Ryan Fitzpatrick - Pro Football Rumors

Breer’s Latest: Fitzpatrick, Cowboys, L.A.

December 18th, 2015 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest Inside the NFL Notebook piece, Albert Breer of the NFL Network takes a deep dive into Washington‘s season, examining the type of player the team has targeted under head coach Jay Gruden and new GM Scot McCloughan. Washington’s first major draft pick (No. 5 overall selection Brandon Scherff) and long-term signee (Ryan Kerrigan) in 2015 checked all the boxes the club was looking for in terms of intangibles.

“If you’re gonna spend some money, you want talent, but you also want strong leadership, guys you don’t have to worry about Friday night or Thursday night,” Gruden said. “Guys that are gonna be here, and be in the weight room and lead the way for younger guys. Sometimes, to have these guys in here for a number of years, they pave the way for younger players, and that’s just as important as production.”

Here are a few other topics covered by Breer in his latest column:

There’s no rush for the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick to finalize a deal that keeps the quarterback in New York beyond 2015, since the team has other players it may need to focus on first. But Breer suggests that each side knows where the other stands, and there’s a good chance they can work something out between the end of the season and the start of the 2016 league year.
With DeMarco Murray leaving in the offseason, the Cowboys targeted T.J. Yeldon as a potential second-round pick, and would’ve had a hard time deciding between him and Randy Gregory in the second round, says Breer. However, it turned out to be a moot point, since Yeldon came off the board early in the second round to the Jaguars. Dallas also liked Todd Gurley in the first round, but as his stock increased leading up to the draft, it became clear there would be no chance for the club to land him with the 27th overall pick.
According to Breer, despite the turnover at the running back position in Dallas this season, the Cowboys aren’t expressing any regrets about letting Murray go. One team source offered the following comment on the Eagles running back: “The guy is a pro in his preparation and toughness and competitiveness. But he’s also entitled, selfish and condescending. He’s a great ‘team’ guy when he’s the guy.”
Citing team sources, Breer says that Rams owner Stan Kroenke views St. Louis’s stadium proposal as falling short of what he’d want to keep the franchise in the city, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts if his Inglewood plan doesn’t get approved. As Breer observes, all parties involved in potential Los Angeles relocation had hoped that the league would have found “an elegant solution” and would be nearing some sort of agreement with the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders at this point. Instead, the January owners’ meeting is drawing closer without a clear sense of what will happen regarding L.A.

East Notes: Henderson, Fitzpatrick, Bradford

December 17th, 2015 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

Having recently started listing Seantrel Henderson on the injury report with an “illness,” the Bills and head coach Rex Ryan declined to get into specifics on Henderson’s condition. However, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News hears from an NFL source that Henderon has been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition. Per Carucci’s source, the Bills’ right tackle “has experienced severe stomach pain and has lost nearly 20 pounds.”

A seventh-round pick in 2014, Henderson started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started 10 games for the team this year before he was sidelined. Carucci indicates that the former Miami Hurricane is expected to miss the rest of this season, though it’s not clear how the diagnosis will affect him going forward.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:

Ryan Fitzpatrick is on track to play in more than 70% of the Jets‘ offensive plays this season, which is good news for the Texans, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. If Fitzpatrick remains above that threshold, Houston will receive a sixth-round pick from New York, rather than a seventh-rounder.
While Chip Kelly and the Eagles have expressed interest in having Sam Bradford on the roster in 2016 and beyond, the quarterback himself has been noncommittal, preferring to postpone that conversation until after the season, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News writes. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer observes that Bradford’s recovery from his ACL injury has been similar to the path taken by Carson Palmer, so perhaps a Palmer-esque extension would work for Bradford and the Eagles.
Former Giants defensive end Damontre Moore is ready for a fresh start with the Dolphins, and spoke to reporters about his departure from New York. James Kratch of NJ.com has the details and the quotes.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Taylor, Dolphins, Ball

December 16th, 2015 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

The 2015 Jets are showing a lot of similarities to the 2011 Jets, and they’d better hope those similarities end soon, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. Four years ago, the Jets crushed the a pitiful Chiefs team to go 8-5. On Sunday, this year’s Jets team crushed the hapless Titans to improve to 8-5. In 2011, the Jets imploded in their last three games to finish 8-8, and that’s a fate that Gang Green must try and avoid.

“8-5… That’s all it is: 8-5,” linebacker David Harris said over the weekend. “We still have three games to go. So come see me January 4th.”

Here’s more from around the AFC East, including one more Jets note:

In addition to helping make the Jets competitive this season, Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s solid year has had the added benefit of allowing the team to be patient with rookie Bryce Petty, says Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Within the piece, Mehta also makes the case for why Fitzpatrick should get a multiyear extension offer from the Jets.
While New York beat writers are calling for Fitzpatrick to be extended, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com says the Bills don’t need to rush a new deal for quarterback Tyrod Taylor. In Rodak’s view, Taylor is well on his way to proving he can be a long-term solution at QB in Buffalo, but the Bills should be 100% sure before they invest big money in him.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes it’s time for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to either move to Miami or sell the franchise.
Although running back Montee Ball earned a spot on the Patriots‘ practice squad, he isn’t in top shape, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. According to Werder, Ball – who weighed about 205 pounds when he was drafted by the Broncos – was up to 240 when he worked out for the Packers earlier this season, and is now in the 230s.
Earlier today, we heard that the Patriots are bringing in free agent running back Steven Jackson for a look.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

More On Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick

December 13th, 2015 at 10:22am CST by Rory Parks

We learned yesterday that Jets head coach Todd Bowles wants quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to return to the team in 2016, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Fitzpatrick is equally excited about a potential reunion with the club. The Harvard product is in the final year of a two-year, $7.25MM deal he signed with the Texans in 2014, and he will therefore be eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.

Fitzpatrick, a career journeyman who had previously been tagged with unfortunate designations like “just good enough to lose,” has seen something of a revival in New York. Thrust into the starting role after the bizarre Geno Smith/IK Enemkpali incident, Fitzpatrick has thrown 22 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions while posting a solid, if unspectacular, quarterback rating of 88.1. Most importantly, he has the Jets in the midst of the playoff hunt.

Because the Jets are currently 7-5, they will likely not finish low enough in the standings to nab one of the top quarterback options in the 2016 draft. And even though Fitzpatrick has performed well in two consecutive seasons–he threw for 17 TDs against eight interceptions for the Texans in 2014 while putting up a 95.3 quarterback rating–he will still be relatively inexpensive. Given that, and given that Fitzpatrick is clicking with top wideouts Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker while settling nicely into offensive coordinator Chan Gailey‘s offense, it makes sense that the Jets would explore a new contract prior to the February scouting combine.

Fitzpatrick, for his part, has developed a strong relationship with Gailey and has appeared to enjoy his time in New York, where he has expertly navigated the unique New York media situation and evolved into an undisputed locker room leader. Kimberly A. Martin of Newsday writes that Bowles had “a lot of input” in the team’s decision to trade a seventh-round draft choice for Fitzpatrick last March, and the move has clearly paid off for all parties involved (except, perhaps, for Houston). As such, all signs are pointing towards Fitzpatrick landing a multiyear contract from the club within the next few months.

Jets Eyeing Ryan Fitzpatrick Return In 2016?

December 12th, 2015 at 4:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s roundabout way into the Jets’ starting lineup this season, Todd Bowles wants the team to re-sign the veteran quarterback, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

The first-year Jets coach “definitely” wants the team to bring the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick back for another season, Mehta reports. Fitzpatrick’s in the second season of a two-year, $7.25MM deal he signed with the Texans in 2014.

The Jets acquired him for a seventh-round pick this offseason, but that meager cost became a vital exchange once Geno Smith sustained a career-altering broken jaw before the season.

“You can see it in his play,” Bowles told Mehta. “You can see it in his demeanor, his professionalism. Every day, the way he approaches his job. So, it’s somebody you definitely want around. … We got to work (a potential contract out) after the season.”

Fitzpatrick’s camp hasn’t started extension talks with the Jets yet, Mehta reports.

Playing through injuries and elevating the Jets into playoff contention in December for the first time since 2011, Fitzpatrick’s strung together arguably his best season and is on the verge of establishing new career highs.

The one-time seventh-round pick’s thrown for 22 touchdown passes (his career-best mark is 24, set during both the 2011 and 2012 seasons in Buffalo) and 2,866 yards, the latter total resting just less than 1,000 shy of his 2011 personal best. Vinny Testaverde’s 29 touchdown tosses in 1998 remain the Jets’ single-season record.

Smith, who’s attempted just 42 passes after IK Ememkpali‘s locker-room punch removed him from the starting job he’d held since 2013, remains under contract through the 2016 season.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Tannehill, Jets

November 28th, 2015 at 7:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Patriots have dealt with numerous key injuries this year and that will continue to be the case to an almost ridiculous extent Sunday, as the team announced (via Twitter) that wideout Danny Amendola and Jamie Collins won’t play against the 8-2 Broncos in Denver.

While doubting this year’s 10-0 Pats (or any team led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick) seems unwise, Bob McManaman of AZCentral opines that their injury issues have them primed for a nose dive. McManaman writes that the losses of Julian Edelman, Dion Lewis, Nate Solder, Amendola and Aaron Dobson have depleted New England’s AFC-best offense, one that had difficulty in a 20-13 win over Buffalo on Monday. The Bills harassed Brady consistently and held him to season lows in completion percentage (51.3), yards (277), yards per attempt (7.10) and quarterback rating (72.3). Further, they kept Brady’s favorite target, all-world tight end Rob Gronkowski, out of the end zone and held him to season worsts in catches (two) and yards (37). McManaman argues that the Bills provided the blueprint for stopping Gronkowski by stacking the box and putting two defenders on him while pressuring Brady. That could be easier said than done for many teams, but maybe not for a Broncos defense that leads the NFL in both passing yards per game allowed and sacks.

As we wait to see how the injury-ravaged Patriots fare in Denver, here’s more from the AFC East:

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has underwhelmed at times this year, but he still has the full confidence of the team’s front office, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. There’s a disconnect between the coaching staff and front office regarding Tannehill, per Salguero, as the former views the fourth-year man as a game manager and the latter sees him as someone with franchise QB potential. Executive vice president Mike Tannenbaum and company think so highly of the 27-year-old Tannehill that, hypothetically, they’d take him as a long-term option over the similarly aged Cam Newton, Salguero reports. If interim head coach Dan Campbell doesn’t get on board with that type of thinking, it seems his time atop Miami’s staff will definitely end in another six games.
With journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick having come back to earth after a hot start, Bob Glauber of Newsday took a look at possible No. 1 quarterback options for the Jets in 2016. If it’s not Fitzpatrick, it certainly won’t be backup Geno Smith – whom the Jets have no faith in, per Glauber. Among a slew of flawed options, Colin Kaepernick could be the most interesting outside possibility. The mobile Kaepernick – who is on the outs in San Francisco – is still young (28), not far removed from success, and could fare well under offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.
One reason the Jets have gone from 4-1 to 5-5 is the decreased production of wideout Brandon Marshall. Glauber writes that the Jets have to find a way to make him a dominant part of their offense again. Marshall caught 37 passes for 511 yards and four touchdowns in the Jets’ first five games and has hauled in 12 fewer receptions (25) for 222 fewer yards (289) over the last five, though he has accrued nearly as many TDs (three). The reason for the drop in productivity, according to Marshall, “I’m being double-teamed a lot more.” Added Gailey, “We need him to be involved to be a successful offense. They’re taking him away right now, and we don’t have enough other people involved in the passing game to take that away from them.”

AFC East Notes: Brady, Pats, Jets

November 23rd, 2015 at 10:10pm CST by Zachary Links

As the Bills and Patriots do battle, here’s a look at the AFC East:

The NFL’s appeal on the Tom Brady ruling will take place on March 3rd, as Jonathan Stempel and Joseph Ax of Reuters write. The court date comes weeks after Super Bowl 50 (Feb. 7th), so the outcome will not affect Brady’s current season or the Patriots no matter what.
On Monday, Jets coach Todd Bowles said that he is sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick as his starting quarterback, as Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. Despite Fitzpatrick’s rough outing against the Texans, the coach said there was “not much” discussion about making a switch to Geno Smith. “We went over the film like we always do and we judge everybody and we graded every player,” Bowles said. “He missed some throws, but like everybody else he did a lot of things … and we did a lot of things as a group that we’ve got to correct. But we’re fine with Ryan.”
Fitzpatrick has been struggling for sure, but the Jets‘ offensive problems go deeper than that, and Bowles is right to stick with him at quarterback, opines Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. For what it’s worth, the locker room still has Fitzpatrick’s back, including left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

AFC Notes: Titans, H. Jackson, Fitzpatrick, Jets

November 19th, 2015 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

While there’s a chance that interim head coach Mike Mularkey could hang onto the Titans‘ job with a solid showing down the stretch, the team is believed to be interested in Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, among other potential candidates, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links).

Although he cautions that it’s still very early, Rapoport says that Jackson is a “hot candidate” in Tennessee, and would have joined the Titans a couple years ago if the team had hired Mike Zimmer as its head coach instead of Ken Whisenhunt.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Jets have not yet initiated exploratory discussions on a contract extension for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. In Mehta’s view, however, it would make a lot of sense for the team to start pushing for a new deal for the veteran signal-caller, whose current pact expires after the 2015 season.
Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman confirmed today to reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), that the injury keeping him out the rest of the season is a partially torn PCL. The rookie wideout, placed on IR this week, doesn’t feel like he’ll need to undergo surgery on the knee.
With an opportunity to start for the Broncos in Week 11 and perhaps beyond that, quarterback Brock Osweiler would put himself in a good position for a contract extension from the team with a strong performance, as Rand Getlin of the NFL Network explains (video link).
The Jets are bringing in free agent offensive lineman Blaine Clausell for a visit this evening, according to his agent, Brett Tessler (Twitter link). Clausell was cut from the Patriots’ practice squad earlier today.

Jets GM On Fitzpatrick, Smith, Richardson

November 18th, 2015 at 6:13pm CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan addressed reporters for the first time since training camp. Here’s a look at the highlights of the 20-minute chat, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com:

The GM said that veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has a place in the team’s future plans. Maccagnan said he’s “very happy” with the 32-year-old, who will be a free agent after the season. He raved about Fitzpatrick’s intangibles, adding, “I think he has a lot of good football left in him.” Fitzpatrick, who is earning $3.25MM this year, is scheduled to hit free agency after this season. He’s likely due for a raise based on the way he has played this season as the Jets’ starter.
Where does that leave Geno Smith? Maccagnan was non-committal when asked about the West Virginia product and declined to say whether he considers him to be a potential starter for Gang Green. “The jury is still out, but not in a bad way,” Maccagnan said of Smith’s future. For his part, Cimini said that he isn’t buying that, and noted that Jets brass has been around Smith every day for seven months, so they likely know what they have in the QB.
When asked about defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, the GM wasn’t willing to say much. “I’d say for the record, Mo has done a very good job and we’re very happy with what he’s done so far,” Maccagnan said. Cimini feels that all signs point to Wilkerson being slapped with the franchise tag at season’s end.
Things have “been positive” with Sheldon Richardson, the GM says, but he indicated that he still wants to see how the defensive end conducts himself going forward. Earlier today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that Richardson still may be disciplined by the NFL for his off-field behavior, but it likely won’t happen until the offseason.

AFC East Notes: Stacy, Fitzpatrick, Pats, Fins

November 13th, 2015 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

With Bilal Powell sidelined in recent weeks, Zac Stacy has seen a little more action in the Jets‘ backfield as a backup to Chris Ivory, and even got a chance to act as the team’s kick returner on Thursday night. However, those kick-return duties resulted in an injury for Stacy, who fractured his ankle, according to head coach Todd Bowles (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).

While Stacy has yet to officially land on injured reserve, the injury figures to end his season. Powell is expected to return from his own ankle injury soon, so the team may not need to another running back to its roster, with Powell and Stevan Ridley available to back up Ivory.

As we wait to see what roster move the Jets make in the wake of Stacy’s injury, let’s round up a few more notes from around the AFC East….

Speaking to reporters after Thursday’s game, Bowles also confirmed that Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will have surgery on his left thumb on Friday, and should be ready to play vs. the Texans in Week 11 (Twitter links via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News).
Given how well they’ve played this year, Patriots defenders Dont’a Hightower, Chandler Jones, and Jamie Collins all appear to be in line for big new contracts at some point in the not-too-distant future, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. All three players will see their current deals expire at the end of the 2016 season, and Howe believes that all three could earn $10MM+ annually on their next contracts, so it’ll be interesting to see if New England tries to retain all of them beyond next season.
The Dolphins have not approached wide receiver Rishard Matthews, who is in a contract year, about a new deal, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. It sounds to me like any extension discussions between the two sides before Matthews reaches free agency will happen after the season.
Free agent running back Bronson Hill paid a visit to the Dolphins this week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.