HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

NFC Injury Notes: 49ers, Rams, Bucs, Vea, Eagles

September 28th, 2018 at 6:04pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 49ers’ running back situation could be dire this weekend against the Chargers. In the team’s first game without Jimmy Garoppolo, they could be without both of their lead running backs as well. Matt Breida left the team’s game against the Chiefs with a hyperextended knee, and while he later returned to the game, he’s looking iffy at best to suit up against Los Angeles. Breida himself said “it’s going to be a game-time decision. I have to feel comfortable” according to Daniel Brown of The Mercury News. Neither Breida or coach Kyle Shanahan seemed particularly optimistic that Breida plays, and it sounds like he’s leaning toward sitting.

If Breida sits, Alfred Morris would likely become a workhorse, but he too is questionable with a knee injury of his own. There’s even more bad injury news for the 49ers, as Richard Sherman has been officially ruled out with a calf injury according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Here are more injury updates from around the league:

  • Rams coach Sean McVay said outside linebacker Dominique Easley could be “sidelined for a while” according to Lindsey Thiry of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s another blow for the Rams’ defense, as the former Patriots first round pick is capable of playing quite well when he can stay on the field.
  • It’s looking like first round pick Vita Vea will finally make his debut for the Buccaneers this Sunday. He was a full participant in practice today according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Vea, the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft, injured his calf in training camp and has been sidelined since.
  • The Eagles will be without Darren Sproles for at least another week, as the team ruled out the running back and safety Rodney McLeod according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Running back Corey Clement is questionable with a quadriceps injury, so the Eagles could yet again have a thin backfield. Alshon Jeffery is listed as questionable as well, and it looks like he could finally make his 2018 debut.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/18

September 28th, 2018 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

New Orleans Saints

Tennessee Titans

Giants’ Jonathan Stewart Heading To IR

September 28th, 2018 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jonathan Stewart‘s tenure with the Giants may not include any more games. The team will place the veteran running back on injured reserve, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets.

To replace Stewart on the 53-man roster, the Giants will promote wide receiver Jawill Davis from their practice squad, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.

A foot injury was set to keep Stewart out this weekend against the Saints, and it will shelve the 11th-year veteran for at least two months. However, Stewart doesn’t appear to be an IR-return candidate given his role through thus far.

Stewart’s received just six carries in three Giants games, amassing just 17 rushing yards for his new team. He’s played behind Saquon Barkley and Wayne Gallman. Stewart, 31, is signed for another season with the Giants. He inked a two-year, $6.9MM deal in March, but most of the $2.95MM in guarantees were due this season. It would only cost Big Blue $250K to cut the longtime starter in 2019.

Long the 1-B option alongside DeAngelo Williams with the Panthers, Stewart emerged as Carolina’s top running back for a few years after Williams departed. He started in Super Bowl 50, scoring the Panthers’ only touchdown of that game, and made his only Pro Bowl during that 2015 season. Stewart scored 23 touchdowns over the past three years, but the Panthers released him prior to free agency’s outset.

Colts To Place OL Joe Haeg On IR

September 28th, 2018 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Colts have been hesitant about placing yet-to-debut left tackle Anthony Castonzo on IR, they will move another of their key offensive linemen off the active roster.

Starting right tackle Joe Haeg will head to IR because of a high ankle sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The Colts do not believe this is a season-ending injury. The hope is the third-year blocker can return by November, per Rapoport. Haeg cannot come off IR for eight weeks.

Haeg started three games for the Colts this season, serving as their right tackle. The team used multiple players during the preseason in an attempt to fill this role, but Haeg — who played on the right edge at times during his two previous Indianapolis seasons — ended up staying there. Austin Howard and second-round rookie Braden Smith were tried on the right side during the preseason.

A fifth-round pick during Ryan Grigson‘s final draft, Haeg has started 32 games for the Colts. He will be an IR-return candidate. This puts the Colts down two tackles for Sunday, with Frank Reich having already declared Castonzo will miss a fourth straight game due to his persistent hamstring trouble.

South Rumors: Conklin, Freeman, Reid, Colts

September 28th, 2018 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jack Conklin is in line to make his season debut for the Titans. The right tackle participated fully in Tennessee’s Friday workout and is set to play Sunday, per TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick (on Twitter). Finalizing a recovery from the torn ACL he suffered during the Titans’ divisional-round loss last season, Conklin missed the team’s first three games. Taylor Lewan returned from a concussion in Week 3. This will mark the first time the Titans have deployed their top two tackles together since that Patriots game in January.

Adoree’ Jackson also passed concussion protocol, per McCormick, paving a path for the second-year cornerback to play Sunday as well. Here’s the latest from the South divisions:

  • Devonta Freeman‘s knee issue, though, has not progressed to the point he’ll reclaim his starting spot. The Falcons will hold their first-string running back out again this week, Dan Quinn said Friday (via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure, on Twitter). Freeman has not played since injuring his knee against the Eagles on opening night.
  • Eric Reid‘s Panthers deal includes $390K in per-game roster bonuses, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter). The $390K will be in addition to Reid’s $1MM base salary, and Schefter adds playing-time and Pro Bowl incentives could bump this pact up to $2MM. It’s unclear what the playing-time thresholds are, or how much a Pro Bowl nod would increase’s Reid’s pay, however.
  • Patrick Robinson underwent ankle surgery on Wednesday, ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports. This operation came because the Saints cornerback tore multiple ligaments in his injured ankle, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (on Twitter). The Saints placed their slot corner on IR earlier this week. He is not expected to return this season.
  • Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo will miss another week because of his injured hamstring. Frank Reich confirmed (via The Athletic’s Stephen Holder, on Twitter) the eighth-year veteran is out for Sunday’s game against the Texans. Castonzo has not played in a game this season and has now experienced multiple setbacks in attempts to surmount this hamstring problem. He’s not yet being considered for IR, however.

Doug Baldwin To Return In Week 4

September 28th, 2018 at 1:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Pete Carroll confirmed the Seahawks will have their top pass-catcher back on Sunday.

Doug Baldwin will return to action against the Cardinals in Week 4, Seattle’s head coach said during a radio address (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson).

Baldwin’s missed the past two games because of an MCL injury and has yet to record a catch in 2018. The veteran wide receiver suffered a knee injury during training camp, causing him to miss most of Seattle’s workouts leading up to the season before exiting Seattle’s Week 1 game with more knee trouble. He managed limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Seahawks went 1-1 without their eighth-year wideout, but Baldwin’s return figures to be critical for the team’s passing attack.

Baldwin’s led the Seahawks in receiving yardage the past four seasons, finishing with back-to-back 1,000-yard showings in 2015 and ’16 and posting a 991-yard, eight-touchdown campaign last season.

Patriots Work Out WR Breshad Perriman

September 28th, 2018 at 11:45am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots worked out free agent wide receiver Breshad Perriman today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

New England’s wideout situation has been dire for most of the season, but the club’s depth chart is beginning to come into focus. Not only is the recently-acquired Josh Gordon expected to suit up this week, but Julian Edelman will return from suspension in Week 5. Those two options, along with holdovers Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson, give the Patriots a viable receiving corps.

Perriman, the 26th overall selection in the 2015 draft, has never lived up to his draft billing, as injuries and ineffectiveness have prevented him from reaching his potential. After missing his entire rookie campaign, Perriman posted 33 receptions in 2016, but managed only 10 catches last year. He signed with the Redskins earlier this month, but lasted less than a week on Washington’s roster.

A number of teams have expressed interest in Perriman this year, as he’s worked out for the the Jets, Giants, Bills, Vikings, and Eagles over the past month.

Saints Promote RB Dwayne Washington

September 28th, 2018 at 11:22am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints are promoting running back Dwayne Washington from their practice squad, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

New Orleans won’t see Mark Ingram return from suspension until Week 5, and the club is still searching for a viable backup to lighten the load on starter Alvin Kamara. Through three games, Kamara has handled 81% of the Saints’ running back snaps and 79% of the club’s running back touches. Reserves Mike Gillislee and Jonathan Williams haven’t contributed much, and one could conceivably be cut in order to create a roster spot for Washington.

Washington, 24, was selected by the Lions in the seventh round of the 2016 draft. After appearing in 12 games and toting the ball 90 times (for an unappealing 2.9 yards per carry) during his rookie campaign, Washington’s playing time dropped precipitously in 2017, when he managed only 20 carries in five games. He was released during final cutdowns earlier this month, pushed off Detroit’s roster by the club’s crowded running back depth chart.

Even if Washington doesn’t see much work behind Kamara, he could still help on special teams, as he handled two kickoff returns in each of his two seasons with the Lions. However, the Saints re-signed wideout Brandon Tate earlier this week, and he figures to take on return duties for New Orleans.

Eagles’ Rodney McLeod Undergoes Surgery

September 28th, 2018 at 9:50am CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles safety Rodney McLeod recently underwent knee surgery, head coach Doug Pederson told reporters, including Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP (Twitter link). However, while a recent report indicated Philadelphia would place McLeod on injured reserve, Pederson refused to confirm McLeod is out for the season, indicating simply that the defensive back will be out for “a while,” per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

McLeod, 28, suffered the injury in the Eagles’ Week 3 win over the Colts. He’s just the latest starting safety to succumb to injury, joining Da’Norris Searcy of the Panthers, Chris Conte of the Buccaneers, and Ricardo Allen of the Falcons. Eric Reid, the most notable free agent safety at this stage, was just picked up by the Panthers, so the Eagles are looking at a thin group of available players if they choose to go out-of-house for reinforcements, with options such as Mike Mitchell, T.J. Ward, Lardarius Webb, Tyvon Branch, and Jairus Byrd headlining the free agent market.

Veteran Corey Graham will likely step into the Eagles’ starting lineup in place of McLeod, but Philadelphia had been playing a good deal of three-safety sets (Graham has posted 55% playtime this season). As such, the club will need someone to replace Graham’s role in the defense. While Pederson admitted looking for outside help is an option, the Eagles could also search internally, where reserves such as Deiondre’ Hall could be asked to play more snaps. Philadelphia might also consider moving a cornerback like second-year pro Rasul Douglas to safety.

McLeod joined the Eagles on a five-year, $35MM deal prior to the 2016 season. He’s proven himself to be worth the expenditure as he has notched three interceptions in each of the last two years. Through the first three weeks of this season, Pro Football Focus has ranked McLeod as a top-20 safety in the NFL.

No Timeline For Everson Griffen’s Return

September 28th, 2018 at 9:24am CST by Dallas Robinson

Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen isn’t sure when he’ll return to the field after undergoing a mental health evaluation following a bizarre weekend which included police being called, as Griffen indicated in a statement released Thursday night.

“This past week’s events have raised many questions and I apologize to everyone who was impacted,” Griffen said. “I am currently focused on resolving personal issues with which I have been dealing for a long time. Once I have had time to address those issues, I hope to share my story with everyone.”

“I am extremely grateful for the support I have received from my family, the Vikings organization, my teammates and our tremendous fan base. I apologize for not being able to take the field with my teammates and do not have an exact timeline for my return. I promise, however, I will return as a much-improved person and player.”

Police were called to Minneapolis hotel Saturday following reports Griffen was threatening to assault staff members, and Griffen later reportedly behaved erratically outside teammate Trae Waynes‘ home. The Vikings and Griffen reached an agreement that he would stay away from the Vikings until he was in a better mental state.

On the field, Minnesota has deployed 2016 seventh-round pick Stephen Weatherly in place of Griffen, while Tashawn Bower has also seen an increase in snaps over the past two weeks.

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