HEADLINES

Mitchell Van Dyk

Extra Points: Stanton, Titans, Harvin

December 11th, 2014 at 9:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL invited the NFLPA to continue discussions on the personal conduct policy and the hiring of the person who will oversee the discipline, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The union, he adds, might take them up on the offer. More from around the NFL..

  • Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton was forced out of tonight’s game after being sacked by Aaron Donald, as Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk writes. How severe the injury is and whether it will cost him further time remains to be seen, however.
  • If the season ended today, the Titans would have the No. 2 overall pick and an opportunity to be in the mix for quarterbacks like Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Florida State’s Jameis Winston. Still, Zach Mettenberger feels that he’s shown the team that he deserves to be their starter, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “I believe I have shown them enough, I just hope I’ve shown y’all enough to write good columns from here until next season,” Mettenberger said yesterday. “But I am confident in my abilities and what I have put on the field and what I have put on tape, and I think I have shown ownership, Ruston and the (coaching) staff that I can play at a high level and I am going to continue to get better.”
  • It may not be enough to save his job, but Jets GM John Idzik deserves credit for his gamble on Percy Harvin, writes George Willis of the New York Post. Time will tell if the talk of bad behavior in Seattle was overblown, but as of now, Harvin is someone that the Jets need to keep for the future. The Jets could cut Harvin without cap implications and he’s owed quite a bit, but the Jets can’t let a playmaker of his caliber go elsewhere.
  • Josh McCown probably isn’t the Buccaneers‘ quarterback of the future, but “the future is not right here right now,” says head coach Lovie Smith, explaining why he’s sticking with the veteran McCown as the team’s starter down the stretch (link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
  • Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper could be an intriguing pick for the Titans, opines Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Cooper is widely expected to be a top-five pick.
  • The Texans tried out defensive back Delvin Breaux, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • The Titans worked out Mitchell Van Dyk, according to Wilson (via Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Dolphins, Bargains

December 5th, 2014 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Bills and Patriots prepare for tough road tests against AFC West teams, and the Dolphins get ready to host the Ravens in a crucial game for potential Wild Card positioning, let’s check out a few Friday items out of the AFC East….

  • Having placed wideout Aaron Dobson on their injured reserve list, the Patriots are currently carrying just 52 players, leaving an open spot on their active roster. While we wait to see what they do with that opening, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com examines the team’s practice squad players most likely to receive a promotion, with receiver Josh Boyce and linebacker Deontae Skinner topping the list.
  • The Dolphins brought in former Portland State tackle Mitchell Van Dyk for a tryout this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). A seventh-round pick this past May, Van Dyk was cut by the Rams at the end of the preseason.
  • Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today takes a look at the contending teams getting by without highly-paid, big-name running backs, focusing on the Patriots and their recent addition of LeGarrette Blount.
  • Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon and Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison are among the league’s best bargains in 2014, according to Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News.
  • Last week, we pointed to several teams that will face offseason decisions on quarterbacks, or will look to add new signal-callers, and Field Yates of ESPN.com has made a similar list in an Insider-only piece. The Jets and Bills are among the clubs that show up in both pieces.

West Notes: Sutton, Chiefs, Rams

October 29th, 2014 at 7:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s check in on a few Wednesday links from around the NFL’s two West divisions….

  • Jets head coach Rex Ryan told reporters, including Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter), that he hopes Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton gets a head coaching job, but added, “I hope it’s not mine.”
  • The Chiefs took a look at a handful of free agent defenders this week, says Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (via Twitter). Per Balzer, linebackers Brandon Denmark, Kevin Reddick, D.J. Smith, and Uani Unga, as well as defensive end Tim Fugger, all worked out for the club.
  • The Rams brought in offensive tackles Mitchell Van Dyk and Jason Weaver for tryouts this week, according to Balzer (via Twitter).
  • In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Louis Riddick examines several extension candidates who should be in line for big contracts soon, either from their own teams or in free agency. Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas tops the list, with Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson among the other players earning mentions.
  • Earlier tonight, I asked if the Seahawks and 49ers, who entered the year as favorites to come out of the NFC, will even earn playoff spots this season.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Rams Start Trimming Roster Down To 53

August 29th, 2014 at 10:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has been tweeting out the details on the Rams’ first wave of final cuts this afternoon, as the team has now parted ways with five players from its 75-man roster. Here, via Thomas, are the players cut by St. Louis so far, with any further cuts added to the list throughout the day:

Rams Sign Robinson, Donald, Eight Others

June 12th, 2014 at 5:12pm CST by Luke Adams

5:12pm: Donald doesn’t have offsets in his deal either, Breer adds (on Twitter).

5:01pm: The Rams’ deal with Robinson does not have offsets, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network. He’s the first player to get that concession this year and that could factor into the Jaguars’ talks with Blake Bortles, Breer adds.

4:34pm: The Rams may have waited the longest of any NFL team to get a draft pick under contract, but it didn’t take the team long to complete the process once it was started. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Rams have signed all 11 of their 2014 draftees. In addition to the previously reported Lamarcus Joyner, that group includes first-rounders Greg Robinson and Aaron Donald and 249th overall pick Michael Sam.

A year ago, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher wanted to take the team’s rookies through “Financial Planning 101” before those players received their signing bonuses. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Rams did the same thing this year, delaying the signing process to ensure that their players know how to manage their money when they receive it.

Among those signing bonuses, Robinson’s will be the largest — according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, the signing bonus for the No. 2 pick should fall just short of $14MM. As the 13th overall pick, Donald will be in line for a bonus of $5.692MM. The remaining eight bonuses range from about $46K to $638K.

Besides Robinson, Donald, Joyner, and Sam, the Rams now have the following draftees under contract:

  • Tre Mason, RB, Auburn (3.75)
  • Maurice Alexander, S, Utah State (4.110)
  • E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri (6.188)
  • Garrett Gilbert, QB, SMU (6.214)
  • Mitchell Van Dyk, OT, Portland State (7.226)
  • Christian Bryant, S, Ohio State (7.241)
  • Demetrius Rhaney, C, Tennessee State (7.250)