2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Josh McCown On Track To Start In Week 8

October 26th, 2016 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having observed a spate of quarterback injuries unlike much the NFL’s seen in recent memory, the Browns look to have one of their initial top-two options back in the fold come Sunday.

Josh McCown has been cleared medically to play after being sidelined for five weeks with a broken collarbone, Pat McManaman of ESPN.com reports. He would be in line to start against the Jets for a team that’s endured a brutal string of injuries to its contingent of quarterbacks. Hue Jackson, though, said Wednesday he won’t name a starter until McCown makes it through a whole week of practice.

Having six players take snaps in just seven games, the Browns turned to practice squad promotion Kevin Hogan last week after an injury forced Cody Kessler out. The third-round rookie remains in concussion protocol, and the Browns have just Hogan and recent waiver claim Joe Callahan as healthy options if McCown experiences a setback.

The team resisted trade overtures for the 37-year-old McCown this offseason only to see him go down in his first start — during Week 2, when he led the Browns to a 20-0 lead in a game the Ravens came back to win 25-20. McCown threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns in his one-game cameo this season, doing so after completing 63 percent of his passes and throwing 12 touchdown passes compared to four interceptions in 2015.

Bucs Willing To Trade Verner, Banks For WR

October 26th, 2016 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the placement of Vincent Jackson on IR, the Buccaneers do not have an imposing wide receiver depth chart beyond Mike Evans. The team is evidently willing to part with assets to upgrade it.

The Bucs are willing to trade Alterraun Verner or fellow cornerback Johnthan Banks to acquire a wide receiver, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets, before identifying Alshon Jeffery or Torrey Smith as a potential trade target (Twitter link).

However, Verner has not lived up to expectations in his two-plus seasons in south Florida and has a contract that could be somewhat difficult to move in a deal. Still just 27, Verner is signed through 2017 and stands to carry a $6.5MM cap number next season; that’s down slightly from his $6.75MM figure in 2016. Those numbers are manageable, but Verner hasn’t been a regular starter since 2015. A former second-round pick, Banks is in the final year of his rookie deal.

Both have seen their statuses in Tampa Bay take hits with the arrivals of Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves. Both Banks and Verner were full-time starters in 2014 before being steadily supplanted and relegated to backup roles.

Tampa Bay’s wide receiver depth chart houses recently acquired Cecil Shorts, along with youngsters Adam Humphries and Russell Shepard. Both have stood out in spots, but neither qualifies as a dependable starter-type player opposite Evans, while Shorts hasn’t replicated the form he showed with the Jaguars or even the Texans. The Bucs also have Louis Murphy on the PUP list.

Humphries leads non-Evans pass-catchers with 22 receptions for 233 yards. Shorts has played in three games but has just one catch for 12 yards for a Bucs pass-catching corps that’s taken a hit after the losses of Jackson and Charles Sims.

A report earlier this week linked Smith to the Eagles, but the deep threat remains on the struggling 49ers. Doug Pederson also denied any Philadelphia trade interest in wideouts earlier today. Jeffery is playing this season on the franchise tag.

Seahawks Release C.J. Spiller

October 26th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks announced that they have released C.J. Spiller. C.J. Prosise is healthy and good to go, making Spiller expendable. In a related move, the team has re-signed fullback Will Tukuafu.

Spiller signed on with the Seahawks in late September and reportedly heard from eight interested clubs before choosing a landing spot. The 29-year-old had the luxury of being selective because his $1.7MM salary with the Saints was still guaranteed, even after his release.

Unfortunately, his stay in Seattle lasted about three weeks. Spiller was at his best as a rusher and pass catcher in Buffalo from 2011-13, but his numbers declined in 2014 and he then inked a deal in free agency with the Saints. Spiller averaged just 3.1 yards per carry on 36 attempts last season, though he did catch 34 passes and two touchdowns during his 13-game Saints tenure. This year, Spiller appeared in two games for the Seahawks, totaling nine yards off of three carries. He did slightly more in the passing game, catching five of nine targets for 43 yards and one touchdown.

With Spiller out of the picture, the Seahawks’ RB depth chart is once again headlined by Christine Michael and Prosise. Fifth-round rookie Alex Collins and Terrence Magee comprise the balance of the group.

GMs Believe Browns Will Trade Joe Thomas

October 26th, 2016 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Hue Jackson says that Joe Thomas isn’t going anywhere, but several GMs around the league believe that VP Sashi Brown will in fact trade him, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Brown tried hard to trade Thomas last year and called multiple teams around the league to get something done. Jackson wants to hold on to the multiple-time Pro Bowler and Thomas doesn’t want to be traded, but it ultimately won’t be up to either of them.

So far this season, the advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus have Thomas tied for No. 8 out of 75 qualified tackles. Thomas’ run blocking is starter quality but his 87.4 overall score for pass blocking puts him in elite company. There are a number of contending teams with offensive line issues as the trade deadline approaches and the Browns are predictably hearing from clubs with interest.

The Browns are now 0-7 after losing to the Bengals on Sunday. With no hope of making the playoffs, Brown could be inclined to pull the trigger, even if it upsets his first-year head coach.

Broncos’ C.J. Anderson To Miss Time?

October 26th, 2016 at 2:47pm CST by Zachary Links

C.J. Anderson is expected to be out at least a few weeks with a knee injury, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’s getting a second opinion today to see if he could be out for even longer than that.

Anderson suffered his injury early on in Monday night’s game. The running back held his knee while on the ground though he was not hit anywhere near the knee. Usually, non-contact knee injuries are the most severe. Anderson proved his toughness by staying in the game, but he’s now at the point where he’ll probably have to rest up for a little while.

So far this year, Anderson has 437 yards on the ground, making him Denver’s leading rusher. While Anderson is out, the Broncos are expected to slot Devontae Booker in as the starter while bumping Kapri Bibbs up the depth chart. The team may also explore adding a running back to hold them over. That addition could come within by promoting Juwan Thompson from the taxi squad.

Eric Ebron To Play On Sunday?

October 26th, 2016 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Lions tight end Eric Ebron is expected to start practicing this week, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). If he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, he’ll play on Sunday against the Texans.

Ebron has been dealing with knee and ankle injuries which have hampered him throughout the season. After playing in the Lions’ first four games, Ebron was shut down to avoid further damage. In those four weeks of action, Ebron caught 18 of 25 targets for 210 yards and one touchdown.

The former first-round pick had 47 receptions for 537 yards and five touchdowns in 2015, which were all career highs. This year, with Calvin Johnson out of the picture, Detroit was banking on Ebron taking on an even larger role. Once he’s healthy, we’re expecting to see Matthew Stafford throw plenty of passes in his direction.

Right now, free agent pickup Marvin Jones stands as the team’s leading receiver with 33 catches for 623 yards and four touchdowns. He’s also averaging an eye-popping 18.9 yards per catch. Jones may see less targets with Ebron on the field, but the tight end’s presence should also ease the defensive pressure on him.

The Lions are 4-3 heading into Sunday’s game at Houston.

Joe Thomas Hopes To Stay With Browns

October 26th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

Trade winds are blowing around Joe Thomas, but if he had his way, he wouldn’t go anywhere. This week, Browns coach Hue Jackson denied that Thomas is on the block and that was music to the tackle’s ears.

“[It] feels good to be loved. I’m hoping they stick to their word,” Thomas said (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer).

Thomas has been with the Browns for his entire career since entering the league in 2007. The former No. 3 overall pick in the draft has been showered with individual accolades, but he has yet to reach the postseason. One might think that the nine-time Pro Bowler and six-time First-Team All-Pro would want to join up with a contender. Apparently, that’s not the case.

The Patriots, Cardinals, Giants, Seahawks, and Vikings are said to have varying degrees of interest in the 31-year-old (32 in December). If Jackson is telling the truth, then they will all be left disappointed after the deadline.

Eagles’ Pederson Denies WR Trade Interest

October 26th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

Will the Eagles make a move for a wide receiver between now and the November trade deadline? Despite rumors linking them to Torrey Smith of the 49ers, coach Doug Pederson says that no such deal is brewing.

“I’m happy with the guys we have,” Pederson told reporters moments ago (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com).

Pederson went on to say that he is happy with the group of receivers that he already has. That group is anchored by Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, and Josh Huff with support from offseason trade acquisition Dorial Green-Beckham and waiver pickup Bryce Treggs. That may not be the most talented WR bunch in the NFL, but the Eagles might not need to tinker with things too much as they stand at 4-2. It’s also worth mentioning that both of the Eagles’ losses were tightly contested games. They fell 24-23 to the Lions and 27-20 to the Redskins. Meanwhile, they have notable wins over the Steelers and Vikings.

If Pederson opts to make changes to his receiver group, he could also turn to practice squad WRs Byron Marshall, Paul Turner, and David Watford.

Saints To Sign OL Khalif Barnes

October 26th, 2016 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. The Saints are signing Khalif Barnes to the roster, as Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune tweets.

Today’s deal marks the fourth time that New Orleans has signed Barnes to the roster since Aug. 30. Barnes’ most recent stint on the 53-man roster ended about two weeks ago when the Saints bumped him for Joe Callahan. He’s back now, but if recent history is any indication, he might not be around for long. For his career, the 34-year-old has 151 appearances and 117 starts to his name, but he hasn’t taken the field yet this season.

The Saints freed up a spot for Barnes on Tuesday when they dropped defensive end Chris McCain.

Extra Points: Eagles, Rams, Hawks, Bears, Pack

October 25th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Would a Torrey Smith trade make sense for the Eagles? Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com points out that fans should not focus on Smith’s stats as he has only 13 catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns so far this season. The Niners’ offense has struggled and that, of course, includes their massive issues at quarterback. At the same time, he is in the second year of a five-year, $40MM contract with $22MM guaranteed. As much as the Eagles might want an impact receiver, that’s a high price tag for a player of his caliber. Ultimately, Smith is a 27-year-0ld deep threat that is worth exploring, but the Eagles will have to consider his salary and the compensation they’d have to send back.

Let’s take a look at more from the NFC:

Are the Rams gearing up to install No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff as the starter? Coach Jeff Fisher says Case Keenum is still his starting quarterback, but Goff is now taking increased reps with the first team in practice (via the Associated Press). “He’s going to get reps,” Fisher said of Goff. “I don’t feel like Case needs the reps Wednesday and early next week, so Jared will get those reps, which is good.” One might expect Los Angeles to make the change during its bye week, but Fisher says he’s not ready to throw the rookie into the fire. Sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that Goff still isn’t ready to read defenses or face blitzes, meaning the rookie is likely to sit on the bench for the time being.
The Seahawks can save quarterback Russell Wilson by trading for an offensive tackle before the trade deadline, Alex Marvez of The Sporting News opines. Seahawks GM John Schneider hasn’t been shy about making big moves in the past, and Marvez feels that this is a perfect time for another. Both Joe Thomas and Joe Staley can reportedly be had via trade and Marvez feels that they should pounce immediately rather than waiting until the deadline gets closer and other teams get increasingly desperate.
With Bears money to spend and no defensive playmakers to speak of, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) suggests that they should go after Eric Berry in free agency. Berry, widely regarded as one of the best safeties in the NFL today, may not return to Kansas City after the two sides could not reach agreement on an extension this summer.
The Packers did not put in a waiver claim on quarterback Joe Callahan yesterday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Green Bay would have liked to re-acquire Callahan, whom they waived recently, but the club wanted him on its practice squad, not on the 53-man roster.