News
Richie Palacios (knee) is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with his knee sprain.
Palacios had just been taken off the injured list with a fractured finger, and his first game back saw him suffer the knee sprain. The Rays are unsure if Palacios will need to have surgery with manager Kevin Cash saying the team is still “gathering” information, so 4-6 weeks appears to be the minimum stint for the outfielder.
Panthers signed fourth-round RB Trevor Etienne to a four-year contract.
Etienne doesn’t figure to factor in much as a runner early behind Chuba Hubbard. But since neither Hubbard nor Rico Dowdle have a rich history of catching the football, it’s possible that Etienne winds up playing a third-down role for the Panthers early. That’ll depend mostly on if the coaches trust him in pass protection. It will likely take injuries ahead of him for the undersized Etienne to be a fantasy factor in his rookie season.
Seahawks signed fifth-round WR Tory Horton to a four-year contract.
They also officially agreed to terms with seventh-round RB Damien Martinez and seventh-round WR Ricky White III. Horton and White will probably battle for a spot at the end of the roster behind Cooper Kupp, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar has predicted that Horton will wind up as the main return specialist for Seattle this year in a recent mailbag. White and Jake Bobo will probably be in a true dogfight for the final spot in the wideout room.
Yordan Alvarez will not come off the injured list for Tuesday’s game against the Royals.
Alvarez started hitting Monday as he continues his recovery from a muscle strain in his right hand, and the Astros figure to activate him as soon as he’s comfortable. Thursday is probably the best bet at the moment.
Ravens signed EDGE Kaimon Rucker.
One major trait that stands out in Rucker’s game is his speed off the ball. If you’re playing him on the outside, he can really win those bull rush battles. His speed also helps him consistently get to the quarterback, posting an 81.8 pass rush grade in 2024. Rucker really blew up in 2023, where he recorded 61 total tackles and 8.5 sacks. He plays with a high motor, and his combination of speed and bend on the outside is impressive. His 32 ⅝-inch armspan has given him the advantage to win those one-on-one battles. He is active with his hands, and he doesn’t rely on one move. As a run defender, there are times where he relies on his speed. Meaning, he’ll lack the upper body strength and sometimes get beat right away. Rucker also isn’t as physical off the ball consistently. Overall, Rucker has consistently improved over his collegiate career, recording 18 sacks over the last three seasons. A fractured fibula left Rucker unsigned through the early part of post-draft free agency, but the Ravens are apparently comfortable enough with the injury to take a chance.
Packers OL Elgton Jenkins did not report to Green Bay’s offseason program.
Channel 3000’s Jason Wilde, a long-time Packers beat, cites a league source as saying Jenkins wants a reworked contract as compensation for being moved to center this offseason. Jenkins has no guaranteed money remaining on a four-year, $68 million extension signed prior to the 2022 season. This will be his age-30 season, as to this point he’s authored a stellar career spent only with the Packers.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports a 2026 comeback is “extremely unlikely” for Derek Carr.
Carr is reportedly “already making other professional plans.” Whatever those entail, they apparently do not involve using retirement as a quick dodge off the Saints roster. We’ll probably get rumors for another year or two about Carr, who would have been playing his age-34 season had he not retired suddenly on Saturday. But there’s no reason to expect him to return to the field at this point.