Injury Updates: Cutler, Lacy, Boyd, Adams
While we don’t cover every NFL injury at Pro Football Rumors, we keep a close eye on them nonetheless, and we’ll often pass along injury news if it pertains to a key player, or if a team may have to make a roster move due to an injury. Here are some of the latest noteworthy updates on injuries sustained by players during this weekend’s games:
NFC:
- Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has a strained hamstring, according to head coach John Fox, who added that the Bears haven’t decided whether or not to add another QB to the roster this week (Twitter links via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune).
- Packers running back Eddie Lacy sprained his ankle against the Seahawks last night, but the injury is minor and he could play in Week 3, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- While the initial diagnosis on Packers defensive tackle Josh Boyd suggested that his ankle injury may not be too significant, an MRI revealed torn ankle ligaments, and his season is now in jeopardy, tweets Rapoport.
- Falcons running back Tevin Coleman fractured a rib yesterday, and will likely be sidelined for a couple weeks, depending on his pain threshold, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Despite the injury, head coach Dan Quinn said he doesn’t anticipating adding another running back to the roster, according to ESPN’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link).
- Panthers wideout Jerricho Cotchery has a high ankle sprain, which is often a multi-week injury, but the team hopes he’ll be ready for Week 3, says Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
- Cardinals receiver J.J. Nelson is expected to miss two to four weeks with a shoulder injury, according to head coach Bruce Arians (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic).
AFC:
- Texans offensive lineman Jeff Adams suffered a torn patellar tendon in his knee, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It’s a season-ending injury for Adams, who figures to land on the team’s injured reserve list this week.
- Bills defensive back Aaron Williams sustained what appeared to be one of the more serious injuries of Week 2, but head coach Rex Ryan passed along some positive news today, indicating that Williams was back at the team’s facility and is “doing OK.” As Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News details, Ryan said it’s probably a stretch to think Williams will be back for this Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, but it sounds like he avoided a significant injury.
- Jaguars running back Denard Robinson‘s knee injury is a sprained MCL, and he’s considered week to week, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links).
Bills’ Aaron Williams Carted Off In Ambulance
4:55pm: Williams’ father confirmed on Twitter that his son has full movement in all his extremities.
2:48pm: Bills cornerback Aaron Williams was injured making a tackle on Julian Edelman‘s touchdown catch, reports John Kryk of Postmedia Report in Toronto (via Twitter). He looked to have had an impact with his helmet and the back of Edelman during the diving tackle, an observation confirmed by Vic Carruci of the Buffalo News (via Twitter).
There was a long delay between the touchdown and the extra point, as the medical staff tended to Williams after the play. Williams had his head and neck immobilized before being taken off the field by an ambulance (via Twitter).
The Bills announced that Williams endured a neck injury, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). Unsurprisingly, he has been ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Extra Points: McCoy, Pats, Sherman, 49ers
The latest from around the NFL as Sunday’s Week 2 action draws closer:
- A hamstring injury has hampered Bills running back LeSean McCoy since August, and it showed in a 17-carry, 41-yard performance last week in the team’s 27-14 win over Indianapolis. There’s been some question this week as to whether McCoy will play Sunday against AFC East rival New England, but the three-time Pro Bowler is expected to go, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
- On the other hand, Patriots defensive tackle Dominique Easley – who suffered a hip injury early in a Week 1 win versus Pittsburgh – won’t be available to help stop McCoy, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter).
- Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman‘s transition from the outside to the slot could clamp down Packers No. 1 wideout Randall Cobb this week, writes of USA Today. The Packers have avoided testing Seattle’s all-world corner in the past. If they do again, it could go a long way toward a bounce-back performance from the Seahawks, who are coming off a 34-31 loss in St. Louis.
- Running back Carlos Hyde was so effective in the 49ers’ 20-3 defeat of Minnesota on Monday that coordinator Geep Chryst suggested it allowed him to keep other aspects of his offense under wraps, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. If Pittsburgh slows down Hyde this week, the onus will be on quarterback Colin Kaepernick to make more plays. Hyde ran over Minnesota for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 26 rushes, while Kaepernick threw for fewer yards (165) on the same amount of attempts (26). To his credit, Kaepernick also added 41 yards on just seven carries.
- The Steelers are cognizant of Kaepernick’s ability to run, and they’re hoping to force the 27-year-old to beat them with his arm. “Obviously, the plan is not let (Kaepernick) get out in the open field,” said safety Michael Mitchell, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “They have a scrambling quarterback and a downhill running back, but we always have to account for Kaepernick.” Added linebacker Ryan Shazier, “We have to make him throw the ball.”
AFC Notes: Pats, Hilton, Rice, Manziel
Earlier this week, the NFL reinstated Patriots employee Jim McNally from suspension for his role in the DeflateGate scandal. McNally may not be totally out of the woods yet, though, as new allegations against him have come to light. Former official Mark Baltz, the league’s head linesman from 1989-2013, told WTHR.com that he was always suspicious of McNally, according to John Breech of CBSSports.com.
“[McNally] was always worried about the footballs. Always,” Baltz stated. “It was very odd. I reported him to the league, but never got any reaction from them. I don’t think they thought it was a big deal at the time. But [McNally] did things that 31 other locker room attendants don’t do.”
Baltz said he reported McNally to the league six to eight years ago.
“All I know is, when he got [the footballs], he would run. He would take off,” Baltz added. “Whether he was going somewhere and letting air out, I’m definitely suspicious, but I don’t know for sure.”
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Colts No. 1 receiver T.Y. Hilton caught seven passes for 88 yards before suffering a knee injury that caused him to leave the team’s 27-14 loss to Buffalo last Sunday. Afterward, there was fear that he’d be out for a solid chunk of time. However, Hilton and head coach Chuck Pagano think he could be ready to go in time for Monday’s game against the Jets. “A game-time decision depending on how I feel,” Hilton said Thursday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Pagano said he has “a lot” of optimism that Hilton will play this week.
- With LeSean McCoy‘s hamstring injury continuing to be an issue, the Bills suddenly look thin at running back. However, don’t expect them to sign free agent Ray Rice, according to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). Instead, look for rookie Karlos Williams‘ workload to increase. Williams rushed for a team-high 55 yards and a touchdown on just six carries in the Bills’ win over Indianapolis.
- There aren’t many believers left when it comes to Johnny Manziel, but Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is one of them. “Johnny has tremendous physical attributes — tremendous physical attributes,” DeFilippo said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We just have to keep grooming him and keep teaching him situational football and when to take chances and when not to.”
- The Ravens got just 190 total yards from their offense in their 19-13 opening week loss to Denver. New offensive coordinator Marc Trestman took the blame, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Trestman said his offense has to find ways to get the ball downfield. That should be easier this week against a thin Oakland secondary.
Bills Cut Bryce Brown
The Bills announced that they have released running back Bryce Brown, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets. The release of Brown will make room for the return of Marcell Dareus.
The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of the 2014 season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. Brown was inactive for the season opener against the Colts and he watched Karlos Williams and Bobbie Dixon both find paydirt from the sidelines. In 2014, Brown ran for a grand total of 126 yards off of 36 carries.
Forbes Releases NFL Franchise Valuations
Forbes has unveiled its annual franchise valuations for all 32 NFL teams, with the Dallas Cowboys once again sitting atop the list. According to Forbes, the Cowboys are worth a staggering $4 billion, unseating soccer’s Real Madrid ($3.26 billion) as the world’s most valuable sports franchise. Overall, the average NFL team is worth $1.97 billion, per Forbes — that’s a 38% increase over last year’s $1.43 billion average, which itself represented a 23% increase over 2013’s figures.
All 32 teams saw their values rise this year, and each team’s valuation is now well over $1 billion — a year ago, seven teams fell short of that mark, but this time around, the Bills’ $1.4 billion figure ranks last in the NFL. Of course, that was the exact amount Terry and Kim Pegula paid for the franchise when they bought it in 2014.
While Forbes’ figures shouldn’t be taken as gospel, they at least provide a general idea of the league’s most valuable and least valuable franchises, as well as a baseline for the sort of money owners would be seeking if they decided to sell their teams. Here’s the complete list of Forbes’ franchise values:
- Dallas Cowboys: $4 billion
- New England Patriots: $3.2 billion
- Washington: $2.85 billion
- New York Giants: $2.8 billion
- San Francisco 49ers: $2.7 billion
- New York Jets: $2.6 billion
- Houston Texans: $2.5 billion
- Chicago Bears: $2.45 billion
- Philadelphia Eagles: $2.4 billion
- Green Bay Packers: $1.95 billion
- Denver Broncos: $1.94 billion
- Baltimore Ravens: $1.93 billion
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $1.9 billion
- Indianapolis Colts: $1.88 billion
- Seattle Seahawks: $1.87 billion
- Miami Dolphins: $1.85 billion
- Atlanta Falcons: $1.67 billion
- Minnesota Vikings: $1.59 billion
- Carolina Panthers: $1.56 billion
- Arizona Cardinals: $1.54 billion
- Kansas City Chiefs: $1.53 billion
- San Diego Chargers: $1.525 billion
- New Orleans Saints: $1.52 billion
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $1.51 billion
- Cleveland Browns: $1.5 billion
- Tennessee Titans: $1.49 billion
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $1.48 billion
- St. Louis Rams: $1.45 billion
- Cincinnati Bengals: $1.445 billion
- Detroit Lions: $1.44 billion
- Oakland Raiders: $1.43 billion
- Buffalo Bills: $1.4 billion
Extra Points: Ravens, Patriots, Clay, Bush
With Terrell Suggs lost for the season, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh believes his team has the internal options to fill the void. However, he acknowledges that the club is also looking at external options and could add somebody soon (Twitter links via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com scans the free agent market and identifies a few possible targets for Baltimore.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Patriots employees John Jastremski and Jim McNally won’t face further discipline from the NFL for their possible involvement in DeflateGate, and will meet with the league soon to discuss new roles with the team, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Neither Jastremski nor McNally will be involved in the preparation, handling, or supervision of game balls going forward.
- According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, new Bills tight end Charles Clay had his knee drained at least a half-dozen times last season while he was a Dolphin. Clay’s knees were a source of concern for suitors in free agency, and specifically for the Dolphins, who declined to match Buffalo’s huge offer sheet to Clay back in March. As Schefter explains, there are some who wonder how much longer Clay will be able to play.
- The Saints received some bad news on the injury front, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that safety Rafael Bush tore his pectoral muscle during Sunday’s loss in Arizona.
- Elsewhere in the NFC South, the Panthers will be without offensive tackle Daryl Williams for two to four weeks after he sprained his right MCL, as David Newton of ESPN.com details.
East Notes: Cousins, F-Jax, Bills
After Geno Smith suffered a broken jaw at the hand of former teammate IK Enemkpali, the Jets did not know how long their starting quarterback would be sidelined. In their efforts to address the situation, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the Jets called Washington to discuss the possibility of trading for Kirk Cousins (Twitter link). Now, of course, we know why Washington was unwilling to seriously entertain those communications.
Washington, though, was not the only team the Jets contacted. As Rapoport adds in a separate tweet, New York did its due diligence and made plenty of phone calls around the league before ultimately settling on veteran backup Ryan Fitzpatrick to lead them at least until Smith’s return.
Now for some more links from the league’s east divisions:
- We learned yesterday that Robert Griffin III was listed as Washington‘s third-string quarterback behind backup Colt McCoy for today’s game against Miami, but as NFL Media’s Jeff Darlington reports, RGIII will remain third on the depth chart moving forward (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). As Darlington said, “After further consideration the team is more likely to keep Griffin as the third quarterback because of the financial repercussions that they would face if Griffin were to enter a game and be injured.”
- Long before Fred Jackson signed with the Seahawks, he was supposed to be a member of the Steelers, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. After the Bills acquired LeSean McCoy in March, Buffalo GM Doug Whaley told Jackson that he would be released. Jackson had effectively worked out a deal with the Steelers and was en route to Pittsburgh when he was told by Buffalo team officials that he was too important to the Bills and the community to let go. When Jackson actually was let go a few months later, the Steelers had long since signed DeAngelo Williams to be their primary backup. That saga is what precipitated Jackson’s recent remarks that Whaley had lied to him.
- When Bills head coach Rex Ryan was with the Jets, he tried to acquire Tyrod Taylor, as Albert Breer of The NFL Network tweets. According to Breer, Ryan did so on the advice of some pretty respected names who were teammates and coaches of Taylor when he was in Baltimore: Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Cam Cameron, and Jim Caldwell.
- When Taylor signed with the Bills this offseason, his three-year deal that will pay him just $750,000 in 2015 made it clear that he was a backup quarterback. But as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, nothing prevents Buffalo from giving Taylor a new contract at any time, and although there has been no indication that will happen, Florio believes it should.
- Muhammd Wilkerson‘s contract situation has garnered a great deal of media attention, but as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes, the Jets have two other important defensive starters who are in the final years of their respective contracts: Demario Davis and Damon Harrison. As Cimini writes, the Jets have made no push to sign either before the start of the season, as they want to see how the players fit in the team’s new defensive scheme before making a long-term commitment.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/12/15
Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Cedric Reed (Twitter link via ESPN’s Mike Rodak)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: OT Tyreek Burwell (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
- Cut: RB Dreamius Smith
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Nick Moody (Twitter link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta)
- Cut: DB Brandon Dixon
Bills Sign Andre Fluellen
The Bills have re-signed veteran defensive tackle Andre Fluellen, reports Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (via Twitter). The 30-year-old was released yesterday to make room for edge defender IK Enemkapli, who was activated from the team’s practice squad. Enemkapli has since been suspended four games by the NFL for punching former Jets teammate Geno Smith, and Fluellen will seemingly take over the extra roster spot.
The Bills originally added Fluellen, a former third-round pick, in June. The former Florida State standout had spent the majority of his seven-year career with the Lions, besides a brief cameo with the Dolphins in 2012. He’s played in 77 career games (six starts), compiling 39 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) rated Fluellen positively on the pass rush, but he received a negative grade for his run defense.