Commanders rule out St-Juste and Milne vs. Falcons

Losing Benjamin St-Juste and Dax Milne for Sunday creates two big openings for the Commanders. How will they replace them?

Friday was a not a good news day for the Washington Commanders.

The team ruled out both Benjamin St-Juste and Dax Milne for Sunday’s game against the Falcons.

Naturally, the first thought that comes to mind is the size of Falcons receiver Drake London. St-Juste certainly has the most size and best range of any of the Commanders defensive backs. The loss of St-Juste against the Falcons should not be minimized.

Of note, the team elevated corner Danny Johnson from the practice squad on Oct. 24 and Johnson has seen action in each game from Weeks 8-11. Johnson only played two defensive snaps against the Colts and none against the Eagles. However, he was in on 50 defensive snaps against the Vikings and 11 last week in Houston. So, Johnson is the likely candidate to see more action against the Falcons.

Corner Rachad Wildgoose has not seen action on defense since the Colts game and rookie corner Christian Holmes has seen only special teams action this year, with the lone exception being six snaps on defense against the Eagles in Week 3.

Washington does have three other defensive backs on their practice squad, were they to determine to elevate one up to the roster this week. Corn Elder has seen regular season action with the Panthers (2018-20) and last season with Washington. Texas Tech rookie Damarcus Fields saw action for the Saints on special teams in two games earlier this season and was signed to the Commanders’ practice squad on Oct. 26.

Troy Apke was released from the practice squad, but brought back to the squad this season and has the most regular-season game experience of those available to be elevated to the roster.

With Milne being out Sunday, possibly rookie Jahan Dotson will be called upon to return punts. Dotson started out quite well, with four receiving touchdowns in the first four games, but pulled a hamstring and missed the next five consecutive games.

The Commanders did receive some good news Friday. Defensive end James Smith-Williams who is producing his finest year thus far in 2022, had been out of practice with an illness, but he returned Friday and is expected to play against the Falcons.

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Saints sign CB DaMarcus Fields from their practice squad to the 53-man roster

Saints sign CB DaMarcus Fields from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, taking the spot vacated by Alontae Taylor going on injured reserve:

Here’s the next man up. The New Orleans Saints had a spot open on their 53-man roster with rookie cornerback Alontae Taylor going on injured reserve (he injured his knee in practice on Sept. 22), so they’ve signed first-year corner DaMarcus Fields up from their practice squad. Initially picked up as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech, Fields was elevated for last week’s game with the Carolina Panthers in Taylor’s place. Now, instead of earning $13,803 a week on the practice squad, Fields will now reel in $41,470 as a member of the 53-man roster.

He’s also won a path to getting on the field in Taylor’s role with the special teams units; he ran with the punt return and punt coverage squads last week, as well as the field goal blocking team. Marshon Lattimore, Bradley Roby, and Paulson Adebo are still ahead of Fields on the defensive depth chart, but if he can continue to work for reps in the kicking game he could stick around.

As for Taylor: it’s still unclear whether this is a season-ending injury, and the decision to promote Fields now doesn’t really give us an idea of his timetable. Players must sit out at least four weeks on the injured reserve list before being reactivated, and teams are allowed to elevate a practice squad player for three games each season before being forced to sign them to the 53-man roster. Those two time limits don’t really mesh. We’ll keep an eye out for updates on Taylor’s status.

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Saints lose rookie cornerback Alontae Taylor to injured reserve

A Thursday knee injury in practice forced the Saints to send rookie cornerback Alontae Taylor to injured reserve. It’s a tough break for a young player on the rise:

You hate to see this. Alontae Taylor stepped up for the New Orleans Saints in a big spot last week, playing in place of Paulson Adebo (who was sidelined by an ankle injury) and Marshon Lattimore (who had been ejected) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The rookie cornerback responded well, but a knee injury in Thursday’s practice session has sent him to injured reserve. He’ll have to sit out at least the next four games, but it’s unclear how serious this is, and whether he’ll be out of action for a longer time.

So it’s on to the next man up. The Saints elevated rookie corner DaMarcus Fields from their practice squad for Sunday’s road game with the Carolina Panthers, and he may play a big role behind Lattimore and Bradley Roby if Adebo, who is questionable to play, can’t go. Veteran safety Justin Evans figures to continue covering the slot as the team’s primary defender in that role, but we’ll keep an eye out for changes.

Fields was a standout at Texas Tech and played more defense snaps (121) than anyone else for New Orleans in their three preseason games, lining up most frequently in the slot (76 snaps). He’s got good size for the position at 6-foot-even and 193 pounds, and is probably fine as a backup, but maybe not someone you want starting right out of the gates. We’ll see where he and how often he plays on Sunday.

But this is a big loss for New Orleans, though maybe not how you’re imagining. Taylor had played 47 snaps on special teams through the first two weeks against just 19 reps with the defense, primarily playing gunner and jammer with the punt units. He was making plays in that role alongside J.T. Gray, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Saints address his absence. One player to watch is backup wide receiver Marquez Callaway, who made the cut in the first place as a rookie out of Tennessee in 2020 for his efforts in the kicking game.

Taylor, a second-round draft choice, is the third rookie Saints draft pick to land on injured reserve, along with left tackle Trevor Penning (a first rounder expected back in November) and linebacker D’Marcus Jackson (a fifth rounder who is out for the season). Sixth-round pick Jordan Jackson, a defensive tackle, is on the practice squad, leaving first-round wide receiver Chris Olave as the only rookie draft pick on the active roster.

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5 matchups to watch in Chargers’ preseason finale vs Saints

Highlighting five matchups to watch as the Chargers take on the Saints on Friday night.

The Chargers wrap up their preseason against the Saints.

With the roster taking shape, this will be the last stand for many players trying to make the team.

Here are five key matchups to watch Friday night:

Chargers EDGE Jamal Davis II vs. Saints OT Trevor Penning

Penning was the favorite choice of many a Chargers fan leading up to April’s draft because of his ability to play right tackle, but LA ended up going with Zion Johnson. Penning is now at left tackle in New Orleans, where he’s been the second-highest graded offensive player on the team through two preseason games. Davis, meanwhile, is still fighting for a roster spot in an EDGE room that may or may not carry four dedicated players with Kyle Van Noy’s role unclear. The stakes will be slightly higher as Davis and Chris Rumph will be out to prove their teammate was the right choice over Penning.

Chargers IOL Ryan Hunter vs. Saints DT Malcolm Roach

Both Hunter and Roach will be fighting for their football lives on Friday. For Hunter, he’s out to prove he’s worth a roster spot over the likes of Will Clapp and Brenden Jaimes. All three have had an up-and-down offseason. Roach is attempting to fend off rookies Jordan Jackson and Josh Black to retain his spot on the Saints. The winner of this battle, likely to take place deep into the game, could cement a place on the 53. The loser could be hoping for waivers to be favorable to them.

Chargers CB Ja’Sir Taylor vs. Saints WR Chris Olave

Rookie on rookie here, as Taylor has been the starting slot corner this preseason with Bryce Callahan getting his veteran rest. Olave, meanwhile, has rotated between the outside and in the slot. The Southern California native was another popular choice for the Chargers’ first-round pick and has lived up to the billing thus far. Taylor likely has a roster spot secured, especially with the injuries piling up at cornerback, but holding his own against Olave will undoubtedly help.

Chargers RB Joshua Kelley vs. Saints LB Kaden Elliss

Elliss has been the Saints’ best defender this preseason, per PFF, and is tied for the third-most defensive stops on the team. He’ll be the primary backer tasked with handling Joshua Kelley, who will be looking to bounce back from a poor performance against the Cowboys. A lot of the struggles as a rusher can be chalked up to subpar blocking, but Kelley also dropped his only target. With Isaiah Spiller nursing an ankle injury, Kelley has a shot to firm up his role as RB2 to start the season with a good performance.

Chargers WR Michael Bandy vs. Saints CB DaMarcus Fields

Fields is the closest allegory to Bandy on the Saints’ defense, as the UDFA has played more than 100 snaps this preseason while looking like a potentially solid depth piece at corner. Bandy has been the star of LA’s preseason, hauling in 15 receptions for 142 yards and 2 TDs in two games. Both he and Fields are battling for roster spots that may not even exist – Bandy is LA’s WR6, while Fields is NOLA’s fifth corner. However, a strong performance from either of them against the other could force their respective team to keep them rather than risk waivers.

7-round mock draft for Chargers after free agency

The Los Angeles Chargers address all of their needs in this latest mock draft.

The Chargers are set with nine picks in next month’s draft.

Some bargain free-agent moves could still take place before the draft starts on April 28, but for the most part, the current roster shows what areas they should be targeting.

As we are now officially four weeks away from the highly-anticipated event, here is a look at what Los Angeles could do with each of their selections.