NFL Injury News, 9/29

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Dolphins: Gordon placed on injured reserve
The News
As expected, the Dolphins placed running back Lamar Gordon on injured reserve, according to an ESPN.com report. Gordon dislocated a shoulder during the week three game against the Steelers and is out for the season. The Rams acquired Gordon in a trade with the Rams earlier this month.

Browns: Winslow needs second operation
The News
Browns tight end Kellen Winslow's broken fibula will require a second operation, which will cause him to miss the remainder of the season. The Associated Press reports that Winslow is scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday to stabilize ligaments damaged by the fractured bone. Team officials originally reported that there was no ligament damage and that Kellen would return in November. He suffered the injury while attempting to recover an onside kick during the week two game against the Cowboys.

Dolphins: Fiedler to start on Sunday
The News
Dolphins' quarterback Jay Fiedler will start Sunday's game against the Jets, according to an ESPN.com report. Fiedler opened the season as the starting quarterback, but was pulled at halftime of the first game in favor of A.J. Feeley, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Eagles. Feeley struggled as the starter, throwing two touchdown passes and five interceptions over the last three weeks.
Our View
The game of musical quarterbacks in Miami continues. Don't be surprised if this isn't the last time that Dolphins' head coach Dave Wannstedt changes quarterbacks this season, as he stated previously that he would choose a starter on a week to week basis. Due to the uncertainty of the situation and the way the offense has struggled this year, neither Fiedler nor Feeley has much fantasy value.

(what kinda dumb shit coaching is this ?? It's like something Mike Keenan would do !!)

Giants: Warner bothered by left leg injuries
The News
Giants quarterback Kurt Warner injured his left knee, left ankle, and left quad during Sunday's game against the Browns. He will undergo testing this week, but he does not believe the injuries to be serious. "I feel okay," he told the Newark Star-Ledger. "It could have been a lot worse. I'm feeling pretty good. (I'm a) little bit sore, but I feel extremely fortunate that everything seems to be intact."
Our View
We expect Warner to be okay, but we'll be sure to follow up after the test results are known.

Rams: Jackson's role to increase
The News
Rams' head coach Mike Martz said Monday that he wants to give rookie running back Steven Jackson a bigger role in the offense. "We want to spell Marshall (Faulk) in there," Martz told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We didn't do that as much as we would like to, looking back in hindsight. We absolutely want to get (Jackson) more involved, no question." Jackson had two carries for 15 yards in Sunday's loss to the Saints
Our View
It's nice that Martz wants Jackson to be more involved in the offense, but Faulk has only carried the ball 12 times in each of the last two games. So if Jackson spells Faulk more often, does that mean Faulk will receive fewer than 10 carries per game?

Cowboys: Hunter's season likely over
The News
Cowboys starting cornerback Pete Hunter sprained his left knee during Monday night's game against the Redskins. Owner Jerry Jones told the team's official web site that "the doctors were 90 percent sure" Hunter tore his ACL and would miss the rest of the season. Hunter will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
Our View
Rookie Jacques Reeves took Hunter's place in the game, and the Cowboys managed to hold Mark Brunell to 325 passing yards and two scores. More to the point, Reeves helped contain Rod Gardner, who finished with 10 catches, 167 yards, and two scores. You smelling our sarcasm? The Cowboys will use Reeves, Bruce Thorton, or Nate Jones (all rookies) as the starter in future games, and opposing passing games could feast on the inexperienced corners.

Raiders: Minimum timeframe for Gannon growing
The News
Both the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News are reporting that Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon will miss at least eight weeks with a broken vertebra in his neck, rather than the six weeks that was originally reported yesterday.
Our View
Until we hear differently, we're going to assume that Kerry Collins is the starter in Oakland from here on out. Eight weeks remains the minimum, and the 38-year-old Gannon has now suffered a second serious injury in the last four games in which he's appeared. We can't help but think he will be cautious in his recovery give the nature of the injury. Meanwhile, the Raiders have every incentive to keep Collins under center, as he is scheduled to be their starter in 2005 and 2006.

Cardinals: Boldin hopes to practice after week seven
The News
Cardinals' wide receiver Anquan Boldin has stepped up his rehabilitation and hopes to return to practice after the team's week seven bye. "I started running Saturday," Boldin told the Arizona Republic on Monday. "With every day I'm rehabbing, I'm seeing improvement, strength-wise, flexibility-wise. The swelling has gone down a lot." Boldin had surgery in August to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Our View
This is very good news for fantasy owners who added Boldin to their rosters despite the injury. It might take a week or two of practice to get back in game shape, but it appears he will be able to play before week 10. We'll continue to update his status as more information becomes available.

Chargers: Rivers elevated to No. 2 quarterback
The News
The Chargers made a depth chart adjustment on Monday, moving rookie quarterback Philip Rivers to the second-string and dropping veteran Doug Flutie to the third string, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The move is fueling speculation that the Chargers will replace Drew Brees as their starter in the upcoming weeks if Brees continues to struggle.
Our View
Rivers is expected to get 20 percent of the snaps with the first team this week, a figure that is very high for typical backups. It appears that the Chargers are trying to ramp the rookie up quickly to take over for Brees—who has only one touchdown and four interceptions in the last two games.

Titans: McNair may miss Charger game
The News
Quarterback Steve McNair spent a second night in a hospital after suffering a bruised sternum in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, and his status for not only the upcoming Chargers game but also the next few contests is unclear. "It would make no sense to risk further injury with Steve this week," Titans coach Jeff Fisher told The Tennesssean. "A limited Steve McNair against the Chargers would probably do us no good. He has to be well enough to play pain-free in order to play."
Our View
Billy Volek was re-signed during the offseason for exactly this scenario. Tennessee's offense won't miss a beat with Volek under center for the San Diego game, but it's hard to believe McNair will miss a showdown with his Louisiana pal Brett Favre the following Monday.

Chiefs: Trade talks in progress for Johnson
The News
The Kansas City Star is reporting that the Chiefs have had trade discussions with four teams—the Dolphins, Cowboys, Bucs, and Eagles—about backup running back Larry Johnson. The report suggested that the Chiefs aren't actively pursuing a trade, but would certainly listen to offers if they would return a linebacker, wide receiver, cornerback, or additional draft picks.
Our View
With all the commotion surrounding Johnson, he's definitely worth a roster spot if you can afford it. We remain skeptical that a deal will happen, but now is the time to stash some high-upside running backs on your bench. If he lands in Miami, the most likely of all scenarios, he'd have pretty good value as a spot starter. The trade deadline is October 19.

Buccaneers: Dudley has surgery, might be out for the year
The News
Buccaneers' tight end Rickey Dudley had surgery Monday to repair the right thumb he fractured during Sunday's loss to the Raiders. The Tampa Tribune reports that there is a strong possibility that Dudley will be placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Our View
Dudley caught three passes for 48 yards in three games this season. He didn't have much fantasy value, so if you had him on your roster this news is a blessing, as it will force you to acquire a tight end that might actually score points this season.

Panthers: Smith to miss 10 more weeks
The News
Panthers' wide receiver Steve Smith will likely be sidelined for at least 10 more weeks due to the broken fibula he suffered in week one, according to the Rock Hill Herald. Smith said recently the best-case scenario would be a mid-December return. "We haven't set any dates, but it's going to be a while," Smith said. "If it was just waiting for the bone to be healed, it wouldn't be a problem. But the ligament damage is what's going to keep us out."
Our View
If Smith does return this season, it probably won't be until week 15 or 16, and it sounds as if that might be a stretch. In other words, he doesn't have much fantasy value outside of keeper leagues. This news boosts the stock of rookie wideout Keary Colbert, who is filling in for Smith and scored a touchdown in his first game.

The News
Running back Lee Suggs, who suffered a neck stinger in the final preseason game and has missed all three of the Browns' regular-season tilts, has been given full clearance for practice this week. "The [medical staff] turned him loose and he's 100 percent ready to go," Browns coach Butch Davis told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Our View
William Green has started each game in place of Suggs and rushed for 91 yards on 15 carries last Sunday against the Giants. It's unlikely Davis will name a starter prior to Sunday, and even if he does you can expect both players to get carries and cut into each other's fantasy value.