Kicker Notes: Scobee, Brindza, Sturgis
Some nuggets regarding three kickers who had terrible showings in Week 4 of the NFL season:
- Although recently released Josh Scobee missed four kicks in four games with Pittsburgh – including two in its 23-20 loss to Baltimore on Thursday – he’s drawing interest from around the league. Three teams have reached out to him, tweets CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who notes that Scobee will need a few weeks to recover from a quad strain.
- Buccaneers kicker Kyle Brindza has missed seven kicks (five field goals, two extra points) over the last two weeks, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that he’s likely to find himself on the unemployment line in the coming days.
- Like Brindza, Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis could also be looking for work soon. Sturgis, whom the Eagles signed this week to replace the injured Cody Parkey, had an ignominious debut Sunday in the team’s 23-20 loss to Washington. Sturgis missed a pair of 33-yarders (including a point after) and might not be in an Eagles uniform come next Sunday, per Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
NFC South Notes: Roddy, Brees, Brindza
Falcons receiver Roddy White is the franchise’s career leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns, but his role in their offense has dwindled significantly this year. White finished without a catch in Week 2, which snapped a streak of 130 straight games with a reception. He also went catchless in Week 3 and was quiet again Sunday, grabbing two passes for just 8 yards in Atlanta’s 48-21 drubbing of the Texans. The 33-year-old isn’t upset about his nearly nonexistent production, however, as the Falcons are 4-0.
“No complaints from me. We are winning. We’ve just got to continue to do what we’ve been doing and try to get better every week,” White said, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
More from the NFC South:
- Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who missed last Sunday’s loss to Carolina with rotator cuff and shoulder capsule injuries, will play tonight against Dallas and is close to full strength, head coach Sean Payton believes. “I’d say fairly close (to 100 percent) or we wouldn’t play him,” said Payton, per Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. “He’s had a good week. I know he’s got a lot of confidence in what we’re doing and a lot of confidence in his ability to throw it down the field. It really was that simple.”
- Brees elaborated on his health issues (via ESPN’s Mike Triplett): “Basically what the doctor told me was the cuff muscles at times will just shut down if they’re inflamed. They’re basically telling the body, ‘I’m injured. I need time to heal, I’m not going to work until the inflammation goes away.’ It wasn’t a pain thing. I mean, it hurt, but that wasn’t the issue. It was just functionality. I did strength exercises all last week. The tough part was with the balance between resting it, getting the inflammation out of it and, at the same time, strengthening it.”
- Buccaneers rookie kicker Kyle Brindza has had back-to-back miserable weeks, going just 2 for 7 on field goal attempts and 2 of 4 on extra points. He hit 1 of 3 field goal tries and missed a PAT in Sunday’s 37-23 loss to Carolina. For what it’s worth, though, head coach Lovie Smith stuck by him after the game. “We’re not going to start kicking people off in the press conference after the game,” Smith said, according to Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/15
Here are today’s minor signings, cuts and other transactions from around the NFL as 28 teams are making their final preparations for Week 4.
- A fixture in this space, defensive end Frank Kearse once again received notice of his being cut by Washington, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter), to make room for cornerback Deshazor Everett‘s promotion from the practice squad. Initially, Washington waived Everett, an undrafted player out of Texas A&M who signed with the Bucs initially, last month. But now with Chris Culliver questionable for Sunday’s game with a knee injury, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter), cornerback depth is needed. Kearse has played in 31 games since 2011, including 15 with Washington in 2014, but has been yo-yoing on and off the Washington roster this season.
- The Packers activated suspended defensive tackle Letroy Guion, who will take injured tight end Andrew Quarless‘ place on the 53-man roster, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com (on Twitter). Guion missed three games due to a substance abuse-induced suspension. Green Bay placed Quarless on short-term IR with an MCL sprain.
- The Packers also made a move to fortify their ailing receiving corps, promoting Jared Abbrederis from their practice squad, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. To make room for the second-year receiver from Wisconsin, Green Bay cut defensive lineman Bruce Gaston. The Packers downgraded Davante Adams from questionable to doubtful, creating a void at the position. Abbrederis has reportedly excelled as a practice-squadder thus far this season, according to the Milwauke Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein (Twitter link).
- After punting 10 times against the Seahawks last weekend, Pat O’Donnell will miss the Bears‘ game against the Raiders with a knee injury. As a result, the Bears signed Spencer Lanning, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Browns’ punter in 2013-14 before their trade for Andy Lee, Lanning spent time with the Broncos this summer before being a preseason cut. The Bears waived defensive tackle Brandon Dunn to make room, but Finley adds he could be a practice squad candidate.
- The Buccaneers promoted cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah to their 53-man roster and cut tackle Reid Fragel, Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida.com reports (on Twitter). The longtime Bucs scribe indicates that the promotion of the undrafted rookie provides an indication as to whether regular right corner Johnthan Banks, who left the Bucs’ Week 3 game with a knee malady, will play Sunday.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/1/15
Here are the practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL for the first day of October:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Erle Ladson (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
- Cut: QB Matt Blanchard
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Kenny Cook (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
- Cut: WR Fred Williams
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Brandon Dixon, OL Sean Hickey, WR Austin Hill, LB Eric Martin (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Deon Simon (Twitter link via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: CB Carrington Byndom (press release)
- Cut: QB Brad Sorensen
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Mike James (Twitter link)
- Cut: LB Orie Lemon
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/15
Here are Wednesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from across the NFL:
- The Patriots released linebacker Dekoda Watson, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. The veteran played primarily on special teams in the last two games.
Earlier Updates:
- It was a busy day for the Texans, who overhauled their linebacker corps in an effort to improve the club’s special teams play. According to a press release, the Texans promoted ILB Max Bullough from their own practice squad, signed ILB Brian Peters from the Vikings’ practice squad, and signed OLB Kourtnei Brown from the Bucs’ practice squad. As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets, the club placed linebackers Mike Mohamed and Carlos Thompson on injured reserve.
- The Jets have parted ways with one of their draft picks from this past May, waiving seventh-round defensive tackle Deon Simon today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Simon, 25, has yet to see any action in a regular season NFL game.
- Having cut running back Mike James earlier in the week, the Buccaneers had an open roster spot, and used that opening to promote tackle Reid Fragel from their practice squad, according to a team release. Fragel initially survived Tampa Bay’s cutdown to 53 players, but was dropped and signed to the practice squad after the Bucs claimed several players off waivers.
- The Steelers made a change to their defense today, announcing that they’ve cut defensive end Caushaud Lyons, promoting linebacker Anthony Chickillo to their active roster to replace him.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/15
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are typically the most active time during the NFL season for teams to make changes to their practice squads, so we should expect another busy day today. Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts from around the league:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Blake Annen (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
- Placed on PS-IR: LB James Vaughters
Houston Texans
- Signed: QB Zac Dysert (Twitter link via Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DL Jimmy Staten (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Brock Vereen (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press)
New England Patriots
- Cut: WR Kenbrell Thompkins, DT Joe Vellano, OL Chris Barker (Twitter link via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe)
New York Giants
- Signed: QB/S G.J. Kinne (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com)
- Cut: WR Julian Talley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: G Antoine Everett, TE Tevin Westbrook (press release)
Washington:
- Signed: OLB Sage Harold (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post)
Workout Notes: 9/30/15
Today’s workouts from around the NFL..
- The Cardinals tried out offensive tackle Xavier Proctor and defensive back Tyrequek Zimmerman, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Panthers tried out long snappers Danny Aiken and Patrick Scales, Wilson tweets.
- The Lions tried out defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi, Wilson tweets.
- The Colts tried out defensive backs Kevin White, Trovon Reed, Ri’Shard Anderson, and Tay Glover-Wright prior to signing Shaun Prater, Wilson tweets. Linebackers Jayson DiManche and Julian Stanford also worked out for Indy. The Colts also tried out defensive tackle Eric Crume and offensive tackle Aundrey Walker (link).
- The Vikings tried out Tevin Westbrook before he landed on the Buccaneers’ taxi squad, Wilson tweets.
- The Giants tried out long snappers Luke Ingram and Tyler Ott, Wilson tweets.
- The Jets tried out linebackers Jeff Luc and Quayshawn Nealy and running back Joe Banyard, tweets Wilson.
- The Seahawks tried out quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson and wide receiver L’Damian Washington, tweets Wilson.
- The Buccaneers tried out tackle Sean Hickey, Wilson tweets.
- The Chargers tried out tight end Cameron Clear, defensive end Xzavier Dickson, Tevin Westbrook (prior to his signing with the Bucs’ practice squad), tight end Brian Vogler, and offensive tackle Byron Stingily, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Marcus Ball (Twitter link)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Lavar Edwards (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com)
- Cut: OL Ronald Patrick
Denver Broncos
- To be signed: T Antonio Johnson (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: OLB Danny Mason (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB Alex Tanney (press release)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Shaq Evans (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Marcus Lucas (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Cut: LB Terrell Manning (Twitter link via Jayson Braddock)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Donte Foster (Twitter link)
- Cut: FB Blake Renaud
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Tavarres King (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News)
- Cut: OL Vinston Painter (Twitter link via Wilson)
New York Jets
- Signed: S Ronald Martin (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
- Cut: CB Keon Lyn
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C B.J. Finney (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Cut: C Barrett Jones
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: G Michael Huey (via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: WR Nick Toon (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Derrick Lott (press release)
- Cut: CB Imoan Claiborne
Washington:
- Signed: C Austin Reiter (Twitter link via Zac Boyer of the Washington Times)
Buccaneers Waive Mike James
The Buccaneers have removed a running back from their roster, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, who tweets that third-year back Mike James has been cut by Tampa Bay. James will have to pass through waivers unclaimed before he becomes a free agent.
James, 24, joined the Buccaneers a sixth-round pick in the 2013 draft, and earned three starts during his rookie season. For the year, he racked up 295 rushing yards on just 60 carries, good for an average of 4.9 yards per rush.
Since then, however, James hasn’t been a significant part of Tampa Bay’s offense. The former Miami Hurricane had just 37 yards on 19 carries last year, and hasn’t touched the ball so far this regular season. With Doug Martin, Charles Sims, and Bobby Rainey ahead of him on the depth chart, James had become expendable for the Bucs.
NFC Notes: Brindza, Panthers, H. Smith
Buccaneers kicker Kyle Brindza had a rough day on Sunday, missing an extra point and three field goals as his team fell to the Texans by 10 points. However, head coach Lovie Smith stressed that the Bucs are sticking with Brindza, and don’t plan on auditioning any potential replacements this week, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
“No. Kyle is our kicker,” Smith said. “He, like a lot of us, had a disappointing day. That hasn’t been the case. You’re going to have off days, and this was an off day.”
Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NFC:
- Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) believes that the Panthers will eventually get cornerback Josh Norman locked up to an extension, though it will likely require an offer of $10MM+ per year, and will probably have to wait until the offseason. Norman reportedly turned down a contract offer worth about $7MM annually prior to the regular season.
- Person (Twitter links) also passes along a pair of injury updates from Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, who says defensive end Charles Johnson has a hamstring issue and linebacker Thomas Davis has a pectoral injury. While Rivera doesn’t believe the Davis injury is serious, he says Johnson could be out for multiple weeks, and the club may look for outside help on the defensive line (Twitter links).
- After picking up his fifth-year option for 2016, the Vikings decided to wait on signing safety Harrison Smith to a contract extension. As Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press observes (via Twitter), Smith’s price tag appears to be on the rise — through three weeks, the Vikings safety easily has the highest Pro Football Focus grade (+9.4) of anyone at the position.
- Despite the Lions‘ offensive struggles so far this year, head coach Jim Caldwell hasn’t given consideration to taking over playcalling duties from OC Joe Lombardi, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.