HEADLINES

Damontre Moore

East Notes: Henderson, Fitzpatrick, Bradford

December 17th, 2015 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

Having recently started listing Seantrel Henderson on the injury report with an “illness,” the Bills and head coach Rex Ryan declined to get into specifics on Henderson’s condition. However, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News hears from an NFL source that Henderon has been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition. Per Carucci’s source, the Bills’ right tackle “has experienced severe stomach pain and has lost nearly 20 pounds.”

A seventh-round pick in 2014, Henderson started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started 10 games for the team this year before he was sidelined. Carucci indicates that the former Miami Hurricane is expected to miss the rest of this season, though it’s not clear how the diagnosis will affect him going forward.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:

  • Ryan Fitzpatrick is on track to play in more than 70% of the Jets‘ offensive plays this season, which is good news for the Texans, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. If Fitzpatrick remains above that threshold, Houston will receive a sixth-round pick from New York, rather than a seventh-rounder.
  • While Chip Kelly and the Eagles have expressed interest in having Sam Bradford on the roster in 2016 and beyond, the quarterback himself has been noncommittal, preferring to postpone that conversation until after the season, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News writes. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer observes that Bradford’s recovery from his ACL injury has been similar to the path taken by Carson Palmer, so perhaps a Palmer-esque extension would work for Bradford and the Eagles.
  • Former Giants defensive end Damontre Moore is ready for a fresh start with the Dolphins, and spoke to reporters about his departure from New York. James Kratch of NJ.com has the details and the quotes.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/15/15

December 15th, 2015 at 5:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

  • The Dolphins announced (Twitter link) that they have claimed defensive end Damontre Moore off waivers from the Giants. To make room, center/guard Jacques McClendon has been waived.
  • The Bengals are expected to promote practice squad quarterback Keith Wenning to the 53-man roster as a backup to A.J. McCarron, per Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter).
  • The Bears announced (via Twitter) that they have promoted rookie linebacker John Timu from the taxi squad while waiving veteran defensive lineman Ziggy Hood.
  • The Seahawks waived receiver B.J. Daniels and safety Akeem Davis while activating linebacker Brock Coyle from IR, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes.
  • Adrian Phillips will be promoted off of the Chargers‘ practice squad and on to the 53-man roster, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes.
  • The Saints waived veteran defensive end Phillip Hunt on Tuesday, as Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune writes.
  • The Raiders have signed long snapper Thomas Gafford, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). In a related move, long snapper Jon Condo has been placed on IR.
  • The Bengals (on Twitter) announced that they have waived linebacker Chris Carter.
  • Tight end Chase Coffman has re-signed with the Seahawks, a source tells Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter).
  • Washington announced the signing of veteran tight end Alex Smith (not to be confused with the quarterback of the same name). Smith, 33, is an 11-year veteran who has had previous stints in the NFL with the Bucs, Pats, Eagles, Browns, and Saints. In other roster moves Tuesday, the team waived safety Trenton Robinson from IR with an injury settlement.
  • The Cowboys have released cornerback Tyler Patmon, according to a source who spoke with Charean Williams of The Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Terrance Mitchell will now be called up from the taxi squad and given an opportunity to play at nickel.
  • The Rams waived kicker Zach Hocker and signed defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat from the taxi squad, Howard Balzer of USA Today tweets.

Dolphins Claim Damontre Moore

December 14th, 2015 at 4:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Less than a week after the Giants released him for conduct detrimental to the team, pass rusher Damontre Moore has a new home. The 23-year-old will join the Dolphins, who claimed him off waivers, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media (Twitter link). The Giants and Dolphins play each other tonight, but Moore won’t be an official member of Miami’s roster until Tuesday, per Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter).

Moore was a third-round pick in the 2013 draft. The Texas A&M product has been a part-time contributor since then, recording 32 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2014, with 17 tackles and three sacks so far this season. Moore is under contract through the 2016 season, with salaries and cap hits under $1MM this year and next. The Dolphins’ hope is that he’ll aid a pass rush that has produced only 26 sacks this year, tied for 21st in the NFL.

Luke Adams contributed to this report.

Details On Damontre Moore’s Release

December 13th, 2015 at 12:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

SUNDAY, 12:08pm: As Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News writes, the Giants’ decision to cut Moore reveals the team’s lack of defensive line depth and general lack of promising young talent. However, Big Blue may not have had a choice. As Mike Garafolo of FOXSports (via FOXSports colleague Jay Glazer) tweets, Moore has been “fighting his teammates since Day 1 of training camp,” and has “yelled at” both head coach Tom Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese. Despite repeated warnings from New York brass, Moore failed to adjust his attitude, which ultimately sealed his fate with the club (Twitter links).

SATURDAY, 1:51pm: Moore admitted in a radio interview a fight with Jenkins over headphones did ensue, but that the skirmish stemmed from a “compilation” of issues between the two defensive linemen, James Kratch of NJ.com writes.

Moore called into an ESPN New York radio show to explain his side of the events, noting he’d had several issues with the 34-year-old Jenkins, with the headphones being the final straw, so to speak. Moore did not receive a pair of free headphones, while Jenkins was seen taking several pairs prior to Thursday’s practice, Kratch reports.

The two ex-teammates haven’t spoken since the fight.

“I definitely could have handled it better by just obviously walking away,” Moore told the radio station. “The crazy thing was, I don’t really necessarily look at (the dispute) as over a Beats By Dre headphone. … It was more of a respect thing. It was, you know, a combination of things that build up over time.”

Moore mentioned Beckham, Steve Weatherford and select others who have reached out after the sudden separation. Before mentioning he’s ready should another team express interest, he doesn’t characterize himself as immature, but a player in development and perhaps in need of a scenery change.

“By no way was I a saint. I had a lot of learning curves and majority factors,” Moore said. “I’ve grown over the time and I felt like, you know, things just ran its course. It happens in this game. As you know, it’s very rare that most people spend their whole career with a certain team. I think it just ran its course.”

FRIDAY, 5:22pm: When Damontre Moore was cut by the Giants today, reports indicated that New York made the move after the defensive end violated team rules. But the details of the incident are a bit more specific and — arguably — comical, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link) that Moore got into a fight with fellow defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins after failing to get free Beats by Dre headphones (which other players apparently received).

Star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was reportedly handing out the headphones as gifts, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link), when Jenkins grabbed multiple pairs. The story is a tad reminiscent of the IK Enemkpali/Geno Smith saga that took place during the preseason, where Enempali broke Smith’s jaw over what early reports described was a monetary dispute. Moore, who, for the record, is earning $585K in pre-tax income, lost his roster spot over an item that retails at roughly $200.

According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, today’s decision was the culmination of Moore’s repeated behavioral and maturity issues, with the final straw being his altercation with Jenkins. Moore has been fined several times by the club this year for rules violations and behavior problems, per Graziano.

East Notes: Giants, Tannehill, Jets

December 12th, 2015 at 7:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While Giants brass was fed up enough with pass rusher Damontre Moore to cut him Friday after he got in a fight over headphones with then-teammate Cullen Jenkins, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes that most of the club’s players aren’t happy the 23-year-old is gone. One Giant told Graziano that Moore’s gameday encouragement of both offensive and defensive players will be missed, and another said the third-year man could always be counted on to attend teammates’ charity events without asking for anything in return.

The atmosphere in the locker room was quiet after Moore’s release, per Graziano, who believes his ex-Giants teammates want things to go better for him in his next stop. There’s a chance the Giants and Moore could meet as foes this year, Graziano notes, as one of their remaining opponents – the Dolphins, Panthers, Vikings or Eagles – might land him.

More on Big Blue and a couple of AFC East teams:

  • While the Giants’ Tom Coughlin may be past his prime, the recent work of general manager Jerry Reese hasn’t helped the head coach’s cause, submits Newsday’s Bob Glauder. The release of Moore, a third-round pick in 2013, is the latest check mark against Reese – whom Glauber believes has too often underwhelmed in the early and middle rounds of drafts over the last few years. Reese’s failure to hit on those picks has caught up to the Giants, which is a big reason why they’re 5-7.
  • Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has gotten plenty of blame for the team’s disappointing season, but offensive coordinator Zac Taylor says the fourth-year man hasn’t “regressed in any way, shape, or form,” per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
  • The Jets have two key defensive linemen scheduled to become free agents at year’s end. One is Muhammad Wilkerson, who’s among the best, most well-known defenders in the league. The other, Damon Harrison, doesn’t have Wilkerson’s name recognition, but he has performed brilliantly. That will make it difficult for the Jets to let Harrison go, opines Brian Costello of the New York Post. The 27-year-old currently grades out as the fifth-best run-stuffing interior D-lineman in the league this season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
  • Backup Dolphins tight end Brandon Williams broke a bone in his left foot and is likely to miss the rest of the season, head coach Dan Campbell said (Twitter link via ESPN’s James Walker).

Giants Waive Damontre Moore

December 11th, 2015 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

3:24pm: The Giants have officially announced the release of Moore, with GM Jerry Reese suggesting in a statement that the move is “in the interest of both parties.”

2:45pm: Damontre Moore‘s absence from the Giants’ Friday practice has been explained, with Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reporting (via Twitter) that Moore has been cut by the team. According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Giants made the decision after Moore violated team rules, though the nature of the violation isn’t yet known.

Moore, 23, was a third-round pick in the 2013 draft, selected by the Giants 81st overall. The Texas A&M product has been a part-time contributor since then, recording 32 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2014, with 17 tackles and three sacks so far this season.

While those aren’t exactly eye-popping numbers, they stack up well compared to some of New York’s other defenders — the team has been starved for pass rushers, and Robert Ayers, who has four sacks, is the only Giant who has gotten to the quarterback more often than Moore.

If Moore clears waivers, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent, with the ability to sign anywhere. However, depending on the nature of his rules violation, he could be a popular waiver target. The third-year defensive end remains under contract through the 2016 season, with salaries and cap hits under $1MM this year and next, so a team that claims him would do so at a minimal cost.

Friday Night Game Notes: East Edition

August 23rd, 2014 at 9:38am CST by Matt Feminis

Patriots third-year pass rusher Chandler Jones, who is being used as a stand-up rusher this season, had six tackles and two sacks in a win over Carolina last night, earning praise from Bill Belichick: “Chandler’s worked really hard at whatever we’ve asked him to do since he’s been here. Last year, he also played some inside over the guard. He’s played outside over the tackle or the tight end, up, down. He’s a versatile player and he’s very conscientious to try to do whatever we ask him to do and playing in all those different spots. He’s a very athletic player with good length, good playing strength so he has a lot of versatility athletically, he has a lot of versatility mentally.” CSNNE’s Greg Bedard believes Jones is poised to become an elite defender.

Here’s some more news and notes produced after Friday night’s batch of preseason games:

NFC East Notes: Spencer, Martin, Smith, Moore

May 17th, 2014 at 11:28am CST by Matt Feminis

Cowboys veteran defensive end Anthony Spencer, recovering from microfracture surgery, will most likely start the season on the physically unable to perform list, projects ESPNDallas.com’s Calvin Watkins.

Here’s a handful more NFC East notes:

  • Cowboys first-rounder Zack Martin, praised for his consistency and versatility, is working at right guard during rookie minicamp, and head coach Jason Garrett thinks it’s a natural fit, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. Meanwhile, Martin has already sought out the help of veterans, and he told Carlos Mendez of the Star-Telegram that Doug Free “is like another coach on the field.”
  • “Most first-round edge rushers make mild contributions, or almost none at all, in their first year,” says the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, who writes the Eagles are prepared to be patient with first-rounder Marcus Smith if he doesn’t make an immediate impact.
  • Speaking with Les Bowen on Sulia.com, Eagles seventh-rounder Beau Allen said his predraft interview with the team was more formal and organized than other teams’.
  • Though defensive end was viewed as a need, the Giants did not spend a draft choice on the position, which shows some faith in second-year man Damontre Moore, writes Conor Orr in the Star-Ledger. Recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Moore hasn’t been cleared for contact yet, but says he’s 95 percent and working towards bulking up 15 pounds.