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Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/16

December 28th, 2016 at 9:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Cardinals signed cornerback Brian Dixon off the Saints’ practice squad, NOLA.com’s Herbie Teope reports. Dixon has spent most of this season on the Saints’ practice squad after the 2014 UDFA during the first two seasons of his career resided on New Orleans’ active roster. The 26-year-old Division II product played in five games for the Saints this season.
  • The Titans placed defensive end Mehdi Abdesmad on IR and added rookie defensive tackle Antwaun Woods to the 53-man roster. Signed as a UDFA in May, Woods has bounced on and off the Titans’ practice squad this season.
  • The Jets signed running back Brandon Burks off of the practice squad. The rookie out of Troy gained 1,300-plus yards from scrimmage as a senior last season.

Cowboys Place Ryan Davis On IR

December 28th, 2016 at 8:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Davis‘ 2016 season stabilized to a degree after being a surprise training camp cut, but he will not have a chance to play for the Cowboys during the playoffs. The team placed the pass-rusher on IR and signed Richard Ash off the Jaguars’ practice squad to fill the roster spot.

Davis did not see the kind of playing time in Dallas as he did in Jacksonville in recent years, but he saw action in nine games for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Mostly used as a special-teamer, Davis recovered a fumble and made just four tackles in his fifth season.

A knee injury suffered Monday night ends his season.

The Jaguars made Davis a rather curious camp cut after placing a second-round tender ($2.55MM) on the then-RFA in March. He played in 30 games for the Jags in 2014-15 and combined to record 10 sacks in that span. Jacksonville moved Davis to linebacker this offseason after using him as an off-the-bench defensive end previously. He signed for $675K to play for the Cowboys in September.

Ash resided behind Davis in the Jags’ defensive line hierarchy, spending most of his two-year stay in Jacksonville on the struggling teams’ practice squads. The second-year UDFA has played in one game in each of the past two seasons.

Bills Notes: Lynn, Whaley, Tyrod, Rex

December 28th, 2016 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The decision to shelve Tyrod Taylor for the Bills’ Week 17 game against the Jets did not involve interim coach Anthony Lynn, creating an interesting situation for Sunday.

Lynn said today, via Joe WKBW’s Joe Buscaglia (on Twitter), he was not in the room when the decision was made to start EJ Manuel over Taylor, the team’s starter throughout the Rex Ryan era and obviously Lynn’s tenure as a major decision-maker on the team. Promoted to OC in September, Lynn has emerged as a head-coaching candidate but won’t have a choice as to who he starts at quarterback in what could be his only instance as the Bills’ HC. However, the Bills may be leaning toward keeping the former longtime running backs coach as their next sideline boss.

Taylor has played in each of the games during Lynn’s OC run, with Manuel’s last significant stretch of work coming under Greg Roman‘s offensive guidance midway through last season. The decision came down from ownership since the Bills do not want to risk injury to Taylor as a decision on whether or not to pick up his option — one tying the run-centric quarterback to the team long-term — looms after the season.

Here’s more from western New York.

  • Doug Whaley having the chance to pick a third Bills head coach strikes ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak as strange since it sends a message the new coach will not have control of the team’s 53-man roster and thus would have to agree to work with Whaley. But Rodak points out this could be an attempt by owners Terry and Kim Pegula to give Whaley one more chance to prove his worth since this next hire not working out — which basically means a playoff berth for north American professional sports’ most postseason-starved franchise — would lead the organization to move on from the GM.
  • Ryan previously said the Bills would be his last coaching job, but the former Jets leader did not count on a two-year run in Buffalo. A close friend of the Ryans does not believe Rex Ryan will settle for a TV job for good, insisting the 54-year-old coach will want another chance — even in college — to lead a team again, Elizabeth Merrill of ESPN.com writes.
  • The Bills made Ryan the scapegoat for the 17-year playoff drought, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes, believing the decision is a premature one indicative of a directionless franchise. Mehta also notes Whaley wanted to hire Hue Jackson before the Pegulas set their sights on Ryan.
  • If Taylor wants to remain in Buffalo, he will likely have to renegotiate the contract he signed in August, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap writes. Believing most teams would see Taylor as a high-end backup ($7-$9MM per year), Fitzgerald points out part of Ryan’s downfall in Buffalo could be his infatuation with Taylor’s athletic skill set by referencing to the coach’s desire to sign Michael Vick, trade for Tim Tebow and his coveting of Colin Kaepernick while with the Jets.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/28/16

December 28th, 2016 at 7:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s practice squad updates.

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: DL Iosia Iosia, WR Hunter Sharp, OL Reese Dismukes

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: LB Brian Blechen

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: RB Blake Sims, DE Deonte Gibson
  • Cut: OL Kyler Kerbyson

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Dolphins Extend OL Sam Young

December 28th, 2016 at 6:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins are signing offensive lineman Sam Young to a one-year extension, according to Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Per the terms of the deal, he will make $1.2MM in 2017, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

Young missed the 53-man cut towards the end of the offseason, but he circled back to Miami in October. Since then, he has demonstrated his value as a backup to Branden Albert and Ja’Wuan James this season, playing in six games and making one start.

The Dolphins have both Albert and James under contract for 2017, so their tackle corps looks solidified. The Dolphins also have tackle-turned-guard Laremy Tunsil in the long-term fold as well.

Pauline’s Latest: Gators, Ramczyk, Garcia

December 28th, 2016 at 6:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

A year after seeing Vernon Hargreaves III warrant early selection in the first round, Florida could see two of its corners go off the draft board during the Thursday-night portion of this year’s broadcast. But the corner most have going first isn’t necessarily the one NFL scouts have with the highest ceiling, DraftAnalyst.com’s Tony Pauline reports.

Jalen Tabor is projected to go in the first round, but Quincy Wilson is drawing praise for his blend of size and ball skills, per Pauline, who adds that many in scouting community believe Wilson is the most underrated cornerback in the country. Those scouts believe he could be the second Gator corner selected in the first round next year.

The 6-foot-1 junior intercepted three passes this season and now has six in his career. Like the 6-foot Tabor (three INTs, eight in his three-year Gators run), Wilson is expected to forego his senior season and declare for the 2017 draft.

Here’s more from the draft expert as bowl season heats up.

  • Projected as a first-round pick, junior Wisconsin tackle Ryan Ramczyk has seen an injury affect his potential NFL path. The former Division III transfer will meet with doctors after the season to discuss options for a hip labrum issue with which he’s dealing. Pauline reports the talented edge blocker — whom ESPN.com’s Todd McShay ranks as his No. 21 overall prospect for this draft — will give strong consideration to entering the draft if it’s determined he will heal by the minicamp portion of the NFL offseason.
  • Boston College pass-rusher Harold Landry put together a monster season with 16.5 sacks — 13 more than his two previous years combined — and teammates expect the junior to declare for the draft, Pauline notes. He has Landry graded as a Day 2 selection.
  • Troy has not seen one of its players drafted since 2012, when the Falcons took defensive back Jonathan Massaquoi in the sixth round. But Pauline expects Trojans tackle Antonio Garcia to halt that drought at five years and be a surefire second-day draft choice. His Dollar General Bowl performance gave scouts the impression the 6-foot-7 senior could rise as high as Round 1 with a solid Senior Bowl showing. Troy has not seen a player go in the first round since Leodis McKelvin in 2008.
  • BYU moved Harvey Langi from defensive end to middle linebacker in advance of the Cougars’ bowl game, and the senior racked up a game-high 16 tackles in the team’s 24-21 win over Wyoming in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. Pauline notes the position change could trigger a late invite to the Senior Bowl, and Langi could rise to a middle-round selection with quality pre-draft workouts. He finished his final season in Provo, Utah, with just two sacks as an edge defender.

Broncos Place DeMarcus Ware On IR

December 28th, 2016 at 5:42pm CST by Zachary Links

5:42pm: Ware needs back surgery, Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press reports. This could threaten to end Ware’s career, per Stapleton. The Broncos’ blind-side pass-rusher and vital instrument to the team claiming its third Super Bowl title last season, Ware has dealt with significant back issues over the past two seasons — missing almost all of this offseason and five games last season as a result of this issue. 

Although Ware’s contract with the Broncos is up after 2016, he expressed desire to play one more year, with Mike Klis of 9News reporting the outside linebacker wants to do that in Denver. The Broncos chose Shane Ray in the first round of the ’15 draft and have fellow backup Shaquil Barrett playing a steady role off the bench, so a Ware reunion might not be in the cards for the Broncos, at least not at the price he signed for in 2014 (three years, $30MM). The team has some cap space but has bigger issues to deal with this offseason than addressing a pass rush that still would rank toward the top of the league without Ware.

3:17pm: The Broncos are placing DeMarcus Ware on injured reserve, the team announced. Ware was unable to go in practice on Wednesday as he deals with a back injury.

This may mean that Ware has played his final game with Denver and his final NFL game. He’s slated for free agency at the end of the year and it may be time to call it a career at the age of 34. This year, Ware appeared in 10 games and totaled 15 tackles and four sacks. That’s a step down from his previous two Pro Bowl seasons with the Broncos and several notches down from his best years with the Cowboys.

From 2005-2012, Ware was a staple in Dallas’ front seven. He earned four first-team All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl selections during that time and he did not miss a single regular-season game. He posted double-digit sack totals for the Cowboys in every season there, except for his first and last. In 2008, he led the entire league with 20.0 sacks. If this is the end of the line for Ware, he’ll leave behind a legacy of terrorizing quarterbacks while being a mensch off the field.

In other Broncos news, defensive back Kayvon Webster was also placed on IR with a concussion. The Broncos promoted nose tackle Kyle Peko and cornerback Taurean Nixon from the practice squad to the active roster.

Le’Veon Bell Wants To Stay With Steelers

December 28th, 2016 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Le’Veon Bell addressed his impending free agency today, deviating a bit from his previous remarks. Or at least providing some clarity. The top-tier running back expressed a desire to remain in Pittsburgh after his rookie contract expires.

“I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Bell said, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. “We’re going to try to do whatever it takes to make that happen.”

This comes more than a week after Bell said he has not been paying attention to his contract but focusing on the Steelers’ playoff push. The Steelers are expected to apply the franchise tag to their top UFA, provided they cannot work out a deal before free agency. It might be a complex negotiation given Bell’s history, his ability when healthy, and the contract he’ll likely be seeking.

Having successfully returned from the torn MCL that spoiled his 2015 season, Bell has two substance-abuse suspensions on his record and but also two standout campaigns. This one has been his finest on a per-game basis. The superstar back averaged a career-best 157.0 yards from scrimmage in 12 games this season and will finish with 1,884 and nine touchdowns. He totaled 2,215 and 11 TDs in 2014, but those numbers came in 16 games. The 24-year-old runner will not play in the Steelers’ finale against the Browns.

The franchise tag will cost the Steelers $12.37MM. The team is expected to possess approximately $36.9MM in cap space this offseason. Bell will undoubtedly be eyeing the eight-figure-per-year threshold — a standard only Adrian Peterson ($14MM-plus per year) surpasses on a deal the Vikings will almost certainly either renegotiate or free themselves from in 2017. LeSean McCoy‘s $8MM-AAV deal leads all other ball-carriers, but Bell’s numbers have eclipsed Shady’s on a per-year basis during the former’s four years in the NFL.

Redskins To Place Donte Whitner On IR

December 28th, 2016 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

More turnover at safety will be on tap for the Redskins, with Field Yates of ESPN.com reporting (via Twitter) the team is placing Donte Whitner on IR.

Washington re-signed safety Josh Evans as a result of this move, reuniting after cutting the depth piece earlier this season. Whitner initially reached an agreement with the Redskins in October and played in 11 games for the team, starting nine, after a lengthy stay in free agency.

It’s a quadriceps injury that will end Whitner’s season and send him back to the UFA market.

The former Bills, 49ers and Browns cog received extensive interest as a UFA but opted to wait for a more attractive offer. However, he ended up signing a one-year deal for just $985K. Despite signing in October, Whitner became a key member of the Redskins’ secondary, one that now has Will Blackmon and Duke Ihenacho as its surefire starters going into a must-win Week 17 game against the Giants.

The 31-year-old back-line defender made 66 tackles and forced a fumble this season, his 11th in the league. Washington has seen much turnover at safety in 2016, cutting David Bruton after signing him to a three-year deal, placing DeAngelo Hall on IR, and determining Kyshoen Jarrett‘s injury was too severe for their liking. This could trigger the team to also move Su’a Cravens to safety, where the USC standout could reside long-term. Although, the Redskins may wait until the offseason to make that move for developmental purposes.

Initially a sixth-round Jaguars pick in 2013 who started for three seasons in north Florida, Evans caught on with the Redskins and played two games for the team earlier this season. He will now be looked to as a backup option again.

Bucs RB Doug Martin Suspended For PEDs

December 28th, 2016 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

We now have some clarity on why Doug Martin is “stepping away” from the Buccaneers in advance of their regular season finale. Martin confirmed that he has been suspended for four games by the NFL. Though Martin’s statement was vague as to the exact nature of the ban, the NFL says that it is a PED policy violation, not a recreational drug violation. Doug Martin (vertical)

“I was notified last week of a four-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy,” Martin said. “My initial instinct was to appeal the suspension and finish the season with my teammates. However, after numerous discussions with people close to me — including Coach [Dirk] Koetter — I am starting the suspension immediately so I can enter a treatment facility and receive the help I truly need…On the field, I must be strong and determined to push through both pain and injuries to become an elite NFL running back. Off the field, I have tried that same approach in my personal life. My shortcomings in this area have taught me both that I cannot win these personal battles alone and that there is no shame in asking for help.”

Martin tested positive for Adderall and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that is one of the issues that he is dealing with. While Martin may have been taking Adderall recreationally, it is classified as a performance-enhancer by the NFL for its stimulating properties.

If Martin misses this weekend’s game plus three in 2017, he’ll forfeit $1.47MM in base salary. However, it’s not a given that he’ll even be under contract with the Bucs for next season. As a result of the PED suspension, Martin’s $7MM 2017 salary guarantee will void, and that would allow the Bucs to release him without major penalty.

Based on his statement, it sounds like Martin was dependent on substances off of the field, but not necessarily using them for advancement on the field. With that in mind, one would expect Martin to appeal the suspension and have it re-classified as a substance abuse policy violation. Martin won’t appeal the suspension right now, but it remains to be seen whether he can have the suspension altered with the help of the NFLPA.

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