SB Nation - Matt Murphy

Broncos Sign QB Darrell Hackney To Active Roster

John Bena — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:22:30 -0000

The Denver Broncos on Saturday signed quarterback Darrell Hackney to their active roster from their practice squad, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

The Broncos also on Saturday waived tackle Matt Murphy, whom they signed on Monday.

Hackney (6-foot-0, 248 pounds) is a second-year player who spent the first eight weeks of the 2008 season on Denver's practice squad. He was on the Broncos' active roster for their final eight games of the 2007 campaign after beginning that season on their practice squad but has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game.

In four games (1 start) with the Broncos during the 2008 preseason, Hackney completed 24-of-38 (63.2%) passes for 285 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a 94.7 passer rating.

A first-team All-Conference USA selection as a senior at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Hackney entered the NFL with Cleveland as a college free agent on May 5, 2006.

He attended Douglass High School in Atlanta and was born on Aug. 7, 1983.

Broncos Add Chad Jackson, Announce Several More Moves

John Bena — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:55:36 -0000

The Denver Broncos on Monday announced several roster transactions, including the additions of free-agent wide receiver Chad Jackson and tackle Matt Murphy to their active roster.

Denver also on Monday signed cornerback Josh Bell to its active roster from its practice squad while adding center Greg Eslinger and cornerback Rashod Moulton to its practice squad.

Jackson (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) is a third-year wide receiver who spent his first two professional seasons with New England, which selected him in the second round (36th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft from the University of Florida. He competed in training camp with the Patriots this season but was waived on Aug. 31.

In 14 career games (1 start), Jackson has totaled 13 receptions for 152 yards (11.7 avg.) with three touchdowns along with four rushes for 22 yards (5.5 avg.). He owns five career punt returns for 83 yards (16.6 avg.) and six kickoff returns for 106 yards (17.7 avg.). The wide receiver also has appeared in three career playoff games, returning four kickoffs for 78 yards (19.5 avg.) and adding one special-teams stop.

Jackson was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award (nation's top receiver) and a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection as a junior at Florida. He attended Hoover High School in Hoover, Ala., and was born on March 6, 1985.

Murphy (6-foot-5, 264 pounds) is a seventh-year tackle who spent the last two seasons with Buffalo after playing for Houston (2003-05) and Detroit (2002). Selected by the Lions in the seventh round (253rd overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft from the University of Maryland, Murphy has appeared in 28 career games (3 starts) at both the tackle and tight end positions.

Murphy, who started a career-high two games with the Texans in 2005, was inactive for Buffalo's 2008 season opener before the club released him on Sept. 13.

A tight end and defensive end at Maryland, Murphy attended New Haven High School in New Haven, Mich., and was born on Feb. 23, 1980.

Bell (5-foot-11, 177 pounds) is a rookie cornerback who spent the last five weeks on Denver's practice squad after joining the club on Sept. 24. He entered the NFL with the Chargers on May 2 as a college free agent from Baylor University but was waived by San Diego on Aug. 31.

During four seasons at Baylor, Bell totaled 94 career tackles and 12 pass breakups. A first-team all-district selection at Skyline High School in Dallas, Bell was born on Jan. 8, 1985.

Eslinger (6-foot-3, 291 pounds) is a third-year center who begins his second stint with the Broncos, who selected him in the sixth round (198th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft from the University of Minnesota.

He signed with Cleveland's active roster from Denver's practice squad on Nov. 14, 2007, but was inactive for all four games with the Browns. Eslinger finished that season on Houston's practice squad and competed in its 2008 training camp before he was waived on Aug. 30.

A consensus All-American who received the Outland Trophy (nation's best interior lineman) as a senior at Minnesota, Eslinger attended Bismarck High School in Bismarck, N.D., and was born on April 23, 1983.

Moulton (5-foot-11, 184 pounds) is a first-year cornerback who joins the Broncos from Jacksonville, which released him from its practice squad on Sept. 1. He entered the NFL with the Jaguars on May 14, 2007, as a college free agent from Fort Valley State University and spent his entire rookie campaign on the club's practice squad.

Moulton played defensive back, running back and wide receiver at Fort Valley State, where he also returned kickoffs and punts. He posted five interceptions while averaging 7.9 yards (19-151) on punt returns as a senior.

A three-year starter at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., Moulton was born on Nov. 6, 1980.

Bills prepared to move on without Crowell

Brian Galliford — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:32:19 -0000

Crowell likely finished as a member of the Bills (Photo Source)

Yesterday, the Buffalo Bills shocked their fan base when they announced that linebacker Angelo Crowell had been placed on Injured Reserve. Though he had practiced just a day earlier and had participated in the Bills' pre-season victory over Indianapolis, Crowell chose to have surgery when his lingering knee injury was deemed too difficult to play on.

Now, the fact that Crowell is seeking a second opinion on his injured knee is, by and large, irrelevant. Crowell's 2008 season is over, and as this is the final year of a contract extension he signed in 2005, he will become an unrestricted free agent - and his career with Buffalo is likely over.

Variety of Reasons Behind the Move
A source close to the team informs us that Buffalo's decision to end Crowell's season was not made lightly. The team was concerned about the amount of time it would take Crowell to rehab; the standard line of 2-4 weeks post-arthroscopic surgery may not have applied to Crowell, as his injury was lingering, and the team feared that it may be without Crowell for up to three months. Crowell's decision to seek a second opinion is likely to dispel the rumor that he's damaged goods now that his season is over. It's important to note that Buffalo's medical staff was behind this decision, and that their concern about what could happen during Crowell's rehab was the motivating factor behind the decision. Had they waited for Crowell's rehab to begin and then knew that his out time would be substantial, they'd have been taking a huge risk.

The team also feared that Crowell had ulterior motives in sitting out - namely, his contract. The team feels that Crowell made his decision with the idea that he'd miss part of the season, get completely healthy, and have a productive go of it once he returned in order to maximize his contract value. That's not entirely unreasonable to believe given the circumstances. The team's decision to IR Crowell was not made, however, to prevent him from maximizing his contract value.

Not a Part of Long-Term Plans
In short, the Bills' current regime - led by head coach Dick Jauron - has never been overly enamored with Crowell since taking over the team in 2006. Crowell has been a productive player in his time, to be sure, and he was certainly good enough to be a starter here, but the coaches have never felt he gave it his all, both on and off the field. That's not to say they view him as a "me-first" player; he just doesn't display some of the traits that the team's leaders do, particularly in work ethic. He's also not viewed as the most intelligent of players, especially in coverage. It boils down to this: the Bills viewed Crowell as good enough to start in 2008, but he wasn't in the team's long-term plans.

The fact that Crowell's decision was spur-of-the-moment brought the situation to a head. Our source tells us that once Crowell's decision was made, the Bills were faced with an ultimatum: wait for Crowell and possibly play a double-digit number of football games with only 52 players, or put him on IR, let him get healthy, and wish him well. In the end, the decision wasn't exactly easy, but it was probably the right one - if Crowell is a lame duck and the team wasn't happy with him, what gain is there to waiting for him to return, especially if his motives are more contractual-based than team-based? The Bills' duty is to the team, not the player, and if Keith Ellison is more dedicated to the team than Crowell is - and isn't considered a huge drop-off - then you do what's best for the team. It's that simple.

Bills Leaders Upset with Crowell?
Don't forget, either, that some of the popular players mentioned as possible releases in lieu of losing Crowell - such as DE Copeland Bryan or OT Matt Murphy - earned their keep. They're team-first guys; Murphy in particular has proven to be the antithesis to Crowell, struggling to play through a shoulder injury for the good of the team. There's a difference between "hurt" and "injured", folks. Crowell is hurt; he can clearly play on the injury, as he did so literally a day before deciding to have surgery. Meanwhile, Murphy is gutting it out, and guys like Ryan Denney, Chris Kelsay and even Ellison played through actual injuries last season - our source says "they were virtual cripples" - all for the sake of the team. Our source reveals that several key players - leaders - aren't happy with Crowell's decision at all.

Ultimately, what's important to know about Crowell is this: he was, in essence, a lame duck player that wasn't necessarily a part of the team's long-term plans. We fans can have our opinions on the matter, but ultimately, the team is excited about what Keith Ellison can do as a starter on the strong side. Any notions that the team made this move to cut costs or punish Crowell for pulling a surprise on them are completely and utterly false - they did it because of the nature of Crowell's injury and the fact that they didn't want to wait for a guy who might not be putting the team first. It's not the prettiest of situations, but as they've done many other times, the Bills made the right decision in this matter. It was a hard decision, but it was right.