HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Coaching Notes: Quinn, Belichick, Bradley

October 29th, 2016 at 9:55am CST by Ben Levine

Every team in the league could zero in on a specific position that needs an upgrade. However, most coaches, including Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, would prefer to roll with their own guys. With the Falcons sitting at 4-3, fans could surely find areas of the team to nitpick. Nonetheless, Quinn is content on moving forward with his current squad.

“I feel like we have a very competitive group,” Quinn told ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. “So, for us, we love the guys we have. Fortunately for us, the thing that I’m excited [about] — you guys know this, but I don’t get a chance to talk about it enough — is our practice squad. I feel like this is a group in waiting that we’ve got some guys that are anxious to go. We’ve moved some of them up already… There’s a number of guys, if called upon, would be ready. That’s why maybe I feel like I love the depth that we have with some of the guys. We’re already developing some guys right through it. That’s the preferred way.”

Let’s take a look at some more coaching notes from around the NFL…

  • McClure wonders if the Falcons may be inclined to change their opinion if Dwight Freeney‘s injury proves to be more serious than originally thought. Meanwhile, the writer suggests the team could look to deal some of their players, including cornerback Jalen Collins, for future draft picks.
  • Patriots coach Bill Belichick is typically active on the trade front, and the team even managed to pull off a pair of deals earlier this week. However, the head coach acknowledged that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pull off these swaps. “I mean, you know, there are a lot of teams that don’t … they seem kind of reluctant to trade — this time of year, especially,” Belichick told Phil Perry of CSNNE.com.
  • Jaguars coach Gus Bradley provided an emphatic “no” when asked if his team’s 2-5 start could lead to changes on the coaching staff. However, Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com notes that the head coach didn’t necessarily endorse any of his fellow coaches, including offensive coordinator Greg Olson.
  • Some Jaguars players recognize that their coaches may be on the hot seat following a slow start to the season. “Gus will always take the blame as the coach,” wideout Allen Hurns told O’Halloran. “We’ve got to win. I’m worried [about him]. Everybody feels strongly about Gus. You try not to listen to it or let it get to you, but it is kind of impossible now. Hopefully, they’ll stick it out with him but we’ve got to find something to get this going.”

Bills Promote Marcus Roberson

October 29th, 2016 at 8:40am CST by Ben Levine

The Bills only filled one of their two open roster spots yesterday, and it looks like they’ll be using that final opening to add a defensive back. According to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter), the Bills have promoted cornerback Marcus Roberson from the practice squad.

Marcus Roberson

The former undrafted free agent out of Florida won’t be making his NFL debut, as the 24-year-old appeared in 25 games with the Rams between 2014 and 2015. In that time, Roberson compiled 34 tackles, seven passes defended, and one interception. Despite appearing in 16 games (with four starts) for the Rams last season, the team released the cornerback in early September. Roberson will join a deep cornerback corps that features Stephon Gilmore, Ronald Darby, Nickell Robey, Kevon Seymour, and Corey White.

Considering the injuries to the Bills’ wideouts, some believed the team would use their final roster spot on a receiver. However, Buscaglia believes top wideout Robert Woods must be healthy enough for this weekend, limiting the urgency to promote or acquire another receiver.

The Bills waived tight end Manasseh Garner and wide receiver Ed Eagan yesterday, and they also promoted tight end Gerald Christian from the practice squad.

Extra Points: Eagles, Bucs, Cowboys, Injuries

October 28th, 2016 at 9:27pm CST by Zachary Links

There’s a lot of talk about receivers the Eagles could acquire, but which players could they look to trade themselves? Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com runs down some candidates, including linebacker Mychal Kendricks. The Eagles are somewhat thin at linebacker, but it seems defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz isn’t that high on Kendricks and other teams would probably use him more than Philly has. Other suggested trade candidates include interior offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski, wide receiver Nelson Agholor, defensive end Connor Barwin, and running back Ryan Mathews.

  • Will the Buccaneers acquire a veteran wide receiver between now and the trade deadline? Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders notes that there is a need there after Louis Murphy‘s latest setback and looks at a handful of candidates around the league. Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery is a game-changing talent, but he’s in his contract year and the Bucs would have to juggle re-signing him while trying to extend Mike Evans this offseason. For that reason, someone like 49ers receiver Torrey Smith might make more sense for Tampa Bay.
  • The Cowboys had interest in Chase Daniel as a backup quarterback during the offseason, Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram tweets. However, that was before the Eagles made Daniel the league’s highest-paid reserve QB.
  • Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has injury updates on a number of key players. Colts receiver Donte Moncrief will play, but Falcons running back Tevin Coleman won’t. Neither will Redskins rusher Matt Jones, whose teammate, tight end Jordan Reed, is questionable.
  • Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis admitted that he’s “breaking down,” but he’s not thinking retirement.

Vikings, Colts, Seahawks Seeking O-line Help

October 28th, 2016 at 8:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline approaching, the Vikings, Colts and Seahawks are looking to bolster their offensive lines for potential playoff runs, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). It’s unclear if any of those teams will offer enough for either of the best offensive tackles potentially on the move – the Browns’ Joe Thomas or the 49ers’ Joe Staley – says Cole, who adds that it would likely take at least a second-round pick to land one of them.

Joe Thomas

Despite his Hall of Fame-caliber resume, interest in the 31-year-old Thomas is limited, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Friday. Browns head coach Hue Jackson has shot down rumors that the team is shopping the nine-time Pro Bowler, and Thomas has made it clear that he doesn’t want to leave Cleveland, but general managers around the league expect a deal to materialize by the deadline. Any team that trades for Thomas would be on the hook for the cap charges remaining on the seven-year, $84MM extension he signed in 2011. Thomas has a $9.5MM cap number for this year and a $10MM figure in each of the next two seasons, though there’s no dead money left on his deal.

Staley, 32, hasn’t achieved Thomas’ level of success, but the 10th-year man has nonetheless been a terrific and durable lineman throughout his career. Now, there are conflicting stories on whether the five-time Pro Bowler is on the block. Staley’s contract isn’t nearly as club-friendly as Thomas’, with a combined $13.2MM in dead money remaining from 2017-19 and individual cap holds of $8.3MM, $11.15MM, and $7.7MM in both 2018 and ’19.

At 5-1, Minnesota is in a tie with Dallas for the best record in the NFC, but the Vikings’ offensive line has been problematic from a run-blocking standpoint. The group ranks last in the NFL in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards metrics, and the Adrian Peterson-less running back corps is looking up at the rest of the league with a paltry 2.6 yards per carry. Further, after the team’s 21-10 loss to the Eagles last week, head coach Mike Zimmer called the O-line “soft.” Quarterback Sam Bradford, in whom the Vikings invested a significant amount after Teddy Bridgewater‘s catastrophic injury, took six sacks in Philadelphia, though the Vikings have only allowed 14 this year.

Joe Staley (vertical)

Without left tackle Matt Kalil, who went on injured reserve after Week 2, the Vikings have turned to T.J. Clemmings and Jake Long and received underwhelming results. Either Thomas or Staley would provide a major boost on Bradford’s blind side, but the Vikings are already without a first-round pick in 2017 because of the Bradford trade. Losing another high selection wouldn’t be optimal, as general manager Rick Spielman said earlier this month.

“We’re still going to always build through the draft. You can’t do that without having the draft picks,” he stated.

Unlike the Vikings’, the Colts’ pass blocking has been disastrous. Quarterback Andrew Luck has taken a league-worst 25 sacks this year, and FO ranks the team’s line 30th in adjusted sack rate. Acquiring Thomas or Staley would enable the Colts to shift left tackle Anthony Castonzo to the right side, thereby sending fifth-round rookie Joe Haeg to the bench. However, the 3-4 Colts don’t look like a team that should be parting with valuable draft choices, and picking up Thomas or Staley would add another sizable contract to the ledger on the offensive side of the ball. GM Ryan Grigson said three weeks ago that the Colts are at a disadvantage in building a defense because of Luck’s deal, so it’s difficult to envision them racking up another big-money offensive cog.

The 4-1-1 Seahawks are above average in adjusted sack rate (13th) and sacks surrendered (fifth), but they might have incentive to further strengthen their line with quarterback Russell Wilson playing through multiple injuries and left tackle Bradley Sowell on the shelf with a knee sprain. Plus, unlike in years past, Seattle has struggled to run the ball, ranking 28th in adjusted line yards and 31st in YPC (3.1).

With each of these teams set to play another game before the deadline, this week’s outcomes could affect whether they make a late push for Thomas or Staley. The same goes for the league’s other playoff contenders, as an injury to a left tackle could send a GM scrambling to the phone to call Cleveland’s Sashi Brown or San Francisco’s Trent Baalke about their O-line stalwarts.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Promote One, Waive Two

October 28th, 2016 at 6:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills have promoted tight end Gerald Christian from their practice squad, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. In corresponding moves, Buffalo has waived fellow tight end Manasseh Garner and wide receiver Ed Eagan.

[RELATED: LeSean McCoy Unlikely To Play Sunday]

This is the second promotion of the year for Christian, who has shuffled in and out of the Bills organization since originally joining the practice squad Sept. 7. Christian previously suited up for the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams, but he only played five snaps and didn’t record any statistics. The second-year man and former Cardinal will provide depth this week behind Charles Clay and Nick O’Leary as the 4-3 Bills host the AFC East rival Patriots (6-1).

Ed Eagan

Garner, formerly with the Broncos, signed with the Bills’ practice squad on Oct. 5 and earned a promotion for the club’s game in Miami last week. The 24-year-old didn’t see any action, however, as the Bills fell 28-25.

Eagan was set to suit up for the Bills this Sunday after receiving a promotion (and a comparison to Wes Welker from head coach Rex Ryan), but it turns out that won’t be the case for the undrafted rookie from Northwestern State. Although the Bills are perilously thin at receiver, where they’ve gone without Sammy Watkins for most of the season and are also dealing with injuries to Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin, that wasn’t enough to keep the 5-foot-10, 193-pound Eagan in the fold.

Michael Bennett Could Require Knee Surgery

October 28th, 2016 at 5:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has a right knee injury that will keep him out Sunday in New Orleans and could require surgery, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters – including the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta – on Friday. Bennett’s Week 8 absence will end a streak of 74 consecutive regular-season games played that dates back to 2011, when he was with the Buccaneers.

Michael Bennett

Tests on Bennett revealed “a little cartilage deal” that “might be related” to a chop block he took from Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews in Week 6, according to Carroll. Bennett took the field for 81 snaps last Sunday in the Seahawks’ 6-6 tie with the Cardinals, but he felt discomfort that hasn’t subsided this week.

“We’re going to check him on Monday and see if there’s something we can do for him,” Carroll said. “His knee bothered him after the game coming out so we’re going to take care of him. We’ll look into seeing what’s necessary next week.”

Losing a contributor as important as the well-rounded Bennett for an extended period would be a notable blow to a Seahawks defense which is once again among the NFL’s best. During NFC West-leading Seattle’s first six games this year, in which it went 4-1-1, Bennett amassed 24 tackles, three sacks and led the club’s defensive linemen in snap percentage (84.9).

For however long the 30-year-old Bennett is out, the Seahawks will fill his void with Frank Clark and Cassius Marsh, Carroll said. Clark, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, already has 4.5 sacks this season despite having played less than 50 percent of Seattle’s defensive snaps. Marsh has racked up two sacks in an even more limited role (29.9 percent of snaps).

AFC Notes: Chiefs, Bills, Texans, Browns

October 28th, 2016 at 5:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs announced that they have ruled out running back Jamaal Charles for Sunday’s game against Indianapolis. The team says it’s being careful with the four-time Pro bowler given that he suffered a torn ACL last year. In place of Charles, who has only 12 carries in three appearances this season, the Chiefs will continue leaning on Spencer Ware. The third-year man has held his own with nearly 800 total yards (492 rushing, 285 receiving) and three touchdowns in the Chiefs’ first six games.

More regarding Kansas City and three other AFC teams:

  • Bills general manager Doug Whaley tells WGR 550 the trade market has been “relatively quiet,” but he thinks it will pick up after Sunday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak). He added that the Bills would not hesitate to make a trade before Tuesday’s deadline.
  • Texans head coach Bill O’Brien classifies running back Lamar Miller as a game-time decision for Sunday’s contest against the Lions, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Miller suffered a bruised shoulder in the Texans’ loss to the Broncos on Monday, but he plans to play through it, writes Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. Miller and backup Alfred Blue picked up 11 carries apiece in Denver.
  • In addition to the previously reported Cayleb Jones, Jeremiah McKinnon, Blake Muir and James Vaughters, the Chiefs worked out defensive end Bobby Richardson on Tuesday, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Richardson started in 11 of 15 appearances as a rookie with the Saints last year, though he didn’t make much of an impact statistically (20 tackles, half a sack).
  • Safety Justin Currie is in Cleveland today for a tryout with the Browns, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. Currie went undrafted from Western Michigan last year and spent time wth the Giants.

NFL Suspends Cameron Clear, J.J. Worton

October 28th, 2016 at 4:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL has suspended a pair of free agents, tight end Cameron Clear and wide receiver J.J. Worton, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The league banned Clear for 10 games and Worton for six.

Cameron Clear (vertical)

The reason for Clear’s suspension is unknown, but it’s not the first time the league has issued him a ban. Previously, it hit Clear with a four-game suspension in June. Clear went undrafted out of Texas A&M last year and then signed with the Steelers, who waived him early in the season as a result of injury issues. The 6-foot-5, 273-pounder didn’t hook on elsewhere until February, when Indianapolis signed him to a futures contract. The Colts ended up waiving Clear in May, and he hasn’t had a reported workout with any team since.

Worton, then with the Patriots, was arrested in January and charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person aged 14 and over and one count of assault and battery. The Patriots eventually cut Worton, who was found guilty on the three charges in April and is now on probation through next March. Worton signed with the Rams in May, but they cut him a month later.

Weak Trade Interest In Browns OT Joe Thomas?

October 28th, 2016 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite denials from the Browns, multiple reports have indicated that tackle Joe Thomas could be traded if the right offer is made. Right now, however, it doesn’t sound like there are a lot of offers coming in. There is limited trade interest in Thomas, Mike Florio of PFT hears. Joe Thomas (vertical)

A source with knowledge of the situation says that only two teams have been exploring the potential move. That’s surprising given the long list of contending teams that could use a left tackle upgrade. In the last week, the Patriots, Cardinals, Giants, Seahawks, and Vikings have been linked to Thomas. Now it sounds like at least three of those teams have not called Cleveland to arrange a deal.

Thomas, a lifelong member of the Browns, has never been to the postseason. Still, he does not want to be traded. First-year coach Hue Jackson addressed reporters earlier this week and said that Thomas would not be dealt between now and the deadline. Despite that, rival GMs believe that top exec Sashi Brown could pull the trigger on a deal, especially since the team is going nowhere in 2016.

Pigskin Links: Osweiler, Titans, Draft

October 28th, 2016 at 1:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Here at Pro Football Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NFL transactions and high-quality original analysis. Each week, we also feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our regular feature, Pigskin Links.

We’re looking for interesting reads on all things football from blogs of all sizes. While PFR is dedicated to player movement, Pigskin Links is open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest your blog post (or someone else’s) for Pigskin Links, send us an email with the link and a brief synopsis at PigskinLinks@gmail.com.

Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere:

Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Email it to Zach or tweet it to him: @ZachLinks.

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