Vikings RB Dalvin Cook Intends To Play Through Injury
After missing Week 3, Dalvin Cook returned to the field for Week 4 but struggled as he battled through an ankle injury. However, the Vikings running back isn’t intending to miss another game as he nurses the injury.
“I don’t feel like I’m getting worse,” Cook said (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). “I don’t feel like I’m headed in the wrong direction. I feel like I’m headed in the right direction to get myself back to where I need to be at. You have those days, but we just played a game. Just trying to work myself back to being 100% so I can help us win games.”
The running back has dealt with his a share of injuries throughout his career, missing a total of 21 regular season games through his first four seasons in the NFL. The Vikings are prioritizing his long-term health, and they naturally sat him out of practice late this week.
Cook had a hot start to the season, scoring two touchdowns in Week 1 and collecting 148 yards from scrimmage in Week 2. It was during that latter game that the running back suffered his ankle injury, forcing him out of the lineup for Week 3. He returned last weekend but collected only 44 yards on 11 touches.
Fortunately, if the Vikings star does miss another game, the team is set at the position. Backup Alexander Mattison rushed for 112 yards and added another 59 yards through the air in Week 3.
Panthers Eyeing OL Trades
Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer has made 13 trades since taking on the role in January (via Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer). If the GM has his way, his 14th trade will address the team’s offensive line issues. Fitterer told reporters that he’s called around about OL trades but hasn’t found a taker, noting that teams aren’t even willing to consider dealing their backups (via The Athletic’s Joe Person on Twitter).
[RELATED: Patriots Trade Stephon Gilmore To Panthers]
“I mean, it’s not like there are offensive linemen available,” the executive said (via Fowler). “I think every team’s in the same situation we are. … There’s just not a lot of offensive linemen on the market right now. No one’s letting them out (the door) — even their backups.”
Quarterback Sam Darnold was hit 11 times and sacked five times during Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys. If the Panthers have playoff aspirations, they’ll need to keep their starting QB healthy, and reinforcing the offensive line would certainly help.
As Darin Gantt of the team’s website points out, the Panthers were forced to play a pair of injured OLs (left tackle Cameron Erving (knee) and right guard John Miller (shoulder)) on Sunday. While some acquisitions would certainly help, head coach Matt Rhule seemed to indicate that improved health could solve the offensive line’s issues.
“I think a lot of it comes down to who’s healthy when we get to Wednesday,” Rhule said (via Gantt). “Those guys, while it’s not always perfect, they’re playing hard for us while they’ve been banged up. I appreciate the way they’re playing. We’ll see what we do moving forward this week, see who’s healthy, see who’s available, and take full stock of where we are.”
Raiders RB Peyton Barber To Miss Time
The Raiders are down a running back. Peyton Barber has been diagnosed with mild turf toe, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
While the injury should sideline Barber for a “few weeks,” the veteran was fortunate to avoid a fracture. Barber is still “seeking opinions and having tests,” and it sounds like the organization will wait for those results before deciding on an IR stint.
Josh Jacobs has been limited to only two games and 29 touches this season, but Barber has done a fine job filling in (alongside free agent acquisition Kenyan Drake). Barber was a standout during the Raiders Week 3 win over the Dolphins, compiling 142 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. However, the 27-year-old was limited to only one touch on Monday with Jacobs back in the lineup.
While Barber could be out for a bit, the team will soon be welcoming back another running back. The Raiders designated Jalen Richard for return last week.
Latest On Texans QB Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson is still on the Houston Texans, but team chairman and CEO Cal McNair insinuated that the trade winds could change on a dime. While McNair wouldn’t rate the team’s chances of trading Watson before the November 2nd trade deadline, he did say the situation is fluid and “day-to-day.”
“We’ll just wait and see,” McNair told Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk790. “It’s a day-to-day thing. Nick is in charge of that, so we’ll see how that works out.”
Watson’s initial trade request partly stemmed from the team’s hiring of general manager Nick Caserio and coach David Culley, with the quarterback citing a lack of communication during the process. McNair was asked about the awkward position his GM and HC have been put in, noting they’ve “made the very best of it.”
“I think they’ve been put in a very tough spot, a spot that is not of their choosing and they’ve made the very best of it and sort of worked through it day to day,” McNair said. “So, we’ll see where it goes.”
Meanwhile, a new suitor could emerge in the Watson sweepstakes. While the Dolphins remain the favorite to acquire the quarterback, “some GMs believe the Saints could emerge as a darkhorse,” according to CBS’s Jason La Canfora (and passed along by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on Twitter). Meanwhile, La Canfora reiterated that the Eagles aren’t in play for the 26-year-old.
The 2-2 Saints haven’t necessarily struggled to find the end zone, and they’re middle-of-the-road with scoring. While Jameis Winston has done an admirable job filling in for Drew Brees, the Saints also rank toward the bottom of the league in both completions and attempts. The team is clearly keeping Winston on a tight leash, and Watson would provide the Saints with a better chance to replicate the high-powered offense they had for more than a decade.
Saints Sign RB Devine Ozigbo Off Jaguars’ Practice Squad
The Saints will be down a running back for the new few weeks, so the team is bringing in reinforcement. New Orleans has signed running back Devine Ozigbo off the Jaguars’ practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
This is a bit of a homecoming for Ozigbo, as the Nebraska product joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He eventually moved on to Jacksonville, and he spent the next two-plus seasons with the Jaguars organization. He ultimately saw time in 18 games for the team, collecting 93 yards from scrimmage on 22 touches. The 25-year-old has also spent a significant amount of time on special teams.
The Saints needed some running back depth following news that Tony Jones Jr. would miss the next three to four weeks (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). The 23-year-old has seen time in all four games this season, collecting 87 yards from scrimmage on 23 carries. Other than Ozigbo and starter Alvin Kamara, the team’s only other healthy RB is Dwayne Washington (plus versatile wideout Ty Montgomery).
New Orleans might not be done adding to the position. Schefter reports that the team also auditioned a number of veteran RBs today, including Lamar Miller, Duke Johnson, Brian Hill, Ito Smith, and Ryquell Armstead.
Cowboys Release LB Jaylon Smith
The Cowboys are moving on from a former Pro Bowler. The team is releasing linebacker Jaylon Smith, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
The Cowboys will still be responsible for paying the $7.2MM that Smith is owed in 2021, and the team is going to be eating an additional $9.8MM in cap with the move (per ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter). That chunk of cap comes via Smith’s 2022 injury guarantees, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter), and that significant chunk of money is a big reason why the Cowboys were unable to find a trade suitor. Smith will be eligible to sign with a new team starting tomorrow afternoon.
Despite being relegated to a backup role in 2021, Smith had been playing pretty well for the Cowboys through the first month of the season. The linebacker had started two of his four games this season, collecting 18 tackles. However, after appearing in 104 defensive snaps in Week 2 and Week 3, Smith was limited to only 28 defensive snaps in Week 4.
The 2016 second-round pick evolved into one of the Cowboys most dependable defensive players during his stint in Dallas. He started each of the Cowboys 48 games between 2018 and 2020, including a 2019 campaign where he collected 142 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. However, the play from teammates Keanu Neal and Leighton Vander Esch (as well as a potential increased role for Jabril Cox) made the veteran expendable.
Other than a weak Week 4 performance, Smith has been more than serviceable this season, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best linebacker through the first four weeks (via Twitter). A linebacker-needy team will surely be happy to add the new free agent to their squad.
Vikings DL Michael Pierce Could Miss Time
Michael Pierce suffered an elbow injury on Sunday, and the Vikings nose tackle could end up missing time thanks to the ailment. Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star-Tribune reports (via Twitter) that Pierce “could be out a while.”
The veteran was limited to only 21 defensive snaps during Sunday’s loss to the Browns. The 28-year-old had a great Week 1, collecting two sacks, two tackles for loss, two QB hits, and seven tackles, but he was limited to only a pair of tackles over the next three games.
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens, Pierce joined the Vikings last offseason on a three-year, $27MM deal. The defensive tackle ended up opting out of the 2020 season.
The Vikings have already started preparing for Pierce’s absence, signing T.J. Smith to the practice squad. As Goessling points out, Smith is already a bit familiar with the Vikings scheme after having played for current assistant defensive line coach Imarjaye Albury at Arkansas. The reporter also suggests that Dalvin Tomlinson could move to nose tackle with Pierce out of the lineup.
Dolphins WR Will Fuller Out With Broken Finger
Will Fuller has had a tough time avoiding injuries during his career, and the wideout is dealing with a new ailment. Fuller broke a finger during yesterday’s loss to the Colts “and is expected to be week-to-week,” reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Fuller has missed a long list of games throughout his career (29 regular season contests, to be exact). That includes two games earlier this season; Fuller missed Week 1 while serving a suspension, and he missed the next game due to a non-injury-related reason. Now, he’ll miss at least another game thanks to a broken finger.
Fuller inked a one-year, $10.6MM deal with the Dolphins this past offseason. The 27-year-old was coming off his best professional season, as he finished with a career-high 879 receiving yards and career-high eight scores in only 11 games with the Texans. Through two games this season, the receiver has hauled in only four receptions for 26 yards.
The Dolphins offense is hurting at the moment with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sitting on injured reserve. With Fuller out of the lineup, backup QB Jacoby Brissett will be targeting the likes of sixth-overall pick Jaylen Waddle, DeVante Parker, and 2020 opt-out Albert Wilson.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon “Week To Week”
The injury bug has hit Joe Mixon once again. The Bengals running back is dealing with a low-grade ankle sprain “that will leave him week to week,” reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
While Schefter’s tweet seems to indicate that Mixon won’t be in the lineup on Sunday against the Packers, coach Zac Taylor classified his starting running back as “day-to-day” and indicated Mixon could play this weekend.
“I know he wants to play and will do everything he can to put himself in that position,” Taylor said (via ESPN’s Ben Baby).
Mixon suffered the injury late during Thursday’s win over the Jaguars. Up to that point of the season, the 25-year-old had collected 382 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2017, Mixon has missed 14 regular season games, including 10 in 2020.
If Mixon does miss any time, the team would likely turn to running backs Samaje Perine and Chris Evans.
Jets S Marcus Maye Charged With DUI
Jets safety Marcus Maye is facing charges stemming from a February car crash and subsequent DUI arrest, reports ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
Maye was arrested on February 22nd in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Per Cimini, the 28-year-old was charged with DUI and two misdemeanors: “DUI/damage to property and person and leaving the scene of a crash.” Maye posted a $1.5K bond and is set for a Zoom hearing on October 20. Maye is also facing a $30K-plus civil suit from the driver of the car he crashed into.
According to Cimini, it appears that neither the NFL nor the Jets were previously aware of the incident. The arrest will already subject Maye to the NFL’s personal conduct policy, but he could face additional punishment for not disclosing the arrest.
“It is an ongoing legal matter and our attorney has advised us we cannot comment,” Maye’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, said in a statement to ESPN. “We are confident it will be positively resolved. We look forward to Marcus getting back on the field soon.”
The 2017 second-round pick has spent his entire career in New York, starting each of his 57 games. He had a career year in 2020, finishing with 88 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Maye was slapped with the franchise tag this offseason, locking him into a $10.6MM deal for 2021.