5 Key NFL Stories: 9/9/18 – 9/16/18

Browns cut ties with Gordon. What seemingly almost happened so many times over the past few years finally happened when the Browns announced they would move on from Josh Gordon. Gordon arriving late to the team facility was the final straw, and there were apparently rumors of a relapse within the organization. Cleveland appears likely to trade the uber-talented wideout in the next couple of days.

Kendricks to Seattle. One of the most unexpected developments of the summer was when Mychal Kendricks was arrested and charged with insider trading. The Browns promptly released him, and it was widely assumed that Kendricks wouldn’t be playing again this year. That all changed when the Seahawks suffered a string of injuries in their linebacking corp. They signed Kendricks this week despite the fact that he’s facing a suspension that will likely sideline him for a while.

Mixon to have knee surgery. The big injury news of the week was that Bengals running back Joe Mixon would need to undergo knee surgery. He had been having a breakout season as Cincinnati’s featured back, but will now be sidelined for the next 2-4 weeks. It’s a big blow to the Bengals’ suddenly dynamic offense, as Mixon was a large part of their 2-0 start.

Freeman out multiple weeks. Mixon isn’t the only star running back set to miss significant time due to a knee injury, as Falcons running back Devonta Freeman will also miss 2-4 weeks. Atlanta initially said Freeman’s injury wasn’t serious, but apparently the prognosis worsened in the days following their Week 1 game. Freeman has a history of knee injuries, so it’s a concerning development.

Oakland signs Hankins, re-signs Bryant. The Raiders made a pair of moves, bringing in defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and re-signing receiver Martavis Bryant. Bizarrely, the Raiders traded a third round pick for Bryant, then released him when they found out he was facing a year-long suspension, then re-signed him this week. Like Kendricks, he’s appealing his suspension, but will likely only play for a little while before he’s forced to serve his ban. Hankins had been one of the biggest name free agents left out there, and finally signed with the Raiders due to injuries on their defensive line. He reportedly got $2MM to sign, the highest of any recent veteran signing.

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