HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

AFC Notes: Titans, Ravens, Browns, Revis

May 26th, 2014 at 2:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

Let’s take a Memorial Day look around the AFC:

  • There a number of Titans who may see their starting jobs, and even roster spots in general, in jeopardy come training camp, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Shonn Greene, Michael Oher, and Jake Locker are among the notable names who may not see as much action as expected for the Titans in 2014.
  • The Ravens selected quarterback Keith Wenning in this month’s draft to compete with Tyrod Taylor to be the backup to Joe Flacco, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore,com. However, Brown writes that he is unsure if the Ravens will devote three roster spots to the position, meaning the two might not only be battling for a backup job, but a spot on the roster.
  • Ravens defensive lineman Brandon Williams is determined to come back in 2014 with more success after a toe injury kept him out of nine games as a rookie, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Williams, a third-round pick in 2013, has dedicated himself to being in better shape this season. “I’ve had a good offseason, I’ve been working out doing cardio and a bunch of other stuff,” Williams said. “I’m lighter and leaner. I’ve gotten a little stronger.”
  • Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer speculates that neither Brian Hoyer nor Johnny Manziel will win the Browns‘ quarterback job until later this summer. Reed thinks that while Hoyer is perhaps the favorite to start to open the 2014 season, if Manziel performs like he did at Texas A&M during the preseason, it will put significant pressure on the Browns’ organization to start the former Heisman Trophy winner.
  • Darrelle Revis will have a positive impact on the Patriots‘ offense this upcoming season, writes Brent Sobleski of USA Today. Tom Brady told Peter King of The Monday Morning Quarterback that he’s already tired of throwing against Revis in practice everyday. The former first-round pick out of Pittsburgh has been described by former teammate Jim Leonard as “the best practice player” he’s ever seen. Sobleski thinks that having such a worthy practice adversary will only serve to improve Brady’s game.

David Kipke contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Bucannon, Receivers

May 26th, 2014 at 12:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

Mike Glennon is the Buccaneers‘ quarterback of the future, despite the arrival of Josh McCown via free agency. After McCown was announced as the starter, trade rumors began to circulate concerning Glennon, but head coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jason Licht have come to the decision to support the quarterback they inherited, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. They believe Glennon possesses the most important traits needed for a successful quarterback.

“The three things — and Lovie and I were in complete agreement on this — are toughness, intelligence and accuracy,’’ said Licht. “And then arm strength is a distant fourth. Mike showed during this process that he has those three things and he scored very high on those three things.”

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • Although the Buccaneers have had a thin roster the past few seasons, Smith says that one of the most important aspects of winning is depth at multiple positions, writes Cummings. Specifically, Smith spoke about the team’s depth at safety and how impressed he is with the players they have.
  • Cardinals‘ first-round pick Deone Bucannon hasn’t provoked many negative statements from the organization, but head coach Bruce Arians tried to come up with one, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “(Deone has) only got one problem — He is so much a perfectionist,” said Arians. “It is paralysis by analysis right now because he wants to do everything just perfect.”
  • Lions‘ receiver Ryan Broyles is committed to returning from a ruptured achilles tendon that sidelined him in 2013, writes of Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “I’m looking forward to the competition. It’s never scared me away,” said Broyles. “But at the end of the day, we’re here to win. They’re going to put guys in place to help us win.”
  • Saints‘ receiver Kenny Stills is looking to get better in his second season with the team, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Stills could have an increased role in the offense after finishing 2013 strong, but has new competition as the team traded up to draft Oregon State receiver Brandin Cooks.

Patriots’ Quarterback Depth Chart

May 26th, 2014 at 10:28am CST by Rob DiRe

One of the bigger surprises of the NFL Draft was the Patriots using their second-round pick on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois. With Tom Brady still leading the charge on a team that was only one game short of a sixth Super Bowl appearance under the current regime, it was a bold choice to use such a valuable pick planning for the future.

While the team is still in a position to win now, Brady was not surprised the team selected a quarterback in the draft, writes Peter King of Monday Morning Quarterback.

“I felt like I had a pretty good idea we’d take a quarterback,” Brady said. “Coach Belichick doesn’t care who the quarterback is here. He’s always going to play the guy who he thinks gives him the best chance to win.”

It was not too long ago that the team used a third-round pick on former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett. Mallett, drafted in 2011, is now coming to the end of his rookie contract, and will be a free agent after this coming season.

Mallett was involved in trade rumors during the NFL Draft, most notably with the Texans to reunite with his old offensive coordinator, Texans’ head coach Bill O’Brien.

Of course, no deal was agreed to, and Mallett was announced as not available by the Patriots, meaning the team will enter the season with a crowd at the quarterback position.

Since 2009, the Patriots have only carried more than two quarterbacks on the roster once, in 2011 during Mallett’s rookie year, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Brian Hoyer was the main backup for the Patriots that year, in his third year with the team. Mallett was the third-string string quarterback as a rookie, before earning full backup duties in his second year with the team, as Hoyer was let walk.

The Patriots might elect to bring Garoppolo along in a similar fashion, letting him take his rookie year to learn as the third option, but it would be surprising for the team to bring back Mallett in 2015 after using such a high pick on Garoppolo.

 

Bengals Sign Second-Rounder Jeremy Hill

May 26th, 2014 at 8:40am CST by Rob DiRe

Former LSU running back Jeremy Hill announced via Twitter that he has officially signed with the Bengals.

The second-round pick will join Giovani Bernard and BenJarvus Green-Ellis in the Cincinnati backfield. Hill had over 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns last year for LSU.

Hill’s signing leaves only two members of the Bengals’ rookie class left to be signed, in first-round pick Darqueze Dennard and third-rounder Will Clarke.

Poll: Who Will Be Traded?

May 25th, 2014 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

As a result of free agency and the draft, there are players around the league that now find themselves in a bit of roster limbo. Plenty of veterans could be on a team’s trading block, so NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling took a look at the top-ten trade candidates in the league.

The Vikings added Matt Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater and as a result, incumbent quarterback Christian Ponder tops Wesseling’s list. The writer states that Ponder has higher upside than a typical backup, and lists the Saints, Packers, Panthers and Falcons as potential trading partners. Fellow quarterback Ryan Mallett of the Patriots was second on the list, with Wesseling suggesting the Texans and Cowboys as landing spots.

Michael Roos‘ contract (and the addition of rookie Taylor Lewan) makes the Titans offensive tackle a definite trade option. Roos is number-four on Wesseling’s list, with the Panthers and Ravens listed as destinations. 49ers running back LaMichael James, Cardinals tight end Rob Housler and Raiders wideout Denarius Moore round out Wesseling’s offensive options.

On defense, Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers leads the way at number-four. The team is reportedly open to trading the Pro Bowler, and Wesseling suggests the Texans, Titans and Colts would be interested. Defensive end/linebackers Brandon Graham (Eagles) and Dion Jordan (Dolphins) come in at five and six, followed by Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan.

Wesseling mostly focused on players that were squeezed out of their team’s plans following the offseason. That means he omits Texans wideout Andre Johnson, who would clearly top the list if included. The Pro Bowler has been the subject of trade rumors for the past month.

Which player do you think is most likely to be traded? Is there somebody that you think should have been included? Let us know in the comments.

Extra Points: Dalton, Housler, Dolphins

May 25th, 2014 at 8:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Following his subpar performances in the last three playoffs, there was some doubt whether Andy Dalton was part of the Bengals future. Furthermore, the quarterback may be seeking an extension with the squad. New offensive coordinator Hue Jackman stated his support for the 26-year-old following the team’s first voluntary on-field practice.

Via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“He has all the characteristics I like in a quarterback. He’s smart, he comes to work prepared and ready to go, and he comes to the practice field ready to compete. He can make all the necessary throws. I haven’t see any throw he can’t make. That being said, he knows there are things that we talk about that he needs to get better at.”

Of course, Jackman added that it’s time for Dalton and star receiver A.J. Green to prove their talents:

“They’ve been good, now it’s time to be great.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFL…

  • Cardinals tight end Rob Housler is a “definite (if not likely) trade candidate”, according to ESPN’s. Josh Weinfuss (via Twitter).
  • Dolphins quarterback Brock Jensen made a couple of good throws in minicamp, but his arm strength was not impressive, opines ESPN’s James Walker (via Twitter). The writer says that he isn’t ready to declare the undrafted free agent as a challenger to Pat Devlin for the third quarterback spot (via Twitter).
  • Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette lists defensive end, inside linebacker and wide receiver as the biggest position battles for the Steelers.

PFR Originals: 5/18/14 – 5/25/14

May 25th, 2014 at 7:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Here’s the original content produced by PFR during the past week:

Dolphins Sign Michael Philipp

May 25th, 2014 at 6:45pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins have signed offensive lineman Michael Philipp to a futures contract, reports Omar Kelly of the Florida Sun Sentinel. As the writer points out, the Dolphins are continuing their annual tradition of inking an unsigned rookie from minicamp.

The 6-4 Philipp started 48 games at left tackle for Oregon State, including 26 straight. While the lineman has been durable recently, he suffered through two injury-plagued seasons early in his career. Philipp played both tackle positions during his senior year, and Kelly notes that he also played some guard during the team’s rookie camp.

Philipp originally signed with the Browns after the draft, but was cut following the team’s minicamp.

“For whatever reason it just wasn’t a good fit,” said agent Brett Tessler. “He’s a wide-bodies athlete who is surprisingly light on his feet and flexible.”

The Dolphins waived three rookies earlier this evening.

Dolphins Waive Three Rookies

May 25th, 2014 at 5:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins have waived a trio of players following the completion of their rookie minicamp, the team announced today (via Twitter). Miami has parted ways with defensive back Deion Belue and offensive linemen David Hurd and Michael Ola.

Belue and Hurd were signed as undrafted free agents on May 15th. Belue spent two years at Northeast Mississippi Community College before transferring to Alabama. With the Tide, the cornerback started 24 of 25 games. Hurd is a 6-6 offensive tackle out of Arkansas.

Ola was undrafted out of Hampton in 2011 and briefly played in the arena league. He spent the last two seasons playing in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes. The right tackle was signed to a reserve contract in early February.

Jimmie Ward Out Until Training Camp

May 25th, 2014 at 4:15pm CST by Peter Sowards

Jimmie Ward went to the NFL Scouting Combine in February unaware of a fracture in his right foot. Doctors alerted him of the issue and did not allow him to work out.

His pre-draft medical recheck in Indianapolis on March 25 brought good news — doctors reported that the foot was healing on schedule.

But, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, Ward is likely out until training camp in late-July due to the injury, specifically referred to as a Jones fracture, which deals with the fifth metatarsal bone in the midfoot area.

The 49ers selected Ward No. 30 overall with knowledge of the player’s medical history, so this isn’t exactly a shocker for them. Ward was in attendance Friday at the team’s opening day of rookie camp, but was only cleared for mental reps.

 

 

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