NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Jordan Matthews has a chip fracture in his sternum

The Bills have updated the condition of wide receiver Jordan Matthews after he suffered a chest injury during his first practice with the team on Sunday.

Matthews, who was acquired in a trade with the Eagles on Friday, went through the entire practice before checking in with trainers and the team announced he wouldn’t meet with reporters because he was undergoing a medical evaluation. They announced the results of that evaluation on Monday and it will be some time before Matthews takes part in his second Bills practice.


The team said Matthews has a chip fracture in his sternum and his return timeline has been pegged at week-to-week as a result.

 

no offense Tim, but have you seen his stats for his first 3 yrs? only 3 or 4 other guys ever have similar catch numbers.

 

He was basically Brandon Lafell last season.

I would be hesitant to trade a hot meatloaf sandwich for Matthews. Fries and gravy would probably be a deal breaker.

I think he hit his NFL ceiling in his second year. I see a player with limited upside going into a situation where he probably follows a similar career track as he did his first 3 years in Philly. He'll have roster value until a better player comes along and then he'll be shipped off to another team that is hoping to turn him into a true #1 option, probably because they are devoid of one.

 

Matthews' #'s IMO are more a function of opportunity than talent...pretty mediocre for the volume of targets he received, honestly.

 

hmm. good call Tim.

 

How about a Geno's philly cheese steak with fries.

 

^^ noo. geno's is a tourist trap. so many places have better steaks. tony luke's and jim's to have 2....

 

It's the only name I could come up with. I don't live in Philadelphia so I can't remember the others. I used to spend every other week in philly filling in for a missing technician at the Federal Reserve Bank. I ate at all 3 in Genos, Tony Luke's & jims. Just couldn't remember the names.

 

^^and don't forget Pat's too !

 

Falcons' Devonta Freeman in concussion protocol

Falcons running back Devonta Freeman displayed concussion-like symptoms at practice on Sunday. On Monday, head coach Dan Quinn announced Freeman is in the concussion protocol and ruled him out for this weekend's preseason game against the Steelers.

"After taking him inside yesterday where we thought he had heat related (issues), he reported that he had some concussion symptoms," Quinn said, per the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "So, we put him in the protocol for that. He'll be out this week. He may start practicing as we, but we are going to rule him out now."

Quinn added that he's not sure Freeman will be out for the rest of the preseason, per ESPN.com.

"We were definitely disappointed that it happened," Quinn said. "But as far as heading into the future, that's out of my hands in terms of the (doctors). Let them handle that. Let's just see how it goes. It's too early to make that -- I'll rule him out for this week for sure but past that? He's not gonna get a ton of reps this preseason. Nor is Matt (Ryan) or Julio (Jones). We've got real competition at running back and I am trying to find out quite a bit about a number of guys so we'll take it from there."

 

Lions DE Kerry Hyder out for season with torn Achilles

The Lions' worst fears regarding defensive end Kerry Hyder have been confirmed.

Hyder is done for the season with a torn Achilles, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday. Hyder sustained the injury early in Sunday's preseason win over the Colts. Immediately following the game, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell labeled the injury "significant," foreshadowing Monday's development.

The news is obviously a downer for a defense that was pleasantly surprised by Hyder's emergence a year ago. A former undrafted free agent, Hyder posted eight sacks and a pass breakup last year.

As the Detroit Free Press noted on Sunday, losing Hyder amid the uncertainty regarding Ziggy Ansah is like asking the defense to "fight offenses with one hand tied behind its back." The Lions are peppered with quality players across their defense, but are dangerously thin at pass rusher.

 

No, I get that, and if there weren't inconsistencies and such involving the accuser, I would bat an eye at the suspension. It's just that when the court says that there were issues with what the accuser says and her credibility, then I have to question the suspension, especially in regard to the info Ken Houston and company came across that the court did not. It makes no sense. What info was the nfl committee privy to that the court wasn't?

 

The Los Angeles Chargers will open the season without one of their best defensive starters.

Middle linebacker Denzel Perryman is expected to miss at least the first four games of the season after sustaining an ankle injury in the preseason opener, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, via a source informed of the situation.

A strong candidate for injured reserve/designated for return, Rapoport added, Perryman might need surgery on the ankle. The third-year linebacker was sporting crutches and a walking boot after getting carted off the field Sunday night.

 

The DAs office has an opportunity to gauge the percentage that a jury would be able to find him guilty of something unanimously in order to prosecute. If that percentage isn't high, or at least better odds than a coin flip, well then, they aren't wasting tax payer money.

The NFL doesn't have those rules to decide whether to persecute. If they see the wrong doing, they can and have punished for it.

Pretty simple...

In fact, I think it's easier for them to do it in this instance, then it would be had he been charged and had a jury of his peers acquit him off any wrong doing. THAT would have made it more difficult to suspend him in the league.

 

Dolphins lose starting cornerback Tony Lippett for season

The Dolphins are down a starting cornerback.

Tony Lippett has a torn Achilles tendon and will miss the entire season.


Lippett, who started 13 games last season, was a 2015 fifth-round draft pick of the Dolphins. He suffered the injury during Monday’s practice.

The injury is a significant blow to the Dolphins’ defense and special teams: Lippett played 75 percent of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps and 36 percent of the Dolphins’ special teams snaps last season.

 

The Eagles have cut Ryan Mathews...

 

Eagles are all out of Mathews' !

 

Exactly this. A court case can have evidence thrown out so a jury wouldn't see it. The NFL does not have those rules and can use any evidence they find regardless of how it was obtained. As Irish said, its easier for the NFL to conduct an investigation than the DA.

 

Tobin isn't cut yet.

 

ZEKE FILES APPEAL...

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott officially filed his notice of appeal to the six-game suspension he received last week for violating the league's personal conduct policy, a source informed of the situation told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. The NFL Players Association confirmed the appeal filing a short time later.

The filing comes four days after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Elliott after a year-long domestic violence investigation by the league determined there is "substantial" evidence that he assaulted a woman identifying herself as his former girlfriend.

A date for Elliott's appeal hearing must be scheduled within 10 days of the notice of appeal.

A portion of Elliott's appeal argument will revolve around the credibility of his ex-girlfriend, Tiffany Thompson, those familiar with it told Rapoport. Elliott's legal team will attempt to show that the NFL's suspension did not accurately weigh that factor in making its decision.

Elliott's six-game ban stems solely from the league's investigation into the domestic violence allegations made by Thompson in July 2016, a league source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. In a statement released by the league, Todd Jones, the NFL's Special Counsel for Conduct, said independent advisers who reviewed the evidence gathered by the league "were of the view that there is substantial and persuasive evidence supporting a finding that [Elliott] engaged in physical violence against Ms. Thompson on multiple occasions during the week of July 16, 2016."

Elliott, 22, has denied the accusations. He was never arrested or charged in the matter.

On Monday, Rapoport and Pelissero reported Elliott accused Thompson of harassment in a filing with Texas police in September. Frisco Police Sgt. Jeff Inmon told Pelissero the harassment case is no longer under active investigation.

Goodell was aware of the harassment filing when forming his suspension decision, but Elliott's legal team hopes to highlight it in their appeal, according to Rapoport.

If Elliott's full suspension is upheld on appeal, he would be barred from taking part in any team activities starting on Sept. 2. He wouldn't be eligible to play until the team's Week 8 contest against the Washington Redskins on Oct. 29.