2017 August - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals Sign LB Josh Bynes

August 5th, 2017 at 10:38am CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals have made several roster moves this morning, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). The team has signed linebackers Josh Bynes and Terence Waugh, released wideout Larry Clark, and waived/injured linebacker Gabe Martin.

Bynes is the most experienced name on the list, as the veteran linebacker has appeared in 64 games (28 starts) since entering the league in 2011. The former undrafted free agent out of Auburn played the past three seasons in Detroit, including a 2015 campaign where he compiled career-highs in tackles (54), passes defended (five), and forced fumbles (one). The 27-year-old ranked 15th in PFR’s free agent positional rankings.

Waugh, an undrafted free agent out of Kent State, played 38 games during his four-year collegiate career. Over his final two seasons, the linebacker/defensive end averaged 36 tackles and 13.5 sacks per year. Waugh and Bynes will join a crowded linebackers corps that already includes seven backup candidates to starters Markus Golden, Deone Bucannon, Karlos Dansby, and Chandler Jones.

Martin, a 2015 undrafted free agent out of Bowling Green, appeared in eight games for the Cardinals last season, compiling four tackles. The linebacker had suffered through an Achilles injury during the first few days of training camp. Clark signed with the organization following rookie minicamp, with the undrafted free agent out of Colorado State-Pueblo impressing scouts with his size.

Colts Waive/Injured Mo Alie-Cox

August 5th, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Ben Levine

Mo Alie-Cox‘s dream of switching from the hardwood to the gridiron took a bit of a hit on Saturday, as the Colts announced that they have waived-injured the former Virginia Commonwealth University forward. The team has signed tight end Steven Wroblewski to take the open roster spot. If Alie-Cox passes through waivers, he’ll land on the Colts injured reserve.

The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Alie-Cox played four seasons on VCU’s basketball team, but he decided to pursue an NFL career following graduation. Considering his height, the player was signed as a tight end, although he allowed teams to audition him at a variety of different positions during his spring workout. He ultimately decided to sign with the Colts in April.

His lack of football experience predictably made him a project, so it might not necessarily be a bad thing if Alie-Cox slips through waivers and has a “red shirt year” on the IR. On the flip side, an assortment of teams had interest in the prospect, including the Buccaneers, Seahawks, Jets, Eagles, and Chargers (via Zak Keefer of IndyStar.com). There’s always a chance one of these teams is willing to take the gamble and claim the 23-year-old.

Wroblewski, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Southern Utah, spent time with the Cardinals earlier this offseason. In 21 games between 2015 and 2016, the tight end hauled in 63 catches for 770 yards and three touchdowns. Wroblewski will presumably replace Alie-Cox’s spot on the depth chart behind Jack Doyle, Erik Swoope, and Brandon Williams.

Dolphins Notes: Quarterbacks, Moore, Cutler

August 5th, 2017 at 8:53am CST by Ben Levine

It has been a tumultuous 24 hours for the Dolphins. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill left practice earlier this week after suffering a non-contact injury, and subsequent reports have indicated the 29-year-old may miss the entire upcoming season.

Predictably, a number of free agent quarterbacks have now been connected to the wide-open Miami gig, including former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. Reports said that the organization had reached out to the veteran signal-caller, while later whispers said that there was mutual interest between the two sides. The 34-year-old retired back in May, but signing with Miami would allow him to reunite with former Bears’ offensive coordinator (and current Dolphins head coach) Adam Gase.

There haven’t been many updates since last night, but we’ve compiled several reactions to all of the news below…

ESPN’s Josina Anderson said (via Twitter) that no deal is imminent between the Dolphins and Jay Cutler. The team is still doing its due diligence and having discussions on all of the possible options. Our list of the top available quarterbacks can be found here.
One of those options would seemingly be backup quarterback Matt Moore, who has appeared in 10 total games over the past five seasons. If the 32-year-old is required to step in as the starter, he’s confident the offense can continue to click. “I’ve done this before in stepping up and getting ready if need be,” Moore told ESPN.com’s James Walker. “So that’s as much as I know and kind of the attitude I have moving forward. It stinks [with Tannehill being injured], but I thought today was a good practice. Guys were popping around and pretty competitive.”
Meanwhile, while many assumed that Cutler had retired for good, former teammate Kyle Long said he wouldn’t be shocked if the veteran returns to the field. “Obviously, knowing Jay for a while, I completely thought he was on full Montana mode, just chilling with his wife and kids,” the Bears lineman said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson). “But nothing would surprise me. Obviously being with [Dolphins coach Adam] Gase here and having relative success and a good relationship there, you never know. I don’t know anything about it. I just read about it today and thought it was pretty funny as well.”

Extra Points: Donald, Gruden, Titans, Bills

August 4th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There’s no end in sight to the standoff between the Rams and holdout Aaron Donald, but the two sides remain on “amicable” terms, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. The superstar defensive lineman is under control through the next two seasons at low costs relative to his play and could be a franchise tag candidate in 2019 and ’20, meaning the Rams don’t have any incentive to give him a long-term mega-deal, one NFL agent told Gonzalez. “The Rams should sit back and do nothing. Let him play out this year, let him play out the fifth-year option, and franchise him,” said the agent.

The agent’s point of view makes sense from a financial perspective, but it wouldn’t be acting in good faith, notes Gonzalez, who writes that Donald is worth breaking the bank for and someone who’s clearly a franchise player. While the Rams are aware of the 26-year-old’s greatness, they also realize that they technically don’t have to cave into Donald, which puts them in a tough situation. Ultimately, if a deal does come together, it might not be until closer to September, observes Gonzalez. That’s when the Rams extended wide receiver Tavon Austin, edge rusher Robert Quinn and nose tackle Michael Brockers in past years. In the meantime, they can fine Donald $40K per day as long as he’s absent.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden wouldn’t be surprised if his brother, Jon Gruden, returned to coaching. “It wouldn’t shock me, no,” said Jay Gruden (via John Keim of ESPN.com). “I don’t know why he would want to do that. He has a pretty good job. He has a passion for the game, the way he talks and prepares for the job he has is second to none. He loves coaching and he loves preparing. I don’t know if he’ll come back or not.” Jon Gruden hasn’t coached since 2008, and while the Monday Night Football commentator suggested last week that a comeback was possible, he indicated he’s content in his current role a few days later.
Titans receiver Corey Davis, the fifth pick in this year’s draft and the last rookie to sign his contract, will sit out at least a week after suffering a hamstring injury Thursday, head coach Mike Mularkey told 104.5 The Zone in Nashville (via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com). Davis will not need surgery, fortunately, though the Titans will evaluate him week to week. He expects to be in Tennessee’s lineup come Week 1, tweets Wolfe.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott didn’t rule out foot surgery for left tackle Cordy Glenn. Both the Bills and Glenn can now breathe a sigh of relief, though, as the stalwart’s “fine” and will likely resume practicing next week, reports John Wawrow of The Associated Press. Glenn’s ankle injury limited him to a career-low 11 games last season, but the five-year veteran’s play still ranked an impressive 21st among 76 qualified tackles at Pro Football Focus.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Lions Notes: LTs, Tabor, Quin

August 4th, 2017 at 7:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A few notes from Detroit:

In response to the serious shoulder injury stud left tackle Taylor Decker suffered during the spring, the Lions went out and acquired a pair of fill-in options in Greg Robinson and Cyrus Kouandjio. Robinson (second overall) and Kouandjio (44th) were high picks in the 2014 draft, but the former washed out with the Rams and the latter failed to stick in Buffalo. Unfortunately for the Lions, the two aren’t off to good starts in training camp, according to both Kyle Meinke of MLive.com and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Robinson and Kouandjio have each dealt with injuries, but when they have taken the field, things haven’t gone well. Second-year defensive end Anthony Zettel, a sixth-rounder in 2016 who had one sack as a rookie, made “mincemeat” of the two tackles during practice Wednesday, per Meinke. Zettel has indeed held his own against the duo, confirms Rothstein, who currently tabs Kouandjio as the likely starter on the blindside. Either way, it appears the Lions are in for significantly worse play this year from the left tackle position, which isn’t exactly positive news for a team that could soon commit huge money to its quarterback.
Rookie cornerback Teez Tabor has also begun 2017 in less-than-stellar fashion, relays Meinke, who suggests that the second-round pick from Florida could struggle to see the field much this year at the rate he’s going. Most or all of Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson, Quandre Diggs and D.J. Hayden are in line to receive more playing time than Tabor, whom unproven receiver Jared Abbrederis “abused” on Friday, notes Meinke. Tabor also hasn’t shown much speed, which is especially troubling for a player whose draft stock fell as a result of subpar showings in the 40-yard dash.
Rothstein has the details on safety Glover Quin‘s two-year, $13MM extension. Initially, he was slated to earn a base salary of $4MM with a cap hit of $7.8MM in 2017. Now, his base salary is down to just $900K (fully guaranteed) with a cap hit of $6.4MM. In 2018, Quin will make $3.85MM in base salary, with $3.6MM of it guaranteed for injury only. On the third day in March, however, it becomes fully guaranteed. In 2019, the final year of his deal, Quin has no money guaranteed. Although the 31-year-old got some additional dollars and years in the extension, the Lions will still have the ability to get out of the deal before the 2018 season if his performance dips.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Dolphins’ Quarterback Situation

August 4th, 2017 at 6:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There has been mutual interest between Miami and Jay Cutler since Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a left knee injury on Thursday. Adding to the speculation, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reports that Cutler would “really like to” reunite with Dolphins head coach Adam Gase. The feeling is mutual, as Cutler is Miami’s No. 1 choice among available passers, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds that the two sides have discussed a contract (on Twitter).

The 34-year-old Cutler, who retired from football in May after receiving limited interest as a free agent and then signed with FOX Sports, has a good relationship with Gase from their time in Chicago in 2015. Then the Bears’ offensive coordinator, Gase helped Cutler to one of his best seasons, in which he completed 64.4 percent of passes, averaged 7.58 yards per attempt and threw 21 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions.

Whether Cutler joins Gase in Miami will largely boil down to the severity of Tannehill’s injury, which will either keep him out for several weeks or sideline him for the entire season. Cutler would reportedly only put his broadcasting career on hold to join the Dolphins as a full-time starter, so a less serious diagnosis for Tannehill might lead the Dolphins to look elsewhere for help under center.

One possibility could be Browns veteran Brock Osweiler, who isn’t a lock to make a roster that also includes rookie DeShone Kizer and second-year man Cody Kessler. Osweiler worked under Gase as a backup in Denver from 2012-14, when the latter served as the team’s quarterbacks coach and then O-coordinator, and developed immense respect for the coach. Gase is “brilliant” and “a tremendous coach,” Osweiler told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Thanks to the close relationship between Osweiler and Gase, not to mention the strong likelihood that Kizer will start for the Browns, the Dolphins will probably inquire about an Osweiler trade, writes Cabot. It’s unclear whether Osweiler, after struggling mightily last year in Houston, would overtake Tannehill’s main backup, Matt Moore, or sit behind Moore on Miami’s depth chart.

The 32-year-old Moore acquitted himself well while filling in late last season for an injured Tannehill, when he helped the Dolphins finish 2-1 to post a 10-6 record and earn their first playoff berth since 2008. Gase lightly endorsed Moore on Friday, telling reporters (including Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today): “Right now, Matt is our quarterback. We’ll see where we go from there because I’ve got to figure out what’s going on with Ryan. And then we’ll make a decision after that.”

There’s “no timetable” for a decision on Tannehill, Gase added, but the Dolphins are going to have to take action soon with the regular season just over a month away.

Chargers Release Darrell Stuckey

August 4th, 2017 at 5:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Chargers have released safety Darrell Stuckey with a failed physical designation, tweets James Palmer of NFL Network. Stuckey was on the active/physically unable to perform list with a knee injury that he suffered in the team’s final game of the 2016 season.

The 30-year-old Stuckey had been with the Chargers since they used a fourth-round pick on him in 2010, which made him one of their longest-tenured players. Stuckey appeared in 89 games with the Bolts, including all 16 last year, and never made a significant defensive impact. However, he was regularly among their most reliable special teamers. Stuckey paced the unit in snaps last season (368), and he earned a Pro Bowl berth for his output in that phase of the game in 2014.

Thanks to his superb work on special teams, Stuckey was more expensive than most players who specialize in that area. Releasing him saves the Chargers $2.9MM (compared to $433,750 in dead money), but it wasn’t an easy decision for general manager Tom Telesco.

“For the past seven years, Darrell has been a difference maker for our franchise both on and off the field,” Telesco said in a press release (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “He followed up a Pro Bowl season in 2014 by being named the Chargers Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2015. You couldn’t ask for a better person to represent the organization than Darrell, and we want to sincerely thank him not only for what he has meant to the Chargers, but for what he has meant to the community as a whole. Darrell, his wife Lacie, and his children will always be part of the Chargers family, and we wish them all the best now and in the future.”

AFC Notes: Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jets

August 4th, 2017 at 5:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the most important weapon in the Texans’ aerial attack, has caught passes from unheralded veteran Tom Savage and first-round rookie Deshaun Watson this summer. Asked Friday which of the two should start, Hopkins endorsed Savage (via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com). “If anybody should be a judge of quarterbacks, I’ve played with the most quarterbacks in NFL history throughout my first four years,” Hopkins said. “So I put the stamp on Savage, and I think that’s all that needs to be said about that.” The 27-year-old Savage “does everything well,” according to Hopkins, who went on to discuss his own status with the Texans. Hopkins is in a contract year, but he insisted that he has no desire to test free agency after the season. “I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of teams in the NFL that would love to have me, but the Houston Texans is my home and the team that I want to play for forever,” he declared.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/17

August 4th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Friday’s minor NFL moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Signed: C Derrick Nelson
Waived: C Brandon Kublanow

Kansas City Chiefs

Waived: DT Montori Hughes

Los Angeles Chargers

Waived-injured: C Dillon DeBoer

Los Angeles Rams

Signed: WR KD Cannon (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com)

Miami Dolphins

Signed: OT Kwayde Miller (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, on Twitter)

New York Jets

Signed: DL Jeremy Faulk
Waived-injured: DL Brandin Bryant, TE Brian Parker
Placed on injured reserve: DB Corey White

Oakland Raiders

Waived: DE Chris Casher

Jets Claim WR Bruce Ellington Off Waivers

August 4th, 2017 at 3:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets claimed wide receiver Bruce Ellington off waivers, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The 49ers dropped him from the roster on Thursday.

Ellington, who turns 26 later in August, was a regular for the 49ers in 2014 and 2015. Unfortunately, the former fourth-round pick missed the entire 2016 season when he sustained a severe hamstring injury just prior to the 75-man cutdown.

Ellington will look to grab one of the team’s final wide receiver spots, putting him in competition with newcomer Lucky Whitehead and others. Both players profile as return specialists.

The Jets are expected to go into September with Quincy Enunwa, Marquess Wilson, Robby Anderson, third round pick ArDarius Stewart, and fourth round pick Chad Hansen on the 53-man roster. Jalin Marshall will be sidelined to start the year as he serves a four-game ban.

In 2015, Ellington’s recorded 19 grabs for 137 yards. He did most of his work on special teams with 26 kick returns for 665 yards, good for an average of 25.6 yards.