2017 September - Pro Football Rumors

North Notes: Bengals, Bradford, Packers

September 17th, 2017 at 7:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

A “near mutiny” helped induce the Bengals to fire offensive coordinator Ken Zampese after two games. Although Andy Dalton‘s job is not believed to be in jeopardy as of now, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes the leash might not be especially long for the seventh-year starter. And some Cincinnati players might not all be on board with a simple A.J. McCarron succession strategy. While it would certainly be an off-the-board choice, Florio hears some Bengals players are expressing support for a Colin Kaepernick signing.

The UFA passer has been the NFL’s most discussed player this offseason despite not being affiliated with a team. McCarron’s been a Bengal since 2014 but has never threatened Dalton’s job security, only seeing relevant action after a Dalton injury in 2015. Kaepernick said recently he does want to return to the NFL, and has been training daily for a potential chance. Many players have publicly endorsed the 29-year-old quarterback receiving an opportunity. A Bengals route might be a stretch, though, considering McCarron’s status.

Dalton currently sits on a 55 percent completion percentage and a 0-to-4 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio. The Bengals have not scored a touchdown in two games and have posted just nine points.

Here’s the latest from the North divisions.

The Vikings played without Sam Bradford on Sunday, and the Case Keenum-led team lost to the Steelers. Bradford’s knee injury has him at day-to-day for the time being, but Florio hears the quarterback’s injured knee is “structurally fine.” Mike Zimmer used “fine” to describe Bradford’s status (Twitter link), even though the coach was vague in setting a return timetable. Any further game absences would signal the eighth-year signal-caller is, in fact, not fine.
Green Bay will be playing without both starting tackles tonight in Atlanta. Longtime Packers starters David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga will miss the Falcons tilt, the team announced. Bulaga missed last week’s game due to an ankle injury suffered during preseason play. A hamstring malady will shelve Bakhtiari. Kyle Murphy and Justin McCray will start, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. A fourth-year UDFA, McCray has yet to play in an NFL game.
The Bears will not deviate at quarterback despite Mike Glennon‘s struggles, John Fox said today. Fox shot down the idea Mitch Trubisky would start in Week 3 for the 0-2 team. Glennon threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in a blowout against his former team in Week 2.
The Ravens received the toughest blow of any North-division team Sunday, losing Marshal Yanda for the season.

Brandin Cooks’ Discontent Led To Saints Trading WR

September 17th, 2017 at 6:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandin Cooks faced his former team today, in a Patriots rout in New Orleans, but some additional details emerged on why he spent time in the visitors’ locker room.

The Saints dealt the fourth-year wide receiver for a first-round pick because of Cooks’ issues with his role in New Orleans’ offense and his doubts about the team’s future, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.

Cooks expressed doubt Drew Brees, who is now in his age-38 season, could continue to get him the ball deep, per Rapoport. And the Saints were skeptical of the 23-year-old’s status as a No. 1 wide receiver. Rapoport notes Cooks was going to want to be paid like a No. 1 receiver, and the Saints were not prepared to authorize that kind of contract for the deep threat despite his back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons.

A late-season meeting between Cooks and Sean Payton did little to clear the air, Rapoport reports, and the organization did not like what it perceived to be a self-over-team mindset from the talented pass-catcher. Payton told Cooks, who voiced frustration (the “closed mouths don’t get fed” comment) after going catchless in a 49-21 win over the Rams last November, he would see a target increase. Nevertheless, Cooks voicing his frustrations about his stat line following a blowout win rubbed some with the Saints the wrong way, per Rapoport.

And the wideout tied a season-high with seven receptions the following week. Despite Michael Thomas‘ emergence, Cooks saw at least eight targets in 10 games last season and at least six in 14 contests.

While Cooks was pro-Brees in terms of his relationship with the quarterback, the future Hall of Fame passer’s arm strength was not something the receiver felt he could address on any level, Rapoport adds. Cooks had discussions along these lines with Payton, OC Pete Carmichael, then-wideouts coach John Morton and GM Mickey Loomis.

Interestingly, the soon-to-be 24-year-old performer is now playing with a 40-year-old quarterback and for a team notoriously stingy regarding big contracts. Cooks caught two passes for 37 yards in New England’s win in New Orleans.

Ravens Lose Marshal Yanda For Season

September 17th, 2017 at 4:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Marshal Yanda‘s season is over. The guard fractured his leg in Sunday’s win over the Browns, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. He’ll be placed on IR with no hope of returning in 2017.

The Ravens have been plagued by injuries for months, particularly on the offensive line. Tony Bergstrom was plugged in at the right guard spot after Yanda exited and that’s where he could remain for the rest of the season, unless the Ravens add a better interior lineman to the mix.

Yanda missed three games in 2016 due to a nagging shoulder injury. Despite the ailment, the 33-year-old graded out as the NFL’s best guard.

“There’s not a word in English dictionary to describe what Yanda is to us,” one player said to Zrebiec (Twitter link).

The Ravens have also lost linebacker Bam Bradley for the season thanks to a torn ACL.

Panthers’ Greg Olsen Suffers Broken Foot

September 17th, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Panthers tight end Greg Olsen broke his foot on Sunday. There is no timetable for Olsen’s recovery, but he already admits that he’s going to miss “a lot of games.”

The Panthers beat the Bills by a score of 9-3 on Sunday and it’ll be even harder to come by points without one of Cam Newton‘s favorite targets on the field. For now, Ed Dickson profiles as the team’s new No. 1 tight end with Chris Manhertz as the backup. At minimum, the Panthers can be expected to sign another tight end for depth. If the Panthers want to sign an experienced TE with a history of offensive production, they could call on Gary Barnidge now that the Texans have passed on him.

Olsen hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season in 2007, so this is unfamiliar territory for him. In his previous six seasons with Carolina, Olsen has averaged 71 catches, 897 yards, and five touchdowns per campaign.

The 32-year-old has two seasons to go on the three-year, $22.5MM pact he inked before the 2015 season.

Latest On Browns WR Josh Gordon

September 17th, 2017 at 3:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon will be out of rehab on September 21, former Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery tells Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Montgomery, who has been working with Gordon for the last six months, says that Gordon is hoping to have the indefinite suspension lifted soon after he is released.

Gordon has had multiple problems with the league office, so it’s not clear if commissioner Roger Goodell would allow him to return to football right away. At minimum, one has to imagine that the NFL will want to see if Gordon can stay on the straight and narrow for a period of time before giving him the green light. If that’s the case, we might not see Gordon suit up in 2017.

If Gordon is allowed back in football, the Browns will have a tough decision to make. While Gordon is one of the league’s most talented receivers, he may not be a fit for Hue Jackson‘s locker room. Jackson said last year he was ready to move on from the 26-year-old, but he seemed at least open to his return when asked about him in May.

“He’s not back, so I don’t even want to really get into that right now,” Jackson said. “I wish Josh well, and we’ll cross all those bridges when we get there.”

When asked about Gordon’s status, a league spokesman told PFT that there is “no update” at this time. That means that Gordon has yet to file for reinstatement, which makes sense considering that he is still in rehab. When Gordon was denied reinstatement this offseason, the league informed him that he could reapply in the fall, so he could get the ball rolling soon.

Latest On Colin Kaepernick

September 17th, 2017 at 2:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Colin Kaepernick has been criticized by some for not publicly stating his desire to play in the NFL. On Sunday, Kaepernick broke his silence and made his intentions clear.

“Yes,” Kaepernick said when asked by Shaun King of the Daily News (Twitter link) if he wants to play . “I’ve never stopped. I’m ready right now. Working out daily.”

Kaepernick is reportedly working out five days a week and is back to his 2013 weight of 230 pounds. This offseason, the 29-year-old was knocked for his slender frame and for not announcing that he wants to get back into football. He has now checked those boxes, but it’s not clear if or when he will get an opportunity to play. It’s possible that Kaepernick could get a call from a contending club in the event of an injury, but that would require him to learn someone’s playbook on the fly.

For now, it sounds like it’s NFL-or-bust for Kaepernick. But, if the NFL doesn’t come calling and he has a change of heart, he could have a place on the Montreal Alouettes.

Jerry Jones Blocking Roger Goodell Extension?

September 17th, 2017 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

Commissioner Roger Goodell‘s current contract expires in 2019, though an extension was expected to be reached prior to the regular season getting underway. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, the six-man compensation committee is expected to have a conference call on Wednesday to produce a specific term proposal for Goodell.

Also included on the call will be Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has made himself the unofficial seventh member of the compensation committee, which also includes fellow owners Arthur Blank (Falcons), Clark Hunt (Chiefs), Robert Kraft (Patriots), John Mara (Giants), Bob McNair (Texans) and Art Rooney II (Steelers). And, according to ESPN’s sources, Jones considers himself a representative of the remaining 26 owners who are not on the compensation committee, and he is impeding a new deal for Goodell. One person familiar with the contract negotiations said, “If not for Jerry, this deal would be done.”

Interestingly, but perhaps not coincidentally, Goodell was informed that Jones would take part in the process within the same time frame as the commissioner was deciding the eventual six-game suspension of Cowboys’ star running back Ezekiel Elliott for violation of the league’s domestic violence policy.

Jones has told the compensation committee that the other 26 owners believe Goodell is significant;y overpaid. As Schefter and Mortensen write, “Goodell’s earnings of more than $200 million since he was elected commissioner in 2006 — including a $44 million salary in 2015 — is at the core of Jones’ aggressive strategy in communicating with fellow owners.”

Some owners believe an extension is imminent all the same, while others believe there is no way a new deal gets reached anytime soon. Even if an extension is offered, it is unclear whether Goodell would be happy with it, as he would have to meet certain incentives to realize the same salary he has enjoyed in the past.

Jones was unavailable for comment and the league declined comment.

Lawrence Timmons Leaves Dolphins

September 17th, 2017 at 11:46am CST by Rory Parks

Dolphins linebacker Lawrence Timmons left the team for unknown reasons and is not expected to play today, as Barry Jackson and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald report.

According to the Herald’s source, something “angered” Timmons and compelled him to leave the team, though the Dolphins do know where he is (Salgeuro tweets that a personal matter is likely at the source of Timmons’ frustration, and not something team-related). The team has declined to comment on the matter for the time being, and Timmons’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he had no information to provide.

Miami signed Timmons to a two-year, $12MM deal this offseason. Timmons had been with the Steelers since being selected by Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2007 draft, and he earned a Pro Bowl bid in 2014. He turned in another solid season in 2016, compiling 114 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions. The veteran had started every regular season game for the Steelers since 2011, and he hasn’t missed a game since 2009, but that streak will come to an end today.

Timmons’ absence will further deplete a linebacker corps that has already lost Koa Misi and Raekwon McMillan for the season, and, to make matters worse, Rey Maualuga will miss today’s game with a hamstring injury. Justin March-Lillard, who was claimed off waivers on Sept. 3, could get the start in Timmons’ place alongside Kiko Alonso and Mike Hull (who will make just his second career start).

We will provide more details as they become available.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports was the first to report that Timmons was not at the team hotel in California

Sam Bradford Inactive For Week 2; Teddy Bridgewater Could Return Midseason

September 17th, 2017 at 11:03am CST by Rory Parks

Vikings QB Sam Bradford is officially inactive for today’s game against the Steelers, which means that backup Case Keenum will get the start in his stead. Kyle Sloter, who was promoted from Minnesota’s practice squad earlier this week, will serve as Keenum’s backup.

This is tough news for the Vikings, as Bradford was terrific in the team’s Week 1 victory over New Orleans and had seemingly established a strong rapport with top wideouts Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Bradford is dealing with swelling, pain, and discomfort in the same left knee that had been repaired for torn ACLs in 2013 and 2014, and while he was briefly on the field for warmups today, he did not stay for long and did not test his knee much, if at all (as Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network tweets). Although Keenum has a 9-7 record as a starter over the past three seasons, Minnesota needs Bradford if it wants to make a playoff push. Kinkhabwala does report (via Twitter) that the Vikings are hopeful that Bradford will return next week.

In some good news for the Vikings, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) reports that Teddy Bridgewater will be ready to play by midseason. Bridgewater suffered a devastating knee injury last year and is currently on the PUP list, but his return could be a boon for Minnesota, particularly if Bradford struggles with his health.

It was not too long ago that Bridgewater was considered the quarterback of the future in Minnesota, but his knee injury precipitated the team’s trade for Bradford and led to questions about whether Bridgewater would even be able to continue his career. While it is impossible to predict if he will xhibit the same level of ability he did prior to the injury, at least he appears to be on the right track at the moment.

East Rumors: Redskins, Elliott, Cutler

September 17th, 2017 at 10:35am CST by Rory Parks

Redskins safety Su’a Cravens is expected to report to the team Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Cravens, of course, informed the club several weeks ago that he intended to retire only to reverse his decision almost immediately. Cravens has been in contact with head coach Jay Gruden, and the two have discussed football and life issues. As Rapoport suggests, the fact that Cravens is reporting does not necessarily mean that he will suit up right away, given that he is battling an injury and, as his recent history suggests, may be at a crossroads in his young life. Nonetheless, it is a positive step for one of the more promising defensive talents in the league.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

The Redskins reshuffled their front office in June, but per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the team considered adding another executive during training camp. Washington reportedly brought in James “Shack” Harris, Charles Bailey, Bill Kuharich, and Ron Hill to watch practice and meet with other staffers, but the team ultimately decided to stand pat and does not plan to make any other additions at this time.
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has never been arrested or charged with a crime, but since June 2014, Elliott’s name has appeared in at least four investigations concerning assault, battery, domestic violence, and disorderly conduct, as Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes. The entire piece is well worth a read, and it suggests a troubling pattern of behavior that Elliott will need to correct in order to live up to his sky-high potential.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler has impressed the team with his demeanor and work ethic, and if he plays well this season, Salguero writes that Miami would consider re-signing him and trading Ryan Tannehill, thereby creating a great deal of cap room and netting an early draft choice in the process. We are a long way from that happening, of course, but if Cutler somehow becomes a modern-day Jim Plunkett, Tannehill could be on a different sideline in 2018.
We recently learned that the Dolphins were interested in trading for Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Miami went hard after the star DB, making attempts to land him both back early in the free-agency signing period and as recently as last month.
Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower was riding a stationary bike after he left the team’s Week 1 contest with a right knee injury, leading to optimism that he might be ready for Week 2. However, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that Hightower sought a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews last week, which Hightower did not deny. Problems with his right knee forced Hightower to begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list, and given that New England’s defense clearly needs him, this is a situation worth monitoring.