Patriots Sign TE Will Tye To Practice Squad
The Patriots made a notable addition to the taxi squad on Thursday. Former Giants and Jets tight end Will Tye has been added to the team’s 10-man group, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter). 
Tye met with the Patriots on Wednesday and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. It was expected that Tye would land a 53-man roster spot somewhere in the NFL, so this is a bit of a boon for the Pats. Terms of his deal are not yet known, but it would make sense for him to be earning more than your average p-squad player.
Tye, 25, was a serviceable tight end for the Giants in 2015 and 2016. He appeared to be in line for a decent-sized role when he landed with the Jets earlier this month, but things did not work out that way. Instead, Austin Seferian-Jenkins heated up while Tye slipped on the depth chart.
The tight end met with the Chiefs and Ravens after getting cut by the Jets, but he did not sign with either club. Now, the Pats have Tye on the practice field and the timing is probably not coincidental. The Patriots face the Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Bengals TE Tyler Eifert Done For Season
Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert has decided to undergo season-ending back surgery, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Eifert went under the knife on Thursday for an operation that will sideline him for four-to-six months. The Bengals have officially placed Eifert on injured reserve.
Eifert, of course, is no stranger to injury, as he’s appeared in only 39 of a possible 69 games since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2013. His history of back ailments dates back to the latter part of the 2016 campaign — after missing the first seven games of last year with an ankle issue suffered in the Pro Bowl, Eifert was placed on injured reserve in December after experiencing back pain.
This latest back issue is reportedly not the same one that bothered Eifert near the tail end of last season, but it will likely affect contractual negotiations with the Bengals nonetheless. Scheduled to become a free agent next spring when his fifth-year option expires, Eifert will now hit the open market amidst a sea of health questions. A long-term deal is still possible, but it seems incredibly unlikely that Cincinnati would now deploy the franchise tag — at a cost north of $10MM — on Eifert.
When on the field, Eifert is clearly one of the more dynamic tight ends in the league. In his best season to date (2015), Eifert appeared in 13 games and managed 52 receptions for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns. That type of production puts Eifert among elite tight end company, but his availability concerns are sure to reduce his market.
The Bengals will go forward with Tyler Kroft, C.J. Uzomah, and Cethan Carter at tight end, while H-back Ryan Hewitt can also play the position. If Cincinnati wants to pursue an outside addition, free agent tight ends include Gary Barnidge, Larry Donnell, Ladarius Green, and Jacob Tamme.
NFC East Notes: Cousins, 49ers, Cowboys
With the Redskins playing the Niners this week, Kirk Cousins is getting swarmed with questions about his history – and potential future – with Kyle Shanahan. During a conference call with reporters, Cousins said that the Shanahans’ plan in 2012 was to develop him, play him in the preseason, then trade him for picks to help the Redskins build for the future (Twitter link via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee).
Fortunately for the Redskins, Mike Shanahan and his son did not follow through on that plan. And, fortunately for the 49ers, it doesn’t sound like Cousins is holding a grudge for any of that.
Here’s more on Cousins plus other news out of the NFC East:
- It’s not just the Niners that could land Cousins in free agency this offseason. Mike Sando of ESPN.com weighed the possibility of the Redskins signal caller signing with several different QB-needy teams, including the Jets. The Jets, of course, have no plausible solution at quarterback going forward and free agency could be their answer if they don’t like the QBs in their draft range this year. Sando also considers teams like the Dolphins, Browns, Bills, Jaguars, and Vikings as possibilities.
- Redskins coach Jay Gruden readily admits that it could be difficult for the team to keep Cousins this offseason (link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com). “At the end of the day this is a business and contracts are what they are,” Gruden said. “Players have agents and the player is always going to do what he thinks is best for himself and the family. Kirk is a great guy and we intend on keeping him. That is the plan, I would think. I’m sure not just San Francisco, if he was a free agent, I’m sure there’s a lot of teams that would be coming after him, not just San Francisco. The more tape that Kirk puts on film that he performs well like he has the last couple weeks, the harder it will be to keep him around but I think we’ll do the best we can to keep him.”
- Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says that Stephen Paea‘s decision to retire was “all about not being able to play any more to the level he felt like he wanted to play at,” (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). Paea was dealing with a knee injury that was affecting his performance and decided to hang ’em up on Wednesday.
- Former Redskins GM Scot McCloughan believes that Colin Kaepernick should be playing. “You know, I’m not gonna get into the politics about it, because I’m not in an office right now where I’m around it every day. I just know this: when I was in Seattle, we had some great battles, the 49ers and Seahawks. Some with Alex [Smith], and then Alex left and then Colin took over. Colin’s a good football player,” McCloughan said to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. “From the talent standpoint, no doubt about it, he should be in the league. No doubt about it.”
Latest On Cardinals RB David Johnson
The Cardinals have a new running back in Adrian Peterson and it sounds like they’re going to be leaning on him for a while. The “earliest” that Johnson could conceivably return to the field is around Thanksgiving, coach Bruce Arians tells SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic). 
[RELATED: Cardinals Acquire Adrian Peterson From Saints]
The Cardinals take on the Texans on Nov. 19, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, before facing the Jaguars the following week. Only under the best of circumstances will we see Johnson in uniform by then. In theory, Johnson is eligible to come off of IR for Nov. 9 against the Seahawks, but that’s apparently not in the cards.
On the plus side, Johnson says everything is going according to plan so far.
“Rehab’s going great,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “Just got my cast. Feeling good.”
Last year, Johnson was the Cardinals’ top offensive weapon as he totaled over 2,100 yards from scrimmage and scored 20 touchdowns. The Cardinals are hoping that Peterson can recapture some of his old magic and restore some of what Johnson provided to the offense.
Giants Ban DRC Indefinitely
Near the end of business on Wednesday, it seemed like things were heading in a more positive direction between the Giants and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Apparently, there’s still some healing to be done between the team and the cornerback. The Giants announced on Thursday morning that DRC has been “suspended indefinitely.” 
The suspension isn’t truly indefinite since the CBA dictates a four-game maximum ban for conduct detrimental to the team. But, at minimum, it sounds like he will not be in action for this Sunday’s contest against the Broncos in Denver. He’ll lose out on $410K in base salary for every game that he misses.
Things got heated between DRC and the team starting last Friday when he walked out of a team activity. Then, during Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, he became visibly angry on the sidelines and walked to the locker room. This week, Ben McAdoo told him he would not be active for the Denver game. Then, DRC walked out of a defensive meeting on Wednesday, resulting in the suspension.
In the aftermath, Rodgers-Cromartie was saying all of the right things, so it seemed like this would be patched up rather quickly. That’s not the case, however, and DRC’s status with the team is now up in the air.
Adrian Peterson: I Did Not Request Trade
Adrian Peterson is happy to have left the Saints. But, he also says that he did not force his way into a trade sending him to the Cardinals. 
“I’ll be lying to you to say that I didn’t want a change of scenery after four weeks of seeing how things played out,” Peterson said (via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss). “So, yeah, it was something that I was praying about — ‘Hey, God, I need you to answer this prayer for me. Are you listening to me?’ But in the midst of that, I was still tuned in and locked in. I had a great day of practice Monday, great day of practice. It was hot, too. It was outside. It was a good day. It was rough, but I was still locked in and taking care of my business, and the prayer was answered.”
Peterson is jazzed about the fresh start, but it’s not clear exactly what the Cardinals will be able to get out of him. Last year, Peterson spent the majority of the season hurt and averaged only 1.9 yards per carry when on the field. Meanwhile, he’s not getting any younger and while some quarterbacks seem to age like fine wine, running backs tend to age like seafood. Despite what the critics have to say, the 32-year-old insists that he has plenty left in the tank.
“I have so much left,” Peterson said. “I look to play at least four to five more years, God willing. I have a lot left in the tank. Stay tuned and you guys will be able to see that first-hand.”
We’ll soon find out what Peterson is capable of, starting with Sunday’s game against the Bucs.
AFC East Notes: Pats, Tye, Fins, Landry, Bills
Free agent tight end Will Tye took a meeting with the Patriots today, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Waived by the Jets during final cutdowns, Tye has had a busy week: he worked out for the Chiefs last Friday before auditioning for the Ravens yesterday. Evan Baylis, a fellow tight end who went undrafted earlier this year, was also in town, per Reiss. New England currently has three tight ends on its roster in Rob Gronkowski, Dwayne Allen, and Jacob Hollister.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- While Jarvis Landry won’t face any legal ramifications after battery charges against him were dropped last month, the Dolphins wide receiver will still meet with NFL regarding the allegations on October 24, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Both Landry and his girlfriend have refuted the accusations, but the league has often punished players even when no official charges are filed, and the NFL reportedly has video of the incident in question. From an on-field perspective, Landry is a pending free agent who has engaged in no substantive extension talks with Miami.
- Linebacker David Harris will face his former club when the Patriots play the Jets in Week 6, but Harris may not be long for the New England roster, as Reiss details in examining Harris’ lack of play time. Harris is essentially being retained for his leadership abilities, as Reiss opined last week, and the veteran defender has played only seven snaps in 2017. A lack of base packages and Harris slow speed and subpar acumen in pass coverage have lead to a decreased role, and Harris could be released when fellow ‘backer Shea McClellin returns from injured reserve later this year.
- Given that the Dolphins rank 31st in offensive DVOA and 32nd in points scored, Miami could potentially “refit” its offense in 2018, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Not much can be done about the club’s lackluster efforts in-season, as benching players could create locker room dysfunction. But changes could come next year, and the most obvious would be Ryan Tannehill returning to replace quarterback Jay Cutler. Allowing Landry to walk in free agency and reinforcing the offensive line could also be on the Dolphins’ itinerary.
- The Bills worked out Baylis and fellow tight end Sam Cotton, linebacker Folarin Orimolade, and defensive backs Jordan Dangerfield and Harold Jones-Quartey on Tuesday, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter links). Of that group, Jones-Quartey has the most NFL experience, as he stated 12 games for the Bears a season ago.
Free Agent CB Tracy Porter Arrested
Free agent cornerback Tracy Porter was arrested Tuesday in Baton Rouge, La. and charged with possession of marijuana, distribution of schedule II drugs, and battery of dating partner, as WAFB first reported.
Porter was allegedly involved in a altercation with a woman on October 5 (one that she claims became violent when Porter grabbed her face and neck area). Police arrested Porter five days after the incident, at which time they found him in possession of at least 46 prescription pills (and no prescription), marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm, WWLTV reports.
Legal issues aside, Porter has struggled to find a new NFL home this offseason, and hadn’t drawn any known interest since being released by the Bears in April. That’s likely due to his age (31) and his performance in 2016, when he graded as a bottom-five cornerback in 15 starts for Chicago, per Pro Football Focus.
Porter, who’s perhaps most-well known for his fourth quarter pick-six of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning that sealed Super Bowl XLIV for the Saints, isn’t likely to land a contract following the incident. But even if he escapes legal ramifications, Porter could still face NFL discipline if and when he returns to the league.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/11/17
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Promoted to active roster: WR Tanner Gentry
- Released: WR Deonte Thompson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Justin March-Lillard
Houston Texans
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Whitney Mercilus (story), DL J.J. Watt (story)
- Signed off Cardinals‘ practice squad: OL Dorian Johnson
Lions Sign DT Caraun Reid
The Lions have signed free agent defensive tackle Caraun Reid and waived linebacker Thurston Armbrister, the club announced today.
Detroit is attempting to fortify its front four after placing veteran interior defender Haloti Ngata on injured reserve earlier today. While the Lions rank eighth in overall defensive DVOA, much of that success is due to the team’s secondary. Detroit’s defensive line, meanwhile, has received middling marks, as it ranks 17th in adjusted line yards and 18th in adjusted sack rate.
Reid isn’t the only new addition to the Lions’ front, as the club also agreed to sign former Packers defender Datone Jones this week. Before inking Reid and Jones to bolster its line, the Lions worked out defensive tackles Brandin Bryant and Joey Ivie, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. Former Bears interior lineman Will Sutton also auditioned for Detroit.
Reid, 25, will now enter his second stint in the Motor City — he appeared in 26 games for the Lions from 2014-15, and made 12 starts in that latter season. Detroit waived him last September, and while he landed with the Chargers, Reid tore his ACL after only seven contests. The Lions have been running a multi-player rotation at defensive tackle, as Ngata, A’Shawn Robinson, Akeem Spence, and Jeremiah Ledbetter have all played on at least 40% of the team’s snaps this season. Reid will likely factor into that group as a reserve on the inside.
Like Reid, Armbrister has also enjoyed separate runs with the Lions. The 28-year-old saw action in 14 games for Detroit a season ago, but has since spent time on the Lions’ practice squad. He was promoted for the club’s prior two games, but was inactive for both contests. It shouldn’t be a surprise if Armbrister winds up back of Detroit’s taxi squad if he clears waivers.