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Maurkice Pouncey

AFC North Notes: Manziel, Pouncey, Ravens

November 24th, 2015 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Video footage has surfaced in recent days of Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel partying at a nightclub in Austin, Texas, the latest off-field distraction for a player who vowed to cut down on those stories this season. While Manziel hinted that the video posted of him could be an old one, multiple outlets have indicated it was filmed last week, during the Browns’ bye, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com outlines.

Speaking today to reporters, including Cabot, head coach Mike Pettine said that the Browns are still in the process of gathering information about the video, but called it “very” disappointing (Twitter links). It was only a week ago that Pettine committed to Manziel as the club’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season, but this situation may make the staff reconsider — Pettine confirmed today that Josh McCown is ready to play if Cleveland decides to start him over Manziel (Twitter link).

As Pettine explained, the Browns’ concern and frustration stems from Manziel’s “repeated pattern of behavior” (Twitter links). The head coach wouldn’t say if the organization would ask Manziel to get more help, after he spent 10 weeks in a rehab facility during the offseason (Twitter link).

Here’s more from around the AFC North:

  • Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey has been on IR-DTR since the start of the season, and it doesn’t sound like he’s quite ready to be activated. The initial timetable for Pouncey, who broke his fibula, suggested he’d be out until at least Week 12, and head coach Mike Tomlin said today that he hasn’t checked on the veteran lineman’s status, adding that it’s not the “11th hour” for that situation quite yet (Twitter link via Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network).
  • The Ravens are in the market for a backup quarterback, with Matt Schaub set to take over for Joe Flacco. However, there’s nothing going on between the team and veteran free agent Jason Campbell, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). That’s not surprising, since other teams have had no luck wooing Campbell this year.
  • Flacco’s ACL injury adds another layer to the contract re-negotiations that are sure to happen this offseason between the quarterback and the Ravens, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. In Zrebiec’s view though, Flacco will still have the leverage, assuming his recovery is progressing smoothly. Zrebiec also addresses Tyrod Taylor‘s offseason departure, Quinton Coples‘ potential fit – or lack thereof – in Baltimore, and the idea of the Ravens targeting a tackle in next year’s draft.

Update On IR-DTR Players

November 2nd, 2015 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

We’re now through eight weeks of the NFL season, which means we’re approaching the year’s halfway point. It also means that players who were placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to the regular season are eligible to be activated and play in their respective teams’ next games.

Players placed on IR with the designation to return are eligible to begin practicing after six weeks, and can return to game action after eight weeks, so there are some IR-DTR players who have begun practicing already, and some of them could be activated for Week 9. Not every player will be healthy enough to return immediately now that they’ve become eligible to do so, but we should see at least a handful of the 10 players who have been on IR-DTR all year be activated to 53-man rosters in the coming days.

Here’s a breakdown of the 10 IR-DTR players eligible to be activated for Week 9:

  • Jay Ajayi, RB (Dolphins): Ajayi recently said that he’s back to full health, though the Dolphins may have a decision to make in their backfield if they decide to activate the rookie runner.
  • Alex Carter, CB (Lions): Carter is on track to begin practicing after the Lions’ Week 9 bye, and likely won’t be activated right away.
  • David Cobb, RB (Titans): Cobb is expected to be activated this week, and at least one Titans beat reporter believes the rookie is capable of earning a high percentage of the team’s carries.
  • Demar Dotson, T (Buccaneers): When he began practicing, Dotson admitted his injured knee wasn’t where he wanted it to be, but it sounds like he’s made enough progress to be activated this week.
  • Charles Gaines, CB (Browns): Gaines returned to practice when he was eligible to do so, and sounds like he’s eager to get back on Cleveland’s roster. If the Browns want him active for Week 9, they’ll have to make a move soon, since the team plays on Thursday this week.
  • Dee Milliner, CB (Jets): Head coach Todd Bowles said last week that he believes Milliner will be ready to play as soon as he becomes eligible, though he cautioned that the team will need to find room on the active roster.
  • Maurkice Pouncey, C (Steelers): There has been some speculation that Pouncey could be sidelined for the entire season, but head coach Mike Tomlin still expects his veteran center back this year. That likely won’t happen for a few more weeks though, since the initial diagnosis put Pouncey on track to be out until at least Week 12.
  • Bryan Stork, C (Patriots): The Patriots’ offensive line has been hit hard by injuries this season, so having to decide between Stork and David Andrews at center will be a welcome problem for the team. Stork appears on track to return in Week 9.
  • John Sullivan, C (Vikings): After suffering a setback and undergoing another surgical procedure, Sullivan won’t be back anytime soon, and may not play at all this season.
  • Brent Urban, DE (Ravens): Asked two weeks ago about Urban, head coach John Harbaugh said that the defensive end wasn’t practicing, adding that his recovery would probably take “a few more weeks.”

While these 10 players are the only ones on IR-DTR eligible to return in Week 9, there are 12 more who will gain eligibility in the coming weeks. The full list can be found right here.

Among those 12 other IR-DTR players, the most notable name is Tony Romo, who can’t play until Week 11. The Cowboys quarterback is eligible to begin practicing this week, but Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that won’t happen quite yet. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Romo is still on track to return to the field when he’s eligible for game action, but it makes sense to keep getting Matt Cassel first-team practice reps in the meantime.

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.

PUP, NFI Players Soon Eligible To Practice

October 19th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the Giants and Eagles, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many clubs could be welcoming injured players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to the practice field.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player currently on the PUP list could return to the field for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest.

The rules for NFI players are similar to those for PUP players. If a player on either reserve list doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, his 2015 season will officially be over.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list who can begin practicing as soon as this Tuesday:

And here are the players currently on their teams’ non-football injury or illness lists, who are also eligible to begin practicing this Tuesday:

  • Arizona Cardinals: WR Damond Powell
  • Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin
  • Cincinnati Bengals: T Cedric Ogbuehi
  • Cleveland Browns: DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, TE Randall Telfer, RB Glenn Winston
  • Dallas Cowboys: LB Mark Nzeocha
  • Houston Texans: T David Quessenberry
  • Kansas City Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray
  • San Francisco 49ers: WR DeAndre Smelter
  • Seattle Seahawks: DT Jesse Williams

In addition to monitoring players on the PUP and NFI lists, it’s worth keeping an eye on players who have been placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this IR-DTR spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that a player who was placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing on Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible to return to game action until Week 9. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after Week 1 will have to wait until next Tuesday – October 27 – to return to practice, while other IR-DTR players will have to wait until November to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as Tuesday:

Latest On Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey

October 15th, 2015 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

2:20pm: Pouncey is “likely to miss [the] rest of the season,” according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter).

1:24pm: Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey is experiencing complications from his ankle injury and is expected to undergo another operation, sources tell Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter links). Pouncey was placed on IR-DTR back in September, but “there are fears that he may miss more of the season than initially anticipated,” Getlin writes.

Pouncey suffered a broken fibula during the Steelers’ third preseason game and was initially expected to miss ten games in total. Now, his projected Week 12 return appears to be in doubt. The 26-year-old graded as the league’s sixth-best center last season per Pro Football Focus (subscription required) and the Steelers have been looking forward to getting him back out on the field.

Cody Wallace has stepped in as the the Steelers’ new starting center in 2015 and is expected to do so until Pouncey is ready to return.

Steelers Place Maurkice Pouncey On IR-DTR

September 6th, 2015 at 3:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers will be without the fulcrum of their offensive line for the first half of the season, as the club has place center Maurkice Pouncey on injured reserve with a designation to return, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link).

Pouncey suffered a broken fibula during the Steelers’ third preseason game, and is expected to miss 10 games in total. The first eight of those, by rule, will be spent on IR-DTR — Pittsburgh has a bye during Week 11, so Pouncey could potentially return during Week 12. Losing Pouncey will no doubt be a large to an offense that finished first in DVOA in 2014, as the 26-year-old graded as the league’s sixth-best center last season per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Cody Wallace is expected to step in as the the Steelers’ new starting center, but the club also added some extra depth today, signing Doug Legursky, per Kaboly. Legursky was originally signed just days after Pouncey’s injury, but was cut yesterday morning. Now, he’s back on the squad to act as the No. 2 center.

AFC Notes: Pouncey, Ravens, Fitzpatrick

August 28th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes, Derek Newton‘s new five-year contract with the Texans, signed back in March, didn’t create the biggest headlines at the times, but it’s looking like one of the best moves of the team’s offseason. Although he’s penciled in as Houston’s starting right tackle, Newton has filled in at guard and left tackle as well, and offensive coordinator George Godsey praised his willingness to help out in any way he can.

“He has a ‘coach me, Coach’ attitude,” Godsey said. “Even though we coach that position, that whole group, (offensive line coach) Mike Devlin does a great job and coaches them hard. He’s come to work every day. I couldn’t ask any more from Derek this preseason.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • While head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers won’t commit to a specific timeline for center Maurkice Pouncey, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggests Pouncey will be back sometime after the club’s Week 11 bye. That would mean the veteran lineman will miss at least 10 games, making him a clear-cut candidate for the Steelers’ IR-DTR slot.
  • In his latest round-up of Ravens news and notes, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun identifies several higher-profile players who could be on the team’s roster bubble, and writes that Dennis Pitta continues to work hard, intent on eventually returning and making an impact for the club.
  • Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham didn’t just tear his ACL on the play that knocked him out of action for the 2015 season. As he tells John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. Suisham also tore his medial meniscus. The veteran kicker is glad the injury happened during the preseason rather than in November or December though, since it gives him a full year to recover for the 2016 season.
  • As he heads into a contract year, Ryan Fitzpatrick will have an opportunity to start at quarterback for the Jets, and the veteran signal-caller tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News that the possibility of a breakout year, even at age 32 (33 in November) isn’t out of the question. “So much of the game for the quarterback is the mental side of it,” Fitzpatrick said. “Everybody always talks about my arm and how horrible it is. I promise… you can put on some tape (and see) that I can make all the throws that you want me to make or that I need to make. … I see myself continuing to get better rather than declining.”

AFC Notes: Patriots, Steelers, Pouncey, Vick

August 27th, 2015 at 9:44pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s not immediately clear whether Micahel Williams, acquired by the Patriots in a Tuesday trade, will be playing tight end or tackle, Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. Williams came on to the practice field wearing a No. 74 jersey but later changed into No. 85 and could be seen working out with the tight end group. The 6’6″ athlete first came into the NFL as a tight end but was moved to tackle by the Lions in 2014 after their selection of Eric Ebron. Here’s more from the AFC..

  • Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says center Maurkice Pouncey, who fractured his left fibula Sunday against the Packers, has a chance to return this season, as Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. However, he did not offer a timetable on when that might be. Pouncey has told teammates he would like to play this season and it sounds like he’s a candidate for the IR-DTR list.
  • Michael Vick‘s one-year contract with the Steelers calls for a base salary of $970K, the veteran’s minimum, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The deal has no injury split and zero guaranteed money.
  • Bills receiver Chris Hogan has had an up-and-down summer and is battling a knee injury, but he doesn’t believe his roster spot is in jeopardy, as he tells Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. A handful of Bills wideouts, including Deonte Thompson and Andre Davis, have had strong preseasons, which could make for a difficult decision or two in Buffalo.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

North Notes: Pouncey, Flacco, Guion, Lions

August 24th, 2015 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Injured Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey is undergoing surgery on his fractured ankle today, tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the exact timetable for Pouncey’s recovery still isn’t known, but the injury is unlikely to be season-ending. Based on what we’ve heard so far regarding the veteran center, he would appear to be a viable candidate for Pittsburgh’s IR-DTR slot this season.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • As Ashley Fox of ESPN details, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has been keeping an eye on the megadeals signed by his fellow signal-callers, recognizing that Baltimore will almost certainly have to rework his contract in 2016, when his cap hit is set to jump to $28.55MM. Both Flacco and the team would like to see the former Super Bowl MVP become a “Raven for life.”
  • The appeal hearing for Letroy Guion‘s three-game suspension concluded on Monday, but there has been no ruling yet on whether that penalty will be reduced for the Packers defensive lineman, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
  • Demovsky also provided an update on former Packers receiver Kevin Dorsey, tweeting that the ex-Maryland wideout has retired. Green Bay used a seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft to nab Dorsey, but he only played in three games with the club.
  • After losing Ndamukong Suh in free agency this offseason, the Lions were happy to acquire Haloti Ngata to fill the newly-created void on their defensive line. However, the club still isn’t sure when Ngata will return from the hamstring injury that has plagued him throughout training camp, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Maurkice Pouncey To Undergo Surgery

August 23rd, 2015 at 6:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

6:40pm: Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (via Twitter) that Pouncey will miss at least six weeks.

3:54pm: Pouncey suffered a broken ankle, tweets Bouchette, while Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link) says the Steelers hope Pouncey can still return this season.

3:34pm: After leaving today’s preseason game with an ankle injury, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey will indeed require surgery, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters, including Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). Tomlin did not give any indication as to how long Pouncey will be sidelined.

Earlier today, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported (via Twitter) that early indications are that Pouncey suffered a high ankle sprain “at the very least.” That report has yet to be confirmed, but such an injury would keep Pouncey out for four-to-six weeks, meaning he would likely miss three regular season games at minimum. Obviously, Bouchette’s tweet leaves the door open for Pouncey to have suffered a more serious injury, meaning that timetable would need to be amended.

Pouncey, 26, has been bitten by the injury bug before, as he missed all of the 2013 season after tearing his ACL during Week 1. He signed a five-year, $44MM extension during the summer of 2014, and went on to start all 16 games last year, earning his fourth Pro Bowl nod. Currently, Cody Wallace is projected as Pouncey’s direct backup at center, and he’d see more playing time if Pouncey is out for an extended period.

Per Kaboly (Twitter link), the Steelers also suffered another injury, albeit one that sounds less serious, Tomlin announced that defensive end Stephon Tuitt will be out a few weeks after suffering a sprained ankle.

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