HEADLINES

Month: September 2017

Cardinals’ David Johnson To Have Wrist Surgery

September 12th, 2017 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals running back David Johnson will undergo wrist surgery this week, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. He’s expected to miss between two and three months of action. The Cardinals will place him on IR with the hope that he’ll be able to return during the season.

Sunday will represent Johnson’s first missed game as a pro, and while the Cardinals — who are now signing Chris Johnson — have some veterans who will take over, none are on David Johnson‘s level. While David Johnson sat behind both Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington as a rookie in 2015, he’s taken massive leaps as the latest Arizona third-round success story.

David Johnson must spend at least eight weeks on IR, so Week 10 would profile as his earliest return window. The Cardinals play both Seahawks games in the second half, with Week 10 being the NFC West contenders’ first meeting.

The Cardinals hoped the second opinion Johnson sought could prevent this, but AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban categorized the attempt as a “hail mary” (Twitter link).

The 2016 first-team All-Pro was Arizona’s top weapon and its most reliable factor in making a potential playoff return. But this changes the Cardinals’ season before Week 2 even begins. The third-year back totaled over 2,100 yards from scrimmage and scored 20 touchdowns last season.

In addition to Ellington and Chris Johnson, the Cardinals employ Kerwynn Williams — who’s functioned as a backup in Arizona for four seasons — and just signed D.J. Foster off the Patriots’ practice squad. Arizona also has 2016 UDFA Elijhaa Penny, although with CJ2K now back in the fold, this five-running back setup may not last — especially now that David Johnson will be on IR.

Saints RT Zach Strief Suffers MCL Sprain

September 12th, 2017 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

Saints tackle Zach Strief suffered an MCL sprain during Monday night’s game against the Vikings and is expected to miss a few weeks, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s a bad break for the 0-1 Saints who are already without left tackle Terron Armstead. Zach Strief (Vertical)

[RELATED: Saints Release Jon Dorenbos]

When Strief exited the game, he was replaced by reserve Senio Kelemete. Unless the Saints add a tackle in the coming days, they’ll probably head into their Week 2 contest with Kelemete and rookie Ryan Ramczyk starting at left tackle. That’s not the O-Line you want against the Patriots, even though their pass rush is shaky.

Last year, the 33-year-old Strief played more than 97% of the Saints’ offensive snaps and posted perhaps the best campaign of his career. He graded as the No. 12 overall tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, which gave him excellent marks in the run and pass game.

Strief, a 12-year veteran, has not missed significant time since the 2012 season.

Texans To Start Deshaun Watson In Week 2

September 11th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bill O’Brien brought another Week 1 hook and replaced Tom Savage with Deshaun Watson, and the switch does not appear to be temporary. The Texans are planning to start Watson on Thursday against the Bengals, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter).

Despite Texans brass declaring Savage their starter essentially from the draft until Sunday, La Canfora adds Watson is the Texans’ new starting passer.

A fourth-year player, Savage struggled in Houston’s 29-7 Week 1 loss to Jacksonville, and Watson was more effective upon entering midway through the game. The Clemson product finished 12-for-23 for 102 yards, throwing a touchdown pass and an interception.

O’Brien turned to Savage late last season after benching Brock Osweiler, doing this a year after benching Brian Hoyer in Week 1 for Ryan Mallett before pivoting back to Hoyer. The franchise has struggled at quarterback throughout O’Brien’s tenure, and he hasn’t been shy on changing the status quo. Watson, though, required a significant investment to acquire. So the recent national championship-winning passer might earn a much longer look.

The Texans travel to Cincinnati for a Week 2 tilt, but should they follow through and turn to Watson, he will have a difficult test in Week 3 when the team visits the Patriots. The Texans have never won in New England and lost to the eventual Super Bowl champs twice last season there.

Photo courtesy Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

NFC Notes: Cousins, Foster, Scandrick, Cards

September 11th, 2017 at 8:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Redskins are using the franchise tag arrangement with Kirk Cousins once again, and some more information about how the franchise planned its negotiations this past summer has emerged. Washington submitted the offer Bruce Allen referenced — a five-year proposal worth just less than $110MM, with $53MM fully guaranteed at signing — in May, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. But Rapoport adds the team did not do anything to sweeten its offer in the months that followed, leading to the stalemate dragging past July 17.

This lack of a notably different second offer came in spite of Allen meeting with Cousins’ agent in Chicago and the Redskins president meeting with Cousins and his father in a four-plus-hour summit Rapoport describes as friendly. Allen, per Rapoport, said he would make another proposal between then and the July 17 deadline. But it did not arrive, and the same offer ended up being a take-it-or-leave-it submission.

Washington cannot renegotiate with Cousins until after the season, when the price for a tag will skyrocket — up to approximately $34MM — and put the Redskins to a higher-stakes decision.

Here’s the latest from the NFC as the conference’s Week 1 slate winds down.

  • Orlando Scandrick broke his hand during the Cowboys‘ Sunday-night win over the Giants, Rapoport reports (on Twitter). However, the veteran slot cornerback underwent surgery on Monday and is adamant on playing in Week 2. Scandrick’s goal might have been a bit optimistic, though. The surgery was a success, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer, but the Cowboys don’t sound like they’re counting on him next week. Week 3 looms as a target, Archer notes. Scandrick missed four games last season and struggled with foot trouble. He’s back in his primary role, though, and is a key cog on a Cowboys defense that lost multiple cornerback regulars in free agency.
  • While an official timetable for Reuben Foster‘s high-ankle sprain isn’t yet known, Kyle Shanahan is expecting the first-round pick to miss at least a month. The rookie 49ers coach said Monday, via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter), the four-to-six-week range would be the typical hiatus length. The 49ers are down to their third option at outside linebacker after Malcolm Smith tore a pectoral muscle and was lost for the season in training camp.
  • Cardinals coach Bruce Arians told reporters on Monday morning that left tackle D.J. Humphries will miss a week or two with a sprained MCL. John Wetzel is expected to start in his absence. Humphries debuted on the left side on Sunday after he and Jared Veldheer switched positions in the offseason.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/11/17

September 11th, 2017 at 7:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Monday’s practice squad moves…

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: DT Daniel Ross

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Jonathan Cyprien Out “Several Weeks”

September 11th, 2017 at 7:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jonathan Cyprien‘s first game as a Titan did not go well, and it doesn’t look like the veteran safety will be ready for his second Tennessee contest for a bit.

The Titans starting safety suffered a hamstring injury Sunday against the Raiders, one that Mike Mularkey said is expected to keep the fifth-year veteran out “several weeks.”

Cyprien started alongside Kevin Byard, and Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com expects Da’Norris Searcy to step in for Cyprien with the first-stringers. Searcy signed as a UFA two years ago but accepted a pay cut this offseason to stay in Tennessee. The 28-year-old Searcy started the past two seasons for the Titans.

Cyprien received a four-year, $25MM contract to further shore up Tennessee’s back line. The former Jaguars starter has never missed more than two games in a season. He started all 16 Jaguars contests last season.

Reuben Foster Suffers High-Ankle Sprain

September 11th, 2017 at 6:34pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday that rookie linebacker Reuben Foster suffered a high-ankle sprain in the team’s Week 1 loss to Carolina, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area adds that Foster could miss four to six weeks. Reuben Foster (Vertical)

Foster went down in the second quarter Sunday, and the first-round pick initially thought he had broken his ankle.

“It was pain(ful),” Foster said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). “I was a little scared, but at the same time, trust me, if you can’t put no pressure on it, then you should be worried, but when you put enough pressure on it, then you have got some hope. That’s all I was just hoping for. It was painful, but at the same time, I knew nothing was seriously damaged.”

Foster was viewed as a potential top ten pick before injury concerns weakened his stock. The Niners were not as worried about his surgically-repaired shoulder as other clubs and landed him at No. 31 overall.

Foster’s latest setback is unfortunate, but the team now knows that it will not be a season-ender.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported the injury. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Redskins Work Out Travaris Cadet

September 11th, 2017 at 6:11pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Travaris Cadet (vertical)

The Redskins worked out free agent running back Travaris Cadet on Monday, ESPN’s Field Yates reports (on Twitter). A signing doesn’t seem imminent, though, as Yates notes that the audition was “due diligence” on Washington’s part.

The Redskins were woeful on the ground during their 30-17 loss to the Eagles on Sunday, when quarterback Kirk Cousins led the team with 30 yards on four carries. Running backs Robert Kelley and Chris Thompson were far less successful than Cousins, combining for a mere 34 yards on 13 attempts.

Sunday’s struggles notwithstanding, Kelley and Thompson still carry more appeal than Cadet, who has barely been a factor as a rusher since breaking into the NFL in 2012 with the Saints. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder has never totaled more than 11 carries in a season and has only racked up 26 tries and 84 yards in his career. The 28-year-old Cadet has been effective as a pass catcher, though, having tallied 102 receptions and seven touchdowns. He set career highs in catches (40) and receiving TDs (four), to go with 241 yards, last year in New Orleans, which released him during cutdown weekend Sept. 3. Cadet hadn’t drawn any reported interest until the Redskins took a look at him.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/17

September 11th, 2017 at 5:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Monday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

  • Promoted from practice squad: DT Tyrique Jarrett

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Promoted from practice squad: WR Geremy Davis
  • Waived: CB Jeff Richards

Minnesota Vikings

  • Released with injury settlement: QB Taylor Heinicke

New Orleans Saints

  • Promoted from practice squad: LB Adam Bighill

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Texans, Duane Brown Not Talking

September 11th, 2017 at 5:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Texans and holdout Duane Brown have not engaged in any discussions about a new contract since the left tackle has been away from the team, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. Brown has been pushing for a raise dating back to the spring, and his dissatisfaction with his current compensation caused him to miss voluntary workouts in May, mandatory minicamp in June, all of training camp and the preseason, and the Texans’ Week 1 loss to the Jaguars.

Duane Brown (vertical)

Brown’s absence from training camp subjected him to a $40K-per-day fine, and it led the Texans to place him on the reserve/did not report list, thereby reducing his 2017 salary from $9.65MM to $9.4MM. He also lost his $411K game check Sunday, which will be the case for as long as he doesn’t show up. Brown will need to report by Week 8 in order to get credit for an accrued season, Florio notes. The 32-year-old indicated last week that he does plan to play in 2017.

While holding out has backfired on Brown to this point, it’s clear the Texans need the three-time Pro Bowler. Their offense was in disastrous form on Sunday against Jacksonville, which dubbed itself #Sacksonville on Twitter after taking down Texans quarterbacks Tom Savage and Deshaun Watson 10 times in a 29-7 rout. Unsurprisingly, Pro Football Focus assigned horrid grades to Texans tackles Kendall Lamm and Breno Giacomini for their roles in the loss. The outlet has typically given favorable reviews to Brown, a nine-year veteran who has started in all 132 career appearances.

Brown’s under Texans control through next season at a combined $19.15MM, though it’s clear that figure doesn’t suffice for the longtime franchise linchpin.

Load More Posts