Trent Murphy - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Suspends Trent Murphy Four Games

April 14th, 2017 at 3:11pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL has suspended Redskins outside linebacker Trent Murphy for four games without pay for a violation of its policy on performance-enhancing drugs, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Murphy unsuccessfully appealed the ban, which the league originally handed down last month.

A 2014 second-round pick, Murphy seemingly boosted his stock last season – his second straight 16-game campaign – by picking up career-high totals in sacks (nine) and forced fumbles (three) during his penultimate year of team control. Impressively, Murphy posted that gaudy sack total without starting a game, instead serving as a reserve behind Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith. Murphy was mostly a No. 1 in his first two years, during which he combined for 23 starts and six sacks in 31 appearances.

Now that the league has upheld Murphy’s suspension, he’ll miss a quarter of the season, thus hurting him as he vies for a strong contract year and subtracting a key defender from Washington’s lineup. The Redskins finished last season tied for ninth in the league in sacks (38), 20 of which came from Kerrigan (a team-leading 11) and Murphy.

Trent Murphy Facing Four-Game Ban

March 5th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Redskins outside linebacker Trent Murphy could have a delayed start to his 2017 season. The fourth-year edge defender is facing a four-game ban for the use of performance-enhancing substances, Master Tefatsion of the Washington Post reports. Murphy has appealed the suspension, per Tefatsion.

Murphy operated as a valuable off-the-bench rotational presence for the Redskins in 2016, playing behind Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith. This suspension standing and depriving Murphy of his September slate would be a rough start to what stands to be his contract year. Washington acquired the pass-rusher in the second round of the 2014 draft.

Since, Murphy has started 23 games, with his primary audition season occurring in 2015. Murphy started 15 games for the NFC East champions that season, vaulting into the lineup after Junior Galette suffered the first of his summer season-ending injuries. However, as a bench presence, Murphy shined, registering nine sacks last season. Only Kerrigan’s 11 outpaced that total. Going into 2016, Murphy had just six career sacks.

He did so after initially gaining weight to move to defensive end, but when Galette tore his Achilles’ tendon for a second time in two years, Washington moved Murphy back to outside linebacker. After shedding the excess weight, he became one of Washington’s best pass-rushers. Now, the team could have issues at outside ‘backer, given Galette’s injury history and this prospective suspension.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Prescott, Redskins

August 8th, 2016 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to downplay the team’s desire to sign or trade for a backup quarterback. On Sunday, Jones spoke highly of fourth-round pick Dak Prescott and second-year QB Jameill Showers.

“I’m more encouraged after this about holding our pat hand on a veteran than before this,” Jones told Clarence E. Hill Jr. of The Star-Telegram. “As we go along and if we continue to see this kind of improvement and this kind of instinctive play, I can really get comfortable back there. Both of those guys played well. It was what you wanted to see. They looked comfortable and they reacted well when you got a little pressure. It was a good outing. It was good for everyone to see. To me that was one of the pluses.”

Jones isn’t the only one who thinks that Prescott could handle the pace of the NFL this year. Recently, scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas profiled Prescott and other members of the Cowboys’ rookie class for PFR.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Undrafted rookie Andy Jones is making a strong bid to make the Cowboys‘ 53-man roster, Drew Davison of the Star Telegram writes. Both owner Jerry Jones and VP Stephen Jones have sung the praises of the FCS wide receiver. “He’s had a great camp,” Stephen Jones said. “He’s one of those that you look at in a uniform and go, ‘Wow,’ that’s pretty good. Then he goes and plays and it’s still really good. He’s certainly making a big effort here and I think he has a real chance to compete for a spot on this team. Recently, Devin Street suffered a back injury and Jones seems to be making the most of the opportunity. The Cowboys obviously think highly of Jones as they gave him the highest signing bonus ($15K) of any of their UDFAs this year.
Redskins coach Jay Gruden says Trent Murphy will focus more on the outside linebacker position than defensive end thanks to the Junior Galette injury (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com). With Murphy at outside linebacker, the Redskins ostensibly will not be scouring the market for reinforcements at OLB. Meanwhile, Murphy will have to keep his weight down since he’ll be playing more at OLB than defensive end. For a more detailed look at the Redskins’ depth chart with Murphy at OLB, check out their page on Roster Resource.
The Eagles are discussing a deal with free agent linebacker Stephen Tulloch. Tulloch’s 108 tackles led the way for Detroit last season.
Last week, the Giants added one of the biggest names left on the free agent market when they signed cornerback Leon Hall.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/15

September 12th, 2015 at 9:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Latest minor moves:

The Eagles released wideout Jeff Maehl with an injury settlement, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
As mentioned below, the Saints placed LB Davis Tull on IR on Saturday. The reason is now known: Tull has a left shoulder tear. It’s unrelated to earlier labrum surgery he had on his right shoulder. (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com).

Earlier:

In opening a spot for Bates, Washington cut defensive end Frank Kearse, per Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (via Twitter). Kearse, the fifth defensive end on Washington’s depth chart, has played in 29 career games and started eight since entering the league in 2011 as a seventh-round pick of the Dolphins. He’s accrued 4.5 career sacks. Boyer notes (on Twitter) Kearse dealt with a shoulder injury since training camp. He played 15 games for Washington last year.
To make room for Seantavius Jones, Opurum and defensive back Don Jones, who joins his practice squad teammates in receiving weekend promotions to the active roster, the Saints cut Tim Hightower and guard Mike McGlynn, and placed rookie linebacker Davis Tull on injured reserve, Evan Woodberry of NOLA.com reports. McGlynn, dubbed the worst guard in football in two of the past three seasons as a member of the Colts and Chiefs, was not going to be active Sunday, and New Orleans needs special teams contributors, reports Woodberry (on Twitter). Hightower was serving as the Saints’ third-string running back in C.J. Spiller‘s absence.
In bringing LeGarrette Blount back to the 53-man roster after his one-game suspension, the Patriots waived linebacker Eric Martin, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Martin played on special teams for New England in its season-opening win over Pittsburgh.
New Orleans added a second player from its practice squad to the active roster in promoting fullback Toben Opurum, according to Woodberry. The Saints, notes Woodberry (on Twitter), are stockpiling special-teamers, with five of their own talents out due to injuries.
The Saints are promoting wideout Seantavius Jones to the active roster, reports Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. Terrell notes Jones will likely play as the team’s fifth receiver with a special teams role. A corresponding roster move hasn’t been announced.
Washington will promote outside linebacker Houston Bates off its practice squad for Week 1 due to the team having concerns about Jackson Jeffcoat‘s thigh ailment, according to Boyer (on Twitter). Boyer looks to serve as the backup to Trent Murphy on the right side after being one of the team’s last cuts this preseason, joining Washington as an undrafted free agent from Louisiana Tech.
The Browns are promoting Shaun Draughn to their active roster from their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The 27-year-old Draughn played 16 games for the Chiefs in 2012, rushing for 233 yards. He’ll sit behind Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson and Robert Turbin on the depth chart.
The Texans agreed to injury settlements with outside backers Lynden Trail and Tony Washington to take them off injured reserve, Wilson reports. Both undrafted rookies, Trail’s preseason ended after a quadriceps injury, with Washington’s concluding after a chest malady in the team’s preseason finale.

East Notes: Wilkerson, Washington, Battle

July 5th, 2015 at 11:22am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at a few notes from the league’s east divisions:

Other writers have opined the same thing, but Darryl Slater of NJ.com definitively asserts that Muhammad Wilkerson, despite some speculation to the contrary, will not be holding out of Jets training camp this month.
Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com takes a look at five players who may begin the season on the Washington bench but who could crack the starting lineup before the end of the year. He tabs ILB Martrell Spaight and OLB Preston Smith as particularly intriguing players to watch in the Washington front seven.
Similarly, John Keim of ESPN.com believes Smith will ultimately overtake Trent Murphy as a full-time starter at outside linebacker. Washington‘s coaching staff loves Smith’s length, his hands, and his versatility, and Smith appears to have a much higher ceiling as a pass rusher.
In the same piece, Keim writes that Kirk Cousins still has fans on the Washington coaching staff and among certain players, but even though he showed flashes of strong play last year, the critical turnovers he made and his inability to respond well to those turnovers have compelled the team to hand Robert Griffin III the starting job.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com does not expect the Giants to be interested in any of the players available in the supplemental draft. We heard yesterday that Clemson OT Isaiah Battle may be a good fit for Big Blue, but Raanan thinks otherwise. Although New York may take a flier on Battle in the sixth or seventh round of the supplemental draft, there are likely a number of other teams who will put a much higher value on his talent.
Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe offers her take on the 10 best moves made in the AFC East this offseason.

NFC East Notes: RGIII, Murphy, Carr

March 27th, 2015 at 10:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Scot McCloughan has been putting his stamp on Washington’s roster since he took over as the team’s general manager in January. That’s not going to stop anytime soon, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (video link). McCloughan didn’t draft a single one of Washington’s players, which means he has no built-in loyalty toward those individuals and could look to replace anyone on the roster, per El-Bashir. One of those players is quarterback Robert Griffin III, whose future in Washington beyond next season is nebulous. RGIII has a player option for 2016 worth over $16MM, and El-Bashir speculates that Washington is either still discussing what to do with that option or has decided not to pick it up. The club has until May 3 to make its decision known.

Let’s take a further look at the most recent news regarding Washington and one of its NFC East rivals:

Washington used a 2014 second-round pick on outside linebacker Trent Murphy, who had just 2.5 sacks as a rookie. Now there’s speculation that Washington will spend another high selection on an outside linebacker this year, perhaps its first-rounder (fifth overall). Despite that, head coach Jay Gruden still believes in the 24-year-old Murphy, writes El-Bashir. “He’s very young up top, his frame, and he’s going get a lot stronger,” said Gruden. “He’s got the hands. He’s got the hips. He’s got the flexibility to be an effective pass rusher.”
Pittsburg State cornerback De’Vante Bausby is an unheralded draft prospect to keep an eye on for Washington, El-Bashir tweeted. Washington attended his pro day Thursday.
The Cowboys’ pass defense ranked 26th in the NFL last season, but Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News reports that the team hasn’t hosted any cornerback prospects as the draft nears. The Cowboys have instead focused on running backs and linemen.
Speaking of Dallas’ corners, Sturm took a look at Brandon Carr‘s situation. Carr’s agent said earlier this week that the 28-year-old is not going to take a pay cut for 2015, when he’s due to count $12.7MM against the salary cap, which means Dallas could eventually cut him loose. Doing so after June 1 would save the Cowboys $8MM on next season’s cap. However, Sturm thinks Carr will ultimately stick around at a reduced rate – perhaps with the help of a contract extension – as the Cowboys aren’t in position to find another corner to adequately replace the seven-year veteran and the 1,000-plus downs he’ll play in 2015.

Washington Places Trent Murphy On IR

December 23rd, 2014 at 11:25am CST by Zachary Links

Washington has placed linebacker Trent Murphy on injured reserve, according to Mike Jones of The Washington Post (on Twitter). To fill his spot on the 53-man roster, the team will promote offensive lineman Rishaw Johnson from the Giants’ practice squad.

The rookie fractured the third metacarpal in his right hand and did not return in Saturday night’s win over the Eagles. A second-round pick out of Stanford, Murphy had started the last eight games at right outside linebacker for Washington, notching 32 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Coach Jay Gruden said on Sunday afternoon that Murphy is “a long shot” to play with the broken hand.

The Giants signed Johnson to their taxi squad in early December. The interior lineman has had a number of p-squad stints this season, including the Cowboys, making this his third NFC East stop of the year. This time, however, it’s on the 53-man roster, where he hasn’t been since 2013 with the Chiefs.

Washington filled their practice squad vacancy yesterday by signing wide receiver Colin Lockett.

NFC Links: Eagles, Murphy, Robinson

June 22nd, 2014 at 6:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Eagles depth chart is still in flux, but the receivers are already beginning to fall into different roles, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin have been constants as the top two outside receivers on the first team, but both Brad Smith and rookie Jordan Matthews have spent time in the slot with the first team. Matthews has also moved to the outside on the second team. Mosher does expect Maclin to play in the slot in the first team in three-receiver sets.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

Redskins’ rookie linebacker Trent Murphy is using his flexibility to contribute to the defense in more ways than one, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Head coach Jay Gruden was impressed with his ability to line up at multiple positions in different situations, and outside linebackers coach Brian Baker was impressed with his literal flexibility as a taller player who can bend rushing off the edge.
Rams‘ first-round pick Greg Robinson was moved from tackle to guard in order to help transition to the NFL game, and he is still getting used to the transition according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “It’s just everything happens faster inside,” Robinson said. “Outside you have a little more time to kick. The guys are faster but these guys are just quick and trained to rush the passer. It’s just about keeping my feet working and knowing when to pull.”
49ers‘ cornerback Chris Cook is working on his ball skills, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Despite the team’s need at the position, Cook needs to erase the perception that he plays the ball poorly in the air if he wants to impact the defense in 2014.

NFC Mailbags: Redskins, Rams, Panthers, Lions

May 24th, 2014 at 9:46pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means a fresh batch of mailbags from ESPN.com’s NFL writers. Let’s take a look at some from around the NFC…

Trent Murphy was certainly a fallback option for Brian Orakpo, but that doesn’t mean Orakpo won’t re-sign with the Redskins, says John Keim. He adds that the smart move would be to keep both players.
Rams‘ writer Nick Wagoner thinks the team will carry three quarterbacks, including Garrett Gilbert. He cautions that the rookie is not a lock to make the roster.
The money that the Rams would gain from cutting Austin Pettis could be enticing, Wagoner says. Stedman Bailey‘s suspension might mean that Pettis is sticking around, though.
Wagoner thinks the team will bring in a veteran linebacker, similar to what the team did last season with Will Witherspoon.
The Panthers will definitely be adding players as they’re cut from other teams, writes David Newton. The writer says General Manager Dave Gettleman is “saving money under the salary cap for a rainy day.”
The Lions could potentially keep six wide receivers on their 53-man roster, says Michael Rothstein. He lists Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate as locks and believes Jeremy Ross will find a spot. He says one of Kris Durham, Kevin Ogletree and Naaman Roosevelt will make the roster, as well as one of T.J. Jones and Ryan Broyles. His wild card for the sixth spot would be Corey Fuller.
Rothstein doesn’t think the Lions should make a move right now for Asante Samuel. He adds that they could make a move for a cornerback eventually, especially if Chris Houston can’t return.
Dwayne Harris‘ job is safe with the Cowboys, opines Todd Archer. Besides being a solid wideout, his skills on special teams make him a lock.

Redskins Sign Trent Murphy

May 23rd, 2014 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Redskins have signed their top draft pick, the team announced today, tweeting out word that second-round linebacker Trent Murphy has inked his rookie contract with the club. Locking up the 47th overall pick means that third-rounder Morgan Moses is the only Washington draftee who has yet to reach an agreement with the team.

Murphy, 23, was a consensus All-American in 2013, leading the NCAA with 15 sacks. Still, the Stanford alum was viewed as something of a surprising choice for the Redskins, whose roster already featured outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, and had more glaring holes elsewhere. The team may view Murphy as a long-term replacement – or at least insurance policy – for Orakpo, who appears set to play the 2014 season under the franchise tag.

Per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Murphy’s signing bonus should be worth about $1.573MM, while his overall four-year contract will have a base value in the neighborhood of $4.473MM.