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Falcons Place OLB Lorenzo Carter On IR

October 19th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Ely Allen

The Falcons made a surprising roster move today. It’s been a fast-moving situation for outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, who has played in every game so far this season. The sequence of events has led to Carter being placed on injured reserve, per Falcons digital team reporter Terrin Waack.

The situation began on Wednesday of this week, when it was reported that Carter was in the NFL’s concussion protocol. He had originally been placed on the team’s injury report under the designation of “illness” after not practicing, but Atlanta updated the designation to “concussion” by the end of the day. Carter missed the next two practices before ultimately being ruled out for tomorrow’s game.

What makes this sequence of events so surprising is that concussions rarely warrant a stint on IR. At a minimum, we’ve seen players navigate the league’s concussion protocol in days. To see Carter being ruled out for the next four weeks because of the head injury adds some concern and intrigue to the situation.

Carter had been the starter across from Matt Judon for every game this season, except for one in which the team only started one outside linebacker. In his extended absence, Arnold Ebiketie and James Smith-Williams will likely be fighting for the available snaps across from Judon.

To fill the newly open spot on the 53-man roster, Atlanta signed veteran cornerback Kevin King from the practice squad. King has appeared in all six games this season between time on the active roster and practice squad, mostly contributing on special teams.

Additionally, the Falcons announced that cornerback Natrone Brooks and defensive end Demone Harris will function as their standard gameday practice squad elevations in Week 7.

Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell Activated From IR

October 19th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars are getting some much-needed help in the secondary this week as the team announced that cornerback Tyson Campbell has been activated from injured reserve. After leaving the team’s season opener with a hamstring injury, Campbell finally gets back to the field for a Week 7 matchup against New England in old England.

With Campbell out of the lineup, the Jacksonville secondary has been picked apart all throughout the first six weeks of the season. Through six games, the Jaguars defense ranked dead last in passing yards allowed, passing touchdowns allowed, and passes intercepted. While it’s hard to imagine that Campbell comes in and turns them into a top pass defense unit all by himself, the team’s performance so far has nowhere to go but up.

It makes sense that the Jaguars were patient in returning Campbell to the field. Last year the young corner was nagged with injury. He missed two games about a third of the way through the season and tried to come back but only played half of the defense’s snaps before leaving the game and missing two additional weeks. He attempted to come back one more time and played all of the team’s defensive snaps in that game, but he would miss the next two weeks again with injury. This time, they placed him on IR and allowed him time to rest and recover

In addition to activating Campbell, the Jaguars also announced their two gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow morning. Running back Jake Funk and defensive end Joe Gaziano will be joining the team for their trip to London.

Titans Place WR Treylon Burks On IR

October 19th, 2024 at 1:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 19: It’s officially going to be a four-game absence, at least, for Burks, who, according to ESPN’s Turron Davenport, has officially been placed on injured reserve today.

To fill Burks’ spot on the 53-man roster, Tennessee has signed defensive tackle Abdullah Anderson from the practice squad to the active roster. Additionally, cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally and quarterback Trevor Siemian have been elevated as standard gameday practice squad callups for tomorrow’s game. Siemian signed back with the team 10 days ago as starting passer Will Levis deals with an AC joint sprain.

OCTOBER 18: Treylon Burks is once again positioned to miss time. The third-year receiver suffered a knee injury in practice yesterday, and Titans head coach Brian Callahan said injured reserve is under consideration at this point.

“We’re working through it,” Callahan said (via the team’s website). “It will be some time, no matter what. How long, we’ll see. We’re not totally sure yet… We’re just waiting on some final word from the doctors and all that, on what that’s going to look like. But I would expect him to miss some time.”

An IR stint would ensure at least a four-game absence for Burks, who has yet to put together a full season in the NFL. The former first-rounder was limited to 11 contests during his rookie season, and he logged that many appearances again last year. Underwhelming production during that time made the Arkansas product a potential trade candidate, but Tennessee elected to keep him in the fold.

Doing so initially appeared to be conditional on taking on a special teams role, although Burks has not been a regular third phase contributor so far. His 48% snap share on offense is nevertheless the lowest of his career, and he has managed no more than one reception during any game in 2024. Receiver targets have been centered on DeAndre Hopkins, along with free agent additions Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd.

This coming spring, a decision will need to be made on Burks’ fifth-year option. Picking up the option would lock the 24-year-old into a salary of $15.28MM for the 2026 season. His level of play has certainly not justified such a commitment, meaning next season is on track to serve as a walk year. In terms of more immediate concerns, Burks will look to minimize the time he misses before trying to take on a larger role in Tennessee’s low-output offense. Upon further testing, a decision with respect to IR will be made relatively soon.

Ravens To Place WR Deonte Harty On IR

October 19th, 2024 at 12:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Deonte Harty is set to miss at least the next four games. Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters that the receiver/returner will be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

Harty has been dealing with a knee issue for several weeks. The injury forced him to miss Baltimore’s Week 5 contest, but the special teams ace managed to return in Week 6. Now, Harty will be out until at least Week 11. Fortunately, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel, as Harbaugh told reporters that the former All-Pro return man is expected back this season.

The former UDFA made a name for himself as a rookie in New Orleans, earning All-Pro recognition after leading the NFL in punt returns (36) and punt return yards (338). Harty ultimately spent four seasons with the Saints, including 2020 and 2021 campaigns where he had a combined 56 receptions. He spent the 2023 season with the Bills, where he had 15 receptions while also returning 26 punts.

Harty caught on with the Ravens back in April and was quickly tasked with guiding their return game. In five appearances, the 26-year-old has returned four kickoffs for 98 yards and eight punts for 85 yards. He’s only seen time on six offensive snaps. With Harty sidelined, the team could turn to some combination of Justice Hill, Tylan Wallace, and practice-squad RB Chris Collier to lead their return game.

Browns Activate RB Nick Chubb, S Juan Thornhill

October 19th, 2024 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

The Browns are getting some major reinforcement on both sides of the ball. The team announced that they’ve activated both running back Nick Chubb and safety Juan Thornhill to the active roster.

All signs had been pointing to Chubb returning for Week 7, with the star running back basically confirming his impending activation in an essay earlier this week. Chubb hasn’t seen the field since suffering a major knee injury in Week 2 of last season. After undergoing a pair of procedures over the past year, Chubb naturally landed on the reserve/PUP list for the start of the 2024 campaign. The impending free agent returned to practice earlier this month, and it sounded like the Browns would let the player make the final call regarding a return date.

Ultimately, Chubb settled on Week 7, where he should immediately return to the top of the depth chart. The Browns are hoping the veteran can provide a spark to a struggling offense. Jerome Ford has led the rushing attack for the start of the season, with D’Onta Foreman recently stealing a chunk of carries. Ford’s 5.4 yards-per-carry actually ranks 14th in the NFL, but the team’s overreliance on Deshaun Watson and the passing game has limited the team’s RB production. Perhaps Chubb’s return will have OC Ken Dorsey rethinking his offensive approach.

Thornhill returned to practice earlier this week. The defensive back suffered a calf injury during the season opener that required a stint on injured reserve. The former Chiefs draft pick started all 11 of his appearances during his first season in Cleveland in 2023, finishing with 54 tackles. The Browns’ safety corps have struggled with health this season, but when whole, Thornhill should return to his starting spot alongside Grant Delpit.

Chubb’s activation does not count toward the Browns’ in-season activation total, which now sits at five following today’s Thornhill transaction.

Amari Cooper To Play In Week 7; Latest On Bills’ Pursuit

October 18th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Davante Adams was dealt to the Jets earlier this week, but that AFC East wideout acquisition was soon followed up by the Bills landing Amari Cooper. Further details have emerged on the latter swap.

Buffalo was one of several suitors for Adams, who represented the top trade target amongst receivers. The price for adding the three-time All-Pro was dictated in large part by Vegas’ desire to avoid retaining any of his salary. That wound up being the case, something which took the Bills out of the running to seriously pursue a deal.

“My gut was [the Raiders] were never interested in eating money, which they didn’t,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane confirmed when speaking about Adams’ trade market (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News). “If they were interested in doing that, they probably could have gotten some more from us or somebody else.”

With the Bills never truly being a contender to acquire Adams, attention turned to Cooper. As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes, Beane and Co. touched base with the Browns before further conversations on a trade took place Monday (video link). That agreement (which saw Buffalo land Cooper and a sixth-round pick this year for a third-rounder and a seventh-round selection in 2026) was worked out one day later, a sign of how smoothly negotiations progressed.

Cooper stated he did not expect to be dealt, and Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports notes the Browns were not actively shopping him prior to the agreement being reached (video link). Rather, it was Buffalo’s “very aggressive” efforts to land Cooper which got the deal done. Indeed, Underdog Fantasy’s James Palmer notes the Browns got a higher trade price than they expected. He adds, however, that Cleveland did now view the five-time Pro Bowler has living up to the team’s standards through the opening portion of the season.

Cooper’s 41.7 yards per game in 2024 is the lowest mark of his career, a result of the Browns’ struggling offense but also a potential sign of decline. The 30-year-old will be nevertheless be expected to handle a heavy workload early on in his Buffalo tenure, given the lack of experienced pass-catchers on the Bills’ offense. After the team traded away Stefon Diggs and allowed Gabe Davis to depart in free agency, Cooper has the potential to command a notable target share with his latest team. Acclimating to the Bills’ playbook will take time, but no waiting period should be expected.

Head coach Sean McDermott said (via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia) he expects Cooper to suit up against the Titans on Sunday. A full workload days after being dealt may not be realistic, but he will be positioned to contribute right away on a team once again looking to make a deep run amongst the AFC’s contenders.

Falcons Eyeing Edge Rush Addition

October 18th, 2024 at 10:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons made a pair of veteran defensive additions not long before the start of the season. One of those was the trade acquisition of Matt Judon, but another move along the edge could be coming.

Atlanta is “very open” to bringing in more help in the pass-rush department, Sports Illustrated’s Albert notes. Judon racked up 1.5 sacks during his first two Falcons games, but he has been held without one in four weeks since then. Overall, the team has posted only five sacks, the fewest in the league this season.

Improving in that department has long been an organizational need, so it would come as little surprise if a depth move were to be made before the November 5 deadline. Atlanta currently sits 20th in the league in terms of cap space with $8.9MM in available funds. That could make a low-cost addition (especially for a rental) a feasible option if the 4-2 outfit adopts a buyer’s stance over the coming weeks.

Someone like Maxx Crosby – who offered a less-than-conclusive stance on his Raiders future – would represent a blockbuster target for the Falcons or any number of other teams aiming to take a major step forward in production along the edge. Far more realistic targets, as Breer notes, are players like Za’Darius Smith (Browns), Jadeveon Clowney (Panthers) and, if the 2-5 Saints were to try and add draft capital midway through what may well be a lost season, Chase Young. Only the latter is a pending free agent, whereas Smith and Clowney are under contract through the 2025 season.

While Atlanta will continue to rely on Grady Jarrett as a key pass-rushing presence along the defensive interior, the team will also be looking to the likes of Judon, Lorenzo Carter and Arnold Ebiketie along the edge. Third-round rookie Bralen Trice would have been positioned to handle a rotational role this year, but he tore his ACL in the preseason, meaning his Falcons debut will be delayed until 2025. Before that point, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot could be in the market for a stop-gap addition.

49ers To Activate WR Ricky Pearsall, Place K Matthew Wright On IR

October 18th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, Ricky Pearsall will make his NFL debut on Sunday. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Friday the first-round rookie wideout will be activated from the NFI list in time for Week 7.

The news does not come as a surprise since Pearsall began practicing this week. San Francisco had 21 days to activate him, but much less time than that will be required to bring him into the picture. The move confirms Pearsall’s impressive progress in recovering from the gunshot wound he suffered in August as the victim of an attempted robbery.

The 24-year-old’s move to the NFI list confirmed he would miss at least the first four weeks of the campaign. The team understandably took a cautious approach with his rehab process, and now he is set to handle a rotational role in San Francisco’s passing game. Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are healthy, but fellow wideout Jauan Jennings will be sidelined for Week 7. That could allow Pearsall to log a notable workload in his debut.

The Arizona State and Florida product faces high expectations as the 49ers’ top pick in this month’s draft. Aiyuk is attached to a big-ticket deal, but Samuel has only one year (without guaranteed salary) left on his pact after 2024. That – coupled with the team’s other upcoming financial priorities, including a Brock Purdy extension – have led to speculation Samuel could be cut or traded this offseason. Moving on from him would position Pearsall to operate as key, cost-controlled offensive playmaker for years to come.

In other injury news, Shanahan added kicker Matthew Wright will be placed on injured reserve. San Francisco’s Jake Moody replacement is dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered during his season debut, and an IR stint will sideline him for at least the next four games. Former Packer Anders Carlson was added to the practice squad in the wake of Wright’s injury, and he will be elevated tomorrow to take on kicking duties for, potentially, the foreseeable future.

Bringing Pearsall onto the active roster will use up one of the 49ers’ in-season activations. They will now have six available, with a number of other players eligible to be brought off IR; that will be the case for Wright down the road, although by that point Moody may be full healthy.

Jets Rumors: 2024 Season, Reddick, Williams

October 18th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

At 2-4, this is not where the Jets thought they would be at this point of the 2024 NFL season. With so many glaring issues on the team that point to that record, one isn’t wrong to wonder why New York would make the big move to trade for wide receiver Davante Adams that they made this week. According to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, the answer is pretty simple.

It’s all or nothing for many important figures in the Jets organization this season. The team has already parted ways with former head coach Robert Saleh, and if things don’t improve, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich and general manager Joe Douglas won’t be far behind him. To date, the Jets are 29-60 with Douglas as GM and have yet to make the playoffs with him at the helm. Add in the fact that quarterback Aaron Rodgers may not want to be playing next year at 42 years old, and there’s a chance New York will be home to a new head coach, GM, and quarterback in 2025.

All of this is on the table with an unsuccessful 2024 campaign, so everyone in New York is all-in on whatever it takes to win this season. When Saleh’s head was the first to roll, it became clear that drastic changes were needed in order for the rest of the crew to retain their jobs. If that means kowtowing to Rodgers and trading for his favorite receiver from their time in Green Bay, it appears that that’s what will happen. As evidence, a serious offer for Adams reportedly didn’t even come until after Saleh was let go, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Here are a few other rumors from the Jets in recent days:

The Jets have been actively shopping pass rusher Haason Reddick after trading for him this offseason. They may be a bit selective on where he goes, though. Breer points out that, should New York trade Reddick to an NFC team, the pick conditional pick that they sent to the Eagles for him goes from a third-round pick to a second-rounder. As much as they’d like to wash their hands of the situation, the pick difference is severe enough that they’re likely being picky about how they deal Reddick.
Another potential trade piece after the acquisition of Adams, it appears that wide receiver Mike Williams will play this weekend against the Steelers, per Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York. Ulbrich made the announcement today after Williams was a full participant at practice.

Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison Out For Season

October 18th, 2024 at 9:08pm CST by Ely Allen

Another top cornerback prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft has found their season ending early. According to a tweet from Pro Football Focus’ college account, junior Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison will miss the remainder of the college season with a hip injury.

Morrison is an Arizona native out of Brophy College Prep in Phoenix. As a four-star recruit, Morrison was a top-four prospect in the state. He committed to the Fighting Irish over offers from in-state Arizona, then-Pac-12 powers Washington and Oregon, and Alabama, agreeing to play for then-head coach Brian Kelly but eventually sticking with defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman after Kelly left for LSU and Freeman took over head coaching duties.

Morrison was an immediate factor on defense as a true freshman. Having high school experience as a receiver and kick returner, Morrison put his hands to use, nabbing six interceptions, tied for third in the country that year. Five of those picks came in two games with three coming against Boston College and two against Clemson, including a 97-yard pick six of D.J. Uiagalelei. Those efforts earned him True Freshman All-American honors from several publications.

Morrison didn’t slow down as a sophomore. While he only recorded half of his prior year interception total, Morrison tied for 25th in the nation with 13 passes defensed. While he hadn’t recorded an interception in six games this year, Morrison was on a similar track for passes defensed with four so far this season.

Morrison’s disruptive knack for making plays on the ball certainly caught the eyes of NFL scouting personnel. After only two years in college, Morrison appeared on preseason prospect rankings all over, with many expecting him to leave after three years of school. Much like East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel, Morrison appeared high in the recent prospect rankings of ESPN’s Mel Kiper.

Revel and Morrison appeared back-to-back in Kiper’s ranking as the 20th and 21st best overall draft prospects, and the third and fourth cornerback prospects, respectively, behind only Michigan’s Will Johnson and Colorado dual-position prospect Travis Hunter. In the rankings of Kiper’s ESPN peers Jordan Reid, Matt Miller, and Field Yates, Morrison ranked just ahead of Revel, with only Kiper ranking Revel higher.

Morrison is the son of Darryl Morrison, a sixth-round safety out of Arizona who was selected by Washington in 1993. The elder Morrison started 28 games over the course of his rookie contract, recording an interception, seven fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), and 165 total tackles, but he failed to earn a second contract in the NFL.

Benjamin will hope to follow in his father’s footsteps as an NFL draft pick, and he’ll hope to outdo his father as a Day 1 selection. His odds to do that have likely dropped with the severity of this hip injury, but with draft pundits still so high on him following the announcement that he’ll miss the remainder of the season, Morrison only needs one NFL team to agree he’s worth a first-round pick next April.

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