HEADLINES

Uncategorized News & Rumors

NFC Notes: Bryant, Underwood, Lattimore

August 15th, 2014 at 9:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Even after signing a deal that pays him an average of $4.75MM per season with the Jaguars, defensive lineman Red Bryant still isn’t happy about the way his tenure with the Seahawks ended. “It’s football,’’ Bryant told Terry Blount of ESPN.com. “What have you did for me lately? I guess what [Chris Clemons and I] did for them lately wasn’t good enough anymore.” Seattle, in part, let Bryant go in order to retain a far superior talent in Michael Bennett, but it’s not surprising to see a player a bit miffed at his former team. Let’s look at some more notes from the NFC:

  • Though Tiquan Underwood has struggled to distinguish himself during his time with the Panthers, the team is not yet giving up on him, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Head coach Ron Rivera said the 27-year-old has “a skill set [Carolina would] like to have,” but if Underwood can’t crack the Panthers depleted receiving corps, his NFL future could be in doubt.
  • 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore is almost a year removed from a suffering a gruesome knee injury while at South Carolina, but San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh says the young ball-carrier still isn’t ready for practice. “He’s been doing well,” Harbaugh told Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “There’s been gains, but that’s where we’re at – not quite there yet.”
  • Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes it’s possible that Rolando McClain “shakes things up” at linebacker, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Reports yesterday indicated that Bruce Carter could be losing his handle on Dallas’ weakside linebacker job, so perhaps McClain summon some of the talent that made him the No. 8 overall pick in 2010.
  • Chris Brown of Grantland pens an interesting look at Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, detailing not only the former Oregon head man’s offensive philosophies, but his unique approaches to sport science, nutrition, and practice regimens.

Pro Football Rumors On Facebook/Twitter

August 14th, 2014 at 9:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s 2014 regular season debut is just three weeks away, and a significant amount of roster shuffling is expected over the next few weeks, as teams cut their 90-man rosters down to 75 players, and then to 53. There will be plenty of notable stories to track on Pro Football Rumors, and you don’t necessarily have to keep refreshing our site to keep tabs on them. There are a handful of different ways you can follow us to get the latest updates on NFL news and rumors all year.

You can like us on Facebook, and receive headlines and links for all our posts via your Facebook account. You can also follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. Meanwhile, our Google+ page is located here, and if you’d like to follow us using your RSS reader of choice, you can find our RSS feed right here.

If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter.

Pro Football Rumors Features

August 12th, 2014 at 12:34pm 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:

  • Most of the most noteworthy players on the 2014 free agent market came off the board back in March, but there are still plenty of recognizable veteran names available. You can find the full breakdown of veteran free agents by position using our list.
  • With teams having completed most of their major offseason moves, our Offseason in Review series looked back at the changes clubs made to their rosters over the last few months. Our team of writers examined all 32 NFL teams, so be sure to take advantage of our index to find your club of choice.
  • Several players figure to receive contract extensions from their respective teams between now and the start of the 2014 regular season, 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, a handful of the players we’ve profiled have since had their contracts extended.
  • Teams around the league have been active in tweaking their rosters since training camps opened last month. With dozens of transactions being made each week, we’re doing our best to keep tabs on which clubs have full 90-man rosters and which still have open roster spots, as you can see using our updated list of NFL roster counts.
  • 36 trades have been consummated by NFL teams in 2014, and you can find them all on our recap of 2014 NFL trades, which will continue to be updated up to this year’s trade deadline. Meanwhile, you can keep tabs on traded draft picks for 2015 with our tracker.
  • 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 polls and have a regular feature called Pigskin Links, in which we highlight a few interesting recent articles from football blogs. You can find our poll archives here and our Pigskin Links pieces right here.
  • The Pro Football Rumors app for the iPhone and iPad is available for free on iTunes.
  • 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 gauged the stocks of veteran free agents Jonathan Vilma and Richie Incognito, and listed the league’s longest-tenured general managers.

AFC East Links: Smith, Decker, Garoppolo

August 8th, 2014 at 10:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s round up the latest batch of notes from the AFC East, specifically New York and New England:

  • The Jets’ quarterback situation hasn’t become a controversy as of yet, but as Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press writes, head coach Rex Ryan is certainly still coy about the competition between projected starter Geno Smith and veteran Michael Vick. “We’ll just let this thing play out,” said Ryan. “It’s our first preseason game. Obviously, we know we have two excellent quarterbacks.”
  • Eric Decker and Chris Johnson made their respective debuts with the Jets last night, and both were pleased with their performances, per Kimberely A. Martin of Newsday. “It was good,” Decker said of working with Smith. “It didn’t feel any different than practices. It’s just fun to go against a different opponent and work on the timing aspect, just getting into a rhythm.”
  • New Jets corner Dimitri Patterson‘s rough debut should give the team some pause, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes.
  • Perhaps in order to showcase him for a trade, the Patriots started Ryan Mallett in yesterday’s preseason game, but it was second-round rookie Jimmy Garoppolo who shined, according to CSNNE.com. Garoppolo played college ball at Eastern Illinois, so it was encouraging to see him succeed against NFL-caliber players (even if they were second- and third-stringers).
  • The Patriots used tablets to go over plays on the sidelines for the first time last night, and head coach Bill Belichick was mostly pleased with the results. “The tablets, you have the ability to hold all the [schematic] pictures in the one tablet so you can kind of scroll through them,” he told Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “Certainly much more concise and I’d say the quality of the tablets is good, the clarity of the pictures is good.” Belichick did note that he worries about connectivity issues, saying that a backup plan would need to be in place.
  • In a separate piece, Perry passes along some interesting comments from Belichick as he argues that the preseason is the time to work on deciding when to challenge disputed plays.

NFC East Notes: Henery, Giants, Redskins

August 8th, 2014 at 7:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We learned this afternoon that Giants offensive lineman Eric Herman has been suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Let’s take a look at some more notes from New York and the rest of NFC East.

Extra Points: McNair, Smith, Brent, Dalton

August 7th, 2014 at 9:38pm CST by Zachary Links

After a 10-month ordeal in which he battled two forms of cancer under an assumed name at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texans owner Bob McNair has been given a clean bill of health by the team of doctors that treated him, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Here’s a look around the NFL as we enjoy some preseason football..

  • It was originally scheduled for Friday, but 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith actually met with commissioner Roger Goodell earlier today, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Goodell is expected to discipline Smith, perhaps with a multiple-game suspension, to start the season.
  • Former Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent also met with Goodell and a source tells Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com that the meeting went well. Owner Jerry Jones said earlier that he’ll create a roster spot for the defensive lineman if he’s not suspended.
  • In a piece for CBSSports.com, former agent Joel Corry gives his take on Andy Dalton‘s new contract with the Bengals. Corry writes that the deal sets a new middle salary tier for quarterbacks, one that hasn’t been in place since Mark Sanchez was cut by the Jets and Matt Schaub took a paycut from his Texans deal upon joining the Raiders. The pact may also set a salary ceiling for teammate A.J. Green.
  • Packers coach Mike McCarthy believes that everything is “lined up for” his team in 2014, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports. “I feel like everything’s lined up for us, with the buildings and the upgrades and everything. It’s all about progress and growth. That’s the way we run our football operations, and I feel like we’re just getting ready to have our best run, hopefully,” the coach said. Meanwhile, quarterback Aaron Rodgers is excited about their young talent at the skill positions, Jordy Nelson‘s new contract, and the addition of Julius Peppers on the defensive line.
  • Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon might have been the only person in Tampa Bay who was upset to see coach Greg Schiano go, writes Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times. Schiano was absolutely convinced Glennon was not only the Bucs’ franchise quarterback of the future, but the present. Now that Schiano is out and Lovie Smith is in, Glennon has gone from starter to backup.
  • The Saints traded Darren Sproles to the Eagles this offseason but they might have a clone in UDFA Derrick Strozier, writes Jarrett Bell of USA Today. It won’t be easy landing a spot in a backfield that includes veterans Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson, and Travaris Cadet, but the diminutive Strozier looks good so far.

Extra Points: Graham, Seahawks, Packers

August 6th, 2014 at 9:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Some have criticized Jimmy Graham for his contract wrangling with the Saints this offseason, but those people should consider his history before judging him in any fashion, writes Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. Duncan outlines Graham’s childhood history which included being abandoned by his mother and stepfather before landing in a less-than-desirable foster care situation. “Obviously I know where I came from, and I know how hard it was to get here and so I’m going to cherish every moment of it and do everything in my power to never go back,” Graham said. More from around the NFL..

  • As the Seahawks prepared for the 2014 draft, their execs considered game tape, player statistics, and all the typical barometers of future success. But they also studied players’ backgrounds, looking deep into the DNA of each young man’s character, writes Dan Pompei of Sports On Earth. True to their word, each of the first six players the team chose in the draft overcame adversity in some manner, though some was of their own doing. “If people have had a lot of adversity and have proven they can overcome that adversity, the chances for them to have success at the next level are going to be better,” General Manager John Schneider said. “It’s important to us to find guys who have a chip on their shoulder and feel they have something to prove.” Second-round choice Paul Richardson was arrested for stealing a backpack as a UCLA freshman, and was subsequently dismissed from the school. He later transferred to Colorado to start over, but he missed his junior year after tearing his ACL before coming back to have a very productive senior season. Like Richardson, fellow second-round pick Justin Britt tore his ACL in 2012 but also bounced back strong.
  • The Packers have had the fortune of employing some legendary GMs, writes Martin Hendricks for the Journal Sentinel. Current GM Ted Thompson ranks No. 4 on the list while the great Vince Lombardi occupies the top spot.
  • While Browns rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert is finding his niche at his position, it’s been a bit of a rougher road for fellow rookie Pierre Desir, the team’s fourth-round selection this year, writes George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal. Desir finds himself listed third at one corner spot behind Joe Haden and Isaiah Trufant on the recently released depth chart.

La Canfora On Pats, McCourty, Redskins

August 6th, 2014 at 5:38pm CST by Zachary Links

In today’s column, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes that the Redskins’ offensive line is looking solid for the first time in a while. Left tackle Trent Williams is in excellent shape and it appears that offensive line coach Chris Foerster has done a nice job of molding the unit as it adapts to a team that will incorporate elements of power running under head coach Jay Gruden. Here’s more from La Canfora..

  • Devin McCourty is looking good at safety and it has solved what was a lingering issue for the Patriots. They’ll want him around a long time but there’s nothing brewing as he enters the final year of his deal. The sides exchanged some initial proposals this offseason, sources told La Canfora, but weren’t particularly close, and there hasn’t been any movement since. The safety franchise tag is quite team friendly, so that could be lessening New England’s urgency in working on a new deal. Still, La Canfora feels the sides could talk again before the start of the season.
  • It’d be tough for the Redskins to pull off a trade well past the draft, but La Canfora wonders if Washington could get more calls at some point in 2014 on backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins has two years on his rookie deal and the Browns offered a mid-round pick for him this offseason, though La Canfora hears that Skins GM Bruce Allen wanted a second-rounder. Cousins has plenty of fans in some other front offices and coaching rooms, but the Redskins might want to hang on to him since Robert Griffin III remains an injury risk.
  • The Patriots are quietly pleased with what they have seen from receiver Brandon LaFell, who they signed as a free agent this offseason. He has shown a grasp of their system and with injury troubles plauging Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, and Rob Gronkowski, there is an opportunity for LaFell to get lots of looks.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Nicks, Jaguars, Texans

August 3rd, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Aside from Andrew Luck, the Colts might have the worst roster in the NFL, opines Rivers McCown of Football Outsiders (in a piece for ESPN Insider: subscription required). Since 2010, Indianapolis draft picks have borne little fruit, as Luck, T.Y. Hilton, and Dwayne Allen are the only above-average players selected during the span. Because of the lack of draft success, general manager Ryan Grigson has been forced to add talent via trade and free agency — a strategy that hasn’t worked well, as the Trent Richardson, Erik Walden, and LaRon Landry acquisitions have yielded substandard results. Finally, effective veterans like Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis are nearing the end of their careers, meaning the Colts’ lack of roster depth could be a long-term issue.

More from Indianapolis and the rest of the AFC South:

  • Despite his struggles last season, Richardson is now feeling more comfortable in the Colts’ offense, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
  • New Colts receiver Hakeem Nicks hasn’t yet impressed at training camp, Indianapolis offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton tells Tom James of the Tribune-Star (Twitter link). …”I don’t know if I can say that I’ve seen enough. I think he is still working to get himself in game shape…” said Hamilton. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap tweets, the Colts are only paying Nicks as a mid-to-low-tier receiver (~$4MM), so it wouldn’t be a major problem if his performance is lackluster.
  • After adding to their defensive line over the offseason, the Jaguars are intent on raising their sack totals in 2014, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Union-Times. Jacksonville got to the quarterback just 31 times last year, tied for last in the league.
  • Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick looked to be at his best during Sunday’s scrimmage, and head coach Bill O’Brien tells Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle that he’s pleased with the veteran’s performance. “I think he is getting better every day. He’s more and more comfortable,” said O’Brien. “…[T]here is a lot to this offense. It’s good to have a guy that has been in a few offenses…He loves this offense, as do all the quarterbacks, because it is a quarterback-friendly offense.”

NFC Notes: Eagles, Lions, McCarthy, Wilson

August 1st, 2014 at 4:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie sees head coach Chip Kelly being with the team for a long time, writes NFL.com’s Albert Breer. “I got the feeling he was capable of that,” Lurie said. “People will learn about themselves. Coaches will learn. Do they want to stay in the same place? Do they want to move around? You can’t control that. But he has the ability to develop a program that was already successful, and make it even better. They were successful (at Oregon). We had all that success (with Andy Reid). But we want to be better than we were, not stay the same.” More from the NFC..

  • Rashean Mathis says that the Lions don’t need an upgrade to their secondary, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Detroit didn’t make any significant upgrades at cornerback this offseason, despite ranking 23rd against the pass last year. In 2013, Mathis was the only Lions corner to rank among the top 90 by Pro Football Focus’ metrics.
  • There has been a lot of talk that after extending GM Ted Thompson, coach Mike McCarthy is next up on the Packers‘ agenda. However, the coach says that he’s not thinking about a new deal, writes Tyler Dunne of the Journal-Sentinel. “To me,” McCarthy said, “everybody that works here has a business part of their place here. That’s just part of it. I’m focused on training camp; there’s a process in place that will take its course. I’ve never sweated it. I love it here. I’m not worried about it.”
  • In an interview on ESPN Radio, Giants owner John Mara explained that while the team is disappointed to see David Wilson suffer a neck burner in his first week back, the club was prepared for a season without him, writes Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger. “I think given what he went through, the surgery he went through, it would have been foolish not to be (prepared),” Mara said. “We signed Rashad Jennings, we drafted Andre Williams, we signed Peyton Hillis again, so we do have some depth there. We have Michael Cox there, so someone is going to have to step up and do it now.”
  • Eagles running back LeSean McCoy is feeding the hype behind rookie receiver Jordan Matthews, writes Zach Berman of The Inquirer. The Eagles sure hope that McCoy is right about Matthews after an offseason in which they released DeSean Jackson.
Load More Posts