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Month: September 2024

Giants Place LB J.T. Thomas On IR

September 28th, 2017 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second straight season, J.T. Thomas won’t make it out of September because of an injury. The Giants placed the veteran linebacker on IR, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter), potentially ending his season.

The Giants also waived fullback Shane Smith. Linebacker Deontae Skinner and defensive end Nordly Capi will replace the duo on the 53-man roster, per Schwartz (on Twitter).

Thomas signed a three-year, $12MM deal in 2015 but did not live up to it largely because of lack of availability. The former Jaguars linebacker started 11 games that season but has played in just three since.

His deal expiring after this season, the 29-year-old second-level defender won’t have the same kind of free agent market he did when he inked the Giants accord. He accepted a significant pay cut before the season, reducing his 2017 salary from $2.96MM to $775K. He was set to receive a $400K bonus if he participated in 70 percent of the Giants’ snaps, which looked like a long shot at the time.

Skinner played in four games with the Giants last season.

Sam Bradford To Miss Week 4

September 28th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a third straight week, the Vikings will be operating without their starting quarterback.

Mike Zimmer said (via Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, on Twitter) Thursday that Sam Bradford will miss another game, signalling a third Case Keenum start. Bradford remains out with a knee injury that cropped up before Week 2. Zimmer said (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, on Twitter) Bradford is “feeling better, just not ready to play.”

Keenum struggled against the Steelers but led the Vikings to a dominant home win over the Buccaneers last weekend. He’ll face the Lions on Sunday. Bradford has not encountered any structural damage with a knee that’s endured plenty of it in his career, but it’s become a pain-management issue. And it’s clear from this determination three days before Minnesota’s Week 4 game the eighth-year quarterback isn’t ready yet.

The bone bruise Bradford’s sustained has become a significant issue for the Vikings, who traded for Bradford — in spite of his past knee trouble with the Rams — because of Teddy Bridgewater‘s severe knee injury. Bridgewater remains on the PUP list but is eligible to return come Week 7. With these weekly announcements piling up, it’s not clear if Bradford will be ready to return by then. That would put the Vikes in a strange spot.

Keenum completed 76 percent of his passes in a 375-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Bucs.

AFC Notes: Browns, Santos, Bills, Ravens

September 28th, 2017 at 1:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely a month after Danny Shelton sustained a knee injury, the Browns defensive tackle suffered a calf malady during practice Wednesday. The team acknowledged it could be serious, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com (on Twitter), but also maintains hope the setback could also be minor. Hue Jackson referred to the occurrence as “unfortunate.” This came on a non-contact play, and Cabot notes (via Twitter) Shelton already underwent an MRI. Shelton encountered knee trouble during training camp but returned in time for the regular season. The 2015 first-round pick became a breakout player for the Browns last season. The former Washington defensive tackle has not missed a game during his NFL career. Rookie third-rounder Larry Ogunjobi would be in line to see more time if Shelton ended up missing action.

Here’s the latest from the AFC, continuing with some better news out of northeast Ohio.

  • Myles Garrett returned to Browns practice Thursday, working out with the team for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain just before the season’s outset. Jackson said on Wednesday the No. 1 overall pick might not see a full starter’s workload even if he is ready to play Sunday. The Browns are exercising caution with their top offseason investment, a player who’s struggled with ankle trouble since his junior year at Texas A&M. “He’s a huge piece of our organization, our future, so we want to be cautious but smart as we go through it,” the second-year coach said, via Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.
  • The Chiefs will consider making Cairo Santos one of their IR-boomerang players, Andy Reid said, via Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Santos ventured to IR earlier this week after injuring his right groin during warmups Sunday in Los Angeles. Kansas City signed rookie Harrison Butker off the Panthers’ practice squad. A Santos re-emergence could get tricky, however. The Chiefs are likely planning to bring slot corner Steven Nelson off IR by Week 9, and teams can only pull two players off the injury list in a season. So it’s not certain Santos will get to continue kicking until next season.
  • Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson also ran into trouble during practice this week, suffering a groin injury Thursday, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports. A starter after missing most of his rookie season due to injury, Lawson has two sacks thus far. The recently signed Ryan Davis may be Buffalo’s top option if Lawson can’t play in Week 4.
  • Brent Urban‘s season-ending Lisfranc injury could conclude his time with the Ravens, with Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun writing the team will want to see if recent third-round picks Chris Wormley and Bronson Kaufusi are going to be worthy contributors. (Neither has played an NFL down.) However, Zreibec also notes Urban’s injury history — by the end of this season the former fourth-round pick will have played just 25 of 64 possible regular-season games with the Ravens — could make him a candidate to stay and rebuild his free agent stock. Urban started all three Ravens games this season, the first three starts of his career.

Colin Kaepernick Not Interested In CFL

September 28th, 2017 at 12:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Colin Kaepernick‘s NFL career remains on hold, the former 49ers quarterback isn’t ready to try his luck in Canada. The Montreal Alouettes hold Kaepernick’s CFL rights and have reached out to him, but a union appears unlikely.

Kaepernick is not interested in playing in the CFL, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk reports. This confirms what’s long been speculated about a Kap-to-Canada path. The 29-year-old passer recently expressed his desire to return to the NFL, but the polarizing figure remains a free agent.

The only contact the Alouettes have made to Kaepernick’s camp is to inform his agent they hold his CFL rights. It doesn’t look like that’s going to matter much. The team remains interested, but it’s a one-way street.

“There’s been no conversation about Colin coming here,” Montreal GM Kavis Reed said. “It was just to let them know we had his rights and if there was anything they were interested in to get back to us. There’s been no call back from his agent.”

Jets Rumors: Marrone, Peake, Forte

September 28th, 2017 at 11:39am CST by Dallas Robinson

Doug Marrone will head to East Rutherford on Sunday as the Jaguars’ head coach, but he could have just as easily been leading the Jets this weekend, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com and Brian Costello of the New York Post detail. After Marrone opted out of his Bills contract following the 2014 campaign, Marrone was considered the favorite for the Gang Green job, especially given that former NFL general manager and Jets consultant Charley Casserly had strong ties to Marrone. New York ultimately chose Todd Bowles, however, and Marrone was hired as Jacksonville’s offense line coach before being promoted to head coach midway through the 2016 season.

Here’s more from New York:

  • After placing him on injured reserve Wednesday, the Jets could potentially bring wide receiver Charone Peake off IR later this year, as Costello tweets. Peake is dealing with a high ankle sprain, which is typically a four-to-six week injury. The NFL’s IR/return rules stipulate an eight-week minimum absence, so that timeline should give Peake enough time to recover. Peake, a seventh-round pick in 2016 who managed 19 receptions during his rookie campaign, will be eligible to return to the field in Week 12 when the Jets take on the Panthers.
  • Veteran running back Matt Forte has “no idea” if he’ll be available for the Jets in Week 4 as he works through a turf toe injury, as Cimini writes in a separate piece. Bowles was also murky as to Forte’s status for this weekend, indicating that the 31-year-old back could be require a week of recovery time. If Forte can’t go, New York will lean on Bilal Powell — who has played only nine fewer offensive snaps that Forte in 2017 — rookie Elijah McGuire, and the newly-signed Travaris Cadet to handle the running game.
  • In case you missed it, free agent linebacker Erin Henderson is suing the Jets for “wrongful termination and disability discrimination” and seeking $3.3MM in compensatory damages.

Eagles DT Fletcher Cox Likely To Miss Time

September 28th, 2017 at 10:36am CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks as he deals with a calf injury, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Although Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson labeled Cox “day-to-day,” a source tells Bowen a two-to-three week absence is more likely.Fletcher Cox (vertical)

[RELATED: Eagles Sign RB Kenjon Barner]

One of the more dominant defensive tackles in the league, Cox has thus far graded as the NFL’s No. 23 interior defender while playing roughly 56% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Cox, who agreed to a six-year, $102.6MM extension prior to the 2016 campaign, has posted two sacks, two fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown this season.

Cox will certainly be missed, but Philadelphia has enough defensive line depth to account for his unavailability. Beau Allen will likely see more snaps opposite starting defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, while backups Elijah Qualls and Destiny Vaeao could also see increased action. Alternatively, the Eagles could use Vinny Curry on the inside, allowing Derek Barnett and Chris Long to contribute on the edge.

49ers Likely To IR/Return DE Tank Carradine

September 28th, 2017 at 9:05am CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers are expected to designate defensive ends Tank Carradine and Ronald Blair as their players to return from injured reserve, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).Tank Carradine (Vertical)

San Francisco placed Carradine on IR Monday, so he’ll be able to return in Week 12 following an eight-week absence. A former second-round pick, Carradine had started two games and played 80 defensive snaps in 2017. In that limited sample size, the 28-year-old Carradine had posted one sack, 2.5 pressures, and graded as the league’s No. 27 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus.

Blair, meanwhile, was shifted to IR during the final cutdown process, so he’s eligible to come back before Carradine. An eight-week layoff means Blair can return in Week 9, when the 49ers face the division rival Cardinals. Blair, whom San Francisco selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, didn’t start any games for the Niners during his rookie campaign, but still played on roughly a quarter of the club’s defensive snaps. He also chipped in on ~15% of the 49ers’ special teams plays.

If San Francisco does indeed to return Carradine and Blair from injured reserve, the league’s two-man IR/return limit means the team won’t be able to bring guard Joshua Garnett back in 2017.

Injury Notes: Luck, Bradford, Garrett, Hawks

September 27th, 2017 at 9:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite reports that suggested the contrary, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will not begin practicing this week, head coach Chuck Pagano announced. Pagano gave a somewhat vague answer on Luck earlier this week, suggesting that while the signal-caller was “progressing well,” his return to practice was not guaranteed. Today, Pagano admitted that Luck is “at least” a week away from embarking on a throwing program. Luck, who is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, was not placed on the physically unable to perform list at the season’s outset, so there are no timetable restrictions on his return.

Here’s more from around the NFL, with a focus on injury situations:

  • Sam Bradford has missed each of the Vikings‘ past two contests as he deals with a knee issue, and while he didn’t practice today, Minnesota is “doing everything it can” to allow Bradford to play against the Lions on Sunday, according to head coach Mike Zimmer. Because Bradford isn’t dealing with any structural damage, pain management is the only barrier to him suiting up. If Bradford can’t go, the Vikings will once again turn to backup Case Keenum, who 25 of 43 pass attempts for a career-high 369 yards and three touchdowns against the Buccaneers in Week 3.
  • After hinting last week that defensive end Myles Garrett was “close” to a return, Browns head coach Hue Jackson once again reiterated that the 2017 No. 1 overall pick could attend practice this week, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. “If he is able to play, we might not play him the whole game,” said Jackson. “So we’ll see how that unfolds if he’s able to go. We’ll find out more as we go through the week.” Garrett has been sidelined for the start of his rookie campaign after suffering an ankle injury during the preseason.
  • The Seahawks are expected to be without running back C.J. Prosise on Sunday as he deals with an ankle ailment, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Prosise hasn’t been a major contributor to Seattle’s offense thus far, as he’s managed only eight rushes and six receptions, but he has played on nearly a third of the club’s offensive snaps. The Seahawks will continue to lean on rookie Chris Carson — with dashes of Eddie Lacy and/or Thomas Rawls — when they face the Colts and their 11th-ranked (by DVOA) rush defense.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/27/17

September 27th, 2017 at 9:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

  • LSs Andrew East and Anthony Kukwa (link)

Washington Redskins

Latest On Texans OT Duane Brown’s Holdout

September 27th, 2017 at 8:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans have now played three games without stalwart left tackle Duane Brown, and there is “no end in sight” as the veteran offensive lineman continues his holdout in search of new contract, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.Duane Brown (vertical)

Brown, 32, has been pushing for a new deal since at least May, and didn’t participate in Houston’s minicamp, training camp, or preseason. The Texans don’t seem inclined to work out a fresh pact with Brown, while Brown himself has indicated that he will in fact play at some point in 2017. As of earlier this month, general manager Rick Smith and Brown’s representatives weren’t talking, but Brown is likely to report following an eight-week absence (a timeline that would allow him to accrue a season towards free agency).

Houston has turned to Kendall Lamm (one start) and Chris Clark (two starts) in the wake of Clark’s absence, but both players have offered sub-par performances, as Clark and Lamm have ranked No. 55 and No. 58 among 72 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. While the Texans’ offensive line has played well in the run game, the unit is dead last in adjusted rack rate, according to Football Outsiders.

Brown is currently signed through the 2018 season, and is due non-guaranteed base salaries of $9.65MM and $9.75MM over the next two years.

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