Injury Updates: Monday
Bears defensive end Lamarr Houston and Jaguars cornerback Will Blackmon have both officially landed on their respective teams‘ injured reserve lists today, though both those injuries were suffered in Week 8 games. Teams are still diagnosing injuries suffered by players in Week 9, so we’ll provide the day’s injury updates in the space below, with the latest items added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- As first reported by Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link), the Dolphins believe safety Michael Thomas‘ season is over due to a pectoral injury. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and James Walker of ESPN.com have since confirmed that Thomas will be out for the year and that he should land on IR later this week. The loss of Thomas will have an impact on the Dolphins’ special teams and on the nickel package of a defensive unit that’s coming off its best game of the year.
- Although the Broncos feared that linebacker Nate Irving suffered structural damage to his knee ligaments, the initial diagnosis suggests he has a sprained MCL and should return this season, according to Jeff Legwold and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Still, Irving will undergo more tests before the team determines his potential recovery timetable.
- Head coach Chip Kelly confirmed today to reporters, including Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), that Nick Foles has a crack in his clavicle and underwent an MRI this afternoon. The Eagles signal-caller is expected to be sidelined for several weeks as his collarbone heals.
NFC East Links: Ryans, Sanchez, Washington
Eagles‘ inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans will miss the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon earlier today. The team will have trouble replacing him, but if they are looking for help from outside the roster, Adam Caplan of ESPN lists a few of the top inside linebackers available (via Twitter). His best options are Jonathan Vilma, Erin Henderson, Paris Lenon, Marvin Mitchell, and Nick Barnett.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- Eagles‘ head coach Chip Kelly was happy with the performance of backup quarterback Mark Sanchez, saying that the offense “didn’t miss a beat,” reports Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). The team had total confidence in his ability to lead the offense, and that was evident in his first pass where he connected on a deep post with Jeremy Maclin.
- Eagles‘ top receiver Maclin had high praise for Sanchez after his first game action with the team, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “I don’t know the extent of [Foles’ injury], but we’ve got a guy in Mark who can step up and win some games,” Maclin said. “I’m excited about him being back there.”
- Sanchez returned the favor, noting that Maclin “picked a great year to sign a one-year deal.” Maclin took the one-year deal this offseason with hopes to receive a larger extension either during or after the season.
- Prior to the start of Washington’s matchup against the Vikings, thousands gathered to protest the team’s racially insensitive nickname, including Minneapolis Mayor Betsey Hodges, writes Nolan Feeney of Time Magazine.
- Washington’s coach Jay Gruden has addressed a report that Robert Griffin III has alienated his teammates, reports Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post. Steinberg writes that the players were responding to the team’s PR allowing more reporters in the locker room.
Injury Updates: Sunday
While we don’t cover every injury here at PFR, we will detail health concerns that could force teams to make significant roster moves. We’ll keep a running list of such injuries here, with the newest updates being added to the top:
- Cowboys’ defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford suffered a troubling knee injury that involves MCL damage, reports Tim MacMAhon of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
- Texans‘ running back Arian Foster suffered a groin injury during the loss to the Eagles earlier today, but fortunately it does not look to be serious, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates
- Eagles quarterback Nick Foles left today’s contest against the Texans and will not return, the team announced. A source tells Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that the club fears Foles may have a clavicle injury. Mark Sanchez is on in relief of Foles at QB.
- Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph will not return today after suffering a concussion, tweets John Clayton of ESPN. Meanhwhile, running back Arian Foster headed to the locker room with a head injury, per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Jets quarterback Michael Vick also went to the locker room after suffering an injury against the Chiefs, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). With Geno Smith inactive, Matt Simms has taken over at QB.
- Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans suffered a non-contact injury, and had to be carted off the field, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Dolphins running back Lamar Miller suffered a shoulder injury against the Chargers and is questionable to return.
DeMeco Ryans Tears Achilles, Out For Season
The Eagles escaped with a 31-21 victory over the Texans this afternoon, but in doing so, they lost a key defender for the remainder of the season. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, linebacker DeMeco Ryans ruptured his left Achilles tendon, and is out for the rest of 2014.
Ryans, 30, injured the same Achilles as a member of the Texans in October 2010, and missed the remainder of that season, as well. Philadelphia acquired Ryans in 2012 in exchange for a fourth-round pick, and he’s been a stalwart for them ever since. He’s started 39 games during his time with the Eagles, racking up 219 tackles and five sacks while stabilizing the middle of a Philly defense that’s often been suspect.
The Eagles still have Mychal Kendricks, one of the best young ‘backers in the league, playing inside in their 3-4 defense, but the club will need to find someone to play next to him. Casey Matthews and Emmanuel Acho are the backup ILBs on Philadelphia’s roster, but both are uninspiring options. The trade deadline has obviously passed, but I’ll be surprised if the Eagles don’t bring in a veteran option at linebacker. Ex-Saint/Jet Jonathan Vilma is available, for one, and has experience in a 3-4 scheme.
Quarterback Nick Foles was also injured in today’s contest, and while we’re awaiting word on the severity of his injury, it sounds like the team will be without its leaders on both offense and defense for some time. As Eliot Shorr-Parks of the New Jersey Star-Ledger notes (on Twitter), the loss of Ryans could be more impactful than the potential loss of Foles, as Mark Sanchez is at least a capable backup at QB, while the backup LBs leave much to be desired.
Eagles Tried To Trade For Vincent Jackson
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said last Monday that his club wasn’t looking to make any deals in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadine, but it appears he wasn’t being entirely truthful. Per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports (Twitter link), Philadelphia tried to acquire Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson, but Tampa Bay wasn’t interested in making a deal. There’s no word on what type of compensation was offered to the Buccaneers.
We heard rumors all last week that the Bucs were looking to dump players, and that Jackson was one of those who was available. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that Tampa Bay was looking for “real value” in exchange for Jackson, and might have been hoping for at least a second-round pick in exchange for the 31-year-old. Presumably, the Eagles were unwilling to part with such a valuable pick for Jackson. The Patriots, Seahawks, and Chiefs were also mentioned as suitors for Jackson, but it sounds like Philadelphia was closest to acquiring him.
The Eagles would have taken on the remainder of Jackson’ $10MM salary for 2014, but otherwise wouldn’t have been responsible for any guarantees. His 2015-16 base salaries of about $9.77MM aren’t guaranteed, and his signing bonus would’ve stay on Tampa’s books. Jackson is in the midst of a down season, as he’s caught just 26 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns. Still, it would have been interesting to see how he would’ve been used in Kelly’s dynamic offense, especially being paired with Jeremy Maclin.
Tampa Bay will keep Jackson for at least the remainder of this season, and he will count roughly $2.43MM against the cap through 2016 in the form of a prorated signing bonus. PFR’s Luke Adams examined Jackson as one of several rumored trade candidates who stayed put, and noted that the veteran is a candidate to be released or restructured during the offseason. The Bucs, of course, did end up making two deals on Tuesday, trading Mark Barron to the Rams, and Jonathan Casillas to the Patriots.
Returning Impact Players For Contenders
The NFL’s second half is getting underway this week, and it’s not too early to point to specific games as crucial for playoff positioning, as teams jockey for divisions and Wild Card openings. Last night’s contest between the Saints and Panthers, for instance, could ultimately have a real impact on which team wins the NFC South.
As we near the home stretch of the 2014 season, several teams could get a boost from returning players who have been sidelined for most or all of the year. These players won’t necessarily swing playoff races, but their teams will certainly welcome them back with open arms as a way of fortifying rosters that may be plagued by various injuries and ailments.
Listed below are a handful of players worth keeping an eye on during the season’s second half. These players are on track to return from longer-term injuries or suspensions, and could have an impact down the stretch, perhaps helping to buoy their respective teams into postseason berths. While the returns of other players, like Cincinnati’s A.J. Green, will also obviously be massive for their respective teams, shorter-term absences like Green’s aren’t noted here.
Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert (TE)
Green’s return may have a more significant impact on the Bengals’ offense, but Eifert shouldn’t be overlooked. The young tight end was expected to take on a larger role this season, and had already caught three balls in the team’s Week 1 contest before he suffered a dislocated elbow. Since he received the designation to return when he was placed on IR, Eifert is eligible to practice now and is expected to be activated for the club’s Week 11 game against the Saints.
Cleveland Browns: Josh Gordon (WR)
The Browns currently sit in last place in the competitive AFC North, so it’s fair to question whether they’re a legit contender. Still, at 4-3, they’re right on the heels of the division-leading 4-2-1 Bengals, and with a soft schedule and the 2013’s leading receiver due back soon, there’s reason for optimism in Cleveland. Taking into account the Browns’ bye, Gordon’s 10-game ban means he’s eligible to return for Week 12, and it’ll be interesting to see what Brian Hoyer – or, perhaps, Johnny Manziel – can do during the season’s final six weeks with a weapon like Gordon at his disposal.
Dallas Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence (DE/OLB)
We’ve yet to see what Lawrence is capable of at the NFL level, since the first half of his rookie season has been wiped out by a broken foot. But this is a player for whom the Cowboys traded up to No. 34 in May’s draft, and the team is looking forward to getting him back this weekend. Dallas’ defense has been surprisingly effective so far, but it certainly hasn’t been infallible, and a player like Lawrence will help fortify the team’s pass rush. It’s also worth monitoring defensive tackle Josh Brent, whose 10-game ban will soon expire — Brent may not see a ton of snaps right away, but the fact that the Cowboys have stuck with him indicates he remains very much in the team’s plans.
Detroit Lions: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
Like Lawrence, Van Noy is an early second-round pick who we’ve yet to see play in a regular season game. Of course, the Lions’ defense has been so effective that the team can afford to ease Van Noy in slowly if it so chooses, but this is a player who was initially penciled in as a three-down starter during the preseason. While he may not receive that kind of workload when he returns this weekend, I expect he’ll become a bigger part of Detroit’s D by December.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jason Kelce (C), Evan Mathis (G)
Eagles fans and LeSean McCoy‘s fantasy owners alike will welcome the return of this standout duo of interior offensive linemen. Kelce appears ready to return to action this weekend, while Mathis is expected to be activated for the following week, which is great news for an offensive line that has been shorthanded virtually all season. Assuming Kelce and Mathis are both healthy and remain as effective as ever, McCoy should start finding a few more holes and Nick Foles may be a little more comfortable in the pocket.
San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram (LB), Ryan Mathews (RB), Manti Te’o (LB)
Few – if any – teams have been hit harder this season by injuries than the Chargers, but reinforcements are on the way. In addition to players like Brandon Flowers and Jeremiah Attaochu being on the mend, the trio noted here is recovering well from longer-term injuries. Ingram, Mathews, and Te’o have each been sidelined since at least Week 3, but if all goes well, all three players could be back in action again following the club’s Week 10 bye.
San Francisco 49ers: NaVorro Bowman (LB), Aldon Smith (LB)
Heading into the season, many pundits viewed the Niners as a candidate to fall out of the postseason this year in large part due to the extended absences of Bowman and Smith. The team has hung in there so far though, and should finally be getting their standout linebackers back in November. Even if Smith’s nine-game ban isn’t reduced by a game or two, a rumor which appears increasingly unlikely, he’ll be eligible to return for the Niners’ Week 11 contest against the Giants, and I’d expect Bowman to be back a week or two after that. With December showdowns against the Seahawks, Chargers, and Cardinals on tap, San Francisco could be getting two of its best defenders back just in time to affect the playoff picture.
NFC Notes: Eagles, Aldon Smith, Cards
The Eagles were cited as a potential suitor for a safety prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline, but they didn’t trade for anyone to replace Nate Allen because they have confidence in his ability to bounce back, as Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
“I watch every play Nate had. Nate had a very good game. He had one bad play,” defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. “Over and over again, Nate was in the right spot, the right leverage, making the plays, and at the end of the game he had one bad play. The spotlight is on you, and that’s part of being in the secondary, but Nate has thick skin, and we as a defense, collectively, blew it at the end.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Don’t expect an announcement on a reduced suspension for 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith today, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The chances of Smith playing on Sunday are diminishing, but he could be in line for a return in the following week. That means the linebacker probably won’t be available for SF’s divisional game against the Rams but he could be back in action for the following week at New Orleans.
- With lots of talk and little action before this year’s trade deadline, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has a simple solution to make things more active. “It’s not like if it were four more weeks, you might be out of it, and you might trade a guy that’s in the last year of his contract and you’re not going to get anything for,” Arians said on SiriusXM, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “But right now they’re still hoping in 25 cities or 28 cities that they’re going to the playoffs. I would like to see the trade deadline go back a little bit.“
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk checks in on Adrian Peterson, writing that the Vikings running back’s career outlook remains murky.
- While Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley will get a second opinion on his knee injury on Friday or early next week, he’s not expected to undergo surgery and should be sidelined for about a month, tweets Rapoport.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Audition Notes: Wednesday
The Cowboys scheduled a visit for linebacker Will Smith, a source tells Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. However, there might not be a spot for Smith after Tim Dobbins was picked up earlier today. The Cowboys have needs at offensive guard and at linebacker with injuries to starting left guard Ron Leary and starting weakside linebacker Justin Durant. Durant is done for the year while Leary is out with a groin strain. A look at today’s auditions from around the NFL..
- The Titans worked out defensive backs Malcolm Bronson, Deveron Carr, Marcus Cromartie, Keelan Johnson, Bacarri Rambo, and Trevin Wade this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- Former Jaguars safety Chris Prosinski is visiting the Eagles today, a league source tells Wilson (on Twitter). The Jets auditioned Prosinski last week.
- The Broncos tried out defensive backs C.J. Barnett, Kip Edwards, and Jerron McMillian, Wilson tweets.
- The Texans, who signed Zac Diles and Ben Malena, also worked out Moise Fokou, Shayne Skov, and Scott Solomon, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Raiders worked out Michael Egner, tight end D.C. Jefferson, and Jacob Pedersen, Wilson tweets. Jefferson, a Rutgers product, entered the school as a well-regarded quarterback and left as a tight end.
- The Bucs worked out Marvin McNutt before signing Tavarres King to the practice squad, Wilson tweets. King ostensibly took the spot that McNutt was in the mix for.
Extra Points: Romo, Rams, Keenum, Broncos
Tony Romo left last night’s game against the Redskins during the third quarter with a back injury, but ultimately returned to play the fourth quarter and overtime. Per Ian Fitzsimmons of ESPN Radio in Dallas (via Twitter), Romo’s season is not in jeopardy. However, the Cowboys’ quarterback’s short-term health could be a concern, and he will be labeled “questionable,” at best, for Sunday’s contest against the Cardinals. Here’s more from around the league.
- The Rams took on about $902K in 2014 cap charges when they acquired Mark Barron from the Bucs earlier today, and as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap notes, St. Louis only had roughly $540K in cap room, meaning the club likely had to restructure another player’s contract in order to fit Barron on the roster. Fitzgerald also writes that the new CBA was central to this trade — though Barron was a first-round pick, his guarantees are still relatively low, enabling Tampa Bay to take on his dead money without causing much financial discomfort.
- Quarterback Case Keenum was waived by the Rams in order to clear a spot for Barron, but it’s fair to wonder if he could soon find another job with the Ravens. As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com points out (Twitter link), Keenum has a familiarity with Baltimore offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak from the duo’s time in Houston. The Ravens were rumored to be looking for an upgrade over backup QB Tyrod Taylor during the offseason.
- Sources tell Mike Klis and Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post that although several teams were interested in trading for Broncos cornerback Tony Carter, no club was willing to part a “significant draft pick” in order to acquire the defensive back. We first heard last Friday that carter was drawing interest around the league, but the 28-year-old will finish out the season with Denver.
- A torn biceps is a season-ending injury for most players, but Eagles offensive lineman Todd Herremans will attempt to play through the ailment, write Jeff McLane and Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Evan Mathis and Jason Kelce should return to the Birds’ line soon, so if Herremans can manage his health concern, Philadelphia should have its Week 1 starting offensive line together again soon.
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News wasn’t impressed with Jets general manager John Idzik’s Monday state-of-the-franchise press conference, and doesn’t believe Idzik should be allowed to hire a new coach if Rex Ryan is let go.
Workout Notes: Chargers, Eagles, Jags, Bucs
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has passed along a few updates on free agents working out for teams this week, so let’s round up the highlights….
- Cornerback Roc Carmichael, who saw a decent amount of action last season for the Eagles, tried out for the Chargers (Twitter link). Carmichael was waived by Philadelphia during this summer’s cutdowns to 53-man rosters.
- Speaking of those Eagles, they had running back Kenjon Barner in for a workout recently (Twitter link). The team traded for Barner in the summer and has now brought him in for multiple looks since cutting him with an injury settlement in August, so it’s clear the Eagles see something they like, even if they’re not ready to use a 53-man roster spot on the back at this point.
- In addition to safety Matt Daniels, who the team signed to its practice squad, the Jaguars worked out linebacker Justin Jackson and safety Jeremy Deering (Twitter link). Jackson most recently spent time with the Vikings, while Deering was on the Raiders’ roster this summer.
- Former Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Siddoway, who went undrafted in May, worked out for the Buccaneers (Twitter link).