Panthers’ Jeremy Chinn, Terrace Marshall, Donte Jackson On Trade Block
The Panthers have been connected to making an addition in advance of the trade deadline (specifically at the wide receiver position), but the league’s only winless team should be expected to be sellers on the whole. A number of players could soon find themselves out of Carolina as a result. 
Two-time Pro Bow edge rusher Brian Burns would of course be the top prize for an acquiring team in any Panthers-related swap, but having an extension worked out would be necessary to justify the trade price required on that front. The Panthers turned down a haul for Burns including two first-round picks from the Rams last season, so another substantial proposal would no doubt be required for serious trade talks to take place. Extension negotiations for the former first-rounder — who is playing on the fifth-year option in 2023 and is thus due for free agency or a franchise tag in March — are on hold.
A trio of other Panthers are available to be had in the near future, however, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Hybrid safety/linebacker Jeremy Chinn, along with wideout Terrace Marshall and cornerback Donte Jackson find themselves on the trade block. Any member of that trio would require far less to acquire than Burns, and they would arrive with varying degrees of expectations on a new team.
Chinn is in the final year of his rookie contract, and he would make for a logical rental candidate on a team with the right scheme to utilize his skillset. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year runner up eclipsed 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons, and he remained a full-time starter last year (one in which he missed signficant time due to a hamstring injury). Chinn was one of a select few players essentially deemed off-limits ahead of the 2022 deadline, but his playing time has dropped considerably this year in new DC Ejiro Evero‘s 3-4 scheme. A fresh start may be beneficial to team and player.
Marshall, like Jackson, is on the books through 2024. The former had high expectations as a second-round pick, but he has yet to lock down a full-time starting workload to date. The LSU alum seemed to be assured of a role ahead of the campaign by new head coach Frank Reich, but he did not see the field in Week 5 despite dressing. Marshall has totaled 16 catches for 114 scoreless yards while seeing a 64% snap share. Of course, any WR addition on Carolina’s part would threaten to knock him further down the depth chart and make a move sending him elsewhere a logical one.
Unlike the other two, Jackson is not attached to a rookie contract and would require a larger financial investment from an acquiring team. The 27-year-old would be due the balance of his $10.62MM in compensation this year if he were dealt, and his new club would be on the hook for that amount next year as well. Jackson’s 2024 cap hit, though, is set at $15.82MM, something which would take him off certain teams’ radars. Carolina would incur a dead cap charge of $5.2MM this season and next by trading the former second-rounder; only 2024 would yield a net gain in cap space.
Jackson has started all but four of his 68 games, each of which have been spent with the Panthers. He has recorded between two and four interceptions each season, though injuries have ended his last two campaigns. An Achilles tear limited him to nine contests in 2022, but Jackson has returned to full health and logged a starting workload in his four games played this year.
The Panthers are taking a cautious approach with respect to their new-look coaching staff, but changes could be coming on the field if calls on Chinn, Marshall and/or Jackson produce a trade agreement. Other players could be on the move as well, of course, but for now the future of that trio will be worth watching.
Frank Clark Likely To Return To Chiefs?
As they recently did with Randy Gregory, the Broncos have elected to quickly move on from Frank Clark. The latter edge rusher is set to hit free agency, and his next destination may be a familiar one. 
Clark’s release will hit the transactions wire on Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. Once that takes place, he will be free to sign anywhere in a bid to find a better playing situation and in doing so rebuild some of his value ahead of his next contract in March. The Broncos were unable to find a trade partner willing to give up assets to acquire the two-time Super Bowl winner, and the team with which he won those titles could bring him back.
Schefter reports that “the most likely scenario” in Clark’s case is a reunion with the Chiefs. The 30-year-old spent the past four seasons in Kansas City as the team’s top outside pass rusher before making the intra-divisional move in the offseason. Clark signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the Broncos but he recently agreed to a restructure which would have made his pact easier to absorb by an acquiring team. Now, Kansas City or any other interested party will be able to add him on any set of new terms.
Clark’s best seasons in terms of regular season sack totals came during his time in Seattle, but he proved himself to be an effective compliment to defensive tackle Chris Jones during his Kansas City tenure. He earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods with the Chiefs from 2019-21, collecting 10.5 total sacks in the playoffs across his time there. A reunion would make plenty of sense for both parties, but the defending champions have fared quite well without Clark so far.
Kansas City ranks in the top five in both scoring and total defense in 2023. The 5-1 team’s new-look edge rush group (which is still led in very large part by the presence of Jones along the interior) has racked up 17 sacks. Recent first-round defensive ends George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah have combined to register only two sacks, though, so a role would be available for Clark if he were to trek back to Kansas City. The Chiefs currently have $3.8MM in cap space, so any potential Clark agreement would need to be a modest one.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/23
Friday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return from IR: DE Josh Paschal
Kansas City Chiefs
- Granted commissioner roster exemption: DL Charles Omenihu
Paschal has missed the last four games due to a knee injury, but he could be back after sitting the minimum amount of time required by an IR designation. The 2022 third-rounder returned to practice on Friday, opening his 21-day window to be activated. He could be brought back as early as tomorrow, which would allow him to suit up in Week 6. Paschal recorded a pair of sacks as a rookie and will look to carry on in a rotational role as part of Detroit’s deep edge rush contingent. The Lions have seven IR activations remaining.
Omenihu was given a six-week suspension to start the season, his first with the Chiefs. Now that his ban has been served, he has been given a one-week roster exemption to allow Kanas City time to find a permanent roster spot for him. The former third-rounder has 61 appearances with the Texans and 49ers, and he will add at least a depth presence along the defending champions’ D-line.
Bears Place RB Khalil Herbert, WR Equanimeous St. Brown On IR
The Bears will be quite shorthanded in the backfield in Week 6 with Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer and Khalil Herbert unavailable. The latter will be sidelined for an extended stretch, though. 
Herbert was placed on injured reserve Friday, per a team announcement. The news comes as little surprise, as his high ankle sprain suffered during Chicago’s first win of the season was expected to keep him out for multiple games. As a result of the IR move, Herbert will be required to miss at least the next four weeks.
The 25-year-old saw an uptick in usage early in the 2023 season, as was expected after the free agent departure of David Montgomery. Herbert has averaged 12.2 touches per contest, and he has remained efficient on the ground with an average of 5.3 yards per carry. It will be interesting to see how the Bears divvy up their running back snaps now that Herbert will not be in the picture for the foreseeable future. Darrynton Evans was recently signed off the Dolphins’ practice squad to provide needed depth in the backfield.
The Bears also placed Equanimeous St. Brown on IR Friday. The former Packers sixth-rounder has been in Chicago since last season, operating as a rotational option in the passing game. He has seen a dip in playing time this year (49% snap share), but his absence will be felt given that of Chase Claypool, whose highly underwhelming time in the Windy City came to an end less than one calendar year after his arrival. Bringing back Herbert and St. Brown will require two of the Bears’ seven remaining IR activations.
A pair of those will be used on backup offensive lineman Doug Kramer and starting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon. The latter could return in time for Sunday if he is activated using one of the roster spots opened up by today’s moves. The other one has already been occupied by the return of Nathan Peterman. The journeyman quarterback was released earlier this month, but the expectation at the time was that he would be retained via the practice squad. Peterman will now return to the active roster behind undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent on the depth chart.
Eagles Place S Justin Evans On IR, Sign CB Bradley Roby To Active Roster
The Eagles added Justin Evans in free agency as a starting-caliber option at the safety spot, and he has operated as a first-teamer to date. The veteran will be unavailable for an extended stretch, however, as the team announced on Friday that he has been placed on IR. 
Evans made a return to the NFL game action for the first time since 2018 last year, playing 15 games for the Saints. His play in New Orleans earned him a one-year flier from the Eagles worth the veteran minimum. The 28-year-old had a path to notable playing time after both Marcus Epps and C.J. Gardner-Johnson departed in free agency, and he has started each of his four Philadelphia appearances. His absence will thus be felt on the team’s revamped secondary.
Being on injured reserve guarantees Evans will miss at least four weeks, adding further to the Eagles’ injury troubles amongst defensive backs. Reed Blankenship will remain in place at the free safety spot, but he will likely be joined by either veteran Terrell Edmunds or third-round rookie Sydney Brown in the starting lineup moving forward. Of course, the 5-0 Eagles could pursue a trade acquisition in the near future.
Philadelphia currently has just over $4.8MM in cap space, meaning a modest move could be made to address Evans’ absence. The team has already done so at slot corner, something made necessary by Avonte Maddox‘s torn pectoral muscle. That ailment has resulted in surgery and threatens to keep him sidelined for the remainder of the year. Veteran Bradley Roby was brought in as a replacement, and he will now find himself on the active roster.
The latter was promoted from the practice squad to fill the roster spot opened by the Evans IR move. Such a scenario was expected when Roby was first signed to the Eagles’ taxi squad last week. The 31-year-old played 25 snaps in his Philadelphia debut in Week 5 as a gameday elevation, and he will be in line to see a larger workload from the slot through the rest of the campaign.
Bears Not Looking To Trade CB Jaylon Johnson
As the October 31 trade deadline draws nearer, the identity of buyers and sellers around the NFL should come further into focus. At 1-4, the Bears would presumably fall into the latter category, but that status would not include seeking a deal to ship out one of their starting corners. 
Chicago is not currently shopping Jaylon Johnson, Adam Jahns of The Athletic writes (subscription required). The 24-year-old is in the final season of his rookie contract, and his status as a rental would no doubt be appealing to any number of teams looking to shore up their secondary. As Jahns adds, though, Johnson is still seeking a deal which will keep him in the Windy City beyond 2023.
The former second-rounder changed agents this summer in pursuit of an extension, but no new contract has materialized as of yet. That will likely continue through the remainder of the campaign, something which would leave him free to depart in March in the absence of a second Bears pact. How willing team and player are to enter into a continued relationship will be a key factor in informing Chicago’s next step in this situation.
Johnson has been a full-time starter in all four of his Bears campaigns, a stretch which has seen him record only one interception (though he has added 32 pass breakups and a trio of forced fumbles). The Utah alum has fared better in his past two seasons than the first two with respect to coverage statistics, and he has allowed a career-best opposing passer rating of 57.4 in 2023, albeit on only 11 targets across three contests. He would be a logical trade target for acquiring teams prepared to extend him on a market-level deal for 2024 and beyond.
The Bears have added three cornerbacks over the past two drafts (Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith). The former two have operated as starters when healthy, and dealing away Johnson would give the team the option of moving Gordon from the slot back to the perimeter, where he started his career. On the other hand, a new Johnson pact would not require a market-resetting investment like the one the Ravens made in linebacker Roquan Smith after he was dealt away by Chicago midseason last year. Whether or not general manager Ryan Poles follows the same course of action with Johnson will be a key storyline to follow in the coming days and weeks.
Latest On Potential Roger Goodell Extension
News came out in March that a multi-year extension was expected for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. That pact has still not been made official, but he remains on course to oversee the league for years to come. 
Goodell had the framework in place for a three-year extension in the spring, which would keep him in place through the 2027 season. Owners have not yet held a vote to ratify that agreement, but the upcoming league meeting will provide them the latest opportunity to do so. The new contract is still on track to be hammered out, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes.
Notably, Maske adds that it remains unclear if next week’s meeting will be used to finalize the Goodell extension. The 64-year-old is still intent on holding his post through the remainder of this season and the three following it, though. As Maske adds, it is unknown at this point what factor(s) represent a roadblock to the agreement having already been dealt with, though ratification during this month’s meetings would fall in line with the previously reported timeline in that regard.
Presuming the deal does go through as expected, Goodell will be in line to carry out the final chapter of his commissioner’s tenure (which began in 2006). His current contract – signed in 2017 – was at one point thought to be his last, but he remains willing to continue as the league’s second-longest serving commissioner. Staying in place through 2027 will allow Goodell to assist in the process of finding his successor and carry on his tenure through much of the current CBA’s length. Negotiations on the latter front set the league up for signficant financial growth in the short- and intermediate-term future and helped Goodell remain in the owners’ good graces.
“You just know it’s going to get done, and you don’t worry about it,” an unnamed source told Maske with respect to the likelihood of the Goodell deal being finalized soon. “Do the owners still want him? The answer is yes. Does Roger still want to be there? The answer is yes. It’s no problem.”
Dolphins To Place De’Von Achane On IR
OCTOBER 11: Achane will indeed be placed on IR, Schefter tweets. After a blazing start to his NFL career, the third-round rookie cannot return until Week 11. Easily one of the fastest running backs in NFL history, having run 10.18 seconds in the 100-meter dash at Texas A&M, Achane has showcased that speed over the past three games. But the Dolphins will shut him down for an extended stretch. The team may soon have its 2022 duo back, however, with Mostert still healthy and Wilson close to returning from IR.
OCTOBER 10: Just as the Dolphins are set to get one member of their backfield healthy, another is facing the prospect of missed time. Rookie De’Von Achane is dealing with a knee injury which will likely sideline him for “multiple weeks,” per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 
While further evaluations are yet to be made to determine the next course of action, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that an IR stint is a possibility at this point. Placing the third-rounder on injured reserve would guarantee at least a four-week absence and interrupt what has been a promising campaign so far. Missing Achane for any length of time will deal a blow to Miami’s ground game.
The Texas A&M product only saw one carry through the first two weeks of the season, but he has taken on an increased workload since then with 35 carries in the past three contests. Achane has translated that into 455 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, including a monster performance in the Dolphins’ blowout win over the Broncos. Falling in line with the overarching offensive plan for the team, he has proven to be one of the league’s fastest skill-position players, something which has helped him average 12.1 yards per carry in his relatively limited action so far.
Miami boasts the league’s top rushing attack with an average of 186 yards per game on the ground. Missing Achane could hinder the team, but Raheem Mostert has been productive as well with at least 78 scrimmage yards in three of the past four games. The veteran could be joined by Jeff Wilson as early as this Sunday, since he is set to return to practice in advance of being activated from IR. A Mostert-Wilson tandem should be expected to continue the Dolphins’ success in the run game as a compliment to the their prowess through the air.
Miami also has Salvon Ahmed in the fold as a depth option while Achane is away. The latter has already earned a notable workload in the early part of his career, one which is expected to increase when he returns. Down the road, though, Achane could be in line for a full-time starting role as Wilson and Mostert are only under contract through 2024; neither is owed guranteed money that season, making their long-term future in South Beach something to watch. For the time being, though, that pairing will carry the load at the RB spot.
Vikings To Place Justin Jefferson On IR
The hamstring injury Justin Jefferson suffered in Week 5 will sideline him for an extended stretch. The Vikings wideout will be placed on injured reserve, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. 
As a result of the move, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year will be shut down for at least the next four weeks. The Vikings will use the IR designation to ensure Jefferson has a sufficient period to heal in full and avoid a rushed recovery which could lead to a setback. Still, the news marks a crippling blow to the 1-4 team’s offense and overall prospects for the season.
“We’re going to have to medically make a good decision and help almost protect him from himself a little bit in a way where we’ve got to take care of him and get him back to 100 percent,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, when asked about Jefferson’s prognosis and how the team would proceed with his recovery.
The 24-year-old, as expected, has had a highly productive start to the 2023 season. Jefferson currently ranks seventh in the NFL in catches (36) and third in yards (571) through five contests. He will now be sidelined for the first time in his career, after availability during his first three seasons helped him break the all-time record for the most receiving yards during that opening stretch of a player’s pro tenure. Replacing the LSU product will be a notable challenge for Minnesota.
Jefferson has drawn the fourth-most targets in the league (53), and O’Connell admitted the team’s offense is founded in very large part on the former first-rounder. With Jefferson no longer in the picture for the time being, the workload for first-round rookie Jordan Addison and former fifth-rounder K.J. Osborn will increase. The former has posted a 19-243-3 statline so far despite seeing the field for only 67% of offensive snaps. An uptick in playing time should yield a continuation of his encouraging start in the NFL. Of course, recently-extended tight end T.J. Hockenson will also be in line to see more targets in his first full campaign in Minnesota.
The Vikings have expressed confidence in their ability to rebound from an 0-3 start, making it clear that a seller’s status ahead of the October 31 trade deadline was not in the cards. As a result, consideration has not been given to finding a deal for quarterback Kirk Cousins to be sent elsewhere (something which would require the 35-year-old, who is in the final year of his contract, waiving his no-trade clause). It will be interesting to see if that mindset changes as the team now faces a stretch of three out of four games on the road – the lone exception being against the 5-0 49ers.
For Jefferson, an extended layoff could have an effect on his bargaining position in the offseason. He and the Vikings held extension talks in the offseason, but a deal – one which will likely make him the league’s highest-paid receiver – could not be finalized. Negotiations are now on hold until the spring, and having a signficant injury on his resume could hurt Jefferson’s leverage to a degree. The 2025 fifth-year option is in place for him, in any event, and his historic production when on the field will no doubt still land him a massive second contract. For the time being, though, he will be absent as the Vikings look to find a new recipe for offensive production.
Jets WR Mecole Hardman On Trade Block?
Mecole Hardman was a healthy scratch in Week 5, as his Jets tenure continues to disappoint so far. The wideout’s time in New York may soon be coming to an end as a result. 
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Jets are exploring their options with Hardman, which could include a trade. The former Pro Bowl returner has made just one catch this season, and his absence from the team’s offensive gameplans has been questioned by many. Hardman himself recently went public with his frustration about essentially being an afterthought with his new club.
“I’m probably the best in the league in space,” the 25-year-old said in advance of the Jets’ Week 5 win. “Maybe (the coaches) see something different. I’m just waiting for the opportunity to present itself. I think when I was in K.C., I proved that I was probably the most dangerous guy on the jet sweep, or whether it be on the end-around or on the screen, I think I proved year-out that I was that guy you had to worry about doing that.”
Hardman was a dangerous kick and punt returner during his four-year run in Kansas City, and he showed promise as at least a gadget player on offense. His best season came in 2021 when he posted 693 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 59 catches. Similar complimentary production was expected when he headed to New York on a one-year, $4MM deal.
Incentives in the pact provide a maximum value of $6MM, proving the expectations the Jets had for Hardman upon arrival. He, like former Packer Allen Lazard, was positioned to serve as a depth option in the passing game behind 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson. With Aaron Rodgers‘ 2023 campaign having essentially ended before it began, though, the team’s offense has generally struggled to find a rhythm under quarterback Zach Wilson.
The Jets managed to move to 2-3 on the year with a win over the Broncos on Sunday, but their 407 yards of offense came in large part on the ground, and their success through the air came without Hardman in the lineup. Since he is on an expiring contract, teams in need of receiving help could be interested in a rental which would allow club and player to move on from a situation which has not gone according to plan.