Jacoby Brissett May Have Surgery
Jacoby Brissett got the start for the Patriots today after the club determined that Jimmy Garoppolo wouldn’t be able to go against the Bills. But once Tom Brady returns for Week 5, Brissett may undergo surgery to repair his ongoing thumb injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Jacoby Brissett To Start For Patriots]
After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit during a win over the Dolphins, Brissett was put into a game for the first time in his NFL career. The third-round rookie got the job done, completing 6-of-9 passes as he guided New England the rest of the way, and then led the Patriots to a 27-0 victory over the Texans in Week 3. Brissett, however, suffered a thumb injury in the rout and was listed as questionable for today’s contest.
If Garoppolo is able to return in the near future, New England would be set at backup quarterback, allowing Brissett to take all the time he needs to recover. Whether or not the Patriots would place the third-round rookie on injured reserve to free up a roster spot is unclear, but if the club does look to sign an outside option, former Texan/Falcon T.J. Yates has been called New England’s “free agent of choice.”
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Saints Benching Jairus Byrd
The Saints are planning on moving veteran safety Jairus Byrd to the bench, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Other changes could also be coming to the New Orleans defense, which ranks 30th in DVOA through three weeks, per Rapoport.
[RELATED: New Orleans Saints Depth Chart]
Byrd, 29, has struggled through three games this season, and was notably beaten by running back Devonta Freeman and the Falcons last week. It’s a small sample size to be sure, but Byrd currently ranks as the No. 49 safety in the league among 74 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus. Second-round rookie Vonn Bell will presumably see more snaps with Byrd headed to the sideline.
“I think the status quo sometimes can be your enemy,” head coach Sean Payton told reporters, including Nick Underhill of the Advocate, earlier this week. “I think you look at every area, not just one specific area. No different to the meeting schedule to how they are practicing, you look at all of that.”
The Saints signed Byrd to a six-year, $54MM deal prior to the 2014 campaign, and that contract has proven to be one of the worst free agent accords in recent memory. Strapped for cap space, New Orleans converted a portion of Byrd’s 2015 base salary into a signing bonus, making it even more difficult to part ways with the defensive back.
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Cowboys’ Tony Romo Eyeing Week 8 Return
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is hoping to return to action in Week 8 following the club’s bye, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). This coming Thursday will mark six weeks since Romo suffered a broken bone in his back, and at that point, Romo will begin increasing his conditioning and throwing regimen, per Rapoport.
[RELATED: Latest On Dez Bryant]
Fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott has led Dallas in Romo’s absence, and he’s led the club to a 2-1 start while playing pretty well. He’s completed 67% of his passes for 767 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, while also adding two scores via the ground. And while Romo will presumably reclaim his starting spot once he returns, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones did hedge his bets a tad in August.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where Tony’s not our quarterback when he’s ready,” Jones said. “But things happen. You know that. You know what happened to Bledsoe and Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that. But the reality is, Tony’s going to come back for us and play great, we believe.”
The Cowboys didn’t place Romo on injured reserve, so they won’t need to make a roster move if and when he returns. If he can come back in Week 8, Romo would face the division rival Eagles, followed by contests against the Browns, Steelers, and Ravens
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Browns Had Been Shopping Josh Gordon
The Browns had been discussing trades involving wide receiver Josh Gordon as recently as last week, but those talks fizzled once Gordon decided to enter rehab, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Cleveland was hoping to pick up a first- or second-day pick in exchange for Gordon.
[RELATED: Terrelle Pryor Wants Extension From Browns]
Gordon decided to go to rehab following a “slip up,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and sources tell Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that Gordon is dealing with an alcohol addiction. Some of Gordon’s past suspensions have been related to alcohol, and the pass-catcher also has a DUI on his rap sheet, so he decided entering rehab was the “extra step” he needed to get well, per Cabot.
Rival clubs were reportedly inquiring on Gordon over the summer, but the Browns indicated that they had no interest in trading their talented yet troubled wide receiver. However, former Patriots/Browns executive Michael Lombardi disputes that sentiment, tweeting the Cleveland had been shopping Gordon all summer.
The Browns have indicated that they intend to part ways with Gordon given his most recent transgression.
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Jets Considered Placing Eric Decker On IR
The Jets considered placing wide receiver Eric Decker on injured reserve due to his partially torn rotator cuff, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. It’s unclear if New York has made a final decision on Decker’s status, but he’s expected to be week-to-week for the time being.
[RELATED: Jets Could Add Wide Receiver]
“Of course, there’s going to be pain. Everyone plays with pain. This is a physical game,” Decker told Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News. “So I don’t expect myself to be 100 percent at some point. It’s just getting to where it’s manageable and…I can still play the same game that I need to play.”
Decker, 29, enjoyed his best season as a Jet last year, catching 80 passes for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns. Through three games this year, Decker has nine receptions for 194 yards and two scores.
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Jacoby Brissett To Start For Patriots
Rookie Jacoby Brissett will start at quarterback for the Patriots today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Brissett and New England will face the Bills as the club seeks to jump out to a 4-0 start.
[RELATED: Patriots Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor In 2015]
Jimmy Garoppolo, meanwhile, will be inactive today as he continues to deal with an AC joint injury, tweets Schefter. The third-year pro required a shot to practice last week, and was limited to roughly 100 throws per day (as opposed to the typical gameday total of 200 or so), per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Pain management and strength had been the two obstacles to a Garopppolo start, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link), and it’s the latter that will keep Garoppolo on the sidelines.
After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit during a win over the Dolphins, Brissett was put into a game for the first time in his NFL career. The third-round rookie got the job done, completing 6-of-9 passes as he guided New England the rest of the way, and then led the Patriots to a 27-0 victory over the Texans in Week 3. Brissett, however, suffered a thumb injury in the rout and was listed as questionable for today’s contest.
Given that New England doesn’t have another quarterback on its roster, wide receiver Julian Edelman will presumably serve as the backup signal-caller once again. Tom Brady, of course, will return from suspension and start against the Browns in Week 5.
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Latest On Cowboys’ Dez Bryant
While initial reports indicated that Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant had been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his knee, a source who has seen Bryant’s MRI said the pass-catcher has a bone bruise, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). As such, Bryant is expected to miss less than three weeks while dealing with the injury.
[RELATED: Cowboys Holding Off On La’el Collins’ Surgery]
Bryant reportedly missed an MRI exam and team meetings on Monday and Tuesday because he feared the worst with his injured right knee, but per Rapoport, the ailment doesn’t present any long-term risk. Bryant’s decision to skip his duties opened him up to team-imposed fines, though there’s no word on whether the Cowboys will discipline him.
So far this year, Bryant has 11 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown to his credit. Last season, Bryant saw career-lows across the board as he caught 31 balls for 401 yards and three touchdowns.
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Latest On Jaguars HC Gus Bradley
The Jaguars are not expected to fire head coach Gus Bradley even if the Jaguars lose to the Colts in London today, multiple team sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. However, if Jacksonville continues to struggle throughout the season, the club’s ownership could revisit the situation.
[RELATED: Jacksonville Jaguars Depth Chart]
Jaguars owner Shad Kahn has been “unfailing loyal” to both Bradley and general manager Dave Caldwell, according to La Canfora, and though several head coaches have been relieved of their duties following a sojourn to London in recent years, that doesn’t figure to be the case with Bradley. But if Jacksonville doesn’t show improvement as the campaign progresses, “drastic” moves could be on the horizon.
If Bradley were to be let go at some point, assistant head coach Doug Marrone would likely take over the top job, reports La Canfora. Marrone is the only member of the Jaguars’ coaching staff with head coaching experience, having led the Bills from 2013-2014. Jacksonville’s coordinators — Greg Olson (offense) and Todd Wash (defense) — have been limited to play-calling at the NFL level.
Bradley, 50, was hired as the Jaguars’ head coach prior to the 2013 season, and hasn’t delivered results in his three-plus years with the club. The former Seahawks defensive coordinator has posted a 12-39 record during his tenure, and is danger of starting 0-4 on the season if his club loses to the Colts today. In January, Bradley signed an extension through 2017, but the contract presumably wouldn’t dissuade Jacksonville ownership from making a change.
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Patriots Unsure Which QB Will Start Vs. Bills
The Patriots are still uncertain as to which quarterback — Jimmy Garoppolo or Jacoby Brissett — will start Sunday’s game against the Bills tomorrow, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. New England will likely wait to see how each signal-caller fares in pre-game warmups before making a final decision.
[RELATED: Patriots Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor In 2015]
Garoppolo suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder in the Patriots’ 31-24 win over Miami in Week 2. After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit, Brissett was put into game for the first time in his NFL career. The third-round rookie got the job done, completing 6-of-9 passes as he guided New England the rest of the way, and then led the Patriots to a 27-0 victory over the Texans in Week 3. Brissett, however, suffered a thumb injury in the rout and is questionable for tomorrow’s AFC East matchup.
Before succumbing to his injury, the 24-year-old Garoppolo had been excellent, completing 42-of-60 passes for 498 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in wins over the Cardinals and Dolphins. At least one report suggested that the Patriots were pressuring Garoppolo to quickly return to the field — despite the fact that he reportedly couldn’t lift his arm — and he’d presumably get the start against Buffalo if healthy. Tom Brady, of course, will return in Week 5 to start against the Browns.
New England has not made any plans to sign a free agent quarterback, suggesting that the club is confident that at least one of Garoppolo or Brissett will be able to go Sunday. T.J. Yates, formerly of the Texans and Falcons, has been called the Patriots’ “free agent of choice” if they had decided to bring in an outside option.
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Patriots Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor In ’15
The Patriots attempted to trade for wide receiver Terrelle Pryor last summer, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter links). However, the Browns turned down New England’s offer, and a deal never came to fruition, per Kyed.
[RELATED: Terrelle Pryor Wants Extension From Browns]
Pryor was eventually released by the Browns that fall, and ended up taking a visit the Patriots, but didn’t sign. “I really thought I was going to be a Patriot,” Pryor told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I know Bill Belichick really liked me. I had a great workout for them and everything went really well. I really thought he was going to sign me.”
After re-signing with the Cleveland at tail of end of the 2015 campaign, Pryor has grown into a force through the first three games of this season, acting been a bright spot for the winless Browns. He’s amassed 14 catches for 244 yards while occasionally factoring in as a rusher and passer. The 27-year-old is coming off a career-best showing, one in which he caught eight balls for 144 yards, ran four times for 21 yards and a touchdown, and completed 3-of-5 passes for 35 yards in a 30-24 loss to Miami.
Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi — who also worked for the Browns at one point — discussed the failure of New England to sign Pryor on the Bill Simmons Podcast. “We blew it,” Lombardi said. “The league often gives you a chance to be great and if you don’t talk advantage of it, it’s your own fault and that was one of those times we didn’t take advantage of it in New England, clearly. It was all right there in front of us and we didn’t make the right decision at that point, but that’s life. You move on.”
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