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AFC Mailbags: Tannehill, Landry, Forsett, Shorts

November 15th, 2014 at 9:36am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means a fresh batch of NFL mailbags from ESPN.com’s writers. Let’s start with some interesting notes out of the AFC…

Injury Updates: Monday

October 6th, 2014 at 5:42pm CST by Luke Adams

As is typically the case on Mondays, teams around the NFL are receiving updates on injured players, and while in some instances that news is reassuring, that’s not always the case. Here are a few items related to injuries that may force clubs to make roster moves:

  • As feared, Titans safety Bernard Pollard has a ruptured Achilles and will miss the rest of the season, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. While the team has yet to officially make a move, we can expect Pollard to hit IR at some point this week.
  • A pair of Ravens are expected to miss multiple weeks, according to Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com, who writes that cornerback Asa Jackson suffered a severly sprained toe, while defensive end Chris Canty is dealing with an infection in his wrist. Head coach John Harbaugh indicated today that the club’s current plan is to place Jackson on the injured reserve with the designation to return. The team will also look to add a cornerback in his absence, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Broncos running back Montee Ball suffered a strained groin, and could miss up to three weeks, head coach John Fox said today (Twitter link via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com).
  • The Giants figure to be without running back Rashad Jennings for the near future, as the offseason signee confirmed today that he sustained a sprained MCL (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News). While Jennings should remain on the 53-man roster, the team could bolster the running back position by promoting Michael Cox from the practice squad, notes Vacchiano (via Twitter).
  • The Jets got a scare when linebacker David Harris injured his shoulder, but an MRI showed no structural damage and he’s considered day-to-day, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post.

Injury Updates: Sunday

October 5th, 2014 at 10:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here are some injuries that occurred during Sunday’s game action:

  • Chargers‘ center Doug Legursky left the blowout victory over the Jets with a knee injury, and Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego reports that he will likely be out much longer (via Twitter).
  • The Jets also lost a key member of their team, with linebacker David Harris suffering a shoulder injury, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI tomorrow.
  • Calais Campbell‘s injury reported earlier was an MCL injury, and will keep him out between three and four weeks, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

  • Saints‘ star tight end Jimmy Graham suffered a sprained shoulder during the team’s overtime victory against the Buccaneers earlier today. The team is going into their bye week, which should give the All-Pro pass catcher time to recover. Graham hopes to return to the field the following week against the Lions.
  • Titans‘ safety Bernard Pollard left the locker room using crutches, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean (via Twitter). The team fears that he has torn his achilles, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. Pollard will have an MRI on Monday.
  • Titans‘ starting quarterback Jake Locker has also faced an injury, being forced out of the team’s loss at the hands of the Browns. Locker injured his thumb in the game, and while X-rays were negative, he will have an MRI on Monday, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.
  • Giants‘ running back Rashad Jennings is set to have an MRI on his knee tomorrow, but believes the injury is not serious, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
  • There have been a number of injuries for the Cardinals during their matchup against the Broncos. Starting quarterback Drew Stanton, who was already filling in for an injured Carson Palmer, has been forced out of the game with a concussion, reports Mark Dalton of the Arizona Cardinals (via Twitter). Rookie Logan Thomas has replaced him in the game. The team does not have an emergency quarterback left on their roster. Defensive end Calais Campbell has also been removed from the game with a knee injury, reports Lindsay Jones of USA Today (via Twitter).
  • The Broncos have not been unscathed so far, losing running back Montee Ball to a groin injury, reports Chris Cwik of CBS Sports.
  • The Chargers have also experienced some key injuries despite building a big lead over the Jets. Tackle D.J. Fluker and receiver Malcolm Floyd have both left the game with lower leg injuries, and failed to return, reports Eric Williams of ESPN (via Twitter). Running back Donald Brown also left the game with a concussion, writes Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter).

Sunday Roundup: Suh, Jets, Steve Smith

September 28th, 2014 at 12:32pm CST by Rory Parks

It has been fairly obvious for some time that Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh would be leaving Detroit at the end of the year, and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter confirms that the Lions are preparing to move on without him. However, Schefter adds another wrinkle, writing that Suh would love to play in New York, either for the Jets or Giants.

However, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that the Jets have too much money tied up in their defensive line to be a serious suitor, and Mike Florio of Pro Football talk adds that there is no indication that the Giants would want Suh. Citing Schefter, Florio does add that the Bears and Cowboys will definitely be interested.

Now for some more links from around the league:

  • In a full-length piece, Cimini writes that the Jets‘ most pressing contract concern might center around linebacker David Harris, the “glue” to head coach Rex Ryan‘s defensive unit. Although Muhammad Wilkerson‘s contract situation has received more attention, Harris will be a free agent at year’s end, whereas Wilkerson will still be under club control.
  • Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that the Jets‘ worst-case scenario–that Geno Smith would continue to struggle with his turnover problem, triggering calls for Michael Vick to take over–has come true. Given that Ryan is coaching for his job, another poor showing from Smith this week could lead to Vick’s promotion. Like Serby, Cimini believes that Smith’s job could be on the line today.
  • Not only are the Jets inconsistent on the field, they are also facing internal struggles. In a separate piece, Schefter writes that some members of the Jets front office are disenchanted with the way GM John Idzik has built his roster. Not only do they believe Idzik was not aggressive enough in pursuing upgrades at cornerback, an issue that has received a lot of publicity, but they also feel that Idzik should have used his ample salary cap space to further address the wide receiver, pass rusher, and return specialist positions.
  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the Ryan Tannehill/Joe Philbin dilemma is not the only player/coach rift on the Dolphins.
  • Rich Tandler of ESPNWashington.com says to look for the Redskins to promote safety Philip Thomas from the practice squad to the active roster–assuming they do not go outside the organization for help–and that one of the tight ends currently on the practice squad, Ted Bolser and Je’Ron Hamm, could also be on the way up, depending on the status of Jordan Reed and Niles Paul.
  • Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the Buccaneers have only two players remaining from their 2010 club: Gerald McCoy and Demar Dotson.
  • In a series of tweets, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes that the Panthers did not cut Steve Smith because they thought he could no longer perform at a high level. Instead, they worried that Smith would be “divisive” in the team’s young locker room. Smith refused to take a pay cut and ultimately asked for his release.

NFC Links: Giants, Lions, Packers

June 30th, 2014 at 2:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Eli Manning was the most overpaid NFL player during the 2013 season, at least according to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus (ESPN Insider subscription required). The Giants’ 57.5 accuracy percentage was the second-worst in the league (behind the Raiders‘ Matt McGloin), and his 27 interceptions were the most by a quarterback in nearly ten years. The writer utilized the “Jahnke Valuation Model” – a formula that measures a player’s potential salary based on production – and came to the conclusion that Manning deserved about $5.4MM. That’s a far cry from his 2013 cap hit of $20.8MM.

Second on the list also came from the NFC, albeit on the defensive side of the ball. Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis earned this honor, even though he compiled 116 tackles last season. Jahnke points to the player’s 13 missed tackles and estimates he should have earned about $1.3MM – a more than $11MM difference from his $12.4MM cap hit.

Three other NFC players – Falcons wideout Roddy White, Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson and Vikings running back Adrian Peterson – made this list. For the AFC, Jets linebacker David Harris led the way, followed by Raiders quarterback Matt Schaub, Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph, Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor and Bills defensive end Mario Williams.

Let’s see what else is going on around the NFC…

  • Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson were previously represented by the Morgan Advisory Group’s Ryan Morgan & Zeke Sandhu. However, as Sports Business Journal’s Liz Mullen points out (via Twitter), the two players are now unaffiliated with MAG and are only represented by Sandhu.
  • History suggests that Lions head coach Jim Caldwell will only carry two quarterbacks, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. In his ten seasons with the Colts, Caldwell carried a trio of quarterbacks four times, including the 2011 season when he held on to an injured Peyton Manning. The competition is likely between veterans Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore, as well as rookie James Franklin. As Rogers notes, Franklin could stick around on the practice squad.
  • 12 linebackers were taken ahead of Packers rookie Carl Bradford, and Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel writes that the player won’t forget about those taken in front of him. “I keep track of it, man,” Bradford said. “And I use that as motivation…We’ll see where I land at the end of all this.”