HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Raiders Hope To Re-Sign Aldon Smith

October 27th, 2015 at 6:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie says that he plans to sign Aldon Smith long term, as Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle tweets. McKenzie added that the team did a lot of research on Smith before letting “him become member of our family” and, clearly, they’re happy with what they’ve seen so far.

Smith, 26, has appeared in six games and made four starts for the Raiders this season, racking up 18 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three pass deflections. Some teams steered clear of the troubled Smith after he was let go by the 49ers this offseason, but the Raiders gambled on him and so far that has paid off.

When healthy and on the field, Smith can be one of the league’s most effective pass rushers, as he exhibited during his first two years in the NFL. As a part-time player in his rookie season, the linebacker recorded 14 sacks, and he piled up another 19.5 as a starter in 2012, en route to a spot on the All-Pro first team.

However, Smith’s off-field issues have limited his production in 2013 and 2014 — he missed nearly half the Niners’ games over the last two seasons after entering a rehabilitation facility in 2013 and serving a nine-game suspension in 2014. Most recently, Smith was arrested by Santa Clara police on hit and run, DUI, and vandalism charges, though when he was released from jail, the outside linebacker disputed the fact that he had been driving under the influence.

The Jaguars, Buccaneers, and Rams also made contract offers to Smith, and reportedly offered more money, but Smith chose to sign with Oakland partially because of its proximity to his Bay Area home.

Jason Pierre-Paul Rumors: 10/27/15

October 27th, 2015 at 5:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul reported to the team facility on Monday for the second time in the last two months, and the first time since the regular season began. Depending on the outcome of his all-important physical exam, a contract agreement between the two sides looms as a possibility. Here’s the latest on JPP and the Giants:

  • A Giants source believes that JPP could be ready right after the team’s bye week, which would mean a Week 12 comeback against Washington, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. There was some thought that JPP could be ready for the Patriots on November 15th, but the source said that a post-bye week return was more realistic.

Earlier updates:

  • There are still details to work out, but the Giants and Pierre-Paul are working through contract negotiations with the hopes of getting something done today, says Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. If that happens, the hope inside the building is that JPP can get back in shape in time to debut in Week 10 against the Patriots.
  • The Giants are comfortable with where Pierre-Paul is physically, and have entered contract negotiations, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). If the two sides can work out the terms of that contract and reach an incentive-laden, one-year deal, the Giants will sign JPP as soon as today, and get a roster exemption for him to return to practice, according to Rapoport.
  • According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter links), the physical exam went “way better” this time than it did back in September, when Pierre-Paul was fresh out of surgery. Raanan is hearing that there’s more optimism now that JPP may be able to play this season.
  • The Giants and Pierre-Paul’s representatives have talked about working out a one-year, incentive-laden deal, which would lock up JPP through the end of the 2015 campaign, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter links). While there’s no guarantee such an agreement gets done, the two sides are hopeful. According to Graziano, the club’s goal would be to get JPP into the building to rehab and practice, getting him ready to perhaps return to the field by Week 10 or 12.

Seahawks Sign Bryce Brown

October 27th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have signed running back Bryce Brown, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. To make room, Seattle has waived quarterback/wide receiver B.J. Daniels.

Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was bounced by the Bills late in the offseason and it took him until today to find a new home. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a whopping 126 yards off of 36 carries. Since getting cut loose by Buffalo, Brown has worked out for the Titans, Chiefs, Lions, Colts, Jets, and Patriots. However, he’ll be making his home with Seattle.

Brown, a seventh-round pick out of Kansas State in 2012, rushed for a career-best 564 yards and 4 touchdowns as a rookie with the Eagles, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. He’ll be expected to provide the Seahawks with depth while Thomas Rawls deals with a calf contusion.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/27/15

October 27th, 2015 at 4:11pm CST by Zachary Links

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

  • The Broncos released nose tackle Marvin Austin from injured reserve,Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post tweets.
  • The Rams signed safety Christian Bryant, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Chargers released center J.D. Walton, as Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Texans promoted safety Kurtis Drummond from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets.
  • The Rams have promoted defensive tackle Doug Worthington to the active roster from the practice squad and released Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.
  • The Colts have elevated wide receiver Quan Bray to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and waived safety Dewey McDonald, as Kevin Bowen of Colts.com tweets.
  • The Vikings have promoted linebacker Brandon Watts to the active roster, as Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN tweets. In a related move, cornerback Jabari Price has been placed on IR.
  • The Falcons will bring back safety Charles Godfrey again and release linebacker Allen Bradford, who was inactive this weekend against the Titans, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.

Practice Squad Updates: 10/27/15

October 27th, 2015 at 4:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

St. Louis Rams

  • Signed: DE Gerald Rivers, LB/DE Zach Hodges (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Rams Place Alec Ogletree On IR-DTR

October 27th, 2015 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rams have placed linebacker Alec Ogletree on injured reserve with the designation to return, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Due to the timing of the move, Ogletree won’t be eligible to practice until after the club’s Week 13 game, and wouldn’t be able to return to the field until Week 16.

Ogletree, 24, suffered a right ankle injury several weeks ago, and underwent surgery to repair the damage. The former first-round pick, who had started each of his first 36 career games for the Rams prior to the injury, was viewed as potentially lost for the season, but the IR-DTR slot will give him an opportunity to return down the stretch, if his recovery moves quickly.

The fact that the Rams waited three weeks to place Ogletree on IR-DTR looks like poor roster management on the surface. However, as Wagoner explains (via Twitter), St. Louis knew the linebacker’s recovery period would be longer than eight weeks, so the team was waiting to see if it would need the IR-DTR slot for anyone else.

It’s still possible that a Rams player could suffer an eight-week injury, but if that were to happen this weekend, any player receiving the IR-DTR spot next week would only be eligible to return for Week 17, so it makes sense now to pull the trigger and use it on Ogletree.

The complete breakdown of how teams have used their IR-DTR slots in 2015 can be found right here.

East Notes: Hardy, Bills, Marrone, Mallett

October 27th, 2015 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Cowboys executives Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have each said this week that they’d like to get a deal worked out with Greg Hardy to keep the veteran defensive end with the team beyond the 2015 season. While those comments could simply be interpreted as a public show of support for Hardy, the Cowboys are expressing a similar sentiment privately, having reached out to Hardy’s representatives to make it clear they have no issues with the pass rusher on or off the field, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

A report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Monday indicated that there was some confusion about Hardy’s absence from practice last Thursday, but Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com says the 27-year-old’s whereabouts was no mystery for the team. According to Mortensen, Hardy first sent a text message to the Cowboys’ head athletic trainer, Jim Mauer, at 5:30am to communicate an illness. David Moore of the Dallas Morning News has since published a similar report.

While the Cowboys insist no one was caught off guard by Hardy’s absence from practice, it’s hard to know for sure — after all, neither Hardy’s camp nor the Cowboys would be eager to confirm such a report, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to shoot down Rapoport’s report, whether or not it’s accurate. In any case, it’s clear that the Dallas organization isn’t upset about Hardy’s missed practice, or any of his other actions.

Here’s more on Hardy, along with a few other items from around the NFL’s East divisions….

  • Hardy and his agents “would love” to begin talks on a long-term extension with the Cowboys, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), who admits that probably goes without saying.
  • In an engaging feature for ESPN, Elizabeth Merrill speaks to former Bills head coach Doug Marrone about his decision to leave Buffalo following the 2014 season.
  • Mike Rodak of ESPN.com explains why he has a hard time envisioning the Bills seriously pursuing quarterback Ryan Mallett, who was released by the Texans today.
  • The NFL officially filed its appeal of Judge Richard Berman’s ruling that overturned the league’s four-game suspension of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady several weeks ago, as Christopher Price of WEEI.com details. Within the filing, the NFL insisted Roger Goodell and the league acted within the parameters of the CBA, insisting that “the district court’s decision cannot stand.” The Deflategate saga figures to drag on well into 2016.

Louis Murphy Has Torn ACL, Out For Year

October 27th, 2015 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 3:23pm: The Buccaneers have officially placed Murphy on IR, ending his season, the team announced in a press release. No corresponding move was announced, so the Bucs figure to fill the roster opening later this week.

MONDAY, 2:40pm: Murphy has confirmed to ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link) that he has a torn ACL, calling it a “minor setback for a major comeback.”

2:24pm: The Buccaneers fear that wide receiver Louis Murphy has suffered a torn ACL, which would sideline him for the remainder of the 2015 season, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The club has yet to officially make an announcement on Murphy, but it sounds like it could just be a matter of time until an MRI confirms the team’s initial diagnosis.

Murphy, 28, has bounced around from team to team over the course of his seven-year NFL career, spending time with the Raiders, Panthers, and Giants before catching on with the Buccaneers last season. After catching 31 balls for 380 yards and two touchdowns in 2014, Murphy had totaled 10 receptions for 198 yards in six games this season.

Assuming Murphy is done for the year, the Bucs will likely need to make a roster move to replace him, since the team only has four other active wide receivers. An outside free agent is a possibility, but the club is currently carrying three receivers – Rannell Hall, Adam Humphries, and Evan Spencer – on its practice squad, so one of those players could receive a promotion.

Chargers Sign Joe Mays, Cut J.D. Walton

October 27th, 2015 at 3:07pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 3:07pm: The Chargers have officially signed Mays, cutting center J.D. Walton to create room on the roster, the team announced today in a press release.

MONDAY, 5:27pm: The Chargers are expected to sign veteran inside linebacker Joe Mays, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). San Diego has been dealing with injuries at the position and the experienced Mays will provide them with additional depth.

Mays, 30, only has one 16-game season under his belt, compiling 75 tackles with the Broncos in 2011. In the past three seasons, he’s made only 28 appearances (20 starts), collecting 107 tackles and one sack. Mays was cut by the Chiefs in March, and he signed with New York in April before being released in September. Mays’ deal with Gang Green was reportedly for one year at the minimum salary, with a $870K base salary, $20K first-game roster bonus, and a $60K signing bonus. The move saved the Jets $585K and left them with $60K in dead money.

Mays auditioned for the Browns earlier this month but he was not signed.

Workout Notes: Giants, Dolphins, Chiefs

October 27th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Giants are working out a handful of kickers today, including Kyle Brindza, Zach Hocker, Corey Acosta, and Tom Obarski, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Josh Brown has been a little inconsistent on kickoffs, putting one out of bounds on Sunday, but it’s hard to imagine the team making a change, considering he’s perfect on field goals and has missed just one extra point. As Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets, the Giants are likely just kicking the tires on free agents.

Let’s round up a few more workout updates from around the NFL…

  • Defensive linemen Jerel Worthy, Derrick Lott, Glenn Foster, and Davon Coleman worked out for the Dolphins today, says Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Worthy and Foster are the most notable names of the group, having each logged a full season’s worth of regular season contests with the Packers and Saints, respectively.
  • Lott was also among the players who tried out recently for the Chiefs, per Wilson (Twitter links). Running back Gus Johnson, defensive end Lawrence Okoye, and linebacker Alex Singleton also got a look from Kansas City.
  • According to Wilson (via Twitter), before signing wideout Corey Washington to the practice squad, Washington also worked out receiver Marcus Lucas and tight end Connor Hamlett.
  • Offensive lineman Ben Gottschalk, who spent time in the summer on the Niners’ roster, auditioned for the Buccaneers today, tweets Wilson.
  • Former USC outside linebacker J.R. Tavai had a tryout with the Packers today, according to Wilson (via Twitter). Tavai signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in May, but was cut by the team prior to the regular season.
  • The Cardinals auditioned cornerback Keith Lewis, who was cut by the Jets back in August, tweets Wilson.
  • On the heels of Jason Myers missing his third PAT of the season, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley noted that Myers’ kickoffs were also a little short, and mentioned the possibility of bringing in kickers for workouts, per Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com. According to Bradley, GM Dave Caldwell will make that call.
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