PUP, IR-DTR Players Soon Eligible To Practice
Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Rams, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many of those clubs may be welcoming some players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to practice.
Of course, just because those players are able to return to the practice field doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player on the PUP list could theoretically return for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest. If the player doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform list who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: NaVorro Bowman (LB), Garrett Celek (TE), Kaleb Ramsey (DT)
- Chargers: Jeromey Clary (OL)
- Colts: Stanley Havili (FB)
- Falcons: Drew Davis (WR), Zeke Motta (S)
- Jets: Antwan Barnes (LB)
- Lions: T.J. Jones (WR)
- Panthers: De’Andre Presley (WR)
- Raiders: D.J. Hayden (CB)
- Ravens: Terrence Cody (DT)
- Redskins: Stephen Bowen (DE), Leonard Hankerson (WR)
- Saints: Cheta Ozougwu (OLB)
Players who began the season on the PUP list didn’t participate in any preseason practices, but that’s not the case for players on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.
That means that players who were placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing next week. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after – for instance – Week 2 will have to wait another two weeks to return to practice.
Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as next week:
- 49ers: Glenn Dorsey (DT)
- Bears: Marquess Wilson (WR)
- Buccaneers: Charles Sims (RB)
- Chiefs: Joe Mays (LB)
- Colts: Xavier Nixon (T)
- Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence (DE)
- Giants: Geoff Schwartz (G)
- Lions: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
- Packers: J.C. Tretter (C)
AFC Notes: Fortt, Oliver, Vick, Jets
Khairi Fortt was placed on the Saints’ IR even though his hamstring has been fine for weeks, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Amidst reports that Fortt was cut loose for missing team meetings, the Bengals linebacker won’t get into why he was dropped by the Saints. “They just went a different route and [Bengals] coach [Marvin] Lewis, he gave me another opportunity, and I’m grateful for it,” Fortt said. “I know coaches know that I have the ability, it’s just all about getting the playbook down now. And then from there, I’ll just move forward in trying to be a great linebacker.”
- There’s a good chance that you learned Branden Oliver‘s name just days ago, but the Chargers have been excited by the running back for some time now, GM Tom Telesco told NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah (audio link). “We probably missed on him because we probably should have just drafted him,” Telesco said. “We should have hit on him … Really, the first couple of OTA practices, he jumps off at you.” The former University of Buffalo star generated more yards from scrimmage than any Chargers running back since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2007 with his breakout performance against the Jets.
- Michael Vick has taken some flack for admitting he was ill-prepared on Sunday, but Jets coach Rex Ryan appreciates the honesty of his free agent pickup, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “I wanted guys to take a stand and admit that, ‘You know what? I can do more,‘” Ryan said. “I think that’s what Mike is doing. He knows what’s going to be said about him, yet he chose to take that stand.“
- Former Jets coach Bill Parcells is decidedly less impressed with Vick, as Cimini tweets. “I certainly don’t think he’s answer to their problems,” Tuna told ESPN Radio in New York. “Mike was a pretty good player for a while, but if you look at his history, it has been just OK, certainly nothing spectacular.”
NFC South Notes: Saints, Newton, Bucs
After missing two meetings and subsequently being waived, former Saints linebacker Khairi Fortt is going to be evaluated for the sleep problems that he suspects he has, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate (via Twitter). Is it too late for Geno Smith to change excuses? Here’s tonight’s look at the NFC South..
- Panthers coach Ron Rivera isn’t sweating a new contract for quarterback Cam Newton, saying everything will come in due time, tweets Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer. Rivera also referred to Newton as the team’s “franchise quarterback.”
- The Panthers worked out Harvey Unga, Doug Worthington, Michael Brooks, Richard Clebert, Justice Cunningham, and Maurice Hagens, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- Safeties Anderson Russell and Bacarri Rambo worked out for the Buccaneers, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Rambo has been busy lately, working out for the Colts, Giants, Bears, and other teams.
- The Saints worked out Edgar Jones, Lawrence Sidbury, Kellen Davis, Moise Fokou, and Paul Hazel this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Tight end Tom Crabtree also auditioned for New Orleans and was quickly signed.
Saints Sign Tom Crabtree
Two days after Jimmy Graham left New Orleans’ Sunday game against the Buccaneers, the Saints have signed free agent tight end Tom Crabtree to a contract, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). No corresponding move should be necessary, since the team recently opened up a roster spot by placing safety Jairus Byrd on injured reserve.
The signing of Crabtree isn’t necessarily a bad omen for Graham’s status. The star tight end’s shoulder injury isn’t considered serious, and the Saints are on a bye week, so Graham will have seven extra days to recover. Still, the fact that New Orleans signed a veteran tight end suggests that Graham may not be available for the club’s next practices, and Crabtree will give the team an extra body at the position.
Crabtree, who has spent most of his career with the Packers, has accumulated 22 receptions for 323 yards and five touchdowns during his four NFL seasons. A year ago, he played seven games – starting five – for the Buccaneers.
The Saints also worked out tight end Kellen Davis earlier today, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Bengals Claim Khairi Fortt From Saints
A day after he was cut by the Saints, linebacker Khairi Fortt has been claimed off waivers by the Bengals, according to the team (Twitter link). To make room for the incoming rookie, Cincinnati has placed linebacker Sean Porter on injured reserve with a knee injury.
The Saints’ decision to cut Fortt was an odd one, particularly because of the timing. New Orleans drafted the linebacker out of California in the fourth round back in May, and used its lone IR/designated to return spot on him at the start of the season after he suffered a leg injury. However, with Fortt just a week away from being eligible to return to practice, he was waived by the Saints, allowing him to catch on with the Bengals.
While the Saints must have some reason for parting ways with Fortt, it looks like an odd use of both a fourth-round draft pick and their IR-DTR slot. According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (via Twitter), the ex-Saint is expected to pass his physical with his new team, so it seems as if there’s a chance he’ll see the field for the Bengals within the next few weeks.
NFC South Notes: Panthers, Saints, Falcons
The 2-3 Falcons will have an opportunity to move into a tie for first place in the NFC South this weekend, as they head into Sunday’s home game against the Bears as a favorite. The 3-2 Panthers, meanwhile, will be in tough against a Bengals team that plays well at home and will be looking to bounce back from Sunday night’s blowout loss in New England. As we look forward to this weekend’s slate of games, let’s round up a few notes out of the South division….
- Wideout and kick returner Philly Brown will continue to handle punts for the time being for the Panthers, despite some ups and downs, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. A league source tells Person that Carolina has no interest in pursuing recently-released return man Trindon Holliday, preferring instead to stick with Brown, who has occasionally had trouble hanging onto the ball but has flashed explosiveness.
- Linebacker Paul Hazel, who played for the Browns in 2013, was in New Orleans to work out with the Saints, according to Sean Fazende of FOX 8 (via Twitter). After being cut by th Texans in August, Hazel has also auditioned for the Dolphins and Cowboys in recent weeks.
- With the Falcons having lost three of four games since a Week 1 win over the Saints, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wonders if head coach Mike Smith and GM Thomas Dimitroff may be nearing the end of the line in Atlanta.
- For his part, owner Arthur Blank gave his head coach a vote of confidence. Asked if he was left wondering about Smith as the Falcons’ head coach after last season, Blank replied, “.” Jeff Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the details.
Extra Points: Smith, McClain, Prater, Saints
Time is running out to determine if Geno Smith is the answer for the Jets, writes Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. It’s starting to feel as if the Smith era is in the process of mirroring the Mark Sanchez era, but the key difference is that Sanchez got the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games. Sanchez got four years before the Jets finally pulled the plug, and the Jets don’t have that kind of time. More from around the NFL..
- Rolando McClain is having a career renaissance in Dallas and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones says he’d like to keep the linebacker beyond this season, writes Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. In four games, the starting middle linebacker has 23 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception. McClain is a former top ten pick and Jones feels that he’s finally starting to realize that potential.
- While the move saves money, Broncos GM John Elway is taking a risk with his release of Matt Prater, who is arguably the best kicker in the game, writes Peter King of The MMQB. Even though Brandon McManus has a great leg, he hasn’t really been tested on field goals in 2014.
- Former Packers tight end Tom Crabtree has a workout scheduled with the Saints, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter).
- Patriots coach Bill Belichick says that recent acquisition Tim Wright still has “a long way to go” to learn the Pats offense, but he is impressed with his work ethic and intelligence, writes Phil A. Perry of CSNNE.com.
- If there’s a hot seat for Rex Ryan, there needs to be one for Jets GM John Idzik as well, writes Steve Serby of the New York Post. So who should take over? Bill Polian, who built Super Bowl teams in Buffalo and Indianapolis, is Serby’s suggestion.
- Agent David Canter (via Twitter) issued a statement regarding the suspension of Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby.
Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here….
- The Packers will welcome back offensive lineman Jordan McCray on their practice squad, according to the FXFL’s Twitter account. Wes Hodkiewicz of the Press Gazette (on Twitter) notes that the Packers had a spot open on the practice squad, so no corresponding move is necessary.
- The Giants have promoted running back Michael Cox from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. The move provides some backfield insurance, with Rashad Jennings expected to be sidelined through the team’s Week 8 bye.
- After seeing another center go down with an injury, the Chargers are set to sign center Trevor Robinson off the Bengals’ practice squad, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). San Diego opened up a roster spot today by placing Doug Legursky on the injured reserve list, as noted below.
- The Rams have waived linebacker Ray Ray Armstrong, who had been a key contributor on the special teams unit, tweets Brian McIntyre.
Earlier updates:
- Wideout Kevin Dorsey has been promoted to the Packers‘ 53-man roster from their practice squad, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Former Utah State defensive back Tay Glover-Wright is taking Dorsey’s spot on the taxi squad, per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
- The Saints have waived 2014 fourth-round pick Khairi Fortt, a source tells Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link). It’s a somewhat surprising move, since Fortt hasn’t really had an opportunity to play yet, and his release won’t open up a roster spot, since the club had used its injured reserve/designated to return spot on him.
- Safety Jakar Hamilton was activated today by the Cowboys, who waived linebacker Keith Smith to make room on the 53-man roster, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. The team previously had a roster exemption for Hamilton, who missed the season’s first four weeks due to a suspension.
- The Dolphins have made a series of moves, signing wide receiver Damian Williams to their 53-man roster and waiving running back Orleans Darkwa to make room (Twitter link). The team also announced that the roster exemption for previously-suspended safety Reshad Jones has been lifted, meaning he’s now officially a part of the 53-man roster (Twitter link).
- Linebacker Marcus Benard has re-signed with the Cardinals, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Benard was initially signed during John Abraham‘s absence from the team, and now takes the place of Matt Shaughnessy, who was placed on injured reserve with the designation to return today.
- In a surprising transaction, the Packers have parted ways with tight end Ryan Taylor, who hasn’t been a huge part of the club’s passing game since being drafted in the seventh round in 2011, but has been with the team since then and contributed on special teams. Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette has the details on the move, which brings the Packers’ roster count down to 52.
- The Chargers have lost another center, announcing today (via Twitter) that Doug Legursky is heading to injured reserve with a knee injury. Longtime San Diego center Nick Hardwick was previously placed on IR with an injury of his own.
- Cornerback Brandon Browner and wideout Brian Tyms are both being formally activated by the Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). To make room for the duo, whose roster exemptions expire today, the Pats had to cut a pair of players — Shalisa Manza Young of the Boston Globe initially reported that defensive lineman Joe Vellano would be one of the two to go (Twitter link), and the team has since announced that defensive lineman Michael Buchanan is the other. Vellano has been waived, while Buchanan was placed on IR.
- The Eagles have made a change to their practice squad, cutting wide receiver Cobi Hamilton and replacing him with safety Jordan Kovacs, the team announced today (Twitter link).
- The Giants are releasing Trindon Holliday from IR, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The veteran kick returner was placed on IR in August with a hamstring injury.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Injury Updates: Sunday
Here are some injuries that occurred during Sunday’s game action:
- Chargers‘ center Doug Legursky left the blowout victory over the Jets with a knee injury, and Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego reports that he will likely be out much longer (via Twitter).
- The Jets also lost a key member of their team, with linebacker David Harris suffering a shoulder injury, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI tomorrow.
- Calais Campbell‘s injury reported earlier was an MCL injury, and will keep him out between three and four weeks, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates:
- Saints‘ star tight end Jimmy Graham suffered a sprained shoulder during the team’s overtime victory against the Buccaneers earlier today. The team is going into their bye week, which should give the All-Pro pass catcher time to recover. Graham hopes to return to the field the following week against the Lions.
- Titans‘ safety Bernard Pollard left the locker room using crutches, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean (via Twitter). The team fears that he has torn his achilles, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. Pollard will have an MRI on Monday.
- Titans‘ starting quarterback Jake Locker has also faced an injury, being forced out of the team’s loss at the hands of the Browns. Locker injured his thumb in the game, and while X-rays were negative, he will have an MRI on Monday, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.
- Giants‘ running back Rashad Jennings is set to have an MRI on his knee tomorrow, but believes the injury is not serious, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- There have been a number of injuries for the Cardinals during their matchup against the Broncos. Starting quarterback Drew Stanton, who was already filling in for an injured Carson Palmer, has been forced out of the game with a concussion, reports Mark Dalton of the Arizona Cardinals (via Twitter). Rookie Logan Thomas has replaced him in the game. The team does not have an emergency quarterback left on their roster. Defensive end Calais Campbell has also been removed from the game with a knee injury, reports Lindsay Jones of USA Today (via Twitter).
- The Broncos have not been unscathed so far, losing running back Montee Ball to a groin injury, reports Chris Cwik of CBS Sports.
- The Chargers have also experienced some key injuries despite building a big lead over the Jets. Tackle D.J. Fluker and receiver Malcolm Floyd have both left the game with lower leg injuries, and failed to return, reports Eric Williams of ESPN (via Twitter). Running back Donald Brown also left the game with a concussion, writes Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter).
Saints Place Jairus Byrd On IR
The Saints announced that free safety Jairus Byrd has been placed on IR, ending his season, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Byrd apparently tore his lateral meniscus in practice on Tuesday. It’s a tough blow for a Saints defense that has already been struggling through four games this season.
This isn’t what the Saints hoped for when they signed the former Bill to a six-year, $54MM contract over the offseason with $18.3MM fully guaranteed. What New Orleans envisioned was Byrd forming a threatening safety duo with Kenny Vaccaro. The 27=year-old missed a good chunk of the 2013 season due to injury but still wound up with 37 tackles and four interceptions across eleven games. The knee is another red flag for Byrd, who still has years and money ahead of him on his deal. The safety underwent “optional” back surgery to repair a disc issue in May, not long after he inked his monster contract.
The 1-3 Saints will face the Bucs on Sunday without the help of their secondary’s biggest star. The Saints have given up 396 yards per game this season, the fourth highest average in the NFL.