2015 August - Pro Football Rumors

Martavis Bryant Suspended Four Games

August 31st, 2015 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

MONDAY, 2:42pm: Bryant’s four-game suspension is now official, having been confirmed by the team. Steelers GM Kevin Colbert has issued a statement on the penalty, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter account).

“We are disappointed in Martavis’ actions that has led to his four-game suspension,” Colbert said. “It is a disappointment to our entire organization as well as our fans, but we will continue to support Martavis during his suspension. It is very unfortunate his actions have put our team in this situation to begin the year, but we are confident he will learn from his mistake and return in excellent shape in Week 5.”

THURSDAY, 6:08pm: Bryant’s suspension is for multiple failed marijuana tests, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Bryant’s appeal is in the latter stages.

1:45pm: Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell will miss the first two games of the 2015 regular season, and it appears he won’t be the only Pittsburgh playmaker serving a suspension. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), wide receiver Martavis Bryant is facing a four-game ban for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The suspension is currently under appeal.

Bryant, 23, came on strong in the second half of his rookie season, acting as a deep threat for the Steelers’ offense. For the year, Bryant caught 26 balls for 549 yards, an average of 21.1 yards per reception. He also hauled in eight touchdowns. Bryant had been expected to take a step forward in 2015, so his absence in the early going will be a big loss for Ben Roethlisberger and the offense.

The exact nature of Bryant’s violation isn’t known, so it’s unclear if his suspension has a chance to be reduced or eliminated entirely. The NFL won’t make an official announcement on the penalty for the young wideout until the appeals process is complete.

For now though, it appears Bryant and Bell will be sidelined for at least the Steelers’ first two games, so Roethlisberger and the offense will have to get creative as they look to put up points against the Patriots and 49ers. If Bryant’s four-game ban is upheld, he’ll miss games against the Rams and Ravens as well.

Cardinals Cut Dave Zastudil, 10 Others

August 31st, 2015 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals have released veteran punter Dave Zastudil, the team announced today in a press release. A groin injury sidelined Zastudil in October last season, and he was replaced by Drew Butler, who has beat him out for the team’s punting job this year.

In addition to parting ways with Zastudil, the Cardinals also removed 10 more players from their roster today, getting down to 76 players. The club will have to make one more move within the next 24 hours or so, in order to reduce their roster count to 75.

Here are the other 10 Cardinals who were let go, besides Zastudil:

Lorenzo Alexander, LB
Glenn Carson, ILB
Travis Harvey, WR (wavied/injured)
Nate Isles, G
Edwin Jackson, ILB
Andrae Kirk, ILB
Shaquille Richardson, S
Gannon Sinclair, TE
Ryan Spadola, WR
Darren Woodard, S

Browns Could Add Running Back To Roster

August 31st, 2015 at 1:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY, 1:57pm: While the Browns may eventually add a running back, it doesn’t seem as if it will happen in the immediate future. Pettine told reporters today that the club isn’t planning to sign a back this week (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

SUNDAY, 9:39pm: The Browns are awaiting medical reports as to the status of running backs Duke Johnson and Shaun Draughn, and head coach Mike Pettine said the team might have to add a back if one or both will miss extended time, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter).

In her piece for Cleveland.com, Cabot addressed the possibility of the team adding one controversial running back in particular. Ray Rice, currently a free agent, would be among the most high profile backs the team could bring.

Regarding adding a player at the position, Pettine wanted to wait to see where his current players were at medically. “We’ll wait and see how long Duke is potentially out,” said Pettine. “We’ll have a whole series of meetings this afternoon. We’ll start with the defense first and when we get to the offense, I’ll bet the running back will likely be one of the first topics discussed.”

That wasn’t enough for the media, who pushed him on whether the team would consider Rice, and Pettine would not rule out the possibility. “If we do come to the decision that we need to add a back that is not here,” said Pettine. “We’ll look at the list of backs that are available.”

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, no stranger to controversy himself, has come out in support of Rice earlier this month, according to Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. Haslam said he’d like to see the embattled former Raven get another shot. With the current injuries, the Browns could be the team to give him one.

The Browns have discussed Rice earlier this offseason, and Pettine said then that they had not broached the idea of whether they’d be comfortable with him or not, because it didn’t make sense from a football standpoint at the time.

Not everyone thinks that Rice is being considered in Cleveland. Tony Gross of ESPN answers the question as whether it is a serious possibility with a resounding “No” (via Twitter).

For the record, the team does seem committed to some combination of Johnson and Draughn, with Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell as the depth chart. Although none have separated from the pack as the go-to runner and injuries have weakened the group, Rice likely wouldn’t be preferred over any of the internal options. If the team does need to bring in another player to round out the depth chart, they would be more likely to add a player who can contribute on special teams at the back end of the depth chart.

2015 NFL Offseason In Review Series

August 31st, 2015 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the last couple months, with the 2015 regular season fast approaching, Pro Football Rumors has been taking a look back at the offseason. Our writers have tackled all 32 NFL teams, examining free agent signings, trades, draft picks, and all the other moves made by clubs in 2015, breaking down what sort of impact those decisions will have going forward. If you missed any of our Offseason in Review posts, be sure to check them out below, where we’ve rounded them all up in one place:

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

Browns Cut Six Players

August 31st, 2015 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns have begun to make their cuts in advance of tomorrow’s 75-man deadline, but still have plenty of moves left to make. According to a team release, Cleveland has waived two players and released four more, bringing the roster down to 84 players. The club will have to make nine more roster moves by tomorrow at 3:00pm central time.

Players who have less than four years of NFL experience and were let go by the team will have to go unclaimed on waivers before becoming free agents, while players with at least four years of experience are simply released, hitting free agency without passing through waivers. Here’s the breakdown for the Browns:

Waived:

Anthony Ezeakunne, TE
Shane Wynn, WR

Released:

Everette Brown, LB
Moise Fokou, LB
Jalen Parmele, RB
Aaron Ross, DB

Washington Makes Cuts, Down To 75 Players

August 31st, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The big news out of Washington today will be Jay Gruden‘s announcement that Kirk Cousins is heading into the year not just as the starter for Week 1, but as the starter for the 2015 season. However, “Kirk’s team,” as Gruden referred to it today, also made a series of roster moves to get down to the required 75-man roster in advance of tomorrow’s deadline.

One of today’s roster moves for Washington is the placement of pass rusher Junior Galette on injured reserve. Galette, who joined the club after being released by the Saints, tore his Achilles last week and will miss the entire 2015 campaign.

Here are the rest of Washington’s moves (via Twitter):

Waived:

Ernst Brun, TE
Dyshawn Davis, LB
Chase Dixon, TE
Tajh Hasson, CB
Alonzo Highsmith, LB
DreQuan Hoskey, CB
Tony Jones, WR (waived/injured)
Ty Long, K
Devin Mahina, TE
Bryce Quigley, G
Trey Wolfe, CB

Released:

Bryan McCann, CB
Willie Smith, T

Washington Names Kirk Cousins Starting QB

August 31st, 2015 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

11:42am: Speaking today to reporters, including Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link), head coach Jay Gruden confirmed that Cousins will be Washington’s starting quarterback not just for Week 1, but for the 2015 season.

Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network tweets that Griffin’s camp may be caught off guard by this announcement, since they were led to believe Cousins starting Week 1 was a result of RGIII’s health, and the concussion protocol.

9:48am: With Robert Griffin III‘s health and long-term future in Washington in flux, the club has named Kirk Cousins its starting quarterback for Week 1, a source tells Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links). According to Russini, the team was informed by Washington staff this morning that Cousins will be the starter against the Dolphins.

The news comes on the heels of a Sunday report which indicated that a contingent of the Washington front office wants to move on from RGIII. While that report suggested that team ownership was opposed to a Griffin trade, Mike Jones of the Washington Post hears from two sources that Daniel Snyder isn’t blocking his front office and coaching staff from dealing the quarterback. A trade is unlikely for a handful of other factors though, including RGIII’s contract and his injury history. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that there have been no trade talks involving the QB.

Whatever the future holds for Griffin, he won’t be starting Washington’s Week 1 game, as Cousins has been penciled in for that role after a solid showing in the team’s preseason contest this past weekend. The former fourth-round pick, who turned 27 earlier this month, has nine career starts on his NFL resume, having played in 14 games in total. In his limited regular season action, Cousins has thrown more interceptions (19) than touchdowns (18), with a 59.0% completion percentage.

If Cousins struggles in the starting role and Griffin is unable to return to action, Colt McCoy would be the next man up in Washington. Both Cousins and McCoy are eligible for free agency after this season, while Washington still holds an option year on Griffin, currently guaranteed for injury only.

Raiders’ Menelik Watson Ruptures Achilles

August 31st, 2015 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

Raiders right tackle Menelik Watson suffered what is believed to be a ruptured Achilles tendon during the first quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Cardinals, according to the offensive lineman himself. Watson tweeted out the diagnosis late on Sunday night, vowing to eventually return “stronger than ever.”

Watson, 26, was selected by the Raiders with the 42nd overall pick in the 2013 draft, and has started 12 of his 17 games for the club since then. In 2015, he looked poised to enter the season as the club’s starting right tackle — now that he’ll likely miss the entire season, veteran tackle Austin Howard looks like the next man up on the offensive line.

Watson has yet to be officially placed on injured reserve by the Raiders, but that will almost certainly be one of the team’s roster moves this week, as the club looks to reduce its roster from 90 players to 53 by Saturday.

Ravens Waive Eight Players

August 31st, 2015 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens are the latest team to announce a handful of cuts, reducing their roster from 90 players to 82. Baltimore will have to make at least seven more roster moves before tomorrow afternoon’s deadline to ensure its roster is down to 75 players.

Here are the players who were waived by the club today, according to a press release:

Leon Brown, G
DeAndre Carter, WR
Tramain Jacobs, CB
Marcel Jones, G/T
Justin Manton, P
Aldrick Robinson, WR
Patrick Scales, LS
Trent Steelman, WR

Giants Re-Sign Stevie Brown

August 31st, 2015 at 10:56am CST by Sam Robinson

MONDAY, 10:56am: The Giants have officially re-signed Brown, the team announced today (Twitter link). Linebacker Victor Butler was cut to create space on the roster, tweets Raanan.

SUNDAY, 9:30am: After it was first reported yesterday that Brown would work out for the Giants, we heard that he would not work out for any teams, as he had multiple offers in hand, and that Big Blue fans should not count on a reunion between Brown and the safety-starved squad. Now, though, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that Brown is expected to sign with the Giants. Raanan cites two individuals with knowledge of the situation who wished to remain anonymous since the deal has not been finalized.

SATURDAY, 1:41pm: A reunion between the Giants and now-free agent safety Stevie Brown makes plenty of sense now that Brown’s former employer is the most safety-starved team in the league and Brown needs a job.

The Giants will bring in Brown, whom they decided not to re-sign this offseason after the 2010 seventh-rounder played three seasons for the team from 2012-14, for a visit early next week, according to the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano.

Released by the Texans on Friday, Brown has several teams pursuing him, according to Vacchiano. Of course, that information comes from Brown’s agent, so that may be a market-stirring maneuver. Nevertheless, with Big Blue having lost Mykkele Thompson, Bennett Jackson and Justin Currie for the season and Nat Berhe for possibly a substantial portion of it after he underwent surgery Saturday, Brown’s release came at an ideal time for the Giants.

Brown signed a one-year, $3MM contract this offseason with the Texans, but the team released him early since the coaching staff determined he wouldn’t make Houston’s 53-man roster and wanted to give him a head start in finding a landing spot. The 28-year-old’s signature NFL span remains his eight-interception 2012 slate with the Giants, but a torn ACL a year later and a substandard season in 2014 upon returning from that injury led Big Blue to allow him to leave in free agency and seek younger replacements.

With those younger talents dropping at a rapid pace, with second-rounder Landon Collins also recovering from a sprained MCL that’s not expected to keep him out of debuting in Week 1, scrap-heap free agents Brandon Merriweather and Jeromy Miles are Big Blue’s healthy bodies at the position.

With Brown entering just his sixth year and reportedly healthy, this potential NFC East reunion is a lot more plausible than Chris Cooley‘s recent push at returning to Washington.