer expounds upon the Eagles’ kicking battle that he referenced several days ago. McLane writes that Alex Henery‘s “chip shot shank” on Thursday night against the Steelers has created a real quandary for the club. The Eagles released Henery’s first challenger this season, Carey Spear, and just acquired Cody Parkey via trade.
Parkey had been on the Colts’ roster–behind incumbent Adam Vinatieri–and was successful on attempts from 45 and 31 yards in the team’s second preseason contest. He was just 14 of 19 in his final season at Auburn University, and he missed a 33-yard try in the second quarter of the BCS Championship Game.
McLane writes that there are currently 12 teams with two kickers on their roster, and the free agent options include Rob Bironas, Rian Lindell, and long-time Eagle David Akers. However, at this point it appears that Philadelphia will wait and see what Henery and Parkey can do in practice this week and in the final preseason contest against the Jets.
Now for some more Eagles notes:
- Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Matt Barkley will start the Eagles’ final preseason game on Thursday. The team feels secure with Mark Sanchez as the primary backup and would like to see a more extensive exhibition from Barkley. As Berman notes, unless Barkley performs so well that another team considers making a trade for him, or struggles to the extent that the Eagles would consider keeping G.J. Kinne instead, Barkely will enter the season as the team’s No. 3 signal-caller.
- In a separate piece, Berman offers a little more on the team’s first wave of roster cuts and adds a couple of injury notes.
- Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com provides a position-by-position breakdown of the Eagles’ defensive performance against the Steelers.
Eagles Notes: Kelly, Barner, Huff
The Eagles have a lot of former Oregon Ducks on their roster, with alumni of the Pac-12 power making up 12% of the 76-man roster after their recent cuts, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.. This includes former Panther Kenjon Barner, who the team recently traded for. Head coach Chip Kelly, who coached at Oregon previously, is comfortable bringing players from his former program.
“I like having good football players,” Kelly said. “So we think the guys we have here are good football players. There’s another 20 or 30 other Oregon guys that are in this league that are on other teams. They’re good football players.”
Here are some other notes from around Eagles’ camp:
- Speaking of Barner, the addition of the running back has created a very crowded backfield in Philadelphia, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Chris Polk was thought of as the third back, but hamstring troubles led to the team bringing in Barner. They will both compete with Matthew Tucker and Henry Josey for roster spots.
- Another Oregon product, rookie receiver Josh Huff, suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder in the preseason game against the Patriots, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. Kelly is optimistic about his return, saying that he is not a candidate for the injured reserve list at this point, according to Berman (via Twitter).
- PhillyMag.com rewatched the team’s preseason game against the Steelers, focusing on the defense. Sheil Kapadia wrote the article, and was extremely complimentary of the defensive players. Among the highlights, he noted that Brandon Graham was unblockable, first-round pick Marcus Smith was much improved, and the team was strong overall among the front seven. The corners struggled at times, but the safeties played well with the exception of Chris Maragos, who was beaten for a touchdown.
Eagles Cut 14
The Eagles have announced their first wave of roster cuts:
- Blake Annen, TE
- Michael Bamiro, OL
- Karim Barton, OL
- Kadron Boone, WR
- B.J. Cunningham, WR
- Donald Hawkins, OL
- Emil Igwenagu, TE
- Jake Knott, LB
- Joe Kruger, DE
- Daytawion Lowe, S
- Frances Mays, DE
- Davon Morgan, S
- Carey Spear, K
- Alejandro Villanueva, DE
Knott is somewhat of a surprise given his special-teams contributions last season, but he dealt with a hamstring injury during training camp and faces a four-game suspension.
East Notes: Henery, Bills, Vick, Cowboys
After spending the last three years as the Eagles‘ kicker, Alex Henery may be losing his grip on the job this preseason, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer details. In last night’s preseason game against the Steelers, a day after the Eagles brought aboard another kicker (Cody Parkey), Henery missed a 31-yard attempt.
“I wish I could put my finger on that,” said head coach Chip Kelly, asked if Henery was losing his confidence. “I don’t know what he’s battling. Obviously, you got to make a field goal like that. You got to make it.”
As we wait to see what decision the Eagles make on their kicking situation, let’s round up a few more notes out of the NFL’s two East divisions….
- According to Mike Ozanian of Forbes, Sabres owner Terry Pegula did indeed make the high initial bid for the Bills, but it was significantly lower than previously reported. Ozanian pegs the non-binding figure at $890MM, and says the bids by Jon Bon Jovi‘s group and Donald Trump came in at $820MM and $809MM respectively. The next round of bids could be higher, but Ozanian thinks it may be in the Wilson trust’s best interests to fire Morgan Stanley – the investment bank handling the sale – and to start over.
- Meanwhile, John Kryk of the Toronto Sun writes that Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke, who is reportedly on his way out of the organization, had little to do with the Toronto group’s Bills bid, outside of introducing Bon Jovi and MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum.
- Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com takes a look at Michael Vick‘s situation in New York, where the veteran Jets quarterback seems willing to take a back seat to Geno Smith to start the season. “I’m at a very good place,” Vick said. “Very relaxed. Things are more laid back right now as far as football, and off the field. No stress, no pressure. Even though, when you play football, there is always some sort of pressure. But at this stage of my career, I’m just trying to refresh and regroup and see where it takes me.”
- Referring to the Cowboys‘ linebacker corps, sans Sean Lee, as the “worst in history,” Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News suggests the team will need to keep a close eye on the waiver wire next week and potentially snatch up a player dropped by another club.
Poll: Which Rookie WR Will Have Best Season?
They say there are some things you can’t teach in sports. One of them is size. Another is the ability to make a jaw-dropping one-handed catch after tripping just one second prior. Bills rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins is lacking in the first department but he’s got the latter down pat.
With top-level speed, excellent agility, and soft hands, Watkins was almost universally regarded as the top WR talent in the 2014 class. So, he’s a lock to win this poll, right? Maybe not. Second-year quarterback EJ Manuel boasts a strong arm but he’s far from elite and one has to wonder how many quality balls he can deliver to Manuel. The Clemson product is also working through a rib injury which could possibly hamper him to start the season.
Moving further down the draft board, there are plenty of other wide receivers with an opportunity to make a name for themselves in year one. The Panthers overhauled their entire receiving corps this offseason and many are expecting big things out of FSU’s Kelvin Benjamin. In New Orleans, many are skeptical of what the once solid Marques Colston can do and the hype around Brandin Cooks is reaching a fever pitch. And, without DeSean Jackson, Jordan Matthews could see a lot of balls thrown his way in Philadelphia. Beyond those guys, there are even more promising WR’s from this year’s receiver-heavy draft. Who among them will have the best 2014 season?
Which Rookie WR Will Have The Best 2014?
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Brandin Cooks (Saints) 18% (142)
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Jordan Matthews (Eagles) 17% (138)
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Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers) 16% (125)
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Sammy Watkins (Bills) 12% (92)
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Mike Evans (Bucs) 11% (88)
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Other 9% (71)
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Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants) 7% (59)
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Cody Latimer (Broncos) 6% (49)
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Marqise Lee (Jaguars) 4% (30)
Total votes: 794
Colts Acquire David Fluellen From Eagles
The Colts have traded for Eagles’ running back David Fluellen, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Fluellen became expendable after the Eagles traded for Kenjon Barner of the Panthers earlier this week.
In return, the Eagles will receive kicker Cody Parkey from the Colts.
Fluellen, who was reported as cut earlier today, ended up on the trading block as his release was not set to become official until 4 P.M. EST, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
Both players were on the way out from their respective teams, therefore the swap was most likely made for each to avoid waivers, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
Mosher also notes that the team is unlikely to carry three kickers for very long, and expects Cary Spear to be relesed soon (via Twitter).