Interview with Panthers LB Thomas Davis

For National Football Authority, we interviewed Panthers LB Thomas Davis. Read what he says about his rehab from 3rd ACL injury, what he expects his role to be in 2012, and big expectations in and around the team. Click here to read all about it.

Thomas Davis, via panthers.com

Week 8 Transactions

Each week, we note and comment on the NFL’s biggest transactions. Here are the transactions between the end of Week 7 and the beginning of Week 8. We’ll begin by focusing on four fascinating cuts.

Ex-Patriots CB Leigh Bodden. Image via Wikipedia

– Bodden, once a major free-agent signing, had fallen out of the lineup in New England, and he reportedly lost interest. So he was cut, even though the Patriots were also losing Dowling to injury. Bodden cleared waivers. Faulk moved right back into the lineup after missing the early part of the season.

Vikings (cut WR Bernard Berrian) – Berrian, once a high-dollar free-agent signing, had little production and a questionable attitude in Minnesota. The Vikings, who hit on something with Michael Jenkins and even Devin Aromashodu, had enough depth to just move on.

Bears (cut S Chris Harris) – Harris, who entered the year as a starter at safety for the Bears, got benched, then got pressed into emergency starting duty, and then got cut. He landed on his feet after the Lions claimed him on waivers – just before a Bears/Lions game in Week 10. Harris adds depth to a Lions secondary that isn’t up to the level of the rest of the team.

Cowboys (cut RB Tashard Choice, activate LB Bruce Carter from physically unable to perform list) – Choice, who had some nice moments in Dallas, got hurt, and the Cowboys waived him injured to move on to rookie DeMarco Murray. Choice was claimed on waivers by the NFC East rival Redskins.

Redskins (put RB Tim Hightower and TE Chris Cooley on injured reserve) – Hightower, the Redskins’ leading rusher thus far this season, was hurt against the Carolina Panthers. Cooley battled knee and hand injuries that ultimately ended his season. These injuries further depleted a Redskins offense that is struggling mightily.

Bills (put OLB Shawne Merriman on injured reserve) – A lot has gone right in Buffalo this year, but not the Merriman experiement. His knee hasn’t been right since he was in San Diego.

Buccaneers (put RB Earnest Graham on injured reserve) – Graham, who was filling in for LeGarrette Blount at running back and was also an effective fullback/pass-catching back, tore his Achilles against the Bears. It’s a big loss for a thin Bucs backfield.

Chargers (put OLB Larry English on injured reserve) – English, a former first-round pick, will miss the second half of the season with a foot injury.

Falcons (put FB Ovie Mughelli and OG Mike Johnson on injured reserve, add FB Mike Cox and OT Kirk Chambers) – Mughelli, one of the few fullbacks with a significant role in the NFL, suffered a knee injury that will cost him the season. Cox comes on board as a fill-in. Chambers adds depth for a banged-up offensive line.

Colts (put QB Kerry Collins on injured reserve) – Collins, who suffered a concussion during his effort to fill in for Peyton Manning, won’t be able to come back. This could be the end of a pretty good career.

Dolphins (put QB Sage Rosenfels on non-football injury list, add QB J.P. Losman) – Rosenfels, who is battling a nasty strep infection that won’t go away, had to give up on the season. Losman becomes the Dolphins’ latest emergency backup quarterback.

Week 6 Transactions

Each week, we note and comment on the NFL’s biggest transactions. Here are the transactions between the end of Week 6 and the beginning of Week 7. Note that we covered the Brandon Lloyd trade in this post and Carson Palmer in this one.

Steelers DE Aaron Smith, via postgazette.com

Saints (put C Olin Kreutz on reserve/left squad list) – Kreutz apparently lost his shine and his desire to play in New Orleans – and was about to lose his starting job as well after poor play this season. So Kreutz left the team, ostensibly to retire. He’s now out for the year.

Steelers (put DE Aaron Smith on injured reserve, promote DE Corbin Bryant) – Smith, long one of the league’s best 3-4 defensive ends, battled injuries again this season and now will miss the rest of the season.

Lions (put RB Jerome Harrison on reserve/non-football injury list) – Harrison, who was traded to the Eagles, flunked his physical in Philly because of a brain tumor he didn’t know he had. He had successful surgery, but he’ll miss the rest of the year. The Lions signed Eldra Buckley to replace Harrison.

Raiders (add S Chinedum Ndukwe and PK Dave Rayner, put DE Matt Shaughnessy on injured reserve) – Shaughnessy, one of the league’s unsung but talented defensive ends, will miss the rest of the season. Ndukwe gets a shot to add depth at safety; Rayner becomes a Week 7 fill-in for Sebastian Janikowski.

Jaguars (sign WR Mike Sims-Walker) – Sims-Walker was a bust in St. Louis, and he was released when the Rams acquired Brandon Lloyd. But when he hit the open market, the Jaguars swooped in and brought him back to Jacksonville, where he was a starter for years.

Panthers (put OT Jeff Otah on injured reserve, bring back OT Reggie Wells) – We discussed Otah’s injury and its aftereffects in this post.

Redskins (put OG Kory Lichtensteiger on injured reserve) – Lichtensteiger, the starter at left guard, will miss the rest of the season.

Seahawks (put CB Marcus Trufant on injured reserve) – Trufant, the long-time corner in Seattle, is out for the year due to injury.

Week 5 Transactions

49ers WR Josh Morgan went on IR. Image via Wikipedia

Each week, we note and comment on the NFL’s biggest transactions. Here are the transactions between the end of Week 5 and the beginning of Week 6. Note that we covered two trades in this post.

Texans (put OLB Mario Williams on IR) – Williams, the Texans’ best pass rusher, suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 5. He’ll miss the rest of the season, which is a huge blow to the Texans.

Chargers (put ILB Stephen Cooper on IR, add LB Gerald Hayes) – San Diego put longtime Charger Cooper on injured reserve with a triceps issues that’s been plaguing him since last year and brought in Hayes, an ex-Cardinal, to provide veteran depth.

Browns (put DE Marcus Benard on non-football injury list) – Benard was in a motorcycle accident, and the injuries he sustained will cost him the rest of the season.

49ers (put WR Josh Morgan on IR) – Morgan, a starting wideout for the 49ers, broke his leg in Week 5 against the Buccaneers. He’ll miss the season.

Colts (add DT Dan Muir, cut OT Mike Tepper) – The Colts brought back Muir for defensive line depth and sent Tepper back to the practice squad.

Broncos (put DT Kevin Vickerson on IR, claim FB Quinn Johnson) – Vickerson is out for the year. To take his roster spot, the Broncos claimed Johnson, a burly fullback, on waivers from the Titans.

Cardinals (add S Sean Considine) – Considine, most recently a Panther, moves to Arizona to provide depth and special-teams acumen.

Jaguars (add P Nick Harris, cut P Matt Turk) – Jacksonville made a punter switch, opting for ex-Lion Harris over the 40-something Turk.

Buccaneers blown out, now must prepare for Saints

For National Football Authority, we take the temperature of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after their embarrassing 48-3 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. How will the Bucs prepare for their key NFC South home game against the Saints? How severe are the injuries to DT Gerald McCoy and RB LeGarrette Blount? Click here to find out more.

Buccaneers DT Gerald McCoy suffered an ankle injury vs. San Francisco, photo via tbo.com

Week 4 Transactions

OT Max Starks returns to Pittsburgh. Image via Wikipedia

Each week, we note and comment on the NFL’s biggest transactions. Here are the transactions between the end of Week 4 and the beginning of Week 5.

Steelers (add OT Max Starks, cut OT Chris Scott) – To address a banged-up offensive line, the Steelers brought back Starks, who was cut in the preseason for being overweight. Starks, a former starter, jumps right back into the lineup at left tackle.

Dolphins (put QB Chad Henne on IR, add QB Sage Rosenfels) – Henne suffered a shoulder injury and opted for surgery, so the Dolphins held quarterback tryouts and settled on the veteran Rosenfels. Rosenfels will back up Matt Moore.

Jets (put OLB Bryan Thomas on IR, promote LB Eddie Jones) – Thomas, a former first-round pick who has been a long-term contributor as a pass-rushing outside ‘backer, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the Ravens in Week 4.

Rams (put WR Danny Amendola on IR) – Amendola, the Rams’ leading receiver last year, suffered a setback in his attempt to recover from a triceps injury and landed on IR instead.

Colts (put OT Ben Ijalana and DT Eric Foster on IR, add OTs Michael Toudoze and Quinn Ojinnaka) – We covered the injuries to Foster and Ijalana in this post. Toudoze and Ojinnaka add needed depth at a banged-up offensive line position.

Lions (add S Vincent Fuller) – Fuller, an ex-Titan, joins up with former Tennessee coaches Jim Schwartz and Gunther Cunningham in Detroit to add secondary depth.

Panthers (cut S Sean Considine and DE George Selvie, sign S Jermale Hines and DE Antwan Applewhite) – We discussed the reasons behind this move in the mid-week Panthers report. Selvie, a waiver pickup earlier this season, lost his spot to Applewhite, who played for Panthers head coach Ron Rivera in San Diego.

Eagles (put DT Antonio Dixon on IR, sign DT Derek Landri) – Dixon, part of the Eagles’ rotation up front, suffered a season-ending torn triceps injury. In his place, the Eagles brought back Landri, the ex-Panther who was in training camp with them.

Giants (add CB Justin Tryon, cut CB Brian Williams) – Looking for more cornerback depth, the Giants cut the veteran Williams and replaced him with Tryon, an ex-Colt who isn’t as big but who has more speed.

Week 3 Transactions

RB Steve Slaton, cut by the Texans, starts over with the Dolphins. Image by The Brit_2 via Flickr

Each week, we break down the NFL’s big transactions and what they mean going forward. Here’s the wrapup between Weeks 3 and 4.

Titans (put WR Kenny Britt on IR, add WR Donnie Avery) – Britt was emerging as a game-breaking wide receiver, among the best in the league at his position, when he tore his ACL in Week 3. Avery, the former Rams starter, adds depth, but the Titans won’t be able to replace Britt.

Texans (cut RB Steve Slaton, promote RB Chris Ogbonyanna) – Slaton was a 1,000-yard rusher as a rookie two years ago, but he fell down the depth chart and lost his job. The Dolphins claimed Slaton to back up Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush. Ogbonyanna is a developing back who looked strong in the preseason.

Colts (put LB Gary Brackett and S Melvin Bullitt on IR, add QB Dan Orlovsky and LB A.J. Edds) – The Colts lost two more starters to injury in Brackett and Bullitt. Orlovsky adds depth given Kerry Collins’ concussion issues. Edds, who was on the Patriots’ practice squad, could become a developmental prospect in Indy.

Buccaneers (put S Cody Grimm on IR) – We discussed the impact of Grimm’s injury in this post.

Chargers (put S Bob Sanders on IR, add DE Tommie Harris) – Sanders never returned to full health after his litany of injuries. In his place, the Bolts add Harris, a former impact defensive tackle who’s now just a rotation player.

Saints (put PK Garrett Hartley on IR) – Hartley, fighting an offseason injury, ran out of time to come back when injuries elsewhere forced the Saints to use his roster spot. John Kasay will now serve as the kicker for the Saints for the rest of the season.

Patriots (bring back DT Gerard Warren) – Warren, a veteran who spent last year with the Patriots, returns to add defensive line depth.

Jets (bring back OLB Aaron Maybin) – The Jets brought back Maybin, the former Bills bust.

Rams (add CB Rod Hood) – St. Louis seeks to add CB depth with Hood, a veteran who has bounced around a lot since starting for the Cardinals’ Super Bowl squad.

Ravens (put CB Domonique Foxworth on IR, bring back LB Prescott Burgess) – Foxworth never got back to full strength after his 2010 knee injury. Burgess has bounced on and off the Ravens’ roster in recent years.

Lions (put LB Isaiah Ekebiuja on IR, add CB Anthony Madison) – Ekebiuja was a key special-teamer for the Lions.

Week 2 Transactions

Life got in the way of our normal Week 2 transactions wrapup, so we wanted to make good with a quick summary of the moves from last week.

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles, via denverpost.com

Panthers (put LB Thomas Davis on IR, claim LB Jason Williams on waivers, add DT Frank Kearse, cut OG Reggie Wells) – We discussed the Davis injury here. Williams fits into the LB rotation, while Kearse adds depth at a needed position. Wells lasted just a week in Carolina.

Chiefs (put RB Jamaal Charles on IR) – The Chiefs lost their best playmaker when Charles blew out his ACL against the Lions.

Packers (put S Nick Collins on IR) – Collins suffered a season-ending neck injury.

Bengals (put WR Jordan Shipley on IR, promote WR Andrew Hawkins) – Shipley, a solid young slot receiver, tore his ACL.

Giants (put WR Domenik Hixon on IR, add Michael Clayton) – Hixon had a great TD catch against the Rams in Week Two, but then he suffered a torn ACL. Clayton, a former Bucs first-rounder, returns to the Giants to add depth.

Bills (put WR Roscoe Parrish on IR, promote WR Naaman Roosevelt) – Parrish suffered a season-ending ankle injury.

Dolphins (add DE Igor Olshansky, cut RB Larry Johnson) – Johnson became expendable as rookie Daniel Thomas emerged. Olshansky, a former Chargers and Cowboys starter, moved right into the starting lineup.

Cowboys (add WR Laurent Robinson) – Robinson has been up and down with the Cowboys since training camp.

Broncos (add WR Quan Cosby) – Cosby adds return skills to the Broncos, which is key as Eric Decker becomes more important to the offense.

Patriots (put DT Myron Pryor and C Dan Koppen on IR, add DT Landon Cohen) – Pryor was benched by a groin injury. He’s replaced by Cohen, who spent time with the Patriots in 2010. Koppen also is out for the year.

Chargers (put LB Jonas Mouton on IR, add CB Paul Oliver) – Mouton, the Chargers’ second-round pick, never played in the regular season after a training-camp injury. Oliver returns to San Diego.

Texans (put OT Rashad Butler on IR) – Butler was a backup tackle before the injury.

Panthers lose another linebacker, Thomas Davis, for the season

For National Football Authority, we break down the Panthers’ latest season-ending injury to LB Thomas Davis. What does the injury mean to Davis and to the team? Click here to read more.

Panthers LB Thomas Davis, via packersforum.com

Berry benched by injury, and other Week 1 Transactions

No team has had a worse start to the season injury-wise than the Kansas City Chiefs. They lost promising young TE Tony Moeaki in the preseason, and then in Week One they lost another second-year player, S Eric Berry, to a season-ending torn ACL. Berry made the Pro Bowl after a rookie season in which he started every game and had 72 tackles, four interceptions, and 10 passes defensed.

With Berry out, the Chiefs lose one of their major playmakers in the secondary. Now the defense must rely on OLBs Tamba Hali and Justin Houston to create enough havoc to make big plays. That’s going to be tough – which is part of the reason losing Berry is such a huge blow.

Chiefs S Eric Berry, via komu.com

The Chiefs brought back S Reshad Jernigan to fill Berry’s roster spot, and also added veteran blocking TE Anthony Becht to help fill Moeaki’s shoes. Now, let’s review the other transactions between Week 1 and Week 2.

Panthers (put LB Jon Beason on IR; add DT Ronald Fields and OG Reggie Wells) – We discussed Beason’s injury in this post. The Panthers used his roster spot to add needed depth at defensive tackle with Fields, a veteran who can play on the nose. Wells replaces Max-Jean Gilles, released just before the opener, as the veteran depth on the O-line.

Chargers (put PK Nate Kaeding on IR; add PK Nick Novak) – Kaeding suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the opener. He’s replaced by Novak, who has bounced around the league with mixed results.

Steelers (put OT Willie Colon on IR; add OT Jamon Meredith) – Colon, the Steelers’ starting right tackle, will miss the rest of the season with torn triceps. He’s replaced on the roster by Meredith, a former Packers draft pick who has seen some action with the Bills.

Rams (put CB Ron Bartell on IR; add CB Tim Atchison) – Bartell, the Rams’ best cornerback, will be sidelined for the season with broken bones in his neck. That’s a huge loss for a Rams’ defense that is otherwise soft at the position.

Broncos (put DT Ty Warren on IR) – Warren, the long-time Patriot, suffered torn triceps in training camp, but the Broncos hoped to be able to hold a roster spot till he got healthy in November. But with Knowshon Moreno hurting, the Broncos needed the roster spot, and so they shelved Warren for the entire season.

Dolphins (cut CB Benny Sapp; add CB Will Allen) – After Sapp gave up a 99-yard touchdown to New England’s Wes Welker, he was scapegoated and cut. He’s replaced by Allen, a long-time Dolphin who was cut in training camp.

Bills (put WR Marcus Easley on IR; add WR Ruvell Martin) – Buffalo discovered Easley had a heart condition, and so they put him on injured reserve for the season. Martin, a veteran who was with the team in training camp, returns to add depth.

Cowboys (add CB Frank Walker and FB Tony Fiametta; cut WR Laurent Robinson) – Dallas adds depth with Walker, who has bounced around as a veteran corner, and Fiammetta, a blocking fullback who spent the first years of his career with Carolina. Robinson, a speedster with a long injury history, was released.

Texans (add WR David Anderson) – With Kevin Walter hurting, the Texans brought back Anderson to add depth at wide receiver.

Giants (add WR Brandon Stokely) – The Giants brought the veteran Stokley in to fill a hole at the slot receiver position. He’s a veteran who will help the passing game thrive.

Browns (put P Richmond McGee on IR; add P Brad Maynard) – McGee, who the Browns hoped would replace the injured Reggie Hodges, suffered a bad disc in his back and will be out for the season. Maynard, a veteran most recently with the Bears, takes over.

Bengals (add TE Donald Lee) – Lee is a solid blocker with some receiving skills who fills the role the Bengals had signed Bo Scaife for.

49ers (add TE Justin Peelle) – Peelle, a blocking specialist, adds depth behind Vernon Davis.