HEADLINES

Year: 2023

Lions’ Emmanuel Moseley Suffers Torn ACL

October 9th, 2023 at 9:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Week 5 marked Emmanuel Moseley‘s return to action after missing most of the 2022 campaign to a torn ACL. On Sunday, however, he was met with the exact same fate, as noted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Mosely tore his left ACL in Week 5 last season, an injury which ended his campaign and dealt a signficant blow to his free agent value. The 27-year-old tore his right ACL yesterday, Schefter notes. Instead of locking down a starting role in Detroit’s revamped secondary, Mosely will now be forced to begin the lengthy rehab process again.

Across five season with the 49ers, he established himself as a starting-caliber cover man. The major knee injury suffered in his contract year unexpectedly put him Detroit’s price range, and paved the way for a move out of the Bay Area for the first time in his career. Mosely signed a one-year, $6MM deal – a sign of the damage done to his market value by the injury, which required a cleanup procedure in August.

That surgery further delayed his 2023 debut, but expectations were still high for him once he was able to suit up. Moseley recorded one interception in each season between 2019-22, totaling 33 pass breakups over that span. The former UDFA generally put up strong coverage numbers as well, making him a prized acquisition for the Lions as part of their defensive renovations this offseason. Unless he is retained on what will no doubt be another low-cost deal, Mosely’s Detroit tenure will have lasted just two defensive snaps.

The Lions signed Cameron Sutton in free agency, and the ex-Steelers starter will remain a crucial part of their CB room moving forward. The same is true of second-round rookie Brian Branch, whose impressive performances in the summer as a slot corner forced C.J. Gardner-Johnson to move to safety. Third-year Lion Jerry Jacobs – who has gotten off to a flying start with three interceptions – will also be a key member of the team’s secondary, a unit which will be without Moseley for the remainder of the season.

Two of the Lions’ three free agency secondary additions are facing extended rehab timetables. Gardner-Johnson’s torn pec is not certain to sideline him for the rest of the season, but that is in play.

Bills Fear Season-Ending Knee Injury For LB Matt Milano

October 9th, 2023 at 7:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 9: The standout linebacker will require surgery, Sean McDermott said Monday. While the seventh-year HC did not confirm Milano is done for the season, that is the expectation at this point. The Bills have lost three defensive starters — Milano, Jones and White — to major injuries in a seven-day span.

OCTOBER 8: The Bills suffered a loss to the Jaguars in Week 5, but the team was dealt a more significant blow in the process. Linebacker Matt Milano is feared to have suffered a season-ending knee injury, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Milano was carted off the field in the first quarter, and Rapoport notes he has since been diagnosed with a fractured leg. Further tests are set to be conducted to see if an ACL tear has occurred as well, and confirmation on that front would confirm he will miss the remainder of the year. The Bills’ defense has already lost top corner Tre’Davious White to a torn Achilles, and being without Milano would add substantially to the unit’s injury woes.

The latter has been in Buffalo since 2017, serving as a full-time starter for most of that time. Milano has eclipsed 100 tackles only once in his career, but his versatility has made him one of the league’s most valued linebackers in the passing game in particular. The former fifth-rounder has 10 interceptions and 39 pass breakups to his name, and he has chipped in as a complimentary pass rusher as well.

The Bills lost fellow linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, creating a notable vacancy in the middle of their defense. An open training camp competition produced Terrel Bernard as the Edmunds replacement, but his ascension to a starting role came with the presumption of being insulated by the veteran presence and consistent production of Milano. Losing the latter for an extended stretch would tax Buffalo’s second level considerably given their lack of proven players at the outside linebacker spot.

Milano signed a two-year extension this offseason in a move which freed up cap space in the immediate future while keeping him on the books through 2026. He will remain an integral (and, at an AAV of $14.17MM, expensive) member of the Bills’ defense moving forward, but his ability to return to form when healthy – something which seems destined to take place no earlier than the beginning of the 2024 campaign – will be worth watching.

Head coach Sean McDermott said after the game that defensive lineman DaQuan Jones suffered a pectoral injury, adding that his prognosis “doesn’t look good.” Jones has been a full-time starter in his two Bills campaigns, providing an interior pass rush. The 31-year-old recorded a pair of sacks last season, upping that total to 2.5 through the first four games of the 2023 slate. As is the case with Milano, however, it remains to be seen if he will be able to suit up again before next year.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/23

October 9th, 2023 at 7:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s practice squad moves:

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

  • Placed on practice squad injured list: WR Shaquan Davis
  • Released: CB Anthony Johnson

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/23

October 9th, 2023 at 6:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Penny Hart

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

Jones will be headed to his third team since the preseason concluded. With James Conner going down with a knee injury, the Cardinals are better equipping themselves in the backfield. Jones, who went to camp with the Broncos and had returned to the Saints, will head to the desert. Jones scored two touchdowns in the Saints’ Week 2 win over the Panthers and played in three other Saints games this season. But the team waived him Saturday. Jones will join Keaontay Ingram and rookie UDFA Emari Demercado on Arizona’s active roster; Damien Williams resides on the Cardinals’ practice squad. Ingram has missed time with a neck injury recently.

Because the Packers have used up their practice squad elevations with Taylor, they are signing him to their 53-man roster. Taylor will come up to replace Aaron Jones, whom the Pack declared inactive. Despite Jones having returned for Week 4, the standout starter is out again with a hamstring injury.

Rams To Place DL Bobby Brown On IR

October 9th, 2023 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sporting a retooled defense around Aaron Donald this season, the Rams will need to look deeper into their young nucleus. Bobby Brown‘s season will hit pause soon.

The Rams are expected to place Brown on IR, Sean McVay said Monday (via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue). The third-year defensive lineman suffered a grade 3 MCL sprain. This actually represents one of the best possible scenarios for Brown, who will be a candidate to come off IR when eligible.

Last season, the Rams used IR to the point they ran out of activations late in the season. Of course, the season was lost by that point. McVay’s latest Rams team has authored an interesting first quarter this season, going 2-3 and submitting quality efforts against the unbeaten 49ers and Eagles.

After seeing the Rams let multiyear starters Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson walk in free agency (to the Buccaneers and Giants, respectively), Brown moved into a regular starting role for the first time as a pro. The former fourth-round pick has lined up alongside Donald as a first-stringer in all five Los Angeles games, coming after he started one contest over his first two seasons. Brown has already topped his season-high tackles number, registering 13 in five games, and Pro Football Focus rates him as a top-35 interior D-lineman.

Brown is one of several rookie-contract players making his debut as a Rams starter this year. In addition to Puka Nacua on offense, L.A.’s defense is rookie-deal-laden to the point it only trots out only two vested veterans — Donald and Ahkello Witherspoon — as starters. The team has third-round rookie Kobie Turner looming as a backup D-lineman. Former Titans draftee Larrell Murchison and 2021 Rams fifth-rounder Earnest Brown are also in place as D-line reserves.

The Rams have already used two of their eight allotted activations, bringing Cooper Kupp and rookie outside linebacker Ochaun Mathis off IR on Saturday. Brown will be eligible to return in Week 11, as the Rams’ bye arrives in Week 10.

Bills To Bring Back CB Josh Norman

October 9th, 2023 at 4:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two months shy of his 36th birthday, Josh Norman looks to have secured another gig. The Bills are reuniting with their former starting defender, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. This is a practice squad agreement.

The three-time reigning AFC East champions have seen multiple CB injuries transpire over the past two weeks. Tre’Davious White is lost for the season, and slot corner Taron Johnson left Sunday’s Jaguars matchup with a knee injury. Johnson walked off the field and is not among the Bills’ growing number of defenders lost for the year, but he did not leave the team’s concerning London trip unscathed. Christian Benford is also dealing with an injury, though Sean McDermott labeled the second-year starter day-to-day with a shoulder issue.

Norman, who played for McDermott in Carolina and then Buffalo, was last with the Bills in 2020. He played nine games for McDermott’s team that season. The well-traveled veteran spent last season back with the Panthers.

Buffalo used a first-round pick on a cornerback in 2022, but Kaiir Elam has not seized a starting job. Elam was a healthy scratch over the Bills’ first four games. Even after White’s exit, the team has experience in place, rostering the likes of Dane Jackson, Siran Neal and Cameron Lewis. Elam, however, started against the Jaguars and played 80 defensive snaps in the narrow loss.

Norman saw action in two Panthers games last season. He is best known for his original stint in Charlotte and subsequent run in Washington. Norman parlayed a contract-year breakout — one that occurred during Carolina’s 15-1 season that ended in Super Bowl 50 — into a record-setting deal with Washington. The then-Bruce Allen-run team authorized a five-year, $75MM extension for Norman shortly after the then-Dave Gettleman-led Panthers rescinded his franchise tag. Norman, though, did not live up to his Washington pact and ended up a 2020 cap casualty.

The Bills gave Norman a one-year, $6MM deal in 2020, hoping he could lock down their other boundary post opposite White. Norman failed to do so, going down with a hamstring injury early in his tenure and only starting three Bills contests that year. Norman spent the 2021 season with the 49ers, a year that included one of the most unusual stat lines in recent NFL history. Norman is credited with forcing seven fumbles during his 2021 San Francisco one-off, which did include 14 starts. Not much free agency interest followed, however, leading him back to Carolina as a late-season pickup.

Bills DT DaQuan Jones Suffers Torn Pec

October 9th, 2023 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills’ loss in London ended with significant defensive setbacks. After losing Tre’Davious White to a torn Achilles, the Bills will likely be down Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones for the season as well.

Jones will see his second Bills season stall because of a torn pectoral muscle, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The veteran defensive tackle will need surgery, per Sean McDermott, and this development is expected to lead to a rehab timetable that extends into the 2024 offseason. This will be new territory for Jones, who played in at least 16 games in seven of the past eight seasons.

In the second season of a two-year, $14MM deal, Jones had operated as a Bills starter throughout his tenure. The 10th-year D-lineman had been enjoying a quality start; Pro Football Focus ranks Jones third overall among interior defenders. Coupled with the White injury, the Bills are set to lose key starters on all three levels in the span of two weeks.

Milano, who sustained a serious knee injury Sunday, signed a second Bills extension this offseason. Unfortunately for Jones, he is in a contract year. A seven-year Titans mainstay, Jones has been one of the more unheralded parts of the Bills’ stout defense over the past two seasons. After a one-year stopover in Carolina, Jones has excelled in Buffalo. PFF slotted Jones as a top-20 interior D-lineman last season, when he finished with a career-high 11 quarterback hits.

Veterans flood the Bills’ D-tackle group, but Jones has started every game he has played in with the team. The Bills will need to lean on their other experienced players inside going forward. Buffalo handed Ed Oliver a $17MM-per-year extension this offseason and still rosters 2022 free agency pickup Tim Settle. Jordan Phillips, who is in his second stint with the franchise, looms as a key depth piece as well.

Settle and Phillips have seen roughly equal workloads this season. Settle has logged 105 defensive snaps, while Phillips has been on the field for 113. The team also signed Poona Ford this offseason, but the ex-Seahawk has only been out there on 23 defensive plays. In light of the Jones injury, that number figures to go up. The Bills are interestingly well-positioned to handle a DT injury, seeing as four vested veterans are part of this mix even without Jones. But this will be a blow to a team also set to be without White and Milano.

Jets OL Alijah Vera-Tucker Suffers Torn Achilles

October 9th, 2023 at 2:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

2:27pm: Further testing has, unexpectedly, revealed the worst-case scenario. Vera-Tucker has suffered a torn Achilles, Rapoport notes. The news confirms the 24-year-old will be sidelined for the rest of the season, and marks a massive blow to the team’s offensive line. At least one year remains on his rookie contract, but the team can keep him in place through 2025 if they elect to exercise his fifth-year option in the spring.

12:03pm: The Jets won what was dubbed the ‘Nathaniel Hackett Bowl’ on Sunday, delivering an impressive offensive performance in the process. The unit was dealt a notable blow on the injury front, however.

Alijah Vera-Tucker suffered a calf injury in Week 5, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Further testing is required, but Rapoport adds that an Achilles injury is not expected to be in play. Major injuries of the latter nature are usually known before an MRI confirms them, so a shorter-term absence should be expected in this case.

Still, losing Vera-Tucker for any stretch would be signficant for a Jets team which has struggled to find stability up front. The 2021 first-rounder took over at right tackle following the injury suffered by blindside blocker Duane Brown – something which forced Mekhi Becton to move to the LT spot. Vera-Tucker’s play at tackle (rather than guard) had prompted New York to consider a full-time switch. Those plans will now be put on hold, though.

The USC product had experience on the inside and outside coming out of college, and finding the ideal spot for him has been a talking point for the Jets amidst their struggles up front. Vera-Tucker played exclusively at left guard as a rookie, but he has split time at guard and tackle on the right side since then. Strong run blocking has led to overall PFF grades in the low 70s in 2022 and the early stages of this season. Comparative struggles in pass blocking (something which has plagued many Jets O-linemen) have, however, remained a constant in his young NFL career.

Becton’s ability to log an every-down role this season has been a welcomed development given his lengthy injury history, and much will be expected of him with Brown on injured reserve and Vera-Tucker set to miss time. MRI results will go a long way in determining how long the latter is sidelined, but even a brief absence would tax the Jets’ tackle depth even further. Veteran Billy Turner and 2022 fourth-rounder Max Mitchell – neither of whom have seen signficant playing time this year – would be in line to fill in for Vera-Tucker in the starting lineup.

Dolphins To Open RB Jeff Wilson’s Practice Window

October 9th, 2023 at 2:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins have had plenty of success on the ground already this season, but the team will soon have another option in the backfield. Jeff Wilson is set to be designated for return, agent Drew Rosenhaus informs Josh Moser of WSVN 7.

Wilson was placed on injured reserve at the end of August while dealing with finger and midsection injuries. That designation guaranteed at least a four-week absence to begin the campaign, but head coach Mike McDaniel‘s remarks suggested a lengthier absence may have been in store. After five missed contests, Wilson will be able to return as early as this Sunday if he is activated in the coming days.

Players have 21 days to be activated once they are cleared to return to practice. The Dolphins will thus have plenty of time to evaluate Wilson this week before deciding if will be immediately be brought back into the team’s RB rotation. A role of some kind will no doubt await the 27-year-old when he is able to suit up, though, as he will look to continue the success he had in Miami last season and carry on the team’s production on the ground.

Wilson spent his first four-plus NFL seasons with the 49ers, but after their Christian McCaffrey acquisition he was traded to the Dolphins. That move saw the former UDFA log a similar workload to the one he had in San Francisco, and he averaged 4.7 yards per carry while recording 486 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns. Wilson – like fellow back Raheem Mostert – was retained in the offseason as Miami looked to maintain stability at the RB spot.

Despite having Wilson’s two-year deal on the books, the Dolphins were considered a favorite to sign Dalvin Cook, and they were suitors in a potential trade acquisition of Jonathan Taylor. In the end, though, the only main addition made at the running back spot was the selection of De’Von Achane in the third round of April’s draft, a move which has proven to be shrewd. The Texas A&M product has turned 38 attempts into 460 rushing yards, good for an absurd 12.1 yards per carry average, while scoring seven total touchdowns. He and Mostert have helped power the Dolphins to a league-leading average of 186 rushing yards per game.

Wilson will likely displace Salvon Ahmed (who has been used sparingly to date) in the lineup when he is activated. The latter entered roster cutdowns in a precarious position given the logjam of capable backs already on the team, something which led to Myles Gaskin‘s departure. It will be interesting to see how the Dolphins proceed with Ahmed once three backs are again ahead of him on the depth chart – including Achane, who is expected to handle an increased workload moving forward. Miami has its full complement of eight IR activations available at the moment.

Bears Designate CB Kyler Gordon For Return, Sign QB Nathan Peterman To Practice Squad

October 9th, 2023 at 1:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears could have their starting slot corner back in the fold as early as Week 6. Kyler Gordon was designated for return from injured reserve on Monday, per a team announcement. Backup center Doug Kramer has also had his practice window opened.

[RELATED: Khalil Herbert Facing Extended Absence, Bears Sign RB Darrynton Evans]

As a result of the move, both players are now clear to return to practice. They can do so for up to 21 days before Chicago will be required to activate them or see them revert to season-ending IR. Bringing back the pair will use up two of the team’s seven remaining IR activations.

Gordon suffered a broken hand in the season opener, and the surgery he underwent opened the door to an IR stint the following week. The team was optimistic he would be able to return at the first opportunity, and that would prove to be the case if he were to be activated this week. A 2022 second-rounder, Gordon played on the outside as a rookie but has moved to the slot for the 2023 campaign. His return will allow Chicago to have its top trio of Gordon, Jaylon Johnson and rookie Tyrique Stevenson in place at the CB spot.

Gordon, 23, showed plenty of promise last season, racking up 71 tackles, three interceptions and six pass deflections. The Washington alum left plenty to be desired in coverage, though, allowing three touchdowns and a passer rating of 102 as the nearest defender. That led to a poor PFF grade of 49.8, but a return to action will give him the chance to show improvement and in doing so give a boost to the Bears’ secondary.

In other roster news, the Bears retained quarterback Nathan Peterman by signing him to the practice squad. The veteran was released last week in a move which confirmed undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent‘s status as the backup to Justin Fields. Chicago did not have another passer in the organization beyond that pair for a time, however, so it comes as little surprise that Peterman will remain in the Windy City. The 29-year-old spent last season on and off the team’s taxi squad, and that arrangement is now set continue in 2023.

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