2017 December - Pro Football Rumors

Saints Work Out Josh Huff

December 19th, 2017 at 10:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are taking a look at Josh Huff. The wide receiver auditioned for the Saints on Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Huff was one of several Oregon products to wind up on Chip Kelly‘s Eagles. The third-round pick in the 2014 draft flashed some potential, but he was out of a job in ’16 when he was pulled over for speeding and found with a firearm and marijuana. He hooked on with the Bucs, but only appeared in three games and wound up missing this season’s initial 53-man cut.

After being displaced by Tampa Bay, Huff’s first known audition came with the Saints in September. Later, he showed his stuff for the Jets, Texans, and Redskins (twice), but has yet to land a deal. Perhaps on this audition – his second with New Orleans in 2017 – he’ll find a new NFL home.

Statistically, Huff’s best season came in 2015 when he had 27 grabs for 312 yards and three scores. He gave the Saints an up close look at his potential in October of that season when he had four receptions for 78 yards, including a 41-yard TD in the first half.

At 10-4, the Saints are in the catbird seat in the NFC South. They can help secure the divisional crown with wins over the Falcons and Bucs in the final two weeks.

QB Rumors: Rodgers, Stanton, Bengals

December 18th, 2017 at 9:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike McCarthy appeared to move closer to the prospect the Packers could shut down Aaron Rodgers for the season’s remainder on Monday. The Green Bay HC said Rodgers was sore and the staff is “working through that” after the all-world quarterback’s re-emergence game against the Panthers, and the coach said he would watch the Falcons-Buccaneers game closely Monday night, per Ryan Wood and Michael Cohen of PackersNews.com. The Falcons are currently leading, and that result holding would end the Packers’ eight-season playoff streak tonight. McCarthy being noncommittal about Rodgers’ status after the Week 15 Green Bay loss, coupled with his Monday-night plans, would indicate a possible consideration of giving Rodgers a longer offseason to fully recover and prepare for 2018.

Here’s the latest from the quarterback position as Week 15 winds down.

As for Rodgers’ offseason, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports suggests it would be a good time to lock down Rodgers to a “monster” extension. The quarterback has seen inferior passers usurp him on the salary list in the past few years and would be in position to command a deal close to $30MM annually if he so chose. The salary cap is expected to rise between $174MM and $179MM from this year’s $167MM ceiling. Rodgers’ five-year, $110MM extension came in a year (2013) when the cap rested at $123MM. There are two years remaining on Rodgers’ contract following this season. The 34-year-old passer has no guaranteed money left on his deal, which has cap numbers of just $20.9MM and $21.1MM lined up for 2018 and ’19, respectively.
La Canfora also writes the Bengals playing A.J. McCarron instead of Andy Dalton during the final two games would be prudent. McCarron could end up a UFA depending on the outcome of his grievance, which is set for February. As of now, the fourth-year passer is set to be a restricted free agent. However, Marvin Lewis said (via Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer) he plans to keep Dalton in his starting role despite another sub-.500 season being guaranteed. La Canfora writes Dalton, who is attached to a team-friendly contract that runs through 2020 but contains little guaranteed money going forward, could “easily” be traded. McCarron, of course, was nearly traded to the Browns for a second- and third-round pick. The career backup’s attempted just 133 regular-season passes.
The Cardinals will be shaking up their quarterback status quo by turning back to Drew Stanton after going with Blaine Gabbert for five games. Bruce Arians (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter) confirmed his initial Carson Palmer contingency plan will take back the reins. This comes after Arians raved about Gabbert’s abilities and with the Cardinals reportedly discussing an extension with the former first-round pick. Stanton started two games for the Cards earlier this season before going down with an injury. Stanton is signed through 2018.
Tom Savage‘s scary injury in Week 14 did not immediately result in his removal from that Texans-49ers game, making it a seminal sequence in the NFL’s ongoing concussion crisis. And Bill O’Brien said Monday (per Mark Berman of Fox 26, on Twitter) the fourth-year quarterback may not play again this season. T.J. Yates started in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Jaguars. Savage stands to be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/17

December 18th, 2017 at 8:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s practice squad transactions.

Dallas Cowboys

Cut: RB Aaron Green

Colts Claim G Mark Glowinski Off Waivers

December 18th, 2017 at 8:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Glowinski held claim to a Seahawks starting spot entering the past two seasons before being benched early in this one. That led to Seattle waiving the offensive lineman over the weekend.

But the Colts offered the guard a chance to further his development elsewhere, submitting a successful waiver claim for him. The former fourth-round pick has one season remaining on his rookie contract.

Glowinski struggled this season in 199 snaps, and the Seahawks installed rookie second-rounder Ethan Pocic in his place at right guard. Last season, though, Glowinski started all 16 games at left guard and opened two playoff contests with the starters. He’s made 19 regular-season starts in total.

The 25-year-old West Virginia product will attempt to develop in Indianapolis, which figures to see some coaching staff turnover this offseason. The Colts are currently shorthanded up front, now having both Ryan Kelly and Jack Mewhort on IR.

Eddie DeBartolo Exploring Possibility Of Buying Panthers?

December 18th, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eddie DeBartolo Jr. may be interested in getting back in the ownership game. The former longtime 49ers owner is “definitely” considering putting together a group to buy the Panthers, Jim Trotter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Hall of Fame contributor issued a statement about this interest on Monday night as well.

“I am going to respect Jerry Richardson‘s wish not to discuss the sale of the Carolina Panthers until after their season is over,” DeBartolo said (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, on Twitter).

ESPN analyst and former DeBartolo charge Steve Young said Monday night DeBartolo, who owned the 49ers from 1977-2000 before handing the franchise reins over to sister Denise York, spoke of his former boss’ potential interest in the Panthers’ sudden availability as well (Twitter link via ESPN’s Chris Mortensen).

DeBartolo oversaw the 49ers’ rise to arguably the NFL’s premier dynasty during his time running the team. The 49ers won five Super Bowls from 1981-94.

Richardson ceded control of the franchise earlier on Monday, a day after announcing he would sell the team. Trotter notes there will be competition for the franchise. Diddy expressed interest in the Panthers since their sale became public knowledge, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Bruton Smith — chairman of Speedway Motorsport — previously expressed interest in this specific franchise if it were to become available.

AFC North Notes: Lewis, Browns, Steelers

December 18th, 2017 at 7:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marvin Lewis again refused to confirm the report by ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicating he was planning to step away from the Bengals after 15 seasons, but the veteran coach did make a comment about his desire to coach the team after this season. Asked if he wanted to coach football next season, Lewis responded, “I’m (gonna) coach football.” Asked if he wanted to coach the Bengals, Lewis replied, “Sure,” per Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Bengals have been outscored 67-14 over the past two weeks and are going to finish with their second straight losing record. Lewis does not have a contract in place for 2018 after multiple years of offseason one-year extensions.

Here’s the latest out of the AFC North.

With the Steelers losing to the Patriots and thus unable to clinch home-field advantage in Week 16, the Browns‘ final realistic chance to avoid becoming the second 0-16 team ever could hinge on Sunday’s game in Chicago. And Hue Jackson will stick with his current quarterback for that Bears tilt. DeShone Kizer will make his 14th start of the season. This comes after Jackson admitted he considered benching the rookie after yet another shaky performance. Monday, though, Jackson said (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com) the Notre Dame product was “up to the challenge” of starting another game. The Browns, who face the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week 17, are now 1-29 in Jackson’s 30 games. Kizer boasts a 59.4 quarterback rating and a 24.5 QBR.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk floated the idea of the Browns attempting to trade Jackson to the Bengals, and SI.com’s Peter King notes John Dorsey would probably rather part with Jackson than keeping the incumbent around for 2018. Florio adds Dorsey declining to answer a direct question about Jackson being back for 2018 adds fuel to the fire the Browns would consider an about-face and can Jackson after two remarkably unsuccessful seasons. Jimmy Haslam said twice publicly Jackson would be back, and Florio reports, however, the owner has said the same thing in private. An 0-16 season, though, could change the equation. King writes a third-round pick may be all that would be necessary for the Bengals to send to Cleveland in the event this hypothetical scenario occurred. The second-year Cleveland coach said Monday, however, he wasn’t interested in succeeding Lewis in Cincinnati despite the former succession plan that was in place for him with the franchise. Jackson was Cincinnati’s OC for two seasons and coached under Lewis for seven years encompassing two stints.
Now just one game ahead of the Jaguars (and their head-to-head tiebreaker) for the AFC’s No. 2 seed, the Steelers will have to reshuffle their running back corps for the time being. Le’Veon Bell will need a new backup for the time being after Mike Garafolo of NFL.com revealed (on Twitter) James Conner will need knee surgery. Garafolo reports the rookie will likely need a few weeks to recover from this. Like Antonio Brown‘s regular-season-ending calf injury, Conner’s setback adds additional incentive for the Steelers to secure a bye by winning their final two games. Pittsburgh has veteran Fitzgerald Toussaint as the only other halfback on its roster.

Bucs Picked Up 2018 Option For Jason Licht

December 18th, 2017 at 5:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jason Licht is under contract through the 2018 season thanks to an option Buccaneers ownership picked up in his contract recently, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Tampa Bay GM did not receive a contract extension, per Stroud, but did see a 2018 option picked up at some point during this past offseason. This ties Licht to the Bucs through next season but does so somewhat loosely, Stroud writes, adding it’s uncertain how significant a role Licht will have in hiring the team’s next head coach.

The Bucs are expected to move on from Dirk Koetter after two seasons, with Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk calling this a “certainty.” With Licht having fired Lovie Smith and promoted Koetter, he may not be safe. It could well depend on what the next Bucs head coach thinks of the job Licht has done.

In place for four seasons as Tampa Bay’s GM, Licht will have seen his teams finish with sub-.500 records in three of those campaigns. Their playoff-absence streak will stretch to 10 after this season. This campaign’s current 4-9 mark may look the worst, given what was expected of a team believed at one point to be on the rise.

Stroud notes the GM’s latest draft — which produced O.J. Howard, Justin Evans, Chris Godwin and Kendell Beckwith — should work in Licht’s favor, while the 2016 second-round selection Roberto Aguayo — whom ownership lobbied for — will stick to the executive’s resume. Of course, Licht is tied to the mercurial Jameis Winston as well. But it’s probably still too early to pass definitive judgment on the Bucs’ starting quarterback at this point, his 2017 struggles notwithstanding.

Packers To Re-Sign QB Joe Callahan

December 18th, 2017 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers’ active-roster quarterback contingent will stand at three soon. Joe Callahan will return two days after being waived to make room for Aaron Rodgers, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Callahan has yet to throw an NFL pass and went unclaimed on waivers, but the Division III product is in his second year with the team and served as Brett Hundley‘s backup while Rodgers recovered.

Considering what transpired on Sunday, the Callahan transaction could be a sign the Packers aren’t going to risk further injury to their franchise player in the two final regular-season games. The Packers lost to the Panthers to drop to 7-7 and would be eliminated from playoff contention if the Falcons defeat the Buccaneers on Monday night. Mike McCarthy didn’t confirm a protective route was in the franchise’s plans just yet, however.

Demovsky, though, notes the Packers view Callahan as a developmental prospect. He remains in the team’s plans despite being waived over the weekend.

Green Bay also worked out two other quarterbacks on Monday, per Demovsky, who notes Matt McGloin and Garrett Fugate auditioned for the team. McGloin has worked out for several teams this season and spent time with two, the Eagles and Texans. Both cut him. A Kansas City, Kan., native, Fugate is a rookie out of Division II Central Missouri.

Dolphins Haven’t Ruled Out Keeping Jay Cutler

December 18th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are committed to having Ryan Tannehill serve as their starter next year. However, they have not ruled out the possibility of retaining Jay Cutler as his backup, two sources with knowledge of the situation tell Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Cutler wants to return for another NFL season, whether its as a backup or a starter. Before Tannehill’s injury, Cutler had planned to serve as a color commentator for the NFL on FOX. The 34-year-old (35 in April) may want to pivot back to the broadcast booth, particularly if he’s being offered backup QB money that is roughly in line with what he’d make on TV. This year, the Dolphins paid him $10MM — significantly more than he was going to make as an analyst.

Jackson posits that Cutler would want a deal that matches or tops Nick Foles‘ two-year, $11MM pact with the Eagles if he were to serve as a backup. A salary of ~$6MM per year would be on the high side for a No. 2 QB and Matt Moore could instead be re-signed for significantly less.

Ultimately, Cutler’s performance in the final two games of the season weigh heavily on his future in Miami. He’s produced better work at times down the stretch than he did during a rough start, but the 12th-year passer’s still put together an inconsistent campaign. Cutler’s best game came in Week 14, when he threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns in a home upset of the Patriots. The Dolphins are 6-6 in his starts.

Cutler also has encountered injury trouble that could play a role in his decision to pursue a 13th season. He spent time in concussion protocol and suffered a rib injury. Both maladies induced one-game absences.

Cowboys Waive RB Trey Williams

December 18th, 2017 at 4:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have waived running back Trey Williams, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Williams is no longer needed on the roster with a certain superstar set to make his return this week.

Williams, a former standout at Texas A&M, was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster roughly three weeks ago. He dressed for two games and carried the ball twice for 12 yards.

He has now been displaced as Ezekiel Elliott is set to return from suspension. Elliott will resume his role as the Cowboys’ top running back with Alfred Morris and Rod Smith as his backups.

If Williams clears waivers, the Cowboys may look to re-sign Williams to the practice squad.