2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Chargers Claim WR Jeremy Butler

October 31st, 2016 at 5:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers announced today that they’ve claimed wide receiver Jeremy Butler off waivers from the Jets. In order to create a roster spot, San Diego has waived fellow pass-catcher Isaiah Burse.

Reports last week indicated that the Chargers were open to adding a wide receiver to their roster, and while the club still may be willing to engage in trade talks, they’ve brought Butler aboard without sacrificing assets. Of course, Butler clearly isn’t a superb offensive weapon and will likely spend most of his time on special teams, but he gives San Diego some depth while it awaits the results of tests on Travis Benjamin‘s PCL injury (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).

Butler, 25, joined the Jets this offseason following two seasons with the Ravens. The former undrafted free agent has yet to see the field in 2016, but he was relatively productive in Baltimore last season. Butler appeared in eight games in 2015, collecting 31 catches for 363 yards.

Burse, who was just promoted from the practice squad over the weekend, has 13 games of NFL experience under his belt — he played in one contest with the Chargers last season, and spent 12 games on Denver’s roster the year prior. He’s never caught an NFL pass, and has mostly contributed as a special teams player. Burse was the Broncos’ primary punt returner in 2014, averaging 7.3 yards per return on 29 chances.

Buccaneers Waive CB Johnthan Banks

October 31st, 2016 at 4:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have waived cornerback Johnthan Banks, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bucs were reportedly willing to move Banks for a wide receiver before the deadline but it’s safe to assume that they could not find a deal.

Banks was a second round pick of the Bucs in the 2013 draft. Immediately thrust into the starting lineup, Banks has seen his role dwindle over time. This year, he did not start in any of the five games that he appeared in. Last year, he made seven starts out of 14 regular season appearances. Banks at least had some kind of role under Lovie Smith, but he clearly didn’t have a place once Dirk Koetter took over as head coach.

With Banks gone, the Bucs still have Jude Adjei-Barimah, Alterraun Verner, and Josh Robinson to support starters Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves.

Packers Cut RB Knile Davis

October 31st, 2016 at 3:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have released running back Knile Davis, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Davis’ Packers career ends after amassing just five carries for five yards.

Green Bay acquired Davis earlier this month after starter Eddie Lacy and primary backup James Starks were sidelined with injuries. At the time of the signing, it was expected that Davis would take over as Green Bay’s No. 1 traditional tailback for at least a little while. However, the Packers instead continued with converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery as their main option. Running back Don Jackson, who was recently promoted from the practice squad, is currently No. 2 on the RB depth chart.

Montgomery was sidelined on Sunday with an illness related to sickle cell trait, leaving Jackson to start for the Packers. Today’s move to cut Davis could be a sign that Montgomery is doing well. It could also be an indication that Starks’ return isn’t far off.

The Packers’ trade with the Chiefs called for them to send a conditional seventh-round pick to KC. Needless to say, Green Bay will now hang on to that pick.

Bears Unlikely To Trade Alshon Jeffery

October 31st, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Alshon Jeffery has been the subject of trade speculations for the last few weeks, but as the deadline draws near, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be moved. The Bears are not expected to trade the star wide receiver, sources tell Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter).

Jeffery is in his contract year and it will cost the Bears quite a bit if they want to lock him up for the long run. Still, the Bears do not feel totally comfortable going into 2017 with Kevin White as their top receiver, according to sources who spoke with Miller. Jeffery is a pending free agent and the Bears’ reluctance to let so much ride on White could be a sign that they are serious about a long-term deal. White, taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft, suffered a fractured fibula earlier this month and landed on IR. If he recovers well from surgery, he could return for Chicago later on this season.

Jeffery’s next contract could be for upwards of $14MM per season, putting him right in the same neighborhood as Julio Jones, Demaryius Thomas, and Dez Bryant. A.J. Green currently has the highest average salary of any wide receiver at $15MM. The Bears used the franchise tag on Jeffery last offseason and it is unlikely that they would go that route again.

Teams Scouting Browns CB Joe Haden

October 31st, 2016 at 2:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The trade deadline is 24 hours away and teams are doing their homework on Browns cornerback Joe Haden, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Haden has been dealing with injuries for the last two seasons, but he is still a well above-average cornerback and could draw interest from teams looking to bolster their defense.

Haden, 27, was limited to just five games last season because of various injuries, including a concussion. Then, this past spring, he underwent left ankle surgery. It goes without saying that any interested club will want to do a thorough medical examination on the star corner before finalizing a deal.

In his five games played this year, the advanced numbers have Haden ranked as a top 30 cornerback. When he’s healthy and playing at his best, Haden has shown that he can be an elite difference-maker. However, it remains to be seen whether the Browns will be willing to part with Haden. After acquiring linebacker Jamie Collins from the Patriots earlier today, it’s possible that the Browns are not only out of selling mode, but potentially in buying mode.

Cardinals DB Tyrann Mathieu To Miss Time

October 31st, 2016 at 2:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals announced that defensive back Tyrann Mathieu will miss 3-6 weeks with a shoulder injury. Mathieu’s shoulder popped out during Sunday’s game against the Panthers and he’ll need some time to heal up.

Fortunately, the Cardinals are entering a bye week, so Mathieu could miss as few as two games before returning on Sunday, Nov. 27 against the Falcons. If the Cardinals’ defensive star needs the full six weeks to recover, then he could be out of action until mid-December.

The Cardinals and Tyrann Mathieu agreed to a five-year contract extension in August that made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL and locked him up through 2021. In 2015, Mathieu earned a Pro Bowl selection and was named first-team All Pro. In his 14 games, Mathieu recorded five interceptions, 89 tackles, one sack, 17 passes defensed, and graded out as the No. 1 cornerback in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. So far this year, PFF has him rated as just the 44th best safety in the league out of 89 qualifiers.

Cardinals Place Jared Veldheer On IR

October 31st, 2016 at 12:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals left tackle Jared Veldheer needs surgery on his partially torn triceps, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schefter notes that Veldheer had this surgery before and missed ten weeks. The Cardinals have confirmed that Veldheer will go on IR and he is almost certainly done for the year.

Veldheer exited Sunday’s game against the Panthers in the fourth quarter. It’s a frustrating situation for Veldheer who was playing through a broken finger and has already dealt with this tear.

The veteran’s first triceps tear came in 2013 when he was in his contract year with the Raiders. Fortunately, he still found a healthy offensive line market in the spring and landed with Arizona on a five-year, $35MM deal.

The 3-4 Cardinals will miss Veldheer who is ranked No. 18 out of 74 qualified tackles so far this year. Veldheer has been an absolute workhorse for the Cardinals with 578 total snaps on the field this year, the second-highest total amongst tackles this season.

Patriots Trade LB Jamie Collins To Browns

October 31st, 2016 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are trading linebacker Jamie Collins to the Browns, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In return, New England will receive a compensatory third-round pick. The deal has been confirmed via press release.

Recently, the Patriots made a team-friendly extension offer to Collins, but they were rebuffed. The Pats likely didn’t think that they could work out a new deal with the pending free agent, leading them to today’s trade. Of course, New England has a number of key players to take care of, including Martellus Bennett, Malcolm Butler (restricted free agent), Dont’a Hightower, and Logan Ryan. Had the Patriots waited for Collins to sign elsewhere in the offseason, their compensatory pick would have come in 2018.

The Browns, meanwhile, have been stockpiling draft picks in unprecedented fashion and they used one of those selections today to acquire one of the league’s top outside linebackers. Through seven games, Collins has 43 tackles, one sack, three passes defensed, and two interceptions. The advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus have Collins ranked as the No. 9 linebacker in the NFL this year with roughly even grades for his run defense and coverage.

Presumably, the Browns are going to try and lock up Collins on a long-term deal. Cleveland can utilize the franchise tag to keep Collins for the 2017 season and he’s probably the team’s best candidate for that designation.

We haven’t heard any trade rumors involving Collins this week and the deal comes as a complete shock. No one anticipated that the Patriots would deal one of their best defenders this week and no one expected the rebuilding Browns to acquire a bonafide star prior to the deadline. There has been lots of talk about Cleveland moving key veterans like Joe Thomas, but it’s possible that the Browns could continue in buyer’s mode for the next 24 hours.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Alonso, Jets, Patriots

October 31st, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins are hoping to keep linebacker Kiko Alonso for the 2017 season, but are wary that he may receive an “uncomfortably high offer” as a restricted free agent next March, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Because Alonso spent his entire sophomore season on the NFI list, he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2018, and Miami could re-sign him via a RFA tender. A first-round tender will likely cost ~$4MM, but that could be a price the Dolphins are willing to pay. In his first season in Miami, Alonso has started all seven games while posting 34 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Dion Jordan told Jackson that his second knee procedure was a result of “trying to too hard to come back too soon,” and also admitted that he isn’t sure when he’ll be back on the field (though Jordan does think he can return during the 2016 season). Jordan, who now sits at 275 pounds, is fully committed to playing defensive end for the Dolphins, and realizes that outside linebacker isn’t an option at his current weight. The 26-year-old is on the non-football injury list at the moment, and Miami hasn’t given any hint that Jordan is still in their plans for this season, or beyond.
While the Jets have received trade interest in defensive end Sheldon Richardson, as least one source tells Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday that Richardson is unlikely to moved. “He is a two-strike guy, so [the Jets] won’t get what they want,” the source told Martin (referencing Richardson’s suspensions), but did confirm the pass-rusher’s name “is out there.” Richardson himself also commented on the rumors, and didn’t seemed surprised his name was being bandied about. “It’s big business. That’s what it is,” he told Martin. “We’ve got a surplus of defensive linemen that are capable of being starters. And they drafted [Leonard Williams], paid [Muhammad Wilkerson]…So we’ll see.”
The Patriots had discussed an A.J. Derby trade with the Broncos before the regular season began, so the two side had a basis on which to build when they ultimately struck a deal to send the tight end to Denver last week, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. The Broncos had been interested in Derby as far back as the 2015 draft, but New England wasn’t ready to move him earlier this year. The Patriots were able to recoup a fifth-round pick for Derby, which Reiss reports was viewed as a strong return around the league.

Andre Johnson To Retire

October 31st, 2016 at 9:08am CST by Dallas Robinson

Andre Johnson told his Titans teammates this morning that he plans to retire, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Johnson, 35, won’t finish out his 14th season in the NFL and will instead hang up his cleats, and the Titans have confirmed his decision.

Johnson, of course, spent the entirety of his career in the AFC South, and will be most remembered for his 12 years with the Texans, during which he was consistently overlooked as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. With more than 13,000 yards receiving for Houston, he’s the club’s leader in yards by nearly 9,000, and his 64 touchdowns are more than double that of any other Texans receiver. But because Houston was on the fringes of playoff contention for most of Johnson’s career, he isn’t typically mentioned on the short list of the era’s best pass-catchers.

Johnson, however, will have a strong case for Hall of Fame enshrinement as soon as he’s eligible. His 1,062 career receptions places him eighth all-time (just behind Reggie Wayne), while he currently ranks ninth in receiving yards with 14,185. And Johnson was just as exceptional on a rate basis, as his 73.5 yards per game places him ninth in league history.

While Johnson put up tremendous seasons with the Texans, and twice lead the league in yardage, the last two seasons were not kind to him, as he sputtered with two other AFC South clubs. After signing a three-year deal with the Colts prior to 2015, Johnson had the worst year of his career, and was released after only a single campaign in Indianapolis. Johnson then accepted the veteran’s minimum to latch on with Tennessee for 2016, but had received only 22 targets on the year.

Johnson is the second Texans legend to announce his retirement in as many weeks, as running back Arian Foster also called it a career last Monday.