Bears LB Jerrell Freeman Suspended
Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman has been suspended for the next four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Of course, this comes on the heels of Alshon Jeffery‘s four-game suspension for PEDs. Jeffery claimed that he accidentally ingested a banned substance, but it remains to be seen what Freeman’s defense will be.
Freeman has established himself as one of Chicago’s top defenders, so his absence will definitely be noticed. Between the two bans, the Bears are now missing two of their very best players in the second half of the season. Of course, at 2-8, the Bears aren’t playing for much at this juncture, but it’s still bad for morale and not a good look for John Fox & Co.
Freeman came to the Bears on a three-year deal worth $12MM this March. The pact includes $6MM in guaranteed money and those terms may change following Freeman’s suspension. Already a solid inside linebacker heading into 2015, Freeman took his play to another level by significantly improving his play against the run. This year, he took another leap forward and currently stands as PFF’s No. 2 ranked linebacker in the NFL. He is topped only by Luke Kuechly of the Panthers. Sadly, both players are in for extended absences, but for different reasons.
Vikings Cut Ronnie Hillman
Ronnie Hillman‘s time in Minnesota is through. The Vikings announced that Hillman has been waived. To fill his spot on the roster, defensive end Stephen Weatherly has been signed from the practice squad. 
Hillman signed with the Vikings in September after Adrian Peterson was placed on injured reserve. Since then, he has posted a grand total of 50 yards off of 18 carries plus four catches for 43 yards. On Sunday, he had only two rushing attempts, the latest sign that he was being pushed further down in the pecking order.
Hillman‘s deal with the Vikings was a one-year pact worth the prorated league minimum of $760K with no guaranteed money, so the Vikings won’t be on the hook for anything going forward. The Broncos had offset language on the $400K in guaranteed salary owed to Hillman, so they have now been relieved of most or all of that debt.
Weatherly, a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, signed with the Vikings’ taxi squad after missing the final cut. The Vanderbilt product will slot behind Danielle Hunter and Justin Trattou as reserve bookends behind Brian Robison and Everson Griffen. He could also contribute as an outside linebacker.
Jets Revert To Ryan Fitzpatrick As Starter
What’s old is new again in New York. The Jets announced that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for them in Week 12, leaving Bryce Petty to serve as his backup. 
When asked why he made the decision, coach Todd Bowles explained that he’s doing it because Fitzpatrick is healthy again. Many Jets fans are probably groaning at this since Fitzpatrick is likely not in the picture for 2017 while Petty could be a useful piece for the future.
Petty had flashes of brilliance against the Rams in Week 10, including a 52-yard bomb to Robby Anderson. Ultimately, however, the Rams D ramped things up as the game went along and the game turned into a low-scoring affair for both sides. Case Keenum wound up losing his job to Jared Goff after that game and Petty has lost his grip on the starting role.
Recently, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan claimed that he has “no regrets” about re-signing Fitzpatrick, but we have our doubts given his major struggles this season. The Jets could theoretically keep Fitzpatrick around, but it’s much more likely that they’ll cut him loose and absorb a $5MM cap charge in 2017 as a result.
Bills WR Robert Woods To Miss Games?
The Bills haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to their wide receivers. Early in the season, Sammy Watkins was sidelined with a serious injury. Now, the next man up could be down for a while. Wide receiver Robert Woods has suffered a knee sprain, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), and he could miss some time. 
While much of the focus in Sunday’s Bills-Bengals game was on the injuries to A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard, Buffalo also lost a key player early in the game when Vontaze Burfict slammed into Woods’ leg. Woods left Cincinnati on crutches, which isn’t a great sign for his status going forward.
If Woods misses multiple weeks, the Bills don’t necessarily have to sign another receiver to take his place. The team already has Percy Harvin, Marquise Goodwin, Justin Hunter, Walter Powell, and Brandon Tate on the depth chart. And, of course, they’re hoping to get Watkins back in the lineup soon.
Falcons Extend Ryan Schraeder
The Falcons have reached agreement on an extension with right tackle Ryan Schraeder. It’s a five-year deal with a $32MM base and a maximum of $33MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal gives Schraeder $19.5MM in the first three years and grants him $12.5MM guaranteed.
The new pact marks a major pay bump for Schraeder. In the spring, Schraeder signed a restricted free agent tender worth just $2.553MM. Before that, the Falcons had some concern that another team could steal him away. Now, rival clubs are likely kicking themselves after watching Schraeder take another step forward in 2016.
Through ten games, Schraeder is Pro Football Focus’ No. 13 ranked tackle in the NFL. His 83.3 overall grade comes from roughly even scores in pass blocking and run blocking. If he can continue that kind of production, this deal will prove to be a strong value for Atlanta.
Pending FA Jacob Tamme Faces Long Recovery
Falcons tight end Jacob Tamme, who is done for the season following shoulder surgery, faces six months of rehab before returning to full speed football, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets. This is especially notable as Tamme looks ahead to free agency. Free agency starts in March, but it sounds like the veteran won’t be back to his normal self until May. 
Tamme came to Atlanta on a two-year, $3.2MM deal before the 2015 season. In his first year with the Falcons, Tamme had 59 catches for 657 yards, putting him in the top 11 among tight ends in both categories. This year, Tamme’s season ended with 22 catches for 210 yards and three touchdowns, making him Atlanta’s top TE.
Clearly, Tamme can still move the chains, but he may not find a strong market by the time he is ready for inspection. By May, many teams will already be set at tight end and they’ll have significantly less cap room than they did at the beginning of the spring. Tamme turns 32 in March, so he’ll also have his age working against him.
Rams LB Josh Forrest Has ACL Tear?
Josh Forrest‘s promising rookie season could be coming to a premature end. The team fears that he has torn his ACL, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Taken in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, Forrest has taken on a larger-than-expected role, appearing in all ten games this season and even making four starts. On the year, he has six total tackles, one pass defensed, and one fumble recovery.
Forrest has positioned himself as Alec Ogletree‘s top backup at middle linebacker and the team will probably look to add a linebacker if he is in fact done for the season. The Rams can stay in-house, if they choose, by promoting either Nicholas Grigsby or Lynden Trail from the practice squad.
In other Rams news, the team COO says that there are no hurdles in potentially bringing the Chargers to L.A. And, late last week, cornerback Troy Hill was arrested for a DUI.
Lions Work Out LB James Laurinaitis
James Laurinaitis is now healthy and available for hire. The linebacker is working out today for the Lions today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
The Saints placed Laurinaitis on IR earlier this year but he felt that he could return from his quad injury. However, the Saints already used their IR-DTR slot on rookie Sheldon Rankins, which meant that the veteran could not play again for the Saints in 2016. Last week, the Saints agreed to cut Laurinaitis from the roster if he could pass a physical and he held up his side of the bargain.
The 29-year-old (30 in December) was a rock for the Rams as he started 112 consecutive games. With the Saints, he was bitten by the injury bug and saw time in only six games. When Laurinaitis signed a three-year, $8.5MM deal back in March, it seemed like a solid value for the Saints. Unfortunately, things did not pan out.
The Lions have been thin at linebacker ever since Jon Bostic underwent foot surgery earlier this year. He was considered to be the team’s top candidate for return from IR, but he has yet to be activated even though he has been eligible since Week 8. It’s possible that the Lions are instead hoping to get Ameer Abdullah back in the lineup. Abdullah will meet with a foot specialist on Tuesday to determine whether he can start practicing. If he gets the green light, the Lions may opt to sign a linebacker like Laurinaitis instead of bringing Bostic back.
Extra Points: Anderson, Branch, Logan, Lions
Broncos running back C.J. Anderson is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn meniscus, tweets Troy Renck of Denver7. Anderson was placed on injured reserve in late October, but Denver could choose to designate him as their IR returner if it so chooses. Anderson must miss a minimum of eight games, meaning he could come back for important late-season divisional contests against the Chiefs and Raiders, then presumably stay on the roster for a potential playoff run.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Andre Branch is enjoying a career resurgence with the Dolphins and he says he would like to continue in Miami beyond this year. “One hundred percent,” the pending free agent told Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald when asked if he wants to re-sign. “We got something going here, and it’s fun. I wake up every morning, and you have a reason to wake up. It’s not just, ‘I woke up to another one.’ The coaching staff brings energy each and every day. The players bring energy each and every day. And if anyone’s slacking, you’re going to know. I’m my biggest critic, and I never want to let my brothers or my coaches down. So for me, it’s starting to feel like family. It’s a lot of things that when you wake up, I haven’t felt in a very long time. So I’m happy here.” After playing out his one-year, $2.75MM deal, Branch will be seeking a pay bump and a longer commitment on his next deal. While there will be (presumably) mutual interest between him and the Dolphins, money may be a factor.
- When asked about a potential extension for defensive tackle Bennie Logan, Eagles executive Howie Roseman said he “would love to keep Bennie, ” according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Logan, 27 next month, will become a free agent next spring. Through six starts this season, Logan ranks the No. 44 interior defender among 122 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
- Kai Forbath‘s contract with the Vikings is for two years at minimum salary, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, the deal contains no guaranteed money, so Minnesota will easily be able to escape the pact if Forbath struggles to close the 2016 campaign. Forbath was signed to replace Blair Walsh, who was finally waived after missing several kicks this season.
- The Lions worked out wide receiver Tyler Murphy today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of he Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Murphy, a 2015 undrafted free agent, was waived off Miami’s injured reserve list in August and hadn’t been heard from since.
NFL Execs On Tony Romo’s Trade Value
The Cowboys insist that Tony Romo is still a part of their plans going forward, but that hasn’t stopped speculation on whether Romo could be traded this offseason and what his price tag could be. Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports checked in with a handful of NFL executives to gauge Romo’s trade value and got a wide range of answers. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Organization Torn On Romo, Prescott]
One GM feels the Cowboys could get as much as a second-round pick, provided that the Romo could pass a physical. Another executive predicted the Cowboys could ask for a second or third. Another said a third was the absolute max Dallas could get. Other responses ranged from a sixth-round choice to a conditional late-round pick.
“Imagine me going to [the owner] and saying, ‘Listen, I’m going to make a trade for a 36-year-old that’s got back issues that’s a backup,’ ” one anonymous GM said. “He’d be like, ‘You’re crazy.’ ”
Of course, it’s hard to peg Romo’s value without having a good handle on his health or the quarterback landscape in the offseason. Romo’s market would vary depending on which teams needed a quarterback and exactly how desperate they are. As I have noted before, this year’s draft class is pretty thin at QB, and that could help the Cowboys’ case if they choose to deal their one-time franchise star.
The executives mentioned the Jets, Broncos, Cardinals (if they were to dump Carson Palmer) and Bears as possible suitors. The 49ers need a QB, but as Pelissero notes, Romo isn’t a great fit for Chip Kelly‘s offense.