HEADLINES

Drew Stanton

Blaine Gabbert To Remain Cardinals’ QB

November 27th, 2017 at 1:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Blaine Gabbert‘s two-game performance has earned him a promotion. Bruce Arians confirmed Monday the previous third-string quarterback has leapfrogged Drew Stanton on the depth chart.

Arians said (via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, on Twitter) Gabbert will be the starter and Stanton the backup going forward. Carson Palmer is not expected to return this season.

Stanton suffered a knee sprain that sidelined him and let Gabbert into the lineup the past two weeks, and the former first-round pick led the Cardinals to an upset win over the AFC South-leading Jaguars on Sunday. Gabbert’s thrown for 498 yards and five touchdown passes, while completing 61 percent of his passes, in the two games he’s started.

With Palmer having not committed to a 2018 return, Arians said considering how Gabbert’s playing right now he would feel “very confident” in starting him next season if that came to pass, per Urban (via Twitter).

Stanton counts $4.15MM against Arizona’s cap this season. Gabbert is making less than $1MM. Both players’ contracts expire after this season.

NFC Notes: Bears, Floyd, Redskins, Pryor

November 20th, 2017 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Bears coach John Fox says linebacker Leonard Floyd is going to miss some time, but he would not commit to putting Floyd on injured reserve when speaking to reporters on Monday (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune). That’s because the team believes that he does not have a torn ACL, so a return later in the year is still possible. All in all, it’s good news for Floyd after he was carted off the field in Sunday’s loss to the Lions.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • Redskins wide receiver Terrelle Pryor is getting arthroscopic surgery on his ankle, a source tells Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Doctors should have a better idea of his recovery timetable after he goes under the knife. Pryor, a big free agent signing, has yet to really shine in Washington. To date, he has 20 catches for 240 yards with one touchdown in nine games.
  • Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston‘s shoulder was re-evaluated today and he is not ready to return, head coach Dirk Koetter tells reporters (Twitter link via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com). Winston will be out this week against the Falcons, but doctors will check him out next week.
  • Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says Blaine Gabbert will start again this week (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). The plan, he says, is to stick with him until Drew Stanton is totally healthy. Gabbert completed 22-of-34 of his passes for 257 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, both occurring late in the game. He did a solid job overall, but the Cardinals wound up falling short and falling to 4-6 on the year.
  • Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark suffered a high-ankle sprain on Sunday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The injury does not appear to be a season-ender, but he may miss multiple games.

NFC Notes: Winston, 49ers, Cards, Pryor

November 17th, 2017 at 2:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The woman who accused Jameis Winston of groping her in an Uber vehicle in 2016, via Buzzfeed report earlier today, said only she and Winston were in the car at the time. But Winston’s representatives assert there were several people in the car, with the Buccaneers quarterback sitting in the backseat, NFL.com reports. Winston’s statement pointed to there being multiple passengers in the vehicle as well. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) listened to the voicemail an Uber representative sent Winston, with the phrase “you or someone else in your vehicle engaged in inappropriate behavior” used. This led to Winston being banned from Uber but also has the third-year passer’s representatives saying there were more people in the car than the accuser’s account suggests.

Here’s the latest from the NFC.

  • The knee sprain Drew Stanton suffered will lead to the Cardinals starting a third quarterback this season. Bruce Arians said Blaine Gabbert will start Sunday against the Texans, marking the first time since October 2016 Gabbert will have started a game. Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com notes it will be a game-time decision for who will be Gabbert’s backup. Stanton, who sprained a knee against the Seahawks, being healthy enough to be an in-case-of-emergency option will make him the No. 2. If not, recently signed Matt Barkley will serve as the backup. This marks the second time in four seasons the Cardinals have needed to start three quarterbacks. This happened in 2014, when Carson Palmer, Stanton and Ryan Lindley opened with that playoff-qualifying team’s first unit.
  • John Lynch said the 49ers don’t need to see Jimmy Garoppolo start a certain number of games in order to make a judgment about him for the future. The rookie GM the franchise’s view of the longtime Patriots backup has been enhanced by Garoppolo’s first few weeks in San Francisco despite him not seeing game action yet. “We know what we like about Jimmy Garoppolo. And that’s only been strengthened by the time that’s he’s been here,” Lynch said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). “We’re just going to let these things play out. People have had all these ideas about why we got Jimmy. We got Jimmy because we think he has big-time ability at the quarterback position. And we believe so much – to get where we need to get – you have to have a franchise quarterback. We think he’s got that ability. Whether that happens, when that happens, we’ll see. But we certainly like his future with the 49ers.”
  • Both Terrelle Pryor and Jordan Reed will miss the Redskins‘ Week 11 against the Saints, and Pryor’s ankle injury looks like one that could shelve him for multiple weeks. Pryor will see Dr. James Andrews about his ankle, Master Tefatsion of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). Signed to a one-year contract, Pryor has been demoted from Washington’s first unit and now hopes he can return this season — one that’s doubled as a grim contract year. Center Spencer Long will also miss Washington’s game in New Orleans.
  • On the subject of less-than-ideal contract years, Ziggy Ansah will miss a second straight game with a back injury, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Injuries have limited the Lions defensive end for the past two seasons and figure to be a key part of the discussion once his contract expires after 2017. He has four sacks — all coming in two games — this season.
  • Mike Remmers experienced a concussion protocol setback this week and will miss the Vikings‘ Week 11 game against the Rams, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Andrew Sendejo will also miss Sunday’s game, the safety being out due to groin and hamstring pain. Rashod Hill and Anthony Harris will respectively replace the ailing duo in Minnesota’s starting lineup.

QB Rumors: Luck, Browns, Cardinals

November 11th, 2017 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Now on IR, Andrew Luck ventured outside the United States for possible medical solutions for his troublesome throwing shoulder. The Colts quarterback trekked to Europe to consider treatment options, Mike Wells and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com report. Peyton Manning was among the athletes who have traveled to Europe for non-traditional procedures, with Kobe Bryant doing so as well. Wells and Mortensen didn’t yet report any procedure has been done on Luck overseas, but this is an indication the passer may not be satisfied with his options in this country. Luck has consulted with several doctors this season and was given a cortisone shot last month prior to the Colts placing him on IR. The 28-year-old franchise cornerstone has dealt with shoulder pain since September 2015.

The Colts are working under the impression Luck will be ready for the 2018 season, but he’s not a lock to show for OTAs and Mortensen reported recently the team isn’t ignoring the 2018 rookie class of signal-callers. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com recently reported the four doctors with whom Luck has spoken have told him to not throw for two-to-three months. Luck is signed through 2021, but at 10 months removed from shoulder surgery, the former No. 1 pick is off track and without a timetable.

Here’s the latest on various quarterback situations from around the league.

  • Speaking of the 2018 quarterback crop, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com reports the Browns “absolutely” intend to draft a passer in the first round next year. Cleveland could well possess two top-10 picks, but Pluto notes the caveat here is this plan is contingent on this front office being retained after what’s looking like another miserable season. A quarterback selection would be an interesting development since the Browns passed on Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson the past two years. But the team was higher on Jared Goff in 2016, and executive VP Sashi Brown admitted to some degree the team missed on Wentz — whom the franchise’s new regime infamously said was not viewed internally as a potential top-20 quarterback. A recent report indicated the Browns are high on the 2018 quarterback class and didn’t want a player like Watson to impede them in this pursuit.
  • Carson Palmer is not ruling out the possibility of returning for the Cardinals‘ last two regular-season games, but like Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback would need his team to have a reason to bring him off IR. “I could potentially be available the last two weeks of the season,” Palmer said Saturday, via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “Who knows? I don’t know where I’ll be (with rehab) at that point. I don’t know where we will be as a team at that point. I just try to be as ready as I can as quick as I can.” Palmer did not give any indication as to which way he’s leaning regarding retirement, only to say he’s focused on returning from this broken arm. He’s under contract through next season.
  • On the subject of Cardinals quarterbacks, they might have to start a third this season. Drew Stanton suffered a sprained knee in Thursday’s loss to the Seahawks, Mortensen tweets. The Cards would start Blaine Gabbert in the event Stanton can’t go in Week 11 against the Texans. Mortensen adds Matt Barkley will be re-signed in this scenario. Barkley’s worked out for several teams this season since the 49ers cut him. The USC product played for the Cardinals in 2015.

NFC Rumors: Stanton, JPP, Lions, Packers

July 3rd, 2016 at 7:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Along with his scene-stealing sideline celebration against the Seahawks last season, Drew Stanton is best known for helping the Cardinals to the 2014 playoffs after Carson Palmer tore his ACL. But Arizona may be entertaining the idea of Stanton succeeding the 36-year-old Palmer as the starter when his career concludes.

Stanton told Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) he’s spoken with the Cardinals’ brass about having the chance to start once Palmer retires. That influenced the 32-year-old reserve’s decision to re-sign with the team, Marvez reports.

Signed to a two-year, $6.5MM deal, Stanton said earlier this offseason the Cowboys, Colts, Dolphins and Titans showed interest in bringing him aboard as a backup. He started eight games for the Cardinals in 2014, piloting them to a 5-3 record.

Here’s the latest from around the NFC.

  • The Giants brought back Jason Pierre-Paul on a one-year, $10MM contract, but Paul Schwartz of the New York Post believes the former first-team All-Pro would have commanded a megadeal similar to Olivier Vernon‘s with either Big Blue or another team had the fireworks accident not derailed his career on July 4, 2015. Pierre-Paul put together a 12.5-sack season in 2014 and was offered a $60MM pact as a franchise-tagged player before recording just one sack in eight games during a ’15 campaign defined by his hand injury.
  • As of Sunday, the Lions hold more than $14MM in cap space, and Bob Quinn told Sirius XM Radio (via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com) the team may not be done adding help this offseason. “I think there’s a chance that we could add some players here between now and (the start of training camp),” Quinn said. “… There are certain veteran free agents that we have spoken to over the last couple months that we’re keeping tabs on. I’m never going to say never about acquiring a good player.” Detroit’s roster sits at 89 players. The Lions hosted Anquan Boldin on a visit last month, and PFR’s Dallas Robinson reported Denarius Moore worked out for the team this offseason as well. Roster Resource reveals a potential need at defensive end as well, with Devin Taylor and Wallace Gilberry competing for a spot opposite Ziggy Ansah.
  • When Dom Capers assessed the Packers‘ inside linebacker position, he included Jake Ryan, Sam Barrington and Blake Martinez as the candidates to step in this season, Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Green Bay’s DC omitted Carl Bradford in this discussion after the linebacker who was given a chance to win a job in 2015 ended up on the practice squad. The Packers appear to be slotting their fourth-round picks from the past two drafts — Ryan and Martinez — into position to earn the spots. Cohen notes this is likely the final chance for Bradford, their 2014 fourth-rounder, to make an impact in Green Bay.
  • Although the Bears ended up claiming Connor Shaw earlier this week, the Seahawks attempted to add the ex-Browns passer to a thin stable of backup options.

FA Rumors: Okung, Soliai, Weddle, Hayward

March 13th, 2016 at 4:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent left tackle Russell Okung has an offer in hand from the Steelers, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link), while Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter link) that Okung has no other visits planned at this time. Okung is just one of a few offensive tackles whom Pittsburgh has either met with or plans to meet with, including Ryan Harris and Chris Hairston. Kelvin Beachum, the Steelers’ left tackle for the past few seasons, remains unsigned, and is taking visits with other clubs.

Let’s dive into the latest free agent news…

  • Former Falcons defensive tackle Paul Soliai will visit the division-rival Panthers, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Soliai, 32, was released by Atlanta on the first day of the free agent period after spending two years with the club. Carolina has already released defensive tackle Dwan Edwards, so Soliai could be a nice addition to the Panthers’ interior rotation.
  • Another free agent defensive tackle — ex-Patriot Sealver Siliga — will take a meeting with the Seahawks, according to Garafolo (Twitter link). Siliga, 26 next month, was not offered a restricted free agent tender by New England despite appearing in 13 games for the club last season.
  • The Seahawks will also meet with running back Lance Dunbar, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old Dunbar was off to a nice start with the Cowboys in 2015, catching 21 passes out of the backfield in just four games before a torn ACL knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Seattle will be the second NFC West visit for Dunbar, who’s also met with the 49ers.
  • Free agent guard Amini Silatolu will visit the Cardinals today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The former-second pick hasn’t been a full-time starter since his rookie season in 2012, but he’s only 26 years old, and could help fill in at guard if Arizona follows through on its proposed move of Jonathan Cooper to center.
  • Eric Weddle is expected to narrow his choice to two teams soon, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The veteran safety is reportedly choosing between the Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, and Raiders.
  • Before agreeing to a three-year deal with the Chargers earlier today, cornerback Casey Hayward also drew interest from the Chiefs and 49ers, tweets Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
  • Cardinals backup quarterback Drew Stanton said the Colts, Titans, Dolphins, and Cowboys all showed interest in signing him before he agreed to a new deal with Arizona, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

NFC Contract Details: JPP, McClain, Stanton

March 9th, 2016 at 12:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are the latest updates on many recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFC:

NFC East:

  • Jason Pierre-Paul, DE (Giants): One year, $10MM. $8.5MM fully guaranteed. $4.25MM signing bonus, $4.25MM base salary. $1.2MM per-game roster bonuses. $300K incentive tied to sacks. $10.5MM max value (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Rolando McClain, LB (Cowboys): One year, $4MM. $1MM available via incentives if McClain plays 75% of defensive snaps (Twitter link via Drew Davidson of the Star Telegram).

NFC South:

  • Michael Hoomanawanui, TE (Saints): Three years, $5.2MM. $1.85MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
  • Kyle Wilson, CB (Saints): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Keith Tandy, S (Buccaneers): Two years, $1.85MM. $250K roster bonus guarantees on fifth day of league year (Twitter link via Wilson).

NFC North:

  • Andrew Sendejo, S (Vikings): Four years, $16MM. $950K 2016 base salary (fully guaranteed). Contains option for 2019 (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Lane Taylor, OL (Packers): Two years, $4.15MM. $600K signing bonus. Contains $1MM in playtime and workout incentives (Twitter links via Wilson).

NFC West:

Cardinals To Re-Sign Drew Stanton

March 8th, 2016 at 5:53pm CST by Zachary Links

5:53pm: Stanton agreed to a two-year, $6.5MM deal with “significant upside,” per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). That last bit seems to indicate that there are a fair amount of incentives in the deal.

5:34pm: The Cardinals have re-signed quarterback Drew Stanton, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. It was reported earlier in the week that a deal was looking less and less likely, but Arizona has gotten a deal done to keep their backup QB in place before the start of free agency. Drew Stanton

Earlier today, in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link), Stanton reiterated his fondness for Arizona.

“I feel like this is a good situation here in Arizona. Is there a better opportunity for me elsewhere? I don’t know,” Stanton said.

In 2014, injuries to Carson Palmer thrust Stanton into the starting role for an eight game stretch. While he did not look like a world-beater, Stanton did go 5-3 in that span and he showed that he is one of the league’s stronger backup QBs.

For his career, the 31-year-old Stanton has started contests, completing about 55% of his passes during that time. It’s possible that Stanton could have received offers from other clubs, hence the report yesterday that he was unlikely to return to the Cardinals. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how much Arizona was willing to pay to lock in an insurance policy at quarterback.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Wisniewski, Browns, Pacman

March 7th, 2016 at 4:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have expressed interest in Jaguars free agent center Stefen Wisniewski, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The Browns are in danger of losing three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack to free agency and they could turn to the 26-year-old as a replacement. Hue Jackson was the coach in Oakland when the Raiders used their 2011 second round draft choice on Wisniewski.

The latest free agent rumors from around the NFL:

  • The Browns have expressed interest in free agent cornerback Adam Jones, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Jones, a Bengals free agent, has been heavily linked to Miami in recent weeks thanks to his connection with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
  • The Vikings and Matt Asiata are far apart on a possible contract, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter) hears from a source. Several other teams expressed an interest in the running back on Monday, he adds. Asiata has previously stated that he would like to return to Minnesota.
  • 49ers free agent Alex Boone and Cardinals free agent Bobby Massie are two offensive linemen who could get north of $8MM per season, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears.
  • The Vikings have reached out to the representative of Bengals free agent linebacker Vincent Rey, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). The Vikings are in need of a linebacker and Mike Zimmer is familiar with Rey from their previous time together.
  • Backup quarterback Drew Stanton is unlikely to return to the Cardinals, an NFL source tells Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
  • The Eagles had significant interest in signing wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey before he re-upped with the Steelers, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.

Drew Stanton Possibly Done For Year

December 26th, 2014 at 11:58am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals just can’t catch a break. Quarterback Drew Stanton could be done for the season after the team discovered an infection in his knee which required arthroscopic surgery, according to two sources who spoke with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The infection is believed to have been caused by outside medical treatment.

Stanton has been out since he suffered an MCL sprain earlier this month in a win over the Rams. The development could be why Cardinals coach Bruce Arians decided to go back to Ryan Lindley for Sunday’s game against the 49ers. Logan Thomas was originally slated to start in order to get him some preparation as a backup. Now, Lindley will need all the reps he can get. Stanton was viewed as the frontrunner to start the team’s opening-round playoff game, but today’s news has cast serious doubt over that.

Lindley’s completion percentage is barely over 40% in two starts this season, so the Cardinals will be hoping for a belated Christmas miracle when it comes to Stanton. Speaking of which, the devout Kurt Warner cannot be activated from the reserve/retired list, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk rightly notes. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the deadline for reinstatement came and went on November 28th.

Load More Posts