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.
This past week, the Arizona Cardinals locked up quarterback Carson Palmer with a a three-year, $50 million extension. This will mean Palmer retires in a Cardinal uniform. Interestingly, the guaranteed portion of the deal ends after the 2015 season. Give Palmer his due. He has played very well since joining forces with coach Bruce Arians. The almost 35-year old passer had Arizona in a commanding lead of the NFC West, something thought outlandish just a few months ago, but he tore his left ACL in the game against the Rams Sunday. The left knee is the same one Palmer hurt in January 2006. The injury could put Palmer's career into question as well as shine a spotlight on Drew Stanton. There is a very real chance rookie Logan Thomas sees playing time as well.
With Nick Foles sidelined with a broken clavicle, Mark Sanchez assumed the starter's role Monday night. He played well and will keep the Eagles in the playoff chase. We even think Sanchez has a chance to be a starter somewhere in 2015. However, Philadelphia fans are taking Foles for granted. The longer Sanchez plays, the better Foles will look. While he has not lived up to 2013 expectations, Foles has been solid running the Chip Kelly offense. The play of Sanchez may decide how quickly Foles comes back. More will be known in three weeks when Foles gets another x-ray on the collarbone.
This past week, the Houston Texans made an expected move, benching starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick for Ryan Mallett. So, why was this expected? Fitzpatrick was unable to throw the ball down the field with any velocity, and cannot help his team win games. The quarterback play was costing the team wins and something had to change. The Texans traded for Mallett and will need to know if he is the answer at the position. There were rumors circling that many of the veterans, including wide receiver Andre Johnson, were in favor of the switch. Of course, the pass catchers wanted the big-armed Mallett at the helm. But, let's insert a dose of reality into the discussion. Even with expectations heightened because head coach Bill O'Brien coached Mallett in New England, the youngster has not played well as a professional. He has yet to turn that potential into production. For fantasy owners of the receivers, the move is welcomed.
Struggling Tampa Bay quarterback Mike Glennon was benched last week for Josh McCown. While Glennon had not played especially well, Josh McCown was even worse earlier in the season. The veteran McCown does not possess a strong arm and will find it difficult to consistently target the big receivers, Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, down the field. The Buccaneers are looking like a strong bet to be selecting a quarterback early in the 2015 NFL Draft. As expected, McCown looked even worse than Glennon against the Falcons Sunday.
Last Tuesday, Adrian Peterson plead his felony child abuse case down to misdemeanor reckless assault in a Texas courtroom. The final plea included no mention of child abuse. Peterson was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and serve 80 hours of community service. While it may seem that the star tailback got off lightly, there was a very real chance he would have not been convicted. In fact, the district attorney stated that most of the jury was disciplined as a child. This set off a firestorm of activity toward gaining reinstatement in the NFL. Right after putting the legal matters to rest, Peterson's camp applied for immediate reinstatement. This request was denied by the NFL. As news comes out about the situation, consider a few things. The NFL does not consider Peterson's placement on the “exempt” list as discipline so any discipline resulting from a settlement with the NFL would require additional time away from the game. Peterson has been getting paid while on the “exempt” list so it is hard to argue against the league's point of view. Further, as the commissioner reviews Peterson's reinstatement, a settlement will be reached … but it will likely take a few weeks (according to Adam Schefter). Lastly, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported last week that the team still is having internal discussion regarding whether the team should allow the superstar to return this season. So, it is possible Peterson returns to action, but far from likely. There is no precedent so all editorials are just guesswork at this point. The NFLPA has filed a grievance to push up the timetable for a decision. However, there are some reports that the NFL will impose a suspension on Peterson which will include most of the rest of the season. In the possible outcomes, there is a chance the Vikings running back plays as early as Week 12 … or misses the rest of the season. This is such a fluid situation that we advise keeping a close eye on the Footballguys.com news.
Keep an eye on Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick. According to an ESPN article last week, Detroit plans on giving Riddick touches and snaps going forward even with Reggie Bush back in the lineup, like Sunday's game against Miami. Riddick's playing time will come at the expense of Bush. He was able to catch the game-winning touchdown late in the game against the Dolphins.
The extension injured running back Kendall Hunter signed last week should be further proof that the San Francisco 49ers are prepared to allow Frank Gore to depart in the offseason. Hunter is recovering from an ACL tear and will be ready for action at the beginning of training camp. A Carlos Hyde-Kendall Hunter combination should be more than adequate in 2015.
In a sad note, San Francisco running back Marcus Lattimore informed the 49ers that he intends to retire. In Lattimore's press release, he said, "After prayer and careful consideration, I have decided it’s time to end my professional football career … I have given my heart and soul to the game that I love, and it’s time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life and help others. I have given every ounce of my energy toward making a full recovery from my knee injury, and I have made a lot of progress. Unfortunately, getting my knee fully back to the level the NFL demands has proven to be insurmountable." Lattimore was an amazing talent in South Carolina before the multiple knee injuries stripped him of his play-making ability. The 49ers took Lattimore with a fourth round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He now heads back to college at South Carolina to pursue his degree. Thankfully, Lattimore should be able to collect the $1.7 million insurance policy he took out his junior year in college, paying off if he is unable to play in the NFL … which is the case. Lattimore retires without ever taking a snap in the NFL.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer seems to eternally be frustrated with receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. After the Week 9 against Washington, Zimmer said, "We're not precise enough in a lot of areas … We're trying to get Cordarrelle involved in the offense. We'd love for him to be involved but guys have to make sure that they are in the right places all the time." The youngster is full of potential but is still making too many mistakes for the vikings to rely upon. Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater needs the big plays Patterson can provide.
Keep an eye on Cleveland tight end Jordan Cameron, who has not been cleared for practice at the time of this writing. Concussions keeping a players out of multiple games need to be taken seriously. Add in the reduction of targets when Josh Gordon returns next week and it is difficult to recommend Cameron as a “buy” at this time.
Many dynasty owners have stashed Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert in hopes he would return soon from the dislocated elbow. Eifert was placed on the Injured Reserve/Designated for Return list after Week 1 and was thought to be ready to return by now. So, it was a shock when head coach Marvin Lewis said late last week that there is still a chance that Eifert many miss the remainder of the season. There are two ways to view this comment from the coach. First, Eifert might really be slow recovering from the injury and not come back. However, there is a chance the coach is saying this just to motivate the talented tight end to return quicker. Often, coaches say these types of things to the media to motivate the talented player to return to action as soon as possible. We actually think the latter is in play in this situation.
A tight end sleeper to keep an eye on is Brandon Bostick in Green Bay. Rookie Richard Rodgers and Andrew Quarless have given the Packers next to nothing at the tight end position. This has opened the door for Bostick. Catching a first-half touchdown against the Bears should only help his cause. His role in the offense could grow.
Injuries to monitor
Nick Foles: Collarbone
Robert Griffin III III: Ankle
Matt Cassel: Foot
Carson Palmer: Knee
Knowshon Moreno: Knee
Montee Ball: Groin
Ryan Mathews: Knee
Stevan Ridley: Knee
Andre Ellington: Foot
Rashad Jennings: Knee
C.J. Spiller: Collarbone
Fred Jackson: Groin
Danny Woodhead: Ankle
Victor Cruz: Knee
Cecil Shorts: Hamstring
Marvin Jones: Foot/Ankle
Marqise Lee: Hamstring
Jimmy Graham: Shoulder
Jordan Cameron: Shoulder
Tyler Eifert: Elbow
Owen Daniels: Knee
Jordan Reed: Hamstring
Kyle Rudolph: Groin/ Sports Hernia
Marcedes Lewis: Ankle
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. Subscribe to the Footballguys Dynasty-centered Google Hangouts