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NFL Injury Updates: Carr, Kupp, Beckham

September 27th, 2023 at 9:10pm CST by Ely Allen

After taking a big shot to his throwing shoulder in a Week 3 loss to the Packers, Saints quarterback Derek Carr is reportedly unlikely to appear when New Orleans plays host to the Buccaneers this Sunday, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Backup quarterback Jameis Winston is set to start in his place.

Carr wasn’t necessarily struggling in his debut season playing for any team other than the Raiders, but he wasn’t striving either. After winning the first two games of the season, Carr was only averaging 266.5 passing yards per game with one touchdown and two interceptions. Protection had been a bit of an issue as he had been sacked four times in each of his first two starts with the Saints. This past weekend, that questionable protection led to the shoulder injury that’s expected to hold him out of this week’s game.

Winston will now, once again, take the reins of the Saints’ offense. Over four years with the team, Winston has appeared in 15 games: five coming off the bench and 10 as a starter. In his first season as a full-time starter in New Orleans, Winston started the season 5-2 while throwing 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions before a torn ACL would end his 2021 season early. Last year, Winston started three games despite reports of fractures in his back and went 1-2 with four touchdowns and five interceptions before spending the rest of the season as QB2 behind Andy Dalton.

Winston will get his chance to prove he can still be an effective starter in the NFL this weekend while Carr recovers. According to Nick Underhill of neworleans.football, no consideration has taken place in respect to moving hybrid tight end Taysom Hill to quarterback this week.

Here are some other injury updates from around the league:

  • ESPN’s Sarah Barshop provided an update today on the recovery timeline of Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp. She reported that head coach Sean McVay told the media that it is “the hope” that Kupp will be able to come off of injured reserve as soon as he is eligible to in Week 5. Kupp has missed the first three games of the season due to a hamstring injury and will have to miss this weekend, too, due to his stint on IR. McVay was hesitant to make any promises that might pigeonhole his All-Pro wideout, but the update is surely encouraging news for the Rams’ offense.
  • The injury woes will continue a little longer for Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as ESPN’s Dan Graziano tells us that Beckham is likely to miss “another game or two” with the ankle injury that’s dogged him since the offseason. While Baltimore’s offense will have to do without Beckham, Graziano reports that running back Justice Hill has a chance to return this week from the toe injury that held him out of last week’s loss.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Adams, Cards, Rams

September 25th, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Recent restructures have vaulted the 49ers past the Browns for cap space. San Francisco’s $42.1MM leads the NFL by more than $7MM. GM John Lynch did not rule out some of these funds being used to add a trade piece, but the 49ers are planning roll over the bulk of the space to 2024.

“Really, we always look at the cap for three years out,” Lynch said, via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. “Obviously, we have all that room this year. But really it’s to create room for future years because we roll everything over. It helps us in future years because it creates some room we’re going to need. … We’ve pretty much done what we’re going to do this year, but you never know with the trade deadline and all that.”

The 49ers created some space by extending Nick Bosa, though the team authorized a record-smashing accord that will show up on future caps, but Brock Purdy‘s rookie contract runs through 2025. During the Lynch-Kyle Shanahan era, the 49ers have not been shy about adding at the deadline, as the Christian McCaffrey and Emmanuel Sanders trades illustrate. In place as a Super Bowl contender once again, the 49ers will have some ammo to accommodate a bigger salary if they choose. For now, however, they are viewing the restructures to help down the road. Even with the projected carryover, the 49ers currently are projected to hold barely $17MM in 2024 cap space.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • The Seahawks will not delay Jamal Adams‘ return for another week. Pete Carroll pronounced his highest-paid safety as “ready to go” for the team’s Week 4 Monday-night matchup against the Giants. Adams suffered a torn quadriceps tendon during the Seahawks’ season-opening Monday-nighter against the Broncos last year. The seventh-year veteran spent most of training camp on the Seahawks’ active/PUP list, and while he avoided the reserve/PUP designation, he still was expected to miss regular-season time. Additionally, Carroll said Riq Woolen and Charles Cross have a good chance to return in Week 4. Cross has missed the past two games, while Woolen was down for Week 3.
  • In 2020, the Cardinals had both CeeDee Lamb and Tristan Wirfs on their radar when they held the No. 8 overall pick. Many in the Cards’ war room believed it would be a Wirfs-or-Lamb decision, GOPHNX.com’s Howard Balzer notes. Isaiah Simmons instead became the selection. While Simmons did not pan out in Arizona, being traded to the Giants for a seventh-round pick last month, he was viewed as an elite-level prospect. The Lions and Giants were linked to Simmons at Nos. 3 and 4, while Wirfs and Lamb did not go off the board until Nos. 13 and 17. Simmons represents another Steve Keim misstep at linebacker. The Cardinals missed on Deone Bucannon (2014) and had slotted Haason Reddick (2017) as an off-ball player for most of his Arizona run. Zaven Collins (2021) has since been moved to the outside. Simmons moved around the Cardinals’ formation, finishing his desert run as a safety.
  • Sean McVay remains the Rams‘ play-caller, but he allowed new OC Mike LaFleur to implement new concepts upon coming over from the Jets. LaFleur added elements from the Jets and 49ers’ offenses that were not previously in the Rams’ scheme, Dan Pompei of The Athletic writes (subscription required). McVay indicated LaFleur — a Shanahan assistant from 2014-20, with the Browns, Falcons and 49ers — has earned the autonomy he received this offseason, when he came to Los Angeles shortly after a Jets separation.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/23

September 25th, 2023 at 6:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Sinnett joined the Bengals’ practice squad late last week. This move preceded A.J. McCarron‘s return by one day. Joe Burrow is in uniform tonight, but the Bengals will take advantage of the emergency third QB rule by bumping Sinnett up to the active roster. Jake Browning is in place as Burrow’s backup.

After the Jets and Steelers waived Mann this year, he secured another chance in Philly. The team brought Mann onto its practice squad last week, moving their punter of the past two seasons — Arryn Siposs — off their roster. Mann is in his fourth NFL season; the former sixth-round pick served as the Jets’ punter from 2020-22.

With Quez Watkins inactive, Allen received his first opportunity to suit up for an NFL game. The two-time Olympian 110-meter hurdler has been on the Eagles’ practice squad for the past two seasons. A former wideout at Oregon, Allen devoted much of his 20s to track, becoming one of the best 110 hurdlers in U.S. history. Since landing on the Eagles’ 90-man offseason roster in 2022, Allen has worked as a two-sport athlete.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/23

September 21st, 2023 at 7:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Houston Texans

  • Signed: CB D’Angelo Ross

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

The Patriots are struggling with injuries in their cornerbacks room, so the organization added two players to the practice squad for reinforcement. Borders has the most experience, with the veteran appearing in 32 games since entering the league in 2017. He only got into a single game for the Bears in 2022, but he did appear in 12 games with the Titans and Cardinals in 2021. Hearn had a stint with the Chargers after going undrafted out of UCLA in this year’s draft.

Rams Trade RB Cam Akers To Vikings

September 21st, 2023 at 12:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 21: For the conditions to be met, Akers must combine for 500 yards from scrimmage with the Vikings, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. In Akers’ two healthy seasons, he has hit 748 and 903 scrimmage yards, respectively.

SEPTEMBER 20: The off-and-on Rams-Cam Akers drama will come to an end Wednesday. The Rams found a taker for Akers, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who reports the Vikings will acquire the fourth-year running back.

Minnesota and Los Angeles will swap late-round 2026 draft choices, Pelissero adds. Given Akers’ inconsistent history, it was always unlikely the Rams would obtain much for him. But the Vikings will take a flier on the former second-round pick.

The Vikings will send Los Angeles a conditional sixth-round pick in 2026. In exchange, the Rams will send Minnesota Akers and a 2026 conditional seventh-rounder, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Terms on the conditions of each pick have not yet been released, but with nearly three full seasons in between now and then, there are a vast number of possibilities for what might alter these picks.

For an in-season trade, this presents the opportunity for a smooth Akers transition. Kevin O’Connell served as the Rams’ offensive coordinator during Akers’ first two NFL seasons, and Vikings OC Wes Phillips was also in L.A. during that span. Akers will join a Vikings backfield transitioning from Dalvin Cook‘s six-year tenure, leaving the Rams with their now-Kyren Williams-fronted setup behind Matthew Stafford.

The tumultuous Rams-Akers relationship reached the point of no return Sunday, when the team deactivated the former starter for its Week 2 game. Akers, 24, expressed confusion at the move, but he and Sean McVay had not seen eye to eye for periods over the past year. McVay indicated a trade was likely.

Despite opening each of the past two Rams seasons as the starting running back, Akers found himself a healthy scratch each year. Los Angeles scratched Akers for Week 6 last season, as trade rumors swirled. While the team held onto Akers after negotiating with teams ahead of last year’s trade deadline, the Vikings are now responsible for the last year of his rookie deal.

It does not appear the Rams would have settled for his level of trade compensation last year, when they rejected trade offers, but the minimal return points to the Rams being prepared to accept just about anything to end this relationship. The Browns, Buccaneers, Raiders and Ravens were mentioned as interested parties. The Browns took themselves out of the running Wednesday morning, when they reunited with Kareem Hunt. Although McVay disciples are in HC posts elsewhere — Matt LaFleur, Brandon Staley, Zac Taylor — the Vikings make the most sense from a familiarity standpoint due to O’Connell having coached Akers as OC.

While 2026 late-round draft choices effectively indicate how little trade value Akers brought, he has produced promising stretches during an inconsistent career. The Rams turned to the Florida State product late in the 2020 season, and the then-rookie ripped off a 171-yard showing against the Patriots. Akers then amassed 131 rushing yards to help the Rams upset the Seahawks in the 2020 wild-card round. After last year’s spate of hiccups, Akers regrouped to close the season with three straight 100-yard performances. While seldom used as a receiver, Akers has enjoyed productive periods as a ball-carrier.

Of course, Akers also suffered an Achilles tear in July 2021. This prompted the Rams to trade for Sony Michel. While Akers made a surprising return in time for Week 18 and suited up for the Rams in the playoffs, he did not regain his previous form. As the Rams’ O-line deteriorated last season, Akers struggled, leading to the disagreement with McVay. He opened this year with a wildly ineffective 22-carry, 29-yard showing in Seattle, ceding the key backfield touches to Williams, a 2022 fifth-round pick who has seized command for the retooling Rams.

The Vikings turned to longtime Cook backup Alexander Mattison this offseason, opting not to bring in another veteran to supplement the career-long RB2. Mattison, 25, is off to a slow start. The fifth-year back is averaging 3.3 yards per carry; in Week 2, he lost a fumble in what turned out to be a one-score loss to the Eagles. Overall, Minnesota has gained an NFL-low 69 rushing yards. Mattison should still be expected to lead the way in Minnesota, but Akers represents competition. The Vikes roster 2022 fifth-rounder Ty Chandler and late-summer pickup Myles Gaskin behind Mattison.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/23

September 19th, 2023 at 7:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: LB Milo Eifler

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Matt Corral has landed back with the Patriots after going unclaimed on waivers. It’s been a busy few months for Corral, who has bounced on and off the Panthers and Patriots rosters. He’ll now return to New England as the organization’s third QB behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

Eric Rowe didn’t last all that long in Carolina after landing on the team’s practice squad in late August. The veteran defensive back spent the past four seasons in Miami, starting 39 of his 63 appearances. He’ll be replaced by Matthias Farley, who brings 100 games of experience to the Panthers. The safety has bounced around the league recently but didn’t miss a game between 2020 and 2022.

It took Mykal Walker a few weeks to find a new gig after getting cut by the Bears on roster deadline day. The former fourth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Falcons, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with 107 tackles. He was surprisingly waived by Atlanta in mid-August before getting scooped up by Chicago. Now, he’ll have a chance to revive his career in Las Vegas.

Browns Hosting Kareem Hunt On Visit; Cam Akers On Radar

September 19th, 2023 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

3:25pm: This process is moving fast. The Browns are hosting Hunt on a Tuesday visit, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This marks Hunt’s fourth known visit this offseason. He met with the Vikings, Saints and Colts. As of this past weekend, Indianapolis still had the six-year veteran on its radar.

2:52pm: Nick Chubb‘s gruesome injury has forced the Browns to look for a running back addition. The team is in the Cam Akers trade market, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot reports Kareem Hunt is also back on the radar.

In April, a report emerged indicating the Browns were not planning to bring back Hunt, who played out a two-year, $12MM extension with his hometown team last season. But Hunt has remained a free agent for the past six months. Having visited the Colts, Saints and Vikings, the former rushing champion looms as a natural fit for the Browns, seeing as he spent the past three seasons in Kevin Stefanski‘s system.

At 24, Akers is four years younger than Hunt, who turned 28 last month. The Cleveland-area native came up in trade talks before last year’s deadline, but after Hunt completed a down season, the running back market cratered. No substantial offers have likely come Hunt’s way, leading to the longtime Chubb complementary piece remaining unattached. An interesting opportunity could soon await, though it might depend on what the Rams are willing to accept for Akers. Hunt has logged 1,106 career touches; Akers’ NFL odometer sits at 387.

At least four teams are believed to have discussed Akers with the Rams. The former second-round pick is again on the trade block, becoming a healthy scratch in Week 2. While the Rams and Akers mended fences after last year’s dustup — one that led to trade talks ahead of the 2022 deadline — Sean McVay confirmed a trade represents this latest saga’s likely endpoint.

As Chubb led the NFL in Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric last season, with 284, Hunt finished with minus-10. Hunt gained only 678 scrimmage yards in 17 games. The 2017 rushing champ had requested a trade during the 2022 offseason, and after the Browns refused to accommodate him at that point, they were open to an in-season move. A fourth-round pick emerged as a Cleveland ask, but the team ended up hanging onto Hunt during Deshaun Watson‘s suspension. A host of lower-profile backs found deals in March, and Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott wound up with teams during training camp. Hunt and Leonard Fournette, however, have been unattached for more than six months.

Calf and ankle injuries limited Hunt in 2021; he amassed just 560 scrimmage yards that year. The ex-Chief played a major role in the Browns snapping their near-two-decade playoff drought in 2020, producing 1,145 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns alongside Chubb. During the Chubb-Hunt partnership, the latter played a much bigger passing-game role. Akers has not done much as a receiver during his pro career.

Hunt complementing 2022 fifth-rounder Jerome Ford in a similar capacity makes sense for the Browns, who did acquire Pierre Strong from the Patriots in August. Ford played the lead role following Chubb’s season-ending injury Monday night.

Going through an up-and-down career with the Rams, Akers did close the 2022 season well after seeing a July 2021 Achilles tear sidetrack him. Akers produced three straight 100-yard games from Weeks 16-18 but has seen 2022 fifth-rounder Kyren Williams usurp him in L.A.’s backfield. Akers rushed for just 29 yards on 22 carries in Week 1, with most of those totes coming after the Rams had put the Seahawks matchup out of reach.

Hunt arrived back in Cleveland during John Dorsey‘s GM stretch, reuniting with the exec who drafted him with the Chiefs. But Hunt signed the above-referenced extension during Andrew Berry‘s first year at the helm. With this looming as a crucial year for Stefanski (and perhaps Berry as well), it is logical the Browns are looking for a veteran to team with Ford, who totaled just eight carries for 12 yards last season. Trey Sermon also landed on the Browns’ radar, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but the ex-49ers and Eagles back signed with the Colts’ P-squad.

Rams RB Cam Akers Drawing Trade Interest

September 19th, 2023 at 11:45am CST by Adam La Rose

With Cam Akers‘ time with the Rams set to come to an end, multiple suitors appear to have emerged for his services as a mid-season rental. At least four teams have reached out regarding the contract-year back, reports Jordan Schultz of the Score.

Schultz names the Buccaneers, Ravens, Raiders and Browns as being among the clubs which have show interest in a deal for Akers. The 24-year-old was a healthy scratch in Week 2, and head coach Sean McVay has since confirmed that the Rams are once again interested in finding a trade partner to move on from their former second-rounder. Today’s update points further to a trade being the end to this situation.

Both Baltimore and Cleveland have seen their No. 1 backs go down with massive injuries early in the year. J.K. Dobbins suffered an Achilles tear in Week 1, while Nick Chubb is likely to miss the remainder of the campaign after encountering multiple ligament tears in his knee last night. It thus comes as no surprise those squads would seek out short-term help in the backfield, though Ravens head coach John Harbaugh recently stated his confidence in the team’s incumbent RB options.

Kevin Stefanski confirmed, via Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald, the Browns are looking for backfield help in the wake of the Chubb injury. Akers would represent a low-cost addition (in terms of draft capital and finances) to help stabilize the team’s ground game while turning to Jerome Ford in a larger capacity. Even with Deshaun Watson and a new-look receiving corps in place, Cleveland’s offense is still likely to depend in large part on the run game, particularly if a notable addition is made.

Ex-Browns backup Kareem Hunt is still on the open market, and he would represent a logical candidate for a reunion if Cleveland does elect to add a veteran back. Given Ford’s skillset, though, adding Akers for early-down contributions would also come as little surprise. The Florida State alum has been used sparingly as a pass-catcher during his time with the Rams, one which has included serious trade talk for each of the past two seasons.

Both the Raiders and Bucs have their lead back in place at the moment (Josh Jacobs and Rachaad White, respectively), but each squad could use a depth addition. Jacobs – who like Akers is set to hit free agency at the end of the season – has averaged only 1.6 yards per carry through two weeks as Vegas has struggled to find success on the ground. White has likewise seen his efficiency (3.3 yards per attempt) drop compared to last season despite Tampa Bay’s 2-0 start.

Akers struggled in his lone game of the 2023 campaign, turning 22 carries into just 29 rushing yards (though he did find the endzone as well). That performance helped inform the Rams’ decision to turn to Kyren Williams as their new lead back, and no doubt hindered Akers’ trade value. Now far removed from his 2021 Achilles tear, however, the latter could prove to be an effective pickup for a team in need of healthy bodies in the backfield. A favorable new environment could produce a rebound performance for Akers, something which would boost his free agent value come the spring. With multiple interested parties, meanwhile, the Rams may be able to secure somewhat notable draft compensation in a swap.

Latest On Rams, RB Cam Akers

September 18th, 2023 at 6:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

6:55pm: The Rams have spoken with a few teams on Akers, McVay said Monday (via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue). The seventh-year HC confirmed a trade is where this process appears headed. The Rams made an effort to move Akers before last year’s deadline. This process might end up resolved well before this year’s Oct. 31 deadline. Considering the developments in the running back market between last year’s deadline and now, the Rams will not be in position to collect much for the trade-block mainstay.

9:50am: Cam Akers found himself a healthy scratch in Week 2, and his tenure with the Rams is once again in question. When asked about the situation, head coach Sean McVay confirmed the team is still exploring all options with respect to keeping or trading its former lead running back.

A report from Sunday indicated the Rams are again looking to trade Akers, who was deactivated midway through the 2022 campaign amidst a dispute with the coaching staff related to his role. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms that Los Angeles has indeed re-engaged in trade talks relating to the 24-year-old with his role of No. 1 back having been ceded to 2022 fifth-rounder Kyren Williams.

When speaking to the media following the Rams’ loss to the 49ers, McVay said this latest Akers situation is different from that of last year, with his benching simply being a coach’s decision based on practice and performance. He added that Williams, former UDFA Ronnie Rivers and veteran Royce Freeman – the running back trio which handled backfield duties on Sunday – will retain their respective spots on the depth chart for the time being. That leaves Akers’ future with the team in question.

“I think there’s going to be an opportunity to see what that looks like moving forward, but it’s not going to be a back-and-forth thing,” McVay said of Akers, via Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network. “He and I have had great dialogue, and we’ll see what happens over the next couple of days.”

The Rams attempted to move on from the Florida State product in the lead-in to last year’s trade deadline, but no offer they deemed sufficient emerged. The uncertainty regarding Akers’ tenure with the team seemed to be put to rest with his lead role restored during Week 1, but his inefficiency led to Williams receiving a larger workload for the following contest. The latter saw 20 touches on Sunday, producing 100 scrimmage yards and a pair of touchdowns.

With Akers set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2023, the Rams attempted to add veteran depth in the backfield by reuniting with Sony Michel in the offseason. The 28-year-old wound up retiring in July, however, leaving the team thinner at the RB spot. That would become the case to an increased extent if an Akers trade were to be worked out in the future, though Williams’ success to date suggests he could handle RB1 duties on a full-time basis. Los Angeles also has sixth-round rookie Zach Evans in place as a depth option, though he has yet to see the field this season.

Rams’ Cam Akers Back On Trade Block?

September 17th, 2023 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

After his tenure with the Rams seemed to be over in 2022, Cam Akers could find himself on the move soon. The running back will be a healthy scratch in Week 2, as first reported by Jay Glazer during Fox Sports’ pregame show.

Glazer adds that the Rams are looking to trade the 24-year-old. Akers expressed his confusion regarding the situation on social media, but it appears as though his career could take him out of Los Angeles in the near future. He is thus in a similar circumstance to the one he found himself in last year.

The Rams deactivated Akers in Week 6 last year, and head coach Sean McVay confirmed not long after that the team was seeking a trade partner. That seemed to mark an end to his time in Los Angeles, with issues related to his role and communication with the coaching staff being cited as the cause for the apparent split between team and player. In the end, though, the Rams turned down trade offers in advance of the deadline.

That left the former second-rounder in place ahead of the final year of his rookie contract. Fully recovered from his 2021 Achilles tear, Akers was in line to serve in a notable early-down role to start the 2023 campaign. He handled 22 carries in Week 1, though he managed to turn those opportunities into just 29 rushing yards. For today at least, the Rams will likely to turn to 2022 fifth-rounder Kyren Williams as their lead back.

With Akers set to hit free agency at the end of the season, it is doubtful the Rams would be able to land any signficant draft capital in the event they were to deal the Florida State product. Nevertheless, a parting of ways could be in the best interests of all parties involved in this situation. Akers’ status moving forward will remain worth watching closely as the Rams prepare to take on the 49ers later today.

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