Jaguars QB Nick Foles Returns To Practice
The Jaguars will have quarterback Nick Foles back at practice today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While Rapoport mentions that the team does not intend to activate him until Week 11, it’s an important progression in his return.
Foles, of course, has been out since he broke his collarbone in the team’s first game of the season against the Chiefs. Rookie signalcaller Gardner Minshew has been impressive since filling in, but the team has given no indication that Foles will not return to starting upon his return.
Foles has had a roller-coaster career. After beginning his career with the Eagles, where his superb play in Chip Kelly’s system earned him a pro bowl appearance in 2013. A disappointing 2014 season led Philadelphia to trade Foles to the Rams with some draft pick capital for Sam Bradford. Foles’ Rams tenure was incredibly disappointing and many around the league seemed to agree that Foles wasn’t cutout to be a starter.
Then, in 2017, Foles was serving as the backup quarterback for the Eagles when starter Carson Wentz went down with a season-ending injury. Foles stepped in and led the Eagles on a remarkable Super Bowl run. His success continued into 2018, where the Eagles went 4-1 in his five starts.
On the heels of back to back strong seasons, the Jaguars signed Foles to a four-year, $88MM contract to be the last piece to build a title contender. While Minshew has done well filling in, it’s hard to see Jacksonville relegating their $22MM a year man to the bench.
Jaguars Could Lose DT Marcell Dareus For 4-6 Weeks
Marcell Dareus is currently on his way to Philadelphia to visit Dr. William Meyers to receive a second opinion on a core muscle injury that could cause the defensive tackle to miss 4-6 weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Dareus has been a key cog in the Jacksonville defensive line, but has struggled with injuries throughout the year.
Dareus missed the Jaguars first game of the season with an elbow injury and the defense was scorched for 40 points, albeit by the high-flying Chiefs offense. Since returning to action in week two, Dareus seemed to provide a stabilizing presence for Jacksonville’s unit, having fared noticeably better, especially against the run.
The Jaguars originally reported that Dareus had to leave Sunday’s game against the Bengals with an abdomen injury. However, he later returned to action, quelling fear of something substantial. It seems that upon further review, the training staff has found more reason for concern.
Originally selected with the third overall pick by the Bills in the 2011 draft out of Alabama, Dareus has been a productive defensive lineman over the past eight seasons. In Buffalo, Dareus earned all-pro honors in 2014 and was selected to two pro bowls. His sustained success earned a six-year, $108m contract extension four years ago.
Buffalo, eventually felt they could utilize their salary cap better elsewhere and traded Dareus to the Jaguars in 2017 for a sixth round pick. Since joining Jacksonville, Dareus has appeared in nearly every game and started all but two games over the past two seasons. Depending on the outcome of his visit with Dr. Meyers, the organization may need to prepare to replace him for an extended period of time.
Chargers Work Out DL Adolphus Washington
The Chargers are working out defensive lineman Adolphus Washington, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. This likely will be the first of a few workouts after the Chargers’ defensive line has been depleted by injuries in recent weeks.
A 2016 third-round selection by Buffalo, Washington started 21 games for the Bills over his first two professional seasons. A combination of injuries and the emergence of other players eventually led him out of the lineup before he was released in September of last year. He has since had stints in the Cowboys, Bengals and Dolphins organizations but only saw time on the field for Cincinnati.
Washington has played both on the interior and edge of the defensive line, giving his next team so added flexibility. On his career, he has amassed 62 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 11 tackles for loss in 35 games. Obviously, though, the bulk of those numbers came when he was a starter with the Bills from 2016-17.
Los Angeles started a recently signed free agent, T.Y. McGill, on Sunday against the Titans. So if Washington ends up signing, he could very well see extended time while the team awaits for the return of the original starters.
Raiders Work Out C.J. Anderson
Running back C.J. Anderson worked out for the Raiders today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. The Raiders appear to be looking at bringing in additional depth behind starter Josh Jacobs. 
Jacobs has been fantastic for the Raiders and is a prime candidate to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. However, after sharing running back duties in college at Alabama, Oakland has given him the lion’s share of carries. Last week the team auditioned a pair of backs and continues to monitor the market. While he is not expected to miss any time, Jacobs did leave their game against the Packers for some time, giving the team another reason to bring in an additional back.
Anderson, currently in his seventh NFL season, has amassed nearly 3,500 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns over his career. He served as one of the primary backs for the Broncos from 2014-17, but has yet to find a long-term home since.
He has appeared in games for the Panthers, Rams, and Lions over the past two seasons. In between his stints in Carolina and Los Angeles, Anderson actually signed with the Raiders last season before being released less than a week later.
No one believes the Raiders need an additional running back. However, a veteran like Anderson would seem well equipped to allow them to give their rookie more rest and hopefully, keep him healthy moving forward.
Texans Lose Phillip Gaines For Season
Texans cornerback Phillip Gaines is set to undergo season-ending ankle surgery, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Per a source, Gaines will be placed on Injured Reserve after suffering a severe high-ankle sprain in yesterday’s loss to the Colts. The recovery is expected to take five months.
Gaines has been a rotational player since entering the league in 2014. Entering the sixth year of his career, Gaines had yet to start less than three games in a season, but never more than six. Houston had begun using him more prominently as the season went on, starting the team’s previous two games before leaving the game yesterday.
While Gaines was not signed to be a starter, he was called into action once Bradley Roby and Johnathan Joseph went down with injuries. Now down another member of their secondary, the Texans decided to trade a third-round pick in the upcoming draft for Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley earlier today. It appears likely that Conley will step into Gaines’ place in the lineup.
Bears To Sign DL Brent Urban
Brent Urban has agreed to terms with the Bears, according to his agent (on Twitter).The news comes just two days after the Titans released Urban.
Prior to this season, Urban spent five years with the Ravens. A fourth-round pick out of Virginia, Urban became just the 26th Canadian ever selected in the NFL draft. It took some time for him to make his NFL debut. An ACL tear kept him out of action for the entirety of his rookie season and a torn bicep cost him a large chunk of 2015 as well.
Once healthy, Urban slowly worked himself into Baltimore’s rotation. In 2018, Urban started all 16 games for the Ravens, recording 27 tackles before becoming a free agent. He signed with the Titans this offseason but failed to record a statistic in four appearances and was released on Friday. Now, he will look to add some depth to the Bears front seven.
The Bears have stalwart defensive end Akiem Hicks on IR presently. They will see if Urban can help in the meantime.
Nick Foles To Return To Jaguars Practice
Doug Marrone announced quarterback Nick Foles would return to practice on Wednesday. This will be the first time since he broke his collarbone in Week 1. Marrone said he will work with the scout team, participate in seven-on-seven drills, and do work on the side this week.
Since Foles’ injury, rookie backup Gardner Minshew has taken over and played rather well. The sixth-round selection has garnered celebrity from his small stature and signature facial hair. Some have argued that Minshew has proven worthy of becoming the permanent starter in Jacksonville, even after Foles returns. Michael Lombardi of The Athletic (subscription required), wrote on Monday that the Bears should consider calling the Jaguars to acquire Foles to replace struggling signal-caller Mitch Trubisky.
With that said, it’s important to note that amid all the speculation, there has been no direct reports out of Jacksonville suggesting the team has made any decisions regarding the position. For now, they are taking it one step at a time, beginning with Foles’ return to practice.
The Jaguars signed Foles this offseason to a four-year, $88MM contract on the heels of his remarkable Super Bowl run with the Eagles. Moving on from longtime starter Blake Bortles, Jacksonville believed Foles could be the last piece to build a title contender. He did not make it out of his initial half as a Jaguar but is on schedule to return this season.
Chargers Lose Forrest Lamp For Season
Chargers starting guard Forrest Lamp suffered a broken ankle and will miss the remainder of the season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Lamp’s injury marks another hit to an already depleted offensive line.
Lamp was expected to play a depth role this season, but after a season-ending injury to Mike Pouncey, the Chargers opted to shift starting guard Dan Feeney to center and to start Lamp at left guard. On Sunday, in his second start, Lamp went down and had to be carted off the field after he broke his ankle. The team decided to shift Feeney back to left guard and brought Scott Quessenberry off the bench to play center for the remainder of their 23-20 loss to the Titans.
Los Angeles selected Lamp in the second round out of Western Kentucky in 2017 to solidify its offensive line. Considered one of the safest offensive line prospects in the draft, he has yet to live up to that billing.
Lamp’s first season failed to get underway before he tore his ACL and missed the entirety of the year. After another knee procedure in 2018, he entered his second season as a backup. While Lamp remained healthy for the entirety of last season, he only appeared in two games, listed as a healthy scratch in the other 14.
On the heels of a 12-4 season, the Chargers were a popular pick to push the Chiefs in the AFC West. However, a host of injuries and close losses have piled up, leaving the team with a 2-5 record. Just along their offensive line, the Bolts have lost Pouncey and Lamp and have yet to see Russell Okung make his 2019 debut.
Panthers To Start Kyle Allen In Week 8
Kyle Allen will make his fifth consecutive start for the Panthers next week. The second-year UDFA will get the call again when the Panthers face the 49ers in San Francisco, Ron Rivera said Monday, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (on Twitter).
It was believed unlikely that Cam Newton would return from his foot injury this week, but Rivera’s announcement ends any speculation. The ninth-year starter will, however, work out on a side field. The Panthers have not reached the quarterback-controversy stage of this process, with Newton not yet ready to return. But that day could be coming, and this week’s game will be telling for Allen’s progress (and the Panthers’ status as an NFC contender).
Facing the undefeated 49ers will be Allen’s greatest challenge since taking over under center. When Allen took over, the Panthers were 0-2 and looked likely to fall out of the playoff race. Instead, they have won four straight and are in prime position to fight for an NFC playoff spot.
In his four appearances this season, Allen has completed 65.6% of his passes for just over 225 yards a game. He has a 7-to-0 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio. Should Allen fare well against the 49ers, Rivera may have to make a tough decision. But the Panthers are not at that point yet.
Texans Work Out Eli Rogers
The Texans are working out wide receiver Eli Rogers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
One of Houston’s starting wideouts, Will Fuller, left Sunday’s loss to the Colts with a hamstring injury. In a separate report today, Rapoport described the injury as a “rather significant hamstring pull” that is expected to keep Fuller off the field for “several weeks.”
While star DeAndre Hopkins is the undisputed top receiver in Houston, Fuller has been a valuable second option for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Thus far in 2019, Fuller had already amassed 34 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns. However, injuries have been a consistent part of the 2016 first-round pick’s career thus far.
Rogers may be the most proven receiver on the free-agent market aside from Antonio Brown. Coincidentally, Rogers also made his name with the Steelers. Pittsburgh signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville in 2016. As a rookie, Rogers started half of the team’s games and made 48 receptions for 594 yards and three touchdowns.
His role faded in 2017 as JuJu Smith-Schuster began emerging opposite of Brown. Then in the playoffs, Rogers tore his ACL and missed almost the entirety of the 2018 season. Unable to reassert himself into Pittsburgh’s rotation, the organization released him in their final roster cuts prior to this season.
He has already had workouts with the Buccaneers and Dolphins, but has yet to sign a contract. Given the significance of Fuller’s role in Houston, a newcomer will not be expected to step into the starting lineup. But, someone with experience, like Rogers, could help make up for the loss.