Thursday NFL buzz: Is Trevor Siemian's job secure in Denver?
As Week 1 and the kickoff to the 2016 NFL season approach, we're compiling all of the latest news and notes from around the NFL that you might have missed elsewhere.
Check back throughout the day for all of the latest quick hits:
Gronk hurting
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was MIA during preseason, is not 100% ... according to Rob Gronkowski.
Gronk, who's expected to be a key figure in helping Jimmy Garoppolo keep the Patriots afloat while Tom Brady is suspended, has been battling a hamstring injury for almost three weeks.
It could be gamesmanship, but he wouldn't commit Thursday to being ready for Sunday night's game in Arizona.
DeCastro, Steelers reach agreement
All-pro offensive guard David DeCastro and the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to a new deal to keep him locked up through the 2021 season, the team announced.
The new six-year deal is worth $58.07 million, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported.
A first-round pick out of Stanford in 2012, DeCastro has been a standout on the Steelers' line for the last three seasons.
Julio Jones looks ready
The Falcons had wide receiver Julio Jones back with full clearance for Thursday’s practice, confirming the team’s biggest star will be ready for Sunday’s opening game against Tampa Bay.
Jones’ status for the opener was never really in doubt, even when he was held out of last week’s final preseason game with an ankle injury and was limited in Wednesday’s practice.
Even so, having the All-Pro practice without restrictions was comforting for coach Dan Quinn and the Falcons.
“He looked like Julio, which is a good thing for the Falcons,” Quinn said.
— The Associated Press
Matt Jones OK
After a shoulder injury forced him to miss most of the preseason, Washington Redskins running back Matt Jones is practicing again without restriction. The second-year player should be the team's lead back in 2016 after Alfred Morris moved on in free agency.
Elliott taking aim at Dickerson's record
Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson rushed for 1,808 yards in 1983. No other rookie has really come close to that mark.
But Dallas Cowboys first-rounder Ezekiel Elliott is targeting Dickerson's mark.
"Eighteen hundred yards. We joke about it all the time," Elliott said, referring to Dickerson. "I told him I’m going to get it.”
Only two other rookies (George Rogers and Ottis Anderson) have even topped 1,500 rushing yards.
“He told me through his agent that he was going to break my record,” said Dickerson, who kidded (maybe?) that he could have gained 2,600 yards behind Dallas' vaunted O-line. “I just laughed and said, 'Good luck.' Many have said that; all have failed.
“I like the record because you get one shot at it and that’s it, because you’re a rookie one time. You don’t get three or four shots at that record. 'Oh, let me do it again.’ Nah.”
Hat tip:ESPN
Siemian secure?
Trevor Siemian vanquished Mark Sanchez to win the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback job this summer. Heading into Thursday's Week 1 kickoff game, a Super Bowl rematch with the Carolina Panthers, Siemian apparently need not worry about fending off first-round pick Paxton Lynch any time soon.
"Just go out and play," Denver GM John Elway told Siemian, per an ESPN report. "Don't worry about making mistakes. Don't worry about turnovers. You're going to make mistakes. But just bounce back."
Of course, that may be no more than knowing advice from a Hall-of-Fame quarterback, and Elway made more than his share of mistakes as a rookie in 1983. And given the progress Lynch has already shown, don't expect him to remain an emergency option for long if the Broncos go, say, winless in September. After all, Siemian and Lynch currently have the same amount of regular-season starting experience — which is to say none.
Another blow to Seattle O-line
Seattle Seahawks first-round pick Germain Ifedi, a guard, will miss games with a high ankle sprain, per NFL Network.
Seattle's offensive line doesn't have one starter left from its Super Bowl XLVIII. Ifedi was expected to be a major component of the effort to better protect QB Russell Wilson in 2016.
The Seahawks cut ties with veteran guard Jahri Evans when finalizing their roster.