Dolphins’ Xavien Howard Out 3-6 Weeks
The Dolphins were already paper thin at cornerback. Now they’ve lost starter Xavien Howard for three to six weeks because of meniscus surgery, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Howard – who suffered the injury in practice this week – previously underwent surgery on the same knee in June, which caused the rookie second-round pick from Baylor to miss all of training camp and the preseason.
Despite his inability to get on the field during the summer, Howard led all Dolphins corners in snaps (304) over the season’s first four weeks. Among Dolphins defensive backs, only standout safety Reshad Jones (314 snaps) has seen more action than Howard this year. Howard amassed 28 tackles, two passes defensed and a forced fumble in his first four NFL games (all starts), with Pro Football Focus ranking his performance a subpar 83rd among 111 qualifying corners.
Part of the reason Howard has been on the field so much in Year 1 is the Dolphins’ lack of capable corners. Their most proven option, big-money offseason pickup Byron Maxwell, is amid his second straight underwhelming campaign. That earned the former Seahawk and Eagle a demotion prior to Miami’s 22-7 loss to the Bengals in Week 4. Maxwell didn’t play a snap in that game, but he’ll return to a prominent role against the Titans in a battle of 1-3 teams on Sunday. Joining him will be Tony Lippett, who has played 67 snaps this year. All of those snaps came versus the Bengals, against whom Lippett picked up his first pro start. However, Cincinnati’s top receiver, A.J. Green, torched the 2015 fifth-rounder from Michigan State.
Maxwell aside, the only Dolphins corner with much of a track record is Chris Culliver, who’s on the physically unable to perform list and hasn’t played this year. Culliver is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered as a Redskin last November, but head coach Adam Gase expects the sixth-year man to factor into the Dolphins’ secondary when he’s eligible to return after the sixth game of the season.
“He’ll be in the conversation very fast,” said Gase.
Miami’s defense will enter Sunday ranked 20th in DVOA against the pass, 23rd in YPA allowed (7.9), 24th in quarterback rating against (98.4) and tied for 31st in interceptions (one).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/7/16
Friday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: Darrell Greene, Matt Rotheram
- Cut: Don Cherry, JaCorey Shepherd
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: DT Ryan Carrethers (via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com)
Joey Bosa To Debut Sunday
After missing the first four games of the season because of a hamstring strain, Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa will make his highly anticipated NFL debut Sunday, he told Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“This has been a long time coming. I’m finally going to play my first snap. But I’m going to stay calm and treat it like another game,” said Bosa.
With Bosa set to crack the lineup against the AFC West rival Raiders, the 1-3 Chargers will finally get a glimpse of the third overall pick in a game situation. Bosa previously missed each of the Chargers’ four preseason contests and all of training camp on account of a months-long contract battle between him and the team. The former Ohio State Buckeye and his representatives fought with San Diego over offset language and signing bonus distribution in his deal. They eventually agreed to a compromise Aug. 29, but only after publicly trading blows.
Given that Bosa just became a full participant in practice this week, the Chargers will likely limit his snap count against the Raiders, per Gehlken. For the Bolts, though, any impact from Bosa would be welcome against Oakland – which is 3-1 and in possession of one of the league’s top offenses. The Chargers have struggled defensively and are banged up at cornerback, but their Bosa-less pass rush has fared well. San Diego ranks tied for 12th in the league in sacks (nine) and third in hurries (27).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Carson Palmer Progressing Toward Return
The concussion that forced quarterback Carson Palmer to exit the Cardinals’ 17-13 loss to the Rams last Sunday and kept him from suiting up for their 33-21 win over the 49ers on Thursday is unlikely to limit him going forward. Palmer is in the last stage of the NFL’s concussion protocol, head coach Bruce Arians revealed Friday. Arians also expressed optimism about Palmer’s chances of starting in Week 6.
“I can’t say for sure. But he looked good in there lifting weights,” Arians told reporters, including Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
With Palmer on the shelf lately, the Cardinals have turned to veteran backup Drew Stanton, though his results haven’t been pretty. Stanton has completed just 16-of-43 passes for 172 yards to accompany a pair of touchdowns and interceptions this season. Arizona largely won in spite of Stanton in San Francisco, where he connected on a meager 11-of-28 throws for 124 yards and two scores.
Palmer, who’s a year removed from the best season of his career, took a step back in the early going before suffering the concussion. The former Bengal and Raider completed 63.7 of his 537 attempts and posted an 8.71 YPA, 35 scores against 11 picks, and a 104.6 passer rating for the 13-3 Cardinals in 2015. So far this season, the 36-year-old’s rates have fallen off (58.8 percent completion mark, 7.52 YPA, 81.9 rating), and he has already tossed five INTs against six TDs. Nevertheless, Palmer is easily the Cardinals’ top option under center, meaning they’ll need him healthy in order to challenge for a Super Bowl title.
At 2-3, Arizona has been among the league’s biggest disappointments this year. The club, perhaps with Palmer back in the lineup, will hope to build on its Thursday victory when it hosts the Jets in a Week 6 Monday night matchup. After that, five of its next six games come against potential NFC contenders. From Oct. 23 to Dec. 4, the Cardinals’ opponents include the Seahawks, Panthers, Vikings, Falcons and Redskins.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers’ Colin Kaepernick Could Start Week 6
Head coach Chip Kelly left the door open for backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick to grab the reins from Blaine Gabbert after the 49ers’ 33-21 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday. It now appears Kaepernick will start the 49ers’ Week 6 game in Buffalo, multiple sources have told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
Gabbert beat out Kaepernick for the 49ers’ starting role over the summer, but the latter wasn’t in football shape after undergoing surgeries on his left knee, left shoulder and right thumb. It’s unknown how physically ready Kaepernick is now, but whether it’s him or fellow backup Christian Ponder – whom some 49ers players reportedly prefer – the free-falling club needs to make a change under center.
As has been the case for most of his six-year career, Gabbert has performed woefully this season. The 10th overall pick of the 2011 draft and former Jaguar has completed just 58 percent of his 150 passes this year with a 5.93 YPA, five touchdowns against six interceptions, and a 69.6 QB rating. Along the way, the 49ers have lost four in a row after winning their opener in resounding fashion, 28-0, over the Rams.
Of the 49ers’ three signal-callers, Kaepernick has easily enjoyed the most on-field success. Before last season, when his numbers dipped significantly in an injury-shortened year, the 2011 second-rounder from Nevada was a major dual threat who combined for 50 touchdowns and 21 interceptions as a passer from 2012-14 while rushing for over 1,500 yards. He also helped lead San Francisco to a Super Bowl berth during the 2012-13 campaign and a place in the NFC title game the next season.
More recently, Kaepernick’s activism has drawn far more attention than his resume as a player. The 28-year-old has become one of America’s most polarizing athletes in recent memory on account of his refusal to stand for the pregame national anthem. In doing so, Kaepernick is protesting racial injustice in America, and his choice has spurred other NFLers to make similar pregame statements.
Regardless of whether Kaepernick reclaims his old job against the Bills, he could go forward with a restructured contract. Kaepernick and the 49ers are working to amend the long-term deal they reached in 2014, meaning he would be able to void the pact after this season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Activate Marcell Dareus
Fresh off two straight wins to even their record at 2-2, the Bills will welcome back one of their cornerstone players in time for a road game against the Rams on Sunday. The team has activated two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, whom the NFL suspended for the season’s first four games for a substance abuse violation. In corresponding moves, the Bills have placed wide receiver Greg Salas on injured reserve with a groin issue and cut guard Terran Vaughn from their practice squad.
Dareus is now coming off his second suspension in as many years, though his ban in 2015 only lasted one game. After the league handed him his latest suspension, the 26-year-old claimed it was the result of a missed drug test. Dareus also declared he’d check into rehab. Neither of those statements proved true, however, as Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reported Wednesday that Dareus did not miss a test – he instead violated the league’s drug program multiple times dating back to his one-game suspension last year. And, in lieu of rehab, Dareus received treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to Jarrett Bell of USA Today. He also sought counsel from Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Bruce Smith, the Bills’ all-time greatest defender.
Going forward, the Bills will now hope Dareus’ off-field troubles are behind him. The club signed the ex-Alabama star and 2011 third overall pick to a massive extension 13 months ago, but Dareus then had somewhat of a disappointing season as part of an underachieving defense. Dareus posted a career-low sack total last season (two) after piling up 10.5 the previous year and a combined 28.5 from 2011-14. He could now bolster a unit that ranks fourth in the league in sacks, 14th in DVOA and 16th in total defense.
Meanwhile, although Salas missed the Bills’ wins over the past two weeks, his loss is another blow to the depth of a team that’s perilously thin at receiver. With Salas and the highly talented Sammy Watkins on IR, the Bills are left with Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin and Walter Powell as their top three options. Salas hauled in four catches for 89 yards and a touchdown over the season’s first two weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Steelers Release Bruce Gradkowski
The Steelers have released quarterback Bruce Gradkowski from injured reserve, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link).
Injuries have been problematic lately for Gradkowski, who landed on IR last month after he suffered a hamstring tear. He previously spent all of last season on IR with shoulder and hand injuries. Nevertheless, Pittsburgh re-signed the journeyman in May, although it only gave him $80K in guarantees on a deal that could have been worth $965K.
Gradkowski joined the Steelers in 2013 and ultimately never attempted a regular-season pass with the club. For his career, the former Toledo Rocket has completed 375-of-709 passes for 4,057 yards, 21 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
Gradkowski’s exit won’t have an effect on the Steelers’ depth chart, where they’re deep at quarterback. Pittsburgh has experienced backups Landry Jones and Zach Mettenberger behind Ben Roethlisberger.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pigskin Links: Brady, Titans, Zimmer
Here at Pro Football Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NFL transactions and high-quality original analysis. Each week, we also feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our regular feature, Pigskin Links.
We’re looking for interesting reads on all things football from blogs of all sizes. While PFR is dedicated to player movement, Pigskin Links is open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest your blog post (or someone else’s) for Pigskin Links, send us an email with the link and a brief synopsis at PigskinLinks@gmail.com.
Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere:
- Wayniac Nation says Tom Brady‘s return should help the ratings.
- Titans 247 says this is a different 1-3 for Tennessee.
- From The Rafters shows some love for Vikings coach Mike Zimmer.
- With The First Pick ran down the fastest rising prospects in the 2017 draft.
- Cup Of Joe In The D updated its power rankings for Week 5.
Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Email it to Zach or tweet it to him: @ZachLinks.
49ers Players Want Ponder To Start?
After the 49ers lost to the Cardinals on Thursday night, coach Chip Kelly indicated that he is considering benching Blaine Gabbert in favor of Colin Kaepernick. Gabbert’s time as the Niners’ starter could be coming to a close, but it’s not a given that it will be Kaepernick taking over. Multiple anonymous offensive players tell Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com that they prefer Christian Ponder to both players. 
“Ponder is the best option for quarterback on the roster,” said one locker-room source.
After winning in their season opener against the Rams, the 49ers have dropped their last four games. In terms of passing yards gained, they are dead last in the NFL. Gabbert can’t be blamed for all of that given the offensive line’s woes, but it’s not a surprise to hear that he is under the gun given everything that has gone on in the last four contests.
Ponder joined the Niners late in the summer, giving San Francisco three notable QBs from the 2011 draft class. At the time, he says that he was considering retirement. Now, at least a handful of players in the locker room think he should be the No. 1 QB.
“That crossed my mind,” said Ponder in August when asked if he thought he might not get another chance to play football. “My plan was to stay ready for this season anyway and see what happens. If nothing happened all year, it would be time to hang it up. I was going to give myself this season and see what happens.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett To Have Surgery
Jacoby Brissett will have surgery on his injured thumb, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. With Tom Brady returning this week, the Pats can afford to have Brissett sidelined as he recovers. The quarterback will be placed on IR.
Jimmy Garoppolo got the call when Brady was suspended to start the season and Brissett was tasked with the job once Kiko Alonso‘s big hit left Garoppolo with a shoulder injury. Brissett was steady for the rest of that game against the Dolphins and also led the Patriots to victory against the Texans in the following game. Unfortunately, he was not as sharp in Week 4 when the Patriots were shut out by the Bills 16-0.
Now, the Patriots have their star QB back and Garoppolo should be back in the lineup before long. Brissett will be stashed on IR with an eye on 2017.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.