Vikings Fear RB Dalvin Cook Has Torn ACL
Vikings rookie running back Dalvin Cook is believed to have suffered a nearly complete ACL tear, according to Ian Rapoport of and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). An MRI on Monday will confirm the severity of Cook’s knee issue.
Cook has been revelation for Minnesota since the Vikings traded up to acquire him in the second round of the 2017 draft. The Florida State product had averaged 4.7 yards per carry heading into Week 4, and had also added 10 receptions for 82 yards through the air. Cook’s only real negative had been his pass-blocking, as he ranked No. 27 among 28 qualifiers in that capacity, per Pro Football Focus. All told, Cook had been on the field for roughly 70% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps.
If Cook is lost for the season, Minnesota does have internal options readily available. Veteran Latavius Murray signed a three-year, $15MM deal with the Vikings in March, but has barely seen the field thanks to Cook’s presence. He offers experience, however, as he’s toted the ball more than 550 times in his NFL career. Jerick McKinnon is on the roster, too, and would presumably take over third-down work. Bronson Hill, an Eastern Washington product, is a candidate for a potential practice squad promotion.
The Vikings could look to the free agent market in search of another running back, although no unsigned player is likely to replace Cook’s electricity. Tim Hightower, Ryan Mathews, Shaun Draughn, C.J. Spiller, and DeAngelo Williams are among the veterans available for an immediate signing. A trade could also be possible, and candidates for a deal speculatively include Matt Forte, Jeremy Hill, and former Viking Adrian Peterson.
Cook isn’t the only critical Minnesota offensive player who’s suffered a knee injury this year, as quarterback Sam Bradford experienced swelling following Week 1 and hasn’t played since. With backup Case Keenum leading the offense, the Vikings have posted a 1-2 record and are now 2-2 on the season.
5 Key NFL Stories: 9/24/17 – 10/1/17
Danny Trevathan punished by NFL. Following a jarring helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers wide receiver Davante Adams on Thursday, Trevathan was suspended two games by the league, meaning he’ll miss the Bears’ contests against the Viking and Ravens. Trevathan can appeal the ban, however, and possibly see it reduced. From an on-field perspective, Chicago can ill-afford to lose another linebacker, as Jerrell Freeman is already on injured reserve while fill-in Nick Kwiatkoski is dealing with a pectoral issue. Adams, thankfully, escaped the violent play with only a concussion.
Quarterback returns on the horizon. Andrew Luck could potentially return for the Colts by Week 6, although his lack of practice time could delay that timeline. Luck didn’t practice last week, and would likely need some sort of ramp up period before getting back to game action. Still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Luck would give Indianapolis a massive boost if he can return in the near future. Vikings signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater, meanwhile, should be ready to play by Week 7, which could complicate a Minnesota quarterback room that includes an injured Sam Bradford and backup Case Keenum.
Darren Sproles done for season, possibly career. Sproles suffered both a broken arm and a torn ACL on the same play in Week 4, meaning he won’t play again during the 2017 campaign. Whether or not he’ll return in 2018 is something of an open question — Sproles had indicated he’d retire following this year but backtracked on confirming it ahead of this season. Now that won’t finish out what could have been his final NFL season, Sproles could rethink his position. The Eagles signed old friend Kenjon Barner to join a backfield that includes LeGarrette Blount, Wendell Smallwood, and Corey Clement.
Canadian Football League in the news. The CFL was linked to two out-of-work quarterbacks this week, as both Colin Kaepernick and Johnny Manziel were attached to north of the border clubs. The Montreal Alouttes reached out to Kaepernick regarding his interest in joining the league, but Kaepernick reportedly doesn’t want to sign with a CFL team. Manziel, meanwhile, has been barred from playing in the CFL this season but is eligible to join the league in 2018.
Dolphins reinstate Lawrence Timmons. Miami allowed Timmons to return to the club following an indefinite suspension, one that was levied after Timmons went AWOL during the Dolphins’ Week 2 contest. Timmons reportedly visited his old team — the Steelers — during Miami’s Week 1 bye and expressed his regret at signing in South Beach. On the field, Timmons’ return is important given that the Fins already lost rookie ‘bakcer Raekwon McMillan for the season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/1/17
AFC Notes: Eifert, Edelman, Charles
Let’s take a quick swing around the AFC as the early afternoon slate of games gets underway:
- Bengals TE Tyler Eifert‘s most recent injury has further clouded his free agent case, as Paul Dehner, Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Eifert, who is in a contract year, is again experiencing back problems, and it is uncertain when he will return to the field. As Dehner observes, the Notre Dame product is in something of a catch-22. He either suits up at less than full health, which could hurt his performance and therefore his next contract, or he could wait until he is 100% healthy but not be on the field at all, thereby reinforcing his injury-prone reputation. Dehner says the franchise tag could still be in play for Cincinnati, as it would come at a relative bargain ($9-10MM) considering Eifert’s ability, but even a one-year deal at that value might be too much for the Bengals to stomach in light of Eifert’s health concerns. He may ultimately have to settle for a one-year “prove-it” deal to reestablish his value in 2018.
- Julian Edelman underwent surgery to repair his torn right ACL within the past week, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Reiss adds that everything went according to plan for the Patriots wideout, who expects to return at full strength in 2018.
- Jamaal Charles had his best game with the Broncos last week, rushing nine times for 56 yards and a score, and his surprising success, along with the imminent return of Devontae Booker, have created a good problem for the Broncos, as Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post writes. Denver OC Mike McCoy said all three of his top backs — C.J. Anderson, Charles, and Booker — will get their fair share of reps, and there will not be a set number of carries for any of them.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) says Ravens RB Alex Collins will get an increased workload in the team’s contest against the Steelers today. Collins, who was promoted off Baltimore’s taxi squad several weeks ago, has looked like the most explosive back on the roster in his limited reps, so he will get an opportunity to show what he can do in a more featured role.
Jimmy Haslam Conference Call Increases Tension In Browns’ Front Office
The rift between the Browns’ coaching staff and personnel department is something of an open secret, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the rift may have widened even more this week.
Per La Canfora, team ownership held a conference call with its scouts and football operations staff this week, and while the call was ostensibly intended to give the talent evaluators a vote of confidence, some within the organization have ascribed a very different meaning to it. Team sources said that the call was more of a “kiss of death” than anything else, and a sign that there could be another major shakeup on the way.
Owner Jimmy Haslam has stated that he wants to maintain continuity within his front office and coaching staff rather than engage in the same constant turnover that has plagued the organization for years. However, the Browns look to be heading towards another dismal season in 2017, and in response to questions as to whether the team could win this year or is again looking towards the future, head coach Hue Jackson said on Monday, “I think this team can [win]. I think we have to do some things better and work a little bit harder and make sure that we do some of the detail things right, but that question that you just asked, I think that is something you have to talk to [executive vice president] Sashi [Brown] about and the executive team.”
Those comments are what triggered Haslam’s conference call with football operations, and the fact that he felt compelled to have such a call at this point in the season have suggested to some that change could be on the way. As La Canfora writes, the Brown/Jackson partnership, such as it is, is looking increasingly untenable, and the team may have to show marked improvement in a big hurry (i.e. start winning a few games) to prevent Haslam from cleaning house.
Earlier this month, we saw yet another instance of discontent between Jackson and Brown, and Jackson’s comments this week suggest that things may only be getting worse.
Dolphins Demote Byron Maxwell
One year ago, almost to the day, the Dolphins demoted starting cornerback Byron Maxwell. Today, after starting Miami’s first two games of the 2017 regular season, Maxwell has again been relegated to the bench, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. In fact, Maxwell has been deactivated for the team’s London matchup against New Orleans, though that’s because he tweaked his hamstring in warmups. Schefter says that Maxwell would have been active today but for the hamstring issue (Twitter links).
Maxwell has disappointed since leaving Seattle as a free agent after the 2014 season and signing a six-year, $63MM contract with Philadelphia. After the 6-foot-1, 203-pounder didn’t live up to his deal with the Eagles in 2015, they elected last offseason to send him, linebacker Kiko Alonso, and the 13th pick in the 2016 draft to Miami for the eighth overall selection in that draft.
Despite his 2016 demotion, Maxwell did end up starting 13 games for the Fins last year, and he posted a pair of interceptions for the third consecutive season. In fact, he played pretty well after his demotion, so perhaps the Dolphins are hoping for the same sort of spark this year. Maxwell currently grades out as Pro Football Focus’ 13th-worst corner out of 109 eligible players.
Rookie Cordrea Tankersley will get the start in Maxwell’s place. Tankersley, whom the Dolphins selected in the third round of this year’s draft, was inactive for the club’s first two games this season, but Miami is hoping he can become a fixture in its defensive backfield sooner rather than later. The Dolphins can release Maxwell after the season without absorbing any dead money, and they almost certainly will not bring him back on his current deal.
AFC Rumors: Broncos, Ray, Jets, Texans
Shane Ray is “right on schedule” to return to the Broncos after his eight-week stay on injured reserve, according to Troy Renck of Denver7 (Twitter link). Currently dealing with a wrist issue, Ray was placed on IR following the formation of Denver’s 53-man roster, meaning he’s eligible to return after eight weeks. Ray will miss three more divisional games — one each against the Chargers, Raiders, and Chiefs — before getting back to action in Week 9. Without Ray in tow, the Broncos rank just 22nd in adjusted sack rate.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- If Colts quarterback Andrew Luck were to somehow become available, the Jets should make a play for the signal-caller, opines Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Luck, of course, hasn’t played this season as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, but it’s still incredibly difficult to see Indy general manager Chris Ballard even considering the idea of a Luck trade. New York could secure a top-five selection in the 2018 draft, but the Colts would almost assuredly demand multiple first-round picks — and possibly more — for Luck, who is owed more than $95MM (not counting signing bonus money) through 2021.
- Johnthan Banks‘ one-year deal with the Texans is for one year at the minimum rate, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). But because the former second-round cornerback after two weeks of the regular season had already passed, he’ll only earn about $683K in base salary. Furthermore, Houston used the minimum salary benefit on Banks, meaning the club will only incur ~$542K for signing the fifth-year pro.
- In case you missed it, the Chiefs waived/injured veteran kicker Cairo Santos today, meaning his next kick will likely come with another club after three-plus seasons with Kansas City.
NFC Notes: Vikings, Floyd, Lions, Eagles
Given that wide receiver Michael Floyd‘s four-game suspension will conclude this Sunday, the Vikings will need to make a roster move in order to clear space for the veteran pass-catcher, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Clubs are typically given roster exemptions when a player returns from a ban, so Minnesota will likely have until Wednesday or Thursday to make a transaction. The most likely candidates to be removed from the Vikings’ active 53 appear to be rookie wideouts Rodney Adams and Stacy Coley, per Tomasson, as neither has played much during the 2017 campaign. Floyd, 27, inked a one-year, $1.41MM deal with Minnesota that didn’t include any guaranteed money.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Lions expect left tackle Taylor Decker to return from a shoulder injury in late October or early November, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Originally given a four-to-six month timeline when injured in June, Decker has been progressing well in his recovery, and nearly every report on his timetable has been positive. Because he’s on the physically unable to perform list, Decker is required to miss at least six games before returning to action. Detroit has a bye in Week 7, however, so the earliest he can realistically come back is Week 9 against the Steelers, as Meinke details. Trade acquisition Greg Robinson has started in Decker’s stead, but he’s graded as the league’s second-worst tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
- Linebacker Mychal Kendricks was finally able to play in more than half the Eagles‘ defensive snaps in Week 3 following an injury to fellow defender Jordan Hicks, and Kendricks wasn’t able to stifle his frustration at typically being only a base-package player. “I haven’t been able to play,” Kendricks said, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I could have been doing this. … You only have so much time to do this [stuff], man.” Kendricks, who posted seven tackles and two passes defensed last Sunday, has frequently been mentioned in trade rumors but hasn’t been moved.
- In case you missed it, the NFL suspended Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan two games for his brutal hit on Packers wide receiver Davante Adams on Thursday Night Football.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/17
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Cardinals officially placed Mike Iupati on IR, sidelining the guard for at least eight weeks, and they filled his spot by promoting offensive lineman Vinston Painter from the practice squad. A 2013 draft pick, Painter’s bounced around. He saw action as a backup/special-teamer for the 2014 Browns and 2016 Redskins. The Cardinals added the swing lineman to their practice squad earlier this season.
- Linebacker Thurston Armbrister will move from the Lions‘ practice squad back to their 53-man roster, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Detroit placed offensive lineman Zac Kerin on IR. Kerin joins Joe Dahl among Lions offensive linemen to be IR-bound this week. The Lions also placed tackle Corey Robinson on IR earlier this season. A third-year veteran, Armbrister played in 14 games — starting two — for the Lions last season after seeing action in all 16 games for the 2015 Jaguars.