NFL Player News

Jones checks in at No. 178 on the ESPN 300. It’s a wonder he had any time for his schoolwork given his travel schedule in January. In that month alone, he took official visits to Mississippi State, Alabama, Miami, Missouri and Ole Miss. It all leveled out to a signing with the Bulldogs in the end. The 6-foot-4, 268-pounder “displays heavy hands with strength to jolt and push blockers back with power,” notes ESPN, with the Worldwide Leader also suggesting he could develop into a defensive end if he’s unable to add on some bulk. They think a redshirt’s best for his development come the 2016 season.

Burks went down with the knee issue in Week 6. Per head coach Brian Callahan, the injury is less significant than a full tear. The former first-round pick underwent surgery a few weeks ago. Burks will close out his third NFL season on injured reserve. He has yet to stay healthy for more than 11 games and peaked as a rookie with 444 receiving yards. Burks has one year left on his rookie contract. The Titans will likely try to find a trade partner for Burks in the offseason as he simply hasn’t been able to put it together in Tennessee.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo previously reported that McPherson’s injury wasn’t considered season-ending and that he didn’t need surgery. While that may technically be true, the Bengals are all but out of the playoff picture and McPherson will only be eligible to return for a likely meaningless Week 18 contest. Cade York should get to close out the year as Cincy’s kicker.

With both Jordan Mason and Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, the 49ers were down to rookie Isaac Guerendo on the active roster after Sunday’s backfield massacre. Taylor will serve as Guerendo’s backup to close the year. San Francisco also added Ke’Shawn Vaughn to their practice squad and claimed Israel Abanikanda off waivers.

McConkey will presumably be extremely limited for the first practice of the week, but it’s a great sign for his Week 14 availability nonetheless. The rookie has been playing through a shoulder issue for a few weeks and then tweaked his right knee on Sunday versus the Falcons and was listed as questionable to return late in the game. Harbaugh was non-commital when talking about his status on Monday. Before going down, McConkey was on pace for an eruption game with 117 yards and nine grabs on a dozen targets. He will remain the focal point of the Chargers’ passing attack if healthy for Week 14.

The Ravens are on bye this week, meaning Johnson will miss their Week 15 game against the Giants. Johnson didn’t play a snap in Week 13 despite being active and Rashod Bateman going down mid-game with a knee injury. According to a press release from the team, the suspension stems from him refusing to enter the game on Sunday. Johnson has run 19 routes for Baltimore since being traded and has one reception as a Raven. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them release the veteran receiver before the end of the year. For fantasy purposes, it goes without saying that Johnson shouldn’t be rostered in even the deepest of redraft leagues.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler previously reported that Gardner’s status for Week 14 is “up in the air.” Losing Sauce would be a brutal blow to a Jets defense that has been in a tailspin since firing defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh. Gardner has six pass breakups and one sack this year.

Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said it was too early to determine if Hall would suit up on Sunday. Hall missed last Wednesday’s session as well but managed to suit up on Sunday after a pair of limited practices. He told reporters on Friday that he was “not sore or anything”, though it didn’t look that way on the field. Hall was off the field more than usual and did not catch a pass for the first time this year. He only carries the ball 12 times in a loss to Seattle. With the Jets all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff hunt, it would make sense for the team to start taking it easy with their superstar players, including Hall. Braelon Allen would see the bulk of the work if he misses any time, though third-stringer Isaiah Davis would also earn some touches.

Tillman left Week 12 with the concussion and missed last week’s game after missing all three practices. A DNP on Wednesday suggests he might need another week before being able to retake the field. Jerry Jeudy erupted for 235 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions with Tillman sidelined last week. Elijah Moore also had a lively stat line with eight grabs for 111 yards. Both receivers will push for WR2 rankings if Tillman misses Week 14.

No surprises here as Goedert is reportedly considered “week to week” and is a candidate for injured reserve. Though he hasn’t officially been ruled out for Week 14, it’s safe to assume he won’t suit up on Sunday. Grant Calcaterra will take his place in the lineup. Primarily a blocker, Calcaterra will see more work sans Goedert but is only a TE2 for fantasy purposes.