NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reports that Steelers LB Elandon Roberts will play tonight against the Patriots. Roberts turned up questionable despite injuring his groin early in Sunday's contest and quickly being ruled out. Roberts managed limited practices the past two days. We'd still be a little wary of using him this week, with the risk of re-injury. But Roberts does appear in our Week 14 LB rankings. We've also nudged LB Mykal Walker down.
Update: Roberts is officially active.
Steelers LB Elandon Roberts left Sunday's game against the Cardinals in the first half with a groin injury and was ruled out before halftime. That doesn't bode well for his chances of being ready for Pittsburgh's Thursday night game against the Patriots. Mykal Walker took over defensive play-calling duties after Roberts and would likely lead the LB corps in playing time in any further games Roberts misses.
Falcons LB Mykal Walker (groin) is off the injury report after putting in 2 full practices to close out the week. Go ahead and get him back into IDP lineups.
Falcons LB Mykal Walker left Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers early in the 2nd half with a groin injury. "Right now, I'm feeling good," he said after the game, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I should be ready to play next week." Walker did add that he was headed for further testing of the injury Monday. We'll see about his status leading up to Sunday's matchup with the 49ers.
The Falcons on Thursday placed LB Deion Jones on IR. It's a surprising move, given that Jones had recently come off the PUP and played in the team's preseason finale. Jones had shoulder surgery early in the offseason. We'll see whether the team reveals how long it expects him to be out. Jones' deactivation leaves Rahsaan Evans and Mykal Walker looking like the best bets for playing time among Falcons LBs.
Falcons LB Deion Jones returned to the practice field this week for the 1st time following offseason shoulder surgery. He worked with 3rd- and 4th-stringers, though, according to the team website. The highly paid also saw time on the punt team. "I'll give Deion credit, because he's going to come out here and he's going to compete," HC Arthur Smith said afterward. "He's going to work his way back in. It's going to be hard to get on the field in that room. And that's what you want with that competition. Rashaan [Evans] and Mykal Walker are doing a great job. We gotta see what Troy [Andersen] can do. [Nathan] Landman, Dorian [Etheridge]? They've had good preseasons. It's going to play itself out." Jones was the subject of trade/cut rumors before the shoulder surgery sidelined him. Atlanta would probably love to trade him for pretty much anything, which would offer salary-cap relief. Cutting Jones, on the other hand, would cost nearly $25 million in dead cap. The final year on his contract (2023) has much more cuttable terms. All of that is complicated by Jones coming off -- by far -- the poorest-graded season of his career. It seems likely that Rahsaan Evans and Mykal Walker start ahead of him, at least to open the season. Don't be afraid to just avoid the whole Falcons LB situation in your IDP drafts.
The Falcons on Monday agreed to a 1-year deal with LB Rashaan Evans. A 2018 first-round pick of the Titans, Evans never lived up to that billing. Although he started 11 of the 12 games he was available for last year, Evans' playing time dipped to 60%. He might find himself competing with Mykal Walker for the #2 LB role in Atlanta, after Foye Oluokun left for Jacksonville in free agency. But there's also still room for the Falcons to add a better prospect in the NFL Draft.
Falcons LB Deion Jones (shoulder) is inactive for today's game against the Jaguars. That likely means closer to full playing time for LB Mykal Walker.
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