HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

NFC Notes: Cutler, Brees, Cowboys, Eagles

September 22nd, 2015 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will miss at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Backup Jimmy Clausen will now start in Cutler’s absence, but one has to wonder if Chicago might look out-of-house for veteran reinforcements if Cutler is out for an extended period of time. At the very least, David Fales could be in line for a promotion from the practice squad.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Saints quarterback Drew Brees believes there’s a reasonable possibility he overcomes his rotator cuff injury enough to play in Week 3, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links). It will require an aggressive rehab process, and Brees and the Saints will have to see how the injury responds to that rehab and treatment.
  • The Cowboys are still mulling whether or not to use their IR-DTR slot on Tony Romo, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. In the meantime, Dallas is auditioning several signal-callers. In addition to the names we heard reported yesterday, McLeod Bethel-Thompson will also work out for the club, per Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan (Twitter link).
  • The Eagles plan on bringing quarterback Stephen Morris, who was just released from the 53-man roster, back to their practice squad, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Morris will have to clear waivers today first.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Giants Sign Kenrick Ellis, Cut Preston Parker

September 22nd, 2015 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

9:54am: The team has now officially confirmed the pair of transactions.

9:50am: The team has yet to make an official announcement, but it appears the corresponding move for the Giants’ addition of Ellis will be to cut wide receiver Preston Parker — Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter) that Parker is being let go.

After catching 36 balls for the Giants a year ago, Parker has five receptions through the club’s first two games of 2015, but has racked up just as many dropped passes, many of them costly. The wideout doesn’t have any bonus money on his contract, so his release won’t leave New York with any additional dead money on the cap.

9:43am: After surviving the initial cutdown to 53 players, defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis was a surprise roster casualty for the Giants earlier this month, when the team needed to clear room for a pair of waiver claims. Two and a half weeks later, however, Ellis is returning to the Giants, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who reports that the team is re-signing the ex-Jet to the 53-man roster.

Ellis, 27, signed a one-year deal with the Giants earlier this year that included $500K in guarantees, so the club has already absorbed that same total in dead money for the upcoming season. His new pact will presumably be non-guaranteed. As a reserve for the Jets during the first four years of his career, Ellis appeared in 47 games, starting five.

As Raanan points out, Giants defensive tackles Cullen Jenkins (hamstring), Jay Bromley (knee) and Markus Kuhn (knee) all showed up on the club’s initial injury report this week, so with a Thursday night game against Washington right around the corner, it makes sense that New York would bring in some veteran depth at the position.

Eagles Re-Sign Najee Goode

September 22nd, 2015 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

After seeing a pair of inside linebackers go down with injuries on Sunday against the Cowboys, the Eagles have brought back one who was with them in the past, announcing today that they’ve re-signed Najee Goode. The club cut offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde to create room on the roster for Goode.

Goode, 25, was originally a fifth-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2012, but he has seen most of his NFL action for the Eagles, appearing in 14 games for the club in 2013. The West Virginia product was among the last players let go by Philadelphia before the 2015 season began, as he was waived during the team’s cutdown to 53 players.

While Mychal Kendricks‘ injury isn’t believed to be serious, it appears Kiko Alonso could be sidelined for a significant period after suffering a partial tear of his left ACL on Sunday. Alonso is getting a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews today and the Eagles figure to determine a course of action and a recovery timetable for him after that.

In the meantime, Goode should help provide depth on the inside for Philadelphia’s linebacking corps.

Eagles’ Kiko Alonso Has Partial ACL Tear

September 22nd, 2015 at 8:19am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 8:19am: After his 2014 season ended due a torn left ACL, Alonso has torn that same ACL, but it’s not as serious this time around — the tear is only partial, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), Alonso will get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, who will help decide if and when the linebacker will be able to return this season.

MONDAY, 7:32pm: Following tests today, there’s a possibility that Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso will be lost for the season with a knee injury, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). It was reported on Monday that Alonso doesn’t believe he has an ACL injury, but it’ll be the doctor’s opinion that matters most. Alonso also suffered a left knee injury in 2014 which wiped out his season.

Alonso, of course, came to the Eagles in the offseason blockbuster that shipped LeSean McCoy to the Bills. For Philly, Alonso’s appeal went beyond his Oregon pedigree and low salary cap number, though those things didn’t hurt his cause, either. Alonso was being counted on to give the Eagles’ front seven some major production, but it now appears that his 2015 season could be in jeopardy.

Alonso, 25, didn’t see the field in 2014 after tearing his ACL in July of 2014. After being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft, Alonso finished second in voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year after totaling 87 tackles, four interceptions, and two sacks. At the time, he was one of only three linebackers to play 100% of his team’s snaps and many thought he should have been the choice for DROY over Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. PFF (subscription required) rated Alonso as the ninth-best inside linebacker in the NFL in his rookie season. Because Alonso spent 2014 on the NFI (non-football injury) list, he’s slated to be a restricted free agent after 2016.

 

Cowboys To Audition Ponder, Flynn, Johnson

September 21st, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

8:30pm: In addition to Johnson, the Cowboys will also audition Christian Ponder, sources tell Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Matt Flynn will also audition on Tuesday, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Meanwhile, Kyle Orton is not a real possibility for the Cowboys thanks to his fractured relationship with the club and his own bad personal relationship with Romo, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.

5:05pm: The Cowboys have reached out to a few veteran quarterbacks, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). Dallas called reps for both Jason Campbell and Josh Johnson, among others, per La Canfora. Johnson will work out for Dallas, but Campbell will remain in his state of quasi-retirement for now.

While Dallas scopes out the market for signal callers, La Canfora (link) hears that the Saints do not plan to do the same at this time. Of course, that could change with starter Drew Brees potentially out for several games.

In related news, coach Jason Garrett says they’ll consider putting Tony Romo on IR-DTR as the week goes on, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. Nothing is decided on that front yet, however, and the upside right now is that Romo’s tests revealed zero ligament damage. Romo fractured his clavicle on Sunday, the same injury that caused him to miss the final 10 games of the season in 2010.

South Notes: Colts, Brees, Falcons

September 21st, 2015 at 8:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Joel Corry of CBSSports.com wonders if the potential for a Colts title run has been squandered. GM Ryan Grigson hit a home run with the 2012 rookie class, but he whiffed pretty badly in 2013. Making matters worse, Grigson also traded his 2014 first-round choice to the Browns for Trent Richardson in 2013, a deal that turned out to be a complete disaster. The 2013 free agent class was also pretty iffy. Overall, Corry concludes that the Colts will have to capitalize in the draft like they did in 2012 if they intend to make a run at the championship.

Here’s more from the South divisions as the Colts take on the Jets..

  • If Drew Brees is to miss extensive time, it should push the Saints towards the rebuilding effort they have avoided the last few years, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap opines. If Brees’ injury does cost him several weeks of play, Fitzgerald wonders if this could even be the last we’ll see of the veteran in black and gold. New Orleans already has $14MM in dead money committed to 2016 despite a league high in $30MM this season. With a $27.4MM salary cap hit, one has to wonder if Brees will fit into the team’s plans.
  • The Saints tried out defensive ends Gerald Rivers and Josh Shirley and linebacker Trevardo Williams, Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune tweets.
  • With or without Drew Brees, Saints need to ground their offense, Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune writes.
  • Falcons coach Dan Quinn may be saying a lot of the same things as his predecessor, but he has given the team a new voice, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.

Drew Brees Could Miss Several Games?

September 21st, 2015 at 7:20pm CST by Zachary Links

7:20pm: Coach Sean Payton referred to the report that Brees could miss several games as “inaccurate” in an interview with WWL-AM (via Saints on Twitter).

3:37pm: The Saints believe that quarterback Drew Brees has a shoulder injury that will likely cause him to miss some games and potentially several games, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Brees appeared in all 16 games in 2014 while battling an oblique injury and completed over 69 percent of his passes for 4,952 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. While that was not among his best showings, Brees was optimistic that he could get back to form when healthy this season. Now, it sounds like the veteran could wind up spending significant time on the sidelines.

Heading into the season, some posited that Brees was in decline and no longer capable of being a top quarterback. However, the stats tell a different story. Brees attempted 35 throws of 40-plus yards from 2009-11 and completed only seven for 356 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. Compare that to 2012-14, when Brees went a far better 15-of-35 for 773 yards, seven scores and no picks, and it’s obvious the 36-year-old can still get the ball downfield. That said, in 2014 Brees did put up his lowest yardage and TD totals since 2007 on throws that traveled 20-plus yards.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/15

September 21st, 2015 at 4:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..

  • The Buccaneers have cut Orie Lemon, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • Washington has released cornerback David Amerson, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. Amerson was taken No. 51 overall in 2013 and was the next cornerback taken off the board after Jonathan Banks. Needless to say, Washington would probably like a redo on that pick. To take his place, Washington re-signed defensive end Frank Kearse, Wilson tweets.
  • Texans tackle/guard Jeff Adams is done for the year with a knee injury, as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle tweets. After Adams went down on Sunday, it was widely reported that Adams was IR-bound.
  • Vikings cornerback Jabari Price was reinstated to the 53-man roster after his violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/15

September 21st, 2015 at 4:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL..

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: RB Paul Lasike (Twitter link via Brad Biggs)
  • Cut: RB Bronson Hill

Philadelphia Eagles

San Diego Chargers

Packers Place Josh Boyd On IR, Sign Joe Thomas

September 21st, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have placed defensive end Josh Boyd on season-ending IR, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. In a related move, Green Bay has plucked Joe Thomas off of the Cowboys taxi squad.

Boyd, a fifth-round pick in 2013, has played in 26 career regular-season games. Unfortunately, on Sunday, he suffered an ankle injury and an MRI revealed torn ligaments. Boyd appeared in 15 games (4 starts) for Green Bay in 2014, racking up 22 total tackles and one pass deflection.

Thomas was released by the Packers at the end of the preseason and spent part of last year on their taxi squad. Now, the Packers have seized the opportunity to welcome him back with Sam Barrington on IR.

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