Robert Griffin III Notes: Wednesday
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who first reported last night that Washington would be making a quarterback change, head coach Jay Gruden informed his team this morning that Colt McCoy will start this Sunday instead of Robert Griffin III (Twitter link). In his initial report, Schefter suggested that the former second overall pick remains a “significant” part of Washington’s long-term plan, but it’s hard to imagine things turning around for RGIII and the club at this point. Here are today’s updates on Griffin:
- Jason Reid of the Washington Post (Twitter link) calls any talk of Griffin being part of the team’s long-term plans “nonsense,” suggesting that club sources are merely trying to boost the signal-caller’s trade value.
- The consensus among decision-makers who spoke to Albert Breer about RGIII’s trade value is that he’d be worth a mid-round pick — something like a third-rounder, plus change. One AFC executive told Breer that Washington would perhaps ask for a second-rounder and settle for a third or maybe a fourth. Another GM offered the following analogy: “He’s a car that’s been driven off the lot. Also, the dynamics of his contract drive price down at this stage” (all Twitter links).
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap and Bill Barnwell of Grantland each explore what’s next for Griffin, with Barnwell suggesting 10 potential suitors for the 24-year-old if and when Washington shops him in trade discussions. The 10 clubs identified by Barnwell are the Rams, Bills, Eagles, Buccaneers, Jets, Raiders, 49ers, Cardinals, Texans, and Titans.
- While some Washington players feel bad for RGIII and others agree it was time for a change, the most common comment around the locker room is “this is a circus,” says Dianna Marie Russini of NBC Washington (Twitter link).
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com takes a look at how Washington’s cap would be affected if the team keeps, trades, or cuts the third-year quarterback.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are Tuesday’s minor 53-man roster moves from around the NFL:
- The Vikings will sign tackle J’Marcus Webb once Phil Loadholt is placed on IR, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Webb was brought in for a workout today along with Eric Winston.
- Per Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange (via Twitter), the Rams have tweaked their 53-man roster, cutting wide receiver Damian Williams and promoting tight end Justice Cunningham from their practice squad.
- The Giants have confirmed their signing of Terrell Manning (noted below), waiving linebacker Justin Anderson to make the move official, tweets ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
- According to the Dolphins (Twitter link), cornerback Jalil Brown has been cut to make room for R.J. Stanford, whose signing is noted below.
Earlier updates:
- The Titans have swapped one offensive lineman for another, placing starting center Brian Schwenke on injured reserve and signing interior lineman Eric Olsen to replace him, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter links). Presumably, Chris Spencer, who replaced Schwenke on Sunday after the second-year starter suffered a knee injury, will be the starting center going forward, with Olsen providing depth.
- The Dolphins have added a cornerback, according to agent David Canter, who tweets that his client R.J. Stanford has signed with Miami. The move has yet to be announced by the team, so it’s not clear yet what the corresponding cut will be, but there’s a decent chance that it could involve Jamar Taylor landing on injured reserve — the cornerback left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury and at least one report indicated it could end his season.
- We heard earlier today that Chargers center Rich Ohrnberger was expected to miss the rest of the season with a back injury, and the team has confirmed as much, announcing in a press release that Ohrnberger has been placed on injured reserve. San Diego has promoted linebacker Cordarro Law from the club’s practice squad to the active roster to fill the newly-created opening.
- The Bengals announced another team’s roster move today, tweeting that linebacker Terrell Manning had been signed off their practice squad by the Giants. For their part, the Giants haven’t yet made the signing official by announcing a corresponding move.
- Washington has released linebacker Akeem Jordan from its injured reserve list, making him a free agent, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times.
Titans Release Shaun Phillips
3:33pm: The Titans have officially confirmed Phillips’ release, announcing that they’ve promoted outside linebacker Dontay Moch to the roster to take his spot (Twitter links).
11:50am: The Titans will release veteran outside linebacker Shaun Phillips today, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Because the trade deadline has passed, Phillips, like all players, will have to pass through waivers before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Phillips, 33, played nine seasons for the Chargers before joining the Broncos last season and then signing with the Titans this past March. The veteran inked a two-year, $5MM contract with the club, but wasn’t overly effective in a part-time role this season, recording just a pair of sacks after reaching double-digits in 2013. As Wyatt notes (via Twitter), with the club out of the playoff hunt, Ken Whisenhunt and his staff prefer to take a look at some younger defensive players down the stretch.
Because the deal included a $750K signing bonus, the Titans will carry $375K in dead money on their 2015 cap. However, removing Phillips’ base salary from their books creates more than $2.5MM in ’15 cap savings.
Tennessee will have an open roster spot once the release of Phillips becomes official, so a corresponding addition is likely.
Injury Updates: Sunday
We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence.
This list will be updated as more information becomes available, as always, with news added to the top of the list as it trickles in.
- Washington linebacker Adam Hayward will miss the rest of the season with a broken bone in his kneecap, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
- Texans‘ quarterback Ryan Mallett practiced and played with a right pectoral injury this past week, and will likely miss several weeks, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI to confirm, but the team expects Ryan Fitzpatrick to start next week against the Titans.
- Dolphins‘ cornerback Jamar Taylor suffered a shoulder injury that could end his season, reports Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. If that is true, he will be the third Miami defensive back to have his season end this November.
- NFL interception leader and Browns‘ safety Tashaun Gipson left the game with a knee injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the season, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. He will undergo an MRI Monday to confirm the severeness of the injury.
Earlier Updates
- Bengals’ offensive tackle Andre Smith exited today’s game against the Texans with a possible triceps injury. He will have an MRI on Monday to see the extent of the injury, reports Coley Harvey of ESPN (via Twitter). If Smith has a torn triceps, he will likely miss the remainder of the season.
- Washington cornerback Tracy Porter joined a long list of defensive backs who were off the field when he exited with a right shoulder injury, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter). Porter was ruled out for the game, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter), and could leave the team thin at corner if he misses an extended period of time.
- Titans‘ linebacker Kamerion Wimbley suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to the Eagles earlier today, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
- Dolphins‘ first-round pick Ja’Wuan James started at left tackle, but was forced out of the game due to a stinger and failed to return, writes James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). With Branden Albert already out for the season, the team could be very thin at that position.
Five Teams Leave IR-DTR Spot Unused
Each year, NFL teams have the option of placing one player on their injured reserve list without necessarily ending his season. That player is designated to return, a move that allows him to begin practicing six weeks after he’s placed on IR, and makes him eligible to return to game action after eight weeks.
It’s a useful tool for NFL clubs who want to open up a spot on their active rosters, but don’t necessarily want to lose a player for the season with what may not be a long-term injury. During the 2014 season, 27 of 32 teams took advantage of the IR-DTR slot, while the remaining five clubs never ended up using it. And as we head into Week 12, there’s little point in using the designation now, since there are only six weeks left in the season. The following five teams declined to use their IR-DTR spots this season:
- Houston Texans
- Miami Dolphins
- Minnesota Vikings
- New York Jets
- Tennessee Titans
All five teams have plenty of players on their season-ending injured reserve list, and it’s possible that in some cases using that shorter-term designation on a player would have allowed him enough time to recover and to return this season. But for the majority of these clubs’ most notable injuries, there was no chance of those players coming back in 2014 — for instance, Jets cornerback Dee Milliner and Titans safety Bernard Pollard both tore their Achilles tendons, while Dolphins tackle Branden Albert tore his ACL and MCL.
Here’s how the league’s other 27 teams used their IR-DTR spots this season. Players listed in italics have since been re-activated by their respective clubs:
- Arizona Cardinals: Used on Matt Shaughnessy, LB (knee) after Week 5
- Atlanta Falcons: Used on William Moore, S (shoulder) after Week 4
- Baltimore Ravens: Used on Asa Jackson, CB (foot) after Week 5
- Buffalo Bills: Used on C.J. Spiller, RB (collarbone) after Week 7
- Carolina Panthers: Used on Mike Tolbert, RB (leg) after Week 3
- Chicago Bears: Used on Marquess Wilson, WR (collarbone)
- Cincinnati Bengals: Used on Tyler Eifert, TE (elbow) after Week 1
- Cleveland Browns: Used on John Hughes, DE (knee) after Week 8
- Dallas Cowboys: Used on Demarcus Lawrence, DE (foot)
- Denver Broncos: Used on Danny Trevathan, LB (knee) after Week 6
- Detroit Lions: Used on Kyle Van Noy, LB (abdomen)
- Green Bay Packers: Used on J.C. Tretter, C (knee)
- Indianapolis Colts: Used on Xavier Nixon, T (knee)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Used on Marcedes Lewis, TE (ankle) after Week 2
- Kansas City Chiefs: Used on Joe Mays, LB (wrist)
- New England Patriots: Used on Sealver Siliga, DL (foot) after Week 3
- New Orleans Saints: Used on Khairi Fortt, LB (leg)
- New York Giants: Used on Geoff Schwartz, G (toe)
- Oakland Raiders: Used on Rod Streater, WR (foot) after Week 4
- Philadelphia Eagles: Used on Evan Mathis, G (knee) after Week 1
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Used on Jarvis Jones, LB (wrist) after Week 3
- San Diego Chargers: Used on Melvin Ingram, OLB (hip) after Week 2
- San Francisco 49ers: Used on Glenn Dorsey, DT (biceps)
- Seattle Seahawks: Used on Jeremy Lane, CB (groin) after Week 1
- St. Louis Rams: Used on Chris Long, DE (ankle) after Week 1
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Used on Charles Sims, RB (ankle)
- Washington: Used on Barry Cofield, DT (ankle) after Week 1
AFC Notes: Blount, Browns, Titans, Thomas
LeGarrette Blount, the newest member of the Patriots, took to Twitter earlier this evening to thank the Steelers. “I would like to thank the Pittsburgh Steelers organization, Mr Rooney, Kevin Colbert, Coach Tomlin and Coach Sax for the opportunity and experience they provided me. I would also like to apologize to them and my teammates and fans for how things ended. I made a poor decision that I will definitely grow from. I wish the Steelers, my former teammates and Steeler Nation nothing but the best,” Blount wrote.
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com revisited the draft day blockbuster between the Browns and Falcons that sent the No. 6 pick (Julio Jones) to Atlanta. The Browns have many regrets for their part in the trade. The Browns turned that selection into defensive tackle Phil Taylor, wide receiver Greg Little, fullback Owen Marecic, and quarterback Brandon Weeden. The deal also gave them an extra fourth-round pick which they used to deal for Trent Richardson. Needless to say, Cleveland would probably like a re-do.
- Titans linebacker Avery Williamson, taken in the fifth round of this year’s draft, is looking like an absolute steal, writes The Associated Press. Williamson has seen a ton of playing time for Tennessee this year and earlier this week he sacked Ben Roethlisberger twice.
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com believes that the Broncos won’t let Demaryius Thomas get away in free agency. Tight end Julius Thomas is also a priority, but perhaps not as high up on the list.
Minor Moves: Thursday
We’ll keep tabs on Thursday’s minor transactions, including practice squad signings and cuts, in this post, with the latest updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Bills have made a change to their 53-man roster, claiming tight end MarQueis Gray off waivers and cutting running back Phillip Tanner to make room, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Gray was cut yesterday by the Vikings to accommodate the team’s waiver claim of Ben Tate.
Earlier updates:
- A pair of players recently cut from their respective teams’ active rosters have re-signed to those clubs’ practice squads. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports (via Twitter) that safety Steven Terrell is back with the Seahawks‘ taxi squad, while Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets that running back Edwin Baker has rejoined the Saints‘ unit. Tauren Poole was cut from the Saints’ practice squad in a corresponding move.
- After carrying an empty spot on their 53-man roster for a couple days, the Titans have filled it by promoting linebacker Justin Staples from their practice squad, the team announced today (Twitter link). Staples, who was cut by the Browns prior to Week 1, had been on the Titans’ practice squad since mid-September. The team has signed linebacker Yawin Smallwood, who was selected by the Falcons in May’s draft, to replace Staples on the taxi squad.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
In addition to making practice squad changes, teams around the league are also adding and subtracting players from their 53-man rosters today. We’ll round up some of those minor transactions in this space, with the latest moves added at the top of the list:
- The Texans have released Ricky Sapp from injured reserve, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Sapp was placed on IR on October 7th to make room for the signing of linebacker John Simon to the 53-man roster.
- The Titans have cut linebacker James Anderson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Anderson, 31, started all 16 games last season for the Bears. While Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required) ranked Anderson 33rd out of 35 qualified 4-3 outside linebackers in 2013, his poor grade was due in large part to subpar performance against the run — he was one of the league’s more effective linebackers in pass coverage. This year he saw time in seven games as a reserve.
- The Bears have added receiver and return man Marc Mariani to their roster on a two-year contract, waiving safety Ahmad Dixon to make room for the incoming player, the team announced today (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- The Cardinals had hoped Troy Niklas‘ ankle injury wouldn’t be season-ending, but that optimism didn’t last long. As Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes, the team placed the rookie tight end on injured reserve today, ending his season. To replace Niklas, the Cards signed veteran tight end Matthew Mulligan, who was on the Bears’ roster earlier this season.
- The Seahawks have officially confirmed the previously-reported signings of offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre and defensive tackle Travian Robertson, cutting offensive tackle Andrew McDonald and defensive back Steven Terrell to accommodate the new additions. Jeanpierre and Robertson will get a chance to play at center and defensive tackle, respectively, with Max Unger and Brandon Mebane injured.
- Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary has been ruled out for the season and will remain on the reserve/PUP list, the team announced today in a press release. Clary needed to start practicing today if he hoped to play this season, but his hip injury will keep him sidelined until 2015.
AFC Notes: Hoyer, Oher, Broncos
Much has been made of Brian Hoyer‘s future as the impending free agent continues to inch the Browns closer to an improbable playoff berth, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes that, if Hoyer does leave Cleveland after 2014–which would “shock” at least one prominent talking head–the Texans would be a likely destination. As Schefter writes, “Hoyer trusts [Texans head coach Bill] O’Brien as much as any coach in the league from their time together in New England, per sources, and would welcome a reunion.” Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Cardinals‘ head coach during Hoyer’s one season in Arizona, would also have interest in bringing Hoyer to Tennessee. Schefter writes that a long-term deal between Hoyer and Cleveland will “get done only as soon as the Browns truly are ready to make Hoyer, not Johnny Manziel, their long-term quarterback.”
Now for some more links from the AFC (an NFC Notes post from this busy Sunday can be found here):
- The Titans are going to have to admit they made a mistake in handing a lucrative free agent deal to Michael Oher and find a new right tackle, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Kuharsky adds that Tennessee can get out of the Oher deal “clean” after one year and $6MM, but Michael Roos will not be Oher’s replacement and the team is not going to move Taylor Lewan from left tackle.
- Mike Klis of the Denver Post describes the issues the Broncos are having with locking up their top impending free agents with in-season extensions.
- Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post makes the case for the Broncos to sign free agent guard Richie Incognito.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports explains why Broncos star wideout Demaryius Thomas is likely to get the franchise tag.
- In the first news to come out of this saga since July, two trucking companies have formally accused Browns owner Jimmy Haslam of directing a fuel rebate conspiracy, writes Tom Feran of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets that, if Reggie Wayne wants to continue playing after 2014, he will only play for the Colts. We learned earlier today that the Colts are preparing for life without their longtime stalwart.
- Leo Roth of the Democrat & Chronicle writes that the Bills should return to E.J. Manuel as their starting quarterback.
Extra Points: Goldson, Cowboys, Draft, Titans
As free agency and cap management is becoming more notable in teambuilding, Kevin Seifert of ESPN takes a closer look at six of the league’s most inflated contracts and the effects they are having on their team’s roster. He dissects the contracts of Jay Cutler, Ndamukong Suh, Joe Flacco, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Tony Romo, and how each team will likely deal with the large cap numbers going forward.
Here are some other notes from around the NFL:
- The Buccaneers put together one of the most high profile secondaries out of nowhere before the 2013 season, signing Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson and drafting Mark Barron at the top of the first round. Not long after, Revis was released and Barron was traded, leaving only Goldson on the roster, and he may be the next to go, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Goldson has played less as the season goes on, and with large money attached to his contract, the team may choose to go younger and cheaper at the safety position.
- Much has been made of the Cowboys as they approach their decision on what to do with offensive stars Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, with many pundits and fans expecting long-term extensions for both. Murray also seems like an obvious franchise tag candidate, but Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News could see the Cowboys surprising us and rewarding Murray with the long-term deal while franchising Bryant at the higher tag price.
- Although the 2015 NFL draft order has not even been set, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN are already working hard to evaluate both the prospects available as well as the needs of NFL teams. They look at the possibility teams like the Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers, and Titans would take a quarterback such as Marcus Mariota of Oregon or Jameis Winston of Florida State at the top of the draft, and look at other questions surrounding the draft.
- The Titans may be in position to draft high at the top of the first round, but in no way will that be on purpose, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “It is ludicrous to me. Fans don’t understand the situation we go through as players,” said tight end Delanie Walker. “No one wants to lose games for better picks. It just doesn’t happen. It would never happen. Just the thought is ludicrous.”