2016 November - Pro Football Rumors

Month: December 2024

Could Jay Cutler Remain In Chicago In 2017?

November 27th, 2016 at 9:35am CST by Rory Parks

It has long been speculated that the Bears would jettison quarterback Jay Cutler after the 2016 season as they search for a younger option with more upside. Cutler’s contract has largely driven that speculation, as the seven-year, $126MM deal that he signed with the Bears in January 2014 provides for no more guaranteed money once the 2016 campaign is over. As such, Chicago could save $14MM against the cap by releasing Cutler, thereby allowing the club to start afresh at the quarterback position.

But while Cutler’s release is still a strong possibility, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that the Vanderbilt product could remain in the Windy City next year. After all, he is owed a $12.5MM base salary in 2017 to go along with $2.5MM in roster bonuses, which is hardly unpalatable for a starting signal-caller in today’s NFL. Plus, this year’s quarterback draft class is considered very weak, and Brian Hoyer, who performed well in limited action for the Bears this season before he was placed on IR with a broken forearm, will be a free agent at season’s end. And even though head coach John Fox is far from Cutler’s biggest fan, Fox is no lock to keep his job.

From my vantage point, it would still be something of a surprise to see Cutler back with Chicago in 2017. For the last several seasons, a quarterback has not been the best player on the board when the Bears have been on the clock, and it would not have made sense for the team to reach for a signal-caller when they had a solid quarterback on the roster with guaranteed money still to be paid. But now that the guaranteed money is gone, it would be especially difficult to continue with a 33-year-old quarterback who has a 51-51 record and only one playoff victory in seven-plus seasons in Chicago.

Cutler, of course, is also dealing with significant injury concerns. He has a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, which has already been beset by significant wear-and-tear from years of bumps, bruises, and countless throws. The result is painful tendonitis that threatens to end his season, although he has not been officially ruled out for the remainder of 2016.

At this point, the Bears may need to make a change just for change’s sake. Though Cutler enjoyed a strong season under former offensive coordinator Adam Gase in 2015, he is clearly not the long-term solution in Chicago, and the Bears should probably divert their resources elsewhere in 2017.

Seantrel Henderson Faces 10-Game Ban

November 27th, 2016 at 8:55am CST by Rory Parks

We heard several days ago that Bills offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson was facing another suspension, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports today that Henderson is looking at a 10-game ban for violating the NFL’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Henderson is appealing the ruling, and the appeal will be resolved sometime this week. If he is unsuccessful, he has not ruled out litigation to get back on the field.

Henderson’s battles with Crohn’s disease represent something of a microcosm of the league-wide dilemma concerning medical marijuana use. The 24-year-old Miami product uses marijuana to deal with the pain resulting from the illness and two intestinal surgeries, and one of Rapoport’s sources has said that Henderson “needs cannabis. You can’t take pain killers with the way his intestines are.”

Henderson already served a four-game suspension at the start of this season for a similar violation. Although his marijuana use dates back to his collegiate days, he insists he now utilizes marijuana only to treat his disease. But until the NFL softens its stance on marijuana, it appears as if Henderson will be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Henderson has played in only one game this year after starting in all 26 appearances during his first two seasons, including 16 as a rookie. Thanks in part to his health issues, Henderson lost the Bills’ No. 1 right tackle job to Jordan Mills. However, his upside remains considerable, and as Rapoport writes, Henderson was a topic of trade discussions right before this year’s deadline. Teams like as the Vikings and Seahawks needed tackles, and Henderson was the top starter-quality player available at his position. Opposing clubs, though, were unable to meet the Bills’ asking price, and Buffalo opted to hold onto its embattled swing tackle.

Henderson remains under club control for the 2017 season, the last year of his rookie contract. He will count just over $700K against the cap, so there is a good chance Buffalo will keep him around even if the suspension stands.

Extra Points: Pats, Jaguars, 49ers, Kaepernick

November 26th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are in a tough spot with their contract players, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes. Players often find extra motivation in their contract years, but Volin wonders if the pressure of a big payday is getting to some Pats players. Linebacker Jamie Collins was traded to Cleveland in the midst of a disappointing year. Meanwhile, cornerback Logan Ryan has found himself in and out of the starting lineup and defensive end Jabaal Sheard was left home from the trip to San Francisco. Owner Robert Kraft admits that the uncertainty could be getting to some players, but coach Bill Belichick doesn’t want to hear any of that.

“Look, we all have things in our life to deal with. We all have families, we all have personal situations,” Belichick said. “That’s part of life. You can’t get around it. I mean, I don’t know if they’re distractions. It’s part of your life.”

This spring, the Pats will have to address the contracts of key guys like Dont’a Hightower, Malcolm Butler, and Martellus Bennett. Right now, it doesn’t look like Sheard or the suspended Alan Branch will be among the team’s top priorities.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Since taking over as the owner of the Jaguars, Shad Khan has watched his team go 16-58, the worst mark in the league during that span. Still, he believes that the wins aren’t far away, as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. Khan has remained committed to keeping the Jaguars in Jacksonville despite rumors to the contrary, and Khan discussed his plan for increasing the team’s revenue in north Florida. Part of his initiative is to draw fans from outside of the immediate area, a plan that cannot come to fruition until the team is competitive.
What is Colin Kaepernick‘s future after the 2016 NFL season?‬ In his most recent mailbag, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com notes that there are a lot of moving parts with regards to the controversial 49ers quarterback. With his play this year, Kaepernick has made it clear that he deserves a spot in the league based on his ability. However, a team must consider whether the additional media attention is worthwhile, particularly if they see Kaepernick as a backup. The quarterback has personally left the door open for a return, but it seems unlikely that SF will pursue anything with him beyond this season.
Earlier today, the Broncos locked up safety Darian Stewart with an extension.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/16

November 26th, 2016 at 4:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

The Raiders waived tight end Ryan O’Malley and tackle Matt McCants, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Practice squad linebackers James Cowser and Tyrell Adams will ascend to the 53-man roster, Caplan tweets. Shilique Calhoun is out, with starting middle linebacker Perry Riley questionable for Week 12. Neither Cowser nor Adams has seen any game action yet.
Defensive lineman Ufomba Kamalu could be set for his NFL debut after the Texans promoted him from their practice squad and cut defensive lineman Brandon Dunn to make room, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Dunn played in 17 games for the Bears and Texans from 2014-16 after arriving in the league in ’14 as a UDFA.
The Jaguars promoted tight end Alex Ellis and waived defensive tackle Richard Ash, the team announced. Ellis has yet to play in a game; Ash saw action in one in each of the past two seasons. A rookie UDFA from Tennessee, Ellis caught just eight passes as a senior.

Panthers Not Ready To Shut Down Kuechly

November 26th, 2016 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Luke Kuechly will not play against the Raiders on Sunday and remains in the concussion protocol, the Panthers are not discussing shutting their cornerstone defender down for the season, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports.

The three-time All-Pro has made “encouraging progress” this week after sustaining what is believed to be the second concussion of his career, per Pelissero. However, there is no timetable for a Kuechly return.

The 25-year-old defender suffered a concussion last season that caused him to miss three games. He returned to land on his third All-Pro first team on a team that eventually went 15-1 and appeared in Super Bowl 50. Kuechly missing the same amount of time obviously hurts the Panthers’ chances at returning to the playoffs, but that opportunity may well have slipped away when Kuechly was available given the team’s non-injury issues.

Kuechly’s value to the franchise considered, Carolina making the decision on whether or not to shut its middle linebacker down for 2016 likely hinges on its playoff hopes to some degree. The defending NFC champions are two games behind the NFC South-leading Falcons, with six teams ahead of the Panthers in the wild-card race as well. Bringing Kuechly back if the team loses to the Raiders without him Sunday might involve a more substantial conversation. Carolina did shut down Michael Oher after a lengthy battle with a concussion sustained in September, so long-term thinking has already entered the equation for another key starter.

Kuechly has 102 tackles this season, along with six pass deflections, a forced fumble and an interception. The player set to replace Kuechly, fourth-year man A.J. Klein, just completed the final stage of the concussion protocol, per ESPN.com’s David Newton. So, head trauma has been a key issue for the Panthers this season, its two franchise players being at the forefront.

Broncos Sign Darian Stewart To Extension

November 26th, 2016 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have seen enough from Darian Stewart in his two years with the team to know they want him around long-term, agreeing to terms with the safety on a four-year extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

It’s a four-year deal worth approximately $28MM for Stewart, Mike Klis of 9News reports. The deal is worth up to $30MM, with $17.5MM guaranteed, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

This will make Stewart a top-12 safety in terms of AAV and, interestingly, the highest-paid safety on the team. T.J. Ward will make $5.75MM next season as part of a four-year deal he signed in 2014. But the Pro Bowl safety will enter the final year of his contract in 2017, with Stewart — the starting secondary’s lone non-Pro Bowl component –now looking set to be a part of this defense for a longer period of time.

The 28-year-old former UDFA was set to become a free agent in 2017. This locks up another player from Denver’s dominant defense. Stewart (44 tackles, three interceptions this season) joins Derek Wolfe, Brandon Marshall and Von Miller as defensive starters the Broncos have re-upped this year.

Klis reports the Broncos initiated this pact in advance of the free safety’s three-turnover game against the Saints. The Broncos signed Stewart to a two-year deal worth $4.25MM in 2015, and the former Rams and Ravens defender has been a quality starter since arriving. He made a game-sealing interception in his first contest as a Bronco and has started every game in which he’s played since, also forcing a fumble and recording a sack in Super Bowl 50.

Denver’s starting secondary of Stewart, Ward, Aqib Talib and Chris Harris is locked up through next season, with Talib and Harris signed through 2019. Stewart is now signed through ’20 instead of joining DeMarcus Ware and Sylvester Williams as walk-year starting defenders.

The Broncos drafted safeties Justin Simmons and Will Parks this year, pointing to a possible Stewart free agency defection like so many Broncos defenders in recent years. But the seventh-year player, who signed a one-year deal with the Ravens in 2014, will now will enter next season as a rare starter younger than 30 on a fourth contract.

Extra Points: Maxwell, Browns, Eagles, Canada

November 26th, 2016 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Byron Maxwell does not hold any ill will toward Chip Kelly despite his shaky 2015 season in Philadelphia. Instead, the Dolphins‘ top cornerback observed a dysfunctional defense, one that ranked 30th last season.

“We weren’t communicating on defense. Our defense just wasn’t good,” Maxwell said, via James Walker of ESPN.com. “Our red zone defense sucked. We just wasn’t good. We just didn’t have the chemistry and the fight for each other that I’m on now [with Miami].”

Thanks to Kelly’s “life-changing” investment in Maxwell during the coach’s one year of NFL personnel control, the sixth-year corner is in Year 2 of a six-year, $63MM deal as his former coach’s team comes to Miami. Maxwell does not doubt Kelly’s football acumen like some of the jettisoned Eagles have, but Kelly’s obviously ventured back into embattled territory thanks to the 49ers’ nine-game losing streak.

“Chip is a good dude. He was a good man,” Maxwell said. “He’s a very smart guy. … He believed in me, that I could be the guy. It didn’t work out, but it taught me a lot.”

Here’s more from around the league during November’s final week of games.

Instead of using their projected $64MM in 2017 cap space to make outside hires for quick-fix purposes, the Browns should focus that money on retaining Jamie Collins and Terrelle Pryor, whom Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes would be top-10 picks in this coming draft. Future expiring-contract players Joel Bitonio and Christian Kirksey should be re-signed as well before they hit the walk-year point so many recent Browns have, Pluto notes, with the recent glut of defectors helping put the franchise in the position in which it currently resides.
The Chiefs will be without nickel corner Steven Nelson against the Broncos with a neck injury, the team announced. After being deemed not ready as a rookie, the former third-round pick has become one of his team’s top three corners this season. Marcus Peters missed last week’s game and is questionable for Sunday night. Each of Kansas City’s corners is a rookie-contract player on a veteran defense, with rookie D.J. White and seldom-used trade acquisition Kenneth Acker next in line to join Peters and Phillip Gaines in sub-packages in Week 12. Dee Ford and Jeremy Maclin are also out for the Chiefs.
Ryan Mathews won’t suit up for the Eagles on Monday night, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports. Mathews left last weekend’s Eagles-Seahawks game due to what turned out to be an MCL sprain. This will give the running back at least one missed game in six of his seven NFL seasons. Philadelphia’s starter missed three games last season and 10 in 2014. Darren Sproles will play, however, for an Eagles team trying to stay in wild-card contention.
Canadian tight end prospect Antony Auclair could be a rare Canadian college-to-NFL performer, with six NFL teams scouting his most recent game with Universite’ Laval, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports. The 6-foot-6 player has just 17 receptions this season, however. CFL wideouts Bryan Burnham and DaVaris Daniels — who played collegiately at Tulsa and Notre Dame, respectively — could also be 2017 targets for NFL teams. Burnham, 26, has 1,392 yards in 18 games for the British Columbia Lions.

Bengals Activate Cedric Peerman

November 26th, 2016 at 12:36pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bengals have activated running back Cedric Peerman from the injured reserve, reports Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Inquirer (via Twitter). The team has also promoted long snapper Tyler Ott to the active roster. To make room, the team has waived defensive tackle DeShawn Williams.

The Peerman news isn’t much of a surprise, as the Bengals designated the running back as their player to return from the injured reserve. The veteran fractured his left arm during the preseason, shelving him for the first three months of the season.

The former Pro Bowler will make an instant impact on the Bengals’ struggling special teams unit, and he’ll also provide some depth to a running back corps that recently lost Giovani Bernard for the season. Of course, it’s unlikely the 30-year-old sees any snaps at running back behind Jeremy Hill and Rex Burkhead. Despite playing 16 games last season, Peerman didn’t get a single carry, and he only has 64 career carries in his seven-year career.

Starting long snapper Clark Harris is doubtful for this weekend’s game, necessitating Ott’s promotion. The Harvard product will be playing in his second NFL game, as he served as the Giants snapper during last year’s regular season finale. The 24-year-old has also spent time with the Patriots and Rams.

Williams, an undrafted rookie out of Clemson in 2015, has been inactive for every Bengals game this season. Owczarski notes that the defensive tackle’s tenure in Cincinnati is likely over, as the 23-year-old is unlikely to clear waivers.

Bills Activate Sammy Watkins

November 26th, 2016 at 10:44am CST by Ben Levine

He’s back. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the Bills have activated wideout Sammy Watkins from the injured reserve. ESPN’s Mike Rodak reports that Watkins is expected to play Sunday against the Jaguars. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News tweets that the team has also released tight end Gerald Christian and placed safety Robert Blanton on the injured reserve. Finally, the Bills have also signed kickoff specialist Jordan Gay.

Watkins hasn’t played since Week 2 as he recovered from a lingering foot ailment, and he was placed on the injured reserve in late September. The wideout has been dealing with the foot injury since last May, when he had a screw inserted following a minor fracture. The 23-year-old struggled in his two games this season, hauling in only six catches for 63 yards. Of course, there’s no denying the talent of the former first-rounder, as Watkins finished the 2015 season with 60 catches for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in only 13 games.

The Bills could certainly use some help at receiver, especially with Robert Woods listed as doubtful for this weekend’s game. The Bills rank dead last in receiving yards this season, and while that could partly be attributed to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the team’s lack of big-play wideouts have certainly limited the offense’s potential.

The team will be welcoming back an offensive weapon, but they’ll be losing some depth on defense. Blanton has played in 10 games this season (two starts), compiling 35 tackles. The 27-year-old injured his foot during last week’s game against the Bengals. Blanton will join fellow Bills safeties Colt Anderson and Aaron Williams on the injured reserve.

Christian, the Mr.Irrelevent of the 2015 draft, made two appearances for the Bills this season. The team signed the 25-year-old to their practice squad during the offseason, and he was promoted to the active roster in early October. Christian has already been released by the Bills once this season, and he subsequently landed on the team’s practice squad. Therefore, it’s easy to assume that the tight end will probably end up sticking with the organization.

Gay served as the Bills kickoff specialist during the 2014 and 2015 season, and he was let go by the team in late September. Dan Carpenter will presumably continue with field goal and extra point opportunities, with Gay strictly contributing during kickoffs.

Ravens Activate Nick Boyle

November 26th, 2016 at 10:41am CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens offensive line will be getting some reinforcement. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter) that the team has activated tight end Nick Boyle. The 23-year-old had been suspended for 10 games after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. To make room on the roster, the team has waived cornerback Asa Jackson.

Boyle, a 2015 fifth-round pick, didn’t do much during his rookie campaign. The Delaware product ultimately played in 11 games (two starts), hauling in 18 catches for 153 yards. The tight end ended up missing the final month of his rookie season due to a four-game suspension.

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound tight end is better known for his blocking, and Zrebiec notes that Boyle will likely slide into the “blocking, No. 3 tight end role” while Crockett Gillmore recovers from his thigh injury. The Ravens also have tight ends Dennis Pitta and Darren Waller on the active roster.

Jackson, 26, was on his third stint with the Ravens. The former fifth-rounder has 18 career games under his belt, and he’s compiled 30 tackles and three passes defended. Jackson was promoted to the active roster in mid-November.

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