2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Brandon Marshall Doesn’t Want To Be Traded

October 31st, 2016 at 8:20am CST by Dallas Robinson

Brandon Marshall has no interest in being traded away by the Jets, the veteran receiver told reporters, including Connor Hughes of NJ.com, after New York’s victory over the Browns yesterday. “No…it’s not even a question,” said Marshall when asked if the club has discussed a potential trade with him. “I would be disappointed if that were to happen and that came up.”

“I love the ownership,” Marshall said. “I’m about to say the opposite of what Ryan Fitzpatrick said. I love my coaches. I love my teammates. To be honest, I like [the media], which is tough. I really do. I want to finish what we started here. We’re not out of it. We’re going to continue to fight, rally the troops, and get this team on the right track.”

No reports have indicated that the Jets are in fact discussing Marshall in trade talks, but given that the club has received calls on other players — such as defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson — it would make sense that the veteran receiver could be moved. Marshall is correct in saying that New York isn’t completely out of the playoff picture, but the Jets would have to rebound just to have a shot at a wild card berth. As such, an expensive, aging pass-catcher might not fit on a roster that could be on the cusp of a rebuild.

Marshall, 32, has continued to post excellent production in his 11th NFL season, as he’s put up 34 receptions for 540 yards, though he’s not scoring at the same rate that he has in past seasons (just two touchdowns thus far). Any team that acquired Marshall would be responsible for the remaining portion of his 2016 $9.5MM base salary, and then would essentially have an option for the 2017 campaign. Marshall is under contract for $7.5MM next season, but a club wouldn’t incur any dead money by releasing him.

Latest On NFL’s Ezekiel Elliott Investigation

October 30th, 2016 at 7:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Ezekiel Elliott’s ex-girlfriend is cooperating with the league’s investigation into the domestic abuse allegations against the player, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. If the league finds that there is merit to the accusations, her testimony could have a major impact on the Cowboys tailback.

The aforementioned woman has claimed that five separate incidents of domestic violence transpired. Elliott, meanwhile, has maintained his innocence. In September, the Columbus, Ohio district attorney’s office opted not to pursue charges against the Dallas rookie.

Heading into tonight’s game, Elliott has rushed for 703 yards and five touchdowns off of 137 carries. He also has eleven catches for 98 yards. It would certainly sting if the Cowboys were to lose Elliott for any period of time this season.

Under the league’s old personal conduct policy, Elliott might have been in the clear after the Columbus DA passed on charges. Now, in the post-Ray Rice era, the league is taking DV allegations much more seriously. It’s also fair to say that the league is being extra cautious in the wake of the Josh Brown controversy which has dominated headlines for weeks.

5+ Key Stories: 10/24/16 – 10/30/16

October 30th, 2016 at 6:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns unlikely to trade Josh Gordon. The Browns are “highly unlikely” to trade the troubled receiver between now and Tuesday’s deadline. Cleveland reportedly shopped him earlier this month, but the odds of a deal coming together are not looking good. It’s no huge surprise that teams are staying away from Gordon. Regarded as one of the best offensive talents in the game, the wide receiver has too many off-field demons to deal with at this time. Even if a team were to show interest in him, it would be hard to see the Browns getting much offered to them. Any team that would be willing to roll the dice on Gordon would be wise to wait until the Browns release him rather than give up draft compensation. In related news, Gordon has been released from rehab.

Jaguars make a coaching change. Over the weekend, the Jags canned offensive coordinator Greg Olsen. After the Jaguars were smashed by the Titans on Thursday night, owner Shad Khan apparently decided that he has seen enough. The Jaguars currently rank 31st in the NFL with only 72.6 rushing yards per game, and place 29th in Football Outsiders’ rushing DVOA. The passing game hasn’t been especially effective either, ranking 28th in DVOA as Blake Bortles has underwhelmed, to say the least.

Broncos place C.J. Anderson on IR. The Broncos got some bad news this week when running back C.J. Anderson was diagnosed with a torn meniscus. Now, Anderson has been placed on IR and the team can only hope to get him back in time for the postseason. With Anderson down, Devontae Booker will take over as the Broncos’ go-to rusher. The Broncos are high on the rookie, but he is obviously not as proven as Anderson.

Trouble for Teddy? Medical officials are worried about Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the long-term. The Louisville product suffered a gruesome leg injury in the offseason and it’s not immediately clear if he’ll be able to take the field in 2017. Some officials that are familiar with Bridgewater’s injury aren’t sure that he’ll ever be able to play again. After he suffered a torn ACL and dislocated his knee, Bridgewater has a long, painful road of rehab ahead of him. On the plus side, Vikings officials are pleased with what they’ve seen from his early stages of rehab.

Kicked out of New York. The Giants gave Josh Brown the boot as public pressure mounted against the player and the team. The team had already decided that Brown would never play for them again, but they wanted to further distance themselves from Brown in the wake of this year’s controversy. As it stands, Brown remains on the commissioner’s exempt list and he’ll probably be hit with a lengthy suspension once that stint is over. No matter what, he’ll probably never kick in the NFL again.

Joe on the go? Will the Browns trade Joe Thomas between now and Tuesday’s trade deadline? The Giants have reportedly expressed interest in the left tackle, but they have found that Cleveland does not seem intent on trading Thomas. Hue Jackson recently said that Thomas would not be dealt. Soon after, rival GMs mused that top exec Sashi Brown could pull the trigger on a deal anyway. In less than 48 hours, we’ll know what the Browns’ intentions are.

Jamaal Charles To Get Knee Checked Again

October 30th, 2016 at 4:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles will meet with Dr. James Andrews tomorrow for another status check on his injured knee, head coach Andy Reid told reporters, including Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Charles is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered a little over a year ago.

Charles, 29, has played in only three games this season, including Weeks 6 and 7, but the Chiefs had already ruled him out for today’s game. It’s unclear if Charles suffered a setback in his recovery, but the club said it was simply being cautious with the veteran back. Kansas City had been rolling along with Spencer Ware, who’d been averaging more than five yards per carry, but the third-year pro suffered a concussion against the Colts today.

With Ware and Charles sidelined, the Chiefs turned to the only other back on their roster, Charcandrick West, who received 14 carries on the day. If Charles gets bad new during his visit with Dr. Andrews, and Ware can’t escape from the league’s concussion protocol, Kansas City might be forced to sign one — or even two — free agent backs. The club currently has two RBs on its practice squad, Darrin Reaves and Zac Brooks.

No Extension Talks Between Packers, T.J. Lang

October 30th, 2016 at 4:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers have not engaged guard T.J. Lang in extension negotiations, Lang tells Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Lang reiterated that his preference is to stay in Green Bay for the long term.

The Packers have addressed a potential Lang extension in a similar fashion to how they handled the situation with Josh Sitton before he was released, according to McGinn. In other words, Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson informed Lang — as he did Sitton — that the club would target long-term deals with younger players before moving on to Lang. As McGinn notes, the Packers could likely save money by extending Lang now rather than waiting until he officially hits the market, but no deal appears to be in sight.

“Ted doesn’t give a rat’s (expletive) about PR,” said an NFL executive about the reaction to Sitton’s release. “You take a PR hit like that, you would try to (extend Lang). But Ted is not motivated to do stuff like that.”

Green Bay has experienced a drop-off from Sitton to current left guard Lane Taylor, several scouts told McGinn, so it could be difficult for the club to absorb the loss of Lang, as well. But with other players such as Nick Perry, J.C. Tretter, and Datone Jones also heading for free agency, and left tackle David Bakhtiari already having scored an extension, the money might not be there for Lang. One executive told McGinn that he would expect Lang to command $8-10MM on the open market.

“When they get to market, man, it is the wild, wild west,” said the exec. “Most of these guys, if they’re top three or top five in the free-agent class, they are going to get paid, and a lot more than they should. Most agents, when it gets halfway through the season, they say, ‘Hey, let’s go to market.’ It usually blows your mind what these guys get.”

NFL Likely To Suspend Josh Brown

October 30th, 2016 at 4:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL is still investigating former Giants Josh Brown for domestic assault and are expected to hand him a “lengthy suspension,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

[RELATED: Giants Sign Robbie Gould]

Despite being released by the Giants last week, Brown will still earn the remainder of his 2016 salary, per La Canfora, who reports that Brown is eligible for termination pay. Vested veterans are able to collect termination pay once during their careers, and the mechanism allows the player to collect his full base salary if he was on the Week 1 roster. Brown hasn’t filed for termination pay in the past, so he’s now exercising the right. If New York attempts to withhold his paycheck, the NFLPA will file a grievance on behalf of Brown, says La Canfora.

Brown, 37, is unlikely to play in the NFL ever again, according to La Canfora, who adds that several general managers say “they could not foresee a scenario in which [Brown] kicked again.”

Browns Unlikely To Trade Josh Gordon

October 30th, 2016 at 3:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns are “highly unlikely” to trade wide receiver Josh Gordon before Tuesday’s deadline, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Cleveland is said to be open to moving Gordon — and were reportedly shopping him earlier this month — but apparently the odds of a deal coming together are not good.

Gordon, who was released from rehab earlier today, originally decided to enter the facility following a “slip up,”and reports indicated that Gordon was dealing with an alcohol addiction. Some of Gordon’s past suspensions have been related to alcohol, and the pass-catcher also has a DUI on his rap sheet, so he decided entering rehab was the “extra step” he needed to get well.

Rival clubs were reportedly inquiring on Gordon over the summer, but the Browns indicated that they had no interest in trading their talented yet troubled wide receiver. However, former Patriots/Browns executive Michael Lombardi disputed that sentiment, claiming that Cleveland had been shopping Gordon all summer.

The Browns have indicated that they intend to part ways with Gordon at some point, although he won’t be an unrestricted for some time given his multiple suspensions.

Seahawks, Cards, Broncos Eyeing OL Upgrades

October 30th, 2016 at 3:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks, Cardinals, and Broncos are among the teams internally considering an offensive line acquisition, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, and those clubs are having conversations regarding what they would sacrifice in a trade. The Giants are also interested in making an offensive line deal, per La Canfora, confirming a report earlier today that indicated New York is evaluating the Browns’ Joe Thomas.

Thomas is of interest to Seattle, Arizona, and Denver, as well, but so is 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley, who is thought to be on the trade block. However, both Cleveland and San Francisco have placed high price tags on their respective tackles, and it’s unlikely that any of the interested clubs will be able to meet the cost, reports La Canfora. Both the Browns and 49ers have downplayed the idea that they’re looking to sell at the deadline, but that could be part of a strategy to drive up the price of their assets.

The Seahawks, of course, have fielded one of the more porous offensive lines for several years, and haven’t seemed interested in making a serious investment along their front five. The offensive line issues have become even more obvious with quarterback Russell Wilson playing through injuries, meaning he can’t move about the pocket with his usual prowess. Seattle also ranks 28th in adjusted line yards, Football Outsiders‘ run-blocking metric, and is now starting George Fant — a rookie undrafted free agent who hasn’t made a start since Pee Wee football — at left tackle.

The Cardinals’ offensive line troubles, meanwhile, have been on the interior, where the club has lost guard Evan Mathis for the season and center A.Q. Shipley hasn’t played well. But an acquisition of Thomas or Staley would clearly offer an upgrade, and would allow Arizona to move former first-round pick D.J. Humphries back to the bench. In such a scenario, either current left tackle Jared Veldheer or the Cards’ presumed addition would shift to the right side.

Like Arizona, most of Denver’s line problems have come on the inside, meaning the Broncos would need to shuffle their line in the event of a tackle trade. If Denver picked up Thomas or Staley, incumbent left tackle Russell Okung would probably move to the right side, allowing Donald Stephenson to switch from right tackle to guard.

Cowboys RB Darren McFadden On Trade Block

October 30th, 2016 at 2:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys are willing to trade running back Darren McFadden, but the price tag is said to be “significant,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. McFadden hasn’t suited up yet this season, as he’s been recovering from an offseason injury while on the non-football injury list.

Dallas received calls on McFadden before the season even began, as rival clubs likely assumed that the veteran back wasn’t part of the picture with the Cowboys after Dallas drafted Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall and signed free agent Alfred Morris. However, a subsequent report indicated that the Cowboys didn’t have any interest in dealing McFadden, and would keep him on the roster as something of an insurance policy.

With Elliott looking like the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, there likely won’t be a role available for McFadden even if he can return to health. A rival club, then, could acquire a somewhat underpriced asset, given that McFadden rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season and will cost only the prorated portion of a $1.25MM base salary. However, his health has always been a question mark, and given that he’s injured at the moment, the risk in adding McFadden is that much greater.

Bears Leadership Under Scrutiny

October 30th, 2016 at 1:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have limped to a disappointing 1-6 start, and the club’s front office and coaching staff is now being reviewed with the assistance of an outside consultant, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Sources tell Rapoport that Chicago has initiated a “full examination of the football operation from top to bottom,” and head coach John Fox may not be safe after the season concludes.

Opposing general managers and coaches have been extremely critical of the Bears’ performance thus far in 2016, per Rapoport, and some around the league have also questioned whether Fox is fully invested in the club’s results. While those close to Fox claim he is still putting in as many hours as ever, it’s clear that Chicago is heading in the wrong direction. As Rapoport notes, Fox has led turnarounds in both Denver and Carolina in the past, but that trend isn’t continuing with the Bears.

General manager Ryan Pace is also being evaluated, but Rapoport reports that Chicago’s ownership doesn’t believe Pace’s two-year tenure is enough time by which to judge his accomplishments. Acquiring talent is a more arduous process than developing it, and the Bears are pleased that their 2016 rookie class has shown “flashes” of promise. Still, rancor seemingly abounds between the front office and the coaching staff, and Rapoport says the two sides conducted “intense meetings” during the past week.

Fox is under contract through the 2018 season, while Pace is signed through the 2019 campaign.