HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Extra Points: Bironas, Harrison, Rudolph

September 24th, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Rob Bironas was planning to continue his NFL career before his unexpected death earlier this week, according to Titans punter Brett Kern. “I talked to him on Friday, because he had the workout with the Lions, and he was so excited that it went well. I told him I was proud of him,’ and that’s the last thing I told him,” Kern told reporters, including Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean. “He was really looking forward to signing with another team.” More from around the NFL..

  • James Harrison‘s deal with the Steelers is for the veteran’s minimum, minus the three games already played, tweets Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette. Including his $65K bonus, he’ll collect just over $851K for this season.
  • There’s a chance Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph could be placed on the IR-DTR list, but “probably not,” head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters, including Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (on Twitter).
  • Free agent cornerback Champ Bailey feels healthy and tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he is willing to play nickel or safety if that’s what it takes to land a job somewhere.
  • Teammate Tyvon Branch is headed to the IR, but the Raiders got some good news on teammate Rod Streater. His agent tells Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that Streater only requires minor surgery and hopes to return in 4-5 weeks.

NFL PR Notes: Goodell, Redskins, Incognito

September 24th, 2014 at 10:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

It seems that as of late the NFL has not been able to escape controversy. One thing after another has come up to humiliate and embarrass the league.

Here are a few notes surrounding some of the controversies the NFL has had to deal with:

  • Saints‘ All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees has been very critical of the way NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has reacted to recent transgressions made by players and team personnel. Much like the punishments the Saints were forced to endure after the bounty scandal, Brees sees the NFL’s abuse of power to be unfair, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “Too many times, I’d say especially over the last few years, a punishment’s been handed down and nobody has really seen the evidence except for those in the league office – supposedly,” Brees said. “So decisions were made in kind of a, ‘Hey, trust us.’ But did the public see any of the facts? Did the accused see any of the facts? In most cases, no.”
  • Former Ravens‘ running back Ray Rice has hired Peter Ginsberg as representation for his upcoming appeal, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Ginsberg had previously represented NFL players such as Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Jonathan Vilma in their suspension appeals with the league. Florio’s source feels that Ginsberg will push for Rice’s case to be heard by the September 30 deadline or the suspension be overturned.
  • The assistant district attorney in 49ers‘ defensive tackle Ray McDonald case is still without the official report, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). Without that report, chances are increased that the court date will have to be pushed back.
  • In the CBS Thursday Night Football commercials for the upcoming Giants versus the Redskins matchup, the word “Redskins” is conspicuously missing, reports Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. While big blue is referred to as “the Giants”, the Redskins are referred to as “Washington.”
  • Classic Comedy Central animated comedy South Park focused its season premiere on the Redskins’ name controversy. Timothy Burke of Deadspin.com has compiled highlights from the episode, that featured parodies of a number of NFL characters.
  • The Patriots‘ are having offensive line problems after trading All-Pro guard Logan Mankins, but they aren’t desperate enough to reach out to disgraced former Dolphin Richie Incognito, according to Andy Gresh on CSNNE.com. “He’s the ultimate last resort,” said Gresh. “There are other teams with o-line issues. He’s gotten a few calls, but no one has signed the guy yet. So I do think the temperature in the league might be a part of it. But he’s out there and no one has said, ‘I’ll deal with it because he’s a good enough player.'”

Rex Ryan Non-Committal On Quarterbacks

September 24th, 2014 at 9:30pm CST by Rob DiRe

Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan is sticking with Geno Smith for the time being, but has left the door open for Michael Vick to take over as the team’s starter, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

“I feel like (Smith) will start the rest of the games,” Ryan said. “But again, things happen. And we’ll see.”

Still, if the time comes, backup Vick will be ready to step in and try to help the team win.

“They’ve seen what I can do,” Vick said. “They know what I can do and I know what I can do. And if I get an opportunity, I’m going to do it and make sure I’m good at it.”

Vick is supportive of Smith, and has been since the moment he arrived in East Rutherford. However, he acknowledges that whether it is himself or Smith, the team needs better play from the quarterback position.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that I can help this football team win games,” Vick said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that (Smith) can help this football team win games. So, whether it’s him or whether it’s me at some point, we’re going to get it done. We got to get it done. There’s no other option.”

While Smith was supposed to take a huge step forward this year, he has struggled the past two games against the Packers and the Bears. The Jets are almost halfway through the toughest six game stretch of their season, and a win over the Lions could alleviate many of the questions surrounding the team’s quarterback situation. A bad loss could bring Ryan one step closer to inserting Vick into the starting lineup.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

September 24th, 2014 at 8:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest practice squad news from around the NFL..

  • The Jaguars have re-signed two players to their practice squad in receiver Kerry Taylor and tight end Marcel Jensen, reports John Oehser of the O-Zone (via Twitter). The team has waived tight end Michael Egnew and linebacker Marcus Whitfield to make room for the new additions.
  • The Cardinals have re-signed punter Drew Butler to the practice squad, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). They have released defensive tackle Christian Tupou to make room for Butler.
  • The Jets are continuing to upgrade their cornerback position, signing LeQuan Lewis to the 53-man roster from their practice squad, reports Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Another cornerback, Marcus Williams, took Lewis’ spot on the practice squad, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

  • The 49ers re-signed tight end Asante Cleveland to the practice squad, according to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Barrows (on Twitter).
  • The Saints signed center Alex Parsons to their practice squad and released guard Antoine McClain to make room, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate (on Twitter).
  • The Giants announced that they have added former Raiders wide receiver Juron Criner to their practice squad, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). To make room, they have released fellow wide receiver L’Damian Washington.
  • The Buccaneers have filled their practice squad openings by adding fullback/tight end Ian Thompson, linebacker Shayne Skov, and defensive end T.J. Fatinkun, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter). Skov was expected to sign with Tampa Bay following a successful workout.
  • The Titans announced on Twitter that they have added quarterback Brad Sorensen to their practice squad and released cornerback Ri’Shard Anderson to make room.

Latest On Morris Claiborne

September 24th, 2014 at 6:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

Former first-round pick Morris Claiborne has had a rough couple of days, starting with the beating he was handed by the Rams in the Cowboys’ narrow 34-31 victory this weekend. Despite coming up with the interception that all but ended the game, Claiborne struggled early and often against the Rams’ receivers.

He was the sixth overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, and the Cowboys moved up to select to former LSU star. After his performance Sunday, the team decided to bench Claiborne in favor of Orlando Scandrick. In response to news of his demotion, Claiborne skipped Tuesday’s walkthrough practice and left the team facility, reports Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com.

Claiborne allowed five catches for 108 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown pass to Brian Quick, who has been disappointing himself since being drafted at the top of the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

He received criticism from owner Jerry Jones on his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “Is he what we had hoped for at this point when we drafted him with the sixth overall pick, giving up the [second-round] pick to go up to the sixth pick to get him? No,” Jones said. “But he’s going to be a good player.”

However, Claiborne reportedly returned to the team facilities Wednesday morning, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The plan is for him to play against the Saints this Sunday night, writes Ed Werder of ESPN (via Twitter).

Head coach Jason Garret said that even though Claiborne will play, he will be disciplined for leaving the team, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).

Ravens Sign Lawrence Guy

September 24th, 2014 at 4:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have claimed Chargers defensive end Lawrence Guy off waivers, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. To make room, Baltimore has released Deonte Thompson for the second time in five days.

The signing could be a sign that the Ravens don’t feel great about the knee injuries plaguing Chris Canty and Timmy Jernigan. Canty didn’t practice Wednesday and Jernigans’ meniscus issue kept him from playing against the Browns over the weekend. Guy, 24, has played in three games this season with no statistics registered. In 10 games last season, the 6’4″, 318-pounder had 16 tackles. A former Arizona State player and Las Vegas native who has also played for the Colts and Packers, Guy has 38 career tackles, one sack, and four pass deflections.

Thompson was inactive for the first two games, then released last prior to the Ravens’ 23-21 win over the Browns. Thompson was re-signed yesterday when the Ravens cut running back Fitzgerald Toussaint but his stay was short-lived.

Raiders Claim Brandian Ross

September 24th, 2014 at 3:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders announced on their website that they have claimed safety Brandian Ross off waivers from the Dolphins. Ross will fill the void left by Tyvon Branch‘s season-ending foot injury.

Ross was with the Raiders from 2012 until being waived at the end of training camp this season. He played in 30 games for Oakland from 2012-13 and started 13 games at safety last year, racking up 101 tackles (59 solo) and two sacks. His career totals include 31 games played with 14 starts, 115 tackles (72 solo), two sacks, six passes defensed and one forced fumble. He played in just one game for the Dolphins this season, Sunday’s tilt against the Chiefs.

The 0-3 Raiders are hoping that Ross can be effective right off the bat as the club looks to turn their season around. Ross can’t replace Branch on a talent level, but he is at least more familiar with the Raiders’ system than another outsider would be.

Jets Release Lankster, Promote Lewis

September 24th, 2014 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 2:53pm: The Jets are promoting LeQuan Lewis from the practice squad to their active roster, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 6:53pm: The Jets clarified their previous release and announced that Smith is joining the practice squad, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post. The Jets still have an open spot on their 53-man roster.

6:22pm: The Jets announced that they have signed cornerback Brandon Smith to take Lankster’s place, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). An earlier report indicated that Smith was headed to the Jets’ practice squad but it sounds like he’ll join the active roster.

Smith, a converted receiver, first came into the NFL with the Panthers in 2011 as an undrafted free agent.

4:54pm: The Jets have released cornerback Ellis Lankster, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Gang Green released Lankster on September 1st but re-signed him on September 12th. The 27-year-old struggled a bit in training camp this summer, but he was called back as the Jets secondary struggled thanks in part to injuries. Lankster appeared in 37 games for the Jets across the last three seasons and has even seen a bit of time at safety. Over the last two seasons, Lankster has recorded 40 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Now, he’ll move on in search of his next opportunity, though it wouldn’t be a shock to see him join the Jets’ practice squad given how the last month has unfolded.

Tyvon Branch Out For Season

September 24th, 2014 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Bad news for the Raiders as strong safety Tyvon Branch will require surgery on his broken foot. Oakland will place him on the injured reserve, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Branch and wide receiver Rod Streater both suffered injuries on Sunday. While the Raiders expect to have Streater back in action after a few weeks from his own foot surgery, Branch’s prognosis appears to be worse and his 2014 season is already over. Branch missed all but two games in 2013 with a broken leg and his latest setback is undoubtedly frustrating for both him and the team.

The 27-year-old started in 62 games for Oakland from 2009 through 2012, recording 421 tackles, six sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and three interceptions.

Cardinals Sign Bruce Gaston, Cut Parmele

September 24th, 2014 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have signed defensive tackle Bruce Gaston off of the Dolphins’ practice squad, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (on Twitter). Arizona has also released recently signed running back Jalen Parmele, so it sounds like Gaston will have a spot on the active roster.

Arizona signed Gaston as an undrafted free agent this spring and even though they liked him, he wound up being a roster casualty. After some time with the Patriots and then the Dolphins, he’s coming back to Arizona. The 22-year-old out of Purdue will give the Cards some extra depth on the defensive line.

Parmele was with the Cardinals during the preseason, but was a casualty when the team cut its roster down to 53 players for the regular season. The former Raven and Jaguar has 36 career NFL games to his credit, spending time as both a running back and as a kick returner.

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