2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers Unlikely To Make Trade Next Week

October 29th, 2016 at 5:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers don’t seem likely to make a deal before Tuesday’s trade deadline, according to Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review. Carolina head coach Ron Rivera spoke with reporters — including Voth — this week, and spoke to the odds of general manager Dave Gettleman swinging a trade in the coming days.

“I think it’s one of those things where there’s a number of names are out there,” Rivers said yesterday. “And I know Dave and his guys have been looking at those guys. But whether we’re going to be an active participant or not, I’m not sure if that’s been decided.”

Though the Panthers have areas of their roster that could use upgrades, the club’s surprising 1-5 start means sacrificing draft compensation for an immediate talent infusion might not be the correct course of action. Both Football Outsiders and FiveThirtyEight give Carolina less than a 10% chance of earning a postseason berth, and even the most significant addition wouldn’t do much to affect those odds.

So while a unit such as the defensive backfield (which ranks 27th in defensive passing DVOA, and recently saw its 17th and 18th transactions in activating Leonard Johnson and placing Teddy Williams on IR, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer) could use help, a deal doesn’t appear likely to come to fruition. However, while the Panthers might not be buyers next week, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be sellers.

“I don’t think there’s anybody we’re looking to sell. I think for us, everything is going forward,” Rivera said. “We’re in an interesting position in terms of our core guys. There’s eight, nine, ten of them that we feel really good about going forward.”

“I think we’ve got a good, solid group,” Rivera continued. “If anything, who knows, maybe there is something that we’re looking at.”Maybe this is the type of game that could dictate whether or not we’re buyers. But that’s pure speculation.”

Patriots Promote RB Tyler Gaffney

October 29th, 2016 at 4:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots have promoted running back Tyler Gaffney from the practice squad to the active roster, the club announced today. Because it had already had an empty roster spot, New England did not need to make a corresponding transaction.

Gaffney, 25, was a sixth-round pick in the 2014 draft, but various injuries have left him unable to appear in a single game during his career. The Patriots claimed Gaffney off waivers from the Panthers during his rookie season, and stashed him on injured reserve in each of the next two years. After being waived with an injury settlement in September, Gaffney signed on with New England’s practice squad in mid-October.

If he’s active on Sunday against the Bills, Gaffney will serve as a depth option behind LeGarrette Blount, James White, Brandon Bolden, and D.J. Foster, while also likely playing on special teams. Gaffney’s roster spot could be in danger if and when Dion Lewis returns from the PUP list — Lewis returned to practice earlier this week, meaning the Patriots have a three-week window during which they can activate Lewis.

Given that Gaffney went unsigned for more than a month earlier this year, the Patriots likely believe they can pass him through waivers and place him back on the taxi squad if Lewis comes back soon, as Doug Kyed of NESN tweets.

Chargers Open To Trading For Wide Receiver

October 29th, 2016 at 3:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers are “actively scouting” the NFL and are open to dealing for wide receiver help, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. However, the club is unwilling to trade a first- or second-round pick, and an agreement appears unlikely.

San Diego was hit hard at the wide receiver position even before the season’s first week had come to a close. Keenan Allen, who agreed to a contract extension over the offseason, tore his ACL during Week 1 and is done for the year, while Stevie Johnson never played a snap after injuring his meniscus during the summer. Running back Danny Woodhead, meanwhile, had been a key factor in the Chargers’ passing attack, but also suffered a torn ACL in September.

The remaining options on the roster have stepped up in the absence of Allen, Johnson, and Woodhead, and second-year receiver Tyrell Williams has especially excelled thus far, posting 31 receptions and 526 yards through seven games. But as Acee notes, Williams has already played 12 times the snaps he saw during his rookie campaign, and is in danger of being overworked. Additionally, both he and fellow pass-catcher Travis Benjamin are battling knee injuries, while rookie tight end Hunter Henry recently suffered a concussion.

Even if the Chargers are willing to part with a mid-round pick, however, a deal is unlikely to come together, especially given that San Diego doesn’t have much cap space. With less than $2MM available, the Chargers wouldn’t be able to afford high-priced options such as Alshon Jeffery or Torrey Smith that could be available in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Within his article, Acee tosses out the Jaguars’ Marqise Lee and the Panthers’ Corey Brown as potential targets, but those names appear speculative.

Chargers Promote WR Isaiah Burse

October 29th, 2016 at 2:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers announced today that they’ve promoted wide receiver Isaiah Burse from the practice squad in advance of Sunday’s game against the Broncos. Cornerback Pierre Desir has been waived in a corresponding move.

Before the addition of Burse, San Diego had only four wide receivers on its depth chart, with Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin, Dontrelle Inman, and Griff Whalen making up the club’s pass-catching unit. Two of those receivers are listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest, as both Williams and Benjamin are battling knee injuries. However, both players appear “on track” to play in Week 8, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com.

Burse, 24, 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.

Desir, 26, was waived by the Chargers last Saturday before being brought back into the fold the following Monday. He’s appeared in five games for San Diego this season, but has played on only 22 defensive snaps — he’s managed another 37 on special teams. With Desir out of the picture, the Chargers will head into their divisional matchup with Brandon Flowers, Casey Hayward, Craig Mager, Steve Williams, and Trevor Williams in the defensive backfield.

Vikings Likely To Activate Taylor Heinicke Soon

October 29th, 2016 at 2:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings are likely to activate quarterback Taylor Heinicke following the club’s Week 9 game against the Lions, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Heinicke has spent the season on the non-football injury list after suffering a freak injury to his left foot in July.

Minnesota waived fellow quarterback Joel Stave from its practice squad earlier this week, a move that not only signaled confidence in Heinicke’s ability to return, but will allow him to garner more snaps during practice sessions, the source told Tomasson. Heinicke, 23, returned to practice earlier this month, starting the clock on a three-week window during which the Vikings must place him on the 53-man roster. If he’s not activated by November 9, Heinicke will miss the remainder of the season.

If and when he returns to the active roster, Heinicke would served as the Vikings’ third quarterback behind Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill. He’d also have practice squad eligibility, but Minnesota would have to feel comfortable placing him on waivers before sneaking him onto its taxi squad. Heinicke, a 2015 undrafted free agent, was on the Vikings’ roster for his entire rookie campaign, but was never active for a game.

Jaguars Fire OC Greg Olson

October 29th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars have made a coaching change after all. The club has fired offensive coordinator Greg Olson, according to Adam Schefter and and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Quarterbacks coach Nathaniel Hackett will take over as Jacksonville’s play-caller, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

After Jacksonville lost in an emphatic fashion to the division rival Titans on Thursday night, owner Shad Kahn expressed his displeasure with the club’s performance but did not make a move to relieve head coach Gus Bradley, whom recent reports have indicated is safe through the 2016 campaign. Bradley, too, publicly supported his coaching staff, but did not specifically endorse any individual coach following the loss.

Indeed, Bradley has experienced a “disconnect” with Olson for some time, per Rapoport (Twitter link), who adds that Bradley felt the offensive coordinator had abandoned an emphasis on the rushing attack. The Jaguars currently rank 31st in the NFL with only 72.6 rushing yards per game, and place 29th in Football Outsiders’ rushing DVOA.

Jacksonville’s passing game hasn’t been especially effective either, ranking 28th in DVOA as quarterback Blake Bortles has seemingly regressed in his third NFL season. Through seven games, Bortles has only completed 60% of his passes while posting 12 interceptions and nine touchdowns. And Bortles’ statistics don’t paint the entire picture, as Thursday night’s game was evidence that he can pad his numbers late in losing efforts.

Of course, the man taking over for Olson was previously Bortles’ position coach, so it’s fair to wonder if the young signal-caller will be able to improve over the second half of the season. Hackett, 36, has previously served as the offensive coordinator for both the Bills and Syracuse, but has been with the Jaguars since 2015. According to Caplan (Twitter link), Hackett will likely aim to help Bortles to release the ball in a quicker fashion in an effort to stave off opposing pass rushers.

Olson, 53, had been in his second stint with Jacksonville, having served as the team’s assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach during the 2012 campaign. He’s acted as play-caller for a number of NFL teams, including the Lions, Rams, Buccaneers, and Raiders.

Jets Activate Breno Giacomini, Waive Jeremy Butler

October 29th, 2016 at 12:57pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets could be receiving some offensive line reinforcement as soon as this weekend. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), the Jets have activated right tackle Breno Giacomini from the physically unable to perform list. To make room on the roster, the team has waived wideout Jeremy Butler.

Giacomini will be a welcome addition to an offensive line that has been middle-of-the-road this season in regards to sacks and rushing yards. The 31-year-old joined the Jets in 2014, and he proceeded to start all 32 games over the previous two seasons. The tackle, who has also spent time with the Seahawks and Packers, has made 73 career appearances (65 starts). It’s uncertain whether Giacomini will immediately replace starters Ryan Clady or Ben Ijalana, although it’s worth noting that center Nick Mangold in doubtful for this weekend’s game.

Butler, 25, joined the Jets this offseason following two seasons with the Ravens. The former undrafted free agent has yet to see the field this year, but he was relatively productive in Baltimore last season. The Tennessee-Martin product appeared in eight games in 2015, collecting 31 catches for 363 yards. The wideout also had a brief stint with the Buccaneers, and Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times wonders (via Twitter) if the team may give Butler a second look.

Broncos To Place C.J. Anderson On IR

October 29th, 2016 at 12:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

SATURDAY, 12:40pm: It’s official. The Broncos have place Anderson on the IR (via Klis on Twitter). The team has also officially promoted Thompson to the active roster (via Klis).

FRIDAY, 4:12pm: The Broncos will place running back C.J. Anderson on injured reserve and promote fellow rusher Juwan Thompson from their practice squad, reports Mike Klis of 9News. Anderson will be eligible to come back in eight weeks, and the 25-year-old announced on Twitter that he’s aiming for a playoff return if the 5-2 Broncos make it that far.

Over the Broncos’ first seven games, Anderson easily led the team in carries (110), ground yards (437) and rushing touchdowns (four). He also added 16 catches and another score. Anderson tore his right meniscus in the first quarter of the Broncos’ win over the Texans on Monday and underwent surgery Thursday.

With Anderson down, rookie Devontae Booker will take over as the Broncos’ go-to rusher. The fourth-rounder from Utah is the only back other than Anderson on Denver’s roster who has accrued double-digit carries this year. Booker has averaged an impressive 4.8 yards per attempt and found the end zone once on 51 carries. That score came versus the Texans, against whom Booker notched career highs in carries (17) and yards (83).

Extra Points: Cowboys, Richardson, Penn

October 29th, 2016 at 12:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

Sheldon Richardson is hoping his versatility will pay off… literally. The Jets defender has contributed on the defensive line and at linebacker this season, and the 25-year-old is hoping other team’s will recognize his versatility when he reaches free agency after next season. “I think it’ll give me more money, just to be honest,” Richardson said (via Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press). “My film don’t lie. You took a three-technique (lineman) that was drafted in the first round and put him at outside linebacker and he held his own…That’s just building up a resume for that.”
In 2014, left tackle Donald Penn saw his eight-year tenure with the Buccaneers come to an end after he was unceremoniously released. The 33-year-old, who now plays for the Raiders, will be making his return to Tampa Bay this weekend, and the veteran was adamant that he wants to stick it to his former team. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s very huge,” Penn told Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “You know me, I’m a straight forward guy. That’s definitely in my mind. I mean that’s something I’m never going to forget, when they released me.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter details how the Cowboys ultimately landed rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, despite the fact that the team explored every other possibility at the position. The team brought in a whopping seven rookie quarterbacks for workouts (including Prescott, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch, Christian Hackenberg, Jacoby Brissett, and Connor Cook), and the team also took a look at veterans Nick Foles and Josh McCown.
In case you missed it, we learned yesterday that a number of teams are eyeing reinforcement on their offensive lines.

Nick Saban Expressed Interest In Giants Head Coaching Gig?

October 29th, 2016 at 11:07am CST by Ben Levine

Take this one for what it’s worth. Actor Tom Arnold (yup, that’s not a typo) recently told ESPN’s Paul Finebaum that Alabama coach Nick Saban expressed interest in the Giants head coach opening this past offseason. According to Arnold, the team had already finalized a deal with eventual head coach Ben McAdoo when Saban threw his name into the ring.

“They got his deal done with [Ben McAdoo] and they are ready to sign him, and they get a call from Bob Ehrman [an intermediary] who says Nick Saban wants the job,” Arnold said (via Hannah Withiam of the New York Post). “So they had to stop. This is a Saturday night. They said, ‘You have until Sunday morning at 8 a.m. to say a definite yes. Tell us what he needs for money.’ ‘Well, he needs $10 million to start with and this is the deal. He has to get it approved by his wife right.’ Well, he has to get it approved by his wife right this second because we have a coach on the string here. But if he wants to do it, it has to be right this second. So he had until Sunday morning at 8 a.m. and it didn’t work out. But it was close.”

We wouldn’t consider Arnold a legitimate source for NFL rumors, although the comedian is good friends with Giants owner Steve Tisch. When asked if there was any legitimacy to the reports, a team spokesman responded “no.” Of course, at this point, you wouldn’t necessarily expect the organization to acknowledge that they nearly backed out of their deal with McAdoo in order to sign the Alabama coach. James Kratch of NJ Advance Media questions Arnold’s timeline (via Twitter), although he acknowledges that “the details seem rather legit.”

Saban, 64, didn’t have much success during his first stint in the NFL, leading the Dolphins to a 15-17 record in two seasons with the team. Since that time, Saban has led Alabama to four National Championships, and he also earned the AP National Coach of the Year award in 2008. As Withiam writes, Saban’s “extraordinary success at the college level has earned him respect from professional organizations.” Therefore, it’s not farfetched that the team would have at least considered hiring the coach.

McAdoo has done an admirable job during his first season as head coach of the Giants, leading the team to a 4-3 record. The former Giants offensive coordinator replaced long-time Giants coach Tom Coughlin this past offseason.