Uncategorized - Pro Football Rumors

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Revis, Bills, Tyrod

December 11th, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s take a quick spin around the AFC East, with notes on three of the four clubs in the division:

The Patriots had wide receiver DeAndre Carter in for a workout and Thursday, then took a look at wideout Eric Rogers today, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Rogers was the leading receiver for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders this season, racking up 1,448 yards and 10 touchdowns on 87 receptions.
The Jets spent big money to bring Darrelle Revis back to the team last offseason, committing $39MM in guaranteed money to the star cornerback. However, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes, while Revis makes the team better, he looks like he’s past his peak years.
Within his weekly column for NFL.com, Albert Breer of the NFL Network touches on a number of noteworthy topics, discussing the possibility of an extension for Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the likelihood of a DeMarco Murray trade, and the rising value of Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.

Pro Football Rumors Features

December 8th, 2015 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

Pro Football Rumors passes along the latest news and rumors on NFL player movement 365 days a year, but those aren’t the only updates you’ll see on the site. On our right sidebar, you’ll find a number of additional features and featured posts. Here’s a rundown of a few of them:

Using your iOs and Android devices, you can use our app to follow the latest stories on PFR, MLB Trade Rumors, and Hoops Rumors. The Trade Rumors app is highly customizable, allowing you to add feeds for any of the 92 MLB, NBA, and NFL teams, as well as for any of the thousands of players in our archives.
With the offseason fast approaching for many teams, you can find the full breakdown of 2016 veteran free agents by position using our list, which will be updated throughout the winter and spring.
Several players figure to receive contract extensions from their respective teams between now and the start of the 2016 free agent period, and we’ve identified a number of potential recipients in our Extension Candidate series, which profiles players eligible for extensions and assesses their value. As the list shows, many of the players we’ve profiled have since had their contracts extended.
The NFL isn’t known as a trade-happy league, but by our count, an impressive 69 trades were consummated by teams in 2015, and you can find them all on our recap of 2015 NFL trades. Meanwhile, you can keep tabs on traded draft picks for 2016 with our tracker.
Among our roster tools: A breakdown of all 32 practice squad rosters, along with a recap of how teams have used their IR-DTR slots in 2015 and a summary of teams’ fifth-year option decisions for 2016.
The Pro Football Rumors glossary highlights a number of aspects of the NFL’s salary cap, free agency, and Collective Bargaining Agreement. Feel free to let us know if there’s a specific concept that you’d like us to discuss in a future Glossary piece.
We value your input at PFR, which is why we regularly publish Community Tailgate discussions, in which we elicit your feedback on a noteworthy story or topic from around the NFL. We also have a regular feature called Pigskin Links, in which we highlight a few interesting recent articles from football blogs. You can find our Community Tailgate archives here and our Pigskin Links pieces right here.
While a handful of our notable articles can be found under the “Featured Posts” section on the right sidebar, the PFR Originals archive rounds up all the original posts from our staff. Recently, we broke down 2015’s trades by the numbers and looked ahead to the 2016 salary cap situation for the Cowboys.

Extra Points: Ravens, Cutler, Gase

November 19th, 2015 at 9:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome was among NFL execs who were targeting Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin in the 2013 draft, as Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun writes.

“They definitely brought me in on a visit,” Austin said. “I met with the GM, a great guy. He had a plan for me, that they were going to draft me. They had a plan for me, for my whereabouts when I was in Baltimore and things like that. He’s a great guy, but coach ‘Fish’ pulled the trigger on me. That’s the guy I’m rolling with now.”

The Ravens never got the opportunity to take the explosive wide receiver, who was drafted No. 8 overall by St. Louis. Drafting at No. 32, the Ravens would go on to select Florida safety Matt Elam instead.

West Notes: Armstrong, Floyd, Welker

November 11th, 2015 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Police are looking into whether Raiders linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong illegally taunted a police dog before a game against the Steelers on Sunday, as an Associated Press report outlines. Chief Deputy Kevin Kraus says a player lifted his shirt, beat his chest and barked at the K-9 before telling a deputy to release the dog. Needless to say, the deputy did not follow Armstrong’s orders.

Taunting a police dog is a third-degree felony in Pennsylvania, so the consequences could potentially be severe for the linebacker. It’s not a concern for Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio though, who downplayed the story during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via FOX Sports).

“I’ve caught wind of this story. I’m going to put it in the ‘silly’ category,” Del Rio said. “I think once the facts come to light I don’t think there’s going to be much of an issue. I wouldn’t make too much of it.”

Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:

Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd suffered a torn labrum on Monday night, a source tells Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (Twitter link). According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Floyd plans to rehab the injury and “see how it goes,” with the hopes of playing through it. The 34-year-old has previously stated that 2015 will be his final season in the NFL, so it would be an unfortunate end if he had to shut it down early.
In his latest column for Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman examines the Rams‘ decision to sign Wes Welker, and – more importantly – Welker’s decision to continue his NFL career despite possible health risks. Freeman hears from a source that Welker has “taken great care of his finances,” and is returning to action because he doesn’t want to stop playing yet, not because he needs the money.
Linebacker Nico Johnson, who signed yesterday with the Giants’ practice squad, also had a workout this week with the Rams, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
Wilson also passes along the names of several players who auditioned for the Seahawks this week, including tight end Cameron Clear, quarterback Jake Heaps, defensive lineman Glenn Foster, safety Jonathan Dowling, and cornerback Keon Lyn (Twitter link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Pead, Collins, Murray, Saints

November 5th, 2015 at 10:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back Isaiah Pead is confident that he’ll regain his footing with the Steelers after three unproductive seasons with the Rams, as Ralph N. Paulk of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Pead, along with Jordan Todman, is expected to back up DeAngelo Williams during the second half of the regular season. To date, Pead hasn’t looked like the explosive athlete who helped Cincinnati capture the 2009 Big East championship, but he believes that he is about to turn a corner.

Despite their shortcomings on the offensive line coming into the 2015 season, the Eagles didn’t explore signing undrafted free agent La’el Collins, as Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com writes. “We didn’t have any interest,” head coach Chip Kelly said Thursday. Collins went on to sign a three-year deal with the Cowboys worth $1.6MM guaranteed.
Tom Pelissero of USA Today wonders if having DeMarco Murray would change the Cowboys‘ season. While Darren McFadden has been just OK for Dallas, the club’s offensive line continues to be strong. Behind the power running of Murray, the Cowboys boasted one of the league’s best offenses and the top rushing attack. There’s no way to tell if this would be a totally different season with Murray in the backfield, but it certainly wouldn’t have hurt, Pelissero writes.
Saints defensive tackle Kevin Williams was non-committal when asked about his future beyond this season. “This is a fun thing. You get to be around your teammates, and if you can’t have fun with them, you know you’re not a close group,” the 35-year-old said, according to Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune. “So we joke and have fun. I think that’s what makes the game fun—the friendships you have.”

West Notes: Davis, Broncos, Crabtree

November 4th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Years back, the NFL moved the trade deadline up from Week Six to Week Eight. However, the day of the deadline typically isn’t a hotbed of activity and we didn’t see any trades take place on Tuesday. While some would argue that the deadline should be pushed back even further, Mike Florio of PFT argues that the deadline should be abolished altogether to encourage as much activity as possible.

Of course, on the day prior to the deadline, we saw an AFC West team and an NFC West team link up for a pretty significant deal. Here’s more out of the West divisions..

The Broncos believe that Vernon Davis will give them a serious threat in the passing game, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report in one of his latest videos. However, some around football wonder if the tight end will be able to learn the new playbook quickly enough. That’s something that Davis struggled with in San Francisco.
Count quarterback Derek Carr among those who would like to see the Raiders lock up wide receiver Michael Crabtree. “I would love for Crab to be here for a long time,” Carr said, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Crabtree has been targeted 65 times already in 2015, turning those looks into 40 catches for 483 yards and three touchdowns. And, while Carr isn’t the man responsible for signing Crabtree’s checks, the young quarterback’s endorsement probably carries a lot of weigh with the front office.
49ers safety/special teamer L.J. McCray had a meniscus tear fixed on Tuesday, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets. McCray could come back later this season but a trip to the IR is still possible.

AFC South Notes: Titans, Webster, Colts

November 4th, 2015 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been an eventful week in the AFC South, where two teams have made coaching changes, with the Titans firing head coach Ken Whisenhunt and the Colts parting ways with offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. Our round-up of division links this afternoon focuses primarily on those two teams – and those coaching moves – so let’s dive in and check out the latest….

Whisenhunt’s firing could be the first of many major moves for the Titans‘ franchise over the next several months, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora doesn’t expect general manager Ruston Webster to continue on with the team through 2016, noting that many rival clubs couldn’t find much talent on the Tennessee roster worth pursuing before the trade deadline. And while the team’s ownership group continues to insist the franchise isn’t for sale, there’s skepticism around the league on that front as well.
Rumors of a potential Marcus Mariota/Chip Kelly pairing in Philadelphia dominated the news cycle prior to – and during – this year’s draft. Now that the Titans‘ permanent head coaching job is available, could such a reunion happen in Tennessee? I wouldn’t expect Kelly to get serious consideration for the role, or to have real interest in leaving the Eagles, but the Titans could pursue the possibility after the season if they so choose, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details.
Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com identifies seven more realistic potential choices for the Titans‘ full-time head coaching position.
Given their struggles this season, the Colts had to make a change at some point, and Hamilton was the easiest person to fire at this point in the season, says Mike Wells of ESPN.com. One person in the organization tells Wells that they’d been asking Hamilton to play with tempo for more than two weeks. However, those suggestions “weren’t being received.”
Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star views Hamilton as a fall guy, though he doesn’t think the former OC is entirely blameless for the Colts‘ disappointing first half. In Doyel’s view though, GM Ryan Grigson bears more responsibility for Indianapolis’ underachieving performance.

Extra Points: McCourty, Pats, Murray, Cowboys

November 3rd, 2015 at 8:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots tried hard to get cornerback Jason McCourty from the Titans, but in the end they simply could not get a deal done, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. McCourty, selected in the sixth round of the 2009 draft by the Titans, is one of Tennessee’s more effective defenders, racking up 85 tackles to go along with three interceptions a year ago. After missing the first month or so of the season with a groin injury, McCourty has been active for the team’s last four games.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

The Cowboys cut ties with Joseph Randle today, but COO Stephen Jones says that he still doesn’t regret letting DeMarco Murray walk in free agency, as Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News writes. The Cowboys face Murray for the second and final time this regular season on Sunday night.
Representatives from San Diego, St. Louis, and Oakland will make presentations to a joint meeting of the NFL’s Los Angeles committee and the Stadium and Finance Committees next week, according to Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).
Tight end Ryan Griffin, who is on the Texans‘ IR-DTR list, says he’ll begin working out with the team on Monday, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter). The tight end adds that he feels good and believes that he’s ready to go.
Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com found it interesting that Titans GM Ruston Webster was not at the podium facing questions about the direction of the franchise as interim CEO/president Steve Underwood and interim coach Mike Mularkey spoke. Of course, after Ken Whisenhunt was shown the door, it’s fair to wonder what will happen to Webster. At the same time, the two execs spoke highly of him at the press conference.

Extra Points: Eagles, Cassel, Romo, Peterson

October 25th, 2015 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL as we wrap up the weekend…

According to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (via Twitter), the Eagles won’t get a 2016 fourth-rounder from the Rams if Sam Bradford plays 50-percent of his team’s snaps. Philadelphia will still have to part with a second-round pick, however.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t have the highest praise for quarterback Matt Cassel following his team’s loss to the Giants. “If you’re asking me if I’m confident that Cassel can help us win several of the next ballgames, I don’t know that,” Jones said (via The Washington Post’s Mark Maske on Twitter). With Tony Romo still about a month away from returning, it’s uncertain if Cassel will stick around in Dallas.
Speaking of Romo, Jones told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the quarterback would be back for the Cowboys‘ Week 10 matchup against the Buccaneers (Twitter link). Of course, as Schefter notes, Romo isn’t eligible to return until Week 11, but the owner’s optimism is certainly worth noting.
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said his illness was due to a shrimp allergy, not chewing tobacco, writes ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling. Peterson was downgraded to questionable Saturday evening, but he suited up for Sunday’s victory over the Lions.

AFC Notes: S. Smith, McClain, Revis, Manziel

October 21st, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Zachary Links

There has been speculation the Ravens might try to talk wide receiver Steve Smith out of his plan to retire after the season or that Smith will change his mind. However, the veteran says that nothing has changed. “I’m on schedule for what I discussed earlier in the year,” the wide receiver said, according to Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com.

Here’s more from the AFC..

If Smith is still retiring, the Ravens should trade him to a contender, Mike Florio of PFT opines. The Ravens are at 1-5 and, for all intents and purposes, they’re probably done in 2015. Florio suggests that the Packers would be a great fit for a savvy veteran like Smith.
Free agent cornerback Robert McClain has worked out or visited eight teams since being cut on September 5th, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran’s latest visit was to the Steelers on Wednesday, per Yates. McClain’s recent visits have also included the Bears and Saints.
Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis told reporters, including Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter), that he never expected to return to the Patriots this past offseason. “No, the number was too high,” the corner said.
Johnny Manziel should be on paid leave from the Browns for his recent altercation with his girlfriend, Christine Brennan of USA Today Sports writes. Manziel’s girlfriend declined to press charges over the matter and the all of the facts are still unknown, but Brennan feels that the former Texas A&M star should be sidelined until everything comes to light.
On the Quick Slants podcast, CSNNE’s Tom E. Curran, Phil Perry, and Adam Hart discussed the Patriots secondary and the possibility of making an addition via trade.

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