HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Browns Suspend CB K’Waun Williams

August 17th, 2016 at 7:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 7:41pm: Williams’ agent, Evan Krakower, has issued a press release regarding his client. The entire statement can be found on Twitter. Part of it reads, “It is extremely puzzling that the Browns comments have ignored the significant treatment they have provided K’Waun to his ankle up to the night in question.”

Krakower continued, “In light of his previous service to the team and his injury history, we believe the Browns suspension and fine are excessive in nature at best, and totally unwarranted at worst. A punishment of this excessive nature of a player, with aprevious exemplary record on and off the field, is inappropriate. Therefore, Mr. Williams will be appealing this fine and suspension through the appropriate channels.”

6:23pm: Williams had a second opinion on his ankle at the Cleveland Clinic on Wednesday, and a specialist told him that he’ll have to undergo surgery to remove bone spurs, his agent told Cabot. Williams, therefore, will appeal the punishment the Browns handed him. However, University Hospitals – not the Cleveland Clinic – is the team’s hospital, tweets Cabot.

TUESDAY: The Browns are suspending cornerback K’Waun Williams for two weeks as a result of an “ongoing dispute” regarding his standing with the club, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Williams, whose suspension is for conduct detrimental to the team, will also be docked one game check.K'Waun Williams (Vertical)

[RELATED: Browns, Desmond Bryant discussing 2016 payment]

As Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com details, Williams’ future with the Browns is now in jeopardy following an episode last week. After Williams suffered an ankle injury during an intrasquad scrimmage, he declared himself out for Cleveland’s first preseason contest, a decision which irked the club’s management. The Browns listed Williams’s absence as due to a personal reason, and the third-year pro hasn’t returned to camp since.

“We’ll talk about that at a different time,” head coach Hue Jackson said Tuesday. “I just think there are a lot of mixed messages that are going on as far as all that’s concerned. We’ll deal with it, and I’m sure we’ll all talk about it at the appropriate time.”

While some sources have told Cabot that the Browns are under the impression that Williams may retire, other sources told the Cleveland.com scribe that Williams was merely away seeking a second opinion on his ankle. Indeed, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal hears (Twitter link) that Williams will get a new opinion on his injury tomorrow. Williams, who has served as the Browns’ slot corner in each of the past two seasons, was reportedly unhappy that trade acquisition Jamar Taylor had been playing ahead of him in nickel packages, tweets Rapaport.

Williams, 25, figures to appeal any suspension or loss of pay, according to Cabot (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On 49ers’ Kaepernick, Ward, Hyde

August 17th, 2016 at 7:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

49ers general manager Trent Baalke denied Wednesday that he’ll have a hand in choosing the team’s starting quarterback, telling reporters (including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com), “The head coach is going to decide who the starting quarterback is for the San Francisco 49ers.”

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While Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert are supposed to be in competition for the job, the former hasn’t practiced in a week because of right shoulder soreness.

Responding to the notion that Kaepernick has a “dead arm” Baalke said, “His arm is tired. To say it’s dead, I wouldn’t make that assumption.”

The GM added that Kaepernick could begin ramping up his activities Thursday. The dual threat has dealt with several injuries since last year, including a left shoulder issue that required season-ending surgery in November. Kaepernick then experienced a turbulent offseason, one which featured him and his representatives pursuing a trade out of San Francisco. The 28-year-old nearly ended up in Denver, but a potential deal fell through after the 28-year-old refused a pay cut to join the reigning Super Bowl champions. With Kaepernick staying a 49er, he and Baalke finally ended their months-long silent treatment toward each other and spoke earlier this summer.Read more

Latest On Ravens’ Receivers

August 17th, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Ravens No. 1 receiver Steve Smith passed his physical Wednesday and will be activated from the physically unable to perform list, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Smith, whose 2015 campaign ended Nov. 1 because of a torn Achilles, could return to practice Monday.

Steve Smith (vertical)

Prior to the premature conclusion to his season, Smith announced that it would be his last in the NFL. But, not wanting to go out on a poor note, the 15-year veteran declared at the end of December that he’d come back for a 16th season. That is now officially the case for Smith, a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who spent the first 13 years of his career in Carolina before joining Baltimore in 2014.

Despite his age (36 at the time), Smith was amid yet another stellar showing at the time of his injury last fall. The 5-foot-9, 195-pounder registered 46 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns in parts of seven games. The Ravens still disappointed as a team, though, going 2-5 in those contests before ultimately finishing 5-11. Smith, who’s set to earn $3MM in the final year of his contract, will try to help Baltimore back to the playoffs and further his Hall of Fame case. In 205 career regular-season games, he has amassed the 11th-most receiving yards (13,392) and 15th-most catches (961) in history. With 76 receiving touchdowns, he’s currently in a three-way tie with Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff and Harold Jackson.

While Smith will be a fixture in the Ravens’ receiving corps this year, it’s unknown if the same will prove true in regards to Breshad Perriman. The Ravens took Perriman 26th in last year’s draft, but he ended up missing the entire season after spraining the PCL in his right knee on the first day of training camp. The injury didn’t heal properly over the course of several months, and after Perriman underwent arthroscopic surgery in October, the Ravens placed him on IR in November. There was then fear this past June that Perriman had suffered another serious knee injury, this time a torn ACL, though that was quickly shot down. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old still hasn’t practiced three weeks into training camp, notes Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun, and head coach John Harbaugh was unable to provide much of an update Tuesday.

Breshad Perriman (vertical)

“He’s running. He’s on the ground running right now, but I haven’t been told that he’s going to be back to practice tomorrow,” said Harbaugh. “I’m just like the fans. I’m waiting for him to be back out there. When he’s ready, he’ll be back out there.”

Further, quarterback Joe Flacco didn’t express much confidence about building chemistry with Perriman.

“It’s tough to say. It’s tough for me to even worry about right now because we have so many other guys that we have to worry about getting better and getting on top of it,” Flacco stated.

Without Perriman, the Ravens still have three productive wideouts on paper in Smith, Kamar Aiken and free agent pickup Mike Wallace. Their next best option is likely fourth-round rookie Chris Moore, as Roster Resource shows. Moore, however, just returned to practice from a two-week absence caused by a foot injury.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/16

August 17th, 2016 at 5:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • To make room for the newest member of their roster, Brock Vereen, the Chiefs released safety Akeem Davis (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star).
  • The Ravens signed cornerback Carrington Byndom and waived fellow corner Sam Brown, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.
  • The Browns waived offensive lineman Erle Ladson, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • The Jaguars signed guard/center Jacques McClendon and waived wide receiver Rasheed Bailey, as Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets. McClendon was with the Jaguars in 2013-14.
  • The Colts signed free agent safety Alden Darby, as Colts PR man Christian Edwards tweets. They also removed running back Abou Toure from IR with an injury settlement, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • The Giants signed defensive back Joe Powell, who attended Globe Institute of Technology in Manhattan, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN (Twitter link). Powell will take the place of fellow DB Matt Smalley, who suffered a dislocated shoulder Monday.
  • The Titans announced that they have signed wide receivers Jarrod West and Donte Foster. The team also waived/injured offensive lineman Josue Matias. Matias, a 2015 UDFA addition, spent last year on Tennessee’s practice squad and is facing a six-month recovery.
  • The Lions waived wide receiver Alex Chisum and signed free agent offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre, according to a team announcement.
  • The NFL announced that Chiefs offensive tackle Zach Sterup has been suspended four games for violating the policy on performance-enhancing substances, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets.

Jordy Nelson Cleared To Return

August 17th, 2016 at 5:10pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In welcome news for the Packers, star receiver Jordy Nelson passed his physical Wednesday and was reinstated from the physically unable to perform list, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).

Nelson, who’s now cleared to practice, missed all of last season after tearing the ACL in his right knee in August. While his return this year was expected, he experienced “an incident” with his left knee less than a month ago. Given that it wasn’t his surgically repaired knee, Nelson wasn’t particularly worried about the issue, but he also couldn’t put a timetable on how much longer it would sideline him.

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“Our end goal is still the same,” Nelson said at the time. “We’ll be ready for the regular season. Like I said, there’s just a little hiccup with the other leg.”

Nelson’s comeback is certainly a huge development for the Packers, whose normally great offense went backward without him last year. As Green Bay stumbled to a 4-6 regular-season finish that prevented it from winning a fifth straight NFC North title, the absence of Nelson was obvious. The club struggled to find solid complements to Randall Cobb and MVP-caliber quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t as brilliant as he had been in previous seasons.

The last time he saw action, 2014, Nelson earned a Pro Bowl nod for the first time after posting career-high totals in receptions (98), targets (151) and yards (1,519). He also scored 13 touchdowns, giving him 49 in seven seasons. Since the Pack selected Nelson, now 31, out of Kansas State in the second round of the 2008 draft, he has piled up 400 receptions and 6,109 yards – good for a robust 15.3-yard average.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chiefs Claim Brock Vereen From Patriots

August 17th, 2016 at 4:49pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Chiefs have claimed safety Brock Vereen off waivers from the Patriots, reports Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). It appeared Tuesday that Vereen, who turned 24 today, was going to retire. However, Vereen was reinstated from the retirement list shortly after landing on it. The Pats then released him.

Vereen, whom the Bears chose out of Minnesota in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, partook in all 16 of their games (four starts) as a rookie and posted 30 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. He didn’t appear in a game last year, though, after the Bears waived him in September. Vereen, the brother of Giants running back Shane Vereen, then spent time on the practice squads of the Vikings and Patriots.

A free safety, Vereen will now try to catch on in a Chiefs secondary that’s bereft of its starter, four-time Pro Bowler and current holdout Eric Berry. Along with Vereen, the Chiefs’ depth options include Stevie Brown and Jamell Fleming, as Roster Resource indicates.

Jaguars Waive Jonas Gray, Claim T.J. Barnes

August 17th, 2016 at 4:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jaguars have waived-injured running back Jonas Gray and claimed defensive tackle T.J. Barnes off waivers from the Bills, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union was among those to report (Twitter link).

Gray has been dealing with a quad issue since Aug. 4, tweets O’Halloran. The Jags signed the 26-year-old off the Dolphins’ practice squad last December, and he went on to appear in two of Jacksonville’s games and log 14 carries for 54 yards. Prior to that, the former Notre Dame back amassed 31 rushes for 122 yards in six games with Miami.

Gray is most known for his brief tenure in New England, which featured a 201-yard, four-touchdown rushing performance against the Colts in November 2014. That showing represented a significant portion of Gray’s production as a rookie. All told, he amassed 89 carries (37 in the Indy game) for 412 yards and five scores in eight contests. With a mere 10 carries in the Pats’ final four games, including their run to a Super Bowl title, Gray fizzled out down the stretch and ended up receiving his release.

This will be the second stint in Jacksonville for Barnes, who signed with the club as an undrafted free agent agent from Georgia Tech in 2013. His time with the Jags lasted just four months, however, as they cut him in the preseason. Barnes spent the past three seasons as a member of the Jets and Bills, with whom he combined for 16 appearances (one start) and eight tackles.

The Beat: Terry McCormick On The Titans

August 17th, 2016 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.

Now, we continue the series by discussing the Titans with Terry McCormick of the TitanInsider.com. You can follow Terry on Twitter @terrymc13.

Zach Links: After a strange year with the Eagles, do you think DeMarco Murray is poised to be an elite running back once again? DeMarco Murray (vertical)

Terry McCormick: I don’t think he’ll get to the 1,800 yards that he got with the Cowboys two years ago because you have Derrick Henry in the mix, but I do think he’ll be an effective running back for the Titans, much more so than he was with the Eagles. He’ll be in a run based offense and will get plenty of opportunities to carry the football and that was evident from outset in the preseason game. The Titans want to run the football and want to run it often and he’ll be the lead back in that. He won’t put up numbers like he did in Dallas, but his numbers will rebound nicely. I’d look for him to finish the year with something between 1,100 and 1,400 yards.

Zach Links: The Titans signed Andre Johnson late last month. What can he bring to the table at this point in his career?

Terry McCormick: It’s obvious he’s not the Andre Johnson that he was five or six years ago with the Texans, but the trade of Dorial Green-Beckham opens up a spot for him on the roster. He brings not only veteran leadership to the table, but also brings what coach Mike Mularkey wants from his receivers: guys that will run the correct route and get there on time and catch the football. Part of the problem with [Green-Beckham] was that he was too inconsistent. Despite his vast physical skills, you couldn’t always rely on him to do those things. Johnson is a veteran presence and I could see him being the fourth receiver on the team. He definitely looks like he’ll make the roster.

Zach Links: What did you make of the Green-Beckham trade? Did you think the Titans should have tried to get more for him?

Continue reading about the Titans..

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NFC East Notes: Bradford, DGB, Eagles

August 17th, 2016 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles showed desperation in taking a chance on wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham and that desperation shows that Sam Bradford was right to want out this offseason, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. After giving up three net draft picks, including their 2017 first-rounder, to get Carson Wentz, the Eagles have been forced to roll the dice on some players in order to bring up the talent level. This offseason, the Eagles have brought in a number of red flag players including Wendell Smallwood, Alex McCalister, Jalen Mills, Nigel Bradham, and Green-Beckham.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • In the chatter over the Eagles‘ acquisition of Green-Beckham, few have talked about the departure of Dennis Kelly, Eliot Schor-Parks of NJ.com writes. Kelly wasn’t exactly been a Pro Bowler with the Eagles, but he did serve a serviceable backup who could be relied on if an injury popped up on the offensive line. Kelly might not have the ceiling that DGB does, but Schor-Parks argues that his floor is much higher. By the same token, DGB might have the most raw talent of any Philly receiver.
  • In predicting the Redskins‘ linebackers on the 53-man roster, Mike Jones of the Washington Post cautions not to be surprised if the team’s tenth and final linebacker is on another team’s roster at this time.
  • Tackle Will Beatty is on the radar of four NFL teams, but a reunion with the Giants remains unlikely.
  • The Cowboys once again made it clear that they will not consider re-signing Greg Hardy.

Police Still Investigating Aqib Talib Incident

August 17th, 2016 at 12:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Police are still investigating the June shooting involving Aqib Talib, as Colleen O’Connor of The Denver Post writes. As the Dallas PD looks into the incident, they are also not ruling out the possibility that the cornerback actually shot himself in the leg. Aqib Talib (Vertical)

[RELATED: Broncos’ Vance Walker Done For Season]

The details of the incident could have major legal implications for the 30-year-old. Of course, if Talib fired the gun himself, he could also be facing punishment from a league office that does not look too kindly on firearm mishaps. It’s also not clear if the cornerback is licensed to carry in the state of Texas.

Talib told police he was at a Dallas park about 3:40 a.m. on June 5 when he was shot, but was “too intoxicated” to remember how he was shot. Meanwhile, there is some reason to believe that Talib was not actually shot at the park but was instead shot outside of a nightclub.

Talib has earned Pro Bowl nods in each of the last three seasons. In 2015, Talib recorded 45 tackles, 13 pass deflections, three interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns in 15 regular season games. The veteran’s performance helped propel the Broncos to a Super Bowl win to cap the year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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