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Injury Updates: Hankins, Folk, Hicks, Ware

November 9th, 2015 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

As is often the case on Mondays during the NFL season, there have already been multiple reports of season-ending injuries to key players for contending teams, with the Patriots losing running back Dion Lewis to a torn ACL, and the Colts placing defensive lineman Henry Anderson on IR due to the same injury. Here are a few more of Monday’s latest noteworthy injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Giants head coach Tom Coughlin confirmed today that defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins will undergo surgery for a torn pectoral, ending his season, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While New York’s defensive line got a boost this weekend with the return of Jason Pierre-Paul, Hankins’ season-ending injury is another step back.
  • Jets kicker Nick Folk has a quadriceps strain, and isn’t expected to play this Thursday against the Bills, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Connor Hughes of the Journal Inquirer tweets that Billy Cundiff will be among the kickers getting a workout from the Jets as they seek a short-term replacement for Folk.
  • The Eagles‘ preliminary diagnosis of the pectoral injury suffered by Jordan Hicks suggests the linebacker should only miss two to four weeks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The team is awaiting the MRI results to confirm that diagnosis.
  • The Falcons also got good news regarding defensive tackle Tyson Jackson, whose rib injury is a contusion, rather than a fracture, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
  • After re-aggravating his back injury, Broncos pass rusher DeMarcus Ware is expected to miss the next two to four weeks or so, tweets Rapoport.
  • Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams is expected to miss the team’s next two games, a league source tells Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
  • The Ravens announced today that second-year defensive end Brent Urban has been cleared to return to practice. Urban, who began the season on injured reserve with the designation to return, can now be activated within the next three weeks to avoid landing on season-ending IR.

AFC Notes: Jags, K. Williams, Pouncey, Bills

October 21st, 2015 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Jaguars‘ current agreement to play one home game per season in London expires in 2016, but it sounds like team owner Shad Khan, along with the NFL, may be getting ready to make an announcement on that subject. According to Conor Orr of NFL.com, Khan said he didn’t “want to scoop anything,” but hinted that an announcement regarding a new agreement for the Jaguars’ international games may be forthcoming.

As we wait for news on the Jags, let’s round up a few more AFC notes…

  • Speaking to reporters today in London, Bills head coach Rex Ryan acknowledged that Kyle Williams‘ knee injury is “significant,” as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets. Williams is currently expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks with a PCL issue, though Ryan’s comments may suggest that the injury is even more serious.
  • Reports last week indicated that Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey was expected to undergo a second operation, potentially jeopardizing his season. However, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Pouncey didn’t undergo a second procedure on his broken left fibula, and Tomlin is still expecting the veteran center to return this season, writes Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • In a piece for CBSSports.com, former agent Joel Corry eyes 12 teams with potential quarterback instability on the horizon, identifying the Broncos, Chiefs, Jets, Texans, Browns, and Bills as the AFC teams without a long-term option set in stone.
  • Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin, who remains on the non-football injury list for now, appears ready to return to practice today, and could be activated to Buffalo’s 53-man roster if and when the team determines he’s ready, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.

AFC Notes: Yanda, Bills, Chiefs

October 18th, 2015 at 6:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Let’s look at some of the news coming out of the AFC as Week 6’s late-afternoon games wind down.

  • Marshal Yanda‘s extension showed the Ravens prioritizing a top-quality player as opposed to trying to pay for the future of a younger, less-proven performer in Kelechi Osemele, CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry tweets. The 31-year-old Yanda is five years Osemele’s senior but has four Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro honor to his credit. Corry notes Osemele, the Baltimore left guard, will now have a set price to re-sign with the Ravens or seek his second contract elsewhere like so many of his former teammates have in recent years.
  • In extending the All-Pro right guard, the Ravens showed not only a belief that Yanda will continue to play at a high level as his 30s progress but loyalty to one of the performers that’s exemplified their franchise, ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley writes. In calling Yanda the best Ravens offensive lineman since Jonathan Ogden, Hensley notes keeping Yanda marks a change in course from the franchise that parted ways with Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata, but listed Yanda’s dominant level of play as the difference-making factor here.
  • Kyle Williams likely won’t play in next week’s Bills-Jaguars tilt, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak, after suffering a knee injury. The veteran defensive tackle is believed to have suffered a PCL malady, which won’t require surgery but could sideline him for as long as four weeks, 550 WGR’s Sal Capaccio reports (on Twitter).
  • Mario Williams expressed confusion with a Bills defense that forced him to drop into coverage on numerous occasions, Syracuse.com’s Matthew Fairburn reports. Although the veteran who’s vacillated between defensive end and outside linebacker throughout his 10-year career denied being frustrated, Fairburn notes he used the phrase “plays that are called” more than a dozen times in a four-minute interview. “A lot is put on (the defensive line’s) shoulders as far as the amount given out to players on this team as far as income,” Williams said. “I would assume, those four guys, a lot is on their shoulders to go after the quarterback or stop the run, be disruptive. Like I say, if the call is three-man this or that, dropping, things like that, that’s the call.”
  • Both Jeremy Maclin and Mike DeVito sustained concussions in the Chiefs‘ loss to the Vikings, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports. Maclin’s totaled 37 receptions this season; the remainder of the Chiefs’ receiving corps has 28 combined.

East Notes: Dareus, Bills, Eagles

March 30th, 2015 at 8:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills‘ top priority at this point would probably be hammering out an extension with defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, but the timetable on that isn’t 100% clear, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. “In the near future,” GM Doug Whaley said when asked about when Dareus could get his new deal. “He will be priority No. 1 once the dust settles post-draft, maybe even before then, just to get the ball rolling.” The defensive tackle is one of the game’s best players at his position and after Ndamukong Suh‘s massive deal with the Dolphins, Buffalo will have to bring some serious bucks to the table. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..

  • The Bills could find that space to accommodate a deal for Dareus by restructuring their deal with defensive end Mario Williams. Williams is due to earn $19.4MM this year, $19.9 million next year, and $16.5 million in 2017. “He could free up the most and make it the most logical, because what we would do is not only restructure, but extend him similar to [what we did recently with defensive end] Kyle Williams, so these guys retire as Buffalo Bills,” Whaley said. “We want to set a precedent that we retain our own and we have them retire as Buffalo Bills. I think that’s a sentiment we’re trying to show the players on our roster now.”
  • While some have said that Miles Austin will be taking the spot of Brad Smith on the Eagles, Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter) doesn’t feel that’s really the case. The versatile Smith was a key special teams contributor while Austin is likely being signed to be more of a pure wide receiver.
  • Sam Bradford‘s former coach Josh Heupel helped talk him out of quitting football, as Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Meanwhile, Heupel is confident that Bradford will shine with the Eagles. “If he’s 100 percent healthy,” Heupel said, “he’ll be able to perform at an elite level.”

Bills Rework Kyle Williams’ Contract

March 21st, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 21: Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has released the full details of Williams’ contract (Twitter link). Williams will get $4.5MM in bonus money and a $4.5MM base salary in 2015, per Wilson. His base salaries in 2016 and 2017 will be $6MM and $6.3MM, respectively. He’ll also receive a $500,000 bonus on the fifth day of the league year in both ’16 and ’17. 

MARCH 17: According to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the new year added to Williams’ contract is a “dummy” year for cap purposes and is voidable, so it was more of a restructuring than an extension by the Bills.

MARCH 11: Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams wasn’t scheduled to hit the open market until after the 2016 season, but that didn’t stop the team from working out a contract extension with him today. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Bills reached an agreement with Williams on a one-year, $10.5MM extension, ensuring that the standout defensive lineman remains under contract through the 2017 season.

While the club will still eventually need to work out a deal with its other star defensive tackle, Marcell Dareus, Williams’ new contract ensures that he, Mario Williams, and Jerry Hughes are all locked up through at least 2017. Hughes re-signed with the Bills earlier this week, agreeing to a five-year deal that keeps him under contract through 2019, and ensuring that one of the league’s most dangerous defensive lines remains intact.

Given the lack of urgency for a new deal for Williams, the Bills may have ulterior motives for working something out with the veteran defensive tackle. While we’ll have to wait for the specifics, the extension could help lower Williams’ $6.4MM cap hit for 2015, which would create additional flexibility for the team to pursue other players.

Buffalo is said to be making a push to sign pass catchers Charles Clay and Percy Harvin.

Examining Notable Pro Bowlers’ Contracts

December 24th, 2014 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL announced its Pro Bowl rosters on Tuesday night, a collection of 42 offensive players, 36 defenders, and eight special teams players. The list features the usual suspects such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers, as well as new faces like Le’Veon Bell, T.Y. Hilton, and Chris Harris, and can be viewed in full right here (PDF link).

Among the 86 players initially selected to appear in the game, several have signed new contracts in 2014, many more will be eligible for new deals in 2015, and others will receive a bump in pay based on their Pro Bowl nods. Here’s a breakdown of the Pro Bowl players with notable contract situations:

Recently signed or extended:

Eligible for free agency in 2015:

Received Pro Bowl bonuses:

(via Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap)

Perhaps the most interesting – or at least unusual – takeaway from this data is the abundance of cornerbacks on the first list. In fact, all eight cornerbacks initially named as Pro Bowlers (Davis, Grimes, Haden, Harris, Peterson, Revis, Sherman, and Talib) have signed new contracts, either extensions or free agent deals, since March. Rival teams hoping to get their hands on a Pro Bowl corner this offseason will have to focus on Revis — he’s the only one of the eight who can reasonably be expected to become available within the next few months, due to the structure of his contract with the Pats.

Data from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.

AFC West Notes: Streater, Mathews, Workouts

December 11th, 2014 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Having carried 52 players instead of 53 since Tuesday, it appeared as if the Raiders were saving a roster spot for wide receiver Rod Streater, who received the designation to return earlier in the year, and is now eligible to come off the IR list. However, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that Streater will be inactive for the rest of the season, rehabbing his foot injury and preparing for the 2015 campaign. That means that open spot on Oakland’s 53-man roster will likely be used on another player.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC West….

  • After five up and down seasons in San Diego, Ryan Mathews will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes the running back’s time left with the Chargers can be measured in weeks. In Acee’s view, Mathews’ injury history should have the team looking for other options, in spite of the 27-year-old’s obvious talents.
  • We previously heard that the Broncos worked out former Dolphins quarterback Seth Lobato this week, but the team auditioned a dozen more players, including five wide receivers, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The full list: WR Chandler Jones, WR Jeremy Kelley, WR Alex Neutz, WR Kerry Taylor, WR Kyle Williams, RB Tim Cornett, RB Turner Petersen, TE Jake Byrne, TE Xavier Grimble, OL Bruce Doyle, OL Andrew Miller, and DE Shawn Lemon.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along details on the Raiders‘ most recent visits and workouts, in a pair of tweets: Oakland tried out tight end running backs Terrance Cobb and Ronnie Wingo, as well as wide receiver Clyde Gates. The club also received a visit from running back David Fluellen.
  • The Chiefs worked out wide receiver Corbin Louks and defensive end Zach Thompson, Wilson adds in another tweet.

Workout Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Browns, Broncos

December 4th, 2014 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

In our roundup of several AFC East and NFC East items this morning, we passed along word on a handful of free agents who recently worked out for East teams. Across the rest of the league, several more auditions took place, so we’ll take a look at all those updates right here. All links are from Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, and go to Twitter:

  • The Colts brought in a few notable free agents for tryouts, taking a look at running back Mikel Leshoure, ex-Jets cornerback Ellis Lankster, and former LSU wideout Kadron Boone. Of the three players, Leshoure is the most interesting name, considering Indianapolis is believed to be considering adding running back depth.
  • Linebacker A.J. Edds ultimately signed with the Jaguars, joining the team’s active roster yesterday, but Edds also worked out for the Bengals earlier in the week. Additionally, Jacksonville auditioned veteran linebacker Victor Butler before deciding on Edds.
  • Browns kicker Billy Cundiff has had his ups and downs this season, missing six field goals, including three from less than 40 yards. While I don’t expect Cleveland to replace him, the team did take a look at a couple other kickers this week, bringing in Michael Barnard and Zach Hocker.
  • The Broncos worked out an extensive list of players this week, and Wilson has all the previously-unreported names: Rodney Barnes (S), Deion Belue (CB), Kenny Horsley (DE), M.D. Jennings (S), Vernon Kearney (CB), Keon Lyn (CB), Leon Mackey (DL), Ross Madison (S), and Danny Mason (LB).
  • In addition to trying out wideout Jace Davis, who signed with their practice squad, the Texans auditioned quarterback Brad Sorensen and several other receivers, including Rashad Ross, Willie Snead, and former Niner Kyle Williams.
  • Former Cardinals defensive end Ronald Talley worked out for the Chiefs. Talley spent some time with the Buccaneers earlier this year, but was removed from the roster prior to the regular season.
  • The Packers tried out cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks, a 2014 seventh-round pick waived by the Bengals during the preseason.
  • Tight end Xavier Grimble, who hit the open market once again last week after a brief stint with the Patriots’ practice squad, worked out for the Panthers.

Injury Updates: Sunday

September 28th, 2014 at 5:58pm CST by Rob DiRe

Chargers‘ starting cornerback Shareece Wright left the matchup against the Jaguars with a knee injury, reports Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego. The team believes Wright may have sprained his MCL, but hopes no damage has been done to his ACL. He will have an MRI on Monday to confirm the injury.

Gehlken notes that Wright is in the final year of his rookie contract, which could hurt his free agency if he misses a huge chunk of the season. 2014 first-round pick Jason Verrett was inactive for the game.

Here are some other injury-related news to look out for:

  • Bills‘ defensive tackle Kyle Williams was not with the team in the locker room after the game, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). The team has reported that he suffered a knee injury in the loss against the Texans.
  • Falcons‘ safety William Moore was forced to leave the game against the Vikings with a shoulder injury, and will not be able to return, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
  • The 49ers have already suffered a number of injuries in their matchup against the Eagles. Two of the most notable are the losses of Anthony Davis and Vernon Davis. Anthony has been ruled out for the game with a knee injury, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter) and Vernon will not return with a back injury, reports Can Inman of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
  • Texans‘ receiver Andre Johnson had to leave the win over the Bills early due to an ankle injury, but says the injury is not serious, according to Adam Wexler of CSNHouston.com (via Twitter).
  • Raiders‘ quarterback Derek Carr left the loss to the Dolphins in London with knee and ankle injuries, reports Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com. The team is reaching its bye, and does not have a game next week.

NFC Notes: Hester, Sproles, Graham, Bears

September 19th, 2014 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Devin Hester was one of many Falcons to reach the end zone last night, scoring on a record-setting punt return and a running play. However, it’s his role as a wide receiver that has him more happy with the Falcons than he was in his last few seasons with the Bears.

“I wasn’t happy the last three or four years in Chicago because things wasn’t going the way I expect,” Hester said yesterday, according to Adam Hoge of WGN Radio (Twitter link). “I would always have a great camp, have all the receivers saying and coaches saying I had the best camp of all the receivers. And once the season start off, I’m not there.”

As Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets, there were a few teams eyeing Hester in free agency that felt the veteran wasn’t worth the $10MM contract he signed with Atlanta, but it’s looking like a good investment for the Falcons so far. Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • So far, the deal that saw Darren Sproles land with Philadelphia in exchange for a fifth-round pick looks like a steal for the Eagles, and the veteran running back is happy with his situation. As he told reporters on Thursday, including Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com, Sproles wasn’t initially informed of his impending release by the Saints, but when it turned out that the Eagles were one of a handful of teams interested in trading for him, he told his agent to “make that happen.” Per Sproles, five teams explored acquiring him, and the Eagles were one of the three with serious interest.
  • Within the same piece, McManus takes a look at the unusual case of Eagles linebacker Brandon Graham, who has a chance to make $2.5MM in not likely to be earned incentives, but will need to see a few more snaps to have a chance at that money.
  • The Bears worked out a long list of free agents this week, and Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com passes along the names in a pair of tweets: Blake Annen (TE), Derek Cox (CB), Brandon Ghee (CB), Mike Harris (CB), Lavelle Hawkins (WR), Kendall James (CB), Derrick Martin (S), David Paulson (TE), Brad Sorensen (QB), Jordan Sullen (CB), Asa Watson (TE), Damian Williams (WR), and Kyle Williams (WR).
  • Linebacker Jamar Chaney tried out for the Saints this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). We heard yesterday that New Orleans also took a look at veteran linebacker Pat Angerer.
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