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NFC East Notes: RGIII, Giants, Eagles

September 15th, 2014 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

When news first broke yesterday that Robert Griffin III had suffered a dislocated ankle during the Redskins‘ win over the Jaguars, there was speculation that he’d be out for the season, but a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested the team was hopeful it would only be without Griffin for a matter of weeks, rather than months. That may be an overly optimistic view, however.

Mike Jones of the Washington Post spoke to multiple orthopedic specialists, all of whom agreed that the best-case scenario for Griffin would probably still see him sidelined for a couple months. Depending on the specific diagnosis of the injury, it could also be a season-ender for the young signal-caller.

As we wait for more details on RGIII, here’s more from around the NFC East:

  • In Mike Garafolo’s recap of Sunday’s action for FOX Sports, he notes that “there are those in the Redskins‘ locker room” who believe Kirk Cousins is a better option for the team in the long run that Griffin, though none would say so on the record. Meanwhile, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter) that if Cousins lights it up in RGIII’s absence this season, Washington could have a real decision on its hands regarding Griffin’s fifth-year option for 2016.
  • The Giants were one of the most active teams in the NFL this offseason, signing 10 free agents to multiyear contracts. However, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News observes, following the club’s 0-2 start, it’s fair to wonder whether all those moves were worth making.
  • The existing relationship between Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and Colts GM Ryan Grigson allowed the two teams to complete the preseason trade that sent kicker Cody Parkey to Philadelphia in about “a nanosecond,” as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer details.

Robert Griffin III Has Dislocated Ankle

September 14th, 2014 at 10:39pm CST by Rory Parks

10:39pm: While many original estimations had Griffin missing the season after dislocating his ankle early on in the Redskins’ blowout victory over the Jaguars, the team is still hoping for positive news. Nothing will be certain until he goes for an MRI tomorrow, but the team hopes that Griffin will have to miss no more than four or five weeks with the injury, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

3:14pm: Citing his colleague Chick Hernandez, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com reports that Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III has dislocated his left ankle. Tandler adds that Griffin will likely be sidelined for an extended period of time, possibly the entire season. However, an MRI will be needed to determine the severity of the injury and make a final determination.

Major Injuries: Week 2

September 14th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

Here at Pro Football Rumors, we tend to stay away from injury news and report instead on issues concerning player movement, transactions, etc. However, when there is a major injury to a star player, the potential roster impacts of such an injury are readily apparent. As such, we will update this post with those injuries from Week 2 that could significantly alter a team’s personnel decisions going forward.

  • Chiefs‘ star players Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry were both ruled out of today’s 24-17 loss to the Broncos (via Twitter). Head coach Andy Reid said both players had suffered ankle injuries, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). Charles will have an MRI tomorrow to test the seriousness of his injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • Earlier, we saw that Bengals‘ receiver A.J. Green went down with a toe injury. Green said after the game that his toe is not broken and that he hopes to play next week, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Pro Football Talk reports that a league source believes Green should Dr. Anderson in Charlotte to rule out a Lisfranc injury (via Twitter).
  • Chargers‘ running back Ryan Mathews suffered a sprained MCL in the team’s impressive 30-21 victory over the Seahawks, reports Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego. He will undergo further tests to see the extent of the injury.
  • The Rams‘ versatile playmaker Tavon Austin exited today’s 19-17 win over the Buccaneers with a knee injury, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter). The extend of the injury is unknown, and Austin will have more tests tomorrow.
  • Buccaneers‘ defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was also injured in that game, reportedly breaking his hand, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). It has yet to be determined whether or not McCoy will be able to play through the injury.
  • Bears‘ star cornerback Charles Tillman left the Sunday Night Football game with a triceps injury, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune notes that it was a right biceps injury just like this one that forced Tillman to miss a huge chunk of the 2013 campaign (via Twitter).
  • Giants‘ cornerback Walter Thurmond suffered what is thought to be a strained pectoral muscle in the team’s 25-14 loss to the Cardinals, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Post (via Twitter). He will receive an MRI tomorrow to confirm.
  • Another key piece to the Giants‘ defense, Jon Beason, suffered a toe injury, according to Vacchiano (via Twitter). Vacchiano notes that the team is worried considering a toe injury on the same foot caused him to miss nearly the entire offseason.

Earlier Updates

  • Dolphins RB Knowshon Moreno has suffered a dislocated elbow and is expected to miss four to eight weeks, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
  • We learned earlier today that Griffin suffered a dislocated ankle and could miss the remainder of the season, depending on the severity of the injury.
  • Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III suffered an injury to his left ankle, and Washington receiver DeSean Jackson injured his shoulder in today’s game against the Jaguars. The team announced (Twitter links) that neither player will return to the game.
  • Meanwhile, Bengals receiver A.J. Green suffered a toe injury in today’s game against the Falcons and will not return, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com.

 

Josh Gordon To Be Back At Browns’ Facility

September 14th, 2014 at 9:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

As the impending drug policy is readied to be put in place in time for week three of NFL action, many players will see their active drug suspensions reduced. Josh Gordon, who once faced a season-long ban, now may be able to return to the field after serving a reduced 10-game suspension.

Maybe even more importantly, language in the new deal would allow Gordon to immediately return to the Browns’ facilities, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport noted that this was a result the team wanted badly.

Under the current policy, Gordon is not allowed to have any contact with the team or team officials. The team would not have had the ability to counsel the star wide receiver through his rehab, or monitor his workout regimen while he was suspended.

Once the new drug policy is passed, the team will be able to take a much more hands on approach with their troubled All Pro player.

Vikings’ Mike Priefer To Be Reinstated

September 14th, 2014 at 9:06pm CST by Rob DiRe

Vikings’ special teams coach Mike Priefer will be reinstated on Monday, September 15th, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).

Priefer was suspended in relation to homophobic remarks he made that came to light during the Chris Kluwe lawsuit.

The statement, tweeted by Breer, is as follows:

The Minnesota Vikings will reinstate Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer effective Monday, September 15. The decision by Vikings ownership follows extensive conversations with the independent professional consultants retained to conduct individualized anti-harassment, diversity and sexual orientation training with Coach Priefer. Those consultants have conveyed to the team that Coach Priefer was fully and thoughtfully engaged throughout the process and successfully completed the program. Details within the settlement agreement pertaining to the actions by the team remain confidential.

The team struggled on special teams today against the New England Patriots, as Chandler Jones blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.

Shaun Hill Will Start For Rams When Healthy

September 14th, 2014 at 8:46pm CST by Rob DiRe

Rams’ head coach Jeff Fisher remains committed to veteran quarterback Shaun Hill, despite his injury struggles. Fisher announced that when he is healthy enough to return to the field, he will return as the starter, according to the team’s official Twitter page.

Hill missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday with a thigh injury, and Austin Davis started today in the 19-17 win over the Buccaneers.

Davis also played a large number of snaps in relief last week in a 34-0 loss to the Vikings, after Hill originally suffered the injury.

Davis made a number of plays as the teams swapped field goals down the stretch of today’s game. He put the team in position for what turned out to be a game winning field goal. If Hill misses more time, and Davis can continue to make plays, he could force Fisher to make a tough decision when Hill is healthy enough to return.

Teammates React To Peterson’s Absence

September 14th, 2014 at 8:06pm CST by Rob DiRe

While the Vikings have decided not to address the Adrian Peterson situation until Monday, his absence became a huge part of the story of the team’s 30-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune captured some of head coach Mike Zimmer’s press conference following the loss.

“I don’t want to discuss the Adrian issue at all today,” said Zimmer. “This is about the football game here. We’ll talk about it Monday or whenever we have the press conference on.”

While Tesfatsion noted many players declined to comment on playing without the star running back, there were some players willing to discuss it. Tom Pelissero of USA Today noted that even players who were willing to broach the subject, they had no answers for the media.

“He’s one of the best players in the NFL. Obviously, everybody knows that,” said linebacker Chad Greenway. “The reality is there’s going to be some interesting times ahead. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I don’t think we have any excuses for what happened out there today,” said center John Sullivan. “If you go out and execute the way we did on the first drive the entire game, this question isn’t being asked right now.”

“We obviously don’t condone any of the alleged (actions),” said safety Harrison Smith. “But we’re going to stand behind our guys, and that’s pretty much all I’ve got to say.”

The entire organization was still frustrated following the blowout loss. Zimmer made an emphasis on how little the lack of Peterson influenced the game.

“It didn’t affect the team,” said Zimmer. “You know what affected the team? Throwing interceptions. Getting a field goal blocked. Not tackling well enough. Having penalties on defense.”

The team will likely not have Peterson rejoin the team anytime soon, and must go into a game against the 0-2 Saints without their best offensive weapon. The team’s new best player on the offense also commented on how the team is handling the situation, according to Mark Craig of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).

“We just have to get that mindset,” said Cordarrelle Patterson. “28 probably ain’t going to be here with us.”

Alex Boone Offered To Play 2014 For $1

September 14th, 2014 at 7:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

Alex Boone and the 49ers were at an impasse this offseason over contract negotiations for the Pro Bowl guard.

A league source reports that Boone was willing to play out the season for only one dollar, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The only caveat was that he wanted it guaranteed that the team could not franchise him at season’s end.

There would be no way for the 49ers to get away with paying Boone anything less than the veteran’s minimum. Boone however offered to to donate the rest of his salary to charity for the right to enter unrestricted free agency in 2015.

The team eventually did rework Boone’s deal at a substantially higher rate than Boone was willing to play for, at two years and an increased salary of $6MM. He would be eligible for free agency in 2016, but language prevent the 49ers from franchising him at that time.

Boone will be in the starting lineup for the 49ers as they take on the Bears for Sunday Night Football, reports Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).

Matt Cassel To Remain Vikings’ Starter

September 14th, 2014 at 5:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

Matt Cassel threw four interceptions during the Vikings’ 30-7 loss to the New England Patriots, and the team was unable to get any offense going after an opening drive touchdown pass to backup running back Matt Asiata.

Vikings’ fans began openly begging for rookie first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater as the offense continued to stall throughout the game.

Those fans will not get their wish, at least not yet, according to Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune. Head coach Mike Zimmer will not make a change at the quarterback as the team prepares to face the Saints in New Orleans next week.

“As I’ve said before, I’m going to hold the quarterback position just like every position here to the same standard,” Zimmer said. “And I also said I wasn’t going to have a quick hook. Matt needs to play better. It’s pretty obvious he needs to play better.”

If Cassel keeps throwing the ball to the other team, the Bridgewater era might be coming to a start early in the season.

Audition Notes: Titans, Giants

September 14th, 2014 at 4:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As we approach halftime of the late afternoon contests, we have a couple audition notes to pass along:

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

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