HEADLINES

Month: September 2021

Raheem Mostert To Miss 8 Weeks With Knee Injury

September 13th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Unfortunately, Raheem Mostert is dealing with another significant health issue. The 49ers’ talented but oft-injured running back has chipped cartilage in his knee, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday.

Shanahan said the knee issue will sideline Mostert for about eight weeks. He’ll have a scope on the knee and go on injured reserve for the time being. Elijah Mitchell, who became a workhorse against the Lions after Mostert went down early, figures to become the team’s new lead back in his place. Mitchell turned 19 carries into 104 yards and a touchdown against Detroit.

The injury likely also means fourth-round rookie Trey Sermon, who was a surprise inactive against the Lions, will get a crack at the first action of his pro career. Mostert was a 2015 UDFA from Purdue who spent time with six different teams in less than two seasons before finding a permanent home with the 49ers.

He signed with San Francisco’s practice squad in November of 2016, and has been with the team ever since. Impressively, he’s averaged 5.7 yards per rush on 284 career carries. Last year he had 521 yards in only eight games as he dealt with various ailments.

It’s an especially tough blow for Mostert since he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Hopefully he can return and have a lot of success in the second half to help him cash in next spring. Mostert briefly requested a trade in the summer of 2020 before he and the team patched things up with a revised contract.

Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy Out 4-6 weeks

September 13th, 2021 at 2:43pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Broncos will be without 2020 first-round pick Jerry Jeudy for a bit, but it could’ve been worse. Jeudy suffered a high ankle sprain during the team’s win over the Giants on Sunday, head coach Vic Fangio confirmed Monday.

Fangio said that thankfully the plan for now is just rest and recovery rather than surgery. The injury is expected to sideline the former Alabama star for 4-6 weeks, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That’s a tough blow, but still better than the alternative of an ankle break which would’ve brought an end to his season.

When Jeudy went down he was visibly distraught and had to be carted off, so 4-6 weeks may end up proving to be somewhat of a best-case scenario all things considered. Denver looked great while pummeling the Giants 27-7, but they’ll now be without one of their top weapons moving forward.

Courtland Sutton (coming off an ACL tear), Tim Patrick, and KJ Hamler are all likely to see their workloads increase in his absence. Jeudy looked good before suffering the injury, catching six passes for 72 yards. As a rookie last year, he had 52 catches for 856 yards and three touchdowns.

Falcons Re-Sign Brandon Copeland

September 13th, 2021 at 1:43pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Brandon Copeland‘s free agency didn’t last long. Just a couple days after being released by the Falcons the veteran linebacker has re-signed with Atlanta, the team announced Monday.

It seems his release on Saturday was just a procedural move to ensure his salary didn’t become guaranteed. Vested veterans have their contracts guaranteed for the year when they’re on a Week 1 roster. Originally an UDFA out of Penn back in 2013, it took Copeland a few years to find his footing in the league. He eventually broke out in 2018 with the Jets.

He started 10 games for New York that year, racking up five sacks and 14 QB hits while operating as an outside linebacker. The Ivy League grad again played a sizable role with the Jets in 2019, then signed with the Patriots last year. A torn pec limited him to six games, but he started four of them for New England.

He then landed with the Falcons back in March. Atlanta got drubbed by the Eagles in their season opener on Sunday, so they could use all the help they can get.

Jets DB Lamarcus Joyner Likely Done For Year

September 13th, 2021 at 1:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Jets had a rough opener. They lost to the Panthers 19-14, and also lost starting tackle Mekhi Becton for at least the next month. But the 2020 first-rounder wasn’t the only New York starter to go down against Carolina.

Safety Lamarcus Joyner suffered a torn tendon in his arm that will require surgery, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The injury “likely knocks him out for the season,” Rapoport writes. It’s a tough blow for a Jets secondary that already profiled as one of the team’s weaknesses. Their group of corners are quite young and inexperienced, and now they’ll be forced to move things around at safety.

Joyner entered the league as a second-round pick of the Rams back in 2014. After his rookie contract expired, he played 2018 under the franchise tag with the Rams. The Florida State product earned a big four-year, $42MM contract from the Raiders the following free agency but was released back in March just two years into that pact.

Shortly after getting cut by Vegas he inked a one-year deal with the Jets worth up to $4.5MM with $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM of that was in playing time incentives that it now appears he won’t be able to meet. Joyner turns 31 in November, so he probably won’t be able to count on a huge payday next spring.

WFT To Place Ryan Fitzpatrick On IR

September 13th, 2021 at 12:18pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It was the fear yesterday, but now it’s official. Washington quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a hip subluxation during the team’s loss to the Chargers on Sunday, head coach Ron Rivera confirmed. The veteran is expected to miss the next six to eight weeks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Rivera announced that Fitzpatrick will be placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least the next three games. That means that it’ll be Taylor Heinicke under center when Washington takes the field in just a few days for a Thursday Night Football game against the Giants. It also means it’ll be Heinicke leading the team for the foreseeable future. If there’s any good news, it’s that Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that there’s “no indication yet that it’s season ending.”

Rivera said Fitzmagic is getting second opinions to determine the severity. For now it’ll be Kyle Allen backing up Heinicke. Washington is coming off a division title and had high expectations for this season, leading many to speculate they could look to add a veteran signal-caller.

Recently release Cam Newton, of course, is very well acquainted with Rivera from their days in Carolina together, although it looks like for now the plan is to roll with Heinicke and see how he fares. Beat reporters at the press conference say Rivera was firm about staying in-house for now. If the former UDFA struggles, then it wouldn’t be surprising for Washington to look outside the building.

It’s a tough blow for Fitz, who was injured in the first half of the first game with his new team. He’ll turn 39 in November, so it’s fair to wonder how easy of a recovery this will be for him. Here’s to hoping he gets back as soon as possible.

Jets Place T Mekhi Becton On IR

September 13th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Zachary Links

Jets tackle Mekhi Becton has been diagnosed with a knee cap dislocation (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). He’ll now have to undergo arthroscopic surgery and rest up for 4-6 weeks before he retakes the field. The Jets placed the second-year blocker on IR Tuesday.

Becton, the Jets’ 2020 first rounder, got his right leg caught between guard Greg Van Roten and Panthers defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon on Sunday. The Jets carted him off the field as the Sam Darnold-led Panthers went on to win 19-14.

The news could have been a whole lot worse, but it’s still a bad blow to the Jets’ offensive line. Without him, the Jets will call on Morgan Moses to play opposite of George Fant. Moses is a solid protector in his own right with lots of starting experience, but doesn’t offer the same kind of upside.

The 0-1 Jets will likely place Becton on the short-term injured reserve list, opening up a roster spot for a depth signing. It’s likely that they’ll add another tackle today or tomorrow as prepare for the Patriots on Sunday. Alternatively, they could promote one of their two tackles — Isaiah Williams and Grant Hermanns — from the 16-man practice squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/21

September 13th, 2021 at 11:35am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/21

September 13th, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Shurmur will give WFT another option as Ryan Fitzpatrick recovers from his hip injury. For now, this likely means that Taylor Heinicke will serve as their starter. Heinicke stepped in for Fitz against the Chargers on Sunday, completing 11-for-15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

Lions’ Jeff Okudah Done For Year

September 13th, 2021 at 9:15am CST by Zachary Links

Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah has been diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). That’s a season-ender for the former No. 3 overall pick and the Lions will place him on injured reserve later today.

Okudah missed seven games as a rookie due to groin and shoulder issues. He was looking for a healthy bounce-back year, but that was all derailed during Sunday’s season opener against the 49ers. First, Okudah surrendered a 79-yard score to Deebo Samuel and got an earful for it on the sideline. Then, the youngster was forced out of action.

There weren’t many knocks on Okudah leading up to the 2020 draft with experts lauding his tools and potential. The upside is still there, of course, but he’ll have to stay healthy and play with more consistency when he comes back.

“I would put Okudah down as the safest [defensive player in this draft],” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said before the 2020 Draft. “I know exactly what position he plays, I’ve seen him play that position against elite competition and I’ve seen him play at a very high, consistent level. To me, Okudah is the safest.”

For now, the Lions will have to look elsewhere for coverage help. The Okudah-less Lions have one week to go before their Monday night matchup against the rival Packers.

Texans Turned Down Three First-Round Picks For Deshaun Watson

September 13th, 2021 at 9:09am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans rejected an offer of three first-round draft picks for Deshaun Watson just prior to the draft in April, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (h/t The Houston Chronicle). In theory, that’s pretty close to the team’s reported ask of three first rounders plus second rounders and/or starting-caliber veterans.

[RELATED: Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross ‘Really Wants’ Deshaun Watson?]

There were four teams that were really interested in Watson at one point this offseason, Glazer hears. However, at this point, “most of them have all dropped out.” The Dolphins have been heavily linked to Watson as of late, though there are conflicting reports on their level of interest. While owner Stephen Ross may be high on Watson, two team insiders have heard that he won’t impose his will on the front office. Meanwhile, head coach Brian Flores says that Tua Tagovailoa will continue as his starting quarterback.

The pre-draft offer (and rejection) is certainly notable, but that mystery team may have been offering conditional picks, dependent on Watson’s availability. That’s a non-starter for GM Nick Caserio, who is willing to pay Watson to do nothing in 2021.

Watson is still on the roster, but not on the field. So far, that’s working out just fine for the Texans. On Sunday, Tyrod Taylor led Houston to a 37-21 win over the Jaguars.

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