2007 NFL General News Thread

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Steven Jackson Out With Partial Tear In Groin

St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson will miss at least one week with a partial tear of his left groin, an injury sustained in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 24-3 loss at Tampa Bay.

Rookie Brian Leonard, a second-round pick from Rutgers, will get his first start Sunday at Dallas. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson was hopeful Jackson would be out only one game.

"He's one of our best players, if not the best player," Olson said. "As we tell our players, anytime someone gets injured the rest of us have to pick up the slack.

"We'll find a way to spread the ball around."

The 0-3 Rams learned they lost Jackson a day after guard Mark Setterstrom was lost for the season with a torn left knee ligament and cartilage damage. Setterstrom is the second lineman the Rams have lost this season, after seven-time Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Pace sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in the opener.

Last year, Jackson led the NFL with 2,334 yards rushing and receiving. He had been held to 118 yards rushing and four catches for 39 yards the first two weeks, enjoying his first productive day of the year before being hurt.

Leonard made his first four carries of the season on Sunday, gaining 21 yards, and had one reception for 6 yards. He has six catches for 41 yards on the year.

The Rams gave Leonard a lot of playing time in the preseason while conserving Jackson for the regular season. Leonard expanded his duties to fullback after the Rams released Madison Hedgecock before the opener.

"We think he'll be capable of taking over that role in Steven's absence, hopefully for just a game," Olson said.

Source: ESPN

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Deuce McAllister Out For Season With Torn ACL

The reeling New Orleans Saints may have lost much more than a game on Monday.

Two Saints sources told ESPN's Ed Werder after the 31-14 loss to the Tennessee Titans that the preliminary diagnosis on running back Deuce McAllister is that he has a torn ACL in his left knee and will likely miss the remainder of the season.

An MRI is scheduled for Tuesday to confirm that diagnosis. Officially, the Saints say only that McAllister has a left knee injury and will have an MRI.

McAllister limped off after catching a 1-yard pass and going down awkwardly with about 8 minutes left in the half. He was checked out on the sideline, then headed off for further treatment. He didn't return to the game.

Later in the second quarter, Titans quarterback Vince Young took a hard shot from Saints end Will Smith after delivering a pass. The second-year quarterback flexed his right wrist on the sideline and wound up heading to the locker room in the final minute, but he was OK.

After Kerry Collins played the last series of the half for the Titans, Young was back at the start of the third quarter. Tennessee led 10-7.

At the time of his injury, Young had completed 9-of-16 passes for 125 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jones. He finished 14-of-22 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.

McAllister finished with 5 yards on four carries, and Reggie Bush managed only 15 yards. The Saints struggled to 34 yards on the ground while falling to 0-3.

McAllister rushed for 1,057 yards and 10 touchdowns last season as New Orleans made it to the NFC Championship Game before losing to the Chicago Bears.

Source: ESPN

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Vick Tests Positive For Marijuana

Michael Vick is now likely one misstep from jail.

The disgraced Atlanta Falcons quarterback tested positive for marijuana earlier this month, a violation of the conditions of his release as he awaits sentencing in federal court on a dogfighting charge that already jeopardizes his freedom and career.

Now, he's incurred the ire of the judge who could sentence him to up to five years in prison in the dogfighting case. On the day of Vick's guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson warned that he wouldn't be amused by any additional trouble.

Hudson, who will sentence Vick on Dec. 10, on Wednesday ordered him confined to his Virginia home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring. He also must submit to random drug testing.

If Vick fails another drug test, he likely will wind up like co-defendant Quanis Phillips -- incarcerated since his Aug. 17 plea hearing. Phillips failed a drug test when he had the electronic monitoring and random drug testing requirements.

Vick's positive urine sample was submitted Sept. 13, according to a document by a federal probation officer that was filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.

Because Vick violated the conditions of his release, Hudson could take that into consideration during sentencing, said Linda Malone, a criminal procedure expert and Marshall-Wythe Foundation professor of law at the College of William and Mary.

"Every judge considers pretty seriously if they feel that the defendant has flaunted the conditions for release," she said.

"It's certainly not a smart thing to do."

Especially not when his behavior is being watched so closely, not only by the court that allowed him to remain free, but by the public whose forgiveness he's seeking.

On Tuesday, Vick was indicted on state charges of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison. His arraignment on that is set for Oct. 3.

The former Virginia Tech star was placed under pretrial release supervision by U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal in July. The restrictions included refraining from use or unlawful possession of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances.

The random drug testing ordered Wednesday could include urine testing, the wearing of a sweat patch, a remote alcohol testing system or any form of prohibited substance screening or testing. Hudson's order also requires Vick to participate in inpatient or outpatient substance therapy and mental health counseling if the pretrial services officer or supervising officer deem it appropriate. Vick must pay for the treatment.

Vick's lead attorney, Billy Martin, also is representing Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, who pleaded guilty in an airport sex sting. During a press conference about Craig, Martin was asked to comment on Vick. He deflected the question, saying only, "I'm sure that in the future we'll have something to say regarding Mr. Vick, but not now."

Source: ESPN

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Rams Bench Marc Bulger

Those who watched the St. Louis Rams open the season sensed quarterback Marc Bulger couldn't survive long under the number of hits he took.

They were right.

Concerned about the punishment absorbed by Bulger, who has played at least the last two games with two cracked ribs, Rams coach Scott Linehan has decided to rest his two-time Pro Bowl quarterback for at least one week and possibly more.

Fourteen-year veteran Gus Frerotte, regarded as one of the NFL's top backups, will replace Bulger in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Frerotte, 36, started 15 games for the Miami Dolphins in 2005 when Linehan was offensive coordinator there. Linehan and Frerotte have a close relationship and the presence of the coach in St. Louis prompted Frerotte to sign with the Rams as a free agent in 2006.

The switch to Frerotte, team officials indicated to ESPN.com on Wednesday morning, is not permanent. Instead, it is aimed at providing Bulger some time to recover and to perhaps gain some new insights from the sideline on the Rams' offensive struggles. St. Louis, at 0-4, is one of only three winless franchises in the league, and Bulger and a sputtering offense that has scored only 39 points, have been major disappointments.

A source close to Bulger said that the quarterback was "strongly assured" by Linehan that the move to Frerotte is viewed as a temporary one. It is possible that several other injured starters could be replaced this week as well.

But this season, Bulger has only two touchdown passes and four interceptions, and he has been sacked 11 times. St. Louis is playing without perennial Pro Bowl left offensive tackle Orlando Pace, who is on injured reserve for the season. The Rams have lost five linemen to injuries and have yet to finish a game with the same blocking unit that started it.

The much-traveled Frerotte has appeared in 130 games in his career. He has completed 1,430 of 2,644 passes for 18,149 yards, with 95 touchdown passes and 79 interceptions. Sunday will mark his first start since December 2005.

The Rams will become the 10th team in the league to start a backup quarterback since the beginning of the season.

Source: ESPN

[darthwiggum2000]

First Grossman, now Bulger. My Dallas Cowboys are responsible for getting their last two QB opponents benched!

I'm sure Tom Brady is shaking in his boots :D :D

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Nothing can get Brady shaking in his boots. His team is going undefeated this year

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Jake Delhomme To Have Season-Ending Surgery

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme will miss the rest of the season after deciding to undergo surgery on his right elbow.

Coach John Fox said Monday that Delhomme had trouble throwing the ball earlier in the day. Delhomme then made the decision to have surgery next week.

Delhomme sustained what the team called a strained right elbow when he was sacked in Carolina's win over Atlanta on Sept. 23. David Carr replaced him the last two games, when Delhomme was listed as the No. 3 quarterback as he considered whether to have surgery.

Delhomme was off to a good start. He had completed 64 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and one interception.

The move leaves the Panthers in need of another quarterback. Carr suffered a back injury in the Panthers' win over New Orleans Sunday and his status for next week's game at Arizona is uncertain.

Source: Sports Illustrated

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Leinart Out For Season; Cardinals Sign Tim Rattay

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, ending his second NFL season after just five games.

He was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, two days after his injury during a victory over the St. Louis Rams. Backup quarterback Kurt Warner, who has seen steady action this season, replaced Leinart before halftime and finished the game.

The Cardinals signed Tim Rattay as a backup for Warner. The eight-year veteran played in four games last year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and completed 61 of 101 passes. He played for the San Francisco 49ers for six years before being traded to the Bucs.

Leinart fractured his left collarbone while getting sacked and immediately left the game. He spent the second half on the sidelines.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt had been using Warner in a platoon situation with Leinart, using the veteran during no-huddle situations. Leinart, the USC standout and Heisman Trophy winner who was the team's first-round pick in 2006, hasn't commented about his injury.

Arizona also signed guard Keydrick Vincent on Tuesday and released center Chukky Okobi.

Source: ESPN

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Chargers Get Chris Chambers From Dolphins

The San Diego Chargers, looking for more offensive firepower, acquired wide receiver Chris Chambers from the Miami Dolphins, sources told ESPN.com's John Clayton.

Terms of the deal weren't immediately known, but the Dolphins and Chargers are expected to make an announcement before the NFL trading deadline closes at 4 p.m. ET.

Source: ESPN

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Bill's Kevin Everett Able To Walk

Injured Bills player Kevin Everett has been able to walk to some extent as part of his rehabilitation after suffering a severe spinal cord injury during the team's season opener, sources tell WIVB-TV in Buffalo.

Doctors in Houston, where Everett's rehab has been ongoing since mid-September, are optimistic that once Everett completes his rehab he will regain his ability to walk independently, the station reports.

Everett, a third-year tight end out of the University of Miami, was injured making a tackle Sept. 9 at home against Denver. Doctors initially said there was little chance Everett would walk again, but that prognosis was revised after Everett showed quick progress in the days after the injury.

Everett suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury, meaning there was preservation of some sensation and movement below the injury.

Source: ESPN