Injury Updates: Taylor, Eagles, Morse, McCoy
Early in Saturday’s historic loss to the Vikings, the Colts saw star running back Jonathan Taylor leave the game without tallying a single carry. Tests showed that Taylor suffered a sprained ankle, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and while it was considered “nothing major,” it was enough to keep Taylor out for the remainder of the game.
In Taylor’s absence, in-season trade acquisition Zack Moss took over as the team’s lead back, assisted by Deon Jackson. Both put forth good performances for the rest of the contest, combining for 136 rushing yards on 37 carries.
With the Colts on the brink of elimination from postseason contention at 4-9-1, it’s not very surprising that Taylor didn’t risk his long-term health to return. Now the question arises of whether or not interim head coach Jeff Saturday and company will bring back Taylor at all for the rest of the season. If there’s no hope for a playoff run, will Indianapolis want to risk the long-term health of one of its keystone players or will it ride Moss and Jackson for the rest of the year?
Here are a few more injury updates from this weekend, starting with a player who didn’t even get to make an appearance:
- Some were expecting to see Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert return from injury this week against the Bears, but ultimately, Philadelphia did not activate him. According to Schefter, Goedert is still expected to return from the injury soon, but “it’s not expected to be until next” week’s division game in Dallas. The Eagles will be excited to have their starting tight end back after relying on Jack Stoll and rookie sixth-round pick Grant Calcaterra for the past five games.
- The Bills continued to take hits to their interior offensive line today after starting center Mitch Morse was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Backup guard Greg Van Roten, who was already filling in at right guard for an injured Ryan Bates, moved to center following Morse’s departure with backup offensive tackle David Quessenberry filling the empty slot at right guard. There is reason for concern due to Morse’s history with concussions. Back in 2020, it was reported he had suffered his fifth career concussion. It’s unclear if he’s suffered any since then, but the extensive history of brain trauma should not be taken lightly by the Bills training staff.
- Another team that had to dig deep into the depth chart due to concussions, the Cardinals saw quarterback Colt McCoy leave today’s loss to the Broncos with a concussion. McCoy was slated to fill in for the remainder of the season after Kyler Murray‘s torn ACL, so with McCoy out, Arizona turned to third-string quarterback Trace McSorley. McSorley struggled in the loss, completing less than 50-percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions, but the Cardinals didn’t have another option. The team recently signed David Blough off of the Vikings practice squad but did not have him available for today’s game. Already eliminated from playoff contention at 4-10, there’s no reason for Arizona to rush anyone back from injury. If McCoy cannot be cleared by their Christmas night matchup with the Buccaneers, McSorley and Blough will be in line to lead the team from under center.
Bills Sign WR Cole Beasley
TODAY, 4:25pm: It didn’t take long for Cole Beasley to make his way to the active roster. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the wideout has been promoted from the practice squad for tonight’s game.
TUESDAY, 8:40am: After a brief stint in retirement, Cole Beasley is set to play once again in the NFL. The veteran wideout is set to re-join the Bills, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the move.
2022 has been a busy year for the 33-year-old. Beasley was released by the Bills in a cost-cutting move at the onset of free agency, after three seasons in Buffalo during which he remained a productive slot receiver and played a key role in the team’s offense. That led to a healthy market for his services, and the opportunity to land with another contenting team.
That appeared to be the case when he signed with the Buccaneers in September, after being recruited by Tom Brady amidst the team’s uncertainty at the WR position. That deal resulted in only two games with Tampa Bay, however, and the former UDFA made just four catches during that time. Shortly thereafter, Beasley retired from the NFL.
Mere months after that decision, though, he will re-join a Bills team which leads the AFC with a 10-3 record. Garafolo tweets that Beasley will begin on the team’s practice squad, but is likely to be elevated to the active roster soon. Buffalo boasts the league’s sixth-most productive passing attack (averaging 274 yards per game through the air), but the slot has not been a consistent source of success on the year.
Free agent addition Jamison Crowder has been out since Week 4, leaving Isaiah McKenzie as the team’s primary option to operate in a complementary role to Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. The latter two have enjoyed successful seasons to date, but McKenzie has recorded 44 receiving yards or fewer in all but two contests this year. Beasley should be able to at least compete for snaps on the inside and provide Josh Allen with a familiar pass-catching option, having received over 100 targets in each of his seasons with the Bills.
This news also marks the second consecutive day in which an Odell Beckham Jr. suitor has signed a veteran wideout. Beckham’s likelihood to miss the remainder of the regular season – if not more of the 2022 campaign – steered the Cowboys towards T.Y. Hilton, who is able to contribute right away; the same is believed to be true of Beasley. Of the teams which hosted Beckham recently, only the Giants have yet to make a move at wideout, perhaps leaving them as the new favorite to strike a deal should one materialize.
Injury Notes: Dolphins, Bills, Hankins, Allen
As we head into what could very well be the season’s first true snow game, the Dolphins and Bills will be preparing to play without a few key players. Miami will be playing without safety Eric Rowe, while Buffalo will head into the matchup without offensive guard Ryan Bates.
Rowe hasn’t been the prominent defensive player he was during his first two seasons in Miami but was forced back into a starting role when safety Brandon Jones was placed on injured reserve. A hamstring injury will hold Rowe out of tonight’s game, pushing the Dolphins to their third-string safety.
With Elijah Campbell also out tonight with a concussion, Miami has only two options to turn to at safety. The team will either have to start undrafted rookie Verone McKinley, who started a game earlier on this year, or veteran Clayton Fejedelem, who hasn’t started a game since 2018 when he was with the Bengals, alongside regular starter Jevon Holland. McKinley did overlap with Holland at Oregon with the two playing a year together in the Ducks’ secondary. The team also has the option of pushing a cornerback like veteran Justin Bethel into the safety role if needed.
The Bills will be without Bates to start a game for the first time this season. Bates suffered an ankle injury in last week’s win over the Jets that knocked him out of the game. Buffalo used two players to fill in for Bates in Greg Van Roten and Bobby Hart. Seeing how Van Roten got the majority of the snaps last week, he’s likely to be tapped to start this week in place of Bates.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the league, these both from the NFC:
- Cowboys veteran defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins suffered a sprained pectoral muscle early in last week’s win over the Texans, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. The injury appears to be significant as owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones told the media that, while Hankins may make a return for the playoffs, “he won’t be back before then.” The foreseen absence has led the team to place Hankins on IR. Any starts or playing time for Hankins will likely be taken by a combination of Neville Gallimore, Quinton Bohanna, and Carlos Watkins for the remainder of the regular season.
- The Cardinals also lost a defensive lineman to a significant injury last week when defensive end Zach Allen injured his hand in the third quarter of Monday’s loss to the Patriots, according to Charean Williams of NBC Sports. Allen underwent surgery on his hand that will keep him out this week against the Broncos. When asked about Allen’s prospects to return this season, head coach Kliff Kinsgbury responded with uncertainty. Allen is headed to free agency at the end of this season and, after a strong showing last year with four sacks, five tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits, Allen improved greatly in his contract year tallying 5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 19 quarterback hits. Arizona doesn’t have much depth on the defensive line, so Jonathan Ledbetter will likely earn the start opposite J.J. Watt this week while the Cardinals may need to elevate some reinforcements from the practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: QB Carson Strong
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Nate Landman
- Released: OL Parker Ferguson
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Cole Beasley (story)
- Released: WR Marquez Stevenson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Tae Hayes
- Released: RB Nate McCrary
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Storey Jackson
Denver Broncos
- Released: DL McTelvin Agim
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: OT Jean Delance, C Michal Menet
- Released: DL Jack Heflin, WR Dede Westbrook
Houston Texans
- Signed: RB Gerrid Doaks, WR D.J. Montgomery
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Robert Foster
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Kana’i Mauga, OT Willie Wright
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Marquiss Spencer
- Placed on IR: LB Marcell Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Anthony Harris, P Brett Kern
- Released: S Marquise Blair, WR Auden Tate
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: QB Kevin Hogan, OL Zach McCloud, G Jordan Roos, WR Jonathan Ward
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/13/22
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Brandin Bryant
- Waived: DT C.J. Brewer
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: DL Daviyon Nixon
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: RB Mike Boone
- Signed off Dolphins’ practice squad: WR Freddie Swain
Houston Texans
- Signed from practice squad: QB Jeff Driskel
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed off practice squad: TE Nikola Kalinic
- Waived: WR Keke Coutee
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed off Broncos’ practice squad: G Netane Muti
- Placed on IR: LB Jayon Brown
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: P Arryn Siposs (story)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed off Jets’ practice squad: DT Jonathan Marshall
- Signed: LB Olasunkanmi Adeniyi
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: LB Olakunle Fatukasi
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/10/22
Here are the minor moves around the league in advance of the Week 14 slate of games:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed off Titans’ practice squad: QB Logan Woodside
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: QB Anthony Brown, S Ar’Darius Washington
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: WR John Brown
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from NFI list: DL Henry Anderson
- Waived: CB Tae Hayes
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: S Mike Brown, LB Tae Davis
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: T Aviante Collins
- Placed on IR: CB Anthony Brown (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: T Quinn Bailey
- Elevated: G Netane Muti, LB Harvey Langi
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: OL Ross Pierschbacher
- Elevated: LB Jarrad Davis, CB Jarren Williams
- Placed on IR: CB Chase Lucas
Houston Texans
- Elevated: WR Jalen Camp, QB Jeff Driskel
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: OLB K’Lavon Chaisson
- Elevated: LB Ty Summers
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: C Hroniss Grasu
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: CB Kemon Hall
- Elevated: DL Christopher Hinton, S Raheem Layne
- Placed on IR: TE Richard Rodgers
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: WR Freddie Swain
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: S Myles Dorn, CB Tay Gowan
New York Giants
- Elevated: DT Ryder Anderson, CB Zyon Gilbert
New York Jets
- Elevated: LB Marcell Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: LB Christian Elliss
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: RB Tevin Coleman, S Dontae Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from PUP list: LB Jon Rhattigan
- Elevated: RB Godwin Igwebuike, WR Laquon Treadwell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: LB K.J. Britt
- Elevated: WR Deven Thompkins, S Nolan Turner
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: WR Chris Conley, LB Jack Gibbens, CB Greg Mabin
- Activated from IR: WR Racey McMath, CB Josh Thompson
- Elevated: RB Julius Chestnut, CB Davontae Harris
- Placed on IR: LB David Long
- Released: DL Larrell Murchison, OL Jordan Roos
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/9/22
Here are the only practice squad transactions for today:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Marquez Stevenson
- Released: WR Isaiah Coulter
Leslie Frazier An Option For Colts HC?
It’s been more than a decade since Leslie Frazier last served as a head coach, but the current Bills defensive coordinator could soon get his shot. ESPN’s Dan Graziano passes along that multiples sources have connected Frazier to the Colts potential HC vacanacy.
There are a few things going for Frazier. The coach does have some connections to Indy, as he served as the Colts assistant head coach/defensive backs coach in 2006. Further, as Graziano writes, Frazier has the support of Tony Dungy, and the former head coach’s “word carries some weight” within the organization. Frazier actually interviewed for the Colts’ head coaching gig back in 2018 before the team hired Frank Reich, so there’s clearly some respect for his coaching ability.
On the flip side, Frazier’s wheelhouse is on the defensive side of the ball. Graziano writes that the organization could be seeking both a quarterback and an offensive play-caller this offseason, and some could assume that those holes would be easier to navigate with an offensive-minded coach. Further, Frazier’s track record as a head coach wasn’t great. He helped guide the Vikings to the playoffs with a 10-6 record in 2012, but the team otherwise went 11-26 during his two-plus seasons at the helm.
Still, there’s no denying Frazier’s ability to coach a defense. Since taking over as Buffalo’s defensive coordinator in 2017, the Bills have developed into one of the top defenses in the NFL, including three top-five finishes in defensive yards allowed between 2018 and 2021. Buffalo’s emergence has led to more and more head coaching opportunities for the coordinator. Just this past offseason, Frazier interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Dolphins, Bears, and Giants, and he was generally considered the runner-up for the gig in New York.
The Colts fired Reich following a 3-5-1 season. Jeff Saturday unexpectedly took over as head coach and won his first game in the position, but the Colts have since dropped three straight. Considering Saturday’s lack of coaching experience, he was always deemed a temporary solution as the HC spot.
Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
The NFL now has its first teams eliminated from playoff contention. The Texans and Bears, as they essentially have been doing throughout this season, are playing for next year. Other eliminations will soon follow, as the league’s playoff picture heats up.
Through that lens, the 2023 draft order will become an increasingly more pertinent topic. The 2023 draft will present an interesting subplot near its outset. Traded picks are set to produce early selections for the Seahawks, Lions and Eagles. Each of those picks currently land in the top five, as the teams on the other end of those trades — the Broncos, Rams and Saints — have disappointed, spectacularly so in Los Angeles and Denver’s cases.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order would look entering Week 14:
- Houston Texans: 1-10-1
- Chicago Bears: 3-9
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Carolina Panthers: 4-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-8
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-8
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-8-1
- Atlanta Falcons: 5-8
- Green Bay Packers: 5-8
- Las Vegas Raiders: 5-7
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-7
- Detroit Lions: 5-7
- Los Angeles Chargers: 6-6
- New England Patriots: 6-6
- Washington Commanders: 7-5-1
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-6*
- Seattle Seahawks: 7-5*
- Tennessee Titans: 7-5*
- New York Jets: 7-5*
- New York Giants: 7-4-1*
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)*
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-4*
- Cincinnati Bengals: 8-4*
- Dallas Cowboys: 9-3*
- Kansas City Chiefs: 9-3*
- Minnesota Vikings: 10-2*
- Buffalo Bills: 9-3*
- Philadelphia Eagles: 11-1*
* = Denotes playoff team
The 2023 first round will resemble 2008 and 2016, when the Patriots were docked their Round 1 pick for their respective “gate” scandals. This year’s Dolphins saga never developed “gate” status, but the team lost a 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-rounder due to the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering case. Thus, a 31-pick first round will commence.
While the Broncos, Rams and Browns lost their first-round picks due to trades for quarterbacks, the Saints passed theirs to the Eagles in this year’s pre-draft trade that allowed New Orleans a path toward moving up for Chris Olave. The No. 16 pick which was initially transferred from the Colts to the Eagles in 2021’s Carson Wentz trade was then moved to the Saints, netting Philadelphia a 2023 first-rounder and a 2024 second.
Bills’ Von Miller Undergoes Surgery, To Miss Rest Of Season
Although the Bills had hoped Von Miller would be back this season, the veteran pass rusher did end up undergoing surgery. The exploratory procedure will knock him out for the rest of the season, Sean McDermott said Wednesday.
While Miller was not believed to have torn his ACL, this procedure ended up addressing that ligament. The operation revealed Miller’s ACL was torn, the team announced, and it has now been repaired. This procedure was not intended to repair Miller’s ACL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Instead, it was aimed at repositioning Miller’s lateral meniscus. After previous tests did not reveal a tear, the surgery ended up doing so. Miller would have been able to return this season if only the meniscus was repaired, Rapoport tweets.
Carted off during the Bills’ Thanksgiving Day game, the future Hall of Fame edge rusher had hoped to return after missing just one contest. Then, the Bills placed him on IR. This steadily worsening timetable will now leave the Bills without their top pass rusher as they attempt another Super Bowl push. The Chiefs’ loss to the Bengals opens the door for the Bills (9-3) to win out and claim the AFC’s top seed. Their hired gun was to be a big part of their championship push; the team will now have to get by with its young edge defenders carrying the load.
Wounding the Bills’ defense, this injury deals a blow to this era’s best edge rusher. Miller’s age-33 season wraps with his second ACL tear. He suffered the first such injury — in the same knee — back in December 2013. That season resulted in the Peyton Manning-led Broncos advancing to Super Bowl XLVIII without him, but Denver’s injury-plagued defense could not hold up in that game. Miller rebounded to play the lead role in the Broncos winning Super Bowl 50 two years later, but he has now suffered severe leg injuries in two of the past three years. A late-summer ankle injury wiped out Miller’s 2020 campaign.
The 2020 injury did not end up stopping Miller from playing a major role in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning effort, which catapulted Miller into free agency. The Bills won the sweepstakes with a six-year, $120MM deal that featured guarantees into Year 3. Miller cited that guarantee structure as the reason he chose the Bills over the Rams. That and the chance to be the rare player to win a Super Bowl with three different teams. Miller stands to be back for Buffalo’s Super Bowl push next season, but he will now have to battle back from another major injury — and do so in his mid-30s.
Miller still leads the Bills with eight sacks, but two of the Bills’ recent highly drafted D-ends — Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa — have shown improvement. Rousseau, a 2021 first-rounder, has registered five sacks; Epenesa, a 2020 second-round choice, has tallied 4.5. Those are each career-high totals. Though, Miller being removed from the equation will make the younger edge rushers’ work more difficult. The team also has former second-round pick Boogie Basham and reacquired veteran Shaq Lawson in the fold. The Bills are already playing without safety Micah Hyde, who was lost to a season-ending injury in September.