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Injury Updates: Hankins, Folk, Hicks, Ware

November 9th, 2015 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

As is often the case on Mondays during the NFL season, there have already been multiple reports of season-ending injuries to key players for contending teams, with the Patriots losing running back Dion Lewis to a torn ACL, and the Colts placing defensive lineman Henry Anderson on IR due to the same injury. Here are a few more of Monday’s latest noteworthy injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Giants head coach Tom Coughlin confirmed today that defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins will undergo surgery for a torn pectoral, ending his season, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While New York’s defensive line got a boost this weekend with the return of Jason Pierre-Paul, Hankins’ season-ending injury is another step back.
  • Jets kicker Nick Folk has a quadriceps strain, and isn’t expected to play this Thursday against the Bills, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Connor Hughes of the Journal Inquirer tweets that Billy Cundiff will be among the kickers getting a workout from the Jets as they seek a short-term replacement for Folk.
  • The Eagles‘ preliminary diagnosis of the pectoral injury suffered by Jordan Hicks suggests the linebacker should only miss two to four weeks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The team is awaiting the MRI results to confirm that diagnosis.
  • The Falcons also got good news regarding defensive tackle Tyson Jackson, whose rib injury is a contusion, rather than a fracture, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
  • After re-aggravating his back injury, Broncos pass rusher DeMarcus Ware is expected to miss the next two to four weeks or so, tweets Rapoport.
  • Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams is expected to miss the team’s next two games, a league source tells Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
  • The Ravens announced today that second-year defensive end Brent Urban has been cleared to return to practice. Urban, who began the season on injured reserve with the designation to return, can now be activated within the next three weeks to avoid landing on season-ending IR.

AFC Notes: Ravens, Nicks, Broncos, Luck

November 2nd, 2015 at 9:33pm CST by Zachary Links

A day after losing Steve Smith Sr. for the season, the Ravens will work out a group of free-agent wide receivers that includes Hakeem Nicks, sources tell ESPN’s Ed Werder. The wide receiver has been making the workout rounds as he searches for a new team in 2015 and his most recent stop was with the Patriots.

Nicks, who spent his first five years with the Giants, posting multiple 1,000-yard seasons in New York, caught just 38 balls for 405 yards and four touchdowns last year in Indianapolis. He found a new home in free agency when he signed with the Titans earlier in the year, but Tennessee opted to keep just four wideouts on the roster to start the season, cutting Nicks in September. The veteran wideout has als0 worked out for the Saints, Cowboys, and Giants.

Here’s more from the AFC..

  • Even after acquiring Vernon Davis, Broncos GM John Elway says he’s open to more deals, as Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets. “We will always listen. We are always trying to get better,” Elway said.
  • Peter King of TheMMQB.com believes that the NFL has to investigate a report that Andrew Luck has been playing through broken ribs. If that investigation reveals that the Colts didn’t include a rib fracture on their injury report, the league should levy a significant fine on the franchise, in King’s view.
  • Ravens coach John Harbaugh said that defensive end Brent Urban is healthy and will return to practice soon, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Urban is currently on the IR-DTR list.
  • Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt says that he has not considered making any staff coaching changes in-season, as Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.

Update On IR-DTR Players

November 2nd, 2015 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

We’re now through eight weeks of the NFL season, which means we’re approaching the year’s halfway point. It also means that players who were placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to the regular season are eligible to be activated and play in their respective teams’ next games.

Players placed on IR with the designation to return are eligible to begin practicing after six weeks, and can return to game action after eight weeks, so there are some IR-DTR players who have begun practicing already, and some of them could be activated for Week 9. Not every player will be healthy enough to return immediately now that they’ve become eligible to do so, but we should see at least a handful of the 10 players who have been on IR-DTR all year be activated to 53-man rosters in the coming days.

Here’s a breakdown of the 10 IR-DTR players eligible to be activated for Week 9:

  • Jay Ajayi, RB (Dolphins): Ajayi recently said that he’s back to full health, though the Dolphins may have a decision to make in their backfield if they decide to activate the rookie runner.
  • Alex Carter, CB (Lions): Carter is on track to begin practicing after the Lions’ Week 9 bye, and likely won’t be activated right away.
  • David Cobb, RB (Titans): Cobb is expected to be activated this week, and at least one Titans beat reporter believes the rookie is capable of earning a high percentage of the team’s carries.
  • Demar Dotson, T (Buccaneers): When he began practicing, Dotson admitted his injured knee wasn’t where he wanted it to be, but it sounds like he’s made enough progress to be activated this week.
  • Charles Gaines, CB (Browns): Gaines returned to practice when he was eligible to do so, and sounds like he’s eager to get back on Cleveland’s roster. If the Browns want him active for Week 9, they’ll have to make a move soon, since the team plays on Thursday this week.
  • Dee Milliner, CB (Jets): Head coach Todd Bowles said last week that he believes Milliner will be ready to play as soon as he becomes eligible, though he cautioned that the team will need to find room on the active roster.
  • Maurkice Pouncey, C (Steelers): There has been some speculation that Pouncey could be sidelined for the entire season, but head coach Mike Tomlin still expects his veteran center back this year. That likely won’t happen for a few more weeks though, since the initial diagnosis put Pouncey on track to be out until at least Week 12.
  • Bryan Stork, C (Patriots): The Patriots’ offensive line has been hit hard by injuries this season, so having to decide between Stork and David Andrews at center will be a welcome problem for the team. Stork appears on track to return in Week 9.
  • John Sullivan, C (Vikings): After suffering a setback and undergoing another surgical procedure, Sullivan won’t be back anytime soon, and may not play at all this season.
  • Brent Urban, DE (Ravens): Asked two weeks ago about Urban, head coach John Harbaugh said that the defensive end wasn’t practicing, adding that his recovery would probably take “a few more weeks.”

While these 10 players are the only ones on IR-DTR eligible to return in Week 9, there are 12 more who will gain eligibility in the coming weeks. The full list can be found right here.

Among those 12 other IR-DTR players, the most notable name is Tony Romo, who can’t play until Week 11. The Cowboys quarterback is eligible to begin practicing this week, but Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that won’t happen quite yet. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Romo is still on track to return to the field when he’s eligible for game action, but it makes sense to keep getting Matt Cassel first-team practice reps in the meantime.

PUP, NFI Players Soon Eligible To Practice

October 19th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the Giants and Eagles, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many clubs could be welcoming injured players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to the practice field.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player currently on the PUP list could return to the field for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest.

The rules for NFI players are similar to those for PUP players. If a player on either reserve list doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, his 2015 season will officially be over.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list who can begin practicing as soon as this Tuesday:

And here are the players currently on their teams’ non-football injury or illness lists, who are also eligible to begin practicing this Tuesday:

  • Arizona Cardinals: WR Damond Powell
  • Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin
  • Cincinnati Bengals: T Cedric Ogbuehi
  • Cleveland Browns: DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, TE Randall Telfer, RB Glenn Winston
  • Dallas Cowboys: LB Mark Nzeocha
  • Houston Texans: T David Quessenberry
  • Kansas City Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray
  • San Francisco 49ers: WR DeAndre Smelter
  • Seattle Seahawks: DT Jesse Williams

In addition to monitoring players on the PUP and NFI lists, it’s worth keeping an eye on players who have been placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this IR-DTR spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that a player who was placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing on Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible to return to game action until Week 9. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after Week 1 will have to wait until next Tuesday – October 27 – to return to practice, while other IR-DTR players will have to wait until November to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as Tuesday:

Ravens Place Brent Urban On IR-DTR

September 8th, 2015 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

Baltimore has become the latest team to officially use its short-term IR slot, as the Ravens today placed defensive end Brent Urban on injured reserve with the designation to return, according to a press release. The club filled his roster spot by re-signing running back Terrence Magee.

Urban, 24, was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft by the Ravens, but missed his entire rookie campaign with a torn ACL. The Virginia product sustained a torn bicep this year, but Baltimore likes him enough and feels confident enough in his recovery that the team is willing to use its only IR-DTR slot on him.

As for Magee, assuming he makes Baltimore’s Week 1 roster, he’ll be the only undrafted free agent to stick with the team this year. He was initially waived during the Ravens’ cutdown to 53 players over the weekend.

AFC Notes: Green, Albert, Mathis

August 29th, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Julio Jones being the latest star receiver to sign a contract extension this summer, joining Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and T.Y. Hilton, all eyes turn to the Bengals’ A.J. Green. The 27-year-old has been one of the best playmakers in the league since the Bengals took him in the first round of the 2011 draft and is a season away from potentially becoming a free agent.

The deals awarded to Jones, Bryant, Thomas and Hilton (all five-year accords worth $70-plus million with guarantees ranging from $39MM to $47MM) have set the market for Green, according to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry – who tweets that guaranteed money will be a sticking point for the two sides. Corry added in another tweet that the Bengals don’t guarantee base salary in veteran deals, so they might have to compromise by giving Green the biggest signing bonus in franchise history.

Jones’ extension will kick in next season, which means he’ll play 2015 under the same one-year, $10.18MM option as Green. Considering that, Jones’ contract is more relevant to Green than the ones given to Bryant, Thomas and Hilton, per Corry (Twitter link). Green’s numbers compare favorably to those of Jones, who has added 249 catches and 26 touchdowns in 49 regular-season games. Green has been more durable, appearing in 60 regular-season games, and more productive (329 receptions and 35 scores). He also has outpaced Jones in 1,000-yard seasons (four to two) and Pro Bowl nods (again, four to two). Add all of that up and the likelihood is that the Bengals will have to give Green a richer deal than Jones’ in order to keep him.

Here’s more from the AFC:

  • Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert tore his ACL last season and has been working toward a return since. While it’s unlikely Albert will be ready for Week 1, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald doesn’t rule it out (Twitter link). On the other hand, ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that Albert probably won’t return until Week 3.
  • Broncos guard Evan Mathis – whom the team signed earlier this week – is on track for the opener, Troy Renck of The Denver Post reports (Twitter link).
  • Denver’s Week 1 opponent, the Ravens, will definitely be without Matt Elam, Brent Urban and Lorenzo Taliaferro, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • In the unlikely event Seattle trades linebacker Bruce Irvin before the season, Ryan O’Halloran doesn’t expect the Jaguars to acquire the three-year veteran. Jags general manager David Caldwell isn’t one to trade picks in the first three rounds, tweeted O’Halloran – who added that Irvin’s contract status (one year before free agency) makes the chances of an acquisition even more remote for Jacksonville.

AFC Notes: Hilton, Broncos, Colts

August 12th, 2015 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

Agent Drew Rosenhaus will once again meet with the Colts face to face in Indiana on Wednesday to discuss a new contract for wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Rosenhaus appears to be spending a lot of time on Hilton’s deal this summer, which suggests that the two sides have a good chance to get something done before the season. Here’s more from the AFC..

  • Brock Osweiler’s preseason could determine his future with the Broncos, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post writes. Osweiler’s contract expires at the end of the season, leaving both him and the Broncos a limited window to evaluate his value and potential as their future quarterback. Of course, the QB likely won’t see much time on the field this season with Peyton Manning locked in as the starter.
  • As Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun observes (via Twitter), Ravens defensive end Brent Urban announced that he’s undergoing surgery to repair his torn biceps today, but it’s not clear yet if he’ll be able to return this season.
  • The agent for tackle Matt Hall informed the Broncos his client will not report because he is retiring, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets. Denver recently claimed the tackle off waivers from the Colts.
  • An undrafted free agent has made the Broncos‘ roster in each of the last 11 years. Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter) believes that trend will continue in 2015 with linebacker Zaire Anderson trending upwards in camp.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Ravens’ Brent Urban Injured, Could Miss Season

August 8th, 2015 at 10:40am CST by Ben Levine

Ravens defensive end Brent Urban tore his biceps during Thursday’s practice, and Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reports that the 2014 draft pick could miss the entire season.

The former fourth-rounder was injured on what Zrebiec described as a “minimal contact drill.” The reporter notes that it takes about 12 weeks to recover from that type of bicep injury, which presents the Ravens with an interesting choice.

The team could opt to put the 24-year-old on the season-ending injured reserve, or they could choose to place him on the injured reserve with a designation to return. The latter option would mean he’d have to miss at least the first eight weeks of the 2015 season.

Each team can only place on player on the injured reserve with a designation to return, and the Ravens may be forced to choose between Urban and recently -injured safety Matt Elam. Initial reports suggested that the defensive back would be placed on the season-ending IR, but Zrebiec wonders if the team could ultimately slap him with the designation to return.

A knee injury during training camp forced Urban to miss all of last season, and the defensive end had reportedly made a lot of progress in his recovery. The writer notes that Urban was expected to play a prominent role on the defensive line, serving as a backup to Chris Canty and Lawrence Guy.

AFC Notes: Ravens, Flacco, Thomas, Houston

June 13th, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Ravens are dealing with the loss of an all-time great defensive tackle in Haloti Ngata, and have a number of options to try to replace him. They have penciled in Timmy Jernigan in his spot, and re-signed both Chris Canty and Lawrence Guy to keep depth along the defensive line.

Additionally, the team hopes to be able to count on getting contributions from two linemen with injury histories, with both Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore making their return to the field, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

“He has practiced really well, Brent has, and so has Kapron,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “They both look like they’re 100 percent as far as the way they’re moving around, and they look like they’re going to be able to contribute for us.”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

  • Entering his age-30 season, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco doesn’t see his career as being in decline, writes Wilson. “I don’t feel any worse because of my age yet,” Flacco said. “I think you learn more. I’m not going to be 50 and playing. I hope I’m 40, but 50, no.“
  • Demaryius Thomas has not signed his franchise tender with the Broncos, and has been absent from team facilities this offseason. They key to his deal will be who goes first between him, Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, and Julio Jones, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The first one to sign a contract will in turn set the bar for the rest of the group. He is hoping to get a long-term deal with Calvin Johnson level money, but that is unlikely.
  • The Chiefs have the pieces in place to have a very good pass rush in 2015, even without star Justin Houston who has not yet signed his franchise tender, writes Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. With Tamba Hali and 2014 first-round pick Dee Ford on the outside, and Dontari Poe and Allen Bailey inside, the team has other options in a worst-case scenario without Houston.

John Harbaugh On D-Line, Player Development, Rule Changes

May 23rd, 2015 at 9:33am CST by Ben Levine

Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave the keynote speech at Stevenson University in Maryland on Thursday. While the former Super Bowl winner barely mentioned the Ravens during his address, he discussed his team with reporters following the ceremony. Harbaugh mostly focused on the defensive line, including the players returning from injury, the team’s loss of veteran leadership, and the team’s apparent depth among defensive ends and tackles. Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun collected these soundbites, and we have some of the more notable quotes below:

On the recovery of Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore, who both suffered season-ending injuries during last year’s training camp:

“It’s really important that Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore come on. Brent looks like he’s 100 percent, Kap looks like he’s really close to 100 percent.”

On the changes to the defensive line, including the loss of veteran leadership in Haloti Ngata:

“The young D-linemen are obviously going to be huge for us. We’ve gotten younger there really quickly, capped off by the move of Haloti. We still have Chris Canty, so that’s a plus for us. He’ll be the sage veteran in the locker room.”

On the development of talented defensive tackle Brandon Williams:

“I talked to Brandon Williams about stacking another year. You come back better than before. He took last year and got everyone’s attention. Now everybody is going to be watching.

“You’re not going to surprise anybody. The expectations are up. What an opportunity to build on that and really make a name for himself. He seems motivated to do that as well.”

On the team’s depth on the defensive line:

“DeAngelo Tyson is still a big part of us, Lawrence Guy is a big part of us, Christo Bilukidi is another veteran player. There’s going to be some major competition on the D-line.”

On the NFL’s new extra-point rule:

“The effort to move the line of scrimmage back on the point after touchdown, to me, is a good thing. I think it’s a positive thing. We’re for it. We were fine with it the other way. I know Justin Tucker was kind of like saying stuff about it. But I think he realizes that it’s going to give the better kickers an opportunity to shine a little bit. So, move it back and make it a little bit tougher. Make it more of a challenge, make that point mean more.

“It is going to encourage more two-point conversion tries. There’s no question about it, especially in windy stadiums. Maybe later in the year when it means the most will probably see the most attempts. I know one thing, we’re going to spend more time defending two-point conversions and practicing two-point conversions because it’s going to be a bigger part of the game.”

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