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.
It is amazing the the Oakland Raiders have performed as well as they have this season. NFL Salary Cap expert, J.I. Halsell (@SalaryCap101 on Twitter), tweeted this in regard to the Oakland Salary Cap situation: “Dead $ | The #Raiders w $41.7M lead NFL in '13 cap dollars allotted to Released/Traded players. #Jaguars follow w $34.3M.” This means that roughly one-third of the Raiders Salary Cap is taken by players no longer with the team. Think about that for a moment. Give credit to General Manager Reggie McKenzie and Head Coach Dennis Allen on the four victories this season. To put the lack of talent into perspective, the Oakland passing game had gone three consecutive games without a passing touchdown coming into game against the Houston Texans Sunday so undrafted rookie Matt McGloin's three scoring passes were a welcomed sign. McKenzie has purged the dead weight off the role and is building a solid young nucleus of players.
Peter Schrager of Fox Sports tweeted last week, “Wow. Josh Freeman will make $11.3M in 2013. $2 M more than Keenum, Foles R.Wilson Tannehill, Pryor RG3, Luck, and Dalton combined.” WOW is correct. Freeman was paid handsomely by Tampa Bay and then Minnesota gave the quarterback even more to come be a backup for the Vikings. While it is easy to see how Freeman may not have been put in the best situation to succeed with the Buccaneers, he should be set financially going into next season's free agent marketplace.
NFL.com's Mike Silver stated last week that teammates of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger think he needs to "upgrade his preparation (and) film study away from the facility." Add this angle to the growing discussion of whether Pittsburgh needs to trade away their prized quarterback and begin rebuilding, and the media scrutiny in the steel city is mounting. Roethlisberger is paid much less than his peers so the Steelers would have a market if they decided to pursue moving their franchise passer. The drama is only beginning. Stay tuned. The win over the Lions on Sunday should help quiet the naysayers … at least until the next loss.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker has a Lisfranc injury which will require surgery, according to the Nashville Tennessean. He should be ready for offseason activities. The Tennessean also ran a story indicating that the team holds a $13 million contract option in 2015, and next season could be Locker's last in Tennessee if the former first round pick does not have a great year.
Last Friday, San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters that injured rookie tailback Marcus Lattimore will begin practicing this coming week. There is still little hope – on either side – of Lattimore playing this season. In a story from the Sacramento Bee, Lattimore said, "It would be important to have my mind ready for the next year — real excited about it." It looks like dynasty owners will need to wait another season to see if the knee is fully recovered. With Frank Gore's age and mileage, Lattimore could be an intriguing prospect to watch this coming offseason.
The Houston Texans placed injured running back Arian Foster on injured reserve last Tuesday. Then, two days later, Foster underwent back surgery in California. He should be fine to participate in most of -if not all- the offseason activities. Foster will be an interesting player for dynasty owners this spring and summer. Do you “buy low” hoping for a rebound performance since we all know he is talented or merely stay away or sell and avoid the hassle? This writer will be a buyer just because difference makers at the running back position are difficult to come by as this season has taught us.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Mike James was diagnosed with a broken left ankle, and subsequently placed on injured reserve. This came less than a week after the team placed starter Doug Martin on injured reserve. The good news for Tampa Bay fans is that the team will have two very good ball carriers next season. Bobby Rainey looked great against the sorry Falcons defense Sunday. While it was against a poor defense, the Buccaneers look to have an effective running game in 2014.
In a Bengals.com story, Cincinnati tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis revealed that he broke his thumb in week two, and has been playing with it ever since. The runner has not played well and it is unknown whether the thumb can be blamed on this year's performance. Rookie Giovani Bernard is slowly overtaking Green-Ellis as the primary back in the Bengals backfield.
Kansas City wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was arrested last Sunday evening for possession of marijuana. The arrest was one reason coaches fear bye weeks, and giving players an abundance of free time. But, it is doubtful bow will be suspended. This arrest falls under the NFL's substance abuse policy and is his first offense. However, let's remember that Bowe was suspended in 2009 after violating the performance-enhancing drugs policy. This offered a distraction more than anything for the Chiefs. There is no way the team or the league would take any action against a first-time offender, especially before the case goes to trial. Bowe had a decent game against the Broncos on Sunday Night Football. He is slowly gaining the trust of quarterback Alex Smith.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Texans tight end Owen Daniels said last Wednesday he is targeting a return to action in week fourteen. In week five, Daniels fractured his right fibula so there has been plenty of time for the injury to heal. But, with Houston so far out of the playoff chase, some may question the decision to rush him back to the lineup.
The agent for injured Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley released a statement last week stating that Finley has elected to undergo spinal fusion surgery. "We have collectively determined that while surgery may not be 100% necessary, it is a proactive measure that should alleviate future risks with regards to a similar episode or re-injury … Jermichael has elected to undergo a spinal fusion with Dr. Joseph Maroon, the Pittsburgh Steelers team Neurosurgeon. Dr. Maroon is experienced in conducting this type of procedure on professional athletes in contact sports, and is confident that Jermichael will fully recover following the procedure. Once surgery has been completed, Jermichael has every intention of resuming his football career, and we fully support his efforts to do so." This is no minor surgery for the free agent-to-be tight end. Former Green Bay tight end Mark Chmura stated earlier in the week that “I got a chance to talk to Jermichael Finley before the game, and I would bet my bottom dollar his career's over. Over." While it would be unwise to take Chmura's medical analysis as a doctor's opinion, we would tend to think he is right given the information we now know.
Injuries to monitor this week:
Michael Vick: Hamstring
Terrelle Pryor: Knee
Jay Cutler: Ankle
Aaron Rodgers: Collarbone
E.J. Manuel: Knee
Arian Foster: Back
Darren McFadden: Hamstring
Michael Crabtree: Achilles
Percy Harvin: Hip
Marques Colston: Knee
Miles Austin: Hamstring
Jimmy Graham: Foot
Dennis Pitta: Hip
Kyle Rudolph: Foot
Feel free to email me (Tefertiller@Footballguys.com) with feedback. Also, I am on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/JeffTefertiller), LinkedIn, and Google+, so you can ask me questions on one of these as well.
