Bears DB Quintin Demps Has Broken Arm
Bears safety Quintin Demps suffered a broken arm in Sunday’s win against the Steelers and will be sidelined indefinitely, Chicago announced today. Head coach John Fox indicated the club is still deciding whether to place Demps on injured reserve.
“The good news is we’ve got guys that have been with us [to replace Demps],” Fox said. “There are guys that are familiar with what we’re doing. That was the advantage of some of the injuries and play time we got a year ago. We feel good about guys stepping in. Obviously we don’t want to see anybody get hurt or injured, but those other guys are worthy.”
Third-year pro Adrian Amos will be asked to step in at safety in the absence of Amos, and as Fox alludes to, Amos 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.
If the Bears do placed Demps on injured reserve, he’d be forced to miss at least eight games before returning, meaning he wouldn’t be available until nearly December. While that’s not ideal, Chicago likely doesn’t want to carry an unplayable Demps on its roster for the month-plus it will take him to recover.
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.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/17
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted to active roster: TE Ricky Seals-Jones
- Released: LB Philip Wheeler
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LS Taybor Pepper
- Signed off Cardinals‘ practice squad: OL Ulrick John
- Placed on IR: LS Brett Goode
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: WR Matt Hazel
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed off Cowboys‘ practice squad: LB Mark Nzeocha
Saints Re-Sign DL Kendall Langford
The Saints have re-signed defensive lineman Kendall Langford, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links). In related moves, offensive tackle Bryce Harris was released and defensive back Arthur Maulet was waived.
Langford, 31, had a short stint with New Orleans last week, as he signed with the club on Thursday before being cut on Saturday. Clearly, his release was part of some sort of Saints roster shuffle, as the team wanted him back as soon as possible. A nine-year NFL veteran, Langford spent the past two seasons with the Colts before being released in August. Aside from the Saints, the only club to have expressed interest in Langford over the past month was the 49ers.
New Orleans is coming off its best defensive performance of the 2017 campaign, as it held Cam Newton and the Panthers to juset 13 points and 362 total yards. But the Saints could still use extra depth on the defensive side of the ball, as the unit ranked 31st in DVOA heading into Week 3. Langford, who can play both end and tackle, will help make up for the loss of fellow defenders Nick Fairley and Mitchell Loewen, both of whom are out for the year.
Bengals TE Tyler Eifert To Miss Time
Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert is expected to miss “multiple weeks” as he recovers from a back injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). On a positive note, Eifert won’t require surgery for his ailing back, per Schefter.
Eifert, of course, is no stranger to injury, as he’s appeared in only 39 of a possible 67 games since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2013. His back ailment dates back to the latter part of the 2016 campaign — after missing the first seven games of last year with an ankle issue suffered in the Pro Bowl, Eifert was placed on injured reserve in December after experiencing back pain.
The Bengals were without Eifert in Sunday’s loss to the Packers, and will go forward with internal options Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah, while fullbacks Ryan Hewitt and Cethan Carter are also capable of playing tight end. Cincinnati faces the division-rival (and similarly winless) Browns in Week 4, then takes on the Bills before a Week 6 bye.
Eifert, 27, is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next spring after his fifth-year option expires.
East Notes: Dolphins, Giants, Patriots, Eagles
The Dolphins still haven’t offered contract year wide receiver Jarvis Landry a new deal, but 24-year-old slot weapon isn’t worried about the lack of negotiations. “The number I may want may not be the number the team is willing to give me,” Landry told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “It’s about finding that negotiating price that works for both parties. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten offers. But when the process starts, I want nothing less than what I deserve.” Landry ackowledged he would accept the franchise tag in 2018, although Miami is unlikely to extend an offer — even over one year — of $15MM+ for a slot receiver.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Head coach Ben McAdoo intends to retain control of the Giants‘ offensive play-calling, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Of course, that report was filed before New York fell to 0-3 with a loss to the Eagles today, but Big Blue’s offense played well in the second half, as Eli Manning completed three touchdown passes (two to Odell Beckham Jr. and one to Sterling Shepard). However, the Giants coaching staff is “turning up the temperature” on the New York players, and that intensity only figures to increase now that the club remained winless today.
- Veteran linebacker David Harris had played all of three defensive snaps heading into today’s game, and that’s largely due to the Patriots‘ defensive formations, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. New England used mostly nickel and dime looks against the Chiefs and Saints in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, and given that Harris is behind Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts on the defensive depth chart, he didn’t see much action. That could conceivably change if the Patriots use more base looks, but Harris is mostly a run-stopper at this point in his career.
- The Patriots signed former Vikings quarterback Taylor Heinicke to their practice squad last week, a sign that New England wants to develop him for the long haul, as Reiss details in a separate piece. New England didn’t have a quarterback on its practice squad in either 2014 or 2015, so the addition of Heinicke likely speaks about the prospect himself, per Reiss. From Heinicke’s point of view, the opportunity to learn under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady was “too enticing to pass up,” a source tells Reiss.
- As part of the 2016 trade that sent cornerback Eric Rowe to New England, the Eagles will see their fourth-round return upgraded to a third-round pick if Rowe plays in 50% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps in 2017. Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice examines where that deal stands, and whether the possibility of acquiring a third-rounder lessened the pain of sending a 2018 third-round pick to Buffalo for fellow corner Ronald Darby earlier this year.
5 Key NFL Stories: 9/17/17 – 9/24/17
Injuries, injuries, injuries. Several contenders lost key players to health issues last week, including the Ravens, who saw All Pro guard Marshal Yanda join a ever-growing list of Baltimore contributors that is done for the year. Tight end Greg Olsen is done for at least eight weeks after suffering a broken foot, but there’s hope he could return to the Panthers later in 2017. Elsewhere in the NFC South, Falcons edge rusher Vic Beasley is expected to miss at least a month with a hamstring ailment, but he won’t go on injured reserve. And the Chargers’ string of poor injury luck continued, as No. 1 corner Jason Verrett decided to undergo season-ending knee surgery.
Adversaries get new deals. The NFL is still expected to extend commissioner Roger Goodell through the 2021 season, although the contract has taken a bit longer than expected to get done. That may have been because Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly attempted to influence the process in the hopes of expanding the field of candidates. The NFLPA, meanwhile, re-elected DeMaurice Smith as executive director, although civil rights lawyer Cyrus Mehri is expected to contest the results.
Andrew Luck possibly nearing return. While the Colts are without Luck during Week 3 (but still winning), Indy could see its franchise quarterback back on the field in the near future. Week 6 is looking like a realistic date for Luck’s return, meaning the Colts would need to get through only two more games — against the Seahawks and 49ers — with Jacoby Brissett under center. If Indianapolis can hold onto against the Browns today, the club would be in a much better position if/when Luck comes back.
Dolphins’ linebacker room shaken up. Free agent addition Lawrence Timmons went AWOL prior to Miami’s Week 2 game, and has since been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. Not only that, but Timmons took a bizarre trip to visit his old team — the Steelers — during the Dolphins’ Week 1 bye. Miami has since acquired former first-round linebacker Stephone Anthony from the Saints, although that deal was reportedly in the works before the Timmons saga began.
Su’a Cravens won’t play in 2017. The Redskins officially placed Cravens — who considered retirement earlier this year — on the reserve/left squad list, ensuring that he won’t suit up this season. Cravens had been planning to report to Washington, but that won’t happen now. He wants to continue his career in 2018, but it’s unclear if that will happen with the Redskins.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/24/17
Today’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Austin Duke
- Placed on injured list: WR Keyarris Garrett
Bears Notes: Glennon, Trubisky, Howard
The Bears have not yet had a discussion about replacing starter Mike Glennon with fellow quarterback Mitch Trubisky, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Through two games (both Chicago losses), Glennon has completed 67.1% of his passes for 514 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He currently ranks 21st in quarterback rating and 25th in adjusted net yards per attempt, while the Bears’ passing offense is just 26th in DVOA.
Here’s more from the Windy City:
- Running back Jordan Howard is playing through a sprained AC joint, tweets Rapoport, who adds the injury could help explain why some scouts believe the Bears second-year back is running “tentatively.” Howard, who topped 1,300 yards on the ground in 2016 after entering the league as a fifth-round pick, has seen his snap percentage decrease this season as rookie Tarik Cohen takes on more passing game responsibility. Heading into today’s game Howard had managed just 2.7 yards per carry, but he’s already managed 46 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers in Week 3.
- While the Bears originally believed Nick Kwiatkoski was done for the year after suffering a pectoral injury last week, the linebacker’s health issue may not be season-ending, per Rapoport (Twitter link). While Kwiatkoski will miss several games, he’s likely to be available later this year. That’s an extremely positive development for Chicago, which had already placed starting linebacker Jerrell Freeman on injured reserve.
- Can the Bears rebound from their 0-2 start? Not according to PFR readers, who ranked Chicago as one of the least likeliest winless teams to perform better down the stretch. Check out the rest of the poll results and add your own thoughts here.
Reggie Bush To Retire If Not Signed In 2017
Longtime NFL running back Reggie Bush will retire if he isn’t signed during the 2017 season, as he tells TMZ Sports. Bush is still working out in the hopes of landing a deal, but he hasn’t generated any known interest at this point.
“Going into year 12, I still feel like I have a lot left to prove, a lot left to give this game before I’m done,” Bush said earlier this year when indicating his desire to continue his career. “I don’t want to put a number on how many years I have left. I think once you get past year 10, you just gotta take it one year at a time and go from there. I’m still excited, still looking forward to playing football again this season, still staying in shape, still working out.”
Bush, 32, appeared in 13 games for the Bills last season but didn’t post much in the way of results. On 12 carries, Bush actually finished with negative three yards but still scored a touchdown, and also added seven receptions for 90 yards. He also chipped in on special teams, returning 13 punts and three kickoffs.
If this is it for Bush, the former second overall pick will have finished his 11-year NFL career with 5,490 yards rushing, 3,598 yards receiving, and 54 total offensive touchdowns. Bush, who’s spent time with the Saints, Dolphins, Lions, 49ers, and Bills, was also a dynamic returner for much of his career (four punt returns for touchdowns, including three in 2008 alone).
PFR Originals: 9/17/17 – 9/24/17
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- More than a quarter of the NFL is still winless as the league enters Week 3 of the 2017 season, leading Zach Links to ask PFR readers which 0-2 (and in the case of the 49ers, 0-3) club is likeliest to rebound as the season progresses. So far, the Giants, Saints, and Chargers have been the favorites, as each of those three teams have received at least 15% of the vote.
- In our latest PFR Glossary entry, Zach explained the NFL’s waiver process, which undergoes important changes beginning in Week 4 and then again after the trade deadline passes.