We scour the news around the NFL to bring you what matters most for you and your dynasty team: the most current news on players, both superstars and the relative unknowns, and analysis to decipher the respective situations. These are many of the major stories and not meant to be an exhaustive look at all of the recent happenings around the league.
Many were surprised middle of last week when Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck was reported to have an lacerated kidney. Yes, this is the same injury which caused Keenan Allen to miss the rest of the season. This is why the report of Luck's return to action in as little as two weeks are a dream. If he is lucky, Luck will be back Week 15. He also had a partial tear of an abdominal muscle. The remarkable part is that Luck did not exit the game against the Broncos after the injury. He stayed in the lineup to help his team to the win. With Luck as the face of the franchise, we expect him not to return until fully healthy. This means Matt Hasselbeck will try to keep the Colts at the top of the AFC South for the next few weeks.
Broncos Peyton Manning has not looked right for a while. We do not know which came first, the poor play or the injuries. But, after the horrific play Sunday in the loss to the Chiefs, news leaked of Manning's plantar fasciitis in his left foot plus a painful rib injury. Could the future Hall of Fame quarterback have been hurt in the last couple of weeks? Sure, but, this injury should also allow the team to take a long look at Brock Osweiler for the next game or two.
With all of the turnover in Detroit, there are rumors of the team open to trading quarterback Matthew Stafford this offseason. If the Lions are open to the idea, Jason Cole opined that he would expect the Texans, 49ers, Browns, and Jets to have interest in Stafford. Even though he has not been stellar, top 10 young quarterbacks are difficult to come by. Stafford is still just 27 years of age and then would be on the search for another passer themselves. If Stafford is dealt, we would expect Calvin Johnson to be traded, too. If gutting the team for draft picks, the team might as well razed it to the ground. Do not let the win against the Packers distract from the fact that there are plenty of holes to fill. We expect a new team president, the new president to hire a new general manager, the new general manager to hire a new head coach, and the new GM and coach to decide on Stafford's future with the team. There is a chance that the new regime will want their new face of the franchise.
On Monday, the Rams benched quarterback Nick Foles for Case Keenum. Foles was not having the best of seasons in St. Louis. He is not a strong enough passer to carry an offense void of pass catchers. Keenum will not be a player we advise picking up. Yes, he threw for a ton of yards in college, but quarterback-needy teams have not thought him worth a roster spot. In the run-heavy Rams offense with coach Jeff Fisher desiring a conservative offense, there is little upside for whomever is under center for St. Louis.
Adding insult to injury, former Dallas running back Joseph Randle was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league's personal-conduct policy stemming from February's domestic abuse arrest. So, Randle has an oblique injury, went AWOL from the Cowboys team, was waived and unclaimed, and now the suspension. Even though he played well earlier in the season, Randle will need to seek counseling to put him back on track for the NFL. Few teams outside of Dallas would put up with such turmoil.
The Patriots lost a key cog in the offense when Julian Edelman injured his foot Sunday afternoon against the Giants. According to Dr. David Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc), Edelman suffered a “Jones fracture” of his fifth metatarsal. According to the doctor, surgery is the quickest way to return from such a injury. Best case scenario is a six-to-eight week timetable. Edelman underwent the surgery Monday to get a jump on the recovery. We do not like the chances of Danny Amendola fully replacing Edelman's production. He, too, has struggled to remain healthy.
Tennessee Titans receiver Justin Hunter fractured his ankle in Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. He is the posterchild for a player oozing potential but struggling to live up to expectations. Let's remember that Hunter missed part of last season with a lacerated kidney. It did not take long – just one day – for the Titans to place Hunter on Injured Reserve. The string of injuries to the Tennessee receivers only places more pressure on rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota.
While he has been productive since coming back from the MCL (knee) injury, Chargers tight end Antonio Gates told reporters last week that he is not even close to full health. Gates said, "I know it’s an issue … I can feel it. I feel the sharp pains in cuts. I can’t explode. The fatigue in certain parts of my leg. I know it’s all from compensating from the knee. I’m just trying to fight through it and lead by example to show these guys what it’s like to be a pro in this league. This is what it takes to be successful." Also, let's consider that his age (35 years old) will work against Gates healing quickly.
Last week, Baltimore placed tight end Dennis Pitta on Injured Reserve. This is a sad ending to a once-promising career. He was trying to come back from consecutive hip injuries. The Ravens offense sure could use Pitta's play-making ability with the lack of weapons in the passing game.
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