Dennis Pitta

AFC Notes: Tannehill, Pitta, Green, Chargers

December 12th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Tannehill will get a second opinion on his knee Tuesday after learning earlier today he didn’t tear an ACL but rather sprained his ACL and MCL. The plan for now is for the Dolphins to trot out backup Matt Moore in the next two games in which Tannehill will definitely not play, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports, and give the franchise passer a chance to stabilize the knee before contemplating a potential Week 17 return against the Patriots.

Salguero notes if the Week 17 game against the Patriots is meaningful for the Dolphins’ playoff hopes and Tannehill wouldn’t risk long-term knee damage, Adam Gase will hound his training staff with questions and consider starting him in a game that could well have home-field advantage on the line for the Pats. However, Salguero notes Tannehill’s ACL is partially torn since it’s been categorized as a sprain, and there will likely be a risk of a full tear if he returns in three weeks.

Additionally, if Tannehill cannot recover in time for the New Year’s Day tilt, the Dolphins will keep him on the roster in 2017 to guarantee $14.5MM of his salary next season. The team will reinstall the former first-round pick as its starting quarterback next season, Salguero writes, with the Jay Cutler talk no longer being a possibility despite Tannehill’s cap number escalating from $11.6MM to $20.3MM.

Here’s more from the AFC.

It’s time for the Bills to bench Tyrod Taylor and install Cardale Jones as the starter, ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak opines. The Bills, of course, have to decide on Taylor this offseason and it would behoove them to know what they have in their young backup. “He’s working hard,” offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn said recently of Jones. “He’s a gunslinger, strong arm. You watch him in scout team, we evaluate his reps in scout team. He’s putting the ball in the right places. He’s accurate. I think his development is coming along fine.” Recently, GM Doug Whaley insisted that he won’t be turning things over to Jones, but things could be different after yesterday’s loss to Pittsburgh. The Bills are now 6-7 with slim odds of reaching the postseason.
Matt Forte is day-to-day after hyper-extending his right knee, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports. Although the Jets starter heard “cracking and popping” before the knee swelled, Forte was confident there was no ligament damage. Bilal Powell totaled 179 yards from scrimmage and two TDs in relief. Forte has played in all 13 Jets games this season; he’s only missed three contests in a single campaign twice and never more than four.
Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta will max out his incentives for 2016, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Under the terms of his reworked contract, Pitta’s salary was cut from $5MM to $1MM, but the Ravens added $3MM in incentives to help bridge the gap. The 31-year-old needed to catch 60 passes for a $1MM receptions incentive and he’s already topped that with 61. He also has to appear in 50% of the team’s snaps for the other $2MM and he’s in line to do that as well.
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis says wide receiver A.J. Green expects to return to practice on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). With Cincinnati sitting at 5-7-1, a Green return would be more important to fantasy players than the Bengals’ 2016 season at this point. Green has missed the past three games with a severe hamstring injury. He sits 36 yards away from a sixth straight 1,000-yard slate.
Continuing on the injury front, Melvin Gordon has both a hip strain and a left knee sprain, Eric Williams of ESPN.com notes. Gordon underwent microfracture surgery on the same knee this offseason. The Chargers fell to 5-8 after losing to the Panthers on Sunday, and although Gordon wants to finish the season, his injury history may point to the Bolts exercising caution here. Gordon didn’t finish the 2015 season due to injury and then had surgery. If Gordon’s season ends after 13 games, he’ll finish three rushing yards shy of 1,000 in a bounce-back year. Mike McCoy said that number will have no bearing on whether the second-year back returns in 2016.
The NFL has suspended Chargers defensive end Tenny Palepoi for four games for violating the league policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Ravens S Matt Elam To Undergo Knee Surgery

August 22nd, 2016 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

Ravens safety Matt Elam will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a chip in his knee, as ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley tweets. It’s not a season-ending injury but will sideline him “a number of weeks into early part of the season,” coach John Harbaugh told reporters.

The Ravens will have to decide whether to carry Elam on the 53-man roster, cut him, or place him on IR-designated to return. With Eric Weddle, Lardarius Webb, Kendrick Lewis, and Terrence Brooks at safety, Baltimore should be able to get by just fine for however long he’s out. In fact, Elam’s spot on the 53-man roster wasn’t necessarily a lock anyway. With solid play in recent weeks, Brooks arguably leapfrogged Elam on merit.

The Ravens declined Elam’s fifth-year option for 2017 earlier this offseason. Elam, 25 in September, started 26 regular season contests at safety for the Ravens during his first two NFL seasons. Releasing Elam would save Baltimore $1.33MM.

In other Ravens news, tight end Dennis Pitta has a fractured finger and will be kept off the field for now to avoid additional damage. Pitta has been looking to make his way back from a second major hip fracture but he is now being held back by a new injury. The injury came as a result of a fight, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sunday Roundup: Lynch, Fitzpatrick, Leary

May 29th, 2016 at 12:54pm CST by Rory Parks

Whether Marshawn Lynch opts to continue his football career in 2016 and whether he will play for the Seahawks if he does suit up this season are two very different questions, as Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com writes. Lynch, 30, may well be having second thoughts about his decision to retire, but while Kapadia would not be surprised if Lynch chooses to return to the league, the ESPN scribe would be stunned if the Seahawks are the team to welcome him back.

Although Seattle controls Lynch’s rights through 2017, he is due $9MM in 2016, is coming off an injury-plagued season, and is at the point in his career when most running backs begin to wear down anyway. Plus, the club’s running game looked perfectly capable without Beast Mode in 2015. Theoretically, the team could trade him or negotiate a pay cut, but it is more likely that the Seahawks would simply release Lynch if he ultimately decides he is not done playing.

Now let’s take a look at some more notes from around the league:

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com and Brian Costello of The New York Post echo the common sense point that Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk made several days ago: we now know that the Jets have offered Ryan Fitzpatrick a three-year deal that includes $12MM in the first year, but until we know what the second and third years of the offer look like, we cannot say which side is being overly obstinate. Cimini “gets the sense” that it is a three-year, $24MM contract, which would mean that if Fitzpatrick plays well this season and retains his starting job, he would be significantly underpaid in 2017. Similarly, Costello believes that it is not a three-year, $36MM deal unless Fitzpatrick hits incentives, some of which are surely unrealistic.
Cowboys left guard Ronald Leary has made it abundantly clear that he wants to be traded, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Leary lost almost all of his leverage when he chose to sign his restricted free agent tender last month. Now that he has signed the $2.55MM tender, Leary can be fined if he misses mandatory minicamp or training camp, so Dallas will be perfectly content to either wait for a good return from another club seeking an interior lineman, or for Leary to give in and report to the team.
Former Baylor wideout Jay Lee, overshadowed by teammate Corey Coleman–the Browns’ first-round selection in this year’s draft–in the Baylor offense, had a productive collegiate career in his own right, and he turned down offers from five other clubs to join the Lions as a UDFA, as Justin Rogers of MLive.com writes. Lee said, “[Detroit] is a better fit for me. I had a relationship with the coaches. I got to do a private workout with them, got to come up here and visit and I just felt at home.”
Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com looks at five of the Lions‘ biggest roster competitions this summer. The competition at defensive tackle, the club’s deepest unit, could be particularly fierce.
Instead of hitting the open market this offseason, Steelers guard Ramon Foster and cornerback William Gay turned down the chance at a bigger payday elsewhere to remain in Pittsburgh, as Ray Fittipaldo of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Gay, who signed a two-year, $3.2MM contract with the Cardinals in 2012 after spending the first five years of his career with the Steelers, never saw the second year of that deal after Arizona’s coaching staff told him he no longer fit in their plans, and he had no interest in seeing the dark side of free agency again. Foster, meanwhile, said, “[Pittsburgh] is where it’s at. We’re chasing that ring. The chance for the Super Bowl ring is more important than those extra [millions].”
Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta has looked good in the team’s offseason workouts, Don Markus of The Baltimore Sun writes. Pitta, looking to make his way back from a second major hip fracture, is not showing any lingering effects of his injuries, although training camp will present an entirely different test. Pitta could face an uphill battle to make the roster, as the team recently signed veteran free agent Ben Watson and also has intriguing young talents in Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams on the tight end depth chart.
In an Insider-only piece, Field Yates of ESPN.com lists the biggest roster decisions that each of the league’s 32 clubs will have to make over the coming months.

Ravens, Dennis Pitta Restructure Contract

April 16th, 2016 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 8:20am: The Ravens officially announced the contract restructuring, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com.

“Dennis wants to continue his playing career, and we want to give him that opportunity,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said (via Mink). “We have reworked his contract, and we’re excited to help him with his comeback. Everyone here wants Dennis to succeed.”

“I am thankful for this opportunity to continue my career,” added Pitta. “I’m excited to get back to work with my teammates and for this organization. Physically, I feel great and am ready to begin building toward a successful 2016 season.”

FRIDAY, 7:52am: Pitta’s base salary has been reduced from $5MM to $1MM, resulting in a cap hit of $3.2MM for 2016, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds (via Twitter) that the tight end’s new deal has injury waivers for 2016, 2017, and 2018.

TUESDAY, 10:55am: Just hours after a report indicated that tight end Dennis Pitta had decided to continue his NFL career, Pitta and the Ravens have agreed to a restructured contract that will reduce his cap number, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Zrebiec adds that Pitta could officially sign the new deal as early as today.

Pitta, who has missed the majority of the last two seasons due to major hip injuries, consulted with doctors before making his decision to attempt a comeback in 2016. He’ll be in attendance at Baltimore’s offseason program in the hopes of making it back on the field this summer. Although he has received the go-ahead from medical professionals, he’ll still need to be cleared by the Ravens’ team doctors, who advised him last fall not to return to the field in 2015.

The 30-year-old had been owed a $5MM base salary this season, with an overall cap hit of $7.2MM. However, that salary was non-guaranteed, and considering Pitta has not appeared in an NFL game since September of 2014, it was unrealistic not to expect some sort of adjustment to his contract.

Although specific details on Pitta’s reworked deal aren’t yet known, Zrebiec tweets that the veteran tight end will have the opportunity to make back some of that $5MM via incentives. If the restructured contract includes per-game roster bonuses, they won’t initially count against Baltimore’s cap for 2016 — since Pitta didn’t play in any games last season, those bonuses would be viewed as not likely to be earned.

In addition to proving that he’s healthy, Pitta will also have to beat out some competition in training camp to earn a spot on the Ravens’ 53-man roster. Recent draftees Maxx Williams, Crockett Gillmore, and Nick Boyle are in the tight end mix, along with free agent signee Ben Watson, among others. Boyle will start the 2016 season on the suspended list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dennis Pitta Plans To Continue NFL Career

April 12th, 2016 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

9:51am: Pitta is expected to remain with the Ravens, and the two sides should agree to a restructured contract soon, perhaps as early as today, sources tell Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).

8:12am: After consulting with doctors this offseason, Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta has decided to continue his NFL career, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). There had been some uncertainty about whether Pitta, who has undergone multiple surgeries to address hip issues, would ever be able to get back on the field.

Back in February, Pitta said he “definitely” wanted to play again, but cautioned that he would rely heavily on the advice of medical professionals before making any final decision. The veteran tight end was advised by doctors last November that he could not take the field in the 2015 season. Although Pitta hoped to return anyway, Ravens officials and the coaching staff urged him to follow the advice of those doctors, to avoid risking re-injury.

Assuming Pitta is determined to see his comeback attempt through, it will be interesting to see how the Ravens handle the situation. The 30-year-old is owed a $5MM base salary this season and has an overall cap hit of $7.2MM. However, that salary is non-guaranteed, so Baltimore could create $5MM in cap savings by cutting him after June 1st.

Still, I suspect that the Ravens would prefer Pitta makes his comeback attempt in Baltimore rather than elsewhere, given that the team has observed first-hand the struggle he has gone through in recent years. So perhaps the two sides will be able to agree to reworked contract that significantly reduces that cap number and allows Pitta the opportunity to earn back some of the money via playing-time and/or performance incentives.

A former fourth-round pick, Pitta had his best season in 2012, when he set career-highs with 61 receptions, 669 yards, and seven touchdowns. He has not seen game action since September of 2014.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dennis Pitta “Definitely” Wants To Play Again

February 17th, 2016 at 2:58pm CST by Zachary Links

In 2012, Dennis Pitta broke out as one of the league’s top offensive tight ends. In the last three years, however, he has played in only seven games. Despite the constant setbacks, Pitta is adamant that he is not done playing.

“I definitely do want to be on the field playing football,” Pitta told Glenn Clark Radio Friday (audio link). “That’s something that I really want to happen.”

At the same time, Pitta also admitted that he is not a lock to play again and that he will heavily lean on the advice of doctors. The tight end has played in only three games since receiving a five-year deal with $16MM guaranteed in February 2014, leading many to wonder if he might be forced to retire at this point.

Pitta’s five-year, $32MM contract extension does not call for any guaranteed money, so his spot on the Ravens’ roster is not a sure thing. Pitta, who has suffered multiple major hip injuries, was advised by doctors in November that he could not take the field in the 2015 season. Although Pitta hoped to return anyway, Ravens officials and the coaching staff urged him to follow the advice of those doctors, to avoid risking re-injury.

Pitta recorded career-best marks in receptions (61), yards (669), and touchdowns (7) in 2012 and he hopes to bring that kind of production back to Baltimore in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ravens Notes: Pitta, DeCosta, Mallett

January 23rd, 2016 at 10:53am CST by Ben Levine

Tight end Dennis Pitta missed the entire 2015 season as he recovered from a fractured and dislocated hip. While the 30-year-old had previously hinted at retirement, it appears that the veteran is still interested in returning next season.

“I certainly have a desire to play and want to play and want to be a part of this team moving forward. But we’ll see how it plays out,” Pitta told Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. “Like we talked about, it’s not entirely my decision. Certainly, I have a lot of weight in what my future holds, but it’s not totally in my hands. We’ll see. There’s no timeline as far as when a decision is going to be made. We’ll give it some time this offseason, and I’ll certainly do some thinking and testing my body and hip.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Baltimore…

Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta is once again in demand. Zrebiec writes that the 44-year-old was a top target for the Titans general manager job, although the long-time executive has continually declined interviews.
Quarterback Ryan Mallett was content with his performance down the stretch this season, but he understands he’ll be back on the bench with the return of Joe Flacco. “I don’t know what the future holds,” Mallett told Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun. “What I’m going to do is take this offseason to get into the best shape that I can, and become a better player any way I can.”
ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley doesn’t envision the Browns cutting bait with embattled wideout Josh Gordon. However, if the talented receiver were to be released, the writer is convinced that the Ravens would have interest.

Ravens Rumors: Eagles, Harbaugh, Flacco

January 7th, 2016 at 2:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh addressed reporters minutes ago in Baltimore. Here’s a look at the highlights:

The Eagles have not called the Ravens about Harbaugh, owner Steve Bisciotti said, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The Baltimore head coach was viewed as a long shot target for Philadelphia, but it appears the Eagles recognize Harbaugh isn’t leaving the Ravens.
Newsome is hopeful that team can reduce Joe Flacco‘s cap number in 2016 but he said the team has to have a plan of putting together a roster if Flacco’s cap number remains at $28.55MM, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes.
Linebacker Terrell Suggs is coming back in 2016, Newsome says (via Hensley). Suggs told him that he doesn’t want to leave game like he left Denver with Achilles injury. The former first-round pick has played his entire career in Baltimore, making six Pro Bowls and winning the defensive player of the year award. Prior to his 2015 injury, the 33-year-old missed only 11 games during his career, including eight in 2012 when he tore his right Achilles.
When discussing the cap situation further, Newsome explained that the team had dead money with Ray Rice last year and he indicated that tight end Dennis Pitta could call for more dead money in 2016, as Zrebiec tweets. Pitta is dead set on returning to the field next year, despite his constant hip problems. “I’m a football player and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Pitta back in November. “I have a sense of duty to my teammates, the team and to this organization. This organization has given me a lot over the last few years.” The tight end has played in only three games since receiving a five-year deal with $16MM guaranteed in February 2014. One has to wonder if he might be forced to retire at this point.
Newsome said trying to extend Justin Tucker is a priority and if it gets to the point where they have to, they will use franchise tag on him, Zrebiec tweets. Tucker, 26, has been a little shakier during the last two seasons than he was in his first two years, missing five field goal attempts in 2014 and seven in 2015. However, all but one of those misses came from 50+ yards, and he converted all 29 of his extra-point tries in 2015, so he’ll be in line for a nice raise from Baltimore.
Owner Steve Bisciotti said that team exec Eric DeCosta is still committed to the organization, Zrebiec tweets. “He’s got too much at stake here in his relationship with Ozzie [Newsome],” Bisciotti said. The owner added that DeCosta probably could have had 10 different GM jobs by now if he wanted them. Bisciotti said that he doesn’t see either exec going anywhere for “many years” (link).
Harbaugh said that the team is definitely looking to add a pass rusher, Zrebiec tweets.
When asked about his free agency approach, Newsome said, “I don’t think we’ll be as busy as some teams are in March. We never have” (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun). Newsome said that the Ravens will have money available if a free agent they like is out there (link).
Newsome said that he feels the team needs to add one more, if not two more, wide receivers early on in the draft or in free agency (Twitter link via Zrebiec).

Ravens Place Crockett Gillmore On IR

December 21st, 2015 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens have made a change to their 53-man roster, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve placed tight end Crockett Gillmore on season-ending injured reserve, signing former Bengals outside linebacker Chris Carter to fill the open roster spot.

Gillmore, 24, had been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Ravens. With Dennis Pitta out for the year, Gillmore enjoyed a mini-breakout season, catching 33 balls for 412 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. However, he has been sidelined since early December with a back injury, and wasn’t expected to return.

As for Carter, the linebacker and special-teamer was waived less than a week ago by Cincinnati. Having already spent time with the Steelers, Colts, and Bengals during his five-year NFL career, Carter has never emerged as a defensive regular, despite appearing in 46 career NFL games.

AFC North Notes: Gaddis, Pitta, Bengals

November 12th, 2015 at 9:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Towson linebacker Monte Gaddis wants to play for the Browns and he has taken some unusual steps to get their attention, as Zack Meisel of The Plain Dealer writes. Gaddis has been standing outside of the Browns’ complex with a sign with messages such as “Overlooked Cleveland native,” “Starving for my first shot,” and “Why not?” On Wednesday, GM Ray Farmer came outside, speaking with Gaddis and requesting some game film. Now, Gaddis is waiting at home to see if his phone rings with an opportunity to audition for the Browns.

As we look forward to seeing if Gaddis’ unusual job application pays dividends, let’s check out some more items from out of the AFC North….

Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta should retire, but his determination won’t let him, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Pitta was placed on IR Wednesday, meaning that he will not play a snap in 2015. Still, Pitta is dead set on returning to the field next year, despite his constant hip problems. “I’m a football player and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Pitta. “I have a sense of duty to my teammates, the team and to this organization. This organization has given me a lot over the last few years.” The tight end has played in only three games since receiving a five-year deal with $16MM guaranteed in February 2014.
Despite Pitta’s perseverance, Rob Carlin and Brian Mitchell of CSNMidAtlantic.com (video link) are concerned that the Ravens tight end’s playing days are through.
The Bengals worked out quarterback Cody Fajardo, along with wide receivers Donte Foster, Colin Lockett, and DeVier Posey this week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

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