Dez Bryant Exhibiting “Irresponsible Behavior”
Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant missed an MRI and team meetings earlier this week because he feared the worst on his injured right knee, but those absences were just the latest in a “pattern of irresponsible behavior,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Bryant has been late or completely missed between 20 and 40 meetings and or medical sessions during his career in Dallas, per Schefter.
[RELATED: Tony Romo Targeting Week 8 Return]
The Cowboys organization and his agents at Roc Nation have helped him become more accountable, and Bryant has even hired a driver to ensure that he attends team functions on time. But one source told Schefter that Dallas can be accused of enabling Bryant, issuing him fines for his behavior instead of handing out more significant penalties. Another source, per Schefter, is concerned about Bryant’s career longevity, as his poor sleep and dietary habits could limit his staying power.
Bryant, however, doesn’t believe his actions to be a serious issue, according to Schefter, and the Cowboys have publicly supported their star receiver. As one Cowboys player said, Bryant is perhaps being treated differently because of his talent level. “If you were hoping for him to come to a scheduled meeting, he may or may not be there, but if you need a first down on third-and-14, throw it to Dez,” said the anonymous player.
On the field, Bryant may be able to return sooner than originally thought. A source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that Bryant has a bone bruise, and that he should be able to play in less than three weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sammy Watkins Likely To Have Second Surgery
Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins is expected to require a second surgery on his injured foot, and having that operation would end his season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Thursday, Watkins will travel to North Carolina this week and meet with specialist Dr. Robert Anderson before making a final decision.
[RELATED: Bills Discussed Advisory Role With Tom Coughlin]
Buffalo officially placed Watkins on injured reserve earlier this week, and although the league’s new IR rules would allow him to return after eight weeks, that avenue is looking increasingly unlikely. If, by chance, Watkins opts against surgery, he’ll need rest and recovery to have any shot to come back later in the season. At that point, the Bills’ record would likely play a large role in deciding whether to activate Watkins.
Watkins, 23, has been dealing with his foot issue since May, when he had a screw inserted following what was termed a “minor” fracture. The ailment has kept him extremely limited this season, and he’s recorded only six catches for 63 yards in two games. To attempt to make up for Watkins’ absence, Buffalo claimed fellow pass-catcher Justin Hunter off waivers from the Dolphins.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Teams Assessing Potential Joe Thomas Trade
Rival clubs are determining the cost of possibly acquiring left tackle Joe Thomas from the Browns, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Cleveland’s new regime has been reluctant to deal Thomas — and Thomas himself didn’t request a trade over the offseason — but withe Browns off to a winless start, it’s possible they could be open to a move.
[RELATED: Browns Had Shopped Josh Gordon]
The Broncos were among the teams interested in Thomas last year, and the Browns turned down an offer of edge rusher Shane Ray and a second-round pick in exchange for the future Hall of Fame tackle, according to La Canfora. Other reports at last year’s deadline indicated that Denver was willing to ship a first- and second-round pick to Cleveland for Thomas and a fourth-rounder.
Some NFL executives believe that the Browns could end up getting a first-round pick for Thomas, per La Canfora, who lists the Cardinals, Seahawks, and Panthers among the clubs that could express interest in Thomas. All three teams rank in the bottom-half of the league in adjusted sack rate, Football Outsiders’ pass-blocking metric.
Thomas, 31, has no prorated bonus money remaining, so an acquiring team would be on the hook for all of his future cap charges. He’s signed through 2018, with cap hits of $10MM in each of the next two seasons.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jacoby Brissett May Have Surgery
Jacoby Brissett got the start for the Patriots today after the club determined that Jimmy Garoppolo wouldn’t be able to go against the Bills. But once Tom Brady returns for Week 5, Brissett may undergo surgery to repair his ongoing thumb injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Jacoby Brissett To Start For Patriots]
After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit during a win over the Dolphins, Brissett was put into a game for the first time in his NFL career. The third-round rookie got the job done, completing 6-of-9 passes as he guided New England the rest of the way, and then led the Patriots to a 27-0 victory over the Texans in Week 3. Brissett, however, suffered a thumb injury in the rout and was listed as questionable for today’s contest.
If Garoppolo is able to return in the near future, New England would be set at backup quarterback, allowing Brissett to take all the time he needs to recover. Whether or not the Patriots would place the third-round rookie on injured reserve to free up a roster spot is unclear, but if the club does look to sign an outside option, former Texan/Falcon T.J. Yates has been called New England’s “free agent of choice.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints Benching Jairus Byrd
The Saints are planning on moving veteran safety Jairus Byrd to the bench, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Other changes could also be coming to the New Orleans defense, which ranks 30th in DVOA through three weeks, per Rapoport.
[RELATED: New Orleans Saints Depth Chart]
Byrd, 29, has struggled through three games this season, and was notably beaten by running back Devonta Freeman and the Falcons last week. It’s a small sample size to be sure, but Byrd currently ranks as the No. 49 safety in the league among 74 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus. Second-round rookie Vonn Bell will presumably see more snaps with Byrd headed to the sideline.
“I think the status quo sometimes can be your enemy,” head coach Sean Payton told reporters, including Nick Underhill of the Advocate, earlier this week. “I think you look at every area, not just one specific area. No different to the meeting schedule to how they are practicing, you look at all of that.”
The Saints signed Byrd to a six-year, $54MM deal prior to the 2014 campaign, and that contract has proven to be one of the worst free agent accords in recent memory. Strapped for cap space, New Orleans converted a portion of Byrd’s 2015 base salary into a signing bonus, making it even more difficult to part ways with the defensive back.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cowboys’ Tony Romo Eyeing Week 8 Return
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is hoping to return to action in Week 8 following the club’s bye, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). This coming Thursday will mark six weeks since Romo suffered a broken bone in his back, and at that point, Romo will begin increasing his conditioning and throwing regimen, per Rapoport.
[RELATED: Latest On Dez Bryant]
Fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott has led Dallas in Romo’s absence, and he’s led the club to a 2-1 start while playing pretty well. He’s completed 67% of his passes for 767 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, while also adding two scores via the ground. And while Romo will presumably reclaim his starting spot once he returns, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones did hedge his bets a tad in August.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where Tony’s not our quarterback when he’s ready,” Jones said. “But things happen. You know that. You know what happened to Bledsoe and Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that. But the reality is, Tony’s going to come back for us and play great, we believe.”
The Cowboys didn’t place Romo on injured reserve, so they won’t need to make a roster move if and when he returns. If he can come back in Week 8, Romo would face the division rival Eagles, followed by contests against the Browns, Steelers, and Ravens
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Had Been Shopping Josh Gordon
The Browns had been discussing trades involving wide receiver Josh Gordon as recently as last week, but those talks fizzled once Gordon decided to enter rehab, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Cleveland was hoping to pick up a first- or second-day pick in exchange for Gordon.
[RELATED: Terrelle Pryor Wants Extension From Browns]
Gordon decided to go to rehab following a “slip up,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and sources tell Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that Gordon is dealing with an alcohol addiction. Some of Gordon’s past suspensions have been related to alcohol, and the pass-catcher also has a DUI on his rap sheet, so he decided entering rehab was the “extra step” he needed to get well, per Cabot.
Rival clubs were reportedly inquiring on Gordon over the summer, but the Browns indicated that they had no interest in trading their talented yet troubled wide receiver. However, former Patriots/Browns executive Michael Lombardi disputes that sentiment, tweeting the Cleveland had been shopping Gordon all summer.
The Browns have indicated that they intend to part ways with Gordon given his most recent transgression.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jets Considered Placing Eric Decker On IR
The Jets considered placing wide receiver Eric Decker on injured reserve due to his partially torn rotator cuff, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. It’s unclear if New York has made a final decision on Decker’s status, but he’s expected to be week-to-week for the time being.
[RELATED: Jets Could Add Wide Receiver]
“Of course, there’s going to be pain. Everyone plays with pain. This is a physical game,” Decker told Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News. “So I don’t expect myself to be 100 percent at some point. It’s just getting to where it’s manageable and…I can still play the same game that I need to play.”
Decker, 29, enjoyed his best season as a Jet last year, catching 80 passes for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns. Through three games this year, Decker has nine receptions for 194 yards and two scores.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jacoby Brissett To Start For Patriots
Rookie Jacoby Brissett will start at quarterback for the Patriots today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Brissett and New England will face the Bills as the club seeks to jump out to a 4-0 start.
[RELATED: Patriots Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor In 2015]
Jimmy Garoppolo, meanwhile, will be inactive today as he continues to deal with an AC joint injury, tweets Schefter. The third-year pro required a shot to practice last week, and was limited to roughly 100 throws per day (as opposed to the typical gameday total of 200 or so), per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Pain management and strength had been the two obstacles to a Garopppolo start, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link), and it’s the latter that will keep Garoppolo on the sidelines.
After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit during a win over the Dolphins, Brissett was put into a game for the first time in his NFL career. The third-round rookie got the job done, completing 6-of-9 passes as he guided New England the rest of the way, and then led the Patriots to a 27-0 victory over the Texans in Week 3. Brissett, however, suffered a thumb injury in the rout and was listed as questionable for today’s contest.
Given that New England doesn’t have another quarterback on its roster, wide receiver Julian Edelman will presumably serve as the backup signal-caller once again. Tom Brady, of course, will return from suspension and start against the Browns in Week 5.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Cowboys’ Dez Bryant
While initial reports indicated that Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant had been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his knee, a source who has seen Bryant’s MRI said the pass-catcher has a bone bruise, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). As such, Bryant is expected to miss less than three weeks while dealing with the injury.
[RELATED: Cowboys Holding Off On La’el Collins’ Surgery]
Bryant reportedly missed an MRI exam and team meetings on Monday and Tuesday because he feared the worst with his injured right knee, but per Rapoport, the ailment doesn’t present any long-term risk. Bryant’s decision to skip his duties opened him up to team-imposed fines, though there’s no word on whether the Cowboys will discipline him.
So far this year, Bryant has 11 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown to his credit. Last season, Bryant saw career-lows across the board as he caught 31 balls for 401 yards and three touchdowns.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.