2016 October - Pro Football Rumors

Bills’ LeSean McCoy Unlikely To Play Sunday

October 28th, 2016 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

Last week, LeSean McCoy tweaked his hamstring in practice. The initial word was that the Bills would play it safe with their star running back and rest him on Sunday. Instead, the Bills allowed Shady to play against the Dolphins where he re-aggravated his injury. This week, Buffalo has listed McCoy as doubtful for their upcoming game. The tailback did not practice today and coach Rex Ryan all but confirmed that he won’t be able to go against the Patriots.

“Obviously he never practiced this week, so you guys can figure that one out,” Ryan told reporters.

Of course, given the tricky nature of hamstring injuries, it’s fair to wonder if McCoy could also be hampered in the longer term. Last year, McCoy missed time with hamstring issues and was out of action for one-quarter of the regular season.

If the Bills don’t throw everyone a curveball again this week, backup Mike Gillislee is expected to get the start. In his limited work this season, the soon-to-be 26-year-old has been impressive, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. With only 75 carries in parts of three seasons, the Bills are eager to see what he can do as the lead back for an entire game.

The Bills don’t necessarily have to add a running back as they already have Gillislee, Reggie Bush, and Jonathan Williams on the 53-man roster. They don’t have any running backs on their 10-man practice squad.

Jarius Wright Hopes To Stay With Vikings

October 28th, 2016 at 11:22am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this year, Jarius Wright was the subject of trade rumors. As this year’s trade deadline approaches, however, the Vikings wide receiver says that he has not caught wind of any trade possibility, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. Furthermore, he says that he hopes to remain in Minnesota.

As it stands, Wright is slated to be with the Vikings for a long time thanks to the extension he signed about 13 months ago. Initially slated to finish out his rookie deal after the 2015 season, the four-year extension worth $14.8MM ($7MM guaranteed) should keep him in place through 2019.

Last season, Wright caught 34 passes for 442 yards. However, he’s been mostly relegated to the bench this season with Stefon Diggs, Charles Johnson, Adam Thielen, and Cordarrelle Patterson ahead of him. Wright has only seen the field in two games this season and did not get his opportunity until injuries carved a path for him.

“The only reason I was frustrated was I just know that I could help this team,’’ said Wright earlier this month (via Tomasson). “But I also have been in the league long enough to understand it’s a long season. But who would I replace? All the receivers have been making plays. … Sometimes it takes an injury to get a chance.’’

Wright, 27 in November, could get more of an opportunity elsewhere. But, as far as he knows, he’s not being shopped and wants it to stay that way.

Jets’ Darrelle Revis Not Thinking Retirement

October 28th, 2016 at 9:48am CST by Zachary Links

Anyone who has watched Darrelle Revis since his return to New York knows that the sequel to Revis Island hasn’t been anywhere near as good as the original. The Jets cornerback admits that he is a shell of the player that he once was, but he also says that he’s not considering retirement, as Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday writes.

“My body’s breaking down,” Revis said. “Yeah, I am. I mean, not in a bad way. I can still play…It’s just, I’m breaking down. I’m 31. How many corners are 31 right now in the league? The league’s getting younger. I know [Vikings cornerback Terence] Newman’s still playing [at 38], which is impressive. But I don’t know how he’s doing it.”

Revis went on to say, “I’m not thinking about retirement at this moment.” That doesn’t come as a huge surprise given the salary that Revis is pulling in. Revis has the second highest average annual value in the league at $14MM+ per season with only Josh Norman ahead of him. He’s paid more per season than Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman, Trumaine Johnson, Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins, Darius Slay, and every other big name cornerback out there.

Meanwhile, his performance has slipped to the point where he is actually among the worst corners with regular playing time in the NFL. Pro Football Focus has Revis ranked 83rd out of 116 qualified cornerbacks with poor scores in every major category. In 2014, the year before he returned to the Jets, PFF ranked Revis as the fourth-best corner in the league behind only Chris Harris Jr., Vontae Davis, and Sherman.

Panthers Place CB Teddy Williams On IR

October 28th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers announced that cornerback Teddy Williams has been placed on injured reserve. In a related move, fellow corner Leonard Johnson has been officially activated from the reserve/non-football injury list.

The specifics of Williams’ injury are not yet known, but we do know that he left practice with a trainer on Thursday after hurting his left knee. Williams spent last season with the Jaguars and even though he was a restricted free agent, the team declined to extend him a tender. This offseason, Carolina scooped him up on a two-year deal worth up to $2.3MM. Williams ends his season after appearing in three games for the Panthers this year. His highlight came a couple of weeks ago against the Saints when he logged his first career interception.

Johnson, meanwhile, has been working his way back from Achilles surgery.

“I think Leonard can bring a little energy to what we’re trying to do,” Rivera said in a press release. “He’s a guy that excels at playing the nickel position. That’s why we brought him here. It was just a matter of time before we had a chance to see who he is on the football field. We as coaches like what we saw. We were willing to take the chance on having this guy around on (NFI), and hopefully he can develop, as he gets more and more opportunities in our scheme.”

Johnson played in four games with three starts at nickel back for the New England in 2015.

Redskins Promote RB Mack Brown

October 28th, 2016 at 8:11am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins signed running back Mack Brown to their active roster off of their practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The move is another indication that the team will be without Matt Jones on Sunday. To make room, Washington waived safety Josh Evans.

The fumble-prone Jones has been dealing with a knee injury and was held out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Now, Jones will be on the sidelines as Chris Thompson and Rob Kelley handle the Redskins’ ground attack. Brown, meanwhile, will back both of them up as Washington takes on the Bengals in London.

Brown missed the Redskins’ 53-man cut in each of the last two years. After being yo-yo’d on and off the practice squad last year, Brown landed there again this year. Now, he might actually get his first taste of real NFL action.

Brown led the NFL with 227 rushing yards in the 2016 preseason.

Extra Points: Trades, Jets, Hawks, Bucs, Jags

October 27th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL trade deadline is on Tuesday, and we’ve already seen a pair of minor moves in the past week, as the Patriots acquired linebacker Kyle Van Noy from the Lions, and then shipped tight end A.J. Derby to the Broncos. More high-profile names could be on the move in the next few days, leading both Joel Corry of CBSSports.com and Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com to examine candidates to be traded before the deadline. Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall — who appeared on Breer’s list — is unlikely to be dealt, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, especially because two general managers predicted New York would only garner a fifth- or sixth-round pick for the veteran pass-catcher.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Russell Wilson has never missed a game during his NFL career, but a knee injury threatened to knock him out earlier this season, as Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com details. Wilson told reporters today that he was originally told his knee issue would sideline him for as many as four weeks, but the Seahawks quarterback has opted to play through the injury. He’ll continue to do so, and will also battle a pectoral ailment as Seattle faces New Orleans on Sunday.
Buccaneers wide receiver Louis Murphy suffered a setback in his recovery from a November 2015 knee injury, and his timetable for return is currently unknown, writes Roy Cummings of Today’s Pigskin. Murphy, who joined Tampa Bay before the 2014 season and has managed 41 receptions since, has been on the PUP list the entire year. The Bucs could use a boost at receiver after placing veteran Vincent Jackson on injured reserve last week. They auditioned Nate Washington on Tuesday, and are reportedly willing to trade for a pass-catcher.
Although the Jaguars were interested in running back DeMarco Murray when he became a free agent in 2015, his price tag proved too costly for Jacksonville and Murray ended up signing with Philadelphia, as Hays Carlyon of Jacksonville.com recalls. “It was great,” Murray said of meeting with the Jags. “To this day, I always look back and wonder if I would’ve been a Jaguar because of Gus [Bradley]. I got a chance to basically meet him and learn about him in a week span. It was so hard for me to tell him no.”

AFC Notes: Browns, McCown, Dolphins, Texans

October 27th, 2016 at 9:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns head coach Hue Jackson said at his press conference today that “all signs are pointing to” quarterback Josh McCown starting on Sunday against the Jets, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rookie signal-caller Cody Kessler, then, is presumably unlikely to clear the league’s concussion protocol in time for the Week 8 contest. McCown, 37, went 1-7 as a starter for the Browns last season. In his one game under center for Cleveland this year, the veteran completed 20 of his 33 passes and threw two touchdowns with two interceptions.

Let’s take a look at a few more notes from the AFC:

After Arian Foster‘s surprising retirement, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald suggests the Dolphins should pursue Karlos Williams. The troubled tailback recently hooked on with Pittsburgh’s practice squad and while he has issues, he can be a very effective tailback as evidenced by his 517 yards and seven touchdowns off of 93 carries last year. Miami scheduled a visit with Williams earlier this month but that trip was cancelled once he signed elsewhere.
The Texans worked out guard/tackle Andrew Gardner on Wednesday, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Houston also auditioned guard Josh Walker, who ended up signing on with the club’s practice squad. The Texans are looking to add a bit of offensive line depth after losing starting right tackle Derek Newton for the remainder of the season, and they’ve already signed tackle Jeff Adams to the active roster this week. Gardner, 30, spent 2011-13 with Houston, and played for Philadelphia during the past two seasons.
Defensive back Justin Currie will work out for the Browns on Friday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Currie, 23, was an undrafted free agent in 2015, and spent last summer as part of the Giants’ offseason roster.

Dak Prescott To Start Through At Least Week 9

October 27th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott will remain the Cowboys’ starter through at least the club’s Week 9 contest against the Browns, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). After that game, Dallas will likely face a decision between Prescott and veteran Tony Romo.

The Cowboys, of course, have leapt out to a 5-1 record and lead the NFC East in no small part thanks to Prescott’s contributions. Through six games, the fourth-round pick has completed 68.7% of his passes for seven touchdowns and one interception, adding another three scores on the ground. Prescott has been so impressive that Cowboys COO Stephen Jones hedged in August when asked if Romo would immediately reclaim his starting job.

“I can’t imagine a scenario where Tony’s not our quarterback when he’s ready,” Jones said. “But things happen. You know that. You know what happened to [Drew] Bledsoe and [Tom] Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that. But the reality is, Tony’s going to come back for us and play great, we believe.”

Romo, 36, returned to practice today but was listed as “limited” as he recovers from a preseason back injury.

Bills DT Marcell Dareus Could Play This Week

October 27th, 2016 at 8:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bills head coach Rex Ryan told reporters it “looks like there’s a chance” defensive tackle Marcell Dareus makes his season debut on Sunday against the Patriots, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dareus has yet to play in 2016 due to a four-game suspension and hamstring issues.

In August, Dareus was handed his second suspension in as many years, though his ban in 2015 only lasted one game. After the league handed him his latest ban, the 26-year-old claimed it was the result of a missed drug test. Dareus also declared he’d check into rehab. Neither of those statements proved true, however, as later reports indicated that Dareus did not miss a test — he instead violated the league’s drug program multiple times dating back to his one-game suspension last year. And, in lieu of rehab, Dareus received treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Dareus, would immediately upgrade a Buffalo defense that currently ranks 16th in DVOA, per Football Outsiders. An All Pro in 2014 and a two-time Pro Bowler, Dareus will take snaps from incumbent nose tackle Corbin Bryant, who’s been filling in while Dareus has been sidelined. Though 3-4 nose guards don’t typically rack up impressive statistics, Dareus has averaged six sacks per season over his five-year career, and is also an impressive run defender.

Packers Waive WR Jared Abbrederis From IR

October 27th, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers waived wide receiver Jared Abbrederis from injured reserve with an injury settlement today as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Abbrederis was placed on IR just three days ago.

If Abbrederis isn’t claimed by another club, he’ll become a free agent and will be allowed to sign immediately. Conceivably, he could re-sign with the Packers, but only after a duration of three weeks plus the length of the injury settlement. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Abbrederis’ thigh contusion will take roughly two weeks to heal. At that point, he can begin auditioning for teams in an attempt to land a new contract.

Abbrederis, a 2014 fifth-round pick, was never able to garner much action as a member of Green Bay’s receiving corps. During his time with the Packers, the 25-year-old only appeared in 18 games, posting 10 receptions for 119 yards. As Jason Wilde of ESPN.com tweets, Abbrederis may have been held in higher regard by Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy than by general manager Ted Thompson and the rest of the Green Bay front office.