NFL Player News

Ballyhooed and controversial Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has been deemed the lead backup behind Josh McCown, at least for now, the Akron Beacon Journal has reported.

That decision by Mike Pettine was made based on what he has determined from the second phase of the offseason.

Manziel had been considered running neck-and-neck with fellow second-year quarterback Connor Shaw for the backup job. McCown has been declared the starter.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is set to skip OTAs, but his absence is not related to his contract situation. He is instead in Florida to represent the team at the funeral of Tammy Meyerson, who served as the mentor for teammate Jimmy Graham, per NFL.com.

Wilson and the Seahawks have reportedly been millions of dollars apart in contract negotiations, but the two parties have not been contentious publicly about their differences.

Bills general manager Doug Whaley denied reports that the team is moving on from quarterback EJ Manuel. 

The team acquired Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor in the offseason.

In an interview with Jim Rome, Whaley said, "I look at it this way, in this business controversy sells,. The more controversy that you can drum up then the more intereste people are going to be."

"For us we’re excited about the future of all three of those guys," Whaley said. "It’s going to be a great competition. And we can keep three quarterbacks. So I dismiss that as just someone trying to get something stirred during this down time and lack of media stories for the NFL." 

Whaley said all three quarterbacks have an equal shot of winning the starting job. 

"I look for him to come in and compete and try to take the job," he said. "Everybody has got an equal footing. It’s a clean slate for all four of our quarterbacks. We’re not tied to anybody. We just want the best man to start."

Vikings young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater apparently doesn't set the bar too low. When asked while accepting the 2014 Pepsi Rookie of the Year award who he would like to emulate, he replied that it would be future Hall of Famer Brett Favre.

"[He's] the guy," Bridgewater said via Pro Football Talk. "Besides the injuries and the hits and everything, he had a pretty successful career. He's a Hall of Famer for sure, multiple Super Bowls, and that's something I look forward to doing. Hopefully, I can win more Super Bowls."

Heady stuff for a guy merely heading into his second season and playing for a team that has never won a Super Bowl. But Bridgewater showed flashes last year, completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,919 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was particularly impressive down the stretch, hitting on 73 percent of his passes and averaging 273 yards in his last four games.

Derek Carr's agent, Tim Younger, said the Raiders quarterback will not need surgery on his injured right ring finger, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

It was previously reported by ESPN that surgery was a potential option for Carr. 

“I don’t know where this idea came up that he’s going to be having surgery,” Younger said. “The situation, I don’t even want to call it an injury, is very minor, and we’re just being cautious.”

Carr has been held out of team activities to start the offseason. 

The Bills are possibly a quarterback away from being a playoff contender. 

EJ Manuel has been lackluster thus far. Matt Cassel isn't getting any younger. This leaves a potential opportunity for Tyrod Taylor, who signed with Buffalo after spending his first four years as a backup with the Ravens, to be a dark horse to win the job. 

In an interview with Sporting News, Taylor said he's trying to drown out the local noise hyping him up to possibly take the position. 

"I knew coming in here how it was going to be," Taylor said. "My focus is to just prepare for these camps, learn the offense, study and play the best I can.’’

Taylor backed up Joe Flacco during his four years with the Ravens after being selected in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. Flacco proved to be a durable quarterback, which never gave Taylor an opportunity to start. 

Taylor said that Bills coach Rex Ryan told him there would be a quarterback competition during training camp, with the former Virginia Tech star ready for the challenge. 

“He was telling me how excited he was to have a chance to have me there and to have me compete for the job,’’ Taylor said. “Throughout the process, I thought this opportunity was the best for an open competition. That’s what I’d always felt throughout the offseason, and I had confidence in what I could do when I got that chance.’’

Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said there would not be a quarterback competition during training camp and that incumbent QB Geno Smith would "probably" be the team's starter during Week 1 of the regular season, per the Daily News. 

Smith, who threw for 2,525 yards, 13 touchdowns with 13 interceptions a season ago, figured to be locked in a battle with Ryan Fitzpatrick for the starter's role, instead will go into camp with the job his to lose, according to Gailey. 

"You see an awful lot of talent there … he can be pretty good if he can get it all together," Gailey said. 

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is reportedly dealing with a right ring finger injury that may require surgery, according to ESPN NFL Insider Chris Mortensen.

Carr, who missed the first day of OTAs Tuesday, may miss the rest of the activities but is optimistic about training camp, according to the report. Carr threw for 3,270 yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2014.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was absent from the first full-team practice during OTAs on Tuesday due to an undisclosed injury, according to the Associated Press.

Coach Jack Del Rio did not further comment on Carr's status since he said it is not in his policy to discuss offseason injuries. He only said Carr was one of a handful of players who could not partake in practice.

Carr started all 16 games as a rookie in 2014. He completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 3,270 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He had a 76.6 quarterback rating as the Raiders went 3-13.

Calling Ryan Tannehill an "ascending talent," the Dolphins have extended the contract of their franchise quarterback through 2020, per the Palm Beach Post, which is further reporting that he will likely earn more than $15 million per season.

Tannehill peaked in 2014, throwing for a career-high 4,045 yards and 27 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions.

"He is an ascending talent, a team leader and he checks all of the boxes you are looking for at the position," said Miami executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum.

Added general manager Dennis Hickey: "He's a proven quarterback in this league that combines skillset with work ethic, passion, toughness, and a team-first mentality."

The Dolphins had already exercised their fifth-year option on Tannehill's rookie deal, but their latest move adds at least four more years to his time in Miami.