North Notes: Lions, Bears, Ekpre-Olomu, Doss
Matthew Stafford is locked in as the Lions‘ starting quarterback, but don’t be surprised if Detroit selects a signal-caller in this year’s draft. “I think it’s really good football business to acquire a young quarterback every year or every other year,” Lions general manager Bob Quinn told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “There’s such a value in the position and nowadays in college football there’s a lot of spread offenses, which means it’s a lot different than pro football. So it takes these young quarterbacks time to develop. So if you can add a young quarterback every year or every other year to your roster, it’s good football business in my mind.”
Let’s take a look at a few more items from the NFL’s two North divisions…
- The Bears‘ mass signings to their offensive line signal uncertainty for the group, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes. Bobby Massie looks set at right tackle, but Kyle Long‘s move to right guard isn’t a lock, despite John Fox placing the Pro Bowler there in the meantime. Ted Larsen and Manny Ramirez could supplant Hroniss Grasu and Matt Slauson at center and left guard, respectively, per Mullin. Insiders inform Mullin the Dowell Loggains-led Bears will aim to run more than Adam Gase‘s group did, which was 47% of the time in 2015.
- Cut by the Browns earlier today, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu told NFL.com’s Rand Getlin (Twitter link) he’s 100% healthy and is “certain he’ll be playing football at a high level this year.” Cleveland released the cornerback with an injury designation. An Oregon product and seventh-round pick of the Browns’ last year, Ekpre-Olumu hasn’t played since tearing his ACL prior to the 2015 Rose Bowl.
- Former Ravens draft pick Tandon Doss was present at Indiana University’s pro day, catching passes as he tries to make his way back on an NFL roster, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. Doss, 26, spent three seasons in Baltimore before latching on with the Jaguars for the 2014 season. He never appeared in a game for Jacksonville, however, and didn’t play in the league last year.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Extra Points: 49ers, Chiefs, Suggs, Pats
We learned in late February that 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Davis was set to apply for reinstatement after taking a hiatus from football last season. That still hasn’t happened yet, but Davis tweeted Friday that he’ll file for reinstatement “later this year.” Interestingly, Davis added that “[d]ealing with Trent is giving me a headache.” That’s likely a reference to 49ers general manager Trent Baalke. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Davis is trying to goad the Baalke-led Niners into releasing him. The 26-year-old is under 49ers control through 2019.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Chiefs announced a slew of changes to their coaching staff Friday, Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports. One of the moves was to promote Britt Reid, head coach Andy Reid‘s son, to defensive line coach. Britt Reid was the Chiefs’ assistant D-line coach last season and will take over for Tommy Brasher, whom the team shifted to special projects. The Chiefs also elevated Al Harris from assistant defensive backs coach to secondary coach. He’ll mostly work with cornerbacks, per Paylor. Further, assistant quarterbacks coach Corey Matthaei will add offensive line assistant to his title and assistant linebackers coach Mark DeLeone will take on a greater defensive role. The club also hired Joe Bleymaier (offensive quality control), Taylor Embree (defensive assistant), Mike Smith (assistant defensive line coach), and Devin Woodhouse and Ryan Reynolds (strength and conditioning).
- Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs pleaded not guilty Friday to a pair of misdemeanor charges stemming from a one-car accident last month, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Suggs was arrested by Arizona police and charged with driving on a suspended license and failure to notify after striking a fixture. He could face up to six months in jail if found guilty, though Zrebiec notes that this type of violation is usually handled with fines. Some form of punishment from the league is also a possibility for Suggs.
- One of Suggs’ ex-teammates, free agent receiver Tandon Doss, ran routes and caught passes at Indiana’s pro day on Friday and is hoping to sign with a team, Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com writes. Doss caught 26 passes in 29 games with Baltimore from 2012-13. He hasn’t suited up for a game since. Doss’ previous club, Jacksonville, cut him last summer.
- In draft news, the Patriots observed two offensive linemen – tackle Clay DeBord and guard Aaron Neary – at Eastern Washington’s pro day, according to Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. Both figure to be Day 3 picks or undrafted free agents.
Workout Notes: Seahawks, Colts, Bears
The Kendall Hunter tour continues. On Tuesday, the Seahawks tried out the running back, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Hunter, who has seen his NFL career derailed by injuries in recent years, was removed from Sam Francisco’s injured reserve list in September with a settlement, making him a free agent. Last week, he tried out for the Jaguars, but that audition did not immediately lead to a deal.
Here’s a roundup of Tuesday’s notable workouts from around the NFL:
- The Colts tried out nose tackle Barry Cofield, according to Yates (on Twitter). He adds that tight end Joseph Fauria worked out for the Chiefs and Patriots while running back Dri Archer auditioned for the Jets.
- The Bears hosted a few players for workouts, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (on Twitter), linebacker Xzavier Dickson, defensive end Tyre Glasper, linebacker Danny Mason, and linebacker Mike McAdoo.
- Wide receiver Tandon Doss was among players Jets tried out today, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
- The Falcons worked out cornerbacks Marc Anthony and Keon Lyn, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Raiders worked out center Adam Gettis, Wilson tweets.
- The 49ers worked out former Texas offensive tackle Donald Hawkins, Wilson tweets.
- The Titans tried out Damarr Aultman, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Alan Bonner, Antwan Goodley, Colin Lockett, Dustin Vaughan, Wilson tweets.
- The Eagles auditioned eight players on Monday, including wide receiver Corey Washington, safety Brandian Ross, defensive end Brian Mihalik, linebacker Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo, linebacker Brandon Hepburn, defensive tackle Toby Johnson, cornerback Trovon Reed, and cornerback Robert Steeples, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- The Saints worked out running back Bronson Hill and defensive end Phillip Hunt, Wilson tweets.
Jaguars Cut 10 Players
The Jaguars are wasting no time in paring their roster to 75 players ahead of Tuesday’s first cutdown day, cutting 10.
Among them were wideout Tandon Doss and quarterback Jeff Tuel.
Once regarded as the favorite to return punts for the Jags this season, Doss lost out on the job to rookie Rashad Greene. Tuel, who played under current Jags assistant Doug Marrone in Buffalo, started a game for the Bills in 2013 but hasn’t played in a game since. Tuel’s waiving leaves Stephen Morris as the team’s No. 3 quarterback, should the team keep three and a practice squad candidate if not.
Safety Desmond Cooper, tight end Connor Hamlett, punter/kicker Kasey Redfern, defensive end Camaron Beard, defensive tackle Eric Crume, offensive lineman Jack Rummels, along with linebackers Khairi Fortt and Mister Alexander, joined the higher-profile performers on the chopping block.
Teams have until 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday to mince their rosters to 75.
AFC South Notes: Colts, Greene, Titans, Jags
The Colts have thought outside the box as they’ve attempted to round out the bottom of their roster. As Stephen Holder of the Indy Star points out, the team currently has four former CFL players, two college basketball players and a Kenyan rugby player under contract.
The mix of different backgrounds isn’t unusual to general manager Ryan Grigson, who is willing to look anywhere to make his team better:
“If you have elite athletic traits, you can do this. This isn’t one of those specialized sports, like golf. If you have a level of toughness and you can move and you have instincts, if you have those at an elite level, you’re going to get a chance.”
Let’s take a look at more notes out of the AFC South, including additional whispers from Indianapolis…
- The Colts may have a tough time retaining both Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, but ESPN.com’s Mike Wells opines that the team should hold on to the tight end pair. As the writer points out, the best case scenario would be for the duo to establish themselves as one of the best pairings in the league, forcing the team to re-sign both players.
- If Antonio Andrews has a solid showing in minicamp, Paul Kuharsky would anticipate the Titans cutting veteran running back Shonn Greene.
- NFL Network’s Mike Mayock believes it would be difficult for a team to acquire the Titans first-round pick unless an established veteran quarterback becomes available. “Trading up to 2 is a big deal, because if you look at the old trade value chart, 1 through 4 have by far the highest values, and then there’s a precipitous drop to No. 5 and it gets a lot easier to start trading,” Mayock said (via Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean). “So trying to get up to 2 is really hard, unless you have an existing player like San Diego has with Philip Rivers or perhaps Philadelphia has with Sam Bradford.”
- Michael DiRocco is the under the impression that Jaguars wideouts Tandon Doss, Bryan Walters and Ace Sanders will all be fighting over one roster spot, with the writer giving punt return specialist Doss the early advantage.
Jaguars Cut Roster To 53 Players
SATURDAY, 4:52pm: As Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes (via Twitter), the following players were cut by the Jags today:
- Jamell Fleming, CB
- Sherrod Martin, S
- Nate Stupar, LB
- Kerry Taylor, WR
Since Ace Sanders is headed for the reserve-suspended list, the team was able to keep guard Tyler Shatley – who was reported below as having been cut – on its 53-man roster, tweets Oehser.
FRIDAY, 4:01pm: In addition to confirming the cuts noted below, the Jaguars have announced a slew of additional roster moves. Via John Oehser of Jaguars.com, here’s the full list, which reduces the team’s active roster count to 57 players:
Cut:
- Cody Booth, OT
- Chad Bumphis, WR
- Deandre Coleman, DL
- Ricky Havili-Heimuli, DT
- Craig Loston, S
- Drew Nowak, G
- Kasey Redfern, K/P
- Gerald Rivers, DE
- Tyler Shatley, G
- D.J. Tialavea, TE
- Marcus Whitfield, LB
Waived-injured:
- Brandon Barden, TE (groin)
Place on injured reserve:
- Tandon Doss, WR (ankle)
- Rashaad Reynolds, CB (hand)
3:33pm: The Jaguars have started the process of reducing the number of players on their active roster from 75 to 53, as they look to finalize their regular-season roster in time for tomorrow’s deadline. Here are Jacksonville’s Friday cuts, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:
- Mike Brewster (C) (via Ryan O’Halloran on Twitter, 3:33pm)
- Eric Kettani (FB) (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter)
- Stephen Morris (QB) (via Pro Football Talk on Twitter). The team hopes to add Morris to its practice squad.
- Ricky Stanzi (QB) (via O’Halloran on Twitter, 3:19pm)
AFC Links: Bills, Jets, Colts, Jaguars
Earlier, we took a look at what ESPN’s NFC writers had to say on this Memorial Day. Now, let’s focus on ESPN’s AFC writers…
- While he could envision the Bills adding a veteran defensive end to play alongside Mario Williams, ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak is very intrigued by former first-rounders Jerry Hughes and Manny Lawson.
- The Jets will likely only keep four of their six runnings backs, writes ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini. Even then, the writer believes that the backfield, which includes Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Daryl Richardson, Alex Green and Mike Goodson, will still have “a lot of mouths to feed.”
- Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne is making good progress in his recovery from a torn ACL, says ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. Still, the wideout will likely miss the team’s mandatory minicamp in June.
- The Jaguars have four receivers that are locks to make the roster, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com: Cecil Shorts, Ace Sanders, Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson. That leaves Mike Brown, Kerry Taylor, Tandon Doss, Lamaar Thomas, Chad Bumphis, Damian Copeland and Allen Hurns to compete over the final two spots.
Jaguars Sign Tandon Doss
3:34pm: Doss’ two-year contract features base salaries worth the minimum, and includes a $65K signing bonus along with $25K annual workout bonuses, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
10:24am: The Jaguars have signed wide receiver Tandon Doss, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). Doss had been eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, but the Ravens decided not to extend an RFA tender to him.
After seeing very limited action in his first two NFL seasons, Doss earned a bit of an expanded role in 2013. In 15 games with the Ravens, The 24-year-old grabbed 19 balls for 305 yards, and also returned 23 punts, averaging a league-best 15.6 yards per return and recording a TD.
Doss figures to provide Jacksonville some depth at receiver and could handle punt return duties as well, depending on whether the team prefers him to Ace Sanders. According to O’Halloran (via Twitter), Doss also drew interest from the Giants, Steelers, and Falcons before agreeing to terms with the Jaguars.
Contract Tenders: Monday
Cowboys punter Chris Jones signed his exclusive rights tender of $645K, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. The move locks down Dallas’ punter situation but eats up about $150K of the ~$2MM salary cap space the club had to work with. Jones averaged 45 yards per punt in his first full season with the Cowboys. The latest contract tenders from around the NFL..
- Restricted free agent tackle Byron Bell has received a second-round tender worth $2.187MM from the Panthers, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). The club also tendered exclusive rights free agent Chris Scott, tweets ESPN.com’s David Newton.
- The Chargers have only two exclusive rights free agents in linebacker Bront Bird and guard Stephen Schilling and they won’t be tendering either one, tweets Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.
- Jets linebacker Nick Bellore got the low restricted free agent tender, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). Bellore led Gang Green in special teams kickoff tackles last season.
- The Ravens won’t extend an RFA tender to wide receiver Tandon Doss, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team could still bring Doss back on a smaller deal though.
- Lions wide receiver Kris Durham confirmed via Twitter that he inked his tender with the club. Durham, a fourth-round pick in 2011, became a more significant part of the Lions’ offense in 2013, racking up 38 receptions, 490 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns while starting 13 games. He didn’t perform well based on Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), which ranked him 109th out of 111 qualified receivers, but he’s still just 25 years old, and may not be relied upon for quite as large a role in 2014 if the team adds a receiver or two.
- Joe Morgan and Jed Collins won’t receive RFA tenders from the Saints, but the club still has interest in re-signing the two free agents, says Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune.
- The Rams won’t tender tight end Mike McNeill, who was eligible for restricted free agency, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Linebacker Justin Hickman has signed his ERFA tender from the Colts, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.