2016 August - Pro Football Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/16

August 25th, 2016 at 5:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Thursday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

The Vikings announced that they have waived cornerback Melvin White, whom they inked to a reserve/future contract in January. White signed with the Panthers in 2013 as an undrafted free agent from Louisiana-Lafayette and went on to appear in 30 games with the club. The last time he saw action, 2014, White made seven starts in 15 appearances and picked up 36 tackles and an interception. The 26-year-old has 17 starts, 83 tackles and three picks on his resume.
The Chargers announced they’ve waived/injured outside linebacker Tyler Marcordes and signed center Bruce Johnson. Marcordes went undrafted out of Georgia this year before signing with the Bolts. Johnson – undrafted from Maine this year – spent three-plus months with the Eagles, who cut him Sunday.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Broncos’ Quarterback Competition

August 25th, 2016 at 5:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In news that could spell more trouble for Mark Sanchez, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak revealed Thursday that experience will have “zero” impact on how he puts together the team’s depth chart at quarterback.

“I’m looking at what’s taken place the last six months: how they’ve handled themselves, how they’ve handled the team and how they respond to things. That’s what I’m looking at,” said Kubiak (via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com).

Among Sanchez, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, the former is the only Broncos signal-caller with any real NFL experience. Sanchez, whom the Jets chose fifth overall from USC in 2009, has started in 72 of 75 career appearances with New York and Philadelphia. The majority of his appearances haven’t gone particularly well, though, which explains how the Broncos acquired the 29-year-old from the Eagles for a conditional seventh-round pick in the offseason. Sanchez’s track record of uninspired play has carried into Denver, where he has tossed an interception and lost two fumbles in parts of the club’s first two preseason games.

At 17 of 23 for 163 yards and a pick-six in the preseason, Siemian hasn’t exactly resembled an in-his-prime Peyton Manning this summer, either. Nevertheless, Siemian will start the Broncos’ important third exhibition contest against the Rams on Saturday. Siemian, whom the Broncos selected from Northwestern in the seventh round of last year’s draft, didn’t attempt a pass as a rookie, but the 25-year-old’s inexpensiveness could help give him the edge over Sanchez. Siemian is owed a minimum salary this year, while Sanchez is set to earn $4.5MM ($1MM guaranteed). The Broncos would save $3.5MM by releasing Sanchez, and they’d keep the pick they agreed to send to Philadelphia in exchange for his services.

Unlike Sanchez, there’s no chance Lynch is going anywhere. The first-round pick from Memphis has begun garnering some first-team reps lately, according to Legwold. However, the 6-foot-7, 244-pounder remains a work in progress – particularly with respect to calling plays – as Tom Pelissero of USA Today detailed Thursday.

“When I first got here, my head was kind of spinning,” Lynch told Pelissero. “I had the playbook. I was trying to learn everything. But now it’s kind of slowing down and I can come out here and relax and play a little bit. I’m a lot more confident.”

If Kubiak thinks the 22-year-old Lynch is capable of backing up Siemian (assuming he takes the starting job), Sanchez might find himself on the free agent market in short order.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Karlos Williams Hopes To Join Jets

August 25th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

No deal is imminent between the Jets and free agent Karlos Williams, who visited the team Tuesday and Wednesday, but the running back would like that to change. After the Jets hosted Williams, the former Bill posted a video on Twitter expressing a desire to sign with the club.

“I love New York, love being close to the city. I’d like to fly with the Jets, baby,” said Williams, who also stated that he met with the Jets’ general manager, personnel director, head of security and owner. However, as noted by Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, owner Woody Johnson was not in the building when Williams visited the team.

Williams didn’t get every detail of his trip to Jets facilities right, then, but he did shed more light on what he and club brass discussed.

“Asked me a lot of combine [type] questions, obviously. Want to know my background and my people. No offer yet, but it was a good visit,” commented the 23-year-old.

Although immensely talented, any team interested in Williams would need to do its due diligence before signing him, as the Jets have. Despite a rookie year in which he averaged 5.6 yards per carry, picked up 613 scrimmage yards and scored nine times on just 104 touches, the Bills cut the 2015 fifth-round pick over the weekend.

Williams fell behind in Buffalo’s running back competition this summer thanks to weight problems, and he’s suspended for the first four games of the regular season after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The rest of the league’s teams have taken notice, apparently, as the ex-Florida State Seminole passed through waivers unclaimed after Buffalo parted with him.

If Williams ultimately gets his wish to to join the Jets, he’ll further deepen a backfield that already looks strong. New York has a quality starter in Matt Forte, whom it signed in free agency, as well as a high-end reserve in Bilal Powell. Other options include Khiry Robinson, Antone Smith and Dominique Williams, as the Jets’ depth chart indicates.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Reinstate Alan Branch

August 25th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have reinstated Alan Branch, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Branch was suspended last week for an unknown violation of team policy.

In 16 regular season games last season (15 starts), Branch totaled 35 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 pass deflections. Branch graded out as the No. 36 defensive tackle according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required), putting him ahead of notables such as Haloti Ngata, Ricky Jean-Francois, and Chris Canty.

Given the team’s rash of injuries in the front seven, they could not afford to be without the defensive tackle for any period of time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Had Interest in Barkevious Mingo

August 25th, 2016 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Before he was traded to the Patriots, the Lions expressed interest in acquiring linebacker Barkevious Mingo from the Browns, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Patriots gave up a fifth-round pick to acquire Mingo, a price higher than you might expect for a player who was mostly relegated to special teams duty last season. With other teams like the Lions in need of linebacker help, the price for the former top ten pick creeped up.

Earlier this month, the Lions learned that linebacker Jon Bostic will be sidelined for a while following an unspecified surgery. While Bostic was not slated to start, he was expected to be a key reserve. The Lions are planning to start Kyle Van Noy, Tahir Whitehead, and DeAndre Levy with the likes of Josh Bynes, fifth-round pick Antwione Williams, Jerry Franklin, and Khaseem Greene in reserve.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Trade Barkevious Mingo To Patriots

August 25th, 2016 at 2:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have agreed to trade Barkevious Mingo to the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Browns will receive a 2017 fifth-round pick in return, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Both teams have confirmed the swap via press release.

With Rob Ninkovich, Jabaal Sheard, and Shea McClellin nursing injuries, Mingo could be a valuable fill-in for New England. Of course, all of those injuries only further weakened the front seven after the Pats traded Chandler Jones to the Cardinals earlier this offseason.

Mingo, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 draft, had his fifth-year option for 2017 declined earlier this offseason. Mingo has basically become a special teams guy for the Browns – a far cry from what they expected from him a few short years ago. The LSU product was not considered a lock to even make the team this offseason and the Browns apparently will get something for him rather than nothing.

Last season, Mingo played 256 defensive snaps and did not record a single sack. He recorded 5.0 sacks as a rookie, but his production has decreased in every season since then.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Harrison, Matthews, Peppers

August 25th, 2016 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

This week, the NFL interviewed Packers linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers and Steelers linebacker James Harrison with regards to the allegations raised in the infamous Al Jazeera documentary. During those interviews, the league did not raise any new evidence or allegations, a source close to the situation tells Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.

After weeks of will they/won’t they talk, the three players consented to interviews with the league office under threat of suspension. Peyton Manning was the first player of the bunch to agree to an interview and free agent Mike Neal stands as the last straggler.

If the league has no further proof of anything tying these players to the Guyer Institute, then a statement clearing all three of them could be forthcoming.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Texans’ J.J. Watt Could Play Week 1

August 25th, 2016 at 12:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Finally, a break for the Texans. Star defensive player J.J. Watt expects to practice next week, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). That’s a potentially major development towards him playing in Week 1 against the Bears at home.

Earlier this month, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien indicated that Watt could miss the first two games of the regular season. Apparently, he’s now ahead of schedule as he recovers from back surgery.

Watt, 27, has never missed a regular season game in his five-year career. In each of the last four seasons, Watt has earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections, solidifying himself as one of the most terrifying defensive players in the league.

Over his five seasons in the league, Watt has averaged 74 tackles, 15 sacks, and nine pass defended per season. In 2015, he finished with 76 tackles, 17.5 sacks, eight passes defended, and three forced fumbles. As Roster Resource shows, the Texans’ defensive end group outside of Watt includes Devon Still, Christian Covington, new addition Alex Carrington, and Brandon Dunn. If Watt misses significant time, they may want to pick up a DE.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Texans’ Duane Brown

August 25th, 2016 at 12:39pm CST by Zachary Links

This hasn’t been a good week for the Texans’ offensive line. Left tackle Duane Brown is still recovering from a torn quad he is not expected to be ready for the start of the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Houston is being cautious with the starting lineman, who may remain on the PUP list as he heals up.

On Thursday morning, we learned that center Nick Martin will likely be shut down for the season. The rookie’s absence is a big blow to the Texans, but losing Brown for a significant amount of time would be arguably worse. Brown, the team’s first-round pick in 2008, has started in all 120 of his appearances with the Texans. That streak is still alive today because the 31-year-old suffered the injury in Week 17 of last season.

The Texans re-signed swing tackle Chris Clark to a two-year deal this offseason and they also have Oday Aboushi in reserve to help out at tackle. Still, the Texans may look at the free agent market in the next couple of weeks as rival teams trim their rosters.

Last year, Brown graded out as the 16th best tackle in the NFL out of 77 qualified players. Brown earned a strong 86.0 grade for his pass blocking with a less impressive 70.4 score for run blocking.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Exec: Not Looking To Move Gordon

August 25th, 2016 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Multiple teams have reportedly reached out to the Browns with interest in trading for Josh Gordon. However, Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown says that he’s not interested in parting with his star wide receiver.

“We’re not looking to trade Josh,” Brown said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I’m just not going to enter into any of the speculation. I understand what the interest is in Josh. There are literally hundreds of conversations going around the league about players all the time, and if we got into speculating about all the reports, about what could be going on and what conversations could be going on, we’d be here for a much longer time than we have.”

However, Brown did caution that every player has a price. The wide receiver, he says, falls into “the same category every other player does. There’s nothing unique to Josh in that sense.” In short, it sounds like the Browns are opposed to parting with their high-upside weapon, but they won’t rule out accepting a Godfather offer.

Gordon, of course, will be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season. If he stays on course with his treatment plan, he will be permitted to return to the team for their October 9th showdown against the Patriots.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.