Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves that affect teams’ 53-man rosters around the league:
- In a reversal of a pair of roster moves made earlier this week, the Panthers have re-signed running back Chris Ogbonnaya using the roster spot created when the team cut De’Andre Presley yesterday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Carolina had previously activated Presley and waived Ogbonnaya, so the club’s motives here aren’t entirely clear.
- Defensive end Demarcus Dobbs, cut yesterday by the 49ers, has been claimed off waivers by the division-rival Seahawks, according to his agent Wesley Spencer (Twitter link). Since Seattle didn’t have an open spot on the roster, the team placed defensive end Greg Scruggs on the injured reserve list in order to accommodate the addition of Dobbs, tweets Brian McIntyre.
Earlier updates:
- One depleted secondary has added a piece from another, as the Giants announced today in a press release that they’ve claimed cornerback Chykie Brown off waivers from the Ravens. To make room on the roster for Brown, who lost his job in Baltimore after Ben Roethlisberger threw six touchdowns against the Ravens on Sunday, the Giants placed Prince Amukamara on injured reserve — as we learned yesterday, the cornerback is out for the year with a torn biceps.
- The Titans have replaced one tight end with another on their 53-man roster, bringing back Brett Brackett and placing the injured Taylor Thompson on IR, according to a team release. Thompson suffered his knee injury in Week 3 and had been unable to get healthy, while Brackett had been on the Seahawks’ practice squad before signing to Tennessee’s active roster.
AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Jaguars, Titans
We took a look at ESPN’s NFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s check out some notes from the AFC…
- Adam Teicher writes that it’s possible for the Chiefs to retain Tamba Hali and Justin Houston longterm, but they have to be clever with their cap manipulation.
- Teicher adds that the Chiefs will certainly look to re-sign upcoming free agents Houston, Allen Bailey, Rodney Hudson and Anthony Sherman, but they proved last offseason that they won’t overspend to keep their own players.
- Looking forward to free agency, Michael DiRocco says the Jaguars biggest needs are a “pass rusher, speed at linebacker, tight end and more depth along the offensive line.”
- It wasn’t that long ago that Vince Young was the Titans starting quarterback, and Paul Kuharsky believes that the team may be wary of a player like Jameis Winston. He later notes that the team needs an edge rusher “more than anything.”
Extra Points: Lewan, Adams, Crimson Tide
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league…
- Titans first-round pick Taylor Lewan pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of disturbing the peace and being drunk and disorderly, writes Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. The writer notes that Lewan is not expected to be disciplined by the NFL.
- Stephen Holder of the Indy Star details Colts safety Mike Adams long journey to the NFL. Among the notable anecdotes was Adams reaction to a $2,500 signing bonus as a rookie with the 49ers. “Man, they gave me $2,500,” Adams said. “I was thinking, ‘Don’t you mean $25,000? I mean, this is the NFL, right?’ Man, I had to work for that $2,500. And people are calling me from back home asking me for money. Man, I was broke!”
- Following the trade of Mark Barron, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole sat down with Stephen Nelson and discussed the recent lack of success for former Crimson Tide players. The writer believes that Alabama players are “overworked” and subsequently “overvalued” in NFL drafts.
AFC Links: Colts, Titans, Raiders
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson spoke to the media on Thursday and addressed a number of subjects, including the return of owner Jim Irsay, who had been suspended six games for an OWI conviction. Via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells…
“With Jim gone, things are pretty well structured. Jim is always there for input, but he never forces anything down our throats. Just his presence, it’s great to see. Got alumni back. Taking a team picture, and everyone’s walking over, everyone’s walking over to talk to him. that’s something you can’t fake. These guys are beaming at seeing him, and hugging him, and he was the same way. Great for our players to see. That relationship goes back years and years, because that’s real. If you play for the horseshoe, you’re family.”
Let’s see what else is happening around the AFC…
- Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean examines the Titans recent drafts, and attributes the team’s lack of success to their inability to pick good players. Wyatt notes that only two of the team’s 20 draft picks from the 2009-2010 draft are still with the team.
- Meanwhile, Josh Glennon of The Tennessean opines that the Titans have not been getting their money’s worth from their free agent signings. The writer is particularly displeased with the performance of Dexter McCluster, Michael Oher and Shaun Phillips.
- Kenbrell Thompkins is making the most of his opportunity with the Raiders after he was waived by the Patriots. ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson attributes the wideout’s determination to being released, and the 26-year-old is making sure that never happens again. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Thompkins said. “But it happened and I have to learn from it. Hard working and becoming a big part of this team is what I’m focused on.”
Audition Notes: Wednesday
The Cowboys scheduled a visit for linebacker Will Smith, a source tells Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. However, there might not be a spot for Smith after Tim Dobbins was picked up earlier today. The Cowboys have needs at offensive guard and at linebacker with injuries to starting left guard Ron Leary and starting weakside linebacker Justin Durant. Durant is done for the year while Leary is out with a groin strain. A look at today’s auditions from around the NFL..
- The Titans worked out defensive backs Malcolm Bronson, Deveron Carr, Marcus Cromartie, Keelan Johnson, Bacarri Rambo, and Trevin Wade this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- Former Jaguars safety Chris Prosinski is visiting the Eagles today, a league source tells Wilson (on Twitter). The Jets auditioned Prosinski last week.
- The Broncos tried out defensive backs C.J. Barnett, Kip Edwards, and Jerron McMillian, Wilson tweets.
- The Texans, who signed Zac Diles and Ben Malena, also worked out Moise Fokou, Shayne Skov, and Scott Solomon, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Raiders worked out Michael Egner, tight end D.C. Jefferson, and Jacob Pedersen, Wilson tweets. Jefferson, a Rutgers product, entered the school as a well-regarded quarterback and left as a tight end.
- The Bucs worked out Marvin McNutt before signing Tavarres King to the practice squad, Wilson tweets. King ostensibly took the spot that McNutt was in the mix for.
Poll: Who Is Most Likely To Be Traded?
The trade deadline is tomorrow at 4pm eastern time, and a number of prominent players have been the subject of swirling trade rumors over the past several weeks. After a nightmarish start to the season, the Buccaneers may be entertaining the idea of a fire sale, with Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson all potentially on the trading block.
The Titans, meanwhile, appear ready to usher in a new era with the insertion of Zach Mettenberger into the starting lineup, and they are reportedly taking calls on veterans Nate Washington, Michael Griffin, and Wesley Woodyard. The Bengals, who have regained control over the AFC North without much help from Jermaine Gresham, may be waiting for someone to meet what should be a fairly low price for Gresham’s services. And the Rams, who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of the Chiefs yesterday after a surprising upset of the Seahawks in Week 7, could be shopping players like Kendall Langford and Zac Stacy.
We also learned yesterday that the Vikings could be taking calls on Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings. However, all of those players, for various reasons, are probably less likely to be on the move than some of the other names mentioned above.
Indeed, given the level of interest in his services, the struggles of his current team, and his potential impact on a new club, the player who may be the most likely to be dealt is Jackson. This is despite NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s belief that Tampa Bay would not settle for less than a second-round pick in exchange for its top wideout.
But that’s just one person’s opinion. Odds are, of course, that no one will be traded; that’s simply the status quo when it comes to the NFL trade deadline. And several head coaches whose teams were rumored to be active participants in the trade market said today that they did not expect their clubs to pull the trigger on a deal. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, even though he lays out a number of trades that he thinks would be beneficial for teams who appear destined for losing records in 2014, acknowledges that seeing one of those trades come to fruition would be very surprising.
However, reality is not always exciting. So, with that in mind, which of the above players do you think are mostly likely to be traded? Do you think a different player will be on the move? Or do you live so relentlessly in the real world that you think all of this smoke will fail to give rise to a single fire?
Monday Roundup: Cutler, Trades, Landry
Our Zach Links wrote earlier that Bears GM Phil Emery is not currently thinking about parting ways with head coach Marc Trestman, and Emery and Trestman both reaffirmed their support for embattled quarterback Jay Cutler one day after Chicago’s embarrassing Week 8 loss to the Patriots. As Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com writes, Emery and Trestman remain committed to Cutler, attempting to accentuate the positives in their signal caller’s performances while acknowledging the struggles.
Emery claimed that his club’s decision to stick with Cutler has nothing to do with Cutler’s salary, but ESPN’s John Clayton is understandably skeptical. In his “Clayton Minute” video segment, Clayton says that, given the Bear’s $18MM annual commitment to Cutler, Chicago simply has no other choice than to hope that Cutler can right the ship.
- Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times writes that Emery has been approached with “two or three interesting” trade proposals, but nothing that helps the Bears win in 2014. As Emery stated that the team is far from giving up hope on this season.
- Derek Carr is showing tremendous promise and the Browns have to be second-guessing their decision to target Johnny Manziel in the draft instead of him, writes Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer.
- Browns head coach Mike Pettine says that the team’s phones are ringing but cautions that the deadline brings few trades in comparison to the amount of talk that happens, tweets Nate Urlich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.
- Citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, CSNBaltimore.com staff reports that the league has levied a $1.4MM salary cap charge on the Ravens as a result of Ray Rice‘s grievance against the club. According to Schefter, it is normal practice for the NFL to make such a move when a grievance is pending. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes that the cap charge reduces the Ravens’ cap room to about $4.1MM. Baltimore may need to utilize some of that room, as star cornerback Jimmy Smith is expected to miss “a few weeks” with a left foot sprain, according to Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com.
- Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that his club is unlikely to make any more trades,according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (via Twitter).
- The Colts are in no hurry to bring back LaRon Landry after his four-game PED suspension, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at how Jon Beason‘s salary, and the Giants‘ salary cap, will be affected by Beason’s season-ending injury.
Zach Links contributed to this post
More Trade Rumors: Bucs, Eagles, Pats
Let’s take a look at a couple more trade-related items to add to this morning’s rumors:
- In addition to fielding calls for star wideout Vincent Jackson, the Buccaneers may also be willing to deal Doug Martin, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Florio adds that Tampa Bay could see Martin as expendable given that rookie Charles Sims is close to a return from his ankle injury.
- Florio writes in a separate piece that the Eagles are looking for safety help, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Buccaneers Dashon Goldson and the Titans‘ Michael Griffin could be had at the right price.
- In yet another article, Florio writes that the Patriots are shopping for a running back. Might Tampa Bay’s Martin be a fit?
Trade Buzz: V-Jax, Rams, Vikings
There seems to be more buzz surrounding this year’s NFL trade deadline than in years past, and Michael Fensom of the National Desk points out that Week 8 will be the final “audition” for those players who have generated the most interest, including the Buccaneers‘ Vincent Jackson and the Bengals‘ Jermaine Gresham. Fensom also observes that, since January 2012, the teams that have made the most trades are also among the most successful clubs on the field.
Of course, as CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora writes, the odds that a major trade comes to fruition are pretty slim, especially since so few teams are clearly out of the hunt at this point in the season. That does not mean, however, that it is not worth your while to take a look at some of the latest trade buzz. The trade deadline is Tuesday, October 28:
- NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Eagles, Patriots, and Seahawks are among the teams calling about Jackson. He adds (via Twitter) that the Chiefs are also involved. He points out, however, that the Buccaneers are looking for real value in any trade involving Jackson, and Rapoport defines “real value” as a second-round pick (Twitter link).
- Rapoport tweets that another player that could be on the move is Rams DT Kendall Langford, who has generated some interest. La Canfora believes that St. Louis may have also fielded some calls on RB Zac Stacy.
- La Canfora writes that the Raiders are willing to deal Matt Schaub, but there is unsurprisingly not much of a market for him.
- La Canfora adds that players who had previously been discussed as trade possibilities, like the Eagles‘ Brandon Graham, have since been taken off the table.
- Fensom reasons that, given the Seahawks‘ reported interest in tight ends, Seattle is a potential landing spot for Gresham.
- Our Zach Links recently wrote that Titans WR Nate Washington has been made available via trade, but Fensom writes that other Tennessee players like Wesley Woodyard and Michael Griffin are also rumored to be available.
- There is also speculation that the Vikings are looking to sell, and Fensom lists Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings as potential trade chips.
Extra Points: McCoy, Woodyard, Mosley, Smith
The Buccaneers and Gerald McCoy exchanged countless proposals and they have been working on a deal every week since before camp, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s a deal that both sides wanted and they got it done with a reported seven-year, $98MM extension earlier today.
Here are some other notes from around the NFL:
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com put together his thoughts on the McCoy deal, noting that the Buccaneers have a bunch of cap space available and they had to spend it somewhere.
- If the Titans trade linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who was just signed this offseason as a free agent, it’ll be an indictment on their front office, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. It’s not a good idea to hang on to someone who isn’t working out or is a bad fit, but the Titans couldn’t afford to have missed so badly on a pricey addition. (Nearly 12% of our readers believe Woodyard will be traded.)
- With Lions‘ defensive tackle C.J. Mosley suspended and away from the team, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press was asked if the fans would finally get to see Larry Webster play significant snaps. Birkett thinks Webster will get a few snaps, but as a defensive end he will not be replacing Mosley’s playing time.
- Jets‘ quarterback Geno Smith has struggled as the team fell into a 1-6 start, but after the addition of Percy Harvin, Smith has what amounts to a nine-game audition to prove he deserves a chance to be the team’s quarterback in 2015, writes Kimberly Martin of Newsday.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.