HEADLINES

Case Keenum

AFC North Links: Shipley, Keenum, Cox, Grossman

August 31st, 2014 at 8:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Former Ravens center A.Q. Shipley wasn’t unemployed for very long, as he was claimed off waivers by his former team, the Colts, earlier today. The offensive lineman briefly spoke to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun and reflected on his stint with Baltimore (all via Wilson’s Twitter):

“I was definitely surprised to get cut, being a veteran guy. I understand it’s a business…Definitely a good feeling to go back to a lot of familiar faces and an offense I was learning before I got traded…I totally understand about keeping draft picks. I get it. John Urschel is a good kid. I’m happy for him…I had a lot of fun playing for the Ravens. It was great.”

Let’s check out some more rumblings from the AFC North…

  • Considering Case Keenum‘s connection to Baltimore offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley believes the Ravens could pursue the quarterback.
  • Derek Cox will not be signing with the Ravens this evening, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. However, there’s a good chance he’ll be back with Baltimore soon, possibly on Monday.
  • Browns coach Mike Pettine indicated that recently-released quarterback Rex Grossman might be back sooner than later. “I wouldn’t read too much into it right now,” he said (via a tweet from the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot). “Some guys could come back. It’s fluid.”
  • The Browns worked out former Bears offensive lineman James Brown, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs (via Twitter).

Sunday Transactions: AFC South

August 31st, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC South teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Houston Texans:

Indianapolis Colts:

Jacksonville Jaguars:

  • Claimed off waivers: Mickey Shuler, TE (via Ryan O’Halloran on Twitter)
  • Cut: Marcel Jensen, TE (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter)
  • Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Cody Booth, T; DeAndre Coleman, DT; Henry Josey, RB (via Adam Caplan on Twitter); Craig Loston, S; Stephen Morris, QB; Kerry Taylor, WR; Tony Washington, WR; Marcus Whitfield, LB. The team has also added cornerback Peyton Thompson, reports Michael DiRocco (via Twitter), although the team has not officially announced the signing.

Tennessee Titans:

Texans Acquire Ryan Mallett From Pats

August 31st, 2014 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

1:27pm: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) is now reporting that the Texans are sending a conditional seventh-round pick for 2016 to New England in the deal. It appears as if that may be the lone pick involved in the swap, rather than it being in addition to the previously-reported 2015 sixth-rounder.

12:46pm: The Pats will receive a sixth-round pick in exchange for Mallett, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Ganguli also reported that Keenum is indeed the roster casualty involved in the move.

12:35pm: Ryan Mallett may have earned a spot on the Patriots’ initial 53-man roster, but he didn’t stick around long. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), New England has traded its backup quarterback to the Texans.

Mallett, who has been Tom Brady’s backup in New England for multiple seasons, has drawn trade interest during the past couple years, and became more expendable after the club drafted Jimmy Garoppolo this past May. The Pats weren’t looking to just give him away, but as Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweeted during the preseason, Mallett “might as well be wearing a For Sale sign around his neck” this summer.

The Texans had frequently been cited as the most likely destination for Mallett this offseason, given the presence of former Patriots quarterback coach Bill O’Brien in Houston. A report back in March suggested that the Texans had inquired on Mallett and had some interest in the former third-round pick, though at the time John McClain of the Houston Chronicle shot down the idea that Houston would acquire the Pats’ backup. Rumors resurfaced during draft week, but were again shot down shortly thereafter.

Houston is heading into the season with Ryan Fitzpatrick as its starter, and also drafted Tom Savage back in May. Case Keenum was the third signal-caller to earn a spot on the Texans’ initial 53-man roster, but his time in Houston seems to be nearing an end now that Mallett is in the mix.

Before sending him to the Texans, the Pats also discussed a Mallett trade with the Bills and Cowboys, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter).

South Notes: Jags, Babin, Bucs, Falcons

June 19th, 2014 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jaguars are being smart by taking a slow, deliberate approach with Blake Bortles, writes Jim Corbett of USA Today. The rookie quarterback has stumbled at times in practice, but GM Dave Caldwell is focusing on the positives and not stressing the mistakes. Here’s more on the Jags and a few other teams in the NFL’s two South divisions:

  • The Jaguars‘ decision to release veteran defensive end Jason Babin today wasn’t an easy one, according to Caldwell, who spoke to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union about the move. “It was something that we met about until last night with the coaching staff,” Caldwell said. “Jason’s been great for us. But it was something we felt would be better now than the first, second or third week of training camp.”
  • Now that Babin is a free agent, the Buccaneers and Falcons could be two potential suitors to watch, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. According to Garafolo, both NFC South teams have been kicking the tires on veteran pass rushers who may be available via trade.
  • Even after the Texans parted ways with T.J. Yates, sending him to Atlanta, Case Keenum isn’t taking his spot on Houston’s roster for granted, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Keenum is expected to battle rookie signal-caller Tom Savage for the No. 2 job behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC South Notes: Texans, Hilton, Jaguars

June 9th, 2014 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Like Eric Fisher a year ago, No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney will have offsets in his rookie contract with the Texans, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). Draft picks are typically agreeing to terms quicker than ever because the new CBA doesn’t leave much room for negotiations, but the presence of offsets in deals for first-round picks was one possible point of contention. Still, with offsets in the deals for Clowney and No. 4 pick Sammy Watkins, the Rams and Jaguars should be able to push for similar contracts for Greg Robinson and Blake Bortles, as Breer notes (via Twitter).

Here’s more from out of the AFC South:

  • The Texans may release a quarterback before training camp, head coach Bill O’Brien told reporters, including Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. With Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Savage viewed as locks for the regular-season roster, either Case Keenum or T.J. Yates is expected to be the odd man out.
  • Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton, who has two years left on his rookie deal, has fired agent Drew Rosenhaus, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). It’s the second time Rosenhaus has made headlines in the last 24 hours — he’s also on the receiving end of allegations made by Redskins receiver DeSean Jackson.
  • The Jaguars have cut offensive tackle Demarcus Love to make room to sign wide receiver Brandon Wimberly, tweets John Oesher of Jaguars.com. Wimberly participated in the club’s rookie minicamp as a tryout player last month.