Bills “Holding Out Hope” On Sammy Watkins
7:59pm: Watkins himself has weighed in (via Twitter ), claiming that he’s planning on playing tomorrow: “Ready to go out there and compete at the highest level!”
7:42pm: The Bills are hoping that wide receiver Sammy Watkins is able to play against the Cardinals on Sunday, but head coach Rex Ryan admitted that the chances of Watkins suiting up are “probably not real good,” according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. The likelihood of Watkins being ready to go is “50/50 at best,” tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
[RELATED: Bills Fire OC Greg Roman]
Watkins’ health has been an issue dating back to May, when the third-year wideout suffered a reportedly “minor” foot fracture. Subsequent reports suggested that Watkins could miss games at the start of the season, but he’s so far been able to plug along, though his results have been less than stellar. Through two contests, Watkins has managed only six receptions for 63 yards, though he has stayed on the field, playing in 80.4% of the Bills’ offensive snaps.
Earlier this month, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported that Watkins was likely to miss regular season action at some point, noting that while an MRI didn’t reveal any new fractures, Watkins has been playing through immense pain. It seems as though Watkins isn’t going to come close to recovering without rest, but given that Buffalo has just fired its offensive coordinator at sits at 0-2, the club needs all the firepower it can get.
Per Rodak, Ryan wouldn’t show reluctance to play Watkins on Sunday even though the pass-catcher hasn’t practiced at all during the week. “If he feels good and he’s up to it, then we’ll put him in there,” Ryan said. “If a guy’s that good, we’ll play him.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Falcons’ Keanu Neal To Make Debut Monday
17th overall pick Keanu Neal will make his NFL debut for the Falcons on Monday night against the Saints, head coach Dan Quinn told reporters, including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Quinn said Neal “will play a lot,” tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but won’t be on the field for every snap.
[RELATED: Falcons Re-Sign O’Brien Schofield]
Neal will likely split snaps with fellow safety Kemal Ishmael, who’s seen action on nearly every defensive play this season while filling in for Neal, who has been sidelined since late August with a knee injury. Ishmael has produced at a slightly below average level, grading as the league’s No. 39 safety among 70 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus. Atlanta’s defense as a whole, however, could certainly use a boost, as they’ve ranked 30th in DVOA through two games.
Back in August, PFR’s scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas lauded Neal’s playmaking ability while looking at the Falcons’ Impact Rookies:
Neal is a smooth, fluid mover who has done quite a nice job of making plays at the opposite side of the field, thanks to his burst, second gear, and ability to sift through traffic to get to the ball. He shows excellent ball reactionary skills, along with the quick decision-making process to close on the play with good urgency. He can change direction in an instant and does a nice job of maintaining position when challenged by lead blockers assisting vs. the ground game.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Seahawks Promote RB Terrence Magee
The Seahawks have promoted running back Terrence Magee from their practice squad to the active roster, the club announced today. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times speculated yesterday that the Seahawks were saving their open roster spot to add another back given that Thomas Rawls is unlikely to play on Sunday due to a shin injury.
[RELATED: Seahawks To Audition RB Kenny Hilliard]
Rawls is listed as doubtful for the Seahawks’ Week 3 game against the 49ers, and if he’s unable to go, Christine Michael will draw the start, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. “[Michael is] averaging five yards a carry for a reason,” said Carroll. “He had a really good offseason. He had a terrific camp. All indications that he’s ready for a bigger load. He’s had 20-something carries so far. He’s ready to carry the ball 20-something times in a game. He could be fine with that.”
Seattle now has five running backs on it roster: Rawls, Michael, Magee, and rookies C.J. Prosise and Alex Collins. Prosise, like Rawls, is also battling an injury, as he recently broke a bone in his wrist. However, Carroll has sounded optimistic that Prosise will be able to suit up against the 49ers, according to Condotta. He and Magee could theoretically share the Seahawks’ third-down back role.
Additionally, Carroll “hinted” that the Seahawks could still employ a fullback during Week 3 despite the fact they don’t have an official FB on the roster, having recently released veteran Will Tukuafu. The most likely candidate to fill that role is tight end Brandon Williams, tweets Zach Whitman of Three Sigma Athlete.
Magee, 23, went undrafted out of LSU in 2015. After spending most of of last season bouncing on and off the Ravens’ practice squad, Magee lasted on the Rams’ roster until cutdowns earlier this month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Adrian Peterson, Vikings
Some in the Vikings organization are “privately upset” that running back Adrian Peterson opted to undergo surgery on his torn meniscus rather than play through the injury, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Per Cole’s sources, a few of Peterson’s teammates believe he could have continued performing in spite of the tear, but the “top” of the franchise — presumably the front office and/or ownership — are accepting of Peterson’s decision, and are hoping the veteran back returns in 2017.
[RELATED: Vikings Place Adrian Peterson On IR]
While management may want Peterson back next season, Cole did make it clear the the club wants him back “under a new contract,” which makes sense given that he’s set to count for an untenable $18MM on the salary cap. The Vikings could clear out that entire total by releasing Peterson, as he has no prorated signing bonus or guaranteed base salary remaining. A new deal that lowers his cap charge is probably the only avenue by which Peterson could return.
Peterson’s teammates may believe that he could have played through his tear, but there’s been no indication that that is the case. Instead, a pair of surgeons yesterday told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press that had Peterson opted to have the injured portion of his meniscus removed rather than repaired, he could have returned to the field in weeks, not months. But doing so could have presented problems for Peterson later in his career and during his post-football life, as such a procedure can lead to arthritis in the knee.
Peterson, 31, missed the majority of the 2014 season but bounced back last year to run for 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 30 receptions for 222 yards.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Seahawks Saving Roster Spot For RB?
The Seahawks didn’t sign another player after releasing fullback Will Tukuafu earlier this week, so the club still has one open spot on its 53-man roster. Seattle is likely holding that space for a running back in the event that Thomas Rawls isn’t able to play on Sunday, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, and the most obvious candidate to join the roster is Terrence Magee, who was signed to the practice squad on Wednesday.
[RELATED: Seahawks To Audition RB Kenny Hilliard]
Rawls, battling a shin injury, is listed as doubtful for the Seahawks’ Week 3 game against the 49ers, and if he’s unable to go, Christine Michael will draw the start, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. “[Michael is] averaging five yards a carry for a reason,” said Carroll. “He had a really good offseason. He had a terrific camp. All indications that he’s ready for a bigger load. He’s had 20-something carries so far. He’s ready to carry the ball 20-something times in a game. He could be fine with that.”
Magee, who went undrafted in 2015, is certainly one option to fill the vacant roster slot. The 23-year-old spent most of last season bouncing on and off the Ravens’ practice squad, then lasted on the Rams’ roster until cutdowns earlier this month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/23/16
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Terron Ward
- Cut: RB Blake Sims
Latest On Rams, Jeff Fisher
No extension has yet been announced between the Rams and head coach Jeff Fisher, but many around the NFL are assuming a deal will get done, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). However, agents are beginning to push their coaching clients toward Los Angeles, and if the Rams ever decide to replace Fisher, there is expected to be significant interest in the job, per Cole, who adds that many consider the Los Angeles market a “gold mine.”
[RELATED: Jared Goff Closing In On Starting Job]
Last week, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the “widespread belief” around the league is that two the sides already having an extension in place. However, the Rams are likely to wait until a more appropriate time before announcing the new deal. Days after a 28-0 defeat to a 49ers team expected to finish last in the NFC West didn’t make sense, but Los Angeles didn’t confirm the contract after the Rams defeated the Seahawks in Week 2, either.
Under Fisher, the Rams have gone 28-37-1 and haven’t done better than seven wins in any season. The Rams haven’t reached the postseason in more than ten years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett
Multiple reports flooded in after news of Jacoby Brissett‘s thumb injury broke, but as the most recent reports have indicated, it doesn’t sound as though the Patriots quarterback will require surgery. In fact, the “sense” is that New England expects both Brissett and fellow signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo to be available for its Week 4 contest against the Bills, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED — Poll: Who Will Win The AFC East?]
Garoppolo suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder on Sunday in the team’s 31-24 win over Miami. After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit, Brissett was put in the 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 on Thursday night.
Before succumbing to injury, the 24-year-old Garoppolo had been excellent, completing 42-of-60 passes for 498 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in wins over the Cardinals and Dolphins. At least one report suggested that the Patriots were pressuring Garoppolo to quickly return to the field — despite the fact that he reportedly couldn’t lift his arm — and he’s presumably get the start against Buffalo if healthy. Tom Brady, of course, will return in Week 5 to start against the Browns.
It’s still possible that the Patriots could look to sign a quarterback before their next game, and the club did audition free agents T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree this week. However, team president Jonathan Kraft recently explained that New England doesn’t want to add another QB — and thus, cut another player from elsewhere on the roster — unless it absolutely has to.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Panthers Promote Safety Marcus Ball
The Panthers announced that they’ve signed safety Marcus Ball from their practice squad, adding him to their 53-man roster in advance of Week 3. Ball will fill the roster spot vacated by fellow defensive back Dean Marlowe, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week.
[RELATED: Carolina Panthers Depth Chart]
Ball, 29, has spent his entire career in the NFC South since migrating from the CFL to the NFL in 2014. He appeared in 12 games (two starts) with the Saints that year, posting 12 tackles and a fumble recovery, but hasn’t seen game action since. Ball spent the duration of the 2015 campaign on Carolina’s practice squad, and re-signed on a futures deal in January.
During that 2014 season, Ball played on nearly half of the Saints’ special teams snaps (fourth-most on the team), and that’s likely the role he’ll play on Sunday against the Vikings, backing up starters Kurt Coleman and Tre Boston along with fellow reserve Colin Jones.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jets Cut FB Julian Howsare
SATURDAY: The Jets announced that they’ve officially signed Bowman.
THURSDAY: The Jets have waived fullback Julian Howsare, the club announced earlier today. To fill his roster spot, New York is likely to promote tight end Braedon Bowman from the practice squad, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
[RELATED: Center Bryan Stork Visits Jets]
Bowman, a South Alabama alum, went undrafted earlier this year but ultimately agreed to a deal with the Jaguars. After being waived at final cutdowns, Bowman was claimed by the Jets, who subsequently cut him and re-signed him to their taxi squad earlier this week. If he’s added to the active roster, Bowman would serve as a third tight end behind Kellen Davis and Brandon Bostick while also likely playing on special teams.
Howsare, a former linebacker, has only played on 33 offensive snaps this season, as offensive coordinator Chan Gailey runs a spread attack that rarely employs a fullback. However, Howsare has been active on special teams, playing on half of the Jets’ ST snaps. It’s possible that he could be added to the practice squad, swapping spots with Bowman.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.