2016 September - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys To Place La’El Collins On IR

September 26th, 2016 at 7:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:24pm: Collins’ recovery timeline actually hovers between 10-12 weeks, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). The surgery on the 23-year-old guard’s big toe is expected to shelve him until December.

7:17pm: La’El Collins‘ toe injury sustained Sunday night will send him to IR, according to Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. The second-year guard suffered a torn toe ligament against the Bears and will miss 8-10 games, after which the Cowboys could bring him back.

The Cowboys can activate one player from IR this season. Tony Romo remains on the team’s active roster, so his timetable would not interfere with a potential Collins return.

It’s a blow to a Cowboys offensive line coming off a strong performance, but the team has depth after keeping Ronald Leary on its roster despite trade rumors surrounding the backup guard throughout the offseason. A surprise UDFA who was pegged to go off the 2015 draft board in the first round before being connected with a murder investigation, Collins seized the starting left guard job from Leary after five games last season.

The Cowboys declined to trade Leary earlier this offseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Now, having the veteran as a swing lineman could be crucial since he’ll slip back into his former position in about as seamless of a transition as could be for a team that just lost a promising blocker.

Leary, though, started 35 games between 2013-15 and was part of the line that sprung DeMarco Murray to the 2014 rushing title. He’s a free agent after the season and, after wanting to go elsewhere to showcase his abilities, the fifth-year player will have a chance to do so in Dallas while Collins recovers.

Dallas was without Tyron Smith as well Sunday night, but the left tackle stalwart’s injury is not believed to be nearly as serious as Collins despite his missing the Chicago tilt.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chargers Sign RB Andre Williams To Practice Squad

September 26th, 2016 at 6:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers signed running back Andre Williams to the practice squad, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Williams was dropped from the Bolts’ active roster over the weekend.

On Saturday, the Chargers opted to promote tight end Asante Cleveland from the practice squad and dropped Williams in order to make room. Despite having some success as a member of the Giants, Williams passed through waivers unclaimed, allowing him to stay in sunny San Diego.

In 2014, Williams racked up more than 700 rushing yards, but he was not as effective in 2015 for the G-Men. Still, Williams is a physical runner with experience and someone the Chargers can call on if they are hit by the injury bug again. The Chargers have already lost Branden Oliver and Danny Woodhead for the year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cowboys OL La’El Collins Out For 6-10 Weeks?

September 26th, 2016 at 6:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys offensive lineman La’el Collins is believed to have torn a ligament in his foot, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Collins will be out for 6-10 weeks and a forthcoming second opinion will determine whether he needs surgery.

Collins was rated as a top talent in the 2015 draft but a bizarre set of circumstances led him to sign a UDFA contract with the Cowboys. The Cowboys came away with a first-round talent in the guard, but they’ll now have to wait until November or later to see him on the field again.

The Cowboys will miss having Collins in the lineup, but they must be especially grateful to have Ronald Leary as a fill-in. Leary tried to force his way out of Dallas this offseason so that he could start elsewhere, but the Cowboys did not find an offer to his liking. Now, Leary once again has an opportunity to shine. Leary was on the field for only 137 pass snaps and 84 run snaps in 2015, according to the stats compiled by Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Although he did not qualify to be ranked based on that limited sample size, Leary was given an overall grade of 72.2, which would have placed him among the top 30 guards in the NFL last season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears’ Jeremy Langford Out For 4-6 Weeks?

September 26th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears expect running back Jeremy Langford to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks with sprained ankle, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Langford, an NFL sophomore, was thrust into the starting role this season following the departure of Matt Forte. Through three games this season, Langford has amassed 116 yards off of 31 carries with two touchdowns. His 3.7 yards-per-carry average has been roughly in line with his 3.6 ypc posting last season.

With Langford sidelined for multiple weeks, the Bears will likely turn to Jordan Howard, a fifth-round pick out of Indiana. “The Bulldozer” has looked sharp in a limited sample size, posting a 5.6 ypc average off of 12 attempts. The Bears also have Ka’Deem Carey on the depth chart, but he is dealing with an injury of his own.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Colin Kaepernick, 49ers

September 26th, 2016 at 6:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Colin Kaepernick, who has yet to attempt a pass in 2016, has made headlines for unexpected reasons this season. Kaepernick could soon be getting attention for football reasons once again, but that won’t happen until he gets healthy, coach Chip Kelly told reporters today (Twitter links via team account and Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group).

Kaepernick needs to “continue to work on the physical aspects” and get into better game shape to move up from the No. 2 job, according to Kelly. The coach went on to say that he is the No. 2 QB because he’s not at 100%, which strongly implies that he would have the role over Gabbert if he were healthy.

No. 7 helped lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl berth and a place in the NFC title game in his first year and a half as a starter. However, in 2014, his play began to trend downward. Last year, Blaine Gabbert wound up as San Francisco’s starter, but his early season struggles have put his starting job in jeopardy. If Kaepernick can demonstrate that he is in football shape, he could be the main man under center once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/26/16

September 26th, 2016 at 6:14pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

The Lions announced that they have waived linebacker Zaviar Gooden. Gooden was bumped from the practice squad to the main roster on Sunday and played in 27 of the team’s 54 snaps.
The Jaguars have released offensive tackle Rashod Hill, according to agent Brett Tessler (on Twitter). If he clears waivers, Tessler says that Jacksonville will re-sign him to the practice squad. Taking his place will be wide receiver Bryan Walters (Twitter link via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com).
The Jets waived linebacker Julian Stanford, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
Former Kansas City seventh-round wide receiver Da’Ron Brown visited the Jaguars, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.

Practice Squad Updates: 9/26/16

September 26th, 2016 at 6:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Signed: OL Colin Kelly
Cut: OL Jason Weaver (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)

Indianapolis Colts

Signed: DL Kristjan Sokoli (Twitter link via agent Brett Tessler)
Cut: DL Sterling Bailey (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4)

New York Jets

Signed: RB Brandon Wilds (via press release)
Cut: RB Dominique Williams

Seattle Seahawks

Signed: OL Robert Myers (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)

Browns OL Alvin Bailey Arrested

September 26th, 2016 at 6:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns offensive lineman Alvin Bailey was arrested early this morning for operating a vehicle under the influence, as Allison Wood of The Royalton Post writes. The Browns effectively confirmed the news in speaking with Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link) and expressed “extreme disappointment” in his actions.

Bailey tested over the legal limit on a portable breath test and officers also spotted green flakes in his car which were believed to be marijuana. The lineman “was cited for failure to comply, drug abuse, drug paraphernalia, and speeding. Bailey has a Sept. 29 court date with regards to these charges.

Bailey joined the Browns on a free agent deal after spending previous years as a depth player with the Seahawks. Recently, he took on a larger role as Cameron Erving was sidelined. If Bailey is disciplined or cut, the Browns will have yet another hole to address.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Greg Hardy Arrested On Drug Charge

September 26th, 2016 at 5:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy was arrested late Sunday night on a drug possession charge, according to Claire Z. Cardona of The Dallas Morning News. Hardy has been a free agent since the conclusion of the 2015 season.

The former Pro Bowler was stopped shortly before midnight on a traffic violation. When cops pulled Hardy over, they found that he was in possession of a “group 1” controlled substance. In the state of Texas, there are a number of drugs that fall within that category, so it is not immediately clear what Hardy was caught with.

In terms of pure talent, Hardy is arguably the most fearsome defensive free agent in the NFL. Of course, it is his off-the-field baggage that has left him without a job. Hardy’s well-publicized domestic violence incident kept him out of the game for most of 2014 and the first quarter of the 2015 season. In 12 games for the Cowboys last season, Hardy totaled 35 tackles, six sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. While those aren’t bad numbers by any means, they weren’t in line with Hardy’s previous work. Between 2011 and 2013, the former sixth-round pick averaged 56 tackles and 10 sacks a season.

Hardy was already facing an uphill battle to get back into the NFL, but that possibility seems more remote than ever.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets To Meet With C.J. Spiller

September 26th, 2016 at 5:29pm CST by Zachary Links

C.J. Spiller is headed out to visit the Jets tonight, a source tells freelance NFL reporter Rand Getlin (on Twitter). The running back is set to work out for Gang Green tomorrow.

Spiller appeared in 13 games for the Saints in 2015 before being placed on IR. Spiller struggled during his lone Saints season, totaling just 112 rushing yards on 36 carries. However, he did contribute in the passing game, hauling in 34 receptions for 239 yards and a pair of scores. Spiller’s best= season came in 2012, when he finished with 1,244 rushing yards and six touchdowns (along with 43 receptions for 459 yards and two scores). Earlier this month, the Saints released the veteran.

The Packers kicked the tires on Spiller last week but the running back left without a deal. It’s not immediately clear if the Jets have a spot for him either, but they could be evaluating him as an alternative to No. 3 RB Troymaine Pope. It’s also possible that the Jets simply want to evaluate Spiller in the event of an injury to Matt Forte or Bilal Powell.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.