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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.
Jay Cutler tore his groin in the week-seven game against Washington. He will be sidelined a minimum of four weeks. The veteran quarterback has played well under the tutelage of new coach Marc Trestman. As if the situation was not difficult enough for the Chicago quarterback, Mike Silver, of NFL.com, stated last week that he believes there is a chance the Bears let Cutler depart in free agency this coming offseason. According to Silver, Trestman "might not place as much of a premium on arm strength as some of his peers." This would be a shocking development for the Bears and Cutler. Chicago would need to find a quarterback to lead the offense while Cutler would easily be able to find a team willing to fork over in excess of $20 million a season. While we understand the thinking of Silver, it would be a move bolder than many organizations are willing to undertake.
Another quarterback who could be in the last year of his contract was hurt in week seven. Sam Bradford was lost for the season after tearing his left ACL. There has been some debate whether the St. Louis Rams would be willing to pony up the dollars needed to keep Bradford in St. Louis for the long term. The Rams will have a top pick in April's 2014 NFL Draft, and could save a lot of money by parting ways with Bradford, but coach Jeff Fisher stated in a recent interview that the quarterback will be back with the team next year. While statistically this was Bradford's best season of his young career, he still was not playing at the elite level the team needs.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tailback Doug Martin sustained a torn labrum in his left shoulder during the week-seven contest against the Atlanta Falcons. There have been varying reports to how long Martin will be out of action, but it is safe to think he will not be at full strength the rest of the season. Rookie Mike James will continue to lead the team in carries while Martin is out of action.
Houston Texans running back Ben Tate told reporters last week that he suffered four fractured ribs in the loss to Kansas City. In a related report, the Houston Chronicle expressed the option that Tate "won't be healthy the rest of the season." He played through the injury against Kansas City and now has been able to rest the ribs through the bye week so we are expecting him back in the lineup this coming Sunday. Dennis Johnson and Deji Karim were signed to the roster over the weekend.
According to a report in The State, rookie Marcus Lattimore expects to begin practicing in two-to-three weeks. Per Lattimore, "They haven't cleared me yet, but I think they're going to look at it … They really haven't given me an indication or anything set in stone. I know I'll most likely get a chance to practice." He is not expected to play this season but it is great to hear the recovery is going so well for Lattimore. A once-prolific runner in college, many are anxious to see if the knee injuries have taken any of Lattimore's ability.
Last Friday, Denver Broncos beat writer Mike Klis tweeted that Ronnie Hillman would not dress for Sunday's game against Washington. Klis attributed the move to the fumbles in consecutive games. Youngster C.J. Anderson replaced Hillman as the third running back in the Denver offense.
From the "knucklehead" category, the Houston Texans waived running back Cierre Wood last week after he and two others were caught smoking marijuana on the team's trip to Kansas City. All three first-year players were on the practice squad, fighting for an active roster spot. Wood was considered to be the reserve behind Arian Foster and Ben Tate. With both players ahead of him ailing with injuries, Wood possibly cost himself some playing time and a chance to shine.
There were two reports this past week critical of New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. In the first, ESPN NFC East blogger Dan Graziano said that Nicks "doesn't look like the player he used to be." Graziano was basing this statement on Nicks' perceived inability to gain separation on his routes. At this point, it is difficult to ascertain whether the lack of production is from the injuries or possibly a lack of desire. Then, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin had this to say about his star receiver, "He's gotta get better … He's gotta get to the point where the reliability factor is there as strongly as it always has been. Has it been there up to this point? No. But we're saying 'let's work, let's get back to work and get this done.' We count on this guy." Nicks is in the final year of his contract and will be looking for big money this offseason. He needs to play much better in order to garner the type of money Mike Wallace received.
Week seven was brutal for injuries. Indianapolis Colts star receiver Reggie Wayne tore his right ACL, and was lost for the season. The tough part was the injury snapped Wayne's consecutive games played streak stretching over eleven years (WOW!). Making the recovery more difficult is that Wayne will be 35 years old before this Christmas. We do not doubt his toughness nor desire, but Wayne's road back to full strength will be challenging.
After the Thursday night loss to the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams told the Tampa Tribune he has a torn hamstring. This is another blow for the Buccaneers season as Williams was placed on injured reserve Monday. Murphy's Law is in effect for Tampa Bay this season. Expect much change in the offseason.
Detroit Lions receiver Ryan Broyles ruptured his Achilles tendon in the victory over Dallas Sunday and is now lost for the year. The youngster has battled injuries each of the last several years.
Ron Jaworski stated last week that Washington rookie tight end Jordan Reed has been utilized in the same role Shannon Sharpe played in Mike Shanahan's offense. According to Jaworski, "He's one of the guys that jumps off the tape at you … We were talking here, he reminded us on the field of an Aaron Hernandez. He has that kind of wide receiver movement for a big guy. This guy is going to scare the hell out of defenses." While we have been high on the rookie for some time, this set of expectations might be a little too much.
Ed Werder reported last week that Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta is recovering well from his hip surgery and is expected to return to the field as early as Thanksgiving. Technically, Pitta is able to come back from the injured reserve list this week, but will need a few more weeks.
Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley had a scary moment in week seven when he was carted off on a stretch. The injury, a bruised spinal cord, looked very bad and kept Finley in the hospital for several days. The injury is likely to keep Finley out of action for the remainder of this season, but is not expected to be career-threatening.
Last week, the Kansas City Chiefs waived tight end Tony Moeaki with an injury settlement. He is expected to be healthy in the next couple of weeks from the fractured shoulder suffered in training camp. A once-promising tight end, now plagued by injuries, Moeaki could help a team like Green Bay down the stretch.
Injuries to monitor this week:
Michael Vick: Hamstring
EJ Manuel: Knee
Arian Foster: Hamstring
Ben Tate: Ribs
DeMarco Murray: Knee
Doug Martin: Labrum
Steven Jackson: Quad/thigh
David Wilson: Neck
Roddy White: Hamstring
Jimmy Graham: Foot
If you have questions of any variety, please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (Twitter.com/JeffTefertiller) or in the Wannabee thread in the Assistant Coach Forum.
