Redskins Work Out Orlando Franklin, Others
Orlando Franklin continues to search for another NFL landing spot after his Saints stay ended up being brief. The free agent offensive lineman took a trip to the nation’s capital for a Redskins workout, Howard Balzer of SportsOnEarth tweets.
Franklin’s been on the market since the Saints cut him after less than a week over the summer. This came months after the Chargers released him two seasons into a five-year contract. Franklin worked out for the Giants earlier this season.
Washington is dealing with injuries at all three positions up front, and the 29-year-old Franklin boasts experience at both guard and tackle. He was the Broncos’ starting right tackle from 2011-13, moved to guard in 2014 and signed a lucrative Bolts pact leading to a two-year guard stay in San Diego.
Trent Williams is battling a knee injury and putting off surgery, and Morgan Moses did not practice Thursday either after suffering an ankle malady Monday night. Swing tackle Ty Nsekhe remains out after surgery. Starting guard Brandon Scherff hasn’t practiced yet this week. Neither has center Spencer Long.
Washington also auditioned centers Taylor Boggs, Demetrius Rhaney and Max Tuerk. The latter ended up accepting an offer to join the Chargers’ practice squad. The Bolts waived Tuerk earlier this season, and the former USC snapper’s Washington workout came after he fulfilled obligations to be reinstated following a four-game PED suspension, Balzer reports (on Twitter).
Latest On Dolphins’ Quarterback Plans
Some rumors coming out of Miami prior to this season indicated it was possible Jay Cutler could stick around for the Dolphins as a potential Ryan Tannehill replacement. That doesn’t appear to be the franchise’s plan.
The Dolphins are committed to having Tannehill return as the starting quarterback in 2018, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). Adam Gase and the Dolphins front office think “extremely highly” of Tannehill, and they’re committed to having him return for a seventh season in Miami before possibly deciding what to do at quarterback after next season, per Rapoport. Tannehill’s contract becomes a pay-as-you-go arrangement after 2018 (and only $4.6MM in dead money is attached to a Tannehill release after this season).
But the Dolphins have likely seen Tannehill emerge as their best option given what the Cutler-led offense has generated in his absence. However, the Cutler era looks set to continue once he returns from his rib injury.
Miami remains committed to having Cutler come back as the starter, despite how Matt Moore fares against the Ravens on Thursday night, Rapoport reports. The team believes Cutler will be sufficiently healthy by Week 9, and the Dolphins intend on benching Moore for Cutler should that occur. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported earlier this week the Dolphins were going to keep Cutler as their starter.
Despite the Dolphins’ offense noticeably less potent under Cutler than it was under Tannehill or even Moore last season, the team is evidently intent on continuing to see if the 34-year-old recently unretired passer can turn his season around.
Cutler and Moore threw for two touchdown passes apiece in the Dolphins’ Week 7 win over the Jets, but Cutler is averaging a career-worst 5.5 yards per attempt through his six starts. Moore averaged 8.29 yards per attempt last season and finished with eight touchdown passes compared to three interceptions in his three relief starts for Tannehill last December.
Anquan Boldin Interested In Playing Again; Bills Open To Trade
Anquan Boldin retired during the Bills’ preseason slate after a brief stay in Buffalo and ruled out a late-season return previously, but the veteran wide receiver looks to have changed his mind to some degree. He’s interested in playing again, and the Bills are open to trading his rights.
The Bills gave Boldin’s agent, Tom Condon, permission to seek a trade. Brandon Beane wrote Condon a letter (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com) Thursday granting him permission to pursue a Boldin trade.
Beane notes in the letter a factor here could be proximity to Boldin’s family. A report emerged over the summer Boldin was looking to play closer to his home in Florida, and while no reported interest is known from the Dolphins, Buccaneers or Jaguars, Beane including this language in his letter adds weight to Boldin being interested in moving south for a possible return. The Florida State alum has never played for a southeastern-based NFL team.
This letter prohibits Boldin from discussing a new contract with another team and does not give the would-be 15th-year veteran permission to make visits. It also notes the Bills’ offer for Boldin’s camp to find a trade partner expires on the Halloween trade deadline. It doesn’t sound like Beane is too interested in relinquishing Boldin’s rights and letting him sign with another team as a UFA.
49ers Moving Eric Reid To Linebacker
Despite Eric Reid being midway through a contract year, he’s accepted a move to another position. The 49ers will shift the fifth-year defender from safety to linebacker.
Reid is being worked in at outside linebacker, and DC Robert Saleh said (via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, on Twitter) he wouldn’t be surprised if the veteran becomes a starter on the weak side of the 49ers’ defensive second level.
The 49ers approached Reid about a conversion to linebacker after they released NaVorro Bowman, but the career safety made a point of asking the team if he had a role in San Francisco beyond this season. He was not given an answer.
“I asked them explicitly, ‘Can you at least tell me if I’m going to be here next year to play this position?’ They told me no,” Reid said, via Inman. “Right now I just trust the film I have at safety is good enough to enter free agency with, and now I’ll get some film at linebacker, as well.
Jaquiski Tartt usurped Reid at the strong safety position, and the 49ers will go with a Tartt-Jimmie Ward pairing on their back line. Both Ward and Tartt are under contract through 2018. Reid, the last of the 49ers’ defensive starters from their run of NFC championship game appearances, is playing this season on a fifth-year option. The LSU product has started 60 games at safety since 2013. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
The 49ers have seen rival teams make these types of conversions in recent years. The Cardinals slid Deone Bucannon from safety to inside linebacker, and the Rams did the same for Mark Barron — the latter of which is now one of the highest-paid non-rush ‘backers in the game. Barron now plays on the outside in the Rams’ 4-3 scheme, providing a blueprint for Reid. Ray-Ray Armstrong has started five games on the weak side this season, but the 49ers are at least ready to slot the 220-pound Reid in on passing downs.
Reid returned to action earlier this month after missing three games due to a knee injury. He missed the 49ers’ final six 2016 contests due to a biceps malady.
Jamaal Charles Hopes To Play 2 More Years
After knee injuries threatened to end his career, Jamaal Charles has resurfaced as a quality complementary part for the Broncos this season. And he doesn’t plan on making it his last.
The 30-year-old running back said Thursday (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, on Twitter) he wants to play two more seasons.
Charles signed a one-year deal with the Broncos in April but mentioned (via James Palmer of NFL.com, on Twitter) two teams told him he should retire after examining him. Jhabvala mentioned the Seahawks and 49ers examined his knees prior to the Broncos doing so (Twitter link). This is the first reported 49ers interest in the former All-Pro running back.
The Broncos have deployed Charles as an off-the-bench complement to C.J. Anderson, and the NFL’s career yards-per-carry leader is averaging 4.7 per tote through six games. Denver’s offense has struggled lately, but Charles has done well to show he can still contribute after receiving just 12 carries for the Chiefs last season. He underwent procedures on both of his menisci in 2016 after a second ACL surgery stopped his 2015 season. Palmer notes the Broncos are set to increase Charles’ workload soon after maxing him out at 10 touches on three occasions this season.
Charles is playing on an incentive-laden contract this season and stands to be a 2018 free agent. Even as running backs continue to be devalued as UFAs, the soon-to-be 31-year-old runner would seemingly generate interest regarding a possible 11th season in 2018 if he can make it through this year healthy. Despite being in Year 10, Charles only has 1,373 career carries. That’s eighth among active running backs, despite several players ahead of Charles on that list having begun their careers after his began in 2008.
Cardinals Place Carson Palmer On IR
The Cardinals’ IR has become flush with big names. Carson Palmer joined that contingent officially on Thursday. The team announced the placement of its starting quarterback on IR.
This will put Palmer out for at least eight weeks, with the Cardinals’ Christmas Eve game against the Giants being the earliest the veteran passer could return.
Palmer suffered a broken arm in the Cardinals’ loss to the Rams on Sunday, and while Bruce Arians said this week Palmer believed he could return sooner, the 15th-year signal-caller is on the shelf for the mandated eight weeks. This timeline could well mean Palmer’s season is over. And given that he didn’t announce he was returning to the Cardinals until the offseason was well underway, it shouldn’t be assumed Palmer will return to football.
The Cardinals are 3-4 and vying for playoff positioning out of a competitive division. The Rams lead the NFC West at 5-2, and the Seahawks — qualifiers for five straight NFC playoff brackets — are 4-2 with a road victory over the Rams. Arizona is now without its top quarterback, running back and offensive lineman, with David Johnson and Mike Iupati also on IR.
Arizona can bring Johnson or Iupati back earlier, but the Cardinals falling out of the race would presumably induce the team to err on the side of caution and give the younger talents a fresh start going into the 2018 season.
Palmer is under contract through next season and set to count $20.625MM against the Cardinals’ cap. He contemplated retirement after last season but opted to return. The former Heisman Trophy winner has suffered multiple severe knee injuries, the second damaging the 2014 Cardinals’ hopes. This latest malady figures to induce more deliberation from the passer about his future.
Patriots’ Dont’a Hightower Done For Season?
3:35pm: Hightower underwent surgery to repair the damaged pectoral muscle on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds the veteran linebacker is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2018 season.
10:30am: The Patriots still do not know if Hightower will be out for the year, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Hightower will visit Dr. James Andrews to get a better assessment of the damage.
9:51am: Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower will miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Pats are expected to formally place him on injured reserve on Thursday afternoon. 
Losing Hightower is a major blow to the Patriots’ defense. As the team’s middle linebacker, Hightower was essentially the leader of the front seven and the extension of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia on the field.
Hightower missed two of the Pats’ games in September and his absence was noticeable. Heading into Week 4, the usually solid Pats ranked dead last in the NFL in points allowed, yards allowed, and defensive DVOA. They can draw from a reserve group including Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts (missed Sunday’s game with an injury of his own), David Harris, Marquis Flowers, and Trevor Reilly, but it would make sense for them to explore available MLBs between now and the Halloween trade deadline.
Hightower, 27, played in 13 games last season and racked up 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 12th-best linebacker among 87 qualifiers. In the spring, he was rewarded with a four-year, $43.5MM deal, including $19MM guaranteed. The Patriots’ decision to keep Hightower and re-sign him on a large contract underscored his importance after they traded away other key defenders such as Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones.
Cowboys Release Kellen Moore
Kellen Moore hasn’t played in a game since the 2015 season, but he’s been with the Cowboys during each regular-season week since — be it on IR or as a backup. However, the Cowboys notified him of his release on Thursday, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (on Twitter).
The Cowboys cut Moore to make room for tight end Blake Jarwin from their practice squad, Hill reports. Moore was serving as a reserve in Dak Prescott-fronted signal-caller group, but Dallas cut the veteran previously and had prioritized undrafted rookie Cooper Rush.
Hill reports (via Twitter) the Cowboys promoted Rush because they worried another team was going to sign him off their practice squad. The Eagles were interested in poaching Jarwin, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Rush is now the only backup passer on Dallas’ roster. Rush played in one Cowboys game this season, Sunday against the 49ers, and threw two passes. Moore has not played since being one of the Tony Romo replacement options the team deployed in 2015.
The Cowboys cut Moore after the preseason but brought him back a few days later. He still has practice squad eligibility if the Cowboys choose to retain him as they did in September.
Jarwin joined the Cowboys in the same UDFA class Rush did, signing with the team in May out of Oklahoma State. He’s spent the season on Dallas’ practice squad. He caught 19 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns last season with the Stillwater, Okla.-based Cowboys.
Chargers Sign Max Tuerk To Practice Squad
Max Tuerk is back with the Chargers, but not on their main roster. The Bolts have signed him to the practice squad, as Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets. 
Tuerk was suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances. For one reason or another, he was not immediately reinstated after the ban was up. On Oct. 3, the Chargers waived Tuerk, a 2016 third-round pick.
The USC product entered the league with a good amount of buzz, but he has yet to play in a game thanks to injuries in 2016 and this year’s suspension/release. It is perhaps telling that the league’s 31 other teams declined to claim him off of waivers. His decision to sign a taxi squad deal with the Chargers could also be an indication that he did not have any 53-man roster opportunities elsewhere, even at the minimum salary level.
If things go well, Tuerk could conceivably earn an in-season promotion. With the ability to play both guard/center, he could be a valuable sub for the Chargers on the interior line.
Details On Lane Johnson’s Lawsuit
Earlier this year, Eagles tackle Lane Johnson filed suit against the NFL and NFLPA for what he said were unfair practices in the wake of his ten-game suspension. We now have some new information on the lawsuit, courtesy of Alex Marvez of The Sporting News. 
Johnson was hit with a ten-game ban as a repeat offender of the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. When it comes to this latest positive test, he insists that it was the result of taking an NFLPA-approved supplement. He also says the appeals process was flawed, noting that arbitrator James H. Carter previously represented the NFL in other matters. Carter’s firm received millions of dollars from the NFL for said work and Johnson says that led to bias. The union, he says, was negligent in allowing Carter to swing the gavel. The NFLPA has countered by saying that Carter was a “properly selected neutral arbitrator with impeccable credentials and no evident partiality in this matter.”
Johnson has already served his suspension, but he is continuing his fight in an effort to recoup his lost salary as well as having $25MM+ in guarantees reinstated in his five-year, $56MM deal. Both the NFL and the NFLPA have moved to have the case dismissed without prejudice, but a win in the courts could have far-reaching implications for all parties involved.