HEADLINES

Drew Stanton

Drew Stanton To Miss Four Weeks

December 14th, 2014 at 10:47am CST by Rory Parks

Drew Stanton “has a realistic chance” of returning to the field in four weeks’ time, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Stanton, who suffered a sprained ACL and MCL in Thursday night’s win over St. Louis, did not fully tear the ACL, as was initially feared. Instead, an MRI revealed a Grade 2 sprain, which can be rehabbed to the point where Stanton could return for the Cardinal’s divisional round playoff game (if they make it that far, of course).

The hope, then, is that Ryan Lindley can guide Arizona to a first-round bye so that Stanton would not miss a playoff contest. The Cardinals, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets, have offered no specifics other than to say that Stanton has suffered a knee injury.

NFC Links: Quinn, Colston, Sanchez, Warner

December 13th, 2014 at 12:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the resurgence of the Seahawks‘ defense, the team’s defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has re-emerged as a top head coaching candidate this offseason, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

  • The Saints are looking at salary cap hell in the coming seasons, which could lead the team to move on from some veterans. According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, the Saints could release Brodrick Bunkley, David Hawthorne, and Marques Colston this offseason due to their high salaries.
  • The Falcons are 5-8 but in first place in the dismal NFC South. Despite looking at a playoff berth, the team has already started preparing for the 2015 NFL Draft. Their biggest need is at pass rusher, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He writes that the team will also look closely at receivers, a receiving tight end, and linebackers.
  • Eagles‘ quarterback Mark Sanchez has played well in starter Nick Foles‘ absence, but has looked bad against the Seahawks and Packers. He will likely need to impress during these next three games in order to keep Foles from usurping the starting job for the playoff run, if they even stay in contention with Sanchez, writes Jeff McClaine of the Philadelphia Inquirer. With the Eagles likely to only keep one of the two going forward into 2015, Sanchez could also be auditioning for next season.
  • With the Cardinals‘ quarterback situation potentially in ruins after losing Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton to injuries, thoughts of Kurt Warner returning to save the 10-3 Cardinals from an early playoff exit have been floated. Those hoping for Warner to save them shouldn’t hold their breath, according to Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. He writes that while Warner may have thought about it, the idea of him stepping in after not playing for five years is unrealistic.
  • Giants‘ quarterback Eli Manning has not been spectacular the last few seasons, but it isn’t time to look for his replacement, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The team has more pressing needs along the offensive line, at pass rusher, safety, and even possibly receiver, according to Vacchiano.
  • As the problems in Washington continue, Bill Simmons of ESPN and Grantland posed in interesting question to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post: Would the fans be willing to give up the team to another city and go without NFL football for three years, with the promise of getting an expansion team (retaining the rights to the colors and name if they want it) along with a new ownership group? Definitely a loaded question, but Steinberg initially thought 75% of fans would make that trade, and based on response from fans, he thinks he may have underestimated that number.

Extra Points: Bears, Stanton, Draft, Conduct

December 12th, 2014 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Last week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that the Bears are having serious doubts about Jay Cutler going forward. In a bizarre twist, offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer confessed to the team that he was the anonymous source for parts of the report and apologized for his actions, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. One source said that Cutler shook his head during Kromer’s apology and two players that spoke with Biggs were stunned by what they had witnessed. Head coach Marc Trestman, Kromer, and others on the staff could be on the hot seat this offseason.

  • Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton has been diagnosed with a sprained ACL and MCL, according to Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 in Arizona (Twitter link). As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, the injury isn’t expected to end the 2014 season for Standon, who is considered week to week. That’s good news for the Cards, who will hope to have the QB back in time for their first playoff game.
  • Three NCAA underclassmen – Tulane cornerback Lorenzo Doss (Twitter link), Syracuse safety Durell Eskridge (Instagram link), and Virginia defensive end Eli Harold (Twitter link) – announced via social media this week that they’ll leave school early to enter the 2015 NFL draft.
  • The NFLPA and its leaders may not like the league’s new, more “robust” conduct policy, but they only have themselves to blame for ceding so much power to Roger Goodell and the NFL, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
  • Giants co-owner John Mara tells Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com that the new conduct policy is “a step in the right direction” for the NFL, and also answered questions regarding the Ray Rice case and the pending Robert Mueller report.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Stanton, Titans, Harvin

December 11th, 2014 at 9:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL invited the NFLPA to continue discussions on the personal conduct policy and the hiring of the person who will oversee the discipline, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The union, he adds, might take them up on the offer. More from around the NFL..

  • Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton was forced out of tonight’s game after being sacked by Aaron Donald, as Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk writes. How severe the injury is and whether it will cost him further time remains to be seen, however.
  • If the season ended today, the Titans would have the No. 2 overall pick and an opportunity to be in the mix for quarterbacks like Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Florida State’s Jameis Winston. Still, Zach Mettenberger feels that he’s shown the team that he deserves to be their starter, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “I believe I have shown them enough, I just hope I’ve shown y’all enough to write good columns from here until next season,” Mettenberger said yesterday. “But I am confident in my abilities and what I have put on the field and what I have put on tape, and I think I have shown ownership, Ruston and the (coaching) staff that I can play at a high level and I am going to continue to get better.”
  • It may not be enough to save his job, but Jets GM John Idzik deserves credit for his gamble on Percy Harvin, writes George Willis of the New York Post. Time will tell if the talk of bad behavior in Seattle was overblown, but as of now, Harvin is someone that the Jets need to keep for the future. The Jets could cut Harvin without cap implications and he’s owed quite a bit, but the Jets can’t let a playmaker of his caliber go elsewhere.
  • Josh McCown probably isn’t the Buccaneers‘ quarterback of the future, but “the future is not right here right now,” says head coach Lovie Smith, explaining why he’s sticking with the veteran McCown as the team’s starter down the stretch (link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
  • Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper could be an intriguing pick for the Titans, opines Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Cooper is widely expected to be a top-five pick.
  • The Texans tried out defensive back Delvin Breaux, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • The Titans worked out Mitchell Van Dyk, according to Wilson (via Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Injury Updates: Sunday

October 5th, 2014 at 10:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here are some injuries that occurred during Sunday’s game action:

  • Chargers‘ center Doug Legursky left the blowout victory over the Jets with a knee injury, and Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego reports that he will likely be out much longer (via Twitter).
  • The Jets also lost a key member of their team, with linebacker David Harris suffering a shoulder injury, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI tomorrow.
  • Calais Campbell‘s injury reported earlier was an MCL injury, and will keep him out between three and four weeks, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

  • Saints‘ star tight end Jimmy Graham suffered a sprained shoulder during the team’s overtime victory against the Buccaneers earlier today. The team is going into their bye week, which should give the All-Pro pass catcher time to recover. Graham hopes to return to the field the following week against the Lions.
  • Titans‘ safety Bernard Pollard left the locker room using crutches, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean (via Twitter). The team fears that he has torn his achilles, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. Pollard will have an MRI on Monday.
  • Titans‘ starting quarterback Jake Locker has also faced an injury, being forced out of the team’s loss at the hands of the Browns. Locker injured his thumb in the game, and while X-rays were negative, he will have an MRI on Monday, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.
  • Giants‘ running back Rashad Jennings is set to have an MRI on his knee tomorrow, but believes the injury is not serious, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
  • There have been a number of injuries for the Cardinals during their matchup against the Broncos. Starting quarterback Drew Stanton, who was already filling in for an injured Carson Palmer, has been forced out of the game with a concussion, reports Mark Dalton of the Arizona Cardinals (via Twitter). Rookie Logan Thomas has replaced him in the game. The team does not have an emergency quarterback left on their roster. Defensive end Calais Campbell has also been removed from the game with a knee injury, reports Lindsay Jones of USA Today (via Twitter).
  • The Broncos have not been unscathed so far, losing running back Montee Ball to a groin injury, reports Chris Cwik of CBS Sports.
  • The Chargers have also experienced some key injuries despite building a big lead over the Jets. Tackle D.J. Fluker and receiver Malcolm Floyd have both left the game with lower leg injuries, and failed to return, reports Eric Williams of ESPN (via Twitter). Running back Donald Brown also left the game with a concussion, writes Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter).

King’s Latest: Stanton, Ravens, Bowles

September 22nd, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Peter King of TheMMQB.com tackles a number of topics in his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column, and we’ll round up several of the highlights from his latest piece below. Let’s dive in….

  • In the wake of Drew Stanton‘s second straight victory for the Cardinals, King takes a look at how Stanton ultimately ended up in Arizona. The signal-caller signed with the Jets in 2012 expecting to be Mark Sanchez‘s backup, but when the team signed Tim Tebow, Stanton was sent to the Colts, where he began working with offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. As King writes, “Stanton loved the guy, and Arians loved him back,” which led to the Cardinals head coach bringing the quarterback with him to Arizona.
  • Asked by King if he pushed to have the Ravens release Ray Rice back in February, head coach John Harbaugh didn’t answer yes or no. “That is such an unfair characterization,” Harbaugh said. “It is not fair to the organization. We said all along that the facts would determine the consequences, and that was my stance from the start of this.”
  • Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has emerged as a head-coaching candidate based on the job he’s doing with the team’s defense, which is missing several key pieces, says King.
  • King expects commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith to meet early this week – likely Tuesday – to discuss the new personal conduct committee Goodell vowed on Friday to create. In King’s view, it will likely be made up of former players, current players, an owner or two, and others from the business world who have past experience constructing similarly complicated personal conduct policies.
  • The fact that Goodell was willing to give up decision-making power in the drug appeals process in the league’s new policy bodes well for the future relationship between the NFL and the NFLPA, according to King, who breaks down how that new policy was a win for both the league and the players.
  • In light of Jameis Winston‘s off-field issues at Florida State, there’s a possibility he won’t be a first-round pick when he enters the draft, writes King.