One of the bigger, if not biggest, questions surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first injury report of the 2024 season was the status of second-year pass rusher, Yaya Diaby.
Well, Bucs fans got the best answer they could've hoped for, as Diaby was a full participant during Wednesday's practice. That doesn't 100% solidify his availability for Week 1's matchup against the Washington Commanders, but it's obviously a great start and it definitely has him on track to play. The same goes for Jordan Whitehead, who missed most of the summer after suffering an early camp injury. He was a full participant on Wednesday and should be good to go for Sunday.
But with the Diaby answer, another big question was raised: The health of placekicker Chase McLaughlin, who is coming off one of the best kicking seasons in Bucs history.
McLaughlin is apparently dealing with an abdomen/illness issue and if it doesn't get better, the Bucs may have to look outside the building for help in the kicking game. That's a big deal when considering McLaughlin made 93.5% of his field goal attempts and 100% of his PATs last year. As we all know, the NFL is dubbed a "field goal league" and any and every point matters. The slightest drop-off in the kicking game could easily contribute to a loss.
Third-year defensive lineman Logan Hall, who is entering a very important year, missed practice with a foot injury and based off what Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told reporters, it sounds like he's going to be a game-time decision.
“He’s got a foot [injury]. It’ll go up until the weekend. We’ll see how he feels. We’ve got a plethora of guys that are going to platoon in that rotation right there," said Bowles.
Overall, the Bucs are pretty damn healthy as they head into the season-opener against the Commanders.
Commanders' first injury report features good news for Jayden Daniels and the rest of the offense
The Commanders have questions at both tackle positions, primarily the left tackle spot, where rookie third-rounder Brandon Coleman appears to have won the starting gig despite not playing a single snap during the preseason due to injury.
He suffered a strained pec/shoulder ahead of the Commanders' first joint practices with the New York Jets and didn't get back on the field until recently. Before Wednesday's practice, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told everyone he wanted to see how the week played out, practice-wise, before thinking about Coleman's availability for Sunday.
"For the practice part first, definitely aiming towards playing and getting into that. I'll probably have a better instance for him and couple of the guys all the way through the practice week," said Quinn. "But it sure has been good to have him back out there and going through it for practice, last week, and into this week, as well. It's definitely good to have him back out there. As far as the game, let's let the practices play out some more."
Well, Coleman's week definitely started out on the right path, as he was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.
Seeing Johnny Newton as a limited participant isn't a surprise, as the staff is still ramping him up after offseason surgery a few months ago. Seeing Daron Payne on there, however, is a bit of a surprise and will definitely be something to monitor throughout the week.
And lastly, while he's a reserve, Trent Scott's status is something to watch, as well. Specifically in relation to Coleman. If the latter isn't ready to go or if there is some kind of setback and Scott also can't go, the Commanders' tackle depth will be in a very scary spot on Sunday. That doesn't seem to be in the cards, right now, and Thursday's report will give us an even better idea of where things are trending. Still, knowing what we know now, it's something to keep in the back of one's mind.
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