Phil Loadholt

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/15

Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • Long snapper Nate Boyer, who took an unusual path to the NFL, has been waived by the Seahawks, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). With the newly-created roster spot, the Seahawks appear to have signed quarterback Jake Waters, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links).
  • The Steelers have reduced the number of quarterbacks on their roster by one, announcing today that they’ve cut Tajh Boyd, replacing him with wide receiver Jarrod West (Twitter link via Burt Lauten).
  • Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt, who tore his Achilles on Saturday, has been officially placed on injured reserve, the team announced today. To replace him, Minnesota signed former Giants tackle Stephen Goodin.
  • The Eagles‘ roster turnover at linebacker continues, as the team announced today (via Twitter) that it has signed former Southern Mississippi linebacker Dasman McCullum to replace Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo, who has been waived/injured due to an ankle injury.
  • The Colts made a change to their wide receiver group, signing UDFA wideout L.T. Smith and waiving Tyler Rutenbeck, according to a team release.
  • Former Emporia State wide receiver Austin Willis has been waived by the Raiders, tweets Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com.
  • The Cardinals have a new body in their secondary, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who reports that safety Anthony Walters has signed a one-year deal with the club. Linebacker Zack Wagenmann, who broke his foot, has been waived/injured, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
  • More updates from Wilson: The Saints have cut receiver Kyle Prater and waived/injured defensive tackle Lawrence Virgil (Twitter link), the Jets have cut punter Jacob Schum (Twitter link), the Cowboys have cut cornerback Jason Wilson from their injured reserve list with an injury settlement (Twitter link), and the Steelers have removed running back Cameron Stingily from their IR with a settlement (Twitter link).

Vikings’ Phil Loadholt Tears Achilles

SUNDAY, 9:09pm: An MRI has confirmed Loadholt’s Achilles tear, ESPN’s Ben Goessling reports (Twitter link). He’ll require season-ending surgery.

SATURDAY, 8:43pm: Vikings right tackle Phil Loadholdt was carted off the field during tonight’s preseason game against the Buccaneers, and a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Loadholt has suffered a torn Achilles. If confirmed, the diagnosis would mean Loadholt would miss the 2015 season.

This marks the second consecutive season of bad luck for the 29-year-old Loadholt, who was placed on injured reserve last November after tearing his pectoral. Reports indicated that Loadholt had looked good while working to return from that injury, so this latest news is especially devastating. A starter along Minnesota’s offensive line for six seasons, Loadholt is entering the third year of a four-year, $25MM contract that he signed in March of 2013.

Fourth-round rookie T.J. Clemmings replaced Loadholt at right tackle during the game, and he’s the favorite to do during the regular season, as well. Projected by some as a first-round pick, Clemmings — a Pitt alum — fell to Day 3 due to concerns about his polish. Mike Harris, currently slated to start at right guard, also has experience at tackle, so it’s possible that the Vikings could completely re-figure their front five.

If the Vikings preferred to look at the free agent market for a replacement, one intriguing option could be Anthony Collins, who was with the Bengals during current Vikes head coach Mike Zimmer‘s tenure as defensive coordinator.

Sunday Roundup: Loadholdt, Dotson, Broncos

The Buccaneers and Vikings played each other on Saturday night, and both teams lost their starting right tackles. Minnesota’s Phil Loadholdt suffered a torn Achilles and is likely done for the season, while Tampa Bay’s Demar Dotson sprained his MCL and will undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the sprain. Today’s Sunday Roundup begins with some fallout from those two injuries.

  • Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times notes that the Buccaneers could shift Kevin Pamphile from left tackle to right tackle to replace Dotson, or they could promote Patrick Omameh. However, if Dotson has anything worse than a sprained MCL, Auman expects Tampa Bay to look outside the organization to fill the void (Twitter links).
  • Former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets that the Vikings could be forced into a tough early decision on Loadholdt next season. As Corry notes, Loadholdt will be due a $500,000 bonus if he is on the roster on the third day of the league year (March 17, 2016), which may be too rich for a player who has suffered two major injuries in 10 months.
  • Mark Craig of The Star Tribune tweets that the Vikings are not panicking over Loadholdt’s injury or scrambling for outside help, as the team has confidence in its young tackles.
  • John Keim of ESPN.com breaks down Washington‘s potential options at tight end as it seeks to build depth behind Jordan Reed.
  • Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com observes (via Twitter) that the season-ending injury to Rams CB E.J. Gaines could open the door for someone like undrafted free agent Imoan Claiborne.
  • Broncos WR Bennie Fowler, whom Denver signed as an undrafted free agent last year, might be a long-shot to make the roster, but as Mike Klis of 9News.com writes, Fowler’s impressive showing in training camp and in the first preseason game is giving the Broncos’ brass a lot to think about.

Extra Points: Deflategate, CBA, Tebow

We heard earlier that Tom Brady‘s suspension may not in fact be reduced, but the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin cites some inconsistencies that need justification from Ted Wells as the Deflategate saga continues to gain depth.

The main issue Volin takes with Wells is why he charged the Patriots with not cooperating with his investigation fully. Specifically, the Boston reporter points out Wells had the “deflator” text from Jim McNally in his possession before meeting with him, but his team did not find it until after McNally’s deposition because the text was from May 2014.

The Patriots refused to make McNally available again due to the apparent lack of due diligence from Wells’ team, citing a February email from team attorney Daniel Goldberg to Wells that stated barring “unanticipated circumstances” there would be no second interviews with subjects.

You refused to give me the information I requested except to say that the topic was ‘new,’ ” Goldberg wrote in an email to Wells on March 9 that the Patriots released Sunday regarding Wells’ request for a second summit with McNally. “It turned out, however, that the topic involved asking about texts that you had before his prior interview — so it was not something that arose from extraordinary or unanticipated circumstances, but was apparently just something you neglected to pursue in his earlier interview.”

Volin requested Wells’ end of the email chain from the NFL but did not receive those before publishing this story.

More from around the league on Sunday night …

  • Roger Goodell‘s ability to hear Brady’s appeal is not a power he’s unearthed from nowhere. The provision of safeguarding the game’s integrity has been present since the first CBA in 1968, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. This provided then-commissioner Pete Rozelle power to impose discipline and designate the hearing officer for any appeals regarding issues of conduct detrimental to the “integrity of the game.”
  • Russell Wilson and the Seahawks are not discussing a fully guaranteed contract, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Condotta adds that, while the amount of guaranteed money will play a key role in this extension, teams must provide the full amount of the fully guaranteed deal up front. The player doesn’t receive it all then, but the amount must be accounted for — similar to Ndamukong Suh‘s deal with the Dolphins this year, with some of the money being placed in an escrow account for future payment — to prevent teams from not following through on financial promises.
  • Tim Tebow‘s odds of making an impact with the Eagles appear slim as of now, but Zach Berman of Philly.com writes the 6-foot-3, 236-pound quarterback could be of use should the Eagles’ extra point proposal, which would place two-point conversions at the 1-yard line, pass this week at the NFL owners’ meetings. Although the Eagles didn’t attempt a two-point play last year, they went 3-for-8 in 2013. Tebow’s scored from the 1-yard line in each of his three attempts and converted first downs on six of eight 1-yard-to-go scenarios in his last starting role in 2011. Berman also adds the Eagles’ preference for DeMarco Murray‘s north-south running style will help here, with Murray’s six 1-yard scores leading the league last season. So a lot could be riding on this week’s proposal in Philadelphia.
  • Vikings right tackle Phil Loadholt is “pretty much up to full speed” after sustaining a torn pectoral muscle last season, writes Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Sid Hartman. Brandon Fusco is not quite as far along after tearing a pectoral muscle, according to Mike Zimmer. With Charlie Johnson, a four-year starter on Minnesota’s front at either left tackle or left guard, still an unrestricted free agent, the Vikings are contemplating a reshuffle to fill the gaps. A starting right guard for two full seasons and three games into last year before suffering the chest injury, Fusco could potentially move to left guard, and rookie tackle T.J. Clemmings could begin his career by lining up at right guard.
  • The Chargers will not keep any of the 15 tryout players they brought in, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter).
  • Adrian Robinson, a former NFL linebacker and recent CFL cog, died Saturday night at the age of 25, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. The cause of death was unknown. Robinson played for the Steelers, Broncos, Chargers and Washington from 2012-13 and was a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

NFC Links: Eagles, Falcons, Manning

The Vikings lost another key member of their offensive line today, as Phil Loadholt is finished for the season with a torn pectoral. Despite the injuries, coach Mike Zimmer isn’t panicking (via Craig Peters of Vikings.com)…

“I think Phil is a great person,” Zimmer said. “He’s very conscientious, works hard, he’s got a great heart. So, that’s just part of football. Obviously we’ll miss him but we’re not going to let it hold us back from what we’re trying to get done.

That’s just the way it goes. That’s how things happen and you’ve just got to keep playing.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC…

  • While it would appear that rookies Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff have cut into Riley Cooper‘s playing time, the wide receiver joked that Jeremy Maclin‘s contract situation has played a role, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Maclin signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in February. “Maclin’s trying to get a contract so he’s probably not going to try and come out of the game,” Cooper said, with sarcasm.
  • The Falcons have continued to struggle, compiling only eight wins since their 13-3 record in 2012. At this rate, Peter King of SI.com can’t envision coach Mike Smith sticking around past December.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines the decisions the Giants will soon have to face, particularly in regards to quarterback Eli Manning. The writer believes the team has four courses of action: stay their usual route, spend on veteran free agents, move on from Manning or build young around Manning.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Phil Loadholt Done For Season

Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt is done for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Loadholt suffered the injury in Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Packers.

It has been a bad year for the Vikings’ offensive line. Minnesota lost right guard Brandon Fusco in September when he suffered a torn pec of his own and they watched understudy Vlad Ducasse go down with a knee injury the next month.

Loadholt, 28, has two years remaining on the $25MM contract extension he signed prior to the 2013 season. Lineman Mike Harris filled in for Loadholt against Green Bay and will likely start in his place for the remainder of the year.

ProFootballFocus.com (subscription required) was very high on Loadholt’s plan in 2013 as he earned an overall rating of +25.0. He didn’t grade out as well this season, but his +0.2 overall rating still put him a tick above the league average.