September 21st, 2017 at 12:43pm CST by Zachary Links
The Packers have placed offensive lineman Jason Spriggs on injured reserve, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Spriggs, a swing tackle, was held out of the Week 2 game with an injured hamstring. Apparently, that hammy is going to keep him out anywhere from eight weeks to the remainder of the season.
The Packers made Spriggs a second-round pick in 2016 in part because of his versatility. The Indiana product allowed only one sack in his last three seasons on campus and also held his own at guard during Senior Bowl practices. His injury comes at an unfortunate time for Green Bay as starting tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga are both listed as questionable with injuries of their own.
September 21st, 2017 at 12:13pm CST by Zachary Links
Kalif Raymond‘s muffed punt cost him a spot on the Jets’ roster earlier this week. On Thursday, he was welcomed back, but this time he’ll be on the practice squad.
“I’m not going to give any excuses,” Raymond said of his costly error in Week 2 against the Raiders (via ESPN.com). “You’ve got to catch the ball. On a punt return, you got to do it. That’s one of the easier kicks of the game that I took for granted.”
Raymond is technically listed as a wide receiver, but he has yet to catch a pass in his two NFL seasons. He earned his spot on the 53-man roster exclusively for his return skills, but the Jets felt they could no longer stick with him after he muffed two punts in Week 1 (both recovered by the Jets) and muffed another in Week 2.
The Jets are expected to put Jeremy Kerley on punt return duty in Week 3 against Miami.
September 21st, 2017 at 11:35am CST by Zachary Links
Packers linebacker Nick Perry is set to undergo hand surgery, coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Thursday. The timetable for his recovery is not clear at this time.
“Violent football player. He plays physical,” McCarthy said of Perry. “You look at his play style, that’s really part of his game, the violence he plays with, with his hands.”
Perry has been through this before. Last season, he underwent hand surgery and missed only two games before returning for the end of the regular season and postseason. Last year, he was able to play through the pain with a club on his surgically-repaired hand. It’s not yet known if he’ll go that route this time. After the operation, McCarthy says the team should have a better handle on his treatment plan.
Last year, Perry notched career highs in starts (12), sacks (11) and tackles (52). Prior to 2016, he had only 16 career starts and 12.5 sacks to his credit. The Falcons, Colts, and Jets all expressed interest in him this offseason, but the Packers retained him with a five-year, $60MM deal, making hm one of the league’s highest-paid 3-4 outside linebackers.
While Perry is out, the Packers will be relying more on August pickupAhmad Brooks. Brooks missed the Week 2 game with a concussion, but he is expected to play on Sunday against the Bengals.
September 21st, 2017 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links
The Jets have signed defensive end David Bass, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). To make room, the team has waived outside linebacker Freddie Bishop.
Bass spent the last two seasons with the Titans. In 2015, he set career highs in games (16) and starts (seven) and recorded 1.5 sacks and on interception. His production dipped last year as he appeared in 13 games and played in just over 20 percent of the Titans’ snaps. The Titans opted to use him more on special teams, employing him on 45 percent of those snaps. Bass joined the Seahawks in May and appeared in each of their first two games, but he was cut loose earlier this week.
The 0-2 Jets will take on the Dolphins at home on Sunday in search of their first win.
September 21st, 2017 at 10:43am CST by Zachary Links
Defensive lineman Kendall Langford has signed a one-year deal with the Saints, as Jim Trotter of ESPN.com tweets. He’ll be eligible to play on Sunday when the Saints face the Panthers in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Langford, 31, spent the last two seasons with the Colts and was slated for a third until he was released in August. Unfortunately, he has been plagued by knee problems in recent years. He underwent arthroscopic surgery after the 2015 season and lasted only seven games last year before landing on injured reserve. All in all, he played in 301 snaps in 2016 made only ten tackles. He also had zero sacks – a major drop off from his 7.0 sacks in the previous year.
If he’s healthy, Langford can be a difference maker for the Saints. That’s what the Saints – who rank in the bottom two of defensive DVOA through two games – are hoping for.
September 21st, 2017 at 10:10am CST by Zachary Links
The Ravens placed running back Jeremy Langford on practice squad Injured Reserve, according to a team announcement. In his place, the team has signed running back John Crockett.
Langford, once the top ball carrier in Chicago, was released in early September. Somewhat surprisingly, he was not claimed on waivers by any of the league’s other 31 teams, making him a free agent. He joined the Ravens’ taxi squad before the start of the season and even spent one game on the roster before being cut and re-signed to the practice squad.
Langford, 25, has 28 games of NFL experience to his credit. Between 2015 and 2016, Langford accumulated 737 career rushing yards and ten career rushing touchdowns with an underwhelming 3.5-yards-per-carry average.\
Crockett, also 25, has only two NFL appearances on his resume, both coming with the Packers in 2015.
September 20th, 2017 at 9:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson
Now playing in his contract season, Browns running back Isaiah Crowell indicated he thinks about a new deal “during the game, after the game, before the game, right now, all the time,” as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. A restricted free agent, Crowell is earning $2.746MM after Cleveland tendered him at the second-round level. The Browns reportedly discussed an extension with the 24-year-old back during the summer, but no pact was ever signed. Thus far in 2017, Crowell is averaging just 2.6 yards per carry on 27 rushes.
Saints cornerback Sterling Moore suffered a pectoral injury against the Patriots on Sunday, a source tells Nick Underhill of the Adovcate, but it’s not a season-ending issue, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who adds Moore should miss “just a few weeks.” Moore, who re-signed with New Orelans this spring on a one-year, $900K pact, played 36 defensive snaps as the Saints’ nickel corner in Week 2. Perhaps with Moore’s injury in mind, the Saints worked out two cornerbacks on Tuesday and signed another — defensive back Bradley Sylve — to their practice squad.
Ahmad Brooks will have to post an excellent season in order to collect the entirety of his $1.5MM incentive-based pay attached to his one-yearPackers contract, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports the veteran linebacker must reach 11 sacks to earn that total. However, Brooks can also bring in money for 6.5 sacks ($250K), 7.5 sacks ($500K), 8.5 sacks ($750K), 9.5 sacks ($1MM), or 10.5 sacks ($1.25MM). For what it’s worth, Brooks has never recorded an 11-sack season, and he managed only six quarterback takedowns a season ago.
Offensive lineman Jah Reid‘s one-year deal with the Texans is worth the veteran’s minimum of $775K, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). While the contract doesn’t qualify as a minimum salary benefit deal, Houston will only owe Reid a 14-game prorated portion of the minimum salary (~$684K). Reid should be able to immediately help a ramshackle Texans offensive line that is missing stalwart left tackle Duane Brown and ranks dead last in adjusted sack rate.
The Eagles attempted to sign defensive back DeAndre Houston-Carson off the Bears‘ practice squad, but Chicago promoted Houston-Carson to its active roster instead, reports Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Houston-Carson, 24, appeared in eight games for the Bears a season ago, but rarely played on defense (just eight snaps). Instead, he spent most of his time on special teams, where he played on a quarter of Chicago’s snaps.
September 20th, 2017 at 9:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson
The Dolphins discussed acquiring linebacker Stephone Anthony from the Saints even before the club suspended veteran Lawrence Timmons, head coach Adam Gase told reporters, including Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). That’s not entirely surprising, given that Miami had been short on linebackers even before the Timmons saga began. Rookie Raekwon McMillan, pegged to start at middle linebacker for the Dolphins, tore his ACL before the season began, so adding a former first-round talent such as Anthony for the cost of a fifth-round pick makes some sense.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
While Timmons is suspended indefinitely, it’s not out of the question that he returns to the Dolphins at some point, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. Expected to be an integral part of Miami’s defense after agreeing to a two-year contract this spring, Timmons would likely ingratiate himself to teammates with an apology, opines Salguero. “I think every situation is different,” Gase said of Timmons. “And I would say you can be forgiven if the right steps are taken.”
Despite a seemingly gaping hole at left guard, the Dolphins did not express interest in Alex Boone after he was released by the Vikings earlier this month, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Instead, Miami is content to rotate Anthony Steen and Jesse Davis on the interior, with Steen handling roughly two-thirds of the club’s offensive snaps. Boone went on to sign a one-year, $1.4MM deal with the Cardinals.
New Jets owner Christopher Johnson says his brother — newly sworn-in UK ambassador Woody Johnson — will have no role with the club while serving in his new capacity, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Meanwhile, Christopher Johnson also indicated New York is “definitely” not tanking, and that general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles won’t be based on wins and losses alone, per Darryl Slater of NJ.com. Instead, the Jets’ decision-makers will be judged on the team’s gradual improvement and development.
September 20th, 2017 at 8:03pm CST by Zachary Links
Nearly three-quarters of NFL teams are in the win column this year while nine teams still in search of their first W. However, starting out 0-2 is not a death sentence. In each of the last four seasons, at least one 0-2 team has made the playoffs. In 2015, two teams (the Texans and Seahawks) both made the postseason, despite an 0-2 start to the year.
In the spirit of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, we want to know which team you think will turn over a new leaf starting in Week 3. Here’s the rundown:
Chicago Bears
The Bears took the defending NFC champion Falcons to the brink in Week 1, and though Week 2’s contest against the Buccaneers wasn’t as close, Chicago has shown signs of life. Rookie running back Tarik Cohen has emerged as a threat in the passing game following injuries to wideouts Cameron Meredith and Kevin White, and he could potentially former a thunder-and-lightning combination with Jordan Howard. Signal-caller Mike Glennon is 18th in quarterback rating and 22nd in adjusted net yards per attempt, so the calls for No. 2 overall selection Mitch Trubisky could come quickly.
Cincinnati Bengals
Moreso than any other team on this list, the Bengals have acted quickly to rectify their early-season woes, firing offensive coordinator Ken Zampese after they failed to score a touchdown in either of their first two games. Things won’t get any easier when Cincinnati travels to Green Bay in Week 3, but perhaps new offensive play-caller Bill Lazor will further implement rookies John Ross and Joe Mixon into the club’s gameplan. Additionally, Lazor will reportedly seek to install a quicker offense that will alleviate the Bengals’ offensive line concerns.
Cleveland Browns
2017 had always been viewed as another rebuilding season for the Browns, but Cleveland has been relatively competitive through two games (especially in Week 1, when it lost to Pittsburgh by only a field goal). A supposedly revamped offensive line still ranks near the bottom of the league in both run blocking and pass protection, and the Browns will need continued improvement from quarterback DeShone Kizer if they hope to compete this year. A broken hand for Corey Coleman — and a disappointing start by veteran pass-catcher Kenny Britt — aren’t helping matters, but a return from No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett could spark Cleveland’s defense.
Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck won’t practice this week, and although the Colts had been eyeing an early October return for their star quarterback, it’s beginning to seem like it could be longer before we see Luck back on the field. If Indianapolis continues to struggle, will the Colts even bother with putting Luck back into the lineup? General manager Chris Ballard made a handful of low-cost defensive additions this offseason, and if No. 1 cornerback Vontae Davis gets healthy, the unit could mesh. But nothing will matter unless Luck can supplant Jacoby Brissett within the next few weeks.
Los Angles Chargers
The Chargers got smashed this week for being unable to fill a soccer stadium for their season opener. We’ll admit that it wasn’t a good look, but things will improve if they start winning and there is reason to believe that can happen soon. The Chargers are winless, but they lost to the Broncos and Dolphins by a combined total of five points. If rookie kicker Younghoe Koo had connected on one of his two missed attempts against Miami or if his 44-yard try against the Broncos was not blocked, the Chargers wouldn’t be on this list.
New Orleans Saints
A top-ten offense and a bottom-two defense by DVOA? We must be talking about the Saints. New Orleans hasn’t started out the season with the easiest schedule in facing the Vikings and Patriots, but improvement on the health front could help their offense in the coming weeks. Left tackle Terron Armstead is reportedly ahead of schedule, and his return could allow rookie Ryan Ramczyk to move to the right side to cover for the injured Zach Strief. Receiver Willie Snead, too, will come back in Week 4 following a suspension. Solutions on defense are less obvious, but development from young players such as corner Marshon Lattimore and linebacker Alex Anzalone is a start.
New York Giants
The Giants have limped out of the gate and head coach Ben McAdoo may be thinking about giving up play calling duties. That’s not the only change that could be coming on offense. Second-year pro Paul Perkins has been averaging just 1.9 yards per carry and the Giants could shake things up by handing things over to Orleans Darkwa, who has 5.2 yards per attempt in a smaller sample size. In theory, that could spark Eli Manning and the passing game, but the offensive line will have to do a better job of protecting its quarterback in order to move the chains.
New York Jets
Wait, wait – hear us out. Yes, the Jets are behind the 8-ball after losing wide receiver Quincy Enunwa for the season and cutting valuable vets like Eric Decker and David Harris. However, they kept the score close in their Week 1 game against the rival Bills and things didn’t get too out of hand against the Raiders until a muffed punt late in the first half. Next up, the Jets have a home date with the Lawrence Timmons-less Dolphins followed by a pair of (dare we say) winnable games against the Browns and Jaguars. We know you won’t pick the Jets, but we hope we at least gave you something to think about.
San Francisco 49ers
Brian Hoyer has been dreadful in his first two games under center for SF and the Niners are hoping that he’ll do better on Thursday night against the Rams. If San Francisco is lucky, defensive tackle Aaron Donald will still be shaking the rust off on national television. However, even if they are able to avoid an 0-3 start, the odds are probably still against this rebuilding club in 2017.
So what do you think? Which of these nine clubs has the best chance to rebound from its poor start in order to earn a postseason berth? Vote in the poll below!
