November 24th, 2014 at 3:04pm CST by Zachary Links
Washington announced that it has placed linebacker Adam Hayward on IR, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Taking his place on the active roster will be fellow linebacker Steve Beauharnais.
Hayward, 30, came to Washington on a three-year, $3MM deal this offseason. The deal includes just $300K guaranteed. Hayward spent his entire career with the Buccaneers before testing the market this offseason and joining up with Washington.
Beauharnais, 24, was signed to Washington’s practice squad in October. The former Pats seventh round pick saw a bit of time in two games for New England last season. Beauharnais worked out for a number of teams this season before landing in Washington with audition stops in Oakland, San Diego, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, and many more.
November 24th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Zachary Links
Thanks in part to the addition of Golden Tate, the Lions are one of the league’s best offenses on paper, but they’ve been anything but, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The Lions and their flat offense got blown out 34-9 by the Patriots on Sunday. More from the North divisions..
It might be time for the Bears to open up contract extension talks with Stephen Paea, tweets Dan Pompei of Sports On Earth. The defensive tackle has been responding well to Paul Pasqualoni’s coaching so far this season and has been a bright spot for Chicago’s defense.
There’s some optimism that Browns free safety Tashaun Gipson could be back within a shorter range than initially thought, but he’s still doubtful for the rest of the regular season, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Gipson suffered a Grade 3 MCL injury, a diagnosis which isn’t as dire as the ACL tear that some had feared.
The Steelers were targeting Odell Beckham Jr. in the first round but the Giants beat them to it with the No. 12 overall pick, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Steelers, at No. 15, wound up with linebacker Ryan Shazier. Later on in the fourth round, the Steelers grabbed a wide receiver in Clemson product Martavis Bryant.
November 24th, 2014 at 1:01pm CST by Zachary Links
Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt is done for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Loadholt suffered the injury in Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Packers.
It has been a bad year for the Vikings’ offensive line. Minnesota lost right guard Brandon Fusco in September when he suffered a torn pec of his own and they watched understudy Vlad Ducasse go down with a knee injury the next month.
Loadholt, 28, has two years remaining on the $25MM contract extension he signed prior to the 2013 season. Lineman Mike Harris filled in for Loadholt against Green Bay and will likely start in his place for the remainder of the year.
ProFootballFocus.com (subscription required) was very high on Loadholt’s plan in 2013 as he earned an overall rating of +25.0. He didn’t grade out as well this season, but his +0.2 overall rating still put him a tick above the league average.
November 24th, 2014 at 12:05pm CST by Zachary Links
Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett will be out for the rest of the season, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Mallett practiced and played with a right pectoral injury this past week.
There’s no questioning Mallett’s heart after he played through a torn pectoral muscle yesterday against the Bengals. Now, Ryan Fitzpatrick will take over under center for the remainder of the 5-6 Texans’ season. Had Mallett suffered the injury earlier in the season, he could have returned to the field, but that’s not possible now.
Fitzpatrick, who turns 32 today, will start for Houston this Sunday against the Titans. Tom Savage will be elevated to the No. 2 quarterback and if the Texans want to add a third QB, they’ll have to go out of house as there are no signal callers on the practice squad.
November 24th, 2014 at 11:26am CST by Zachary Links
Washington has until May to decide whether to exercise the 2016 option on Robert Griffin III, but Jay Gruden doesn’t sound like someone who wants his future to be tied to RGIII‘s arm, writes Peter King of The MMQB. Gruden has since apologized for his remarks on RGIII, but there are some things that just can’t be taken back. Griffin now has the final five games of another lost season to prove that he’s still the future in D.C. Here’s more from the NFC East..
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was spotted talking to Jay-Z, now the agent for Dez Bryant, before last night’s game. Jones didn’t say much when asked if the two sides discussed a new deal for the star receiver, writes Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News. “Yeah, I was working on a halftime deal with [Jay-Z] for Thanksgiving,” Jones said, winking. “No it’s good. He had just been to the stadium and entertained there. He’s outstanding.”
The pre-draft measurables on Odell Beckham Jr. were off the charts, notes Gil Brandt of NFL.com (on Twitter). Brandt adds that he can’t recall seeing numbers that were as good as the LSU receiver’s. The Giants got Beckham with the 12th overall pick and that’s looking to be quite a steal given the season he’s having and last night’s unbelievable touchdown grab.
Maybe after last night’s game, Jones will stop talking about how Johnny Manziel got away from the Cowboys in the 2014 draft and speak instead about how the club never quite got a shot at Beckham, writes Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News.
November 24th, 2014 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links
The Dolphins brought it on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to stop Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Ryan Tannehill threw for three scores in the first half and the offense was crisp on the whole, but the defense couldn’t contain Denver as C.J. Anderson ran for 191 yards on 31 carries. More from the AFC East as the 6-5 Dolphins try to hang on to their playoff chances..
The Jets‘ respected veterans want coach Rex Ryan to return, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “My gut feeling? Yeah,” defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson said when he was asked if Ryan will be back in 2015. “Even though it’s dark and gloomy, I strongly do feel like that. We’ll see, though.” Counting this season, it’ll be four straight seasons without a playoff berth for the Jets under Ryan.
Aside from Sheldon Richardson, the Jets aren’t seeing a whole lot of production out of their recent first round choices, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Dee Milliner is out with a season-ending injury, Quinton Coples has regressed in his third year, and rookie safety Calvin Pryor has been a non-factor.
The Logan Mankins trade is working out just fine for the Patriots and tight end Tim Wright, writes Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. Wright, a Rutgers product, hauled in two touchdown catches yesterday. The Pats have praised their No. 2 tight end for his hard work this season and he took advantage of the extra attention that was placed on Rob Gronkowski on Sunday.
We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence.
This list will be updated as more information becomes available, as always, with news added to the top of the list as it trickles in.
Texans‘ quarterback Ryan Mallett practiced and played with a right pectoral injury this past week, and will likely miss several weeks, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI to confirm, but the team expects Ryan Fitzpatrick to start next week against the Titans.
Dolphins‘ cornerback Jamar Taylor suffered a shoulder injury that could end his season, reports Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. If that is true, he will be the third Miami defensive back to have his season end this November.
NFL interception leader and Browns‘ safety Tashaun Gipson left the game with a knee injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the season, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. He will undergo an MRI Monday to confirm the severeness of the injury.
Earlier Updates
Bengals’ offensive tackle Andre Smith exited today’s game against the Texans with a possible triceps injury. He will have an MRI on Monday to see the extent of the injury, reports Coley Harvey of ESPN (via Twitter). If Smith has a torn triceps, he will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Washington cornerback Tracy Porter joined a long list of defensive backs who were off the field when he exited with a right shoulder injury, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter). Porter was ruled out for the game, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter), and could leave the team thin at corner if he misses an extended period of time.
Titans‘ linebacker Kamerion Wimbley suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to the Eagles earlier today, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
Dolphins‘ first-round pick Ja’Wuan James started at left tackle, but was forced out of the game due to a stinger and failed to return, writes James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). With Branden Albert already out for the season, the team could be very thin at that position.
Robert Griffin III has struggled since returning from injury this season, and Washington’s head coach Jay Gruden has the power to bench the former first-round pick, writes Conor Orr of NFL.com. In the past, Griffin had been protected by ownership, but patience could be running thin within the organization.
Here are some other notes from around the NFL:
Speaking of quarterbacks getting benched, Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times argues that the Buccaneers need to return Josh McCown to the sidelines. McCown is not playing well, and although Mike Glennon has failed to perform well either, the young quarterback at least deserves a chance to prove himself as the team’s starter.
The DEA has continued its investigation of NFL medical staffs this week, focusing on the alleged mishandling of prescription drugs, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Although the investigation is ongoing, there will likely not be any more post-game searches.
San Antonio is a long shot to obtain the Raiders from Oakland, but they will still attempt to lure an NFL franchise to their city, writes Tom Orsborn of ExpressNews.com.“I’ve seen stranger things happen when parties stay in the game. If staying in the game is a low-cost option, I wouldn’t walk away if I were San Antonio,” said Marc Ganis, a league consultant and president of SportsCorp. “Now, that doesn’t mean I’d pour lots of resources into it, or raise people’s hopes dramatically. But I certainly wouldn’t walk away, because you never know what happens in these things. These things can turn in odd ways.”
We have looked at top head coaching candidates a numberoftimes so far this season, and will do so again as Adam Caplan of ESPN compiles a comprehensive list of assistant coaches who will be sought after for interviews this offseason (subscription required). At the top of his list are Patriots‘ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Seahawks‘ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and Cardinals‘ defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Caplan also highlights Baylor’s Art Briles, Stanford’s David Shaw, and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn as college coaches who could make the jump to the NFL.
As DeMarco Murray continues to rack up big yardage behind the Cowboys’ offensive line, much thought has been given to the team’s future plans at the position. While Murray is in the middle of an extravagant campaign that will put him on the short list for Offensive Player of the Year, he is a free agent after this season and will likely be looking for a long-term contract with guaranteed money.
The team has already made an effort to keep him, offering him a four-year deal earlier this season. The two sides were unable to agree, and Murray has played out the year on his rookie deal.
Murray’s leverage has since been complicated, as the prospect of other high-profile backs hitting the open market became more likely. Seahawks‘ star Marshawn Lynch is a candidate to be released this offseason, despite no signs of immediate decline in his performance in Seattle. He is an older back and carries a price tag that the Seahawks may be unwilling to pay, but could accept a modest deal elsewhere if the right opportunity calls.
An even better fit could be Adrian Peterson, who has a future similarly in flux with the Vikings. Peterson admitted that he might be better off with a fresh start when he returns to the field following his suspension concerning his legal troubles. Peterson had been linked to the Cowboys before, and now with his tempered value and chance of being released, the connection could come to fruition.
Of the three players, Peterson might actually be the top target this offseason over Murray should he come available. Peterson’s unique talent could vault him to the top of many team’s wish list, as long as they are willing to deal with the off-field controversy.
Peterson may be a top commodity for many teams if he is available, but his counterpart in offseason controversy could be a low-risk high-reward backup plan. Ray Rice‘s play dropped off before being suspended and released by the Ravens, but the lack of clamor for his services could lead him to a team on a short-term deal without guaranteed money. With his fresh legs after the year off, a return to his 2012 form could yield high dividends for his next employer.
If all four of the players are available this offseason, which player would be the best runner for the money, whether with the Cowboys or another team in search of a star halfback?
November 23rd, 2014 at 4:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson
After joining the Broncos on a three-year, $15MM contract during the offseason, receiver Emmanuel Sanders is enjoying the best season of his career. In fact, his production will allow him to collect on several incentives that were included in his deal. Per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, Sanders can earn $250K for catching 90 passes, another $250K for scoring 14 touchdowns, and $500K for accruing 1,200 receiving yards. Currently, Sanders is posting a 67-954-7 line, so those goals remain in reach (though the TD mark will be tough to attain). At the link, La Canfora lists each increment of Sanders’ incentives in chart form. Here’s more from the AFC…
After missing the previous two games while dealing with an ankle ailment, Bengals right tackle Andre Smith was forced from today’s game with a triceps injury, and the team believes it could be a significant concern, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). If Smith tore his triceps, he would likely miss the remainder of the season, meaning Cincinnati would turn to reserve lineman Marshall Newhouse (who was also sidelined today).
Browns safety Tashaun Gipson, who leads the NFL with six interceptions, had to be carted off the field during today’s game after suffering a knee injury, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Losing Gipson would be a major blow to Cleveland defense that boasts the league’s seventh-best DVOA against the pass.
The Steelers expect safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker Ryan Shazier, both of whom have been dealing with health concerns, to return for next week’s game against the Saints, reports La Canfora. However, LB Jarvis Jones (who was placed on IR-DTR) and CB Ike Taylor might need a bit more recovery time before they return to action.
The Bills will host the Jets tomorrow night in Detroit due to extreme weather conditions in Buffalo, but Bills president Russ Brandon tells La Canfora that Ralph Wilson Stadium will be ready for next week’s contest against the Browns.