Packers Cut RB Knile Davis
The Packers have released running back Knile Davis, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Davis’ Packers career ends after amassing just five carries for five yards. 
Green Bay acquired Davis earlier this month after starter Eddie Lacy and primary backup James Starks were sidelined with injuries. At the time of the signing, it was expected that Davis would take over as Green Bay’s No. 1 traditional tailback for at least a little while. However, the Packers instead continued with converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery as their main option. Running back Don Jackson, who was recently promoted from the practice squad, is currently No. 2 on the RB depth chart.
Montgomery was sidelined on Sunday with an illness related to sickle cell trait, leaving Jackson to start for the Packers. Today’s move to cut Davis could be a sign that Montgomery is doing well. It could also be an indication that Starks’ return isn’t far off.
The Packers’ trade with the Chiefs called for them to send a conditional seventh-round pick to KC. Needless to say, Green Bay will now hang on to that pick.
Bears Unlikely To Trade Alshon Jeffery
Alshon Jeffery has been the subject of trade speculations for the last few weeks, but as the deadline draws near, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be moved. The Bears are not expected to trade the star wide receiver, sources tell Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). 
Jeffery is in his contract year and it will cost the Bears quite a bit if they want to lock him up for the long run. Still, the Bears do not feel totally comfortable going into 2017 with Kevin White as their top receiver, according to sources who spoke with Miller. Jeffery is a pending free agent and the Bears’ reluctance to let so much ride on White could be a sign that they are serious about a long-term deal. White, taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft, suffered a fractured fibula earlier this month and landed on IR. If he recovers well from surgery, he could return for Chicago later on this season.
Jeffery’s next contract could be for upwards of $14MM per season, putting him right in the same neighborhood as Julio Jones, Demaryius Thomas, and Dez Bryant. A.J. Green currently has the highest average salary of any wide receiver at $15MM. The Bears used the franchise tag on Jeffery last offseason and it is unlikely that they would go that route again.
Teams Scouting Browns CB Joe Haden
The trade deadline is 24 hours away and teams are doing their homework on Browns cornerback Joe Haden, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Haden has been dealing with injuries for the last two seasons, but he is still a well above-average cornerback and could draw interest from teams looking to bolster their defense. 
Haden, 27, was limited to just five games last season because of various injuries, including a concussion. Then, this past spring, he underwent left ankle surgery. It goes without saying that any interested club will want to do a thorough medical examination on the star corner before finalizing a deal.
In his five games played this year, the advanced numbers have Haden ranked as a top 30 cornerback. When he’s healthy and playing at his best, Haden has shown that he can be an elite difference-maker. However, it remains to be seen whether the Browns will be willing to part with Haden. After acquiring linebacker Jamie Collins from the Patriots earlier today, it’s possible that the Browns are not only out of selling mode, but potentially in buying mode.
Cardinals DB Tyrann Mathieu To Miss Time
The Cardinals announced that defensive back Tyrann Mathieu will miss 3-6 weeks with a shoulder injury. Mathieu’s shoulder popped out during Sunday’s game against the Panthers and he’ll need some time to heal up. 
[RELATED: Cardinals Place Jared Veldheer On IR]
Fortunately, the Cardinals are entering a bye week, so Mathieu could miss as few as two games before returning on Sunday, Nov. 27 against the Falcons. If the Cardinals’ defensive star needs the full six weeks to recover, then he could be out of action until mid-December.
The Cardinals and Tyrann Mathieu agreed to a five-year contract extension in August that made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL and locked him up through 2021. In 2015, Mathieu earned a Pro Bowl selection and was named first-team All Pro. In his 14 games, Mathieu recorded five interceptions, 89 tackles, one sack, 17 passes defensed, and graded out as the No. 1 cornerback in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. So far this year, PFF has him rated as just the 44th best safety in the league out of 89 qualifiers.
Cardinals Place Jared Veldheer On IR
Cardinals left tackle Jared Veldheer needs surgery on his partially torn triceps, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schefter notes that Veldheer had this surgery before and missed ten weeks. The Cardinals have confirmed that Veldheer will go on IR and he is almost certainly done for the year.
Veldheer exited Sunday’s game against the Panthers in the fourth quarter. It’s a frustrating situation for Veldheer who was playing through a broken finger and has already dealt with this tear.
The veteran’s first triceps tear came in 2013 when he was in his contract year with the Raiders. Fortunately, he still found a healthy offensive line market in the spring and landed with Arizona on a five-year, $35MM deal.
The 3-4 Cardinals will miss Veldheer who is ranked No. 18 out of 74 qualified tackles so far this year. Veldheer has been an absolute workhorse for the Cardinals with 578 total snaps on the field this year, the second-highest total amongst tackles this season.
Patriots Trade LB Jamie Collins To Browns
The Patriots are trading linebacker Jamie Collins to the Browns, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In return, New England will receive a compensatory third-round pick. The deal has been confirmed via press release.
[RELATED: Download The Must-Have Trade Rumors App Today!]
Recently, the Patriots made a team-friendly extension offer to Collins, but they were rebuffed. The Pats likely didn’t think that they could work out a new deal with the pending free agent, leading them to today’s trade. Of course, New England has a number of key players to take care of, including Martellus Bennett, Malcolm Butler (restricted free agent), Dont’a Hightower, and Logan Ryan. Had the Patriots waited for Collins to sign elsewhere in the offseason, their compensatory pick would have come in 2018.
The Browns, meanwhile, have been stockpiling draft picks in unprecedented fashion and they used one of those selections today to acquire one of the league’s top outside linebackers. Through seven games, Collins has 43 tackles, one sack, three passes defensed, and two interceptions. The advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus have Collins ranked as the No. 9 linebacker in the NFL this year with roughly even grades for his run defense and coverage.
Presumably, the Browns are going to try and lock up Collins on a long-term deal. Cleveland can utilize the franchise tag to keep Collins for the 2017 season and he’s probably the team’s best candidate for that designation.
We haven’t heard any trade rumors involving Collins this week and the deal comes as a complete shock. No one anticipated that the Patriots would deal one of their best defenders this week and no one expected the rebuilding Browns to acquire a bonafide star prior to the deadline. There has been lots of talk about Cleveland moving key veterans like Joe Thomas, but it’s possible that the Browns could continue in buyer’s mode for the next 24 hours.
Latest On NFL’s Ezekiel Elliott Investigation
Ezekiel Elliott’s ex-girlfriend is cooperating with the league’s investigation into the domestic abuse allegations against the player, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. If the league finds that there is merit to the accusations, her testimony could have a major impact on the Cowboys tailback. 
The aforementioned woman has claimed that five separate incidents of domestic violence transpired. Elliott, meanwhile, has maintained his innocence. In September, the Columbus, Ohio district attorney’s office opted not to pursue charges against the Dallas rookie.
Heading into tonight’s game, Elliott has rushed for 703 yards and five touchdowns off of 137 carries. He also has eleven catches for 98 yards. It would certainly sting if the Cowboys were to lose Elliott for any period of time this season.
Under the league’s old personal conduct policy, Elliott might have been in the clear after the Columbus DA passed on charges. Now, in the post-Ray Rice era, the league is taking DV allegations much more seriously. It’s also fair to say that the league is being extra cautious in the wake of the Josh Brown controversy which has dominated headlines for weeks.
5+ Key Stories: 10/24/16 – 10/30/16
Browns unlikely to trade Josh Gordon. The Browns are “highly unlikely” to trade the troubled receiver between now and Tuesday’s deadline. Cleveland reportedly shopped him earlier this month, but the odds of a deal coming together are not looking good. It’s no huge surprise that teams are staying away from Gordon. Regarded as one of the best offensive talents in the game, the wide receiver has too many off-field demons to deal with at this time. Even if a team were to show interest in him, it would be hard to see the Browns getting much offered to them. Any team that would be willing to roll the dice on Gordon would be wise to wait until the Browns release him rather than give up draft compensation. In related news, Gordon has been released from rehab. 
Jaguars make a coaching change. Over the weekend, the Jags canned offensive coordinator Greg Olsen. After the Jaguars were smashed by the Titans on Thursday night, owner Shad Khan apparently decided that he has seen enough. The Jaguars currently rank 31st in the NFL with only 72.6 rushing yards per game, and place 29th in Football Outsiders’ rushing DVOA. The passing game hasn’t been especially effective either, ranking 28th in DVOA as Blake Bortles has underwhelmed, to say the least.
Broncos place C.J. Anderson on IR. The Broncos got some bad news this week when running back C.J. Anderson was diagnosed with a torn meniscus. Now, Anderson has been placed on IR and the team can only hope to get him back in time for the postseason. With Anderson down, Devontae Booker will take over as the Broncos’ go-to rusher. The Broncos are high on the rookie, but he is obviously not as proven as Anderson.
Trouble for Teddy? Medical officials are worried about Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the long-term. The Louisville product suffered a gruesome leg injury in the offseason and it’s not immediately clear if he’ll be able to take the field in 2017. Some officials that are familiar with Bridgewater’s injury aren’t sure that he’ll ever be able to play again. After he suffered a torn ACL and dislocated his knee, Bridgewater has a long, painful road of rehab ahead of him. On the plus side, Vikings officials are pleased with what they’ve seen from his early stages of rehab.
Kicked out of New York. The Giants gave Josh Brown the boot as public pressure mounted against the player and the team. The team had already decided that Brown would never play for them again, but they wanted to further distance themselves from Brown in the wake of this year’s controversy. As it stands, Brown remains on the commissioner’s exempt list and he’ll probably be hit with a lengthy suspension once that stint is over. No matter what, he’ll probably never kick in the NFL again.
Joe on the go? Will the Browns trade Joe Thomas between now and Tuesday’s trade deadline? The Giants have reportedly expressed interest in the left tackle, but they have found that Cleveland does not seem intent on trading Thomas. Hue Jackson recently said that Thomas would not be dealt. Soon after, rival GMs mused that top exec Sashi Brown could pull the trigger on a deal anyway. In less than 48 hours, we’ll know what the Browns’ intentions are.
Extra Points: Eagles, Bucs, Cowboys, Injuries
There’s a lot of talk about receivers the Eagles could acquire, but which players could they look to trade themselves? Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com runs down some candidates, including linebacker Mychal Kendricks. The Eagles are somewhat thin at linebacker, but it seems defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz isn’t that high on Kendricks and other teams would probably use him more than Philly has. Other suggested trade candidates include interior offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski, wide receiver Nelson Agholor, defensive end Connor Barwin, and running back Ryan Mathews.
- Will the Buccaneers acquire a veteran wide receiver between now and the trade deadline? Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders notes that there is a need there after Louis Murphy‘s latest setback and looks at a handful of candidates around the league. Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery is a game-changing talent, but he’s in his contract year and the Bucs would have to juggle re-signing him while trying to extend Mike Evans this offseason. For that reason, someone like 49ers receiver Torrey Smith might make more sense for Tampa Bay.
- The Cowboys had interest in Chase Daniel as a backup quarterback during the offseason, Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram tweets. However, that was before the Eagles made Daniel the league’s highest-paid reserve QB.
- Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has injury updates on a number of key players. Colts receiver Donte Moncrief will play, but Falcons running back Tevin Coleman won’t. Neither will Redskins rusher Matt Jones, whose teammate, tight end Jordan Reed, is questionable.
- Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis admitted that he’s “breaking down,” but he’s not thinking retirement.
AFC Notes: Chiefs, Bills, Texans, Browns
The Chiefs announced that they have ruled out running back Jamaal Charles for Sunday’s game against Indianapolis. The team says it’s being careful with the four-time Pro bowler given that he suffered a torn ACL last year. In place of Charles, who has only 12 carries in three appearances this season, the Chiefs will continue leaning on Spencer Ware. The third-year man has held his own with nearly 800 total yards (492 rushing, 285 receiving) and three touchdowns in the Chiefs’ first six games.
More regarding Kansas City and three other AFC teams:
- Bills general manager Doug Whaley tells WGR 550 the trade market has been “relatively quiet,” but he thinks it will pick up after Sunday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak). He added that the Bills would not hesitate to make a trade before Tuesday’s deadline.
- Texans head coach Bill O’Brien classifies running back Lamar Miller as a game-time decision for Sunday’s contest against the Lions, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Miller suffered a bruised shoulder in the Texans’ loss to the Broncos on Monday, but he plans to play through it, writes Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. Miller and backup Alfred Blue picked up 11 carries apiece in Denver.
- In addition to the previously reported Cayleb Jones, Jeremiah McKinnon, Blake Muir and James Vaughters, the Chiefs worked out defensive end Bobby Richardson on Tuesday, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Richardson started in 11 of 15 appearances as a rookie with the Saints last year, though he didn’t make much of an impact statistically (20 tackles, half a sack).
- Safety Justin Currie is in Cleveland today for a tryout with the Browns, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. Currie went undrafted from Western Michigan last year and spent time wth the Giants.