HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

AFC Notes: Colts, Luck, Ravens, Jackson, Jets, Webb

September 5th, 2018 at 9:48am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

During Andrew Luck’s extended time away from the game, both he and the Colts organization always publicly projected confidence that he would return to the field at 100 percent sooner rather than later. But privately, Luck doubted himself and feared he would never play football again he revealed in a recent interview with Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star.

It’s a great piece that is well worth a read, with plenty of previously untold insights into Luck’s time away from football, his recovery, and his mental state. The Colts signal caller is healthy for now, ready to lead his team against the Bengals in Week 1. It’s been a long road, but Luck is finally back. It’ll be a treat for all fans of the NFL to get to start seeing Luck on Sundays again.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Lamar Jackson showed the potential to be a dynamic playmaker during the preseason, but he’s a long way from starting. Robert Griffin III will open the season as Joe Flacco’s backup, with Jackson starting the year as the number three according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Ravens coach John Harbaugh had previously said he planned on using Jackson and Flacco on the field together, so it’s unclear if the Ravens will keep three quarterbacks active on game days.
  • Speaking of the Colts, offensive linemen “Mark Glowinski and Denzelle Good both took paycuts over cutdown weekend” reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Netowrk (Twitter link). The moves created $1.7MM in cap space for the Colts, and the players can make up the money they lost through incentives Pelissero notes.
  • After Davis Webb was stunningly released by the Giants at final cuts, he signed with the Jets‘ practice squad. Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com detailed Webb’s reaction to his release, he was shocked and hurt, and the moments after. A number of teams made offers to Webb, and there’s a strong possibility Webb will be promoted to the Jets’ 53-man roster in the coming weeks if he does what’s asked of him a source told Dunleavy. It’s a good situation for both sides, and the Jets may have just found their long-term backup for Sam Darnold.

 

Le’Veon Bell Absent Again Wednesday

September 5th, 2018 at 8:46am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Another day has came and went and Le’Veon Bell still hasn’t reported to the Steelers facility. Although many had speculated that Wednesday would be the day Bell showed up, that wasn’t the case according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

There were rumors that Bell would report on Labor Day, but Wednesday always seemed the most likely. Wednesday is the most important practice day of the week, when preparation for Sunday’s game really ramps up. As of now, it would seem difficult to imagine Bell playing against the Browns on Sunday without being there for today’s meetings and practice.

Ross Tucker of The Athletic tweeted that “from a strictly business perspective” it would make sense for Bell to avoid reporting until Friday or Saturday, ensuring that the Steelers would be forced to make him inactive for the game but avoid missing out on the $855K game check.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette followed up with a tweet pointing out if the Steelers “get a roster exemption, they don’t have to pay him. Up to them.” While it seems unlikely the Steelers would do that and risk alienating the star even further, it’s a definite possibility and one Bell’s camp must be considering, especially in the wake of Steelers GM Kevin Colbert‘s unusual statement released Monday.

We should know more on the situation soon, but as of right now it doesn’t look like Bell will be playing Week 1. Rapoport did tweet that “players have until 4 pm Saturday to show up to be able to play on Sunday. For what it’s worth”, but it would be nearly unprecedented for Bell to report the day before a game and be able to play.

Latest On Steelers, Le’Veon Bell

September 4th, 2018 at 9:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell did not report to the team’s facility on Monday, leading to a number of statements from Pittsburgh’s decision makers.

“We are disappointed Le’Veon Bell has not signed his franchise tender and rejoined his teammates,” general manger Kevin Colbert said in a prepared statement. “Coach [Mike] Tomlin and the coaching staff will continue to focus on preparing the players on our roster for our regular season opener on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.”

Bell is the last remaining franchise-tagged player yet to sign his tender, which will pay him $14.544MM for the 2018 campaign. The Steelers attempted to sign Bell to a long-term extension during the offseason, but those talks never led to an agreement. Recent reports indicated Bell would report to Pittsburgh on Monday, but Bell later tweeted that those reports were “fake news.”

“I hadn’t thought about it,” Tomlin said when asked if Bell would report on Wednesday (Twitter thread via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic). “We’ll see. Much like I’ve told you guys throughout this process when he gets here is when we will start quantifying all Le’Veon Bell-type things. His overall readiness, the amount of time that we have between our arrival and our next competition, etc, etc.

We will weigh all of those things at the appropriate time. Right now, we are singularly focused on the guys who are here working and have been here working and building a plan around variables that we know. That’s the appropriate thing.”

The Steelers open the season on Sunday against the division-rival Browns, and Bell would forfeit a game check if he’s not in attendance. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will likely give second-year pro James Conner the “start” at running back against Cleveland even if Bell does report this week, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That certainly doesn’t mean Bell wouldn’t play, but it signals a confidence in Conner following a strong training camp and preseason, and possibly sends a thinly-veiled shot at Bell after an offseason of relative animosity between player and team.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/4/18

September 4th, 2018 at 8:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New York Jets

Giants Work Out Tony Lippett, Kevin Minter

September 4th, 2018 at 7:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants worked out cornerback Tony Lippett, linebacker Kevin Minter, and a host of other free agents on Tuesday, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Lippett, who transformed from a collegiate wideout to an NFL corner, was a 13-game starter for the Dolphins in 2016, but didn’t make it through final cutdowns earlier this week after missing the entire 2017 campaign with a torn Achilles. Provided he’s now healthy, Lippett could give New York’s secondary a boost, as the only experienced players on the Giants cornerback depth chart are starters Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple. The Giants know they have a problem in the defensive backfield, as they claimed three cornerbacks off waivers on Sunday.

Minter, 27, was cut by the Jets earlier this week after inking a one-year deal during the offseason. After starting 32 games for the Cardinals from 2015-16, Minter has struggled to find playing time (or even a job) in recent seasons. While he could conceivably offer depth behind starters Alec Ogletree and B.J. Goodson (and has familiarity with Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher, formerly of Arizona), Minter hasn’t played special teams since his rookie season. That’s a problem for a backup linebacker, and could be why New York signed ST standout Nate Stupar — also a part of today’s cattle call — instead.

Here’s the full list of players who auditioned for the Giants on Tuesday:

Giants Sign LB Nate Stupar

September 4th, 2018 at 6:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants have signed free agent linebacker Nate Stupar, according to a tweet from his agency.

Stupar, 30, was released by the Saints earlier this week but quickly drew interest on the free agent market. Had Stupar not signed with New York, he had another visit lined up with an unidentified club, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.

Stupar entered the league as a seventh-round draft pick in 2012. He’s mostly served as a backup during his NFL career, but he’s played plenty of snaps on special teams, an area of great need for the Giants. New York ranked dead last in Football Outsiders’ special teams DVOA in 2017, but Stupar should be able to help the club improve.

Although he shouldn’t be expected to see much time on defense, Stupar is capable of playing inside linebacker in the Giants’ new 3-4 scheme. He’ll provide depth behind starters Alec Ogletree and B.J. Goodson.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/4/18

September 4th, 2018 at 5:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Washington Redskins

Olivier Vernon Has High Ankle Sprain

September 4th, 2018 at 4:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants’ pass rush was slated to look quite different entering this season, given the trade of Jason Pierre-Paul and switch to a 3-4 defense. It may start the year missing its most prominent component as well.

Olivier Vernon is dealing with a high ankle sprain, Pat Shurmur said during a radio interview with WFAN 660 (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, on Twitter).

Vernon was carted off a Giants practice field late last month but was believed to have avoided a serious injury. While a high ankle sprain isn’t considered an especially serious setback, it can take some time to surmount. Although Vernon’s status for Sunday’s Giants-Jaguars game isn’t known, Shurmur said his top pass rusher is a fast healer. That said, he probably shouldn’t be expected to be 100 percent if he is able to play in Week 1.

Vernon experienced ankle trouble last season. He missed four games — his first four absences as a pro — because of it.

James Bettcher‘s implemented his 3-4 scheme in New York, shifting Vernon from defensive end to outside linebacker. Vernon missing time would thrust Connor Barwin or Lorenzo Carter into a starting role opposite Kareem Martin, with each of these players not being quite on Vernon’s level in terms of pass-rushing consistency.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/4/18

September 4th, 2018 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves.

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Cowboys Not Looking For Backup QB

September 4th, 2018 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

When examined purely through an investment and experience lens, the Cowboys’ quarterback depth chart looks like the NFL’s strangest. Behind fourth-round pick Dak Prescott are second-year UDFA Cooper Rush and fifth-round rookie Mike White.

Were Prescott to go down, Dallas could be at a significant disadvantage. But the Cowboys are content with their situation behind Prescott at the moment, with Jerry Jones saying Tuesday (via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer, on Twitter) the team is not looking for a backup-QB upgrade “at this time.”

Jones made the Cowboys’ interest in Paxton Lynch well known two years ago, when he lamented not pulling the trigger to trade up for the then-coveted quarterback. The Cowboys could land Lynch for cheap now, though the recently waived prospect has a Bills visit scheduled, but the 6-foot-7 passer’s stock has obviously plummeted considerably because of his NFL work sample to date. Connor Cook, another previous Cowboys target in 2016, is also available after the Raiders cut him.

Prescott’s made 32 regular-season starts for the Cowboys since arriving in Dallas, but he is one of the better rushing threats from the quarterback position in the league — his 357 ground yards last season ranked fifth among QBs — thus exposing him to additional potential punishment. While Jones’ stance could change, Cowboys brass will stick with the incumbent signal-callers behind Prescott for now.

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