2015 September - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins Place Jay Ajayi On IR-DTR

September 6th, 2015 at 3:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rookie running back Jay Ajayi will have to wait a bit longer to make his NFL debut, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins have placed Ajayi on injured reserve with a designation to return. Ajayi can begin practicing in six weeks, and can return to the active roster after eight.

A highly-touted runner at Boise State, Ajayi fell to the fifth round of the draft largely due to injury concerns. Aside from the knee injury that led to his draft-day plunge, Ajayi suffered a hamstring injury during the summer, before cracking a rib during Miami’s final preseason game. He’ll now get half of the season to recover and try to contribute starting sometime in November.

There were rumors during the early portion of the offseason that Ajayi could challenge Lamar Miller for the starting job in Miami, and at the very least he was expected to serve as the No. 2. That obviously won’t happen now, and the Dolphins will turn to Damien Williams and LaMichael James to act as depth.

Extra Points: RGIII, Panthers, Cassel

September 6th, 2015 at 3:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Washington head coach Jay Gruden is confident that backup quarterback Robert Griffin III will receive medical clearance and be ready for Week 1, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

“He’s got to see the independent neurologist one more time early this week,” said Gruden.

Gruden recently stripped the starting job from Griffin, who suffered a concussion in the preseason, and awarded it to Kirk Cousins. If healthy, it’s no lock RGIII will even be Washington’s No. 2 QB. Gruden wouldn’t commit to it when asked, according to Smith. That role could go to Colt McCoy instead, which would leave RGIII as a third-stringer.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Despite their shortage of viable wide receivers, the Panthers are not interested in free agent James Jones, according to Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
The Texans have contemplated adding another quarterback in the wake of third-stringer Tom Savage‘s season-ending shoulder injury. But they have no interest in free agent Matt Cassel, whom Buffalo cut on Saturday (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).
Speaking of the Texans, one of their ex-players, wideout Damaris Johnson, will work out for the AFC South rival Titans, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). The three-year veteran played in all 16 games last season and totaled career bests in receptions (31), yards (350) and touchdowns (one).
The Titans will work out linebacker Diaheem Watkins on Tuesday, according to agent Jeff Jankovich (via Twitter). Watkins, an undrafted rookie out of UAB, was a victim of Philly’s roster cuts Saturday.
Rookie cornerback Justin Coleman, whom the Patriots signed Friday, also had interest from other teams, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. He worked out for the Seahawks on Wednesday, which came after Minnesota cut him a week ago.

Giants Cut Kenrick Ellis

September 6th, 2015 at 2:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After claiming former Texans defensive tackle Louis Nix off waivers earlier today, the Giants have parted ways with a veteran at the same position, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who reports that New York has cut Kenrick Ellis.

Ellis, 27, signed a one-year deal with the Giants earlier this year that included $500K in guarantees, so the club will absorb that same total in dead money for the upcoming season. As a reserve for the Jets during the first four years of his career, Ellis appeared in 47 games, starting five. But the Hampton alum didn’t do enough to impress over the summer, so the Giants will keep Nix and Jay Bromley at defensive tackle behind starters Jonathan Hankins and Cullen Jenkins.

The Bills could be one landing spot for Ellis, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, who notes that Buffalo only has six defensive lineman on its roster. Ellis obviously has a familiarity with Bills head coach Rex Ryan from the duo’s time with the Jets, so the fit could make some sense.

Colts Waive/Injured Dan Herron

September 6th, 2015 at 2:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Colts have waived/injured running back Dan Herron, reports Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).

Herron, who was competing for a role as one of Frank Gore‘s backups, injured his shoulder during Indy’s preseason finale against Cincinnati on Thursday, though the severity of the ailment isn’t currently known. The 26-year-old was a sixth-round pick of the Bengals in 2012 and spent the last two years with the Colts, appearing in 22 games. He played in all 16 of the Colts’ regular-season contests in 2014 and rushed for 351 yards and a touchdown, adding 21 catches.

With Herron gone, it’s expected Josh Robinson will be Gore’s primary backup.

Jets To Place Dee Milliner On IR-DTR

September 6th, 2015 at 1:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets are placing cornerback Dee Milliner on injured reserve/designated to return, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). As such, Milliner is eligible to begin practicing after Week 6, and can return to game action following Week 8.

Milliner, 23, tore a tendon in his wrist in early August, and while his recovery at that time was expected to take six-to-eight weeks, the IR-DTR designation will afford Milliner quite a bit more time to get fully healed. If Milliner misses only the minimum of eight games, he’ll return on November 12, giving him three full months since the injury.

A top-10 pick in 2013, Milliner has dealt with injury concerns for the duration of his career. In just over two years, he’s already undergone seven surgeries, and he’s started just 14 games over that same span. Unlike in seasons past, the Jets now have cornerback depth to overcome this loss, having signed Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine over the offseason. Whether Milliner is able to carve out some sort of role behind that trio if and when he returns remains to be seen.

Broncos Waive Montee Ball

September 6th, 2015 at 1:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After being drafted in the second round just two seasons ago, running back Montee Ball is now unemployed, as the Broncos have waived the 24-year-old, according to Mike Klis of 9 News (Twitter link).

A Hesiman finalist while at Wisconsin in 2011, Ball was selected by Denver in the 2013 draft, and was expected to be inserted as the starting running back in the Broncos’ high-powered offense. But over the course of two seasons, Ball was never able to secure a role as the No. 1 back, losing the job to Knowshon Moreno in ’13 and C.J. Anderson in ’14. All told, Ball saw less than 200 carries during his time with the Broncos, and totaled less than 800 yards on the ground.

Still, given his draft pedigree, it wouldn’t be surprise to see another club take a shot on Ball via waivers. His base salaries for the next two seasons total less than $2MM, so his price isn’t terribly high. A rumor on Friday indicated that the Cowboys were discussing a deal involving Ball, and although that report was ultimately disputed, Dallas still could make sense as a landing spot, even though they already acquired Christine Michael earlier today.

Ball becomes the second notable member of the Broncos offense to be cut today, joining center Gino Gradkowski.

Broncos Cut Gino Gradkowski

September 6th, 2015 at 1:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos have waived center Gino Gradkowski, according to Mike Klis of 9 News (Twitter link). Because he’s not a vested veteran, Gradkowski will need to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent.

Denver acquired the 26-year-old Gradkowski in a trade with Baltimore earlier this year — the Broncos sent a fourth-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for Gradkowski and a fifth-rounder. Due in part to his familiarity with new Denver head coach Gary Kubiak‘s scheme, Gradkowski was expected to take compete for the starting center job, but he was overtaken in camp by second-year pro Matt Paradis.

A Delaware product, Gradkowski has appeared in 40 games during the course of his three-year career, and was a full-time starter for the Ravens during the 2013 season. He wasn’t very productive that year, grading as the worst center in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Gradkowski was schedule to earn a non-guaranteed $1.542MM in the final year of his rookie deal, meaning the Broncos will save that amount against their cap.

Cowboys Trade For Christine Michael

September 6th, 2015 at 12:23pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have traded a conditional seventh-round pick draft pick to the Seahawks in exchange for RB Christine Michael, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Albert Breer of The NFL Network tweets that Michael must be on the Cowboys’ roster for a certain number of games. If he is not, the Seahawks will receive no compensation.

Michael, a former Texas A&M product, will return home to join a Dallas backfield that includes Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle, and Lance Dunbar. Michael had been used in a part-time role for Seattle since being selected by the team in the second round of the 2013 draft. Over his two years in the league, he played in 14 games, carrying the ball 52 times for 254 yards. He has yet to cross the goal line.

As Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes, the move clears the way for the Seahawks to add veteran running back Fred Jackson to the roster. Jackson agreed to a one-year contract on Friday, but the team had yet to sign him while it tried to find a taker for Michael. Condotta adds that Michael had an inconsistent preseason, rushing for 118 yards on 32 carries, an average of 3.7 per attempt, while also fumbling once and showing intermittent success in pass protection. Michael’s departure leaves Jackson and Thomas Rawls as the two backs behind Marshawn Lynch on Seattle’s depth chart.

Given McFadden’s health problems and the fact that Randle and Dunbar have yet to prove themselves in the league, Michael will now have the chance to live up to his potential behind what is arguably the best offensive line in the NFL.

Dolphins, Eagles Claim QBs Off Waivers

September 6th, 2015 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins and Eagles have claimed quarterbacks off waivers today, according to reports by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Per Rapoport, the Dolphins have been awarded former Cardinals signal-caller Logan Thomas, while Schefter reports that the Eagles have landed ex-Jaguars QB Stephen Morris.

Thomas, 24, was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft by Arizona, but was considered fairly raw coming out of Virginia Tech and didn’t really get a chance to play for the Cards last year, despite the team’s injury woes. He was usurped on the depth chart by Matt Barkley in Arizona, and he’ll join a group in Miami that includes Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore.

As for Morris, the undrafted quarterback out of Miami spent time on the Jaguars’ practice squad in 2014. He’ll replace Tim Tebow on Philadelphia’s roster, though it’s not clear if he’ll remain on the 53-man unit, or if the Eagles will eventually try to move him over to their taxi squad.

Giants Claim Asa Jackson, Louis Nix

September 6th, 2015 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Giants have been awarded a pair of defensive players on waivers, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has claimed former Ravens cornerback Asa Jackson and ex-Texans defensive tackle Louis Nix.

Jackson, 25, saw his first stretch of extended playing time on defense last season in Baltimore, when the Ravens’ secondary was decimated by injuries. Jackson started six games and allowed a quarterback rating of 106.6 on passes thrown into his coverage, per Pro Football Focus.

As for Nix, he was selected in the third round of the 2014 draft, but never saw regular season action for the team, having spent the majority of his rookie campaign on injured reserve.

The Giants will have to cut a pair of players as part of today’s transactions to accommodate the incoming additions.