Dion Jordan

East Notes: Forte, Gronk, Pats, Fins, Eagles

November 23rd, 2016 at 7:41pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Before signing a three-year, $12MM deal with the Jets in free agency last March, running back Matt Forte also drew interest from the AFC East rival Patriots, he told Connor Hughes of NJ.com Wednesday. The Pats’ attempt to woo him came too late, however. “My agent told me they called. I asked if they talked about anything, and he said they just wanted me to come for a visit,” said Forte. “I said I’m already here about to sign, so, I didn’t feel like that would be right.”

Forte has been productive in his age-30 season (911 total yards, eight touchdowns), but the 3-7 Jets are out of playoff contention and the 8-2 Patriots are the division’s top team. Statistically, New England’s No. 1 back, bargain signing LeGarrette Blount, is having a better season on the ground than Forte. Blount has piled up 802 rushing yards (compared to Forte’s 732) to go with a slightly superior per-carry average (4.0 to 3.9) and 12 scores.

More from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is not expected to play Sunday against Forte’s Jets, per Dianna Russini of ESPN (Twitter link). Gronkowski suffered a perforated lung Nov. 13 in a loss to the Seahawks and missed the Patriots’ win over the 49ers last week as a result. The all-world weapon has sat out a total of three games this year, but New England hasn’t yet lost without him.
Eagles receiver Nelson Agholor admitted he’s fighting a “mental battle,” and head coach Doug Pederson won’t commit to playing him Monday against Green Bay, writes Tim McManus of ESPN.com. A reduced role for Agholor is a “real possibility,” Pederson said Wednesday, adding that Agholor has seen a sports psychologist recently. “Every team has them and I think it’s good, whether they’re going through stuff or not, to keep talking through some issues,” stated Pederson. Agholor hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft status on the field since going 20th overall in the 2015 draft. Plus, as of late October, he was under league investigation for an offseason rape accusation that didn’t lead to charges.
Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan practiced Wednesday for the first time in almost two years and “felt good,” but whether he’ll play this season is up in the air. “I don’t know,” Jordan told Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. “It’s kind of hard to tell. It’s my health, man. It’s my body. If my body tells me I’m not ready to go out there and perform with the best athletes, I’m not going to put myself out there. The way everything’s been going, it’s been going well. I’ve got high hopes for myself to go out and compete before the season ends.” Jordan, whom the Dolphins chose third overall in the 2013 draft, has missed 32 of 58 regular-season games – 22 because of various suspensions – and has been out all of this year after undergoing two knee surgeries in the summer.
The Eagles signed special teamers Donnie Jones (punter), Chris Maragos (safety) and Jon Dorenbos (long snapper) to contract extensions last week. Details on the deals Jones and Maragos inked are now out, via Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter links): Jones’ three-year pact is worth $5.5MM ($1MM fully guaranteed) and maxes out at $5.8MM with Pro Bowl incentives. Maragos’ extension, also for three years, is worth $6MM ($2.25MM fully guaranteed) and carries a $6.3MM max with Pro Bowl incentives.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Dolphins’ Dion Jordan To Return To Practice

November 22nd, 2016 at 2:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Dion Jordan is slated to practice for the Dolphins for the first time in nearly two years, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. Jordan has spent the whole season on the NFI list with a knee injury, but he has been cleared to practice.

Jordan, a former No. 3 overall pick in the draft, was conditionally reinstated by the league over the summer after missing all of 2015. What the Dolphins didn’t know is that he underwent surgery while in limbo.

Now, the Dolphins will start evaluating Jordan to figure out if and when he can see live action. Per league rules, Miami has three weeks to decide whether to activate Jordan or to shelve him for the rest of the year. It’s not immediately clear where Jordan is physically, so it’s hard to say when he’ll play in his first game since December 28, 2014.

If Jordan gets the green light, he could help fill the gap while Jason Jones serves a two-game suspension. Jones violated the league’s substance-abuse policy with a DUI and will sit out until Miami’s Dec. 4 game against Baltimore. Jones played in all 10 Dolphins games this season, his first with the team, and started five. He’s registered 2.5 sacks, 23 tackles and recovered a fumble.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Alonso, Jets, Patriots

October 31st, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins are hoping to keep linebacker Kiko Alonso for the 2017 season, but are wary that he may receive an “uncomfortably high offer” as a restricted free agent next March, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Because Alonso spent his entire sophomore season on the NFI list, he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2018, and Miami could re-sign him via a RFA tender. A first-round tender will likely cost ~$4MM, but that could be a price the Dolphins are willing to pay. In his first season in Miami, Alonso has started all seven games while posting 34 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Dion Jordan told Jackson that his second knee procedure was a result of “trying to too hard to come back too soon,” and also admitted that he isn’t sure when he’ll be back on the field (though Jordan does think he can return during the 2016 season). Jordan, who now sits at 275 pounds, is fully committed to playing defensive end for the Dolphins, and realizes that outside linebacker isn’t an option at his current weight. The 26-year-old is on the non-football injury list at the moment, and Miami hasn’t given any hint that Jordan is still in their plans for this season, or beyond.
While the Jets have received trade interest in defensive end Sheldon Richardson, as least one source tells Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday that Richardson is unlikely to moved. “He is a two-strike guy, so [the Jets] won’t get what they want,” the source told Martin (referencing Richardson’s suspensions), but did confirm the pass-rusher’s name “is out there.” Richardson himself also commented on the rumors, and didn’t seemed surprised his name was being bandied about. “It’s big business. That’s what it is,” he told Martin. “We’ve got a surplus of defensive linemen that are capable of being starters. And they drafted [Leonard Williams], paid [Muhammad Wilkerson]…So we’ll see.”
The Patriots had discussed an A.J. Derby trade with the Broncos before the regular season began, so the two side had a basis on which to build when they ultimately struck a deal to send the tight end to Denver last week, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. The Broncos had been interested in Derby as far back as the 2015 draft, but New England wasn’t ready to move him earlier this year. The Patriots were able to recoup a fifth-round pick for Derby, which Reiss reports was viewed as a strong return around the league.

Dion Jordan Has Additional Knee Procedure

October 17th, 2016 at 2:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Dion Jordan can technically return to the Dolphins after starting the season on the non-football injury list, but it sounds like it will be a while before we see him back on the field. Jordan had a second knee procedure a few weeks back, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).

Jordan, a former No. 3 overall pick in the draft, was conditionally reinstated by the league over the summer and the Dolphins were curious to see what he could bring to the table after missing the entire 2015 season. As it turns out, Jordan had a knee operation while he was waiting in limbo with the league office and didn’t notify the Dolphins. Now, he’s had a second surgery and it’s not clear if he will be able to play at all this year.

Through 26 games in 2013 and 2014, Jordan registered only 46 tackles and three sacks. It remains to be seen when he’ll record his next official statistic.

Dolphins Place Dion Jordan On NFI List

August 30th, 2016 at 11:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins placed defensive end Dion Jordan on the reserve/non-football injury list, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The designation puts him on the shelf for the first six weeks of the season. Linebacker Zach Vigil has also been placed on the NFI list, which brings the Dolphins down to 75 players on the roster.

For much of the offseason, the Dolphins were unsure as to whether they’d have Jordan in uniform. When commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated Jordan this summer, there were rumblings of a split in the Dolphins’ front office with regards to Jordan. Some were optimistic about what the former No. 3 overall pick could do. Others were in favor of moving on from Jordan or, at the very least, renegotiating the terms of his deal. Everyone in the Dolphins organization was likely frustrated upon learning that Jordan quietly had surgery on his knee this offseason. When Jordan reported in late July, he failed his physical. He’ll now get some extra time to heal up before taking the field.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: Jordan, Bills, Glenn, Jets, Pats

August 8th, 2016 at 7:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has officially cleared Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan for practice, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jordan was conditionally reinstated by the league last week, and was required to attend counseling before being reevaluated prior to the start of the season. Apparently, Jordan has followed through, although he might not be able to return to the field immediately thanks to injury concerns. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald recently wrote, Jordan is recovering from knee surgery and hasn’t looked to be in great shape during camp, so while gaining clearance from the NFL is a step in the right direction, Jordan isn’t yet out of the woods.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn suffered a high-ankle sprain, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The good news is that it doesn’t sound like there is structural damage, but Glenn will likely be out for the preseason as the team monitors his injury. Any missed time during the regular season would surely sting for Buffalo, considering Glenn’s importance to the offensive line. This offseason, the Bills used the franchise tender on Glenn before signing him to a five-year, , $65MM deal with $26.5MM fully guaranteed at signing. The 26-year-old Glenn (27 in September) has been a quiet stalwart in Buffalo the past few seasons and has started 61 games since being selected in the second round in 2012. Glenn rated as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 10 overall tackle and fifth-best left-edge protector last season, and was considered one of the top priorities for the Bills heading into free agency.
Jets GM Mike Maccagnan kept the 2017 offseason in the back of his mind as he made moves prior to the 2015 season, Seth Walder of the New York Daily News writes. For example, David Harris, Marcus Gilchrist, Brandon Marshall, and Buster Skrine – all of whom were acquired and/or signed to new deals last offseason – do not have guaranteed salaries for 2017. That does not mean the Jets will seek to cut them loose, but they have the flexibility if need be. In addition, Breno Giacomini, Ryan Clady, Nick Mangold, Erin Henderson, Jarvis Jenkins, and Nick Folk could all be cut next year with a minimal cap hit or no real cap hit.
Ben Volin of The Boston Globe took an early stab at the Patriots’ 53-man roster. At running back, Volin sees the Pats keeping Dion Lewis, LeGarrette Blount, Brandon Bolden, and D.J. Foster, which leaves 2014 fourth-round pick James White on the outside looking in. Volin feels that Foster, a UDFA out of Arizona State, has the edge because of his hands and ability to make catches in traffic.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Gronk, Revis

August 5th, 2016 at 9:41am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots star Rob Gronkowski wants a new deal, but he’s nowhere close to the point where the team would be obligated to give him an extension. What should the Pats do in order to keep their star tight end happy? Joel Corry of CBSSports.com suggests a compromise in which the Patriots would give Gronk $3-$5MM as an additional roster bonus on the first day of the 2017 league year, since they can afford to absorb a salary increase next year. The team could also include incentives for Gronk if he finishes in the top three among tight ends in key categories and/or add two years to his deal so that it runs through the 2021 season. On the flipside, the Patriots know that they would be setting a dangerous precedent going forward.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

From a fiscal standpoint, Darrelle Revis‘ five-year, $70MM deal ($39MM fully guaranteed) doesn’t seem like a great deal for the Jets at this juncture. As Revis ages, many have speculated that the Jets could try to shift him to safety, though he has rejected that idea in the past. This week, however, the veteran acknowledged that a position switch could be in the cards for him down the line. “There will probably be conversations in the future about maybe moving my position to safety,” Revis conceded Thursday, according to Connor Hughes of NJ.com. “But as of right now, I still feel I can play at a high level, and play the cornerback position at a high level.”
Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan is many steps away from seeing the field, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald writes. Putting substance abuse issues aside, Jordan has been away from the game for more than a year and is looking to return from knee surgery. Also, despite boasts about his conditioning, Salguero says that he doesn’t look to be in especially great shape when looking at him. Because he has so far to go and because the team has many other options at DE, Salguero wouldn’t be surprised to see the team keep him on the NFI list or move him to the regular season PUP list to give him extra time.
On Thursday, we learned that the Bills and quarterback Tyrod Taylor are discussing a two-year deal as opposed to the type of long-term pact that the QB was initially seeking.

Teams Monitoring Dolphins Defensive Ends

August 1st, 2016 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Rival teams are keeping an eye on the Dolphins’ defensive end situation, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). With the 53-man roster crunch looming, teams know that Miami will be forced to cut at least a couple of intriguing bookends, Beasley hears, and he wonders aloud if that could make for a trade possibility.

Of course, Dion Jordan stands as the Dolphins’ most notable reserve defensive end. Reinstated just days ago, the Dolphins got an unpleasant surprise when they learned that Jordan got knee surgery during his time away from football. As the former No. 3 overall pick recovers, Miami has placed him on the NFI list. Jordan is expected to be back on the field within two to three weeks, but there’s no guarantee that the Dolphins will want to carry him on the roster this season. In theory, Jordan could be a release or trade candidate and one has to imagine that there will be teams with interest given his innate talent.

The Dolphins plan on using free agent additions Mario Williams and Andre Branch in the starting defensive end roles. Behind them should be the newly-restructured Cameron Wake and another recent free agent pickup in Jason Jones. After that, Jordan, Chris McCain, Terrence Fede, Jordan Williams, and Julius Warmsley are all fighting for a spot on the team, as shown on Roster Resource.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: McDaniels, Dolphins, Bills

July 31st, 2016 at 10:35am CST by Rory Parks

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, whose brief stint as Denver’s head coach from 2009-2010 was generally a disaster, has more than rehabilitated his reputation since reprising his role as New England OC in 2012. He is mentioned as a top head coaching candidate each offseason, and as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, McDaniels has never been more decisive about his desire to return to the head coaching ranks than he was when speaking with media this week.

McDaniels said, “[New England] is an incredible place to work, I love being here and I’m happy to do this job as much as I can, as long as they’ll have me. I do want to be a head coach again at some point in my life. I’ve learned a lot over the last so many years and hopefully gained a lot of wisdom and if and when that time comes, I’d look forward to the challenge of doing it again.” Those statements have led Reiss to wonder if McDaniels might be more aggressive about pursuing a head coaching job in the near future.

Now for some more news and notes from the league’s east divisions:

The Dolphins placed Dion Jordan on the non-football injury list today, and there is some intrigue surrounding the move. Per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter), head coach Adam Gase and the rest of the Miami brass were unaware that Jordan had knee surgery prior to his reinstatement, and as Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets, Jordan declined to say how he injured his knee while not playing football since 2014. For what it’s worth, Gase did say that Jordan “has a fresh start with me. Whatever happened in the past is irrelevant” (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald).
In addition to placing Jordan on the NFI list, the Dolphins made a couple of cornerback moves and activated Arian Foster from the PUP list, according to this team’s official website (via Twitter). Foster practiced with his new club this morning.
The Bills have made a habit of acquiring players with troubled pasts in recent years (see, e.g., Kiko Alonso, Richie Incognito, etc.), and some of those decisions have worked out better than others. But as John Kryk of The Toronto Sun writes, Buffalo GM Doug Whaley is not changing his philosophy in that regard anytime soon, despite the recent troubles of running backs Karlos Williams and Jonathan Williams. Said Whaley, “We always have the same philosophy of taking every player on a case-by-case basis. Granted, we’re disappointed (in the Williamses). But I think what we have here with the support system, with the locker room, the coaching staff, our player-engagement staff, once we get them here I think we do a good job.”
Justin Durant, whom the Cowboys recently signed to give them a viable option at middle linebacker in Rolando McClain‘s absence, was seriously contemplating retirement before coming back to Dallas, according to Clarence Hill of The Star-Telegram. But the 30-year-old Durant said, “You just get that itch. Once I started looking at TV and seeing everybody going back to OTAs and stuff, I just figured I wasn’t done yet. I feel like I still have the ability to play, and I guess this organization felt like I could still play.

NFL Reinstates Dion Jordan, Dolphins Place Him On NFI List

July 31st, 2016 at 9:16am CST by Zachary Links

SUNDAY, July 31: The Dolphins will place the newly-reinstated Jordan on the non-football injury list, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, and Jordan will not earn his $1.7MM roster bonus. Per Florio, Jordan failed a physical on Saturday and is currently recovering from a knee problem that required arthroscopic surgery. Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets that Jordan is expected to be back on the field within two to three weeks.

FRIDAY, July 29: Dion Jordan has been reinstated to the NFL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, Jordan’s reinstatement is conditional. The defensive end will be in counseling and will be reevaluated before the start of the season.

The 26-year-old needs to prove to the league office that he can stay on the straight and narrow. When it comes to the Dolphins, he needs to prove that he can produce on the field. Through 26 games in 2013 and 2014, Jordan registered only 46 tackles and three sacks.

Jordan is not the only notable name to run afoul of the league’s policy on substance abuse. In recent years, Josh Gordon, Justin Blackmon, Martavis Bryant, Aldon Smith, and Daryl Washington have all been sidelined by the NFL and as Jordan has witnessed, those missteps can sometimes be career threatening or ending. For his part, Jordan has said that he’s not going to squander that opportunity if it is given to him.

“I’m not about to waste it. I can’t waste it. And I (expletive) love doing it,” Jordan said in May. “Who doesn’t love running out in front of 30,000-plus fans and you get that rush? But it’s also things that you can get that rush from that can be very satisfying and can carry you on to a successful life after football…I just turned 26 years old, so life starts to hit you in the face. Who are you outside of those shoulder pads and helmet? And it’s weird, but I feel like it’s a blessing for me at this point in time to think about it, instead of waiting ‘til they really tell me I can’t play football no more.”

In recent weeks, there was a great deal of talk as to whether the Dolphins would pay Dion Jordan his $1.69MM roster bonus if were to be reinstate. As it turns out, the Dolphins don’t really have a decision to make with regards to that payout. While the Dolphins will be required to pay that bonus on Aug. 1, Jordan must also repay his $3.35MM signing bonus to the team as a result of his suspensions. That money has not been fully returned yet and Jordan owes the Dolphins more money than they owe him. So, a reinstated Jordan would not be cut by the team in an effort to save money. However, the Dolphins could theoretically release or trade Jordan if they do not want him on the roster for football reasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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