Richard Sherman Out Until Week 12?
Kyle Shanahan provided a bleak update on Richard Sherman‘s availability Wednesday, continuing the theme of this 49ers season.
Shanahan said the Pro Bowl cornerback is not expected to return until after the 49ers’ bye week, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan (on Twitter). This would put Sherman’s return date in Week 12 — a Nov. 29 rematch with the Rams. Sherman has been on IR since Week 2 because of a calf injury.
Sherman, who re-emerged as a top-tier cornerback last season after his 2017 Achilles injury, returning from injury and re-establishing himself as a high-end defender will be key for his NFL future. This is the final year of his three-year, $27.2MM deal. Although the self-represented cornerback confirmed he and the 49ers had discussed an extension in September, the sides have not agreed on terms. The cornerback market has changed considerably this year, with Jalen Ramsey, Tre’Davious White and Marlon Humphrey signing for well above the position’s previous salary ceiling.
The 49ers saw Emmanuel Moseley return from injury last week and have observed Jason Verrett display rare availability this season, which is interesting in a year in which many 49ers have been lost with injuries. But Sherman and slot corner K’Waun Williams are on IR, joining the likes of Nick Bosa, Solomon Thomas and Dee Ford. The latter will also not be back until at least Week 12, per Shanahan.
Aaron Lynch Unretires, Returns To Jaguars
Aaron Lynch has changed his mind on retirement. He has committed to resuming his career and is back on the Jaguars’ 53-man roster, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The former 49ers and Bears edge rusher signed with the Jags in May but opted to retire in August, doing so as the Jags lost a few defensive linemen — including Rodney Gunter and Al Woods. A six-year veteran, Lynch will provide some experience to a defensive front relying on recent first-rounders Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson. Allen missed last week’s game with an injury.
Jacksonville also lost Jabaal Sheard this week, opting to let the veteran edge rusher head to New York rather than promote him to its active roster. The Jags also have the bulk of their practice squad on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so depth is somewhat of a critical issue this week. Of course, Lynch would need to navigate the NFL’s new near-week-long bevy of coronavirus tests before returning to practice.
In four 49ers seasons and two with the Bears, Lynch has 20 career sacks and 36 tackles for loss.
Jets To Trade Jordan Willis To 49ers
After dealing starter Steve McLendon, the Jets are trading another defender. The 49ers will acquire edge defender Jordan Willis from the Jets, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).
This is a low-profile move ahead of the Nov. 3 deadline. The 49ers will send the Jets a 2022 sixth-round pick and get back a 2021 seventh in this swap, per Pelissero (on Twitter). Willis’ profile has lowered considerably over the past two seasons, but he will have another chance at raising it soon.
The former Bengals third-round pick has worked as a backup with the Jets. He has played 46 defensive snaps this season and was a nine-game backup in 2019, after the Jets claimed him off waivers from the Bengals. Willis, who was a regular rotational cog in 2017 and ’18 in Cincinnati, has not played since Week 3.
The 49ers have seen injuries deplete their once-vaunted defensive line this season. Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas are out for the season, and Dee Ford has no return date in sight. Willis has just three career sacks, but the 49ers will have some extra depth after Willis clears the lengthy COVID-19 protocols.
Seahawks Re-Sign LB Mychal Kendricks
Mychal Kendricks will be on track to play a ninth NFL season. The Seahawks will provide another opportunity, signing the veteran linebacker to their practice squad.
Kendricks will take the place of Damarious Randall, whom the Seahawks promoted to their active roster Wednesday. The Seahawks hosted Kendricks on a visit earlier this month. He will join a practice squad that now has two high-profile players, with Damon Harrison still part of that 16-man unit (despite poaching attempts from two Florida teams).
This will be a third season for the Kendricks-Seahawks partnership. The former Eagles starter landed with the Seahawks in 2018, shortly after the Browns released him when his insider trading scandal surfaced. But sentencing in that case has been delayed many times over the past two years, with the pandemic tabling it again in 2020. Kendricks has also recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in December, prompting the Raiders to take a look. But Kendricks will return to Seattle.
The Seahawks used Kendricks as a starter in 14 games last season, playing him extensively alongside Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright in base sets. Kendricks, 30, made 71 tackles (eight for loss) and recorded three sacks. His extensive usage last season points to a near-future promotion from Seattle’s taxi squad.
Seahawks, Other Teams Looking Into Antonio Brown
With Antonio Brown‘s eight-game suspension entering its final stretch, the Seahawks are circling back to the mercurial All-Pro. Other teams are also in the mix now, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
The Seahawks, however, have been the team most closely linked to Brown this year. Both of Seattle’s QBs, Russell Wilson and Geno Smith, worked out with Brown this offseason and have stayed in touch with him regarding the idea of a Seahawks signing. Pete Carroll confirmed the Seahawks are “tuned into” this situation and added the team’s interest is not connected to the delay on Josh Gordon‘s potential reinstatement (Twitter links via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta).
No contract talks with Brown have commenced, per Schefter, but the Seahawks have been monitoring this situation for many months. Brown was believed to be interested in signing with Seattle in July, but this preceded another retiring/unretiring sequence from Brown. The NFL then announced the eight-game suspension, and teams backed off. The Seahawks moved to re-sign Gordon, but nothing concrete has emerged on his reinstatement. And despite Brown being three years older, at 32, he has proven to be a bigger on-field difference-maker than Gordon in recent years.
With other teams in the mix for AB now, the former Steelers superstar is poised to resurface in NFL news cycles (after a rare stint out of the limelight). Brown, though, is not out of the woods. The civil suit he’s involved in could extend his suspension beyond eight games. And matters are not going especially smoothly on that front. The NFL’s investigation into Britney Taylor’s sexual assault allegation remains ongoing, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post (on Twitter).
Brown’s historic volatility gives any upcoming deal a “last chance” feel. But despite his Pittsburgh, Oakland and New England exits, teams may be competing to give him that final opportunity.
Eagles Release G Jamon Brown
The Eagles have released guard Jamon Brown, per a team announcement. The news doesn’t come as a huge surprise following Brown’s rocky performance against the Ravens on Sunday. 
The Eagles plucked Brown off of the Browns’ practice squad in September following a string of offensive line injuries. To recap: They lost Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks to another Achilles tear, lost Andre Dillard for the season, and had Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson on the Week 1 inactive list due to injury. Brown joined the club just after Washington managed to sack Carson Wentz eight times.
On Sunday against the Ravens, Browns was a virtual turnstile, allowing defenders to get to Wentz with ease. He also appeared to adjust his own gloves in the middle of one play and later bumped into his own quarterback, leading to a sack.
Brown has bounced around a bit since 2018, when a suspension cost him his starting gig with the Rams. Last year, he suited up in ten games for the Falcons, including nine starts. All in all, Brown has 60 career games to his credit, 47 starts, and an enviable jersey collection.
Dolphins’ Ryan Fitzpatrick Hasn’t Asked For Trade
Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Dolphins to back-to-back wins and a .500 record, but it wasn’t enough to stave off the inevitable rise of Tua Tagovailoa. Now relegated to backup status, the veteran says he has not requested a trade (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). At the same time, Fitzpatrick has yet to consider whether he’d be comfortable holding the clipboard beyond 2020.
[RELATED: Dolphins Turn To Tua Tagovailoa]
“I like playing more than I like sitting watching,” said Fitzpatrick, confessing and stating the obvious.
FitzMagic, 28 in November, was a bright spot for the Dolphins in an otherwise trying year. He racked up 3,529 passing yards with 20 touchdowns against 13 interceptions and helped cap off the year in style with wins over the Bengals and Patriots.
The veteran is under contract for 2020 with an $8MM salary. Currently positioned as a pricey backup, Fitzpatrick isn’t quite sure of what the future holds beyond this year. For now, he’ll focus on helping the former Alabama standout transition to the pro game.
Tagovailoa’s debut as the Dolphins’ starter will come after their bye week on Nov. 1 against the Rams.
Bills Release Quinton Spain
The Bills have released guard Quinton Spain, per a club announcement. Effectively a full-time starter for four straight seasons, Spain now finds himself on the open market in the middle of the season.
Spain, 29, was slated to be a free agent in March before he re-upped with Buffalo on a three-year, $15MM deal. Although he wasn’t a world-beater like fellow free agents like Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney, the Bills wanted to lock him up for the long haul.
Buffalo made its offensive line a priority in 2019, adding free agents Mitch Morse, Ty Nsekhe, and Spencer Long and second-round draft pick Cody Ford, in addition to Spain. A former undrafted free agent, Spain spent the first four years and 48 starts of his career with the Titans. In ’19, Spain started all 16 games for the first time in his NFL tenure, grading as the league’s No. 59 guard among 80 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus. Spain and the other reinforcements helped the Bills’ running game, as Buffalo improved from 30th in Football Outsiders‘ 2018 run-blocking metrics to 16th last season.
This year, Spain lost his starting gig to Cody Ford. Then, he suffered a foot injury, costing him the last two games. The Bills will forge ahead with Ford at LG and Brian Winters at RG with support from Ike Boettger and Ryan Bates.
Buccaneers Restructure Ali Marpet’s Deal
The Buccaneers and offensive lineman Ali Marpet have agreed to restructured deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Now, after converting a portion of his salary into a signing bonus, the Bucs will have an extra $4.125MM to work with this year.
Marpet inked a five-year add-on with Tampa Bay in 2018. The deal — worth $55MM in total with $27.125MM in guarantees — secured one of the league’s most reliable protectors through 2023.
Marpet has been a full-time starter along the Buccaneers’ offensive line ever since being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft. A right guard during his first two years in the league, he started seeing time at center, left guard, and tackle starting in 2017. He’s repeatedly made Pro Football Focus’ Top 10 positional rankings and he’s on track to do it again in 2020. Through six games, PFF has him ranked third in the NFL.
Still only 27, Marpet’s skillset and versatility makes him one of the league’s most valuable blockers. Eventually, the Bucs will have to address his contract to put him in line with the ever-ballooning market. For now, Marpet is under contract through ’23 with $10-11MM cap figures in each season.
Eagles Rework Fletcher Cox’s Deal
The Eagles have converted $7.165MM of defensive tackle Fletcher Cox’s salary into a bonus, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. The move will carve out an extra $5.732MM in 2020 cap space, though it will impact their books for 2021. 
The Eagles were already facing a numbers crunch for 2021, due to their existing committments and the expected tightening of the cap. With that in mind, this likely won’t be the last adjustment made to Cox’s contract. Before the recent maneuver, Cox was set to earn cap figures of roughly $22.5MM in each of the next three seasons. He’s also believed to have a void year for the 2023 season.
Cox inked a six-year, $102.5MM extension with the Birds in 2016 to keep him tied to the club through 2022. As a first-round pick in 2012, Cox had only one year to go on his rookie deal. It was an expensive deal, but the Eagles were happy to pay the price — Cox had just registered the best season of his career and set a personal watermark with 9.5 sacks. He also racked up 71 tackles, three forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries, and secured top-10 placement at his position, per Pro Football Focus.
Cox, 30 in December, has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons. In 2018, his 10.5 sacks from the interior earned him a First-Team All-Pro nod. So far this year, he has 1.5 sacks to his credit through six games.