HEADLINES

Jonathan Freeny

Patriots Place Jonathan Freeny On IR

October 15th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

A starter in four of the Patriots’ five games thus far this season, Jonathan Freeny may not return to the field in 2016. The Patriots placed the fifth-year outside linebacker on IR, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Afflicted with a shoulder injury, Freeny played in all five of the Pats’ games and was the recipient of a two-year, $4.1MM extension in August. He will now be out until at least December. New England could activate Freeny after eight weeks, and the second-year starter could return to practice after six, but can only select one player from its IR list to return to action.

The Pats also placed recently added tight end Greg Scruggs on IR. To replace the duo on the 53-man roster, the Patriots signed defensive tackle Anthony Johnson and defensive end Geneo Grissom from their practice squad, Florio reports.

Freeny recorded 10 tackles and forced a fumble this season. He started seven games in 2015 after playing the previous three years with the Dolphins.

Scruggs, who has a knee injury, played in three games with the Bears this season but had yet to see action for his current team. He’s in his first season as a tight end after previously serving as a defensive lineman. However, with Freeny now on IR, Scruggs’ chances of playing again this season are remote.

Extra Points: Broncos, Hillman, Solomon, Jets

September 2nd, 2016 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

When asked about Ronnie Hillman‘s trade value, two NFL GMs told Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he doesn’t have much because he doesn’t play special teams. The Broncos running back is said to be on the bubble as the 53-man deadline approaches.

Denver has already handed Hillman $600K through a signing bonus and workout bonuses, but his $1.4MM base salary is non-guaranteed. By most accounts, Devontae Booker and Kapri Bibbs have leapfrogged the one-time Broncos starter.

Here’s more from around the NFL on this busy day:

  • Former Cleveland outside linebacker Scott Solomon recently worked out for the Chiefs, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Solomon appeared in just two games last season before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury. He was a restricted free agent this offseason and Cleveland initially picked up his $1.671MM tender. Less than one month later, however, he was cut.
  • Jonathan Freeny‘s two-year extension with the Patriots is worth $4.1MM, including a $1.3MM signing bonus, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. He’ll bring cap hits of $1.74MM in ’16, $1.87MM in ’17, and $2.03MM in ’18.
  • The Jets worked out former Harvard center Anthony Fabiano on Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Long snapper John DePalma is working out for the Seahawks today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). DePalma was previously in Philly.

Patriots Extend Jonathan Freeny

August 27th, 2016 at 12:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots have a number of notable defenders who are in line for extensions, but the team decided to lock up one of their more unheralded linebackers this afternoon. According to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (via Twitter), the Patriots have extended linebacker Jonathan Freeny. The reporter adds that the extension is for two years, keeping Freeny on the squad through the 2018 season.

Jonathan FreenyFreeny, a 2011 undrafted free agent out of Rutgers, joined the Patriots last offseason following several seasons with the Dolphins. The 27-year-old ultimately played a significant role for New England, starting seven games and compiling a career-high 50 tackles. Considering the Patriots defensive depth, it’s unlikely that Freeny will play as significant role in 2016. Roster Resource projects that the defender will be the team’s first linebacker off the bench. Of course, Freeny also plays a large role on the Patriots’ special teams unit.

The Patriots will have some difficult decisions as they look to extend several of their big-name defenders. Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Malcolm Butler, and Jabaal Sheard are all set to hit free agency following the season.

AFC Notes: Manning, Tannehill, McCarron, Pats

December 14th, 2015 at 7:13pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Thanks to unimpressive showings over the last two weeks, including in Sunday’s 15-12 loss to Oakland, Brock Osweiler‘s hold on the Broncos’ starting quarterback job looks tenuous. Furthering the possibility of an eventual switch back to Peyton Manning is that head coach Gary Kubiak was reluctant Monday to name a starter for this Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh. Kubiak had announced Osweiler as the starter the previous four Mondays, and as Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today writes, he could be leaving open the possibility of Manning returning to practice this week and ultimately reclaiming the job.

Manning has been out since mid-November with a plantar fascia injury, but he is making progress in his recovery, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post.

More from the AFC:

  • Since 2012, the Dolphins have invested a top 10 pick, a contract worth up to $96MM and 60 starts in quarterback Ryan Tannehill. However, they still don’t know whether he’s their solution under center, according to James Walker of ESPN. With Miami likely to bring in a new coaching staff and install a new offensive scheme during the offseason, Walker believes Tannehill needs to finish strong this year to impress the oncoming regime and avoid having to deal with competition for his job as early as next season. Walker does note, though, that Tannehill will likely to get one to two more seasons to prove to the Dolphins whether he’s their answer at QB.
  • Even though Pro Bowl-caliber starting quarterback Andy Dalton is potentially out for the season, Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson isn’t going to stop relying on the team’s passing game down the stretch. On A.J. McCarron, who will fill in for Dalton, Jackson said (via Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com), “We pay him to win games. So whatever it takes for him to win, that’s what he’s going to do. If you guys think he’s going to turn around and hand it off 70 times to win a game, then you guys are mistaken.”
  • Patriots linebacker Jonathan Freeny dislocated his right thumb and part of his wrist in the team’s 27-6 win over Houston on Sunday, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports. The Pats hope to have Freeny back by year’s end, per Reiss.

Patriots Extend Jonathan Freeny

September 24th, 2015 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Only two games into his contract with the Patriots, linebacker and special-teamer Jonathan Freeny has shown the team enough to earn another year on his deal. According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Pats have extended Freeny, tacking another year onto his current contract and locking him up through the 2016 season.

After spending the first four years of his NFL career in Miami, Freeny signed a one-year pact with the Patriots earlier this year, worth $1MM — an $850K base salary, along with a $150K signing bonus. According to Yates, Freeny’s second year will feature a raise, including a $1MM base salary, a $500K signing bonus, and $250K in per-game roster bonuses.

Freeny, 26, won’t see much action on defense for the Patriots unless someone gets hurt — through two games, he has appeared in just two defensive snaps for the team. However, he’s expected to be a key contributor on special teams, having racked up 11 tackles in kick and punt coverage a year ago for the division-rival Dolphins.

Freeny’s new signing bonus will be prorated over this season and next, so his 2015 cap hit will increase a little, while his 2016 cap number will be as high as $1.5MM, depending on how many games he plays this season.

Minor Moves: Thursday

March 12th, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves…

  • The Giants have agreed to terms with cornerback Chykie Brown, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Brown was picked up by the Giants midway through last season after being waived by the Ravens. Brown played 375 snaps for the Giants after joining the team in early November, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
  • The Dolphins signed defensive back T.J. Heath, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • The Patriots signed linebacker Jonathan Freeny, who had been with the Dolphins since going undrafted out of Rutgers in 2011, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
  • Long snapper James Winchester signed with the Chiefs today, according to agent Ken Sarnoff (on Twitter).
  • Panthers free agent cornerback James Dockery is set to sign with the Raiders, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Dockery took to Instagram not long ago to thank his fans in the Charlotte area.
  • The Broncos (via Twitter) have signed rookie punter Karl Schmitz to a contract. He handled punts and kickoffs for Jacksonville University in 2008 before transferring to University of Missouri-St. Louis and graduating in 2011.
  • Long snapper Tanner Purdum has signed a new two-year deal with the Jets, according to agent Robert Roche (via Twitter). Purdum, who became an unrestricted free agent Tuesday, has been close to perfect in his five seasons as the Jets’ snapper, as Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com writes. He’s made every one of the punt and placement snaps in that time, 783 snaps over 83 regular- and postseason games, without a single fumble, wild snap or penalty.

Injury Updates: Monday

November 17th, 2014 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence. Already today, we’ve learned that the Colts believe Ahmad Bradshaw broke his ankle during last night’s game against the Patriots. Here are a few more updates from around the league:

  • Browns head coach Mike Pettine told reporters today that linebacker Jabaal Sheard may be out for the season with a foot injury (Twitter links via Jeff Schudel and Nate Ulrich). As for Karlos Dansby, whose MCL injury is noted below, he could be sidelined for a month or so.
  • Dolphins linebacker Jonathan Freeny is expected to miss about four weeks with a hamstring injury, sources tell James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • A successful contract year has come to an abrupt and disappointing end for Falcons running back Antone Smith, according to head coach Mike Smith, who told reporters today that Smith broke his leg and will be placed on IR (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).

Earlier updates:

  • As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Falcons cornerback Robert Alford broke his wrist during yesterday’s win over the Panthers. Smith confirmed that Alford will miss two to four weeks with the injury, tweets McClure.
  • Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians announced today that tight end Troy Niklas has a high ankle sprain and is unlikely to play this week. The team intends to monitor Niklas and is hopeful that the injury won’t end his season (Twitter links via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
  • As first reported by CST’s Victor Howell (Twitter link), Saints wide receiver and return man Brandin Cooks broke his thumb yesterday against the Bengals. Agent Jeff Sperbeck (Twitter link) has confirmed that his client had surgery on his thumb and should return in about four to six weeks.. With Robert Meachem also dealing with an ankle issue, New Orleans may consider adding another wideout to the roster at some point this week.
  • The Saints also saw safety Rafael Bush leave yesterday’s game with a leg injury, and Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate reports that Bush has a broken fibula rather than a more serious fractured tibia. Still, a fractured fibula generally requires a few weeks to heal, so we’ll see if New Orleans decides to put Bush on injured reserve — if they do, he’d be the fourth Saints safety to land on IR this year. Ty Zimmerman, Vinnie Sunseri, and notable offseason signee Jairus Byrd are already on IR.
  • The Browns believe starting linebacker Karlos Dansby suffered a sprained MCL against the Texans yesterday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dansby is undergoing more tests today to confirm the diagnosis and to determine a timetable for his recovery.

Minor Moves: Dolphins, Jaguars, Seahawks

April 10th, 2014 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s minor moves, a list which encompasses signings and cuts involving little-known players, contract restructures, and accepted contract tenders:

  • Jonathan Freeny of the Dolphins also re-signed as an exclusive rights free agent today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Freeny, a key contributor on special teams for Miami, will be in line for a $570K salary.

Earlier updates:

  • Offensive lineman Austin Pasztor has re-signed with the Jaguars, according to agent Sunny Shah (via Twitter). Pasztor had been an exclusive rights free agent, so if he wanted to play in the NFL in 2014, he had no choice but to accept the ERFA tender he received from the club earlier in the offseason. The 23-year-old tackle will be in line for a $570K salary this year.
  • The Bills have cut defensive end Kourtnei Brown, tweets Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. Brown, 25, had been on a futures contract with the club, and has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.
  • According to ESPN.com’s John Clayton (Twitter link), Seahawks safety Jeron Johnson, who accepted a second-round RFA tender from the team last month has since restructured his contract. Johnson’s one-year deal can now be worth up to $2MM, says Clayton. Johnson originally signed a $2.187MM tender from the team, but it wasn’t guaranteed, so it didn’t offer much security.

Contract Tenders: 49ers, Jaguars, Broncos

March 7th, 2014 at 4:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Players who have three years or less of NFL experience and no contract for 2014 continue to receive contract tenders from their current teams. For exclusive rights free agents, these tenders essentially represent the contracts they’ll be playing under in 2014, since ERFAs aren’t permitted to negotiate with any of the league’s other 31 teams. Restricted free agents, on the other hand, can accept these one-year contract offers, but will also have the freedom to negotiate with other suitors and perhaps sign an offer sheet once the free agent period begins.

Here are some of the latest ERFA and RFA contract tenders:

Earlier updates:

  • The Falcons tendered cornerback Robert McClain with a $1.431MM offer, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. McClain was the team’s only restricted free agent this offseason.
  • The Jaguars tendered offers to wide receivers Mike Brown ($495K) and Kerry Taylor ($495K), offensive tackle Austin Pasztor ($570K), fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou ($570K), and tailback Jordan Todman ($645K), according to Pelissero (Twitter links). Todman, a former UConn notable, had only practice squad experience before making his on-field debut with the Jags in 2012. He had 256 yards and two scores on the ground with 14 catches, 116 receiving yards, and a touchdown through the air.
  • The Dolphins tendered offers to wide receiver Armon Binns ($495K) and linebacker Jonathan Freeny ($570K), Pelissero tweets.
  • More from Pelissero, who tweets that the Broncos have tendered offers to defensive end Mitch Unrein ($1.431M) and Brandon Marshall ($495K). Of course, that’s the Marshall who plays linebacker, not the star receiver.
  • The Lions have tendered offers to kick returner Jeremy Ross ($570K), linebacker Julian Stanford ($570K), cornerback Chris Greenwood ($570K), and tight end Matt Veldman ($420K), tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter) adds that wide receiver Kris Durham was also tendered an offer. Durham had an opportunity to shine when the Lions lost Nate Burleson to injury early in the season but he wasn’t able to break out even with double coverage on Calvin Johnson.
  • The Buccaneers are on the verge of tendering exclusive rights free agents Eric Page and Deveron Carr, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.