HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Browns May Discipline Johnny Manziel Again

December 28th, 2015 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns may be forced to discipline Johnny Manziel yet again after yet another video of him drinking has surfaced. Coach Mike Pettine hasn’t made a final decision yet, but he admits that the team could punish the quarterback after he was filmed on Christmas Eve guzzling a black cherry Four Loko.

“Anytime there’s something with our players that casts them potentially in a bad light, whether it’s Johnny or any of our other guys, it’s certainly a concern,” said Pettine (via Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer). “I’m sure I’ll see it, I’ll have a discussion with him about it.”

Pettine indicated that the newest Manziel video is not asáegregious as the one from earlier this year when Manziel was captured partying at a club in Austin, Texas. That incident got Manziel temporarily demoted from starter to third-string quarterback, though it was widely reported that the Browns were more upset about him lying about the event than the event itself.

“These circumstances are different from the incident that occurred before,” said Pettine, who vowed to come down hard on Manziel if he stepped out of line again. “But I’m just not going to go into a ton of detail with it until I get a little bit more information about it, but it’s something that I’m sure privately we’ll discuss if it needs to be discussed.”

Manziel spent 73 days in an addiction treatment center in the offseason and it’s believed that his treatment plan calls for him to abstain from alcohol. Manziel rushed for 108 yards against the Chiefs on Sunday and, at times, looked strong, but the Browns also need to worry about the Texas A&M product’s behavior off the field. The Browns will likely finish with one of the top two picks in the 2016 draft and they’ll need to figure out whether to use that selection on a quarterback or ride with the troubled Manziel.

Draft Notes: Collins, Clark, Howard

December 28th, 2015 at 5:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Defensive tackle Maliek Collins announced that he is entering the NFL Draft and foregoing his senior season at Nebraska, as Sam McKewon of the World-Herald writes.

“It’s always been a dream of mine, and I got a good grade back (from the NFL’s draft advisory board),” Collins said when asked why he’s headed to the NFL one year early. “I talked it over with my teammates and I talked it over with Coach (Mike) Riley and it seems like the best decision for me.”

Collins, a team captain in 2015, racked up 29 total tackles with 2.5 sacks this season. Many have projected that Collins will go in the first round of the NFL Draft this season and his grade from the NFL draft advisory board likely supported that forecast.

Here’s the latest NFL Draft news:

  • UCLA Bruins junior defensive tackle Kenny Clark announced on Twitter that he will skip his senior year to declare for the draft. NFL talent evaluators are high on the 6’3″, 310-pound junior and he could wind up being a late first-round pick. Clark recorded a sack and season-high eight solo tackles in UCLA’s bowl loss to Nebraska on Dec. 26. For the season, he had 47 tackles and six sacks.
  • Indiana junior running back Jordan Howard announced that he will forego his senior season and enter the 2016 Draft. A first team All-Big Ten selection, Howard entered the bowl season second in the Big Ten with 134.8 rushing yards per game (9th nationally) and 146.6 all-purpose yards per game (15th). Injuries have been an issue for Howard in the past, but he is considered by some to be one of the five best tailbacks in this year’s class. One has to imagine that his medical exams will play a big factor in where he lands.
  • University of Miami junior cornerback Artie Burns announced that he has elected to forgo his final year of college eligibility and declare for the draft. “After considering all the options, and looking into my future, I feel it is in my best interest to forego my senior year and declare for the NFL Draft,” Burns said in a statement. “I can’t put into words what these past three years have meant to me in my development as a football player but even more importantly as a man.” Burns could wind up as a consensus top five corner in this year’s class depending on what others at his position do.
  • Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Cayleb Jones took to Twitter to announce that he is going pro. The 6’3″ athlete is rated as the No. 23 junior wide receiver prospect by NFLDraftScout.com and he appears to be taking a risk by jumping to the NFL. Jones originally committed to the Texas and played in 10 games as a frosh before transferring to Arizona and sitting out for one year. While at Texas, Jones picked up a felony assault charge that was ultimately reduced to a misdemeanor.
  • The Texas Longhorns announced that junior defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway has decided to go pro. An honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2015, Ridgeway played in 36 career games with 18 starts. In that time, he recorded 92 tackles with 9.5 sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries. Ridgeway is rated as the No. 5 nose tackle by WalterFootball.com and his stock could rise if any of the three underclassmen ranked ahead of him opt to stay in school.
  • Washington junior running back Dwayne Washington will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, as Adam Jude of the Seattle Times writes. Washington did not play in UW’s final four games because of a knee injury, an issue which required minor surgery. The tailback started six games for UW this season and finished as UW’s second-leading rusher with 282 yards. His seven total touchdowns were also second-most on the team. Washington garnered attention in 2014 when he converted from wide receiver to running back, though his frame still looks like that of a receiver.

Raiders’ Marcel Reece Suspended Four Games

December 28th, 2015 at 4:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders announced that fullback/running back Marcel Reece has been suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. Reece can participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games, but he is no longer eligible to play in the 2016 Pro Bowl.

The Raiders, of course, are not headed to the playoffs, so Reece will serve his suspension in Week 17 and sit out the first three weeks of the 2016 season. As it stands, Reece is slated to make his NFL return with Oakland still as he is under contract with the club for next season at a cap number of $3.53MM. In 2015, Reece caught 30 passes for 269 yards and three TDs and also added 36 rushing yards. Most importantly, he served as a solid blocker for quarterback Derek Carr and running back Latavius Murray in the backfield.

It’s not immediately clear whether Reece will still collect on the $100K roster bonus he received for making the Pro Bowl. This season marked the fourth consecutive year that Reece earned a Pro Bowl nod.

Bills Claim WR Leonard Hankerson

December 28th, 2015 at 4:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have claimed former Falcons wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hankerson was waived by the Patriots on December 26th, making his stay in New England a short one.

The five-year veteran joined the Patriots recently after being cut from the Falcons injured reserve list. The 26-year-old was active for the team’s victory over the Titans, but he didn’t earn a single target in the contest. In eight games for the Falcons this season, Hankerson compiled 26 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns. The receiver’s best season came in 2012 with Washington, when he caught 38 passes for 543 yards and three touchdowns.

Hankerson is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. It remains to be seen what the former third-rounder can do for the 7-8 Bills in their season finale against the Jets, but the fact that the Falcons and Pats each cut him without an injury designation suggests that he is mostly healthy.

Latest On Eric Weddle, Chargers

December 28th, 2015 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

When we noted earlier today that the Chargers were placing Eric Weddle on injured reserve – a move the team has since confirmed – I wrote that the veteran safety may have played his last game with the team. That now looks like a near certainty, with agent David Canter opening up about the fractured relationship between his client and the Chargers.

As Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, the club informed Weddle last Tuesday that he was being fined $10K for remaining on the field during halftime to watch his daughter perform during a dance ceremony. While Weddle and Canter declined to go public with the fine at the time, the agent confirmed it today after the Chargers placed the safety on IR against his wishes. Per Canter, the team also informed Weddle that there would be no room for him to travel on the team plane to the regular season finale in Denver.

According to Acee, Weddle previously hadn’t closed the door on the possibility of returning to the Chargers next season. With his contract set to expire, the 30-year-old said earlier this month that he wouldn’t rule out re-signing with the club. However, after this latest sequence of events, it certainly looks like a lock that he’ll be moving on.

For his part, Canter replied to Acee’s story on Twitter, referring to the headline – “Weddle, Chargers relationship not ‘fine'” – as the “understatement of the decade.” So while Weddle may not publicly say he plans to leave San Diego, it sounds like his agent is looking forward to getting him to the open market in March.

Colts Place Whitehurst, Thornton On IR

December 28th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have removed two key players from their 53-man roster, announcing today in a press release that quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and guard Hugh Thornton have been placed on the injured reserve list. The moves end their seasons, and create two openings on the Colts’ roster.

The Colts’ decision to move Whitehurst to IR after he sustained a groin injury is an interesting one. Matt Hasselbeck isn’t expected to be healthy enough to play in Week 17, which means the club currently has two options for its final game of the season — the starter will likely be either Andrew Luck, who hasn’t played since Week 9 and may not yet be cleared to return, or Stephen Morris, the only healthy QB on the roster, who was signed off the Eagles’ practice squad just four days ago.

The Colts are said to be working out free agent signal-caller Josh Freeman, but it’s highly unlikely that anyone from outside the organization would be signed to start right away. If Luck is unable to play in the club’s regular-season finale though, I’d expect Indianapolis to sign at least one more QB to the roster, whether it’s Freeman or someone else.

Thornton, 24, matched a career high with 12 starts this season for the Colts, but his season will come to an end a little early due to an ankle injury. Khaled Holmes took over for him on Sunday and is the favorite to start in his place in Week 17.

Browns Cut Daryl Richardson, De’Ante Saunders

December 28th, 2015 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns have made a pair of changes to their 53-man roster, releasing running back Daryl Richardson from the squad and promoting linebacker Cam Johnson to fill the newly-created opening, according to a team release.

In addition to cutting Richardson and elevating Johnson to the active roster, the Browns have also waived defensive back De’Ante Saunders from their practice squad. Saunders was arrested last week along with Cleveland linebacker Armonty Bryant, and has pleaded not guilty after being charged with suspicion of drunken driving, writes Evan MacDonald of Cleveland.com.

Saunders may eventually face discipline from the NFL if the league determines he violated the personal conduct policy, but if he does have to serve a suspension, it seems it won’t be with the Browns. As for Richardson, he signed with Cleveland earlier this month, but didn’t see the field during his brief stint with the team — he was inactive for the two games he was on the 53-man roster, and will now return to waivers.

Panthers Waive Wes Horton

December 28th, 2015 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

A little over a month after he was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, defensive end Wes Horton has been waived by the Panthers, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

After he sat out for four games, Horton received a roster exemption this past week that was set to expire today. The exemption allowed Carolina to carry the defensive end as a 54th man, without activating him to the club’s 53-man roster. The Panthers then had to decide by today whether to activate him or cut the 25-year-old, and have chosen to part ways with him.

Horton, an undrafted rookie in 2013, made 15 starts for the Panthers last season in place of suspended teammate Greg Hardy. Following a rookie campaign that saw him compile eight tackles and two sacks, the former USC standout finished 2014 with 26 tackles and three sacks. In 2015, Horton compiled just seven total tackles and one sack in eight games (two starts) prior to his suspension.

Horton will become a free agent if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Chargers Place Eric Weddle, Others On IR

December 28th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

1:50pm: The Chargers have confirmed that Weddle has officially been placed on IR, one of six moves today affecting the club’s 53-man roster. Here’s the full list:

Placed on IR:

Signed to 53-man roster:

12:59pm: Veteran safety Eric Weddle may have played his last game with the Chargers. After injuring his groin in the team’s Week 16 contest against the Raiders, Weddle is being placed on injured reserve by San Diego, ending his season, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Weddle, who will turn 31 next Monday, has been with the Chargers since being selected by the club in the second ronud of the 2007 draft. In his nine seasons with San Diego, he has appeared in 137 total regular season games (122 starts), earning three Pro Bowl berths and two All-Pro nods. The 2015 campaign was his first year without an interception — he has racked up 19 over the course of his career.

With Weddle’s contract set to expire, the Utah product appears likely to continue his NFL career with a team besides the Chargers. While he had some interest in engaging in extension discussions with San Diego earlier in the year, the team didn’t reciprocate that interest, prompting agent David Canter to suggest that his client would look forward to hitting free agency in the offseason. Unless the Chargers decide to use their franchise tag on Weddle, he looks like a good bet to reach the open market.

The Chargers will make a corresponding move to fill Weddle’s spot on the roster, but that transactions hasn’t been reported or announced yet.

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