Workout Notes: Bengals, Titans, Giants
The Bengals signed one former Raider earlier today, reportedly adding wideout Greg Little to their roster. And according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), Cincinnati recently took a look at another ex-Raider as well, working out free agent quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Here are a few more notes on workouts, visits, and auditions from around the NFL:
- With Michael Roos out for the season, the Titans are working out veteran offensive lineman Winston Justice, a source tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN (Twitter link). Since entering the league as a second-round draft pick in 2006, Justice has had some injury problems and provided inconsistent production, but he has also logged 43 starts, primarily at right tackle.
- As the Giants try to determine how to plug the hole left by Victor Cruz‘s season-ending patella tendon tear, the team is working out free agent wideout Kevin Ogletree, says Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link). Ogletree had his best season in 2012 for one of the Giants’ divisional rivals, when he grabbed 32 balls and four touchdowns for the Cowboys.
- Cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks, who was drafted in the seventh round in May by the Bengals and was subsequently cut by the team, visited the Jaguars this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- Josh Thomas was the first cornerback to sign with the Jets in the wake of Dee Milliner‘s season-ending injury, but the team has considered other options as well. Wilson tweets that Drayton Florence, Jacob Lacey, and R.J. Stanford all auditioned for the club.
- In addition to considering Justin Jones, whose workout with the team was previously reported, the Dolphins are also taking a look at tight end Jamie Childers, writes Wilson for the National Football Post.
- Wilson also reports (Twitter links) that several players visited and/or worked out for the Buccaneers this week. That list includes fullback Lonnie Pryor, defensive end George Uko, and defensive backs Brandon Burton, Richard Crawford, Isaiah Frey, and Trevin Wade.
AFC Notes: Burfict, Hoyer, Jets, Patriots
The NFL will review film of Sunday’s game between the Bengals and Panthers and look for evidence that Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict tried to intentionally injure Carolina players, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As detailed by David Newton of ESPN.com earlier today, Panthers tight end Greg Olsen complained that Burfict is something of a head-hunter. “At some point, if the NFL wants to really say they care about guys’ safety, they’ve got to start putting guys out for weeks,” said Olsen. “Me and Cam (Newton) are lucky we aren’t out for weeks, or Kelvin (Benjamin) isn’t out for weeks. If you’re going to start putting guys on other teams out, then the ramifications need to equal that.” One play that will probably be analyzed can be viewed here. For his part, Burfict suffered another concussion on Sunday, so he will probably be out of action for some time, regardless of any disciplinary action.
Let’s close out the night with more from the AFC:
- In response to speculation that Brian Hoyer wouldn’t be interested in an extension with the Browns unless Johnny Manziel was no longer on the roster, Hoyer’s agent, Joe Linta, told Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald: “No talks at this time, and Johnny Manziel’s presence will have no impact on any talks that we might have.”
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap looks at some questions Jets owner Woody Johnson might be facing this offseason, including whether John Idzik and Rex Ryan are the right men for their respective jobs. It’s fair to assume something of an overhaul will occur in New York once the season concludes, and Fitzgerald’s piece raises some valid points.
- More Jets: In the wake of several injuries sustained in yesterday’s contest, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes Phillip Adams and Darrin Walls will act as Gang Green’s starting corners going forward, while Oday Aboushi will make his first career start in place of Brian Winters at left guard.
- Now that Stevan Ridley is out for the rest of the season, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe wonders (via Twitter) if Bill Belichick and the Patriots regret letting LeGarrette Blount walk in free agency. There’s obviously no way New England could have predicted the loss of Ridley, but Blount would fit in nicely as the power back in the Pats’ offense right now.
- Despite investing nearly $30MM in their O-line this season, the Titans are in the middle of the pack in rushing and are 29th in sacks per pass play, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. While those are simple measures, they show that the Titans are getting the worst bang for their buck on the offensive line in the NFL. The Titans last two first-round picks (Taylor Lewan and Chance Warmack) were offensive linemen and Andy Levitre and Michael Oher were signed to significant free agent deals.
- As our Luke Adams recently noted, Raiders cornerback D.J. Hayden is among the players on IR-DTR who can resume practicing this week. Per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link), that’s the plan with Hayden, as Oakland head coach Tony Sparano says all systems are go for the second-year player.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Titans Waive Brett Brackett
The Titans have waived tight end Brett Brackett, according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (on Twitter). Brackett was promoted from the practice squad on Saturday.
Brackett was undrafted in 2011, and spent time with the Dolphins, Jaguars, Eagles, and Cardinals before being released this past May. Since the Titans thought enough of Brackett to promote him to the active roster, it stands to reason that they could re-sign him to the taxi squad given the opportunity.
Brackett, a 6’5″, 248 pound athlete, originally came to Penn State as a quarterback but wound up converting to receiver and finding success there.
Minor Moves: Saturday
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here….
- The Bears have elevated linebacker Terrell Manning from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced on Twitter. The move could be an indication that D.J. Williams won’t be available for Sunday’s contest with the Falcons. To make room for Manning, Chicago has waived safety Shamiel Gary.
Earlier Updates:
- The Steelers have signed safety Ross Ventrone from their practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Ventrone will provide depth with Shamarko Thomas out with a hamstring injury this weekend, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The team waived Wesley Johnson to make room for Ventrone.
- The Bills have signed safety Kenny Ladler off their practice squad, to replace guard Chris Williams who was placed on injured reserve, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). Rookie fifth-round pick Cyril Richardson will replace Williams in the lineup, according to Rodak (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks have signed safety Steven Terrell off of their practice squad, reports Caplan (via Twitter). They waived defensive end Greg Scruggs to make room.
- The Titans have promoted Brett Brackett from the practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Brackett was undrafted in 2011, and spent time with the Dolphins, Jaguars, Eagles, and Cardinals before being released this past May. In order to make room for Brackett, the team placed left tackle Michael Roos on injured reserve. Roos is scheduled for surgery next week.
AFC Mailbags: Titans, Chiefs, Raiders
We took a look at ESPN’s NFC mailbags earlier today. Let’s now check out notes from ESPN’s AFC mailbags…
- Even though Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt previously said that he’d make roster changes if play doesn’t improve, Paul Kuharsky doesn’t think that’s realistic. As the writer points out, roster building takes place in the spring, not in October.
- Adam Reicher writes that it may take some time, but the Chiefs will eventually look to extend linebacker Justin Houston. If that doesn’t happen, Reicher suggests that the team could franchise the 25-year-old.
- If the Raiders can’t get Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh as their next head coach, Texas A&M skipper Ken Sumlin could be a candidate, writes Bill Williamson.
- Michael DiRocco can’t see linebacker Dekoda Watson returning to the Jaguars after the season unless his play improves. The writer adds that Watson wasn’t signed to be a building block, and that will make it easier to cut the player.
- Jamison Hensley observes that the Ravens have historically kept the players they’ve wanted to keep. As a result, he believes that Torrey Smith will ultimately sign an extension with the team.
AFC Notes: Irsay, Titans, Chiefs, Wright
The Broncos and Patriots were widely regarded before the season as the frontrunners to come out of the AFC this season, and while both teams are off to decent starts, it’s the 4-1 Chargers that currently sit atop the conference. Not only has Philip Rivers led San Diego to a league-best record, but the team’s +70 point differential is the NFL’s best by a wide margin — the Broncos and Pats have a combined +45 margin between them.
As we look forward to see if the Chargers can continue their winning ways against the 0-4 Raiders this weekend, let’s round up a few notes from around the AFC….
- Colts owner Jim Irsay will be back working – and presumably tweeting – later this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Irsay’s six-game suspension ends tomorrow, following the team’s appearance on Thursday Night Football.
- The Titans took a look at a handful of tight ends this week, working out Richard Gordon, Matthew Mulligan, Steve Maneri, and Jeron Mastrud, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Caplan adds that the club also auditioned quarterback Ricky Stanzi.
- The Chiefs had several players in for workouts this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), who lists the following free agents as having tried out for Kansas City: Tight ends Brandon Barden and Michael Flacco, linebackers Brandon Copeland and Carlos Fields, wideout Jamar Howard, and long snappers Jorgen Hus and Tyler Ott.
- Tight end Tim Wright, who was acquired by the Patriots via trade prior to the regular season, is starting to get comfortable within New England’s offensive system, as Howard Ulman of The Associated Press writes.
Michael Roos Out For Season
The Titans haven’t had many feel-good moments since their Week 1 victory over the Chiefs, and the team received more bad news today. According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link), left tackle Michael Roos will undergo surgery next week on his knee, ending his season. Roos had indicated earlier today that he didn’t have an ACL or meniscus injury, but acknowledged that a season-ending procedure was “very likely,” per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter links).
Roos, who turned 32 on Sunday, has been a mainstay for the Titans at tackle since he was drafted 41st overall in 2005. In his nine-plus years with the club, the longtime Titan missed just one game up until this point. Now, his career in Tennessee may be coming to an early end, since his deal expires at year’s end, and the team has free agent signee Michael Oher and rookie Taylor Lewan under contract to man the tackle positions going forward.
Depending on what sort of procedure Roos undergoes, and how he recovers from it, it’s possible we’ll see him catch on with another team or re-sign with the Titans at a reduced rate in 2015, but for now, it appears he’ll head to the injured reserve list. When the club makes that move official, it will have an open spot to add another player to the 53-man roster.
Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) was the first to report that Roos was expected to undergo knee surgery.
Titans Sign Brandon Ghee; Pollard To IR
The Titans have officially ended the season of safety Bernard Pollard, who suffered a ruptured Achilles this weekend against the Browns. The team announced today (via Twitter) that Pollard has been placed on injured reserve, with free agent cornerback Brandon Ghee signing to take his spot on the 53-man roster.
Ghee, 27, saw time in 10 games last season for the Bengals and registered five pass deflections and four tackles. The former third-round pick saw the field in just 23 contests for Cincinnati over the course of his career and was cut several weeks ago by the Chargers after signing with the team in the offseason. He’ll provide some depth in the secondary for the Titans, though it’s unlikely he’ll see much action, barring further injuries.
As for Pollard, while his 2014 season is over, his time in Tennessee may not be. The veteran safety signed a two-year pact with the team back in March, so the club will have the option of bringing him back for the 2015 season. Pollard will be in line for a base salary of $3.1MM, and would only count $425K against the cap in dead money if he were cut, so the Titans figure to keep a close eye on his recovery to see if it’s worth keeping him around.
Injury Updates: Monday
As is typically the case on Mondays, teams around the NFL are receiving updates on injured players, and while in some instances that news is reassuring, that’s not always the case. Here are a few items related to injuries that may force clubs to make roster moves:
- As feared, Titans safety Bernard Pollard has a ruptured Achilles and will miss the rest of the season, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. While the team has yet to officially make a move, we can expect Pollard to hit IR at some point this week.
- A pair of Ravens are expected to miss multiple weeks, according to Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com, who writes that cornerback Asa Jackson suffered a severly sprained toe, while defensive end Chris Canty is dealing with an infection in his wrist. Head coach John Harbaugh indicated today that the club’s current plan is to place Jackson on the injured reserve with the designation to return. The team will also look to add a cornerback in his absence, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Broncos running back Montee Ball suffered a strained groin, and could miss up to three weeks, head coach John Fox said today (Twitter link via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com).
- The Giants figure to be without running back Rashad Jennings for the near future, as the offseason signee confirmed today that he sustained a sprained MCL (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News). While Jennings should remain on the 53-man roster, the team could bolster the running back position by promoting Michael Cox from the practice squad, notes Vacchiano (via Twitter).
- The Jets got a scare when linebacker David Harris injured his shoulder, but an MRI showed no structural damage and he’s considered day-to-day, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post.
Injury Updates: Sunday
Here are some injuries that occurred during Sunday’s game action:
- Chargers‘ center Doug Legursky left the blowout victory over the Jets with a knee injury, and Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego reports that he will likely be out much longer (via Twitter).
- The Jets also lost a key member of their team, with linebacker David Harris suffering a shoulder injury, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI tomorrow.
- Calais Campbell‘s injury reported earlier was an MCL injury, and will keep him out between three and four weeks, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- Saints‘ star tight end Jimmy Graham suffered a sprained shoulder during the team’s overtime victory against the Buccaneers earlier today. The team is going into their bye week, which should give the All-Pro pass catcher time to recover. Graham hopes to return to the field the following week against the Lions.
- Titans‘ safety Bernard Pollard left the locker room using crutches, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean (via Twitter). The team fears that he has torn his achilles, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. Pollard will have an MRI on Monday.
- Titans‘ starting quarterback Jake Locker has also faced an injury, being forced out of the team’s loss at the hands of the Browns. Locker injured his thumb in the game, and while X-rays were negative, he will have an MRI on Monday, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.
- Giants‘ running back Rashad Jennings is set to have an MRI on his knee tomorrow, but believes the injury is not serious, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- There have been a number of injuries for the Cardinals during their matchup against the Broncos. Starting quarterback Drew Stanton, who was already filling in for an injured Carson Palmer, has been forced out of the game with a concussion, reports Mark Dalton of the Arizona Cardinals (via Twitter). Rookie Logan Thomas has replaced him in the game. The team does not have an emergency quarterback left on their roster. Defensive end Calais Campbell has also been removed from the game with a knee injury, reports Lindsay Jones of USA Today (via Twitter).
- The Broncos have not been unscathed so far, losing running back Montee Ball to a groin injury, reports Chris Cwik of CBS Sports.
- The Chargers have also experienced some key injuries despite building a big lead over the Jets. Tackle D.J. Fluker and receiver Malcolm Floyd have both left the game with lower leg injuries, and failed to return, reports Eric Williams of ESPN (via Twitter). Running back Donald Brown also left the game with a concussion, writes Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter).