2016 September - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks’ Thomas Rawls Out Several Weeks

September 26th, 2016 at 12:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks will have to lean on Christine Michael for awhile, as fellow running back Thomas Rawls will be sidelined “a few weeks” with a hairline fibula fracture, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Rawls has been in-and-out of the lineup so far this season as he recovers from the fractured ankle he suffered at the end of the 2015 campaign. He didn’t play on Sunday against the 49ers, and in the two previous games, Rawls had managed only 19 carries, averaging a paltry 1.9 yards per attempt. Michael, now in his second stint with Seattle, will presumably continue to carry the load after scoring twice yesterday, while the Seahawks also boast rookies C.J. Prosise and Alex Collins in addition to the recently-promoted Terrence Magee.

Rawls, 23, was a revelation during his rookie season, rushing for more than 800 yards and four touchdowns in relief of Marshawn Lynch. He surpassed the 100-yard mark four times, including a memorable Week 11 contest against the 49ers, when Rawls ran for 209 yards, the second-highest total in the NFL last year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

DeAngelo Hall Done For Season

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

Redskins defensive back DeAngelo Hall is done for the season. The cornerback suffered a painful leg injury on Sunday and an MRI today confirmed that he has torn his ACL, Erin Hawksworth of ABC 7 tweets. Now, Hall must wait until the swelling goes down before Dr. James Andrews can operate on him.

Hall, 32, hurt his knee in the second quarter of Washington’s 29-27 victory over the Giants. He paced the sidelines hoping to get back in the game, but he was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

The veteran was a cornerback for his entire career up until this offseason when the Redskins asked him to transition over to safety. Now, the Redskins are down a starter and they’ll likely bump Will Blackmon or Duke Ihenacho to the starting spot opposite David Bruton Jr. We can also expect the Redskins to look outside for help.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Manti Te’o Suffers Torn Achilles

September 26th, 2016 at 10:02am CST by Zachary Links

Chargers linebacker Manti Te’o has suffered a torn Achilles, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. Linebacker Manti Te’o went down with a non-contact injury on Sunday against the Colts and an MRI today confirmed the team’s worst fears. Te’o will be placed on season-ending IR.

Te’o opened the season with a bang as he racked up ten tackles against the Chiefs. Things seemed to be pointing to a productive year for the 25-year-old, but his season has ended prematurely instead.

Te’o, the 38th overall pick in the 2013 draft, is no stanger to the injury bug. As a rookie in 2013, Te’o suffered a foot injury in the preseason which sidelined him for the first part of the regular season. In the following year, the linebacker missed six games due to a foot fracture. Last year, Te’o missed four games as the result of an ankle injury.

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Latest On Patriots’ QB Situation

September 26th, 2016 at 9:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have not made plans to bring in T.J. Yates, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport calls Yates the Pats’ “free agent quarterback of choice” and by not signing him, it’s an indication that they are confident in the health of Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett.

Brissett looked great as he made his NFL debut and first ever start against the Texans on Thursday night. During the course of the Pats’ 27-0 victory, however, the rookie suffered a thumb sprain. Meanwhile, Garoppolo is still dealing with a sprained AC joint in his throwing arm. Tom Brady returns soon, but the Patriots still have to get through their October 2nd contest against the Bills before welcoming him back on October 9th to face the Browns.

In the first two games of the seasons, Garoppolo completed 42-of-60 passes for 498 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in wins over the Cardinals and Dolphins. The Pats are hoping to see the youngster do more of that against Buffalo, but if he can’t, it sounds like Brissett should be ready.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFLPA Not Considering 18-Game Schedule Now

September 25th, 2016 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The topic of an 18-game schedule remains on the fringes of the NFL news cycle, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes the league can’t realistically ask the NFLPA to expand in this safety-conscious climate. However, Florio writes a belief in league circles centers around the potential offering of concessions to the players — such as a greater slice of the financial pie, roster expansion and neutral arbitration — for the two-game bump.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith is not ready to go there, though.

“I just can’t imagine a world where you add two more regular season games at the end of a brutal season that we have,” Smith told Florio on Friday’s PFT Live. “Certainly, there’s been no proposal from the owners about increasing roster sizes or doing anything else to make sure that players’ health and safety is first and foremost.

“I mean look we are still in the middle of or the beginning of an investigation about how doctors handled the concussion protocol for the first game of the season and it seems to me that if you can’t successfully pull off a Hall of Fame game and you have what appears to be enough evidence to convince both parties to conduct an investigation of the concussion protocol, [it’s] probably not the right time to think about adding two regular-season games.”

Smith’s stance maintains the NFLPA’s previous player safety-based argument against this. He did not squash this notion entirely but clearly has other matters on his agenda before that discussion becomes serious. Considering how long the 18-game idea has been batted around, it’s not at this time realistic.

Last year, this topic resurfaced on the basis of international contests and reducing the preseason. It did not gain much steam, however, since reducing the exhibition slate and relocating games to foreign soil wouldn’t do much to squelch concerns about player safety.

The NFL has played 16-game regular seasons since 1978. The NFL played 14-game seasons from 1961-77 after moving from 12 previously.

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AFC Rumors: Browns, Te’o, Jags, Jets, Simmons

September 25th, 2016 at 9:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns endured an agonizing defeat for the second straight week, and their new kicker hovered at the center of the loss to the Dolphins. Cody Parkey missed three field goals, including what would have been a game-winning 46-yarder at the end of regulation. But the new Cleveland kicker was reportedly not the preferred choice of Browns special teams coach Chris Tabor.

Instead, the sixth-year Browns ST boss wanted the team to sign Robbie Gould, whom the Bears recently released, but he was overruled by Browns management, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports. The Browns signed Parkey on Saturday morning after top kicker Patrick Murray sustained an injury Friday. Cleveland’s decision-makers decided Gould, a 12th-year veteran, was too expensive for them. This led to the decision to bring in third-year man Parkey, per Salguero.

Gould made $3.6MM with the Bears last season and remains a free agent. Parkey, per OverTheCap, is set to make $529K upon signing with the Browns, who possess just more than $48MM in cap space.

Here’s more from the AFC as Week 3’s night-game schedule continues.

The Chargers fear starting inside linebacker Manti Te’o tore his Achilles’ tendon, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter). He will undergo testing on Monday to determine the severity of the injury that forced him out of the Chargers’ Week 3 loss to the Colts, Gehlken tweets. One of the Bolts’ captains, Te’o was beginning a contract year that would lose steam if he’s no longer able to play this season. The 2013 second-round pick has made 34 starts for the Chargers since his rookie season. An injury to the former Notre Dame standout would likely thrust rookie fifth-rounder Jatavis Brown into the lineup.
Broncos third-round safety Justin Simmons missed today’s game because of a broken bone in his left wrist, Mike Klis of 9News reports. Simmons operates as Denver’s third safety, but the team saw backups Will Parks and Shiloh Keo record turnovers. The defending champions released Keo earlier this week after his two-game suspension ended but re-signed him shortly after, likely due to Simmons’ status.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan has given Dave Caldwell and Gus Bradley a long leash, but the team that received a fair amount of hype based on its offseason is now 0-3. The Jags are set to make their annual London trip next weekend, and with the bye looming, an 0-4 return from England will bring about a change of some sort, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. After today’s 19-17 loss to the Ravens, the Jaguars — who will now occupy the No. 1 slot in the waiver order as the pecking order shifts to reflect this season’s records instead of 2015’s — are 12-39 under Bradley. That’s by far the worst mark in franchise history for a coach in his first four years. Both Tom Coughlin and Jack Del Rio went 9-7 in their second seasons. A coach has been fired after a Week 4 London loss the past two seasons. The Raiders jettisoned Dennis Allen after his team fell to 0-4 in a Wembley Stadium defeat to the Dolphins, who a year later canned Joe Philbin after his team lost its Week 4 England tilt.
The Jets‘ four-quarterback setup deprives the team of a fullback, and Todd Bowles doesn’t see the team making a move at that spot. “We’re good,” Bowles said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, when asked about a fullback-less roster. As Cimini notes, only 17 teams have fullbacks. The Jets cut Julian Howsare earlier this week and promoted tight end Braedon Bowman.

DeAngelo Hall Out With ACL Tear?

September 25th, 2016 at 7:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

DeAngelo Hall made an interesting proclamation after the Redskins’ 29-27 win over the Giants on Sunday, telling ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link) doctors told him he tore his ACL.

“We think you tore your ACL,” Hall said (via Master Tefatsion of the Washington Post) Redskins doctors, including Dr. James Andrews, told him after the injury. “It kind of feels like you did.”

The recent safety convert will undergo an MRI on Monday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schefter categorized Hall’s ailment as a knee injury for now but was more concrete on secondary mate Bashaud Breeland, whom the longtime reporter said has a right high-ankle sprain.

Hall suffered what was at the time called a sprained right knee during the second quarter and was walking around on the sidelines before being told he could not return to the game. Anderson added the 32-year-old safety seemed to be walking fine after the game, so it’s possible his season is not yet over.

The former cornerback and 13th-year veteran missed 13 games in 2014 with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon and five last season due to a lesser malady. He spent his first full offseason as a safety in 2016. A starter in all three Washington games this season, Hall being out would leave the team with Will Blackmon and Duke Ihenacho at safety. The Redskins already lost 2015 part-time starter Kyshoen Jarrett to a nerve-related injury that induced them to cut the second-year player.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Eye QB Signing As Last Resort

September 25th, 2016 at 6:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Riding high after a dominant Week 3 win despite the involvement of a rookie third-string quarterback, the Patriots do not plan to deviate from how they’ve approached their most important position this season. Well, if they can help it.

The Patriots will sign a quarterback before Week 4 only as a last-resort measure, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. They view the roster spot as valuable and don’t want to send a player to waivers or free agency, depending on service time, unless it’s absolutely necessary.

New England’s already vanquished two 2015 playoff teams without Tom Brady and has used both Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett to do so. Respective shoulder and thumb injuries leave Garoppolo and Brissett questionable to be ready for the Pats’ Week 4 Bills tilt — the team’s final game before Brady is eligible to return from his suspension.

Conflicting reports have emerged about the respective availability of Brady’s backups, with one indicating the team expects both to be able to suit up and another suggesting the team is hopeful at least one will.

Florio notes if word comes in Monday that gives a firm indication neither player will be ready to play by next weekend, the team could look to sign a quarterback. The Patriots brought in T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree last week but opted to sign neither. With it being unlikely the Pats would rule out either passer that early in the week, the team could again look to take its chances with Julian Edelman as a possible emergency quarterback.

Although, the former Kent State passer isn’t the only non-quarterback on New England’s roster with high-level signal-calling experience, as Florio points out. Second-year tight end A.J. Derby played quarterback at three schools — Iowa, Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, and Arkansas — before being moved to tight end later during his Razorbacks stay. Edelman, though, has been in this system for eight seasons, and Derby threw just 42 passes in Division I competition. Despite his standing as a running quarterback, Edelman threw 706 in three seasons with the Golden Flashes.

NFL Pushing To Keep Raiders In Oakland

September 25th, 2016 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The financial trail continues to connect Mark Davis and the Raiders to Las Vegas, with the Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee having approved the $750MM in public money for a stadium. However, the NFL and many of its owners may not be on board with this venture that’s been a key 2016 storyline.

Following Roger Goodell‘s seemingly pro-Oakland comments and NFL executive Eric Grubman’s visit to the city last week to meet with local municipalities, sources informed Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com the sentiment of the league to keep the Raiders in Oakland is “stronger than ever.”

Shifting to the owners’ side, “numerous” ownership sources told La Canfora the view among them is to keep the Raiders where they’ve played for the past 22 seasons, even if Davis can secure funding for the Las Vegas stadium. Nevada governor Brian Sandoval and the state legislature must approve the funds for the SNTIC’s determined amount to be finalized for this project.

The Bay Area market’s advantage over Las Vegas serves as a distinctive factor here, with the former being viewed as superior based on its size, population, location and per capita income. The sources who spoke with La Canfora also have considerable reservations as to whether Davis can secure the additional 23 votes he’d need from the owners to relocate if this reaches that stage. And they doubt he would move without permission and bring about a lengthy legal battle like his father did when he initially uprooted the Raiders to Los Angeles in 1982.

While the NFL apparently is bullish on the Raiders’ prospects of staying in Oakland — despite Davis’ repeated proclamations he will move to Vegas if the money is approved — nothing much has transpired for the long-term Bay Area stadium that many parties now are trying to secure. Mayor Libby Schaaf has remained steadfast on her lack of desire to make much of a public-money commitment for a new Raiders venue.

But Grubman, who serves as the league’s primary stadium point man, will make a return trip to Oakland to continue discussions with a financial adviser who is coordinating Oakland’s end of these stadium talks. La Canfora adds there’s an expectation the “highest reaches” of the league office will remain in close contact with Oakland-area politicians throughout this season.

So, the momentum the Raiders-to-Vegas venture gained this year — with Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft weighing in on the potential intrigue of an expansion into Nevada — appears to have hit a significant stumbling block.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Unsure Who Will Start At QB In Week 4

September 25th, 2016 at 4:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots aren’t sure who will be under center in Week 4 against the Bills, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. While one recent report suggested that New England expects to have both Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett available, Schefter says the situation is tad more uncertain. The Pats are “hopeful” that at last one of Garoppolo or Brissett will be ready to play, while there’s a chance that both could be good to go.

Garoppolo suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder on Sunday in the team’s 31-24 win over Miami. After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit, Brissett was put in the game for the first time in his NFL career. The third-round rookie got the job done, completing 6-of-9 passes as he guided New England the rest of the way, and then led the Patriots to a 27-0 victory over the Texans on Thursday night.

Before succumbing to injury, the 24-year-old Garoppolo had been excellent, completing 42-of-60 passes for 498 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in wins over the Cardinals and Dolphins. At least one report suggested that the Patriots were pressuring Garoppolo to quickly return to the field — despite the fact that he reportedly couldn’t lift his arm — and he’s presumably get the start against Buffalo if healthy. Tom Brady, of course, will return in Week 5 to start against the Browns.

There’s a small chance that neither Garoppolo or Brissett will be healthy enough to play next week, according to Schefter. In that case, the Patriots would sign a free agent quarterback, and T.J. Yates, who recently met with the club, would be an “ideal candidate.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.