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Jake Locker

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).

Extra Points: Locker, Jones, 49ers, Fines

August 22nd, 2014 at 5:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Titans‘ quarterback Jake Locker has been underwhelming in his short career, and how he plays this year will determine his future with the team. If he continues to disappoint, rookie Zach Mettenberger could be an option, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Even still, Mettenberger will likely have to compete for the starting job going forward into 2015, even if Locker is not retained.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

  • Titans‘ head coach Ken Whisenhunt says there is a possibility that the team only keeps four receivers on the roster. That leaves Michael Preston, Brian Robiskie, Marc Mariani, and Derek Hagan fighting for just one spot, writes Kuharsky.
  • New Raiders‘ receiver James Jones is ready to step up and become the top receiver for his team, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “I’m trying to prove something everyday, not only to the coaching staff, but to the entire league,” Jones said. “I’ve got a little chip on my shoulder, and I’m trying to prove it to the world to the league everyday that I can be a No. 1 receiver, that I can be one of those receivers that’s talked about in the National Football League.”
  • The 49ers‘ just unveiled their new football stadium, and already are being forced to pull up the turf and replace it, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. The grass proved to cause problems during the second half of their 34-0 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, but will be resodded in time for their preseason game against the Chargers this coming Sunday.
  • With plenty of NFL stars still hoping for contract extensions, Ari Nissim of the National Football Post looks at ten who could be in line for new contracts sometime this season. The list is full of the league’s top receivers and pass rushers, as well as Chiefs‘ quarterback Alex Smith.
  • With all the fines coming down this preseason, NFL fans can freshen up on the rules surrounding these fines thanks to Brian McCarthy of the league office (via Twitter).

Ken Whisenhunt Talks Titans’ Preseason

August 16th, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

Titans’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt had a lot to say about his team’s performance Friday night, remaining optimistic despite the 31-24 loss to the Saints. Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reported many of Whisenhunt’s best statements and responses in a series of tweets.

Here are some of the highlights, as reported by McCormick (all links via Twitter).

  • On Jake Locker‘s performance: “For his first chance of really operating the offense, did a nice job in reads and handling the environment.”
  • On Zach Mettenberger’s performance: “Great experience for him, and he made some plays. Had some turnovers, but needs to learn from them.” Whisenhunt also noted that although he fumbled again this week, it was much closer to being an incomplete pass.
  • On Bishop Sankey’s fumbling problems: “He’s a rookie and he’s going to have to work through that.”
  • On the kicker competition: “Travis Coons‘ field goal very impressive and Maikon Bonani did well on kickoffs.” He wouldn’t say who has the edge at this time.
  • On the kick returner competition: Marc Mariani has done well on returns, but the team will allow Leon Washington and Dexter McCluster to get opportunities later in preseason. Both have a great body of work, and Whisenhunt knows what they can do.

King’s Latest: Locker, Chiefs, Cousins, Mallett

August 11th, 2014 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

Having been involved in some of the best seasons of the careers of Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner and Philip Rivers, new Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt will look to develop Jake Locker this season, as the Tennessee signal-caller enters a contract year. Asked by Peter King of TheMMQB.com if he believes Locker is the team’s quarterback of the future, Whisenhunt was cautiously optimistic.

“I hope so,” Whisenhunt said. “I feel good about what I see out here [in practice]. But you’re not getting hit out here either. The question is, can you do all the right things when you’re about to get hit?”

The Titans chose not to exercise their fifth-year option on Locker for 2015, so if he shows enough in 2014 to convince the team he’s the long-term answer, the two sides will have to negotiate a new agreement to keep him around.

Here’s more from King’s column:

  • Before teams cut down their rosters for the regular season, look for Chiefs GM John Dorsey to shop one of his tight ends and one of his kickers in an effort to land a late draft pick for 2015, says King, who suggests the Giants as a potential suitor for a tight end.
  • Evaluating a pair of backup quarterbacks who have been mentioned in trade rumors this year, King suggests that Kirk Cousins of the Redskins should be worth a second-round pick to a quarterback-needy team, but says Ryan Mallett may not net more than a seventh-round for the Patriots. In fact, King adds that he wouldn’t be shocked if the Pats could end up cutting Mallett.
  • King passes along a Jaguars-related anecdote from last season to illustrate another reason why having an NFL franchise in London would be difficult: General manager David Caldwell wanted to claim linebacker Martez Wilson off waivers last season, but the Jags were in London, and Caldwell didn’t want to cut one of his own players and send him home from Europe before the London game. The GM also wasn’t sure what kind of game shape or mental shape Wilson would be in if he arrived in London on the Friday before Sunday’s game. The linebacker was ultimately claimed by the Raiders.

Titans Links: Locker, Battle, Walker

July 2nd, 2014 at 5:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

Jake Locker finds himself on the hot seat in Tennessee entering the final year of his rookie contract, with the team declining to exercise his fifth-year option as a former first-round pick. Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com points out four ways Locker can turn around his career. While he highlights external factors, such as health, coaching, and having a strong running game and defense, he acknowledges that it might not be enough if Locker does not progress.

Here are some other links from around Titans camp:

Extra Points: OTAs, Packers, Titans, Brady

June 22nd, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Peter Sowards

Minicamps are finished. The 2014 NFL season awaits.

Players have left their respective clubs until the opening of training camp, and as ESPN.com’s John Clayton notes, coaches now will cross their fingers that they don’t receive the 3 a.m. phone call alerting them of the star player’s transgressions.

Clayton, the Worldwide Leader’s senior NFL writer, outlines seven things learned from the offseason programs, with No. 1 being the lack of readiness for rookie quarterbacks. Reading into Clayton’s words, he believes that no rookie quarterback will open the season as the team’s starting signal caller. Teddy Bridgewater is the most pro-ready, Clayton says, but Matt Cassel will get the first snap on opening day.

Taking a page out of Pete Carroll‘s playbook, Clayton writes that teams around the league are gravitating toward taller defensive backs. Case in point, the Kansas City Chiefs, who released 5-foot-9 cornerback Brandon Flowers in a cap-saving move. They’ll look to replace Flowers with 6-foot-1 Phillip Gaines, 6-foot-2 Marcus Cooper and 6-foot David Van Dyke, each of whom are first- or second-year players.

Other news and notes from around the league…

  • Among the 10 Packers stories to watch before training camp opens by Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is peace of mind at backup quarterback. It wasn’t pretty for the Pack at QB when Aaron Rodgers went down in a Week 9 loss to the Bears, but coach Mike McCarthy should feel better about this year’s situation with Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien backing up the All Pro, Dunne writes.
  • Quarterback Jake Locker, receiver Kendall Wright and the defense’s front seven are all things Titans fans should feel good about, The Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt writes. Locker should be at 100% coming off foot surgery in November and had started the 2013 season with a bang, while Wright will team with Nate Washington and Justin Hunter to ease Locker’s return to health.
  • Tom Brady‘s private quarterback coach, Tom House, admitted in an interview with SiriusXM radio that the three-time Super Bowl champion has struggled as of late to connect on the deep passes. “As he’s getting a little older you lose a little strength, you lose a little flexibility,” House said. “And what was happening was he was noticing that his accuracy and his long ball weren’t what they were three or four years ago. So we ran him through the computer, compared him to the models we have created for movement efficiency, and there were really, really small things that were causing his issues.”

 

AFC Notes: Raiders, Revis, Amendola

May 30th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Raiders announced the signings of fourth-round picks Justin Ellis and Keith McGill, the sixth and seventh members of the team’s eight-man draft class to ink rookie contracts. Ellis is a 6-2, 334-pound nose tackle out of Louisiana Tech who profiles as a run stuffer, though he will have to improve his conditioning. McGill is a rare-sized, highly athletic, overaged, unrefined cornerback (6-3, 211) out of Utah whom the Raiders hope can develop into a coverman in the mold of the big, physical, rangy secondary defenders thriving and trendsetting in Seattle.

Here’s a handful more AFC news and notes:

  • Patriots big-ticket acquisition Darrelle Revis spoke with the local media for the first time, saying, “I’m on my career and my journey, and right now, I’m a New England Patriot. And that’s that.” Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post took notice of Revis’ word choice: “The words “right now” were telling, because logic — and the salary cap — dictates the $20 million team option for 2015 in Revis’ deal means this will be the All-Pro cornerback’s lone season in a Patriots uniform.”
  • One of Revis’ new teammates, receiver Danny Amendola, managed just 54 receptions for 633 yards (11.7 YPC) and two touchdowns in his first season in New England after signing a five-year $28.5MM ($10MM guaranteed) deal. He was affected by a groin injury that kept him out of four games and hampered him in others, but Amendola — who opted against off-season surgery — tells the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe that he’s 100 percent.
  • Despite making a run at Alex Mack, the Jaguars believe in third-year center Mike Brewster, who has 10 career starts under his belt, said ESPN’s Michael DiRocco in a chat: “They went after Mack because he is by far the best center in the game and they felt they could take a shot. But notice they didn’t go after any other centers in free agency and only drafted one in the sixth round [Luke Bowanko]. That means they felt confident Brewster could do the job and they didn’t view it as a need position.”
  • ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky wonders if the Titans are better off with a veteran (Charlie Whitehurst) or a young, developmental (Zach Mettenberger) quarterback behind starter Jake Locker.

AFC Notes: Titans, Ravens, Browns, Revis

May 26th, 2014 at 2:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

Let’s take a Memorial Day look around the AFC:

  • There a number of Titans who may see their starting jobs, and even roster spots in general, in jeopardy come training camp, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Shonn Greene, Michael Oher, and Jake Locker are among the notable names who may not see as much action as expected for the Titans in 2014.
  • The Ravens selected quarterback Keith Wenning in this month’s draft to compete with Tyrod Taylor to be the backup to Joe Flacco, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore,com. However, Brown writes that he is unsure if the Ravens will devote three roster spots to the position, meaning the two might not only be battling for a backup job, but a spot on the roster.
  • Ravens defensive lineman Brandon Williams is determined to come back in 2014 with more success after a toe injury kept him out of nine games as a rookie, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Williams, a third-round pick in 2013, has dedicated himself to being in better shape this season. “I’ve had a good offseason, I’ve been working out doing cardio and a bunch of other stuff,” Williams said. “I’m lighter and leaner. I’ve gotten a little stronger.”
  • Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer speculates that neither Brian Hoyer nor Johnny Manziel will win the Browns‘ quarterback job until later this summer. Reed thinks that while Hoyer is perhaps the favorite to start to open the 2014 season, if Manziel performs like he did at Texas A&M during the preseason, it will put significant pressure on the Browns’ organization to start the former Heisman Trophy winner.
  • Darrelle Revis will have a positive impact on the Patriots‘ offense this upcoming season, writes Brent Sobleski of USA Today. Tom Brady told Peter King of The Monday Morning Quarterback that he’s already tired of throwing against Revis in practice everyday. The former first-round pick out of Pittsburgh has been described by former teammate Jim Leonard as “the best practice player” he’s ever seen. Sobleski thinks that having such a worthy practice adversary will only serve to improve Brady’s game.

David Kipke contributed to this post.

Titans Won’t Exercise 2015 Option On Locker

April 30th, 2014 at 5:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans won’t pick up the fifth-year option on Jake Locker‘s contract, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. The news isn’t unexpected given Locker’s injury troubles and the cost of the fifth-year option. As a quarterback taken in the top ten of the 2011 draft, picking up Locker’s 2015 option would have cost Tennessee $14.666MM as shown in PFR’s Fifth-Year Option Tracker.

Locker, who is coming off of foot surgery in November, has a lot to prove in 2014. The 25-year-old (26 in July) missed 14 of a possible 32 starts over the past two seasons because of injuries. His record as a starter is 8-10 with 15 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.

Locker won’t be the only top ten QB from the 2011 class who won’t have his option exercised. Missouri product Blaine Gabbert, now with the 49ers, will not be retained for $14.666MM. Top selection Cam Newton, on the other hand, has had his option exercised by the Panthers.

Titans Notes: Draft Visits, Locker, RBs

April 8th, 2014 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this morning, we heard that UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr has a visit scheduled this week with the Jaguars. However, before he heads to Jacksonville, Barr will visit with the Titans today, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). The young linebacker is one of several prospects the Titans are hosting, so let’s turn to Wyatt for a few more updates on the club….

  • Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and Colorado State linebacker Shaquil Barrett recently paid pre-draft visits to the Titans, says Wyatt (Twitter links).
  • Tennessee offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James also has a visit lined up with the Titans this week, according to Wyatt (via Twitter).
  • As he continues to recover from foot surgery, Jake Locker recognizes that he’s entering a make-or-break season in Tennessee (link via Wyatt). The Titans have no plans to exercise Locker’s fifth-year option, so the signal-caller will have to prove with his play on the field in 2014 that the club doesn’t need to pursue potential replacements.
  • Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt confirmed that his team is still on the lookout for running back help, as Wyatt details. “We are not at our number that we’d carry into training camp,” Whisenhunt said. “So we are going to look at … having enough players at that position.” Given the lack of notable running backs left on the free agent market, it may be a position the club addresses in the draft.
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