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Saints To Cut Zach Hocker, Sign Kai Forbath

NFL News
October 19, 2015

10:57am: The Saints will be signing Forbath to replace Hocker, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link).

Forbath, 28, made 94.4% of his field goals (17 of 18) in his first season with Washington back in 2012, and while he never matched that accuracy mark in subsequent years, his career percentage remains a solid 87.0%.

Forbath was cut after Week 1 this season by Washington, working out for multiple teams since then. He was said to be the second choice for both the Eagles, who signed Caleb Sturgis, and the Texans, who signed Nick Novak, so it seemed like it would just be a matter of time before he found a new home.

10:51am: The Saints are cutting ties with Zach Hocker, and will seemingly have a new kicker in place for their next game, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Because he’s a rookie, Hocker will have to clear waivers before he officially becomes a free agent.

Hocker, a seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft, earned his first starting job this year in New Orleans. However, he was a little shaky during his first six games as the team’s kicker. Hocker missed four of his 13 field goal tries, including three from less than 50 yards, and failed to convert one of his extra-point attempts as well. The 24-year-old’s two field goal misses during last Thursday’s win over the Falcons appear to have sealed his fate.

Earlier this month, New Orleans auditioned a handful of free agent kickers, though the team elected to stick with Hocker at that point. Randy Bullock, Kai Forbath, and Kyle Brindza all got looks from the Saints at that time, and all three remain free agents, so I’d expect them to be among the first players considered by the club now that Hocker is no longer in the mix.

PUP, NFI Players Soon Eligible To Practice

NFL News
October 19, 2015

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the Giants and Eagles, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many clubs could be welcoming injured players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to the practice field.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player currently on the PUP list could return to the field for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest.

The rules for NFI players are similar to those for PUP players. If a player on either reserve list doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list who can begin practicing as soon as this Tuesday:

  • Atlanta Falcons: T Lamar Holmes
  • Baltimore Ravens: TE Dennis Pitta
  • Buffalo Bills: CB Cam Thomas
  • Chicago Bears: WR Kevin White
  • Cincinnati Bengals: LB Vontaze Burfict, LB Sean Porter
  • Dallas Cowboys: OL Chaz Green
  • Minnesota Vikings: CB Josh Robinson
  • New England Patriots: LB Dane Fletcher, DT Chris Jones, WR Brandon LaFell
  • New York Giants: T Will Beatty
  • New York Jets: RB Stevan Ridley
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: T Mike Adams
  • San Francisco 49ers: C/G Daniel Kilgore
  • Seattle Seahawks: CB Jeremy Lane, WR Paul Richardson
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Akeem Spence

And here are the players currently on their teams’ non-football injury or illness lists, who are also eligible to begin practicing this Tuesday:

  • Arizona Cardinals: WR Damond Powell
  • Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin
  • Cincinnati Bengals: T Cedric Ogbuehi
  • Cleveland Browns: DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, TE Randall Telfer, RB Glenn Winston
  • Dallas Cowboys: LB Mark Nzeocha
  • Houston Texans: T David Quessenberry
  • Kansas City Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray
  • San Francisco 49ers: WR DeAndre Smelter
  • Seattle Seahawks: DT Jesse Williams

In addition to monitoring players on the PUP and NFI lists, it’s worth keeping an eye on players who have been placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this IR-DTR spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that a player who was placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing on Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible to return to game action until Week 8. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after – for instance – Week 1 will have to wait an extra week to return to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as Tuesday:

  • Baltimore Ravens: DE Brent Urban
  • Cleveland Browns: CB Charles Gaines
  • Detroit Lions: CB Alex Carter
  • Miami Dolphins: RB Jay Ajayi
  • Minnesota Vikings: C John Sullivan
  • New England Patriots: C Bryan Stork
  • New York Jets: CB Dee Milliner
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: C Maurkice Pouncey
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: T Demar Dotson
  • Tennessee Titans: RB David Cobb

Odell Beckham Jr. expected to play

Fantasy Football, NFL News
October 19, 2015
InjuryHamstring injury

Despite a hamstring injury that kept Odell Beckham Jr. out of practice most of the week, the star wide receiver is expected to play against the Eagles barring a pregame setback, two individuals with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media. Beckham is officially listed as questionable for the contest. (NJ.com)

Nerdy Football Analysis: OBJ has missed practice the entire week but Tom Coughlin had previously stated that Beckham didn’t need to practice in order to play in the game. It’s good news for Beckham owners but he will be at risk for re-injury during the game.

Bills Notes: Harvin, Kromer, Defense

NFL News
October 19, 2015

Coming off yet another loss at Ralph Wilson Stadium, where they’re now 1-3 this season, the Bills will aim to get back on track overseas in Week 7. However, it doesn’t appear Percy Harvin will be able to play in the team’s game in London, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets, there are several Bills players whose status for that London game against the Jaguars is uncertain, so we’ll have to see how the team addresses its roster — typically, last-minute roster changes on the week of a London game are tricky, so the Bills figure to make a roster change or two sooner rather than later, if necessary.

Here are a few more Bills-related items:

  • Buffalo offensive line coach Aaron Kromer is scheduled to return from his suspension this week, tweets Schefter. Kromer had been banned six games by the team for an alleged offseason altercation.
  • Mario Williams said after Sunday’s loss to the Bengals that he “probably set a [personal] record on dropping [into coverage],” and the results weren’t particularly great. With some Bills defenders hinting at confusion over the scheme, John Kryk of the Toronto Sun suggests Rex Ryan risks losing the locker room if he doesn’t start getting more aggressive with his defensive playcalling.
  • General manager Doug Whaley has yet to discuss his quarterback situation with the media, and Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News is looking forward to hearing why the GM traded away Matt Cassel and “forced [EJ] Manuel on his coaches as the No. 2.”

Sammy Watkins not likely to play Week 7

Fantasy Football, NFL News
October 19, 2015
Injury“Doubtful”

Source confirms that Kyle Williams will not play Sunday. And, also, Sammy Watkins is “doubtful” to play this Sunday against the Jags. Bills (Joe Buscaglia on Twitter)

Nerdy Football Analysis: Watkins caught a second quarter touchdown then had to be assisted off the field. He’s missed the last two weeks with a calf injury and seems unlikely to play this week in London against the Jaguars. With Percy Harvin (hip) likely out as well, The passing game should continue to funnel through TE Charles Clay.