2017 November - Pro Football Rumors

Bears Claim LB Lamarr Houston

November 29th, 2017 at 3:26pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears have claimed linebacker Lamarr Houston, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Texans released the veteran on Tuesday, exposing him to post-trading deadline waivers.

Houston spent the 2014-2016 seasons in Chicago. The results were mixed, primarily due to his health. Houston, 30, didn’t live up to his five-year, $35MM free agent deal signed in 2014. In three seasons with the Bears, Houston has appeared in just 26 of a possible 48 games and made only ten starts. The Bears opted to release Houston just prior to Week 1 of this season.

The potential remains for Houston to be an effective edge rusher, although perhaps not as a starter like when he was with the Raiders. After two ACL tears and multiple other knee injuries, he could best serve the Bears as a reserve. Currently, the Bears are starting Mitch Unrein and Akiem Hicks at defensive end with Pernell McPhee and Sam Acho as the starting outside linebackers. Houston figures to get reps at OLB, particularly wtih Leonard Floyd and Willie Young on IR.

In five games with the Texans, Houston recorded seven total tackles, one forced fumble (recovered for a touchdown), and one sack.

49ers Sign OL Tim Barnes

November 29th, 2017 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have signed offensive lineman Tim Barnes. In a related move, running back Jeremy McNichols has been promoted from the taxi squad to the 53-man roster.

This technically marks Barnes’ second stint in San Francisco. The center/guard, who spent the first five years of his career with the Rams, signed with the 49ers in May after encountering a weaker-than-expected free agent market. Barnes started in all 32 of the Rams’ games over the past two seasons, but evaluators apparently did not see him as starting caliber and the advanced metrics were in agreement. Pro Football Focus ranked him as a bottom 10 center in both 2015 and 2016.

Barnes will serve as a backup for starter Daniel Kilgore at a time when the offensive line is banged up. Guard/tackle Erik Magnuson recently became the latest offensive lineman to land on IR, joining tackle/guard Garry Gilliam and Joshua Garnett.

Giants Owner John Mara On Eli Manning

November 29th, 2017 at 2:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants’ decision to bench Eli Manning on Sunday ignited a firestorm of controversy in the football world. On Wednesday, owner John Mara addressed reporters directly to discuss the future of the team’s quarterback position as well as the job security of head coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese. Here’s a look at the highlights with all links going to Twitter:

Mara says the Giants “obviously have some decisions to make this offseason” when it comes to the head coach and GM positions (link via Tom Rock of Newsday). Some say that McAdoo has lost control of the locker room, as underscored by the team’s saga with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie earlier this year. Meanwhile, Reese has been criticized for failing to build the team through the draft in recent years.
Mara is adamant that the original plan was for Manning to play on Sunday, but perhaps not for the whole game (link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). However, he says he understands why Manning wasn’t on board and admitted that it probably could have been handled differently.
“I don’t think you should be writing his obituary just yet,” Mara said when asked about Manning’s future in New York (link via Raanan). Still, the Giants have a big decision to make before March 14th, the date that Manning’s $5MM roster bonus comes due.
Mara says he first suggested to Reese a week or two ago that it might be time to look at other quarterbacks (link via Raanan).
Any suggestion that the Giants are tanking is “complete [B.S.],” Mara says (link via James Kratch of NJ.com). A reminder: The Giants are 2-9 and will start Geno Smith under center on Sunday.

Giants Sign DT Khyri Thornton

November 29th, 2017 at 2:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have signed defensive tackle Khyri Thornton. In a related move, linebacker J.T. Thomas has been waived from injured reserve.

Thornton, 28, was cut loose by the Lions last week. After a successful audition for the G-Men on Tuesday, the Giants moved quickly to sign him. In 2016, Thornton appeared in 13 games for Detroit and earned himself a two-year extension. This year, however, Thorton missed the start of the year with a suspension and looked rusty upon his return. He’ll now try to turn over a new leaf with the 2-9 Giants.

Thomas was placed on IR in September, resulting in a second consecutive lost season. Thomas signed a three-year, $12MM free agent deal in 2015, but he did not live up to the contract. His Giants stint ends with 43 tackles and half a sack in 15 games. In the last two seasons, he made it to the field for just three games.

Dolphins QB Jay Cutler Will Start Sunday

November 29th, 2017 at 1:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and will start Sunday against the Broncos, head coach Adam Gase told reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Miami will turn back to Cutler following a start by backup Matt Moore in Week 12, a loss to the division rival Patriots in which Moore completed 23 of 34 attempts for 215 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. No matter who is under center going forward, the Dolphins aren’t likely to be contending for playoff spot, as the 4-7 club has only a 1% chance of securing a postseason berth, per FiveThirtyEight.

Cutler, who also missed Week 8 with a ribs injury, has struggled in his first season with the Dolphins. He ranks near the bottom of the league in most quarterback metrics, grades as the No. 33 quarterback among 37 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus, and isn’t throwing the ball down the field, as his 7.8-yard average depth of target ranks 32nd in the NFL.

Injury Notes: Falcons, Cowboys, Broncos

November 29th, 2017 at 1:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Devonta Freeman has cleared the league’s concussion protocol and will return to Falcons practice on Wednesday, head coach Dan Quinn told 92.9 The Game, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Freeman was injured on the second play of Atlanta’s game against the Cowboys in Week 10, and the veteran running back has since missed two additional games as he deals with this second concussion of the season. Fellow running back Tevin Coleman has dominated backfield touches with Freeman sidelined, but Freeman figures to take on the majority of carries from here on out.

Here’s more on injuries from around the NFL:

Like Freeman, Cowboys guard Zack Martin has also cleared the NFL concussion protocol and is on track to play when Dallas faces Washington on Thursday night, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Martin played only 20 offensive snaps in what was an eventual loss to the Chargers on Thanksgiving before leaving the contest with a brain injury, forcing the Cowboys to turn to backup Joe Looney to man right guard. One of the league’s best offensive lineman, Martin will attempt to help Dallas win out (essentially a requirement if the club hopes to earn a postseason berth).
The Colts will be without cornerback Rashaan Melvin after he suffered a “significant” hand injury, head coach Chuck Pagano told reporters, including Mike Chappell of FOX59 (Twitter link). While Indianapolis’ defense ranks 23rd in DVOA, Melvin has been one the team’s bright spots. A career reserve, the 28-year-old Melvin has started 10 games for the Colts this season while ranking as the NFL’s No. 14 corner, per Pro Football Focus. He’s scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next spring. Tight end Erik Swoope, meanwhile, won’t return from IR this season although Indy originally believed he would do so, per Chappell (Twitter link).
Domata Peko‘s start streak is expected to end at 123 games, as the Broncos defensive tackle has a second degree MCL sprain that will cause him to miss time, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. Peko, 33, looked to be nearing the end of his career with the Bengals last season, but he’s rebounded in Denver. The mammoth interior defender has been outstanding against the run, helping the Broncos to a No. 1 overall ranking in run defense DVOA.
The Giants have designated defensive end Romeo Okwara to return from injured reserve, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). The 22-year-old started four games as a rookie in 2016, and had played 78 defensive snaps this year before going down with a sprained MCL. Okwara will likely contribute on special teams when he returns to game action.

Jameis Winston Expected To Start In Week 13

November 29th, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston will return to practice on Wednesday and is expected to start when Tampa Bay faces Green Bay on Sunday, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).

Winston has missed the Bucs’ past three contest after suffering a shoulder injury against the Saints in Week 9. In eight starts, the 23-year-old Winston has been mediocre: he’s completed 61.4% of his passes for 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, and ranks 19th in quarterback rating and 16th in adjusted net yards per attempt. Off the field, Winston is in the midst of another incident, as he’s reportedly under investigation for groping an Uber driver in 2016. If Winston does return to action in Week 13, he’ll do without two starting offensive lineman, as both Ali Marpet and Demar Dotson were placed on injured reserve earlier today.

With Winston returning, veteran signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick will head back to the bench after leading Tampa Bay to a 2-1 record in three starts. Fitzpatrick completed 58.9% of his passes for 1,103 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions during his time as the Buccaneers’ starter.

Lions’ Jim Bob Cooter Won’t Interview At UT

November 29th, 2017 at 11:39am CST by Dallas Robinson

Lions offensive coordinator — and University of Tennessee alum — Jim Bob Cooter would likely be a candidate for the Volunteers head coaching position, but he will not interview for the job, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Instead, Cooter will focus on his work with Detroit in the hopes of ultimately landing an NFL head coaching gig.

Cooter, 33, was promoted to offensive coordinator midway through the 2015 campaign. While he led the club to a No. 15 ranking in offensive DVOA in 2016, Detroit has slipped to 21st this season. Nevertheless, Cooter is viewed as a rising star in the coaching ranks, and though he’s yet to officially interview for a head coaching job, Cooter was linked to several vacancies during the last hiring cycle. Cooter, who was a backup quarterback and a graduate assistant at Tennessee, declined to comment on his potential interest in the open position earlier this month.

Tennessee originally hired former Rutgers/Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano earlier this week, but social media backlash to the move led the university to reverse its decision. The Volunteers are reportedly interested in Jon Gruden (and are willing to pay him $10MM annually), and have also discussed ex-Vol/current Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers.

Lions OL Joe Dahl To Return From IR

November 29th, 2017 at 11:05am CST by Dallas Robinson

Lions offensive lineman Joe Dahl has been designated to return from injured reserve and has resumed practicing, Detroit announced today.

Dahl, 24, appeared in six games for the Lions in 2016 after the club selected him out of Washington State in the fifth round. He’d been expected to be in the mix for a starting role this season, but those hopes were dashed when Detroit inked free agent guard T.J. Lang to a three-year deal. Dahl was placed on injured reserve with a leg injury following Week 3.

As a whole, the Lions’ offensive line has been a disappointment, as the unit ranks 23rd in adjusted sack rate and 31st in adjusted line yards. Dahl certainly doesn’t boast much experience, but Detroit could conceivably place him at left guard and shift Graham Glasgow to center to replace Travis Swanson, who ranks as a bottom-three pivot, per Pro Football Focus. More likely, however, is that Dahl will become the Lions’ top reserve along the interior.

Giants To Place CB Janoris Jenkins On IR

November 29th, 2017 at 10:06am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants will place cornerback Janoris Jenkins on injured reserve as he battles an ankle injury, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jekins will undergo surgery later today, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

Jenkins has reportedly been playing with a “debilitating” ankle issue that has limited his ability to cut and change direction, so it’s no surprise that New York is choosing to shut down the veteran defensive back in what has become a lost 2017 campaign. Despite his injury, Jenkins hasn’t been terrible, although he certainly hasn’t produced like a shutdown corner (as he did in 2016). In nine games, Jenkins graded as the NFL’s No. 42 corner among 118 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus, and ranked ninth in Football Outsiders’ success rate.

Of course, Jenkins has also been involved in off-field controversy this year, as the Giants suspended him for one week late last month. The 29-year-old Jenkins reportedly violated team rules and became the second Big Blue cornerback — joining Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie — to be handed a team-issued ban by New York this year.

With Jenkins sidelined, the Giants will likely turn to Ross Cockrell, whom the club acquired from the Steelers prior to the season, as a new starting corner. He’ll likely play opposite Eli Apple, although Apple is going through his own off-field issues. Rodgers-Cromartie will continue to man the slot, while recent signees Brian Dixon and Darryl Morris could theoretically see playing time given New York’s lack of secondary depth.

Jenkins signed a five-year, $62.5MM contract with the Giants prior to the 2016 campaign, and he’s $10.9MM in non-guaranteed base salary next season. While there’s been no indication New York has any interest in releasing Jenkins, the club could soon be under new management (both in the front office and on the coaching staff). The Giants would save $7MM by cutting Jenkins next spring.