2016 September - Pro Football Rumors

Bears’ Jay Cutler To Miss 2 Or 3 Weeks

September 21st, 2016 at 11:32am CST by Zachary Links

With his sprained thumb, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is expected to be sidelined for two or three weeks, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The exact timeline will depend on how he heals over the next three days.

Cutler hurt this thumb in the Bears’ season opener against the Texans. He played through the pain in Week 2 against the Eagles, but he wound up making the problem worse. Now, the Bears will use Brian Hoyer under center under Cutler is ready to take the field again.

It will be interesting to see how Cutler’s injury impacts his future in Chicago. The signal caller is set to count for $16MM against the Bears cap in 2017 but the team could release him and be on the hook for just $2MM in dead money. If the Bears do not get a chance to fully evaluate Cutler this year, he may actually be likelier to remain in Chicago next year, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report posits. Of course, that might not be the preferred outcome for Bears fans.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colts WR Donte Moncrief Out 4-6 Weeks

September 21st, 2016 at 10:53am CST by Zachary Links

Donte Moncrief will be out for 4-6 weeks with a fractured scapula, coach Chuck Pagano told reporters moments ago. Moncrief suffered the painful shoulder injury during Sunday’s loss at Denver.

With Moncrief out, the Colts can be expected to incorporate Phillip Dorsett into the offensive gameplan even more. The 2015 first-round pick has tons of upside, but he also has a similar build to star T.Y. Hilton. Moncrief was a big target and that might explain why the team opted to sign 6’3″ Devin Street earlier today.

Moncrief, 23, caught 64 passes for 733 yards and six touchdowns last season. In two games (really, one game and change) this year, Moncrief had seven receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Adrian Peterson Potentially Done For Season?

September 21st, 2016 at 10:42am CST by Zachary Links

Adrian Peterson will go under the knife on Thursday to fix the tear in his meniscus, as Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. The running back has what is known as a “bucket handle tear,” which means that he will require a more aggressive surgery option than initially planned. Anderson hears that means he’ll be out for a minimum of three-to-four months and as long as six months.

Peterson’s injury is devastating news for the Vikings, particularly after they went all-in by trading for Sam Bradford in the wake of Teddy Bridgewater‘s season-ending injury. With Peterson out, the Vikings will turn to Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata in the backfield. McKinnon has shown flashes of freaky athleticism, but he is not the most advanced blocker or pass catcher out there. It’s possible that the Vikings could look out-of-house for RB options, but they should have a well-balanced attack between McKinnon and Asiata.

Peterson, 31, missed the majority of the 2014 season but bounced back last year to run for 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 30 receptions for 222 yards.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucs’ Doug Martin To Miss Time

September 21st, 2016 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin will miss “about three weeks” with a hamstring injury, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Martin’s status was up in the air until an MRI on Tuesday showed a decent amount of damage.

Last year, Martin enjoyed his best season since his rookie campaign, rushing for more than 1,400 yards with six touchdowns on the ground and adding 33 receptions and another score for good measure. In the season opener, Martin ran for just 62 yards off of 18 carries, though he did add five receptions for 34 yards. On Sunday against the Cardinals, he had seven carries for 23 yards before exiting due to his injury.

While Martin is sidelined, Charles Sims figures to see the bulk of the carries, though he has averaged just 2.5 yards per attempt off of his 13 carries this year. Last year, Sims averaged 4.9 yards per attempt as the change-of-pace back. With Jacquizz Rodgers and valued UDFA Peyton Barber also on the depth chart, the Bucs probably won’t add another running back during Martin’s brief absence.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colts Sign WR Devin Street Off Pats’ P-Squad

September 21st, 2016 at 9:04am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts announced that they have signed wide receiver Devin Street to the 53-man roster off of the Patriots’ practice squad. By rule, the Colts now have to keep him on their 53-man roster for the next three weeks. The signing could be insurance against Donte Moncrief‘s ailing shoulder. Moncrief could be sidelined for multiple games, though he hasn’t been formally ruled out for Sunday.

Street joined the Pats’ taxi squad on Sept. 5 after he missed the Cowboys’ initial 53-man cut. For his career, Street has appeared in 31 regular season NFL games with nine receptions for 132 yards and one touchdown. He has also appeared in a pair of playoff games.

In college, Street started 40-of-49 games at Pittsburgh and totaled 202 receptions for 2,901 yards and 16 touchdowns. He left the Panthers as the school’s all-time leader in receptions and No. 3 all-time in career receiving yards.

The Colts’ WR depth chart currently consists of T.Y. Hilton, Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett, Quan Bray, and Chester Rogers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

LeGarrette Blount Had Interest In Dolphins

September 20th, 2016 at 9:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There were at least two instances in the past two years that running back LeGarrette Blount had interest in signing with the Dolphins, but they didn’t pursue him, an associate told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Blount, the No. 1 back for the AFC East rival Patriots, rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries in the Pats’ 31-24 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.

The 29-year-old Blount, a Madison, Fla., native, didn’t encounter much of a market for his services as a free agent during the offseason. As a result, he took a one-year deal with a minimum base salary to return to the Patriots a month after free agency opened. The Dolphins lost previous starter Lamar Miller to the Texans and signed his Houston predecessor, Arian Foster, in July, but only after striking out on multiple other options – including the Broncos’ C.J. Anderson. Miami signed the then-restricted free agent to a four-year, $18MM offer sheet, which Denver matched.

The Dolphins’ 27th-ranked rushing attack hasn’t done them any favors during their 0-2 start this year. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has driven up their yards-per-carry average with a team-leading 4.7 mark on 11 attempts, and he also paces the Dolphins in ground yardage (47). Foster hasn’t been nearly as effective, having totaled 47 yards on 16 carries in his first action since tearing his Achilles last October. The 30-year-old is now dealing with a groin injury that limited him to three carries in Week 2 and could keep him out against the Browns on Sunday. If it does, Miami has far less proven options in third-round rookie Kenyan Drake and second-year man Jay Ajayi, who has been in head coach Adam Gase‘s doghouse this year.

In theory, the bruising Blount would have been a useful weapon for a Miami team that hasn’t established a respectable ground attack yet in 2016, but the rest of the league also passed on the inexpensive seventh-year man during the offseason. Blount is once again scheduled for free agency next winter, when the Dolphins and 30 other teams could have another chance to sign the 245-pounder if New England doesn’t lock him up by then.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Redskins, Garoppolo, Romo, Revis

September 20th, 2016 at 8:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With the Redskins off to an 0-2 start, some of quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ teammates have reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with his early season output. That doesn’t surprise former Redskins linebacker Keenan Robinson, who spent the first three years of his career with Washington before signing with the Giants over the winter. “When I was there, three out of four years, it was the same thing,” he said Tuesday (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). “Once they get down, they start pointing fingers. And that is true. That is what happens. And for the Redskins — I’ve only been on one team before I came here, and that was them — and all I saw was not the right way to handle it. I feel like they didn’t handle it the right way when I was there.”

Robinson is glad to have left the Redskins in favor of the Giants, saying, “I like it here better. I would say that for sure.”

As we wait for this Sunday’s tilt between Robinson’s ex-team and his current one, here’s more from the East divisions:

The Redskins’ offseason decision to place the franchise tag on Cousins in lieu of signing him to a lucrative long-term deal looks prudent now, opines John Keim of ESPN.com. But if Cousins is unable regain something resembling his 2015 form, it’ll leave the team looking for a quarterback again, Keim notes. Ideally, he’ll emerge as a legitimate franchise-caliber passer and prove himself worthy of a major commitment for the foreseeable future.
On one hand, it’s possible quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will be the successor to Tom Brady in New England. On the other, Ryan Hannable of WEEI writes that Garoppolo might never play a meaningful snap as a Pat again once Brady returns from his four-game Deflategate suspension in Week 5. Brady is signed through the 2019 campaign, his age-42 season, and Garoppolo is only under contract through the end of next year. The best-case scenario for the Patriots would include retaining both, but that will look unrealistic as long as Brady continues as one of the league’s elite signal-callers.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had a back exam and a brief pregame throwing session in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. One observer was surprised by Romo’s velocity and lack of restrictions. The 36-year-old is hoping to return sometime in October and it seems he is on track to do just that.
While Brian Costello of the New York Post expects cornerback Darrelle Revis to rebound from his early season issues, his $13MM salary for 2017 will still be an anvil, Costello opines. Cutting the 31-year-old Revis after the season would leave the Jets on the hook for $8MM in dead money, which means he’s likely to remain with the club, per Costello. In the Jets’ first two games this year, the five-time first-team All-Pro has given up 10 catches and 152 yards to Bengals receiver A.J. Green and allowed an 84-yard touchdown to a far less formidable wideout, the Bills’ Marquise Goodwin.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Workout Notes: Jets, Browns, Saints, Colts

September 20th, 2016 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Tuesday’s workouts from around the NFL:

The Jets auditioned former Tampa Bay and Notre Dame safety Elijah Shumate, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter), and outside linebacker Ivan McLennan (Twitter link via Darryl Slater of NJ.com). They also tried out wide receiver Mario Alford and safety Shamiel Gary, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link).
Veteran guard Mackenzy Bernadeau worked out for the Browns, as Caplan tweets.
The Saints took a look at tackles Robert Crisp and Reid Fragel, according to a source who spoke with Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter).
Outside linebacker Andy Mulumba and cornerback Corey Tindal worked out for the Colts, Caplan tweets.
The Packers auditioned linebacker Brandon Chubb, per Caplan (Twitter link).
The Titans tried out ex-Green Bay running back Brandon Burks and former Navy fullback Chris Swain today, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets.
The Buccaneers worked out linebacker Lenny Jones and defensive end Ryan Russell, according to Caplan (Twitter link).
The Seahawks auditioned running back Kerwynn Williams, outside linebacker Cam Johnson, and cornerbacks Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Demetrius McCray, Caplan tweets.

Bears Undecided On Jay Cutler’s Future

September 20th, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

If quarterback Jay Cutler‘s thumb injury keeps him on the shelf for an extended period of time, he could actually be likelier to remain with the Bears in 2017, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Bears hope to decide by season’s end whether to go forward with Cutler as a long-term option, says Cole, but if they’re unable to fully evaluate the signal-caller, his affordable deal might keep him in their plans next year.

The notion of another go-around with Cutler might not be an appealing one to Bears fans, of course, especially given the start he and the team have had in 2016. The Cutler-led Bears put up a combined 28 points in their first two games, losses to the Texans and Eagles. In a blowout home defeat to Philadelphia on Monday, Cutler tried to play through a thumb injury he suffered in Week 1, and he hit on 12 of 17 passes for 157 yards and an interception before exiting in the third quarter.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Tuesday that the banged-up Cutler could sit out a few weeks, and sources told Cole that he will miss significant time. That would leave the Bears with the experienced Brian Hoyer under center as they try to climb out of the NFC North cellar. Hoyer connected on 9 of 12 passes for 78 yards in relief of Cutler on Monday.

The Bears paid a hefty price for Cutler in 2009, sending two first-rounders, a third-rounder and fellow signal-caller Kyle Orton to Denver to acquire, but his tenure in Chicago has been a rocky one. In Cutler’s 99 regular-season starts, the team has hovered around .500 (50-49) – including a woeful 3-14 mark at Soldier Field since 2014 – as he has completed 61.9 percent of passes and tossed 151 touchdowns against 106 interceptions.

Chicago has made the playoffs just once with Cutler at the helm, in 2010, and is currently stuck in a six-year postseason drought. The team signed him to a seven-year, $126MM extension with $54MM in guarantees in January 2014, and he’s set to count $16MM against its cap in 2017. Releasing Cutler after the season would leave the Bears with just $2MM in dead money in 2017, though the club could instead opt to continue with him at the controls, as Cole reports.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/20/16

September 20th, 2016 at 7:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

The Chargers waived wide receiver Isaiah Burse, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets.
The Buccaneers waived linebacker Josh Keyes, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Keyes played extensively on special teams in the first two games of the season.
The Colts released safety Winston Guy, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
The Broncos waived defensive lineman Kyle Peko, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets.
The Giants terminated the contract of offensive tackle Byron Stingily, reports Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). The lineman was on IR with a concussion.
The Bears waived fullback Paul Lasike, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Lasike saw 14 snaps in Week 1 and just five snaps on Monday night.