An NFL career cut short before it ever began, that's how wide receiver Ryan Swope will be remembered. A sixth-round pick in 2013, he showed flashes with the Arizona Cardinals where he was battling for the team's third receiver spot. The Cardinals placed Swope on the team's 'reserved/retired' list on Thursday, officially ending his short career. Concussion issues plagued the 22-year-old receiver, who sustained two while playing at Texas A&M, contributing greatly to his slide in the draft.
NFL news roundup: Ryan Swope retires, Jonathan Stewart placed on PUP list
As training camps open around the NFL, the biggest stories from Thursday night revolve around injuries.
Christian Petersen
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The Cardinals were surprised last month when Swope was forced to miss a practice due to the prior concussions. The organization believed he would be cleared by team medical staff, but as evidence mounts regarding post-concussion syndrome it’s far better for Swope to move on from football without playing a down, than risk future permanent injury.
The Carolina Panthers have been preaching a return to running the ball, but will need to open camp without top running back Jonathan Stewart, who is still recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles. Head coach Ron Rivera is happy with Stewart's rehab, but acknowledges that the team will bring him along slowly.
DeAngelo Williams will take the lion's share of carries in his stead, a role he's accustomed to. Williams stepped into the starting role last year, and put forth a huge Week 16 game where he ran for 210 yards against the New Orleans Saints.
The last remaining stumbling block for teams reaching agreements with their rookie is offset language. This allows teams to recover guaranteed money paid to players in the event they’re cut before the end of the deal.
Chance Warmack was set to help establish the Titans' running game, and make life easier for Chris Johnson, but unless sides get this issue worked out quickly the 2013 season could be impacted.
It was expected that Santonio Holmes would miss most of training camp as he recovers from foot surgery that ended his 2012 season, but there is mounting concern that he wont be ready for week one of the regular season. In response the Jets have signed Baylon Edwards to add receiving depth, but it's a far cry from his last successful season with New York in 2010.
Joe McKnight is dealing with issues too. The third-string running back is fighting for a job, and that may have gotten a little harder after failing his physical today. He'll be placed on the non-football injury list, and can return at any time -- but it's time he can't get back, as Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell look to cement themselves as the Jets' running tandem.
Okay, so maybe it's only for four games -- but the St. Louis Rams are putting two franchise legends in the commentary box together as Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt will help form the announce team for the Rams' preseason games. They'll be joined by Andrew Siciliano, and we can only hope this is a gateway for the Dallas Cowboys to put more Emmitt Smith in their commentary box.
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