There was a time when trades were rare in the NFL. That has been less true this season, and on Friday it was the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants swinging a deal. Needing help at linebacker, the Giants traded for Jon Beason.
NFL news roundup: Jon Beason traded, EJ Manuel out at least 4 weeks
Jon Beason is headed to New York as the Giants’ trade was one of the big stories of Friday.
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While Beason is a three-time Pro Bowl selection, New York acquired him for a late-round draft pick, according to reports. Beason is coming off microfracture knee surgery and is still working his way back into form. He was benched earlier this season and has played in just eight games since the start of the 2011 season.
Despite the injuries, Beason is still just 28 years old and could provide a lot of upside for New York if he can regain his previous form. James Dator of Cat Scratch Reader wrote the trade should benefit both teams:
It’s a mutually beneficial trade for both sides. The Giants can take a swing in the dark for some defensive help while the Panthers can move forward with a more reliable outside linebacker. Beason would have left Charlotte in January regardless of what happened in 2013.
Rookie Jeff Tuel took over on Thursday, but he may not step into the starting role. As Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings detailed, the Bills quarterback situation is very much up in the air:
Marrone also told reporters that the Bills are in the process of bringing in a quarterback for the active roster. He also did not rule out that quarterback getting the starting nod in nine days when the Bills play Cincinnati. He called Jeff Tuel a “possibility” to start in that Week 6 contest, depending on which quarterback the Bills are able to bring in.
It appears the Patriots will have to wait at least another week for the 2013 debut of Rob Gronkowski. The New England tight end is reportedly unlikely to play this week. Gronkowski is working his way back from offseason back and forearm surgeries.
He has been a limited participant in practice in recent weeks and there was some thought he was going to return last week. That ultimately didn’t happen and the Patriots are reportedly “not confident” he’ll play this week. Although he may be unlikely to play, Gronkowski hasn’t been ruled out yet. His travel bag was packed in the locker room, which Pats Pulpit noted could mean something or could mean nothing.
Jairus Byrd said he felt healthy enough to play on Thursday, but the Bills safety was held out of action by head coach Doug Marrone. However, the move was purely precautionary and Marrone said the short week played a part in the decision. He said a full week of full speed practice is important before putting a player into a live game. Byrd returned to practice on Tuesday.
Although the Bills were forced to play without Byrd against Cleveland, the All-Pro safety is likely to make his 2013 debut next week.
A rough start to the season for the Giants got a little worse on Friday with New York placing starting guard Chris Snee on season-ending injured reserve. Snee will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip. The former All-Pro guard had a similar procedure done on his other hip during the offseason.
James Brewer started in Snee's place last week while David Diehl will take over at right guard this week when he returns from a thumb injury. While Snee will miss the rest of the season, there are questions over whether this is also the end of his career. He reportedly considered retiring before this season and could decide to call it quits now.
Snee wasn’t the only notable name dealing with an injury. Here is a closer look at the latest injury news from around the NFL, including who’s practicing and who’s out in Week 5.
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