Workout Notes: 9/23/15
Teams around the NFL are bringing in players for workouts, surveying the free agent landscape for possible practice squad additions or 53-man roster players, either for the near future or down the road. Here are a few of the latest auditions from across the league, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all links go to Twitter):
AFC:
- Former Broncos cornerback Tony Carter had a workout with the Ravens, who have liked him for a while. Of course, up until very recently, Carter was under contract with Denver.
- In addition to Matt Huffer, whose workout was reported yesterday, offensive linemen Kevin Graf, Antonio Johnson, and Travis Bond, along with defensive ends Matt Conrath and Xzavier Dickson, were among the players who auditioned for the Broncos this week.
- We already heard that the Jets brought in multiple receivers this week for workouts, and we can add a few more names to that list: DaVaris Daniels, Titus Davis, and Josh Lenz got a look from New York.
- It was a linebacker-heavy workout group this week in Jacksonville, as the Jaguars auditioned Jeff Luc, Alex Singleton, and Jordan Tripp, in addition to Jayson DiManche, whose workout was previously reported.
- We can add tight end Nick Kasa, guard Joe Looney, wide receiver Marcus Lucas, ex-Niners tackle Sean Hooey, and former Titans tackle Byron Stingily to the list of players who tried out for the Dolphins this week. We learned yesterday that tight end Adrien Robinson also visited the team.
- The lengthy roster of players who auditioned this week for the Titans: cornerbacks Robert McClain, Robert Steeples, Shaun Prater, and Carrington Byndom; safeties Jean Fanor and Robert Lester; and wide receiver Nick Toon.
NFC:
- The Panthers brought in several defensive backs for tryouts, taking a look at Richard Crawford, Ras-I Dowling, and Tajh Hasson.
- Wide receiver Deonte Thompson turned an audition with the Bears into a practice squad spot this week, but he wasn’t the only player to work out for the team. The club also brought in wide receiver DeVier Posey, quarterback Alex Tanney, and QB Justin Worley.
- The Lions were eyeing veteran defensive backs this week, with ex-Giants safety Stevie Brown, longtime Panthers safety Charles Godfrey, and former Raiders DB Brandian Ross all coming in for auditions. The club also worked out tight end Mickey Shuler.
- Defensive tackle Deandre Coleman, cut from the Dolphins’ practice squad last week, and former Broncos defensive end Quanterus Smith both worked out for the Seahawks this week.
- After being removed from the Patriots’ injured reserve list last week, wide receiver Jonathan Krause tried out for the Eagles.
- Washington auditioned two linebackers who hit the open market within the last few weeks, bringing in ex-Bengal Nico Johnson and former Seahawk Alex Singleton. It’s been a busy week for Singleton, who also worked out for the Jaguars, as noted above.
- The Packers took a look this week at tight end Blake Annen, defensive tackle Justin Hamilton, CFL linebacker Henoc Muamba, and linebacker Josh Shirley.
Injury Updates: 9/20/15
The big news is the Tony Romo injury, which could have a devastating effect on the Cowboys’ season. We already looked at a major injury to Bills safety Aaron Williams – who appeared to be doing okay after being taken to a hospital, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter) – and a potential starting quarterback injury for Jay Cutler of the Bears. Here’s a roundup of other noteworthy injuries from Sunday’s action. Any additional injury updates from the afternoon games will be added to the top of the page throughout the day.
- Eddie Lacy has been carted off the field for the Packers due to a right ankle injury, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter). His return is questionable (via Twitter). Davante Adams is also being carted to the locker room with a left ankle or foot injury, reports Jason Wilde (via Twitter).
- Packers defensive tackle Josh Boyd also just went down on the field, and is being attended to by the coaches and medical staff, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He will also be carted off with a right leg injury (via Twitter).
- Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert left the game against the Jaguars twice, not returning the second time, with a reported hamstring injury, according to James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Rookie tailback Tevin Coleman couldn’t finish the game for the Falcons today due to a rib injury, and D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes a prolonged absence could doom the team’s rushing attack.
Earlier:
- Ereck Flowers left the Giants-Falcons game with an ankle injury, and was not able to return, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Flowers has dealt with ankle injuries for a few weeks, and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com notes that head coach Tom Coughlin hopes those issues aren’t continuous (via Twitter).
- Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso has been ruled out of the remainder of today’s game vs. the Cowboys due to a left knee injury, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As McLane observes, that’s the same knee that suffered a torn ACL in 2014.
- Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was getting X-rays taken after the loss to the Vikings, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Detroit Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman writes that Stafford confirmed the X-rays were taken of his chest and ribs (via Twitter).
- Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy left the 26-19 win over the Saints with a right arm injury, reports Jenna Laine of Sports Talk 1040 The Team in Tampa (via Twitter). Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times adds that McCoy was not moving his right arm in the locker room (via Twitter).
- Titans right guard Chance Warmack will have an MRI on his knee on Monday after injuring it today, but the initial diagnosis is a sprained MCL, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter links).
Extra Points: Goodell, Raiders, Mariota, Vaccaro
Although Roger Goodell‘s said he’s open to changing his role in the disciplinary process, the status quo won’t change for a while. Steelers owner Art Rooney II said any changes will be negotiated in the next collective bargaining agreement, which is up for renewal in 2021, and owners are in no rush to pursue what would be a complex fix, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
“Look, I think more than likely we’re not talking months here. We’re most likely talking years,” Rooney told Pelissero. “I think there’s probably still a fair amount of time before both sides are willing to really roll up their sleeves and get something done.”
The NFLPA, however, responded to Rooney’s assertions of both sides having “informal discussions” on amending the personal conduct policy by saying the league has been unwilling to comply with the association’s requests to collectively bargain on the issue that’s become one of the key components of the modern NFL.
Should the two sides somehow agree to an extension on the CBA with new language on player discipline, that extension would be for a couple of years, Rooney told USA Today.
Here are some additional items affecting the league in Week 2.
- Following his stadium proposal that was widely panned, developer Floyd Kephart won’t be taking part in future proposals involving a new Raiders stadium in Oakland, according to the Bay Area News Group. Kephart’s exclusive negotiating agreement was not renewed by the city of Oakland, and CSNBayArea.com notes this should facilitate more direct dialogue between Oakland and the Raiders, who dismissed the financial basis for Kephart’s Coliseum City project.
- Aldon Smith should see work in the Raiders’ base packages soon after playing only on passing downs in Week 1, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Smith played mostly at right defensive end in his 29 snaps last week, and Bair expects that to increase against the Ravens. With Jack Del Rio-led defenses reluctant to blitz, the onus will be on Smith and Khalil Mack to lead a four-man pressure package.
- With the Browns set to host the Titans on Sunday, Mike Pettine admits a personal interest in Marcus Mariota‘s career, according to the Northeast Ohio Media Group’s Tom Reed. The second-year Cleveland coach believes many around the league are secretly rooting against Mariota and his former coach at Oregon, Chip Kelly, to fail and preserve the superiority of pro-style systems. “(Mariota) is the kind of guy you root for from a personal standpoint,” Pettine said. “But I think the football purists who want it to be a true pro-style game are not going to cheer for a guy like him because that would only encourage teams to blow this up and bring in college coordinators.”
- The Saints want to expand Kenny Vaccaro‘s role to include covering slot receivers, Nick Underhill of TheAdvocate.com writes. Vaccaro played 156 downs in slot coverage in 2013 and 108 last season, per Underhill, and was utilized as an in-the-box player when New Orleans opted for single-high safety looks.”
Workout Notes: Raiders, Pollard, Eagles
Earlier this afternoon, we passed along word that the Patriots had brought in six players for workouts, including wide receivers Jarrett Boykin and Austin Pettis, along with running back Bryce Brown. A few other teams have been auditioning free agents of their own this week, so let’s round up some of the latest updates….
- The Raiders, who recently placed Nate Allen on IR-DTR and saw Charles Woodson go down with a shoulder injury, could use some help at safety, and the team auditioned a veteran free agent this week, bringing in Bernard Pollard, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Pollard, whose 2014 season ended with a torn Achilles, tweeted that he “smashed” today’s tryout with Oakland.
- The Eagles made some changes to their offensive line this offseason, and the unit didn’t look as effective in Week 1 as it has in past years. It’s not clear yet if changes are on the horizon in Philadelphia, but the club worked out interior linemen Lemuel Jeanpierre and J.D. Walton this week, per Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (Twitter link). Adam Caplan of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Philadelphia also took a look at UDFA running back Ross Scheuerman.
- Quarterback Dustin Vaughan, one of those six players that worked out for the Patriots this week, also had an audition with the Titans, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Vaughn was waived by Dallas during the Cowboys’ cutdown to 53 players.
- Cornerback Trovon Reed, cut by the Rams earlier this month, tried out today for the Jets, says Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).
Breer’s Latest: Colts, Maxwell, Los Angeles
A week after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota – the top two picks in the 2015 draft – squared off in Tampa Bay, Albert Breer of the NFL Network spoke to Buccaneers GM Jason Licht and Titans GM Ruston Webster, and both executives are still very happy with the choices they made back in April. Of course, there wasn’t much to dislike about Mariota’s Week 1 performance for Webster, and even though Winston struggled, Licht says the team “saw some flashes of great play” and still has a lot of faith in the No. 1 overall pick.
As Breer notes, history suggests that a rookie quarterback’s performance in the first week of the regular season doesn’t necessarily reflect what kind of career – or even what kind of season – he’ll have, so it’s hard to draw too many conclusions from Mariota winning round one over Winston.
Let’s round up a few more of Breer’s items of interest….
- Colts owner Jim Irsay wants to make the most out of Andrew Luck‘s time in Indianapolis after the Colts only won one championship in 14 years with Peyton Manning, and there’s a belief that Irsay will have an itchy trigger finger with his decision-making as a result. If the 2015 season ends the same way the last three seasons have, Irsay will look to make changes, according to Breer, who says the Colts’ owner may go “big-game hunting” if he decides to replace Chuck Pagano as head coach.
- In examining Byron Maxwell‘s unsteady start with the Eagles, Breer cites one NFC executive who has said in the past that teams’ biggest free agent mistakes often involve projecting players into bigger roles. In Maxwell’s case, he was surrounded by Pro Bowl caliber defensive backs in Seattle, but is being relied upon as the No. 1 option in Philadelphia after inking a lucrative long-term contract. It remains to be seen whether Maxwell’s poor performance vs. the Falcons was a one-week blip or a sign of things to come.
- St. Louis and San Diego reps won’t get an opportunity to make presentations at the NFL’s owners meetings in October, but that doesn’t mean the subject of Los Angeles won’t be discussed. As Breer writes, owners could address and agree to a relocation fee, and figure out how it would be paid. The league may also try to finalize a temporary stadium for 2016 and a new window for applying for relocation, since the current window (January 1 to February 15) is expected to be moved up.
- Within his L.A.-related observations, Breer also says that Dean Spanos and his Chargers have garnered the most sympathy around the NFL based on his situation, so it seems extremely unlikely that any relocation scenario would leave the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium — the franchise figures to either move to L.A. or get a stadium solution worked out in San Diego.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/15/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Jets waived Oday Aboushi, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. Aboushi was suspended without pay for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
- The Bears cut quarterback David Fales, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Patriots cut undrafted rookie wide receiver Chris Harper, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
- The Chargers signed offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins and dropped tight end Kyle Miller, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets.
- The Eagles placed center David Molk on IR, according to the team transactions page.
- The Cowboys officially signed Charles Brown and waived Darrion Weems, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. Brown went to training camp with the Jets and was a former second round pick of the Saints.
- The Buccaneers announced today that they have waived (injured) linebacker James-Michael Johnson.
- The Texans placed tight end Ryan Griffin on IR-DTR with a sprained medial collateral ligament, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Titans reached injury settlements with Zaviar Gooden and Yawin Smallwood, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
- The Colts signed Josh McNary to the active roster, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes.
- The Raiders will release tight end Gabe Holmes but they’ll try to re-sign him to the taxi squad, Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Justin Hunter Found Not Guilty Of Assault
Appearing in a Virginia courtroom today, Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter was found not guilty on charges of assault and battery, according to Gabriella DeLuca of NewsChannel 3 (via Twitter).
Hunter, 24, originally faced a felony charge for an incident that took place in a Virginia Beach bar on the Fourth of July weekend. During a July arraignment, prosecutors said that Hunter started a bar fight on by punching a man in the face twice. According to prosecutors, after the bar was cleared, Hunter punched the man again while he was bent over spitting out blood on the sidewalk.
The man allegedly had a broken jaw as a result of the assault, and the Titans wideout faced a felony charge of malicious wounding. However, per an AP report, there were several people involved in the brawl, and the victim said Hunter didn’t land the most serious blow. The receiver’s attorneys argued that Hunter felt threatened, which is why he began throwing punches.
That original felonious charge was reduced to a misdemeanor assault and battery charge a few weeks ago, and today Hunter was found not guilty in court. While he’s in the clear from a legal standpoint, the NFL figures to complete its own investigation, and the former 34th overall pick could still face discipline from the league. Still, Hunter’s odds of serving a multi-game suspension due to the incident appear to have been significantly reduced as a result of the not guilty ruling.
Hunter, who has continued to play for the Titans while his legal situation plays out, was targeted just twice during Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay, catching one ball for 11 yards.
AFC Notes: Kitchen, Texans, Workouts, Fluker
Former Browns nose tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, who was cut by Cleveland earlier this month, will pay a visit to the Texans this week, a source tells Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. With 2014 third-rounder Louis Nix no longer on their roster, and sixth-round rookie Christian Covington backing up Vince Wilfork, the Texans may be seeking some veteran depth to help complement J.J. Watt on their defensive line.
As we wait to see if anything materializes between Kitchen and the Texans, let’s check in on a few other items from across the AFC….
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along some workout updates, reporting (via Twitter) that the Jets are auditioning former Broncos defensive end Quanterus Smith today, and that linebackers Troy Davis, Quayshawn Nealy, and Nick Moody recently worked out for the Chiefs. Moody has since signed to Seattle’s practice squad.
- Chargers offensive lineman D.J. Fluker is expected to miss “considerable time” due to an ankle injury, writes Bernie Wilson of The Associated Press. Johnnie Troutman would likely be the next man up to replace Fluker as San Diego’s right guard.
- The trial for Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter, who was charged with assault and battery following a July bar brawl, is set to begin today in Virginia Beach, according to an Associated Press report.
- Examining A.J. Green‘s new extension with the Bengals, Bryce Johnston of Over the Cap observes that even though Green’s second-year base salary isn’t fully guaranteed at the time of his signing and he trails other star wideouts in terms of fully guaranteed money, his contract looks just as strong as those other deals.
Extra Points: Cowboys, Wilkerson
The Cowboys made the wise decision to select ex-Notre Dame offensive guard Zack Martin 16th overall in the 2014 draft, but they did so against owner Jerry Jones’ wishes, chief operating officer Stephen Jones – Jerry’s son – told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.
“Let’s go over this quarterback thing one more time,” said Jerry Jones, despite hearing endorsements of Martin from Stephen Jones, senior director of college/pro personnel Will McClay, head coach Jason Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.
The Cowboys then tried – and failed – to move down in the draft before settling on Martin.
“Son, if you want to do special things in life, you can’t keep picking and doing things down the middle,” Jerry said to Stephen afterward. “What we just did was down the middle.”
Martin did special things as a rookie, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. Quarterback Johnny Manziel, whom Dallas could have taken instead of Martin, had a poor first year both on and off the field and enters his second season backing up journeyman Josh McCown in Cleveland.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported earlier Saturday that the Jets and defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson are far apart on contract talks and unlikely to continue negotiating when the season starts Sunday. However, there is not – nor has there ever been – a hard Sunday deadline to get a deal done, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). That means the two sides could still hammer out a long-term extension during the season.
- Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt, speaking to SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link), showered praise on rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota. “It was amazing how quickly our team bonded with Mariota. He has a businesslike professional approach. Doesn’t get rattled.” Mariota, the second overall pick in this year’s draft, will square off against the No. 1 selection, Bucs QB Jameis Winston, on Sunday.
- The Browns won’t improve on their 7-9 record from 2014 without another big year from their defensive backfield, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. The group includes three Pro Bowlers in Joe Haden, Tashaun Gipson and Donte Whitner. Gipson believes he’s part of the best secondary in the league. “Any time you get together this kind of talent nothing bad can go wrong in our eyes,” he said. “If we execute the game plan and play fast I feel there’s no better secondary out than us.”
- The five-year, $45MM extension the Cowboys signed Tyrone Crawford to Saturday makes the Eagles’ recent four-year, $29MM pact with Mychal Kendricks look better, opines former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner. Kendricks’ deal is the best one any team has given out this year, Banner thinks (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/15
Today’s minor moves:
- The Titans reached an injury settlement with linebacker Zaviar Gooden and subsequently placed him on waivers, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
- The Bills reached an injury settlement with receiver Deonte Thompson, who was previously on IR, per ESPN’s Mike Rodak (Twitter link).
- The Texans reached injury settlements with linebackers Lynden Trail and Tony Washington, both of whom were on injured reserve (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- The Bengals waived linebacker Jayson DiManche and fullback Mark Weisman from injured reserve, according to ESPN’s Coley Harvey (via Twitter). DiManche got an injury settlement.
- The Jaguars signed third-year long snapper Carson Tinker to a contract extension that will keep him in Jacksonville for the next four seasons, reports Hays Carlyon of Jacksonville.com.