2016 August - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Looking At O’Brien Schofield

August 15th, 2016 at 10:49am CST by Zachary Links

Former Falcons outside linebacker O’Brien Schofield is still without a team, but he might be closing in on finding his next NFL home. The veteran is currently mulling six offers, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (on Twitter). Schofield, who worked out for the Patriots last week, plans to make a decision in the next two weeks.

Schofield would be an interesting pickup for the Patriots after defensive end Rob Ninkovich suffered a torn triceps muscle. Schofield has limited experience at DE, but he could help fortify the team’s front seven with some depth while Ninkovich is out. If all goes well, Ninkovich should return to the team in 4-6 weeks.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn has said that he will not rule out a reunion with Schofield, though one has to wonder why a deal hasn’t happened already if Atlanta wanted him back. Furthermore, Atlanta has already added fellow vet Dwight Freeney. The Redskins seemed to be a logical landing spot for Schofield after edge rusher Junior Galette suffered a season-ending injury, but they’re reportedly not interested.

Schofield finished out the 2015 season with 28 tackles, four tackles for losses, two sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Buccaneers Sign Demar Dotson To Extension

August 15th, 2016 at 10:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have signed offensive tackle Demar Dotson to a three-year deal, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The pact is worth $16.5MM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The new deal will give the 30-year-old some security, keeping him under contract through 2019. The Bucs have confirmed the deal via press release.

Dotson, 31 in October, joined the Bucs as a UDFA out of Souther Mississippi in 2009. Eventually, Dotson found his way into the Bucs’ starting lineup, becoming their primary right tackle in 2012. Dotson appeared in every regular season game for them from 2012-2014 but injuries limited him to six games last year. Prior to this deal, Dotson was scheduled to hit the open market after earning $1.75MM in the 2016 season.

In other Bucs news, defensive end George Johnson has been ruled out for the season after suffering a hip fracture. Also, despite trade rumors surrounding backup quarterback Mike Glennon, the Buccaneers are reportedly not shopping him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Sign TE Andrew Quarless

August 15th, 2016 at 8:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have signed tight end Andrew Quarless, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. As we recently learned, Quarless will be suspended for the first two games of the season following a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy following a misdemeanor gun charge. If he makes the team, the Lions will not get Quarless on the field until Week 3 against the Packers, giving him an opportunity to show his old team what he can do.

The deal is a low-risk move for Detroit as Quarless’ one-year deal includes no guaranteed cash. Over the next few weeks, Quarless will work to prove his worth to Detroit coaches and, if he cannot leapfrog ahead of UDFA Cole Wick and free agent additions Matthew Mulligan and Orson Charles, he’ll be relinquished back to the free agent pile. If all goes well, Quarless can give the Lions some additional depth at tight end in case Eric Ebron‘s ankle injury lingers.

Quarless, 28 in October, spent most of the 2015 season on the Packers’ injured reserve. An MCL injury sidelined Quarless for about two and a half months, limiting him to five games and just four receptions for 31 yards for the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions WR Andre Caldwell Placed On IR

August 15th, 2016 at 8:37am CST by Zachary Links

Lions wide receiver Andre Caldwell has been placed on injured reserve with a broken bone in his hand, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’ll discuss an injury settlement with Detroit and should return in 2016, Rapoport adds.

Caldwell, 31, appeared in 14 games for the Broncos last season, catching 10 passes (22 targets) for 72 yards. While he wasn’t one of the primary targets in Denver, he did also have two touchdowns on the year. Before joining the Broncos in 2012, Caldwell enjoyed a more active role on offense with the Bengals. In his three full seasons there – discounting his seven-game rookie season – Caldwell averaged 38 receptions, 365 yards, and two touchdowns per campaign.

In Detroit, Caldwell was initially slated to compete for time in a group headlined by Golden Tate and offseason pickups Marvin Jones and Jeremy Kerley. Since then, however, the Lions added Anquan Boldin and Andre Roberts to the depth chart. With a loaded group at wide receiver, Caldwell was not guaranteed to make the roster even if he was healthy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills’ Reggie Ragland Done For Season

August 14th, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Zachary Links

SUNDAY, 8:15pm: Rand Getlin of the NFL Network tweets that Ragland is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday. The linebacker will have his ACL repaired at the The Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida.

WEDNESDAY, 8:26am: Based on the initial tests, Bills linebacker Reggie Ragland is expected to land on IR after suffering a tear in his ACL, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport notes that Kiko Alonso had a similar injury and returned, but the odds are not in the rookie’s favor. The Bills have confirmed via press release that Ragland is expected to miss the 2016 season.

Ragland will go under the knife later this week to fix his partially torn ACL, though it is believed that the knee has additional damage (link). Initially, there was some hope that Ragland might only have to miss 6-8 weeks (link), but doctors are now fearing the worst.

The Bills traded up in the second round this year to land Ragland, considered to be one of their top targets. Soon after the draft, Bills GM Doug Whaley boasted that Ragland would be one of three rookies in the team’s starting lineup to start the season. Unfortunately, Buffalo won’t see its top two picks on the field for a while.

“At least three,” Whaley said in May when asked how many of his rookies will be on the field in Week 1. “[First-round defensive end] Shaq Lawson is going to walk in off the bus starting. [Second-round linebacker] Reggie Ragland, and then [third-round defensive tackle] Adolphus Washington — all three of those guys will start right off the bus. And we’re excited for some guys from the fourth through sixth rounds that will contribute for us.”

The Bills have been bracing for bad news on Ragland, as evidenced by the signings of linebackers David Hawthorne and Brandon Spikes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Fitzgerald, DeHaven, Lions, Redskins

August 14th, 2016 at 8:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Larry Fitzgerald recently signed an extension with the Cardinals that would take him through the 2017 season. However, when asked if he’d retire before completing the contract, the veteran wideout dodged the question.

“That’s kind of self explanatory, right?” Fitzgerald told Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. “I hope so. We’ve got a good thing going right now. We’ve got a really good football team. But not only that, management, Steve Keim (General Manager), Coach (Bruce) Arians, Michael Bidwill. We’ve done a great job in all phases of organization football, and it’s been fun to be around here the last couple years.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

Panthers special teams coach Bruce DeHaven is taking a leave of absence to resume cancer treatments, writes Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer. The coordinator title has been handed to assistant Thomas McGaughey, and former NFL linebacker Chase Blackburn will slide into the assistant role. DeHaven, who has been coaching for 46 years, is hoping to return for the team’s Week 2 game against the 49ers. In the meantime, he’ll serve as the Panthers’ senior special teams advisor.
Lions rookie running back Zach Zenner got a longer look during the team’s preseason opener than veteran Stevan Ridley. The two backs have been splitting reps in practice, and ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein believes both players will ultimately make the roster. However, the writer notes that if Zenner continues to get playing time over Ridley, the veteran could find himself on the “roster bubble.”
Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com writes that the Redskins were expected to only carry a pair of quarterbacks on their roster (Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy) with the hope that rookie Nate Sudfeld would end up on the practice squad. However, Tandler writes that the signal-caller is making a case to make the roster.
Tandler notes that cornerback Greg Toler‘s play has led to some tough decisions for the Redskins coaching staff. If the former fourth-rounder ended up on the team, the organization would either cut Quinton Dunbar or Dashaun Phillips, although the team’s lack of safeties makes the latter unlikely.

Patriots Notes: Hightower, Ninkovich, Gronk, QBs

August 14th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Dont’a Hightower is set to be a free agent following the season, and ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss has noticed a notable change in the linebacker’s “approach with the media.” This sentiment was confirmed in an interview with WEEI, where he made it clear that the contract situation wouldn’t be a distraction.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m here for the year,” Hightower said (via Reiss). “I’m not worried about it. Anything that is going to be done with that will be dealt with [agent] Pat Dye. Until then, I will just control what I can control in between these white lines.”

When asked how he deals with the distraction, Hightower said he tries to “avoid the media as much as possible; that’s the No. 1 thing.”

As the linebacker seeks a lucrative extension, let’s take a look at some other notes out of New England…

Agent Drew Rosenhaus attended the Patriots preseason opener, only 11 days after having attended the team’s training camp. Reiss wonders is his presence was in regard to clients Rob Gronkowski and Jabaal Sheard, who could both be in line for lucrative contract extensions.
Reiss notes that the Patriots dealt linebacker Jonathan Bostic to the Lions earlier this offseason in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick. Bostic suffered a serious leg injury this week, and if the linebacker ends up missing the season, the Patriots presumably won’t end up receiving the pick.
Coach Bill Belichick isn’t anticipating the addition of a veteran quarterback, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. “We’ve talked about it but we’re where we’re at,” Belichick said. “We are where we’re at right now.” With Tom Brady set to miss the first four games of the season, the Patriots will be rolling forward with a pair of quarterbacks: fill-in starter Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Jacoby Brissett.
After having torn his tricep earlier this week, defensive end Rob Ninkovich was back at practice today, tweets Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/16

August 14th, 2016 at 5:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s minor moves:

The Dolphins have signed defensive end Cedric Reed, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The former Texas product spent last season on the Bills’ practice squad.
The Eagles have released offensive lineman Malcolm Bunche and wideout Deon Long, reports Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Bunche, a 2015 undrafted free agent, spent last season on Philly’s practice squad. Long, meanwhile, was added by the Eagles in early August after having been cut by the Rams.

Earlier updates:

The Steelers announced that they’ve placed special teams ace Ross Ventrone on injured reserve after he was injured in the club’s first preseason game. Pittsburgh also waived/injured offensive tackle Brian Mihalik and defensive tackle Roy Philon. To take those roster spots, the Steelers signed offensive tackle Wade Hansen, defensive tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith, and cornerback Julian Whigham.
The Falcons‘ roster is back to 90 players after the team signed defensive back Ryan White, the club announced today.
The Jets have signed DL Jake Ceresna and RB Terry Williams, per Seth Walder of The New York Daily News (via Twitter). Walder adds that DL Christo Bilukidi left camp, and the team waived Anthony Kelly.
The Browns have signed WR Ed Eagan and have waived/injured Rannell Hall. The team also reached an injury settlement with DL Kyle Rose (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of The Akron Beacon Journal).
The Cardinals have released LB Zack Wagenmann with an injury settlement and have signed DT Iosia Iosia, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. Wagenmann, whom Arizona signed as a UDFA out of Montana last season, missed his entire rookie campaign after breaking his foot twice. He set Montana’s career sacks (37.5) and tackles for loss (53) records. The Titans signed Iosia as a UDFA this season, but he was waived in May.

Latest On Will Beatty

August 14th, 2016 at 4:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although a report last night indicated that the Jaguars had offered free agent tackle Will Beatty a contract after working him out, a source tells Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that the no signing is imminent “at this time.” Those two reports don’t necessarily contradict each other, as Jacksonville may have proposed a contract that Beatty is still mulling over. Indeed, Beatty is apparently in no rush to a sign a deal, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, who also hears that the Jags did make an offer.

“[Beatty] did a nice job,” said head coach Gus Bradley, who added that a signing was not on the club’s immediate radar. “For us, I’m sure there is a lot of speculation with what’s going on, but we have two [offensive tackles] out and we’re always going to compete and always bring guys in and just keep our options option. If something comes up later on in training camp or after the preseason, we just want to make sure we have our options open so it was more of a workout.”

Kelvin Beachum, who is projected to start at left tackle for the Jaguars, hasn’t practiced since August 2 as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in 2015. But Bradley says the Beatty workout wasn’t a sign that Jacksonville is worried about Beachum’s health. “Beachum had another good day today; he’s gone through two days of individual [work],” Bradley said. “In my quick conversations, they thought he did well again. I can tell from his spirit, he feels progress is being made. Now, hopefully it’s rapid.”

The Eagles were the other team reported to have interest in Beatty, but Philadelphia merely contacted the veteran tackle to see how his recovery from a torn pectoral was going, as well as to gather intel on his plans going forward, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Eagles are bracing for the loss of right tackle Lane Johnson, who is facing a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy, and head coach Doug Pederson didn’t sound overly enthused about Dennis Kelly or Matt Tobin, Philadelphia’s incumbent backup plans.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots To Activate Nate Ebner

August 14th, 2016 at 4:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots have finally made a roster move (their first since training camp began), as the club announced that they’ve waived offensive lineman Kyler Kerbyson, who was signed on July 24. New England needed to clear a roster spot to activate safety Nate Ebner, who had been participating in the Olympics, as head coach Bill Belichick confirmed to reporters, including Doug Kyed of NESN.com.

Ebner, 27, re-signed with the Patriots on a two-year, $2.4MM deal that contains $500K guaranteed and a $250K reporting bonus (per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com), and New England presumably agreed to the contract with the knowledge that Ebner would try out for the U.S. rugby team. Ebner has never started a game during his four-year NFL career, but he’s appeared in 57 contests as an extremely valuable special teams piece. In 2016, for example, Ebner played on more than three-quarters of the Patriots’ special teams snaps.

New England had been granted a roster exemption while Ebner was away, and Belichick today indicated that Ebner will have some work to do in order to prepare for the season. “Football,” said Belichick, when asked what Ebner would need to adjust to, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). “Not training, football. He hasn’t played football. You can go out there and run around a track all you want, but you put 21 other guys out there and it’s a whole different ball game.”

Kerbyson, meanwhile, lasted on the Patriots’ roster for about three weeks. The former Tennessee Volunteer went undrafted earlier this year, but started all 13 games at left tackle during his senior season, during which he was named second-team All SEC.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.