2017 September - Pro Football Rumors

Packers To Release Ricky Jean-Francois

September 12th, 2017 at 3:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers evidently have not preferred the work Ricky Jean-Francois gave them during his 2017 stay in Green Bay. The team released the veteran defensive lineman, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Jean-Francois played only six snaps Sunday against the Seahawks. The Packers signed Jean-Francois to a one-year, $2MM deal and gave the veteran defensive end a $250K signing bonus. The 30-year-old interior defender is a vested veteran and will become a free agent.

Green Bay becomes the second franchise to release Jean-Francois this year, with Washington doing the same during the offseason. He caught on with the Packers, who had reportedly eyed him for years, after visiting the Bears and Seahawks.

The Packers were without rookie third-rounder Montravius Adams, sidelined with a foot injury, in Week 1. This could be an indication the Auburn product will be ready to play soon. Jean-Francois served as a backup last week behind Mike Daniels and Dean Lowry.

Jean-Francois began his ninth NFL season on Sunday, doing so with a fourth team. The former 49ers, Colts and Redskins cog vacillated between starter and backup status throughout his career. He started seven games for the Redskins last season.

Bills To Sign LB Jelani Jenkins

September 12th, 2017 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jelani Jenkins will return to the AFC East after an unsuccessful foray with the Raiders this offseason. The Bills are signing the former Dolphins linebacker, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets.

The Raiders released Jenkins with an injury settlement earlier this month, and it looks like Buffalo feels confident the 4-3 outside linebacker has recovered sufficiently from the groin injury that sidelined him. The Bills cut rookie cornerback Greg Mabin to make room on the roster.

A 2013 fourth-round pick, Jenkins started for three seasons with the Dolphins. Although injuries marred his 2016 campaign, Jenkins stood out as a first-year starter two years prior in making 110 tackles and registering 3.5 sacks. The Bills did not have much experience on their linebacking corps behind starters Lorenzo Alexander and Ramon Humber, carrying fifth- and sixth-round rookies Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo as second-stringers.

The Raiders signed Jenkins to a one-year, $1MM deal to compete for a starting job on a defense without much linebacker experience. He could not secure the outside linebacker position opposite Bruce Irvin and was released.

Danny Woodhead Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks

September 12th, 2017 at 3:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Danny Woodhead‘s latest injury will be costly for his new team. The Ravens will be without their primary passing-down back for at least a month, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (via Twitter) Woodhead could be out up to six weeks with a hamstring malady.

Rapoport adds (on Twitter) the Ravens have a roster decision to make, with this timetable making Woodhead an IR candidate. Only two running backs — Terrance West and Javorius Allen — reside on Baltimore’s active roster. The Ravens are carrying two practice squad backs, however, including former Bears starter Jeremy Langford.

Woodhead missed most of last season and played in only three games for the 2014 Chargers due to injury. The 32-year-old back signed a three-year, $8.8MM pact with the Ravens this offseason. Woodhead tore his ACL last season and suffered a broken leg in September 2014, marring his Chargers tenure.

In 2015, however, Woodhead totaled 1,091 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns to largely create his 2017 UFA market.

Bears Place Jerrell Freeman On IR

September 12th, 2017 at 2:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears made the decision to place linebacker Jerrell Freeman on IR on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Freeman entered Chicago’s concussion protocol on Sunday while also suffering a pectoral injury. The latter would pose a bigger threat to his returning this season. The starting inside linebacker is out until at least November as a result of this transaction.

Chicago signed linebacker Jonathan Anderson off its practice squad, per Schefter.

The 31-year-old Freeman, a 2016 UFA signee who came over from the Colts, led the Bears with 110 tackles despite playing in only 12 games due to a four-game suspension for a positive PED test.

This marks the latest injury setback to a Bears linebacker corps that’s endured a few this offseason. Danny Trevathan spent the offseason recovering from a torn patellar tendon — his second serious knee injury in three years — and Pernell McPhee‘s knee troubles induced DC Vic Fangio to describe the former Raven as not being the same player he was pre-injuries.

Chicago has Nick Kwiatkoski and Christian Jones as inside linebacker options while Freeman recovers from his head injury. Kwiatkoski will be the starter while Freeman’s out, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes.

Cardinals’ Calais Campbell Offer Topped Out At $9MM AAV

September 12th, 2017 at 2:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals were not willing to enter the same ballpark as the Jaguars or Broncos did in the Calais Campbell sweepstakes in March.

An Uninterrupted video (YouTube link) reveals Campbell wanted his agent, Tom Condon, to take the Jaguars’ $15MM-per-year offer back to the Cardinals to see if they’d match. Condon was fairly certain the Cardinals wouldn’t, and although he did call GM Steve Keim back, both Keim and Cards football administration director Mike Disner told the agent they didn’t want to hear Jacksonville’s updated offer because they did not believe they could match whatever it was.

This video lists the Cardinals’ top proposal at $9MM AAV over three years, and the Cards are categorized as being out of the running early in the frenetic process.

Campbell said $15MM per year would have been enough for the Cardinals to keep him off the UFA market. The 31-year-old defensive end felt his age would keep him off the Fletcher Cox/Muhammad Wilkerson/J.J. Watt tier — each makes north of $16MM annually — but viewed $15MM annually as a reasonable goal.

The Jaguars ended up meeting that standard on the fourth offer. Jacksonville initially offered $11MM per year, which Washington matched, according to the video. Both teams then submitted $12MM-AAV proposals. The Jags improved their proposal to $14.75MM per year, inducing a celebration from Campbell and his inner circle. The video does not show an additional Redskins proposal.

But the Broncos’ offer — one confirmed to be for $13MM annually with $26MM guaranteed in the first two years of the deal (Jacksonville’s pact came with $30MM guaranteed in Years 1-2) — “changed the game” for the Denver native. While some members of his camp thought the Broncos were the better legacy play, Campbell also said the Jaguars were building something. Campbell mentioned earlier in the video the Redskins, on the surface, presented a better chance to win the Super Bowl than the Jaguars.

The Jaguars elevated their proposal to the $15MM-per-year target Campbell sought, though, and he decided to choose the Jaguars over the Broncos. Denver’s three-year offer included a third-year option for $10MM, Campbell said in this piece.

The video also shows Campbell calling former Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets stalwart Chauncey Billups for advice. Condon mentioned the state income tax disparity between Florida and Colorado as a selling point for the Jaguars. Condon chuckled over the phone when Campbell asked him to see if the Cardinals would match the Jaguars’ $15MM-per-year offer, but Campbell insisted his agent make the call anyway.

Campbell played nine seasons with the Cards. His age-31 season’s off to a banner start. He leads the NFL with four sacks after leading the charge in the Jaguars’ 10-sack performance against the Texans.

Lions To Sign P Jeff Locke

September 12th, 2017 at 2:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions’ third punting solution will be Jeff Locke, Justin Rogers of the Detroit News tweets. A new punter became necessary after Kasey Redfern tore his ACL and MCL during a botched punt-turned-scramble on Sunday.

Noting Locke’s ability to handle kickoff duties played a key role in this decision, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported Monday night (via Twitter) the Lions were expected to sign Locke. The Lions worked out Locke on Monday. Locke will venture from one NFC North franchise, the Vikings, to another. The fifth-year punter played four seasons with the Vikings before signing with the Colts in March.

However, the Colts ended up cutting Locke in August. The Lions deployed Redfern only because usual punter Sam Martin suffered an injury over the summer that led to the Lions placing him on their NFI list. Martin is out until at least Week 6 as a result.

The Lions also placed tackle Corey Robinson on IR and signed tackle Emmett Cleary, per Rogers. The Cowboys cut Cleary just before the regular season. The ex-UDFA played in 13 games for Dallas last season and started one.

Chargers Restructure Philip Rivers’ Contract

September 12th, 2017 at 1:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers created some additional cap space on Tuesday by restructuring Philip Rivers‘ contract.

A day after nearly leading the Bolts to a dramatic comeback win in Denver, Rivers agreed to convert $3MM of his base salary into a signing bonus, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

This will create $2MM in cap space for the Chargers, who hold just less than $10MM in space, according to OverTheCap.

Los Angeles’ decision will add $1MM to each of Rivers’ ensuing two cap figures, which reside at $22MM and $23MM, respectively. Rivers’ four-year, $83.25MM contract runs through the 2019 season. The 14th-year quarterback is attached to an $18MM cap figure this season; that figure remains the highest on the Bolts by a healthy margin.

Colts To Sign Matt Jones To Practice Squad

September 12th, 2017 at 12:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite being cut after less than a week with the Colts, Matt Jones will stay in Indianapolis. The former Redskins starter agreed to sign with the Colts’ practice squad, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

This move would not have been possible as recently as a few years ago, with Jones having played in 20 regular-season games. But practice squad eligibility has expanded, via the practice squad exception rule for which Jones qualifies as a player with fewer than three accrued NFL seasons, leaving the Colts the option to attempt to develop Jones on their taxi squad.

The Redskins cut Jones last week after having benched him midway through last season. The former third-round pick, though, averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 99 attempts last season.

Indianapolis houses three running backs on its active roster, with Robert Turbin and rookie Marlon Mack stationed behind Frank Gore on the depth chart. With the Colts not previously employing a running back on their practice squad, Jones now becomes the team’s No. 4 back.

The Colts cut outside linebacker Garrett Sickels from their practice squad, Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com tweets.

Eagles To Sign K Jake Elliott Off Bengals’ Practice Squad

September 12th, 2017 at 12:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Caleb Sturgis‘ injury looks to have prompted the Eagles to pry a kicker off another team’s practice squad, and they’ll be adding one of this past draft’s top kicking prospects.

The Eagles intend to sign rookie Jake Elliott off the Bengals’ taxi squad, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Sturgis’ quad strain will send him to IR, with a potential designation to return, per Rapoport.

The Bengals opted to go with Randy Bullock as their primary kicker but attempted to stash Elliott, a fifth-round pick out of Memphis, on their practice squad. But the Eagles’ injury need will relocate the kicking prospect. Three kickers went in this past draft, and the other two — Zane Gonzalez and Harrison Butker — were seventh-round selections.

So, Philly will have an interesting specialist filling in for Sturgis — also a former fifth-round pick — who has kicked with the team for the past two seasons.

Elliott broke Stephen Gostkowski‘s Memphis records for points scored and field goals made in a career and was a Lou Groza award finalist in 2015.

Cardinals Sign RB Chris Johnson

September 12th, 2017 at 11:09am CST by Zachary Links

With star running back David Johnson set to undergo wrist surgery, the Cardinals are turning to a familiar face. Arizona signed running back Chris Johnson today, the team announced. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com first reported the signing.

The 31-year-old rushed for 814 yards and three touchdowns before giving way to David Johnson as the club’s starting running back in 2015. Unfortunately, he missed the bulk of last year due to injury.

CJ2K missed the team’s initial 53-man cut this year. Luckily for the Cardinals, he was still available when they needed him. The former Titans star now profiles as an insurance addition. This marks his latest go-round with the team, and the backfield looks similar to how it did during Johnson’s productive 2015 slate.

Chris Johnson, Andre Ellington and Kerwynn Williams each remain on the team and will likely be expected to form an emergency committee in place of David Johnson. Each has been with the Cards for at least three seasons, with Ellington now in his fifth Arizona campaign. Ellington served as the Cardinals’ primary starter in 2014 before CJ2K relegated him to backup work a year later.

But the Cards now possess plenty of experience for a team that experienced the setback they did. While none of their replacement options is on David Johnson’s level, the Cardinals may be able to use this depth to reasonably withstand this seminal development collectively.