Chargers Place CB Trevor Williams On IR
The Chargers made a number of roster moves before tonight’s contest against the Chiefs, including placing cornerback Trevor Williams on injured reserve. Additionally, linebacker Tre’Von Johnson has been waived, while running back Troymaine Pope and linebacker Kyle Wilson have been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.
Williams, 25, was hampered by an ankle injury that cost him most of the Chargers’ offseason program and preseason. He made it back in time for Week 1 and served as a starter for much of the year before suffering a knee injury during practice in Week 10. Williams has barely played since, managing only a single defensive snap and a handful of special teams plays in Week 13.
Since Williams went down, second-year cornerback Michael Davis has taken over as Los Angeles’ nickelback and played quite well, grading as the NFL’s No. 53 CB among 113 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, which had ranked Williams just 79th. Davis will continue to lineup alongside Casey Hayward and Desmond King in one of the league’s best secondaries, a unit that currently ranks ninth in pass defense DVOA. As for Williams, he’s scheduled to become a restricted free agent in 2019.
Pope’s elevation to the Chargers’ active roster is further proof Los Angeles isn’t optimistic fellow running back Melvin Gordon will be able to play on Thursday night. Gordon himself said he’ll be a game-time decision, and if he can’t go, Pope could serve as insurance behind Justin Jackson and Detrez Newsome (usual No. 2 back Austin Ekeler has already been declared out for tonight’s matchup).
AFC Notes: Steelers, Dolphins, Ravens, Jets
Free agent kicker Kai Forbath was impressive during his Wednesday workout with the Steelers, and Pittsburgh is “keeping him on hold” while they determine a course of action with incumbent Chris Boswell, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Boswell’s fate with the Steelers could well rest on his performance during Thursday’s practice, per Fowler. Boswell missed two field goals against the Raiders on Sunday, including one that would have tied the game as regulation expired. All told this year, Boswell has missed six field goal attempts (leaving with him a conversion percentage that ranks last in the NFL) and five extra points. According to Football Outsiders’ special teams metrics, the Steelers’ kicking game is the second-worst in the league.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Ryan Tannehill‘s injury woes continue, as the Dolphins quarterback suffered an ankle injury in Miami’s stunning victory over the Patriots on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Tannehill practiced on Wednesday and should be able to face the Vikings in Week 15, head coach Adam Gase told reporters, including Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link), but Rapoport indicates Tannehill could be limited against Minnesota. Tannehill himself, meanwhile, said he’s “encouraged” by his progress thus far, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. The Dolphins will be fighting for their playoff lives, as FiveThirtyEight.com currently gives them a one-in-five chance of earning a postseason berth.
- The Ravens appear likely to target safety help early in the 2019 draft, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Eric Weddle could potentially be released next spring if he doesn’t retire, and hanging up the cleats is a possibility for the veteran defensive back giving that he’ll be entering his age-34 campaign. Tony Jefferson won’t be released due to the dead money that would be associated with such a move, but there’s no question Baltimore needs help at safety. As Zrebiec indicates, the Ravens have been horrendous against opposing tight ends, and rank 26th against the position in DVOA.
- If/when the Jets part ways with Todd Bowles, Gang Green should pursue John Harbaugh as their next head coach, opines Brian Costello of the New York Post. Harbaugh, of course, isn’t nearly the lock to be fired that Bowles is, as Baltimore still has a decent chance of making the postseason, either by winning the AFC North or by securing the No. 6 seed. But if he is available, Harbaugh would add “instant credibility” to a Jets organization that desperately needs it. If Harbaugh doesn’t hit the coaching market, other veterans like Mike McCarthy or Jack Del Rio could be considered by New York, but Costello expects the Jets to target a young offensive mind instead.
- The Raiders are seeking a new general manager after firing Reggie McKenzie earlier this week, and one name that could surface during the search is Jets director of player personnel Brian Heimerdinger, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. However, as Robinson writes, it’s unclear if the Oakland job will have any sort of allure around the NFL, especially given that most executives will see the gig as nothing short of being Jon Gruden‘s “puppet master.” Heimerdinger, for his part, is currently in his third season with New York after previously spending time with the Rams and Texans.
Chargers RB Melvin Gordon A Game-Time Decision?
Although the Chargers are reportedly not optimistic that they’ll have running back Melvin Gordon for Thursday night’s contest against the Chiefs, Gordon himself believes he’ll be a game-time decision for the pivotal AFC West matchup, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes.
“I’ve been grinding hard to get back and we’re still trying to decide what we’re going to do,” Gordon said. “I know Coach [Anthony Lynn] is trying to be careful and doesn’t want me to further hurt myself or things like that. So we’ll see where that goes, but I’m a lot stronger and more confident than I was last week.
“I’d love to be out there,” Gordon continued. “I know it’s a big game and I know the guys want me to be out there. We need all of the play-makers we can to beat K.C.; you know how explosive they are. I just love football, and we’ve only got a few games left before we get to the offseason, then we can do what we want to do.”
The Chargers haven’t exactly played it safe with Gordon’s health this season. Los Angeles allowed its star running back to suit up and handle a normal workload against an overmatched Cardinals team in Week 12, and Gordon ultimately left that game with an MCL injury and hasn’t played since. Thursday’s contest against the Chiefs has far more at stake, so the Chargers might be even more amenable to deploying Gordon despite his injury status.
If Gordon can’t play against Kansas City, Los Angeles figures to deploy Justin Jackson in a full-time manner, with fellow rookie Detrez Newsome also seeing snaps.
Raiders Want To Re-Sign TE Jared Cook
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden expressed his desire to re-sign tight end Jared Cook, who is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2018 season, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Whoever the GM is, we’ll show him some tape and show him how important Jared is,” said Gruden.
As Tafur notes, no matter whom the Raiders select to replace the recently-fired Reggie McKenzie, Gruden figures to retain either de facto or outright control of the club’s personnel. Therefore, if Gruden is highly interested in retaining Cook for 2019 and beyond, it stands to reason Oakland will be competitive with an offer to the veteran tight end.
Cook, 31, is in the midst of the best season of his NFL career, leading the Raiders in receptions (61), receiving yardage (825), and receiving touchdowns (6). Cook ranks as a top-five tight end league-wide in all three of those categories, while Pro Football Focus grades him fourth at his position. Additionally, Cook is third among NFL tight ends in Football Outsiders’ DYAR — which measures value over a replacement level player — and fourth in DVOA, which quantifies value on a per-play basis.
Despite his age, Cook should easily garner the most significant free agent tight end contract next spring. Other available options at the position are uninspiring at first glance, as free agents will include C.J. Uzomah, Jeff Heuerman, Josh Hill, Geoff Swaim, and Jesse James, among others.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/12/18
Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears
- LBs Josh Forrest, Jameer Thurman, James Vaughters; CBs Doran Grant, Sterling Moore
Green Bay Packers
Miami Dolphins
- T Chris Durant; G Landon Turner
New Orleans Saints
- RBs Martez Carter, Jalen Simmons; FB Dimitri Flowers
San Francisco 49ers
- CB Michael Hunter; S Harlan Miller.
Cardinals DT Robert Nkemdiche Suffered Torn ACL
The Cardinals placed defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche on injured reserve earlier this week, but declined to give details on the nature of his injury. Today, Arizona head coach Steve Wilks announced that Nkemdiche actually suffered a torn ACL against the Lions (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
The revelation of Nkemdiche’s ACL tear has numerous implications, beginning with his availability for the 2019 campaign. ACL recovery times can vary in length, with most players taking anywhere from six-to-twelve months to regain full health. Clearly, that timeline creates a wide range of outcomes for Nkemdiche’s 2019 season. If he can heal quickly, the former first-round pick could be ready for training camp. If not, Nkemdiche could potentially miss most or all of next year.
New of Nkemdiche’s knee injury will likely also affect his future earnings. The Cardinals hold a 2020 fifth-year option on Nkemdiche, and they’ll have to make decision on that option by May 2019. It’s guaranteed for injury only, and given Nkemdiche’s ACL tear, it seems highly unlikely that Arizona will exercise the option. Were Nkemdiche unable to pass a physical in 2020, the Cardinals would be on the hook for his salary (which will be in excess of $7MM) regardless of whether he can play or not.
Whether Arizona would have any interest in exercising Nkemdiche’s option even if he were at full health is an open question. After being selected 29th overall in 2016, Nkemdiche hasn’t done much in the NFL. Health questions have kept him off the field for much of his career, and he’s only played in 27 total games over three years. This season, Pro Football Focus graded Nkemdiche as just the No. 102 interior defender among 118 qualifiers.
Texans Designate CB Kayvon Webster For Return
The Texans have designated cornerback Kayvon Webster to return from injured reserve, the club announced today.
Webster was placed on IR in early October after suffering his a strained quad. Because he’s already missed eight weeks of action, Webster is eligible to return to the active roster at any time. Now that Webster has returned to practice, Houston has opened a three-week window during which it must either place him on its 53-man roster, or leave him on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
After inking a one-year, $2.25MM deal with the Texans in August, Webster missed the first four games of the year while recovering from an Achilles tear he suffered while with the Rams in 2017. Webster managed to play in only a single contest before going down with injury once again.
Despite his injury history, there’s reason to think Webster can contribute to the Texans’ defense down the stretch. Although Pro Football Focus ranked Webster in the bottom half of its cornerback grades last year, Webster finished 31st among 81 CBs in Football Outsiders’ success rate, meaning he was effective at stopping wide receivers short of the sticks. FO also charted Webster with allowing 6.8 yard per pass, 38th among cornerbacks.
Houston’s defense is one of the best in the league, but the club is better against the run (second in DVOA) than the pass (16th). As such, Webster could potentially see snaps alongside Aaron Colvin, Johnathan Joseph, and Kareem Jackson if he’s able to return.
5 Key NFL Stories: 12/2/18 – 12/9/18
Packers make a change at the top. After more than 12 seasons in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy is out as the Packers’ head coach, becoming only the second Super Bowl-winning coach in league history to be fired at midseason. Although initial reports suggested McCarthy’s preference is to coach again in 2019, he may be willing to sit out the 2019 campaign with the hope of finding the right job. McCarthy, who posted record of 125-77-2 during his Packers tenure, gave way to interim head coach Joe Philbin, who secured a victory in his first game today.
Broncos lose Emmanuel Sanders. Feeling on top of the world following three straight wins, Denver received horrible news last week when Sanders suffered a torn Achilles during a practice session. With their recent run of success, the Broncos had catapulted themselves back into wild card contention, but that path will become all the more difficult without Sanders. With the veteran wideout on the sidelines, Denver will turn to Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, and Tim Patrick for the remainder of the year.
Greg Olsen goes down. The Panthers lost Olsen for the year after he suffered a foot injury in Week 13, and there’s an outside chance his Carolina career could be over. Olsen, who’s flirted with entering broadcasting in the past, is now 33 years old and has missed significant action in each of the past two seasons. Carolina, which could be making changes to its decision-making structuree, would save $3.4MM by making Olsen a post-June 1 cut in 2019.
A.J. Green done for season. The Bengals’ lost 2018 campaign continues to go down the drain: after placing quarterback Andy Dalton on injured reserve with a thumb injury, Cincinnati did the same with Green after he tore ligaments in his toe. Green will finish the year having appeared in only nine games, posting 46 receptions for 694 yards and six scores. Green, who will be 31 years old when the 2019 season gets underway, is under contract for only one more year.
Redskins down to third/fourth quarterback. After losing starter Alex Smith to a brutal broken leg (one that has now caused multiple infections and could threaten Smith’s career), Washington will now also be without backup Colt McCoy after he suffered a broken fibula of his own. After reportedly considering Colin Kaepernick, the Redskins went in another direction, signing Josh Johnson to play behind Mark Sanchez. After Sanchez struggled mightily against the Giants on Sunday, Johnson could be in line to start for Washington in Week 15.
Titans OT Jack Conklin To Miss Time
Titans offensive tackle Jack Conklin is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a knee injury against the Jaguars on Thursday night, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). If Tennessee secures a postseason berth, Coklin has a chance to return for the playoffs.
The Titans have roughly a one-in-four chance of making the playoffs, per Five Thirty Eight. Although the Texans lost today, they’re still the overwhelming favorites to win the AFC South, so Tennessee will have to compete for the sixth wild card slot in the AFC. The Titans are one of several contenders for the No. 6 spot that has at least a 10% chance of heading to the postseason, including the Ravens, Colts, and Dolphins.
Conklin, the eighth overall selection in the 2016 draft, played in all 32 regular season games over the first two seasons of his career before going down with a torn ACL in the Titans’ divisional round loss to the Patriots in January. That injury cost Conklin time in 2018, as he missed the first three games of the year before returning in Week 4. Since then, Conklin had played nearly every snap for Tennessee (save for Week 5 when he suffered a concussion), grading as the NFL’s No. 42 offensive tackle among 78 qualifiers in the process, per Pro Football Focus.
With Conklin ailing, the Titans will turn to seventh-year pro Dennis Kelly at right tackle. Originally acquired in exchange for wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham in 2016, Kelly has appeared in 40 games and made nine starts over the past two-plus years.
PFR Originals: 12/2/18 – 12/9/18
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Last week, former NFLers such as Terrell Owens and Ricky Williams announced the formation of the Freedom Football League, an organization that vows to give players an opportunity to speak out on social injustice while providing fans with an opportunity to become full-fledged shareholders. The FFL is now the third league set to debut in spring 2019, joining the XFL and the American Alliance of Football, leading Zach Links to ask PFR readers which spring league will reign supreme next season.
- Using ESPN’s playoff probability leverage, Andrew Ortenberg asked PFR readers which Week 14 game was the most important. ESPN’s metric pointed to Eagles/Cowboys as Week 14’s most important contest, and our respondents agreed, with Vikings/Seahawks finishing in second place.