We are just eight days away from the start of the 2021 NFL season and team’s rosters are starting to come into shape. Position battles are being won, players are being cut, and we are getting close to the end of the best time of the year, fantasy football draft season. Tuesday was a day of guys packing up their lockers and some injury questions becoming clearer. Let’s take a look at some of the top stories of your Tuesday as we get ready for another crazy day of NFL news.
PUP List Implications
Several players hit the PUP list yesterday meaning that they will miss the first six games of the season. The biggest being Saints receiver Michael Thomas, who wasn’t a huge surprise. This will at least stop the disaster last season of how Thomas and the Saints handled his high ankle sprain last year. Every week we waited to see if he would return, and it wasn’t until late in the week that we would get word. This puts it so he at least misses the first month and a half of the season. He has been a popular mid-round stash, and I have to admit that I have done that a time or two. There is plenty of trepidation about Thomas and his ability to stay healthy after last year’s debacle, but hopefully he rests over this time and comes back better than ever. The Bears also put running back Tarik Cohen on the PUP. This opens the door for former Chief Damien Williams to be the handcuff to David Montgomery and perhaps even have a standalone receiving role on the team like Cohen did in 2019. Williams certainly showed the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield in Kansas City and it will be interesting to see how the Bears utilize his talents. He is worth a late round flier as we get close to the start of the season.
Cut Day
Tuesday was the day that teams had to get down to 53 on their roster. As always there are a few surprises. Obviously, the biggest name was Cam Newton, but I am sure you are sick of hearing about that one by now. One that also surprised me was the Texans letting go of Keke Coutee. Even his mother wouldn’t tell you that he is a star, but Coutee had his moments when forced into playing time by injury, and with a terrible team ready to play from behind a lot, it seemed feasible that Coutee could have a slight impact this season. That is completely dashed now, and if you took him in a deeper draft feel free to let him go. If he couldn’t make the Texans roster, I find it hard to believe that he is going to catch on somewhere else where he will see the field a lot.
No Smoke In Vegas
Veteran receiver John Brown reportedly asked to be released by the Raiders and the team granted his request. It is odd to see one of fantasy’s top 75 receivers be let go by the team, but clearly Brown didn’t like his role there and the Raiders found him expendable. I fully expect him to sign somewhere else before the season starts, but the fact that he appears to be behind Zay Jones in the Raiders’ hearts does make me worry. Brown has had a series of injuries over his career, and it makes you wonder if he might be on the downside of his career. If you drafted him, I might hold him for at least a few days to see if he signs in a good spot, say maybe Detroit or something like that where he would have a good chance of having an impactful role.
Hurts So Good
After a preseason where the team was rumored to about a dozen other quarterbacks, including Deshaun Watson, the Eagles finally named Jalen Hurts their starter to open the 2021 season. The addition of Gardner Minshew was never really an obstacle to Hurts starting but gave the team at least a decent backup if their main guy goes down. Sure, Hurts is never going to win one of those accuracy competitions that they do in the offseason, but he is better than a lot of people give him credit for, and his running ability makes him potentially a great starting fantasy quarterback. He ran for 354 yards in basically five games, which puts him on track for a chance at 1,000 yards if he can stay healthy and run the Eagles offense effectively. Hurts will be judged very harshly by two of the toughest groups…….fantasy football managers and Eagles fans, good luck!
Magic Show In DC
Ron Rivera confirmed that the Washington Football Team is not interested in Cam Newton (who I figure will end up in Dallas) and Ryan Fitzpatrick is indeed their starting quarterback. This doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, but I think everyone is happy to see this. Not only is he cool as the other side of the pillow, Fitzpatrick takes chances and slings the ball around the field and is certainly an asset for the weapons around him for fantasy purposes. Fitzpatrick himself is a mid-range QB2 as he also makes his fair share of mistakes. However, it is good to see him back in a starting role after the Dolphins unceremoniously benched him in 2020.
Just Stop It!
Every time we have a running back injury everyone and their mother ties a rumor with that team to Todd Gurley. Enough! He’s not going to the Rams, he’s not going to the Ravens. I don’t care that he is only 27 years old he is shot! He was an elite talent, but injuries cost him his burst and the Falcons planted his ass on the bench last year when their other options were Brian Hill and Ito Smith who has been cut by TWO teams this preseason! Even if by some miracle that Gurley was signed somewhere he won’t have a huge role and won’t be fantasy worthy. The guy was great, but his ship has unfortunately sailed.
Smith’s Substitute
With the injury to tight end Irv Smith, the Vikings made a trade for perpetual Jets disappointment Chris Herndon. He is big and moves very well for a guy his size, but it is hard to get too excited about Herndon. He had a hell of a time trying to stay healthy for the Jets and even when he was on the field he was sparingly used and had issues catching the ball. Tyler Kroft was working ahead of him this preseason, which isn’t a good sign. He goes to the Vikings where only Tyler Conklin gives him competition for catches, but I just give you caution about getting too excited about this move. And Irv Smith will be back at some point it seems, which would surely push Herndon to a very minimal role.
That’s An Interesting Strategy Cotton
This doesn’t really have fantasy implications, but I had to laugh yesterday when I saw that the Lions cut both of their kickers and currently have none on their roster. It reminds me of a fantasy draft where you can’t decide which receiver you want so you draft both and don’t take a kicker to fill out your roster. That isn’t a bad strategy, you just have to pick up a kicker before the season starts. The Lions will do the same, but it just seemed funny to see such a dysfunctional franchise have no kicker on their roster with ten days before opening weekend.
More Lions Hallam?
Hey even bad teams score points! Those crazy Lions also cut Breshad Perriman yesterday, who was a guy that many thought might be able to have a fantasy impact as the receiver room in Detroit isn’t littered with talent. It seems that some have turned their focus to (vomit) Tyrell Williams as a last round dart throw, but I urge you to stay away. It should mean that rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown has a chance to make an impact right away and to me becomes the upside play in Detroit on an offense that should be playing from behind a lot. I mean like really all the time.