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Andre Ellington

West Notes: Manning, Cards RBs, Hayne

October 31st, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Surprisingly, the success of the 6-0 Broncos this season has come more in spite of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning than because of him. The 39-year-old is having his worst statistical season since his rookie campaign, 1998, when he threw more interceptions (28) than touchdowns (26), averaged just 6.5 yards per attempt and put up a 71.2 passer rating. In 2015, he has also tossed more picks than scores (10 to seven), posted a subpar YPA (6.43) and a poor rating (72.5). Nevertheless, he has a defender in AZCentral.com’s Bob McManaman, who writes that it’s too soon to jump off the Manning bandwagon as he and the Broncos get ready for a clash with 6-0 Green Bay on Sunday.

McManaman believes a change in offensive scheme (from Adam Gase‘s to Gary Kubiak‘s), a lesser O-line, and the offseason loss of touchdown-catching tight end Julius Thomas have hindered Manning in his 18th season and made him look worse than he really is. Whether McManaman is right is debatable. What isn’t debatable is that Manning has the worst rating in the league among qualified starters.

Now to the NFC West:

  • After signing an inexpensive deal for one year with the Cardinals during the summer, running back Chris Johnson has revitalized his career as a key part of an elite team. The 30-year-old currently has the second-highest yards-per-carry average of his career (5.1) to go along with three touchdowns. While Johnson could stand to cash in during the offseason as a result of his renaissance this year, that isn’t on his mind. “I’m not even thinking about my contract,” he said, per Dan Bickley of AZCentral.com. “At the end of the day, I’m just happy to be playing football again. At one point, I thought that would never happen.”
  • Thanks to Johnson’s excellent play, fellow Cardinals runner Andre Ellington has barely figured into their offensive game plan this season. Ellington has 90 fewer carries than Johnson (21 compared to 111), but the Cards will look to get the third-year man more involved this week against the Browns’ last-ranked run defense, writes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I think BA (head coach Bruce Arians) has stuff for him and he didn’t get to it, but I’m sure he’ll get to it this week,” said offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin.
  • The reasons the 49ers cut Jarryd Hayne on Saturday, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter): 1. They didn’t trust him to pick up blitzes as a running back. 2. He had major issues with ball security as a return man. Despite those flaws, the 49ers will try to sign Hayne to their practice squad Monday, per Branch.

NFC Notes: JPP, Giants, Vikings, Cardinals

September 16th, 2015 at 4:42pm CST by Zachary Links

A report on Tuesday indicated that Jason Pierre-Paul‘s hand is in worse shape than the Giants expected, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) has some encouraging news on that front. The defensive end is in fact missing a piece from his thumb, but a source says that it’s far above the joint and just the tip of the digit. Pierre-Paul also has no more surgeries after last week’s skin graft and it’s all about healing at this stage.

Here’s more on JPP, along with a few more NFC notes:

  • Pierre-Paul took to Instagram with a video of him training and vowed that he would soon join the Giants on the field, as Avery Stone of USA Today writes. “God can turn any situation around for the better,” the defensive end wrote. “Your hard times will lead to the best times of your life. Don’t believe the hype … Be back soon! #90PC #ImAFighter #PutMeInCoach.”
  • Eli Manning‘s new contract with the Giants includes $5MM roster bonuses in both 2018 and 2019, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets.
  • When asked if he would bring in another kicker to compete with Blair Walsh, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said, “No. I’m bringing in consideration for him to pull out of this thing and start kicking like he’s capable of kicking,” according to Chris Miller of the Star Tribune. Walsh missed a 44-yard field goal on the team’s opening drive against the 49ers and went just 5-11 in preseason. Last year, he posted a league-worst 74.3% mark.
  • The Cardinals are not interested in adding a veteran running back because they’re confident that Andre Ellington‘s injury is a short-term issue, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has no hard feelings about being passed over for the Bears‘ head coaching job, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes. Arians was a finalist for the gig after Lovie Smith was fired in 2013. Ultimately, the team hired Marc Trestman, who has since been replaced.
  • The Bears‘ release of linebacker Sam Acho over the weekend was one of example of how teams sometimes get around the 53-man roster limits, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Ellington, Cowboys, Eagles

September 14th, 2015 at 5:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington suffered a PCL sprain in Sunday’s game, as first reported by Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) and confirmed by head coach Bruce Arians (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). While Anderson suggested a recovery timetable of two to three weeks for Ellington, Arians indicated his running back could just miss one week, and the team hasn’t ruled him out for its Week 2 game yet.

If Ellington isn’t able to practice by Friday, it will likely lead to a flurry of roster moves for the Cardinals, according to Arians. As ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss tweets, the team could promote running back Kerwynn Williams to its roster for next Sunday’s game against the Bears.

  • With Dez Bryant expected to miss at least a month, the Cowboys will sign a wide receiver for depth purposes, tweets Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), on the other hand, hears that the team is still undecided on whether to sign a receiver. If Dallas signs a wideout, I wouldn’t expect him to play a major role in the offense in Bryant’s absence.
  • Sam Bradford‘s start in tonight’s game eliminates the possibility of the Eagles getting the Rams‘ 2016 third-round pick, as Adam Schefter of ESPN notes. Philadelphia would have received that pick if Bradford hadn’t been able to play a game this season due to injury. Now, it’s worth watching whether or not the former first overall pick will play 50% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps — if he doesn’t, Philadelphia will get St. Louis’ 2016 fourth-rounder.
  • Former Eastern Washington offensive tackle Jake Rodgers, cut earlier this month by the Falcons, has a tryout with the Saints on Tuesday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
  • Three defensive backs – former Rams cornerback Montell Garner, ex-Seahawks safety Ryan Murphy, and former Bengals safety Floyd Raven – worked out for the Packers, tweets Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com. Green Bay also auditioned defensive end Martin Ifedi, a 2015 seventh-round pick who was cut by St. Louis.
  • Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News examines 49ers CEO Jed York‘s legacy in San Francisco.
  • If St. Louis wants to keep the Rams, one critical issue to work through is who will pay cost overruns, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

NFC Links: Cardinals, Fairley, Cowboys, Vikings

February 22nd, 2015 at 10:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Oscar’s were the big story this Sunday, but in case you missed any of the NFL tidbits that spread while you were rooting for your favorite movie of the year, here are some links surrounding NFC teams:

  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at the Cardinals salary cap situation going into the offseason. He writes that the team should be all in on 2015, and could afford to take some risks to put them over the top.
  • Cardinals running back Andre Ellington averaged only 3.3 yards per carry this past season under an increased workload, down from a fantastic 5.5 yards per carry as a rookie in 2013. The organization still believes he can be the focal point of the offense, but that he needs to get bigger and stronger in order to carry that load, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com
  • The Lions had a very positive interview with defensive tackle Nick Fairley at the combine today, and expressed interest in keeping him in Detroit, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • In Cowboys’ news, Kevin Sherrington of DallasNews.com suggests that the team is not dependent on a Dez Bryant deal in order to move on with other roster moves this offseason, and his colleague Rainer Sabin writes that he does not expect the franchise tag to alter Bryant’s on-field performance if the Cowboys decide to use it on him this offseason.
  • The Vikings’ front office has been looking closely at running backs in the combine, with plans to either supplement or replace Adrian Peterson depending on what happens this offseason, writes Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
  • Washington executive A.J. Smith will not be returning to the team, according to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times who cites a Providence Journal report (via Twitter). Boyer notes that this isn’t a surprise, as team president Bruce Allen hinted at it when Scott McCloughan was hired as the team’s general manager.

Injury Updates: Monday

December 8th, 2014 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

In our Sunday roundup of the latest notable injury news from around the NFL, we passed along postgame items on a number of players, including several who will miss the rest of the season. Today, we’ll continue to provide updates on those players and others, as diagnoses are modified or confirmed. We don’t cover every single injury at PFR, but we’ll keep tabs on the ones that may require a roster move, with the latest notes added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • While it’s less an injury update than a health update, the Chiefs provided some news on safety Eric Berry today, announcing that the Pro Bowler has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. “This is a diagnosis that is very treatable and potentially curable with standard chemotherapy approaches,” said Dr. Christopher R. Flowers in a statement. “The goal of Mr. Berry’s treatment is to cure his lymphoma and we are beginning that treatment now.” We wish Berry and his family our well-wishes and support as he begins his treatment.
  • The Ravens confirmed a Sunday report today, indicating that cornerback Danny Gorrer will miss the rest of the season after tearing his MCL and PCL, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The club will place Gorrer on injured reserve.

Earlier updates:

  • As expected, Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger will be out for the rest of the year with an AC joint separation, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The rookie signal-caller may be placed on IR this week to make room for a new addition.
  • While Cardinals running back Andre Ellington is expected to miss the rest of the season, cornerback Antonio Cromartie’s injury doesn’t appear as serious as initially feared, GM Steve Keim confirmed today (link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). Cromartie is day-to-day with the injury, which affects the peroneal tendon rather than the Achilles, and will undergo more testing today.
  • As first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Chargers have diagnosed punter Mike Scifres with a fractured clavicle. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Scifres is undergoing surgery today, and should be okay to return for the playoffs, assuming San Diego makes it.

Cardinals Sign Chris Clemons; Ellington To IR

December 8th, 2014 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals have officially ended the season of starting running back Andre Ellington, placing him on the injured reserve list due to hernia surgery, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Using the newly-opened roster spot, the team signed veteran free agent safety Chris Clemons.

Clemons signed a two-year deal with Houston in the offseason that contained $450K in guaranteed money, but was cut by the Texans at the end of the preseason. Despite auditions with the Bills, Bengals, Falcons, and Lions since then, the 29-year-old didn’t find a new home until now. Clemons had spent the first five seasons of his career with the Dolphins, starting 48 games, racking up 207 tackles and four interceptions. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Clemons as the 19th-best safety in the league last season.

As for Ellington, he’ll return to the Cardinals in 2015, and it will be interesting to see how his role in the offense is affected by his performance this season. After being deployed a change-of-place back in his rookie season, Ellington was leaned on heavily as the club’s feature back this year, and saw his yards per carry average dip from 5.5 to 3.3. In his absence, Kerwynn Williams and Stepfan Taylor figure to carry the bulk of the load out of the backfield.

In addition to signing Clemons and placing Ellington on IR, the Cardinals also added a couple players to their practice squad, signing wide receiver Travis Harvey and guard John Fullington to the unit, according to Urban. By our count, the Cards previously had nine players on their taxi squad, so we’ll have to wait for word on which player is being removed or signing elsewhere.

Injury Updates: Sunday

December 7th, 2014 at 10:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

Let’s take a look at some injuries that could force clubs to make a change to their rosters as they enter the final quarter of the regular season:

Earlier updates:

  • Dolphins safety Louis Delmas was carted off the field in his team’s loss to the Ravens, and Adam H. Beasley and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald write that initial reports are pointing towards a torn ACL. This would presumably end Delmas’ season.
  • Percy Harvin had his best game of the season today, finishing with six catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. However, the Jets‘ wideout injured his ankle late in the game, and ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini says the veteran’s season could be over.
  • Cardinals‘ running back Andre Ellington will likely be placed on injured reserve with his hip pointer, reports Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 AM in Phoenix (via Twitter). Ellington will see a specialist in Philadelphia this week.
  • Cardinals‘ cornerback Antonio Cromartie was carted off the field during their tight contest with the Chiefs, reports Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). He suffered an achilles injury (via Twitter). Kent Somers of AZCentral.com writes that Cromartie was unable to put any weight on his left leg (via Twitter).
  • Titans‘ quarterback Zach Mettenberger is likely done for the year with a right shoulder sprain, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean (via Twitter). The X-Ray was negative, but an MRI is scheduled for Monday (via Twitter). He had suffered an injury to the shoulder last week as well, but this one could be enough to end his season.
  • 49ers‘ defensive back Chris Culliver left the game with a knee injury and has been ruled out for the game, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Guard Mike Iupati left the game with an elbow injury and is questionable to return. Both players will deeply impact the 49ers’ playoff chances, and Iupati could also cost himself money as he is prepared to hit free agency this offseason.

Injury Updates: Sunday

November 30th, 2014 at 6:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at some injuries that could force clubs to make a change to their rosters as they enter the final quarter of the regular season:

  • Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel suffered a triceps injury during today’s game against the Saints, meaning his season could be in jeopardy, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Keisel, 36, contemplated retirement before re-signing with Pittsburgh earlier this year, so if this injury is serious, it could potentially signal the end of his career.
  • Receiver DeSean Jackson had to leave Washington’s game against the Colts after bruising his right fibula, but X-rays didn’t show any broken bones, per Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. Jackson, who allowed that he was in pain, called himself day-to-day.
  • In the same game, Colts cornerback Vontae Davis was forced to leave after suffering a concussion, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Davis will presumably enter the league’s concussion protocol, which immediately leaves his Week 14 status in doubt.
  • Titans receiver Justin Hunter suffered an alarming injury today, as he lacerated his spleen against the Texans, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. He will remain in the hospital overnight.
  • Another receiver was sent to the hospital today, as Browns pass-catcher Miles Austin had to leave the field in a stretcher after suffering abdominal pain, per Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • The Cardinals lost three starters during today’s game, as running back Andre Ellington (hip), defensive back Tyrann Mathieu (thumb) and guard Paul Fanaika (ankle) all left Arizona’s contest against the Falcons and were soon declared out for the day, the team announced on Twitter.

NFC Notes: Tate, Ellington, Boone

September 5th, 2014 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

New Lions receiver Golden Tate is enjoying the offense in Detroit, writes Robert Klemko of the MMQB. “The offense is kind of a feel offense. You feel your way around. Obviously there are rules and depths, but at the end of the day you’ve got to play football and just be an athlete…Coach Lombardi’s thing is to just put guys in different places and let them make plays. In Seattle we might have thrown 15-20 times a game so it made it hard to get off there. I prefer what we have in Detroit,” Tate said.

  • Good news for Cardinals fans: the first prognosis on running back Andre Ellington‘s foot injury is that it’s a muscle injury, tweets Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. The team is still waiting on MRI results and a diagnosis from a foot specialist, however. If Ellington is sidelined, Jonathan Dwyer will presumably take the starting role with Stepfan Taylor and Robert Hughes in support.
  • During last night’s pregame show, NBC’s Cris Collinsworth said that Julius Peppers was prepared to return to the Panthers before Packers came along with an offer he couldn’t refuse, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. “He was getting ready to go to Carolina, thinking he’d just go home and finish his career there,” Collinsworth said. “Then the Green Bay Packers called and said, ‘How’d you like to be a stand-up, 3-4 outside linebacker?’ And he said, ‘I’ve been waiting my whole life to do that.’” Retaining Peppers became quite the longshot for Carolina once Green Bay offered up a three-year, $26MM deal.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap has the specifics on Alex Boone‘s new deal with the 49ers. The total contract value is $6MM over two years with another $2MM available in incentives. Those incentives are tied to being selected to the Pro Bowl and named first team All-NFL.