Here are some important NFL dates to be aware of this offseason:

February 3:

Super Bowl LIII, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)

February 19:   

First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players

February 26 – March 4:

NFL Scouting Combine (Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana)

March 5:

Deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players

March 11:

Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations, with the agents of pending Unrestricted Free Agents on other teams. Often referred to as the “legal tampering period.”

March 13:

New League Year and Free Agency Begins at 4 p.m.

• All players, whose contracts expire this offseason, will officially do so.
• Teams are allowed to have a maximum of 90 players on their active roster until final cuts in September.
• Top-51 Rule begins, which means all clubs must be under the 2019 Salary Cap. However, only the top-51 salaries are counted against the cap until rosters are paired down to 53 in September.
• Teams may begin signing free agents from other teams.
• Teams may officially begin trading players still under contract for the 2019 season.

Prior to 4 p.m on March 13:

• Clubs must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation.
• Clubs must submit a minimum salary tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2018 contracts who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit.

March 24 – 27:

Annual League/Owners Meetings (Phoenix, Arizona)

Early April (Date TBD):

Full NFL preseason schedule released

April 1:

Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2018 regular season may begin offseason workout programs

April 15:

Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs

April 19:

Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign offer sheets with other clubs.

Mid-April (Date TBD):

Full NFL regular season schedule released

April 25:

First Round of the 2019 NFL Draft (Nashville, Tennessee)

April 26:

Second and Third Rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft

April 27:

Fourth – Seventh Rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft

May 3-6 or May 10-13:

Rookie mini-camps may be held (teams can choose which of these dates they prefer, but not both)

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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, who set an NFL record for most single-season receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377, was selected as the 2018 NFL Most Improved Player of the Year.

Luck had surgery to his right shoulder in January 2017 to fix an injury that dated back to September 2015, and the rehab from the surgery caused him to miss the entire 2017 season. He returned to the field in 2018 and started all 16 games to lead the Colts to their first AFC playoff berth since 2014. He completed 430 of 639 passes (67.3 percent) for 4,593 yards (fifth in the NFL) with 39 touchdowns (second in the NFL), 15 interceptions and a 98.7 passer rating. His completions and attempts were both second in the league. He threw three or more touchdown passes in eight consecutive games from Weeks 4-12, which was the longest streak in the NFL this season and tied for the second-longest in league history. Luck helped the Colts become the third team in NFL history to start a season 1-5 and make the playoffs. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November, and he also earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 11.

Luck is the second member of the Colts franchise to receive Comeback Player of the Year honors since the award was instituted in 1992, joining quarterback Jim Harbaugh (1995).

As a rookie in 2017 after being selected in the fifth round by the 49ers, Kittle caught 43 passes for 515 yards (second among NFL rookie tight ends), two touchdowns and a 12.0 per-catch average. This season, Kittle led the 49ers with 88 receptions for 1,377 yards (eighth in the NFL), five touchdowns and a 15.6 yards-per-catch average. He was one of four tight ends to lead their team in receiving yards in 2018. Kittle had six receptions of 40 or more yards (led all NFL TEs and was tied for second overall in the league), and he led all tight ends with 20 catches for 20 yards or more. He had four 100-yard receiving games, including a seven-reception, 210-yard game against Denver in Week 14, the third-most yards by a tight end in the NFL since 1960.

Kittle is the second member of the 49ers franchise to receive NFL Most Improved Player of the Year honors since the award was instituted in 2000, joining quarterback Jeff Garcia (2000).

2018 COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
2018 MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

PFWA COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 1992 – QB Randall Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles; 1993 – RB Marcus Allen, Kansas City Chiefs; 1994 – QB Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins; 1995 – QB Jim Harbaugh, Indianapolis Colts; 1996 – RB Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1997 – WR Robert Brooks, Green Bay Packers; 1998 – QB Doug Flutie, Buffalo Bills; 1999 – DT Bryant Young, San Francisco 49ers; 2000 – DE Joe Johnson, New Orleans Saints; 2001 – RB Garrison Hearst, San Francisco 49ers; 2002 – QB Tommy Maddox, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2003 – QB Jon Kitna, Cincinnati Bengals; 2004 – RB Willis McGahee, Buffalo Bills; 2005 – WR Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers; 2006 – QB Chad Pennington, New York Jets; 2007 – WR Randy Moss, New England Patriots; 2008 – QB Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins; 2009 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2010 – QB Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles; 2011 – QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions; 2012 – RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings; 2013 – QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers; 2014 – TE Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots; 2015 – S Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs; 2016 – WR Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers; 2017 – WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers; 2018 – QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts.

PFWA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 2000 – QB Jeff Garcia, San Francisco 49ers; 2001 – QB Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2002 – QB Chad Pennington, New York Jets; 2003 – QB Jon Kitna, Cincinnati Bengals; 2004 – QB Drew Brees, San Diego Chargers; 2005 – DE Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants; 2006 – RB Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers; 2007 – QB Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns; 2008 – RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers; 2009 – WR Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys; 2010 – RB Arian Foster, Houston Texans; 2011 – WR Victor Cruz, New York Giants; 2012 – WR Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys; 2013 – WR Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears; 2014 – RB Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2015 – (tie) QB Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins and CB Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers; 2016 – LB Vic Beasley, Atlanta Falcons; 2017 – QB Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams; 2018 – TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers.

ABOUT THE PFWA: The Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) is the official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public. The PFWA is made up of accredited writers who cover the NFL and the 32 teams daily. Bob Glauber, the national football columnist for Newsday, is the organization’s president for the 2018 season, while Bleacher Report national columnist Dan Pompei is the PFWA’s first vice-president. Follow the PFWA at ProFootballWriters.org and on Twitter at @PFWAwriters.

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Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who led the NFL in sacks with 20.5, was named the 2018 Defensive Player of the Year.

Mahomes, in his second NFL season, is the 45th MVP honored by the PFWA and the first Chiefs player to receive the award. He is the sixth consecutive quarterback to be selected MVP by the PFWA. Mahomes is also the first Kansas City player to be honored by the PFWA as the Offensive Player of the Year.

Mahomes started all 16 games in 2018, and he completed 383 of 580 passes (66.0 completion percentage) for a franchise-record 5,097 yards (second in the NFL), 50 touchdowns (tied for second in a single season in league history), only 12 interceptions and a 113.8 passer rating (second in the NFL) as the Chiefs won the AFC West and gained the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a 12-4 record behind a franchise-record 565 points scored (third in NFL history). He also led the NFL with a +38 touchdown/interception differential (50/12), 52 completions of 25-plus yards and 35 red-zone touchdown passes. He posted 10 games of 300 or more passing yards and tied the Chiefs’ franchise record with a pair of games with six touchdown passes at Pittsburgh in Week 2 and at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11. He also rushed 60 times for 272 yards and two TDs. Mahomes was selected as the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September, the AFC Offensive Player of the Week twice (Weeks 1 and 2) and was selected to the PFWA’s 2018 All-NFL and All-AFC teams.

Donald, in his fifth season, is the first Rams player to receive the PFWA’s Defensive Player of the Award since it was first awarded in 1992.  He is the fourth defensive tackle to be honored by the PFWA, and the first since Warren Sapp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1999.

Donald started all 16 games and had 59 total tackles (41 solo) and a franchise-record 20.5 sacks for an NFL-record minus-183.5 yards. He also led the NFL in both tackles for loss (25) and quarterback hits (41) to go with four forced fumbles (tied for sixth in the NFL). He had a career-best four sacks in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers, and he posted seven multi-sack games this season, including three straight games from Weeks 10-13. He was selected the NFC Defensive Player of the Month twice (October and December) and the NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice (Weeks 7 and 16). He was selected to the PFWA’s 2018 All-NFL and All-NFC teams.

2018 MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

2018 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

2018 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DT Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

PFWA NFL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: 1966 – Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers; 1967-74 – no selections; 1975 – QB Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings; 1976 – QB Bert Jones, Baltimore Colts; 1977 – RB Walter Payton, Chicago Bears; 1978 – RB Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers; 1979 – RB Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers; 1980 – QB Brian Sipe, Cleveland Browns; 1981 – QB Ken Anderson, Cincinnati Bengals; 1982 – QB Dan Fouts, San Diego Chargers; 1983 – QB Joe Theismann, Washington Redskins; 1984 – QB Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins; 1985 – RB Marcus Allen, Los Angeles Raiders; 1986 – LB Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants; 1987 – WR Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers; 1988 – QB Boomer Esiason, Cincinnati Bengals; 1989 – QB Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers; 1990 – QB Randall Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles; 1991 – RB Thurman Thomas, Buffalo Bills; 1992 – QB Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers; 1993 – RB Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys; 1994 – QB Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers; 1995 – QB Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers; 1996 – QB Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers; 1997 – RB Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions; 1998 – RB Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos; 1999 – QB Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams; 2000 – RB Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams; 2001 – RB Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams; 2002 – QB Rich Gannon, Oakland Raiders; 2003 – RB Jamal Lewis, Baltimore Ravens; 2004 – QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2005 – RB Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks; 2006 – RB LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers; 2007 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2008 – QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2009 – QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2010 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2011 – QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers; 2012 – RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings; 2013 – QB Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos; 2014 – QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers; 2015 – QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers; 2016 – QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons; 2017 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2018 – QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs.

ABOUT THE PFWA: The Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) is the official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public. The PFWA is made up of accredited writers who cover the NFL and the 32 teams daily. Bob Glauber, the national football columnist for Newsday, is the organization’s president for the 2018 season, while Bleacher Report national columnist Dan Pompei is the PFWA’s first vice-president. Follow the PFWA at ProFootballWriters.org and on Twitter at @PFWAwriters.

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Ourlads Football Network (NFL Week 7)

10/19…Episode XXVI

Host Greg DePalma and co-host Tony Mejia preview Week 7 in the NFL with the latest trends, odds, picks, injury updates and fantasy player analysis.

Tony Mejia is an independent sports columnist and exclusive handicapper at VegasInsider.com. You can read his weekly Thursday night preview reports including a Week 7 AFC West match-up of hated rivals between Kansas City and Oakland.

Order of games discussed on today’s show…

Kansas City at Oakland

Atlanta at New England

Washington at Philadelphia

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh

Arizona at LA Rams

New Orleans at Green Bay

Baltimore at Minnesota

NY Jets at Miami

Tampa Bay at Buffalo

Denver at LA Chargers

Jacksonville at Indianapolis

Carolina at Chicago

Seattle at NY Giants

Dallas at San Francisco

Tennessee at Cleveland

Additional weekly OFN programs include OFN Monday Nights, Dan Shonka’s up-to-date scouting reports on Wednesdays, Greg’s college football previews on Fridays and Jamal Murphy’s fantasy football coverage on Sundays.

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Ourlads Football Radio Network

10/16…Episode XXIV

Host Greg DePalma recaps the key action from the past weekend in both pro and college football including an interview with Matthew Stevens, managing editor for RavensWire.USAToday.com on the latest Baltimore Ravens issues. Jamal Murphy also checks in with key player performances in fantasy football.

Check out our social media pages at YouTube and iTunes for more OFN programming available on-demand.

Additional weekly OFN programs include Dan Shonka’s up-to-date scouting reports on Wednesdays, NFL game previews with Tony Mejia on Thursdays, Greg’s college football previews on Fridays and Jamal Murphy’s fantasy football coverage on Sundays.

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College Football Injury Report: Week 7

To set your lineups in your college football fantasy leagues we provide this weekly report that covers the most important players in the country for their respective teams.

Don’t forget to tune in every Friday for OFNs College Football Preview show for in-depth game coverage including more details on the playing status of key players as well as game analysis, trends, the latest odds and picks.

Key short-term injuries/suspensions…

Alabama…Star DL Da’Shawn Hand injured his hand Week 5 against Ole Miss and is expected to be out until their November 4th contest against LSU.

Arizona…Sophomore QB Khalil Tate entered the game last week for injured Brandon Dawkins and proceeded to break the FBS record for rushing yards from a quarterback with 327 yards on just 14 attempts. Tate also scored four times and completed 12 of 13 passes for 153 yards and a TD. Tate is getting a chance now to take over the position full-time starting this week against UCLA.

Florida…Leading rusher Jordan Scarlett and leading receiver Antonio Callaway continue to serve suspensions resulting from fraud-related felony complaints. There is a good chance they won’t play this season. With Callaway out of service, sophomore WR Tyrie Cleveland had become the Gators top receiver (15-326-2), but he missed the Week 6 game against LSU with an ankle injury and is likely out again versus Texas A&M. The secondary is also dealing with injuries as top safety Nick Washington is expected to miss the game this week while safety Chauncey Gardner is a question right now.

Florida State…Leading receiver Auden Tate (16-282-4) has been dealing with an AC separation in his left shoulder all season, but continues to play through the pain. No. 2 receiver Keith Gavin (15-145) will miss the Duke game though with an ankle injury while No. 3 George Campbell (6-122) is questionable with a hip injury. The Seminoles will be without two starters on defense as LB Jacob Pugh and SS Trey Marshall will miss the game with concussions. LG Landon Dickerson will miss the season with an ankle injury.

Iowa State…QB Jacob Park is not expected to return this week after taking a leave of absence before last week’s game against Oklahoma. Senior backup Kyle Kempt had a great game in pulling out the upset by completing 18 of 24 passes for 343 yards and 3 TDs. Kempt will make his second career start this week against Kansas. LB Willie Henry could miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Henry was the Cyclones leading tackler last season with 78 and has 31 so far through four games this season.

Kansas State…Starting QB Jesse Ertz is expected to miss the game this week against undefeated TCU with a knee injury. Ertz is also the Wildcats leading rusher with 336 yards. Sophomore QB Alex Delton would make his first career start after playing late last week at Texas and performing well by gaining 79 yards on the ground and scoring twice in their overtime loss.

Miami, FL…RB Mark Walton will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Walton gained 1,117 yards with 14 TDs last season and had 428 this season. No. 2 rusher Travis Homer should be a solid replacement for Walton. Homer has averaged eight yards per rush so far this season with 207 total yards and 3 TDs. WR Ahmmon Richards is dealing with a hamstring injury and is questionable to play. Richards was the team’s No. 2 receiver as a freshman last season behind Stacy Coley with 49 receptions, but led with 934 yards. Richards has already missed two games from earlier in the season. There is good depth at receiver though with Braxton Berrios and TE Christopher Herndon. Also on offense, starting guard Navaughn Donaldson is out with an ankle injury while on defense, top CB Dee Delaney will miss the Georgia Tech game with an undisclosed injury as will FS Sheldrick Redwine who is out with a concussion.

Oregon…Starting QB Justin Herbert broke his collarbone Week 5 against California and is out indefinitely. The Ducks went with true freshman Braxton Burmeister in the Dicks loss last week against Washington State and he failed the test by going just 15 for 27 with 145 yards passing, one TD and two picks. Burmeister surprisingly did nothing on the ground either, which was anticipated based on his high school resume. Senior QB Taylor Alie might get some action this week at Stanford.

Pittsburgh…QB Max Browne is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Browne had completed 71% of his passes this season for 997 yards, 5 TDs and 2 INTs. Sophomore backup Ben Dinucci has completed just 39 of 74 career passes for 458 yards, 3 TDs and 4 INTs. True Freshman Kenny Pickett could also get in some action this week against NC State. Pickett has attempted just one career pass, but the Panthers are excited about his potential.

Toledo…WR Cody Thompson (28-537-4) is going to miss the rest of the season with a leg injury while leading rusher Terry Swanson (77-355-5) is questionable with an ankle injury. The Rockets do have good depth with No. 2 Art Thompkins (337 yards) at running back and Diontae Johnson at receiver (28-460-5).

Utah…Sophomore QB Tyler Huntley is still nursing a shoulder injury from a Week 4 win at Arizona. Huntley beat out last year’s starter, senior Troy Williams, and was having a productive start to the season with his ability to pass (73% completion percentage) and run (208 yards and 3 TDs). Williams is expected to make his second straight start this week at USC after the Utes dropped their first game of the season last week against Stanford with Williams going just 20 for 39 with 238 yards, a TD and 2 picks. DL Kyle Fitts could also miss his second straight game with a leg injury.

Additional short-term injuries/suspensions…

Auburn…RB Kamryn Pettway will miss the LSU game with a heel injury. Pettway was the Tigers leading rusher last season with 1,224 yards, but has dropped behind Kerryon Johnson who leads the team with 504 yards and 12 TDs.

Arizona State…DE Koron Crump is out indefinitely with a knee injury. He’s missed the last two games and still leads the Sun Devils with four sacks.  

Baylor…DE KJ Smith has been experiencing shin splints since the Week 1 loss against Liberty and is expected to miss his fifth straight game this week. Smith was a 1st Team All-Big 12 last season and led the team with seven sacks and all Bears defensive lineman with 67 tackles.

Boston College…The offensive line for the Eagles is a mess. Starting guard Elijah Johnson has been out for the season with a knee injury since the spring. Starting center Jon Baker is also out for the season with an ACL injury that occurred Week 1 against Northern Illinois. Center Shane Leonard has been out since the spring with a knee injury and it is unknown when he’ll return. Right now the Eagles are using true freshman Ben Petrula at center even though he never played the position in high school. He is considered one of their top prospects though. Aaron Monteiro is another starter who may not play against Louisville.

Buffalo…Starting QB Tyree Jackson looks like he’ll miss his third straight game following a knee injury he sustained Week 4 against FAU. Junior QB Drew Anderson has been an upgrade since taking over in Week 5 including a record-breaking performance last week in a 71-68 overtime loss to Western Michigan when he passed for 597 yards with seven touchdowns.

Charlotte…49ers leading rusher RB Benny LeMay is out against Western Kentucky with a concussion. LeMay has gained 488 yards while the No. 2 rusher on the depth chart (Fr. Aaron McAllister) has just 130. The 49ers will also be without two starting defensive backs this week in Anthony Covington and Ed Rolle.

Connecticut…Top WR Hergy Mayala is out for about another month with an ankle injury. Mayala still leads the team with three receiving TDs even after an injury after Week 2. The Huskies also have three defensive backs out this week against Temple.

Houston…Star WR Linell Bonner might miss his second straight game with a concussion. Bonner caught 98 passes last season for 1,118 yards and leads again this season with 32 catches for 300 yards and 3 TDs.

Illinois…Freshman Mike Epstein is questionable against Rutgers with a lower body injury. Epstein is the only productive rusher on the team with 346 yards and 3 TDs.

Kansas…RB Khalil Herbert is questionable to play this week with a hamstring injury. Herbert leads the team with 503 yards and 4 TDs. Backup Dom Williams is also questionable with an undisclosed injury. Williams has gained just 124 yards and 3 TDs.

Kentucky…LB Jordan Jones, an SEC 2nd-team player might miss his fifth straight game with a shoulder injury. Jones led the team last season with 109 tackles and 15 ½ tackles for loss.

Louisville…WR Jaylen Smith will most likely miss his fourth straight game with a wrist injury. Smith was the team’s leading receiver (22-379-2) at the time of his injury, but redshirt freshman Dez Fitzpatrick (26-414-6) has taken over as the team leader while sophomore Seth Dawkins has also contributed (23-371-2). Leading returning running back Jeremy Smith (382 yards and 8 TDs LY) broke his foot Week 2 and will miss the rest of the season while Malik Williams – who took over as the top running back on the depth chart for Smith – will miss the Week 7 contest against Boston College with a wrist injury. Williams is averaging seven yards per carry with 274 yards rushing on just 39 carries.

Maryland…DE Jesse Aniebonam has been out with an ankle injury since Week 1 at Texas. The senior was the team’s sack leader last season with nine. LB Shane Cockerille is going to miss his second straight game for disciplinary reasons. Cockerille was the Terps leading tackler last season with 108.

Miami, Ohio…Starting QB Gus Ragland is out with a lower body injury against Kent State. Ragland has a 29/5 TD to INT ratio dating back to the start of 2016 while junior backup Billy Bahl had a ratio of 16/17 in two years of starting time from 2015 through ’16.

Michigan…QB Wilton Speight suffered a back injury against Purdue in Week 4 and is expected to miss a few weeks. The new starter is senior John O’Korn, who passed for over 3,000 yards during his freshman season in Houston, but has not seen much action for two years since transferring. O’Korn was terrible in the Wolverines loss to Michigan State last week throwing three picks and completing just 45% of his passes. Michigan has two top-rated recruits behind O’Korn on the depth chart in redshirt freshman Brandon Peters and true Dylan McCaffrey.

Michigan State…RB LJ Scott might not play for a second straight week with an undisclosed injury. Scott led the Spartans with 994 yards and 6 TDs last season and was leading again this season with just 214.

Middle Tennessee…QB Brent Stockstill is expected to miss his fifth straight game with a shoulder injury. The junior has amassed over 7,000 yards through the air the past two seasons with a 61/16 ratio. Sophomore back-up John Urzua has completed 80 of 114 passes over his last three starts with 5 TDs and 4 INTs. Star receiver Richie James could miss his fourth straight game after injuring his ankle Week 3 at Minnesota. James came into the season with 2,971 yards and 20 TDs the past two years combined.

Nebraska…After producing 299 yards over his first two starts, leading rusher Tre Bryant is expected to miss his fifth straight game with a knee injury when the Huskers host Ohio State. Devine Ozigbo has taken over as the top rusher in Bryant’s absence with three straight 100-yard games and has finally passed Bryant with 327 yards for the season.

New Mexico State…RB Larry Rose III could miss the Georgia Southern game with a knee injury. Rose entered the season with 3, 618 yards rushing and has 492 already. Backup Jason Huntley is a solid looking player who has gained 204 yards with a robust eight yard average per rush.

Oregon State…QB Jake Luton suffered a serious back injury Week 4 at Washington State and it is unknown when he’ll be able to return. New starter Darrell Garretson, a former Utah State transfer is expected to make his third straight start against Colorado. Garretson began last season as the starter until a mid-season knee injury ended it prematurely.

Purdue…RB Tario Fuller injured his foot against Missouri in Week 3 and will miss his third straight game. He leads the team with 261 yards rushing and there is no current quality No. 2 at this time. Leading tackler LB TJ McCollum is also not expected to play this week at Wisconsin.

South Carolina…The Gamecocks are already without a pair of key players for the season (see below) and now the offensive line is dealing with three injuries as left tackle Malik Young will miss the Tennessee game while guard Cory Helms and right tackle Zach Bailey are making the trip, but are both questionable.

Texas…1st-team All-American left-tackle Connor Williams is out with a knee injury with no word on when he’ll return.

USC…Freshman RB Stephen Carr is expected to miss his second straight game with a foot injury. Carr is the second leading Trojans rusher (309 yards and 3 TDs) behind Ronald Jones (529 yards and 7 TDs).

UTEP…Leading rusher Quadraiz Wadley (271 yards) is out with a knee injury. Wadley has only played in three games so far this season and there is a significant drop-off in production behind him.

Wisconsin…WR Jazz Peavy has been dealing with a lingering leg injury this season and is going to sit out this week against Purdue. Peavy was the Badgers leading receiver last season with 635 yards on 43 receptions and 5 TDs. He only has 5 for 55 this season.

Long-term injuries/suspensions…

Akron…RB Warren Ball will miss the season with a broken leg sustained Week 5 at Bowling Green. Ball was the team’s top rusher with 332 yards and four TDs. Junior RB Van Edwards will assume the top job after leading the team in yards last season with 492. He only has 152 after six games this season though. The Zips also lost one of their top defenders in a Week 3 game against Iowa State when DB Zach Guiser suffered a concussion and then decided to retire.

Appalachian State…Leading WR Shaedon Meadors will redshirt this season after not being able to return from an early season hamstring issue. Meadors was a 2nd-team All-Sun Belt performer last season with 716 yards on 45 receptions. The top three receivers for the Mountaineers this season are all freshmen.

Auburn…QB Sean White was dismissed from the program after being arrested on 9/17 for public intoxication. White was the starter last season before a shoulder injury in November not only ended his regular season, but the Tigers chances of winning a national championship as well. White came back only to break his arm in the Sugar Bowl and the injuries would eventually impact his ability to compete with JUCO transfer Jarrett Stidham for the starting job this past spring. White led the SEC in completion percentage last season and would have provided the Tigers with a competent backup and potential starter.

Baylor…WR Chris Platt is out for the season with a knee injury sustained Week 4 against Oklahoma. Platt is one of the Bears top-two receivers (16-401-5) and will be missed.

Boston College…Linebacker Connor Strachan, last year’s leading tackler, is out for the season with a knee injury. The senior totaled 155 tackles the past two years. He’s been out since Week 2.

Bowling Green…DB Jamari Bozeman has been out all season with a hip injury. He was a 3rd-team All-Mac performer last season.  

Clemson…Kicker Greg Huegel is out for the season with an ACL injury. Huegel kicked in the National Championship game the past two seasons and was an All ACC 2nd-team kicker.

FAU…WR Kalib Woods was charged with two felony counts of battery over the summer and his status is up in the air for the season. Woods was the Owl’s leading receiver by far (68-934-TD) last season.

Florida…QB Luke Del Rio is out for the season after injuring his shoulder Week 5 against Vanderbilt and the Gators passing game should take a hit in production because of it.

Kent State…QB Nick Holley is out for the season with a knee injury sustained at Marshall in a Week 3 contest.  Holley was a difference-maker for a weak offense leading the team in rushing last season with 920 yards and 10 TDs and again this season with 207. Back-up George Bollas is a huge drop-off and is only getting the start because top back-up Mylik Mitchell is also out with a knee injury with no timetable for his return.

Maryland…Week 1 starting QB Tyrrell Pigrome injured his knee against Texas and will miss the season as will his replacement Kasim Hill, who had an ACL injury against Central Florida in a Week 3 contest.

North Carolina…Leading receiver Austin Proehl injured his shoulder Week 4 against Duke and will miss the rest of the season. The Tar Heels are pretty thin at the position after losing three key players from last year’s team including their all-time leader, Ryan Switzer.

South Carolina…Electrifying WR/KR Deebo Samuel is out for the year with a leg injury and it will be a huge blow for the program. Samuel almost single-handedly helped the Gamecocks beat both NC State and Missouri to open the season before injuring himself against Kentucky. He led the team last year with 783 yards on 59 receptions and was off to a tremendous start again this season which included two kick-off return scores. LB Bryson Allen-Williams will also miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Allen-Williams was the team’s No. 2 tackler last season with 75 and added 8 ½ tackles for loss.

UCLA…The Bruins No. 2 receiver, sophomore TE Caleb Wilson (38-490-TD), injured his foot Week 5 against Colorado and will miss the rest of the season.

USC…Starting guard Viane Talamaivao will miss the rest of the season after a pectoral injury sustained against Washington State in Week 5. Talamaivao was the team’s top lineman.

Washington…WR Chico McClatcher is out for the year with an ankle injury sustained Week 4 in the Huskies win at Colorado. McClatcher was the team’s third-leading receiver last season (31-574-5) and was the team’s second-leading receiver so far this season (10-128). With no current depth behind star Dante Pettis, this could be an issue for the Huskies moving forward.

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Fantasy Strategies: Start ‘em/Sit ‘em

Each week, fantasy owners’ biggest conundrums usually boil down to which players on their roster to start and which ones to leave sitting on their bench. One wrong move could cost you a win for the week and, consequently, a playoff spot down the road.

Here are a handful of not-so-obvious players to start or sit for Week 6 of the fantasy football season.

STARTS

WR Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers…Adams came back from an ugly concussion after only a week and had maybe his most productive game of the season in Week 5. He caught seven passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner. He is definitely in Aaron Rodgers good graces. He’s a must-start, especially against Minnesota’s 20th ranked pass defense.

TE Evan Engram, New York Giants…Engram was completely shut down in the Giants’ disastrous loss to the Chargers last week. But, he had at least four catches in each of his other games. Now that New York has lost their three starting wide receivers, Engram is easily Eli Manning’s most talented and trusted receiver and he will certainly have an opportunity to succeed versus a Broncos defense that has given up the sixth most points to tight ends.

RB Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers…Jones likely took control of the Packers’ top running back spot with an impressive 19-carry, 125-yard, one touchdown performance at Dallas last week. Ty Montgomery is still not 100% anyway, so look for the rookie out of UTEP to build on his success.

RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints…The Saints are coming off of a bye week, but in case you forgot, Kamara caught ten passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in Week 4 against the Dolphins. That may have had something to do with the Saints unloading Adrian Peterson, giving Kamara more opportunities. Look for the rookie out of Tennessee to become an even bigger part of the Saints’ offense.

RB Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota Vikings…Most people thought that Latavius Murray would be the major benefactor after Dalvin Cook’s season-ending injury, but it was McKinnon who took the lead. He went off for 95 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and added 6 receptions for 51 yards versus Chicago. He should see more running room against Green Bay’s 22nd ranked run defense.

SITS

WR Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers…Bryant has been disappointing this season. Last week, he had five receptions, but only 21 yards. That’s 4.2 yards per reception. He is averaging only three catches per game. It would be wise to stay away from him until he and Ben Roethlisberger figure things out.

RB Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears…Over the last two games, Cohen has 37 rushing yards, 18 passing yards and no touchdowns. His returns have diminished since his hot start to the season. Owners should fall back on Cohen until he shows signs of a revival.

RB Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers…Montgomery is questionable for Sunday’s game, recovering from broken ribs, but even if he does decide to play, fantasy owners should take a pass. Aaron Jones looks the part of the Packers’ starting running back and Montgomery could be reverted back to a pass-catching third down back.

RB Latavius Murray, Minnesota Vikings…Murray was not impressive in his first start after Dalvin Cook’s injury. He could muster only 31 yards on 12 carries, while Jerrick McKinnon took over as the major weapon in the Vikings backfield. Murray is a wait-and-see player and a roster stash.

WR Sammy Watkins, Los Angeles Rams…People got giddy over Watkins after his big Week 3 showing against San Francisco. Since then, he has one reception for 17 yards, including a donut last week. The Jaguars have allowed the 3rd fewest points to wide receivers, so it is advised that you treat Watson to a self-imposed donut on your bench this weekend.

Check out our social media pages at YouTube and iTunes for more OFN programming available on demand.

Don’t forget to tune in every week for the OFN Fantasy Football show with Jamal, Greg DePalma and Dan Weinreich.

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Ourlads Football Radio Network

 10/13…Episode XXIII

Host Greg DePalma previews Week 7 in college football with game-by-game analysis including the latest injury reports, odds, trends and picks.

This week’s key games include TCU at K State, Georgia Tech at Miami, Oklahoma at Texas, Auburn at LSU, Utah at USC and Boise State at San Diego State.

Additional weekly OFN programs include OFN Monday Nights, Dan Shonka’s up-to-date scouting reports on Wednesdays, NFL game previews with Tony Mejia on Thursdays and Jamal Murphy’s OFN Fantasy coverage.

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Ourlads Football Radio Network 

10/12…Episode XXII

Host Greg DePalma and co-host Tony Mejia preview Week 6 in the NFL with game-by-game analysis including the latest trends, odds, picks and injury reports.

Tony Mejia is an independent sports columnist and exclusive handicapper at VegasInsider.com. You can read his weekly Thursday night preview reports including a Week 6 match-up of 4-1 teams between Carolina and Philadelphia.

Order of games discussed on today’s show…

Philadelphia at Carolina

Pittsburgh at Kansas City

Green Bay at Minnesota

New England at NY Jets

LA Rams at Jacksonville

Detroit at New Orleans

Miami at Atlanta

Tampa Bay at Arizona

LA Chargers at Oakland

Indianapolis at Tennessee

NY Giants at Denver

Cleveland at Houston

Chicago at Baltimore

San Francisco at Washington

Additional weekly OFN programs include OFN Monday Nights, Dan Shonka’s up-to-date scouting reports on Wednesdays, Jamal Murphy’s fantasy football coverage on Thursdays and Greg’s college football previews on Fridays.

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Ourlads Football Radio Network

10/11…Episode XXI

Greg DePalma and Ourlads.com GM and National Scout Dan Shonka discuss the top player headlines in pro and college football.

Major topics include whether Kevin Hogan has what it takes to be a successful starter in the NFL and the top players to keep an eye on in Georgia and Wisconsin.

Check out our social media pages at YouTube and iTunes for more OFN programming available on-demand.

Additional weekly OFN programs include OFN Monday Nights, NFL game previews with Tony Mejia on Thursdays and Jamal Murphy’s fantasy football coverage with Greg’s college football previews on Fridays.

The post Ourlads Football Radio Network appeared first on .