April 2016 - Football Wiretap

Bills Place Sammy Watkins On IR With Foot Injury

Oct 2, 2016 12:18 PM

The Buffalo Bills have placed Sammy Watkins on injured reserve, which means he'll miss at least eight weeks.

Watkins has been suffering from an injured foot since Week 2. Watkins is not currently scheduled to undergo surgery.

The Bills have claimed Justin Hunter in a related move.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Buffalo Bills, Fantasy, Injury

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Jamaal Charles To Make Debut In Week 4

Sep 30, 2016 4:31 PM

Jamaal Charles, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered less than a year ago, will make his season debut Sunday night, according to a source.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Charles, 29, rushed for 364 yards and four touchdowns on 71 carries in five games before suffering the injury last season.

Adam Schefter/ESPN

Tags: Kansas City Chiefs, Injury

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Bills Have 'Major Concern' About Sammy Watkins' Foot

Sep 30, 2016 4:28 PM

The Buffalo Bills will be without Sammy Watkins this weekend and Rex Ryan says the team has "major concern" about the receiver's foot.

Watkins is dealing with soreness in his left foot following offseason surgery to repair a broken bone.

"I don't mind doing this every week," Ryan said Friday of keeping open the possibility for Watkins to play. "If Sammy can play, then obviously we want him out there. But if this is something that is hurting this young man in any way, shape or form, then absolutely I don't want him out there."

Watkins has not been available in the locker room or spoken to reporters since Sept. 19, when he said his foot injury was "kind of out of the window," adding, "I know what I'm dealing with; the team knows what I'm dealing with. It's up to me to go out there and play."

Mike Rodak/ESPN

Tags: Buffalo Bills, Injury

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Eric Decker Out For Week 4 With Torn Rotator Cuff

Sep 30, 2016 2:02 PM

Eric Decker won't play in Week 4 for the New York Jets against the Seattle Seahawks.

Decker has been diagnosed with a partially torn rotator cuff.

Todd Bowles called it a "week-to-week" injury, indicating that surgery isn't planned at this time.

Decker was injured in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills, but he played in every offensive snap last Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. He caught only one pass in the game.

Rich Cimini/ESPN

Tags: New York Jets, Fantasy, Injury

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Browns To Part Ways With Josh Gordon

Oct 2, 2016 12:18 PM

The Cleveland Browns will part ways with Josh Gordon.

Gordon is entering a rehabilitation facility, citing a need to "gain full control of my life."

Hue Jackson said earlier Friday that the team will "move on" from Gordon. The source acknowledged that the Browns ultimately plan to cut ties with Gordon, but noted that Jackson's comment was not meant to reflect the team's plans.

Gordon was suspended for the entire 2015 season but was reinstated conditionally on July 25 by commissioner Roger Goodell, though he also was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season.

Dan Graziano/ESPN

Tags: Cleveland Browns, Fantasy, Free Agent Rumor, Misc Rumor

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Bill O'Brien Taking Over Play-Calling For Texans

Sep 30, 2016 11:39 AM

Bill O'Brien will call plays on offense for the Houston Texans, taking those duties away from offensive coordinator George Godsey.

O'Brien called plays during his first season with the team in 2014, but gave the duty to Godsey last year.

 

The Texans added offense this offseason, signing quarterback Brock Osweiler, running back Lamar Miller and drafting wide receiver Will Fuller in the first round.

"We really have to go back as a coaching staff and really look at what we did, learn from it, and try to fix it," O'Brien said. "We really need to put our heads together and get after it and get better for the next game, no doubt about it."

Sarah Barshop/ESPN

Tags: Houston Texans

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Steelers To Use Le'Veon Bell More As Receiver

Oct 2, 2016 12:18 PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers could use Le'Veon Bell as a receiver in two-back sets against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.

Bell, one of the most productive receiving backs in the NFL, is returning from a three-game suspension.

"In a way, yes," Ben Roethlisberger said when asked if Bell could play in the slot. "Listen, we're not going to put him at wide receiver and use DeAngelo [Williams] at running back, but we will, I think, have them both on the field and move them out of the backfield.

"We're not going to take RB off the front of (Bell's) name and put WR, but I definitely think he is one of our best receivers."

The Steelers have struggled to make plays with Martavis Bryant suspended for the year, Markus Wheaton struggling with drops and Ladarius Green sidelined indefinitely.

Bell has caught 152 passes in 35 career games.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tags: Pittsburgh Steelers

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Panthers Will Be Without Jonathan Stewart For Another Week

Sep 30, 2016 7:58 AM

The Carolina Panthers will be without Jonathan Stewart for at least another week because of a hamstring injury.

Ron Rivera said Thursday that it's clear Stewart won't be ready to face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4.

That means Cameron Artis-Payne will start with Fozzy Whittaker serving as his No. 2.

Bill Voth/Black And Blue Review

Tags: Carolina Panthers, Injury

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J.J. Watt Undergoes Surgery, Unlikely To Return This Season

Sep 30, 2016 7:53 AM

J.J. Watt had back surgery Thursday and is not expected to return this season, according to a source.

The Houston Texans placed Watt on injured reserve on Wednesday, putting him out for a minimum of eight weeks.

Watt missed training camp and Houston's four preseason games after surgery in July to repair a herniated disk in his back.

Adam Schefter/ESPN

Tags: Houston Texans, Injury

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Lady Gaga Announced As Super Bowl LI Halftime Show Performer

Sep 29, 2016 8:48 PM

Lady Gaga has been officially announced as the performer for Super Bowl LI Halftime Show in Houston on Feb. 5, 2017.

This will be Lady Gaga's second time performing on the Super Bowl stage, after having sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl 50 last February. Lady Gaga also performed at last year's Oscars.

Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars performed at last year's halftime show following Katy Perry's performance at the previous Super Bowl.

RealGM Staff Report

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NFL Still Hasn't Sent Two Winning Teams To Play Game In London
Not a single game of the 15 so far has matched up two teams with winning records.

Michael David Smith/Pro Football Talk

Josh Gordon Enters Inpatient Rehab Facility
Josh Gordon was set to be reinstated by the NFL to return to play in Week 5 but he's instead entered an inpatient treatment facility.

Zac Jackson/Pro Football Talk

Dez Bryant Unlikely To Play Against 49ers
Dez Bryant, who avoided having an MRI initially because he was fearful the results would reveal bad news about his right leg injury, is not expected to play Sunday, according to a source.

Todd Archer/ESPN

Buccaneers Want Jameis Winston To Throw Less
The Buccaneers want to focus on the ground game more and limit the number of throws Jameis Winston has to make.

Tampa Times

Eric Decker Will 'Probably' Have MRI On Shoulder
Eric Decker was held out of practice on Wednesday and will "probably" undergo an MRI to determine the extent of a shoulder injury.

Josh Alper/Pro Football Talk

NFL Now Unlikely To Play 2018 Game In China
Despite reports that the Rams and 49ers would play in China in 2018, a league spokesman says there's probably more work to do than can be done in two years.

Albert Breer/The MMQB

Dez Bryant Was No-Show, Led To Delayed MRI
The MRI on Dez Bryant's injured right knee was delayed because he was was absent from Monday's treatment for injured players and Tuesday's meetings, according to sources.

Todd Archer/ESPN

C.J. Spiller Agrees To Sign With Seahawks
The Seahawks are thin at running back following the retirement of Marshawn Lynch and the injury to Thomas Rawls.

Ian Rapoport/NFL.com

Cam Newton: I Won't Let Kelvin Benjamin Go Catchless Again
Kelvin Benjamin saw just one target and went catchless in Sunday's loss to the Vikings.

Jeremy Bergman/NFL

NFL, Tom Coughlin's Agent Deny Reported Meeting With Bills Ownership
Both the NFL and Tom Coughlin's agent have denied a report that he met with Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula over the weekend.

Mike Florio/Pro Football Talk

Terrelle Pryor Believes Browns Can Win Out
The Browns have started the season with three straight losses, but Terrelle Pryor believes they can rebound in a big way.

Mary Kay Cabot/Cleveland Plain Dealer

Seahawks Confident Russell Wilson Will Face Jets
Russell Wilson was a participant in Wednesday morning's walkthrough.

Conor Orr/NFL

Rex Ryan Joins Conference Call, Asks Julian Edelman If He'll Play QB
The Patriots have not indicated who will start Sunday's game at quarterback.

Mike Rodak/ESPN

David Carter, Griff Whalen Are Rare NFL Vegans
Tyrann Mathieu's agent says his client is about 90 percent vegan.

Rachael Wenzlaff/NFL.com

Dez Bryant Has Hairline Fracture In Knee
Dez Bryant could continue playing despite the injury or miss three weeks.

Ian Rapoport/NFL.com

Todd Bowles: Jets Had 'Come-To-Jesus Meeting' After Loss
The Jets had an important meeting after Sunday's blowout loss to the Chiefs.

Conor Orr/NFL

Adam Gase Warns Dolphins: Shape Up, Or You'll Be On Bench
Adam Gase is willing to send players to the bench if they don't perform for the Dolphins.

Adam H. Beasley/Miami Herald

Ronnie Lott 'Optimistic' About Keeping Raiders In Oakland
Ronnie Lott is "optimistic" about keeping the Raiders in Oakland as he continues to talk to government and team officials about a way to keep the club from moving.

Vic Tafur/San Francisco Chronicle

Referees Threatened To Sit Antonio Brown Over Custom Cleats
The NFL threatened to sideline Antonio Brown for the second half of Sunday's game if he didn't take off his baby blue cleats emblazoned with the faces of his children.

Jeremy Fowler/ESPN

J.J. Watt Could Miss Remainder Of 2016 With Back Injury
J.J. Watt has re-injured his back and is expected to miss a significant period of time.

Ian Rapoport/NFL.com