Tag: week 6

Detroit Lions Week 6 injury report: Frank Ragnow doesn’t practice on Thursday

Examining the Detroit Lions Thursday Week 6 injury report as they begin their preparation for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Detroit Lions got some bad news on Thursday when starting center Frank Ragnow was unable to practice after suffering a groin injury on Wednesday. If he is unable to play on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, it will be a huge loss for the Lions offense.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Injured reserve/PUP list

No Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Frank Ragnow Groin Limited Practice No Practice
Adrian Peterson Illness Not Listed No Practice
Desmond Trufant Hamstring No Practice No Practice
Hunter Bryant Concussion No Practice No Practice

While coach Matt Patricia didn’t want to discuss how or when Ragnow’s injury happened, he did suggest it was a recent issue saying it was “something that popped up yesterday”. Couple that comment with Ragnow being unable to practice on Thursday, and it’s not great news for Ragnow or the Lions, as mid-week injuries typically impact a player’s ability to perform on Sunday — if they play at all.

If Ragnow is unable to play, rookie Jonah Jackson could end up as his replacement at center, which would be his third position player in his first five NFL games. Other options include the team activating Dahl from IR or elevating Beau Benzschawel from the practice squad.

Peterson’s illness is being reported by local media as non-COVID-19 related.

Trufant is considered day-to-day according to Patricia, but after missing two practices, he would need a significant improvement on Friday in order to be game ready on Sunday. Expect an Amani Oruwariye-Jeff Okudah starting lineup at corner once again.

Bryant continues to sit out practices and with the NFL concussion protocols being what they are, he will likely miss this weekend’s game.

Limited Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Christian Jones Knee Limited Practice Limited Practice
C.J. Moore Calf Limited Practice Limited Practice

Jones was limited in Week 4 but played in that game and appears to be on the same path in Week 6. His situation is still worth keeping an eye on, but this is an early lean towards availability.

Moore could be on the path to the playing field once again, but he has been so banged up this season, it’s hard to project anything at this stage.

Full Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
D’Shawn Hand Chest Full Practice Full Practice
Nick Williams Shoulder Full Practice Full Practice

Two full practices for Hand and Williams is a strong indicator that they will be good to go on Sunday, barring a Friday setback of course.

Injury Update: Cowboys’ Vander Esch on schedule to play MNF vs Cardinals

The Dallas Cowboys appear to be getting the band back together on defense, and with the loss of quarterback Dak Prescott it couldn’t be a moment too soon. In last week’s win over the New York Giants, corner Anthony Brown played for the first time …

The Dallas Cowboys appear to be getting the band back together on defense, and with the loss of quarterback Dak Prescott it couldn’t be a moment too soon. In last week’s win over the New York Giants, corner Anthony Brown played for the first time since Week 1. After suffering a rib injury during the following week’s practice, Brown’s absence came on the heels of three other Week 1 injuries that included the loss of middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who has suffered a broken collarbone.

After successful surgery and a speedier-than-anticipated recovery schedule, Vander Esch appears ready to test the reconstructed area with a padded, contact practice on Friday. If all goes well, he’ll suit up on Monday night when the Cowboys take on Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals, according to Jane Slater of the NFL Network.

Vander Esch only appeared in nine games in 2019, and some of those for only a handful of snaps. A neck injury was the cause then, but it appears unrelated to his current ailment. The 2018 Pro Bowler was having an outstanding camp and will hopefully be the first in a continuous line of defensive additions over the next several weeks.

CB Chidobe Awuzie has been out since Week 2 with a hamstring injury. DE Randy Gregory (suspension) can be activated to the roster following this week’s contest and will play next week against Washington. Linebacker Sean Lee (sports hernia) seems to be nearing a return as well.

The Dallas defense has been bad this season, ranking near or at the bottom of the league in volume statistics and in the bottom half of the league in efficiency stats. Having more talent available will hopefully be a boost to their performance.

We’ll update with more injury news as it rolls in.

Lions Wire Fantasy Football Weekly: 2020 Week 6 preview

Who to start and sit around the NFL and in the Lions-Jaguars game

Have you ever looked at your fantasy football league standings and wondered how some teams have such a good record early in the season? The Detroit Lions are looking up at others in the NFC North and feel the same way. Both for your fantasy team and the Lions, please remember that it is early with lots of football still to play.

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The toughest loss to accept in fantasy football is that one where it comes down to the final game of the week and your opponent has a player or two still yet to play, and they score just enough to beat you. This past week — with games on Monday and Tuesday — that factor was really in play. Many probably felt that heartbreak of a last-second loss in fantasy football, which is another feeling the Lions can relate with.

Let’s do, as many NFL head coaches often say, and put the past behind us. Onto the next week, Week 6.

There are lots of interesting matchups, waiver wire pickups to help with those injuries, and a Lions game in Jacksonville to put the spotlight on. We will do all of that and more in this week’s Fantasy Football Weekly.

Lions at Jaguars fantasy focus

A quality fantasy football offense often has a top-notch quarterback, a few dynamic wide receivers, a pass-catching tight end, and multiple complementary running backs. That represents the Lions much more than the Jacksonville Jaguars roster these days.

The Jaguars resemble a fantasy football team constructed via the waiver wire. They feature Gardner Minshew at quarterback, who was a very late draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Their receiving corps is filled with a bunch of names you won’t see anywhere near the top of the fantasy charts.

They do have Tyler Eifert at tight end. Yes, the same Tyler Eifert who blew up one year in fantasy football with 13 touchdowns, but that year was all the way back in 2015. The Jaguars cut Leonard Fournette before the season started and replaced him with an unknown, undrafted running back James Robinson out of Illinois State. This team the Lions are facing is filled with all the guys no one else wanted. That is what makes them so dangerous.

There are so many ways this game could go. The Lions could put up great fantasy statistics based on their talent and the number of points the Jaguars defense has given up on average so far this year (36.8 PPG). The Jaguars could show why they are underrated and run the ball all over the Lions defense, which has greatly struggled to stop the run. The final scenario is that it could just be a very ugly game across the board for both teams with poor play on both sides of the ball. For fantasy purposes, put in your fantasy players on both teams. It feels like points will be scored in this one regardless.

Start/Sit

Start
Ben Roethlisberger (QB Steelers)
Chase Edmunds (RB Cardinals)
Laviska Shenault (WR Jaguars)
T.J. Hockenson (TE Lions)

Sit
Matt Ryan (QB Falcons)
Jerick McKinnon (RB 49ers)
Brandin Cooks (WR Texans)
Tyler Higbee (TE Rams)

Top-3 projected players by position

Quarterbacks
Kyler Murray, Cardinals
Josh Allen, Bills
Lamar Jackson, Ravens

Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
Derrick Henry, Titans
Mike Davis, Panthers

Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals
Devante Adams, Packers
Adam Thielen, Vikings

Tight Ends
Travis Kelce, Chiefs
Mark Andrews, Ravens
George Kittle, 49ers

Team Defenses
Colts
Ravens
Dolphins

Kickers
Jason Sanders, Dolphins
Stephen Gostowski, Titans
Harrison Butker, Chiefs

Waiver wire options

Andy Dalton (QB Cowboys)
Derek Carr (QB Raiders)
Alexander Mattison (RB Vikings)
Justin Jackson (RB Chargers)
Chase Claypool (WR Steelers)
Travis Fulgham (WR Eagles)
Trey Burton (TE Colts)
Drew Sample (TE Bengals)

Intriguing games and players in Week 6

(Week 5 Bye Weeks: Seahawks, Saints, Chargers, Raiders) 

Baltimore at Philadelphia, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • BAL: J.K. Dobbins (RB), Marquise Brown (WR)
  • PHI: Zach Ertz (TE), Miles Sanders (RB)

Cleveland at Pittsburgh, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST

  • CLE:  Odell Beckham, Jr (WR), David Njoku (TE)
  • PIT: JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR), James Washington (WR)

Green Bay at Tampa Bay, Sunday 4:25 PM, EST

  • GB: Marquez Valdez-Scantling (WR), Aaron Rodgers (QB)
  • TB: Cameron Brate (TE), Tom Brady (QB)

LA Rams at San Francisco, Sunday 8:20 PM, EST

  • LAR: Cooper Kupp (WR), Cam Akers (RB)
  • SF: George Kittle (TE), Deebo Samuel (WR)

Kansas City at Buffalo, Monday 5:00 PM, EST

  • KC: Patrick Mahomes (QB), Mecole Hardman (WR)
  • BUF: Stefon Diggs (WR), Zach Moss (RB)

Arizona at Dallas, Monday 8:15 PM, EST

  • AZ: Kyler Murray (QB), Kenyon Drake (RB)
  • DAL: Amari Cooper (WR), Ezekiel Elliott (RB)

Bottom Line

Could you imagine a fantasy football season where you start out with a big lead early on every week only to lose that lead throughout your matchup and ultimately get beat by your opponent at the very end?

Those losses week after week where you were ahead to start only to lose in the end would be crushing. Seeing losses like that pile up is demoralizing for any fantasy owner and the key is to try to stop the trend any way possible.

This is the situation facing the Lions and many fantasy owners out there right now. Those late losses seem to hurt more than others, but there is still lots of time left to turn the season around.

Try to go undefeated this week instead of focusing on one of those tough losses in the past. Winning each week and trying to put your best effort out there is the best strategy for your fantasy team and also for the Detroit Lions.

Chiefs open as 4-point favorites over Bills in Week 6

Kansas City goes to Buffalo as favorites after a Week 5 loss by both the Bills and Chiefs.

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The Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) open the week as rare road favorites against the Buffalo Bills (4-1) when the two face off in their rescheduled game on Monday.

BetMGM’s betting lines for Week 6 have the Chiefs listed as favorites over the Bills. Both teams unexpectedly lost their Week 5 matchups to teams viewed as inferior opponents. Still, it’s a bit surprising to see Kansas City favored in a road matchup against another good football team. Oddsmakers tend to favor the home team.

At BetMGM, the Chiefs are currently listed as 4-point favorites over the Buffalo. The current money line is at -200 for Kansas City and +170 for the Bills. The over/under point total is set at 57.5 points. The Chiefs have an implied win probability of 66.67% in this matchup

The last time Kansas City opened up as a favorite on the road following a loss was Week 11 of the 2019 season. After losing a winnable game to the Tennessee Titans, they went on the road to face the Los Angeles Chargers in a neutral stadium in Mexico City. This game has a familiar feeling apart from playing on neutral ground.

Both the Bills and the Chiefs are coming off a loss in Week 5 and will be highly motivated to perform better heading into this game. It should make for some theatrics in the early evening on Monday between two of the most promising young quarterbacks in the game.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Davante Adams, Kenny Clark both full participants at Packers’ practice

The Packers should get back two Pro Bowl players on Sunday against the Buccaneers.

Barring some kind of setback, the Green Bay Packers are going to return two very important players on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The first injury report of the week revealed that both receiver Davante Adams and defensive lineman Kenny Clark were full participants for the Packers at Wednesday’s practice.

Adams has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury he originally suffered in Week 2. While frustrated about missing the Packers’ win over the Atlanta Falcons before the bye, Adams is now close to 100 percent and ready to return.

The same goes for Clark, who hasn’t been on the field since injuring his groin in the first half of Week 1. Like Adams, Clark got an extra week to recover during the bye and should now be in a position to return to the middle of the Packers defense.

Getting back Adams provides the Packers’ high-flying offense with a three-time Pro Bowler who caught 17 passes the first two weeks, while Clark’s return immediately strengthens the run defense and interior pass-rush.

The Packers only had two players miss practice on Wednesday: running back/receiver Tyler Ervin (wrist) and cornerback Kevin King (quad). Ervin has been important as the offense’s go-to jet motion option, while King is one-half of the Packers’ starting cornerback duo and an important player for Sunday against the Buccaneers’ receiver group.

Cornerback Jaire Alexander (hand/knee), linebacker Krys Barnes (shoulder), outside linebacker Rashan Gary (ankle) and tight end Marcedes Lewis (knee) were limited.

Gary and Lewis both missed the Packers’ win over the Falcons.

The Buccaneers were without cornerback Carlton Davis and receiver Mike Evans on Wednesday, but receiver Chris Godwin returned to practice. Bruce Arians’ team listed 11 players as limited or non-participants at Wednesday’s practice. The Packers had six.

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Detroit Lions Wednesday Week 6 injury report: Desmond Trufant doesn’t practice, Frank Ragnow limited

Examining the Detroit Lions Wednesday Week 6 injury report as they begin their preparation for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Detroit Lions returned to the practice field on Wednesday as they prepare to travel to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6 and they had three starters unable to fully participate.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Injured reserve/PUP list

No Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Desmond Trufant Hamstring No Practice
Hunter Bryant Concussion No Practice

Trufant missed Weeks 2 and 3 with a hamstring injury and when he returned to the field in Week 4, he reaggravated it and couldn’t finish the game. Despite having extra time to recover after the bye, Trufant was still unable to participate on Wednesday, which is not ideal. Fortunately, the Lions are prepared to handle a potential absence with Amani Oruwaroye and Jeff Okudah both ready to start.

If it wasn’t for bad luck Hunter Bryant might not have any luck at all. After missing the first four weeks of the season with a hamstring injury, Bryant is now dealing with a concussion. The Lions always take a cautious approach to head injuries, so his NFL debut may once again be put on hold.

Limited Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Frank Ragnow Groin Limited Practice
Christian Jones Knee Limited Practice
C.J. Moore Calf Limited Practice

Ragnow showing up as limited with a groin injury is easily the most concerning news of the day. He is the anchor of the Lions offensive line and most of the success they have originates from him in some way. This is a situation fans will want to keep a close eye on.

If Ragnow is unable to play, both Dahl — who is still technically on IR — and rookie Jonah Jackson have experience working at center, though it would be a massive downgrade from Ragnow’s elite play.

Jones was dealing with a knee injury before the bye but was able to play through it in Week 4. As long as he didn’t have a setback, he should be on track to play again in Week 6.

Like Bryant, Moore has been bitten by the injury bug in 2020. A hamstring injury kept him out of Week 1, then a groin injury prevented him from playing in Weeks 3 and 4, and now a third injury (a calf) has crept up this week. Limited is a good sign, but he’s been limited in past weeks and unable to play on Sunday, so tread lightly with expectations here.

Full Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
D’Shawn Hand Chest Full Practice
Nick Williams Shoulder Full Practice

Having both 3/5-techniques on the injury report is not ideal, but getting in a full practice is encouraging. Hand’s chest injury is a carryover from Week 4, and he was able to play through it then, so expectations are high he will be fine. Williams’ injury happened during the game against the New Orleans Saints, and the bye week has apparently given him enough time to get back on the field.

Adam Gase ready to move on from Le’Veon Bell: ‘It didn’t work out’

Le’Veon Bell no longer plays for the Jets, and Adam Gase doesn’t seem too upset about it.

Adam Gase appeared unwilling to talk about or take any responsibility for the Jets’ ugly break up with Le’Veon Bell.

New cut Bell on Tuesday night. When asked repeatedly Wednesday afternoon if he thought he misused the running back, Gase refused to answer. 

“It’s irrelevant at this point,’ Gase said, via SNY. “For whatever reason, it didn’t work out. Our team is moving forward to Miami, that’s the No. 1 thing for us right now.”

The Jets released Bell on Tuesday night after 17 middling performances and just 19 months after signing him to a four-year, $52.5 million contract. It came in the wake of a 14-touch performance that left Bell so miffed by his usage that he liked several tweets insinuating the Jets should trade him. While the Jets tried to send Bell elsewhere throughout this season, they couldn’t find a trade partner who would take on the 28-year-old’s contract that still had a lot of guaranteed money left to pay.

“It was a tough decision to make but we felt like it was best for where we are at right now,” Gase added, per team reporter Olivia Landis.

Bell joined the Jets in the hopes of bolstering their offense after a self-imposed season-long hiatus in 2018. Instead, Bell saw his touches, yards and touchdowns all drop to career lows as the Jets offense fell among the worst in the NFL in 2019. That trend continued in 2020 despite claims by both Bell and Gase that he’d be used better and that the offense would progress with another year together. The Jets still have one of the worst offenses in the league and Bell averaged fewer touches and yards than he did a season before. 

Considering how poorly the Jets played with Bell, it’s likely they won’t look any different without him. What’s left, though, is a team that still has no offensive identity that lacks any semblance of a weapon. Sam Darnold lost his safety net running back and will now lean on Jamison Crowder more in the slot as well as veteran Frank Gore in the backfield. Rookie running back La’Mical Perine should see an uptick in touches, too.

Gase offered one final comment on his former running back when asked if Bell was still a productive player. It was classic Gase.

“I’m sure he’ll get an opportunity somewhere else,” he said, dimly. “We’ll see what happens.”

Bell’s future is limitless with the teams he could join. The Jets’ is anything but.

NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Lions see a little movement after their bye

Examining where the Detroit Lions stand in the Week 6 NFL Power Rankings.

The Detroit Lions had a bye in Week 5 but that didn’t stop the NFL experts from moving them around the rankings a bit. Most experts agree, the Lions land around the 23rd or 25th spot, except for one analyst, who pegs them as the 3rd worst team in the NFL.

Let’s take a closer look at where the Lions stand in the national eye and what the experts are saying.

USA Today: 23 (Previous 25)

“Their three losses have come against teams with a combined 11 wins. Their next five opponents have a combined six wins. Giddy-up, fellas.” — Nate Davis

Touchdown Wire: 29 (Previous: 28)

“The Lions had a Week 5 bye, so they managed to not blow another double-digit lead. An encouraging trend! They face the 1-4 Jaguars on Sunday, so the resumption of football brings the prospect of more beclownery for Matt Patricia’s team.” — Doug Farrar

NFL: 25 (Previous: 24)

“You have to wonder whether Matt Patricia would still be employed right now if the Lions hadn’t edged out the Cardinals in Week 3. The Week 5 bye looked ominous for the embattled head coach as far back as August. Up next is a pair of winnable road games at Jacksonville and Atlanta (teams with a combined record of 1-9). Getting back to 3-3 hardly qualifies as an impossible ask… but what have the Lions shown us in the Patricia era to make us think they’ll take advantage of this opportunity to reboot their season? Do-or-die time in Motown.” — Dan Hanzus

ESPN: 25 (Previous: 25)

“Biggest weakness: Literally the entire defense. Where to begin. The Lions have given up more rushing yards per game (170.3) than any team in the NFL and have allowed 5.16 yards per rush. Detroit is yielding 405 yards per game in total and 6.16 yards per play. They can’t get off the field — No. 31 in first downs allowed per game (27.3) — and can’t sack the quarterback (five sacks in four games). Even defensive end Trey Flowers, when asked about the team’s lack of pass rush, said it hadn’t been in enough pass-rush situations because teams are running so well on them. It has led to an inefficient defense and putting more pressure on the offense to have to score on every possession” — Michael Rothstein

CBS Sports: 23 (Previous 22)

“They come off the bye with a game at Jacksonville. Matt Stafford hasn’t been great, but the Jaguars defense should be the perfect tonic.” — Pete Prisco

Sports Illustrated: 23 (Previous: 26)

“I understand that, sometimes under a new head coach, a team has to take a step back before it can take a step forward. After all, Bill Belichick started 5-13 after taking over a Patriots team that hadn’t had a losing record the previous four seasons and had made the playoffs in three of those four seasons. Everyone was calling for his job, the franchise quarterback he’d signed to a record deal had his insides liquified . . . and then the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl in 78 consecutive seasons (approximately). But in the case of Matt Patricia, it’s Year 3, they’ve been dealing talented players at a discount in order to get ‘his guys’ in the building, and the defense—his side of the ball—has gotten progressively worse since he arrived. There’s still time to turn things around—no one saw it coming with those early Belichick Patriots—but the evidence all points to another wasted year of Matthew Stafford’s dwindling prime.” — Gary Grambling

Sporting News: 25 (Previous: 24)

“The Lions went into the bye wondering how much longer Matt Patricia would be their coach coming out of it. They do get the Jaguars and Falcons back to back on the road to try to get to respectability fast.” — Vinnie Iyer

Cowboys defense to face reigning NFC Player of Week in Murray on MNF

Just when you thought it was safe… Kyler Murray is coming to town to torment the Dallas defense.

The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has been much maligned over the course of the first five weeks of the 2020 season. A lack of pass rush combined with an inability to stop the run has spelled doom for them on multiple fronts. Certainly, this is not what Mike McCarthy expected (but maybe should have) when he hired Mike Nolan to coordinate the effort.

The scary part, save for a Week 3 matchup with early MVP front runner Russell Wilson, the Cowboys haven’t really had to deal with a quarterback as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm. That issue may be even more personified in this week’s opponent, as they prepare to host the Arizona Cardinals and second-year phenom Kyler Murray on Monday night. Excuse me, that’s reigning NFC offensive player of the week, Kyler Murray.

Even moreso than Wilson, Murray is an absolute dynamo with the rock in his hands on designed runs and plays where the passing game doesn’t reveal downfield options. In fact, the 2019 AP rookie of the year accounted for 411 yards in his team’s Week 5 win, 380 through the air (with a 103.4 passer rating on a 73% completion percentage) and another 31 on the ground.

For the year, Murray has already rushed for 296 yards and five touchdowns, already surpassing his scoring total from 2019. His 7.2 yards per carry leads the NFL through five weeks.

He’s improved his passing as well, bumping his completion percentage to 69.6% for the season. He is turning the ball over a bit more, with six interceptions against his eight touchdown passes, but the pass rush will have to rattle him while also keeping him from escaping for big gains. Good luck.

The addition of DeAndre Hopkins at wide receiver, has really opened things up for the Arizona offense and has led them to a 3-2 record through the early portion of the season.

Murray is just outside the top 10 in Pro Football Focus’ QB rankings, coming in tied for 11th. With a matchup against a struggling Dallas defense on tap, he could be in for more highlight plays and more recognition.

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Detroit Lions protect 3 practice squad players in Week 6

According to Tuesday’s NFL transaction wire, the Detroit Lions have elected to only protect three practice squad players in Week 6, quarterback David Blough, tight end Isaac Nauta, and cornerback/gunner Dee Virgin.

According to Tuesday’s NFL transaction wire, the Detroit Lions have elected to only protect three practice squad players in Week 6, quarterback David Blough, tight end Isaac Nauta, and cornerback/gunner Dee Virgin.

Blough, Nauta, and Virgin have been protected every available week this season, so it’s no surprise they ended up with this designation again, but with the option to protect a fourth player not taken, it does veer from what they have done in past weeks.

In previous weeks, the Lions have opted to protect a running back as their fourth option, choosing Jonathan Williams in Week 1 and Kerrith Whyte in each week after. But with Whyte being placed on the practice squad injured reserve, the Lions didn’t name another player.

At this time, it’s unclear if it’s possible for the Lions to add another protection label later — or if the Lions would want to at all — as the rule only indicates teams “may designate” up to four players “after 4:00 pm EST on the Tuesday of a game week” but doesn’t suggest a close to the window.

The Lions are not alone in protecting less than the maximum allowed, as the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Football Team also protected three or fewer players.