2018 September - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Giants, Manning, Dolphins, Sitton, Seahawks, Kendricks, Cowboys, Bryant

September 14th, 2018 at 8:13pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One of the most talked about storylines of the 2018 NFL offseason was what the Giants would do with the second overall pick. Many thought they would take a quarterback to succeed Eli Manning in New York, but the team opted for running back Saquon Barkley instead. Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report is out with a new feature on Manning and the Giants where he writes about Manning’s determination to prove the Giants didn’t make a mistake.

While he writes “the decision to stick with Manning could go down as one of the worst blunders in NFL history” due to the high-level quarterbacks, like Sam Darnold, available at number two in this year’s draft, Manning still believes he’s got a lot left in the tank. Manning said he’s entirely focused on proving to the Giants that “they did make the right decision” and that he has one last title run left in him. The full piece is full of juicy tidbits and well worth a read to get a look inside the 2018 Giants and the last few tumultuous years for one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in recent memory.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Dolphins lost starting guard Josh Sitton for the season earlier this week, but despite the huge blow to their offensive line, the team won’t be looking for outside help to replace him according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). The Dolphins also expect Sitton to be back with the team in 2019, Jackson notes.
The Seahawks signed legally troubled linebacker Mychal Kendricks in part because they were upset with the play of rookie Shaquem Griffin according to Bob Condotta of The Athletic. Condotta notes that coach Pete Carroll specifically called out Griffin following the team’s loss to the Broncos, and that the front office immediately began looking for linebacking help.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and free agent receiver Dez Bryant were recently spotted at a concert together, sparking rumors of a potential reunion between the two sides. Stephen Jones, the team’s Executive Vice President, threw cold water on the speculation, saying “we feel really good about our receiving corps moving forward” and indicating they wouldn’t be looking for outside help according to Jon Machota of Dallas News. While he mostly denied it, it’s worth noting he didn’t 100% rule out the team bringing Dez back in.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/18

September 14th, 2018 at 7:08pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Here are Friday’s practice squad moves:

Indianapolis Colts

Signed: OL Will Holden, TE Erik Swoope

Oakland Raiders

Signed: LB Shilique Calhoun
Cut: DT Gabe Wright

Seattle Seahawks

Signed: LB Tre’Von Johnson
Cut: RB Lavon Coleman

LB Dylan Donahue Suspended 14 Games

September 14th, 2018 at 5:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Ahmad Brooks wasn’t the only linebacker suspended today. Just after it was announced that Brooks would miss the first six games of the season, it was reported by Howard Balzer (Twitter link) that free agent linebacker Dylan Donahue will be suspended for 14 games by the NFL.

Donahue, a 2017 fifth round pick of the Jets, was slapped with the suspension due to multiple DUI arrests, including a “wrong-way crash” in New York earlier this year. It had been reported earlier this summer that Donahue was facing a suspension, and the lengthy nature of it likely played a role in his release from the Jets.

Donahue was waived at final cuts by the Jets and understandably hasn’t been able to latch on anywhere else. He starred at Division II West Georgia and was playing on special teams for the Jets in 2017 before an elbow injury ended his season.

If he wants another shot in the league, Donahue will have to prove that he’s sober and can stay out of trouble. If that chance comes, it will surely be sometime after the season in time for the 2019 league year.

LB Ahmad Brooks Suspended Six Games

September 14th, 2018 at 4:38pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Free agent outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks has been suspended by the league for six games, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).

It’s unclear at this time what the suspension is for, although six games is now the league’s standard punishment for domestic violence. Whatever the cause, it’s likely the suspension is why the 34-year-old hasn’t been able to latch on anywhere.

Brooks, who was a third round pick in the Supplemental Draft back in 2006, played for the Packers in 2017, appearing in 12 games and starting five. He played with the 49ers from 2009 through the 2016 season, and had a very productive career in San Francisco. He was a Pro Bowler in 2013 and a Second-Team All-Pro in 2012 and 2013.

After his lengthy stay with the 49ers, he signed a one-year $3.5MM deal with Green Bay, but the signing never worked out and the once excellent pass-rusher finished the season with just one sack. With his advanced age and now this suspension, Brooks’ career very well could be over. If he is forced to hang them up, he’ll finish his playing days with 389 tackles, 55 sacks, and 32 passes defended.

Bengals Fear Joe Mixon Needs Knee Surgery

September 14th, 2018 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

UPDATE: Mixon will have a procedure to remove a “small particle in his knee that was dislodged Thursday night” on Saturday according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Schefter notes the operation is expected to sideline Mixon for just two weeks.

Joe Mixon missed part of Thursday night’s game, and the Bengals fear he’ll have to miss more time because of the knee injury he’s now battling.

The Bengals are concerned their starting running back will need to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report (on Twitter). Mixon will seek a second opinion.

While having a knee scoped is not a season-ending development in most cases, it almost certainly would cause the second-year back to miss time. Mixon’s off to a good start, averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and it’s helped the Bengals to a 2-0 record.

Mixon missing games would mean plenty of Giovani Bernard snaps. While the longtime Bengal is not a traditional between-the-tackles grinder, he’s in his sixth season with the team and now resides as the unquestioned top backup after Jeremy Hill‘s free agency departure.

Behind Bernard sit fourth-round rookie Mark Walton and third-year UDFA Tra Carson. Neither has recorded an NFL carry.

NFC Injury Notes: Rodgers, Falcons, Eagles

September 14th, 2018 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers will enter Sunday with a questionable designation on the Packers‘ injury report. The two-time MVP can improve his chances of playing, obviously, by practicing Saturday — when the Packers do more than the typical walkthrough — but not doing so won’t prevent him from playing. Mike McCarthy said he’d have no issues deploying Rodgers even if he doesn’t practice all week, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The 13th-year Green Bay coach said his quarterback feels better than he did at the beginning of the week. Despite Rodgers’ performance on Sunday against the Bears and his history of playing through left knee pain, he’s not a lock to face the Vikings.

Here’s the latest from the NFC’s injury situations.

Another key Falcons cog won’t be available Sunday. After the losses of Keanu Neal and Deion Jones, Atlanta won’t have the services of starting running back Devonta Freeman. He’s been declared out due to the knee injury he suffered against the Eagles. Tevin Coleman will start. The Falcons have rookie Ito Smith and recently signed Brian Hill in place as backups.
Once again, the Giants won’t have their top pass rusher available. While the Giants are hoping to have Olivier Vernon in Week 3, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter), his high ankle sprain will keep him out against the Cowboys.
Trai Turner‘s stay in Panthers concussion protocol will result in him missing this week’s game against the Falcons. He’s been declared out, putting Carolina down three starting offensive linemen — Turner and tackles Matt Kalil and Daryl Williams, both of whom residing on IR — going into its NFC South opener.
The already-banged-up Eagles didn’t come out of Week 1 unscathed. Darren Sproles will miss Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. The 34-year-old passing-down back sustained a hamstring injury against the Falcons. He’ll join Carson Wentz and Alshon Jeffery among Philadelphia’s high-profile Week 2 absences.
Already without IR-stationed cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, the Bucs won’t have Brent Grimes available to cover Eagle wideouts, either. Tampa Bay used two second-round picks on corners, Carlton Davis and M.J. Stewart, and could see an extended glimpse of the rookies’ development to this point in their careers.
The Lions–49ers game will see the visitors without top guard T.J. Lang and the hosts missing deep threat Marquise Goodwin. Both players have been declared out. Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, on Twitter) Dante Pettis will start in place of Goodwin.

AFC Injury Notes: Titans, Ben, Berry, Bolts

September 14th, 2018 at 2:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marcus Mariota experienced difficulty gripping the ball after suffering a Week 1 elbow injury, but he could well return for the Titans this week. However, he doesn’t appear to be at full strength. Blaine Gabbert stands to see time as well as an apparent result. Mike Vrabel said he expects to use both of his quarterbacks against the Texans, via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (on Twitter). Mariota hasn’t made much progress since his injury in Tennessee’s opener and was still experiencing tingling in his throwing arm as of Wednesday, per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, making this an interesting situation for a Titans team with playoff aspirations. If Mariota fails to progress by Sunday, it wouldn’t be hard to envision the Titans sitting him. Gabbert filled in for an injury-ransacked Cardinals team last season, making five starts (including a 12-7 win over the Titans). He completed 11 of 22 passes in a loss to the Dolphins last week.

Here’s the latest on the AFC injury front heading into Week 2:

A higher-profile AFC passer does look to be in better shape going into Week 2. Ben Roethlisberger practiced fully on Friday, Mike Tomlin said (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter, on Twitter), pointing him toward being available in Sunday’s Steelers-Chiefs tilt. An elbow malady caused Big Ben to miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Joshua Dobbs would start against Kansas City if Pittsburgh’s franchise passer can’t go.
When Mariota and/or Gabbert take snaps Sunday, they’ll do so with second-string tackles. Jack Conklin won’t be ready to debut, and Taylor Lewan is out as well after suffering a concussion, McCormick notes.
Eric Berry‘s ninth NFL season remains on hold while he battles a heel ailment. The All-Pro Chiefs safety did not practice on Friday and is doubtful to suit up in western Pennsylvania on Sunday, per Andy Reid (via Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star, on Twitter). Berry’s battled this heel trouble, on the opposite foot of the torn Achilles he suffered in September 2017, for over a month.
As expected, Joey Bosa is out for the Chargers-Bills game Sunday. Right tackle Joe Barksdale won’t suit up, either, ESPN’s Eric Williams tweets. A knee injury’s affecting Barksdale. Sam Tevi is likely to start for the Bolts at right tackle. Second-year defensive end Isaac Rochell replaced Bosa as a starting defensive end last week.

Anthony Castonzo Experiences Setback

September 14th, 2018 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

A hamstring injury has bothered Anthony Castonzo for months now, but after missing Week 1, the Colts’ starting left tackle was on track to suit up Sunday. He won’t, however.

Frank Reich confirmed Castonzo experienced a setback during Wednesday’s practice and is out Sunday, per Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com (on Twitter).

The first-year coach added the Colts are not yet considering IR as an option for Castonzo, (Twitter link via Chappell), but the eighth-year blocker’s been battling this issue since before training camp began. Castonzo returned from an offseason hamstring injury in camp, but a setback in August caused him to miss most of Indianapolis’ camp schedule.

Castonzo’s started every game he’s played as a Colt, 105 dating back to the first-rounder’s 2011 debut. He’s played a full 16 games in five of his seven seasons and has never missed more than four in a season. The Colts started rookie Braden Smith in Castonzo’s place last week.

The Colts, though, will deploy a new O-line combination given that J’Marcus Webb is now on IR.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Bills

September 14th, 2018 at 11:31am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders surprisingly re-signed wide receiver Martavis Bryant earlier this week after initially waiving him at final cutdowns, and head coach Jon Gruden is optimistic on Bryant’s chances to contribute, as Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “He’s in a good place right now,” Gruden said. “I think he’s healthy. I think he’s ready to go. We’re sold on that. We’ve been in contact with him since he has been away. I’ve said it before: when he’s right, he can be a difference maker and we’re hoping he can be one sooner rather than later.”

Bryant is reportedly facing a yearlong suspension after another alleged violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but he’s eligible to play until the league formally announces a ban. Indeed, Bryant is expected to suit up for the Raiders when they face the Broncos on Sunday. Bryant didn’t take any sort of pay cut to return to Oakland, as he’ll collect the same $1.907MM (prorated) salary he was originally due, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Linebacker C.J. Mosley did not suffer any ligament damage in the Ravens‘ Thursday night loss to the Bengals, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link). While Mosley may miss Baltimore’s Week 3 contest against Denver, Harbaugh doesn’t think Mosley is facing a long-term absence. For what it’s worth, the Ravens announced Mosley had a bone bruise when he left last night’s game. As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes, Mosley has arguably become Baltimore’s most indispensable defender, so the Ravens will be hard-pressed to replace him for any period of time. Mosley, 26, is currently playing out the final year of his contract, but he hadn’t progressed on an extension with the Ravens as of July.
Elsewhere from Thursday night’s game, Bengals center Billy Price suffered a foot sprain, according to head coach Marvin Lewis (Twitter link via Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer). The injury doesn’t sound all that serious, as Lewis indicated he was “surprised” Price wasn’t cleared to return to Cincinnati’s eventual victory. Price, the 21st overall selection in this year’s draft, was part of a Bengals offensive line overhaul that also included the acquisition of left tackle Cordy Glenn. If Price is forced to miss action, he’ll be replaced by reserve Trey Hopkins, who started 12 games for Cincinnati in 2017.
The Bills will start first-round rookie Josh Allen at quarterback on Sunday after Nathan Peterman and the rest of Buffalo’s offense was thrashed by Baltimore in Week 1, leading Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com to examine whether deploying Allen this early in the season is the correct decision. Allen won’t be forced to face Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, but the Los Angeles defense will certainly present a challenge for the Wyoming product.

Bengals DE Michael Johnson To Miss Several Weeks

September 14th, 2018 at 9:06am CST by Dallas Robinson

Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson will miss a “few” weeks after suffering a knee injury in Thursday night’s contest against the Ravens, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports Johnson suffered a sprained MCL.

Johnson is a starter for Cincinnati, although he doesn’t typically play a full complement of snaps given that the Bengals often deploy sub-package rushers. With Johnson sidelined, those backups — including Carl Lawson, Jordan Willis, and rookie Sam Hubbard — will now be called on to see more action. Johnson also occasionally moves inside to defensive tackle on pass downs, so the Bengals will need to find a replacement for that role (both Willis and Hubbard are capable of shifting inside).

Johnson was nominally released by the Bengals at final cutdowns, although the transaction was simply a procedural move. Cincinnati wanted to keep rookie cornerback Davontae Harris on its initial roster so it would be able to place him on injured reserve/designated to return. So Johnson was released with the knowledge that he’d be re-signed the following day, and his new contract features the exact same salary he was originally set to collect.

Johnson, a second-round pick of the Bengals in 2009, has been with Cincinnati for every season of his NFL career save for 2014, which he spent with Tampa Bay. The 31-year-old has appeared in 142 total games (106 starts), posting 44 sacks during that time.