2014 September - Pro Football Rumors

Adrian Peterson Cleared In Second Incident

September 15th, 2014 at 7:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

Controversy struck again for Adrian Peterson on Monday. After the Vikings decided to activate him, with intent to play him this weekend against the Saints, reports of a second child abuse incident surfaced, involving another one of Peterson’s sons by a different mother.

A report was filed to Child Protective Services, acccording to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com and the Associated Press. No files were charged in the case.

According to TMZ, the case did not progress despite the four-year old son of Peterson having a scar on his head. Peterson reportedly did not strike his son on the head to cause the scar. That injury was ruled to be an accident.

The updated report also notes that the form of discipline in this second case was “not impermissible” under Texas law. This incident occurred in June of 2013, and while it may color the current investigation, it is unlikely to amount to anything on its own merits.

Minor Moves: Monday

September 15th, 2014 at 6:36pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up Monday’s minor transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

Two days after promoting him to their 53-man roster, the Lions have waived safety Nate Ness, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ness was placed back on the practice squad this evening, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter).
The Bears announced that they have signed sixth-round rookie quarterback David Fales to their practice squad and re-signed fullback Tony Fiammetta to the active roster, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
The 49ers are set to sign Xavier Grimble to their practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
The Buccaneers have finalized a little roster shuffling, promoting linebacker Brandon Magee to their 53-man roster and signing linebacker Ka’Lial Glaud to take his place on the practice squad. To create an opening for Magee, the club has waived-injured cornerback Rashaan Melvin (Twitter link via Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com).
Defensive tackle Matt Conrath has been cut by the Rams, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). No corresponding move has been reported yet, but the team could be opening up a roster spot for wideout Stedman Bailey, who appears poised to be reinstated.
Bengals cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris, who is returning from a suspension this week, has joined the team’s roster, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Cincinnati gets a two-day exemption for Lewis-Harris, though by our count the club had an opening on its 53-man roster anyway.
Linebacker Darius Fleming (Patriots) and defensive end Chris Smith (Jaguars) have passed through waivers and re-signed with their respective clubs’ practice squads, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald and Caplan, respectively (Twitter links).
The Giants have removed defensive end Jordan Stanton from their practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
The Ravens have signed cornerback Lou Young to fill the 10th and final spot on their practice squad, according to a team release.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

West Notes: Raiders, Allen, Chiefs

September 15th, 2014 at 6:31pm CST by Zachary Links

There’s a lot to like about the 49ers‘ new stadium, but the parking lot situation has fans grumbling, writes Al Saracevic of the San Francisco Chronicle. Fans took to Twitter in droves after waiting for hours in traffic and many were suddenly nostalgic for Candlestick Park. Of course, the 28-20 loss to the Bears didn’t have them in a great mood either. Here’s a look at some items out of the AFC and NFC West..

On ESPN earlier today, Chris Mortensen said that there is already talk of Raiders head coach Dennis Allen losing his job, tweets Evan Silva of Rotoworld. “I know a lot of people around the league are talking about it,” Mort said, according to Silva.
The problems go beyond the team starting 0-2, Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group writes, and he wonders aloud how much longer the coach has in Oakland. The Raiders were blown out 30-14 in their home opener and the follow-up against the Texans was even worse. The fans aren’t the only ones that are frustrated. “That’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed for this team. I’m embarrassed for these fans. And the thing about it is, I’m part of it. I don’t know what we need to do as a team going forward. I know something is going to have to be done,” veteran Charles Woodson said.
The Chiefs are scheduled to work out former Ravens wide receiver LaQuan Williams and former Patriots tight end Justin Jones, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Williams, a University of Maryland product, was cut by the Ravens in preseason. Jones is a former East Carolina standout who was with the Patriots after going undrafted. At 6’7″ and 270 pounds, Jones is an intriguing talent.

Welker, Scandrick, Others To Be Reinstated

September 15th, 2014 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Broncos wideout Wes Welker and Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick are among the players who will be reinstated when the term sheet for the league’s new drug policy is agreed upon, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Facebook link). Welker and Scandrick are two of the estimated 20 players whose suspensions will be affected by the new policy once it’s approved by the NFL, which is expected to happen within the next 24 hours.

Besides Welker and Scandrick, Rams receiver Stedman Bailey, Giants offensive lineman Eric Herman, and former Vikings defensive end Spencer Nealy will also have the remaining games on their suspensions wiped out and will be reinstated immediately, according to the ESPN duo. Additionally, Browns wideout Josh Gordon and ex-Colts receiver LaVon Brazill will have their year-long bans reduced to 10 games.

That handful of players named by Schefter and Mortensen is far from the complete list of players who will be affected by the NFL’s new drug policy, but we may not get that full list of names until the agreement becomes official. In any case, it seems plenty of players who had originally been suspended through Week 3 will get the opportunity to return to their teams’ respective practices this week, and many of them could be active this coming Sunday.

More Injury Updates: Monday

September 15th, 2014 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

We passed along one round of Monday injury updates earlier today, and since then we’ve learned that the Bears will be placing Charles Tillman on their injured reserve list with a season-ending triceps injury. There are still plenty of items to round up this afternoon though, so let’s dive right in….

Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis sustained a high ankle sprain yesterday and is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action, the team announced today (Twitter link). That recovery timeline could make Lewis a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
Jamaal Charles also appears to have suffered a high ankle sprain, though Chiefs head coach Andy Reid indicated today that it “doesn’t look to be a real severe one,” according to B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com (via Twitter). The timetable for Charles’ return isn’t yet clear, but it looks like Knile Davis will probably get the nod for Kansas City in Week 3.
Per Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said today that it’s too early to predict a return date for Robert Griffin III, but Gruden expects the signal-caller to return this season and says he isn’t an IR candidate.
Rams wideout Tavon Austin has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and is expected to miss a couple weeks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Dolphins guard Shelley Smith will also be sidelined for two to four weeks due to a grade two knee sprain, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

John Abraham To Return To Cardinals

September 15th, 2014 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran linebacker John Abraham will return to the Cardinals this week, head coach Bruce Arians confirmed today, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Abraham suffered a concussion during the team’s Week 1 game against the Chargers, and had left the team for several days while he reportedly considered retirement.

While Abraham will report back to the team, it’s not clear whether he’ll participate in practices right away, or if he’ll suit up this coming Sunday. He’ll have to pass the league’s concussion protocol, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported last week that the 36-year-old was suffering from memory loss and had been for more than a year. Still, if he’s healthy and able to return to the field, Abraham should help improve a Cardinals pass rush that was a little lacking in his absence.

Because the Cardinals received a roster exemption during Abraham’s stint away from the team, and were able to place him on a reserve list, the team will have to remove someone from its 53-man roster in order to make him active again. I’d expect Arizona to announce that corresponding move later today.

Bears To Place Charles Tillman On IR

September 15th, 2014 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears looked impressive last night in San Francisco, fighting back for a road win against a Niners team that led by 13 points after three quarters. However, the Bears certainly didn’t leave the Bay Area entirely healthy. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the club intends to place veteran defensive back Charles Tillman on season-ending injured reserve with a triceps injury.

Tillman, 33, has been with the Bears since he was selected by the team in the second round of the 2003 draft, and has long been a disruptive force in the team’s secondary. Tillman has grabbed at least three interceptions and forced at least three fumbles in eight of his last nine seasons, and is a year removed from forcing an incredible 10 fumbles in 2012. Still, he was limited to just eight games in 2013 due to a triceps injury that’s apparently similar to the one he suffered last night.

Because he re-signed with the Bears in the offseason on a one-year contract, Tillman figures to hit free agency next March. Heading into this age-34 season, he may be hard-pressed to find a starting role after sustaining back-to-back season-ending injuries.

The Bears will have an open spot on their 53-man roster to fill when they formally place Tillman on IR.

NFC Notes: Abraham, Hardy, Lawson, Lions

September 15th, 2014 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

As we heard when John Abraham left the Cardinals last week, Arizona’s roster exemption means the veteran defender has five days to rejoin the team or else he won’t be eligible to play this season. So it makes sense that GM Steve Keim said this morning that the club expects a decision from Abraham within “the next 24 hours,” as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com details. If Abraham does decide to retire due to health problems, it may prompt the Cards to explore the free agent market, or perhaps promote a player from their practice squad, for pass-rushing help.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

While the Panthers are under scrutiny about how to handle defensive end Greg Hardy in the wake of his domestic violence incident, head coach Ron Rivera said today that the club hasn’t considered releasing him, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
The Lions may be sending yet another cornerback to the injured reserve list, according to head coach Jim Caldwell, who indicated to reporters that he wouldn’t expect Nevin Lawson to return this season (link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). Lawson, who suffered discloated toes in his left foot yesterday, could be replaced by an outside free agent or practice-squad player Mohammed Seisay, says Caldwell.
Caldwell also confirmed in his conversation with reporters, including Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link), that while he thinks Nate Freese is going to be a good NFL kicker, the Lions are considering all their options at kicker after some early-season misses by the rookie.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a look at some players whose contract values increased or decreased based on this weekend’s games. In Fitzgerald’s view, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Kerrigan were among the players whose stock improved, while Robert Griffin III‘s potential for a big contract extension was diminished by his latest injury.

Dolphins Re-Sign Daniel Thomas

September 15th, 2014 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

12:31pm: In order to make room on the 53-man roster for Thomas, the Dolphins have placed defensive back Sammy Seamster on injured reserve, per James Walker of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

9:56am: Running back Daniel Thomas didn’t survive the Dolphins’ preseason cutdown to 53 players, but he’s heading back to the team that waived him just over two weeks ago. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), the Dolphins and Thomas have agreed to a one-year contract.

Thomas, a second-round pick in 2011, received 365 carries during his three seasons in Miami, but failed to make a significant impact with those opportunities, averaging just 3.6 yards per rush. When the club signed Knowshon Moreno in free agency this offseason, it made Thomas expendable, and he failed to earn a spot on Miami’s Week 1 roster.

However, Moreno went down with a dislocated elbow during yesterday’s contest in Buffalo, and Lamar Miller was also banged up in the second half, prompting the Dolphins to add some running back depth. Having spent the preseason, as well as the previous three seasons, with Miami, Thomas is familiar with the system, making him a good fit for the roster, even if the team doesn’t necessarily want to rely on him as a primary option.

The Dolphins will have to make a corresponding roster move to clear an opening for Thomas.

Injury Updates: Monday

September 15th, 2014 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

Here are the latest updates and timelines on a number of notable injuries suffered during Week 2’s slate of games:

Robert Griffin III told reporters today, including Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter), that an MRI showed no fracture in his injured ankle. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that the Redskins continue to be optimistic about RGIII‘s recovery timetable, suggesting that he may just miss four or five weeks.
Saints running back Mark Ingram is expected to miss about a month due to the hand injury he suffered during the club’s game against the Browns yesterday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson figure to receive the majority of the backfield touches in Ingram’s absence.
Another running back may be sidelined for the next month, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Ryan Mathews has an MCL sprain that could keep him out for four or five weeks. Mathews is hoping to return to the Chargers sooner than that.
Giants nickel corner Walter Thurmond suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Cardinals, and will miss the rest of the season, a source tells Pro Football Talk. Thurmond signed a one-year contract with the team in the offseason, so he may have played his last snap for the Giants.
There’s uncertainty about the timeline for Jamaal Charles‘ return, according to Schefter, who says (via Twitter) that the Chiefs running back has a sprained ankle. How soon Charles can play will depend on how well he’s able to move on it, and how it feels.
Redskins wideout DeSean Jackson woke up “sore” after sustaining a shoulder injury yesterday, but it appear he avoided any major structural damage, per Cole (via Twitter).