East Notes: Pats, Bills, JPP
The Patriots are again among the league’s most legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and although their slow start to 2014 led some to believe that their dynasty was nearing its end, the fact that they brought home the Lombardi Trophy and have opened 2015 undefeated have silenced those talks. And, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, New England’s window of opportunity won’t be closing anytime soon.
Per La Canfora, there is no significant player on the Patriots’ roster whose contract expires at the end of this season, and the team projects to be at least $8MM under the 2016 salary cap. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will count just $22MM against the cap, and no one will earn more than $10MM in 2016. That means that the team can supplement its already-talented roster with marquee free agents–something it has not frequently done in the past–and extend their reign of dominance for another few years. La Canfora also notes that, since New England will be without its first-round pick as a result of the DeflateGate scandal, it could look to move Jimmy Garoppolo for a high pick.
Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Washington and the Jets are squaring off this afternoon, and as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes, the Jets are looking across the field at two players who could be on their radar in 2016: Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III. The future for both players is up in the air, and New York, of couse, could be in the market for a quarterback. Jets head coach Todd Bowles was effusive in his praise for Cousins, but indicated that RGIII would not be a consideration for his club.
- There were reports this morning that E.J. Manuel could rekindle the Bills‘ quarterback competition with a strong showing today, but Joe Buscaglia of WKBW thinks differently (via Twitter). He notes that Buffalo coaches love Tyrod Taylor and that it would take more than a good performance for the team to even think about moving on from Taylor.
- La Canfora tweets that the Bills are “very concerned” that wideout Percy Harvin could miss significant time with his latest injury. Harvin has not played a significant role in the team’s offense this year, and this could represent yet another major setback for the once-explosive playmaker.
- Last Thursday, Sammy Watkins publicly bemoaned his lack of targets in the Bills‘ offense thus far in 2015, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com breaks down in detail what targets mean to a wide receiver from a contractual standpoint.
- Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets that Jason Pierre-Paul will report to the Giants this Tuesday so that the team can check in on his progress. Pierre-Paul is hoping to play soon, but as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, there is still doubt that JPP will be cleared.
NFC Notes: Jones, Cousins, Lions, McClain
Many 31-year-old receivers don’t get a second chance when they’re cut by an NFL team, but Packers wideout James Jones was confident he’d eventually find his footing.
The veteran signed with the Giants early this offseason, but he was cut by the squad in early September. Jones quickly caught on with his former team, but no one expected this kind of production. Through four games, the wideout has compiled 17 catches for 317 yards and four touchdowns.
“I never doubted that I could play the game,” Jones told Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com. “It’s just the hand you’re dealt sometimes. New coaches come in, and they get rid of certain guys. You don’t know why. I don’t ask no questions. I just go about my business, ‘Thanks for the opportunity,’ and look for the next door to open. Where was I mentally? I was in a great spot because I knew I still could play. There were a lot of teams who needed a receiver. So I knew I would land somewhere. I never doubted nothing.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…
- Former Washington coach Mike Shanahan is confident that quarterback Kirk Cousins can be a foundational piece for a contender. “I think he’s a guy that can take your team and win a Super Bowl,” Shanahan told ESPN 980, via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. “And that’s the biggest compliment I can give somebody. Does this person have the ability, the ingredients, that if he has the right supporting cast on offense/defense and special teams, can he win you a Super Bowl? And I believe that Kirk Cousins has that ability.”
- Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. acknowledged that his role within the franchise has been reduced, while his mother Martha Ford has taken on a larger role. “She is [in charge],” Ford Jr. told WJR Radio (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). “She is, and since my dad died, I’ve been less involved with the Lions and the NFL. She is very much in charge, and she’s got the decision-making role.”
- Rolando McClain made his return to practice this week, and the linebacker admitted it was tough to sit out the Cowboys‘ first four games. “It’s always good to watch football, be a part of it, not to get out of it, keep your mind in it, but in a way it was frustrating,” McClain told ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. “Frustrating for myself and for the fact that I feel like I should have been out there to help my team. Luckily those four weeks flew by and I finally get to go out and play football and contribute to this defense and contribute to this team.”
NFC Notes: Cousins, Brees, Patterson, Graham
Prior to winning Washington’s starting quarterback job this year, Kirk Cousins had trouble taking care of the football as a backup from 2012-14, throwing 19 interceptions in parts of 14 games. Those issues have carried into this season, as Cousins has tossed four picks in the first three games for his 1-2 team. Despite that, he’s not in danger of losing his job to backups Colt McCoy or Robert Griffin III, head coach Jay Gruden said Friday.
“There’s too many good things going on with Kirk and his progression for us to pull the plug right now because he threw an interception or two,” said Gruden, according to The Associated Press. “But he’s got to be aware and he’s got to protect the football – as does Matt Jones, as does the rest of our football team – for us to have a chance.”
“We’re hoping that a more mature Kirk Cousins will bounce back from these performances,” Gruden added.
To his credit, Cousins has shown an ability to bounce back from a less-than-stellar showing this year. After a subpar Week 1 performance in a 17-10 loss to Miami, Cousins responded by going 23 of 27 for 203 yards, a touchdown and no turnovers in Washington’s 24-10 win over the Rams last Sunday. He’ll be tasked with trying to get off the mat in Week 4 against the Eagles after Thursday night’s two-pick output in a 32-21 loss to the Giants.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The winless Saints aren’t Super Bowl contenders this year and probably won’t be next season, and Drew Brees will be a 37-year-old set to count $27.4MM against their salary cap in 2016. That doesn’t mean they should let Brees go, writes ESPN’s Mike Triplett, who opines that parting with the nine-time Pro Bowler without an obvious successor would be foolish. Triplett believes Brees and the Saints will eventually agree to an extension to keep him in New Orleans beyond 2016, the last year of his current contract.
- Given his status as a first-round pick in 2013, Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson‘s production during the first two years of his career was underwhelming (78 catches, 800-plus yards, five touchdowns). Now the Vikings seem to be phasing Patterson out of their game plan, as he has just one reception and, unlike the prior two seasons, hasn’t been a factor on returns. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old remains upbeat. “I really can’t control what goes on,” Patterson said, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “Whatever the coaches are going for, you’ve got to stick to their plan and just keep trying to get better.”
- Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham is similar to Patterson in that his production is down this year. And, like Patterson, he’s not worried. “This team runs the ball. Simple as that,” said Graham, according to ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia. “We’re not slinging the ball 60 times a game. And if we are, then that means we’re in trouble. I’m just going to keep doing what’s asked of me.” Graham – who averaged 89 catches, 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns per season with the Saints from 2011-14 – is on pace for 56 grabs, 496 yards and eight TDs in his first year in Seattle.
NFC East Notes: Romo, Cowboys, JPP, RGIII
No NFL division looks more in flux through two weeks than the NFC East, where the Eagles and Giants have yet to win a game, and the Cowboys will be without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant for the next several weeks. Earlier today, we asked you to weigh in with your thoughts on how the East race will play out over the next 15 weeks. Now, we’ll round up a few more Monday items from out of the division…
- Speaking of Romo, he won’t have to undergo surgery on his fractured left clavicle, a source tells Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. That doesn’t significantly alter the projected recovery timetable for the Cowboys quarterback, who still figures to miss about eight weeks. He’s a candidate for Dallas’ IR-DTR slot.
- With Romo out, the Cowboys are evaluating whether or not to sign a veteran signal-caller to back up Brandon Weeden, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), who says the team considered Kyle Orton. Orton is still finished with football, however.
- According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), there’s some concern in Jason Pierre-Paul‘s camp that if the Giants defensive end reports to the team, New York will place him on the NFI list and be able to franchise him again next year at the same price. The CBA isn’t 100% clear on how this situation would work, but if the two sides disagree on JPP’s ability to play this season, it could create some contract issues.
- In another video for Bleacher Report, Cole suggests that Washington quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins aren’t communicating much at all these days. Per Cole, that doesn’t reflect particularly well on RGIII, who reportedly has a history of not being on the same page as everyone in the locker room.
- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said after yesterday’s loss that everyone will be evaluated, hinting that roster changes could be coming. But it doesn’t sound like the team will make any major moves. “The guys we have are the guys we’re playing with for the remainder of the season,” Kelly said today, referring in part to the offensive line’s struggles (Twitter link). “It’s not a change thing.”
NFC Notes: Maxwell, Cousins, Seahawks
The Eagles’ secondary was a major weakness last year and the main step they took to improve it during the offseason was signing ex-Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell to a $63MM deal. Unfortunately for the Eagles and Maxwell, his debut in their 26-24 loss to Atlanta on Monday couldn’t have gone much worse. Maxwell, whom Falcons receivers roasted for 179 yards and 10 catches, was one of the primary reasons behind the Eagles’ defeat. Nevertheless, defensive coordinator Bill Davis remains confident in Maxwell’s abilities.
“He did not have a good game,” Davis said, according to Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com. “He’s got to play better. He can play better. He will play better. He’s been a great football player in this league and will continue to be for us. He knows that, we know that. I’ve got nothing but confidence in him. He’s a hell of a competitor.”
A look at some of Philly’s NFC counterparts:
- Kirk Cousins thinks he’s in a better position to develop properly now that he’s Washington‘s starting quarterback. “It’s a very beneficial role. I do feel different now in this role,” Cousins said, per Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. “It feels a little more stable. It caters to the ability to develop as a quarterback. This is a great opportunity for me, as I’ve said. I want to take full advantage of it and just keep building day after day.” The fourth-year man completed 21 of 31 passes for 196 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in Washington’s 17-10 loss to Miami in Week 1.
- Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett made a salient point regarding teammate Kam Chancellor‘s ongoing holdout. “I think you can’t have hard feelings because at the end of the day, the NFL they cut people every day,” Bennett said, according to The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. “Right now there is some guy who thinks he is going to play on Sunday who will be cut on Friday because the team feels like they need to save money. When teams do it it’s usually called business but when the players do it it’s usually called ungrateful.’’
- The Rams worked out three cornerbacks – Josh Thomas, Melvin White and Robert McClain – earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweeted. They ended up signing White to their practice squad.
East Notes: Cousins, F-Jax, Bills
After Geno Smith suffered a broken jaw at the hand of former teammate IK Enemkpali, the Jets did not know how long their starting quarterback would be sidelined. In their efforts to address the situation, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the Jets called Washington to discuss the possibility of trading for Kirk Cousins (Twitter link). Now, of course, we know why Washington was unwilling to seriously entertain those communications.
Washington, though, was not the only team the Jets contacted. As Rapoport adds in a separate tweet, New York did its due diligence and made plenty of phone calls around the league before ultimately settling on veteran backup Ryan Fitzpatrick to lead them at least until Smith’s return.
Now for some more links from the league’s east divisions:
- We learned yesterday that Robert Griffin III was listed as Washington‘s third-string quarterback behind backup Colt McCoy for today’s game against Miami, but as NFL Media’s Jeff Darlington reports, RGIII will remain third on the depth chart moving forward (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). As Darlington said, “After further consideration the team is more likely to keep Griffin as the third quarterback because of the financial repercussions that they would face if Griffin were to enter a game and be injured.”
- Long before Fred Jackson signed with the Seahawks, he was supposed to be a member of the Steelers, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. After the Bills acquired LeSean McCoy in March, Buffalo GM Doug Whaley told Jackson that he would be released. Jackson had effectively worked out a deal with the Steelers and was en route to Pittsburgh when he was told by Buffalo team officials that he was too important to the Bills and the community to let go. When Jackson actually was let go a few months later, the Steelers had long since signed DeAngelo Williams to be their primary backup. That saga is what precipitated Jackson’s recent remarks that Whaley had lied to him.
- When Bills head coach Rex Ryan was with the Jets, he tried to acquire Tyrod Taylor, as Albert Breer of The NFL Network tweets. According to Breer, Ryan did so on the advice of some pretty respected names who were teammates and coaches of Taylor when he was in Baltimore: Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Cam Cameron, and Jim Caldwell.
- When Taylor signed with the Bills this offseason, his three-year deal that will pay him just $750,000 in 2015 made it clear that he was a backup quarterback. But as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, nothing prevents Buffalo from giving Taylor a new contract at any time, and although there has been no indication that will happen, Florio believes it should.
- Muhammd Wilkerson‘s contract situation has garnered a great deal of media attention, but as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes, the Jets have two other important defensive starters who are in the final years of their respective contracts: Demario Davis and Damon Harrison. As Cimini writes, the Jets have made no push to sign either before the start of the season, as they want to see how the players fit in the team’s new defensive scheme before making a long-term commitment.
NFC Notes: Bucs, Byrd, Brooks
After taking a peek at a few AFC notes this morning, let’s have a look at some NFC links in advance of today’s flurry of waiver claims and practice squad news:
- The Buccaneers are first in line to claim players waived by the 31 other teams in the league, and Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times says one position where the Bucs will likely add a player is defensive end. After placing Larry English on injured reserve and cutting backups Lawrence Sidbury and rookie Ryan Delaire, Tampa Bay currently has only three defensive ends on its roster.
- We learned yesterday that Saints safety Jairus Byrd had avoided the regular season PUP list, meaning that he is eligible to play immediately when he is medically ready. As Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune observes, it is still unclear as to exactly when Byrd will be back, but the fact that he is on the 53-man roster indicates that he could be ready to go soon.
- Ahmad Brooks will remain on the 49ers‘ 53-man roster as the league continues to monitor his criminal case, per Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle. Head coach Jim Tomsula said he expects Brooks to play next week’s season opener, and the NFL issued a statement stating that it was not appropriate to place Brooks on the Commissioner’s Exempt List at this time.
- John Keim of ESPN.com takes a closer look at some of the fallout from the Robert Griffin III drama in Washington. Keim notes that not everyone in the organization believes in Kirk Cousins, and Griffin’s biggest fan is team owner Dan Snyder. If Cousins gives Snyder a reason to believe in him, then Griffin may be traded or released. But if Cousins struggles, and there is plenty of reason to believe he will, the possible tension between ownership and the rest of Washington’s brass may be further illuminated.
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com looks at five Washington starting jobs that could change hands this season, including quarterback (obviously), left guard, and strong safety.
- If he goes unclaimed on waivers, the Eagles will definitely sign RB Raheem Mostert to their practice squad, according to Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link).
- The Lions, meanwhile, plan to sign Andrew Peacock to their practice squad today, according to a tweet from Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press. Peacock cleared waivers last week.
Washington Names Kirk Cousins Starting QB
11:42am: Speaking today to reporters, including Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link), head coach Jay Gruden confirmed that Cousins will be Washington’s starting quarterback not just for Week 1, but for the 2015 season.
Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network tweets that Griffin’s camp may be caught off guard by this announcement, since they were led to believe Cousins starting Week 1 was a result of RGIII’s health, and the concussion protocol.
9:48am: With Robert Griffin III‘s health and long-term future in Washington in flux, the club has named Kirk Cousins its starting quarterback for Week 1, a source tells Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links). According to Russini, the team was informed by Washington staff this morning that Cousins will be the starter against the Dolphins.
The news comes on the heels of a Sunday report which indicated that a contingent of the Washington front office wants to move on from RGIII. While that report suggested that team ownership was opposed to a Griffin trade, Mike Jones of the Washington Post hears from two sources that Daniel Snyder isn’t blocking his front office and coaching staff from dealing the quarterback. A trade is unlikely for a handful of other factors though, including RGIII’s contract and his injury history. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that there have been no trade talks involving the QB.
Whatever the future holds for Griffin, he won’t be starting Washington’s Week 1 game, as Cousins has been penciled in for that role after a solid showing in the team’s preseason contest this past weekend. The former fourth-round pick, who turned 27 earlier this month, has nine career starts on his NFL resume, having played in 14 games in total. In his limited regular season action, Cousins has thrown more interceptions (19) than touchdowns (18), with a 59.0% completion percentage.
If Cousins struggles in the starting role and Griffin is unable to return to action, Colt McCoy would be the next man up in Washington. Both Cousins and McCoy are eligible for free agency after this season, while Washington still holds an option year on Griffin, currently guaranteed for injury only.
Latest On Washington’s QB Dilemma
Kirk Cousins got the surprise start in last night’s preseason game against Baltimore after Robert Griffin III, the presumptive starter heading into the season, was deemed medically unready to play by an independent neurologist. In a series of tweets, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports passes on a few notes on the matter from Washington head coach Jay Gruden.
First, Gruden noted that the team had originally received a verbal report from an independent doctor that Griffin was cleared to play, and then it received an email report that contradicted the verbal and that compelled the club to make a sudden change within a 24-hour window. Also, despite an earlier report that Washington had already determined Cousins would be the Week 1 starter, Gruden stated that he would not announce anything until he had reviewed Griffin’s medicals. Per Mike Jones of The Washington Post (via Twitter), Griffin will receive further tests on Friday, and Jones added in a separate tweet that Gruden, GM Scot McCloughan, team president Bruce Allen, and owner Dan Snyder would have a “long talk” at some point in the near future to finalize Washington’s plans under center.
But even though Gruden would not announce a Week 1 starter last night, the fact that he would not commit to starting Griffin even if RGIII has been cleared to return is significant in and of itself, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. John Keim of ESPN.com agrees, pointing out that Cousins was far from perfect in last night’s game, but that he did more than enough to reignite the quarterback controversy in Washington.
It looks like we won’t have a formal announcement until sometime next week at the earliest, but at the moment, Cousins seems to have the inside track on the starting job for Week 1. What happens beyond that is anyone’s guess.
NFC Notes: RGIII, Packers, Saints
The Packers will have some work to do in the next couple of weeks as they look to reduce their current 88-man roster to 53. Even though they need to trim a third of their preseason roster, general manager Ted Thompson told Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com that he’ll still be eyeing the waiver wire prior to the regular season.
“We look, like everybody else,” Thompson said. “We do a lot of that work and we do it every week, so it’s non-stop because games are played on Monday and Thursday and Friday and Saturday, so it’s non-stop. We’re always trying to catch up.”
“It could be guys that you would potential consider trading for or putting in a claim for or that sort of thing. It runs the gamut because you’re kind of guessing what the home team, so to speak, wants to do with a player. The home team might love this player and you know you’re not going to get your hands on him, so you move on. At the same time, you find guys from time to time where the teams aren’t quite as attached to.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC…
- Washington general manager Scot McCloughan is “determined to change [the] team culture,” reports ESPN.com’s Ed Werder (via Twitter). Those changes would include moving on from quarterback Robert Griffin III.
- Kirk Cousins may not only be starting this evening’s preseason game for Washington, as ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini tweets that the plan is to have the former fourth-rounder start Week 1.
- Evan Woodbury of NOLA.com writes that wideout Willie Snead‘s strong preseason has put the player in a position to make the Saints. “I think he’s done well. He’s very competitive. He’s got some real good football instincts,” said coach Sean Payton. “He’s right there in the thick of it, competing for playing time, competing for a roster spot. He made a couple of plays tonight. He’s doing a good job.”
- Drew Brees‘ role as the Saints number-one quarterback is obviously safe, and rookie Garrett Grayson seems to have a solid hold on the number-three spot. That leaves Luke McCown and Ryan Griffin competing for the backup spot, and Woodbury writes that McCown appears to be leading the competition.
- Former Canisius power forward Chris Manhertz is trying to catch on with the Saints as a tight end, and Brett Martel of the Associated Press writes that the former Bills project is using Jimmy Graham (a former basketball player) as inspiration. “Absolutely,” Manhertz said. “It’s really amazing to see how smoothly (Graham) made the transition and where he’s at now, and playing at a high level.”