2017 August - Pro Football Rumors

Bills Trade LB Reggie Ragland To Chiefs

August 28th, 2017 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills sure love to make trades. On Monday, the Bills shipped linebacker Reggie Ragland to the Chiefs for a 2019 fourth-round draft pick, according to an announcement from Kansas City.

Ragland, a 2016 second-round pick made by the Doug Whaley regime, was fighting for a roster spot this summer. The 23-year-old missed the entirety of his rookie campaign with an ACL injury and has yet to see live NFL action.

The Bills are not only under new leadership, but they also have an entirely different defensive scheme. Rex Ryan‘s 3-4 is gone and has been replaced with Sean McDermott‘s 4-3. Ragland, apparently, was not a fit for Buffalo’s new-look D, but he could find a home in KC’s 3-4.

The Bills traded up to take the Alabama product in 2016, giving up a second-rounder (49th overall), fourth-rounder (117th overall), and a future fourth-rounder for the 41st-overall pick. Between the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Ragland racked up 195 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and four sacks.

Assuming he cracks the 53-man roster, Ragland will serve as support for Chiefs starting inside linebackers Ramik Wilson and Derrick Johnson.

Ragland is the latest Bills player to be traded, following the path of wide receiver Sammy Watkins, cornerback Ronald Darby, and quarterback Cardale Jones. Between these swaps and their draft day deal with the Chiefs, the Bills now have an impressive stockpile of future selections, including the Chiefs’ 2018 first round pick, the Rams’ 2018 second round pick, the Eagles’ 2018 third round pick, and the Chiefs’ 2019 fourth round pick.

Jets, Colts Complete Trade

August 28th, 2017 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have traded long snapper Thomas Hennessy to the Jets in exchange for safety Ronald Martin. Both teams confirmed the deal via press release on Monday morning.

The Jets’ acquisition of Martin is a sign that they are not pleased with long snapper Tanner Purdum. Purdum, the longest-tenured player on the Jets’ roster, has a $400K guarantee on his contract but he has looked off throughout the summer. It seems possible that Purdum will be handed a pink slip between now and the 53-man deadline on Saturday.

Martin has appeared in eleven career games for the Jets over the last two years and also spent time on the practice squad. Martin first broke into the league undrafted free agent with the Seahawks in 2015. Collegiately, Martin played in 37 games at LSU and tallied 149 tackles, 20 passes defensed, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Hennessy, an undrafted free agent out of Duke, suited up for 52 games while with the Blue Devils. He played his high school football at New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep.

Jets Cut Devon Still

August 28th, 2017 at 10:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have released defensive lineman Devon Still. To take his place on the roster, the team has signed safety Armageddon Draughn.

Still, who hasn’t made a start in his four-year NFL career since being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft, became a fan favorite in Cincinnati and around the league as his young daughter, Leah Still, battled cancer. Leah went into remission from neuroblastoma in March of 2016 and Still announced earlier this year that she was cancer-free.

The 28-year-old barely played for the Texans last year after a Lisfranc injury forced him to undergo surgery. His last significant action came in 2014 when he saw a career-high 237 defensive snaps as a part-time player for the Bengals.

Colts Cut Punter Jeff Locke

August 28th, 2017 at 9:25am CST by Zachary Links

Some people didn’t believe that the Colts were serious about having a punting competition. They ought to be believed now. The team announced on Monday morning that punter Jeff Locke has been released.

The 27-year-old Locke (28 in September) signed with the Colts as a free agent in March after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Vikings. He was given a two-year, $3.45MM deal to take over the for the retired Pat McAfee, but it will instead be undrafted rookie Rigoberto Sanchez handling that responsibility for Indianapolis.

McAfee was among the NFL’s top punters last year while Locke finished toward the bottom of the league in yards per punt and net average. Sanchez, meanwhile, averaged 44.8 yards per punt during his collegiate career at Hawaii.

To his credit, Locke ranked No. 5 in the league last year when it came to pinning opposing teams inside their 20-yard line.

Locke’s deal included $1.25MM in guaranteed cash, so he’ll have a nice chunk of change to hold him over until he finds his next gig.

Giants, Others Tried To Claim Kony Ealy

August 28th, 2017 at 9:13am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets scooped up Kony Ealy after he was waived by the Patriots, but they weren’t the only team that wanted to claim him. The Giants, Redskins, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Lions, and Cardinals also put in claims on the veteran, Jane Slater of NFL Network and Kimberley A. Martin of The Buffalo News report (Twitter links).

The Jets aren’t playing for much in 2017 and Ealy has just one year left on his deal, so one has to wonder if they could entertain trades for him. Clearly, there is a market for his services, even though he struggled in offseason practices with the Patriots.

For now, the 25-year-old profiles as a reserve behind the likes of Leonard Williams, Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Steve McLendon. The defensive line is the Jets’ strongest unit, but it stands to reason that Ealy could make the cut when rosters go from 90 to 53 on September 2.

Prior to the trade that sent him to the Patriots this spring, Ealy had played his entire three-year career with the Panthers. The former second-round pick has started a combined 15 games over the past two years with identical stat lines in each campaign: 32 tackles and five sacks. He also added a total of five forced fumbles during that span.

Bengals’ Vontaze Burfict Facing Suspension

August 28th, 2017 at 8:42am CST by Zachary Links

Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is facing a five-game suspension for an illegal hit against a Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman in the preseason, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Burfict is appealing and he’ll have his hearing next week.

Upon learning of the league’s decision, the Bengals offered support for the veteran in a statement:

“The Bengals are aware of the NFL’s letter to Vontaze regarding a play in last weekend’s game. The film shows that the hit was legal, that Vontaze engaged his opponent from the front, and that contact was shoulder-to-chest. The Club will support Vontaze in the appeal process.”

Video of the hit shows Burfict driving his shoulder into Sherman’s head/neck area roughly four or five yards from the line of scrimmage. Sherman is not Alex Smith‘s targeted receiver, but Burfict’s reps may argue that he was first thrown off by a pump fake from the quarterback, leading him to a tackle on the fullback. Burfict will probably argue that the placement of the hit was also accidental.

Of course, this is not Burfict’s first rodeo when it comes to violating league safety rules. Over his five-year career, Burfict has racked up nearly $800K in fines and been flagged 16 times for unnecessary roughness, personal fouls or roughing the passer. Last year, Burfict was sidelines for the first three weeks of the season due to an illegal hit on Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown in the 2015 playoffs.

The Bengals are now slated to be without Burfict for games against the Ravens, Texans, Packers, Browns, and Bills. Because the Bengals have a Week 6 bye, Burfict would not return to the field until Week 7 against the Steelers.

Latest on DeMaurice Smith, NFLPA

August 27th, 2017 at 8:13pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like DeMaurice Smith‘s future status as the NFL Players Association’s executive director may be more secure than initially thought. With the standard voting expected in March, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports that the NFLPA is has revamped the election process, which would seemingly make it easier for the incumbent to retain their position.

By mid-October, a 14-member selection committee will vote on whether they should extend Smith’s contract. If the vote is unanimous, Smith will keep his job. If seven-to-13 of these members approve this move, then the vote will be moved to the board of player representatives (which includes members of every NFL team). If 21 (“two-thirds” of the grouping, technically) of these players approve, then Smith maintains his job.

An election for the executive director spot will only happen if six or fewer members of the selection committee commit, or if less than 21 player representatives don’t approve the move. In this situation, the selection committee would then choose several candidates to (presumably) run against Smith.

As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, this decision will prevent the “umpteen-candidate clusterfudge” election that occurred in 2015. Furthermore, with the NFLPA preparing for a CBA negotiation (and an impending extension for commissioner Roger Goodell), retaining the executive director “could be the right message to send to management.”

Of course, some believe Smith instituted this rule to help himself keep his job. This includes lawyer Cyrus Mehri, who was prepared to run for the executive director gig.

“De Smith has given the vast majority of NFL players and the public at large the false impression that the election is in March of 2018,” Mehri said. “Meanwhile, he devised a scheme with a virtually secret and unobtainable constitution to prevent any election at all.

“We will not let him get away with this. Players deserve choices. We are going to fight every day to advance player voices and choices. To be the [executive director] of the NFLPA is a privilege that should be earned every three years in broad daylight. The stakes are too high to deprive NFL players of an opportunity to evaluate the candidates after a full debate.”

Smith was a unanimous choice for the role back in 2009, earning the job over Troy Vincent, Trace Armstrong, and David Cornwell. The 53-year-old predictably had a major role when the NFLPA negotiated a CBA with the owners back in 2011. However, despite his apparent positive influence, Mehri doesn’t believe that Smith’s new election rule is reflective of the NFLPA.

“It is ironic in a league where players have to compete every single day that De Smith is afraid of competition,” Mehri said. “NFL players deserve better.”

NFC Notes: Seahawks, Redskins, Rush

August 27th, 2017 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

During Friday’s preseason game, Austin Davis outplayed Trevone Boykin as the pair of Seahawks quarterbacks battled for the backup gig behind Russell Wilson. While Davis finished with a perfect quarterback rating, Boykin went 0-for-6 while tossing an interception. Despite the clear disparity in their performance, coach Pete Carroll was adamant that the organization won’t be basing their final decision on one game.

“I really think that we were just out of sync so much for the first 10, 12 plays there that Boykin just couldn’t get rolling,” Carroll said (via Stefanie Loh of the Seattle Times). “It just felt like we were out of whack for a bit. Austin came right in we kind of fit together very nicely.

“Trevone has had a really good preseason so far. I don’t think five to six passes he threw in this game should be in the final decision. I think he’s done very well.”

Of course, the team could decide to hang on to three quarterbacks, and Carroll seemingly left that possibility open.

“It’s a good idea if you can do it,” Carroll said. “They’re so important. It just depends on the rest of the roster.”

The Redskins could potentially trade a tight end before the regular season gets underway, opines John Keim of ESPN.com. Rookie fifth-round pick Jeremy Sprinkle looks poised to serve as Washington’s third tight end behind Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis, meaning the club’s final slot at the position will be filled by either Derek Carrier or Niles Paul. The one who doesn’t earn a roster spot could be dealt for either a reserve offensive lineman or a draft choice, per Keim, who adds that both Carrier and Paul would “hold value” to other NFL teams.
Cooper Rush will earn a place on the Cowboys‘ roster as a backup quarterback, as owner Jerry Jones says Dallas will not try to sneak Rush through waivers in order to stash him on the practice squad (link via Rob Phillips of DallasCowboys.com). Rush, an undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan, is still in contention for the Cowboys’ No. 2 quarterback job behind Dak Prescott, although he’s competing with veteran Kellen Moore for that role. While Rush has completed 75% of his preseason passes for six touchdowns and no interceptions, Moore has posted a 54% completion rate, one touchdown, and one pick.
Just months after being selected in the fifth round of the draft, running back Jeremy McNichols is not a roster lock for the Buccaneers, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “He’s gonna get one final chance to show what he can do,” said head coach Dirk Koetter, referring to Tampa Bay’s final preseason game on Thursday. McNichols, who’s been shown having a hard time grasping the Buccaneers’ offense on Hard Knocks, only saw two plays on Saturday (including a failed blitz pickup) before being yanked, per Laine. While Doug Martin will miss the first three games of the season while on suspension, Tampa Bay has other backs to replace him, including Jacquizz Rodgers, Charles Sims, and Peyton Barber.
49ers defensive end Tank Carradine has played sparingly since being selected in the second-round of the 2013 draft. With only 36 games and 57 tackles over four seasons, some wondered whether Carradine could be looking for a new gig following the preseason. However, based on an evaluation from defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, it sounds like the 28-year-old is a lock to make the roster. “With Tank, when I say ‘elite,’ I’m talking as a run-down, six-technique, someone who just can really dominate his edge and own the line of scrimmage,” Saleh said on NBC Sports Bay Area (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Bills, Petty

August 27th, 2017 at 5:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots waived/injured Matt Lengel earlier today, leading ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss to wonder whether the team will carry three tight ends heading into the regular season. Behind Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen, the team is now rostering third-year player James O’Shaughnessy and undrafted rookies Jacob Hollister and Sam Cotton. Reiss writes that O’Shaughnessy’s special teams prowess makes him the favorite for the third tight end spot, but he adds that Hollister did earn the praise of coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots also have fullback James Develin, who often spends time practicing with the tight ends.

Reiss also notes that the Patriots carried four tight ends heading into last season, but they whittled that number down to two following the A.J. Derby trade and release of Clay Harbor. Ultimately, the writer believes the team will carry a third tight end, but he warns that the organization could carry two as they look to keep an extra player elsewhere.

More notes from around the AFC East…

The Patriots are more likely to make an external addition to replace Julian Edelman at wide receiver or Kony Ealy at defensive end than to give an incumbent player more snaps, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Edelman is lost for the season after tearing his ACL over the weekend, while New England waived Ealy on Saturday. At wideout, specifically, Austin Carr and Devin Lucien are more likely to earn a spot on the Patriots’ practice squad than make the club’s 53-man roster, per Reiss.
With both Tyrod Taylor and T.J. Yates in the concussion protocol, the Bills are considering signing another quarterback, head coach Sean McDermott told reporters, including Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link). At present, Buffalo only boasts one healthy quarterback in rookie Nathan Peterman, meaning it could be difficult for the club to even get through a practice session. As such, the Bills are likely looking at camp arms or developmental options, not a Colin Kaepernick-level addition.
McDermott also confirmed that 2016 second-round linebacker Reggie Ragland is fighting for a Bills roster spot, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets. Playing behind Preston Brown and Gerald Hodges, Ragland has been mentioned as a trade candidate, but it’s also possible he’s simply waived. Ragland, 23, missed the entirey of his rookie campaign with an ACL injury, and neither McDermott nor general manager Brandon Beane has any allegiance to the Alabama product given the he was drafted by Buffalo’s previous regime.
Bryce Petty survived an injury scare following last night’s preseason game, as the Jets quarterback escaped with a Grade 1 MCL sprain, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who adds Petty is hopeful he’ll be able to play in New York’s final exhibition contest on Thursday night. The 26-year-old Petty performed admirably against the Giants, completing 15 of 18 pass attempts for 250 yards and three touchdowns (although that action came against Big Blue’s backups). Jets head coach Todd Bowles is expected to announce the club’s starting quarterback early this week, with Petty, Josh McCown, and Christian Hackenberg among those in contention for the job.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Bills OT Seantrel Henderson Accepts Pay Cut

August 27th, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bills offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson agreed to a pay cut in late June, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Scheduled to earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.797MM thanks to the NFL’s proven performance escalator, Henderson will now bring in just $690K, per Rodak.

Of course, Henderson won’t earn the entirety of that $690K, as he has five games left on a 10-game substance abuse ban that was handed down in November. Henderson, who maintains that he uses marijuana to treat his Crohn’s disease, can also earn roughly $500K in per-game roster bonuses and $800K through not-likely-to-be-earned incentives, reports Rodak. All told, Henderson’s 2017 cap charge has been reduced from $1.808MM to roughly $982K.

A 16-game starter during his rookie season in 2014, Henderson appeared on only 34 offensive snaps a season ago. When he’s activated later this season, the 25-year-old Henderson could find himself buried on Buffalo’s right tackle depth chart behind rookie Dion Dawkins and veterans Jordan Mills and Michael Ola.