2015 August - Pro Football Rumors

No Settlement For Brady; Ruling Expected Soon

August 31st, 2015 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

It may not fit the traditional definition of the term, but it’s clear that this year’s most significant “quarterback controversy” has been the one in New England. By the end of this week though, the Patriots should get some resolution and find out whether or not Tom Brady will be available to play in Week 1.

According to Manhattan Federal Court reporter Stephen Brown (via Twitter), today’s hearing in Judge Richard Berman’s courtroom concluded without a settlement between the NFL and the NFLPA. With no compromise reached, Berman expects to make a ruling on Tuesday or Wednesday, or at least by the end of the week.

Because Judge Berman can’t force the two sides to reach a settlement, and can’t determine a middle ground himself, he’ll have to either uphold or vacate Brady’s four-game suspension. Of course, regardless of which way Berman rules, the losing party will almost certainly appeal the decision, resulting in more litigation. But if Berman were to vacate the suspension, it would clear the path for Brady to start the Patriots’ regular season opener.

According to Bowen (all Twitter links), Giants owner John Mara and NFLPA rep Jay Feely both took part in negotiations today, but they went nowhere. Judge Berman acknowledged that both parties “tried quite hard” to settle, but it just didn’t happen.

Bills To Start Tyrod Taylor At QB

August 31st, 2015 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Bills have made a decision on their starting quarterback, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will open the season with Tyrod Taylor under center. Taylor, who signed with Buffalo this offseason as a free agent, beat out Matt Cassel and E.J. Manuel for the starting job.

Taylor, 26, spent his first four NFL seasons backing up Joe Flacco in Baltimore, and has only thrown 35 passes in the regular season over the course of his career, including none since 2013. However, he was viewed as a Rex Ryan favorite — the Bills’ new head coach reportedly tried to trade for Taylor back when he was coaching the Jets and Taylor was a Raven.

Although Taylor is penciled in as the Week 1 starter, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll start all 16 games for the Bills — given his limited experience, there’s no guarantee he’ll thrive in the starting role. Still, the decision raises questions about Cassel’s and Manuel’s status in Buffalo.

There was some speculation earlier in the year that Cassel could be a release candidate if he didn’t win the Bills’ starting job. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team keeps him around as a veteran insurance policy, but he’s entering the final year of his contract and probably doesn’t fit into Buffalo’s long-term plans. As for Manuel, he’s under contract through 2016, but his days with the Bills may be numbered as well, now that he has been passed by Taylor on the club’s depth chart.

Bills Release Fred Jackson, 11 Others

August 31st, 2015 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

9:58am: In addition to Jackson and the three other players noted below, eight other players have been cut by the Bills, getting the team’s roster count down to 77 players. Here are today’s other cuts in Buffalo, per a team release:

Michael Buchanan, DE
Justin Hamilton, DT
Ellis Lankster, CB
Kenny Ladler, S
Wes Miller, S
D.J. Morrell, G
Cedric Reed, DE
Ricky Seale, RB

9:15am: The Bills’ first series of roster cuts this week includes a bit of a shocker, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has released veteran running back Fred Jackson. While Buffalo had a crowded depth chart at the position, it was expected to be a younger back, rather than Jackson, who became a casualty of the roster crunch.

Jackson, who debuted with the Bills in 2007 and had been with the team since then, is the league’s oldest running back, at age 34. Despite his age, Jackson doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his legs, since he started his career late and has split carries with other backs throughout his tenure with the Bills. Over the course of his eight-year career, Jackson has compiled 5,646 rushing yards and 80 rushing touchdowns on 1,279 carries. He’s also a capable receiver out of the backfield, setting a career high in 2014 with 90 targets.

While Jackson was slowed by a hamstring injury earlier in the training camp this year, he looked good in his preseason debut this weekend, carrying the ball five times for 48 yards. But rather than playing out the final year of his contract with the Bills, Jackson will be looking for a new team. Had he remained on Buffalo’s roster, he would have been due a base salary of $2.35MM, so the team saves a little money by releasing him. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jackson wasn’t asked to take a pay cut before he was released.

Following the Bills’ acquisition of LeSean McCoy in March, multiple reports indicated that Jackson would remain on the roster, but it seems the team had a change of heart after assessing its options this summer. With Jackson no longer in the picture, McCoy will be backed up by Karlos Williams, Boobie Dixon, and Bryce Brown.

Jackson won’t have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent, so he’ll have the chance to sign with a new team immediately. He figures to draw some interest from teams in need of a veteran back around the NFL — the Browns come to mind as one logical suitor.

The Bills figure to announce their full list of cuts down to 75 players either today or tomorrow, but some other names have started to trickle out as well. Agent Brett Tessler tweets that edge defender Andrew Hudson has been cut by the Bills, while Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the team has also waived offensive lineman Terren Jones. Last year’s fourth-round pick, cornerback Ross Cockrell, has been waived too, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos Waive 9; Trade Chris Clark To Texans

August 31st, 2015 at 9:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos made a whole lot of moves today as they get set to trim their roster down to 75. Among their transactions, Denver traded tackle Chris Clark to the Texans for a seventh-round choice in 2016, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets. The sixth-year offensive tackle appeared in 69 games (27 starts) with Denver during the last five seasons. Prior to that, Clark spent two years competing on Minnesota’s practice squad.

The team also announced a litany of transactions on Monday morning. Vested veteran Reggie Walker has been cut loose while nine other players were waived:

Released:

Reggie Walker, ILB

Waived:

Tevrin Brandon, CB
Andre Davis, G
Joe Don Duncan, TE/FB
Zac Dysert, QB
Spencer Lanning, P
Ross Madison, S
Jake Murphy, TE
Jeremy Stewart, RB
Chase Vaughn, OLB

Walker, a former special-teams standout for the rival Chargers, was signed in March but unable to win a job amongst a competitive group of inside linebackers. That batch of ILBs includes 2014 draft picks Corey Nelson and Lamin Barrow. In addition to the moves listed above, Denver also placed third-round pick Jeff Heuerman on injured reserve.

AFC East Notes: Fitzpatrick, Brady, Branch

August 31st, 2015 at 9:11am CST by Rory Parks

Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News certainly doesn’t believe Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Jets‘ long-awaited savior at quarterback, but given Fitzpatrick’s performance in the team’s preseason win over the Giants on Saturday night, along with the Jets’ corps of talented wideouts and loaded defense, Mehta does think the Harvard grad could keep Gang Green in playoff contention all season.

Now for some more links from the AFC East:

Judge Richard Berman is set to meet with NFL and NFLPA reps in court again today regarding the Tom Brady case, and a source in the Patriots quarterback’s camp tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link) that, barring a settlement, a decision is expected by week’s end. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Giants owner John Mara is attending today’s hearing.
Ben Volin of The Boston Globe wonders if the Patriots regret signing Alan Branch to a two-year deal worth as much as $6.6MM this offseason. Branch played well for New England in 2014, but he skipped the team’s offseason workout program this year and arrived to training camp overweight and out of shape. Branch has a history of similar behavior, and since the Pats have some defensive line depth and only gave Branch $700K in guaranteed money, it would not be hard for the team to move on.
Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald would not be surprised if the Dolphins made the somewhat unorthodox decision to try and sign kicker Andrew Franks to the team’s practice squad. Salguero notes that Franks has tremendous upside. (Twitter link).
The Dolphins have their starting lineup mostly set as the regular season approaches, but the one exception is who will start at corner opposite Brent Grimes, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Jamar Taylor was the leader before injuring his quadriceps, and Brice McCain hasn’t locked up the spot in his absence. Beasley writes that the great pressure the defense has gotten on the quarterback has made it difficult to evaluate the cornerback depth chart with the starting unit.

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Lions To Acquire Tim Wright, Cut Ryan Broyles

August 31st, 2015 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

9:06am: The Lions are sending kicker Kyle Brindza to Tampa Bay in the deal for Wright, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.

8:18am: For the second consecutive August, the Buccaneers have decided to trade tight end Tim Wright, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Tampa Bay is sending Wright to the Lions. A year ago, the Bucs sent Wright to New England in a swap for Logan Mankins.

Playing behind Rob Gronkowski on the Patriots’ depth chart in 2014, Wright grabbed 26 balls for 259 yards and six touchdowns, receiving far fewer targets than he did in his 2013 rookie campaign with Tampa Bay. In ’13, Wright recorded 54 receptions on 76 targets.

New England moved on from Wright in June, and when the young tight end hit waivers, 10 teams – including the Lions – placed waiver claims on him, with the Bucs getting him back. In Detroit, Wright will join a group of tight ends that includes Brandon Pettigrew, Eric Ebron, and Joseph Fauria.

Meanwhile, another Lions pass-catcher, former second-round pick Ryan Broyles, will be waived after requesting his release from the team, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. According to Birkett, Broyles’ decision to ask to be let go was solidified after he played just 16 snaps during Detroit’s Friday win over Jacksonville, which was the latest sign that he likely wouldn’t make the team’s 53-man roster.

Since joining the Lions in 2012, Broyles has totaled just 420 yards and two touchdowns on 32 catches, with the majority of those catches and yards coming in his rookie year. He’ll have to pass through waivers unclaimed to become an unrestricted free agent.

Chargers Cut 11 Players

August 31st, 2015 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers have reduced their roster from 90 players to 79, leaving the team with four more cuts to make before Tuesday’s 75-man deadline. Here’s the complete list of players dropped by the club so far, via a press release:

Manny Asprilla, CB
Cameron Botticelli, DL
Titus Davis, WR
Jahwan Edwards, RB
Curtis Grant, LB
Brock Hekking, LB (waived/injured)
Forrestal Hickman, T
David Paulson, TE
Chase Rettig, QB
Luther Robinson, DL
Logan Stokes, TE

AFC South Notes: Jones, Ballard, Jaguars

August 31st, 2015 at 8:32am CST by Rob DiRe

X-rays on Arthur Jones ankle were negative, but the Colts defensive lineman also had an MRI scheduled for Sunday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Josina Anderson of ESPN reported that Jones went to a foot and ankle specialist after his MRI (via Twitter). He is expected to miss a “decent chunk of time” according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).

Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:

Regardless of whether Jones sustained a serious ankle injury or not on Saturday night, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report believes the Colts should bring in free agent DT Barry Cofield (Twitter link).
After consecutive years of tearing his ACL, Vick Ballard’s tenure with the Colts is on the chopping block following a hamstring injury has prevented him from making an impression on the coaching staff and front office this summer, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.
The Jaguars have two kickers on the roster in Josh Scobee and Jason Meyers, and Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com is guessing that the team is hoping to trade one of them this week before cutting its roster down to 75 players by Tuesday.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Randall Cobb Has Sprained AC Joint

August 30th, 2015 at 9:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

9:54pm: Cobb should be ready to play be the season opener against the Bears on September 13th, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN. He has a sprain but it is not believed to be a long-term injury, and his status is day-to-day.

It is serious enough that he likely would not be able to play in the team’s last preseason game on Thursday if the starters were scheduled to play in that game.

4:23pm: The Packers and receiver Randall Cobb got some good news today, as an MRI showed that the 25-year-old has a sprained AC joint, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). While the injury is considered minor, it’s still unclear as to whether Cobb will be able to suit up for Week 1.

Green Bay could ill afford another serious injury at wide receiver, as pass-catcher Jordy Nelson is already set to miss the entire 2015 season after tearing his ACL. Cobb is now the club’s unquestioned No. 1 wideout, so losing him for any amount of time would further hamper a Packers team that finished first in offensive DVOA last season. If Cobb isn’t able to go to start the season, fellow receivers Jeff Janis and Ty Montgomery, as well as tight end Richard Rodgers, could be in line for more work.

Following Nelson’s diagnosis, the Packers reportedly checked into free agent receiver Reggie Wayne. Wayne has since signed with the Patriots, but it’s not inconceivable that Green Bay could take a look at other free agents if Cobb’s injury keeps him out for a few weeks. Donnie Avery, Kevin Ogletree, and Wes Welker are among the options still left on the open market.

Reaction To Tim Jennings’ Release

August 30th, 2015 at 8:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bears released veteran cornerback Tim Jennings earlier today, a move that sent a fairly high-profile name out on to the free agent market somewhat unexpectedly. The move doesn’t come totally out of nowhere, and Jennings was the at the back on the depth chart in the third preseason game despite starting in the first two.

Still, with his large contract and penchant for big plays, seeing him hit the free agent market has gotten the attention of the league, or more accurately the league’s beat writers and Twitter followers.

Here are some reactions to the release, including some confusion about his contract status:

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com was initially confused over the release, due to the nature of Jennings’ contract. He believed his salary was guaranteed for the year (via Twitter). He looked to see if the guarantee was only for injury (via Twitter), but eventually confirmed the Bears would not save any money by releasing him.
Although he was only scheduled to make $4.4MM this season, he will count $6.75MM against the cap after being released, $1.5MM more than if he has made the team, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
Field Yates of ESPN helped Fitzgerald by pointing out that there is offset language in Jennings’ contract, so the Bears will get some cap relief when he signs with a new team (via Twitter). Of course, that also incentivizes the player to sign for the minimum.
Fitzgerald adds that this is another Phil Emery contract that backfired (via Twitter), and writes that even at the time the contract was great for Jennings (via Twitter).
You can add Adam Caplan of ESPN to the list of people surprised by the timing of this release (via Twitter).
In terms of landing spots, the Cowboys and Buccaneers are two obvious choices, picked out by Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, among other (via Twitter). Jennings played in Lovie Smith’s defense in Chicago, and would fit in schematically for both teams who are in need of secondary help.