Footballguys #59 - 6/17 - News On Todd Gurley's Knee And MORE

[2019 Draft Dominator]( The Best [Mock Draft]( AND [Real Draft]( Tool on the planet is NOW FREE. [Download the Footballguys Draft Dominator here](. Did we mention it's FREE. [Download it NOW](. And Dominate. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Footballguys.com]( Footballguys #59 - 6/17 - News On Todd Gurley's Knee And MORE Volume 21, #59 -- Monday Night, June 17th, 2019 Note: Unsubscribe instructions are at the bottom of this email [View in Web Browser]() Howdy {NAME}, Good Tuesday to you. Another day, another bunch of killer new articles for you. Including our Dr. Jene Bramel's Injury Notes. Plus the News and Notes you need. Let's go. J SITE NEWS A. [Monday Injury Rounds: Todd Gurley, Sony Michel, and Degenerative Knees - Jene Bramel]( Our Dr. Jene Bramel with the latest on Todd Gurley and Sony Michel -- and their arthritic knees. Updated table reviewing all offensive skill position injuries around the league. B. [Pick-a-Player: James Conner, Todd Gurley, or Joe Mixon](=) We ask our Staff and also our Footballguys Facebook Posters who they go with if choosing between James Conner, Todd Gurley, or Joe Mixon. See who they like. Then let us know on Facebook who you like for our next question. C. [Auction Primer: Section III]( Our Jeff Pasquino continues his Auction Series. In this one, he talks about "Knowing Your League". D. [Auction Primer: Section IV]( Our Jeff Pasquino continues his Auction Series. In this one, he talks about "Auction League Types". [] INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. [LAR - Trainer confirms RB Todd Gurley's arthritic knee](#1) 2. [NO - New Orleans talking with WR Michael Thomas](#2) 3. [NE - Nick Caserio unhappy in New England?](#3) 4. [NYJ - QB Josh McCown calls it a career](#4) 5. [GB - TE Michael Roberts finds new home with Green Bay](#5) 6. [HOU - CB Aaron Colvin pleasing Houston coaches](#6) 7. [NYJ - WR Robby Anderson impresses](#7) 8. [BAL - TE Mark Andrews not resting on laurels](#8) 9. [IND - Parris Campbell in mix for No. 3 job](#9) 10. [IND - WR Devin Funchess struggled in OTAs](#10) 11. [DET - Chris Lacy pushing for a spot](#11) 12. [PHI - Marken Michel making noise](#12) 13. [IND - Mo Alie-Cox making strides](#13) 14. [PHI - JJ Arcega-Whiteside the No. 4 option?](#14) 15. [SF - WR Dante Pettis turning heads](#15) 16. [SF - TE Garrett Celek on chopping block?](#16) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 1. [LAR - Trainer confirms RB Todd Gurley's arthritic knee]( Source: Yahoo - Shalise Manza Young Updating previous reports. Los Angeles Rams RB [Todd Gurley]( (knee) is in fact dealing with arthritis in his knee after months of speculation. Travelle Gaines, who has trained Gurley for three years, suggested 'not one thing has changed' in regards to his client and that 'our routine has worked, he's been strong, he's been in great shape, he's done well.' Gaines went on to say the decision this offseason to have Gurley drop six pounds and trim his body fat from 10 percent to seven was not due to injuries and more to accentuate his speed. The trainer also said 'it's never been told to me' that the Rams plan on decreasing Gurley's workload come Week 1.'Everybody knew when Todd came out of Georgia that there would be some kind of arthritic component to his knee, which is part of every surgery whether it's a shoulder, a knee, an ankle. He's now at the Year 5 mark; all we're doing is managing that. If we can pound him less in the offseason while keeping his weight down, working on his strength, working on his agility in short areas, that's going to give him a better chance to be healthy Weeks 14 through 17 when they really count,' Gaines said. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Gaines has been a trainer for some of the best players in the NFL (and the NBA too), so we'll listen to what he has to say about Gurley. The veteran superstar RB has seen his ADP slide in recent weeks as Fantasy GMs are nervous about his knee condition and about the Rams perhaps using more Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson to spell Gurley in 2019. Gurley now is a boom/bust pick for Fantasy GMs in the early second round. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 2. [NO - New Orleans talking with WR Michael Thomas]() Source: ProFootballTalk.com - Josh Alper New Orleans Saints WR [Michael Thomas]( has had some contract extension talks with the Saints, according to general manager Mickey Loomis. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Thomas is in the final year of his rookie contract and is on the books for only $1.6 million in 2019. We'll see if the Saints can find a way to get him a new deal before he hits the open market (or more precisely is franchise tagged) in 2020. Thomas is likely to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL when a new contract is agreed upon. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 3. [NE - Nick Caserio unhappy in New England?](=) Source: The Boston Globe - Ben Volin New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio reportedly 'wants out' of New England and wants to become the general manager of the Houston Texans, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. According to Volin, Caserio would have simply turned down the Texans' offer to become their general manager if he didn't want the job, forcing the Patriots to enforce a clause in his contract and file tampering charges to get Houston to back off. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Caserio's contract reportedly runs through the 2020 NFL Draft. It looks like the Patriots may make him honor that entire contract, but all reports indicate Caserio could wind up in Houston after that. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 4. [NYJ - QB Josh McCown calls it a career]( Source: 1 No Source New York Jets QB [Josh McCown]( announced his retirement via The Players' Tribune on Monday, June 17. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] McCown had a 17-year football career and now finds his way to the TV studio as an analyst for ESPN. Largely a backup or bridge quarterback during his pro career, McCown was a solid player no matter where he went in 10 different NFL stops (and one year with the Hartford Colonials in the UFL). [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 5. [GB - TE Michael Roberts finds new home with Green Bay]() Source: Sirius XM NFL Radio - Adam Caplan Free-agent TE [Michael Roberts]( (Lions) claimed off waivers by the Green Bay Packers on Monday, June 17. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] A failed physical nixed a trade of Roberts from the Lions to the Patriots last week. The Packers are top heavy at the position with starter Jimmy Graham and athletic rookie Jace Sternberger. We'll see if Roberts can stay healthy and impress as a No. 3 tight end. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 6. [HOU - CB Aaron Colvin pleasing Houston coaches](=) Source: Houston Chronicle - Aaron Wilson Houston Texans CB Aaron Colvin was limited to 10 games, two starts, 29 tackles and one pass defensed due to an ankle injury after signing a four-year, $34 million contract that included $18 million guaranteed last offseason. However, he has impressed the coaching staff so far this offseason.'He's had a good offseason. He's been here every day, he's worked hard. I think he's definitely in that group of players that have improved, which is a big group. But there's definitely been improvement because he's been out there every day. He's been healthy, he's been working. He's a hard worker. He definitely takes a good professional approach to every day,' head coach Bill O'Brien told the Houston Chronicle. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Colvin is likely to be the slot corner for the Texans in 2019. This news is good news for Colvin as he struggled in 2018 through 10 games in his first season with the Texans. It sounds like he could be in for a bounce-back year. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 7. [NYJ - WR Robby Anderson impresses]() Source: MMQB - Albert Breer New York Jets WR [Robby Anderson]( was deemed a 'very pleasant surprise' by new general manager Joe Douglas. 'He's a tough weapon for defenses to match up with, he can get behind you and he can challenge the defense vertically,' Douglas said. 'That was a very pleasant surprise.' [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Over the last month of the 2018 season, Anderson performed at a high level. We'll see if he can carry that over to this season. New head coach Adam Gase should have plenty of ways to use Anderson as a favorite target of second-year QB Sam Darnold. Anderson has a current ADP of WR30 (6.12) in 12-team PPR leagues. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 8. [BAL - TE Mark Andrews not resting on laurels]() Source: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec Baltimore Ravens TE [Mark Andrews]( looks bigger, faster and stronger, in the opinion of beat writer Jeff Zrebiec. He made a ton of plays the last couple of weeks, according to Zrebiec. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Andrews was the best rookie tight end for the Ravens in 2018. They selected Hayden Hurst in the first round last year but he was banged up and didn't impress in 12 games with only 13 catches as a rookie. Andrews played in 16 games and snared 34 passes for 552 yards and three touchdowns. We should see a TEBC featuring both Andrews and Hurst for Baltimore's run-heavy offense in 2019. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 9. [IND - Parris Campbell in mix for No. 3 job]() Source: 1070 The Fan - Kevin Bowen Indianapolis Colts WR Parris Campbell missed some time in the spring, but he still should be in the mix for the No. 3 receiver job. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] We love Campbell's playmaking ability on the football field. He is a big play waiting to happen and can take short passes and turn them into long gains because of his speed and quickness. Campbell can toy with defenders after the catch and has goof field vision to find running lanes. He should serve as the No. 3 receiver with T.Y. Hilton and Devin Funchess ahead of him on the depth chart. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 10. [IND - WR Devin Funchess struggled in OTAs]() Source: 1070 The Fan - Kevin Bowen Indianapolis Colts WR [Devin Funchess]( struggled to establish a consistent rapport with QB [Jacoby Brissett]( during organized team activities (OTAs), as starting QB [Andrew Luck]( was held out. Head coach Frank Reich still praised the aptitude and route running of Funchess. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Keep an eye on this situation as training camp and preseason roll on later this summer. It's not a good sign that Funchess was struggling in OTAs. The Colts took a flier on Funchess after he had a down season in Carolina. They signed him to a one-year deal earlier this offseason. He gives the Colts much-needed size at the wide receiver position, and Funchess gets an upgrade at quarterback with Andrew Luck. We'll see if he can clean things up in training camp. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 11. [DET - Chris Lacy pushing for a spot]() Source: ESPN.com - Michael Rothstein Detroit Lions WR [Chris Lacy]( brings a combination of size and speed to the Detroit receiving corps and could make the 53-man roster as a 'depth receiver,' according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Lacy came into the league as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State and originally signed with the Patriots. He was sparingly used in college and has to refine his pass-catching skills, but Lacy does have a nice size/speed combination. We'll monitor his progress in super deep dynasty formats. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 12. [PHI - Marken Michel making noise]() Source: ESPN.com - Tim McManus Philadelphia Eagles WR Marken Michel has spent some time with the first-team offense during spring practices and has shown the ability to stretch the field, according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Michel is the older brother of Patriots second-year running back Sony Michel, and he's got quite an athletic profile. The Eagles were able to sign Michel after he spent two seasons in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders. During his college career at UMASS, Michel worked primarily as a wide receiver but did also play some running back and on special teams. Undrafted out of UMASS in 2016, Michel signed with the Vikings but did not make the 53-man roster as a rookie. We'll keep an eye on him in crazy deep dynasty formats. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 13. [IND - Mo Alie-Cox making strides]() Source: ESPN.com - Mike Wells Indianapolis Colts TE [Mo Alie-Cox]( has started to develop as a route runner, according to head coach Frank Reich. 'I have already seen some really key indicators to me,' Reich said. 'I mean, very tangible indicators that he can develop into a very good route runner as well. He is so long and big and they don't want to tackle him.' [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] This offseason has been full of positive reports about Alie-Cox. The former basketball player from Virginia Commonwealth has been running as the first-team tight end in OTAs and minicamp with both Eric Ebron (groin) and Jack Doyle (hip) recovering from injuries. We'll continue to monitor Alie-Cox in dynasty formats. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 14. [PHI - JJ Arcega-Whiteside the No. 4 option?](=) Source: NJ.com - Zack Rosenblatt Philadelphia Eagles WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside is the clear No. 4 receiver, according to Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com, and Rosenblatt believes Arcega-Whiteside has 'potentially elite' ability in the red zone. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] The rookie from Stanford should be in line for that No. 4 job with the Eagles behind Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor. His 'my ball mentalilty' helps Arcega-Whiteside bring down contested passes regularly...making him a great option when space is tight near pay dirt. We'll monitor him closely in dynasty formats and likely throw him in as a cheap boom/bust DFS play from time to time in 2019. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 15. [SF - WR Dante Pettis turning heads](=) Source: NBC Sports Bay Area - Jennifer Lee Chan San Francisco 49ers WR [Dante Pettis]( has impressed QB [Jimmy Garoppolo]( and head Kyle Shanahan with his new physique and attention to detail. 'Dante's body is maturing,' Garoppolo said. 'He's coming out of breaks with power, he has speed.''He worked while he was away,' Shanahan said. 'He tried to get bigger. He worked more at his routes and he came here with the idea of 'Hey, I'm not just coming here to get better back in shape, I'm coming here to get better.'' [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Pettis is a dynamic player who can create space with his quickness, route-running and run-after-the-catch ability. While not a speedster, Pettis plays with plenty of guile and can be one of Garoppolo's favorite targets in 2019. If Pettis caught 50-plus catches this season we would not be surprised. Pettis has a current ADP of WR34 (8.03) in 12-team PPR leagues. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 16. [SF - TE Garrett Celek on chopping block?](=) Source: NBC Sports Bay Area - Matt Maiocco San Francisco 49ers TE [Garrett Celek]( (back) 'faces some pretty big odds' to make the 53-man roster, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] In addition to recovering from back surgery, Celek is still in the concussion protocol from an injury he sustained in Week 17 of the 2018 season. He is supposed to be cleared some time during training camp for the head injury. The back surgery requires a two month recovery, putting Celek's return date at a similar time to his concussion. Maybe being cleared in mid-August puts Celek's future with the team in serious doubt. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- That'll do it for today, Folks. Thanks for reading and thanks for being part of the Footballguys Team. We'll see you tomorrow with the Update. Peace, J Thank you for subscribing to our Footballguys Daily Update Email! Get your 3 Free Downloads [here](=). You are currently subscribed as {EMAIL} To unsubscribe, click [here](. * Footballguys.com * PO Box 937 * Cabot, AR 72023-0937 * News Items Powered By: =