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.
Dallas quarterback Tony Romo broke his collarbone on Sunday afternoon. He is expected to be out at least eight weeks. It is disappointing for the Cowboys who are thin at the skill positions. Even with a 2-0 record, Weeden will need to win roughly half of the games Romo misses just to keep Dallas in the hunt for the division title. The big question is whether the former Cleveland first round pick is capable of performing to this level for eight weeks. Weeden did complete all seven passes attempted against the Eagles for 73 yards and the long touchdown to Terrance Williams.
Drew Brees hurt his shoulder and could miss several weeks. There are conflicting reports as to whether Brees will miss the rest of the season or just a few games due to the rotator cuff injury. But, we expect him to be out of action at least one week, and it could be several. The New Orleans offense was sputtering even with Brees and should be run-heavy with Luke McCown under center. The Saints have little in the way of weapons. Expect Mark Ingram and C.J. Spiller to see RB1 touches until Brees comes back.
Jay Cutler left the game against the Arizona Cardinals with an hamstring injury. He was replaced by Jimmy Clausen. This is a Bears offense which played without Alshon Jeffery this week after Jeffery tweaked his hamstring in practice last week. The Chicago offense is not a strong one without the starting quarterback and top pass catcher. Adam Schefter tweeted Monday that Cutler is expected to be out of action two games. This means Cutler will miss next week's game in Seattle. What a nightmare scenario for the Bears, 0-2 record and play the tough Seahawks on the road, who are desperate for a win themselves. Coach John Fox has his hands full in turning around the storied franchise.
Eddie Lacy sprained his ankle in the Sunday night contest against Seattle. Dr. David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc on Twitter) tweeted Sunday night, “Will need to wait to see how much swelling overnight, but (Eddie) Lacy's ankle sprain appears to be in the 1-3 week range by video.” This will give dynasty owners a chance to buy the powerful runner an opportunity to buy while James Starks holds down the fort.
Even several days after spraining his PCL, Andre Ellington admitted he was still a few weeks from getting back on the field. Most experts consider the injury to cost Ellington 2-3 games. While Chris Johnson is getting the love and support from the coaching staff, keep an eye on rookie David Johnson who is working to gain a larger role in the offense. He is physically gifted and could garner a larger role in the offense as the season progresses. On Monday, coach Bruce Arians suggested that the rookie Johnson will have an increasing role in the coming weeks. We expect the rookie to prove himself worthy of a larger role going forward.
Falcons rookie Tevin Coleman left the game against the Giants with a rib injury. He never returned to the field, even in a very close game. Coleman has been productive in his first two games, showing a good fit in the Kyle Shanahan offense. Devonta Freeman replaced Coleman in the lineup and even scored a short touchdown. Adam Schefter reported that Coleman has been has a broken rib, and will be sidelined a couple of weeks, depending on his pain threshold. If you are looking to sell Freeman, this Coleman injury will give you an opportunity.
When Reggie Bush injured his calf in Week 1, it was unknown how long he would be out. Now, it is expected that the aging scat back will return this week to face division-rival Arizona. Bush will be used to keep Carlos Hyde fresh against a strong defense, even if just on obvious passing downs. With the 49ers offense unable to get ahead most games, Bush may have a larger role than expected as San Francisco may be playing from behind often.
The foot injury for Dez Bryant sent shockwaves across the nation, as everyone had an opinion on how long the superstar should be sidelined. After Bryant has the surgery to repair his injured foot, Dallas owner Jerry Jones stated that he expects Bryant back at practice in Week 4 or 5, and playing in Week 7. This might be overly optimistic, and assumes no setbacks. But, let's remember how tricky foot injuries can be and recovery timetables can vary. Ian Rapoport stated this weekend that Bryant will have a bone graft on the foot and be out 10-12 weeks. Per Rapoport on Twitter, “Long-term, a bone graft is good news for Dez Bryant’s foot healing. Short-term, it lengthens his timeframe. Could be out until Dec.” So, do not take the team's optimism for fact. Bryant will be missing from the lineup at least until the weather gets cold.
One player we were rooting for this season was Victor Cruz. Cruz was looking to return from his ugly Patellar tendon tear. So, it was disappointing to see the calf injury sideline the veteran receiver. After missing the first two games of the season, and officially listed as out days before the game, he is hoping to return in Week 4, at the earliest. Cruz spoke about seeing blood in his calf during a recent interview. It is a serious injury.
Last week, the Dallas Cowboys acquired receiver Brice Butler from the Oakland Raiders for a conditional draft pick. Butler has an intriguing blend of size (6'3”, 215 pounds) and speed (4.4 in the 40-yard dash). He was a seventh-round pick of the Raiders in the 2013 draft. He has looked good in the preseason. Maybe getting out of the Oakland abyss will help him. One concern for fantasy owners is why would the talent-deficient Raiders trade a perceived talented player for so little … that is, if he really is talented. With or without Dez Bryant in the lineup, Dallas could use Butler's speed on the field. He is definitely a player with the upside to make a valuable stash deep on the roster.
It was no surprise when Jason La Canfora reported Sunday morning that some Cleveland Browns coaches would prefer the Browns release wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and just cut bait on a bad investment. The team cannot do that unless unless it is willing to also part ways with the large guaranteed money ($9 million) left on the contract signed this spring. Considering the Browns beat the Titans without Bowe, and have proven to be able to win without him, there is no reason to make Bowe a big part of the offense.
New Miami tight end Jordan Cameron left the Dolphins' Week 2 game against the Jaguars with a groin injury. He did not return to action. Many will remember that Cameron was slapped with the “injury prone” label during his days in Cleveland. It is difficult to rely on Cameron going forward, even when he returns from the groin injury.
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.
