Sept. 8 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 30 Updates

8/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 27 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 17 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 7 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 3 Updates

3/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

July 29 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

1/10 Disaster Rating

5/10 Disaster Rating

July 28 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

0/10 Disaster Rating

June 28 Updates

2/10 Disaster Rating

June 18 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

4/10 Disaster Rating

June 15 Updates

8/10 Disaster Rating

May 14 Updates

7/10 & 2/10 Disaster Ratings

April 30 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

March 23 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating (A+ Grade)

March 23 Updates

7/10 Disaster Rating

March 10 Updates

8/10 Disaster Rating

Jan. 14 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

Jan. 10 Updates

4/10 Disaster Rating

Jan. 6 Updates

7/10 Disaster Rating

Dec. 29 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

Dec. 22 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

Dec. 10 Updates

8/10 Disaster Rating

Nov. 28 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Nov. 15 Updates

9/10, 0/10, 3/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 28 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 14 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 9 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

4/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 7 Updates

4/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 4 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 30 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

4/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 23 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

1/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 20 Updates

0/10 & 10/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 16 Updates

10/10 Disaster Rating

8/10 Disaster Rating

5/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 12 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 11 Updates

4/10 Disaster Rating

1/10 Disaster Rating

5/10 Disaster Rating

2/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 9 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

8/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 6 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 26 Updates

7/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 25 Updates

2/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 24 Updates

5,000/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 22 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 17 Updates

7/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 16 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

July 28 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

July 27 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

July 26 Updates

4/10 Disaster Rating

0/10 Disaster Rating

July 24 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

July 19 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

July 15 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

June 26 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

May 20 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

May 16 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

May 9 Updates

7/10 Disaster Rating

8/10 Disaster Rating

May 7 Updates

3/10 Disaster Rating

April 11 Updates

4/10 Disaster Rating

March 24 Updates

2/10 Disaster Rating

March 16 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

March 15 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

Jan. 14 Updates

8/10 Disaster Rating

Dec. 20 Updates

4/10 Disaster Rating

Dec. 17 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

Dec. 12 Updates

7/10 Disaster Rating

Dec. 12 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

Dec. 5 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

Nov. 30 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

Nov. 26 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

Nov. 25 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

Nov. 19 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

Nov. 12 Updates

8/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

6/10 Disaster Rating

Nov. 5 Updates

8/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 29 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 27 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 23 Updates

4/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 16 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 8 Updates

3/10 Disaster Rating

Oct. 1 Updates

10/10 Disaster Rating

2/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 27 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 24 Updates

10/10 Disaster Rating

6/10 Disaster Rating

2/10 Disaster Rating

7/10 Disaster Rating

5/10 Disaster Rating

3/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 17 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

6/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 14 Updates

3/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 11 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

3/10 and 7/10 Disaster Ratings

7/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 10 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

6/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 7 Updates

3/10 Disaster Rating

Sept. 1 Updates

3/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 31 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 28 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 22 Updates

10/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 21 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 17 Updates

2/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 10 Updates

7/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 9 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 8 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

2/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 6 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 5 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 4 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 2 Updates

3/10 Disaster Rating

Aug. 1 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

3/10 Disaster Rating

July 31 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

July 28 Updates

7/10 Disaster Rating

July 27 Updates

4/10 Disaster Rating

July 25 Updates

3/10 Disaster Rating

July 3 Updates

9/10 Disaster Rating

0/10 Disaster Rating

4/10 Disaster Rating

June 30 Updates

2/10 Disaster Rating

June 22 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

June 15 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

June 12 Updates

0/10 Disaster Rating

June 7 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

May 22 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

1/10 Disaster Rating

May 8 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

April 27 Updates

2/10 Disaster Rating

April 15 Updates

1/10 Disaster Rating

April 10 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

April 6 Updates

2/10 Disaster Rating

6/10 Disaster Rating

March 23 Updates

0/10 or 6/10 Disaster Rating

Feb. 11 Updates

7/10 Disaster Rating

Feb. 6 Updates

5/10 or 9/10 Disaster Rating

Jan. 26 Updates

4/10 Disaster Rating

Jan. 25 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Jan. 14 Updates

5/10 Disaster Rating

Jan. 2 Updates

3/10 Disaster Rating

Jan. 1 Updates

6/10 Disaster Rating

This is a new feature where I'll list Disaster Ratings (one being the least problematic, to 10 being code red) for NFL teams involving offseason retirements and injuries. With some of the recent players going down or calling it quits, I thought it would be nice to have a new section where I can discuss and rate everything.Follow me @walterfootball for updates.The Broncos had very high expectations heading into the 2020 season. With a promising quarterback with more experience, tons of offensive talent, and an exceptional defense, the Broncos seemed to poised to reach the playoffs and perhaps win some games in January.That is no longer the case, as Von Miller suffered a devastating ankle injury in Tuesday's practice. He is out for the season.This is obviously a huge blow to Denver's outlook. The Broncos needed all hands on deck to beat Patrick Mahomes, something they have not been able to do thus far. Without Miller to pressure Mahomes, Denver won't be able to defeat Kansas City. Even beating the Raiders will be tough, given how good Las Vegas' offensive line is.This is either a 9/10 or 10/10 Disaster Grade because Denver's season is all but over. I suppose some younger pass rushers could step up, and Drew Lock's unexpected rapid progression will help offset the Miller loss, but this is absolutely crushing.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Derwin James missed most of 2019, but he was expected to have a rebound campaign in what should be a stellar Charger defense. San Angeles made numerous upgrades this spring, and James was going to be the centerpiece of a terrific secondary. Those plans are now on hold, as James will be out for a "significant time."It goes without saying that this is very painful for the Chargers. James is one of the best safeties in the NFL, so he'll sorely be missed. This is close to being enough to derail the Chargers, though there is still some hope that James might be out just a month. He could miss more time than that, but at least there's some optimism.Update: James will be out 6-8 months, meaning he'll be out for all of 2020. This is a crushing blow to the Chargers' slim playoff chances.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Eagles already suffered a big loss to their offensive line when Brandon Brooks was knocked out for the year earlier in the summer. They re-signed Jason Peters to serve as a replacement for Brooks. Now, it appears as though Peters will have to reprise his role on the blind side in the wake of Andre Dillard's season-ending biceps tear.The Eagles are fortunate they were able to sign Peters earlier, and that's why this Disaster Grade isn't very high. Still, the Dillard injury is very impactful, as the guard situation is in major question. Philadelphia already had one liability there with Isaac Seumalo. Now, the team will have to start either Matt Pryor or fourth-round rookie Jack Driscoll at the other guard spot.With two weaknesses on the offensive line, it could be difficult for the Eagles to win the NFC East. However, one could argue that having Peters on the blind side instead of Dillard, who struggled in training camp, might be somewhat of a blessing in disguise.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Cowboys lost Robert Quinn and Maliek Collins to free agency this offseason, so they were really counting on Gerald McCoy to serve as a pass-rushing presence in the interior of their defensive line. McCoy will no longer be able to do that, however, as he was lost for the season with a torn quad.This is a big loss, as it further depletes Dallas' already-weak defensive front. That said, there was some question as to how effective McCoy would be this year. McCoy was once one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL, but he was not quite himself last year. At 32, McCoy may have declined even further.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.When Derrius Guice dominated the preseason a few years ago, little did we know that we would barely get to see him play in regular-season action. Guice suffered a torrent of injuries in his first two seasons, and now he's officially done with the team after being released in the wake of a domestic violence-related arrest.This obviously hurts the Redskins, as Guice is a terrific talent who had tons of upside. While the short term isn't very significant because the Redskins weren't going to be successful this year, it hurts for the long haul because the Redskins will need to find a talented replacement for Guice. Fortunately, running back is the easiest position to replace, so the Redskins might be able to fill their new need with a second-day draft choice in the near future.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Marcus Gilbert has effectively ended his career by opting out of the 2020 NFL season. Given his history of injuries, it's going to be difficult for any team to trust him after he quit on the Cardinals.This opt-out would be way more serious for Arizona had the team not signed Kelvin Beachum earlier in the offseason. Beachum was a great insurance policy, and now he'll be asked to start at right tackle. The Cardinals aren't out of the woods, however, as both Beachum and D.J. Humphries don't exactly have the best durability.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Ja'Wuan James has wasted so much of Denver's money. He signed a $51 million contract last offseason, but suited up for just three games in 2019. Now, he'll miss all of 2020 after opting out despite being one of the lighter tackles in the NFL.This is a huge blow for the Broncos, who were gaining lots of traction as a playoff sleeper. My one non-quarterback concern for them entering the season was the offensive line, and now we'll know it'll definitely be an issue in the wake of James' decision. If the Broncos can't sign someone like Cordy Glenn to replace James, it could be a long year for Drew Lock.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Jets paid C.J. Mosley $85 million last offseason, yet he's going to play just three good quarters for them in two years. That's all they got from him in 2019, as he milked an injury and sat out 14 games. His lethargy will now continue into 2020, as he'll sit out despite not having any medical concerns of his own.Mosley is a very gifted player, but this can't earn any sort of Disaster Grade from the Jets. The team has made it clear that they have no intentions of winning this year in the wake of the Jamal Adams trade. They're building for the future, so the higher their draft pick, the better. Perhaps they'll land Ja'Marr Chase, which is what I have happening in my 2021 NFL Mock Draft Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Some of the opt-outs we've seen thus far have made sense. Others haven't, and this is one of them. Damien Williams just derailed his career, as there was a chance he could've held off Clyde Edwards-Helaire for the starting running back job in Kansas City. It'll now be difficult for him to find a home when he returns to the field in 2021.While Williams hurt himself immeasurably, the Chiefs won't feel too much of that pain. In fact, this may end up being completely irrelevant, thanks to the Edwards-Helaire draft choice. Depth at running back will be an issue for now, but Kansas City can correct that by signing one of the many viable veteran backs available on the market, with Devonta Freeman perhaps being the best option.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Nate Solder has become the latest lineman to opt out of the 2020 season. His decision is quite understandable. Not only does he have a history of cancer, but his son does as well.That said, this is going to hurt the Giants substantially. Daniel Jones is a young quarterback who needs all the help he can get if he wants to make a big leap in his sophomore campaign. Solder will be missed in that regard, especially when Jones is battling Philadelphia's stellar defensive front.I wouldn't give this a Disaster Grade in the 7/10 range like I have with some of the other opt-outs, however. The Giants spent their first-round pick on tackle Andrew Thomas, who will be able to take over on the blind side. Also, Solder is constantly injured, so it's not like New York was really counting on him to play 16 games anyway. Perhaps the Giants will be the team that will sign Cordy Glenn, who would serve as a viable starter at right tackle.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Devin Funchess opting out of the 2020 NFL season is hardly a shock, as he is one of the laziest players in the league. He has shown no signs that he wants to improve his football career, so this decision could be the end of it. Teams will likely be reluctant to sign him in 2021 and beyond after he quit on yet another organization, though he may ultimately get another chance at some point.This isn't a big deal at all for the Packers. Funchess is a terrible receiver who probably should've been moved to tight end. He can't separate at all, and his hands are terrible, so he wasn't going to contribute very much to Green Bay. It's not the most ideal news for the Packers, but their receiving corps sucked already anyway.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Michael Pierce signed a 3-year, $27 million contract this offseason. That now seems to be a waste, as the Vikings will be losing a year of Pierce's prime. Pierce has opted out of the 2020 season, which might make some sense because he weighs nearly 350 pounds.This is a huge blow for the Vikings' chances of winning the division. The team lost Linval Joseph this offseason, but that was considered to be fine because it brought in Pierce to be an upgrade. With both Joseph and Pierce off the roster, the Vikings will be substantially worse against the run. Given that the Vikings were expected to be in a tight race with the Packers and perhaps the Lions (if Matthew Stafford can stay healthy) for the NFC North crown, Pierce's decision to quit football this year may cost them dearly.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.NFL players are beginning to opt out of the 2020 season. The Patriots lost two major players, as Dont'a Hightower and Marcus Cannon won't be around this year. Cannon has a legitimate health concern, as he's a 335-pound cancer survivor. Hightower, conversely, is just being lazy.These are huge losses for the Patriots. Beginning with Hightower, the 30-year-old is just the latest departure at the position for the Patriots, who also lost Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins this offseason. With Hightower gone, New England now has one of the worst linebacking corps in the NFL. As for Cannon, it's another blow to the offensive line, which lost legendary coach Dante Scarnecchia to retirement. Perhaps they'll sign someone like Cordy Glenn to serve as a potentially capable replacement.I also wanted to touch on the Trevor Lawrence chatter. I've seen and heard growing speculation that New England will be in position to land Lawrence atop the 2021 NFL Draft. This seems to be nonsense, as there's no way the Cam Newton-led Patriots will be anywhere near as bad as the Jaguars and Bears. Those teams have a much greater chance of being in position for Lawrence, while the Patriots, now without Cannon and Hightower, should finish in the 8-8/9-7 range. Check out my 2021 NFL Mock Draft for more.Update: Patrick Chung has opted out of the 2020 season as well. This one doesn't matter nearly as much because the Patriots were already loaded at safety with Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips and second-round rookie Kyle Dugger.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Eddie Goldman has announced that he won't be playing football in 2020, citing health concerns. It's unclear what those health concerns are, but Chicago will certainly miss his presence in the interior of the defensive line. Goldman is one of the top run pluggers in the NFL, so his absence will significantly worsen Chicago's ground defense.So, why is this a 0/10 Disaster Grade? The Bears, quite simply, are one of the worst teams in the NFL. They had no chance of making the playoffs to begin with, so every injury and quitting player will help them obtain either Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft. I have them selecting fourth in my 2021 NFL Mock Draft at the moment, but I may move them into the No. 2 spot before long.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.It's quite the coincidence that the Cam Newton signing was announced just ahead of this penalty. The Patriots have been fined $1.1 million and will have to forfeit a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft for filming the Bengals' sideline.I can't speak to Bob Kraft's finances amid the pandemic, but losing a third-round pick is not such a big deal. The Patriots surrendered a first-round selection several years ago due to another cheating incident, and that didn't prevent them from winning the Super Bowl on multiple occasions. Granted, things will be more difficult without the greatest quarterback of all time, but this lost draft choice won't really affect New England too much. It'll be like the team drafted a bust in the third round, which is a common occurrence.It must be noted that the Patriots are getting off with a light infraction. The NFL obviously found them guilty of spying on an opponent, so the penalty of a forfeited third-round pick isn't much of a deterrent. I'm also still confused about why the Patriots would spy on a 1-12 Cincinnati team, and it also makes me wonder what else Bill Belichick has done.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.You may have heard by now that Jets Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams has requested a trade. In fact, he has told the media that he'd love to be dealt to the Cowboys, Buccaneers and some other teams.What hasn't been clear is why Adams wanted to be traded. Some speculated that it was because of Adam Gase, and based on reporter Manish Mehta's recent article , it is. In fact, almost the entire team despises Gase."Some team sources believe that Sam Darnold and David Fales are among the few returning players that actually tolerate Gase," Mehta wrote.Fales is barely an NFL player, so according to Mehta, it's basically only Darnold. Either way, this is a huge disaster. Adams might be the first of many players to demand a trade to get away from Gase. The Jets should fire him immediately before he ruins the rest of the roster.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The 49ers will be without their top two receivers from last year to start the 2020 season. Emmanuel Sanders signed with the Saints, and now Deebo Samuel will be sidelined with a broken foot.This has the potential to be devastating for the 49ers, depending on how quickly and well Samuel heals. If his foot continues to hinder him when he returns, San Francisco's passing attack will be diminished. Samuel is also an important running presence out of the backfield, so San Francisco would miss him in that regard.Then again, Samuel could recover well and be ready to go by the end of September or the beginning of October. If he misses just three or four games, the 49ers will be fine. They still have a great roster, so they can beat some of their early-season opponents - Cardinals, Jets, Giants, Eagles, Dolphins - without Samuel.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Brandon Brooks is far from a household name among casual NFL fans, so they might be surprised to see this Disaster Grade. It's an 8/10 for a reason, as Brooks' Achilles tear is a devastating blow for the Eagles' 2020 outlook.Brooks is one of the top guards in the NFL, and his presence has had a huge impact on the Eagles' success during the Carson Wentz era. Per Zach Berman of the Athletic, the Eagles are 41-23 when Brooks plays at least 50 percent of the offensive snaps, and they're 0-6 when he's out or plays fewer than 50 percent of the snaps.It would be bad enough if Brooks was the only loss the Eagles had up front, but they'll be moving on from Jason Peters as well. The Eagles have enjoyed tons of success with Wentz, partly because of the offensive line. With Peters gone and Brooks injured, it'll be more difficult for Philadelphia to win the division against the Cowboys and vastly improved Giants.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.In a completely bizarre story, TMZ is reporting that arrest warrants have been issued for Seahawks and Giants cornerbacks Quinton Dunbar and DeAndre Baker. Per the report, the two players robbed some guests at a barbecue. They allegedly stole $7,000 in cash as well as some overpriced trinkets and gizmos.This is a crazy story, if only because Dunbar was set to make more than $3 million in 2020. He was also in line for a huge pay day if he had another strong season. Now, he may not play football for a long time if this is true. This is a major bummer for the Seahawks, who figured to have a stellar pair of cornerbacks with Dunbar joining Shaq Griffin. Dunbar's potential absence would be an enormous downgrade for the secondary.As for the Giants, Baker is coming off an abysmal season. He has potential as a former first-round pick, but I don't think the Giants were really counting on him to be a big factor after spending so much money on James Bradberry.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Bashaud Breeland was arrested this week and will be facing a four-game suspension. The thing is, one doesn't have to do with the other. Breeland was already facing a four-game suspension prior to the arrest, which was for driving without a license, driving with open alcohol and marijuana in the car and resisting arrest. The four-game suspension was for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, which can't be a surprise.Breeland saw extensive play last year, but was ranked as a 1.5-star free agent for a reason. Breeland stinks, so this latest series of developments could be a blessing in disguise because it could force the Chiefs into trading for an upgrade at the position.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The NFL has announced today that it'll expand its playoff system to 14 teams. Under this new configuration, only No. 1 seeds will get byes. The seventh seed will battle the No. 2 team in the opening round.I absolutely love this. In fact, it was part of one of the five things I discussed in my book that the NFL could do to improve its product. Shameless plug incoming...I understand that it's going to be very rare for seven seeds to do much in the playoffs, but how can anyone complain about two more playoff games? Also, it'll keep more teams involved in the playoff hunt late in the year, which must be a good thing. And finally, this is part of the deal to eliminate the dreaded fourth week of the preseason, which was a huge blight on the NFL because no starters ever play in those games.This is a 0/10 Disaster Grade and an actual A+ grade from the league office. I'm very much looking forward to an extended playoff!Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Travis Frederick was the top center in the NFL prior to his bout with an auto-immune disease. It was unclear if he would ever play again, but he returned last year and did quite well. He wasn't as good as his former self, but he was still a solid presence in the middle of the offensive line.However, Frederick has announced his retirement. This is a major blow to Dallas' deep-playoff hopes, but it's not as dire as it would've been had Frederick announced this a few years ago. Still, it'll be very difficult to replace him. Here are the 2020 NFL Draft Center Prospect Rankings Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Lamar Jackson won MVP after an amazing season, but a major reason why he was so successful despite lacking much experience was his offensive line. The Ravens had one of the top blocking units in the NFL. It'll be difficult for them to maintain that status in the wake of Marshal Yanda's retirement.Yanda was arguably the best guard in the NFL during the previous decade, and with eight Pro Bowls on his resume, he's destined to be enshrined in Canton one day. He was set to turn 36 in September, but he was still playing at an extremely high level. He'll sorely be missed.We've seen young quarterbacks struggle when their offensive line has regressed. Jared Goff is an obvious example. I don't think Jackson's play will plummet like Goff's, but unless the Ravens can somehow find a viable replacement for Yanda, Jackson will likely decline in 2020. In fact, the possibility of the Ravens winning Super Bowl LV is off the table for me at the moment. That's why this Disaster Grade needs to be a high number.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The NFL won't be as fun without Luke Kuechly. He was an amazing player for the Panthers. He was the best linebacker in the NFL for several seasons, and he'll be enshrined in Canton one day.This is a painful turn of events for the Panthers. Their defense has been dreadful when Kuechly has missed time with concussions. That absence will now be permanent. It'll be very difficult for the Panthers to come close to replacing his presence on the field. As a result, their chances of making the playoffs next year, even with a healthy Cam Newton, have taken a huge hit.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.We already knew Bill O'Brien was a terrible NFL head coach and a foolish personnel decision-maker who dismantled his entire front office because he wanted all the power to himself. Now, we see him behaving like an idiot with anger management issues when being heckled by a fan. This video contains NSFW language, so make sure you're listening with headphones:This is a horrible look for O'Brien. If a player did this, it could be excused because they're young and immature. O'Brien, conversely, is a 50-year-old man who is supposed to set a good example for his team. It's very bizarre that he would care what some drunken idiot in the stands had to say to him, but this behavior is very embarrassing and showcases what sort of a hothead O'Brien is. He fired everyone in the front office because he was angry one day, and this is another example of his character problems. If it wasn't for his players holding him back, he may have climbed into the stands like Ron Artest and pummeled this fan, which may have resulted in a riot.All O'Brien needed to do was ignore the fan or give him a thumbs up. Instead, O'Brien was exposed as a lunatic. The Texans really need to fire him once they're eliminated from the playoffs Sunday afternoon. A head coach with these sort of mental problems can't have great success in the NFL, and it's not like O'Brien is a good coach in the first place.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.I've been asked why the Bears regressed this past season, and my answer is that their offensive line was far worse in 2019 than it was the year before. The tackles regressed, perhaps due to age, while Kyle Long missed lots of time with an injury.I thought the Bears could rebound in 2020 with a Long recovery, but that won't happen in the wake of his retirement. I can understand why Long is hanging up the cleats, given how many injuries he has suffered over the years, but this is especially painful for Chicago. The Bears will have to find a viable replacement for Long, while filling other needs without the luxury of having a first-round pick in the wake of the Khalil Mack trade.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Despite being a third-round rookie, Juan Thornhill played very well in his initial NFL season. He's one of the few reasons the Chiefs have made a gargantuan improvement on defense in the second half of this year. Thornhill, however, won't be around for the playoffs after tearing his ACL in Week 17.Thornhill's absence will be very impactful, especially if the Chiefs have to battle Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson in consecutive weeks in the playoffs. I imagine Brady will attempt to exploit Thornhill's backup, and it's not like Kansas City has a viable replacement.That said, this doesn't absolutely kill the Chiefs' chances of winning the Super Bowl. However, because this injury occurred at the end of December, there's a chance Thornhill won't be ready for the start of the 2020 season.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Pete Carroll had a very solemn expression on his face at the end of the Arizona game, and it's not because his team was losing. It was the sudden realization that all hope was lost going forward, as the Seahawks lost all three running backs (Rashaad Penny also on injured reserve) as well as their best offensive lineman for the season.The only reason this isn't a 10/10 Disaster Grade is because it wasn't an injury to Russell Wilson. The Seahawks still have a prayer with Wilson leading the charge, but they'll certainly need some insane luck to make a deep playoff run without so many of their important players available.Update: Brown is out for three weeks, which may end up being the season if the Seahawks are bounced in the first two rounds of the playoffs.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Eagles maintained control of their own destiny with a win over the Giants on Monday night, but it was a Pyrrhic victory. That's because they lost Alshon Jeffery and Lane Johnson to injury. We still don't know Johnson's status, but Jeffery has been ruled out for the season with a ruptured Achilles.This is obviously horrible news for the Eagles. They were already down DeSean Jackson, so they'll be without their top two receivers during their potential playoff run. Carson Wentz doesn't have anyone to throw to besides his tight ends and running backs, and that won't be good enough for Philadelphia to get hot down the stretch.Even worse, this injury occurred so late in the season that Jeffery is unlikely to be ready for the start of the 2020 campaign. Here's a list of 2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Prospect Rankings for the Eagles to replace Jeffery.Update: This may not be a ruptured Achilles. Stay tuned for updates.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.I saw something on Twitter where people were laughing about not knowing Cameron Wake still played in the NFL when he was announced out for the year. These people are either stupid or ignorant, as Wake had been enjoying a solid season. Wake's 2.5 sacks weren't an eye-opening stat, but he had been placing heavy pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Granted, he had been playing about half the snaps each week in an attempt to preserve his health, but Wake's presence was a major reason why the Titans' defense had been excelling. In fact, the Titans were 6-3 with Wake and 0-2 without him.This is a harmful loss for the Titans, as their pass rush won't be as potent without Wake. It's not completely devastating because the Titans still have Jurrell Casey, Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry, and Wake was playing 25 snaps or so per game anyway. However, Tennessee doesn't have much margin for error, so a 5/10 Disaster Grade seems correct.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.I'm sure all of you have seen what transpired at the end of the Browns-Steelers game by now. As a brief recap, Mason Rudolph tried ripping off Myles Garrett's helmet, but Garrett had better success in doing so. He then used Rudolph's helmet as a weapon, swinging it at the quarterback's head. Maurkice Pouncey then jumped on Garrett and threw some punches. Larry Ogunjobi retaliated as well.Garrett has been suspended indefinitely, and deservedly so. There's obviously no room for anything like that on the football field, and the league is correct to set a precedent. Garrett will, at the minimum, miss the remainder of the season. He'll also need to apply for reinstatement. I imagine he'll be back on the field in 2020 if he shows contrition.This is obviously very painful for the Browns. Garrett is their best player, and he'll be missed as Cleveland tries to salvage its season. The Browns need to go 5-1 at the very least to have a shot at the playoffs, and it'll be very difficult to do that with Garrett out of the lineup. Meanwhie, Ogunjobi's absence next week is completely insignificant, since the Browns will be playing the Dolphins.I can't say I'm a fan of the Pouncey suspension. Maybe one game would've made sense, but he was protecting his quarterback from someone who swung a helmet at the signal-caller's head. It was an understandable reaction. Pouncey's absence won't be too impactful, however, given that the Steelers have to play the Bengals, Browns (at home) and Cardinals. Pittsburgh should be able to win those games without Pouncey.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.I was skeptical of the Kwon Alexander this past offseason because of his poor durability. "[Alexander has] been injured so frequently of late. He played just six games last year because of a torn ACL, and he missed a quarter of the 2017 campaign because of balky hamstrings," I wrote in the free agent signing grades page. Now, Alexander will be out for all of 2019 with a torn pectoral.This a huge loss. Despite Alexander's poor injury history, he was excellent in coverage this year. He was San Francisco's best coverage linebacker by a substantial margin. Fred Warner is fine in that regard, and he'll continue to see snaps on every down. Alexander's replacement will be Dre Greenlaw, who is a pedestrian option. However, Greenlaw was a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, so perhaps he can improve as he gains some experience.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.What's with these talented 3-4 defensive ends suffering torn pectorals? It was Stephon Tuitt two weeks ago, and now it's J.J. Watt, who is done for the year.I don't need to tell you that this is an absolutely devastating injury for the Texans. Houston is currently 5-3, but that record will likely head southward in the wake of Watt being lost for the year. Houston's defense already had major problems as far as covering receivers is concerned. Now, the Texans will need to cover receivers without getting the benefit of Watt putting great pressure on the quarterback.This has to be graded as a 9/10. It's not a 10/10 because this isn't Deshaun Watson, and this injury won't extend beyond this season, but Houston's 2019 campaign is effectively over.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.This is a painful injury for the Steelers. Stephon Tuitt is one of the top 3-4 defensive linemen in the NFL. Tyson Alualu is a solid replacement, but Pittsburgh's defense will certainly take a hit in the wake of Tuitt's absence. This is huge, given that the Steelers' defense will have to carry the Ben Roethlisberger-less offense.Under normal circumstances, I'd brush off a 2-4 team losing one of its best players, as more losses would result in a better draft pick. However, the Steelers are all in for this year because they traded their first-round pick, so their losses are more harmful.I'm giving this a 6/10 Disaster Grade. I think the Steelers can survive and perhaps make the playoffs without Tuitt because of Alualu, but another injury to their defensive line would be devastating.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Chargers are a mess. Save for their victory against the worst team in NFL history, their only win came as a result of Adam Vinatieri's many missed field goals. Now, they'll have to accumulate more wins without their starting center, as Mike Pouncey is out for the year with a neck injury.San Angeles will now be down two starting offensive linemen, with Russell Okung also out. The Chargers already had severe problems blocking, and now it's going to be even worse.It's evident that the Chargers are in serious trouble. They're 2-3 right now, but Pouncey's injury just means that they're going to lose even more often.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.One of the reasons I believe the 49ers can win the Super Bowl this year is their offensive line. They have an amazing blocking unit, but this injury will hurt, especially with Joe Staley set to miss the next several weeks.Teams can often overcome one offensive line injury, but two can be very tricky. The 49ers will be down to their third and fourth tackles, so that'll be a huge downgrade.The good news in all of this is that both Staley and McGlinchey will be back by Thanksgiving, so their availability will be crucial for a playoff run. However, their absences could cause the team to lose some games, which could cost San Francisco home-field advantage.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.This is a shame, as Kemoko Turay has been enjoying a terrific 2019 campaign. Turay, a second-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, has been placing lots of pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season. The sack total doesn't look great (1.5), but that number isn't indicative of how great he has played. It's also worth noting that Turay missed a couple of games earlier as well; otherwise his sack total would be much higher.Turay's absence will hurt, but not very much despite his great play. That's because the Colts still have Justin Houston and Jabaal Sheard at defensive end. If one of those players suffers an injury, it'll be very damaging, but Indianapolis will be able to survive without one of its three talented edge rushers.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.A video of Jay Gruden smoking marijuana has been leaked. Based on how Roger Goodell feels about this, I expect Gruden to be suspended for five years.Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I have to believe that the Redskins leaked this video so they can fire Gruden for just cause. There's speculation that this video is a year old, so it's quite the coincidence that it was leaked the day Gruden has foolishly chosen to start Colt McCoy over Dwayne Haskins.There's no logical reason for Gruden to start McCoy over Haskins, so this seems like an attempt to get fired. The video, however, could mean that Washington won't owe Gruden anything, which is great news for the team. Thus, there's no Disaster Grade warranted because it seems as though any coach would be an upgrade over Gruden at this point.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.When I first saw this, I thought, "Ooof, that sucks for the Broncos." Then, I quickly remembered that Denver is 0-4. The team hasn't even played the Chiefs yet, so make that six losses. It has no chance of making the playoffs, so the team is better off being as bad as possible to secure a high selection in the loaded 2020 NFL Draft. In fact, I think it would be wise for the Broncos to emulate the Dolphins and tank for Tua Tagovailoa, or at least Justin Herbert.For that reason, I'm giving this a 0/10 Disaster Grade. This injury could be a blessing in disguise. Even better, Chubb's injury occurred so early in the season that he should be 100 percent by the 2020 opener.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Good riddance. Vontaze Burfict needs to learn his lesson about head hunting, as he has caused numerous players to have brutal concussions over the years. This includes Antonio Brown, whose life has changed every since he took that horrible hit.Burfict's latest victim was Jack Doyle. Burfict lit him up in Sunday's game and was promptly ejected. It was a disgusting hit, and as soon as it happened, I thought that Burfict needed a yearlong ban because he was endangering the safety of players in the NFL. The league made the correct decision by suspending him for an entire year.This is a tough grade. On one hand, the Raiders will really miss Burfict, who had been playing well in his first season in Oakland. On the other hand, the Raiders, despite being 2-2, don't really have a great chance to reach the playoffs, so Burfict's suspension will help Oakland obtain a better selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.This one hurts a ton for a non-season-ending injury. When listing the reasons why the Colts were blown out in Kansas City in the divisional round of the playoffs last year, No. 1 would be Malik Hooker's absence. The Chiefs torched Indianapolis' secondary because Hooker was injured.The Colts have a terrific roster, perhaps the best in the NFL if all quarterbacks are excluded, but Hooker is a big part of that. He's one of the top safeties in the NFL, so his absence will sting, especially against the Chiefs and Texans being the next two opponents following a battle against Oakland.Indianapolis' margin for error without Andrew Luck is rather small, so Hooker's injury could completely derail their season. If Hooker doesn't return immediately following the team's Week 6 bye, the Colts could be in major trouble.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.When Keanu Neal was ruled out for the season in 2018, I gave the Falcons a 3/10 Disaster Grade because they had a viable replacement in Damonte Kazee. That's not the case anymore, as Kazee was already playing extensively.Losing Neal will hurt, as he's a fantastic talent. He wasn't playing great this year, but he had the potential to turn things around and become a dominant player for Atlanta down the stretch. That's no longer a possibility, and his replacement, Kemal Ishmael, isn't very good at football.I have to grade this highly. Neal has now been lost for the year for two consecutive seasons, so this is an indication that he can't stay healthy.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.This is a 10/10 Disaster Grade for Saquon Barkley fantasy owners, which includes myself in one of my six leagues. R.I.P., $200 entry fee!As far as the Giants are concerned, this is not a big deal. In fact, it'll be beneficial, long term. Barkley's absence will allow the Giants to lose games, which would put them in position to land Ohio State's Chase Young in the 2020 NFL Draft. New York's defense is an abomination, so Young would provide a huge boost in fixing it.The only reason I'm even giving the Giants a non-zero Disaster Grade is because having Barkley would be nice for Daniel Jones' development, but I imagine Jones will be just fine.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Patriots signed Antonio Brown back when his biggest issues were his feud with Raiders general manager Mike Mayock and the weird helmet drama. Since then, however, Brown has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault and rape. Weird texts and e-mails have surfaced as well, including one where Brown posted pictures of someone else's children. All of this has been too much for the Patriots, who have cut ties with Brown.This is a 0/10 Disaster Grade for the Patriots. They've won six Super Bowls without Brown, and they can win a seventh one without him as well. In fact, Tom Brady has claimed some Lombardis with minimal receiving talent, so Brown's departure won't hurt at all. The only thing it'll do is limit New England's chances of finishing 19-0. Brown gave them a shot to do that, but the important thing is winning the Super Bowl.For Brown personally, this is a 10/10 Disaster Grade. I think he's done in the NFL unless he's absolved of the accusations. Given everything surrounding him, I can't see why any team - short of an XFL franchise - would ever give him a chance unless some major positive news surfaces about him.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.I liked the Steelers to win the division heading into the year, as I never really bought into the Browns. That doesn't seem like a possibility now, as Pittsburgh won't have Ben Roethlisberger the rest of the way, thanks to impending season-ending elbow surgery.This is a nightmare for Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger, when healthy, is still one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. However, it was quite apparent that he wasn't the same through two games. His passes have been way off, and his elbow injury got so bad this past Sunday that he was wincing in pain against the Seahawks. The Steelers will be better off with Mason Rudolph than the Roethlisberger we've seen these past two weeks, but not having the real Roethlisberger hurts Pittsburgh's chances of making the playoffs.Making matters worse, we may never see the same Roethlisberger ever again. He'll turn 38 before he takes the field again, which is far from ideal because he'll be an old player coming off arm surgery.It'll be the Rudolph show going forward. Rudolph looked solid against the Seahawks - 12-of-19, 112 yards, two touchdowns, one interception that wasn't his fault - but that must be taken with a grain of salt, given that Seattle's horrific secondary surrendered 400 yards to Andy Dalton the previous week. Still, I liked what I saw out of Rudolph in the preseason, so the Steelers should still at least be competitive.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Drew Brees couldn't grip a football during the loss to the Rams this past Sunday. He didn't travel back with the team to New Orleans, opting to remain in Los Angeles to see a hand specialist. The diagnosis was a torn thumb ligament, so Brees will be out until the beginning of November.This is obviously a detrimental injury for the Saints. Teddy Bridgewater struggled in place of Brees, and I'm not sure he'll be able to lead New Orleans to many victories. In fact, I think it would be best if Sean Payton named Taysom Hill his starter. Hill was excellent in the preseason and has some major potential. Bridgewater, conversely, was inconsistent in the preseason and just doesn't look the same quarterback he once was prior to his devastating injury.This could easily have been a 9/10 Disaster Grade under different circumstances, but I've opted with an 8/10 because the rest of the NFC South has some major issues right now. Cam Newton is hurt; the Falcons can't block; and the Buccaneers are, well, the Buccaneers. The Saints can still win the division. However, getting home-field advantage in the playoffs seems impossible now, and New Orleans needed that, given how much better the team performs in the Superdome.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.I wrote last week that I wasn't too concerned about the Malik Jackson injury at the time because the Eagles still had great depth at defensive tackle. That depth has now been diminished in the wake of Timmy Jernigan's broken foot. He'll be out more than a month.NFL teams often have major problems when they suffer multiple injuries at the same position. The Eagles don't have much left in the interior of their defensive line, save for Fletcher Cox. They'll have to use Akeem Spence and Hassan Ridgeway more, which is far from ideal.The silver lining here is that Jernigan should be back by November. This would obviously be far more devastating if he were out for the season like Jackson.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.I've been covering the NFL for 20 years, and I can't ever remember a quarterback getting mono. For those of you who never had mono before, it's something that completely drains your energy. I had mono when I was 24, and I was wiped out for almost two months. Something simple like taking a shower would exhaust me. While having mono, I wasn't allowed to play any sports because the spleen is enlarged, and thus at risk for major damage upon contact. As a result, I expect Darnold to miss 6-8 weeks.The Jets' season is over, hence the 9/10 Disaster Grade. I had high hopes for them, but Trevor Siemian will not lead them to many victories.The silver lining here is that we at least know why Darnold sucked so much in Week 1. He probably felt like crap during the game and didn't know why.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Is Hunter Henry ever not injured? Henry's latest malady is to his knee, which he suffered in practice. He'll be out four to six weeks.It was initially difficult to give this too high of a Disaster Grade because the Chargers reached the playoffs last year without Henry. However, after thinking about it, I made it a 4/10. Given that this is yet another injury to Henry's knee, there's some potential that this has some long-term ramifications, which would obviously be detrimental to San Angeles.For the present, the Chargers should be able to survive without Henry. It'll be interesting to see if they give a call to Antonio Gates.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Tyreek Hill was tackled violently by Jalen Ramsey in the season opener and had to be carted off with a shoulder injury. He was ultimately hospitalized because the hit was so hard that it caused damage to his sternum. I was wondering if this would mean that Hill would be lost for the year. Instead, he'll miss four to six weeks.This is great news for the Chiefs, as they'll likely have Hill back prior to November. They have some easy games coming up, battling the Raiders and Lions on the road, and hosting the Ravens and Colts. I don't think they'll need Hill to win those games. If so, Hill's absence could actually be a blessing in disguise because it'll force Mecole Hardman into action, and giving a raw rookie increased snaps could enhance his development.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.When the Cardinals traded for Marcus Gilbert, I thought it was a good move, but acknowledged that Gilbert might be able to give them only 10 games in 2019 because of his very dubious injury history. Apparently, I was optimistic by exactly 10 games, as Gilbert won't play at all for the Cardinals.It's a shame that the Cardinals wasted a sixth-round pick on Gilbert. His absence could hurt Kyler Murray's progression a little bit, as newly signed Jordan Mills will be a huge downgrade. The rest of the offensive line played better than expected in the opener, but Gilbert's injury could be the start of a cascade of injuries to the front, which is what occurred last year.I'm giving this a 5/10 Disaster Grade. It would be higher if I didn't expect an injury to Gilbert at some point. Still, this is harmful for Arizona, as another injury to the line would be devastating.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Malik Jackson seemed like an excellent offseason addition to bolster the defensive line. We'll never know how good of a signing this could have been, as Jackson will be out for the year with a Lisfranc injury.Jackson is a very talented player, so his absence will hurt the Eagles. However, I don't think this is a huge loss because the Eagles are extremely deep up front. Philadelphia can survive this, though another injury to a good player in the interior of the defensive line would really start to chip away at the Eagles' depth.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Chris Lindstrom will be out at least eight weeks after breaking a small bone in his foot. Lindstrom may just be one of five starters on Atlanta's offensive line, but his absence will be enormous. The Falcons haven't been able to pass protect at all this year so far, whether it was the season opener at Minnesota or the preseason games. Lindstrom was one of the lone bright spots up front, and now he'll be missing for a couple of months.The Falcons are in trouble, and Lindstrom's injury is a major reason for that. They're going to have to turn things around quickly, but it'll be difficult to do so with Jamon Brown, who will be a major downgrade from Lindstrom.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.There's a chance Nick Foles, who broke his collar bone while throwing a touchdown against the Chiefs, will return later this season. However, he'll have to miss at least eight games as a result of being placed on injured reserve.I know replacement rookie Gardner Minshew went 22-of-25, but only two of his passes were deep attempts, and he was going up against a poor defense playing prevent most of the time in the second half. Minshew was awful in the preseason - check out my Rookie Quarterback Grades for more - so I don't trust his brief success to last over the long term.This is a devastating injury for the Jaguars. They spent so much money on Foles, yet now they won't have him for half the season. Perhaps their defense can keep them afloat enough until Foles returns, but they're already 0-1, so they already have ground to make up.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The drama is finally over. After a summer comprised of strange Antonio Brown stories, the Raiders have finally decided to cut ties with their best receiver. They've officially released him.This might be the best thing to happen to the Raiders. I'm not talking about for this season, as Oakland will now be one of the two or three worst teams in the NFL. However, the Raiders didn't have much of a chance to reach the playoffs in the first place, thanks to Derek Carr's mediocrity and a schedule that features a 2-month span without a home game. The Raiders needed to tank, and cutting Brown will allow them to do that.If this move allows Oakland to land one of Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert atop the 2020 NFL Draft, it'll be worth it. The Raiders can restart this upcoming April, finding a real franchise quarterback and then adding a No. 1 receiver or another dynamic prospect with Chicago's first-round choice (which might be higher in the order than expected.) They'll be set up well heading to Las Vegas, all because they opted to get rid of an aging, malcontent wide receiver.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.David Andrews, one of the better centers in the NFL, could be out for the season because of blood clots in his lungs. Andrews has been hospitalized and will reportedly miss a "significant amount of time."This is obviously horrible news for Andrews, so hopefully he has a speedy recovery. This is awful for the Patriots as well. Andrews is a key member of New England's offensive line. He's an excellent pass protector, and he'll sorely be missed.I know I've made the case for the Patriots surviving injuries and suspensions - i.e. from my Patrick Chung write-up before - but with Andrews gone, that'll be two members of the offensive line from last year who won't be back (Trent Brown.) Center is one of the most important positions in the NFL, so this injury could spoil New England's aspirations to repeat again.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Andrew Luck's retirement on Saturday night was absolutely shocking. Conversely, Lamar Miller tearing his ACL and MCL on his first touch of the preseason earlier that evening may have been one of the least-surprising things to ever happen in pro football. I wrote earlier in the offseason that the Texans' coaching staff didn't have faith in Miller lasting the entire season. Well, he didn't even last a single play in the preseason.It sucks for Miller that he tore his ACL and MCL, but this could be a blessing in disguise for the Texans. Miller, if he somehow managed to remain healthy, was going to wear down in the final month of the season. This injury will force the Texans into acquiring a better running back. Perhaps they'll sign Jay Ajayi or trade for either Melvin Gordon or LeSean McCoy. All three players will be a better backfield threat for Deshaun Watson than Miller was.I'm giving the Texans a 2/10 Disaster Grade. This forces them to spend money or use draft capital to acquire a running back, but it might be for the best.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Adam Schefter reported that Andrew Luck has announced his retirement. Luck apparently met with owner Jim Irsay to tell him that he's "mentally worn down," and now "checking out."This is unbelievable. Schefter tweeted it from his verified account, and I'm actually wondering if someone hacked his Twitter account. That's how unreal this is. Luck seems like a guy who lives and breathes football, so the fact that he's "mentally worn down" just seems bizarre to me.The Colts are absolutely f***ed. They had a great chance to win the Super Bowl this year if Luck could remain healthy. In my opinion, they had the best roster in the AFC. Now, they're completely quarterback-less. Jacoby Brissett will start, and Chad Kelly will remain a developmental young quarterback behind him, but neither is the long-term answer. The Colts have great talent across their roster and thus may not be able to be bad enough to land Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert in the 2020 NFL Draft without trading up. Thus, they might be stuck in purgatory for quite a while.I've never assigned a Disaster Grade this high, but it's warranted. This announcement will absolutely ruin the Colts.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Patrick Chung was cited for cocaine possession in late July, according to Tom Curren of NBC Sports. There will certainly be a suspension, though it's unclear how long that will be. I imagine it'll be anywhere between 4-8 games, depending on what occurs legally.I don't think this will impact the Patriots at all. They have other safeties who can fill in. Duron Harmon can see more snaps, and that's perfectly fine. New England also has some young players who can be effective in Chung's place.If you're still not convinced, think about it this way: The Patriots won a Super Bowl in a season in which Tom Brady was suspended for four games. They also won a Super Bowl in a season in which Rob Gronkowski was injured (when Gronkowski was in his prime.) They also won a Super Bowl in a season in which Bill Belichick had to move wide receiver Troy Brown to cornerback because of all the injuries at corner. New England will do just fine without Chung.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Derwin James is the latest Charger who won't be available for regular-season action, as he endured a stress fracture in his foot. He'll undergo foot surgery, which will knock him out until about Thanksgiving.It goes without saying that this is a disastrous situation for the Chargers. James is the centerpiece of San Angeles' defense, as he was the primary reason why the Chargers were ranked in the top 10 in yards allowed last year for the first time since 2014. The Chargers already suffered a rash of losses, namely to Russell Okung and Melvin Gordon (holdout). James will be the Chargers' most prominent absence.This Disaster Grade must be a high one. I can't go below a 7/10, as this could ruin the Chargers' 2019 season. The one positive aspect of this news is that James could play the final month of the season, but there's no guarantee he'll be 100 percent coming off foot surgery.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.I love the Jets as a dark-horse sleeper to make a deep run into the playoffs, but this news is not encouraging for that prediction. Avery Williamson collided with a teammate during last night's preseason game. He was diagnosed with a torn ACL and will be out for the season.The Jets already lost Darron Lee this offseason, so Williamson's absence will be painful. The only good news is that the Jets aren't completely barren at the position, thanks to the C.J. Mosley signing. Still, Williamson will be missed, as he's a very good player, particularly in run support.I'm giving the Jets a 6/10 Disaster Grade for this injury. It would be higher if it wasn't for Mosley. The Jets currently don't have a viable replacement for Williamson unless fifth-round rookie Blake Cashman can step up. Here's a list of the top NFL Free Agent Linebackers for the Jets to replace Williamson.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.A.J. Green avoided a serious injury when he was carted off the field following Saturday's practice. It was revealed that he suffered just a sprained ankle, but this injury will keep him out 6-8 weeks, meaning he may miss the entire month of September.This is potentially disastrous for Cincinnati's season. First of all, the pedestrian Bengals need all hands on deck to be competitive in the wake of their offensive line troubles, and three of their first four games are on the road (at Seattle, Buffalo, Pittsburgh), so it'll be difficult for them to win early. Second, Green has an extensive history of leg injuries, and this is yet another one. It could lead to Green getting hurt again when he returns, which would officially end Cincinnati's season.I'm giving the Bengals a 6/10 Disaster Grade for this injury. It could be higher, but there's also a chance that Green will make a quick recovery and return after just a one-game absence.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Giants receivers are dropping like flies. Sterling Shepard broke his thumb, then Corey Coleman tore his ACL. Now, Golden Tate will miss the first four games of the season for PEDs. At this rate, Darius Slayton, Cody Latimer and Russell Shepard should go hide out in a cave somewhere in the mountains before anything bad happens to them.I gave the Coleman injury a 0/10 Disaster Grade because Coleman stinks. This is a 0/10 Disaster Grade for another reason. Tate still has potential for a big season despite not doing anything for Philadelphia, but the Giants don't have a chance of making the playoffs, especially in the wake of none of their receivers being available early in the season. At this rate, they should consider tanking for the No. 1 pick so they can trade it for a king's ransom to a team desperate to obtain Tua Tagovailoa.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Tyreek Hill wasn't the only NFL player who got into hot water for domestic violence this offseason. Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed was accused of this as well. He wasn't charged or arrested, but the league opted to suspend him for six games.This will be a painful loss for the Seahawks. Reed is their best interior pass rusher, so his absence will be magnified by the departure of Frank Clark. Unless Ziggy Ansah can revert to his former self, the Seahawks will have immense issues getting to the quarterback in the first six games of the season.To determine how detrimental this will be for Seattle, we must look at its first six opponents. The Seahawks will battle Andy Dalton, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Kyler Murray, Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield in the first six games. The Seahawks can defeat Dalton and Murray without Reed, but beating the other four quarterbacks without an interior disruptor will be challenging. That said, the Seahawks have come back from slow starts in past years, so a 2-4 beginning to the season won't disqualify them from playoff contention.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.When I saw Corey Coleman trending on Twitter, I thought he was arrested, or something of that nature. I quickly learned that he tore his ACL instead. While this sucks for Coleman, I don't know why anyone thinks this is significant.Coleman was projected to be the Giants' third receiver this year behind Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard, but only by default. The Giants have nothing else at the position, though it could be argued that the Giants already had nothing beyond Tate and Shepard. Coleman was a former first-round pick, but he's been a big-time bust in the NFL. Bill Belichick didn't even think he could redeem Coleman, opting to cut him from the practice squad last September.This is a zero Disaster Grade. Coleman wasn't going to do anything positive for New York this season. I don't know why people think this is a big deal, outside of this being devastating for Coleman personally. The Giants' win-loss record will not be affected in the slightest by this injury.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Taylor Lewan took a polygraph test to inform the league that he unknowingly took a substance that prompted this suspension, but the NFL apparently didn't care. Lewan will miss the first four weeks of the season.This is obviously a blow for the Titans, given that Lewan is one of the top left tackles in the NFL. To determine how devastating it is, we must look at the schedule. Tennessee opens against Cleveland and its revamped defensive line. Following that contest, the Titans have two divisional battles against the Colts and Jaguars, then travel to Atlanta.The Titans figure to be underdogs in all four games without Lewan. Not having Lewan to block Myles Garrett will be huge. Lewan would also be needed against Jacksonville's stellar defensive line. Missing him for two divisional contests could end up ruining Tennessee's playoff chances.Given how difficult the schedule is, the Titans could start 0-4. The Disaster Grade has to be relatively high as a result. The only silver lining is that Tennessee has a solid backup tackle in Dennis Kelly, but the Titans will definitely miss Lewan to begin the year.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.For a while, it seemed as though Tyreek Hill would be suspended for all of 2019, and possibly longer. A short recording of him was leaked by the fake sports news media, which seemed to incriminate him. Yet, the police dropped their investigation of Hill. It seemed an odd thing to do at the time, given the recording, but we now know why the authorities decided not to pursue any charges after the full tape was released. It turns out that Hill's ex-fiancee was attempting to set up Hill to take a fall. In fact, Hill admitted to not even hitting his ex-fiancee in 2014, which is something he got into trouble for.Given that the police found no evidence of wrongdoing on Hill's part - including an admission of innocence for an earlier crime - the NFL had no reason to suspend him. As a result, this is horrible news for the other AFC West teams that had a chance to win the division (i.e. Chargers).It's still possible that the Chargers will win the AFC West, but it's far more unlikely now. I expected regression from the Chargers in the first place, so now they'll have to deal with a dynamic offense that will have its game-breaking receiver for 16 games.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Oh boy. About a month ago, the Bengals could classify three offensive linemen of theirs as solid blockers, assuming that Jonah Williams wasn't going to be a complete bust. They were Williams, Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling. Now, Cincinnati is down to one solid lineman, as Williams is out for the year, while Boling has announced retirement, citing medical worries.Given what has transpired over the past few weeks, the Bengals now have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. When Glenn inevitably gets hurt - per usual - Cincinnati will have the worst blocking unit in the league. This will make winning very difficult, and it could lead to a record of 2-14 or 3-13.It doesn't seem as though the Bengals will be very competitive in 2019, but the silver lining is that these events could put them in position to obtain Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert in the 2020 NFL Draft (see my 2020 NFL Mock Draft here.) So, even though this retirement is a 6/10 Disaster Grade as far as the Bengals being viable for the playoffs, it could be argued that this Disaster Grade should really be a 0/10.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Bengals suffered a high number of injuries last year, and if Jonah Williams' torn labrum is any indication, 2019 will be another rough year in that regard.Cincinnati's offensive line is not very good, so the team was counting on its first-round rookie to help stabilize things up front. Instead, Williams will likely spend his entire first season on the injury report after undergoing shoulder surgery.Williams was an overrated prospect heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, as some teams saw him as a tweener tackle/guard. However, this injury still will hurt Cincinnati's chances of being competitive. This could potentially damage Williams' growth as well, so the Bengals should definitely be concerned.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Redskins appeared to obtain a steal with Reuben Foster, signing him after the 49ers cut him in the wake of his latest domestic abuse allegations. Many criticized this move, but Washington looked very smart when the charges were dropped.Unfortunately for the Redskins, they won't get to have the talented linebacker in the NFL patrolling the middle of their defense. Mason Foster is still available, but Reuben Foster was expected to take the defense over the top. His absence will hurt a team that needed to replace Zach Brown, who signed with the Eagles this offseason.This injury deserves a high Disaster Grade. I thought the Redskins had a chance at the playoffs if Dwayne Haskins performed well as a rookie, thanks to their stellar defense, running game and offensive line. Foster's impending absence changes those odds, as the Redskins will struggle to cover the middle of the field without him.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Patrick Peterson has been suspended six games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He'll miss games against the Lions, Ravens, Panthers, Seahawks, Bengals and Falcons.It doesn't seem like the Cardinals will be going against too many lethal passing attacks without Peterson, as they'll really only miss him versus Seattle and Atlanta, and perhaps Carolina, depending on how Cam Newton's shoulder feels. Arizona added some cornerback talent this offseason, acquiring Robert Alford in free agency and Byron Murphy early in the draft, so their secondary won't be in a horrible situation without Peterson.Moreover, I don't think this suspension is a big deal because the Cardinals were unlikely to make the playoffs this year anyway. Losing some extra games will put them in a position to obtain a better player in next spring's draft class, which looks amazing at the moment (check my 2020 NFL Mock Draft for more.)Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Doug Baldwin has been a terrific receiver for the Seahawks over the past several seasons, but that era is over. Seattle released Baldwin with a failed physical designation, prompting many to believe that Baldwin will announce his retirement in the near future.This is yet another very painful loss for the Seahawks. Baldwin was Russell Wilson's favorite receiver, so Wilson will now have to find someone new to lock on to. Aside from Tyler Lockett, the Seahawks don't have much at the position. They drafted plenty of wideouts a couple of weeks ago, including the very athletic D.K. Metcalf. However, Metcalf is not a very good football player, and he doesn't know how to run routes.Given Metcalf's problems, the Seahawks will likely have to count on guys like Jaron Brown, David Moore, Amara Darboh, Gary Jennings and John Ursua to step up, and I'm not sure if that can happen. It seems like Seattle's offense will regress next year, which is a problem, given that the defense has been decimated in recent years.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.It's unclear if Telvin Smith is ever going to play again, but we know he won't be on the field in 2019. Smith made the announcement on social media, citing that he needs to give time back to "myself, my family and my health." It's entirely possible that Smith will return in 2020 after taking a year off, but we don't know that for sure.This is a crushing blow to Jacksonville's 2019 Super Bowl chances. The Jaguars were expected to field one of the top defenses in the NFL, and they were going to pair that with a much better offense than they had in 2017, thanks to Nick Foles' presence. That, however, won't be the case anymore. Smith was such an important member of Jacksonville's defense as a three-down linebacker who thrived in both coverage and run support. Outside of Myles Jack, the Jaguars don't have another player like that, so they may have trouble defending tight ends and pass-catching running backs throughout 2019.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Jason Pierre-Paul was in a car crash last week. He was fortunate to survive, but his 2019 season is in jeopardy because of a fractured neck. Adam Schefter reported that Pierre-Paul would miss all of 2019, but it now sounds like he'll be out 5-6 months. That means he could return by November. Still, it's unclear how impactful Pierre-Paul will be once/if he returns to action, as he likely won't be 100 percent.This is a huge blow for Tampa's 2019 outlook, as Pierre-Paul is one of the Buccaneers' few talented edge rushers. The Buccaneers won't get nearly as much pressure on Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton, making it much more difficult for them to defeat their divisional opponents.That said, I'm reluctant to give this a high Disaster Grade. The Buccaneers weren't expected to contend for a playoff spot this season, so perhaps starting over is the best course of action. Pierre-Paul's injury could put Tampa Bay in a better position to draft Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or Jake Fromm, as you can see here in my 2020 NFL Mock Draft Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Leonard Fournette was arrested Thursday for speeding and "knowingly driving with a suspended license." Personally, I think this would be more interesting if he was arrested for unknowingly driving with a suspended license, but that's just me.This is not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, as many worse legal things could've happened to an NFL star. However, this is yet another incident that could prompt the Jaguars to move on from Fournette. There were reports about them considering doing so earlier in the offseason, stemming from his suspension last year and questions about his toughness after he took forever to recover from a hamstring injury. I'm not sure if this will be the camel to break the straw's back - as one Hall of Fame running back once said - but this incident won't help Jacksonville's already tenuous relationship with its talented running back.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Rob Gronkowski was once the top tight end in the NFL, and it wasn't even close. Gronkowski was a dominant, downfield presence who couldn't be defended, at least when healthy. That, however, was his downfall. He suffered way too many injuries in his career, prompting an early retirement. At just 29, Gronkowski has hung up his cleats.Gronkowski retiring a couple of years ago would've warranted a Disaster Grade of 8/10 or so. Now, not so much. Gronkowski was a shell of his former self last year. Looking like he was running in quicksand at all times, Gronkowski caught just 47 passes for 682 yards and three touchdowns. He had some nice moments in the playoffs, but he wasn't anywhere close to the perennial All-Pro we were used to seeing.This is a 2/10 Disaster Grade at most. Gronkowski should easily be replaceable. In fact, the only reason it's not a 1/10 is because the Patriots missed out on Jared Cook in free agency. The good news is that there are several talented tight end prospects available in the draft, as you can see in our 2019 NFL Draft Tight End Prospect Rankings Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Max Unger has been the Saints' starting center for the past four years, but there won't be a fifth. Unger has decided to retire, completing his career as a three-time Pro Bowler.Though Unger didn't have a great 2018 campaign, the Saints will certainly miss him. He's been a steady presence for them, missing only one start in four seasons. There's also no viable replacement for Unger. The in-house options are guys named Cameron Tom and Will Clapp, neither of whom is very promising. The best unrestricted free agent in the NFL Free Agent Center Rankings is Stefen Wisniewski, who would make an OK short-term solution.Luckily for the Saints, there are some second-day centers who could be solid replacements, including Erik McCoy, Elgton Jenkins and perhaps Garrett Bradbury if he falls. However, neither is guaranteed to be a quality replacement for Unger, so this is a painful turn of events for New Orleans.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.When the Browns signed Kareem Hunt, it wasn't even clear if he would be able to play this upcoming season. There was always a chance he would be suspended the entire year for what we all saw on the infamous video. The punishment has been handed down - much sooner than I expected - and Hunt will only miss half the 2019 season.This has to be outstanding news for the Browns. They must have expected this to be the best-case scenario for Hunt's suspension. Perhaps they may have thought Hunt would get six games, but they'll absolutely take eight. The Browns, thanks to all of the additions they've made, are a legitimate Super Bowl contender, so having Hunt available during the second half of the year will be huge.Hunt, by the way, will truly miss 15 games in total, counting the two playoff games, as a result of what occurred. So, for those calling for Hunt to be suspended for an entire year, that's essentially what has transpired. Hunt has shown contrition and is seeking help to prevent something like this from happening again, so this suspension seems fair.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Sheldon Rankins tore his Achilles in the victory over the Eagles on Sunday. This is a huge loss, not only for the next two games, but for 2019 as well.Because this injury occurred so late in the year, it's highly unlikely that Rankins will be ready for training camp. It seems like the best-case scenario will be for him to be placed on the PUP list and then activated at some point in the second half of the 2019 campaign. Even then, chances are he won't be 100 percent.Meanwhile, Rankins will sorely be missed in the NFC Championship and potential Super Bowl appearance. He's the Saints' best interior defensive lineman. He's excellent at stopping the run and generating an interior pass rush. New Orleans' defense won't be the same without him. His absence won't preclude the Saints from winning the Super Bowl, but it'll be much more difficult for them to do so.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.In a parallel universe, Josh Gordon would be thriving in a football league run by a commissioner who didn't conduct himself like a Saudi Arabian dictator. Unfortunately, in our reality, Gordon will continue to be penalized for stupid things.It's a shame Gordon has relapsed, though it's not much of a surprise. It'd be nice if Roger Goodell actually cared about Gordon and tried to help him, rather than banishing him from his job. Alas, that is not the case.For the Patriots, this obviously hurts, but it's not a death blow to their season. Tom Brady has won Super Bowls with inferior supporting casts than this, and he can do it again. The problem with the Patriots happens to be their defense, and I don't see that being resolved before the playoffs.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Logan Ryan suffered a broken fibula midway through the Giants game and will be out for the season. This is a painful blow for the Titans, who already were weak to the pass (22nd in DVOA).Ryan won't be missed this Saturday against Josh Johnson, but you better believe that Andrew Luck, who has never lost to Marcus Mariota, will pick on Ryan's replacement in a must-win Week 17 battle. That replacement is LeShaun Sims, who is not a very good player, to put it nicely.This is by no means a death blow for the Titans, who already struggled versus the pass. However, Ryan's absence will make it more difficult to beat the Colts, which is required for them to reach the playoffs.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Chiefs may have lost control of the AFC West in the wake of Thursday night's last-second loss to the Chargers. They're still first because of tie-breakers, but one more loss could send them tumbling down to the No. 5 seed. Adding injury to insult, Kendall Fuller is out for the year with a wrist injury.This is a huge loss. Kansas City doesn't have much talent on defense beyond its pass rush, but Fuller was a rare exception. He was the Chiefs' top cornerback, manning the slot exceptionally well. With Fuller out, Orlando Scandrick will have to move into the slot. He's familiar with playing there, but he'll be less effective than Fuller. Meanwhile, sixth-round rookie Tremon Smith will have to start on the outside in place of Scandrick, which will likely be disastrous. Smith has barely seen any action this year, and for good reason.This injury won't preclude the Chiefs from winning the Super Bowl, but it'll make things much more difficult, as talented opposing quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck will be able to attack Smith successfully.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Bryce Callahan is one of the many reasons the Bears have the best defense in the NFL. The 27-year-old had been enjoying a terrific season as the team's slot cornerback. Unfortunately for the Bears, Callahan broke his foot Sunday night against the Rams and is out for the year.This is a painful injury for the Bears (and not to mention Callahan.) It now creates a hole at slot corner, which Sherrick McManis will have to fill. McManis performed well in Callahan's absence against the Rams, but he's struggled in the past, so it remains to be seen if he can be a proper replacement. I have my doubts.As for the Bears' chances going forward, I've written that I believe they can win the Super Bowl if they get a "B" performance from Mitchell Trubisky in the playoffs. I'd say Trubisky now needs to be a B+. That's possible, but as someone who has a 100/1 ticket on the Bears to win the Super Bowl, I worry that Trubisky will ultimately self destruct by constantly throwing off his back foot while trying to keep up with the Saints in a shootout in the divisional round or NFC Championship.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.This is obviously horrible news for the Broncos. Emmanuel Sanders was Case Keenum's favorite receiver. That's not the case anymore, as Sanders is now out for the year with a torn Achilles.The Broncos are now down two receivers from the start of the season, as Demaryius Thomas was dealt earlier. Denver is now down to one viable wideout in rookie Courtland Sutton. The lack of experience at the position will be incredibly damaging as the Broncos attempt to make a run at the playoffs.This would already warrant a high Disaster Grade, but making matters even worse, there's a good chance Sanders won't be 100 percent for the start of next season. A torn Achilles is a tough injury to recover from, and Sanders suffered it in December, so the recovery time will be tight.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.TMZ released a video of Kareem Hunt shoving and kicking a woman in February. The Chiefs sent Hunt home from practice. Hunt will likely be placed on the commissioner's exempt list, and he'll probably face a six-game suspension.This is horrible news for the Chiefs, who are in Super Bowl contention. Hunt is a dynamic play-maker, and he'll be missed. This will also serve as a distraction. That said, Spencer Ware can be an effective replacement. Ware missed all of 2017 with an injury, but prior to the Hunt selection, Ware was a very productive back. He rushed for 921 yards and caught 33 passes in 2016. He's obviously not nearly as talented as Hunt, but he can be a fine substitute.Still, this warrants a 7/10 Disaster Grade. The Chiefs lost a special player out of the backfield. It's a tight race for the Super Bowl, so this hit could end up costing Kansas City.Update: I'm bumping this up to 9/10 in the wake of Hunt's release. Some may think this is the right decision right now, but this is something the Chiefs will regret down the road.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Bengals have struggled lately, dropping to 5-6. However, they were set to have A.J. Green and Nick Vigil back from injury soon, which gave them a chance to be competitive down the stretch. That's no longer the case, as Andy Dalton is out for the year with torn ligaments in his thumb.Jeff Driskel will take over for Dalton. Driskel posted half-decent numbers against Cleveland's prevent defense this past Sunday, but was lucky not to have two interceptions that were dropped. Driskel has a nice arm and good mobility, but his accuracy and football IQ are both pretty poor. He's going to commit lots of turnovers.This is a 9/10 Disaster Grade, as Cincinnati's season is over. The only reason this isn't a 10/10 is because this injury won't linger into 2019.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.This is unbelievable. Reuben Foster was given a reprieve back in April when his first domestic violence charge was dropped. Foster apparently didn't learn his lesson, as he was arrested for the same thing Saturday evening. He's out for Sunday's game and could be done for the rest of the season, at the very least.Foster is an amazing talent, but he dropped in the 2017 NFL Draft for a reason. Teams were concerned with his off-the-field issues (and his durability), but the 49ers took a chance on him at the end of the opening round. They looked smart last year, but now the pick looks like an utter bust, as Foster could be out of the league for a while if these charges aren't dropped.This has to be a high rating, as Foster will be missed in the future, particularly next year when the 49ers attempt to make a playoff run with a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo. Perhaps Foster will see these charges dropped as well, but considering this is the second time in a short span that he's gotten into trouble for domestic violence, he could be suspended for a long time regardless.Update: The 49ers have waived Foster, and rightfully so.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.It's amazing that 33 years to the day of Joe Theismann's career-ending compound fracture, Alex Smith broke his leg on another gruesome hit by a future Hall of Fame defensive lineman. Smith is out for the year, and his future in the NFL is in doubt.I would normally grade season-ending injuries to quarterbacks at 8/10 at the very least, but this one is different. Aside from the injured receiving corps and banged-up interior offensive line, Smith was the weak link on the Redskins. He was a liability for the most part and offered zero hope for a deep playoff run, given his limitations. Colt McCoy, one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL, doesn't seem like much of a downgrade. Like Smith, McCoy is a smart game manager who can pick up first downs with timely scrambles. I'm not sure there will be much of a drop-off.This will earn a 5/10 Disaster Grade because an injury to McCoy would absolutely crush the Redskins' playoff hopes. There's no insurance policy for him like there was for Smith, so the blocking unit better make sure that he's protected.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Several days after seeing their top linebacker, Denzel Perryman, suffer a season-ending injury, the Chargers lost another key member of their front seven. This time, it was Corey Liuget, their best interior defensive lineman.Liuget's loss isn't as impactful as Perryman's, but this one is important as well. Liuget was good at everything. He stuffed the run well and also applied a good interior pass rush. The Chargers don't have anyone on the roster to replace his production, and it's not a coincidence that the Chargers struggled to stop the Broncos late in the game without him.If Liuget were the only member of the front seven to get hurt, this would maybe be a 6/10 Disaster Grade, but this just compounds the problems the Chargers have, so I'm increasing this to a 7/10 Disaster Grade.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Everyone's talking about the Eagles and Rams losing Ronald Darby and Cooper Kupp, respectively, but this was the most devastating season-ending injury that occurred this weekend. The Rams can survive without Kupp, while the Eagles and Jaguars (Brandon Linder) were pretty much cooked already.The Chargers, on the hand, probably can't overcome this. Denzel Perryman was the heart and soul of the Chargers' defense. He played the run and covered extremely well. His loss will have a profound effect on the defense, which was already missing its best player, Joey Bosa.The loss of Perryman will likely be the beginning of the end for the Chargers. Unless Bosa can make a miraculous comeback soon, the Chargers will have a horrible defense. With Perryman and Kyzir White out, their linebacking corps is in shambles.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.R.I.P. 2018 Jaguars.Jacksonville, at 3-6, would have to run the table to reach the playoffs, but it'll have to do so without Brandin Linder. The 26-year-old is one of the better centers in the NFL, and he was the best blocker on the Jaguars' offensive line. Jacksonville will now have to try to win without its left tackle and center.This is a 7/10 Disaster Grade for this year, but perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. Linder's absence will worsen the Jaguars, so more losses will ensue. That means they might have a better chance of landing Justin Herbert in the 2019 NFL Draft.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.You have to feel for Ronald Darby, who was set to enter free agency for the first time this upcoming offseason. Instead of signing a large contract, he'll be rehabbing his knee. Hopefully he has a swift recovery.As for the Eagles, this is probably the final nail in the coffin of their repeat Super Bowl aspirations. Already having issues in the secondary, Philadelphia will now be without its top cornerback as it takes on the Saints (Michael Thomas), Giants (Odell Beckham Jr.), Rams (Brandin Cooks) and Texans (DeAndre Hopkins) down the stretch.This seems worthy of a 7/10 Disaster Grade. The Eagles could still survive somehow if their other injured corners - Sidney Jones, Jalen Mills - return to the field, but if at least one misses extended action as well, the Eagles won't win many more games this season.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Sean McVay told the media that Cooper Kupp's knee injury "didn't look good" following Sunday's victory over Seattle. The Rams' fears were warranted, as Kupp is out for the season with a torn ACL.The Rams have two other very talented receivers in Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods, so they'll survive. Their Super Bowl aspirations are still intact. However, given the Rams' problems on defense, they rely so much on their offense, so if a key cog of their attack is missing, it'll definitely hurt their chances of winning the Lombardi Trophy.I'm giving this a 6/10 Disaster Grade. Kupp has been Jared Goff's favorite receiver, and given his absence, another injury to a receiver would be devastating. But for now, the Rams are still one of the best teams in the NFL.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Redskins-Falcons game was a disaster, and I'm not just referring to the five units I lost on Washington. The Redskins suffered countless injuries, as right tackle Morgan Moses got hurt and had to miss some action. That was painful, as left tackle Trent Williams was already out. Making matters worse, guards Brandon Scherff and Shawn Lauvao, as well as wide receiver Paul Richardson were lost for the season.Scherff and Lauvao being out for the year means that the Redskins will be down three starters up front until Williams returns to the lineup, while a fourth starter (Moses) plays hurt. This is bad, especially when considering how talented Scherff is. Lauvao is a pedestrian player, but whomever the Redskins fill in for Scherff will be a colossal downgrade. Richardson, meanwhile, further depletes a receiving corps that had already been struggling.All of this deserves an 8/10 Disaster Grade. The Redskins were in control of the NFC East heading into Week 9, but they'll struggle to get wins in the wake of all of these players going down.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.I initially read this as Carlos Dunlap being out for the year, which would've been even worse. Carl Lawson was the Bengal lineman lost for the year with a torn ACL, and that's still very grim news.Lawson is a terrific edge rusher, and he'll be missed when the Bengals have to battle the Steelers again later in the year. Lawson is just the latest Bengal defender to get hurt, as linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Nick Vigil are injured as well. Cincinnati had trouble defending the middle of the field without Burfict and Vigil, and now its edge rush will be worse.The one thing that could save the Bengals is that they have decent depth at defensive end, so I'm going to mark this down as a 5/10 Disaster Grade. Dunlap being out, for those wondering, would've warranted a 7/10 or maybe an 8/10.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Will Fuller was down for a while after drawing a deep pass interference flag late against Miami. He eventually walked off, telling his teammates that he's OK. Apparently not, as Fuller is out for the year with a torn ACL.This is a huge blow for the Texans, who are so reliant on their deep attack. Fuller provided a downfield threat, so he'll certainly be missed. The Texans have promising rookie Keke Coutee to emerge as Watson's second receiver, but he's not the same sort of player. Houston simply doesn't have anyone to replicate what Fuller provided, so I'm grading this a 6/10.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.The Eagles have been hit by too many injuries this season. Derek Barnett is the latest to go down, as he'll be lost for the year because of shoulder surgery.Barnett got off to a nice start to the year in the first four weeks, but was banged up after that. Now, the Eagles won't have him at all going forward. The silver lining here is that the Eagles are very deep at defensive end with Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett and Chris Long remaining at the position. Fourth-round rookie Josh Sweat, a promising player, could also see an increase in snaps.I don't think this is a major loss, considering the Eagles' great depth. However, another injury to an edge rusher could really hurt, so I'm going to make this a 4/10 Disaster Grade.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Chad Kelly, what the hell are you doing? Kelly was arrested and charged for criminal trespassing early Tuesday morning. Kelly was standing outside a residence at 1:17 a.m. and had to be chased away by the occupant. It's unclear what this is all about, but I have some ideas.Kelly is such a talented quarterback, and he was one poor start from Case Keenum away from taking over as Denver's starting quarterback. I'm not sure if that'll be the case now. The Broncos could decide to give Kelly another chance, but it's also possible that they'll cut him. It's worrying that he hasn't been able to overcome his previous off-the-field issues yet.I'm giving this a 7/10 Disaster Grade. I like Kelly a lot as a quarterback, but this incident may force John Elway to select another pedestrian quarterback in the NFL Draft rather than try Kelly as the next starter.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Some Atlanta fans may disagree with me on this 0/10 Disaster Grade, but I think this injury is a blessing in disguise. It doesn't have any long-term implications, so this should help the Falcons in the long term.This is nothing against Freeman, who is an important player in the passing attack because of his superior receiving ability. Plain and simple, the Falcons don't have the tools to compete this year. They've lost way too many players to injury. Their defense is awful, and now some of the offensive players are going down. The Falcons would be better off losing as many games as possible so they can secure one of the top defensive tackles in the 2019 NFL Draft. Atlanta's defense needs someone like Ed Oliver, Quinnen Williams, Derrick Brown or Jeffery Simmons. If they win several more games, they'll be out of the running for those prospects, especially if one or more return to school.Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates.Where did this come from? Jay Ajayi left the Minnesota game temporarily, but returned to action after missing several snaps. Ajayi apparently played on a torn ACL against the Vikings, which would definitely excuse his lost fumble inside the 5-yard line.Ajayi is done for the year, but I don't think this is a big deal. Running back is one of the least-important positions in the NFL because viable replacements can easily be found,