2016 September - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders Cut FB Marcel Reece

September 26th, 2016 at 4:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have released fullback Marcel Reece, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Reece was scheduled to return from suspension this week.

Reece, who was in Oakland since making his NFL debut in 2009, violated the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. The multi-game ban cost him a trip to the Pro Bowl after last season and, apparently, led the Raiders to finding his full-time replacement. Reece was scheduled to play out the 2016 season at a cap number of $3.53MM, but Oakland has opted against taking on that cap hit.

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. Now, Jamize Olawale is being counted on to do the dirty work for Oakland.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets Claim Austin Seferian-Jenkins

September 26th, 2016 at 3:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have claimed Austin Seferian-Jenkins off waivers from the Bucs, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Seferian-Jenkins was waived by Tampa Bay late last week.

In the wake of his second DUI arrest since 2013, the Bucs cut bait with their talented tight end. Seferian-Jenkins, a second-round pick in the 2014 draft, has been looked at as a potential star in the making, though he has not been able to put it all together on the field. The Bucs decided that they had enough after ASJ’s latest off-the-field indiscretion and he certainly didn’t help his standing with the club this offseason when he got into it with coaches during practice.

It will be interesting to see where the Washington product fits in with the Jets. Currently, the tight end depth chart is headlined by Kellen Davis with Brandon Bostick and recent addition Braedon Bowman in support.

Jenkins, who turns 24 later this week, had 21 catches for 221 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. In 2015, he had a similar stat line across seven games as he caught 21 balls for 338 yards and four scores. This year, Seferian-Jenkins recorded three catches and one touchdown for the Buccaneers. He’ll now hope to boost those numbers with Gang Green.

The tight end probably won’t face any discipline for his most recent arrest until 2017, a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter).

“Chance” Jamaal Charles Plays In Week 4

September 26th, 2016 at 3:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Jamaal Charles could return to the field in Week 4, according to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who says “there’s a chance” the veteran back is able to play against the Steelers on Sunday night (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star). Charles has yet to play this season as he recovers from an ACL injury suffered last October.

The Chiefs have managed to get by without Charles, as Spencer Ware has taken over the lead back role in his absence. In three games, Ware has averaged 4.9 yards per carry, rushing for more than 200 yards and adding 10 receptions. Charcandrick West has also chipped in, handling 12 attempts for 63 yards and 10 receptions of his own. Fellow running back Knile Davis is also on the roster, but he has yet to see a carry this season.

Charles, of course, is one of the better backs in the league when at full strength, but Kansas City has exhibited a cautious approach when it comes to his recovery. The 29-year-old has reportedly been working with the scout team during practice, so it seems that he’s at least somewhat close to returning.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giants Hoping Rashad Jennings Returns This Week

September 26th, 2016 at 2:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants are optimistic that running back Rashad Jennings will be able to return to game action in Week 4 against the Vikings, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). New York announced earlier today that Shane Vereen is will be sidelined for awhile, so the club can use all the backfield help it can get.

Jennings, 31, miss Sunday’s loss to the Redskins due to a left thumb injury. The ailment wouldn’t have affected his ability to carry the ball, but Jennings was concerned that it would hinder his passing game role, reports Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. On the season, Jenning has managed 102 yards on 32 carries, adding another 16 yards through the air. If Jennings can’t go on Sunday, the Giants will rely on Orleans Darkwa, Bobby Rainey, and Paul Perkins to maintain the ground game.

The Giants will likely have an open roster spot once they place Vereen on injured reserve, so they could potentially add another running back to their current crop if they choose.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giants’ Shane Vereen To Have Triceps Surgery

September 26th, 2016 at 2:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

2:35pm: Vereen isn’t necessarily done for the year, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter links), who reports that Vereen’s recovery time is roughly two months. As such, Vereen could potentially return from injured reserve later this season.

12:19pm: Giants running back Shane Vereen will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a triceps injury on Sunday, the club announced today. Vereen will undergo surgery to correct the issue.

With Rashad Jennings sidelined on Sunday, Vereen was New York’s primary back against Washington, and he managed 67 yards on 11 attempts while scoring once, adding two receptions for good measure. Vereen’s receiving prowess is what the Giants paid for when they signed him to a three-year contract prior to the 2015 campaign, and the former Patriot delivered during his first season in New York, posting 59 receptions. Vereen, 27, is signed for one more year, with a 2017 cap charge just south of $5MM.

With Vereen out, the Giants will likely turn to a committee approach in their backfield. If Jennings can’t go next week against the Vikings, Orleans Darkwa, Bobby Rainey, and rookie Paul Perkins are the best bets for touches.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots To Sign DL John Hughes

September 26th, 2016 at 2:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots are signing free agent defensive lineman John Hughes, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New England created a roster spot earlier today by waiving defensive tackle Anthony Johnson.

Hughes, a 2012 draftee, started just seven games in his first three seasons with the Browns and landed on IR in 2014 after suffering an MCL injury. The former third-round pick appeared in all 16 regular season games in 2015 and made three starts, totaling 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. Cleveland cut him last week in order to create a roster spot for quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.

A report earlier today suggested that the Patriots wanted to “bulk up” their defensive line, and Hughes — who stands 6’2″, 320 pounds — will certainly help them do that. Notably, New England won’t use the roster spot created by Johnson’s vacancy to add a free agent quarterback, lending more credence to the notion that at least one of Jimmy Garoppolo or Jacoby Brissett will be ready for Week 4.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Keeping Kicker Cody Parkey For Now

September 26th, 2016 at 2:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite his lackluster performance on Sunday, the Browns are planning to roll with kicker Cody Parkey, head coach Hue Jackson told reporters, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). For what it’s worth, Jackson did couch his declaration a bit, saying his intention “right now” was to keep Parkey.

Signed this week to replace the injured Patrick Murray, Parkey face-planted in his Cleveland debut, missing three-of-six field goal attempts, including a potential game-winner at the end of regulation against the Dolphins. The Browns went on to lose the game in overtime, leaving Parkey squarely planted as the scapegoat. For his career, however, Parkey has been an above-average kicker, converting 87.5% of his field goals and all of his extra point attempts.

Meanwhile, Browns sources pushed back against a weekend report that suggested the club chose Parkey over fellow free agent kicker Robbie Gould on the basis that Parkey was less expensive. “Money played no role in the decision,” the Browns source told Ulrich in a full article. “It’s ridiculous to think that it would.” Cleveland’s specials team coach Chris Tabor reportedly preferred Gould, but the front office chose to go in a different direction.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Steelers Receive Exemption For Le’Veon Bell

September 26th, 2016 at 1:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers have received a roster exemption for running back Le’Veon Bell as he makes his return from a three-game suspension, tweets team PR man Burt Lauten. Pittsburgh will need to clear a roster spot for Bell by 3pm CT Thursday.

Veteran DeAngelo Williams has been the Steelers’ workhorse in the absence of Bell, as he’s rushed for more than 250 yards and two touchdowns on 66 attempts while adding 14 receptions through the air. If Pittsburgh takes the same approach as last year — when Bell returned following a two-game ban — Williams is unlikely to see much action in the coming weeks. From Week 3 to Week 7 of 2015, Williams averaged only three carries per game, letting Bell handle the workload until the latter suffered a season-ending injury in Week 8.

If the Steelers simply want to cut a fellow running back to create a roster spot, they seemingly have two options — Fitzgerald Toussaint and Daryl Richardson. Neither has been a factor on offense (they have six carries combined), but Toussaint has been with the club since 2015 and plays a large role on special teams, which could give him the edge.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots To Cut DT Anthony Johnson

September 26th, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots will cut defensive tackle Anthony Johnson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Given that he’s not a vested veteran, Johnson will need to pass through waives before entering free agency.

New England could use its newly-created roster spot in a variety of ways, including to sign a free agent quarterback if needed. T.J. Yates is reportedly the club’s “free agent of choice,” but the Patriots haven’t made an attempt to add him as of yet, which indicates a certain level of optimism regarding Jimmy Garoppolo and/or Jacoby Brissett‘s health. New England is more interested in “bulking up” its defensive line than adding another QB right now, tweets Dianna Russini of ESPN.com, so the team could simply swap out Johnson for another DL.

Johnson, 23, signed with the Patriots in May, and despite his limited track record, lasted through final cuts to make the club’s 53-man roster. But he hasn’t contributed much in 2016, managing only 20 snaps on defense. Johnson’s only other NFL experience came with the Vikings, for whom he played seven games in 2014.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Russell Wilson Has Sprained MCL

September 26th, 2016 at 1:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has a sprained MCL, head coach Pete Carroll confirmed to 710 ESPN today (Twitter link via Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com). However, Carroll says Wilson is “feeling great,” and he’s expected to be available against the Jets on Sunday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

Wilson has dealt with injury early and often this season, as he suffered an ankle injury during Week 1 that threatened to keep him out for several games. He was able to return for Week 2 against the Rams, but this latest knee ailment forced him to leave Sunday’s contest versus the 49ers. Before being sidelined, Wilson had played well, completing 15-of-23 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown. The Seahawks have a bye in Week 5, so If Wilson can make it through Sunday’s game, he’ll get an extra week of rest thereafter.

The only other quarterback on Seattle’s roster is rookie undrafted free agent Trevone Boykin, who was called into action on Sunday in relief of Wilson. In his first NFL appearance, the 23-year-old completed seven passes for 65 yards and one score. If Wilson, who began receiving treatment last night, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), goes down again, Boykin will be asked to step up.

Wilson isn’t the only member of the Seahawks’ offense nursing an injury, as running back Thomas Rawls is set to miss several weeks with a hairline fracture in his fibula.