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Poll: Which 5-1 Team Is Strongest Contender?

October 16th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Before the 2014 regular season got underway, pundits and observers had pegged last year’s Super Bowl combatants – the Seahawks and Broncos – as the likeliest teams to reach the championship again, with clubs like the Patriots, Packers, and Saints all being picked as possible Super Bowl contenders as well. Through six weeks though, only two of those five teams are in first place in their respective divisions.

The three teams atop the NFL so far are the Chargers, Eagles, and Cowboys, all with 5-1 records. San Diego has been dominant during the season’s first few weeks, with a +73 point differential that leads the NFL. If it weren’t for a heartbreaking one-point loss in Arizona, the Chargers, who are riding a five-game winning streak, would still be unbeaten, led by MVP candidate Philip Rivers.

Another MVP candidate, perhaps the only non-QB offensive player in the discussion so far, has been crucial to Dallas’ success — running back DeMarco Murray has burst out of the gate with six consecutive 100-yard games, and leads the league in a handful of categories, including rushing yards (785), rushing TDs (six), and total yards from scrimmage (940). The fact that his 159 carries is also most in the NFL by a wide margin may be cause for concern, but for now, the Cowboys’ ability to hang onto the ball with their dominant offensive line and running game has made them one of the league’s biggest surprises.

Still, the Cowboys don’t even hold sole possession of first place in the NFC East, as the division-rival Eagles have matched them win for win in spite of some turnover problems from quarterback Nick Foles. The fact that Philadelphia has played so well despite Foles’ ups and downs and a bevy of offensive line injuries bodes well, particularly if the offense can start firing on all cylinders later in the year.

What do you think? How convinced are you that these early-season frontrunners are for real? Which of these 5-1 teams has the best shot at winning the Super Bowl this year?

Which 5-1 team is the strongest Super Bowl contender?
San Diego Chargers 45.34% (258 votes)
Philadelphia Eagles 32.51% (185 votes)
Dallas Cowboys 22.14% (126 votes)
Total Votes: 569

NFL Notes: Los Angeles, Goodell, Rice

October 12th, 2014 at 12:40pm CST by Rory Parks

There are a number of notes pertaining to the league as a whole this afternoon. Let’s have a look:

  • Adding to the increasing buzz surrounding the potential return of the NFL to Los Angeles, Albert Breer of the NFL Network writes that owners at the annual Fall meetings last week were presented with six potential sites for a stadium in LA. Per Breer, those sites are: “the AEG site in downtown Los Angeles, the Dodger Stadium site, a site at Hollywood Park with multiple parcels, a site that the NFL has been looking at for years in nearby Carson, a second Carson site on land that is currently home to a golf course and Ed Roski’s site in Industry.”
  • Breer adds (via Twitter) that it is unlikely that the Raiders would be the first team on the list of clubs that could end up making the move to LA. He writes that many of the scenarios regarding a possible relocation involve the Raiders but also include the Rams and Chargers.
  • Citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the NFL wants to shield commissioner Roger Goodell from testifying at the Ray Rice appeal hearing. Judge Barbara S. Jones, who will hear and decide Rice’s appeal, could compel Goodell to testify, but that is the last thing the NFL wants.
  • Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets that Jermichael Finley‘s disability insurance case has been an “eye-opener” for other players, as it is much more difficult to collect on such a policy than one would think.
  • Mike Garafalo of FOX Sports writes that one of the issues discussed at last week’s Fall meetings was the possibility of a team being stripped of draft picks for player conduct policy violations.
  • Robert Salonga and Mark Emmons of the San Jose Mercury News discuss how the circumstances surrounding 49ers‘ defensive lineman Ray McDonald demonstrate the conflicts of interest created when NFL teams hire sworn police officers as security.
  • CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported earlier today that many NFL owners want someone other than Roger Goodell to handle disciplinary matters, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen expounds on the issue. As Mortensen writes, one proposed modification would make it so that “the commissioner would not decide on the initial player punishment but rather yield to a neutral arbitration panel chosen by the union and league.” However, “Goodell would be the appellate officer or appoint a designated hearing officer if a player appeals his disciplinary action administered by the panel.” Nonetheless, union sources are skeptical of that proposal and indicate that any modification to the personal conduct policy would require collective bargaining.

Extra Points: Brady, Cowboys, Oliver

October 10th, 2014 at 10:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

Even after the Patriots‘ 43-17 throttling of the previously undefeated Bengals, stories persist of the ongoing tensions between Tom Brady and the team. Kirk Minihane and Gary Tanguay joined Arbella Early Edition to discuss the chances that the recent rift will lead to a split.

They came to a surprising conclusion, both figuring that there is a more likely than not chance that Brady could finish his career with another franchise. They can see the team considering trading him if the right offer came along.

“If I’m Belichick I say… ‘Tom, thanks for the memories, swell, here’s the watch, goodbye,’” says Minihane. “You’d be insane not to do it. They’re going to at least explore trading Brady in this offseason. I’m convinced of that.”

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

  • The Cowboys are 4-1, and most of the credit has gone to the offensive line, but not forgotten are the team’s two stars, Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray. Both players will be free agents at season’s end, but the team is not worried about getting extensions signed during the season, writes Jon Machota of DallasNews.com. The team has already targeted both players as pieces moving forward, making their pursuits known.
  • Chargers‘ running back Branden Oliver had a breakout game Sunday against the Jets, racking up 182 yards and two touchdowns rushing and receiving. The electric rookie went undrafted, and considered signing with the Colts before joining the Chargers, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).
  • Finally, Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel spent some time with Packers‘ first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Dunne got to know a lot about the future star safety and his life off-the-field.

L.A. Notes: Chargers, Sites, Stadium

October 10th, 2014 at 8:04pm CST by Rob DiRe

The rumors of Los Angeles getting a football team have escalated over the past few days, with the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers all closely connected with a relocation to the city. The Los Angeles mayor said himself he expects a team soon. However, the Chargers might not let the Rams and Raiders move there so easy, writes Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Daily.

The team is arguing that even though they are located in San Diego, they collect significant business from the Los Angeles market. In that case, the Chargers would argue that the entrance of another team into that market would negatively effect business for the team.

“Over the last 20 years, there hasn’t been a team in the L.A. market. We have reached out into that market and 25 to 30 percent of our business comes from the L.A. [and] Orange County areas,” said Chargers’ owner Dean Spanos. “Putting a team in there right now, or two teams, would have a huge impact on our business going forward. So we are trying to protect our business in San Diego. … It would really be harmful to us.”

Here are some other notes about the potential of a Los Angeles franchise:

  • By speaking out against the availability of the Los Angeles market, the Chargers could hope to accomplish more than just an understanding of ownership in that market, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The team could be trying to scare of the Rams and Raiders, or negotiating for a larger piece of the relocation fee. They could also be anticipating a move to Los Angeles along with one of the two former L.A. teams, and could be posturing to pay a smaller relocation fee than the other team.
  • There are a number or different sites that a potential Los Angeles football team could build their stadium, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com. There are six possible locations, including an AEG site in downtown Los Angeles, a Dodger Stadium site, a site at Hollywood Park with land purchased by Rams’ owner Stan Kroenke, two different sites in Carson, and Ed Roski’s site in Industry (east of the city).
  • Breer also notes that the Jaguars are another option for the move, but would have a much harder time leaving their stadium. They also would have to pay a much higher relocation fee. Breer notes that their chances are significantly below that of the other three teams.
  • While many would be excited about the prospect of a Los Angeles franchise, Kerry Cavanaugh of the Los Angeles Times is not optimistic. He writes that the city has had a team dangled in front of it before, and that the believed need for a team is overstated.

PUP, IR-DTR Players Soon Eligible To Practice

October 10th, 2014 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Rams, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many of those clubs may be welcoming some players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to practice.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to the practice field doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player on the PUP list could theoretically return for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest. If the player doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform list who can begin practicing as soon as next week:

Players who began the season on the PUP list didn’t participate in any preseason practices, but that’s not the case for players on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that players who were placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing next week. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after – for instance – Week 2 will have to wait another two weeks to return to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as next week:

AFC Notes: Fortt, Oliver, Vick, Jets

October 9th, 2014 at 7:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Khairi Fortt was placed on the Saints’ IR even though his hamstring has been fine for weeks, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Amidst reports that Fortt was cut loose for missing team meetings, the Bengals linebacker won’t get into why he was dropped by the Saints. “They just went a different route and [Bengals] coach [Marvin] Lewis, he gave me another opportunity, and I’m grateful for it,” Fortt said. “I know coaches know that I have the ability, it’s just all about getting the playbook down now. And then from there, I’ll just move forward in trying to be a great linebacker.”

  • There’s a good chance that you learned Branden Oliver‘s name just days ago, but the Chargers have been excited by the running back for some time now, GM Tom Telesco told NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah (audio link). “We probably missed on him because we probably should have just drafted him,” Telesco said. “We should have hit on him … Really, the first couple of OTA practices, he jumps off at you.” The former University of Buffalo star generated more yards from scrimmage than any Chargers running back since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2007 with his breakout performance against the Jets.
  • Michael Vick has taken some flack for admitting he was ill-prepared on Sunday, but Jets coach Rex Ryan appreciates the honesty of his free agent pickup, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “I wanted guys to take a stand and admit that, ‘You know what? I can do more,‘” Ryan said. “I think that’s what Mike is doing. He knows what’s going to be said about him, yet he chose to take that stand.“
  • Former Jets coach Bill Parcells is decidedly less impressed with Vick, as Cimini tweets. “I certainly don’t think he’s answer to their problems,” Tuna told ESPN Radio in New York. “Mike was a pretty good player for a while, but if you look at his history, it has been just OK, certainly nothing spectacular.”

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

October 8th, 2014 at 6:50pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll keep tabs on today’s practice squad signings and cuts right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • After the Seahawks plucked offensive lineman Patrick Lewis from their taxi squad, the Browns replaced him with fellow tackle Braxston Cave, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.
  • The Bears re-signed defensive end David Bass to their practice squad, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Bass was dropped yesterday to make room for cornerback Al Louis-Jean‘s promotion.
  • A day after cutting tight end Phillip Supernaw to claim Ryan Taylor off waivers, the Ravens have re-signed Supernaw to their practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Baltimore will have to cut a player from its squad in order to make the move official.
  • Linebacker Marshall McFadden has taken the 10th and final spot on the Rams‘ practice squad, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • The Chargers have signed former Lions cornerback Aaron Hester to their practice squad, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Safety Adrian Phillips has also joined the unit, replacing injured running back D.J. Adams, says Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • In addition to confirming the signing of defensive lineman Joe Vellano to their practice squad, which was reported yesterday, the Patriots have also announced the addition of offensive lineman Chris Martin and the release of fellow offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann.
  • While the Broncos expect to be fine on Sunday with the running backs on their current 53-man roster, the team has added Jeremy Stewart to its practice squad “just in case,” tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
  • The Buccaneers have replaced tight end Taylor Sloat on their practice squad with wideout Eric Page, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter).
  • Using the 10th and final opening on their taxi squad, the Bengals have added interior offensive lineman Jeff Baca, head coach Marvin Lewis told reporters today (Twitter link via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com).
  • The Redskins signed linebacker Steve Beauharnais to their practice squad today, according to the club (via Twitter). That leaves one spot still open on the unit.
  • Tight end Jacob Maxwell has been let go from the Dolphins‘ practice squad, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, who tweets that running back Orleans Darkwa will fill the newly-opened spot.
  • The Lions have swapped out one defensive lineman for another, with Derrick Hopkins replacing Xavier Proctor, who has been placed on the practice squad IR (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

West Notes: Raiders, L.A., Chargers, Cards

October 8th, 2014 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

As rumors swirl about the NFL’s goal of moving not just one but two franchises to Los Angeles in the near future, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears that the Raiders – and owner Mark Davis – are open to relocating to the NFC if it means getting a new stadium in L.A. Assuming the league gets its wish and relocates two teams to Los Angeles, the Raiders and Chargers appear to be the two most likely candidates, and having two L.A. teams in the same division wouldn’t be ideal, as Cole explains. We’re still a long ways off from this scenario becoming a reality, but the fact that such a possibility is even being considered suggests that it’s not just a pipe dream.

Let’s round up a few more Wednesday items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….

  • According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), if a team were to move to Los Angeles, possibilities for a temporary home (until a new stadium is built) include Dodger Stadium, the Coliseum, and the Rose Bowl.
  • As they deal with a lack of depth at the linebacker position, the Raiders brought in several veterans for a look, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Tim Dobbins, Jamar Chaney, and Steve Beauharnais all worked out for Oakland, though Beauharnais has since signed with Washington’s practice squad.
  • The Chargers, who lost Danny Woodhead for the year and have also seen Ryan Mathews and Donald Brown suffer injuries, worked out running backs Cierre Wood and Brennan Clay this week, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • A pair of free agent defensive backs, Robert Steeples and Ross Weaver, auditioned for the Cardinals, tweets Wilson.
  • Head coach Pete Carroll indicated today that the Seahawks may make a move to add some depth at center, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Extra Points: Megatron, Peterson, Bailey

October 7th, 2014 at 10:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Dodger Stadium is in play as a potential temporary venue for an NFL team moving to Los Angeles, according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Hopefully, whatever team moves there will fare better than the Dodgers did tonight. Tonight’s look around the league..

  • Calvin Johnson carries a cap number of more than $20MM into the next league year and given his recent health trouble, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that the Lions could move on from him after this season or next. The fact that Detroit considered trading up for Sammy Watkins or Mike Evans and ultimately decided to use that pick on tight end Eric Ebron suggests that the Lions are at least considering the wisdom of reallocating their dollars, Florio writes.
  • A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson hopes to emerge from court tomorrow with a December 1st trial date. If he goes to trial on December 1 and is acquitted that week, he could theoretically return to action on December 7, when the Vikings take on the Jets.
  • The Ravens tried out veteran cornerback Champ Bailey, a league source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bailey recently said that he was willing to play nickel or safety if it meant getting back in the NFL. Meanwhile, on the D-line, the Ravens expect to be without Chris Canty for three weeks following a procedure to alleviate swelling in his wrist, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
  • The Bengals worked out linebackers Adrian Robinson and Yawin Smallwood today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Robinson, who originally signed with the Steelers as a UDFA, also had stints with the Chargers, Eagles, and Redskins.
  • Linebacker Kevin Reddick is available after being waived by the Chargers and Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) could see the Raiders dropping the newly-signed Ray Ray Armstrong in favor of him. The Raiders were fans of the UNC product at last year’s Senior Bowl.
  • The Vikings cut Mistral Raymond from their injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • Somewhat surprisingly, the Raiders were the only team to put in a claim on wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Talk of a new stadium and an NFL team coming to Los Angeles should scare the Chargers, writes U-T San Diego’s Kevin Acee. Both the Rams and Raiders could make a play to return to their one-time home and that would hurt the Bolts’ bottom line.

Chargers Sign Ronnie Brown

October 7th, 2014 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers announced that they have signed running back Ronnie Brown. Brown, of course, is no stranger to Chargers fans, who watched him play in 30 games with one start in San Diego from 2012-13.

The Bolts needed the 6-0, 223-pounder with the rash of injuries that they’ve experienced in the backfield this season. Ryan Mathews still recovering from an MCL sprain, Danny Woodhead is done for the season with a broken fibula, and “Dammit” Donald Brown left Sunday’s game with a concussion. Branden Oliver was superb against the Jets’ usually stout run defense and Shaun Draughn is also there, but reinforcements were still needed.

Brown ran for 377 yards (4.1 yards per carry) off of 91 carries for San Diego along with 57 catches for 431 yards. Brown began 2014 with the Texans and had six carries before being released last week.

To make room, the Chargers waived linebacker Kevin Reddick, tweets Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.

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