HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Alvin Kamara’s Battery Case Delayed Again

September 29th, 2022 at 11:15am CST by Sam Robinson

Alvin Kamara and Chris Lammons‘ alleged battery of a man in Las Vegas has put both players on the suspension radar, but any prospective ban might not happen until next season. The already-delayed case brought another postponement Thursday.

Lawyers for Kamara and Lammons were in court today, but David Charns of Las Vegas 8 News Now tweets the proceedings have been pushed to Nov. 9. Although a plea agreement may be in play, per NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett (on Twitter), the latest delay increases Kamara’s chances of playing out the 2022 season.

This is related to the Pro Bowl-weekend incident that had Kamara and Lammons, currently with the Chiefs, at the scene of a fight at a Vegas casino. Lammons and Kamara, who has since been slapped with a civil lawsuit as well, were each charged with battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery. The Saints running back has been bracing for a six-game ban for months.

Kamara, 27, said he threw punches thinking the victim was running away and that he could not remember if he punched Darnell Greene while he was on the ground. Video surveillance showed Kamara punching Greene approximately eight times and also revealed other members of Kamara’s group stomping on the victim, who was knocked unconscious and sustained an orbital bone fracture. Lammons currently resides as a Chiefs backup cornerback.

This year’s Saints have Mark Ingram as Kamara’s top backup. With Ingram in his age-33 season, that might not be the case in 2023. Ingram’s contract expires at season’s end. Latavius Murray, 32, also rejoined the Saints on a practice squad deal, doing so ahead of a Week 2 game Kamara missed due to injury. Should a Kamara suspension surface this year, the two 30-somethings would likely be asked to carry the load. If Kamara’s ban commences next year, it should be expected the Saints will have a younger Kamara backup prepared to play a role. Third-year UDFA Tony Jones and veteran special-teamer Dwayne Washington are also on New Orleans’ roster.

Latest On Saints’ Quarterback Situation

September 29th, 2022 at 10:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Andy Dalton might soon make a start for a fourth team in four seasons. The Saints have now held Jameis Winston out of practice for each of the past two days.

Dennis Allen said Wednesday the team planned to have its starter available for its Thursday practice in London, and although OC Pete Carmichael added a plan is in place for Winston, the former No. 1 overall pick has admitted he is playing through pain. Winston is dealing with four back fractures, though he logged a Thursday practice leading up to New Orleans’ Week 3 game.

The Saints signed both Winston and Dalton this offseason, bringing back their 2021 starter on a two-year, $28MM deal ($15.2MM guaranteed) and adding the longtime Bengals QB1 for one year and $3MM. Dalton did not compete for the Saints’ starting job, but Albert Breer of SI.com notes the Saints were really impressed with the 12th-year veteran during their training camp. Considering the situation, it would certainly not surprise if the team went with its healthy backup against the Vikings on Sunday.

Although Winston used his new receiving corps to rally the Saints back from a Week 1 deficit in Atlanta, he threw three interceptions against the Buccaneers and had the Saints down two scores against the Panthers for most of the team’s Week 3 loss. Winston ranks 26th in QBR through three games.

Winston, 28, spent the offseason rehabbing the ACL tear that ended his 2021 campaign, but a report indicating he suffered fractures in his spine emerged ahead of the Saints’ Week 2 game. Following the team’s loss to the Panthers, Allen said a quarterback switch was not being considered. Winston starting against Minnesota was clearly the team’s plan, given that he traveled to London with the team. If Winston is not at practice Friday, however, it will probably be Dalton who receives the call.

Dalton, 34, entered last season as the Bears’ starter and made nine starts in relief of Dak Prescott in 2020. The TCU product has 148 career starts. While Dalton is far removed from his Cincinnati heyday, he profiles as one of the league’s better backup options. Dalton went 3-3 as Chicago’s starter last season, though he did finish with a career-low 33.6 QBR figure.

Bengals Place DT D.J. Reader On IR

September 29th, 2022 at 10:14am CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 29: As expected, the team moved Reader to IR. The veteran defensive tackle will be out at least four weeks. It would not surprise if the timetable is pushed beyond that, but the defending AFC champions are expected to have Reader back this season. Reader suffered an MCL injury that will feature an estimated six-week recovery timetable, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

SEPTEMBER 27: Tests have revealed D.J. Reader will miss an extended amount of time, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway. While this is not believed to be a season-ending knee injury, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds Reader is likely to be shut down for at least a month (Twitter link).

It would seem Reader will be IR-bound. This certainly stings for a Bengals team that had Reader and Larry Ogunjobi during its AFC North title run last season. Ogunjobi is now with the Steelers, leaving B.J. Hill — who re-signed with the Bengals this offseason — as the team’s top defensive tackle.

Although it is a bit early for gleaning too much from advanced metrics, Pro Football Focus has Reader ranked as the NFL’s top interior D-linemen through three games. Reader, 28, left the Bengals’ third contest after early, playing just 18 defensive snaps. But he has been one of the team’s top players since coming over from the Texans two years ago.

As the team began to be active in free agency to supplement Joe Burrow‘s rookie contract, the Bengals gave Reader a four-year, $53MM deal in 2020. The former Texans Day 3 pick has continued his strong play with the Bengals, who have benefited from his top-level run defense. Cincinnati ranked fifth against the run last season; the defending AFC champions are eighth through three games.

Longtime Bengal Josh Tupou, third-round rookie Zach Carter and Jay Tufele round out the team’s D-tackle group. Tupou, who has been with the team since 2017, agreed to a two-year, $3MM deal to stay in Cincinnati this offseason. The Bengals added Tufele, a 2021 fourth-rounder, via waiver claim from the Jaguars just after cutdown day.

Ravens’ Michael Pierce Suffers Biceps Tear

September 29th, 2022 at 8:46am CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 29: The sixth-year veteran announced he is undergoing surgery to repair the injury, Rapoport adds (via Twitter). This will almost certainly end Pierce’s season.

SEPTEMBER 28: Michael Pierce‘s first season back with the Ravens may not end up lasting long. The veteran nose tackle suffered a biceps tear in the team’s Week 3 win in New England, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Ravens are not ruling Pierce out for the season just yet; the team is determining how to proceed. Pierce is weighing whether to undergo surgery or attempt to play through the injury after a rehab effort, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.

Pierce, 29, has played five of his six NFL seasons in Baltimore. After the Vikings released him in March, the Ravens brought him back on a three-year, $16.5MM deal. Of that amount, $6.75MM is guaranteed.

This Pierce injury comes nearly a year after an elbow issue shut him down for an extended stretch in Minnesota. Playing on a three-year, $27MM deal the Vikings authorized, Pierce missed nine games last season. That ended up being his only season in Minneapolis, after having opted out of the 2020 campaign.

A Ravens regular for nearly the duration of his rookie contract, Pierce has excelled in run defense with Baltimore. Pro Football Focus has consistently rated the former UDFA as a top-tier interior D-lineman. This year is no exception, with Pierce slotted fifth among inside defenders through three games. This will certainly deal a blow to Baltimore’s run defense, which is already giving up 5.0 yards per carry (28th through three games).

The team opted not to give Brandon Williams a third contract, but the longtime Baltimore D-line starter remains available. So does Ndamukong Suh, whom the Ravens pursued in 2020. Suh re-signed with the Buccaneers that year. The Ravens still roster the likes of Calais Campbell, former third-rounder Justin Madubuike, third-year backup Broderick Washington and veteran Brent Urban on their defensive front.

Injury Notes: Mac, Williams, Julio, CMC

September 28th, 2022 at 9:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has decided to seek a second opinion on his high ankle sprain, according to Mike Giardi of NFL Network. After sustaining the injury on the final offensive play of the team’s loss to the Ravens this week, Jones underwent an MRI to determine the severity of the sprain. It is expected, with the resulting diagnosis, that Jones will have to miss some time.

Jones will go to Dr. Martin O’Malley of the New York Hospital for Special Surgery. O’Malley is the team orthopedist for the Brooklyn Nets, the Team Physician for USA Basketball and Iona University Athletics, and the foot and ankle consultant for the Giants and the New York City Ballet. He notably worked recently on cornerback J.C. Jackson‘s ankle surgery, as well as basketball star Kevin Durant’s Achilles surgery in 2019.

Here’s a few more injury rumors from around the league, starting with an update on one of the Jets’ top defenders:

  • Jets linebacker Quincy Williams has also been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Williams’ high ankle sprain appears to be a bit less severe than Jones’, as head coach Robert Saleh reported that Williams is currently week-to-week.
  • Buccaneers wide receiver Julio Jones was reportedly a game-time decision to play this past weekend, but ended up spending the game on the sideline. It appears that Jones could have contributed, but Tampa Bay decided to hold him out, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic. Head coach Todd Bowles broke the news, saying, “I just know he could have played (but) we held him out. We want to make sure he’s healthy and he’ll probably be back out there next week.”
  • Fantasy football managers of Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey have resumed sweating. The star weapon for Carolina missed practice today with a thigh injury. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the injury has caused a bit of concern for the Panthers, more so than the “previous nicks” that have been reported throughout the season. He’s been able to play through every injury so far this year, but Jones makes it seem like his Week 4 status could be in jeopardy. McCaffrey hasn’t played in all of Carolina’s regular season games since 2019, appearing in 13 games total during the three seasons since. Rumors of an injury being “concerning” is the last thing the Panthers want to hear about McCaffrey. Chuba Hubbard is likely to fill McCaffrey’s role for any potentially missed time, while D’Onta Foreman would serve as the primary backup.

AFC Workouts: Texans, Nsekhe, Blankenship

September 28th, 2022 at 7:47pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans are bringing in a pair of running backs for workouts Thursday, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. With starting rookie Dameon Pierce dealing with a hip injury this week, Houston invited Abram Smith and Ty’Son Williams in for workouts.

Smith is an undrafted rookie out of Baylor who converted from linebacker to running back in 2020. The Texans got a look at him some weeks ago when he played against them as a member of the Saints in the preseason. He led the Saints that day with 30 rushing yards on seven carries. Smith also worked out for the Seahawks yesterday, likely a result of Seattle placing running back Travis Homer on injured reserve.

Williams is a former Raven who came into the league after going undrafted in 2020. He spent much of his time on the practice squad but got the opportunity to start for Baltimore when injuries landed J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill all on injured reserve. He eventually was supplanted by free agent additions such as Le’Veon Bell and Latavius Murray.

The hope for Texans fans is that the workouts are solely precautionary measures that don’t speak to the injury status of Pierce, who had a strong outing last week.

Here are a few other workouts from around the league:

  • The Ravens reportedly worked out offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe yesterday, according to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus. Nsekhe has been a long-time backup tackle in the league, spending time with St. Louis, Washington, Buffalo, and Dallas since going undrafted back in 2009. The 36-year-old tackle has appeared in 93 games over his career and started 17. He has never served as a full-time starter and all but one of his starts came in Washington. The Ravens are getting desperate at tackle, once again. Star blindside blocker Ronnie Stanley still has not returned from an injury sustained in November 2020. The player meant to fill in until his return, Ja’Wuan James, had their season ended with a torn Achilles in the season opener. They replaced James with their sixth-man of the offensive line, utility lineman Patrick Mekari, but he left last week’s game against the Patriots with a low ankle sprain. Mekari may be able to recover quickly, but, in the meantime, the Ravens have two healthy tackles on the depth chart: free agent addition Morgan Moses and rookie fourth-round pick Daniel Faalele. If Nsekhe can earn a contract, he’ll be a much needed depth addition at tackle.
  • Former Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship worked out with a team yesterday for the first time since he was waived by Indianapolis, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. He and veteran kicker Sam Ficken worked out for the Jaguars, who currently roster second-year kicker Riley Patterson. After two full seasons with the Colts that turned out middling results, Blankenship was waived after he kicked two kickoffs out of bounds and missed a potential game-winner in overtime of the team’s season-opening tie. Patterson, on the other hand, hasn’t given Jacksonville any reason to search for his replacement yet. In three games with the team, Patterson has converted seven of eight field goal attempts, including a 52-yarder, and all seven extra point attempts. He’s showing continued success from his rookie season, in which he played seven games for the Lions and made 13 of his 14 field goal attempts and all 16 extra points.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/22

September 28th, 2022 at 6:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Here today’s minor moves from around the league:

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/28/22

September 28th, 2022 at 5:59pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the practice squad signings and releases for today:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: OLB Gerri Green

Latest On Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa

September 28th, 2022 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFLPA investigation of the Dolphins, related to their handling of Tua Tagovailoa‘s concussion protocol, is ongoing. This process is expected to last a week or two, according to NFL executive VP Jeff Miller, who adds (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, on Twitter) there is every indication the team followed the protocol.

Although Tagovailoa’s quick return to action against the Bills sparked the union’s inquiry, he is not a lock to face the Bengals on Thursday. The Dolphins have listed their starting quarterback as questionable for Week 4 with back and ankle issues; Tagovailoa went through limited practices Tuesday and Wednesday. He said Tuesday the back issue has caused him more problems.

Tua said it felt like he hyperextended his back during a quarterback sneak Sunday, and Matt Milano shoving him to the turf on the next play produced a head hit and post-play stumble that sent him into the protocol. The third-year passer blamed the noticeable stumble on the back injury.

Mike McDaniel said postgame Tua navigated concussion protocol, but the talented southpaw added (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson) that his back “started to lock up” on him during the second half against the Bills. McDaniel is optimistic Tagovailoa will play against the Bengals; the Alabama alum called his new HC late Monday night to discuss his status.

Even if the investigation clears the Dolphins, their quarterback continues to run into injury trouble. The severe hip injury Tagovailoa suffered late in his junior year affected his draft stock, though not much as it turned out. In the Dolphins’ home Bills matchup last year, Tua sustained rib fractures that sent him to IR. Thumb and finger maladies have also sidelined Tagovailoa for a game apiece during his Miami stay.

The team has a highly capable backup in Teddy Bridgewater, who worked as a starter (with the Panthers and Broncos) over the past two seasons. Bridgewater, 29, took three snaps in relief of Tagovailoa in Week 3. While Bridgewater is a seasoned option, Tagovailoa is having the best stretch of his short career. After his 469-yard, six-touchdown day against the Ravens, he averaged 10.3 yards per attempt on 72% passing in Sunday’s injury-bisected game. Leading the Dolphins to the AFC’s lone 3-0 record, the oft-questioned passer ranks first in QBR entering Week 4.

Azeez Al-Shaair Facing Lengthy Absence

September 28th, 2022 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers are having some bad luck with MCL sprains. An injury that often can sideline players for a period of a few weeks may end up shutting down two San Francisco starters for two months. Azeez Al-Shaair suffered this particular injury Sunday night.

An Al-Shaair IR trip seems a certainty. Kyle Shanahan said the fourth-year linebacker sustained an MCL sprain similar to Elijah Mitchell‘s. The 49ers placed Mitchell on IR after Week 1 and expect their starting running back to be out for approximately eight weeks. Al-Shaair’s setback will remove one of the team’s starting linebackers from the equation for a similar time period.

Al-Shaair went down during the second quarter of the 49ers’ loss to the Broncos. This represents a poorly timed injury for the former UDFA. Al-Shaair, 25, is eligible for unrestricted free agency in March. Once linked to an Al-Shaair/Dre Greenlaw either/or decision regarding an extension, the 49ers have since signed Greenlaw to a two-year deal. With Fred Warner already signed to the position’s second-highest contract, Al-Shaair may need to collect his payday from another team.

Although still a starter, the Florida Atlantic alum has played behind Warner and Greenlaw this season. Al-Shaair ceded the three-down role he held last year back to Greenlaw, whose 2021 injury opened the door to a full-time gig alongside Warner. Al-Shaair started 13 games last season, made 102 tackles, registered two sacks and recovered two fumbles.

The team will turn to Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles at strongside linebacker, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). A 2020 UDFA out of Arizona, Flannigan-Fowles has made three career starts. The 49ers also have ex-Packers third-rounder Oren Burks on their roster, signing him in free agency this year.

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