Bears Work Out Datone Jones
The Bears brought in three players for a tryout on Monday, including former Green Bay defensive end Datone Jones, an NFL source tells Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Defensive end Howard Jones and defensive back Doran Grant also showed their stuff for Chicago. 
Jones signed on with the Vikings this offseason but injuries took him off track. Just prior to the season opener, Minnesota waived Jones from IR, allowing them to save on more than half of his one-year, $3.75MM deal. Since then, he’s tried out for a number of teams, including the Patriots, Lions, and Jets, but has not found a taker.
Jones, 27, has never quite lived up to his first round draft status, but he did make some strides in 2016. Last year, Jones logged a career-high four starts and amassed 548 snaps across 15 games.
Ravens’ Brent Urban Suffers Lisfranc Injury
Ravens defensive end Brent Urban has a Lisfranc injury that will require surgery. Coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Wednesday that it is definitely a season-ender, meaning that he will not return from injured reserve. 
Urban will now become the 17th Ravens player to go on IR this year. The Ravens managed to start the year 2-0 despite their bad luck, but things caught up to them on Sunday when they lost to the Jaguars in a 44-7 rout. Next up for the Ravens will be a tough matchup with the rival Steelers on Sunday.
This isn’t Urban’s first rodeo when it comes to major injuries. He missed his entire rookie campaign with a torn ACL and a torn bicep limited him to just six games in his sophomore season. The 26-year-old has three sacks and 25 total tackles to his credit across three seasons.
Redskins Looking At Shamarko Thomas
Former Steelers safety Shamarko Thomas will work out for the Redskins on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Thomas has been out of work since being cut by the Jets in early September. 
Playing mostly at strong safety, Thomas spent the first four years of his career with Pittsburgh. The former fourth-round pick started in two of 14 appearances as a rookie, but he came off the bench in the rest of his games (34) with the team from 2014-16.
Last year, Thomas spent the bulk of the season on special teams duty and played in only five defensive snaps. As a special teamer, he was on the field for 126 snaps. But, given the Su’a Cravens situation and the rash of injuries the Redskins have had in the secondary, Thomas could be in line for a larger role with the Redskins if he is signed.
In spite of this year’s hiccups, the Redskins’ D stepped up in a big way on Sunday, containing the Raiders’ offense en route to a 27-10 win. The Redskins held the Raiders to just 128 yards of total offense, marking the franchise’s best showing in the last 25 years.
49ers DE Tank Carradine To IR
49ers defensive end Tank Carradine will be placed on IR with a high ankle sprain, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (on Twitter) has learned. The good news is that this isn’t the type of injury to keep a player out of action for months on end. A midseason return certainly seems possible and the Niners may elect to use one of their two IR-DTR (injured reserve, designated to return) spots on the former second-rounder. 
Carradine started in two of the Niners’ first three games this year. The former second round pick has seven tackles and one sack to date. In the limited sample size, Pro Football Focus has him ranked as a top-30 edge defender.
The 28-year-old is slated for free agency after this season. If he can build on his early work, he could be in line for a nice payday in the spring.
Rams’ Ethan Westbrooks Arrested
Rams defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks was arrested for possession of a stolen handgun over the weekend, ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets. The news was first reported by the Southern California News Group. 
Westbrooks was pulled over for speeding on Friday night when an officer found a handgun loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. Later, cops ran the serial number of the firearm and found that it was stolen eight years earlier. Westbrooks is now facing five felony charges related to the weapon and has an arraignment scheduled for Oct. 5.
The Rams agreed to a one-year extension with Westbrooks earlier this year, an agreement that took him from a $1.797MM salary this year to $1.25MM. In exchange for that, Westbrooks received a $1.75MM salary for the 2018 season. However, a felony conviction would put that pact in jeopardy. Even without a conviction, Westbrooks will likely be in for a suspension at the very minimum, though that may not come until the legal process has finished.
Westbrooks’ role with the Rams has slowly grown over the years ever since joining them as a UDFA in 2014. Last year, he finished out 2016 with 24 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. This year, he notched a sack in the season opener and played in 66 snaps (38 running, 28 passing) through three games.
Saints To Re-Sign John Kuhn
The Saints have re-signed John Kuhn, as Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets. The fullback has yo-yo’d on and off the roster over the past few weeks. 
The Saints released Kuhn after roster cutdowns in early September. On Sept. 6, Kuhn was re-signed, but he was cut again on Sept. 21. Now, he’s back with the team in advance of their game in London on Sunday against the Dolphins.
Kuhn was with the Saints in Charlotte for Sunday’s game against the Panthers, so it was expected that he would be back with the team before long. If the Saints want to do some more roster jockeying, this might not be the last time they add/drop the 35-year-old this year.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Benjamin, Vikings
Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin gave fans a scare on Sunday when he re-injured his surgically repaired left knee. Fortunately, the early word on the ailment is positive and it appears he did not suffer a major injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. One source added that he is “fine.”
It sounds like Benjamin, who missed the 2015 season with a torn ACL, will not be out of action for long, if at all. That’s good news for Carolina, particularly since the injury bug already has them without center Ryan Kalil and tight end Greg Olsen.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Vikings still don’t know whether they’ll have Sam Bradford in action on Sunday when they face Detroit, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. “It’s day to day, and we’ll go from there,’’ coach Mike Zimmer said. The good news for the Vikings is that Case Keenum looked great against Tampa Bay this weekend, completing 25 of 33 passes for a career-high 369 yards and three touchdowns. He could get the call again in Week 4 if Bradford’s knee is not in good shape.
- Should the Seahawks trade for offensive line help? That’s what one reader asked Brady Henderson of ESPN.com, but the beat writer says that’s harder than it sounds. First of all, the NFL has an overall shortage of quality offensive linemen, meaning that the Seahawks are far from the only team with needs up front. Yes, the Seahawks have made two trades for offensive linemen in the past five weeks, but Matt Tobin and Isaiah Battle are both backup types. To acquire a starter, they’d have to part with much more than a fifth or seventh round pick. The Seahawks’ best chance to boost the offensive line was in March or April. Now, the 1-2 Seahawks pretty much have to get by with what they have.
Seahawks LB Dewey McDonald Done For Year
Seahawks special teamer Dewey McDonald is believed to have torn his ACL on Sunday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). An MRI today will confirm the injury, ruling him out for the season.
[RELATED: Dolphins Had Interest In Richard Sherman]
McDonald is in his second season with the Seahawks, with whom he logged a personal-best 14 appearances last year and played 63.3 percent of special teams snaps. He was retained in the spring as an exclusive rights free agent.
After losing to the Titans on Sunday, the Seahawks are 1-2 through three weeks. Next up is a Sunday night showdown with the Colts.
Eagles’ Darren Sproles Has Torn ACL
Darren Sproles‘ outlook for 2017 has gone from bad to worse. In addition to a broken arm, it turns out the running back also suffered a torn ACL on the same play on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The torn ACL will rule Sproles out for the season, forcing the Eagles to place him on injured reserve. 
Sproles, 34, indicated that 2017 would be his final NFL season. The serious knee injury likely seals that decision for the veteran running back.
In three games this year, Sproles had 15 carries for 61 yards, good for a respectable 4.1 yards-per-carry average. He also caught seven passes for 73 yards. He was expected to have a big role as the Eagles’ pass-catching specialist out of the backfield, but he wasn’t utilized all that much.
The Eagles will move forward with Wendell Smallwood and signed LeGarrette Blount as their top backs while UDFA Corey Clement will be asked to play a larger role. They may want to add a running back to the mix to help replace Sproles’ hands, particularly in light of the team’s overall RB issues in September.
Sproles totaled the most carries of his career last year with 94 and he also caught 52 passes. The 965 yards were the diminutive runner’s third-most in his career.
Eagles RB Darren Sproles Breaks Arm
Darren Sproles left the Eagles’ Week 3 win over the Giants on Sunday with what could be a season-defining injury. The veteran running back is believed to have suffered a broken arm, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Although an MRI is scheduled for Monday, Rapoport notes Sproles is out indefinitely. This is potentially the 34-year-old running back’s final season. He indicated as such late last year but backtracked on confirming it ahead of this season, so a lengthy absence could play a big impact on his decision.
This is the final year of Sproles’ contract. The Eagles have Wendell Smallwood and signed LeGarrette Blount as a free agent. UDFA Corey Clement also saw action today. But Sproles returned as a key performer for the team, and he could well be an IR candidate after this injury. Sproles would join rookie Donnel Pumphrey on IR if the Eagles take that course of action.
The Eagles ran for 193 yards as a team today, with Smallwood contributing 71 yards and Blount 67. But Sproles has primarily served as a receiver out of various backfields in his career, maintaining quality form and a key role despite being in his 13th season.
The former Chargers and Saints weapon is in his fourth season with the Eagles, the past three being Pro Bowl campaigns for his return work. Sproles led all Eagles players with 865 yards from scrimmage last season. He’s returned a punt for a touchdown in each of his three Philadelphia campaigns. Philly parted ways with Ryan Mathews and Kenjon Barner from its 2016 backfield, so a Sproles absence will signal a changing of the guard.