2015 September - Pro Football Rumors

Bills Promote IK Enemkpali, Release Andre Fluellen

September 11th, 2015 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

4:39pm: The Bills have officially added Enemkpali to their 53-man roster, tweets The Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci. To make room, they released defensive tackle Andre Fluellen.

3:30pm: The Bills will activate edge defender IK Enemkapli, placing him back on their 53-man roster, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Enemkpali was on Buffalo’s roster a week ago, was waived during the cutdown to 53 players, and then landed back on the team’s practice squad earlier in the week.

By promoting Enemkpali to their practice squad, the Bills will have the opportunity to move Enemkpali to the reserve/suspended list when his suspension is officially confirmed and announced by the NFL. That means he wouldn’t count toward the Bills’ 53 players, and rival teams wouldn’t be able to poach him from Buffalo’s practice squad. A report yesterday indicated that Enemkpali’s suspension will likely be for four games.

Enemkpali only saw the field sparingly in his rookie season, playing 40 defensive snaps and contributing a little on special teams as well. His roster spot in New York disappeared after the punched quarterback Geno Smith in the locker room, breaking his jaw. That incident, of course, is the one for which Enemkpali will serve his looming suspension.

Raiders’ Aldon Smith Likely To Play Week 1

September 11th, 2015 at 3:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Raiders plan to play newly signed outside linebacker Aldon Smith in Sunday’s season opener against Cincinnati, according to Ed Werder of ESPN (Twitter link). The 25-year-old practiced with the Raiders and impressed their coaching staff, per Werder.

Prior to Werder’s report, there was question as to whether Smith would play this week – not only because he’s new to the Raiders’ roster, but because of a looming suspension regarding his most recent off-field troubles. Earlier Friday, the Santa Clara County DA filed three misdemeanor charges against Smith – DUI with prior conviction, hit and run with property damage, and vandalism – stemming from an August incident. An arraignment date for the ex-49er is set for Oct. 6, and the NFL is conducting its own investigation into the incident. Thus, a suspension figures to be coming for Smith, who has already faced multiple penalties for past legal run-ins.

However, barring something unforeseen happening before Sunday, it appears the Raiders’ defense will be bolstered (at least temporarily) by one of the league’s premier pass rushers. Smith has been a dominant force throughout his career, tallying 44 sacks in 50 regular-season games, and should aid an Oakland team that took down opposing quarterbacks just 22 times last season – the second fewest in the league.

Colts Acquire Billy Winn, Cut Boom Herron

September 11th, 2015 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

3:30pm: It’s a seventh-round pick headed from the Colts to the Browns in the deal, tweets Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.

3:15pm: The Colts have made multiple changes to their roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve acquired defensive lineman Billy Winn from the Browns in exchange for a conditional late-round 2017 pick. In order to clear room on the roster for Winn, Indianapolis has waived guard Robert Myers.

Additionally, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Colts have reached an injury settlement with running back Boom Herron, who was waived/injured during the club’s cutdown to 53 players. The move means that Herron will pass through waivers again, and if he goes unclaimed, he’ll become a free agent, able to sign with any team.

Herron, who suffered a sprained AC joint in the Colts’ final preseason game, isn’t expected to be shelved for a significant amount of time due to the injury, so he could be claimed on waivers, like Robert Turbin was yesterday. However, I’d be a little surprised if a club wanted to carry Herron on its 53-man roster quite yet.

As for Winn, he has played 40 games for the Browns since entering the league as a sixth-round pick in 2012, earning 18 starts during that span. He’ll provide depth on the Colts’ defensive line, but likely won’t take on a significant role unless Indianapolis has injury problems up front.

For the Browns, trading Winn opens up a roster spot for the team to promote Shaun Draughn from the practice squad. Cleveland hasn’t made that move official yet, but with Turbin out and Duke Johnson recovering from a concussion, Draughn figures to join the team’s backfield for at least Week 1 to complement Isaiah Crowell.

Dolphins Promote Jonas Gray, Cut Logan Thomas

September 11th, 2015 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of notable young players are involved in the Dolphins’ latest series of transactions, as the team prepares for its Week 1 contest in Washington. Agent Sean Stellato tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Miami is promoting running back Jonas Gray to its 53-man roster from the practice squad. To make room for Gray, the club has waived quarterback Logan Thomas, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

Gray’s release last weekend came as a surprise to many as he figured to be a part of the Patriots’ run game this season. He emerged as a potential starter during his 201-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Colts in the regular season, but was leapfrogged on the depth chart by LeGarrette Blount and others down the stretch. The Dolphins added Gray to their practice squad earlier this week, after he cleared waivers.

As for Thomas, the Dolphins claimed him off waivers from the Cardinals on Sunday, and it looked like the team would start the season with three quarterbacks on its roster. Instead, the Fins could look to add him to their practice squad, if he sneaks through waivers this time around.

According to Salguero (via Twitter), the Dolphins have also promoted offensive lineman Sam Brenner from their taxi squad, cutting guard Jacques McClendon to make room on the roster.

AFC Notes: Steelers, Browns, Castonzo

September 11th, 2015 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

After all the talk about DeflateGate that dominated the NFL news wire for the majority of the 2015 calendar year, last night’s season opener was supposed to return the conversation to what happened on the field. However, two off-field incidents stole headlines from Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com has updates on both stories.

According to Schefter, Steelers tight end coach James Daniel is being investigated by the Steelers and the NFL for allegedly assaulting and verbally accosting a Patriots fan on the way to the locker room before halftime. According to witnesses, Daniel kicked the Pats fan in the back of his leg and yelled at the fan. Depending on what the investigations by the team and the league turn up, Daniel could be facing a suspension and/or fine.

Meanwhile, after head coach Mike Tomlin complained about issues with the Gilette Stadium headsets, the Steelers opted not to file a formal complaint with the NFL. However, according to Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten, via Schefter, the team provided league reps with information regarding those communications issues.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Asked today about the Browns‘ decision to cut Terrelle Pryor, head coach Mike Pettine said the team initially held onto the former Raiders quarterback because of his potential as a receiver. However, he was occupying the 53rd roster spot, and the club likes running back Robert Turbin too much to have passed up on him (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Several players around the league are putting the finishes touches on contract extensions as the regular season approaches. However, it doesn’t appear that Browns safety Tashaun Gipson or Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon will sign new deals with their respective teams anytime soon, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter links).
Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports provides some additional details on Anthony Castonzo‘s new extension with the Colts, tweeting that the left tackle received a $14MM signing bonus.
Free agent wide receiver DaVaris Daniels is working out for the Jaguars today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Daniels was claimed off waivers by the Patriots after being dropped by the Vikings, but didn’t survive New England’s cutdown to 53 players.

Misdemeanor Charges Filed Against Aldon Smith

September 11th, 2015 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Aldon Smith has a new NFL team, signing a one-year contract to join the Raiders today, and while he’s eligible to play on Sunday for now, the latest developments in his legal situation signal that NFL discipline will be coming sooner or later.

According to Matt Keller of ABC7 News (Twitter links), the Santa Clara County DA has filed three misdemeanor charges against Smith, stemming from an August incident — DUI with prior conviction, hit and run with property damage, and vandalism. Keller adds that an arraignment date of October 6 has been set for Smith.

The NFL is conducting its own investigation into Smith’s latest off-field incident, and a suspension figures to be coming sooner or later for the ex-Niner, who has already faced multiple penalties for his legal run-ins. If the league takes its time with the investigation, Smith may be able to play in the interim — if the investigation wraps up quickly, he may be forced off the field in the near future. There’s also a possibility that the 25-year-old could land on the commissioner’s exempt list while the NFL finishes its investigation, though there’s no indication yet that that will happen.

According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), Smith’s one-year pact with the Raiders can be worth up to $8MM for the year, with roster incentives. It sounds like the deal might be similar to the one Greg Hardy signed with the Cowboys, before Dallas knew how long he’d be suspended. When a player’s salary relies heavily on per-game roster bonuses, a team can protect itself against a suspension or injury.

For his part, Smith thought it was wise to stay near his therapists, counselors, and the support network he has built in the Bay Area, according to Cole (via Twitter).

Cowboys Working To Extend Tyrone Crawford

September 11th, 2015 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys locked up their top offseason extension candidate back in July, when they reached a long-term contract with Dez Bryant, but the team is hoping to get another key deal done before Sunday night’s opener. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Dallas is “aggressively” working on an extension for defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford.

After playing somewhat sparingly in his rookie season and missing the 2013 campaign with a torn Achilles, Crawford had a breakout year in 2014, starting 15 games for the Cowboys and recording 35 tackles to go along with three sacks. According to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required), the former third-round pick was the NFL’s 15th-best defensive tackle out of 81 qualified players, grading particularly well as a pass rusher.

If the Cowboys and Crawford can get something done by Sunday, it’ll be interesting to see what the defensive lineman’s new deal looks like. As a 25-year-old coming off a strong year, Crawford should do well, but he’s also only really had one full, productive NFL season. He certainly shouldn’t be in line for the kind of huge payday that players like Corey Liuget and Cameron Heyward got this summer, but he’s an important player in Dallas and I think he’ll do fairly well.

For his part, Crawford didn’t seem eager to publicly discuss a potential extension. He tells Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter links) that “if it fits, it fits,” adding that he’s playing for something “way bigger than money.”

Deadline Looming For A.J. Green, Bengals?

September 11th, 2015 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

Contract negotiations between the Bengals and A.J. Green reportedly intensified this week, with several reports yesterday indicating that the two sides were working hard to reach an agreement. The heightened sense of urgency in the talks appears to be a product of a looming deadline for Green and the Bengals — according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link), the deadline for a new deal is later today, when the team departs for Oakland.

It’s not clear if Green or the Bengals – or both – are pushing to shut down contract discussions if a deal isn’t reached by the end of the day, but the star wideout said earlier in the summer that he’d be willing to play out the final year of his rookie contract, while the team seemed more eager to work something out. If he doesn’t sign a new contract this year, Green would earn $10.176MM, the value of his fifth-year option, in 2015, and then would be a strong candidate for the franchise tag in the winter.

Receivers like Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and Julio Jones have inked new, long-term contracts in recent months, creating a blueprint for a potential Green extension. However, while Owczarski writes that the Bengals are willing to meet that $14MM+ benchmark in terms of annual salary, the guaranteed money involved in the agreement may be a sticking point. Cincinnati is typically reluctant to give out significant guaranteed money on contract extensions, with even quarterback Andy Dalton getting a modest $17MM guarantee on his new $96MM deal last year.

For his part, Green isn’t saying much about the negotiations, telling Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link) this morning that he doesn’t know whether anything will get done. The fourth overall pick out of Georgia in 2011, Green has made four consecutive Pro Bowls since entering the league. After catching 97 balls in 2012 and 98 in 2013, he was slowed down last year with injuries, finishing with 1,041 yards and six touchdowns on 69 receptions. With the 2015 season about to get underway, the 27-year-old looks healthy and poised for a big year.

Seahawks DC Discusses Chancellor Holdout

September 11th, 2015 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks’ regular season opener against the Rams is just two days away, and safety Kam Chancellor still hasn’t reported to the team, as he continues his holdout. However, despite the fact that Chancellor will miss the club’s Week 1 game, Seattle defensive coordinator Kris Richard is optimistic about the situation, believing both sides are working hard to get the star defender back on the field.

“We stay in contact and really we’re all encouraged by it,” Richard said, per Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. “We want him here. He wants to be here and right now both sides are working. Both sides are working. Everybody cares. Everybody wants the right thing. Everybody wants him here. … Ultimately, we’re encouraged by it. He’s involved. He’s with us. He’s still here. He’s taken his stand and we’re just waiting to get him back.”

If Chancellor misses significant regular season action, it would be the first time since Carson Palmer sat out six games for the Bengals in 2011 that a player’s holdout has extended that far into the regular season. In Palmer’s case, he never returned to the field for Cincinnati, as the team ultimately traded him to the Raiders. However, Richard doesn’t seem to believe that outcome is likely for Chancellor, suggesting he’d be surprised if the safety missed a big portion of the season.

“It’s because we know how much this game, this team means to him,” Richard said. “Right now he’s taking a stand where he’s taken it. There’s ultimate support on both sides. The closeness. The real relationships. Who we are. Who he is. That will not change.”

For his part, Chancellor also discussed his holdout earlier this week, suggesting that he has been open to reaching a compromise with the team, and insisting he’s not seeking a raise — he just wants money from later in his contract moved up by a year.

Extra Points: Los Angeles, Raiders, Wilkerson

September 10th, 2015 at 10:01pm CST by Zachary Links

As the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers jockey to get into Los Angeles, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter links) hears that the NFL could look to put one team in L.A. in 2016 and another in 2017 and delay the opening of new stadium to 2019 so that the second team has sufficient time to market. Meanwhile, if the Raiders are the team that gets squeezed out, some have floated the idea of them relocating to San Diego while the Bolts and Rams to go Inglewood.

Here’s more from around the NFL..

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) hears that there is no Sunday deadline for the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson to hammer out a contract. If necessary, he hears that the Jets and Wilkerson will continue discussions into the season. On Thursday, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the two sides are “nowhere close on a deal.” He also heard from a source that Wilkerson will not negotiate during the season.
The Panthers will work out former Giants defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Ellis, who was released on Sunday in favor of Louis Nix, spent four seasons with the Jets before signing with Big Blue in March.
Texans starting inside linebacker Mike Mohamed is out two to four weeks with a calf injury, according to sources who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).