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.
Beat reporter John McCain of the Houston Chronicle was one of the first to report that Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett missed the team charter to Miami for Sunday's game and had to board a commercial flight. Mallett later said the issue was traffic. This is the second occurrence of the like. Mallett's lack of care only solidifies Hoyer's hold on the starting job. If Tom Savage was healthy, there is a strong chance that Mallett would be looking for a job. The team needs him to back up Hoyer.
Even on the bye week, the Green Bay running back situation generated plenty of discussion. In a story from Packer Report, coach Mike McCarthy said last week that he will play the "hot hand" between Eddie Lacy and James Starks going forward this season. Yes, Lacy has been battling an ankle injury, but this quote seems to be evidence that Starks will have an increased role. He has played well. But, we will encourage dynasty owners to buy Lacy if his price drops. The Packers will rely on the running game, especially Lacy, when the weather gets cold and nasty.
The injury to Texans running back Arian Foster is a heartbreaker. On Monday, Texans coach Bill O'Brien confirmed that Foster has a torn Achilles' tendon. This will definitely end his season, but could also be a career ender for the superstar runner. He will be 30 years of age before the beginning of next season, and owed a boatload of money. Given the difficulty to recover from such a severe injury, there is a legitimate chance that Foster is not back in a Texans uniform in 2016.
It was a shock before the Thursday evening game when sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson tweeted, “Despite what Carlos Hyde calls a stress fracture in his left foot he will play today.” Hyde did seem to be limited in the contest. When asked, coach Jim Tomsula described the injury as a bone bruise. Either way, the malady will not go away before the Week 8 game in St. Louis and the tough Rams run defense. Hyde does need to be shut down for a few weeks to allow the injury to heal properly. It is not as though the 49ers have playoff asperations at this point in the season.
Last Wednesday, rookie running back David Cobb returned to the Tennessee Titans practice for the first time since placed on the Injured Reserve/designation for return list. Cobb suffered a calf injury in training camp and is still battling the injury. He told the Nashville Tennessean his calf is "not where it will be yet." He is still practicing in a limited fashion, but has two weeks to get fully healed and in football shape. Cobb will be eligible to return to the Week 9 contest against New Orleans. When Cobb is activated, expect Terrance West to be waived. He was acquired from Cleveland for a conditional draft pick and has not played enough to satisfy the conditions of the trade. If Tennessee dumps West, the trade will end up not costing the Titans any draft pick compensation. The rookie is a superior talent to Bishop Sankey and Antonio Andrews, and could easily find himself with a large role in the Titans offense. He is a player to watch over the last half of the season.
We are officially worried about Bills rookie running back Karlos Williams. He suffered a concussion in Week 4 and has not been cleared to practice or play since the injury. With LeSean McCoy's lengthy injury history, Buffalo could be in the market for a backup tailback. Dan Herron and Anthony Dixon are pedestrian at best. Keep an eye on Williams' practice participation this week.
Last Wednesday, Miami rookie running back Jay Ajayi resumed practicing for the first time since cracking his ribs and placed on the Injured Reserve/designation for return list. Like Cobb, Ajayi is not eligible to return to game action until Week 9, a big contest for the Dolphins against the Bills. We expect Ajayi to quickly move into a regular role as Lamar Miller's backup. Damien Williams will be the change-of-pace option in the Miami backfield.
In a Packer Report article, offensive coordinator Tom Clements revealed that star receiver Randall Cobb's shoulder injury has limited his ability to get open. We expect the injury to bother Cobb all season.
Keep an eye on Bears rookie receiver Kevin White in the coming weeks. He is trying to come back from a stress fracture in his leg. ESPN Bears reporter Jeff Dickerson whispered that "there's a chance" White can be medically cleared by Week 11. That is the last week players on the PUP list may be activated in order to play. White was the seventh overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and has loads of upside. Missing so much time in training camp and the season will place White too far behind to be able to make a difference. But, the news that he could return is great news for those who want to buy White at a discount. At a minimum, he should be in great shape for the 2016 season.
With the trade deadline coming quickly, there have been rumors that the woeful Ravens might trade veteran receiver Steve Smith. Yahoo's Eric Edholm wrote that Baltimore is “more likely to try to convince him to return for the 2016 season" than to trade Smith. ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley believes Steve Smith Sr. is reconsidering his decision to retire at the end of the season. Smith still insists publicly that he will retire at the end of the season. But, his high quality of play this season could give an excuse for a return in 2016.
It was a rough week for DeSean Jackson. First, beat writer Mike Jones said he expects the team to release Jackson after the season, saving the team $6.75 million. Jackson has been out of action since injuring his hamstring in Week 1. Also, there was a report out of Washington that Jackson's home was violently invaded in what could be categorized as gang-related. This is not the type of news that an injured, soon-to-be-released, player needs in order to court his next team. Jones also added that Pierre Garcon could be sent packing as well, saving another $8 million on the 2016 salary cap. The loss of both receivers would open the door for rookie Jamison Crowder to have a much bigger role. He is a player to buy.
The Percy Harvin saga just gets stranger and stranger. He is still battling a hip injury, leading to the absence in London for the Week 7 game. There were conflicting reports last week about whether Harvin is considering retirement. This led the team to start calling Harvin's situation a “personal” absence. In fact, General Manager Doug Whaley said, "We found out early last week that he needed to take some time for personal reasons .. I haven’t been in contact with him. We said we’re gonna focus this week on this game, and then when we get back we’ll reach out to him and see where he is." So, why would the team call the absence “personal” and not “injury”. The reason is simple. If Harvin retires for “personal” reasons, the team can go after some of Harvin's signing bonus. Either way, the relationship is strained if one side is planning how to attack legally after separation. Few players have worn out so many welcomes as quickly as Harvin. He is talented in this area.
One of the biggest surprises this year is Dwayne Bowe. He has played fewer than 20 snaps this entire season. Think about this situation for a moment. The Kansas City Chiefs, who have a void at the receiver position, and the Browns, who have little talent at the position, agree that Bowe offers nothing … we should agree. The rub for Browns fans is the $9 million guaranteed on the deal signed this past offseason. Cleveland is on the hook for the salary either way so the team has been hesitant to cut Bowe loose. It really is the only option, albeit painful to the pocketbook.
The NFL suspended Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa four games for violating the league's personal-conduct policy. It is bad timing for Enunwa who was starting to garner more and more playing time. The suspension stems from the youngster's September 2014 arrest on domestic violence charges. His absence should lead to a bigger role for rookie Devin Smith and Chris Owusu.
One rookie we were high on early in the process was tight end Clive Walford. He has flashed potential, but still looking to develop into a NFL tight end. Coach Jack Del Rio was very complimentary of Walford in a recent San Francisco Chronicle article, “I think he’s a guy that will begin to emerge more and more … "A good-size guy that is a very capable blocker, who is also a guy who has the athleticism to be a threat as a route runner. So when you combine those things, you feel like he’s got a lot of upside in terms of being a complete tight end, a guy who can do a little bit of both." We still have not seen Walford's best as a professional. He will continue to get better.
Many were excited when Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta practiced for the first time last Wednesday. The team has 21 days from that date to either activate Pitta from the PUP list or allow him to go on Injured Reserve. In an ESPN report, Pitta talked about the situation, “if I can't make it back this year, what's going to change next year? … For me, in my mind, I'm working to get back this year. If I can't, that might be it." We feel for the once-promising tight end. He is vying to come back from a twice-fractured and surgically-repaired hip. Pitta has slim odds at returning this season. He is trying to return from a very serious injury.
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