AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Raiders, Colts, Jags
It’s Saturday, and that means a fresh batch of mailbags from ESPN.com’s NFL writers. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting tidbits from the AFC…
- The Chiefs may have some second thoughts about releasing cornerback Brandon Flowers following his success with the Chargers, writes Adam Teicher.
- The Raiders need to either sign a top free agent wideout next offseason or use one of their top draft picks at the position, opines Bill Williamson.
- If the Colts were going to release LaRon Landry, they would have done so already, writes Mike Wells. The writer notes that cutting ties with the safety would be “admission” that the team made the wrong choice in signing him to a four-year deal.
- Michael DiRocco would be shocked if the Jaguars selected an offensive lineman with their upcoming first-rounder. Instead, the writer says the team should focus on pass-rushers, linebackers and safeties.
- Paul Kuharsky can’t envision the Titans re-signing Jake Locker to be a backup. The writer believes if the team is in fact done with the quarterback, they should completely move on.
AFC South Notes: Brackett, Colts, Mallett
Three AFC South teams are squaring off against AFC North opponents this week, as the Jaguars seek their first win of their season against the Browns, the Texans look to knock off the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and perhaps most importantly, the Colts will face the Bengals in a battle of first-place teams. With 11 weeks still to play, there’s plenty of time for teams to move up or down in the standings, but there’s a real possibility that Sunday’s Colts/Bengals matchup could have seeding or home field implications for two teams with 2013 playoff teams with Super Bowl aspirations.
As we look forward to that game and the rest of this weekend’s slate, let’s check out the latest out of the AFC South:
- The Texans traded for Ryan Mallett just before the beginning of the season, and his history with head coach Bill O’Brien from their time in New England led some to believe that Mallett would eventually get a chance to play. O’Brien spoke up on Friday, praising the strong-armed former Patriot for his preparation and presence on the sidelines, reports Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. However, O’Brien stops short of saying Mallett is ready to go under center and get his first real NFL action.
- Titans’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt indicated today that tight end Brett Brackett, who’s currently on the team’s practice squad, could be re-added to the 53-man roster again this week, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- In addition to the offensive lineman whose auditions have been previously reported, the Titans also worked out Dennis Roland and Kevin Murphy this week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
- The Colts will be looking very carefully at the 2015 transition tag numbers, with Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson both approaching the final year on their respective rookie deals. The 2015 transition tag will be equal to the 2016 fifth-year options for the top ten picks of the 2012 NFL Draft, where both Luck and Richardson were selected, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com. Keeping Luck for a fifth year at $16.12MM is a no-brainer, but declining Richardson’s number of $9.02MM is just as obvious a choice according to Breer.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Brady, Pats, Titans, Browns
Tom Brady, a Jet? It wasn’t far from happening, as a source tells Gary Myers of the New York Daily News. One scout — Jesse Kaye, now an advisor with New York — strongly argued for Gang Green to select Brady late in the 2000 draft. Even after the Jets drafted Chad Pennington in the first round, Kaye believed in Brady enough to lobby hard for head coach Bill Parcells to select the Michigan quarterback, and per Myers, almost stood on a table and yelled at Big Tuna. Ruefully, New York drafted North Carolina defensive back Tony Scott with pick No. 179; 20 picks later, the Pats selected Brady, and the rest is history. Here’s more from the AFC.
- It won’t be easy for the Patriots to replace running back Stevan Ridley, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. While New England has Shane Vereen, Brandon Bolden, and James White on the roster, none is the type of power back that was Ridley. The Pats’ best bet, per Volin, might be to promote third-year running back Jonas Gray from the practice squad. At 230 pounds, Gray could act as the “thunder” to the other backs’ “lightning.”
- Before signing veteran offensive lineman Will Svitek yesterday, the Titans also worked OLs Guy Whimper and Martin Wallace, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). Tennessee is attempting to bolster its offensive depth following a season-ending injury to left tackle Michael Roos.
- Brandon Marshall looks back fondly at his time with the Dolphins, writes Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Tribune. Marshall, who played in Miami from 2010-11, feels the Fins were just a solid quarterback away from being a contender. The star receiver was eventually traded to the Bears in 2012 for two third-round picks.
- In a video from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Browns general manager Ray Farmer discusses the differences between scouting college prospects and evaluating potential free agent fits.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad signings and cuts here..
- The Seahawks announced that safety Steven Terrell has re-joined the practice squad (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Terrell was waived yesterday when the Hawks re-signed defensive lineman Greg Scruggs. Seattle had only nine players on its taxi squad, so it won’t have to release anyone to make room for Terrell.
Earlier Updates:
- The Chiefs announced that they have signed former Oklahoma State linebacker Orie Lemon to the practice squad.
- The Broncos announced that they have added defensive end Gerald Rivers to the practice squad today, as the staff at The Denver Post writes. Rivers appear in two games for the Rams and Jaguars last season.
- The Dolphins signed quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson to the practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Packers signed tight end Ike Ariguzo to their practice squad and released guard Jordan McCray, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel. The 6’5″, 245-pound Ariguzo, a rookie who played at Eastern Kentucky, made an impression on Green Bay coaches when he auditioned for them in May.
- The Titans have signed TE Brett Brackett back to their practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.
- The Steelers have signed defensive end Ethan Hemer, defensive back Jordan Sullen, and offensive lineman Adam Gettis to the practice squad, according to team PR director Burt Lauten (on Twitter). In related moves, the Steelers have released wide receiver Derek Moye and placed cornerback Shaq Richardson on the taxi squad’s injured reserve. Sullen recently auditioned for the Jets after he was let go in Chicago.
- The Browns announced they signed wide receiver Kevin Cone to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Cone was previously with the Bucs’ practice squad.
- The Buccaneers added fullback Lonnie Pryor and defensive end George Uko to their taxi squad while releasing Cone, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter).
South Notes: Gruden, Titans, Saints, Bucs
Before Jay Gruden signed on to coach the Redskins, he had a very positive interview with the Titans, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “It was a good visit,” Gruden said. “I was very interested in the job, but Washington called me I guess the night after the interview and had me fly up here and they offered me the job right away.” Gruden says he was never offered the Tennessee job and soon after, the Titans hired Ken Whisenhunt as their head coach.
Here’s more from out of the league’s two South divisions:
- Titans tight end Craig Stevens underwent surgery today to repair a torn quadriceps tendon, and will be sidelined for the season, writes Terry McCormick of 247Sports.com.
- The Saints‘ reasons for releasing fourth-round linebacker Khairi Fortt were never made entirely clear, and head coach Sean Payton declined to elaborate today on the team’s thinking, indicating that the move was in the club’s best interest, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Fortt was claimed off waivers by the Bengals and has since been cut by Cincinnati as well.
- The Buccaneers, who signed corner Isaiah Frey earlier today, are clearly toying with their nickel back spot, tweets Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune. Keith Tandy worked in that role last week and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has said that the team needs better play out of that position.
- The Buccaneers likely re-signed Lonnie Pryor to their practice squad in anticipation of Jorvorskie Lane‘s suspension, Cummings tweets.
- Bears cornerback Charles Tillman told Robert Klemko of The MMQB that he “maybe” has two years left in the tank. Tillman also says that divine intervention led him to sign with Chicago this offseason rather than join Lovie Smith with the Buccaneers.
- In an investigative piece for ESPN The Magazine, Shaun Assael takes a look at the addiction issues battled by Colts owner Jim Irsay.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Titans To Sign Will Svitek
The Titans are signing veteran tackle Will Svitek, according to John Glennon of The Tennessean (on Twitter). The 32-year-old (33 in January) appeared in 13 games for the Pats in 2013 with two starts.
According to the metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Titans have been in the middle of the pack in run blocking and pass blocking so far in 2014. As noted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky yesterday, the Titans have spent nearly $30MM on their offensive line this season and the return has not matched the investment. Looking at a simpler metric, through six games, the Titans rank 29th in sacks per pass play. Things didn’t get any easier for Tennessee this year when they lost tackle Michael Roos to a season-ending knee injury.
The Titans are 2-4 this season with wins at the bookends. On Sunday they’ll travel to Landover, Maryland to face the 1-5 Redskins.
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.