HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Jason Pierre-Paul To Miss Another Month?

September 8th, 2015 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

3:36pm: Per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), now that 53-man rosters have been set, Pierre-Paul can’t be placed on the Giants’ non-football injury list without ending his season, which is another reason why JPP won’t sign his contract yet.

3:30pm: The Giants haven’t rescinded Pierre-Paul’s franchise tag, but he won’t sign it until he’s healthy, at which point he’ll get a prorated portion of $14.813MM, tweets Rapoport. For now, JPP is heading back home.

3:14pm: When Jason Pierre-Paul reported to the Giants yesterday, sources from his camp expressed optimism about his physical condition, suggesting that he could be ready to play in Week 1. However, a Newsday report this afternoon threw cold water on the notion that Pierre-Paul would return to the field immediately, and it sounds like the Giants are a little less bullish on his recovery timetable.

According to Ian Rapoport and Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter links), Pierre-Paul won’t sign his franchise tag with the Giants today or anytime in the immediate future. The NFL.com duo suggests that JPP’s hand isn’t quite ready, and that he could be out for another month — and even that might be an optimistic timetable.

Pierre-Paul is still recovering from a hand injury that he sustained on the July 4th weekend in a fireworks accident. JPP, who lost a finger in the mishap, hadn’t reported to the Giants or taken a physical with the team until yesterday, so the glowing reports about his recovery were presumably all coming from his camp.

Having not yet signed his franchise tender from the Giants, JPP now appears very unlikely to earn the full $14.813MM value of the tag. Still, not signing that one-year deal gave the 26-year-old leeway to miss training camp and the preseason without being fined, and allows him to avoid being placed on New York’s non-football injury list. When a team places a player on the NFI list, he’s automatically ruled out for the season’s first six weeks, and the club can elect not to pay the player’s salary.

We’ll have to wait and see how the JPP situation plays out in the coming days and weeks, but for now it looks like Tony Romo won’t have to worry about the veteran pass rusher chasing him around the field this Sunday night.

Extra Points: JPP, Chancellor, Colts, Saints

September 8th, 2015 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Judge Richard Berman’s Deflategate ruling, Steelers linebacker James Harrison suggested he might try to recoup the salary he lost in fines over the years, and his agent, William Parise, tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that his client wasn’t joking.

“Certainly there’s an open door because of the courts overturning the commissioner’s ability to hear his own appeals,” Parise said, adding that he has discussed the issue with Harrison and with the NFLPA.

Of course, it’s not likely that Harrison gets that fine money back, but as Fowler notes, the fact that anyone’s even talking about such a possibility is a signal of what a big impact Judge Berman’s decision could have on the league going forward.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

  • While Jason Pierre-Paul‘s camp has been optimistic about the Giants defensive end getting back on the field soon, a league source tells Tom Rock and Bob Glauber of Newsday that it’s unlikely to happen right away. Pierre-Paul and the Giants still need to work out a contract agreement before JPP can play in a game for the team.
  • Seahawks players are planning for Week 1 as if safety Kam Chancellor will continue his holdout and won’t play in the game, with one telling Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), “I don’t think we’re going to have him at all this season.”
  • In the wake of recent reports about tension between the Colts‘ head coach and GM, Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson predictably dismissed the idea of a rift, suggesting that they’ll work together and always do what’s best for the team. However, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star hears that Grigson has a tendency to make decisions that run counter to Pagano’s wishes, including lineup decisions. While Holder stops short of calling it a “rift” between the two decision-makers, he acknowledges that there are issues.
  • In addition to working out Nick Novak today, the Saints are also bringing in Caleb Sturgis for a look, says Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. However, Triplett and Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link) both agree that Zach Hocker‘s job is probably safe for now, with New Orleans simply building a list of potential options.
  • Despite being demoted to third on the Bills‘ quarterback depth chart, E.J. Manuel isn’t seeking a release or trade, sources close to the QB tell Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter link).

Hakeem Nicks Working Out For Saints

September 8th, 2015 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending a year with the Colts and then being released by the Titans several days ago, Hakeem Nicks is auditioning for another South team today, but this one’s an NFC squad. Per Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate (Twitter link), Nicks is visiting and working out for the Saints.

Nicks, who spent his first five years with the Giants, posting multiple 1,000-yard seasons in New York, caught just 38 balls for 405 yards and four touchdowns last year in Indianapolis. He found a new home in free agency when he signed with the Titans earlier in the year, but Tennessee opted to keep just four wideouts on the roster to start the season, cutting Nicks on Saturday.

It’s not clear if the Saints have legit interest in signing Nicks, or if the team is simply gauging the free agent market for potential options once the season gets underway. But New Orleans did trade two of its top pass-catchers in the offseason, sending Jimmy Graham to Seattle and Kenny Stills to Miami.

According to Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune (via Twitter), the Saints are also working out at least one tight end today, with ex-Jaguar Connor Hamlett in town.

Jake Long Medically Cleared, Visiting Falcons

September 8th, 2015 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Former first overall pick Jake Long has been medically cleared for football by Dr. James Andrews, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter links). With the go-ahead from Dr. Andrews, Long is paying a visit to Atlanta and will work out for the Falcons on Thursday, reports Schefter.

For Long, it’s his second visit of the summer to Atlanta, but the fact that he has been cleared this time means that there’s a better chance this trip could end with a contract agreement. The Falcons have been linked to Long throughout the offseason, with head coach Dan Quinn suggesting last week that the veteran lineman is a player “we have lots of regard for.”

Long, 30, saw time in just seven games for the Rams last season, thanks to a torn ACL. The former No. 1 overall pick had been in St. Louis for the past two years after spending the first five years of his career with the Dolphins, but tore his ACL in each of those two seasons, playing in just 22 games during that stretch.

Last season, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Long as just the No. 36 tackle out of 84 qualified players. In 2013, however, Long graded out as the seventh-best tackle in the league with a strong 22.5 overall score, based on PFF’s advanced metrics. Still, with the Rams going younger and cheaper on their offensive line, the team elected to part ways with Long earlier in the year.

If Long and the Falcons don’t agree to a deal, the Giants remain interested, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.

Patriots Notes: Deflategate, Brady, F. Jackson

September 8th, 2015 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Anyone who expected the Patriots-related drama to come to an end when Judge Richard Berman ruled in favor of Tom Brady and the NFLPA last week received a rude awakening today, as Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham of ESPN’s Outside the Lines published an extensive report on Deflategate and Spygate. The piece, which is worth reading, suggests that Roger Goodell and the NFL may have reacted so aggressively to the Deflategate allegations to compensate for what many team owners felt was an undercooked Spygate investigation.

In response to the OTL report, the Patriots issued a strongly-worded statement denying the additional Spygate allegations that were part of the story, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets.

“This type of reporting over the past seven years has led to additional unfounded, unwarranted and, quite frankly, unbelievable allegations by former players, coaches and executives,” the Patriots’ statement read, in part. “None of which have ever been substantiated, but many of which continue to be propagated.”

Here’s more on the Pats:

  • Brady made an appearance on WEEI in Boston today, admitting that “it’s been a tough, challenging several months.” While Brady didn’t drop any bombshells, he fielded a number of questions about Deflategate over the course of the conversation. The audio transcript of his comments can be found right here.
  • In the wake of the NFL’s court loss last week, one report indicated that team owners would discuss changing Goodell’s role in the player disciplinary process. Appearing on Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio today, Goodell acknowledged that he’s “very open” to changing his role (link via The Associated Press). However, he’s still reluctant to give up final say.
  • Within an hour of being released by the Bills, Fred Jackson received a call from the Patriots, as the veteran running back tells Tim Graham of The Buffalo News. Jackson also got a call from the Seahawks in that first hour, and ultimately signed with Seattle.

Giants, Eli Manning Making Progress On Deal

September 8th, 2015 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Giants and quarterback Eli Manning were believed to be far apart in extension talks for most of the summer, but with the season right around the corner, there’s still a chance that the two sides could reach an agreement, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. A source with knowledge of the negotiations recently told Raanan that he expects a deal to happen before Week 1, and Manning has acknowledged that progress has been made in contract discussions.

For his part, Manning has mostly avoided discussing his contract, which expires at season’s end, suggesting that his focus is on football. But according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links), the two-time Super Bowl MVP addressed the issue on WFAN today.

“I’m not a big fan of negotiations going on during the season,” Manning said. “I’m hoping if this thing is going to get done, it’s going to get done very quickly … and not have these talks continue on.”

As Manning and the Giants potentially move toward a new agreement, the team also has to figure out what to do with veteran pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul, who reported to New York yesterday and took a physical with the team.

A source tells ESPN’s Dan Graziano (Twitter link) that the Giants were encouraged by Monday’s meeting with JPP, and that the team could engaged in contract talks with Pierre-Paul’s agent as soon as today. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Giants are still reviewing records and notes from the 26-year-old’s physical, and are “conferring internally” before making their next move.

Pierre-Paul believes he’s capable of playing Week 1, but it’s not clear whether the Giants share his confidence — if they do, they’ll have to get him under contract within the next few days.

Ravens Place Brent Urban On IR-DTR

September 8th, 2015 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

Baltimore has become the latest team to officially use its short-term IR slot, as the Ravens today placed defensive end Brent Urban on injured reserve with the designation to return, according to a press release. The club filled his roster spot by re-signing running back Terrence Magee.

Urban, 24, was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft by the Ravens, but missed his entire rookie campaign with a torn ACL. The Virginia product sustained a torn bicep this year, but Baltimore likes him enough and feels confident enough in his recovery that the team is willing to use its only IR-DTR slot on him.

As for Magee, assuming he makes Baltimore’s Week 1 roster, he’ll be the only undrafted free agent to stick with the team this year. He was initially waived during the Ravens’ cutdown to 53 players over the weekend.

Bills Re-Sign Matt Cassel

September 8th, 2015 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

Matt Cassel‘s unemployment lasted less than 72 hours. After being released by the Bills on Saturday afternoon, the veteran quarterback re-signed with the team today, according to a press release. Buffalo cut tight end Nick O’Leary to make room on the 53-man roster for Cassel.

Cassel, 33, was acquired by the Bills back in March in a trade with the Vikings, but didn’t initially survive the cutdown to 53 players over the weekend. His release left the team with a pair of young signal-callers, Tyrod Taylor and E.J. Manuel, as the only QBs on the roster, so it makes sense that he’d return to the fold to provide some veteran insurance.

Cassel’s reunion with the Bills also certainly comes with a reduced salary. He had initially been slated to make a base salary of $4.15MM in 2015, which likely contributed to his release. His new deal with the team will probably be closer to the veteran’s minimum, perhaps with some playing-time and performance bonuses attached, which would reward him if he retakes the starting job during the season.

Taylor is still penciled in as the Bills’ starter for 2015, but if he struggles or goes down with an injury, it appears Cassel will get the nod over Manuel. Head coach Rex Ryan said today that Cassel will open the year as the No. 2 QB on the depth chart (Twitter link via ESPN’s Mike Rodak).

Workout Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Raiders, Bucs

September 8th, 2015 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

With 53-man rosters set, teams around the NFL will start to frequently bring in players for workouts and auditions, keeping up-to-date on which free agents are out there, in case injury replacements or practice squad fill-ins are required.

Here are a few of the latest updates on teams working out players, or bringing them in for visits:

  • The Bills, who are exploring other possible options at kicker after an underwhelming preseason from Dan Carpenter, worked out Alex Henery, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Henery’s last game in the NFL, the one that cost him his job, came last October, when he missed three field goals for the Lions against Buffalo.
  • Before they signed linebacker Adrian Hubbard, the Dolphins worked out Hubbard and several other players, according to Wilson (Twitter link). The players who earned an audition with Miami included former Raiders safety Jonathan Dowling, ex-Cardinals linebacker Glenn Carson, former Bengals linebacker Nico Johnson, ex-Cowboys cornerback Robert Steeples, and former Eagles safety Chris Prosinski.
  • The Raiders brought in a number of players for workouts, with a focus on wide receivers, quarterbacks, and defensive backs. According to Wilson (Twitter links), wideouts Phil Bates, John Harris, DeAndre Carter, and T.J. Graham, quarterbacks Jeff Tuel and Phillip Sims, and defensive backs Tommie Campbell, Phillip Thomas, B.W. Webb, and Ty Zimmerman auditioned for the club. Offensive lineman Dillon Farrell also had a tryout with Oakland.
  • Offensive lineman Austin Reiter, a 2015 seventh-rounder waived by Washington over the weekend, is working out for the Buccaneers this morning, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
  • After being waived by the Chargers last week, wide receiver Titus Davis paid a visit to the Lions, tweets Wilson.

Players On IR With Designation To Return

September 8th, 2015 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

As of 3:00pm central time this past Sunday, NFL teams could begin adding players to injured reserve lists with the designation to return. Unlike the usual IR list, which keeps a player inactive all season or until he reaches an injury settlement with his team, this shorter-term IR list allows a player to begin practicing after six weeks and to begin playing in games after eight weeks.

Of course, whereas the standard injured reserve list can accommodate several players at once, NFL teams can only use the designation to return on one player, so teams must be cautious about how to fire that single bullet. Given the eight-week time frame for the IR-DTR slot, most clubs will use it during the season’s first few weeks if they need to use it at all.

So far, a handful of clubs have taken advantage of the opportunity to use the IR-DTR spot — we’ll list all those players right here. If other clubs decide to use their openings at any point, we’ll note that below as well. This post can be found anytime on our right-hand sidebar under the PFR Features menu.

Here’s the full list so far:

AFC East:

AFC North:

AFC South:

  • Houston Texans: Used on TE Ryan Griffin (MCL) after Week 1
  • Indianapolis Colts: Used on CB D’Joun Smith (knee) after Week 1
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: Used on WR/KR Rashad Greene (thumb) after Week 2
  • Tennessee Titans: Used on RB David Cobb (calf)

AFC West:

  • Denver Broncos: Unused
  • Kansas City Chiefs: Unused
  • Oakland Raiders: Used on S Nate Allen (MCL) after Week 1
  • San Diego Chargers: Used on DT Darius Philon (hip/thigh) after Week 5

NFC East:

NFC North:

NFC South:

NFC West:

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