2016 August - Pro Football Rumors

Reaction To Dorial Green-Beckham Trade

August 16th, 2016 at 7:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans shocked the NFL world earlier today when they dealt 2015 second-round wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham to the Eagles in exchange for offensive lineman Dennis Kelly. Let’s take a look at some of the reaction to the surprising trade:

The Titans were consistently disappointed in Green-Beckham’s work ethic, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that DGB repeatedly disregarded instructions to work out harder over the offseason and to enter training camp in the proper shape. Head coach Mike Mularkey confirmed that sentiment, telling reporters, including Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (Twitter link): “We had many conversations about that and it never did click in.”
However, DGB never did have issues with missed meetings or lateness, tweets McCormick. Rather, Green-Beckham just never mastered the Titans’ offense during his year-plus with the squad.
Trade talks between Tennessee and Philadelphia began last week, per McCormick (Twitter links), and general manager Jon Robinson says the deal boiled down to the fact that the club had a surplus at wide receiver and a need along the offensive line.
The presence of rookie Tajae Sharpe seems to have played a large role in the trade, as McCormick tweets that DHB had lost reps to Sharpe in practice. Indeed, DGB was behind Rishard Matthews, Sharpe, Kendall Wright, Harry Douglas, and Andre Johnson on the Titans’ depth chart, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
According to Robinson, the deal wasn’t intended to send a message to Tennessee’s wide receiver corps, or to make a statement to the team as a whole. Rather, the GM says he was simply trying to improve the Titans’ roster (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com).
The Eagles, meanwhile, had been searching for receiver help for some time, and had even offered a “nice deal” to veteran Anquan Boldin before he signed with the Lions, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman isn’t taking much of a risk by acquiring DGB given that he can easily be waived, but the trade shows the weak state of the Eagles’ wide receiving group, opines Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Bengals’ Andrew Billings Out For Season

August 16th, 2016 at 7:09pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 7:09pm: Billings will in fact miss the entire 2016 season, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

MONDAY, 12:14pm: Bengals rookie defensive tackle Andrew Billings underwent knee surgery today for a torn meniscus and is out indefinitely, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The injury could rule Billings out for the entire 2016 season.

As shown on Roster Resource, the Bengals were planning on using Billings as their primary backup at nose tackle behind Domata Peko. Former Raider Pat Sims now presumably moves up a spot on the depth chart and the team could also look out-of-house for defensive line help as defensive tackle Brandon Thompson recovers from his knee injury.

In July, scouting expert Dave-Te Thomas told PFR that Billings was poised to make a big impact for Cincinnati this season:

Lightning may have struck the Bengals twice at the nose guard position. Back in 2010, a stout interior defender was not regarded as highly by general managers as their scouts. As luck would have it, the Bengals took a chance in the fourth round that year and found Geno Atkins. Now, six years later, they might have found the player who could replace Peko at nose tackle, perhaps as early as next year. If Billings proves to be starter material in training camp, the front office might be comfortable with letting Peko go elsewhere after this season.

The Bengals haven’t had the best of luck with their 2016 rookie class. Earlier this month, first-round cornerback William Jackson III suffered a torn pectoral muscle that could cost him a big chunk of the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colts Exploring Wide Receiver Market

August 16th, 2016 at 6:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts are eyeing available wide receivers after waiving Josh Boyce earlier today, as head coach Chuck Pagano told reporters, including Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, earlier today. “We have some young guys that we want to focus on a little bit,” Pagano said. “And there’s some guys out there that we’re looking at as well.”

Indianapolis, of course, was burned by last year’s veteran wide receiver addition, as Andre Johnson posted the worst season of his 13-year career, managing only 41 receptions for just over 500 yards before being released this spring. Reserve option Griff Whalen was also cut this offseason, meaning the Colts have little in the way of depth behind T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief, though 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett will be asked to play a lot more than the 212 snaps he saw last season. As Roster Resource shows, Quan Bray, Chester Rogers, Josh Stangby, and Mekale McKay are next in line behind Indy’s starting trio.

Several veteran wideouts, including Anquan Boldin and James Jones have found new homes this week, but other options such as Roddy White, Devin Hester, Marques Colston, Brian Hartline, and Denarius Moore still remain on the free agent board. Both White and Hester recently reiterated their desire to continue playing in 2016, and Hester claimed seven clubs have already reached out to him. One other intriguing name could be Vincent Brown, who was recently released with an injury settlement by the Saints — Brown spent last summer on the Colts roster before being let go during final cutdowns, so he could be a familiar face for Indianapolis, provided he’s healthy.

After Pagano made his comments regarding the wide receiver market, the Colts made another roster move, replacing pass-catcher Andre Debose with fellow wideout Andrew Opoku. It’s entirely possible that Opoku was the receiver Pagano was referring to, but clearly veteran free agents are also plentiful.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions LB Jon Bostic Out 6-12 Weeks

August 16th, 2016 at 6:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

TUESDAY, 6:25pm: Bostic will be out for 6-12 weeks, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. That timeline is obviously pretty wide-ranging, but Bostic could be a candidate for injured reserve/designated to return.

MONDAY, 8:00pm: Lions linebacker Jon Bostic had surgery today and will be sidelined indefinitely, head coach Jim Caldwell told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). When asked by Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link) to specify what part of the body Bostic had surgery on, Caldwell said: “I’m not going to be clear. He just, he had surgery.”

Bostic, a former second-round pick, represented the first deal between Lions general manager Bob Quinn and his former team, as Detroit acquired Bostic from the Patriots in May. The former Florida Gator is no stranger to being traded after a September swap shipped him from the Bears to the Pats. In 2015, he appeared in eleven games (one start) for New England, recording two tackles.

Not long ago, however, Bostic was looked at as a promising youngster. As a rookie with the Bears, Bostic played in all 16 games with nine starts on the year. In total, he notched 57 tackles, two sacks, and an interception in 2013. He followed that up in 2014 with a career high of 83 tackles.

The trade that sent Bostic to Detroit was based around a conditional seventh-round pick, so if Bostic is not able to play during the upcoming season, it’s fair to assume that the Patriots won’t be receiving any compensation. Bostic isn’t a vested veteran, so he’d have to be waived/injured and clear waivers before being placed on injured reserve, as Birkett tweets. The Lions might not want to risk exposing Bostic to waivers, hence their reluctance to place him on IR just yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/16

August 16th, 2016 at 6:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

The Texans signed defensive end Alex Carrington and waived/injured fullback Soma Vainuku, according to a team press release. Carrington was a third-round pick of Buffalo in 2010.
The Lions have waived tight end Ben McCord, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes.
The Colts announced that they have waived wide receiver Josh Boyce. Boyce, a former 2013 fourth-round pick of New England, managed just nine catches for his old team. At TCU, he was the program’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (22). Indianapolis also announced that it has waived wide receiver Andre Debose and replaced him with fellow WR Andrew Opoku. Opoku, a converted linebacker, had four receptions at Delaware.
Nose tackle Chris Mayes, an undrafted rookie from Georgia, suffered a foot injury early in practice on Monday and was waived/injured by the Falcons on Tuesday, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Mayes, who was listed as the fourth-string nose tackle on the depth chart, was unlikely to make the team.
The Dolphins announced that they have waived/injured defensive end Farrington Huguenin.
Bills linebacker IK Enemkpali (torn ACL) cleared waivers today and has reverted to their injured reserve, per a club announcement.
The Seahawks announced the release of cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste in order to clear a roster spot for the newly-signed Tony McDaniel.
The Raiders announced that they have signed free agent tight end Jake McGee.
The Cowboys placed tackle Cameron Bradfield (knee) on injured reserve and waived/injured defensive tackle Gerald Dixon (pectoral). Dallas has also signed wide receiver Richard Mullaney, who worked out for the club earlier today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

East Notes: Bills, Lawson, Jets, Eagles, Dawkins

August 16th, 2016 at 5:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills already lost one of their best defenders earlier today when the league announced a four-game suspension for defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, and now defensive end Manny Lawson may also be absent for a contest, as Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reports (Twitter links) that Lawson is facing a one-game ban as a result of a domestic violence incident. Lawson’s agents, Schwartz & Feinsod, deny that Lawson has ever been involved in any such episode (Twitter link). Lawson can still appeal the suspension, per Graham, but if he loses, he’ll be yet another key Buffalo defensive player that will be sidelined. In addition to Lawson and Dareus, the Bills have now lost Reggie Ragland, Shaq Lawson, and IK Enemkpali for varying amounts of time.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

With suspensions for Karlos Williams, Dareus, and now potentially Lawson, the Bills will now be forced to pay a fine based on the NFL’s remittance policy, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. As explained by Schefter in 2013, the policy forces clubs to pay a portion of the forfeited money that the banned player is missing out on. Buffalo could have to remit 25% of Dareus’ forfeiture (with a max of $200K) and 33% of Lawson’s forfeiture (with a max of $350K).
Wide receiver Jalin Marshall is among the unheralded players that have played their way on to the Jets‘ roster bubble in recent weeks, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. An undrafted free agent out of Ohio State, Marshall has been the breakout star of camp. On Thursday night against the Jags, Marshall returned a kick 84 yards and set Gang Green up for a touchdown. At this point, Costello seems to think that Marshall is a virtual lock for the roster, unless something goes wrong. For a full view of the Jets’ depth chart, check out their page on Roster Resource.
Brian Dawkins is headed back to Philadelphia, as the Eagles have hired the former safety as a football operations executive, according to Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com. Dawkins originally joined the club’s scouting department two weeks ago as part of a fellowship program, and will now be joining the front office in a full-time capacity.
The Cowboys are working out former Alabama wide receiver Richard Mullaney, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. Mullaney was originally signed earlier this year by the Texans as an undrafted free agent, but was waived last month.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Bills Still On Hook For Marcell Dareus’ Guarantees?

August 16th, 2016 at 4:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Bills were dealt a big blow when they learned that Marcell Dareus has been slapped with a four-game suspension by the NFL for another substance abuse policy violation. Typically, that punishment also results in players losing the rights to all previously guaranteed money under the terms of the contract. For Dareus, that won’t quite be the case.

Dareus’ four-game suspension will cost him $1.505MM in total forfeiture (signing bonus and option bonus). His guarantee in 2016 will void, but the rest of his guarantees will not be affected because very rare language limits the voiding of guarantees to the year he commits the breach, a league source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. In short – Dareus will get banged for 2016, but the guaranteed cash he is set to receive through 2021 as a part of his six-year, $95.1MM deal will remain untouched. Given that Dareus does have some off-the-field history, one has to wonder why the Bills would consent to such an unusual clause.

In an afternoon press release, the Bills did not hide their frustrations with the star defensive tackle:

“We are very disappointed Marcell chose to put himself first, before his teammates, coaches and the rest of the organization through his recent actions. From ownership down we have made it clear his behavior is unacceptable. We will continue to take the necessary steps to work with him in order that he adheres to the policies set forth by our league. As an organization, we will move forward with our preparations for the start of the 2016 NFL season in Baltimore on September 11.”

Dareus will be forced to sit out games against the Ravens, Jets, Cardinals, and Patriots before returning to the Bills’ active roster on Monday, October 3.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bengals’ Brandon LaFell Suffers Injury

August 16th, 2016 at 4:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Bengals wide receiver Brandon LaFell is dealing with a torn ligament in his hand, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Surgery is possible for the veteran, though it wouldn’t be a season-ender. His exact timetable for a return is murky at this time and it remains to be seen exactly when the Bengals could get him back.

If LaFell is out for an extended period of time, they may look to the free agent market to add a receiver. It might also make sense for Cincinnati to wait until early September when 53-man cutdowns will bring a number of notable WR to the open market.

As shown on Roster Resource, the Bengals also have Brandon Tate and rookies Tyler Boyd and Cody Core at wide receiver behind A.J. Green, but LaFell is slated to be the team’s WR2 following Marvin Jones‘ departure. If he has to miss significant time, it will leave the Bengals with a lack of veteran leadership at the position.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brock Vereen To Retire

August 16th, 2016 at 4:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

TUESDAY, 4:38pm: This is odd, but Vereen has been reinstated from the retirement list after 24 hours. It’s not clear if Vereen still plans on playing football, but regardless, he has been released by the Pats, Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald tweets.

5:54pm: Former fourth-round pick Brock Vereen will retire after spending only two seasons in the NFL, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The Patriots have placed Vereen on the reserve/retired list.

Vereen, a safety, was selected by the Bears out of Minnesota in the 2014 draft, and was an immediate contributor, appearing in all 16 games (starting four) while posting 30 tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble. His playing time dwindled during his sophomore campaign, however, and Vereen was eventually waived at the start of the 2015 season.

Vereen, who turns 24 years old on Wednesday, subsequently spent time on the practice squads of Minnesota and New England before signing a futures deal with the Pats earlier this year. According to Howe, Vereen had been having a solid camp with the Patriots, so one has to wonder if there is some underlying cause to this sudden news.

Vereen is the younger brother of Giants running back Shane Vereen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

49ers To Sign Christian Ponder

August 16th, 2016 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have agreed to sign quarterback Christian Ponder, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Ponder was a part of the same 2011 draft class as Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick. Oddly enough, they’ve all wound up on the same team.

The Niners found themselves in need of QB help as Thad Lewis is IR-bound and Kaepernick is said to be dealing with arm trouble. While some teams (like the Cowboys) have considered veteran trade targets at QB like Josh McCown, the 49ers opted to go with a low-cost free agent signing in Ponder.

Ponder, 28, started 36 games during his four years with the Vikings, though he was essentially the team’s No. 3 signal-caller in 2014, behind Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Cassel on the depth chart. With a career 59.8% completion rate and 75.9 passer rating, Ponder didn’t find a very active market when he hit free agency last offseason. He signed with the Raiders, but was released by Oakland prior to the regular season. During the season, he had a cup of coffee with the Broncos but never threw a pass for them.

The Bengals were tied to Ponder in December, but we haven’t heard any team linked with him since. Now, Ponder will try to get his NFL career back on track with the 49ers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.