2019 November - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos Activate Drew Lock Off IR

November 30th, 2019 at 1:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Weeks after being eligible to come off the Broncos’ IR list, Drew Lock will return to the team’s active roster. Denver will activate its second-round pick in advance of its Week 13 game, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets.

The team officially made the move and cleared the roster spot by waiving rookie UDFA quarterback Brett Rypien, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Rypien has served as Denver’s backup during the past three games. The Broncos intend to re-sign Rypien to their practice squad, should he clear waivers, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets.

The Broncos have not announced if they will start Lock against the Chargers, but they have given him approximately 75% of the reps in practice this week, Klis notes. Lock returned to practice before Week 11, and it would certainly benefit the Broncos to start their rookie soon given their current status.

Denver lost Joe Flacco to injury midway through the season and has given longtime backup/practice squad talent Brandon Allen the past three starts. While Allen played well considering his history against the Browns and Vikings, the Broncos posted their lowest total yardage figure since 1992 against the Bills in Week 12. Lock debuting would help the Broncos determine how dire their quarterback need still is going into the offseason.

Lock enjoyed an uneven preseason and was knocked out of the Broncos’ fourth exhibition game with a thumb injury. That malady delayed his season and left Flacco unchallenged for Denver’s starting job. With Flacco perhaps having played his final down in Denver, the Broncos may soon enter a fifth straight offseason without quarterback stability.

Lock may need to play extremely well to deter the Broncos from considering quarterbacks in the 2020 first round. The Kansas City, Mo., native did start four seasons at Missouri, however, and was considered a borderline first-rounder leading up to this year’s draft. The Broncos were linked to Lock early in this year’s pre-draft process. He may have a five-game audition starting Sunday.

Terrelle Pryor In Stable Condition After Stabbing

November 30th, 2019 at 1:11pm CST by Ben Levine

1:11pm: Pryor’s condition has been upgraded from critical to stable, according to Rapoport (on Twitter).

9:27am: Free agent wideout Terrelle Pryor is in critical condition after being stabbed last night in Pittsburgh, according to a report from Action 4 News (and passed along by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter). ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Pryor was stabbed in the shoulder and chest, and he underwent surgery this morning. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that Pryor’s family expect him to survive the stabbing.

According to the initial report, a woman “is in custody at Pittsburgh Police headquarters in connection with the stabbing.” The incident took place at the Heinz Lofts apartment complex in Pittsburgh, and police were seen in the area on Saturday morning.

Pryor grew up in Jeannette, Pa., and he starred in both football and basketball at Jeannette High School. He twice earned Pennsylvania Player of the Year for football, and he was named a fourth-team Parade All-American for basketball in 2008. Pryor was initially expected to play basketball under Jamie Dixon at the University of Pittsburgh, but he later committed to playing football for Ohio State.

Pryor won a number of accolades as Ohio State’s quarterback, but he later withdrew from the university following an autographing scandal. This led to him entering the NFL’s Supplemental Draft, where he was selected by the Raiders in the third round. While Pryor showed special talent in the open field, he struggled as a passer, and his stint with Oakland ended with a trade to the Seahawks in 2014.

Pryor bounced around the NFL a bit before the Browns gave him a chance as a wideout in 2014. He proceeded to haul in 77 receptions for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns that season, earning him a one-year, $8MM deal with the Redskins. Pryor hasn’t been able to replicate those numbers since that time, and he was released by the Jaguars injured reserve back in September. The 30-year-old hasn’t had any reported workouts this season.

Eagles Promote TE Josh Perkins

November 30th, 2019 at 12:48pm CST by Ben Levine

With Zach Ertz ailing, the Eagles have added some tight end reinforcement. SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that tight end Josh Perkins has been promoted to the active roster. Philly also activated cornerback Cre’von LeBlanc off injured reserve. Zach Berman of The Athletic tweets that the Eagles have waived defensive tackle Albert Huggins.

Perkins, a former undrafted free agent out of Washington, spent the first two seasons of his career with the Falcons. He appeared in nine games for the Eagles last season, hauling in five catches for 67 yards. After getting waived after the 2019 preseason, Perkins caught on with Philly’s practice squad.

The Eagles were one of the few NFL teams rostering two tight ends. If Ertz is ultimately sidelined with a hamstring injury, the team would have needed another healthy body besides Dallas Goedert. While Goedert would presumably get the majority of snaps at tight end in Ertz’s hypothetical absence, there’s still a good chance that Perkins would make his 2019 debut against the Dolphins.

The Eagles added LeBlanc to their roster last November, and he proceeded to collect 24 tackles and one pass defended in eight games (four starts) with Philly. The 25-year-old inked a one-year extension with the team back in September, and he was later placed on injured reserve with a foot injury. He was designated to return earlier this week.

Huggins was signed off the Texans practice squad back in October. The defensive tackle ended up playing in four games for Philadelphia, compiling three tackles.

Chargers Activate Derwin James, Adrian Phillips

November 30th, 2019 at 11:20am CST by Ben Levine

While the Chargers’ playoff hopes are dim, they’ll be receiving some much-needed reinforcement for the stretch run. The team announced today that they’ve activated safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips from injured reserve.

James suffered a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his right foot in August after a screw that was originally inserted during his freshman year at Florida State bent back. The injury required a surgical operation, and a new screw has since been placed. James has been running without any pain for several weeks now, and he presumably won’t have any limitations tomorrow against the Broncos. The 17th overall pick in the 2018 draft started all 16 games for Los Angeles during his rookie campaign, posting three interceptions, 13 passes defensed, and 3.5 sacks during that time. Pro Football Focus graded James as the league’s seventh-best safety, and he also garnered a first-team All-Pro nod.

Phillips suffered a broken forearm in a September loss to the Lions, knocking him out of action. The 27-year-old earned his first career Pro Bowl nod last year, with the hybrid safety/linebacker finishing with 94 tackles, nine passes defended, and one interception. He had compiled 14 tackles in two games this season before going down with an injury.

With James and fellow safeties Adrian Phillips and Nasir Adderley on IR, the Chargers have primarily deployed Rayshawn Jenkins and undrafted rookie Roderic Teamer in the back end. So far, the results have been lackluster; after finishing 8th in defensive DVOA in 2018, Los Angeles now ranks 25th in the same metric.

Bengals Waive OT Andre Smith

November 30th, 2019 at 10:42am CST by Ben Levine

Andre Smith‘s third stint with the Bengals has come to an end. Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (via Twitter) that Cincinnati has waived the veteran offensive tackle. The Bengals promoted tight end Mason Schreck from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.

The Bengals selected Smith with the sixth-overall pick in the 2009 draft, and the Alabama product ended up spending his first seven seasons with the organization. Smith has bounced around the NFL a bit since that time, spending time with the Vikings, Bengals (second stint), and Cardinals. Since 2016, he’s landed on the injured reserve twice with tricep and knee injuries.

This past offseason, the Bengals found themselves needing some offensive line depth after starting left tackle Jonah Williams suffered a season-ending injury and eight-year starter Clint Boling retired. The team brought in Smith, and the 32-year-old proceeded to appear in six games (five starts) for Cincy. Smith has only been active for one of the team’s last six games, but the Bengals presumably could have used another lineman after placing Alex Redmond on injured reserve yesterday.

Schreck joined the Bengals as a seventh-round pick out of Buffalo in 2017. The tight end appeared in six games as a rookie before landing on the injured reserve with a knee injury. He was waived by Cincy back in August and later landed on the Bengals’ practice squad.

Redskins’ Bruce Allen On The Hot Seat?

November 30th, 2019 at 9:22am CST by Ben Levine

The Redskins organization has seen plenty of turnover in recent years, but one consistent has been Bruce Allen. Could the team president suddenly be on the hot seat? Mike Garafolo of NFL Network seems to think so. Appearing on Good Morning Football, Garafolo said that everything is up for evaluation in Washington this offseason, and that includes Allen’s role with the organization (Twitter link).

The reporter adds that the team has hit “rock bottom right now,” and owner Dan Snyder understands that something drastic needs to happen. Further, Garafolo opined that “for the first time, i’m really feeling like they are evaluating Bruce Allen’s role with the team going forward.” For what it’s worth, Garafolo also added the caveat that Allen’s job could be safe should the Redskins and rookie Dwayne Haskins show up down the stretch.

George Allen had coached the Redskins to their first Super Bowl appearance back in the 1970s, making his son Bruce a popular pick when he was hired as the organization’s general manager in late 2009. The executive has seen a number of title changes during his tenure with the Redskins, including his promotion to team president in 2014. Allen had previously served as general manager of the Buccaneers.

While Allen has continually had the trust of Snyder, he’s struggled to field a competitive team. The Redskins are 44-79 during his time with the organization, and the Redskins only has a single playoff appearance during that span. The front office is now searching for the third head coach of Allen’s tenure after he fired Jay Gruden earlier this season (Bill Callahan is currently serving as the interim head coach). Mike Shanhan had served as head coach/executive vice president from 2010 to 2013.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/19

November 29th, 2019 at 9:07pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One minor move to pass along:

Carolina Panthers:

Placed on IR: RB Jordan Scarlett
Promoted from practice squad: OL Brad Lundblade

Scarlett’s rookie season is over. The fifth-round rookie from Florida played sparingly during his time with the team. He’ll be back to compete for a role behind Christian McCaffrey next year.

Extra Points: Ebron, Packers, Guenther

November 29th, 2019 at 7:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Eric Ebron was recently placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury, and it apparently came as a surprise to the Colts. Ebron said in a statement at the time that he had been dealing with severe ankle pain since the beginning of the season, but Indianapolis apparently was caught off-guard. Colts coach Frank Reich said recently he was “not aware there was anything significant” with Ebron’s ankle, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic. Keefer notes that the tight end “missed only one legitimate practice due to ankle pain all season,” and that was back in Week 9.

Ebron’s statement on Twitter read, in part, “up to this point, the team and I have done everything in our power to manage the pain and get me out there each and every week.” That seems to be at odds with the Colts’ recollection. The team wasn’t happy “about how it went down,” tweets Stephen Holder of The Athletic. Keefer notes that Ebron is set to be a free agent in March, and the implication from the team seems to be that Ebron wanted to save himself for free agency, even if they aren’t saying it directly. Reich did say that Ebron had a scan on his ankle during training camp, but that “to the best of [his] knowledge, the scan was fine.” If the reports that Indy isn’t happy are true, then it’s probably safe to say Ebron will be finding a new home this spring.

Here’s more from around the league:

Jared Veldheer is officially a member of the Packers. The offensive tackle retired with the Patriots during training camp as he battled a lingering hip injury, and was released off their reserve/retired list after expressing interest in a comeback. Green Bay claimed Veldheer, and there was apparently some concern he wouldn’t be able to pass a physical. Those fears were unwarranted, as Veldheer indeed passed his physical and practiced with the team Friday, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
Oakland’s defense has struggled mightily at times this season, and it was terrible last year, but don’t expect Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s job to be in jeopardy anytime soon. Guenther’s seat is “ice cold” writes Vic Tafur of the Athletic, who notes that head coach Jon Gruden “loves him.” Gruden himself has been given a seemingly endless leash from owner Mark Davis, and that apparently extends to his assistants as well. Interestingly, Tafur writes that “everything has always been directed toward Las Vegas with this staff” and that nobodies jobs will be in danger “until they are all sitting in a meeting room in the desert.”
In case you missed it, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett won’t be fired during the season.

Jets Designate Two For Return

November 29th, 2019 at 6:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Jets are getting some reinforcements in the trenches. The team is getting back a member of the offensive and defensive lines, as defensive end John Franklin-Myers and offensive tackle Brent Qvale have both been designated for return from injured reserve.

Both can now begin practicing with the team, and this starts a three-week window for them to be activated. Franklin-Myers was a fourth-round pick of the Rams in 2018, and had a solid rookie season in Los Angeles. He appeared in all 16 games as a situational pass-rusher, and notably had a strip-sack of Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. Because of a numbers game on the Rams’ defensive line he was surprisingly released at final cuts, and was quickly scooped up by the Jets.

It was a nice under the radar acquisition for New York, and he should have the chance to earn some playing time assuming he’s activated. Qvale was undrafted out of Nebraska in 2014, and has been with the Jets ever since. After spending his rookie season on the practice squad he made the team in 2015, and has started multiple games in each of the past three seasons. He was carted off with a knee injury during training camp, and then placed on IR. The Jets have been banged up on the offensive line and starting right tackle Chuma Edoga was recently ruled out with a knee injury, so they could use some added depth.

Falcons Activate Matt Bosher, Cut Ryan Allen

November 29th, 2019 at 4:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Falcons made a couple of roster moves on Black Friday. The team announced they’ve waived punter Ryan Allen and linebacker Jermaine Grace. They’re activating punter Matt Bosher off injured reserve, who had been designated as one of their return players.

Bosher was the punter to start the season, but went down with a groin injury after just a few games. Bosher has been Atlanta’s punter since 2011, so it’s not surprising that the former sixth-round pick had his job waiting for him when he got healthy. The Falcons have used four different punters this season, and hopefully the cycling through can stop now. Allen had been the Patriots’ punter for six seasons up until he was cut this past August in favor of rookie Jake Bailey.

Allen latched on with Atlanta just a few weeks ago, after Matt Wile and Kasey Redfern had previously filled in. Grace entered the league as an UDFA back in 2017, and has already spent time with four different teams. Grace had played only a handful of defensive snaps, but had been a key special teamer all year, playing almost 70 percent of special teams snaps. Grace missed the block on Taysom Hill‘s punt block during last night’s loss to the Saints, which apparently sealed his fate.