Injury Updates: Rudolph, Bausby, Hicks, Gallman, Sproles
Some key injuries around the league from today’s action:
- There was a scary scene in Pittsburgh, when Mason Rudolph was knocked unconscious by a hit from Ravens safety Earl Thomas. Rudolph was knocked out cold, and was visibly disoriented even after waking up. He was diagnosed with a concussion, and taken to a local hospital as a precaution. Fortunately, Rudolph was cleared to go home from the hospital and is “doing well,” a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Undrafted rookie Devlin Hodges took over for Rudolph, and he looked surprisingly competent. The Samford product, recently signed from the practice squad after Ben Roethlisberger‘s injury, will start against the Chargers next week if Rudolph can’t go.
- Speaking of scary injuries, Broncos cornerback De’Vante Bausby suffered one as well. Bausby was taken to a hospital, and Denver initially said they were waiting on MRI results for his “head and neck area before determining whether it’s safe for him to fly home or stay a night for observation,” according to a tweet from Mike Klis of Denver 9 News. Klis notes that head coach Vic Fangio said he was told Bausby “cleared the serious stage,” but wouldn’t say much more. Fortunately, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic later tweeted that Bausby had been released from the hospital and would make the flight back to Denver with the team. Broncos spokesman Patrick Smyth tweeted that Bausby was diagnosed with a cervical sprain. Hopefully everything turns out alright for the former AAF star, who was recently inserted into the starting lineup.
- The Bears lost as big favorites to the Raiders in London, and their day got even worse. Star defensive lineman Akiem Hicks hurt his elbow, and it doesn’t look good. Speaking after the game, head coach Matt Nagy didn’t sound overly optimistic. “I don’t think it is, but I don’t – again, I’ll get into more and find out more details,” Nagy said, when asked if the injury was season-ending, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Hicks made the Pro Bowl last year, and is a key cog in Chicago’s elite defense. Fortunately they have their bye in Week 6, but it sounds like Hicks is going to miss some time.
- The Giants’ running back situation just got even more dire. Of course, they were missing workhorse Saquon Barkley, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Wayne Gallman took over for Barkley as their lead back, and he was quickly ruled out with a concussion during their Week 5 loss to the Vikings. New York plays on Thursday Night Football against the Patriots this week, so Gallman will have a tough time getting cleared in just a few days. There’s been some talk Barkley could return for that game, although that still seems unlikely. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones will be looking to pull off a shorthanded miracle.
- Eagles running back Darren Sproles reached a new milestone in his illustrious career, but then got nicked up shortly after. During Philly’s win over the Jets Sproles moved into fifth place on the all-time all purpose yards list, but then left the game with a quad injury. Sproles hasn’t been playing too big of a role so far this season as the Eagles look to keep the 36-year-old fresh, but this is still something to monitor. There was no word on the severity right away.
GMs Expecting Active Trade Deadline
The NFL has experienced a dramatic rise in significant trades over the past several years, and there may be a few noteworthy swaps going down this month as we get closer to the October 29 trade deadline. Indeed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says there is a sense among general managers that we may see more trades in advance of this year’s deadline than ever before, largely because there is a larger gulf between pretenders and contenders than in seasons past (indeed, there are still six winless teams, which is the highest number at this point in the season since the 1970 merger).
La Canfora says the teams most actively laying groundwork for potential deals are the Saints, Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, Patriots, and Seahawks. Of course, a number of those clubs have already been pursuing Jacksonville CB Jalen Ramsey, and the Saints, Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs are casting a wide net for cornerback upgrades.
One of this year’s still-winless clubs, the Broncos, are reportedly more open to moving veteran pieces than they were last year, as La Canfora writes in a separate piece, with Derek Wolfe, Chris Harris, and Emmanuel Sanders all generating interest. Wolfe could make sense for Baltimore, and the Saints are expected to renew their pursuit of Sanders. Even Von Miller could be on the block, per La Canfora, especially since all of his major bonuses and guarantees have already been paid. Miller, 30, is reportedly open to a change of scenery at this point, but Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says the Broncos will not trade him (video link). However, the other players mentioned above could be available if Denver continues to scuffle.
But while Denver may be willing to talk shop, rival GMs are skeptical that the 0-4 Bengals, led by old-school owner Mike Brown, will be amenable to moving big-name vets despite their fading fortunes. La Canfora’s sources say Cincinnati could net a first-round pick for WR A.J. Green if the acquiring club is able to work out a new contract with him as a condition of the trade (and if Green recovers from his foot injury soon). The Patriots and Saints could make a push for Green or Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert, and Cincy could also swing deals for players like Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap if the club is willing to listen to offers.
Like fellow winless outfits Denver and Cincinnati, the Jets could be active in shopping veteran players in advance of the deadline. La Canfora specifically names Kelechi Osemele and Leonard Williams as players who could be on the move, though he says there has been no trade chatter surrounding Le’Veon Bell at this point.
Finally, though the 0-4 Redskins have been steadfastly refusing to trade Trent Williams, some believe that the team will relent at some point and will ship Williams to a contender in need of O-line help.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/19
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: OL John Wetzel
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Zach Sieler
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Duke Williams
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Tyler Bray
- Released: TE Bradley Sowell
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Tra Carson
- Waived: DE Fadol Brown
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Shakial Taylor
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Marcell Ateman, G Lester Cotton
- Placed on IR: G Jordan Devey
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released from IR with injury settlement: DT Aziz Shittu
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released from IR with injury settlement: TE Xavier Grimble
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: LB Demone Harris
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/19
Here are Friday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day.
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: LB Willie Harvey
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers (from Bills): T Conor McDermott
- Signed: QB David Fales
- Placed on IR: DL John Franklin-Myers
- Waived: DL Bronson Kaufusi
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Ryan Lewis
- Waived/injured: TE Alex Ellis
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/1/19
We don’t dance now, we make minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Pharoh Cooper
- Released: DT Miles Brown
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Jerry Attaochu
- Signed: OT Calvin Anderson
- Waived: LB Keishawn Bierria
Houston Texans
- Released: TE Jerell Adams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Trevon Coley
- Waived: DT Jihad Ward
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: TE Stephen Anderson
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived from reserve/injured: S Isaiah Wharton
New York Giants
- Suspended (four games, PEDs): TE Isaiah Searight
New York Jets
- Waived from exempt/left squad: TE Bucky Hodges
Oakland Raiders
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Ryan Lewis
- Released: CB Ajene Harris
Washington Redskins
- Waived: WR Robert Davis
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/19
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR A.J. Richardson
- Placed on PS-IR: WR Johnnie Dixon
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DE Jonathan Wynn
- Released: DT Ray Smith
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB B.J. Bello
- Released: LB Brady Sheldon
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Jonathan Owens
- Released: S Austin Exford
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB D.J. White
Eagles Trade Johnathan Cyprien To Falcons
The Eagles have traded safety Johnathan Cyprien and a seventh-round pick to the Falcons, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In exchange, Atlanta will send linebacker Duke Riley and a sixth-round choice to Philadelphia. 
It’s a not-so-minor deal that addresses areas of need for two different contenders. The Eagles are now a bit better off in the front seven while the Falcons’ secondary has been somewhat fortified, with a small step down late in the draft for the Eagles.
Riley does his best work at weakside linebacker, where he makes an impact despite his less-than-ideal size. With Philly, he’ll fill the shoes of L.J. Fort, who has moved on to the Ravens. Meanwhile, Cyprien will help round out a Falcons safety group that is now without standout Keanu Neal.
Cyprien visited the Eagles in June, but did not join the club until August. This year, he’s been itching to show what he can do after missing the 2018 season with a torn ACL, but hasn’t been given much of an opportunity. A four-year starter with the Jaguars, and a ten-game starter with the Titans in 2017, Cyprien is still only 29 and capable of delivering big hits in the middle of the field.
Riley, 25, has also dealt with the injury bug. His 2017 rookie season was halted in October by a torn meniscus, though he has been on the field for every possible regular season game since then. Last year, Riley started ten times and amassed 60 total tackles.
The Eagles (2-2) and Falcons (1-3) already played their one matchup of the year on September 15, so Riley and Cyprien won’t cross paths until at least the playoffs, if the two teams happen to qualify and match up. By then, Cyprien could be in new threads – he’ll be out of contract in March. Riley, meanwhile, will be under Eagles control through 2020 on the final year of his rookie deal.
Eagles’ Avonte Maddox Considered Week-To-Week
It’s the best news Avonte Maddox and the Eagles could have hoped for. Doctors have diagnosed the cornerback with a neck sprain, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 
Maddox is now considered week-to-week and likely to miss a few games. Given the scary scene that unfolded on Thursday night, it’s a huge relief. Maddox was carted off of the field after colliding with teammate Andrew Sendejo, and, initially, this appeared to be something much worse.
In addition to the neck sprain, Maddox was believed to have suffered a concussion. Given the serious nature of both injuries, the Eagles are expected to play it safe with the 23-year-old and not rush him back out on to the field.
So far in 2019, Maddox has tallied 16 tackles across four games (three starts). Last year, he notched 35 stops, plus four passes defensed, one tackle for a loss, and one forced fumble.
The Eagles’ CB group has been thinned out by injuries to Maddox and Ronald Darby, who figures to miss roughly a month with a hamstring ailment. One has to imagine that the Eagles are seriously interested in acquiring Jaguars star Jalen Ramsey to fill the void, though the asking price has climbed to new heights.
Jaguars Rejected Offer Of Two First-Rounders For Jalen Ramsey?
The Jaguars have reportedly set the asking price for disgruntled star cornerback Jalen Ramsey at two first-round draft picks (at least), and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that one team was willing to pony up that kind of draft capital. However, it seems the offer came from a legitimate Super Bowl contender, as JLC says the Jaguars believed those picks would come too close to the bottom of the first round to make the deal worthwhile.
The reported Ramsey suitor is unnamed, but Michael Lombardi of The Athletic says the Eagles, whose lack of secondary depth has been on full display this season, will continue trying to pry Ramsey away from the Jaguars.
We heard yesterday that Ramsey may suit up for Jags again, though he recently reiterated his trade demand and still does not look like he will be in Jacksonville for much longer. Indeed, Ramsey has continued to tell those close to him that he has no desire to sign an extension with the Jags, and many rival GMs believe the situation is beyond salvageable. Both the team and Ramsey have drawn scrutiny for how they have handled the matter, and one high-ranking exec from another team said he expects Ramsey to keep creating drama until he gets his way.
Another league source said Jaguars owner Shad Khan would be loathe to “reward” Ramsey by giving in to his trade demand, but at a certain point, Ramsey will become more trouble than he’s worth (if he hasn’t crossed that line already). Luckily for Khan, numerous teams remain interested in the volatile defender.
Ramsey is officially questionable for Jacksonville’s game against the Broncos today due to a back injury, and ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports that Ramsey is going to “listen to his body” before deciding whether he’s able to play (Twitter link).
Eagles Release LB L.J. Fort
To make room for Orlando Scandrick‘s return, the Eagles released L.J. Fort. The former Steelers linebacker signed a three-year deal with the Eagles earlier this offseason.
The Eagles gave Fort a three-year, $5.5MM contract. They will have to eat a low-seven-figure dead-money hit, but a need at cornerback looks to have superseded any financial issues. Philadelphia entered its Week 4 game without Ronald Darby, and Avonte Maddox is out for an undetermined amount of time because of the scary head and neck injuries he suffered in the fourth quarter.
Fort did not play any defensive snaps for the Eagles but did see special teams action in all four games. The former UDFA graded well with the Steelers in 2018, leading to the modest Eagles pact. It’s certainly possible he could return once the Eagles’ cornerback issues are sorted out, but for the time being, the vested veteran will return to free agency.