Packers Not Planning To Add Running Back
Packers running back Ty Montgomery‘s injury isn’t as serious as originally believed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Original reports indicated Montgomery suffered broken ribs in Thursday night’s game, and it’s unclear if that diagnosis was incorrect, or if Montgomery will simply be able to manage the injury.
[RELATED: Latest On Packers CB Damarious Randall]
Now considered day-to-day, Montgomery could be available when Green Bay faces Dallas in Week 5 following a ten-day layoff. That’s the second bit of positive news the Packers have received today, as backup running back Jamaal Williams also avoided a major injury, escaping Green Bay’s victory over the Bears with only a knee sprain.
The Packers don’t intend to add a running back to their roster, per Schefter, an indication that the club believes at least one of Montgomery or Williams will be ready to go come next Sunday. If not, Green Bay will instead rely on rookies Aaron Jones and Devante Mays, with fullback Aaron Ripkowski also in the mix.
Montgomery, 24, has been a vital cog in the Packers’ offense in his first season as a full-time running back. Through three-plus games, Montgomery has managed 152 yards and two scores on the ground while adding 18 receptions, 129 yards, and another touchdown in the passing game.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Hardy Nickerson
- Released: G Cole Toner
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Darnell Sankey
- Released: Troymaine Pope
New York Giants
- Signed: FB Shane Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Keith Kelsey
- Placed on injured list: LB Matt Galambos
Bears Place DB Quintin Demps On IR
The Bears have placed safety Quintin Demps on injured reserve after he suffered a broken arm in Week 3, the club announced today.
Demps is certainly a candidate to return from IR later this season, but that will first entail a minimum eight-week absence. As such, the earliest Chicago will see Demps in action again is Week 13 against the 49ers. While that’s not ideal, the Bears likely didn’t want to carry an unplayable Demps on their roster while he recovers. Chicago already have seven other players on IR, and while some of them — such as linebacker Jerrell Freeman — could potentially return in 2017, others (like wide receiver Cameron Meredith) have already been ruled out for the year.
Third-year pro Adrian Amos will be asked to step in at safety in the absence of Amos, and he offers plenty of experience. A fifth-round pick in 2015, Amos started 30 games over his first two seasons in the NFL, and graded as the league’s No. 26 safety last year, per Pro Football Focus. Amos will now start next to rookie defensive back Eddie Jackson, while Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson will serve as Chicago’s backups at safety.
Demps, 32, inked a three-year, $13.5MM deal that included $4.5MM in the spring after spending the past two seasons with the Texans. Through an admittedly small sample of only two-plus games, PFF had ranked Demps as just the 70th-best safety among 82 qualifiers.
Cardinals To Place Mike Iupati On IR
The Cardinals will place Mike Iupati on IR because of bone spurs in the starting guard’s elbow, Bruce Arians said (via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, on Twitter).
Iupati has been out since Week 1 with this malady but will miss extensive time now, and this could end his season. The 30-year-old left guard will miss at least eight more weeks as a result of this decision. Iupati will undergo surgery to address this problem, and the Cardinals are short on guards right now. And offensive line is reeling.
Arians added Alex Boone will miss “a couple weeks” with a chest injury suffered Monday night. Arians, via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter), didn’t seem to point to left tackle D.J. Humphries playing Sunday either.
The Iupati decision also complicates matters for the Cardinals regarding how they will manage their roster this season.
David Johnson already resides on IR with a wrist injury, and although it could be December before he’s ready to come back, the All-Pro running back profiles as an obvious IR-return candidate — especially if the team is contending for a playoff spot. As of now, Iupati would stand to occupy Arizona’s other IR-boomerang slot, but given that the Cards haven’t played their fourth game, it would be too early to proclaim their IR-return decisions set.
However, Iupati and Johnson profile as key players who would fit the bill over just about anyone else who would venture onto IR with an injury that could heal in time for late-season contributions. A four-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro with the 49ers, Iupati signed with the Cardinals last year and played 15 games. This will mark the first season he’s played fewer than 12. And in six of Iupati’s seven full NFL seasons, he’s suited up and started at least 13 games.
John Wetzel and rookie Will Holden would be options to replace Humphries at tackle, while rookie Dorian Johnson is an option be promoted from the practice squad. Arians said a roster move will be made to address the depth up front.
Latest On Packers’ Damarious Randall
An argument between Damarious Randall and a Packers coach led to the cornerback heading to the locker room during the second half of Green Bay’s win over Chicago on Thursday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Mike McCarthy (per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky) called it a “coach’s decision” to send Randall to the locker room during the Packers’ 35-14 win. McCarthy benched Randall to start the second half.
The dispute came with a Packers assistant and was about coverage responsibilities, Rapoport reports (video link).
Rapoport adds Randall left Lambeau Field after the dispute, but conflicting accounts exist regarding when the third-year defender left the stadium. Rapoport notes (via Twitter) Randall left after the game, but this incident was enough for he and McCarthy to discuss it in a private setting. McCarthy and Randall met Friday in his office to address the matter, per Rapoport (on Twitter). Internal discipline will be expected after the dispute, Demovsky notes.
While a suspension could be possible, the Packers do not appear to be looking to cut ties with their 2015 first-rounder. McCarthy said (via Demovsky) Randall will be with the team when it reconvenes for practice Tuesday.
Randall has started in each of the Packers’ four games this season but hasn’t been particularly effective. Pro Football Focus grades him as the No. 99 corner thus far. Randall started nine games in each of the past two seasons, but the Packers are now deeper at corner than they were last season. So options exist beyond Randall. This led to the team’s decision to waive Ladarius Gunter.
49ers Extend CB K’Waun Williams
The 49ers have signed cornerback K’Waun Williams to a three-year extension that will keep him in San Francisco through 2020, the club announced today. The new deal is worth $10MM, contains $5MM guaranteed, and has incentives attached, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
“Since joining us this offseason, K’Waun has displayed every trait and characteristic we want to see from our players,” said 49ers general manager John Lynch. “He is a tremendous competitor on the field and a true professional in our building. K’Waun has continued to get better and better every day and we wanted to ensure he would be a part of what we are building moving forward. I am really excited for both him and our team.”
Williams, 26, has only spent three games with the 49ers, as he signed with the team on a one-year, $765K deal this offseason. Serving as San Francisco’s nickel corner, Williams has played on 57.5% of the club’s defensive snaps, racking up 14 tackles and two passes defensed in the process. While he hasn’t graded well in Pro Football Focus‘ rankings — just the No. 94 cornerback among 110 qualifiers — the 49ers have apparently been pleased with Williams’ production thus far.
An undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh, Williams appeared in 26 games for the Browns from 2014-15 before being suspended in 2016 following an “ongoing dispute” over an ankle injury. After eventually reaching the free agent market, Williams drew interest but didn’t land a contract until the season had concluded. Williams received offers from at least four clubs — including the Jets — before landing with the 49ers.
Latest On Packers RB Jamaal Williams
Although he went down on Thursday night, Packers running back Jamaal Williams did not suffer any ligament damage in his knee, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Williams “could” miss Green Bay’s next game — which doesn’t occur until October 8 — but is unlikely to be sidelined for any additional action.
Williams, a fourth-round rookie out of BYU, took over the Packers’ starting running back job last night after Ty Montgomery suffered broken ribs. However, Williams was dealt his own injury blow after playing only 12 offensive snaps. In that time, the 22-year-old rushed four times for 11 yards and caught his only target for two yards. On the season, Williams has posted nine carries for 32 yards.
While there hasn’t been a medical update on Montgomery, he seems likely to miss time, so rookie Aaron Jones could handle the lion’s share of carries in Green Bay’s next contest. Devante Mays — the third running back drafted by the Packers in 2017 — will likely be active when the Packers face the Cowboys in Week 5, while fullback Aaron Ripkowski will also ply a large role. A free agent addition can’t be ruled out, although the need for an external option may be reduced given William’s optimistic timeline.
NFL Not Discussing Ezekiel Elliott Settlement
The NFL has not discussed a possible settlement with Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott‘s attorneys, according to Tom Pelisserio of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Elliott, who is facing a six-game suspension stemming from domestic violence allegations, will be uniform when Dallas faces the Rams on Sunday, as the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will begin deliberations the following Monday. A three-judge panel — one that holds a pro-business view that could favor the NFL, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk — will decide whether Elliot’s injunction against the league was filed within the correct jurisdiction.
The NFL will essentially argue that Elliott’s case was the “wrong suit in the wrong court at the wrong time,” tweets David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. If the court rules from the bench (something a source tells Florio to expect) and dismisses the injunction, the case will be sent to New York federal court, where the league already filed a lawsuit.
Elliott, for his part, is reportedly not willing to accept any settlement that would involve accepting any blame. The NFL, meanwhile, won’t absolve him, so there is apparently no middle ground where an agreement could be struck.
NFC North Notes: Packers, Adams, Bears
Packers wideout Davante Adams was taken to the hospital on Thursday night following a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit from Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan, but “everything is progressing well” for Adams, according to head coach Mike McCarthy. “He’s already giving them a hard time at the hospital to get out of there so that’s a great sign,” McCarthy said, per Curtis Crabrtee of Pro Football Talk. Adams suffered a concussion but his MRI is “clean,” per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Trevathan, meanwhile, earned a 15-yard personal foul for the hit but wasn’t ejected from last night’s game. The play is under review by the NFL, however, and Trevathan could be subject to a suspension, tweets Rapoport.
Here’s more from the NFC North, with a focus on Thursday Night Football:
- Starting running back Ty Montgomery left last night’s contest early after suffering broken ribs, and the Packers are also down their No. 2 runner in Jamaal Williams, who is believed to have sprained his knee on Thursday, per Rapoport (Twitter link). Williams will likely miss time, meaning Green Bay will now lean on rookies Aaron Jones and Devante Mays in the backfield. While the Packers could conceivably get by with Jones, Mays, and fullback Aaron Ripkowski, the club will almost certainly add another back. Green Bay doesn’t have a running back on its practice squad, so it could look to a free agent market that includes DeAngelo Williams, Rashad Jennings, C.J. Spiller, and Ryan Mathews.
- Bears quarterback Mike Glennon struggled on Thursday, tossing one touchdown against two interceptions while losing two fumbles, but head coach John Fox didn’t immediately commit to making a change under center, as Crabtree writes in a separate piece. “We need to make a lot of changes,” Fox said. “We’ll evaluate everything. We’ve got a lot of work to do before we line up against Minnesota Monday night and we’re going to look at everything.” Chicago, of course, signed Glennon to a three-year, $45MM contract this offseason that contains $18.5MM guaranteed, but also moved up to the No. 2 overall pick to select UNC’s Mitch Trubisky. The Bears have an extended break before facing the Vikings on October 9.
- After being benched at the start of the second half of last night’s contest, Packers cornerback Damarious Randall wasn’t on the sideline for the rest of the game and also wasn’t present in the post-game locker room, report Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Although McCarthy called the issue an “internal matter,” Demovsky speculates Randall could potentially be suspended or even waived. A second-round pick in 2015, Randall has thus far graded as a bottom-15 NFL cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Former Packers long snapper Brett Goode received a four-week injury settlement, while fullback Joe Kerridge got three weeks, according to veteran NFL reporter Bob McGinn (Twitter links). Both players must wait three weeks plus the length of their respective settlements before they’re eligible to re-sign with Green Bay.
Former NFL WR Jacoby Jones To Retire
Former NFL wide receiver/return man Jacoby Jones will officially announce his retirement later today, according to press release from the Ravens.
Jones, 33, enjoyed a nine-year NFL tenure, but he’s perhaps best known for his efforts in the 2012-13 playoffs as a member of the Ravens. With fewer than 50 seconds remaining in Baltimore’s AFC divisional round matchup against Denver, Jones got behind Broncos safety Rahim Moore to haul in a 70-yard touchdown to tie the game. Following what became known as the “Mile High Miracle,” the Ravens defeated Denver in overtime, beat New England in the AFC Championship Game, and eventually won the Super Bowl over San Francisco.
A third-round pick in 2007, Jones spent five seasons with the Texans before joining the Ravens from 2012-14. The Lane product finished up his career in 2015 by playing in five games with the Chargers and four contests with the Steelers. All told, Jones posted 203 receptions for 2,733 yards and 14 touchdowns, and added nine more scores in the return game. He earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2012 as a returner.
PFR extends its best wishes to Jones in retirement.